The Most Important Part of Your Sermon

“The entire sermon is important!” I know some of you had that instinctual reaction to the title of this article. I agree. The entire sermon is important. Each part is connected to the others and is a part of a greater whole. I am on board with you. But I want to argue that one part of the sermon is more important than the others.

A good joke has several parts, but if not told correctly, will not have its intended affect. It’s not the punchline that makes a joke good, but the setup. If you botch the setup, the punchline will fall flat. Likewise, in a sermon, the most important part of the message is not necessarily the gut-punching gospel truth you are sharing, but the introduction of the sermon that leads to it. Of course I believe the gospel is what has the power to save, not the introduction; however, if your listeners jumped off the train before you arrived at the station, it will be of no reward that the station is beautiful. It is precisely because I believe the gospel is the all-satisfying truth that Jesus is Lord and saves sinners by His grace that I want to insure we actually carry our listeners to it.

I had a seminary professor once say, “You have to begin in Nashville before you head to Jerusalem.” His point was that if you do not meet listeners where they are and engage them where they live, you will have a hard time getting them to the truths of the Bible, and more particularly, to the relevance of the cross of Christ for their lives. The introduction of the message is what helps listeners know where you are going and whether or not they want to go with you. In this regard, the first five minutes of your message may be the most important of all of them. In light of that, I want to give you two areas to focus on as you prepare and deliver your sermons. Read More