How can expository preaching help to develop a strong Christian ethic in the
congregation? In a culture that has deteriorated rapidly for the last three
decades, one need not look very far for examples of unethical or immoral
conduct. From the formerly honorable White House to the Salt Lake Olympic
Committee to the divorced homes in
America, the
ideals and values which framed the formation of this country seem to have
been abandoned. Sadly, in the church today, many members practice that
which they used to preach against: addiction to alcohol and drugs, abortion,
lying, cheating, stealing, adultery, and divorce. Most churches are simply
ignored in the community; they have lost their power and their witness. At
one point, the church was so pure that two members who persisted in a lie
died before the fearful eyes of the other believers (Acts 5:1-11). How can
it be that the once pure
church of
Jesus Christ has become so much like the world
outside its walls? What is it that has created the lack of Christian ethics
in the majority of churches?
I submit the answer is found in the pulpits of
America’s
churches. It is here that the man of God is to preach the Word of God to
the people of God.
The Apostle Paul explains that
“…faith comes by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God” (Rom.
10:17, NKJV). What will change the hearts of
believers and build them up in the faith is the preaching of the Word of
God. If the faith of believers is failing in this country, then the Bible
states very clearly it is because they are not hearing the Word of God.
While I have great respect for the men of God who pastor a church, I also
know that it is the responsibility of the pastor through his teaching
ministry to build up the body of Christ. It seems that many pastors have
become either reckless in their preparation to preach, envious mimics of
other “famous” preachers, or enamored with secular means and messages. As
a result, much of what passes for preaching today is the opinion of man
rather than the Word of God. If the Christian ethic is to change, then the
preaching in the pulpits must clearly and passionately proclaim the message
of the Bible to the congregation.
What is the Christian ethic for the church today? The message of the
Bible has not changed in thousands of years:
As obedient children, not
conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He
who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is
written, "Be holy, for I am holy." (1 Pet. 1:14-16, NKJV)
Holiness in our character and conduct is the guiding ethic for the
Christian today as it was yesterday and will be tomorrow. The Apostle Paul
agrees that the Christian has been called with a holy calling in Christ
Jesus our LORD (2 Tim. 1:9). Holiness is a call to live in the light of
God’s truth, obeying the command of God through His word (Psalm 119:4; 1
John 1:7; 2:3-6). A reflection of our holiness, even our love for God, is
found in our obedience to His commands (1 John 5:3). As Paul explains, we
are to put off the old self which is corrupted by sin and put on the new
self which is created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness
(Eph. 4:22-24). Interestingly, Paul emphasizes this is something that must
be taught. It is not natural for people to pursue holiness thus creating
the need for the pastor to proclaim clearly and consistently the Word of
God.
Where is the Christian ethic found today? The Bible provides the answer
in the writings of the Apostle Paul:
All Scripture is given
by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be
complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim 3:16-17, NKJV)
As this passage teaches, all Scripture is not only God-breathed but
profitable. Like a well-fertilized garden that produces an abundance of
fruits and vegetables, the Word of God will benefit the one who hears it
taught clearly and consistently. All Scripture is useful in completely and
thoroughly equipping the believer for everything that God has in mind for
him to do. So there is nothing the believer needs to learn in the way of
ethics or morality that they will fail to find in the Scriptures. The
pastor who keeps Scripture in clear view through his preaching and teaching
will benefit himself and his congregation (1 Tim.
4:16).
Paul also points out that Scripture addresses both beliefs and behavior.
Because right behavior generally follows right beliefs, both must be
addressed through the pulpit ministry and any other teaching venues in the
church.
Scripture addresses beliefs through
“doctrine” and
“reproof” (2 Tim. 3:16, NKJV).
The teaching of “doctrine” is the proclamation of beliefs found in God’s
word. What we believe about God, Heaven, Hell, Jesus Christ, the nature of
man, the meaning of the cross and the resurrection are all critical for the
believer. Certainly there is much false teaching in these major doctrinal
areas. In
America, the
influx of immigrants from atheistic and polytheistic cultures has had a
dramatic, negative impact on the spiritual knowledge and vitality of people
in this country. People have learned to pick and choose the parts of
religion that they like and to discard the rest. Experience shows that
error begets error. Paul teaches that the Bible is to be used as “reproof”
to counter the false doctrines that people bring into the church.
Therefore, Scripture profits the congregation through doctrine (teaching
right beliefs) and reproof (addressing wrong beliefs). This lays a firm
foundation for ethical conduct by putting the right beliefs about God in the
minds of the believers.
