Post by spiritualdigest on Oct 4, 2006 3:12:44 GMT -5
Dearly Beloved,
AFRAID TO PREACH THE WORD?
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15, NKJV).
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NKJV).
Recently, for the first time in the history of this email ministry, I had the opportunity of having my weekly messages ready for a whole month. Even when I serialized my messages into parts, I seldom had two messages ready for two weeks at the same time.
As I ruminated over the themes of these prepared messages, I realized that they were all warnings about one issue or the other. None was an encouragement to my readers. From my experience in this email ministry, people tend to react positively more to messages of encouragement more than messages of warning. People leave my groups (where they receive my weekly devotional messages) more when I send warning messages. This fact made me to be afraid to go ahead and send the warning messages for the whole month. In fact, I started entertaining the fear before I sent the first message.
Nevertheless, as I was ruminating on this issue, those two Bible passages above came to my mind. Coincidentally, they were addressed to the same person – Timothy – in the same book of the Bible that bears his name. In fact, there is this third admonition to him in that same book: “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2, NKJV). These three admonitions made me to went ahead and send the warning messages to people without minding the seemingly consequence of losing more readers in the email ministry.
Are you selective in preaching the word of God? Or are you known for a particular theme or section of the Bible? This needs not be! Remember, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.” Are you afraid that people may leave your church or ministry for “rightly dividing the word of truth”? You do not need to be afraid. Yours is to preach the word “in season and out of season” in teaching, reproving, correcting, instructing, convincing, encouraging, and even warning your audience. The Lord’s is to do the work of conviction.
In His service,
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).
NB
Let me confess that in this past one month, instead of losing members, I had more members in my email ministry and more positive reactions to my messages to the extent that I could not response personally to every reaction as I used to do because of the unprecedented reactions of people. Therefore, do not be afraid to preach the word as you are led by the Holy Spirit. The Lord is faithful!
AFRAID TO PREACH THE WORD?
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15, NKJV).
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NKJV).
Recently, for the first time in the history of this email ministry, I had the opportunity of having my weekly messages ready for a whole month. Even when I serialized my messages into parts, I seldom had two messages ready for two weeks at the same time.
As I ruminated over the themes of these prepared messages, I realized that they were all warnings about one issue or the other. None was an encouragement to my readers. From my experience in this email ministry, people tend to react positively more to messages of encouragement more than messages of warning. People leave my groups (where they receive my weekly devotional messages) more when I send warning messages. This fact made me to be afraid to go ahead and send the warning messages for the whole month. In fact, I started entertaining the fear before I sent the first message.
Nevertheless, as I was ruminating on this issue, those two Bible passages above came to my mind. Coincidentally, they were addressed to the same person – Timothy – in the same book of the Bible that bears his name. In fact, there is this third admonition to him in that same book: “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2, NKJV). These three admonitions made me to went ahead and send the warning messages to people without minding the seemingly consequence of losing more readers in the email ministry.
Are you selective in preaching the word of God? Or are you known for a particular theme or section of the Bible? This needs not be! Remember, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.” Are you afraid that people may leave your church or ministry for “rightly dividing the word of truth”? You do not need to be afraid. Yours is to preach the word “in season and out of season” in teaching, reproving, correcting, instructing, convincing, encouraging, and even warning your audience. The Lord’s is to do the work of conviction.
In His service,
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).
NB
Let me confess that in this past one month, instead of losing members, I had more members in my email ministry and more positive reactions to my messages to the extent that I could not response personally to every reaction as I used to do because of the unprecedented reactions of people. Therefore, do not be afraid to preach the word as you are led by the Holy Spirit. The Lord is faithful!