Daily devotion – preaching the Word
1 Timothy 2:1-4 – “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
It is the will of God that all men and women should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Salvation is a knowledge of the truth.
In 2 Corinthians 5:19 – 20, Paul says that the message that has been committed to the preacher, who is an “ambassador for Christ,” is to say to men, “be ye reconciled to God.”
You find it again in the practice of the Apostle Paul. Where we read in the book of Acts 17:23 of Paul preaching in Athens on Mars Hill and saying, “Whom therefore you ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you.”
They were ignorant though they were philosophers, and Paul is the one who can teach them and give them light in this manner.
Why do I say all this you wonder? It shows that the biblical teaching concerning salvation is that it is the result of bringing men and women to this “knowledge” that they lack, it is dealing with this ignorance. Through the preaching of God’s Word!
As a child, all kids in primary school in Western Australia had religious education or scripture as it was called, once a week. Every child went to their designated denominations Church during school hours. This was in all public schools, how things have changed.
Today, there are growing numbers of kids in our public schools who sadly have never heard of Jesus Christ or know anything at all about Him!
Preaching is the method, proclamation of the Gospel, the expounding of the Scriptures, Paul tells us is the way God has declared for “all the counsel of God” to be shared.
The Apostle Peter had the same idea when he says that Christians are people who have been called “out of darkness into God’s marvellous light.”
Which is why the Church of Jesus Christ around the world, gives the preaching and teaching of the Word of God a first and given priority.
If this is the greatest need of man, if his ultimate need is something that arises out of this ignorance of his, which in turn is the result of rebellion against God, then what he needs first and foremost is to be told about this, to be told the truth about himself, and be told the only way in which this can be dealt with.
Whatever Church you attend or visit, the words, “Let us open our Bibles to…” should be music to your ears and joy to your heart as they begin to simply proclaim the glorious message of the Word of God. If the Bible is not given the first priority, if you are not needing to open your Bible or it is used purely as a springboard to man’s philosophy you are not being taught the counsel of God and are in danger of remaining in ignorance of all that God has done and is doing.
Paul tells us of his calling to be a preacher of the Word of God which was to free man from his sinful ignorance – 1 Corinthians 9:17 that “a dispensation of the Gospel is committed unto me.”
This is what Paul was called for – this “dispensation of the Gospel,” this message, had been given to him.
In Ephesians 3 verse 8 Paul tells us, “Unto me, he says, “who am less than the least of the saints, is this grace given, that I should PREACH among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.”
This was Paul’s calling! He said just before that, “in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His holy Apostles and prophets by the Spirit.” Ephesians 3:5.
This is why I am always so excited and filled with anticipation each time we gather here at Calvary Chapel Secret Harbour and we ‘open our Bibles to….’ the next amazing piece of Scripture whereby God will deliver us from our ignorance and that we will come to a greater understanding and knowledge of who He is!
This Sunday once again we are able to gather as His Church, Bibles in hand, and receive the glorious message of Christ, to know our Creator and His great love for us even more!
2Ti 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine