The Ministry of the Word – Part 4
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2 Timothy 4 (KJ2000)
1 I charge you therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
2 Preach the word; be diligent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
Jesus charged Peter, “Feed My sheep”. Peter charged elders in the church, “Feed the flock of God”. Paul charged elders of the church at Ephesus, “Feed the church of God”.
Now Paul - in the last of his letters, the Second Letter to Timothy - charges Timothy, “Preach the word”.
You’re not called to a pulpit ministry to do many things, or to do complicated things. What you’re called to do seems simple enough. Perhaps modern ministry has a complicated laundry list of things to do because we prefer it that way – not because God wants it that way.
Feed My sheep. Feed the flock of God. Feed the church of God. Preach the word.
Aspects of the Ministry of the Word
Paul wrote as Timothy’s leader and mentor, and we should be grateful that his words have been preserved through the ages to be a blessing to us as well. He charges Timothy to preach the word, and he tells him what the various aspects of his preaching should be. He tells Timothy to reprove, rebuke and exhort while preaching the Word. I don’t believe that this is an exhaustive list of what the aspects of our preaching should be, for we see more aspects in other scriptures.
For easy reference, here is a list of the aspects we will consider in detail in subsequent posts:
Informing
Explaining
Instructing
Encouraging/Exhorting/Comforting
Rebuking
Warning
Reminding
For the rest of this post, let us consider these verses:
2 Timothy 4 (KJ2000)
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they draw to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto myths.
5 But you watch in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fully carry out your ministry.
Sound doctrine is not always enjoyed. Sometimes, it must be endured. We use the word “endure” to refer to something unpleasant, inconvenient, uncomfortable, etc. We never use it to refer to something we normally enjoy. Thus, we speak of enjoying pleasure but enduring pain, enjoying plenty but enduring lack, enjoying a sweet beverage but enduring a bitter potion.
If your audience always loves what you have to say, you may not be preaching sound doctrine. You may be emphasising some parts of the gospel at the expense of others, or you may not be preaching the gospel at all.
There is nothing wrong with preaching a sermon that your audience loves. The problem arises when you fall in love with their reaction, and you crave that kind of reaction in every subsequent sermon. This is dangerous. It is at this point that some ministers lose sight of the fact that their ministry of the word is supposed to feature multiple aspects. Excessive focus on a single aspect of the ministry of the Word does not help the congregation much. It is a major cause of immaturity in the Body of Christ today.
Sometimes the primary problem isn’t with the preacher – it’s with the congregation. The toddlers want to run the kindergarten. The passengers want to fly the aeroplane. The customers want to decide the menu. The congregation wants to decide what the preacher should say. They believe they should call the tune since they pay the piper. Do not allow this.
You are called by God to preach to men. You are not called by men to tickle their itching ears. You are called by God to inform, to instruct, to explain to, to encourage, to warn, to rebuke and to remind men based on an agenda pre-determined by God. Your primary loyalty should be to the One Who sent you, not to the ones you were sent to.
A Side Note to Senior Pastors
If you’re a Senior Pastor, you cannot really have “an area of emphasis”. You must take responsibility for teaching your church “the whole counsel of God”. If you realise you’re not very good at teaching on some subjects, you must arrange for your assistants or itinerant ministers to teach on those subjects.
A Side Note to Itinerant Ministers
As an itinerant minister, sometimes you will have a particular area which God is calling you to emphasise to His Body. Rev Kenneth E. Hagin of blessed memory, for example, was called to emphasise faith and healing. You could be an itinerant minister who teaches on a very wide variety of topics or one who focuses on a very narrow field. Just make sure you’re faithful to discern your call and fulfil your ministry.
If you’re called to have a focus on a few subjects, don’t assume that those subjects must be the most important ones in the Bible. You may magnify your office but please respect the gifts and calling of others. Do not belittle them or act like their assignment is not as important as yours.
If you’re invited to preach somewhere, do not assume that it’s OK to teach along the lines of your area of emphasis. Always be gracious enough to ask your host what they believe you should teach on, and please respect their wishes.
A Side Note to Assistants
You may have an area that you believe God is calling you to emphasise. Do not focus on this emphasis while you’re serving as an Assistant. Be disciplined in teaching enthusiastically on any subject as directed by the Senior Pastor. As you prove faithful in helping him, God will open doors for you to bless the Body, within and without that church.
Continue in grace!
Thank you for this word in season.
Thanks a lot sir.
A well needed reminder for everyone of us.