SPIRITUAL
DIARY FOR 7/14/2025 10:26 AM
My
Worship Time Focus:
“The Attitude of His Commission”
Bible
Reading & Meditation Reference: 2
Timothy 4:5a
Message of the verse: “But
you, be sober in all things”
Now as we look
at this section of verse four we must remember that although it was written to
Timothy, by the Apostle Paul, that this is what a faithful preacher must do, “be sober, in all things. Be sober, is the sixth imperative in this
passage, and it is from nepho, which
according to John MacArthur “literally means to be free of intoxicants.” He then goes on to write “Here, however, it
is used metaphorically like its English counterpart, of being level-headed,
well-balanced, and in control of one’s faculties. By extension it includes the ideas of being
stable, unwavering, steadfast.” Now
living in the world we live in, at the time of history we are living in that
certainly will take the power of the Holy Spirit to fulfill all those things
described here.
MacArthur
then gives the following example: “The sober
preacher is like the diligent athlete, who ‘exercises self-control in all things,’ who, like Paul himself,
runs ‘on such a way as not without aim.’
Boxes ‘in such a way, as not beating
the air, and ‘buffets his body to
make it his slave, lest [he himself] should be disqualified (1 Cor.
9:25-27). In the midst of a changing
world, a changing church, and even a changing gospel—which is not really the
gospel but a distortion of ‘the gospel
of Christ’ (Gal. 1:7; cf. 2 Cor. 11:4)—he remains committed to the
changeless truth of God’s Word.”
Now
as I continue to read these words from John MacArthur’s commentary it makes me
indeed sad, as I have learned that he will soon go into the presence of his
Lord, as he is very ill. Also as I read
these words in this next paragraph of his commentary it truly makes me think of
his ministry as he writes “A faithful preacher refuses to be trendy or compromising,
to be an ear-tickler and men-pleaser rather than a God-pleaser.” Now all of those “bad” things MacArthur was
not but he is an uncompromising preacher that does none of those things as he
certainly is a God-pleaser. He goes on
to write “He can declare with Paul, For
our exhortation does not come from error or impurity or by way of deceit; but
just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we
speak, not as pleasing men but God, who examines our hearts. For we never came with flattering speech, as
you know, nor with a pretext for greed’ (1 Thess. 2:3-5). He also could say with the apostle, ‘For am I now seeking the favor of men? If I were still trying to please men, I would
not be a bond-servant of Christ. For I
would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not
according to man’ (Gal. 1:10-11), ‘for we do not preach ourselves but Christ
Jesus as Lord (2 Cor. 4:5).”
I
have listened to many, many, sermons from John MacArthur and read may of his
commentaries, and by doing this I know that the Apostle Paul was his favorite
Apostle as he mentioned that many times, and as I read from what he wrote in
the previous paragraph, I know that this was how he lived and preached, and I
can say that if it is time to go and be with the Lord, that it will be a sad
time for me and for many others who love him as a preacher of the Word of God,
but he will be far better off as all true believers will be when they go home
to be with the Lord.
7/14/2025 10:53 AM
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