Why You Need An Eternity-Minded Pastor

The Problem of Modern Listening and the Need for Preaching

Well, you've heard the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. Or that images are a better means of Communication than words are. But Have we profited from that change from reading and communication to images.

Pictures social media Images. Well, the answer is probably no. In general anyone born after the 1960s may suffer from a reading or listening deficit. Experts were in the field of learning and education compiled data to support that position.

That people in general due to pictures and images do not know how to listen well. So it's not just a matter of children or adults having Attention deficit disorders. It is actually lack of listening skills undeveloped the growth of television in the homes beginning in the late 1900s and the surge in social media.

Harms the ability to listen well. So the God-given tools in his common grace for development our gift of mercy. But they are largely ignored today. Now that is not what our text this morning says directly.

But there is a correlation. There is a relationship between the listening deficit and the preacher. The pastor is interacting with a society that is largely underdeveloped in the basic skill of listening well.

Well, you couple that issue with the heart and the heart's inability or maybe unwillingness To heed the words of the Living God. And so the pastor's task is enormous. You have today in our society men and women who would rather hear something novel.

They would rather hear something appealing. They would much rather be entertained. The dopamine expectation is so high they would prefer visual and emotional stimulation. Than the preaching of the words of the Living God.

And now we would agree that Timothy did not have to wrestle with advanced technology. But without question he had to wrestle with the diminishing desire for biblical preaching. So when a pastor steps into the pulpit or he's initiated into the pulpit ministry he's dealing with not just a natural deficit, but a spiritual deficit of Hearing of the Word of God and that is a common problem today as it was during the time of our Text this morning.

I want to turn your attention therefore to 2nd Timothy the 4th chapter. Please turn there with me. What God has to say in the answer in a world where the interest is surging? Instead of the simplicity of preaching and the power of the preaching of God's Word.

Society tends to want less of preaching and not more of it. But what is the antidote? What is the solution? What what is God's supply? Well It is more preaching dear listener. It is more of the Word of God.

Dear listener not less of it and it is not more in time. I don't have to preach for two hours, although I can try. It is not the length of the sermon. It is the substance of the sermon. It must have within it the very words of our living God.

So in our text this morning in 1st Timothy chapter 4 primarily actually 2nd Timothy chapter 4 verses 1 through 5 Paul's charge to Timothy is to preach the Word of God to preach at all times. Using scripture alone as the basis for preaching the Word of God as a basis for correction the Word of God for the basis of instruction.

So God's generals God's men God's preachers are never at their best when they are Contemporary they're never at their finest when they are novel. They are at their best when they're faithful preachers of the Word of the Living God.

Now a Few observations leading up to our text for this morning as you would know that this is Paul's second inspired letter to Timothy. The first epistle was written to encourage Timothy that he should command the church.

Not to teach anything. But what Christ has commanded his apostles to teach not to read not to rehearse not to recite Anything but that which is the very words of God to his people. And so as he would know false teachers came into the fellowship and produced nothing but conflict and sin.

But faithful preachers like Paul their goal is far different the goal of their command is love from a pure heart and a good conscious and Unhypocritical faith. All false teachers and those who follow them are not interested in those virtues at all but a general of God a man of God a servant of God a slave of Christ is interested in sound truth for the hearts of The listener.

Now our second inspired letter as we're in today and this morning to Timothy the pressure is on young Timothy, and he's struggling. He wants to give up and this final letter is to encourage the young evangelist to keep moving forward in ministry.

As you recall and the early part of this letter Paul tells him do not give up because God does not give to his servants his ambassadors a spirit of Timidity. Another way to look at that word timidity is to say that God did not give his ministers an attitude of cowardice.

Because a spiritual cowardice does not have the courage to stand for the truth under pressure, but God's generals are even to the point of death. We can also acknowledge from the very beginning of this second epistle that Timothy has no power No power in himself to withstand spiritual opposition.

He has no power in his own might in his own ability to serve the believers in Ephesus or in any church but he can join in suffering for the gospel as Paul says according to the power Is on that anchor of truth that every pastor can serve labor pray and preach the Word of God.

They can counsel care for and lovingly serve the people of God without Giving up. Let us read second Timothy Chapter 4 verses 1 through 5 will be our focus this morning here the living abiding inspired infallible Word of our God.

I solemnly 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 exhort with great patience and teaching.

