Sermon Tone Analysis

Purpose: Challenge the congregation to take “proclaim ~/ sharing the message” as their first priority of their ministry~/life.

Introduction:

 

Now, we have been on the street, we have introduced Jesus, His Love, His Grace, His Salvation, His Peace, to people on the street yesterday.

We have tried to bring them to Christ so they can reconcile with God.

Now, what is next for youu?

Should we go back to our little comfort zone and do whatever we have been doing before?

This morning, lets try to figure it out from “Paul’s last charge to Timothy”.

Read scripture 2Tim 4:1-5

          When we read Paul’s letters to Timothy, many easily have the impression that this is a personal letter to Timothy himself since the first two verse of chapter one reads: “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.[1]

”  Cleary, here indicates the addressee is Timothy – “my loyal child in the faith” (1Tim 1:1).

In addition to that, church tradition categorized 1st and 2nd Timothy, Titus as “pastoral epistles” which gives us an impression that the teachings in these letters are just for Timothy, or Titus or pastors of these days.

However, if we understand the function of church letters during the time of the early church, we know that letters were usually sent to churches to address the need, concerns, or issues that they were facing.

Letters represent writer’s personal visit.

The last verse of this letter reads: “The Lord be with your spirit.

Grace be with you” – the “you” here is a plural in Greek which indicate the letter is not just for one person.

Or we can say that Paul expects this letter will be read in public to the congregation.

Therefore, we know this is also a letter to the church.

All the teachings, exhortations and warnings are for the church that includes you and me.

So this last charge is also to you and me.

HBI: With Utmost Patience, and Be A Persistent Evangelist以百般忍耐、專心作傳道功夫

MP1:

1.    *The Last Charge from Paul is: Proclaim the message**保羅的遺言**: **務要傳道** *

Most of scholars agree that the second letter of Paul to Timothy was the last letter written by Paul.

It was about 65 A.D.  Paul was once again arrested by the Roman government and imprisoned at Rome.

At that time, Timothy was about thirty year old, like a lot of you.

From 2Tim 4:6, /“As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come”/, we can understand that Paul most properly realized that the chance for him to be released was very slim.

Therefore, when this letter comes to the end, Paul wrote down his last charge to Timothy in the most sincere and solemn manner.

*From chapter 4 verse 1, Paul wrote: /“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and in view of appearing and his kingdom, I solemnly urge you: PROCLAIM THE MESSAGE” (NRSV)/*

*/ /*

In fact this is not the first charge from Paul to Timothy.

The first one is in the First letter to Timothy, chapter 4, verse 13:, /“Until I arrive, give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhorting, to teaching” /where Paul charges Timothy to insist on teaching the Word of God.

The second time is in the first chapter, verse 8 of this letter where Paul encourages Timothy to make testimony about the Lord, even if he has to suffer for the gospel, Paul tells him that: /“Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God”.

/But here in chapter 4, verse 1 is the most solemn, as well as the very last one.

*In NIV, it translated as “ I give you this charge” , However what Paul giving to Timothy is not any casual exhortation.

It is a (**Διαμαρτύρομαι**) solemnly urge *  It is a serious, important and authoritative declaration.

The original Greek word has the meaning of “to make a solemn declaration about the truth of something, or to testify or bear witness under oath, to something”.

It is just like taking the witness stand in the court room under oath today.

Here is even more serious since the declaration is made before God, and has Christ Jesus as the witness.

This urge is done before the one who is to judge the living and dead, the one who has the utmost authority.

Illustration:

 Scholar Thomas Oden calls this urge as “Imperative from the death cell”

Since Paul realized that he was approaching the very end of his journey on earth, there was not much time left.

Therefore, he gives out his last charge to Timothy in an extremely straight forward and extremely serious tone that he must: 『PROCLAIM THE MESSAGE』- he must be one with utmost patience and be A Persistent Evangelist.

Some scholars believe that Timothy was a young man of fearful nature, easily being discouraged or frightened, prone to sickness.

