Useful To The Master, Part 2
2 Timothy • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Vessels of Honor / Dishonor
Vessels of Honor / Dishonor
In the church in Ephesus, where Timothy was pastoring, there were false teachers that were causing problems.
We looked last week at Paul’s metaphor that in the church there are honorable vessels and dishonorable vessels.
He connected the dishonorable vessels to those false teachers.
We discovered that bad teaching leads to a bad belief system which leads to bad behavior.
In our analogy from last week, our souls are clean, justification, but we can make our minds and hearts dirty by believing wrong things about God, His plan, His execution of that plan, and His end game, sanctification.
He then challenged Timothy and all of us that we are to cleanse ourselves from those dishonorable vessels and their bad teaching.
If we have stepped in the dog poop of bad teaching and stumbled into the manure of bad behavior, we need to repent and come to Jesus to have our feet washed.
Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.”
We need to allow the truth of God’s word to be like soap to our soul and allow it to cleanse us.
We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit that He might purify us.
Then we submit to the truth found in God’s Word and live and act accordingly by the power of the Holy Spirit.
That is the first step to being Useful To The Master.
Becoming the Honorable Vessel. Our Key text today.
Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
Knowing the Truth
Letting Go of the Lies
Living out the Truth in Righteousness
Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.”
Again, a sanctification issue.
Useful To The Master, Part 2
Useful To The Master, Part 2
We’re going to pick it up here as we look at the second meaning of the word holy / sanctified.
Read: 2 Timothy 2:19-26
Holiness/Sanctified meaning #1.
Pure and without blemish.
Uncontaminated.
Holiness/Sanctified meaning #2.
Set apart from common to special.
It’s fundamental idea is separation, consecration, and devotion to the service of God.
So today we’re going to examine what it means to be useful to God, what it means to separate ourselves to be useful to God, and then how we separate ourselves for God’s use.
Useful
Useful
What does it mean to be useful to God?
First of all, the term used for God is Master, in Greek despotes, or where we get our English word despot/despotism.
Can anyone tell me what you think of when you hear the word despot?
Colloquially, the word despot applies pejoratively to those who use their power and authority arbitrarily to oppress their populace or subordinates.
It is one who rules tyrannically and dictatorially with no real concern for those over whom they rule.
In the worst of those governments, the people are a means to an end.
And yet, that’s the word employed here.
However, this does NOT mean that God rules in that manner.
He is not a despot from that negative definition.
The simplest biblical definition of a despot is one with power who possesses supreme authority.
Like anything else, supreme authority is not bad, it’s what you do with it that makes it right or wrong.
That word was often coupled, in the NT, with the term for house or household, which technically meant a master who ruled in a household over those who were slaves or servants by nature.
Often that term is translated: The Head of the House.
God is the Head of the House.
Even in calling God our Father we see this connection.
You can have supreme authority and still be a ruler for the people.
If you have the best interests of the people over whom you rule in mind when you make your decrees and laws and exercise your authority, then you are using your power and authority correctly.
This is why we say, God does things for our good and for His glory.
Some have even called God a benevolent despot.
But this is where our English words and definitions fall horribly short.
In order to understand what it means to be useful to God, we have to better understand this concept of one with power who possesses supreme authority as it applies to God.
We have to truly understand the magnitude, majesty, and magnificence of the one we serve.
By the purest definition of the word despot, God is rightly so.
He is the One with absolute power and supreme authority.
It is why we describe God as omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, eternal, infinite and transcendent, just to name a few.
And by this thought, God is holy by our second definition.
That is, He is wholly, totally separate from us.
The gap that separates us is immense.
That gap already existed BEFORE sin entered into the equation.
So to think that we could bridge the sin gap, let alone the holiness gap, on our own, by our own works is completely and utterly foolish.
That’s why He had to move first.
He had to come down.
He had to be humiliated.
He had to breath new life into us and raise us from the dead spiritually.
He provides everything. He needs nothing. He is life and breath, and movement.
The thought of holiness as “separate from” highlights this thought of the immensity of God and the littleness of man.
And it’s into that understanding I ask the question, “How in the world can we be useful to Him?”
What can we provide that He doesn’t already have?
What can we do that He hasn’t already done?
Where can we go that He isn’t already present?
What can we say that He hasn’t already said?
Let’s look at the Greek word for useful here:
To furnish what is needful. There is a need to be filled.
Pertaining to being profitable or for good use. There is good to be done.
Valuable. It is important work.
And can be simply translated as helpful.
Being Useful To The Master
Becoming the Honorable Vessel.
Being Helpful to Him.
He doesn’t need our help, but He wants our help.
He wants us to be His hands and feet.
He could do it Himself, but then what would we learn?
He could give it Himself, but then we wouldn’t receive the joy of giving.
