“Who is Tony Guthrie, anyway?

And How Can He Finally Help Me put together meaningful expository sermons that actually connect with the modern audience?”

From: Tony Guthrie
Location: Loganville, GA (Atlanta Metro area)

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/tonyguthrie

Thanks for stopping by to learn a little about me and how I might be able to help you duplicate what I have done in expository preaching. Over the years I have introduced hundreds and hundreds of seminary and Bible College students, Sunday School teachers, Pastors, Missionaries, and Evangelists to the Homiletical Bridge and the aspects of Creative Expository preaching. I have done this through my classes, textbook, blogs, and one-on-one coaching. So many of us have heard the expression “preachers are just so boring. They are soooo out of touch!” And I have to admit that for many preachers this is indeed true. But this does not have to be the case. What I discovered years ago is that many preachers think that if they just tell people what the Bible says the people will just hang on every word. But this is why I say that there is something wrong with us (as preachers). Too many preachers think that their job is to “inform” the people with the biblical context and content. They fail to realize that the real challenge is to “transform” people with the life-changing message of the Bible. This is done with clear exegesis, sound exposition, clever CREATIVITY and freer delivery.

Anyway, I don’t want to waste too much time so what I’m going to do right now is introduce myself to you, share my story with you and see what I can do to help you.

So for starters, lets get to know each other first…

My name is Tony Guthrie and I have a passion for meaningful expository preaching. I am driven by the desire to help other communicators of the Bible to really connect the truth of God’s word to the average listener in ways they can relate to and remember. I do this through my book, courses, and coaching. I earned a Ph.D. in Preaching in 2003 from New Orleans Baptist Seminary and have been training biblical communicators ever since.

After 6 years working in the construction business with my father and brother I received my call to ministry. I burned with the idea of being an “in-demand” preacher. I thought, as many people do, that most preachers and teachers were so boring and out of touch. They talked too much about Bible people and history, but rarely directly to my heart. Yes, I know that the Holy Spirit plays a huge role in how the Bible connects with people, but Jesus was not ordinary in his approaches. They even said of Him that He did not teach like the regular guys (Pharisees). He related His words to the real worlds of his listeners. Preachers today can still be faithful to the exegetical truths of the Bible while concurrently connecting with people in meaningful and innovative ways. They simply need a change of mindset and a little coaching.

I found that seminary professors tended to teach a model that guaranteed that same “out of touch” approach. They were good men who loved the Lord but they taught the way they had been taught and what they had practiced for years. They didn’t realize that in an ever-changing post-modern world it is much more challenging to connect the ancient text to the modern listener than ever before. And even those that have tried to relate the Bible to the modern audience (the relevanteers as I call them) have been effective at creativity, but have been quiet slack in true biblical content. We need a balance of both. I wanted that balance.

My Preaching Story

When I look back over my life and think about some of the things I wanted to do or be, I have to chuckle. I believe that our Heavenly Father lovingly, yet intentionally, allows us to travel certain roads that pave the way to our becoming all He wants us to do and be for Him and His glory. These experiences serve, at least to some degree, as molds that shape and prepare us for more effective service in Kingdom work. Please indulge me in a story or two.

A Fabulous Football Career?

When I was a child I desperately wanted to be a quarterback in the National Football League. My favorite team was the Los Angeles Rams (this was well before the team made the move to St. Louis). I still remember why I liked the Rams. The first NFL game I ever watched on our black and white television set was between the Green Bay Packers and the Los Angeles Rams. I determined which team I would root for solely on the insignia on the helmets. The Ram’s horn caught my attention and, presto!, I was a Rams fan! The quarterback for the Rams was Roman Gabriel. I was so impressed with his name and his abilities. I simply had never heard of anyone named Roman before. Most men I knew were named Joe, Bob or David, but Roman was altogether different. I was so impressed with the horn insignia and Roman’s name that I determined that being a NFL quarterback was the career for me. Yes, I would be the future quarterback of the Los Angeles Rams!

