If you have your Bibles, let’s turn to second Timothy chapter 4. Paul is nearing the end of his life and these are some of the last words he spoke. So, what does Paul have to say to Timothy and how can we apply it to our life?
Prayer:
Father we thank you so much for this opportunity to come to gather, in one accord, in order to study your word. Lord open up our minds, open up our hearts, so that we can receive your words. We come Lord, in order to know you better, and we thank you Lord for being so faithful to reveal yourself to us. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen!
As I studied second Timothy, I noticed that Paul started in chapter 1 with a couple challenges to Timothy, and then here in chapter 4 he revisits a couple of them. It’s almost like he wants Timothy to finish them. This is the final letter that we have from Paul. It doesn’t look like he is going to make it through this trial. It looks like he’s going to be offered up as a martyr and he wants to see Timothy, in person, one more time before his days on earth are through.
The reason he wants to talk to Timothy, is that he wants to talk to Timothy about the church planting mission that has been established, and he wants to encourage Timothy to fulfill the role of senior pastor. He wants Timothy to continue delivering sound doctrine to the people. He also wants Timothy to rebuke false doctrine and false teaching. From this, the Lord reiterated the fact that it is important to hold onto sound doctrine throughout our life.
We need to kick out false doctrine from our homes, our churches, and our communities. We need to guard our heart against all fallacies, because of the Prince of this world wants to take us down with him. We need not to be smitten by clever teachings. In other words you need to be rooted and grounded in the word of God. We need to understand what this Bible says and how it says it, because we can easily be tricked. Remember how the devil uses the word of God against his people? Consider Eve in the garden or consider Satan tempting Jesus. We must prepared for the wiles of the devil.
My hope for you is that when you come to the end of your life that you can look back on your life and say that this gospel has substance and I still believe. Let’s be like Paul and say I know Jesus more today than I knew him when I first began.
Just like in today’s time, false teaching and false doctrines have entered the church. Paul being a great mentor wants to help Timothy along. He wants to help ensure that Timothy is going to confront each one. Paul wants to challenge Timothy to address these issues with the false teachers. These false teachings are entering the church like gangrene. Therefore, some of the very elect are being corrupted. He tells Timothy that he needs to fully embrace his call to be a senior pastor of the church. Thus, Paul writes to Timothy that these need to be dealt with before he comes to see him.
So, the first challenge to Timothy was to deal with the false teachers. In this lesson we will identify those and express what we should do with them. The second challenge that Paul wants to instill and Timothy is to embrace that senior pastor position. It seems that Timothy is young and a little bit timid, but he has the best mentor. Paul is telling Timothy that he is going to be put to death and his ministry is going to follow upon the shoulders of Timothy. But he wants to encourage Timothy that he has the ability within himself to fulfill the role of Pastor and Church later. Timothy, like us,, has the Holy Ghost inside of us, which, it’s all the power that we need.
The third challenge to Timothy would have to deal with the notion that Paul is a criminal. Paul spent many of his days in jail Zend dungeons, but he was not a criminal. His third challenge would’ve been to Timothy to reject any notion that Paul is or was a criminal. After all with Paul was a criminal then that would be Timothy a criminal. They are preaching the same gospel.
I found this letter to be laced with emotion. If you think about it, it is one of the final letters that we have authored by Paul. Innoway, it is his final letter to his best friend Timothy. Almost like our last will and testament. It’s what we want the future generation to know. It contains all kinds of emotion. I can tell that Paul is hurt, because so many of his companions have abandoned him. They abandoned him because of his criminal status. In the Old Testament days criminal status really carried a weight. No one wanted anything to do with you. You also find concern in the letter, because Paul is ready to depart. There is worry in this letter, because in every one of the churches that Paul planted there seems to be wolves in sheep‘s clothing. There is sadness in the letter, because soon Paul will be gone and he will not be able to shepherd them. Now, that many of his companions have left, more responsibility Pop Falls on Timothy. You know as well as I do the few were the workers the bigger the tasks. However, there is a sense of hope, found in this letter, because Paul knows that God will prevail. He also knows that God is in control. God’s word will not go out in void. Dad will take care of his gospel; even though people will try to corrupt it and Satan will try to destroy it. Look, at what Satan has already done. He has tried to remove the truth from the earth all together but God has the victory. So, once again, there is hope in this letter, because Paul knows that God sent his gospel through Jesus Christ and this gospel will stand when the world is on fire. Finally, There is also a feeling of expectancy, because Paul knows that he will soon see Jesus face to face. So you see, there is a wide range of emotion in this letter. It will do as well to read this and interpret this slowly.
let’s dive right into it!
