00:00:00.000 - 00:00:30.000

[ Silence ] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] ♪ And Jesus Christ ♪

00:00:30.000 - 00:00:57.880

♪ Sweet Holy Spirit ♪ ♪ Sweet heavenly love ♪ ♪ Hey my dear Jesus ♪ ♪ Filling us with your love ♪

00:00:57.880 - 00:01:15.640

♪ High for these blessings ♪ ♪ We lift our hearts in praise ♪ ♪ Without a doubt we'll know ♪ ♪ That we have been revived ♪

00:01:15.640 - 00:01:33.020

♪ When we shall see ♪ ♪ His grace ♪ - Let us all say amen. Pastor Griffin, my father in the ministry,

00:01:33.020 - 00:01:43.060

Sister Griffin, honored guest, my brother, Reverend Renfro, brothers and sisters in Christ, it's indeed a pleasure to be here this morning,

00:01:43.060 - 00:01:54.860

on this special morning. This morning when I got here to eight o'clock service, I came up in the pulpit and I asked Reverend Renfro, I said, "Where's the pastor?"

00:01:54.860 - 00:02:05.380

And he said, "Well, he's down on the floor. He's been banished from the pulpit." And I thought to myself, I thought, I said, "Well, I need to get in touch with that person

00:02:05.380 - 00:02:14.100

and get real close to that person who banished the pastor from this pulpit 'cause that person got a lot of power." So we wanna thank Sister Williams

00:02:14.100 - 00:02:28.060

for giving the pastor an opportunity to sit and watch his sons from here. Even though it's a little strange to know my pastor's here and not up here, I'm asking you all to pray for me.

00:02:28.060 - 00:02:36.980

Let us pray. Oh, Heavenly Father, we thank thee for this opportunity. And we ask that you may be with us as we seek to preach thy gospel.

00:02:36.980 - 00:02:50.300

Oh, Lord, let the words of our mouths and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in your sight. Oh Lord, our strength and our Redeemer. Amen.

00:02:50.300 - 00:03:08.100

Our scripture lesson this morning comes from 2 Timothy 4, the first through the fifth verses. We want to draw special attention

00:03:08.100 - 00:03:44.820

to the second verse of 2 Timothy 4. and it reads as follows, "Preach the word, be instant, in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine." title of the message, "The Pastor's Business." "The Pastor's Business." Our text is taken

00:03:44.820 - 00:04:17.340

from a letter that was written by the Apostle Paul to his young colleague, Timothy, who was in the beginning stages of taking on a pastorate in Ephesus. It is believed by many Bible expositors that this is the third and the last of that group of letters commonly referred to as the pastoral epistles.

00:04:17.340 - 00:04:50.220

It was written by Paul during a time of darkness in his life for Nero sat on the throne. And history records that Nero persecuted the Christians. For he set the city of Rome aflame and he blamed it on the Christians. And in the course of his actions, it is said that he went to Troas, or that is, he sent

00:04:50.220 - 00:05:15.780

his soldiers to Troyes to get Paul, where Paul was ministering at that time. And he arrested Paul and he has some trumped up charges that Paul was the head of this movement that was against the government. So he brings Paul to Rome, actually the second time.

00:05:15.780 - 00:05:51.200

So Paul is writing from prison in Rome. And he writes to his young prodigy, Timothy, who is the pastor at Ephesus. This letter has been labeled by many names. Some have called it the dying shout of the triumphant.

00:05:51.200 - 00:06:29.760

Others have said it's the exultant cry of a fallen conqueror. In it, Paul identifies himself, not so much as being conquered, but the conqueror. Not so much as being a victim, but being the victor. Not so much as having lost, but he knows in his heart that he has won.

00:06:29.760 - 00:06:47.940

In fact, Paul stresses the point in this letter that he has done and completed the work that he has been called to do. I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course.

00:06:47.940 - 00:07:04.580

And most of all, I have kept the faith. There's no hint of regret. There's no sign of disappointment. Paul says I have won, even though the world sees me

00:07:04.580 - 00:07:29.660

and thinks that I have lost. In other words, this letter written by Paul is a declaration of faith and a proclamation of joy in the midst of darkness. Paul says, "I am the victor.

00:07:29.660 - 00:07:49.900

I am not the victim." And that's what this letter is all about. It talks about how he goes on to say that I have finished that what God has laid upon me to do.

00:07:49.900 - 00:08:04.700

And these are my words to you. I have done my job. But on closer inspection, when we see this letter, when we read it, we see something else there.

00:08:04.700 - 00:08:30.860

we see another underlying thing that we cannot quite escape. For we see that Paul is writing this letter to a young man who is taking up on the reins of the pastorate. All through this letter, we cannot help but note

00:08:30.860 - 00:08:49.420

that Paul is conveying a message. These are his final instructions, his departing words. Paul sits down and he pens a letter

00:08:49.420 - 00:08:58.460

of the fact of life to Timothy about the ministry and more so

00:08:58.460 - 00:09:20.060

about being a pastor. Paul pulls Timothy's coat to the pastor's business. Watch thou in all things. Paul wants Timothy to know that when you are called

00:09:20.060 - 00:09:38.400

to the pastorate, that's not just wearing some label. You're not called just to sit, stand, and sit down again. Paul says you are being thrown in environment in this world where you're gonna have persecution,

00:09:38.400 - 00:10:00.540

you're gonna have vacillating beliefs, and men and women will run after fables. Paul pulls Timothy's coat to the pastor's business. Well, one of the things that I was asked

00:10:00.540 - 00:10:14.840

when I first entered the ministry by my little girl, she says, "Now, daddy, what exactly do pastors do?" And she got that mixed up. I said, "Well, honey, I'm not a pastor yet.

00:10:14.840 - 00:10:33.320

I'm a minister." And she said, "Well, what do ministers do?" It seemed like all I ever see y'all do is just get up there and preach. Well, you must understand, as I was trying to tell her, there is more to this job than

00:10:33.320 - 00:10:55.040

just getting up here and preaching every Sunday. You know, there have been some scholars who said that Timothy was somewhat bashful. He was somewhat timid, diffident. He was hard to assert himself on folk.

00:10:55.040 - 00:11:04.960

Even though he was filled with the spirit, he had sort of like a fearful manner about him. Well, Paul pens in his letter to Timothy, if you're going to pastor a church,

00:11:04.960 - 00:11:13.880

you're going to need to get rid of that attitude. Because you're going to be faced with a whole lot of things where you're going to have to stand where they're going to tell you to sit down.

00:11:17.640 - 00:11:42.320

And that is more of a job than just getting up every day and preaching. Paul says if you're going to take up on the pastor's business, you must know what it really means to be a pastor. Someone asked Billy Graham one time, "So what does it really mean to be a Christian?"

00:11:42.320 - 00:12:08.280

Billy Graham replied, "It's more than just an instantaneous conversion. It is a developing process where we become more and more like Christ." And this, in a way, is what Paul wants to get over to Timothy. You have been called to the ministry.

00:12:08.280 - 00:12:25.860

You have been called to the pastorate. But you must learn how to develop. In that office, you do not just exist, but you develop. You grow.

00:12:25.860 - 00:12:39.440

So he gives him a charge. Preach the word. Be instant in season and out of season. Preach the word.

00:12:39.440 - 00:12:48.020

Well, what does that really mean? What does that really encompass? What is really in that when Paul tells Timothy to preach the word?

00:12:48.020 - 00:13:03.960

Well, one thing that you must consider to be the pastor's business is always to be ready. He says that you must be able to preach the word in season and out of season.

00:13:03.960 - 00:13:18.260

In other words, there may be times when you won't feel like preaching. but preach on anyhow. There may be times when people and certain circumstances

00:13:18.260 - 00:13:38.400

and situations will try to stop you, but preach on anyhow. Paul says you must preach the word. Whatever you must be faced with at that time, Preach the word, in season and out of season.

00:13:38.400 - 00:13:51.080

Well, that's one thing that I must say that I admire about my pastor. It seems like he's always ready. I don't know if any of you all were here.

00:13:51.080 - 00:14:00.120

I know some of you were here during the time we were having our revival. And some of you all can recall, as I can recall as well,

00:14:00.120 - 00:14:08.440

when I'd come in just a little late I noticed that the evangelist was not here. And I saw Pastor Griffin. I was looking at my watch, and I was wondering

00:14:08.440 - 00:14:19.160

where the evangelist was. Well, when it came time for the message, the pastor approached the podium. And he began to preach.

00:14:19.160 - 00:14:41.520

And my brothers and sisters, my pastor preached as he has never preached before. Some have said that they heard him hoop. I thought I heard it too, which gives me the privilege to hoop too.

00:14:41.520 - 00:15:00.260

But I want to tell you my pastor preached. And I want you all to know that he did not make mention, at least I did not know, he did not make mention to us what actually happened until afterwards all over with. The evangelist was tied up and he couldn't get here, so the pastor had to have a message.

