Preaching Large Chunks of the Old Testament Without Hesitation
"I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God" (Acts 20:27).
These are bold words from Paul but we might not relate to them.
The Bible is not an easy book to digest. It is a vast library, filled with a wide range of genres. There are poems and prophecies, histories and laws, letters and visions. Even similar genres come with a plethora of shapes, sizes, and challenges.
Paul might not hesitate to preach the whole Bible, but if we were honest, most of us do. The sheer scale might overwhelm us. Like me, you might ask, "Where on earth do I begin?”
A Call to Move Beyond Hesitation
The sad reality is that many of us might freeze in hesitation. The harder books get pushed to the side. Isaiah feels like a giant mountain range that stretches beyond our sight. Leviticus can feel like a confusing maze of irrelevant sacrifices and laws that only confuse.
The result? These complex, weighty parts of God's counsel remain untouched, unpreached. But here’s the thing: we need these words. Our church needs these words. We can't skim past them. Our call is not to cherry-pick the Bible, learning only what's easily understandable. The challenge is to dive deep: go headlong into the big, bold texts of our big, bold God.
We must wrestle with the whole Word of Christ to create wholehearted disciples of Christ.
How then would one preach an expository sermon on a weighty, long book, like Isaiah or Leviticus, in under 10 weeks? How do you preach large chunks of the Old Testament?
Here are three initial tips:
Recognise the Limits of Verse-By-Verse Preaching
First, recognise that an expository sermon that works through a passage is not limited to a verse-by-verse preaching format.
While this format is effective for smaller books, such as the letter to the Ephesians or the prophecy of Malachi, it is not easily transferable to larger books.
In the case of Isaiah, it might take you over a year or two to finish the journey, with a very patient congregation, I might add.
While you might mine wonderful treasures on the way, you sacrifice giving your people a rich, whole-Bible diet. For this reason, its wise to broaden your understanding of what an expository sermon is, in its very essence.
Explore the Thematic Approach of Preaching
Second, explore the thematic approach for preaching through the Bible. This is an alternative approach to expository preaching, and an ideal method for preaching books like Isaiah in under 10 weeks.
In the thematic approach, you might take a large chunk of scripture. Let's say, Isaiah 1-5. The challenge of the preacher is to then isolate a consistent theme or message that runs through each of the chapters.
Through prayerful immersion into the text, you see Isaiah use vineyard language to warn his people about their fast-approaching judgment. You then isolate a theme: the holy Lord judges a fruitless Israel. It's a talk about judgment.
To expound the theme, the preacher might then choose 1-2 key texts from each chapter (not every verse), using tight summarisation as you behold the holy God of judgement and build the argument toward its crescendo.
Cross the Bridge From Ancient Text to Heart
Third, cross the bridge from the ancient world to the heart.
A sermon is never just about knowledge acquisition (while the facts of God are prized); it’s about heart transformation (the application of knowledge). That means the target of every sermon is the heart. The arrow aimed at that target is the gospel message. Then, when the arrow strikes the heart, it produces results. The gospel changes us, challenges us, comforts us.
To put it plainly, the question every sermon should answer is: “If I believe this message, how will it shape my life?”
When that bridge is effectively crossed, the result is transformation. The sinner is blessed. The saint is edified. In preaching for direct, sharp application, the demands of the gospel disrupt and restore our lives.
Four Bridges to the Heart
But how do you bridge, for example, passages like Isaiah 1-5, into the heart of your hearers?
Here are four approaches:
Redemptive-Historical
You could use the redemptive-historical method. This method traces the unfolding storyline of the Bible. It shows how each part fits into God’s plan to redeem his people through Christ.
In the case of Isaiah 1-5, you'd ask, "Where does this fit in God's salvation plan?" You then tell the story of judgment through the lens of the gospel.
The challenge of this approach is to tell the redemptive arch through the imagery and language of the passage, or it can lack flavour, becoming dry, unsurprising, monotonous.
Promise-Fulfilment
You could use the promise-fulfilment method. In this method, you might identify a specific promise (spoken by God through a prophet or covenant) and demonstrate its fulfilment in Jesus.
Example: Isaiah 7:14 promises a virgin will conceive, and Matthew shows that the birth of Jesus fulfils that promise.
When preaching through Isaiah, it is helpful to note that a prophecy can have more than one fulfilment: a short-term and a long-term fulfilment. In the realm of theology, this is known as "double fulfilment."
Types-and-Shadows
You can use the types-and-shadows method.
The Bible is one hyperlinked book, complete with rich, repeated figures. In this approach, you might examine Old Testament figures, events, and objects that are types (patterns, symbols, or shadows) pointing forward to Christ.
Simply, types are pictures and previews of Jesus. To use Isaiah 1-5, you might consider contrasting the vineyard imagery of Israel with the vineyard parables of Jesus.
Direct-Quotation
You can finally use the direct-quotation method. This approach aims to draw attention to instances where the New Testament directly quotes or alludes to a passage in the Old Testament.
Personally, I have found this to be one of the most surprising methods. In our research, we might see the apostles make connections to the gospel in ways we never imagined.
The driving principle of this approach is "let scripture interpret scripture."
Beyond Hesitation
Finally, preaching is a prized art, the art of arts. Souls are on the line. Sheep must be fed. But often, what stands between preaching and blessing others is our own hesitation.
Let us then continue to encourage each other as preachers, that we may say with Paul, "I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God" (Acts 20:27).
To that end, let’s pray, asking the Lord to give us courage to preach the larger chunks.