Here is the equation: Effective expository preaching = faithfulness to the biblical text + connection to the listeners’ culture. One side of the equation requires exegesis of the text. The other side requires exegesis of the culture. Neither side of the equation can stand alone. A sermon must be more than backing up the exegetical dump-truck and deluging listeners with data. A sermon must also be more than stringing together stories, lyrics from U2, and references to ‘The OC’ (a television drama about teens in Orange County).

My burden is to encourage myself and others to avoid pitting content and relevance against each other. Believers need to think through the flow of particular biblical texts, individual books of the Bible, and the entire sweep of the Bible. That’s why I’m sold on expository preaching. Non-believers need to be exposed to the same. Some contemporary preaching leaves the impression that the Bible is a junket of helpful sayings and good advice. But there’s a story line. There’s a developing flow of thought. That’s why faithful study of the text is crucial.

But exposition fails when it fails to connect the great ideas of Scripture to the world in which people live. That’s why I’ll refer this Sunday to the woman of Proverbs 31:10-31 as the ‘Tyra Banks of wisdom.’ That’s why I can’t leave Proverbs 1:3 as an abstract principle and merely say, “Wisdom has a moral dimension.” Yes, that’s absolutely true. But it won’t connect unless I talk about how this rules out ‘immoral wisdom’ like illegal insider trading or saving a buck by downloading music you have not purchased or by connecting to your neighbor’s wireless internet connection.

Every week, then, I force myself to work hard on both sides of the equation. Early on in my ministry, I short-changed the ‘cultural’ side of preaching. I’ve worked harder on that piece over the years, yet without sacrificing any time I spend on exegesis of the text. Where do you struggle with this balance? Which side of the equation do you tend to neglect? What corrections have you made? My plea is to worth both sides of the equation for the glory of God and the good of His people.