Everyday I went into my back yard and tossed a football at targets that I imagined were my receivers (trees, fence posts, cats, buckets, etc). Frankly, I was not too bad. The more I practiced, the easier it became. I could hit targets from long distances whether I was standing flat-footed or rolling out on the run. I tried a variety of passing situations. With time, effort, and concentration I became quite efficient at tossing the old pigskin. Everyday (literally), in my imagination, I heard the screaming fans chanting my name. My imaginary team and I set many records and, of course, never lost a game. Desperation Hail Mary passes were completed with only seconds remaining on the game clock to rescue our team from the perils of defeat. What a glorious season we had! All of this glory was as real to me as anything I ever had actually done. And all of it was safely tucked away in the recesses of my imagination.

My football dream, obviously, never became reality. Although I did prove to be a respectable quarterback in neighborhood fields with my friends, my physical size simply refused to cooperate. I never quite developed an athlete’s physique. I still remember the words of the head coach of my high school football team when I walked onto the field to try out for the position of quarterback. He said, “Son, I appreciate your zeal and determination. But you must understand that I can’t take a risk on you getting hit straight on by a 220 pound linebacker. We’d have to dig you out of the turf. Go put on 50 pounds and come back next year.” For a short while I ate my “Wheaties” and lifted some weights, but my heart just wasn’t connected to the idea of gaining more than half my body weight. You see, when I walked out on that field that afternoon in 1977 I weighed an impressive 85 pounds! I was crushed and defeated in heart. My NFL dream was over.

A Marvelous Music Career?

The devastating reality related to my football dream caused me to focus my attention toward music. Similar to my infatuation with Roman Gabriel was a deep fascination with the left-handed ex-Beatle, Paul McCartney. He and his Wings were, to me, the hottest band in the land. I discovered quite by accident that I possessed a natural tendency for music. While in the tenth grade I picked up a bass guitar at a pawn shop and started practicing McCartney’s bass licks as I listened to his music on records and 8 track tapes (What’s a CD or IPOD?). I could not read a note of music, but I could play the bass lines if I listened to the song only a few times. How cool was that?! So, in 1978 I auditioned for the school’s “Swing Choir” (don’t ask) as the Disco bassist. I got the position because no one else in the school could play the bass and no one else even bothered to audition!

But here’s the thing, … I passionately loathed Disco music! I wanted to play Silly Love Songs and Band on the Run. But, as you likely will remember, when you are in High School you must find your niche. I found mine playing Disco bass guitar for the Sheffield High School Swing Choir because that is what many of the kids were listening to in the late 1970s. Lots of my peers thought it was really cool that I could thump the bass and “Play that Funky Music.”

Before long I began to notice my popularity with some of the kids increasing. Again, most of us understand how important popularity is to a High School kid. For some reason the kids were treating me in a totally different way. Even though I hated Disco personally, it was the thing of the time. All the kids were buying those Bee Gee albums and tapes. The fact that I could play Tragedy and Saturday Night Fever was all the kids needed to name me among the Disco kids of the school. It seemed crazy to me, but I was successful playing music that I hated. And hey, success was all that mattered.

Even though I hated Disco, I did not hate Rock music (especially McCartney’s). I thought to myself, “If I have success playing music I hate, then how successful will I be playing music I like?” I had been approached by a couple of guys who wanted me to join their Rock band. I initially had turned them down because I was intimidated by them. You see, they seemed quite confident with their musical abilities. Their instruments were top quality name brands. I, on the other hand, could not read a note of music and had purchased my off-brand bass at a pawn shop. But bass players were hard to come by in those days and that reality worked to my advantage. So, because of my Disco-initiated self-confidence, I agreed to sit in on a practice session with them. I discovered that Rock music, at least for me, was easier to play than Disco. I had found a new love.

