TELL THE PEOPLE THE TRUTH

PROCLAMATION

“For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.  Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”  2 Timothy 4:3-4 (NIV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words were written by the apostle Paul, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God, to Timothy, his son in the ministry, to provide him with directions and instructions. (1 Timothy 1:2)  In this fourth and final chapter of his second letter to Timothy, Paul tells him to preach The Word in season and out of season. (2 Timothy 4:1-2)  He says that there will come a time when people will not want to hear it, but he should continue to preach it. (2 Timothy 4:3-5)  Paul states that the time of his death is near, and that he has kept the faith.  He knows that there is a crown waiting for him in heaven. (2 Timothy 4:6-8)  Paul asks Timothy to come to him as soon as he can.  He states that only Luke is still with him, all of the others who had travelled with him have left him. (2 Timothy 4:9-13)  He warns Timothy about Alexander the metal-worker, who had done him great harm. (2 Timothy 4:14-15)  Then he asks God to forgive those who deserted him.  He says God stood by him and gave him strength and allowed him to preach to the Gentiles. (2 Timothy 4:16-18)

 

APPLICATION

Preachers are to preach The Word of God in good times and bad times.  All of us are to speak the truth, and to tell people about the gospel, but some people will not want to hear it.  They will only want to hear what they want to hear; that which makes them feel good or that which agrees with their corrupt sentiments or sinful lusts.  When we meet resistance to God’s Holy Word, we are not to argue with them.  We are to just shake it off like we shake the dust off of our shoes and keep on stepping for The Lord God will deal with them. (Matthew 10:14, Mark 6:11, and Luke 9:5)  Let us make sure that when we speak that we are telling the people the truth and not just telling them only what they want to hear.

 

LIKE FIRE SHUT UP IN MY BONES

PROCLAMATION

“But if I say, ‘I will not mention His word or speak anymore in His name,’ His word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones.  I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.”  Jeremiah 20:9 (NIV)

EXPLANATION

These are the words of The Lord God which were spoken to the prophet Jeremiah and proclaimed to the people of Judah.  In chapter nineteen of The Bible Book of Jeremiah The Lord God told him to go and buy a jar of clay from the potter and to take some of the elders along with him. (Jeremiah 19:1-2)  There he again told them that The Lord was going to destroy them because they had forsaken Him and turned to idol worship. (Jeremiah 19:3-9)  Then The Lord God told Jeremiah to break the jar while the elders were watching and tell them that He will smash their nation as the potter’s jar was smashed. (Jeremiah 19:10-12)  When the high priest Pashhur heard of Jeremiah’s prophecy, he had him publicly beaten and put in the stocks. (Jeremiah 20:1-2)  When he was released the following day, he told Pashhur that he would witness the slaughter of his people at the hands of their enemies.  He said that the king of Babylon would take him into captivity, along with those who survive the massacre, because of his lies and false prophecies. (Jeremiah 20:3-6)  Afterwards, Jeremiah privately complained to The Lord God because of the treatment which he had received from the people after delivering His messages. (Jeremiah 20:7-8)  He even threatened to keep quiet and not speak in His name, but he recognized that he couldn’t do that because God’s words within him were like fire shut up in his bones.  Jeremiah was so conflicted that he even cursed the day that he was born. (Jeremiah 20:14-18)

APPLICATION

Standing up and speaking up for The Lord God is not easy.  All too often the people do not want to hear “what thus saith The Lord.”  Verbal attacks occur quite frequently, and in some places even physical attacks occur.  Sometimes our old friends will stand by and not come to our aid or defense.  There is also the personal internal struggle with our human nature in the face of temptation, with our moral nature in the face of injustice to our fellow man, and with our spiritual nature as we watch the wicked prosper and obtain positions in high places.  We speak up because there is something inside of us that says speak.  This could be The Holy Spirit of God within us.  Jeremiah described it as “a fire shut up in my bones.” (Jeremiah 20:9)  So, let us tell others about Christ, and salvation.  Let us obey the great commission and share The Word of God with everybody. (Matthew 28:19-20)  Let us also publicly praise Him.  For if we keep quiet, then the rocks will cry out in our place. (Luke 19:40)

THE TRUTH CAN SILENCE SOME OF OUR CRITICS

Proclamation:

“When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, ‘So then, even to Gentiles God granted repentance that leads to life.’”  Acts 11:18 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by Luke, the physician, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Luke records that the apostles and believers criticized Peter for taking The Word of God to the Gentiles and for going into the house of, and eating with, “uncircumcised men.” (Acts 11:1-3)  Peter told them the hold story starting from the beginning. (Acts 11:4-16)  When he had finished he asked them, “So if God gave them the same gift He gave us who believed in The Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?” (Acts 11:17)  When they heard this, they had no further objections.

