Main Idea: Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-17

Purpose: To develop a life-time habit: that of living in the Scriptures

Reason: We have been charged by God and His Son Jesus to who will judge (evaluate) the living and the dead

Do not raise your hands to my next set of questions

I want you to think about where you fit?

How many read their bible more then 1 hour a day? Think to your self ….   I do…..    I do not….

30 minutes a day? Think to your self ….   I do…..    I do not….

10 minutes a day? Think to your self ….   I do…..    I do not….

5 minutes a day? Think to your self ….   I do…..    I do not….

How many read their bible more then 1 hour a week? Think to your self ….   I do…..    I do not….

30 minutes a week? Think to your self ….   I do…..    I do not….

5 minutes a week? Think to your self ….   I do…..    I do not….

WWPICO (what we put in comes out)

 2 Timothy 3:11-4:2

13  But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

14  You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them,

15  and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

16  All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;

17  so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Chapter 4

1  I solemnly 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, exhort, with great patience and instruction.

Pray    

INTRODUCTION:

Educators tell us it takes about thirty consecutive days to make a habit stick.

Through constant repetition, what at first seems awkward becomes second nature once a new habit is formed.

Because we are fallen sinners, good habits are harder to form than bad habits.

Bad habits just come naturally.

The Scriptures are to be lived in, to be dwelled in as if they were our very home

Are you willing to start out on a 30 day journey and form a good habit?

There is no better time than the present to live in God’s Word.

MAJOR POINTS

I.        The world will always produce counterfeits, and they are getting better and better at the counterfeits (v. 13)

13  But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

II.        A believer must live in the Scriptures (v.14)

14  You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 

III.    Scripture makes a person wise to salvation (v.15)

15  and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

IV.   Scripture is inspired by God (v.16)

16  All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;

V.     Scripture is profitable to man (v.16)

16  All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;

VI.   Scripture perfects a man and equips him for every good work (v.17)

17    so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

VII. We are solemnly charged before God and our judge

1  I solemnly 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, exhort, with great patience and instruction.

I.       The world will always produce counterfeits, and they are getting better and better at the counterfeits (v. 13)

13  But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

A.   Evil men

1.     Impostors

a)    People who are not what they say they are 

2.     Sorcerers

a)    Evil intentioned manipulative people

3.     Swindlers

a)    People who are just out for money

4.     False teachers deceive themselves as well as others

Matt. 15:18-20

18 “But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. 19 “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. 20 “These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.”

5.     Deception and self-deception are intrinsic elements of sin

Our application

We are to be able to spot the counterfeit an impostor, sorcerer, or swindler and stay away from them       

II.    A BELIEVER MUST LIVE IN THE SCRIPTURES (v. 14)

14  You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 

A.   Believers are to live in the Scriptures.

B.   Timothy is exhorted to continue or abide in things he has learned

C.   Remaining in God’s truth is essential for godly living 

1.     Timothy had been taught the Scriptures all his life

2.     When he was only a child, his mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois had rooted him in the Scriptures (2 Tim. 1:5; 2 Tim. 3:15)

3.     They were both strong believers in the Lord

4.     Paul had also grounded Timothy in the Scriptures

a)    It is not enough to have learned the Scriptures

b)    It is not enough to be assured that the teachings of Scripture are true

c)     It is not enough to know that your teachers teach the truth

5.     Timothy knew all this

a)    He had learned the Scriptures

b)    He had found the Scriptures to be true

c)     The claims and promises of Scripture had worked in his own life

d)    Timothy also knew his teachers; their lives bore testimony to the truth of Scripture

6.     But this was not enough Note the word "continue."

a)    It means to abide, dwell, remain, and stay in the Scriptures

b)    Simply stated, Timothy had to live in the Scriptures—live, move, and have his being in the Scriptures

c)     And more, he had to live out the Scriptures—continue to walk and live in the truths of the Scriptures

d)    He had to do what Scripture said

Our APPLICATION:

·        You are to learn Scripture

·        You are to be assured of the Scriptures, apply them to YOUR life, and experience the truth and assurance of them

·        You are to know Your teachers—make sure that they teach the truth of Scripture (check me out, check out those other you listen to as well)

o       We can not tell the counterfeit if we do not study the genuine  

·        WE are to continue in the Scriptures

o       WE are to Abide and dwell, remain and stay in the Scriptures

o       WE are to live and move and have his being in Scripture.

III.  SCRIPTURE MAKES A PERSON WISE TO SALVATION (v. 15)  

15  and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

A.   If we need anything, we need wisdom, about how to be saved

B.   Tsunami footage

1.     It appears like a normal wave from a distance

2.     By the time you realize how big it is it over whelms you and you are struggling to hold on to anything for life

3.     It is a natural occurrence in this world, yet we still seem surprised    

C.   Death and every other evil imaginable rushes about and floods the world of man

D.   The strongest among us can easily be swept about and drowned by floods

1.     Because it look smaller then it actually is until it is to late and it is upon us

2.     Drugs, disease, broken homes, bad habits,·pride,·a license to sin, selfishness,·greed,·envy,·war,·murmuring,·loneliness, crime, accidentents,·

3.     Loss,·enslavements, conceit,·power,·extravagance,·gluttony,·jealousy, death, grumbling, purposelessness, lawlessness, immorality, illness.