As much as I enjoyed playing the bass guitar for the group we called Image something still was missing. I felt that if I so easily learned to play the bass, then perhaps I could play other instruments equally as well. So I purchased a keyboard and an electric guitar (both from that same pawn shop) and started tinkering with them. Before I knew it I not only could play those instruments naturally by ear, I could also write my own songs. Our band desperately needed some original music and I was now able to produce it!

Our band grew in popularity (and so did my hair, but that’s another story). My personal popularity level was moving a little higher as well. I was atop the High School world. During this time in my life I began to develop enormous confidence (“arrogance” is the better word). During Swing Choir and Image concerts I did all I could to draw attention to myself. I jumped, jammed, sweated, and danced my way into the hearts of many of my peers. I felt that I was on my way to a career in music. People seemed to enjoy the music I wrote. There was no doubt in my mind that I would be a multi-millionaire Rock-N-Roll star.

Interestingly, (and thankfully) during that time aChristianHigh Schoolteacher developed a burden for me. Each day he would share a brief word of the gospel with me. He would tell me of my need to repent of my sin and place personal faith in Jesus. He told me that all the success in the world would make no difference in eternity. His words pierced my soul and heart. Every night I struggled with conviction from the Holy Spirit. I wanted to accept Jesus, but due to my childhood Sunday School classes I knew so much of what the Bible said about denying yourself and living solely for Jesus. I didn’t want any part of that denying thing. I wanted to live for me. I was having too much fun to give any of it away. That was my thinking. And yet, I wanted the best of both worlds; earthly success and eternal security.

I did ultimately give my life to Jesus. In aSheffieldHigh Schoolclassroom, in the spring of 1979, I came to realize that God’s love for me was far greater and more meaningful than any love I could ever have for myself or this world. The Lord changed my heart and desires on that day. Even though I loved music, I knew that I could not bring honor to myself and the Lord at the same time. And because I believed it was what God wanted me to do, and to the surprise of my friends and band members, I quit the band.

After my salvation experience my desire to honor the Lord increased. I believed that since God had given me a natural ability in music He must want me to honor Him with that talent. But strangely, I found that not to be the case. Although I could easily write secular music, I could not pen a single Christian song. The words for secular songs flowed from my pen, but I had to force any attempt at Christian lyrics. I struggled with the question, “What was the Lord doing?”

Many supportive family and friends encouraged me to keep writing secular music. None of us believed that there was any sin in writing that type of music. In fact, many secular artists profess Jesus as Lord. So I concluded that the Lord wanted me to use my talents in the secular arena. I thought that perhaps that would open an avenue to represent Him. I would soon discover otherwise.

Even though literally every person who heard my music said they liked it, record promoters and producers did not (they were as honest with me as Simon Cowell). Every tape I sent in was returned with the same comments, “Good music but needs hook” (music jargon). For several draining years (just like all those years of tossing footballs at trees) I tried to change those results, all with no success. Quite simply, God had other plans for my life.

A Meaningful Ministerial Career!

            I am sure you noticed that the question mark behind the sub-heading of this section has been replaced with an exclamation mark. This is because there is no question that God has directed the steps and experiences of my life for His purposes. He has done the same for you as well. The Bible records that the Lord has our best interests in mind if we will only surrender our desires to Him and allow Him to lead us. I am convinced that God uses our pre-salvation life experiences to prepare us for a life of service for Him. Once we have the absolute knowledge of our salvation, the following biblical truths should encourage our hearts and motivate our resolve in dedicated ministerial service for Him:

Psa 23:3  “He restores my soul: he leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”

Psa 25:4  “Show me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.”

Psa 25:10  “All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.”

Psa 37:23 “The steps of a man are established by the LORD, And He delights in his way.”

Pro 2:8 “Guarding the paths of justice, And He preserves the way of His godly ones.”

Pro 2:20  “That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.”

