Stand Firm
We Are All Called To Stand Firm on The Word Of God.
George Wright
May 16, 2021 38m
Do you wonder what God calls us to do? We are reminded that both as preachers and as followers, we are called to stand firm on the Word of God. It is His will that we stand firm on His Word and that we use all that He has given us for His Glory. 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: [00:00:04] Well, thank you, Pastor Ed. Let me encourage you now, if you would, to grab your Bible and turn with me, as Pastor Ed just mentioned, to Second Timothy chapter 4. Second Timothy is in the New Testament, and here's a really bad preacher joke, it's right after First Timothy if you're struggling to find it. So if you're new to Bible study, find the New Testament, go near the back of the Bible and start turning to the left and you'll come to First and Second Timothy.
George Wright: [00:00:28] And what we see here, are two letters that have been written from the Apostle Paul to a young man named Timothy that he loved and was mentoring in the Christian life, but also specifically, mentoring in this call to full-time gospel ministry. And so Timothy has joined the Apostle Paul on some of his missionary journeys, and Timothy is now the pastor of the church in Ephesus that was started at the beginning of the church. One of the first church plants led by the Apostle Paul, now, is being pastored by young Timothy.
George Wright: [00:01:04] And in the midst of his pastoral ministry, he's facing many challenges. There are challenges from the culture around him, as many people are actually hostile to the message of the gospel. But there are challenges inside the church as well, this is a young church and a new church, which means there's a lot of new believers and people new to the Christian faith. And so, as a result, there are times of confusion, and there are times of division, and Timothy's trying to navigate all that. And so Paul is writing to him as this older, wiser, sage, if you will, in the Christian faith. This man who is speaking life, and speaking truth, into this young pastor that he loves dearly. And so in this letter, we know from history, that this is right at the end of these Apostle Paul's life. In fact, he's writing this letter from a Roman prison cell, and he's awaiting his execution. So he knows his time on earth is coming close to the end, and so this is kind of his final word of encouragement and challenge to Timothy, this young man that he loves.
George Wright: [00:02:16] So today, we step into Chapter 4, next week, we'll finish up this book study as we just been walking through this letter in its entirety. But what we see here today, specifically, is the call of God on Timothy's life to preach the Word of God.
George Wright: [00:02:35] So we turn our attention now to God's Word, Second Timothy 4 verse 1. And I know you just have a seat, but I want to invite you if you're willing and able to stand with me, as I read from God's Word. And the reason I invite you to stand, and if you're joining us online and you're wondering why are they standing again as he reads the Word of God? Well, the reason we stand for the reading of God's Word, is so that as we gather, the people of God can be reminded that the Word of God is our foundation, the Word of God is what we stand upon, the Word of God is what God has given to us to know what he says is right and good and true. This is what we need to hear, so we stand in honor and in reference to the Holy Scripture.
George Wright: [00:03:19] And this is what it says, Second Timothy 4, verse 1, "I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, 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. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." As we see this very specific charge from Paul to Timothy, let's ask the Spirit of God now to speak into our lives collectively as we gather here, and online, to show us what we need to see from the Word of God.
George Wright: [00:04:30] Let's pray to that end. Father, use this time for your glory. It is my prayer that as your spirit moves among us, you would speak into each of our lives, in each of our circumstances, each of our stories, for we have gathered together today whether we would admit or not, we've gathered to hear from you. And so I pray that you show us what we need to see, and I pray that you'd tell us what we need to hear, as we commit this time to you. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen. You may be seated, thank you for standing.
George Wright: [00:05:11] I do want to say right up front that this passage of scripture presents for us something a little unique today because this is a specific instruction from one preacher to another, one mentor to one mentee, about preaching the Word of God, so that means this is a sermon about preaching for preachers. And so you may be thinking, well, maybe I came on the wrong Sunday, I'm not a preacher after all. You may be concluding, and you may say, why am I here to hear a message about preaching and about the calling on the life of a preacher? But please hear this right up front, this is specific instructions for a preacher of God's Word, this is a specific calling that is addressed in these verses for one who is called to preach the Word of God, and that's not everybody. But as we see what a preacher is called to do, and as we see the calling on the life of one who proclaims the Word of God, we are seeing here what the church should expect from the preacher. We are seeing what the church should even demand, if you would, from the preacher. That the preacher is to be about this calling, this is from God, and the preacher is to proclaim the word that God has spoken.
George Wright: [00:06:40] There's an urgency and there's a gravity to this calling, an urgency and a gravity, that every minister of the gospel, whoever stands up to proclaim the Word of God, should feel. For this is a serious calling, and as we see in verse 1, it comes with serious accountability. So, look back at verse 1 of Second Timothy chapter 4, and let's see the gravity, if you will, the weight of this calling, and the seriousness of the accountability that goes with it. Paul says to Timothy, you need to understand, this is not just my opinion, this is not just my idea about public speaking. No, Timothy, you need to understand, I'm charging you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, that's pretty significant. "I'm charging you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom." A serious calling that brings with it serious accountability, for Paul is saying to Timothy, Timothy, you will stand before God and give an account for how you have handled the Word of God. This is a responsibility that has been given from heaven, and the preacher is accountable to God for how he lives out and proclaims the truth of God's Word.
George Wright: [00:08:16] Certainly, we can conclude very quickly, that not everyone is called to preach the Word of God, in the sense of what is being discussed here in this specific calling for the preacher. But we do need to understand, every follower of Jesus has been given a specific calling, every follower of Christ has been given a divine assignment, if you will, a calling from God to live in some form or fashion for the glory of God.
