2 Timothy Chapter 4 Verses 1 – 2a (Through “Preach the Word”)

• All of the exhortations, the encouragements, the instruction…even the warnings, none have been put to Timothy like this! This is the central command, the primary thing…, “Timothy, if you do all that I have written to you over these last two letters and yet you leave this one thing out, you have lost everything!” The administration of the church, leadership within the church, life within the church…it all hinges upon the formal authoritative preaching of the Word of God!

• Paul calls himself into a courtroom to give final testimony (that is what the root of the word “charge” means). He appears before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who is seated at the right hand of the Father. (Mark 19:19) The Judge of all of the earth and all of mankind? Why? Because it is all His. Because He was in the world, just like us…you and me…as a man…and He has overcome this world…and therefore He is the standard of righteousness. John 5:22, “The Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son.” (Psalm 138:2 also)
• And above all, his testimony to his son in the faith, sacred ground final words…, “Timothy, know what the Word of God is…God’s very gift of inspiration and life upon the earth…above and before anything else…hold to this. Preach the Word! Proclaim it!” Church has become many things in these last days…and one thing we are seeing more today, more now, a thousand times more now than ever, the Word of God being cast to the side. Certainly a clear and present sign of the times in which we live…the time of His appearing is certainly near…

2 Timothy Chapter 4 Verse 2

• I like this exhortation of “be ready in season and out of season” because Paul is not talking about the Word of God being ready but rather Timothy being ready! Some days it’s easy to preach the Word! Just flows man…folks respond…fruit is evident…those are good days. Other days it’s not. On one hand each preacher is different. Affected in different ways by different life circumstances. You know what I’m saying? Good days and bad days…Paul says, preach anyway!
• Some days the air is off and it gets hot in here. Some days the points are a little too long or the explanations a little too complicated and words are hard, man…HA! In season and out, preach! The calling is to proclaim the Word, not sell it and just being transparent today, that is one that is constantly difficult. Why? Because the Word of God is the most important knowledge, most critical information for all of mankind! And so you can’t help but want the words to flow…you can’t help but want to not get in the way with your own circumstance of life or even of that day…you can’t help but want to deliver the Word really really really well…so that everyone receives…but truth is, somedays are better than others…and some days are just plain rough…doesn’t matter.
• It’s like a quarterback that throws an interception for a touchdown. He’s let his team down…he’s basically scored for the other team in his mind…but what does he have to do? He has to get right back out there and drive to the goal…same goes for you and same goes for me. Today may have been tough…that conversation with him or her or mom or dad or son or daughter today could have been just plain terrible…dust off, get ready, you’ve got to go back in there and teach…that will teach you longsuffering…
• But here’s what we’ve now heard…the Word of God is filled with doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction…even rebuke…those are all things that aren’t widely popular! HA! And so on top of dealing with days you feel out of season…pastors, preachers, evangelizers have to deal with great resistance and rejection…and man…weakness prevails in these last days…It’s like Paul had a telescope and could look right into our times…listen to his next warning of Timothy…

2 Timothy Chapter 4 Verses 3 – 5

• This is true not only in the pastors/preachers that are elevated to superstar status like Joel Osteen, TD Jakes, Creflo Dollar and Brian Houston…I mean Carl Lentz is widely known as a “Super Pastor,” but this is also true of denominational hirelings who are voted in as pastor by their congregations…hired in as pastor by church boards…listen folks, the philosophy of ministry in Calvary Chapel and I ascribe to it not because its Calvary but because its Biblical, God is the only One who should be heaping up teachers! Lest we end up with a generation following fables…and then what can be said of the next generation?

• Not for you Timothy. Hold to the Word. Even if the numbers dwindle…if they go from 1,200 to 12, teach those 12 the Word of God because it’s already been proven that 12 taught directly from Jesus can change the entire world!