1:9 Alliance: Expository Preaching
Editor’s Note: You can also listen to a podcast interview with Jeremy Muncy released in conjunction with this article.
Jeremy Muncy
Certain movie lines lodge themselves in one’s memory. A favorite of mine is spoken by Inigo Montoya to Vizzini regarding his use of the word inconceivable in The Princess Bride. After several erroneous (and particularly funny) uses of the word, Montoyo says to Vizzini, “You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means.” Classic! We have all been there. Either you or someone else throws out a word or phrase and everyone gets this puzzled look on their face, like, “What?” Certain words or terms are more often misunderstood than others. I have found this to be true with the topic of this article - expository preaching. Not everyone who hears or uses the term understands what it means. For example, I have met those who sing its praises and claim to utilize it in their ministry, but, after listening to their preaching, I wonder if they (like Vizzini) know what it means. On the other side, I have met those for whom the term “expository preaching” brings to mind a rather stale, running-commentary-style preaching that puts old folks and teenagers to sleep. So, what is expository preaching? And, further, is it something we should be in favor of? This article aims to answer these questions.
What is Expository Preaching?
What is expository preaching? Consider the following definitions offered by two popular expositors:
David Helm: “Expositional preaching is empowered preaching that rightfully submits the shape and emphasis of the sermon to the shape and emphasis of a biblical text.” [1]
Haddon Robinson: “Expository preaching is the communication of a biblical concept, derived from and transmitted through a historical, grammatical, and literary study of a passage in its context, which the Holy Spirit first applies to the personality and experience of the preacher, then through the preacher, applies to the hearers.” [2]
A common thread is woven into these definitions - the text drives the sermon. This means the main point of the passage becomes the sermon's main point. Indeed, even the subpoints of the sermon are rooted in the text. Like a rudder on a ship, the passage directs the entire message. This is what sets expository preaching apart from other types of preaching. Expository preaching is always rooted in particular texts of Scripture that drive the sermon as a whole. Anything less and it is not expository.
Now, expository preachers may or may not practice serial exposition, moving verse-by-verse through a book of the Bible (e.g., John Piper’s nine-year journey through the book of Romans). Moreover, the length of the sermon series has no bearing on whether or not it is considered expository. One can preach a stand-alone message (even on a particular theme or topic) in an expository fashion. The length of the series is not the issue. The issue is whether or not the text drives the sermon.
Why Be Committed to Expository Preaching?
Now that we have discussed what expository preaching is, I propose four reasons why preachers should commit themselves to its practice.
1. Because we are commanded to preach the Word
This may seem obvious, but it must be pointed out. We are commanded to preach the Bible. Paul’s words in 2 Timothy 4:2-3 are clear, “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.” Preaching the Word of God is not optional, it is commanded, and expository preaching submits to this command in full measure. No other method is so tightly tethered to the text. When practiced correctly, expository preaching forces the preacher to “preach the word.” If your goal is to honor God by faithfully communicating Scripture, you must expose its meaning through biblical exposition.
2. Because expository preaching is infused with supernatural power.
Do you desire to see people saved? Do you long to see lives transformed by the Holy Spirit’s power? Preach the Word. Expository preaching, when done correctly, is powerful preaching. When a text of Scripture is properly preached, the truth is laid bare. This is no small thing, for God’s Word is “living and active” and “sharper than any two-edged sword” (Heb 4:12). It is “like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock into pieces” (Jer 23:29). It never fails to fulfill the work that God intends it to accomplish (Isa 55:11). What do we have to say that compares? Why would we keep such a dynamic sword in its sheath? When preachers exposit the Word of God, they quite literally expose their people to something supernatural. Is it any wonder that the greatest seasons of reformation and spiritual awakening have been accompanied by strong biblical preaching? [3] The words of men pale in comparison to the words of our God, but our God is present in a peculiar way as his Word is accurately proclaimed on the lips of men. God saves (1 Pet 1:23), sanctifies (Joh 17:17), and equips believers for a life of faith and godliness (2 Tim 3:16-17) through His Word. Do you believe this? If so, you should practice expository preaching.
3. Because expository preaching teaches listeners how to study the Bible.
Maybe, like me, you grieve that so many Christians struggle to study and understand the Bible. What can we do to help? The answer is simple. Preach expository sermons (or, if you are not a preacher, support those who do). Sure, a church could teach classes on hermeneutics, biblical theology, and the like. But, modeling proper biblical interpretation and bringing the meaning out of the text each week (through expository sermons) will have a tremendous impact on the people’s ability to rightly divide a passage. To put it another way, listeners do not merely benefit from hearing the message, they pick up on the method. This should come as no surprise, for one of the best ways to develop competency in a particular craft is to watch someone more skilled. When a preacher exposits a text, he may not realize it, but he is revealing something - namely, how he came to understand the passage. Consequently, listeners catch on and can do the same. This is also true when it comes to application. When a preacher rightly applies the Bible, the audience will grow in their ability to apply Scripture. If you want your people to learn how to properly understand and apply the Bible, practice expository preaching.
4. Because expository preaching assists in fulfilling the Great Commission.
After Christ rose and before he ascended, he appeared to his disciples and left them with a command - what we call the Great Commission. Namely, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Mat 28:19-20). Most Christians are familiar with this command, but far too often we have seen the second half of it neglected. Notice that this mandate not only includes evangelism (i.e., baptizing believers) but teaching - teaching “all that [Christ has] commanded.” Expository preaching allows the preacher to obey and fulfill the Great Commission with confidence because it is rooted in the teaching of the Bible, namely, all that Christ has commanded.
Conclusion
In conclusion, expository preaching is preaching that is rooted in a particular text of Scripture that drives the sermon as a whole. Further, preachers should commit themselves to this method because it is faithful, powerful, instructive, and Great Commission-fulfilling.
Martin Lloyd-Jones, one of the great expository preachers of the last century, began his book, Preaching and Preachers, with the statement, “[T]he work of preaching is the highest and the greatest and the most glorious calling to which anyone can ever be called.”[4] Do you feel that way? Do you view preaching the words of the eternal God as a precious privilege? If so, may the Lord grant you the ability to faithfully communicate it. More than that, may he raise up a generation of preachers who long to do the same.
Jeremy Muncy - Westwood Alliance Church - Mansfield, Ohio
[1] David Helm, Expositional Preaching (Wheaton: Crossway, 2014), 13.
[2] Haddon Robinson, Biblical Preaching: The Development and Delivery of Expository Messages, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2001), 21.
[3] Lawson, Steve. “One Task: Preach the Word,” Ligonier, February 12, 2014, https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/preach-word.
[4] Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Preaching and Preachers, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1971), p. 9.