How to Keep-on, Keeping On: Remembering Mentors & Continuing in the Word
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Dear Congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Times of difficulty in Christ’ church are to be expected in this period called the last days. Like in Ephesus we experience them within the congregation - sometimes real leadership issues, lifestyle issues left the community of Christ - drifitng and no one wanting to point a way forward. Everyone felt like they were walking on egg shells, so nothing was being addressed.
But the false teachers also bring times of struggle beyond the congregations - in the denomination, in the church culture as a whole in the West. In this very area, of Ephesus for the next 150 years - the gnostic gospel and religion took foot hold with some of the errors and compromises and mixing Christian truth with the mystery religion flooding into the Roman Empire. But Paul even if Nero takes his life, is confident that though false teaching is influential and brings growth in wickedness, and shipwrecks lives, nonetheless, remember how he ended the last section on the
False Teachers: 2 Tim 3:9 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.
But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.
He was not in a panic. He expected challenge and difficulty in holding to the true gospel and even more knew that it alone is how lasting and growing godliness happens. Now trumpeting the cause of gospel proclamation, identifying qualities needed for you and I to do that well, recognizing the times of last days false teaching that will creep in - Now, at long last Paul comes to the direct and personal instructions. And this first one has to do with how Timothy will be fueled to keep-on keeping on as a proclaimer. And the language shfits, in the middle of the letter, that would have been read in public worship to the congregations, but now He says, emphatically, YOU, singular, you my dear Timothy. The false teachers operate like this,
Timothy & Believers: 3:10a You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct,
You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness,
And at the end of our text, he broadens his instruction on how to keep on keeping on - for all generations, and for all followers of Christ, sent to be his witnesses in this world, regardless of whether they are doing church offices in their service or not. He says:
2 Timothy 3:17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work
that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Are you a man, a woman of God? Would your friends or family, say of you - main identity is that they serve the LORD, OT title a servant of the LORD. God’s goal in calling us, election unto service! Well, Paul says in fulfilling your calling to continue witnessing of the grace of Jesus in these difficult times. When racism.violence, when Christian’s can’t meet together, when mantle of leadership of our denomination is in flux, when pressures of the world - to compromise God’s gospel, Paul has to strategies for keeping you faithful and true and effective.
Key Truth: Persevering in proclaiming requires remembering our mentors in the faith, and continued growth in God’s Word.
The first is remembering your mentors in the faith so that the lived out gospel is imitated in your life. The second is not just knowing the Word but continuing IN it! In between these two ingredients for persevering in proclamation is the need action of patience in suffering.
A) Remember and imitate your mentor’s lived-out faith
Let’s look at the more surprising one first. It is kind of shocking, don’t you think, with someone who is so Christ-centred, to use the word my 11x - really a bullet point list , but each word has the definite article - the teaching that is mine, the conduct that is mine, the aim in life that’s mine, the patience that is mine. He is not talking about Christian teaching in general, nor behviour that fits a Christian, nor the goal and aim of all Christian's in general to please God, nor the patience as a virtue. He is talking about how each of these was worked out by the grace of God in his particular life. My love - for all people that I reached out to, tried to reach, worked beside so didn’t have to support me, ministered in all those cities.
You Timothy you remember my persecutions and sufferings? What would Timothy be recalling? His grand mother and mother hearing the gospel and becoming believers in Christ on Paul’s first missionary journey. That was the time Timothy himself became a young Christian. MAP Paul and Barnabas came into town preaching, they healed a cripple and the whole town became following want to sacrifice to them as God’s. Timothy probably remember well, how they refused the worship, and then how the unbelieving Jews stirred up a crowd, stoned him. left for dead. But then one eye opens then another, and Paul rose up to say, our work here is done for how time to share the good news in another place.
Paul is asking Timothy to do some remembering. Important to do that with our faith and God’s work in our lives. Go back Timothy to the second missionary journey, now the church says we’ve got work for you, go with Paul and from 52 AD right up unto his last partnership with Paul when he left him at Ephesus now 65 AD - recall the whole manner of God’s gospel in me and how we experienced it together.
There is one word that holds all these 11 word list together and it is the reason why Paul is not boasting or saying do what I say Timothy because of how good I am. No that word is followed.
