MacArthur - The Shepherd as Preacher

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

EUGENE, OREGON

All Scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Cover by Harvest House Publishers Inc., Eugene, OR

Cover photo deathtothestockphoto.com

THE SHEPHERD AS PREACHER

Copyright 2015 Grace Community Church

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon 97402

www.harvesthousepublishers.com

ISBN 978-0-7369-6207-0 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-0-7369-6208-7 (eBook)

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

The shepherd as preacher / John MacArthur, general editor.

pages cm. (The shepherds library) 1. PreachingCongresses. I. MacArthur, John, 1939- editor.

BV4202.S54 2015

251dc23

2014028524

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C ONTENTS

T he first Shepherds Conference was held on March 19, 1980, at Grace Community Church, where 159 men gathered to focus on the theme of pastoral ministry. From the beginning, the goal was to live out Pauls mandate to Timothy: The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also (2 Timothy 2:2).

What started as a small event has, by Gods grace, blossomed into an international movement with thousands in attendance each spring. Over the years, pastors from every state and nearly 100 countries have come to the conference to be challenged and encouraged in areas of preaching, theology, leadership, discipleship, and counseling. My own heart has been deeply blessed by the faithful men Ive met and fellowshipped with at the conference.

Since its inception, the Shepherds Conference has featured hundreds of sermons specifically directed at pastors and church leaders. Because the truth of Gods Word is timeless, those messages are still as rich and powerful today as when they were first preached. That is why I was so thrilled when Harvest House Publishers approached me about publishing this volumea collection of the most memorable Shepherds Conference messages on the topic of preaching. Nothing is more urgently needed in todays church than the faithful proclamation of Gods Word, which is why a book on this subject is so timely. In keeping with Pauls instruction to Timothy, the aim of this volume is to encourage pastors to fulfill their pastoral mandate: to preach the Word in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2). The chapters that follow have been edited as minimally as possible so that they reflect the original content of the Shepherds Conference messages.

This book is for all who preach and teach the Scriptures, whether they have been to the Shepherds Conference or not. As you read it, my prayer is that your passion for truth will burn brighter and your resolve for Christs glory will grow stronger as you seek to serve His church through the faithful exposition of His Word.

For the Great Shepherd,

John MacArthur

P REACH THE W ORD

Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with great patience and instruction.

2 T IMOTHY 4:2

Shepherds Conference 1998

2 Timothy 3:14:4

T here is a text of Scripture that is beloved by me, and one upon which I have preached numerous times through the years. It is a text that my father wrote inside the flyleaf of a Bible that he gave to me when I told him I felt called to preach. The text is 2 Timothy 4:2: Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with great patience and instruction.

That brief verse defines biblical ministry in one central command: Preach the Word. Along with this command you could add 1 Timothy 3:2, which says pastors, overseers, and elders are to be skilled in teaching and preaching. We are to preach the Word skillfully. That is our calling, and this verse is definitive because it speaks so concisely, calling us to preach the Word.

Now you will notice that the apostle Paul addresses the time and the tone of our preaching. The time is in season and out of season. We could debate what that means, but if I can lead you to a simple conclusion, the only possibilities are to be in season or out of season; therefore, it means all the time. We are to preach the Word all the time. There is no time when we change that commission, no time when that method of ministry is set aside for something else. Preaching the Word is to be done all the time.

As for the tone, it is twofold: There is the negative aspect of reproving and rebuking, and there is the positive aspect of taking Gods truth and exhorting people with great patience and instruction. Negatively we are to confront error and sin. Positively we are to teach sound doctrine and godly living. We are to exhort people to be obedient to the Word, and we are to have great patience and allow them the time to mature in their obedience.

This is a simple command: Preach the Word all the time. Jesus said, Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4). That truth calls us to an expository ministry in which we deal with every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. If every word of God is true and pure, and every word is food for the believer, then every word is to be proclaimed.

People are starving for Gods Word but they dont know it. They are hungry, they are reaching out, they are grasping. They realize the hollow places in their life, the shallowness, the lack of insight, the lack of understanding. They cannot solve the problems of life. They are starving for Gods Word and are being offered substitutes that do not help. God has ordained that His Word be brought to them because it alone can feed them, and the delivery method is preaching. Paul wrote, How will they hear without a preacher? (Romans 10:14). Martin Luther said, The highest worship of God is the preaching of the Word. God is revealed through His Word; therefore, preaching His Word is preaching His character, His will, and all that defines Him in true terms and exalts Him as He is to be exalted.

Our mandate then comes not from the culture, it comes from heaven. It is the God of heaven who has mandated us through the pages of Scripture to preach the Word, to preach every word, and to bring to starving souls the only food that feedsthe truth of God. The Bible is the inerrant and infallible Word of the living God. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, and every word in it is pure and true. We are to preach Gods Word in its entirety and to unfold all its truth. That is the command.