Church Order: Preaching and Pastoral Ministry

A Biblical Perspective on Preaching Part #1

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Church Government

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2005-11-13

Synopsis: John Weaver introduces a two-part series on biblical preaching, arguing that both preaching and listening have deteriorated over the last 150 years. He defines three types of preaching—topical, textual, and expository—and contends that expository preaching is the only method that presents the whole counsel of God, freeing the preacher from the blood of all men (Acts 20:26-27). Weaver emphasizes that the efficacy of preaching depends on God's sovereignty, not human effort, and that true preaching consists of exposition, explanation, and application (Nehemiah 8:8). The sermon sets the stage for a detailed exposition of Acts 10:33 in the following week.

[John Weaver] I want you to open your Bibles to Acts chapter 10. And let me just say, as you turn to Acts chapter 10, the message today is going to be the introduction for the message next Sunday. It's going to take me all of this time just to get to the place that I want to get to. The title of the message is A Biblical Perspective on Preaching. a biblical perspective on preaching. And, of course, the main message, like I said, will come next week, Lord willing. So let's look at Acts 10 and read just a few verses, and then I'll give you the text and we'll go from there. Acts 10, verse 1, there was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian Band, a devout man and one that feared God with all his house, who gave much alms to the people and prayed to God always. He saw in a vision, evidently about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming to him and saying unto him, Cornelius.

[John Weaver] And when he looked on him, he was afraid and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa to call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter. He lodged with Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do."

[John Weaver] Now, if you would skip down, and you know the entire story. Let's begin with verse thirty. And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour, and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house. Behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, and said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance of the sight of God. Send, therefore, to Joplin, call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter, who is lodged in the house of one Simon the Tanner by the seaside.

[John Weaver] Who would he come if he shall speak unto thee? Verse 33, and this is the text that I'll be dealing with mainly next Lord's Day. Immediately therefore I sent to thee, and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. So a biblical perspective on preaching. I believe that I could accurately say, and everyone who hears my voice would agree with me, That preaching has deteriorated greatly over the last 150 years.

[John Weaver] In order to comprehend this deterioration, all one has to do is simply ask, where are the Charles Haddon Spurgeons, or the George Whitfields, or the John Wesleys? I mean, when you stop and think of the preachers that are preaching today, where are the great men who expound the Word of God? I must admit to you that there are very few, if any, great preachers today. Now, I do admit to the fact that I know a few men who I believe are very capable preachers, but there are very few indeed.

[John Weaver] Now, a parallel to this truth, and I'm going to bring it out later on, that just as preaching has deteriorated, equally so has the ability to listen to preaching deteriorated. It's interesting if you would take the qualifications of a pastor that you find in 1 Timothy 3 and in Titus 1. If you were to take those qualifications and go down through Scripture, I could show you that every qualification except one is required of every Christian. Every qualification of a preacher in 1 Timothy chapter 3 is required of every Christian. Are you not required to be hospitable? Yes. Are you not required to be sober? Yes. Are you not required to be a lover of good men? Yes.

[John Weaver] I mean, right on down the line. These things ought to be preeminently in a pastor, but the one thing that makes the pastor different from all others, according to the scripture, he must be apt to teach.

[John Weaver] Now, if God requires preachers to be apt to teach, is it not also necessary to conclude that He requires Christians to be apt to hear? So, just as preaching has deteriorated, so listening to preaching has deteriorated as well. A simple way to comprehend the deterioration in preaching today is to grasp this simple fact, that there is very little expository preaching today. I'm going to explain that in just a moment. But do you realize the average preaching service consists of a 15 or 20 minute sermonette to Christianettes who are more concerned with their TV sets than they are the Word of God.

[John Weaver] And I can demonstrate this for you. Alice and I, years ago, were down in Tampa, Florida, and we went by a Baptist church, and here was a sign out front Come to our early service. In by 8, out by 8.30.

[John Weaver] Now, let me tell you what he was trying to do. He was trying to pacify the people's consciences as they were on the way to spend the day at the beach is what he was doing. Plus, get a few extra shekels.

[John Weaver] Now, just stop and think about this. If you have an opening song or two or a prayer or read a scripture or anything like that, And then if you have a closing hymn or a closing prayer, at the most, you will only have 15 minutes for preaching. At the very most. So the average preacher today really does not preach and teach expository. In fact, let me just try to break this down very quickly for you. Since preachers do not preach expository, most Christians don't even know what an expository sermon is. If I were to ask you, I would hope some of you at least know. I would really and truly hope all of you know. But let me just break it down for you very simply. Basically speaking, or traditionally speaking, there are three types of preaching. There is what is known as topical preaching, textual preaching, and expository preaching. Now, topical preaching is the most prominent type of preaching today simply because it is the easiest to do and requires the least amount of study and effort.

[John Weaver] Now let me just say this at the outset. I'm not condemning all topical preaching. Topical preaching may be done in one sense of the word, in an expository manner, if you just chose the topic and then went to the Scriptures and expounded and explained those topics. But it is usually not done that way. Topical preaching is simply when one takes a topic For instance, salvation, justification, or the Holy Spirit, or election, and you just simply deal with that topic. Now, what constitutes topical preaching mainly is you choose your topic, you throw in a few scriptures, and then you say what you think or what you believe on the topic. And as you can see, Very little study is required to do something like that, and you can preach just about any subject without any difficulty, because all you need is a few scriptures and a few of your own ideas. However, if you choose that topic, and then you go to the scriptures and you exegete and explain those scriptures, it is far better preaching, but usually it is not done that way.

[John Weaver] Let me give you one of the silliest And one of the saddest illustrations that I know of when it concerns topical preaching. Now, I will confess I did not hear this sermon preached, but I know the man who did. And he related the sermon to me and he gave me the pastor's points. Are you listening? His subject or his topic was salvation. Here was the outline the preacher used in preaching on salvation. Are you ready? Here it is. Salvation. God thought it. Jesus bought it.

[John Weaver] The Holy Spirit brought it. The Bible taught it. And bless God, I caught it.

[John Weaver] Now, while admittedly speaking, every one of those points are scriptural, except the last one. Salvation is not a disease, nor is it contagious. You know. You can see how anybody could just simply preach on something like that, and it requires no study, it requires no preparation. You just get up and quote a few scriptures and say, here it is. That is basically topical preaching. Topical preaching is usually the worst kind of preaching. Because there's no study and there's no effort going into it.

[John Weaver] And many times it appeals to the flesh and you can add your own thoughts and your own ideas. And there you go. So that is topical preaching. The second type of preaching is textual preaching. Now, textual preaching is just when you take your texts from different portions of the scripture. Let me give you an illustration. There's a message that I could preach based on the words due time. Due time. To preach a textual message, all you have to do is go through the Bible and look up the phrase due times or due seasons. You're going to find that that phrase refers, number one, to judgment. Number two, to salvation. Number three, the reaping and sowing, etc., etc. Now, so what you would do if you're going to preach textually, you could go back, say, to Deuteronomy, and you have the due time of judgment. You could come over to the New Testament and get the due time of salvation, but in due times, God has manifested His Word through preaching, you see? There's the due time of preaching.

[John Weaver] Now, what I'm saying is, I have a different point, and for each point, I have a different text. Now, in one sense of the word, you could use textual preaching in an expository manner if you took that one text and then you went down and explained it and expounded it as it appears in the text. But if you just simply take four different texts, if you've got four points, then, of course, I mean, you can throw in your own thoughts. And there again, you have what is basically known as topical preaching, I mean, or textual preaching. But it's not necessarily the best kind of preaching. The best kind of preaching is what is known as expository preaching. Expository preaching is when you take a book, a chapter, a passage, and you go through that book or that chapter or that passage, word or word, sentence by sentence, and you always allow the context to interpret and to explain it.

[John Weaver] Now, let me give you two words. These are very important words. Exegesis and eisegesis. Exegesis. Exegesis is when you draw out of the scripture what the scripture actually says. Eisegesis is when you read into the scripture that which you want it to say. Do you realize you can just about prove whatever you want to prove from scripture if you use eisegesis? In fact, that is how most people study the Bible. They go to the Bible and they'll say, now, I believe this. Let me find a passage and let me find some verses that document what I believe. And if you have to take it out of context to prove your point, you can take it out of context to prove your point. That's eisegesis. That's when you read into the Scripture that which you really want the Scripture to say. Now, there's a big difference in between exegesis and eisegesis.

[John Weaver] When you exegete the passage, you bring out what that passage is saying, whether you like it or not, whether it agrees with your positions or not. You say, here is what the Word of God says. Point blank.

[John Weaver] Now, when one preaches expositorily, he will deal with subjects that he will never ever normally deal with. Why? Well, the answer is because you're taking Scripture book by book, chapter by chapter, paragraph by paragraph, sentence by sentence, and word by word, and consequently, as you preach expositorily, listen now, you're forced to deal with passages that you would never normally deal with, even if they're the hardest and the most difficult passages in the Bible. You remember when I preached through Hosea, I had 75 messages, one right after the other, in the book of Hosea. 26 through the book of Amos. I don't remember how many I had going through the book of Proverbs.

[John Weaver] But you see what I'm saying? When you go through a book like that, or you go through a passage like that, you're forced to deal with subjects that you would never, ever normally deal with. Whether it's economics, whether it's government, whether it's education, it doesn't matter. And consequently, You can preach on things that you never normally would preach on. There's another advantage of expository preaching, and that's this. People cannot accuse you of picking on them or pointing out their sins if the expose of their sins occurs in the normal course of preaching following one passage after the other. I've had people tell me, Brother Weaver, you're just picking on me. No, I'm not picking on you. But the old saying is, if the shoe fits, wear it.

[John Weaver] I mean, here is what Scripture says. And if the Scripture condemns you, then you need to repent. If it convicts you, you need to repent. And of course, expository preaching is harder and it is more difficult, but it does have its advantages. And one of the greatest advantages is simply this. During expository preaching, are trying to present the whole counsel of God. That is what God says on every particular subject. So here's the three basic kinds of preaching. You have topical preaching, textual preaching, and expository preaching. And expository preaching is far better.

[John Weaver] Now let me just tell you that preachers, like everyone else, many times will go through fads. In fact, everybody's heard of the three points in a poem. You know, you have to have three points and then you always conclude with a poem. That's been a joke among preachers for years because that was a fad. But there was a fad when it was absolutely necessary, if you were going to be a successful preacher, that you had to have three points.

[John Weaver] But you needed to preach expository as well. And one of my favorite stories is about the preacher who was trying to preach expository and he came upon the text and Balaam arose early and saddled his ass." Well now, he was preaching expositorily. So his first point was, here we see a good trait in a bad man, Balaam rose early. Secondly, we see the ancient art of saddlery, he saddled his ass. His third point was, and some concluding remarks about the woman at the well. No relationship.

[John Weaver] But I mean, he had his three points. You see what I'm saying? That's ridiculous. You have to give what the Word of God says. Whether it's one point, two points, three points, or 40 points, it doesn't matter. But I mean, I'm just simply saying. Expository preaching is the way to present the whole counsel of God.

[John Weaver] Now, since we're in the book of Acts, I want you to turn to Acts chapter 20. Let me show you something. I've told you this before, but I want to show it to you again since I'm dealing with this subject, and it relates to this subject. And here's an opportunity to really impress it upon your minds. So look in Acts chapter 20, and let's begin with verse 17, because here Paul calls all of these elders, all of these preachers together, And they lead him into Ephesus, and he speaks to them. So look in Acts 20, verse 17, And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church. Well, he's at Miletus. He called the Ephesian elders there. Okay.

[John Weaver] And they were come to him, and he said unto them, You know from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons. Now look what he's saying. And remember now he's talking to preachers. serving the Lord with all humility of mind and with many tears and temptations which befell me by the lying and weight of the Jews, and how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you and have taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] And now, behold, I go bound in the Spirit into Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there, save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life here unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify of the gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.

[John Weaver] Wherefore, I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men." Now let's stop right there. Look, if you would please, at verse 17. And from Miletus, he said to Ephesus, and called the elders, or the pastors of the church. Now watch. He now gives a personal testimony to these pastors, and he says in verse 20, and how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you and have taught you publicly in from house to house." So He preached not only publicly, but He preached privately as well. So it comes down to verse 26.

[John Weaver] He knows that he's going to be bound when he gets to Jerusalem. He knows he's going to lose his life. But he says in verse 26, Wherefore, I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men.

[John Weaver] Now, you have to ask yourself this question. How did the Apostle Paul get pure from the blood of all men? Did he witness to every individual that he saw? And the answer is no. All of us have heard messages during our lives. All of us have been told all of our lives. that people's blood are on our hands if we do not witness to them.

[John Weaver] Now let me just tell you, first of all, that that teaching is not only unbiblical, it is in reality humanly impossible. So if Alice tells me, now look, we're out of bread, please go to town and buy a loaf of bread and come back and we'll have supper. I say, okay. If I drive to town and I witness to everybody that I see I'm never coming back home.

[John Weaver] Let me ask you another question. Suppose Doc is uptown in Fitzgerald and I stop him and I'm witnessing to him and about that time Henry drives by and I have to stop witnessing to Doc and turn around and run up to Henry and flag him. Who's warning him? You follow what I'm saying? It would be humanly impossible.

