Application in the Preaching of Grace

By Bryan Chapell

Goal of this lecture: To see how grace motivates and enables powerful application of Biblical truth for obedience and hope.

1. What is Application?

So you preached a fantastic sermon. Dr Rayburn's "So what?"

We are not ministers of information. We are ministers of transformation.

• The duty God requires of man.
• What the Scriptures principally teach
• What preachers principally preach

• The personal consequences of expounded truth.

We may know a lot of meaning but if we do not know it's significance, we do not really know it's meaning.

• Eg. What is the significance of the truth of the trinity? It's about a relational God.
• Eg. What's the significance of justification is by faith alone? Maybe it's to know that it's what Jesus did and not your good works.

• The attitude or behaviour a Biblical truth requires.

What should my heart do in response to this? Out of the heart are the issues of life (Prov 4:23)

• Application of biblical truth is not only about behaviour but about the attitude of the heart. If we can change behaviour but the heart has not changed, what is it's significance?
• We tend to focus on the exposition of Scripture and not on its application.
• Topical exposition where the source is from the text but the development is from everywhere else, we can use the word to say what we want. We need to get the topic, the main points, sub-points all from the text. Say what God says and not what I think. That is Expository preaching. Explanation, Illustration and Application all comes from the text.
• Explanation (exegesis, organisation, outline, argument) is not our goal in Expository preaching but it's Application.

What is important doesn't help you if you don't know why it's important.

The young may hear the Bible explained while growing up but they hear no relevance to their lives. They also did not see the impact of the word in their parents' lives. So they leave church once they leave the home.

2. How Important is Application?

• Broadus - "The main thing to be done".

• "If we leave it to men's choice to follow what is taught them, they will never move one foot. Therefore, the doctrine in itself profits nothing at all. - John Calvin (Sermon on 2Tim 4:1-2)

• Our Generational Experience (sola Spiritus)

Theologians sometimes objects to application because it's not the Pastor's job but that of the Holy Spirit. And that if we do try to apply we limit the work of the Holy Spirit. The Sola Spiritus (Spirit alone) argument.

• Just as we explain what the Spirit must ultimately interpret, we must apply what the Spirit will ultimately apply.

• Our Personal Ethos

The perceived character of the speaker.

Logos - verbal content. The written text.

Pathos - emotive content. Not just the message but the manner in which we say the message. If manner contradicts the message, which will we believe? Our manner has to reflect our message.

Ethos - credibility + compassion

Are you speaking truth or are you a truthful person? The most persuasive part of your message is whether you care or not.

• Logos - Explanation - Principles (least remembered except maybe the topic or inspiring thought)
• Pathos - Illustration - Demonstrate (last one likely to be remembered or the first one)
• Ethos - Application - Particular

(I will remember if I strongly disagree or the one I strongly agree)

This is only true as external memory. But there is also an internal memory, the message itself has a redemptive impact. We remember more than the content of the message, we remember the messenger (credibility and compassion). You can trust me but more than that you trust the word I represents. If application is avoided we damage the message. Move from the general to the particular application.

3. What are Perspectives on the "Place" of Application?

Traditional Practice: At the conclusion of the Exposition (ie at the end of the sermon; But consider advantages and disadvantages of Puritan tradition).

• Application that goes at the end of a sermon is a Puritan tradition. It follows a theological essay. Doctrine development from various passages. Followed by the uses. They became ministers of information instead of ministers of transformation. They were not thinking of how people were hearing. We have been thought to preach in an academic model.

Homiletical Advice: In each minor point's "Exposition" (ie integrating meaning and significance to expound understanding of the biblical text).

 

• Deductive Model (inverted pyramid)

The Homiletical advice means the Explanation, Illustration and Application is not the structure for the whole sermon but for each point. The introduction includes what and why. The application begins the message and not an afterthought. People are thinking even as we go along. We deduce the application from the principles.

