By Stephen J. Lawson
[Senior Pastor, Dauphin Way Baptist Church, Mobile, AL 36633
A sermon delivered in Binkley Chapel Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC, October 19, 1995]
Martyn Lloyd-Jones, the great preacher of London’s Westminister Chapel, once said, “The work of preaching is the highest and the greatest and .the most glorious calling to which anyone can ever be called.” I believe that, not because there is anything special about us who preach, but because there is everything special about the One who has called us to proclaim His Word.
Because the Bible is what it claims to be-the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God-then preaching is the highest calling known to man. As heralds of the sacred Scriptures, we have been entrusted the greatest privilege to send forth the only light that can expel this world’s darkness. To us has been committed the greatest privilege to sow the only seed that can produce eternal life in dead souls. Ours is the greatest privilege to broadcast the only message that can set the captives free. Ours is the greatest privilege of offering the unsearchable riches of Christ to those who are spiritually bankrupt. Ours is the greatest privilege to declare the inscrutable mind of God on the deep and burning issues of our day.
Lloyd-Jones was right. There is no higher calling than the work of preaching the eternal Word of the living God to men and women desperately in need of His grace. In actuality, every Christian is called to proclaim the Word of God to the world. No believer is exempt from his or her responsibility to fulfill the Great Commission. At the same time though, some believers are sovereignly set apart by God and supernaturally gifted to preach and teach His Word as evangelists, pastors, and teachers (Eph. 4:11). It is those called and gifted by God to preach whom I especially want to now address.
Let me ask you, “Has He called you to preach His Word? Has God appointed you to be His mouthpiece? Has He commissioned you to bear His message?” If He has, let me encourage you to apply yourself to your theological study here at this fine school. Receive the biblical training necessary for a lifetime of ministry. Pay the price. Press on. Endure.
The prince of preachers, the Apostle Paul, gave the following instruction to Timothy, his young son in the faith. I believe this admonition lies at the very heart of our call to preach because it tells us how to go about it.
Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed upon you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress may be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things; for as you do this you will insure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you. (1 Tim. 4:13–16)
Because the Bible is what it claims to be, there is no higher call than to be one divinely summoned by our Lord to preach His Word in the power of the Holy Spirit. Along this line, I want you to notice with me five tremendous truths about preaching. First, God wants us to see:
I. The Priority of Preaching (1 Tim. 4:13a)
According to this passage, the pastor is to be, first and foremost, a preacher of the Word of God-not a CEO, not a real estate broker, not a marketing guru, not a storyteller, not a promoter, but a preacher of the Word. Paul begins this charge by saying, “Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching” (1 Tim. 4:13).
By way of background, the aged Apostle Paul is separated from Timothy and has plans to come to him at some point in the future. Timothy has been sent by Paul to Ephesus to oversee and pastor the church there. Paul was probably in Macedonia (1 Tim. 1:3) and was on his way to Nicopolis (v. 12), on what amounts to a fourth missionary trip. Paul desired to come to Ephesus, a church that he himself had founded earlier (Acts 19:1–41). But until he could arrive, Timothy was to give himself supremely to one chief task that was to lie at the core of his pastoral ministry—PREACHING!
In fact, Timothy’s preaching was to be so central that he was to “give attention to” it. This Greek word, prosecho, means “to be diligent about this pursuit.” He was to give his undivided attention to the ministry of preaching and teaching the Word. It is a present active verb imperative meaning this was to be a constant way of life. Paul is saying, “Timothy, until I can get there, there’s one primary thing into which you must continually pour yourself more than anything else-preaching!”
This apostolic charge is nothing new. Preaching was certainly the central focus of the earthly ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. As the Son of Man entered His public ministry, we read:
And after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:14–15).
God only had one Son and He made Him a preacher! In the early stages of Christ’s ministry, the daily pressures of ministry demands threatened to crowd out His preaching. Jesus healed some, but felt compelled to press on to other villages so that He might do what was at the core of His ministry-preaching.
