The Challenge of the Twenty-first Century (Part I)
2 Timothy 4:1-5
The Challenge of the twenty-first Century (Part I)
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: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men 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. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
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aul foresaw a time of departure from the Faith. Tragically, many during that time will be unaware that they are departing the Faith, because they will be ignorant of the tenets of the Faith. During those days, men will not put up with sound doctrine. Personal desire will drive their search for someone willing to say what they want to hear. The truth will be deserted and myths and fables will be embraced. That time is upon us.
Though membership in churches claiming to adhere to biblical truth is surging, an even greater number of professed Christians are forsaking truth in order to embrace religious myths. Sound doctrine is dismissed as irrelevant to our contemporary situation. Biblical doctrine is often considered to be a relic of a bygone day, and those preachers who insist upon speaking that authoritative message are thought best suited for theme parks where people can pay to see them perform as they deliver their antiquated message.
A rebellious age does not appreciate hearing the voice of authority. In the view of those populating this rebellious age, one idea is as good as another. Truth is whatever one wishes to make it. In the minds of many there are no absolutes—only shades of grey. Consequently, the preacher whose little message faithfully presents God’s authoritative Word had best pledge his head toward Heaven. He will not be loved. His message will not be readily accepted. People will detest him. However, he will please God.
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, begins the charge which the Apostle delivers to the young minister of the Ephesian church. No doubt this particular passage has been read at more ordination ceremonies than any other passage of Scripture. I contend that it is more pertinent to our day than any day which has preceded. Paul speaks of Christ Jesus who is about to [literal meaning of mevllonto"]judge the living and the dead. There is immediacy in these words. Timothy would have understood that the old man was saying that whatever he did must be done quickly, because Divine Judgement was imminent. There is urgency to the preacher’s task, and the more so when the characteristics pointing toward the conclusion of the age begin to be apparent.
I am neither a prophet, nor the son of a prophet, but I am able to read the Word. God provides in these verses a glimpse of the terminal generation. He affords a startling view of the character of churches immediately preceding the return of Christ the Lord to judge mankind. A review of the prevalent characteristics of that terminal generation will leave you discomfited as you realise the convergence of contemporary religion and that strange religion which will dominate at the time of God’s last intervention into history. I suggest to you that the Laodicean age may well be upon us as churches rely upon their own ingenuity—and tragically are ignorant of their ungodly condition.
John mirrors Paul’s vision of terminal religion as he describes the Laodicean Church—the last of the seven churches of Asia. Listen again to those frightful words of rebuke spoken by the Risen Son of God. To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realise that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches [Revelation 3:14-22].
John saw a religion which carries an outward patina of righteousness. It will be a lukewarm faith—neither hot nor cold. That final expression of the Christian religion will be wealthy, self-satisfied and self-assured; but that religion will make God sick. Paul described quite a similar final manifestation of the Faith in his last letter to Timothy.
Characteristics of the Twenty-first Century Church — Increasingly the churches of this day reflect the dark description provided by the Apostles. What is interesting is that neither Paul nor John wasted much time speaking of that which most churches argue about in this day. Neither worship format nor music nor pastoral style are of great concern to the Apostles. The Apostles focus on issues which penetrate to the heart of the character of God’s churches. Listen again to the Apostle’s words from our text.
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: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men 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. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
Three overarching concerns are expressed in the apostolic warning. Churches in the terminal generation will depreciate doctrine: men will not put up with sound doctrine. Second, faith will yield to feelings: to suit their own desires… The final characteristic is that verity will become virtual: they will turn their ears away from the truth. It requires but momentary reflection to realise that the dark days foreseen by the Apostle have arrived among the churches of this day. Think through each of these issues with me.
Doctrine will be Depreciated (men will not put up with sound doctrine) — A study by the Barna group released this past week accuses professing Christians of joining the Church of the Revolving Door. There is little denominational loyalty, thus little doctrinal loyalty. In no small measure this is because contemporary Christians are ignorant of what they believe and thus have little commitment to anything!
