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June 1, 2022 4:00 am
We live in a time when preaching is being depreciated and it is being set aside in favor of other forms of communication. But the essential reality for the church that which basically takes its strength or weakness is the character of its preaching and teaching probably fine priorities like building relationships, addressing emotional needs. Having a contemporary style and those things are fine for community center or a support group, but they found too high a place in the church.
Bottom line, what is the role of the church and what is the role the pastor, how can the church and its pastor. Make sure they're honoring the Lord every Sunday. The title John MacArthur's current study gives more than a little hint join him now on, grace to you as he continues his series titled why is preaching worth fighting for. Here's the lesson. There are five reasons why the Lord has designed that the center and part of the ministry of the church is preaching and preaching the word. The word of God.
The revealed Scripture, reason number one is because of dangerous times, dangerous times. Look at chapter 3.
Verse one but realize this, he says that in the last days difficult times will come.
He says preach the word because of the dangerous times the dangerous seasons. It is, it is a time of all times to preach the word here. We are getting further down the line accumulating more and more danger and at the same time a diminishing of the proclamation of the truth to meet that danger rather than an escalation of what are we doing exactly the opposite of what we are doing instead of setting preaching aside, we ought to be increasing the preaching of the preachers because of the increase in the dangers serious dangers exist today in the church threatening the church. That's why we have to preach the word because the word answers all of these things, the word sorts it all out.
Whether it's sacramental is him a rationalism whether some form of liberalism or experiential is more mysticism or subjectivism or pragmatism or whatever it is, the word of God gives the truth that comes to bear against all of that is a second reason why Paul tells us we have to preach not only because we live in dangerous times, which can only be addressed by divine truth proclaimed, but we are to preach because of godly examples of godly examples because we have been given a pattern to follow.
Look at verse 10, Paul says to Timothy you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose you followed my faith. Patients love, perseverance, persecutions and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch at icon Emmett Lister what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord delivered me, and indeed all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted down to verse 14. You will however continue in the things you've learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them bosses you must preach because that's the pattern that's been set for you. You have followed me in my ministerial duty.
That is my teaching and my conduct, you saw you, you heard my teaching, you watched my ministry unfold.
You saw how I conducted myself as God's servant as an apostle unilaterally followed my ministry. But you followed my personal life. Verse 10 you saw my purpose that is my motive. What drove me what compelled me you you saw my faith. You saw me and all of the issues of ministry trusting God you saw the strength and direction of my faith. You saw my endurance.
You saw my love.
In other words, the Lord brought you beside me to follow my pattern pattern of ministry how I taught and how I conducted my ministry a pattern of personal quality. The motives of my heart my faith in God my endurance my love for him and love for people and then he says you even had the opportunity because Timothy of course follow Paul spent years with them. You even had the opportunity to see me in difficult experiences to learn. He says in verse 10 of my perseverance. Then in verse 11 to learn of my persecutions in my sufferings such as happened to me. For example, at Antioch I Coney human Lister all the way there to to being stoned and left for dead on the dump you saw the persecutions you saw that I endured them you saw that the Lord delivered me out of them all.
In other words, God gave you a model to follow. God gave you a model of ministry. You saw the truth of verse 12. The all live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Timothy, you are exposed to a godly example and with the divine intention that this was the pattern for you to follow. Paul was a strong champion for truth.
Timothy was to follow him. And so in verse 14 he says you, however, continue in the things you've learned continue in the things you become convinced of, knowing from whom you learned a ton about himself. God didn't put me in your life for any other reason than to teach you the truth, and set a pattern for ministry. When I look at.
I look at myself as a preacher simply in a long line of preachers prophets of the Old Testament. John the Baptist is the last of the Old Testament prophets, and he's a preacher and he's preaching repentance in the kingdom. The Messiah comes and the Lord preaches and then he takes his 12 and he ordains them to preach and then comes Paul and Paul as a preacher and then Paul trained Timothy to be a preacher and so it goes in men of God. As I said all the way along through all of redemptive history have been ordained by God to follow in that line. I don't really want to take the responsibility to change the plan.