00:15:00.260 - 00:15:16.440

And my Lord did he have a message. My pastor is always ready. Paul says, "Preach the word, you've got to be ready." That's the pastor's business.

00:15:16.440 - 00:15:26.220

So Paul says, "Preach the word." What does that mean? What is encompassed in that? What does that mean when you say preach the word?

00:15:26.220 - 00:15:46.320

Well, it's the pastor's business not only to be ready, but he's got to be steady. That means he can't get upset over every little thing that happens, everything that may trump up to stop his ministry or try to stop his work. He can't get upset over that.

00:15:46.320 - 00:15:58.760

Paul says to Timothy, there's going to be some folk that's going to try to run you out. You can't get upset over that. And some folk gonna tell you to sit down when you know you should be standing. Don't you get upset over that.

00:15:58.760 - 00:16:24.800

I can remember so well one time in prayer meeting, the pastor got up to give his meditation and we had a gentleman come in and everybody could tell that he had been, well you know, he was inebriated, he was drunk, he had been feeling good, he had gone out to do something to cause himself to feel happy.

00:16:24.800 - 00:16:33.640

So the pastor was up there giving his meditation. And I looked at this gentleman. And I thought, you know, he's really going to cause a disruption.

00:16:33.640 - 00:16:41.960

And sure enough, sure enough, every time the pastor would say something, this man would go, yeah? Say it? Yeah?

00:16:41.960 - 00:16:50.040

Yeah. And he would say it in the most inopportune time. Well, I felt like I-- you know, I felt within myself I should go over and say

00:16:50.040 - 00:17:01.400

something to him. But then, you know, I set that. And I watched my pastor go to work. And everything that the pastor was wanting to say, he said it.

00:17:01.400 - 00:17:08.280

And every now and then, he'd tell that brother. The brother would say, yes. And pastor would say, OK, that's right. And keep right on going.

00:17:08.280 - 00:17:14.920

Keep right on going. And I told this brother who was sitting next to me, I said, you know, one of these days, I'm going to have that kind of control, where

00:17:14.920 - 00:17:34.440

I don't care where I am or who may be in my service. And no matter how much they're going to try to cause a disruption, I'm going to have the kind of control, the kind of spiritual strength that I can go on, just like my pastor. Pastor's got to be ready, and he's got to be steady.

00:17:34.440 - 00:17:46.120

So Paul tells Timothy, "Preach the word." What does that mean? What is encompassed in that? What is that?

00:17:46.120 - 00:18:05.960

And so he says, "Preach the word." So Paul is indicating to Timothy that not only does a pastor have to be ready, not only does he have to be steady, but he can't allow himself to be heady. Did y'all hear me?

00:18:05.960 - 00:18:17.920

He cannot allow himself to be heady. That is, he cannot. This feeling of always being that I'm here and I'm the pastor and all those kind of things, Lord don't like that.

00:18:17.920 - 00:18:37.360

And he won't allow it either. Arrogance is not allowed. You know, one of the things that amazes me about my pastor is that how one man can get so many letters behind his name and still keep his feet on the ground.

00:18:37.360 - 00:18:45.180

Amen. Amen. You know, one of these days, when I get all them letters passed, and I'm going to do that, I'm hoping and I'm praying

00:18:45.180 - 00:18:59.100

that the Lord will give me that same kind of humble spirit. That I ain't got to be reminding folk all the time I'm somebody. Because I've been places. And I've done things.

00:18:59.100 - 00:19:06.820

You know, one of the things that the pastor told me, and I will never forget for the rest of my life, when he told-- I first told him when I was going to the ministry,

00:19:06.820 - 00:19:26.580

I announced my call. he sat down and he said, "Well, Rodney, what do you plan on doing with your life now?" So I said, "Well, I don't know. I guess just preaching." And so he said, "Well, that's good." He said, "Have you thought about going back to school?" And I said, "Well, not really."

00:19:26.580 - 00:19:44.880

So he told me something I never will forget. He said, "Rodney, if God gives you an opportunity to get an education and you don't take it, that's a sin. Well, I don't know if y'all can really understand that, but that's true, especially in this day and age.

00:19:44.880 - 00:19:57.260

And so I took that on and I pursued it. As a matter of fact, I'm pursuing a college degree right now. But one of these days when I graduate from college,

00:19:57.260 - 00:20:08.940

and Lord knows when that will be, but one of these days when I get out of school and go on to graduate work, go on to seminary. I hope my head will keep as closed as my pastor's

00:20:08.940 - 00:20:20.280

and that my feet will remain on the ground like my pastor's because I plan on going places just like my pastor. But I do not want the Lord to find anything in me that's gonna be prideful.

