Introductions All Around

1. PM 602 Message Preparation Introductions All Around

2. Introduction To the Principles of Biblical Interpretation: the 10Step Method

3. Step 1: Prepare Yourself Spiritually—Ezra 7:10 Prayer and being filled with God’s Spirit can make up for a lot of insufficiencies in speaking and speakers. It always has.

4. Step 2: Choose a “Speaking Portion”

5. Logi,zomai ga.r o[ti ouvk a;xia ta. paqh,mata tou/ nu/n kairou/ pro.j th.n me,llousan do,xan avpokalufqh/nai eivj h`ma/jÅ h` ga.r avpokaradoki,a th/j kti,sewj th.n avpoka,luyin tw/n ui`w/n tou/ qeou/ avpekde,cetaiÅ #[e lKomi Wlk.ato al{ ~yhil{a/ rm;a'-yKi @a; hV'aih'-la, rm,aYOw: ~yhil{a/ hw"hy> hf'[' rv,a] hd,F'h; tY:x; lKomi ~Wr[' hy"h' vx'N"h;w> `!G"h; `lkeanO !G"h;-#[e yrIP.mi vx'N"h;-la, hV'aih' rm,aTow: Step 3: Translate the Passage From the Original Language

6. Step 4: Do a Structural Outline • Break up the passage into phrases • Locate the controlling phrase by using the various clues for the genre • Keep the controlling phrase farthest to the left margin of the paper John Calvin

7. Find the Controlling Phrase of the Following Passages Romans 8:1-8 James 2:1-13 Hebrews 12:1-3.

8. Subordinate StatementsIf a sentence answers a question of the preceding phrase or sentence (especially if there is a conjunction) then it is subordinate to it.

9. Logi,zomai gar o[ti ouvk a;xia ta. paqh,mata tou/ nu/n kairou/ pro.j th.n me,llousan do,xan avpokalufqh/nai eivj h`ma/jÅ h` ga.r avpokaradoki,a th/j kti,sewj th.n avpoka,luyin tw/n ui`w/n tou/ qeou/ avpekde,cetaiÅ becomes

10. gar logi,zomai o[ti ta. paqh,mata ouvk a;xia pro.j do,xan tou/ nu/n kairou th.n me,llousan avpokalufqh/nai eivj h`ma/jÅ ga.r h` avpokaradoki,a avpekde,cetai th.n avpoka,luyin th/j kti,sewj tw/n ui`w/n tou/ qeou/ Or. .

11. For I consider that the sufferings . . . are not worthy to be compared with the glory of this present time that is to be revealed to us . For the anxious longing waits eagerly for the revealing of the creation of the sons of God.

12. Step 5: Locate the “Big Idea” Find first the Broad Subject*It is not one word *It is not a complete sentence *It uses the gerund (-ing) form of the main verb Example: Hebrews 12:1-3 “Running the race with endurance” Tony Evans

13. Clues for Finding the Broad Subject The clues depend upon the literary genre of the text

14. The “Narrowed Broad Subject” You narrow the broad subject by focusing on what the author is saying about the broad subject? Example: Hebrews 12:1-3. What question is the author answering?

15. The Complement The complement answers the question asked by the narrowed broad subject. Example: Hebrews 12:1-3 How can we run the race with endurance? • By remembering the saints • By shedding the sins • By focusing on the Savior

16. Group Exercise In 1 John 4:7-12 find:1. The broad subject 2. The narrowed broad subject 3. The complement

17. The Big Idea The BIG IDEA is the combination of the broad subject and complement into a complete sentence. Example: The BIG IDEA for Hebrews 12:1-3: “You run the race with endurance by remembering the saints by shedding the sins and by focusing on the Savior.”

18. Quiz #1 • Take out a clean sheet of paper, put your name at the top • Find • the Broad Subject • the Narrowed Broad Subject • the Complement • and state the Big Idea of Colossians 3:1-4

19. Colossians 3:1-4 • Broad Subject: • “Keeping seeking the things above where Christ is” or “Setting your mind on the things above” • Narrowed Broad Subject: “Why should we…?” • Complement: • We should keep seeking the things above because • We have been raised up with Christ • We have died and our lives are hidden with Christ in God • When Christ is revealed, we will also be revealed with Him Big Idea We should keep seeking the things above because we have been raised up with Christ; we have died and our lives are hidden with Christ in God; and when Christ is revealed, we will also be revealed with Him.

