Category Archives: application

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The Two-Sided Benefits of Finding God: What I’m Learning From Reading Jonathan Edwards’s Earliest Sermons

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Learning to Preach Both Sides…

In Kimnach’s volume 10 (The Works of Jonathan Edwards), he includes a Fragment: On Seeking.

Even though we can’t read the usual doctrinal section, we have this fragment of a sermon application that shows Edwards preaching the two-sided benefits of seeking and finding God.

The two sides are: “…if you find God….

  1. You will find a Savior, and an everlasting sure defense from all evil…which when obtained, will effectually deliver one, and when delivered will eternally preserve and defend one, from all manner of evil.” (p. 382)

Edwards does his best to prove to his listeners that they would certainly seek after something that would do that in the physical realm (such as seeking after a medicine that would protect from a disease–think COVID-19!)

But it’s the second answer that helped me the most in my preaching.

2. “But second, if you find God, beside that you will find all good; you will not only be freed from all evil, but be brought to the possession of all good.” (p. 383)

And this is exactly what every one of our listeners is listening and looking for. And, of course, this is what temptation promises to give: ultimate happiness.

Edwards is a master at convincing his listeners that it is in their best interest to love God supremely. So, he defines God as “an infinite, self-sufficient, all-sufficient, essential, overflowing good: he is the source of all good.” (p. 383)

Thanks to Edwards I’m learning to preach both sides, protection from evil and possession of good.

May our Lord help us preach both sides of the same coin so He receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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Preaching the Christian Life as a Race and a Warfare: What I’m Learning From Reading Jonathan Edwards’s Earliest Sermons

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Grace is not opposed to effort, but to earning (Dallas Willard, I think?)
Photo by Sarah Cervantes on Unsplash

In the second recorded sermon of Jonathan Edwards in Kimnach’s volume, Value of Salvation, Edwards urges his listeners:

“We must in these things strive with all our might….The Christian life, for that reason, because of the diligence and labor that is required in it, is called a race and a warfare, because in running and fighting generally the utmost of the powers are laid out. [emphasis added]” (p. 332)

One thing I’ve gained from Edwards’s earliest sermons is his homiletical habit of preaching both grace and effort.

My experience in 29 years of being in a Bible Church environment has taught me that that combination makes some uncomfortable. Many hear effort as “works” or earning salvation, which of course according to Paul, cancels grace.

What that means, then, is that those listeners have the tendency to dilute the strength of the effort required in certain texts.

Typical Edwards, he reasons with his listeners from what they all know to be true in the world: “nothing that is great and excellent is attained unto without difficulty…” (p. 332).

But be prepared: to the degree your listeners hold tightly to the doctrine of eternal security, they will be able to hear such language such as, “Kill sin or it will kill you!” [Hear I’m thinking of someone like Owens who wrote, Of the Mortification of Sin] Usually, the firmer the belief in eternal security, the softer they will believe in effort.

So, for me in my setting Edwards reminds me to make sure I announce God’s gracious invitation and grueling exhortation all at the same time.

Every time I do it’s worth it and I hope seeing Edwards’s emphasis at the end of this sermon helps solidify your resolve so God receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21),

Randal

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Do You Tend Toward “You” Or “We” Applications?: What I’m Learning from Reading Jonathan Edwards’s Early Sermons

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For years I’ve practiced listening to or reading sermons, beginning with the concluding applications/exhortations and then going back to the beginning of the sermon. That’s because there is an organic connection between sermon application and meaning. Actually, during the application segment of a sermon you are finally telling your listeners what a pericope means as a whole.

Edwards’s earliest recorded sermons have a final section called, Use. The Use includes numbered Inferences and Exhortations.

When Edwards gets to his first exhortation he begins to lead them off with “You…” No listener could miss that Edwards was preaching directly to them. One of the helpful elements of Edwards’s preaching is how he clearly addresses various kinds of listeners in his church.

So, it made me wonder whether you consider yourself to be a “you” or a “we” kind of preacher/teacher.

I prefer to balance the “you’s” with the “we’s” for pastoral reasons that Edwards did not take into consideration: I want my faith-family to know that I am with them in their worship-response to God’s Word.

(Maybe that’s our biggest problem with “preaching at people”: we sound like we’re placing ourselves above the Word and, therefore, above them with respect to our need to submit to God’s Word too.)