George Wright: [00:08:49] I want to turn your attention real quickly to another portion of a letter that the Apostle Paul wrote, this one to the church in Ephesus, where Timothy is now pastoring. Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10 says it this way, "For we are his workmanship..." Speaking of the church, the people of God, "We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, (Listen to this) which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." What's this saying, this is saying that every person who makes a decision to follow Jesus, to trust their life to Christ, to believe that he alone is the gift of salvation that sets our life right with God, any individual who trusts in Jesus as Savior and Lord, has been given, in that gift of salvation, a specific calling. A calling that God prepared beforehand, before you were even aware of what God was doing, he was preparing your life for good works that bring glory to his name. And so that means the gifts, the talent, the abilities, and the wiring, even the personality, and the opportunities, and the resources that you have been given, they have been given to you by God, for the sake of this specific calling on your life. So how are you living that calling? Are you even living with an awareness of this calling? That what God has entrusted to you, that what God has given you in this gift of a relationship with Christ, brings with it this responsibility to live out what God has entrusted to you, to use those gifts and to use those talents for the sake of pointing others to the good news of who God is and what he has done. There is a calling on the life of every follower of Christ to live for the glory of God.
George Wright: [00:10:55] And a specific portion of that calling on the life of a preacher is to preach the Word of God. That's what we see here in verse two, again, this is so important for the preacher to understand, but this is also so important for the church, the people of God to understand, so that the people of God can know what to expect and look for from their preacher. What does it say, verse 2, "Preach the word." "Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching." Now, the word here, preach, translated in your English Bible, if you're reading an English Bible, comes from a Greek term, that is the word Carrizo. The word Carrizo means to publicly, and passionately, proclaim the truth of God's Word, that’s what it means, publicly and passionately proclaim the truth of God's Word. That's what Paul is talking about here, when he says to the preacher, preach the word publicly, passionately, proclaim the Word of God.
George Wright: [00:12:12] And the preacher is called to do this in season and out of season. What is that all about, what does it mean to preach in season and out of season? Well, this means that the preacher is called to preach the Word of God regardless of how it is received by those who are listening. See, here's the reality, every time a preacher stands up to preach, there are those who are tuned in and locked in who are longing to hear what the Word of God says, and there are those who are totally checked out, and distracted, and do not care what's being preached at all. Maybe that's you today, we're glad you're here, welcome. It happens every time the Word of God is preached, there are those who are longing to hear from the Word of God, and there are those who are completely dismissive of the Word of God.
George Wright: [00:12:58] And Paul is saying here to Timothy, Timothy, you need to understand, there are seasons like that. There are seasons where the people of God are longing to hear from the Word of God, and the Word of God brings about beautiful growth and a harvest of righteousness. And there are steps of faith, and it is exciting, and the church is moving forward, and it looks like there is so much going on and everybody is fired up, that is in season, and it's great to be in season. But there are also times out of season, when the word is being preached and it appears to be falling on deaf ears. It's like the sermon is just bouncing off the walls and it's not landing anywhere. It's like the ground is really, really dry, and there appears to be no growth whatsoever.
George Wright: [00:13:50] And Paul is encouraging Timothy, this young preacher, saying, Timothy, your call, your responsibility, is to preach the word and let God worry about the season. For God is the one who creates the results, your call is to preach the word. No matter what, keep preaching the word, if people aren't listening, keep preaching the word, if people are changing in their life, preach the word. If people are growing in their faith, preach the word, if the people are checked out like a dry desert land, preach the word. For God knows the season you're in, Timothy, and God is your work, and you never know when a season of the desert becomes the season of the harvest, that's up to God. The calling is to preach the word and trust God with the results.
George Wright: [00:14:44] I love the way Pastor Crawford Loritts says this about preaching, Crawford Loritts just retired recently from a great church in Atlanta, Georgia, Fellowship Bible Church. He says this about preaching, "Preaching is not horizontal. Preaching is vertical. It is a word from God for the people at a moment in history. It is a message to be delivered, not a homily to be affirmed." You see, a sermon is not simply a speech with religious undertones. No, a sermon is to be the proclamation of God, a word from God, for the people at a moment in history. That's pretty amazing to think, because that means when a preacher stands up to preach the Word of God, if he has the Spirit of God, and he's standing on the Word of God, and he's proclaiming what God says in that moment, that moment has been set apart by God to deliver a specific message, to a specific people, at a specific time.
George Wright: [00:15:50] That's happening right now, God has spoken a word through his word and the inspiration of his Spirit, and it's being delivered to the people for this time. That means this word has something specific to say to anyone who is willing to listen. What does the word do when it is delivered through the preacher? Well, that's what we see there in the second half of verse 2, which reproves, it rebukes, and it exhorts. Here are some challenging terms to consider, to reprove means to correct, that means something needs to change. The Word of God corrects what needs to change in our lives. Rebuke is similar, rebuke is about a confrontation, a rebuke confronts that which is wrong. And certainly, this is true of the Word of God, if you pay attention to the Word of God at all, you know, the Word of God does not hold back its steps on our toes, it gets in our face, and it cuts to the heart of the issue and sometimes that's tough for us to hear. The Word of God rebukes, it corrects what needs to be dealt with as it confronts what is wrong in our lives. But then Paul says, the preacher also is to exhort, and I love this. Because to exhort, is to be about encouragement. So as the Word of God reproves and rebukes, as the Word of God lays before us what needs to change and what needs to be corrected in our lives, it does not leave us there. It does not leave us in that challenging message of truth, here's what needs to be dealt with in your heart, and your family, in your life, in your finances, here's what needs to be dealt with. No, then it takes us to this place where it invites us into the mercy and the grace of God. The Word of God, corrects, so that can lead us back to the grace of God. The Word of God challenge us, so it can lead us back to the goodness of our God and what he has invited us into through the gift of the gospel, rebuke, reprove, exhort.
