Jason Webb Ordination Service

2 Timothy chapter 3. Begin reading at verse 14 and read through verse 5 of chapter 4.! We find here more instruction for the minister of God's truth.

! But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it. And how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing in His kingdom, I give you this charge. Preach the Word. Be prepared in season and out of season.

Correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations. Endure hardship. Do the work of an evangelist.

Discharge all the duties of your ministry. Jason, I thank the Lord for you, brother. Stephanie, we're thankful that the Lord has given you to Jason to be his helper.

That obviously applies primarily to the home, but we as a church will benefit from that as well. And Eowyn and Phoebe, we're thankful for your mother and father and for you.

This is a special day in their lives. And it's a special day in our life as a church as well. This is a historic day for us as we ordain and install the fourth elder in the short life and history of this church.

All of whom are still in the land of the living. But it's the first pastor to be raised up in this church. And for that, we are especially thankful to God and his mercy.

He has been good to us. And as Pastor Aaron said, we trust that in his kindness, it will not be the last that he raises up in this church. So it's with a keen sense of God's steadfast love for us as a congregation that I deliver this charge to you, my brother.

Now, in 2 Timothy, we have the Apostle Paul's departing charge to Timothy, his son in the faith. After some 30 years of labor for Christ, Paul is about to be executed by the Romans and to depart for heaven's shore.

And he leaves Timothy with these sobering last words that must have long after Paul was gone from the scene echoed in his ears.

Now, if Paul had put a copyright on his charge, I would be in trouble this morning because I'm going to be borrowing very heavily from Paul's charge in my charge to you.

It's basically taking his charge to Timothy. And in that way, this charge will not so much be my charge to you as it will be God himself's charge to you.

Because this is a charge that he gives to his ministers. And he is today designating you a minister of the gospel in this church.

So God has not only chosen and equipped you for this office, he is also here giving you a charge concerning it. So let's all turn to 2 Timothy chapter 3, if you're not already there.

The context, as we've heard readings from both first, the first letter to Timothy and the second letter to Timothy, the situation of the day was that false teachers were everywhere.

Promoting their formless power. Or I should say their powerless form of worship. Opposing the truth of the scriptures, deceiving many and being deceived.

Wickedness was abounding. Permissive morality prevailed. Truth was unpopular. And as if that was not enough, it was all going to get worse. And that's what he tells Timothy.

Now, what is a minister of the gospel to do in times like these? And Jason, what are you to do in times today that are so similar to the situation and the scenes painted by the Apostle Paul in his day?

I have two things to set before you this morning. Two main imperatives, commands in this section of scripture. We have verses 14 through 17 in chapter 3 that form the first section of scripture.

And there's one command in that passage. It's the imperative continue. Continue in the word. Paul says that from infancy, Timothy had known the holy scriptures which were able to make him wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

He had learned the scriptures from his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice. From them he learned about who God is and what he requires.

He learned about his own sinfulness. That he was under the wrath of God deservedly. And from them he also learned. Of the only savior for sinners.

The Lord Jesus Christ. And so from them he was made wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. It seems he was converted fairly early on in life.

We find in Acts 16 that by the time the Apostle Paul made that visit to his hometown of Lystra. Timothy's hometown of Lystra.

That Timothy was already a strong disciple of Jesus Christ. The sort that all the brothers spoke well of him. They knew him to be the genuine article.

And so Paul took him along on his missionary journey and became a spiritual father to him. And they spent many years together. And so from Paul as well as his mother and grandmother, Timothy learned the holy scriptures.

He got off to a great start. But as anyone who's ever watched a race knows. It's not enough to make a great start.

You have to run well. The race all the way through the finish line. And you see the fact was that not everyone was continuing in the holy scriptures.

Some who started well enough had since wandered away from the truth. We read in chapter 2. And their teaching was now spreading like gangrene.

