A topical sermon is a sermon that focuses on a well-defined subject. According to James BRAGA:

“A topical sermon is one in which the main divisions originate from the subject itself, independently of the biblical text.“

This means that its main divisions can draw from multiple other biblical texts beyond the one initially chosen as the starting point. The main divisions are not invented; they are derived from the subject itself. The subject determines the structure to follow. This does not necessarily mean that in a topical sermon, the subject must always be chosen from a biblical text.

However, it is advisable to choose a biblical subject to avoid turning the sermon into a mere speech with no relevance to our faith.

Examples of possible subjects include: the principles of the Christian faith, conditions for a successful marriage, keys to answered prayer, signs of the fear of God, the description of true love, obtaining divine healing, the marks or signs of a sanctified Christian, the sorrow that leads to salvation, trials that come from the Lord, sources of divine blessings, the positivity of the cross, Christian commitment, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the characteristics of a true Christian, and the virtues of a good Christian.

A) Some Guidelines for Structuring a Topical Sermon.

1. The different parts of the outline can be arranged chronologically or logically.

Example: Suppose we are preaching on the essential truths about the Holy Spirit.

Title: Worthy of Worship
Subject: Essential Truths About the Holy Spirit
Outline:
I. The Holy Spirit is a person (John 16:13-15)
II. The Holy Spirit is power (Acts 1:8)
III. The Holy Spirit is God (Genesis 1:2, Matthew 28:19)

Title: The Spirit of Christ
Subject: Characteristics of the Spirit of Christ
Outline:
I. He is full of compassion (Matthew 9:36)
II. He is gentle and humble (Matthew 11:29)
III. He is patient (Luke 9:55-56)
IV. He is full of love (Ephesians 5:2)
V. He is divine (Isaiah 11:2)

Note: As observed, the order followed is chronological, creating an ascending logical progression.

2. The different parts of the subject can be analyzed.

Title: The Life of Jesus
Subject: The Essentials of Jesus’ Life
Outline:
I. He existed from the beginning (Genesis 1:26)
II. He was born (Luke 1:31)
III. He lived among us (John 1:14)
IV. He died (Mark 15:37)
V. He rose again (Mark 16:9)

3. The different parts of the subject can be attributes of the theme or a portion of it.

Title: The Power of God’s Word
Subject: Characteristics of God’s Word
Outline:
I. The Word of God is living (Hebrews 4:12)
II. The Word of God is powerful (Hebrews 4:12)
III. The Word of God is a hammer (Jeremiah 23:29)
IV. The Word of God is a fire (Jeremiah 23:29)

4. The main divisions or different parts can be scriptural analogies.

Example 1

Text: Matthew 5:14-16
Title: Christian Testimony
Subject: An Analogy Between Light and a Christian’s Testimony
Outline:
I. Like light, a Christian’s testimony must shine (Matthew 5:14-15)
II. Like light, a Christian’s testimony must be visible (Matthew 5:15)
III. Like light, a Christian’s testimony must spread (Matthew 5:14)
IV. Just as light dispels darkness, a Christian’s testimony reveals new things (Ephesians 5:8-9)

Example 2

Text: Exodus 12:1-13
Title: The Deliverance of the Lord God
Subject: An Analogy Between the Blood of Jesus Christ and God’s Deliverance
Outline:
I. Through the blood of Jesus Christ, God heals the sick (Acts 3:6)
II. Through the blood of Jesus Christ, God delivers from bondage (Exodus 12:13)
III. Through the blood of Jesus Christ, God breaks all the chains of Satan (Hebrews 2:14)
IV. Through the blood of Jesus Christ, God grants eternal life (John 3:36)
V. Just as God made a sacrifice to deliver His people, He sacrificed His Son, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 9:11-12)

Example 3

Title: The Effectiveness of a Believer’s Testimony
Subject: An Analogy Between Salt and a Believer’s Testimony
Outline:
I. Like salt, a Christian’s testimony must not lose its flavor (Matthew 5:13)
II. Like salt, a Christian’s testimony should sanctify God (1 Thessalonians 4:4)
III. Like salt, a Christian’s testimony should season the world (Colossians 4:6)
IV. Like salt, a Christian’s testimony should glorify God and create a thirst for Him (1 Peter 2:12)

Example 4

Title: The Christian, a True Evangelist
Subject: An Analogy Between Salt and a Christian Evangelist
Outline:
I. Like salt, a true Christian evangelist should be welcoming through their words (Proverbs 15:1-4)
II. Like salt makes food accessible, a true Christian evangelist should be approachable (Romans 15:1-7)
III. Like salt makes food interesting, a true Christian evangelist should live an engaging life (Ephesians 4:29-32)

Example 5

Title: The Duties of a Christian
Subject: An Analogy Between a Disciple and a Christian’s Duties
Outline:
I. Like a disciple, a Christian must obey their Master (Ephesians 6:5, Hebrews 13:17)
II. Like a disciple, a Christian must love their neighbor (Hebrews 13:1, 1 Corinthians 13:1-4, 1 Corinthians 14:1-2)
III. Like a disciple, a Christian must submit to their parents (Ephesians 6:1)
IV. Like a disciple, a Christian must remain firm in faith (1 Corinthians 15:58)
V. Like a disciple, a Christian must seek peace (Hebrews 12:14a)
VI. Like a disciple, a Christian must pray without ceasing.
VII. Like a disciple, a Christian must be content with what they have.

(…)

Example 22

Title: The True Disciple
Subject: An Analogy Between Christ’s Life and a Disciple’s Life
Outline:
I. Just as Christ was faithful to His Father until death, so must His disciple be (John 17:4)
II. Like Christ, a true disciple must be a model of humility (Luke 9:48, Matthew 18:4, Mark 9:35)
III. Like Christ, a true disciple must show love to all (John 15:12-13)
IV. Like Christ, a disciple must preach the Word of God everywhere and at all times (Mark 1:38-39)
V. Like Christ, a true disciple must not fear persecution (John 16:1-3, John 15:18-20)

Remarks:

1. The title and the subject may sometimes overlap.
2. The subject is generally a part of the title.
3. A title can have multiple subjects.
4. A title may be preached over multiple sessions or Sundays.

Exercise: Find the corresponding texts for examples 3 to 22…

This text is an excerpt from the book “THE PREACHER AND PREACHING“ written by Dr. Eric ADEROMOU.

We invite you to read the following article: “THE TEXTUAL SERMON“.