Paul also states that all Scripture is profitable
“for correction, for instruction
in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16, NKJV).
All believers need instruction in holy living. Titus 2:11-15 explains how
we should be taught to turn away from wickedness and lust so that we can
live righteously before God and men. But the pastor must
“Speak these things, exhort, and
rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you” (Titus 2:15, NKJV).
Because of the sin nature that remains in the believer, we must have
instruction. Yet that same sin nature is a weakness in each believer that
can cause him or her to stray from what is pure, good, and decent. Without
the clear teaching of Scripture, the Bible warns that people will become
ungodly (1 Tim. 1:3-7; 2 Tim. 2:14-19; Titus 1:10-14). Scripture, however,
is completely sufficient for “correction” when the believer’s behavior is
less than holy. The pastor will exhort his congregation from the Word of
God to teach holy living and convict those engaged in unholy living. All
Scripture is profitable for beliefs and behavior, theory and practice,
promotion of the good and halting the evil.
What is the best way to teach Christian ethics? If Scripture is the
source of those ethics, then the best method for teaching them is that which
clearly exposes the meaning of Scripture with relevant application to the
believer. Expository preaching is just such a method. As Bryan Chapell
explains, “Expository preaching attempts to present and apply the truths
of a specific biblical passage” 1
. The expository message is one that first exposes the meaning
of a text through the techniques of exposition and then applies that meaning
to the needs of the congregation. In this way, it is both a process and a
result. The primary focus of the message is on what the Word of God actually
says.
Today we find people from many diverse backgrounds and spiritual
perspectives. It is a relativistic culture where each person has his own
“truth.” The preacher today stands before people with one of two options:
proclaim just another opinion in a quagmire of conflicting rhetoric or
proclaim the Word of God. Chapell (1994) points out:
Expository preaching that explains precisely what the Word of God
says about the issues of our day, the concerns of our lives, and the
destinies of our souls provides an alternative. Such preaching offers a
voice of authority not of human origin, and promises answers not subject
to cultural vagaries. 2
Expository preaching, by virtue of its source and method, produces a
message that has recognizable authority. With the source of a message
rooted in God’s word, and the method specifically designed to expose and
elevate the meaning of Scripture, expository preaching rises above the
rhetoric and opinions with a clear ring of
“Thus saith the LORD” (Exo.
4:22, KJV). One of God’s most awesome promises about His Word
should be a daily encouragement to the preacher:
“So shall My word be that goes
forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish
what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Isa.
55:11, NKJV). Rather than the preacher, or the preaching itself,
it is God’s Word that will prosper and accomplish the purposes of God.
People’s lives will be changed and strengthened forever when they are taught
the Word of God. They will develop strong ethical, moral, spiritual, and
relational foundations in their thinking and practice because the Word of
God is the source and structure of the message. They will learn a biblical
worldview through which to understand and deal with the events in their
lives. And believers will enjoy the blessing of God as they learn to put
off corrupt, evil practices and walk in the light of God’s Word (Psa. 1:1-3;
Col. 3:16; 1 John 1:7).
For this reason, the preacher must preach the Word of God using an
expository approach as his main tactic. The Apostle Paul gives a stern
warning about this to young Timothy and to all preachers today:
I charge you therefore
before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the
dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in
season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all
longsuffering and teaching. (2 Tim. 4:1-2, NKJV)
It is always the appropriate time to preach the Word of God, in and out
of season. People always need to hear the Word of God which is infused with
spiritual power, activated by the Holy Spirit with the express purpose of
building up the believer in the kingdom of God (Heb. 4:12-13). There will
come a time when people will not want to hear what God has to say (2 Tim.
4:3-5). Some may argue that our country has already reached that point.
The lack of Christian ethics, even the lack of concern for ethical behavior,
lends credence to that argument. Yet Scripture makes it clear that the
preacher’s responsibility is to preach the Word of God anyway. He must
discharge his ministry of exhorting, persuading, and convicting people in
his congregation with the truth of God’s word. Expository preaching will
thus develop Christians, through the gospel of Jesus Christ, and Christian
ethics, through the clear, consistent proclamation of Scripture.
End Notes
-
Chapell, Bryan. Christ-Centered Preaching. Baker Publishing Group: Grand Rapids, MI.
Copyright 1994. p. 22.
-
Ibid. p. 11.
© Copyright 2007, Randy Lariscy.
