“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Tim. 4:1-2). I think a lot about these final words the Apostle Paul wrote to his protégé Timothy. Preaching is not just a full-time job undertaken for a salary and benefits. It is a charge issuing from God’s presence and handed down through the centuries to now – entrusted to faithful men who in turn taught others (cf. 2 Tim. 2:2). It is a charge that carries significant consequences because Jesus reigns and one day will appear to judge the living and the dead.
That means preaching is about much more than coming up with an entertaining half hour talk, helpful tips for better living, or interesting Bible facts. It is proclaiming God’s word – a word that was fulfilled by the death, burial, resurrection, and reign of His own Son. You must “be ready” to share a message like that – especially because it will receive all sorts of responses. Sometimes, it will be “in season”, finding ready reception by a willing audience. Other times, it will be “out of season”, provoking harsh reactions. Becoming “all things to all people”, some preaching will reprove and rebuke – correcting wrong behavior with boldness and love – while other messages exhort – recognizing and encouraging more and more growth (1 Cor. 9:22, cf. 2 Cor.7:8-9, 1 Thes. 4:1-12).
Achieving this involves both what is said and how you say it: “with complete patience and teaching,” Paul wrote. Because preaching does not just happen from a pulpit. Preach all you want about prayer or personal evangelism, but if you don’t live it, you will make little headway with anyone else. That is why Paul urges, “As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (2 Tim. 4:5). That is all-encompassing – and how many jobs have you seen with “must endure suffering” in the description?
Sometimes, we lose sight of that, when we as members “joke” about the preacher working two days a week or when we as ministers focus on job satisfaction instead of Jesus’ reign. Yet, if we listen to Paul, we will learn the “work of an evangelist” is more than preparing a weekly message: we must truly preach.
Jesus didn’t just preach the most famous sermon of all time: He practiced it every day of His life. That is what He wants for us, too. Learn to Practice What You Preach with us.