Spiritual Development – jeremycouture.me

The Benefits of a Long-Term Expository Preaching Ministry

What are the benefits of a long-term expository preaching ministry for the church?

“Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.”

Definitions are everything. In Power in the Pulpit, Jerry Vines and Jim Shaddix define expository preaching as “The process of laying open the biblical text in such a way that the Holy Spirit’s intended meaning and accompanying power are brought to bear on the lives of contemporary listeners.”^[1] According to this definition, faithful preaching is focused on the Bible because that is where God has chosen to reveal Himself. Through the process of explanation, the preacher connects the world of the original audience to the readers of today.

Expository preaching is powerful in itself, but its impact can be multiplied through a long-term pastorate. According to church experts, Thom Rainer and George Barna, the average tenure of a pastor is around 4 years. Other studies suggest the number is between 5 and 7 years. In 2021, Lifeway Research released a study that stretches the average pastoral tenure to 10 years.^[²^]

Ten years is a worthy goal for pastoral service in one church – twenty year is even better. It’s long enough for the professional minister to become a pastor to the people. It’s long enough to work through all of the typical seasons of life in a church and for the preacher to work through some seasons of change in his own life. Two decades is a sufficient amount of time to see children who have grown up in the church have children of their own.

Years of experience isn’t a guarantee that a preacher will get better, but it is an opportunity. The preacher learns the Bible better over time as his relationship deepens with the people. The calendar urges the preacher to explore passages and books that he’s less familiar with.

Here are five benefits that come with preaching expository sermons in the same church for more than 20 years. The first benefit is Bible literacy. There is no magic number of times you must read the Bible to achieve literacy. But if you don’t read it, you will definitely never learn it. Expository preaching helps people gain a basic understanding of the Scriptures in their original context by studying them one book at a time. Skillful preachers will interpret passages in such a way that their listeners can follow and duplicate their approach on their own.

This process involves several factors, including the base-level literacy of the congregation when the pastor begins his ministry. Some churches have more mature believers, and some churches have a lot of new Christians who are unfamiliar with the overall story of the Bible. Another factor is the pace of the preacher as he works through books of the Bible. Shorter epistles can be covered in a few weeks but longer books like Genesis can take over a year. The amount of turnover in the church is another factor to consider as people are added or subtracted.

Another benefit is gospel centrality in connection with the overall storyline of the Bible. Approaches to evangelism like “The Romans Road” would make it seem like information about the gospel is limited to certain passages or books of the Bible. The Gospels and the Epistles are a convenient source of information about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But the Old Testament is full of information about God’s plan of redemption, like the prophecy about crushing the serpent’s head in Genesis 3:15 and the promise to make a new covenant between God and his people in Jeremiah 31:31-34.

A long-term ministry allows the preacher to emphasize the gospel message as it’s developed throughout the Old and New Testaments. Graeme Goldworthy traces a number of thematic ties between the Testaments in his book, Gospel-Centered Hermeneutics. These ties include salvation history and eschatological consummation, type and antitype, promise and fulfillment, old and new covenants, law and gospel, and even the connection between Israel and the church.^[3] The gospel is central to the whole Bible, and it takes more than a few sermon series to drive that point home.

The third benefit is spiritual maturity, which flows from the Scriptures. The Apostle Paul spent a considerable amount of time building up the church at Ephesus. He had high hopes for this church because he did not hold back from declaring “the whole counsel of God” to them. (Acts 20:27, ESV). This was a way of saying that he expected them to grow in their relationship with the Lord because he had taught them the whole Bible.

There are other ways to interact with God’s Word besides preaching. People can read it, study it, memorize it, and meditate on it. Hearing it proclaimed in the context of a local church, however, is a powerful way to develop spiritually. Theologically balanced sermons encourage unbelievers to put their faith in Christ, new believers to develop Christian character, and long-time believers to adopt the skills they need to serve others.

Ministry sustainability is an additional benefit of a long-term pastor. Expository preaching is a significant weekly commitment. It can take anywhere between 10 and 20 hours a week to produce a quality text-based sermon. Even if the number of hours is consistently on the lower side of things, it’s more than a full day of work each and every week. Effectiveness also requires planning, training, filing, and coordination for staff.

The time and energy spent on preaching (not to mention the other duties) will encourage a pastor to work with and through others to accomplish the overall ministry of the church. This is an often-overlooked benefit of expository preaching. If the pastor-teacher is following the approach of Ephesians 6:12 by equipping the saints for the work of the ministry, then the members will be involved and the church can continue its ministry indefinitely. If the pastor-teacher tries to do all the work himself while also preaching content-rich sermons, he will burn out at some point, and the ministry will slow to a stop.