Young people, growing up in a culture overflowing with choices, tend to adopt a buffet-style approach to church. Older Christians are distressed by the failure of the younger members to make a commitment. Professed Christians unite in insisting that they want strong preaching, yet they appear to resent doctrinal preaching. They want doctrinal integrity, but they are uncomfortable when strong positions are marked out and when biblical truth demands commitment. Doctrine, according to an astonishing number of the professed saints of God, is boring. Churches are ranked by their relevance to worshippers instead of being rated on their faithfulness to the inerrant message of God’s Word. Churches are ranked according to entertainment value instead of faithfulness.
That word which is translated sound is the Greek root from which we obtain our English word hygiene [uJgiaivnw]. It conveys the concept of healthy or wholesome. There are consequences to beliefs, and unsound belief leads to disaster. On the other hand, sound doctrine results in the blessing of God. The tendency to reject sound doctrine must result in churches which no longer enjoy the blessing of God.
A pastor is responsible to be sound in doctrine so that he will be able to teach others. Paul will insist when writing to Timothy: You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also [2 Timothy 2:1, 2]. Paul expands on this singular qualification of ability to teach when he comments to Titus that the Pastor must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it [Titus 1:9]. Doubtless it is of more than passing interest to note that the sole aspect of eldership not concerned with character is the ability to teach [1 Timothy 3:2; 2 Timothy 2:24].
The pastorate is no place to develop one’s doctrine. Nevertheless, far too many pastors are compelled to formulate their doctrinal position after they are called to a pastorate instead of being established in the Faith before receiving a call. Can it be that churches are experiencing a “dumbing down” of what has marked the Faith throughout the past two millennia because pastors do not know what they believe?
Sound doctrine [uJgiainouvsh" didaskaliva"] is a common concern throughout the Pastoral letters [see 1 Timothy 1:10; Titus 2:1]. A similar concern is sound instruction [uJgiaivnonte" lovgoi] in 1 Timothy 6:3 and 2 Timothy 1:13. A pastor must know the teachings of the Word so that he can rebuke the wayward so that they will become sound in the faith [cf. Titus 1:13; 2:2]. A pastor must know the Word in order to equip Christians toward soundness in speech [Titus 2:8]. Christian teaching is designated as sound doctrine, since it is reasonable and appeals to sound intelligence.
You know that a crowd does not mean that God is blessing any given group. Far larger crowds attend the games of the Vancouver Grizzlies than attend any single church in that city. Few would contend that God is blessing the Vancouver Grizzlies. While ministering in the city of San Francisco, among the larger churches was Glide Memorial Methodist Church (which promoted sodomite marriages and the prostitutes union (Coyote) among other atrocities) and Jimmy Jones’ Peoples Church. Few believers in the Word of God would argue that either of these perversions of the Faith was enjoying the blessing of the Living God. Just so, though four hundred fifty prophets of Baal may oppose one lone prophet of the Living God, God blessed the one and did not bless the godless activities of Baal’s prophets. Dear people, the blessing of God is not measured by bodies seated in the pews, but by lives committed to truth!
Feelings will Prevail over Faith (to suit their own desires…) — It is terrible to think that many preachers are actually false prophets or that they are ignorant of biblical truth. However, for error to flourish, both sides of the transaction must co-operate. Congregations must be willing to have their own desires pandered to in order to tolerate errant preaching. Error results in weakened faith and ultimately in dying churches. The reason congregations of the terminal generation will no longer put up with sound doctrine is that they will have surrendered to their own desires—they will pursue their felt needs. Underscore in your mind that the Apostle foresaw a day in which people would determine what they believe by how they feel—feelings will prevail over the Faith.
This is a vital point which I must stress for your own welfare: how you feel about an issue does not make it true. Authenticity is evident from verification which results as a position is measured against an absolute standard. Black and white positions are eschewed in this day in favour of muted shades of grey. As this terminal generation moves toward certain judgement, what we feel about issues confronting the Faith assume ever-greater proportions in the minds of professing Christians. When did reason surrender to feelings? The Faith of the Living God is reasonable and logical. When we begin to alter that Faith through subjecting it to our feelings we will discover that we no longer have a seamless garment, but we will rather posses a patchwork quilt without a pattern. Whenever Paul spoke he presented a Faith which he described as true and rational [literal meaning of Acts 26:25].
In the verses which follow our text, Paul speaks pointedly of his future. Listen to the words which he penned—words which were inked against a din created by the shrill whine of steel against stone as the executioners’ sword was sharpened for his execution. I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 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 [2 Timothy 4:6-8].
