Law 3:

The Law of
Application

Method & Maximisers

Monday 1 November 2010

 Application Method
For many pastors there is a block when it
comes to application - they are good on
content but poor at getting round to make it
come alive and life changing in a persons
life.
Wilkinson outlines 5 steps which are
powerful for applying truth to anyone for
lasting change - he says they apply for every
subject.

Monday 1 November 2010

 The flow between the 5 steps is fluid and
dynamic. The steps overlap and build on
one another. Generally they begin with
belief and conclude with behaviour. The
earlier steps are more obvious and widely
practiced, the later ones are more advanced
and rarely practiced.

Monday 1 November 2010

 Don’t progress to the next step before
completing the previous one. When the
steps are regularly practiced , the difference
in teaching is immediate and striking.

Passage Principle Personalise

Explain Expand Emotion

Content Convinced Convicted

Monday 1 November 2010

 Personalise Persuade Perform

Emotion Exhort Evaluate

Convicted Committed Changed

Monday 1 November 2010

 Step 1: Passage
Make sure the students
know the truth - the passage
s a g e
needs explaining by P a s
discussing the content - a
teacher should know if the
p l a i n
student understands the Ex
material - the more complex,
the less understanding of the
t e nt
students etc. the more time is C o n
required

Monday 1 November 2010

 Step 2: Principle

Draw the life changing

principle from the content Principle
you have just taught - an
help the students to
understand it. This is Expand
usually the main idea of
the passage- it is expanded
upon until the student is Convinced
convinced it is biblical.

Monday 1 November 2010

 This step bridges the original
and current audiences -
spanning the time between 1st
century and 21st. When done
well students are convinced this
truth is made for them.
Wilkinson suggests three time
periods you deal with: Original
time, present time, and
universal time, which is
timeless and where the
principle must dwell
Monday 1 November 2010
 Most Christians get fed the
passage but never the principle -
yet this is vital and determines
the amount of life change that
can happen. Be sure the
distinguish between the story
and the essence, between the
passage and the principle.
You can get all the calories you
need from a plate of rice - but
you will die!

Monday 1 November 2010

 The passage stage has
many points of
explanation and
emphasis - the
principle stage has one
point of emphasis. Sift
and meditate until you
can summarise the
timeless truth in one
point - the essence.
This will be beyond
culture or nationality.
Monday 1 November 2010
 Wilkinson suggests the
following ways to master the
principle:
Desire, want to find the meat
of the passage - desire it, seek it.
Finding the essence takes time
and effort - anticipate this so you
won’t be disappointed
Pray for illumination from the
HS to see more of what has
already been written
Think a lot - and meditate

Monday 1 November 2010

 Don’t hunt for the principle in the
commentaries - usually these deal with the facts.
Relax, enjoy developing the principle through
your personality - it might be slow or an ‘aha!’
moment
State the principle in a simple motivating
sentence - e.g. 2 Tim 3:16-17, “Teach for Life
Change”
Your principle should market the message - be
an advertiser/sign writer; catch the peoples
attention, motivate them with it
Jesus - “come follow me”, “if you love me,
keep my commandments”, “abide in me”
Monday 1 November 2010
 Make sure your
principle is thoroughly
biblical - compare with
other passages, key verses
etc.
Lead your class past the
principles so that they
“pre-discover” their own
principles - well crafted
principles reveal their
application immediately

Monday 1 November 2010

 Step 3: Personalize
Having focussed on the
passage and principle you
now turn back to the class - Personalise
here the application takes
shape and touches emotion
and produces conviction Emotion
from HS.
We move from the Convicted
objective to subjective -
“what” to “so what”
Monday 1 November 2010
 This step is the heart and essence
of application - the turning point -
steps 1 and 2 prepare for this,
steps 4 and 5 build upon it.
The role of the teacher is to clarify
the principle - what does it look like
if obeyed?
The role of Holy Spirit is to
convict - for immediate and complete
obedience

