How do we get from any given text to the gospel?

9Marks
Set the text within the context of the whole book it’s in. The unique themes of the book will point the way to Christ. The themes of creation and promise in Genesis, redemption in Exodus, holiness and sacrifice in Leviticus, and so on, all ultimately point to Christ, and individual passages within those books generally highlight those themes in some way.

How can a preacher explicitly address non-Christians in his sermons?

9Marks
Be sensitive to the worldview and emotional wiring of non-Christians. Think in advance about how your sermon will sound to them. When you arrive at a point in your sermon that you think would be particularly interesting or offensive to non-Christians, pause and explain it in greater detail. When you do so, explicitly address non-Christians. You can say something like, “If you’re not a Christian, I wonder what you think about that last point…”

Are there unwise ways to do a pastoral search?

9Marks
Try to land a big fish. Some churches go after a long list of “big name” pastors and hope that they’ll catch one. While we should be grateful for men whom God has made widely useful, we shouldn’t primarily target men because of their reputation, but because of their character, biblical qualifications, and biblical philosophy of ministry.

How can expositional preaching be evangelistic?

9Marks
It is evangelistic. God’s Word is what converts sinners (Rom. 10:17; 1 Pet 1:23). Faithfully preaching God’s Word week after week exposes dead sinners to the only source of spiritual life: God’s Word. So expositional preaching is inherently evangelistic.

What’s this “sermon application grid” that 9Marks keeps talking about?

9Marks

In his sermon preparation, Mark Dever uses what he calls an “application grid” as a tool to help him think how each point of the sermon relates to the rest of redemptive history, the person and work of Christ, and how it applies to different categories of hearers. Download an application grid: Blank | Completed Sample

What tips do you have on doing a pastoral search wisely?

9Marks
Train your own. The best way for a church to get a new pastor is to train him themselves. This is a serious investment of time that could take years or even decades to bear fruit. But it is every church’s responsibility to train pastors and elders, and the best new pastor for any church will be a man who is already known to the church, already loves the church, and already has a faithful track record within the church.

What are the different “stations of life” a preacher should keep in mind when applying the text?

9Marks
Age.  Speak to children, adults, and seniors. Marital status/family situation. What does your text say to singles, young couples, couples with grown children, barren couples, divorcees, single moms, widows, and so on? Employment. Does your text have any application for homemakers, for employers, for workaholics, for people who aren’t happy with their jobs, for the unemployed?

If you’re interviewing to be the pastor of a new church, what are some questions you should be sure to ask?

9Marks

A. Theological Questions 1. What is the church’s statement of faith? 2. What has been the most vexed theological question the church has faced? Has there ever been a church split over theology or practice? Why? 3. What theological trends and strands of false teaching are the elders of the church particularly concerned about? 4. Who do you understand to be the biblically designated leaders of the church? 5. What do you understand the roles and responsibilities of elders to be?

What are different spiritual categories of hearers a preacher should have in mind when applying the text?

9Marks

You should strive to apply your sermons to both

How can a preacher apply a text to the church as a whole?

9Marks
Look for ways to teach and affirm biblical commands about what the church does when it gathers. Look for opportunities to teach the congregation about their individual responsibilities to one another in daily Christian living. Look for ways to promote trust in the church’s leadership.

What kind of questions should a church ask a pastoral candidate?

9Marks

A church should ask at least four types of questions of any potential pastor: theological, philosophy of ministry, practical, and personal.

Can a preacher apply the meaning of a text to hundreds of different hearers? Isn’t that the Holy Spirit’s job?

9Marks

The important thing to consider here is the preacher’s work compared to the Holy Spirit’s work.

Can a preacher really preach a whole book in one expositional sermon? If so, how?

9Marks

Suppose your friend asks you to summarize a two-hour movie you just saw. You could do that in five minutes or less. You would summarize the movie’s contents, emphasize what the movie is about, and by pointing to key moments in the movie.

As a young pastor thinks about initiating change, why is trust such an important factor?

9Marks

If a young pastor is thinking about initiating change, it’s important for his people trust him because:

Must a preacher’s homiletical outline match his exegetical outline?

9Marks

Not necessarily. An expositional sermon should explain and apply the main point of a passage of Scripture. If a preacher is able to derive his homiletical outline directly from his exegetical outline, so much the better. This often allows the congregation to better see the structure of a passage.

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