Renewing Expository Preaching, Part 1: Why Verse-By-Verse Preaching Matters

Expository preaching
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Expository preaching plays a vital role in the life of the church. 

The regular, faithful preaching of the Bible in weekly corporate worship services has endured as one of the most important qualities of the Christian faith. While various forms of preaching such as topical, textual, or narrative have their place, I’m convinced that expository preaching is the most vital way for pastors to continually teach God’s Word to their people. 

At times, I’m asked why I prefer preaching through books of the Bible. This is particularly true when I’ve served in the role of interim pastor. I want to unpack my convictions on expository preaching—while noting other approaches—over these four articles. These are updated from an earlier series I published at my old Christianity Today blog.

In Part 1, I want to lay out some reasons why I believe verse-by-verse, expository preaching through books matters. In a day with so many opportunities to use technological resources to amplify our preaching, we who preach need to constantly renew our commitment to expositional preaching. 

I don’t primarily preach this way because that method is commanded in the Bible, but because of the very nature of the Bible. As the Word of God without error and inspired throughout, God’s Word requires us to treat every word, phrase, and sentence accordingly. Thus, the Bible is best taught using an approach to preaching that explains what God has inspired, looking at the words, phrases, sentences, and sections in the process.

Because the Bible’s inspiration is word-for-word, the words of the Bible should set the agenda for the message taught or preached in a gathered worship service. In other words, this message should largely be the explanation of the inspired Word of God in the order and in the format that the Holy Spirit inspired the authors to write.

Thus, the preferred form of preaching is that which is driven by the text and where the text sets the agenda.

There are a number of benefits of expository preaching. Let me cite five here.

1. It Reminds You To Preach All Scripture, Including the Parts You Might Otherwise Skip.

As I preached through the Gospel of Matthew, I dealt with every verse I encountered. When I came to Chapter 19, I read Jesus’ very strong words about marriage and adultery being the allowable exception for divorce. It is a hard passage to preach, as his commands are countercultural for our day. Thus, as I preach through Matthew, I am forced to stand before the congregation with conviction, raising a view of marriage that Jesus said the world would not be able to handle. I do that because the text brings me there, just as the text might bring me to challenge racism, consumerism, or other issues facing modern listeners.

2. It Reveals The Thoughts and Intents of the Authors of Scripture As They Were Led by the Spirit.

As I preached through Matthew, I not only deal with the specific words and phrases, but I also help hearers to see bigger issues at play as Jesus makes his path to the cross. Matthew, under the Spirit’s guidance, reminds us of the countercultural values of the Kingdom. In other words, Matthew did not just haphazardly collect and write down these passages.

I am being more faithful and helpful as a preacher if I communicate to my people what Matthew said. This does not mean it has to be a boring, running commentary. But I would be ignoring part of the Holy Spirit’s inspiration if I did not preach the text as the author—and Author—delivered it.

3. It Raises Up Self-Feeders, Helping Them Learn How To Read the Bible. 

As preachers of the Word, we seek to help disciples read the Bible more faithfully and effectively personally and with their families. Preaching through books helps to model such reading, as the Bible is not best read as a series of unrelated passages. Our preaching should encourage a better way to look at Scripture. By preaching through books of the Bible, I show people they can open books of the Bible, read them, and trace the thoughts and the arguments presented. By preaching in an expositional way through books, I can teach people to read the Bible well.

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Ed Stetzerhttps://edstetzer.com/
Ed Stetzer, Ph.D., is the Dean of Talbot School of Theology at Biola University and Scholar in Residence & Teaching Pastor at Mariners Church. He has planted, revitalized, and pastored churches; trained pastors and church planters on six continents; earned two master’s degrees and two doctorates; and has written hundreds of articles and a dozen books. He is Regional Director for Lausanne North America, is the Editor-in-Chief of Outreach Magazine, and regularly writes for news outlets such as USA Today and CNN. Dr. Stetzer is the host of "The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast," and his national radio show, "Ed Stetzer Live," airs Saturdays on Moody Radio and affiliates.

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