Exam Notes PDF

The Theme The theme of a paragraph should be specific. If I asked you for the theme of the paragraph (What is the author talking about in Ephesians 4:7-16?) and you replied, "Spiritual gifts," you would be right but not accurate. Your theme could fit Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12; or 1 Peter 4:7. Y...

The Theme The theme of a paragraph should be specific. If I asked you for the theme of the paragraph (What is the author talking about in Ephesians 4:7-16?) and you replied, "Spiritual gifts," you would be right but not accurate. Your theme could fit Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12; or 1 Peter 4:7. You could say that the theme is "building up the body." This time your theme would be right but not adequate to capture the whole paragraph. To have a central theme that is both accurate and adequate, you must encompass in it the single themes or subjects from all your main points or summary statements. Grammatical or content cues will tell you which is the controlling theme-what the author is talking about. In this case the author is talking about the purpose for the giving of spiritual gifts by the ascended Messiah. If you did not include the words or concept of "the purpose" in the CPT, you are not being true to or precise with this passage. The Thrust What is the thrust of the theme? What is the author saying about the theme? He is saying that the purpose of gift giving is the building up of the church to doctrinal maturity and functional stability through the working together of equipped believers. Therefore, the full statement of the central proposition of this text is: The purpose for which the ascended Christ gave gifts to the church is to build it up to doctrinal maturity and functional stability by the working together of equipped believers. Action Step Now do the above exercise with Ephesians 6:10-12. Come up with the central proposition of that short paragraph-its theme and thrust. Organizing Your Textual Work At this point in the Scripture Sculpture process, you need to gather the details of your textual work (steps 1-3) into one or two pages. From here you will begin a sermonic ascent (steps 4-7). It will be well worth your time to organize your textual work in the following format (see sample forms below):  Give a tentative title to the text. This could well be the "theme" of the CPT. If possible, write a personal translation or paraphrase of the text reflecting the flow or argument of the text. When you paraphrase the text, you must be sure to understand the way the author makes the argument. An example follows from Ephesians 4:11-13. Write out the central proposition of the text. (Put the theme and thrust in full-sentence form. The full statement does not need to be long, but make it adequate. You will refine it and shorten it as you work with it.) Write out the outline. (All points and subpoints should be in full sentences.) Here you would be culminating the sermon-preparation process as far as the text itself is concerned. Sample Form in Organizing Your Textual Work Title of Passage (Scripture Text) Paraphrase or Translation v. 1: v. 2: v. 3: Central Proposition of the Text Theme: Thrust: Full Statement. The full statement of the CPT puts the theme and thrust in one sentence. Outline I. A. 1. 2. B. 1. 2. II. A. B. 1.  2. 3. C. III. Sample Form Applied to Ephesians 4:11-13 The Purpose of Divine Gift Giving Ephesians 4:11-13 Paraphrase 11And He (the ascended Christ) gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12for the (purpose of) equipping (preparing) of the saints for the work of service, to (with the result of) the building up of the body of Christ; 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. Central Proposition of the Text Theme: The purpose for which the ascended Christ gave men as gifts to the church Thrust: so that the church will be built up till it reaches Christ-like maturity Full statement of the CPT: The purpose for which the ascended Christ gave these men as gifts is to build up the church till it reaches Christ-like maturity. Outline 1. The ascended Christ gave four classes of men as gifts to the church (v. 11) 1. He gave some as apostles 2. He gave some as prophets 3. He gave some as evangelists 4. He gave some as pastors and teachers 2. The purpose for which he gave these men was so that the church will be built up (v. 12) 1. These men were given for the purpose of equipping the saints for the work of service (v. 12a) 2. Equipping the saints will result in the body being built up (v. 12b) 3. The men were to equip the saints until the church reached corporate Christ-likeness (v. 13) 1. They are to equip the saints until we all attain to the unity of the faith based on the knowledge of the Son of God (v. 13a) 2. They are to equip the saints until we all attain to a mature man (v. 13b) 3. They are to equip the saints until we all attain to the full measure of Christ- likeness (v. 13c)  Action Step We will now review steps 1-3, using Psalm 117. Psalm 117, the shortest and simplest of the Psalms, is a favorite text to work with in our seminary classes. Read the psalm a couple of times before you study these next pages. 1Praise the LORD, all nations; Laud Him, all peoples! 2For His lovingkindness is great toward us, And the truth of the LORD is everlasting. Praise the LORD! Step 1: Study the Text When you study the psalm, you will observe words like praise, all, nations, peoples, lovingkindness, and truth of the LORD. Studying the words will give you the flesh for your message. Step 2: Structure the Text You will notice that the crucial word for discerning the structure of the psalm is for, the first word in verse 2 (a grammatical key). The skeleton of your text could be this outline: 1. The psalmist calls all people to praise the Lord (v. 1) 2. The lovingkindness and truth of the Lord are to be praised (v. 2) Step 3: The Central Proposition of the Text What is the theme of this psalm? Think it through and then finish this sentence: In Psalm 117, the author is talking about. If you said that the author is speaking about "praising the Lord," you are only partially right, for you have not given adequate emphasis to the important grammatical key for. The author is not merely speaking about "praising the Lord" (that will be true of most thanksgiving psalms), he is speaking about "the reason why all peoples should praise the Lord." You get that emphasis from the first word in verse 2, for. (Have you checked the grammatical keys chart?) Now, what is the thrust of the text? What is the author saying about what he is talking about? Finish this sentence: The reason why all peoples should praise the Lord is If you did the work, you would come up with something like the following for the full statement of the CPT of Psalm 117: The reason there should be universal praise of the Lord is because of his lovingkindness and eternal truth. Think through the above statement. Can you see how I arrived at it? If you really desire to be an expositor of the Word of God, you will seek to impress on your people what the author stresses-the truth of his text. In order to find that specific central proposition, this proven, and perhaps tedious, exercise has to be used. Yet this is a wonderful way of making the text a part of your own being. You will not even have to memorize the text. You will know it very well by the time you are ready to preach it. Action Step Try a central proposition of the text for the following Bible passages. Ephesians 6:1-4 1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), 3That it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth. 4And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Theme: Thrust: CPT: What would be the central proposition of the text for just verses 1-3? Ephesians 6:1-3 Theme: Thrust: CPT: What about the central proposition of the text for just verse 4? Ephesians 6:4 Theme: Thrust: CPT: You have already worked on the CPT for Ephesians 6:10-12. Write it here: Ephesians 6:10-12 Theme: Thrust: CPT:  4 THE PURPOSE BRIDGE The "Brain" of the Sermon We now come to the most critical part of the entire sermon-preparation process. When you cross this bridge, you will have gone from studying the Scriptures-a hermeneutical exercise-toward preaching the Scriptures-the homiletical exercise. Step 4 is when you construct and cross the purpose bridge. Step 4 is critical to making expository preaching relevant to the audience. By this time, much of the spadework for the sermon has already been done. The flesh (step 1), the skeleton (step 2), and the heart (step 3) of the text have been discerned. The skeleton of the body of the sermon has been formed with the