Untitled Sermon (2)

2 timothy

Me : connect with people introduce the topic

Have you guys ever recieved a letter. Maybe this is from someone you care about like from your parents or grandparents. or maybe it is a special note from that special someone in your life. Whenever you get these letters it invokes a special presence inside of us. this is a special feeling we get while reading these letters. i often even keep my letters from my grandparents and friends i have them all over my room. today we will be reading out of 2 timothy. this is a special passage for me. i have always been intrigued by the letters written to timothy.

We : Creating tension

we will get to the scripture in just a second but first lets do something different lets put ourselves in timothy shoes. He was a pastor of sorts in the city of Ephesus. He has had a beloved friend mentor and father figure of a man named Paul. ( I don't know about you guys but my mentor would probably be comparatively a chump to timothy mentor) Paul is in prison in the city of Rome for the work he has been doing as a pastor and missionary. He has already had his hearing and is just waiting for final judgment to fall under him. Paul is writing here in 2 timothy as kind of a last goodbye, he is wrapping up some lose ends. He is starting with timothy because of there close relationship. Remember guys Paul was writing from prison because he was about to die.... he was writing to someone he would consider to be a son. Think of the emotion that would fall into this letter especially the last part of this letter. the emotion he feels for timothy and how much he is doing for the kingdom already. Timothy sitting in his shack of a home reading this letter that has so much emotion build in to it. it would be very hard but very powerful.

lets go through this

God: Scripture

The New International Version Chapter 4

4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

lets walk through what Paul has to say here. in 2 timothy 4:1 he is just telling timothy who gave him the power to speak these words. To remind him of the great things of the lord. now lets move on to the next part of these verses here picking up in

4:2 Preach the word . There is so much in this it takes a lot to break down. Paul is writing to timothy as one church leader to the next. Paul here is trying to give his leadership to timothy. he starts this by stating preach the word. evangelist to everyone and stay true to the word. be ready to speak even when you might not think you are going to God might give you just that opportunity. God will use you in all situations to make sure truth is what is being spread. make sure while you are doing the word of preaching and evangelizing that we take our time and eloquently articulate the gospel to others. not word vomit and expect them to clean it up. that is not being patient and carefully. using patience could be one of the most powerful tools in the toolbox a pastor has.

4:3 what he is saying here in three is time in time again people turn from the truth and fall into darkness. We see this in our lives and defiantly in the lives of the people of the old testament. the follow God they no longer follow God get into trouble and come back to God. The teachers he was talking about where men like the pharisees who were beginning to teach people things other than the truth of the Gospel. this can cause a lot of problems when the men of the word are no longer teaching from the word.... they are teaching whatever they want to please their itching ears. this means whatever needed said was said to make them selves happy.

4:4 They will turn aside to myths is talking about the people of Rome who believe in Gods that are not the one true God which makes there god a meth in some regard. So this is a blow to the Romans who would still be controlling the land.

4:5 keep your head in all situations to not fright over the small things, keep going even through all of the hardship you are facing or going to face( here he might be hinting to the hardship of Paul passing away) keep preaching and doing the evangelistic work that you have been and you will continue to see blessing through that. Keep doing the ministry you have been asked to do. You know what it takes to be successful.

4:6 I have been poured out is him hinting that the end is near and referencing the offering of Jesus. His departure is near is another hint of this. He is trying to be pretty blunt with timothy here

4:7 He has kept the faith. that is the most important thing here through all this he has kept the faith.

4:8 how beautiful it will be when we get to meet up with the lord after doing all the things that he has set in front of us

You :Application

this is not like all of those chapel speakers saying that ministry sucks and that we will probably quit and yoda yoda youda. this is paul diging in to the next generation of leaders telling him the things that helped in pauls life. telling him through passion all of the beauty that can come from keeping the faith and doing the work of a evangilist

We : inspiration

imagine instead of our self talk being we cant do this. this is to hard, and whatever else image hearing what paul is saying at the end of his life here. Just get out there and do it, it doesnt matter how good you are at preaching or evangilising. just stick true to the bible and dont turn into the pharises or romans. love on people with the pasience and kindness others have shown you. zsan b