The letters to 1st and 2nd Timothy and Titus, as you probably know, are popularly referred to as
the pastoral epistles. But to be honest with you, that title can be a little bit misleading.
It's only been popularized probably in the last 150 years to even call it that.
And if we're not careful, if that's how we're thinking about these books, we'll think that
they're basically irrelevant to the everyday Christian, that the purpose of them is really
just to inform pastors or church leaders or to give a polity for church structures that bore us to tears
and all of those kinds of things. But really, that's not what these books are. That's not at least only
what they are. They're relevant for the whole church. And though portions of these letters are
indeed personal, they were never intended to be private. And if you think back all the way to when
we introduced this book, we talked about this a little bit. This letter to Titus was never
meant to be a private letter. Titus is inspired scripture. It is inspired by God for the purpose
of instructing his church, of instructing his people. And once Titus received this letter,
he wouldn't have kept it to himself. It was read publicly in the churches in Crete. To the congregations
of the church, it was there. This message that's given to Titus was intended for them. They were held
accountable to it in the same way that Titus was held accountable to it. And then beyond that,
they meticulously copied it and then distributed those copies, which is exactly why you have a copy of it
today in your hand. Because the early church understood that this letter was not just personal
anecdotes written to Paul's colleague. It wasn't that somebody came across it at some point and just
decided, hey, this is pretty cool. We should put this into the collection of things that Paul has
written and somebody eventually decided, oh, well, let's just call it scripture. That's not what this
was. The early church from the earliest days understood that this was inspired scripture. So they
meticulously copied it. They distributed it, understanding that this was God's instruction for his people.
So its usefulness is not just limited to church leaders. That's the first thing I want you to
understand before we even really dig in to this verse that is directed specifically to Titus. The
title for pastoral epistles, it stems from this undercurrent of pastoral instruction that courses
through all of the doctrinal and practical teaching of the letter. So in addition to Paul saying,
this is the truth of the gospel, this is the truth of the gospel, and these are the behaviors that
harmonize with it, Paul directed Titus and then by extension, the elders that Titus would appoint to
the churches on how they could effectively shepherd the churches in their care. That's the intention of the
pastoral instruction. It's not that Paul was saying, I'm just going to give this kind of
a church manual to these guys that they'll follow. Now he's writing to the churches, but underneath this
doctrine and these practical elements, he's telling these church leaders, this is how to incorporate these
truths into the care of the church. And all of this pastoral instruction in Titus ultimately amounts to this.
It amounts to an exalted view of scripture that's expressed in word-based ministry. Okay, I'm going to say
that again. It amounts to an exalted view of scripture that expresses itself in word-based ministry.
And verse 15 in chapter 2 makes that abundantly clear. It's a summary statement that stands on,
it's on its own. That's why we're dealing with it on its own this morning. In fact, the translators of
the Bible in your hand or the device in your hand, whatever it is you're using, probably even made this
visibly distinct. My Bible at least, verse 15 stands on its own. It's its own paragraph.
If your Bible is that way, the translators have done that intentionally so that you might understand
that this verse stands on its own. It's not that it's irrelevant to the paragraph before it or the
paragraph after it. It's actually incredibly relevant to those things. But the passage stands on its own,
and that's how we're going to deal with it this morning. Last week, I told you that verses 11 through 14
serve as the theological foundation for everything that Paul wrote to Titus.
It is the clear gospel message that is the basis of everything Paul was concerned about here.
Everything Paul was concerned about in all the other letters as well. It's the truth of the gospel.