Most people believe Timothy would be over thirty year of age (others think he was at his late twenties or mid thirty)at that time even though he was being called as young.

However, it is Jewish culture that they call anyone younger than forty as young man which also has the meaning of inexperience.

May be because of these subjective and objective elements, Paul had to repeatedly exhort, repeatedly urge Timothy to take up his ministry, urge him to make   “PROCLAMATION OF THE MESSAGE” as his first priority.

Here I like the Chinese translation better as it says “務要傳道” – “must proclaim the message” which reflect the imperative form of the word “proclaim”.

It is something Paul expects Timothy to do without fail.

Brothers and sister, what is the first priority in your life today?

What is the first priority in your ministry today?

Transition:

What Paul passing down here is a simple urge, but one difficult to be accomplished.

In verse 2, Paul continues: “be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke, and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching.”

MP2:

“Be persistent” and “with utmost patience”

SMPI:

 “Be Persistent” – Paul emphasizes that the ministry of proclaiming the Word of God is a long term task and one must have persistence.

In addition to persistence, any one who takes evangelism serious must also be prepared for this ministry.

The original Greek word is also used in a military sense – describe soldiers to stay at one’s post, to stand by, to be at hand any time.

The NIV version in fact has this word translated as “be prepared”.

Paul wants Timothy to be persistent and be prepared.

Today, We are as soldiers of the Gospel, we must also be prepared, and be persistent to proclaim the Word of God whenever the time is favorable or unfavorable

 

Illustration:

As for myself, I experienced one of the lowest points of my life at the beginning of 2004.

I was depressed and frustrated under the pressure of seminary study, work and many other things.

I was about to give up my study in the seminary, I was about to give up my promise to serve God for the rest of my life.

I was confused, I was not sure whether what I was doing is God’s plan or just my own.

In those days, I felt God was so far away from me.

My relationship with God did not become more intimate as I study in the seminary – as I expected.

Instead, I felt God was moving away from me day by day.

My spirit was so weak that I have never experienced in my life.

I repeatedly prayed to God for His clear direction and help.

Our God is a loving and faithful one, He gave me comfort through one of my fellow classmates, God also answered my questions in some of my later studying, He gave me encouragement through the prayers and love of the brothers and sisters in our church.

Gradually, I rebounded from the bottom.

From this experience, I deeply realize the difficulty of being persistent, and being prepared in Jesus’ ministry.

It surely requires persistent Mercy and Grace from our Lord.

Transition:

Other than “be persistent”, Paul continue to say in verse 2: “convince, rebuke, and encourage, with utmost patience in teaching”

SMPII

“Utmost Patience (Longsuffering in KJV)” μακροθυμίᾳ – what Paul means is no ordinary patience, nothing like what you are trying to be right now – try to be patience to listen to me for twenty minutes without making a sound.

It is not neither being forbearance unwillingly, say being patient with your boss even he is unreasonable so that you can keep the job.

Or waiting for your date for one hour and still put up a smiling face.

No!

It is not what Paul is talking about here.

Rather, it is a state of being able to bear up under provocation – when you are being criticized or facing groundless accusation.

It is no mere endurance, it is a specifically spiritual forces which has its source in God that works itself out in longsuffering.

So within patience, we can expect suffering.

It is one of the fruits of the Spirit:

Gal 5:22-/23 “ By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness,  gentleness, and self-control.”/

The “patience” is the “utmost patience” we are talking about here.

“Patience” is also built on Love.

As in 1 Corin 13:4, the power behind “patience” is Love: “Love is patient”.

Patience without love cannot persist, cannot last for too long.

Patience with love is the “utmost (great) patience” that Paul talks about here.

That is the element that Paul wants Timothy to have.

But why we have to “have utmost patience” to be a evangelist, to be an evangelist?

Why we need the gift of endurance longsuffering as an evangelist, as one who shares the Word of God?

 

Jesus says: “whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (Mat.

10:38), “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Mat 16:24).

This cross is the difficulty and longsuffering that comes with following Christ.