Pro 3:6  “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

Mic 4:2 “And many nations shall come and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD⁸ and to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”

I have to admit that the understanding of how God uses our life experiences to shape us for His service has been a slow developing reality for me. I, like all other people, have faced defeats and disappointments in life. I have dealt with unrealized dreams as the preceding stories reveal. A personal weakness has been that I rarely handled those disappointments very well. This is probably due to the fact that I have always been a driven person. Driven for what has been the unanswered question for a number of seasons in my life. Of course I am quite familiar with the phrases “Purpose Driven” and “Passion Driven.” These are excellent terms for the church and the Christian. For me, however, there has never really been a qualifier before the word driven.

When I graduated from High School I began working for my dad in his construction company. But after 8 years in the construction field I began to realize that God had bigger plans for my life. On a whim I quit my job and moved toAtlantato start over. I desperately desired to learn what God had planned for my life. Sparing you all the details, suffice it to note that I received my call to professional ministry during the first few months inAtlanta. I started dating my wife, Celina, during that period as well. We both realized that God was moving in a big way in our lives. We knew that we were never going to be centered in God’s will until we were involved in ministerial preparation. That desire meant that we needed to pack up and move toNew Orleansto attend theological seminary.

After several years of chasing degrees and serving as a pastor of an awesome church, I discerned that God wanted me to take my education to the highest level. He wanted me to pursue a Ph.D. in order to teach preacher/teachers and pastors at the college and seminary level. So, I eagerly began that process.

I remember a moving occasion in which I was discouraged because certain things weren’t working out as I had hoped in my academic career. On a day that I was griping about the situation a concerned friend asked me if I had been “delighting in the Lord in order to receive the desires of my heart.” For me that biblical principle had always been one of the more difficult to grasp. Being driven has its benefits but it also can have its burdens if what we are driven for is not firmly founded in the will of God for our lives. I will return to that thought shortly.

In my academic endeavors I was driven to earn each degree. I pushed myself to take as many courses as possible and pass them all with the highest grades. My motivation was a simple one. I wanted doors to open. I wanted to be recognized. I wanted the cheers from the crowds. Whether it was from Los Angeles Rams fans, music fans, or peers in academic circles or churches; my desire for cheers and applause had always been something that drove me. Those cheers, however, rarely came. After I earned a Masters degree and proceeded through the Ph.D. program, I honestly expected something BIG to happen. I felt that my dedication and drive could not help but rule the day. During this sad period in my life I made many foolish assumptions.

I assumed, for example, that if I took the same academic and ministerial paths as people who had gone before me that I would arrive at the same destinations. While it is true in the world of asphalt that each road leads all travelers to the same places, it is not true of the roads (paths) designed by the Lord. He gives all of us different roads to travel. My road is not yours and yours is not mine. One of the reasons that our road is often the “road less traveled” is because we are the only travelers on that particular road. Our gracious God directs our paths to lead us to different destinations according to His purpose and will. In recent years I have learned that God wants each of us to focus on the paths He places before us and to consider less the destinations. I have found that it is a lot more fun being surprised by the destination set by God than striving for the destinations I have set.

I came to a place in my life when I realized that God had called me to serve Him and follow His lead. In my early career that was my focus. But somewhere along the way I had stopped thinking about the call and starting thinking about the career. I praise God for every thing I have faced both as an unbeliever and a believer. In each circumstance God has revealed, often subtly and often firmly, His perfect plan for my life. He has done the same for you, if you can only recognize it.

My Credentials?

• Over 20 years pastoral preaching experience
• Certified Transitional Pastor (serving 7 churches from 2003 to present)
• Author of Crossing the Homiletical Bridge
• Adjunct Professor of Preaching NOBTS
• Professor of Preaching Luther Rice Seminary since 2002
• Have preached over 2500 times
• Coached multiple students and pastors in one-on-one sessions
• Earned Ph.D. in Preaching from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
• Earned Master of Divinity with emphasis in Greek, Hebrew, and Preaching
• Small business owner
• Successful Blogger

So, What About Preaching?

