The philosophy of ministry of any church must include the ministry of preaching. By preaching, we mean the bold proclamation of the gospel (Matthew 28:20), and the accurate explanation of the truths of Scripture (2 Timothy 2:15). The mandate of God’s Word for preaching is clear: “I [Paul] solemnly charge you [Timothy] in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and His kingdom: preach the Word” (2 Timothy 4:1-2; see also Romans 10:14-17; 1 Corinthians 1:21; 2:4-5; Ephesians 4:11-12).   Preaching the Word brings the knowledge of the truth that results in godliness (John 17:17; Romans 16:25; Ephesians 5:26). Preaching encourages believers to live in hope and fortifies them to endure suffering (Acts 14:21-22). Preaching is therefore, the most indispensable element of church life and ministry (1 Timothy 4:13; 2 Timothy 2:2; Titus 2:1). If we are to be Christlike, we will emulate the very ministry of the Savior, who said, “I must preach the kingdom of God . . . , for I was sent for this purpose” (Luke 4:43). Through preaching, Christ saves, sanctifies, and strengthens His church.
Preaching and teaching will be preeminent in our church, and by preaching we specifically mean expository preaching. Expository preaching can be defined as explaining Scripture by setting forth its meaning, clarifying what is difficult to understand, and making appropriate application (Nehemiah 8:8). This will come predominately from selecting Bible books and then teaching them in a verse-by-verse manner, paying close attention to the historical-grammatical aspects of each passage. The Bible Church then, must center its life and focus upon the preaching of God’s Word. This preaching will be most prominently featured in its Sunday services, but will also be pervasive in all aspects of our ministries.
The clear result of this crucial aspect of ministry is ultimately the maturing of the saints. Paul informed the Ephesians that God “gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastor-teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, to the building up [maturing] of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12). Likewise, Paul explained his ministry of proclamation to the Colossians in this way: “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ” (Colossians 1:28). There is simply no such thing as a New Testament Church if expository preaching is not being carried out. The Elders therefore, are committed to maintaining a strong pulpit ministry of exposition, which becomes the primary vehicle for the continuing growth of the body and the ultimate glory of God.
Having established the imperative of preaching, we call upon the body of believers assembled as The Bible Church of Little Rock to faithfully and attentively commit themselves to hear and obey the preached Word of God (James 1:22).