Expect Tough Times

Introduction:

Paul has been exhorting Timothy to remain strong and endure the suffering that the Word of God brings into his life as a servant of Christ.

Paul has just told him that in the last days, things will be bad and the character of people will be terrible.

What are we to do?

We follow godly people and cling to the Word of God.

Who are you following?

If someone got a hold of your phone and saw your pintrist, facebook, tiktok, YouTube, etc. what would show up?

Who or what influences your life? Who or what will be there when the lights go out?

Paul is going to tell Timothy who and what he should follow and give the biggest voice in his life.

Let’s look at the text.

Vs. 10-12 - Follow Godly Examples.

But…

In contrast to the preceeding verses - this is who they are, this is who you are

You are not one of those types of people who will love self over God… You are one who followed me.

Followed - παρακολουθέω (parakoloutheó) - To conform oneself to.

Much stronger than simple observation - closely linked to how they disciples followed Christ.

They did life together, they ate together, they suffered together, they did ministry together.

Here Paul is saying that you have followed me - you have watched me, You have been discipled by me and you know me, my teaching, my life.

The aorist indicative active form in second person singular -

This is a completed act which is used for present and future faithfulness

This is something personal to Timothy - not just a casual observation.

What did Timothy observed as he followed Paul?

His teaching - It didn’t change - Timothy was familiar with Paul’s doctrine

His conduct - How he lived his life - was he the same guy in private as he was in public

His purpose - His lazer-point focus for the gospel - nothing would deter him from preaching Jesus and Him crucified.

His Faith - his faith in His God for salvation, his faith in his doctrine, etc.

His love - his love for the gospel, his love for his savior, his love for his brethren, his love for the church, and his love for the lost

His endurance - no matter how dark it go, not matter how tough it got, no matter how cold, hungry, sleepless, etc. - Paul would press on

His persecutions & sufferings - He recalled some times (Acts 13-14) where the gospel was accepted and rejected; where he faced harsh persecution to include stonning.

Do we have someone in our life that we can follow this closely? Surley Jesus, but also people in our own little world that we can look to as a steadfast example when times get tough.

Think about it - Paul is counseling Timothy to cling to the gospel and fight off the false teachers. With a lot of teachings going around - perhaps Timothy could look to Paul and be encouraged because amid persecution, Paul’s message never changed.

I can hold fast as well because of …

Pastor Richard Wurmbrand - I studied those who suffered before me and their martyrdom.

Who do you follow? Whose life gives you encouragement in the dark times of life and suffering for the Lord?

The Lord rescued me from them all.

Ummmm Paul, how can you say that… look at your life and the suffering you went through?

But the Lord did rescue Paul from all his troubles, until it was time to call him home and even then the Lord would still rescue Paul from this body and life and usher him into His glorious presence.

We are immortal until the Lord is done with us.

This doesn’t mean that we won’t suffer, get sick, get tired, get hurt, or be hurt by others, but that God delivers and shows up in these times - That God will sustain us.

2 Corinthians 1:9–11 “Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a terrible death, and he will deliver us. We have put our hope in him that he will deliver us again while you join in helping us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gift that came to us through the prayers of many.”

As the angels were sent to minister to Jesus in the garden before his death, so the Lord’s presence ministers to use our time of need.

All who want to live a godly life will be persecuted!

Those who want, desire, pursue - An ongoing action - a deliberate action - not by accident

Those who live with their lives oriented towards godliness will suffer persecution.

Persecutioin that ranges from social ostracism to potential martyrdom.

Why? Why can’t we just live our lives for the Lord and everyone be content with that?

Becasue we are not greater than our master

John 15:18–25 ““If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they don’t know the one who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now they have no excuse for their sin. The one who hates me also hates my Father. If I had not done the works among them that no one else has done, they would not be guilty of sin. Now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But this happened so that the statement written in their law might be fulfilled: They hated me for no reason.”

