Preach the Word

So Paul's final word to Timothy reflects the very first mark that we saw of the early church in

Jerusalem, an unwavering commitment to the word of God. So then last week, I noted that God's people

are a gathering people. What I want to emphasize to you today is that God's people have the teaching

of the Bible at the very core of everything that they do, and it structures and informs everything

that they believe. If Acts 2 says they're a gathering people, 2 Timothy 4 says we are a

bookish people. We are a biblical people. And of course, we understand the scriptures are the

only path to a healthy church and to fruitful discipleship, and forsaking them for any other

focus or cause will inevitably lead to the judgment of God. And why is that? Why is it that we should

consider the Bible and the scriptures to be so important to us? Why is it that they must be at

the core of all that we do and believe? Well, the scriptures carry God's power. God's word carries

with it God's power. Psalm 33, 6, by the word of the Lord, the heavens were made. By the breath of his

mouth, all of their hosts, even from the very beginning before man is ever created, we see that the word of

God has a unique power of God that forms and creates all that we see and all that we enjoy today. And then

he takes that power, and in his gracious love to us, he gives to us the written word that contains that

very power. 2 Peter 1, no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were

carried along by the Holy Spirit. So then what we see in the power of God's word in creation, God then so

graciously using human instruments gives us his word here, a same word that carries the same power,

infused and carried along by the power of the Holy Spirit. Why wouldn't that be at the core of

everything that we do and believe? We see that God's word is the means through which God's spirit

does his work in and through us. In that passage of Ephesians 6 on the armor of God, remember when

Paul gets to the very end, he says, and take the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.

It's the only offensive weapon listed in the armor of God. It's the weapon of the spirit,

the Bible, the scriptures, that God does his work in us, that God does his work through us.

God's word is true. Proverbs 30, 5 and 6, every word of God proves true. He is a shield to those who

take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.

It's authoritative. Psalm 119, 9 through 11, how can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it

according to your word. With my whole heart, I seek you. Let me not wonder from your commandments.

I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. God's word carries his power.

He graciously gives it in the written word. It is the sword of the spirit that God does his work in us

and then God does his word through us. And then we can have confidence that what we have is true.

It's the very words of God. And by nature of being God's word, it is authoritative for us.

It is be the guide of all of our lives. We are not to come to it to discern what is good for us and

what isn't good for us. No, we come to it and we take everything by faith that it says. It is our

authority. And it's an eternal authority. Isaiah 40 and verse 8, the grass withers and the flower fades,

but the word of our God will stand forever. It's God's plan for our salvation and for our sanctification.

Romans chapter 10, verse 17, faith comes by hearing. Hearing comes through the word of Christ.

Romans 10:17

Jesus prayed in John 17, 17, sanctify them with thy truth. Your word is truth. It's only through the

Bible that we can know the gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation for all who will believe.

David wrote in Psalm 19 that the scriptures are more to be desired than gold, even much fine gold,

sweeter than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. So essential is the Bible to our spiritual health

that Jesus himself says in Matthew 4, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes

from the mouth of God. So what is to be at the very core of who we are? What is to be at the very core

of all that we do? It must be the scriptures alone. It is only through the scriptures that we can know God.

And it is only through the scriptures that we can know his son. And it is only through the scriptures

that we can know the gospel. And it is through the scriptures that God accomplishes his purposes

in and through our lives. And Jesus's own statement is bread will only get you physical life,

but you'll find spiritual life in no other place than in the very words of God.

Too many Christians are enslaved to their own thoughts and feelings when they should be feasting

daily on the truth of God's word. Too many of us coming to the word saying, no, I don't like that very

much. Or no, that doesn't make a lot of sense to me when we should be coming to the word humbly

in submission to the fact that it is what God has given to us. Too many churches pressing forward

in their own passions and causes, completely ignorant of the scriptures that make one wise

unto salvation. There's a reason that Paul's final words to Timothy was a charge to preach the word of God.

Because Bible teaching is essential to a healthy church, but it's also the church's greatest temptation

to abandon it. So let's examine this challenge to Timothy and consider the role that Bible teaching

is to play in our church. The first thing I want you to see here is the solemn charge.

The solemn charge. Look again at verse one. 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 in his kingdom.

The solemnity of this charge is in the fact that it is divinely issued and will be divinely judged.

