It’s The Preacher’s Job

1 Tim 4:11-16

Today’s text has special meaning to me since it is about what the role of the preacher is. To make sure I presented this lesson well, I asked Helene to mark out all the irrelevant, unimportant and boring parts… (flip paper over) so in conclusion…

Preaching is a difficult task. When you think you are doing well, someone reminds you that you aren’t. When you feel you have failed, someone reminds you why you try. You try to please everyone and usually succeed in ticking someone off in the process. Even when you try to make an important point, there’s a good chance something will go wrong.

I read a story this week about a preacher who was preaching about Heaven and Hell. For a dramatic flourish, he asked everyone who wanted to go to Heaven to stand up. Everyone did. After they sat back down, he asked everyone who wanted to go to hell to stand up. Of course no one did, he planned on letting a little time pass for everyone to see the great difference when slowly a little boy stood up. “Son, you don’t really want to go to Hell do you?” “no” said the boy, “but I hated seeing you standing all by yourself.”

Preaching is a difficult task.

Paul gives some advice and instruction to preachers throughout the next couple of chapters. Let’s see what he has to say about the preacher’s job.

PRAYER

I. The Preachers Job

A. Then and Now

1. Let’s face it; preachers today are in many ways much different than the preachers of biblical times.

a) Whether we like to admit it or not, we have a professional clergy mindset.

b) A church really isn’t seen as a real church unless it has full-time preacher.

c) The preacher is expected to look and act certain ways.

d) I don’t think this is always good, but it is the reality of our culture today.

2. A resume came into a church office for a preacher looking for a job. It was an interesting resume. He was quite wealthy before he became a Christian, but lost his wealth as he gained his faith. He had been a traveling minister most of his career and when he did locate a couple of times, he was a vocational minister. The church understood why after listening to his tape. He was a convicting preacher, but not real eloquent. But that wasn’t his only problem. He wasn’t married, had a prison record, and wasn’t very tactful in the interview. The church decided it wouldn’t be a good fit so they passed over him.

3. That would have been the modern version of the apostle Paul.

4. Most of our Biblical leaders wouldn’t have fit the mold of what a preacher should be like today.

5. So what can we learn from the advise of Paul to Timothy that would be relevant to churches and ministers today.

B. He Is to Expose False Teaching

1. In verses 1-5 Paul talks about some of false teaching that was happening or would soon be happening around Timothy.

2. vs. 6 he tells Timothy to point these things out to the church.

a) From time to time I have pointed out false teachings from within our fellowship and within Christendom as a whole.

b) Sometimes people don’t like the fact that I point these things out.

c) I try not to be offensive or hurtful, but at the same time feel obligated to fulfill Paul’s admonition in vs. 6

d) READ vs. 6

C. Command and Teach

1. vs 11 gives us another insight to the role of preach in a church.

2. We are to command and teach.

3. Ministers have a role very similar to, yet different than elders.

4. Both are to be spiritual leaders of the church, yet slightly different.

a) The biblical concept of the preacher’s spiritual leadership was in a more general, public setting.

b) Elders dealt with individuals spiritual needs.

c) Today preachers are as much pastors as the elders are because we are the ones who tend to spend the time with the people.

d) Part of it is our times; the way the world works and having to work x amount of hours in their job makes it really hard for elders to be accessible to the church and the minister is paid to be accessible to the church.

e) Here, we are working hard for the elders to be more intimately involved in members’ lives and I think that will benefit us as a church.

f) I can only stretch myself so far in meeting spiritual needs of people around me and then I simply fail. I can’t be with everyone who needs spiritual guidance.

g) But six men have a much better chance spiritually guiding everyone in the church.

5. Ministers also have an important role as teachers to the church.

a) I don’t mind preaching, but I love to teach. I get excited when teaching something that I believe can have a profound effect on the church here.

b) Paul says that one of the main purposes of preachers is to be a teacher.

c) Preachers shouldn’t be the only teachers in a church, but it’s needs to be a main focus of their ministry.

d) Just like good schoolteachers, it takes a lot of prep time for sermons and classes that may never be seen in the actual discussion.

e) Whether we use all that information or not for class, it gives us a better understanding of scripture as a whole.

D. Be an Example for Believers

1. This is the part that scares me the most.

2. I can preach and teach effectively and never really live what I say. We’ve seen that scenario many times.

3. Paul tells us we are to be examples for the believers.

4. That means I need to make sure I am living what I am preaching and teaching to you.

a) If I want the church to be friendlier, I need to lead the way.

b) If I want us to be more evangelistic, I need to lead the way.

c) If I want us to be gentle of spirit, I need to lead the way.

5. Again, we see very similar expectations for elders and ministers that shows us they aren’t competing for power, but are supposed to work side by side as examples to the church as a whole.

E. It’s a 24/7 job

1. Ministry isn’t a job; it’s who you are.

2. READ vs 15-16

3. You can’t give yourself wholly to these matters and say it’s after 5 pm. I don’t care anymore. Or don’t bother me; it’s my day off.

4. I would appreciate it if you prayed for me regularly to watch my life and my doctrine.

5. I pray regularly that I won’t lead us down the wrong path, and that I live a life for others to follow.

F. Our leaders are important

1. If there is one thing you learn as a church from this book and what I have had to say it needs to be that our leaders are a vitally important part of the church.

2. Chapter 5 tells us we shouldn’t even listen to an accusation against an elder unless there are 2 or 3 witnesses.

3. We may not always agree with the preacher or elders or deacons, but God and the church put them in that role and we need to do all we can to help them be successful in that role.