Latest / Bible Study with Pr. Daniel Batarseh | Verse by Verse Series | Maranatha Bible Church - Chicago / The Need of The Hour: Real Preaching! Pastor Daniel Batarseh
Transcript
- 0:10I trust, you have your Bible with you this afternoon and if
- 0:13you do meet me in 2nd, Timothy chapter 4, Beginning in verse 1.
- 0:33Father, we ask again that you would help us.
- 0:37With the scriptures. Oh Lord, we do not dare.
- 0:41Come to this pulpit. Lightly.
- 0:46We realize that this is your word and you told us that you
- 0:50look upon those who tremble before it What provoked, an
- 0:54inward trembling, as we receive the word of the Living.
- 0:58God We ask Lord that the Holy Spirit would rest on the
- 1:03ministry of the word and that there would be great power.
- 1:07The way that you have ordained preaching to be, let it be
- 1:10performed this afternoon. We asked, oh God, and in this
- 1:15moment we would not regard it as just transaction of truth, but
- 1:20as a moment of worship, we worship in the word today
- 1:24together. And so Lord, open our eyes that
- 1:28we may see the glories with in the scriptures.
- 1:31We ask these things in the name of the living Christ in Jesus
- 1:35name, amen. I charge you.
- 1:42In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who is to judge the
- 1:48living, and the dead, and by his appearing, and his kingdom
- 1:53preach, the word be ready in season and out of season,
- 2:00reprove rebuke, and exhort with complete, patience and teaching,
- 2:07for the time is coming, when people will not endure sound
- 2:11teaching. But having itching ears, they
- 2:14will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own
- 2:18passions and will turn away from listening to the truth and
- 2:22wander off into myths. If the Apostle Paul was alive
- 2:28today and had the opportunity to exhort ministers across the
- 2:33globe with one message. What do you think his
- 2:37instructions would be? In light of all the false
- 2:41religions in light of the moral Mayhem in light of the deceptive
- 2:46distractions in this hour, what would his cry be to pastors, who
- 2:53are shepherding flocks of different sizes?
- 2:56Who are collectively, weathering this cold and frightening world.
- 3:02What would his thrust be with his men date to those who are
- 3:07called to give guidance as they steer the ships of local
- 3:12churches through the crashing waves of deception and
- 3:18degradation? We don't have to think too far,
- 3:23we don't have to use our imaginations because as we come
- 3:27to this final chapter in the book of 2nd Timothy, this
- 3:30preacher is giving a message to a pastor and we don't have to
- 3:37look too far to realize what this Christ commission man would
- 3:41tell the leaders of churches today.
- 3:46The summation of his charge can be summarized in three simple,
- 3:51yet, eternally impactful words. Preach the word.
- 3:59Preach the word. And behold one of the final
- 4:05declarations that this Apostle would right before his
- 4:08graduation into Glory. And though, there are many other
- 4:12commands that Timothy received an order for him to observe so
- 4:15that he can better face the perilous times, that were ahead
- 4:18of him. There is something so solemn
- 4:22about the verses that we just read.
- 4:24There's something that is intensely gripping about the
- 4:27charge that is laid out here before us.
- 4:30And there is a call for us to comprehend for ourselves.
- 4:34Why what is being shared here is crucial To be applied in our own
- 4:39day. Pastors as the unbelieving world
- 4:44is going from bad to worse as false teachers are arising.
- 4:48And they are vehemently persuading people to believe
- 4:53truths that will damn their souls your occupation.
- 4:57In the midst of such chaos and Havoc, your business is to
- 5:01preach the word of the Living. God, I can imagine how you may
- 5:09be tempted to think that this has no relation to your life as
- 5:12a Layman. But I would advise you.
- 5:17To believe for yourself, that understanding what preaching is
- 5:22is totally related to you, because, although, you may not
- 5:25be a pastor in this place, I'm although you may not be a
- 5:27missionary and evangelist. One thing is for certain every
- 5:31single one of us in this place is called to wisely choose what
- 5:36kind of preaching our souls will sit under.
- 5:40Fathers husbands, especially as priest of your home as the head
- 5:46of the household. You have been given the charge
- 5:51by God the responsibility. To lead your family to the right
- 5:57pasture so that they can receive their spiritual nourishment.
- 6:01And in great part that will be determined by how the word of
- 6:06God is handled and declared from the pulpit of that local
- 6:11assembly. Church is not just about
- 6:16preaching, but preaching drives the church into a certain
- 6:19direction. And therefore, please believe
- 6:23for yourself today. That understanding the
- 6:24significance of the word, preached is not just for those
- 6:29who have dedicated their lives to such a practice, it is
- 6:33equally crucial to those who have to make a decision on a
- 6:38continual basis. What will I give my ears to
- 6:41listen to for the sake of the health of my own soul?
