Consecutive expository preaching through entire books of the Bible (lectio continua) best prepares people to go through the ups and downs of life. Like a methodical bricklayer, the preacher lays a brick with each sermon that over time stands as a fortress providing refuge in the storms of life. Not every brick laid is remembered. Not every sermon stands out. Not every brick will be smooth, not every sermon eloquent. A single brick has little utility by itself, nor can a single sermon meet every need. Yet over time, brick upon brick, a wall is built. So too the consecutive, faithful preaching of God’s word builds up, preparing God’s people for all of life.
This kind of preaching unfolds arguments through biblical books. Each book has a unifying theme, a structured argument, a sweeping narrative that cannot be appreciated unless its parts are examined from first to last. The book of Job, for instance, deals with suffering, but only a verse-by-verse examination will begin to plumb the depths of its riches as it ponders suffering from varying angles through differing objections. Consecutive preaching forces us to slow down and ponder every word, clause, sentence, and paragraph. It provides a barrier against proof-texting, reading into a text, or searching for a text to say what the preacher wants to say.
Consecutive preaching forces us to handle needed subjects we might not otherwise choose. Subjects which might not otherwise be known. Each week we must deal with the text before us, rather than avoid it and look for another. The text drives our agenda rather than our agenda driving the text. In history, this has brought great revival and reformation—simply letting God speak. We must preach the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27) in all its splendor. The Scriptures provide plenty of variety: from warning to comfort, salvation to judgment, story to imperative. Consecutive preaching fulfills our commitment to let God speak in context and at length. God knows what his people need more than we do. Over time, brick by brick, the church is built, and God’s people are prepared for the ups and downs of life.