Components of Exposition

Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon The Goal

Still, I found it striking that I, and all expository preachers, shared something profoundly spiritual with this desperate man—an instinctive faith that the Bible has something to say about the deepest needs of our lives and can truly provide for them.

Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon The Goal

Expository preachers and the people who sit before them each week are convinced that Scripture can be mined to extract God’s wisdom and power for daily living.

Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon The Goal

Our goal as expository preachers is to keep this faith alive by demonstrating week after week what the Word of God says about the daily concerns we and our listeners face.

Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon The Goal

This goal reminds us that most people do not want or need a lecture that simply recounts Bible facts. They want and need a sermon that demonstrates how the information in the Bible applies to their lives.

Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon The Goal

Application is as necessary for sound exposition as is explication. In fact, the real meaning of a text remains hidden until we discern how its truths affect our lives.

Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon The Goal

Preaching a sermon is an act of shepherding that requires a minister to consider every aspect of structure, exegesis, and delivery as a potential tool for spiritual nurture, admonition, and healing.

Not Information Priority

Application Priority

Application is not an add-on

Application is the main thing to be done

Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon The Goal

the primary duty of the expositor is to exhort the people of God to apply the truths revealed in Scripture because this is the intent of God’s Word

The Pattern

The Bibles description of Christ’s words as he accompanied the two disciples on the road to Emmaus:

Luke 24:27 AV

And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

Explained = “to unfold the meaning of something” or “to interpret”

Later the two disciples offered commentary on Christ’s words, saying:

Luke 24:32 AV

And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

Unfolding and Opening the meaning of the Word of God

Nehemiah 8:5–8 AV

And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up: And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground. Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place. So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

Presentation: Read

Explanation: Making it clear and giving it’s meaning

Exhortation: Priests caused them to understand in such a way that they could use the information that was imparted.

Jesus first explained His ministry

Luke 4:18

Luke 4:18–19 AV

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Luke 4:21 AV

And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

Luke 4:23–29 AV

And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.

Presentation: Read

Explained: Explained the importance of what was read

Exhortation: Made the implications clear

1 Tim 4:

1 Timothy 4:13 AV

Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

2 Timothy 4:2 AV

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

Presentation: Preach the Word

Exhortation: Correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience

Explanation: Doctrine

Paul’s practice was consistent with his instructions

Acts 17:1–4 AV

Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.