Preaching and TeachingPreaching and TeachingFrom the Minor ProphetsFrom the Minor Prophets

© John Stevenson, 2010

Expository PreachingExpository Preaching

The communication of a biblical The communication of a biblical concept, derived from and transmitted concept, derived from and transmitted through a historical, grammatical, and through a historical, grammatical, and literary study of a passage in its context, literary study of a passage in its context, which the Holy Spirit first applies to the which the Holy Spirit first applies to the personality and experience of the personality and experience of the preacher, then through him to his preacher, then through him to his hearers. (Robinson, hearers. (Robinson, Biblical PreachingBiblical Preaching, , 20).20).

• Governed by the thoughts and purpose Governed by the thoughts and purpose of the original authors.of the original authors.

• Applied first to the life of the preacher.Applied first to the life of the preacher.

• Truth is then applied to the lives of the Truth is then applied to the lives of the hearers.hearers.

Expository PreachingExpository Preaching

• Places the Scriptures in a pre-eminent Places the Scriptures in a pre-eminent position.position.

• Helps the preacher to avoid majoring in Helps the preacher to avoid majoring in the minors.the minors.

• Directs the congregation back to the Directs the congregation back to the Bible.Bible.

Advantages of Expository Advantages of Expository PreachingPreaching

OriginalAuthor

OriginalReaders

ContemporaryPreacher

GeographyLanguage

Culture

Customs

World View

ContemporaryCongregation

Spanning the GapSpanning the Gap

The AncientText

ContemporaryCongregation

Origen’sAllegorical

Method

Spanning the GapSpanning the Gap

The AncientText

ContemporaryCongregation

Moralizing

Spanning the GapSpanning the Gap

The AncientText

ContemporaryCongregation

Teaching inAncientCulture,

Language,Customs,

Geography,World Views

So What?So What?

Spanning the GapSpanning the Gap

The AncientText

ContemporaryCongregation

Look forrelevant

similarities

Spanning the GapSpanning the Gap

The OldTestament

Text

The NewTestament

Authors

How did the New

Testament writers span

the gap to their Old

Testament Counterparts?

Spanning the GapSpanning the Gap

The OldTestament

Text

The NewTestament

Authors

What approaches did you take What approaches did you take in your Sermon/Bible Study in your Sermon/Bible Study

Assignment?Assignment?

“A sermon should be a bullet and not buckshot” (Robinson, Biblical

Preaching, 33).

Tie the supporting

idea back to the Big Idea

Each book of theBible contains a

Big Idea

Expositional preachingpresents one of those

supporting ideas

The variousSections of theBook contain

supporting ideas

A Study in ContrastsA Study in ContrastsChrist-Centered

PreachingMan-Centered

Preaching

Sees Christ as the main character

Elevates the role of people

Focuses upon the main storyline of the Bible

Gets sidetracked on isolated points

Cultivates a habit of looking at life from God’s

perspective

Operates on the same man-centered perspective

that the world uses

Glorifies God Glorifies ManGrace focused Works focused

Faith-based Performance-based

Don’t stretch the Don’t stretch the Scriptures to make a Scriptures to make a point that isn’t therepoint that isn’t there

Let your big ideas come Let your big ideas come from the big ideas of the from the big ideas of the

BibleBible

““Modern Modern communications communications

theorists agree that our theorists agree that our brave new world hears brave new world hears

in megabytes of reason. in megabytes of reason. A thirty-minute sermon A thirty-minute sermon divided into three ten divided into three ten

minute points is not as minute points is not as effective as a thirty-effective as a thirty-

minute sermon divided minute sermon divided into ten three-minute into ten three-minute

points.”points.”

““Most people hear Most people hear stories better than stories better than

they hear megabytes they hear megabytes of truth framed in of truth framed in point-driven logic. point-driven logic.

Perhaps this is why Perhaps this is why Jesus used them so Jesus used them so

often.”often.”

• Preaching the Law as the Need Preaching the Law as the Need for the Gospelfor the Gospel

• Preaching God’s Sovereignty as Preaching God’s Sovereignty as the Strength of the Gospelthe Strength of the Gospel

• Preaching Grace and Love as Preaching Grace and Love as the Source of the Gospelthe Source of the Gospel

• Preaching Hope as the Promise Preaching Hope as the Promise of the Gospelof the Gospel

• Preaching Judgment as the Preaching Judgment as the Warning of the GospelWarning of the Gospel

• Preaching Prophetic Fulfillment Preaching Prophetic Fulfillment as the Victory of the Gospelas the Victory of the Gospel

• Preaching Sanctification as the Preaching Sanctification as the Outworking of the GospelOutworking of the Gospel

Tim Keller’s ModelTim Keller’s ModelHere is what the passage says

Here is how you ought to live on the basis of what it says

You have failed to live up to that standard

Christ lived up to that standard in your place