Gtcotr/ss071920
We
are in some crazy times. Well, this morning I have some Good News and I have
some more Good News.
The
First Good News
·
God
is not worried. He is Sovereign, Omnipotent and Omniscient.
o God has a plan
o He will succeed
o We have a chance to
participate
You
might say, “Where do you get that from pastor?”
Isaiah 46:10 Declaring the
end from the beginning, And from ancient times things that are not yet
done, Saying, “My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure.”
Corrie ten Boom, a Dutch Christian who was arrested and sent to a Ravensbruch
concentration camp for helping Jews and the mentally ill hide from the Nazis
during WWII, recalls some of the last words of her sister, Betsie, before she
died in the camp. Betsie told Corrie, "There is no
pit so deep that He [God] is not deeper still."
Some
More Good News
·
We
have a chance to participate …
·
If
you are a Born-Again Believer in Jesus Christ, God has something He needs you
to do for Him. We will find His specific instructions for today in 2 Timothy 2.
While
you are finding our text for today, allow me to share three brief truths:
1.
Contrary to what some imagine – No one has the right to not be
offended.
a. No US soldier, sailor,
airman or marine died on the battlefield to protect your right to not be
offended.
b. At times, even the
truth can offend people.
c. We do have a right and
a responsibility to speak the truth.
d. The truth should
always be spoken in love and aimed at helping
2.
Problem Solving is a result of critical thinking and not emotional
outbursts.
a. If we are intending to
solve a problem, it will involve a process that encourages, considers, and
benefits from dialogue, contrary thought, and alternative opinion.
b. Absurd algorithms and
foregone conclusions erode confidence and delay results.
c. Emotional vomit
destroys the fabric of relationships which are the key components to meaningful
change.
3.
America has failed to teach her children the value of the lessons
learned from losing.
a. When everyone wins,
everyone loses.
b. Not all contestants
deserve the same ribbon.
c. There are times we win
and times we lose … deal with it.
d. The greatest heroes in
every culture were those who faced hardships and turned past losses and current
failures into future wins.
e. The greatest win is to
know the one true and living God through the blood bought salvation provided to
man by the sacrifice of His only Son, Jesus Christ.
Have
you found our text in 2 Timothy? Let’s read God’s specific instructions
for the Born-Again Believer living in the world today.
2 Timothy 2
22 ¶ Flee also youthful
lusts; and pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the
Lord out of a pure heart.
·
God intends this to be a unified group effort
… “with those …”
23 But avoid foolish and
ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife.
·
God does not work through the anger of men.
(James 1:20)
24 And a servant of the Lord
must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient,
25 in humility correcting
those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that
they may know the truth,
·
What is the truth? We are reading it this
morning.
·
Humbly correct those who oppose God’s word,
will and way.
·
God has a way He does things and so does the
devil …
26 and that they may
come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been
taken captive by him to do his will.
2 Timothy 3
1 ¶ But know this, that in
the last days perilous times will come:
2 For men will be lovers of
themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to
parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 unloving, unforgiving,
slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good,
4 traitors, headstrong,
haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 having a form of godliness
but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
·
Basically denying its power to transform
lives …
·
Simply, no trust in God …
·
Do you trust God? Then act like it …
·
Choose to not follow people who deny God or
refuse to trust Him.
6 For of this sort are those
who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with
sins, led away by various lusts,
·
Desires of the flesh
7 always learning and never
able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
·
They know so much, and it all means nothing …
·
Empty knowledge – False claims – Resistant to
truth – Just like …
8 Now as Jannes and Jambres
resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds,
disapproved concerning the faith;
9 but they will progress no
further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.
·
Paul says … now follow me on this one … You
have seen my life …
10 ¶ But you have carefully
followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love,
perseverance,
11 persecutions, afflictions,
which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra — what
persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me.
12 Yes, and all who desire to
live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
13 But evil men and impostors
will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
14 But you must continue in
the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you
have learned them,
15 and that from childhood
you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for
salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is
given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be
complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 4
1 ¶ I charge you
therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and
the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:
2 Preach the word! Be ready
in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all
longsuffering and teaching.
3 For the time will come when
people will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because
they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;
·
The word “heap” only occurs here in the New
Testament. It means to multiply or accumulate. We see this today with people
searching out multiple:
o
Newscasters
o
Commentary journalists
o
Politicians running for office
§ Traitors and slanderers
§ Men and women of corrupt minds
·
The word “itching” in this verse is also only
found here in the New Testament. It literally means to tickle, excite, please
or satisfy. To rub so as to take away the uneasy, restless desire for
gratification.
·
In other words … searching for those who will
confirm what you want and as such …
4 and they will turn their
ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
·
Fables =
o
a fictious narrative invented to support a
falsehood
o
a myth, story or tale designed to initiate
and instruct
·
Used here in a negative application to teach
falsehoods with purpose
5 But you be watchful in all
things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your
ministry.
Conclusion … This is a fairly
simple picture that has been painted for us by the Holy Spirit. It seems easy to
understand and reasonable to follow.
1.
Be watchful
a. Sober; calm;
collected; circumspect; on guard; temperate.
b. Study the Word of God
so you can discern the truth – there is no other way to guard against the lies
of satan.
2.
Endure hardship
a. Suffering is a part of
the Gospel message
b. Deny yourself, take up
your cross and follow Christ
3.
Lead others to Jesus by sharing the Gospel
a. Abandon all hope and
faith in mankind
b. Cling to the hope that
is in Christ and the Gospel
c. We cannot help the
world without giving them Jesus
d.
Do not be weak on Jesus … He is the only way!
e. Salvation requires
repentance – Preach repentance …
f. Without Jesus, we are
only putting makeup on a corpse
4.
Fulfill your commitment to God
a. Follow through with
giving Him your life
i. Word
ii. Thought
iii. Deed … because He has
saved you … not so He will
b. Keep the faith
c. Preach the Word
d. Finish your course
with joy
e. Accomplish something
for Christ
