PRIORITY OF THE WORD 2 Timothy 4:1-5

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1 March 23, 2014 Providence PRIORITY OF THE WORD 2 Timothy 4:1-5 INTRODUCTION: Once in a while, a passage presents itself that appears to have a singular focus. Today that focus is on the role Timothy has as a pastor. It is difficult to preach such a passage without being very self-conscious that as a pastor, you are preaching to yourself and asking the congregation to listen in. But if you follow Christ, you will be a part of a local assembly of believers called the Church. And in that church it is almost certain that you will have one or more pastors. So here are some statistics that should cause you serious concern about the nature of pastoring in a modern culture. (Research by R. J. Krejcir Ph.D. Francis A. Schaeffer Institute of Church Leadership Development, 2006) Fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout, or contention in their churches. Fifty percent of pastors' marriages will end in divorce. Eighty percent of pastors feel unqualified and discouraged in their role as pastor. Fifty percent of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living. Eighty percent of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years. Seventy percent of pastors constantly fight depression. Almost forty percent polled said they have had an extra-marital affair since beginning their ministry. Seventy percent said the only time they spend studying the Word is when they are preparing their sermons (This is Key). The pastor must be theologically sound. A pastor who does not have a good theology is like an engineer who does not know math; he or she would totally be unable to do the job of designing. A pastor that is not theologically sound is like a surgeon who does not know anatomy and physiology; would you want him or her to operate on you? Would you want a lawyer representing you who does not know the law or the court system? Therefore, please understand the need to pray for our pastors the pastors in this city the pastors from your home towns the pastors we ordain and send out the church planting pastors we commission near and far away. Paul comes straight at the core of the issue with Timothy THESIS: Give priority to the Word of God and Jesus will take care of the rest! I. THE SOLEMN RESPONSIBILITY OF EVERY PASTOR --Every church must expect and make it clear to their pastors that the see his role as a solemn responsibility before God. --Every member is a minister, to be sure, but God calls some to serve as pastor/teacher in the local church not as a priestly mediator Jesus is that but as the overseer and equipper of the flock given to his care! A. HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THAT RESPONSIBILITY ILLUS. Many deacons and elders have assumed throughout church history that the pastors are accountable to them. Many pastors have assumed that they answer to no one but themselves. The truth is that everyone called to a pastoral role like Timothy held in Ephesus will indeed answer for that responsibility he will answer to God Himself.

2 2 Tim. 4:1 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: --In the course of biblical structure in the church, there is an accountability to the church leadership [in our case, the pastors are accountable to the Elders]. --But that is only a secondary level, a far distant second to the One to whom pastors must give an account. 1. Jesus will be the Judge of our ministry. Heb. 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning [grief], for that would be of no advantage to you. --Every pastor will give an account to Jesus because pastors are undershepherds for the Great Shepherd, Jesus. James 3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2. The Scriptures will be the standard for our ministry. --As we noted in our last text, 2 Timothy 3:14-17, the designation of pastor/teacher comes with the assignment to equip the saints for ministry (Eph 4:12) which is then coupled with the means by which to do so All Scriptures so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work (2 Tim 3:16-17). 3. The presence of God will be the evidence of our ministry --Unless we abide in Christ and His Word, there will be no fruit in our ministry, no spiritual power in our speech, nor presence of God in our midst! --Only when we hold forth God s truth and submit ourselves to it will the presence of God and the power of the Spirit be evident among us! B. GIVEN INSTRUCTION TO FULFILL THAT RESPONSIBILITY --The instruction Paul lays out for Timothy has not changed over the centuries and pastor/teachers are still responsible for these three duties. 2 Timothy 4:2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. --There are five imperatives that fall into three categories, separated in the English text by semicolons: 1. Preach the Word --The imperative for Christ-centered, gospel-driven ministry always begins with the Word of God preached with the power of God to the people in need of God! --Few people care what I think and those few who do will always be disappointed! --But I have never, nor has any other pastor, been called to spout off personal opinions or the latest topics floating around the internet or the most controversial themes being debated in our culture.