This give me the baton and I'll run the same race Paul saying to Timothy, you must preach the word because that's what we do and that's what we train you to do and that's the model that is been established for you. You've seen it. You've experienced both in terms of ministry character heart quality and suffering and enduring difficulty you saw what we were what we are were not entertainers. We are preachers and we live and die for the truth so we preach in the church because of the dangerous seasons that can only be confronted by the truth, proclaimed threaten the life of the church and the honor of the Lord of the church. We preach because of godly examples who have passed on this baton to us. I look back to a father, grandfather, great-grandfather, great-great-grandfather five generations passing on the preaching responsibility my professors my teachers in seminary ministers and pastors and Bible teachers who influence my life. I'm just one in a long line I I just want to keep being faithful to the same pattern that God established that's why we preach because our godly examples have established that pattern. If there's anybody that I would choose. Above all, to be like it would be the apostle Paul. You probably know that I really don't want to change anything. I just want to try to do is closely to what he did as I can possibly do is 1/3 reason why we preach. We preach because of the dangerous times we preach because when a line of godly examples we preach. Thirdly, because of the power of the word. We preach because of the power of the word.
Verse 15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings, which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
We preach and we preach because we know the sacred writings were one of the sacred writings right here. The books of Scripture and they are able to give the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. We preach because the word is powerful to save why we preach, preach the word because the word saves in first Peter chapter 1 verse 23.
You've been born again, not a seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is for the living and abiding word of God. In verse 25 and this is the word which was preached to you, we preach because the word saves the word makes alive.
The word quickens the word transform's Psalm 19.
The law of the Lord converts the soul's why we preach the power of the word. Then in verse 16. He adds all Scripture. We preach all Scripture because it's all inspired by God. It's all profitable. We preach the whole counsel of God, because it's all inspired and it's all profitable. People sometimes say to me you grow so slowly through the Scripture.
The truth is I probably don't go slowly enough if it's all inspired.
I really want to skip anything if it's all profitable.
I don't want to go over anything. It's all profitable for teaching, what set doctrine forgiving people truth that is listen. Precise and accurate. The Bible is not just a blur that you can sort of fill in any what you want. The Bible is clear and precise and you are to study to show yourself approved, a worker needed not to be a shame because you rightly divided needs to be handled with great precision so that you can give people teaching or doctrine sound truth. Then he adds reproof it has the power not only to give people truth but it has the power to expose error. It reproves it exposes area and uncovers the lie, and then he adds in verse 16, for correction that literally means to restore someone to an upright position that it has the power to correct the put something back in place to put something broken set and back functioning, and then he adds training positive side of correction you pick up the broken pieces, reassemble and train for usefulness. Now when you think about the work of the word. When you think about what the word does.
It saves it provides truth. It exposes error. It restores and it trains you begin to understand its power.
Verse 17 that the man of God may be adequate. I don't think that's a very good translation because we think of adequate wish that we think of something that's marginally acceptable while it's adequate. That is not what this means.
It means that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. Why would preach the word folks because the word makes the man of God complete, equipped for every good work. That's the sufficiency of Scripture. We preach then because of the dangerous seasons we preach because of the godly examples before us and we preach because the power of the power of Scripture. We preach the word because the word changes lives, God is ordained by the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe we were begotten again is read in first Peter one by the word which was preached to us. I I'm I believe in personal counseling. I believe in personal discipleship. I believe in small group Bible studies, but I think the greatest power in the proclamation of truth in the church is preaching and teaching through gifted men who know the Scriptures. Fourthly, we would preach in case there were not motivated enough yet. Chapter 4 we preach because not only of the dangerous times. The godly examples in the power of Scripture. But we preach because of the command of God.