- 6:48And in these verses we have wonderful insights about what
- 6:52preaching is what preaching does, what preaching is supposed
- 7:00to sound like and feel like and the fruit of such a spiritual
- 7:05discipline in the lives of those who are exposed to it.
- 7:10So consider with me the insights that Paul gives in these verses
- 7:14to this pastor who summoned to preach the Word of God and a
- 7:19people who must make a decision where will I go to hear the word
- 7:25preached? Number one, consider the gravity
- 7:32of preaching, consider the seriousness of preaching.
- 7:38Look what Paul says in verse 1. I charge you in the presence of
- 7:43God and of Christ Jesus who is to judge the living, and the
- 7:47dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom, preach the word,
- 7:53the weightiness of this task should be felt as we realize,
- 7:57The tone that Paul is presenting as he is ready to commission,
- 8:01this young Pastor to be a Herald of divine truth.
- 8:05We're supposed to realize that, as he invokes God in this, that
- 8:10this is no joke. You know, Paul could have said
- 8:13in passing, hey, Timothy. I, before I forget, you're gonna
- 8:15get really busy with a lot of things and Ministry,
- 8:18administrative things, and, and counseling and visitation, but
- 8:22don't forget, we're called to actually teach that helps with
- 8:25the morale of the people. So make sure you Don't neglect
- 8:28it. But this man will not dare to be
- 8:31so casual. When speaking of such important
- 8:36realities, it would be a crime to do so.
- 8:42Why is preaching so significant as a duty?
- 8:45Why does it deserve such a majestic?
- 8:47Build up? First realize that preaching is
- 8:52an act. That is performed in the
- 8:56watchful presence of God and Christ.
- 9:02The preacher, whether he acknowledges that even in this
- 9:05moment or not does not dismiss the reality that he is
- 9:12performing a task in the presence of the head of the
- 9:15church. This form of communication is a
- 9:19responsibility that God gives special attention to.
- 9:25Because it is a work that he commission's meant to do.
- 9:29No call can be given to a man. No burden can be placed upon
- 9:34someone's shoulders that can be, so grave and serious. as to
- 9:41Faithfully communicate God's word to an audience, whether
- 9:44that audience is made up of 12 or 12:00, For Paul to invoke the
- 9:50presence of God at this point, is to inform us the
- 9:53incalculable, value, that God himself places on this thing
- 9:57called preaching. It's not just a job that he
- 10:01calls men to set apart their lives.
- 10:03To do it is a job that he continually supervises and
- 10:10watches over with a careful with a careful eye.
- 10:16Why should the preacher tremble? Why should the preacher quake?
- 10:21Why? Because he's going to receive
- 10:24potentially some criticism from his Congregation of being unkind
- 10:27or too forceful. Why?
- 10:30Because he might have to endure the threats of blasphemers who
- 10:33hate the truth, why? Because his livelihood is
- 10:37attached, to the engagement value of his preaching nonsense,
- 10:42the preacher should be fearful because the preacher is being
- 10:47watched by A savior, a master, a lord who will hold him
- 10:53accountable for every single word that he utters in his name.
- 11:02The duty of declaring Divine, truth is no light matter.
- 11:05And of Paul's words are to be taken seriously, if this charge
- 11:09is to be felt with the authority behind it, then it will alter
- 11:13his attitude and the way he prepares his messages and surely
- 11:17in the way that he publicly proclaims.
- 11:19It not only is their Divine accountability attached to
- 11:24preaching, but the reason why there is such a gravity with it
- 11:28is because it deals with Old matters.
- 11:32Look what he says here, who is to judge the living and the
- 11:35dead. And by his appearing and his
- 11:39kingdom. What is he trying to say here?
- 11:43Preaching deals with eternity? Preaching deals with people who
- 11:51will realize a returning Christ one day.
- 11:56And if this man is to operate as a communicator of God's counsel,
- 12:00he must do. So, with a knowledge of the
- 12:03accountability that he is attached to, but also with the
- 12:08returning reality of the person that he is representing,
- 12:15Preaching prepares people for eternity.
- 12:19Preaching postures people to meet with a coming judge
- 12:26preaching points are distracted crowd to a soon-coming sky
- 12:32splitting savior. That's what preaching does.
- 12:37Do you realize the seriousness of this moment?
- 12:40Even now that there may be even some Souls who are hanging in
- 12:44the balance. Hanging in the balance of an
- 12:48open hell that is still hot and a glorious Heaven.
- 12:52That is still open for those who would repent and believe on
- 12:54Christ. Do we realize that across the
- 12:57world? Today, there is the preached
- 12:58word that will determine based on what people will do with that
- 13:02truth. Where they will spend the rest
- 13:05of Eternity. There is such a gravity with
- 13:09this. And let me ask you a question
- 13:13today, what can be more serious than preaching?
- 13:17Are you among those who criticize preachers?
- 13:19Who are serious? Preachers, who are passionate?
- 13:25Then you don't understand what preaching is.
- 13:30Can I tell you why there is such a lack of urgency and passion
- 13:37and many pulpit in America? Today, I can tell you why
- 13:41because they don't believe Jesus is watching and they don't
- 13:45really believe Jesus is coming. Oh, they might theoretically
- 13:49they might theologically, they might intellectually, they might
- 13:52have it on their statement of faith on their website, but it's
- 13:54not in their blood. The revelation of these choose
- 14:00has to be so melted into our souls.
- 14:05Then when people hear a man, they can feel the fire in his
- 14:10bosom. I want to prove that to you.
- 14:15I want to prove to you that the prophets of old and the apostles
- 14:18in the New Covenant had a certain weightiness to their
- 14:22delivery. They were men who really really
- 14:27believed what they preached turn with me to Revelation chapter 10
- 14:35and verse 8. This is John.
- 14:47John, the Apostle is receiving one of the greatest Revelations.
- 14:53The apocalyptic events. That have yet to happen.
- 14:59And in preparation in this portion of Revelation
- 15:01preparation to write about the remaining Prophecies of God's
- 15:04dealing with the world with his final series of judgments.
- 15:08This man was told to approach an angel and take a little scroll
- 15:11from him. That would disclose the details
- 15:15of God's crescendo In human history.
- 15:20Verse 8, then the voice that I had heard from Heaven spoke to
- 15:23me again, saying, go take the scroll.
- 15:26That is open in the hand of the Angel, who is standing on the
- 15:29sea and on the land. So I went to the angel and told
- 15:33him to give me the little scroll and he said to me, take and eat
- 15:37it, it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth, it
- 15:41will be sweet as honey. And I took the little scroll
- 15:45from the hand of the Angel and ate it.
- 15:47It was sweet as Honey in my mouth, but when I had ended it,
- 15:50my stomach was made bitter. This Angel tells them after
- 15:55receiving instruction from Heaven, eat the scroll.
- 16:00And when you eat it, two things are going to happen.
- 16:02Number one, it's going to it's going to have an explosion of
- 16:06delight in your mouth. It's going to be sweet, you're
- 16:09going to savor it but I as you digest it it's going to trouble
- 16:14the innermost parts of who you are.
- 16:16It's going to be sour and bitter.
- 16:18It's going to turn your insides. What I find.
- 16:23So fascinating is that God didn't just tell John to take a
- 16:27scroll in to record on his own Papyrus.
- 16:30What he was supposed to say. Concerning the events that are
- 16:33to come He wanted him to eat it. What does this have to do with
- 16:39preaching? Don't you see that God wants his
- 16:44Messenger to feel the message before he would ever share it?
- 16:52I wanted to get in you. I want you to be able to realize
- 16:57the sweetness of my word and the bitterness of it.
- 17:00Why would it be sweet? It would be sweet because
- 17:02concerning the context, what is to come in the last days would
- 17:07fulfill the desires of every True Believer.
- 17:09And that is for Christ to return an exaltation and to put an end
- 17:13to wickedness and sin forever and ever and ever.
- 17:17But it would also be bitter because at the same time This
- 17:21would also determine the Doom of those who have been enemies of.
- 17:25The Gospel will be eternally. Expelled from the presence of
- 17:29God, only to undergo his wrath continually and so yes, it was
- 17:33sweet but also it was bitter. But here's the main point, God
- 17:37wants his preachers to feel it. To digest it.
- 17:45To simmer to realize the gravity of what is being declared by
- 17:50God, he must take what God has revealed and allow it to settle
- 17:55in his soul and in doing. So there will be a greater
- 17:58meaning and there will be a liveliness to the delivery of
- 18:02the truth that he has been commissioned.
- 18:06To speak. There is a big difference
- 18:09between under understanding Theology and experiencing it.
- 18:16And this man here shows us what Ezekiel experience in chapter 3.
- 18:19Take the scroll and he says, it was sweet.
- 18:22It was sweet as honey. In my mouth from old to new.
- 18:24God has a standard for his men who would speak truth.
- 18:28Would you feel what you're about to say?
- 18:32And what great crime it is, when men can.
- 18:34So casually, come up and speak of things.
- 18:37Like, eternity, hell heaven and have no urgency in his voice.
- 18:44Surely, I tell you, he might have got a degree at a seminary,
- 18:47but he had not let this word get in his blood.