• Inductive Models (conversational pyramid)

Application/Illustration, Illustration/Application and Explanation. Give people a reason for the subject. The reverse methodology is to start with the particular to the principle. That's where most people are at. We relate to our situations. We present the issues first and then what biblical principles apply.

• Integrated Models

Application from a Rhetorical need. ("Put a man in a hole" = Communications Model) And they want to know how to get out of the hole. Identifying the burden of the text.

Application from a Biblical FCF (Fallen Condition Focus). Identify a redemptive burden = Pastoral Model.

The "Swiss Cheese" effect of 2Tim 3:16-17, Rom 15:5. These are the holes in us. What is going to make them complete?

The Fallen Condition Focus Process.

• Identify the Big Idea of the text. The what question.
• Identify the Concerns causing the text (in context). The why question.
• Show how we Share the struggle (mutual condition). The how question. Mutual condition. How are we like them.

Pastoral effect: Truth❓Struggle

God gave you truth to help you with your struggles. Instead of burdening people we are shepherding people.

The common denominator of all the great preachers of all time is that they gave people hope.

Explanation, Illustration and Application are all needed for full exposition of a Biblical Text (though each has been debated in preaching history); but we still have questions regarding proportion, order and components.

4. What are Appropriate Proportions for Application?

We have a generic model but there is no generic congregation. Age, interest, occasions are decisions we make based on the demographics. We vary our Explanation, Illustration and Application proportions depending on who we are preaching to.

• It is the preacher's responsibility to both think of their congregations' capacities and necessities.
• Generic Model
• 1/3 Explanation
• 1/3 Illustration
• 1/3 Application 
• Appropriate Proportions for Application.
• The Seminary Error
• 2/3 Explanation
• 1/3 Illustration
• 1 sentence Application 
• The Popular Error
• 1 sentence Explanation
• 2/3 Illustration
• 1/3 Application 
• A Pastoral Model
• Audience - needs, learning, expectations, hostility
• Text - nature, subject
• Occasion

5. What are the Components of Application?

• Components of Explanation of Text.

General Processes

• Repeat it. Repeating is explanation.
• Re-state the truth in more familiar terms.
• Define terms or Describe people or events.
• Proof or Argument.

The most common is no. 2. We re-state in more familiar terms to be helpful to people. We know when not to keep going when it's clear and convincing. That's when we start applying.

• The Components of Application
• What should I do?  - Instructional Specificity. The what question. What does the text require me to do, believe, accept, change etc.
• Where should I do it? - Situational Specificity. Good application = situational specificity = Instructional Specificity. Where will it make a difference? Where should I do it? This is through the who door. Who needs to hear this? We don't identify them but their situation or struggle.
• Why should I do it? - Proper Motivation. The right things for the wrong reasons are wrong.
• How should I do it? - Proper Enablement. We may preach the first three but if we do not address the how, we are not just negligent but also cruel. How to do what you are told to do in Christ.

6. Prudent use of Application Options

• Open the horizon
• Reverse the train
• Turn the radio on
• Love a Puritan and a Parable.

7. What troubles us about Application

The four questions that application addresses are What, Where, Why and How.

• The Courage required to be specific. Considered the "Breaking Point". The call to change. Transformation hurts. It requires a confrontation with people. It's hard because we fear rejection.
• The interpretation required to be specific.
• Mistaking duties required by the text. Eg Jesus wore sandals, so we wear sandals. Samson is strong when he had long hair and weak when he had short hair, so we should all have short hair?
• Requiring duties not developed from the text.
• Not matching tone to task. Eg We angrily tell people they need to love.
• Confusing a "good idea" with a Biblical mandate. Eg You should have a 20 minute quiet time every morning. It's a good idea but not a mandate. A church can go to war over a good idea.
• The sense that the Holy Spirit is limited by requiring specific duties.
• The Grace that may be denied by requiring specific duties.

Is it ungracious to talk about duty?

1. To redeem from an empty way of life is gracious. 1Peter 1:18
2. To teach to say NO to ungodliness is gracious. Titus 2:12
3. To lead to the blessings of obedience and godliness is gracious. 
4. To teach that there is discipline for disobedience is gracious.

What is ungracious with regard to duty?

1. To teach that there is merit in obedience is ungracious.

Eg Sunday school teacher saying: If you are a good little girl, Jesus will love you. There is blessings in obedience but no merit in obedience. Isaiah 64:6

2. To teach that God rejects for disobedience is ungracious.

Romans 8:39. We are dependent upon the grace of God. Your obedience is not the basis of your acceptance or rejection.

3. To teach that God does not require godliness is ungracious. Lev 19:2, John 14:15
4. To teach the law apart from grace is ungracious.

You teach what is required but if it's not in the redemptive context of God it damages people. It is through grace that people response to obedience. The provision of God in Christ.

1. Teaching the "Deadly Be's" alone. They are not wrong in itself but is wrong by itself.

1. Be Like eg Be like Barnabas or David or Abraham except non of them were sinless. The exception is Jesus. But if you asked someone to be like Jesus you'll get 3 response: I can't. I can (The young rich man). Despair. Paul says follow my example even as I follow Christ (the redemptive context).

2. Be Good. It's not wrong in itself but wrong by itself. How good? We are required to be holy. Your status before God is not what you do but who you are in God.

3. Be Disciplined. Eg read your Bible, pray and go to church. After preaching that what do you say? Read more. Pray more. Go to church more. How much more? Do God love you more because you pray more? What did we make God to be? That he can be bribed by our works. We can't buy the affection of God or buy favour from God.

2. Teaching Polarities of Perspectives alone.

Liberal Christians vs Legalistic Christians. These are the two ends of the faith spectrum. The legalists says Moral Don't eg smoke, drink, gamble, modest dressing

Liberals says Social Do's eg care for the poor, environment, orphans, widows, tolerant. What it both does is to say your standing before God is based on what you do. They are not wrong in itself but wrong by itself. It's not a bad thing, it's bad theology. It's not based on works. 

8. How do we Properly Apply?

Regular use of ALL FOUR questions of Application. What, Where, Why, How.

• Provide Instructional Specificity (answering the What question):
• The specific instructions derived from and proved by the exposition's concepts and terms.
• The importance of "expositional rain".

What it is:

Consistent use of main points and/or sub-point key terms in applicational instructions. 

What it does:

Establishes your scriptural rationale.

Maintains your scriptural authority.

Overcomes the "Breaking Point".

We want to take them from truth to struggle. From principle to particular.

• Provide situational specificity (answering the Where question).
1. Identify where in real life the concept applies. Focus on what's appropriate for that group.
2. Be concrete by going in through the who door. If I try to speak to everyone, I will end up speaking to no one.
3. Spotlight one situation, then move quickly "unroll" (ie identify other situations your people face where the expositional principle also applies - "Don't fence me in").
4. Illustrate the application vs explanation - discover the motivation power of illustrations vs clarification power. The primary purpose of illustration is not to clarify but to motivate. To show how truth operates in real life eg a Human Interest Account.

• Provide Biblical Motivation (answering the Why question)
1. Love over Fear (self-protection)

If the primary purpose of serving God is so that he loves you, you are actually serving yourself. If we motivate by fear rather than love, they cannot serve him. Why do we do things for God? Because we love him. Biblical fear is not terror. It's reverence. He never punishes his children, to impose penalty to damage you for wrong. He may hurt you but he won't harm you. Christ took ALL the punishment on the cross. God disciplines not punish.

2. Gratitude over Gain (self-promotion)

We are not bribing them. If we are faithful we will want what he wants.

The motive hierarchy (Why should I do what God requires?)

• Love for God (motivated God's gracious character in the text). This has to be the first motivation. We live and die for him.
• Love for others (motivated by love for those our God loves). If we love God above all else we will love all that Jesus loves.
• Love for self (motivated by love for the person my God loves). There is a proper love for self. There are self destructive people who hates themselves. We need to remind people they are God's special people and they are the temple of the Holy Spirit and it's okay to love themselves.

