Guarantee for the Godly
Ask Yourself If You Believe, Is The Bible The True Word Of God?
George Wright
May 9, 2021 36m
Ask yourself, what do you believe about the Word of God? Is the Bible the true Word of God? Second Timothy chapter three reminds us that all of scripture is the breathed-out Word of God and all that is within is true, and therefore, it is our weapon for spiritual warfare. Video recorded at Columbia, South Carolina.
TranscriptionmessageRegarding Grammar:
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
George Wright: 00:04 Let me encourage you, if you would, to grab your Bible and turn with me to Second Timothy chapter 3, we're actually going to pick up where we left off two weeks ago. Last week, we had the privilege of hearing from Pastor Philip Pickney, as he came and delivered the message to us in all three of our services. And so we took a break from Second Timothy for last week, but we're coming back to where we left off two weeks ago in Second Timothy chapter 3, so I'd encourage to you turn there now.
George Wright: 00:35 And if you're new to Shandon, I do want you to know we are walking through a book study of Second Timothy, which is in the New Testament in the Scripture. And what we're seeing all throughout this letter, are these words of encouragement and challenge from the Apostle Paul to a young man named Timothy, that he has been mentoring in the faith and discipling as it relates to ministry and following the ways of Jesus. And Timothy is in a season of life as he's receiving this letter as a young man, where he's facing a lot of discouraging situations, both inside and outside of the church. And so Paul is speaking truth into his life that Timothy needs to hear. He's trying to spur him on, he's trying to encourage him, but he's also challenging him, Timothy. I know it's not easy, but I want you to know the power of God and the power of his word. If you stand firm in the power of God and, on the power of his word, you will see that at work in your life and in your church. A great, great message that we all need to hear.
George Wright: 01:47 But before we turn here today, we're going to begin in verse 16 and 17 to get started, that's actually where we'll end the message. We're going to cover verses 10 through 17, but before we step into the Scripture today, I do want to say Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms who are in the room, we certainly love you, and we honor you, and we celebrate you on this day. And I have the privilege, even though my mother-in-law is not going to like this at all, of saying specifically to her, she's down front here, Happy Mother's Day, mom, I love you, I'm so grateful for you, and you bless our family and so many ways through your faith and your faithfulness, so thank you for being the gift that you are to us. Moms, we do love you, and we do celebrate you. And I realized as we show that video a little earlier, as it relates to Mother's Day, that this is one of those days that while many celebrate, there are also many who struggle. It's one of those strange moments, if you will, where there's this collision of gratitude and grief that is happening at the same time, and our God is big enough to that, and our God is big enough to meet us in whatever we experienced personally on this day that is set aside to honor and celebrate the gift of motherhood.
George Wright: 03:10 So with that in mind, I do want to just go before the Lord in prayer right now, thanking him for all the moms who are represented among us, but also inviting him to speak into our lives, whatever we need to hear and however we need to be ministered to, as we think about Mother's Day in our current circumstance. Would you pray with me right now before we step into the Scripture? Let's pray together. Father, I'm so grateful for a day like this, where we do intentionally honor those who have so gifted us as it relates to our families, as we think about our moms. Lord, we do celebrate this gift of motherhood, we're so thankful for our moms, we're so thankful for the sacrifices that they make and for what they have poured into our lives. And Lord, we certainly recognize that as we celebrate the gift of motherhood, there are some among us who struggle, there is some among us who grieve. There are some who Mother's Day is a reminder of loss, and there are some who Mother's Day is a reminder of dreams that have not been realized, and Lord, collectively, we believe that in the power of your Spirit, you can meet us all, you can minister to us all. And so I pray for those who are celebrating, Lord, may they feel honored. I pray for those who are grieving, Lord, may they sense your presence and your comfort as you meet them even now. Lord, thank you, thank you for doing what we need you to do, thank you for meeting us in our need, thank you for guiding us as we celebrate. We look to you now, as we turn our attention to your word. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
George Wright: 05:07 I'd like to invite you, if you would, to stand with me as I read from God's Word, and we do this each week to be reminded that the Word of God is our foundation. So let's stand together for the reading of Second Timothy chapter 3, verses 16 and 17. And I want to say this right up front, verses 16 and 17 of Second Timothy 3, if you've never heard it before, this is one of the most important passages in all of the Scripture about the Scripture. That's a bold statement, but this is an incredibly important passage of Scripture in the Bible about the Bible, about the Word of God. So listen to what the Word of God says, through the inspiration of the Apostle Paul in the power of the Holy, as he writes the Word of God, about the Word of God. Second Timothy 3, 16 and 17, it says, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."
George Wright: 06:27 All Scripture is breathed out by God, inspired by God, the breath of God. Before you're seated, I just want to ask you to begin to think about this for yourself right now today, to those who are joining us online, think about this very important question. What do you believe about the Word of God? What do you believe about God's Word? I want to pray real quickly that God would meet us in that question, and then we'll be seated. Father, use this time to speak into our lives, let the Word of God that you lay before us come to life in us today, we need to hear from you. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen. You may be seated, thank you for standing.
George Wright: 07:26 I did want you to know I've got my pink shoes on for Mother's Day, just in case you're wondering, they are pink. Our Deacon Chairman, Chris Long, said to me this morning when we were praying, do you just want to get emails from people? Is that why you're wearing pink shoes? I said, well, if they come, I'm going to send them to you. So if you need to send an email about the pastor wearing pink shoes, we'll forward it to Chris Long, our Deacon Chairman. I just want everybody to know that, okay, it's a joke, it's okay to laugh on Mother's Day. I'll receive your emails, but I will forward them to Chris.
