Tag: sermon

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How to Trim Down a Sermon

How to Trim Down a Sermon

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For me, the hardest part of preparing a teaching or sermon is figuring out what information to leave out. Cutting down a sermon is incredibly difficult. This difficulty is compounded by the fact that it is very hard to find actual guidance on how to trim down a sermon. There are dozens of great resources for how to write better sermons, how to outline, how to write sermon application. But I have found very little concrete guidance for how to discern what parts of a sermon to keep, and what to edit out.

The Problem of Over-stuffed Sermons

There is an unfortunate tendency to equate a good, Biblical sermon with how many details a preacher or teacher gives. This tendency leads to what I will call “over-stuffed” sermons. These are sermons that are Biblical, sound, but try to communicate too much information in the allotted time slot. Sermons that are over-stuffed end up becoming less clear to the congregation. Listeners spend so much time trying to keep track of the many details you are giving rather than meditating on the main point of the text.

Now, I want to make an important distinction before going on. As a Bible-teacher or preacher, you must go into a great level of detail in your analysis when preparing a sermon. In your Bible study leading up to a preaching or teaching, you must dig into any and all details contained in your text. You must cross-reference, outline, look up the original languages, make observation after observation, and more if you want to get to the meaning of the text you are teaching. However, the art of preaching is in discerning which details to actually present to your congregation in a Sunday morning sermon. In other words, when you go from your study to the pulpit, you must trim down your sermon to only the most important textual details. If you simply go up and preach your detailed Bible study notes, chances are you are preaching and over-stuffed sermon.

The Solution: Trim Down Your Sermon to the Essential Details

In my experience, sermon length is generally driven by how many details you end up communicating in your sermon. How many points and sub-points do you have? How many words do you define from the pulpit? What cross-references do you include? Historical anecdotes? Illustrations? Applications? Therefore, to trim down a sermon, you must discern which of these details are essential to communicate, and which are secondary. The essential details should end up in your final sermon. Secondary details, on the other hand, you can trim out of your sermon to fit your allotted time and to ensure your congregation does not get lost in an over-stuffed teaching.

This seems obvious so far. But the question is how do you trim down a sermon? How can you discern which details are essential and which are secondary? Most of the time when I have asked for guidance on trimming down a sermon, I have gotten some form of “there is an art to it” or “I’m not that great at it myself, so I’m a bad example.” While it is certainly difficult to make universal rules, there is a helpful process you can go through to at least help you discern what details are essential and which are not. The process is simple: go through each section, point, detail, or cross reference in the first draft of your manuscript, and ask the following four questions (in order):

1. Does this detail give information that is mostly repeated elsewhere in the sermon?

I call this the “redundancy” test. Repetition is important in communication, but if you go to 10 cross-references in a sermon which all make the same point, maybe you can cut 8-9 of those cross-references and save yourself (and your listeners) some time. If a sermon point, observation, or application is too similar to information previously given in your sermon, you should probably cut it. Redundant details are by definition secondary and non-essential.

Each detail you choose to include in a sermon should move your preaching forward. If your application contains a point you already made earlier in your sermon, you can safely cut that application. If your text uses the same Greek word twice and you defined it earlier in the sermon, don’t bother going through the definition again when you come to it a second time. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule. But 90% of the time, giving excessive redundant details tires the listener and eats away at the time you have to preach. You can trim down a sermon quickly by removing redundant details.

2. Does this detail give new information that is not directly related to the main point of the text?

I call this the “relevance” test. Sometimes, a sermon point or other detail might indeed give new, non-redundant information. But just because information is new does not mean you should include it. You must discern whether the detail is related to the main point of the text you are preaching or not. There is a time and a place for “rabbit holes” where you go off on a tangent semi-related to the text you are preaching out of. But if you do this repeatedly, you will end up spending most of your time teaching on concepts found elsewhere in the Bible but not in the text you are supposed to be preaching.

A good practice for discerning the relevance of sermon details is to explicitly write out what you think the main point of the text is. Summarize in a sentence or two what the Biblical author is communicating and what reality your text points to. Then, as you go through each point, sub-point, or other detail in your sermon manuscript, ask “does this connect to the main point or reality of the text?” If the answer is no, the information is secondary and can be cut from your sermon. You can trim down a sermon by discerning which details are relevant to the main point of the text and which details are not.

3. Does this detail clarify all or part of the main point of the text?

I call this the “clarification” test. If a detail you want to include in your sermon clarifies all or part of the main point of your text, it is most likely essential. As mentioned in the previous section, if you explicitly write out the main point of your text, this test becomes very easy. If the definition of a word is crucial for understanding the text’s main point, then it is a crucial detail to include. If a cross-reference to a clearer text sheds light on the text you are preaching, then you should probably include that cross reference.

Of course, too much “clarification” can cause you to become redundant. So ensure that each clarifying detail does, in fact, directly clarify the main point of your text and is not repeated elsewhere in your sermon. Check to see that the clarifying details you include are related to the main point of the text, not secondary points. Details that clarify the main point can safely be labeled “essential” and kept in your sermon. But if you find yourself clarifying sub-points, maybe save those details for another sermon.

4. Does this detail connect the main point of your text to a broader Biblical concept or doctrine?

I call this the “connection” test, and it is the most difficult one to do well. Because the Bible is a unified whole, you can always find connections between your text and other texts, themes, and doctrines. If you try to connect your text to everything you will end up failing the other three tests above. But part of preaching is showing how your particular text fits into the rest of Scripture. Details that connect the main point of your text to a great Bible doctrine or a great Bible theme are often essential and should be included.

As an example, imagine you are preaching on a text whose main point relates to justification by faith. You likely will want to connect your text to other passages which deal with this theme, like Romans 3. As long as you avoid being redundant or going down a rabbit hole, such doctrinal or thematic connections can help your congregation see the unity of Scripture and add weight to the text you are currently teaching. To help do this well, after you write out the main point of your text, ask yourself “what key doctrine or key Bible theme does this text most connect to?” From there, you can ensure that you keep any details in your sermon that connect your text with this doctrine/theme or cross-reference to other texts on the same doctrine/theme.

Conclusion: Trim Down Your Sermon Thoughtfully and Carefully

The goal of this post isn’t to cause you to second-guess every detail you include in your sermon. Rather, I want to give you a more structured way to thoughtfully and carefully trim down your sermon. While knowing what to cut and what to include is certainly an art, you can become better at it with practice. By applying the four questions above to different sections of your sermon, you will be surprised how much easier it is to decide what to keep and what to cut. As always, this process requires much prayer and considering your own congregation that you preach to.

If you keep “glorifying God through faithful and clear communication of your text” as the goal of your preaching, then trimming down your sermon can become just another act of faithfulness and worship.

For more tools to help you prepare sermons and teachings, click here. If you want to look over tools to help your own Bible study, click here. If you found this post helpful, share and subscribe below.
God the Glorious Creator (Revelation 4:11)

God the Glorious Creator (Revelation 4:11)

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In a recent post discussing God’s glory and our response to it, I referenced a sermon I recently preached at my Church. The sermon was entitled “God the Glorious Creator” and I endeavored to exposit and apply Revelation 4:11. In particular, I wanted to emphasize that because God is all that exists was created by God, He is pre-eminent over all, has all authority, and all worship is due Him. I have given the sermon below as well as the outline of my main points.

