The Preacher’s Task - What Should a Sermon Introduction Do?
Recently I was involved in a conversation about the impact (or lack thereof) of sound application in sermons. It was generally commented on and bemoaned (rightly I agreed) that sermons without strong application are less helpful for daily Christian living. This conversation brought to mind some of the teachings I received from mentors, pastors, and professors regarding the importance of the first few sentences and minutes of any sermon. Four paraphrases float around my head regarding the task of the preacher in the sermon introduction. These four phrases will guide our conversation today about the sermon introduction:
"Put a man in a hole".
"The sermon introduction will set the stage for God's solution to the audience's problems"
"You have about a minute to convince me to listen to your sermon or not"
"The best sermon applications begin during the sermon introduction"
Each of these paraphrases summarizes different components or goals preachers aim for in their sermon introductions.
"Put a Man in a Hole".
If a story begins with a man who has fallen into a hole, inevitably the story that follows will be about the struggle to get out of the hole. The Bible begins in Genesis 1-2 telling the beautiful story of creation, and the tragic “hole” which mankind plunged itself into in Genesis 3. The story of the scriptures begins with humanity in a spiritual hole that only God can deliver from. The fallen sinful human condition is one of life “in a hole”.
As a sermon begins, the preacher must labor to ensure his audience is aware of, sensing, feeling, or is informed of the “hole” of the fallen sinful human condition that the preaching passage addresses. In a good sermon introduction, a bridge is built between the original audience of scripture and the contemporary audience of the preacher. The materials of that bridge are the common mutually shared human experience of “the hole”.
An example of a poor sermon introduction on a passage like 1 John 3:11-15 (a passage speaking of Cain and Abel as contrasting examples of worldly hatred and the love of Christ) might be something like this:
“Cain murdering Abel is an example of primitive humanity at its worst”
In this introduction, the preacher has created distance between the fallen human condition and the audience. There is some atrocious theology in this introduction as well, seemingly pointing to the root problem being primitive humanity in comparison with modern humanity. The audience isn’t more aware of their own connection to Cain, nor will the audience be interested in whatever solution the preacher thinks he has to offer in the rest of the sermon. The answer has already been given in the introduction - don’t be a primitive human (ok check mark, good on that) and you won’t be like Cain. This sermon introduction puts Cain in a hole, and leaves the audience standing around the top of the hole going “Wow, must really be tough living in that hole, glad I’m not anything like that!”
The preacher must put the audience in the hole with Cain. An example of a better sermon introduction is something like this:
“The same thing that motivated Cain to kill his sibling lives in our hearts today”
In this introduction, the preacher has built a bridge between the tragic and heinous acts of Cain, and his audience. In the first introduction, an ancient man from thousands of years ago stood accused of murder, in this second introduction, the audience stands as a potential defendant of the same heinous crime. The audience must now wrestle with their position asking questions of the statement, and the scriptures. Is the same thing that motivated Cain’s sin, motivating my thoughts, words, and actions? The preacher now has directed the audience to consider what ways there are to escape, avoid, or overcome this evil motivation. The audience now sits considering life from Cain’s point of view - as one who is a sinner before a righteous God.
The preacher has put the audience in the hole alongside Cain. Being in the “hole” is the truth of the bad news of the sinful human condition. The audience is now primed to hear what solution, means of escape, or redemption God has provided for those stuck in such a tragic, and heinous hole.
"The Sermon Introduction Will Set the Stage for God's Solution to the Audience's Problems"
When the audience has a proper view of their situation (in the hole), they then begin to look and long for a means of deliverance from the hole. It is very natural for the audience to then begin to consider means to secure their own deliverance. Proverbially, staying with the “hole” analogy, the audience begins to construct their own ladders, staircases, and homes carved out of the “hole”. Excuses and imaginative theologies are then created to try and create an escape from the “hole”.
For all the creativity of the audience, the preacher must emphasize the depth of the dire reality of the hole to his hearers. The audience lacks sufficient means or materials to resolve the fallen human condition. This truth proclaimed and portrayed rightly prepares the audience to hear of the greatness of the grace of God in Jesus. The means out of the hole has been provided by God himself. A portion of the sermon (maybe even the main chunk of time) will be dedicated to extolling and explaining the grace of God in the provided solution. The main theme of that solution should be hinted at, pointed towards, and previewed in the introduction.
This gives the audience a context for the rest of the sermon. The solution that will be examined will be of divine origin, and the problems discussed (and subsequent applications exhorted) relatable to the audience. In this manner, the introduction provides a roadmap that the listening audience can engage with. If at any point the listener drifts or experiences a wandering mind, they can recall the problem and solution very easily because of the well-stated introduction.
Putting the audience in a hole creates a bridge between the fallen sinful human condition. Setting the stage then prepares the audience to hear and receive God’s gracious solution. The bad news (the fallen human condition) sets up the reception of the good news (the Gospel).
