Sermons usually have many ideas, but all of them stem out from the main idea of the sermon. Haddon Robinson, in his book Biblical Preaching, came out with “The Big Idea Preaching”. The Big idea is an organizing factor, and preachers should organize sermons based on it. There are two purposes of using this method of preaching. First, the congregation would have something lasting in their minds after the sermon is over and secondly, the sermon is organized around one major idea allowing for a better understanding of the message the preacher is trying to convey. It is significant to rely on one idea as it allows for a better understanding of the sermon and leaves something lasting to the minds of the congregation of a sermon.
A big idea has some characteristics that make it valuable to the congregation. Robinson identified five characteristics that make an idea powerful. First, the idea should be narrow and sharp (Robinson, 2014). The characteristic enables the idea to be clear in answering the question in consideration as well as allow a preacher to have a better understanding of the sermon. The second characteristic is that the main idea of a sermon should have an expanding force which will allow the preacher to have the amount of information needed for a successful sermon (Robinson, 2014). Third, for the main idea to be powerful, it should be true. True in this context implying that it should become deep from the preacher and create a passion that would enable it to get hold of the congregation (Robinson, 2014). The fourth characteristic grows out of the third. The main idea should be filled with life realities. The sermon can only be of benefit to the congregation if it talks about the realities of life (Robinson, 2014). The idea should talk about how God fits into people’s lives and how life is when they believe that God exists in their lives. Finally, the main idea should be true to the Word of God. The Bible has a lot of great ideas that reflect everything we need to know about God and how He manifests Himself in our lives.
Based on Robinson, it is possible to identify the big idea in some of the passages of the Bible. The passages in consideration are Philippians 3: 7-11, Joshua 1: 1-9, and Ephesians 2: 1-9. Philippians 3: 7-11 talks about the value of knowing Jesus Christ. The passage explains that it is important to know Christ and in doing so, there may be a need to remove excess baggage that may be dragging us behind (Philippians 3:7-11, New International Version). Based on Robinson’s main idea in sermons, verse seven seems to be having the big idea of the passage that is, knowing Christ is profitable than anything else on earth. Using the same analogy, it is possible to know the main idea in the Joshua 1: 1-9. The passage talks about how God prepared Joshua as the leader of the Israelites in reaching the Promised Land (Joshua 1:1-9, New International Version). The main idea of the passage is that God has chosen us as His servants and that He guides us throughout the journey. The final passage in consideration is Ephesians 2: 1-9 which talks about salvation and the grace that Christ has on us (Ephesians 2:1-9, New International Version). The passage talks about how we were dead in our trespasses and sins, but God saved us through His love and grace. The main idea in this passage is that Christ has brought life to us.
Chapter three of Robinson’s book is entitled “Tools of the Trade”. According to him, there are three “tools of trade”: choosing what to preach, studying the chosen passage and making notes, and then determining the exegetical idea as well as its development (Robinson, 2014). The three tools can influence the interpretation of the of sermon passages. There has already been identification of the main idea of three passages of the Bible. Looking at one of this passages, it is possible to understand how the three “tools of the trade” can influence a Bible passage. The passage in consideration is Philippians 3: 7-11.
Philippians 3:7-11:
7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:7-11, New International Version)
The first “tool of trade” is choosing what to preach. The choice of the passage will depend on many things but what is important is that it should allow the congregation to carry the necessary information from the sermon and always remember it in everyday life (Lloyd-Jones, 2012). Choosing what to preach influences interpretation of the passage as it allows one to relate the scripture to the contemporary society. The passage is useful in the contemporary life as it shows that people do not have to focus on worldly things such as money but rather, know Christ which would allow them to be accepted in the Kingdom of God. Using the passage in a sermon and putting out the main idea of the great value of knowing Christ, the congregation will be able to focus on doing what Christ wants rather than focusing on worldly things that come as baggage in the journey of knowing Christ.
The second tool is to study the passage and making notes. It is not an easy task for a preacher to get the big idea out of a passage. Studying the passage thoroughly and making notes during the process would allow for a better formation of the central idea of the sermon. The tool allows the preacher to know what the author of the passage was trying to communicate and how it can apply to the congregation. Making notes would allow the preacher to find better terms to explain the passage to the people in the contemporary setting (Pasquarello III, 2011). Studying and making notes on the passage allows for tailoring the passage so that people can have a better understanding of it and apply it to their lives.
The final “tool of trade” is determining the exegetical idea as well as its development. The tool allows the preacher to have a better understanding of what the author was trying to communicate to the biblical readers and shape it to change the lives of the contemporary the society. Developing the exegetical idea allows the preacher to explain the concept that was written two thousand years ago to people of today (Richard, 2001). As a result, people are able to hear and understand the passage and relate it to their day to day lives.
Using the main idea is beneficial to a sermon due to various reasons. Amongst others, it allows for a better understanding of the sermon, allows the preacher to have all the information needed during the sermon, makes the preacher passionate and true to the scriptures, makes the sermon focus on realities of life, and allows the congregation to know and understand God better. Coming up with the big idea of a passage of a sermon needs tools that would allow for correct interpretation of the passage. Examples of these tools as identified by Robinson include choosing what to preach, making notes on the passage, and determination of the exegetical idea and how to develop it. Using the main idea enables the congregation to have a better understanding of the sermon as it allows the preacher to focus on the basic principle of the sermon.
References
Robinson, H. W. (2014). Biblical preaching: The development and delivery of expository messages. Baker Academic.
Lloyd-Jones, D. M. (2012). Preaching and preachers. HarperCollins Christian Publishing.
Pasquarello III, M. (2011). Christian preaching: a Trinitarian theology of proclamation. Wipf and Stock Publishers.
Richard, R. (2001). Preparing Expository Sermons: A Seven-Step Method for Biblical Preaching. Baker Books.
