Good morning and welcome in today. Today we’re going to take a look at some scripture from 2nd Tim 4 but before we do that…
Each day, children go to a public school, and learn from teachers in a classroom. They teach algebra, literature, economics, English, and even civics. The word preach actually means the public proclamation or teaching of some sort of belief. It means to earnestly advocate a belief or course of action.
I’ve always told my family that to preach simply means to publicly teach.
One dictionary that I have says preach has no single meaning. It is simply said in agreement of something that is real or absolute.
For example, if a child goes into a classroom somewhere and learned two plus two equals four, someone preached that mathematical truth to them. Preach means to advocate especially to urge acceptance of or compliance with. Jesus commanded His Apostles to preach.
Matthew 28:20
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
In the years of late, the word preach always seems to be synonymous with Christianity. If you inform somebody of something, it means you give them facts or information, you are imparting knowledge to another person. That is what it means to preach.
Another synonym is to teach. When you teach somebody else you are showing, guiding or educating them. When you teach somebody else, you are helping them to learn about a subject by giving them lessons of some sort, or imparting knowledge or skill to others or giving instruction. Teach is a synonym for the word preach. If you’re teaching you are preaching. If you’re preaching you are teaching. It’s the same thing.
Another synonym for preach is to lecture, advocate, evangelize or to proclaim something. If you advocate for somebody else, you’re publicly recommending them or supporting them. It’s a person or a group who defends or maintains a cause. In Christianity, it’s the cause of Christ.
Another synonym for preach is to evangelize which means to convert or seek to convert someone to Christianity. Evangelism is to share your religious beliefs especially Christian ones with other people. This process is forbidden to women in the Christian church. I’m going to say it again, it is absolutely forbidden for women to preach and teach.
When you proclaim something, it means to acknowledge officially or publicly. Preaching and teaching are synonyms. I want you to remember today that Jesus didn’t pick any women apostles. Neither did the Apostle Paul. He didn’t choose anybody to be a leader or minister in the church who was a woman.
2 Tim 4:2-4
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
The Apostle teaches Timothy to be instant in season out of season.
Have any of you ever made instant potatoes? All you have to do is heat up some water in the microwave for a few minutes and then put in your potatoes and they are done. Instant means extremely short. It means to do something as soon as you can or directly. It also means urgently, without delay, or immediately.
The Apostle teaches to preach the word instant. It needs to be done right now. It needs to be done today. It cannot wait. In season out of season. It really doesn’t matter if it’s the appropriate time or not. It needs to be done right now. It doesn’t just happen at a church service once a week. It happens in the home what a dad corrects his children from God’s Word. There is no special season for God’s word. It needs to happen right now.
He says to reprove, rebuke and exhort with all long-suffering and Doctrine. When you reprove somebody else you’re scolding or correcting them usually gently or with a kindly intent. You are expressing disapproval of what they’re doing. Reprove means to criticize or correct gently for the correction and repentance of somebody else. Reprove simply means to disapprove of the actions of somebody else.
Rebuke means to express sharp disapproval or criticism of somebody because of their behavior. Another synonym means to reprimand or to criticize harshly. If you rebuke someone you speak severely to them because of something they have said or done to you that is wrong or have done something wrong to others in the church.
Lastly he teaches Timothy to exhort. If you exhort somebody you are strongly encouraging them or urging them to a particular action. You are urging others to do the right thing. You are advising or cautioning others earnestly.
The Apostle wanted the young minister to do these things with all long-suffering and Doctrine.
Long-suffering means having or showing patience in spite of troubles, especially those that have been caused by other people in your life. It means patiently enduring lasting offense or hardship that people put you through while you’re here upon the Earth.
The last definition means enduring injury, trouble or provocation long and patiently. What you are doing is you’re putting up with people for a long period of time. In the church the ministers were supposed to keep preaching doctrine.
Doctrines are beliefs or a set of beliefs held and taught by a Church. It’s a set of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions that are taught, some synonyms being creed, dogma or a belief. All of the teachings in the church are found in the Holy scriptures. They are the teachings of Christ, the apostles and disciples of the Lord.
The Word of God needs to be preached regularly and daily so that the church can grow. The thing that you use to help people to grow is scripture and doctrine.
The Apostle teaches the young minister that the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. This means that as you preach the teachings of Christ in the church, some will not continue in it. For example, have you ever tried to talk to somebody but they simply will not listen to anything that you have to say? There will be people who are like that in the church. They won’t have a desire to listen to the teachings of the scriptures anymore. It’s going to get worse and worse and worse before the return of Jesus.
They do not last in the truth of the Christian faith. If you endure something it means to undergo something especially without giving in.
Think about somebody out in the world who is trying to run a marathon. They fall down and they twist their ankle. Instead of quitting, they get back up and carry on, even despite, hardship and pain. Endure means to suffer patiently without yielding, or to abide.
2 John 1:9
“Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
So you see, in the church there will be people who do not endure sound doctrine because they do not last. They don’t abide in the scripture.
John 8:31-32
31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
There are a lot of people who like to profess Christianity today or even to be a disciple of Jesus Christ but they don’t want to do anything that he teaches.
As I was saying the other day, everybody wants to believe that they are going to heaven but they have no desire in their hearts to obey Christ who died on the cross for their sins.
If we make a mistake we can come boldly to the throne of grace in time of need and confess our faults to him. By confessing our faults, we’re admitting the fact that we went the wrong way. He gives us grace so that we can turn and do what’s right and obey Him.
John 15:4-5
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
There are going to be people who don’t abide in Christ and who will not endure sound doctrine. The Lord taught that many on that day will say Lord Lord but they’re going to be turned away from his presence. Why is that? They never wanted to obey Him. Even though the Apostle taught the ministers to preach God’s Word, there were going to be some who would not endure it, but after their own lusts would heap to themselves teachers having itching ears.
Hebrews 13:7
7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.
The people we are discussing today will not endure sound teaching. What they do is they turn away with their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables.
Jesus is the truth. His Word is truth. When they turn their ears away from the truth, they are turning their ears away from Christ and what He taught. What happens next is that they are turned onto fables.
A fable is a fictitious tale. It is not true at all. It’s like going to the library and reading a book from the fiction section. If you want to know the truth, you have to go to the teachings of Christ in the scripture.
Paul taught the minister to correct them using doctrine because there would be a time when they would not listen to it anymore but rather they would pick out teachers who preached fables and fictitious philosophy.
When you think about it, who turns their ears away from the truth? Only people who have no desire to keep it. They’d rather believe a lie and continue to live in darkness. Remember no lie is of the truth. The fiction section is not the truth. Jesus and his Word is truth, by which we can become sanctified.
Sadly there will be those who are damned because they would not believe the truth which is found in Christ.
I think that you’re going to stop right now but we’re going will talk to you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye-bye everybody.
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 