Preach The Word

Chuck Swindoll: Declare the truth as you have been built to declare it. Explanation of the meaning and the application of holy Scripture. It is the most effective method of getting knowledge from the page of the Bible into the hearts and minds of the believers.

Aaron Massey: Expositional preaching comes in a variety of styles. Pastor Chuck Swindoll, John Piper, Tony Evans, John MacArthur, they're all expositional preachers, but they all have distinctive styles. So what is it then that makes them expositional preachers? What is it that makes their sermons expositional?

Substance. And I want to dive deeper on that in this video as we look at the way Chuck defines expositional preaching. But before we do so, I want you to hear his conviction and passion behind this method of preaching.

Chuck Swindoll: Let me say this very clearly and very carefully. Preaching that does that is expositional preaching. The systematic, thorough, consistent explanation of the meaning and the application of holy Scripture is the most effective method of proclaiming God's truth year in, year out. It isn't the only method. It is the most effective method of getting knowledge from the page of the Bible into the hearts and minds of the believers.

Expository preaching. It is not the preacher's job to be clever and cute. It is not the preacher's job to be so creative that the message gets clouded. We are not to rely on our own manipulative skills or our own personal charisma in order to attract and impress or pack the house of worship. We are to be accurate, clear, and practical in the teaching of the word of God because it is missing. Churches are starving for truth.

Walt Kaiser, in an outstanding book, *Toward an Exegetical Theology*, writes this: "It is no secret that Christ's church is not at all in good health in many places of the world. She has been languishing because she has been fed, as the current line has it, junk food. All kinds of artificial preservatives and all sorts of unnatural substitutes have been served up to her. As a result, theological and biblical malnutrition has afflicted the very generation that has taken such giant steps to make sure its physical health is not damaged by using foods of products that are carcinogenic or otherwise harmful to their physical bodies.

Simultaneously, a worldwide spiritual famine results from the absence of any genuine publication of the word of God. And it continues to run wild and almost unabated in most quarters of the church." To that, I say amen, Walt. Preach it. Nothing is more important for you to hear today than that.

The spine of this ministry, the life-giving nerve center of any ministry, is the proclamation of God's word. I would say that if my calling were counseling, if my calling were music, if my calling were administrative. I don't say it because I'm the preacher. I have said it before I was the preacher. I will say it when I'm no longer the preacher. I guess that's when I'm in heaven. I will be saying it for all my life.

Your solid diet of meaty food is what you need the most to grow spiritually. It's not all you need, but it's what you need the most. Just as a well-prepared meal must include that which is nutritious for your body, for your diet, so your spiritual lives hang on good, solid, meaty truth.

Aaron Massey: Pastor Chuck Swindoll has given his life to expositional preaching, and as you just heard, it means a great deal to him and to us at Insight for Living. My name is Aaron Massey and it's my privilege and joy to serve at Insight and to bring you the content of this Preach the Word series. Our hope with this series is to equip and encourage you in the task of expositional preaching.

And so what is it? Chuck has talked about it for decades in his sermons and throughout his writings, but I wanted to start by taking you to his book on preaching called *Saying It Well*. There he refers to it as exegetical exposition. And here's what he says.

Preaching that is exegetical means the message is drawn out of the biblical text. Preaching is said to be expositional when sermons explain the meaning, purpose, and import of a given biblical passage. The exegetical expositional preacher's sermon won't revolve around a hot topic ripped from the headlines or a clever insight he gained through personal experience.

Rather, he chooses a book of the Bible, divides it into manageable segments, and then preaches a sermon from each segment from beginning to end. On any given Sunday, the passage itself provides the subject. And now that doesn't necessarily mean that every sermon series needs to walk through a book of the Bible.

Chuck goes on to write: "A preacher might also preach a series of messages around a particular subject, such as marriage or the family, a Bible personality, a specific doctrine, or some prophetic theme. The preaching can be exegetical and expositional if the sermons are based on a compilation of passages that speak to the topic at hand."

In short, for expositional sermons, you want the thoughts, the feelings, and the aims of the biblical author to shape and drive the substance of your message. Chuck is not talking about style here. He's talking about substance. Delivery styles, like personalities, vary. But if biblical truth does not dominate the substance of your message, then it's not a legitimate or useful sermon.

Because without biblical meaty truth in your message, people can't connect with Jesus. Only if his word abides in us can we abide in him. Without biblical substance, your listeners won't be able to deepen in their faith, to enjoy spiritual transformation, to access all of the promises and gifts and benefits that Jesus offers us through his word for walking with him and navigating life.

And now, it's more than just dispensing information though. So I want to end by going a bit deeper on the how. Chuck preached a series called *Searching the Scriptures* in which he explained how to study and teach the Bible. In this clip, he gets a bit more concrete in his definition of expositional preaching and he outlines a checklist he uses to develop expositional sermons.

It's a great checklist for all preachers to keep handy. Actually, though, before that, I was debating it, but I just can't resist sharing this quick preaching story from Chuck about one of his teachers.

Chuck Swindoll: My all-time favorite story Howie Hendricks told while he was still with us. He was preaching out in the sticks, a long ways from any familiar area, and he said that the country preacher was introducing him to his congregation. And he began, "Well, folks," he said, "there's different kinds of preachers. There's topical preachers, and there's devotional preachers, and there are doctrinal preachers, and there are suppository preachers. And I'm pleased to announce that Dr. Hendricks is the head of the suppository preaching department at Dallas Theological Cemetery," he says as he introduced Hendricks.

So I said to Hendricks later, he's telling me this story and I am cracking up, I said, "What did you do?" He said, "I just stood up and supposited the Scriptures." Isn't that a great line? Just supposited the Scriptures.

Aaron Massey: Oh, that is probably an image that you will never forget. It's such a funny story. I just couldn't help sharing it. Okay now, get your pen ready. We'll end with Chuck's concrete definition of expositional preaching and the checklist he uses to craft expositional sermons.

Chuck Swindoll: It occurred to me that I have not given you until now a definition of exposition, so I want to do that. You don't have to write it down if you don't want to. It isn't inspired. I wrote it, so take it for what it's worth. But to me, exposition covers three main areas.

Exposition occurs, one, when the biblical text is studied, understood, and explained. When the biblical text is studied, understood, and explained. Second, exposition occurs when the text remains the central focus of attention during the delivery of any presentation. When the text becomes the focal point of attention. You never get far from the text of Scripture when you are an expositor of God's word.

Third, exposition occurs when the text is illustrated and applied in keeping with today's needs. When the text is illustrated and applied in keeping with today's needs. Those are good checkpoints to grade my messages from one time to the next. Did Chuck literally observe the Scriptures for the purpose of understanding them and explaining them? Have I done that?

When I've delivered it, has it been based on the word of God, not some opinion I have or some idea I've come up with? Does he have his finger on the verse, and does that verse speak with power to me and to others? And third, has it been applied and illustrated in a way that I can get it? I often have it pass through these grids in my mind.

I always want my teaching to be accurate, clear, relevant, and practical. Accurate with the biblical text, clear as it's being explained so that anyone can get it. Not just the mature or older Christian, but anyone. I decode what could be confusing by making it clear.

And then is it relevant? Do I realize how relevant God's word really is? And then as it is applied, is it practical? Do I have something I can take with me when I step out of the place of learning and move into the realm of living? After all, the whole purpose of the Bible is not to fill our heads with knowledge, but ultimately to fill our lives with purity, authenticity, so that we are able to live out the life of Christ before others who are reading his gospel through the way we live.

Aaron Massey: So that's it for this video. Again, I'm Aaron Massey with Insight for Living, and it's our privilege and joy to serve you as you lead God's people and preach his word. Before we go, let me point you to a few resources. First, be sure to like this video, subscribe to our channel, and check out our Preach the Word playlist where we're posting Chuck's best insights on this important calling.

And second, if you don't own a copy of Chuck's book on preaching, *Saying It Well*, we highly recommend it. It's his preaching memoir that's also like a practical preaching manual. I promise you will not be able to put it down.

And third, Insight for Living has a section on our website for church leaders where you can find hundreds of articles and sign up for our weekly email bringing you an insight from Chuck. One week you'll get a technical tip for preaching, and the next you might get a biblical principle for shepherding. Find all the info you need in the description below. Thank you so much for listening. Go, preach the word, and say it well.