4

 Pray for your own ministers that they bring God’s message (not their
Step 8: Identify the TEACHING own thoughts) each Sunday when they preach
Key Points (about the Subject) What does the text say about this subject – Step 12 – Get a RESPONSE
preaching?
We can see how God’s sovereignty works out in preaching…. Exegeting Acts 15 v.7b
when we consider:
God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips
 The preacher (Peter chosen from “among you”) the message of the gospel and believe.
 The audience (“the Gentiles”)
Step 1 – PRAY
 The method (“hearing from my lips”) Ask GOD to SPEAK to you first (with a personal message for you!)
 The message (“the message of the gospel”) and then ask Him to guide you as you study this passage
in order to expound it to others
 The outcome (“believe”) Step 2 – Note the GENRE
Acknowledgements are due to J.A.Motyer whose Preface to Haddon Robinson‘s “Expository Preaching“
provided the inspiration for the lay-out of Frame 14 Do we know who wrote the book in which this passage occurs?
Luke who was both a doctor and a historian
Step 9 – Check for CONSISTENCY (Biblically Sound?)
What kind of writing (Genre) is the author using here?
Is your interpretation of the passage so far in agreement with the rest of He was writing an account of what happened from the time Jesus
Scripture? ascended into heaven to Paul’s imprisonment in Rome
Refer to Commentaries In this passage he is reporting an explanatory speech by Peter
Check a doubtful point with a Concordance
(or with the NIV Thematic Study Bible Index) Step 3 – List the IDEAS
Step 10 – Expose the HEART-BEAT God made a choice among you
that the Gentiles might hear
What is the original core message (the heart-beat) of the text? from my lips
the message of the gospel
God has chosen preaching as an effective way of bringing
and believe
his truth to the world
Step 11 – Apply the LESSON Step 4 – Observe the STRUCTURE
 Without preachers who preach God’s own message (not their own) Re-arrange the lay-out of the verse to show its structure by
people will not be able to hear and respond to the Gospel indenting the text
Underline the actions
 So pray for more God-chosen preachers (not simply man-appointed) to
answer the call to the Ministry of the Gospel (1st Draft)
God made a choice among you
 that the Gentiles might hear of the gospel
from my lips and believe.
the message of the gospel Who is doing what?
and believe God makes a choice of a messenger
2 The Gentiles hear the gospel and respond
3
(Better version?) Step 6 – Check the CONTEXT
God made a choice among you
When they arrived in Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas were welcomed by the
that the Gentiles might hear from my lips
whole church, including the apostles and elders. They reported on what
the message
God had been doing through their ministry.
of the gospel
But then some of the men who had been Pharisees before their conversion
and [might] believe.
stood up and declared that all Gentile converts must be circumcised and be
required to follow the law of Moses.
Note:
Relationship between “hear” and “believe” (Conjunction “and” is So the Apostles and church elders got together to decide this question.
consequential (links cause with effect) At the meeting, after a long discussion, Peter stood and addressed them as
Toggle (inter-change) structure of “from my lips” and follows: “Brothers, you all know that God chose me from among you
“the message” some time ago to preach to the Gentiles so that they could hear the
Step 5 – Analyse the CONTENT Good News and believe.
God, who knows people’s hearts, confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by
Ask QUESTIONS (Kipling‘s “six serving men“) giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he gave him to us.
He made no distinction between us and them, for he also cleansed their
Analysis: hearts through faith.
Who was involved in this activity? – “God” Why are you now questioning God’s way by burdening the Gentile
– “you” believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear?
– “the Gentiles” We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the special favor of the
From where did God make a choice? – “among you” Lord Jesus.”
How did the Gentiles hear? – “from my lips” There was no further discussion (Acts 15:4-12- NLT)
What did they hear? – “the message of the gospel” Situation (Context before the passage) What has been happening before-
When did they believe? – after they heard this message? hand?
Peter is speaking to the Council of Jerusalem about whether Gentiles
Note the ACTION need to undergo the rite of circumcision to be accepted as true believers
God made a choice among you Situation (Context after the passage) What follows on afterwards?
that the Gentiles Peter asks the former Pharisees why they want to question God’s way
might hear from my lips of doing things by burdening the Gentile believers with requirements
the message that even they themselves could not bear
 END OF STORY! – No further discussion!

Step 7 – Decide the over-all SUBJECT