This article is a summary of the following episode: "Accurate" Yet Empty: The Problem with Theological Lectures
Many sermons today are filled with careful exposition, accurate grammar, and precise theology, but they miss the one thing that gives the Word life—Jesus Christ.
We can preach with clarity, trace the verbs and nouns of a passage, explain the historical background, and even define the original Greek words. But if our conclusion is not Christ for sinners, we have stopped short of the very point of Scripture. A sermon may be technically correct, but it can still be empty.
Preaching That Moves the Heart
When Jesus walked with two disciples on the road to Emmaus, he explained the Scriptures to them beginning with Moses and the prophets. He showed them that everything written was about him. As they listened, their hearts burned within them. That is what faithful exposition does. It reveals Christ in such a way that the Spirit opens our eyes and warms our hearts toward him.
When preaching or teaching fails to do this, it may sound accurate, but it lacks life. True expository preaching does not simply explain the text. It heralds the Redeemer who is present in it.
The Scriptures Testify About Him
Jesus told the religious leaders in John 5 that they searched the Scriptures because they thought the Scriptures themselves gave life. He told them plainly that the Scriptures testify about him. They knew the text, but they did not know the Savior.
This warning is still needed. It is possible to handle the Bible with skill and yet miss the Son of God who is speaking through it. Preaching that only delivers information leaves people cold and weary. Preaching that delivers Christ revives and sustains.
The Apostolic Pattern
The apostles understood this. Every sermon we have recorded in Acts centers on Christ. Peter at Pentecost proclaimed the resurrection of Jesus as the fulfillment of the Psalms. Paul in Antioch connected the entire Old Testament to the risen Redeemer who frees us from sin.
Paul summarized his ministry this way: “We preach Christ crucified.” When he wrote to the Corinthians, he said he resolved to know nothing among them except Jesus Christ and him crucified. His message was not moral improvement or religious philosophy. It was Christ for sinners.
The same pattern appears in Romans. Paul begins by saying the gospel was promised through the prophets in the Scriptures concerning God’s Son. He ends by saying that the preaching of Christ brings about the obedience of faith. The Bible’s aim from beginning to end is to reveal Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promises and the source of life.
Doctrine That Leads to Christ
Sound doctrine matters deeply. It protects the church, strengthens faith, and keeps us grounded in truth. But doctrine is never an end in itself. Its purpose is to make Jesus clear. Every teaching of Scripture should lead to the comfort, assurance, and joy found in him.
When we preach about God’s attributes, his holiness, or his sovereignty, those truths should draw us to worship Christ who embodies them perfectly. When we teach about sin, the law, or obedience, those truths should lead us to the cross where the law’s demands are satisfied and grace overflows.
Preaching With Life
The difference between a theological lecture and a sermon is not the level of accuracy but the presence of Christ. Preaching is proclamation. It announces good news. It calls the weary to rest in the finished work of the Redeemer.
The prophets longed to see what we now know. They spoke of the grace that was to come, searching carefully to understand the person and work of the Messiah. The angels themselves long to look into these things. Every passage, every promise, every picture in Scripture finds its fulfillment in him.
When preachers proclaim the text without Christ, they place a veil back over the hearts of their hearers. When they proclaim Christ from the text, the Spirit lifts that veil and gives life.
Christ, the Heart of Every Sermon
If a sermon ends with moral effort or self-reflection, it leaves the listener weary. If a sermon ends with Jesus, it leaves the listener resting in his finished work. That is why Paul said, “Him we proclaim.”
Faith does not come by hearing information. Faith comes by hearing the message of Christ.
So we keep preaching him—his cross, his resurrection, his compassion, his promises, and his return. Every page of Scripture leads us there. Every weary heart needs that hope.
Without Christ, even the most accurate sermon is empty. With him, even the simplest message is full of life.
