2 timothy 4:1-5

(2 Timothy 4:1–5

1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: 2 proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not put up with sound doctrine, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander away to myths. 5 As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.

◾ Preaching: the oral communication of Biblical truth by the Holy Spirit through a human personality to a given audience with the intent of enabling a positive response.

There are all kinds of preachers and all kinds of preaching. Some are Biblical and some are not. Some preaching is Christ-centered and God honoring and some is not. Many congregations are subjected to topical preaching week in and week out.

Topical preaching is built about a topic. The preacher gathers information about a topic from different passages and builds a sermon on that topic. There is a great temptation to read into a text, take a text out of context, or misuse a text in this style of preaching.

Textual preaching is a sermon based on a verse or a few verses from the Bible. The main theme and major divisions of the sermon come from the text.

Expository preaching comes from this type of preaching. This is what I seek to do week in and week out. The authority is in the Word of God not in the word of man. It is easier to stay true to what the Bible means and is saying by preaching expository sermons.

◾ Expository Sermon: A discourse that expounds a passage of Scripture, organizes it around a central theme and main divisions which issue forth from the text, and then decisively applies its message to the listeners.

Expository Preaching: (Westminister Directory 1645) states that “the true idea of expository preaching is that the preacher should become a mouthpiece for his text, opening it up and applying it as a word from God to his hearers, … in order that the text may speak … and be heard, making each point from his text in such a manner ‘that his audience may discern the voice of God.”

Stephen Olford defined expository preaching as “the Spirit-empowered explanation and proclamation of the text of God’s Word with due regard to the historical, contextual, grammatical, and doctrinal significance of the given passage, with the specific object of invoking a Christ-transforming response.”

Jerry Vines and Jim Shaddix in their book “Power in the Pulpit” wrote, “To stand in the pulpit unprepared—with little forethought—and deliver a message off the top of your head is not worthy of the Savior you represent … The faithful pastor will make a serious and sincere attempt to unfold the actual grammatical, historical, contextual, and theological meaning of a passage. He then will seek to establish the relevancy of that passage to the lives of his listeners. To do this, he will properly organize, adequately illustrate, and forcibly apply its message.”

The Bible has much to say about preaching and the preacher! Thank God for God called, Holy Spirit filled, Christ honoring preachers of the gospel. Thank God for the man of God who takes the word of God and exposes the Word of God to the people and the people to the Word of God. Oswald J. Smith said, “The world does not need sermons; it needs a message. You can go to seminary and learn how to preach sermons, but you will have to go to God to get messages.” We go to God by going to Him in prayer and going to Him in His word.

◾ A God called preacher will not preach about the Bible, but He will preach the Bible.

Paul declared the reason the preacher should preach, the responsibility of the preacher to preach, and the resolve of the preacher to preach. The preacher will be judged by the Lord Jesus based on his focus on preaching, his fire in his preaching, and his faithfulness to preaching. Pastors and preachers have a responsibility to get a word from God and give a word from God. The people have a responsibility to hear the message of God and heed the message of God. Are we ready to face the Lord Jesus at His coming? Are we proclaiming the message of God? Are we a Bible preaching and Bible believing people? Do we keep the main thing the main thing? This passage gives us some insights into what the Bible says about Preaching.

I. The pre-eminent charge to the Preacher. (1–2)

A. The motivation for preaching. (1)

“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”

Paul, in his closing letter to Timothy, had just explained to Timothy about the position and power of the Word of God. In chapter 3:16–17 he tells Timothy that the Bible is God’s inspired Book and God’s instructive Book. Paul tells Timothy that the Bible is:

◾ a profitable book

◾ a powerful book

◾ and it is a productive book

In verse seventeen we learn that it is productive for establishing the man of God. It is also productive for equipping the man of God. Because the Bible is such a Book preachers had better use it, believe it, preach it, and live it.

Paul establishes the fact of the authority of the Word of God and then he gives the preacher a charge concerning the word of God. This is what I call the preeminent charge to the preacher. There is no greater call on the preacher’s life than to preach the Word of God. It is a preeminent charge to every God called man of God.

Charge: hortatively, charge, testify (unto), witness. This word means “a solemn and serious charge.”

