“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. 1 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. 6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
Clarion = A kind of trumpet with clear, shrill tones. Loud and clear. Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary – Fifth Edition
I wonder if it is possible for us to get even the slightest sense of the passion in the heart of this great Apostle, for the preaching of the gospel, for the churches spread out across Asia and around the Mediterranean which he and his fellow ministers had started and nurtured, for this young preacher, Timothy of whom Paul speaks with such loving concern.
He calls Timothy his beloved son. His first letter that we have addresses Timothy as ‘my true child in the faith’, and in verse eleven of chapter 6 Paul proudly calls him, ‘you man of God’.
When we read the opening verses of this second letter we can get the sense of how fond Paul was of this protégé of his, who is pastoring this difficult church in the very difficult circumstances of Ephesus, home of the great temple of Artemis, where pagan worship and demonic ritual abound.
Now this is important for us to take notice of as we skip to the later portions of this letter from Paul to this pastor to whom he says things like, “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” and repeatedly urges and encourages him to stand firm in the faith and to stay true to the things he has learned from the scriptures; to avoid foolish arguments and steer clear of divisive men who seek their own glory.
It is important because this is Paul’s last letter and he knows it. In verse 9 of chapter 4 he says, “Make every effort to come to me soon”, but he must have known Timothy might not be able to get to Rome before it was too late. We don’t even know if Timothy got there before it was too late.
Paul wrote, ‘…the time of my departure has come…’ He was writing some of the last words he would write, and the last letter he would write to this beloved son in the faith, and he was choosing his words carefully.
That is not to say Paul did not always choose his words carefully in order to convey precisely what the Holy Spirit laid on his heart to say; but wouldn’t anyone who knows they are writing their final words on earth to possibly the person who has been most caring and faithful to them think very carefully and endeavor to pen the words that are from the very center of their heart?
Of course they would.
If you think about the one person who means the most to you right now in your life, and imagine that you knew you were soon to depart this world, you know without question or pause that you would leave them with the most intimate thoughts – the most passionate words you could frame. Nor would it be a difficult task, for knowing you were in your very last days all else would fall away as insignificant.
All of the secondary issues, all of the petty concerns that so often steal our moments in the course of our days, any long-term plans or trivial pursuits would flee from our thinking for they would not matter any more.
Now why do I go on about this? Because I want you to see, as Christ-followers, that these admonitions and instructions and warnings in the closing portions of this letter to Timothy, because they are Divinely inspired and preserved down through the years, are as much for you and for me as they were for the preacher of old. These are the things nearest and dearest to the Apostle’s heart as he bids farewell for now, and we should receive them with the gravity and the sense of urgency with which they were first put to parchment.
“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; preach the word”
Do you hear it? How much stronger can it be said? I solemnly charge you!
And in all reverence, not with the demonic glibness with which people who hate Christ yet throw His precious name out like a swear word, but as one who has poured out his very life like a drink offering for his Lord, invokes the same name as the Witness, as the Judge, when he exhorts this one he loves with the strongest of emphasis, ‘preach the word’!
CHARGE TO DILIGENCE
This is a charge to remain diligent in service to Christ and the matter of primary importance in that service is to preach the word of Christ. We will consider today why this is Paul’s most pressing concern at the closing of his earthly duties, but once again, listen to the language he employs.
JB Phillips paraphrases verse 2, ‘Never lose your sense of urgency, in season or out of season’. The Holman translation puts it, ‘proclaim the message; be persistent in it whether convenient or not’. That may be the clearest expression of what was on the author’s mind and heart, because he knew better than anyone how very inconvenient it can be to persist in preaching the Word faithfully. After all, that was the reason he was presently in prison and about to go to the headsman’s block.
Paul’s entire ministry was marked by sacrifice and difficulty; danger and demonic resistance.
Now I don’t think that any of it came as a surprise to Paul. On the day he was saved and called into service for this Jesus whom he had so persecuted, the Lord gave instruction to His servant Ananias to go to Paul, and He said,
“Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” Acts 9:15-16
And I think we can infer from this and some other passages of Paul’s that while he was in the wilderness, alone with and being taught by the risen Christ, that he was also clearly shown that he would suffer much at the hands of both Jews and Gentiles for the sake of the Gospel.
