I came across this the other day in my reading the other day and wanted to share it with you. It's from D.A. Carson's book The Art and Craft of Biblical Preaching. He states that there are six reasons why expository preaching deserves to be our primary method of proclamation. Expository preaching, in case you're wondering, is a form of preaching that concentrates on a specific text, and what that text says verses a topical approach. In other words, it's working verse by verse through a passage. Here's the six reasons why Carson considers it the primary method of bibical communication:
1. It is the method least likely to stray from Scripture. Expository preaching keeps focused on the main thing.
2. It teaches people how to read their Bibles. Expository preaching teaches people how to think through a passage, how to understand and apply God's word to their lives.
3. It gives confidence to the preacher and authorizes the sermon. If you are faithful to the text, you are certain your message is God's message. That is a wonderful feeling.
4. It meets the need for relevance without letting the clamor for relevance dictate the message. Expository preaching keeps the eternal central to the discussion.
5. It forces the preacher to handle the tough questions. You start working through text after text, and soon you hit passages on difficult topics that you will have to deal with.
6. It enables the preacher to expound systematically the whole counsel of God.
He concludes by stating "Other sermonic structures have their merits, but none offers our congregations more, week after week, than careful, faithful exposition of the Word of God."
Simply stated: The message is more important than the messenger, and deserves our full attention!
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3 comments:
Hi Pastor Del,
Thanks for keeping up with the Blog.
I always read it but don't always have a reply. But this one deserves one from me at least.
I personaly like expository preaching (Verse by Verse) I'm at a point in my walk with the Lord that I need more of His work and less of my own or someone elses thoughts. That said There is a lot to be said for Topical preaching. Sometimes we need to get the whole
point at a glance. Sometimes the bible says something on a subject but a little here and a little there. ( Money and Gods love are just a few examples). Any way my point is that we need a little of both kinds of preaching. Sometimes we even to hear some FIRE and Brimstone.
Thanks for the ear.
Bill Elliott
Del,
Walt Kaiser once told me, "You can preac a topical sermon once a year, you just have to apologize for it later." Of course he had a big smile on his face when he said it.
Al Mawhinney
That's cute, Al!
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