And in the early morning, while it was still dark, He arose and went out and departed to a lonely place, and was praying there. And Simon and his companions hunted for Him; and they found Him, and said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” And He said to them, “Let us go somewhere else to the towns nearby, in order that I may preach there also; for that is what I came out for.” And He went into their synagogues throughout all Galilee, preaching and casting out the demons (Mark 1:35–39).
In essence, Jesus was saying, “These other ministry endeavors, good as they are, are sidetracking Me from what I came primarily to do-preach the gospel!” Men, learn from this. The good is often the enemy of the best. In the ministry, there are many good things to which we can apply ourselves, but if they keep us from the best things, then good things become the bad things. Admittedly, there are lots of good things we can do with our time. But to the extent that they keep us from the ministry of the Word of God, then they become counter productive and keep us from the heart of ministry.
Just before Jesus ascended back to heaven, He charged His disciples to continue the work which He had begun-preaching and teaching. At the heart of His Great Commission, He commanded them to carry out this task which He Himself had done.
Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation (Mark 1:15).
And that repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem (Luke 24:47).
Go therefore and make disciples…teaching them to observe all that I commanded you (Matt. 28:19–20).
In obedience to their calling, that’s precisely what the early church did-preach and teach the Word. When the church first began in Jerusalem, “they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). “The apostles’ teaching” is listed first because it is what drives and energizes the life of the entire church. Fellowship, worship, prayer, and evangelism all flow out of the ministry of the Word of God. The Word preached elevates our worship, deepens our prayer, purifies our fellowship, and motivates our evangelism.
As the church grew and increasing time demands were placed upon the apostles, it was absolutely critical to the spiritual vitality of the church that nothing distract them from their primary calling of preaching and prayer. So, when pressing needs in the church threatened to sidetrack the apostles into secondary pursuits, decisive steps had to be taken.
Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. And the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. But select from among you brethren seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. But we will devote ourselves to prayer, and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:1–5).
Nothing must be allowed to cause the apostles, who served as pastors of the first church, to neglect the Word of God-nothing! The ministry of the Word must be job one in the life at the church. While there must be a healthy balance between worship, instruction, fellowship and outreach, preaching must be the centerpiece of every truly biblical philosophy of ministry. The preacher’s primary task is to preach! This command is reiterated again in 2 Tim. 4:1–2, the final words of Paul before his death. Last words ought to be lasting words. May they echo in our hearts this day.
I solemnly charge you 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: preach the word, be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with great patience and instruction (2 Tim. 4:1–2).
In other words, “Timothy, before God and Christ Jesus, I charge you… preach the Word!” And yet sadly today, many pastors have abandoned this primary calling and forsaken their focus upon the pulpit and discipleship in order to pursue other ministry endeavors-committee work, Holy Land tours, real estate acquisition, construction work, fund raising, public relations, political rallies, and the like. These things are fine and good in their place, but must never be allowed to replace their ministry in the Word.
I’ve got a question for you, “Are you committed to keeping the ministry of the Word primary and central?” Our ministry must be defined, directed, and driven by the Word of God.
II. The Pattern of Preaching (1 Tim. 4:13b)
If preaching is to be primary in the ministry of the preacher, how then shall we preach? What does God’s Word say about how we are to preach? Are we free to preach however we desire? Or does God Himself have a divinely given pattern that we are to follow? Does God have a say in how His Word is to be preached?
Lest there be any doubt in Timothy’s mind-or in ours-Paul gives a timeless standard to follow in our preaching. While there is allowance for great variety in our preaching according to our different temperaments, personalities, and gifts, there are certain non-negotiables which every preacher must observe. With apostolic authority, Paul commands Timothy to follow a certain, prescribed pattern. This is not Paul’s personal preference concerning one of many options for preaching. Instead, these are the three indispensable components that must mark all preaching. Timothy must give strictest attention to “the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, and teaching” (1 Tim. 4:13b).
Do you see the three ingredients here? One, reading; two, exhortation; three, teaching. Here are the three sturdy pillars of God’s pattern for preaching. In a nutshell, this is what the preacher is to do-reading, exhorting, and teaching. Let’s consider each one separately.
A. Explain the Word
Preaching is to begin with “the public reading of Scripture” (anagnosei), which was the focal point of the worship services of the early church. This refers to the practice or publicly reading the Scripture, followed by comments of explanation. This practice was drawn from the pattern of the synagogue service. The IVP Biblical Background Commentary explains, “As in the synagogue service both in Palestine and in the Diaspora, public reading of Scripture was central to the service; the reading from the Law was probably generally accompanied by one from the Prophets. The reading was then expounded (exhortation and teaching) on by means of a homily on the text that had been read.”
Jesus followed this pattern in His earthly ministry when He went into the synagogue in Nazareth, took the scroll of Isaiah, read it, and explained it (Luke 4:14–21). Too many preachers want to jump over the reading and explaining of the Bible completely, and go straight to personal exhortation and practical application. But the people who hear us preach must first know what the Bible says before they can know what it means. And they must know what it means before they can know what it requires. Our authority as preachers who are sent by God rises or falls with our allegiance to expound the text of Scripture.
Personally, my practice when I first step into the pulpit is to read the passage of the Word of God that I will be preaching. I begin every sermon by saying, “Take your Bible and turn with me to (whatever the particular passage is) and follow along while I read it.” And so, I publicly read the verses that I will be preaching-one, to encourage the congregation to bring their Bibles to church and use it; two, to give the Word of God a place of preeminence in our worship service. I believe there is intrinsic power even in the reading of the Word of God.
Then, the foundation of my sermon must be to explain what God is saying in this passage of Scripture. My responsibility is to make its meaning clear as it was originally written by the biblical author and received by the original, first-century audience. Until I can put my listeners “into the skin” of the original readers, I have no basis to proceed any further in the message. This requires personal skills in biblical interpretation, historical background, word studies, context, authorial intent, cross references, geography, grammar, and syntax. I must consult whatever resource is necessary to grasp the meaning of the passage, boil its intent down, and communicate what will be helpful to the listener to grasp the thrust of the passage. Granted, some exegetical work is like underwear-it’s there for support, but better not seen.
B. Apply the Word
Secondly, after explanation comes “exhortation.” The meaning of the Word of God must intersect with the daily lives of people. With every passage of Scripture, the preacher must always ask, “So what” Once we know what it says, we must ask, “What does it require of us?” In this verse “exhortation” (paraklesei) means to come alongside and apply the truth personally. This includes comforting, strengthening, encouraging, challenging, uplifting, and convicting our congregation as we preach. Truth must transform.
True preaching does more than inform the mind. It must also convict and comfort the heart, as well as compel the will. The entire person-mind, emotion, and will-must be touched by the entire Word of God.
Exhortation encourages people to apply biblical truth to their lives and challenges them to live it out. Preaching must always call for a verdict. It always calls for a decision. The pulpit with an open Bible is always a fork in the road. It warns of imminent danger and holds forth hope.
That’s precisely what Jesus did. As He concluded the greatest sermon ever preached-the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 7:24–27) He set before His hears the broad path and the narrow path and called for a decision. After explaining the truth, He applied it with heart-searching relevance and called for a verdict. His message was a fork in the road in which the multitude had to decide one way or another. As preachers, we should ensure that our sermons do the same. Exhortation should hold up, light up, fire up, and wake up the listeners, always calling them to do something.
Tragically though, much preaching today is irrelevant, impractical, and never touches the lives of people. As a result, modern preaching has been described as “a mild-mannered man standing up before mild-mannered people exhorting them to be more mild-mannered.” May it never be!
C. Synthesize the Word.
The third essential component is “teaching” (didaskalia), which refers to the teaching of sound doctrine. This may refer to one of two things-either to the teaching associated with the public reading of the Scripture, or more probably, to showing how this particular passage fits into the full counsel of God’s Word. A good teacher integrates this specific verse of the Bible into the whole and vice versa. He networks a biblical text into the analogy of Scripture, showing how all the Bible fits together. In other words, a good teacher shows how Paul harmonizes with James, how Matthew compliments Luke, how the New Testament fulfills the Old Testament, fusing any given passage with the rest of the teaching of the Word of God. He teaches the entire Bible in and through that specific passage which he is preaching. In summary, a teacher frames a systematic theology in the minds of the listener concerning the subject at hand.
Quite frankly, there is a lot of shoddy preaching today that is-how can I put this?-shallow, superficial, and mindless. So much preaching is bankrupt of theological fiber and void of exegetical integrity. I call it “sermonettes for Christianettes.” It more resembles the dribble of some Christian talk show hosts than “Thus sayeth the Lord.” Such “so-called” preaching is stripped of biblical authority and lacking in depth and profundity.
Too many sermons start with the preacher actually reading a passage of Scripture, but then launching off into the wild blue yonder with an endless barrage of personal antidotes, newspaper clippings, bumper sticker sightings, and witty one-liners. Truth be known, he had a great illustration and was in search of a verse to go with it. But there is no reading of the passage, no explanation of the passage, and no exhortation from the passage. There is no connection of the passage with the full counsel of God. It is like the preacher who wrote in his sermon notes, “Weak point; yell here!”
The bottom line is, we need to put more God in our preaching again. You’ve no doubt heard the popular Christian song, “Put God in America Again” Well, if that’s going to happen, we need to put God in our preaching againt. We need preaching that is steeped in Scripture, grounded in God, and that explains the great themes and doctrines of the Bible.
John Piper writes in The Supremacy of God in Preaching, “It is not the job of the Christian preacher to give people moral or psychological pep talks about how to get along in the world; someone else can do that. But most of our people have no one in the world to tell them week in and week out, about the supreme beauty and majesty of God.”
If we are to see revival, this kind of preaching-expository preaching, biblical preaching, soul searching preaching-is so desperately needed today. It is by no coincidence that the one chapter in the Bible which speaks the most about revival is Psalm 119, the psalm which centers upon the Word of God. Mark it down: revival will come when the Word of God is preached by the man of God in the power of God to the people of God. Fire in the pulpit will spread to the pew.
Dwight L. Moody hit the nail on the head when he said,
We have had no revival in our day. The next revival will be a revival of Bible study. Those who have tried to whip up revivals by organization, by methods and by gimmicks have failed. Revival will come only as the people come back to the Word of God.
I say, amen.
III. The Perseverance of Preaching (1 Tim. 4:14)
Because preaching is so strategic, Satan will do everything within his power to discourage us from preaching. That’s exactly what Timothy was facing in his ministry at Ephesus at this time. The devil was fanning the flames of doubt and discouragement in his heart, and Timothy was in perilous danger of bailing out of the ministry and shutting down his preaching altogether. Consequently, Paul writes, “Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed upon you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery” (1 Tim. 4:14).
Why would Paul say, “Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you?” He said it because Timothy was in danger of neglecting his gift of preaching. Either he was very close to the point of quitting, or he already had given up. But Paul now calls Timothy to persevere and endure in his preaching minis-try-no matter what!
A quick survey of 1 Timothy reveals that the young preacher was in a difficult ministry assignment. First Church Ephesus had defected both doctrinally and morally, so Timothy was sent by Paul to set the church in order. Once he got there, he discovered that the church was dying on the vine. In the midst of much adversity, Timothy soon realized that he was fighting a losing battle. There were false teachers in the church spreading their heresies; unqualified men were serving in key leadership positions; aggressive women were overstepping their boundaries and usurping the men; men were fighting among themselves; church politics was at a fever pitch, plus a lot more.
This was enough to make Timothy want to throw in the towel. On top of this, people were looking down on him because of his youthfulness, and were challenging his pastoral authority. He was teetering on the edge of bailing out. In response to this defection, Paul strongly challenges this young preacher, “Do not neglect your spiritual gift of preaching.” In other words, “Just keep on preaching!” The force of Paul’s appeal is compelling, “Timothy, God called you to preach. We all recognized that publicly-you can’t bail out now!”
Men, you need to know that God has called you to preach-no matter what! If you aren’t persuaded of your call, you’ll bail out when tough times come. And don’t think they won’t-ask any preacher. Do you know that God has called you to preach? Let me give you three key words, either directly stated or implied in this verse, that provide confirmation of one’s call to the ministry.
