PREACH PREACHER…PREACH, PREACH!
TEXT: Romans 10:8, 14, 15; 2 Timothy 4:1-8 (Read 2 Timothy 3:15-17 First)
W. Max Alderman Statesboro Bible Baptist Church
INTRODUCTION: Originally, preaching was called a Gospel talk or literally, a talk about the Gospel. The Greeks were skilled at just talking, taking much delight as they did. Preaching takes “talking” to a spiritual plane to carry out God’s sacred purposes… The Primary purpose of preaching is that: 1. The lost might be saved; 2. The saved will be sure. The Pastoral purpose of preaching is: 1. To grow the sheep; 2. To guard the sheep.
Mark 3:14 “And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach”. The word preacher here means “to be a herald; to proclaim; to publish; to preach”. The word “preach” is the picture of the minister standing before people in all the dignity and authority of God, Himself. It is the word that was used of the Ambassador who was dent forth by the king to proclaim his message in all authority and dignity of the king himself.
The word “preach” also carries with it the idea of intense feelings, gravity, and authority, so much so that it must be listened to and heeded. The person who preaches is the herald of Jesus Christ, not of someone else. The herald does not share his own opinions and views. H proclaims the truth of Jesus Christ. (Practical Word Studies isn’t the N.T; V. 2)
The Greek scholar Kenneth Wuest, has one of the most challenging descriptions of the word preach ever penned by man: “The word “preach” is a command to be obeyed at once. It is a sharp command as in military language. The preacher must present, not book reviews, not politics, not economics, not current topics of the day, not a philosophy of life denying the Bible and based upon unproven theories of science, but the Word. The preacher as a herald cannot choose his message; he is given a message to proclaim by his Sovereign. If he will not proclaim that, let him step down from his exalted position”.
As we challenge our preachers tonight, may we also be enlightened and reminded as to the way that the Biblical role of preaching is defined. We will begin by looking at:
I. THE COURAGE OF THE PREACHER (2 Timothy 3:1, 2)
* Preaching is not a work for cowards.
* Regardless of the notion of some, preaching is a manly work that involves spiritual stamina and endurance.
* One cannot pretend to uphold the requirements of preaching, if he lacks the courage to believe and preach his convictions. (With longsuffering and doctrine).
A. He Must Preach As Ready. (to be instant is to be ready)
* He, as the preacher, must be as ready as the soldier would be ready for battle.
1. He must be ready by knowing the requirements of the ministry.
* The preacher’s requirements involve a call or commission.
* It is more than a “Mama called, Daddy sent preacher” that we are looking for!
* The call of the preacher is not something to be debated in one’s heart: it must resonate in his own heart before it will resonate in the hearts of his people.
* The God called preacher neither has to announce or defend his call; he lives his call out in the presence of others.
* I do not stand up in the pulpit and declare “I am a God called preacher”. I stand up in the pulpit and PREACH!
2. He must be ready by knowing the rewards of the ministry.
a. doing the works of the cross
b. doing the work that has crowns
B. He Must Preach Against Resistance (V.3)
* We are living in a time that there are many “itching ear” churches
*These pastors say nothing or do nothing to take you out of your “Comfort zone”.
1. In these churches men will prefer the entertainment of the world to the exposition of the Word.
* The expression “the stage is set” is now literally true in many of our “itching ear” churches, today.
* The pulpit has been replaced with a stool.
* The choir has been replaced with a band – while the choir director has been replaced with a “worship leader” who often has no concept of what true worship is.
* It the so-called praise and worship service is lacking the Biblical definition of worshiping God in “Spirit and Truth”, then it is not worship!
* The worship leader is not responsible for initiating worship, but instead the man of God, the Preacher, as he raises the banner of God’s Word is the responsible person for initiating the worship service.
* He does this with a clear exposition of Bible Truth.
* Many of the “Praise Songs” that are being sung are non-offensive music without a message.
* They are geared to connect with the world rather than separate from the world.
* Sadly, even some of the Independent, fundamental citadels of the faith have compromised in this area by bringing in their so-called “Christian rock bands”. If it is Christian, it is not Rock and if it is Rock… then it is not Christian!
2. Men will prefer Imitation to Imputation.
* We are being victimized by the incorrect teaching that says all that we need to do is imitate Christ.
* A lost person can pretend to imitate Christ, but that is all that he is doing.
*Satan does not care how much like Christ you are, just so you do not have Christ.
* Until you have acknowledge yourself as a guilty, hell-bound and hell-deserving sinner and trust the death of Christ on the cross with the precious shedding of His blood and the resurrected savior, you can never hope to have the righteousness of Christ.
IT IS NOT IMITATION; IT IS IMPUTATION…
3. Men will prefer “Praise in Worship” to “Preaching the Word”. (They put doxology above Theology)
* You honor the Lord mostly, when the Word is preached.
II. THE CENSOR OF THE PREACHER “Reprove”
* The idea of reproving means to point out a fault
* It does this by producing a sense of guilt.
A. To Bring A Heavy Conviction of Sin.
* This kind of preaching is becoming more rare.
* In the contemporary, seeker sensitive churches, preaching seems out of balance.
* The preacher can be described as “A mild-manner man standing before mild-mannered people urging them to be even more mild-mannered”.
* There used to be a day that we had “great stone preachers standing in little wooden buildings, but now it seems that we have little wooden preachers standing in Great Stone buildings!”
1. Some prefer preaching GRACE WITHOUT GUILT.
* Can you see John the Baptist preaching this way?
2. Some prefer preaching “A ministry without morals”.
B. To Bring A Heart Concern to the Sinner
* The word “Reprove” has to do with Conviction.
III. THE CORRECTION BY THE PREACHER… “Rebuke”
A. To Rebuke Helps Bring Spiritual Value Back Into One’s Life
* When Bible preaching is correctly exercised, it should work to bring spiritual value back into the life of the person that receives it.
* Old fashioned revival preaching has brought entire countries to its knees.
* And we know that “Righteous exalts a nation”.
B. To Rebuke Helps Bring Spiritual Vision Back into One’s Life.
* The preaching of the Word brings about the noble purpose of causing the hearer to see spiritually.
* The believer sees differently because of what the world has taught him.
*Such a people will view differently morality, politics, social science and Theology because of the preached Word.
C. To Rebuke Helps Bring Spiritual Victory Back into one’s Life.