It would be one thing if Paul was passing along his personal challenge to his young protege,

but Paul does not invoke his own authority in Timothy's life here. He invokes the very presence

of God in issuing this charge. Before ever even describing the task itself, Paul calls to Timothy's mind

the reality of Christ's lordship over his life and over his ministry in Ephesus.

This wasn't just Paul's wish for his colleague. It was the divine commission of the almighty God

and the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a charge that came directly from Christ, and it is to Jesus

that Timothy and every other pastor since will give an account when he returns.

That's Paul's point here in verse one. Timothy, before I even tell you what to do,

you should know that this is coming from Christ himself, and Christ himself will judge you in the

end at his appearing as to whether or not you fulfilled this calling that is not coming from me,

Timothy. This is coming from the throne of God. Calvin said, he makes special mention of the judgment of

Christ because he will require of us, who are his representatives, a stricter account of our

failures in his ministry. It echoes James' words in James chapter three.

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with

greater strictness. The writer of Hebrews says something similar in Hebrews 13. He speaks of

spiritual leaders in the church that they are keeping watch over your souls as those who will have to give

an account to God for that. And how is it that God has charged spiritual leaders to keep watch over your soul?

Not through their eloquence, not through their style, not through their money, not through their giftedness,

but through the word of God.

Pastors will be judged for how they lead and whether or not God's word is the foundation of how they shepherd God's people.

But I think it's also true that congregations will be judged for how they follow and whether or not God's word

is the foundation of how they live and function as a people.

In this series, everything that we're going through right now is so important.

I think it's actually more important to me today than it was even three weeks ago when we began.

And I'm beginning to see the significance of why we need to be studying some of these things that we are right now.

Because we will stand before God one day as his church.

This is not a game.

This is not that any of you treat it that way.

This is not a thing that we do lightly.

Our responsibility together as a people is a God-given responsibility.

There is a divine charge given to us to acknowledge who we are in Christ

and to endeavor to please and honor him in the way that he has called us to do so.

This charge doesn't only belong to pastors.

In one sense, it's issued to the entire church,

which is to take responsibility for itself and its leadership.

Jesus, our Lord, Paul says here in verse 1,

he sees us now and he will judge us then.

At his appearing in his kingdom,

we will give an account for how we obeyed his command.

Therefore, let us together as a people for just a moment

feel the weight of this charge.

First, as it settles on me as your pastor.

And then the weight of responsibility,

that that then settles on your shoulders and on your hearts

as the people of this church.

Look again at verse 2.

Here's the charge itself.

Preach the word.

Be ready in season and out of season.

The divine charge is straightforward.

Timothy, Paul says,

just preach the Bible.

Do it when it's easy and do it when it's hard.

Do it when it's convenient.

Do it when it's not convenient.

Preach the Bible when people love you for it.

Preach the Bible when people hate you for it.

Preach the word, Timothy.

In every season, in every circumstance,

this is your charge.

Preach the Bible.

And I want you to understand the nature of this task

that Paul is charging Timothy to fulfill.

To preach.

The Greek word underlying this is keruso.

It means to proclaim aloud or to herald.

This is not preaching about the Bible.

It is passionately proclaiming the very words of God

as they are given in the Bible.

Preach the word, Timothy.

Keruso, proclaim it aloud.

Be a herald for your king.

Timothy, herald the message.

Not your message, Timothy.

Your king's message.

Go to the people that need to hear from the king.

Sound the trumpet and cry with a loud voice.

Preach the word, Timothy.

The simple command brings into focus two potential errors.

One is a form of preaching

that is ultimately disconnected from the Bible.

It may be passionate and it may be motivating

and it may even contain the occasional reference

to a verse from the Bible.

But when you really begin to discern its contents,

it's clear that the individual is preaching their own message

and using the Bible when it's convenient

to hopefully give a little support

to what they really want to say.

It's preaching in a sense.

It's proclaiming something,

but it's not actually proclaiming the Bible.

It's at this point that David and Goliath

becomes a story about how you can persevere

against that arrogant boss

and slay the giant of overeating

that taunts you from the kitchen

or whatever it may be.

But when we preach motivational and passionate sermons

that are disconnected from the true meaning of the Scripture,

that's not actual preaching.

That's an error.

It's preaching in a sense,

but it's ultimately,

it's kind of disconnected from the Bible.

That's one potential error.

