For another example, think about preaching a sermon from Genesis 13. We've already noted that the biblical writer seems to pursue explanation in his telling of the story. But as you think about your audience, you think they will challenge the notion that believers should initiate conflict resolution. Perhaps they got burned when they tried to settle an argument with a spouse. Maybe some of them lost jobs because they tried to initiate resolution. Instead, they initiated the process of being terminated. When they hear you say, "Believers should take the initiative to resolve conflict," they may respond, "is it true? I'm not sure I buy it." By anticipating this question, you can use the latter part of the story to validate the idea that God blesses his people when they take the initiative to resolve conflict. You can point out to people that while the short-term payoffs may be deceiving, the long-term payoffs will reward the risk you take to resolve a conflict.

Application

The third functional question tackles application. It asks, So what? What difference does it make? Once again, expositors will begin by asking this question of the text. Did the writer shape the story to show the implications of the story's big idea? Preachers must realize, though, that the narrative form does not lend itself to the kind of application possible in the didactic literature of the New Testament Epistles. For example, in 1 Peter 4:7, the apostle submits this idea: "The end of all things is near." Then, with the word therefore, he launches into a series of applications. What difference does it make if the end is near? Peter sketches applications in the areas of praying, loving, sharing, and serving. While stories rarely apply their ideas this directly, they sometimes apply ideas subtly. For example, the author of Chronicles shapes his material to encourage loyalty. While Kings and Chronicles rely on the same pool of historical events, the writer of Kings chooses material validating the idea that Israel and Judah deserved punishment. Chronicles, on the other hand, speaks to the exiles who return from captivity, assuring them that obeying God will make a difference. Because God blesses loyalty, they should pursue loyalty. To be sure, this development happens subtly as the various stories in Chronicles provide pictures of what loyalty looks like. In preaching Old Testament narratives, the third functional question makes its most significant impact when the preacher relates it to the audience. When related to the audience, this question asks, What will this truth look like when it is fleshed out in the lives of my hearers? What is God calling people to do through this story?

Application is the area where preachers most often run into trouble when preparing sermons from Old Testament narrative literature. To be sure, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Tim. 3:16-17). But how do preachers extract legitimate applications from a story? Haddon Robinson quips, "More heresy is preached in application than in Bible exegesis."3