“Preaching is indispensable to Christianity.”
Stott. Between Two Worlds.
The First Preacher: God
Hebrews 1:1-2 (CSB) Long ago God spoke to our ancestors by the prophets at different times and in different ways. In these last days, he has spoken to us by his Son. God has appointed him heir of all things and made the universe through him.
Schaeffer. God Is There and He Is Not Silent.
God preaches everything into existence
Genesis 1:3 (CSB) Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
God preaches the law
Genesis 2:16-18 (CSB) And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.” 18 Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper corresponding to him.”
We are doing what God himself has done.
God preaches the gospel
Genesis 3:15 (CSB) I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.
God proclaims his name
Exodus 33:19-23 (CSB) He said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim the name ‘the LORD’ before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” 20 But he added, “You cannot see my face, for humans cannot see me and live.” 21 The LORD said, “Here is a place near me. You are to stand on the rock, 22 and when my glory passes by, I will put you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. 23 Then I will take my hand away, and you will see my back, but my face will not be seen.”
God preaches who he is
Exodus 34:5-7 (CSB) The LORD came down in a cloud, stood with him there, and proclaimed his name, “the LORD.” 6 The LORD passed in front of him and proclaimed: The LORD — the LORD is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth, 7 maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation.
To be called to preach is to follow behind what God himself did.
The First OT Preacher of Note: Enoch
Genesis 5:23-24 (CSB) So Enoch’s life lasted 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God; then he was not there because God took him.
How do we know that Enoch was a preacher?
Jude 1:14-16 (CSB) It was about these that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied: “Look! The Lord comes with tens of thousands of his holy ones 15 to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly concerning all the ungodly acts that they have done in an ungodly way, and concerning all the harsh things ungodly sinners have said against him.” 16 These people are discontented grumblers, living according to their desires; their mouths utter arrogant words, flattering people for their own advantage.
Preaching must be:
- straightforward
- not ambiguious
- the mind of God
The Most Enduring Expositor in the OT: Noah
Genesis 6-9
Preached 120 years. Only his family responded.
The First Expositor in the OT: Moses
What is Expository? Open up the Scriptures and explain what it means.
Moses wrote the Pentatech. Deuteronomy is a series of expository sermons based on Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. Deuteronomy means “second issuing of the law.”
Deuteronomy 1:5 (NASB) Across the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses undertook to expound this law, saying,
The Three Elements of Bible Exposition
- You Read the Passage
- You Explain & Teach the Passage
- You Exhort & Apply with the Passage
For example:
Deuteronomy 4:1 (CSB) “Now, Israel, listen to the statutes and ordinances I am teaching you to follow, so that you may live, enter, and take possession of the land the LORD, the God of your ancestors, is giving you.
1. Read the passage - “Now, Israel, listen to the statutes and ordinances”
2. Explain & Teach the Passage - “I am teaching you to follow”
3. Exhort & Apply the Passage - “so that you may live, enter, and take possession of the land the LORD, the God of your ancestors, is giving you.”
Moses had full reliance on the suffiency of the Scripture that God’s word will carry out God’s work for God’s glory.
Lawson. ~19:00
Deuteronomy 4:2 (CSB) You must not add anything to what I command you or take anything away from it, so that you may keep the commands of the LORD your God I am giving you.
Deuteronomy 4:5 (CSB) Look, I have taught you statutes and ordinances as the LORD my God has commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to possess.
We have been commanded by God to preach the word of God. We are under divine authority to proclaim the Scriptures.
Deuteronomy 4:6 (CSB) Carefully follow them, for this will show your wisdom and understanding in the eyes of the peoples. When they hear about all these statutes, they will say, ‘This great nation is indeed a wise and understanding people.’
As God can send a nation or people no greater blessing than to give them faithful, sincere and upright ministers, so the greatest curse that God can possibly send upon a people in this world is to give them over to blind, unregenerate, carnal, lukewarm and unskilled guides.
Whitefield. 23:01
The Most Commanding Expositor in the OT: Joshua
Joshua 24:15 (CSB) But if it doesn’t please you to worship the LORD, choose for yourselves today: Which will you worship — the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living? As for me and my family, we will worship the LORD.”
Will you follow the Lord? Or you will follow the world, the idols, and the philosophies? Today, you must choose.
2 Corinthians 6:1-2 (CSB) Working together with him, we also appeal to you, “Don’t receive the grace of God in vain.” 2 For he says:
At an acceptable time I listened to you, and in the day of salvation I helped you. See, now is the acceptable time; now is the day of salvation!
And then Joshua backs it up with himself and his household:
As for me and my family, we will worship the LORD.
The preacher must be all in.