Preach The Word

INTRO:

Americans revere the Bible but, by and large, we don’t read it. And because we don’t read it, we’ve become a nation of biblical illiterates.” That’s the assessment of George Gallup and Jim Castelli. How bad is it? Researchers tell us that it’s worse than most could imagine. Fewer than half of all adults can name the 4 gospels. Many Christians cannot identify more than 2 or 3 of the disciples. 60% of Americans can’t name even 5 of the 10 Commandments. 82% think the phrase “God helps those who help themselves” is an actual Bible verse! (it’s the opposite of the Gospel!) It’s pretty bad.

KNOWING THE WORD IS IMPORTANT:

My favorite definition of discipleship is “the Spirit of God using the Word of God to help the people of God love and follow Jesus.” That’s pretty much it, right. But if that’s true that means that knowing the Word is absolutely paramount to you and I becoming a man of God or a woman of God. We cannot become who God desires us to become without the Word of God. So the book I preach out of every Sunday is a very important book when it comes to “entrusting the faith” from one generation to the next.

THE WORD OF GOD AND THIS SERIES:

We’ve been in 2nd Timothy looking at how to successfully entrust the Christian faith from one generation to the next. We all play a role. The younger generation, the older generation, the leadership of the church, etc. We saw last week the power of example and how our character/lifestyle is just as important as is our knowledge. But even with all of those things in view, we will never successfully entrust the gospel to the next generation without a commitment to and familiarity with the Word of God.

SETTING UP THE MESSAGE:

That’s what I want us to look at this morning. One of our core values at Broadview is a love for Word. The Bible takes a central role in everything we do in this church because Jesus Christ is the center of everything that we do. The primary way that we come to know, love and respond to Jesus Christ is through the Word of God. So today’s message is going to look at reasons why we (1) should practice the Word, (2) preach the word, and (3) prioritize the Word. Take your Bible and turn to 2 Timothy 3:14.

READ THE TEXT: 2 TIMOTHY 3:14-15

Paul concluded last week with 2 inescapable truths about the Christian life. (1) Live for Christ today & you’ll be persecuted for it. (2) Evil people & tough times aren’t going away anytime soon. What should you do? Don’t give up. Follow the example that Godly people have set for you & follow the example in the Word. That’s what Paul says in 3:14 “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”

FOLLOW EXAMPLE OF PEOPLE: WHAT IF WE COULD SAY THIS TO OUR KIDS:

Follow God’s people and God’s word. 1st follow God’s people. In Tim’s case it was his mom, grandma and the apostle Paul. How awesome would it be if you could tell your kids, “You know your pastors/Sunday School Teachers, you know your father & mother & grandparents. You know what they have taught you, and you know that their lives match their teaching. So continue in the gospel because you know from whom you learned it.” Could you say that?!This is Paul showing one more time the power of example. This is what the church needs if we are going to faithfully entrust the faith to the next generation.

FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF PEOPLE…AND THE WORD:

But then he makes a transition. Timothy would not be effective just by following the right people. People aren’t perfect. Even godly people. They’ll fail. They’ll let you down. But there is one thing given to us by God that is perfect. And that’s the Word of God. And that’s what our text is about this morning. Follow the example of the right people and follow the example set forth in the Word. “Timothy, love the Word of God. PRACTICE it! Live in it. PREACH the Word. Proclaim it faithfully. And PRIORITIZE the Word over anything else.” First, he tells him to practice the Word of God because it’s profitable.

WHY YOU SHOULD LOVE THE WORD: WISE FOR SALVATION 2 TIM 3:15

Profitable for what? Let me give you several reasons why the Word of God is profitable. Why you should love it and live in it. The first is because it’s through the Word of God that we are made “wise for salvation.” Without the Word, you nor I could have ever become a Christian. In 2 Tim 3:15 Paul says of the Word it is able “…to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” The “sacred writings” Paul is talking about is the OT that was taught to Timothy by Lois (grandmother) and Eunice (mother).

OT IS A CHRIST-CENTERED, GOSPEL RICH, FAITH IN CHRIST PRODUCER:

This is instructive. So many of us stay away from the OT. We shouldn’t. Everything in the OT points to or reveals Jesus as Savior and King (Luke 24:27). The first Christians used the OT as their main tool for evangelism (not a tract!) We should NEVER read the OT as a book of moral platitudes and super hero stories. It’s designed to point us to and create saving faith in Jesus Christ. Samson, David, Gideon, all of those stories are about Jesus! The OT anticipates Christ and the NT reveals, explains and applies Him. So many people get lost in the weeds because they fail to see this larger theme.

I WANT YOU TO LOVE THE OLD TESTAMENT:

As your pastor I want you to love the OT. I know it’s more difficult to read & understand because we are so far removed culturally and chronologically. But as you’re reading the OT, try to look for Jesus. There’s a study bible called the Gospel Transformation Bible by ESV that has notes in the bottom which will help you do just that. I read a book just the other day that was very helpful on this entitled “Jesus on Every Page” by David Murray. The covenants point to him, the characters, the prophets, the poems, it’s all about Jesus.

