Jump Start  # 844

2 Timothy 4:5 “But you, be sober in all things, endure hardships, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

Do the work of an evangelist. Those were the words of the aged, experienced and wise apostle Paul to the young preacher, Timothy. I’ve heard a lot about preachers recently. Some good, some not so good. I had lunch recently with a preacher that baptized me and was the catalyst into my becoming a preacher. Here we sat together at a table and I found myself still asking him questions, still being mentored by him. One of my all time favorite preachers is coming to town this weekend. He’s a dear friend and an amazing preacher. I’m about to bust with excitement. It’s always awesome to be with Dee.

Do the work of an evangelist. A simple statement. I gather that many churches, and from what I’m seeing, many preachers are not sure what that means. Let’s look into this.

To start, consider what the work of the evangelist is not:

• The preacher is not the guy who is available during the week to do what we can’t. I sure have seen that. Grandma needs to go to the doctor and everyone is working, call the preacher. Now, why would folks do that? It is because they don’t think he’s doing much. Isn’t he working too? Yard work needs to be done during the week, call the preacher. Someone needs a ride to the airport, call the preacher.

• The preacher is not the handyman at the church house. Ask the preacher to pick up trash after services, or cut the lawn at the church building, or fix a leaky facet in the bathroom at the church building…he’s available, have him do it. Some even think that is part of his job description.

• The preacher is not the youth activity director. Most preachers I know will do things with young people because they love people of all ages. But to think that it’s the preachers job to have the kids in his home, to arrange activities for the teens, to keep the kids interested is not correct. Those are the things moms and dads ought to be doing. It’s easy to pass them off to the preacher and then all parents have to do is drop the kids off with a bottle of pop and leave the rest to the preacher. Sorry, not his job.

• The preacher is not to solve all church problems. Some problems are so complex and engrained in the fiber of the people that only the Lord can do something. A young preacher moves into a community to work with a church. Within a few months he finds that the church is fussing and at odds with each other. He is told one side of the story and is expected to make things right. When he fails, because people do not want to admit wrong and apologize or forgive, he is put into the hot seat and before long is asked to leave. Another young preacher is brought into that mess with the same expectations and the same results. Those folks ought to just shut the door and make up their minds if they want to follow Jesus or not. Some problems we must solve ourselves. Some problems are not the preachers job to solve.

• It is not the preacher’s job to run the church. He’s not in charge of the place. He just happens to be the preacher. Some run to him as if he owns the church and pressure him to make decisions that are really not his to make. Because he has keys to the front doors, does not mean that he runs the place. God ought to run the church. When we forget that, bad things usually happen.

Now, what is the preacher’s job? It is to preach and teach God’s word to everyone he can and to use every avenue he can to do that. This means the preacher will teach classes to many and to few. He will teach on Sunday morning and Tuesday afternoon. He will teach in the church building and in someone’s front room. He will teach using email, letter, or phone call. He will preach in a church building or on video. He is to preach and teach God’s word.

That necessitates that he understands God’s word and knows how to teach. It also necessitates that he understands how to connect with people and explain to them what God’s word says. He is a teacher but more, he is a preacher of God’s word. His goal is not just informative, but life changing. He is trying to persuade people to follow Christ. He is using the teachings of Christ to change attitudes, behaviors and thoughts of people. His job is to preach and teach. That means warning when God has warnings. That means showing hope where God has hope. That means instructing when God has instructions. The greatest tool he uses is the Bible. He doesn’t need strong arm tactics, cheap psychological tricks, high pressure gimmicks that force people into doing what they don’t want to do. That is not his way. He wants people to want Jesus. He wants people to choose Jesus because they want Jesus and they see that they need Jesus.

The preacher may not be the smartest in the Bible in a congregation. He may not even be the best public speaker among the congregation. He is the one who has decided to devote his life to pointing people to Heaven. His work involves helping those who have made messes of their lives. Poor choices, sinful habits and broken lives reveal the worst in us. A preacher with loose lips will not do well. A preacher who doesn’t like people, will not do well. A preacher with little patience will not do well.

His work necessitates studying. A person cannot teach what they do not know. He must read. He must like to read. He must think, consider, and get it himself. A man who doesn’t like to read, will struggle as a preacher. A man who can’t think for himself will get in trouble as a preacher. He must do research. He must be able to explain clearly what the Bible says. He doesn’t have to know everything that is false. He simply has to know what is right. The word “gospel” means “good news.” His message, life and attitude ought to reflect that. His work surrounds the good news that the world needs.

One of Jesus’ first parables was about a sower. He threw seed out in the fields. This is similar to the work of the preacher. Often, the preacher never sees the good that he has done. Often, it takes a long time for that seed to spout, grow and become a mighty oak. The preacher doesn’t worry about not seeing the results. He knows they will come. God is good. God gives the increase. His job is to get the word into the honest and good heart.

I have a son who is now preaching. I look at him and see myself more than 30 years ago. I have surrounded myself with some incredible preachers. They are some of my best friends in life. They have helped me so much. Preaching is a work. It’s not for the lazy nor the guy who can’t do anything else. It’s not for the person who is not self driven. I remember a preacher telling me years and years ago, that after ten years he ran out of ideas on what to preach about. He quit preaching. Is it any wonder?

Paul’s words to young Timothy remain the best advice we could tell any preacher today, “Do the work of an evangelist.” Get to it preacher. There are those who need to know Jesus. There are those who need to be encouraged. There are those with doubts who need to be assured. Do the work. There’s not enough time to golf every day. There’s not enough time to play around every day. There’s a work to be done. Do the work! Do it well!

Roger