George Wright: 07:57 Hey, I want you to know, as we step into Second Timothy 3, we really are stepping into a challenging passage of Scripture. Two weeks ago, we looked at the first part of this chapter and we saw these very challenging statements from the Apostle Paul to Timothy about how things are going to continue to, hear this, get worse, the closer we get to the end of days, that is not a real encouraging message to hear. He's showing us that that godless behavior, godlessness, these acts of sin, that are listed here in Second Timothy 3 verses 1 down through verse 9, these acts of sin are going to increase in the culture around us as we get closer and closer to the end of days, and that's difficult to even grab a hold of, that is challenging to hear. He lays this out, and says, Timothy, this is a warning, it's a sobering warning, but you need to be aware of this so that you will pay attention to what matters most.
George Wright: 09:06 And so as the Scripture so often does, after it lays out a challenge, after it lays out a difficult truth that we need to hear, then it comes right back in behind that difficult truth and says, here's the strength, here's the power, here's the encouragement that you need through the Spirit of God to live in the midst of this difficult truth, here's how to respond. And so that's what we're seeing here this morning in Second Timothy 3, the very difficult truth about how things are going to get more and more challenging, specifically for the church, as we get closer to the end of days. But please hear this, this is not to be defeated or discouraged, in fact, this is to live with eyes wide open so that you can stand firm in the things that matter the most, and that's what we see in the second portion of chapter 3 in the letter to Timothy.
George Wright: 10:08 There's three things we're going to walk through in these verses, verses 10 through 17. The first thing that we see as Paul says to Timothy, and I believe is saying to the church, remember what you have learned and seen, that's verses 10 and 11. I know you're walking through challenges, I know it's sobering to know that the challenges will continue and will even increase, but as you face challenges, remember what you have learned and seen. But then secondly, verses 12 through 15 begin to speak to something in the faith that we often ignore, and that's the reality of spiritual warfare. And the Apostle Paul is saying to Timothy, Timothy, you need to live in the reality of spiritual warfare, you need to know that there is a spiritual battle that is being fought around your life and every other life, every single day, you need to understand that reality. We see what the Word of God says in verses 12 through 15. And then, we'll finish this message where we just began, verses 16 and 17, as there is this great call to the people of God to stand firm on the inerrant Word of God, stand firm on the truth of God's Word.
George Wright: 11:28 We'll get there in just a moment, but let's start in verse 10, Second Timothy 3 verse 10, "You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Now, here is Paul reminding Timothy of the personal experience that Timothy has had as he has followed the ministry of Paul.
George Wright: 12:18 And as I read these verses this week, I just was thinking about the question in my own life, I want to pose this for you as you look at verse 10 and 11. Seeing the example of Paul for Timothy, who is that in your life? Who has provided for you, a great example of faithfulness? Who is it in your life that has had the greatest impact on your life, and who you are? It may be family members, it may be a loved one, a friend, it may be some kind of ministry leader, who is in your life that has had the greatest impact on who you are as a person? My guess is there's probably some wisdom that they shared, my guess is there's probably some things that they taught you in a moment of life that you really needed to learn, you needed to hear what they had to say. But my guess is, even more than what they taught, there has been an example. Yes, they said some things you needed to hear, but there has been an example, an example of faithfulness, an example of consistency, an example of courage and strength, there's been an example that you have needed to see.
George Wright: 13:33 And that's what we're reminded of here, as Paul is saying to Timothy, look, I know you are facing challenging days. If you remember at the beginning of this study, we talked about the reality that as the Apostle Paul writes this letter, he is in a Roman prison cell, he's actually awaiting his execution, he has no idea how much time he has left, but he knows, for him personally, his time is short. So he's writing this letter to Timothy, knowing that Paul's time is short, but wanting to impart these final words of wisdom to Timothy, because Timothy is a young man, really just getting started in the race. Paul's saying, I know, I know you're facing challenging times, Timothy, remember what you've learned, remember what you've seen.
George Wright: 14:24 I have this picture in my mind of this older, wiser, more seasoned veteran in the faith, a sage, if you will, and he just puts his arm around young Timothy. It's like this letter is just the arm around the shoulder saying Timothy, come in here, man. I know it's not easy, but don't you remember, don't you remember that first missionary journey you went on, and it was new, and it was an adventure, and it was exciting, and people's lives were changing? And don't you remember the things that we talked about, and don't you remember the things that you saw in my life and in what is most important to me, and the patience with which I've tried to conduct myself as I've walked through difficult times? And Timothy, don't you remember, even now, I know you're facing challenges, but don't you remember the persecution that I faced? And you saw God at work in all of that, do you remember that? Timothy, don't lose sight of what you've learned and don't lose sight of what you've seen.
George Wright: 15:31 And I don't know if we often are realize this, but the reality is right here, we are getting a picture of what would be called discipleship. We talk about discipleship in the church, and how important it is for discipleship to be one of the primary objectives of the church, to teach and to demonstrate the ways of Jesus to those who are seeking to follow Christ, to make disciples. That is the call that Jesus laid out for his church, right? We call this the Great Commission, you may be familiar with this. We try to talk about this as often as we can, because the Word of God and the ministry of Jesus shows us that this is one of the most important things for the church to focus on, the Great Commission. Matthew 28 verses 19 and 20, it says this, "Go therefore and make disciples." This is a call to make disciples of all nations, everywhere you go, you are to make disciples of anyone who will listen and learn the ways of Jesus. And as you make disciples, you baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And you teach them, teach them to observe all that I have commanded you, Jesus says, and behold, I'm with you always, even to the end of the age. This is the call, not only to go and do missions, not only to go and plant churches, not only to go and share the good news of the gospel, it's a call to make disciples. To teach, and to model, to demonstrate, the ways of Jesus.