WHY YOU SHOULD LOVE THE BIBLE: INSPIRED BY GOD: 2 TIM 3:16

The Bible is profitable 1st because it makes you wise for salvation. The 2nd reason we love the Bible is because it’s uniquely inspired by God. It’s a special book in that way. Unlike any other book. He says in 3:16 that “All Scripture is breathed out by God…” Some translations will say “inspired by God” but the Greek word literally means “God-breathed.” The idea is that God worked through the biblical writers to pen His Word exactly as he wanted. He SPOKE HIS WORLD into existence from nothing and BREATHED HIS WORD into perfect conformity to his will. That’s makes the Scripture unique.

TRUE, ALL TRUE,

Notice he doesn’t say “some Scripture” is inspired by God. It’s ALL Scripture. OT & NT. We don’t get to pick and choose what we believe/disbelieve or obey/disobey. Some think Paul had only in mind the OT but I disagree. Peter equates Paul’s writings with inspired Scripture in 2 Peter 1:20-21. Paul sees his own letters as inspired by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 14:37). In 1 Timothy 5:8 Paul quotes Deut 25:4 and Luke 10:7 back to back as if they’re equally inspired by God. We know that the NT documents were being read aloud in all the valid churches in the 1st Century. Only later was it ratified & canonized.

DO YOU BELIEVE THE BIBLE IS TRUE? IT CHANGES EVERYTHING:

Part of being successful in entrusting the faith from one generation to the next is this conviction that the Word of God is not like other documents. It’s true in a special way. It’s not just true because it conforms with reality as it is. It’s true because the creator of all reality used the personality and free agency of flawed human beings to perfectly record what we needed in order to know him, be saved by him, love him and live for him. That conviction changes the way you think about/read this book. Do you believe this?

PRACTICE THE BIBLE BECAUSE IT’S PRACTICAL FOR DAILY LIFE:

The 3rd reason we should love the Bible is because it’s practical to everyday life. It’s profitable because it gives us solutions to the problems we face and exposes what we hide from ourselves. 3:16 “…breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” One of the reasons why people believe in the inspiration of Scripture but never read it is because they don’t actually believe in the sufficiency of Scripture to address the problems that they face. In other words, it’s not practical.

PARAPHRASE OF TEACHING, REPROOF, CORRECTION, TRAINING:

But it is! He gives 4 ways in which it is practical. It’s profitable for teaching, reproof, correction and for training in righteousness. I’d paraphrase it this way. It’s practical because it supplies us with TRUE beliefs that we need to embrace (teaching), it exposes FALSE beliefs that we need to reject (reproof), it confronts us on behaviors that need to be stopped (correction), and it strengthens us through encouragement so that we can overcome the things that need to be overcome (training in righteousness). God uses the Word in our life to do FOR us what we cannot do for ourselves. It’s a means of grace.

THE MEANS THAT GOD USES TO GROW US:

So many of us struggle with this sin or that sin and we think that the only way we’ll be able to overcome it is through this method or that method. But according to 2 Timothy 3:16 the PRIMARY MEANS that God uses to “equip us for every good work” to “bring us to a state of completion” (meaning Christ-likeness) is through our personal, consistent, enthusiastic interaction with his DIVINELY INSPIRED Word. If you’re struggling in your Christian life (relationally, financially, professionally, emotionally, intellectually) and you’re not interacting with the Word of God on a regular basis then YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG!

APPLICATION: GET YOU FACE IN THIS BOOK:

Scripture is the chief means God uses to bring a man/woman of God to maturity. If you’re not reading it then start today. Get a 7 day reading plan. Do you worry for your children in the days that we’re living in? According to Paul it’ll go from bad to worse. Your response? Set a good example for your kids and get them acquainted with the Word of God. Start having family devotionals. Do something. Anything. Start today. Scripture is profitable. It makes us wise for salvation, it’s uniquely inspired, it’s practical.

2 TIMOTHY 4:1-2: TRANSITION TO PREACH THE WORD:

Timothy was not only to practice the Word for profit. He was also to PREACH the Word with patience. That’s the direction Paul takes in ch 4. To put it simply, “don’t just get the Word IN you but let the Word go THROUGH you.” Read 4:1-2 “I charge you 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: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” This is a favorite text of mine. The point? Preach the Word. Be accountable, available, make it applicable.

PREACH THE WORD:

The Word translated “preach” means herald publically. Not just “coffee shop conversation.” The “Word” includes all Scripture. It entails the “public, passionate, persuasive proclamation of what God has said in the Scripture about Jesus Christ.” I believe the best way to do this is through “expository preaching.” Text-driven preaching. Letting the text drive the structure, spirit and style of the preaching. In expositional preaching the main idea of the text is the main point of the sermon. I want to take you into the text and let you explore and see it all. Paul goes on to clarify what that entails.

PREACH THE WORD FAITHFULLY: ACCOUNTABILITY

First off, preach the word “faithfully.” You’re being faithful 1st & foremost to God. 4:1 “I charge you in the presence of God & of Jesus Christ…” It’s before God – not friends, fans or competition. You may feel unnoticed but you’re not unnoticed. Jesus will come again as judge, he has a kingdom (now and coming soon) So PREACH in light of the visible glorious appearing of Jesus. In light of that holy accountability. (Heb 13:7) So I must ask things like, “is God pleased with my treatment of His Word? My motive? My Attitude? My care for the church? Do I preach for the applause of man or the pleasure of God?”

