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The Church: Her Pulpit
2 Timothy 3:16-4:5

 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.[1]

 Why is Preaching Prominent in Corporate Worship? 

1. The Word of God’s Prominence
    
1. God as the Word

                                                             i.      John 1:1 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

1.       God the Father chose to reveal himself in his Son, the Word. He identifies himself as the Word. He communicates himself through the divine Word.  

2. God Revealed by the Word

                                                               i.      2 Peter 1:21 – For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

1.       “All Scripture is God breathed” – This means that God ordained to speak to us through the word of God. In other words, he chose to reveal himself and interpret his deed for us throughout history in his written form (inscripturation).

2.       The Old and New Testaments are God revelation of himself to us.  

3. God Power in the Word

                                                               i.      World’s Creation

1.       Hebrews 11:3 – By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

                                                             ii.      Change Effected

1.       Mark 4:35-40 (Claming Storm)

2.       Mark 1:25 (Demons Cast Out)

3.       Mark 1:40-45 (Leper Healed)

4.       Mark 2:1-12 (Sins Forgiven)

5.       John 11 (Dead man Raised)

                                                            iii.      Lives Transformed

1.       Romans 10:5-21 (Faith comes through hearing, and hearing by the word of God.)

                                                           iv.      Sanctified Growth

1.       Teaching

2.       Rebuking

3.       Correcting

4.       Training up in Righteousness 

2. Preaching’s Prominence (The Word Proclaimed)
    
1. A Specific Command

                                                               i.      2 Timothy 4:1-2 -- I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

1.       This command to Timothy comes on the basis of Paul’s discussion of the usefulness of the Scripture. It certainly appears here, given the wealth of biblical evidence, that preaching is not intended solely for the purpose of evangelism, but for all those who need reproof, rebuke, correction, training and exhortation. 

2. Biblical Precedent in context of Worship

                                                               i.      Nehemiah 8:6-8 (Ezra’s reading of the Law)

                                                             ii.      Luke 4:16-21 (Jesus’ initial introduction in the synagogue)

                                                            iii.      Acts 13:14-15 (Paul and Barnabas in Antioch of Pisidia)  

Preaching’s Importance is found in that it is the gift and work of the Holy Spirit. It is a proclamation of the revealed and divine word of God useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training. 

3. The meaning for us
    
1. Be Cognizant of what you Hear

                                                               i.      True preaching must be based upon and come from the Word of God.

                                                             ii.      Too many preachers preach sermons that are not tied to the Scriptures.

1.       Be alert and call out false teachers 

2. Pray

                                                               i.      For Me – That I may preach the whole counsel of God with boldness

                                                             ii.      For Other Preachers – That they may be involved in true preaching

                                                            iii.      For Yourselves – That the Lord will give you the message that he would have for you. You pray that you may be able to hear the truth.

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