2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering the teaching.
God set in place the Pattern for His Church. Acts 2:24 reads, And they continued steadfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and fellowship, and in of breaking bread, and in prayers. Here we have God’s Pattern for His Church.
Most Churches today enjoy times of fellowship and meals together. Some have prayer meetings and times of prayer together, but few adhere to the Apostles Doctrine set forth by God for His Church. There are many aspects to this, but as we discussed yesterday and the day before, a lifestyle of Repentance for all believers is first and foremost.
The word Repentance means to turn around. To admit you are a sinner, confess your sins to God, hate the sin that has you bound, and turn from it, is to live a repentant lifestyle. People don’t want to be convicted or condemned of their sins. Believers today say that their sin is between them and God, which it is, BUT if we are not convicted of our sin, we will never hate it enough to turn from it.
That is what Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost. He told the people of their sin which was their rejection and ultimate crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit was drawing them to Salvation and when they heard the Truth spoken by Peter, they responded by confessing their sin and giving their hearts to the Lord. At that point, they repented. They asked God to forgive them and they turned from the legalism of the Law and set their sights on the Grace of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
This is God’s Pattern for Evangelism. Sin must be spoken of from the pulpit. It must be called what it is because when we skim over sin then we are sinning ourselves. The Apostle Paul wrote to young Timothy instructing him in such things. I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His Kingdom: Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the Truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an Evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:1-5)
In my opinion, these five Verses of Scripture tell us how to minister. We must preach the Word! We must convince, rebuke, exhort, and teach the Truth of the Gospel of Christ while at the same time being patient. We are to speak it and lead the lost to the Cross but never failing to remember that it is the Holy Spirit that draws the person to repentance.
As the old saying goes, “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.” It is not our place to drown the horse by dragging him into the water. All we have to do is share our testimony of how wonderful the water is and lead them to the water. The Holy Spirit will do the rest. We can’t save anyone. We can only tell of the Goodness of God and the Benefits of being born again.
The Truth of the Gospel of Christ will……….turn the tide……….in this lost and dying world.
And that’s the truth, Doreen
www.bettsministries.org