The last benefit is church vitality. Healthy priorities for the church are drawn out of the Bible. The preacher has a special opportunity to cast a vision for what each local congregation is to be in its pursuit of the Great Commission of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18-20).

It takes time to build growth and stability in a church. Membership practices and leadership development have to be an ongoing priority. Evangelism and discipleship ministries don’t appear overnight. As an organization of humans, emergencies and problems pop up regularly. This all highlights the importance of an ongoing pulpit ministry in the church.

The power of expository preaching is seen most clearly in the congregations that receive it. The longer the preacher can stay and expound on the Word of God, the more clearly that power will become. Blessed are the churches – and the pastors – that get to spend decades together serving the Lord.

Photo by Rod Long on Unsplash

^[1] Jerry Vines and Jim Shaddix, Power in the Pulpit: How to Prepare and Deliver Expository Sermons (Chicago: Moody, 2017), 30.

^[2] “Study of Pastor Attrition and Pastoral Ministry,” https://research.lifeway.com/pastorprotection/

^[3] Graeme Goldsworthy, Gospel-Centered Hermeneutics: Foundations and Principles of Evangelical Biblical Interpretation (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2006), 241.

How to Survive a Spiritual Warfare Attack

The Apostle Paul addresses the subject of suffering headlong in his letters to the Christians in ancient Thessalonica. He praises them for their perseverance in the faith even though they experienced “much tribulation” (1 Thessalonians 1:6). He expands this theme in his second letter by addressing the place that suffering has in the life of every believer. God can and sometimes chooses to work through pain, heartache, and even spiritual oppression.

Paul’s words to another New Testament church paint an even clearer picture: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood… but against the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12, NASB). This struggle has become known as spiritual warfare – a topic with wide interest and almost endless speculation.

In his excellent book on the doctrine of angels, Satan, and demons, Graham Cole offers this definition of spiritual warfare: “Our common struggle as Christians against the machinations of malevolent spiritual creatures that are intent on thwarting God’s redemptive plan for his human creatures” (page 165). This thoughtful approach identifies the enemy in spiritual warfare as well as his overall objective. Satan wants to ruin God’s plans by ruining believers, the objects of God’s love.

The book of Ephesians urges the faithful to “put on the full armor of God” so they can survive (and even thrive) under these kinds of attacks (Ephesians 6:11). The breastplate of righteousness and the helmet of salvation are all tied to the character of Christ, which are all put on through faith. When we step back and look at the rest of the New Testament, we discover some additional ways to fight back.

Be alert. Satan and his allies are elusive and relentless. They can only be stopped through constant vigilance. (1 Peter 5:8)
Pray. God makes his provision, guidance, and protection available through prayer. The start of any spiritual conflict should be a reminder to call out in prayer. (Philippians 4:6-7)
Persevere. Spiritual attacks carry the inherent temptation to give up and give in. But this is the opposite of God’s will for the life of the believer. (2 Thessalonians 1:4)

Suffering is an unpleasant, but fruitful reality for every Christian. God can and does use the struggles he allows into our live to do his work in us and accomplish his plans for now and for eternity.

A Reflection on Psalm 127

How do you build a good life?

It takes a lot of time and hard work to build a life, but how do you build a life that you’re proud of? A life that is successful and satisfying? According to the Bible and the 127th Psalm, you can can’t build a good life without God’s help. He provides two blessings that are essential for longterm flourishing.

First, God provides the blessing of rest. This may seem confusing at first, so let me explain. Verses 1 and 2 describe all kinds of strenuous activities like build a house, guarding a city, and poetically “eating the bread of painful labors.” While the Bible affirms the value of work, it doesn’t view work as an end in itself. The reason that people endure long hours is so they can eventually rest and verse 2 says that God is the one who provides it. It may be rest for the night, a weekly sabbath rest, or resting for eternity, but true rest can only come from trusting in God.

Second, God provides the blessing of children. In verses 3 to 5, children are described as an unqualified good and a blessings from God. They are called “a gift,” “a reward,” and “arrows in the hard of a warrior.” But, the last line of verse 5 makes the strongest connection for me between the blessing of children and a good life. In the ancient world, the “gate” was a place of public debate and legal action. Grown children could provide support and even a defense for their parents as they age. Without an up-and-coming generation, people are left to themselves.

The lesson from this practical psalm is clear: You can’t build a good life without His help. So, the question becomes, “How do you get God’s help in building a good life?” In addition to believing in the value of children, it’s also important to trust God to meet your needs. This doesn’t erase the need to work hard, but it does tie our labor to God’s care and provision. If He can give his children what they need while they sleep, than we can rest easy and live the good life.

