What is Preaching?

“Preaching is proclamation that exults in the exposing of God’s glory.” – Jared C. Wilson

In a nutshell Biblical preaching is expository preaching that sets the text in the proper place within the scope of Scriptures and redemptive history, connecting the text to the gospel of Jesus Christ (Luke 24:27; John 5:39), and applying the meaning of that text specifically to hearers with an urgency and weightiness as the passage warrants.

Biblical preaching must begin with the conviction that God owns the pulpit. In other words, God alone has the right to determine the content, meaning, and purpose for the messages we preach. If the congregation begins to think the pulpit belongs to them then it will be their desires that drive the content and presentation of the message. Likewise, if the pastors start to think the pulpit belongs to them then it will most certainly be their thoughts, intentions, and desires that drive the content and presentation. If entertainment and delivery owns the pulpit then flattery, eloquence, relevance, being trendy or intellectual will determine the content, meaning and purpose of the message.

The essence of biblical faithful preaching is allowing God’s desires, His content, and His presentation to drive the message. This is why I believe that true biblical preaching is expositional preaching (even when topical). It’s allowing the meaning of the passage be the meaning of the sermon. The preacher’s task is to labor to say what the passage says and intending for his sermon to accomplish in his listeners exactly what God is seeking to accomplish through the chosen passage of his Word.

When pastors strive to preach like this they will no doubt always point to the holiness of God, the sinfulness of man, and the rescuing grace of Christ in every sermon.