For the time will come When they will not endure a sound doctrine. But wanting to have their ears tickled they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires. And will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

But you Be sober in all things endure hardship do the work of an evangelist fulfill your ministry. Before we dig into this text. I want you to notice with me their friends and beloved in Christ. The first command in verse 2 to preach the word is the chief command.

Then the method and the attitude of the preacher follows. But this is not just a charge to the preacher. This is just not a charge to the servant of God. This is also involved in the congregation. So I have good news for you as you read this passage you are in the text.

But by appearance it's not a good look is it in verses 3 and 4. But this analysis is born out of love for you and truth about the human heart. The preacher is charged with the task of preaching because the congregants are not always receptive of the truth.

And so whenever you and I or anyone crave after poor preaching the end is never good. So this text is urgent for us today. It is urgent for you today. It is a matter of eternity to hear and heed God's Word because the preacher's task is eternal.

And you must remember that if he ever thinks of Temporal progress or earthly success. He's no longer preaching for your soul, but a preacher who preaches for your soul is Consistent in presenting the words of the Living God to you.

And so this morning. This is not just a charge for the preacher. But it's for the congregation and so the sermons goal of the message this morning of the lesson this morning is your pastor's eternal attitude.

And why you need him. Your pastor's eternal attitude, and why you need him. So number one we'll ask in the form of questions. They'll be like three main questions for our Outlines and the first question is this what is his eternal attitude?

What is it? Well first of all a true servant of Christ a preacher a pastor Knows that God ordained him. That God ordained him. Notice in verse one. He says I I charge you, but he says solemnly charge in some translations.

In the Greek word world to solemnly charge someone was to install them to an office. It is like taking the oath of office, but here it is eternally significant. This is a serious charge. It is a sovereign charge a heavenly charge.

It is an authoritative charge. God has foreordained Timothy the Spirit of God enabled Timothy. Christ sanctified Timothy. But this call this charge never precedes or comes before salvation. But the call to ministry is still a part of God's effectual call.

This is not some general affair. The God who effectually calls sinners to salvation. Effectually calls pastors to pastoral ministry. This is eternally significant. As you remember Paul says that Christ strengthened him.

But he says regarded him faithful putting him into service. When God puts anyone to service when God puts anyone to service for him. It is an eternal call before the foundation of the world. You remember Yahweh's words to Jeremiah in the first chapter of Jeremiah verse 5.

He says before I formed you in the innermost parts what I? knew you. That is an intimate reference to salvation. That God called Jeremiah to salvation. In an intimate fellowship with him before the foundation of the world and he says before you came out of the womb I set you apart.

And then for Jeremiah Yahweh declared I have given you as a prophet to the nations. So there's an intimate reference to the call not only to salvation but to ministry. That is what we call the objective call to ministry.

Where God by his power and grace and sovereign goodness calls a pastor to shepherd his flock. Now men such as myself and others here who are pastors and pastoral ministries and our brother Rob. We didn't have the same experience as Jeremiah did.

But God's call to ministry, and I hope you're listening is before the foundation of the world. It is not an option. It is a necessity. It is a sovereign call. In a very similar way he calls sinners to salvation.

Now the subjective part of the call is when someone senses or somehow is aware of that call. There's a burden. It's a good one. There's a desire. It's a strong desire but then his life matches the doctrine and He cannot he will not dare not do anything but preach Christ.

In paraphrasing the words of Charles Haddon Spurgeon if a man has a desire for ministry, but it's comfortable doing anything else. Do not pursue ministry do that something else. But when he can do nothing else.

The necessity is on him. And woe if he does not preach Christ, he will and he must. It's a glorious call. It's a glorious charge because God Ordained him to pastoral work, but number two God will judge him for his pastoral faithfulness.

God will judge him for his pastoral faithfulness. That is also in verse one I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who is to judge the living and the dead by his appearing and his kingdom.

So the charge in the presence of God the Father and God the Son. You see the bond between the man in ministry and God. So it's not simply something he picks up, but it's not a hobby. It's not a secondary occupation.

There's something Significant about the office and although that is true for everyone in a good vocation. Who is charged? With an office that demands an oath like this. No one. Presidents and leaders take oaths, but it does not carry the same eternal weight.

God the Father and the Son stand as witnesses to this moment and Recognize as you look at this text that the final lines in verse 1 are associated with the charge in verse 2. That as the preacher considers the ministry considers the calling.

