The Work Of The WORD

2 Timothy 3:16–17 ESV

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 The Message

16 Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. 17 Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.

Introduction

Illustration: We Need Eyes That We Don’t Have

PEOPLE listen to traffic reports before heading to work so they can find out about conditions they can’t see. These traffic reports are normally provided by a person flying around in a helicopter who has a large vantage point. The proof that people listen to traffic reports and believe them is evident by their decisions on which route to take. People don’t just listen to the traffic report for their listening pleasure. They listen to get information on situations they can’t see themselves. As Christians, we need eyes that we don’t have. God has a greater vantage point and provides that information to us in His Word.

Transition To Body- he Victory Lap (The Apostle Paul’s Parting Words)

The messenger of Christ Jesus last will & testament before being martyred by Emperor Nero

A Holy Calling- provided with the power and love and self-control of the Holy Spirit

2 Timothy 1:7–9 ESV

7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,

Following Apostle Paul’s Pattern of sound words

2 Timothy 1:13–14 ESV

13 Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

Entrust what you have heard to faithful men

2 Timothy 2:1–2 ESV

1 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.

Remember Jesus Christ As Preached in Paul’s Gospel

2 Timothy 2:8–9 ESV

8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound!

Rightly Handle The WORD of Truth

2 Timothy 2:15 ESV

15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

Following Apostle Paul’s Example

2 Timothy 3:10–11 ESV

10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 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.

Knowing that he will be gone soon, Paul begins to encourage Timothy to stand on God’s WORD

2 Timothy 3:14–15 ESV

14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 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.

Why & how are the Holy scriptures able to make one wise for salvation through their faith in Christ Jesus?

Body

Summation Of Scripture

2 Timothy 3:16 ESV

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

Definition of summation the act or process of forming a sum : ADDITION

SUM, TOTAL, cumulative action or effect

especially : the process by which a sequence of stimuli that are individually inadequate to produce a response are cumulatively able to induce a nerve impulse

Hear the WORD

Jeremiah 15:16 ESV

16 Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.

Speak The WORD

Ezekiel 3:1–4 ESV

1 And he said to me, “Son of man, eat whatever you find here. Eat this scroll, and go, speak to the house of Israel.” 2 So I opened my mouth, and he gave me this scroll to eat. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, feed your belly with this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it.” Then I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet as honey. 4 And he said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with my words to them.

Upon Reflection Of The WORD

Revelation 10:9 ESV

9 So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, “Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.”

Revelation 10:10 ESV

10 And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter.

Store Up The LORD’S WORD

Psalm 119:11 ESV

11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Illustration- Definition of cherry-pick

to select the best or most desirable

Jeremiah 17:7–10 ESV

7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. 8 He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? 10 “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”

All- to totality with focus on its individual components, each, every, any

Sacredness Of Scripture

2 Timothy 3:16 ESV

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

Scripture- sacred scripture, in the NT exclusively so

individual scripture passage

Breathed out by God

Illustration: According to John’s Hopkins’ Medicine

As of now, researchers know that the coronavirus is spread through droplets and virus particles released into the air when an infected person breathes, talks, laughs, sings, coughs or sneezes. Larger droplets may fall to the ground in a few seconds, but tiny infectious particles can linger in the air and accumulate in indoor places, especially where many people are gathered and there is poor ventilation. This is why mask-wearing, hand hygiene and physical distancing are essential to preventing COVID-19.

Masking our Spiritual Hearts

Ephesians 1:17–19 ESV

17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might

Source of Inspiration for scripture is God himself

The idea the term presents is that God has breathed his character into Scripture so that it is inherently inspired.

John 5:39–40 ESV

39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.

Additionally, the term stresses the divine origin & thus authority of scripture

John 14:6 ESV

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 14:15 ESV

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

Therefore scripture has the power to convert

2 Timothy 3:15 ESV

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.

Becoming Wise For Salvation Through Faith in Christ Jesus

So if you put your faith in Christ Jesus, you ought to be a Bible Scholar so that you are becoming Wise For Salvation

Wisdom (where we get the name Sophia): to cause a pers. to develop understanding to a relatively sophisticated degree, make wise, teach, instruct

And scripture is useful (beneficial) for...

Sufficiency Of Scripture

2 Timothy 3:16 ESV

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

Profitable- useful, beneficial, advantageous τινί for someone or for someth

Beneficial For Teaching

the act of teaching, teaching, instruction

Beneficial For Reproof

expression of strong disapproval, reproach, rebuke, reproof

Beneficial For Correction

useful for improvement

Beneficial For Training In Righteousness

the act of providing guidance for responsible living, upbringing, training, instruction, in our lit. chiefly as it is attained by discipline, correction

In righteousness (ultimately leading to..)

the quality or characteristic of upright behavior, uprightness, righteousness

2 Timothy 3:17 ESV

17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Complete

to being well fitted for some function, complete, capable, proficient=able to meet all demands

Equipped

to make ready for service, equip, furnish

2 Timothy 3:17 (1, 2 Timothy, Titus (NAC)): If Timothy would nurture his spiritual life in the Scriptures that he would use in his ministry, he would be fully qualified and prepared to undertake whatever tasks God put before him. What a tragedy for any Christian to be labeled as spiritually unprepared for a task when the means of instruction and preparation are readily at hand!

Hebrews 4:11–13 ESV

11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Matthew 7:24–27 ESV

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

Transition To Close- Word Up (You Bet)!

"Word Up!" is a funk and R&B song originally recorded by American funk band Cameo in 1986. The song was written by band members Larry Blackmon and Tomi Jenkins. Its frequent airing on American dance, R&B, and contemporary hit radio, as well as its MTV music video (in which LeVar Burton appears as a police detective trying to arrest the band),[3] helped the single become the band's best known hit.

Wave your hands in the air Like you don't care, glide by The People as they start to look and stare. Do you dance, do your dance quick Mama, come on baby, tell me what's The Word, ah – word up, Everybody say when you hear the call You got to get it underway, Word up, it's the code word, No matter where you say it, You'll know that you'll be heard.

Word Up" was a colloquialism, popular in New York City and other US urban areas, that acted as an affirmation of what was said — a kind of a more-hip "You Bet."

Preach The WORD!

2 Timothy 4:1–5 ESV

1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

logos- that which has been stated or said, with primary focus upon the content of the communication

Equipping The Saints For Works Of Ministry

Ephesians 4:11–13 ESV

11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 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,

Psalm 119:105 ESV

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Close- The Work Of The Incarnate WORD!

2 Timothy 3:14–15 ESV

14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 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.

The Scriptures lead to salvation but only as they point to Christ. The Scriptures themselves do not provide salvation, but they do point to the Savior who can provide it. The phrase “through faith in Jesus Christ” shows how the Scriptures make individuals wise. They enlighten them to the necessity for faith in Jesus Christ.

John 1:1–3 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

John 1:5 ESV

5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:10–14 ESV

10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:16–18 ESV

16 For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

The scriptures point to Jesus Christ

Luke 24:26–27 ESV

26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

Jesus must open our minds to understand the scriptures

Luke 24:45–49 ESV

45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Romans 10:9–17 ESV

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Galatians 6:9–10 ESV

9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Psalm 37:25 ESV

25 I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.

Philippians 4:13 ESV

13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:19 ESV

19 And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.