[John Weaver] Now, go back to verse 26 of Acts chapter 20. Here's how Paul got free from the blood of all men. Look what he said. Wherefore, I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men. How, Paul? For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. So here's a simple question. How did Paul get free from the blood of all men? And the answer is by preaching all of the Word of God. He preached the whole counsel of God. Now listen to me. It is impossible to preach the whole counsel of God if you preach topically. It's impossible to teach the whole counsel of God if you preach textually. But if you preach expositorily, and God lets you live long enough, You might make a den in it.

[John Weaver] But that's the only way. Now here's an awful, and I might add, a condemnatory question. Think about this. If it is only by preaching the whole counsel of God that we're free from the blood of all men, how much blood do preachers have on their hands who preach only sin, salvation, separation, and soul winning. I want to tell you something, folks. You go into the average church and you will usually hear a sermon on one of those four subjects and that's it. That's it. Nothing else. The Word of God covers many more subjects than those four. I'm not saying those subjects should not be dealt with. But they should not be dealt with to the exclusion of all other subjects. Alice and I were invited to a huge church. I was traveling. I was on my way to preach in a distant city. We stopped.

[John Weaver] in a town where I had a good friend whom I really respect and admire. And he told me, he said, John, and it was on Wednesday, he said, Come go to church with us tonight and hear our new pastor, Dr. So-and-so. He said, he's a great preacher. I said, OK, we'll just leave early in the morning. I'll still make the meeting by Thursday evening. And so we went to church that night. The good doctor stood up and read his text.

[John Weaver] And when he did, I took my pencil out of my pocket, took a sheet of paper, wrote down three or four points. I don't remember exactly how many it was, handed it to Alice and said, here's what he's going to preach. And he preached my points, point by point. Now, how did I know what he's going to preach? Because once you've heard one of these fellows, you've heard them all. You know exactly what they're going to say. They have nothing else to say, and if they get off those four subjects, they don't know which end is up.

[John Weaver] Now, it's just that simple. Now, listen to me very carefully. One of the clearest scriptures that tells us what preaching really is, is found in Nehemiah chapter 8, and I want you to turn there. I'm not saying that you cannot deal with those subjects. I'm just saying that there are a multitude of other subjects that need to be dealt with as well. So look in your Bibles, Nehemiah chapter 8, and let's look at verse 8. In fact, verse 7 tells us the names of the Levites who did this. And just to keep me from pronouncing all the names, let's begin in the middle of verse 7 and the Levites. So we're talking about men who are preaching and teaching the Word of God. Watch. And the Levites caused the people to understand the law.

[John Weaver] Now that's an interesting statement in itself. And the Levites caused the people to understand the law, and the people stood in their place.

[John Weaver] Now you've got to ask yourself this question. How did these Levitical teachers cause the people to understand God's law? Look at verse 8. So they read in the book of the law of God distinctly and gave the sense and caused them to understand the reading. Now look at that again. So they read in the book of the law of God distinctly and gave the sense and caused them to understand the reading.

[John Weaver] Here are three parts of real, genuine preaching and teaching. Notice what God says. There must be exposition, that is, reading in the Word of God distinctly. There must be explanation, giving the sense thereof. And there must be, thirdly, application, causing the people to understand. So what is real preaching and teaching? It is exposition, explanation, and application. That's what preaching is. exposition, explanation, and application.

[John Weaver] Now, my wife can tell you and some of you who have known me for a long time, when I first started preaching, I quoted sometimes as many as 150 Scriptures in one sermon. I've had people count the Scriptures that I quoted. Sometimes it was more than that. Because what I thought I was doing was just inundating the people with the Word of God. That's what I thought. And then one day it dawned on me, by the Holy Spirit, you know, Christians really don't need the Scriptures quoted to them.

[John Weaver] You can use a tape recorder for that. Today, a CD player or DVD player. But what Christians really need are the Scriptures expounded and explained and applied so that they will know how to obey the Word of God. You understand what I'm saying? I had rather take one verse, even in my own personal study, I had rather take one verse and understand it than I read five chapters and not understand a thing I've read.

[John Weaver] So real preaching and teaching consists then of exposition, explanation, and application. One of the most frequent complaints that I receive from Christians as I travel is the complaint that their pastors are not feeding them. I have had innumerable people, I cannot count them, I've had innumerable people remark to me, I'm thankful for God's salvation, and I know that it needs to be preached, but I'm starving to death as a Christian. All our preacher does is speak on the subject of salvation.

[John Weaver] Now listen to me carefully, folks. I know that sinners need to be saved. That's a given. But the truth is, God's people also need to know how to live and how to obey Him. And the plain and simple truth of the fact is simply this. If more Christians lived biblical, holy, godly, obedient lives, more sinners could be easily reached. And the truth is, there must be a balance in our ministry. And in the average church, there is no balance. We think, well, we've got to reach sinners, we've got to reach sinners, we've got to reach sinners, but we also have to feed the flock of God.

[John Weaver] What did our Lord tell Peter? If you love me, feed my sheep. Feed my sheep.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just cover this because I hope pastors hear this as well. Another simple truth that most preachers have never learned is this. that one does not necessarily have to preach a salvation sermon in order for sinners to be converted. You don't have to be preaching a salvation sermon for sinners to be converted. I was preaching one time in a capital city, and that capital city happened to have a huge university there, which was known for its atheism and liberalism. And before I stood up to preach that morning, the pastor leaned over to me and said, we have three professors here today from that university. Oh, you don't know how I wanted to just preach against sin and atheism and unbelief and preach on hell. I mean, I wanted to clean their clocks. But you know the only message, don't laugh, the only message that I had any liberty and freedom to preach was a message entitled, The Place of Women in the Church.

[John Weaver] And I dealt with that subject. And you know something? God used that message to convert all three of those professors. How? Don't ask me. It was not a salvation message. But you see, the truth of the matter is this. You don't have to be preaching about salvation in order for God to save a sinner. Look in your Bibles to Jeremiah 23 and verse 29. Jeremiah 23, verse 29. Look what God says.

[John Weaver] In fact, here are questions that need to be answered. Jeremiah 23, verse 29. A simple verse. Jeremiah 23, verse 29. Look at it. Is not my word like as a fire, saith the Lord, and like a hammer that breaketh a rock in pieces? Ask yourself, how much of God's Word is like a fire? What's the answer? All of it. How much of God's Word is like a hammer? All of it. God can use any portion of His Word. Look in your Bibles to 2 Timothy 3 and verse 16. Here's another passage that most of you can quote, but look at it. 2 Timothy 3 and verse 16. Look what God says. 2 Timothy 3 verse 16.

[John Weaver] All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. Now let me ask you a question. How much of Scripture is profitable? All of it. How much of it is profitable for doctrine? All of it. How much of it is profitable for rebuke and correction and reproof? All of it. Not just part of it. All of it. So it doesn't matter what passage or what portion of Scripture that you're preaching from, God can use it to convert sinners.

[John Weaver] All of His Word is inspired. All of His Word is for doctrine, for correction, for reproof and rebuke and instruction in righteousness. All of His Word is like a fire. All of His Word is like a hammer.

[John Weaver] Now, look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 2 because I've had people say this to me and I think, oh, Lord have mercy. Think a bit. Look in 1 Corinthians 2. Here's what the Apostle Paul said. And I've had preachers say this to me. Well, Brother Weaver, I just want to be like the Apostle Paul. For in 1 Corinthians 2, he says, I determine not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And that's what I want to know. I want to know and I want to preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Well, wonderful. That's what I want to preach and teach as well.

[John Weaver] But may I ask you this simple question? Which book in the Bible first promises salvation and tells us about the Messiah? Genesis. Genesis 3.15, you have the Protoevangelium, the first promise of the Messiah. Which book in the Bible tells us from which tribe He will descend? Genesis. Which book in the Bible tells us that He'll be a descendant of Abraham? Genesis. Which book in the Bible pictures His salvation? Exodus. Which book of the Bible tells us where He will be born? Micah. Which book of the Bible tells us about His sufferings? Isaiah. Which book of the Bible tells us that He is the messenger and the covenant? Malachi.

[John Weaver] And I could go on and on and on. There is no book in the Bible that does not teach about Jesus Christ. So if I am preaching Jesus Christ and Him crucified, what does that mean? I have to preach the whole counsel of God, and He is on every page of Scripture, in every book in the Bible. It doesn't matter where you preach, as long as it is the Word of God.

[John Weaver] Now, look in your Bibles, if you would, to Isaiah 55. Let me clear up another misconception about preaching, Isaiah 55. And look, if you would please, beginning there with verse 9. Isaiah 55, verse 9. In fact, let's begin with verse 8. Isaiah 55, verse 8. God says, For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my way, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Now watch.

[John Weaver] For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sore, and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereinto I send it." Listen to what God said. So shall my word be.

[John Weaver] What is he talking about? Go back to verse 10. For as the rain cometh down in the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and what does the rain and the snow do? It makes the earth to bring forth and bud, why, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater. In other words, there is an efficacy, there is a power in the rain to produce, watch, so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth.

[John Weaver] It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereunto I send it." Now, let's ask them questions. Who sends the Word of God? Or God Himself, or God the Holy Spirit? Who makes sure that it will not return void? God does. Who makes it prosper? God does. Who makes it accomplish His will? God does.

[John Weaver] Do you see what I'm trying to say? The efficacy of the application of the Word of God is in the hands of God alone. You know something? I can't make you understand as hard as I try if God doesn't turn the lights on for you. If He doesn't illuminate your mind, you will never ever understand.

[John Weaver] Now, what does this teach me? It teaches me this as a pastor and as a preacher, that I may safely comfortably and easily trust God to bless and use His Word as He sees fit. It doesn't matter which passage or which doctrine or which book or which sentence I'm preaching from as long as it is the Word of God. It is my responsibility to preach and teach the Word of God. It's up to God to apply that Word as He sees fit. You'll hear me say this again, mine is the responsibility and his is the ability.

[John Weaver] Let me ask you to stop and think with me just for a moment. Let's suppose. That I'm the best preacher in the world. That I have the best outlines in the world, and then I also have the best illustrations in the world. And also on top of that, I have the best salvation messages in the world, and I am the world's greatest orator.

[John Weaver] Now my question is this, how many sinners are going to be saved by my preaching, my outlines, my illustrations, my sermons, and my oratory? Absolutely none. Why? Because salvation is of the Lord. You know what the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 1 and verse 21? For after that, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. Now, it didn't please God to save those through foolish preaching, but through the foolishness of preaching. Preaching is only a means, God is the agent in salvation. That's why in Jonah 2 and verse 9, Jonah said salvation is of the Lord. And if you look in your Bibles, Acts chapter 2, and then let's go to 1 Corinthians chapter 3.

[John Weaver] Let me just show you this. I'm sure that you're familiar with it, but I want you to see it. Look in Acts chapter 2 and verse 47. There are a lot of people being saved, especially not only the day of Pentecost, but after the day of Pentecost. And look what the Scripture says specifically, Acts 2 and verse 47, and they continuing daily, but verse 46, daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house to eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart. Now verse 47, praising God and having favor with all the people and the Lord added to the church daily, such as should be said. Who was it that added to the church? The Lord. And He did it as such as should be saved. Preaching may be the means, but the Lord is the end. If you will turn over to 1 Corinthians chapter 3. 1 Corinthians chapter 3. And look at what the Apostle Paul says concerning himself, and Peter, and Apollos, and all the other great preachers.

[John Weaver] First Corinthians chapter 3. Notice if you would, verse 6. He says, I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he that planted anything, neither he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase. What is the preacher? Nothing. He's an instrument. Who is it that gets all the honor and all the glory? God. Because none of our preaching, none of our teaching would benefit anyone if God did not make it effectual by His Spirit. It's just that simple.

[John Weaver] Mine is the responsibility, His is the ability. Zechariah chapter 4 and verse 6, I can quote it. Some of you know it. But you know what God says there, not by might nor power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts. Do you realize the end of preaching is not accomplished by might or power? It's not by oratory. It's not by outlines. It's only by the Holy Spirit of God. I must be faithful. However, it is not my efforts, my power, my ability, my messages, my outlines, my illustrations, or anything else that determines the outcome of preaching. It is God and God alone.

[John Weaver] Now, since you're in 1 Corinthians, I want you to turn right over to 2 Corinthians chapter 1. 2 Corinthians chapter 1. I want to show you from the Scripture one truth that we oftentimes conveniently forget. I've heard preachers say, Well, if sinners aren't being saved, something is wrong. Not necessarily. Not necessarily. I'm going to show you why in just a moment. I will give you an illustration right here. One of my pastor friends who's now dead, he and I have been friends for years.

[John Weaver] In fact, we were in college together. He pastored in a little town in Alabama. And in the neighboring town, there was a pastor who resigned his church so that he might go work with the Sword of the Lord. Now, the Sword of the Lord is a basic Armenian newspaper. At that time, it was put out by John R. Rice. John R. Rice I've heard him say it myself.

[John Weaver] He said, if you're not baptizing 300 a year, you're not right with God. That's what he said. So anyhow, this pastor who resigned his church so that he might go work with the sword of the Lord, came up to my pastor friend and asked him to recommend a pastor for his church since he was going to be leaving. And my pastor friend said, no, I could not in good conscience do that. He said, what do you mean you could not in good conscience do that? Well, he said, you believe and the paper that you're going to work with believes that if you're not baptizing 300 a year, then you're not right with God. And he said, and to be absolutely honest, I can't recommend somebody go to your church and be an abysmal failure. He said, your church will never baptize 300 a year, because there are not even that many people in that community, and there's already five churches there. He said, if I recommend someone to take your church, I'm recommending them to be a failure according to your philosophy, because you're going to go up there and write and preach.

