ESOCS Devotional 27 July 2022
TEXT: 2 TIMOTHY 4:1-11
MEMORY VERSE: “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” 2 Timothy 4: 2 KJV
0 And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. 11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. 12 When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted lace ”
Our topic today centres on a calling that every one of us has as a Christian. That calling is to preach the Word of God. In the Bible, the word “preach” means to “announce, make known, or spread a story widely”. Preaching is announcing to the world the good news of the gospel of Christ. This is a responsibility that we all share. This is the responsibility that Paul leaves for Timothy to carry on as he begins to conclude his letter to him.
An effective Christian is one who is actively involved in preaching the Word. This was the most important component of Paul and Timothy’s ministry. It must be the most important part of our service to God as well. The message of God’s Word is the most vital message a person will ever receive, but they must have someone to tell it to them.
If we believe that the Scriptures are indeed inspired and the product of the breath of God, we must proclaim the Bible as the word of truth, the destiny-changing message, and the life-changing gospel that transforms a sinner into a child of God. Preaching the Word demands several basic commitments from those who desire to be faithful to this command. First, the command prescribes our message, namely that we restrict the content of preaching to “the word.”
Paul reminds us that a time will come when people will no longer be interested in sound doctrine and truth but will want to listen to teachers who will tell them only what they desire to hear (vs 3-4). We must be ready to endure persecution as preachers of the word (v 5).
The preacher stands accountable to God for the accuracy of the message preached. Paul emphasizes accountability when after identifying the message to be preached as the inspired word (2 Tim. 3:16) and the value (or profit) of this message (vs 16–17), he calls upon the Father and Son’s judgment of mankind (4:1), as a point of accountability. Preachers must communicate the truth, understanding that their preaching affects people’s eternal destinies when they stand before God in the Day of Judgment. Paul makes the point of accountability when he repeatedly cites the value of sound doctrine and castigates those with wrong doctrine (2 Tim. 3:8, 13).
As we live for Christ, it is prudent to minister with an eye towards our Lord’s coming—His future judgment and His kingdom. Are we being faithful stewards of all God has given us? Are we prepared for His coming? It is interesting to consider that at the time of 2 Timothy’s writing, Paul had been preaching for over thirty years and his earliest letters, like 1 and 2 Thessalonians, mention Christ’s second coming. Over thirty years later, Paul still believed in Christ’s second coming and was anxiously waiting for it. Are you? And are you teaching others to incline their hearts in like manner too?
There is a crown of righteousness that awaits everyone who faithfully preaches the word of God (v 8). Will you receive yours in the end?
- Why is it so hard to persevere, specifically, in the ministry of preaching?
- Father, help me to endure affliction to the end for your sake.
Read Other ESOCS Devotional here
FURTHER READING: Numbers 24:1–9; Ezekiel 18:1–32; John 16:1-15
Thank you for reading the ESOCS Devotional today. Please share and follow us on all our platforms to contribute to the spread of the Gospel.
ESOCS Devotional 27 July 2022
