William Taylor on ‘Why Expository Preaching?’

William Taylor spoke at a Simeon Trust workshop on Biblical Exposition, in 2008. The audio of the workshop is available on their website. Most encouraging – especially for preachers of God’s word.

Why expository preaching protects preachers

Many of our readers will be convinced of the importance of expository preaching. Here’s some more encouragement – Tony Reinke writes:

“During the second T4G panel discussion Mark Dever and Al Mohler discussed evangelism, preaching, and the hesitancy among some Christians to speak openly on tough subjects like God’s judgment…”

– At the Sovereign Grace Ministries Blog.

Reflections on Preaching Conferences

“Preachers around our city, country and world stand up each Sunday to echo God’s life-giving and powerful Word to gatherings of sheep. They stand before people in need of nourishment, in need of encouragement to press on in Jesus’ footsteps, in need of assurance that trust is rightly placed in Him, in need of a clear word to call them back from straying, in need of a seeing again the Lord God, Father, Son and Spirit in all His glory, love, wisdom and grace.  They’ve laboured in the text and on their knees, with the Spirit to guide, and made use of some tools to understand what God says and to bring it on Sunday with conviction and engagement.

Sometimes they go home on Sunday, gladly spent from their labour and love for the flock, not just this day but the hours in their study, in prayer, and at kitchen tables and hospital bedsides.  They’ll start again tomorrow …”

– At The Expository Preaching Trust, Janet Riley reflects on the value and encouragement of Preaching Conferences.

Image: Rod Chiswell and David Cook at one of the recent preaching conferences. (There’s one at Wahroonga coming up.)

Preaching Mentoring

“Part of the ministry of the Expository Preaching Trust is to provide preaching mentors.

The Trust has five experienced preachers who offer mentoring on a regular, usually weekly, basis.

The mentor usually listens to the mentee’s Sunday sermon and then they reflect together on the sermon’s engagement with the Bible text and the people. …”

– Read about this extraordinarily gracious offer to preachers from The Expository Preaching Trust.

Related:

David Cook speaks with Mark Powell on Preaching, for the AP’s Australian Christian Life Podcast.

Really encouraging.

Armidale Preaching Conference Review

From The Expository Preaching Trust:

“On 6-7 May we held a fully subscribed Preaching Conference in St Peter’s Cathedral, Armidale.

The conference was sponsored by the Trust and co chaired by Rod Chiswell, the Bishop of Armidale, and David Cook of the Trust. …”

– Read here.

Update on the Wahroonga Preaching Conference

From The Expository Preaching Trust:

“The Preaching Conference at Wahroonga has been rescheduled for Monday – Tuesday, 9-10 September. The Conference is to be Co Chaired by Chris Edwards, the Bishop of North Sydney and David Cook of the Expository Preaching Trust.

Simon Manchester is the main speaker and there will be sermons by Mike Leite, Jim Mobbs and David Cook, all on the book of Acts.

The conference begins at 9:30 am on Monday the 9th at the Wahroonga Presbyterian Church, it will be held at the Anglican and Presbyterian churches in Wahroonga.

Cost is $50, fully catered and we are limited to 30 participants.

Preaching groups will be led by Simon Manchester, David Cook, Mike Leite, Jim Mobbs and Janet Riley.”

– See their website for details.

Preaching in tragic times — what will you say on Sunday?

“It is hard to describe the sense of loss pervading London in 1997 following the death of Princess Diana, however, I had been invited to preach at a London church the following Sunday and it was clear that in the midst of such loss and confusion, people were looking for a clear word from God.

It was the same for every preacher, following the Strathfield massacre in 1991 or the September 11 World Trade Centre tragedy in 2001 or the Lindt coffee massacre in Sydney in 2014.

And now the Bondi Junction stabbings. Perhaps it was too late to change the text to be preached the Sunday immediately following those Saturday afternoon murders, but next Sunday people will be coming to church and expecting a clear word from God. …”

– At The Expository Preaching Trust, David Cook has some very helpful words for preachers in these days.

Image: David Cook at St. Helen’s Bishopsgate in 2022.

Preaching Paul’s Letters

“As a Spurgeon fan I can recall many of his quotes at will, and one of them is, ‘No Christ in your sermon, sir? Then go home, and never preach again until you have something worth preaching…’

This would be most relevant in preaching from the Old Testament, where we (should) use our Biblical theology skills, and preach Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old testament text. …

Far too often, nearly always, I hear sermons on the epistles, where the main application, is ‘Be like Paul.’ where Paul is the hero of the passage.

