Mark Dever’s Sermon Application Grid | Servants University

In his Sermons, pastor Mark Dever uses the following Grid to generate applications for the text that he is preaching.

Mark Dever uses an application grid to help him consider how each timeless truth within a Bible passage or each point within a sermon relates to the rest of redemptive history, the person and work of Christ, the different categories of hearers in his audience, and different domains of life. His grid can be useful when we aren’t writing a sermon but applying the Bible in our personal lives alone.

When considering application in a sermon, Dever recommends considering the spiritual classifications of people who will be hearing the sermon and thinking of how the text might speak to each group.

The goal of a grid, like Dever’s grid, is not to use all the application points one may generate during Bible study and sermon writing but to force the interpreter to be methodical and consider different scenarios in which the passage can be applied.[i]

Dever’s grid forces the reader to consider how each point and subpoint he wants to make from his passage might apply to the following nine scenarios. I have slightly edited some questions and added a few others.

Christ and Salvation History

Unique Salvation History. Where does this text stand in relation to Christ? How does this passage fit within the redemptive context (history or story) of the entire Bible? What about the passage is important for the way God unfolds his plan of salvation in history? What’s unrepeatable by us but worthy of worshipping God for or needing further explanation?
How does this passage show that God must make provision for fallen creatures who cannot provide for themselves? How does this passage point to or find fulfillment in Christ? How is Jesus foreshadowed or typed? What particular perfection of Christ does that type depict? How does the imperfection of the type highlight theirs and our need for Christ? How does this passage reflect the gracious nature of God, who provides for people who can’t provide for themselves? How is Jesus remembered or described in character, authority, glory, or essence? How does Jesus’ perfect life fulfill this passage for me (to satisfy God’s justice and righteous standards) and empower me to live it out with his help for his glory?

The gospel is the central message of the Bible, and our goal is to preach the gospel of Christ in every personal application or sermon. Paul summarized his preaching ministry by saying, “We preach Christ crucified” (1 Cor. 1:23; 1 Cor 2:1-2; 1 Cor 1:22-24; 2 Cor 4:4-5; Gal 6:14). Thomas Jones echoed Paul when he wrote, “True Christian preaching must center on the cross of Jesus Christ. The cross is the central doctrine of the Holy Scriptures. All other revealed truths either find their fulfillment in the cross or are necessarily founded upon it. Therefore, no doctrine of Scripture may faithfully be set before men unless it is displayed in its relationship to the cross. The one who is called to preach, therefore, must preach Christ because there is no other message from God.”[1]

Focusing on the gospel and beholding Christ in the text leads us to worship God. Jeramie Rinne notes, “When you go off on God’s character during a sermon, it triggers a reflex of worship and wonder in the heart of believers. Relevance erupts in the pews as hearts treasure Jesus himself, shining through the pages of Scripture.”[ii] This is true not only for sermons but also for personal application.

Bryan Chappell’s book, Christ-centered preaching, is a good resource for this type of gospel-centered application.

Different People Categories

Non-Christian. How does the passage speak to the unbeliever? How does it call him/her to repentance and belief? How does it warn, rebuke, correct, or prod the unbeliever? What does it say about the danger of the unbeliever’s situation, the exclusivity of Christ, the sinner’s need for a Savior, or the sufficiency of that Savior as a substitute for the sinner? Jeramie Rinne suggests anticipating objections and asking, “What objections might a skeptic raise? Where would a skeptic get stuck in your passage? Would she get hooked by an exclusive truth claim, a vivid description of God’s wrath, or a rigorous moral demand?” [iii] He recommends taking a minute in a sermon to address doubts endemic to your audience or culture. Rinne isn’t suggesting that we turn sermons into apologetic lectures. However, he points out that “apologetic comments can be a kind of application because they address the questions people have.” Tim Keller’s list of “Defeater Beliefs” is a good place to start when analyzing a specific scripture for hot-button issues.
Individual Christian. What does the passage mean for the life of the individual Christian? How does it call him/her to deeper repentance and belief? How does it warn, rebuke, correct, motivate, comfort, or encourage the Christian?
Gender/Marriage/Family. Men/Women; Family (Marriage, husbands/wives, and Children); Single men/women. How does the passage speak to men? How does the passage speak to women? How does this passage apply to the husband and wife, and how does this apply to the family? How does the passage speak to the other constituencies?
Your Local Church. What does the passage mean for the corporate life of our local church? How does it call the local corporate body to tend to its corporate life together and corporate witness to the unbelieving community around it? We live in an individualistic and self-focused world and often think of God’s word only in terms of personal application. We think of how it is relevant to me and never consider how it applies to us as a group of local believers. Yet, most of God’s word was written to a corporate body (whether Israel or local churches). Thus, make it a point to apply the text to the life of the congregation or local church body.
Unity in diversity. How does this passage demonstrate the unity that we have in Christ? How does it reflect the diversity of the body?

Work and Public Life

What does this passage say to the employee and employer? What does it say about how we do our work?
Public life. What does the passage say about our lives and roles in the public sphere as Christians and non-Christians (e.g., government, neighborhood)?

[1] Thomas F. Jones, quoted in “Christ Centered Preaching” by Bryan Chapell, pg. 271

[i] “Application Grid by Mark Dever,” KingLove Church, last modified April 30, 2021, https://www.kinglove.org/application-grid-by-mark-dever/.

[ii] https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/learning-the-art-of-sermon-application/ Last Accessed 8/17/2022

[iii] https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/learning-the-art-of-sermon-application/ Last Accessed 8/17/2022