When I’m preparing for a gospel meeting (as I’ve been this past week), regardless of the specific subjects I’ve chosen, I always take time to review once again the counsel of Paul the apostle to two of his apprentices, Timothy and Titus. These letters serve to remind me what the work of an evangelist is, and what the charge is that I’ve taken up in accepting an invitation to preach. In fact, I have a sermon entitled “The Primacy of Preaching” that I often present in meetings (though I’m not using it this week) that talks about what gospel preaching is and why it is of vital importance.

To Titus Paul wrote, “Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you” (Titus 2:15). By “these things” Paul referred to “the things which are proper for sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1). Soundness of doctrine can only be measured one way: by the word of God (2 Timothy 1:13; 3:16-17; Acts 17:11). Whenever I preach, I do my best to stick to what the Scriptures say. It’s not my prerogative to invent anything new, or to go beyond what is written (1 Corinthians 4:6). Occasionally one hears preachers, in gospel meetings and elsewhere, deliver sermons that contain less Bible truth than a bag of fortune cookies. While I’m fairly well-read and conversant with a broad variety of secular subjects, when I stand before an audience as a preacher of the gospel I’m obligated and compelled to speak “these things,” not all of “those things” that might entertain and even inform in some material way, but have no power to save the soul (Romans 1:16).

Paul told Titus to “exhort.” Exhortation is urging someone to take action. When I preach, I strive to be sure that I urge the listener to do what God wants him or her to do, as His word instructs. I’ve heard plenty of sermons over the years that didn’t urge anyone to do anything. One could easily walk away from such a sermon and never have a clue that he was actually supposed to do something, based upon what he just heard. Now, different sermons have different purposes, and not every sermon necessarily has to be a “call to arms,” as it were. But every sermon that has God“s word at its core and throughout its structure should cause the listener to ponder the question, “Now that I know this, what do I do?” Peter’s sermon on Pentecost certainly had that effect. I hope that at least the majority of my sermons do too.

Paul also told Titus to “rebuke.” When I accept a meeting invitation, I don’t see it as my responsibility (or even my right) to try and fix from the pulpit everything that might be “wrong” with that congregation. But I do think it right, by the counsel of Scripture, to address areas that may be weaknesses in the understanding of some. I preached a meeting some years ago for a particular congregation where I taught a great deal during the week about the authority of Scripture; first, because it’s a sound topic, and second, because accounts I’d heard about that congregation caused me to suppose that such teaching might be needed. (I received a number of comments during that meeting along the lines of, “We haven’t heard preaching about these things in a long time!” I was not surprised.) But because I more often don’t know the specific needs of a particular church, I’ll try to teach on some issues that, in my observation, seem to be neglected by Christians everywhere. I almost always include at least one lesson on Bible authority for that very reason—it’s Tuesday this week, if you’re curious.

I’m looking forward to spending these few days with the brethren who’ve invited me. I pray that when the week is done, they will agree that I have fulfilled my charge to “speak these things.” And whether the listeners agree or not, I pray that my Lord and theirs will judge me to have done so. I trust that God will always grant to me as His servant that in any situation I may with all boldness speak His word (Acts 5:29).