stephen R Harrison

As I prepare to preach Sunday, I am reminded of the Scripture that weighs as heavy now as it did when I read it 25+ years ago as a freshman in my first preaching class in Bible school:

“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” – 2 Timothy 4:1-5

These guiding principles of preaching applied to my first sermon at 15, the thousands of times I’ve preached over the years, and hopefully the thousands of times I will preach for God’s glory in the future. They apply to all preachers at all times.

What do they teach us?

1. Preaching is serious business!
   So serious that Paul reminded Timothy and everyone who would preach for all eternity after him we do so in view of the presence of God and Jesus! They are our main congregation! We are preaching to them! What do they think about our sermons? How weighty is the preaching of God’s Word? Paul says it’s to be done in view of Christ’s return, judgment, and Kingdom. Heavy! Weighty! Massive!
2. Preach the Word.
   We are God’s heralds of His Word. We must be faithful to the text.
   We cannot preach our own opinions, thoughts, beliefs, or ideas. We are charged by God to herald His Truth! Hear ye, hear ye what the King has declared!
3. Be prepared.
   No shooting from the hip. No winging it. No running off of old manna. Study. Pray. Spend time in the Word. Lay it before the Lord. Give it everything you have. Pour out your soul at the pulpit.
4. Preach when it’s popular and it’s not.
   “In season and out of season.” No matter the audience or culture, be faithful to the truth of the Word. Not everyone will like your sermon, but remember it’s His Word.
5. Correct, Rebuke, and Encourage
   The Word is alive. It was written by the Spirit. We need it and should love it when it encourages, corrects, and even rebukes. Don’t apologize for it when it does all three. It is simply accomplishing what it was sent out to do.
6. Do it with great patience and careful instruction.
   I’ve got a Bible I highlight when I preach a certain passage of Scripture. I pray I can highlight the whole thing multiple times over in my ministry career! We preach patiently and carefully. Patient, as the Word penetrates the hardest of hearts instantly and over a lifetime. Careful, knowing it is God who changes hearts and lives. Careful, because preachers of the word receive a stricter judgment according to His Word. Patient and careful because we want to get it right, honor God, and be faithful to His service.
7. Some don’t want sound doctrine.
   That all of us at times. We want our own ways, idea, and opinion. We want what our flesh wants. But, it’s bigger than that. Some will outright reject the Word – even in our churches! Some say doctrine divides, and it does – truth from error. The Bible is not old-fashioned, outdated, and out of touch. It is true and we are liars! May we preach what God says! Keep us from suiting our own desires and itching ears!
8. Keep your head in all situations
   Don’t forget why we preach. Don’t forget to Whom we preach. Don’t get discouraged when it seemingly falls on deaf ears. Don’t use it as a weapon for your own selfishness. Preach with love, kindness, joy, gentleness, boldness, and passion.
9. Endure hardship
   Preaching won’t always be easy. It will be hard to preach what God wants to be preached at times. Endure it anyway. When people disagree, make sure you’ve preached the truth of the Word. When you have, just point them back to the text. It says what it says.
10. Do the work of an evangelist
    May all of our preaching be gospel-centered, pointing and leading to a relationship with Jesus! Eternal souls are at stake every time we preach! People need Jesus! Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
11. Discharge all the duties of your ministry
    Preaching and pastoring go together. Shepherding and serving those entrusted to you in between sermons will fuel preaching with passion and compassion. Don’t just be a Sunday preacher. Be a faithful shepherd of souls!

I’m still called to this! I get to preach His Word! Lord, help me be faithful today and for hopefully thousands of sermons in the future! For Your glory alone!