When Authority Comes to Town

Going to Church…Again

You wake up, rub your eyes, and roll out of bed. Before your feet hit the floor, you realize you’re headed to church today. It’s what you do every weekend…whether you want to or not. You know that’s the wrong attitude. But it’s the truth.

As you pour your coffee, you think about the day ahead. You’ll get together with friends and neighbors to hear some holier-than-thou guy talk about God. He’ll talk a lot of religious dumbo jumbo, most of which is way over your head. Pie-in-the-sky-sweet-bye-and-bye kinda stuff.

Same old Sabbath

When the preacher does teach something that makes some sense, it doesn’t exactly send your heart soaring. Quite the opposite. His message is nothing more than a religious ball and chain. A loathsome list of impossible dos and don’ts.

What’s even worse, you’ve heard it all before. Last week. The week before. The month before. The year before. Same old Sabbath. Same old synagogue. Same old sermons. Same old stuff. The faces of the preachers may change but there’s one thing that doesn’t. That religious rehash they warm up and serve every weekend.

A Podunk Village in Palestine

Sound familiar? Hit too close to home? For too many of us, this is EXACTLY what going to church was (and still is!) all about. Here’s the crazy thing. This was the very same attitude people had 2,000 years ago in a podunk fishing village in Palestine. Well, at least until the day Jesus came to town.

That’s exactly the scene Mark sets in his bio of Jesus midway through his opening chapter (Mk 1:21-28). The place is Capernaum, a tiny blue-collar burg on the northwest shore of a large freshwater lake we call the Sea of Galilee. It’s Saturday, the Jewish day of worship.

People fill the streets as they head to the local synagogue. It’s not like some go to First Baptist or Saint Moses Catholic or Capernaum Community Church. The synagogue is the only game in town. It’s not just the center of worship but the center of life for the city.

A New Rabbi in Town

But Mark tips us off that this particular Sabbath is going to be different. An unfamiliar face is there. There’s a new rabbi in town by the name of Jesus. He’s accompanied by four of His brand new followers who you swear you saw working as fishermen just a couple of days ago.

Here’s how the author describes that day. “Jesus and His companions went to the town of Capernaum. When the Sabbath came, He went into the synagogue and began to teach” (v21). Same old Sabbath. Same old synagogue. But this is going to be a VERY different sermon. What’s about to go down is about to change absolutely everything.

Snap out of It!

Right out of the gate, this Rabbi/Carpenter from up the road in Nazareth is like no other teacher you’ve ever heard before. “The people were amazed at His teaching” (22). Jesus totally blows your mind. Normally folks can’t wait for the sermon to end. Today they don’t want Him to stop.

John Mark uses a word (Gr. εκπλεσσω/ekplesso) that the NLT translates as “amazed.” It literally means to hit something or someone suddenly in order to get something to leave. Ever see the movie “Moonstruck”? Cher’s character slaps Nicolas Cage to get his attention. “Snap out of it!” (Well, let’s be honest. Who hasn’t wanted to do that to Nic after sitting through one of his flicks?)

Jesus blindsides the boredom right out of the sleepy crowd at the synagogue. He snaps you out of it. He catches you off guard. He astonishes. He astounds. He bewilders. There’s just something about Him that grabs you by the shoulders and forces you to pay attention.

Shock and Awe

Christ’s teaching amazes people, not just once. But over and over and over (Mt 22:23; Mk 6:2). Jaws drop when He drops the mic at the end of His most famous sermon (Mt 7:28-29). Shock and awe are His signature.

Jesus awes the crowds when He brings the heat. Forget “amen” and “hallelujah.” You hear “oohs” and “aahs" when the Lord preaches and teaches. His lessons and lectures were absolutely amazing. And they still are!!

Blowing away the Religious Fog

What a great reminder that we need to regularly blow the religious fog out of the story of Jesus. Too many stale Sunday School lessons and mundane messages have covered His dazzling life under a thick layer of church dust. Grab a new Bible translation. Read Jesus fresh. Walk with Him for the first time all over again.

Remember, He’s unlike anyone or anything the world has ever seen. He brings a Gospel no one has ever heard before. He’s bringing grace and mercy straight out of heaven. Instead of demanding a hopeless climb to an unapproachable God, He brings God all the way down to us.

Real Authority

What is Jesus’ secret sauce for His sermons? “He taught with real authority—quite unlike the teachers of religious law” (v22). Did you catch that? He wasn’t some self-promoting, self-proclaimed expert blogging from his parents’ basement. He has “real authority.”

The word most Bibles translate “authority” here is εχουσια/exousia. It describes power, strength, jurisdiction, or influence. At its core, the term means doing exactly what you want when you want where you want to whom you want.

Where does Jesus get this incredible ability? Right before He heads home to heaven, He tells His followers that His Father is the source. “I have been given all authority (Gr.εχουσια/exousia) in heaven and on earth” (Mt 28:18). It’s that kind of heavenly authority that qualifies Him as Lord.

Tasteless Leftovers

This new Rabbi is so radically original that all you and your fellow worshipers can do is compare Him to the men who have taught before in the synagogue. His impact and influence is nothing like the tasteless leftovers that have been part of the regular diet on Sabbath. His new teaching is fresh and delicious!

The regular teachers simply taught the Old Testament by quoting the opinion and interpretation of rabbis. The Message puts it this way. Jesus was “not quibbling and quoting like the religion scholars” (22 The Message). Their teaching is more like a nonstop argument trying to prove who’s right rather than pointing people toward God.

The Ultimate Authority

A couple of thousand years later, this garbage still goes on. You’ve heard the arguments. They’re all over the interweb. Who’s team are you on? John Piper’s or Rick Warren’s? John MacArthur’s or Bill Hybels’? Let’s be honest. We spend WAY too much energy arguing in public about which teachers are right when it comes to stuff like predestination, speaking in tongues, evangelism, and even style of worship. Come on, people.

We still play the same silly games as the Capernaum rabbis. We LOVE to quote folks like Chuck Swindoll, Matt Chandler, Andy Stanley, and C.S. Lewis. Don’t get me wrong. These are heavyweight teachers when it comes to Scripture. I love them all. But why not read about Jesus straight from Jesus? Why not get God’s Word directly from God’s Word?

But Jesus doesn’t quote other rabbis and their opinions. He didn’t need to. As the Son of God, He’s the Go-To Guy on what Scripture says and what it means. Forget the Bible Answer Man. Christ doesn’t need to Google or Youversion. He IS the Ultimate Authority.

When Worship Goes off the Rails

If Saturday at the synagogue wasn’t crazy enough already, we’re about to turn it up a notch or two. “Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, ‘Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!’” (v23-24).

Here in the middle of Jesus’ message, a guy shouts back at the new Rabbi. Whoa. Sure, there have been a few times I felt like the pastor has gone from preaching to meddling in his message, but I’ve never stood up and shouted at him to stop! This worship service in Capernaum has officially gone off the rails! I mean, WAY off the rails!!

The Weird Guy in Town

On the other hand, you’re not really all that surprised at the dude challenging the guest Speaker. He’s the weird guy in town. Yeah, THAT guy. The guy who mumbles to himself a lot. He makes you uncomfortable. Shoot, he makes EVERYBODY uncomfortable! Conversations with him are bizarre and messy. You head the other way when you see him coming.

Mark explains just why the man is so bizarre. He’s “possessed by an evil spirit” (23). We’re not exactly sure how or when it happened, but a demon has made itself at home in the man and is calling the shots. And now the filthy spirit is calling out Christ.

Satan and His Evil Army

Throughout the Bible, these nasty spirits cause people all sorts of serious problems, including both physical and mental illness (Mt 12:22; Mk 9:17-25; Lk 8:27-28; 9:39; Acts 8:7). This does NOT mean the devil’s demonic crew is behind all of them. But we need to be aware of the potential spiritual aspect of any sort of sickness.

A couple of important ideas. On one hand, blaming the enemy and his unholy horde for every little thing that happens in life gives him way too much credit. This leads to a victim mentality. I’m not saying Satan hasn’t set his sites on me, but my biggest problem is the knucklehead I see in the mirror each morning.

The other problem is ignoring our enemy completely. Jesus makes it clear the devil does is demonic best to “steal, kill, and destroy” (Jn 10:10). The prince of darkness is real. To ignore that satanic snake and his evil army is a MASSIVE mistake! We have a defeated enemy but he’s still a dangerous enemy.

Jesus’ Heavenly Identity

Clearly the demon controlling this guy knows there’s a new sheriff in town. “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth?” (v24). The evil spirit tips us off that Christ isn’t simply going one-on-one. In order to help the man, He must deal with a minimum of one demon. It’s not unusual for them to torture folks in massive teams (Mk 5:9, 15; Lk 8:30).

In essence, this particular satanic spirit tells Jesus to stop jacking with him and his human host and mind His own business. The demon not only calls the Rabbi/Carpenter by His earthly name, “Jesus of Nazareth” (24), but also clearly understands His heavenly identity. “I know who you are—the Holy One of God” (v24). This is one of those times Christ’s kid brother James writes about when he says even demons believe in God but “tremble in terror” (James 2:17).