The motivation layers (maintaining proper reasons for repentance)

• What can change.
• Fellowship
• Blessings
• Our assurance
• His delight in our actions
• Discipline
• Conviction
• What cannot change
• Sonship
• Welfare
• His affection
• His desire for our good
• Destiny
• Justification (no condemnation)

In Christ-centred (grace oriented) preaching the rules don't change; the reasons do.

Luke 14:27 Rom 15:4

9. How does God reveal his gracious character?

Answer: Through "Christ-centred exposition" that discloses the grace in all Scripture culminating in Christ.

• Alternative Approaches (Redemptive/Historical; Doctrinal Instruction; Relation Interaction; Literary Motif)
1. Predictive of the Work of Christ

Prophecies in the OT.

2. Preparatory for the Work of Christ

John the Baptist. Passover. The sacrificial system. Tabernacle. Jesus tabernacled among the people. All has been a dead end to prepare us for the perfect sacrifice. He will provide what we cannot provide for ourselves. 

3. Reflective of the Work of Christ

The most common way of identifying God's grace in our lives. The still small voice of God to Elijah who ran into the dessert after a great victory. He called a stiff neck people his treasured possession. A faithful God who gave land back to the unfaithful. He reveals his gracious character in taking care of people who cannot take care of themselves. His affection drives them to obedience.

4. Resultant of the Work of Christ

This is after Christ, the epistles. How can we sinful people now go boldly to the throne of God. It's the result of the great high priest that have made the way for us. The Holy Spirit interceding on our behalf.

• Universal Approach (Two lenses to uses in all contexts)
1. God's nature which provides the work of Christ.
2. Our nature which requires the work of Christ

Ask what does this text tell me about God and what does this text tell me about me. When we ask these questions, it will help us see the redemptive plan of God.

10. What is the Purpose of Expounding Grace from All Scripture?

• Too many people confuse their Who and their Do (ie confuse their justification with their sanctification). The young ruler asked "what must I do?"
1. What we do does not determine who we are
2. Who we are determines what we do

• Faithful exposition shows the "imperative rests on the indicative and the order is not reversible" (Deut 5:6; Epistle structure Heb 10:14).

If you capture that truth, it will change all your relationships with people.

11. How does Expounding Grace enable the Application of Scripture?

How do we discover the power for Christian Living. What gives people the power to obey God?

• Knowledge is Power.
1. Proper knowledge  - What honours God and Blessed US (Doctrine and Duty). What to do and Who God is.
2. Who you are. You are human. Susceptible to sin. Vulnerable and helped by practical; But they are also Redeemed - loved by the father, united to Christ, in-dwelt by the Spirit = New Creation - 2Cor 5:17, Gal 2:20, 1John 4:4.
• Love is Power.

What is the primary reason the Redeemed sin? Because we love it. How do we overcome love for sin? A greater love!

1. What is the source of love? 1John4:19 - we love because…
2. What is the effect of love?
1. Holiness: Love to walk with him. John 14:15 - If you love  me… Titus 2:11,12 - The Grace of God teaches us.
2. Service: Love of what and whom he loves. 2Cor 5:14 - the love of Christ controls. Matt 25:40 - as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. Not just obedience but want to.
3. How to build love? Means of Grace (prayer, fellowship) is not Means to Grace (not what we do to obtain favour) (what if we see it as bread and not barter).

Conclusion: Filling up the heart with the Power of Grace.

Bryan Chapell is the Senior Pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church in Peoria, IL and President Emeritus of Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. He is known globally as an established preacher, teacher and speaker especially in the area of homiletics. Bryan has also authored several books, including Unlimited Grace, Each for the Other, Holiness by Grace, Praying Backwards, The Gospel According to Daniel and The Hardest Sermons You’ll Ever Have to Preach and Christ-Centered Preaching—a preaching textbook that is now in multiple editions and languages. Bryan and his wife, Kathy, have four adult children, a growing number of grandchildren. He lives rich with friends, fishing and faith.