I had a few extra minutes so I picked up a book written by one of the most famous preachers in American history, a man known for having had a brilliant mind. The cover of the book said it was “an exposition” of the book of Ephesians. I opened it with great expectation, but I soon discovered two sad things.
Sadly, this highly educated and respected preacher was not at all certain as to which version of the Bible is best. He quoted first from one and then from another. The second thing that troubled me deeply was this. Instead of being an exposition of the scriptures the book was more of a collection of stories, one after another. I’ve got to admit that it was pleasurable reading and many of the stories made great illustrations, but that is not an “exposition” of God’s Word.
This experience served to remind me that much of the so-called preaching today is far from an exposition of God’s Word, which it should be. Most modern day preachers are more concerned about entertaining people than they are about educating and edifying them. Listening to them might be highly enjoyable, but God didn’t call His messengers into the entertainment business. When Paul instructed Timothy to “Preach the word”(2 Timothy 4:2) that’s exactly what he meant. He did not have in mind using a few scriptures as a jumping off place for their stories. Nor did he tell him to preach about the Word. The command is to “Preach the word”, not about it. We need to remember that it’s what the Word says, not what we say about it that is most important.
If you are a preacher I hope you will give serious consideration to this very important matter. If you aren’t a preacher, it is my prayer that you will understand the importance of hearing good solid expository preaching. You owe it to yourself, and your family, to make sure your soul is being fed the pure Word of God. Nothing short of that can meet your needs. Do what you’ve got to do to make it happen. Don’t waste your time and subject your family to listening to some liberal preacher tell their stories. Think about it!
