Expository Listening

Years ago, I remember listening to a sermon on the book of Job by my pastor when I first got saved. It was at a yearly men's conference. I remember intently listening because I loved my pastor and wanted to take in everything he had to say. The sermon was on holiness, titled "The Heart of Holiness," with four points: 1) The heart of Maturity 2) The heart of Integrity 3) The heart of Humility 4) The heart of Victory.

Why do I remember this? It's because of expository listening, even before I knew what it was called. I can still understand the principles of that sermon to this day because of the posture of the heart towards listening to preaching.

First, let me define expository preaching. The word "expository" carries the idea of expounding, unpacking, or explaining the meaning of the text. "Preaching" describes the manner in which this instruction and explanation is brought. So, expository preaching is the kind of preaching that seeks to explain the passage of Scripture to communicate authorial intent, while at the same time making application with exhortation towards the life of the listener. This type of preaching is what is prescribed in Scripture itself. The apostle Peter outlines this in his preaching on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter two as he quoted the text of Scripture and gave an explanation. Notice the manner in verse 14: "Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them," then quotes Joel chapter 2 and says this to explain it, “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power." What an amazing sermon!

The Apostle Paul lays out the essentials of preaching in 1 Timothy 4:13, saying, "Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, and teaching." In like fashion, Paul says read of the text, teach of the text, and exhort with the text. Dr. Steven Lawson puts it this way, "The supposed preaching that only instructs the mind is not a sermon, but a lecture. The supposed preaching that merely touches the heart is not a sermon, but a mere devotion. The supposed preaching that merely challenges the will is not a sermon, but a manipulation. True expository preaching must address all three aspects of the inner life of a person — mind, emotion, and will."

With that in mind, it begs the question, what is expository listening? Listening to a sermon is a passive exercise; since this is true, it's very dangerous to "check out" while listening. So, as a listener, we must understand that though the preacher is a mere man, his message is not of human origin. A faithful preacher that is true to the text is bringing a message that must be heard. Returning to Dr. Lawson, he makes a distinction between a lecture that seeks to teach only and a sermon: "A lecture can be delivered today, next week, or next year. But a sermon must be heard now; it demands the attention of the listener to take action, not just listen." The preaching of God's Word is one of the major means of grace that He uses to transform a life and grow to maturity His elect. We must never underestimate what a powerful synergistic work the Word does to a diligent listener. You may ask, "How should I listen to a sermon?" "What is expository listening?" Well, we've been talking about it. First, understand what you are listening to (God's Word); second, listen for it to instruct your mind; third, listen for it to move your heart or affections; fourth, listen for it to challenge your will.

An expository sermon is a terrible thing to waste, so take steps to be ready. Have a physical Bible, a pen, and a good notebook. These are suggestions, but know that we can easily forget what we heard. It's not a bad idea to consider writing snippets, bullet points, to be a faithful steward of the sermon delivered to you after much labor in the Word.