First, competence. Paul refers to “the spiritual gift within you” (verse 14). Those who are called by God to preach are gifted by God to preach. Spurgeon used to say to his young preachers, “If God wants you to fly, he’ll give you wings.” By that he meant, if God wants you to preach, He’ll give you the spiritual gift to preach. “The spiritual gift within you” refers to the supernatural, God-given ability by which the Spirit of God equips you to preach His Word to others. It is a divine enablement to preach the Word of God. So, are you gifted by God to preach?
Second, compulsion. Earlier in this epistle, Paul told Timothy that the one who steps into spiritual leadership in the church should feel a strong compulsion to do so. Concerning this requirement, the apostle writes, “It is a trustworthy statement if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do” (1 Tim. 3:1).
The one called to preach will “aspire” to do so with a holy ambition that bums like a fire deep within. Intrinsic to possessing the gift of preaching is the driving passion to use that gift for the glory of God. Let me ask you; is there a “have to” inside of you? Would you rather die than not preach? All who are called to preach feel a burning in their bones-a fire to preach that cannot be quenched.
Third, confirmation. Does anyone else think you have the gift to preach? When God gives the gift, it will be recognized and affirmed by other God-called men. Thus, Paul mentions that this gift to preach “was bestowed upon you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery” (1 Tim. 4:14).
Apparently unique to this situation, a direct prophecy came from God to one of the men in leadership that He was setting Timothy aside to preach, much like the calling of Paul and Barnabas at the church at Antioch (Acts 13:1–3).
Consequently, at the time of Timothy’s ordination into the gospel ministry, other pastors in the body of Christ recognized this divine calling and publicly affirmed this by laying hands on him before the church. This ceremony signified their endorsement of Timothy’s call, character, and giftedness to be qualified to step into the ministry. Although this prophetic utterance is not normative in the church today, the principle is. Those who are called into the ministry to preach will be affirmed as such by others. Have others confirmed your call to preach? Do others see this special gift in you? If so, that ought to provide great staying power in the ministry.
Listen, when tough times come in the church, you’ve got to know that God has called you to preach. One, you must know that God has guided your heart to preach His Word. Two, you must know that God has uniquely gifted you to preach. Three, you must know that others have recognized God’s gift in you. If not, you’ll bail out when opposition comes.
Let me ask you; are you called by God to preach His Word? What will you do when tough times come in the ministry? What will it take to stop you? Are you in danger of bailing out of the ministry? Are you thinking about dropping out of school? Whatever you do, if God called you to preach, do not neglect the spiritual gift within you.
IV. The Pains of Preaching (1 Tim. 4:15)
Chuck Swindoll says preaching is a love-hate relationship. It is something you must do, yet it requires paying an enormous price! Biblical preaching requires blood, sweat, and tears. There are so few great biblical expositors today because so few are willing to make the sacrifice in their preparation to preach. Consequently, we are not surprised to read what Paul says to the young preacher: “Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress may be evident to all” (1 Tim. 4:15).
The Greek word for “pains” (meletao) means, literally, to meditate upon the Scripture with single-minded focus and unbroken concentration. This involves thinking through the Word of God and pondering how the divine truth relates to the lives of those who hear us. It refers to the mental and intellectual discipline required to be a biblical preacher.
If you want to stand up in the pulpit and “wing it,” then no pain is required. If you want to string out a list of stories and antidotes, no pain is required. And if you want to dole out “topical pep talks” from the Bible, no pain is required. But, if you want to read, explain, apply, and synthesize the Bible, that will require suffering and enormous pain. Biblical preaching requires strenuous effort, careful preparation, continuous study, and constant prayer. In addition, God says in this verse we must “be absorbed” in preaching. This pictures being utterly wrapped up in our ministry of proclamation. We must be totally immersed in it. No pain, no gain. It’s as much perspiration as it is inspiration.
