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For the message of the cross 
is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are 
being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will 
destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding 
of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the 
scribe? Where is the disputer of this 
age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For 
since in the wisdom of God The world through wisdom did not 
know God. It pleased God through the foolishness 
of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request 
a sign and Greeks seek after wisdom. But we preach Christ 
crucified to the Jews, a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness. But to those who are called both 
Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of 
God. Because the foolishness of God 
is wiser than man, and the weakness of God is stronger than man. 
For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according 
to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But 
God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame 
the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world 
to put to shame the things which are mighty, and the base things 
of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen. 
and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things 
that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence. But of 
him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from 
God, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption, that as it is 
written, he who glories, let him glory in the Lord. Amen. Let us pray. Our Father, we thank 
You for Your Word and we pray for the Spirit to guide us now 
as we study Scripture. We pray that You would just bring 
these things to us and, God, that the Spirit would indeed 
illumine us and help us to appreciate the Scriptures with reference 
to the primacy of preaching, with reference to the means of 
grace. We thank You, God, for the fact that You have given 
us Your Word. We thank You, Father, for the 
fact that You have blessed us richly by the power of the Spirit 
to receive this truth. And we pray that he would be 
active now in our midst, and we ask through Jesus Christ our 
Lord. Amen. Well, two weeks ago, I was blessed 
and privileged, and I thank the church here for allowing me to 
go to the Arbca General Assembly. Arbca is the Association of Reformed 
Baptist Churches of America, of which we are a part. And there 
was a particular theme addressed at this General Assembly, and 
that theme was the means of grace. the means of grace, those things 
that God has ordained to use to bless his people with his 
gracious disposition. The London Baptist Confession, 
chapter 14, paragraph one of saving faith says this. It says the grace of faith whereby 
the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls 
is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts. and is 
ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word, by which also, and 
by the administration of baptism and the Lord's Supper, prayer, 
and other means appointed of God, it is increased and strengthened." 
A good summary statement concerning the place of and the benefit 
of the means of grace with reference to the faith of God's people. Dr. Renahan, Jim Renahan, took 
the opening message, and he just basically gave a general introduction 
to the means of grace, and he defined the means in this way. 
He said two things are particular about the means. The first is 
their divine institution. He said specifically their dominical 
institution. Dominical refers to the Lord. 
the Lord Jesus instituted these particular things. And then the 
second point was there is a promise of divine blessing attached to 
the use of these particulars. This is not to say that you are 
mowing your lawn and you have a fine thought about Jesus and 
God warms your soul. That's legit. That's OK. That 
can happen. But what the confession is saying 
is that saving faith is particularly attached to those things that 
are indicated in that particular summary statement. By the ministry 
of the Word, by which also and by the administration of baptism, 
the Lord's Supper, prayer, and other means appointed of God, 
it is increased and strengthened. And at the risk of sounding self-serving 
today, I want to look at preaching as a means of grace. Preachers 
like to preach on preaching. In fact, Pastor Tom Lyon from 
Tacoma had this particular subject at the conference. I said, Pastor 
Lyon, that's a real difficulty, a preacher preaching on preaching 
to preachers. That's about the easiest thing 
a preacher is ever called upon to do. You're preaching to several 
hundred people that are right there with you. You don't find 
a lot of opposition. I am borrowing some of what he 
had to say, but not all of it. And when we indicate there is 
an emphasis on preaching with reference to God calling the 
elect and God strengthening his people, again, this does not 
negate the reading of the scripture, does not negate fellowship around 
the word, sharing with one another the things of God, and witnessing 
privately to people that you know in your workplace or in 
your neighborhood. When we emphasize preaching, 
again, it is not to the neglect of all those other things. So, 
what I want to look at tonight is preaching as a means of grace 
under two primary heads. Be more topical in nature this 
evening. The first is the necessity of 
the Word of God in connection with salvation. The necessity 
of the Word of God in connection with salvation. The confession 
of faith highlights this first. It is ordinarily wrought by the 
ministry of the Word. Those other means are necessary 
and effective for the maturation and strengthening of faith, but 
it is the Word that the Spirit uses to produce faith in the 
life of God's people. So, we'll look broadly at the 
necessity of the Word of God in connection with the salvation 
of man, and then secondly, we'll look at three texts which highlight 
the primacy of preaching with reference to God's plan. But the necessity of the word 
of God, the Bible teaches us that God has revealed himself. 
