Be Ready to Proclaim 2 Timothy 4:1-8

Good morning and welcome. I'm glad to see all you made it here. If anyone had any idea or didn't have any idea I was out in the Sun all day yesterday if you can tell but Title be ready to preach. Not all of us are called to be preachers.

But we are all called To preach the good news. If we are Christian if we are believer, we are called to preach the good news. Jesus makes it very clear in Matthew 10 22 where he says all men will hate you because of me.

But he who stands firm to the end will be saved. Jesus knows that if we truly preach his word his gospel message. We will be hated for it and we are called to do it. And so being ready to preach I am convinced even before the events of yesterday anyone who's known me knows I've been convinced for years.

Time is short. We are coming to The nearing of the tribulation. I've been sharing this with anyone everyone and I feel like the word needs to be preached more than ever before each and every day that we are live.

It needs to be preached. People are have no problem preaching throughout. Are we preaching the word people we listen to people preach to us, but how much are we preaching the word? I just had a conversation not that long ago at the jail to Justice Center.

When a guy who came in for a study was on his way out. And I was talking with him. I just shared a scripture passage with him. I was talking with him and we were Talking about how it seemed things were nearing and he's we were talking about people who are prepping.

There's lots of people. Maybe you are one. I'm not saying prepping is not a bad thing and we should be prepping. But he made a point and he said more than prepping. We need to be sharing the Word of God.

That is the only thing that's truly going to make a difference for what's to come. Be ready to preach the word and as I was Few years ago back in 2015 when I was firmly believing the Lord was placing on my heart the urgency to preach the urgent message of his return.

I Remember, I firmly believe this and I was truly about witnessing anytime and anywhere. And I feel like sometimes it's kind of faded off, but back then there was this time I was gonna be flying out to the airport at the airport.

I was flying out to meet the family on a vacation trip and I had devotions right there in the airport. Waiting to get on the plane and as I was done praying and having my devotions I said Lord, you know, I would like to sleep on this plane flight, but I'm willing to share and With whoever you place beside me if I have nobody beside me I know I can sleep if you place somebody next to me.

I know I'm to share and As I got in the plane, it wasn't a full plane at all. It wasn't a full plane at all, but It was coming all the way towards the end plane was basically everyone was on the plane as far as I knew and there was only a couple people coming left and there were open seats all around and Once you know it those two people ended up sitting right next to me.

So I shared with them. I shared with them what the Lord was laying on my heart about the importance and urgency. That young man who was sitting next to me said over and over again. He said I So much needed to hear this.

I Needed to hear this and he went on to say to he goes, how can you share like this? Why you know, he was just amazed at how I was able to share and I was able to share with him. These aren't my words.

These are the Lord laying this on me and he was a kid young fellow who was his dad was a pastor and he was following away falling away from what his dad was about and preaching and God had placed him there for that opportunity.

Are we realizing he does want us to be preachers preaching the word? I had a cousin too. That's older cousin. He that's been pastoring for quite some time. He always said he goes all of us. Even though they were not called to be preachers.

We are called to preach. If we're born-again Bible believing Christians, we are called to preach through words and actions. So our belief in the word impacts the word we preach. Another thing too while preparing this preparing the sermon I remember I used to love watching sports.

I still do but back in 2018. There was a commercial for the NFL playoffs. Some of you maybe remember this that are sports fans. It had high school players in a gym and they started chanting. We ready?

We ready? We ready For y 'all. I don't know if any of you guys remember that it was a big thing, right and it hit me. It's like and it pumped him up and it fired him up. And I mean it made huge things.

That was a video clip that was done in 2016 and it made the NFL got a hold of it and used it for a big pump-up for the playoffs and. So the question is Are we ready? For for everyone for y 'all are we ready to preach the word?

The Charge to Preach in Season and Out of Season

Second Timothy 4 1 through 8 says this. I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who is to judge the living and the dead and By his appearing and his kingdom preach the word. Be ready in season and out of season.

