Expository Blogging

The majority of preaching we hear today is topical by nature. For instance we hear messages about evangelism, courage, prayer, heaven, hell, healing, and so on. This is not a bad thing in and of itself, but at the same time it causes us to negate, or a least give less importance to scriptures that do not deal with topics which we are not interested. Moreover we as teachers or preachers end up with a tendency towards taking a topic, asserting our own ideas then using a computer program to find all the scriptures that promote our idea. This way of preparing sermons and lessons is dishonest and is merely teaching our own ideas and looking for the scriptures to sanctify our own thoughts. Of course the issue is context, you can use scriptures out of context to do whatever you want, and can manipulate people who truly desire to be Godly by quoting scripture. This is the danger of topical preaching and teaching. Now there is benefit to topical teaching and preaching, if the preacher/teacher has been intellectually honest has taken the topic and taught it in light of the whole book. Sometimes topics need to be dealt with.

Why do I post this? This Gospel series of which I just posted my 51^st post has been eye opening to me. I have read countless verses that I have used to make topical points with and come to the realization that I did not have a very good handle on those verses within their context (and I am only 7 chapters into this project.) Now by taking an expository approach to this blog my eyes have been opened to things I did not see before. Moreover, it forces me as a blogger, and it also would force a preacher or teacher, to deal with passages that I typically would avoid.

I have never read a 'Christian' blog that was expository, they are always topical, typically rants about this and that with a smattering of scripture to support the author's views. That is how I blogged for 4 years, and still do from time to time. Unfortunately that is why the blogosphere is smattered with so many ideas, concepts, and thoughts that are contradictory yet all claim the same bible as their source. Again, I have long been a contributor to this problem. This is why this blog is and will continue to be mainly expository in its posts, and Lord willing, will continue for many years going through many books of the bible.

If you read this, and have been someone who has thought about blogging, or has a blog but never knows what to write, I would suggest taking the expository approach. Yes, you have to lay down your own ideas and agenda, but you will always have a topic. It has been hard for me to deviate from ranting and raving about everything that annoys me (you will see I still do it now and then) at the same time I have found far greater joy and learning in the blogging process by forgoing my own topical desires and just writing about Matthews Gospel in order.

Take heart, thou blogger with no good topics, there is still a place for you in the blogosphere, and it is a place that few people currently dwell, in the land of exposition.