Mark it down: no preacher can have a double agenda. Biblical exposition must be a holy obsession that requires single-mindedness of purpose. It is too all-consuming. Later in this epistle, Paul will tell Timothy: “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching” (1 Tim. 5:17).
The Greek word here for “work hard,” (kopiao), means to work and labor to the point of fatigue and exhaustion. In his study, holy sweat must bead on the forehead of the preacher. I’ve known too many preachers with their “gift of gab” and charismatic personality who never truly study the Bible with skill and precision. Sad to say, many a congregation never knows the difference and remains spiritually immature.
Expository preaching is like giving birth to a baby every week. It’s like living in final exam week every week. It drains the entire man-mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Bruce Thielemann writes of this heavy demand upon preachers, “The pulpit calls those anointed to it like the sea calls its sailors; and like the sea, it batters and bruises, and does not rest .... To preach, to really preach is to dive naked a little at a time and to know each time you do it that you must do it again.”
Recognizing the demanding labor required of biblical preaching, Paul writes, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). When Paul says, “be diligent” (spoudazo), this means being possessed with a zealous persistence to accomplish an objective. This calls for hard work in our preparation to preach. As preachers, we must give maximum effort to grasp and impart God’s truth. We must sacrifice ourselves to examining, reexamining, understanding, interpreting, explaining, and applying God’s Word. But a sloppy, shoddy handling of the Word dishonors God and demeans His Word.
“Handling accurately” (orthotomeo) means to cut something straight, a craftsman cutting a straight line, a farmer plowing a straight furrow, a mason setting a straight line, or workmen building a straight brick road. Metaphorically, it was used to carefully perform any task. Paul was a tentmaker by trade (Acts 18:3) who knew the skill and labor required to cut animal skins carefully and sew them together to make a tent.
Emphatically, God calls every pastor to cut it straight with His Word. This demands that we be careful exegetes, skilled theologians, and faithful expositors of the Bible. It requires that we be meticulous in interpreting and piecing together the Scriptures into one system of truth that is consistent with the full counsel of God.
Men, I don’t know what’s going on in your lives now as students, but I challenge you to pour yourself into your study of the Word of God. Your disciplines of study now will mark your ministry for the rest of your life. How you study now will, in large measure, determine your pattern of study for years to come. So, take pains with these things. Be absorbed in them. Be utterly consumed with your study of the Word.
Years ago, when I was a student at Dallas Seminary, I was faced with having to pay my way through school. The tuition, as well as the cost of living in Dallas, was high. So, I decided to write my own sports magazines-one with the Dallas Cowboys, the other with the Texas Rangers-while I went to seminary. These publications became very successful and afforded me the opportunity to spend time at the Cowboys’ practice facilities, plus do the same with the Texas Rangers. But unfortunately these outside interests grew and soon afforded me no time to study. I was barely getting by in school. So, I had to make a tough decision.
Would I pour my life into the Dallas Cowboys, or the Word of God? Would I pursue publishing or preaching? I knew that God had called me to preach, and I knew I must be adequately trained to do the work. But many doors were opening before me in publishing. So, I had to make a difficult but necessary decision. I just walked away from my sports magazines with the NFL and Major League baseball. If I was to devote myself to my biblical studies, I had to let go these other things if I was to “take pains with these things” and “be absorbed in them.”
Now, let me ask you a question, “What do you need to let go in order to study the Word?” Someone once asked a master pianist how he became so good. His answer was simple-planned neglect. What do you need to neglect in order to make you a better student and preacher of God’s Word?
V. The Prerequisite of Preaching (1 Tim. 4:16)
In large measure, your own spiritual maturity is the platform for your ministry from which you preach to others. Every preacher must make sure that the Word has first effected his own life before he tell others how to live. Someone has said, “What you are screams so loudly, I can’t hear a single word you’re saying.” Consequently, Paul concludes, “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will insure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you” (1 Tim. 4:16).
In other words, monitor and constantly examine your own life, as well as your preaching. The same effort given to preaching the Word must be given to applying it. Persevere in living the message just as you do in studying and proclaiming it. Notice that Paul instructs Timothy to give attention first to his life and second, to his ministry. The life precedes the ministry because our daily conduct governs the credibility of your preaching. You can not give what you do not possess. You can not lead where you are going.