That's one of the blessed and best things about Christianity. Almost said bestest. The idea 
is, is that God has spoken. This is the way the book of Hebrews 
starts off. spoke through the fathers, through 
the prophets, and in these last days he has spoken to us in his 
son. That is the beauty of God's redemption. He speaks to us. The Bible further 
indicates that there's two means by which God reveals himself. 
There's general revelation, and then there's special revelation. 
General revelation is God's revealing himself through the created order. We are made in His image. We 
reflect God to some degree. We are image bearers of Him. We're broken. We're deformed. 
We're marred, to be sure. But we cannot eradicate what 
we are. We cannot throw off totally the 
fact that we are image bearers. So, the fact that we are made 
in his image, and the fact that the world around us just bespeaks 
of the glory of God. This is general revelation. The 
first half of Psalm 19 deals with this. It says, the heavens 
declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork. The heavens declare the glory 
of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork. It displays that 
God is, in fact, there. There is someone behind what 
we see. C. H. Spurgeon said, He who looks 
up to the firmament and then writes himself down an atheist, 
brands himself at the same moment as an idiot or a liar. The Scripture 
goes on in verse 2 to say, Day unto day utters speech and night 
unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language 
where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out throughout 
the earth and their words to the end of the world. You cannot 
escape it. The creation screams that God 
is there. Atheists have to work very hard 
to try and suppress that truth in unrighteousness. Now, the 
latter portion of the psalm deals with special revelation. God 
reveals Himself through His Word. Now, there's other ways that 
the Old Testament has dreams and visions and direct speech, 
but what we mean by special revelation is God speaking to us through 
His Word. In Psalm 19, verse 7, it says, 
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. The testimony 
of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the 
Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the 
Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is 
clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are 
true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than 
gold, yea, than much fine gold. Sweeter also than honey in the 
honeycomb. Moreover, by them your servant is worn, and in 
keeping them there is great reward. So we see that distinction between 
general God revealing himself in the created order and special 
God revealing himself through his word. Another passage, if 
you want to look at it later. is Romans chapter 1. Romans chapter 
1, I alluded to that. All men by nature know that God 
exists because God has made it manifest in them. And yet they 
work very hard to suppress that truth in unrighteousness. They 
don't worship God, they don't honor God as God, nor are they 
thankful, but in their hearts they become futile in their thinking. The Word of God is special revelation. Now, we're going to sample a 
few passages, and again, I think these are passages it's good 
for you to have in your heart and in your mind so that you 
can see the weight of this particular doctrine. The Word of God in 
connection with the salvation of men. Romans 1.16. Romans 1.16. We're not going 
to look at the gospel accounts. Not because there's nothing in 
there. Just going to trace through a few of the epistles just to 
get some of these statements concerning the necessity of the 
Word of God in the connection or in connection with the salvation 
of men. Romans 1 16. This is the thesis statement 
for the entirety of the Book of Romans. He says, I am not 
ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to 
salvation for everyone who believes for the Jew first and also for 
the Greek. That statement also implies that 
it alone is the power of God. There's not several ways to reach 
God. There's not several paths that 
lead to heaven. Remember our Lord's words in 
John 14, 6, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one 
comes to the Father except through me. The gospel is the revelation 
of God concerning Jesus Christ and redemption in him. Paul says, 
I'm not ashamed of it. It is the power of God unto salvation 
for everyone who believes. Romans 10, 17. Romans 10, 17. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing, 
notice, by the Word of God. You cannot miss the connection 
between the Word of God and the salvation of souls. 1 Corinthians 
chapter 15. 1 Corinthians chapter 15. I've heard recently, where somebody 
was asked, or some people were questioned, what is the gospel? If anybody ever asks you that, 
you ought to think in terms of 1 Corinthians 15, 1 to 4. It is a summation, a summary 
statement concerning Christ's work on behalf of sinners. 1 
Corinthians 15, verse 1, Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the 
gospel which I preach to you, which also you received and in 
which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast 
that word which I preach to you, unless you believed in vain. 
Paul says we believe the gospel, we hold fast to the gospel, and 
thereby we are saved by the grace of God through the gospel. Verse 
3, I delivered to you first of all that which I also received, 
that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 
and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according 
to the Scriptures. This is the gospel strictly defined. This is the gospel in its technical, 
biblical application. The gospel is not your holy life. The gospel is about the doing, 
the dying, and the rising of the Lord Jesus Christ. Your life 
has been affected by the gospel. You can live in light of the 
gospel. You can let your conduct be worthy of the gospel. But 
your life and my life is not the gospel. The gospel is about 
Jesus. We direct sinners to Christ. We call men to look and live 
to that one who lived obediently, died sacrificially and rose again 
for our justification. Ephesians one. A passage we looked 
at this morning in terms of God's covenantal activity in the salvation 
of His people. Though the language is not there, 
covenant of redemption, the idea and the doctrine is present. 