main points, subpoints, and sub-subpoints following the grammatical and content keys found in the passage. Thus we come to the brain or the purpose of the sermon. The Purpose of Purpose As the brain of the sermon, the purpose controls many aspects of sermon preparation and preaching. Here are a few. A valid and clear purpose of the sermon focuses the introduction of the sermon on the need that will be raised in the sermon determines what must be included and/or excluded in the body of the sermon influences the sermon's conclusion and any application helps in choosing the illustrations that will help accomplish the purpose of the sermon provides a more objective way to measure the proficiency or success of the sermon most importantly, directly contributes to the form of the theme of the central proposition of the sermon (CPS) I cannot exaggerate the importance of the purpose of the sermon as the key link from text to sermon. Determining the Purpose of the Sermon How does one go about finding and articulating the purpose of the sermon? We find the purpose of the sermon (construct the purpose bridge) by asking and answering the following question: On the basis of the central proposition of this text, what does God want my people to understand and obey? Notice that the purpose of the text is not the primary consideration here. That purpose already would have influenced the study process in determining the central proposition of the text as you considered the details and context of the passage. Of course, the purpose of the sermon will be compatible with the expectations of the biblical author(s) of their original audiences. We are preserved from whim and error in the purpose bridge since we have followed the study process in steps 1 through 3. Connecting the Purpose of Your Sermon and the Purpose of Your Text When you write out the purpose for your sermon built on the central proposition of the text, you need to answer two compatibility questions. 1. Can I make an exegetical or theological case that my sermon's purpose is compatible with the purpose of the text? This question enables one to be faithful to the text. 2. Can I make a sociological or psychological case that my sermon's purpose is compatible with the needs of my audience? This question enables one to be relevant to the audience. The central proposition of the text is solidly based on the passage to be preached. Now, based on the central proposition of the text, what can I hope to accomplish in the sermon concerning the people's understanding and obedience? It is essential to be well acquainted with your audience. As you construct the purpose bridge, ask this critical question: What are the needs and condition of my audience in reference to the central proposition of this text? [S] You can know your audience only by spending time with them. There are no good sermons that are generic to every audience. "Long-distance" shepherding is neither biblically approved nor congregationally appreciated. The Purpose Bridge Number 1 Issue: What are the needs and condition of my audience? I will illustrate step 4 from two biblical texts, Isaiah 19:18-2S and Ephesians 4:7-16. Then you can apply it to Ephesians 6:10-12. Isaiah 19:18-25 18In that day five cities in the land of Egypt will be speaking the language of Canaan and swearing allegiance to the Lord of hosts; one will be called the City of Destruction. 19In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord near its border. 20And it will become a sign and a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they  will cry to the Lord because of oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Champion, and He will deliver them. 21Thus the Lord will make Himself known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day. They will even worship with sacrifice and offering, and will make a vow to the Lord and perform it. 22And the Lord will strike Egypt, striking but healing; so they will return to the Lord, and He will respond to them and will heal them. 23In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrians will come into Egypt and the Egyptians into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. 24In that day Israel will be the third party with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, 2Swhom the Lord of hosts has blessed, saying, "Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance." A Middle Eastern crisis captivated the entire world in early 1991. Mixed feelings of helplessness and conquest, pity and power, pain and disdain were highly evident throughout the United States. I had to preach at the chapel services of Dallas Seminary and Wheaton College at this very critical time. Both schools had constituents who were for and against the war in the Gulf. The text I chose was Isaiah 19:18-2S. After pursuing steps 1 and 2, I arrived at step 3. The central proposition of this text is as follows: The Middle Eastern enemies of Israel will be converted to covenant status with YHWH in the future kingdom. The central proposition of this prophetic text, as it stands, is distant (past and future!) but still is in the Scripture. It must be preached, because all Scripture is inspired and beneficial. The purpose bridge (step 4) will help me discern the focus and force of my eventual sermon. Many purposes can be preached from this text. After asking the compatibility questions, I wrote down a few: 1. To prove that God's salvation grace will one day reach to the enemies of Israel 2. To provide hope that the Middle East political problem will one day be solved These purposes were compatible and appropriate to the Scripture and my audience. If I accomplished these purposes, I still would have taught the Bible and offered some hope for the audience. I would love to preach purpose 1 to an audience of Jewish believers from their Old Testament. I have taught purpose 2 to an audience of Arab believers in the Middle East. But I decided to pursue a third purpose. This purpose too must be compatible with the text (the Bible) and the audience (a hurting and divided U.S. audience). I came up with the following: 3. To enable my audience to transcend present historical war trauma by embracing God's plans for the Middle East in the future kingdom. Note that you can have more than one purpose, and therefore more than one sermon per text, but not an unlimited number of them. You are both liberated and limited by the central proposition of the text. You can have as many nuanced sermons as the number of purposes the central proposition of the text permits. You must choose the sermonic purpose and fine tune it to the audience to whom you minister. Ephesians 4:7-16 There are at least three purposes one can preach from the central proposition of Ephesians 4:7-16 (check your notes from step 3 for that CPT). Here are the purposes: 1. To inform people of the giftedness of every believer in the body of Christ 2. To challenge church leaders to equip the believers to serve 3. To challenge believers to understand and apply God's every-member plan for the building of the body in their churches I chose purpose number 3 based on a general factor and a specific factor. In general I would rather preach a behavioral purpose than a mere cognitive purpose. Usually the behavioral purpose is built on biblical information so that I can accomplish faithfulness to the cognitive or content purpose as well as asking for change in the hearer's life. Specifically I needed to take my church audience and church needs into account. Purpose 3 fit well into my church situation. In other places when I address only church leaders, I pursue purpose 2. That is, I can preach the same text in two ways to two different audiences, though substantial parts of the sermon would be similar. Action Step  Before you read on, come up with a purpose bridge based on your central proposition of Ephesians 6:10-12. Take your audience needs and condition into account. Construct a purpose bridge beginning with the word "to....... " Purpose statements will always contain the word to. You may have several possible purposes for your CPT. Now read on. The central proposition of this text (step 3) would look something like this: Theme: The reasons for putting on the whole armor of God's mighty strength Thrust....... enables us to stand against the schemes of the devil and to struggle against the system of the devil Full statement: Putting on the whole armor of the Lord's mighty strength enables us to stand against the schemes of the devil and to struggle against the system of the devil. What are some purposes that you can preach from this central proposition (step 4)? Here are a couple: 1. To inform people about the devil's works and ways 2. To motivate people to put on the armor of the Lord's strength in their struggle against the devil Both of these purposes are legitimately drawn from this text. The first is content oriented; the second is behavior oriented. I would choose the second purpose for two reasons. One, while accomplishing the behavioral purpose, I could cover the content purpose. Also, the purpose of this text is wider than just dissemination of content. Two, my audience's needs are more in line with how to fight Satan than with just finding out about him. More precisely, the purpose is not to show them the what and how of putting on the whole armor of God-that comes in verses 13- 17. We strictly stay with the purposes that the central proposition of the text affords-why they should put on God's armor of strength. A hint for the next step (step 5): Your purpose statement will almost always, in raw form, provide the theme of the central proposition of the sermon.  S THE CENTRAL PROPOSITION OF THE SERMON The "Heart" of the Sermon In steps 1-3 we found the raw materials and the central proposition in the text. We have formulated the direction in which that proposition needs to be shaped in order to impact our people (step 4). The next three steps will yield the finished product that you will preach. Steps S-7 are fundamental steps as well. You could do steps 1-3 and teach biblical truth. You could add step 4 and proclaim biblical demands. But steps S-7 enable you to proclaim biblical truth and application in a relevant and persuasive manner. In step S we deal with the central proposition of the sermon (CPS). Here the central proposition of the text (step 3) is channeled through the purpose (step 4). It is then contemporized by the central proposition of the sermon to bring about obedience to God's claims. The CPS takes you into the homiletical aspects of the sermon-preparation process. Enjoy some well-known preachers speaking to the importance of the central proposition of the sermon:  For the sermon, as a living word from God to his people, should make its impact on them then and there. They will not remember the details. We should not expect them to do so. But they should remember the dominant thought, because all the sermon's details have been marshalled to help them grasp its message and feel its power. John R. W. Stott The subject answers the question, What is the sermon about?... Whether a sermon has two points or ten points, it must have one point; it must be about something. John A. Broadus The first thing in making a sermon, the sine qua non, is the idea. There can be no sermon that was not first preceded by an idea or a theme. The novelist Henry James called the idea in story writing the "germ." It is the bacterial beginning, the point of conception, he said, for every work of art or creation. The same is true for the idea of the sermon; it is the germ, the insight, from which eventually the entire sermon is grown. John Killinger J. H. Jowett's lines on this subject from his "Yale Lectures on Preaching" are famous (quoted by Stott, Robinson, and others): I have a conviction that no sermon is ready for preaching, not ready for writing out, until we can express its theme in a short, pregnant sentence as clear as crystal. I find the getting of that sentence is the hardest, the most exacting, and the most fruitful labour in my study. To compel oneself to fashion that sentence, to dismiss every word that is vague, ragged, ambiguous, to think oneself through to a form of words which defines the theme with scrupulous exactness-this is surely one of the most vital and essential factors in the making of a sermon: and I do not think any sermon ought to be preached or even written, until that sentence has emerged, clear and lucid as a cloudless moon. J. H. Jowett Coming Up with the CPS It is easy to emphasize the necessity and importance of the central proposition of the sermon. The problem of course is to come up with it! The series of steps in the Scripture Sculpture process should give you a mechanism by which you may arrive at the central proposition of the sermon. These steps build on each other, and they are sequential. The process is thoroughly integrated. Our study (step 1) and structure (step 2) influence the central proposition of the text (step 3). The CPT influences the purpose of the sermon (step 4). From the purpose of the sermon, we have to articulate the central proposition of the sermon (step S). You already know the mechanics of finding the central proposition (see step 3). Just as the text has a singular theme/thrust, your sermon must have a singular theme/thrust as well.[S] For the CPS, you ask the key questions of yourself rather than of the biblical author. The Central Proposition of the Sermon Here is a major hint for developing your theme: It is often possible to turn the purpose of the sermon into the theme of the sermon. I will illustrate, using the CPT of Ephesians 4:11-16. (Note that I am doing this step only for verses 11-16 to illustrate that we could study segments of a paragraph as worthy of an entire sermon. Further, I don't want to give you all the answers right away! Could you distinguish between the CPT of verses 7- 16 and verses 11-16?) Step 3 Theme: Christ's plan for building the church to maturity Thrust: Will equip all believers to grow and function in the body Step 4 The purpose of the sermon (the purpose may take any number of twists within the parameters of the CPT) : To challenge believers to apply Christ's every-member plan for the spiritual building of their congregation Step S The central proposition of the sermon (in raw form, we can turn the purpose into the theme of the CPS in the form of a question): What is Christ's every-member plan for the building up of the body? It is here we begin to "contemporize" the raw central proposition of the sermon into an even catchier homiletical style. But the germinal truth we will be preaching about is "Christ's every-member plan for the building up of Christ's body." Note that the thrust of the CPS may take a number of forms:  1. The theme may have to be proved, addressing the question: Does this divine plan really result in the building of the body? Proof would certainly be the main emphasis if one was preaching only verses 11 through 16. 2. The theme may have to be explained, as in the case of the theme and thrust given above. The points in the sermon will explain this theme or even the whole proposition. 3. The CPS may have a multiple thrust to the theme. For example, in Ephesians 4:7-16 the theme "Christ's Plan for the Maturity of the Church" has three dimensions: Thrust: 1... (vv. 7-11) 2... (vv.12-13) 3... (vv.14-16) I chose the latter "multiple thrust" as the form of my CPS since the passage easily divided into three. We discerned this easy division from the structure of the passage (see step 2, page 69). I put forward the following as the central proposition of the sermon from Ephesians 4:7-16: Theme: The divine blueprint for body building Thrust: 1. The Lord's responsibility is to endow the church (4:7-11). 2. The leader's responsibility is to equip the church (4:12-13). 3. The laity's responsibility is to enable the church (4:14-16). You may want to compare this central proposition with step 3 on the same text given earlier (page 69). Contemporization Several angles must be probed in contemporization.  Contemporization of the Proposition You will note that in the CPS I developed above-The Divine Blueprint for Body Building-I tried to "contemporize" the statement with some catchy words, blueprint and body building, that would more vividly communicate my proposition. To contemporize is "to make contemporary." These "contemporizations" stick in the hearer's mind. The theme of the CPS doubled as my sermon title. Contemporization of Words This is basically an updating of vocabulary for effect and impact. Perhaps we would use a few easily memorable or metaphor-laden words. There is no limit to how much the preacher can use his imagination and audience in finding impacting words for a sermonic central proposition. Contemporization of Audience You are not speaking to the Ephesians or to Moses' audience. You are speaking to your own congregation. Your CPS and main points have to be personalized. For instance, instead of saying, "The Ephesians were challenged... ," you would say, "We are challenged." Your sermon's central proposition allows your sermon to be a laser beam directed to this specific audience rather than a floodlight directed to a generic audience. The CPS is always based on the text as the authoritative light source. Check appendix S, "The Perils of Principilization," to be sure that you are not simply universalizing the central proposition to the widest possible abstraction for the sake of relevance. Again, you could lose the uniqueness and specificity of the text if you are attempting to always universalize a proposition, to principlize it into some timeless truth. I heard a sermon on Abraham from Hebrews 11, which spoke about how to be a good father. I am not against being a good father. I also do not question the relevance of the subject to the audience. The issue is, Does the text warrant the theme? It did not. Consequently, it was a fine sermon on a "hot" topic but without authority from the text that was supposedly the basis for it. You will also contemporize your application from this central proposition. This will be covered in step 6, "Structuring the Sermon."  Alliteration In the threefold thrust of my central proposition of Ephesians 4:7-16, I have tried to alliterate important words so that people can remember the main points: Lord's, leader's, laity's; endow, equip, enable. While contemporization is always good and necessary, alliteration may not be so. Sometimes preachers think that they must alliterate everything. Alliteration is to help the sermon, not to harass the text! Alliteration is good if it makes the central proposition and main points less obscure and more memorable. An Illustration of Contemporization Keep pursuing the contemporization of words for your audience so that the CPS can be remembered and is pertinent to your people. This is a "style" issue. As you gain an understanding of your audience, you will know how to express your central proposition in their terms and categories of understanding. I here illustrate the process using Revelation 4:1-11. Read the passage to understand my CPT. 1After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, "Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things." 2Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and One sitting on the throne. 3And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. 4And around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads. SAnd from the throne proceed flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God; 6and before the throne there was, as it were, a sea of glass like crystal; and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. 7And the first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like that of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. 8And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say, "HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, who was and who is and who is to come." 9And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the  throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, 10the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 11"Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou didst create all things, and because of Thy will they existed, and were created." Step 3-the CPT: The exclusive throne right of God to rule over the affairs of history is recognized by the residents of heaven. Step 4-the purpose: I could go several ways with this proposition, especially as I take into consideration the early audience to whom John wrote. Do you remember the compatibility questions of step 4 (see p. 79)? Here are two possible purposes that will shape different sermons: 1. To encourage believers who are presently being persecuted (just as the passage would have encouraged those who were persecuted during John's time or will encourage those in the future tribulation) with the omnipotent rule of God over history. 2. To challenge believers to relinquish throne rights to their lives. Again, we must ask the compatibility questions. I can make a case that John's revelation was to confront those who think they rule the affairs of life such as Caesar then or Antichrist in the future. I chose the second purpose. My audience was strongly tempted to play the role of God in their own lives. Step S-the CPS: I came up with an initial CPS. Notice how the purpose was turned into the theme of the central proposition of the sermon in the form of a question. Theme: Why should you not attempt to occupy heaven's throne; or, why should you not play the role of God? Thrust: Because the creatures of heaven recognize that God alone occupies that sovereign throne position. This theme and thrust would accurately reflect the text and be adequately relevant to my audience, but I wanted to phrase the CPS in a catchier, more memorable way. (This did not keep me from sprinkling the more formal CPS through my talk.) After some deliberation, I contemporized my theme to: "Get Off the Chair!" Because I use this phrase throughout the sermon-in the introduction, body, and conclusion-the audience will remember it. The phrase also has applicational power. In fact, I apply it to myself, reminding myself to "get off the chair" when I occasionally flirt with temptations to self-deification! Action Step Work with Ephesians 6:10-12 as an artist would-think, reflect, meditate, make, and remake a fitting sermon proposition. I suggest you do it before continuing in this manual. Here is my attempt at applying the process proposed in this method of sermon preparation. Step 3 The reasons for putting on the whole armor of the -CPT: Lord's mighty strength are to stand against the schemes of the devil and to struggle against the system of the devil. Step 4 To motivate people to put on the armor of the Lord's - strength in their struggle against the devil. Purpose: Step S Turn the purpose into the theme of the CPS. -CPS: Theme: Why should Christians put on the whole armor of the Lord's strength? Thrust: To stand against the devil's schemes and to struggle against the devil's system. At this point, it may well be worth it to contemporize the theme into a homiletically memorable phrase. You could reword the theme and thrust as follows: Theme: Why sovereign strength is sufficient for your strategy against Satan. Thrust: It enables you to stand against his schemes and struggle against his system.  6 STRUCTURE THE SERMON The "Skeleton" of the Sermon All sermons, generally speaking, divide into three movements-introduction, body, and conclusion. "Structuring" the sermon relates to all three movements and to each movement. The process of developing these movements separately and together makes for structuring the sermon. There are several ways to develop the three movements of a sermon, but any way in which one structures a sermon must exhibit unity, order, and progress. Unity is found by orienting the entire sermon process around the central proposition of the text, the purpose bridge, and the central proposition of the sermon. Order and progress need to be demonstrated through the design structure and body structure of the sermon. The design structure of the sermon relates to meeting the purpose you established in step 4. The body structure of the sermon relates to the arrangement of the parts within the body of the sermon to reflect the text you are preaching. Often the outline of the body of the sermon will follow the major divisions (but not the exact words or necessarily the sequence) of the text's outline in step 2. It will be necessary to contemporize the outline of the body of the sermon for the contemporary audience. Work hard to make the words of the text come alive to contemporary ears. Basically, sermons are developed in one of two ways: deductively or inductively. A simple way of distinguishing between these two is by seeing where the central proposition of the sermon is placed. In a deductive sermon the CPS is fully stated before you actually get into the body of the sermon. In an inductive sermon the CPS is fully stated at the end as summary or proof of your sermon. There is a great deal of variety and versatility in arrangement as long as you are able to communicate the sermon's central proposition and explain it from the text. Big Bones and Small Bones You may recall the analogy of the big bones and small bones in step 2. In step 6 we must also do some "bone setting" to structure the sermon. The big bones of your sermon are the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. The medium-sized bones of your sermon are the sub-introduction and the main points of the body. The smaller bones are the subpoints between the main points. The main points could have subpoints and sub-subpoints and more as you work out the design of the sermon. We will flesh out this skeleton when we write the sermon (step 7). The Bones in Sermons A sermon usually follows an arrangement similar to the one in the following chart. Attempt to understand the arrangement before proceeding to the rest of this chapter. Sermon Structure  Title of Sermon Bible Text 1. Introduction to the Sermon 1. Sub-Introduction 2. Body of the Sermon 1. First main section 1. First subsection 1. First sub-subsection 2. Second sub-subsection 2. Second subsection 2. Second main section 1. First subsection 2. Second subsection 3. Third main section 3. Conclusion Remember that the three big bones are the critical movements of a sermon -the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. Within these movements there are secondary movements. The number of these secondary movements will vary. The big bones-the introduction, body, and conclusion-are the design structure. The parts of the body of the sermon-sections, subsections, and sub-subsections-are the body structure, the part of the sermon that deals with the biblical text. This distinction between body structure and design structure enables us to answer another question that is raised about biblical preaching. Should a sermon be text oriented or audience oriented? To an extent, the question is mute in reference to the sermon-preparation method proposed here. The CPT preserves the text from the preacher's whim. For the sake of the question, however, I would like to suggest that the form of the movements of the sermon (the design structure) is audience oriented (this along with the wording of the CPS and main points). The content of the body structure is text oriented. Audience orientation affects the formal and/or external aspects of the sermon. Text orientation affects the content and internal aspects of the sermon. In no case should the sermon be preacher oriented! Action Step Now we can fill in some details of the sermon structure as was outlined in the chart on page 97. Please study this section carefully. Title of Sermon Bible Text Main Introduction to the Sermon The CPS is placed at the end of the introduction if it is a deductive sermon. In an inductive sermon, just your theme will be stated here. Sub-Introduction Many aspects could be covered here. Give background, provide context, make a transition to the body; introduce the main sections; restate the CPS or theme; tell how the text is to be divided; state the central proposition of the text or make mention of the first main point or section of the sermon. Body of the Sermon 1. First main section (The number of main sections in the body of the sermon normally depends on the number of main points your text yielded when you structured it in step 2.) Be sure to introduce the subsections of this main section. 1. First subsection Optional: Introduce the sub-subsections of this subsection if it will not be tedious and if you so desire. 1. First sub-subsection 2. Second sub-subsection Optional: Review the sub-subsections 1 and 2. 2. Second subsection At this point, be sure to review the CPS (in a deductive sermon) or theme (in an inductive sermon) or the preceding subsections and/or the first in a section. Then transition to the second main section. 2. Second main section (Do the same as you did with the first main section.) Be sure to introduce the subsections of this main section. 1. First subsection 2. Second subsection At this point, be sure to review the CPS (in a deductive sermon) or theme (in an inductive sermon) or the preceding subsections and/or the preceding main  sections. Then transition to the next main section. 3. Third main section (Do the same as you did in the first two sections.) The central proposition of the sermon is fully stated here in an inductive sermon. The CPS is repeated here for emphasis and review in a deductive sermon. You then move to the conclusion. Conclusion Action Step The following is an example of the sermon structure from a text we used in step S. My notes in parentheses are for your understanding of the process. Study this section carefully with your Bible open and while referring to steps 1-S in this book. Body Building Ephesians 4:7-16 Introduction (Introduce the need for growth and functioning of our church body-or "Body building.") Theme of the CPS: What is the divine blueprint for the growth and functioning of the body? Sub-Introduction Thrust of the CPS: (Introduce three aspects of the divine plan. Repeat the first aspect of the divine plan and then proceed to the first point in the body of the sermon.) Body 1. The Lord's responsibility is to endow the church (vv. 7-11) (Introduce the two kinds of endowment that the Lord undertakes.) 1. Christ gave gifts to men (vv. 7-10) 2. Christ gave gifts of men (v. 11) (Introduce the four classes of gifts of men that the Lord endows.) 1. He gave apostles (v. 11a) 2. He gave prophets (v. 11b) 3. He gave evangelists (v. 11c) 4. He gave pastor-teachers (v. 11d) 2. The leaders' responsibility is to equip the church (vv. 12-13) (Introduce the leaders' responsibility in a church: What we are supposed to do and how long we are to do it.) 1. What is the leaders' responsibility? Equip the church (v. 12) 1. Equipping of the saints (v. 12a) 2. For the work of service (v. 12b) 3. To the building up of the body (v. 12c) 2. How long are they to do it? Until the church looks like Jesus (v. 13) 1. Corporate unity (v. 13a) 2. Corporate maturity (v. 13b) 3. Corporate Christ-likeness (v. 13c) 3. The laity's responsibility is to enable the church (vv. 14-16) (Introduce the two aspects of  the people's responsibility.) 1. They are no longer to be spiritual children (v. 14) 1. Spiritual children are unstable 2. Spiritual children are gullible 2. They are to grow up to spiritual adulthood (vv. 1S-16) 1. Grow up in knowledge (v. 1S) 2. Grow up in service (v. 16) Conclusion Comments on the structure of the body of the sermon: 1. All main points are in full sentences. They are not just dangling words or hanging topics without the context of a sentence. As much as possible, put the subpoints in full sentences as well. 2. The main points have a degree of symmetry. This symmetry should arise from the text and is pursued in the presentation. 3. All sermons do not have three main points. We find that many sermons do. The number of main points depends on the number of main points in the text. We go on to the passage we have been working on: Ephesians 6:10-12. Here is a possible sermon body structure of this passage. 1. God's extraordinary strength is accessible to the ordinary Christian (vv. 10-11a) 1. You must be strong (v. 10) 1. You must be strong in the Lord (v. 10a) 2. You must be strong in the strength of his might (v. 10b) 2. You must put on the whole armor of God (v. 11a) 2. God's extraordinary strength is sufficient for your strategy against Satan (vv. 11b-12) 1. Putting on God's armor of strength enables you to stand against Satan's schemes (v. 11b) 2. Putting on God's armor of strength enables you to struggle against Satan's system (v. 12) 1. Satan's system is not flesh and blood 2. Satan's system is a supernatural hierarchy 1. There are rulers 2. There are powers 3. There are wicked forces 4. There are spiritual forces The Parts of a Sermon Now that we have looked into the body structure of the sermon, I would like us to look at the design structure. We are now getting into deeper aspects of the homiletical undertaking. Title Your sermon needs a title, and your title will emerge in the sermon at various times. If you have worked hard on contemporizing your sermon's central proposition, you could use the theme (of that central proposition) itself as the title. In my example from Revelation 4, I use "Get Off the Chair!" as my title as well as my theme. Your title must be an advertisement with attention-getting impact. Just as artists give titles to their works, the title is the identity you give to a sermon. It needs to be accurate-don't promise more than you can deliver. I once spoke on "How to See God," and the non-Christian community came to find out the answer. I may have promised too much in that title! Your title needs to be interesting. A question often evokes intrigue. The title also needs to be clear and short. Natural spots to highlight your title would be during the introduction, in the theme statement of the CPS, or in the concluding movement. Reading the Bible Text It is good to declare the actual text that you are preaching so that those who wish to follow along in the Bible will be able to do so. You have several options for when to declare and read the text. You may declare the text in your weekly bulletin. If you announce the text for the following week, people can read it before coming to church. Or you can cultivate the reading of the text among those who habitually come early to your services. Somebody can read the Scripture in the early part of the service before you get up to preach. On occasion, the text can be read responsively. You may make some preliminary remarks before you actually begin the sermon. Announcing the text (if it has been read before) or reading the text at this time provides a good transition to the sermon. Announce the text at least two times. Give the congregation a moment to find the text and announce it a third time during the move from your introduction to sub-introduction.  