Category Archives: Application

Three (or four) approaches to sermon application

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Adam Nesmith has outlined three different ways (he calls them ‘philosophies’, but I think that’s a bit too ambitious) in which the preacher might incorporate application into his message.

1. No distinct application section

The sermon is essentially an explanation of the text, and the preacher hopes that the Holy Spirit will apply it to the hearts and lives of the hearers.  There may be some occasional application points along the way, but there is no structured approach to this.…

Exposition must have application

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A.W. Tozer:

There is scarcely anything so dull and meaningless as Bible doctrine taught for its own sake. Truth divorced from life is not truth in its Biblical sense, but something else and something less. Theology is a set of facts concerning God, man and the world. These facts may be, and often are, set forth as values in themselves; and there lies the snare both for the teacher and for the hearer.

The Bible is among other things a book of revealed truth.

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A disaster class in application

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With tongue very firmly in cheek, Colin Adams offers vital advice for anyone who wants to make a train-wreck of sermon application.

1. Interpret the text wrong. The key question to ask is: ‘What do you want the text to say?’  This approach cuts out all the pointless hard work with the text and eliminates the need to reach for those stuffy commentaries.

2. Ignore application or minimise it. Application is hard work for both preacher and hearer. …

Three levels of sermon application

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In his book Teaching Acts David Cook writes about three kinds, or levels, of preaching application:-

1. The necessary application.  This comes directly from the meaning of the text, and demonstrates how the text applies to all hearers at all times.  For example, some beliefs and attitudes are always wrong and are therefore to be repented of, while others are always right and are therefore to be adopted and nurtured.

2. The impossible application.  It can be helpful, says Cook to show what sorts of application do not flow from the text. …

Moral application of the final judgment

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The biblical doctrine of final judgement has several important consequence for our lives here and now.

  1. It satisfies our sense of a need for justice in the world.  There is so much in the present world which is not fair.  Good people suffer, while evil people get off scot free.  Even the judicial system itself is susceptible to bias and bribery.  The Bible tells us that there will be a final reckoning, when the ‘books’ (Rev 20:12 – symbolising God’s record of what everyone has done in this life) will be opened. 
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The art of sermon application

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Ask any preacher what they think is the weakest part of their sermon, and ask any sermon hearer what aspect of preaching is in greatest need of improvement, and the answer is likely to be the same: application.

Indeed, it can seem so difficult to get from text to application that some preachers are tempted to give up on expository sermons and offer topical messages the seem to speak more directly to contemporary issues and to people’s felt needs.…

The components of sermon application

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Bryan Chapell suggests that preachers should ask four questions if they are to offer faithful application:-

1. What does God require of us? (Instructional specificity)

Preachers answer the question, What does God now require of me? by providing instructions that reflect the biblical principles found in the biblical text. This instructional specificity translates the text from ancient history to present guide. For the guidance to reflect accurately the Bible’s intent, a preacher must discern the biblical principles reflected in the text that were directed to the people of that time and then apply them to the people of this time.…

Sermon applications should be attitudinal as well as behavioural

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Bryan Chapell puts it well:-

Application may be attitudinal as well as behavioral. In fact, the frequent mark of immaturity among preachers is too much (or too early) an emphasis on behavior. Mature preachers do not ignore behavior, but they carefully build an attitudinal foundation for whatever actions they say God requires. This is more than a rhetorical tactic. Its source is the biblical insight that out of the heart come the issues of life (Prov.…

Application in preaching

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J.I. Packer sets out the different types of application with his customary insight and lucidity:-

The activity of application has an unvarying logic, which we can state thus: if this principle is truth from God, what difference should it make to our thinking, our resolves, our emotional attitudes, our motivation, and our view of our own spiritual state at this moment?  More fully: if this principle is truth that God teaches and guarantees, then the following questions arise:

1. …