When it is Dangerous to Believe A Study of 2 Timothy

Transcription

1 When it is Dangerous to Believe A Study of 2 Timothy Sermon Transcript October 9, 2016 Encouragement to Endure 2 Timothy 4:1-8 This message from the Bible was addressed originally to the people of Wethersfield Evangelical Free Church on October 9, 2016 at 511 Maple Street, Wethersfield, CT, by Dr. Scott W. Solberg. This is a transcription that bears the strength and weaknesses of oral delivery. It is not meant to be a polished essay. An audio copy of the sermon on CD is available by request at (860) An audio version of this sermon may also be found on the church website at 1

2 Sermon Text 2 Timothy 4:1-8 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: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 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, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 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. 2

3 Introduction What is it that keeps us going? What is it that enables us to hang in there and to hold fast to our faith? What is it that gives us the strength to endure and to persevere in a culture where it is becoming more and more of a challenge to live out our faith in the public square? We are near the end of our study on 2 Timothy. In this final letter we have from the pen of Paul, we find timely instruction for such a time as this. This letter is written from a prison cell. Paul is soon to become one of the 70 million martyrs down through church history, who have paid the ultimate price for their faith in Jesus Christ. Paul knows a little bit about suffering for the sake of Christ. In 2 Timothy 2:9, Paul says that in his chains he is being treated as a criminal. What is his crime? His crime is that he preached the gospel, proclaiming Jesus risen from the dead. Paul knows what it looks like to keep the faith and to endure to the end. And so these parting words, written from a context of suffering from someone who has finished the race are helpful words for us as we too proclaim the risen Christ in our setting. At the beginning of this series I quoted what Cardinal Francis George of Chicago said ten years ago. Anticipating a growing hostility towards people of faith in the West, he said, I expect to die in bed, my successor will die in prison and his successor will die a martyr in the public square. 1 Whether or not that comes true is yet to be seen. And yet, to be honest, where I die is of little consequence. Whether I die in bed or whether I die in prison or whether I die a martyr is not what concerns me. What concerns is that I am found to be faithful to the end no matter where I die or how I die. So what is it that gives me the strength to be faithful to the end? We have acknowledged throughout this series that there is a spirit of fear permeating the air as people of faith grapple with this new reality in the West. Mary Eberstadt in her book It s Dangerous to Believe said that the common question she hears Christians ask is simply Where do we go? 2 Some people of faith are even suggesting we retreat into monastic type communities and retreat from society like the monastic communities did during the Dark Ages and so it is suggested we simply ride out this new dark age. 3 It is just like people did this week with hurricane Matthew. They evacuated their homes and hunkered down somewhere safe until the hurricane passed through the area. Once the storm was over, they returned to their communities and began the process of cleaning up and rebuilding. So it is suggested that is what people of faith ought to do in the West. We should let this storm pass and once the damage is done, people of faith will be there 3