God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. 
Verse 4. Christ comes and redeems us by His own blood. In verses 
7 and following. And then we have the work of 
the Spirit. Notice in verse 13. In Him you also trusted. after 
you heard the word of truth. So you see, God chose us in Christ, 
sovereign election. Jesus died on Calvary Street 
to shed his blood, and then he rose again. But after we heard 
the word of truth concerning those redemptive events, it's 
then that the spirit affects change in our hearts. The truth 
is absolutely crucial. You ever met people, or perhaps 
you have thought this, I'll just live in such a way that people 
will see my good life and become Christians. No, you must live 
in such a way and open your mouth. General revelation teaches us 
that God is. Special revelation teaches us 
that God saves. God's people need to declare 
the truth of the gospel with reference to the salvation of 
sinners. Your life and my life isn't holy 
enough to lead someone to the Lord. We need the word of truth. 
It's not just because it isn't holy enough. It's the means by 
which God saves is his word through the power of the Spirit. In him 
you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel 
of your salvation, in whom also, having believed, you were sealed 
with the Holy Spirit of promise. Second Timothy, chapter three. 
Again, we're looking at the broader scheme of biblical texts that 
highlight the necessity of the word of God in reference to, 
or in connection with, the salvation of sinners. 1 Timothy 3, 15 and 
16, I'm sorry, 2 Timothy 3, 15 and 16. A passage you should 
get in your head. A passage you should keep in your heart. A 
passage that should be at your ready disposal for when you need 
to do battle with the enemy or when you need to promote the 
cause of God and truth. Paul tells Timothy, verse 15, 
and that from childhood you have known the holy scriptures which 
are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which 
is in Christ Jesus. This is interesting on a whole 
bunch of levels, but notice that the Holy Scriptures in view here 
is the Old Testament. Paul is saying that the Old Testament 
is able, under the blessing of God, under the power of the Spirit, 
to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Jesus is in the Old Testament. Do not get rid of the Old Testament. Verse sixteen, all Scripture 
is given by inspiration of God, and it's profitable for doctrine, 
for reproof, for correction, for instruction and righteousness, 
that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every 
good work. James 118, of his own will, he 
brought us forth by the word of truth, is what James says. And then, in 1 Peter 1, verse 
22, Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through 
the Spirit, in sincere love of the brethren, love one another 
fervently with a pure heart, having been born again. Notice, 
not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible through the word 
of God, which lives and abides forever. Because all flesh is 
as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. 
The grass withers and its flower falls away, but the word of the 
Lord endures forever. So those are some broad texts 
that deal with the necessity of the word of God in connection 
with the salvation of men. Now let's look at three texts 
that treat preaching specifically. The first is in Romans chapter 
10. Romans chapter 10, we already cited verse 17, faith comes by 
hearing and hearing by the word of God. That is a conclusion, 
that is a therefore, that is an implication of what the apostle 
began earlier. We need to notice what he says 
here. dealing with calling upon the 
name of the Lord. Verse 13 of chapter 10. For whoever 
calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. That leads him 
then to consider the place of preaching with reference to the 
calling of men unto salvation. John Murray said the main point 
is that the saving relation to Christ involved in calling upon 
his name is not something that can occur in a vacuum. It occurs 
only in a context created by proclamation of the gospel on 
the part of those commissioned to proclaim it. Verse fourteen, 
how then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? 
Now the New King James says, and how shall they believe in 
him of whom they have not heard? It actually translated better 
this way, and how shall they believe him whom they have not 
heard? In other words, that in the act 
of preaching, when a man faithfully expounds the Word of God, nothing 
in the man, the power is in the Word, the power is in the Spirit, 
but when the Word is accurately expounded, when it's accurately 
opened up, the preaching of the Word of God is the Word of God. Second Helvetic Confession says 
that very thing. Paul says that very thing. How 
shall they believe him whom they have not heard? I think if you 
get this, it kind of changes your attitude about attendance 
upon church. If indeed the preaching of the 
word is what Paul defines it to be, you want to be there. 