2 Timothy 4 (King James Version)
4 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;
So we see here, that Paul begins with giving Timothy a challenge. This challenge was the same challenge that he gave Timothy and chapter 1. This challenge is to except being the senior pastor of the church.
Let’s read that scripture together:
2 Timothy 1:6-7 )New International Version)
Appeal for Loyalty to Paul and the Gospel
6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
The gift was to be a pastor and a church leader. Why would not expect this to be a gift, because it is a hard job. It deals with life and death situations. Paul says now is the time to fan it into flame. Which means you need to bring it into reality! He says, don’t worry about it, because you have the full spirit of God that lives within you. What a comfort! When God gives us a job he always gives us the qualities that we need in order to fill that job. For example, he gave Timothy leader ship skills, The gifts of interpretation, intercession, discernment, and many more. Because Timothy had to bring border and harmony to the church. Furthermore, he’s been given the power of love and discipline. Because, one thing false teaching will do to a church is brain disorder. And false teachings will break up the church. The devil knows what he’s doing and he knows how to bring disorder, conflict, hatred, and everything contrary to the word of God, the God knows how to bring restitution, order, and love.
But, how is Timothy actually going to do this. We know that he has been given the calling, the direction, and the order. Well, let’s look at the next verse.
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.
So, how is he going to bring order and unity and harmony to the church. He is going to preach the word of God.
Preaching the word will dispel all of those false teachings. Preaching the word will bring love and restitution. Preaching the word will bring liberty. Preaching the word will get lost soul saved. Preaching the word edify the body and glorify God. The word causes us to come together in one mind and one accord. The word will allow us to grow together corporately, but the word also grows each one of us uniquely.
Paul tells Timothy that preaching the word is his number one priority. This should also be our number one priority. Yes, I realize that not everyone is called to be the pastor of the church, but we are to be preachers of the word. How are you preachers of the word? You are preachers of the word when you share the gospel.
I can see Paul saying there’s false teaching and your church, there is discord in your church, there is problems in your church; so, you need to double up on the word. Teach and preach the word. The instant in season and out of season. Take every opportunity that you have to teach the word of God. This means that we are also meditating on the word of God day and night. This means we are filled with the holy spirit and able to withstand the fiery darts of the devil. This means we are walking in the spirit. Be sanctified. Be separate of the world. Come out from the world and be sold out to God. Get off of the milk and get onto the meat. The world will grow up the church. It will cause the babies to grow. It will cause them to mature. It will cause them to walk in the statutes. If there is no word being preached and taught – there is no church. This word is God speaking to us. This word is God‘s life line. This word is our GPS. God‘s plan of salvation!
From what the Holy Spirit has taught me about Paul, I realize that he sees us as the body of the church. He wants us to be raised up together, in one accord, and in the love of Jesus Christ. We, or the church! He told Timothy to double up on the word. Because when were you able to show love to one another; then we can show the love of Christ to the community into the world. Yes will build you up. This will cause you to grow the church in the direction of which it needs to grow. Furthermore, correction and rebuke comes from instruction. Many of us think review is standing up and pointing a finger
Or beating someone over the head with the Bible, but when Paul or Jesus reviewed they said let me help you understand it. When we have an understanding of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ all things are brought into account. The revelation of who Jesus is and the understanding of what Jesus went through is not knowledge, but it is the power to transform.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
So verse two, it says to preach the word! The word is what will keep people on the straight in their row. It’s when we close our Bibles and forget to pray that sin creeps in. Therefore, when Paul says preach the word, he is referring to the wisdom that comes from knowing the gospel. Sound doctrine refers to the word. Sound doctrine is teaching Jesus Christ. Sound doctrine is in the teaching of Jesus‘s birth, death, and resurrection. So how did that happen? Well we have to turn back to chapter 1 verses nine and 10. Let’s read those together!
“9 He has savedt us and calledu us to a holy life—not because of anything we have donev but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealedw through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.”
God has saved us, through his son Jesus Christ, and calls us to live a holy life. Not because of what we have done, but because it is excellent mercies. This is the wheel of God for each one of our lives. Our purpose is to live a holy life that glorifies God, because when we do this it draws us closer to him.
Do God‘s grace, Jesus Concord death, and gave us the victory. Now, we are no longer blind, but we can see. Death does not hold us in the ground. Death gives us the opportunity to put on immortality. Yes, is our hope in our stay.
This is sound doctrine: Jesus Christ defeated death and brought life and immortality to light. Jesus physically died on the cross and was resurrected into immortality. You see, the Bible says that we were enslaved to death. Man was always fearful of death and today we have nothing to fear. Absent from the body is present with the lord. In this we find freedom and hope.
Until this week I thought that heaven was my destiny. But, the Holy Ghost revealed to me that The resurrection of my new body is my destiny. “Revelation 21:1;4: says: “Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.
No Sancho in her there and then she ran Leslie body shall dwell there. But we must have a body like in Jim to the Lord.
Then, perhaps we will have a new heaven and earth, because of what I say
Isaiah 11:6-9
(King James Version) “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.”
We like Jesus will be resurrected! We will go to be with the Lord!
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
How do you define Christian success? I define Christian success as being able to say: at my dear, I believe the gospel, and I know Jesus more today than I knew him when I first began.
This is what Paul is getting ready to say. Let’s read verse six and seven together.
6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
The Holy Ghost, revealed to me, that Paul is saying that this was the revelation that Jesus Christ gave to Bob Paul years ago and he did not corrupt it and he did not change it; in spite of what culture dictated to him. This is what we are called to continue to do today! This is also what Paul was conveying to Timothy!
Paul is saying that he has almost arrived. That he still holds fast to the gospel and to the truth of the resurrection. In spite of others, in spite of the culture, and in spite of his flesh Paul has stayed true to God’s calling on his life. If we are not careful, we will began to boast. I’ve seen Christian say that I have done this for the Lord, I have done that for the Lord, and I have gotten this many people saved for the Lord. We have to realize that it is our God. God allows us to be part of his plan. Absent from God we are nothing. Absent from God we deserve hell. I think, we all want to say Colin, the following the same Jesus that I love long ago, is still the same Jesus that I long to meet, and about to meet when he calls me.
In fact, I believe that most of us want the scripture written on our team stand. We want everyone to know that the gospel is true, Jesus is who he says he is, and God will resurrect our bodies.
We can rest assured that this gospel is true. When we ladies bodies down we are confident and can be confident that God will resurrect us into our bodies.
We will inherit the kingdom of God, no matter where that might be, as inHeritance has been promised throughout Scripture.
So now, that Paul has kept the faith, he still believes everything that he believes, he didn’t compromise the gospel, And he is facing martyr ism: what does he say?
“ 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”
The good news is, that this is for us also!
Those who love Jesus,
those who kept the faith,
those that did not compromise,
Those who have been logging for his appearing,
those that have endured until the end will also receive a crown of righteousness.
Don’t let this world, don’t let this culture, don’t let the problems of this world, don’t let the trials of this world, don’t let Satan sway you to the other side. Indoor till the end. Four we serve a righteous God who has prepared and inheritance for us that no man or spirit can manipulate.
Sometimes, we have doubt, sometimes we grow weary, and we began to withdraw from God. We began to withdraw from church, we began to withdraw from the fellowship, I will begin to withdraw from a relationship with Jesus Christ, but instead of doing these things; learn to run to the bosom of God!
