Preaching Styles
If you were to ask the average believer today what they see as the most important issue facing the church preaching styles would probably be at the bottom of the list if it even makes the list at all. I believe, however, that preaching styles are of critical importance, because they are a direct reflection of how a church views the Word of God.There are various styles of preaching.
Below are the most popular:
Topical –The pastor picks a topic based on felt needs, current events, holidays, etc. and then goes to the Word to find Scripture that applies to the topic.
Anecdotal – This style is very similar to storytelling. It is preaching based primarily on the recounting of stories in order to convey a moral lesson
Biographical – Preaching that seeks to draw moral lessons from a person’s life. This person is most often a character from the Bible but may also be a historical or current figure.
Textual – This preaching style refers to a passage of Scripture but it does not use the main idea of the passage as the main point of the sermon.
Expository (expositional) – Preaching that takes the point of the text as the point of the sermon. This takes the form of verse by verse study with an emphasis on the historical and grammatical context of the passage.
So what is the big deal? Does it really matter which of these styles we use as long as we are speaking God’s truth?
Well the answer is of course, yes it does matter. If we are going to seek to convey God’s truth what is the best method for doing so? I believe that this is best accomplished by allowing the Word to speak for itself, and I believe the most effective way to do this is through expositional preaching.
There was a time when I myself believed that preaching styles didn’t really matter, but after serving as a pastor for several years I see things a great deal differently. I understand that the greatest need of every man or woman is not how to be a better spouse or parent, or overcoming fear, or even being a better person, but mankind’s greatest need is to know God. Everything else flows from this one thing. Until we know God, and understand His greatness, His holiness, His love, His justice, etc. we cannot be the spouse, parent, or person God intended us to be. Without a proper understanding and high view of God we have no real foundation or basis upon which to change these other things.
Now I do not totally discount topical preaching I believe it must be done with the utmost of care and it should not be the steady diet of any believer. A person will never receive an accurate view of God by simply hearing a constant barrage of sermons on marriage, family, fear, evangelism, etc. The only way a person can gain a true understanding of God, His character, and His desires, is to see His purpose as laid out in Scripture, the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).
John Piper in his book Don’t Waste Your Life tells the story of how his view of God’s Word was changed when he realized that the passages or Scripture were not strung pearls but rather links in a chain. Each verse relates to the greater passage, each passage to the book, and each book to the Bible as a whole. It is important that people understand that the Bible is a story or drama. It begins with the preexistent God who created our universe. Sin entered this universe through the sin of one Man, Adam, and all of creation, including man himself, was thoroughly corrupted as a result. This sin demanded God’s judgment but God, in his grace, promises to provide a redeemer who will make things right again. The rest of the Old Testament records the family line, starting with Abraham, from which this Redeemer would come. The Gospels then record the birth of the Redeemer, Jesus Christ, in a barn in Bethlehem, His sinless life and his death on a Roman cross to satisfy the wrath of God against the sin of mankind for those who believe, and his resurrection three days later. The Acts of the Apostles go on to record the story of the birth and infancy of the church. And finally the Epistles give us instruction for glorifying God by our life and conduct as believers in Jesus Christ, and give us a glimpse in God’s future plans for His creation.
Anytime we preach or teach it is vitally important that we remember, everything we say must fit within the framework of this grater story or drama.
The best means to communicate this, I believe, is through expository preaching because, by it, we are bound to pure Word of God. Of course, it is still possible to abuse the Word through expository preaching but it is difficult and often obvious when abuse is occurring. It is very difficult for a pastor to ride a “hobby horse” with expositional preaching. This style of preaching also holds the pastor accountable to cover subjects that he would most likely avoid if he were choosing a topic to preach.
Nowhere do we see in Scripture “Thou shalt preach expositional sermons only” but I believe when one reads the Word of God as a whole he or she cannot escape the fact that the Message of the Word demands it.
It is obvious when you talk with the average believer today there is a shallowness in their understanding of God. I am not referring here to new believers, but rather men and women who have been followers of Christ for several years. I believe this shallowness is directly attributable to the lack of solid preaching and teaching found in most churches today. I must also say that this is not just a problem occurring in liberal or seeker churches but it is also occurring in churches with solid, biblical churches. Some of these churches even claim to espouse expository preaching but when one listens to these messages they soon realize that is not the case at all. This is usually due to a lack of preparation as a result of laziness or misplaced focus. A pastors most important task is the preaching and teaching of the Word, and this requires hours and hours of prayer and preparation every week. Everything else in a pastor’s ministry is secondary to this.
So I challenge all pastors who read this to rediscover what God in His grace has allowed me to see. People need the Word of God not the word or clever ideas of their pastor. I also challenge all believers to seek out a church that preaches the pure Word of God. When you sit under the pure teaching of the word with a receptive heart you will develop a hunger and passion for the Word that will never be satisfied by anything else.
God bless,
Pastor Duane
Below are the most popular:
Topical –The pastor picks a topic based on felt needs, current events, holidays, etc. and then goes to the Word to find Scripture that applies to the topic.
Anecdotal – This style is very similar to storytelling. It is preaching based primarily on the recounting of stories in order to convey a moral lesson
Biographical – Preaching that seeks to draw moral lessons from a person’s life. This person is most often a character from the Bible but may also be a historical or current figure.
Textual – This preaching style refers to a passage of Scripture but it does not use the main idea of the passage as the main point of the sermon.
Expository (expositional) – Preaching that takes the point of the text as the point of the sermon. This takes the form of verse by verse study with an emphasis on the historical and grammatical context of the passage.
So what is the big deal? Does it really matter which of these styles we use as long as we are speaking God’s truth?
Well the answer is of course, yes it does matter. If we are going to seek to convey God’s truth what is the best method for doing so? I believe that this is best accomplished by allowing the Word to speak for itself, and I believe the most effective way to do this is through expositional preaching.
There was a time when I myself believed that preaching styles didn’t really matter, but after serving as a pastor for several years I see things a great deal differently. I understand that the greatest need of every man or woman is not how to be a better spouse or parent, or overcoming fear, or even being a better person, but mankind’s greatest need is to know God. Everything else flows from this one thing. Until we know God, and understand His greatness, His holiness, His love, His justice, etc. we cannot be the spouse, parent, or person God intended us to be. Without a proper understanding and high view of God we have no real foundation or basis upon which to change these other things.
Now I do not totally discount topical preaching I believe it must be done with the utmost of care and it should not be the steady diet of any believer. A person will never receive an accurate view of God by simply hearing a constant barrage of sermons on marriage, family, fear, evangelism, etc. The only way a person can gain a true understanding of God, His character, and His desires, is to see His purpose as laid out in Scripture, the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27).
John Piper in his book Don’t Waste Your Life tells the story of how his view of God’s Word was changed when he realized that the passages or Scripture were not strung pearls but rather links in a chain. Each verse relates to the greater passage, each passage to the book, and each book to the Bible as a whole. It is important that people understand that the Bible is a story or drama. It begins with the preexistent God who created our universe. Sin entered this universe through the sin of one Man, Adam, and all of creation, including man himself, was thoroughly corrupted as a result. This sin demanded God’s judgment but God, in his grace, promises to provide a redeemer who will make things right again. The rest of the Old Testament records the family line, starting with Abraham, from which this Redeemer would come. The Gospels then record the birth of the Redeemer, Jesus Christ, in a barn in Bethlehem, His sinless life and his death on a Roman cross to satisfy the wrath of God against the sin of mankind for those who believe, and his resurrection three days later. The Acts of the Apostles go on to record the story of the birth and infancy of the church. And finally the Epistles give us instruction for glorifying God by our life and conduct as believers in Jesus Christ, and give us a glimpse in God’s future plans for His creation.
Anytime we preach or teach it is vitally important that we remember, everything we say must fit within the framework of this grater story or drama.
The best means to communicate this, I believe, is through expository preaching because, by it, we are bound to pure Word of God. Of course, it is still possible to abuse the Word through expository preaching but it is difficult and often obvious when abuse is occurring. It is very difficult for a pastor to ride a “hobby horse” with expositional preaching. This style of preaching also holds the pastor accountable to cover subjects that he would most likely avoid if he were choosing a topic to preach.
Nowhere do we see in Scripture “Thou shalt preach expositional sermons only” but I believe when one reads the Word of God as a whole he or she cannot escape the fact that the Message of the Word demands it.
It is obvious when you talk with the average believer today there is a shallowness in their understanding of God. I am not referring here to new believers, but rather men and women who have been followers of Christ for several years. I believe this shallowness is directly attributable to the lack of solid preaching and teaching found in most churches today. I must also say that this is not just a problem occurring in liberal or seeker churches but it is also occurring in churches with solid, biblical churches. Some of these churches even claim to espouse expository preaching but when one listens to these messages they soon realize that is not the case at all. This is usually due to a lack of preparation as a result of laziness or misplaced focus. A pastors most important task is the preaching and teaching of the Word, and this requires hours and hours of prayer and preparation every week. Everything else in a pastor’s ministry is secondary to this.
So I challenge all pastors who read this to rediscover what God in His grace has allowed me to see. People need the Word of God not the word or clever ideas of their pastor. I also challenge all believers to seek out a church that preaches the pure Word of God. When you sit under the pure teaching of the word with a receptive heart you will develop a hunger and passion for the Word that will never be satisfied by anything else.
God bless,
Pastor Duane
posted by Duane @ 9:00 AM
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