Preaching Christ to the Heart: Christ-Centered Preaching Series 6 of 6

By Larry Kirk

In this final lesson of our series, we turn to the preacher’s highest calling: preaching Christ not only to the mind, but to the heart.

Throughout this series, we have emphasized careful exegesis, clear propositions, unified structure, contextual application, and gospel-centered proclamation. But all of that ultimately leads to this question:

Are we pressing the gospel into the real burdens, sins, fears, and hopes of our people?

Preaching Christ to the heart means calling both believers and unbelievers to repentance and faith—and doing so in a way that makes Christ himself the motive and the means.

Application at the Forefront

In a culture with little biblical literacy, we can no longer assume context. We cannot assume people understand the storyline of Scripture. We cannot assume they will patiently wait thirty minutes for the sermon to “get practical.”

That is why application must move to the forefront.

If unbelieving friends are in the room—and we hope they are—if some spouses believe and others do not, if young people are wrestling with doubt, then we must surface early and clearly the human need the text addresses.

Bryan Chapell’s term Fallen Condition Focus is especially helpful here. Every passage addresses some aspect of the human problem—sin, weakness, fear, pride, suffering, rebellion, misplaced trust. Only Christ ultimately resolves that condition.

When I skip identifying that fallen condition, I often find myself later retracing my steps. But when I surface it early—even in the introduction—it frames the entire sermon.

What is the human need here?
What burden are people carrying?
How does this passage speak directly into it?

Preaching Christ to the heart begins by naming the problem honestly. 

From Exegetical Points to Application Points

There is an important distinction between an exegetical point and an application point.

An exegetical observation might be: Paul rebuked Peter to his face.

But that is not yet the point of the sermon. 

If I preach Galatians and say, “Paul rebuked Peter,” I have stated a historical fact. But why is that recorded in Holy Scripture? The deeper point is this: The gospel is worth fighting for.

Paul’s rebuke is the proof.
The point is the value and purity of the gospel.

Likewise, when preaching 1 Peter, instead of saying, “Peter told them to be subject,” I prefer to state the main point directly as application: We must be subject. The main point of Scripture is always meant to be lived.

All Scripture is given for transformation. If my main point does not apply to your life, I have not yet reached the main point.

This does not diminish exegesis. It fulfills it.

Calling Believers to Live Out the Gospel

When preaching to believers, preaching Christ to the heart means more than urging obedience. It means showing how obedience flows from union with Christ.

For example, when Scripture calls us to be subject to governing authorities, that application must be concrete:

• We obey the law.

• We pay our taxes.

• We submit to local regulations—even when inconvenient.

And yet we also clarify the limits of submission. If commanded to deny Christ, we obey God rather than men.

Preaching Christ to believers means helping them navigate real tension points:

What do I do when my boss makes a decision I disagree with?
How do I respond when I distrust political leadership?
How do I live as a faithful citizen in a hostile culture?

The application must move from principle to practice. It must move from ancient context to present obedience. But it must also remind believers that they obey not to earn favor, but because they belong to the King and are empowered by his Spirit.

The Christian life is not merely about forgiveness and heaven. It is about entering the kingdom of Christ and living under his gracious rule.

Calling Unbelievers to Repent and Believe

The preacher carries a solemn responsibility: regularly and clearly present the gospel to unbelievers.

Every sermon should create a pathway to Christ.

This does not require an altar call. It does require invitation.

Sometimes the invitation comes in the closing prayer:

If you have never trusted Christ, turn to him now. Repent and believe the gospel.

Sometimes it comes in guided reflection:

With your heads bowed, consider where this text confronts you. Ask Christ to reveal your need. Now pray a prayer of commitment.

Sometimes it comes through a corporate prayer of response projected on the screen, crafted in language that speaks both to first-time faith and renewed obedience.

However it is expressed, the call must be clear:

Turn to Christ.
Trust his finished work.
Enter his kingdom by grace.

Preaching Christ to the heart means never assuming everyone present already believes. 

Inviting Many Kinds of Response

A healthy congregation includes people at different levels of spiritual maturity. Therefore, application should invite multiple responses.

• The unbeliever is called to repentance and faith.

• The new believer is called to foundational obedience.

• The mature believer is called to deeper trust and surrender.

A sermon can create space for response in many ways:

• Directed prayer moments.

• Silent reflection.

• Corporate prayers of confession or commitment.

• A closing song that reinforces the gospel invitation.

The goal is not emotional pressure. The goal is thoughtful, Spirit-dependent response.

Turning Up the Music

Throughout this series, we have spoken about “playing the music” of the gospel. In this final lesson, we emphasize that sometimes the preacher must intentionally turn up the music.

Chart a course for gospel-centered preaching across the year. Plan series that clearly highlight Christ’s person and work. Seek counsel. Pray over your preaching calendar.

Ask:

• How will Christ remain central in every season?

• Where must the gospel be especially explicit? 

Faithful preaching does not happen accidentally. It requires prayerful planning.

When we preach, we are not merely explaining ancient texts. We are announcing good news. We are calling the dance. We are charting a course for our people to walk in peace under the reign of Christ.

Preaching Christ to the Heart

In this lesson, we have seen that:

• Application must be brought to the forefront in our cultural context.

• Every passage contains a fallen condition that only Christ ultimately solves.

• Exegetical points must become life-shaping application points.

• Believers must be called to live out the gospel in concrete obedience.

• Unbelievers must be regularly invited to repent and believe.

• Every sermon must ultimately point to Jesus Christ and press his gospel into the heart.

