5b The Utter Necessity of Preaching the Word

THE PASTOR’S JOB DESCRIPTION PART 5b:
Conforming the church to Godliness-
The Utter Necessity of Preaching God’s Word
1 Timothy 4:13-16

Introduction:
This week I want to conclude our study of the job description of the pastor given to Timothy by Paul in the book of first Timothy. Today’s topic is really the crowning task of the pastor’s work- preaching.

John Bunyan described the preacher like this:
A very great person hung against the wall and this was his appearance:
Eyes lifted up to heaven, the best of books in his hands, the law of truth was written upon his lips, the world behind his back; he stood as if pleading with men; a crown of gold did hang above his head.

Read 1 Timothy 4:13-14
I. v. 13 (Till I come…)

Paul wrote this letter to Timothy to exhort him to set things in order in the church: things such as the purity of doctrine, the centrality of prayer to the Christian ministry, the organization of leadership, and conforming the church to godliness as well.

We’re currently looking at the two parts of the last item in the job description of the pastor: ‘conforming the church to godliness’- last time was by modeling godly character, this week it is through preaching.

Paul has just warned Timothy about the necessity of being an example to believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in purity. But he bonds godly conduct with godly preaching saying, be an example of godly character (v. 12) and “until I come” be a preacher of godly doctrine (v. 13). Character and doctrine are inseparable for the pastor who is called of God.

Remember how in school when the teacher left the classroom, what did most of us do? Instead of working, we begin to slack off and talk and tell jokes. But then when the teacher returned we pretended as though we had been working all the time, right?

But the teacher always knew when we had been fooling around. All she had to do was examine our work. How will Paul know if Timothy has been following Paul’s instruction? He will see it in the godliness and the doctrine of the congregation.

To be honest, I am not much concerned about Paul’s return to Surrey. But I am very concerned about the return of Christ when he will come to judge my labour. Until He comes, the pastor is called to model godliness, as well as to give attention to reading the Word, to preaching it and to doctrine.

Actually, the Word, ‘give attention’ has a much stronger meaning in Greek; it carries the idea of being addicted. For instance in 3:8 Paul says that Deacons must not be given to much wine.’ In other words, the pastor must have a single fixation. And it must never be any pursuit other then the word of God and doctrine.

If a pastor spends more time in other pursuits such as golf or music or literature or hockey, then he will surely be ashamed at the appearing of our Lord. The pastor’s all consuming passion then, his addiction, must be the Word and to sound doctrine for the sake of preaching.

This will always be a battle for the pastor because the Spirit expressly says in 4:1 “that in latter times some will depart from the faith, [being addicted] to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.” The momentum of the spirit of our age is not toward sound doctrine, but toward the doctrine of demons veiled in fluffy spirituality packaged for mass consumption. And that is why it is so crucial for the pastor to wage the war of doctrine, because if sound doctrine is not having the influence, then false doctrine inevitably will.

Paul was so emphatic about his warning that when he returned to Macedonia, he said the same thing publicly, turn to Acts 20:28-32.

Two reasons that sound doctrine is so important:
1. It protects against wolves from without who destroy as well as unlearned sheep from within who, whether knowingly or unknowingly, teach perverse things in order to gain a following (29-30).
2. It is able to build us up and give us an inheritance.

II. Reading Exhortation and Doctrine (v. 13b):

There are three things to which Paul says the pastor must give his attention in verse 13: reading, exhortation, and doctrine. Let’s look at them:

1. Reading
The Greek word has to do with the idea of reading something in order to know it. There are two areas that the pastor must be prolific in his reading:

i. The pastor must be a student of the writings and sermons of the great men of faith who have gone before him. Men like Augustine, Luther, Calvin and Edwards.

I really like to read Spurgeon’s sermons as well as those of George Whitefield. On the internet I can find some great modern preachers like John Piper and John Macarthur as well as Albert Mohler. But I especially enjoy the puritans.

In fact, if someone does not have the means to attend seminary, I recommend that he study the works of great puritans such as John Owen, Matthew Henry, and Thomas Watson. You’d likely profit more from a sampling of their writings and be of more use to the church then you would if you had a graduate degree from most contemporary seminaries.

