12 Erroneous Expository Preaching Methods

The following are Erroneous Expository Preaching Methods — approaches that call themselves “expository preaching,” yet fail to meet the biblical standard demonstrated in Nehemiah 8:8, Luke 24:27, Acts 2, Acts 17, 1 Timothy 4:13, and 2 Timothy 4:1–5.

These methods appear “conservative,” “biblical,” or even “deep” — but they subvert the God-ordained nature and purpose of preaching.

These are not merely less ideal.
They are unfaithful, unbiblical substitutes for true exposition.

1. The Running Commentary Sermon

(“Verse by verse” but not actually expository)

This looks expository because the pastor moves through a passage line by line.

But the sermon is:

This method never pierces the conscience, never demands repentance, and never exalts Christ from the text.

It is a lecture, not preaching.

2. The Word-Study Sermon

(Grammar replaces doctrine)

A sermon drowning in linguistics is not exposition.

Linguistic observation is a tool, not the meal.
When it becomes the substance, it is a counterfeit.


3. The Historical-Cultural Sermon

(Background overwhelms the Bible)

The pastor spends:

And then sprinkles one spiritual point at the end.

History is good.
History as the sermon is idolatry of scholarship.

Biblical exposition is about the text, not the world around the text.

4. The “Bible-Flavored” Topical Sermon

(Uses verses as seasoning)

The pastor chooses a topic first—
then finds “supporting verses” taken out of context.

The sermon sounds biblical because many verses are quoted.

But none of them are explained.
None are rooted in context.
None drive the sermon.

This is error of method, even if the content is orthodox.


5. The Application-Only Sermon

(Moralizing without meaning)

The pastor jumps straight to:

No doctrinal foundation.
No Christ.
No redemptive-historical framework.
No explanation of the text’s meaning.

This is Christianized self-help, not preaching.

6. The Doctrine-Removed Sermon

(Aimed at comfort, avoids theological clarity)

Doctrine is:

This is a pastoral betrayal.

Paul commands:
“Teach what accords with sound doctrine.” (Titus 2:1)

No doctrine = no exposition.

7. The Christless Sermon

(Uses Scripture without pointing to Christ)

A sermon can be:

…and still be Christless.

If Christ is not shown as the fulfillment and center (Luke 24:27), it is not preaching — it is Judaism.

8. The All-Application, No-Repentance Sermon

(Practical, motivational, safe)

The pastor applies the text to:

…but avoids:

This violates 2 Timothy 4:2.

9. The Emotional-Bath Sermon

(Storytelling replaces Scripture)

The pastor spends half the sermon:

…and the text becomes a mere prop.

This is entertainment wearing a biblical mask.

10. The “Wikipedia Sermon”

(Information dump with no theological spine)

This sermon piles:

But lacks:

This sermon may impress—but it cannot sanctify.

11. The Detached Academic Sermon

(Preaching that sounds like a seminary lecture)

This turns the pulpit into a classroom:

Paul commands heralding, not lecturing.

Preaching is proclamation, not presentation.

12. The “Meaningless Exposition” Sermon

(All explanation — no application)

The sermon rightly explains:

But never says:

Application is not a bonus.
Application is a biblical mandate.

Without application, the sermon is not complete and not expository.

SUMMARY: THE CORE COUNTERFEIT

All twelve counterfeits share one fatal error:
They treat preaching as INFORMATION.
But Scripture treats preaching as TRANSFORMATION.

God commands sermons to:

Any method that avoids these elements—no matter how “expository” it pretends to be—is a counterfeit.
(The above was AI generated.)