Preaching is NOT a game

How should a preacher preach?  2 Timothy 3:16 – 4:2 gives us one of the most, if not thee most lofty COMMANDS in Scripture.  2 Timothy 4:1-2 “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!...” 

That is quite an astounding introduction to God’s command for those of us who stand up and preach the Word.  This verse tells us that preaching is an exalted and serious charge to preach the word.  This charge is given to us before God.  AND before the Lord Jesus Christ.  AND that He is coming again.  AND when He comes He will judge. AND finally that He will be ruling His kingdom.  That tells me that the stakes are high.  That tells me it’s a serious thing to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.  That tells me that what hangs in the balance is eternal life or eternal death. 

This command proceeds that which is given to us in the preceding verses.  In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 it says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Our preaching deals with God’s inspired words that he has preserved in what we call the Bible – not my words but his words and his voice.  Thus I’m to preach his word and it is done in the sight of God and in the name of Christ Jesus, who’s coming to judge and who one day I will stand and give an account (Hebrews 13:17).  Not only that, but all teachers of his word will be held accountable and to a higher standard in how they taught the Bible (James 3:1). 

The profound effect that this has on me is that preaching is not a game!  I must remember the seriousness of man’s proclamation and how I’m to expose the voice of God and exalt the greatness of God.  I’m not to tell stories or jokes or give my ideas, or my philosophies or my wisdom.  I am to be an under-shepherd and a spokesman to a flock of people.  I'm to open up the revelation of God’s word and give them a glimpse of his greatness, and his mercy, and his majesty, and his holiness and to say that he is worthy of every bit of our attention and the total surrender of our lives to him. 

Dear heavenly Father, raise up a people that want to see the glory of God and hear and obey your voice.  May they come to hear and desire your word and may we respond with open hearts and minds, and radically changed lives. 

That Dreaded Word - Cancer

On Monday, June 27th, our lives at the Nulf family changed forever.  To what extent that change will be is yet to be determined.  This was the infamous day my wife Brenda told me that the biopsy that was done came back positive.  That dreaded word that everyone fears came crashing through my mind when my wife told me that she had cancer.  The technical term the doctors gave us was Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, which is a form of breast cancer.

I don't want to sound pious here, but my wife and family have been incredibly blessed.  Not to say that we have not had our share of problems and issues in our lives, but for the most part, life has been pretty good - praise be to God!  In fact, we often talked about that over the last few years and wondered if and when our time would come.  Don't get me wrong, it's not that everyone has to go through great tragedies and deep valleys in their life, but we also understand that we were by no means exempt from it.  In fact, the Bible tells us that if we are living for Christ, you will go through trials and tribulations and we are to count it all joy (James 1:2). 

I have often preached that God's glory is seen greatest and clearest through the suffering of his children.  That may sound strange to you, but it's not strange to the Scriptures and all anyone has to do is look at God's only begotten Son and the Cross at Calvary.  I will tell you that God's glory has never been nor will be ever greater or clearer than when his Son Jesus willingly went to the Cross at Calvary and died for your sins and mine.

For whatever reason God has chosed Brenda and the Nulf family, our greatest desire is to glorify our Father as we travel this road.  I will tell you that God's grace has been incredible!  The following day my wife told me that she had cancer my devotion time took me to Psalm 23.  What a word from the Lord.  I have used that passage many times as a pastor to minister to people with the wonderful word of God.  Now that verse spoke to me and my heart as never before - He is MY Shephered and 'Oh' how he has continued to restore my soul! 

When I had finished my devotions, I powered up my computer where I found a church member had posted on Facebook a video - the video was the song "It is well with my soul".  Most of us know the story behind that song and those wonderful words became mine - "it is well with my soul." 

The following day (Wednesday), my daily Bible reading took me to Ezekiel 24.  As I read, I came upon Ezekiel 24:15-24.  God said that He was going to take Ezekiel’s wife; the “delight of his eyes” was going to be taken away from him as a sign to what was going to happen with the judgment and destruction of Jerusalem.  What’s interesting in these verses is what’s not said.  Nowhere in this text do you hear Ezekiel’s protest to God.  Folks we are bought with a price, and our life is not our own (1 Cor. 6:20).  In other words, there is nothing that God does not have the right to ask of you or me.  And in whatever He may ask of us, we are to glorify Him.  If we are to share in His glory, we must also be willingly to share in His suffering. 

I would submit to you that in suffering, the temptation is the same wheter it is coming from cancer, persecution or even when you are slandered.  And the temptation is always to say, "God is not good, and it is not worth serving him, and escaping from this suffering becomes the focus and this sinful way then becomes preferred and dominates our lives." My resolution and Brenda's is that we will trust him and keep trusting him; we have and will continue to experience his soverign mercy and overwhelming grace towards us.  We will hold on to him as he is holding on to us. 

Dear God, we thank you that we have been counted worthy to suffer for you. May we, through this bring honor and glory to your name for you are worthy!