Preaching Christ to the heart is not about emotional manipulation. It is about faithful proclamation. It is about naming the problem honestly, presenting Christ clearly, and inviting real response.

As you stand to preach, remember: there are burdens in the room. There are secret sins. There are quiet doubts. There are marriages under strain. There are unbelievers listening.

Your task is not merely to inform them. It is to bring them to Christ.

By God’s grace, may our preaching not only explain the Word, but apply the gospel so deeply that hearts are changed, faith is strengthened, and sinners are drawn to the King.

Paul's Pattern for Preaching: Christ-Centered Preaching Series 3 of 6

By Larry Kirk

John Stott once observed that the secret of effective preaching is not mastering techniques but being mastered by convictions. That insight goes to the heart of Christ-centered preaching. The most important question is not how to preach Christ-centered sermons, but whether we are deeply convinced that this is what faithful preaching must do.

There is no shortage of advice today on how to do Christ-centered preaching. But the single most important issue is not technique—it is conviction. When it becomes a settled conviction that preaching must both turn up the music of the gospel and call the dance of obedience, the methods tend to follow.

This is why the analogy matters. If preachers are convinced that God’s grace in Christ must always be proclaimed and that obedience must be called forth faithfully, they will find ways to do both. Technique flows from conviction.

To deepen this conviction and to see what Christ-centered preaching looks like in practice, we can turn to one of the greatest church planters and pastors in history: the apostle Paul. Few books display his preaching pattern more clearly—or more beautifully—than the book of Ephesians.

The Music: The Riches of God’s Grace (Ephesians 1–3)

Ephesians divides naturally into two halves. Chapters 1–3 proclaim the riches of God’s grace in Christ. Chapters 4–6 show how that grace reshapes every part of life. Paul does not blur these together. He establishes the music before he ever calls the dance.

In Ephesians 1, Paul begins not with commands but with praise. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” sets the entire letter in the context of worship. What follows is a breathtaking catalogue of grace:

• God chose us before the foundation of the world

• He predestined us for adoption

• In Christ we have redemption through his blood

• Our sins are forgiven according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished on us

• We have an inheritance

• We are sealed with the Holy Spirit, the guarantee of our redemption

The result is doxology and prayer. Paul ends the chapter praying that believers would grasp the power now at work within them.

Ephesians 2 presses even deeper into grace. Paul reminds us who we once were: dead in sin, following the course of this world, children of wrath. Then come two of the most powerful words in Scripture: “But God.” God, rich in mercy, because of his great love, made us alive together with Christ. By grace we are saved.

Later in the chapter, Paul shows that this grace reconciles us not only to God but to one another. Those who were once strangers are now members of God’s household. The dividing wall has been torn down, and Christ himself is the cornerstone.

In Ephesians 3, Paul celebrates the inclusion of the Gentiles in this gracious plan and declares the astonishing result: because of Christ, we now approach God with freedom, confidence, and boldness.

Here is a striking observation: in the first three chapters of Ephesians, there is essentially one imperative—to remember who we were before grace. For three chapters, Paul turns up the music.

The Hinge: A Prayer for Power and Love (Ephesians 3:14–21)

Before moving to commands, Paul pauses to pray. This prayer is the hinge of the entire letter.

He prays that believers would be strengthened with power through the Spirit in their inner being, so that Christ may dwell in their hearts through faith. This is not about whether Christ indwells believers—Paul has already affirmed that reality. Rather, he is praying for an experiential, lived awareness of Christ’s presence through active faith.

Paul prays that believers would be rooted and established in love—using images from agriculture and architecture—and that they would grasp the vast dimensions of Christ’s love: its width, length, height, and depth. This is not mere intellectual knowledge but a lived, transforming knowledge that fills us with the fullness of God.

Only then does Paul move to the imperatives.

The Dance: A Life Shaped by the Gospel (Ephesians 4–6)

Ephesians 4 begins with the turning point: “Therefore, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” “Worthy” does not mean earning God’s favor; it means living in a way that fits the grace already given.

Suddenly, imperatives abound.

Paul calls believers to humility, gentleness, patience, and unity. He urges them to speak the truth in love, to put off the old self and put on the new, to be angry without sinning, to stop stealing and start working, to use words that build up rather than tear down.

He addresses bitterness, slander, forgiveness, sexual purity, speech, time management, and substance abuse. He speaks to marriages, families, workplaces, and spiritual warfare. Children are told to obey, parents to nurture, believers to put on the armor of God and pray always.

As Sinclair Ferguson once observed, the gospel in Ephesians is like white light passing through a prism, refracted into every color of life. Nothing is untouched.

Paul does not weaken the call to obedience. The aim is nothing less than full obedience—100 percent, from the inside out, all of life, all the time. But the obedience flows from grace. The God who choreographs the dance also composes the music that empowers it.

Why This Pattern Matters for Preaching

Paul’s pattern teaches us something essential about Christ-centered preaching. Preaching the gospel does not diminish the importance of commands. It establishes the only foundation on which obedience can flourish.

We cannot dance well unless we are listening to the music. When preaching calls people to obedience without first immersing them in grace, it produces guilt, fear, or moralism. When preaching turns up the music without ever calling the dance, it produces passivity. Paul gives us neither option.

Faithful preaching follows his pattern: proclaim Christ, exalt grace, pray for the Spirit’s power, and then call God’s people to live lives worthy of the calling they have already received.

That is Paul’s pattern for preaching—and it remains a model for every preacher who longs to see the gospel transform real lives.