The Bible-Oriented Teacher

                THE BIBLE EXERTS US TO REALITY.

What does that mean?

The preacher is limited as to his own resources what he  bring  to bear on  the message he wants to present.  You should not try to sell the bearskin before you catch the bear.  Especially in trying to exert the message forcefully and effectively on those who hear you speak. 

The Bible-expositor is not an entertainer -oriented preacher.  Whereas the entertainment -oriented speaker has a strong and continued inclination  for adding decorative touches to his  ideas with some Bible, but mostly he fills his talking with what he thinks would be more effective and forceful to those who hear him speak.

Whereas the Bible -expositor  is tied to the Bible.  He
is not free to think and speak whatever might enter his mind or what might be pleasing to any given audience- except God. 

The Bible-expositor is not the focus point of the sermon, the audience does not come away from the sermon and say "He said more about himself than anything else." 




What the Bible-expositor is not:

• The Bible-expositor does not give the impression that what HE says has  any significances.

• The Bible-expositor is not have the freedom to talk with his charm and ease of manner to get across his message.

• The Bible-expositor is not one who is more at ease speaking  about things that are not drdawn out of the Bible.

• The Bible-expositor is not one who is  enteraining with his jokes, and who tries to frame his words and manner of speaking that are fun to listen to.

 John Piper

M. Lloyd-Jones

John MaArthur

Charles H. Spurgeon

HERE IS WHAT A BIBLE-EXPOSITOR IS:

• The Bible-expositor sees himself as God's representative  to God's people to deliver a message from God.  

• The Bible-expositor understands that that he is under the authority of the Bible and his position is as a servant.

•  The Bible-expositor understands that the only way he can deliver God's message to God's people is by getting to the meaning of God's Word. Saturating the message, to fill  the sermon competely with scripture, as to show its God's revelation to them.

• The Bible-expositor wants the audience to realize that his words, if there is any value in them that will permeate the heart to make change of life, mind and thinking  are in accord with God's word. He does not want the audience to come away with "That was a good idea that the pastor had." But rather "That is what the Bible has said."

• The Bible-expositor tries not to go beyond the bounds of the Scriptures. If the Bible text cannot demonstrate the points presented he says away from it.

• The Bible-expositor  has an hesitancy, or reluctance, and unwillingness to give  stories and illustrations and jokes and comments that are not restricted to, and are not forced into the message in an unnatural or strained manner that is not based on and expressive of what the Bible says.

At the end of the sermon, People sit for a moment and say of a Bible-oriented preacher  "the teaching today gave me a sense that the Bible is supremely authoritative and important and wonderfully good news." They feel less entertained, but are in awe at the greatness of God and the considerable amount of power of His Word.

 The power is found not in the preacher but in the Word of God. As MacArthur brings the Word, the message is not Whisnant's or MacArthur’s  or Piper's wisdom but God’s. As we preach, we need to stick to the text.

FOOTNOTE:

On Friday I was reading a number of articles on preaching.  And the above material was formed  from those articles that I have read.

Even after 48 years of preaching and teaching , and 65 years old, I am still seeking to preach and teach the Word of God  that is God's honoring and bring people to the sense that the authority whereby I preach is God's authority.

What was neat  I used the internet website: 

to get a better understanding of terms.  What I did was from the word I would have used, I put the meaning in the sentence.   And this article was adopted from articles I read on preaching, and Bible-expositor vs. an entertainment-oriented preacher.