Yesterday, I heard Drew Sokol's supposedly first sermon at Redeemer's Hunter College morning service. I was really impressed and felt much blessed by the word of God through Sokol's mouth.
In short, I would say that Sokol's expository preaching was so dense that the focus in scriptural reading of the day was more intense than any of Redeemer's pastors on the pulpit. I could easily rank Sokol on top of Tim Keller 10 times over. True, Keller also applied some expository method in his preaching and especially known for his gospel centered message, but he would feel he should do some topical preaching and thus drifted from scripture a little though not too obvious.
I measure the intensity of expository preaching by my attention to the sermon. When preachers do topical or lecture on love, friendship, world peace, comfort, joy, etc. I tend to doze off. Even doing simultaneous self-devotion during the sermon in order to save the time wasted by the preachers seemed challenging.
I can only pray and thank God for giving Redeemer a blessed preacher such as Sokol. As one not so important staff was leaving the East Side for the Central Presbyterian Church, God gave this church an important servant.
Last but not least, Sokol's ending prayer, was genuine: "I pray for these", instead of "we pray" all the time like all the other Redeemer pastors prayed. A true exercise of priesthood.
May God keep showing mercy to Sokol to persevere in such blessed manner. Amen.