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By IFL Staff

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Here’s something that might shock you: Pastor Chuck Swindoll doesn’t think your listeners owe you their attention—even on Sunday morning.

The best way to earn their ears is through your introduction.

But writing an effective introduction is probably the most difficult part of writing a sermon. It requires you to be sharp and creative because your introduction is your best chance to convince your listeners that what you have to say is worth hearing.

So in this article, we want to look at a model introduction from Chuck Swindoll. That way, you can see why he does what he does and what makes it effective. Then you’ll walk away with some tools you can implement in your own preaching practice.

Humility: The Trait Behind a Great Introduction

But before we read his opening, we want to touch on a character trait that’s required for writing a great introduction. And that’s humility.

Now, most of us don’t connect humility with great sermon introductions. But here’s what we mean. As you’re preparing a sermon for Sunday morning worship, you have a huge advantage because your people are gathered together in the presence of God, and they want to hear what you have to say from God’s Word. You’ve already got their attention. You’ve already broken through the wall of skepticism. You’ve already gained their trust.

Yet, because of the whole spirit of worship, the temptation is to take their attention, their trust, for granted. The temptation is to assume they’ll hang on to your every word no matter what you say, so you can just throw an introduction together quickly toward the end of your prep because that hole is the last part that needs to be filled.

Of course, life happens. Sometimes, you just have to do that. But it’s not a good habit to form. Instead, it’s better to embrace humility. It takes humility to step behind the pulpit week after week after week after week—and to win your people’s trust and respect and attention every single time.

As we’ve worked with Chuck and spent time in his sermons, humility is one of his traits that stands out as one that makes him an effective preacher. Here’s why.

For every sermon Chuck preached, he did not take it for granted that his listeners wanted to hear from him. When he put together his introductions, one of his goals was to capture the audience so that they could give their hearts and minds to what God has to say through His Word.

Chuck’s Opening: Wrong Way Riegels

With that being said, here’s a sermon opening from him. It’s not the full introduction. For now, it’s just the opening. It’s from his sermon called “The Cross We Proclaim,” and it’s on 1 Corinthians 1:18–2:5. In that passage, Paul is teaching on the cross of Christ and how it should shape our ministries and values:

Few things are more demoralizing than realizing you’ve been helping the wrong side. And that demoralization is intensified when you didn’t even know it.

Sports fans the world over will remember the name Roy Riegels, especially football fans. Way back when the Rose Bowl was being played, Roy Riegels was a ball player for the California Golden Bears. And they were playing Georgia Tech. And right in the middle of the game at a crucial point, there was a fumble, and Roy Riegels, a player for the Bears, picked up the ball, and he only had 30 yards to run for the touchdown. Seemed simple enough; however, Roy ran almost 70 yards in the wrong direction.

Now, what you may not remember is that one of his teammates, Benny Lom, realized it, even though four other players were blocking for him. They were also confused. And Benny is running along, hoping to tackle him before he goes across the wrong goal line, at which time Roy yells out, “GET AWAY FROM ME. This is my touchdown,” thinking that Lom wanted to get the glory for the touchdown. And six inches before the goal line, down went Roy Riegels and, well actually Georgia Tech won the game. But nobody remembers the score, nobody remembers the date, but sports fans all over remember “Wrong Way Riegels,” the nickname given this poor chap who ran the wrong direction.

It’s possible in the Christian life to help the wrong side and not know it. We could call individuals like that “Wrong Way Christians” or if you want to go back to that group that seemed to, sort of, set the pace for it to start with, “Wrong Way Corinthians.”

Isn’t that a great opening? It’s captivating and quickly gets his point across with a visual people can hold on to.

Four Things That Made This Opening Work

So, you can see how that story immediately captured his listeners’ attention. But what else made it effective as an opening?

It Anticipated the Subject

First of all, it anticipated the subject of his sermon. The Corinthian church was divided because it was still following the world’s system of values—prioritizing superior rhetorical skills, philosophical wisdom, high-class status, being flashy, and personal charisma. By upholding those values, the Corinthians were leaving the cross behind. Their ministry and their lives were running the wrong way, and they didn’t even realize it. So Chuck’s story about Wrong Way Riegels is a concrete analogy that illustrates the Corinthian church’s actions. That’s how it anticipated the subject of his sermon.