You want to hear from Christ again. Not because Jim is preaching, 
or Cam is preaching, or A.N. Martin is preaching, or Tom Lyon 
is preaching, or John Piper is preaching. But because in the 
act of preaching in a very unique way by the Spirit, through the 
Word, it is Christ himself addressing you. Hopefully that adds impetus 
to your Lord's Day Advent. Hopefully it adds impetus to 
your attendance upon those means of grace instituted by Christ 
with a promise of blessing attached. You say, well, that's just your 
take on Romans 10, 14. Well, look over at Ephesians 
2 for just a moment. Ephesians chapter 2, an interesting 
passage where Paul is dealing with the calling of the Gentiles. 
God's power is such that he has broken down your personal sin. That's what chapters 1 chapter 
2, verses 1 to 10 deal with. His power is such that he overcomes 
your enmity. He overcomes the fact that you 
are dead in your trespasses and sins. But his power is also visible, 
beginning in verse 11, in the sense that God is bringing Gentiles 
alongside of Jews. And with these two, he's making 
one new man in Jesus Christ. It's a beautiful thing. It's 
a wonderful thing. And notice how he describes this. 
Verse eleven. Therefore, remember that you 
once Gentiles in the flesh were called uncircumcision by what 
is called the circumcision made in the flesh by hands. But at 
that time you were without Christ being aliens from the Commonwealth 
of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having 
no hope and without God in the world. The only time atheist 
appears in the Bible. It is in the context of condemnation. They were without God. They were 
a field. They did not have a saving interest 
in God. Most high, he says in verse 13. But now in Christ Jesus, you 
who once were far off, have been brought near by the blood of 
Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made both one, 
and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished 
in his flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained 
in ordinances, so as to create in himself one new man from the 
two, thus making peace." He's not only made peace with you 
through justification by faith with God, but he's made peace 
among Jews and Gentiles. This is amazing. Look at what's 
done in Christ. Talk about social blessing in 
the proper sense. Now notice what he goes on to 
say. And that he might reconcile them both to God, verse 16, in 
one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 
And he, this is Jesus, came and preached peace to you who were 
afar off and to those who were near. For through him we both 
have access by one spirit to the Father. Jesus makes peace. Jesus is peace. Jesus preaches 
peace. Jesus confined his earthly ministry 
to Israel. He never went to Ephesus. But 
when Paul the Apostle went into Ephesus, and when he preached 
the gospel, it was as if Christ himself preached to those Ephesians. This is why Paul can say to the 
Thessalonians in a commendation in a manner that is consistent 
with this idea. For this reason, we also thank 
God without ceasing, because when you receive the word of 
God, which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word 
of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively 
works in you who believe. So, when Paul and his companions 
preached the gospel in Thessalonica, it was him, it was Jesus that 
they heard preaching the gospel. Romans 10. The second is 1 Corinthians 
1. 1 Corinthians chapter 1. You may turn back there. We read 
that at the outset. Just make a few observations 
here. Verse 21, the first part. For since in the wisdom of God, 
the world through wisdom did not know God. I believe it was 
Dr. Bonson who said, this effectively 
and accurately summarizes the entire history of philosophy. For since in the wisdom of God, 
the world through wisdom did not know God. The world in their 
attempts, the religious sets, the philosophical systems, the 
worldviews, the ideas, the religions, the attempts to try to garner 
favor with God. It was the orchestrated plan 
of God, the decree of God, that the world through wisdom did 
not know God. Notice what he goes on to say. 
It pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached. Now, 
the emphasis falls upon the objective content of the message. But it 
is the objective content that is preached. Preaching. Titus 1, he says the same thing 
in verse 3. Whether we like it or not, God 
has ordained this particular means in a very special way to 
call his elect unto himself. God was pleased through the foolishness 
of the message preached. One man says to the extent that 
in more conservative circles, preaching has been reduced to 
its teaching function or to inspiration and moral uplift. We need teaching. Hopefully, a biblical sermon 
will inspire. But you see, you have imbalance. You can have just the teaching 
which lacks any of that spirit-wrought unction, or you can have inspiration 
where the preacher becomes a cheerleader, shaking the pom-poms up here 
just to sort of rally the troops so they'll go out and shake the 
pom-poms in the coming week. That's not what we want. biblical 
preaching. This man, Michael Horton, says 
to the extent that in more conservative circles, preaching has been reduced 
to its teaching function or to inspiration and moral uplift. 
It is not surprising that younger believers look for alternative 
means of grace. When the pulpit is de-emphasized 
and we miss something of that triangle that occurs through 
biblical preaching, of course people are going to seek out 
a myriad of things to try and get some feeling, to try and 
get some experience. When we do not see it as the 
means of grace wherein God blesses us, we will seek substitutes. He says, typically, we prefer 
what we can see to what we hear. A picture tells a thousand words. Our new images may not be statues 
that we venerate, but there is a real danger in Protestant churches 
of once again silencing God's living and active speech in a 
sea of our own insights, visual drama and the blue luminosity 
of our computer screens. Doesn't mean we shouldn't live 
stream. But it does, however, mean that if you can be there, 
you should be there. I have, and I'm sure you have 
on your computer, that little button at the very bottom that 
looks like a loudspeaker. You just push that and it mutes 
it, right? Suppose, for an instance, you're live streaming and the 
preacher, under the working of the Spirit, starts to focus in 
on or hone in on a pet's scent. It's pretty easy just to hit 
mute. Most of us generally don't get up and walk out on preachers. 
There are people who do that. Unfortunately, I've seen it firsthand. But it's so convenient just to 
hit mute. So convenient to fast forward 
if we're listening to a tape or other forms of media. I think 
it was Lloyd-Jones, something about Whitfield sermons. You 
know, I read George Whitfield's sermon and it just didn't seem 
like a lot there. I mean, it was good content, 
it was all that, but it sure didn't seem to fit what I've 
heard of George Whitfield's preaching. And it was Lloyd-Jones who said, 
you can't put the Holy Spirit on paper. There's something, 
dare I say it, existential right now in the moment that God does 
in preaching. I think that's what Horton is 
hitting on here. The blue luminosity of our computer 
screens. He says, yet our Lord chose not 
only the content, but the medium. You realize that in the first 
century drama was popular. Mime was popular. Stage was popular. They had those media available 
to them. And yet God is pleased through 
what the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe 
he says, we do not find God. He finds us. Faith comes not 
by feeling, thinking, seeing, or striving, but by hearing. We need to recapture that. We 
need to understand that we need to have a puritanical view of 
the pulpit. They treated preaching as an 
event. God is going to be there. We 
are going to hear the word of the living and true God. Just 
a couple of observations on this text further. These are from 
Tom Lyon. He says, with reference to this 
passage, preaching pleases God. There's some churches out there. 
Oh, you know, we tried preaching. It doesn't work. So we're going 
to have this group. We're going to do this thing. We're going 
to engage. God likes preaching. That should be argument enough 
for us to keep the pulpit central. God is pleased with preaching. God is pleased with preaching, 
even when men are unconverted or men do not get saved. Turn 
over to second Corinthians for just a moment. Sometimes we attach 
the success of the word with whether or not God or with whether 
or not someone has been saved. The Puritans had it right. A 
successful sermon was a biblically accurate sermon. It conveyed 
the truth. God is glorified, James White 
said this, through the declaration. Whether or not sinners are saved, 
whether or not we are more holy as a result, it is through the 
actual act of preaching, the conveyance of the message. Notice 
in 2 Corinthians chapter 2 verse 13. Furthermore, when I came 
to Troas to preach Christ's gospel, and a door was opened to me by 
the Lord, I had no rest in my spirit, because I did not find 
Titus my brother. But taking my leave of them, 
I departed from Macedonia." Isn't that a beautiful snapshot of 
the life of Paul? He loved his brother Titus. He 
couldn't find Titus. He was upset. I felt empty. I felt alone. This is the real 
deal here. Paul's a real man. Real blood 
flows through him. He is the man he describes himself 
to be at the end of 1 Corinthians 1 and beginning of chapter 2. 
Now notice verse 14. Now thanks be to God who always 
leads us in triumph in Christ and through us diffuses the fragrance 
of his knowledge in every place. For we are to God the fragrance 
of Christ among those who are being saved. Notice, and among 
those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of 
death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading 
to life. And who is sufficient for these 
things? For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God. 
But as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of 
God in Christ. I remember hearing Pastor Al 
Martin preaching on this. He said, it's as if God is up 
there with his big nose, not in a bad way. Smelling fragments of the gospel 
as it's diffused, smelling that word as it's preached, that declaration 
of his character, that declaration of his graciousness, that declaration 
of who God is and what he has accomplished. That is pleasing 
to the Almighty. Whether or not sinners get saved. Now, certainly we pray that they 
would get saved. Certainly we pray that they would 
believe the gospel. But we cannot reduce successful 
preaching to only that preaching which adds notches to the preacher's 
belt or pulpit or to the church roles. So, Tom Lyons says preaching 
pleases God. Secondly, he says preaching does 
not please the natural man. I must say, I was taken aback 
at how simple these observations were, but simply brilliant. What do Jews want? They want 
a sign, right? What do Greeks want? They want 
wisdom. They want to stroke their beards 
and talk about new things, and they want to be dazzled with 
the philosophical dainties of the current age. Paul says as 
much. Jews request a sign, and Greeks 
seek after wisdom. So God is pleased with preaching. The natural man is not pleased 
with preaching. The third observation is that 
preachers preach anyway. But even though they seek a sign, 
even though they seek after wisdom, we preach Christ crucified. We don't put down our weapon. 
We don't put down our primary means of grace. We don't come 
over to their territory and say, well, let me dazzle you with 
some signs. Let me dazzle you with some wisdom. You may want 
signs, you may want wisdom, but you're getting preaching. You're 
getting God-wrought, Spirit-owned, Christ crucified and Christ risen. That's what Paul says in this 
particular passage. And notice the emphasis falls 
on Christ crucified. Not Christ, an example, not Christ, 
our moral guide, not Christ. What would he do? Those things 
are important. They have their place in the 
life of sanctification. But the emphasis and the apostolic 
message was on the doing and the dying and the rising of Jesus. In other words, the gospel. Third 
text. Finally, Second Timothy four. 
Second Timothy, chapter four. I think it was Wednesday night. 
I mentioned the account of the preacher who said, finally, the 
little boy said to his dad, what does that mean? Dad? The dad 
said nothing. So most people think finally 
means we're coming to a close, not preachers. Finally means 
I got four more points. I really don't. I'm just kidding 
here. Second Timothy, chapter four, Paul's parting charge. 
This is key. This is unique. This is powerful. 
This is the last letter that the apostle Paul wrote. This 
is the last thing that he penned. You know, sometimes if a man 
is about to die, he gathers his family, he gathers his friends 
so that they can hear those last words of wisdom that he wants 
to pass on his dying charge. That's what we find in second 
Timothy chapter four. That's what the apostle is doing 
with Timothy. He is convinced and he knows 
that he is going to die very soon. He's in a Roman prison. 
History tells us he lost his head under Nero. He knew that 
time was imminent, so he calls to Timothy, and this is his word. I charge you, therefore, before 
God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and 
the dead. That adds emphasis and weight to this, doesn't it? 
I charge you in the presence of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. He goes on in verse 2 to say, 
preach the word. Not preach experience, not preach 
your feeling, not share your heart. but preach the word, preach 
the word of the living God, that word that he has highlighted 
in several places in first and second Timothy. He just finished 
doing so in verses 15 and 16 in second Timothy three. He says, 
preach the word. He says, be ready in season and 
out of season. That doesn't mean Timothy just 
when you studied and when you aren't as studied. But be ready 
in season with reference to church life. There are those seasons 
when the people of God want the word. There are those seasons 
when the people of God don't really want the word. And he's 
going to show us that in just a moment. He gives him the manner 
in which he is to preach. I'll just throw it out there. 
Take it or leave it. Preaching calls for decision. Preaching is supposed to affect 
under the spirit, the will, the mind, the heart, the whole man. 
He says, convince. Pile up the data, you argue your 
case, you show sinners and say that they must come to Christ. Rebuke is going to be instances 
in the lives of God's people. Unfortunately, we all go astray. 
The hymn writer says we're prone to wander, prone to leave the 
God we love. We need rebuke. He goes on to 
say, exhort. Exhort the people of God to pursue 
holiness. Exhort the people of God to continue 
to look to Jesus. Exhort the people of God to run 
with endurance the race that is set before them. He says, 
do it with all longsuffering. Be a patient man, Timothy. Rome 
wasn't built in a day. The kingdom of God is not built 
in a day. We need to be a patient people. 
We need to be a persevering people. We need to understand it is God 
who is sovereign in this. We cannot manipulate through 
our techniques, through our abilities. We cannot manipulate the growth 
of the kingdom. It is God upon whom we ultimately 
wait. And then he says in teaching, 
all teaching is not necessarily preaching, but all preaching 
must have teaching. You must learn the scriptures 
to preach the word. Best thing that can happen in 
a sermon is when somebody goes, wow, I understand that passage 
and how it affects my life. That's the goal. That's what 
is in view here. And then Paul gives two reasons 
for this charge. Remember, let's just picture 
it for a moment. He's about to die. He knows as much. He tells 
Timothy, here's what I want you to do. I want you to preach the 
word and I want you to preach it in this way. You see, you 
don't even get the liberty to make up how you're going to do 
it. I'm going to do some juggling, and I'm going to preach the word 
in between, you know, these juggles. I'm going to preach the word 
as I swing in on a trapeze. I'm going to preach the—no, you 
convince, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teaching. 
