Over the past few months, I was led to write articles about preaching. We covered Topical and Textual sermon styles. Today, I want to write about Expository preaching. I must admit, I was hesitant to write on the subject of expository preaching because I feel inadequate. The reason is because I am still in the process of learning how to successfully preach in an expository manner. This style of preaching, if obtained and preaching while full of the Holy Ghost will yield fruit that remains.

Before we get into the technicalities of expository sermon delivery, I’d like to share how it has affected me. The church I was saved in had a pastor that was one of the greatest expositors I have heard, I just didn’t realize it until God showed me that expository preaching is what God wants most. This pastor would take the “deepest” of Bible texts and subjects and preach what God intended to preach, while making it extremely simple for anyone to understand.

Often, I would sit in awe of the delivery of the sermon. In even more awe, I would sometimes “peak” during the invitation and see people broken at an altar as God was moving in their lives. The church he pastored wasn’t anything special in the eyes of modern mega churches, but it had God’s Power, and that was all that mattered. The Word of God was preached, and for that very reason God blessed that church with unusual power and life changing conversions to Christ.

After Bible college, we started our church. It was during that time that I realized that expository preaching was not as easy as I thought. As a human, I naturally took the path of least resistance. This lead to many topical sermons. I do believe that God blessed His Word, because I always tried to preach in the context of Scripture, though I did not preaching in an expository style,

During a Spiritual low in my life due to weariness, I found that I was having a hard time preaching. I felt weak and as if I were depriving our church. Completely discouraged, I wanted to leave our church to another pastor, rather than be the pastor myself. God had different plans…

By the Grace of God, we went to a meeting where a pastor preached sermon about the Sower and the Seed. Giving the proper place for each ground, he preached about sowing the seed and the ground where the seed falls. After a complete exposition of the entire text, he drew one point, and it was that God sowed the seed on all grounds, regardless of the fruit that was produced.

This sermon encouraged me, because our area was hard. I found that I needed to sow the Seed of the Word of God. I found that there was not much I could do anyway, but God through His Word can do great works. Therefore, freshly encouraged, I set out to be a preacher of the Word of God instead of just being preacher.

I want to help you in expository preaching, since I know that it has helped me personally many times since God revived me.

In our next post, I will explain why expository preaching has the most impact, and therefore should be goal of every God called preacher. Then I will write a post on how to preach in an expository style.

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Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?
(Psa 85:6)

O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;

(Psa 107:1-2)

After much consideration about how to take care of this blog, I found that a podcast is the best solution in helping proclaim the Gospel and inspire Christians to seek revival. This is our first podcast, so I hope you enjoy it. This is my personal salvation testimony how God saved me from from sin and set me free. You too have that same joy! Stay tuned for more revival podcasts from Plea For Power!

Sorry about the sound. I made this podcast  while travelling…Better ones will come.

So, maybe God is leading you. You feel the tugging of God in your heart. Maybe there is need that  has turned to a burden in your heart. Either way, God is calling you. What do you do when God has called you? Here are some thoughts to help you answer the calling of God in your life:

Let Your Pastor Know

This is key. As mentioned, the local church is God’s institution. Christ is the head of the body, but He has given pastors to be the under-shepard to guide the flock. Let him know. Ask his advice. Let him pray with you. Let him rejoice with you. Seek his council. Let him guide you and train you. Let him seek the Lord on your behalf as to how you can operate with this calling. Let him see if you are serious about your calling. God gave you a pastor for a reason, and that is for him lead you as he follows Christ. Therefore, he is the next in authority after Christ.

What if my pastor thinks differently? You may not understand if you pastor doesn’t give you complete blessing or a position, but you don’t need to. He is God’s man, and it is our responsibility to follow. Just love him and take his advice and follow it. Your day of ministry will come. Don’t get disgruntled and leave the church. Don’t start gossiping. Don’t rebel against him. Don’t get bitter at him. Don’t undermine his God given authority as an ordained minister of the Gospel. He may see something in you that you don’t see. It may be that he is waiting to give you a position once you have proven yourself. Just trust his judgement as he seeks to follow the leadership of God.

Regardless of what you think, God has given you a pastor. He may not be perfect, but he is following a perfect God. If God is calling you, then let your pastor know. Follow his leadership, and trust God to do the rest.

Let Your Family Know

Your family is important in the calling of God. What if your family doesn’t want to be involved 100%? How can they help you fulfill your calling? Can you spouse and children have a part in helping you fulfill your calling? Will the load be to hard for all your family to carry? Will there need to be changes in your home as a result of your calling? These are all questions one needs to consider when answering the calling of God in your life.