Monday 1 November 2010

 Clarification is in the mind -
painted by the teacher in pictures,
ideas etc.
Conviction is in the heart - the
stronger the more likely lasting
change will ensue

Monday 1 November 2010

 How to communicate the
principle with clarity

The teacher helps the student to

see themselves doing the
principle - showing it in action.
This is insight - seeing into, so
you must provide pictures,
broaden horizons etc.
Show the principle at home,
school, work, family, personality
Show it having a positive
impact - great benefits of
application
Monday 1 November 2010
 Reasons the Spirit does not
display his power

1. Unconfessed sin - quenches

Holy Spirit
2. Unbelief - no faith that god
wants to use them mightily
3. Spiritual Attack - Eph 6:12, no
discernment of this!
4. Lack of cooperation with HS -
he is a person, we relate to him as
such

Monday 1 November 2010

 How to cooperate with the Spirit
as he convicts

1. Depend on HS - pray,
relax, be at peace,
unconditionally surrender
2. Discern his movement -
learn to recognise him, and
then rest in what he is doing
3. Direct your students -
teacher an HS have to
cooperate, know when to
say and what to say

Monday 1 November 2010

 Step 4: Persuade

Understanding has taken

place - this step is about
transfer from the emotions
Persuade
to the will of the student.
Persuade by exhorting Exhort
resulting in commitment
“I understand” becomes “I
feel I should” becomes “I Committed
am going to do”

Monday 1 November 2010

 So how do we persuade? Latin, per=
thoroughly, suadere = advise - by the
end of this stage the person has
been thoroughly advised having
seen the whole of the matter very
clearly from beginning to end.
“Once I was blind - now I see” - the
more effective the seeing, the more
effective the change - your
information and presentation
should have been so convincing
that the student will feel compelled
to act.

Monday 1 November 2010

 How to persuade through
content

What do you say to people

who understand but are not
convinced?
Christ desires obedience
not merely consent
Teach not for agreeing but
for obeying, for what they
know they should do!
Be compelling, logical,
thought provoking and life
changing.
Monday 1 November 2010
 How to persuade through your
communication and style

How you say it should

persuade students.
Tone, intensity, body
language - the bible is full
of speakers using powerful
style.
Don’t mumble!

Monday 1 November 2010

 Step 5: Perform

Did the students do it?

What did they perform - Perform
evaluate this to see if they are
changed
Change often requires that you Evaluate
break a habit - that needs
resolve and encouragement, an
often >30 days - so Changed
accountability is required.

Monday 1 November 2010

 Accountability
Maximizers

Monday 1 November 2010

 Maximiser 1: Ask God to develop
in you an applier’s heart

It is not an easy step to

move from a content
teacher to an applier
teacher - it needs your
heart to change

Monday 1 November 2010

 Maximiser 1: Ask God to develop
in you an applier’s heart

Lord it is my deep desire to always teach

others “to observe all things You have
Itcommanded,”
is not an easy step
and to
therefore I ask You to
move from a content
empower me through your Holy Spirit to
teacher to an applier
teach for lasting life change. I invite you to
teacher - it needs your
work in any
heart to change way necessary to develop an
applier’s heart in my life. Impart to me
therefore, You heart for the world!

Monday 1 November 2010

 Maximiser 2: prepare applications
in relation to your students’ needs
Student attend classes
hoping they will find
something that will help
them. Teaching carries an
unstated expectation that the
student has a problem and
the teacher has the solution.
Powerful application touches
the students deepest needs.
How many classes do you
think are a waste of time?
Monday 1 November 2010
 Maximiser 3: plan all parts of the
lesson to contribute to the application

Start your lesson with the

target in mind - life change -
and focus all parts on this,
intro. content, illustrations
etc.
Don’t develop content and
then wonder how to apply it.

