THS-10-10. Expository Sermons

10. Expository Sermons The preacher is first of all a teacher,. It is his duty to make known the Word of God in such a way as to form correct habits of thought, conduct and worship. A rather interesting text is the marginal reading in the revised version of Daniel 12:3 : "The teachers shall shine as the brightness of the firmament." We shall now turn our attention to expository preaching.

You will remember it was said that there are but two kinds of sermons, textual and topical. We have studied those two forms of sermon building. Every sermon is or should be an effort to interpret and apply the Word of God. The textual sermon analyses and presents the substance of a definite text. The topical sermon employs a topic (a scriptural topic if it is preaching) and deals with it in the light of the general teaching of the Scriptures. Expository sermons are more directly related to the textual than to the topical sermons, although the truth of that statement may be affected by the method of the expositor. My friend of University days, the late H. E. Knott, M.A., in his book on expository preaching, made a comparison of the methods of two world famed expositors, G. Campbell Morgan and Alexander Maclaren. The former, he said, habitually took a phrase from a section or verse of Scripture and treated it somewhat as a topic, while the latter dealt with his section of Scripture in a more analytical way.

Probably it is true to say that expository preaching is the most difficult type of preaching, and at the same time it is more needed than any other. There is a lamentable ignorance of the Bible today. A very small percentage even of those who regularly attend church services have any useful knowledge of the Scriptures. The reason is that few people now read the Book regularly and constructively. A secondary reason, so far as church attendants are concerned, is that preachers have not done the work of exposition to a profitable extent. Exposition, as the word suggests, opens up the Scriptures, displays their meaning, reveals their matter, and vitalizes their message. It is a real art. It demands skill. A true expositor will understand his text-book, he will have insight into its depths, he will understand the psychology of his congregation, he will be aware of what is going on in the world, and he will seek to apply the Word of God to the lives of his people. "Who is sufficient for these things?" We qualify by our possession of the gifts of reason and imagination steeped in hard work and sanctified by the Spirit of God.

There are many questions of Biblical and Historical Criticism in these later days which are of immense importance in the work of exposition. The more the expositor knows of such subjects the better. But he must be careful not to confuse the average people, untrained to form their judgments on the historical and critical questions at issue, by forcing these questions upon them in his sermons. Such questions have little to do with the essential revelation and inspiration which make Bible exposition and application dynamic. The advantages of expository preaching are these:

1. It brings preacher and hearer into direct contact with the mind of the Spirit.

2. It promotes the biblical knowledge of the preacher and the hearer.

3. It presents a comprehensive intelligent view of the revelation of God.

4. It opens up new ways of preaching truths that must be dealt with by the preacher again and again.

5. It enables a preacher to handle naturally, some subjects from which he would otherwise shrink. When they come in the course of regular expository studies they do not appear to be specially selected, though they may deal with living issues.

Definition of Expository Preaching

Perhaps now we are ready for a definition of expository preaching. Expository preaching is the consecutive treatment of some book, or extended portion of Scripture, or a single verse, in an effort to explain it, and apply it to life.

Expository preaching then is marked by three features:

1. It takes for its text a connected passage (more than a clause or a verse generally), a psalm, a parable, an argument or portion of an argument, a scene or narrative, etc.

2. It expands the meaning of the passage in a clear and forcible way.

3. It applies its lessons to life.

There are different methods of expository preaching, and some which were acceptable once upon a time, when Alice was in Wonderland, cannot be used to advantage now. For example, The Running Commentary. Dr. R. W. Dale, celebrated British preacher of a generation ago, speaking of his own expository sermons, said that he carefully "explained and illustrated, clause by clause, verse by verse, a group of chapters, or a complete book of Holy Scripture." That kind of exposition, however, has long ceased to be acceptable to listeners. Some few dear saintly souls, to whom the Word is the very breath of life, may be delighted to hear it yet, and to such folk, in some small Bible study group, you may even yet dare to do it. Dr. James Black tells of a preacher whom he heard when he was a child, who started in to expound the epistle to the Philippians. Dr. Black said: "We loved the man for many things, but in the end we hated the book of Philippians." The preacher died after a year and ten months, and he was only in the middle of the second chapter. To go through a book verse by verse, or phrase by phrase, plodding unweariedly and wearyingly on, is not exposition for today. Exit The Running Commentary!

