The beginning of the new-creational reign is understood as Christ’s life, especially his death, resurrection, and ongoing ascended resurrection existence and rule, so that he is a formative microcosmic model that determines the nature and destiny of people, and the rest of creation, on a macrocosmic scale.

What happened to Christ in his life, death, and resurrection contains patterns of things that not only recapitulate earlier OT historical patterns but also embody patterns of things that will happen to his people – for example, with respect to his suffering, resurrection as first fruits, his identity as Son of God (Christians are adopted sons/daughters) and Son of Man (i.e., Adam: Christians become true humanity in Christ), being a light to the nations, reception of the Holy Spirit, keeping of the law, restoration or reconciliation to God’s presence from death, and his vindication becoming the Christian’s justification. The new-creational reign is the NT’s hermeneutical and eschatological center of gravity.

While We're On The Topic:

1. Let Karl Barth Turn You Into a More Spiritual Theologian
2. The Key to Being a Humble Theologian
3. GNT Software That Rivals BibleWorks and Accordance for Just 10 Bucks
4. Salient Sound Bites From Al Mohler at The Gospel Coalition
5. Use Thematic Outlines to Grasp the Big Picture of a Book of the Bible

But just because we can’t fully know something, does that mean we shouldn’t learn as much as we can about it?

Speaking of how the divine Son was able to be incarnated into fallen flesh, T.F. Torrence says, “Here we are faced with something we can never fully understand, but it is something that we must seek to understand as far as we can” (Incarnation, 62).

We must seek to understand it as far as we can.

Even though some theological topics contain more mystery than others, there is always more that we can understand about them.

So let’s bring our theological A game, even to the most mysterious doctrines.

While We're On The Topic:

1. How to Relate the OT and NT Without Dissolving the Integrity of Either
2. Let Karl Barth Turn You Into a More Spiritual Theologian
3. How to Read 200 Blog Posts in 20 Minutes
4. How to Make Your Desk a Cockpit for Exegesis
5. 17 Simple Actions to Grow as a Pastor Scholar

Many fall prey to the fallacy of pointing to Jesus in the Old Testament. They see something that reminds them of the gospel or the life of Christ, and they say, “See! Here’s Jesus!”

But it is not the preacher’s job to point to Jesus in the OT. Rather, it’s his job to show how the OT points to Jesus. It’s a difference as big as driving against traffic on a one-way street.

Here are some examples from the Book of Ruth that show how to drive with the traffic flow of redemptive history, not against it.

Chapter 1: Where’s the bread?

Ruth opens with the words, “In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab.” This is almost comical, since Bethlehem is a compound word in the Hebrew, combining beth, “house,” with lehem, “bread.” Bethlehem, the House of Bread, has no more bread in it!

Naomi, after the passing of her husband and two sons, hears that “the Lord had visited his people and given them food” (1:6), and so she returns.

This points to a future time when the Lord will visit his people and give them food. Except the difference is that the Lord, I AM, will not merely give his people food, he will be their food. He will visit them, not only providentially, but also physically. He will announce to them, “I am the bread of life.”

Chapter 2: The wings of the Lord

The temptation in chapter 2 would be to compare Boaz – who gives food to Ruth, with leftovers – to Jesus – who fed the 4000 and 5000, with leftovers. But that smacks of the “this reminds me!” fallacy that we ought to avoid. Rather than drawing comparisons, trace the storyline of redemptive history.

The part that points to the redemptive historical climax in Jesus is Boaz’s statement in 2:12, “The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!”

Here in chapter 2 we see a pagan, idolatrous Gentile come under the wings of the Lord. There would come a time when many more among the nations would do the same. But not until, in a stunning twist of irony, God’s own people refuse to come under his wing:

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” (Matthew 23:37, parallel Luke 13:34)

It was Israel’s rejection of Jesus, which included his atoning death on the cross, that opened the door for the nations – you and I – to come under his wing of protection from God’s wrath.