George Wright: 17:17 The Apostle Paul was living this out, he's teaching Timothy, but he's also setting an example for Timothy. He's giving knowledge that Timothy needs to hear, but he's also sharing his life and what Timothy needs to see. We need to be are reminded of this, this is true discipleship. Oftentimes, when we think about discipleship, we think about the classroom, we think about a Bible study, we think about a Sunday school, we think about some kind of information that will be gained, and please hear this, that is an important part of discipleship, discipleship is learning information and knowledge about Jesus, about the faith, about what it means to live the calling of God in our lives, that is a portion of discipleship. But discipleship is also learning from the examples set before us, it's relational. That's why we really believe that discipleship must happen in an ongoing small environment, small setting, where life can truly be shared, that there's not only teaching, but there's also the example of faithfulness For you see, we grow in our faith when we have people in our life that are teaching, and modeling for us, the ways of Jesus and the truth of God's Word.
George Wright: 18:49 But we also grow in our faith, sometimes even more, when we realize we have the opportunity to teach another and to model the ways of Jesus and the truth of God's Word. And so it relates to discipleship, I really believe there are two questions that every follower of Jesus should be able to answer on the spot at any season of your life. The two questions are this, who right now is discipling you? Who is discipling you? We need someone, or some people in our life, that are teaching us and setting an example for us that we need to learn from. Who is discipling you? But then secondly, I believe every follower of Jesus should be able to answer this question, who are you discipling right now? Who is in your life that you are teaching and setting an example for? It could be in your own household, it could be in your office, it could be in a classroom, it could be in a lot of different environments, but who are you intentionally discipling right now? Remember what you have learned and seen, and invite others to learn and see what you have learned and seen, this is discipleship. And Paul is saying to Timothy, right now, you need to remember what you've seen God do, because that will serve you in the midst of the circumstances you are facing.
George Wright: 20:18 We go back to the Word of God, we see then this call to live in the reality of spiritual warfare. Second Timothy chapter 3, beginning in verse 12. These are very difficult verses to hear, listen to this, "Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." "All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Paul is saying to Timothy, Timothy, I know it's challenging, I know it's not easy, but this is a reminder of the reality of spiritual warfare. And I know you want things to be easy, and I know you want things to be comfortable, and I know there are even people that will tell you, if God is really with you, it's always going to be easier. But that is not true, the truth is we live in a fallen and broken world, a world that is ravaged by sin. And the reality is, there is a very real enemy of God who is seeking to distract and divide and derail the people of God, so that the people of God will be completely ineffective at doing what God has called his people to do.
George Wright: 22:16 Timothy, you need to understand the reality of spiritual warfare. And many times we're either just oblivious to it, or we choose to remain ignorant about it because we just don't want to think about it. It's the spiritual realm, it's mysterious, it's more than we can comprehend. I mean, a battle between good and evil that is being fought all around us every single day, a battle between the forces of darkness and the forces of light. I mean, that sounds like a science fiction movie. But the Scripture shows us, there is a very real spiritual realm, and there is a battle that is being fought as the enemy of God is seeking to steal, kill, and destroy. This is not meant to scare you by any means at all, don't miss this, this is meant to awaken us to the reality so that we are prepared for the battle and engaged in the battle, as we know that the final battle has already been won. You see, there is victory in Jesus, I hope you know that, you can get excited about that. There is victory in Jesus, and the end of the story has been written, and I'll tell you this, for those who are with Christ, it goes really well, it's awesome.
George Wright: 23:44 But before the story ends, the battle still is being fought day to day in this fallen world, and we need to be aware of the battle. C.S. Lewis, a long time ago, made this very simple statement, "Enemy occupied territory, that is what the world is." There is an enemy that occupies this world, that is seeking to distract, and divide, and derail, the people of God, he wants to prevent us from living the mission. Proverbs 24:11 reminds us, as a church, that we have been given a rescue mission, we are to "Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter." We are on a rescue mission in a war zone, we are to provide hope to the hopeless, we are to shine light in the darkness, we are to point to the promises of God, that for those who are in Christ Jesus, there truly is victory. We're on the rescue mission in a war zone.
George Wright: 25:03 But think about how crazy it would be, think about how crazy it would be if the United States Navy sent ships into a war zone on a rescue mission. But instead of sending battleships, instead of sending the mighty fleet, that's at the disposal of the U S Navy, they decided we're going to send a cruise ship. And we'll put our soldiers on the cruise ship, we don't want them though to think about the battle, we just want them to be really, really comfortable, play a little shuffleboard, eat as much as they can, maybe take a nap in the middle of the day. We just want the soldiers to be comfortable, and we'll just let that cruise ship go into that war zone. I mean, obviously, we all know that would be absolutely ridiculous, to go into a war zone, you need to be prepared for a battle and you need to be equipped for that battle. And that's what Paul is saying to Timothy, Timothy, you need to know that this is real, you know, this is happening, so that you can be prepared and so that you can be equipped.
George Wright: 26:11 Far too often, the church slides into cruise ship mode, instead of living in battleship mode in the midst of this rescue mission that God has called us to. Are we just aimlessly floating around in the midst of a war, acting like nothing's going on, or are we living with a battle time mentality? Charles Spurgeon, many years ago, said this in a sermon he preached. He said, "The trumpet still plays the notes of war. You cannot sit down and put the victory wreath on your head. You still must wear the helmet and carry the sword. You must watch, pray, and fight, and expect your last battle to be the most difficult, for the enemies fiercest charge is reserved for the end of the day."