3 Preach the Word! No other source for life-changing truth can be found in heaven or earth! ILLUS. Adrian Rogers, the late and great preacher from Memphis once said, I preach the Bible because I am not smart enough to come up with something new every week. But I also preach the Bible because I am too smart to go anywhere else! As others were abandoning Jesus, Peter said, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life! (John 6:68). 2. Always Be Ready --Literally, the text says when it is convenient when it not convenient, you are to preach the Word. ILLUS. On the day after we arrived, and after a full day of teaching classes in Eastern Europe, I was ready to go to my room and catch my breath. But as I was heading toward my room, one of our hosts came to tell me that we were leaving shortly for a 3 hour drive to another city where I was the revival preacher for the night! The class time had been in season for me and I had been ready for that. But this was clearly out of season and I had no idea this was planned. After offering several excuses to try to get out of it, I realized this was one of those times! Be ready! So we went, there was a packed church all the way to the back of the balcony. When we arrived they were already singing and getting ready for the message from some unknown American, me! I had been advised early in my ministry to always have something ready to preach on a moment s notice and so without any time to prepare (other than 3 hours on bumpy roads to get there), I preached totally relying on the Spirit and by God s grace several people there that night gave their lives to Christ! Looking back, it was not a particularly good sermon, but God is a particularly powerful God who always honors the Word when it is preached! --Being a student of the Word is like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit (Psalm 1:3). 3. Apply the Message Correct, Rebuke, Encourage --In the last chapter, Paul already explained the usefulness and the benefits found in God s inspired Word and here repeats them. --Not only is there power in the gospel which is found in the Scriptures which leads people to salvation and new life, but the Word then offers sound instruction by which we can know how to live for Jesus Christ. --Three ways are noted for how we are to apply the message we have heard and taught: Correct Let the Word bring you to a proper understanding of what is true and right correcting erroneous thoughts and practices. Rebuke Let the Word serve to stop you, to block your steps in the wrong direction and protect you. Encourage Let the Word speak to reinforce what is right in the lives of the people: Great job love how you handled that amazed at how quickly you are growing I see the glory and joy of Christ shining through you today!

4 --If all people ever hear is correction and rebuke, and if you love to be that kind of messenger, you need to find something else to do with your life!! --There must always be an element in applying the message that builds up, encourages, demonstrates the love of Christ! --And in each of these three responsibilities, you will need great patience and a determination to keep instructing others. --But what if you are doing that and people won t listen? What if you are speaking the truth, doing it in love, and they push back from God s Word and toss you out as God s messenger? --Paul reminds us to expect such things because as Jesus reminded us, people prefer darkness to light because light exposes the evils done in the dark! (John 3:19-20). II. THE DEFIANT TURNING ASIDE BY COUNTLESS MASSES 2 Timothy 4:3-4 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. A. THEY WILL NOT ENDURE SOUND DOCTRINE --In a culture that will buy almost any crazy idea and then dare anybody to say anything about it has demonstrated that it will tolerate nearly everything but biblical truth. Rom. 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. --While suppressing truth, they promote ideas and develop loyalties to all kinds of idols which make promises that are so full of holes that even their most zealous adherents do not try to defend them but even as the ideas prove to be empty and fail miserably. Jer. 2:11-13 Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which does not profit. 12 Be appalled, O heavens, at this; be shocked, be utterly desolate, declares the LORD, 13 for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water. --Consider for a moment Marxism and communism and even socialism have never worked, but determined supporters remain loyal anyway and keep trying to force them on the world Capitalism appeals to human greed and accumulation of material things as a way to order the priorities of life and yet leaves even the richest wondering what happened to the dream Secularism leads people to a dead-end, failing to satisfy the longings of the human heart for eternal peace Humanism boasts of the capacity of human beings to achieve anything and overcome everything, but offers no supportive evidence (in fact, the opposite!) Atheism and agnosticism offer a world without any hope and a present age of chaotic disorder while asking others to believe life has no consequences

5 ILLUS. E. V. Hill -- The Bible stands true against All those -isms that should by now have been - wasms. --Even though biblical truth squares with reality better than any other worldview, people will not endure what it has to say preferring to embrace broken cisterns over the fountain of living waters. B. THEY WILL COLLECT AGREEABLE TEACHERS --Because people want to avoid the truth, they look for and gather around themselves the kinds of teachers who support their unbelief. 4:3 but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions --Arenas fill up to hear speakers and teachers spout meaningless but pleasing words, offer obvious observations about life and then draw unwarranted conclusions. --And how they love it! Jer. 5:30-31 An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: 31 the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes? --Even when the lie is bold, the people run to it and embrace it blindly, hoping that perhaps even the smallest part of it is true. C. THEY WILL TURN ASIDE FROM TRUTH --Popular movements sell books and fill auditoriums as the false prophets tell the people what they want to hear: Sin is too negative so we will shy away from mentioning it and risk offending people. Prosperity is God s will for anyone willing to follow Him and give seed money that will increase upon giving it. Physical health is simply a matter of faith and the only reason for sickness is the absence of faith. God wants you to be happy so do what you feel is right. Everybody is going to heaven, so relax and don t worry there is no judgment coming that s a myth! --Best selling books, massive donations and lavish lifestyles of the false prophets mask the deception with a façade of success never realizing the enabling nature of a people who are always willing to pay for those who suit their passions. --The baseline is this: They agree with what I hope to be true and are willing to tell me the lie I want to believe! D. THEY WILL WANDER OFF INTO MYTHS --Not content with true reality, they will invent realities from their own imaginations and then try to live as if they were true. ILLUS. When children play make believe it is cute and smile as they act out their fantasy she is a princess, he is Superman, they live in castles and leap tall buildings with a single bound.

