Expositional Preaching

A healthy church prioritizes preaching that explains and applies God’s Word.

Question to Engage:

“Have you ever heard a sermon that felt more like the preacher’s opinion than God’s truth? How did it make you feel?”

Today, we’re diving into what Mark Dever calls the first essential mark of a healthy church: expositional preaching. This isn’t just any kind of preaching—it’s letting God’s Word take the lead. Let’s explore what that means and why it matters.

1. What is Expositional Preaching? (Letting the Bible Set the Agenda)

Expositional preaching is when the sermon’s main point comes directly from the meaning of a specific Bible passage. The preacher’s job is to “expose” or unpack what God has already said, not to create a message from personal ideas or popular trends.

Key Characteristics:

- Stays true to the text’s context and intent.

- Lets Scripture dictate the topic, tone, and application.

- Focuses on explaining and applying God’s Word clearly.

Think of the Bible as the script and the preacher as the actor. The actor doesn’t rewrite the script—he delivers it faithfully to the audience.

“Why do you think it’s tempting for preachers to stray from the Bible’s agenda to their own?”

2. Why It’s Essential: It Feeds, Corrects, and Grows the Church

Feeds:

Just as we need food to live, the church needs God’s Word to thrive spiritually (Matthew 4:4 – “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God”). Expositional preaching delivers that nourishment.

Matthew 4:4 ESV

But he answered, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”

Corrects:

It realigns us with truth when we drift into error or sin (2 Timothy 3:16 – Scripture is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training).

2 Timothy 3:16 ESV

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

Grows:

It builds faith and maturity by rooting us in God’s promises and commands (Romans 10:17 – “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ”).

Romans 10:17 ESV

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Expositional preaching is like a compass for a ship—it keeps the church on course, no matter the storms or distractions.

“How have you seen God’s Word, taught clearly, either feed, correct, or grow you personally?”

3. Examples of Its Impact

Nehemiah 8:1–8 ESV

And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.

– When the people of Israel returned from exile, Ezra read the Law and the priests explained it. The result? The people understood, repented, and worshipped. Expositional preaching revived a nation.

Share a brief example—either from your life or a hypothetical one—like this: “I remember a time I was struggling with bitterness. A sermon on Ephesians 4:31-32 unpacked God’s call to forgive. It wasn’t just advice; it was God’s Word piercing my heart, and it changed me.”

Ephesians 4:31–32 ESV

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

“Can you think of a time when a sermon rooted in Scripture made a real difference in your life or someone else’s?”

Summary:

Expositional preaching isn’t just a style—it’s essential because it lets God speak through His Word to feed, correct, and grow His church. A healthy church doesn’t settle for less.

Challenge:

This week, pay attention to the preaching you hear. Does it unpack Scripture faithfully? Pray for your pastors to stay true to this calling.

“Lord, thank You for Your Word that guides us. Help our church prioritize preaching that honors You, and give us hearts to listen and obey. Amen.”