He sees the weightiness of the judgment of God. The weightiness of the reality that he has to stand before God to give an account for the deeds that he's done. Sometimes you have to wonder if false teachers don't realize the gravitas of this truth.

What a judgment! Do not many of you become teachers because you will incur a stricter judgment? What severity? I remember a professor saying a few years ago that Imagine standing before God and looking at all the texts that you got wrong as a preacher.

What a gracious judgment that's just using a sanctified imagination. What about those who continue to run rampant to the scriptures with no sense of respect and honor? They read the Word of God and say well, I just this is what I think and feel about it.

Well, the preacher knows that there's a judgment coming. That he's gonna have to give an account for every word. He preaches every cynical statement on the pulpit every critical and harsh statement on the pulpit every crass cold Immoral joke in the pulpit.

He's gonna have to give an account for every drop of every ounce of every letter of every word. This Christ is Coming to judge the living and the dead. Justice. A quick observation. The true servant of God will recognize and acknowledge the Lordship of Christ over the preaching.

Knowing the terror of the Lord he says I persuade men. That Christ will judge everyone impartially. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ so that each one may be Recompensed for the deeds in the body according to what he has done whether good or bad according to 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 verse 10.

He says therefore knowing the terror of the Lord we persuade men for the faithful pastor. This is not the fear of eternal judgment or torment. It is not the fear of punishment it is a holy reverence for the Lord Jesus Christ.

A Faithful preachers not interested in the applauses of men not at all. It is good to encourage the preacher when he preaches well. That you're grateful for what he's preached, but it's almost always better to know that the preaching is transforming your heart.

But the pastor may be aware also of the court of congregational opinion. But there's a great affection and love. He wants to hear the words. Well done thou good and faithful servant. Oh, don't get me wrong a true servant of Christ loves the people.

But he only loves you to the degree that he loves Christ he will only serve to the degree that he's serving Christ and Because he loves you and if he truly loves you he will always remain faithful to the Word of God.

Because God will judge him for pastoral faithfulness. But then there's a third eternal attitude. We just looked at the first of God ordained him to the pastoral work. God will judge him for his pastoral faithfulness.

And number three God called him to preach faithfully. God called him to preach faithfully that is in verse 2 of our text notice that with me preach. The word Be ready in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all Patience and teaching.

Now you and I may know this but it is worth repeating that God's priority. For the pastor dear listener is to preach Christ from the pages of Scripture. So Paul is stressing here this great sense of urgency in preaching the Word of God.

I don't want you to acknowledge and recognize this that a Man can only draw from his well of interest. If the pastor is not interested in the Word of God, you will notice the difference in the pulpit and in his life shallow preaching.

It was as a result of a shallow. Well, it is not deep. There's no depth. There's no depth in Christ. There's no depth in study. There's no depth in meditation of the Word of God. There's no depth to understand the original meaning of the Word of God.

It's just shallow preaching because their heart is shallow. But oh a man of God a slave of Christ is immersed in the Word of God. Because God called him to preach faithfully and he cannot do so unless he is devoted to the Scripture.

If you look back for example 2nd Timothy Chapter 3 just a few verses up in verse 14. But you continue in the things you learned and became convinced of knowing from whom you learn them and that from childhood.

You have known the sacred writings which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus all scriptures. God breathed and profitable for teaching for reproof for correction for training and righteousness so that the man of God may Be equipped haven't been thoroughly equipped for every good work.

See the well of truth began for the preacher and the pastor when he heard the good news by the Spirit of God. The good news penetrated his heart and heart and his stubborn will and The change that God brought about in regeneration produces affection for Christ Affection for truth and then from that grew this desire to preach the Word of God, but listen to what Paul says 1st Timothy 1 verses 15 through 17 it is a trustworthy saying and Deserving full acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners among among whom I am foremost.

If you just observe this with me because this is the gospel this is the glorious good news that Christ came. That is a confession of his deity. He always existed as eternal Son of God from all eternity before the foundation of the world.

But then to say that he came is also to imply that. This is a reference to the incarnation in his humanity truly God. Becoming the God-man to draw sinners to himself. He came as a humblest saved the serf the son of a carpenter born of a woman.

Born under the law to redeem those under the law to fulfill the laws demands of full obedience. So you have even in this text in 1st Timothy chapter 1 to nature's divine and human in one body to rescue lawless rebellious hostile sinners.

Christ Paul says came into the world to save sinners when he says that it means that Christ came as a substitute. To die in our place a perfect Savior dying. Not just for imperfect people not just for flawed people not just when you have these mess-ups and hang-ups.