Sermon Video

Sermon Text

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,

    to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

    and by your will they existed and were created.”

Revelation 4:11, ESV

Sermon Outline

  1. Introduction
  2. Explanation of Revelation 4:11
    1. Who is being addressed? “Lord and God”
    2. What is said? “Glory, honor, and power”
    3. Why is it said? God created all things (past) & sustains all things (present)
    4. How did God create and sustain? Of His own will
  3. Further points of Biblical Theology explaining God as the Creator
    1. One of the first attributes of God revealed in Scripture is that God is the creator of all things
    2. God created in order to display His glory, not because He lacked anything
    3. God re-creates fallen humanity through the Gospel of Jesus Christ
    4. God will create a new heaven and a new earth for His elect to live and glorify Him throughout all eternity
  4. Summary and Overarching Reality
    1. The elders in Revelation 4:11 are worshiping God because the fact that He is the sovereign creator shows how separate and great He is above anything He created
    2. All that exists, including you, exists because God freely chose to create it. Therefore, God is pre-eminent over all, has all authority, and all worship is due Him
    3. Because of God’s position as the creator of all things, everything is under Him and belongs to Him
  5. Implications
    1. Idolatry is exceedingly sinful and you should daily fight it within your own heart
      1. Idolatry robs God of the honor due to Him
      2. Idolatry prefers the lesser to the greater
    2. Your life never was and never will be your own
    3. For the Christian, worship should be the most natural and constant thing in the world

Sources referenced when preparing sermon:

Check out the Tools page to look through resources I use to prepare my sermons and study a passage. To listen to other sermons I have preached, head over to the Preaching page. Share and subscribe below and be sure to follow The Average Churchman on Instagram if you haven’t already.

book quote of the week
An Easy Way to Edit a Sermon

An Easy Way to Edit a Sermon

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When I decided to go back to school to get my Master’s degree, I realized I had probably forgotten how to do well in an academic environment. So, I picked up a book from one of my favorite authors Cal Newport entitled “How to Become a Straight-A Student.” If you are a student at any level, (especially if you are in College) I recommend this book highly. For today’s “Book Quote of the Week,” I want to look at Newport’s advice on editing academic papers and how it provides an easy way to edit a sermon as well.

Solid editing requires only three careful passes

The Argument Adjustment Pass: Read the paper carefully on your computer to make sure your argument is clear, fix obvious errors, and rewrite where the flow needs improvement.

The Out Loud Pass: Carefully read out loud a printed copy of your paper, marking any awkward passages or unclear explanations.

The Sanity Pass: A final pass over a printed version of the paper to check the overall flow and to root out any remaining errors.

“How to Become a Straight-A Student” by Cal Newport pp 211

What the quote means

Newport gives these three editing passes in a section on how to write an excellent college-level paper. In particular, he is concerned with avoiding two pitfalls: under-editing a paper and over-editing a paper. Newport argues effective editing really only takes three passes. The first focuses on the logic of the paper, the second pass corrects any grammar mistakes and ensures effective language, and the final pass checks that you didn’t miss any errors in the previous passes.

In the “Argument Adjustment Pass” the main goal is to add sentences or subtract sentences based on the paper’s flow. If a point is not clear, add a sentence or two to clarify. If a sentences isn’t necessary, cut it. During this phase, Newport also recommends analyzing the structure of your paper to check that you make a coherent, well-ordered argument. Newport recommends you complete this pass on your computer rather than on a printed out copy of your paper.

The “Out Loud Pass” is simple: read through your entire paper out loud to make sure your language is clear. For this step, Newport recommends you have a physical print out of your paper and note any necessary corrections as you go. Even though this process takes a larger chunk of time to complete, there is no substitute for reading a paper out loud if you want to ensure the language is effective.

Finally, the “Sanity Pass” is a final quick read through of a printed copy of your paper. You can always miss some small errors in the previous passes, so this final skim ensures you didn’t let anything slip through the cracks. After completing this pass, the paper is then ready to turn in.

Why it is important

What I love about this method of editing is how straightforward it is. There are dozens of editing checklists you can find online and in books. But they often take hours to go through and they don’t leave you with the feeling of “I’ve done enough.” By breaking down editing into three simple passes, Newport gives an effective and efficient editing technique.

Now, as helpful as this method is for academic papers, I think it really shines as a way to edit a sermon manuscript. Oftentimes, editing your sermon is either the last thing you do in a rush or you skip it entirely. And that makes sense: to edit a sermon takes time and it can feel daunting depending on how long your manuscript is. But Newport’s three step editing technique is not burdensome and provides a predictable process you can go through for each sermon.

I think the “out loud” pass might be even more important for a sermon than for a paper. You want to make sure your language flows and isn’t too flowery or complicated for a spoken message. As tedious as it might seem, you will notice a dozen improvements to your sermon if you simply complete the “out loud pass” before you preach. Additionally, I personally always make time the night before or the day of my teaching to complete the “sanity pass” with my printed manuscript or outline.

Takeaways

1. Budget time in your Sermon preparation for editing through your manuscript

It isn’t a complicated point but to edit a sermon you need to make time to actually complete the editing process. Editing should not be an “extra bonus” that you do “if you have time.” I have not met a single person who has complained their sermon got worse when they spent more time working on it. So, as you plan your schedule for preparing a sermon or teaching, budget time to complete Newport’s recommended three passes. The quality of your sermon will increase. Guaranteed.

2. Go through your Sermon manuscript three times and then entrust the result to the Lord

A common pitfall in editing is not knowing when something is “good enough.” That is one reason I appreciate Newport creating an editing process that has three steps and then is complete. You should certainly edit your sermon manuscript before you preach. But you also shouldn’t obsessively edit your sermon to the point that you aren’t ready to give it. For Christians preaching or teaching, you must end your editing process with trusting the Lord.

Sermons are made better through editing but no sermon is made effective by editing. God alone can save and sanctify.

So go through the three-step editing process with your sermon. Then, prayerfully trust the Lord with it because God has promised His Word will not return to Him void.

Click here to read previous “Book Quote of the Week” posts. More tools to help you study the Bible, click here. If you found this post helpful, share on social media and subscribe below. Follow The Average Churchman on Instagram for more content.

soveriegn election
The Hope of God’s Sovereign Election: Exposition

The Hope of God’s Sovereign Election: Exposition

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Much has been written lately about how the world around us is getting darker. Sin is accepted and celebrated. Our culture is sowing rebellion against Scripture and is reaping the effects of rejecting God. This post, however, is focused on a different danger: the Church falling into hopelessness. Despair. A sense of cynicism or of being defeated. And the only antidote to these is reminding yourself of God’s sovereign election.

To understand this topic of hope in a dark culture, I want to go back to the Old Testament to a prophet who fell into hopelessness: Elijah. God’s answer to Elijah when he felt alone and hopeless in a godless culture is exactly the reminder the Church needs today. The main verses I want to focus on are 1 Kings 19:14 & 18.

He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.”And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.”

