Consecutive Expository Preaching
The Elders of Grace Community Presbyterian Church are committed to consecutive expository preaching. That simply means that that the preaching ‘diet’ of the church will be to work through complete books of the Bible in a series of sermons week in and week out. This is different than a topical survey of the Bible where the preaching ‘diet’ of the church is to take certain topics, which can be culturally informed, i.e., abortion or the environment, or they may be determined by “life tips”, i.e., how to have a strong marriage, how to improve your prayer life, etc. Between each expositional study of a book we may include a short topical study (on Church as Community, the Work of the Holy Spirit, etc.), but our primary focus has been and will be on the consecutive exposition of God’s Word.
Christopher Ash in his book The Priority of Preaching has a list of seven blessings of consecutive expository preaching. The list is provided here but the book includes explanations of each point. The book is highly recommended. Please check back every now and then as we will be adding to the list as God gives us as many days to feed on His Word.
- CONSECUTIVE EXPOSITORY PREACHING SAFEGUARDS GOD’S AGENDA AGAINST BEING HIJACKED BY OURS.
- CONSECUTIVE EXPOSITORY PREACHING MAKES IT HARDER FOR US TO ABUSE THE BIBLE BY READING IT OUT OF CONTEXT.
- CONSECUTIVE EXPOSITORY PREACHING DILUTES THE SELECTIVITY OF THE PREACHER.
- CONSECUTIVE EXPOSITORY PREACHING KEEPS THE CONTENT OF THE SERMON FRESH AND SURPRISING.
- CONSECUTIVE EXPOSITORY PREACHING MAKES FOR VARIETY IN THE STYLE OF THE SERMON.
- CONSECUTIVE EXPOSITORY PREACHING MODELS GOOD NOURISHING BIBLE READING FOR THE ORDINARY CHRISTIAN.
- CONSECUTIVE EXPOSITORY PREACHING HELPS US PREACH THE WHOLE CHRIST FROM THE WHOLE OF SCRIPTURE.