[John Weaver] If you don't baptize 300 a year, you're a failure. No, sir. He said, I just can't recommend anybody to go there and be a failure. He said, all those saints over there Dry up and die and blow away. He said, I just can't recommend the man to be a failure.

[John Weaver] Now, you see where he put his finger right on one of the problems? Now, let me tell you something. Simply because people are not being saved does not necessarily mean that there's something wrong with the preacher or something wrong with the preaching. You remember that text we read in Isaiah 55 and verse 11? What did God say? My word shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that whereinto I send it. God does not always send His Word for reconciliation. Sometimes He sends His Word for condemnation. Look in your Bibles, 2 Corinthians chapter 2, and let's begin reading there with verse 14. Here it is, 2 Corinthians 2, verse 14. Here the Apostle Paul says this, Now thanks be unto God who always causes us to triumph in Christ and make it manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place. Did you hear that one word that I emphasized? Now thanks be unto God who, what's the next word? Always. causes us to triumph in Christ. In other words, we never fail when we're in Christ.

[John Weaver] There is no such thing as a failure when you're faithfully preaching and teaching the Word of God. Whether anybody gets saved or not is immaterial. Look at it.

[John Weaver] Now, thanks be unto God who always causes us to triumph in Christ and make it manifest the savor of His knowledge by us in every place. Now look what the Apostle Paul says, For we are unto God a sweet savor or a sweet smell of Christ in them that are saved, and in them that perish. To the one we are the saver of death unto death, and the other the saver of life unto life.

[John Weaver] And who is sufficient for these things? Now let me just stop there. Let me demonstrate and illustrate for you what the Apostle Paul was saying. Let's suppose I have a hundred people in this room and all of you are unconverted. You're all lost. Not a Christian among you. And I come in and I preach Jesus Christ. And I expound and explain and apply the Word of God. And during my preaching and after the preaching is over, God miraculously and mercifully saves every one of you. You know what God does? When that preaching of Christ is going forth and people are being converted, God says, that's a sweet smell.

[John Weaver] My son is preached and I'm satisfied. Let's go a little different direction. I've got a hundred of you in here. You're all lost. Not one converted, not one Christian among you. And I preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I expound and explain and apply the Word of God. And while I'm preaching, every one of you are gritting your teeth and shaking your fists and you're saying, if you don't shut up, we'll kill you.

[John Weaver] And the next thing you know, man, you're storming out mad and hateful and said, I'll never come back and hear that man again. You know what God says? My Son is preached. And I'm satisfied. That's what Paul said. We're the saver of life unto life, and death unto death. We're the saver of life unto life and those that believe, and death unto death and those who do not believe. And that's why he said, and who is sufficient for these things? Only God. Only God. He is the one that applies the Word of God. He said, My word shall not return unto Me void.

[John Weaver] But it shall accomplish that whereinto I send it. It is up to God. Whether He sends His Word for death, or salvation, or condemnation, or reconciliation, or alienation, the outcome is in God's hands alone. It's not in my hands. It's in God's hands. And God may send that Word, not just for reconciliation, but also for condemnation. My responsibility is to preach and teach the Word of God.

[John Weaver] I'll deal with this next week. Your responsibility is to hear it and obey it. and apply it. But it's God who determines the outcome.

[John Weaver] Now let me make a couple of applications. Listen carefully. The first one is this. An understanding and comprehension of God's sovereignty is absolutely essential and necessary to the faithful preaching and teaching of the Word of God. That is so important, folks. Let me say that again. An understanding and a comprehension of God's sovereignty is absolutely essential and necessary to the faithful preaching and teaching of the Word of God. Why? Because it is only as we grasp the fact that God is sovereign, that God is in absolute control of everything, that we can be comfortable with expounding, explaining, and applying sometimes the hard but necessary parts of Scripture.

[John Weaver] You know, you can't always preach on shouting subjects. You can't always preach on subjects that make everybody say, praise the Lord. Sometimes you preach on subjects and everybody's saying, oh me, oh me. You understand what I'm saying? And it's only as we recognize that God is sovereign and it's God who determines the outcome that I can sit here and say, Lord, whatever you show me, that's what I'm going to preach and teach. That's what I'm going to give them. See? And I can be comfortable with that because I know God is sovereign.

[John Weaver] Secondly, number two, Christians must come to a realization of what constitutes biblical preaching and, I'm going to deal with this next week, what God requires of you in hearing and applying and obeying the Word of God that is enunciated in the preaching. You must understand, we as Christians must understand, that preaching and teaching, are you listening, is for instruction rebuke, reproof, correction, and edification, it is not for entertainment or to make somebody feel good. Most Christians erroneously judge a preaching service by the false standard of their feelings, whether or not it made them feel good or not. and not whether or not the Word of God was preached. Thirdly, you must learn, and I want to teach it next week in greater detail, that real biblical preaching consists of expounding and explaining and applying the Word of God.

[John Weaver] It does not consist of jumping up and shouting and jumping up and down and saying religious things. Are you listening? You may be a wonderful orator, you may be a wonderful entertainer, you may jump up and down and say good truths and religious truths, but that does not mean that you are preaching. Because preaching deals with exposition, explanation, and application. And until a preacher does those three things, he may be a shouter, he may be an entertainer, he may be fun to listen to, but he's not a preacher, and he's not a teacher. And when you leave the building, you ought not to leave saying, what a wonderful orator, or wasn't that a funny message, didn't that make me feel good? What you ought to leave saying is, The Word of God was applied to me today and I now know how to obey God better and to bring my life into closer and greater conformity to the Word of God. That's the point of preaching.

[John Weaver] And next week we're going to look and expound and explain and apply chapter 10 verse 33. Let's pray. Father, we do thank you once again for Jesus Christ and for His Word and for His truth. We're thankful that the Word of God is sufficient in and of itself as it is empowered by the Holy Spirit of God. And Father, we ask you to make application of this Word to our hearts. Make us better hearers, better listeners, better preachers, And above all, Father, make us more obedient and more holy and godly in our lives. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

A Biblical Perspective on Preaching Part #1

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	1906152027
Subject	Church Government
Course	Church Order: Preaching and Pastoral Ministry
Genre	Sermon
Date	2005-11-13
Dictation Name
Book	Book 164: A Biblical Perspective on Preaching — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	82

Formatted Transcript

Introduction and Text

Weaver introduces the sermon series and reads Acts 10:1-6, 30-33, highlighting Cornelius's summons to hear Peter.

I want you to open your Bibles to Acts chapter 10. And let me just say, as you turn to Acts chapter 10, the message today is going to be the introduction for the message next Sunday. It's going to take me all of this time just to get to the place that I want to get to. The title of the message is "A Biblical Perspective on Preaching." A biblical perspective on preaching. And, of course, the main message, like I said, will come next week, Lord willing. So let's look at Acts 10 and read just a few verses, and then I'll give you the text and we'll go from there. Acts 10, verse 1:

Scripture Reading — Acts 10:1-6

"There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian Band, a devout man and one that feared God with all his house, who gave much alms to the people and prayed to God always. He saw in a vision, evidently about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming to him and saying unto him, Cornelius."

"And when he looked on him, he was afraid and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa to call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter. He lodgeth with Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do."

Now, if you would skip down, and you know the entire story. Let's begin with verse 30. "And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour, and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house. Behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, and said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God. Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter, who is lodged in the house of one Simon the Tanner by the seaside." "Who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee." Verse 33, and this is the text that I'll be dealing with mainly next Lord's Day: "Immediately therefore I sent to thee, and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God." So a biblical perspective on preaching. I believe that I could accurately say, and everyone who hears my voice would agree with me, that preaching has deteriorated greatly over the last 150 years.

The Deterioration of Preaching and Listening

Preaching has declined over 150 years, evidenced by the lack of great preachers like Spurgeon, Whitefield, and Wesley. Listening has deteriorated equally.

In order to comprehend this deterioration, all one has to do is simply ask, where are the Charles Haddon Spurgeons, or the George Whitefields, or the John Wesleys? I mean, when you stop and think of the preachers that are preaching today, where are the great men who expound the Word of God? I must admit to you that there are very few, if any, great preachers today. Now, I do admit to the fact that I know a few men who I believe are very capable preachers, but there are very few indeed.

Now, a parallel to this truth, and I'm going to bring it out later on, is that just as preaching has deteriorated, equally so has the ability to listen to preaching deteriorated. It's interesting if you would take the qualifications of a pastor that you find in 1 Timothy 3 and in Titus 1. If you were to take those qualifications and go down through Scripture, I could show you that every qualification except one is required of every Christian. Every qualification of a preacher in 1 Timothy chapter 3 is required of every Christian. Are you not required to be hospitable? Yes. Are you not required to be sober? Yes. Are you not required to be a lover of good men? Yes.

I mean, right on down the line. These things ought to be preeminently in a pastor, but the one thing that makes the pastor different from all others, according to the Scripture, is that he must be apt to teach. Now, if God requires preachers to be apt to teach, is it not also necessary to conclude that He requires Christians to be apt to hear? So, just as preaching has deteriorated, so listening to preaching has deteriorated as well. A simple way to comprehend the deterioration in preaching today is to grasp this simple fact: that there is very little expository preaching today. I'm going to explain that in just a moment. But do you realize the average preaching service consists of a 15- or 20-minute sermonette to Christianettes who are more concerned with their TV sets than they are the Word of God?

Three Types of Preaching

Weaver defines topical, textual, and expository preaching, arguing that expository preaching is superior because it presents the whole counsel of God.

Now let me just say this at the outset. I'm not condemning all topical preaching. Topical preaching may be done, in one sense of the word, in an expository manner, if you just chose the topic and then went to the Scriptures and expounded and explained those topics. But it is usually not done that way. Topical preaching is simply when one takes a topic—for instance, salvation, justification, or the Holy Spirit, or election—and you just simply deal with that topic. Now, what constitutes topical preaching mainly is you choose your topic, you throw in a few Scriptures, and then you say what you think or what you believe on the topic. And as you can see, very little study is required to do something like that, and you can preach just about any subject without any difficulty, because all you need is a few Scriptures and a few of your own ideas. However, if you choose that topic, and then you go to the Scriptures and you exegete and explain those Scriptures, it is far better preaching, but usually it is not done that way.

Let me give you one of the silliest and one of the saddest illustrations that I know of when it concerns topical preaching. Now, I will confess I did not hear this sermon preached, but I know the man who did. And he related the sermon to me and he gave me the pastor's points. Are you listening? His subject or his topic was salvation. Here was the outline the preacher used in preaching on salvation. Are you ready? Here it is. Salvation. God thought it. Jesus bought it.

The Holy Spirit brought it. The Bible taught it. And bless God, I caught it. Now, while admittedly speaking, every one of those points are scriptural, except the last one. Salvation is not a disease, nor is it contagious. You know. You can see how anybody could just simply preach on something like that, and it requires no study, it requires no preparation. You just get up and quote a few Scriptures and say, here it is. That is basically topical preaching. Topical preaching is usually the worst kind of preaching, because there's no study and there's no effort going into it.

And many times it appeals to the flesh and you can add your own thoughts and your own ideas. And there you go. So that is topical preaching. The second type of preaching is textual preaching. Now, textual preaching is just when you take your texts from different portions of the Scripture. Let me give you an illustration. There's a message that I could preach based on the words "due time." Due time. To preach a textual message, all you have to do is go through the Bible and look up the phrase "due times" or "due seasons." You're going to find that that phrase refers, number one, to judgment. Number two, to salvation. Number three, the reaping and sowing, etc., etc. Now, so what you would do if you're going to preach textually, you could go back, say, to Deuteronomy, and you have the due time of judgment. You could come over to the New Testament and get the due time of salvation, but in due times, God has manifested His Word through preaching, you see? There's the due time of preaching.

Now, what I'm saying is, I have a different point, and for each point, I have a different text. Now, in one sense of the word, you could use textual preaching in an expository manner if you took that one text and then you went down and explained it and expounded it as it appears in the text. But if you just simply take four different texts, if you've got four points, then, of course, I mean, you can throw in your own thoughts. And there again, you have what is basically known as topical preaching, I mean, or textual preaching. But it's not necessarily the best kind of preaching. The best kind of preaching is what is known as expository preaching. Expository preaching is when you take a book, a chapter, a passage, and you go through that book or that chapter or that passage, word for word, sentence by sentence, and you always allow the context to interpret and to explain it.

Now, let me give you two words. These are very important words. Exegesis and eisegesis. Exegesis. Exegesis is when you draw out of the Scripture what the Scripture actually says. Eisegesis is when you read into the Scripture that which you want it to say. Do you realize you can just about prove whatever you want to prove from Scripture if you use eisegesis? In fact, that is how most people study the Bible. They go to the Bible and they'll say, now, I believe this. Let me find a passage and let me find some verses that document what I believe. And if you have to take it out of context to prove your point, you can take it out of context to prove your point. That's eisegesis. That's when you read into the Scripture that which you really want the Scripture to say. Now, there's a big difference between exegesis and eisegesis.