Evil Gets Antsy

It’s interesting that the demon inside the dude couldn’t simply sit there quietly with the Son of God in the room. That’s because wherever Jesus shows up, evil gets antsy. You see it all throughout the four bios of Christ. There’s nothing like the Light of the World to expose sin and filth (Eph 5:13). Like cockroaches on the run when the light comes on.

Do you start to squirm when Jesus is around? Do you think He should get His holy nose out of your personal business? Do you get more than a little anxious when you think the Lord might know all about those nasty little “habits” you do behind closed doors?

Guess what. He already knows. Our Savior is fully aware of our deepest, darkest secrets. As a matter of fact, Jesus knows more about that junk that we do (Ps 44:21: Jer 23:24). And He came to free us from it and replace it with a “rich and satisfying life” we can only know through Him (Jn 10:10). Tell Him and trust Him. Get it off your chest and get Him into your life. What are you waiting for?

A Screamin’ Demon

If this Sabbath at Capernaum synagogue wasn’t already crazy enough, wait until you see what happens next! “But Jesus reprimanded him. ‘Be quiet! Come out of the man,’ He ordered. At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him” (v25-26).

In the words of Ron Burgundy, “Well, that escalated quickly!” No sooner does the demon challenge Jesus than the visiting Rabbi tells him to stuff a sock in it and get the heck out of Dodge…or at least get out of the poor guy he had possessed.

The evil spirit certainly doesn’t go without a fight. When Christ gives him the order and sends him packing, the demon screams and gives the guy one last nasty shake. This is like an ump tossing a player out of game. Before the player leaves, he throws a juvenile tantrum, involving bats, balls, hats, and the Gatorade cooler. He pitches a fit, but he’s still leaving.

Jaw-Dropping Authority

If you think folks were impressed by Jesus’ sermon, having a front row seat for an exorcism takes this Sabbath to a whole new level. “Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened, ‘What sort of new teaching is this?’ they asked excitedly. ‘It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey His orders!’” (v27).

Just in case you had any doubts about whether this new Teacher and His message could move the needle, they’re gone now. Those doubts ran out the door with the demon. Everybody is picking their jaw up off the floor of that small-town synagogue. This new Rabbi not only exposes evil but sends it running with its forked tail between its legs.

A Game Changer

The authority Jesus is a total game changer. Nobody has ever seen anything like Him before. I’m talking EVER. Not before. Not since. Not ever. It’s the role He was born to play. And that role is the incredible combo of Savior and Lord.

As our Savior, He’s the Hero the Father first promised He would send to clean up the mess our first parents made (Gen 3:15). The Son of God leaves the luxury of the heavenly palace to come to our rescue. Or as Jesus announces at a big shindig in Jericho, “The Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost” (Lk 19:10).

As the Lord, He has total authority. Complete authority. Unlimited authority. So much so that when Jesus says so, it IS so. Just ask the demon He evicted from the dude in the synagogue. Oh, that’s right. You can’t. The Lord told him to shut up and leave.

The 800-pound Gorilla

Here’s the 800-pound gorilla when it comes to Jesus as Lord. Are WE actually going to do what He says? Am I going to obey His commands? Do I believe that believe that He is God and what He wants for me is good? Or do I think He’s holding out on me? In case you haven’t heard the story, but that’s how things fell apart in Eden in the first place (Gen 3:1-8).

Here’s the rub. We love the whole Jesus as our Messiah/Hero idea. That’s awesome. But once He saves our eternal bacon, we really want nothing to do with His leadership as our Lord. Savior, yes. Lord, no.

There’s just one little problem. I can’t pull the two apart. Jesus as my Savior and Lord is a package deal. In other words, I can’t simply buy the fire insurance. I must also willingly to submit to His leadership and guidance. It makes sense when you think about it. My very limited authority certainly hasn’t been able to get me to make any real changes in my life so far.

The Buzz in the Burg

Back in Capernaum, there’s a quite a buzz in the little burg as people leave the synagogue. “The news about Jesus spread quickly throughout the entire region of Galilee” (v28). Word gets around about not only the new Teacher, His amazing message, but His astonishing authority.

Because of Jesus’ authority, the Sabbath will never be the same. Going to synagogue will never be the same. Life will never be the same!

Let’s just say things are about to get rather complicated for Jesus and His team. But He’s up for it. He’s got the brand new message folks have been waiting to hear. And He’s got the authority they desperately need. 

That’s what happens when Authority comes to town.

©2017
Jay Jennings

Scratching the Itch

“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” (2Tim 4:3-4).

Itch, itch, itch. Scratch, scratch, scratch.

Ever have an itch that you couldn’t quite scratch? What am I saying…of course you have! What begins as a little tickle quickly escalates into an all-consuming search for relief. You’ll do whatever you can, use anything available, or ask whomever is around to help.

Itch, itch, itch. Scratch, scratch, scratch.

Your Spiritual Thumper Leg

What a wonderful sense of immediate relief when you finally can. A little to the left…up just a bit…right there…oh yeah! AHHHHHH! At this point, a smile spreads across your face and your eyes close. If you’re not careful, your leg will start thumping like your dog Bootsie does when you scratch him in the magic place.

There are lots of causes for itching. That irritation is actually a symptom of something else. Poison ivy. A bug bite. A rash. An allergy. Eczema. Did you know that can even be an indication of more serious problems like food allergies, kidney failure, or even lymphoma? Just another reason to stop making regular visits to WebMD and see your own doctor!

A Symptom of Something Deeper

While Paul’s not a doctor and never played one on TV, he warns Timothy that appears to be a simple itch is actually a symptom of a deeper spiritual disease. “For a 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 into myths” (v3-4).

The apostle delivers a scary prognosis for what appears to be only a slight tickle on the ear. It begins innocently enough. You scratch that itch by listening to what you want to hear rather than what you need to hear. You suddenly find yourself searching the internet and downloading podcasts of preachers and teachers who pump your ties and make you feel good.

Itch, itch, itch. Scratch, scratch, scratch.

It doesn’t matter that what you hear isn’t true and full of, shall we say, “alternative facts” (seems to be a lot of that going around these days). The next thing you know, you’re pulled off a sinful spin called the reverse repentance. It’s way more dangerous than anything you see in Olympic halfpipe snowboarding. Hard to believe it all started with an itty bitty itch. That’s because the itch is a symptom of a much deeper disease.

Itch, itch, itch. Scratch, scratch, scratch.

The Last Letter

Before we go any further, let’s pump our brakes and take a quick look at why Paul is writing this letter in the first place. It’s somewhere between the years 64-67 AD. We find the apostle behind bars (2Tim 1:8, 16; 2:9). That’s nothing new. The message he brings upsets people so often that you might think he’s traveling the Mediterranean Rim reviewing local jails and prisons for VRBO or TripAdvisor (Acts 16:19-24; 22:23-29; 24:23, 27; 25:14, 21, 27; 26:31-32; 27-28; Eph 4:1; 6:20; Phil 1:17; Col 4:4, 10, 18; Phm 9-10, 13, 23).

But this is different. This time, he’s run out of time. He’s on Death Row (2Tim 4:6-7). Historians believe he’s walking the Green Mile in the Mamertine Prison, Caesar’s SuperMax. With time quickly running out, the apostle writes one last letter with two purposes. One, pass the baton of the Gospel to the young pastor at the Ephesian megachurch (2Tim 2:1-4:5). Two, beg Tim for one last visit before it’s too late (2Tim 4:9, 21).

Don’t Get Blindsided

As he wraps up his instructions about ministry, Paul gives Timothy a very important heads up about what he can expect. “For a time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching” (v3). The mentor doesn’t want his protege to get caught off guard. Don’t let it blindside you. It’s going to happen. Don’t let it throw you off your game when it does.

Wearing Steel-Toed Boots to Church

Two thousand years later, the story is still the same in the local church. There’s going to be times when a percentage of people will have little patience for tough but necessary teaching. Oh, we love it when sermons go after the sins of others. Oh, I wish so-and-so could hear this! I need to send them a link ASAP!!

But then there are those days when I wish I’d worn steel-toed boots because the pastor is suddenly stomping all over my toes. The message has gone from preaching to meddling. As the old saying goes, church is there to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. When things get uncomfortable, will I hang in there and let God’s Spirit do His work in my heart? Or will I bail? Will I submit to God’s work in my life? Or will I hightail it for the nearest exit?

When the Going Gets Tough

The word “endure” is the Greek verb ανεχω/anecho. It means to exercise self-restraint, tolerate, or hold up under adversity. It means to stand tall no matter what. Paul uses this term when he encourages us follow Jesus “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with (Gr. ανεχω/anecho) one another in love” (Eph 4:2). We’re to hang in there in love because our Savior hung on the cross out of love.

Too many times we don’t tolerate the tough truth of God’s Word. Too many times when the going gets tough, we get going…right out the door! We tune out. We check out. We shut down. That’s when we minimize the Bible app on our phone and open Facebook. Instead of the messy business of conviction of sin, let’s see how many likes I got on that snarky comment I posted about the election!

A High Protein Diet

Paul wants us to know it’s not bad teaching that folks are tuning out. It’s actually “sound teaching” (v3). The apostle uses a word here he may have picked up from his old friend Dr. Luke. “Sound” (Gr. ‘υγιαινω/hugiaino) is a medical term that means healthy or the state of wellness.

Luke actually uses it that way twice in his biography of Jesus. When the religious police freak out when Christ hangs out with the spiritual riff raft, our Savior says, “Those who are well (Gr. ‘υγιαινω/hugiaino) have no need of a physician, but those who are who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but the sinners to repentance” (Lk 5:31-32). Later when Jesus heals Roman military officer’s servant without even making a house call, folks back at the house “found the servant well (Gr. ‘υγιαινω/hugiaino)” (Lk 7:10).

So “sound teaching” (v3) is actually healthy doctrine. It’s not spiritual junk food that does us more harm than good. It’s good for you. It builds you up. It gives you the fuel you need for spiritual growth. Think of the high protein diet a high performance athlete needs. A big part of getting ourselves in top physical shape, is eating healthy. It’s the same in our walk with Jesus. A healthy diet is loaded with the protein of “sound teaching” (v3).

Scratching the Itch

When we regularly consume the spiritual superfood of the Gospel, it prevents us from “having itching ears” (v3). Paul uses an interesting little word we translate as “itching” (Gr. κνηθω/knetho) which describes to scratch, tickle, or even titillate. This is the desire something for something pleasant.

You know how you scratch your dog in that one spot that gets his thumper leg going? Oh yeah, right there! That’s the ticket! It’s the very same with us. We want our ears tickled. We want our itch scratched. We want to hear what we want to hear. Stop trying to give me what I need. Too many times we’re only interested in what feels good.

Itch, itch, itch. Scratch, scratch, scratch.

Collecting in the Medicine Cabinet

We see that when folks start scratching that spiritual itch “they will accumulate for themselves teachers for their own passions” (v3). In other words, people begin kicking their own pastor to the curb for preaching truth. Then they replace him with a handpicked assortment of teachers who tell them exactly what they want to hear.

They surround themselves with voices who don’t bruise their egos. And it usually takes a small army. The apostle drops the word “accumulate” (Gr. επισωρευω/episoreuo), which can mean to persist in or insist on something. But it literally paints a picture of gathering in big piles. Think of a hoarder. They’ll completely surrounded themselves with teaching that will never challenge their sin or question their behavior.

The best comparison I can think of is that place where we store over-the-counter medicines that don’t really work. That medicine cabinet, closet, or drawer where OTCs go to die. We’ve got that nagging itch that just won’t go away. We bring home another new ointment, cream, spray, or pill every time we go to the drug store. We accumulate them. They pile up.

My latest purchase might provide a little relief from the itch but the truth is they don’t really work effectively. Why? Because they only treat the symptom and not the deeper problem. The same with my itching ears. I have a bigger issue that must be addressed. Until then, I’ll keep surrounding my self with all sorts of teaching that simply skims the surface and never does serious spiritual surgery.

Virtual Preaching Leads to Virtual Obedience

The New Living Translation says how folks will “look for teachers who will tell them whatever they want to hear” (v3 NLT). Let’s face it, with the internet and countless podcasts available to us, we do this now more than ever. We may listen to the teaching from our own pastors on the weekend. But too many of us are more devoted to what someone like Chuck Swindoll, Matt Chandler, or Andy Stanley has to say. Hey, I’m just as guilty as the next person here.

There are a couple of dangers when we do. First of all, we have a habit of looking for itch scratchers and ear ticklers who tell us only what we want to hear. We want a “feel good” gospel that provides pleasure without any pain. Grace without any of that nasty talk of sin. God’s love without any mention of God’s wrath. John MacArthur says it’s wanting blessing without forgiveness or salvation without repentance.

The other danger is more subtle. When we gather our dream team of digital pastors, we slowly start shifting our submission their way. There’s an almost imperceptible transfer of authority to those teaching on smart phones and tablets from preachers who lead our local congregations. Before we know it, our own pastor supplements what we hear online, not the other way around.

When this happens, who will ever know if you’re applying the teaching? There’s very little opportunity for accountability. Virtual preaching leads to virtual obedience.

You Can’t Handle the Truth!

Scratching those itching ears eventually results a radical move that will leave your head swimming. We’ll “turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (v4). Call it reverse repentance. Instead of spinning from our own sin and toward Jesus, it’s just the opposite. We do a 180 away from God’s truth and find ourselves falling for something phony. From Good News to fake news. From spiritual truth to alternative facts.

According to Paul, some folks have little stomach for what they need to hear. Remember that famous line from “A Few Good Men”? You know the one. Jack Nicholson as Colonel Jessup yells, “You can’t handle the truth!!!” Same for some of us in the local church.

Tearing an ACL

When God’s truth starts hitting a little too close to home, we must be careful not to tuck our tail between our legs and head the other way. When we do, we’ll find ourselves sliding down a slippery slope and “wander into myths” (v4).

It’s interesting to note that the Greek word the ESV translates as “wander” (Gr. εκτρεπω/ektrepo) means a whole lot more than a mindless stroll down the greenway. It’s actually another medical term that describe an injury to the ligaments of a joint, a dislocation or a joint pulled from the socket. Think season ending ACL tear.

The writer of Hebrews uses it when talking about having a healthy walk with Jesus. “Make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint (Gr. εκτρεπω/ektrepo) but rather be healed” (Heb 12:13). Picture a radical and painful twist. Your arm or leg suddenly heads in the wrong direction.

Swerving toward Pleasure

Instead holding the course when biblical teaching gets uncomfortable, our tires screech and we run toward fun and pleasure. The irony is that God wants us to experience the ultimate joy and the only way to get there is through our submission and obedience to His guidance.

Don’t turn away. Don’t wander. Avoid reverse repentance. The best way to do that is to not scratch that itch in the first place. Let’s realize this is the symptom of a deeper problem. Chances are there’s an area of my life that I haven’t fully submitted to Jesus. When people do, “they’ll turn their backs on truth and chase mirages” (v3-4 The Message).

Take It from Jeremiah

To stop the itch means curing the problem behind it. Stop filling your medicine cabinet with salves and ointments. Take Jeremiah’s recommendation and try the Balm of Gilead (Jer 8:22; 46:11). It doesn’t come in a tube or a tub. You can’t buy it at Walgreens or Walmart. It’s the true healing that only comes from Christ.

Following Jesus’ lead and obeying God’s commands will be hard at times. But remember two things. First, it is the source of true blessing and joy of the overflowing life that our Savior came to bring us (Jn 10:10). Second, Christ gives each one of us His Spirit to live in us to give us the power to do everything He asks.

This doesn’t mean the itching will stop forever. But we’ll have the supernatural strength to keep from scratching.

Itch. Itch. Itch. 

Stop.

The Jesus Channel

“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2Tim 4:2).

Back in the day, local TV stations would go off the air over night. Yes, little ones, it’s true. Sometime in the early morning hours after the late late movie, an announcer would thank you for watching and end the broadcast day with the playing of our National Anthem. No overnight reruns of “Full House.” No infomercials about flipping houses or the Ab Buster 3000. Just a test pattern until dawn.

That’s not the case these days. Channels and cable networks are always on. They’re constantly cranking out the programs. Relentlessly broadcasting. They provide different kinds of shows for the different parts of the day for different kinds of viewers. They’re always transmitting. Relentlessly broadcasting.

Paul Didn’t Have Cable

While Paul didn’t have cable, satellite, or even Netflix, he was all in on this idea of the non-stop transmission of info. In a letter to a young preacher in Ephesus, the apostle tells Timothy, “Preach the word; be readying in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (v2). When it comes to telling folks about God’s grace, keep it coming.

Let’s fill in a little bit of the back story behind what we’re reading. The man formerly known as Saul hasn’t stopped spreading the message of Jesus ever since the day the resurrected Christ supernaturally mugged him on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3-5).

One day he’s a Pharisee with the life goal of wiping Jesus’ followers from the face of the earth. After the Lord literally knocks him off the dude from Tarsus off his high horse, he becomes His handpicked spokesman to non-Jews around the world. In case you’re keeping score at home, going from assassin to apostle is kind of a big deal.

This radical new assignment sends Paul all around the Mediterranean Rim telling folks about God’s incredible invitation into His kingdom through Jesus. While that’s great news to many, it’s a BIG problem to just about everybody with a position of power in the religious establishment. As a result, the apostle personally experiences many local prison facilities over the course of this new career. But it’s worth it. People everywhere need to hear the Gospel. That’s why he’s a relentless broadcaster.

