Tips for Clear Communication - 2. Grab the Big Idea

2. Grab the Big Idea – and don’t let it go
Haddon Robinson has taught a generation of preachers that a sermon should grow from a clear, single sentence summary. The single sentence summary is the product of your hard hours of exegesis, and will summarise the main point of the passage along with its key application. In short, the single sentence becomes the “big idea” of your sermon. Robinson is right – the single sentence summary is a powerful tool. The hard part is putting his principles into practice.

So how do you keep a talk focused on the “big idea”? Simple. Take out anything that isn’t. Most preachers aren’t prepared to prune. An American Presidential Speech Writer was once asked how he wrote such great speeches. “It’s easy,” he said. “First, you write a speech – then you take out all the bits that ain't great.”

If the passage is complex, choose one key idea, and leave the rest for next time. John Chapman says a memorable sermon will cover only 15% of the detail of a passage, a small group Bible study will cover 75%, and a Bible College lecture, 95%. If you’ve passed your 15% mark, maybe it’s time to start trimming.

Again, the quality of the sermon will depend entirely on how hard you’ve worked at distilling the key idea. But once you’ve got it, don’t dilute it. Build your structure around it, and don’t be tempted by side-tracks… they’re fascinating, but a dangerous trap for your listeners.

Ultimately, it’s about self-discipline as you prepare. I confess – I fell in love my first draft, when I should have treated every word and paragraph like the enemy. Prune anything that doesn’t help advance the big idea!