6 But when we grow up, the myths need to be laid aside. The fantasy world must be abandoned. Jobs do not always result in deeply satisfying labor marriage does not always meet all your needs and make you happy retirement does not always end up on the beach or cruising the country in a motorhome your children do not always end up rich and famous government will not fix every ill in society education is not now, nor has it ever been THE answer life does not owe you a living and no, you do not have a right to be happy!! --God wants you to know the truth to live by that truth to be liberated by that truth! John 8:32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. --Jesus is the truth and the revelation of that truth is His Word so Paul says, Preach the Word! III. THE PIVOTAL WORK OF FAITHFUL SHEPHERDS --There is nothing more essential for the flock of God than to shepherd them for the sake of the Great Shepherd of our souls, Jesus Christ. 2 Timothy 4:5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. A. IT REQUIRES SOBER-MINDED FOCUS --Turning people back to the truth is serious work and needs those who are willing to be soberminded or to keep their heads about them! --Serious thinking about the issues of life and death make it necessary for the shepherds of the flock and the flock itself to take such things seriously. --Standing out in a crowded world heading down a broad path leading to destruction requires that a shepherd and his sheep have a firm resolve to do and believe what is right, no matter how narrow the way. B. IT EXPECTS TO ENDURE HARDSHIP --Living in a counter-cultural way means that hardship will come your way and that you must be determined to endure it, or be swept away by it. --Stand for Christ and cry out what is true and you can expect to be the object of ridicule and perhaps the target of persecution according to 3:12. C. IT CALLS FOR THE WORK OF EVANGELISM --Notice that Paul does not tell Timothy to be an evangelist, or to exercise the gift of evangelism but instead tells him simply to do the work of an evangelist which is to proclaim the evangel, the good news, the gospel. --You may not have the gift of evangelism, but you do not need it to be a witness to the saving grace of Jesus Christ! --So the shepherd and his sheep are not just to be crusaders for a worldview that is true, but they are called to be messengers of a gospel that saves. --Blind people cannot see eternal truth until their eyes have been opened by the Holy Spirit and their minds have been made ready to receive and understand what God says and means.

7 2 Cor. 4:3-4 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 1 Cor. 2:14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. --The only remedy to this spiritual blindness is new life in Jesus Christ which means that the shepherd s role is not just to convince people that he is right about God s truth, but to show them the truth about their sin and the forgiveness of the Savior doing the work of evangelism. D. IT FULFILLS THE HEART OF MINISTRY --If a shepherd and his people can be satisfied with bake sales, car washes and a social calendar of activities with a sprinkling of God talk and a few familiar hymns on occasional Sunday mornings, then they have learned a religion by rote and their hearts have not been won and kept by a passion for Jesus Christ! --Only the heart that is on mission for Christ, aligned with His passionate pursuit for the souls of men, can find fulfillment and deep soul satisfaction in ministry! CONCLUSION: As churches are planted in Raleigh, USA, the world, they will need pastors who understand and are called to this great work. We cannot afford to see so many casualties, wounded in the fight to take Christ to the neighborhoods and to the nations. Therefore, pray that God would raise up powerful, faithful, diligent, determined, humble preachers of the Word and that we will count it an honor to walk with them as they prepare, pray for them as they practice and stand by them when they struggle! Take Aways: 1. Pray that God would continue to raise up from this church those who will preach the Word in the generations to come! --And realize, especially you students, that God might very well call you to be one of the great preachers of the next generation! 2. Be hearers and doers of the Word preached to you and for you so that Christ may work in and among us for His glory. --Not everyone is called to preach the Word but all of us must be avid, hungry hearers of the Word, starving for biblical truth upon which to build our lives! 3. Apart from Christ and His Word, your life and ministry will always shipwreck on the rocks of unbiblical thoughts and beliefs. Pastors need you to be faithful even as you need them to be faithful! Thanks to you, I have been blessed to serve this people for over 35 years a rare treasure among pastors and I long to see God raise up many others from among the ranks here who will carry on the calling to preach Jesus Christ preach His Word and preach salvation to a world in need of a powerful touch from God! March 23, 2014 Providence Baptist Church David Horner, 2014 Sermon outlines are copyrighted in the event of future publication. They may be used for preaching and teaching purposes but may not be published or sold.