Why do we preach on Sunday?

God is the Great Communicator. From the first page of Scripture to the last, God has revealed Himself to the world He created. God’s story lies at the very center of understanding ourselves, each other, and the world in which we live. There is nothing more central to our gatherings than to bring ourselves under the authority of Scripture to receive, believe and live the truth of God’s Word. It is God’s Word that unfolds the beauty of Jesus the Redeemer and His plan for saving sinners. It is God’s Word that sanctifies the children of God. It is God’s Word that provides the great hope of what is to come. Therefore, it is God’s Word that must be preached each and every Sunday.

Paul described to the Corinthian church how central preaching the Gospel of Christ was to him. It was Paul’s central ministry task (1 Corinthians 1:17), it was not to be done in a way that drew attention to his own gifts or intellect (1 Corinthians 2:1-5), and he even called down a curse on himself if he ever strayed from preaching Christ or used it as a platform for human boasting (1 Corinthians 9:16). Later as he instructed Timothy, he extolled the centrality of preaching in every season and at every time, writing – “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” (2 Timothy 4:2) If Scripture is God’s Word, and it is; if Scripture is authoritative, and it is; and if Scripture is sufficient for all of life, and it is … then it is imperative to simply unfold the text of Scripture precept upon precept, line upon line. Expositional preaching, which makes the main point of a Biblical passage the main point of the sermon, protects preachers from man-centeredness and demonstrates how every text fits into the context of the whole story where Jesus is at the center. The Lord’s Day exposition is the feast for God’s people leading them into the week as God and His Word are fixed at the center of the Sunday Worship Service.