The ability to communicate is an essential quality to develop in every leader’s life. This is because at some point, every leader must stand before their team or a group or people and say, “Follow me!” Your ability to communicate, as well as the level of trust you have built up and your track record of success, will largely determine their level of response.
The Bible is the greatest leadership book ever written. It is my primary go-to resource when I want to improve my ability to positively influence people.
In 2 Timothy 4:1-2, the Apostle Paul just prior to his death, tells his protege and son in the faith, Timothy the following words:
“I charge you in the presence of God and of Jesus Christ, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his Kingdom: preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”
Paul was uniquely gifted, qualified, and paid the price needed to tell us how to preach. His word echo some 2000 years later to us today. When it comes time for us to give an effective speech or sermon, Paul gives us the following 5 things we must communicate:
Reprove
For a speech or sermon to be effective it must begin by exposing an error or inefficiency in our lives or organizations. There must be a problem to solve. Address the issue that is keeping us from reaching our God-given potential. For the Christian or church attender listening to their pastor, this would sin – the thing which separates us from God.
Rebuke
Now that the issue has been identified and sin exposed, you must speak out against it. Address the issue. You must call those listening to change, to grow, to repent. Depending on your audience and their level of understanding of the issue, you will possibly need to scold, chide, or correct.
Exhort
The “hard” message has been delivered. It is both appropriate and logical to now offer hope and encouragement. Within the context of your personality, the pastor or speaker now lovingly urges the audience to move towards a better way of life. Exhortation involves some combination or encouragement, support, comfort, and aid in taking their next steps.
Complete Patience
Let’s remember who is giving the instruction here. To be able to deliver his message, the Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 11:24-28, “Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.”
I doubt you would face what Paul did but depending on your message, your audience may or may not be receptive. In today’s culture, you may even receive significant backlash or hostility for your words. In particular, pastors must be willing to move forward despite opposition and be longsuffering with their audience and the process.
Teaching
This is where mistakes are often made. The message given by pastors and presenters must contain and conclude with emotional and intellectual instruction as to the next steps in their audience’s lives. Here is a phrase I recommend which has worked well, “Here’s what I want you to do….”
Let’s do a quick recap:
- Reprove – Expose error in our lives.
- Rebuke – Speak out against it.
- Exhort – Urge and encourage change.
- Complete Patience – Expect opposition but move forward anyway.
- Teaching – Give emotional and intellectual instruction.
Do these 5 things and you have positioned yourself to have a great speech or sermon.
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