4 to pick up the pieces of a broken society. In fact that is what Cardinal George suggested will happen in the third generation that succeeds him. He suggests that succeeding the one who will be martyred will come the one who will pick up the shards of a ruined society and slowly help rebuild civilization, as the church has done so often in human history. 4 And yet, the call of the gospel and the call of the kingdom is not a call to retreat. It is a call to engage the hearts of people and to endure suffering if needed. I think of the many in the persecuted church who have not retreated, but rather unashamedly continue to proclaim the risen Christ at the risk of their own lives. Perhaps the feeling of fear really doesn t capture what you are feeling as you live out your faith in the West. Perhaps instead it is more discouragement you feel over the waning influence of faith in public life. In fact, the tide has turned to the point where some within secular culture feel justified that certain moral, political or religious views are not even worthy of being treated with civility. Dr. Ryan Anderson, who got his PhD from Notre Dame has been called all kinds of names for his traditional view of marriage. In a Twitter exchange with a reporter for the New York Times, Anderson called for a measure of civility as they exchanged their differing views on these matters. However, the reporter responded, Why shouldn t I call you names? Civility is not always a virtue. Some people are deserving incivility. 5 And so this justified spirit of incivility towards people of faith tells us that there is no longer a welcomed seat at the table of ideas in the public square. Or perhaps you are feeling weary because you are constantly cautious of where you can share your opinion and where you can t. It becomes lonely because you find yourself unjustly labeled as being intolerant. And your only crime may be what you believe. Like Paul, you proclaim Christ risen from the dead and you order your life under the authority of the Scriptures. But you feel the tension. So all of a sudden Paul s parting words to Timothy are all the more pertinent to people of faith in the West. It is clear from our passage this morning that when Paul writes this letter he knows the fate that awaits him. In 2 Timothy 4:6 he says, For I am already being poured out as a drink offering. In the Old Testament sacrificial system the drink offering was an offering of wine that would be poured out on the altar before the actual sacrifice would be made. As far as Paul can see, the process for his sacrifice has been set in motion and the preliminary drink offering has already been made. And so he says, the time of my departure has come. Consequently, in this letter to Timothy he is passing the torch onto his protégé. In doing so, for the third time in this brief letter, Paul urges Timothy in verse 5 to endure suffering. In 2 Timothy 1:8 and 2:3, he calls Timothy to share in suffering. In giving this charge to Timothy, we find three things in this passage that encourage Timothy to endure and to be faithful to the end. 4

5 Before we look at this passage, I want to remind you of one thing. Jesus said in Matthew 10:22 that The one who endures to the end will be saved. The great preacher of the past, Charles Spurgeon, preaching on this verse said, Perseverance is not the experience of the few... rather, it is the common experience of every true believer in the church. 6 The expectation of faith is that the believer, the follower of Christ, will persevere and will endure to the end. This is not just a virtue relegated to the realm of persecution. It is a common character trait of faith forged by our own trials and temptations and no doubt, this perseverance of faith is a work of God s grace. But at the same time, Spurgeon says that this ought to be the great concern of every believer, that he be faithful unto death. We want to endure and persevere in our faith and we want to finish well. So what does Paul say here that gives us strength to endure? What does he say that enables us to hold fast to our faith? What does he share with Timothy that keeps him going even in the face of hardship? I find three things in this passage to be of help as we persevere in our faith. I offer them for your encouragement this morning. Commissioned: A Steward Our passage begins in verse 1 with Paul saying to Timothy, 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 kingdom: preach the word... Timothy has been given a charge by God. There is a calling on this life. He has been commissioned by God and by Jesus to be a pastor, a shepherd, to care for the souls of others. We know that this letter to Timothy is one of three letters called Pastoral Epistles. Two of these letters are written to Timothy and one is written to Titus. They are written to the pastor. From these letters, we discover some of the responsibilities of a spiritual leader in a church and some of the expectations of the one who receives such a call from God. This is not to say that these letters were strictly private letters, written only for the eyes of the pastor. Donald Guthrie in his commentary on the Pastoral Epistles says much of the material seems to be designed for the communities to which Timothy and Titus were ministering. Thus they were considered to be quasi-public epistles. 7 But they are also very personal. Early in this letter, Paul reminds Timothy to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. Paul is referring back to Timothy s ordination. He is reminding Timothy that he has the call of God upon his life. He has been given a charge. He has been commissioned to be a servant leader in the church. And so he reminds Timothy in our passage this morning that he is accountable to God to faithfully fulfill his calling that has been entrusted to him. 5