A Letter from Behind Bars

As Paul writes Pastor Tim, he’s behind bars once again (2Tim 1:9, 16; 2:9). But this time is different. This time he’s on Death Row (2Tim 4:6-7). While the apostle hopes to see his protege one last time (2Tim 4:9, 21), his real reason in writing is to make sure the Good News keeps going (2Tim 2:1-4:5). There can be no interruption of service. This is no time for test patterns. There’s too much at stake.

This verse here in chapter four may well be Paul’s big point to the young preacher. The apostle tells Tim what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. Tell people about Jesus. When it’s convenient. When it’s not. Challenge those who need challenging. Warn those who need warning. Urge those who need urging. When it doubt, A.B.C. Always. Broadcast. Christ.

God’s Spokesperson

Right out of the gate, Paul instructs him to “preach the word” (v2). If you grew up in church like me, the word “preach” conjures up images of boring, long-winded sermons that drone on forever and have little impact on real life. Preach = tedious, monotonous, lifeless, and colorless. Wake me when it’s over.

But the word we translate as “preach” from the original Greek language here is anything but mundane and mind-numbing. Κηρυσσω/kerusso means to announce formally and officially, publicly proclaim, tell everyone everywhere, make widely known, or broadcast. Back in the ancient world, this was the job description of a herald or official spokesperson of the king. So to “preach” is to speak with all the weight and authority of the person in charge.

In this case, Tim has the full backing of the one and only King of Kings. So does each follower of Jesus. Our Savior has fully authorized each believer to speak on His behalf. Just as the FCC gives a TV station a license to transmit over the public airwaves, Christ gives us His personal permission to broadcast the Good News. He licenses us to relentlessly broadcast.

Relentless Broadcasters in the Bible

Check out just a few times we see New Testament writers using the word “preach (Gr. κηρυσσω/kerusso)” when folks make official announcements. John the Dunker speaks on behalf of about the coming Messiah out in the desert (Mt 3:1; Mk 1:4, 7, 14; Lk 3:3). The Lord’s official biographers often refer to Jesus telling everyone everywhere about the love and forgiveness found only in God’s kingdom (Mt 4:17, 23; 9:35; 11:1; Mk 1:39; Lk 4:44; 8:1).

Christ said publicly proclaiming the Gospel was the main reason He came (Mk 1:38; 4:18-19). Our Savior tells His followers to make this Good News world famous (Mt 10:7, 27; 24:14; 26:13; Mk 3:14; 5:20; 6:12; 13:10; 16:15, 20; Lk 9:2; 12:3; 24:47; Acts 10:42). After Christ blindsides Saul of Tarsus outside of Damascus, the newest apostle immediately begins broadcasting that the resurrected Jesus is indeed the one and only Son of God (Acts 9:20).

Are Words REALLY Necessary?

It’s right about now that somebody is probably mumbling or grumbling about the quote, “Preach the Gospel at all times. Use words when necessary.” We’ve attributed that little ditty to St. Francis of Assisi.

There’s just a couple of problems with this quote. First, while it’s absolutely critical that our actions line up with what we say, words ARE necessary. If my deeds don’t match my words, I’m indeed a hypocrite. But if we truly want people to hear about Jesus, we have to tell people that He’s the reason we do what we do.

Second, historians can find zero evidence that St. Francis said it. For Pete’s sake, if someone has said it in my small group or or I’ve read on the interweb, it HAS to be true, right? Right?!? They’ve looked everywhere in his writings. I hate to break this to you, but none of St. Frank’s followers or biographers attribute him ever saying anything close to this quote. As a matter of fact, the famous monk was known to preach (OUT LOUD!) in five villages in one day. He clearly believed words are incredibly necessary.

Paul makes it clear that transmitting the Good News is inherently verbal. “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching (Gr. κηρυσσω/kerusso)? And how are they to preach (Gr. κηρυσσω/kerusso) unless they are sent? (Rom 10:14-15). Words ARE necessary. Unclick your mute button and crank up the volume.

Our Programming Lineup

Now with the transmitter humming at full power, what are we to put on the air? What sort of programming should be part of our daily lineup? In a word, it’s “the word” (v2). Don’t overcomplicate it. Jesus’ best friend was the Apostle John. One of his favorite nicknames for the Son of God is “the Word” (Jn 1:1, 1:14). We’re to be the Jesus Channel. All Jesus. All Gospel. All grace. All love. All the time.

The Good News is the one and only message we see throughout the NT. Jesus tours Galilee “proclaiming (Gr. κηρυσσω/kerusso) the Gospel” (Mt 4:23; Mk 1:14). When describing God’s great end game, Christ tells His crew that “this Gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed (Gr. κηρυσσω/kerusso) throughout the whole world” (Mt 24:14; similarly in Mk 13:14).

After walking out of the graveyard and just before heading home to heaven, our Savior made it clear what we’re to do until He comes back. “Go into all the world and proclaim (Gr. κηρυσσω/kerusso) the Gospel to the whole creation” (Mk 16:15). That’s why Paul tells the Corinthians, “We preach (Gr. κηρυσσω/kerusso) Christ crucified” (1Cor 1:23) as well as “proclaimed (Gr. κηρυσσω/kerusso) as raised from the dead” (1Cor 15:12).

What Exactly Is the Gospel?

We’re to relentlessly broadcast Jesus. We’re to publicly announce who He is and what He’s done on our behalf. Need a recap? Okey doke. Christ lived the perfect life of obedience to God’s commands that we’ve failed to live. He died the substitutionary death on the cross that we should have died. He rose to spectacular resurrection life that we don’t deserve. He does for us what we could never dream of doing for ourselves.

That’s the word we broadcast. Not the Bible Code. Not crazy theories about blood moons and the end times. Not wacky speculation about whether Jesus was married. Not to do better and try harder to please God. Not treating God like some cosmic Coke machine that dishes out blessings on demand. “Preach the word.” Broadcast Jesus.

God’s Promise and Pirate Radio

This is a great reminder about the collection of ancient documents we call the Bible. God wrote a book. It’s all about Jesus. It’s NOT about us. But it is FOR us. Jesus is the Hero of the entire story. At the very beginning, God promises Adam and Eve He would send a Savior to fix the mess they’ve made (Gen 3:15).

He continues making similar guarantees to folks like Abraham, Moses, and David. God never stops loving us despite our rebellion against His kingdom. Eventually the Son of God leaves the comforts of the heavenly palace and come to our rescue and die for our sin. Before returning to His Father, Jesus promises the ultimate encore when He will return to literally bring Heaven to Earth.

That’s “the word” (v2) we transmit. That’s the focus of our programming. That’s the basis of our broadcast. We’re like Pirate Radio, sending out a rebel signal of hope to a lost and dying world. We’re to be the Jesus Channel. All Jesus. All Gospel. All grace. All love. All the time. We’re relentlessly broadcasting His message.

Broadcasting with Urgency

Paul gives Tim specific instructions on when to transmit the Good News. “Be ready in season and out of season” (v2). “Be ready” is actually the Greek verb that literally means “cause to stand” (Gr. -ιστημι/-istemi) “on” or “over” (Gr. εφι-/ephi-). It’s standing in particular place in order to do something suddenly or quickly. In other words, we’re to be all over it!

There’s an urgency just about every time we see this word in the NT. There was the time the religious police turn on the blue lights and rapidly respond to a call about Jesus teaching folks at the temple. They hightailed it over and “came up (Gr. εφιστημι/ephistemi)” to Him (Lk 20:1). Dr. Luke uses it when describing the elders’ and scribes’ ambush of Stephen when “they  came upon (Gr. εφιστημι/ephistemi) him and seized him” (Acts 6:12).

After the Gospel turns the city of Thessalonica upside down and riots break out, a mob furiously “attacked (Gr. εφιστημι/ephistemi) the house of Jason” looking for the followers of Jesus (Acts 17:5). The Roman commander describes to the governor how an angry Jewish crowd turned on Paul and he “was about to be killed by them when I came upon them (Gr. εφιστημι/ephistemi) and rescued him” (Acts 23:27).

Paul wants us to be on hot standby and ready to tell folks about Jesus. Let’s not get caught off guard. Broadcasters warn people who are in the studio that every mic is always hot, every red light on every camera is always on. In the same way, disciples of the resurrected Rabbi from Galilee must not get caught off guard. Microphones are hot. Cameras are on. People are watching and listening. Are we urgently broadcasting His message of grace? Remember, the Good News is ALWAYS breaking news!

Preseason, Regular Season, Postseason, Offseason

The apostle instructs Tim that we’re to broadcast the Gospel not just urgently but constantly. That’s what he means when he says to tell folks about Jesus “in season and out of season” (v2). Every sport has a preseason, regular season, postseason, and offseason. TV shows premiere new episodes in the fall season before cueing up the reruns. When it comes to broadcasting the grace of Christ, there’s always a reason no matter the season.

