Application: It’s Not All About Us

I was going to include this in the Random Thoughts post I just did, but I found this one so good I had to set it off to itself.

Melinda at Stand to Reason writes that It’s Not All About Us:

Most preaching in church these days is focused on personal application. That’s been the trend since about the 70s, which was probably a needed balance to the lack of it before. But I’m concerned that we have developed a habit and mentality that leads us to look for personal application all the time. In other words, we’re thinking about ourselves rather than God. There’s something to learn from every bit of the Bible, but sometimes it’s about God, not us.

That’s a wonderful point. We could go crazy if we try to think of a personal “application” for a verse like this:

Revelation 4:8

8 And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!” (ESV)

But not only does it teach us something about God, there actually is a personal application there. Do you see it?

No?

Here it comes…

The thing to take away from a verse like this, the real practical application for your life, is that you should bow down and worship your amazing creator God who was and is and is to come. That’s the application. Apply it to worship. Apply it to your fear of God. Apply it to your understanding of who God is, who you are, and what all the implications of that are. Praise God.

Random Thoughts, 07/20/2007

• Steven Kreloff, guest blogging at Pyromaniacs, wonders Is “Messianic Judaism” a Good Idea?
• Chez Kneel asked recently asked why the priests were allowed to eat the breast and thigh of the Peace Offering, and answers it today.
• Peter Mead makes some very good points about sermon points (or teaching points) in Pointers for Points
  (so point your browser on over there)
• Lifehacker gives us, courtesy of the New York Times, 101 Simple Meals Ready in 10 Minutes or Less
• Irish Calvinist (who also recently updated his site) reminds us that God is near, and [we] need to act like it. (Erik has a way with titles. Check out his tracts, also.)
• Mark Dever is exploring the reasons behind the surge of interest in Calvinism.
• John Piper explains why parents must be united in front of their children.
• And Josh at Desiring God reminds us to READ. So, read something this weekend!

Richard Sibbes on Mercy

Men must not be too curious in prying into the weaknesses of others. We should labour rather to see what they have that is for eternity, to incline our heart to love them, than into that weakness which the Spirit of God will in time consume, to estrange us…
Where most holiness is, there is most moderation, where it may be without prejudice of piety to God and the good of others. We see in Christ a marvellous temper of absolute holiness, with great moderation. What would have become of our salvation, if he had stood upon terms, and not stooped thus low unto us?

from The Bruised Reed, by Richard Sibbes, 1630.