Preach the Word In Season and Out of Season

Written by Warren |Posted on November 6, 2008 | Comments

In my early professing Christian life I wouldn’t like or feel comfortable when I talk about Christianity, the Bible, or God. Especially to folks whom I know aren’t Christians. I would limit myself into discussing such matters within the four walls of our church building. I’m not here to talk about such. We’re not in a Church. It’s not in my calendar. But as I grow in Christ, or since my true conversion, I couldn’t really tell the difference cause I myself was being deceived, as I mature in Christ talking about God is something hard to avoid. I would talk to my wife about it. Talk to our maid about it. Even talk to our neighbors or some other folks I know about it. But still it requires certain discipline; It requires for me to initiate the discussion. It’s not like it’ll fall on my lap without my notice. No. I need to somehow divert the discussion into discussing more important things. Which is the Bible. And for me it’s not that easy. But the burden is getting heavier and heavier as I grow. That is why I can’t avoid discussing spiritual things to most.

The Apostle Paul instructed Timothy to “preach the Word, be ready in season and out of season…” (2 Tim 4:2). I love how the King James Version used the word “instant” there. Instead of saying “Be ready…” it says “Be instant.” Be instant “in season and out of season.” The first “season” in this phrase is eukairos. Which means conveniently or opportunely. Paul is saying preach the Word in your convenient time. Then the second “season” in the sentence is akairos which means inopportunely. Preach the Word even in out-of-place events! The Apostle Paul gave instruction to be ready even in unexpected times. When it is convenient and when it is not. Whether you’re inside the Church building or whether you’re out to dine with friends or loved ones. Whether you’re on schedule or not. This simply means that…

“proclaiming God’s Word must not be dictated by popular culture and propriety, by tradition, by esteem in the community (Or even in the church), but solely by the mandate of the Lord.”
-MacArthur, John F., 2 Timothy: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, (Chicago: Moody Press) 1995.

The Word of God must be running our lives and not our calendar. Not our jobs. Not pop-culture. Not schools. We’re not being silent for the name of professionalism or ethics. We’re not avoiding preaching the Word because we don’t want them to be offended. No. We love them enough that the Word of God must be preached to them even if it will hurt them. We need to be ready to preach the Word whether in season and out of season. Whether in convenience or not. Being a Christian is being on duty 24/7. There’s not a time that we are not a Christian. And if we’re Christians, then we have the Kingdom of God within us (Luke 17:21). And if we have the Kingdom of God within us then we must be preaching repentance just like how John the Baptist preached on the people “repent! for the Kingdom of God is at hand!” Like telling the people “hey be ashamed of yourselves God is in our midst because the Kingdom of God is within me.” We may become unfaithful at times because of our sinful frame, but still there is this duty that we must abide in because we are Christians.

“And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may be sure that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” 1John 2:3-6

We must be ready whether in season or out of season. Preaching the Word of God does not only belong in the Church. It belongs to every individual Christian. Preaching the Word out of season means we must be ready even if our purpose for the day is just for a quick jog at the gym, or a quick breakfast at McDonald’s, or a quick visit at the bank, or at the office with your co-workers even during lunch break. The only person that I know of who has done this by God’s grace is our beloved pastor. Upon mailing GTY packages to the people in the Philippines who requested free materials at the station, I saw him discussing things concerning the mails. The current amount, how many stamps, etc. Ofcourse we were at the mailing station and that was our sole purpose in visiting there. To mail packages. The next minute I turned around and saw him preaching repentance to the staffs! We have to be equally ready out there as if we’re still in the Church building. And that is being ready in season and out of season. God rules. Not pop-culture. Not society. Not anyone else. Only God rules.

We are not preaching to others primarily because we don’t want them to go to eternal hell. Like we want them to be out of that inconvenient state. No, that could be our secondary reason. But our primary purpose for preaching to others the Word of God is because it is our sole duty. It is our great commission (Matthew 28:19-20). We ought to love them as Christ loved us when we were yet sinners. They must know that they have offended an Holy God. That they are slapping the very face of Jesus as long as they haven’t repented. They must know. They must hear. We must preach to them. This is the heart of the Christian duty: PREACHING THE WORD.