John Trapp wrote, “As water tastes of the soil it runs through, so does the soul taste of the authors that a man reads.” We need be discerning in what we choose to feed our minds.

ii. We do this by grounding ourselves in the teachings of scripture. Paul says “meditate on these things” in verse 15. He’s not talking about mysticism that empties the mind of thoughts causing a hypnosis-like state that leaves us open to demon possession.
Christian meditation means meditating on the Word of God. Reading God’s word bathes our mind in the thoughts of God and when we meditate upon God’s Word we fill our mind with the thoughts of God. “When your words came I ate them; they were joy and my hearts delight” (Jer 15:16).

When we read the Bible, we must read it in three ways:
1) devotionally,
2) academically (that is, rightly dividing the word),
3) meditatively.
This calls for balance. Let me explain how that occurs:

If a pastor only reads the word devotionally and fails to labour in it academically then his preaching will be excessively devotional appealing more to the heart then the mind. It should reveal to the hearers that the pastor has not spent his time labouring in the Word as he should.

Similarly, if the pastor’s reading of scripture is overly technical and academic then his preaching will be doctrinal, but it will fail to appeal to the heart.

The pastor must do both. And meditation helps to bridge the gap between the devotional reading of scripture and the doctrinal reading of scripture. Good preaching that appeals both to the mind and the heart comes from a pastor who has been enabled by his congregation to spend time reading, studying and meditating on the Word.

Remember Jesus’ stinging criticism of the Sadducees? “You do err not knowing the scriptures” he said to them (Matt 22:29). John Owen wrote, “If the Word does not dwell with power in us, it will not pass with power from us.” “Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt 12:34).

2. Doctrine
Doctrine has fallen on hard times in our day. The assumption is that to be doctrinal is to be unloving and intolerant. But the fact is that to allow someone to believe and propagate a lie that could damn their soul is the most unloving thing you can do.

Giving oneself to doctrine means that we take all things, whether they are the latest trends or the ancient traditions, and we hold them to the light of scripture to see if they are truly from God. Anything that does not stand up to scripture must be jettisoned. “Test everything; hold fast to what is good. Abstain from every evil.” ( 1Thess. 5:21-22).

There are two kinds of doctrine: False doctrine and true doctrine.

i. False Doctrine
Paul warned that a time will come when men will not endure sound doctrine” (2 Tim 4:3). They cease to worship God in truth when they despise His doctrine. Jesus said, “in vain they worship me teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:9).

But we need not worry because we have the deposit of the Spirit of truth to lead us so that we should never be “tossed to and fro and carried about every wind of doctrine” (Eph 4:14). Be on guard against preaching and teaching that seeks to undermine the Holy Spirit and speculates on things not taught in scripture.

Peter describes these men as unlearned and unstable who seek to distort the truth. They are like wolves moving from church to church and seeking whom they might devour.

ii. True Doctrine
Richard Baxter wrote, “Truth loves the light, and it is most beautiful when it is most naked.” God has deposited with the church a treasury of doctrines that every one who occupies the pulpit must be certain of.

Sound doctrine is so important that in verse 16 we are told to persevere in it because it is the means by which we are saved.

“All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine” (2 Tim 3:16). Our source of doctrine is scripture. It is our hope for eternal life. “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the Spirit might have hope” (Romans 15:4).

3. Exhortation
Giving attention to reading and to doctrine are not ends in themselves, but they are the foundation fro preaching. That’s what preaching is, exhortation. Preaching was central to the ministry of Jesus- wherever he went he preached the kingdom of God. His greatest miracles accompanied his message.

Preaching is God’s means of grace to draw people to Christ and to salvation. How will unbelievers know to call on the name of the Lord and be saved if they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? (Romans 10:14).

You see, if God is going to build this church, it won’t be because of fancy programs, or charismatic speakers or therapeutic preaching, or because of slick marketing or due to the homogenous unit principle. If God is going to build this church it will be because we are church that has determined to preach nothing, except Christ and him crucified, “foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Cor 1:18).

That’s how important preaching is. That’s why Paul commands Timothy to be addicted to preaching the whole counsel of God. It may not build us a mega church. It may not make us rich and free of sickness and disease, but it will establish us blameless and holy before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. On that we will not be ashamed.