20. The Exegetical Idea • Uses the biblical wording • Focused on the writer’s original audience • Emphasizes information from the text Jonathan Edwards

21. The Theological or Timeless or Expositional Idea: This idea is characterized by: • Using the timeless language of a principle • Being focused on something that transfers to any audience, in time or cross-culturally • Emphasizing information, but where application is clearer Watchman Nee

22. The Homiletical Idea: “THE ESSENCE OF THE MESSAGE IN A SENTENCE.” • Uses contemporary language • Focuses on the speaker’s specific audience • Emphasizes motivation • Can be shortened into something pithy

23. Impact of an Audience on an Idea: Hebrews 12:1-3 How might you state the idea of this passage if your audience were:1)      College students 2)      Seniors 3)      Hispanic 4)      African-American

24. Step 6: Determine the Purpose of the Message and Find the Controlling Metaphor.

25. The Purpose of the Message • The message should aim at some specific response on the part of the hearers • Every portion of Scripture has a “Fallen Condition Focus” (FCF). It speaks to the human condition before God

26. THE KEY TO THE PURPOSE OF A MESSAGE “What is God wanting people to DO with this truth?”

27. The goal of presenting a biblical message is to lead people to respond to what God says. The purpose makes clear what that response should be.

28. Responses to a Message Two Main Arenas of Response • Actions • They should go out and DO something specific • Beware of generalities: Hobgoblin of small minds • What does God expect them to do with this truth? What changes do they need to make? • Attitudes • How are they to think, or feel, differently in the light of this truth? • What do they specifically need to do to internalize this truth? • Often both are addressed: Must think, feel AND act differently in the light of this truth! • Don’t miss the connection between Homiletical Idea and the Purpose: they are interwoven

29. Every Message Should HaveTWO “I”S IDEA IMAGE

30. THE CONTROLLING METAPHOR The controlling metaphor is an emotionally evocative imagederived from the text—its words or its background Evocative: evoking or tending to evoke an especially emotional response, i.e. “settings...so evocative that they bring tears to the eyes”

31. THE CONTROLLING METAPHOR The controlling metaphor is an emotionally evocative imagederived from the text—its words or its background • God loves symbols and pictures to represent the truth! It is a “God thing” • It helps people to see and feel as well as hear the message’s main idea • Most people are moved by visual stimuli and emotion, not information • Should be based on the purpose of the message

32. ALL Great Speakers Do This

33. Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God By Jonathan Edwards Introduction The expression I have chosen for my text, their foot shall slide in due time (Deut.32:35), seems to imply the following things, relating to the punishment and destruction to which these wicked Israelites were exposed. • That they were always exposed to destruction; as one that stands or walks in slippery places is always exposed to fall. This is implied in the manner of their destruction coming upon them, being represented by their foot sliding. The same is expressed, Psalm 72:18. "Surely thou didst set them in slippery places; thou castedst them down into destruction." • It implies, that they were always exposed to sudden unexpected destruction. As he that walks in slippery places is every moment liable to fall, he cannot foresee one moment whether he shall stand or fall the next; and when he does fall, he falls at once without warning: Which is also expressed in Psalm 73:18,19. "Surely thou didst set them in slippery places; thou castedst them down into destruction: How are they brought into desolation as in a moment!"

34. Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Introduction (cont.) • Another thing implied is, that they are liable to fall of themselves, without being thrown down by the hand of another; as he that stands or walks on slippery ground needs nothing but his own weight to throw him down. • That the reason why they are not fallen already and do not fall now is only that God's appointed time is not come. For it is said, that when that due time, or appointed time comes, their foot shall slide. Then they shall be left to fall, as they are inclined by their own weight. God will not hold them up in these slippery places any longer, but will let them go; and then, at that very instant, they shall fall into destruction; as he that stands on such slippery declining ground, on the edge of a pit, he cannot stand alone, when he is let go he immediately falls and is lost.

35. Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God • Application (note how he carries the metaphor of slipping and falling throughout) • “The use of this awful subject may be for awakening unconverted persons in this congregation. This that you have heard is the case of every one of you that are out of Christ. -- That world of misery, that take of burning brimstone, is extended abroad under you. There is the dreadful pit of the glowing flames of the wrath of God; there is hell's wide gaping mouth open; and you have nothing to stand upon, nor any thing to take hold of; there is nothing between you and hell but the air; it is only the power and mere pleasure of God that holds you up. • You probably are not sensible of this; you find you are kept out of hell, but do not see the hand of God in it; but look at other things, as the good state of your bodily constitution, your care of your own life, and the means you use for your own preservation. But indeed these things are nothing; if God should withdraw his hand, they would avail no more to keep you from falling, than the thin air to hold up a person that is suspended in it.”

36. I Have a Dream by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today my friends - so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification - one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.

37. Buy the Truth by C. H. Spurgeon From Prov. 23:23 “Buy the truth and sell it not.” "Buy the truth." Then I say, buy only the truth. Do not be throwing away your life, and your abilities, and your zeal, and your earnestness, for a lie. Some are doing it. Thousands of pounds are given to erect edifices for doing mischief. Multitudes of sermons are preached, very zealously, to propagate falsehoods, and sea and land are compassed to make proselytes, who shall be ten times more children of hell than they were before. Buy only the truth. Do not buy the glittering stuff they call truth. Never mind the label; look to see if it be truth. Bring everything that is propounded as truth to the test, to the trial. If it will not stand the fire of God's Word, then do not buy it; nay, do not have it as a gift; nay, do not keep it in the house. Run away from it. It doth eat as doth a canker; let it not come near you. Buy only the truth. "Buy the truth" at any price, and sell it at no price. Buy it at any price. If you lose your body for it, if you lose not your soul, you have made a good bargain. If you lose your estate for it, yet if you have heaven in return, how blessed the exchange! You certainly will not need for it to lose your peace of mind, but you may lose everything else, and you shall make a good bargain. Come to no terms with Christ. Throw all into the soul-bargain. Let all go, as long as you may but have truth in the doctrine, truth in the heart, and truth in the life, and Christ, who is the Truth, to be your treasure for ever.

38. Buy the Truth by C. H. Spurgeon Continued. . . Buy all the truth. When you come to the Bible, do not pick and choose. Do not try to believe half of it, and leave out the other half. Buy the truth--that is, not a section of it that suits your particular idiosyncrasy, but buy the whole. Why need you break up pearls and dissolve them? Buy all that is true. One doctrine of God's Word balances another. He who is altogether and only a Calvinist probably only knows half the truth, but he who is willing to take the other side, as far as it is true, and to believe all he finds in the Word, will get the whole pearl. Buy now the truth--buy tonight the truth. It may not be for you to buy tomorrow. You may be in that land where God hath cast for ever the lost soul away from all access to the truth, where truth's shadow, cold and chill, shall fall upon you, and you, in outer darkness, shall weep and wail, and gnash your teeth, because you shut out truth from you, and now truth has shut you out, and all your knockings at her door shall be answered with the dolorous cry, "Too late, too late! Ye cannot enter now!" Thus I have paraphrased the text. Buy only the truth; buy all the truth; buy at any price the truth; and buy now the truth.

39. Finding the Evocative ImageRomans 8:18-25 • 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. 23 And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

40. Find Possible Controlling Metaphors for the Following: • 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 • Philippians 2:4-11

41. Quiz 21 Peter 1:17-21 • Find the • Broad Subject • Narrowed Broad Subject • Complement • Big Idea • State what you believe the purpose is for this passage • Find three possible controlling metaphors for this passage

42. Quiz 2 • Broad Subject: Conducting yourself with fear while on the earth • Narrowed Broad Subject: Why should I …? • Complement: • Because our Father impartially judges each person • Because we were not redeemed from our futile life with silver or gold but with the blood of Christ • Because He has appeared so that our faith and hope might be in God • Big Idea: We should conduct ourselves with fear while on the earth because our Father impartially judges each person; because we were not redeemed from our futile life with silver or gold but with the blood of Christ; and because He has appeared so that our faith and hope might be in God. • Purpose: To help a believer be serious about their faith

43. Quiz 2: Possible Controlling Metaphors 1 Peter 1:17-21 • 17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; 18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. 20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you 21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

44. Steps 7 & 8: Develop and Fill in the Message Structure There are only 3 things you can ever do when constructing a message (or point) from Scripture • Explain/interpret it (gets the audience thinkingabout the text) • Illustrate it (gets the audience seeing and feeling the text) • Apply it (gets the audience choosing how they will act in the light of the truth)

45. Interpretation: Gets the Audience Thinking Ask (out loud) interpretive questions to transition into an interpretive section: What does this (term, phrase, verse, act) mean? Why is he saying/doing this? How does this happen? When do we see this? The better your question, the more effectively you drive your audience into the text.

46. Illustration: Gets the Audience Seeing and Feeling • Illustrations help build a bridge between interpretation and application John Jasper

47. Illustration: Gets the Audience Seeing and Feeling • They demonstrate how “what it means” works or what it looks like • They give a picture so every one can see it in the screen room of their mind D. L. Moody

48. ApplicationGets the audience choosing how they will act in light of the truth • How the text should impact their actions, feelings, and behaviors • Look at possible areas where the text applies to the specific audience • Makes clear the decisions they need to make based on the text

49. Step 9: Introduce the Message Introductions should do three things: 1.   Get attention 2.   Orient people to the subject 3.   Create a need

50. Group Exercise: Think through the best way to create a need for people to listen to Hebrews 12:1-3. Why should they listen to a message on this?