Gospel joy is the overflow of the Spirit’s presence and work in our souls, which springs up and leads to passionate praise and joyful obedience to the Lord no matter what comes our way in preaching.
As the apostle Paul’s ministry drew to a close, he reminded young Timothy that he must remain committed to the preaching of the gospel. In 2 Timothy 4.2, Paul commanded Timothy to “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”
We know this passage well. We are commanded to preach. Preaching, after all, is the primary work to which we as “preachers” give ourselves. But what we often forget is the context of preaching: “in season and out of season.”
In church renewal, there will be seasons when your preaching will be “in season.” It will seem as if every sermon is a home run, people hang onto every word, and lives are being transformed. There is gospel joy seeing lives transformed by the gospel we preach, addictions given up, sins confessed, hope renewed, and souls regenerated. There is joy in preaching when we experience immediate fruit.
But then, without notice, your preaching falls out of favor. Not because your preaching changed but because the winds have blown in a new season. It will be as if you’re preaching to the walls. The critics will rise up, the analytical emails will flow, and itching ears cannot be satisfied.
It’s in the “out of season” that we must judicially guard our joy by reminding ourselves that preaching is the primary means Christ uses to build His church. This is the truth that Paul reminded the church in Rome: “so faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Rom. 10.17) Jesus promised to build His church through His Word.
We get a glimpse of this when Elijah was taken to the valley of dry bones and was commanded to preach. God had just given the promise of the new covenant and then Elijah got to see it in action. The Word of God preached by the man of God is used by the Spirit of God to create the people of God. In short, God creates His covenant people through His Word by His Spirit. Therefore, we must give ourselves to this end.
The best advice I ever received when I went to lead my first church was “give yourself to preaching good sermons.” An older, seasoned pastor reminded me that everything else can fail in the church but not the preaching of the Word.
If you think about it, that’s good advice. Someone else can prepare the bulletins. Someone else can make sure the finances are in good order. Someone else can ensure volunteers are prepared to serve in nursery. But the preaching falls to us.
And so, brothers, give yourself to preaching good sermons that exalt Christ and point your people to the hope of the gospel. Preach with joy knowing that the Lord will use the folly of preaching to grow your people spiritually. Friends, it will be in this season that you will be tempted to give yourselves to other means. Avoid the allure of gimmicks and tricks to attract people or satisfy nominal Christians. Guard against the temptation to seek immediate fruit. Remember that the seeds we plant through preaching may not bear immediate fruit but in God’s perfect timing, they will come. Charles Bridges in his book The Christian Ministry reminds us, “The seed may lie under the clods till we lie there, and then spring up.” (p.75) Be patient in preaching.
Finally, brothers, give yourselves to expositional preaching. Go verse by verse through books of the Bible. Take the point of the passage and make that the point of the sermon and then apply it to the lives of God’s people.
Trust the power of preaching in season and out of season. Have confidence that Christ will build His church in such a way that He will receive all the praise and glory. Do it with joy, for this is the Lord’s work. And so, go and give yourself to diligent study, pore over the text, pray yourself hot, and then preach yourself empty.
Do it all for His glory and the eternal good of your people.
Published October 21, 2024