Expository Preaching

Expository Preaching is the first and most important mark of a thriving church

OUTLINE

A. The first mark of a healthy church is expositional preaching.

1. Expositional preaching is the ground on which all other marks of a healthy church take root and flourish by giving the Word of God priority.

2. Expositional preaching is the basic diet of a local church.

Expositional preaching is also known as expository preaching.

Expositional preaching is often spoken of in contrast with topical preaching, though topical preaching isn’t necessarily unbiblical.

B. What is expositional preaching?

1. Scripture shapes expositional preaching.

The heart of an expositional sermon comes directly from the heart of a particular passage of Scripture, seeking to unfold and explain it.

We find an example of expositional preaching in the explaining of the law to the people of God in the book of Ezra.

2. Expositional preaching is in service to the Word.

Expositional preaching presumes the authority of God’s Word.

Preachers are called to bring God’s Word to God’s people and have authority only insofar as they preach God’s Word.

C. Expositional preaching centers on the Word.

1. God speaks through expositional preaching.

Apart from God’s revealing Himself in His Word, a preacher and a congregation will never get beyond what they already know.

A preacher may teach a congregation about an important topic but never preach the point of a given passage of Scripture.

A preacher committed to expositional preaching will preach a passage of Scripture in context to allow God’s Word to speak.

A preacher who doesn’t preach expositionally runs the risk of only bringing a congregation up to his level.

2. Preaching should be Word centered and Word directed, because God’s Word creates and sustains God’s people.

a. God spoke and created all things (Gen. 1).

b. God spoke and Abraham responded by faith (Gen. 12).

c. God spoke and His people received the law (Ex. 20).

d. God spoke and Ezekiel envisioned the life-giving Spirit (Ezek. 37).

3. The Word is the central creative agent in all of Scripture and must be central in preaching because God saves by it alone.

God made the world by His Word, came into the world by His Word, and saves the world by His Word (John 1; Rom. 10).

When God’s Word is heard, the Holy Spirit creates God’s people.

4. The Word is at the heart of Reformation theology.

D. Expositional preaching makes and matures Christians.

1. God’s Word is as essential to our growth as it was to our conversion.

God feeds us through the Word (Duet. 8:3; Matt. 4:4).

God cleanses us through the Word (Eph. 5:25–26).

2. God’s Word directs our lives and continually conforms us to Christ’s image.

3. God’s Word is to be the substance of preaching.

Preachers nurture God’s people by preaching God’s Word.

The Holy Spirit does not use mere moral exhortations, history lessons, or social commentaries; the Holy Spirit uses God’s Word.

4. God’s Word is of the utmost priority.

Paul told Timothy, “Preach the word” (2 Tim. 4:2), understanding it to be the “word of life” (Phil. 2:16).

The office of deacon was created so that the Apostles could devote themselves “to prayer and the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4).

5. God’s Word is authoritative.

a. Jesus and the Apostles quoted the Old Testament as the authoritative guide to the will and ways of God.

b. Expositional preaching rests in the authority of God’s Word.

E. Expositional preaching is what our culture needs.

1. Expositional preaching is often wrongly considered outdated.

People suggest that the church needs a less authoritarian, more artistic, and more communal approach to communicating God’s truth.

Expositional preaching may be the perfect medium to address a talkative, self-centered, confused, and anti-authoritarian culture.

2. Expositional preaching does not need to be reshaped.

We received God’s grace through the Word; we did not contribute to our salvation.

The idea that we must contribute something to make the Word more palatable is inconsistent.

F. Expositional preaching is not forever.

1. A day will come when faith will give way to sight.

We will one day see God (Rev. 22:4).

Sermons are unique to this side of heaven.

God’s Word must be preached until that day.

G. Expositional preaching is a mark of a healthy church.

1. The Word must be absolutely central, so that preaching has a particular content and transparency of form.

2. The Word must be expected, such that church members should encourage, pray for, seek out, and thank God for Word-centered preaching.

3. The Word is the truth, so preaching must convey that the Word is the only place in which truth can be found.

QUIZ

1. Many of the marks of a healthy church hinge on expositional preaching (T/F)
   

2. Expositional preaching is often contrasted with ___________ preaching.
   

3. The heart of expository preaching is ____________.
   

4. The Holy Spirit does not use means to grow God’s people. (T/F)
   

5. Which Bible prophet was used as an example of expository preaching?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What is the primary characteristic of expositional preaching? How is it related to God’s creative power?

2. Why is expositional preaching important? What impact has expositional preaching had in your life?

3. What can a church wrongly prioritize over the Word? What detriment would such a wrong prioritization have to a congregation?

4. Why is expositional preaching the best method to reach our culture?