A Reflection on Psalm 15

At some point, every thoughtful worshiper is bound to ask, “What does it take to have a relationship with God?” As a man after God’s own heart, that question is very important to King David. He uses it as the introduction to Psalm 15 (see v. 1).

The balances of the verses provide an answer to the question in poetic form. Each stanza describes a different aspect of the righteous life, including walking blameless, speaking the truth, loving one’s neighbor, honoring the Lord, and keeping one’s promises. A quick visit with a Bible concordance indicates that these righteous behaviors are all rooted in the Mosaic Law. As a faithful, David was steeped in it.

But a deeper reflection on the righteous life is troubling. What if I have a bad day and fall short? What if I miss an opportunity to show love to my neighbor? What if I end up breaking one of my promises? Is my chance at a relationship with God ruined?

David’s link back to the Mosaic Law should lead today’s readers to another Biblical link in the Epistles. In Galatians 3:24-26, the Apostle Paul explains that the Law functions as a tutor or a caretaker that leads us to Jesus Christ. By faith in Jesus Christ and His righteous works on our behalf, we are justified and made righteous in God’s eyes.

Psalm 15 closes with a promise anticipating God’s justification in the life of the believer. Those who live a righteous life by faith will “never shaken” (v. 5c). That is to say, they will never suffer the lose of their relationship with God.

A Reflection on Psalm 20

Ten of the Psalms have been categorized as royal or coronation psalms. The theme that ties these particular passages together is their connection to Israel’s king. Psalm 20:6 proclaims divine support for “His anointed,” which is a special designation for God’s royal ruler. Psalm 20:9 closes with a plea for support from “the King.”

The first 5 verses set the tone of this hopeful Psalm. The hopeful or reigning king (David) calls out to the king for help. Since we don’t know the exact context or the timing of this psalm, we don’t know whether David is calling for assistance from a king or receiving a call for assistance as the king, but the effect is the same. Our spiritual eyes are drawn past God’s representative to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, who cares for all of His followers.

The second half of the psalm includes a memorable statement about God’s care for His people: “Some boast in chariots and some in horses, but we will boast in the name of the Lord, our God” (NASB). Chariots and horses were top-of-the-line military equipment in those days. For a nation to boast in something other than its military might was a bold statement. It reinforces the main idea of this psalm by drawing our spiritual eyes past human leaders and past our military might, to the one who saves us.

The pattern of ancient Israel in this passage teaches us about God’s gracious provision – physically, spiritually, and in all ways. He provides for us through imperfect representatives, enduring institutions, and the created order. More than that, He has provided for us through His sinless Son, Jesus Christ, and through His perfect and Holy Word. May our eyes always be drawn past the gift to the Giver of all good things.

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A Reflection on Psalm 9 and 10

The ninth and tenth Psalms are linked together by a nearly perfect acrostic alphabet structure. In addition, the ninth Psalm ends with a Selah (which is unusual), and the tenth Psalm has no superscription (which is unusual in this part of the Psalter). Since they also share some common language, it makes sense to read them together as a matched set composed by David.

In Psalm 9, the aspiring king praises God for His righteous judgment on behalf of those persecuted. In Psalm 10, he turns his attention to a particular kind of persecutor – the practical atheist. It would have been difficult to be a theoretical atheist in ancient Israel. The Tabernacle, the feasts and the sacrifices, the Torah, and the Mosaic Covenant all pointed toward the existence and intervention of Yahweh. The ancient Israelites could not reject these marks of Judaism openly, but they could reject them in their daily life and practice.

The Psalmist refers to this mindset three times in chapter 10 (verses 4, 11, and 13). In each case, the persecutor denies God’s existence and intervention in human affairs, saying to himself, “There is no God.” Verses 5 to 11 describe the inner workings of one who has rejected the existence of God, as well as their motivations. Without the threat of accountability from a higher power, the atheist feels free to take advantage of the weak and powerless.

David never accuses Saul directly in these Psalms, but one is left to wonder if the elder king gave himself over to this kind of practical atheism. Officially, he was God’s representative to the Israelite people. But practically, privately, he found it hard to follow God’s commands. When he was corrected by Samuel the prophet, he was dismissive and defensive, and when given the chance, he killed the whole priesthood at Nob (1 Samuel 15, 22). Everyone else viewed David as a “man after God’s own heart,” but Saul viewed David with murderous rage.

I usually see atheism as a mild form of unbelief, but these two Psalms put it in a much more dangerous category. Atheism tends to drive people toward aggression since it has no respect for a higher power. Practical atheism is especially dangerous because it changes one’s mindset in secret. The church, like ancient Israel, must stand with the Psalmist and call for God to take action on behalf of the afflicted. This may be one of the most powerful apologetics of them all.

