Apply What You Hear On Sunday Mornings

So, we often hear the line, "It is the preacher who is to exposit, give theology, teach and apply the text to my life." Though this is true (and every aspect just given is so), it is not fully true.

Sure it is the preacher's responsibility to apply the text so as to drive the point home in the lives of his hearers. Furthermore, we are taught in homiletics (preaching) class not to leave our study until we have finished the message. The message is never finished until there is clear application to be heralded.

But, is that the end of it? Is it simply the hearer's responsibility to show up on Sunday morning, hear a sermon and go home? Does it require more?

My answer is "Yes." Edwards would agree. His third advice to new converts is this:

"Make personal applications when you hear sermons".

So, may I ask you, when you hear a message preached, what do you do with it? Do you listen, think to yourself, "that was nice," or "that was very profound" and then go home as if it never happened. If that is the case, then that sermon did NOT fulfill its purpose in your life that Sunday morning.

The purpose of preaching is to glorify God by teaching His Word so as to exhort believers to a changed life. This is done through personal application. The preacher can do only so much to apply his sermon to YOUR life. But there is only one problem. He doesn't know YOU like you know YOU. He doesn't know every circumstance in your life, he doesn't know every situation you find yourself in, he doesn't know everyone you come in contact with, he doesn't know the specifics of your home-family situation, he doesn't know what you do when no one else is looking, he doesn't know how you treat your wife/husband and/or your kids.

So, I ask entreat you, take what you hear from the pulpit and THINK. This requires time. This requires thought. This requires reflection. Our post-modern culture is very bad at this. We don't like to do these things. We like everything done FOR us. We don't want to do any work.

Remember the story in Acts 8 of Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch:


Acts 8:30-37 30 And when Philip had run up, he heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, "Do you understand what you are reading?" 31 And he said, "Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: "He was led as a sheep to slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He does not open His mouth. 33 "In humiliation His judgment was taken away; Who shall relate His generation? For His life is removed from the earth." 34 And the eunuch answered Philip and said, "Please tell me, of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself, or of someone else?" 35 And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. 36 And as they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, "Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?" 37 And Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."

Then after this "mini-teaching episode," listen to the Ethiopian's response, which in the context gives the idea that there was hardly any time that elapsed:


Acts 8:38-39 38 And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch; and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch saw him no more, but went on his way rejoicing.

You see? This man heard the Word. He heard the truth. He wasted NO time, but he obeyed. Immediately. No questions asked. The text is clear.

May we learn to do the same. This Sunday, I CHALLENGE YOU: Take what you hear from your Pastor this Sunday morning and make a determinative effort to apply simply ONE point from his sermon to YOUR life.

A HELPFUL HINT: Don't be vague in your personal application. For example, don't say, "I want to love others more." Rather, be specific. For example, you could say, "I want to make a deliberate effort to reach out to John (whom I really don't care for) at work and love him and make it my goal to serve him this week by taking him out to lunch and saying 'Good morning' to him every day and asking him how he is doing throughout the day."

May the Lord be with you in this. Let me know how it goes.