George Wright: 27:13 I know spiritual warfare is a very challenging thing to talk about, it's a very challenging thing to listen to. And please hear me, this is not to discourage or scare any of us. No, this is to sober us, and to awaken us, to the reality of this battle, so that we will actually be engaged in the battle. Recognizing that the victory has been granted to those who are in Christ, so that we won't lose heart, so that won't get sideswiped, so that we won't get totally taken out because we're just living clueless or just living comfortable. Well, Paul is saying, Timothy, you need to know, if you desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus, there are those in the world who will be against you. This world is enemy occupied territory, so be aware, and be engaged, and be active in the battle, using the sword that God has given you, which the Scripture calls the Word of God.
George Wright: 28:24 And that's where we land today in verses 16 and 17, in the midst of this reality of spiritual warfare, Paul is saying to Timothy, Timothy, stand, stand on the inerrant Word of God, this is what you need to stand firm. Look back again at verses 16 and 17, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." Hey, none of those are comfortable, by the way, all of those are challenging. The Word of God teaches, corrects, reproves, and trains in righteousness, and then it says, "that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." It is the Word of God that we need to stand firm. It is the Word of God that is our sword in the battle. Every Word of God, according to the Word of God, is breathed out by God, it is divinely inspired by God. The reason we say the Word of God is an errant, is because we believe wholeheartedly that the Word of God is without flaw or error. Everything that is there is there because God intended for it to be there, and divinely inspired the human authors to put pen to parchment so that there could be a word who recorded for us that transcends all generations and all times. The Word of God is just as applicable and relevant today, as it is the moment it was divinely inspired by God into the mind and the heart of the human recorder. But here's what I want to ask you about the Word of God, it takes faith to believe that all Scripture is God's Word. Especially in today's culture, it takes faith to believe that the Word of God is in fact the Word of God. So do you believe it, do you believe that the Word of God is the Word of God? Do you believe what it says?
George Wright: 30:40 And I just want to close this message by asking all of us, if we would please be willing to have integrity about what we actually believe when it comes to the Word of God. For there are many people who would consider themselves religious, there are many people who would call themselves Christians, there are many people who attend churches who have taken the Word of God, and they've either used whiteout or cut and paste. And they've said, there's some things I just don't like, they don't fit with the way I want to live, and so I'm going to ignore them or remove them. There's some things that just don't really fit in line with the things that matter most to me, and so I'm going to ignore those all together so that I can do what I want to do. It's very normal in our culture today, choose the parts of the Word of God that you think might help you and just ignore everything else altogether. So do you believe the Word of God, or do you believe some of the Word of God?
George Wright: 31:42 Do you believe what the Word of God says about salvation, this is a controversial topic? John 14:6, Jesus says to his disciples, as he's having a conversation with Thomas, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." That's the word of Jesus recorded in the Word of God, do we believe it? Do you believe that Jesus is the only way to God the Father? There's a lot of different people saying there's a lot of different ways. Do you believe that Jesus is the only way to God the Father? That's what the Word of God reveals.
George Wright: 32:27 Do you believe what the Word of God says about sin? Here's a real popular topic, Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Every single one of us has sinned, we are sinners. Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death." Our sin deserves punishment, our sin deserves for us to be separated from God, do you believe it? That's hard to hear, nobody wants to hear that, we want to believe that we're all going to be fine. Just live the way you want to live, and do your best, and it'll all work out. We'll all meet in that big place up in the sky, that's what people want to believe, but the Word of God doesn't say that. So do we really believe that the Word of God is true, and we are sinners in need of a savior. Jesus being the only savior?
George Wright: 33:27 How about this, this will be really fun in our culture today. Do you believe what the Word of God says about marriage and sexuality? Genesis 1 and 2, that God created man and God created woman in his image, male and female, he created them, and he didn't ask them which one they wanted to be. Do we really believe that? Do we really believe that marriage is a divine institution created by God himself, according to Genesis 2, and Ephesians 5, among other places, that marriage is a lifelong covenant between a man and a woman? That is what God's Word says. Do we really believe what the Bible teaches about sex? That sex is a gift created by God to be enjoyed in the context of that covenant of marriage, between a man and a woman, and any other sexual act outside of the marriage relationship actually leads to destruction and pain. Do we believe that? That does not seem to line up with our culture at all? It would sure be easier to just take some white outs, or some scissors, and try to eliminate the things that don't fit with our day and time.
George Wright: 34:56 So here's what I want to ask you to do, and we'll just kind of close this way. This is somewhat of a
strange way, I think, to end a message. But I just want to ask you, if you have a few, a copy of the Bible, there's a pen in the pew around you, would you just grab a pen? And there's just two statements that want to lay before you, I want to encourage you to write one of these two statements in your Bible, based on what you believe about the Bible.
George Wright: 35:19 If you're here today and you believe what Second Timothy 3:16 and 17 reveals about the Scripture, that is all breathed out from God, that the Word of God is divinely inspired, it is infallible, it is inerrant, it is God's Word, every single word of it is God's Word. Would you just take your pen, and somewhere on the inside cover of your Bible on the first few pages, would you just write, I believe this is God's Word, just write that. But, if you're here, and you may be here today, in fact, there's probably many of you here today that say, you know what? I'm just not sure if I can believe it all, there's some of it that seems a little farfetched, there's some of it that doesn't fit with my lifestyle, you know, I'd really rather just do what I want to do. If that's you, where you're kind of cutting and pasting the Bible, or just choosing portions that you want to believe. I just want to encourage you have integrity with that, and just write this statement on the front of your Bible somewhere, I believe I know better than God, what's best for me. Just write that, so that at least you'll have integrity when you turn to the Word of God and choose the things that you want to believe. Because we all know, we don't need any more hypocrites, right, I mean, there's plenty of hypocrisy already at play, so let's not contribute to that. So just write in your Bible, I believe that this is God's Word, every single bit of it, or I believe that I know better than God, what's best for me.
