B2B (Part 7): What Truly Matters? - We Value God’s Word

INTRODUCTION

2 Timothy 3:1–4:4 ESV

1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. 9 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men. 10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. 12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 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. 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.

1) It is Our Standard for Navigating Life! (v.1-9)

2 Timothy 3:1–9 ESV

1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. 9 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.

We certainly live in times that measure up to difficult times:

Lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive…

Disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable…

Slanderous, without self control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous…

Reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness (virtue), but denying its power.

People who take advantage of others, using their emotional states against them.

“Always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.”

Does this not describe our time?

How do we navigate through such perilous times?

How do we keep our lives oriented to that which is proper and healthy?

How are we able to live in such times and not let our minds get warped and our purpose thrown off course?

We must ground ourselves in God’s Word!

We must truly value God’s standards He has laid out for us in His Word!

We must seek to rationalize away God’s standards, but rather we must embrace His standards!

The reason we value His Word and seek to ground our lives in it, is because it is the only standard by which we may truly live and thrive by!

2 Peter 1:3–4 ESV

3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

Through the knowledge of Him revealed in His precious and great promises…we escape the corruption that is in this world…

2) It is Our Source for Saving Knowledge! (v.10-17)

2 Timothy 3:10–17 ESV

10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. 12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 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.

Paul was a living example of God’s Word in action for Timothy.

“followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness…”

Even in his sufferings and persecutions the Lord saved and rescued him from physical death and spiritual death.

We need to be prepared for the same kinds of sufferings and persecutions.

Do not be naive to think that living grounded in the Word of God won’t come with trials and hardships.

Paul warns that “evil people will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived…”

Our salvation from godless and worthless thinking and living in the midst of the spiritual, emotional, and sometimes physical bombardment is to continue in God’s Word…in his sacred writings!

God’s Word makes us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Not only wise for salvation from the penalty of sin…

…but also wise for salvation from the present power of sin within our lives.

All scripture is breathed out by God…

it is not man-originated… it is God-originated!

It is profitable for teaching…for reproof…for correction…for training in righteousness.

It is through God’s Word we are able to be mature, lacking nothing, and equipped for every good work as opposed to the evil things of this world.

God’s Word is the nourishment for our lives that the Holy Spirit uses to save us from evil, guide us through difficult times, equip us for endurance and steadfastness, and mature us for the glory of Christ.

We value God’s Word because no one can find true salvation from the power of sin apart from God’s promises and His instruction.

3) It is Our Security for True Reality! (v.1-4)

2 Timothy 4:1–4 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.

What we see happening in the world…what we experience each and every day in our jobs, in our families, with our kids…anything that is presented to us that does not have eternity in mind is either false, or skewed.

The seriousness of Paul’s charge to stay grounded in God’s Word is founded upon these two realities: God is the judge of the living and the dead…Christ has come and has established a real Kingdom!

With these realities in mind, Paul instructs Timothy to proclaim the Word!

Always ready no matter if it seems appropriate or not

Prepared to reprove, rebuke, and exhort with complete patience and complete teaching

Don’t just hit the parts that are endearing…communicate and proclaim the fullness of God’s Word.

We must fully engage with God’s Word, not just the parts that make us feel good.

Choosing to only entertain part of the truth is actively choosing to reject all of the truth.

The fullness of God’s Word is what keeps us grounded in the full reality of His authority and His presence.

If we ignore God’s Word we chase after and embrace delusion.

There is always someone out there to tell us what we want to hear and give us empty affirmations of what we want to be told.

When we do so, we “turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”

Too often these myths are not false foreign religions…they’re empty ideologies based on our feelings, our desired experiences, and our delusions of satisfaction.

Don’t reject sound doctrine and chase after teachers who suit your own passions. This leads only to disillusionment.

Our enemy is crafty and deceitful. He is a master at distorting and perverting truth in an attempt to get us to reject reality and embrace lies.

We must embrace the Word of God, it is what God has given us to be our security that keeps us tethered to what is real!

Closing

As a Church we will stick to our mission, our vision, and our motto when we share in valuing God’s Word!

Let it be a lamp to your feet and a light to your path.

Let it be what nourishes your soul and shapes your life.

Let it be what protects you from perversions of truth and disillusionment.

RECOGNITION OF JANELLA