Reprove rebuke and exhort with complete patience and teaching for the time is coming when people will not endure. Sound teaching but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths as for you.

Always be sober-minded. Endure suffering. Do the work of an evangelist. Fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight.

I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness. Which the Lord the righteous judge will award to me on that day and not only to me. But also to all who have loved his appearing.

So here's the big idea big idea our belief in the word impacts the word we preach. Number one. Realize that the world's truth opposes God's truth. We are in a time where we need to know what the truth is and realize the truth.

So as we're being ready here with this here Paul in this first and second Timothy Paul was in chains, right the first time he was in prison and then he got released and this time as he's writing this one.

Here he was locked up in chains. He was towards the end and any idea why he was locked in chains. For preaching the word. He was locked because he was preaching the word and he's writing this letter to Timothy again.

This is for Timothy as being a preacher. And even though this is for Timothy for being a preacher We can take it all for us as far as how we are to do the same thing He says in here. He says Jesus who is to judge.

There were three judgments in verses 4 1 through 2 where it says here I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who is to judge the living and the dead and by his appearing. And his kingdom preach the word Be ready in season and out of season to reprove rebuke and exhort with complete patience and teaching when he says Jesus who is to judge and There's three judgments here that Jesus would is involved in.

Jesus is going to judge believers all of those who believe in him and have given our lives to him. He's going to judge us and That's going to take place after the rapture. There's nations goats That are going to be the nation and goat judgment where he separates them.

Saying the sheep will go on my right the goats will go on my left and that will be for the millennial. Rain and then there is the great right thrown judgment where everyone who? The dead will be raised up and everyone whose name is not written in the Lamb's Book of Life will be judged There and then thrown into the lake of fire.

So there's three judgments that take place. So Paul as he's preaching this he's giving the warning very clearly. Be ready. Judgment know where your judgments coming from. I found it interesting is in the world today a lot of pastors a lot of churches They like to preach about love.

Do they not what do we just have last month there? It's all focused on love love love. But how much are these same preachers and churches talking about the warning signs of what's in store for us? That Jesus is going to judge us.

Are we preaching this word are we living in that? Acknowledgement that Jesus. Yes. He loves us. But at the same time there's going to be judgment. I. The world is full of people ready to preach ready in season and out of season to reprove rebuke and exhort.

But they do it in the presence of the world. Not the word Jesus Christ. The world seems to tell us not to judge unless we judge in line with the main. With what the mainstream news narrative has on how to judge as I was preparing this I was remembering three big storylines over the years from 2012 2014 and 2020 that The mainstream media had a complete narrative.

They wanted us to believe and listen to. The first one in 2012 was with a young man named Trayvon Martin. I'm sure some of you guys remember that storyline where he was a teenager. He was 17 at the time he was walking around in a hoodie and He was doing suspicious activity with where he was at and what he was doing and there was a guy who was part of the Community watch patrol that was keeping tabs on this guy and he confronted this guy this guy turned on him and Was beating him up and in self-defense.

He shot him and killed him. The news media Tried to make it out like George Zimmerman. Maybe he was maybe wasn't but they tried to make it out like he was the culprit he was a rogue person looking for trouble and They also tried to make Trayvon Martin, of course look very much younger and all the photos if you remember then what he actually was and another thing too that they pushed from that was in the NBA particularly they all wore hoodies and I remember even Barack Obama saying My son could be wearing a hoodie.

They made it sound like this guy was judged because he was a black man wearing a hoodie. Not because of his activity of what he was doing. The world news media wanted us to believe that George Zimmerman was guilty of murder instead of self-defense.

But it was proven the exact opposite when it went to court and it came through. Another one was 2014 in st. Louis by the name of a man by the name of Michael Brown. How many of you remember that too? This was a 18 year old kid.

He was 6 4 well pushing 300 pounds big kid big guy. He had just robbed a convenience store and he was with another guy that was older and they had a. They were confronted with some couple police officers and this is where it got conflicting.