He not only gives the command, but he specifies the manner. 
Now, he gives two reasons. Let's take the second one first. 
This is really confusing, but I want to focus on the first 
one, so let's look at the second reason first. Paul says, preach 
the word, why? Verse six, for I am already being 
poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure 
is at hand. You see that? Timothy, I want 
you to preach the word. Why? Because I'm about to die. And I don't want the gospel to 
fall on hard times. I don't want the salvation of 
souls to be lost. I want you, Timothy, to preach 
the word. I am the party, so I'm passing 
the baton into your hand so that you will be faithful to convince, 
rebuke, and exhort with all longsuffering. So the second reason why Paul 
tells Timothy to preach the word is because his departure is at 
hand. The first reason he tells Timothy 
to preach the word is because the church's departure is at 
hand. Notice in verse three, preach 
the word. Verse two, verse three is for 
four. 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. You see that? Preach the word, 
Timothy. Why? For the time will come when 
they will not endure sound doctrine. See, Paul doesn't say, well, 
I see that this church environment and this cultural context is 
such that they just don't want preaching. So we'll sacrifice 
preaching. We'll give you what you want. 
You want puppets? We'll bring in puppets. You want 
ponies? We'll bring in ponies. You want jugglers on trapeze? 
We'll bring in jugglers on trapeze. It's whatever you want. That's 
not Paul's attitude. And imagine Timothy, a young, 
possibly timid preacher. Paul exhorts him in another place 
to, you know, we're not of a timid spirit. We are of a sound mind. 
We are to be bold, man. He could have possibly been a 
timid man. Imagine Timothy sitting there in Ephesus doing battle 
with false teachers, having to try and pastor a flock. And Paul 
says, look, there's a time coming and they're not going to endure 
sound doctrine. What would be the natural recourse for Timothy? 
Well, what do I do then? You preach the Word. But they 
don't want that. They don't define the terms upon 
which their souls thrive and flourish. They're not sovereign. God is sovereign, and he has 
called you to preach the word. If they will not endure it, preach 
it. If they don't like it, preach it. If the Jews want signs in 
the Greek, seek after wisdom, preach Christ crucified. It is 
completely antithetical to what men desire or what men design. This is God's chosen instrument 
to call his elect unto himself and to strengthen them by his 
grace. C.H. Spurgeon, actually on Matthew 
4, verse 9. Remember, we studied that this 
morning. The devil says, look at all these kingdoms. You bow 
down, you worship God, you worship me, you get these kingdoms right 
now. Immediate gratification. Spurgeon says, may thy church 
never yield to the world with the idea of setting up the kingdom 
of Christ in a more easy and rapid manner than by the simple 
preaching of the gospel. Don't fall prey to that. Oh, 
but your church will be bigger. Your church will grow. Get the 
pulpit out of there. Get some encounter groups. Get 
some love fast. Get somebody, you know, this 
book or this teaching or this back or this guru. No, preach 
Christ, crucify. God knows what's best for people. 
God knows how to deal with the saints. God knows what is calculated 
to sanctify his beloved bride. Well, I want to bring this to 
a close. I could preach on this all night. You're probably saying, 
yeah, all right, we got it already. Westminster, larger catechism 
155 and the second Helvetic confession, one paragraph four. I'll just 
read the Helvetic. You can look up the Westminster 
larger later, number 155. But the second Helvetic confession 
says this. The preaching of the word of 
God is the word of God. Wherefore, when this Word of 
God is now preached in the church by preachers lawfully called, 
we believe that the very Word of God is proclaimed and received 
by the faithful, and that neither any other Word of God is to be 
invented nor is to be expected from heaven. The Word of God 
is given, it's complete. Preachers are simply to expound 
what's there. There's an account in something I just read recently 
where the preacher boasted, he wandered around saying, I can't 
wait what the Spirit is going to have me say next. That's irresponsible, 
that is ungodly, it is unholy. Study to show yourself approved. 
The word of men who need not be ashamed. Rightly dividing 
the word of truth. Just come up here and study and 
say, well, Lord Spirit, just lead me, guide me. No, you put 
your nose in this book and you expound it properly. You seek 
the Lord's blessing and you preach it in the manner in which Paul 
designs. He goes on and the confession 
goes on. and that neither any other word of God is to be invented 
nor is to be expected from heaven, and that now the word itself 
which is preached is to be regarded, not the minister that preaches. 
