Three Questions to Ask about a Sermon (and Possibly a Fourth)

You may remember my post from earlier this week on David Gordon's book, Why Johnny Can't Preach: The Media Have Shaped the Messengers. Well, there is something else from that book that I'd like to share as we approach the Lord's Day tomorrow and have the opportunity to hear his Word proclaimed. Gordon mentions three questions that listeners ought to be able to answer about a sermon:

1. What was the point or thrust of the sermon?
2. Was this point adequately established in the text that was read?
3. Were the applications legitimate applications of the point, from which we can have further fruitful conversation about other possible applications?
   

Personally, I would want to add a fourth question to the three above: Did the sermon clearly point us to Jesus Christ, demonstrating how the biblical text preached relates to his person and/or work?

Here is the context in which Gordon discusses these questions in the book:

I've really desired something fairly simple for my family: to be able to talk intelligently about the sermon on Sunday afternoon or throughout the week. And to do this, all I really desire is the ability to answer three questions: What was the point or thrust of the sermon? Was this point adequately established in the text that was read? Were the applications legitimate applications of the point, from which we can have further fruitful conversation about other possible applications? Frequently, indeed more commonly that not, I have heard sermons about which my family cannot even answer the first question. And even when we can, it is very rare to find the point adequately established from the passage. Further, the applications suggested almost never have anything to do with the text.

So, spend some time working through these questions with your own family on Sunday afternoons. If you can answer them, give thanks to God that you have a pastor who faithfully preaches the Scriptures. If you can't answer them, pray for your pastor to be more faithful to God's Word.