The one police officer Had his version but this guy that was with Michael Brown had another version. He tried to say that the police officer reached through the car Held this Michael Brown guy and threatened him and everything else and they went away and then they confronted him later on and Then the confrontation ended up loot ended up being that basically the police officer Shot Michael Brown in the back when he had his hands up.

And if you remember the NBA also had hands up don't shoot. But the narrative was proven over and over again that that was a lie. The people who investigate and everything else he was not shot in the back this man according to the police officer Charged him.

Could you imagine a 6 4 300 plus pound guy charging you and this guy wasn't a small guy either. He was like 6 4 to 15. All right, so he wasn't a small guy but he was supposedly used unlawful force with this guy charging him and coming down on him and What is he to do?

What would you what would we do right if we're trained in that situation. This guy was not obeying the commands of the authority. He was purposely going his own thing and This news media and everyone else bit bit into and believed Michael Brown's accomplice.

Over the police even though the results proved otherwise. 2020 as we all know George Floyd. I won't go into the too much on that but the media and the world has made him out to be a hero. He has statues his icons all three of these men.

The news media wants us to think they were innocent. Men who did have they were doing nothing wrong, right? What does God's Word tell us? Romans 3 10 says there is no one righteous. No, not one. Romans 3 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Romans 6 23 for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. The news and its narrative and its media tries to make like these people are not deserving of what they got an Exact opposite they were they were innocent, right?

God's Word makes us gives us a completely different message, right? We are all guilty. None of us are innocent. Are we living in the fear of the Lord and his word or are we living in the fear of the word world?

The world basically today has five truths. And I think all five of these truths is why the world preaches what it preaches as far as these narratives go. The world tells us follow your heart. Jesus says in Matthew 8 34 if you are anyone who follows after me must deny himself and pick up his cross daily.

Number two, the world tells us be true to yourself. And again, Jesus says if anyone would come after me he must deny himself. Three believe in yourself. Jesus says Believe in me, right? He even tells us anyone who does not believe in me is condemned.

Number four live your truth. Jesus says I am the truth the way the truth in life in John 14 6 and Number five as long as you are happy Jesus says What does it profit a man to gain the whole world yet forfeit his soul as I was also doing this?

I remember coming across real recently a story by a Michael Cassidy former. He was a former congressional and legislative candidate from Mississippi right. He in a sense you could say he did all these things he followed his heart he was true to himself he believed in himself and he lived his truth and He was doing what he knew would make him happy, right?

But yeah, he was condemned to it. This is what he did in December 15th, 2023. He tore down a satanic statue that was in the Iowa Capitol. He knew there was cameras there he didn't try to hide it he went right in there tore off the head took down all the stuff and throw threw it away in the garbage and Then reported himself in for it, right?

The world wants to condemn him. For that they tried to try him for a hate crime. Can you imagine that? We're in a time where people who destroy a satanic statue are being charged for a hate crime. And this is what he had to say.

He said my conscious is held captive to the Word of God not to bureaucratic degree and so I acted it Offended me it touched a nerve. It was righteous Indignation. I call it Christian civil disobedience.

It was there and is no longer there. Is our heart more in line with the world's truth or God's truth through his Word. Jeremiah 17 9 through 10 were told the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately sick.

Who can understand it? I? The Lord. Search the heart and test the mind to give every man according to his ways according to the fruit of his deeds. We need a Savior and we are not it. Again number one realize that the world's truth opposes God's truth.

The World's Message and the Danger of Itching Ears

Number two. Understand that the world's message will put us away will pull us away from God's message. Understand that the world's message will pull us away from God's message. Verses three through four say for the time is coming when people will not endure sound doctrine.

But will but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions and will turn away from listening to the truth and Wander off into myths. Do I really have to ask if we're if we're there.

