I wish there were more churches that emphasize the expository preaching of the Bible. In biblical exposition the pastor reads the text of scripture, explains its meaning and suggests ways for people to apply it to their lives. When I served as a local church pastor, this is what I endeavored to do. People need the plain teaching of the word of God.
To teach the Bible is a sacred privilege and solemn responsibility. James 3:1 says, “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” I know that I am accountable to God for my teaching ministry. That produces in me a deep reverence not unlike fear and trembling.
Having written that, however, I confess that it was a joy to serve in healthy churches among people who expected and valued Bible exposition Sunday after Sunday.
I worked hard at it. I studied the Bible many hours every week. There were other pastoral duties, of course, such as administration, counseling, pastoral visitation, and evangelism. But I gave priority to the hours for study and preparation for preaching.
My preferred method was expositional preaching, that is, teaching the Bible verse by verse. Dr. David Allen was a well-respected Bible expositor. He was asked one time, “What are you going to preach on next Sunday?” He replied, “The next verse.”
As I exegeted the text, to discover its meaning, I then did my best to present it in accordance with the intention of its human author and the Divine Author. If I was teaching on a particular theme, such as the Holy Spirit, or family life, or what the Bible says about the future, I would select a biblical passage that emphasized that subject and then I would prepare an expository message based upon that text.
For most of my pulpit ministry I taught through books of the Bible. In this way I covered most of the books of the New Testament, some of them more than once. This method required me to give attention to all the major themes of the Bible, not just to gravitate to my favorite topics. This also ensured that I could not bypass difficult subjects that the church needed to hear.
I also taught through many Old Testament books, surveying selected psalms, the prophets, prominent characters, and foundational themes such as creation, Messianic prophecies, and highlights of Israel’s history.
In addition to teaching the content and interpretation of the scriptures, I sought to show their relevance to the lives of the people today. I tried to illustrate my messages with stories and examples from contemporary life. This was to try to help the people apply the teaching to their lives as Christians.
Believing that Jesus Christ is the main theme of the Bible, I wanted to include the gospel in every message in some way. The Bible’s message is how sinners like us may be brought into a right relationship with God. This is only through faith in Jesus Christ, his sacrificial death for our sins, and his glorious resurrection.
In view of the eternal importance of this subject, it is clear why those who preach and teach the Bible will be held to a higher standard of accountability. It is a serious responsibility.
Pastor Randy Faulkner