- 18:52The gravity of preaching. This afternoon, you are in a
- 18:56supernatural event. This is a supernatural thing
- 19:01right now. There can be people in this
- 19:03moment who go from Death To Life.
- 19:06There can be marriages that are restored.
- 19:09There can be the backslidden who are delivered.
- 19:12Why through the means that God has ordained preach the word.
- 19:18So, would you feel the weightiness of it?
- 19:21it is Despicable to me, and I can quote many men that we
- 19:24admire when there is such a lightness And the service.
- 19:31And something, as serious as God's word is being declared,
- 19:35consider the gravity of preaching.
- 19:38But in verse to consider the method and message of preaching,
- 19:43preach preach the word. Be ready in season and out of
- 19:49season, reprove, rebuke and exhort with complete, patients
- 19:53and teaching. Once Paul lays out the
- 19:56seriousness of preaching, he goes on a speak about the method
- 19:58and the message of the Minister preach, the word, the word, what
- 20:04is the word while you heard a briefcase of what makes up the
- 20:07word in the past two weeks? What is the scripture?
- 20:12What are the sacred writings? What is the Bible?
- 20:14What makes up these things? But let me tell you today, that
- 20:18is not enough to know the content that makes up the word.
- 20:21It must also be the very Focus, the very core of the message
- 20:28that is being preached. No preacher, has any Liberty to
- 20:33give what he feels like, would be most profitable to God's
- 20:36people as he stands before them. He does not have that freedom.
- 20:40He does not have that license. And though, he may point to
- 20:45current events or relative illustrations every single time,
- 20:49those things are mentioned they are completely and purely
- 20:52supplementary and they are always to be given to assist a
- 20:56truth from the word in order for it to be greater and Clarity.
- 21:00Nothing else. Nothing more.
- 21:03The scriptures are what people should be savoring as it is
- 21:07served by God's man. What should be left in the
- 21:12mouths of those who have eaten on the Lord's day is the glories
- 21:17and the wonders of the word. And as many of you know, many
- 21:22come to a verse like this, to uphold the standard of our
- 21:27sermons, it must be the word, the word, the word, but many
- 21:31people don't come to this verse to understand that, it's not
- 21:34just the word. It's the word preached.
- 21:40He did not say Timothy. Read the word.
- 21:46Timothy. Recite the word.
- 21:51Timothy. Teach the word.
- 21:55He said, preach. He said, preach and he meant
- 21:58what he meant. Preach the word.
- 22:02In case, some might not see a distinction between preaching
- 22:06and teaching believe that Paul himself believe that there is a
- 22:09difference between preaching and teaching go to chapter one of
- 22:11second. Timothy verse 11, Second,
- 22:14Timothy 111. For which I was appointed a
- 22:23preacher. And Apostle and teacher.
- 22:30Preacher apostle. Teacher preaching and teaching
- 22:37overlap in many ways. And there have been many clever
- 22:40attempts to try to clarify the distinction between the two.
- 22:44But it's not as complicated as it should be.
- 22:47Why what is the difference? And more importantly, why does
- 22:51it even matter? Why are you telling us that the
- 22:54difference between preaching and teaching?
- 22:56What's the big deal hang tight? I believe, preaching includes
- 23:02teaching teaching, meaning the presentation and the delivery of
- 23:06information and data. Preaching must include teaching
- 23:12but preaching is more than that. And what we see here in this
- 23:15verse is exactly how that is fleshed out.
- 23:17What is he saying the same verse in second Timothy 4:2, he says
- 23:21here, clearly preaching includes to reprove, rebuke and exhort.
- 23:28Reprove, rebuke and exhort. Preaching, what argue?
- 23:36With reason why something is wrong and why something is
- 23:40right? It pushes certain truths into
- 23:43the minds of people and not because of volume but because of
- 23:48well-crafted thought you saying that sounds like teaching will
- 23:51hold on. It doesn't just stop there
- 23:54preaching points to specific truths.
- 23:57Yes, without apology but it also Demands a righteous response.
- 24:04If one is found guilty in either direction Honoring or Miss
- 24:07applying those truths. Preaching his confrontational
- 24:12preaching calls, the people to action preaching, looks at
- 24:16people in the eyes, with an urgency in the voice and says,
- 24:19these things are true. What are you gonna do about it?
- 24:24But preaching also includes comforting and encouraging
- 24:28people to be strong and faithful.
- 24:30It is not just merely, being a confrontational individual for
- 24:35the sake of bringing about conviction.
- 24:37Preaching can include the consoling of the weary and
- 24:41faint-hearted with confident speech to gird up, your loins,
- 24:47and get on your feet again. Move forward.
- 24:49And serve this one who's faithful to you.