"You Have A Minute to Convince Me to Listen to Your Sermon"
Within the first few words of the sermon, a preacher has just a moment to either capture the audience’s spiritual attention, or confirm that listening to the sermon will be less beneficial than daydreaming or napping. It doesn’t take long to recognize the tune of a familiar song, nor does it take long to develop the awkward feeling that a song is quite unfamiliar. Human beings make quick decisions regarding their attitude, response, and level of interest with external stimuli. This is not something preachers should bemoan, nor should audiences be chided for having short attention spans in this regard. Preachers must recognize that early in their sermon, in the first few words, they have a chance to deliver to the listening audience the very living Word of God that is needed at that exact point in time in the life of the audience. The delivery of that needed Word of God isn’t just “later” in the sermon, but begins in the first moments a preacher begins to speak.
The weightiness and magnitude of the sermon must be conveyed in such a manner that the audience is shown that God’s Word really is what is needed in their present moment of life. Audiences are generally not more convicted or excited about the sermon than the preacher. The preacher must himself in the introduction demonstrate the significant impact and import the Word of God has for the collective human race, and for the individual specifically. In this regard the preacher may even include themselves in the “hole” the audience is in. This demonstrates very quickly to the audience that what the preacher has to say is not a hypocritical piece of advice originating from the mortal, but a Word from the Lord that includes directives for the preacher. The quickest way for a preacher to lose their audience is to first lose sight themselves of the glory and goodness of God revealed in the passage at hand.
One of the significant tools preachers have available to both capture the audience’s attention and convey the majesty of God’s Word is the story. While not every sermon does or should begin with a story, often a story can be used to introduce the subject matter of a sermon while inviting the audience to creatively participate in the potential outcomes of the story. Some of the most convicting sermons God has ever used in my life as a listener have begun with stories that have “hooked” me to give attention to what God’s Word has to say. Jesus frequently taught through the mechanism of story, and the Apostles frequently wove together the story of God’s faithfulness along with their own personal story of Christ’s life in order to preach to their audiences. Stories (told quickly) are powerful tools to draw people together.
It doesn’t take much to distract an audience, and the Godly preacher knows this, and is sympathetic to the plight of the audience, in their eternal status, present life circumstances, and in the difficulties of listening to a prolonged exposition. Jonah, the ancient, reluctant prophet of God, was sent to Nineveh and preached an incredibly short message “yet 40 days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown”. His brevity called attention to the weightiness of the message.
Preaching, rightly conducted under the authority of God, is an act of divine communication. It is to be soul-stirring, harrowing, inspiring, encouraging, and at times skin-crawling stuff. There is nowhere else a person can hear the Word of God so clearly, so profoundly, and so impactfully, than in the Word proclaimed via preaching. During the sermon introduction, the audience will quickly determine for themselves whether what they are hearing is worthy of their eternal souls and present lives.
The preacher has about a minute to demonstrate the sermon will explain and expound the truth of God for the benefit of the listener.
"The Best Sermon Applications Begin During the Sermon Introduction"
It has become standard to expect the last few words of a sermon to include some application. If the sermon only has a few words of application at the very tail end, more often than not the sermon itself will be forgotten quickly, and the application ignored easily. Unfortunately, many sermon’s greatest point of application is to never speak of the sermon again. Often sermons that are poor in their application, have been poor in their introduction preparing the audience for God’s solution to the problem of the passage.
While the explanation of a text may inform what we ought to believe (think, feel, assert), the application of a text will most certainly inform what we ought to do (with our thoughts, words, and actions). For a listener to come away from a sermon with meaningful application in their life, they must be exposed to the truth of God’s Word and challenged, confronted, or encouraged to live in light of particular realities.
Hebrews 1:1-2 gives us a beautiful example of an introduction that prepares for and even begins application in the beginning of a communication from God:
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe.
Verse one speaks of God’s pattern of speaking in ancient times, and verse two contrasts the ancient speaking pattern with the present speaking pattern: Jesus Christ. This introduction sets up one of the major points of application in the book of Hebrews - stop looking back honoring and regarding the traditional, symbolic ceremonies of the Old Testament, and look to the full revelation of God by honoring and regarding the Son who fulfilled all that was previewed in those ancient ceremonies (See Hebrews 12:22-28).
The introduction of the book sets up a major point of application. A contrast is presented between two ways, two traditions, two means of relating to God. Both of those ways were God-sanctioned, one for a limited time, the other for the present time. The application is set up in the introduction. We see in this way that the application within a sermon isn’t a random thought from the preacher slightly later on in the morning. The application is something connected deeply to the problem of the “hole” first introduced at the beginning of the sermon.
Through a meaningful preview of the application, an introduction demonstrates to an audience “we have been given a solution to the problem of the ‘hole’”. A sermon introduction that doesn’t properly preview the application will often leave an audience wondering if there is a solution to the “hole” they are in. Sometimes an audience may even come away angry with God (due to a failure on the preacher’s part) thinking that the “hole” in life they are in is one that God cannot provide deliverance. Sometimes an audience may leave a sermon thinking another passage or sermon better answered or resolved the “hole” described in the introduction. These are all symptoms that the preacher may have had room to grow as a preacher in better connecting the truth of the “hole” with the truth of God’s good news of deliverance.
In this way, sermon introductions will and do begin with application from the very outset. The preacher must work hard to ensure that the application the audience will take away is from God’s Word, and not supplied from another source.
What are some of your favorite sermon introductions? Are there any sermons that the Lord has used to particularly challenge, confront, or encourage you?
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