How to Use the “Four Questions” to Study the Bible and Make Sermon Outlines

Question One —What is the Historical-Literary background necessary to understand this passage?

• Explain the necessary background of the biblical themes in this passage ie. How does the Bible previously develop themes such as Rest, Judgement, Forgiveness, etc?

• Mention any details from the local context as well as from the Bible’s history timeline. Ie. What happened in the last chapter that sets up events in this chapter?

• Everything you say here should have the purpose of setting up the understanding of the observations you are about to make, serving as an introduction.

Question Two— What Observations about God can we determine?—make observations about God’s attributes, plans, desires, character, etc.

• • Make your assertion—say in your own words what you observed about God from the text.  Learn to read the text and discern what the main message is.  You could make endless observations in the details, but what you want to do is discern is the main theme of the passage and how does it relate to revealing God.
  • Explain your assertion from the text—give the verses in this passage and explain.
  • Show how the Bible has developed and collaborates your observation—The bible develops its own theology, no true observation is without other scriptures developing it, so show us how God has communicated this truth about Himself from the beginning.  Leave the reader on the edge of his seat to see the climax of this observation. Stop just before the cross to allow your next question to be the big reveal.

1. Step One

   • Determine the main idea of the passage. Summarize briefly.

   Step Two

   • Find the verse or two that best captures the main idea of the passage

   Step Three

   • Ask, “what is God’s motive behind the main idea of the passage?”
   • • Are there any commands that can infer God’s motive or character?
     • Are there repeated words that reveal a theme that infers God’s motive or character? (We use the methods taught in “Grasping God’s Word”)

   Step Four

   • Ask, How does scripture show me that this is indeed God’s motive/character? (Why is this God’s motive?)
   • Find clues in the immediate passage.
   • Find clues in connecting passages—connecting passages share themes, allusions, or quotes.

Question Three—How is this passage fulfilled in Jesus and the Gospel?

• • All of your points under Question Two should be finished here. 

• • If you leave something up there but don’t address it here, it isn’t finished.

• • Everything in the Bible points to Jesus in three major ways:

• • • • • • Themes—Laws, Love, Anger, Justice, Peace, Righteousness, Death, Sin, Mercy, etc.
          • Roles—Priest, King, Prophet, eschatological figures, Joseph, Joshua, etc.
          • Rituals—washings, sacrifices, temple, holy days,  Sabbaths, baptism, circumcision, etc.

Present the Gospel through the theme, role, or ritual being presented in the passage.

Tie the loose ends up you left in question two and show how the Jesus and Gospel fulfill all the mysteries of God. Use language that reflects the high point of the story.

Step One

• Introduce the problem of sin, “How does sin complicate us from partaking in God’s will?”
  • “God wants this and thus for us, but sin has destroyed, corrupted, and cursed.

Step Two

• Ask, how Does God complete or fulfill his motive/character/will?
• Even though sin has corrupted us beyond repair, what has Christ done for us?

• Use the answers from step 4 in question two
• Ex. “How does God complete His will for a holy people unto Himself?.”
• Ex. “How does God reveal His righteousness and goodness?”

 Step Three 

• Answer the questions with the Gospel

• Ex. “God became the “first human” of the new humanity which he died and rose again for.
• Ex. “God’s ultimate goodness is shown through His suffering and generous love on the cross for sinners who deserved judgment.”

Question Four—How do I apply this to my life?

• • Take a minute to think of something very specific that you can do to obey/apply the truths presented in your passage. 
  • What will you change?  What will you do? Who will you speak to? What will you give?
  • Make a plan to obey the call of the Gospel either in trusting where you haven’t before or to respond in a way you haven’t before.
  • There can be a dozen applications, but choose a specific one to write down so that it will be an example for others.