And the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

1 Kings 19:12-18, ESV emphasis added

Initial Analysis

Context of 1 & 2 Kings: The Destruction Sin Brings

The goal of 1 & 2 Kings is to present a causal relationship between Israel and their Kings failure to obey God’s covenant and the exile. Their rebellion leads to exile, in fulfillment of God’s word in Deuteronomy 28. So 1 & 2 Kings are books that focus on sin and it’s consequences. You can see this in the structure of 1 & 2 Kings:

  • 1 Kings starts with Solomon building the Temple and other rulers coming to see Solomon’s great wealth and wisdom
  • 2 Kings ends with the destruction of Jerusalem (including Solomons’ temple) and Judah’s King eating from the table of Babylon’s Ling

1 & 2 Kings highlights the sinfulness of sin and the destruction it brought upon the nation of Israel. In fact, each King listed in these books is evaluated by whether he broke the covenant and led Israel into sin or whether they brought about repentance in the land. But also integral to 1 & 2 Kings are “prophets”: messengers of God who pronounce judgment on Israel because of their behavior and who call for repentance. Elijah is one of those prophets and is the main prophet in 1 Kings.

Context Proceeding 1 Kings 19: From Victory to Despair

1 Kings 19 is a low point in the prophet Elijah’s life and ministry, and it comes right after one of his most memorable victories. Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal and God demonstrated His power over the false idols Israel was worshiping. Additionally, the false prophets of Baal are killed in judgment because God exposes them as frauds.

What happens after this amazing victory? Queen Jezebel promises to kill Elijah just like he had killed her prophets. Elijah’s reaction? 1 Kings 19:3 says Elijah became afraid and immediately ran for his life. Some manuscripts are translated Elijah “saw” and ran for his life. In other words, the most powerful woman in the land is promising to kill Elijah and his life is in immanent danger.

This sends Elijah into despair and depression. In fact, he actually prays to the Lord that he would die.

But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.”

1 Kings 19:4, ESV

But, God answers Elijah’s request by providing food and water for him until he makes it to mount Horeb. So now Elijah is physically safe, but Jezebel has essential driven this prophet of God out of Israel and he is in complete despair. This sad state is where we find Elijah: alone, in cave, seemingly defeated

And this is when God comes to Him and asks “what are you doing here?”

Exposition

Point 1: Observe the Darkness of the God-hating Culture

In his answer, Elijah gives three summary sins that characterized Israel at that time.

Israel had broken God’s covenant

This is no small thing. You know from reading through the Pentateuch that God called Israel out of bondage and slavery to enter into a covenant with them. In this covenant, God promises Israel blessing if they obey but promises judgement and curses if they disobey.

Now if you (Israel) faithfully and obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all His commands I am giving you today, the Lord your God will put you far above all the nations of the earth. All these blessings will come and overtake you, because you obey the Lord your God

Notice this promise of blessing is build on an “if-then” statement: if Israel keeps their end of the covenant, then God will bless them. This begs the question of what will happen if Israel does not keep God’s covenant:

But if you do not obey the Lord your God by carefully following all His commands and statues I am giving you today, all these curses will come and overtake you…

So, when Elijah says Israel has forsaken God’s covenant, he is putting Israel in the latter category. Israel in Elijah’s time was not obeying the commandments of the Lord. They were being unfaithful to the God who had covenanted with them and living in active, unrepentant sin. And remember: Israel was doing all this even though they had access to the truth of God’s word.

Idolatry was rampant amongst Israel at the time

Elijah describes this sin in terms of Israel throwing down God’s alters. Israel was forsaking the true worship of God and instead going to worship idols, specifically in the context of Ahab’s rule, Baal. By saying Israel was engaged in idolatry, Elijah wasn’t just listing a particular sin. He was accusing Israel of the most fundamental violation of their relationship with God.

Why is idolatry such an heinous sin in scripture? The answer lies in the attributes of God Himself. Exodus 20 says:

Do not have other gods besides me. Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. Do not bow in worship to them, and do not serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me”

God is a jealous God, therefore Israel was not to worship or serve idols. This prohibition is repeated in Exodus 34 where God actually says his name is jealous.

God, as revealed in Scripture, by His very nature demands exclusive worship and glory and honor.

Therefore, idolatry is not just “a” sin: it is a rejection of God. Rather than loving and serving the true God, you create something in His place.

God’s messengers were being killed

In the Old Testament, Prophets brought the word of God to the people. They would begin their messages with “thus saith the Lord.” So, killing the prophets of God does not merely represent the sin of murder. Rather, it shows that the nation of Israel was rejecting the word of the Lord.

Jeremiah is a great example of this. Jeremiah brought convicting words to Israel, but the nation preferred to listen to false prophets who said “Peace peace” when there was no peace. And what did Israel do with Jeremiah the true prophet? They silenced him and when Jeremiah’s scroll was read to the king, the king tore it up piece by piece.

The same thing is happening here: the Israelite culture in Elijah’s time hated hearing the word of God convicting their behavior, so they silenced God’s prophets by killing them.

From a human perspective, the situation in Israel could not be more hopeless. And that is exactly what you see with Elijah’s answer to God’s question “What are you doing here?”

Point 2: Notice Elijah’s wrong perspective

Elijah is hiding on the mount of God afraid for his life

Even thought he had just seen God grant him a decisive victory against the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18, Elijah now is in a state of utter fear and despair. In the face of the sins of Israel and the active animosity towards the prophets of God, Elijah has withdrawn himself from the situation.

He left. Retreated. He is done with it all.

Elijah is faced with a culture that has completely rejected God and is actively killing those who would worship the true God. But God doesn’t just leave Elijah hanging out afraid in a cave. He comes to Elijah and asks “what are you doing here?” And here we get to hear more fully Elijah’s perspective and see the nature of his hopelessness.

Elijah is questioning the effect of his zeal for the Lord

Elijah tells God that He has been exceedingly zealous for the Lord of host and then contrasts this zeal with the culture around him. By saying “I have been zealous, but look at how bad Israel is” Elijah is expressing an attitude of “What is the point? I have been faithfully serving the Lord but what effect has it had on those around me?”

You could summarize Elijah’s attitude as ”what is the point of being exceedingly zealous for the Lord in a culture that is so adamantly against God?” This shows the depth of Elijah’s hopelessness. Every day he is suffering in a sinful culture even though he has been zealous for God.

Is this not a natural human reaction? Beneath this attitude is the assumption that if you are zealous enough, you really can make a difference in the culture and help bring it back to God. In other words, it is the assumption that God will necessarily reward your zeal with the results you want to see

But Elijah is seeing no “results” so to speak. And that leads us to the final aspect of his attitude:

Elijah views himself as completely alone

Elijah says “I alone am left”. That word means “left over.” Elijah thinks he is the one leftover prophet of God and, since Jezebel has a death sentence on his head, Elijah is sure his own life will be over soon.

I think Elijah is implying here that because he alone is left and he has a death sentence on his head, that soon all those who are faithful to God will be wiped out. If Elijah is the last true follower of God and he thinks he is going to die, then it makes sense for Elijah to think that there is about to be no one left who truly worships God.

Elijah sees himself as the last. It is him against all the forces of wickedness in Israel at the time.

So stepping back, Elijah has a completely understandable perspective from a human point of view. In light of the sinful culture around him, he has withdrawn himself, he is questioning the effectiveness of his ministry, and he is sure that there is no one left like him.

It is a very human perspective and a completely wrong perspective. How does God correct Elijah’s perspective?

