Today’s post ponders how easily we lose sight of some fundamental realities and end up corrupting grace in some way. Where should we keep our focus to get it all straight? Click here to go to the post over on the Cor Deo site.
Religion
Preaching & Application 5
Here’s the end of the list. Probably the most important post of the series . . .
17. Be wary since not every application is biblically legitimate. That is to say, a potential application in a passage may not be the intended application of that passage. For example, to make a big point out of the problem of grumbling from Luke 19:7 is to entirely miss why the reference to the grumbling crowd is included in the story of Zaccheus. You might point to the verse as support, but you don’t have the support of the passage standing with you.
18. Be careful that an application from here may not be consistent with the rest of Scripture. We are quick to talk about the value of comparing Scripture with Scripture in our exegetical phase of bible study. I think there is massive value in this principle coming to bear at the level of application. Stay where you are during your study (for the majority of your study), but be careful to check your application is consistent with the whole of Scripture. Be a shame to start sacrificing animals in obedience to Leviticus, right? We can fall into less obvious mis-applications too for the same reason.
19. Be wary of biblical application that is sub-biblical in its goal. Let me give one, probably the most common, sub-biblical application. “In light of this passage you need to . . . ” or “let us . . . ” Any application that focuses on listeners becoming self-starting or independently successful individuals should set off alarm bells all over our theology. Remember where the “you can be an independent self-starter” came from? Let the spiritual radar hiss when you hear this serpent-like implication, even when you are quoting Scripture to support your point (I suspect you won’t be quoting it accurately in its broader context!)
20. Be an on purpose “match-maker” in your application. Maybe this isn’t the best phrase for what I mean here, but it is a vital point. If your goal isn’t independent self-moved successful individuals, then your goal must involve some relational connection. The gospel changes lives. God changes lives. When you preach, please don’t beat us up and tell us to try harder. Instead, offer us the Father revealed in the Son by the Spirit and watch our hearts melt, our motivations stir, and our lives change.
Preaching & Application 4
Part four of this series on application . . .
13. Be servant-hearted, not the model of perfection. It is so easy to come across as if you have already been mastered by and have already mastered the text. It isn’t about understanding. Be better at that every time you preach. But it is about whether you stand with the listeners as one who is also receiving from God’s Word, or are you just a dispenser of instruction, always? The servant-hearted part comes in when we realize our task is to serve others, not to impress them. Look to equip and enthuse, don’t look to show off so they feel obligated to you.
14. Be accountable to the text, not a red phone to heaven. Sometimes preachers come across as having a unique and Moses-like access to God. They seem to have spent the week face to face with the angel of the presence of the Lord, but it doesn’t stir the heart like Moses might have. Somehow it can instead be a bit intimidating. A bit of a spiritual superiority vibe that leaves others feeling spiritually inadequate. Don’t couch everything in terms of direct revelation if you actually prayerfully considered what to say and this felt right. That is very different than the red phone flashing on your desk and Gabriel passing on a direct message. Let your authority come from the Bible well-handled, rather than from an implied super-spirituality that may over-imply in places.
15. Be willing to describe the application. Don’t just preach truths and then leave them hanging in the air for people to grab and apply personally. They won’t. They will affirm you, but they won’t be touched themselves. Instead seek to spell out the difference this biblical truth might make in a life. They will translate that application to their own situation, but only after they see that you are offering more than just a nice spiritual thought.
16. Be specifically descriptive in applications. As you describe what it might look like to live in light of the passage, be specific. What does the truth of the Incarnation mean when I am struggling with my boss’s attitude tomorrow at work? What does it look like to trust God’s providence when everything seems to be conspiring against my marriage? What would be different if the peace of God gripped the ethos of our church with its grapevines and back-biting festivals?
Preaching & Application 3
No clever introduction, let the list continue . . .
9. Be mature in your application. The immature preacher will hammer out simplistic advice. The mature preacher knows that Christianity isn’t about self-help advice and tips for better living. There is a place for clear guidelines, the Bible gives us such in certain areas. But a lot of life’s issues are not effectively addressed by simplistic “try harder” exhortations. We are designed to be empowered in responsiveness, not empowered for autonomous success. How does God’s promise and God’s presence change things? How does He change us? Don’t tell me to be a better man, but show me Christ and you’ll soon see a better me.