Chapter 3: Finding rest

The chapter begins and ends with the theme of rest. In 3:1, Naomi asks Ruth, “My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?” Then in the last verse of the chapter, Naomi assures Ruth that Boaz “will not rest but will settle the matter today” (3:18). These verses form an inclusio.

The principle is that the redeemer doesn’t rest until he accomplishes rest for his beloved. Furthermore, we see that the redeemer does this on behalf of the Lord. This can be seen in the connection the author makes between Boaz’s and Ruth’s statements about “wings”. Boaz says, “a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge” (2:12). Ruth, in a manner of speaking, views Boaz as the incarnation of the Lord’s wing when she says, “Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer” (3:9).

But, as the author of Hebrews tells us, there is a rest that God’s people are still waiting for (Hebrews 4:8-9). Ruth chapter 3 points to the actual incarnation of our redeemer, Jesus, who promises, “I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29; same Greek word for “rest” as the LXX in Ruth).

Chapter 4: A son who anticipates the Son

The story concludes with Boaz and Ruth being married, and Ruth giving birth to a son. In this chapter, the responsibility of pointing to Jesus shifts from Boaz to this new son. There are five ways this son points forward to the birth of God’s Son.

1. This son is born in Bethlehem (4:11).

2. This son is referred to as “the offspring” in the midst of a comparison to Judah (4:12). The word “offspring” often is a technical term used to identify someone who will have a special role in God’s plan of salvation.

It is first used of Eve’s offspring who will crush the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15). Later this word is used in reference to the offspring of Abraham who will inherit the land (Genesis 17:7-8), and the offspring of David who will sit on the throne forever (2 Samuel 7:12). Each of these promises are fulfilled in Jesus (see Revelation 13:3, Galatians 3:15-16, and Luke 1:32-33, respectively).

3. This son was conceived through a unique demonstration of God’s power, “and the Lord gave her conception” (4:13). Jesus also would be conceived in an even greater demonstration of power, in a virgin.

4. The women of the town bless Naomi, saying the son, “shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age” (4:15). The delightful renewal Naomi experienced was only foretaste of the complete restoration of eternal life that God’s Son would provide.

5. This son is the next step toward the coming of David, from whom would come the Messiah, Jesus (4:17-22, see the genealogies in Matthew 1 and Luke 3).

Conclusion

A few observations regarding the application of this method. You might even call them rules of thumb.

1. As I said before, the goal is not to point to Jesus in the OT, but rather to discover how the OT points forward in the storyline to the coming of Jesus, and what he will accomplish in fulfillment of the OT.

2. Notice that the aspect of what points to Jesus changes throughout the book. It would be a mistake to say Boaz is the only pointer to Jesus because he is the kinsman redeemer. This is especially clear in chapter one, where he doesn’t appear, and chapter four, where there is strong evidence that the newborn son is the pointer.

3. The kind of pointer changes from chapter to chapter. Abraham, Moses, David, etc. will be the pointer to Jesus in some of their stories, but not in others. So look for trajectories in theme or the part of story that demands an intensified resolution. The strongest pointers, however, are quotations or allusions of the OT in the NT, which we don’t have many of in the Book of Ruth.

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While We're On The Topic:

1. An Isaianic Spin on the “I Am” Statements in the Gospel of John
2. Why Jesus Called Himself “Son of Man” Instead of “Messiah”
3. The Primacy of The Functional Centrality of the Gospel in Paul’s Letters
4. How the Storyline of the Bible is Summarized in Exodus 1-2
5. How Do the Two Halves of Exodus Fit Together?

In my previous post on this topic, I pointed to renowned business and management author, Peter Drucker, for a definition of entrepreneurship. He says an entrepreneur is simply a person who looks for changes, and then methodically exploits them. It’s about what you do, not your personality, which means any pastor can become more entrepreneurial.

In his book, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Drucker lists seven ways entrepreneurs innovate based on changes they see around them. I have slightly rephrased them in order to apply them to the ministry context.

1. Capitalize on the unexpected success or failure

I faced one particular unexpected failure in my first year as a junior high pastor. My goal was to obliterate the dichotomy of “fun and games” youth ministries, and “bible preaching” ones. I was going to do expository preaching and put on big, fun events.

My surprising failure, however, was that no matter how big the event I ran, only about half my students showed up. Bigger wasn’t better.

In response, I decided to “go small” through Bible studies, informal small group gatherings, and after school hangouts. It worked, and I have experienced two fantastic results: a closer-knit student community and less administrative pressures. Win, win.

2. Close the gap on an incongruity

An incongruity means that there is a void between a current reality and what ought to be true. In ministry terms, it often means that people who need to be reached aren’t being reached. The textbook example is the 10/40 Window. That only 10% of missionaries were going to the area that contained 90% of unbelievers was a huge incongruity.

Who’s not being reached in your community? What communities are not being reached around you?

3. Fulfill a process need

The exploding refugee population is one of the big changes in Wheaton over the past decade. My church has tried to reach this burgeoning community by helping them in the process of getting acclimated to Wheaton.

In order to accomplish this, we have set up teams that commit to helping a new family for their first six months in Wheaton. This team picks the newcomers up at the airport when they first arrive, shows them around town, and helps them learn simple, but new, tasks like mailing a bill or using a microwave. The goal is to build relationships and share the gospel by helping refugees through the process of adapting to a new life.

4. Adapt to “out of the blue” changes in church structure

Such changes can be as broad as evangelical culture, or as narrow as your own local church. As for the broader spheres, the New Calvinism (and its conferences) and church planting networks are restructuring how churches affiliate themselves. Independent, non-denominational churches don’t have to be entirely independent anymore.

In a local church context, for example, if your church is growing at an unexpected rate, your leadership structure will need to adapt if you want to keep up.

Whenever you adapt your ministry structure, it is essential to keep your innovation simple. Complicated changes to the structure often cause the whole thing to collapse.

5. Recognize changes in demographics

Demographics changes are not high on Drucker’s list of innovative strategies, but for ministry purposes it might be one of the easiest to capitalize on. What could be simpler than aiming your gospel efforts at places where more people are going? (In case you’re wondering, here are the top ten fastest growing cities.)

As I said above, the key demographic change my church has faced is the increased refugee population. In response to this change, we have launched several ministries to refugees, in addition to the acclimation teams. We host and teach English classes in our building during the week. Also, several singles (and even a couple families) have moved into the low-income apartments where many of the refugees live, in order to build relationships and share the gospel.

6. Recognize changes in perception, mood, and meaning

Instead of bashing the “I hate religion” people and the “occupy” people, consider where these perceptions come from. Is there a way to communicate the gospel message in a way that answers their objections? Is there a way to show how Jesus has already provided what they are looking for? Kevin DeYoung provides a good example of addressing these changing moods here and here.

7. Apply new knowledge

According to Drucker, this is the “super-star” source for entrepreneurial innovation. It gets the buzz, but it’s also the most capricious and volatile. Social networking and social media is the “new knowledge” making its way into churches. Many pastors are tweeting, blogging, and friending, and lots are doing so in ways that are magnifying their word ministry. Many churches are using Facebook, or even installing their own social network.

But when the social media craze dies down, will these pastors be able to pull a Jack, and nimbly jump over the social media candlestick to next big thing? Or will they drag their feet and get burned? My advice is, if you happen upon a “new knowledge” opportunity, go after it. But don’t spend your time looking for it.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are not hard lines that separate these seven ways to approach ministry from an entrepreneurial mindset. These strategies for innovation can be combined or blended. I hope you have seen that thinking like an entrepreneur does not mean you are smuggling a business model into your church. I also hope you have seen that being an entrepreneurial pastor has more to do with making calculated ministry decisions for the sake of spreading the gospel, and less to do with having an extroverted, risk-taker personality.