And was destroying the faith of some. And even Paul's own fellow worker Demas. We read in chapter 4 and verse 10. And had deserted out of a love for this present world.

And these evil imposters. Verse 13 of chapter 3. Were deceiving and being deceived. And so Paul comes to verse 14 of chapter 3 and says.

But as for you. Whatever others all around you are doing. As for you brother. Continue. Continue. That's the one imperative in the whole section from verse 10 through 17.

Continue. Continue in what you have learned. And have become convinced of. Abide. Remain. Stay put. Don't let anything move you from it.

Now Jason like Timothy. You have known the holy scriptures from infancy. Your mother and father are here today. And Jim and Becky we rejoice with you.

They brought you up on the word of God. And there are pastors and Sunday school teachers all over this room. For the past two decades.

Have taught you. The word of God. Nearly 13 years ago you came to us wanting to be baptized. In profession of your faith in Jesus Christ.

And you began your testimony with these words. I was blessed by God as a child to be raised in a Christian home. Where the scriptures were held up. And taught on a continual basis.

I was also privileged to be able to attend a church where the whole counsel of God was proclaimed weekly. In Sunday school. And in the sermons. And you went on to tell.

Of how the Lord saved you. You realized you couldn't be saved on the coattails of your parents faith. And so you told us that. I took it upon myself to prepare my soul for death and the judgment.

Children. This is as a young boy that he did this. Before he had reached the teenage years. He took it upon himself to prepare for death and judgment.

And I would in an effort to save my soul. Obey my parents. Pick up my room. And be nice to my sisters. But all these strivings would of course fail.

After so many failures. I just gave up. Thinking that if I was to be saved. It would have to be later. Later.

That's the devil's word children. Later. Because you know what happened later to Jason. As a little boy. His heart became hard. His heart became cold.

To things that mom and dad. And Sunday school teachers and preachers. Were saying to him about God. My heart grew harder and harder. To much that was being said in church.

Not caring about my soul and sin. Doubting God's own existence. And thinking that even if he did exist. That he wouldn't judge a person of my young age.

That's where later takes you. Outside of Christ. Oh get into Christ today. He says about 15 years old.

The Lord began working in my heart. Pressing upon me the weight of my sin. And guilt before God. Thankfully I knew from what I had heard. That the only place I could go. To take the guilt and condemnation away.

Was to Jesus Christ. Christ. And so the Holy Ghost. Graciously drove him to the Lord Jesus. In prayer. And he begged him to have mercy.

And he did. And he saved you. And your testimony ends. Thanking God for the wonderful miracle. He performed in your life. He transformed me from one who hated his rule.

And his voice. Into one whose only true joy and pleasure. Is him. The God of my salvation. May the Lord. Ever. Be praised.

And we do praise the Lord. For having saved you. From your sins. And for having made the Holy Scriptures. That you learned from infancy. To be the thing that made you wise.

For salvation through faith. In Jesus Christ. Well. Since then. You've continued to be taught. And continued to learn the Scriptures. Not long ago. You completed a seminary degree.

Some four to five years more. Of learning. And over the last 14 months. Of your internship. You've been weekly studying. And learning. So that you come to this day.

Having learned the Holy Scriptures. And I charge you my brother. To continue. To continue. In that which you have learned.

To remain in these things. Others all around you. Are running ahead. To some new theology. Some new morality. A new reformation. An itch for the novel.

Just let them run on by. But as for you. Continue. In what you've learned. And have become convinced of. Don't be moved. Knowing those from whom you've learned them.

You've been able to observe. Our life and character. To see whether or not the fruits of truth. Are seen. Here. And whether or not these things truly are.

From the Word of God. I tell you to continue. In what you've learned. Because what you have learned. And become convinced of.

Are the truths. Of the Holy Scriptures. And those things. Are God breathed. And useful. Paul says next. They're useful. Because they are God breathed. Verse 16.

