Preach the Word

PREACH THE WORD!

Last week I spoke to the men in general today I need to talk about specific men with a specific task
Men who have been called and will be called to preach the word

And it is more then those of us who are called Pastors
If you are involved in ministry, then preach the Word!
If you are telling someone about Jesus, then preach the Word!

Listen to the Word!

2 Timothy 4:1-5

4 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

I have never been there and no one who has been there has verified this one way or the other but I feel that Paul knows that he is about to die. I also feel that this is typical and not atypical of the believer in the Lord. Let’s look at verses 6 through 8 for the evidence.

2 Timothy 4:6-8

6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

These are the last recorded words of Paul before his death and he is giving to Timothy what he needs to continue the fight and continue the race.
Timothy is diffident and Paul knows this all too well

By diffident, I mean that Timothy lacks confidence in his own abilities

Timothy may have been shy and or reserved
This is evident as you read all of 2Timothy

2 Timothy 1:6

6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

2 Timothy 1:8

8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God,

2 Timothy 1:13

13 Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 2:1

2 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

2 Timothy 2:3

3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 2:15

15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

2 Timothy 2:24-25

24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth,

One possible reason for this is the bitter sweet of Timothy’s upbringing. Chapter 1, verse 5 speaks of the genuine faith that Timothy has that was first in his grandmother Louis and his mother Eunice. When Paul arrives in Lystra, Timothy is probably in his teens, his father was Greek (and scripture gives no indication that he was saved). Three observations

One our man children need role models who are men and practicing believers
Two just like in Timothy case God’s church will prevail
Three such were some of us. We men are where we are today because of strong Christian women being active in our lives, Amen!

I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom.

This is an imperative, a command, an injunction or an exhortation
As God and Jesus are my witness
Timothy, I am not playing, nor am I joking
What I am about to say is serious

Three words, PREACH THE WORD
Observe first the nature of the charge
Preach be a herald and do what a herald does

Proclaim, Publish by voice, Announce

Preach the Word.

Timothy does not need a lot of explanation here; he has learned Holy Scripture, knows it and is assured of it, from childhood
He knows that the Word, the Holy Scriptures, will make one wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus
Timothy knows that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable
Timothy is complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work but especially he is equipped to Preach the Word
He is aware of the Scripture like

Psalm 119:9-11 How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart That I might not sin against You.

Psalm 1:1-2 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.

Psalm 19:7-11 The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold; Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward.

This charge is not just to Timothy but it is to each of us today. And I am talking to more, now, then just the men who feel and know that they are called
Preaching is proclaiming, publishing, and announcing the Word of God then

Preach the Word, saint, in your home where you live and dwell
Preach the Word, saint, in the car, on the buss, on the Metro Link
Preach the Word, saint, on your job, in your classroom and in your sick room
Preach the Word, saint, around your friends
And Preach the Word around those who are not your friends

Four marks are given about preaching, I have implied some of them but what I’m attempting to imply, Scriptures make clear.
The first mark is ‘Be ready’ meaning be on standby, be on hand, be alert and be eager to preach. But also be ready because of the urgency of the Word. You my brother, my sister, you preacher man, or pastor must realize that this is life and death situation and circumstances that we deal with.

Be ready in season and out of season and I feel that this is for the hearer and the speaker
Be decent and be in order
Sometime others will not want to hear the Word of God it is not the right season or even out of season (that’s not the style any more)
But also for the preacher be ready at all times not just times when it is convenient.

Example parents with a sick child and have to stay up at night with the child
I had to deal with some things this week and the timing was not to my liking but still it had to be done. BE READY IN SEASON AND OUT OF SEASON

The second mark is preference by prayer. You must be in prayer to determine the most relevant preaching. Chapell calls this exegete the hearer. Paul gives three different ways to do this; convince, rebuke, and exhort

Convince, to move by argument or evidence to belief, to persuade or cajole

More an intellectual approach, dealing with doubts and questions, where someone needs to be convinced

Rebuke, to express sharp, stern disapproval of, to reprove, or to reprimand

Moral and the sin nature, here this is giving the contra, the you know better than that and if you don’t let me explain it to you

Exhort, to urge, advise, or caution earnestly, to admonish urgently, to warn

More emotional dealing with fears, worries and frustrations and the need for encouragement

Some of us need to be convinced that the bible is true, others need to be reminded you know better and you have been taught better, while others of us need to be encouraged to go to the bible to find the answers about your worries and fears

The third mark is one of longsuffering. Simply put we must preach with patience. You can’t plant the seed today and expect to be picking apples next week
Look again and read along with me 2Timothy 2:24-25
The last mark about preaching is teaching, a preacher should be a teacher. Therefore it is an intelligent proclamation, a teachable publication, an announcement about something. Preaching needs to be thematic and systematic and you need to come away with “hey I did not know that” or “it is good to be reminded of that” or “been there done that and it good to go back and visit that”

I am going to have to stop here and finish this next week but in conclusion I used this illustration before as a home going nugget. Paul is aware of his finiteness and he knows that the end is near; he did not wait until the end to start this but has worked up to this point. He says; “I have finished the race…” Many of you know that I am a high school official for the state in track and field and one of the most exciting race to watch is the 4X400 meter relay. It is a race that pulls all that you have left out of you and it is the last race of a track meet. There are four runners and they each run a 400 meter and it is not a sprint race meaning you are running it with your all and fast but it is a relay and that means you are timing the baton (a metal rod that is carried by the runner and exchanged with another runner) and not so much the runner. Some runners are so tired that they can barely make it around but the exchange of the baton can only happen in the exchange zone and the runners at this time are close to each other. Much practice and communication is needed to become successful in the entire race. Paul is passing the baton on to Timothy and he tells him to pick a good team to keep the race going correctly. Read 2Timothy 2:2, let us pray.

Through out Scripture the assignment, the request, the command, the charge is so simple but it takes a full life time to accomplish and in many situations and circumstances to understand. Listen; for a moment to Scripture

Psalm 119:9-11

How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart That I might not sin against You.

Psalm 1:1-2

Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.

Psalm 19:7-11

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold; Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward.