Why knowing your flock is critical to expository preaching

The preacher walked across the stage, looking intently at the people in the church. It was time for his weekly invocation. He asked everyone who wanted to respond to raise their hands. Not a single hand went up. But he couldn’t have known that, because his image was being broadcast on a video screen.

I found myself at the nearest campus of this multi-campus church, having been assigned by the pastor himself. I couldn’t help but notice that this way of ministry doesn’t allow the preacher to get a «feel» for his congregation.

I don’t know what you think about video presentations or the multi-campus model of church growth in general, but this experience and others have confirmed my concerns about the gap between preacher and congregation, which is becoming a growing problem in all types of churches—large and small.

Pastors of growing churches of all sizes constantly face the challenge of maintaining familiarity with their congregations. And the temptation to become increasingly isolated increases as the church becomes more complex.

Of course, it is impossible for a preacher, even in a small church, to become the best friend of every member. However, a preacher whose work is increasingly focused on preaching and whose pastoral care is relegated to the background gradually loses touch with his congregation. This, in fact, undermines the very task to which he is trying to devote more of his time! Good preaching requires close pastoral care.

The ministry of preaching cannot be separated from the ministry of soul care; in fact, preaching is an extension of it. There are many reasons why it is important for pastors who seek to preach expositoryly to know their congregations. Here are three of the most important.

1. Expository preaching targets human idols

When I travel preaching, one of the first questions I usually ask the pastor who invites me is, «What idols do your people have?» I want to serve this church by speaking as best I can about any hopes and dreams that are not centered around Christ as their greatest joy. Unfortunately, some pastors don’t know how to answer this question.

When Paul arrived in Athens, he found the city full of idols (Acts 17:16). He did not see this as simply a philosophical problem but as a spiritual problem that troubled him personally. And when he addressed it, he did so specifically, mentioning their worship of «an unknown God» (17:23). When Paul addressed specific churches in his letters, the types of sins and wrongs he discussed were very specific and concrete. He knew what was going on in those churches.

This doesn't mean you start shaming or denouncing people from the pulpit, of course. But it does mean you're in the thick of things enough to speak in familiar terms.

Until a pastor spends much time with the people in his congregation, the idols he must combat with the Gospel will be only theoretical. All people have some universal idols. But the communities where churches are located, the communities themselves as a subculture, and even certain groups and demographics within the communities tend to trade in more specific idols and patterns of sin.

Knowing firsthand the financial, career, and family hopes of your congregation that have been shattered will help you know how to preach. It will help you choose the right texts and place the right emphasis in your explanation of those texts. This is what makes preaching a ministry, not just an exercise.

2. Expository preaching focuses on human suffering

I can safely say that my preaching changed after I started holding people's hands as they died and listening to their hearts as they cried. Until you hear enough people share their sins, fears, worries, and wounds, your preaching can be great and passionate, but it won't be as compassionate as it could be.

Many preachers carry the burden of God's Word to the pulpit, and that is good. But the preacher must also feel the burden of his people in that pulpit. He must rise to preach, having walked the valleys with them. His outline must be soaked with the tears of his people.

Knowing what suffering is constantly plaguing his people will help a preacher avoid becoming callous and insensitive to his church. He will not be frivolous at inappropriate times. This will influence the illustrations he uses, the stories he tells, and most importantly, the way he presents God’s Word.

I've seen preachers make jokes about things that people in their churches were actually struggling with. And I was that kind of preacher. We come to lift burdens, but with our careless words, we end up adding to them.

Preacher, do you have a sincere heart for your people? I don’t mean, «Are you a communicative person?» I ask, do you know what is happening in the life of your church, and does it move you, does it grieve you? Have you wept with those who weep? If not, in time your preaching will show it.

Think of Moses’ sorrow for the sins of his people (Ex. 32:32) or of Paul’s many tears (Acts 20:31; 2 Cor. 2:4; Phil. 3:18; 2 Tim. 1:4). Think also of the compassion of Christ, who saw the hearts of men (Matt. 9:36). You may believe you can evoke these feelings without really knowing your church, but it is not the same, especially for them. It is the same difference as the difference between an inspiring word from a role model and an inspiring word from a father—they are incomparable. Preacher, do not approach the text without carrying the real burdens of your people in your heart.

3. An expository sermon is prepared with a prayer that includes people's names.

Every devoted preacher prays for his sermon. They pray that God’s Word will not return void (Isa. 55:11). They pray that people will be ready to receive it. They pray that souls will be saved and lives will be changed. These are good prayers. But it is even better when the sermon is prepared and composed with prayers for John Smith, Julie Thompson, and the Cunningham family on the lips of the preacher. It is even better when the sermon is accompanied by pleas for the salvation of Tom Johnson, the repentance of Bill Lewis, and the healing of Mary Alice.

Paul repeatedly speaks of remembering the people he is responsible for in his prayers (Eph. 1:6; 2 Tim. 1:3; Phil. 1:4). And because he often mentions names, we know he is not just referring to general things. How much more should a local church pastor cultivate a relationship with his people! He should know their names and bring them up to heaven in prayer.

It is important to know who you are preaching to. It is important to know that this sister does not like your sermons. It is important to know that this brother loves them too much. It is important to realize that the man in the back row with his arms crossed and his forehead furrowed is not really angry with you—he is just listening intently. It is important to know that the smiling woman in the front, who is constantly nodding her head as if in agreement with everything, has a tendency to forget anything you have said. When you know these things, you can pray for your people in a deeper, more personal, and more pastoral way. And your sermon will be better. It will be more real. It will come not just from your mind and mouth, but from your heart, your soul, from within you.

All of these considerations, of course, assume that you are interested in this type of preaching. If you see preaching simply as providing a «spiritual resource» for interested minds, rather than as a prophetic witness of the revealed Word of God to the hearts of men, then you can safely ignore all of the above points.