PREACH THE WORD: THE URGENCY ON EVERY GOSPEL MINISTER

PREACH THE WORD: THE URGENCY ON EVERY GOSPEL MINISTER!

What the priority of any man is can be seen in what he commands as he nears death. This speaks of Paul as he nears being poured out like a drink offering (II Timothy 4:6-7). Like one without much time on his hands again but yet with the burden and necessity to leave a letter or instruction behind for those who'll pass him forward, he says, "preach the Word..."

II Timothy 4:1-2, KJV

"1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;  

2 Preach the word..."

This is being single, having focus due to the restriction of time that's now on him. Since he could not command all the world, he requested that preaching of the Word be sure and constant to the people. Why would he say this? Why should anyone choose this to recommend of all the things that are out there in ministry? Why not another thing? Why not the visiting of people or encouraging them to support the ministry with their offerings or any other thing? Why the pleading and calling of God and Jesus as witnesses in order to bind Timothy to doing only that one thing - preaching the Word.

Could something be important about the Word that we need to discover for ourselves which necessitated this instruction? 'cause if there's no reason - a good one for that matter, someone like Paul, who's in bonds and almost nearing the end of his ministry would not have commanded or counselled such a thing. I reason that there's one or more reasons. 

It's like saying, "...but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil.3:13-14).

What does the Bible call the preaching of the gospel? It says, it is the power of God unto salvation.

Romans 1:16, KJV

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."

Do you know what that means? It means it is the tool, means or vehicle by which people get born again or could be gotten born again. And if there's anything that we're keen about in this our kingdom, it's to get people saved. Everything anyone would do or become in Christendom starts from there. You have to be born of the water and Spirit (John 3:5). Unless this is done, it is futility and you're on your way to perdition or eternal destruction (John 3:16-18). 

Why would God inspire a man with not much time left to set into Timothy and the church one of the most important things that we dare not take for granted? It's because God knows nothing can be done in this kingdom or achieved without preaching or teaching the Word. 

The Word is the foundation and crux for all our kingdom labour and activities. Do you want to heal someone, see the workings of miracles or exhort unto encouragement, it all starts with preaching the Word?

When the Word is preached, diverse kinds of manifestations could ensue. The lame can have faith to rise (Acts 14:8-10). The sick can get healed. The poor may be encouraged to hard work or through a revelation from the Word get an idea to grow wealth. 

Due to all these, knowing that one thing that's useful, Paul tells Timothy to preach the Word. You couldn't have believed without hearing the Word. Run through the Bible, people believed and confessed the Lord Jesus usually after the Word or gospel had been preached to them. God hasn't given the responsibility of getting sinners born again to angels. 

Romans 10:13-15, KJV

"13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.  

14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?  

15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"

It is to believers and ministers set into their offices the assignment is given to and as far as we know, that assignment has not been withdrawn. That voice that said to Timothy, "preach the Word" is also saying to us, "see this as important, take it with seriousness, don't play with it, don't joke with it, don't water it down, don't substitute it for anything. Preach the Word!"

That's a big responsibility that some ministers and preachers have failed to do. Instead of preaching the Word so that perishing souls can be saved, they are bantering and busy seeking social media relevance. Instead of preaching the Word (the gospel that leads to salvation), they're presenting another one that condones sin and doesn't reveal the wretchedness of their hearers. Instead of preaching the Word, they now do comedy on the pulpit with a lot of gyration in songs in the name of singing to the Lord. 

Unfortunately as it is, it seems we've not been taking heed to that instruction. It seems we've swerved and have left our responsibility undone. If the cares of this world and the anxiety of what to eat, drink or wherewithal a minister will be clothed consumes him, how can he preach the Word? Instead of preaching the Word, he'll lower the standards and begin to preach his own word so as to find favour with men and money from their pockets. 

Let me ask you, what have you been preaching? God's Word or your word?

God's Word when preached is known to do a number of things by itself. It is sufficient enough. Even if you added no human story to it, it won't still lose its potency.

The Bible says, "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God" (Rom. 10:17). This is one of the things God's Word does. That's why Paul insisted it is preached and not any other person's Word. God's Word inputs faith into your spirit. Over time, your view of life is changed and you begin to be armed with a knowing that nothing shall be impossible to a man of faith. Conclusions of the world are not therefore yours. If they say someone is terminally ill and has been confined to his bed, this faith in you can make you trust contrarily against all odds for them. Didn't the Bible say, women believed God and received their dead back to life again (Hebrews 11:35). That talks of recovery by faith and through faith. That's a story of birthing impossibility through faith. Where people say the case is closed, you can believe for another outcome. Even where there's no way, you can trust God to bring a door there. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. No word of man has that breath that arms you with this supernatural believe that's beyond doubt. And it's through this faith that you can get born again like I earlier pointed out. If not, how would you believe in the fact that Jesus died, was buried, rose and will come again.

James 1:21 says, "...receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls."

I Peter 1:23 says, "Being born again... by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."

These two verses of the Bible buttress that further. We get born again by the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever. In the first, the implanted or preached word is said to have one ability also - to save our souls. 

