Hey Grace… What is expositional preaching and why do you do it?
You don’t remember 99% of the meals you have eaten, but they have grown you into who you are today. The nutrient density of the food you take in reflects in your physical health. Similarly, what you have fed your heart, soul, and mind through spiritual disciplines reflects in your spiritual health. This is especially evident in the sermons you take in on a weekly basis.
There are two main ways to approach sermon preparation and philosophy of preaching in a church: expositional and topical.
Expositional preaching focuses on a specific section of Scripture, explaining its meaning and applying it directly to our lives. The message comes from the text itself, allowing the Bible to set the agenda.
In contrast, topical preaching starts with a particular theme or topic (like “forgiveness” or “patience” or “politics”) and then pulls verses from various parts of the Bible to support that idea. While both approaches can be valuable, expositional preaching digs deeper into Scripture and helps us understand God’s Word in its full context.
Why Expositional Preaching?
We live in a world full of opinions, trends, and messages—some are helpful, others not so much. Expositional preaching keeps us anchored in scripture. Instead of a pastor selecting a topic, setting his agenda, and then looking for Bible verses to back it up, expositional preaching starts with scripture itself. This approach keeps the focus on God’s message, rather than human agendas, popular culture, or the need to address every trending topic.
The nutrient density of expositional preaching is similar to nutrient dense food you eatto sustain you —think of it like your protein, healthy carbs, fruits, and vegetables, packed with everything you need to grow strong and stay healthy. Topical preaching, though it can be fun, enjoyable, and even beneficial on special occasions, it doesn’t lend itself to long-term sustainability and spiritual growth.
A healthy diet of expositional sermons on a weekly basis benefit us in a variety of ways:
1. Demonstrates the Primacy of Scripture: Expositional preaching takes the message straight from Scripture. It gives us the original meaning as the author intended, which helps us understand the context and truth of the Bible without twisting it to fit our preferences.
2. Establishes a Strong Foundation: Imagine trying to build a house by laying bricks wherever you feel like, instead of following a blueprint. By preaching through entire books of the Bible, we get a steady foundation of truth, one brick at a time. This kind of teaching helps us connect the dots between different passages and understand God’s Word as one cohesive message. This may take years to accomplish, but it is worth it. Your sanctification and spiritual growth is a long game.
3. Reveals the Arc of Scripture: Expositional preaching helps us see the “big picture” of what God is doing in the Bible—from creation, to the fall, to redemption, to restoration. When we skip parts of the Bible, by only hitting the “big topics” or only look at isolated verses, we can miss out on seeing God’s bigger plan.
4. We are Confronted by the Reality of God’s Truth: Sometimes, the Bible confronts us with uncomfortable truths or difficult teachings. By working through Scripture in an expositional way, we’re pushed to wrestle with the tough topics, not just the “easy” or “feel-good” passages. This helps us grow spiritually, teaching us to rely on God’s wisdom, even when it’s challenging.
5. Strengthens our Faith for times of Difficulty: When we consistently hear expositional preaching, we learn to read and understand Scripture for ourselves. It equips us to apply God’s truth in our jobs, relationships, and personal struggles.
6. Pastoral Accountability: Expositional preaching holds pastors accountable to the Word of God. When a pastor commits to working through entire books of the Bible, they’re less likely to skip over challenging or uncomfortable passages. This approach ensures that the pastor presents the full counsel of God’s Word, even when it might be difficult or unpopular.
Expositional preaching keeps our church grounded in the Bible, aligns us with God’s truth, and builds us up as followers of Jesus who are equipped to live out our faith daily. It’s not just about hearing a message each week—it’s about building a life anchored in God’s Word.
If you’ve made it this far, we are currently working through 1 Peter and I invite you to join us on Sundays at 10am for worship.
We meet inside Co:Mission Collaborative Co:Working at 10548 Harrison Ave. Suite 2000.
I’d love to see you there.
– Pastor Austin