Encountering God Through Expository Preaching

Preaching occurs when a holy man of God opens the Word of God and says to the people of God, “Come and experience God with me in this text.” Encountering God through Expository Preaching ushers preachers of all levels of experience through the practical steps necessary to preach with power. The authors not only cover the exegetical skills and homiletical techniques necessary for sound preaching, but they also dive deeper to emphasize how a pastor’s character and reliance upon the Holy Spirit are essential to preaching God’s word effectively. As the preacher encounters God in preaching, he will preach with spiritual power and see lives transformed and churches strengthened.

I am often disturbed or disappointed by what I experience when I "go to church",' says David Peterson. 'At first glance the issues seem to be practical... Mostly, however, these practical failings seem to reveal a poor understanding of why we gather, little awareness of how to lead a gathering effectively, and an inadequate grasp of what we should expect from our time together.' In response, Peterson offers this accessible and stimulating exposition, intended to help everyone involved in planning and leading church services think more biblically and creatively about this important ministry. Our ultimate aim should be to honour and glorify God as we take our part in the edification of his church. 'We encounter God by listening to what he has revealed to us in Scripture and by responding to the work of his Son, as the gospel directs. The gift of his Spirit enables us to minister his truth to one another and to take our part in the building of his church. In biblically informed singing, in reading and reflecting on the Bible together, in biblically driven prayer and praise, and in sharing the Lord's Supper together, God confronts us with his character and will for us and makes it possible for us to submit to and serve him appropriately in every area of our lives.'

Imagine this scene. You are standing in the pulpit of your church preaching on a Sunday morning. Without your knowledge, the Lord Jesus himself is sitting in the last row, listening attentively to what you’re saying. How would this reality impact your preaching? The truth is that this is no mere illustration: the Lord is present in His churches every Sunday, listening to the preaching of His Word. The apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 2:17 that ministers are to preach “as from God and before God.” Those who preach God’s Word are commissioned by God to preach, and they do their preaching before God, for an audience of one. This, according to Sugel Michelén, is the biblical foundation for expository preaching—preaching that draws out what is in the Word of God. In this work, Michelén, regarded as one of the best preachers in the Spanish-speaking church, makes a biblical case for expository preaching and models for readers how to prepare and preach as from and before God.

The purpose of this study on charismatic and expository preaching is to find the common ground of the two preaching methods and solidify them into a sound, biblical and theological preaching method that will edify the body of Christ and lead to growth for local churches. To solidify charismatic and expository preaching, it is necessary to explore the hermeneutical, exegetical, and homiletical issues that divide the two methods regarding the work of the Holy Spirit and the gifts the Spirit bestows to believers for ministry. Charismatic interpretations concerning the gifts of the Spirit revolve around "speaking in tongues" as the primary identifier of being filled with the Spirit, which most expository preachers and scholars view as an incorrect interpretation. This study seeks to answer these problems in the quest of unifying both preaching methods.

Well known for his teaching, writing, and editing of Magnificat, the widely popular monthly publication containing the Scripture readings and prayers for the Mass used weekly by several hundred thousand Catholics, Fr. Peter John Cameron, O.P., offers here expert spiritual and practical help for priests, pastors and seminarians desiring to preach effectively. Why Preach draws from the author's rich understanding of the Word of God as the challenging, encouraging, and healing presence of Christ, as well as from his own experience as both a preacher and a teacher of homiletics. With an eye focused on the works and examples of Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, Father Cameron illustrates that good preaching derives from and leads to an encounter with Christ, the Word of God made Flesh, who comes to us through the Scriptures. The objective of the book is to help preachers to think about preaching in a new, dynamic way. Its aim is to provide a fresh and helpful vision of preaching geared to deepening a preacher's appreciation of what preaching is, and the great spiritual impact that good preaching can have on its audience, so as to increase his desire and ability to preach well.

Effective Preaching: Bringing People into an Encounter with God is a practical collection of essays, featuring leading preachers, homilists and homily instructors. Compiled by Michael E. Connors, CSC, the Director of the John Marten Program in Homiletics and Liturgics at the University of Notre Dame, this imaginative book focuses entirely on the practical side of Catholic preaching. It will provide imaginative, hands-on, tested advice to help homilists develop preaching effectiveness, using techniques that will turn satisfactory preaching into exceptional preaching. This practical resource will be essential for priests, permanent deacons, seminarians in homiletics classes; retreat leaders, RCIA catechists; all who preach.

The purpose of our lives is to know the God of the universe who made us and loves us. It is this purpose that biblical preaching meets through explaining God’s word. Biblical preaching centres around proclaiming God’s Word and preachers are to be mouthpieces for God as we encounter the living Christ through Scripture. Jonathan Lamb illustrates the power of God’s Word by focusing our attention on the heart, task and purpose of preaching by leading us through Nehemiah 8:1-12. Reworked to benefit from the authors’ years of experience working alongside indigenous preaching movements around the world, this book includes excellent resources for group studies, preaching preparation and running a preachers’ group.

What makes for good preaching? In this accessible volume—written for preachers and preachers in training—pastor David Helm outlines what must be believed and accomplished to become a faithful expositor of God's Word. In addition to offering practical, step-by-step guidance for preachers, this short book will equip all of us to recognize good preaching when we hear it. Part of the 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches series.