After all the struggling to become a success in music while simultaneously working for my father’s construction company, I came to some vivid realizations. I realized that I was consumed with a desire to read and understand the Bible. I found myself eager to attend church and listen to sermons. The sad reality is that I usually was disappointed with the worship services, and I was especially disappointed by the preachers. I had some high expectations from men who were bold enough to say that God had called them to preach His matchless Word. I honestly went to church services expecting to hear the Word of God from these men of God. Unfortunately most of the time I would hear some things about the latest world events and how they related to the Bible, or some deep discussion of how Israel always has been God’s people and why the Palestinians had better leave them alone, or a message relating three steps to effective prayer (usually I was effectively praying through these sermons that this guy would get some unction!) Years before I received the “call to preach” I was burning with an all-consuming desire to hear the enlivened Word of God!

Today when I read and study the Bible I see so much that leaps from its pages. Yes, there is information related to prophecy but the bottom line is that the same Bible reports that no one knows the day or the hour of the last events (Matthew 24:36). I am not minimizing the value of the study of eschatology (last things), but I was happy just knowing the end was going to come. And as far as Israelis concerned, of course it is a needed discussion, but I was becoming convinced that my pastor wanted me to know more about Israeland her historical plight than the Lord of her plight, the Messiah Jesus! And yes, prayer for the Christian and church is vital and necessary, but do Christians really need their pastors to tell them the basics of effective prayer? Maybe so, but what I was hearing was something that all Christians (and even non-Christians) could understand from a cursory reading of a biblical passage related to prayer. I wanted the meat of the word!

Not long ago I was in a worship service in prominent church in my denomination.  When the pastor stood up to preach he read the entire 16^th chapter of Acts then proceeded to tell us that young people today are rebellious (I looked around to see if anyone would reel at such an unheard of revelation). He then read from the newspaper about the problems teenagers are facing. Tragically he did not explain the text or expound upon its meaning. He merely highlighted the fact that God had honored Paul’s preaching to some pagan people inPhilippi. He didn’t even exhort us to do the same. I guess he assumed that we would figure it out for ourselves that we’d better share our faith with the pagan young hooligans ofGeorgia.

Too often we preachers and teachers tell our congregants what they already know, or can easily see from a basic survey of the Bible. Any Christian can understand, and with no help from a preacher, that they should trust in the Lord during a time of doubt or crisis (Proverbs 3:5-6). Preachers indeed should be in the reminding business, but only to a degree. What we should be doing is exposing the deeper and more meaningful truths that we discover from our exegetical studies. However, we will need to do so in creative ways. We also need to understand that the goal of preaching is spiritual transformation not merely the conveyance of biblical information (more on that later).

Now, let’s get back to the subject of my being driven. I now know that God used the passions in my life to lay a foundation for being driven. The only difference is that now I am driven for a cause far greater than myself. I now realize that God wants me to be driven for His glory and purposes (the cheers are for Him). I now know exactly the plans He has set before me. In very simple terms, God has caused me to be driven to instill in seminary-student preachers and Bible teachers the value of truly creative and meaningful biblical exposition. I praise the Lord Jesus that for the last several years He has given me an environment in which to express my passions; the seminary classroom.  This book is purposed to expand upon what I share with the hundreds of God-called students who pass through my classroom or study in an online format each year. I praise God for the privilege that is mine of standing before God’s chosen communicators and sharing what I have come to I know and understand about expository preaching. Let’s now delve into the heart of the matter.

The Two Unbreakable Rules of Expositional Preaching

They tell us that expository preaching tends to be irrelevant to the contemporary audience. Who “they” are, at least for me, remains the big question. Rick McDaniel did explain, however, that during the last thirty years of the twentieth century American society changed from a Christian to a secular culture. He noted that the majority of Americans have limited knowledge of biblical stories and characters.^[1] I see no reason to question McDaniel’s contention. Haddon Robinson further added that recent criticisms of modern preaching include statements such as “too much analysis and too little answer” or “too impersonal, too propositional — they relate nothing to life.”^[2] The modern-day expositor, therefore, must struggle with applying the biblical text to a biblically ignorant culture while concurrently demonstrating the relevance for that culture. This truth has led me to conclude that there are two unbreakable rules to follow if the preacher/teacher has any hope of connecting with the contemporary listener.