Point 3: Meditate on God’s response

God does not spend any time joining in Elijah’s depression or self pity. He hears Elijah’s complaint and issues a command: Elijah is to go anoint two kings and also anoint Elisha, his successor. What is going on here? Why is God responding to Elijah’s depression and discouragement in this way?

God is promising Elijah that he will have victory in the end

God will use those Elijah is called to anoint to bring judgment on those disobedient in Israel. What I find most interesting is if you read through Kings, the promise God gives is fulfilled, but after Elijah is taken up to heaven. In the beginning chapters of 2 Kings, Elijah passes the prophetic baton to Elisha and then goes up to heaven. The in chapter 9, Jehu is anointed king and almost immediately starts destroying Ahab and Ahab’s household.

At the end of Chapter 9, Jezebel is killed and the text makes a point to call out that her death is in direct fulfillment with a prophecy Elijah made. In 2 Kings 10, Jehu kills the house of Ahab and then kills the Baal worshipers in Israel. So in the end, God is going to judge all the wickedness that we see in Elijah’s day, even if Elijah never gets to see it.

Elijah is called to labor in faith that God will fulfill His promises.

God answers Elijah’s complaints by saying He will preserve a remnant of Israel who will not fall into idolatry

“Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

What a powerful verse! God has just announced that He will judge Israel but now God announces that there is a sub-section of Israel who will not be judged. Why? Because they will be true worshipers. God uses the same root word that Elijah used when he said “I alone am left!” God says “No, I have left 7000 who have not fallen into the sins of the nation!”

By saying He has preserved 7000 as a remnant in Israel, God is not saying He has preserved everyone. God isn’t even saying He has preserved the majority of the nation. But He also hasn’t preserved a small number: 7000 is not everyone, but it also isn’t just Elijah and one or two other people.

Additionally, implicit in the text is that these 7000 are known by God even if they are not known by Elijah or anyone else. Elijah’s depression was based off of simply observing the situation around him. But God is saying to Elijah in effect “you don’t have all the information because you don’t have all the knowledge.”

God in His omniscience knows who are His and He knows that there will be a remnant of true worshipers. God graciously reveals this to Elijah to encourage him, but whether Elijah knew about these 7000 or not, God knew and preserved this remnant.

The final thing to notice here is God describes the 7000 to Elijah in teams of what they do not do. They do not bow their knee to Baal and they have not kissed Baal. Both of these are signs of allegiance and worship. God is saying that these 7000 have not allied themself with the rest of idolatrous Israel. 

This remnant has not compromised. They have not rejected the Lord. They are not joining in the sins of the nation.

Is this enough to get Elijah out of his depression and fear? The answer is given in the next verse: “Elijah left there and found Elisha…” After being reminded of God’s promises and sovereign election, Elijah leaves his place of hiding and goes to obey the Lord in faith.

What a glorious response to God’s promises! And remember: from an earthly perspective nothing has changed. Jezebel still wants Elijah dead, Israel is still deep in Baal worship, and Elijah still does not have many allies around him that he knows of. So what has changed? Elijah’s mind has been renewed by the Lord and he has faith in what God has just told him.

Elijah was not told who the 7000 true worshipers were, or where they were. But was enough for Elijah to know that God was preserving a remnant.

The reminder of God’s sovereign election within the sinful culture turned Elijah’s discouragement into confident obedience. The culture didn’t change, but Elijah’s perspective changed.

In the next post in this series, I will give you some implications of this text for your life and the life of your Church.

This mini-series is based on sermon I recently preached. To read other expositions, go to the Teachings page. If you found this post helpful, share on social media and subscribe below.
1 Kings 19: The Hope of God’s Sovereign Election

1 Kings 19: The Hope of God’s Sovereign Election

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This past Sunday evening, I preached a sermon on 1 Kings 19 focusing in particular on verses 14 and 18. I chose this text because of the unique encouragement it offers Christians living in cultures that have rejected the Lord. In such a context, it is easy to become discouraged or feel like you are alone. God’s response to Elijah in 1 Kings 19 is the perfect encouragement for such feelings: God is still active in sovereignly saving people for His own glory even in the darkest of cultures.

The video of the sermon is given below with the link to the audio file.

Link to 1 Kings 19 sermon audio

Outline of the Sermon

Because I only had one week to prepare this sermon on top of full time Master’s classes and caring for a 2 month old, I decided to use the Puritan Sermon structure. This structure particular shines when preaching a couple verses. In my case, because I knew I wanted to focus on two verses in 1 Kings 19, the structure was ideal. It enabled me to develop the following sermon outline in less than an hour. Then I had the rest of the week to fill out the outline.

  1. Introduction
  2. Initial Analysis
    1. Context of 1 Kings
      1. Overall Context of 1 & 2 Kings
      2. Immediate Context of 1 Kings 19
    2. Defining Key Terms in verses 14 & 18
  3. Exposition
    1. See the Darkness of the God-hating Culture
      1. Israel had broken God’s covenant
      2. Idolatry was rampant
      3. God’s messengers were being killed
      4. Wicked leadership
    2. Notice Elijah’s Wrong Perspective
      1. Elijah is hiding in a cave afraid for his life
      2. He is questioning the effectiveness of his zeal for God
      3. Elijah views himself as completely alone
    3. Meditate on God’s Response
      1. God promises Elijah victory in the end
      2. The prophetic line will continue
      3. God is preserving a remnant of true worshipers
        1. The 7000 not a majority, but not a small number
        2. These people not known by Elijah, but known by God
        3. The 7000 have not fallen into the sins of the culture
      4. Effect on Elijah: goes out in obedience
  4. Summary of text and the reality it points to
    1. Elijah despaired in a godless culture but God reminds Him that He has preserved a believing remnant
    2. God’s servants should never despair because God sovereignly elects a believing remnant for Himself even in the darkest of cultures
  5. Implications
    1. Faith and trust in God’s sovereign election should give you indestructible hope
    2. Labor faithfully for God in a godless culture even when you don’t see fruit in the present
    3. God has a remnant from every tribe, tongue and nation who will believe in Christ & the Gospel
    4. Where have you slipped into Elijah-like thinking?
  6. Conclusion

Check out the Tools page to look through resources I use to prepare my sermons and study a passage. To listen to other sermons I have preached, head over to the Preaching page. Share and subscribe below and be sure to follow The Average Churchman on Instagram if you haven’t already.

under-discussed aspects of the Christian life
4 Under-discussed Aspects of the Christian Life

4 Under-discussed Aspects of the Christian Life

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Growing up, I expected the older I got, the less advice I would need. How wrong I was. I find myself constantly trying to glean as much practical wisdom from other believers as I possibly can. Books, podcasts, and online sermons are all helpful, but there is nothing like talking with a fellow Christian about how to live out your faith in Christ. With that said, I would say there are 4 under-discussed aspects of the Christian life. Aspects which I always crave more wisdom on than I can get.

Why do I call them under-discussed? These are topics which almost every Christian has to think and live through each week. No matter how different an individual week is, most Christians need to go to work, have to figure out how much or little to open up their home, interact with other people (both believers and non-believers), and function within a family unit.

Even though these are weekly contexts in which Christians live, I find they are not discussed enough. These topics are not taught on or even talked about in proportion with the amount of time Christians spend living within these contexts. In this post, I want to introduce the four under-discussed aspects of the Christian life I have in mind.