2 Timothy 3:10 a You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness,
You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness,
And that idea is found again not just with Paul but with Priscilla his mother and Eunice his grandmother. 2 Timothy 3:14
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it
The word followed in both Greek and English has figurative meaning. Like if you are on Facebook - you can follow people, not physically or even there every mouse click. But you are interested in them, watch, observe their posts, investigate them Even more we know as a popular author wrote Jesus wasn’t looking for fans, but followers. It means you take that person as a model, you adhere to their life, teaching, you become an associate with them in their purpose and faith!
People can get wrapped up in fads, they can research topics. But when actually follow someone over a long period of time, when you can observe no just their teaching, but whether it is back up with how the person actually lives and relates to others. That’s a whole other level. Now of course we are to do so with Jesus - but I really believe one of the reason that Jesus sent his disciples out two by tow, the reason Paul did ministry as a team, is because - the model of learning is hey come with me, I do it like this, this is what I am trying to do, this how I get frustrated and what I do. Come with Me.
Teaching and conduct make sense. But what about learning someone’s aim of life. That takes really known what makes a person tick - do you know anyone who’s goal in life is to please God? Linus had just thrown a stick for Snoopy to retrieve. His first instinct was to do what he was accustomed to doing—chase the stick. But he paused for a few moments and decided against it, thinking, “I want people to have more to say about me after I’m gone than ‘He was a nice guy . . . He chased sticks.’” Paul never merely chased sticks. He was single-minded about the most important things—the gospel and Christ’s glory. Hughes, R. Kent.
And I don’t doubt that God has placed someone like that in your life or history. Remember them. But also in remembering learn their pattern of life!
I haven’t been here 17 years, but already there are some of you who have walked beside me, some of you are gone - but I felt like I knew a bit of what you made you tick, about how to handle conflict and stress, even little phrases - trigger those memories and values. But boy if I go back to the time becoming a Christian gradually - Mrs. Beukema, Cadet leaders going through tough young adult time but showed up and invested for Christ, I think of a pastor who challenged from pulpit, but also years after looked up - in glory - not perfect - but manner of life of service we shared. How often I think back to a friend and now fellow pastor, who first hired me at Camp Shalom, ministry minded, such tireless integrity reaching out to troubled kids and engaging bored ones. You know when we went through one of our heaviest Crosses - he too had just lost a pre-born baby - remember the very words - he spoke to me - sometimes the more than we aks and imagine that God brings into our lives is hard stuff, but he is at work and he bends it all for good! Boy, what a blessing to remember my parents struggle to raise a Christian family. And now I am right in the middle of trying to do the same thing.
Do you get it, our Living LORD, expects in the tasks and just living of Christian life, we will have more mature Christians and just different Christians whom God has worked in a little different way and they have a pattern, example, a teaching we are to be growing in. And Paul is saying, take the time to remember those people in your life to reflect. It is not enough to know about the truth, God’s gospel truth - produces a life and that life gets patterned by the Christians God has placed in your life. Paul says it in
1 Cor 11:1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
Now I suppose we can do that with Paul and with others in a long line of godly men and women. I think every Christian should read Christian biography, 5 Boys Who Changed History, Five Girls Used their Talents. Not hero worship, hagiography - but learning their pattern of life. But God hasn’t designed the Christian life to be lived with a bunch of dead guys as our models. God’s Word challenges us to this life of following together in two ways: 1. I ask you to share with someone else in your congregation a person’s name and the way they influenced you or are influencing you, what you appreciated and hope to imitate. But 2. I challenge you to thin of who in your orbit your living Paul or Pauline, too. Why ministries like youth group can be so powerful - faith is caught as much as it is taught. Why need to be mixing with people in very different life circumstance. I challenge you to to live you r faith and life out openly enough that you could be a Paul or Pauline to someone else in your life. And even more specifically this isn’t the first time Christian have been unable to meet for long period of time, and you know what maybe like they had to meet in smaller groups, sometimes in homes, or fields, this idea of bubbling is how we will have to do church for awhile. What an orotundity to walk more closely with one or two, encourage accountability!
So this is the first thing you need this pattern of life modeled and followed, and it is the reason that Paul is not in despair and gloom about times of difficulties. The word, the gospel of Jesu Christ lived out, faith unto godliness - is why their is hope for the world no matter how bad things may seem. And Timothy is to be encouraged as he sees this faith, love and endurance or hope lived out.
2 Timothy 3:10b You, however, have followed … my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness,
You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness,
But the addition to these 3 Christian virtues is the patience, and this leads us to the middle transition that will brings us to the second instruction.
