The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, a younger preacher, about the work of the ministry. He wrote that a good preacher reminds Christians of what they already know, “If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained” (1 Tim. 4:6). Much of the work of teaching and preaching is not introducing ideas that are new—that people don’t already know. Often preaching involves reminding people of what they have already been taught so that they continue to make application in their own lives. We can make mistakes in life because we neglect to keep the right priorities. We need to be challenged to continue to pursue the task of living out the principles of God’s word. Certainly, each time we come to the Bible, we have a fresh perspective that causes us to see something in a familiar text we hadn’t before seen that makes us think. However, preaching should not only make people think more deeply, but also should move people to act with reminders to live out what they already know about the Christian life.
In his second epistle, the apostle Peter gave his readers the challenge to add to their faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love (2 Pet. 1:5-7). Christians are to give diligence to abounding in these characteristics instead of blindly forgetting that they have been cleansed of their former sins (2 Peter 1:8-10). While Peter was still alive, he was committed to reminding them of these things: “Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance” (2 Pet. 1:12-13). Peter wanted to always remember these things, even after his death (2 Pet. 1:15). This was the reason he gave for writing his letters, stating, “This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour” (2 Pet. 3:1-2).
What is said from the pulpit might well be a portion of the Scriptures with which you are already familiar. But all of us need to be reminded. All of us must ask ourselves if we are living it out and in what ways we can improve.
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