6 What has Timothy been commissioned by God to do? In verse 2 and 5, Paul lists eight things that Timothy has been called to do as a leader in the church. He says, Preach the word, be ready in season and out of season. Reprove, rebuke, and exhort with complete patience and teaching. Then in verse 5 we have the other half of Timothy s duties he is charged with by God, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. From this list of duties rehearsed by Paul there is a heavy emphasis on preaching and teaching the Scriptures to God s people. To reprove means that he is ready to refute error. To rebuke means that he is calling God s people to godliness. To exhort means that he is to encourage. Furthermore, he is to do this with patience as he teaches those under his charge and care. To be sober-minded means that he is alert and not swayed by false teaching. He is to lead the way in enduring suffering and then he is to faithfully proclaim the gospel wherever he happens to serve. The final duty Paul lists reminds me of most job descriptions I see for pastors. He concludes with a catch all statement for the things not listed, fulfill your ministry. This is Timothy s charge, his commission, his calling as a pastor. What I find interesting about this list of duties listed in verses 2 and 5 is what comes between them. Right in the middle of this list, Paul reminds Timothy that as he is discharging his duties as a pastor, it is not always going to be easy. Timothy is to preach the word but he is warned in verses 3-4 that people won t always listen. In verse 4 he is told that some will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. But nonetheless, no matter how people respond to the ministry of the word, Timothy s calling is to be faithful and to endure. He is accountable to God. The way God chooses to move in the hearts of people is up to God. But as far as Timothy is concerned, he is to endure suffering and faithfully discharge the ministry entrusted to him. You may be looking at me this morning and you might be thinking that this passage has more to say to me than it does you. After all, this is a Pastoral Epistle. Paul is addressing the calling of a pastor in these instructions to Timothy. So in some sense that is true. So if you are feeling led to pray for me, you could take verse 2 and 5 and pray them for me. Pray that I would Preach the word, be ready in season and out of season. Reprove, rebuke, and exhort with complete patience and teaching...that I would always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. You could also add 1 Timothy 4:12 to your prayers for me. Pray that I would set an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. You can pray this for Mike and Ryan as well. There is a certain weight and responsibility that comes with a calling into ministry. In Hebrews 13:17, it says that your spiritual leaders are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. And yet it is a noble calling 6

7 and I would invite you to pray that God would raise up young people from this church who would be called by God to serve as pastors and missionaries. And yet there is something here for you in this charge given to Timothy. There is a principle that transcends the calling into vocational ministry. It is a principle that applies to all who believe and follow Christ. This principle is what helps all of us endure and persevere to the end. We have all been given spiritual gifts by the Spirit of God. Peter says in 1 Peter 4:10 that each of us has received a spiritual gift and we are to use that gift to serve one another as good stewards of God s varied grace. You too have been commissioned by God. You too are accountable to use the gifts God has given you your time, your talents and your treasure for the sake of God s kingdom. God has placed certain people in your life to serve. We learn from the parable of the talents that the issue is not how much God has given you charge over, but what you do with what God gives you. When I realize that I am a steward of what God has given me my family, my neighbors, my possessions, my workplace, my church this sense of responsibility and accountability motivate me to be faithful and to endure to the end. 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 kingdom: be a good steward of the gifts God has given you as you serve the people God has placed in your life. It is not always easy, but the call on our lives is to be faithful and to endure. Contest: A Struggle Do you know what I like about Paul? He keeps it real! He doesn t describe our journey of faith as one endless happy ride where everything in life is made easy for us. The way of Christ is not easy. In fact, often following Christ can complicate things for you. The way of obedience is often contrary to public opinion. In fact, it is often contrary to your own personal desires and sensibilities. Add to that the simple fact that the message of the cross itself can be divisive. For some it is foolishness and for others it is offensive. And so this journey of faith is a constant struggle. At least Paul is honest about how he describes the Christian life. He says in verse 7, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. These statements indicate that the spirit of endurance and perseverance were necessary components to living out his faith. When he says I have fought the good fight most commentators think he is thinking of the games and is referring to a wrestling match. In other words, this journey of faith is likened to a struggle and a contest. There is a reason why wrestling matches are 7