Of chapter 3. All scripture. Is God breathed. And is useful. For teaching. Rebuking. Correcting. And training in righteousness. So that the man of God.

May be thoroughly equipped. For every good work. Now I want you to see. That the first use. Of the God breathed scripture. For the man of God.

Is not to find a sermon. To preach. To others. That's coming. In chapter 4. In verse 2. Preach. The word. But here.

In the end of chapter 3. Is the first use. For you. And that is. To preach it. To yourself. Or even better. To have. The living God. Preach it to you.

Through. His God breathed. Word. You Jason. Stand in need. Of all. That God has said. All scriptures. You're the one.

Who needs. This teaching. To instruct you. How to think. What to believe. You're the one. Who stands in need. Of its rebukes. And its corrections.

To turn you away. From error. And from sin. From your strain. Your wrong thinking. And to bring your feet. Back into the path. Of righteousness. You need.

Its training. In righteousness. Its training. In right living. And so. To. Rightly. Minister. The word of God. To others. It must first.

Minister. To you. And I believe. That's. Part of what. Paul's saying here. You continue. In these things. Yourself. First. Before you preach. Them to others. It must dwell.

In you. Richly. First. And the greater part. Of your sermon. Preparation. Week by week. Is the preparation. Of you. The preacher. Having this word.

Grip you. Mold you. And shape you. And make you. To be. An illustration. Of what you will then. Preach. To the congregation.

Now this same. Priority. Is seen in Paul's words. To other elders. We think of the elders. At Ephesus. It wasn't just Timothy. But. In Acts 20. In verse 28. He's speaking to the elders.

At Ephesus. And he says to them. Keep watch. Over yourselves. And. All the flock. Over which the Holy Spirit. Has made you. Overseers.

Keep watch. Over yourselves. And he tells Timothy. In first Timothy. 416. As we heard read. Watch your life. And doctrine.

Closely. Persevere in them. Continue. Continue. Because if you do. You will save. Both yourself. And your hearers. But if you don't.

You will have. The peculiar. Distinction. Of being one. Who was used. To save others. But to lose. Your own. Soul. So. Watch your life.

And doctrine. Closely. Persevere in them. Now. Why is Paul. So emphatic. Why is it. That when he's. Speaking to ministers. It seems like.

He's. Forever saying. Start with yourself. Well. It's because. We who are called. To preach. To others. Face. The ever present. Temptation. To shortcut.

This. First. And priority. Use of scripture. For the man of God. And to jump on. To the second. Which is to preach. To others. Because preparing sermons.

And all the other tasks. Of the ministry. Or. Can get so demanding. And overwhelm us. We can tell ourselves. We simply don't have time. To linger. In prayer. And meditation. Over.

The word of God. To me. To me. How many. Fallen pastors. Would trace. Their fall back. To when they started.

Cheating. On their time. Alone with God. And his word. Paul must say to. Those who are teaching. In his day. In Romans 2.

You then. Who teach. Others. Do you not. Teach. Yourself. You who preach. Against stealing. Do you. Steal. You who say.

That people. Should not. Commit adultery. Do you. Commit. Adultery. So continue. In what you've learned. Continue. In the scriptures.

Where we meet. With the Lord Jesus. The chief shepherd. Who by meeting. With him. Prepares us. Then to go. And to minister. To others. Notice.

It's all scripture. That thoroughly. Equips. The man of God. For every good work. A mason. Without a trowel. Is ill equipped.

For his task. A carpenter. Without his saw. Is next to worthless. A farmer. Without his tractor.

And the preacher. Without the scriptures. Goes into battle. Without a sword. And as the Lord.

Sends you. To your work today. He is saying. Jason. Here's your equipment. Here's your equipment. That will completely. Thoroughly. Sufficiently.

Equip you. For everything. That you will face. In the ministry. All that I have said. Here. Is sufficient.

For all that I will ask you to do. So continue in the scriptures. Live in them. And. Live in them. Until they start living in you.