The Christian at Work

This might be the single most under-discussed area Christians need wisdom and teaching on. There are dozens of Christian books on how to study the Bible better and how to function within the local Church. And that’s great; all those books are good and necessary and beneficial. However, most of my week is not spent within the local Church. It normally isn’t even spent in front of a Bible. Most of my week is spent pouring myself into some sort of vocation.

Therefore, most of my practical questions I need answered, most of the interactions I need prayer for, and the context where I am called to glorify God most frequently is at work. In a secular office with a mix of believers, professing believers, and non-believers. You would think there would be more books on what the Bible says about work than there are.

Anyone who has read Scripture through knows God cares greatly about work: how you do work, why you do work, principles for effective labor. Your vocation is a fundamental part of who God has called you to be. As such, there is a lot of daily wisdom needed on how to work in a God-glorifying way.

Biblical teaching on work is especially important because of the temptations which often accompany it. You can idolize work, find your identity in it, work dishonestly, or use your vocation as a way to pursue worldly riches.

Christians everywhere need sound, Biblical teaching to clarify how to do their 9 to 5 to the glory of God and for the fame of Christ.

Pretty much every week I wish I had more Biblical wisdom for interacting at work. I don’t think I’m the only one.

Hospitality

Another task everyone does each week is scheduling. What the family is going to do, what events they are going to attend, and what things will they say “no” to. What normal Christian families do, don’t do, or plan to do each week ties into this idea of hospitality. I agree with Rosaria Butterfield’s emphasis on the importance of ordinary hospitality. But it is another under-discussed aspect of the Christian life where wisdom is needed.

When was the last time you were directly discipled on how to practice hospitality? In my experience, there are Christians who prioritize opening up their homes each week and who know generally what to do, while other Christians struggle with leaving their week and door open for others. Regardless of which camp you fall into, more Biblically informed wisdom and teaching would surely help local congregations get a better grasp on hospitality.

Building Meaningful Relationships

I have written before that I think most everyone is at least a little bit lonely. Humans crave connection. Beyond that, each person interacts with dozens of people each week whether you want connection or not. How should Christians interact with others? How do you cultivate meaningful relationships? There are so many surface level conversations and “friendships”, but how do you get to a deeper place of knowing the other person?

The Bible has much to say about how you are to interact with others, both within the Church and outside the Church. Yet, even though this is a vital topic on most people’s minds and the Bible has much to say on the issue, I have heard very few direct teachings on how Christians build meaningful relationships. Maybe once in a while a topical series on evangelism or discipleship pops up. But because interactions and relationships with other people are a daily reality for every Christian, I would argue there needs to be more discussion around how the Bible guides our relationships with others.

Family Worship

I have read many articles and posts on the importance of family worship. But often after reading those articles, I am left with a pervasive “that is great, but how do I do it?” Christians understand the importance of the family unit. Yet, I fear too little thought is given on equipping each family unit to function to God’s glory throughout the week.

There are plenty of Children’s ministries, Vacation Bible Schools, and other “Church family events” around, but I have yet to hear a formal walk through of what the Scripture teaches on family worship. I have seen examples of family worship done well, but as with hospitality, I generally see one group of believers who do family worship well and another group who does not prioritize family worship. I wonder if this is because they were not taught clearly what family worship is and how to do it well.

Implications

1. Pastors, please be aware of these weekly realities in your congregation

If you are a Pastor, Elder, or teach regularly at your Church, please keep these 4 under-discussed aspects of the Christian life in your mind as you prepare your sermon. Almost every believer in your body will have questions, struggles, or need wisdom in at least one of these areas. As much as your congregation cares about your subtle knowledge of the Greek, they are likely more concerned with how to honor God with their work this next week. Or when to schedule dinner with their neighbors. Or how to structure family worship each evening.

Teachers at Church have the high privilege of bringing the Word of God to bear on the most mundane aspects of daily life.

2. Discuss these topics with other believers

One of my favorite Proverbs is “there is safety in a multitude of counselors.” I guarantee other believers around you have thought about and wrestled with these four areas of day-to-day life. Most of the time, you won’t find whole books written on these topics or hear whole sermons preached on them. But you can grow in applying Biblical wisdom to these four areas by finding other Christians who are already doing it.

For example, some of the best, most insightful “teachings” I have had on Christianity and vocation have not come from a book or from a pulpit. They have come talking with a couple other brothers about their workweek: what things are easy, and what things are difficult. Don’t wait to get instruction on these 4 aspects of the Christian life. “Get wisdom” by taking advantage of the saints around you.

3. Think about these topics during Bible study & sermon application

If you want to grow in godliness in each of these aspects of the Christian life, you are going to have to constantly be on the look-out during Bible study and sermon application. Each text you look at, each sermon you hear, ask whether the text has any bearing on the four areas discussed above. You will be surprised with the frequency with which God speaks to these issues and the wisdom Scripture provides.

These four under-discussed aspects of the Christian life are only a few areas I personally have desired more teaching on. There are no doubt countless more. Just remember: God has provided in Christ everything you need for life and godliness, and His Word is the source of all wisdom and authority.

Christ is Lord of your normal, mundane work week just as much as He is Lord of the Church and Lord of history.

So let us work to better apply Biblical wisdom to each of these aspects of our lives.

For more of my reflections, check out the “What I learned from…” page. If you found this post helpful or encouraging, share and subscribe below. Follow The Average Churchman on Instagram for more content.

worldview-confronting preaching
We Need Worldview-Confronting Preaching

We Need Worldview-Confronting Preaching

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The Bible is powerful. Every Christian who has a proper view of Scripture will agree with this. The Bible convicts, corrects, rebukes, and trains in righteousness. It is living and active, sharper than a two edged sword. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. So how can a preacher or teacher in the Church clearly present this powerful Word to a congregation? The answer is worldview-confronting preaching.

There are many types of preaching and different forms of sermon structure. But regardless of the structure, preaching should help the people of God see with clarity the truth of God so their lives are changed. That last part is key. Christians are called to be doers of the word, not hearers only. In a culture that seduces with the subtle sins of self-determination, worship of money, and pride, Pastors and teachers need to clearly contrast what the word of God says with what the culture says.

In this post, I want to lay out what worldview-confronting preaching is, why it is important, and how to do it when you are preaching or teaching.

Nothing is more important in the present time than to show how the Bible specifically corrects the false beliefs our modern culture holds

It is only through exposure to the living word of God that people can see the surpassing value of Christ and have their hearts transformed through the Holy Spirit.l

Worldview-confronting preaching defined

When I say “worldview-confronting preaching”, I am really talking about a form of application which is directed to the listeners. Other people have written far better definitions of “worldview” than I can in this post. For our purposes, “worldview” is a set of lived out beliefs and values. There are numerous sources which affect one’s worldview and one’s worldview affects how a person interprets reality around them.

Christians want to hold a set of lived out beliefs and values which align with Scripture. They want to interpret reality as God defines it, not how they define it. However, even the strongest Christian is influenced by sin and the culture around them.

Christians need to have their worldviews constantly corrected and conformed to the teaching of Scripture

This does not happen automatically. And that is why I say “worldview-confronting preaching is needed. This type of preaching goes right to the heart of the issue: people have wrong & sinful beliefs and values which cause them to live in opposition to God and His word. The goal of worldview-confronting preaching is to expose this; to show that everyone is influenced by wrong thoughts about God, Christ, ourselves, those around us, and the world in general.