It would prove of small moment what Paul felt about that transition—everything hinged on what was true. Just so, what you feel will not determine whether you are saved or lost. What you feel will not determine whether a particular action is right or wrong. What you feel will never determine truth. What you feel may well lead you to destruction and assuredly, depending upon our feelings will lead the church into error.
The Word says that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved [Romans 10:9]. If you confess Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead, logic would lead you to conclude what? That you will be saved! Salvation is not a matter of feeling; it is an issue of faith. Just so, our position as heirs of God is not a matter of feeling; it is fact dependent upon the faithfulness of God. Whether or not we are obedient to what is written in the Word of God is not an issue of whether we have a particular feeling or whether we feel the Word is authoritative—the Word is authoritative!
Preachers are frequently instructed to preach to felt needs in their congregations in order to ensure that they will always have a hearing. Such efforts are the spiritual equivalent of sprinkling rose water on a cancer. It will smell nice for a brief while, but the patient will nevertheless die. I am responsible to assess and address the hurt of the flock according to God’s Word [see Isaiah 40:1, 2], but an essential part of that comfort is declaring the truth that they may know the mind of God!
Consequently, if you decide what you believe about the issues confronting the church by how you feel, or because one day “God just shows you,” instead of looking to the Word, you are exhibiting the symptoms of the terminal generation. You are part of the problem instead of assisting in providing the solution. With the Apostle I ask you who feel offended by that statement: Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth [Galatians 4:16]?
Verity will become Virtual (they will turn their ears away from the truth) — In a world nurtured on Oprah and Montel and Jerry Springer, to say nothing of multiplied local talk shows, it is perhaps inevitable that this generation would be conditioned to think that every opinion is equally valid. Such a view is anti-biblical, opposed to righteousness and ultimately saps spiritual vitality.
Truth is narrow. Truth cannot be compromised with error. God who is true speaks truth and He cannot lie. When He has spoken in the Word there is no room for debate. It is of no consequence how you feel or how society feels, God’s Word is true and we are responsible to obey that Word if we will please Him. If we are truly born of His Spirit and submitted to Him, how can we question what He has said? That such can even be discussed among Christian people should horrify every believer in biblical truth!
If God instructs us that baptism pictures our faith in His death, burial and resurrection, how can we think that we can submit that truth to a vote in order to determine whether to believe His Word or not! If God teaches that males are responsible to lead within the home and within the church, will we actually rewrite His Word to suit our desires? The very fact that churches think to determine truth through democratic process would astonish the Apostle. Such aberrations are symptomatic of an age in which feelings and opinions prevail over truth and reason. In the terminal generation few Christians will be men and women of convictions, but they will each adopt a position which advocates, “I’m OK. You’re OK.” Convictions will be ridiculed even as flexible preferences are exalted among the churches of that time which Paul foretold.
Today, the vast majority of professing Christians holds preferences, but they have few convictions. This is evident from their unwillingness to take a stand and their constant desire to democratise every aspect of the Faith. A conviction cannot be jettisoned simply because it becomes unpopular. Christians hold convictions even though holding such position may entail injury and loss. A preference, on the other hand, can be changed without challenging the philosophy of life which an individual holds.
In discussing biblical truth with professing Christians, listen to their language. Notice how often you hear, “I think…” as the precursor to an individual staking out a position on a given issue. Probe the supposed theological positions advocated by far too many professing Christians and you will be astonished to discover a laissez faire attitude toward the Faith. Positions are determined by what one feels instead of what God says. What I think or what you think is immaterial in determining our position as a congregation. What matters is truth, and God has clearly presented truth in His Word.
Our Response to the Twenty-first Century Church — The Psalmist once asked:
When the foundations are being destroyed,
what can the righteous do?
[Psalm 11:3]
Interestingly enough, the response of the Psalmist is the same response of the Apostle. Of course, that should be no great surprise since the same Spirit inspired both to write. David looks to the Lord. He trusts God to act in righteousness as He judges the wicked. “Quit worrying,” is the essence of His counsel. “Look to God! Depend upon Him!” Paul is more precise in his instruction, but the counsel is the same.
