Help with Sermon Application

Anyone who knows me as a preacher knows that I believe very strongly that a sermon should have a clear central idea. I believe a preacher should be able to give the essence of the entire sermon in a single sentence. As Haddon Robinson has said, "A sermon is a bullet, not buckshot." The benefits of having identified the "Big Idea" are numerous. I want to take the time to discuss one in particular.

We have probably all heard sermons in which the application was either non-existent or sufficiently vague to be of very little use. Applying the message of the sermon faithfully and specifically is not always an easy task. But having identified the central idea of the text can help tremendously. Let me show you what I mean.

Recently I preached a message from Nehemiah 8:13-18. The big idea was, "There is no spiritual renewal without obedience." How does nailing down the primary idea of that text help me in the area of specific, faithful application? It's really pretty simple. Ask yourself a couple of questions. How would someone think or act if he didn't know, believe, or practice this truth? What would be the consequences? What might his false assumptions or expectations be?

If someone believed they could have spiritual renewal apart from obedience, how might they go about seeking it? How would you be able to spot such a person? What would be the consequences of his failure to believe this truth? Such a person might believe that simply praying and asking for forgiveness of sin is all that is necessary for spiritual renewal. He might experience frustration and disillusionment when the renewal he seeks fails to come. He may connect spiritual renewal with a flood of emotions felt during a revival service. This kind of information will help you apply the sermon to specific people in specific situations.

See how it works? You start with the solution, the big idea of the sermon. Then you simply ask yourself, "What is the problem for which this truth is the solution?" Answering that question will help you paint a profile of the kind of person/people that could benefit most from hearing this particular sermon. Give it a try. I think you'll find it is extremely helpful.