Recorded in Columbia, South Carolina.
George Wright: 00:35 And if you're new to Shandon, I do want you to know we are walking through a book study of Second Timothy, which is in the New Testament in the Scripture. And what we're seeing all throughout this letter, are these words of encouragement and challenge from the Apostle Paul to a young man named Timothy, that he has been mentoring in the faith and discipling as it relates to ministry and following the ways of Jesus. And Timothy is in a season of life as he's receiving this letter as a young man, where he's facing a lot of discouraging situations, both inside and outside of the church. And so Paul is speaking truth into his life that Timothy needs to hear. He's trying to spur him on, he's trying to encourage him, but he's also challenging him, Timothy. I know it's not easy, but I want you to know the power of God and the power of his word. If you stand firm in the power of God and, on the power of his word, you will see that at work in your life and in your church. A great, great message that we all need to hear.
George Wright: 01:47 But before we turn here today, we're going to begin in verse 16 and 17 to get started, that's actually where we'll end the message. We're going to cover verses 10 through 17, but before we step into the Scripture today, I do want to say Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms who are in the room, we certainly love you, and we honor you, and we celebrate you on this day. And I have the privilege, even though my mother-in-law is not going to like this at all, of saying specifically to her, she's down front here, Happy Mother's Day, mom, I love you, I'm so grateful for you, and you bless our family and so many ways through your faith and your faithfulness, so thank you for being the gift that you are to us. Moms, we do love you, and we do celebrate you. And I realized as we show that video a little earlier, as it relates to Mother's Day, that this is one of those days that while many celebrate, there are also many who struggle. It's one of those strange moments, if you will, where there's this collision of gratitude and grief that is happening at the same time, and our God is big enough to that, and our God is big enough to meet us in whatever we experienced personally on this day that is set aside to honor and celebrate the gift of motherhood.
George Wright: 03:10 So with that in mind, I do want to just go before the Lord in prayer right now, thanking him for all the moms who are represented among us, but also inviting him to speak into our lives, whatever we need to hear and however we need to be ministered to, as we think about Mother's Day in our current circumstance. Would you pray with me right now before we step into the Scripture? Let's pray together. Father, I'm so grateful for a day like this, where we do intentionally honor those who have so gifted us as it relates to our families, as we think about our moms. Lord, we do celebrate this gift of motherhood, we're so thankful for our moms, we're so thankful for the sacrifices that they make and for what they have poured into our lives. And Lord, we certainly recognize that as we celebrate the gift of motherhood, there are some among us who struggle, there is some among us who grieve. There are some who Mother's Day is a reminder of loss, and there are some who Mother's Day is a reminder of dreams that have not been realized, and Lord, collectively, we believe that in the power of your Spirit, you can meet us all, you can minister to us all. And so I pray for those who are celebrating, Lord, may they feel honored. I pray for those who are grieving, Lord, may they sense your presence and your comfort as you meet them even now. Lord, thank you, thank you for doing what we need you to do, thank you for meeting us in our need, thank you for guiding us as we celebrate. We look to you now, as we turn our attention to your word. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
George Wright: 05:07 I'd like to invite you, if you would, to stand with me as I read from God's Word, and we do this each week to be reminded that the Word of God is our foundation. So let's stand together for the reading of Second Timothy chapter 3, verses 16 and 17. And I want to say this right up front, verses 16 and 17 of Second Timothy 3, if you've never heard it before, this is one of the most important passages in all of the Scripture about the Scripture. That's a bold statement, but this is an incredibly important passage of Scripture in the Bible about the Bible, about the Word of God. So listen to what the Word of God says, through the inspiration of the Apostle Paul in the power of the Holy, as he writes the Word of God, about the Word of God. Second Timothy 3, 16 and 17, it says, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."
George Wright: 06:27 All Scripture is breathed out by God, inspired by God, the breath of God. Before you're seated, I just want to ask you to begin to think about this for yourself right now today, to those who are joining us online, think about this very important question. What do you believe about the Word of God? What do you believe about God's Word? I want to pray real quickly that God would meet us in that question, and then we'll be seated. Father, use this time to speak into our lives, let the Word of God that you lay before us come to life in us today, we need to hear from you. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen. You may be seated, thank you for standing.
George Wright: 07:26 I did want you to know I've got my pink shoes on for Mother's Day, just in case you're wondering, they are pink. Our Deacon Chairman, Chris Long, said to me this morning when we were praying, do you just want to get emails from people? Is that why you're wearing pink shoes? I said, well, if they come, I'm going to send them to you. So if you need to send an email about the pastor wearing pink shoes, we'll forward it to Chris Long, our Deacon Chairman. I just want everybody to know that, okay, it's a joke, it's okay to laugh on Mother's Day. I'll receive your emails, but I will forward them to Chris.
George Wright: 07:57 Hey, I want you to know, as we step into Second Timothy 3, we really are stepping into a challenging passage of Scripture. Two weeks ago, we looked at the first part of this chapter and we saw these very challenging statements from the Apostle Paul to Timothy about how things are going to continue to, hear this, get worse, the closer we get to the end of days, that is not a real encouraging message to hear. He's showing us that that godless behavior, godlessness, these acts of sin, that are listed here in Second Timothy 3 verses 1 down through verse 9, these acts of sin are going to increase in the culture around us as we get closer and closer to the end of days, and that's difficult to even grab a hold of, that is challenging to hear. He lays this out, and says, Timothy, this is a warning, it's a sobering warning, but you need to be aware of this so that you will pay attention to what matters most.