The second aspect of worldview-confronting preaching is to then present the worldview Scripture gives. You show that God’s ways are right, are clear, are superior to the values and beliefs the world holds. It is through this contrast that your listeners can see their wrong beliefs for what they are and to see the beauty and wisdom of how God has ordered the world.

The importance of worldview-confronting preaching

I don’t think it is a great secret that you and I live in an age of excessive information. Everyone, including Christians, is bombarded with hundreds of worldviews, values, facts, and arguments every single day. Whether through the television, the internet, social media, news, music, art, or simply hanging around other people, it can become exhausting to be constantly discerning with what you listen to.

The danger is all this information is not neutral. It has an effect on you. As you are constantly exposed to various secular worldviews, you can unconsciously start to adopt them. Here is an example: imagine you are working in an office full of people whose sole purpose in life is to advance in their career and get more money. They are all smart, and driven, but living purely for themselves.

What kind of impact would your coworker’s worldview have on you? Even if it is subtle, I would argue to some degree that love of money and selfish ambition would influence you. Perhaps you start thinking more about money than you used to. Maybe because you want to earn the respect of your coworkers, you start working harder and longer hours, but for the wrong reasons.

What do you need on a Sunday in this example? You need a Pastor to expound Scripture clearly and show how love of money, according to God, leads to ruin but “godliness with contentment is great gain.”

Worldview-confronting preaching aims to equip congregants with the Bible’s worldview so when they are confronted with false worldviews every single day, they stay firmly fixed on what God’s word says

Practical steps to take

After expositing a text of Scripture using the tools available, what do you do next? I would argue there are four “steps” you have to take to preach in a worldview-confronting way.

1. Explain the right beliefs, values, and actions as laid out in the text

The first step is to clearly communicate the worldview God lays out in the text you are studying. Ask these questions of your text :

  • What does this text have to say about God? About mankind? Christ?
  • Are there any things in this text that are held up as valuable? As worthless? Dangerous? Good?
  • What commands, explicit or implicit, are given in this text?
  • How does this text explain the world around you?

There are other questions you could ask, but these are a good start. Your goal should be to connect the specific text you are teaching to the present reality your listeners are experiencing. What is the worldview God communicates in this text? Lay it out for your congregation so they can see it.

2. Contrast this with the beliefs, values, and actions the culture has

Once your listeners see what the Biblical worldview is, remind them how completely different it is from the worldview of the culture. Use these questions to help:

  • What beliefs are common in the culture that are opposite of this text?
  • What are the things the culture values which this text shows are worthless? Are there things the culture considers worthless that this text declares are valuable?
  • Describe the wrong actions that are common in the culture because they don’t believe this text
  • How does the culture describe the world which is in opposition to this text?

The key here is to accurately describe the culture’s worldview. Don’t just make up things about “the culture.” Don’t commit a straw man fallacy. Also don’t only focus on the most extreme beliefs of the culture all the time. Deal with subtle things like self-love or pride or excessive busyness for its own sake.

3. Show where adopting the culture’s beliefs, values, and actions leads a person

You could simply stop after the first two steps. But oftentimes, it is not enough to show the difference between the Biblical worldview and the culture. You need to show that the culture’s worldview isn’t merely wrong; it is ruinous. It will destroy those who follow it, even though it promises happiness. To do this, answer these questions:

  • What happens when a person adopts this belief which is contrary to God’s word?
  • How will following the world instead of God take away a person’s happiness and peace?
  • What poor or sinful choices will a person make if they follow the world instead of God’s word?

Oftentimes, Christians let the culture inform their worldview subtly over time because they think there is some utility in it. Perhaps they think a certain belief will make them happy or it seems more loving or it is safe or it will make them more “effective”. To combat subtle syncretism, you must show only Scripture’s path leads to life and all others lead to death. Warn your congregation of the dangers of following the world instead of God.

4. Expound the superiority of Scripture’s worldview and how it better explains reality

Finally, after showing the path of sin leads to ruin, circle back to God’s truth. Display again for your listeners how much better God’s ways are. Leave you listener without a doubt that what the Bible says is better in every way than the voices of the culture. Here are some questions to help:

  • How does the worldview presented in your text display God’s glory? God’s wisdom?
  • In what ways does this text better represent reality compared with the culture’s worldview?
  • What promises does God make with regards to this text?
  • How does this text connect to God’s plan for the world? To Jesus and the Cross?

For the preacher, this last step is a time for worship. God has graciously shown His people the path to life. He has given them wisdom for how to live in this complicated world. There is blessing when you follow God’s word.

Conclusion

Churches need worldview-confronting preaching. No body benefits from preaching which says “peace, peace when there is no peace.” Part of “equipping the saints for the work of service” is helping them see that God’s ways lead to life and the world’s ways lead to death. Don’t expect your congregation to connect the dots themselves. Clearly show the contrast between the biblical worldview and the world’s explanation of reality.

If you truly believe the Bible contains the truth and the only path to life, take every opportunity to share with other people just how unique and wonderful God’s truth is. There is not worldview, false religion, or belief system that compares to it. When you directly show the superiority of the Bible’s worldview over and against the culture’s worldview, you are glorifying God by showing His infinite worth and superiority over every man-made philosophy.

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Practical Ways to Practice Writing

Practical Ways to Practice Writing

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Writing was never my favorite subject in School growing up. I didn’t hate it, but I never imagined I would enjoy it. Now, But as I have grown, I have found the power and pleasure writing brings. A question has always been in the back of my mind though: how does one become a good writer? What should you do to practice writing?

Others have made the crucial point that “writer’s write.” But if you are already writing, how do you become better at your craft? I was reading a secular book called “Grit” the other day, and part of a chapter gave me the answer I was looking for. Apparently, Benjamin Franklin devised a practical way to practice writing. I think his method is worth sharing.

How Ben Franklin became a better writer

Practice writing by “rewriting” the work of others

In his autobiography, Franklin described a simple but effective method he used to improve his writing. The first exercise he discussed had the following steps:

  1. Find a piece of writing you admire (choose something small to medium length, like an essay)
  2. Make short notes on each sentence
  3. Wait a while, normally a day or two
  4. Try to rewrite the original piece using only your notes
  5. Compare your “rewrite” with the original to see where you can improve

This is a brilliant little method for improving your writing. Essentially, you use the writing of others to get instant feedback on your own writing. You begin to see all the choices writers have to make as they find words to describe reality or abstractions. Since most of us don’t have an English teacher at our beck and call to edit our writing, rewriting an essay and comparing it with the original is a useful way to see where you can improve as a writer.

If you want to try this, find an article on Desiring God that you enjoy and see if you can rewrite it. You will be amazed at the insight you get into your “writing style” simply by performing this exercise once.