Well, we might consider verse 15 and the instruction that it contains to be the practical outworking
of that gospel message, not only in the ministry of a pastor to the church, but in the church to one
another. In our efforts at discipling one another, in our efforts at evangelism, this verse encompasses in
a summary form how we are to use the gospel in ministry. In other words, here's what Paul does in
verses 11 through 14. He says, here is the gospel message. And in verse 15, he says, here is what you
must do with it. Here's the gospel, Titus. Here's what you must do with it. And there's three very
straightforward commands given in the verse. Two of them are positive. One is negative. Christians are to
speak the word of God. They are to teach it with authority and they are to prevent contempt for the
gospel in those who hear them. Okay. Those are the three things we're going to look at. Speak the word,
teach it with authority and prevent contempt in the hearers. First, let's look at speaking the word. At
the very beginning of the verse, the first phrase, Paul says, declare these things. The word for
declare here, it is laleo, is not the typical word for preaching. That's what's interesting about it
here. We often would think to the famous verse in 2 Timothy, when Paul finally gets to the end of it,
and he just says, preach the word, Timothy. Well, this is not the same word that he uses to Timothy.
It just means to speak. Simply speak the word. Speak these things, Titus. But still, the context of the
verse gives us this sense of asserting truth. Declare, proclaim, announce. And certainly, the primary
task for church elders are prayer and the ministry of the word. But this ministry of the word is not
limited to Sunday morning sermons. Paul's not just concerned that Titus would preach this message
on the Lord's Day worship. He is intent that Titus would speak the truth of God, that he would speak
these things, that he would declare them through the fullness of his ministry in Crete. So that
everything pastors do, even in the administrative oversight of the church, is to have communicating
the truth of God as its central focus. Just a couple of weeks ago, Shane and Andy and I sat down
to work on the new budget for the budget year coming up that will begin in May. And the first thing that
we did before we ever met is we rehearsed biblical principles for stewardship, biblical principles for
what God expects of us. We watched a lecture about it. Why? Because everything we do, even in formatting
a church budget and designating how we're going to steward the resources that God has given us,
has the intention from church leadership for communicating the truth of God. It is setting a
pattern of looking to God for our sole source of truth and behavior. This is the only way to really,
truly shepherd God's people. That's why we say if, you know, at the end of our church covenant,
we always say if at any point you move on from this place, you are covenanting that you will,
as quickly as possible, join with another church who is faithful to the gospel and is faithful to
the things that God says in his word. And part of that, as we're looking for a church, is finding a
pastor who's consumed with the Bible, whose ministry is consumed with the word, not his own passions,
not his own thoughts and opinions, but the word of God. And as a congregation, we need to make sure that
we are encouraging our leaders to prioritize this word-based ministry. We want them to give the majority
of their time to preaching, to counseling, to evangelizing, to discipling people in the truth.
That's what God has called them to do. We need to hold them to that. You need to hold me to that.
Otherwise, I cannot truly shepherd you. But I want to suggest also this morning
that this priority of word-based ministry does not only belong to the leaders of the church.
It belongs to every Christian, every believer. Now, I'm not talking about giftedness here. I'm not
talking about the things that we would say would be the ways that God, by his spirit, gifts us to
serve the church. And by all means, many of those ways are not related to speaking gifts or teaching
gifts. We're not talking about giftedness. We're talking about responsibility. Every believer,
every Christian is responsible for speaking truth to others in obedience to what Christ has commanded
us to do. So as Paul is writing this to Titus, he is intent that pastors faithfully speak God's truth,
at least in part, because all believers are to do so. And pastors are to lead the way in this evangelism
and discipling and counsel. So then my responsibility at Lakeside Bible Church, my teaching in our church
is to both shepherd your soul and to train you on how to shepherd the souls of others. It's not just
about enlightening your mind. It's about training you to do the work of ministry yourself. This belongs to
each of us. And classically, we find this spelled out in Ephesians chapter four. Paul says, and God,
Christ gave shepherds and teachers, shepherd teachers, pastor teachers, to equip the saints for ministry.
And what is that work of ministry? It's the building up of the body of Christ. And how does he intend for
the building up of the body of the Christ to take place? By speaking truth in love, he says. We are to grow
up in every way into him who is the head. And we talk about this verse all the time because it is so
crucial to what we are to be as a church and how we are to behave as a church. We have a responsibility
to one another. Consider Hebrews chapter three and verse 13. The writer says, exhort one another every day.
He's not writing to leaders here. He's writing to the church. He says, exhort one another every day,
as long as it is called today, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
Declare these things. Speak to one another these truths. We have a responsibility to it.
But what exactly is it that we're commanded to declare? Paul says, declare these things. Well,
that's not very helpful. What does he mean? What are the these things? Well, fundamentally,
it refers to the gospel message of verses 11 through 14 and the behaviors that accord with the gospel
message in verses 1 through 10. Set your eyes on verse 1 again at the beginning of chapter 2.
But as for you, Titus, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Sound doctrine primarily being the gospel
message. What accords with the gospel message is the behaviors that harmonize with it. In other words,
we must be faithful and committed to declaring the doctrines and commandments of the word of God.
You see, most of us, the struggle that we have is not speaking. It's not speaking to others.
We all have a way. Even if you are the most introverted among us, you still have communication.
There are ways that you interact with other people. Even if it's just with the people in your home,
you're interacting, you're communicating, you're speaking. Typically, that's not our problem.
We're speaking. The problem often is what is the source of that speaking? What is it that we're
actually communicating to people typically? When you go to coffee with your friend who's really just
going through a particular struggle in their life, be it a struggle in their marriage or a struggle
with their finances or a struggle with their health, or maybe they're just down and they need
some encouragement, what is it that you give them for that encouragement and that comfort?
If it doesn't have anything to do with the word of God, you're not doing it right. That's the point.
Declare these things. Let these things, let the word of God be on our lips and in our mouths.
So much of Christian discipling seems to be absent of the clear teaching of the Bible.
We want to help others, but we're not always looking to the scriptures for the answers to life,
for the things that actually bring comfort, for the things that actually do lift up our hearts.
Our counsel often can be saturated with emotionalism, maybe self-help ideas,
but what we should continually be asking ourselves in these conversations
is what does God tell us in the Bible? What does the gospel instruct us on in relation to this thing?
Colossians chapter 3. I grew up, I don't know if any of you have ever even heard of this,
but I grew up going to Patch the Pirate Club. Anybody go to Patch the Pirate Club?
You went to Patch the Pirate Club. That's amazing. We sail with Patch the Pirate.
We should sing that on a Sunday.
The club verse, I can remember my mom was the, for a few years, was the Patch the Pirate Club
leader or captain, whatever it was called.
And every week we would stand up and she would say, all right, sailors, club verse.
Colossians 3.16 was the verse.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom,
singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, giving thanks in our hearts to the Lord.
That's a command to the church that Paul gives.
And what is the command? Let the word of God dwell in you richly insofar as you can go to others
and you can teach them and you can admonish them in wisdom, true wisdom that's founded on the word of God.
And what's one of the ways that we do that most often?
In our Sunday worship.
As we gather together and we sing Christ, the true and better Adam, son of God and son of man,
who when tempted in the garden, never yielded, never sinned.
We teach one another that.
There is this, Keith Getty talks about this so often, there is this dynamic in our church worship services
in just the way even that we set up our seating, where we work against this instruction.
I heard him talk about one time, we set up our services, and I've done it,
but we set up our services where everything is focused on a platform.
He said, but the sense of this verse is that maybe we set up our chairs in a circle
so that as we're singing songs of the Lord, we're not singing them to a person that is leading us,
we're singing them to one another.
We are teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs
that inform our hearts and inform our minds.
And then when we go to coffee after the service and we're sitting,
we're talking with our friend who's going through a particular struggle
or maybe has questions about the gospel, we can say,
do you remember the song that we sang today?
This is what the Bible teaches about it.
This is who Jesus is.
This is what he has done for us.
This is our responsibility, church.
Declare these things.
Speak these things.
We are to be filled with the word of God
and routinely speak this gospel to others.
