Sermon Tone Analysis

God-Breathed & Thoroughly Sufficient

1.30.22 [2 Timothy 3:14-4:5] River of Life (4th Sunday after Epiphany)

Grace, mercy, & peace from God the Father & Christ Jesus our Lord.

Life used to be simpler in so many ways.

It used to be that people could tell you where and when they worked and what they did and you got it.

But not anymore.

Now, people describe what they do and you have more questions than answers.

What did you just say?

Why would anyone need someone to do that?

Life used to be simpler.

It used to be that you picked a career and a company and that’s what you did, that’s who you worked for, for your whole life.

Now people don’t just switch companies, they switch careers.

Multiple times.

Life used to be much simpler.

Today, it feels complex and complicated.

Communication used to be much simpler.

If you needed to talk to someone, you stopped by.

Maybe you called them on the phone, but they answered it.

If you wrote a letter, they wrote back.

It used to be simple.

Now, there are a myriad of ways to reach people, but it still feels harder than ever to actually connect with someone.

Life used to be much simpler.

Today, it feels complex and complicated.

Relationships used to be simpler.

People met when they were young.

They got married young.

Then they raised youngins.

Then they watched their youngins have youngins of their own as they grew old together.

These days, you don’t meet someone when you’re young.

You meet when you’re online.

You “date” for months without ever meeting in person.

These days, people have no problem sharing a mortgage, but bristle at the idea of sharing a last name.

Life used to be much simpler.

Today, it feels complex and complicated.

For many of us, it may feel like life was better when things were simpler.

Any change is hard.

And while some change can be good—even when it’s painful—not all change is for the better.

But Paul’s second letter to Timothy compels us to pump the brakes on any notions that life was better when things were simpler.

Paul opens this chapter by saying: (2 Tim.

3:1-5) Mark this.

There will be terrible times in the last days.

People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power.

Anyone else’s bingo board of ungodliness full?

We can see all these signs in our world.

But remember Paul wrote this to Timothy, first.

This was Paul’s second inspired letter to Timothy: a young man he knew well, a young pastor he mentored, a dear Christian brother he lovingly referred to as (2 Tim.

1:2) his dear son.

Paul wrote these words of warning for Timothy, first, because he faced these same terrible times.

First.

Timothy also had to contend with (2 Tim.

3:13) evildoers and imposters going from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

Again, this all sounds very familiar, doesn’t it.

And that’s what makes Paul’s charge all the more potent and pivotal.

So what does he say?

(2 Tim 3:14) Continue in what you have learned.

Be in the Word of God.

Apply all the (2 Tim 3:16) God-breathed Scriptures to all of your life.

Learn about the law of your Lord.

Learn about the love of your Savior.

Recognize where and how and why you’ve fallen short.

Be restored by the refreshing news that Christ has earned you the full forgiveness of sins.

Pursue righteousness in thought, word, and deed.

Capitalize on every opportunity to do good and serve God.

It’s not rocket-science.

It’s simple.

But powerful.

Because it’s God working in and through you.

Yet, in our complex and complicated world, many underestimate the Word of God because it is just too simple.

Paul warns Timothy of this challenge, too.

(2 Tim.

4:3) The time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.

Instead, they will stack up quick-witted experts and collect quotable quotes like cordwood (2 Tim.

4:3-4) to say what their itching ears want to hear.

They will turn away from the truth and turn instead to myths.

Living in a world that is complicated, complex, and couldn’t care less about the Word of God is incredibly frustrating for believers, isn’t it?

It’s maddening that so many parts and places in society have evicted God.

It’s discouraging that so many of our neighbors and friends are so dismissive of our faith.

It’s heartbreaking when even our own flesh and blood gives our Christ the cold-shoulder.

How do we fix it?

We might dream about cracking some skulls in Hollywood or Washington or wherever we think is responsible for getting rid of God from our society.

We might search for some program or event that would be irresistible to even the most dismissive of our neighbors.

We might seek out that perfect passage or some well-written book that would have our unbelieving family member dead to rights.

I get it.

We’re mad.

We’re frustrated.

We’re even a little discouraged.

You know who else gets it?

The man of God: Moses.

Our world today is not much different than Moses’ time in the wilderness.

The children of Israel evicted God and replaced him with the golden calf when Moses took too long on Mount Sinai.

Moses’ neighbors were dismissive of his trust in the Lord as Pharaoh and his chariots closed in around them at the shores of the Red Sea.

Even Moses’ own flesh and blood, Aaron and Miriam, questioned his authority and role as God’s prophet.

In most of those situations, Moses behaved as a man of God.

He was humble.

He was faithful.

But Moses was not perfect.

In Numbers 20, Israel was complaining about everything—as they had been doing for 40 years.

People who never lived in Egypt began talking about it like it was the good ole days.

They were opposing Moses and quarreling with him.

(Num.