- 24:53Summary preaching is a heartfelt Proclamation.
- 24:57That persuades people to action, I say heartfelt, because the
- 25:02Greek word for preach preach the word.
- 25:05The Greek word there is to be a Harold.
- 25:07And in biblical times, you would have individuals who represented
- 25:10Emperors and rulers of, certain regions and land, and they would
- 25:13come into the Town Square. They would come into the city
- 25:16streets, and they would on behalf of the person who sent
- 25:20them declare, whether it's an event to come.
- 25:23Whether it's a new law that was passed, that demands change. you
- 25:27know, one thing about a Harold in that time, he spoke with
- 25:30authority He spoke with dignity. And he also spoke with urgency,
- 25:41his voice, would crack through the noise of the town and call
- 25:45people to pay attention to what is being said.
- 25:49Sometimes it would be good news, the times it would be bad news
- 25:53but that man had no right to alter the message.
- 25:55But to say it the way, the king defined it, Preach the word and
- 26:03I bring this up. because that is how these men that we admire
- 26:08preached and they are to be an example, consider, the first
- 26:12Christian sermon, go with me to Acts chapter 2 Beginning in
- 26:16verse 14, oh the mercy of God, out of all the twelve that Jesus
- 26:21chose to preach the first Christian sermon, he picks the
- 26:24one who betrayed him three times.
- 26:28Don't tell me, Jesus is not merciful.
- 26:30I often go to this example to help people who believe that God
- 26:33can't forgive them, or we'll never use them again.
- 26:36Have you denied Christ three times, Have you publicly
- 26:40denounced your relationship with Christ?
- 26:42Then you're not Beyond reach? Because here's this man who
- 26:46boasted in his Fidelity, who boasted in his allegiance to
- 26:50Christ and fails miserably? And instead of Christ saying,
- 26:54you know what, you're still going to get to heaven, will get
- 26:56you in, but I'm going to put you on the Shelf because you
- 26:58embarrassed me. And how can I use you to be
- 27:01confident? Proclaimer of what I want to say
- 27:03to others. Thank you, Peter.
- 27:04You messed up? No.
- 27:08It is Peter who was elected as a represent of the Apostles to
- 27:12preach. The first Christian sermon about
- 27:13how did he preach it? Look at verse 14 of chapter 2,
- 27:16but Peter standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice
- 27:21lifted up, his voice and addressed them.
- 27:26Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known
- 27:31to you and give ear to my words. Oh, can you feel the authority
- 27:35of it? Give ear to my words.
- 27:40This is not fleshly arrogance. This is not cringy, boldness.
- 27:45Your some people who try to be bold, because they just think
- 27:47that, that is what's attract, and that's what people want,
- 27:49because, you know, that's what that's what faithful people
- 27:52want. They want bold preaching, but
- 27:53because it's not drenched in the power of the spirit, it just,
- 27:56it's cringe. Nothing of the sort with such a
- 27:59man, he spoke with such Clarity and precision and he addressed
- 28:04men head on because he was just filled with the Holy Spirit.
- 28:10And he got their attention. And even though the sermon was
- 28:14spontaneous, Peter gives a glorious case for what Jesus is
- 28:18the Christ. How the scriptures point to him
- 28:22and how he fulfilled these prophecies, but it wasn't just a
- 28:26lecture. It was not a PowerPoint
- 28:29presentation. Come down to verse 40.
- 28:34And with many other words, he bore Witness.
- 28:37And continued to exhort them saying, save yourselves from
- 28:42this crooked generation. You know, often people come to
- 28:46this text to say look Peter preached like a 2 minute message
- 28:48and 3000, got saved the Holy Spirit, gave The Abridged
- 28:51version of the sermon. Verse 40 tells us that with many
- 28:55other words so it was much longer than what we read there
- 28:59with many other words. What did he do?
- 29:02He exhorted them and look at this, look at this language,
- 29:05save yourselves from this crooked generation.
- 29:11You heard what the scripture says about Jesus.
- 29:13Now what are you going to do about it?
- 29:16Flee from the Wrath to come believe on this one that you
- 29:20have now, been convinced is the Messiah.
- 29:22Save yourself by throwing yourself at the feet of this
- 29:26Christ. This preaching is missing today.
- 29:35This is why understanding the word preached is important
- 29:38because this may shock you today to have an accurate presentation
- 29:42of the word of God, in a local church is not the ultimate goal
- 29:45of the local church. To have exegetical preaching
- 29:50where you go verse by verse, or to be robust, theologically or
- 29:55to have sound. Orthodoxy is not the ceiling of
- 29:58preaching. If all of that is there, but it
- 30:01is given in a cold, lifeless lesson.
- 30:06It is not handling the word of God.