Some of you may remember a cartoon character from the 1960’s and maybe into the ‘70’s named Super Chicken. His sidekick was a rather timid lion named Fred, who was always fretting at the danger they were in and Super Chicken in almost every episode would say, “You knew the job was dangerous when you took it, Fred”
Well Paul knew from the outset, by the grace of His Lord who sent him that he would suffer for the name of Jesus. How daunting would that be; to be personally given a life-long charge from the very Christ of God, and told in the same breath, ‘you will suffer much for My sake’.
Well, at least Paul knew. You and I have the charge of the Word given to us, believers. We too are told to take the Gospel to the world and we are not told what we will suffer, but we are foolish when we think we will not. We are short-sighted when we are surprised at trials in our lives. And can I just state the obvious here and say that here in America we don’t even know what it’s like to suffer for the name of Christ – and the perhaps not-so-obvious to some, that we may soon get our chance.
When it comes, will you persist in the proclamation whether it is convenient or not?
One of the most poignant examples that comes to my mind when I think of Paul’s faithfulness to his charge and the resistance to the Word that he witnessed is recorded for us in Acts 24:24-27
Paul has been imprisoned for his preaching, and finds himself brought before the governor, Felix and his Jewish wife, Drusilla. Now Felix had stolen Drusilla, reported to be a ‘hottie’, from her husband to whom she had been wed when she was 16 years old. When she was at the tender age of 20 Felix employed the services of a sorcerer to woo her away from her husband, and so these two are living in an adulterous relationship, and there is much more known about Felix and Drusilla that I won’t go into now. Let it suffice to say that these were people of low character holding high office, and the nicest word for either of them is n’er do well.
Of Felix, historian Tacitus wrote, “…he reveled in cruelty and lust, and wielded the power of a king with the mind of a slave.” What we know of Drusilla’s end is that she and her son, the only child born to her during her time with Felix, both perished in the eruption of Mt Vesuvius in AD 79 as Drusilla partied in Pompey.
Back to Acts 24… Felix wanted to hear Paul tell him about faith in Christ, probably meaning he wanted to hear some doctrine but Paul embarks instead on a three-point sermon. His first point, righteousness. I’m sure Felix was glad when the transition to the next point seemed to be coming up. Much to his chagrin however, Paul moved on to self control – at which point Felix and Drusilla may have stopped holding hands for the moment – but when Paul introduced his third point and began to warn of the judgment to come, that was all Felix could handle.
As the sweat beaded on his brow and dripped down the back of his neck he called the guards to escort Paul back to his cell.
Interestingly, Felix continued to have Paul brought back up often. Now this would be a confusing thing to read, since in many professing Christian churches today if a guest preacher preaches righteousness, self control and the judgment to come he doesn’t get invited back. But the mystery is cleared up for us when Luke writes that Felix was hoping Paul would offer him a bribe to be set free.
Not our great Apostle to the gentiles. Paul couldn’t be bought. He wasn’t his own to sell. He had been purchased with a much dearer price than any he could name for himself from the likes of Felix. So they would have their chat times, and we don’t have need of great imaginations to guess what Paul talked with Felix about. But this went on for two years, Felix being more and more hardened to the truth until he wasn’t convicted by it any more, and finally Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, who eventually heard Paul, and Paul appealed to Caesar, and from there went to Rome.
Felix fades from history after that, and stands forever as an example of the tragedy of neglected opportunity. Felix would have done well to heed the words of the writer to the Hebrews, when he said:
“For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrifying expectation of judgment, and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries.” Hebrews 10:26,27
Now there is much to teach about all of that, but here is my point.
In our text Paul tells Timothy that the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, - get that? Sound doctrine, to them, is something to be endured and only if willing – but wanting to have their ears tickled. But Paul had already witnessed that trend, hadn’t he? He saw it in Felix and Drusilla, he saw it on Mars Hill in Athens and in many other places. And this is nothing new; it wasn’t even new to Paul’s time.
The prophets of old preached to folks of the same mind. In Isaiah’s record we hear their protest:
“Who say to the seers, “You must not see visions”; And to the prophets, “You must not prophesy to us what is right, Speak to us pleasant words, Prophesy illusions. “Get out of the way, turn aside from the path, Let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.” Isa 30:10-11
Tell me lies, tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies!