Chapter 4 verse one. I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom preach the word that is heavy language folks. I charge you, not because of some earthly ordination, not because of some ecclesiastical expectation, not because of some seminary training Ike I charge you the were charge means command and Paul is speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Like an Old Testament prophet. The very word of God. I command you from God to preach because your whole life and ministry is carried on in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, and they will judge you is why Paul said were always under me. If I what preach not what was on the me if I preach not God is watching Christ is watching Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead. And that's going to happen in the glory of his appearing. When he establishes his kingdom there is coming a reckoning time prescribed in chapter 4. Paul said it's a it's is not of concern to me what you think. A member that in verses 1 to 5 and he said I it's of small consideration. What men think about me. He said I don't even judge myself because when I know nothing against myself are not necessarily justified. I'm not a very good judge of myself either.
I tend to be biased in my own favor, but he said the Lord will judge me in the day that the secrets of the heart are disclosed.
That's the final verdict then will find out how much would pay double how much gold silver, precious stones.
Hebrews 1317 says submit to those who are over you in the Lord, for they must give an account. James said stop being so many teachers for theirs is a greater condemnation. Those of us who preach and teach the word of God stand before God with an immense responsibility and obviously we realize as James said that the man who never offends with his mouth is a perfect man, and since none of us are perfect. We have a great liability to that kind of offense. We must give an account to God and we will give an account to God for the character of our ministries and our preaching and so again, I have to confess to you that it frankly matters little to me what human opinion is. It matters little to me and should continue to matter little to me what I might prefer to do and it matters an awful lot to me what God is demanded that I do.
I really, really could never do anything other than what I do preaching the word of God because I am a man under command that I I have to give an account and account will come in the day when I come before the Lord and then we will receive sis Paula segment is five, according to what we have done, whether it's good or useless, and in the day that I give an account to the Lord. I want to honor the Lord. That's why we preach, preach the word Timothy because of dangerous times, godly examples, the power, the Scripture and your accountability to God. And lastly, he says preach the word because of the tendency to deception because that of the tendency to drift verses three and four. The time will come when he doesn't mean it's you know sometime in the nebulous eons ahead, he really means again. It skyrockets seasons again and he's right back to Canada where he started. He says you need to do this because they're going to be those times when they will not endure sound doctrine.
They will a pattern they will of heard it, you will of preached it and they will like it so it will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires will go looking for somebody says what they want to hear the crave the teachers to suit their tastes. The crave the teachers who make them feel good. Truth will have a hard time getting a hearing will happen. In a lot of cases, it sometimes happens in a little church where there some prominent individuals in the church or starts fight in the preacher gets up and preaches to that issue and brings the word of God to bear upon that fight and loses his job because and want to hear the truth it happen sometimes in the church were a prominent person who maybe gave a lot of money is involved in some serious sin in the preacher addresses the sin loses his job because I don't want to hear the truth, and maybe there's a meeting and is told to cool it if you want a paycheck and happen.
In a lot of ways those times when there's a tendency to deception. It can happen when people don't want to come under the conviction of the of the word of God and and they want the preacher to back off because they really don't want to hear that it comes one of had this happen to me through the years and I suppose more often when I was young and he would come to me and Sarah brought a friend to church and boy, did you ever offend that person and I always feel badly about that and always want to ask what was it me that offended them or was it something I said out of the word of God was it some offhanded comment or something insensitive or unkind that I said or was it something out of the word of God. I have been told on number of occasions look, I'm bringing a friend on a certain Sunday. Watch what you say MacArthur what I hope I do you know I don't know what all of those seasons are the common goal in the life of the church that people don't hear the truth. Then there are those times when somebody might come to pastor and so you know is a church down the road and there just packed out his got people porn in their other doing a lot of wild stuff and having a big time and all you do is get up and preach the word and you know we we really would like a little more action and little more variety in some interesting stuff in and of the dancing bears and whatever and then want to hear the word because they're getting influenced getting influenced because some neighbors same of my church is bigger than your church and were really growing what you people doing over there no a lot of seasons that that's what he means when he says time will come. Hi Russ epics errors. They just won't didn't want to hear it that they just want to hear what they want to hear.
In verse four they'll turn away their ears from the truth and turn aside to myths pretty good reason to preach the word right, stay faithful, stay on track. Timothy verse five.
Keep your priorities straight.
That's would be sober means on me. Don't get drunk. It means keep your priorities right. And when suffering comes endure it.
Keep reaching out to the loss to the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. You know what it is. It's to preach the word just keep doing it and remember me when you get to the end.
Don't expect too much.
I'm ready to be poured out as a drink offering time my departures has come here was the greatest greatest of all is about to be executed, but he could say in verse seven, I fought the good fight, I finish the course.
I kept the faith.
And then he could say in the next verse I'm going up there to get my crown. That's a crown available to all who love his appearing. Well I think you kept the message here preach the word because of dangerous times, godly examples, the power of the Scripture. Accountability to God tendency of people to drift. Bill drift said to say, even when you're preaching the word hard to imagine what they'll do if you don't constantly be faithful to call them back. For all these reasons great function in the church preach, preach God's word. We do this is grace to you with John MacArthur thanks for tuning in today.
John is Chancellor of the Masters University and seminaries current study is titled why is preaching worth fighting for. Will John if you're known for anything it's expository preaching that's reflected in grace to use motto unleashing God's truth one verse at a time but would you say that pastors always have to dig that deep into a particular text or is there a place for preaching that is more topical than expositional. Well hi think it depends on what you mean by topical, I can preach on the topic were preaching on preaching in this series were preaching on the subject, but in order to make the case for that subject, we have to expositor the Scriptures that apply to that subject. So yes, I could do a series on the Christian life. I could do a series on the deity of Christ I could do a series on the doctrine of sovereign election. The best part of the fullness of Scripture. So yes the answer is, of course, you can preach on themes and topics and as long as you understand that what underlies your conclusions is the careful exposition of the Scriptures that relate to that subject. So if you going to preach on the deity of Christ. Let's say you would need then to do an exposition of John one you would need to do an exposition of the Philippians to which talks about how he humbled himself and took on the form of a servant. So yeah they the preaching on themes and subjects is very very important, but those themes and the conclusions you draw have to be related to the exposition of Scripture and I would be even back it up. Another way and say if I am preaching through. Let's say the book of Philippians and I come to chapter 2 and I'm preaching that Christ became a man and humbled himself and took on the form of a servant. I start with that text but I end up with the theology of the incarnation right so I end up talking about Christology so you could start with the subject of Christology and you could come to the conclusions by going to the word the Scriptures that relate to that doctrine. Or you could start with an exposition, and when you come across that doctrine in the exposition you go to other Scriptures and you build a case for the deity of Christ that way but I would say is important to acknowledge this. The weather you start with the text or start with the subject. You have to rightly divide the word and in the end you want to make the subject of the doctrine clear from either approach, that's a helpful answer. Thanks John no friend of course pastors need to understand and accurately explain biblical truth, but really all believers need to know how to study and understand the word of God. So with that in mind, let me suggest a resource that can help you know God's word, no matter who you are.
It's the MacArthur study Bible. It's most important feature 25,000 footnotes that will help you understand virtually every passage to get your copy, contact us today. Call toll-free 855 grace or visit our website Jide TY.org.
The study Bible is available in English standard new King James and new American Standard versions. It's also available in Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Chinese in several other languages again to order, call 855 grace or visit Jide TY.and if you'd like to review each lesson from John studying wise preaching worth fighting. You can download both lessons@jidety.org. There are available free of charge, along with 3500 other sermons. That's every message from John's more than 50 years as pastor and Bible again.
Although sermons are free@tty.org that's TTY.org now for John MacArthur until Johnson reminding you to watch grace to you television Sundays on DirecTV channel 378 or check your local listings for channeling times and then join us again tomorrow and find out why you should love the church even with its flaws.
John MacArthur is starting a lesson titled why I love the church be here for that.
Another half hour of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on racing