Paul’s having a little fun with words here in the original language. He begins with “in season” (Gr. ευκαιρως/eukairos), which literally means “good (Gr. ευ-/eu-) timing (Gr. -καιρως/-kairos).” This is when it’s convenient, when the time is right, when the opportunity strikes, or when all conditions are perfect. These are those moments when God sets it on a tee for you. These are those rare but wonderful times when someone asks you a sincere question about your faith.

Similarly, “out of season” (Gr. ακαιρως/akairos) literally means “no (Gr. α-/a-) timing (Gr. -καιρως/-kairos).” You guessed it. This describes an inopportune time, an inconvenient moment, or unfavorable time. Instead of shutting down when the moment doesn’t seem right, the apostle says that’s just when we’re to lean in.

One important point about these “out of season” (v2) moments. We must be discerning and know our audience. That’s exactly what Paul did that day in Athens up on Mars Hill. He had done his research on what the residents believed. He found an open door when he learned about an “unknown god” and walked right through it (Acts 17:22-27). The message doesn’t change but our methods always do. So whether it’s preseason, regular season, postseason, or offseason, it’s always Jesus season.

A Three-Point Plan

The apostle gives Tim a three-point plan when it comes to the “how” of preaching the Gospel: “reprove, rebuke, and exhort” (v2). His intent here is pretty simple. First, use overwhelming proof in God’s Word to show God’s people what they’ve done wrong. Second, warn them against potential dangers and the landmines of life. Third, cheer them on in the right direction. It’s the idea of afflicting the comfortable and comforting the afflicted.

Once again, Paul warns us against one-size-fits-all style of broadcasting. Sure, the core of the transmission is still and should always be Jesus. But like a TV station provides programming for its audience depending on the time of day, we should adjust our preaching according to who’s in the room. While the meat of the message is always God’s grace, we should use a very different approach when it comes to preschoolers, unbelievers, and mature followers of Jesus.

When you see the need to “reprove” (v2), use the power of Scripture to reveal blind spots. When folks need “rebuke” (v2), it’s time to post a warning about the cost that comes from the sin on the far side of the sign. And there are those times people need you to “exhort” (v2) them. When they’re living lives of love toward God and others, make sure to give them an “attaboy.” Or as it reads in the Message, “Challenge, warn, and urge your people” (v2 The Message).

Under Pressure in the Pocket

The apostle wraps up his broadcasting instructions by telling Tim to do it “with complete patience and teaching” (v2). “Patience” is the Greek word μακροθυμια/makrothumia, which literally means “long” (Gr. μακρο-/makro-) “heating” (Gr. -θυμια/-thumia). It’s keeping your cool under constant pressure. Preach the Gospel like a veteran QB who never freaks out when facing a wicked pass rush.

Don’t get distracted from what God has called you to do. And that’s “teaching (Gr. διδαχη/didache)” (v2). This is staying on message and remaining faithful to the core of Good News of our Savior. Again, methods will always change. The message never does. All Jesus. All Gospel. All grace. All love. All the time. We’re relentlessly broadcasting His message. It’s the Jesus Channel.

Relentlessly Broadcasting Jesus

While there’s no question these commands are given from one preacher to another, every follower of Christ should be paying attention. Jesus calls every one of trusts in Him to get the word out (Mt 28:19; Mk 16:15; Acts 1:8). Once again, I love how the Message drives it home. “So proclaim the Message with intensity; keep on your watch. Challenge, warn, and urge your people. Don’t ever quit. Just keep it simple” (v2 The Message).

Never turn off the transmitter. Never put up a test pattern. Send it out loud and proud. Let’s adjust our programming to fit our audience. But our core message never changes. All Jesus. All Gospel. All grace. All love. All the time. We’re relentlessly broadcasting His Good News. It’s the Jesus Channel.

Reppin' My Savior

“for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher” (2Tim 1:11)

A change of address doesn’t change your assignment. Just ask Paul. He may behind bars but that doesn’t get in the way of doing what Jesus picked him to do. What exactly is that? The man from Tarsus reminds his friend Timothy that it’s because of message of Jesus “for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher” (v11). Because the Lord personally selected him and assigned him, he must be exactly where the Lord wants him. The apostle may be on Death Row but he is still announcing, still reppin’, still teaching about Jesus. His change of address hasn’t changed his assignment.

It’s critical to understand exactly what’s going as Paul writes these words. He’s locked up Caesar’s SuperMax, the notorious Mamertine Prison in Rome. This is where the empire incarcerates dead men walking. It’s temporary housing for those facing execution. The apostle is a dead man walking. The New Testament book we call 2nd Timothy is simply a letter from the Green Mile. It’s a note from a follower of Jesus who knows he’s about to die to his spiritual son, a young preacher named Timothy. 

Paul realizes death is right around the corner (2Tim 4:6-7). He has two important purposes for this letter. One, he desperately wants Tim to hit the road ASAP and see him before it’s too late (2Tim 4:9, 21). Two, he wants to pass the baton of spiritual leadership and encourage his protege to continue spreading the Gospel (2Tim 2:1-4:5). The apostle has the ultimate sense of urgency. It’s crunch time. The clock is ticking down. He’s focused like a laser on his mission. His change of address hasn’t changed his assignment. He’s still announcing, still reppin’, still teaching about Jesus. 

Right out of the chute, Paul wants us to know this mission wasn’t his idea. He was “appointed” (v11). The man from Tarsus uses a word here (Gr. tithemi) that describes setting something or someone in a specific place for a specific purpose. For you grammar nerds out there, this verb is in the passive tense. In other words, Paul isn’t self-appointed. He’s God appointed. 

If you haven’t heard the story, flashback about 30 years before he found himself in this Roman cell to the highway just outside of Damascus. Back in those days, folks knew him as Saul. He was on another black ops mission to search and destroy the followers of Jesus. That’s when the resurrected Jesus blindsides Saul (Acts 9:1-9). This divine mugging transforms Saul the murderer into Paul the missionary. A little later in Dr. Luke’s account of the story, the risen Christ shows up to tell another disciple in Damascus all about what He’s doing in and through Saul. “He is a chosen instrument of Mine to carry My name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15). From Jesus’ enemy to Jesus’ emissary. The apostle formerly known as Saul literally never saw it coming.

According to Paul, the Lord picked him as His personal representative to fill three specific and interrelated roles, “preacher and apostle and teacher” (v11). Christ gives the former Pharisee the authority to be His announcer, His rep, and His explainer. Since that fateful day outside Damascus, Paul has devoted his life to do just that. Three long tours of the Mediterranean Rim telling everyone who will listen about God’s gracious invitation to the world through the radical risen Rabbi/Carpenter from Nazareth. 

It hasn’t exactly been a day at Disney World (2Cor 11:23-28). Prison. Beaten nearly to death. Floggings. Canings. Stonings. Shipwrecks. Even contract on his life. But no matter what happened, it didn’t change his assignment. Wherever Paul went, he was still announcing, still reppin’, still teaching about Jesus.

Christ handpicked Paul as His “preacher” (v11). The apostle dusts off a Greek word (Gr. kerux) that doesn’t get used much in the NT. Just three times. In the Greco-Roman world, it describes a herald, proclaimer, or public messenger speaking on behalf of royalty. A modern day equivalent would be a presidential spokesperson. We’re talking about an announcer with authority. Anytime Paul has the chance to speak before crowds, he tells them about Jesus. That’s basically all Dr. Luke writes about in the Book of Acts starting in chapter 9. Call Paul the Good Newscaster. 

Now I know there’s a huge percentage of folks who break out in a cold sweat at the thought of public speaking. Jesus may not be calling you to step up to the mic at Jerry World. (Then again, He might just do that. Who am I to say?) But are you willing to live out loud for the Lord? I’m not talking about spending your spare time knocking on doors and passing out pamphlets. Do you readily drop Jesus’ name when talking with friends? Don’t worry about answering crazy questions about dinosaurs on the ark or the temperature in hell. Just tell them about the One who came to your rescue. Say it loud. Say it proud.

Jesus selected Paul as His “apostle” (v11). The word in the original language (Gr. apostolos) really doesn’t have a good modern day equivalent. An apostle wasn’t originally a churchy word. Back in the first century, this was a official representative, a special messenger, or one who is sent with authority on behalf of another. If you were in the presence of an apostle, it was if the one who sent them is standing right there. If any of Jesus’ apostles was in the room, it was as if He was there. That’s the kind of oomph He gave them.

So what’s the difference between an apostle and disciple? Seems like folks just use them interchangeably. Well, a disciple is one who comes close so they can follow and learn. The word “apostle” literally means one who is sent away for a purpose. Think of it this way, Jesus invited people to follow Him as disciples. Later He sent them out as apostles under His authority to spread the message of grace.

The best definition of a capital “A” Apostle is somebody who’s laid eyes on the resurrected Jesus. Remember Paul’s run-in with the risen Christ? So there’s a pretty good chance anybody you meet who claims that title doesn’t check that particular box. BUT there are modern day, lower case “a” apostles. These are people with a passion for planting churches and working on the front lines of the faith. Could God be tapping you on the shoulder to do just that?