You can announce the text at the end of your preliminary remarks (I call this the "pre-introduction"-see below) but actually read the pertinent verses only when you are expounding it. Introduction Your introduction has three dimensions to it: pre-introduction, main introduction, and sub-introduction. Pre-Introduction Ordinarily, pre-introductory comments are necessary. Perhaps someone has sung a song and needs a compliment (or at least an acknowledgment if it was not well done!). Or perhaps you need to affirm a public announcement. Or maybe you are a guest speaker and want to make preliminary remarks of gratitude for the opportunity to speak to your audience. These kinds of remarks may be made in the pre-introduction section of your introduction. They do not have anything to do with your sermon but are indispensable in creating an environment of acceptance and in demonstrating that you have been paying attention to the larger issues of that service and the church. You need to convey warmth and friendship to the audience. You may ask them to open their Bibles and follow along as you read your passage. At the end of the pre-introduction, you may want to pray. By bringing your pre-introduction to a close by pausing a moment or by praying, you will signal to the audience that you are about to start your sermon. Give them a cue that you are now moving into the introduction. Main Introduction I cannot emphasize enough the role that a strong main introduction has to play in the effectiveness of the sermon. If you do not have your audience yearning (within the first few minutes) for the rest of the sermon, they might as well go home. A strong main introduction has four ingredients. They are an integrated package and are not given here in any special order. An effective main introduction must accomplish these four goals. Get attention. In one sense, getting the attention of the audience is the easiest of the four ingredients to accomplish. Attention is already being paid to the speaker as he walks up to the pulpit to preach. To maintain audience attention, however, the speaker must raise a relevant need. Raise need. The most important part of the main introduction is helping the audience sense a need to hear the issues you will address in the sermon. Raising the need is a critical contemporization strategy. Spend a good amount of preparation and preaching time articulating the need the sermon meets. One way to measure a good sermon is to think through how relevant the need is and how well the sermon met that need. What need should one raise? And where does the preacher get the ideas for his need? In the scheme that has been set forth, he gets the need from the purpose that has been stated in step 4. This is another reason why the importance of the purpose bridge cannot be exaggerated. The purpose not only provides the theme of the central proposition of the sermon but also provides the need to be raised in the main introduction. The best way to help an audience sense a need is by asking questions around the theme of the central proposition in relation to the purpose of the sermon. For instance, your sermon on Ephesians 4 could have the following need questions. How many of you would like to find out what is wrong with our church? How would you like to get our church to obey God's will? How many would care to find out how to grow our church to the maximum? Would you like to find out God's blueprint for building our congregation? Most people would answer these questions affirmatively, truly desiring to find out what is wrong with their church and how to correct it. If you are speaking on the Ephesians 6:10-12 passage, the need could be stated this way: "Today I am going to speak on how you can beat Satan at his own game in his own field." The need you raise relates to how believers can have consistent victory over the devil as he constantly seeks to derail us spiritually. In pinpointing the need, you are providing a reason for your audience to listen to your message. Orient theme. The attention-getter and need-raiser ingredients of the main introduction will naturally be related to the theme of the CPS. That is, you should not raise a need about handling anger and then talk about the angelic hosts of heaven. In your main introduction, you will orient the audience to the theme that you are going to pursue. You may even express the whole central proposition of the sermon here if you are following a deductive form of the sermon. On Ephesians 6:10-12 tell your audience you are going to speak on the theme, "Why sovereign strength is sufficient for your strategy against Satan." State purpose. Since you have already written out the purpose bridge, state the purpose of the sermon. Tell the audience, "Today I want to...... " In the case of Ephesians 4, you could say, "Today I want to challenge each member of our church to become involved in putting God's plan into action." This purpose statement shows the destination of the sermon. A purpose statement invites the audience to travel along on the journey. People do not want to get on a bus that is not going anywhere! Just remember to get this purpose statement from step 4-the purpose bridge. So these are the four ingredients or goals of the main introduction. Including all four will help you get and hold the attention of your audience. Goals of an Effective Introduction The main introduction needs to be long enough to raise the need, orient the audience to the theme, and state the purpose. The amount of time will vary from sermon to sermon. Allow sufficient time to include the ingredients of a strong main introduction, but don't make it so long that your audience wishes that the conclusion of your main introduction is really the conclusion of the entire sermon. Never start the main introduction with, "Last week we considered the text or the theme (from the previous passage); this week we will consider the next passage...... " This kind of review belongs in the pre-introduction at best (but that section must be brought to a discernible close before you start the main introduction). The review is better included in the sub-introduction when you set the scene. Your main introduction should refer only to this week's passage and sermon.  Sub-Introduction The natural place for setting the background of the text is right after an effective introduction. I call this the "sub-introduction." Since you are not quite yet into the body of the sermon, this is a good time to set the historical or contextual background of the text. Do this only if it helps you accomplish the purpose of the sermon from step 4. In the sub-introduction you could include matters such as: Announcing or reminding the audience which text you are considering, e.g., "Paul speaks about the issue of marrying unbelievers in 1 Corinthians 7. If you have not found the passage yet, would you please turn to it as we answer the question, Are unbelievers eligible as potential spouses if believers are not to be found?" Reviewing a particular sermon series, e.g., "We are in a series that looks at how Christians must relate to society. Today, we want to consider Galatians 6:10." Background to the text: -historical background of the text, e.g., "David wrote Psalm S1 after he sinned against God." -textual background of the text, e.g., "Revelation 2 through 3 contains seven letters to the churches of Asia. We are in letter number seven, the letter to the church in Laodicea." -literary background of a text, e.g., "Psalm 119 is an acrostic." -sermon series background to a text, e.g., "Last week we studied about the unity of Christ's body in Ephesians 4:1-6. This week we are continuing our studies on Christ's body-how it can grow and function according to the divine blueprint." Previewing body structure, e.g., "Our text, Psalm 133, divides into a statement and two pictures. Verse 1 provides the thesis; verses 2 and 3 paint portraits of the thesis." Finally, repeat the theme or the central proposition of the sermon. Again, do not start with sub-introductory contents in the main introduction. In appendix 10 I have given an illustration of a rather full introduction and sub-introduction that I used for the sermon on Revelation 4. There you will see the ingredients of an effective (not perfect!) introduction. Body of the Sermon Design Structure