But then there's another error here

that's a little more subtle.

The second is a lesson on the Bible

that doesn't really involve preaching.

It may be a thoroughly stimulating discussion of the Scripture,

but it's absent of any passionate plea

for the hearer to respond to the message of God.

And in this case,

the hearer learns everything there is to know about the Bible,

but they never know or love the God of the Bible.

They can argue effectively their theological positions,

but the truths of the Bible

have never moved from their head to their heart.

Or Paul says,

Timothy, just preach the word.

Take the message.

Because the preacher's task

is not to engage with the text

for intellectual stimulation

or emotional motivation.

Although both of these things

may be true about preaching.

That is not the aim or the goal.

He is to be a messenger

that declares the message of his king

to the people to which he has been sent.

And this should affect the way you hear it

as a church.

And the way you seek it as a church

and the way you crave it as a church.

What is it that you desire Sunday by Sunday

when you come?

Is it just that you want somebody to pump me up?

Do you want somebody to just dig in

and really get me questioned

everything that I've ever believed

because somehow that's stimulating?

Or do you want somebody to just tell you,

just bring out the book

and tell me what God has to say to me?

Jared, I don't want to hear what you have to say.

I want to hear what God has to say.

My job's not to be the chef

in the kitchen in that sense.

I'm the servant commissioned

to take the message that God has prepared

to a people that need to eat.

And of course, preaching

isn't always convenient.

It's not always joyfully received.

But the charge is to be fulfilled

in all seasons,

in all circumstances.

And if I'm ashamed of God's message

or if I attempt to alter it

before it ever gets to your ears,

my preaching will be powerless

and our church will fail.

It may grow,

but it will ultimately fail

because there's no power

in what I have to say.

The power is not carried

through my words,

but through God's words.

Preach the word.

Look at the second part of verse two.

Reprove, rebuke, exhort

with complete patience

and teaching.

This is not a command

for the pastor

to drive his people

with a heavy hand.

It's not the idea

of a spirit of lordship

over people.

That's not what Paul

is commending here.

In fact,

the Bible tells us

that that's not actually

the way pastors are to lead.

First Peter chapter five,

elders are to exercise oversight

not by domineering

over those in your charge,

but by being examples

to the flock.

And how is it

that a pastor

is foremost an example

to the flock?

By delivering the message

that God has given

in his word.

Kent Hughes said,

if you enjoy

reproving and rebuking,

you're probably not fit

for the ministry.

It requires

that you have

no interior joy

in setting others straight.

But if you don't do it,

you are a shirker

of the responsibility

to which you've been given.

Reproof,

rebuke,

and exhortation

is what the word

of God does

as it's preached.

Hebrews chapter four,

the word of God

is living.

It's active.

It's sharper

than any two-edged sword.

It pierces

to the division

of soul and spirit,

the joints and marrow.

And it discerns

the thoughts

and intentions

of the heart.

And as we understand

the scriptures,

our hearts

and our intentions

by nature

are for ourselves.

And then when

the word of God

comes in,

it's living and active

because it is the sword

of the Holy Spirit.

It's the way

that God's Spirit

does his work in us

and does his work

through us.

This reproof

and rebuke

and exhortation,

this is the action

of the Spirit

through the word.

And the pastor's job

is to take the word

and proclaim it

to the people

so that the word

does the rebuking

and the word

does the exhortation

and the word

does the reproof.

Second Timothy three,

you can see it

just a few verses ahead

in verse 16.

Paul says,

all scripture

is breathed out

by God

and it's profitable

for teaching,

reproof,

correction,

and for training

that the man of God

may be complete

and equipped

for every good work.

This is the work

of the word

and when the message

of God is delivered,

it may come through

as if it is rebuke

from a man

but the purpose

of preaching

is not for me

to run your life.

It is to deliver

the message

and let the word

do its work.

it's not my job

to control your life.

It's my job

to preach the word

and I'm more than

willing to counsel you

and to help you

in any way

that I can possibly

be of help to you

but it is the scriptures

not my preferences

that must dictate

your decisions in life.

that's why Paul

wrote to Timothy

that his manner

must be

one of patience

because as we all know

people don't always listen

and if you have

no patience

you won't make it

very long

but then he also said

that his method

must be teaching

teaching.

teaching

it's a reflection

back to the charge.

