The Frame Around the Body
By this stage the body of the sermon stands. The main idea has been stated, the points have been drawn from the text, and each point has been explained, illustrated, and applied. What remains is the frame: how the sermon begins, how it moves from point to point, how it ends, what it is called, and how it calls the hearers to respond. Vines and Shaddix call this stage building the sermon.
These parts are not ornaments. They decide whether people follow the message at all, whether they remember its main idea, and whether they leave knowing what God has asked of them. A strong body with a weak introduction may never be heard, and a strong body with no conclusion may never be obeyed.
A Sermon from the Book of Acts
The first sermon of the church age shows every part of the frame. Peter's message at Pentecost has an introduction that begins with what the crowd had just seen and moves straight into the text (Acts 2:14–16). It has a body that explains Joel and the Psalms and proclaims Christ crucified, risen, and exalted. It has a conclusion that gathers everything into one sentence: Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). And it has an invitation.
“Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the LORD our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”ACTS 2:37–41 · KJV
Most preachers find it best to finish the body first, then write the conclusion, and write the introduction last. You cannot introduce a message you have not yet built, and you cannot land a sermon unless you know where it is going.
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For Deeper Study
- Power in the Pulpit: How to Prepare and Deliver Expository SermonsAmazon Jerry Vines and Jim ShaddixThe guide this series follows; it treats introductions, conclusions, and the invitation, and includes a Sermon Summary Sheet.
- A Practical Guide to Sermon PreparationAmazon Jerry VinesVines's earlier manual on preparation, later combined with his guide to delivery to form Power in the Pulpit.
- The Effective Invitation: A Practical Guide for the PastorAmazon R. Alan StreettA biblical and historical case for the public invitation, with practical counsel for giving it.
- Giving a Good InvitationAmazon Roy J. FishA brief, practical guide from a longtime Southern Baptist teacher of evangelism.
- The Gospel Invitation: Why Publicly Inviting People to Receive Christ Still MattersAmazon O. S. Hawkins and Matt QueenTwo Southern Baptist leaders make the case for the invitation today.
- Biblical PreachingAmazon Haddon W. RobinsonClassic counsel on shaping a sermon for listeners, including strong transitions; Robinson was a broadly evangelical teacher of preaching.
- Foxe's Book of MartyrsAmazon John FoxeThe classic Protestant record of those who died for the faith, from the early church to the English Reformation.
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Explanation, Illustration, and Application
Each point drawn from the text matures into preaching as it is explained so the hearer understands it, illustrated faithfully with Scripture first, and applied specifically and personally, with application always flowing from the meaning of the text.
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