Does anybody not see it, but it's it's crazy people do and people in the church do not see it. A lot of churches. Oprah Winfrey I'm gonna call her out. She is someone who's been Considered very loving right.

Everyone loves Oprah Winfrey her shows her talk show how she treats everyone how she Shares with them and lets them express their views and everything else. Oprah Winfrey is not one to listen to or follow after Oprah Winfrey preaches Christ consciousness.

I don't know how many of you have heard of that term Christ consciousness. She basically says Jesus did not come for the sole purpose to die on the cross for our sins. He came to show himself and reveal himself to us so we too can realize the truth.

The light is in each and every one of us and He came to show us how we can live it out and proclaim it and share it with everyone else around. You might think. That's crazy right. Nobody's gonna believe that.

Nobody's gonna buy into that. Just recently I heard Lauren Hill at the church she was a part of. She said after she was done singing she asked for the she said son come up and preach to us about Christ.

Black Consciousness. I'm telling you there's people in churches that are buying into this and it's not good. Here's a definition the term Christ consciousness Has gained popularity in recent years as celebrities and public figures have found truth in this form of spiritualism.

Those championing this idea Sometimes call themselves Christians, and I've heard Oprah call herself a Christian. I don't know if you have but I know I have. However their definition of the word Christian is far from different different from the biblical meaning the name of the Lord Jesus Christ is used as A means of normalizing a religion, which is nothing more than a rebranded Eastern mysticism.

The Center for Christ consciousness website defines Christ consciousness as the highest state of Intellectual development and emotional maturity. They go on to claim that Jesus achieved this higher state of being in his human life and was given this term Christ before his name as the recognition of his achievement of this spiritual status.

This is a path open to anyone regardless of the religions Religious tradition if and when he or she is open to become a living vessel of love and truth on the planet and Actively strives to attain it.

Another site defines it this way Christ consciousness is a state of awareness of our true nature and our higher self and Our birthright as children of God. This sounds great, but how does it match up to the true word?

Did Jesus ever preach like this? Did Paul and his in Jesus followers? disciples ever preach like this. Yet these people are calling themselves Christians and are leading many astray through their teaching and what they're talking about.

I Never thought I would see the day where Christians would think listening to someone like Oprah was worthwhile let alone Believe and follow after the things she says is trustworthy and true. Oprah has a book club right.

Oprah was book club. That's huge and Big following with how many people listen and follow after that and I even years ago. I remember even people in the church some females ladies there that were huge followers of Oprah and they would follow after the books that she was preaching talking about and sharing and These books are a lot in line with this Christ consciousness about our inner self who we can be what we can be.

But it's apart from Christ. It's not a true Christian thing and So many people are deceived by this. Another thing Oprah said years ago too before it even became big was she was about Talking about how it's alright if you're a man and you want to marry another man or a woman and you want to marry another woman.

She even had them on her show talking about them and stuff and with them and this is So far from what scripture says is okay. And I find it interesting too as I was at Humboldt High School a couple of times with Beckett and he had basketball.

There they had a gay pride flag right there in the center of all the other flags Front and center and I just heard this too. Anybody really know how many colors are in the pride flag? Six there's six how many colors are in the rainbow?

Seven. Number six is man. The number seven is God perfection. So they're not even hiding it in that it's interesting. Are we are we paying attention and listening and This stuff has been infiltrated into the schools and being in the schools.

Now that I also is being remembering to during kovat at 2020. I don't know how many you had kids in the school. I remember seeing to remember they had triangles up. Telling people to stand away from each other anybody remember that to keep your distance.

I Found it interesting. It was in form of a triangle. I remember seeing it on the school Roads and stuff and saying how long how far away did they tell us to stand? Six, it was a triangle with three sixes around it.

Coincidence, I don't know. I'm just telling you this is what's being pushed and infiltrated. Are we preaching the word the truth so that people aren't deceived on this for quiet. It's and it's to when I say I never would have imagined seeing the day one other quick story on.

