2 Timothy 4:2-5
Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
One of the things that must shift in this season is how we do ministry. Paul admonished Timothy to preach the word! we must go back to preaching what the word of God says and not the opinions of men. The power of God is contained in his word and if we preach it and live according to it then we will see the demonstration of the power in it.
Paul says that we need to be ready in season and out of season. We must be ready to preach this word when it is convenient and when it is not convenient. One of the things i have really appreciated in this season is to see pastors thinking out of the box to ensure that the preaching of the word does not stop. From having online services to setting up sound equipment in streets and neighborhoods and preaching, its incredible.
We are to correct meaning it is our duty to point out that which is contrary to the word in a loving way. We live in an age where if you do that, people take it negatively and you will hear quotes like “Don’t Judge me, only God can judge.”
We are to rebuke, now that’s confrontational because to rebuke means to express sharp disapproval or criticism of (someone) because of their behavior or actions. That’s an area of ministry many of us shy away from because we do not want to ruffle any feathers.
We are also to encourage and build each other up consistently.
As Paul warned, the time is here when people have turned away their ears to the truth and they have embraced myths.
We must be consistent and keep our heads sober in all situations and especially one like the one we are facing where the church is being looked down upon in many quarters.
We must be ready to endure hardship and we must do the work of an evangelist and discharge all the duties of our ministry.
We must go back to making the word the main focus of our ministry, it is the word that will bring about real transformation in the lives of people. Remember the parable of the sower? The seed is the word of God and when it finds a receptive heart then fruit is the outcome. The enemy is so aware of this and that is why he would seek to steal the word and where he cannot, then render it powerless by causing our hearts to be distracted by other things.
It is time to go back to the basics as it was in the book of Acts, they devoted themselves to the word, to fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer.
Reflective Thoughts
To preach the word we must know the word, how much time are you devoting to the word?
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Are you part of a local church that preaches the word or just the myths of men?
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Is the word that is preached having an impact in your life? How has that changed you?
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