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Nehemiah 8:8 – Preaching Practically
Preaching Practically – In preaching, it is imperative to make applications or else the preaching is never practical. This follows the pattern of Paul’s writing in Ephesians and Colossians; of preaching theology and then preaching daily applications. Obviously one goal is to make the word of God meaningful in everyday life. A second goal in this type of preaching is to help others learn how to make their own applications. So show the connection to the gospel and God’s doctrine, and don’t just make it. There is also a danger that hearing a preacher’s applications, that the hearer does not learn to make their own. They become too dependent on the thinking of another. Another danger is that the applications become more important than the truth establishing it. A third danger is that the application becomes law supplanting God’s doctrine and we end up teaching as doctrine the teachings of men (Mt.15:9). Of course, there is the additional problem that our application has nothing to do with the gospel or God’s doctrine and is simply and deceptively a personal pet peeve. So preach practically, and preach substantively, and preach aware of your impact both negatively and positively.
Nehemiah 8:8 (HCSB) They read out of the book of the law of God, translating and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was read.
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