SERMON MANUSCRIPT: 2 TIMOTHY 4:1-8 IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COURSE HOMI 501-DO2 LUO LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY

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1 SERMON MANUSCRIPT: 2 TIMOTHY 4:1-8 IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE COURSE HOMI 501-DO2 LUO LIBERTY BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY TRAVIS NOWELL HOMI 501-DO2 LUO DOUGLAS MUNTON AUGUST 4, 2012

2 Preach the Word 2 Tim 4:1-8 When you are regenerated by the Holy Spirit, you are a new creation. You are the fig tree, and the soil is the Word of God. If you grow your roots down deep you will survive the drought. When the winds of temptation blow, you bend but will not break. If you feed on the Son daily, you produce much fruit. I say this because before you preach the Gospel you must need the Word of God as much as the tree needs soil. You must be planted in it, your roots must go deep, and you must stand firm and not be moved. Today we will study 2 Timothy 4:1-8. Paul, detained in a Roman prison for preaching the Gospel, writes to his protégé Timothy. Paul makes it clear why we are to preach. I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, (4:1) Stop right there. Paul is in a Roman jail cell. Roman prisons were nothing like our deluxe jail systems we have in America. Paul did not have air conditioning, gym equipment, a nice hot meal, a TV, or a comfortable bed. Roman cells were literally holes dug in the ground. So at the bottom of Paul s hole he describes his situation as in the presence of God and Jesus. Now, if he can be in God s presence in that situation, should we not find a way to be in Christ today in our circumstances? Continuing on in verse one, we read, Who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His Kingdom: Remember, living stands for believers and dead stands for the lost. Jesus will judge both. Believers at the Judgment seat of Christ in 2 Corinthians and the lost at the Great White Throne Judgment in Revelation 20. So remember, your boss, spouse, pastor, or mother is not your judge. Do not be led by your passions or personal desires. Understand you have a Judge and it is wise to obey His commandments. 2

3 In verse two, Paul makes it clear what we are to preach. Preach the word; It seems one of the hardest things for today s pastors to do is simply preach the Word of God. A woman, upset at her cowardly pastor, once remarked, I wish he would just stand behind the pulpit and read straight from his Bible for the whole sermon. At least then, we would not have to hear his babbling and could actually hear from the Word of God. Wow, what a convicting statement. A preacher is a herald. Kings had heralds who would read proclamations to their people. Their job was to repeat what was written. So too, we are to proclaim the Word of God. Paul then defines when we are to preach. Be ready in season and out of season; Paul makes it very clear there will be times the Gospel will be received and other times it will not. Pentecost saw 3,000 saved in an instant, yet other times preaching the Gospel leads to persecution, trials, imprisonment, and martyrdom. I want you to know believers are still martyred today. Christians are on active duty. We are on call 24/7 to proclaim the Gospel whether we are received with open arms or thrown out like yesterday s trash. Paul then defines how we are to preach. Reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. This can be explained with one of my favorite statements. In the ministry, leaders must be able to pet the lamb on the head and kick the wolf in the tail. We must encourage for desired behavior and correct and eliminate bad behavior. Reprove is an appeal to reason, rebuke is an appeal to the conscience, and exhort is an appeal to emotion. We must restore others gently and respond using the Word of God. If I correct you, it s just Travis opinion. If I correct you with Scripture, the Holy Spirit will convict you. Which method will be more successful? We must not forget patience. Some sheep need more time to grow spiritually. 3

4 In verse three, Paul makes it clear that sound doctrine is not for everyone. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, What time do you think it is now folks? I ll be glad to tell you. People do not want to be convicted, repentant, or regenerated. When you study the Word of God, your faults become abundantly clear. God is completely holy. We are still tied to the flesh. Now, you can cherry pick and read only those passages that deal with God s love, mercy, and prosperity, but as for me and my house, we study the Bible in its entirety and do what it says. If that hurts my feelings, it is I who needs to change and not the words on the page. Paul continues in verse three, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, People are not poor victims of some false prophet wooing them. This passage says that the masses will actually seek out and appoint him or her to be their leader. People do not want to be told about sin, hell, and demonic spiritual warfare. Why? Jesus said you cannot have two masters, that you will love one and hate the other. Some like to straddle the fence. Joshua 24:15 says choose today who you will serve. Likewise, people will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. (4:4) The Greek word here for myth is mystos. It is explained well in Titus 1:14 that states, They must stop listening to Jewish myths and the commands of people who have turned away from the truth. When you have a jar of pure water and you drop one grain of sand in, you don t have water anymore by definition. You have water and a grain of sand. We have been given the entire revelation of God in the Bible and have no need for man s myths or extra commands. Paul urges believers to fulfill their ministry. As for you, always be sober-minded. (4:5) We should be filled with the Holy Spirit daily and never under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or 4

5 addictions. Next, we are told to endure suffering. You cannot get the crown without the cross. Scripture is clear folks; Christians who share the Gospel will be persecuted. Paul didn t say if you suffer, he said it is coming. When it manifests, endure. We are also to do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. If they were giving away brand new cars from a car lot across town, you would call all your friends and family and tell them to go pick theirs up. How can it be we have been born again, saved, redeemed, and heaven bound, yet we do not want to share such a treasure with others? For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. (4:6) This is not the first rodeo for Paul. He has been persecuted and imprisoned many times. Somehow he realizes his death is near. Paul s life has a wonderful testimony. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (4:7) Listen to Paul s action verbs here in this verse. Fought, Finished, and Kept. People, some of us do not even know we are in a fight. Paul has the scars to prove it. Some of us can start anything. Paul completed his calling. Some turn from their faith when a new wind blows through. Paul had seen Jesus for who He was and was willing to die for his Savior. Are you striving for a righteous legacy or seeking earthly treasure? Verse eight concludes with Paul s future spoils of victory. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing. (4:8) Paul reminds us again of the Judgment Seat of Christ. He then encourages us, from his dark, rat infested dungeon hole, that we too can earn a crown to one day throw at the feet of Jesus. 5

6 We have heard the story of a mighty Christian at the end of his life. I am told a lion is most fierce at the end of his life. I would say the same for Paul. He could have easily given in, recanted his faith, and been released from prison. Paul could not do that because his roots grew deep in the Word of God. He chose Who he would serve; he proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus, even unto death. Today, do you know Jesus, or do you just know about Jesus? Do you fully understand that you are separated from God through sin? Do you know the meaning of repentance and its importance? Is Jesus your Lord, Savior, and friend? If you answered no to any of these questions please seek out a Christian here today and allow us to explain how you can repent of your sin and accept Jesus as Lord of your life. 6