People have always been quicker to listen and more ready to swallow the lie that makes them feel good about themselves and their future. Even if they know for a fact that it’s a lie, they’ll turn aside from the truth to hear it because they don’t want to change and the lies don’t require them to change.
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.” Romans 1:18-20
Remember, those words were also penned by Paul. So he knows all about it, and when he warns Timothy that the time will come, he means for Timothy to be ready because if Timothy is preaching the Word, Timothy is going to see those days come in his own experience.
Hence this call to diligence; this solemn charge; this exhortation to endurance and sobriety and full dedication to the work.
I have fought this glorious fight, Timothy, and my course is ended. Take up the torch and run with it and DON’T LOOK BACK!
ALL-SUFFICIENCY OF THE WORD
Now what was it that Paul was exhorting Timothy to, that was so important to him that he suffered so much so willingly, and kept him, even in chains, so sold out and dedicated to his mission?
Well, there are a couple of ways of answering that question. I think without doubt that the simplest answer is that Christ in him was his life and his motivation.
Hadn’t he said, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and delivered Himself up for me”? Gal 2:20
But you see, that was also true of Timothy as it is true of every believer in Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit indwells him or her, you and me, and gives us life in Christ. The life that we now live in the flesh, we live by faith in the Son of God, who loved us and gave Himself for us.
So Paul isn’t telling Timothy in these closing words of this letter to have Christ in him. He wasn’t telling Timothy to seek salvation. He is exhorting Timothy, as one saved and called and commissioned to ministry by virtue of his salvation and the Christ-life in him, to be faithful to the calling of every true believer, which is the proclamation of God’s Word to the church and to the world.
We tell those outside of the church and outside of Christ that they must repent of sin and believe the good news that Jesus Christ died for them and was resurrected in His glorified body to give eternal life to all who believe.
But does it all stop there? When a person believes the Gospel and is saved is that all there is to it? I daresay there seem to be very many in the church who have come and sat down and assumed that was all there was to it. They confessed Christ, they got baptized, and that is pretty much the last physical show that ever came from them that they are people who have faith in anything or anyone.
Paul gives his solemn charge to preach the word, and to be at it whether convenient or not. But I am so happy he didn’t just say that and leave it at that. He goes on to explain why it is so important to stay true to the task.
He shows that this word the Christ-follower is to proclaim is all-sufficient for life and Christian practice. He says that all Scripture is inspired by God. By now most of us have heard at least once and probably more than once, that the Greek word literally means ‘God-breathed’. Even the origin of the English word ‘inspired’ refers to something outstanding or brilliant in a way or to a degree suggestive of divine inspiration. That’s Merriam-Webster’s definition.
But Paul doesn’t stop even there. And I want to remind you here that he is talking about all Scripture. And here is why it is important for the Christ-follower to study the Bible. I did not say merely read the Bible. I said study the Bible. I did not say skip around to your favorite verses for a little spiritual ‘shot in the arm’ – ‘boost for the day’ – and I did not say, let the Bible plop open in your lap, find a chapter beginning and read for a few minutes and call it ‘morning or evening devotions’. This is not Bible study. Every believer should have at some point read through the whole Bible. If you’ve been a confessing Christian for more than a year then by now you should have at least read the entire Bible once.
Now even that can become a snare if we become so intent on making sure we read our daily portion that it becomes the goal. “There, I’ve read my Old Testament passage, my New Testament passage, my Psalm and my Proverb for the day and I’m done”.
No, Christian, all Scripture is God-breathed and profitable but only if you study it and internalize it so the Holy Spirit can use it. It is good for teaching, rebuking, correcting, training in righteousness. Now I’m not going to unpack each of those words today; they’re plain enough in meaning.
He’s assuring Timothy and us as students of the Scriptures, that the Bible is sufficient for the ordering of all areas of our lives as growing, Spirit-filled believers.
What I want you to see, is that he repeats his list when he gives his charge to Timothy and connects the preaching – the proclamation – of the Word, with rebuking, correcting, encouraging, and teaching. This is the proper proclamation of the Scriptures. From them, man of God, rebuke, correct, encourage, teach. If these things are not being done then the Word is not being preached. I’ll leave you to go in your memory back to speaking you’ve heard and maybe some television you have watched and decide for yourselves if you were really hearing preaching or just some fairly knowledgeable guy with a charismatic personality and a gift for gab tickling your ears.
