One essential doctrine that we as believers should be thoroughly knowing and cling to is the “Sufficiency of Scripture.” Because that is a great danger in our present situation. When we look at 2 Timothy 3:16 and 17, Paul, after mentioning how scripture is profitable for teaching, correction, reproof, and training in righteousness, uses a very important word. He says, “So that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” So the word thorough is sufficient for our equipping for every good work. So when we say that you know, the Bible is sufficient for us, it means it is completely sufficient for our salvation and sanctification. Whatever we have to know with regards to salvation, how to be saved and how to be reconciled to God. Who is God? Who is man? And how to have eternal life? All these things are sufficiently revealed to us in the Holy Bible. And also how to grow after being saved? How to know the will of God? How to grow in holiness, how to grow in love, and how to make wise choices which are pleasing to God. All these things are sufficiently revealed to us in the Holy Bible. So the sufficiency of the Scripture speaks to us that the Holy Scripture is our final authority for salvation and sanctification. And I should also mention that the sufficiency of the scripture doesn't mean that we have the exhaustive knowledge of God. That is not what sufficiency means. But whatever is sufficient for us to know in this world that has been revealed to us. There are many things that are mysterious to us and we should not try to get into that, that is not revealed to us. And whatever is necessary God has revealed to us. And it also doesn't mean that we don't have to read creeds and councils and books and hear sermons. What it means is that all these things that we hear, as we study the word of God should contain the authoritative, right interpretation of the scripture. Only then can we listen to sermons and read books because God also encourages us through the resources that he has provided to us through gifted Bible teachers. So what we need to return to at this time, is not turning to any other kind of means that the world is running after. We need to return to the Scripture because the Holy Bible is sufficient for us. The more we believe it and live by it, the more Christ is exalted, and we experience the mighty manifestation of the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

So, if expositional preaching is taking the Word of God and planting it deep in the soul of man, then the way it helps the church is by understanding God’s word and applying it. In second Timothy chapter four, we are told again that when we preach the word we correct people, when we preach the word we rebuke people who might be straying away from what’s true, when we preach the word we encourage people. So the way it helps the church then is to become more like Jesus Christ. And while we become more like Jesus Christ, because in knowing who Jesus is and becoming more like Jesus we worship God better. We were made to worship God, we were made to bring all things under the subjection of Jesus. And as the church, when we gather as the people of God, we worship God best. When we take the Word of God seriously and apply it in the Church’s life, we do that by correcting, rebuking, by encouraging, as we sit under expositional preaching. But as we do that we must remember that it doesn’t happen overnight. We are told over and over in Scripture to remember, to remember. So, the Word of God is given to us daily through the grace of God, it is given to us through the preaching of the Word of God. By faithful men who prepare well and who apply it in their lives, so that we can patiently instruct people and what it means to live for Jesus, and what it means to worship Jesus. So, I think expositional preaching then makes the Church what it ought to be, a people of God who love God built on the Word of God to the glory of God.

Session 7 - Harshit Singh - Unbiblical Church Growth Methods