(Image credit)

While We're On The Topic:

1. What It Means to Be an Entrepreneurial Pastor
2. 5 Ways to Reinvigorate Your Church By Thinking More Like a Church Plant
3. 6 Types of Leaders Who Will Help Your Church Grow
4. 6 Types of Leaders Who Stunt Your Church’s Growth
5. Leadership Coaching at The Resurgence

What entrepreneurship really is

The entrepreneurial attitude has inaccurately been equated with extroversion and riskiness.

Consultant and author, Peter Drucker, is regarded as tops on management and entrepreneurship. His books are a great help to the discerning pastor who can determine which principles overlap with pastoral ministry, and which belong solely in the business world. Drucker, in opposition to the pervasive mindset, says entrepreneurship has little to do with personality, and more to do with action:

“Entrepreneurship should be the least risky rather than the most risky course…Entrepreneurship is ‘risky’ mainly because so few of the so-called entrepreneurs know what they are doing. They lack the methodology. They violate well-known rules” (Innovation and Entrepreneurship, pages 28, 29).

What action, then, defines entrepreneurship?

“Entrepreneurship is neither a science nor an art. It is a practice…the entrepreneur always searches for change, responds to it, and exploits it as an opportunity” (viii, 28).

Do you want to be an entrepreneurial pastor? Do those three things. Search for change. Respond to it. Exploit it. For the spread of the gospel.

The entrepreneurial pastor is not necessarily an extroverted risk-taker. There is too much at stake to embrace an impulsive ministry model. Rather, the entrepreneurial pastor is someone who methodically hunts for opportunities to minister the gospel based on changes in his church, in his town, and in the world. Particularly, he sees changes as opportunities to be exploited for the gospel, not obstacles for the gospel.

Say a mom left an open package of cookies on the counter. There are risky three year olds who grab the granite and treat the cabinet door like a treadmill. There are those who throw a tantrum because the goods are out of reach. Then there are those who pull the chair from the dining room table and pig out before big sis notices.

Sure, if that toddler keeps it up, he’ll be the fat kid in class someday. But for pastors, opportunity obesity is a good thing.

Why entrepreneurial pastors must rely on God’s grace in Christ by the Spirit

What apparent opportunities are real opportunities? How do you go about tackling them? What do you do when you fail? How do you achieve success?

Each of these questions is answered by the grace of God that all pastors must rely on. Pray to your Heavenly Father for discernment, because he stands ready to give you wisdom (James 1:5). Bow at the cross when you fail to seize opportunities for the gospel, because Jesus has borne your failure already. Pray that the Spirit – who does the work of God among the people of God through the Word of God – would make your efforts find and seize opportunities effective.

A pastor who recognizes and tackles opportunities for the gospel by the grace of God?

That guy’s got game. And he’s probably humble enough not to strut around in the uniform.

(I’m going to follow up this post with one on how to apply Drucker’s seven sources for entrepreneurial opportunities in the context of gospel ministry. So stay tuned!)

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While We're On The Topic:

1. 7 Ways to Become an Entrepreneurial Pastor
2. 5 Ways to Reinvigorate Your Church By Thinking More Like a Church Plant
3. 6 Types of Leaders Who Will Help Your Church Grow
4. 6 Types of Leaders Who Stunt Your Church’s Growth
5. Leadership Coaching at The Resurgence

The problem is that ministry doesn’t slow down. We need a simple process that will get us back into organizational shape without a large time investment. You don’t have a couple days to reorient yourself to the new year. Give the four steps below a couple hours, and you will find you have more energy, effectiveness, and efficiency as you head into 2012.

Step #1: Straighten up

Jesus is our Captain, and we are his soldiers. But how many of our offices would pass inspection?

The beginning of the year is a great time to get organized. Trash every piece of useless paper. Reduce your desk to a physical inbox, a keyboard, a mouse, a computer screen, and a pen. Like a general with his soldiers, get you bookshelves in rank and file.

Step #2: Regain the big picture

When you get junk out of site, you free your mind to think.

What big goals do you want to tackle this year? Which of last year’s projects are on their knees, begging you to complete them? What do your people need from you, their pastor?

Jot down some ideas.

