The Topic of Expository Teaching

Expository preaching is the buzzword of the Reformed movement today. "If your pastor would only use expository preaching, all your churches problems would be solved," they seem to say. For those who aren't familiar with the term "expository preaching', it means to preach Scripture chapter by chapter, verse by verse, in its original order and meaning. Sounds very biblical, right? In fact, the advocates of expository preaching will tell you that avoiding the 'shallowness' of topical preaching and sticking to expository preaching will create a firm foundation for the church that will help it avoid fads of Christianity, oh the irony.

In the rush to not skip over any part of Scripture, the expository movement has somehow forgotten to check if expository preaching is Scriptural itself. Did Jesus use expository teaching? Did Paul? Did Peter? How about James? Anyone in the New Testament at all? How did God Almighty preach when He was here? How did His hand-picked followers preach?

Jesus used Scripture in His teachings, but He used it to underline the points He was making while on particular topics. His recorded teaching is all topical. In fact, there is a constant theme to His teaching: love. Some preachers in the modern era have said that we preach too much on the love of God and not enough on His wrath. I disagree. If every human from Adam to the last human to draw a breath all preached the love of God till their dying breath, we would not do the love of God justice. God would not take us aside and tell us that He doesn't love us that much. I understand what these preachers mean, that there is more to God than 'just' love. While that may be true, love was Jesus's main theme when He taught, maybe it should be ours as well. We should never undermine that love. Jesus used it as His theme in almost every message He preached. If it is important enough to God that He preached on it, it should be to us as well.

But what about the disciples? Did they teach topically? Yes, and we see that in every message that they they preached. No matter where they start, they always bring the focus back to their main topic: Jesus Christ. Paul said he wished to know nothing else among the Corinthians than Jesus Christ and Him crucified. They had an unending theme: salvation through Jesus. Even in Paul's sermon where the name of Jesus was not mentioned, the theme of God's salvation through repentance and the resurrection are made clear.

Now, I strongly believe that preachers should study the Scriptures in an expository manner themselves. The teachers of the church should have a thorough understanding of all of scripture in order to preach and lead in a Godly manner. Even group study can benefit greatly from expository study for mature and earnest Christians. However, the obsession with preaching in an expository manner is not Scriptural, nor does it seem to have the miraculous effect on churches people claim it does. You know who does have a miraculous effect on the church? Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our relationship with Him should be our obsession. He is our theme, our hope, and our God. He should be the theme of everything we do. Every message preached should point back to Him.