Sermon – Preaching the Word, a Worthy Vocation
2 Timothy 4:2-5 (NIV) “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.”
Introduction – Proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ in a world filled with bad news, opposition, criticism, and deception is not easy. But a healing word is needed in a broken world. Why is it that if an individual who believes in the teachings of the Bible speaks out about the tenets of his or her faith, he or she is often castigated as being narrow or critical or something worse?
Our society cries out about shootings, home invasions, gang crimes and corruption at high levels of government and business yet is not willing to listen when the Gospel message remind them that this land has literally turned its back on God but there is a way to turn things around. Has society forgotten that this country was founded on basic biblical principles? In society’s mad dash for freedom from any sort of moral restraint, the tide of “anything goes” promiscuity has swept our land into chaos. God is still speaking and the Bible, His holy word is still available.
What is the key to applying the Bible to your life or my life in today’s culture? The foundation of this question is what I was taught as a new believer: to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind,” (Matthew 22:37). We learn what this means and how to do it by reading and meditating on the Bible daily. When I held my new Bible in my hands, I didn’t know where to start. I was given a new Bible upon graduation from high school in 1967, but never read it much. Now, it was 1980, and I had just given my life to the Lord. Everything about Church, God, and the Bible seemed so wondrous, awesome, and new. I knew the Bible was the key to this new life, but I didn’t know how to apply it. You may say what is the Bible and why should I even care about what it says?
The word Bible comes from Greek and Latin words meaning, “Book.” According to Webster’s dictionary, the term was first used in the 13th century and defined as the sacred scriptures of Christians comprising the Old Testament and the New Testament. It is made up of 66 books with 40 different authors. These authors were fishermen, government officials, farmers, shepherds, doctors, priests, and kings written over a period of 1,500 years. Each author wrote under in the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 2 Timothy reminds us that every word of the Bible is relevant and still applies to our lives today.
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” (2 Timothy 3:16, NLT).
Love the Lord Your God with Your Heart, Soul, and Mind - When the Jewish religious leaders asked Jesus what the most important commandment was, Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment,” (Matthew 22:37). Jesus quotes the passage from the Old Testament in Deuteronomy 6:5. This passage is threaded throughout both the Old and New Testaments as our foundation because God knew that a relationship with Him is from the heart. It is important because God created us, He intimately knows our hearts. And He reminds us in Proverbs 4:23, “From the heart, flow the springs of life.”
Without our hearts grounded in the Bible, our passions, desires, thoughts, perceptions, and affections would not be aligned with God. We were created with our will, our hearts, our desires, and our thoughts. The truth of this passage in Matthew 22:37 means that every part of our lives needs to be filtered and refined through our relationship with God. In other words, there needs to be an authentic love for God that starts with God-oriented thoughts, behavior, desires, and affections. The book of James explains why:
"But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it" (James 1:22-25).
It seems like a lot, doesn’t it? But here’s the thing: As we love God, His Word begins to change our heart by His spirit, which effects every area of our lives. This worthy vocation requires me to share the gospel. How Do I Apply the Bible to my life? To apply the Bible, I must know the Bible. This means I listen to it, I read it, and meditate on the Scriptures day and night. Hellen Keller said, “Unless we form the habit of going to the Bible in bright moments as well as in trouble, we cannot fully respond to its consolations because we lack equilibrium between light and darkness.” Gospel preachers must help people learn the ways of God.
1. Learn God’s Ways - Our goal in reading the Bible is to get to know God’s ways and to understand his purpose for the world and for ourselves. As we turn the pages, His heart and love for us are revealed. We learn why he created the world, his past interactions with humanity, and His plan to redeem us. Most importantly, we learn about His character and heart. Gospel preachers must help people learn the ways of God, then we must help them live out the ways of God in their lives.
2. Live Out the God’s Ways - Next, we begin to hide God’s word in our hearts (Psalm 119:11). Knowing God’s word enables us to filter our lives through the Bible. It opens our eyes to what godly living looks like. The Holy Spirit will help us apply the Bible to our lives, as He whispers His love and directions for us.
Instead of cursing or speaking carelessly (Matthew 12:36), we find ourselves choosing our words carefully. Instead of watching unhealthy or unholy TV (Matthew 6:22, Matthew 5:28), we find ourselves navigating to a more wholesome show (or just turning it off). Instead of making impulsive decisions, we find ourselves asking God if we should apply for that job or date that person is His will of our life. We are constantly asking what He wants for us.
One of the ways I learned to apply the Bible to my life was through the S.O.A.P. method. It helps interact with God’s word so you can discover life principles and truths for your daily walk with the Lord.
S – Scripture Intake. You can write out Scriptures in a notebook, it will increase your intake.
O– Observation. This step encourages you to interact with the Scriptures that you have written out in your notebook. During this step, you basically ask yourself: What do I see, and what does it mean?
A – Application. This step encourages you to make God’s word personal in your life. What is God saying to me today? What do I need to change? What action do I need to take?
P – Prayer. This step involves asking God to work in your life concerning the truths you’ve just discovered. Pray that God will give you an opportunity to share what you have received.
The Holy Spirit will help you apply the Bible to your life. When we first gave our hearts to God, he filled us with the Holy Spirit who speaks to us and leads us in truth—God’s truth. As we read the Bible, the Holy Spirit will guide us to understand it and live out God’s ways. Every day, I teach Scripture and help people comprehend the Bible so that it takes root in their hearts and transforms their lives. Why do I do this? Because of what I believe about Scripture. And what do I believe?
I believe that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God,” by which I understand that holy men of God “were moved by the Holy Spirit” to write the very words of Scripture.
I believe that this divine inspiration extends equally and fully to all parts of the Bible, its books of history, poetry, prophets, and epistles. I believe that the whole Bible is true and was given for a purpose. I believe that all the Scriptures reveal the mind of God, in the Lord Jesus Christ, His person and work, and His first and second coming. When the Scriptures are properly read or understood, the mind and will of God are revealed in Jesus Christ. I believe that all the Scriptures were designed for our practical instruction so we may experience life, full abundant life.
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.” (2 Timothy 3:16, NLT).
The challenging times in which we live were foreseen by Apostle Paul. So, he reminds us of the importance of our worthy vocation, “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.” Church attendance is low, attention spans are short, morals are almost non-existent, violence abound, and the gospel is needed more than ever. Woe is me if I preach not the Gospel. Our charge is to preach the word. Some will believe! Some will be transformed! All will be informed. Mankind was formed by God, deformed by sin, in formed by the gospel message to be reborn in Christ Jesus. The Gospel still works. Preach the word. Amen.