However, like Edwards, I also want them to know God has called me to shepherd them. That’s where the “you’s” come in. Both the ungodly and the godly knew exactly what God was saying to them by the time Edwards was done! For instance, Edwards aims at the ungodly: “you have taken up, contented hitherto, with such a sort of pleasure as the beast enjoy as well as you.” (p. 305) Yikes!

And, even if you prefer the “you” version of applications, your non-verbal communication can continue to let everyone in the house know that you are with them in their response to God’s Word.

May our applications contribute to God’s glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21),

Randal

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Edwards’s Unique Angle On Application: What I’m Learning From Reading Jonathan Edwards’s Early Sermons

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I’ve learned that Edwards referred to the application of a sermon as “improvement or use” (Kimnach, p. 38). The improvement section of the sermon was usually the longest of the three that we explored in previous posts (text, doctrine, application).

Listen to how Edwards transitions to the application section of Genesis 19:14 defines application:

“The Improvement we shall make of this doctrine shall be to offer some considerations to make future punishment seem real to you” (p. 39).

What we normally think of as application–putting Scripture into practice or applying life to the Bible–includes helping our listeners experience the reality of a Scripture. In the case of Genesis 19:14 the Lord was about to bring judgment down on the city, but Lot’s son-in-laws didn’t take the warning seriously. Edwards feared some of his listeners would not be able to experience the reality of God’s judgment.

So, Edwards will create hypothetical situations that help his listeners imagine what it’s like to enter God’s story. He calls this the

“willing suspension of disbelief” (p. 39).

Edwards reminds us that, deep down, we struggle believing God’s reality as described/prescribed in Scripture. So the improvement of a biblical text involves helping our listeners suspend their disbelief so they will believe and obey God’s Word.

[Remember, every act of disobedience is first and foremost an act of unbelief. So we attack disobedience by attacking unbelief.]

Edwards shined at creating these hypothetical situations through analogy. In his first sermon, Christian Happiness, he helps us experience not being “afraid of any temporal afflictions whatsoever” (p. 301) with this analogy:

“the pain of the prick of a pin” (p. 302).

Edwards reasons that the prick lasts a minute but yields seventy years of prosperity. The prick of a pin is nothing to fear in this case. The same goes for seventy years of trouble in this world compared to “an eternity of the highest happiness” (p. 302).

Trust me. That section will have you feeling differently about temporal troubles!

So, before Sunday, look at your sermon application and see if you are helping your listeners suspend their unbelief for a moment so they embrace God’s world as their own. And He will receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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Building Your Sermon (part 3): What I’m Learning From Reading Jonathan Edwards’s Early Sermons

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My mentor, Haddon Robinson, used to say there were three things you could do to an idea: you could explain it, prove it, or apply it.

[Look at the manuscript you’re creating for your next preaching/teaching assignment and locate these segments.]

That rhetorical strategy has been around for a while. Jonathan Edwards didn’t invent it, but used it in his day (early 18th century). His words were explication, confirmation, and now application.

Now, I know you’re familiar with application, but Edwards might help you; it has helped me and continues to do so. Here’s how.

First, before Sunday, check to see if your Scripture is either doctrinal or practical.

If it’s doctrinal, plan on showing the effects that believing this doctrine has on the Christian life (thinking and acting). It’s tempting to only explain or prove a doctrine, but Edwards moved from those two to application. “Since I believe in God’s sovereignty as expressed in this Scripture, it affects me by…”

Last evening while teaching through An Orthodox Catechism Q&A on the providence of God, I asked the folks what our day would be like if we began with affirmation about this wonderful ability of our God to uphold every facet of our lives.

If your Scripture is practical, does it provide reproof, or consolation, or exhortation? Edwards was a master at providing motives either from “Profit” or “Danger” that would “excite the affections”  He was meticulous in providing the “Meanes to direct the actions” (p. 31 in Kimnach).

I quickly realized that I do not spend near enough time providing motives to move the affections. I am too quick to direct the actions from the text without explaining and proving why such application is the right thing to do. That was new to me: combining all three in the application of the sermon.

May our Lord help you build your sermon/lesson so He continues to receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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Sovereignty And Election Are Extremely Relevant: My Only Post On Preaching Through Romans 1-11

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I never thought I would write that the sovereignty of God and His election described in Romans 9-11 are easy to apply to the church! But they are. And I’m getting ahead of myself.