George Wright: 09:06 And so as the Scripture so often does, after it lays out a challenge, after it lays out a difficult truth that we need to hear, then it comes right back in behind that difficult truth and says, here's the strength, here's the power, here's the encouragement that you need through the Spirit of God to live in the midst of this difficult truth, here's how to respond. And so that's what we're seeing here this morning in Second Timothy 3, the very difficult truth about how things are going to get more and more challenging, specifically for the church, as we get closer to the end of days. But please hear this, this is not to be defeated or discouraged, in fact, this is to live with eyes wide open so that you can stand firm in the things that matter the most, and that's what we see in the second portion of chapter 3 in the letter to Timothy.
George Wright: 10:08 There's three things we're going to walk through in these verses, verses 10 through 17. The first thing that we see as Paul says to Timothy, and I believe is saying to the church, remember what you have learned and seen, that's verses 10 and 11. I know you're walking through challenges, I know it's sobering to know that the challenges will continue and will even increase, but as you face challenges, remember what you have learned and seen. But then secondly, verses 12 through 15 begin to speak to something in the faith that we often ignore, and that's the reality of spiritual warfare. And the Apostle Paul is saying to Timothy, Timothy, you need to live in the reality of spiritual warfare, you need to know that there is a spiritual battle that is being fought around your life and every other life, every single day, you need to understand that reality. We see what the Word of God says in verses 12 through 15. And then, we'll finish this message where we just began, verses 16 and 17, as there is this great call to the people of God to stand firm on the inerrant Word of God, stand firm on the truth of God's Word.
George Wright: 11:28 We'll get there in just a moment, but let's start in verse 10, Second Timothy 3 verse 10, "You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. Now, here is Paul reminding Timothy of the personal experience that Timothy has had as he has followed the ministry of Paul.
George Wright: 12:18 And as I read these verses this week, I just was thinking about the question in my own life, I want to pose this for you as you look at verse 10 and 11. Seeing the example of Paul for Timothy, who is that in your life? Who has provided for you, a great example of faithfulness? Who is it in your life that has had the greatest impact on your life, and who you are? It may be family members, it may be a loved one, a friend, it may be some kind of ministry leader, who is in your life that has had the greatest impact on who you are as a person? My guess is there's probably some wisdom that they shared, my guess is there's probably some things that they taught you in a moment of life that you really needed to learn, you needed to hear what they had to say. But my guess is, even more than what they taught, there has been an example. Yes, they said some things you needed to hear, but there has been an example, an example of faithfulness, an example of consistency, an example of courage and strength, there's been an example that you have needed to see.
George Wright: 13:33 And that's what we're reminded of here, as Paul is saying to Timothy, look, I know you are facing challenging days. If you remember at the beginning of this study, we talked about the reality that as the Apostle Paul writes this letter, he is in a Roman prison cell, he's actually awaiting his execution, he has no idea how much time he has left, but he knows, for him personally, his time is short. So he's writing this letter to Timothy, knowing that Paul's time is short, but wanting to impart these final words of wisdom to Timothy, because Timothy is a young man, really just getting started in the race. Paul's saying, I know, I know you're facing challenging times, Timothy, remember what you've learned, remember what you've seen.
George Wright: 14:24 I have this picture in my mind of this older, wiser, more seasoned veteran in the faith, a sage, if you will, and he just puts his arm around young Timothy. It's like this letter is just the arm around the shoulder saying Timothy, come in here, man. I know it's not easy, but don't you remember, don't you remember that first missionary journey you went on, and it was new, and it was an adventure, and it was exciting, and people's lives were changing? And don't you remember the things that we talked about, and don't you remember the things that you saw in my life and in what is most important to me, and the patience with which I've tried to conduct myself as I've walked through difficult times? And Timothy, don't you remember, even now, I know you're facing challenges, but don't you remember the persecution that I faced? And you saw God at work in all of that, do you remember that? Timothy, don't lose sight of what you've learned and don't lose sight of what you've seen.
George Wright: 15:31 And I don't know if we often are realize this, but the reality is right here, we are getting a picture of what would be called discipleship. We talk about discipleship in the church, and how important it is for discipleship to be one of the primary objectives of the church, to teach and to demonstrate the ways of Jesus to those who are seeking to follow Christ, to make disciples. That is the call that Jesus laid out for his church, right? We call this the Great Commission, you may be familiar with this. We try to talk about this as often as we can, because the Word of God and the ministry of Jesus shows us that this is one of the most important things for the church to focus on, the Great Commission. Matthew 28 verses 19 and 20, it says this, "Go therefore and make disciples." This is a call to make disciples of all nations, everywhere you go, you are to make disciples of anyone who will listen and learn the ways of Jesus. And as you make disciples, you baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And you teach them, teach them to observe all that I have commanded you, Jesus says, and behold, I'm with you always, even to the end of the age. This is the call, not only to go and do missions, not only to go and plant churches, not only to go and share the good news of the gospel, it's a call to make disciples. To teach, and to model, to demonstrate, the ways of Jesus.
