Spiritual Life & Disciplines

Part 9 – Spiritual Discipline #1 – Bible Intake – How to Listen to a

Sermon

The intake of the Word of God is the foundational spiritual discipline

But He answered and said, "It is written, "MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD." – Matthew 4:4

Preaching

• Preaching is an essential means of Bible intake

• The preaching of the Word of God is one of the main parts of worship (Acts 2:42, 2 Tim. 4:2)

Preaching

• Biblical preaching:• Relies on the Bible for its content• Focuses on explaining the meaning of

Scripture (Exposition)• Honors the original intent of the text in its

linguistic and historical context• Connects the meaning of Scripture to

appropriate application

Preaching

• Biblical preaching:• Is always Godward and God-focused

(Theocentric)

How to Listen to the Sermon

• Come to worship with a prepared heart• God has something to say to you• I need to change and grow in some area• What can I learn about:

• God• Myself• My circumstances

• I should pay attention in expectation that God will speak to me through the message

How to Listen to the Sermon

• Recognize the overall form of a sermon:• Introduction• Proposition• Exposition• Conclusion

How to Listen to the Sermon

• Remember that Terry is a Theological Expositor• Theological expositors move through a text

looking for theological nuggets to mine. When they discover a theological word, concept, or theme, they will often expound that particular theological truth by going to other Scriptures.

• John MacArthur is the best known theological expositor

How to Listen to the Sermon

• Recognize that Terry is a Theological Expositor• The goal of theological exposition is to

show in a full and complete sense the meaning of theological truth and its application to life

TEXT

EP

HE

SIAN

S

Theological Nugget

Theological Nugget

Theological Nugget

BIBLICAL

FOREST

EXPOSITORY

PICK AXE

MINE THE FOREST

TEXT

EP

HE

SIAN

S

Theological Nugget

Vs. 12 – “building up” – maturity / ministry

Q: How can we live with one another in the church body? - PROPOSITION

INTRODUCTION

Usually his proposition statement goes here

But today, the proposition was here

TEXT

EP

HE

SIAN

S

Theological Nugget

Vs. 12 – “building up” – maturity / ministry

Q: How can we live with one another in the church body? - PROPOSITION

INTRODUCTION

POINT 1

EXPOSITION

POINT #1 – themes in Ephesians which show that ministry is a privilege

TEXT

EP

HE

SIAN

S

Theological Nugget

Vs. 12 – “building up” – maturity / ministry

Q: How can we live with one another in the church body? - PROPOSITION

INTRODUCTION

POINT 1

EXPOSITION

POINT 2

POINT #2

TEXT

EP

HE

SIAN

S

Theological Nugget

BIBLICAL

FORESTRomans

Ephesians

Colossians

Vs. 12 – “building up” – maturity / ministry

Q: How can we live with one another in the church body? - PROPOSITION

ACCEPT ONE ANOTHER

TEACH ONE ANOTHER

ENCOURAGE & ADMONISH ONE ANOTHER

EXPOSITION

INTRODUCTION

POINT 1

POINT 22 Kings

THEOLOGICAL SUB-POINTS THAT SUPPORT POINT #2

TEXT

EP

HE

SIAN

S

Theological Nugget

BIBLICAL

FORESTRomans

Ephesians

Colossians

2 Kings

Vs. 12 – “building up” – maturity / ministry

Q: How can we live with one another in the church body? - PROPOSITION

ACCEPT ONE ANOTHER

TEACH ONE ANOTHER

ENCOURAGE & ADMONISH ONE ANOTHER

CONCLUSION/APPLICATION

EXPOSITION

INTRODUCTION

Theological Exposition

• Sometimes Terry will tell us when he’s headed into the forest, but often he doesn’t tell us.

• Keep the main point in mind as he leads us through the woods. Remember, he’s trying to give us a fuller idea of the theological truth being mined.

Theological Exposition

• Follow along in your Bibles as he goes to other Scriptures.

• Recognize his favorite “expository pick axes” are:• Word study• Theological cross references• Illustration & story

How to Improve Your Sermon Listening• Remember the goals: to know Christ and

to be like Him.• If you listen to other preachers,

recognize that their style may be different

• Use the outline and take notes• Take advantage of the “resources” and

Sunday Leftovers

RESOURCES FOR FURTHER STUDY

Terry’s blog:wordsofgrace.wordpress.com

How to Improve Your Sermon Listening• Reading Terry’s blog regularly is one of

the best ways to allow him to shepherd and pastor you

• Listen to the message again on CD or mp3 audio.