Application:

Sometimes we can be criticized, even by believers, for doing what The Lord God has told us to do.  Some people will not like it when we tell the truth.  When our critics are believers, the truth will silence them. (Acts 11:18)  However, if our critics are non-believers, the truth can upset them and even enrage them to the point of violence.  That was what happen to Peter and John (Acts 5:40) and to Stephen. (Acts 7:54-58)  Jesus, The Christ said, “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake … Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” (Matthew 5:10-12)  We are encouraged to always tell the truth, but we should think before we speak to make sure that what we say is “Truthful, Helpful, Insightful, Necessary, and Kind.”

REGULAR BELIEVERS CAN BE FULL OF GOD'S GRACE AND POWER

Proclamation:

“Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.”  Acts 6:8 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words were written by Luke, the physician, under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Because the complaining and murmuring of the people that some of the widows were not being served food, the twelve apostles gathered all of the disciples together.  They asked them to select from among themselves seven men, who were full of The Holy Spirit and wisdom, to whom they could delegate this responsibility. (Acts 6:1-4)  Stephen was one of the seven men selected. (Acts 6:5)  These laymen are considered to be the first deacons.  They were well versed in The Word of God and spoke well. (Acts 6:10)  Stephen was full of God’s grace and power, and was able to perform signs and great wonders.  It is possible that all seven of these men were blessed with the ability to do this.  However, Stephen was such a powerful witness of the gospel that he incurred the hatred of the Sadducees and they plotted against him. (Acts 6:11-15)

Application:

It is important to note that Stephen and the other six men were selected out of the group of disciples, the students of God’s Word.  They were not priests or apostles, but they were full of wisdom and The Holy Spirit, (Acts 6:3) and full of God’s grace and power. (Acts 6:8)  If we truly believe and are committed to The Word of God, each of us can be used by The Lord God to be a powerful witness.  It is not just the preachers that God can use to do His work.  We all can do great things for Him, if we are willing to be used by Him.

NOW WHEN I AM OLD AND GREY

Proclamation:

"Even when I am old and grey, do not forsake me, My God, until I declare Your power to the next generation, Your mighty acts to all who are to come."  Psalms 71:18 (NIV)

Explanation:

These words are believed to have been written by King David under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  David stated that he wanted to tell all who would listen about the righteous deeds and mighty acts of God. (Psalm 71:15-16)  He stated that God had taught him things since the days of his youth. (Psalm 71:17)  Now he was asking God not to forsake him and to spare him until he had declared God’s power and mighty acts to the next generation.

Application:

Do not discard or disregard the "seasoned" senior saints, there is a lot of wisdom tied up in all those years that could be useful to the believers of the world.  For we who are old have seen, and experienced, and learned a lot during our Christian walk that could benefit the younger generations.  We can truly testify, based upon our trials and tribulations, about the strength and power of The Lord, and what He has done in our lives.  To the young I say, listen when the elderly speak, you just may learn something.  God is not through with us old folks yet, and with His help there is still some kingdom building work for us to do.  To the old I say, share what you have learned with the younger generations, with your children, and grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and anyone’s child who will listen.  He has blessed us so that we can be a blessing to others.  God has left us here among the living because work is not done.  That is why we can pray this old man's prayer.  We need to praise Him for all that He has done and we need His help to guide our tongue as we speak to the younger generations.

ONLY WHAT WE DO FOR CHRIST WILL COUNT

Proclamation:

“Every man's work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.  If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.  If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved …” 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 (NKJ)

Explanation:

Under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God the Apostle Paul wrote these words to the believers in Corinth.  Paul told them that all that he had taught them was based upon the gospel of Jesus Christ.  That was the foundation upon which they should base their philosophy and behavior. (1 Corinthians 3:10-11)  All of their life’s activities would be like gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or stubble.  He said that on judgement day, every man’s work would be tested by fire. (1 Corinthians 3:11-12)  The believer would be saved but all of his work which was wood, stubble, and hay would be consumed by the fire, only the work which was gold, silver, and precious stones will pass through the fire. (1 Corinthians 3:13-15)

Application:

Wherever we go and whatever situation we find ourselves in, we should spread The Word of God.  If there is anyone there to talk to, we should speak about the gospel and spread the good news about salvation in Jesus, The Christ.  This is not something that we only to share with those in our local church on Sunday mornings.  The Apostle Paul was under house arrest in Rome but he preached the gospel to all who came to visit him. (Acts 28:16-31)  Some of them who heard him "... believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not ..." (Acts 28:24)  Every one that we tell about the good news will not believe it.  And some people just will not understand it, no matter how we explain it. (Acts 28:26-27)  But our assignment is to tell them, not to make them believe it.  Of all of the people that we talked to this past week, to how many of them did we mention Jesus Christ and salvation in Him?  Think about all of the words that we spoke, how many of them gave God glory?  "For I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgement.  For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned." (Matthew 12:36-37)  We can't say that our good deeds out number our bad deeds so we are okay.  We don't really know what our good deeds are, and some things that we think of as neutral are actually bad (sinful) like our idle words.  "All unrighteousness is sin ..." (1 John 5:17)  If what we say or do does not give God glory, then it is a sin.  Only our works which are “gold, silver, and precious stones”, things that give God glory, will pass the test of fire on judgement day.  For those things we will receive a reward.  Remember, as the song says, "... only what you do for Christ will last ... only what you what you do for Him will be counted at the end ..."

WE SPEAK POWERFUL WORDS

Proclamation:

“Then Peter said, ‘Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you.  In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.’” Acts 3:6 (NIV)

Explanation:

After the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, The Christ, and after they had received The Holy Spirit, Peter and John were on their way to the temple.  A lame man outside of the temple gates asked them for some money. (Acts 3:1-3)  This verse is Peter’s response to the lame man.  Jesus had told them that that they would receive power when they received The Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:8)  Peter spoke “in the name of Jesus” and through the power of The Holy Spirit the lame man “jumped to his feet and began to walk.” (Acts 3:8)

 Application:

Believers were not saved just to sit back and do nothing.  We were also given power when we received The Holy Spirit of God.  We are to tell people about our Lord and Savior, and to be His witnesses. (Acts 1:8)  We may not be able to lay our hands on people and heal them but we have the power to help people.  Our words and our prayers are powerful.  We can share The Word of God with people and help them.  Helping is not always about giving someone money.  Peter helped the lame man but he did not give him any money.  (Acts 3:6)  We are empowered to speak to people in such a way as to change their lives through the power of The Holy Spirit.  Our prayers are also powerful.  We can bless others by praying for them in the name of Jesus, by the power of The Holy Spirit, to the glory of God. (John 14:13)  So, be very careful what you say when you speak to people.  Speak to them in a way that will be helpful to them.  Don't just show them the error in their ways.  Help them to see The Way, The Truth, and The Life. (John 14:6) 

We Must Go Through Many Hardships

"They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. 'We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,' they said." Acts 14:21-22 (NIV)

Paul and Barnabas travelled about preaching and teaching about Jesus. While large numbers of Jews and Gentiles heard them and believed, there were also large numbers of people who did not believe them and wanted to stone them. They left those cities and went elsewhere to preach the gospel, but the later returned to the cities where they were both loved and hated. At the risk of harm to themselves, their purpose was to encourage the believers to keep the faith.

Most of us do not live in countries where we are persecuted for our beliefs. However, during these difficult economic times, a lot of us are experiencing hardships of one kind or another. We are bombarded daily with all kinds of non-Christian philosophies and temptations that test our faith. We need to stand strong as we deal with our many trials and tribulations and we need to encourage others to do likewise. The words we say to encourage others, may very well be helpful to us also. Remember, God will never leave us, or forsake us. If He brought us to it, He can bring us through it.

We Are Enriched

"... In every thing ye are enriched by Him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge ..." 1 Corinthians 1:5

Everything that we have and everything that we need comes from God. All of our abilities, all that we know, and all that we are, our very existence is a blessing from God. Those of us who use our talents, gifts, and abilities to spread the good news about Jesus Christ are blessed even more.

God provides all praying believers with the knowledge and words necessary to speak effectively to the lost for Him.

All of us have been blessed with talents, gifts, and abilities. The question is not do we have them. The question is how, and to what end do we use them.

Don't Be Afraid To Spread The Gospel

The apostle Paul preached the gospel and spoke boldly for The Lord to the Jews and gentiles.

"Then spake The Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace; For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee; for I have much people in this city." Acts 18:9-10

The Lord told Paul to spread the word and do not be afraid. We were told the same thing in the great commission. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations ... and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." Matthew 28:19-20

Since The Lord is with us, we really do not have to worry about whoever is against us. So, let's go forth and spread the word of God. This is not just for preachers and deacons.