Richly. As Paul says. So let others. Chase after other studies. And other pursuits. But you. Be a man of primarily. One book. The God breathed.

Holy scriptures. That's the first command. Continue. In what. You have learned. But there's a second. Main. Command. In. This section. This. This passage.

Verses. One through five. Of. Chapter four. As he continues on. Into chapter four. And this second. Main imperative. Is found in verse. Two. Preach.

The word. Do you see the. The continuity of thought. Continue in the word. Yourself. The word that you've learned. Continue in it. And now preach it. To others. And that order.

Is so important. Now the phrase. We have here. Preach. The word. States. Both the activity. Preach. And. The object.

The word. And we're going to take them. In that order. First of all. Preach. Keruxo. Announce. Proclaim. Make known. It was the word.

Used for the king's herald. It's what a herald does. We don't have heralds today. Let me introduce you. To a herald.

He's a rather ordinary man. And I suppose there were many. Who wouldn't even give him. The time of day. To hear his opinion. On much that he said. But there were. Times.

Certain times. Certain times. When. He spoke. That every ear. Strained. To hear everything. He said. You see.

He's the king's herald. And so he rides. From the king's palace. Into the town. Marketplace. Where. Most of the people. Would be gathered.

And he holds. His. Long. Trumpet. And. The banner. Unfurls. From his trumpet. With the king's. Ensign.

And he gives. A loud. Blast. On his trumpet. And the blacksmith. Lays down his hammer. And the farmer. Leaves. His field. And the women. Leave their kitchens.

And the children. Leave their playing. And everyone. Converges. Around. This man. With the trumpet. To his lips. And then the herald.

Unrolls. A paper. With the king's. Seal. And he reads. The words. Of the king. To his subjects. Hear ye. Hear ye. This is what. Your sovereign. Says.

And everyone. Is all ears. At that moment. That's the work. Of a herald. That's what he did. He didn't compose. The message. The words.

Didn't originate. With him. They came. From the king. Himself. So. He was not free. To use his creativity. To edit. The message. He couldn't say. Well I don't think. This message.

Will go down. Well in Bremen. The Bremen folk. I know them. And they won't like. This bit. About higher taxes. Let's scrub that. And let's. Let's put in. A few other. Niceties. Such use of creativity.

Would have found. This man. Rewarded. On the. Hangman's noose. No. His job. Was simply.

To announce. The word. Of the king. Dear brother. Every time. You step. Into this pulpit. You come.

To. To us. In the posture. Of a herald. With a word. From the king. And we desperately. Need to know. What king. Jesus. Has to say. To us. So tell us.

Tell it to us. Illustrate it. Explain it. Help us to understand it. But give it. To us straight. Don't sugarcoat it. Don't tamper.

With the message. Preach. Herald. The word. Someone says. Preaching is passe. That activity.

Is long gone. Monologue. Is out. Dialogue. Is in. Drama. And dance. Are in.

But please. No preaching. Modern. Sophisticated. Independent. Man. Has no stomach. For authoritative. Verbal.

Proclamation. Well. That may be. Jason. But you. Are to preach. The word. Whatever man's. Taste. May be. Our king. Has spoken. And he has.

Chosen. The preaching. Of the word. To be his. Primary. Instrument. By which. He saves. People. From eternal. Destruction. And he. Builds. Up. The faith.

Of his. People. So trust. His chosen. Method. And preach. That's. The imperative. Given to you.

And we're not. Left to guess. The object. Of your preaching. Preach. The word. The same. God breathes. Word. That you need. And that you are. To continue in. We need it too. We need all of it.

Just as you do. We need it. To thoroughly. Equip us. For life. And for godliness. Now we can survive. Without knowing. What you think. On a. Any number. Of subjects.

We don't need to know. What. Other men think. About God. And life. But we desperately. Need to know. What God says. And what he thinks.

