The Preparation for Exposition

Preparing to preach an expositional sermon on the Lord’s Day is nothing to be taken lightly. Then again, it is not just for pastors to be expositional. We should be expositional in our devotions, our Sunday School lessons, our evangelism, and every time we open the Word of God. Therefore, exposition is not just for pastors, but I believe that if the saints in the seats are going to properly use exposition in their daily lives, they should learn it from the pulpit. Preaching an expositional sermon requires certain commitments in the pastor’s preparation.

Commitment #1 The preacher must be committed to understanding the text before he enters the pulpit. I admit that there have been times (more than I want to admit) where I have begun the task of preaching and have still been uncertain as to what the text was saying. To understand the meaning of the text in study means that I will stay in my chair until I have a grasp of what God is saying. How can I speak of that in which I am not certain? Sometimes this takes weeks, sometimes hours, but I should never be satisfied with getting something “that will preach” but without a thorough understanding of “what? when? where? why? to what extent?” of the specific text.

Commitment #2 The preacher must be committed to interpreting the text within its context. Much damage is done when we rush through the interpretation discipline straight to the application of a particular text. Studying the Word looking for practical application instead of studying the Word looking for original intent is dangerous. To interpret the Scripture we must know the cultural, literary, historical, and theological context of the particular text. This means a great deal of study before we even get to the actual preaching text. Before we can exposit Romans 1:16 we must have a good understanding of what Romans 1 is about. We must also understand the meaning of the letter to the Romans in its entirety. We must also understand Pauline structure and the cultural audience receiving that letter. It is also good to see how the Book of Romans fits within the theological framework of the Gospels (since Romans is a treatise on the Gospel of Grace). Throughout this process, the interpreter is making decisions and choices about texts; if those choices are not subservient to the Holy Spirit’s active work in our lives, we will err.

Commitment #3 The preacher must be committed to saying nothing more or less than the text says. We are horrified with cults and false religions that add to the Word of God, and yet we seem to excuse shoddy interpretation, sloppy exegesis, and poor presentation of the Scripture because, “Bless his heart, he loves the Lord.” If we are truly the mouthpieces for God’s holy, perfect Word; then we must be devoted to not injecting upon the text our personal opinions or preferences (which are imperfect and many times unholy). We must not let the fear of man dictate our interpretation. Cultural and traditional understandings of God’s Word should not be thrown out, but rather they should be processed through the grid of what God’s Word is saying. Don’t jump to conclusions about God’s Word simply because it sounds good. Study the intent, the grammar, the broader context, the moods of Scripture, and the tenor of the passage. Make interpretive decisions because it is the plain sense of Scripture not based upon conservative or liberal tradition or pressure.

To be continued. . .