00:20:20.280 - 00:20:31.200

So Paul says, "Preach the word." What does that mean? That means you've got to be ready no matter what the circumstance.

00:20:31.200 - 00:20:57.700

Paul says preach the word. That means you've got to be steady no matter what may try to throw you off. Preach the word. What does that mean? That means you cannot allow yourself to be heady. You must understand and realize that you are an humble servant of the Great Shepherd. You are a servant of the Lord. Well,

00:20:57.700 - 00:21:23.860

preach the word. Paul talks about these things to Timothy and he gives a warning to Timothy of the coming apostasy and the things that's going to happen in the world. Paul said there's going to be a day when folk are going to turn away from the truth. There's going to be a day when people will run and want to spend a

00:21:23.860 - 00:21:37.060

a whole lot of money on pleasure, rather than the work of the Lord. There's gonna be a day when men and women will seek after fables, rather than that which is true.

00:21:37.060 - 00:21:47.740

Well, I was in the supermarket the other day and I read the headlines of one of the great papers. Somebody saw Elvis again, coming out of a 7-Eleven eating a hot dog.

00:21:47.740 - 00:21:56.140

Do you know that there are folk that will buy the papers? >> Yes, sir. >> And read that. >> Yes, sir.

00:21:56.140 - 00:22:05.980

>> And they're not reading it as entertainment. They're reading it because they feel like it's the truth. And you ask them the first five books of the Bible, and they couldn't tell you.

00:22:05.980 - 00:22:15.580

But they're running after those things, those myths, those fables, those things are not true. Men and women are running after the things that are against God.

00:22:15.580 - 00:22:27.880

Paul said that day is coming. I say that day is here. And for a pastor to get up and conduct the pastor's business is not an easy business to conduct.

00:22:27.880 - 00:22:42.240

But as Paul has said to Timothy, I remind my pastor, preach the word. Be instant in season and out of season. No matter what you have to be faced with,

00:22:42.240 - 00:22:53.280

preach the word because folk sometimes don't want to hear the word. But preach it anyway. There are people that want to find out

00:22:53.280 - 00:23:03.760

things that's happening more on these soap operas than they do about what's happening in the Bible. Well, I say preach the word. Be instant in season and out of season.

00:23:03.760 - 00:23:25.460

I know it's an old story, but it's a glorious story. Jesus Christ, we speak of one who has come into this world. We speak of one who walked among us doing good. We speak of one who taught the word of God,

00:23:25.460 - 00:23:40.640

who went about healing the sick, raising the dead, doing nothing but good, treating people right, and getting treated bad. That's what the pastor must preach.

00:23:40.640 - 00:23:50.900

Preach the word. But don't stop there. Talk about how they accused him falsely, how they carried him before Pilate and Herod,

00:23:50.900 - 00:24:02.620

how they placed a crown of thorns on his head, how they drove him up the hill and whipped him all the way up. The pastor much preached the word. But don't stop there.

00:24:02.620 - 00:24:14.180

Talk about how they laid him on the ground there, as they tacked his hands on that cross, and as he didn't say a mumbling word, And as they dropped that cross in that hole,

00:24:14.180 - 00:24:23.660

and as men and women looked and revolved upon it, preach the word. But don't stop there. Talk about how he hung there.

00:24:23.660 - 00:24:36.460

Talk about how the darkness drove in. Talk about how he didn't say anything, but Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. Preach the word, but don't stop there.

00:24:36.460 - 00:24:51.860

Talk about the time when he put his head between his shoulders and he gave up the spirit, and he died for your sins and mine. Preach the word, but don't stop there. Talk about how they took him down from the cross,

00:24:51.860 - 00:25:07.580

placed him in Joseph's new tomb, put the rock on the thing, and said he's going to be there from here on out. Preach the word, but Lord, don't stop there. Talk about how he laid there all days Friday, all days Saturday.

00:25:07.580 - 00:25:17.580

And on Sunday morning how he was raised from the dead. How them women came to that tomb looking for him and he wasn't there. Talking to an angel, telling him,

00:25:17.580 - 00:25:28.560

why look ye for the living among the dead? Reach the word. But don't stop there. Talk about how he has been risen in all of our lives.

00:25:28.560 - 00:25:38.640

How he came into this world to save us from our sins. Talk about how he touched your life. How he touched my life. how he can touch anybody's life.

