God’s Approval Matters--2 Timothy 2.15

Perhaps you’ve heard the humorous song entitled “Excuses” sung by the Southern Gospel quartet The Kingsmen. The song tells the story of how Satan might try to get professing believers to stay out of church by giving them excuses. Pastors face an expectation challenge—there are all sorts of expectations for pastors! What should you expect from a pastor? What should his goal first and foremost be? What should you expect from a sermon? What even is a sermon? I hope to answer these questions this week. But we focus specifically today on the focus of a pastor—on what should a pastor focus? What should you expect from him? How does he know if he is successful in his ministry and what ought his ministry to consist of? ‌Our text today helps us to answer these questions, and it helps us to understand what God expects of pastors and how we ought to support a pastor in achieving God’s expectations and approval before God. So as we unpack this text I want you to keep one big idea in your mind today: Successful pastoral ministry takes place in the field of the Word ‌