Because light exposes darkness

Ephesians 5:11–14 “Don’t participate in the fruitless works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. Everything exposed by the light is made visible, for what makes everything visible is light. Therefore it is said: Get up, sleeper, and rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

“Our efforts to live sanctified lives stand in stark contrast to the evil of our fallen culture, thereby exposing sinners for who they truly are and unveiling what they truly deserve — the wrath of God. Our preaching of the gospel goes hand in hand with such living so that those whose deeds are exposed might know that they will escape the darkness if they come to Jesus.” https://learn.ligonier.org/devotionals/exposing-the-darkness

Because we will be blessed

Matthew 5:10–12 “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. “You are blessed when they insult you and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Vs. 13-15 - Don’t be deceived - Continue to follow!

Why the persecution?

Because evil people and imposters (swindlers) will become worse… deceiving and being deceived…

Evil people - pretty self-expanatory - we see that.

Imposters - sometimes harder to spot

There is a reason Jesus called the false prophets wolves in sheep’s clothing

Picture of the wolf in sheep’s clothing - “hoodwinked”

Matthew 7:15–20 “Be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves. You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit; neither can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So you’ll recognize them by their fruit.”

Sometimes it takes a bit to see the bad fruit, but that is why we need to be rightly dividing the word of the Lord. That is why we need discernment in our lives.

Let’s be clear - not everyone who differs from you or me on something is an impostor.

They deceive and will be deceived

How do we not become deceived?

By staying close to the true shepherd - by knowing His voice (John 10).

By staying in the Word

By talking with peoeple about the Word - What do you think this means.… I heard this…

They will also be deceived themselves

They will believe the lie they are peddling.

Why are extremists so ready to die for their faith in a violent way?

Because they believe the lie that they will be rewarded by Allah for their sacrifice.

How are some of these false prophets who get the prophicies wrong and prophisy falsely in the name of God not scared of standing before the Lord?

Because they have bought into the lie that a little fake and embelishment is needed to cary the gift along.

But you… continue… or abide in

A present imperative active which means this is a command to keep continuing and keep abiding.

Things can get overwhelming, especiallly when it comes to dealing with false teachers and false teaching.

There have been times when I have heard the abuse that has been handed out by “prophets” and I think… is any of this true… in those moments… we must abide and continue in what we have heard from the Word.

Continue in what?

What you learned and whom you learned it from:

Whom you learned it from - Your mother and grandmother & Paul

Parents/grandparents - how we need to start when our kids are little.

Deuteronomy 6:4–9 “Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates.” ““This is the command—the statutes and ordinances—the Lord your God has commanded me to teach you, so that you may follow them in the land you are about to enter and possess. Do this so that you may fear the Lord your God all the days of your life by keeping all his statutes and commands I am giving you, your son, and your grandson, and so that you may have a long life. Listen, Israel, and be careful to follow them, so that you may prosper and multiply greatly, because the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has promised you a land flowing with milk and honey. “Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”

The Lord may use what our kids learned from the begining in their life when they are older.

Just as the enemy uses our past experiences to condemn us, the Lord uses them to showcase His mercy and what we learned.

What you learned - The Scriptures - the words of life

Which are able to give you the wisdome to salvation

The Scriptures show us what?

That God is good and perfect

That we are sinners in need of a savior who cannot save ourselves

That God made a way for salvation through Christ Jesus

That God has given us what we need to be able to be mature followers of Jesus.

That there is the hope of His return and our abiding with Him forevermore.

That God wins in the end.

Vs. 16-17 - The Power of the Scripture - God’s Word is enough!

Paul is commanding Timothy to continue in holding to the Scriptures and now he will explain why we can endure and hold to the Word of God.

It is inspired (God-breathed)

It is trustworthy and reliable - without error

These are the very words of God Himself - do words matter? Are all these words neccessary?

What if all the words weren’t God-breathed - what is the word virgin wasn’t God-breathed in the text? Would it matter? Yes it would matter!

These words being the words of God carry weight; they carry authority that is above you and me and the most popular YouTube or Tictok pastor.

