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There are two categories of texts that are very hard to preach.
They are close to impossible to even read beyond a superficial level.
The first category of texts that are very difficult to read are those that you have read so often, you think you already know what it is about.
The second category of texts are those from obscure portions of scripture that you don’t often read.
You know these texts are the ones where you barely know who wrote the book and you have very little idea of the historical context of the text.
Both of these kinds of texts provide great challenges. The first seduces you into believing you don’t really need to exegete the text. You think you already know all you need to know. So you want to ignore or greatly reduce the section of the preparation process where you allow the historical context to speak.
The second seduces you into believing you don’t know anything at all about the text so you must immediately go to the commentaries and experts. You ignore that part of the process where you sit down with the text and wait on the Lord to speak to you.
Both parts (listening to commentaries for help and listening to God alone) are important in the sermon preparation process.
Ignoring any part can be problematic…
This is why in Wave 1 of my exegesis program, you go to the scripture alone and write down everything that you know about the text.
What can you get from reading the text alone?
Yes…Sometimes you will know more than other times.
And Yes…Sometimes you will write down more things that are just plain wrong when you get to the deeper exegesis.
BUT…
What you will do is capture your a creative view of the scripture. You will capture your interaction with the scripture as if you were a child.
You will capture it…
Now after capturing it…you have to see which parts of your child-like interaction with the text are valuable and which are not but looking deeper in waves 2, and 3…
But always…always go through the full process. It may not always take the exact same amount of time. But always go through the process.
Check out my four waves exegesis method if you need a full process method at https://gumroad.com/products/okfy
See you tomorrow
Brother Sherman
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