Whether it's the pastor in the pulpit,
whether it's a parent at the dinner table,
whether it's a friend at the coffee shop,
our words are to be filled with God's truth,
declaring these things to others.
So Paul says, declare these things.
Speak the word of God.
Number two, he says, teach it with authority.
Teach it with authority.
Look at verse 15 again.
Declare these things, exhort and rebuke with all authority.
So the terms used in the very first phrase,
declare these things, really relate to just speaking truth.
But the terms of the second phrase
have the nuance of instruction, personal instruction.
To exhort means to entreat.
It's to earnestly implore someone to do something.
Julie, please let me get a milkshake today.
It is to entreat.
It's to plead with.
In this case, it means to plead with others,
to believe and obey the gospel,
to obey God,
to care about the Sabbath,
to care about the Lord's day.
To rebuke is to admonish or to correct.
It's just a different form of teaching.
Here it refers to correcting errant teaching
and sinful behavior.
Both of these actions are absolutely essential
for a pastor to faithfully shepherd the church
and for all Christians to evangelize
and disciple one another.
There's no way around it.
It's not enough to merely state what the Bible says.
We must plead with people to believe and obey it.
Because I could come in on it one day
and I could say,
Jesus rose from the dead.
That's important.
It's true.
But it's different from me coming in and saying,
Jesus rose from the dead,
therefore bow to him as Lord,
receive him as Savior,
trust in him.
Do you see?
There is the speaking of the word,
then there's the instructing of the word,
the exhortation,
the rebuke.
Now the third term in this phrase
is really what gets at the heart of the instruction.
Paul said that Titus was to plead and correct
with all authority, he says.
And this is where things get a little tricky for us,
isn't it?
Because none of us want to assume authority over other people.
That is without a doubt frowned upon in our modern culture.
No one likes to be told what to do.
Few people like to be the ones actually telling others what to do.
There are some nut jobs out there,
but there's few people that actually really enjoy doing that.
And yet Paul still tells us right here,
he says,
do this with all authority.
The word is epitage.
It means to issue a command,
which makes it worse.
It's not just that you have authority to say something,
it's that he's saying,
do this in such a way as you're commanding people.
It's to have a commanding, authoritative tone.
Not harsh, but commanding.
But the question we have to ask
is what is the source of this authority?
What's the source of it?
What kind of authority are we actually appealing to
when we speak to others,
when we exhort them and when we rebuke them?
And before we get to the answer to that,
I want to give you three errant ways,
three errant ways of viewing spiritual authority.
The first one is this,
spiritual authority is not inherent in a church leader.
Spiritual authority is not inherent in a church leader.
In other words,
we have no power and authority in and of ourselves
to issue spiritual commands to others.
But there's a lot of people
who would have you think otherwise.
There are the self-proclaimed faith healers
in the Word of Faith movement.
They declare that they possess power
in and of themselves over disease and demons
and that the only way for you to access that power
is if you become one of their disciples
and contribute to their ministries.
They claim the power is in them.
They claim the power is in what they can do.
It's not the only way that this is demonstrated.
Roman Catholic traditions do this.
They believe that there is an endowment
on the priest in the Roman Catholic Church
to actually convey the forgiveness of sins
to those who would come
and follow the prescribed recipe for penance
and whatever that may be.
You go and you sit in the confession,
you tell the priest what you've done,
and then the priest conveys forgiveness
based on what he tells you to do
in that particular moment.
But spiritual authority doesn't belong
to the church leader,
not in and of himself.
But this happens in evangelical circles as well,
doesn't it?
If you're like me,
you've been around a lot of people,
legalistic types of people,
where pastors act as if their authority
is in themselves.
They issue extra biblical commands
to the people,
and they believe themselves
to be above criticism.
They exercise the type of authority
over others that isn't actually given
to them in the Bible.
They demand that before you do anything,
you come and get their permission.
And if anyone brings criticism to them,
they would quote something like,
touch not God's anointed.
They put themselves above the word.
