The following is from my sermon on Exodus 13:1–16 entitled, "An Inaugural Sermon."

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Seminaries teach about it. Students read about it. Ministers work at it. Parishioners at times endure it. The world does not understand it. God’s Word commands it. What is it that causes all this commotion? Preaching. What is preaching? How would you explain it to your neighbor if asked? Let me say that I believe the greatest paragraph ever written on preaching and that I believe summarizes not only my belief and practice but that of the Reformed churches is from the Second Helvetic Confession, chapter 1, paragraph 4, written by Heinrich Bullinger in 1561:

Wherefore when this Word of God is now preached in the church by preachers lawfully called, we believe that the very Word of God is preached, and received of the faithful; and that neither any other Word of God is to be feigned, nor to be expected from heaven: and that now the Word itself which is preached is to be regarded, not the minister that preaches; who, although he be evil and a sinner, nevertheless the Word of God abides true and good.

In preaching we hear, receive, and need to expect the very voice of God himself through the means of sinful men. Can you understand why preaching is so vital to our faith and worship?

It was the same way in the days of Moses and the Israelites. Our text takes place right after the exodus from Egypt. And what was the first thing the narrative says happened? The church listened to Moses’ inaugural sermon to the newly freed people of God! Although this section of chapter 13 may seem disjointed and unorganized, there is a literary structure to it that gives us our three points today. Notice that in verses 1–2 the Lord speaks to Moses. This is a superscription over the entire text that gives the authorization for Moses to preach. Then in verses 3–16 we have Moses’ speech, which addresses the laws for the feast of Passover and the laws for the consecration of the firstborn. In reading these verses we come away impressed that the overall theme is the centrality and vitality of preaching the Word to the people of God. In this inaugural sermon, therefore, Moses challenged the people of God to respond to the gospel of the exodus in three ways, and the Holy Spirit today calls us to respond to our redemption in Christ in the same way: hear the Word, obey the Word, and teach the Word. 

Hear the Word (vv. 1–2)

God calls us to hear the Word. Notice that our text begins, “The Lord said to Moses” and this is contrasted with verse 3, which says, “Then Moses said to the people.” Verses 1–2 act as a superscription over this section of chapter 13. This means that it is like a heading that gives the reason for what Moses is about to say to the Israelites.

Even before Moses could preach he had to hear the Word of God from God. Of course this is the same as it is with ministers of the Word. When we were on vacation recently I was asked, “So how do you do it? Does a message just come to you?” I answered that God does speaks to me and I seek to deliver his message. I had this man's attention. But then I went on to that God speaks to me through his written Word! When a minister reads the Word prayerfully he enters the presence of God, and when he comes out to preach that Word, he should come out like Moses did when his face shone. He should come out with conviction, passion, and urgency.

So Moses and ministers must hear the Word, but since verses 1–2 were written down not only for later generations of Israelites to read, but especially "for our instruction" (1 Cor. 10), they apply to Israel and to all hearers of the Word in the same way. So how can you hear the Word week after week? Let me give you three practical ways.

First, you have to hear it expectantly. Do you come week after week expecting to hear the voice of God? This is what happens when the Word is preached: "When this Word of God is now preached in the church by preachers lawfully called, we believe that the very Word of God is preached." But let me say even more personally, do not come expecting to hear God's speak generally, but come expecting his particular word for your soul?

Second, you have to hear it faithfully. Remember, while you hear the voice of an evil and sinful man—your pastor—you hear in truth the very Word of God. And you must embrace his word with faith! Because this is so difficult for us, listen and learn from these words: "The Word itself which is preached is to be regarded, not the minister that preaches; who, although he be evil and a sinner, nevertheless the Word of God abides true and good."

Third, you have to hear it prayerfully. You must not only pray Monday through Saturday for your minister to preach the Word and that you will be enabled to hear it, but since the act of listening to the sermon is an act of worship you must be in an attitude of worship right now. When you hear the Law in the sermon you must humble your heart and confess your sins to God, and when you hear the Gospel you must rejoice and be glad in his salvation!

I'm often asked, "How would you define your method of preaching," or, "Into which school of preaching would you categorize yourself?" I am often at a loss for words or snidely reply: "Reformed," or, "Biblical!" Personally, I believe labels are necessary and helpful—after all, I am Christian, Protestant, Reformed, etc. When it comes to preaching, though, I feel the various categories and schools create false dilemmas and false dichotomies. For example, if you are "biblical theological" you don't believe in application, or, if you are "experiential" you are not Christ-centered, and the list goes on.

Well, what am I? I am an amalgam of what I consider the best of many approaches to Reformed preaching. Let me outline how I see myself and how I approach the task of homiletics with a series of dichotomies.

First, I am Expository & Catechetical. I follow the practice of the synagogue and the ancient church fathers such as Origen, Augustine, and Chrysostom in preaching through book after book of Scripture. This is called the lectio continua, or, continual reading method of preaching. I also follow the practice of the New Testament and the ancient fathers such as Cyril of Jerusalem in preaching the basics of Christian faith and life, called catechesis. One of the benefits of preaching in the morning and evening of the Lord's Day is being able to preach in both of these manners.

Second, I am Redemptive-Historical & Experiential. As Jesus taught us, all Scripture points to him (John 5:39; Luke 24), so no matter where in the Bible I am preaching, everything must be understood against the big-picture of God's plan of salvation in Jesus Christ. I've often commented that redemptive-history or biblical theology is a hermeneutic not a homiletic. Every sermon cannot trace the whole flow of the Bible, but every sermon can preach Christ with that flow in mind. As well, my preaching is experiential, that is, it understands that among those that are listening, there are both sheep and goats, believer and unbeliever. This means that preaching must be discrmiminatory between these type major types of people, seeking to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comforted. Another way of describing experiential preaching in terms of the unbeliever is that it is evangelistic preaching in the way Peter preached in Acts 2. In terms of the believer, preaching must enter the joys and sorrows of the Christian life in a practical way ("application").

Third, I am a Law & Gospel preacher. Every sermon must rightly divide the Word, as Paul told Timothy (2 Tim. 2:15). The threats of God's law must be forcefully proclaimed and applied, and the relief of the Gospel must be proclaimed and applied. As it has been wisely said, law without grace is powerless and gospel without law is meaningless.