Why I'm Committed to Expository Preaching

"I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching." 

(2 Timothy 4:1-2 ESV)

In short, there are two reasons why I'm committed to expository preaching. First, because I don't think there's any other kind of preaching that's truly Christian. Second, because I'm a sinner and I easily stray if I don't stay anchored to a solid rock.

What is Expository Preaching?
I've been to college and three seminaries, so I can easily forget that not everyone knows what I'm talking about when I say "expository preaching." I was visiting a member this week, and when I used this term, she stopped me and asked me what it meant. I was surprised, but it helped me to realize that before I can explain why I believe in it, first I need to define what I mean!

Various definitions have been proposed for expository preaching, and many of them are helpful. I think the simplest definition may be that "expository preaching is preaching where the point of the text is the same as the point of the sermon. I think this is true, and it's helpful for someone who has no familiarity with what I'm talking about, but we will go deeper.

John A. Broadus, in his text book, On the Preparation and Delivery of Sermons, says that "An expository sermon is one which is occupied mainly with the exposition of Scripture. . . . The expository sermon may be defined as a sermon that draws its divisions from the text. In actual practice, the main points and the subdivisions of the sermon often come from the text. In other words, the entire thought content comes from Scripture" (58). The two things I see that are important here are that expository preaching is preaching that is mainly explaining the Bible; Scripture isn't just a launchpad to say whatever it is the preacher wants to say, but most of it's content is merely explaining scripture. Also, Broadus says that "the entire thought content comes form Scripture." The preacher isn't free to mix his own thoughts with those from Scripture, rather the sermon, in its whole, is devoted to making clear what the thoughts of Scripture are.

Dr. Stephen Olford, in his book Anointed Expository Preaching defines it this way: "Expository preaching is the Spirit-empowered explanation and proclamation of the text of God's Word with due regard to the historical, contextual, grammatical, and doctrinal significance of the given passage, with the specific object of invoking a Christ-transforming response" (69). A few things are of note here. Olford stresses that preaching is Spirit-empowered. A man cannot do this in his own power and expect lasting results. If a preacher merely trusts in his own gifts and does not rely on the Spirit it is all for naught. Preaching is also an "explanation and proclamation of the text." That's what it is. If a sermon is not explaining and proclaiming a biblical text, if it has any other methodology, it is not expository preaching. Olford also states that expository preaching must give "due regard to the historical, contextual, grammatical, and doctrinal significance of the given passage." Expository preaching must preach the text in context. Faithful expository preaching is not free to take a biblical text and make it say something that is relevant to today's audiences that would be unrecognizable to the author or the original audience. It must be faithful to actually convey what the original author intended. Finally, Olford contends that true preaching's object is to invoke a response. The preacher doesn't stand and give a lecture to fill people's heads, he pleads with people to change through the power of Christ. This response may be through physically and tangibly doing something, or it may be a response of the heart. It may change our thinking or cause us to value something more deeply as well.

Finally, Dr. Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, in his book He is Not Silent, says that "According to the Bible, exposition is preaching. And preaching is exposition." Further he states, "Much of what happens in pulpits across America today is not preaching, even though the preacher--and probably his congregation along with him--would claim that it is. Preaching is not the task of saying something interesting about God, nor is it delivering a religious discourse or narrating a story" (50). Rather, Mohler contends, "The heart and soul of expository preaching--of any true Christian preaching--is reading the Word of God and then explaining it to the people so they understand it" (52).

I affirm what Mohler states. I am convinced that all true Christian preaching is expository preaching, and that preaching that is not expository is something less than Christian preaching.

Why Am I Committed To It?
I've kind of answered this already. First, for reasons stated above, I don't think that any other kind of preaching is really preaching at all, but my second reason is quite practical. I am committed to expository preaching because I am a frail sinner.

How can a pastor know that he is preaching God's word? All preachers would make the claim, but how can we really know that's what we're doing? Jeremiah stated, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9 ESV) I don't trust my heart, and I am not a mystic. However, I do trust God's Word--the Bible. If I just decided what I was going to preach on week by week by "whatever I felt the Spirit was telling me?" I would be liable to follow my deceitful heart and be deceived into thinking it was the Spirit of God. Expository preaching, for many, has another component. Not all expository preachers follow this, but many do. I believe the best expository preachers will systematically go through the Bible to be sure that they are not following their own agenda and temperament, but they are following the leadership of the Holy Spirit who inspired every word of the sacred text.

I do believe that the Spirit speaks to us, but I am convinced that the primary way he does this is through the Bible. If this is true, then we can go happily to the Bible week in and week out. Systematically going verse by verse or chapter by chapter and know that no mater where we open the Bible we find something that was breathed out by God.

I'm also convinced that it is unwise and unhelpful to expect an extraordinary work of God every week. The Spirit of God moves where he wishes and we cannot contrive that. We can only experience it at His will. My contention is that if a preacher is committed to systematically preaching through the Bible, and making the point of each sermon the same as the point that is made in the text, then the Church will be built up. If it is a week that God chooses to bless in a supernatural way--wonderful! We can give him all the glory for that and thank him. However, what if it isn't one of those week? We can still say, "God has spoken to us through his word." Not because we emotionally felt something, but because of our confidence that God has truly spoken in history and our faithful hearing of it in eager expectation from His hand.

I am committed to expository preaching because I'm a sinner, and because I am ultimately confident in God's Word and his Spirit above anything else. I am committed to expository preaching because that method is the only way that I can objectively know that when I stand before God's people I am being faithful to preach the Word.

Caveat
I must give one caveat. I titled this article, "Why I'm Committed to Expository Preaching" for a reason. I didn't call it, "Why I'm an Expository Preacher." Like I said, I am a sinner, and I'm relatively new in my preaching career. I am committed to the method, but I cannot make any claim to be very good at it! I have a lot of room for growth. I'm far from perfect. Just because anyone adopts what I'm arguing for doesn't make them a great preacher. My level of spiritual empowerment ebbs and flows. I have good weeks where I feel him with me, and I have other weeks where I'm spiritually dry--and I'm not afraid to get up and preach anyway because I know the power isn't in me--it's in the word. I need to grow significantly in my ability to illustrate, because to paraphrase Spurgeon, illustrations are windows through which the congregation looks to see the meaning of the text. In spite of my admitted weakness, I believe that a commitment to the expository method safeguards me so that when I do error, I don't fall too far away because I have an anchor that tethers me to the Word.