They put themselves above the truth.
But the problem is,
in each of these scenarios,
these individuals are claiming
for themselves a power
that only belongs to Christ.
And they manipulate others
to believe it
in order that they may assume
power over them.
But spiritual authority
is not inherent in the church leader.
Secondly, spiritual authority
is not granted to an institution.
It's not granted to an institution.
Let's think about Roman Catholicism again,
or the Eastern Orthodox traditions,
or various cults.
They all elevate
their institutional authority
as either equal to
or above the scriptures.
And when there is a conflict
between the church
and the scriptures,
those traditions
presume to have authority
over the Bible itself,
dictating as an institution
what people should do
and believe.
Some of you,
I know you have history
with Roman Catholicism,
and the basic understanding
of authority
in the Roman Catholic Church
is like a three-legged stool.
There's the scriptures,
there's the traditions,
and then there's the magisterium.
The church traditions
and the magisterium
are at least put as equal weight
to the scriptures.
And whenever the traditions
and the scriptures contradict,
the ultimate authority
belongs to the magisterium,
the pope,
and the bishops
who surround him
in order to pass judgment.
He acts as God's representative
on earth.
That is completely foreign
to the Bible.
There is no spiritual authority
granted to an institution.
Jesus dealt with these people.
Mark chapter 7,
he said to them,
well did Isaiah prophesy
of you hypocrites,
this people honors me
with their lips,
but their heart
is far from me.
In vain they worship me,
teaching as doctrines
the commandments of men.
You leave the commandment of God
and hold to the tradition
of men, Jesus said.
So that's not what Paul
is talking about.
He's not saying
that the authority
belongs to you, Titus.
He's not saying
the authority belongs to you
and the elders
as an institution, Titus.
The third way
this is errantly thought of
this, spiritual authority
does not belong
to the individual self.
This is the modern
secular idea
that the only authority
I have is me.
I do what I feel is right.
I determine for myself
what's right
and what's wrong
and any other authority
is by nature
oppressive.
Well that's not
biblical either.
So what then
is the source
of this authority
that Paul writes about
in chapter 2
in verse 15?
There is only one authority
from which we can
exhort and rebuke
and it is the very word of God.
It's the Bible.
Our preaching
and our teaching
and our evangelism
and our discipling
they're not based
on what we think is right
or what a religious institution
declares is right
or certainly what secular ideas
think is right.
It is based on the scriptures
and the scriptures alone.
Think about what Paul said
to the Galatians.
Remember they were beginning
to abandon the true gospel.
In Galatians chapter 1
in verse 8 he says
but even if we
speaking of me and my team
or even an angel from heaven
were to speak to you a gospel
contrary to what we've preached
let him be accursed.
In other words
the truth isn't the truth
because I say it is
and the truth isn't the truth
because an angel says it is.
The truth is the truth
because God says it is.
The authority lies in the word.
Think about this
in connection
with the great commission.
Matthew 28
Jesus came to them
and said
all authority.
Now don't forsake
the parallel here.
Paul is telling Titus
rebuke with all authority.
Jesus is saying
all authority
in heaven and on earth
has been given to me
to Jesus
not to Titus.
Go therefore
and make disciples
baptizing them
evangelizing them
teaching them
to observe
all that I have
commanded.
Now
Jesus' authority
is intrinsic
because he is
by his very nature
divine.
He is God.
He is the source of truth.
He is the source
of authority.
He commissioned
the apostles
to go
but their authority
was only
an extension
of their responsibility
to preach
his gospel.
To preach
his message
not their own.
Jesus says
I say
unto you
we say
thus says
the Lord.
There is a difference
there.
We are to make
disciples
by preaching
his gospel
and teaching
his commandments.
the authority
is not our own.
The authority
is Christ
and we are not
to issue
our commands
but his.
And the place
that God
has seen fit
to reveal
his gospel
and his commands
is not
in an institution
and it is not
within you.
It is in the pages
of the Bible.
