Effective Broadcasting – Part 2 Series

Turn Your Bibles to Acts 6:4 and then verse 7

Title: Effective Broadcasting – Part 2

Theme: Planting the Word of God

Series: Essentials for Church Growth

Listen as I read Acts 6:4 and then verse 7, “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to ministry of the word.” “And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.” (ESV) Let us pray!

Introduction: Effective broadcasting involves having the right seed and having obedient servants of the Lord planting God’s seed in the fields of the world. Just as farmers face the constant battle against drought or flooding, plant disease or insects, or many others elements that can determine the effectiveness of the harvest – Christians face an adversary, the devil, (1 Peter 5:8-9; Ephesians 6:12; 2 Corinthians 4:4) who constantly tries to destroy the faith of the Body of Christ and keep those in this world blind to the Gospel.

This is why the Apostle Paul, one of God’s faithful sowers, writes, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground…” (Ephesians 6:10-13)

Proposition: I would propose to you that in this battle of broadcasting that life changing Word of God which points lost souls to Christ, the Bible holds truths to cling to and direction that assures a harvest for the Lord. Ephesians 6:17 says, “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “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.” The Holy Spirit, through the Apostle Paul wrote, “This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.” (1 Corinthians 2:13)

Faithful seed planters of the Word of God do not fall into the same pattern as the institutionalized church. They follow the example of Christ, who quoted the Word of God in the face of the devil’s temptations. (Matthew 4:1-11) In his exposition of the Book of Ephesians, Dr. Lloyd Jones wrote, “we are not to fight… in our own strength, power, or with our own ideas; we are to use the Word that the Holy Spirit of God Himself has produced.” “…The Holy Spirit enables [understanding of] the Word.” (The Christian Soldier – Lloyd-Jones)

Interrogative Sentence: Therefore, just what is our charge? How is the seed of God’s Word fertilized? What is the harvest?

Transitional Sentence: Effective broadcasting plants the reliably yielding seeds of God’s Word as it is planted by soldiers of Christ who understand their charge. 2 Timothy 4:1-2 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; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction.”

“I give you this charge” (διαμαρτύρομαι diamartúromai) has the weight of a legal affirmation given with a reminder that God our Father and Jesus our Savior is watching. Their eyes are upon you. Holy Spirit illuminated preachers and teachers take this charge seriously, just as Timothy was to take it. The great Greek scholar Kenneth Wuest wrote: “This charge is to be obeyed at once. It is a sharp command as in military language…”

The charge is clear, “Preach the Word.” “…Preach the Word.” “Preach” (k¬¬erússo) means to especially preach, publish or announce religious truth, the gospel with its attendant privileges and obligations, in this gospel dispensation. (The Complete Word Study Dictionary; Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament; Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon: Wuest Word Studies in the Greek New Testament)

Holy Spirit influenced preachers and teachers courageously proclaim the written Word, no matter the trials they face. Not even the treats of men stop them from obeying their charge.

They will make every effort not to preach their own ideas or the ideas of other men. They allow the Holy Spirit to breathe life into their spiritual hearts as they prayerfully read and study the written Word, thus avoiding self-importance and personal promotion. Philosophy, psychology, sociology and worldly education are held in check by the Word of God, not the Word of God held in check to the doctrines of mankind.