It Opened with a Strong Assertion

Second, Chuck started his opening with a strong assertion to grab attention immediately. He said, “Few things are more demoralizing than realizing you’ve been helping the wrong side.”

This sentence is a nice example of what Chuck teaches in his book on preaching, Saying It Well. If you don’t have a copy, we highly recommend it. It’ll feed your soul because it’s part memoir, and it will sharpen your skills because it’s part manual.

In it, he urges preachers to write out and memorize the first sentence of the message. He says, “Once I have a good angle established by the introduction, I go back and craft a strong opening sentence that’s short, if possible—ideally, less than fifteen words—and, most importantly, memorable” (Saying It Well, 125–126). Chuck did that here in “The Cross We Proclaim.”

It Stayed Brief

Third, he kept his opening story brief. Now, remember, this story isn’t all of his introduction. The second part of his introduction is the passage’s context, and we’ll get to that in a minute.

But you may be thinking, if he has more left in his introduction, that seems like a long introduction. In fact, Chuck likes to take ample time for his introductions. From a timing standpoint, Chuck allots about 20–25% of his whole sermon for his introduction—then 50–60% for his exposition and 20–25% for his conclusion. This brief opening story is only 2.5 minutes, which is 5% of a 50-minute sermon.

Keeping that story brief made the rest of the introduction and whole sermon easier to understand and gave his listeners a nice bucket with a convenient handle that he could then fill with truth for them to take home with them after the service. So that’s third: Chuck’s point is brief and clear and enables him to get to God’s Word quickly.

It Transitioned Smoothly

The fourth and final point on his opening is that he transitioned smoothly. Did you notice how he did it at the end? He said it’s possible to be a Wrong Way Christian, and a key example for us to learn from is the church that Paul wrote to—the Wrong Way Corinthians. In less than three minutes, there’s not much else to say. You know exactly where he’s going with his sermon and why it’s important to hear him out.

Four Points for Your Own Openings

So next time you’re working on an opening, keep these four points in mind, and they will help you begin well.

First, determine the best angle to anticipate the subject of your message.

Second, craft a strong, concise first sentence. Memorize it.

Third, keep the opening brief and clear.

Fourth, transition smoothly—plan it out, even write it out if you have to.

That’s the first part of this introduction we wanted you to see. After the story, Chuck demonstrated how the Corinthians were drifting from the truth, and that part takes almost seven minutes, which puts him right on his 20% target—about 10 minutes of a 50-minute sermon.

The Second Half: Establishing Context

In the second part of his introduction, he elaborated on the context of his passage. In 1 Corinthians 1:18–2:5, Paul is correcting a problem. To understand the passage, you really need to understand the problem. So here’s how Chuck laid out the context:

My Bible is open to 1 Corinthians, chapter 1 and there we read the rather sad account of a church that was squabbling with one another. Think of that. It goes all the way back into the first century, churches not able to get along. Paul calls it like it is. Verse 11, chapter 1: “I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you.”

“There are quarrels among you.” Now, what are the quarrels about? “Well, I mean this, that each one of you is saying, ‘I am of Paul,’ ‘I am of Apollos,’ ‘I am of Cephas,’ ‘I am of Christ.’” You see, there were splinter groups in the church. One group said, “We follow only Paul, the apostle, the one on the road to Damascus who was wonderfully transformed, and he’s the founder of our church and we listen only to Paul.” Others would say, “But have you heard Apollos? I mean, compared to Apollos, Paul is tongue-tied. Apollos, wonderful rhetoric, wonderful ability, wonderful eloquence, wonderful mind, trained in Alexandria, mentored by Aquila and Priscilla and Paul himself. Oh, there’s no one like Apollos.” And the third group said, “But Peter . . . Peter was walking with the Savior before either Paul or Apollos named his name as Lord. Peter we follow.” Then there was this ultra-pious group, “We follow only Jesus. We only listen to Him.”

They’re the ones, by the way, who write you letters of hate saying, “in the love of Jesus,” and they sign their name. Or, usually they don’t sign their name. They’re the ones who say, “Jesus told me to do this.” I always want to know, is he baritone or is he bass? Tell me what his voice is like. And they don’t like that question because you’re taking them literally. But, of course, these people believed it literally. “We follow only . . . we need no earthly leader, only Jesus.” And from that group, by the way, the “Jesus Only” cult began, which may be of interest to some of you. They’re all “Wrong Way Corinthians.”

Verse 13: “Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he?” There’s a little sarcasm in that. “Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God I baptized none of you . . .” A little barb in that. “. . . except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one would say you were baptized in my name.”

Now verse 17: “Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.” I love that. You love that. “When I preach Christ, it’s not done cleverly or with an emphasis on how I look or sound. It’s the cross. It’s the cross. You remember the cross when I finish speaking.”

So Paul set them straight. And he does it without mincing words. Chapter 3, verse 1. I love this about the apostle. He slings political correctness to the winds. He doesn’t worry about what they say or think about him; he tells them the truth, which is the only way to operate as a spokesman for God. “Brethren, I could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, . . .”

The Greek term is sarkinos, S-A-R-K-I-N-O-S, from which the word “flesh” is translated. “I could speak to you only as carnal.” Wrong way, Corinthians, wrong way. “. . . even as to infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; but you were not able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not able, because you’re still sarkinos, you’re still flesh. You’re still driven by the things that characterize lost humanity. You’re still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not sarkinos, are you not fleshly, are you not walking like mere men?”

Meaning, like the lost person. It’ll surprise you to hear this, some of you, but you cannot tell the difference between a carnal Christian and an unbeliever. Sometimes, the carnal Christian can be even more snotty, more difficult, more demanding, more self-willed. The enemy loves it when we operate in the flesh. “Now, you’re talking. People know you’re a Christian—listen to me, I’ll tell you how to walk. I’ll tell you how to run.” Problem is, it’s in the wrong direction. And how many folks discover it late in life. For he says, “When one says ‘I am of Paul,’ and another, ‘I am of Apollos,’ . . .”

Don’t you sound like you’re just a bunch of lost people following the popular one? “What then is Apollos? And who is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, after planting Apollos watered, after watering God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.”

Back to chapter 1, verse 18.

Why Context Pays Off

With that background in mind, Chuck’s listeners are now ready to dig into 1 Corinthians 1:18–2:5. With that context, Chuck simply filled out their frame of reference. Now, his exposition of the main passage will have far more impact, and he won’t have to do as much explaining. Paul’s meaning will be plain. It will be more immediate.

That’s what you want when you provide context in your sermon’s introduction. In your exposition, you don’t have time to break down every single word or provide a frame of reference for every single statement. But if you can give some context at the beginning, then a lot of the pieces naturally fall into place. Your listeners will get it quicker. That was Chuck’s goal here. Not every passage requires laying out the context like this, but more often than not, it’s helpful to do it.

So that’s it for this article on writing an effective sermon introduction. Remember, humility is key here—don’t take your listeners’ attention for granted. Earn their attention. And don’t forget, as you prepare to preach, pray for them, that they will be receptive to God’s Word. Because no technique can overcome a hard or dull heart. Ultimately, God must draw their hearts to receive His Word.

If you’d like to hear Chuck’s full sermon, and we recommend that you do, it’s called “The Cross We Proclaim,” from his series titled How Great Is Our God.

Additional Resources

First, sign up for our Chuck’s Insights on Ministry email where we bring you his best thoughts on preaching, leadership, and ministry each week. By signing up, you’ll instantly receive a one-page checklist with 20 preaching insights from Chuck. See this page’s sidebar.

Second, check out our new Preach the Word articles and video series on YouTube where we’re teaching Chuck’s best insights on this important calling.

Third, listen to Chuck’s messages to those in ministry through our Seminary Chapels page. For decades, he offered students at Dallas Theological Seminary his best thoughts on church leadership and ministry. Now, we have put them at your fingertips. Also, you can find them through this YouTube playlist we created for you.

Fourth, if you don’t own a copy of Chuck’s book on preaching, Saying It Well, we highly recommend you add it to your library. It’s his preaching memoir that is also like a practical preaching manual. You won’t be able to put it down.

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