The ultimate authority
is the word of God
not the one
who preaches it.
says MacArthur
no matter
what his training
or experience
or personal abilities
the preacher
has spiritual
authority
only to the extent
that what he says
conforms to the word
of God.
And that applies
to each of us.
Our authority
is only an extension
of the word of God.
So if we're going
around commanding
and exhorting
and rebuking
it better be
with our Bibles open.
Not commanding
what we think
people should do.
But what God
demands of them
and what he reveals
to us.
When we listen
to the authoritative
teaching of others
we need to make sure
it's rooted
in the scripture.
When you receive
that counsel
from even a trusted
family member
make sure it's rooted
in the scripture.
Someone told me
recently
that their
father told them
you need to put
the Bible down
and put your brain on.
that's bad advice.
That's the opposite
of what we do.
It doesn't matter
how trusted
the person is.
Make sure
what you heed
is the word.
So we see
speak the word
teach it with authority.
Thirdly and finally
he says
prevent
the hearer's contempt.
Prevent
the hearer's contempt.
Verse 15 again
declare these things
exhort
and rebuke
with all authority.
Let no one
disregard you.
Let no one
disregard you.
So in this
final imperative
it's the negative.
The first two
he says
do
now he says
do not
do not let
do not permit
something.
He's telling him
to prevent
his hearers
from holding
the gospel message
in contempt.
Titus was to
authoritatively
preach the Bible
in such a way
that no one
could escape
its truth.
Now Brian
Chappell helps us
here.
He says
this reminds us
that our teaching
may be made
ineffective
either
by failing
to speak
with authority
or by failing
to live
in accord
with the scriptures
ourselves.
So let's think
about that
for a moment
before we finish.
In one sense
the statement
reflects what
will happen
if we speak
the truth
but not
in an
authoritative
way.
Again we're
not talking
about harshness.
We're not
talking about
speaking truth
without grace.
We're not
even saying
speak it
without using
or endeavoring
to use
winsome
persuasive
words and
language.
I even think
that that's
important and
even biblical
for us to
understand.
That's not
what we're
saying.
We're not
talking about
going around
barking orders
at people.
We're talking
about saying
thus says
the Lord
engaging with
people on
the truth
of God.
But we
must never
present the
truth of
God in
such a way
that it
seems optional.
As if the
word of God
is just one
of the
options in
the midst
of many
options.
And in
a day of
supposed
tolerance
people will
not appreciate
it when you
talk about
the exclusivity
of the
gospel.
The
inerrancy
and the
authority of
the Bible.
They won't
appreciate that
but that's
what the
Bible actually
tells us
to do.
We command
because it
is the
truth.
We can't
leave it
optional.
It's a
warning against
limiting the
gospel to
those who we
think would be
most tolerant
of hearing it.
Just because a
person rejects
God's word
either blatantly
or out of
loyalty to
another religion
doesn't make
them any less
accountable to
it.
Do you
understand what
I mean by
that?
Just because
this person is
a Muslim
doesn't mean
that they're
not accountable
to the
truth of
God.
God's word
is not
applicable only
to Christians.
It's applicable
to the whole
human race.
It is relevant
to the whole
human race.
It must be
preached to
the whole
human race.
Not as an
option that
they might
consider but
as a command
from the
God who
created them
and who
demands of
them to
show his
glory.
Again, it's
God's truth
not man's.
Therefore, we
need to speak
authoritatively
to all people.
Well, there's
another sense
here, let no
one disregard
you, that
parallels what
Paul said to
Timothy.
In 1 Timothy
chapter 4,
remember Paul
says, let no
one despise you
for your youth.
This is 1 Timothy
4.12, let no
one despise you
for your youth
but set the
believers an
example in
speech and
conduct and
love and
faith and
purity.
And he goes
on.
Well, what was
Paul trying to
tell Timothy
to do?
He wasn't
saying, Timothy,
I know you're a
young man so
what you're
going to have
to do is go
get the
older people in
the church.