We have to know our Bible’s, Christians. We have to know them well enough to give people accurate and understandable responses when they want to know why convenience abortion is wrong, and why homosexual practices are wrong and why marriage is between one man and one woman only. There are issues coming to the front more than ever before, believers in Christ, and intelligent people want to hear something more substantial than that something is simply an abomination to God or that we declare it as sin and hold up a hastily colored sign as we march in circles in front of some clinic. God’s word is all-sufficient for salvation of the soul, for sanctification of the believer, and even for bringing Godly change to society, if and when it is proclaimed fully and accurately by the true Christ-follower under the leading and direction of the Holy Spirit.
God declares that His Word will not return void to Him but will accomplish the purpose for which it was sent (Isa 55:11); just remember that it is sent – God speaks it – through the words and lives of His people.
THE CLARION CALL AND THE CROWN
In my title I referred to a clarion call. I want to clarify my purpose here. While the proclamation of the Word of God can be likened to the sound of a trumpet alerting people to their need and alerting the Christian to his call and duty, what I mean to point to is the clarion call of Paul to Timothy that echoes down through the corridor of 2000 years and comes to today’s church as well.
There is a sorry lack of the proclamation of the whole counsel of God in this era we live in; in the last days of earth; and now even more than ever before, the church must awaken to the clear and distinct charge of the Apostle and even of Christ Himself, to override the din of empty words and senseless prattle filling our airwaves and spilling out over the edge of far too many of our pulpits, and even the workplace water coolers, sounding out the truth of God’s Word – the Gospel message itself, of course, which is the central message of the Word – but all Scripture relating the written and spoken Word of God to every area of life wherever humankind is found.
Is anyone hearing/reading this and thinking that this message is for those called as preachers but not for the average layman? Let me challenge you with a thought expressed by a preacher of a past generation in words clear as a clarion call.
“Christian preaching begins only when faith in the message has reached such a pitch that the man or the community proclaiming it becomes part of the message proclaimed…” says James S. Stewart in his work, A Faith To Proclaim “…To be thus taken command of, so that our testimony, when we go out to speak of Christ, is not ours at all, but Christ’s self-testimony – this is our vocation and the hope of our ministry”. 1953 Hodder Headline PLC
What has he said here? That Christianity is not simply a compilation and dissemination of facts, but union with the risen Christ. People do not need to hear doctrine for the sake of hearing the doctrine, what they need and what we need is for the church to once again be the walking, breathing, speaking and living body of Christ in this world, having truly died and risen with Him and going in the unction and enabling of His Holy Spirit, so that the clarion call is clear and unmistakable at the end of the age.
Felix wanted to hear doctrine. He wanted his ears tickled. What is this new sect and who is this Jesus? What did He teach and what part of it all can I apply to my life to help me in a world of politics and power struggles?
But that is not what he was to hear. Paul instead sounded the clarion call of Truth! God’s Word, living and breathing and sounding forth from the mouth of His servant; his man who had become a part of the very message he proclaimed.
Fellow Christ-followers, that is our call and our crown. We have the commission and we have the Holy Spirit and no one else in the world can be obedient to the urgent call of Christ through His chosen Apostle. It is ours to obey.
Convenient? Not Convenient? No matter. Preach the Word! Study it, learn it, know it, be ready to give an answer – be ready to sound forth the trumpet of His truth with a clear sound.
“The end of all things is near” are the words of Peter in his first letter (1 Peter 4:7-11)
And nearer now; so close even the unchurched are sensing its coming. Are you one who has loved His appearing? Then 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; sound the call loud and clear – proclaim the Word – draw them away from their empty pursuit of false teachers and their zombie-like stumble after myths and demonic lies, and tell them the truth that God promises will not return to Him void, but will indeed accomplish the very purpose for which He sent it forth.
One day we’ll all be gone and those left will be left to flounder, lost, confused, wondering what happened to the world and where to go to hear truth.
Let’s become truly part of the message we proclaim, church, and make a distinct sound and a powerful call at the end of the age.
