🎙️ Parables of the Bible — Unit 15: Preaching the Parables with WiseSpeak

Orientation

In Unit 1 we said that parables were made to be preached. Jesus did not tell stories to entertain scholars; He told them to farmers, fishermen, tax collectors, and religious leaders, and He expected them to go home changed. Over fourteen units we have studied the prophets' parables and the parables of Jesus. This final unit turns the student into the preacher. It shows how to build a unified, faithful sermon from a parable using WiseSpeak, the preaching method taught at Chapala Theological Seminary.

WiseSpeak was developed by Dr. Wayne Cook and first published in 1993. The full method is taught in the CTS course WiseSpeak: Simple Skills for Preaching, and students who have not taken it are encouraged to do so. This unit reviews the tools of WiseSpeak that matter most for parables, applies them step by step to the parable of the rich fool, and gathers the sermon outlines from this course into WiseSpeak form.

I. The Foundational Materials of a Unified Sermon

WiseSpeak teaches that the foundational materials of a unified sermon are the text, the idea, the probing question, the keyword, the subject, and the objective.

The text is the passage of Scripture being preached. The theme of the text and the theme of the sermon must be the same; otherwise the text becomes only a pretext, a starting point for the preacher's own thoughts. With parables this rule is vital, because it is easy to borrow a vivid story and then preach something it never meant.

The idea is the general topic of the sermon, and it should come from Scripture. It answers the question, "What is the general topic of the text?" Ideas like faith, hope, forgiveness, or stewardship are too broad to preach in one sermon, so they must be narrowed.

The probing question narrows the idea. The preacher joins the idea to one of eight interrogatives: who, which, what, why, when, where, how, and how much. "Who" generally describes people; "which" often describes types or kinds; "what" frequently describes steps, ways, or qualities; "why" describes reasons; "when" describes times; "where" describes places; "how" describes procedures or ways; and "how much" describes quantity. Only one interrogative should be used for each sermon.

The keyword is a plural noun that naturally arises from the probing question and is used to unite the outline. It should be as specific as possible; general words like "things" should be avoided. Only one keyword is used for each sermon. If the probing question is "What are some ways of gaining faith?" the keyword is "ways."

The subject is the keyword with its modifier, and it states exactly what the sermon is about: "ways of gaining faith." Each main division then becomes one singular instance of the keyword, one way of gaining faith.

The objective is the goal of the sermon, stated as an action rather than a belief or feeling: "People will...." It will shape the conclusion and invitation.

Two more tools hold the sermon together. The transition moves the listener from one section to another; the major transition, from the introduction into the body, should state the subject. And the title is the name of the sermon, used to catch attention; it may or may not be the same as the subject.

II. The Marks of a Good Arrangement

WiseSpeak, adapting John A. Broadus, names several marks of a good sermon arrangement. Unity is of prime importance: you are preaching one sermon and not several, and the keyword is the tool that insures it. Order means each part is distinct and clear, and no point is equal to the subject or to another point. Movement means the sermon is going somewhere, with a clear starting point and a clear stopping point; WiseSpeak notes that the strongest point is more likely to be remembered if given first. Proportion means each division receives about the same weight, avoiding the common fault of spending most of the time on the first point. Parallelism means the points are built the same way, using the same phrasing as long as possible and active rather than passive verbs.

WiseSpeak also distinguishes ways of building the outline. In a deductive or topical outline, the preacher begins with the probing question and reasons out the divisions. In an inductive approach, the preacher studies the text first and discovers the idea, probing question, keyword, and subject from what the text itself says. A textual sermon takes its main divisions from the text, while the explanation comes from the preacher. An expository sermon draws both the divisions and their explanations from the text and seeks to explain the passage more fully. Most parable sermons are best built inductively, through what WiseSpeak calls a preaching analysis: going through the text to discover its common concepts and the probing question they answer.

III. Special Cautions for Preaching Parables

Everything we learned in Unit 1 now serves the preacher. Read the setting, because the audience often holds the key, as the grumbling Pharisees of Luke 15 did. Identify the main characters, since a parable usually makes one main point for each. Listen for the surprise and watch the ending, where the weight of the story falls. Let Scripture interpret Scripture, especially Jesus' own explanations and Old Testament echoes. Avoid the three common errors: over-allegorizing every detail, moralizing the story into good advice without the gospel, and ignoring the original audience. Finally, let the parable's own movement shape the outline whenever possible. Many of the outlines in this course simply follow the story: the sharecroppers, the servants, the son, and the settlement.

Illustrations should serve the text rather than replace it. A parable already is an illustration. The preacher's task is to explain it, apply it, and help listeners see themselves in it, not to bury Jesus' story under many stories of our own.

IV. A Worked Example: The Rich Fool (Luke 12:13–21)

Step 1: The text and its setting. A man in the crowd said, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me" (12:13). Jesus refused to act as a judge between them and instead warned, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses" (12:15). Then He told a parable. "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully" (12:16). The man reasoned with himself: "What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?... I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry'" (12:17–19). But God said to him, "Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?" (12:20). Jesus concluded, "So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God" (12:21).