That's just human folly. He came for those who would mock him ridicule him accuse him slander him sin against him. The helpless the weak the sinner the unable the Hostile the rebellious the sinner who hated God spurned his law spurned his truth.

Dishonored his creation lived immorally pursued sinful pursuits this these are the people that Christ came for. That would be us. To get a preacher acknowledges this he he recognizes that he stands before the people he sees himself as a sinner saved by the grace of God and he wants to draw the unbeliever to this truth that God will open their eyes that they will turn from this and Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for the gift of salvation and it will be folly for me to assume that everyone among us is in Christ.

The preacher never makes that assumption. He appeals If you hear his voice. Do not harden your heart if if Christ is calling to you from the preaching of the Word of God turn to him today. Tomorrow is not the day because tomorrow could be the day of your death now.

It's a day of salvation. Yes, you are that sinner. Yes, you are that rebellion because all have sinned. No one is righteous. No one seeks God. The Spirit of God calls to the preaching of the Word of God to turn and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Today is the day not this evening. Not tomorrow. Not tonight. Not when you get things, right, you will never get things, right? You need the righteous ones to make all things right and he's the Lord Jesus Christ believe upon him and be saved.

That's the preacher. That's the servant. That's the vessel of Christ. He recognizes these truths. But then he will recognize and acknowledges. Paul said yet for this reason I was shown mercy. So that in me as a Foremost Christ Jesus might demonstrate all his patience as an example for those who are going to believe upon him for eternal life.

You know dear listener faithful preaching is natural to the redeemed pastor as breathing and ears to the lungs. But notice in our text it says preach the word. Be ready in season out of season. The word ready for example when applied to the military context means to stay where you are assigned and stick to the task.

The task is to preach the Word of God the inspired Word of God from Genesis to Revelation and any preacher Who dismisses any text of Scripture is not a preacher of the Word of God. If any preacher denies The full inspiration of the scripture he's not a vessel of Christ.

And we have so many cynical pulpit ears today, but they don't love the Lord. You cannot love Christ and not love the word. Because he is the living Word and through him you come to understand the written and revealed Word.

God and his word are one you cannot divide God and his word. When you do so you don't love him. And all that men and women will see this that God will open their eyes to see the hostile pulpit ears. I'm not gonna berate them too long.

They're not worth the time. But it is worth mentioning that you want a man who loves the word who preaches the one who lives without the Word of God. Well if he is then get ready for him. Because the text says he needs to hold his position.

No soldier in active services entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. So for the pastor you must stick to the task. Remain in your post stay in the trenches at all times because guess what the time will come when they want you out of the trenches says in the text that he must be ready in Season out of season and here there is some tension with that.

Both words in season and out of season are from the same Greek word for time so Paul may be referencing a skill in the art of debate or debating and. So the skill is you need to know the best time to speak so you're using your philosophical Rhetoric or the art of communication to persuade the party who's listening.

Well, they do said timing is everything that is a bit of a stretch, but there's some truth to that. So maybe as a pastor he's looking at the audience and he looks at the audience. There may be some level of disinterest in what he's saying.

Maybe there's some bodily gestures displaying some lack of interest in what the preacher is saying. In those moments the pastor does not use a rhetoric to continue. Because right now the the congregations response may be indifference apathy.

Frustration anger and now he's going to employ a rhetoric to try to win them back over. Paul says no. That's out of season. They don't look interested, but that's what they really need. Lovingly declare the truth that God has given you.

It is in those moments. The pastor's mind must be on Christ in Scripture. He must rely on the Spirit of God to impact the listener. In fact, the Apostle Paul as as we look at the Greek text and started even more.

There's a great sense of urgency. That that methods of communication are important, but the content is essentially more important. Preaching well and and the oration or the verbiage or the language speaking in a way that people understand and.

And not stuttering over your words all important, but the content is infinitely more important. So what is relevant is a preacher's readiness to dispatch the Word of God faithfully. Under every condition because he's as an ambassador of Christ.

Commanded to do so as you look at our text under the very same point he is to reprove in and out of season rebuke. In and out of season exhort in and out of season with great patience and teaching. Just to give you an idea of what these words are to reprove faithfully to expose the sin.

But you're not just exposing the sin. The goal is to bring about conviction of sin. Oh. That's an endangered word today. Is it not? Preacher don't convict me make me happy. People want to leave worship happy instead of leaving holy.