When you exegete the passage, you bring out what that passage is saying, whether you like it or not, whether it agrees with your positions or not. You say, here is what the Word of God says. Point blank. Now, when one preaches expositorily, he will deal with subjects that he will never ever normally deal with. Why? Well, the answer is because you're taking Scripture book by book, chapter by chapter, paragraph by paragraph, sentence by sentence, and word by word, and consequently, as you preach expositorily, listen now, you're forced to deal with passages that you would never normally deal with, even if they're the hardest and the most difficult passages in the Bible. You remember when I preached through Hosea, I had 75 messages, one right after the other, in the book of Hosea. 26 through the book of Amos. I don't remember how many I had going through the book of Proverbs.

But you see what I'm saying? When you go through a book like that, or you go through a passage like that, you're forced to deal with subjects that you would never, ever normally deal with. Whether it's economics, whether it's government, whether it's education, it doesn't matter. And consequently, you can preach on things that you never normally would preach on. There's another advantage of expository preaching, and that's this. People cannot accuse you of picking on them or pointing out their sins if the expose of their sins occurs in the normal course of preaching following one passage after the other. I've had people tell me, "Brother Weaver, you're just picking on me." No, I'm not picking on you. But the old saying is, if the shoe fits, wear it.

I mean, here is what Scripture says. And if the Scripture condemns you, then you need to repent. If it convicts you, you need to repent. And of course, expository preaching is harder and it is more difficult, but it does have its advantages. And one of the greatest advantages is simply this. During expository preaching, you are trying to present the whole counsel of God. That is what God says on every particular subject. So here's the three basic kinds of preaching. You have topical preaching, textual preaching, and expository preaching. And expository preaching is far better.

Expository Preaching and the Whole Counsel of God

Using Acts 20:17-27, Weaver shows that Paul was free from the blood of all men because he declared the whole counsel of God, which requires expository preaching.

"And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons." Now look what he's saying. And remember now he's talking to preachers. "Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears and temptations which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews, and how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you and have taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." "And now, behold, I go bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there, save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify of the gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more."

"Wherefore, I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men." Now let's stop right there. Look, if you would please, at verse 17. "And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders," or the pastors of the church. Now watch. He now gives a personal testimony to these pastors, and he says in verse 20, "and how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you and have taught you publicly and from house to house." So He preached not only publicly, but He preached privately as well. So it comes down to verse 26. He knows that he's going to be bound when he gets to Jerusalem. He knows he's going to lose his life. But he says in verse 26, "Wherefore, I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men."

Now, you have to ask yourself this question. How did the Apostle Paul get pure from the blood of all men? Did he witness to every individual that he saw? And the answer is no. All of us have heard messages during our lives. All of us have been told all of our lives that people's blood are on our hands if we do not witness to them.

Now let me just tell you, first of all, that that teaching is not only unbiblical, it is in reality humanly impossible. So if Alice tells me, "Now look, we're out of bread, please go to town and buy a loaf of bread and come back and we'll have supper." I say, "Okay." If I drive to town and I witness to everybody that I see, I'm never coming back home. Let me ask you another question. Suppose Doc is uptown in Fitzgerald and I stop him and I'm witnessing to him and about that time Henry drives by and I have to stop witnessing to Doc and turn around and run up to Henry and flag him. Who's warning him? You follow what I'm saying? It would be humanly impossible.

Now, go back to verse 26 of Acts chapter 20. Here's how Paul got free from the blood of all men. Look what he said. "Wherefore, I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men." How, Paul? "For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God." So here's a simple question. How did Paul get free from the blood of all men? And the answer is by preaching all of the Word of God. He preached the whole counsel of God. Now listen to me. It is impossible to preach the whole counsel of God if you preach topically. It's impossible to teach the whole counsel of God if you preach textually. But if you preach expositorily, and God lets you live long enough, you might make a dent in it.

But that's the only way. Now here's an awful, and I might add, a condemnatory question. Think about this. If it is only by preaching the whole counsel of God that we're free from the blood of all men, how much blood do preachers have on their hands who preach only sin, salvation, separation, and soul winning? I want to tell you something, folks. You go into the average church and you will usually hear a sermon on one of those four subjects and that's it. That's it. Nothing else. The Word of God covers many more subjects than those four. I'm not saying those subjects should not be dealt with. But they should not be dealt with to the exclusion of all other subjects. Alice and I were invited to a huge church. I was traveling. I was on my way to preach in a distant city. We stopped.

The Nature of True Preaching: Exposition, Explanation, Application

From Nehemiah 8:8, Weaver explains that biblical preaching involves reading distinctly, giving the sense, and causing understanding.

Now that's an interesting statement in itself. "And the Levites caused the people to understand the law, and the people stood in their place." Now you've got to ask yourself this question. How did these Levitical teachers cause the people to understand God's law? Look at verse 8. "So they read in the book of the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading." Now look at that again. "So they read in the book of the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading."

Here are three parts of real, genuine preaching and teaching. Notice what God says. There must be exposition, that is, reading in the Word of God distinctly. There must be explanation, giving the sense thereof. And there must be, thirdly, application, causing the people to understand. So what is real preaching and teaching? It is exposition, explanation, and application. That's what preaching is. Exposition, explanation, and application.

Now, my wife can tell you and some of you who have known me for a long time, when I first started preaching, I quoted sometimes as many as 150 Scriptures in one sermon. I've had people count the Scriptures that I quoted. Sometimes it was more than that. Because what I thought I was doing was just inundating the people with the Word of God. That's what I thought. And then one day it dawned on me, by the Holy Spirit, you know, Christians really don't need the Scriptures quoted to them. You can use a tape recorder for that. Today, a CD player or DVD player. But what Christians really need are the Scriptures expounded and explained and applied so that they will know how to obey the Word of God. You understand what I'm saying? I had rather take one verse, even in my own personal study, I had rather take one verse and understand it than I read five chapters and not understand a thing I've read.

The Efficacy of God's Word and God's Sovereignty

God's Word is like fire and a hammer (Jeremiah 23:29); all Scripture is profitable (2 Timothy 3:16). God alone gives the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6-7), and His Word accomplishes His purpose, whether for life or death (2 Corinthians 2:14-16).

In fact, here are questions that need to be answered. Jeremiah 23, verse 29. A simple verse. Jeremiah 23, verse 29. Look at it.

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 23:29

"Is not my word like as a fire, saith the Lord, and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?"

Ask yourself, how much of God's Word is like a fire? What's the answer? All of it. How much of God's Word is like a hammer? All of it. God can use any portion of His Word. Look in your Bibles to 2 Timothy 3 and verse 16. Here's another passage that most of you can quote, but look at it. 2 Timothy 3 and verse 16. Look what God says. 2 Timothy 3 verse 16.

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." Now let me ask you a question. How much of Scripture is profitable? All of it. How much of it is profitable for doctrine? All of it. How much of it is profitable for rebuke and correction and reproof? All of it. Not just part of it. All of it. So it doesn't matter what passage or what portion of Scripture that you're preaching from, God can use it to convert sinners.

All of His Word is inspired. All of His Word is for doctrine, for correction, for reproof and rebuke and instruction in righteousness. All of His Word is like a fire. All of His Word is like a hammer.

Now, look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 2 because I've had people say this to me and I think, oh, Lord have mercy. Think a bit. Look in 1 Corinthians 2. Here's what the Apostle Paul said. And I've had preachers say this to me. "Well, Brother Weaver, I just want to be like the Apostle Paul. For in 1 Corinthians 2, he says, 'I determine not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.' And that's what I want to know. I want to know and I want to preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified." Well, wonderful. That's what I want to preach and teach as well.

But may I ask you this simple question? Which book in the Bible first promises salvation and tells us about the Messiah? Genesis. Genesis 3:15, you have the Protoevangelium, the first promise of the Messiah. Which book in the Bible tells us from which tribe He will descend? Genesis. Which book in the Bible tells us that He'll be a descendant of Abraham? Genesis. Which book in the Bible pictures His salvation? Exodus. Which book of the Bible tells us where He will be born? Micah. Which book of the Bible tells us about His sufferings? Isaiah. Which book of the Bible tells us that He is the messenger and the covenant? Malachi.

And I could go on and on and on. There is no book in the Bible that does not teach about Jesus Christ. So if I am preaching Jesus Christ and Him crucified, what does that mean? I have to preach the whole counsel of God, and He is on every page of Scripture, in every book in the Bible. It doesn't matter where you preach, as long as it is the Word of God.

Now, look in your Bibles, if you would, to Isaiah 55. Let me clear up another misconception about preaching, Isaiah 55. And look, if you would please, beginning there with verse 9. Isaiah 55, verse 9. In fact, let's begin with verse 8. Isaiah 55, verse 8. God says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Now watch.

"For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I send it." Listen to what God said. "So shall my word be." What is he talking about? Go back to verse 10. "For as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth," and what does the rain and the snow do? It makes the earth to bring forth and bud, why, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater. In other words, there is an efficacy, there is a power in the rain to produce, watch, "so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth."

"It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereunto I send it." Now, let's ask some questions. Who sends the Word of God? Or God Himself, or God the Holy Spirit? Who makes sure that it will not return void? God does. Who makes it prosper? God does. Who makes it accomplish His will? God does.

Do you see what I'm trying to say? The efficacy of the application of the Word of God is in the hands of God alone. You know something? I can't make you understand as hard as I try if God doesn't turn the lights on for you. If He doesn't illuminate your mind, you will never ever understand.

Now, what does this teach me? It teaches me this as a pastor and as a preacher, that I may safely, comfortably, and easily trust God to bless and use His Word as He sees fit. It doesn't matter which passage or which doctrine or which book or which sentence I'm preaching from as long as it is the Word of God. It is my responsibility to preach and teach the Word of God. It's up to God to apply that Word as He sees fit. You'll hear me say this again, mine is the responsibility and His is the ability. Let me ask you to stop and think with me just for a moment. Let's suppose that I'm the best preacher in the world. That I have the best outlines in the world, and then I also have the best illustrations in the world. And also on top of that, I have the best salvation messages in the world, and I am the world's greatest orator.

Now my question is this, how many sinners are going to be saved by my preaching, my outlines, my illustrations, my sermons, and my oratory? Absolutely none. Why? Because salvation is of the Lord. You know what the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 1 and verse 21?

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 1:21

"For after that, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe."

Now, it didn't please God to save those through foolish preaching, but through the foolishness of preaching. Preaching is only a means, God is the agent in salvation. That's why in Jonah 2 and verse 9, Jonah said, "Salvation is of the Lord." And if you look in your Bibles, Acts chapter 2, and then let's go to 1 Corinthians chapter 3.

Let me just show you this. I'm sure that you're familiar with it, but I want you to see it. Look in Acts chapter 2 and verse 47. There are a lot of people being saved, especially not only the day of Pentecost, but after the day of Pentecost. And look what the Scripture says specifically, Acts 2 and verse 47, "and they continuing daily," but verse 46, "daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart." Now verse 47,

Scripture Reading — Acts 2:47

"praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."

Who was it that added to the church? The Lord. And He did it as such as should be saved. Preaching may be the means, but the Lord is the end. If you will turn over to 1 Corinthians chapter 3. 1 Corinthians chapter 3. And look at what the Apostle Paul says concerning himself, and Peter, and Apollos, and all the other great preachers.

First Corinthians chapter 3. Notice if you would, verse 6. He says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 3:6-7

"I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase."

What is the preacher? Nothing. He's an instrument. Who is it that gets all the honor and all the glory? God. Because none of our preaching, none of our teaching would benefit anyone if God did not make it effectual by His Spirit. It's just that simple.

Mine is the responsibility, His is the ability. Zechariah chapter 4 and verse 6, I can quote it. Some of you know it. But you know what God says there,

Scripture Reading — Zechariah 4:6

"Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts."

Do you realize the end of preaching is not accomplished by might or power? It's not by oratory. It's not by outlines. It's only by the Holy Spirit of God. I must be faithful. However, it is not my efforts, my power, my ability, my messages, my outlines, my illustrations, or anything else that determines the outcome of preaching. It is God and God alone.

Now, since you're in 1 Corinthians, I want you to turn right over to 2 Corinthians chapter 1. 2 Corinthians chapter 1. I want to show you from the Scripture one truth that we oftentimes conveniently forget. I've heard preachers say, "Well, if sinners aren't being saved, something is wrong." Not necessarily. Not necessarily. I'm going to show you why in just a moment. I will give you an illustration right here. One of my pastor friends who's now dead, he and I have been friends for years.

In fact, we were in college together. He pastored in a little town in Alabama. And in the neighboring town, there was a pastor who resigned his church so that he might go work with the Sword of the Lord. Now, the Sword of the Lord is a basic Arminian newspaper. At that time, it was put out by John R. Rice. John R. Rice, I've heard him say it myself.

He said, "If you're not baptizing 300 a year, you're not right with God." That's what he said. So anyhow, this pastor who resigned his church so that he might go work with the Sword of the Lord, came up to my pastor friend and asked him to recommend a pastor for his church since he was going to be leaving. And my pastor friend said, "No, I could not in good conscience do that." He said, "What do you mean you could not in good conscience do that?" Well, he said, "You believe and the paper that you're going to work with believes that if you're not baptizing 300 a year, then you're not right with God." And he said, "And to be absolutely honest, I can't recommend somebody go to your church and be an abysmal failure. He said, your church will never baptize 300 a year, because there are not even that many people in that community, and there's already five churches there. He said, if I recommend someone to take your church, I'm recommending them to be a failure according to your philosophy, because you're going to go up there and write and preach."