Proof -

Fulfilled prophecy

2 Peter 1:19–21 “We also have the prophetic word strongly confirmed, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you know this: No prophecy of Scripture comes from the prophet’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

Psalm 22 - speaking of the crucifixion of Christ 100s of years before He was executed that way.

Isaiah 44:27–28 “who says to the depths of the sea, “Be dry,” and I will dry up your rivers; who says to Cyrus, “My shepherd, he will fulfill all my pleasure” and says to Jerusalem, “She will be rebuilt,” and of the temple, “Its foundation will be laid.””

Isaiah wrote this 150 years or so before Cyrus let the Jews return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple.

The nature, scope, writing, and unity of the Bible.

Written over 1500 years, by 40 different authors, over 3 continents, all brining together one message.

It is profitable (Useful) for:

Teaching

Ezra and the Levites - Nehemiah 8

Rebuking

There are times when people need to be rebuked because of how they are living

1 Timothy 5:20 “Publicly rebuke those who sin, so that the rest will be afraid.”

Contextually this is speaking of elders.

We do this in love and gentleness.

Ballam was rebuked by his donkey. That must have been hard to hear.

Peter was rebuked by Paul in Galatians 2

Correcting

There are times when correction is needed in the lives of believers, to include the pastor. The word of God brings correction.

2 Timothy 2:25 “instructing his opponents with gentleness. Perhaps God will grant them repentance leading them to the knowledge of the truth.”

Nathan brought correction into the life of David

Abigail corrected David’s impulsive anger (1 Samuel 25)

Jesus corrected Peter - Matthew 16:23 “Jesus turned and told Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me because you’re not thinking about God’s concerns but human concerns.””

Training in righteousness

Training others up - building others up

Pracilla and Aquilla trained up Apollos

2 Timothy 2:2 “What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

Wiersbe - “They are profitable for doctrine (what is right), for reproof (what is not right), for correction (how to get right), and for instruction in righteousness (how to stay right).”

Because the Bible is inspired by the Lord and is trustworthy, it can speak into every area of our lives with accuracy.

Want to know about finances - look to the Word

Want to know about relationships - Look to the Word

Want to know about how to live in the wold - look to the Word.

The Word makes people complete & equipped

Complete - the idea is mature - one who is fully grown - not perfect

Equipped - the idea is prepared

Biblehub - “In the context of 2 Timothy, it suggests that Scripture provides all the tools needed for spiritual growth and effective ministry”

We don’t get the tools if we are not in the word and spending time with the Lord.

Again, do you want to know how to treat your spouse? Get into the word

Do you want to know how to handle sin - pride, lust, gossip, etc.? Get into the Word

Conclusion:

Paul has been exhorting Timothy to remain strong and endure the suffering that the Word of God brings into his life as a servant of Christ.

Paul has just told him that in the last days, things will be bad and the character of people will be terrible.

What are we to do?

Find someone to follow - find someone who knows the Word and lives the Word to follow as they follow Jesus

Understand that there is a cost to following Jesus and it may verywell involve suffering, but take heart because the Lord will sustain you.

Continue to follow and hold onto the scriptures that you have been taught.

When things get darker and people talk bad about you, introduce other doctrines you know are wrong, make fun of you, etc. - hold onto the very Words of God.

Know and understand that the very words of Scripture are God-breathed - they are authoritative, they are without error, and they are sufficient for you.

These words are profitable for you to make you complete and equipped for service.

Green - “God’s Word is a tool chest containing every tool we need for preaching - whether is be doctrine, reproof, correction, or instruction. The Word of God is a complete food container; in it we find all the spiritual milk, meat, and bread that we need for spiritual growth. The Bible is a complete clothing store; it clothes us with salvation, the garments of sanctificaiton, and the robe of righteousness. The Bible is a complete spiritual hospital; it contains all necessary medications and instruments for strengthening and building up undernourished, sickly, Christians.”