InREVIEW: Book Look by Michael J. Breznau
Overdorf, Daniel. Applying the Sermon: How to Balance Biblical Integrity and Cultural Relevance
Here is a book written for preachers by a preacher! Just like a great sermon, Overdorf grabs the reader’s attention and sets out on a fast-paced journey that is both remarkably interesting and informative. What is surprising is all that he is able to convey in a mere 175 pages (plus an appendix). He clearly knows the burdens of a pastor. Time is often short. Distractions are many. But faithful shepherds desire to present their best exegetical-theological-homiletical work every Sunday. Applying the Sermon offers not only warm, heartfelt encouragement but also great tools, points, and worksheets to help any pastor sharpen their game on a weekly basis.
Overdorf doesn’t lie. Building appropriate application into sermons and communicating those applications to a congregation is scary business. As pastors, preaching for application, in effect, is making a “thus says the Lord” pronouncement to God’s people. We better get this right!
So he begins, “Sermon application frightens me . . . Application is neither science nor art . . . practice and effort spur some progress, but it is not always significant. I seldom enter the pulpit confident in my sermon’s applications” (pg. 13-14). With Overdorf’s disarming honesty, the inquiring pastor enters this book wondering if there is a way forward to improve his application of God’s Word. To this end, Overdorf presents his central purpose: “Effective preaching includes application that, first, allows the Word of God to speak (which requires biblical integrity) and, second, allows the Word of God to speak as explicitly and concretely today as it did originally (which requires contemporary relevance)” (pg. 15).
Why is this book so important? Because “preachers often ‘fall off the wagon,’ as Willimon put it, because our application lacks one or both of these elements” (pg. 15). In short, our communication of God’s Word must drive toward application that “preserves biblical integrity while pursuing contemporary relevance” (pg. 19).
Applying the Sermon includes not only Overdorf’s on-point discussions but also insightful interview material from five other well-seasoned pastors: Will Willimon, Tom Long, Haddon Robinson, Bob Russell, and Vic Pentz. Each chapter includes engaging anecdotes from these men that coincide with each section. The chapters smoothly, logically progress from the necessity and definition of effective preaching (Ch. 1), to cooperating with the Holy Spirit (Ch. 2), a defense of sermon application in the Bible (Ch. 3), how to avoid application heresy (Ch. 4), discovering ten key process questions for developing effective sermon application (Chs. 5-6), the explanation of his sermon application worksheet (Ch. 7), and finally, how to integrate application into sermons through using the worksheet (Ch. 8). Overall, his process is clear, engaging, and biblically faithful. I closed this book with a renewed excitement to utilize these tools in my sermon development this week!
Strong Points
The uniqueness and charm of this book is Overdorf’s ability to write with a chastened economy of words. Every step in the process is gainfully explained and well-illustrated, both from present-day pastoring and also examples from the Bible. Unlike many other books on preaching, he provides a deeper level discussion on cooperating with the Spirit in the process of sermon development, as well as, in the preaching moment (see esp. pg. 37-39, 46-50).
He also gives an objective presentation of those with a differing viewpoint, namely, that application should be left entirely to the work of the Holy Spirit (not the preacher) (pg. 36-39). He treats proponents of this view with fairness and charity, even mentioning his own need to heed some of their advice. Overdorf provides excellent, fully-orbed biblical discussions from the Old and New Testaments that defend the inclusion of application in the sermon event (pg. 63-72).
His recap-summaries at the end of each chapter are also helpful for sealing the steps in mind as the reader moves through the tightly woven argument. Combined with his crisp, creative writing style, interview anecdotes, and well laid-out thought pattern, this work is easily accessible to anyone engaged in periodic or frequent preaching.
Weaker Points
Certain examples were straw-men, per se. Over-the-top extremes of scriptural misuse and misapplication brought a smile – even laughter (pg. 73-76). Overdorf admits as much (pg. 76). But while the examples are humorous (and make the point loud and clear), illustrations truer to the application mistakes we are all prone to make would likely have more bite. Yeah.
Two brief discussions are provided about ascertaining the “principle behind the pattern” (i.e. the timeless truth or theological proposition) (pg. 85 and pg. 112-113). However, most of the book centers on the need to move from the original meaning of the text/the authorial intent and then toward present-day application. While Overdorf clearly understands the need for robust theology to operate as the bridge between, an undiscerning reader might assume the only necessary steps for biblical preaching are found in obtaining the text’s meaning and moving straightway to a plausible application based on the filter of his ten key questions (Ch. 5-6).
Reflection and Interaction
Overdorf provides two key ways application can be communicated: with explanation or in demonstration (pg. 21-25 and repeated throughout). These two categories are quite simple yet I’ve never heard it detailed as found in this text. He later shows just how to employ both of these methods separately or in a blended approach (pg. 164-169). I’ve employed both of these forms of illustration many times over, but without the specific knowledge of how they work and why they work. This work brought clarity for better use of these forms in the future.
Ultimately, the extensive (yet rapid) processing of Overdorf’s ten key questions and further development through the filter of his worksheet is worth more than price of the book. My previous homiletical studies focused more on exegetical and theological precision. While application was expected and somewhat explained, my perception is that many of us did not complete the classes with a clear plan on how to derive and communicate relevant application every single week.
Applying the Sermon takes it even one step further: learning, discerning, and praying over your congregation is essential in the process of forming application (pg. 124-130). He writes, “Perhaps, to make certain he considers individuals, the preacher leafs through the church pictorial directory. He sees faces and remembers conversations. He recalls counseling sessions, weddings, births, and time shared in hospital waiting rooms. Or, he might imagine a cross section of listeners sitting around his desk as he prepares the sermon. He hears their questions, struggles, fears, and joys” (pg. 125).
Is this not the central task of the pastor? To “preach the Word and love the people” sage pastors often say. Perhaps the first axiom flows from the second. We love the people we are shepherding so much so that we are forever aflame with the desire to preach the Word to them. At the same time, our deep, shepherding love for them not only motivates our preaching but informs our preaching. In this way, our church-flocks are transformed by the Word of God as we proclaim it in the power of the Spirit and for God’s glory. Together in this beautiful process, we are conformed to Christ.