Be Uncompromisingly Biblical

The first rule, quite simply, is to be uncompromisingly biblical! In my exposition classes I always begin the first lecture with a discussion of the 2 rules of preaching. I stress a problem that most of my students struggle with believing is actually a problem. I give the analogy of the fast-food lunch. I state that most of them would never consider going to McDonald’s for a Big Mac, then driving across the street for Burger King fries, then around the corner for Arby’s Coca-Cola, and then proceeding to Wendy’s for a Frosty. I stress that each restaurant has enough on their respective menus to satisfy the day’s need for a fast-food fix. Of course the majority of the students readily agree that such an approach to lunch indeed would be ludicrous (of course there is usually one wise guy who says he does it habitually).

I then tell my students that if such an approach is ludicrous for lunch then why isn’t it equally ludicrous for the preacher who is preparing a sermon or the teacher preparing a Bible study? Once the students are fully perplexed with where I might be going with this, I then explain that many preacher/teachers bounce their congregants around from text to text or passage to passage as they deliver a topical message on the subject of “love,” “faith,” “child-rearing,” or whatever. Because these “preachers” bring their subjects to the Bible, rather than allowing a selected biblical text to provide the subject matter, they are forced to move around the Bible in search of texts that seemingly support their notions. At this point I typically quote Walter Kaiser who humorously argued that a preacher should preach a topical sermon once every five years and then immediately repent![3] Of course in my quoting of Kaiser I am somewhat tongue-in-cheek. He and I, however, readily acknowledge that in our estimation pure biblical exposition is the need of the hour and most appropriate form of biblical communication.

Initially, my students reject the notion that “Bible-bouncing” (as I call it) is taboo. They do so because they have been reared on this type of preaching all (or most) of their lives. In the vain attempt of preachers to “make the Bible relevant” to the contemporary culture many have adapted this “pick and choose” approach. These preachers select subjects that they believe can be “Bible-ized.” So subjects and issues that people are dealing with are taken to the Bible in an effort to find some spiritual teaching related to them. They surmise that anything less simply would be “irrelevant.” Jim Shaddix rightly noted, however, that “… preaching should not be driven by a preference, a program, or even a purpose, especially that of answering all the questions people ask. Instead preaching should be driven by a passion for the glory of God, a passion jointly possessed by both pastor and people.”[4] What a concept! Many preachers need to be shocked back into the reality that church and ministry are more about the Lord Jesus and His purposes for the world than for the daily needs and life struggles of church congregants.

If you ever want to really annoy me, then swing by my house and tape one of those “NewCommunityChurch” fliers to my mailbox. They are virtually all the same: basically insulting to most churches under heaven! The authors and designers of these fliers believe they are attempting to reach out to the non-reached segment of the community (those who may believe that churches tend to be out of touch with the “real” issues people face). With statements such as “No denominational affiliation,” “no rigidity, but a relaxed, casual environment,” and (my personal favorite) “meaningful and relevant messages” they actually belittle all other churches. I always wonder if it ever crosses the minds of these church planters that, in essence, they have exalted and puffed themselves up with their implications of “we do it right!” Seemingly, they don’t realize that they have insulted and minimized the ministries of churches that have existed in their community for years.