You’ll be tempted to quit after step two because you’ll feel like you’ve made so much progress. And you have. But this article is about getting back on track with organization and productivity, and we have yet to enter into the productivity phase.

Step #3: Commit to some projects

Next, it’s time to break those goals down into tasks you can actually do. List out some projects (things that take more than one step to accomplish) that would get your big picture moving.

Even when you have broken your goals down into projects, you are still only in planning mode. Productivity, however, involves actually producing something. That’s why Step 4 is the game changer.

Step #4: Get to work

Before you finish this process, list the first two actions you need to take to get your projects rolling, and then do five of them. The point is to move out of the organizing phase, with all its euphoria, and into the productivity phase, with all its pain, thorns, thistles, and sweat (Gen. 3:17-19).

Once you make it this far, you have gotten back on track.

Staying on track is impossible, so make a habit of getting back on track

Nobody stays on track all the time. Jesus only had to set his face like a flint once, but we have to reset it regularly. That’s why we need God’s grace and strength. That’s why we rely on his Spirit.

The more often you get back on track, however, the less effort it takes. So regularly go through this process – every one or two weeks – to fulfill your ministry the best you can, relying on all the strength of his might.

(Image credit)

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2. 5 Realistic Expectations That Set You Up to Achieve Unrealistic Goals
3. Find a Task List System That Fits Your Personality
4. You Don’t Have to Be a Neat-Freak to Stay Organized
5. 5 Nerdy Tools That Will Make You an Organizational Jock

I, for one, go back and forth between the two. Sometimes I want the pulpit to assist me professionally. Other times, by God’s grace, I want the pulpit to spiritually help God’s people. Acknowledging our desires, questioning them, and praying that they be purified is an essential habit for every pastor to cultivate.

That said, this is not an article about copying John Piper’s preaching style so that you can be a great preacher, too. The goal here is to learn what makes Piper’s preaching so great, and then to apply those things ourselves so that we can preach a little better, and so our congregation will be helped a little more.

This begs the question, “What makes Piper’s preaching great?” I’d like to point out three things that he does in his sermons that you can do, too.

Preach the logos of the passage

Logos means logic. Piper models a style of preaching that unlocks the power of the text’s logical flow. He recognizes that the authors of the Bible were out to prove something, so he wades through their words to discern what they intended to communicate.

This is where true expository preaching lies: not only preaching the main idea of the passage, but showing what the parts of the passage contribute to that main idea, and how.

A lot of pastors think they preach expository sermons because they preach through books of the Bible. That is part of expository preaching, but there’s more to it than just that. If you use each passage in the book as a trampoline to jump to your favorite current issue or theological topic, then you’re not doing expository preaching.

True expository preaching, more than just preaching through a book, shows how the verses and paragraphs of the book fit together. You can only do this if you know how to analyze the logic of a passage. If you’ve never explored studying the Bible this way, here are some free resources to get you started:

BibleArc.com was founded to spread Piper’s passion to discover the logical flow of biblical texts. The home page has a short video where Piper explains why it’s so important.

Piper’s Biblical Exegesis: Discovering the Meaning of Biblical Texts contains clear explanations of how to follow the logic of a passage.

Thomas Schreiner has a terrific chapter on how to follow the logical discourse in “Tracing the Argument” from his book, Interpreting the Pauline Epistles. There is a companion handout to the chapter that distills the information for easy use: “Relationships between Propositions,”

Preach the pathos of the passage

Pathos means passion, emotion. The stereotype for preachers is that they are either logical but boring, or passionate but scatterbrained. But Lloyd-Jones said that true preaching is “logic on fire.” If anyone destroys these false dichotomies, it’s Piper. His appreciation for the logic of the passage doesn’t extinguish his passion, but fuels it.

What parts of the text cause you to rejoice? To weep? To become angry? What rouses compassion, and toward whom? Your emotions are tools in your homiletical belt, just like illustrations and word studies.

