At Belcroft Bible Church we unashamedly embrace the primacy of the preaching of God’s Word. The absolute authority of the Word of God is undeniable, for the Scriptures stand totally without error (Ps 19:7-9), completely infallible (John 10:35), and supremely sufficient (2 Tim 3:16-17) in all that it proclaims and provides (Prov 30:5-6), because the Bible is the very oracle of God (1 Thess 2:13) and the place where He is primarily revealed. Thus, the Word serves as the ultimate source of truth (John 17:17) and the solid foundation for the life and mission of the church (2 Pet 1:19-21). Furthermore, it is the Scriptures that promote her duty (Matt 28:18-20), propel her purity (Eph 5:26-27), protect her testimony (1 Pet 2:12), and proclaim her validity (2 Tim 4:1-5) in the world. Therefore, expositing the Word of God so that it is accurately understood and practically applied is an immutable pillar in the church’s philosophy that will ground her motives and guard her ministry to the glory of God (1 Tim 3:15). Consequently, every aspect of the church must be guided by and impacted through the weekly, pulpit-preaching ministry where the Scriptures are proclaimed in an expository manner as the biblical meaning of the text is explained contextually and applied appropriately to the modern listener (2 Tim 4:1-5).
Preaching God’s Word is foundational to God’s eternal plan because it is through the declaration of the Scriptures that God’s purpose, God’s provision, and God’s promise is delivered to His people. Without the preaching of God’s Word, His eternal plan for the ages cannot be heard, known, enjoyed, and accomplished! Therefore, preaching God’s Word is fundamental to the life and health of our church because it is through the Scriptures that she receives life, strength, sustenance, stability, and security. Without the preaching of the Word, the church becomes a people devoid of divine purpose. The church becomes an earthly mission without a heavenly map. The church becomes a distracted gathering of consumers enamored with self-pleasure instead of a people enraptured with God’s glory. Without the preaching of God’s Word, the church becomes derailed by the temporal needs of the community and endeavors to transform societal evils with a social gospel, instead of preaching the true gospel which is the only answer to man’s eternal problem! Therefore, we unashamedly believe that God’s primary means for the delivery of His message is through the exposition of His Word, verse by verse, line by line, and book by book. While the pulpit ministry is primarily marked by extended preaching through whole books of the Bible, there will be times when specific doctrinal topics, theological issues, and ethical demands will be taught through the Word. Yet, even these biblically derived topics will be handled through preaching in an expository manner.
A simple definition of expository preaching is when the divine meaning of the text is the ultimate message of the sermon. Therefore, expository preaching is Scripture-saturated, text-driven, and Word-concentrated communication where the God-inspired meaning of a biblical passage, verse, or topic is delivered as the main message of the sermon. This form of preaching is born out of a literal-historical-grammatical hermeneutic that accurately and contextually understands what the text meant to its original audience in order that the preacher might clearly proclaim that same meaning to his contemporary listeners. Yet, the goal of this type of preaching is not simply the distillation of information, but the desire for heart transformation. Thus, the expositional preacher actively engages his listeners and rightfully compels them in order that their lives might be changed as he explains, illustrates, and applies the meaning of the text directly to them through a personal, passionate plea.
Preaching God’s Word is foundational to God’s eternal plan because it is through the declaration of the Scriptures that God’s purpose, God’s provision, and God’s promise is delivered to His people. Without the preaching of God’s Word, His eternal plan for the ages cannot be heard, known, enjoyed, and accomplished! Therefore, preaching God’s Word is fundamental to the life and health of our church because it is through the Scriptures that she receives life, strength, sustenance, stability, and security. Without the preaching of the Word, the church becomes a people devoid of divine purpose. The church becomes an earthly mission without a heavenly map. The church becomes a distracted gathering of consumers enamored with self-pleasure instead of a people enraptured with God’s glory. Without the preaching of God’s Word, the church becomes derailed by the temporal needs of the community and endeavors to transform societal evils with a social gospel, instead of preaching the true gospel which is the only answer to man’s eternal problem! Therefore, we unashamedly believe that God’s primary means for the delivery of His message is through the exposition of His Word, verse by verse, line by line, and book by book. While the pulpit ministry is primarily marked by extended preaching through whole books of the Bible, there will be times when specific doctrinal topics, theological issues, and ethical demands will be taught through the Word. Yet, even these biblically derived topics will be handled through preaching in an expository manner.
A simple definition of expository preaching is when the divine meaning of the text is the ultimate message of the sermon. Therefore, expository preaching is Scripture-saturated, text-driven, and Word-concentrated communication where the God-inspired meaning of a biblical passage, verse, or topic is delivered as the main message of the sermon. This form of preaching is born out of a literal-historical-grammatical hermeneutic that accurately and contextually understands what the text meant to its original audience in order that the preacher might clearly proclaim that same meaning to his contemporary listeners. Yet, the goal of this type of preaching is not simply the distillation of information, but the desire for heart transformation. Thus, the expositional preacher actively engages his listeners and rightfully compels them in order that their lives might be changed as he explains, illustrates, and applies the meaning of the text directly to them through a personal, passionate plea.