This is the first and utmost responsibility of the Word that's committed into our care though we know also that, "the Word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

"Quick and active" has to do with how living and effective in persuading, transforming and turning from inside out God's Word is. Why do you think Romans 12: 1 advises us to renew our minds with the Word. If it doesn't have that power or effectiveness, it wouldn't have been recommended. Do you want to change recent converts into Christ like mature Christians? Then, preach the Word. Let your emphasis be on the Word and their change will be noticeable. Nothing is hidden when the Word comes. It discerns our motivations, prejudices, biases and heart intents. It's a revealer of things. The Word can convict and make you see how dirty and wretched you are. That's why it's likened to a double edged sword. It is sharp means it's eloquent enough to do its job. It is not dense or fatigued. 

That's why Jesus Himself affirms that the words He speaks are spirit and life (John 6:63). As you speak, life falls on people. Life jumps and possesses them. Decay is turned around in the congregation and every form of death is broken just by listening to the Word - the Bible being preached and rightly divided. 

Paul so much esteems the word being preached that he recommends again to Timothy the methods to apply in preaching it. 

II Timothy 4:2, KJV

"Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine."

First, Paul acknowledges that difficult or hard times might catch up with Timothy. He might not feel good on certain occasions. He may not be encouraged. He may not even have food on his table or had his children's school fees paid yet. However, irrespective of his situation, it is his duty to preach the Word like a soldier faithfully carries out his assignment. No bantering at all because God will not understand why the Word was not preached. That's the meaning of being instant in season (when things are rosy and conducive, knowing that comfort makes the heart sloppy and relaxed) and out season (when things are out of hand and you're discouraged or fatigued). It's like mastering how to abound and abase. Those are seasons that a minister must learn how to function in to God's glory. 

Then, he lists what approaches Timothy should apply to the preaching of the Word. 

"...reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine."

One is reprove. It means to correct or amend those who are in error by showing them the truth from the Scripture. 

The other is rebuke, a blatant refusal of sinful behaviors in people when they're wrong in order to save their souls. The usage of that word, "rebuke" makes it stronger than reprove. 

The last is "exhort" which means to encourage or propel to do something or continue in faith. This is where people are encouraged and motivated to be established in the Lord. We not only correct or rebuke when we see sinful behaviors, we also strengthen and encourage believers for establishment in Christ.

Then, he says, all these three methodologies should be stuck to with all long suffering and doctrine (sound teaching). "Long suffering" immediately talks of persistence because you may not immediately see changes in your congregation. However, stay there. Be patient! Don't because of delayed growth in people change your message even if people leave because of your preaching the Word. If you'll be a successful preacher of the Word, especially if you pastor a local church, you must learn how to preach the Word at every time by correcting, rebuking and exhorting with all patience. If you cannot bear with people, you may lose them. That warns that preaching the Word should not be done harshly or impulsively. It has to be with all long-suffering possible if you'll see its effects in the lives of your hearers. It means staying with the Word and becoming unrepentant at preaching it in all patience. 

Doctrine as used there means sound teaching. There's a way the Bible preaches the Word and asks the Word to be preached if it'll be preserved and not compromised. Sticking to the standard of the Bible is what keeps sound doctrine alive. It means everything should be based on biblical truths and revelation, not personal prejudices/biases, societal traditions, denominational expectations or trends. If it's not in the Bible, don't instruct it!

In essence, Paul was saying don't be rigid in preaching the word. We have many students in our classroom and what may apply to them may differ. For those who are in error, reprove; the stubborn and lost in sins, rebuke; for those who are down or need further establishment, encourage with the Word. It means preaching the Word using every means or facet possible. That's when you can win everybody or rake them all in. You can't fail not to convert or change lives if you preach the Word in all long-suffering and doctrine by correcting, rebuking and exhorting. It has never failed and won't. 

Carrying out this instruction of Paul to Timothy and by extension to us is even more important because of these verses that follow.

II Timothy 4:3-4, KJV

"3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 

4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."

So, if we were to connect the dots, Paul was saying in essence, "preach the Word using all methods, patience and doctrine because a time will come when it'll be hard to preach it." Then, he mentioned why it would be difficult.

It's like saying, "now remember your creator in the days of your youth before the evil days come when you'll say I have no pleasure in them". 

Let me tell you, there's a time when the work is easy. If you have the opportunity to preach the Word and you delay, you might miss your time or the season when the Word that could combat adherence to sound doctrine could have been sown.

How many of you know that a tree solidly planted in the earth with roots downward will endure and survive when the storm comes? That's what it means giving attention to have established people when we may before the great shaking comes.

I think we ministers of God are in trouble. Why? We have a responsibility, a command and even had a witness in God and the Lord Jesus called against us to preach the gospel (II Tim.4:1). I believe it will not go unpunished if we are ministers and we eventually didn't adhere to this specific instruction. 

In the next issue that'll come out, you'll see how to receive faith for healing or instill faith in people to be healed. 

Take heed. Preach the Word!

Olusola ADEJUMO,

M'Wings.

Morning Wings Ministry,

Nigeria. 

+234 81 3704 6812

morningwingministry@gmail.com 

14/07/2026