1. As a pastor, preaching the word of God is your main task.

Read 2 Timothy 3:16-4:1-2: What charge did Paul give to the young pastor Timothy? (Preach the word.)

[!bible] [2 Timothy 3:16-17 - KJV](https://bible-api.com/2 Timothy+3:16-17?translation=kjv) 16. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17. That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

[!bible] [2 Timothy 4:1-2 - KJV](https://bible-api.com/2 Timothy+4:1-2?translation=kjv) 1. I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2. Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

The word of God is inspired by God.

Notice that 2 Timothy 3:16 says "all scripture is given by inspiration of God" Every word of the Bible is God-inspired.

Other passages teach us more about the nature of inspiration. Read 2 Peter 1:21

[!bible] [2 Peter 1:21 - KJV](https://bible-api.com/2 Peter+1:21?translation=kjv) 21. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

  • What do you think the "prophecy" is referring to there? (The Old Testament.)
  • How, according to this verse, did the prophecy NOT come? (By the will of man.)
  • How, according to this verse, did it come? (men were moved by the Holy Ghost.)

The words "spake as they were moved" invokes the image of wind driving a sailboat. With this in mind, Who was behind the writing of the scripture?

This doesn't just apply to the Old Testament. Peter addressed how the New Testament is also the word of God later in 2 Peter.

Read 2 Peter 3:2

[!bible] [2 Peter 3:2 - KJV](https://bible-api.com/2 Peter+3:2?translation=kjv) 2. That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:

What do you think "the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets" refers to? (The Old Testament) What then do you think "the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior" refers to? (The New Testament)

Look at 2 Peter 3:15-16:

[!bible] [2 Peter 3:15-16 - KJV](https://bible-api.com/2 Peter+3:15-16?translation=kjv) 15. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you; 16. As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.

Whose writings was Peter referring to? (Paul's epistles) What did Peter call them at the end of verse 17? (scriptures) What did Peter say would be the result of fighting against Paul's epistles? (destruction, just like the other scriptures.)

All the Bible, Old and New Testaments, is equally inspired by God.

The word of God is profitable.

Look at 2 Timothy 3:16-17 again:

  1. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
  2. That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

What does the word "profitable" mean? (Helpful, serviceable.)

What is the word of God profitable for? Doctrine - Teaching Reproof - Proving things to be true, conviction Correction - restoration to an upright state Instruction in righteousness - training us to be what we ought to be.

When the word of God does it's job, what does it make us according to verse 17? (Perfect)

What do you think it means that the word of God makes us "throughly furnished unto all good works?" (It gives us everything we need to live the Christian life.)

This is also taught in 2 Peter 1. Consider verses 3-4:

  1. According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
  2. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 2 Peter 1:3-4

What do you think it means that "his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness?"

According to 3b, how has God given us everything we need?

According to verse 4a, how do we get this knowlege?

Preaching the word is our task.

Back in 2 Timothy 4:1-2, what task did Paul give to the young pastor in verse 2?

When is the pastor to be ready to preach the word?

According to verse 2, what are the four parts of preaching the word and what do each mean?

  • Reprove - to convict, find fault with (think like a lawyer making a case against a criminal)
  • Rebuke - to censure, to judge
  • Exhort with longsuffering -admonish, beg, console, encourage
  • Doctrine - teaching

2. As a pastor, the word of God is your authority.

Nothing is spiritual that isn't also scriptural. (Clarence Sexton)

Read Matthew 4:4,7,10 - what did Jesus use as His authority when fighting Satan? (it is written.)

In Matthew 5:17-18, what did Jesus say He came to do regarding the word of God?

What did He promise about the word of God in verse 18?

Look up the following verses: - Matthew 12:3, 5 - Matthew 19:4 - Matthew 22:31 - Mark 12:10 - Mark 12:26 - Luke 6:3

What did Jesus constantly appeal to in His own preaching and ministry?

Look at Luke 24:27. When Jesus met the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, what did He use to explain God's purposes?

If Jesus, who is God, relied on the authority of the Bible for His preaching and teaching, shouldn't we?

Read Revelation 22:18-19 - what does that teach you about the seriousness and authority of the word of God.

Consider this, to preach is to "herald." In Bible times, they didn't have the internet or the news, and so it was common for the government to send someone to each town to herald important news. They would speak loudly and with authority and share the important news given to them.

But they didn't make it up. They were acting on the authority of their king. Sharing the message given to them by their king.

Look at Hebrews 13:7

  1. Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.

Who are "them that have the rule over you?" (Pastors) Why should they be remembered? (Because they have spoken to you the word of God.)

  1. For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. 1 Thessalonians 2:13

What did the apostle paul preach to the Thessalonians? (the word of God) What did He not preach? (The word of men) Why? (The word of works effectually.)

As preachers and pastors, we don't get to make it up. We are to herald a message, but we don't come up with the message. We aren't chefs, preparing a gourmet meal, we are waiters, taking a meal God created and just hoping to bring it to people without messing it up.

Let me put it this way, your authority as a pastor is directly related to how close to the Bible you are. I have no authority to stand up before my congregation and say "You all need to wear brown pants." They would laugh that off and be right to do that. But if I could show them that the Bible teaches they need to wear brown pants (it doesn't), then they wouldn't be rejecting my authority by God's authority.

3. As a pastor, the word of God is your weapon and tool.

Look at Hebrews 4:12. What does "quick" mean in this verse? (Alive)

  1. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

  2. Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?

Read Jeremiah 23:29, what kind of "rocks" do you think need to be broken in pieces by the word? (People's hard hearts.)

  1. So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Isiah 55:11

In Isaiah 55:11, what does God promise will happen with His word? (It will accomplish God's intended purpose.)

There are so many other things that Bible promises are the supernatural results of the word of God. It is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Psalm 119:105), it makes the simple wise (Psalm 19:7), it makes us wise unto salvation (2 Timothy 3:15), it brings us health and life (Psalm 1:2-3), it gives us good success (Joshua 1:8), and much, much more.

The word of God is our power.

Consider this quote from Charles Spurgeon

The Word of God can take care of itself, and will do so if we preach it, and cease defending it. See you that lion. They have caged him for his preservation; shut him up behind iron bars to secure him from his foes! See how a band of armed men have gathered together to protect the lion. What a clatter they make with their swords and spears! These mighty men are intent upon defending a lion. O fools, and slow of heart! Open that door! Let the lord of the forest come forth free. Who will dare to encounter him? What does he want with your guardian care? Let the pure gospel go forth in all its lion-like majesty, and it will soon clear its own way and ease itself of its adversaries.

Further Reading:

The Greatest Fight in the World, by Charles Spurgeon Biblical Preaching, by Haddon Robinson