OUR CHALLENGE, 2 Timothy 4:1-5 (2)

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For many years now I have come home, emotional totally worn out. I start to visualize the comfort of my La-Z-Boy chair the moment I leave my office. However, no sooner have a flopped into that chair, when I hear – Neville, I need you to help me with …

Now, what is my wife’s frustration with this?

Today we come together like crooked Conifers. We want to be useful, but the Master needs to do some pruning.

WHAT IS OUR CHALLENGE, 1-2a

Who can remember playing tag? Today we are being tagged:

1. 5 AREAS OF FOCUS: EVANGELISM; EDUCATION; FELLOWSHIP; WORSHIP; SERVICE

2. RP2SA

3. Assignments: Inside, Daryl; Outside, Billy; Search & Rescue, Tom; Evangelism, Neville; 2 yr Teachers, Jimmy & Steve

Jesus is ready to steer us through this. But only if we keep our eye on Him.

WHAT IS OUR CHALLENGE, 1-2a

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; ...

To prepare us for ministry (challenge) we are grounded in 4 realities:

1. God (ushered into His presence)

2. Christ Jesus (the judge of the living & dead – will evaluated on this challenge)

3. His future appearance (the future 2nd Coming of Christ)

4. His future kingdom (our future eternal home)

“And his kingdom” – does this mean future? Paul preached the existence of the present and future.

Present

Future

He wrote that both the Colossians and the Thessalonians had been called and translated into the kingdom (; )

He also recognized a higher and more exalted state of the kingdom to be realized in the future (), also speaking of this thus: "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom" ()

“Preach the Word” is the first of 5 “aorist imperatives in this verse set forth commands with the crisp forcefulness of a military order”.[1] The first one forms the basis for the others.

Preach does not mean public behind a pulpit. It means at every occasion. For instance, (ESV) — 15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came 📷into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

Firm in these 4 realities, we are ready to accept our challenge.

· Preach the Word is about ETERNAL LIFE.

· There is over 4000 churches. We need the right stuff.

HOW ARE WE TO FULFILL OUR CHALLENGE, 2b

… be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

The other 4 imperatives that shows us how to Preach the Word.

1. Ready in season and out of season

2. Reprove – correct error by use of reasoned arguments.

3. Rebuke – rebuke the straying conscience whenever the need arose.

4. Exhort – give hope to the fainthearted by providing tender encouragement in the face of discouraging opposition.

How?

1. With complete patience and

2. 📷teaching.

Censoring someone because you can often creates more harm to the body of Christ.

The movie, “The Right Stuff” is the adaptation of the non-fiction novel by Tom Wolfe chronicles the first 15 years of America's space program. By focusing on the lives of the Mercury astronauts, including John Glenn (Ed Harris) and Alan Shepard (Scott Glenn), the film recounts the dangers and frustrations experienced by those involved with NASA's earliest achievements. It also depicts their family lives and the personal crises they endured during an era of great political turmoil and technological innovation

Your training will bring back what you need to fulfill the challenge. Young boy trying to sell a lawn mower for $10. Does it work? Yes. Try x10 will not start. My daddy says you need to cuss at it. I am a xtian – I can’t. Just keep pulling … it will come back to you.

How you react is based on your training. Are you prepared? If someone offends you – how will you react?

WHY IS THIS CRUCIAL, 3-5

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. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

📷John W. Smith tells the story of a wife that convinced her husband they needed counseling. For 3-4 hours she poured out her heart to the counselor – describing in detail all the neglect and lack of appreciation. Counselor comes around and tells her how valuable and appreciated she is. And gets up and kisses her. That is what your wife needs – 3 to 4 times a week. DO YOU THINK YOU CAN DO THAT FOR HER? Well maybe I can drop her off on Mondays & Wednesdays. But I golf and fish the other days.

[1] Lea, T. D., & Griffin, H. P. (1992). 1, 2 Timothy, Titus (Vol. 34, p. 242). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.