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Harold D. Markham

102 sermons

November 2009

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on 2 Tim 4:5
by Harold D. Markham
about sober, Suffering, Evangelist, Evangelism, Serving, Ministry more »
tagged Sober, Suffering, evangelist, Evangelism, Serving, Ministry more »

Sermon

Expectations for Ministry

2 Tim 4:5

2 Timothy 4:5 (ESV) \\ 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. \\  \\ 
Expectations
      Stay Sober minded
      Sustain Suffering
      Spread the Gospel
      Steadfastly Serve
 
*Meet the expectations for Ministry.*
*What are they? How do I meet them?*
*4 ways….*
*I.              **Stay Sober Minded (v.5a).*
As for you, always be sober-minded, 
 
 
The faithful preacher is to always be sober. *Be sober* is the sixth imperative in this chapter. This word comes from /nephō,/ which literally means to be free of intoxicants. Here, however, it is more than just a prohibition against drunkenness as it used metaphorically like its English counterpart, of being levelheaded, well-balanced, and in control of one’s faculties. 
 
The intoxicated person stumbles, trips, goes to extremes. In my security training I learned that a person’s propensity is extreme when under the influence. A helpful man is helpful to a fault. A negative man is negative to the point of a fight. The pendulum really swings.
 
The *sober* believer is like the diligent athlete who learns the disciple of balance. In the midst of a changing world, a changing church, and even a changing gospel—which is not really the gospel but a distortion of “the gospel of Christ” (Gal. 1:7; cf. 2 Cor. 11:4)—he remains committed to the changeless truth of God’s Word. This is what keeps him from beiong intoxicated by the the ideas and philosophies of the world. His clear vision comes from the  glasses of scripture!
 
In the day in age we live it it is cool to be trendy and compromising is considered the spiritual thing to do. We are expected to be an ear-tickler and men-pleaser rather than a God-pleaser. 
 
"For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness." (1 Thessalonians 2:3-5, ESV) 
"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel." (Galatians 1:10-11, ESV) 
"For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake." (2 Corinthians 4:5, ESV) 
 
*II.         **Sustain Suffering (v. 5b).*
* *
…endure suffering
Paul’s seventh command to Timothy  was /kakopatheō/ (*endure hardship*) literally means to suffer evil.
"Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus." (2 Timothy 2:3, ESV) 
 
"for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound!" (2 Timothy 2:9, ESV) 
 
A faithful ministry will bear the fruit of suffering.
 
"You should know that our brother Timothy has been released, with whom I shall see you if he comes soon." (Hebrews 13:23, ESV) The time quickly came (See v. 3) for him to *endure hardship* in service of His Lord.
 
"Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure." (2 Corinthians 11:23-27, ESV) 
 
In jail cf vs 6
 
"For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps." (1 Peter 2:21, ESV) 
 
"For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake," (Philippians 1:29, ESV) 
 
"For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly." (1 Peter 2:19, ESV) 
 
"“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:10, ESV) 
 
"As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord." (James 5:10, ESV) 
 
All of God's prophets suffered for their faithfulness to Him. Some survived; others gave their lives. Daniel was thrown into a den of lions because of his beliefs and practices, but God delivered him (Daniel 6:15-23). His three friends—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego—were condemned to death in "a burning fiery furnace" because they would not bow to an idol, but God miraculously spared their lives (Daniel 3:8-29).
David constantly cried out to God for deliverance from his enemies (Psalm 7:1-2; 18:17-19). But we should especially notice his confidence in God: "Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine" (Psalm 33:18-19). In general, God's will is for the deliverance of His servants. Some, however, have been martyred for the sake of the Kingdom of God, and others are yet to end their lives as martyrs.
Isaiah is traditionally said to be a prophet who was killed by being "sawn in two" (Hebrews 11:37). We read that "others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection" (verse 35), and some "had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment" (verse 36). Stephen, just before he was martyred, cried out to those who were ready to stone him: "Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One [Jesus Christ], of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers" (Acts 7:52).
It has always been this way. It began with Cain and Abel. 
" For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous." (1 John 3:11-12, ESV) 
 
*III.    **Spread the Gospel** (v.5c).*
* *
do the work of an evangelist, (4:5c)
/Poieō/ (*do*), is the eighth imperative that Paul here gives to Timothy. Do the work. The noun /euangelistēs/ (*evangelist*) is used only three times in the New Testament, always in reference to a specific office of ministry. 
 
In his letter to the church at Ephesus, Paul tells us that Christ “gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers” (Eph. 4:11). The only person specifically called an evangelist is Philip (Acts 21:8), who was among the first deacons chosen in the church (6:5) and was used by the Lord to bring to salvation the Ethiopian official as he returned from worshiping in Jerusalem (8:26–38).
 
Calvin, John Owen, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones 
 
 
But the related verb /euangelizō/ (To evangelize) and its compounds are used 54 times, and the noun /euangelion/ (Gospel, good news) is used 76 times. Both words are used not just in relation to the transitory office of evangelists but also in relation to the privilege and responsibility of every Christian to witness for Christ and proclaim the gospel of salvation.
 
Sin, fall, law
Incarnation, virgin birth
Vicarious life~/death and atonement
Resurrection
Imputation
Repentance~/faith
 
So whether Timothy was an evangelist which is what I think nhe was, or just a minister he was to *do the work of an evangelist.* In other words, proclaiming the gospel of salvation and trust God to give the results was an important part of, but was not all of, Timothy’s ministry. In addition to his job attending to the church in Ephesus he needed to be…
 
Proclaiming the good new
Aiding mission work
Church planting
 
As he preached, taught, and pastored those who already belonged to the Lord, he also was to confront the lost—and most likely the nominal professing Christians within the church—with their need of a Savior.
 
*IV.   **Steadfastly Serve (v. 5d).*
 
…fulfill your ministry
* *
Here at the end of verse 5 we have the ninth and final imperative of this section of thought.  It carries the basic idea of giving full measure or bringing to completion the duties that was responsible for. 
Timothy was to “discharge all the duties” of his ministry by filling his work to the brim with those tasks on which Paul had urged him to focus. The Greek word for “ministry” refers to “service for the Lord,” a general reference to all kinds of work in the name of Christ and for the help of believers.
*I.              **Stay Sober Minded (v.5a).*
*II.         **Sustain Suffering (v. 5b).*
*III.    **Spread the Gospel** (v.5c).*
*IV.   **Steadfastly Serve (v. 5d).*

\\ ----
cf. /confer/ (Lat.), compare

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