That's not the preacher's task. We said well, you know, I go to this church and you know, I know someone goes to church. I mean, they're always coming home. Happy happy people are going to hell. The essence of the Christian life is not happiness.

If salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone that produces a life of godliness. Happy people are going to hell. It is scripture says the work of the Holy Spirit for example to convict or reprove the world of sin.

So what is a preacher doing the preacher is? Preaching the Word of God and the Spirit of God is doing exactly what Jesus said will be done. Reproving to bring about this this Deep sense of conviction of sin and the desire to put that sin off.

So the pastor uses preaching of inspired scripture to Reprove and the truth comes with such power it subjects the listener to the necessary conviction. Producing the fruit of confession of that sin and a turning away of that sin.

That's beautiful. That's encouraging. That I can hear the Word of God this to me is miraculous. Maybe you just grew up as a goody-two-shoes person. But I never had a pair of good shoes in my life. This is glorious that I can actually hear the Word of God and be convicted of sin and joyfully acknowledge that sin.

Sorrow over that sin, but yet joyfully put the sin off to put on the deeds of righteousness me. Maybe you can do it. I'm amazed. I'm amazed that I can obey God and do his will. I'm amazed that I can hear strong preaching from my hard heart and God Softens my heart.

That's amazing. It's miraculous. I mean everyone to themselves a great service. So attend a place of worship where the preacher lays the truth out in love and kindness and tenderness and there there's times for Encouragement as this text says but today we are a lot short in conviction and Too long and comfort.

Our comfort is in the future. Presently enjoyed in Christ, but because of present sin this conflict the preacher preaches. So that the Spirit of God works for the preaching of the truth to bring about the necessary conviction and biblical change.

Well also faithful preaching rebukes says this in verse 2. In season and out of season you're reproving in season out of season you're rebuking. So it's not when the people want it when they ask for it.

This is not taking a straw poll. What sermon do you want to hear today? No it that's not relevant. What's relevant is the preaching of the truth at all times and so rebuke here it involves a very severe preaching.

Addressing the congregation because the preacher saying ladies and gentlemen God is disapproving of the sin. There's a way upon the heart of the listener that God is not pleased with this sin when this happens.

The congregation might start thinking Does the pastor work for the FBI? He's definitely there's a tap in my home. He's he's literally in my business because God is you. Sometimes I don't even want to have a conversation with the congregation before I preach.

Or two throughout the week because when I stand before It's not that I'll do that to talk to them when I stand before them. I Want them to know that these are the words of God and if God has gotten into your business Then he wants you to know he doesn't approve of the same.

But this is true of biblical preaching because it is true of the Word of God. The Word of God is living it is active and it is sharper than any two-edged sword and piercing as far as division of soul and spirit of both joints and Marrow and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart and there is no creature hidden from his sight.

But all things are uncovered and laid bare to the eyes of whom We have an account to give. And here's the reality. The preacher preaches for an all-knowing and all-seeing God. And as he preaches the Word of God it penetrates your heart your rebuke for your sin your rebuke for your laziness your rebuke.

For your lack of response to the Word of God. That's faithful preaching but also In and out of season he exhorts and that's been exhorting to obedience the Word of God. But also couldn't involve. Encouraging the Saints is a time to exhort the believers to obey the Word of God or to encourage them to remember the joys of their salvation in the times of sorrow of Suffering of near-death that to be absent in the body is to be present with the Lord Jesus Christ.

He's aware that the believers need encouragement. You should acknowledge them for their service to the Lord and Let them know that God is not unjust to forget their labor of love. There's a pastor. He's not blind to their labor of love.

He encourages them to remain steadfast in the Word of God in prayer with all patience and careful teaching. The text says. Because he will need to bear up with the challenges of ministry. But the kind of patience here at the end of verse 2 stresses an aspect of provoking.

When he says with great patience. And some would say great patience and careful teaching. It's a long process of bearing up with people who will provoke you not to bear up. But you know this Greek word is found in Galatians chapter 5.

We're all saying sharing this blessing the fruit of the Spirit. The preacher must have this. There's much of his fullness as possible. Because people will provoke him and y 'all look like very nice people.

Drove in through Montana got in the airport and even the animals greeted me. It's just beautiful. The bear the bear didn't bite. There was a moose bench. I mean you guys have animals in the wild you still have them in your homes, but okay fine.

