November Newsletter Article

Here is the November newsletter article I wrote for my church, which I just remembered I never posted on here. I pray that it might be helpful and cause us to thank God for pastors who preach the word faithfully and to remind us to encourage our pastors in the work that they do for the kingdom of our Christ.

The Word in Worship:
Preach the Bible

This month's admonition to “Preach the Bible” may be the one that would seem the most obvious to us. You may be thinking “Kenny, of course the Bible should be preached.” Thankfully, I probably will not have to convince anyone at Spring Place Baptist of that, but there are churches across the country where a verse from the Bible simply becomes a springboard for the preacher's own thoughts. Satan trembles not when a pastor preaches the latest psychological methods for superficial change, but he convulses when the Word of the Lord is explained on the Lord's Day. Thank God that we have a pastor who preaches with bold assurance.

John MacArthur stated that the opening of 2 Timothy 4 is one of the most sober exhortations in Scripture. In the passage, Paul writes: “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” (ESV). Paul is issuing a remarkably intense command, reminding young Timothy that it is a charge given in the presence of Christ the Judge in kingdom splendor. The words of our God make up the subject matter of true preaching. We come on Sundays because we want to hear from God through the preaching of Scripture. God must be supreme in the preaching, for “if God is not supreme in our preaching, where in this world will the people hear about the supremacy of God?”¹

Let us thank God for our pastor, a man who preaches the words of our God and not his own words!

Let me close with offering practical ways to respond to this article:

1. Thank God for Brother Tim with verbal thanks and through cards, letters, or inviting him and his family over for a meal.
2. Apply the preached Word to your life. As a church, we believe strongly in God's Word. Let our actions reflect our beliefs.
3. Attend the worship services of the church to receive instruction from God through the preaching and teaching of the Scripture.
4. Finally, thank God that He has chosen to reveal Himself to us.

¹

From: The Supremacy of God in Preaching, John Piper. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2004, 108.