Dr. Steve Lawson

The Preacher’s Task

Text: 1 Tim. 4 – 13 Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. 14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. 15 Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. 16 Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.

Expository Preparation:

Text: 2 Tim. 2:15 – Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

Effective Evangelists:

2 Tim. 4:1 I solemnly 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: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. 5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

In every sermon I preach I start with these words, “Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the word of God.” Then, the very next words out of my mouth is the Bible being read. In everything that follows, the intention (after much prayer and study beforehand) is to explain the meaning of the text just read, and make application to the hearers. There is no other agenda, nor should there be. The goats might wish for something different, but the sheep want nothing more than an encounter with the Shepherd through His word. This is the genuine move of the Holy Spirit in a congregation – giving the preacher and the hearers a love for the word of God. All else is sinking sand, worthless talk and idolatry. The sheep love to hear His voice. It is true nourishment for their souls. And what is more, they will be back next week, not because something flashy is being promised, not because a special guest speaker will come with something new, but because there is the genuine promise that the word of God will be read, preached, prayed, sung and seen (in the ordinances – baptism and the Lord’s Supper), nothing more and nothing less. And that is all a sheep wants.

– John Samson

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.” – John 10:27,28

Mark Dever | 9Marks at Midwestern conference