There are many texts in the Bible that help guide us in how we should approach God's Word. In Paul’s 2nd letter to Timothy he instructs Timothy to simply “preach the word” and then goes on to explain “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”  (2 Tim. 4:2-4 ESV) Then you find  Paul saying in the book of Acts that he “did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.“ (Acts 20:27 ESV), and in 2 Tim 3:16 tells Timothy that  “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”(2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV).  Jesus says in Luke 24  in reference to how to come to God's Word,“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” When you take those passages all together you get a fairly well rounded view of how we should come to, and handle God's Word.  

With that biblical view of preaching of God’s word in mind, the preaching at COTA will always aim to be centered on biblical texts, and that includes all of scripture for it is all God’s word.  Preaching at COTA can best be summarized as Christ-centered expository exultation.  I want to be clear as possible on what that means. 

When we say expository, what we mean is taking a biblical text, presenting as clearly and succinctly as possible what it says.  To exposit, means to literally explain the text, taking into account it's historical and grammatical context as to be caerful to get to the intended meaning.  In expository preaching the main points will always come from the biblical text, and will provide the main framework on which the sermon rests.  In doing so, the aim of the sermon becomes clearly presenting what the text says, while minimizing personal opinions.   When this happens we are exhorted and encouraged by God’s word, rather than being entertained by man’s words.  When we are expository in our preaching, we will end up resting on God’s word and not man’s opinions or words.   The end result is then seeing God’s glory in His eternal word (Is. 40:8), and resting on what He has proclaimed and not the latest philosophies of the day. 

By exultation, we mean to not just present biblical truth, or just teaching for “head” knowledge.  As the preacher of the word, I am not simply trying to explain, and as a listener you are not simply trying to understand.  By exultation we, as a body of believers, are seeking to exult over what is presented in God’s word.  That is our time of preaching of the word in our worship service is a time of worship.  It’s not worship and then preaching; preaching is exulting over God and what He has done.  As Dr. John Piper says so well, “My job is to see the glory of the truth and to savor it and exult over it as I explain it to you and apply it for you.”  Exulting over God’s word is worshipping over what God has done, and who He is, by the explanation and application of His living, active, eternal Word. 
 

Lastly, preaching at COTA will be Christ-centered.  Since all of the Old Testament is pointing ahead to Jesus Christ, the gospels are about His life, death, resurrection and finished work, with the rest of the New Testament explaining what He has accomplished, all expositions will ultimately point to Jesus.  As we gather to exult over what God has done, there will have to always be a leading to see how it pertains to Jesus and His finished work in our redemption.  In order to truly exult over what God has done, and is doing there will always be a Christ-centered ends.  To ignore the history of redemption in our preaching, and how it all culminates in Jesus Christ, is to ignore the witness of the Holy Spirit to Jesus in all of scripture.  For all of scripture unfolds God’s wonderful plan to come and rescue man, and that plan always and completely centered on the person, and work of Jesus Christ.