I have said that the work of exposition is more related to textual than to topical preaching. Some forms, however, are distinctly topical. A biblical character study, the sketching of a portrait, the setting out of the striking characteristics of a personality--psychological, moral and religious--is a very helpful form of exposition. Dr. George Matheson’s Representative Men of the Bible are good examples. So, too, is the work of verbal dramatization, a field where a preacher with an imaginative gift and dramatic powers may find wide scope for his talents. Who has not felt the dramatic interest of the story of Naaman the leper, or of the incident of Elijah and the priests of Baal! There are numerous incidents, as well as dramatic words and phrases, which lend themselves to this kind of treatment. The preacher who announced as his subject, "A King Pursues a Flea" (1 Samuel 24:14), had an eye for a dramatic situation.

Types of Exposition The usual forms of exposition are:

1. The exposition of a selected portion of Scripture;

2. The study of related passages;

3. The message of a book, when such book is taken as a whole.

4. The continuous exposition of a book in a series of sermons. In expounding an extended section of Scripture, attention to some important principles will be of, value.

First, every phrase or idea in the passage does not require treatment. It would be impossible to deal with them all, and the ability to make a selection of relevant details is important.

Second, leading ideas in the passage may be selected, around which the general teaching of the lesson may be gathered.

Third, the lesson must be a vital one; it must have relation to life.

Fourth, the exposition must be interesting. This should be included as a matter of course in the last statement, but unfortunately it does not follow that everything that has a vital relation to life is interesting to people. Religion, for instance! Some people are more interested in a football match! Hence, if a vital subject is not naturally interesting, you must make it so by your manner of handling it.

Leading Ideas for Exposition

We come then to the exposition of a selected portion of Scripture. It is Ephesians 4:1 to Ephesians 5:21. Read it! It is a long passage and it is full of rich material for exposition. Did you notice that a certain word, "Walk," occurs again and again? (4:1; 4:17; 5:2; 5:8; 5:15). It seems as if all the counsel in the mind of the apostle was gathered round the way a Christian walked, in a figurative sense, of course.

"Walk worthily of the calling wherewith ye were called etc." What ideas were in his mind there? What is the calling, and what "walk" would be worthy of it? Only today I saw walking along a city street, a woman who was drunk and disorderly. Her face was marked with bruises, and she was shouting foolish inanities as she walked. She was not walking worthily of her womanhood.

"I say ... that ye no longer walk as the Gentiles also walk, in the vanity of their mind, etc." What things are to be avoided in the Christian life? Paul tells us in vv. 18-20. There was a real difference between Christians and Gentiles in those days.

"Walk in love even as Christ also loved you, etc." What kind of a gait will that be? Remember you find out from the context in each case, because you are expounding Scripture. The first thing about Christ is his sacrifice (5:2).

"Walk as children of light." That is a beautiful phrase; what can it mean? Your context will tell you, and that is where you need to go for the work of exposition. On the positive side "goodness, righteousness, truth, what is well pleasing unto the Lord"; and on the negative side "to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness," the things which it is "a shame even to speak of" (vv. 9-12). In this connection notice this striking statement: "All things when they are reproved are made manifest by the light" (v. 13). Is this a reference to the way a wholesome character by its very beauty reveals by contrast what is selfish and mean in others?

"Look carefully how ye walk." That could be a general exhortation covering all the rest, but the apostle does not mean it that way, and the context again presents us with definite ideas concerning conduct.

These five passages are related to practically all that the apostle says in this long section, and they are all expressed in a figure of speech. By the time we have surrounded these passages with the ideas in Paul’s mind, the exposition will certainly be profitable if we can make it interesting. It should be interesting. Both the kind of life the writer has in mind, and the metaphor he uses, are interesting. Have you noticed how differently men walk? Some go with mincing steps, some slouch, some shuffle, some walk firmly, or brightly. Granted that feet and limbs are in good condition, a man’s walk shows character. Well, there’s an introduction. "Watch your step" may be a good title. Under the figure of walking we are to study how a Christian should conduct himself--there is the theme.