This is there was a guy I graduated from Moody Bible Institute and Before after I graduated from there there was this guy who he's made it big time in tick-tock his I Forget what his name is his name.

You you'll probably find him. Yeah, I do have it written down here, but What's important is he graduated from Moody after graduating from Moody? He calls himself a Christian. He's like he has a pastor in New York.

Huge following it says he has over 2 ,000 followers and his YouTube the views have been over 5 million and He tells his listeners to be what makes him happy. And the story of Lazarus Is the perfect illustration for Christian?

LGBTQ people to come out of the darkness and into the light. Come out of the cloth that the church has wrapped you up in and into the light of who Jesus has called you to be the same guy. Defended watching porn as an okay thing.

He calls himself a Christian pastor in New York, and he graduated from my alma mater. And so it's I never would have thought I would have seen a day like that. We're here. We are. Are we hearing and listening to God's?

Warning message. Act 6 17 30 through 31 says this. The times of ignorance God has overlooked. But now commands all people everywhere to repent because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in Righteousness by a man whom he has appointed and by this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.

Hebrews 10 26 through 31 says this. For if you go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins. But a fearful expectation of judgment and fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.

Standing Against the World to Fulfill God's Purpose

Number one. Realize that the world's truth opposes God's truth. Number true. Understand that the world's message will pull us away from God's message. And number three. Fulfill God's purpose by standing against the purpose of the world.

Verse 5 says as for you always be sober minded endure suffering. Do the work on evangelist. Fulfill your ministry. In 2002 There was a book that came out called purpose driven life. How many of you remember that or partook in that.

I know I have to say I did Purpose driven life. You might think that this book Was a good book to go after and pursue, but so many people who have been a part of that. Their purpose driven life is for this world.

It's truly not for God. This author of this book Had this to say. In a quote from a harbinger here that listen to what he had to say about Bible prophecy. He said anyone who lets himself get involved in distractions.

Like studying prophecy is not fit for the kingdom of God. Purpose driven life guy says. Studying prophecy you are not fit for the kingdom of God yet. He's directing all these people to have a purpose driven life living for God.

Guess how much of the Bible is prophecy? Roughly 30 of the Bible is prophecy. Not only that there's one book the book of Revelation. What's that on? Prophecy you know that's the only book of the Bible that promises a blessing to those who read it.

Here I'll read it Revelation 1 3. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy and Blessed are those who hear and keep what is written in it for the time is near. So this author who's led all these people to have a purpose driven life truly doesn't believe a biblical purpose driven life.

What are we taking in. Who are we listening to we're being preached to. Are we being preached the truth. Are we sure it's the truth. The church has done well for the most part on focusing on the love of God.

But has done horribly in warning its members on the dangers of letting in things. We should be standing against there's a two there's a in 96 I was being reminded of this year 96 there was. I might step on some toes here.

I'm sorry if I am I know we're called to preach right. If we're preach the truth Pokemon is Not a good thing. I Hope if any of your kids are in Pokemon get them out do not have that in. It's a you can look this up there's this testimony from this missionary by the name of Mike Dawson and Pokemon came in in 96.

Mike Dawson was a missionary and He was he had African country nation their country and he had a guy that was that he had Helped lead to the Lord. His name was Batista. Batista was a witch doctor. He was a witch doctor that was known he had reached the highest level of being a witch doctor.

Where he was considered to be a child eater what he would do is he'd go in the spirit realm steal these kids souls and Bring them before other ones and they would basically feast on these kids souls. I know this sounds way out there to us.

But in other countries, this is real. This is this is serious this is the demonic spiritual realm and he he was a child eater and he would steal the souls from other village kids and He the church that Mike Dawson was part of one of the churches that Mike Dawson was a part of they had heard this guy Come at his testimony and stuff and sharing.

He couldn't speak English. And so they had a question. The church was divided on Pokemon. They had half the church thinking this is okay. This is not a big deal. The other half was thinking we need to get this out we need to not have this any part of us and so they sent him a Pokemon book and they said would you please have Batista Look into this and tell us what he thinks.