In an age which depreciates doctrine, preach the Word. For the preacher, the command of God is to faithfully preach. If churches in the twenty-first century resent doctrinal preaching, the appropriate response is for the preacher to declare the great doctrines of the Faith. Even before the environment turns hostile, Paul commands Timothy (and all heralds of the Word) to Preach the Word [khvruxon to;n lovgon]. I note that a distressing number of contemporary Bibles have revised this command to read as though Paul were commanding Timothy to preach the Gospel [e.g. New Century Bible]. Paul is urging Timothy to declare the whole will of God [cf. Acts 20:27]. Evangelism grows out of sound doctrine, but sound doctrine will not necessarily arise from evangelistic efforts!
As an aside of no small consequence, I consider it most cowardly to attempt to sneak in biblical truth through the backdoor. The man of God must speak openly of all that God has commanded and confront forthrightly and honestly the great issues facing the church. Let no man enter into the service of the Lord who is a coward or who seeks an easy way to do the hard tasks which God has assigned. Let no Christian seek an easy way to stand on principle when embracing biblical truth.
The One who appoints to service appointed the preacher knowing the times in which he would serve. God is well able to equip His man to speak the truth even if the whole assembly stands opposed to that truth. Of even greater comfort for the preacher than the knowledge that God is able to strengthen and equip him is the knowledge that God called him and appointed him knowing the times in which he would be required to serve. Since God knew what was coming, so long as that preacher rests in Christ he need not fear speaking the truth in love.
Whenever someone foolishly depreciates doctrine in my presence, I preach the Word. Whenever a church resists the truth, I preach the Word. The basis for the charge which every preacher has received is that he always stands in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus. It is this Jesus who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing. Since I stand in the presence of Christ the Judge of all mankind, I must preach the Word. Since I know the terror of the righteous judge, I must preach the Word. Since I am convinced that He shall soon appear, I must preach the Word. Consequently, the Lord Christ attends the services of His churches, and He is with us always and ever until the day we substitute our own concepts of what is right for His truth.
I did not enter the ministry of Christ my Lord to say what the public wants to hear. I did not surrender to His call to service in order to compel people to like me. I am responsible to Him for the service I render both to Him and to His churches. Though I speak with fear and trembling, I testify before God that I fear Him far more than I fear any man, and I fear Him far more than I fear any church. When good men disagree, I intend to so position myself that they must disagree with the Word on which I stand. Should a church feel insulted and oppose what I have to say, let it be evident that I have presented the Word of God and that their resentment is against God’s written Word. When all society opposes what I preach, I am determined to so live and to so preach that society is positioned against the written Word of God. It is my bulwark and my shield.
As a church, you are responsible to ensure that the preacher does preach truth. You are to resist every temptation which permits watering down the message of truth and you must encourage the preacher to declare the great truths of the Faith. You must stand firmly on principle for truth, rejecting the temptation to heed the siren call of pandering to the desires of a dying culture. Guard the pulpit by encouraging proclamation of the truth. Study the doctrines which define the Faith and make every effort to understand those great truths. Understanding those great truths, implement them in your own lives.
In an age driven by personal feelings, correct, rebuke and encourage. The message which the messenger is required to deliver must be pointed in its application to the people of God. While congregations will look for a message which soothes, the man of God must be prepared to engage in sound exegesis—permitting the text to speak for itself. Far too many who occupy the sacred desks today are guilty of eisegesis—reading into the text their own desires so as to make it say what they wish it to say.
Exegetical preaching will compel the preacher to seek application for his hearers. The man of God can never be content to preach a message such as that which says, “Repent (after a fashion) and believe (such as it were) or be damned (in a measure).” God, speaking through His Word, demands obedience. Error, however emotionally attached people may be to that error, must be confronted and corrected. Those who insist upon living according to their own ideas instead of submitting to the will of God must be rebuked. As the people hear the message of God, they must be encouraged to surrender to the divine will, applying it in their own lives.
Look at these requirements for judging biblical preaching. First, the man of God is to correct [e[legxon]. The word is strong and speaks of putting someone to shame or of treating a point with contempt or of exposing error. The concept is pointed and confrontational. When the man of God speaks pointedly, he speaks biblically. Elders who sin are to be rebuked publicly [corrected] so that others may take warning [1 Timothy 5:20]. They are to be openly corrected, publicly shamed and their sin revealed. If this is true for elders, then anyone teaching error is likewise to be treated with contempt. Church members in Crete were prone to grossest evil, laziness and gluttony [see Titus 1:12]. Thus, Titus was to correct [rebuke them sharply] so that they would be sound in the faith [Titus 1:13]. The man of God must correct with all the authority of his office and with the authority of the Word of God [Titus 2:15] despite what is taught in most seminaries.