First, when I began preaching through Romans 1-11 a year ago Easter, I determined not to write posts from that series. The reason was simple: I do not consider preaching epistles like Romans to be difficult.

[I realize some of my friends and colleagues just ran to get their EpiPens!]

What I mean is that, although there are difficult theological concepts to explain, the structure and applicability of most epistles most of the time are not too difficult. In the case of Romans 9-11 one of my favorite commentators, Douglas Moo puts it this way:

“…while certain points remain hard to understand, Paul is claiming to be transmitting truth to which his readers are to respond” (p. 740).

Here’s how to locate the intended response for Romans 9-11 and all the heavy discussion of unconditional election:

First, when you begin working through chapter 9 you will need to point congregants forward to 11:17-22. This is Paul’s first indication of how the section functions for the church. There you find instruction for us not to be arrogant toward unbelieving Jews (v. 18), to stand fast through faith (v. 20), not become proud (v. 20), and to live as God-fearers (v. 20). The reason: “for if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you” (v. 21) and the warning in v. 22, “Otherwise you too will be cut off.”

It is easy to get lost in election in chapter 9 and forget what the section is intended to do to the faith-family.

Two other connections can and should be made. First, the entire section ends with a marvelous doxology in 11:33-36. Everything ends with praise to God. Second, the more practical section that begins in 12:1 stems from all the mercies of God highlighted in 9-11 (“…by the mercies of God”). Unconditional election magnifies the mercy of God which provides motivation for all the instruction in chapters 12-16.

I hope you have had or will have an opportunity to preach through Romans with your faith-family and God will receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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Aim The Sermon At Alteration, Not Information

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I am enjoying Carrell’s, Preaching That Matters, partly because of all the research she’s done that defines the preaching practices of so many. I didn’t enjoy learning about this:

“…remember that the vast majority of sermons (more than 95 percent) do not invite listeners to change.” (p. 66)

If pastors aren’t inviting their listeners to change, what are they doing? Carrell puts it like this:

“Preacher’s General Purpose: Let me tell you about something.

Listeners’ General Response: I agree with what you said.” (p. 66)

Let’s give ourselves the benefit of the doubt and say we’re telling our listeners about the Bible. And let’s give our listeners the benefit of the doubt and say they often agree with what we’re telling them about the Bible. I agree with Carrell that that’s not enough for what needs to happen on a Sunday morning.

So Carrell talks about not only identifying the subject of your sermon (which you know should come from your preaching portion), but also identifying the response to your sermon. In previous posts I’ve talked about how the intention for the sermon (what the sermon is intending to do to the listener) comes directly from the intention of the preaching portion (what the Scripture is intending to do to the listener).

I am often in the habit of wording it like this: After the public reading of Scripture, I’ll say, “This is God’s Word. We worship this morning by ___________.” I fill in the blank with whatever our Text is intending to do to the listeners. Right from the outset everyone in the house of the Lord knows how the Lord intends to change us.

That means every Sunday, like every New Year, should be an opportunity to make a fresh start.

Before Sunday, along with identifying the subject of your sermon, also identify the worship response so God receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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From Inferences to Exhortations (part 2): What I’m Learning From Reading Jonathan Edwards’ Early Sermons

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This week we’re still preaching to the choir, but this time to a different kind of choir member: the godly. Near the end of “Christian Happiness” Jonathan Edwards’ moves from five inferences to two exhortations. The first exhortation was aimed at the ungodly. The second one is aimed at the godly.

You may recall that the sermon is based on Isaiah 3:10. It reads:

“Say unto the righteous, it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.”

Last week I listed the following five inferences listed under the heading, “USE” (my explanations in brackets). I refer to these inferences as pre-application. Read them in light of the verse above:

Inf. I. Then we may infer that the godly man need not be afraid of any temporal afflictions whatsoever [since it shall be well with him].

Inf. II. Hence we may see the excellent and desirable nature of true godliness [because it provides such happiness].

Inf. III. We may hence learn that to walk according [to] the rules of religion and godliness is the greatest wisdom [because it leads to the most happiness].

Inf. IV. Hence learn the greatest goodness of God in joining so great happiness to our duty [it certainly is good of God to create such a system where even duty is delight!].

Inf. V. We hence learn [what] we are to do for a remedy when we are under affliction: even embrace religion and godliness.