Just just really nice. Nice people. But you're sinners. Aren't you not nice? Sinners. Sounds contradictory, but that's what you are. You love yourself. You love your sin. You idolize your sin. You love enjoyment.

You love pleasures. That's why there's such thing as mortification. Because we have it he has to bear up with that patiently because he knows he Too is a sinner saved by the grace of God. But I have some good news for you.

We know that the pastor's eternal attitude is there because God ordained him to the pastoral work. God will judge him for his pastoral faithfulness. God call him to preach faithfully, but now let's talk about the beautiful congregation at Laurel Bible Church.

Filled with sugar and spice and everything nice. That's what verse three and four says. You're spicy Christians filled with all the sweetness. No, no. No, you're not. And all the kindness is a problem.

Why do you need an eternity minded pastor? You don't need an entertainer. You don't need a pulpit manipulator and we've got to Just have a coffee break right now. We've got to stop putting our children in situations where they're just having fun.

The Word of God says that We're supposed to teach our children. When we're walking. When we're sitting when we're eating. We're going by the way. You didn't say you hand them off to a local daycare center, and they care for the kids eight hours a day.

You drive by 30 miles an hour you throw a McDonald's bag or whatever at Montana McDonald's bag into the daycare center for them to eat. You know hurry in a flurry it's a flash. They don't see you don't hear about Christ.

The coffee break is almost done, and then you drop them off to church. So that they can have fun, and then as they get older guess what? They want to go somewhere because they just want to have it sounds like a secular song to me a Secular mantra.

It is without question the philosophy of the world. And you some quite comfortable be saying that because I'm not your pastor, and I don't think I'm coming back anyway. It's how the world functions is how the world lives.

Our children are not here to have fun. They're here to hear about Christ. And then we pray that God will save them so that they can say that in his presence here. There is fullness of joy and that your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.

We want our kids to know Christ. They can have fun anywhere else but here. The preacher says they must know him. That is true for the adults because why do you need an eternity minded pastor. The coffee break?

Is done. You've enjoyed it praise God number one. Is the second question the second outline you lack? Spiritual endurance. You lack spiritual endurance. This is so profound. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine or the time will come when you Will not think about your spiritual health.

So you meant they may not live that way all the time. But because we are all prone to wander we all have those seasons. We do test the season. Isn't it not to be jolly. It is right, isn't it you guys think I'm tricking you.

Well, you say I want to send a sermon this year. Lighten up on the incarnation. Talk about the presentation of the gifts. No, no Thanksgiving is coming up. I want a turkey sermon with turkey stories turkey themes.

No, here it is pardon me, I want a National Rifle Association sermon. I need a break from just preaching the Bible. Let's talk about current events. The word for sound in verse 3 is a reference to good health.

And so they would use that term to refer to doctrine and sound doctrine is consistent when it matches the truth. But it is from the Word of God what is right? What is faithful? Accurate that will lead to spiritual growth in comparison to false doctrines that usually lead others astray.

But see what is involved in this? The time coming when they will not endure a sound doctrine is the unwillingness to bear up. There it is. So patience in verse 2 of the pastor. He's gonna deal with a congregation to some degree.

Lesser or more in other people of their unwillingness to bear up with his preaching and you know. What happens there, right? There's always something wrong with the sermon, but nothing wrong with the listener.

The pastor has to bear with people who will not bear up with biblical preaching. And one commentator says when you reach this point. You no longer listen willingly. You listen resistively. You listen as a critic.

You listen as a cynic. You listen as a tutor. But not a student of the Word of God when you do not bear up. It means that your tolerance level is low. So what is also implied here is a general sense. This is so so.

Fearfully humbling because we are all prone to do. This is a general sense of rejection. But of course at first it doesn't seem. So if you're rejecting it could be just a subtle dismissive attitude to what the preacher's sermon.

But it could be as I said earlier conveyed in bodily gestures. To the point that as you even listen to the sermon Preach you're imagining what a different preacher might sound like and guess what? Everyone else will always sound better than your pastor when you get to this point.

You would even prefer a bot preacher. You know those robots. You know this every satellite church is a robotic church. Someone attends a place of fellowship and the past isn't on a big screen. He's pastor pixel or pastor bot.

It's not a man of God. He's fake. He's not real. He's a fraud. He said well a lot of them are preaching the truth. They can't be preaching the truth and deny the essence of pastoral ministry. I Preach publicly and from house to house.