George Wright: [00:18:12] And then in two very challenging statements, the Apostle Paul tells Timothy why it is so important that the preacher truly understand their calling to proclaim the Word of God, and to use the Word of God or allow the Word of God, to reprove and rebuke and exhort, because the truth is often very difficult to hear. And more and more, they're going to be people who don't want to hear it at all and look what will take place. Verse 3, "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions." You see, this is a warning for the church, it's a warning for preachers. The scripture is saying here, there will be people who don't want to hear what they need to hear. There will be people that will be so consumed with what they want to hear, that they will reject the truth of God's Word altogether. There will be people who don't want to be challenged at all by the word of a holy God. they will just want to be affirmed in the way they're currently living and so they would reject sound teaching.
George Wright: [00:19:44] Paul is saying to Timothy, Timothy, you need to be aware of this because the temptation for the preacher is to begin to preach in such a way that it just makes the people happy and feel good, the temptation for the preacher is to preach in such a way that nobody's challenged and nobody's convicted, so nobody ever gets offended or upset or threatens to leave, that's the temptation for the preacher. The temptation for the preacher is to try and make everybody happy, instead of delivering to them what God says they need to hear.
George Wright: [00:20:25] Let me just see if I can bring this into a real-life example in my own family. So, if you were to ask my kids, especially when they were little, but even now, most days in our household, if you were to ask my kids, what do you guys want to want for dinner tonight? The overwhelming response, pretty much every single time, is going to be pizza and ice cream. That's it, pizza and ice cream, that's all we want, it does not matter what mom's prepared, it does not matter what's good for us, we want pizza, and we want ice cream. And here's why. it's because my kids are fools, you can laugh at that, yeah, I'm calling out my kids, I'm a preacher, I'm calling them out. You know, they don't care about nutrition, they don't care about what's healthy, they're certainly not paying attention to calories or cavities, they just want what tastes good and what tastes good is pizza and ice cream. But they need something that's good for them. Something that sometimes may not taste real good, like broccoli or brussels sprouts, something that actually provides for them what they need. If left on their own, they're going to only grab what tastes good and they're going to end up in a spot that's not good for them at all.
George Wright: [00:21:46] There's a lot of people, that when they think about the church, they're looking for a place that just tastes good. Let me live the way I want to live, stay out of my business, don't tell me what the Word of God says. I've got it figured out how I want to live, I've got it figured out what I think is most important to me, don't you dare start to confront that or challenge that, I just want what tastes good and so I'm going to reject what I need to hear. That's the warning of the Word of God, there are going to be those more and more who have itching ears, they just want their ears tickled, they just want what sounds good to them based on the way they're currently living. They don't want anything to change, they don't want anything to be challenged, they don't want there to be any growth, things are fine the way they are in my life.
George Wright: [00:22:44] And as a result, they walk away from sound teaching altogether, and walk away from the power of God. That's verse four, it says, "They will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths." You see, here's the reality in the church, when the desire of the listeners becomes the standard for what is acceptable from the preacher, then the church begins to turn away from the truth and wander into myths. And if the church turns away from truth and wanders into myths because the preacher refuses to preach the Word of God, that church becomes a lifeless, powerless, social club that just calls itself a church. And that's not the Word of God at all.
George Wright: [00:23:41] And so as we think about the church, and we think about the calling on the life of a preacher, we need to make sure we're thinking about what the Word of God actually says. Jesus actually addresses this in a very unique way in the Sermon on the Mount, I want to turn your attention to Matthew chapter 7. Matthew chapter 7, the Sermon on the Mount is the most famous sermon of Jesus. If you never read through it, if you are new to Bible study, I'd recommend it because it shows, Jesus lays out what is most important for his followers. Matthew, 5, 6, and 7, is the Sermon On the Mount. And near the end of the sermon, Matthew 7, Jesus says this, "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." Now, we certainly understand here, if you understand anything about the scripture, that Jesus is talking about the path to salvation, how someone can be right with God. And he's saying, listen, it's hard for people to hear this, but the reality is the path to be right with God, the path to salvation is actually a very narrow path, there's a very narrow gate that guards that path, there are very few who find it.
George Wright: [00:25:05] How do you find it? Well, Jesus says himself in John, chapter 14 verse 6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Jesus is saying that path is only through Jesus. Now, I also believe Jesus is talking about the church here, he's talking to his followers and those who are willing to listen outside of his followers as well, and he's saying to the church, church, church, there's a narrow way, will you uphold it, there's a narrow way, will you stand on it and stand for it? Or will you be so consumed with trying to appease everyone, that you will blow the gate wide open and actually inadvertently invite people onto the wide path that only leads to destruction?
George Wright: [00:26:04] Now, please hear me, because I don't want you to misunderstand what I'm saying, what I'm not saying is that the church should be closed off to certain people, that's not what I'm saying at all. The church should be wide open to anyone who is willing to listen, to anyone who is willing to come, anyone who is willing to visit, regardless of background, or status in life, or socio-economic portfolio, or race, or creed, or nationality, the church should be open to all. But the church should be open to all, so that all can hear the truth of God's Word, and the truth of God's Word provides a very narrow path.
George Wright: [00:26:50] And that's why I believe Jesus says what he says in verse 15, the next verse in the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 7:15 is this, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves." Now, let's get real, when we start to think about false prophets, especially thinking about somebody who is a wolf in sheep's clothing, I mean, if you're like me, my mind would go to somebody that's like way out on the fringes, somebody that's like leading some crazy cult somewhere, and like doing all these crazy things. But somehow, they have this charismatic personality, or they have this manipulative power, and they get a group of people to follow them, and they're doing these crazy things, and yeah, that's a false prophet that's way out there in left field somewhere. But I actually believe Jesus is talking about something that hits a lot closer to home as it relates to the church. Please don't miss this, there are many times that false prophets are actually really nice pastors. There are many times where false prophets are really nice guys, they don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, or offend anyone with the Word of God, so they refuse to say what the Word of God says about the challenging, tough issues of truth. There are many churches who are led by pastors who appear to be kind and caring, and they never say anything that challenges anyone, or convicts anyone from the Word of God, and they look like a sheep because they're so nice and kind. But they're really more like a ravenous wolf, because they care more about what people think of them than what the Word of God actually says, and so they are leading people away from the truth of God's Word, for it's the wolves who try and lead the sheep away from where they need to be.
George Wright: [00:29:20] I know this is challenging to hear, but it is so important that the church understands that the Word of God must be the foundation of the proclamation for the preacher, it's so important that the church understands that they should expect the preacher to actually preach the Word of God, for the Word of God is where life is truly found.
George Wright: [00:29:52] We conclude with verse 5, as we wrap this up and prepare for our final message in Second Timothy next week. This final verse, verse 5, is really very specific commands to Timothy as the preacher, this is the final command the Apostle Paul gives to Timothy in the writing of this letter. He says, "As for you," in verse 5, that's the beginning of the letter, as for you. And I just want to pause there for a moment, because he's transitioning and he's saying to Timothy, Timothy, it needs to be different for you than it is for those who walk away from the truth. Don't cave into the demands of what people only want to hear, don't get sucked into the gravitational pull of the culture, that tries to tell you what you're supposed to say, no, you Timothy, stand on the truth of God's Word.
George Wright: [00:30:47] "As for you, be sober-minded." Be sober-minded, what does this mean? This means that Timothy is to remember how important his calling is to preach the word, that this should be true for every preacher. There's life and power in the Word of God, so preachers are called to deliverance. And remember what is at stake, salvation is found in Jesus, so preachers are called to proclaim it. And remember, preacher, Paul is saying to Timothy, everyone's going to stand before God, so preach like it, preach like eternity is actually hanging in the balance.
George Wright: [00:31:33] "As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering." Now one of the things we've talked about all throughout this letter is, this letter acknowledges the reality of hardship and difficulty and struggles in this life, it does not hide from the challenging struggles of life, and I'm so grateful that the Word of God actually hits the difficult seasons of life head-on. Paul is saying to Timothy, Timothy, as you struggle, don't you dare give up, don't you lose heart when the pressure increases around you to compromise the Word of God, don't you cave into what culture wants you to do, don't shy away from the Word of God. For as you endure suffering, you are inviting people to see the beauty and the power and the faithfulness of the unchanging, infallible, inerrant, Word of God being lived out in real-time. So let your life point to what you preach.
George Wright: [00:32:43] He says, then, "Do the work of an evangelist. And I'm so thankful that he says that here in verse 5, because the reality is in the church, there's always a gravitational pull among people in the church to want to get the preacher to do more things for the people that are already there. Paul is reminding Timothy, Timothy, there is a world out there that needs Jesus. And yes, you are to preach the word to the people of God, and yes, you are to do ministry for the sake of the people of God, and yes, you to equip the saints to live out the mission of God. But, Timothy, don't you ever forget that there are people around you every single day that need to hear about Jesus, so, you stay focused on Jesus, you keep talking about Jesus, you keep sharing the good news of what Jesus Christ has done, you keep spending time with people who are far from God praying that they will see Jesus, you do the work of an evangelist. That's the calling on the life of everyone who is a follower of Chris, to live in such a way, and speak in such a way, that we have the opportunity to share the good news of what Jesus Christ has done.
George Wright: [00:34:04] And then we conclude simply with this, "Fulfill your ministry." Verse 5, "Fulfill your ministry." I love this, because this is inviting us into a question that we often wrestle with, and that question is simply this, what is God's will for my life? Have you ever wrestled with that question? What is God's will for my life? How do I live in such a way that I find true meaning and purpose in this life? Well, the answer to the question of, what is God's will for your life is simply this, I want to share a little secret with you, the secret to finding God's will for your life, is to use what God has given you for the glory of God. That's God's will for your life, that you use what God has given you for the glory of God, that you maximize the gifts of God for his glory.
George Wright: [00:35:03] God's will for your life is that we live for the glory of God, he has given us gifts, he has given us talents, he has given us abilities and opportunities to be used for his glory. And if we seek to live for the glory of God, here's the best part, we find the life of meaning and purpose that our soul longs for. You will never find a greater life of meaning and purpose outside of God's will for your life. The greatest life of meaning and purpose that you will ever experience is when you are in God's will for your life. How are you in God's will for your life? You use what God has given you for the glory of God. This has been made available to the church, this is being made available to the preacher, but very importantly, for some today, you need to hear this has been made available to you as well, even if you feel far from God. For the beautiful, good news of the gospel is that God has done for you what you could never do for yourself, and if you will trust in Jesus as the Savior, you will find life in Christ, in the forgiveness and the grace that he is offered for your sin. And when you find life in Christ, you will find meaning and purpose that you did not know was even possible.
George Wright: [00:36:51] Let me pray for us as we close our time and enter into a very special moment of worship and close the service with the time of baptism. Let's pray. Father God, we thank you for your love and your grace, we thank you for your word, it is challenging, it is convicting, but it is beautiful. And so, I pray, Lord God, that we would be people who are passionate about your word, that we would live the word, that we would point to the word, that we would be faithful to the word, and Lord, that we would trust the word so that when we do fall short, we would know that there is grace and there is mercy through what our God has done.
George Wright: [00:37:37] Lord, I pray for anyone among us today who has never experienced life in Christ, I pray that today would be the day that they would simply say, Jesus, I am ready, I am ready for my life to change, I am ready to be forgiven of my sin, I am ready to trust the Savior, because I need new life, I need purpose, I need to know that God is faithful. So, Lord, we trust you with whatever needs to be done in our hearts today, and if there are those who need to trust in Jesus, we just pray that you give them the faith today to say, Jesus, I'm ready to follow you, and we thank you for what you do any time someone steps out on faith. Lord, guide us as we go to live in the center of your will.