But while we’re all not apostles, we’re all sent in His name for a purpose. Jesus first invites us to follow Him. There comes a point when it’s time to go and tell others about him. In His last meal with His posse before His execution, Christ tells them, “As the Father has sent Me, even so I am sending you” (Jn 20:21). What we don’t see in our English translations is the appearance of the verb form of apostle here (Gr apostello). Just as His Dad sent His Son as the Ultimate Apostle, He’s sending us to rep Him too. 

Third, Christ drafted Paul as a “teacher” (v11). The apostle drops the Greek term didaskalos, which paints the picture of instructor and even a rabbi. This is somebody who causes others to learn. A person who creates a an environment of learning. They invite questions. They provide analysis. They encourage application. A teacher of the Gospel explains the message of Jesus and helps folks apply God’s truth to their everyday lives. 

It’s not to say that deep doctrinal teaching isn’t important. It is VERY important. But ultimately God’s truth changes us from the inside out. It transforms our minds (Rom 12:2). It performs delicate spiritual surgery (Heb 4:12). It makes us more like Jesus (Jn 17:17). Great teachers communicate the Bible creatively and passionately. The great Howard Hendricks is famous for saying, “It’s a sin to bore people with the Bible.” You can be sure Paul was never boring. Okay, there was the time the kid fell asleep and fell out of a window during one of his sermons, but that probably had to do with the fact that the apostle was still preaching after midnight (Acts 20:7-13).

It’s interesting that Paul wrote nearly the identical description of Jesus’ commission on his life back in the prequel to this letter. “For this I was appointed a preacher (Gr. kerux) and apostle (Gr. apostolos) (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher (Gr. didaskalos)of the Gentiles in faith and truth” (1Tim 2:7). Preacher. Apostle. Teacher. He was doing it then. He’s doing it now. The apostle may be on Death Row but he is still announcing, still reppin’, still teaching about Jesus. His change of address hasn’t changed his assignment.

It’s the same for you and me. His call on my life isn’t limited by my zip code. It isn’t constrained by my career. Wherever I am, I can drop His name and speak publicly about my Savior. I can be sure that He sends me as His rep no matter where I go. I can help others by explaining who Jesus is and what He’s done. My change of address doesn’t change my assignment.

Hand Grenades and Preacher Pay

“Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,’ and, ‘The laborer deserves his wages’” (1Tim 5:17-18).

Toss out the topic of preacher pay at just about every church and rolls around the floor like a grenade without a pin. Everybody runs away from it. And if you get to close to it, someone’s going to get hurt. This is a particularly hot potato in America today. 

It seems like every single day, bloggers have a field day with some megachurch pastor’s stupid decision build a megamansion or buy a jumbo jet. As a result, the pendulum swings wildly the other way in some churches where people expect pastors to live on food stamps and government cheese.

Well, it’s no surprise that our good buddy Paul is willing to have a very frank discussion about preacher pay in his first letter to Timothy. The apostle writes to the newly installed pastor of the Ephesian church while he hits the road for ministry over in Macedonia (1Tim 1:3). Tim is to put out the grease fire cause by the false gospel started by false teachers (1Tim 1:4-7; 4:1-3). Assemble a new team of elders and deacons who lead and serve with integrity (1Tim 3:1-13).

As part of his instructions to Pastor Tim, the man from Tarsus isn’t afraid to address compensation packages for the local church. “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,’ and ‘The laborer deserves his wages’” (v17-18). Teaching and preaching God's Word well is exhausting. Let's be generous with those who do it.

The first thing we see as we dig into the passage is the expectation for our elders to be outstanding leaders. Paul uses a verb (Gr. proistemi) which the folks at the ESV choose to translate “rule.” While the original Greek word certainly carries that meaning, it’s a whole lot more than that. It means to lead, direct, guide, guard, care for, and manage. 

There’s a sense of intense devotion to the task at hand and to actively help those placed in your care. It’s exercising influence over others in order to cause them to follow a recommended course of action.

The word literally means “to set yourself in the front.” As a godly leader, you put yourself out there! Servant/leaders expose themselves as they set the example for what it means to follow Jesus. We’re not to sit on our God given gifts but use them as members of the church, including “the one who leads (Gr. proistemi) with zeal” (Rom 12:8). 

In one of his letters to the Thessalonians, Paul encourages believers there to be good followers of their leaders. “We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over (Gr. proistemi) you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work” (1Th 5:12-13). Elders and deacons put themselves out there for the good of their families and their churches (1Tim 3:4-5, 12).

While servant/leaders don’t seek the spotlight, they also realize God has placed them in a public position for His people. There’s no hiding in the ivory tower. It’s no time to go all Wizard of Oz and tell folks to “pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.” Whether you like it or not, being a servant/leader and an elder comes with a level of exposure and transparency. Leading means putting yourself out there.

For those leaders who knock it out of the park, they should “be considered of double honor” (v17). When they do a job so nice, let’s thank them twice. Paul’s talking about giving these elders BOTH respect AND financial compensation. Any doubt of that comes from the Old and New Testament passages he drops in the following verse (more on that in just a bit). 

I’m pretty sure he’s NOT talking about paying certain elders twice as much as anybody else. But you can bet he’s pointing to the big biblical idea of generosity. Let’s be doubly generous to our leaders who are generous with their gifts to us.

The apostle points out certain elders we should absolutely consider as those recipients of our double generosity. “Especially those who labor in preaching and teaching” (v17). For those of you who’ve never had the humbling privilege of teaching God’s Word, it’s not something you mail in. To do it well is hard work. VERY hard work. 

Paul backs that up in his description of it as “labor” (v17). He uses the Greek word kopiao. No, that’s not some sort of Asian chicken dish. It’s working hard to the point of fatigue or becoming physically or emotionally exhausted while doing something.

It’s a go-to term for authors of the NT when they describe folks who are drained. Before Jesus gave him the nickname Rocky, Simon wasn’t hot on the idea of taking our Savior fishing after a long, hard night. “Master, we toiled (Gr. kopiao) all night long and took nothing!” (Lk 5:5). 

When Christ took a load off at a Samarian well, He was “wearied (Gr. kopiao)…from His journey” (Jn 4:6). Paul acknowledges a pair of disciples who busted their tails in the Roman church. “Greet Mary, who has worked hard (Gr. kopiao) for you” (Rom 16:6) and “Persis, who has worked hard (Gr. kopiao) in the Lord” (Rom 16:12).

Creatively “preaching and teaching” (v17) the Bible is no walk in the park. It’s draining. It’s exhausting. And it should be. It’s THE most important news ever delivered. God’s Story is THE Story! You have the responsibility of staying true to God’s Word. 

You can’t compromise His truth. It requires incredible accuracy and creativity. It’s probably why Jesus’ kid brother James told those who think they might want to teach to think again. “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (James 3:1).

One reason “preaching and teaching” is so exhausting is because God preaches the message the minister first and foremost. As far back as the 17th century, John Owen said a pastor doesn’t preach his sermon well if he doesn’t first preach it to himself. Opening yourself up to that sort of repeated examination and conviction by the Holy Spirit is intensely draining. 

I would suggest that a church not just reimburse its pastor generously but also make sure he gets a liberal amount of time off for R and R. (Let me be clear. While I am elder, I’m NOT a paid staff pastor. This isn’t some attempt to twist the Bible and guilt a congregation into a lavish compensation package.)

Just so you know he’s talking about the generous financial support of preaching pastors, Paul quotes a couple of passages. One from each of the Old and New Testaments. First, he goes old school from Deuteronomy. “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain” (v18; Dt 25:4). Moses was originally talking about not starving livestock while its working. The apostle applies the idea to preachers. Don’t let your ministers go hungry.

The apostle then quotes Jesus’ instructions to His advance team. “The laborer deserves his wages” (Lk 10:7). When somebody works, they should get paid. That includes your pastor. For those of you who had your doubts about it, here’s the direct and unmistakeable link to “double honor” and reimbursement. 

There’s also the interesting point that Paul clearly understands Christ’s teaching to carry the same authority as the Old Testament. The interesting fact is that Dr. Luke probably just completed his bio of Jesus (around 60-61 AD) about the same time that Paul is writing to Tim (approximately 64 AD).

Those who lead well put themselves out there. It wears you out to leave yourself exposed like that. And in particular, preaching and teaching God's Word well is exhausting. It’s draining. It’s incredibly hard work. Let’s not be stingy and tightfisted when it comes to compensating our pastoral staff. 

Stop freaking out about preachers and their pay. Paul wants us to know that it's not a hand grenade. So let’s be generous with those who are generous with their gift of teaching and preaching.

Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself

“Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by doing so you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1Tim 4:16).

