9 Marks of a healthy church Week 2 – Expositional Preaching Mark dever Ligonier.org

Issues and Answers Schedule Next Week is Sanctity of Life Sunday North Care Clinic Presentation Baby Bottle Drive March for Life Monday January 18; $12 per person; be at church at 5:45AM

Last Week - What is the (local) Church?

Last WeeK: 9 Marks Intro – What is the church? Mark Dever answered two questions: What is the the church supposed to be like? Why is the church supposed to be a that way?

Last Week: What is the church? Looked at I Corinthians Purity/Blameless – striving in the process of being sanctified by the Holy Spirit United – no divisions, no quarreling Unified in Love – Charity on differences in gifting and in non-essentials All edification is to be for the benefit of others – prophecy ahead of tongues In other words, we don’t come to church to get OUR needs met, or to satisfy our human desires

Last Week: What is the church? Do you ever think of yourself of “not your own”? (I Cor 6:19-20) Is that NOT radical? We are all different…we have different gifts…but we all have the same Holy Spirit. - I Cor 12:4-11

Last Week Why be this way – pure, united and loving? Character of the the church is to reflect what/who: I Cor 11:1 – Be imitators of Christ I Cor 2:11-13 – Spiritual thoughts – God gave them to us I Cor 2:16 - We have the mind of Christ

This WeeK Mark #1 – Expository Preaching – Why?

Video https://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/marks-healthy-church/expositional-preaching/

9 Marks – Expository Preaching Dever says, “The passage shapes the message rather than the message shaping the passage” What does he mean? What is the key difference between expositional preaching and topical preaching? Caution – no “Romping through Romans”! Never read a verse of scripture – why not? Taking the point of the passage in context means we often hear things that we don’t intend to hear when we set out. How does Dever contrast preaching with salvation? Our salvation consists in hearing God in ways we would not have guessed prior to our conversion

9 Marks – Expository Preaching Jesus identifies himself as the “logos” – the word We have faith in the Word (the Bible) and Jesus himself Romans 10:14-17 – faith comes by hearing the WORD “We can create a people by all kinds of other means - choir program, building project, a denominational identity or a community of care groups or opportunities for socializing, groups for young mothers, or singles or men’s groups…..or even around the personality of a pastor!” “But, we can only see the people of GOD, the church of GOD, created around the WORD of GOD” Luther’s response to how he had “done it all”….the Word did it all!

9 Marks – Expository preaching The Word of God brings life and causes us to grow Jesus quotes Deut. 8:3 - Man does not live on bread alone but by the very word of God Ephesians 5:24-26 – Jesus cleanses the church by washing with the…… WORD! Dever says, “If you want to grow as a Christian, you don’t need a ‘fresh word from God’, you need to read your bible” Do you agree? Have we already been given by God what we need to know him? How is his word used in our lives and the lives of the congregation? By the Holy Spirit

9 Marks – Expository preaching Is there a place in preaching for: Moral exhortation? History lessons? Social Commentaries? God’s HS creates his people by God’s word – that is what the bible teaches! Paul’s advice to Timothy in 1 Tim 4:13, 2 Tim 4:2, Acts 6:1-4 “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching”

9 MARKS – Expositional Preaching What gives elders and leaders in the church according to Dever? Luke Chapter 20 – Jesus chastises the first century religious establishment, the chief priests, elders and scribes for not rightly understanding the word Elders need to rightly understand and teach God’s word Dever argues that we still need one person speaking to our “talkative, isolatingly subjectivist, anti-authority, confused and confusing culture” – is it too old fashioned? What do you contribute to a sermon? The same that you contribute to your salvation. Titus 3:5 God acts to us in GRACE Revelation 22:4 is not here yet We need to rely on God’s word

9 Marks – Expository preaching “What you win people with is what you win people to – the preaching of God’s word” Content Transparency of Form Encourage them in it, pray for them in it “What makes a good church, more than parking lots and pews, greeting and programs and nurseries and even the preacher himself is what is preached”

Next Week – Sanctity of Life Sunday Give ’em Heaven!!