7. 12 Steps Of Expository Preaching

12 Steps of

EXPOSITORY PREACHING

2. Normally a short phrase or clause 3.

0. Pray for GOD to SPEAK to you first!

BEFORE YOU BEGIN 1. God has to speak to you before you can speak to others 2. Pray for His Spirit to help you 1. understand the passage in its context 2. apply its lessons to today’s situation 3. deliver its message to God’s people 1. Note the Kind of Writing (The GENRE) & its Rules for Interpretation 1. Over-all 1. Narrative (historical & story) OT 2. Law 3. Prophecy 4. Wisdom 5. Poetry 6. Narrative (Gospel & Acts) NT 7. Letter 8. Apocalyptic 2. Specific to the passage 1. Poetry or Prose? 2. Riddle 3. Typology 4. Parable 5. Allegory 6. Sermon 2. List the Units of Thought (the separate IDEAS) contained in the Text 1. Always using the actual wording of the text you are using

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3. Sometimes a complete sentence Observe the STRUCTURE of the Passage 1. Re-shape by indenting each line to show 1. the grammatical relationships between the various parts of the passage 2. Be concerned with the Grammar rather than the Theology at this stage of your study. (Theology comes later!) 1. God chose to speak authoritatively in His Word through the grammar used by the human writer - not through ideas imported into the text by the reader!) Analyse the CONTENT of the Passage 1. Highlight all the topics mentioned 2. Any recurring theme? 3. Who is doing what? 1. Where? When? 2. How? Why? Decide the over-all SUBJECT of the Passage 1. This must cover all the topics, not just some! 2. Use your own words to describe the subject Identify the TEACHING about the over-all Subject 1. Begin from the beginning to identify the teaching 2. Include only what relates to the over-all subject 3. Word studies of any significant words relating to this subject Check the immediate CONTEXT of the Passage 1. Verses before and after 2. The whole book

3. The author’s writings 8. Research the BACKGROUND

1. Historical 2. Cultural 3. Geographical 9. Check for CONSISTENCY with the rest of Scripture 1. Refer to Commentaries, Bible Dictionaries, etc 10. Expose the original HEART-BEAT of the Passage 1. What is the core message that sums up this teaching? 2. Express it in contemporary wording 11. Apply the Heart-Beat (The LESSON for us) 1. Compile some applications to daily personal life & society 12. Exhort your LISTENERS to RESPOND to this message from God IN THE PULPIT