Rethinking Biblical Application (part 4)

Photo Credit: eyeballplant.com

In the fourth installment of this series on rethinking biblical application I want to identify some  practical principles that will hopefully help us put feet to our faith.  As one reads the New Testament it is clear that the Spirit of truth always works in partnership with the Word of truth in order to conform believers into the likeness of Jesus (Col. 1:28; 2 Cor. 3:18).   Thus far we have addressed the biblical expectations of the preacher (2 Timothy 4:1-2; James 3) and the listener (James 1:21-25; Luke 12:48).  Here are a few more principles to keep in mind.

1) Not all sermons are going to have the exact same impact.  

Establishing realistic expectations is critical for both the expository preacher and the expository listener.  Not every message is going to have the exact same impact on our hearts; the same principle is true with regards to the worship songs/hymns that are selected during the service.  A lot of factors account for this:  A) The sermon itself (some messages are better than others.  By "better" I mean messages with great clarity, more direct exhortation, more passionate delivery, and more in-depth exposition).  B) the Text itself  (True expository preaching is always Text-driven.  A faithful expositor will try and make the main points of a passage the main headings of his exposition.   Some texts are weightier than others while other passages are more difficult to understand-see for example 2 Peter 3:15-16.  Some chapters are more doctrinal, Ephesians 1; while others are more application-orientated, Ephesians 5).  In saying this, I am in no way discounting the sufficiency of all the God-breathed Scriptures (per 2 Timothy 3:16).  C) The preacher (Members often have no clue what is really going on in their pastor's life).  D) The hearer (Preachers often know very little about what happened Sunday morning before his fellow members arrived at church, let alone, how their congregation members week really went).  

Suffice it to say, life circumstances often play a large role in the mind and heart of both the preacher and the hearer.  The way certain sermons impact us (more or less) sometimes comes back to this simple principle.  For example, if someone is going through a dark valley they may find certain exhortations and messages are especially encouraging to them.  On the other hand, if a believer is struggling with internet pornography they may find certain Texts to be particularly convicting, etc, etc.  When I was in seminary I read Spurgeon's lecture on the Minister's Fainting Fits and honestly was not really moved by it.  Eight years later I went back and reread this message and found it to be one of the most encouraging and helpful things Spurgeon ever said/wrote.  What happened?  My life experience had greatly changed.   I was now the man that Spurgeon was addressing in this famous lecture.


According to His infinite wisdom God takes us through times of difficulty and uncertainty in order to soften our hearts so that they will be more open to the ongoing ministry of the Holy Spirit in and through the Holy Word of God (Heb. 12:1-11).  It is a bold statement to declare in song, "Have thine own way, Lord!  Have thine own way!  Thou art the potter, I am the clay.  Mold me and make me after Thy will, while I am waiting, yielded and still."

2)  Just because you were not particularly moved during the sermon does not mean everyone else necessarily felt the same way.  

 

For example, one of my more recent messages in John 15 (the Vine, the Branches, and Divine Gardner) did not have the exact same impact on everyone in the congregation.  Upon hearing Jesus words in John 15:1-11 some listeners will likely be deeply troubled (cut to the heart).  Hopefully this conviction will lead to further self reflection in the spirit of 2 Corinthians 7:10; 13:5.  For someone who is riding the fence a sermon text like John 15:1-11 should cause such a person to go home wondering whether or not they really are a true (fruit-bearing) branch?   If someone is a "barren branch"  (aka a pseudo believer) they should go home terrified in light of what Jesus reveals in John 15:2, 6.  One of the things  I often pray before I preach is that the Holy Spirit would comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable (because cruise control Christianity is dangerous to the soul).

 

3) Spend time each week going over the truths that you received the following Sunday.

 

Do this in the spirit of James 1:21-27. At Grace Community Church the following reminder is printed each week at the bottom of the sermon notes. "BE A DOER. Your responsibility, by God's enabling, is to consistently apply the divine principles and truths you have heard (Phil. 2:12-13; 1 Tim 4:7-9; James 1:22-27). As you meditate on this message, ask yourself three questions: (1) How does God want my beliefs/actions to change? (2.) How can I accomplish this change (3.) What is the first step toward bringing about this change."

Dr. Stuart Scott said it has become a regular practice to spend every Monday going over his notes from Sunday.  In other words, Dr. Scott wants to do everything he can to be a "doer of the Word" and not merely "a hearer only." 

This brings us to principle four.  4)  Meditation, prayer, and personal reflection are essential disciplines for both preacher and hearer alike (before, during, and after the sermon).

 

This final point should be welcomed as good news.  Even when a sermon does not have as much direct exhortation in it as it could/should (per 2 Timothy 4:2) a Spirit-filled listener can still take the main headings of the Text/sermon, and with the Holy Spirit's aid, apply some of these Divine truths to their life! 

I recently took our Sunday School classes through an exercise on how to get to the most out of an incomplete sermon.  I will address that subject next time.

 

This study on rethinking biblical application will be continued...