Continue in God’s Word

Title:  Continue in God’s Word

Text:  2 Timothy 3:10-17 (ESV)

Main Idea:  Stay faithful to the things you know to be true. INTRO

NOW: Biggest Loser

by season 3 the contestants knew these trainers because they themselves had watched the first seasons just like everybody else. they knew the trainers cared about them AND they knew if they continued with the process it would work. they would lose weight.

THEN: The Apostle Paul knew the struggles of being a 1st century Christian. At the time, Nero was the emperor of Rome and in AD 64 the Great Fire of Rome occured. This fire burned for 9 days and destroyed much of Rome.

it was rumored that Nero actually started the fire to make some space for a new home for himself but that later proved to be untrue. Regardless, Nero needed someone to blame and he blamed the christians for this fire. the christians were already an unpopular group because they did not worship the gods of Rome .... and so this began the first empire wide persecution of Christians.

and when Paul writes this 2nd letter to Timothy, he is experiencing this persecution. he is in prison. and he believes he will die soon.

Paul’s response instructs us still today. His mind was not on himself, dwelling on the injustice that had befallen him. Instead, trusting that God had him right where He wanted him, the aging apostle turned his attention to others, specifically to the church and to his young protégé, Timothy.

Paul understood that the ministry would only become more difficult for Timothy with the apostle’s impending death.

(Indeed, at some point after this letter from Paul, Timothy was imprisoned for his faith [Hebrews 13:23]).

Paul knew that Timothy’s task of keeping the church within the bounds of sound doctrine while encouraging believers to live their lives well for the sake of Christ would be an often thankless and difficult task.

Though hardship would come, Paul wanted Timothy to continue in those things he had learned, drawing on the heritage of faith that had been passed down to the him.

READ THE PASSAGE: 2 Timothy 3:10-17

PRAY

Last week in vs. 1-9 of chapter 3 we studied Paul’s warning to Timothy about false teachers in the last days. there was that long list of characteristics of the false teachers.... basically they only loved themselves, not people and not God… and their religion was just for show.

vs. 10-13 - well here Paul starts by saying, “but that’s not you, Timothy”..... you have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, even my persecutions.

vs. 12… all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted

and this… while evil people and imposters (like those from our passage last week) will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived

WHAT??!!!??? so people who live godly lives in Christ are going to be persecuted and evil people and imposters are going to sometimes be successful?

that’s what Paul is saying.... if you got into this christianity thing because you thought life on earth would be easier.... Paul says, “sorry to disappoint you”

vs. 14-17

CONTINUE is the main command in the passage today

“don’t give up”

“hold on”

You KNOW two things: 1. You KNOW the people who taught you the Scriptures.

2. You have KNOWN the Scriptures.

The result of knowing these two things:  You have BELIEVED! 1. We Should Continue in God’s Word because of the confidence we have in it and in those who taught it to us

- Grandmother Lois and mother Eunice (1:5)

- firmly believed (convinced)

-confidence in it because it is

“breathed out by God”

divinely inspired by God

says exactly what God wants it to say

2 Peter 1:21 ESV

21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 ESV

13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.

Deuteronomy 6:2 ESV

2 that you may fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son’s son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long.

Deuteronomy 10:2 ESV

2 And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets that you broke, and you shall put them in the ark.’

Do you have confidence in God’s Word?

2. We Should Continue in God’s Word because it is able to make one wise unto salvation

- The Bible is our source of truth; our weapon of faith; the content of our spiritual growth

sacred writings = old testament

old testament can make you wise for salvation....

old testament is about Jesus!

some people are amazed that the old testament could be used to lead someone to christ but that is exactly what the apostles did when they preached. the used the old testament to point to Jesus!

1 Corinthians 15:3–4 ESV

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

those Scriptures are the Old Testament!

the whole bible from genesis to revelation is Christian!

the old testament anticipates Christ and the New testament explains Christ!

when talking about jesus in the bible, pastor tony merida says, “he is promised in the beginning, he is there in the middle, and he is held up at the end as our object of worship for all eternity.”

so timothy was to continue in the christ-centered Word of God because it can make us wise unto salvation!

3. We Should Continue in God’s Word because it is Profitable

- For Teaching, reproof, correction, training in righteousness

- The Scriptures are totally sufficient!

the Bible shapes our beliefs as well as our lifestyle and can shape us into the image of Christ by the power of the Spirit

this is why we preach Scripture! because people need God’s Word more than they need my opinion or Sidney’s opinion or some practical suggestions about how to live life.

the bible meets our deepest needs the way other books cannot

transition statement to #4

4. We Should Continue in God’s Word because it Completes God’s work in you

- Complete and thoroughly equipped

psalm 119:161 - my heart stands in awe of your words

John Wesley - “At any price give me the book of God.... let me be a man of one book.”

CONCLUSION:

Stay faithful to the things you know to be true. Continue in God’s Word

Pray

Come grab your shoeboxes! this is the last week to get one! drop off week starts on the 15th!