Explanation and Application in Preaching

John MacArthur gives a good testimony to the work of the Spirit in applying the Word of God when it is preached. While I do believe that ministers should seek to apply the Scriptures (and I would assume he does to some degree too), we should remember that the Word explained IS the Word applied. MacArthur explains,

Application belongs to the Spirit of God...I don’t need to say all kinds of little scenarios to you and paint all kinds of little individual circumstances. All I need you to know is this is what the Word of God says and the implications are powerfully brought to bear with authority on your life...It is the Spirit’s work to drive those implications into direct and personal application. That’s why you’re not going to, like so many preachers, hear me create all kinds of practical scenarios about how this all fleshes out in everybody’s world. You may hit somebody, you may hit a person here or there, that’s kind of a rifle-shot approach, the shot-gun approach that sprays everybody is the implicational essence of Scripture. That’s the power. And that’s when everybody walks out and says, “Wow, that hit me!” because you already have a commitment to the authority and the power of Scripture.