For even if he be evil and a sinner," I love this, even if he be evil 
and a sinner, nevertheless, the word of God remains still true 
and good. Now, hopefully, he's not pursuing 
evil mess and center, but he's seeking by the grace of God to 
deal with those things by the spirit. But what they're saying 
is that the message is wrapped up in the Bible, not the man. Well, brethren, I hope in this 
short survey of several passages, you've seen the need for preaching 
and the reason why we preach here. Secondly, we need good 
preachers. Right. It's not just preaching. I mean, anybody could probably 
open up their mouth and just yell. We need good preaching. Calvin lamented, he said, at 
the present day, there are many, or I'm saying, at the present 
day, there are many who are well nigh sickened by the very name 
of preaching because there are so many stupid, ignorant men 
who blurt out their worthless brainwaves from the pulpit. Well, 
what do you mean, John? What are you talking about? That's a powerful statement. 
That was five hundred years ago. What the brother would have to 
say now. We need biblically qualified, 
theologically sound men who are gifted in expounding the scriptures. A. W. Tozer said one of the most 
popular current errors And the one out of which springs most 
of the noisy, blustering religious activity in evangelical churches 
is the notion that as times change, the church must change with them. That mentality, which mistakes 
Hollywood for the Holy City, is too gravely astray to be explained 
otherwise than as judicial madness visited upon professing Christians 
for a front committed against the Spirit of God. Now, I want to qualify this after 
I'm done. He says the miserable phrase 
sharing Christ, which so sickens those of us who believe that 
the work of preaching is not that of sharing an experience, 
but of proclaiming a message. Now, you can share Christ with 
your workmates. Please do so. You can share Christ 
with your neighbor. But what he is suggesting is 
that there's a class of preachers that share religious experience 
rather than declare the revealed message of Christ's holy gospel. And then some preachers, as I've 
already alluded to, are cast into the role of head cheerleader 
whose job it is to rally the others for service on the field. 
I think. Biblical, God-owned, spirit-wrought 
preaching will inspire the saints of Christ. I believe that is 
a by-product of biblical preaching. I do not buy this approach, though, 
that sacrifices biblical exposition just to rally cry the people 
of God, possibly to guilt-manipulate them and send them out to do 
exploits for Jesus. Warfield commented on this. He 
said, if the minister comes to be thought of, for example, fundamentally 
as merely the head of a social organization from whom may be 
demanded pleasant manners and executive ability, or as little 
more than a zealous promoter, the minister's whole function 
is summed up in these or such things. If the whole function 
of the minister is inspirational rather than instructional, then 
no doubt we may dispense with all serious study of the Scripture. You see, these men understood. 
God has put emphasis upon his word. God has called men, qualified 
them, fit them, caused them to be recognized within the local 
church and sent them on this task of officially proclaiming 
the truth. So, in your prayer life, please 
slot in time to pray that God would raise up men who are biblically 
qualified, theologically sound, men strong in the scriptures. men careful in attending to the 
Word of God, and men who, by God's grace and power, will be 
able to call sinners to repentance and faith, and be the means of 
preaching the whole counsel of God for the building up and the 
edifying of the Church of Christ, so that she may indeed mature 
into a full man. And if you do not know the Lord 
Jesus Christ tonight, just these few passages ought to impress 
you with the extent, with the length, that God has gone to, 
to save sinners. You can't say, well, he doesn't 
want to save me. He doesn't want to save sinners. God has revealed 
himself. God has spoken. God used prophets. God used apostles. God spoke 
through his son. God had the spirit movement to 
write the Holy Scripture. God indicated in 1 Timothy 3 
and Titus 1 qualifications for men to preach the Word. God has 
actually equipped and fitted men for that particular task. God has set them apart. God has 
called His Church to care for those men so that they can expound 
the Word, so that they can proclaim the Gospel, so that sinners like 
you can believe and be saved. If anything, the ministry argues 
in and of itself that God is about the business of saving 
souls. If you don't know Christ, believe 
the gospel, believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved. 
Well, let us pray. Father, we thank you for your 
word and we thank you for the blessings that we have. living 
in a country where we have the freedom to study, to gather together, 
to encourage one another. Help us not to take these things 
lightly, God. Help us to prize and treasure 
these opportunities. Help us to avail ourselves of 
good Christian literature and to seek, by your grace, to put 
the Word of God in our hearts and minds. We ask now that you 
would do a work in the hearts of young men and older brothers 
and equip a bunch of brothers to preach the word, as Spurgeon 
would say, give us Luthers and Calvins and Whitefields and men 
zealous for the truth to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. Go 
with us now, Father, cause your peace to be upon us in this coming 
week. And we ask through Jesus Christ 
our Lord. Amen.