Again, the man of God is to rebuke [ejpitivmhson]. The distinction between this word and the previous word is subtle. Whereas previously the emphasis seems to be upon exposure of error so that people will be shamed and/or warned, the concept here is more that of private censure, especially with a view to preventing an undesirable action or to bringing an adverse action to an end. Perhaps the best distinction is to say that in correcting error we are confronting the evil with a view to creating abhorrence in the mind of the whole church. In rebuking, we are endeavouring to stop an action before it becomes generally known. The distinction is likely in the realm in which the activity is carried out. Correction is public; rebuke is private.
Encouragement is to be both public and private. Through giving confidence that the man of God is committed to the Word of God, believers in that Word are encouraged. Through standing firm against error, the man of God encourages the people that he will not run at the first whiff of battle. Through daring to love enough to identify error and warn of the consequences of error the man of God encourages the people in the truth.
The people of God will need to stand with the man of God in the midst of these hard duties. The people of God will need to protect the man of God from unjust criticism, from cowardly assault, and from discouragement. If your pastor does what he is called to do, criticisms will come. I am not saying that criticism should be dismissed, but I am saying that biblical standards must be applied. The biblical standard states that we must not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses [1 Timothy 5:19]. This simply means to refuse to listen to every complaint unless there is substance. The message preached, if it is based on Scripture, should settle the issue for you and must not become the means by which some complain and criticise.
Don’t permit people to slander the man of God because he is labouring with diligence or because he is teaching the truth of God’s Word. If the preached Word stings someone, let that person align herself or himself with the truth so that she or he is no longer stung. Billy Sunday used to say that if he rubbed the cat the wrong way, turn the cat around. Just so, if people are angered by the teaching of the Word of God, let them change their lives. As Christians, as members of this assembly, you must not receive any and every criticism or slander advanced as result of the teaching of the Word.
Just as the pastor is responsible to encourage you, so you bear responsibility before God to encourage the pastor. Tell him when you recognise his hard labour in your behalf. Thank him when he has served you well. Let him know that you recognise his effort and that you are appreciative. These are not inconsequential responsibilities, but they are essential to a healthy environment. Charles Spurgeon, the great Baptist preacher of nineteenth century London, was prone to darkest depression. Fortunately, God had provided him a body of godly men who gathered around him to pray for him and to encourage him to lift his eyes from momentary criticism to eternal impact of his service.
In an age embracing relativism, keep your head. Whatever the situation, the man of God needs to maintain his balance. The thought which the Apostle conveys is that the man of God must be self-controlled. Hardship will come—endure hardship. There will always be lost people—do the work of an evangelist. Temptation to cut corners will abound—discharge all the duties of your ministry. The preacher should work hard at his task of preaching the Word. Preaching should be a priority. The preacher who fails to labour in study and in preparation to declare the Word demonstrates that he does not understand the power of preaching and reveals that he has no confidence in the Word of God.
The preacher must be ready to win the lost, to shed light in the darkest corner, to set the captives free. This work demonstrates that he is committed to the glory of God. No service should pass in our church that we do not invite the lost to faith in the Son of God. No service should pass in which we fail to tell of the grace of God in Christ the Lord. Whether a children’s programme, a service of worship or a hymn sing, let us ensure that we invite the lost to faith in the Son of God.
Discharge all the duties of your ministry [th;n diakonivan sou plhrofovrhson]. No small part of that ministry is preparing God’s people for works of service [eij" e[rgon diakoniva"], so that the body of Christ may be built up [Ephesians 4:12]. Do that which is easy, as well as that which is difficult. Let your diligence be evident so that the people will be encouraged. Build the saints so that they will be sound in the Faith. Keep them from error and drive away that which would contaminate the purity of the Faith. Expose error and do not hesitate to teach the truth, regardless of how unpopular it may be in society. Then, you will have met the challenge of the twenty-first century. Amen.