B. Become steeled in your patience to see God rescue you in all troubles
Here comes not only the promise that we must suffer and even at times be persecuted if we make the kingdom of heaven, vs. the kingdom of this world as our aim and goal. That is promised in the words of Jesus himself isn’t it: Paul says:
Jesus’ Promised Truth: 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted
Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
Jesus said if you stand for what I stand for, if you advance in godliness, it will come with suffering love to a world full of so much anger and hate and hurt - know that they persecuted me, they will persecute you. Barclay says, “Anyone proposes to introduce into his life a loyalty which surpasses all earthly loyalties, then there are bound to be clashes and collisions.”8 Some form of opposition will come if we attempt to witness to a world that hates to be told the truth and loves darkness. This may come in subtle forms of rejection—being ignored, being patronized, a mocking look, condescension.
Beyond outer mere professions there must be willingness to suffer for the sake of the gospel’s advance. There is suffering in a Christian's lives that is a participation in the suffering of Christ. Jesus said a disciple is not higher and exempt from what the master goes through. As Augustine noted at times physical and real persecution, other times real but more subtle snubbing of the life of faith, rejection,. Still hurts, still suffering but not persecution. Either way, unlike with the advance of the false teachers, who may seem to be winning, who have not followers but fans - they aren’t really arriving anywhere but at deception, not producing a transformed life - not advancing the kingdom of God. 2 Timothy 3:13
while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
Do you see that the easy breezy life that moves from speculation, and ritual, without dealing with sin and bothering with a life that moves from crucifying sin to rising with Christ, it leads no where. But Paul is confident the life that involves some suffering for the gospel is different. He gets up from almost being stoned to death, ship wrecked, falsely accused - keeps going, now at the end of this life keeps on going. And look what other promise he delivers to keep you and me going. He takes hold of it from the Psalm we recited tonight.
Jesus’ Promised Deliverance: 3:11b (Ps 34:19) my persecutions and sufferings … which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me.
my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me.
Do you see that at the end. Things didn’t always go well, but God is still on his throne, and Paul activity sometimes miraculously but always providentially saw - until your time is done yet Paul - I am with you, I will rescue you. Psalm 34: 19
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
There’s solid bedrock to keep on going - either God is going to deliver from the troubles ahead of you, or through the troubles ahead of you. Ever think of that? Sometimes God delivers us by taking us out of this world, course is done, and sometimes he says no face them with me, but regardless the living God - says like the end of Psalm 91 I will be with Him in trouble. That’s why we can say, nothing in all creation, not even this virus, nor persecutions, nor even death itself can separate us from the love of Christ - and then makes a Christian ultimately bullet proof against any evil and suffering we must face. Christ has faced it down and He is with us! And Paul in the trustworthy saying of this book says you live with that kind of patience you know what you are going to reign with Christ. He did the Cross before the Crown and you will too.
2 Timothy 2:11-12
The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us;
This promise means that there is no premature death of a Christian and there is no suffering that is wasted in our lives!
But there is one more active ingredient that you must add to the mix of this mentoring and remembering of the pattern of life and this patience that leads to victory, and that is the active use of God’s holy Word in your life and mine, and specifically you not just having that each day, but you continuing and growing in the Word of God!
C. Continue in & Grow in Your Use of Scripture
And here we should feel really small compared to the giants of the past - who not only had God’s word, but increasingly memorized and mastered it. Look at Paul’s instruction
Tim 3:14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it
There is the firmly believing the teaching of God’s Word, his acts and his character - that what this a record of. But there is alo this continuing in what you learning from this word. What’s that?
3:15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
On the one hand its not just knowledge believed, but it is a wisdom applied toward the salvation - past present future - and this through more and more personal reliance on doing what God’s word says, believing and trusting into the promises, looking for their realization. Do you read the Scriptures and hear them preached, on the edge of your seat -looking for fuller salvation, greater wisdom in this salvation? So many different ways to do this. One verse meditate upon, a devotion read sometimes better than a whole chapter in one ear and out the other. But maybe you’ve never read this whole word, key chapters from each 66 books. Value in reading a chapter asking light bulb, question, arrow!
Paul isn’t just saying Timothy learned the ABCs of faith, but that he new the Scriptures, -he was constantly adding to his knowledge of the OT - and the testimony he studied was of the LORD Jehovah’ s character and works, and it wasn’t a mechanical learning but seeing Christ in - he more and more surrender His life to Christ who is the truth of Scripture
But the last verse says, we are to be learning from God’s word,, not just wisdom for salvation and trusting in commands and promises, but also this Word actually makes you a COMPLETE, A PERFECT MAN - equipping you for all the good works that God prepared in advance for you parituclarly to do - need God’s word to get you there.