Monday 1 November 2010

 Maximiser 4: lead your students beyond
general applications to specific steps of
obedience
Life change is not about
generalities but in specific
identifiable ways.
Make forgiveness a concrete
act - the thought becomes
action, which then needs
specific HS guidance to apply.
There might be one principle
but many ways it can be
applied, don’t legalise it
Monday 1 November 2010
 Maximiser 5: illustrate the application with
Scripture, history, personal experience and
imagination
Illustrations are pictures drawn
with words - and a picture is worth
a 1000 words.
Use illustrations to introduce,
explain, apply and conclude. The current record
>80% illustrations by the best price was paid for a
work from No. 5,
teachers come from personal 1948 by Jackson
experience - danger is of making Pollock sold at US
your life the standard and example. $140 million in
2006.

Monday 1 November 2010

 Maximiser 5: illustrate the application with
Scripture, history, personal experience and
imagination
Illustrations are pictures drawn
Number
with wordsof times
- and used:
a picture Personal
is worth
a 1000 words. > history > scripture >
experience
Use illustrations to introduce,
imagination
explain, apply and conclude. The current record
>80% illustrations by the best price was paid for a
work from No. 5,
teachers come from personal 1948 by Jackson
experience - danger is of making Pollock sold at US
your life the standard and example. $140 million in
2006.

Monday 1 November 2010

 Maximiser 5: illustrate the application with
Scripture, history, personal experience and
imagination
Illustrations are pictures drawn
Number
with wordsof times
- and used:
a picture Personal
is worth
a 1000 words. > history > scripture >
experience
Use illustrations to introduce,
imagination
explain, apply and conclude. The current record
Jesus used parables and
>80% illustrations by the best
allegories.
price was paid for a
work from No. 5,
teachers come from personal 1948 by Jackson
experience - danger is of making Pollock sold at US
your life the standard and example. $140 million in
2006.

Monday 1 November 2010

 Maximiser 5: illustrate the application with
Scripture, history, personal experience and
imagination
Illustrations are pictures drawn
Number
with wordsof times
- and used:
a picture Personal
is worth
a 1000 words. > history > scripture >
experience
Use illustrations to introduce,
imagination
explain, apply and conclude. The current record
Jesus used parables and
>80% illustrations by the best
allegories.
price was paid for a
work from No. 5,
Jesus’
teachersprimary
come fromsource
personalof illustrations
1948 by Jackson
experience
was - danger is of making
his imagination Pollock sold
- the opposite ofatus.
US
your life the standard and example. $140 million in
2006.

Monday 1 November 2010

 Maximiser 6: employ an appropriate
style when calling for commitment

If the life of the student is

what matters, then this step
is vital. Moses, Joshua,
Nehemiah all did this to
challenge their people - it is
biblical.
“Love them enough to ask” -
don’t cower at this moment

Monday 1 November 2010

 Ask appropriately: get the balance
right. Excesses include;
1. Too emotional
2. Too extended
3. Too expansive
4. Too manipulative
5. Too slick, polished
Make sure you speak out of a heart
of love, for God’s glory
Make the call, clear, concise and
requiring a response.

Monday 1 November 2010

 Maximiser 7: strengthen applications
with student accountability

5 proven ways, key

relationships, that
students can account
for their actions -
voluntary
accountability helps
our determination to
do something.

Monday 1 November 2010

 1. Accountability to self -
needs maturity and self
discipline
2. ...to peers
3. ...to significant person(s) -
someone who they respect
and who cares about them
4. ...to the teacher
5. ...to God

Monday 1 November 2010

 Questions
1. Is it possible to teach the Bible and yet not
“feed the sheep”?
2. What % of the time do you think the HS moves
when you teach, why is there a lack of knowing
his presence in class today?
3. Why do you think most teachers have never
considered the fact they are meant to be
persuasive teachers?
4. Were Jesus, Peter and Paul persuasive? What
do you need to change to be like them?

Monday 1 November 2010