Sermon Content

SERMON CONTENT is what expands and explains your sermon outline. It also involves an introduction and a conclusion.


How To Write Sermon Content

You write sermon content after you have constructed your sermon outline.

Your sermon content expands and explains your sermon outline but also it will involve an introduction and a conclusion.

Your introduction introduces the main preaching point or the sermon big idea. Your conclusion sums up the main preaching point and brings it to a conclusion.

1. Writing A Sermon Outline

You will use the following sermon outline in order to add sermon content to your sermon outline.

There are three reasons why Paul praised God for the gospel message. They are:

  1. Paul praised God for the impact of the gospel (1 Thess. 1:3)

    1. It produced a work of faith (1:3a)
    2. It produced a labor of love (1:3b)
    3. It inspired an endurance of hope (1:3c)

  2. Paul praised God for the power of the gospel (1 Thess. 1:4-5)

    1. The elective work of God (1:4)
    2. The message itself (1:5a)
    3. The messenger himself (1:5b)

  3. Paul praised God for the potential of the gospel (1 Thess. 1:6-7)

    1. They became imitators (1:6)
    2. They became examples (1:7)

2. Writing Content To Sermon Introduction

Sermon Introduction to Praising God For The Gospel Message (1 Thessalonians 1:1-7).

William Barclay in his commentary on the Gospel of Mark shared a story about a Japanese criminal called Tockichi Ishii. Now, Tockichi Ishii was a brutal and callous murderer. In the course of time, he was captured and imprisoned. While he was in prison, two Canadian ladies had the opportunity to visit him. However, he totally refused to speak to them. Anyhow, when they left, they left with him a copy of the Bible in the faint hope that he might read it. Well, he read it, and the gospel message changed his life.

However, the story didn’t finish there. William Barclay went on to say that when the jailer came to lead the doomed man to the gallows, he found not the surly, hardened brute he expected, but a smiling, radiant man, for Ishii, the murderer, had become a Christian. What changed this man?

What changed the heart of this brutal murder? Well, it was a supernatural work of God. To be more specific, it was the gospel message—the message of the cross. The apostle Paul put it this way when he wrote the following. “The message of the cross is the power of God to those who are being saved” (1 Corinthians1:18). For Ishii, the Holy Spirit revealed to him the gospel message and convicted him of his sin and his need to turn from his sin to faith in Jesus Christ. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation. And it was the gospel that changed Ishii’s life.

You know, it is the gospel that can take a drug addict bound by heroin and set him free. It is the gospel that can take a drunkard addicted to alcohol and release him from that addiction. It is the gospel that can convict and convince seemingly good people that they need the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the gospel that can reach into a man’s heart (whatever the circumstances) and change him forever.

Yes, the gospel message is the power of God unto salvation. The psalmist said, “I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works” (Ps 9:1).

The apostle Paul praised God for the gospel message. “We give thanks to God,” Paul said. Paul’s heart was overwhelmed with gratitude. He was excited at the work of the gospel message in the lives of the Thessalonians.

Why was Paul excited? Why was Paul praising God for the gospel message? Well, there are three reasons why Paul was praising God for the gospel message.

As you can see the introduction introduces the main preaching point, which is Praising God For The Gospel Message.

3. Writing Content To Sermon Outline

You will need to put sermon content to the first sub-point and its incidental sub-points. Let’s put sermon content to the first sub-point and the first incidental sub-point in the sermon Praising God For The Gospel Message (1 Thessalonians 1:1-7).

The first reason why Paul praised God for the gospel message was because of the impact of the gospel especially in the lives of the Thessalonians.

It was the gospel message that changed their lives. Paul preached three times in Thessalonica and the impact of the gospel message was so great that a church was born (Acts 17:1ff).

May we never forget that the gospel message is the power of God unto salvation! God has called us to share this life-transforming message. Ok, some may ridicule us, but many will listen and be saved. This was evident in Thessalonica. Many listened and many were saved.

By the way, the gospel message had a three-fold impact in Thessalonica. First, it produced a work of faith. The Thessalonians were gripped by idolatry. When Paul preached the gospel message, they listened and they repented of their sins. Of course, this set them free from idolatry. What a change in the lives of Thessalonians!

We need this work of faith today. Times have not changed. People are still gripped by idolatry although it may be in different forms. People still need to hear the gospel message.

As you can see, adding sermon content is quite enjoyable when you have a clear constructed sermon outline.

4. Writing Content To Sermon Conclusion

The sermon conclusion MUST sum up the preaching point and bring it to a close with a challenge.

We have seen the impact, the power, and the potential of the gospel message in the lives of the Thessalonians.

The question is: will you allow the gospel message to impact your life? Will you allow the gospel message to empower you to share it with others who need to hear? The potential of the gospel message will only be seen in your life when you live out the gospel message. People will see that you belong to Jesus Christ.



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