"If you don't baptize 300 a year, you're a failure. No, sir." He said, "I just can't recommend anybody to go there and be a failure. He said, all those saints over there dry up and die and blow away. He said, I just can't recommend the man to be a failure."

Now, you see where he put his finger right on one of the problems? Now, let me tell you something. Simply because people are not being saved does not necessarily mean that there's something wrong with the preacher or something wrong with the preaching. You remember that text we read in Isaiah 55 and verse 11? What did God say? "My word shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that whereunto I send it." God does not always send His Word for reconciliation. Sometimes He sends His Word for condemnation. Look in your Bibles, 2 Corinthians chapter 2, and let's begin reading there with verse 14. Here it is, 2 Corinthians 2, verse 14. Here the Apostle Paul says this, "Now thanks be unto God who always causeth us to triumph in Christ and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place." Did you hear that one word that I emphasized? "Now thanks be unto God who," what's the next word? "Always." "causeth us to triumph in Christ." In other words, we never fail when we're in Christ.

There is no such thing as a failure when you're faithfully preaching and teaching the Word of God. Whether anybody gets saved or not is immaterial. Look at it. "Now thanks be unto God who always causeth us to triumph in Christ and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place. Now look what the Apostle Paul says, For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ in them that are saved, and in them that perish. To the one we are the savor of death unto death, and to the other the savor of life unto life." "And who is sufficient for these things?" Now let me just stop there. Let me demonstrate and illustrate for you what the Apostle Paul was saying. Let's suppose I have a hundred people in this room and all of you are unconverted. You're all lost. Not a Christian among you. And I come in and I preach Jesus Christ. And I expound and explain and apply the Word of God. And during my preaching and after the preaching is over, God miraculously and mercifully saves every one of you. You know what God does? When that preaching of Christ is going forth and people are being converted, God says, "That's a sweet smell."

My Son is preached and I'm satisfied. Let's go a little different direction. I've got a hundred of you in here. You're all lost. Not one converted, not one Christian among you. And I preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I expound and explain and apply the Word of God. And while I'm preaching, every one of you are gritting your teeth and shaking your fists and you're saying, "If you don't shut up, we'll kill you."

And the next thing you know, man, you're storming out mad and hateful and said, "I'll never come back and hear that man again." You know what God says? "My Son is preached. And I'm satisfied." That's what Paul said. We're the savor of life unto life, and death unto death. We're the savor of life unto life in those that believe, and death unto death in those who do not believe. And that's why he said, "And who is sufficient for these things?" Only God. Only God. He is the one that applies the Word of God. He said, "My word shall not return unto Me void."

Applications and Conclusion

Understanding God's sovereignty is essential for faithful preaching. Christians must judge preaching by its biblical content, not feelings, and recognize that true preaching aims at instruction, rebuke, and edification.

Now let me make a couple of applications. Listen carefully. The first one is this. An understanding and comprehension of God's sovereignty is absolutely essential and necessary to the faithful preaching and teaching of the Word of God. That is so important, folks. Let me say that again. An understanding and a comprehension of God's sovereignty is absolutely essential and necessary to the faithful preaching and teaching of the Word of God. Why? Because it is only as we grasp the fact that God is sovereign, that God is in absolute control of everything, that we can be comfortable with expounding, explaining, and applying sometimes the hard but necessary parts of Scripture.

You know, you can't always preach on shouting subjects. You can't always preach on subjects that make everybody say, "Praise the Lord." Sometimes you preach on subjects and everybody's saying, "Oh me, oh me." You understand what I'm saying? And it's only as we recognize that God is sovereign and it's God who determines the outcome that I can sit here and say, "Lord, whatever you show me, that's what I'm going to preach and teach. That's what I'm going to give them." See? And I can be comfortable with that because I know God is sovereign. Secondly, number two, Christians must come to a realization of what constitutes biblical preaching and, I'm going to deal with this next week, what God requires of you in hearing and applying and obeying the Word of God that is enunciated in the preaching. You must understand, we as Christians must understand, that preaching and teaching, are you listening, is for instruction, rebuke, reproof, correction, and edification, it is not for entertainment or to make somebody feel good. Most Christians erroneously judge a preaching service by the false standard of their feelings, whether or not it made them feel good or not, and not whether or not the Word of God was preached. Thirdly, you must learn, and I want to teach it next week in greater detail, that real biblical preaching consists of expounding and explaining and applying the Word of God.

It does not consist of jumping up and shouting and jumping up and down and saying religious things. Are you listening? You may be a wonderful orator, you may be a wonderful entertainer, you may jump up and down and say good truths and religious truths, but that does not mean that you are preaching. Because preaching deals with exposition, explanation, and application. And until a preacher does those three things, he may be a shouter, he may be an entertainer, he may be fun to listen to, but he's not a preacher, and he's not a teacher. And when you leave the building, you ought not to leave saying, "What a wonderful orator," or "Wasn't that a funny message, didn't that make me feel good?" What you ought to leave saying is, "The Word of God was applied to me today and I now know how to obey God better and to bring my life into closer and greater conformity to the Word of God." That's the point of preaching.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Deterioration of Preaching and Listening

Summary: Both the quality of preaching and the ability to listen have declined significantly over the past 150 years.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'preaching has deteriorated greatly over the last 150 years' and 'just as preaching has deteriorated, equally so has the ability to listen to preaching deteriorated.'

Expository Preaching as the Biblical Standard

Summary: Expository preaching, which goes through Scripture word by word and allows context to interpret, is the best method because it presents the whole counsel of God.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'The best kind of preaching is what is known as expository preaching... you always allow the context to interpret and to explain it.'

The Whole Counsel of God and the Preacher's Responsibility

Summary: Preachers are freed from the blood of all men only by declaring the whole counsel of God, which requires expository preaching.

Evidence: Weaver cites Acts 20:26-27: 'I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.'

True Preaching as Exposition, Explanation, and Application

Summary: Biblical preaching consists of reading distinctly, giving the sense, and causing understanding, as modeled in Nehemiah 8:8.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'So what is real preaching and teaching? It is exposition, explanation, and application.'

God's Sovereignty in the Efficacy of Preaching

Summary: The outcome of preaching depends on God, not human effort; God's Word accomplishes His purpose, whether salvation or condemnation.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'The efficacy of the application of the Word of God is in the hands of God alone' and cites 2 Corinthians 2:14-16.

The Sufficiency of Scripture for All Purposes

Summary: All Scripture is inspired and profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction; God can use any portion to convert sinners.

Evidence: Weaver references 2 Timothy 3:16 and Jeremiah 23:29, stating, 'All of His Word is like a fire. All of His Word is like a hammer.'

Key Arguments

Expository preaching is necessary to declare the whole counsel of God.

Summary: Only expository preaching forces the preacher to deal with all subjects in Scripture, not just favorite topics.

Evidence: Weaver argues, 'It is impossible to preach the whole counsel of God if you preach topically. It's impossible to teach the whole counsel of God if you preach textually.'

Preaching is not for entertainment but for instruction and edification.

Summary: Christians often judge preaching by feelings rather than by whether the Word of God was expounded and applied.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Most Christians erroneously judge a preaching service by the false standard of their feelings... and not whether or not the Word of God was preached.'

God alone gives the increase in preaching.

Summary: The preacher is merely an instrument; God is the one who saves and applies the Word.

Evidence: Weaver cites 1 Corinthians 3:6-7: 'I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.'

God's Word accomplishes His purpose, whether for life or death.

Summary: Preaching is always a triumph in Christ, regardless of visible results, because God's Word never returns void.

Evidence: Weaver explains 2 Corinthians 2:14-16: 'We are unto God a sweet savor of Christ in them that are saved, and in them that perish.'

Understanding God's sovereignty is essential for faithful preaching.

Summary: A grasp of God's absolute control allows preachers to handle hard passages without fear of outcomes.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'An understanding and comprehension of God's sovereignty is absolutely essential and necessary to the faithful preaching and teaching of the Word of God.'

Scripture References

Acts 10:1-6

Context: Introduction of Cornelius, a devout centurion, who is told to send for Peter.

Acts 10:30-33

Context: Cornelius recounts the angel's message and states that they are present to hear all that God commands.

1 Timothy 3

Context: Qualifications of a pastor; all except being apt to teach are required of every Christian.

Acts 20:17-27

Context: Paul's farewell to the Ephesian elders; he is pure from the blood of all men because he declared the whole counsel of God.

Nehemiah 8:7-8

Context: The Levites read the law distinctly, gave the sense, and caused the people to understand, modeling true preaching.

Jeremiah 23:29

Context: God's Word is like a fire and a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces.

2 Timothy 3:16

Context: All Scripture is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness.

1 Corinthians 2:2

Context: Paul determined to know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified; Weaver argues this requires preaching the whole counsel of God.

Isaiah 55:8-11

Context: God's Word will not return void but will accomplish His purpose.

1 Corinthians 1:21

Context: It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

Jonah 2:9

Context: Salvation is of the Lord.

Acts 2:47

Context: The Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

1 Corinthians 3:6-7

Context: Paul planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase; the preacher is nothing.

Zechariah 4:6

Context: Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord.

2 Corinthians 2:14-16

Context: God always causes us to triumph in Christ; we are the savor of life unto life and death unto death.

Historical References

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Context: Mentioned as an example of a great preacher from the past, highlighting the decline in preaching.

George Whitefield

Context: Mentioned alongside Spurgeon and Wesley as a great preacher of the past.

John Wesley

Context: Mentioned as a great preacher from history, contrasting with modern preachers.

John R. Rice and the Sword of the Lord

Context: An Arminian newspaper; Rice claimed that if a pastor isn't baptizing 300 a year, he's not right with God.

Important Quotes

preaching has deteriorated greatly over the last 150 years.

Significance: Establishes the central problem Weaver addresses: the decline in preaching quality.

just as preaching has deteriorated, equally so has the ability to listen to preaching deteriorated.

Significance: Links the decline in preaching to a corresponding decline in listening, emphasizing mutual responsibility.

The best kind of preaching is what is known as expository preaching.

Significance: Defines Weaver's preferred method and sets up his argument for its necessity.

So they read in the book of the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

Significance: Provides the threefold model of true preaching: exposition, explanation, application.

Mine is the responsibility and His is the ability.

Significance: Summarizes the preacher's role versus God's role in the efficacy of preaching.

We are unto God a sweet savor of Christ in them that are saved, and in them that perish.

Significance: Shows that preaching is always a triumph, regardless of human response.

An understanding and comprehension of God's sovereignty is absolutely essential and necessary to the faithful preaching and teaching of the Word of God.

Significance: Highlights the theological foundation for confident, faithful preaching.

Discussion Questions

In what ways have you observed a deterioration in preaching or listening to preaching in your own experience?

Context: Weaver claims both preaching and listening have declined over the last 150 years.

How does expository preaching differ from topical or textual preaching, and why does Weaver consider it superior?

Context: Weaver defines the three types and argues for expository preaching as the best method.

What does it mean for a preacher to be 'pure from the blood of all men,' and how is this achieved according to Acts 20?

Context: Weaver explains Paul's statement and its connection to declaring the whole counsel of God.

How does Nehemiah 8:8 shape your understanding of what should happen during a sermon?

Context: Weaver uses this verse to outline the three parts of true preaching: exposition, explanation, application.

Why is an understanding of God's sovereignty essential for both preachers and hearers of the Word?

Context: Weaver argues that sovereignty allows preachers to handle hard passages and trust God for outcomes.

How should we evaluate a sermon—by our feelings or by its faithfulness to Scripture? What practical changes might this require?

Context: Weaver critiques the common standard of judging preaching by how it makes us feel.

Applications

Pursue expository preaching and teaching in the church.

Summary: Churches should prioritize expository preaching to ensure the whole counsel of God is proclaimed.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'It is impossible to preach the whole counsel of God if you preach topically... But if you preach expositorily... you might make a dent in it.'

Develop a biblical standard for evaluating sermons.

Summary: Christians should judge preaching by its exposition, explanation, and application of Scripture, not by entertainment value or feelings.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Most Christians erroneously judge a preaching service by the false standard of their feelings... and not whether or not the Word of God was preached.'

Trust in God's sovereignty for the results of preaching.

Summary: Both preachers and hearers should rest in God's control over the efficacy of His Word, rather than measuring success by visible results.

Evidence: Weaver emphasizes, 'Mine is the responsibility and His is the ability' and cites 2 Corinthians 2:14-16.

Recognize the need for a balanced diet of Scripture.

Summary: Believers should desire teaching on the full range of biblical subjects, not just salvation, to grow in obedience.

Evidence: Weaver notes that many Christians complain, 'I'm starving to death as a Christian. All our preacher does is speak on the subject of salvation.'

Prepare to hear and obey the Word preached.

Summary: As Weaver will develop next week, hearers have a responsibility to listen, understand, and apply the Word.

