(II Timothy 4:2)
�Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.�
The first three words of this verse are words that every preacher must understand and heed. Preach The Word. I don�t care if you do have political issues that are close to your heart, Preach The Word. I don�t care if you see a great need for changes, or solace, in the social world, Preach The Word. I don�t care if you feel you have a great insight in history or current affairs, Preach The Word. There are articles that can be written. There are symposiums that can be addressed. There are position papers which can be issued. But when one seeks to stand in the sacred pulpit of one of the churches which God has established, Preach The Word.
�For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.� (Hebrews 4:12)
�So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.� (Romans 10:17)
�For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.� (Romans 1:16)
�Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.� (Acts 20:26-28)
It isn�t bad that we speak out on the issues of the day. But, when we presume to enter into the pulpit to break forth the oracles of Heaven unto the flock of God, we need to speak the timeless truths of God�s preserved Word. We need to understand that the Scripture is a timeless Book of Eternity. I have books that were relevant to the cultural situation of the 1960�s that are hopelessly out of date in this time. But, the Bible is never out of date. We need to speak of the Holy Precepts of the Eternal God.
This verse also says that we need to be �instant.�
The word �instant� implies �quickly.� We need to not hold back as we preach the message of God. We need to move forward with His message into a world that is sadly lacking any real understanding of the danger which is in our way.
The news shows of this past week are focused on the situation in Lebanon. Those news people are talking about the danger to the people in the area as well as the danger that the entire region might explode into a wider war. That is true, of course. But, there is a greater danger, even before this war burst out in all of its fury. The danger for humankind is that they will die and go to into a Christless eternity.
There is a real Heaven awaiting those who have had their sins washed in the Blood of the Lamb. There is a real Hell awaiting those who remain in their sins. It is our duty to preach the Truth from God�s Eternal Word about these eternally life changing choices which need to be made.
�Instant� also implies the concept of this present time. We can�t wait until tomorrow to begin to speak out for Christ. There are people who need Him right now. Their lives will not wait.
Several months ago a friend of Linda�s and mine passed into Glory. I didn�t know about it and missed the funeral. Now I read the obituary section of the newspaper every single day. I don�t want to miss honoring another friend at their home going. I don�t want to miss the opportunity to offer comfort and consolation from the Word of God to those who are left behind.
The amazing thing is that this section of the newspaper is filled each day with the names of people who have passed into the spiritual realm. Have they passed into an eternity of bliss in Heaven; or have they passed into an eternity of torment in Hell? Is it not our duty to Preach The Word of salvation will there is yet time!
The very concept of the word �instant� implies action. We must not just set back and wait for the world to come to us. I once heard the story about a farmer who was praying that a family from church would have enough food to eat. The farmer�s son said, �You know, Dad, we have the means to answer that prayer.�
We need to pray that God would send forth workers in the fields of the souls of the world. We have the means to answer that prayer, in part, by our own fidelity to the dictates of the Great Commission.
Our text verse also says, �In and out of season.� The baseball all star game was a few days ago. That game is played in about the middle of the baseball season. There are seasons for each of the sports where they are most active. During the rest of the year this players will not be actively engaged in their sport. It is the �off season.�
There is no �off season� in the Work of God. The Gospel Message is much too important. It does not know of any time when the Christian is not to be actively engaged in spreading the Good News that Jesus died in time so that others might live in eternity.
But, as we move out with the Gospel Message that Jesus died in time so that others might live in eternity, which is the heart of the Gospel Message, we should also note that the text verse says to �reprove, rebuke and exhort.�
First of all, reprove. No favor is done the erring Christian who is not shown the error which hinders his fellowship with Jesus. If we use the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt as a picture of salvation, we must also differentiate between the wilderness wanderings and the coming into the land.
The picture of the Children of Israel coming into the Promised Land is not a picture of the Christian entering Heaven. The more serious battles didn�t come unto the Israelites came into the land. Heaven, meanwhile, is a time of peace from our battles. Also, the Israelites were not completely victorious in the land; they shirked their duty to subdue the entire land. This lack of complete obedience to the commands of God continued to cause them problems while in the land.
But, there was a real difference between the wanderings and the entering of the land. Likewise, the true Christian needs to move from the place of wandering about in his concept of faith. He needs to cross the Jordan of his experience with God and settle down in the land. The battles will not be over, neither will the failures be a complete thing of the past. But, he will be in the land which flows with milk and honey. He will be in the land of the Temple where he knows that fellowship with the God of Glory is a present possibility because he sees the evidence through the eyes of faith.