While golf is a wonderful game, fellow golfers can be frustrating. When I’m not playing well (which is usually MOST of the time!), the other golfers in my foursome constantly barrage me with an endless litany of suggestions. Your tempo is too fast. Your tempo is too slow. Keep your head still. Keep your left arm straight. You’re aimed too far to the left or the right. The truth is I’m standing too close to the ball…after I hit it! Everybody thinks they’re a swing doctor. I end up standing over the ball unable to swing. It’s paralysis by analysis.

But the best teaching pros break things down and make them simple to understand. Their one or two tips may be hard to execute, but they don’t overload you with info. They may go into detail as they take apart your swing, but in the end, they concentrate on a couple of key principles and everything else will take care of itself. 

That’s exactly what Paul is doing here for Timothy. He’s Tim’s swing doctor. Picture 1 Timothy 4:6-16 as the two men standing on the practice tee. The apostle sees what the young pastor is doing both right and wrong. He understands where his protege needs to focus. After going over a few details regarding the mechanics of being the lead pastor and teacher of the Ephesian church, he sums it all up. “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers” (v16). Here’s the bottom line. Concentrate on these two things. The integrity of your walk with God and the integrity of your Gospel. Focus on the man and the message. Do that and everything will be just fine.

The church in Ephesus is recovering from the damage done by a team of false teachers who didn’t give a rat’s rear end about either their own relationship with Jesus or the right teaching. God’s Spirit had correctly predicted how liars would infiltrate the local church and distract folks from following Christ with demon doctrine and a call to self-salvation by subtraction (1Tim 4:1-3). Like a bad golf coach who gets you so discombobulated with details, these con artists used stuff that sure sounded religious to get people’s eyes off Jesus (1Tim 1:3-7). With Paul on special assignment to Macedonia, he’s personally selected his protege as the new lead pastor in the big port city. 

After critical instructions on prayer (1Tim 2:1-8) and finding new godly leadership (1Tim 3:1-12), the man from Tarsus goes over critical instructions for ministry with his spiritual son. Four times he encourages Tim to concentrate on “these things” (1Tim 3:14; 4:6, 11, 15). Thing one: Jesus is the answer to the question of who is the long promised Messiah (1Tim 3:14-16). Thing two: God is the ultimate Giver and He’s given us His entire creation to be enjoyed (1Tim 4:3-6). Thing three: Leave it all on the field for others because Jesus gave everything He had for us (1Tim 4:10-11). Thing four: Unwrap and use the spiritual gift God has given you (1Tim 4:13-15).

Paul sums up these instructions to Pastor Tim and tells him to focus on two important points. “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching” (v16). Pay attention to yourself. Pay attention to your preaching. The apostle uses a Greek verb here (Gr. epecho) that literally means to hold on tightly to something. That makes sense. Any golfer knows your grip is critical. It means to fix your attention on something, observe, be alert, watch out, and even be in a constant state of readiness.

Dr. Luke describes how Jesus used the illustration of a wedding reception “when He noticed (Gr. epecho)” and focused on how everyone maneuvered for the good seats at dinner (Lk 14:7). In Acts, a disabled man “fixed his attention (Gr. epecho)” on Pete and John at one of the temple gates (Acts 3:5). Paul tells his Philippian friends get a kung fu grip on Scripture, “holding fast (Gr. epecho) to the word of life” (Phil 2:16). It’s the idea of focus. Concentration. High priority. 

First of all, pay close attention to yourself. Before you get all hung up on someone else’s salvation or relationship with Jesus, how are YOU doing? How’s your walk with Christ? It all starts here. It all starts with Him. I have to ask myself, “Am I simply a poser?”  You know what I’m talking about. You project an image of someone who’s always hanging out with our Savior but in reality you don’t know Him any better than that weird barista at the local Starbucks who always spells your name wrong. Maybe the Lord is like that Gotye song. Somebody that I use to know. Know that He’s right here. He would love to hang out with you. And He not only knows your love of tall skinny caramel machiatos, He’ll get your name right every single time. 

A pastor’s top two priorities are a personal relationship with Jesus and delivering the Gospel accurately. Before I do anything FOR Jesus, I need to hang WITH Jesus. Remember the story of the big shindig in Bethany? Martha got so wrapped up in cooking for Christ that she almost missed out on spending time with Him. Our Savior told her to pump her brakes and realize her sister had her priorities in order. “One thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her” (Lk 10:42). In case you’re still wondering, Jesus is THE Good Portion! He is THE Blessing! Pay close attention to your relationship with the Lord.

To do that, you’re going to need some help. There’s no way to do this all by yourself. You and I have a bit of problem. We each have blind spots. Problem areas in our lives we can’t see. We need a partner. Someone who loves us and wants God’s best for us. Someone not afraid to tell us the truth…even when it might sting. Some people call them accountability partners. I gotta tell you, I always thought that sound like the person I would hire to do my taxes. Find some trust friends who follow Jesus to keep an eye on you. Listen to what they say. Check yourself before you wreck yourself.

This is particularly tough for those lead pastors out there. There’s a ton of truth in the old saying that it’s lonely at the top. As the senior leader, you cannot afford to wall yourself off from everybody. Hopefully you’ll give your fellow elders and pastors permission to speak into your life. Find a colleague at another church you can confide in. Hey, even the best golfers have a swing coach. They’ll probably see trouble coming in areas of your life long before you do. When we place our relationship with Jesus on high alert, it’s so much easier to set “an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (1Tim 4:12). You have to “keep a close watch on yourself” (v16). If you’re a pastor, there’s too much on the line for you and your church not to. 

Paul wants Tim to also to stay laser-focused “on the teaching” (v16). If paying attention to yourself and your own walk with Jesus reminds us of verse 12, paying attention to the message reminds us of verse 13. There the apostle encourages him to proclaim, explain, and apply God’s Word to God’s people. Don’t get distracted with stuff that doesn’t really matter. As Stephen Covey says, “The main thing is keeping the main thing the main thing.” And THE Main Thing is the Gospel. Jesus lived the perfect life that we failed to live. He died the death for our sin that we should have died. He rose to new life that we don’t deserve. We trust in what He’s done for us that we could never do on our own. Does your teaching set our eyes on what Jesus has done for you and me? Check your message before you wreck your message.

A preacher prepares himself as much as he prepares his sermon. It’s got to be personal goes before you go go public. Long before you step behind the pulpit or strap on a headset microphone, you preach the sermon to yourself. John Owen once said, “No man preaches that sermon well to others that doth not first preach it to his own heart.” Has the message God has given you from His Word had its way with you first? It’s got to be personal before you go public. One way to make sure you check yourself is to let the Gospel wreck yourself. 

The apostle goes on to encourage the young pastor in Ephesus, “Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers” (v16). “Persist” is the Greek verb epimeno, which means to stay right there. Don’t go anywhere. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Keep on keeping on. It’s a compound word that literally means “in (epi-) living (-meno).” John uses it to describe when religious bullies threw pointless question after question at Jesus and never let up (Jn 8:7). Paul tells the Corinthians that he would unpack his bags and “stay (Gr. epimeno) in Ephesus” for a while (1Cor 16:8). 

Make yourself at home as you pay attention to yourself and your message. Get comfortable. This should be an important part of your regular rhythm. It’s not something you do every once and a while. Persist in it. Hang with it. Consistently. Methodically. Check yourself before you wreck yourself. Check your message before you wreck your message.

Just in case you forgot what’s on the line here, Paul reminds us. “For by doing so you will save both yourself and your hearers” (v16). What?!? Are you telling me it’s up to the pastor to save not only himself but the folks who listen to his message too? Relax. Take a deep breath. The apostle is NOT describing salvation by sermon. Jesus is our one and only Rescuer. Just flip back to chapter of this letter. Right out of the chute, Paul tells Tim that Christ alone saves. “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost” (1Tim 1:15). 

My opinion is that the apostle is using a slightly different understanding of the word “save” (Gr. sozo). Most New Testament authors use it to describe deliverance, salvation, and rescue. But it can also mean to keep safe, preserve from danger, make healthy. We can’t save anyone. That’s Jesus’ job. But He can use us to keep each other safe and out of trouble. Yet another powerful reminder that we don’t do this alone. We need each other. Following Jesus is a team sport. And like good teammates, we’ve got each other’s backs. That way we stand a much better chance of standing under the waterfall of God’s overflowing and abundant life that Jesus came to bring us (Jn 10:10). That’s when, as the Message reads, “Both you and those who hear you will experience salvation” (v16 The Message).

Let’s face it, trying to following Christ can get confusing. There are a LOT of laws in the Bible. That’s why there are a couple of key summaries in Scripture. Jesus made it clear that by loving God and people we actually fulfill all of God’s rules (Mt 22:37-40). Similarly, Paul keeps things simple by telling Tim to concentrate on two things. The integrity of your walk with God and the integrity of your Gospel. Check yourself before your wreck yourself. Check your message before you wreck your message.

Jesus Junkies

“Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching” (1Tim 4:13).