Practice writing by analyzing the logic and structure

Getting feedback on your writing in general is not always enough. You must test your ability to string together logical arguments and test the way you structure papers. This second exercise is similar to the one above, with a few notable additions:

  1. Find a piece of writing you admire (choose something small to medium length, like an essay)
  2. Make short notes on each sentence. Put each sentence’s notes on a separate note card or sticky note
  3. Wait about three days
  4. Jumble up your note cards or sticky notes
  5. Try to put them back in a logical order
  6. Proceed to try to rewrite the piece you made notes on using only your notes
  7. Compare your “rewrite” with the original to see where you can improve

As you can see, the process is almost identical to the first exercise except you mix up your notes. This added step forces you to think about how to organize your writing. It makes you think about the flow of a paper. Structure and logic are crucial to good writing, and this exercise makes you “reverse engineer” both of these from a paper.

I have written before about the need to analyze a Bible passage’s argument in your study. I also wrote a whole post on the many different ways you could structure a teaching or sermon. This exercise gives you practice structuring your thoughts. And clear thinking often leads to clear writing.

Practice writing by poetry

Finally, Franklin gave what I consider to be the most interesting exercise of all. The first exercise gave you instant writing feedback, the second forced you to think about logic and structure; this final exercise is about expanding your command of language itself. The process is shorter than the previous two exercises:

  • Take a story (or some other form of prose) and write it as poetry
  • Wait enough time to forget the original story
  • Turn your poem back into narrative form
  • Compare with the original

I love this: you write poetry based on non-poems. How does this help you? Poetry is full of metaphor, imagery, and language meant to engage your five senses. In order to turn a non-poem into a poem, you must use all of these tools and ask yourself “If this event/line/concept was a poem, what would it say? How can I use sensory language to describe the same things going on in this non-poem?”

Interestingly, this is something the Bible does all the time. After the Red Sea crossing, for example, you read an extended poem responding to and interpreting the previous event. The Bible uses poetry and narrative oftentimes to describe the exact same event. Even if you never become “a poet”, this exercise improves your writing by forcing you to think “poetically.”

What if you don’t have time?

That is how Benjamin Franklin improved his writing. I don’t know about you, but I don’t always have extra time to spare doing extra exercises to practice my writing. Thankfully, Christians can perform these exercises as they do their normal spiritual disciplines.

Write a teaching based on a passage of Scripture

The first exercise is the easiest to do:

  1. Read a passage of Scripture
  2. Take notes as you study
  3. A couple days later, write a brief teaching based on that passage from your notes only
  4. Compare it with the original passage to see anything you missed

One of the reasons I have ongoing teaching series on this website is to force myself to perform Franklin’s first exercise. Bible study is vital for every Christian, but a lot of benefit comes from writing out what you studied in the form of a teaching. After you finish your study, ask yourself “how would I communicate these truths to others?”

There are always opportunities to teach and share truth with others. You don’t have to be a pastor or a Sunday School teacher. Share truth in your home, in your small groups. The process of writing out what you learned from a Bible study will not only cause you to remember God’s truth better and longer, it will also improve your writing.

Outline a passage or a sermon you listened to

Similarly, you can get the benefits of Franklin’s second exercise simply from outlining. Outlining forces you to think how a passage or a sermon is structured. Here is how to do it:

  1. Read a passage of Scripture or listen to a sermon
  2. Take notes on the structure of the passage or sermon in outline form
  3. Leave and come back to the same passage you read or heard preached a couple days later
  4. Make a second outline and compare it with the first

Outlining is one of many important Bible study tools. When I prepare a sermon, outlining is the first thing I do. You have to understand the structure and logic and flow of a passage first. But an added benefit is outlining makes you a better writer.

I don’t bother writing anything on this website without first having a clear structure and flow in my mind. Sometimes I change it as I write, but if you don’t have a plan going in, it becomes hard to get anything on the page.

Write hymns and spiritual songs based on Scripture

Franklin’s third writing exercise is actually the easiest for a Christian. You and I are called to “sing unto the Lord a new song.” In my experience, the best songs are those tied closely to Scripture. So, follow these steps:

  1. Find a passage of Scripture which grips you
  2. Turn that passage of Scripture into a hymn

You don’t need to necessarily share this song you wrote with the whole Church. But you can. God is worthy of infinite worship, so you can never have enough songs to sing to Him. Write a new one, a personal one to Him. Base it off the promises in His word. And you will also find your writing and use of language will improve as you do this.

Conclusion

Writing is rarely easy, but I have found it is always rewarding. It is an avenue of creativity the Lord gave humans as a means to externalize their thoughts and feelings and reflections. God chose to reveal Himself most directly through the written word. Christians should value and seek to develop writing and reading as skills. There are many ways to do this, but I hope the practical tips Franklin used can be useful for your own life as well.

Check out other tools to improve your Bible study here. If you found this post helpful, share and subscribe below. Follow The Average Churchman on Instagram to get other resources I recommend.

sunday service
Savor Each Sunday Service

Savor Each Sunday Service

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Attending Sunday service can become very mundane very quickly. Oftentimes, it seems like something to check off your list before getting back to your normal life. Sure, some worship services move you or cause you to examine your life in light of Scripture. But more often then not, there is a profound sense of “normal” when you attend your Church’s Sunday service.

Now, you could find text after text in the New Testament which shows you why that should not be the case. The gathering of the redeemed people of God is objectively presented in Scripture as beautiful, miraculous, and necessary. So how can you change your mindset as your approach weekly corporate worship? For me personally, one of the most helpful things to remember is every time your local Church gathers, it is an unrepeatable, unique day God sovereignly ordained for the praise of His glory and for your good.

Each Sunday service has a different spiritual and emotional emphasis

If you just look at the surface level, each Sunday service is similar. You gather. Sing songs. Listen to the word preach. But within every Church’s liturgy, I guarantee there is variety. The songs you might sing this week are centered around a certain topic, like Christ’s kingship. Perhaps there is a new song the worship leader will introduce to the congregation. The sermon text is different than last weeks or you reach a transition point in your Pastor’s sermon series.

Different songs and sermon texts change the spiritual and emotional emphasis in your worship. Maybe one week is a joy-filled service which focuses on the victory Christ has won on your behalf. But perhaps the very next week will emphasize the deceitfulness of sin and the need for you to examine your own heart. My point here is there is variety in each aspect of your Church’s typical order of service. And this variety allows your worship to change each Sunday service.

When you look at your Church bulletin, think about what unique songs and sermon God has prepared for you to sing and hear. See the differences between this week and previous weeks.

Personally, I find it helpful to read through my Church bulletin before it starts and see what songs I will be singing. Doing so helps me to quickly see what kind of service the Lord has prepared for me. My Church preaches verse by verse through books of the Bible, so I can generally expect what the sermon will be each week. However, reading the text before service gets me in the mindset of the text and helps me think about what unique features it has.

Your life circumstances change week-to-week

The songs and sermon don’t just change each week. You change too. Every single week you have gone through unique days with events and circumstances which have not occurred before. Maybe it was an encouraging, easy week full of spiritual victories, peace within your home, and success at work. The attitude you bring to Sunday service after such a week will be vastly different than if you had a week where the car broke down, you missed out on a promotion, and your kids would not listen to you.

The person you are grows and changes and falls under different influences each and every week. You bring this “new you” to every single new worship service. So as you are thinking through and participating in Sunday worship, be aware of what God is showing you about your particular, present life situation. Don’t settle for general feelings and vague applications. Pray that God would show you specifically what He is teaching you in each week’s worship service.

A good practice is to reflect on where you are at in your life and where God is growing you both before and after corporate worship.