Every word. That he has said. Sinners. Will be damned. Because they do not. Have the knowledge. Of God's word.

Saints. Will live. Crippled lives. Because they do not. Have the knowledge. Of God's word. It's the word.

Of his grace. That is able. To build us up. And to give us. An inheritance. Among those. Who are sanctified. So preach.

The word. Charles Spurgeon. Was the great preacher. Of the 1800s. And. He said. If when he got to heaven. God gave him the command. To preach. For all of eternity.

He would just say. Somebody give me a bible. Just give me a bible. And I'll have at it. The bible. The word. An infinite.

Source. Of delights. A deep. Deep. Mine. Of jewels. Rich and rare. A treasury. Of knowledge. The written. Word. Of God. And that.

Book. Is in your hands. And it is your charge. And your delight. To preach it. To live in it. To let it live in you. And then to preach it. To sinners.

And saints alike. Now verse 2. Of the text. Goes on. To unpack further. Your charge. To preach the word. They too are imperatives. But I believe. The main imperative.

Is preach the word. Now here's some supporting. Information. On this charge. To preach the word. He talks about the when. The time of your preaching.

He says. Be prepared. In season. And out of season. Now there's. Two times. Two kinds of time. For hunters. There's in season. And there's out of season.

A time when you do it. A time when you don't do it. But for you. Preaching is always in season. You are to preach the word. Whether it's in season. Or out of season. Because. For you.

You're always duty bound. To be preaching. God's word. Whether convenient. Or inconvenient. Whether expected. Or.

When opportunities arise. Unexpectedly. In the pulpit. And out of the pulpit. Be prepared. In season. And out of season.

Be prepared. When you come to the pulpit. To preach the word. And. So let the word of God. Dwell in you richly. That. You always have a sense.

Of preparedness. To give. A word. Fitting. To the situation. And then he says. Correct. Rebuke. And encourage. Now if you're simply.

Preaching the word of God. You will be doing these things. Because the Bible. Does those things. The Bible. Rebukes. Corrects. And encourages. As we saw in chapter 3. In verse 16. And how many times.

When you come to this pulpit. We will be out there. And we will be straying. We will be straying like sheep. In our minds. We will start thinking. Certain things about God.

That are not true. Certain things about. His love. That are not true. His wrath. That are not true. Things about life. We'll start straying. From his commandments.

And your preaching. Of God's word. Will correct. And rebuke us. And will pull us back. Onto the path. Of righteousness.

The highway. Of holiness. Don't let us. Keep falling. Don't let us. Keep straying. Interrupt. Our fall.

With the preached word. Show us. Where we're going wrong. Show us. Point out the path. That we're to return to. Rescue us. Catch us. In the net.

Of the preached word. It's God's means. For our recovery. It's God's means. For our persevering. To the end. In the way of holiness. You're handling matters.

Of life and death. Saving yourself. And your hearers. And if you lack. A clear conscience. Because of some. Ongoing controversy.

Of sin. Between you and God. You will come. To the congregation. And that controversy. Will take those words. Of rebuke and correction. Right out of your mouth. And you will be.

Like those preachers. In Israel. Mute dogs. That cannot bark. Keep short accounts. With God. Let his word. Rebuke you.

And correct you. And then come. Rebuke. And correct us. And how many times. Will we sit before you. With heavy. Hearts. And droop. And drooping arms.

Wondering. Wondering. If it's worth it. At all. To go on. Another step. In the way of holiness. As we're swimming. Upstream. In the current. Of this world. And everyone's going.

The other direction. There will be many days. Where we're weary. We're tired. And we're thinking. Is it worth it? Then come to us.

With the encouragement. Of the scriptures. That word. That renews us. That refreshes us. That encourages us. And revives. Our drooping hope.

And encourages us. In the way. We so easily forget. The word of encouragement. That addresses us. As sons. So. Remind us. Often. Of it.

