Sermon Tone Analysis

Title: Effective Broadcasting – Part 2

Theme: Planting the Word of God

Series: Essentials for Church Growth

Acts 6:4 and then verse 7, “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to ministry of the word.”

“And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.”

(ESV)

Effective broadcasting involves having the right seed and having obedient servants of the Lord planting God’s seed in the fields of the world.

Just as farmers face the constant battle against drought or flooding, plant disease or insects, or many others elements that can determine the effectiveness of the harvest – Christians face an adversary, the devil, (1 Peter 5:8-9; Ephesians 6:12; 2 Corinthians 4:4) who constantly tries to destroy the faith of the Body of Christ and keep those in this world blind to the Gospel.

This is why the Apostle Paul, one of God’s faithful sowers, writes, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground…” (Ephesians 6:10-13)

I would propose to you that in this battle of broadcasting that life changing Word of God which points lost souls to Christ, the Bible holds truths to cling to and direction that assures a harvest for the Lord.

Ephesians 6:17 says, “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

The Holy Spirit, through the Apostle Paul wrote, “This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.”

(1 Corinthians 2:13)

Faithful seed planters of the Word of God do not fall into the same pattern as the institutionalized church.

They follow the example of Christ, who quoted the Word of God in the face of the devil’s temptations.

(Matthew 4:1-11) In his exposition of the Book of Ephesians, Dr. Lloyd Jones wrote, “we are not to fight… in our own strength, power, or with our own ideas; we are to use the Word that the Holy Spirit of God Himself has produced.”

“…The Holy Spirit enables [understanding of] the Word.”

(The Christian Soldier – Lloyd-Jones)

Therefore, just what is our charge?

How is the seed of God’s Word fertilized?

What is the harvest?

Planted by soldiers of Christ who understand their charge

Effective broadcasting plants the reliably yielding seeds of God’s Word as it is planted by soldiers of Christ who understand their charge.

2 Timothy 4:1-2 says, “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction.”

“I give you this charge” (διαμαρτύρομαι diamartúromai) has the weight of a legal affirmation given with a reminder that God our Father and Jesus our Savior is watching.

Their eyes are upon you.

Holy Spirit illuminated preachers and teachers take this charge seriously, just as Timothy was to take it.

The great Greek scholar Kenneth Wuest wrote: “This charge is to be obeyed at once.

It is a sharp command as in military language…”

The charge is clear, “Preach the Word.”

“…Preach the Word.”

“Preach” (k¬¬erússo) means to especially preach, publish or announce religious truth, the gospel with its attendant privileges and obligations, in this gospel dispensation.

(The Complete Word Study Dictionary; Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament; Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon: Wuest Word Studies in the Greek New Testament)

Holy Spirit influenced preachers and teachers courageously proclaim the written Word, no matter the trials they face.

Not even the treats of men stop them from obeying their charge.

They will make every effort not to preach their own ideas or the ideas of other men.

They allow the Holy Spirit to breathe life into their spiritual hearts as they prayerfully read and study the written Word, thus avoiding self-importance and personal promotion.

Philosophy, psychology, sociology and worldly education are held in check by the Word of God, not the Word of God held in check to the doctrines of mankind.

Matthew Henry wrote, “It is not their own notions and fancies that they are to preach, but the pure plain Word of God; and they must not corrupt it.”

Kenneth Wuest wrote, “The preacher must not present book reviews, not politics, not economics, not current topics of the day, not a philosophy of life denying the Bible based upon unproven theories of science, but the Word.

The preacher [or teacher] cannot choose his message.

He is given a message to proclaim by his [Lord].

If he will not proclaim that, let him step down from his exalted position.”

(Kenneth Wuest, The Pastoral Epistles, Vol. 2, p.154)

I like the way the New International version states it.

The preacher is to give “careful instruction.”

If you are in a locked room with a ticking bomb and your only hope is phone contact with a person who is a specialist in defusing bombs, you want to receive careful instructions.

Many are locked in bondage of soul threatening sin.

They are in great need of those who can give careful instructions from God’s Word.

Those who have been the greatest blessing to me, especially in times of great trials have been Christians who oversee para-church ministries, who correctly handle the Word of God, and can give careful instructions.

The worst advice I have ever received in my entire life has come from pew warmers and pastors who know very little of God’s Word.

(Please note: The truths presented in this portion of the message came forth after prayerful study of God’s Word with the assistance from these time tested commentaries and language study material; The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Outline; Matthew Henry Commentary; Daily Study Bible Series; The Expositors Bible Commentary; The Complete Word Study Dictionary, New Testament)

Use the fertilizer of prayer

Preachers who effectively plant the seed of God’s Word use the fertilizer of prayer. 2 Thessalonians 3:1 says, “Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.” 1 Corinthians 3:7 says, “So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.

The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.

For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.”

Christians who are planting the Word of God out in the fields of the world have a heart desire to see the Word get out where people can read and/or hear it.

Their prayer is that people receive a powerful hunger and thirst for the Word of God.

They pray for the forces of hell to be broken down.

In these last days, Christians pray that opposition to the publication and public proclamation of the Word of God be removed.

Romans 10:14-15 says, “How, then, can they call on the One they have not believed in?

And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard?

And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

And how can they preach unless they are sent?

As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’”

Verse 17 says, “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.”

The Bible gives Christians their responsibility to be in prayer for the spread and reception of the Word of God.

No one comes to Christ unless the Father draws him.

(John 6:44)

I think the greatest ministry that has understood the truths of being in prayer for the reception of the Gospel message is the Billy Graham organization.

They have learned the joy of having people unite in prayer for lost souls and they are receptive to the work the Lord has called them to.

Joseph Aldrich was the chairman for the September 1992 Evangelistic Billy Graham Crusade in Portland Oregon.

He writes, “For several years previous to the crusade, pastors from the greater Portland area met in prayer summits.

After one prayer summit the pastors held ‘An Evening of Celebration’ attended by 13,500 people.

There were no name speakers or singing groups, in fact no human name was mentioned all evening.

The highlight of the worship service was the collection of prayer cards containing the names of over 90,000 people.

These were collected in buckets, brought to the platform, and dumped in front of a large cross.

It was designed as a faith-builder to create anticipation of, and participation in the crusade.

It exceeded our expectations.

Mr. Graham attributed much of the unusual success of the crusade to the prayer summits.”

(Equipping for Evangelism NACI 94 – An Experience with God, message, page 662)

(Please note: The truths presented in this portion of the message came forth after prayerful study of God’s Word with the assistance from these time tested commentaries and language study material.

Matthew Henry Commentary; Thru the Bible; Equipping for Evangelism NACI 94)

Churches and ministries who enjoy seeing the life changing power of God’s Word be brought to life in spiritual hearts are faithful to be in prayer for the Written Word of God to spread rapidly and to be honored among those who hear it.

A harvest to enjoy

When proper administration of preaching the Word of God is done joyously (Acts 6:5) and undergirded with the fertilizer of prayer, there will be a harvest to enjoy.

Act 6:7 says, “So the word of God spread.

The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.”

When the Word of God increases, the amount of the harvest of Christians increases.

When the Word of God is handled correctly it births forth a harvest of cheerful disciples hungry to know the Word of the Lord, bringing compliance to precepts and laws found in the Bible.

In the Book of Nehemiah (Nehemiah 8) we read of a time when Ezra reads aloud the law of God from “daybreak until noon.”

(Ezra 8:3) The Bible says, “men, women and all who were able to understand” (Ezra 8:2) “…listen attentively to the Book of the law.”

(Ezra 8:3) In Nehemiah we also read of the Levites “[reading] from the Book of the Law, making it clear, and giving meaning so that the people could understand what was being read.”

(Nehemiah 8:8) We also see that the people of God were broken over their sins and wanted to obey the Law of the Lord.

(Ezra 8:9-17)

Modern world history also records times of revival due to the hearing of God’s Word undergirded with prayer.