Evidence: Weaver previews, 'Your responsibility is to hear it and obey it and apply it.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T18:36:41Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T11:15:28Z

Clean Transcript

A Biblical Perspective on Preaching Part #1

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

I want you to open your Bibles to Acts chapter 10. And let me just say, as you turn to Acts chapter 10, the message today is going to be the introduction for the message next Sunday. It's going to take me all of this time just to get to the place that I want to get to. The title of the message is "A Biblical Perspective on Preaching." A biblical perspective on preaching. And, of course, the main message, like I said, will come next week, Lord willing. So let's look at Acts 10 and read just a few verses, and then I'll give you the text and we'll go from there. Acts 10, verse 1: "There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian Band, a devout man and one that feared God with all his house, who gave much alms to the people and prayed to God always. He saw in a vision, evidently about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming to him and saying unto him, Cornelius."
#1 | 0:02 to 1:07 | cleaned
"And when he looked on him, he was afraid and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa to call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter. He lodgeth with Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do."
#2 | 1:07 to 1:26 | cleaned
Now, if you would skip down, and you know the entire story. Let's begin with verse 30. "And Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour, and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house. Behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, and said, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God. Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter, who is lodged in the house of one Simon the Tanner by the seaside."
#3 | 1:27 to 1:54 | cleaned
"Who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee." Verse 33, and this is the text that I'll be dealing with mainly next Lord's Day: "Immediately therefore I sent to thee, and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God." So a biblical perspective on preaching. I believe that I could accurately say, and everyone who hears my voice would agree with me, that preaching has deteriorated greatly over the last 150 years.
#4 | 1:54 to 2:31 | cleaned
In order to comprehend this deterioration, all one has to do is simply ask, where are the Charles Haddon Spurgeons, or the George Whitefields, or the John Wesleys? I mean, when you stop and think of the preachers that are preaching today, where are the great men who expound the Word of God? I must admit to you that there are very few, if any, great preachers today. Now, I do admit to the fact that I know a few men who I believe are very capable preachers, but there are very few indeed.
#5 | 2:33 to 3:10 | cleaned
Now, a parallel to this truth, and I'm going to bring it out later on, is that just as preaching has deteriorated, equally so has the ability to listen to preaching deteriorated. It's interesting if you would take the qualifications of a pastor that you find in 1 Timothy 3 and in Titus 1. If you were to take those qualifications and go down through Scripture, I could show you that every qualification except one is required of every Christian. Every qualification of a preacher in 1 Timothy chapter 3 is required of every Christian. Are you not required to be hospitable? Yes. Are you not required to be sober? Yes. Are you not required to be a lover of good men? Yes.
#6 | 3:11 to 4:04 | cleaned
I mean, right on down the line. These things ought to be preeminently in a pastor, but the one thing that makes the pastor different from all others, according to the Scripture, is that he must be apt to teach.
#7 | 4:05 to 4:18 | cleaned
Now, if God requires preachers to be apt to teach, is it not also necessary to conclude that He requires Christians to be apt to hear? So, just as preaching has deteriorated, so listening to preaching has deteriorated as well. A simple way to comprehend the deterioration in preaching today is to grasp this simple fact: that there is very little expository preaching today. I'm going to explain that in just a moment. But do you realize the average preaching service consists of a 15- or 20-minute sermonette to Christianettes who are more concerned with their TV sets than they are the Word of God?
#8 | 4:19 to 5:06 | cleaned
And I can demonstrate this for you. Alice and I, years ago, were down in Tampa, Florida, and we went by a Baptist church, and here was a sign out front: "Come to our early service. In by 8, out by 8:30."
#9 | 5:09 to 5:26 | cleaned
Now, let me tell you what he was trying to do. He was trying to pacify the people's consciences as they were on the way to spend the day at the beach, is what he was doing. Plus, get a few extra shekels.
#10 | 5:26 to 5:36 | cleaned
Now, just stop and think about this. If you have an opening song or two or a prayer or read a Scripture or anything like that, and then if you have a closing hymn or a closing prayer, at the most, you will only have 15 minutes for preaching. At the very most. So the average preacher today really does not preach and teach expository. In fact, let me just try to break this down very quickly for you. Since preachers do not preach expository, most Christians don't even know what an expository sermon is. If I were to ask you, I would hope some of you at least know. I would really and truly hope all of you know. But let me just break it down for you very simply. Basically speaking, or traditionally speaking, there are three types of preaching. There is what is known as topical preaching, textual preaching, and expository preaching. Now, topical preaching is the most prominent type of preaching today simply because it is the easiest to do and requires the least amount of study and effort.
#11 | 5:36 to 6:45 | cleaned
Now let me just say this at the outset. I'm not condemning all topical preaching. Topical preaching may be done, in one sense of the word, in an expository manner, if you just chose the topic and then went to the Scriptures and expounded and explained those topics. But it is usually not done that way. Topical preaching is simply when one takes a topic—for instance, salvation, justification, or the Holy Spirit, or election—and you just simply deal with that topic. Now, what constitutes topical preaching mainly is you choose your topic, you throw in a few Scriptures, and then you say what you think or what you believe on the topic. And as you can see, very little study is required to do something like that, and you can preach just about any subject without any difficulty, because all you need is a few Scriptures and a few of your own ideas. However, if you choose that topic, and then you go to the Scriptures and you exegete and explain those Scriptures, it is far better preaching, but usually it is not done that way.
#12 | 6:46 to 8:01 | cleaned
Let me give you one of the silliest and one of the saddest illustrations that I know of when it concerns topical preaching. Now, I will confess I did not hear this sermon preached, but I know the man who did. And he related the sermon to me and he gave me the pastor's points. Are you listening? His subject or his topic was salvation. Here was the outline the preacher used in preaching on salvation. Are you ready? Here it is. Salvation. God thought it. Jesus bought it.
#13 | 8:02 to 8:44 | cleaned
The Holy Spirit brought it. The Bible taught it. And bless God, I caught it.
#14 | 8:45 to 8:49 | cleaned
Now, while admittedly speaking, every one of those points are scriptural, except the last one. Salvation is not a disease, nor is it contagious. You know. You can see how anybody could just simply preach on something like that, and it requires no study, it requires no preparation. You just get up and quote a few Scriptures and say, here it is. That is basically topical preaching. Topical preaching is usually the worst kind of preaching, because there's no study and there's no effort going into it.
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And many times it appeals to the flesh and you can add your own thoughts and your own ideas. And there you go. So that is topical preaching. The second type of preaching is textual preaching. Now, textual preaching is just when you take your texts from different portions of the Scripture. Let me give you an illustration. There's a message that I could preach based on the words "due time." Due time. To preach a textual message, all you have to do is go through the Bible and look up the phrase "due times" or "due seasons." You're going to find that that phrase refers, number one, to judgment. Number two, to salvation. Number three, the reaping and sowing, etc., etc. Now, so what you would do if you're going to preach textually, you could go back, say, to Deuteronomy, and you have the due time of judgment. You could come over to the New Testament and get the due time of salvation, but in due times, God has manifested His Word through preaching, you see? There's the due time of preaching.
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Now, what I'm saying is, I have a different point, and for each point, I have a different text. Now, in one sense of the word, you could use textual preaching in an expository manner if you took that one text and then you went down and explained it and expounded it as it appears in the text. But if you just simply take four different texts, if you've got four points, then, of course, I mean, you can throw in your own thoughts. And there again, you have what is basically known as topical preaching, I mean, or textual preaching. But it's not necessarily the best kind of preaching. The best kind of preaching is what is known as expository preaching. Expository preaching is when you take a book, a chapter, a passage, and you go through that book or that chapter or that passage, word for word, sentence by sentence, and you always allow the context to interpret and to explain it.
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Now, let me give you two words. These are very important words. Exegesis and eisegesis. Exegesis. Exegesis is when you draw out of the Scripture what the Scripture actually says. Eisegesis is when you read into the Scripture that which you want it to say. Do you realize you can just about prove whatever you want to prove from Scripture if you use eisegesis? In fact, that is how most people study the Bible. They go to the Bible and they'll say, now, I believe this. Let me find a passage and let me find some verses that document what I believe. And if you have to take it out of context to prove your point, you can take it out of context to prove your point. That's eisegesis. That's when you read into the Scripture that which you really want the Scripture to say. Now, there's a big difference between exegesis and eisegesis.
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When you exegete the passage, you bring out what that passage is saying, whether you like it or not, whether it agrees with your positions or not. You say, here is what the Word of God says. Point blank.
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Now, when one preaches expositorily, he will deal with subjects that he will never ever normally deal with. Why? Well, the answer is because you're taking Scripture book by book, chapter by chapter, paragraph by paragraph, sentence by sentence, and word by word, and consequently, as you preach expositorily, listen now, you're forced to deal with passages that you would never normally deal with, even if they're the hardest and the most difficult passages in the Bible. You remember when I preached through Hosea, I had 75 messages, one right after the other, in the book of Hosea. 26 through the book of Amos. I don't remember how many I had going through the book of Proverbs.
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But you see what I'm saying? When you go through a book like that, or you go through a passage like that, you're forced to deal with subjects that you would never, ever normally deal with. Whether it's economics, whether it's government, whether it's education, it doesn't matter. And consequently, you can preach on things that you never normally would preach on. There's another advantage of expository preaching, and that's this. People cannot accuse you of picking on them or pointing out their sins if the expose of their sins occurs in the normal course of preaching following one passage after the other. I've had people tell me, "Brother Weaver, you're just picking on me." No, I'm not picking on you. But the old saying is, if the shoe fits, wear it.
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I mean, here is what Scripture says. And if the Scripture condemns you, then you need to repent. If it convicts you, you need to repent. And of course, expository preaching is harder and it is more difficult, but it does have its advantages. And one of the greatest advantages is simply this. During expository preaching, you are trying to present the whole counsel of God. That is what God says on every particular subject. So here's the three basic kinds of preaching. You have topical preaching, textual preaching, and expository preaching. And expository preaching is far better.
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Now let me just tell you that preachers, like everyone else, many times will go through fads. In fact, everybody's heard of the three points and a poem. You know, you have to have three points and then you always conclude with a poem. That's been a joke among preachers for years because that was a fad. But there was a fad when it was absolutely necessary, if you were going to be a successful preacher, that you had to have three points.
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But you needed to preach expository as well. And one of my favorite stories is about the preacher who was trying to preach expository and he came upon the text, "And Balaam arose early and saddled his ass." Well now, he was preaching expositorily. So his first point was, here we see a good trait in a bad man, Balaam rose early. Secondly, we see the ancient art of saddlery, he saddled his ass. His third point was, and some concluding remarks about the woman at the well. No relationship.
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But I mean, he had his three points. You see what I'm saying? That's ridiculous. You have to give what the Word of God says. Whether it's one point, two points, three points, or 40 points, it doesn't matter. But I mean, I'm just simply saying. Expository preaching is the way to present the whole counsel of God.
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Now, since we're in the book of Acts, I want you to turn to Acts chapter 20. Let me show you something. I've told you this before, but I want to show it to you again since I'm dealing with this subject, and it relates to this subject. And here's an opportunity to really impress it upon your minds. So look in Acts chapter 20, and let's begin with verse 17, because here Paul calls all of these elders, all of these preachers together, and they lead him into Ephesus, and he speaks to them. So look in Acts 20, verse 17: "And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church." Well, he's at Miletus. He called the Ephesian elders there. Okay.
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"And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons." Now look what he's saying. And remember now he's talking to preachers. "Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears and temptations which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews, and how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you and have taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."
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"And now, behold, I go bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there, save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify of the gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more."
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"Wherefore, I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men." Now let's stop right there. Look, if you would please, at verse 17. "And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders," or the pastors of the church. Now watch. He now gives a personal testimony to these pastors, and he says in verse 20, "and how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you and have taught you publicly and from house to house." So He preached not only publicly, but He preached privately as well. So it comes down to verse 26.
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He knows that he's going to be bound when he gets to Jerusalem. He knows he's going to lose his life. But he says in verse 26, "Wherefore, I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men."
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Now, you have to ask yourself this question. How did the Apostle Paul get pure from the blood of all men? Did he witness to every individual that he saw? And the answer is no. All of us have heard messages during our lives. All of us have been told all of our lives that people's blood are on our hands if we do not witness to them.
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Now let me just tell you, first of all, that that teaching is not only unbiblical, it is in reality humanly impossible. So if Alice tells me, "Now look, we're out of bread, please go to town and buy a loaf of bread and come back and we'll have supper." I say, "Okay." If I drive to town and I witness to everybody that I see, I'm never coming back home.
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Let me ask you another question. Suppose Doc is uptown in Fitzgerald and I stop him and I'm witnessing to him and about that time Henry drives by and I have to stop witnessing to Doc and turn around and run up to Henry and flag him. Who's warning him? You follow what I'm saying? It would be humanly impossible.
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Now, go back to verse 26 of Acts chapter 20. Here's how Paul got free from the blood of all men. Look what he said. "Wherefore, I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men." How, Paul? "For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God." So here's a simple question. How did Paul get free from the blood of all men? And the answer is by preaching all of the Word of God. He preached the whole counsel of God. Now listen to me. It is impossible to preach the whole counsel of God if you preach topically. It's impossible to teach the whole counsel of God if you preach textually. But if you preach expositorily, and God lets you live long enough, you might make a dent in it.
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But that's the only way. Now here's an awful, and I might add, a condemnatory question. Think about this. If it is only by preaching the whole counsel of God that we're free from the blood of all men, how much blood do preachers have on their hands who preach only sin, salvation, separation, and soul winning? I want to tell you something, folks. You go into the average church and you will usually hear a sermon on one of those four subjects and that's it. That's it. Nothing else. The Word of God covers many more subjects than those four. I'm not saying those subjects should not be dealt with. But they should not be dealt with to the exclusion of all other subjects. Alice and I were invited to a huge church. I was traveling. I was on my way to preach in a distant city. We stopped.
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in a town where I had a good friend whom I really respect and admire. And he told me, he said, "John," and it was on Wednesday, he said, "Come go to church with us tonight and hear our new pastor, Dr. So-and-so." He said, "He's a great preacher." I said, "OK, we'll just leave early in the morning. I'll still make the meeting by Thursday evening." And so we went to church that night. The good doctor stood up and read his text.
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And when he did, I took my pencil out of my pocket, took a sheet of paper, wrote down three or four points. I don't remember exactly how many it was, handed it to Alice and said, "Here's what he's going to preach." And he preached my points, point by point. Now, how did I know what he's going to preach? Because once you've heard one of these fellows, you've heard them all. You know exactly what they're going to say. They have nothing else to say, and if they get off those four subjects, they don't know which end is up.
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Now, it's just that simple. Now, listen to me very carefully. One of the clearest Scriptures that tells us what preaching really is, is found in Nehemiah chapter 8, and I want you to turn there. I'm not saying that you cannot deal with those subjects. I'm just saying that there are a multitude of other subjects that need to be dealt with as well. So look in your Bibles, Nehemiah chapter 8, and let's look at verse 8. In fact, verse 7 tells us the names of the Levites who did this. And just to keep me from pronouncing all the names, let's begin in the middle of verse 7: "and the Levites." So we're talking about men who are preaching and teaching the Word of God. Watch. "And the Levites caused the people to understand the law."
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Now that's an interesting statement in itself. "And the Levites caused the people to understand the law, and the people stood in their place."
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Now you've got to ask yourself this question. How did these Levitical teachers cause the people to understand God's law? Look at verse 8. "So they read in the book of the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading." Now look at that again. "So they read in the book of the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading."
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Here are three parts of real, genuine preaching and teaching. Notice what God says. There must be exposition, that is, reading in the Word of God distinctly. There must be explanation, giving the sense thereof. And there must be, thirdly, application, causing the people to understand. So what is real preaching and teaching? It is exposition, explanation, and application. That's what preaching is. Exposition, explanation, and application.