The charge is not before a panel of men, but before God Almighty and the Lord Jesus Christ. The call to preachers is a solemn charge to them because it is by God and the Lord Jesus Christ and it is before God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Henry Blackaby wrote, “In ancient times, a ‘charge’ witnessed by deity was considered sacred and unbreakable. A broken oath was avenged by the god who witnessed it. For Christians, ultimate judgment will come on the ‘Day of the Lord.”

Preachers will be accountable to God for every message they bring, every lesson they teach, every sermon they preach! Paul gives Timothy some great motivation to obey the Lord and to preach His word. Preachers should never fool around with the Word of God because we will stand before the Son of God! Charles Wesley wrote:

◦ A charge to keep I have, a God to glorify, a never dying soul to save, and fit it for the sky,

◦ To serve the present age, my calling to fulfill; O may all my pow’rs engage, to do my Master’s will!

◦ Arm me with jealous care, as in Thy sight to live; and O Thy servant, Lord, prepare a strict account to give!

◦ Help me to watch and pray, and on Thyself rely, and let me ne’er my trust betray, but press to realms on high.

The charge to Timothy was to be taken serious because he would stand before the Judge one day and give an account. John MacArthur wrote, “A preacher’s ultimate accountability is not to a board, a local church, a denomination, or any other human institution, no matter how doctrinally sound and godly it may be, but to the Lord, who has called and empowered him and who one day will judge him.” Paul reminds Timothy that the Lord Jesus will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom. This fact should motivate the preacher of the gospel to be faithful in preparation and faithful in proclamation of the Word of God. The fact of the Lord’s coming and sub sequential judgment should motivate the Preacher like nothing else! The Lord Jesus will come and when He comes He will judge both the living and the dead. He will do this at His appearing and His kingdom. Appearing: epiphaneia, ep-if-an’-i-ah; a manifestation, i.e. (special) the advent of Christ (past or future) appearing, brightness. Kingdom: basileia, bas-il-i’-ah; royalty, i.e. (abstract) rule, or (concrete) a realm (literal or figurative) kingdom, reign.

Paul knew that Jesus is coming again and he preached about the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. I heard about this pastor who preached a great sermon one Sunday on the Lord’s return. Some students approached him after the service to say, “We can’t get that out of the New Testament the way you preached it.” The pastor said, “Of course you can’t get it out, it’s in there to stay!” The doctrine of the Lord’s return is in the Bible to stay and the fact that Jesus is coming again should inspire us to live for Him. The fact that Jesus will judge the living and the dead at His appearing should inspire us to be faithful to His word! Preachers have powerful motivation to preach the word—all Christians have powerful motivation to proclaim His word.

We’ve learned about the motivation for preaching. We also see:

B. The message of preaching. (2a)

“Preach the word!”

Paul tells the preacher to preach the word. It is the responsibility to preach! Preachers are supposed to preach—that’s what God called preachers to do.

◦ Timothy was not to entertain—because he was not an entertainer

◦ Timothy was not to tell jokes—because he was not a comedian

◦ Timothy was not to give the forecast—because he was not a weatherman

◦ Timothy was not to report the news—because he was not a news anchor

◦ Timothy was not to give the latest report from the Roman Stock market—because he was not a stockbroker

Timothy was to preach the word because he was a preacher! Preach: kerusso, kay-roos’-so; to herald (as a public crier), especially divine truth (the gospel) preach (-er), proclaim, publish. In Bible days the rulers had “herald’s” that they would send before them to cities, towns, and communities.

The herald was given the message to communicate to the people.

→ The herald would announce the coming of the king

→ he would announce a decree by the king

→ he would announce a law from the king

The herald didn’t announce his message, but the king’s message. He didn’t speak on his authority, but on the king’s authority.

• He didn’t come to debate with the people, but to declare to the people.

The preacher of the gospel is called by God, commissioned by God, and is to convey the message of God. The preacher is to announce the coming of the King of kings. The preacher is to announce the decrees of the King. The preacher is to announce the law from the King. The preacher is to announce the Word of the King! Word: (logos) means “what is said, the Divine expression, communication, and preaching.” The preacher has a message from the King to the world.