Please understand. I know what these “New Community” church leaders think they are doing. I am glad they are striving to reach out to the un-churched. I know that they do not set out to insult any pastor, church, or ministry. Their intentions are wholesome. But doesn’t it make sense that to say that they have “meaningful and relevant messages” that they are basically inferring that most other messages in other churches are not relevant or meaningful? I really would like to take some of these “New Community” church leaders (“relevanteers” as I call them) out to lunch and ask the following questions:

• Where and how do they learn to make God’s life-transforming Word relevant?
• When and how did they determine that God actually needed them to rescue His Word that has never returned void in any century or culture in which it was heralded as the absolute truth and message of God?
• What is the measuring rod of success in relevance?
• How do they know that their approach is indeed working?
• Do they determine their success because people seem to be listening and are continuing to attend services each week?
• Do they assume effective relevance because people keep saying that they “sure do like this kind of preaching better than what I used to hear”?
• Are these actions and comments the instruments of measure that God has given?
• When Paul prayed for his churches with the following kind of prayer, was he actually thinking in terms of the daily life issues people face?

“For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.”[5]

These questions and others race through my mind when these fliers end up in or on my mailbox. You see, here’s the deal for me. I have preached or spoken in a significant number of contemporary, blended, and traditional churches. I have spoken in churches where the ethnicity of the congregations were as blended as a Smoothie King[6] smoothie. I have preached before congregations of hundreds of elderly members and those that were made up dominantly of “thirty-somethings.” In some environments I have proclaimed God’s truths in jeans, tennis shoes, a golf shirt, and a sports jacket. In others I have worn my most expensive business suit. In every case, regardless of church size, worship and dress style, or congregational make-up; the response and results have become predictable. People, who love Jesus, hunger for the truth of God’s life-transforming Word and respond accordingly to it! Period. And yes, even many of the un-churched or unconverted respond positively as well.

I preach solely from an expository perspective. I keep the people dominantly in one biblical passage, explain it’s meaning as creatively as I can, and leave the rest to Jesus. I have been told by countless investigators of the post-modern culture that expository preaching will not connect with that culture. I am sure that there are exceptions to my experience, but I have found that people from all ages, backgrounds, and cultures have had little trouble understanding what I say regarding God’s word from the pulpit. In fact, on many occasions, it’s been the pierced and tattooed “rebels” of the culture who have paid me the biggest (and most meaningful) compliment of “I have never heard the Bible presented that way. That was awesome.” Believe me they understand more than we think. And they are more impressed with the word of God than the presentation I gave.

Throughout history cultures and peoples have changed, rebelled, adapted, not adapted, and so on. But the history of preaching reveals that whenever God’s Word has been proclaimed to those people groups that revival and spiritual renewal has been the result.[7] Methodology in communication is valuable. It should be studied and certain aspects mastered. But for the preacher/teacher the message within our communication always has been far more valuable than the methodology of our communication.

Let me conclude this thought by sharing a hard truth. I share this truth continually with my students and in other environments in which I speak on the subject of biblical exposition. The hard truth is this: EXPOSITORY PREACHING/TEACHING IS NOT BORING, PREACHERS ARE!!! People of any age and culture can relate to expository preaching and teaching if it is presented creatively. This leads to the second unbreakable rule of preaching.

Be Unquestionably Interesting!

If you have been called of God to preach or teach His Word, I have some interesting news to share with you. Ready? Here it is. There’s now something wrong with you! What I mean is that you are no longer “normal.” Yes, you now view the Bible in a completely different way than many of the people who sit, or will sit, under your preaching and teaching. You and I tend to be unbelievably interested in some stuff in the Bible that the average church congregant could care absolutely nothing about. The problem, however, is that we tend to think that since we are so interested in this information, then the people of the church will find it fascinating as well.

I believe wholeheartedly that I have discovered the actual problem with preaching or teaching that doesn’t connect with the modern listener (let’s call it what it is; BORING!).  The problem, again, is that there is something wrong with us. Allow me to illustrate: Most pastors and teachers of the Bible, when they find themselves in a text like Isaiah 6, tend to become fascinated with every aspect of the passage. The phrase, “In the year that King Uzziah died” becomes a year filled with fascination. So excited are they about that year that they study it ad nauseam. Then, because they are so excited about what they discovered about that fascinating year, they feel it is absolutely imperative to share their discoveries with their congregants. They honestly believe their congregants will be as excited as they are. But you must remember something very important for non-boring preaching and teaching: there’s something wrong with you! You are no longer normal!!!

            To add insult to injury (continuing in Isaiah 6) these preacher/teachers then do an exhaustive study of the characteristics of the Seraphims and how they differ from the Cherabim and other angelic beings. And they do this as if the “normal” congregants actually care. So mesmerized are they when they are sharing this “life-altering?” information with their congregants, rarely do they bother to look up from their notes to notice the “deer in the headlights” expressions on the faces of the listeners.

The issue we must understand as it relates to being interesting is not dedication to topical preaching, but rather, challenging ourselves to be as creative as our spiritual DNA will allow. Make no mistake, background and contextual information is absolutely essential in sermon and Bible study preparation. However, how much of that information we bring into our messages can be the difference between an enlivened exposition and a boring, dull biblical lecture. Therefore, creativity in exposition is the key.

I will delve more into this later, but for now let me stress that the preacher/teacher should NEVER (or extremely rarely) open the message with comments related to the background and context. This vital information should be weaved in naturally, and even casually, into the introduction. We must first grasp the attention of our listeners in creative ways before we lead them into the actual exposition.

A Final Introductory Thought

 What I am NOT saying!

As you read through this book you will notice that I will make some firm statements about expository preaching and teaching. You will come away from the reading believing that I am absolutely committed to that discipline. But I want you to know that there are some things that I am not saying. I believe it is vitally important that you understand these few thoughts.

I am not saying …

1. That topical sermons are never to be prepared. While this book focuses solely on the expositional approach, I do believe there are times when a topical approach is meaningful and even necessary. My point in this book will be that topical messages should be the exception, not the rule.

I am not saying …

2. That Bible-Bouncing (the tendency to move outside of a selected passage of Scripture to support a topical sermon) is an unpardonable sin for the Bible teacher or preacher. My point will be that we tend to do it because we have been conditioned to do so rather than understanding the value of a more expositional approach. My question for the reader will be, “Is a topical approach absolutely necessary to convey the idea?” In most cases the answer will be, “probably not.”

I am not saying …

3. That God cannot use the topical approach to accomplish His purposes. We are talking about the God Who can cause the “rocks to cry out” if necessary. God needs no particular method of communication simply because He is God. I personally have been blessed by the occasional topical message. My point in this book will be, however, that Christians will be (and have been) edified and changed by the exposition of the Word.

I am not saying …

4. That you have to agree with me. I hope you do. I trust you will. I believe the future of God’s church depends on His congregations coming to the deepest understanding and appreciation of His Word. Topical preaching speaks to the needs people face. Expository preaching, I believe, is GOD speaking through His chosen and called communicators to express His heart, will, and purposes. However, as important as I believe this is, and as much effort as I will exhaust to convince you; please know that I understand a few things. I did not fall off the turnip truck yesterday. There is no law that says you must agree with me. I do rejoice, however, that the overwhelming majority of students who take my courses come to the place of agreement. I hope and pray you are, or will be, one of those.

I am not saying …

5. That the approach described in this book is the only appropriate approach. There are many good methods for the development or preparation of expository sermons. The Selected Bibliography lists many resources that I strongly suggest that the serious student of expository preaching study. The approach taken in this book is one that is easy to learn and will prove foundational as other methods of preaching (whether expository or not) are considered. I encourage my readers to master the homiletical bridge approach and then he or she will find that other methods and approaches will make more sense and will be easier to understand and even master. Serious students of preaching should build a preaching library. Homiletical books related to exposition, exegesis, narrative preaching, and other like resources will prove helpful as a preacher delves deeper into the subject of biblical communication.

I trust that this informationwill help you in your efforts for the glory of God! It is all about Him.  Please remember these two seemingly obvious truths for the preacher/teacher:

Just because something seems biblical or spiritual, doesn’t mean it is.

 AND

 Just because something “will preach,” doesn’t mean it should!

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