10. Be consistent with the worship. Too often the heart-stirring devotion of sung worship leads to whiplash when the whipping from the pulpit kicks into gear. The whole package should be consistent. If it doesn’t seem right to sing hymns of good living tips – “Raise up the bar so that we might try harder to be good,” or “Amazing Effort,” or “It’s All About Me, Jesus.” If that doesn’t seem right, then maybe it is the preaching that needs to be more consistent with the worship.
11. Be sermonically fresh. When sermons are predictable they tend to lose their impact. So if you are in a rhythm of explanation followed by three points of application in the final minutes, consider whether this tried and trusted method might well have become stale and predictable. Look for different ways to demonstrate the relevance of passages to your listeners.
12. Be consistently relevant. That is to say, instead of ending with application, consider how to demonstrate relevance and application throughout the message. The opening introductory comments are an ideal place to engage listeners and demonstrate your relevance, as well as the relevance of the message and the passage. Try stating your points in contemporary and applied terms. Use transitions for exploring developing application as the message progresses. Drop in hints of relevance, even if not fully developed applications, during the telling of biblical story (avoid trite applications that mishandle the text, but even hints of contemporary awareness can make a real difference to perception).
Application & Preaching 2
Carrying on with more thoughts on application in preaching…
5. Be aware of the specific people to whom you preach. Just because a church is in a neighbourhood, this doesn’t mean the people in the church are typical of the people in the neighbourhood.
6. Be aware of the people whom the church is trying to reach. Here’s where number 5 becomes tricky. You may be preaching to one group of people but trying to reach a quite different group of people. Application is about targetted preaching – aiming vaguely is never wise when trying to hit a target. So do you preach to those who are present, or to those you’d like them to feel comfortable bringing? Both is a good idea. Neither seems ludicrous.
7. Be applicationally authentic. While it is easy to throw stones at post-modernity with all its relativizing of truth and denial of absolutes, let’s not miss the underarm throw that sits up invitingly before us as if to taunt us. This culture craves authenticity. It doesn’t get excited by authority or formalized religion or establishment stuff. But it does crave authenticity. Where else but in the community of God’s saved people can people go to find authenticity? But will they find it with us? Honesty, vulnerability, transparency, authenticity. We need to find a voice that is personally real, rather than offering application at arms length and so coming across as tipsters from a bygone era.
8. Be courageously bold. Paul told the Ephesian elders how he did not hesitate to proclaim the whole counsel of God. Do we? Do we apply the truth of God’s Word to the quirks and distinctive corporate personality of a local church? This takes boldness. You’ll get praise for critiquing the sins of others, but don’t go touching local sin if you want an easy life! At the same time our culture needs a sensitive, yet bold, propheticc voice to speak out. This is where preaching from personal proof texts doesn’t look good. But preaching through books or sections can allow a greater freedom since the agenda is coming from the text.
Application & Preaching
Our task as preachers is not only to explain, but also to apply the Word. How can we improve as “applicational” preachers? Let me throw some thoughts your way over the next days.
1. Be responsive to the Word. This means that as you read it, and as you study it, you respond to it. Rightly handling the Word involves work. Some of us are diligent in our exegetical processes, but light when it comes to personal response. Others are quick to respond, but weak on understanding it first.
2. Be convinced by the Word. We live in an age that is increasingly unconvinced by “well, the Bible says so!” Ok, I’ve understated it. Almost nobody is convinced there is a link between Bible and ultimate truth. So we must be increasingly convinced. This isn’t just about accurate handling of the text, with well-infomed awareness of historical, archeological and cultural backgrounds. It is also about living a life marked and shaped by the Word. It isn’t just explanation that must convince us, also lived application.
