2 Timothy 4:1-5

Introduction

The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) Chapter 22: Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day

The reading of the Scriptures, preaching, and hearing the Word of God, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord; as also the administration of baptism, and the Lord’s supper, are all parts of religious worship of God, to be performed in obedience to Him, with understanding, faith, reverence, and godly fear; moreover, solemn humiliation, with fastings, and thanksgivings, upon special occasions, ought to be used in an holy and religious manner.

My worship template:

Preach the Word

Read the Word

Pray the Word

Sing the Word

See the Word

The Text

2 Timothy 4:1–5 ESV

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.

2 Timothy 4:1 - The Charge

2 Timothy 4:1 ESV

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:

“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:”

Paul was “charging” Timothy

Charge: entrust (someone) with a task as a duty or responsibility.

Progression

This verse is a progression building up to a climax - what are the pieces?

The charge is emphasized by these pieces:

We are in the presence of God and Christ Jesus

The sovereign creator and his son who he has given rule over all things

God, the author of our salvation, and his Son, the one who accomplished it

Any preaching is held accountable to God and Christ

The one’s we are accountable to are to judge the living and the dead

God has given Christ this authority

If he is the one who is to judge the living and the dead, then surely he has the authority to judge teachers and pastors

Christ has appeared bodily and brought his kingdom

When Christ came the first time he inaugurated his kingdom when he returns the second time he will consummate (make perfect) the kingdom.

We also know that this kingdom is current and therefore Christ is sovereign and ruling

The king has decreed we are about to do what

2 Timothy 4:2 - Preach the Word

2 Timothy 4:2 ESV

2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

“preach the word;”

The command of Paul is that we “preach the word”

What he does not say is “preach your heart” or “preach your wisdom” he says “PREACH THE WORD”

This is the call for expository preaching

It is the call to make the main point of the sermon the main point of the text

You teach what the text is teaching

2 Timothy 3:16–17 ESV

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

“be ready in season and out of season;”

We must be ready to preach the word when it is convenient and inconvenient. When we are happy when we are sad. When we are whole and when we are broken.

What is so beautiful about the Word of God is that we know it does not fail

I may have a bad day with my own communication but if the Word of God is being preached God will work and move.

Hebrews 4:12 ESV

12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

“reprove (correct), rebuke, and exhort”

This is also translated as “correct” by some translations

Paul is telling Timothy to guide the people in his flock

There will be time when they need to be reproved (corrected) and rebuked (told you have done wrong) and then exhorted (encouraged to do what is right).

“with complete patience and teaching.”

“The pastor ought to have two voices: one, for gathering the sheep; and another, for warding off and driving away wolves and thieves. The Scripture supplies him with the means of doing both.” - John Calvin

Paul calls for teachers to have great patience with their teaching

If any of you have ever taught in kids church or taught children in general you understand why a teacher must have great patience

People of God’s flock are like little children - Jesus says that we must become like little children in order to enter the kingdom of heaven.

Patience: The discipline required for expositional preaching

It is tempting to want to speed through books of scripture because you do not want to be in one book for “sooooo loooonnnnggg”

However, God’s Word should not be ingested fast - but rather slowly with great patience and care

The same is true when we teach the scriptures we must be ready to go slow so that we can teach and understand the full counsel of God

Transition: Now why do we do this?

2 Timothy 4:3-4

2 Timothy 4:3–4 ESV

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.

Will not endure sound teaching....

This was evident back in Paul’s day and it is evident today

Many churches have begun “watering down” their worship services and “watering down” the gospel in order to draw a crowd.

They do not preach word or the full council of God -

Sermons become “christian self help”

The content we teach should never be watered down to attract non-believers

“It is the task of the Pastor and the Church to feed the Sheep. If someone who is not a Sheep cone in, that’s fine, but we’re not going to change the menu and give the Sheep ‘goats” food” - R.C. Sproul

We never want to be a church that “entertains” - we want to be a church that WORSHIPS

Worship in all kinds of ways

Teaching

Singing and playing instruments

Praying

Fellowshipping

Evangelizing

Outreaching

Wander off into myths

2 Timothy 4:4 ESV

4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

The wandering off does not happen instantly but rather it takes a long time

It happens when people hear a watered down gospel all the time

It happens when we become to caught up with individual preferences like...

Style

Tradition

A particular singer

A particular preacher

We should not be worshipping our preferences but rather God

2 Timothy 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.

Sober minded

The pastor should always remain calm and with a good head on his shoulders

Endure Suffering

We must push through hard times

If things get rough here I’m not going to abandon ship

If you call me as your pastor I’m going to stay with this church through thick and thin

Many pastors are coming into a church, not staying long, and then leaving fast

Our churches would be stronger if we had more “ten-yured pastors”

Im a young guy, I have a lot of ministry years ahead of me

Do the work of an evangelist

The pastors job is to lead the charge of the church to reach the community around it

He can do this in many different ways:

Equipping the church to share the gospel

Helping the church develop a heart for the community around it

Being a well known pillar in the community for when they need him

Fulfill your ministry - The recap

Paul ends this teaching by saying “fulfill your ministry”

Everything that we have discussed leading up to this point is the that ministry

The pastor is to lead the church in doing all those things

Remember we are going to...

Preach the Word

Read the Word

Pray the Word

Sing the Word

See the Word

“If you call me as your pastor I promise you that everything we do will be founded and rooted in scripture”