Again, when we speak about design structure (relating to the whole sermon -introduction, body, and conclusion), we are taking into account the audience's inability to agree with or accept or apply the sermon. You need to think and work through the following questions: Why would they have difficulty in being persuaded concerning God's truth in this CPS? How should I design this sermon to accomplish the purpose of the sermon and present the central proposition of the sermon to make an impact on the lives of the people? There is a range of people in your audience, and parts of your presentation need to address these varied people. Further, at different times of their lives (and even within a single sermon) people may assume different postures toward you. Sometimes your audience will consist of the majority of one kind of people. Each such group needs to be considered as you design your sermon. In relation to God, his Word, his people, and you, there are at least three possible stances that people maintain concerning the preaching event. The I Don't Cares! Some feel they should not be in the service in the first place. They are not hostile, but they really don't care about God and his Word. They are there because their parents or friends wanted them to come. Or they are there because going to church is what they do at this time of the week. The need you raise must be extremely effective at this point or you will lose the little interest you gained by getting up there. The I Don't Knows! Others in your audience do not know much about God, his Word, his people, and you. This is why your sermon needs good biblical content. The I Don't Believes! These people are somewhat doubtful of the truth of what you say or its applicability in daily life. They may apply a philosophical test to what you have to say: Is the truth coherent? Is the sermon consistent? They often use a pragmatic test on the sermon: Is the truth practical? Does it work? They may say, "Pastor, what you say sounds good from the pulpit, but it does not  work in real life." You may face combinations of these attitudes at different times during your message and sometimes from the same person. Think through how you should design the sermon to meet them at the level of their attitudes to take them to the level that God desires of them. An expositional ministry allows you to put a weekly dent in their apathy, passivity, ignorance, or hostility to equip them for godliness and service. The fourth group of people consists of those who are easiest to address. They are eager and motivated to hear and do God's Word. They care, know, and believe. These challenge you to impact them with God's truth so that they can become godlier. A variety of preaching audiences needs a variety of preaching approaches. Appendix 8 has information on understanding your audience. Use the sociological and psychological indicators given there to design your sermon so that your audience will accept and obey its central proposition. Body Structure The structure of the body of the sermon will be similar (not identical) to the structure of the text. If your text had three main points, the body of your sermon will usually reflect that number-in contemporized and concrete terminology. If your structure had two subpoints under your first main point, so will your sermon's body. Let's look at a diagram of this relationship. Thus the structure of the body of the sermon is dependent on the structure of the text. Sometimes students ask if the sequence of the body of the sermon will be the same sequence as the text. Usually it is, but it depends on the design of the sermon. If the purpose (step 4) of the sermon is best accomplished by a rearrangement of the main points to make your point clear, you may preach verses 4 to 6 first, followed by verses 7 and 8 with verses 1 to 3 following. Notice, however, that the segments of the passage are kept together. That is, if you are preaching verses 1-8, you should not preach verses 4 and S as a single unit, giving verses 4 and S the same weight as verse 6, if verses 4 to 6 make a single unit. You must respect the divisions of the text. And most often your sermon will reflect the sequence of the text as well. Consult appendix 9 on the elements of a competent outline. Briefly, your outline will exhibit the following characteristics. Unity-the sermon as a whole Order-the parts of the sermon as they relate to the whole sermon Proportion-appropriate lengths of the parts Progress-how each major point moves the sermon forward Every point of the outline, especially the main points and the first level of subpoints, will exhibit the features summarized in the phrase "SAVE (a) Point!" Each letter indicates what one must do to effectively present a point in expository preaching. State the point. To help the audience clearly hear the point you are making, use contemporary and concrete language. Anchor the point. Give authority to the point by anchoring it in the text. Validate the point. Explain why you have drawn this particular point from a text. Explain the point. Here you probe the meaning of the point. Use your study (step 1) to help with your explanation. Use an illustration to help the people understand this point as biblically elicited and referring to them. You may have heard of the "frame of reference" principle of communication. A speaker must utilize the audience's frame of reference to explain a point. Go from the known to the unknown, from what your audience understands to what you want them to grasp. (a) pply the point. Sometimes a point needs to be applied right here and now. At other times it needs to be explained but applied later. The  application of a point depends on the design structure of the sermon and how you think the purpose of the sermon will be best accomplished. Later in this chapter we will deal more with how to make appropriate applications. Generally, in a deductive sermon, or one in which each main point is self- contained, application is made at each major point. We preach the first point and then the application, the second point and then the application, and so on. In an inductive structure, or a sermon in which each main point builds to a climax or to the final central proposition of the sermon, your application may well be placed toward the end. The deductive design is a simpler design to follow, and many sermons follow this design. Each main point (and perhaps the first level of subpoints) follows the SAVE (a) Point structure. An inductive design follows the SAVE format, but the application comes later. This is why I have the letter a in parentheses in SAVE (a) point. The following chart shows the deductive and inductive designs. I am using a two-point textual structure (from step 2) translated into the design structure (step 6). Transitions As you think through the outline of the body of the sermon and the major points, you will need appropriate transitions to relate each part of the outline to the theme or to the previous section. Transitions accomplish smoothness of thought and understanding. They serve as bridges between parts or movements of the sermon so that the audience doesn't have to leap across intellectual or psychological rivers. Transition statements guarantee that the audience will follow the progress of the sermon. Solid transitions enable the preacher to: review the theme of the sermon without monotony progress without hurdles connect parts without confusion remember the sermon without rote memorization preserve the planned structure of the sermon A proper transitional statement, then, checks and guarantees the sermon's unity, order, and progress. Transitions Guarantee Using our bones metaphor, transitions show connections between big bones, between small bones, and between big bones and small bones. Below are various kinds of transitions with examples. You will create these sentences according to your sermon structure (design structure and body structure). Phrase Transitions. Use conjunctions and coordinating phrases, such as not only this but, in the next place, whereas, besides, on the contrary. Point Transitions. Review a point before going on to the next one. There are many ways to do this: -Chronological point transitions: "The first point we considered was..." "We now turn to the second point." -Logical point transitions: Used in building an argument and often found in inductive designs. -Metaphorical point transitions: Use metaphors to represent the points. For example, you might try the building metaphor: "The foundation of our faith is...; the superstructure is..." Or you  might use the wheel metaphor: "The first spoke of the wheel was...; the second spoke is..." -Psychological point transitions: Use associations already in the mind of the audience instead of chronological or logical terms: "We have seen that...; now, we need to see..." Physical Transitions. You can also indicate transitions between points and subpoints by gesture, posture, or position. You may use your fingers or even the place where you stand at certain segments of the sermon to show transition. We will be dealing more with physical delivery issues in step 7. Application Biblical exposition without application leads to spiritual constipation. There is no point in being academically accurate if the information does not transform your hearers. The application is when you move your audience from just receiving revelation to implementation of God's truth. The apostle Paul often turns to application in his epistles as he changes from making assertions (Greek, indicative mood) to commands (Greek, imperative mood). Appropriate application must be customized and made concrete for your audience. Customized. We have noted before how the same CPS will apply to different audiences in different ways. The audience is the variable. Thus there are spiritual, cultural, economic, and environmental variables. We must customize and fit the application to the audience. The process will have already begun in step 1 (see pages 47-49) and crystallizes in step 4 when you put together the purpose of the sermon. Now in the application you cross another threshold. You express God's claim in the present tense. It is not enough to tell your audience that God wants them to be holy. You must communicate what being holy looks like in their lives today. Concrete. The application must be concrete. If your application is abstract, your audience will tend to think about the words you said rather than how those words should affect their lives. Be specific about God's expectations of your people. It is not enough to tell them that God wants them to be holy. You must give specific  examples of holiness that will be relevant to their situation today. In order to customize your application and make it concrete, you need to look for homiletical correlation or links between the central proposition of the text (not just the sermon) and your audience. (For guidance on careful application of narrative texts, see appendix 6.) These links are theological and spiritual. Using illustrations from the Revelation 4 passage we used earlier, I will list here the kinds of correlations I seek theologically and spiritually in the pursuit of contemporization. The CPT I developed in step 3 for Revelation 4:1-11 was: "The exclusive throne right of God to rule over the affairs of history is recognized by the residents of heaven." Theological and spiritual links can connect my audience to the CPT. Theological Links. -The nature of God and his works. We recognize that God rules and must be God. -The nature of God's people. We can see community or ecclesiological links: e.g., the twenty-four elders and redeemed people. -The nature of creation/ creatures. The angels worship God; so must we. Spiritual Links. Existential, dynamic, and personal aspects of relationships to God. I ask, What about the first audience? Did anyone then experience the antichrist spirit of self-focused sovereignty? What issue was John addressing? What did they make of this passage? Ask the following questions about the nature of persons then and now. -How are we like them? We too belong to God and must worship. -How are we unlike them? We are not residents of heaven. (You would have to show why our not being like heaven's residents does not excuse us from the kind of worship they give to God.) -How should we be like them? In worship. -How should we be unlike them? Some were tempted to give up on the God who rules over history as life got difficult under Antichrist. (You could have pursued this aspect of the text and  come up with a totally different purpose than the one I came up with. I wanted to challenge each believer to relinquish throne rights to his or her life.) From a panorama of applicational possibilities for homiletical correlations, I selected the particular application that could be customized and made concrete according to the purpose of the sermon. Before choosing application, I went back to the CPT so that I would be faithful to the text rather than impose my application whims on my audience. Locating Application Again, you may make applications in the body of the sermon (in a deductive design structure) or toward the end of the sermon (in an inductive design structure). You can locate the application when and where it is necessary, taking into consideration the following factors: the design structure of the sermon, the body structure of the sermon, the purpose of the sermon, and the central proposition of the sermon. Perhaps you are exploring one part of the central proposition in a particular segment of the sermon. Seize the moment for application at that time. If your application should come at the end of the sermon, do not view it as a mere footnote to the "real stuff" that you have already given. The application should not be an appendix to the sermon. It must be given adequate time and place. Developing Application By the end of the sermon the audience must have the answers to three important questions: What did the preacher speak about? So what difference does or should it make? Now what do I do with God's claims in this sermon? The central proposition of the sermon and the body of the sermon should answer the what question (What did the preacher speak about?). The application and the stylized CPS address the so what (So what difference does it make?). The application will also focus on the now what (Now what do I do?) question.  The purpose you developed in step 4 will help you see what application you should make. Your purpose bridge addressed the question. On the basis of the central proposition of the text, what does God want my audience to understand and obey? The purpose you wrote out would have contained the word to followed by an explicit, compelling action verb. (In grammar this is called an infinitive.) Half seriously, let me list a few purpose verbs beginning with the letter C: To coax, cheer, champion, confront, convince, convict, challenge, correct, comfort, call. (But do not attempt to convert, for this is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit; nor to coerce, for even God does not do that!) From the purpose statement, which begins with the infinitive and is based on the CPT, write out answers to the "so what" and "now what" questions as resources for application. In fact, use a separate sheet of paper for the answers to each of these questions. You can throw out inappropriate and extraneous applications later. A sermon carries two types of application: 1. Tension and complication in becoming or being a Christian Spiritual tensions or spiritual needs Intellectual tensions or theological/philosophical needs Emotional tensions or relational/psychological needs Physical and other existential tensions or survival needs 2. Solution and resolution to the tension What tension should you evoke in your introductory need and expect the sermon to answer? Well, in textual exposition, the framework of the tensions arises from the CPT. The answers and application of the solution come from the correlation of the central proposition of the sermon to life through the purpose bridge. Or to put it another way: The "what" comes from the authority of Scripture culminating in the central proposition of the text. The "so what" comes from the authority of life, with the purpose bridge drawn from the central proposition of the text, yielding the central proposition of the sermon.  The "now what" comes from the authority of the preacher as he incarnates and contextualizes the specific expectations of God in a contemporary setting.[S] There are five arenas of life where truth must apply (so what?) and be specified (now what?). Think through these five arenas in developing your applications to discover how God's truth will make a difference and how it will call his people to obedience. Application Arenas of Life Before I spoke at a church in San Antonio, Texas, the pastor ushered me into his study. On the wall over his desk he had a few questions he asked concerning every sermon he preached. I found them helpful and share them with you: Application Avenues in Life Mix these application avenues with the application arenas and come up with plans of response and action for you and your congregation. Sermon Development with Application I will illustrate the sermon movements toward application here, using a text from Matthew. The biblical text follows.