3. Be aware of the world. We don’t need to feast on sin to know how it tastes. But we can’t hide in religious ghettos and simply throw stones at the world around. Loving people means knowing people. It means finding out what makes them tick. Do we understand the shifts in thinking and communication between modern and post-modern worldviews? Do we know the difference between the modern Boomers, the hinge generation – Gen-X (who were raised modern but live in post-modern world), and the truly post-modern Millennials? Do we think through the shifts in communication, how in an electronic and virtual reality world there is a shift away from printed page communication, almost back toward an oral world, only now with overwhelming noise hitting both eye and ear?
4. Be in touch with your local context. Churches aren’t simply islands in the large ocean of contemporary culture. They sit in local contexts. Some urban, others suburban, still others very rural. These are all different. Local contexts are regional, with all the prejudices and blind spots that come within a region. People in an area tend to have similarities, perhaps in education, perhaps in outlook. Don’t go preaching urban sophisticated application in depressed rural regions.
The Heidelberg Catechism on Powerpoint
Question 130. What does God require of preachers tempted to rely on technology?
Answer: Ok, this was a provocative title, and technically Microsoft programmers were still in the early stages of development and they hadn’t yet released powerpoint in 1563. But the title may not be too far off. I was looking through the Heidelberg Catechism earlier this week in light of a discussion on some historical matters. Along with several other points that I really appreciated, I noticed one particularly relevant to preachers. Question 97 develops the issue of not making images of God with a broader question of the use of images in the church. Then comes question 98 . . .
Question 98. But may not images be tolerated in the churches, as books to the laity?
Answer: No, for we must not pretend to be wiser than God, who will have his people taught, not by dumb images, but by the lively preaching of his word.
Quick thoughts . . .
1. Do we fall into the trap of thinking that we know better than God in our age of sophistication? I wonder if previous generations had all the same comments about, “Well, you know, this generation now is different and so we need to . . . “
2. Do we think people can’t be engaged and drawn in and captivated by the teaching of the Word of God? I won’t get started on attention spans or this will become a long post!
3. Do we do our best to be alive, life-giving and lively in our preaching? No generation has ever thrived under the dull preaching of God’s Word.
Don’t Just Get the Idea!
The Big Idea approach to preaching is birthed from an understanding of the nature of communication. That is, when we communicate, we are not just firing words out into nowhere. Rather, we are seeking to have the other party get the idea of what we are saying. Communication is about ideas. We want the other to say, “I see what you are saying.”
Ideas change lives. People give themselves to ideas. Christianity is a content-based faith. Which is why a very high view of Scripture tends to resonate with a commitment to expository preaching. That is, bringing out from the text the meaning that is there and seeking to effectively communicate that truth to others with an emphasis on why it matters to them.
But I don’t just want to extol the virtues of a “big idea” approach to preaching. I also want to highlight a couple of potential misapplications of it. Let’s use a very simple “communications” model:
WRITER > MESSAGE > RECIPIENTS
1. It is not just about the writer to the original recipients. It is possible to be committed to discovering what the writer meant by what he wrote to the original recipients, and then to preach that. Just that. This can come across as textually accurate, but distant and irrelevant. It can lose sight of the present and living nature of God’s Word. We can become lecturers in ancient manuscript interpretation, even if we add on application by extension. It is important to not lose the accuracy of original intent, setting, context, etc., but also to give a very clear sense that this is for us today.
So to tweak the model:
WRITER > MESSAGE > RECIPIENTS
including the message to Us
2. It is not just about the human writer, it is part of God’s self-revelation in the Word. This is where I’ve seen Big Idea preaching misapplied and fall short. Understanding, distilling and effectively communicating the main idea of a passage is not the whole deal. We are not trading in brilliant information transfer, back then or today. We are handling the inspired Word of God, given to us to reveal His heart to us. When the text becomes opaque, when the personal nature of the Trinity grows distant, then all our meticulous accuracy and sermonic craft is wasted. We don’t just preach the written word, we preach Christ. Our preaching must be theocentric, for the Bible is all about God.
Final tweak?
The Revelation of God, who inspired the .
WRITER > MESSAGE > RECIPIENTS
including His message to Us
True preaching happens in the present. As Donald Sunukjian puts it, in his shortened definition of biblical preaching: “Listen to what God is saying . . . to us!” Let’s preach so that our listeners can meet the God who still speaks through His Word today.
