Untitled Sermon (14)

Welcome everyone back. It’s good to be here with you and thankful for you men as we study God’s Word together.

Announcements:

Prayer and Praise night on Wednesday at 6:00p.m.

Next Monday we will be meeting again.

Prayer:

Reading of the Text:

2 Timothy 2:20–21 ESV

20 Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

When we last met several weeks ago we took a look at Paul’s instructions to Timothy on the importance of being an un-ashamed worker. The reminder that Paul gave to Timothy was to be able to teach and lead others that could help combat with the confusion of the false teaching that was happening in the culture and community of Ephesus, in order for the people to know the truth from that of the lies and deceivement of the evil one.

As we come to our specific text tonight we see that every Christian should have a desire to serve the Lord and be used of God in whatever way He see’s fit to use us. So, God has called us to be not only un-ashamed workmen for him but also useful to God, prepared for every good work as verse 21 tells us.

2 Timothy 2:20 ESV

20 Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable.

As we come to verse 21 Paul gives us this figure of speech in that of a vessel. What exactly does Paul have in mind here? He uses the word vessel to describe believers. In fact, we see this in several other Pauline passages.

Romans 9:21 ESV

21 Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?

2 Corinthians 4:7 ESV

7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

This could also be translated instead of jars of clay, vessels. So, again vessels here are speaking of believers or Christians.

Now let me back up to help us see something else that Paul speaks about here. Notice at the beginning of verse 20 that Paul talks about the great house. What does this mean, or what is Paul referring to here??? Let’s back up to verse 19 so we can see what he has in mind.

2 Timothy 2:19 ESV

19 But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

So, yes this is referring to the church, which is the buttress of truth. This large house represents the entire church of God, which is the body of Christ and it is composed or put together of all true believers. These believers are the vessels or individual christians and some are honorable while others are dishonorable.

The word vessel was used in several different ways but carries the idea of a utensil, furnishing, and tool. It seems very likely that Paul had in mind here a serving vessel and so some of these vessels were made of gold or silver which were more valuable than those that were made of wood or clay. The gold and silver vessels were used for serving important guests because the homeowner would show honor to them. The wood and clay vessels were rather common and plain and were often dirty and unclean. In fact, they were often used in the home for garbage and human waste. These utensils were kept out of sight as much as possible and were the opposite of honorable.

It is important for us to understand here in this context that honor and dishonor are not referring to true and false Christians as other texts could present themselves like in the sheep and goats illustration. We know of course that the visible church here on earth will have both unbelievers and believers in it until the Lord returns. But here in this particular passage Paul is not speaking about this distinction.

Let me explain what Paul is speaking about here. The honorable vessels represent believers who are faithful and are serving or useful to the Lord. At the beginning of chapter 2 Paul says that these believers are like the good soldiers or hard-working farmer or athlete. But there is also another side to this coin. There are also some dishonorable vessels who are lazy, cowardly and are not serving the Lord. Honor and dishonor show us ways in which genuine believers are found useful to the Lord in doing or not doing the work He has called for them to do. The issue at hand was a big deal and this is why once again Paul addresses this to the church leaders including Timothy. Remember that Paul has just got done calling out specific leaders like Hymenaeus and Philetus because of their false teaching and so there were some serious things to correct. Timothy was an overseer, elder and leader within the church there at Ephesus and so it was important for Timothy to help the believers within this church to live their lives in such way that they would be found honorable for the Lord.

In verses 21-26 Paul gives us 9 different markers of the faithful, godly believer who is found as a vessel of honor. Tonight we are going to look at the first 4 markers and this next week we will address the other 5. Let’s look once more at verse 21.

2 Timothy 2:21 ESV

21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.

1. An honorable believer will live a cleansed life.

A vessel for honor, a vessel for God cannot remain pure apart from good and godly and pure fellowship. When I was in high school and I began to hang around other guys who talked awful and did awful things I too began to do what they did. Eventually I saw the error of my ways and changed friends. Those believers who are following the Lord and have a desire to be pure and honorable for the Lord cannot continue to be honorable if all they do is hang out with those who are living dishonorable lives.

The word cleanses here means to purge or clean out thoroughly. Some of you need to do this with a closet or your vehicle. You need to do some deep cleaning. Paul’s exhortation here is speaking too godly believers to separate themselves from the fellowship of impure believers not unbelievers. Sin is contagious men and if you begin to walk in the ways of those who are impure it won’t belong before you begin to copy their ways. Don’t associate or hang out with an immoral or corrupt believer.

1 Corinthians 5:9–13 ESV

9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13 God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

Of course an unbeliever is going to act ungodly and speak and behave in a worldly way so we should understand that, but it is often times Christians who have walked away from the Lord that can bring us down quickly.

1 Corinthians 15:33 ESV

33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

Faithful service of the Lord requires that we separate ourselves from those who could bring us down and contaminate us.

Something else that is important to keep in mind here is that not hanging out with sinning believers is also for their own good. If they do not see the error of their own sin and ways and are not disciplined but accepted into the fellowship of the church, they can become more and more comfortable in their sin and never change. This is what Paul has in mind here we he says that we much cleanse ourselves from what is dishonorable.

2. An honorable believer will live a life that is set apart.

When we think about a believer who is set apart this can happen in 2 distinct ways. The first way is negatively. We are to be set apart from sin and sinful ways. The other part is that of a positive aspect. In every believers life there should come a time where you are set apart for the Lord for His righteousness and too do His good work. When we go back to the Old Testament we are reminded that God’s priests were set apart to minister in the temple and to minister to God’s people. They were dedicated to God and to His service. They were to keep themselves pure from the world and they were to bring honor and glory to their God. In the same way we as believers should be set apart from the things of this world. We should act, talk, think, and live differently than the rest of the world. Our christian duty is to serve the Lord and to keep our lives pure for God. An honorable vessel is kept pure.

When we become a Christian the Lord gives us His spirit. The Spirit is constantly sanctifying us and helping us to become more and more Christlike. Sanctification is the beginning of a life long process where we are set apart to God to serve Him and follow Him.

1 Thessalonians 4:3 ESV

3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;

As the Lord is sanctifying us, He is helping us through His Spirit to live a life that is holy, pure and godly. This is what it means to be set apart and to be a vessel for honor, worthy for the Lord’s use. Is this you tonight? If not confess that to Christ and ask him to help you to be set apart for His good work.

3. An honorable believer will live a life of service to God.

Paul here uses the phrase “useful to the master of the house.” More than anything Paul wanted Timothy to serve the Lord and help people in Ephesus know Jesus. Paul wants Timothy to run the race well to get in the race and faithfully follow and serve the Lord until God calls him home.

We also know that Paul writes in 1 Corinthians that there could potentially come a time where he or others could be disqualified or unfit to serve because of sin and not repenting of it.

1 Corinthians 9:24–25 ESV

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.

1 Corinthians 9:26–27 ESV

26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

Paul helps us to see here that God is our Master and we have been bought or purchased for a price. That price was the very blood of Christ and because of this we should live our lives to serve Him. Let me ask you tonight are you serving Christ? Are you using your gifts for the Lord. If not begin to serve God and get involved in some way in the church or even outside the church. There are many ways to serve God.

4. An honorable believer will live a prepared life.

The word ready here carries the idea of willingness and eagerness as well as being prepared. When we came to know Christ and the Lord truly changed our lives we received His own Holy Spirit to indwells in us and empowers us. We also have his divine and inspired word to guide us and direct us and to teach us truth. All of these wonderful gifts prepare us for the Lord’s service and help us to live for Christ. Have you fully surrendered and submitted your life to Christ??? If so, there should come a time where you begin to use your talents and gifts to obey and serve the Lord. For those of us who are believers we can say that we have a desire to be used of God and follow Him. Make it your prayer to ask the Lord to help you live a prepared life and follow the Lord.

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