- 30:07The way God called it, to be honored, it has to be preached.
- 30:13Preach the word. God's word is designed to be
- 30:18communicated with force and the peel and that provoking power is
- 30:25accomplished through the channel of spirit-empowered
- 30:29communication, that resembles. That of a town Harold.
- 30:36I'm afraid, as I said earlier that preaching Apostolic,
- 30:41preaching prophetic preaching has been replaced in great part
- 30:45with Ted Talks. Or casual.
- 30:50Let's have a conversation on the porch, kind of sermons.
- 30:55Those have their place lectures and PowerPoints they're fine.
- 31:00But what has happened to the word preached?
- 31:05We are losing this art. It's becoming less and less
- 31:10common. And this is why God instructs
- 31:16don't just speak the word. Don't just provide some biblical
- 31:20references and eloquently, put them together and see how this
- 31:23answers that preach the word. Because I've designed my word to
- 31:28be preached. May I add a footnote.
- 31:32There are some well-intended. People who say, I don't need to
- 31:34listen to preachers because I have all of God's word for
- 31:37myself. And go back to Second Timothy.
- 31:41And they will even point to what we heard last week.
- 31:45That all scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable,
- 31:48right? What is it profitable for?
- 31:49Well, very similar to what preaching does for teaching, for
- 31:53reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.
- 31:56Why do I need to be concerned about who I listen to when I
- 32:00have a copy of God's Divine truth, that has the ability to
- 32:03change me just the same good question.
- 32:07Many answers to that. Let me give you one.
- 32:11If preaching is charged in the power of the Holy Spirit.
- 32:14If God's word is the center of that preaching, then the public
- 32:19experience of the word preached will enrich your personal
- 32:22engagement with the word of God. Not necessarily because the
- 32:27preacher has more information than the Layman, but because his
- 32:31delivery will arouse fresh affections for the truth.
- 32:35As the people feel the heat of a man who has been set Ablaze for
- 32:40God. This kind of interaction here.
- 32:46What is supposed to cause as the word is preached is for you to
- 32:48not just see things that you never saw before.
- 32:50But feel things about it that you are supposed to feel.
- 32:54And how is that, how is that supposed to be known?
- 32:56When you see, a man who has tasted the honey of it, on his
- 32:59lips and the bitterness of it in his soul?
- 33:05Preaching the method Harold, it, the message God's word.
- 33:13Lastly not just the gravity of preaching.
- 33:17Not just the method or the message of preaching.
- 33:21But the great need. The great need for faithful
- 33:24preaching. In verse 34, the time is coming
- 33:29when people will not endure sound teaching.
- 33:32But having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves
- 33:34teachers to suit their own passions and will turn away from
- 33:38listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
- 33:41Paul gives his second prophecy. We spent so many weeks on his
- 33:44first one in the beginning of chapter 3.
- 33:46Look at it in verse 1 quickly. But understand this, that in the
- 33:48last days, there will come times of difficulty 4:3 for the time
- 33:54is coming when people will not endure sound teaching.
- 33:56So he gives another lens into the days to come before his own
- 34:00departure into glory. And he says, there is a Time
- 34:03coming when people will not be able to endure.
- 34:07Meaning what that, for a time they did.
- 34:12For a time, they were willing to listen to Doctrine and Theology
- 34:16and passionate Declaration of truth.
- 34:19But then at some point in history, Humanity will be marked
- 34:23in the timeline of its history where there is a massive wave of
- 34:26those who will have a growing appetite for preaching that will
- 34:30not confront them, or challenge them, or stir them or convict
- 34:35them. And that's not going to be just
- 34:39because false teachers are going to emerge like weeds.
- 34:44That's not what he says here. He does not say people will turn
- 34:48from sound teaching because there's going to be more
- 34:50powerful preachers who adhere to error and declare falsehood.
- 34:54That's not what he says that is true in other parts but it's not
- 34:58what he says here. We think one-dimensional often
- 35:01when we speak about the dangers of false teachers and false
- 35:05teaching but it's much more Flex than that.
- 35:07What do I mean? What does he say here?
- 35:10People will not endure sound teaching, but having itching
- 35:13ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers And so it is
- 35:20the people who will do the recruiting, it's the people who
- 35:24will do searching. It's people who will do the
- 35:27promoting of teachers in order to satisfy some religiosity
- 35:31about themselves, who will tell them exactly at the right
- 35:36temperature with the right content what it is that they
- 35:38want to hear in order for them to stay in their sin but still
- 35:42believe that they are sanctified They will accumulate for
- 35:47themselves. Can I tell you why?
- 35:48There are hundreds and thousands of views on many YouTube.
