Over at the Proclamation Trust blog, they have posted a top ten list of reasons for pastors to engage in expository preaching. It is taken from the book The Shepherd Leader: Achieving Effective Shepherding in Your Church by Timothy Witmer.
Here is the list:
- Expository preaching identifies exactly what is at the heart of the Christian message
- Expository preaching requires that the shepherd concern himself with the intent of the Divine Author for every text.
- Expository preaching respects the integrity of the textual units given through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit
- Expository preaching keeps the pastor from riding his favourite hobby horses.
- Expository preaching requires the preacher to preach the difficult or obscure texts and challenging truths of the Bible.
- Expository preaching will encourage both pastor and students alike to become students of the Bible.
- Expository preaching gives us boldness in preaching for we are not expounding our own fallible views but the Word of God.
- Expository preaching gives confidence to the listener that what he is hearing is not the opinion of man but the Word of God.
- Expository preaching is of great assistance in sermon planning.
- Expository preaching provides the context for a long tenure in a particular place.
HT: Tim Challies