Preach the word. And do it. With great patience. And careful instruction. Paul goes on. To say. This is the manner. Of preaching. And rebuking. Correcting.

And encouraging. With great patience. And careful instruction. Paul knew. This was the need. He had to write. Second. And third letters.

To the same churches. Often. Because they didn't get it. The first time. And Jason. We won't. Get it. The first time. Always. Either. Not even.

Jesus. Disciples. Got it. The first time. From the perfect. Preacher. And how. Patiently. He bore. With them. Over and over. He dealt. With their fears. Their pride.

Their arguing. About who's the greatest. Their unbelief. How many times. Did he say. Oh. You of little faith. How slow. You are.

To believe. All that the prophets. Have said. Do you still. Not. Understand. Hebrews 5. Talks of those. Those who are slow. To learn.

And sometimes. We will be slow. To learn. Those who should. By now. Be teaching others. Who still need. To be taught. The elementary truths. of the faith.

Jason is the Lord Jesus, not exercise great patience in shepherding your soul. Stay close to Jesus and he will keep the tone of harshness even out of your rebukes and correction.

Hebrews 5 says that every high priest is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray. Why? Since he himself is subject to weakness. This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as for the sins of the people.

So if you're confessing your own sins, it will make you preach with great patience. Do you get the picture? The high priest. And people in the old covenant, when they came confessing their sins, would bring their animals, their sin offering, and would confess their sin over that animal and then it would be slain and the blood applied and...

And could a priest, could a priest rail upon some Israelite for having fallen again to his sin when he still had the blood on his apron from his earlier offering in the day when he first had to come and confess his sins to God so that he might be able to deal gently, patiently with others who are ignorant and going astray.

Oh, preach the word with great patience and careful instruction. Labor to show and convince us from the scriptures itself.

That's why you're to be able to teach. Careful instruction. Doctrine. Teaching us from the scriptures. Now, we've skipped a verse, haven't we?

Verse 1. And we're returning to it now because this is how this charge is introduced. Verse 1 says, In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge.

Preach the word. So this charge to preach the word is given to Timothy in the light of certain realities. There are certain things to keep in mind and to remember.

And as you do, they will exert a powerful influence in helping you to fulfill this charge that we've given you. So, Jason, I leave you with these God-given incentives.

Spurs to motivate you and to help you. First of all, in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, I give you this charge. Here's heaven's interest in the charge of God's ministers to preach the word.

God, the Father, and Son are present to witness this charge of the gospel minister. And so what's happening here today is not going to make headline news in the papers tomorrow, but it's making headlines in heaven.

God is here to witness this charge of another one of his gospel ministers in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus. I give you this charge.

He's here because he's giving another shepherd to his flock. And what are his flock to him? Well, the Father did not spare his own son to purchase this flock.

And the Son of God himself laid down his life and bought them with his own life's blood. And he's the one who has chosen and saved you and then gifted and called you to this ministry.

So with great interest, the Father and Son are present to witness this charge to preach the word and care for his flock. They're his sheep and he wants you to shepherd them.

And so he says to you, even as he said to Peter, if you love me, feed my sheep. Never forget the interest of heaven and what you're giving yourself to today.

For the love of Christ and the Father who are present, preach the word. And it's not only in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, but it's in the presence of God and Christ Jesus who will judge the living and the dead and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge.

Let the coming day of judgment keep you faithful to preach the word. Things look different from the judgment seat of Christ. How much that consumes our time here will appear trifles there.

How weighty the souls of men and spiritual matters will look then. How important that men be found in Christ then. And Jason, every one of your hearers will one day stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

So warn them, prepare them for this day. Fire is going to test the quality of your work with which you built. And if you built with wood, hay and stubble, mere professors of Christianity and building up the church, fire will consume them in the day of judgment.

Your work has to do with the eternal destinies of men with saving yourself and others. Preach the word as you wish you had on the day of judgment. But not only will they be judged at his coming, remember you have your own accounting to give in that day for how you kept watch over the flock.

Hebrews 13, 17. They, that is the overseers, keep watch as men who must give an account. And James says, not many should be teachers because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.

So the Lord Jesus comes from heaven to purchase his sheep. He dies for them. He rises for them. He ascends back into heaven. And now he says to his shepherd boys, you watch over them.

And I'm going to come back one day. And when I do, I'm going to be coming to your house. And I'm coming to you to ask you, how did you keep watch over my sheep? My precious blood-bought sheep.

How did you do? And you'll have to give an account. And if you fail in this charge to preach the word, you'll have a hard time of it, brother.

Woe to the shepherd who cares not for the sheep, who cares only for himself, who does not strengthen the weak or heal the sick or bind up the injured, has not brought back the strays or search for the lost, but has ruled them harshly and brutally.

He's coming back. And in view of his coming, preach the word. And oh, it will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing when he comes.

To hear his well done, good and faithful servant will be heaven enough. And so Peter says to all the elders who are faithful in shepherding God's flock, when the chief shepherd appears, then you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

And so it's with these things in view that I give you this charge and that you are to carry out this charge. The presence of God in the Lamb.

The day of judgment. The day of his coming. And of his kingdom. And that will help you to preach the word.

For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they'll gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. And those seeds were already there when Paul wrote to Timothy.

And they would only get worse. And in our day as well, we see that spirit that was found in the people of God in the days of the people of the world in Isaiah's day who said to the prophets, give us no more visions of what's right.

Tell us pleasant things. Prophesy illusions. Leave this way. Get off this path and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel. We don't like being confronted about our sin and God's judgment.

And it seems to me that much of the failure of the modern evangelical pulpit is right here in this. They're not teaching out-and-out heresy, but they are not confronting, rebuking, correcting sin.

So on the one hand, the Lord Jesus is charging you to preach the word. All of it. Rebukes and correction included. And on the other hand, popular religious culture is telling you to quit preaching or at least to only speak of pleasant things, seeker-friendly things.

So what is the minister to do in such a climate? Preach the word. But they won't listen. Doesn't matter. Preach the word.

They won't like it. Doesn't matter. I know that, Paul would say. But surveys show that churches won't grow in numbers. Preach the word. John Calvin said, the more determined men become to despise the teaching of Christ, the more zealous should godly ministers be to proclaim it.

There's one voice that's to weigh in heavier than all the rest. It's the charge given by the chief shepherd himself. Men's opinions and praises will soon appear to be the worthless nothings they are.

And Jesus' praise alone will soon be everything. So preach the word. Continue in it and then preach it to others, letting nothing move you.

And keep your head in all situations. Endure hardship. Do the work of an evangelist. Discharge all the duties of your ministry and know that in Christ is every grace that you will ever need.

keep your neck in the yoke with Christ. Learning from him. Drawing strength from him. It's in his own presence.

The Lord Jesus is here that we say preach the word. Congregation, you'll receive your charge this afternoon.

But I can't help but make this application this morning. And especially those of you who are lost and outside of Christ. It is only through the knowledge of the scriptures that you will ever be made wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

And what is the kindness of God in heaven this morning to give another preacher of the word of God to this church? Children, what is the kindness of Jesus to have put you in a home where the gospel is taught?

To put you in a church where Sunday school teachers teach you the word of God and preachers preach it to you? What is his kindness in giving another preacher of the gospel that you not walk on in the dark like most of the world but that you have the light of the gospel shining on you?

Isn't Jesus good? Then how have you responded to this goodness of God? Children, if you have not embraced the Savior then you have rejected the Savior.

If you are not in Christ this morning then you have said no to this Savior. To whom much is given much will be required.

Oh, that on this day when we have seen again the kindness of our God in giving the word that saves the gospel of Jesus Christ that you would come to Jesus Christ and be saved.