- 35:51Sermons of those who are unbiblical, can I tell you why
- 35:55there are Mega conferences that drawn?
- 35:57Thousands of people who are moved by emotionalism who are
- 36:01moved by Charisma, can I tell you why?
- 36:05It's because the people set it up.
- 36:09Just like the golden calf, the nation of Israel demanded for an
- 36:14idol to worship, and it came about the idol, didn't show up.
- 36:18And say, worship me that people says, we want to worship a
- 36:22golden calf and they made a demand.
- 36:25It was created and it was worshipped.
- 36:29False teachers today in most Parts, they have been created
- 36:33and promoted by people who want to hear what they want to hear.
- 36:41And oftentimes. That is God's judgment upon
- 36:45them, for rejecting the truth. You want to reject the truth.
- 36:50Then here is a preacher that will tell you exactly what you
- 36:52want to hear and will damn your soul.
- 36:57Spirit of God makes it so obvious as you not.
- 37:01False teachers don't necessarily create a crowd.
- 37:03It is the crowd who elevates a man to that position to calm the
- 37:10craving of sin in their hearts. In the final days.
- 37:16What you're being told here today is that there will be a
- 37:21greater abandonment of biblically rich and passionate
- 37:24preaching. As people seek for other things,
- 37:29true preaching will be less sought after as we approach the
- 37:32second coming of Christ. So who said just because it's
- 37:35popular means that it is impactful or it is blessed by
- 37:38God. When I have a prophecy here that
- 37:40tells me that actually what's going to happen is that
- 37:44preaching is going to be more ignored true preaching and
- 37:49dismissed for silly myths. And watered-down Proclamation.
- 37:56This is why such a message is not just for pastors.
- 38:01Because who you choose to listen, to says in great part
- 38:06about your health spiritually. The authors that you indulge in
- 38:12the podcast that you love to a great degree reveals, what do
- 38:17you champion? What is the condition of your
- 38:22soul? Because in this case, these
- 38:25people they're seeking after spirituality, but it's poison,
- 38:30it's detrimental to them. So what are preachers supposed
- 38:36to do? What a preacher supposed to do
- 38:39in light of this. Really gloomy prophecy?
- 38:42That's not very inspirational for young preachers.
- 38:45Hey, as it gets worse. The crowds going to thin out.
- 38:51It's not, it's not going to be as romantic and glamorous as you
- 38:54might think it is. And that's why he says, earlier,
- 38:57may I touch on this be ready in season and out of season, be
- 39:02ready in season and out of season, I don't think that
- 39:05saying preach all the time necessarily because there are
- 39:10some appropriate times to do an inappropriate time, so you can
- 39:12do more damage if you preach in the wrong way.
- 39:14In the wrong time in the wrong context, what I think is being
- 39:17said here, is that there is a Devotion to the God being
- 39:21declared whether the word itself is in season or not. meaning
- 39:28preach it, whether people want to hear it or not, Preach it,
- 39:32whether it's convenient or not. preach it, whether people want
- 39:36something fresh and new and something that spicy preach the
- 39:43word, In season and out, and those who want it will come.
- 39:48Those who don't will scratch their ears by the hands of
- 39:52someone else who doesn't care about their souls.
- 39:58And I see that in many portions of the scripture may have show
- 40:01you one as we close and break bread together in a moment.
- 40:06One of the greatest prophets of old who was recruited at a very
- 40:10young age. If you've been with us Fridays,
- 40:12you know who I'm talking about. Consider the commission of the
- 40:15prophet, Samuel who is living in a day, very similar to what is
- 40:20being described here, where Israel was an apostasy where it
- 40:25says that the word of the Lord was rare, People did not hear
- 40:29from God as often and it was greatly because of the spiritual
- 40:32leadership and their compromise sleeping with women in the house
- 40:36of God, taking what belongs to the Lord and the offering and
- 40:40indulging in themselves. And here's this little boy who's
- 40:44been dedicated to the to God from the womb and God says, I'm
- 40:47going to raise you up and he gives him his first sermon.
- 40:51He gives Samuel this young teenager, even younger perhaps
- 40:54this preteen his first message and he was going to preach
- 40:58Crowd. He was going to preach to the
- 40:59pastor. He was going to preach to the
- 41:02high priest and it wasn't going to be something that a high
- 41:05priest would like to hear. But I want you to see one
- 41:08insight about what the Lord tells Samuel and first Samuel
- 41:11chapter 3 as we close with this verse And first Samuel chapter 3
- 41:19beginning in verse 11. And the Lord said to Samuel
- 41:31behold, I'm about to do a thing in Israel, which the two ears of
- 41:36everyone who hears it will tingle What does that mean?
- 41:42They're only two other references in the Bible about
- 41:44ears, tingling and is found in Second Kings, 21.