PREACH THE WORD CONSISTENTLY: AVAILABILITY

Preach the Word faithfully. (be accountable.) He also tells Timothy to preach the Word consistently. Be available. Preach the Word whether it’s convenient or not. “Be ready in season and out of season…” Paul is also getting at the issue of urgency. We are addressing matters of life, death, and eternity. Preachers of the Gospel are always on duty. A preacher’s needs to be characterized by readiness not laziness! “Am I available? Am I willing to be used in any situation? Do I feel the urgency?”

PREACH THE WORD PASTORALLY: APPLICABILITY

Be accountable, be available, & 3rd make it applicable. Preach faithfully, consistently, & PASTORALLY. Preachers must be effective in applying the text well to their audience. As your pastor I work hard to apply the text effectively depending on the context that I’m in. (group dynamic) Paul gives three ways of doing it. “reprove, rebuke and exhort…” A good sermon has all three of these present. I like to summarize it as “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” “Reprove and rebuke…” (afflict the comfortable) and exhort/encourage (comfort the afflicted). Good preaching applies the text each way.

REPROVE, REBUKE, AND ENCOURAGE:

The word translated “reprove” means to expose/convince the wrongness of something. Sometimes people need to be persuaded as to why what they believe or what they are doing is wrongheaded or sinful. Timothy was to use the Word of God to accomplish that task. The word translated “rebuke” is harsher. It’s coming down hard on someone. The first word is more public/community based. The second more individual/private. The last word, “exhort”, means to encourage. Help people believe they can. That God is with them/for them/in them. Give them hope! This is the role of a preacher.

PREACH THE WORD PATIENTLY:

This kind of work can’t be rushed. That’s why Paul adds the phrase, “with complete (all) patience and teaching…” So manypreachers get discouraged when they don’t see quick results from their preaching. But growth in godliness is a SLOW process. It requires patience and steadfastness. (Charles Simeon illustration) How do we do this? Communion with God. Abide in Jesus. Unhindered, unhurried, undistracted. Meditate on God’s patience towards us. Work the Gospel deep into your heart.

PREACH THE WORD THOROUGHLY:

The last way to preach well is to preach thoroughly. That’s why the word “teaching” is included after the word patience. You might paraphrase it, “with all the patience it requires & all the teaching it requires…” The word preach means “herald the facts.” But facts cannot just be proclaimed. They must also be explained. Explaining the facts is the work of teaching. Showing how, why, where and when. Make it understandable. Great sermons include both. And in this day and age, great sermons also include apologetics which is a form of teaching. Showing why the Bible is in fact true and not false.

PRIORITIZE THE WORD WITH PREJUDICE:

In 4:3-4 he gives the reasons why Timothy needs to preach the word this way. Be patient and thorough, faithful, consistent and pastoral… “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, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” Paul is talking about professing Christians in this passage. Even professing believers will turn away from the truth. So prioritize the word with prejudice.

THE NATURE OF PEOPLE:

The word prejudice is usually used in a negative context. But in some cases, prejudice can keep you from drifting into error. If I’m an in environment (w/other believers) & I see a devaluation of the Word and an elevation of human opinion, I get skeptical really fast. Why? The human heart works hard to fortify itself against truth, creating rationalizations and systems of thought to justify selfishness/sin. Unfortunately, there are teachers and leaders who will give people what they want to hear, tickling their itching ears with curiosities that allow them to remain untouched by God’s transforming power.

THE TIME IS COMING: THE TIME IS HERE:

Christianity was then only in its infancy stage but Paul saw a day coming when even believers would find truths of the Gospel distasteful enough that they’d find teachers who could twist it to suit their own selfish agenda. That can’t take “sound teaching.” They’d rather have someone tickle their ears and suit their own passions. And there are plenty of people who will preach God’s truth in such a way that it strokes the human ego and justifies selfishness, greed and immorality. Be careful who you listen to!

DON’T WANDER OFF INTO MYTHS:

Prioritize the preaching of the Word w/prejudice. If you hear me start pushing my own opinion without grounding it in the Word of God, then start tuning me out. The further I go down that road the more turned out I need to become. You’ve got to practice discernment in this day in age. So many only preach the Bible for money & many others are willing to pay them for their services. Don’t be led astray. Practice the word because it’s spiritually profitable, preach the Word with patience, and prioritize the faithful preaching of God’s Word with prejudice. Prejudge someone based on that.

CONCLUSION:

In conclusion, I just want to encourage you to get into the Word. The central message of God’s Word is that we’ll never become the kind of people we were made to be. Sin has separated us from God and will forever keep us from living up to his demands, including the demand to practice, preach and prioritize the Word. But Jesus did all those things perfectly. And perfect obedience when it comes to loving, living, preaching and promoting the Word of God was applied to us by grace through faith. So if you’re recommitting to the Word this AM. Remember that first. And go from there.