From 2017-2020, I was blessed to serve as a Campus Pastor and was preaching frequently, but not every week. Now I’m a senior pastor again and am thus back in the rhythm of weekly preaching. So I decided to start writing here again. I hope it’s a blessing to you.
Most of my posts will offer sermon illustration help, but the first thing I wanted to share in my reboot was the explanation I gave my church on why I preach in an expository fashion, working straight through books of the Bible. I shared this with them as part of my first message on the book of Colossians. This is my first full book series with my brand new church, so I wanted them to understand why my sermons will be this way the vast majority of the time.
Why preach straight through books of the Bible?
- God’s Spirit sets the agenda through His Word.
We look at a text and allow it to speak for itself, using other Scriptures to help interpret it. The Holy Spirit, who was the original Author of Scripture through the men he inspired, is speaking to us just as he spoke to and through them.
I believe that this is a much stronger foundation than the pastor sitting in his office, thinking about what his people might need to hear (which can be pretty tough to do for potentially hundreds or even thousands of people, who are going through different life experiences), and then trying to go grab Scriptures to support that idea. It’s also a lot easier to go astray by using God’s Word out of context that way. Finally, it’s also much more likely that sermons will end up repeating a lot of the same soapbox themes that are important to that pastor.
So, I seek the Lord, get some counsel from other pastors (on and off my staff), and then determine a book. Then, once the Lord leads that way, I know where we are supposed to be through the rest of that book.
Then, my job is to dig into that week’s passage, to understand its meaning, to EXPLAIN that meaning to the congregation, and then to explain its application.
2. God’s Spirit applies the Word to His people’s lives.
This is one of the amazing parts of God’s Word – after 2,000 years, it’s still RELEVANT. The Word of God is living and active, the book of Hebrews says.
My job, after explaining the MEANING, is to give examples of specific applications and ways to obey God’s Word, but ALSO to explain its application in broad enough terms that, as the congregation listens, the Holy Spirit can show them extremely specific applications of it to their lives.
God’s Word is NOT irrelevant. I’ve had people come up to me and say – even as I have preached through a Minor Prophetic book like Amos – “THAT is what I needed to hear,” or “God spoke to me through that passage about a specific issue.” This is not from me, but the Holy Spirit as he works through his Word.
3. Pastor can’t duck the hard passages!
With this type of preaching, I can’t avoid difficult passages. If you’re working through a book and try to do that, it will be obvious – and hopefully your people would lovingly call you out on it!
And to be honest, I think that often some of our greatest comforts and benefits from Scripture come through some of the most difficult passages to interpret. As we wrestle with the tension inherent in some of these passages (ex: the book of Job, Romans 9, Hebrews 6, or James 2), we grow in our faith and understanding, we see God’s hand amidst the difficulties of life, and we also learn to trust in his sovereign plan that transcends our understanding.
4. Expository preaching helps worship (and other) pastors in planning.
My worship pastor knows where I’m going in the sermons, months in advance. That means he is also able to plan far in advance, so that he can select music, rehearse musicians and singers, and do an excellent job in all of these areas.
This knowledge in advance can also help other pastors or Bible study groups who will be studying passages or themes that fit with the Sunday sermon series.
5. Expository preaching provides a “balanced diet” of Scripture.
Salad is healthy for you, but if you only eat salad, you’ll miss out on other important nutrients – protein, fruits, etc. It’s the same with Scripture: we need to hear from ALL parts of the Bible. So, as I select books of Scripture, I try to give the church a “balanced diet” – frequently moving back and forth from the Old Testament to the New Testament, as well as covering different genres of Scripture.
Don’t avoid the Old Testament – it’s about 3/4 of your Bible! Remember what Paul says in Romans 15:4 (CSB): “For whatever was written in the past [he’s referring to the Old Testament!] was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures.” The Old Testament saints show us how to live the Christian life by faith: think Hebrews 11. And don’t spend 90% of your time in the Epistles – jump into those historical narratives in the OT and NT, preach prophetic books, and show the beauty of poetic books. Variety is a good thing in preaching!
Acts 20:27 (ESV): “…for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.”
Just so you understand: there are MANY pastors who don’t do it this way who are GREAT pastors. I’ve had several myself! But my strong conviction (and the conviction of those who taught me) is that this is the best “diet” for a church long-term. There are appropriate times and occasions for more topical sermons – discipleship, stewardship, casting vision, and living on mission. But I firmly believe that this is what is best for a primary approach. It will give your people a greater love for God’s Word, and a greater understanding of Scripture in their own personal time with the Lord.
Sermon Illustr8r 