What is Expository Preaching? (pt 2)

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. 

In our last post we began to introduce expository preaching.  We contrasted it with topical preaching, and said that expository preaching was a superior form of preaching because the topic and points are drawn straight from the text (and not simply from the preacher's interests or preferences!).

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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