Peaceful Confidence in a Combative World

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovv8RyjzRSA

We all experience conflict in some form or fashion. It is something we experience from some of our earliest days at school and at home!

What does this have to do with tonight?

Kids often jump into arguments about things they don’t really understand. They are eager to be right or prove a point. All the while the adults in the room laugh because these kids are talking non sense.

We laugh at these things but we were all kids at one point and we were those kids! Let me make this reminder tonight that these habits don’t go away as we get older rather they just show themselves with bigger words. We still have a tendency like children to puff our selves up or too have a misplaced confidence.

So often we are reminding kids to “be nice” and that is all Paul is reminding Timothy here. His emphasis is to “be kind to everyone in humility”

2 Second Recap:

Timothy is facing clear opposition from Hymenaeus and Philetus starting arguments leading to ungodliness and upsetting the faith of others in this church.

Paul in his first letter to Timothy wrote:

English Standard Version Chapter 1

3 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, 4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. 5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.

Timothy was dealing with members of the church who had a desire or passion to be a “teacher of the law” and wandered beyond the clear doctrines and teachings of Christ and into myths and speculations. They don’t “understand what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions”

So now we have Paul not writing to the “kids” or false teachers but to his protege Timothy. This passage isnt about knowing the truth but rather how to respond to those who don’t. How should Timothy respond to these church members and continue to act as a leader in the church?

could be summarized in this:

Paul urges Timothy to prove himself a true servant of God, one who is known by God and one who lives by the truths of God’s word. He should avoid the evil thoughts that so often come to young men, and also the temptation to quarrel. Rather he should be gentle, patient, and humble as he seeks to help his people avoid the traps of Satan.

Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Timothy, Second Letter To,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 2068–2069.

Two Types of Vessels

The Vessel for dishonorable use

Runs towards “youthful passions/cravings”

Does not pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace.

Any display of these aspects is not from a pure heart calling upon God but from a desire for a specific appearance

Has no fear of what his actions may do to others

Has no or an incomplete knowledge of the truth

Has no self control or self awareness (blind to personal error) (no senses)

Enticed and trapped by the devil to do his will.

We are all mere moments away from aligning with anyone of these categories, this why we must be careful not to be lead by passions

The Vessel for honorable use

Pursues

Righteousness, Faith, Love, and Peace from a pure heart

Avoids useless controversies

Serves and submits to the will of God

Not quarelsome

Kind ( gentle like a nursing mother taking care of her own children)

Able to teach

correct in gentleness (humble confidence)

Patiently enduring evil

Desire’s for repentance and knowledge of truth in others

Not the person blasting truth but the person who considers his hearer and carefully chooses the truth that needs to penetrate this person’s heart

How to be a vessel for honorable use

Submit to the master of the house, cleanse yourself and you will be set apart.

In conflict we:

practice repentant cleansing of our vessels to remove personal gain and pride

Recognize the master we submit to for confidence

Look to Jesus as the embodiment of this peaceful confidence combination

Corrected with truth in love

Jesus responding to the Pharisees’

Jesus responding to the rulers and guards at the cross - forgive them

Had confidence in His truth and coming kingdom values

the peacemakers who endure persecution will be blessed

the gentle and lowly of heart who learn from him and take up his burden will find rest

Looking to the church for peaceful confidence

vs 22 pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace alongside those who call on the Lord from a pure heart- helps to run in a group

it takes other Christians to keep you from being hardened by the deceitfulness of sin

the church encourages its own to keep the end in site, Christ is coming back if we will just hold out until then

Romans 12:18 ESV

If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.