I’m suggesting, that this isn’t handling any passage from Paul’s epistles well…”

– Jim Mobbs writes to encourage preachers – at The Expository Preaching Trust.

2024 Armidale Preaching Conference

Here’s a great resource for friends within striking distance of Armidale – The Expository Preaching Trust is holding a Preaching Conference on May 6 and 7 2024.

– Details from the Trust and also from the Diocese of Armidale.

Investment in Preaching

“With the Reserve Bank struggling to contain inflation and households facing cost of living pressure and retirees looking for return on capital, it is a good time to think about investment and preaching preparation.

There are two vital areas of investment which will yield healthy returns. …”

– Encouragement from David Cook at The Expository Preaching Trust.

Preaching the Doctrine of the Church

“In April 1979 I attended the Pastors’ Conference held at St Andrew’s Cathedral Sydney, which coincided with the Billy Graham Crusade being held at Randwick racecourse at that time.

One of the speakers was John Stott, and I remember him saying that if he were going into ministry at that time he would spend the first year preaching on the doctrine of the church.

Much has changed since, but the vital relevance of that doctrine has become more apparent. Post Covid, our people have become more used to staying away from the Sunday gathering and following church online, either our services or someone else’s…”

– At The Expository Preaching Trust, David Cook argues that understanding the nature of the Church is vital  – and, very helpfully, he suggests a series you could use or adapt.

Photo: David Cook preaching to a live congregation at St. Helen’s Bishopsgate in London, August 2022.

Why everyone started talking about Expositional Preaching

In this article at The Gospel Coalition, Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra looks at what happens when you discover expository (‘expostional’ in the US) preaching, and what led to the founding of the Charles Simeon Trust –

“[Walter] Carter was having the same eye-opening experience that [Dave] Helm had 25 years earlier when British pastor Dick Lucas first demonstrated expositional preaching to him.

‘It felt like a light bulb going on,’ Helm remembers. ‘It felt like you were closer to having command of what God was actually trying to say.’

Helm couldn’t get enough, and in 2001, he and some others started the Charles Simeon Trust (CST) to teach Lucas’s principles to others. Light bulbs have been going on ever since. …”

Many Australians have had similar experiences, thanking God for the ministries of Dick Lucas and John Stott and others.

See, for example these related posts. – in particular, Sydney Church History by David Cook and Reflecting on Fifty Years of Expository Preaching in Australia (1965–2015) by Peter Adam.

Photo: Dick Lucas at St. Helen’s Bishopsgate in 2014.

How intermediate and experienced preachers can improve their preaching

“How do you make sure you continue to improve as a preacher?

You’ve learned the basics about big ideas and supporting ideas and introductions and applications and full notes versus bullet points and eye contact and hand gestures and preaching pyramids and illustrations and why it is better or worse to preach longer than twenty-five minutes. You are able to consistently research, compose and deliver a solid sermon every week without having a meltdown.

But how do you keep improving? …”

– At The Gospel Coalition Australia, Mikey Lynch has a simple suggestion.

See also:

Expository Preaching Trust Preaching Workshop.

Preaching Hope on Good Friday

“The late Professor Chris O’Brien, after whom the Life House is named at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital said, ‘Everyone needs hope, we live on hope’.

We normally associate hope with resurrection and so preach hope on Easter Sunday, but this year I am going to preach hope on Good Friday.

The Christian life is full of hope because hope is based on promise, and God reveals himself as the God who makes promises to his people. His promises are the basis of our hope. …”

– David Cook has this encouragement for preachers at The Expository Preaching Trust.

Photo: David Cook at St. Helen’s Bishopsgate in August 2022.

Preaching Trust Clubs in 2023

From The Expository Preaching Trust:

“The Trust is sponsoring clubs in Abbotsford, Armidale, Sutherland and Wahroonga. These Clubs meet 4 times each year and in one of the meetings feature a special guest.

Our special guest for 2023 is Phillip Jensen. Phillip will preach at each club and will speak on, ‘The future: obstacles and opportunities’.

There is no cost to register, but if you would like to attend the club for Phillip’s visit here are the details…”

– See the details here.

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