Kenneth Wuest wrote, “The preacher must present, not book reviews, not politics, not economics, not current topic of the day … but the Word. The preacher as a herald cannot choose his message. He is given a message to proclaim by his Sovereign.”

So many modern day “preachers” need to hear and heed this message. So much that passes off as preaching is a crying shame. There are so many false teachers, wolves in sheep’s clothing, and charlatans in the pulpits. It takes time with God and much prayer to God to get a word from God. It takes work to prepare to preach—those called by God will devote themselves to the study of the Scriptures and the preaching of the Word. In his book “The Ministry of the Word,” 19th century Scotsman William Taylor wrote, “Let it never be forgotten, then, that he who would rise to eminence and usefulness in the pulpit, and become ‘wise in winning souls,’ must say of the work of the ministry, ‘This one thing I do.’ He must focus his whole heart and life upon the pulpit. He must give his days and his nights to the production of those addresses by which he seeks to convince the judgments and move the hearts and elevate the lives of his hearers.” As a preacher of the gospel we will spend the rest of our days in preparation and in proclamation of the truth. Do not lose sight of the message! Do not waver from the message! Do not turn aside from the message! Keep the main thing the main thing! PREACH THE WORD! The Bible tells us about the motivation for preaching, the message of preaching, and we also note:

C. The mandate for preaching. (2b)

“Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort”

The preacher has a message to preach and a mandate to preach it. Paul tells Timothy:

→ what to preach (the word)

→ when to preach it (in season and out of season

→ and the way to preach it (convince, rebuke, exhort)

Timothy was called on to be ready, stay ready, live ready to preach! Ready: (KJV: Instant) ephistemi, ef-is’-tay-mee; to stand upon, i.e. be present, come (in, to, unto, upon), be at hand (instant), present, stand (before, by, over). This word is an aorist active imperative in the Greek language which gives the sense of urgency, preparedness, and readiness. In season: eukairos, yoo’-kahee-ros; well-timed, i.e. opportune, convenient, in time of need. Out of season: akairos, ak-ah’ee-roce; inopportunely, out of season. Paul tells Timothy to preach the word:

◾ When he feels like it and when he don’t feel like it

◾ When it’s an opportune time and when it is not an opportune time

◾ When they “amen” you and when they attack you

◾ When they pat you on the back and when they cuss you out

◾ When they want to hear it and when they don’t want to hear it.

Preachers are to preach the Word in season and out of season. We have a charge before God and a call by God to preach His word! This mandate must be faithfully discharged!

◾ Preachers must fear God to preach faithfully to man!

◾ When preachers fear man they will not faithfully preach for God!

When preachers are used to standing before God, like Elijah, they will not bow before Ahab who stood before the king of Israel! Jeremiah 1:8 ‘the Lord told his prophet, “Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you,’ says the Lord.” Then in the same chapter he warns his prophet. Jeremiah 1:17 says, “Therefore prepare yourself and arise, and speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed before their faces, lest I dismay you before them.” We are commanded when to preach! (It’s always a good time to preach the gospel!) We are also told the way to preach.

Timothy was to convince, rebuke, and exhort! Convince: (KJV: Reprove) elegcho, el-eng’-kho; to confute, admonish, convict, convince, tell a fault, rebuke, reprove. That means that God will use preachers that will tell the truth. God will speak through His preachers that will preach on sin. Our society needs to be reproved—people need to be convinced of their rebellion against God and their sin that separates them from God! People live as if there is no God, there will be no judgment, there is no death, and there are no consequences for their sins! The preacher’s responsibility is to convince and reprove of sin! A preacher that will not preach on sin is an abomination to the Lord! (AMEN!)

Not only does the preacher have a mandate to convince, but the Bible also says for the preacher to rebuke. Titus 2:15 says, “Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.” Rebuke: epitimao, ep-ee-tee-mah’-o; to tax upon, i.e. censure or admonish; by implication forbid:-(straitly) charge, rebuke. God called pastors and preachers have the authority from the Lord to rebuke of sin and charge people to stop their sins. People may say, “Who are you to tell me that what I do is wrong?” I’m a preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ called by Him to preach His message! I preach His word under His authority! Preachers are to preach the word with authority. Often today preachers do not preach with the anointing of God and the authority of God! They do not see themselves as God’s messengers!

