Category Archives: Narrative preaching

Narrative preaching – strengths and weaknesses

Walking With Giants Posted on by

The narrative sermon is a sermon in the form of a story.

Calvin Miller writes:

‘The narrative sermon, rather than containing stories, is a story which, from outset to conclusion, binds the entire sermon to a single plot as theme. Here and there sub-plots, separate illustrations or precepts may punctuate or ornament the narrative, but the theme narrative stays in force all the way through—from the sermon’s “once-upon-a-time” until its “happy ever after.”’

A. Strengths

1.…

Classification of sermons 4 – Robinson

Walking With Giants Posted on by

In Biblical Preaching: The Development and Delivery of Expository Messages (3rd ed.), Haddon Robinson outlines the main forms, or shapes, that sermons can take.

Here’s a precis.

1. Deductive arrangements

The main idea is stated at the outset, and the body of the sermon explains, illustrates and applies that idea.

(a) An idea explained.  For example, Alexander MacLaren preached a sermon on Colossians 1:15-18 on the supremacy of Christ, explaining from his text that Christ is so because he is ‘the image of the invisible God; because he is ‘the firstborn of all creation’; and because he is ‘the head of the body’.…

Lk 2:22-24, 36-38 – Anna’s story (sermon notes)

Walking With Giants Posted on by

(This is a slightly revised version of a short talk that was first drafted many years ago)

Text: Luke 2:22-24, 36-38

Some 80 years before a certain baby boy was cradled in a manger in Bethlehem, a little girl was born just a few miles away.  No doubt she was her parent’s pride and joy.  And no doubt she was strong, active and healthy.  Anyway, in due course, she grew up and fell in love with the man of her dreams. …

Exegetical versus homiletical outlines

Walking With Giants Posted on by

Stephen D. Mathewson, (The Art of Preaching Old Testament Narrative, p25f) writes:

Some evangelicals preach through an Old Testament narrative text by using the “captioned survey” form. Basically, this sermon develops through the points of an analytical outline. Usually, the preacher will state these points clearly so the listeners leave the sermon with an outline in their minds or at least on paper. For example, the sermon I preached several years ago on 1 Samuel 7 chewed its way through the following outline:

    1. The Repentance of God’s People (7:2–6)

      1. The determination to seek the Lord (v.

…

There is no form inherent in expository preaching

Walking With Giants Posted on by

The following gave me a bit of an ‘Aha!’ moment:

‘There is no form inherent in expository preaching. Richard Mayhue is on target when he writes, “Exposition is not so much defined by the form of the message as it is by the source and process through which the message was formed.  To put it another way, there is no such thing as an expository sermon form. Ideally, the form should come from the text.
…

Narrative preaching

Walking With Giants Posted on by

The essence of narrative preaching is that the sermon is in the form of a story.

1. Types of narrative sermon

(a) In a ‘pure’ narrative sermon,

‘the story is in no sense explained to the hearer, or commented on, outside the bounds of the narrative. In such a sermon, no introduction or conclusion outside of the story is used. The story’s introduction is the sermon’s introduction; the story’s conclusion is the sermon’s conclusion.’

(b) In a frame narrative the preacher provides some kind of introduction which sits outside the story itself. …

Mt 26:1-16 – Judas’ story and Mary’s story – sermon notes

Walking With Giants Posted on by

Text: Matthew 26:1-16

[Note: these are notes of a sermon preached in two parts, separated by a time of reflection and confession.  As you will see, each half was delivered using a 1st-person perspective.]

Judas’ Story

I heard it with my very ears: “In two days’ time, I’m gong to be handed over to be crucified.”

A criminal’s death.  The cruelest and most degrading form of death.

He’d said such things before, of course:  ‘[that] he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.’…

How to read a story

Walking With Giants Posted on by

No, this isn’t advice for parents reading The Chronicles of Narnia to their children at bedtime.

It is, rather, a set of tips to help the preacher get inside a piece of biblical narrative in order to find out how it is put together and how it works as a story.  This is the preliminary work that a preacher needs to do in order to preach from the story in question.  It is specific to narratives: letters, poems, proverbs, and parables required other approaches.…

Mt 1:18-25 – An interview with Joseph – sermon notes

Walking With Giants Posted on by

[Note: the following was presented in the form of a semi-scripted, role-played interview with ‘Joseph’]

A little earlier, we listened to a reading from Matthew’s Gospel, 1:18-25.  This is a very familiar story, and yet quite puzzling in many ways.  So I thought it would be good if we could get it straight from the horse’s mouth, as it were.  I’m very pleased to welcome a special guest.  Joseph, thankyou for coming along and agreeing to answer a few questions about how the birth of Jesus came about.…

Lk 10:38-42 – Martha – sermon notes

Walking With Giants Posted on by

I’d like you to imagine that you are visiting Bethany in the latter part of the 1st century AD.  Hoping to find some lodging for the night, you find a house with a little sign outside: “Visitors always welcome.”  You knock on the door.  An elderly but sprightly lady appears.  “Come in, come in!” she urges with a welcoming smile.  “You look very hot and tired – would you like to visit the bathroom to freshen up? …