And that we as a congregation would hear all the words that the King has to say to us. I'd like to call up Jason Webb and Pastor Bob and Pastor Aaron at this time.

Jason, as we install you now to serve as an elder in this church we ask you to publicly answer the following questions. Do you believe that the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inerrant word of God the only infallible rule of what to believe and how to live and do you reject every teaching in conflict with them?

Thank you. Do you conscientiously affirm that the confessional standard of this church the Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689 is the confession of your faith and of the system of doctrine taught in the Bible and do you promise before God and these witnesses that you will not knowingly teach anything contrary to this standard and if you should at any time move from this confession that you will immediately make this known to the church.

Are you willing to uphold the constitution of this church believing that it conforms to the doctrines and general principles of scripture?

Do you willingly then accept the office of elder in this church and promise to strive by the grace of God to faithfully perform all its duties to give yourself continually to prayer and the ministry of the word and to watch over yourself and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you an overseer?

Will you subject yourself to the oversight of your fellow elders believing yourself to be a sheep in need of shepherds? and do you promise to make Jesus Christ the main theme of your preaching and living to adorn the gospel in your everyday life and to set a worthy example before the church as you strive for its purity peace and edification?

please kneel here then while we pray and plead with God for enabling grace to be upon you let us all pray our father in heaven hallowed be your name your kingdom come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven and that is our earnest desire this morning oh lord because of your sovereign will because of your wisdom that cannot be thwarted you have brought us to another mountaintop here at Grace Fellowship Church and for this we give you praise we thank you that we can come in the name of the head of the church the Lord Jesus Christ and recognize again that he is the great prophet that teaches us the will of God because we are so ignorant he is our great priest who died for us and who prays for us because we are so sinful and he is our great king who rules over us and defends us because we are so weak and needy we come in his name the Lord Jesus Christ who recognized this morning as the one who calls and appoints and equips those who would go into the harvest field to proclaim his doctrine his word his law his gospel and so we thank you for our brother Jason this morning we thank you for saving him we thank you for giving him a great love for his Lord for giving him love for the work that lies ahead of him for giving him love for your law and your gospel for giving him love for your people for giving him love for lost sinners and so we beg of you

Lord Jesus as the head of the church meet him every day in his studies meet him as he prays meet him as he sings meet him as he reads meet him Lord as he preaches and as he teaches and as he counsels and as he corrects and rebukes and encourages and trains in every aspect of the work that you've called him to meet him reveal yourself to him cause him to delight in his Savior and his Lord and grant Heavenly Father that in his times of weakness you would give him strength in his times of trials you would give him your joy and when men would cause him to fear give him the fear of God and grant Heavenly Father that he may always know that he has many brothers and sisters praying for him encouraging him supporting him and submitting to his oversight that the church of Jesus Christ may grow and prosper that men and women boys and girls would repent of their sins and come to the knowledge of the Savior and Father we thank you for giving him his dear wife

Stephanie and we pray for her and ask that you would grant her much grace in this new undertaking that she would support and love and encourage her dear husband and that in their home there might be that humble holy hospitality that would even draw others to Christ thank you for their dear children for Eowen and for Phoebe and for others that you may give them and grant Father that they may learn what it is to trust the Savior to repent of their sins and to walk in the way of holiness and Lord that they might not just be preachers kids but they may be sons and daughters of the living God amen and so Father hear our weak prayer and grant much grace to our brothers and grant Father that the the love of God and the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit may be on Jason and his whole family indeed upon all of us from this time forth now and forevermore amen amen man would have to be a fool to undertake what Jason has just undertaken if there was no living God to equip him he's aware of that and

I know we are as well so this closing hymn is a is a hymn for the preacher to sing on such an occasion that God would bless it and so we will enter into that prayer of Jason as we together sing our prayer to the Lord 631 631 in your hymnal let's stand as we cry out to God together for the blessing of God upon his ministry may may may may