- 41:48And Jeremiah 19, and both references, speak about the
- 41:51reaction of those when they hear the news of coming judgment.
- 41:59Their ears will tingle. In other words, they will be in
- 42:03shock. The dullness of their spirits
- 42:07will be somewhat vibrated and awakened by the seriousness of
- 42:13what is to come in their lifetime.
- 42:16And what I love about this is that the essence of Samuel's
- 42:19message to the high priest, is the Holiness of God?
- 42:23Tell him how holy I am Samuel. And out of all the things that
- 42:28the Lord would say to this young boy, to say it to another, he
- 42:32educates them about his Purity and his Brilliance and is
- 42:36Transcendence and morality. Why is why is he sharing this?
- 42:41Because he wants Samuel to Proclaim it and if we are going
- 42:45to be true Servants of God, listen very carefully, we must
- 42:48be willing to Proclaim. What will make people's ears
- 42:51tingle? While others are willing to
- 42:54scratch itching ones. A true preacher will not try to
- 43:00scratch itching ears. He will preach in a way that it
- 43:03will cause those same ears to tingle with Terror if he needs
- 43:08to People say we need Revival. Well, you can't have Revival
- 43:17without revive preachers. There's going to be a Revival
- 43:21anywhere has to be in the pulpit.
- 43:24The only way that we can have serious Christians as when you
- 43:27have series pastors. The only way people are going to
- 43:31review this word is when they come and they see a man who
- 43:34takes this word and declares it as though he was a dying man.
- 43:38Preaching to dying, man. The gravity of it, the method
- 43:45and the message of it, and the great need of it.
- 43:48What is a preacher supposed to do when people will seek after
- 43:54False teaching and incomplete, preaching preach it anyway.
- 44:00Be a voice. God has called you to be a
- 44:03prophet. So stand on the highways and the
- 44:07byways and declare, what are you supposed to do?
- 44:10Pray for your pastors. Pray that God would keep them
- 44:13faithful and true, pray that God would raise up young Samuels.
- 44:18Pray that the pulpit would be set on fire again as great
- 44:21debate about who said this, some say, Wesley, some say, others
- 44:25and their different variations of his quote, but I love every
- 44:27single one of them set yourself on fire and let people come from
- 44:31miles to watch you burn. That is the great need of the
- 44:36hour, isn't it amazing? Would you ever thought with the
- 44:40wars in the rumors of wars and pandemic or whatever?
- 44:43That is? And polluted politicians.
- 44:48What is the need of the hour? Well, Paul is addressing it in
- 44:51light of the end times as well, on Holiness ungratefulness
- 44:54corruption. And what is the, What is the
- 44:56remedy? What is the pushback?
- 44:58What is the, what is the thing that needs to be confronted with
- 45:02preach the word? Preach the word don't get caught
- 45:06up in surveys and and be a pseudo news, anchor preach,
- 45:11God's truth. Because there's a Remnant still
- 45:16in the midst of all those who are seeking after false.
- 45:18So there is a Remnant still that one.
- 45:20It desire it. One of the most encouraging
- 45:25things about these membership interviews, not just to get to
- 45:29know people. But when we ask the question,
- 45:32why out of many churches? Would you want to come here?
- 45:34And there are many other faithful churches.
- 45:36And they give obviously unique answers.
- 45:38But one thing and every single answer has resounded, we want
- 45:41God's word. We want God's word.
- 45:48Nothing can bring me more joy. May I be true until God calls us
- 45:53home? Let's pray.
- 46:13Lori. Thank you.
- 46:16Not just for the word, but for the word preached.
- 46:23Or you've not only ordained us to have a personal Devotion to
- 46:26the scriptures, but you have ordained for your people to be
- 46:30in the presence of public proclamation of Truth.
- 46:37And Lord, as we heard your presence is here.
- 46:42We pray that you would be the audience of our primary concern.
- 46:48And I lured you would be pleased.
- 46:51Help us uphold preaching, pray for our preachers.
- 46:59And believe that preaching is good for us.
- 47:04Lord, as we prepare to break bread as a family.
- 47:07Show us what we need to repent of.
- 47:10Show us what we need to do before we commune with you in
- 47:13this way. Bring Revival to preachers.
- 47:18Brought your spirit in seminaries awaken, those pastors
- 47:22who been in Ministry for Jennifer for decades but have
- 47:25lost the fire speak to their hearts.
- 47:27Again, bring them to the place where they feel the prophetic
- 47:31burden of the message of the hour.
- 47:34We want to see it. We want to hear it.
- 47:36Lord for your namesake do it. Set Ablaze the pulpit once again
- 47:41in your name, we pray. Amen.