When the pastor first got this he was all excited thinking I got something from Homeland and it was something that he was it wasn't top on his priority. It wasn't till a little later that this Batista had come to visit that it Remembered this and so he he had his wife actually remembered and so she told him I'm gonna go get the book.

So she went and got the book and brought it down. Batista did not know any he could not read English. He could not speak English. So it was through an interpreter and stuff and that they were able to interact with him.

Or yeah, he couldn't he couldn't read English or speak English, but this is what he was saying. When he got him the book He opened it up and he says he explained to him What was going on with this book and what what his thoughts were?

He started to as he pointed to one of the characters on that this Batista guy knew who this character was and He said the traits that this character had and he was spot-on. And he said yeah, this is this these are demons and the guy the past the missionary thought.

Oh, this is just a coincidence. He'll do it again. So he hit another one and another one. He did this over and over again and he hit every one spot on there were some he didn't know because he says there's so Many demons you can't possibly know them all he's and his son was there listening.

His son had a videotape of Pokemon. After hearing this guy's testimony. He went and grabbed that videotape and Destroyed it right down there in the basement of the house where they were at and so he made a believer out of them and Shortly thereafter that 97 we had Harry Potter.

Harry Potter is another thing I tell you Don't read don't be involved in it. If you are stop scripture makes it very clear. It doesn't leave it leaves no room for a doubt on this in Leviticus 1931 it says do not turn to mediums or necromancers.

That is people who are go-betweens to talk with the dead. Do not seek them out and so make yourselves unclean by them. I am the Lord your God and In Leviticus 26, it says if a person turns to mediums and necromancers Whoring after them.

I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from among his people. Galatians 5 19 through 21 Says this now the works of the flesh are evident sexual immorality impurity sensuality idolatry sorcery enmity strife jealousy fits of anger rivalries dissensions divisions envy drunkenness drunkenness orgies and things like these.

I Warn you as I did before that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. How many of you would let your kids read or read or spend time in any of those things and yet How many have let their kids get involved in these things?

Scripture makes it very clear if they practice those things they are not Fit they will not inherit the kingdom of God. I even have an older cousin who she has for four kids. They're all grown up. She let all her kids get into the Harry Potter stuff.

She said more than once That I've heard her say how she's disappointed with how their kids lives have come where they are. They're not. They have no Decision-making for the Lord. They're not involved in knowing the Lord.

So We are told in James 4 through 5 to We said you adulterous people as far as letting things from the world in do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity? With God. Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Or do you suppose it is no purpose that the scripture says he yearns? Jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us. So number three one realize the world's truth opposes God's truth. Understand the world's message.

Well pull us away from God's message. Fulfill God's purpose number three by standing against the purpose of the world and number four is Focus on the Lord's reward not the rewards of this world. For I'm already being poured out as a drink offering and the time of my departure has come.

I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness. Which the Lord the righteous judge will reward to me on that day and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

The commentary on these verses says a Drink offering was the final offering. If we remember before Paul was in chains in this he was not getting out when he wrote this letter. So he knew his time was come.

Final offering a drink offering it followed the burnt and grain offerings and Old Testament sacrificial system. He knew he was nearing the end. He knew he wasn't getting out and This is the message he gave to Timothy here preach the word.

It wasn't focused on the love of God. It was focused on making sure the importance of preaching the word the whole word the warnings of what's in store if We aren't in the form of the three Greek verbs have fought have finished and have kept indicates completed action with continuing results.

Paul saw his life as complete and the faith that it talks about here is the truths and standards of the Revealed Word of God not the world's truth the words truth. Paul lived a life that was devoted to living according to the Word of God.

He knew where his reward was coming from and it was for everyone who loved his appearing. Not our appearing. Finish off first point for here with this testimony. This is by another guy who graduated from Moody.