00:25:38.640 - 00:25:48.960

Preach the word, but don't stop there. Talk about eternity. Tell him that we, this earth is not our home, that we got a place that we going,

00:25:48.960 - 00:26:02.480

a better place where there's gonna be no more sorrow, no more tears, no more saying goodbye, always howdy howdy and never goodbye. Preach the word.

00:26:05.620 - 00:26:20.580

It's an old story, but it's a beautiful one. It's a powerful story. The preacher must tell the people that no matter what you may think, it pays.

00:26:20.580 - 00:26:35.580

Oh, yes, it does. It pays to serve Jesus. It pays every day. It pays every step of the way, of the pathway to glory.

00:26:35.580 - 00:26:42.820

May sometimes be true, you're gonna be happy. - Yes. - Yes sir. - Each step of the way.

00:26:42.820 - 00:26:54.060

Well, I almost threatened the choir with singing that song, but I'm not gonna do that, 'cause I don't wanna run nobody outta here. This is the time for you to make a decision.

00:26:54.060 - 00:27:01.780

So I've asked my brother, the one with the golden voice, to sing this song for me. The doors of the church are open. - Yes sir.

00:27:01.780 - 00:27:13.580

- You may have a decision to make in your life right now. Maybe you've been awake. Maybe you thought that the world had more to offer than Jesus Christ.

00:27:13.580 - 00:27:21.580

Come on home. Come on home. Yes, sir. Maybe you haven't experienced his love, this eternal love

00:27:21.580 - 00:27:29.380

that God has for us all. Yes, sir. Well, at least now, let's prove Jesus Christ. [MUSIC PLAYING]

00:27:29.380 - 00:27:38.140

Yes, sir. You may join us. The Lord of the Church. ♪ The service of Jesus ♪

00:27:38.140 - 00:27:58.540

♪ True pleasure affords ♪ ♪ In Him there is joy ♪ ♪ Without an allure ♪ ♪ 'Tis heaven to trust Him ♪

00:27:58.540 - 00:28:48.540

rest on his words. It pays to serve Jesus each day. It pays to serve Jesus. It pays every day it pays every step of the way though the pathway to glory may sometimes be drear you'll be happy each ♪ Each step of the way ♪

00:28:48.540 - 00:29:06.840

♪ It pays to serve Jesus ♪ ♪ Whatever may be tied ♪ ♪ It pays to be true ♪ ♪ Whatever you may do ♪

00:29:06.840 - 00:29:27.840

♪ 'Tis riches of mercy ♪ ♪ In whom to abide ♪ ♪ It pays to serve Jesus each day ♪ ♪ Yes, it pays ♪

00:29:27.840 - 00:29:51.440

♪ Yes, it pays every day ♪ ♪ It pays every step of the way ♪ ♪ On the way ♪ ♪ The pathway to glory ♪

00:29:51.440 - 00:30:16.140

♪ May sometimes be dreary ♪ ♪ You'll be happy ♪ ♪ Each step of the way ♪ Yes, it pays to serve Jesus.

00:30:16.140 - 00:30:55.140

It pays every day. It pays every step of the way. Though the pathway to glory may sometimes be dreary, ♪ You'll be happy ♪

00:30:55.140 - 00:31:07.220

♪ Each step of the way ♪ Let us all say amen. - Amen. - Let us say amen again.

00:31:07.220 - 00:31:12.540

- Amen. - Let us say amen one more time. - Amen. - I don't know about you,

00:31:12.540 - 00:31:19.500

but Reverend Swisher preached this morning. - Amen. - No matter what was going on in the audience, he preached this morning.

00:31:19.500 - 00:31:36.100

No matter what the situation was, at home he preached this morning. No matter how he got here, he preached this morning. And I have been helped and I'm sure you have been helped. We have one, oh yes, yes.

00:31:36.100 - 00:31:48.140

To those of you who have not noticed that our church is not located on San Marcos and 10th and a half street this morning. For if you will go outside as we depart from here

00:31:48.140 - 00:32:04.800

and look at the street sign, we're now located at San Marcos and Griffin Way. (audience applauding) So please go out and take a look at that particular sign.

00:32:04.800 - 00:32:15.900

We also invite you again to come back at 3.30. The worship does not stop here. We have another service. I ask that Reverend Swisher would come now

00:32:15.900 - 00:32:28.860

and give us our benediction. - I'm gonna ask this time if some of the urges would come and escort our honored guests to the rear at this time, escort them to the rear at this time,

00:32:28.860 - 00:32:40.980

and that way we can... [BLANK_AUDIO]