A bong. A crack pipe. A Bible. One of these things is not like the other. One of these things is not the same. But they’re all indicators of possible addiction. Just to make sure we’re all on the same page, you should NOT own either of those first two items. If you’re hooked on anything, there’s nothing better than the third.

In his letter to the lead pastor in Ephesus, Paul says all ministers ought to have a monkey for God’s message on their backs. “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching” (v13). Every pastor should be a Jesus junkie in possession of God’s grace with intent to distribute in three ways. Proclaiming the Gospel. Explaining the Gospel. Applying the Gospel.

As with any passage, context is key. So what exactly led to Paul grabbing a pen in the first place? We see in the opening lines that this is a letter and that the apostle is writing to his spiritual son Timothy (1Tim 1:1-2). Apparently Paul had a pressing matter in Macedonia needing immediate attention. So he leaves Tim in charge of the church in Ephesus (1Tim 1:3), a massive port city on the west coast of what we know today as Turkey. A few years back, Paul spent three years in E City spreading telling people about Jesus and getting this new church off the ground (Acts 19:1-41; 20:31). As a matter of fact, the Bible tells us more about the church in Ephesus than any other congregation.

But things are anything but unicorns and rainbows in the Ephesian church. A team of religious hucksters weaseled its way inside the fellowship. They’ve distracted folks from following Jesus with a false gospel that’s really no Gospel at all. False teachers been dealing a destructive message of self-salvation through subtraction (1Tim 4:1-3). As a result, the church is in desperate need of rehab. Tim’s assignment is clear. Kick out the con artists cold turkey (1Tim 1:3-7). Find new godly leaders (1Tim 3:1-12). 

By the time we hit chapter four, Paul has some important instructions for his young protege as well as every other pastor. Hit the spiritual gym and get CrossFit in Jesus’ message of grace (1Tim 4:6-8). While we don’t save ourselves by our own performance, we need to leave it all on the field for others since Christ gave max effort to rescue you and me (1Tim 4:9-10). Let God use each of us to make a dent that really makes a difference by how we live (1Tim 4:11-12). The Good News is going to leave a mark!

At this point, the apostle reminds Tim that help is on the way. “Until I come” (v13), he writes. Hang on, my friend. The calvary’s coming! A closer look at the original language and grammar sure seems to indicate Paul may well be on the road and heading back to Ephesus. The New Living Bible nails that idea with its translation “Until I get there” (v13 NLT). It’s not the first time the mentor has told Tim he hopes to be there ASAP (1Tim 3:14). A great reminder that we don’t do ministry alone. We look out for each other. We don’t leave our brothers and sisters swinging in the ministerial breeze.

In the meantime, the man from Tarsus tells the Ephesian pastor to make a habit of three particular practices. “Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching” (v13). Proclaim God’s message. Explain God’s message. Apply God’s message. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The word behind “devote” is Greek verb prosecho. It literally means to hold onto. It’s basically the idea of turning toward something in order to grab it. Get your hands on your Bible, Tim. Latch on to God’s Word and don’t let go. As golfers like to say, “Grip it and rip it, baby!”

Writers of the New Testament use prosecho in a couple of ways. It can mean to be alert to, be intent, or watch out for something. Several times in the Gospels Jesus uses it to sound the warning siren to His followers (Mt 6:1; 7:15; 10:17; 16:6, 11, 12; Lk 12:1; 17:3; 20:46; 21:34). The other meaning is to give yourself completely to or be totally captivated by something. Paul uses it four times in 1 Timothy. Three of those are negative. Think addiction. Believers need to stop getting their fix on urban myths and family trees (1Tim 1:4). Deacons can’t have substance abuse problems (1Tim 3:8). The Spirit correctly predicted how folks would get hooked on godless spirituality and demon doctrine (1Tim 4:1).

On the other hand, Paul tells Tim that if you’re going to be addicted to anything let it be proclaiming, explaining, and applying the grace of Jesus. Addicted? Really? Check out one dictionary’s definition of addiction: a conscious and persistent action characterized by repetition and obsession. Ministers of the Gospel must be conscious and persistent as they dig into God’s amazing message. Be intentional. Be tenacious. Repeatedly and obsessively dive into Scripture. Be relentless. Be compulsive. Get hooked on God’s Word and what He says about the Good News.

This goes not just for pastors but every follower of Christ. Make a point of getting addicted to His grace. Let Him captivate you. Let Him fascinate you. Let Him compel you. Let Him absolutely and totally overwhelm you. Let “the Founder and Perfecter of our faith” completely consume your thoughts (Heb 12:2). Feed your addiction by sacrificially loving others just as He did (Jn 13:34-35). Be devoted. Be a Jesus junkie. 

Many addicts try to kick the habit using twelve steps. Paul instructs Tim to actually insure that he’s hooked on God’s message of salvation using three steps. Be addicted “to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching” (v13). Proclaiming the Gospel. Explaining the Gospel. Applying the Gospel. Step one, announce the Good news. The original text here is interesting. Paul instructs the young pastor to simply “the public reading” (v13). Exactly what he is to read out loud is simply assumed by the translators. It’s not there in the Greek. It’s simply the word anagnosis. 

The term describes reading out loud something previously written down. There’s a long tradition of rabbis publicly reading from the Hebrew Bible in the synagogue. Dr. Luke uses a VERY similar word (Gr. anaginosko) and gives us a front row seat for Jesus’ reading from Isaiah in a worship service (Lk 4:16). The good doctor also writes about the time folks in Antioch asked Paul and his buddy Barnabas to speak “after the reading (Gr. anagnosis) from Law and the Prophets” (Acts 13:15). 

While Paul doesn’t specifically tell Tim what is to be read out loud, every other time we see this idea in the NT, it’s always God’s Word. There is unspeakable value is the public reading of Scripture. God inspired these books to be read out loud to His people. The apostle wrote his letters to be communicated in one sitting to entire churches. “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom 10:17). We read the Bible out loud so we can live it out loud. Be a junkie when it comes to proclaiming the Gospel.

The second step is “exhortation” (v13) or explaining the message of Jesus. The Greek word here is paraklesis, which literally describes a calling near to you or a summons to something. Translators often render it with the idea of encouragement, but in certain passages like this one it means interpretation. It’s providing context and clarification. Jesus regularly used everyday illustrations called parables to unpack big theological ideas. When he was in Athens, Paul creatively explained the Gospel using elements of first century pop culture like poems and public art. I’m pretty confident he would have used movies, TV shows, and social media if they would’ve been around at the time. It’s important to explain and illustrate God’s Word, especially to those of us who didn’t grow up hearing all the Bible stories much less speaking Christianese.

Here are a few examples. After folks at the home office in Jerusalem sent a letter to Antioch announcing that Gentiles did not have to convert to Judaism in order to follow Jesus, “when they read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement (Gr. paraklesis)” (Acts 15:31). In other words, once they explained it to them. Paul writes to his friends in Rome about how we have hope through the interpretation and “encouragement (Gr. paraklesis) of the Scriptures” (Rom 15:5). Jesus is the “Consolation (Gr. paraklesis) of Israel” (Lk 2:25) as the perfect explanation and embodiment of God’s grace. 

Preachers and teachers of God’s Word must do more than simply proclaim Scripture. They must unpack it. They must give it context. How does what was just read fit into the big picture of the God’s story of redemption? Interpret. Expound. Use illustrations. Don’t be afraid to say you’re not sure what a passage means. Get hooked on creatively teaching the truth of God’s Word. Be a junkie when it comes to explaining the Gospel.

The third and often overlooked step is “teaching” (v13). But hold your horses! Aren’t the steps one and two nothing but teaching? Yes, but this final idea is telling how we apply God’s Word once it’s proclaimed and explained. “Teaching (Gr. didaskalia)” describes instruction, doctrine, or precepts.  In other words, these general rules that can applied to any situation we face in life. Broad principles we can put in our hip pockets and use at other times than Sunday morning. 

Pastors should give us examples of how to respond to what we’ve heard. How do we apply the truth to our daily lives? Let’s be clear. Passages of Scripture have ONE key truth but they have LIMITLESS applications. Think of it like an iPhone commercial. Love? There’s an app for that. Forgiveness? There’s an app for that. Generosity? There’s an app for that. 

Preachers often drop the application ball. Why is this such a big deal. Check it out. When you by an over-the-counter med, you should read the instructions. Okay, I realize I’ve already lost a large percentage folks. Yes, READ THE INSTRUCTIONS! Because we need to know how to use the ointment, lotion, or pills so we get their max effectiveness. As the label says, “Apply as directed.” When we teach God’s Word, let’s be addicted to giving folks directions on how to apply. 

Addicts in recovery like to say that the first step to getting help is admitting you have a problem. The big problem is sin. The big problem is looking back at me in the mirror every morning. The only answer is found in the Gospel. Ministers ought to have a monkey for God’s message on their backs. Be a Jesus junkie in possession of God’s grace with intent to distribute in three ways. Proclaim His Gospel. Explain His Gospel. Apply His Gospel.