Recorded in Columbia, South Carolina.
George Wright: [00:00:28] And what we see here, are two letters that have been written from the Apostle Paul to a young man named Timothy that he loved and was mentoring in the Christian life, but also specifically, mentoring in this call to full-time gospel ministry. And so Timothy has joined the Apostle Paul on some of his missionary journeys, and Timothy is now the pastor of the church in Ephesus that was started at the beginning of the church. One of the first church plants led by the Apostle Paul, now, is being pastored by young Timothy.
George Wright: [00:01:04] And in the midst of his pastoral ministry, he's facing many challenges. There are challenges from the culture around him, as many people are actually hostile to the message of the gospel. But there are challenges inside the church as well, this is a young church and a new church, which means there's a lot of new believers and people new to the Christian faith. And so, as a result, there are times of confusion, and there are times of division, and Timothy's trying to navigate all that. And so Paul is writing to him as this older, wiser, sage, if you will, in the Christian faith. This man who is speaking life, and speaking truth, into this young pastor that he loves dearly. And so in this letter, we know from history, that this is right at the end of these Apostle Paul's life. In fact, he's writing this letter from a Roman prison cell, and he's awaiting his execution. So he knows his time on earth is coming close to the end, and so this is kind of his final word of encouragement and challenge to Timothy, this young man that he loves.
George Wright: [00:02:16] So today, we step into Chapter 4, next week, we'll finish up this book study as we just been walking through this letter in its entirety. But what we see here today, specifically, is the call of God on Timothy's life to preach the Word of God.
George Wright: [00:02:35] So we turn our attention now to God's Word, Second Timothy 4 verse 1. And I know you just have a seat, but I want to invite you if you're willing and able to stand with me, as I read from God's Word. And the reason I invite you to stand, and if you're joining us online and you're wondering why are they standing again as he reads the Word of God? Well, the reason we stand for the reading of God's Word, is so that as we gather, the people of God can be reminded that the Word of God is our foundation, the Word of God is what we stand upon, the Word of God is what God has given to us to know what he says is right and good and true. This is what we need to hear, so we stand in honor and in reference to the Holy Scripture.
George Wright: [00:03:19] And this is what it says, Second Timothy 4, verse 1, "I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, 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. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." As we see this very specific charge from Paul to Timothy, let's ask the Spirit of God now to speak into our lives collectively as we gather here, and online, to show us what we need to see from the Word of God.
George Wright: [00:04:30] Let's pray to that end. Father, use this time for your glory. It is my prayer that as your spirit moves among us, you would speak into each of our lives, in each of our circumstances, each of our stories, for we have gathered together today whether we would admit or not, we've gathered to hear from you. And so I pray that you show us what we need to see, and I pray that you'd tell us what we need to hear, as we commit this time to you. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen. You may be seated, thank you for standing.
George Wright: [00:05:11] I do want to say right up front that this passage of scripture presents for us something a little unique today because this is a specific instruction from one preacher to another, one mentor to one mentee, about preaching the Word of God, so that means this is a sermon about preaching for preachers. And so you may be thinking, well, maybe I came on the wrong Sunday, I'm not a preacher after all. You may be concluding, and you may say, why am I here to hear a message about preaching and about the calling on the life of a preacher? But please hear this right up front, this is specific instructions for a preacher of God's Word, this is a specific calling that is addressed in these verses for one who is called to preach the Word of God, and that's not everybody. But as we see what a preacher is called to do, and as we see the calling on the life of one who proclaims the Word of God, we are seeing here what the church should expect from the preacher. We are seeing what the church should even demand, if you would, from the preacher. That the preacher is to be about this calling, this is from God, and the preacher is to proclaim the word that God has spoken.
George Wright: [00:06:40] There's an urgency and there's a gravity to this calling, an urgency and a gravity, that every minister of the gospel, whoever stands up to proclaim the Word of God, should feel. For this is a serious calling, and as we see in verse 1, it comes with serious accountability. So, look back at verse 1 of Second Timothy chapter 4, and let's see the gravity, if you will, the weight of this calling, and the seriousness of the accountability that goes with it. Paul says to Timothy, you need to understand, this is not just my opinion, this is not just my idea about public speaking. No, Timothy, you need to understand, I'm charging you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, that's pretty significant. "I'm charging you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom." A serious calling that brings with it serious accountability, for Paul is saying to Timothy, Timothy, you will stand before God and give an account for how you have handled the Word of God. This is a responsibility that has been given from heaven, and the preacher is accountable to God for how he lives out and proclaims the truth of God's Word.
George Wright: [00:08:16] Certainly, we can conclude very quickly, that not everyone is called to preach the Word of God, in the sense of what is being discussed here in this specific calling for the preacher. But we do need to understand, every follower of Jesus has been given a specific calling, every follower of Christ has been given a divine assignment, if you will, a calling from God to live in some form or fashion for the glory of God.
