Expository preaching is a verse-by-verse approach whereby the preacher sequentially works through books of the Bible in a systematic manner. While there are various forms of expository preaching that would include topical exposition where the preacher preaches a series of sermons from various texts in an expository manner—the normal approach is to preach verse-by-verse through an entire book of the Bible over a period of time.
At the center of Christian worship stands the pulpit. Anything less than authentic Christian preaching causes enormous and catastrophic problems in the life of the local church. The first mark of an authentic church is expository preaching. When substitutes are made upon the preaching of holy Scripture in attempt to become relevant, cool, and attractive to the culture—the church becomes less than authentic.
By way of summary, expository preaching is a verse-by-verse approach whereby the preacher sequentially works through books of the Bible in a systematic manner. While there are various forms of expository preaching that would include topical exposition where the preacher preaches a series of sermons from various texts in an expository manner—the normal approach is to preach verse-by-verse through an entire book of the Bible over a period of time.
In a more definitive manner, expository preaching is the communication of a biblical text derived from a literal, historical, grammatical interpretation. The preacher observes, interprets, and applies the text with hermeneutical precision and communicates the single meaning of the text with homiletical skill in such a manner that preserves the author’s original intent while pointing people to Jesus Christ.
If Christian preaching is expository preaching and if the first mark of an authentic church is expository preaching, it goes without saying that at the heart of a Christian sermon is Jesus Christ. Far too many sermons from the Old Testament within Christian churches on Sunday morning would not offend a Jewish synagogue if preached there on Saturday morning. Why is this the case? Because in many cases the preacher explains everything about the text itself from a micro-perspective including the central point and contextual background without ultimately pointing people to the macro-perspective or the canonical whole which will always lead us to Jesus.
Charles Spurgeon has been quoted as saying, “I take my text and make a beeline to the cross.” However, Spurgeon never actually made that statement. It was Lewis Drummond, in 1992, who attributed it to Spurgeon in his biography, Spurgeon: The Prince of Preachers. Although Spurgeon never made this statement, it is an accurate description of Spurgeon’s preaching style. He would make his way to the cross in every sermon—from both the Old and New Testaments.