Let me tell you, if your personal life is not in order, people will not listen. If your family life is not in order, you’re not qualified. It was Robert Murray McCheyne, the noted Scottish preacher, who said, “The greatest need of my people is my personal holiness.” This is precisely the point that Paul said, “I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified” (1 Cor. 9:27).
To buffet one’s body means to beat it black and blue. Here’s the background. In the ancient Isthmian games, boxers fought barefisted, and if no one had won, leather strips containing metal spikes and studs were fastened onto their fists. The two contestants then slugged it out until one was knocked unconscious or killed. That’s what Paul is describing here-an all-out assault. Notice the opponent who threatens to defeat him-his own body.
When Paul says “my body,” he refers to fleshly desires within him. While preaching to others, Paul acknowledges that he has an opponent-his own flesh-against which he must constantly fight and be landing knockout punches. Every preacher must keep his flesh under control or he is not fit for the pulpit.
The reason Paul watched over himself is he realized “lest after preaching to others, I myself am disqualified.” Here is a metaphor taken out of the Isthmian games held right outside of Corinth. At the beginning of each athletic event, a herald announced the contest, the names of all the athletes, and finally, the rules of the event. Anyone who violated these rules was disqualified.
As a preacher Paul sees himself as a herald-announcing God’s rules to all who compete in the race of faith. But after announcing the rules, he then also steps onto the track and competes in the same race with those to whom he has preached. How tragic it would be, Paul says, to be the one who announces the rules to everyone else but then gets into the race and fails to keep these very rules. How doubly tragic!
To be disqualified means to be put out of the race, to be stripped of the prize, to be benched or sidelined. This does not mean to lose one’s salvation but to lose the reward at the end of the race. Drawing upon the same imagery, Paul says, “If anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules” (2 Tim. 2:5).
Failing to keep the rules forfeits the prize, no matter how great your preaching. Not to be left out, John adds, “Watch yourselves, that you might not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward” (2 John 8). Thus, it is possible to gain a full reward, but receive only part of it because you failed to watch yourself and heed God’s Word in your own life.
As preachers of God’s Word, we must guard our lives and our doctrine because “as you do this you will insure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.” In other words, “examine your walk as well as your talk” with much vigilance because no pastor can take his people where he himself has not already gone. Men, you can’t impart what you do not possess. No church can grow spiritually beyond the personal maturity of its pastor.
“Salvation” is spoken of in the Bible as past, present, and future. It speaks of a deliverance from sin. Our preaching, to the extent it is backed up with a holy life, will convert and deliver our people from the penalty and power of sin. That kind of preaching is totally needed today. That is a high calling! That’s why we must take pains with those things and be absorbed with them. Such a high calling deserves the highest of efforts. We need great preaching today. We need great preachers. Let us hear again the words of C. H. Spurgeon who said,
We want again Luthers, Calvins, Bunyans, Whitefields, men fit to mark eras whose names breathe terror in our foe’s ears. We have dire need of such. Whence will they come to us? They are the gifts of Jesus Christ to the Church, and will come in due time. He has power to give us back again a golden age of preachers, a time as fertile of mighty ministers as was the Puritan age, and when the good old truth is once more preached by men whose lips are touched as with a live coal from off the altar, this shall be the instrument in the hand of the Spirit for bringing about a great and thorough revival of religion in the land.
I do not look for any other means of converting men beyond the simple preaching the gospel and the opening of men’s ears to hear it. The moment the Church of God shall despise the pulpit, God will despise her. It has been through the ministry that the Lord has always been pleased to revive and bless His Churches.
Where are the Luthers and Calvins in this student body? Where are the Bunyans and Whitefields in this school? Where are the Spurgeons and Lloyd-Joneses in the assembly who will preach the good old truth with lips touched as with a live coal off the hot altar? Are they here? Are you one? Where is the man whom will preach the Word of God with the power of God with the authority of God for the glory of God? Mark it down, there is no higher callt. I pray thou art the man!
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