The Lack of expository preaching and consequences of sin

Many stand behind the pulpit that should not be there. So many teach extra biblical nonsense, stories that are not the focus of the Bible, or their experiences. Either they were not called, or if they were called to ministry they did not allow the time for training and education and have found themselves neglecting the call.

Jesus picked regular men who had enough bible knowledge of Judaism and personally trained them for 3 years. They were not Pharisees who memorized all these extra laws invented by man so they were eager to learn the truth. Later when they were given the Holy Spirit to empower them for the mission Jesus sent them out - to preach, evangelize and disciple.

Preach the word Paul told Timothy. Yet today we hear people give a Scripture and they launch into various stories that may or may not have anything to do with the Scripture or be true. Going through the bible systematically teaches us the character of God. It helps understand completely what the writer meant in his book. It uses the bible as the authority - which takes the emphasis off man. The Scripture has less of a tendency to be manipulated when the basis of our preaching is founded in the Scripture, book by book.

Hearing the word preached preserves us from sins influence, it changes our affections from being attracted to sin, to obeying God. When the Gospel in the Church is not accurately taught or explained, people end up not understanding the message of sin, repentance and their response - saving faith. This affects their daily walk with the Lord. So the answer is to get back to the basics and really know them as a foundation to build upon.

Once a church gets a certain size and popular, the danger is things become automatic, and they become very busy keeping it going.

Samson got a haircut and did not notice the Spirit of the Lord had departed. He looked the same, but he found out what was missing when he needed his strength. The sheer size of a church has a great influence over others who desire growth. But we forget that God works with us as individuals and there is no other methodology but that which is given in Scripture “they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine, in fellowship, breaking of bread and in prayers” (Acts 2:42). They practiced the Christian life separately and together. Those who believed the gospel were brought into the Church and “they continued steadfastly in the Apostles doctrine, having all things in common, and the Church increased daily.” Notice doctrine comes first. Paul instructed the young pastor Timothy to “give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine” (1 Timothy 4:13). “Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:16). In 2 Timothy he is told to: Hold to sound doctrine (1:13), Teach sound doctrine (2:2), Abide in sound doctrine (3:14), Preach sound doctrine (4:1-2). Doctrine forms our Christian walk, from this knowledge came good works. From the Apostles teaching, their instructions kept the church in spiritual unity to meet the needs of others, fulfilling the law of Christ. One of the reasons the early Church had power was that they followed what was instructed. Jesus prayed “Sanctify them in the truth, Thy Word is truth.” And so they were one.

But we are constantly pressured to abandon Biblical instruction and do things another way, mans way. As we read the Bible or hear sermons that are biblically based, we learn to live the Christian life, grow in our relationship with God, and are equipped to do good works. Deuteronomy 8:3: “that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD.”