Expositional Preaching Doesn't Invent the Outline - It Shows the Outline.

When one thinks of "expositional preaching" what we mean is that the message of the preacher is in fact the message of the text.  An important way that the preacher arrives at that conclusion is through prayerful and careful analysis of the passage that is being preached.  This usually means that at some point one must examine how clauses and sentences relate together.  Some sentences and clauses form propositions or assertions and other support those assertions.  The student of the Bible has to carefully observe that. 

Here is an example of an upcoming preaching text of mine.

The opening sentence to the passage gives us our theme: "When the Spirit of Truth comes".  Well what can we expect?  Well a simple analysis of the sentence structure and relationship of sentences shows us that we can expect 2 things:

1. He will guide you into all truth.

2. He will glorify me.

The little word "for" following those statements provide explanation to each point.  In both cases it is the Spirit who "declares" to you.  He declares what is "owned" by God and He declares it on the authority of God. 

One of the only issues to complete the understanding is to determine who the "you" is.  Of course the context will amply satisfy the answer as being The Eleven (the Apostles). 

Now my point in showing this is for the reader to note that in expositional preaching even the outline and the subsequent points come FROM the text, not the preacher.  Now there may be a slight variance between preachers, but in essence, to rightly expose this text, the differences should be minor, for we are all exposing the same text.  I find it hard to believe that an expositional sermon on this passage would be much different from pulpit to pulpit.  Are we not all called to simply plagiarize the Bible? 

“They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.” (Nehemiah 8:8, ESV)  

Forever Doesn’t Always Mean F-O-R-E-V-E-R in the Old Testament

 Leviticus 23:41 (ESV): You shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month.

Here’s an example found in Leviticus 23.  The word in Hebrew for, forever is the Hebrew word. Strong’s Lexicon explains:

olam: long duration, antiquity, futurity
Original Word: עוֹלָם
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: olam
Phonetic Spelling: (o-lawm’)

Most often it means exactly “forever”.  But ancient languages can have broad meanings.  In this case it could also be interpreted “a long duration.”  This of course is true for the Leviticus passage which pointed to the Feast of Booths.  Since it celebrates the people’s salvation from Egypt, it was fitting for them to cease from work and to worship before the Lord. But it’s not an “eternal” celebration. How can one know when to interpret “olam” as eternal, or as (I like to say) “as long as God determines”?   Well the context including the whole canon of Scripture is the infallible guide. In this case we refer to Paul in Colossians 2:16–17 (ESV): 

“Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.”

Thus it becomes clear that “olam” as used in Leviticus 23 likely means a long duration or some might say, “in the fullness of God’s time.”   

I’ve written elsewhere on that here: https://jamesmaclellan.blogspot.com/2019/03/when-forever-doesnt-mean-forever.html

Blessing, 

Randy Alcorn’s Response to the Tragedy of Ravi Zacharias’ Hidden Life

 There is much about this tragedy that we needed focus on.  It likely will do no good to dig up rehearse all that is being reported.  If true, think the worse, and you probably can imagine the level of sin and deceit.   But there are lessons for us and I think Randy Alcorn has done a great job of reminding us of those lessons.  This is what we should focus on.

Here are some first thoughts in response to this tragedy, actually these many tragedies, because each incident did harm to others as well as to the reputation of Christ:

• Let’s be quick to confess and repent. Most Christian leaders I know are like me, sinners saved by grace and growing in Christlikeness but nonetheless prone to sometimes dishonor God. That’s why quick and sincere confession and repentance before God and others needs to be a regular part of our lives. If we postpone repentance we will be dragged deeper into sin.
• Let’s “finish well.” My friends and I often encourage each other to do this, especially as we get closer to that finish line, which each of us do every day. Clearly Ravi did not finish well. He finished in what appears to have been grievous sin that was unconfessed and unrepented of. Of course, only God knows what happened in his final hours or minutes. But all the books and messages and debates he ever engaged in, all the good he may have done, could not begin to compensate for his disobedience. Jesus says, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15).
• Let’s not trust ourselves too much by putting ourselves into temptation: “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment” (Romans 12:3).
• Let’s not act as if we are spiritually or morally stronger than we are: “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:12)
• Let’s decisively run away from sexual temptation: “Flee from sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18).
• Let’s realize Satan has targeted us for destruction. “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).
• Let’s lean on each other for moral strength and support. “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17).
• Let's remember we can’t keep dark secrets from God, the Audience of One. And we can keep them from people only a short time, even if that short time is decades. “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs” (Luke 12:2-3).

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