"Preach the Word!"
(Training message for House Church and individual use: preached 11/22 – 11/28/2020)
It may be said that you can judge how a man lives by the way he dies.
How do great men die? How do truly eternally great men, men of God, men whose deeds really evermore endure… How do they live? How do they die?
- Jim Elliot – was famously known for saying that,
- “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”
- His young life abruptly ended when he was promptly murdered upon arrival by people from the remote Huaorani tribe of Ecuador: the same people whom he had so earnestly prayed for and then so earnestly sought to win to Christ.
- Soon after his swift and frightening death, his wife and young children dared, for the Lord Jesus Christ, to put themselves at risk by going directly out to live amongst, and to win the people of this same tribe.
- Needless to say, God blessed their sacrifice, and the Huaorani people were wonderfully converted to Christ.
- Later, in Jim Elliot’s journal were found these words,
- “When the time comes to die, make sure that all you have to do is die!”
- Commissioner George Scott Railton – If William Booth was the wood for the founding of the Salvation Army, and his wife, Catherine, was the fuel, then Commissioner Railton was the fire used by God to light that blaze and to spread that movement of God throughout the Earth.
- Railton once heard of a last part of London that had not yet been reached by the Salvation Army. He promptly grabbed a bright red gospel flag, and marched for hours through that part of town, loudly declaring Christ, with the flagpole raised the entire time.
- He went on afterwards, for many years, spreading the Army’s message of salvation through Christ alone – to America, France, Switzerland, Spain, and Germany; South Africa, West Africa, China, Japan, and Russia.
- He died enroute, in a train station, on his way from one country to another; and therefore in the midst of spreading and preaching the Word of God! (What a life!)
- D.L. Moody – famous worldwide evangelist at the very end of the 19th century, was well known for a love of preaching about Heaven.
- Perhaps many who listened and read his sermons still did not believe, and so…
- When he died,
- God allowed him to first go to Heaven,
- and then be resuscitated back to life,
- and then return to testify of what he saw in Heaven;
- and then soon after joyously go on to live with his Savior forever.
- C.T. Studd – missionary on three continents: China, India, and Africa.
- His greatest quote is a summarizing testimony of his life.
- “Only one life ‘twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.”
- When he was sick, aging and unable to gain sponsorship from the missionary boards, he prayed, gathered money on his own, and went anyway to live and eventually die with primitive African tribesmen – who came to both love C.T. Studd as a father, and to intimately know his Savior as their own.
- His last great work gift to the Lord was a translation of the Bible into the tribesmen’s language. He worked night and day, while hardly leaving his desk. Soon after he died in the same room, on his bed, while continuing to utter these last words,
- “Glory to God! Glory to God! Glory to God!”
- His greatest quote is a summarizing testimony of his life.
- John Wesley – gave everything, and literally every moment to preach the Word of God to the masses. In his lifetime… John Wesley lived!
- He preached 2 to 3 times a day: a total of over 40,000 sermons.
- He traveled over 250,000 miles on horseback.
- He gave away over 30,000 pounds (millions in today’s money);
- and yet when died, he left virtually no earthly wealth but rather
- Societies of surrendered Christian men and women;
- Chapels where the Word of God continued being preached;
- Charities that provided aid to the downtrodden and poor;
- Newly established cures to heal the sick;
- Schools and orphanages for once-neglected children; and
- 135,000 members of the Methodist movement that he founded; and
- 541 committed dedicated sold out traveling preachers!
- Jim Elliot – was famously known for saying that,
- Hallelujah!
- As he lay on his deathbed, surrounded by followers and friends, he was heard, three times, to utter these now well known words,
- “The best of it all is, God is with us.” (Yes, repeated 3 times.)
And yet all these things, from all these great men and hundreds and thousands more… is not enough! That was then. This is now. This is your generation! What will you do? What must you now do?
You know. You already know what to do? You are told directly and clearly and wonderfully and powerfully and pointedly by the Word of God itself, and therefore by God Himself to…
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.” (2 Timothy 4:2)
I. “Preach the word!”
- Go to it! Preach! Preach the word!
- Open up your mouth!
- Open up your heart!