4.     Lusts, indulgence, prejudice, discrimination, drunkenness, murder, gossip, emptiness,

E.   There is no end to the evil that is drowning people and this world

1.     . What t his world need is wisdom, the wisdom to save themselves

2.     The Holy Scriptures are able to make man wise unto salvation

3.     The Holy Scriptures can save man and this world.

4.     How? "Through faith which is in Christ Jesus"

F.    It is the Scripture

1.     No other book tells us

a)    About God’s great plan of salvation for man,

b)    That God loves the world—

c)     So much that He sent His only begotten Son

d)    That Jesus Christ has taken care of the problem of righteousness and perfection

e)     When we believe in and put our faith in Jesus Christ,

f)      God takes our faith and counts it as righteousness.

g)    Jesus Christ has taken care of the problem of sin and death

h)    He took all our sin upon Himself

i)       Bore the penalty and punishment of those sins

j)      He died for us in our place

2.     The only wisdom that can ever save this world is the wisdom of God Himself, and that wisdom is found in Scripture, the Bible

John 20:31

"But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name".

IV.SCRIPTURE IS INSPIRED BY GOD (v. 16)

16  All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;

A.   This is an extremely important verse in understanding the nature of Scripture, its nature and authority

B.   The Author of the Bible is God Himself

1.     Paul was, of course, referring to the Old Testament Scriptures;

a)    The New Testament Scriptures had not yet been completed

b)    However, this passage is certainly applicable to the New Testament. The point is this: all Scripture—both the Old and New Testament—is inspired by God.

2.     Scripture is inspired by God; the phrase "inspired of God" means God-breathed

a)    What does this mean? No one can say for sure, but this much can be said.

b)    The idea is that God breathed out the Scriptures or God produced the Scriptures somewhat like He did creation.

Psalm 33:6

"By the word of the lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth".

c)     Scripture that is inspired, not the man

(1)  The Bible does not claim to be written by inspired men.

d)    The accuracy and dependability of Scripture is clearly seen when you study what Scripture has to say about itself

The Holy Spirit is the author of the Scriptures (2 Peter 1:19-21, esp. 21)

John 16:12-15

12 “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. 14 “He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you. 15 “All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.

1 Cor. 2:9-10.

9 but just as it is written, “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.).

C.   The writers of the Old Testament claim that the Bible is the Word of God (2 Samuel 23:1-3; Isaiah 8:1, 11; Jeremiah 1:9; Jeremiah 5:14; Jeremiah 7:27; Jeremiah 13:12; Ezekiel 3:4-11; Micah 3:8; Jeremiah 23:29; Habakkuk 2:2; Zech. 4:8)

1.     They refer to Scripture as "the Word," "the Statutes," "the Law," and "the Testimonies" (cp. Psalm 19:1f; Psalm 119:1f).

2.     "Thus saith the Lord" or an equivalent phrase is used over two thousand times in the Old Testament alone

D.   The writers of the New Testament confirm the claims of the Old Testament writers (Hebrews 1:1; cp. Matthew 1:22; Matthew 2:15; Acts 1:16; Acts 28:25; Ephes. 4:8; 1 Tim. 1:18-20).

1.     They show the high authority of the Scriptures when they use phrases such as, "It is written" and "Scripture says." They expected the readers and hearers to be bound by Scripture

2.     The writers of the New Testament claim that the Bible is the Word of God (Acts 15:28; 1 Cor. 2:13; 1 Cor. 3:1; 1 Cor. 11:23; 1 Cor. 14:37; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; Galatians 1:11-12; 1 Thes. 2:13; 2 Peter 3:2)

3.     Paul affirmed in behalf of all the apostles that their words were divinely taught (1 Cor. 2:13, note the word we)

4.     Peter asserts the same level of authority for the writings of the apostles as for the Old Testament Scriptures (2 Peter 3:2)

5.     The view of inspiration was clear in the early church: the first church council stated that the conclusions of the council were given by the Holy Spirit through the leaders (Acts 15:28f)

E.   Jesus Christ claims that the Bible is the Word of God. He contrasts the Scriptures and the commandments of God with the traditions and instructions of men (Mark 7:6-13)

1.     He says, "the Scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35)

2.      He validated the most minute portions of Scripture (Matthew 5:18; Luke 16:17).

3.     He continually argued the validity of Scripture (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10; Matthew 22:29, 32, 43; Mark 12:24; Luke 4:4, 8).

4.     He saw Himself as the focus and fulfillment of Scripture (Luke 24:25-27).

5.     He asserted that what was written must be fulfilled (Luke 22:36-37)

6.     He predicted and approved the New Testament and assured His apostles that they would be kept from error (John 16:13)

F.    The Bible is absolutely trustworthy (Matthew 24:35).

1 Thes. 2:13

"For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe"

V.   SCRIPTURE IS PROFITABLE TO MAN (v. 16)

16  All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;

A.   The word profitable means useful, beneficial, and helpful

1.     Simply stated, the Bible is for man

2.     God gave it to help man

B.   There are four very specific helps found in the Bible

1.     The Bible is profitable for doctrine

a)    Correct teaching first

b)    God wants man to know beyond doubt who God is; who man is; and the beginning, meaning, and end of all things

c)     The Scripture reveals the truth—the nature, meaning, and significance of truth

d)    The Bible gives man the principles and rules for life. It gives him the doctrines and foundations of life

John 5:39

"Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me"

2.     The Bible is profitable for reproof

a)    God wants man to sense conviction and to be rebuked when he is disobedient to God’s will

b)    This is not simply a haul over the coals; it is demonstrating some truth beyond dispute

c)     Refutation,” convicting the erring of their error

d)    The Scripture reveals God’s will and the consequences of disobedience to His will  

Hebrews 4:12

"For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart"

3.     The Bible is profitable for correction

a)    God wants man to be set aright when he is wrong

b)    Refers to setting something straight

c)     Like a level and plumb  

Amos 7:7-8

7 Thus He showed me, and behold, the Lord was standing by a vertical wall with a plumb line in His hand. 8 The Lord said to me, “What do you see, Amos?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “Behold I am about to put a plumb line In the midst of My people Israel. I will spare them no longer.

Hebrews 5:8

8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.

Ephes. 5:26

"That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word"

4.     The Bible is profitable for instruction in righteousness

a)    Refers to the process of training a child

b)    Repetition, patience, tough love, doing what is good for them rather then what is convenient to us  

c)     God wants man to know the right things to do, to think and to say. The Bible reveals how to live

Titus 2:12-13

"soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ"

1 Peter 2:2-3

"As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious"

VI.SCRIPTURE PERFECTS A MAN AND EQUIPS HIM FOR EVERY GOOD WORK (v. 17)

17  so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

A.   By "perfect" is meant completed, matured, capable or proficient

1.     No person is complete or mature apart from Scripture

2.     Man was made for God and he is to live by the Word of God

3.     If he tries to live without God and His Word, man fails in life

4.     He lives an incomplete, immature, and unfulfilled life

5.     This is particularly true of the man of God, the person who claims to be a minister or teacher of God’s Word

·        APPLICATION:

o       Scripture, the Word of God, can make a person complete and equip him for every good work

o       "The study of the Scriptures trains a man in righteousness until he is equipped for every good work

o       The study of the Scriptures must never be selfish; it must never be simply for the good of a man’s own soul

o       We must study the Scriptures to make us useful to God and useful to his fellow men

o       We must study, simply to save our own soul, but that we may make ourselves trained and available for God to use us to bring other s to a saving knowledge of Christ as well

Deut. 17:19

"And it [God’s Word] shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the lord his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statues, to do them"

·        Based on the amount of time you spend in Scripture, are you more equipped to do God’s work today than you were when you became a Christian?

VII.          We are solemnly charged before God and our judge (Chap 4:ver1)

Chapter 4

1  I solemnly 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, exhort, with great patience and instruction.  

A.   I solemnly charge you

1.     Not just a charge but a solemn charge

2.     A sacred task   

B.   Who is to judge

1.     Everyone living and dead 

C.   We are to preach

1.     Be ready

a)    To take a stand

b)    Brace your self for how you have been trained

c)     To be alert at all times to our responsibilities, even when it was inconvenient 

2.     Instant

a)    Urgent, earnest

3.     In and out of season

a)    That is, at all seasons…not only now…. or later…. but always

b)    Whether the opportunity seemed ripe or not

c)      Literally, well-timely or untimely

4.     Reprove

5.     Rebuke

6.     Exhort

D.   How

1.     With great patience and instruction 

SUMMARY:

God has given us a lifetime to form good habits

The most important habit we need to form is learning how to live in the Scriptures

Try it. Stick with it.

The more time we spend in God’s Word, the easier it will be to dwell in a place that feels like home

Remember:

I.       The world will always produce counterfeits, and they are getting better and better at the counterfeits (v. 13)

II.     A believer must live in the Scriptures

III.  Scripture makes a person wise to salvation

IV. Scripture is inspired by God

V.   Scripture is profitable to man

VI. Scripture perfects a man and equips him for every good work

VII.          We are solemnly charged before God and our judge  

Proverbs 4:20-23

20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; 22 For they are life to those who find them,

And health to all their flesh. 23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.