When the preacher unwrapped the book he found the dictionary and in the flyleaf was written this: “Words, just words, just words.” Mark Twain was telling that preacher that his sermon was just words.

A preacher that has the hand of God upon him, the Spirit of God that fills him, and the Son of God that empowers him can preach with the anointing and power and authority of heaven!

◾ Preachers are to rebuke the sinners and rebuke the saints

◾ Preachers are to rebuke the wayward and rebuke the worldly

◾ Preachers are to rebuke the apathetic and the abominable

◾ Preachers are to rebuke the drunkards and rebuke the drifters

◾ Preachers are to rebuke the liars and rebuke the lazy

Preachers are to convince and rebuke! John Mac Arthur wrote, “To reprove is to refute error and misconduct with careful biblical argument; to rebuke is to bring the erring person to repentance. The first discloses the sinfulness of sin, whereas the second discloses the sinfulness of the sinner.” People that do not heed the word of God need to be rebuked. People that love their sin more than God need to be rebuked! I love what Vance Havner said about preaching the word. Havner wrote, “Preaching the truth makes people either sad, mad, or glad. Too many people today leave church on Sunday neither sad, mad, nor glad; they go out as they came in. Better go out mad than just go out!… it is better to scare men into heaven than to lull them into hell. Better shocked than stupefied!”

The God called preacher is to convince and rebuke and exhort! Exhort:to call near, i.e. invite, invoke (by imploration, hortation or consolation), beseech, call for, (be of good) comfort, desire, (give) exhort (-ation), entreat, pray. This word means “to call someone alongside of you, to appeal to them, to instruct them, to beg.” The faithful preaching of the word of God will convict, convert, and comfort. The preaching of the word will break down and then build up!

Preaching of the Word of God will:

→ afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted

It takes preaching the whole counsel of God’s word. It takes the faithful exposition of God’s word to minister as God intends. Warren Wiersbe wrote, “If there is conviction but no remedy, we add to people’s burdens. And if we encourage those who ought to be rebuked, we are assisting them to sin. Biblical preaching must be balanced.” Preachers have the message of God and they have a mandate from God.

We’ve talked about the motivation for preaching, the message of preaching, the mandate for preaching, and lastly we note:

D. The method of preaching. (2c)

“with all longsuffering and teaching.”

Preachers are to preach with all longsuffering and teaching. That means we are not to give up or give out! We are not to pack it in and quit! Longsuffering: makrothumia, mak-roth-oo-mee’-ah; longanimity, i.e. (objective) forbearance or (subjective) fortitude-longsuffering, patience. Paul knew that preaching to people can be exhilarating, but it can also be frustrating. It can pump you up, but it can also pull you down! Preachers need to be longsuffering in their preaching! We are not to change direction with the shifting winds of church philosophy. We are not to jump on the bandwagon of the trendy church movements. We are not to grow weary of preaching the Book. God uses the “foolishness of preaching” to save the lost! 1 Corinthians 1:21 says, “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.” The method of our preaching is to preach the word steadfastly, unreservedly, unswervingly, and patiently. With longsuffering we are to lift up the Lord and Savior!

We are also called to teach the word of God. We can teach the Bible without preaching, but we cannot preach without teaching. All gospel preachers will teach in their preaching. Teaching: (KJV: doctrine) the word means “instruction, that which is taught.” Doctrine is important! Sound doctrine always leads to holy living. When we faithfully preach the Bible we will cover doctrines.

◾ We will teach the fundamentals of the faith

◾ We will teach the deep truths of the faith

◾ We will teach the exciting passages in the faith

◾ We will teach about warnings and judgments

◾ We will teach about salvation and condemnation

◾ We will teach about repentance and rejection

◾ We will teach about heaven and hell

◾ We will teach about the crucifixion and resurrection

◾ We will teach about the rule and reign of King Jesus

May we be found faithful teaching and preaching the word of God! The Lord has a call on our lives and a charge for our ministry. Be faithful preaching the gospel!