Untitled Sermon (2)

As we find our way to our text in II Tim. 3, let me provide a little context. This is the Apostle Paul writing to his son in the faith, Timothy. Paul was writing this from within his Roman prison cell where he believed he would soon be killed for his faith. He would be martyred. Throughout this book, we find Paul giving his final words to Timothy—as far as we know, he was killed soon after this was written.

So as Paul passes on his role of ministry to Timothy, we find very clear instruction given. Paul tells Timothy to continue in his faith, hold to sound doctrine, avoid error, live a godly life and be persecuted, be confident in the Word, and preach it.

Today, as we begin a new chapter at Rock Creek Bible Church, I believe we will find Paul’s exhortations to Timothy as a timely word for our own ministry here. What will be the cornerstone of our ministry? On what will center our actions? What will guide every decision that is made? What will be the plumb line for our lives?

We are going to hone in on the last handful of verses of II Tim. 3, but to understand why Paul writes those final verses, we must read the earlier verses.

1 But understand [your translation might say realize this, or mark this, the idea being “use discernment when you see this”] this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, [now, note verse 5, because we might easily think that this is merely the unsaved being called out here, but no… look at verse 5, these are not people who ignore and oppose the faith, these are people…] 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.

[these are not the people sitting at home on Sundays, or driving by the church without care… these are people within the church, people who claim to know God and speak on his behalf, but are actually false teachers—heretics, these are people who lead the church astray. They have an outer appearance of godliness, but are as empty as a chocolate easter bunny on the inside. So what does Paul advise? The rest of verse 5,]

Avoid such people.

6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres [these were the magicians who tried to subvert the powerful displays of God when he began to pour out plagues on Egypt in Exodus] opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. 9 But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.

Why should we avoid false teachers? For one thing, they won’t stand up to the test of time, much less to the test of God’s wrath. And they lead people astray. So avoid them, turn your back to them. There is nothing virtuous about immersing yourself in error. People are lead astray all. the. time. People who were once grounded deeply in faith that now follow false teachers. People who are being deceived don’t know they are deceived… or else they wouldn’t be deceived.

Avoid false teaching. Avoid a false gospel. Avoid churches that preach man and not God. Avoid men who call themselves “pastor” and do not seek to live the life they preach. Avoid such people, Paul says.

And then we see a contrast between the false teachers to be avoided, and Timothy, v. 10:

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.

Paul reminds Timothy that he himself is unlike the people described in the first 9 verses. That he has gained nothing in life because of teaching and conduct, other than perhaps stonings, imprisonments, beatings, accusations, and so forth.

So that brings us to verses 12-17. And I’d like to really a few minutes and begin dissecting these next few verses in light of the mission of our church.

Let’s begin reading at verse 12 as we consider point number one on our outline; the NEED for Scripture:

I. The need for Scripture, vv. 12-15

12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

We see persecution being warned of again. This was a common message among the disciples to new believers. In Acts 14, Luke writes that Paul was stoned and left for dead, and the next day he and Barnabas traveled to city of Derbe, made many disciples, then traveled through other cities “strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith” because they would face many tribulations. Why? because of the desire to be Christlike.

Brothers and sisters, may I submit to you that as our culture becomes more and more hostile to the things of God, as more and more churches are abandoning their first love and preaching a different gospel than Christ crucified and resurrected, the faithful among us WILL INDEED face persecution. v. 13

13 while evil people and impostors [again referring to those in verse 5 who have the appearance of godliness but deny its power] will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

These false teachers will not only lead many people astray into destruction, but they too will be the victims of their own false teachings.

v. 14 as we see another contrast

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.

In these four verses, we see a great need for Word of God. For one, because these “sacred writings” are able to make one wise for salvation. It is the source, not the end. The Bible itself does not save, rather, it is the means in which one LEARNS of salvation—a true saving faith, because the Scriptures point to Christ.

The term “Sacred writings” used only in this one place here in the Bible, refers to the OT. You might understand the OT to be little more than a book of history and poetry that gives us a glimpse into life from thousands of years ago.

But don’t be mislead brothers and sisters, because the whole of the OT points to Christ. You need not look any further than Genesis 3 to find that a sacrifice from Christ would be the hope of mankind. And from then on, story and story, points toward the Messiah who would bear the sins of His people on the cross and be resurrected to give eternal life to those whom the Father is given Him.

And now we’ve been given the NT to see the beginning of the church and to put faith and doctrine into practice.

We NEED Scripture, because it is how God has revealed Himself to us.

Verse 12 shows us that there are some who “desire” to live a godly life. Why would someone want to forsake themselves to follow Christ, and how would one even know what that looks like? Scripture.

And how do we know this? Scripture. II Peter 1:3 says that God’s “divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the KNOWLEDGE of HIM who called us to his own glory and excellence…”

Remember that it is God who calls us to salvation. It’s not merely an intellectual exercise. Think back to verse 7 of our text today. There are people who bounce around from false gospel teacher to false gospel teacher and the Bible says that they are “always learning, and never able to arrive at knowledge of the truth.”

In other words, they are always gathering teaching, but never teaching that points to Christ. This is sadly endemic in many churches today—a Christ-LESS Christianity. Or as Paul put it in verse 5, having the form or appearance of Christianity but denying its power. And what will happen to these teachers? They will grow worse and worse, again, not just deceiving others, but they themselves being deceived.

So what is missing in these false teachings? The work of the HS. Friend, do not underestimate the work of the HS. The HS is the one who ILLUMINATES the text on the page from merely words on the page to a realization that they are absolute truth.

So why do we NEED Scripture?

A. To be able to made wise unto salvation

and

B. To refute error.

II. Pet. everything for life and godliness, all who “desire”

Evil go from bad to worse, they are not only perpetrators and champions of falsehood—they are also the victims of it,

“continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed it”… it is “able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus”

False teaching does not stand—ukraine, fear of the wall falling, etc.

II. The inspiration of Scripture, v. 16

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God

First of all, A. God has Spoken. The true and living God *speaks*, stone tablets, OT contrasts (I Kings 18:26-29, Jer. 2:28, Is. 44:9-20) And because God has spoken, and because He is perfect and B. His Words are Inerrant. Scripture is without error because it comes from God who is without error. I John 1:5 says that God is light and in him is no darkness at all. He is Truth without any mixture of error. And all of what He says is true, all of the time.

III. The usefulness of Scripture, vv. 16-17

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.

A. Teaching (I Cor. 2:14-16)—knowing, knowing the mind of God, cannot believe what you don’t know, not mere intellectual ascent (even demons know) but God illuminating the heart

B. Reproof — No single word in english carries the full meaning of the Greek word used (ELEG/ko), reprove, convince, convict… all fall short, 19th cent. NT scholar Burton Scott Easton “The Spirit will teach men the true meaning of these three words: sin, righteousness, judgment.” The HS does indeed teach men these meanings, and He works the the Word

C. Correction — (epan/orthosis) root of where get our word for orthos as in orthopedics, the branch of medicine that deals with bones, it’s setting something that has been broken, it is correcting the path of growth, spiritually speaking—progressive sanctification, becoming more like Christ,

D. Training in Righteousness — training or discipline, this carries the idea of an athlete of trains and disciplines themself for a race.

in sum;

it shows us right from wrong, that’s teaching,

it shows us where WE are wrong, that’s reproof,

it sets us on the proper path, that’s correction

it teaches us how to follow God’s commands for our lives, that’s training in righteousness

think of pain, x-ray, course of treatment, following the treatment

through the HS, God’s Word can take someone who is opposed to God, teach them right from wrong, show them how they’ve sinned, point them in the right direction, and support them along that path. We would call this book sufficient. Sufficient for everything pertaining to life and godliness. It addresses the whole person. It lacks nothing. It needs nothing. So much so, that God gives a very strict warning for those who seek to add or take away from it (Rev.). Why is this so important? Because we no longer have the OT prophets who can come and give us the message of God. We have His Word. Preaching from this pulpit anything except the Word of God would be like the prophet Isaiah withholding and editing the very words that God gave him. And we will address this more next week as we look at ch. 4 of II Tim.

Conclusion:

grass withers, flower fades

Implications:

**as a church direction