I heard that Billy Sunday’s own son commited suicide. It was said that his father took time to win America to the Lord, but left his son out. I heard a quote from a great pastor in regard to your calling to your family:

If I win the whole world, but lose my own family, then I have lost it all.
~ Pastor Tim Ruhl, Pleasant Valley Baptist Church – Chico , CA

I don’t want it to be said that I won others to the Lord, and my own children are lost. Therefore it is important that your family be involved with your calling. It is also important to balance your family and ministry calling. Consider using your ministry to enhance your family. But always make sure that your family knows you love them, and that you will have just as much zeal for your family as you do your ministry.

Bring It Before The Church

After you have prayed with your pastor and your family, you need to make it public. If you are called to ministry, then it will be among people, so you might was well tell the people in your church. They love you and will encourage you in your calling. The way I answered the call to preach like this: I felt God leading. I asked God to confirm it. When He did, I went forward during the invitation time and told the pastor (God was convicting me the entire church service because I hadn’t fully surrendered.) After praying and fully surrendering, the pastor told the entire congregation. After church, people came to me to encourage me and pray with me.

Why should a person tell their church? I thought we don’t serve God for people to know. Yes, that is true. So when you do tell your church, don’t do it in a proud way. Here are some reasons to tell you church about your calling:

• People will be encouraged to see God working in the church and in your life
• It may encourage others to surrender to the calling of God
• Other members will start praying for you
• You have made it public, so you are now accountable to God, your family, your pastor, and your church
• People will help encourage you in your calling

Live The Christian Life 100%

Now that you have been called, you prayed, surrendered, and made it public, God has placed a mark on you. Though it’s not a physical marking, you are now one of the called for special ministry and service. This means that you have a testimony to keep for the Name of Jesus Christ, your family, your church, and Christianity as a whole. You don’t want to bring shame to the name of Jesus Christ, therefore you have to make, keep, and protect your testimony.

This means you need to step it up. You want to be a Holy Man of God, well….live Holy. Holy means to be separate from sin. One though to keep in mind is the list of qualifications of a bishop/man of God:

This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
~ 1 Timothy 3:1-7

This is long list. Why would God put a list together for His pastors? Because the office represents God. God is Holy. The Bible states that He is Light. Light doesn’t have a relationship with dark. As His ministry, you too should keep your life unspotted from the world. I know all Christians need to live holy, but when you are a called man of God, you need to get on board 100%.

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A revival, then, really means days of heaven upon earth.
- D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Does God have a purpose for my life? Yes He does. He has a calling for every born again child of God. This is something every believer must consider in their life if they are to be the person God created them to be. Consider this Bible verse about being called:

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
~ Ephesians 4:1 (Emphasis Added)

The idea of a vocation doesn’t mean a job. Rather, it has the idea of a specialized job. A job or purpose specific to an individual. God has a specialized position to serve Him that He designed according to His purpose for you. Think about that for a while. God has made you special and has a divine purpose for your life. His purpose and plan is far greater than we understand. When we walk in our own plan outside of  the will of God, we are not walking worthy. His plan is best. It is our job to follow His plan for our life.

Simply put, God is calling. Consider these Bible verses about being called:

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
~ Romans 8:28

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
~ Philippians 3:14-15

Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
~ 2 Timothy 1:9

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
~ 1 Peter 2:9

And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;
~ 2 Corinthians 5:18

For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
~ 1 Corinthians 1:26

So, how does one find their calling?

You Must Be Faithful To Church

The local church is one of three institutions that God ordained, the home and government being the other two. It is the local church that is the body of Christ. Being faithful to His body, you may find your place of service, or your specific function as part of His body. Also note, a pastor calls on people that are faithful. Why should he, or Christ, entrust you with responsibility when you are not responsible and faithful to church? Being faithful to church, tithing, giving, helping, getting involved all lead to other tasks, which could lead to a specific calling. Just remember, God will not reveal His unknown will until you are faithful to the known will of God, and serving in the local new testament church is the will of God.

You Must Let The Preaching Stir Your Heart

As you are faithful to church, God will speak to you. He speaks during preaching. Any church worth its salt will have preaching that challenges the hearers to serve and fulfill God’s will in their life. As the preaching takes places, ask God, “What do you have for me in this sermon?” Don’t be looking around and thinking the sermon was for someone else. Every time we go to church, He has  something specific for all in attendance. It can be salvation, surrender, or service, but He is calling. So, the next time you sit under a Sunday School lesson, testimony, song, or sermon, ask God to speak to you. And don’t stop asking Him either, just let Him work in your life every time you go to His house.

Pray And Ask God For Clear Direction From His Word

If God hasn’t directed you through your pastor and his preaching, then you should start to seek God through prayer and the Bible. I do not believe you will hear a voice from heaven, but if God is dealing with you, it will be as  clear as day. As you approach this sacred time of prayer, make sure that you have a clean heart before the Lord. It could be that God hasn’t spoke to you because you are not ready. You may need to get right with God or right with people in your life. You may need to get rid of some sin. Either way, God wants to use you, but He uses a clean vessel. Therefore, as we seek Him in our prayer closet and in His Word, we should strive to be right with Him and others.

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