George Wright: 17:17 The Apostle Paul was living this out, he's teaching Timothy, but he's also setting an example for Timothy. He's giving knowledge that Timothy needs to hear, but he's also sharing his life and what Timothy needs to see. We need to be are reminded of this, this is true discipleship. Oftentimes, when we think about discipleship, we think about the classroom, we think about a Bible study, we think about a Sunday school, we think about some kind of information that will be gained, and please hear this, that is an important part of discipleship, discipleship is learning information and knowledge about Jesus, about the faith, about what it means to live the calling of God in our lives, that is a portion of discipleship. But discipleship is also learning from the examples set before us, it's relational. That's why we really believe that discipleship must happen in an ongoing small environment, small setting, where life can truly be shared, that there's not only teaching, but there's also the example of faithfulness For you see, we grow in our faith when we have people in our life that are teaching, and modeling for us, the ways of Jesus and the truth of God's Word.
George Wright: 18:49 But we also grow in our faith, sometimes even more, when we realize we have the opportunity to teach another and to model the ways of Jesus and the truth of God's Word. And so it relates to discipleship, I really believe there are two questions that every follower of Jesus should be able to answer on the spot at any season of your life. The two questions are this, who right now is discipling you? Who is discipling you? We need someone, or some people in our life, that are teaching us and setting an example for us that we need to learn from. Who is discipling you? But then secondly, I believe every follower of Jesus should be able to answer this question, who are you discipling right now? Who is in your life that you are teaching and setting an example for? It could be in your own household, it could be in your office, it could be in a classroom, it could be in a lot of different environments, but who are you intentionally discipling right now? Remember what you have learned and seen, and invite others to learn and see what you have learned and seen, this is discipleship. And Paul is saying to Timothy, right now, you need to remember what you've seen God do, because that will serve you in the midst of the circumstances you are facing.
George Wright: 20:18 We go back to the Word of God, we see then this call to live in the reality of spiritual warfare. Second Timothy chapter 3, beginning in verse 12. These are very difficult verses to hear, listen to this, "Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." "All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Paul is saying to Timothy, Timothy, I know it's challenging, I know it's not easy, but this is a reminder of the reality of spiritual warfare. And I know you want things to be easy, and I know you want things to be comfortable, and I know there are even people that will tell you, if God is really with you, it's always going to be easier. But that is not true, the truth is we live in a fallen and broken world, a world that is ravaged by sin. And the reality is, there is a very real enemy of God who is seeking to distract and divide and derail the people of God, so that the people of God will be completely ineffective at doing what God has called his people to do.
George Wright: 22:16 Timothy, you need to understand the reality of spiritual warfare. And many times we're either just oblivious to it, or we choose to remain ignorant about it because we just don't want to think about it. It's the spiritual realm, it's mysterious, it's more than we can comprehend. I mean, a battle between good and evil that is being fought all around us every single day, a battle between the forces of darkness and the forces of light. I mean, that sounds like a science fiction movie. But the Scripture shows us, there is a very real spiritual realm, and there is a battle that is being fought as the enemy of God is seeking to steal, kill, and destroy. This is not meant to scare you by any means at all, don't miss this, this is meant to awaken us to the reality so that we are prepared for the battle and engaged in the battle, as we know that the final battle has already been won. You see, there is victory in Jesus, I hope you know that, you can get excited about that. There is victory in Jesus, and the end of the story has been written, and I'll tell you this, for those who are with Christ, it goes really well, it's awesome.
George Wright: 23:44 But before the story ends, the battle still is being fought day to day in this fallen world, and we need to be aware of the battle. C.S. Lewis, a long time ago, made this very simple statement, "Enemy occupied territory, that is what the world is." There is an enemy that occupies this world, that is seeking to distract, and divide, and derail, the people of God, he wants to prevent us from living the mission. Proverbs 24:11 reminds us, as a church, that we have been given a rescue mission, we are to "Rescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter." We are on a rescue mission in a war zone, we are to provide hope to the hopeless, we are to shine light in the darkness, we are to point to the promises of God, that for those who are in Christ Jesus, there truly is victory. We're on the rescue mission in a war zone.
George Wright: 25:03 But think about how crazy it would be, think about how crazy it would be if the United States Navy sent ships into a war zone on a rescue mission. But instead of sending battleships, instead of sending the mighty fleet, that's at the disposal of the U S Navy, they decided we're going to send a cruise ship. And we'll put our soldiers on the cruise ship, we don't want them though to think about the battle, we just want them to be really, really comfortable, play a little shuffleboard, eat as much as they can, maybe take a nap in the middle of the day. We just want the soldiers to be comfortable, and we'll just let that cruise ship go into that war zone. I mean, obviously, we all know that would be absolutely ridiculous, to go into a war zone, you need to be prepared for a battle and you need to be equipped for that battle. And that's what Paul is saying to Timothy, Timothy, you need to know that this is real, you know, this is happening, so that you can be prepared and so that you can be equipped.
George Wright: 26:11 Far too often, the church slides into cruise ship mode, instead of living in battleship mode in the midst of this rescue mission that God has called us to. Are we just aimlessly floating around in the midst of a war, acting like nothing's going on, or are we living with a battle time mentality? Charles Spurgeon, many years ago, said this in a sermon he preached. He said, "The trumpet still plays the notes of war. You cannot sit down and put the victory wreath on your head. You still must wear the helmet and carry the sword. You must watch, pray, and fight, and expect your last battle to be the most difficult, for the enemies fiercest charge is reserved for the end of the day."
George Wright: 27:13 I know spiritual warfare is a very challenging thing to talk about, it's a very challenging thing to listen to. And please hear me, this is not to discourage or scare any of us. No, this is to sober us, and to awaken us, to the reality of this battle, so that we will actually be engaged in the battle. Recognizing that the victory has been granted to those who are in Christ, so that we won't lose heart, so that won't get sideswiped, so that we won't get totally taken out because we're just living clueless or just living comfortable. Well, Paul is saying, Timothy, you need to know, if you desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus, there are those in the world who will be against you. This world is enemy occupied territory, so be aware, and be engaged, and be active in the battle, using the sword that God has given you, which the Scripture calls the Word of God.