You know that’s the goal, not just to save you but to remake and transform you: Listen to how put it in his earlier letter to these Ephesians 4:13
until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
So those two goals: i. wisdom in salvation/trusting it more; and ii. equipping for action of good works of good service . And teh way to get to that goal is to ben learning with the your convictions deepens, and your life transformed slowyly but steadily toward godliness!
Bibliolatry: vs. Wisdom & Equipping
You know there is such a thing as bibliolatry. Make the Bible and idol, exalted word of God, but must be used for the purpose God sent it, draw us in relatinship, transform us in Christ - enjoy salvation, useful in godliness. It is only as you continue in Scripture grow in Scripture that you become complete in Christ,
And Paul describes this as a kind of education - your in the school of faith. Like little Jewish child - first memorize part, then the interpretations, then rabbi master.. And why is it that the Scriptures are the tool to do that.
Because they aren’t God, they are not to be worshiped, they are to be received and used as God’s tools. All Scripture - OT, specially law, and the prophets that called tehm back to the torah, covenant of grace and its way of life! The wisdom writing that applied it to daily life - the fear of the LORD. What the NT calls godliness! But Peter says, Paul’s writing something hard - but they are the holy writings, inspired by God himself. Paul expected these like the prophets read after the law section read in the churches! And Paul says that all of it - the whole inspired text - as Jesus had it in the OT, and we now have it as compiled and preserved for us in the OT and the NT - all these writing, supernatural.
Let me illustrate what it means that all, Pastor William Evans of Hollywood Presb,, end of his long ministry. Invited back to the pulpit, came up - 10 minute sermon, said can’t believe in miraculous virgin birth, or Exodus, the resurrection, creation, can’t trust OT view of sexuality or the NT rip tear … all we have left is the Sermon on the Mount. And I am not going to trust the Sermon on the Mount as the ethical guide of life if the one who spoke it is not divine Son of God. Then one in the back said, no preach to us more. Knowing Scripture is a seamless whole, as Holy Spirit convinces words are true match our need, match reality - all of it speak of Christ - need all of it to reach goal of becoming complete human being, recreated in the image of Christ. Let me suggest to you the battle in your life and mine, as Bible believing Christians is less over the authority of Scripture - as it is the sufficiency that all of speaks to all of life, Intended by God to be chief means of your sanctification!
How could you tell if you are continuing and growing in God’s Word tonight? Paul gives four descriptors of what it must be doing in us. They come in two pairs of two. The first have to do with your doctrine, the system of teaching and truth
3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
As God breathes his Word into your life, it must be showing you what is true - give you a world and life view, judge what’s going on around and in you - not by our own ideas and thoughts, as independent arbiter, but we let God define reality and truth in every aspect of life. But more in this area of what you believe, you are growing in God’s Word if it is actually stopping you in your tracks, and reproving you.
The second way that God’s Word must be active in us is in regard to our conduct, our behaviour. We are to have it correcting us, and train us! guide us in doing right! This is n’t just don’t do that, but paideia means let me guide you in how to live responsibly to God - it involves constant upbringing and training discipleship. And when God’s Word is growing like that, when we don’t shy from suffering for the Gospel. and follow the pattern of Christian living we’ve learned in the lives of godly mentors. Paul says we’ll keep on keeping on, we will be trustworthy people. Vessels of the Lord not needing to be ashamed, but inhabited by God’s very Spirit, guided and trained by His Word - to be a vessel for honourable use.
Dear friends as the ordination for elder goes - we’re to seek to be mastered by Scripture, and all of it. This is the sacred deposit we’ve been entrusted with, we have the model in Christian life, of faith, love and hope; we have the steel in our veins of patience because we see the aim and victory in Christ, and we have the supreme and completely sufficient guide in the Holy Writing's.
Conclusion: Scripture is not God, but it is God’s breath in our lives. And if even the Son of God when he became incarnate had to learn memorize and apply Scripture, if his only defense against the wiles of the devil and the temptation that was real in his own very human soul, was the Word so that he replied 3x quoting back Deuteronomy to the devil. Including Matthew 4:4
But he answered, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”
How much more for you and me - relying on God’s Word as our breath, life and food. Not as God but as the tool in God’s hand that grips us!