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In today's post Dr. Paul Lamey highlights the practical benefits of expository preaching for preachers and hearers alike.
"I believe preaching best suited for lasting fruit is
expository in nature. It is preaching that is firmly rooted in God’s Word.
Expository preaching means that the text of Scripture is the starting point of
the message. The text provides the basis for the sermon’s theme and shape. It
also means that the meaning of the text is the goal of the sermon as any
application must be rightly related to what God intended to convey in His Word.
In simple terms, the point of the passage is the point of the sermon. God wants
people to hear from Him, not us.
Christian preaching is expository preaching; that is, it
endeavors to explain the biblical text in its literary and historical context
and applies the message to the needs and problems of the audience. Put simply,
the goal of preaching is to explain the intention of the biblical author for
the building up of the congregation (Scott M. Manetsch, Calvin’s Company
of Pastors, 160).
However, don’t think that expository preaching is a mere
methodology or a formula to follow. It is not an exegetical lecture or a
meandering through a passage merely rehashing the arguments of commentaries. It
is a philosophy of preaching that sees the goal of the sermon as conveying the
truth that the Spirit intended in giving the Word. The result is the Spirit
uses our sermons in ways that we could never anticipate.
Here are four of the benefits of expository preaching:
1) Expository
preaching demonstrates proper handling of God’s Word to the congregation:
Christians often pick and choose what parts of the Bible are
relevant for them to read. Consequently, they find themselves flipping back and
forth through NT epistles––sometimes almost exclusively. Additionally,
Christians can read their Bibles with little to no regard for the meaning of
words or the importance of context––a venture that results in incorrect
interpretation of the Bible. Such a method reflects that (1) the
individual––not God––determines what is relevant to ponder, and (2) that the
careful handling of Scripture is not important. Expository preaching, however,
provides the congregation with a model of how to handle God’s Word. The
congregation sees in the pastor not only how to approach the Scripture with a
God-honoring attitude, but also they learn how to apply a sound method for
interpretation. Expository preaching demonstrates to the congregation careful
attention to the meaning of passages, the necessity of reading books in the way
they were originally read by the early church, and the obligation for
Christians to give careful attention to the immediate context of a passage, as
well as to the context of the entire book, paying attention to repeated words,
concepts, and theological themes.
2) Expository
preaching has practical and spiritual benefit:
The pastor is not left to think up the next preaching series
and then to start from scratch with a new topic. Expository preaching’s
teaching schedule is determined by the next text in the book being taught. The
pastor knows what he is preaching well in advance and can prepare accordingly.
Moreover, expositional preaching deepens the pastor’s understanding of the
Bible and his love for God as the pastor moves verse by verse through the text,
watering the seeds of faithful study with thoughtful meditation. Consequently,
the congregation’s understanding of Scriptural truth is deepened as they hear
sermons taught by pastors who rightly discern the meaning of texts and whose
hearts have been set aflame by biblical truth.
3) Expository
preaching guards the pastor from Scriptural neglect:
Systematically preaching through books of the Bible ensures
that your agenda is the next passage. Difficult passages of Scripture are often
skipped. In contrast, expositional preaching forces the pastor to teach what he
would otherwise neglect (e.g., Gen 33, 38). Teaching difficult passages exposes
the congregation to the whole counsel of God’s Word while also helping them to
see the spiritual profitability of all Scripture, including the difficult
passages (2 Tim 3:16–17).
John Stott offers clear counsel here: “One way to escape
extremes of neglect and overemphasis is to work steadily through books of the
Bible or at least whole chapters, expounding everything, shirking nothing” (The
Preacher’s Portrait, 26).
4) Expository
preaching balances the message from theological overemphasis:
Providing undue attention to topics one finds important,
culturally relevant, or interesting will always be a temptation. Expositional
preaching guards the pastor from emphasizing personal hobbyhorses or passing
cultural fads.
Much is made today about contextualization. The sermon
should speak clearly and plainly to the intended audience, but preachers should
not seek to address every perceived need or fad in order to make the text
relevant. This is because the plain meaning of Scripture is already relevant to
every age and culture. Relevancy comes when the sermon exposes the meaning the
Spirit inspired, then showing its application for life.
This balance will cultivate timeless sermons. A timeless
sermon is one that is rooted in the text with a focus on the abiding truths of
the passage. This is why some of the most effective preachers can speak clearly
and authoritatively across international boarders and in most cultural
situations without changing the heart of their messages. I’ve heard John
MacArthur say numerous times, “You can have a ministry that will go on until
Jesus comes as long as your sermons are not bound by the culture.”
Now what?
1) If you are new to expositional preaching, hear and read
sermons by pastors who do it well (e.g., John MacArthur, Kent Hughes, David
Jackman, Conrad Mbewe). Doing so helps you understand what true exposition
looks like in practice.
2) Read helpful books on expositional preaching. In doing
so, you will better understand how to discern the meaning of texts in their
historical and cultural contexts while also learning how to effectively
communicate the Bible’s meaning.
3) Begin your expositional ministry by preaching through a
short, New Testament epistle (e.g., Philippians, Colossians, 1 Peter). Short
epistles are typically easier to understand and apply as opposed to narrative
portions. As your skill in teaching God’s Word increases, move to books that are
lengthier and from a different literary genre (e.g., narrative, Psalms).
4) As you preach expositionally, give attention not only to
the meaning of the immediate passage you are preaching but also to the general
context of the book. Doing so helps you understand the individual parts of the
book more thoroughly and accurately.
This article was first published here. If you want to become a more faithful expository preacher the two premier expository preaching centers today are the Master's Seminary and the Expositors Seminary.
