Hearing God's Word

Expositional Preaching

Bobby Jamieson

• Publisher: Crossway
• Year: 2012
• Print ISBN: 9781433525285
• eBook ISBN: 9781433525315
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Ministry

Expositional preaching gives life and health to the church. It shapes, forms, and reforms the church, and it reveals the character of God. Participants will learn to understand their joyful responsibility in sitting under a pastor's teaching, and pastors will be encouraged to preach expositionally—from the Bible!

The 9Marks Healthy Church Study Guide series is a series of ten 6–7 week studies covering the nine distinctives of a healthy church as originally laid out in  Nine Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever. This series explores the biblical foundations of key aspects of the church, helping Christians to live out those realities as members of a local body. Conveniently packaged and accessibly written, the format of this series is guided, inductive discussion of Scripture passages and is ideal for use in Sunday school, church-wide studies, or small group contexts.

WEEK 1
WHAT IS TRUE SPIRITUALITY?

GETTING STARTED

This entire six-week course is about expositional preaching:

• What it is
• Its biblical basis
• How it builds the church
• Why it’s important for every church member to pay close attention to both what is preached and how it’s preached

What Is Expositional Preaching?

Simply stated, expositional preaching is preaching that takes the main point of a text of Scripture, makes that the main point of the sermon, and applies it to life today. Expositional preaching is preaching that exposes the meaning of Scripture and brings it to bear on our lives.

Since the goal of expositional preaching is simply to explain and apply God’s Word, we’re going to take a step back for this first study and think about why God’s Word is so important for the life and health of the church.

What Is True Spirituality?

In this first study we are going to consider the question, What is true spirituality? That’s a question on a lot of people’s minds today, not just Christians. While being “religious” is decidedly unpopular, spirituality is in, big-time.

1. What are some things you’ve heard non-Christians say about spirituality?

2. What are some things you’ve heard Christians say that true spirituality consists of?

MAIN IDEA

True spirituality consists in hearing, believing, and obeying God’s Word. That is why God’s Word is the source of the church’s life and health, and why pastors should preach expositionally.

DIGGING IN

In Psalm 19 David writes,

1 The heavens declare the glory of God,

and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

2 Day to day pours out speech,

and night to night reveals knowledge.

3 There is no speech, nor are there words,

whose voice is not heard.

4 Their voice goes out through all the earth,

and their words to the end of the world.

In them he has set a tent for the sun,

5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,

and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.

6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens,

and its circuit to the end of them,

and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 The law of the LORD is perfect,

reviving the soul;

the testimony of the LORD is sure,

making wise the simple;

8 the precepts of the LORD are right,

rejoicing the heart;

the commandment of the LORD is pure,

enlightening the eyes;

9 the fear of the LORD is clean,

enduring forever;

the rules of the LORD are true,

and righteous altogether.

10 More to be desired are they than gold,

even much fine gold;

sweeter also than honey

and drippings of the honeycomb.

11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned;

in keeping them there is great reward.

12 Who can discern his errors?

Declare me innocent from hidden faults.

13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;

let them not have dominion over me!

Then I shall be blameless,

and innocent of great transgression.

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable in your sight,

O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.

1. Verses 1 through 6 focus on one way God makes himself known and verses 7 through 11 focus on another. How would you summarize the two ways God reveals himself that are celebrated in this psalm?

2. What do we learn about God from his revelation of himself in creation (vv. 1–6)?

3. What can’t the creation teach us about God and about how we are to relate to him?

4. What do the terms law (v. 7), testimony (v. 7), precepts (v. 8), commandment (v. 8), and rules (v. 9) all refer to? What does this suggest about how God communicates to us?

5. List all the things David says God’s Word does in verses 7 through 11. Describe the human need or situation each of these actions addresses.

6. Based on this passage, how would you respond to someone who said that true spirituality is too deep for words?

Another passage that demonstrates the absolute centrality of God’s Word in the Christian life is the familiar story of Mary and Martha from Luke 10:38–42:

38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

7. Describe Martha’s activity and mind-set that we see in this passage.

8. Suppose we didn’t have Jesus’s words in verses 41–42, and you wanted to defend Martha. How might you make a case for why she is more spiritual than Mary?

9. What does Jesus commend Mary for doing? (Hint: It’s not for simply giving herself a break!)

10. What does Jesus mean when he says that listening to his teaching is the “one thing” that is necessary?

A Spirituality of the Word

These two passages teach us that hearing, believing, and obeying God’s Word is absolutely central to how we relate to God.

The New Testament teaches that we’re born again through the Word of God (1 Pet. 1:23). We obtain faith through the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). We grow in godliness through the Word of God (John 17:17). And we receive encouragement and hope from the Word of God (Rom. 15:4).

These are some of the reasons why God’s Word is the source and substance of true spirituality. True spirituality is a spirituality of the Word.

Why Pastors Should Preach Expositionally

Because God’s Word is the source and substance of true spirituality, pastors should preach sermons in which the main point of the text of Scripture is the main point of the sermon. Expositional preaching is the starting point for a healthy church: God’s Word teaches us who he is, how we have sinned against him, wha...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Content
• Introduction
• An Essential Mark of a Healthy Church
• Week 1 What Is True Spirituality?
• Week 2 Why YOU Are Responsible for Your Church’s Teaching!
• Week 3 The Point of Preaching—What Makes a Good Sermon Good?
• Week 4 How Does Expositional Preaching Work?
• Week 5 How the Word Should Fill the Church’s Gatherings
• Week 6 Preaching Is Not the Only Ministry of the Word
• Notes
• Back