“Keep on learning and living out the truth of God’s Word!”
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Welcome Everyone:
Announcements:
-Sunday 10:30.
-Family Fellowship Meeting on October 6th.
Open with Prayer:
Text:
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 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.
Men we are living in a day and age where less and less churches see the importance of teaching God’s Word or even believe that it is sufficient enough to teach from. Many people today do not even believe in the inspiration of God’s Word, and because of this they don’t believe that the Lord’s miracles were real or that He could have possibly risen from the grave. There are many fake churches today and with that false teachers. We need more of God’s Word than ever before!
There was a story told about a famous preacher by the name of Dr. William Evans who pastored College Church from 1906-1909 and had the entire King James Version of the Bible memorized which is incredible. On one unforgettable Sunday Dr. Williams spoke on the virgin birth. All the church members were shocked when he raised his Bible and tore out the pages that talked about the virgin birth of the Lord. As the torn pages floated to the ground Dr. Williams said, “If we can’t believe in the virgin birth of Christ, let’s tear it out of the Bible. And then if that was not shocking enough, he then tore out the resurrection chapter, then all the sections about the Lord’s miracles. At this point in the message the floor was lined with many pages of God’s Word. Finally, with great drama, pastor Williams help up the only remaining portion and said, “and this is all we have left, just the Sermon of the Mount. And this part has no authority for us if a divine Christ was not real for He could not have preached it. After this final point pastor Williams asked everyone to bow their heads as he led them in a final prayer, but before the pastor could begin his prayer a man in the congregation stood up and cried, “No, no! Go on! We want more. We want more of God’s Word. And so the pastor preached on for another 50 minutes.
Men we need more of God’s Word and less and less of man’s opinion on things. The question that I want to ask this evening is do we desire more of God’s Word in our own lives? This past week in my personal quiet time I finished the Old Testament. As I was finishing I read a portion from Nehemiah.
1 And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel.
When the Israelites went off into exile to Babylon and Assyria they forgot about God and His laws. Seventy years in captivity will do this to a nation. Upon returning to their homeland Ezra the Scribe finds a copy of God’s Laws, and they bring out the book and read it to the exiles who have returned. Listen to the response of the people as God’s Word was read to them.
12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.
Paul’s charge to Timothy here was to Continue in the Word Timothy.
1. Let’s look at the first part of verse 14. Continue to learn about God’s Word and then continue to live out the Word of God. Men, every believer is called to continue in the Word, and for those of us who have been called to minister we will proclaim God’s Word.
Paul’s life and ministry are drawing to an end, however more than anything he desires for Timothy to continue on in what he has learned and believed. Last week we addressed the fact that there was much that Timothy learned very early on from his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice. He was also taught many things from Paul himself which prepared him as he taught there in the church at Ephesus. Paul wanted Timothy to continue to learn and grow in the faith. This is a wonderful picture to challenge to never stop growing, never stop learning, and men we have much too learn. Let me ask you all a personal question. Are you committed to learning more about God and His Word? It does not matter whether you are a pastor, missionary or average church goer, we should all have a deep desire to keep on learning from God’s Word. We should never stop studying God’s Word.
2. The second part of verse 14 that stands out to us here is that Paul instructs Timothy to continue in what you have believed Timothy. What does this mean??? This word here “firmly believed” carries the idea of being convinced. Clearly Timothy had become convinced of the truth of God’s Word from his family and even the Apostle Paul’s life. So, Paul urges Timothy to keep on trusting in God’s powerful Word. Don’t doubt it, don’t question it, make it your priority to firmly believe it so much so that people will know it’s true because they see it in your life and the way that you live Timothy.
Do people around us know that we believe in God and His Word by what they see in us? How we talk, how we act, and how we behave?
15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
Notice here that Paul tells us that Timothy was familiar or acquainted with the sacred writings. This means that Timothy like Paul was familiar with the Old Testament. The Old Testament points us to Jesus over and over again. Paul consistently used the Old Testament to preach and teach the gospel.
2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.
5 When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus.
These sacred writings that Timothy heard came from the prophets and the apostles. And then Paul adds that these Scriptures are able to make you wise for salvation through your faith in Christ. Men the Bible is a book that leads us to the truth of who Jesus is and what He has done for us which leads to salvation. When Paul and Silas or Barnabas or Timothy went out they taught the Old Testament, pointing people to Jesus the Messiah. Here is what Paul said.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
These Scriptures were the Old Testament. Paul even reflected back to Abraham as a pattern of how people are saved in Galatians chapter 3 as he explained that people are saved by faith alone in Christ alone. My point is that we cannot and should not neglect the Old Testament.
-The Old Testament goes hand in hand with the New Testament.
-The Old Testament shows us a wonderful picture of God’s redemptive plan leading to Jesus.
-The Old Testament proclaims many truths not found in the New Testament.
-Much of the New Testament is just quotes from the Old Testament.
-The Old Testament gives us a fuller understanding of Jesus.
All of this points us to Jesus. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. And these apostles like Paul viewed God’s Word with a Christ centered focus. The Lord through His Spirit had shown Paul that the Scriptures were about Jesus and now Timothy must continue to teach and live out the truth of God’s Word through the power of the Holy Spirit. We now come to one of the most familiar verses in 2 Timothy about God’s Word.
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
Paul confirms to us that all Scripture, every part of it is inspired. All of God’s Word is breathed out by God. Men I think that it is important to state here that we cannot pick and choose only the parts that we like or do not like or which commands we wish to obey or what doctrines we will believe. If it is in God’s Word all of it is inspired and from God.
The Holy Spirit through Biblical writers put down on paper God’s Word exactly as He intended it to be. As God spoke the very universe into existence He also spoke to human authors what He desired to be part of His Holy Words. What Paul has in mind here by this phrase, “breathed out” is the gift that we hold in front of us today called the Bible. What a gift it truly is. God’s Word is truly divine and authoritative. How do we know this???
4 But he answered, “It is written,
“ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”
35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
Like Timothy we as believers must continue to learn and believe in God’s Word in order that we may build our lives on it. Which leads us to how to use God’s Word. Verses 16-17 gives us several key characteristics of how to use God’s Word. God’s Word should shape our lives and our conduct. Not only does God’s Word provide us with doctrinal truth it also shows us how to live and act. It corrects us when we wonder away from God and it trains us in right living. God’s Word meets our every need and it transforms our lives. So, let us take a look at what God’s Word does.
-Teaching = This is Timothy’s primary responsibility. Timothy is to use the Scriptures to give sound instruction and guidance to God’s people.
-Reproof or Rebuking = This is the other side of teaching. Timothy must also use Scripture to expose the errors of the false teachers and their false doctrine. He was also to call out those who were not living in such a way that honored the Lord in order that they turn from sin and live for Christ.
-For Correction = This word correction occurs only here in the New Testament. It is a similar word like rebuke, but emphasizes the behavioral and ethical side of things.
-And for Training in Righteousness = Paul wants Timothy to understand this corresponds to correcting someone in order that they would see see the error of their ways and follow Christ. That they would live righteously for the Lord. And because of all of these useful things all Scripture, every part of it is useful for Timothy’s life and ministry. We need God’s Word to be equipped for every good thing.
Men God’s Word equips us for everything that we need in this life. God’s word gives us everything that we need to share our faith with others, to teach sound doctrine, and too counsel men and women.
Next week we are going to look at the importance of preaching and teaching the Word of God. Chapter 4 and verses 1-5.
Questions:
Close in Prayer: