The Triumph of Preaching

The Triumph of Preaching

2 Timothy 4:1-5

Introduction: The world is bombarded with message after message offering hope after hope.* But above all the messages and above all the hopes that bombard the world, there is one that is more needed by man than all the others—one that is so important that it supersedes all the others combined.

It is the message of the Word of God.
The Word of God offers the only lasting hope for man.
For this reason the Word of God must be preached.
The minister of God must commit himself to the awesome charge to preach the Word of God and to minister as never before.

This afternoon, in this Pastor's appreciation, I am reminded of the Apostle Paul.

Transition: * As we set scene for our text word this afternoon Paul is in Rome.

He is not there visiting Relatives
He is not a tourist, He is a prisoner.
He is no longer under House arrest, where he was being chained to a different Roman soldier every six hours.
They had to change out the guard because Paul's preaching was so powerfully persuasive, that the entire Roman army was being converted. Paul's preaching got in him in trouble.
Brother Pastor sometimes our preaching ought to get us in trouble.
It was okay to preach that Christ Died, but to preach that He rose early on Sunday morning, would mean that they failed in their efforts to kill Him.
It would mean that Jewish Nationalism was greater than Roman Imperialism.
To preach that He rose with all power in His hands would mean that Jesus was far greater than Caesar.
Paul's Preaching got him in trouble.

Paul is in prison and by now He realizes that the only way out is through the doors of death. Paul's mind this afternoon is on a young Pastor/Teacher by the name of Timothy.

Timothy is Paul's son in the ministry; Paul takes pen and paper and begins to write a letter to young Timothy. Paul did more with the pen, than most Pastors do with their presence.

He began to say to young Timothy, I call you to remember the unfeigned faith that is in you, which dwelled first in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice: and I know that same faith is in you.

Pastor Blount the same faith that was your grandmother Sarah and in your mother Lucille is in you.