2 Timothy 4 Pt. 3 The Great Need For Us To Preach And Teach The Word Of God

Preaching the Word is God's mandate for all pastors, elders, teachers and parents. 

2 Timothy 4:1-5  I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2)  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3)  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4)  And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 5  But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. 

The final chapter of Paul's last instruction to young pastor Timothy is the very thing needed in the modern church.

Pastors, elders, teachers, lay leaders and Christian parents need to be solidly anchored on the rock of inspired scripture.

The most significant reason for the general moral decline in our culture, and the lifelessness in our churches has to do with neglect of the Word of God.

Modern thinking has said that traditional sermons can no longer be preached. Why? 

The average attention span of a teen is less than 10 minutes and adult attention spans are not much better. 

Video gaming in American homes has spawned a generation who mindlessly react to stimuli without engaging their brains. 

Many people have been dumbed down by our declining academic standards such that logic, reason and the ability to process information has been circumvented. 

Religious pollsters say that a sermon must be 15 minutes or less, or else the pastor runs the risk of losing the audience. 

They advise churches to take a poll in order to discover what people want in a church, and then to give the people what they want!

Set up a coffee and donut bar to create a casual atmosphere. Make church services more inviting and casual. Replace preaching with rock music, darkened auditoriums and flashing lights. 

Programs and drama replace expository preaching. In people's minds, their experiences are more important than what God says in His Word. 

"I know what I experienced" is elevated over "Thus saith the LORD."

This is why the Church has been fatally infected with the world's music, the world's attitudes, or the world's dress. 

The prosperity gospel promotes love for the world instead of love for God.

1 John 2:15-17  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16)  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17)  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 

Here the Holy Spirit speaks through the pen of the apostle John. God says clearly "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world." 

Churches that have abandoned faithful preaching of God's Word, are worldly, because every void in ministry will be filled with something. 

The void created by dismissing or diminishing preaching the Word, has been filled by entertainment, drama, man centered music and experience over truth.

Listen to what God says. "If you love the world, my love is not in you, and you are not one of mine!"

Love for the world feeds the lust of our flesh, it enters through the gate of our eyes and it fuels our pride.

The universe is waiting for a fiery judgment from God. 

2 Peter 3:3-13  Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4)  And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 5)  For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6)  Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7)  But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 8)  But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9)  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 10)  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11)  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12)  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13)  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 

All the things of the world are going to pass away when God purges the earth by His holy judgment fires.

The world of Noah's generation was wiped out by a universal flood, and its undeniable traces are seen everywhere on the planet. 

In these last days, there are already many who mock the record of scripture, and who scoff at the idea of God judging the world by fire.

Yet, God makes it clear that holy fire from heaven will melt all the elemental structures of the universe before He creates a new heaven and a new earth. 

He will return all creation to its pure state of sinlessness before the fall (See Revelation 21-22).

This is why false teachers currently make merchandise of the children of God, enriching themselves as they promote love for the world instead of love for God. 

This is why every pastor, elder, teacher, or Christian parent must hear and heed what the Spirit of God says through His Word.

Spiritual decay can only be stopped by preaching the Word!

2 Timothy 4:2  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

Here is God's standard for pastors, elders, teachers and Christian parents. This is the standard that must be maintained in our homes and churches.

This is the Holy Mandate from heaven. If we fail to preach and teach the Word, we will suffer loss of reward when we stand before Christ's judgment seat (See 1 Corinthians 3:9-16).

Preach the Word! Teach its timeless truth without apology. 

Pastors, let your life be a good example to others, and lead your flock to what the scripture declares, trusting God for fruit that remains. 

Teachers must also live according to the scriptures. They must open up God's truth and do their best to show how it applies to our lives, trusting the Spirit of God to do the necessary heart work in those whom we love. 

In like manner Christian parents must model Christlikeness in the home and patiently help their children to learn the Bible and to trust what God says is best for them. 

God's instruction about the preeminent role of scripture in our lives.

Deuteronomy 6:1-9  Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: 2)  That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. 3)  Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey. 4)  Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: 5)  And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6)  And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7)  And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8)  And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 9)  And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates. 

No one can read the words of Moses and think that Christian living is some casual thing, or that God is okay with His children living and looking and acting like the world.

Parents must work hard in the home to impart Bible truth into their children. Spiritual education begins in the home, as this text shows. 

We must determine to do as Jesus said, and "live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (See Matthew 4:4).

We must do as the apostle Paul says and "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly", for this is foundational to holy living and right worship (See Colossians 3:16).

Jesus Christ is the Bread of life for our soul.

John 6:48-51  I am that bread of life. 49)  Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50)  This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51)  I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live forever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 

We must feed on the Word of God for this is the manna from heaven that Jehovah provides for our inner man in  Christ. 

Jesus declared "I am the bread of life" and this saying connects Christ with Jehovah. It also pictures the gift of eternal life to all who repent of sin and turn to Jesus Christ for salvation. 

Bread was a staple food in that time, and was necessary to maintain health. Eating the bread pictures believing on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. 

The Word of God is that manna, as the context indicates. This is what we must take in each day, to feed our new man in Christ. 

Let us obey the scriptures.

Let us daily read and meditate upon God's truth. 

Let us allow the Word of God to really sink into our soul and shape our minds so that we seek first the kingdom of God in all our endeavors. 

Pastors, elders, teachers and Christians parents, we will be judged for our fidelity to the mission God has given us.

Preach and teach the Word, and live by what God says to us. 

The world will continue getting worse just as God said, but our mission and focus has not changed.

Live for the glory of God, preach the Word and seek to make disciples of Jesus Christ. 

Bob