It goes back to using His power to do what’s best for His people.
He uses His power to gift and equip us to do things He has already planned for us to do.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
There are things that God has pre-planned for us to do!
The things that God has planned for us to do are a part of His goal to shape us into the image of His Son.
That’s another reason why Jesus came, to be the example for us.
Sanctified
Sanctified
Definition #2
Set apart from common to special.
We’ve already seen this from God’s side. He is separate from us. He is other than.
But there is a separation from that applies to us.
It’s fundamental idea is separation, consecration, and devotion to the service of God.
Which obviously connects to being helpful to God.
We are setting ourselves aside and doing whatever we need to do in order to make ourselves useful to God.
Part of the setting ourselves aside is in the thought of making ourselves presentable.
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.
We already see this thought forming from verse 14 - “Charge them in the presence of God.”
And then in verse 15 - Present yourself...to God.
And then in verse 21 - Cleanse yourself.
In the presence of God we present ourselves cleansed and ready for action.
It’s like I am going to stop and train and get myself ready for the NFL combine, so I can present myself before all these teams and show them that I will be useful to their team.
By presenting ourselves to God, we are setting ourselves apart from the rest of the world to be God’s special, honorable, and chosen vessel to do whatever the King and Sovereign of the Universe has for us to do.
How Do We Sanctify Ourselves?
How Do We Sanctify Ourselves?
It’s a Mindset.
Devotion / Commitment
So I am consciously choosing to remove myself from certain things in order to focus on what would make me the best football player at my position.
Why?
The text makes mention that some of the vessels in the house are of wood and earthenware.
In other words, they are common and ordinary.
But other vessels are gold and silver.
They are special and extraordinary.
The thought is, “Let’s move from common and ordinary to special and extraordinary.
I am setting myself apart from ordinary behavior to special behavior because I want to be special and extraordinary in front of the coaches and GMs.
Taking Ownership
Taking ownership of my faith and the call of God on my life.
Acceptance of the call.
When the GM calls you up to tell you they’re going to draft you, you gotta answer the phone!
Some Christians feel like they can be of no service to God. So when God calls, they don’t pick up the phone.
Maybe you feel like you don’t have anything to offer.
Maybe you feel like you don’t know enough.
Maybe you feel like you don’t have the strength.
You’re not gifted enough.
But, the great encouragement for us is, look at who He calls and chooses to use!
For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.
If you’re not feeling noble or very wise or you feel weak, simple or even despised, you are exactly who God is looking for to help Him accomplish His plan for humanity.
A Willingness To Do Whatever.
In the end, it’s less about ability and more about the willingness.
And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke. Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said, “Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
I love this connection.
God was calling Isaiah to be His spokesperson to His people.
Isaiah didn’t think he was qualified to speak since he was a man of unclean lips.
So, what did God do?
Forgave him and cleansed his lips.
God took the hindrance away.
God took the excuse away.
God made it possible for Isaiah to do what God was wanting him to do.
Likewise, you may feel disqualified or inadequate to serve God because of some past sin.
God forgives, cleanses, and redeems you so that you can go and be useful.
Many times the very thing that trips us up is the very thing that God uses for His glory.
Florence (Tamra’s story).
The thought of presenting yourself, of sanctifying yourself, of setting yourself aside from, is to come to the Father, let Him clean you up and then say, “Here I am Lord, send me.”
And then let Him furnish you with what you need.
We present ourselves and He shows us what, where, when and how to do what He calls us to do. Is 6:8-13
Training - Discipleship
We’ll look specifically at this next week. But for a quick snapshot.
Back to our football analogy.
Cleansing
need to eat health
need to be taking my vitamins and minerals
cleanse - to take in the truth
Discipline
need to stop looking at social media
need to go to bed on time.
need to be at the facility early.
discipline - to flee and refuse
Preparation
need to put my head into the playbook.
need to get all my equipment and jerseys ready.
Do I have my mouthguard, my cleats, my gloves.
preparation - pursue
Conclusion:
God didn’t save us to have us sit on the sidelines.
He didn’t save us to have us sit in pew.
God saved us so we could know Him, enjoy Him, and help Him accomplish His mission.
Again, God doesn’t need us, but He wants to use us.
We set ourselves apart to be a special, extraordinary, honorable vessels.
By taking ownership of our faith, answering the call of God on our lives, being willing to do whatever, and committing to discipline our lives to learn and prepare for the things that God has pre-planned for us to do.
That is how we can be Useful to the Master.
That video at the very beginning showed us that.
We are God’s reclamation project in order to do glorious things for His glory and for our good.
If you don’t know what God has planned for you, start asking Him now and stay willing and vigilant for when He gives you that answer. Take ownership of it and learn all you can about how to do that well.
Communion:
Take Me In
Closing Song:
