Jump Start # 336

2 Tim 4:2 “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”

  Today we look at Paul’s words to the young preacher Timothy. The books of 1 & 2 Timothy are instructions written concerning preachers. Now, since most of our readers are not preachers, it might be easy to dismiss these thoughts as something that most of us will never need. But don’t do that. There are wonderful lessons in all of God’s word. Sometimes it takes a little digging and a bit of work, but usually there is something there for everyone. That’s just the way the Bible is. I suppose that’s why it’s living and active as the book of Hebrews tells us.

  Preachers are to preach the word. The expression, “The word” implies and means the word of God—not the word of the preacher. To preach it, a person has to know it. This tells us much about the business of preaching. First, a person has to like to read. The preacher has to spend time with his nose in the book—and not just any book, but THE BOOK. It  shows when he has done this, and it shows when he hasn’t. You can tell.

  Preaching is just an interesting thing. I’ve been doing it for most of my adult life and I’ve come to learn a few things about this thing called preaching. Preaching is communicating. It’s taking the story of Jesus and making it real. I don’t have much tolerance for many preachers today, because they’ve become showmen and not preachers. Their sermons are an event and not a discourse in the word of God. Good preaching doesn’t have to be long, dry and painful. Not at all. Preaching ought to grab our attention. Most folks only see the finished product on Sunday morning—the sermon. I can tell you, it’s not as easy as it looks. What happens on Sunday morning is the easiest part of preaching. What happens before that determines what kind of sermon it’s going to be. The idea…the research…the thought process…the right words…the right illustrations…the organization…knowing how to say something in kindness and love. Preaching is more than giving a speech, it’s persuading people, as Paul told the Corinthians. It’s connecting with hearts and getting those hearts connected to God. Preaching is showing the goodness of God and convincing folks that they need to journey with God. Preaching is hard work, but I’m convinced more than that, there is a talent that is a gift from God.

  Our verse tells us that the preacher is to be ready in season and out of season. We know that expression. There are certain foods that are in season, that is, they can be found in gardens and local produce stands. Then there are the out of season stuff. Here in the north, most produce stands are boarded up in January. Nothing is in season. Paul is telling Timothy to preach the word—when folks want to hear it and when folks don’t want to hear it. What Paul did was bring the audience into the realm of preaching. There are times, there are lessons, that some folks are just not eager to hear. Often it is a lesson that will “step on toes.” The out of season sermons make us squirm in the pew. It causes guilt and often anger. Instead of being mad at ourselves, we get mad at the preacher for preaching those kind of sermons. Out of season does not mean rude, offensive or crude. It is not the place to be unkind, off color, or mean. The reason the sermons are out of season is not because of the way they were delivered, but because of the heart of the audience. They simply did not want to hear that.

  In season sermons are the easiest to preach. Folks love them. But it’s the out of season lessons that often do the most good. Those are hard to preach. Sometimes we blister the preacher when all he has done was do what God wanted him to.

  I’ve also found through the years that preaching a sermon is a whole lot easier than living a sermon. But that is what the preacher is expecting and wanting the audience to do, so he ought to lead the way himself and be practicing what he is preaching.

  It is the preached word that will save our souls. It’s the preached word that encourages us, especially when we are down. It’s the preached word that drives fear away and builds faith. Getting people to the word is the job of the preacher.

  Much of what is going on these days is anything but preaching the word. Too many are trying to build a church, run an organization, keep the people happy and entertained, rather than spending time in the word. It would do well if every preacher just remembered what he was supposed to do, what God wants him to do. The more of us that got back to the word of God and started doing things the way He wants, the fewer the problems we’d have.

  Thanks for letting this preacher share some words with you about preaching. I am amazed that God would take the perfect message about His perfect Son and allow imperfect people like me to preach it. I’m not sure why He does that, but I’m glad He does.

  Preach the word—that’s what preachers need to hear!

Roger