Many Christians will readily admit that they struggle to apply the teaching of the Bible to their own lives.  Strangely though, very few will admit that their convictions may not be thoroughly biblical.  Every church, every tradition and every denomination has its own little quirks and unique approaches to things.  What is true of churches is true of the people in the churches too.  The problems come not from having quirks, but from defending them as biblical when in fact they are not.

How should the church service proceed, how should it be led, how should the music be handled, what is not acceptable in terms of instruments, what can happen in the church building on a Sunday, what time should the service begin, how exactly should the communion table be set out, how many cups can be used, and the list goes on.  It is amazing what church details people will hold as strong biblical untouchable convictions.  After all, they have a verse to support their position!

So it seems to me that preachers have a prime responsibility to guide, instruct and model in this minefield of application.  Some preachers never apply.  Others always offer the same applications (trust God, go share your faith, live good lives, etc.)  But if we don’t go beyond this, then people will never learn to apply in the areas of the sometimes bizarre church convictions.  Surely we want the people in our churches to be enjoying the fullness of personal relationship with the Trinity through Christ, rather than perpetuating sometimes bizarre convictions about all sorts of details and almost believing that Christianity consists in those convictions?

In the next post I want to share some thoughts on application in preaching, specifically in reference to the kind of “incidental detail of Scripture held as deep biblical conviction” that we sometimes come across.  Hopefully there is none of this in your church.  But don’t be surprised if there is.