As we approach the coming week, we are anticipating a wonderful couple days focused on the exposition of Scripture. Some might wonder why such a conference is necessary. Don't all pastors preach the Bible? Sadly, there is a dearth of preaching that accurately proclaims what God says.

Preachers, God doesn't expect you to rearrange His Word into your neat little categories, as if He didn't quite get it right. If God had wanted His Word topically arranged, He would have done so, better than you can. Also, God doesn't need you to supplement His Word with spicy tidbits from the culture, and never forget that you and your abilities are not the essential element of preaching. Powerful preaching does not begin with powerful delivery; you are impotent to supplement the power of God's Word.

There are many who assert that they are preaching God's Word, but it isn't enough to say things that are in accord with the Bible (though that would improve many sermons considerably). It certainly isn't enough to preach in such a way that you don't contradict the Bible. It isn't even enough to preach about what the Bible says (which is often passed off as expository preaching). Preaching God's Word is far more demanding than all of these cheap imitations.

If you are going to claim that you are proclaiming God's Word, you dare not obscure what He says with anything at all. When you are done, every hearer should be able to claim a greater understanding of who God is and what He expects from His people. Anything less is just a speech.

You must say what God says, where God says it, and use the same emphasis.