Remember, when the devil is whispering to you; like Paul told Timothy, double up on the word. Get more and more word in! I know when the tears of depression hit it is a natural to do the things of God, but we must.
When does negative thoughts come; sometimes they do not come from here, because there’s a war going on inside of your head. There’s a war going on around us that we cannot see. It is the war for our souls. Satan likes to whisper to us:
you want really blessed,
you aren’t really the sons and daughters of God,
you are really going to inherit Heaven,
God doesn’t love you,
God doesn’t care about you, and so on this is all hogwash!
I know, because the scripture tells us otherwise. And we know that the Bible is the words of God! What about John 3:16?
John 3:16
King James Version
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
OK? What about first John four?
“You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4
Yes! What about Isaiah 41:10?
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10.
Oh yeah! What about Luke 10:19?
“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Luke 10:19.
So, allow God to reveal Christ to you more and more every day. When you’re going through a tough time double up on the word of God. Double up on the words of Jesus Christ. Don’t blame God! God is the only answer to the present situation! God is not the cause he is always the solution!
9 Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me:
10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
11 Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.
12 And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus.
13 The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments.
So, we see here that one of Paul’s in her circle people have left him. It would only be human and it would only be natural for us to be disappointed in that, but Paul as Jesus Christ. We are winners either way if we have Jesus Christ! Demas is mentioned in at least two other letters that Paul wrote. Send, the early church would’ve known Demas very well, but Paul says that he left the church and went back to the world. I guess, this throws out once saved always saved! This is why I like to say come try God, because they can always take you back! DS and Timothy had traveled together and I’m sure this information would’ve call Tim grade anguish. It causes us great anguish when we know of a Christian that was with us and he and Chose or turn their back on God, and went to the world. In fact, we have a prayer list of all these men and women.
So, now all that is with Paul is Luke. This is why Paul most likely needs Mark and Timothy to come. We know as caregivers we all need a break. I read accounts of prison during Paul’s time and it was totally opposite of how we treat our inmates today. We treat them humanely and provide them with their basic needs but in Paul’s day he needed someone to provide him food, drink, and raiment. Very sure that Paul needed Luke to keep him alive but Luke also had to feed gods church. Therefore, leaders of the church also need a break and support. At our time of death we all need reinforcements,-as well.
Notice in verse 13 that Paul asks the man to bring his cloak or mantle. Yes is a very heavy garment with a hole in top. This would be like asking for a blanket. It must’ve been very damp, cold, and dark wherever Paul was kept.
Paul was also saying to the men that they were going to work, because he wanted them to bring the scrolls and his parchments. This is a great example for us today! There is no retirement from being a Christian. Notice, that Paul did not crawl up in a corner and have a pity party! Paul was going to work, because he knew the time was at hand. If it each one of us knew that God was gonna roll back the cloud to come today we would be delivering a different life. If each one of us knew when we were going to die we would also be living very differently. So, no matter what our situation is; we can serve God! This is our calling and this is our duty. This brings me to Romans 12:1 present our bodies as a living sacrifice. Perhaps, we can rest in the next life?
Let me ask you a final question? Was God faithful to Paul? Yes! This means that he will be faithful to us also!
Matthew 28:20 informs us that God will be with us always; even until the very end!
Let’s end with the scripture today! When all else fails you this week remember,
that Christ is always with you,
he will never forsake you,
he will never leave you,
but he’s love for us will endure for eternity!
Well, let’s just read the following scriptures together!
14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:
This is a warning to Timothy. Perhaps, when he comes to town this ironworker is well known and may present him with something. But, for us we don’t need to worry too much about this particular scripture. Just know that there are wolves in sheep’s clothing.
15 Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.
16 At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.
17 Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
He says here remember that the Lord is with us and he will always stand beside us.
18 And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Here, he ends this letter with Grace, because he tells everyone goodbye and asks for him them to salute several people. He also states that he does not want them to hold anything against the ones that have departed and face. This is why we continue to pray for those that we know have left the faith.
19 Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.
20 Erastus abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.
21 Do thy diligence to come before winter. Eubulus greeteth thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and all the brethren.
22 The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.