Exhaustive Study

Now for the outline. We must study our passage more before we are ready for that. We cannot expound a scripture portion that we have not thoroughly studied. Don’t forget--this is no lazy man’s job. One of the verses around which our study centers is expressed negatively--there is a kind of walking we must not do (4:17). It is often well to deal with negative points of view first, in order to leave your positive elements for the conclusion. Here then is the first main division. The apostle was much concerned about sexual impurity here (4:19; 5:3). These Ephesians must have been a loose crowd once. We were never as bad as that, perhaps. Or perhaps we were. In imagination anyway! (4:18). Or loose talk! (5:4). They had been thieves, some of them (4:28). There was lying too (4:25), and bitterness and anger and evil speaking and malice (4:31). The lightning may be striking close now!

"Walk worthily of the calling." Here is the second main division. A great vocation, this Christian life! What can be worthy of it? The particular thing (though there are others) that Paul has in mind here is a striving after unity. "Giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit" (4:3). "Till we all attain unto the unity of the faith" (4:13). Speaking truth in love" (4:15).

"Walk as children of light." Third main division! The apostle is drawing on his imagination here, but we can follow. What does light do? It shows things up when they need to be exposed (5:13). Its very presence is a rebuke to evil (5:11). It stands for all that is good and righteous and true (5:9), as contrasted with the unfruitful works of darkness (5:9-12). "Look carefully how ye walk" (5:15). The "walk" again ! Shall we make this another main division? It is the positive side of the first leading idea we had; perhaps we could include it there, when we come to prepare our outline. But of course it could be made another main point if it appealed to us that way. Perhaps it should be given a particular emphasis, because many Christians are not careful how they walk.

Here is the next great thought: "Walk in love" (5.2). That is a main division for sure. The new commandment, and the greatest of all commandments! What kind of walk is this? "Be kind ... tenderhearted, forgiving ... even as God" (4:32). Imitators of God in everything (5:1). Loving as Christ did (5:2).

Thus we have gathered in a somewhat ordered way the leading thoughts of this great passage. We must now set it out in outline form, for although we are preparing an exposition of a portion of Scripture, a definite outline, with suggestive main headings, and a comprehensive analysis will help both our hearers and ourselves. Even so, it is but an outline of the teaching of the Scripture which we are expounding. The sermon will still need your pertinent illustration and definite application to life.

Outline of Exposition The following outline covers the essential details that our study of the passage has revealed.

WATCH YOUR STEP!

Ephesians 4:1 to Ephesians 5:21.

Introduction: The apostle was interested in the way men walk. How differently they do it! Illustrate. A man’s walk may reveal his character.

I. FORBIDDEN PATHS. "No longer walk as Gentiles walk (4:17). Their stumbling gait is

1. Due to:

2. And results in:

II. THE AVENUE OF HONOUR. "Walk worthily of the calling wherewith ye were called" (4:1). A worthy walk is characterized by 1. A Humble Spirit (4:2).

2. Longsuffering and Forbearance. (4:2).

3. Diligence to keep the Unity of the Spirit. (4:3).

4. Aspiration towards Unity of the Faith. (4:13).

5. Desire for Completeness in Christ (4:14-16).

III. THE WAY OF LIGHT. "Walk as Children of Light" (5:8). The function of light 1. It is revealing (5:13).

2. It is convicting (5:13).

3. It produces fruit (5:9) of goodness.

4. But not the unfruitful works of darkness (5:11).

IV. A DIFFICULT TRACK. "Look carefully how walk" (5:15).

1. Danger of indolence in evil times (5:16).

2. A call for the exercise of common sense. (5:17).

3. Pitfalls on the road (5:18).

4. Power for the way (5:18-19).

V. THE KING’S HIGHWAY. "Walk in love, even as Christ" (5:2).

It is:

1. A way of sacrifice (5:2).

2. A way of goodness (5:3-4a).

3. A way of gratitude (5:4b).

Conclusion: The call of the Christian life to, great character. The wide range of evil to be avoided, and the life comprehending simple goodness in every form is here set forth. A word of exhortation and appeal. For Review:

1. Discuss the extent to which expository preaching draws upon both the textual and topical methods of sermon preparation.

2. Under what conditions might the running commentary be used? (The notes suggest one; are there others?)

3. Following the study of Ephesians 4:1 to Ephesians 5:21, prepare an independent outline covering the results of your study.