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ORIGINAL: ChristopherJ007

In Nehemiah 8:8, we see an example for us as ministers of the Word of God:

"So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading."

Our job is not just to tell the people what the Bible says and what it means, but there must always be a point of application, to show them its relevance to their lives here and now. It's true that some messages will be designed to teach or inspire people with a revelation of God's truth (i.e. understanding His grace, adoption, redemption, etc), but those messages will be balanced out with messages that help people to grow and become more like Jesus. That happens as we put His truth into action in our lives.

So, pastors should always make it practical for their listeners, and give them suggestions for how to put the Word into practice in their lives. Sometimes the application will apply to service in the church, but other times it may apply to life in the home, in the workplace, or one's personal life of devotion to Christ.

There is always the danger of course that a preacher will tailor make a message to try to manipulate the people to do something he wants, but as one who believes the best, I would like to think that those situations are the exception rather than the rule.

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ORIGINAL: gralan

"And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women and all that could hear with understanding upon the first day of the seventh month."

I enjoyed your post, and it brought back fond memories of our last study of nehemiah and ezra.

If one is going to actually teach something to the Body of Christ, it is going to have to have applicability. Eyes glaze over too easily as it is. This is one of the major faults of the electronic church (in existence for decades, and now on a computer near you!), and mega churches. The pastor cannot shape the message to the audience.

In the example you gave, one of the things I understood was that the Law was read and then all those other folks were trying to get the people to understand what it meant; for two reasons: One, applicability because the Law had been abandoned for quite a while. Two, it was in somewhat of a foriegn tongue to them. Not everyone spoke the language.

In our American culture, part of my problem with reaching a congregation has been not knowing the subcultural influences that filter how they hear words and think of concepts.

I've heard some pretty unrealistic ideas expressed by teachers/ preachers as applications. Sometimes that is the failure of just not spending time in humble preparation. Sometimes it is because we pulled stuff out of a book of things to use in sermons. Sometimes it is because we are out of touch with reality or have a weak spiritual pulse.

I like to spend 15 hours or so of preparation for one good hour of preaching. In some churches with 3 or more services a week, unless one is delivering the same message it gets easy to get slack. Particularly if the congregation forgets that it isn't the pastors job to visit all the sick, pray at all the meetings, etc., etc., etc.

I know an intentional interim pastor who likes it mainly because he can keep pulling out his old sermons and reusing them time and again. Whatever works I guess.

But I digress.

If one has their head on straight throughout the week, I do not see why one cannot speak off the cuff with exhortation from the text. That follows the longest line of sermon deliveries as far as I know; even back to the synagogues. Read a text. Expound, exhort, extol!