Preach, Correct, Rebuke, Encourage

Good Morning,

2 Timothy 4:1-4 (NIV)
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 men 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.

Paul is telling Timothy...and us, of course...that we are to always be prepared to "Preach the Word." He writes that we are to "Be prepared in season and out of season." This is, truly marvelous advice that all of us ought to be ready to undertake at any given moment. Now, many of us think that this "preaching" that Paul is talking about is what we hear from clergy on a Sunday morning (or maybe Saturday evening) in our local congregations. But, I don't think that's what Paul is talking about here. What he is saying is that we all need to be able to explain our Christian beliefs to those who might ask. He goes on to mention that we should be prepared to "correct, rebuke, and encourage" those around us when that becomes necessary.

So, here we are then. Just regular people. Not educated in preaching. Nor are we really highly knowledgeable in the correcting and rebuking that Paul wrote about. And, we sometimes don't know how to go about encouraging as we ought to. One might ask if maybe, because of our lack of specific education and knowledge of these things that, maybe we should just leave it to the "experts" in our local churches to handle. Let me ask you something. Who might it be easier to approach with some thought or problem? A Pastor of a local church? Or, perhaps, a trusted friend? Yes, many of our pastors are loving, giving, and truly caring people. But they often just don't have the time to drop everything to meet with everyone who wishes some of their attention. On the other hand, our pastors can't always see when correction is needed. Or when someone might need to be rebuked for some action or words. And they surely don't see or know about everyone who needs to be encouraged in their lives.

Well, what that speaks to me is that we, you and I, need to be the ones carrying out the instructions that Paul has written in these verses. Yes, these responsibilities fall on every one of us at some time or other. How do we know how to go about it? I think that it's as simple as knowing our Bibles and what God has set down for us as our "instruction book" to use in these matters. I also believe that we learn how to be better preachers, correctors, rebukers, and encouragers by spending time together in small groups; in a more intimate setting than our local churches on the weekend. As our pastors have said recently, "Small groups are where life happens." That is so very true.

When we begin to meet together in people's homes to learn and to share our lives, then we start to have trust and respect for our brothers and sisters in Christ. When that happens, we find ourselves able to be all that Paul asks of us in today's verses. We are able to see where correction might be needed in someone's thinking and doctrine. We are aware when a person might need to be taken to task about some action they've taken or words they might have spoken. We will understand more fully who needs more encouragement in their lives. And, we will be able to do these things in a very timely manner; do them when they are most needed and most appreciated. Most importantly, in our small, home gatherings, we have the opportunity to preach God's Word in such a way that is simple and direct to people who are comfortable and ready to hear it.

The one other huge benefit to meeting together in home groups is: That is where we learn God's instruction book for us in the most comfortable setting. We get to share our individual knowledge and insight as to what God's words speak to us.

Now let's not forget what Paul writes about preaching, correcting and the rest. He says that we are to go about this "with great patience and careful instruction." We are NOT to do these things in such a way that is better suited to driving people away than it is to bringing them closer to God. We aren't to go about hitting people over the head with a 10 pound Bible thinking that God's Word will fall into their minds simply by it's weight! I've found that doesn't work well, you know?

One last, and huge, reason that we should be together learning and helping one another comes with the last words written in these verses.

"For the time will come when men 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."

How very alarming these words are to me. And how very dangerous their meaning as we can see all around us. But, when we are used to meeting together as friends and neighbors, and not just as "acquaintances" in a large local church setting, that's when we are free to open up, ask questions, and, therefore, not be liable to being driven from the truth and toward myths.

We, you and I, are the ones responsible...I feel...to be undertaking what Paul has written for us in these verses. Let's take this responsibility, and great honor, seriously.

Love, peace, and blessings,

David