There is real danger when you simply “hear the Word of God” but don’t do it. The apostle James warned about this (James 1:22-25). When people listen to sermons, they do not only need some truth to believe but they need specific, life-shaping ways to apply it. For many preachers preaching practical application from every Biblical text is difficult. Murray Capill’s latest book, The Heart is the Target, will help preachers prepare sermons that move beyond explanation to transformation.
The launch of Murray’s book coincided with the recent preaching conference held at the Reformed Theological College (RTC). Every preacher ought to have a copy of this book in their library. Not only is this book well written and well organised, it provides a “living application” preaching process that will greatly assist the composition and exposition of God’s inspired Word.
Murray correctly points out that “in expository preaching,the message of the Biblical text is spoken afresh to God’s people today by the preacher in a such a way that those who hear the message sense that God himself is speaking to them and is dealing with their lives…. The primary aim is … that as the biblical text is proclaimed, people will encounter God himself in a life-shaping way.” (16-17) Most of us who are preachers are trained well in seminaries and Bible colleges to help people understand Biblical truth. But preaching is about transformation … “about pressing biblical truth on their lives.” (23)
For novice students of preaching, Murray begins this book by laying down some groundwork when it comes to sermon application — a beginner’s guide. But this preaching resource is not just for beginners. The “meat” of this book (ch’s 2-4) deals with a thorough explanation of the “living application” preaching process: moving from discerning the intended purposes of the living Word, then allowing the Word to be funneled through the life of the preacher, and finally to hit the target: the lives of the hearers. I really resonated Murray’s insistence that preachers preach from a “full reservoir.” I have known those times when my preacher’s well went dry — and how it adversely affected sermon outcomes.
Every preacher discovers sooner or later that if their sermons are to bear fruit, they must take into account the people to whom they are preaching. Murray devotes a whole chapter to point out that preachers need to take into account the varying conditions of people and churches. “Living application doesn’t assume that every heart is the same. It differentiates from person to person, church to church, and season to season….” (127). In another chapter Murray unpacks the nine sharp arrows preachers can use to impact their sermon’s target: the human heart! Blessed is the preacher whose quiver is full of these arrows!
One of my favourite chapters was “Preaching the Kingdom” (ch. 7). Murray talks about preachers developing, what he calls, “pietistic blind spots.” By this he is referring to the times we as preachers make our sermons “only a matter of the heart, rather than firstly a matter of the heart.” (177) Murray goes on to explain how preachers’ sermons need to have a kingdom vision and our applications must also be “kingdom applications.” Murray challenges us to speak about the sins in our world. Why? “First, because if the church won’t speak against evil, who will? Second, if preachers won’t address these issues on Sunday, how will their people be equipped to do battle with them from Monday to Saturday? … most importantly, preachers should speak about these sins because the kingdom of God that has invaded this world stands opposed to all evil.” (180) Not only do we as preachers need to address the sin in our world, but, “given that many people in our congregations spend the bulk of their week in non-church work, we need to apply biblical truth regularly to those contexts so that they are encouraged and strengthened to serve God there well.” (185)
A great feature of this book are the questions at the end of each chapter. Murray notes that these questions “will be of particular value when used by a small group of preachers who discuss these issues together.” (28) Where I live, in Queensland, there is a small group of CRCA preachers who are doing exactly that! This is invaluable. In my last pastorate I had a similar group which met monthly to sharpen the dull edges of our preaching skills. I encourage you to do likewise. Not only will your preaching skills improve, but your congregation will be blessed and the transformative purposes of God’s Work enriched.
To purchase this book, here is a link.