Expository preaching is quite popular in conservative Christian circles, the resurgence of which probably came under the influence of D Martyn Lloyd Jones and others in the mid 20th century. Expository preaching presupposes a serious commitment to Scripture as the Word of God, to its authority and inerrancy. Its form is predominantly verse by verse, chapter by chapter, in sequence study of the Bible. Its content centers on explaining the meanings of Bible texts and then the implications and applications. Prominent preachers, such as John MacArthur, R C Sproul, John Piper, are all advocators and masters of expository preaching. Most seminaries of biblical orthodoxy are training preachers to be expositors. Many preachers, young and old, seasoned and novice, are claiming to be expositing the Scripture. However, expository preaching is more claimed than possessed, more spoken than practiced. Here we examine several common malpractices of expository preaching.
Such malpractices are not inherent to expository preaching. We do hold that expository preaching IS biblical preaching, but it is not something every preacher has acquired, and most importantly, some think they have it but actually do not. This is what we are trying to address here. We are also by no means saying such problems is non-existing in those who do not do expository preaching. These people are simply not our concern here. What is specially about expository preaching is that it has become a cover for problems. A preacher may be misled to think that he is doing well as long as his preaching is sort of expository. Some probably only have a form or procedure of expository preaching, but lack the essence of it.
First, study and preaching are mechanical. It is often said that expositing the Bible is a science. No doubt that is true, but it is not just a science, it cannot be just a science. We may call it an art at the same time, not in the sense like a painter drawing on a blank canvas, but in the sense that there is a creative, mysterious dimension that cannot be achieved mechanically. Simply following procedures of consulting original texts, commentaries, books, notes-taking, etc. will not automatically lead to a solid sermon. Each preacher is unique, and each sermon is unique though preachers may face the same text. The indwelling of Holy Spirit and the providence of God work mysteriously, through the intellectual, psychological, and emotional framework of each person. The end result is something that grasps the heart of both the preacher and the audience, that accomplishes the will of God among these people. You cannot explain exactly why, you cannot even repeat it. There is a spontaneity, a sudden burst of inspirational thought that is similar to the experience of a brilliant painter or a writer.
Some preachers do not have the gifts of an artist, though almost anyone can be trained with the mechanics of procedures. Artistry is not without training, but it is certainly not simply trained. A true artist has an artistic heart and mind. He is one who loves what he does and does it with passion. He is one who enjoys what he does and does it with pleasure. He immerses himself into its realm and beyond. A creative mind is not a mind enslaved in mechanism, but free in the open field. He sees far and reads broad; he listens and meditates. He absorbs a complicated array of information in different perspectives, and the moment of sermon preparation is to bring out this complexity and let all the elements interact and explode. In this heated exchange comes a sermon that burns and enlightens. Some preachers have a barren mind, though not necessarily barren of technical knowledge. What they lack is the richness of mind and probably more importantly, the passion to explore and to interact with the totality of God’s revelation and works. Some are disinterested, some are exhausted, some are professionally engaged.
Second, obsessed with forms but lack substance. Some think because expository is verse by verse, good preaching is shown in how slow it goes and how much information one could squeeze out of a short passage. We are not saying that being slow is wrong in itself, just as being fast is not wrong in itself since we find examples of both in Scripture. But pace should not be one’s objective. One should not aim to be fast or slow, but to be faithful to the text and to be realistic to one’s reality. Some boast how slow their preaching is, and how many sermons they could generate out of a verse or two. Indeed, there have been talented preachers who could go slow and their works can be fruitful, such as some of the Puritans. The problem is that those do not have this gift and vainly try hard to emulate this formality. This is a torture for the preacher as well as for the audience. Great examples are often being followed blindly. Some preachers adopt a rigid division of sermon after famous Puritans; some preachers slavishly copy the way a well-known preacher organizes sermon points; some even imitate other’s tone of speaking. Again, it is not that these forms can never be used, but under a blind form, under a blind pursuit of forms, the vitality of a creative work is gone.
Above all, the obsession with forms is often accompanied by a shallow content (you have only limited time). Many simply do not preach serious, deep theology, though they may be trained rigorously in it. Such confessional churches, Reformed and others, do not preach bad theology as popular evangelical churches do, but they do not preach deep theology either. We are not saying every sermon should be deep, but you cannot scratch the surface all the time. Some orthodox churches develop their own stream of pietistic preaching, which is as void of theological substance as the rest. Biblical preaching is doctrinal preaching. The substance of the sermon should be the explanation of biblical doctrines, in one way or another. Explanation is the soul of teaching, because teaching must target the understanding, the mind first and foremost. It is not enough to ask people to do something, to think in certain ways; they must first be willing to do it, have the capability and heart to do it, and have the right mind to think in the right way. Expository is not informational only, it must explain. You do not assume people will understand or have already understood, you must explain so they may understand. Teaching and preaching have a higher standard than simply knowing something. One may know something but cannot teach it because he cannot explain it. Teaching presupposes not understanding, but masterly understanding. You must understand the internal correlation and logic. You must have a deep insight into biblical truth and human nature (this goes back to the first point).
Third, expository preaching is severed from the system of church ministry. Some preachers think their job is preaching only. If they have done expository preaching, they are good. But biblical preaching is never isolated, it is always integrated into a complete and systematic organism. Preaching is only one part, though critical part, of teaching and pastoral ministry. There should be multiple teaching activities set up for different stages of spiritual growth (not necessarily age or gender, which is often done). Preaching and teaching should also be linked to pastoral works, Christian communion, casual gatherings, and personal devotions. Preaching, even the best preaching, can do very little if standing alone. Think about it: how much information could a person grasp in a one-hour sermon? How much good could it do to him throughout a week? While he is being exposed to all false information? How long does he have to wait until you preach to the doctrine that he is in need now? The whole church ministry is a system, composed of sub-systems like preaching-teaching, visiting and counseling, church meetings, personal growth, etc. Each sub-system is also complex in content. Biblical preaching is biblical only when it functions in this biblical system. The church ministry is often fragmented if not in disarray. There may be one activity or two, may be one or two being done well. It is like fishing, you can have one hook or two, that are able to capture one fish or two, but you do not have a net to capture a lot. A system is a network to capture a lot. This relates to a much bigger topic on the biblical understanding of church, which we may elaborate in the future.
