Repentance is something that our culture knows virtually nothing about. Unfortunately, there are relatively few even in the church today that understand it. To most Christians it is nothing more than a dusty relic that you may find in some puritan age literature. But this doctrine is the key that unlocks the dismal door of death. In this passage Christ lays forth for us the need and nature of true repentance. In doing so he reminds us that if we fail to give adequate attention to this doctrine, then we fail to rightly prepare for that last bell that will toll for our lives.
As we wrap up our series on preaching, we want to make sure we conclude on a high note. What better way to do that than by talking about the gospel! Over the years I've experienced two different extremes when it comes to the gospel and how it fits into a sermon. In my early days I attended a church that never really mentioned the gospel. Christ was pretty much absent from every sermon that was ever preached. So the messages were mainly moralistic. Later, I attended a series of churches where the gospel was preached every Sunday. It was good at first because I had been deprived of it for so long at my other church. However, I came to find that the gospel presentation was ordinarily tacked on to the end of the message and really didn't have anything to do with the message that was just preached. What's more, in these churches I found that the gospel was not really even for me! It was typically directed towards the unbeliever as a call was issued to him to embrace the Savior. Our aim at Providence Church is to preach the gospel every Sunday because we know it is important for everyone's spiritual development, even the Christian's. As a matter of fact, we believe that if Christ is not preached, then we have not preached a truly Christian sermon! But how do you do that without tacking the gospel on at the end of the message? The answer lies in the expository method. We believe that the gospel should rise naturally from the text itself. Jesus said that the whole of the Scripture bears witness to him (John 5:39). At another time he took time to interpret the things concerning himself in the law and the prophets (Luke 24:27). This means that every text of Scripture finds its culmination in Christ. It doesn't matter if it is the deep recesses of Leviticus or the heavy arguments of an epistle, every line finds its fulfillment in Christ. So as you come to Providence you will not just hear sermons that are practical. You will hear sermons that are guided and shaped by the gospel. Better yet, you will find how the gospel should guide and shape your own life. Over the last few weeks we've been seeking to introduce you to the kind of preaching you will hear at Providence Church (i.e. expository preaching). In our previous post we said that the word exposit simply means "to explain," and that expository preaching seeks to explain the meaning of a Bible passage. But that needs to be fleshed out a little more. The Bible tells us that the Word of God was given "for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." (2 Tim. 3:16-17). That means that the Bible was meant to be applied practically. It is not simply for the purpose of packing your brain full of useless knowledge. It is given for the purpose of molding and shaping one's life. That is why the exposition of Scripture must have application as its ultimate aim. It is not enough for a preacher to simply explain what the passage means. It is imperative that he explain what it means for your life! Unfortunately, a lot of pulpits that tout "expository preaching" are not practical in the least. We will be honest: much of what goes under the banner of expository preaching is nothing more than a boring lecture. And truthfully, this may be why a lot of people prefer topical preaching. Topical sermons can be much more practical than your average expository sermon. However, at Providence Church we know that a text of Scripture does not simply present facts that are to be known. It contains truth which is to be embraced, lived, and/or believed. Our belief is that a text is not rightly explained until it is applied. For us, expository preaching typically consists of three parts: explanation, illustration, and application. We begin by telling you what the passage is trying to communicate (explanation). Then we try to solidify it in your mind with a story, analogy, or some other helpful color (illustration). Having thus helped you to comprehend it sufficiently, we then attempt to show how it should affect your life (application). It is this last step in the process that really makes expository preaching what it is. For the aim of the Scripture--and the preaching of it--is the change of one's heart and life. When you are trying to figure out which restaurant to attend, you want to make sure you choose one that will provide the best meal. The same can be said for the church you choose. You want to choose a church where you are sure to receive the best spiritual nourishment. But what makes for the best soul food? We believe it is a church that is dedicated to expository preaching. Today, we want to further show how expository preaching is the best way of examining the Scripture and feeding the flock of God. The word exposit is not one that is tossed around a lot today. It may help to know what it means. Exposit simply means "to explain." Thus, in expository preaching, the preacher is seeking to explain the meaning of a single text of Scripture. In the book of Nehemiah we see an example of this form of preaching. In Nehmiah 8 we read that the people of Israel had gathered together on a special occasion to listen to Ezra read from the book of the law. Ezra also had helpers with him whose job was to "give the sense" so that all the people could understand what had been read (v. 7-8). Supposedly, this is how it would go: Ezra would begin by reading a portion of the Scripture. He would then pause so that his attendants could explain what it meant to the people. Then Ezra would read another portion, and it too would be opened up so that the audience could have a deeper grasp of what it taught. This is the Biblical grounding for our practice of expository preaching. Our goal is to help those in the congregation intimately understand each part of God's book. So each Sunday a portion of Scripture is read, and then, the minister seeks to explain what it means so that the congregation can have a secure grasp on what God has said there. For example, the minister might get up and read a parable from one of the gospels. After it is read, he will seek to explain the meaning of that parable in simple terms. He will move line by line through the text and give the sense of each part so that the hearers may have a firm grip on what the Lord was trying to communicate in that parable. In our next post, we will talk a little more about how one "gives the sense" of Scripture. There is a three step method that we typically use when explaining a passage. For now, you can check out some expository messages by listening to any of our sermons that we have posted here on our site! |
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