Walter Liefeld says “The
essential nature of expository preaching…is preaching that explains a passage
in such a way as to lead the congregation to a true and practical application
of the passage.”[1]
This is a good point. It means that expository preaching has two vital aspects:
It is Bible (or passage) centered. It is also people centered. Both aspects
must be present to have true expository preaching take place.
This means three things: (1) The preacher must be a student
of the Word, as well as a student of people. He must know how to combine what
he knows of the Word with the ability to explain it to meet the needs of the
people. (2) Running commentary of the Word is not preaching the Word.
Commentary aims at the head, but rarely hits the heart. It may feed the sheep,
but it rarely guides the sheep. (3) Practical application without explanation
of the Word is short lived. It may guide the sheep, but it does not feed the
sheep.
The benefits of true expository preaching are:
- It fulfills our mandate to preach the Word. It confronts others with God’s word, not our opinion. It gives the message of the Word hermeneutical integrity, cohesiveness, and moves the message and hearer in the direction the author intended. Thus feeding the sheep.
- It guides the sheep giving the purpose, meaning, or function of the text in the practical setting of the hearer. It reveals God’s will to the listener.
- It gives the preacher the authority and power, for He is preaching the Word of God. It is not the authority of the preacher, but the authority of the Word that is communicated. Merrill Unger warns that “The divine authority and power which rest upon the true herald of the Word of God must be continually guarded against loss or diminution.”[2] Expository preaching helps guard the preacher.
- It limits subjectivism. It presents squarely the Word of God with objectivity that must be taught. It also prevents preaching on hobbyhorses.
- It aids in the production of well-taught mature Christians. Maturity comes by increased knowledge and experience. Expository preaching provides knowledge and practical application to guide our experience.
- It helps guard the preaching from attack of being obtrusive. Good systematic preaching under the guidance of the Holy Spirit guards the preaching from substituting subjects to correct situations that will stir the pot of discontent. If ones’ preaching is guided by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit will lead in the passage to address those issues without appearing that one went out of his way to preach on the subject. It “can include touchy subjects in the course of sequential exposition without being obtrusive” notes Liefeld.[3]
- It gives control of the pulpit not to the preacher, but to God and His Word. The preacher’s message is controlled by what the Word of God teaches and says, not what the preacher thinks. True exposition is God centered and controlled by the Holy Spirit. It explains a passage in such a way as to lead the congregation to a true and practical application of the passage.
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