“THE MESSAGE OUR WORLD NEEDS TODAY”



“THE MESSAGE OUR WORLD NEEDS TODAY”

2 TIMOTHY 4:1-4

INTRO: The distinguishing feature of Christianity from other religions is

preaching. NO other religion magnifies preaching as does

Christianity. The tremendous preaching of John the Baptist and

Jesus Christ heralded the coming of Christianity into the world. This

world has never been without effective preachers of the Gospel since

the inception of Christianity. Richard Baxter once remarked, "I

preach as never sure to preach again, and as a dying man to dying

men." John A. Broadus said, "Preaching is characteristic of

Christianity. No other religion has made the regular and frequent

assembling of groups of people, to hear religious instruction and

exhortation, an integral part of Christian worship." (Bible Illustrator

For Windows. Version 3.0f. Copyright 1990-1998, Parsons

Technology, Inc. All Rights Reserved).

Friends, times are changing, traditions have changed, customs

change, but God’s message for the ages remains constant. Friends,

surely, with all the signs around us, we are living in the last days. In

these days in which we are living we need a message which meets the

challenges of our times and yet rings true to the Word of God!

I want to answer this question this evening, what kind of message is

needed today? Allow me to make a threefold description of the needed

message for our times. Let us see first…

(1) WE NEED A SCRIPTURAL MESSAGE FOR OUR TIMES

2 TIMOTHY 4:2a—“Preach the word…”

A. THE COMPLETENESS OF THE SCRIPTURE. The dangers of preaching

what is not in the Bible, and not preaching what is in the Bible is a great

threat today. We don’t need a partially scriptural message. Paul said—“For

I have not shunned to declare unto you the whole counsel of God.” (Acts 20:

27). Paul’s admonishment for Timothy was—“Preach the Word…”.

Proclaim the doctrine, the doctrine of Christ crucified, for the sins of the

whole world (Adam Clarke. Adam Clarke’s Commentary on The Bible. The

Master Christian Library. Version 5. Ages Software. Copyright 1997). All

the Word and nothing but the Word is to be preached!

B. THE CONCERNS OF THE SCRIPTURE. A Scriptural message will always

address one of these three concerns:

1. THE REDEMPTION OF THE SOUL. The redemption of man is one of the

grand themes of the Scripture. The Scripture gives:

• A DECLARATION OF GOD’S PLAN (EPHESIANS 2:8-10). Salvation is all of grace or else it is not salvation.

• AN EXPLANATION OF GOD’S PLAN. Preaching in not just quoting Scriptures. Preaching is properly interpreting Scriptures, explaining Scriptures.

• A DEMONSTRATION OF GOD’S PLAN (ROMANS 4:3).

2. THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SAVED (ACTS 2:41-42). These include:

• BAPTISM.

• CHURCH MEMBERSHIP.

• WALKING ORDERLY.

• WALKING IN THE SPIRIT.

3. THE RETURN OF THE SAVIOUR.

• WHEN WILL HE RETURN? No one knows! Jesus told the disciples—“It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.” (Acts 1:7). Yes, the Lord has given us signs to watch for and we are to preach about His imminent return but the truth is that we cannot know exactly when He will come again.

• HOW WILL HE RETURN? The Scripture says when He comes to rapture out His saints He will come as a thief in the night, but when He comes to set up His Millennial Kingdom all eyes shall see Him.

• WHY WILL HE RETURN? (1 THESSALONIANS 4:16-18). The Lord will return for at least four reasons:

➢ TO RESURRECT THE DEAD.

➢ TO RAPTURE THE SAINTS.

➢ TO RECEIVE HIS BRIDE.

➢ TO REIGN OVER THE EARTH.

WE NEED A SCRIPTURAL MESSAGE FOR OUR TIMES but not only that but…

(2) WE NEED AN EFFECTUAL MESSAGE FOR OUR TIMES

2 TIMOTHY 4:2-4—“Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season;

reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 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; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and

shall be turned unto fables.”

A. THE MESSENGER MUST BE DIVINELY AUTHORIZED. We need some

GOD-CALLED men who will preach the Word with courage and conviction

not preachers who tickle the ear. Someone has said that there are only two

kinds of speakers: those who have something to say, and those who have to

say something! A man who is called by God will always strive to say, “Thus

saith the Lord!” Paul was divinely called by God and look at the power he

had. We read in 1 Timothy 1:11-16—“According to the glorious gospel of

the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. And I thank Christ Jesus

our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me

into the ministry; Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and

injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And

the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in

Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might

show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter

believe on him to life everlasting.” Effective preaching comes from God

enabled ministers, not self-called.

B. THE MESSENGER MUST BE PROPERLY MOTIVATED. He must have the

prayers of the saints and the preparation of the Spirit. We need some men

who truly “preach the word…”, who will be “instant in season, out of

season…” and will “reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all longsuffering and

doctrine…”. He must be motivated by the love of Christ. He must love:

• THE SAVIOUR.

• THE SCRIPTURE.

• THE SINNER.

• THE SAINTS.

C. THE MESSENGER MUST BE HEAVENLY UNDERGIRDED. The man of

God must preach in the demonstration and power of the Holy Spirit.

Without the power of the Spirit our preaching will be fruitless and our

people will be faithless.

ILLUS: Mr. Spurgeon once preached what in his judgment was one of his

poorest sermons. He stammered and floundered and felt that his

message was a complete failure. He was greatly humiliated and when

he got home, he fell on his knees and said, "Lord God, Thou canst do

something with nothing. Bless that poor sermon." All through the week

he uttered that prayer. He woke up in the night and prayed about it.

He determined the next Sunday he would redeem himself by preaching

a great sermon. Sure enough, his sermon the next Sunday went off

beautifully. At the close, the people crowded him and covered him with

praise. Spurgeon went home pleased with himself and that night he

slept like a baby, but he said to himself, "I'll watch the results of those

two sermons." What were they? From the one that had seemed a

failure he was able to trace forty-one conversions. From the

magnificent sermon he was unable to discover even a single soul that

had been saved. Spurgeon's explanation was that the Spirit of God

used the one and did not use the other. (Bible Illustrator For Windows.

Version 3.0f. Copyright 1990-1998, Parsons Technology, Inc. All

Rights Reserved).

WE NEED A SCRIPTURAL MESSAGE FOR OUR TIMES, WE NEED AN EFFECTUAL MESSAGE FOR OUR TIMES, and lastly…

(3) WE NEED A GOSPEL MESSAGE FOR OUR TIMES

GALATIANS 1:6-12—“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that

called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

A. THE GOSPEL WITH THE RIGHT CONTENT (1 CORINTHIANS 15:3-4).

Paul tells us here that the death of Christ for our sins and His resurrection

are the foundation of the Gospel. Paul protested before Festus, that in

preaching the gospel he had said “none other things than those which

Moses and the prophets say should come; that Christ should suffer, and

that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should show

light unto the people, and to the Gentiles,” Acts 26:22, 23. (Charles Hodge.

An Exposition of 1 Corinthians. The Master Christian Library. Version 5.

Ages Software. Copyright 1997).

B. THE GOSPEL WITH THE RIGHT INTENT—“The power of God unto

salvation” (ROMANS 1:16). The intent of the Gospel is not to make us

healthy, wealthy, and wise but to save our souls from hell! 1 John 3: 5

tells us—“And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and

in him is no sin.”

C. THE GOSPEL WITH THE RIGHT EXTENT—“to everyone that believeth—

Jew first and also to the Greek.”(ROMANS 1:16). The Gospel is universal

in its appeal. Jesus tasted death for every man (Hebrews 2:9). By humble

faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross all who believe will

be saved. But the believe and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ must be there

or else the person will remain lost in their sins. Head knowledge is not

enough!

ILLUS: Author Kevin Huggins tells the true story of a church quiz team who

had hit outstanding heights in the knowledge of the book of Romans.

He tells us of an unusual situation arising from the team's actions:

"The kids knew this book so well they could finish any verse, word for

word, if the quiz master called out the chapter and verse numbers.

After winning the district championships that year, the team traveled

by van to the nationals in Florida. On the way there, the team stayed

overnight at another church. After the adult leaders fell asleep, some

of the team members snuck out of the church and vandalized the

neighborhood, tearing down mailboxes, damaging cars, and spray

painting some property. These were the same kids who had just spent

the year memorizing and studying the book of Romans!" It seems that

getting the Scripture into the head is not enough. (Bible Illustrator For

Windows. Version 3.0f. Copyright 1990-1998, Parsons Technology,

Inc. All Rights Reserved).

As Romans 10:8-10 tells us—“But what saith it? The word is nigh thee,

even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we

preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt

believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be

saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the

mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Friends, belief is essential! No

one is excluded from the gospel, but many are excluded by the gospel. –

Karl Barth (1886-1968) (Edythe Draper, Draper's Book of Quotations for the

Christian World (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1992). Entry

#5093). But WHOSOEVER will call upon the Lord in faith can and will be

saved (Romans 10:13).

CLOSING: THE MESSAGE OUR WORLD NEEDS TO HEAR is A SCRIPTURAL

MESSAGE, AN EFFECTUAL MESSAGE, and A GOSPEL

MESSAGE. Let’s pray as a Church we always give them that!

PREPARED BY BROTHER BRYAN L. BROWNING, PASTOR OR BEECHMONT BAPTIST CHURCH, BEECHMONT, KY FOR SUNDAY EVENING, MAY 25, 2008.

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