You're going
to have to
strap them
down to a
chair and
make sure
that they
listen to
what you
say.
That's not
what he's
saying.
He's saying,
Timothy,
don't live with
behaviors that
are typical
of young men
your age because
you're going to
discredit the
gospel message
that you're
preaching.
Instead, set an
example for the
church and he
gives the list of
ways that Timothy
has to set an
example.
That's what he's
saying to Titus
here.
Let no one
disregard you.
He's not saying
keep barking at
them and force
them to sit in
the chair and
listen to whatever
you have to say
to give them a
piece of your
mind.
That's not what
he's saying.
He's saying,
live in such a
way that you
don't discredit
the gospel message,
that people can't
easily evade the
message you're
preaching.
We can speak
God's word
routinely, but if
our manner of
life is not
worthy of
respect, what
good will our
preaching be?
It will be no
good.
Almost no
good.
We can speak
authoritatively,
but who will
hear us if our
words are harsh
and unkind?
generally, people
can see through
our hypocrisies.
They can tell
when our thoughts
of Christ haven't
truly gripped us
and consumed us
in our lives.
And the last
thing people are
interested in
listening to is a
religious lecture
from someone who
barely seems to be
a Christian
themselves.
Let no one
disregard you,
church.
don't make
God's message
optional and
live a life that's
worthy of the
gospel.
That's why Paul
says to the
Philippians, isn't
it?
Live worthy of
the gospel.
Show obedience
and love.
Observe the
Lord's day to
show that you
actually love the
Lord.
You're actually
gripped by his
truth.
You actually care
to obey his
commands.
Live a life that's
consistent with the
message that you're
preaching.
Don't render
your teaching
ineffective.
No one teaches
the Bible by
accident.
It takes
intentionality.
It takes a
heart level
commitment to
regularly engage
in this kind of
discipling.
And it's a
responsibility that
belongs to each
of us.
For you parents,
this is a
responsibility you
have first and
foremost with your
children.
grandchildren.
You're your
grandchildren.
You have a
responsibility to
teach the word.
And that's not
going to happen
accidentally.
It's going to
take you caring in
those moments to
say, I must give
the truth of God to
my kids.
I must train them
in righteousness.
It's also
impossible to speak
the truth of God
if you don't know
the truth of God.
God, we can't
ever expect to
obey these
commands and to
be effective in
our ministries to
other people if we
don't actually know
the Bible.
Study the Bible.
Read the word.
Get all the
resources you can to
help you understand
it the best way that
you can.
Pray and ask for the
Lord to lead you and
enlighten you by his
Holy Spirit so that
you can understand it.
Memorize it.
Ingrain it in your
heart and your mind
not only for your
own benefit but for
the benefit of others
that are in your
life.
Only then will we
care to know it and
share it with others.
Only then will we be
able to sit down with
someone, view their
circumstance with an
open Bible instead of
just an open mind.
And the question is
simple.
Do you engage in
word-based ministry?
Tom and I had coffee
together the other
day in Mooresville and
I love it.
Every now and then
when I do something
like this I often
wonder, I shouldn't
think this way, but
I often wonder what
are the people around
us thinking right now
because of two of us
we're sitting there
with our Bibles open
and we're working
through Romans chapter
six together and we
weren't being quiet
about it and we're
just working through
the Bible.
You know what we're
doing?
We're saying hey
here's what's going
on in our lives.
How can we process
this through the lens
of the scripture?
That's what you can do.
You sit down with
one another and open
the Bible.
Say hey I know you're
going through this
difficult time.
Let's look at some
encouragement from the
scripture.
What is the truth about
what Christ has done
for us?
We lift each other's
hearts up with the
truth.
Not just by saying
they're there.
It's going to be okay.
Right?
Are you engaging in
this kind of word
based ministry?
Engage with others
but make sure your
speech is saturated
with the Bible.
Well,
let's take a look at some