I’m not stridently opposed to topical teaching and use it personally on occasion, but when it is done, the Bible must set the agenda of both the topic and the conclusion. Otherwise, it’s too tempting for us to be driven by our own perceptions, arriving at conclusions more preferential than biblical. (I’d confess to a few bad examples in my early days of ministry, and I’m glad they were not recorded!)
Honestly, keeping in mind all that I have written in this series, I am most enthusiastic about verse-by-verse exposition and less enthusiastic about topical. However, the convictions I’ve come to are largely for my church specifically, and my own preaching ministry. I understand some people are on a warpath against topical preaching. I’m not one of those, and believe such warpaths are unhelpful.
I would simply encourage all preachers to take seriously the Word of God in whatever preaching method you use. God has placed you in your position to deliver and explain his Word, not to espouse human wisdom, or preconceptions with loose support from biblical passages.
For me, the easiest way to ensure this is predominantly through text-driven sermons using verse-by-verse exposition through books of the Bible. Our desire should always to be to let the Bible set the agenda and shape us rather than the other way around.