George Wright: [00:08:49] I want to turn your attention real quickly to another portion of a letter that the Apostle Paul wrote, this one to the church in Ephesus, where Timothy is now pastoring. Ephesians chapter 2 verse 10 says it this way, "For we are his workmanship..." Speaking of the church, the people of God, "We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, (Listen to this) which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." What's this saying, this is saying that every person who makes a decision to follow Jesus, to trust their life to Christ, to believe that he alone is the gift of salvation that sets our life right with God, any individual who trusts in Jesus as Savior and Lord, has been given, in that gift of salvation, a specific calling. A calling that God prepared beforehand, before you were even aware of what God was doing, he was preparing your life for good works that bring glory to his name. And so that means the gifts, the talent, the abilities, and the wiring, even the personality, and the opportunities, and the resources that you have been given, they have been given to you by God, for the sake of this specific calling on your life. So how are you living that calling? Are you even living with an awareness of this calling? That what God has entrusted to you, that what God has given you in this gift of a relationship with Christ, brings with it this responsibility to live out what God has entrusted to you, to use those gifts and to use those talents for the sake of pointing others to the good news of who God is and what he has done. There is a calling on the life of every follower of Christ to live for the glory of God.
George Wright: [00:10:55] And a specific portion of that calling on the life of a preacher is to preach the Word of God. That's what we see here in verse two, again, this is so important for the preacher to understand, but this is also so important for the church, the people of God to understand, so that the people of God can know what to expect and look for from their preacher. What does it say, verse 2, "Preach the word." "Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching." Now, the word here, preach, translated in your English Bible, if you're reading an English Bible, comes from a Greek term, that is the word Carrizo. The word Carrizo means to publicly, and passionately, proclaim the truth of God's Word, that’s what it means, publicly and passionately proclaim the truth of God's Word. That's what Paul is talking about here, when he says to the preacher, preach the word publicly, passionately, proclaim the Word of God.
George Wright: [00:12:12] And the preacher is called to do this in season and out of season. What is that all about, what does it mean to preach in season and out of season? Well, this means that the preacher is called to preach the Word of God regardless of how it is received by those who are listening. See, here's the reality, every time a preacher stands up to preach, there are those who are tuned in and locked in who are longing to hear what the Word of God says, and there are those who are totally checked out, and distracted, and do not care what's being preached at all. Maybe that's you today, we're glad you're here, welcome. It happens every time the Word of God is preached, there are those who are longing to hear from the Word of God, and there are those who are completely dismissive of the Word of God.
George Wright: [00:12:58] And Paul is saying here to Timothy, Timothy, you need to understand, there are seasons like that. There are seasons where the people of God are longing to hear from the Word of God, and the Word of God brings about beautiful growth and a harvest of righteousness. And there are steps of faith, and it is exciting, and the church is moving forward, and it looks like there is so much going on and everybody is fired up, that is in season, and it's great to be in season. But there are also times out of season, when the word is being preached and it appears to be falling on deaf ears. It's like the sermon is just bouncing off the walls and it's not landing anywhere. It's like the ground is really, really dry, and there appears to be no growth whatsoever.
George Wright: [00:13:50] And Paul is encouraging Timothy, this young preacher, saying, Timothy, your call, your responsibility, is to preach the word and let God worry about the season. For God is the one who creates the results, your call is to preach the word. No matter what, keep preaching the word, if people aren't listening, keep preaching the word, if people are changing in their life, preach the word. If people are growing in their faith, preach the word, if the people are checked out like a dry desert land, preach the word. For God knows the season you're in, Timothy, and God is your work, and you never know when a season of the desert becomes the season of the harvest, that's up to God. The calling is to preach the word and trust God with the results.
George Wright: [00:14:44] I love the way Pastor Crawford Loritts says this about preaching, Crawford Loritts just retired recently from a great church in Atlanta, Georgia, Fellowship Bible Church. He says this about preaching, "Preaching is not horizontal. Preaching is vertical. It is a word from God for the people at a moment in history. It is a message to be delivered, not a homily to be affirmed." You see, a sermon is not simply a speech with religious undertones. No, a sermon is to be the proclamation of God, a word from God, for the people at a moment in history. That's pretty amazing to think, because that means when a preacher stands up to preach the Word of God, if he has the Spirit of God, and he's standing on the Word of God, and he's proclaiming what God says in that moment, that moment has been set apart by God to deliver a specific message, to a specific people, at a specific time.
George Wright: [00:15:50] That's happening right now, God has spoken a word through his word and the inspiration of his Spirit, and it's being delivered to the people for this time. That means this word has something specific to say to anyone who is willing to listen. What does the word do when it is delivered through the preacher? Well, that's what we see there in the second half of verse 2, which reproves, it rebukes, and it exhorts. Here are some challenging terms to consider, to reprove means to correct, that means something needs to change. The Word of God corrects what needs to change in our lives. Rebuke is similar, rebuke is about a confrontation, a rebuke confronts that which is wrong. And certainly, this is true of the Word of God, if you pay attention to the Word of God at all, you know, the Word of God does not hold back its steps on our toes, it gets in our face, and it cuts to the heart of the issue and sometimes that's tough for us to hear. The Word of God rebukes, it corrects what needs to be dealt with as it confronts what is wrong in our lives. But then Paul says, the preacher also is to exhort, and I love this. Because to exhort, is to be about encouragement. So as the Word of God reproves and rebukes, as the Word of God lays before us what needs to change and what needs to be corrected in our lives, it does not leave us there. It does not leave us in that challenging message of truth, here's what needs to be dealt with in your heart, and your family, in your life, in your finances, here's what needs to be dealt with. No, then it takes us to this place where it invites us into the mercy and the grace of God. The Word of God, corrects, so that can lead us back to the grace of God. The Word of God challenge us, so it can lead us back to the goodness of our God and what he has invited us into through the gift of the gospel, rebuke, reprove, exhort.
George Wright: [00:18:12] And then in two very challenging statements, the Apostle Paul tells Timothy why it is so important that the preacher truly understand their calling to proclaim the Word of God, and to use the Word of God or allow the Word of God, to reprove and rebuke and exhort, because the truth is often very difficult to hear. And more and more, they're going to be people who don't want to hear it at all and look what will take place. Verse 3, "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions." You see, this is a warning for the church, it's a warning for preachers. The scripture is saying here, there will be people who don't want to hear what they need to hear. There will be people that will be so consumed with what they want to hear, that they will reject the truth of God's Word altogether. There will be people who don't want to be challenged at all by the word of a holy God. they will just want to be affirmed in the way they're currently living and so they would reject sound teaching.
George Wright: [00:19:44] Paul is saying to Timothy, Timothy, you need to be aware of this because the temptation for the preacher is to begin to preach in such a way that it just makes the people happy and feel good, the temptation for the preacher is to preach in such a way that nobody's challenged and nobody's convicted, so nobody ever gets offended or upset or threatens to leave, that's the temptation for the preacher. The temptation for the preacher is to try and make everybody happy, instead of delivering to them what God says they need to hear.
George Wright: [00:20:25] Let me just see if I can bring this into a real-life example in my own family. So, if you were to ask my kids, especially when they were little, but even now, most days in our household, if you were to ask my kids, what do you guys want to want for dinner tonight? The overwhelming response, pretty much every single time, is going to be pizza and ice cream. That's it, pizza and ice cream, that's all we want, it does not matter what mom's prepared, it does not matter what's good for us, we want pizza, and we want ice cream. And here's why. it's because my kids are fools, you can laugh at that, yeah, I'm calling out my kids, I'm a preacher, I'm calling them out. You know, they don't care about nutrition, they don't care about what's healthy, they're certainly not paying attention to calories or cavities, they just want what tastes good and what tastes good is pizza and ice cream. But they need something that's good for them. Something that sometimes may not taste real good, like broccoli or brussels sprouts, something that actually provides for them what they need. If left on their own, they're going to only grab what tastes good and they're going to end up in a spot that's not good for them at all.
George Wright: [00:21:46] There's a lot of people, that when they think about the church, they're looking for a place that just tastes good. Let me live the way I want to live, stay out of my business, don't tell me what the Word of God says. I've got it figured out how I want to live, I've got it figured out what I think is most important to me, don't you dare start to confront that or challenge that, I just want what tastes good and so I'm going to reject what I need to hear. That's the warning of the Word of God, there are going to be those more and more who have itching ears, they just want their ears tickled, they just want what sounds good to them based on the way they're currently living. They don't want anything to change, they don't want anything to be challenged, they don't want there to be any growth, things are fine the way they are in my life.
George Wright: [00:22:44] And as a result, they walk away from sound teaching altogether, and walk away from the power of God. That's verse four, it says, "They will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths." You see, here's the reality in the church, when the desire of the listeners becomes the standard for what is acceptable from the preacher, then the church begins to turn away from the truth and wander into myths. And if the church turns away from truth and wanders into myths because the preacher refuses to preach the Word of God, that church becomes a lifeless, powerless, social club that just calls itself a church. And that's not the Word of God at all.
George Wright: [00:23:41] And so as we think about the church, and we think about the calling on the life of a preacher, we need to make sure we're thinking about what the Word of God actually says. Jesus actually addresses this in a very unique way in the Sermon on the Mount, I want to turn your attention to Matthew chapter 7. Matthew chapter 7, the Sermon on the Mount is the most famous sermon of Jesus. If you never read through it, if you are new to Bible study, I'd recommend it because it shows, Jesus lays out what is most important for his followers. Matthew, 5, 6, and 7, is the Sermon On the Mount. And near the end of the sermon, Matthew 7, Jesus says this, "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." Now, we certainly understand here, if you understand anything about the scripture, that Jesus is talking about the path to salvation, how someone can be right with God. And he's saying, listen, it's hard for people to hear this, but the reality is the path to be right with God, the path to salvation is actually a very narrow path, there's a very narrow gate that guards that path, there are very few who find it.
George Wright: [00:25:05] How do you find it? Well, Jesus says himself in John, chapter 14 verse 6, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Jesus is saying that path is only through Jesus. Now, I also believe Jesus is talking about the church here, he's talking to his followers and those who are willing to listen outside of his followers as well, and he's saying to the church, church, church, there's a narrow way, will you uphold it, there's a narrow way, will you stand on it and stand for it? Or will you be so consumed with trying to appease everyone, that you will blow the gate wide open and actually inadvertently invite people onto the wide path that only leads to destruction?
George Wright: [00:26:04] Now, please hear me, because I don't want you to misunderstand what I'm saying, what I'm not saying is that the church should be closed off to certain people, that's not what I'm saying at all. The church should be wide open to anyone who is willing to listen, to anyone who is willing to come, anyone who is willing to visit, regardless of background, or status in life, or socio-economic portfolio, or race, or creed, or nationality, the church should be open to all. But the church should be open to all, so that all can hear the truth of God's Word, and the truth of God's Word provides a very narrow path.
George Wright: [00:26:50] And that's why I believe Jesus says what he says in verse 15, the next verse in the Sermon on the Mount. Matthew 7:15 is this, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves." Now, let's get real, when we start to think about false prophets, especially thinking about somebody who is a wolf in sheep's clothing, I mean, if you're like me, my mind would go to somebody that's like way out on the fringes, somebody that's like leading some crazy cult somewhere, and like doing all these crazy things. But somehow, they have this charismatic personality, or they have this manipulative power, and they get a group of people to follow them, and they're doing these crazy things, and yeah, that's a false prophet that's way out there in left field somewhere. But I actually believe Jesus is talking about something that hits a lot closer to home as it relates to the church. Please don't miss this, there are many times that false prophets are actually really nice pastors. There are many times where false prophets are really nice guys, they don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, or offend anyone with the Word of God, so they refuse to say what the Word of God says about the challenging, tough issues of truth. There are many churches who are led by pastors who appear to be kind and caring, and they never say anything that challenges anyone, or convicts anyone from the Word of God, and they look like a sheep because they're so nice and kind. But they're really more like a ravenous wolf, because they care more about what people think of them than what the Word of God actually says, and so they are leading people away from the truth of God's Word, for it's the wolves who try and lead the sheep away from where they need to be.
George Wright: [00:29:20] I know this is challenging to hear, but it is so important that the church understands that the Word of God must be the foundation of the proclamation for the preacher, it's so important that the church understands that they should expect the preacher to actually preach the Word of God, for the Word of God is where life is truly found.
George Wright: [00:29:52] We conclude with verse 5, as we wrap this up and prepare for our final message in Second Timothy next week. This final verse, verse 5, is really very specific commands to Timothy as the preacher, this is the final command the Apostle Paul gives to Timothy in the writing of this letter. He says, "As for you," in verse 5, that's the beginning of the letter, as for you. And I just want to pause there for a moment, because he's transitioning and he's saying to Timothy, Timothy, it needs to be different for you than it is for those who walk away from the truth. Don't cave into the demands of what people only want to hear, don't get sucked into the gravitational pull of the culture, that tries to tell you what you're supposed to say, no, you Timothy, stand on the truth of God's Word.
George Wright: [00:30:47] "As for you, be sober-minded." Be sober-minded, what does this mean? This means that Timothy is to remember how important his calling is to preach the word, that this should be true for every preacher. There's life and power in the Word of God, so preachers are called to deliverance. And remember what is at stake, salvation is found in Jesus, so preachers are called to proclaim it. And remember, preacher, Paul is saying to Timothy, everyone's going to stand before God, so preach like it, preach like eternity is actually hanging in the balance.
George Wright: [00:31:33] "As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering." Now one of the things we've talked about all throughout this letter is, this letter acknowledges the reality of hardship and difficulty and struggles in this life, it does not hide from the challenging struggles of life, and I'm so grateful that the Word of God actually hits the difficult seasons of life head-on. Paul is saying to Timothy, Timothy, as you struggle, don't you dare give up, don't you lose heart when the pressure increases around you to compromise the Word of God, don't you cave into what culture wants you to do, don't shy away from the Word of God. For as you endure suffering, you are inviting people to see the beauty and the power and the faithfulness of the unchanging, infallible, inerrant, Word of God being lived out in real-time. So let your life point to what you preach.
George Wright: [00:32:43] He says, then, "Do the work of an evangelist. And I'm so thankful that he says that here in verse 5, because the reality is in the church, there's always a gravitational pull among people in the church to want to get the preacher to do more things for the people that are already there. Paul is reminding Timothy, Timothy, there is a world out there that needs Jesus. And yes, you are to preach the word to the people of God, and yes, you are to do ministry for the sake of the people of God, and yes, you to equip the saints to live out the mission of God. But, Timothy, don't you ever forget that there are people around you every single day that need to hear about Jesus, so, you stay focused on Jesus, you keep talking about Jesus, you keep sharing the good news of what Jesus Christ has done, you keep spending time with people who are far from God praying that they will see Jesus, you do the work of an evangelist. That's the calling on the life of everyone who is a follower of Chris, to live in such a way, and speak in such a way, that we have the opportunity to share the good news of what Jesus Christ has done.
George Wright: [00:34:04] And then we conclude simply with this, "Fulfill your ministry." Verse 5, "Fulfill your ministry." I love this, because this is inviting us into a question that we often wrestle with, and that question is simply this, what is God's will for my life? Have you ever wrestled with that question? What is God's will for my life? How do I live in such a way that I find true meaning and purpose in this life? Well, the answer to the question of, what is God's will for your life is simply this, I want to share a little secret with you, the secret to finding God's will for your life, is to use what God has given you for the glory of God. That's God's will for your life, that you use what God has given you for the glory of God, that you maximize the gifts of God for his glory.
George Wright: [00:35:03] God's will for your life is that we live for the glory of God, he has given us gifts, he has given us talents, he has given us abilities and opportunities to be used for his glory. And if we seek to live for the glory of God, here's the best part, we find the life of meaning and purpose that our soul longs for. You will never find a greater life of meaning and purpose outside of God's will for your life. The greatest life of meaning and purpose that you will ever experience is when you are in God's will for your life. How are you in God's will for your life? You use what God has given you for the glory of God. This has been made available to the church, this is being made available to the preacher, but very importantly, for some today, you need to hear this has been made available to you as well, even if you feel far from God. For the beautiful, good news of the gospel is that God has done for you what you could never do for yourself, and if you will trust in Jesus as the Savior, you will find life in Christ, in the forgiveness and the grace that he is offered for your sin. And when you find life in Christ, you will find meaning and purpose that you did not know was even possible.
George Wright: [00:36:51] Let me pray for us as we close our time and enter into a very special moment of worship and close the service with the time of baptism. Let's pray. Father God, we thank you for your love and your grace, we thank you for your word, it is challenging, it is convicting, but it is beautiful. And so, I pray, Lord God, that we would be people who are passionate about your word, that we would live the word, that we would point to the word, that we would be faithful to the word, and Lord, that we would trust the word so that when we do fall short, we would know that there is grace and there is mercy through what our God has done.
George Wright: [00:37:37] Lord, I pray for anyone among us today who has never experienced life in Christ, I pray that today would be the day that they would simply say, Jesus, I am ready, I am ready for my life to change, I am ready to be forgiven of my sin, I am ready to trust the Savior, because I need new life, I need purpose, I need to know that God is faithful. So, Lord, we trust you with whatever needs to be done in our hearts today, and if there are those who need to trust in Jesus, we just pray that you give them the faith today to say, Jesus, I'm ready to follow you, and we thank you for what you do any time someone steps out on faith. Lord, guide us as we go to live in the center of your will.
Recorded in Columbia, South Carolina.
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