Expository Preaching

I was probably 18 at the time... So it was around 8 years ago that I was sitting on the floor in a hotel room having my devotional time during our family vacation. I began to take a piece of scripture, the lord's prayer, and write it out into sermon form. I remember looking at my "sermon" and thinking, "I might be called to this?"

Today I am sitting at my desk in my apartment, where I study and read for my task as pastor. We just looked at Nehemiah Chapter 8 this last week and talked about the role of expository preaching in a worship service. As I read Nehemiah I notice that expository preaching is exulted over every thing else that happens during our understanding of a "worship service." I also cannot help but covet the role of Ezra the priest and scribe. A man who found favor with the Lord and had the hand of the Lord evidenced in his life because, "Ezra set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach His statues and decrees... (Ezra 7:10 ESV)."

Two friends of mine are at the Desiring God conference in Minnesota learning about the power of the Word of God. My Pastor and friend David Clark is preparing to preach the word tonight. So, I thought it would be fitting to share some insights on this weighty call to "preach the word!"

I am reading a brilliant book called Between Two Worlds by John Stott. Here is an excerpt from the book that I stumbled upon today:
"I do not hesitate to say that a major reason for the Church's decline in some areas and immaturity in others is what Amos called a 'famine of hearing the Lord's words.' (8:11) The low level of Christian living is due, more than anything else, to the low level of Christian preaching. More often than we like to admit, the pew is a reflection of the pulpit. Seldom if ever can the pew rise higher than the pulpit." -John Stott, Between Two Worlds, pg. 115

The faithful preaching of the word of God is the centerpiece of the church. We come to church primarily to hear from God through his written word expounded to us. It is unfortunate that Satan has tricked us into believing that our quiet time can substitute a healthy preaching of the word. Understand this, we are one of the only cultures where the Bible is so easily obtained or readily accessible.

In other places the word of God preached is the primary way that God speaks to his people. And I fear that as we substitute personal devotional time for hearing the word preached we actually lose the word of God altogether in our lives as our quiet time is crowded out by other things like work or family time or leisure. So, let me say that history has proved that the preaching of the word is the primary means by which God speaks to His people and we need to put an emphasis on the hearing of the word and the faithful preaching of the word.

God make us excited about hearing your word. Help us to gather together on Sundays as 'one man' and ask that Ezra (our pastors) would bring out the Book of the Law. God make us eager to hear from you. And make us jealous for your word. Make us uneasy when the word is not faithfully preached. God we lift up the Shepherds that you have placed over churches and ask that right now you would draw them to their knees. That you would speak to them in a fresh way and that they would 'speak as men saying the very words of God (1 Peter 4:11).'