PREACH THE WORD

Henry Mahan

"I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom, PREACH THE WORD!" (II Tim. 4:1). Paul charges Timothy and every preacher, pastor, and elder beforeGod, Who chose us, and before the Lord Jesus, Who saved us and whose gospel we preach, to be diligent and faithful to PREACH HIS WORD! All wisdom, truth, and understanding is contained in the scriptures; and we draw our doctrine and instructions from no other source. We shall give an account of our ministry before our Lord when He comes. Therefore, it does not matter what men may think of our message nor how they respond; it is our Lord to whom we are accountable and whom we seek to honor and to please.

The reason for this solemn charge is (Vs. 3) because the time will come (and has come) when people will not receive the Word of God. Self-righteous by nature, proud and boastful in spirit, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, they will turn their backs on the Bible, treat it with ridicule and contempt, and listen to preachers and teachers who preach what they want to hear, not what the scriptures declare.

But the more that error, false teaching, and human wisdom prevail, the more earnestly God's servants must labor to PREACH THE WORD of truth. The more that compromise and will-worship surround us, the more diligently we must watch, keeping calm and faithful, fully performing the duties of a faithful servant of the Lord Jesus--PREACHING HIS WORD. "We preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord and ourselves your servants for Christ's sake" (II Cor. 4:5). We covet no man's praise, silver nor gold; and we seek not our own, but the things of Christ. Our course is set, our orders are clear, and our one objective (as His ambassadors) is to PREACH THE WORD.

Henry Mahan is pastor of
Thirteenth Street Baptist Church
Ashland, KY