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Now, my wife can tell you and some of you who have known me for a long time, when I first started preaching, I quoted sometimes as many as 150 Scriptures in one sermon. I've had people count the Scriptures that I quoted. Sometimes it was more than that. Because what I thought I was doing was just inundating the people with the Word of God. That's what I thought. And then one day it dawned on me, by the Holy Spirit, you know, Christians really don't need the Scriptures quoted to them.
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You can use a tape recorder for that. Today, a CD player or DVD player. But what Christians really need are the Scriptures expounded and explained and applied so that they will know how to obey the Word of God. You understand what I'm saying? I had rather take one verse, even in my own personal study, I had rather take one verse and understand it than I read five chapters and not understand a thing I've read.
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So real preaching and teaching consists then of exposition, explanation, and application. One of the most frequent complaints that I receive from Christians as I travel is the complaint that their pastors are not feeding them. I have had innumerable people, I cannot count them, I've had innumerable people remark to me, "I'm thankful for God's salvation, and I know that it needs to be preached, but I'm starving to death as a Christian. All our preacher does is speak on the subject of salvation."
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Now listen to me carefully, folks. I know that sinners need to be saved. That's a given. But the truth is, God's people also need to know how to live and how to obey Him. And the plain and simple truth of the fact is simply this. If more Christians lived biblical, holy, godly, obedient lives, more sinners could be easily reached. And the truth is, there must be a balance in our ministry. And in the average church, there is no balance. We think, well, we've got to reach sinners, we've got to reach sinners, we've got to reach sinners, but we also have to feed the flock of God.
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What did our Lord tell Peter? "If you love me, feed my sheep. Feed my sheep."
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Now, let me just cover this because I hope pastors hear this as well. Another simple truth that most preachers have never learned is this: that one does not necessarily have to preach a salvation sermon in order for sinners to be converted. You don't have to be preaching a salvation sermon for sinners to be converted. I was preaching one time in a capital city, and that capital city happened to have a huge university there, which was known for its atheism and liberalism. And before I stood up to preach that morning, the pastor leaned over to me and said, "We have three professors here today from that university." Oh, you don't know how I wanted to just preach against sin and atheism and unbelief and preach on hell. I mean, I wanted to clean their clocks. But you know the only message, don't laugh, the only message that I had any liberty and freedom to preach was a message entitled, "The Place of Women in the Church."
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And I dealt with that subject. And you know something? God used that message to convert all three of those professors. How? Don't ask me. It was not a salvation message. But you see, the truth of the matter is this. You don't have to be preaching about salvation in order for God to save a sinner. Look in your Bibles to Jeremiah 23 and verse 29. Jeremiah 23, verse 29. Look what God says.
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In fact, here are questions that need to be answered. Jeremiah 23, verse 29. A simple verse. Jeremiah 23, verse 29. Look at it. "Is not my word like as a fire, saith the Lord, and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?" Ask yourself, how much of God's Word is like a fire? What's the answer? All of it. How much of God's Word is like a hammer? All of it. God can use any portion of His Word. Look in your Bibles to 2 Timothy 3 and verse 16. Here's another passage that most of you can quote, but look at it. 2 Timothy 3 and verse 16. Look what God says. 2 Timothy 3 verse 16.
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"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." Now let me ask you a question. How much of Scripture is profitable? All of it. How much of it is profitable for doctrine? All of it. How much of it is profitable for rebuke and correction and reproof? All of it. Not just part of it. All of it. So it doesn't matter what passage or what portion of Scripture that you're preaching from, God can use it to convert sinners.
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All of His Word is inspired. All of His Word is for doctrine, for correction, for reproof and rebuke and instruction in righteousness. All of His Word is like a fire. All of His Word is like a hammer.
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Now, look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 2 because I've had people say this to me and I think, oh, Lord have mercy. Think a bit. Look in 1 Corinthians 2. Here's what the Apostle Paul said. And I've had preachers say this to me. "Well, Brother Weaver, I just want to be like the Apostle Paul. For in 1 Corinthians 2, he says, 'I determine not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and Him crucified.' And that's what I want to know. I want to know and I want to preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified." Well, wonderful. That's what I want to preach and teach as well.
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But may I ask you this simple question? Which book in the Bible first promises salvation and tells us about the Messiah? Genesis. Genesis 3:15, you have the Protoevangelium, the first promise of the Messiah. Which book in the Bible tells us from which tribe He will descend? Genesis. Which book in the Bible tells us that He'll be a descendant of Abraham? Genesis. Which book in the Bible pictures His salvation? Exodus. Which book of the Bible tells us where He will be born? Micah. Which book of the Bible tells us about His sufferings? Isaiah. Which book of the Bible tells us that He is the messenger and the covenant? Malachi.
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And I could go on and on and on. There is no book in the Bible that does not teach about Jesus Christ. So if I am preaching Jesus Christ and Him crucified, what does that mean? I have to preach the whole counsel of God, and He is on every page of Scripture, in every book in the Bible. It doesn't matter where you preach, as long as it is the Word of God.
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Now, look in your Bibles, if you would, to Isaiah 55. Let me clear up another misconception about preaching, Isaiah 55. And look, if you would please, beginning there with verse 9. Isaiah 55, verse 9. In fact, let's begin with verse 8. Isaiah 55, verse 8. God says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Now watch.
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"For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I send it." Listen to what God said. "So shall my word be."
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What is he talking about? Go back to verse 10. "For as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth," and what does the rain and the snow do? It makes the earth to bring forth and bud, why, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater. In other words, there is an efficacy, there is a power in the rain to produce, watch, "so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth."
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"It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereunto I send it." Now, let's ask some questions. Who sends the Word of God? Or God Himself, or God the Holy Spirit? Who makes sure that it will not return void? God does. Who makes it prosper? God does. Who makes it accomplish His will? God does.
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Do you see what I'm trying to say? The efficacy of the application of the Word of God is in the hands of God alone. You know something? I can't make you understand as hard as I try if God doesn't turn the lights on for you. If He doesn't illuminate your mind, you will never ever understand.
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Now, what does this teach me? It teaches me this as a pastor and as a preacher, that I may safely, comfortably, and easily trust God to bless and use His Word as He sees fit. It doesn't matter which passage or which doctrine or which book or which sentence I'm preaching from as long as it is the Word of God. It is my responsibility to preach and teach the Word of God. It's up to God to apply that Word as He sees fit. You'll hear me say this again, mine is the responsibility and His is the ability.
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Let me ask you to stop and think with me just for a moment. Let's suppose that I'm the best preacher in the world. That I have the best outlines in the world, and then I also have the best illustrations in the world. And also on top of that, I have the best salvation messages in the world, and I am the world's greatest orator.
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Now my question is this, how many sinners are going to be saved by my preaching, my outlines, my illustrations, my sermons, and my oratory? Absolutely none. Why? Because salvation is of the Lord. You know what the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 1 and verse 21? "For after that, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." Now, it didn't please God to save those through foolish preaching, but through the foolishness of preaching. Preaching is only a means, God is the agent in salvation. That's why in Jonah 2 and verse 9, Jonah said, "Salvation is of the Lord." And if you look in your Bibles, Acts chapter 2, and then let's go to 1 Corinthians chapter 3.
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Let me just show you this. I'm sure that you're familiar with it, but I want you to see it. Look in Acts chapter 2 and verse 47. There are a lot of people being saved, especially not only the day of Pentecost, but after the day of Pentecost. And look what the Scripture says specifically, Acts 2 and verse 47, "and they continuing daily," but verse 46, "daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart." Now verse 47, "praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." Who was it that added to the church? The Lord. And He did it as such as should be saved. Preaching may be the means, but the Lord is the end. If you will turn over to 1 Corinthians chapter 3. 1 Corinthians chapter 3. And look at what the Apostle Paul says concerning himself, and Peter, and Apollos, and all the other great preachers.
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First Corinthians chapter 3. Notice if you would, verse 6. He says, "I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase." What is the preacher? Nothing. He's an instrument. Who is it that gets all the honor and all the glory? God. Because none of our preaching, none of our teaching would benefit anyone if God did not make it effectual by His Spirit. It's just that simple.
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Mine is the responsibility, His is the ability. Zechariah chapter 4 and verse 6, I can quote it. Some of you know it. But you know what God says there, "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts." Do you realize the end of preaching is not accomplished by might or power? It's not by oratory. It's not by outlines. It's only by the Holy Spirit of God. I must be faithful. However, it is not my efforts, my power, my ability, my messages, my outlines, my illustrations, or anything else that determines the outcome of preaching. It is God and God alone.
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Now, since you're in 1 Corinthians, I want you to turn right over to 2 Corinthians chapter 1. 2 Corinthians chapter 1. I want to show you from the Scripture one truth that we oftentimes conveniently forget. I've heard preachers say, "Well, if sinners aren't being saved, something is wrong." Not necessarily. Not necessarily. I'm going to show you why in just a moment. I will give you an illustration right here. One of my pastor friends who's now dead, he and I have been friends for years.
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In fact, we were in college together. He pastored in a little town in Alabama. And in the neighboring town, there was a pastor who resigned his church so that he might go work with the Sword of the Lord. Now, the Sword of the Lord is a basic Arminian newspaper. At that time, it was put out by John R. Rice. John R. Rice, I've heard him say it myself.
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He said, "If you're not baptizing 300 a year, you're not right with God." That's what he said. So anyhow, this pastor who resigned his church so that he might go work with the Sword of the Lord, came up to my pastor friend and asked him to recommend a pastor for his church since he was going to be leaving. And my pastor friend said, "No, I could not in good conscience do that." He said, "What do you mean you could not in good conscience do that?" Well, he said, "You believe and the paper that you're going to work with believes that if you're not baptizing 300 a year, then you're not right with God." And he said, "And to be absolutely honest, I can't recommend somebody go to your church and be an abysmal failure. He said, your church will never baptize 300 a year, because there are not even that many people in that community, and there's already five churches there. He said, if I recommend someone to take your church, I'm recommending them to be a failure according to your philosophy, because you're going to go up there and write and preach."
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"If you don't baptize 300 a year, you're a failure. No, sir." He said, "I just can't recommend anybody to go there and be a failure. He said, all those saints over there dry up and die and blow away. He said, I just can't recommend the man to be a failure."
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Now, you see where he put his finger right on one of the problems? Now, let me tell you something. Simply because people are not being saved does not necessarily mean that there's something wrong with the preacher or something wrong with the preaching. You remember that text we read in Isaiah 55 and verse 11? What did God say? "My word shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that whereunto I send it." God does not always send His Word for reconciliation. Sometimes He sends His Word for condemnation. Look in your Bibles, 2 Corinthians chapter 2, and let's begin reading there with verse 14. Here it is, 2 Corinthians 2, verse 14. Here the Apostle Paul says this, "Now thanks be unto God who always causeth us to triumph in Christ and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place." Did you hear that one word that I emphasized? "Now thanks be unto God who," what's the next word? "Always." "causeth us to triumph in Christ." In other words, we never fail when we're in Christ.
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There is no such thing as a failure when you're faithfully preaching and teaching the Word of God. Whether anybody gets saved or not is immaterial. Look at it.
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"Now thanks be unto God who always causeth us to triumph in Christ and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place. Now look what the Apostle Paul says, For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ in them that are saved, and in them that perish. To the one we are the savor of death unto death, and to the other the savor of life unto life."
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"And who is sufficient for these things?" Now let me just stop there. Let me demonstrate and illustrate for you what the Apostle Paul was saying. Let's suppose I have a hundred people in this room and all of you are unconverted. You're all lost. Not a Christian among you. And I come in and I preach Jesus Christ. And I expound and explain and apply the Word of God. And during my preaching and after the preaching is over, God miraculously and mercifully saves every one of you. You know what God does? When that preaching of Christ is going forth and people are being converted, God says, "That's a sweet smell."
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My Son is preached and I'm satisfied. Let's go a little different direction. I've got a hundred of you in here. You're all lost. Not one converted, not one Christian among you. And I preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I expound and explain and apply the Word of God. And while I'm preaching, every one of you are gritting your teeth and shaking your fists and you're saying, "If you don't shut up, we'll kill you."
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And the next thing you know, man, you're storming out mad and hateful and said, "I'll never come back and hear that man again." You know what God says? "My Son is preached. And I'm satisfied." That's what Paul said. We're the savor of life unto life, and death unto death. We're the savor of life unto life in those that believe, and death unto death in those who do not believe. And that's why he said, "And who is sufficient for these things?" Only God. Only God. He is the one that applies the Word of God. He said, "My word shall not return unto Me void."
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"But it shall accomplish that whereunto I send it." It is up to God. Whether He sends His Word for death, or salvation, or condemnation, or reconciliation, or alienation, the outcome is in God's hands alone. It's not in my hands. It's in God's hands. And God may send that Word, not just for reconciliation, but also for condemnation. My responsibility is to preach and teach the Word of God.
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I'll deal with this next week. Your responsibility is to hear it and obey it and apply it. But it's God who determines the outcome.
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Now let me make a couple of applications. Listen carefully. The first one is this. An understanding and comprehension of God's sovereignty is absolutely essential and necessary to the faithful preaching and teaching of the Word of God. That is so important, folks. Let me say that again. An understanding and a comprehension of God's sovereignty is absolutely essential and necessary to the faithful preaching and teaching of the Word of God. Why? Because it is only as we grasp the fact that God is sovereign, that God is in absolute control of everything, that we can be comfortable with expounding, explaining, and applying sometimes the hard but necessary parts of Scripture.
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You know, you can't always preach on shouting subjects. You can't always preach on subjects that make everybody say, "Praise the Lord." Sometimes you preach on subjects and everybody's saying, "Oh me, oh me." You understand what I'm saying? And it's only as we recognize that God is sovereign and it's God who determines the outcome that I can sit here and say, "Lord, whatever you show me, that's what I'm going to preach and teach. That's what I'm going to give them." See? And I can be comfortable with that because I know God is sovereign.
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Secondly, number two, Christians must come to a realization of what constitutes biblical preaching and, I'm going to deal with this next week, what God requires of you in hearing and applying and obeying the Word of God that is enunciated in the preaching. You must understand, we as Christians must understand, that preaching and teaching, are you listening, is for instruction, rebuke, reproof, correction, and edification, it is not for entertainment or to make somebody feel good. Most Christians erroneously judge a preaching service by the false standard of their feelings, whether or not it made them feel good or not, and not whether or not the Word of God was preached. Thirdly, you must learn, and I want to teach it next week in greater detail, that real biblical preaching consists of expounding and explaining and applying the Word of God.
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It does not consist of jumping up and shouting and jumping up and down and saying religious things. Are you listening? You may be a wonderful orator, you may be a wonderful entertainer, you may jump up and down and say good truths and religious truths, but that does not mean that you are preaching. Because preaching deals with exposition, explanation, and application. And until a preacher does those three things, he may be a shouter, he may be an entertainer, he may be fun to listen to, but he's not a preacher, and he's not a teacher. And when you leave the building, you ought not to leave saying, "What a wonderful orator," or "Wasn't that a funny message, didn't that make me feel good?" What you ought to leave saying is, "The Word of God was applied to me today and I now know how to obey God better and to bring my life into closer and greater conformity to the Word of God." That's the point of preaching.
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And next week we're going to look and expound and explain and apply chapter 10 verse 33. Let's pray. Father, we do thank you once again for Jesus Christ and for His Word and for His truth. We're thankful that the Word of God is sufficient in and of itself as it is empowered by the Holy Spirit of God. And Father, we ask you to make application of this Word to our hearts. Make us better hearers, better listeners, better preachers, and above all, Father, make us more obedient and more holy and godly in our lives. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.
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A Biblical Perspective on Preaching Part #1

