Expositional Preaching

The Definition of Preaching

Expositional preaching is preaching where the point of the sermon is the point of the text.

Expositional preaching is the most important foundation of a healthy church because it drives the other characteristics through the Word of God.

Expositional preaching is not merely a style of preaching, but a commitment to an idea of what preaching must be.

Essential Components

God's Word - God himself is speaking

Explanation

Contemporary Audience

Holy Spirit (The difference between a good sermon and a bad sermon lies with the preacher; effective preaching is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit.

Life Change

Stay on the line

Fundamental Commitment

There is a line which marks the intended purpose of a given text. Good preaching stays on that line.

Leaving the line distorts the message of the Holy Spirit.

Both going above and below the line are destructive.

What might motivate us to say less than the Word says?

What might motivate us to say more than the Word says?

Exercise

Read Mark 7:1-13

Do religious conservatives tend to live above or below the line (vv. 1-5)?

How does Jesus feel about it (vv. 6-8)?

What is the impact on the line (vv. 9-13)?

Read Genesis 3:1-3

How do Even and the Serpent interact with “the line”?

The Congregation and Preaching

How should you listen to preaching? (Listen Up – Christopher Ash)

Expect God to speak

The preachers authority is borrowed authority

Admit God knows better than you

Expect to be challenged

2 Tim 4:1-5 “1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”

Check the preacher with the passage

The Bible should be used for illumination not support

Hear the sermon in church

Be with God’s people

Be in the moment

Talk about the sermon

Be there week by week

The Christian life involves a lot more plodding, ordinary days than exciting dynamite moments. Faithful gathering and listening allows the ordinary work of God to happen over life of the church

Do what the Bible says, today

Jas 1:22 “22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

Commit to handling the Word carefully yourself