How To Live Effectively In An Ineffective World

2 Timothy 4:1-5 (NASB)

¶ I solemnly 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, exhort, with great patience and instruction.

3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,

4 and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

5 But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Short List

Remember the divine (deity/your maker) – 4:1

the duty – 4:2

the days – 4:3-5

background

 Probably written not long before the death of Paul at the hand of Nero, who died in 68 AD.

 Though it is a personal letter, its application is for all who will follow the Lord in all things.

INTRO

1. Attention Grabber – Famous last words or famous last phrases before a big break

 I can pass this guy.

 What does this button do?

 "This ’telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us." -- Western Union internal memo, 1876.

 "The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to nobody in particular?" -- David Sarnoff’s associates in response to his urgings for investment in the radio in the 1920s

 "We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out." -- Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962.

2. Relevancy / Transition – Last words can seal the fate and image of someone forever.

a. It is no wonder, then, that near the end of his life and what possibly was one of his last letters, the apostle Paul took time to make sure he gave his favorite pupil, Timothy, a last command.

b. In a world of fast-paced life and widely accessible knowledge, the time has never been greater to take the Gospel to the World.

c. Over 150,000 people die everyday according to the WHO, meaning that those we know or even don’t know may never be able to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ.

3. Credibility – As one who is currently preparing for a lifetime of ministry, this passage has often served as a stark reminder to the calling upon my life.

a. Even though Paul was writing to a young pastor in Timothy that would ultimately oversee many churches until his death, the lessons contained in the passage allow us to go forward.

b. The first-century world was a plethora of immoral and blasphemous living and ideas.

c. What Paul commanded Timothy to remember and do would make him effective in an effective world.

4. Thesis – To be effective in an ineffective world as Paul and Timothy were, we must remember three things: the divine, the duty, and the days.

5. Preview / Transition – As we will see later, the call to herald the Gospel is something that is equal for all Christians regardless of any factor, excuse, or methodology.

BODY

1. Remember the divine (deity/your maker) – 4:1

a.  - To testify against, to warn, to charge. In ancient world, it means to call the gods to witness an event or to testify against a heretic.

i. 1 Tim. 5:21 – A command given to Timothy on a previous occasion in the sight of God, Christ, and the elect angels.

ii. 2 Tim 2:14, vv. 14-19 – Warning against words and splitting hairs over non-essential truths. Stick to the basics of the faith. Discussion here about essentials (http://www.carm.org/doctrine/grid.htm)

b. “in the presence of God and of Jesus Christ” – The ultimate expression of witness and of accountability.

i. Literally, Before God and of Jesus Christ, as an apostle, I give you this charge.

ii. The God AND the Lord Jesus Christ – There is only one God (1 Tim. 2:5; 2 Tim. 1:9-10,

iii. 2 Tim. 1:12 – The Lord is able to protect you when you are in his presence and doing his work.

iv. 2 Tim. 2:8-10 – The Gospel is a divine action that is the truth and requires suffering for at times.

v. Illustration – Channel surfing – Do you channel surf, click the mouse a lot, turn the radio dial a lot?

1. We live in a world of selective hearing.

2. We cannot be spiritual channel surfers…are you listening?

3. The Lord is watching…who have you told about Jesus?

c. “Who is to judge the living and the dead” – He is the Lord of all because He has conquered death by His resurrection