George Wright: 28:24 And that's where we land today in verses 16 and 17, in the midst of this reality of spiritual warfare, Paul is saying to Timothy, Timothy, stand, stand on the inerrant Word of God, this is what you need to stand firm. Look back again at verses 16 and 17, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." Hey, none of those are comfortable, by the way, all of those are challenging. The Word of God teaches, corrects, reproves, and trains in righteousness, and then it says, "that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." It is the Word of God that we need to stand firm. It is the Word of God that is our sword in the battle. Every Word of God, according to the Word of God, is breathed out by God, it is divinely inspired by God. The reason we say the Word of God is an errant, is because we believe wholeheartedly that the Word of God is without flaw or error. Everything that is there is there because God intended for it to be there, and divinely inspired the human authors to put pen to parchment so that there could be a word who recorded for us that transcends all generations and all times. The Word of God is just as applicable and relevant today, as it is the moment it was divinely inspired by God into the mind and the heart of the human recorder. But here's what I want to ask you about the Word of God, it takes faith to believe that all Scripture is God's Word. Especially in today's culture, it takes faith to believe that the Word of God is in fact the Word of God. So do you believe it, do you believe that the Word of God is the Word of God? Do you believe what it says?
George Wright: 30:40 And I just want to close this message by asking all of us, if we would please be willing to have integrity about what we actually believe when it comes to the Word of God. For there are many people who would consider themselves religious, there are many people who would call themselves Christians, there are many people who attend churches who have taken the Word of God, and they've either used whiteout or cut and paste. And they've said, there's some things I just don't like, they don't fit with the way I want to live, and so I'm going to ignore them or remove them. There's some things that just don't really fit in line with the things that matter most to me, and so I'm going to ignore those all together so that I can do what I want to do. It's very normal in our culture today, choose the parts of the Word of God that you think might help you and just ignore everything else altogether. So do you believe the Word of God, or do you believe some of the Word of God?
George Wright: 31:42 Do you believe what the Word of God says about salvation, this is a controversial topic? John 14:6, Jesus says to his disciples, as he's having a conversation with Thomas, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." That's the word of Jesus recorded in the Word of God, do we believe it? Do you believe that Jesus is the only way to God the Father? There's a lot of different people saying there's a lot of different ways. Do you believe that Jesus is the only way to God the Father? That's what the Word of God reveals.
George Wright: 32:27 Do you believe what the Word of God says about sin? Here's a real popular topic, Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Every single one of us has sinned, we are sinners. Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death." Our sin deserves punishment, our sin deserves for us to be separated from God, do you believe it? That's hard to hear, nobody wants to hear that, we want to believe that we're all going to be fine. Just live the way you want to live, and do your best, and it'll all work out. We'll all meet in that big place up in the sky, that's what people want to believe, but the Word of God doesn't say that. So do we really believe that the Word of God is true, and we are sinners in need of a savior. Jesus being the only savior?
George Wright: 33:27 How about this, this will be really fun in our culture today. Do you believe what the Word of God says about marriage and sexuality? Genesis 1 and 2, that God created man and God created woman in his image, male and female, he created them, and he didn't ask them which one they wanted to be. Do we really believe that? Do we really believe that marriage is a divine institution created by God himself, according to Genesis 2, and Ephesians 5, among other places, that marriage is a lifelong covenant between a man and a woman? That is what God's Word says. Do we really believe what the Bible teaches about sex? That sex is a gift created by God to be enjoyed in the context of that covenant of marriage, between a man and a woman, and any other sexual act outside of the marriage relationship actually leads to destruction and pain. Do we believe that? That does not seem to line up with our culture at all? It would sure be easier to just take some white outs, or some scissors, and try to eliminate the things that don't fit with our day and time.
George Wright: 34:56 So here's what I want to ask you to do, and we'll just kind of close this way. This is somewhat of a
strange way, I think, to end a message. But I just want to ask you, if you have a few, a copy of the Bible, there's a pen in the pew around you, would you just grab a pen? And there's just two statements that want to lay before you, I want to encourage you to write one of these two statements in your Bible, based on what you believe about the Bible.
George Wright: 35:19 If you're here today and you believe what Second Timothy 3:16 and 17 reveals about the Scripture, that is all breathed out from God, that the Word of God is divinely inspired, it is infallible, it is inerrant, it is God's Word, every single word of it is God's Word. Would you just take your pen, and somewhere on the inside cover of your Bible on the first few pages, would you just write, I believe this is God's Word, just write that. But, if you're here, and you may be here today, in fact, there's probably many of you here today that say, you know what? I'm just not sure if I can believe it all, there's some of it that seems a little farfetched, there's some of it that doesn't fit with my lifestyle, you know, I'd really rather just do what I want to do. If that's you, where you're kind of cutting and pasting the Bible, or just choosing portions that you want to believe. I just want to encourage you have integrity with that, and just write this statement on the front of your Bible somewhere, I believe I know better than God, what's best for me. Just write that, so that at least you'll have integrity when you turn to the Word of God and choose the things that you want to believe. Because we all know, we don't need any more hypocrites, right, I mean, there's plenty of hypocrisy already at play, so let's not contribute to that. So just write in your Bible, I believe that this is God's Word, every single bit of it, or I believe that I know better than God, what's best for me.
Recorded in Columbia, South Carolina.
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