I’m working my way through Murray Capill’s The Heart is the Target: Preaching Practical Application from Every Text and it is good. Really good.

Purposeful Application

One excellent point he makes is on the various purposes Scripture gives for Scripture. For example, notice the diverse aims God’s word has for itself according to these verses:

• “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” (2 Tim. 3:16)
  
• “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” (2 Tim. 4:2)
• “On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.” (1 Cor. 14:3)
• “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Rom. 15:4)
• “What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, ‘You shall not covet'” (Rom. 7:7).
• “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Heb. 4:12-13)
  
• “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.” (1 John 5:13)

These various purposes give preachers a variety of ways to apply God’s word. Capill summarizes them under four headings:

1. Teaching the truth and rebuking false doctrine. (Teaching/rebuking)
2. Training believers in godly living and correcting wrong patters of behavior. (Training/Correcting)
3. Testing the state of people’s hearts and bringing conviction of sin. (Testing/Convicting)
4. Encouraging and exhorting people according to their particular needs. (Encouraging/exhorting)

“So we can ask of any text, ‘What is this text doing?’ Is it teaching, training, rebuking, warning, convicting, testing, comforting, encouraging, strengthening? What teaching is given, what warnings are sounded, what tests are suggesting, what encouragements are provided?” (72)

Questions to Guide Your Way

Sermons that “sting and sing” – a delightful little phrase from Murray – are those whose tone and application stick with the applicational tone of the text. To help preachers discover this Murray offers the following questions as a guide in sermon preparation, particularly in preparing heart-searching application:¹

Main question: What is this text doing?

1. Is it teaching?
   – What truths are taught?
   – What errors should be opposed?
   – What teaching should I give?
2. Is it training?
   – What behavior is called for?
   – What wrongs ways of conduct need correcting?
   – What “how to” and “how not to” application is called for?
3. Is it testing?
   – Does the text suggest tests against which we should measure ourselves?
   – In what ways does the text convict us of sin?
4. It is exhorting?
   – What exhortations are given?
   – What encouragements are given?
   – How does this text spur us on?

If you are in the final stages of a sermon for this weekend try Murray’s little grid on for size, it surely will help. Or maybe your sermon is stuck in an applicational rut? Give your message fresh purpose so it may appropriately sting and sing this coming Lord’s Day.

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