- Open up the Word of God and receive, and understand, and…
II. “Preach the word!” “Preach the word; be instant in season!”
- Yes, when God is moving powerfully all around you;
- When the Shekinah glory pervades your being;
- When the Spirit of God breaks the hearer’s heart;
- When the other preachers have failed; and the people of God are almost gone; and God has had to step back in;
- Preach the word and be instant in season!
III. “Preach the word!” “Preach the word!” “Preach the word; be instant… out of season!”
- Yes, when God is not moving powerfully around you!
- Revival is you, the Christian, waking up and doing your duty so that God can work through you!
- Revival is not you sitting around; begging for the boss to come and do your job for you.
- God will help you but you’ve got to do something (the right thing) for him to help you with!
- Here is an axiom that may help to sum this up: Revival is a Christian finally living like the person he was saved to be, instead of living the same way he did before he allegedly passed from death unto life!
- Be a Christian – always! Be a Christian all the time, and preach!
- “Preach the word!” “Preach the word!” “Preach the word!” “Preach the word” like this…
- “Reprove!” – the Bible says that when you preach you must reprove!
- Dare to correct what is wrong in the world – do not compromise and just go along!
- Dare to convince men of the wickedness in their lives and hearts – never fear to tell them they’re wrong!
- “Rebuke!” – the Bible also says that when you preach you must rebuke!
- Preach the Bible’s condemnation of hypocritical “church” systems!
- Preach the Bible’s criticism of corrupt and/or crooked preachers!
- Preach the Bible’s calling out of false and/or compromising “Christians!”
- Preach the Bible’s
- demand to create an atmosphere of cleansing holiness that
- demands that a convert to Christ dares to show his faith by works!
IV. “Exhort with all long suffering and doctrine!”- The Bible lastly says that when you preach you must patiently encourage, and lovingly comfort and guide your people.
- Confrontational preaching must be combined with sincere encouragement!
- Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.” (John 14:1)
- Confrontational preaching must be combined with true love!
- Jesus said, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” (John 13:34)
- Confrontational preaching must be combined with real comfort!
- Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27)
- Confrontational preaching must be combined with correct guidance!
- Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15); and he said, “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.” (John 15:10)
- Confrontational preaching must be combined with sincere encouragement!
Preach! Preach until…
- Gallows of doom change into rooms of life everlasting that cannot die!
Preach! Preach until…
- Shadows of sorrow become guides of tomorrow pointing you up to the skies!
Preach! Preach until…
- Tortures of men bring greater joy when “all tears are wiped away” from our eyes!
Preach! Preach until…
- They finally understand what death began that glorious day that our Lord was crucified!
Preach! Preach until…
- Heartache becomes happiness, until
- Pain is changed to praise, until
- Every problem is solved with just one name; until
- Jesus Christ is praised!
Preach, and preach, and preach, and preach, until
- Your life is just one word that preaches one Word!
Preach the word!
Conclusion
If you’re going to practice medicine then you’ve got to go to med school for twelve years – and then you might be able to share modern medicine with others. If you’re going to practice law then you’ve got to go to law school and pass the bar and then you might be able to defend your clients in a court of law. But to share the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ you’ve simply got to know him enough to have him take away your sins… in a moment, and then… you’ve got to go and share this wonderful truth… immediately… with your family, your friends, then your acquaintances, and then with anyone you can!
- Share the truth or wickedly leave it hidden and obscured.
- Express your joy to others or have it slowly dissipate.
- Proclaim assurance of salvation or begin to wonder about your own.
- Preach the Gospel!
- Preach the Good News!
- Preach about Jesus!
- Do not argue! Do not fight. Walk away if they disagree. Then pray and be endued with power again, and preach; and preach; and preach!
Preach! Preach the Word!!!
OUTLINE:
“Preach the Word!”
(A Message to the Ministers of the Lord Jesus Christ)
“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.” (2 Timothy 4:2)
I. “Preach the word!”
II. “Preach the word!”
III. “Preach the word; be instant in season!”
IV. “Preach the word!” “Preach the word!” “Preach the word; be instant… out of season!”
Revival is you…
Revival is not…
God will help you but…
Here is an axiom that may help to sum this up: Revival is…
Be a Christian – always…
- “Preach the word!” “Preach the word!” “Preach the word!” “Preach the word” like this…
“Reprove!”
“Rebuke!”
“Exhort with all long suffering and doctrine!”
WORSHIP:
Opening:
“The Mark of a Man of God” – [Where are the Men of God?]
Message: