Andy Sochor has been preaching for the Eastside church of Christ since 2005. He and his wife have five children. In addition to preaching here, he also has written extensively on his website – Plain Bible Teaching.
The Work of a Preacher
“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2).
The fundamental responsibility of a preacher is to “preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:2). If one fails to do this, he is not doing the work of an evangelist and fulfilling his ministry (2 Timothy 4:5). To be able to fulfill his work in preaching the word, he must “be ready in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2) – ready, willing, and able to preach the gospel at all times. The message is too important to withhold it from those who need to hear it. In preaching the word, one must “reprove, rebuke, [and] exhort” (2 Timothy 4:2). People like exhortation. They want to be encouraged and built up. But often times, they do not appreciate being reproved and rebuked for sin and error. However, a preacher cannot let himself be persuaded to teach anything less than the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). To fulfill his ministry, one must preach the whole truth, even when it is unpopular.