Get the Idea Really Well
A group of friends arrived back at the hotel where we were staying after visiting a famous church that morning. We asked them, what was the big idea? Their response? He didn’t have a big idea, he didn’t a little idea, he seemed to have no idea! Oops. What are the characteristics of an effective and powerful main idea for message?
1. It will be an accurate synopsis of this text. Looking at the passage, this stated idea gets a firm nod of recognition. Or to put it another way: if just the idea were stated, then someone who knows their Bible well would be likely to pinpoint the passage from the idea alone.
2. It will be consistent with the Scriptures as a whole. You may be preaching a single passage, but you are preaching from an open Bible. The idea should not be contradictory to the rest of Scripture. If it is, you need to keep working on understanding your specific passage.
3. It will be true to life. There should be a deep sense of resonance in you as a preacher while you prepare the message. It should ring true to those listening. This isn’t trite, or simplistic, or out of touch, but profoundly true. Good ideas stir people passionately, trite ideas just get a roll of the eyes.
4. It will be relevant to life. You may be able to state a profound theological truth effectively, but if it isn’t stated relevantly, then you aren’t really preaching the Word. God’s Word is relevant to life. Make sure your main idea is too.
5. It will be pregnant with meaning and implications. After stating your main idea, the follow up sentence shouldn’t be, “well, that’s about it, really.” There should be plenty that flows out of it. It is expansive. It is rich. It needs to be savoured. It has to be pondered. It begs development.
6. It will be precise. This brings us back to number one, but with a nuance. Not only must it be accurate to the text you are preaching – that text distilled into a single sentence. It also needs to be precisely phrased. No ambiguity (unless that is both an effective and accurate summary!)
7. It will probably not be perfect. Just to add a slight caveat…most of the time you may only feel you have a decent idea, rather than a stunning one. Accurate, clear, just decent ideas preached from God’s Word would bring significant health and growth compared to the standard fare in most churches today. We can’t knock it out of the park every time we preach. But decent ideas will transform lives.
They Might Get the Idea!
Why is it worth the effort? Getting and giving out a big idea is not easy. It is much easier to preach collections of thoughts, rather than seeking to present a message that holds together around one main idea. If I could cut out the “main idea” phase of preparation, I could probably save 30% of my preparation time. Here’s why it is worth being committed to pursuing the main idea:
1. Pursuing the main idea will force you to study the passage more effectively. I think we are all experts in following bunny trails wherever they may lead us. Bible study can be an endless vista of bunny trails. But pursuing the main idea forces me to not only ponder the meaning of the details in a passage, but also to ponder how they are working together to communicate the author’s intent. The writers weren’t drunk or frivolous. Every word mattered, and every word was included to communicate something specific. Pursuing the main idea of a passage keeps me focused on what the author was trying to communicate, rather than playing creative word association games where I end up finding things that would leave a panel of original author, recipients and God Himself scratching their heads at my ingenuity.
2. Having a main idea will give you a guide for shaping the message cohesively. The beauty of a main idea is that it becomes the organizing factor for the content of the message. Should an illustration be included? What about the historical explanation? And that word study? How about that anecdote? Hundreds of decisions in every message. But actually the main idea gives a clear organizing factor – does including it help communicate the main idea? If not, save it for another day. The main idea is the message distilled into a single sentence, everything else is scaffolding, or a strategically designed support structure.
3. Offering a main idea will help listeners engage with what matters in the message. Here’s the thing: human minds don’t hold conflicted complexity. Its true in politics, its true in preaching, its true in most things. Rather than hang on to four major points, thirteen sub-points and five telling illustrations, the listener will subconsciously sift and determine the central thought. Problem is that they may well end up with that extraneous illustration being the main point. Since you’re spending the week preparing the message and thinking about it, do the work and decide what you want them to see as the most important thing.
4. Giving a main idea means there is a hope that listeners will remember something helpful from the message. People don’t tend to remember outlines. When they do, they don’t tend to do much with them. Even if they write them down. But Robinson is right when he tells us that “what people do live for, what they do die for, is an idea, some great truth that has gripped them.” Let’s give the greatest of truths every week.
Biblical Preaching 