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver introduces a two-part series on biblical preaching, arguing that both preaching and listening have deteriorated over the last 150 years. He defines three types of preaching—topical, textual, and expository—and contends that expository preaching is the only method that presents the whole counsel of God, freeing the preacher from the blood of all men (Acts 20:26-27). Weaver emphasizes that the efficacy of preaching depends on God's sovereignty, not human effort, and that true preaching consists of exposition, explanation, and application (Nehemiah 8:8). The sermon sets the stage for a detailed exposition of Acts 10:33 in the following week.

Introduction and Text

Weaver introduces the sermon series and reads Acts 10:1-6, 30-33, highlighting Cornelius's summons to hear Peter.

Scripture Reading — Acts 10:1-6

"There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian Band, a devout man and one that feared God with all his house, who gave much alms to the people and prayed to God always. He saw in a vision, evidently about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming to him and saying unto him, Cornelius."

The Deterioration of Preaching and Listening

Preaching has declined over 150 years, evidenced by the lack of great preachers like Spurgeon, Whitefield, and Wesley. Listening has deteriorated equally.

Three Types of Preaching

Weaver defines topical, textual, and expository preaching, arguing that expository preaching is superior because it presents the whole counsel of God.

Expository Preaching and the Whole Counsel of God

Using Acts 20:17-27, Weaver shows that Paul was free from the blood of all men because he declared the whole counsel of God, which requires expository preaching.

The Nature of True Preaching: Exposition, Explanation, Application

From Nehemiah 8:8, Weaver explains that biblical preaching involves reading distinctly, giving the sense, and causing understanding.

The Efficacy of God's Word and God's Sovereignty

In fact, here are questions that need to be answered. Jeremiah 23, verse 29. A simple verse. Jeremiah 23, verse 29. Look at it.

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 23:29

"Is not my word like as a fire, saith the Lord, and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?"

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 1:21

"For after that, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe."

Scripture Reading — Acts 2:47

"praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."

First Corinthians chapter 3. Notice if you would, verse 6. He says,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 3:6-7

"I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase."

Mine is the responsibility, His is the ability. Zechariah chapter 4 and verse 6, I can quote it. Some of you know it. But you know what God says there,

Scripture Reading — Zechariah 4:6

"Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts."

Applications and Conclusion

A Biblical Perspective on Preaching Part #1

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	1906152027
Subject	Church Government
Course	Church Order: Preaching and Pastoral Ministry
Genre	Sermon
Date	2005-11-13
Dictation Name
Book	Book 164: A Biblical Perspective on Preaching — Chapter 1
Source Timed Segments	82

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction and Text: Weaver introduces the sermon series and reads Acts 10:1-6, 30-33, highlighting Cornelius's summons to hear Peter.
The Deterioration of Preaching and Listening: Preaching has declined over 150 years, evidenced by the lack of great preachers like Spurgeon, Whitefield, and Wesley. Listening has deteriorated equally.
Three Types of Preaching: Weaver defines topical, textual, and expository preaching, arguing that expository preaching is superior because it presents the whole counsel of God.
Expository Preaching and the Whole Counsel of God: Using Acts 20:17-27, Weaver shows that Paul was free from the blood of all men because he declared the whole counsel of God, which requires expository preaching.
The Nature of True Preaching: Exposition, Explanation, Application: From Nehemiah 8:8, Weaver explains that biblical preaching involves reading distinctly, giving the sense, and causing understanding.
The Efficacy of God's Word and God's Sovereignty: God's Word is like fire and a hammer (Jeremiah 23:29); all Scripture is profitable (2 Timothy 3:16). God alone gives the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6-7), and His Word accomplishes His purpose, whether for life or death (2 Corinthians 2:14-16).
Applications and Conclusion: Understanding God's sovereignty is essential for faithful preaching. Christians must judge preaching by its biblical content, not feelings, and recognize that true preaching aims at instruction, rebuke, and edification.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Expository preaching is necessary to declare the whole counsel of God.

Only expository preaching forces the preacher to deal with all subjects in Scripture, not just favorite topics.

Weaver argues, 'It is impossible to preach the whole counsel of God if you preach topically. It's impossible to teach the whole counsel of God if you preach textually.'

Preaching is not for entertainment but for instruction and edification.

Christians often judge preaching by feelings rather than by whether the Word of God was expounded and applied.

Weaver states, 'Most Christians erroneously judge a preaching service by the false standard of their feelings... and not whether or not the Word of God was preached.'

God alone gives the increase in preaching.

The preacher is merely an instrument; God is the one who saves and applies the Word.

Weaver cites 1 Corinthians 3:6-7: 'I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.'

God's Word accomplishes His purpose, whether for life or death.

Preaching is always a triumph in Christ, regardless of visible results, because God's Word never returns void.

Weaver explains 2 Corinthians 2:14-16: 'We are unto God a sweet savor of Christ in them that are saved, and in them that perish.'

Understanding God's sovereignty is essential for faithful preaching.

A grasp of God's absolute control allows preachers to handle hard passages without fear of outcomes.

Weaver says, 'An understanding and comprehension of God's sovereignty is absolutely essential and necessary to the faithful preaching and teaching of the Word of God.'

Scripture References

Acts 10:1-6: Introduction of Cornelius, a devout centurion, who is told to send for Peter.
Acts 10:30-33: Cornelius recounts the angel's message and states that they are present to hear all that God commands.
1 Timothy 3: Qualifications of a pastor; all except being apt to teach are required of every Christian.
Acts 20:17-27: Paul's farewell to the Ephesian elders; he is pure from the blood of all men because he declared the whole counsel of God.
Nehemiah 8:7-8: The Levites read the law distinctly, gave the sense, and caused the people to understand, modeling true preaching.
Jeremiah 23:29: God's Word is like a fire and a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces.
2 Timothy 3:16: All Scripture is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness.
1 Corinthians 2:2: Paul determined to know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified; Weaver argues this requires preaching the whole counsel of God.
Isaiah 55:8-11: God's Word will not return void but will accomplish His purpose.
1 Corinthians 1:21: It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
Jonah 2:9: Salvation is of the Lord.
Acts 2:47: The Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
1 Corinthians 3:6-7: Paul planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase; the preacher is nothing.
Zechariah 4:6: Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord.
2 Corinthians 2:14-16: God always causes us to triumph in Christ; we are the savor of life unto life and death unto death.

Historical References

Charles Haddon Spurgeon: Mentioned as an example of a great preacher from the past, highlighting the decline in preaching.
George Whitefield: Mentioned alongside Spurgeon and Wesley as a great preacher of the past.
John Wesley: Mentioned as a great preacher from history, contrasting with modern preachers.
John R. Rice and the Sword of the Lord: An Arminian newspaper; Rice claimed that if a pastor isn't baptizing 300 a year, he's not right with God.

Important Quotes

preaching has deteriorated greatly over the last 150 years.

Establishes the central problem Weaver addresses: the decline in preaching quality.

just as preaching has deteriorated, equally so has the ability to listen to preaching deteriorated.

Links the decline in preaching to a corresponding decline in listening, emphasizing mutual responsibility.

The best kind of preaching is what is known as expository preaching.

Defines Weaver's preferred method and sets up his argument for its necessity.

So they read in the book of the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

Provides the threefold model of true preaching: exposition, explanation, application.

Mine is the responsibility and His is the ability.

Summarizes the preacher's role versus God's role in the efficacy of preaching.

We are unto God a sweet savor of Christ in them that are saved, and in them that perish.

Shows that preaching is always a triumph, regardless of human response.

An understanding and comprehension of God's sovereignty is absolutely essential and necessary to the faithful preaching and teaching of the Word of God.

Highlights the theological foundation for confident, faithful preaching.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

In what ways have you observed a deterioration in preaching or listening to preaching in your own experience?

[Context]

Weaver claims both preaching and listening have declined over the last 150 years.

[Question]

How does expository preaching differ from topical or textual preaching, and why does Weaver consider it superior?

[Context]

Weaver defines the three types and argues for expository preaching as the best method.

[Question]

What does it mean for a preacher to be 'pure from the blood of all men,' and how is this achieved according to Acts 20?

[Context]

Weaver explains Paul's statement and its connection to declaring the whole counsel of God.

[Question]

How does Nehemiah 8:8 shape your understanding of what should happen during a sermon?

[Context]

Weaver uses this verse to outline the three parts of true preaching: exposition, explanation, application.

[Question]

Why is an understanding of God's sovereignty essential for both preachers and hearers of the Word?

[Context]

Weaver argues that sovereignty allows preachers to handle hard passages and trust God for outcomes.

[Question]

How should we evaluate a sermon—by our feelings or by its faithfulness to Scripture? What practical changes might this require?

[Context]

Weaver critiques the common standard of judging preaching by how it makes us feel.

Applications

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T11:15:28Z