Preach the word

Timothy

be patient with people

as you do this

that should be

your manner

but then your method

is just help them

understand the word

and then let the word

do its work.

My call is to

faithfully preach

the Bible

so that your life

will be governed

by the authority

of Christ

and if I do that

the right way

it will come

with plenty of

reproofs

and rebuke

and exhortation

from God's spirit.

Now

Dick Lucas

I just want to show you

this before we move on.

Dick Lucas

was a pastor

for many years

and he was the rector

of St. Helens

Bishopgate

in London

for many years

and he used to teach

these lessons

on preaching

and he would draw

this diagram

on the board

for his students

I think we have it up here

you can see it.

He would just draw

a straight line

across the board

and he'd say

the straight line

represents the scriptures.

And then he'd draw

an arrow pointing up

above the line

and then he'd draw

an arrow pointing down

below the line.

The arrow going up

represented legalism.

It was when preachers

would take the scriptures

and then they would

add something to it

in order to burden

the people

with their own preferences

or their own style

or their own message

or their own opinions.

It would take the scriptures

and add to it

and that would produce

legalism in the church.

And he said

and then there's the opposite

in where people

will fall far short

of the scriptures.

They'll abandon

the scriptures

to only preach

their opinions

and that will ultimately

descend into liberalism.

And then he would

look at the preachers

and he would say

men our job

is to hold the line.

To hold the line.

That's my job

in this church.

It's to hold the line.

That's your job

as a people.

To hold the line.

It's not just a charge

for me.

The weight of this

settles on each of us

as we minister

to one another

and as we hold

Jared accountable

to holding the line.

Preach the word.

It's a solemn charge.

Number two

we see a prophetic warning.

Prophetic warning.

Look at verse three.

For the time is coming

Timothy

when people will not

endure

sound teaching.

Now why do you think

Paul used endure

instead of

enjoy?

Because he could have

very easily said

Timothy

there's coming a time

when people are no longer

going to enjoy

sound teaching.

But that's not the word

that he uses.

He says no

there is coming a time

they're not going to

endure this anymore.

Why?

Because when the message

of God is delivered

by the man of God

inevitably what proceeds

out of the mouth

of the preacher

will regularly be

characterized by

reproof and rebuke

and exhortation.

And that's not the kind

of thing that we

naturally enjoy.

That's the kind of thing

that we must humbly

endure.

Remember Paul isn't

talking about people

outside the church

right now.

He's talking about the

people in the church.

And he told Timothy

that there would

inevitably be people

in the church

at Ephesus

who would no longer

put up with the

teaching that had

a corrective element.

Now it would be

one thing if they

were tired of

Timothy's corrective

personality.

If all he could do

was find something

wrong with them

and he was always

harping on all

these little things.

That would be one

thing for them to be

frustrated by.

But the idea here

is that professing

Christians will

sometimes reject

the very word of

God as it's

preached.

This is not

Timothy presenting

himself in an

inappropriate way.

This is people

getting tired of

hearing the message

that God has

determined for them

to hear.

And they will no

longer endure that.

Paul's warnings

meant to encourage

Timothy.

Remain faithful to

the task even when

church members are

tired of the Bible's

message.

Timothy, people

won't always like

it.

But whatever you

do, preach the

word.

Just preach the

word.

Look again at

verse 3.

But having itching

ears, they will

accumulate for

themselves teachers

to suit their own

passions.

So Paul went on

to say that when

churches get tired of

Bible preaching,

they'll start looking

for leaders who will

tell them what they'd

rather hear.

And we may at first

think, well, we

would never do

that.

Of course we would

never do that.

We may do that more

often than what we

think we do.

Think about when

you're about to make a

big decision for your

life.

If you're like me,

you typically first go

to the people that you

know or at least

think are going to be

on your side, don't

you?

Don't you?

Don't you?

Think about it in the

lives of our children

when we watch them.

It doesn't take them

very long to figure

out which parent is

better to ask in which

situation.

If one's more lenient

than the other

typically or if they

know that that dad

gets really distracted

during the baseball

game, if I ask him

during the baseball

game, I'm probably

going to get whatever

I want or whatever

and they know they

know where to go.

We have those people

in our lives or they

know the parent that

they can tell when

they get in trouble

with school.

Because that's the

parent that usually

always finds an issue

with the teacher before

they find the issue

with the student.

You know what I mean?

We know how to work

the system.

And we do it all the

time in our lives.

And if we aren't

careful, we'll start

to only listen to

pastors who will

scratch our particular

political, moral, and

theological itches.

Instead of seeking

for someone to be

faithful to the word,

we'll prioritize our

passions.

We'll prioritize our

opinions, secondary or

tertiary issues.

And when a Christian or

a church abandons a

commitment to the Bible

in this way, they will

inevitably find someone

who makes the Bible say

what they're most

comfortable with it

saying.

wasn't this the big

issue in the real heat

of the COVID season

and the elections and

all the things back a

couple years ago, not to

give you any trauma all

of a sudden if you

haven't thought about

that in a while.

Wasn't this a part of the

issue in many churches

who were dividing and

fighting?

I know people

personally who left

churches because they

were so convinced

during that time that

all of this was

pointing to an

in-time type of

situation.

They believed the

vaccination was in

some way equivalent to

the mark of the beast.

And because their

pastor wouldn't push

Donald Trump or

wouldn't push

anti-vaccination or

whatever it was, they

left the church and they

found them a pastor who

every Sunday stands up and

talks about all of his

political things on his

soapboxes.

Under the guise of

Christianity and

scriptural things, we

actually end up

abandoning the word to

find someone who will

suit our passions.

Even if our passions

are in line with the

word, we've left the

word to actually pursue

our own agenda.

Itching ears.

Verse 4, in doing

this they will turn away

from listening to the

truth and will wander

off into myths.

So the result of

itching ears is that

people abandon the

truth.

It won't be that they

always abandon truthful

things or truthful

ideas, but they will

turn away from the

authority of the Bible

in search for those

truthful ideas and in

support of those

truthful things unless

it happens to be

convenient for their

particular position.

people turn away from

their focus.

Their focus will turn

from the word of God

to sources with no

divine authority.

The equivalent of

myths.

Three ways I think

these myths show up

all the time.

One, I think people

get caught up in

sensational presentation.

Sensational

presentation.

This is when people

turn away from the

supremacy of the

scripture to ecstatic

experiences.

experiences.

They don't really care

what the preacher says

so long as he says it

in a way that is,

quote, powerful.

That's the word we hear

all the time.

Man, that service was

so powerful.

Nobody preached the

Bible, but man, was it

powerful.

Well, that's not the

power of the spirit.

That's the power of

ecstatic experience,

sensational presentation.

And let me tell you,

we pastors with

particular personalities

know how to do this.

We know we're,

part of our gifting

is to communicate.

And we know how to

work a crowd.

And we know how to

build people up to a

specific thing.

Musicians are just as

good at it.

We know how to work a

crowd and give you an

experience that you will

enjoy.

And if we're not

careful, we'll abandon

the truth for the

experience.

And we can't do that.

That's a myth.

Some are blinded by

moral degradation.

More and more, people

are turning away from

the Bible because they

don't appreciate God's

position on marriage or

on sex or on gender or

on abortion or on

whatever the issue is that

you want to talk about.

Rather than to submit to

God's truth, they turn

away from it.

Because there's always

going to be churches that

will accommodate immoral

practice and immoral

belief.

They are fraught with

churches like that in our

area.

It wouldn't be hard to

find.

But then there's some that

are distracted by useless

speculation.

These are the people that

just want to fiddle around

with stuff that doesn't

matter.

A good preaching service to

them would be when the

pastor stands up and poses

some kind of question.

Like, if God is our

powerful, can he create a

rock that is too heavy for

him to lift?

And let's think about that

for a few minutes.

It doesn't matter.

It's senseless stuff.

It's over-obsessing about

end times thing and how you

think it's all going to come

out.

I'm not saying that we don't

need to study those things.

I'm just saying some people

get so distracted by it that

they end up actually leaving

the word in the process.

Wanting to suit their own

passions, professing

Christians will turn away

from the Bible to find

someone who will scratch

their itch.

Let's not be a people that

are just looking for someone

to scratch our itch.

Give me somebody that

preaches the word.

Finally, we'll be finished.

A faithful minister.

A faithful minister.

Verse 5.

As for you, Timothy,

always be sober-minded,

endure suffering,

do the work of an evangelist,

fulfill your ministry.

So rounding out his final

instruction, Paul lists four

things that should be true of

Timothy's pastoral leadership

in the church.

And all four of these things

fall underneath the charge

of preaching the Bible,

and they confront the

temptation to give in to

those with itching ears.

That's what these four things

are really about.

It's a summarization.

First thing he says,

always be sober-minded.

Now don't be confused.

Typically when we hear

sober or sober-minded,

in our day we immediately

think to something having

to do with substance abuse

or alcohol.

That's not what Paul's

getting at here.

I actually like the NIV's

rendering in this.

It says keep your head.

Keep your head in all

situations.

Be focused, Timothy.

We might say in our day,

whatever happens,

don't lose your mind.

Don't give in to the anxieties.

Don't give in to the fears.

Even in the face of criticism

and persecution,

Timothy,

the pastor's task is to stay

focused on preaching the Bible.

Just preach the word.

Stay focused.

Keep your head,

Timothy.

Then he says,

endure suffering,

which was a familiar instruction

to the New Testament church

because early Christians

endured so much suffering

and martyrdom for their faith.

Even in the context

of this letter,

Paul is writing

from a prison cell

where he knows

he's about to be killed.

Certainly,

Timothy would have faced

the anxieties

that come along with that.

But let's not

too quickly leave

the context of the text.

Surely,

part of this suffering

that Paul is warning about

includes the criticism

of those in the church

with itching ears,

refusing to endure

the sound teaching

of the Bible.

Even when his own people

turned on him,

it was Timothy's task

to remain faithful.

Endure the suffering,

Timothy.

Do the work

of an evangelist,

Paul says.

He didn't intend

for Timothy

to begin an itinerant ministry

or to set up

a tent

for a camp meeting

in the middle of town.

That's not what he meant

by this.

He just meant

preach the gospel.

To preach the Bible

in such a way

that sinners

are rebuked

for their sins

and called

to believe

and follow Jesus Christ.

In fact,

the gospel of Jesus

is to infuse

the entire meal

of God's word.

That's the reason

we preach.

It's the reason

we gather.

It is the gospel

that has made us

who we are.

It is the gospel

that calls us

to be what God

wants us to be.

Preach the gospel,

Timothy.

Finally,

he summarizes it.

Fulfill your ministry.

In other words,

Timothy,

just do what you've

been called to do.

And what was

he called to do?

Preach the word.

Preach it in the pulpit.

Preach it as you visit

with people

in their homes.

Preach it as you sit

over coffee

with someone.

Preach it

in your counseling sessions.

Preach it

on the golf course.

Preach it at lunch.

Preach it

whenever you can.

Timothy,

your job

is to teach the word.

Stay focused

on the Bible

wherever you are.

That's how you'll

shepherd your people.

He wasn't called

to fulfill

superfluous expectations

that are so often

levied onto church staffs.

That's not what

he was called to do.

He was called

to preach the word

in all circumstances.

Now,

a healthy church

will pray for

and seek leaders

who will be committed

to the task

of preaching the word.

and then it will

encourage

those leaders

in their task

and hold them

accountable

to that task.

I know you may be thinking,

you know,

this is supposed

to be a series

on what we're supposed

to be doing

as a church

and this seems

like a message

that probably

should be directed

toward pastors.

But I already told you

this charge

is more than

just to Timothy.

This would have been

read to the whole church.

If the pastor

is to be a preacher

of the word,

doesn't that mean

that the church

is to be a people

of the word?

If Lakeside Bible Church

is going to mature

in God's grace

and grow

in spiritual health,

mustn't we remain

unwaveringly

committed

to the word of God?

And when I say growth,

I hope you understand

what I mean.

I mean growth

in the spirit,

growth in our call,

growth in spiritual health.

And if God sees fit

to build that

in some other way,

that's God's business.

But if we're going to be

what God has called us

to be,

whether we're 20 people

or whether we're 200 people,

it's going to have to come

through an unwavering

commitment

to the word of God.

It needs to be

at the very core

of all that we do.

It needs to be

the very foundation

of everything

that we teach

and say we believe.

And we need to ensure

that those who lead us

remain faithful

to their call.

We don't need to be

a people with itching ears

who turn away

from God's truth

even to truthful things,

but find their authority

in the Bible.

And then we must

stand fast.

Stand fast on these things.

Study them faithfully.

Talk of them.

Teach our children.

And then let them

be our guide.

Thank you.