A Reflection of Psalm 7

How does it feel to be falsely accused of something? Certainly, it seems unfair. It also carries a certain amount of desperation. It can be painful and embarrassing knowing that people think you are guilty of a crime that you didn’t commit. In Psalm 7, David compares the pain of a false accusation to a lion attack (v. 2-5). His soul is torn apart, and his life is trampled to the ground.

The book of 1 Samuel contains numerous events that could serve as the background for this Psalm. Even though Saul isn’t named, his tribe – the Benjamites, is mentioned in the heading. The most obvious are the events that happen in 1 Samuel 24 – 26. David has two opportunities to take Saul’s life but refuses to do so. In between, David is about to take the life of the “harsh” and “evil” Nabal (the Bible’s words, not mine), but is stopped by his gracious wife, Abigail. In all three situations, similar Hebrew words are used to describe God’s actions as He “repaid” men for their righteousness or “returned” a man’s wickedness back upon his own head (24:19, 25:39, 26:23). This same terminology shows up in the last section of Psalm 7, in verses 15 and 16.

So, how do we respond to a false accusation, once we’ve gotten over our feelings of desperation and pain? Following David’s example in this Psalm, we are to call out to God asking that our accuser fall into his own trap. If our conscience is clear, then we are to cry out for retribution for the Righteous Judge, who tries the heart and minds of all people. We are encouraged to fight lions with our own lion, the Lion of Judah, who stands up for His people.

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A Reflection on Psalm 6

What makes you weep? Maybe it’s the physical discomfort of an extended illness? Maybe it’s the emotional ache of a betrayal? Maybe it’s the spiritual sting of disappointing God? Whatever the source, we all experience pain, which brings out our tears.

Psalm 6 was written during a time of intense suffering for David. He felt as if he could “dissolve his couch with tears” (v. 6). Weather metaphorically or literally, the Psalmist was sick with grief.

But in the middle of the final section of this Psalm (v. 8-10), David offers a hint of hope. The Lord hears the voice of those who cry out for help; the Lord listens to those who pray (v. 9). There are all kinds of solutions that people turn to in times of trouble, but this musical psalm foreshadows what another musical psalms make abundantly clear, that God is a refuge and a present help in times of struggle (Psalm 46:1).

A Reflection on Psalm 5

David experienced great hostility and persecution on his way to the throne in ancient Israel. At least one Bible commentator believes that this Psalm was written around the time when Doeg the Edomite betrayed David to King Saul in 1 Samuel 21. The would-be king called out to the Lord to acknowledge his struggles and punish his adversaries.

But what if our struggles aren’t against a specific person? What if we are aligned with David’s aspiration to lead a righteous, God-honoring life and we identify with his struggles, but we don’t have a human “foe” to pray against? Is this Psalm irrelevant to the modern reader?

It’s at least possible that the biggest danger for a modern-day pilgrim comes from a place instead of a person. It might be the lure of a consumeristic lifestyle that calls to us at every restaurant, mall, and car lot we drive past. Or it might be an invitation to join the boasting, hatred, and falsehood that it magnified through social media (v. 4-6). Social media may seem like it’s a personal form of communication, but it’s really not. It could also come from the entertainment industry that provides an endless supply of options, some which would clearly draw a believer off the path of righteousness. The biggest danger for someone today may a spiritual, if it’s not physical.

In either case, the admonitions in last two verses of Psalm 5 still applies. The weary traveler should find his or her joy in God and the resources that He provides, over and against their circumstances. In addition, the weary traveler should trust in God has his or her shield against life’s dangers. Clinging to these truths should provide protection no matter what kind of dangers one might face.

A Reflection on Psalm 4

How can you find peace and safety in the middle of conflict?

The 4^th Psalm is often paired with the 3^rd Psalm and categorized as parallel prayers of trust in God; one for the morning and one for the evening. Since David was running for his life from his son, Absalom, this Psalm has a lot of credibility.

David’s quest for peace and safety involves three steps in this portion of Scripture. First, he calls out to God and asks for help. He talks to God about the people who want to do him in. He anticipates a good night’s sleep in spite of his troubles.

Next, he seems to call out to his adversaries in verse 6. These are the ones who “love what is worthless” and “aim at deception” (v. 2). David’s previous prayer allows him to stand up to their pressure.

Finally, he crawls into bed in peace. After all is said and done, David renews his trust in God. He finds his gladness and security in God, not in what others are scheming or saying about Him.

This Psalm is an invitation to join David on his quest for peace and safety. We have to same opportunity to call out to God before calling out to our adversaries. Speaking of this dynamic, Charles Spurgeon said, “He who dares to face his Maker will not tremble before the sons of men.” If we approach our own quest in this order, we have a good chance of arriving at our destination, safe and sound.

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