You may never reach Piperian proportions of passion. That’s okay, God gave you your personality for a reason. But bring with your preaching whatever element of emotion you do have. As Clarence Macartney said, “A preacher may have little or much personality, but certainly, when he gets into the pulpit he needs to use all that he has” (HT: Doug Wilson).

Ask questions of the passage

What remains, finally, is to figure out how to use the logic of the passage to fuel passion in the hearts of your people. You will accomplish this when you have done two things. One, make your people wonder what the text means. Two, make them care about what the text means. If you can do these two things, then you will marry the logos and the pathos of the passage at the chapel of your congregation’s heart.

One way Piper effectively accomplishes this is by asking questions of the text while he preaches. When he comes across a difficulty in the passage, he uses rhetorical questions to show his audience that the meaning of the passage is not obvious at first glance. “What does this mean?” “How do these two thoughts fit together?” “Why does Paul make this comment here, rather than something else?” “Why did Jesus respond this way?”

It’s amazing how a simple question conveys that there is something at stake with how we understand each sentence of the Bible.

Of course, you can only ask questions of the text for your hearers if you ask questions of the text for yourself. Piper argues that asking questions of the text is a fundamental task in sermon preparation in his article, “Brothers, Let Us Query the Text”:

“We must train our people that it is not irreverent to see difficulties in the biblical text and to think hard about how they can be resolved… If we care [pathos!] about truth [logos!], we must relentlessly query the text and form the habit of being bothered by things we read… There are profound and wonderful resolutions to all problems. He has called us to an eternity of discovery so that every morning for ages to come we might break forth in new songs of praise.”

Piper’s tactics, you’re personality

The goal is not to be as great a preacher as Piper. It’s to preach as great as you can. But one way to do this is to learn from the great preachers. The important thing, however, is to apply what the great preachers do well homiletically in a way that fits with who God made you to be. Then you’ll preach like Piper, but you’ll sound like you.

While We're On The Topic:

1. 5 Ways to Make Solid Contact with Your Congregation’s Heart with Your Sermons
2. How to Preach Like Tim Keller Without Sounding Like Him
3. 6 Rules for Using Quotes in Sermons
4. How to Preach Like Mark Driscoll Without Sounding Like Him
5. Preach a Sermon Your Audience Can Actually Follow

1. Prepare more.

2. Leave out the boring bits.

3. Practice your sermon on people throughout the week.

4. Ditch notes.

5. Speak to the people who aren’t there yet.

6. Have an argument.

7. Speak to the people who are there.

8. Avoid trite application.

9. Talk about Jesus every week.

10. Listen to your own podcast.

While We're On The Topic:

1. 5 Resources to Check Out to Improve Your Application in Your Sermons
2. Are You Overlooking the Most Essential Element of an Effective Sermon?
3. A New Series Starts Tomorrow: The Anatomy of An Effective Sermon
4. 7 Tips to Be a More Interesting Preacher
5. 5 Characteristics of Constantly Improving Preachers

In John 4:23, Jesus says this to the woman at the well, “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.” Later in John, Jesus asserts that the only way people come to him (dare I say, seek him), is if the Father draws him (6:44), or if Jesus himself draws him (12:32).

You see this gracious work of God to draw people to himself in the Gospels (the calling of the disciples, Zacchaeus, the woman at the well, etc.), in Acts (the Ethiopian eunuch, Cornelius, Saul), and the epistles (with all its discourse on calling and election).

The new definition of Seeker sensitive ministry

Since it is God who draws people to himself, we ought to adopt a philosophy of ministry that is Seeker sensitive. That is, a philosophy of ministry that is sensitive to the fact that God is seeking his elect and drawing them to himself.

It is a philosophy of ministry that is sensitive to the Seeker’s seeking.

The difference this makes in your ministry

If God seeks his worshipers…if God draws his children…if He calls those whom he will justify, sanctify, and glorify…what difference does that make?

The difference is that the Word of God will become central to your church’s ministry.

Why?

Because the Word of God is exactly what people crave when they are drawn by God.

You bait your hook with a worm because that is what fish crave. When God draws people to worship him in spirit and in truth, he imparts to them cravings for truth in their spirit, by the Spirit. So let’s go fishing for men with a tackle box filled with biblical lures.

What does Seeker sensitivity look like?

If you believe that God seeks those who will worship him, then you will preach gospel-centered sermons from the Word. “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).

If you believe that God seeks his worshipers, then you will pray for and mobilize your congregation to go into your community with the Word. “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest” (Matthew 9:37-38).

If you believe that God seeks his worshipers, then you will program your church around preaching and prayer. “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables…But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word…And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great number of the priests became obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:2, 4, 7).

So the question is: do you really believe that God seeks, calls, and draws his worshipers? Prove it through your preaching, prayer, and programs.

While We're On The Topic:

1. Grow in Faith, Hope, and Love by Meditating on the Gospel – Past, Present, and Future
2. Why Pastoral Work Is So Complex (And Why You Shouldn’t Try to Simplify It)
3. The Difference Between the Law and the Gospel: Which Do You Preach More?
4. Something for Pastors to Remember on Monday Morning
5. 10 Questions You Better be Ready to Answer at a Pastoral Interview

Photo by Joe's-Photos at Flickr

But there are benefits to three-point sermons, too.

The number three gives your congregation the sense of a complete unit. It’s why your mom counted to three, it’s why we award triple crowns in sports, and it’s why carpenters build three bedroom houses. In a sermon, two points feels like there should have been one more, but four points feels like a random list.

So let’s not throw out the three-point sermon baby with the cliché bath water.

Instead, let’s identify a few three-point outlines that your congregation will find interesting.

Resolve what appears to be a contradiction

This is the “coin” approach. Your goal is to show how two seemingly contradictory ideas fit together. The contradiction captivates your audience. They will wonder through the whole sermon why the two ideas aren’t opposites.

Your first two points explain each side of the coin, and your third point explains how they go together.

Point #1: One side of the coin

Point #2: The other side of the coin

Point #3: How the two sides go together

Jesus’ parables that have three characters or two opposing characters fit this mold perfectly. Some of Paul’s “by no means” passages in Romans would work, too. This could also be a good way to address the paradoxes of Reformed theology (faith and works, divine sovereignty and human will, etc.)

Tell a story

A three-point outline is just enough points to create a narrative. You can generate a great deal of interest by introducing conflict into an ideal state of being. Your people will listen because they want to hear a happy ending.

Point #1: How things were meant to be

Point #2: How those things were messed up

Point #3: How those things get fixed

Genesis 1-2 fits the bill nicely here. The seven letters in Revelation work, too, with their structure of commendation, “but this one thing I have against you,” and then a charge to conquer.

Go big

The textbook three-point sermon takes you through explanation, illustration, and application three times, once for each point. A way to change things up is to go through those steps once, with big sections for each.

Point #1: Explanation

Point #2: Illustration

Point #3: Application

This requires a bit more work to maintain attention at the beginning, but it pays dividends toward the end. You’ll have to set up your first point in a way that makes your congregation genuinely curious about what the passage means. Then the illustration in point two proves that we face the same issues today. Finally point three teaches how to live in light of God’s grace in the passage.

This version will help you on those passages that don’t break down very nicely. If you find yourself spending tons of time working on the transition from an exegetical outline to a sermon outline, use this version.

Why does this work?

These three-point sermons contain two built-in qualities that keep attention: tension and progression.

Tension is that “how will this problem get fixed” feeling. These outlines generate tension with contradiction, conflict, and curiosity.

The outlines above also contain progression, which means they lead your audience somewhere. Your three points, though they may be parallel in structure, should never be parallel in significance and intensity. That should build throughout the sermon.

While We're On The Topic:

1. How to Call for a Gospel Response Like a Calvinist
2. 5 Resources to Check Out to Improve Your Application in Your Sermons
3. Preach a Sermon Your Audience Can Actually Follow
4. The Difference Between the Law and the Gospel: Which Do You Preach More?
5. Why You Must Preach Against Sin