For me personally, I like asking myself “why did God want me to hear this sermon this Sunday? What is going on in my life currently that He wanted me to hear that text?” after hearing my Church’s morning sermon. These questions help focus my mind on specifics in my life that God might be using the Church to address. An added benefit is I focus on the uniqueness of each Sunday’s worship rather than just listening to a sermon, checking the box, and moving on with my week.

The people you worship with change week-to-week

But corporate worship is not merely about you and your personal worship of Christ. It is more than that. Corporate worship is about the body of Christ coming together. And once you have this perspective, you realize the people you worship with change week-to-week. That might literally mean the specific people who attend your Church change. Perhaps a long-time faithful family leaves, creating a void. Or maybe a visitor comes who is eager to get connected.

But even if you don’t lose or gain any people in your congregation, I guarantee each and every member of your congregation has had a different week than the previous one. Just like you as an individual come to worship different each week based on your life circumstances, so too does all your fellow Church members. Having this knowledge adds an element of newness every single Sunday.

When you interact with Church members on a Sunday, approach your interactions with the same interest and excitement as if you are meeting a completely new person.

Every single individual in your Church is a “different person” than the one you worshiped with last week. Some have grown more Christlike. Others perhaps have been battling besetting sin every day this week. Don’t let a Sunday service pass by without getting to know fellow Church members anew. If you come to Church thinking no one has changed or grown, you will naturally assume talking with them will be boring or “same-old, same-old.” Remind yourself that every interaction with Church members around you has the potential for mutual encouragement and spiritual growth.

Conclusion: treat each Sunday service as unique

You cannot reconstruct a specific Sunday’s worship service. The songs and sermon are different. You as an individual are different. And each fellow Church member is different. So savor every time you get to worship with brothers and sisters in Christ. The day God has given you to worship Him together is entirely unique and you will not be able to replicate it once it is past.

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24 ESV

Remind yourself how special each Sunday service is. Remind yourself God, who rules all things, has ordained the day and all that goes one in it. Then, when you are tempted to see corporate worship as a chore or a box to check, you can remind yourself that God is the one who made the day. Notice this. And then rejoice and be glad each Sunday together with your fellow Church members.

Click here to read other reflections I have written. Be sure to follow The Average Churchman on Instagram or subscribe below so you don’t miss out on any future posts.
Romans 1:11-12 Sermon: Mutual Encouragement and the Christian

Romans 1:11-12 Sermon: Mutual Encouragement and the Christian

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This past Sunday, I had the privilege of preaching at my Church’s evening service. Since I taught a narrative text from Numbers 14 the last time I preached, I decided this time to choose an Epistle. I chose Romans 1:11-12 for my passage. Sermon title’s always cause me some difficulty, so I settled on “Mutual Encouragement and the Christian.” The link to the sermon video is below, along with the link to the audio file.

Link to Romans 1:11-12 Sermon Audio

Why I chose Romans 1:11-12

I keep a google drive with all sorts of “sermon skeletons“. Essentially, when a text of scripture grips me, I make a brief outline to lay out how I would teach that text if I ever got the opportunity to. This allows me to be somewhat prepared ahead of time if I end up getting a chance to preach. Even though I had many of these sermon outlines ready to go, when my Pastor asked me to preach, there was only one text I wanted to teach: Romans 1:11-12.

For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.

Romans 1:11-12, ESV

Why choose these couple verses? First, because these couple verses at the front of Romans have been on my mind all year. As a goal for 2021, I have set out to try to memorize the book of Romans. One of the benefits and blessings of doing this is meditating on lesser known portions of the Epistle. Verses 11-12 of Romans 1 in particular stood out to me as containing important truths about faith, encouragement, and the Church.

The second reason I chose these verses is I saw them come alive in my interactions with the local Church. Seeing and experiencing mutual encouragement among my fellow local Church members caused my mind to jump back to Romans 1:11-12. I didn’t just know these verses. My eyes were seeing them lived out in front of me. I was experiencing the truths of the passage as I was encouraged in ordinary conversations with local Church members.

In the end, there was no other text I wanted to preach. Paul’s couple sentences to the Roman Church had stewed in my mind for a couple months and I had seen enough examples of the verses come to life that I was gripped. Preaching gave me an opportunity to delve deeper into the verses myself and to share what I had learned with the body.

How I prepared the sermon

There were a number of tools I used to prepare this sermon. The first was breaking the passage into its components. I tried to understanding the historical setting, where the text occurs in the flow of Romans, and the characteristics of the two main “characters” in the passage (Paul and the Roman Church). After that, I identified the key words and phrases I needed to define in order to understand the passage.

The tool I used most for this sermon, however, was Iterative Bible Study. As soon as I heard I was preaching, I made a very rough outline of the text fairly easily. Using that, I identified gaps in my knowledge which I needed to go back and fill. Check out my Iterative Bible Study approach to see how I actually did this.

Finally, once I had done a couple rounds of study on the text, I started thinking of practical implications. To do this, I used the Puritan application questions. I love these questions. Simply by answering them, I was able to come up with about 7 implications that follow from the truths of Romans 1:11-12. I only gave 5 implications in the actual sermon for the sake of time.

All in all, this was the easiest and most pleasant sermon preparation I have experienced yet. My other two times preaching took a lot longer and I struggled much more with the structure of the sermon. But because I had spent so much time thinking about the text personally and since I took advantage of some of my own Bible study tools, prepping for teaching was a breeze.

If you are going to teach, you need good tools. The better the tools, the less time you will spend thinking of where to start and the more time you can devote to meditating on the text itself.

Outline of the sermon

I conclude with the outline of my sermon. In a future post, I will format my notes for reading. In the end, I tried to structure my sermon the way John Flavel laid out his sermons: define the terms of the text, define the doctrine, expound the doctrine, apply the doctrine. I plan to do a future post on the different ways to structure a teaching. Personally, however, I found this structure very effective for preaching a shorter couple verses like Romans 1:11-12.

  1. Introduction
    1. Why text is important
    2. Overview of sermon structure
  2. Definition of terms and doctrine
    1. Define key words
    2. Summarize key reality/doctrine of text
  3. Expounding the doctrine
    1. Encouragement in the NT
      1. Truth encourages
      2. Christ Encourages
      3. God encourages
      4. Other believers encourage
    2. How faith can encourage
      1. Faith sets an example
      2. Other people’s faith in action makes ours more enduring
    3. What do Paul and the Roman Church have in common
      1. Not much at a surface level
        1. From different geographies
        2. Different levels of knowledge
        3. Paul called as an apostle
      2. Much on a spiritual level
        1. Same problem-sin
        2. Same need-Christ’s righteousness
        3. Same present-living out Christian life
  4. Implications of doctrine
    1. Your faith needs encouragement
    2. You need the local Church
    3. Talk about your faith with others
    4. Don’t think your faith is above encouragement from others
    5. Even small conversations build up the Church

There you have it! I truly am grateful to the Lord and my Pastor for giving me this third opportunity to preach from the pulpit. The best way to learn how to preach and to improve is simply to do it. I pray the tools on The Average Churchman will help you when you are called to teach or preach.

Check out the Tools page to look through resources I use to prepare my sermons and study a passage. To listen to either of my other two sermons, head over to the Preaching page. Be sure to follow The Average Churchman on Instagram if you haven’t already!