Exposed Like It Is Supposed To Be
- Bruce Nichols
- Jul 21
- 2 min read
Whenever I meet a pastor of another church, I will probably ask him what book of the Bible he is preaching from. One preacher that I asked that question to said "Oh, I don't preach through a book verse by verse. I preach what our congregation needs to hear. The preachers who preach books of the Bible verse by verse only do that because they don't know how to pick the next topic for their sermons." Well, sir, thank you for playing but you are incorrect.
Preaching through a book of the Bible verse by verse is called expositional preaching. David Helm, author of the book "Expositional Preaching: How We Speak God's Word Today" wrote these words... “Expositional preaching is empowered preaching that rightfully submits the shape and emphasis of the sermon to the shape and emphasis of a biblical text.” Look at the first two syllables of expositional and think of the word "expose". Expositional preaching exposes the intent and the content of the passage that you are reading together. In other words, the main point of the passage is the main point of the sermon.
"Regular expository preaching of the Bible is the staple diet of a healthy church." said Alistair Begg, a recently retired pastor from Cleveland, Ohio. Another website, Sermon Solutions, answered this question "Why Preach Expository Sermons?" like this...
Biblical Depth. Expository preaching ensures that the sermon is rooted in Scripture. This method allows the Bible to speak for itself, providing deeper insights into its meaning and relevance.
Spiritual Growth. Expository sermons help congregations develop a deeper understanding of God's Word over time, leading to increased spiritual maturity and a stronger biblical foundation.
Verse-by-Verse Clarity. This approach ensures that difficult passages aren't skipped over. Instead, they are explained in their proper context, which helps clarify the full message of Scripture.
I hope your pastor is preaching expositional sermons to you each week. Read the Word. Hear the Word. Live the Word.
