Daily Devotional. PREACH THE WORD; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 2 Timothy 4:2-3. It’s been said that the Preacher needs to set the example of a good life for the sheep to follow. And that is true, if the preacher tells you not to steal, and he is stealing, then there is a serious problem here. Anyone can mess up and need to repent, but generally a good example goes a long way. Here’s another reason for a preacher to walk uprightly before his congregation. (I’m going to elaborate for emphasis, please read the intent here). If a preacher gets up on stage and much of his message has silly jokes, goofy stories, and very little, (if any), gospel in it, he’s feeding the sheep a very dry meal. But if the preacher gets behind the podium, having already been prayed over by the deacons, has a fresh Word from the Lord for today’s message to his hungry sheep, and is saturated with the Gospel, the “sword” of the Lord, as he Reverently, and with Authority swings that Sword, will cut both ways as the Holy Spirit applies the Word to each person’s life. As the sword quietly cuts, exposing sin, that person can then take that sin to the Lord and ask Him to cut it out of his life and cleanse him of the infection. This is the Work of the Holy Spirit on each one of us as we hear the Gospel preached. A strong Gospel Life of the preacher, Preaching a strong Gospel message to himself and the sheep, will cut out sin in the camp as the Holy Spirit is at work. Sin has to leave when the Holy Spirit is on the move. It takes time to “cut and heal”, but with it, you will, Be Blessed.
