My associate pastor and I meet weekly for study, mentoring and prayer. This year we are reading and discussing Timothy Witmer's book: The Shepherd Leader. In Chapter 6, entitled Shepherds Feed the Sheep, Witmer provides a compelling argument for expository preaching. What is expository preaching? There are many good definitions available but I prefer Bryan Chappell's:
"The main idea of an expository sermon the topic, the divisions of that idea, main points, and the development of those divisions, all come from truths the text itself contains. No significant portions of the text is ignored. In other words, expositors willingly stay within the boundaries of the text and do not leave until they have surveyed its entirety with its hearers." [1]
Here is Witmer's first point:
“The pastor should also be concerned to
represent scriptura tota (the whole counsel of God) in his preaching ministry.
The best way to provide this balanced diet is through the systematic expository
preaching of the Scriptures. Verse-by-verse preaching from whole books of the
Bible serves many purposes, including the following:
1. It identifies exactly what is the
heart of the Christian message.
“We are not
expounding a passage from either secular literature or a political speech or
even a religious book, let alone our own opinions. No, our text is invariably
taken from God’s Word.”
People can hear
about politics, the environment, or the economy anywhere, and by people who are
likely to be better qualified in these categories. What the sheep need is the
food that their Good Shepherd provides in the inspired revelation of his Word." [2]
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2. Shepherd
Leader (pp. 142-146). P&R Publishing. Kindle Edition.
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