“Preaching With Lips and Life” (2 Timothy 4:1–8) Do you enjoy what you do for a living? Stop for just a moment and consider what you enjoy about your work. What do you not enjoy? If someone asks you this week, “Do you like your job?” how will you respond? I don’t know about you, but I have the greatest job in the world. I’m actually paid to do the one thing I’d be willing to do for free. Now please, don’t try to be cute and attempt to take me up on my offer. I still have to make a living, right? Right??? Right! The point is: Even though there are challenges in my profession, like any profession, the privilege of preaching far outweighs any momentary pain. I’m doing the very thing God created me to do. I’m fulfilling my calling. At this point, you’re probably saying, “Good for you, Keith! I’m happy for you. I wish you the best in your career. But your pious preaching profession has no relevance for me.” Not so fast! If preaching is as important as God says it is, it’s extremely relevant to your life. (1) You have a responsibility to be a supporter of preaching and teaching at every level of the church. Whenever there’s an opportunity hear the preached Word, you need to come with a sense of holy expectation. (2) You must recognize that God has called you to preach as well. 1 Every believer must ensure that the Word is preached and God’s people grow in grace and truth. 2 (3) You must recognize that the things that make an effective pastor also make an effective church. So even though these characteristics describe preachers, they can be applied to the whole church. In 2 Tim 4:1–8, 3 Paul imparts two charges to his young protégé Timothy: (1) Preach the Word and (2) fulfill your ministry. These verses can be summarized in this statement: Preaching isn’t perfect until it’s practiced . 1. Preach the Word (4:1–2). In these two opening verses, Paul tells Timothy how to preach the Word. This section begins with the words, “I SOLEMNLY CHARGE YOU!” not, “I solemnly charge you.” This ensures that we understand the gravity of Paul’s charge. 4 But before we consider Paul’s charge we must stop for a moment and observe the phrase “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” (4:1). This phrase serves as a parenthesis to the charge to “preach the Word” in 4:2. So before we heed the essential charge let’s break down this parenthesis. Paul informs Timothy that he’s charging him in the presence of God the Father and God the Son. He then launches into three motivating realities about Jesus: (1) Jesus’ judgment . The Bible teaches that God has given all judgment over to His Son. 5 That’s why Paul says that Jesus will “judge the living and the dead.” One day Timothy will stand before Jesus Christ and give an account of his life. You and I will also give an account of our lives.6 (2) Jesus’ appearing . The Bible teaches that Christ could return for us at any moment. 7 If this is true (and it is), I want to be ready. I don’t want to be ashamed when He returns; I want to be prepared. 8 (3) Jesus’ kingdom . The Bible teaches that Christ’s kingdom will one day come to earth. 9 We’ll witness God fulfill His promises to Israel and be a part of a perfect government. These three truths should grip and motivate us to fulfill whatever charge Paul lays out! Now that we’ve examined the parenthesis we’re free to look at the charge in 4:2. The charge itself is a series of five imperatives. The first command is to “Preach the Word.” The term “preach” is offensive to many people today because it instills images of a preacher with a holier–than–thou attitude hammering on them. However, the Greek word, kerusso, was used to describe the proclamation of the town crier: “HEAR YE, HEAR YE!” 10 He was merely informing the town’s people of the king’s decree—nothing more, nothing less. Similarly, biblical criers proclaim the dictates of the King. This task demands a sense of urgency. Paul is saying, “Make preaching the Word your top priority. 11 In light of the end times motif in this passage, it’s worth noting that Paul doesn’t say “preach the gospel” or ‘preach the kingdom,” he says “preach the Word.” 12 “The Word” links back to Paul’s use of “all Scripture” in 3:16–17.13 The apostle is saying, “The Word is what the body of Christ needs. So remember to preach the Word not your feelings, your opinions, human reasoning, or even good morals. The only issue that really matters is what God has said. His Word is the only standard and authority for the church. 14 Because of where we live, we lose power a lot at our house. Whenever we lose power, I set all ten clocks in our house, including the most important clock, the automatic coffee maker. By the time I’m done, none of our clocks have the exact time. That is kept by the government’s atomic clock in Colorado, which sets the official time for the nation. This is the standard! Once the standard is set, we all have to adjust to it. The church must proclaim God’s Word with authority so everyone is on the same page when it comes to God’s standards. 15 In the four imperatives that follow Paul fleshes out what good preaching should consist of. The second command is to “be ready in season and out of season.” I used to think that this phrase meant that a pastor should always be prepared with a sermon outline or manuscript in his Bible. While that’s not a bad idea, it isn’t what Paul meant. The two Greek adverbs that make up this phrase mean “conveniently” (eukairos ) and “untimely” ( akairos ). 16 To “be ready in season and out of season” means to preach “whether it is convenient or inconvenient.” 17 In other words, we must preach the Word when it’s popular and when it’s not. 18 This means in an age of compromise we must take our stand on the Word. It means that in a world that couldn’t care less, we should care more. The final three imperatives form a triple ministry and are related to the various aspects of Timothy’s task as a preacher of the Word. The imperative translated “reprove” ( elegcho )19 means “to convince one of wrong.” Whenever the Word is properly communicated it should confront, convict, and convince its hearers of God’s truth. The imperative translated “rebuke” ( epitimao )20 carries a slightly higher degree of intensity than the word “reprove.” It means to warn those who have already been reproved. We have a responsibility to inform individuals about the urgency of responding to the preached Word. It is a dangerous thing to mess with God! Paul’s point to timid Tim is that, as a pastor, he must care enough to confront and rebuke. He must be willing to risk a relationship in order to promote Christ-likeness in a fellow believer. If you enjoy reproving and rebuking, you’re likely not fit for the ministry. But if you don’t do it, you are a shirker. 21 The imperative translated “exhort” ( parakaleo ) can also be rendered “encourage.” 22 This command means to come alongside and build up believers with the Word. Those who have been reproved and rebuked need exhortation/encouragement and comfort. The late preacher Vance Havner had it right when he said his job was to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” Paul closes his solemn charge with the reminder that these five imperatives must be carried out “with great patience and instruction.” The adjective translated “great” ( pas ) is a superlative meaning “all greatness, the absolute greatest.” As preachers we desperately need great patience because not all will give heed to God’s Word. The word translated “patience” ( makrothumia )23 can also be translated “longsuffering”—holding one’s anger a long time without cracking. As messengers of God’s Word we must be willing to suffer long. 24 We’re to carry on God’s ministry in a world that promises no eager response—even on the part of God’s people. This means that even though the Word has fallen on hard times in many churches, we must keep preaching and teaching it. True spiritual growth occurs over a period of time, through the patient teaching and application of God’s Word. We must also fulfill these five commands with great instruction. We must faithfully study God’s Word so that our preaching has depth and substance. Feeding God’s people is an immense privilege that preachers must take seriously regardless of the size of the congregation. Personally, I have struggled with “great patience.” When I first began preaching I expected too much from every member of the body. I set the bar too high. When the body didn’t measure up, I became frustrated and the church in turn regularly felt like they were letting me down.