A famous teacher of Homiletics in an American school used to tell his students a generation ago that the one kind of preaching which always wore was the Expository. The experience of his students, now honoured and wise leaders of their own generations, has many times confirmed this. It is not pulpit eloquence no matter how brilliant, nor topical preaching no matter how timely, wise, varied, or epigrammatic, which best resists the wear and tear of time in a long pastorate with its steady and unceasing demand for sermons, week in, week out, which feed and nourish and inspire the flock.
No other style of preaching can so completely guarantee immunity from an indulgence in special crochets and fads. The Bible is an exceedingly broad book in its treatment of life and, he who successfully preaches through, even one small section of it, will find a variety of subjects and principles and lessons—so great a variety that if he is fair with all he will be saved from the error of over-emphasis and of neglecting certain broad tracts of truth.
The strain of preaching which some complain of is due, perhaps, in no small measure to the fact that it is so seldom expository, and the effort of finding a topic is added to the labour of preparation. And this may be one reason for the short pastorates, which disease is surely making inroads on the health of the Church.
But many men cannot, or think they cannot, preach expository sermons. Exposition is an unknown art to them. The aim of this book is not only to demonstrate the value of expository preaching, but to show how.