Then Edwards moves immediately from inferences to exhortations. Note the shift from “we” to “you.” Exhortation #1 was “To the ungodly: to forsake his wickedness and to walk in the ways of religion….You have now heard of the happiness of the religious man…as you never yet experienced; you never yet….You…you have….You now…you are invited to such a happiness….Be persuaded, then, to taste and see how good it is” (p. 305). Pretty direct.

He’s just as direct in Exh. II. “Is to the godly to go on and persevere and make progress in the ways of religion and godliness. Go on….let nothing….You…you…you….Do not be discouraged by any evils….Go on, therefore…”

Before Sunday, these are the two broad categories of people we will be addressing. Check to see that your application stems directly from your text. Decide how direct you will be to your listeners. Certainly, you will want to speak to the professing Christians about how their faith in Christ drives their Text-driven transformation. And, as always, do it all so God receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Happy Thanksgiving!

Randal

 

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From Inferences to Exhortations: What I’m Learning From Reading Jonathan Edwards’ Early Sermons

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“Christian Happiness” could be Jonathan Edwards’ first sermon. It’s based on Isaiah 3:10.

“Say unto the righteous, it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.”

I’ve been enjoying reading Edwards’ sermons as a devotional act, but also as an exercise in rhetorical analysis (what Edwards does in order to move his listeners to act). Last week I listed the following five inferences listed under the heading, “USE” (my explanations in brackets). This represents Edwards’ foray into formal application.

Inf. I. Then we may infer that the godly man need not be afraid of any temporal afflictions whatsoever [since it shall be well with him].

Inf. II. Hence we may see the excellent and desirable nature of true godliness [because it provides such happiness].

Inf. III. We may hence learn that to walk according [to] the rules of religion and godliness is the greatest wisdom [because it leads to the most happiness].

Inf. IV. Hence learn the greatest goodness of God in joining so great happiness to our duty [it certainly is good of God to create such a system where even duty is delight!].

Inf. V. We hence learn [what] we are to do for a remedy when we are under affliction: even embrace religion and godliness.

Then Edwards moves immediately from inferences to exhortations. Note the shift from “we” to “you.” If he’s preaching to the choir, he’s preaching to directly to specific choir members:

“Exh. 1 To the ungodly: to forsake his wickedness and to walk in the ways of religion.” Edwards speaks directly to this attendee: “You have now heard of the happiness of the religious man…as you never yet experienced; you never yet….You…you have….You now…you are invited to such a happiness….Be persuaded, then, to taste and see how good it is” (p. 305).

Edwards is direct in challenging this kind of listener not to fool themselves into “thinking yourself happy in wallowing and rolling yourselves in the mire. You perhaps think yourselves mighty happy in enjoying your hateful and abominable lusts…those be not the pleasures of man” (p. 305).

I wonder if before Sunday you and I will be brave enough to challenge those who, maybe despite their profession of faith, are only overhearing worship. Let’s consider speaking directly to them so God receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

 

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Various “Uses” of, Christian Happiness: What I’m Learning from Reading Jonathan Edwards’ Early Sermons

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In this post I am highlighting the way Jonathan Edwards applied Isaiah 3:10 in what may have been his first sermon, Christian Happiness. Isaiah 3:10 states,

“Say unto the righteous, it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.”

After an introduction centering on reasonable beings choosing things that are best for them, Edwards develops doctrine with two propositions. Then he moves to the section titled, “USE,” and is developed with the following inferences (see Kimnach, pp. 301-305; my brief comments are bracketed):

Inf. I. Then we may infer that the godly man need not be afraid of any temporal afflictions whatsoever [since it shall be well with him].

Inf. II. Hence we may see the excellent and desirable nature of true godliness [because it provides such happiness].

Inf. III. We may hence learn that to walk according [to] the rules of religion and godliness is the greatest wisdom [because it leads to the most happiness].

Inf. IV. Hence learn the greatest goodness of God in joining so great happiness to our duty [it certainly is good of God to create such a system where even duty is delight!].

Inf. V. We hence learn [what] we are to do for a remedy when we are under affliction: even embrace religion and godliness.

Notice that Edwards applies Scripture through logical inferences: since Isaiah 3:10 is true, these five things are also true.

I found it interesting that in these five inferences, Edwards did not prooftext. He knew the logic could stand alone.

Before Sunday you might think about how your method of application is similar or different from what you see above. While Edwards isn’t the God of all things sermonic, his methods may be helpful despite representing a different age.

May our Lord receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus as a result of the way we interpret and apply Scripture (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal