Peter Adam | July 2020
Many preachers include ‘points’ in their sermons. It is a useful teaching device, which helps people grasp the heart of our message. It is no doubt better to preach a sermon with points than it is to preach a pointless sermon!!!
Here are some ideas about how you might upgrade your points, and make them more effective.
You need to decide whether to make them analytical points, or applicatory points.
Analytical points analyse the Bible text, and applicatory points, as you may guess, apply that text to the people, and urge them to respond.
John 4:46-54
Analytical points | Applicatory points |
A sick son [vv. 46-49] |
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A son made alive [vv. 50-54] |
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Matthew 6:1-18
Analytical points | Applicatory points |
Giving [vv. 1-4] |
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Praying, [vv. 5-15] |
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Fasting, [vv. 16-18] |
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I suggest that you make them active, rather than analytical, tell how the people should respond, make them serve the expected outcome of the passage and the sermon.
Use words [quotations] from the Bible passage itself,
…so that people can see that your sermon springs from the Bible, and so that when they next read that Bible passage, those words will stand out.
Matthew 6:1-18, again!
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Make your points into a cumulative sentence,
…which shows the coherence of what you want them to do, and expresses the coherence of the Bible passage itself.
Here are my three points on Galatians chapter 3.
Hear the Scriptures! vv. 1-14 [based on ‘believing what you heard’, v. 5] |
Receive the Promise! vv. 15-22 [based on ‘receive the promise, v. 14] |
Believe in Christ! vv. 23-29 [based on 24-26]. |
But then notice the coherence of these instructions. A perfect cumulative sentence: ‘If we hear the Scriptures, we will be able to receive the promise, and believe in Christ.’ ‘Hear the Scriptures, so you can receive the promise, so that you can believe in Christ.’
You could make these connections on the way through the sermon, and reinforce them, or else bring them together in the climax of the sermon at the end.
Once when I was visiting New Zealand, I heard an excellent sermon from a friend of mine on Daniel 9: 1-23. Notice his applicatory points.
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I suggested that he could make this into a cumulative sentence, on the way through the sermon, or at the end.
‘Read the Bible … so that you know the God you are praying to … so that you pray humbly … so that you pray God-centred prayers … and pray expectantly…’
Don’t think you also always have to find 3 points!
You could have 2, 5, or 8 points! What are the main points of the passage? Let them be the main points of your sermon. And remember that a one point sermon is very effective!
You do not necessarily need to number your points.
It may help you, but might not help the people. If you do number your points, make sure that you emphasize the content of the point, not the numerical progress. ‘And now we come to point 3’, is as appetizing as, ‘and now we come to verse 69’. You should be building on the shape of the passage, its drama, narrative, instructions, theology, not on a memory device.
If you do number your points, do not include any more numbers!
Don’t find yourself saying, ‘there are two points to this point’. Confusion will abound in your hearers. It looks clear when you see it on a page: it sounds awful!
Remember that purposeful points are punchy points.
Don’t have pointless points. Make sure they actually serve the projection and application and urging of the Bible text.