August 19th, 2020
By Eddie Keith
Paul has been an interesting character to discuss throughout the course of this summer. He was not afraid to stand up for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul felt so strongly in the importance of mentorship and training of a new generation as Bill discussed yesterday. Today, we are a part of that generational transmission. As Thomas Oden writes, “the apostles passed this ministry to the next generation, and that generation passed it to the next, and so on, to fulfill this ministry in each succeeding historical situation.” Simply put, my friends, Jesus was the first apostle, the first sent one, and his ministry and message was passed onto the twelve and Paul. Jesus sent them to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). We preach and teach today because a generation of leaders passed the message of Jesus onto the younger generation. That is what we are called to today. Whatever age level you are, there is someone younger who needs to hear that salvation can be found through the free gift of grace in the person of Jesus Christ.
However, we need to prepare ourselves for spreading the gospel. Without the daily rhythms of studying Scripture, praying and growing together with the community of believers, how will we ever sharpen our toolkit to proclaim the name of Jesus? Paul writes this to his apprentice, Timothy, “2 preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage —with great patience and careful instruction. 3 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. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:2-5).
We find ourselves today in a cancel culture, seeking to have the loudest voice heard. Fall is on its way with no real idea what it will look like. As Paul writes, we are to be prepared to preach the gospel, ready to correct and rebuke. Don’t miss the second half of that though, with great patience and careful instruction. We are a called people to share the message of Jesus. To love one another, but also to speak truth. We don’t need to be the loudest voice heard if we “keep [our] head[s] in all situations.”
Let us be people who preach truth, keep our heads and raise up a new generation to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.
Paul has been an interesting character to discuss throughout the course of this summer. He was not afraid to stand up for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul felt so strongly in the importance of mentorship and training of a new generation as Bill discussed yesterday. Today, we are a part of that generational transmission. As Thomas Oden writes, “the apostles passed this ministry to the next generation, and that generation passed it to the next, and so on, to fulfill this ministry in each succeeding historical situation.” Simply put, my friends, Jesus was the first apostle, the first sent one, and his ministry and message was passed onto the twelve and Paul. Jesus sent them to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). We preach and teach today because a generation of leaders passed the message of Jesus onto the younger generation. That is what we are called to today. Whatever age level you are, there is someone younger who needs to hear that salvation can be found through the free gift of grace in the person of Jesus Christ.
However, we need to prepare ourselves for spreading the gospel. Without the daily rhythms of studying Scripture, praying and growing together with the community of believers, how will we ever sharpen our toolkit to proclaim the name of Jesus? Paul writes this to his apprentice, Timothy, “2 preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage —with great patience and careful instruction. 3 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. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:2-5).
We find ourselves today in a cancel culture, seeking to have the loudest voice heard. Fall is on its way with no real idea what it will look like. As Paul writes, we are to be prepared to preach the gospel, ready to correct and rebuke. Don’t miss the second half of that though, with great patience and careful instruction. We are a called people to share the message of Jesus. To love one another, but also to speak truth. We don’t need to be the loudest voice heard if we “keep [our] head[s] in all situations.”
Let us be people who preach truth, keep our heads and raise up a new generation to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.
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