8 divided into three brief two minute segments. Those two minutes are grueling. As you seek to exercise your will against your opponent, it takes great energy as he is seeking to counter your move and to exercise his will against you. My brother wrestled in high school. One day, with great excitement, he announced to the family that he learned a new move and he couldn t wait to use it against his next opponent. The next match came and my brother was pinned in thirty-five seconds. When my dad asked him, What happened to your new move? He said, the guy wouldn t let me do it! He was countered and he learned from it. And so Paul is saying here that he has entered the match. Contending for the gospel and the kingdom of God is a good and noble match. But most importantly, Paul can say that he has endured this most grueling match. He said I have finished the race. Again, the games are in focus here and this time Paul likens the Christian journey to a race. This verse has fresh new meaning for me. Yesterday, I ran my first half-marathon. I have a new appreciation for what it means to endure and to push through pain. At certain stages of the race I wondered to myself, Why did I sign up for this in the first place? I even questioned it while I was training. At this stage of my life, I feel aches and pains I never felt before. At least they linger longer than they used to. And yet, with the help of the cloud of witnesses cheering me on and quite honestly, the need to save face - my pride.... I pressed on and finished the race. That is the Christian journey. It is a marathon. It is not a sprint. There are times when you wonder if you even want to run this race. There is pain in just keeping the disciplines of the faith. There is pain that comes as you wrestle with your own temptations. There is pain that comes with relationships inside the church and outside the church. There is pain that comes from understanding your own suffering and counting the cost as you carry your cross. But like Paul said in Acts 20:24, with resolve you say, I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. And so now he can say, I have finished the race. With a sense of satisfaction, he finishes by saying I have kept the faith. I like the way Kelly, in his commentary translates this verse. Literally he said, Paul is saying I have been loyal to my trust. 8 That is what I want to be able to say at the end of my days. I want to be able to say, I have been loyal to what has been entrusted to me by God. It is the idea of finishing well that motivates me to endure. God determines when we are finished. As long as he gives us breath, we use that breath to serve him. Because Paul is honest in saying that this Christian journey requires endurance and perseverance it is helpful. It is helpful because these challenges we are facing or these 8

9 struggles we are facing are normal. They are not a sign that God has left us. Nor are they a sign that God is no longer at work in this world. Quite the contrary. God is at work through our suffering. And so, we press on. Spurgeon said it this way, My brothers and sisters, many of you have been Christians for a much longer time than myself; you know how severe the battle of the Christian life is, how you must contend, even to the shedding of blood, in your struggle against sin. Your life is one continued scene of warfare, both on the outside and within; perhaps even now you are crying out with the apostle, What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? A Christian s career is always fighting, never ceasing; always plowing ahead in the stormy sea, and never resting till they reach the port of glory. 9 And so we embrace the contest and the struggle as we endure and persevere to the end. Crown: A Story The final motivation that helps us hang in there and endure is the crown that awaits us. Paul concludes our passage by saying in verse 8, 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. I like that last phrase and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. It is a reminder to us in this Pastor Epistle that these principles of being a good steward apply to all of us, not just the one who has received the call to ministry. What is this crown of righteousness that Paul is talking about? Is Paul referring to some reward that is given for our faithfulness as we endure to the end? Or, is he speaking more commonly to the completion of our salvation when we receive the full promise of eternal life in the life to come? I don t think it is a cop-out to say that it is both of these things. It is a common reward, because it is for all who have longed for his appearing. But that word, Henceforth seems to indicate that this reward is the result of having kept the faith. But even our keeping of the faith and our perseverance to the end is a work of God s grace. And so there is no need to get hung up whether or not this is a reward for faith or if it is the blessed hope of grace. Either way, this is what we keep our eyes on and it helps us to endure faithfully to the end. For the joy set before him, Jesus endured the cross. For the joy set before us, we persevere to the end. This is the common way for the true believer. James said in James 1:12, Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test of time he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. There is coming a day when we will see Jesus. We are told in Scripture that our current 9