Step 2: A preaching analysis. Reading inductively, we notice several concepts. The man's speech is filled with "I" and "my": my crops, my barns, my goods, my soul. He talks only to himself; the only other voice in the story is God's. He never mentions God as the giver of the harvest. He makes long-range plans without asking God. He thinks only of storing, never of sharing, though Jesus goes on to say, "Sell what you have and give alms" (12:33). And he counts on "many years" when he has only "this night." Wayne Cook's own sermon notes on this passage summarize it this way: the rich man remembered himself and the world, but forgot to thank God, forgot to ask God, forgot his neighbors, and forgot the time.

Step 3: Idea, probing question, keyword, and subject. The idea is covetousness, or riches without God. The probing question, using the interrogative "what," is: "What did the rich man forget that made him a fool?" The keyword must be a plural noun, and "things" would be too general, so we choose oversights. The subject is "oversights that made a rich man a fool."

Step 4: Parallel divisions. Each division is one oversight, stated in parallel, active form:

I. He forgot to thank God (12:16–17). The ground produced the crop; the man called it "my crops." Like the nine lepers who were healed and never returned to give thanks (Luke 17:17), he received God's gifts and never looked up.

II. He forgot to consult God (12:18). He made all his plans alone. James warns those who say "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city... and make a profit," and tells us instead to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that" (James 4:13–15). Lot chose the well-watered plain toward Sodom by sight, and it cost him dearly (Genesis 13:10–13).

III. He forgot to help his neighbor (12:18–19). His only answer to abundance was bigger barns. He never imagined that God had given him more so that he could share more.

IV. He forgot to count his days (12:19–20). He planned for "many years," but God said "this night." "So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12).

Step 5: Check the marks. Unity: every point is an oversight of the rich fool. Order: each point is distinct, and none equals the subject. Parallelism: each division begins "He forgot to," in active voice. Proportion: each point should receive about equal time. Movement: WiseSpeak counsels that the strongest point is best remembered when placed first. A preacher could therefore begin with "He forgot to count his days," or keep the text's order, which builds naturally to God's verdict in verse 20. Either choice should be deliberate.

Step 6: Transition, objective, title, and conclusion. The transition from the introduction into the body states the subject: "Let us examine four oversights that made this rich man a fool." The objective is an action: "People will set aside a specific gift this week for God's work or for a neighbor in need, as a first step toward being rich toward God." A title might be "Rich Man, Poor Soul." The conclusion returns to verse 21 and to Jesus' words a few verses later: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (12:34). The invitation calls hearers to become rich toward God through Christ and to show it in thanksgiving, dependence, generosity, and readiness.

One caution about illustrations. Wayne's notes for this sermon mention the old story of a shepherd who breaks a wandering lamb's leg to keep it close. That story is widely told but not supported by what shepherds actually do, so it should not be used. Choose illustrations that are true and that serve the point.

V. The Course Outlines in WiseSpeak Form

Many sermon outlines in this course can now be seen as WiseSpeak outlines. The Sower (Unit 7): probing question, "What responses do people give to God's word?"; keyword, responses; divisions: refusing to hear, a shallow response, a divided heart, a fruitful heart. The Potter's House (Unit 3): "Which pictures of the clay show God's work in us?"; keyword, pictures; divisions: the flawed clay, the discarded clay, the reshaped clay. The Ewe Lamb (Unit 5): "What steps did David take back to God?"; keyword, steps; divisions: he was confronted, he acknowledged his sin, he was sorry, he turned. Hosea (Unit 6): "Which kinds of forgiveness does God show?"; keyword, kinds; divisions: the unforgivable forgiveness of Israel, of us, and of others. The Unforgiving Servant (Unit 10): "What problems does an unforgiving spirit cause?"; keyword, problems; divisions: it keeps us from praying, from receiving mercy, and from having peace. The Good Samaritan (Unit 12): "Which philosophies of life appear on the Jericho road?"; keyword, philosophies; divisions: the robbers', the religious', and the Redeemer's. The Laborers (Unit 11): "What lessons does the vineyard owner teach?"; keyword, lessons; divisions: trust God's generosity, beware of watching other workers, expect surprises at the judgment.

Notice how each keyword unites its sermon. The listener always knows where the preacher is going, because every division is one more response, one more picture, one more step, or one more lesson.

VI. Your Assignment

Choose one parable from this course that you have not yet preached. Complete a preaching analysis of the text. Then write out its idea, probing question, keyword, and subject; three or four parallel divisions with verse references; a transition sentence that states the subject; an objective beginning "People will..."; a title; and a brief plan for the conclusion and invitation. Check your outline against the marks of unity, order, movement, proportion, and parallelism, and against the special cautions for parables. Then preach it.

Closing

Jesus ended His collection of kingdom parables by describing the teacher of the kingdom as "a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old" (Matthew 13:52). That is the calling of every preacher of the parables: to bring out the old treasures of Scripture and set them before new hearers in every generation. A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning, and it is also a mirror. The pastor who has let the parables read him first will be ready to preach them faithfully to others. "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

— Dr. Wayne Cook
Chapala Theological Seminary

Submit Exam & Check Pass Reset