Paul spoke of this concept in I Corinthians.
�And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal; even as unto babes in Christ. I have fed you with milk; and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and division, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? (I Corinthians 3:1-3)
We need to grow in grace. As preachers, so do we need to grow in grace. We will never be complete. But, as preachers we need to lead others to grow in this grace. Sometimes, like a parent with an unruly child, we need to explain the difference between a �grown up� walk with the Lord and the ranting of a �babe� in Christ.
The text verse continues in a manner of explaining just how we do this.
We are to, sometimes, rebuke. To fail to expose that which is detrimental to the Christian is to allow for error to enter in. While not preaching schism among the body of Christ, we do need to preach removal of ourselves from error. We need to expose false teaching lest some be beguiled by the tempter and follow after fables of men.
We also need to exhort. The purpose of �reprove and exhort� is that the Christian may be built up in the things of the Lord. If I�m trying to put a flag pole in my yard I do not want to attach my car to it. That would cause it to fall. I want to put a pulley and rope so that I can lift the standard. The point is to remove that which would be counterproductive and attach that which is needful.
If we were to major on �reprove and rebuke� we would only tear a brother down. That is not our purpose. We are to help him to remove that which would hold him back so that he may reach his full potential. A Christian needs to be �built up� in the Lord. Don�t be afraid to say something nice about him as the Lord gives you an opportunity!
This verse also instructs us to act �with all longsuffering.�
Anyone who has ever �potty trained� one of their children will understand this concept. This is something we want to do. We want to train our children so we won�t be burdened down with those diaper bags. But, the children keep having accidents and set backs. What do we do? We just continue and eventually see that we can go on vacation without diapers and pins. The child is actually happier, and more sanitary, because we have not shirked our duty as parents.
Preachers, quite often we preach the same lesson over and over and fail to see it applied. Don�t despair. There will be times we will not see the results we wish. At times like this we need to not be weary. Simply doing the Lord�s Will guarantees that results will come. Often we will not witness those results. But, God has promised to bless the preaching of the Word.
This verse also speaks of doctrine.
We do not preach doctrine often enough. �Oh, it�s just too dry.� Folks, God�s Word is not �dry.� The Word of God is accompanied by the Water of the Spirit. We don�t have to worry about the Word of God. We just have a need to Preach The Word!
We do not preach doctrine often enough. �Doctrine is just too technical. The people will never understand all this.� The people will understand if the preacher is not so enamored of his own intellect and voice that he puts the concept on a shelf above their hearing. We can explain, often by using illustration, doctrine in such a way that the people will understand.
Don�t forget that we have some real good help in this effort. The Holy Spirit will illumine that which the Scripture has given.
Also, don�t ever forget that the Christian does not believe what he believes if he doesn�t know what he believes. We need to preach doctrine so that the people in the pew will understand what the message is that God seeks to impart to them. We, as preachers, are not the depository of all the Truths of God. We are only a table to which the people may come to view the feast which God has prepared. True, they need to be in the Word for themselves. But, also is it true, that if God has called us to stand before them, He has called us to point toward Him.
The purpose of the preacher is not to entertain or enlighten. The purpose of the preacher is to point toward the things of God. That includes doctrine!
Doctrinal teaching will make for stronger Christians.
Doctrinal preaching will make the Christian better able to withstand the wiles of Satan. Remember, on the Mount of Temptation, Jesus each time answered Satan�s temptations with recitations of the Word. It is the Word which shields the Christian from sin. Sociology lessons do not shield from sin. Political pronouncements do not shield from sin. Even moral lessons will not shield from sin. A Christian is shielded from the tempter by the Word.
Preachers, Preach The Word!
Doctrinal preaching will make the Christian better equipped to work for the Lord. II Timothy 2:15 tells us, �Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.�
It is true that God can use the most unlearned if that person is dedicated to Him. But, the person truly dedicated to God will not remain unlearned because God has said to study His Word!
Preachers, Preach The Word!
Finally, and most importantly, a Christian who is grounded in the great doctrinal truths will be better able to put for the Message of Salvation. That, after all, is our primary duty as Christians. We learn of Him so we can share the Message of Salvation with others.
Then, the process begins again as preachers Preach The Word!
What about you? Have you ever gone to the place where you�ve accepted Jesus as your own Savior? Do it today! Then you can honestly begin to learn of Him.