10 Conclusion suffering does not compare to the glory that awaits us. So endure through it! Be faithful! We are told that no eye has seen and no ear has heard what God has prepared for those who love him. So endure and be faithful! We are told that when we see him we shall be like him. And so everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself. So endure and be faithful. Can you imagine what it will be like when you wake up for the first time in the presence of Christ and all of his glory? Can you imagine what it will be like to take your place among the throng of heaven captivated by the wonder and the glory of Christ? I want to be there, to be able to say like John, Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creature and the elders and the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing! And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever! And the four living creatures said Amen! and the elders fell down and worshiped. When you take your place in this heavenly scene, all the suffering and all the trials and all the persecution will seem but a small sacrifice for such a great reward as this. To the good and faithful servant, Jesus says, enter into the joy of your master. Through your trials and your suffering, God is writing his story in your life and you are part of his master plan for this world. God is restoring the broken things of this world, one person at a time. He uses our brokenness to accomplish his purposes. Someday when the story is complete and we receive the crown of righteousness we will give glory to God for what God has done. We will marvel at how God used our suffering and our brokenness for his glory. So for the glory and love of God and for the grace that he has given us, may we endure to the end. As we have been making our way through this series and talking rather candidly about the challenge it is to live out our faith in this increasingly secular culture, it has been my prayer that we would not be governed by a spirit of fear. Sure things in the West are changing and we may find these changes presenting to us a new reality as we live out our faith. But some of that may not be bad and it may give us a new corrective in living out our faith. Gabe Lyons talks about this in his new book The Next Christians. He too acknowledges that in the West things have changed dramatically. The culture war is 10

11 over and we lost. So what do we do and where do we go? Lyons writes, But even in the midst of this seemingly dire outlook, I have reason to convey great hope! The faithful are finding their way through this new malaise. Not by adding or subtracting from the truth, but by rediscovering it. 10 So he says, we are provoked but not offended... Creators, not critics... Called, not employed... Grounded, not distracted... In Community, not alone... Civil, not divisive... Countercultural, not relevant. In other words, we endure and persevere and God is using these times to change us for the good. Remember, you are charged as a steward in Christ s kingdom. So endure! Remember, you are in a contest and it is a struggle. So endure! Remember, you are promised a crown and the story will be completed. So endure! For the glory of Christ and his kingdom and by the power of God s grace.... We will endure and persevere to the end. This common grace that God works in us. To God be the glory! 1 Mary Eberstadt It s Dangerous To Believe: Religious Freedom and It s Enemies (New York: Harper Books, 2016) Kindle Reader Location Ibid 3 Ibid 4 John Allen, Jr The Global War on Christians: Dispatches from the Front Lines of Anti- Christian Persecution (New York: Image, 2013) 9 5 Eberstadt, 77 7 C. H. Spurgeon Perseverance: Enduring to the End spurgeon/0554.htm Feb. 14, Donald Guthrie The Pastoral Epistles (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1978) 11 8 J. N. D. Kelly The Pastoral Epistles (Peabody: Hendrickson Publishing, 1960) Spurgeon 10 Gabe Lyons The Next Christians (Colorado Springs: Multnomah Press, 2012) Kindle Reader, Location 44 by Dr. Scott Solberg - All rights reserved 11

12 Sermon Title: Encouragement to Endure Sermon Text: 2 Timothy 4:1-8 Sermon Date: October 9, 2016 Getting To Know Me Questions 1. Identify an area in your life where you excelled because you endured and persevered. For example, it could be learning an instrument, a certain subject in school, a relationship, the developing of a skill, playing a sport, a job etc... Looking back, what got you through it? As a group, develop a list of at least five things that help us endure and persevere. 2. Get in groups of three and share a word of encouragement with each person in your group. Share with each person how you see Christ demonstrated through their lives. Spend time in prayer thanking God for each other. Diving Into The Word 3. Read 2 Timothy 4:1-5. Talk about the charge given to Timothy. What was the charge given to Timothy? What challenges do you think Timothy faced in carrying out this charge? What in this passage would motivate him to endure? 4. Read 1 Peter 4:7-11. What is the charge given to you in this passage? What does it mean to be a good steward? What in this passage motivates you to endure? 5. Read 2 Timothy 4:6-7. How does Paul s personal testimony in this passage inspire you to endure and persevere in your faith? 6. Read 2 Timothy 4:8. How does our eternal hope help us endure temporary challenges and difficulties? 7. Read Psalm 15. From this Psalm, what does it look like to endure? How might this Psalm teach you what to pray for as you seek to persevere and endure? Taking It Home 8. What was one thing that was said during your time together that has stuck with you? 9. Ask God to put someone on your heart this week and how you might be an encouragement to them. Then do it! 12