UNION BIBLICAL SEMINARY

BIBWEWADI

WORSHIP AND PREACHING

Topic:
Tools for the Sermon Preparation

Submitted To:
Dr. Saju Y

Submitted By:
Mebanker, Elizabeth, Majungla, Vinoka, and Souradip Nath

Submitted On:
15.02.2023
 I. INTRODUCTION
In every worship meeting, the participants come with an expectation to take away something
with them that has directly come from God. And often times the medium for this message to
be communicated is the sermon. Therefore, the preacher carries a lot of expectation on their
shoulders to deliver a “good” sermon. The essential characteristic feature that distinguishes
between a good sermon and a speech is the presence of the inspiration of God. And for one to
deliver a sermon, it is an absolute necessity to prepare in advance. This process of preparation
is necessary for the message of God to reach maximum number of people and thus, be a
blessing. One must, then, keep a few things in mind while preparing for the sermon. The
objective of this paper is to explore those elements briefly.

II. CONCORDANCE
1. WHAT IS A CONCORDANCE?
The term is derived from the Latin plural " Concordantiae".A reference book to the bible
which is especially an alphabetically arranged word list or a book of reference indicating and
usually quoting in part all the passages of scripture in which a given word is found. The most
famous English concordance is that compiled in 1737 by A. Cruden, which in its later editions
is extremely detailed and complete.

2. WHY USE A CONCORDANCE?

● Concordance is a helpful tool when doing a word study using an exhaustive
concordance, you can locate every occurrence of the word in the Bible and again helpful
insight into what it means.
● A concordance is helpful in learning the definitions of Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic
words.
● A concordance is helpful when trying to locate a Bible verse, but you can't remember
the chapter and verse.

III. WHAT IS A BIBE COMMENTARY?

Bible commentaries contain observations and interpretations surrounding a biblical text,
typically organized according to the text’s sequential flow. Many times, commentaries cover a
single book of the Bible, but sometimes they focus on a particular section (e.g., the Sermon on
the Mount) or they include several books of the same genre (e.g., the Minor Prophets).

Most commentaries open with an introduction, which discusses who wrote the book and when,
the historical background, the intended audience, and how that book fits into the main storyline
and themes of the whole Bible. The introduction typically also highlights the structure and
major themes of the book.
From there, most commentaries move through the book verse by verse or section by section,
discussing important insights in the text. Discussion within a commentary can focus on
scholarly analysis, lay-level exposition, application, or anywhere in between.

A Bible commentary is no substitute for the Bible itself, but here are three ways they can aid
us in our time studying the Word or as a tool for sermons:
-It helps us discover new information.
-It helps us fill knowledge gaps.
-It helps us avoid interpreting errors.

1. TYPES OF COMMENTARIES
Commentaries come in all different kinds, from highly technical analyses of Greek and Hebrew
to devotional guides. Most can be classified as critical, exegetical, expositional, or application
commentary.

i) Critical commentary or technical commentary delves into the Bible’s original languages and
offers a scholarly perspective on Scripture. They dig into textual criticism and other academic
research methods and are often theologically neutral or agnostic—they don’t argue for a certain
interpretation.

ii) Exegetical commentary bridges the gap between critical and expositional commentaries.
Typically, these go verse by verse through a passage and are selective about what critical issues
they engage with and which original language observations they include. They typically
venture from observation to interpretation, often with a clear theological position.

iii) Expositional commentary, also called pastoral commentary, is primarily focused on

teaching and preaching the biblical text. Often, expositional commentaries like the Pulpit
Commentary Series are taken from real sermons and referred to other commentaries for further
research.

iv) Application commentaries, also called “devotional” or “popular” commentaries, offer

biblical insight that doesn’t require years of theological training. These commentaries are
designed to help lay people take their Bible study to a new depth.
 IV. KNOWLEDGE OF THE BIBLICAL WORLD AND THE
CONTEMPORARY WORLD

In the Bible, “knowledge” refers to examples, truths, and commands that God wants us to
know, believe and heed. Remember the Garden of Eden? Lots of wonderful trees, but God said
one was completely off-limits to Adam and Eve. God called it the Tree of the Knowledge of
Good and Evil (Genesis 2:9; Genesis 2:17).“Good” knowledge is what God wants us to know,
believe, and heed. “Evil” knowledge is what Satan wants us to know, believe, and heed. It
didn’t start with Eve’s first bite. Instead, it started with everything the Serpent said— that Eve
decided to believe.

Biblically, knowledge is not morally and ethically neutral. It’s either “good” or “evil.” That’s
why the Apostle Paul says, “I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what
is evil” (Romans 16:19). Knowledge is not harmless. The Devil’s so-called knowledge is
designed to kill, steal, and destroy us (John 10:10). No wonder he loves to tell a truth, a half-
truth, and a lie. Never fall for that trick. It’s as old as the Garden and often just as deadly. That’s
why it’s so important to put on the armour of God (Ephesians 6:11-17).“Good” knowledge
isn’t for a secret few. Instead, “God our Saviour...wants all people to be saved and to come to
a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy2:3-4). Therefore, “if someone asks about your hope as a
believer, always be ready to explain it” (1 Peter 3:15."Good” knowledge isn’t learned by
osmosis. That’s why Proverbs 22:6 tells us, “Direct your children onto the right path, and when
they are older, they will not leave it.” The latter isn’t a promise, but it is the likely outcome of
doing the former. Real knowledge isn’t enough. Ask God to also give you discernment, insight,
understanding, and wisdom. Each is an important step in the right direction. That’s why
thinking long and hard (meditating) on God’s Word can pay big dividends (Psalm 1; Psalm 19;
Psalm 119). Ultimately, however, God’s ways are incredibly higher than we can think or
imagine (Isaiah 55:9).