Expository Preaching Blog #40 – “Look At The Verse”

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I believe in expository preaching with my whole heart, my whole soul and my whole life. I have dedicated my adult life to expository preaching and promoting it in churches, to pastors and to Christians in the complete world. I do not understand why it is not more widely promoted, accepted and used. Maybe I do. It will not make you rich. It will not make you popular. It will not make you famous. There is nothing to personally gain from it. But I just do not understand all of the other preaching in the world that is not expository.

There is a key to expository preaching that I can sum up in one phrase: “Look at the verse!” Look at the passage. Look at your Bible. Look at the Word of God. I said that over and over in my ministry. I don’t know why others don’t say it more. It is so simple. It is very direct. Do you have a Bible in your hands? Do you have a Bible in your lap? And then throughout the sermon, look at it. I do. I do that constantly when I am listening to a sermon. Keep referring back to the Scriptures. Make sure that the Bible says what the speaker says it is saying. Check him out. Verify it for yourself. Are you getting truth or opinion?

I have lost count of the times that after the beginning of the sermon I could close my Bible. I actually have closed my Bible in church many, many times. Why should I keep it open? The preacher never came back to it for the next 20-30 minutes. They went down their own path. They spoke their own words and their own thoughts. They forsook the written words of God Himself and substituted His words with their own. When that happens I usually write that preacher off. I often will not listen to him again. I usually will not attend that church ever again. I came to hear the words of God and not the opinion of a man. If I want that, I can turn on a million television shows, a million radio shows, a million blogs, a million podcasts or listen to a million other people. There is plenty available 24/7 anywhere in the world. But there is only one eternal, everlasting, almighty God who created the universe. There is only one God who gave me eternal life through His grace. There is only one God who keeps me, sustains me and is returning someday to take me home to heaven to live with Him for all of eternity. I need nothing else. I need no one else.

You can shut all of the world down except for God. That would be sufficient for me. I might sound closed minded and simple minded. That is all right. I really don’t mind. My only purpose in life is to preach, teach and share Jesus Christ. That truly is my passion. Nothing else matters.

Preachers out there hear me out. When you preach. Preach God’s Word not your words. Ask your congregation to open their Bibles and follow along with you. Provide Bibles for them if necessary. Put the verses on a screen for all to see. Read it to them and for them. Every few minutes at the appropriate time tell your congregation, “Look at the verse.” Lead your congregation in listening to God and not you.

Rev. David Johnson

Former Pastor

First Baptist Church of Austin, MN

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