(1) THE PASTOR IS GOING TO PREACH ON MONEY.
Pastors who love the people of the congregation will preach about money. Why? Because God has promised a blessings to all who tithe.
Illus: It is estimated that if the widow’s mite had been deposited at the “First National Bank of Jerusalem,” drawing four percent interest semi-annually, the fund today would total $4,800,000,000,000,000,000,000.00. If a bank on earth could multiply a widow’s mite to such an astronomical figure, think what treasures the dedicated woman of Jesus’ day will have in heaven, where “moth and rust doth not corrupt!”
Pastors who love their people will preach on tithing because it will enrich their lives.
Also, when a preacher announces he is going to preach on stewardship, some think...
(2) THE PASTOR IS GOING TO PREACH ABOUT TIME.
If a pastor loves his people he should preach on the importance of their using their time wisely. Why? Because we all are allotted time and one day we will have to give account to God for how we used our time.
Time is life. When your time runs out, your life runs out. When I give you my time, I am giving you my life.
The best gift we can give to God is the gift of our time because in doing so we are giving Him our life.
We need to use our time wisely. Many who make no profession of being saved have used their time to make life better for mankind. For example:
• Leo Gerstenzang thought of “Q Tips” when he saw his wife trying to clean their baby’s ears with toothpicks and cotton.
• Otto Diffenbach came up with the cellophane soda straws when he twisted the wrapper from a cigarette pack and saw he had created a tube.
• Ole Evinrude got angry when the ice cream in his rowboat melted before he got to his island picnic spot -- so he invented the outboard motor.
• Ralph Schneider decided to form Diners Club one night after he lost his wallet.
• Charles Strite was fuming at the burnt toast in the factory lunchroom where he worked--and thought up the automatic toaster.
The natural man has used his time wisely by helping mankind with many things he has invented.
WHAT ABOUT GOD’S PEOPLE? HOW HAVE THEY USED THEIR TIME?
If any people on this earth should be caught using their time wisely it should be God’s people.
Colossians 4:5. We read, “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.”
Illus: Someone has visualized life as an old alarm clock. Remember the kind that had to be wound up? When we are newborn, God winds us up and from then on our lives wind down. Everyone here has less time on your life’s clock on earth today than yesterday. Therefore we can not afford to waste a minute!
Every good pastor knows people are going to have to give account to God for the way they spend their time, so he knows he must preach often about being good stewards of our time.
Also, when people hear a pastor is going to preach about STEWARDSHIP some assume
(3) THE PASTOR IS GOING TO PREACH ABOUT HOW WE USE OUR TALENTS.
Again, if a preacher loves his people he ought to preach about using our talents in the service of the God Who gave them. When we stand before the Lord one day, as Christians, at the Judgment Seat of Christ, we are going to have to give account to God for the way we have used the talents God has blessed us with. Did you know that some of the most popular singers started singing in God’s churches before they backed away and went out into the world?
Illus: Elvis Presley, Pat Boone, Tommy Sands, and many others were singing in churches when they were very young.
Preachers who love the people of their congregations need to preach about using God-given talents for the Lord. I can assure you that if Elvis, and all the others, could come back and live their lives over, they would use their talents for the Lord.
Yes, a pastor should preach on all of these things. These all fall under the category of things over which God has given us STEWARDSHIP.
However, instead of these things, there is another I would preach about now. There is another thing God has given us STEWARDSHIP over. In our text we see Paul told Timothy that he was a STEWARD OF INFORMATION. That is, he had been entrusted with the most valuable information anyone could ever be entrusted with.
Likewise, all who name the name of Christ have also been entrusted with this valuable information. When we stand before the Lord we will give account to God for the way we have spent our time, money, talents, and MOST OF ALL of what we have done with THE GOSPEL!
Illus: Before Senator Hubert Humphrey died with cancer, he stood on the senate floor encouraging the senate to do all they could to fund research to find a cure for cancer. He was hoping that cure could be found before cancer destroyed his life. In a joking way he said, “I am going to be awful mad after I die if I find you fellows finally allowed the cure for cancer to be discovered!”
Supposing someone did have the information on how to cure cancer and withheld that information when, if the cure had been given, out perhaps decades could have been added to many people’s lives. The person who would withhold such information would be worse than Hitler himself.
Yet many have the information on how to have eternal life and be saved from spending eternity in a burning hell and withhold it from those who need it.
God’s Word says, “...For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required...” (Luke 12:48)
Look at our text again. We read, “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”
In this verse we see THREE things we need to consider. We see a progression that has to take place generation after generation. We see...
I. THE STRENGTH.
Look again, Paul said to Timothy, “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus...”
Why did Paul speak of being “...strong in the grace...?” Because God’s work is not done by spiritual weaklings. It is done by men and women who are STRONG IN GRACE. That is, they have the spiritual courage to stand up to the devil and all his cohorts.
WE do not have to guess about why we are to be strong.
• In verse 2 we are told to be spiritually strong so we can teach the Word of God.
• In verses 3-4 we are to be spiritually strong so we can be victorious soldiers for God.
• In verse 5 we are to be spiritually strong so we can live disciplined lives.
• In verse 6 we are to be spiritually strong as farmers who sow seeds and patiently wait for them to grow so he may reap a harvest.
Yes, we must be strong spiritually!
The apostle Paul recognized his days on earth were few. He did not have much longer to carry out the responsibility of spreading the gospel. He had to have someone to pass the torch to. He was considering passing the torch on to Timothy, but he had to be wondering if Timothy would...
• Work enough.
• Study enough.
• Learn enough.
• Witness enough.
Most of all would Timothy have the spiritual strength to preach the unadulterated Word of God. It takes courage to preach and preach God’s Word. So, Paul said to Timothy, verse 1, “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus...”
It takes NO COURAGE TO FACE PEOPLE AND TELL THEM WHAT THEY WANT TO HEAR. However they do not always want to hear what God wants them to hear. When PEOPLE DO NOT WANT TO HEAR WHAT GOD WANTS THEM TO HEAR, IT TAKES COURAGE TO TELL THEM!
Paul knew the first requirement for Timothy to be a minister of the gospel was that he must BE STRONG IN THE GRACE THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS!
In this chapter Paul first talked to Timothy about SPIRITUAL STRENGTH, then he talked to him about...
II. THE SERMON.
Paul said to Timothy, look at verse 2. We read, “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses..."
He had to have the courage. Why? It is a heavy responsibility to pass on the truths of the gospel to “...faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” What if he did not get everything just right?
He did not want anyone to get the idea this was an easy task. He knew then, just as we know today, it takes no courage whatsoever to go into the ministry and preach some of these things others preached that were not a part of the gospel of Christ. Today...
- We hear some preach a gospel that it is the will of God that everyone be rich. This is something people want to hear.
- We hear some preach a gospel that it is the will of God that no Christian ever be sick. This is something everyone wants to hear.
- We hear some preach a gospel that sounds like a Las Vegas religion. That is, if you send in a hundred dollars to the television preacher, God will reward you with five hundred dollars. This is something many people want to hear.
- We hear some teach you can be a child of God and have no inconveniences because of being a child of God. This is something people want to hear.
- We hear some teach a gospel that promotes socials and activities God’s Word never mentions. This is something people want to hear
The problem with these things is that Paul preached no such gospel! You can search through every sermon Paul preached and not find any of these things.
Paul did not tell Timothy to preach a gospel that required no courage to preach. Instead, he told Timothy to “...be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus,” and to preach “...the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses...”
Paul’s gospel was the TRUTH of Jesus Christ. Paul was telling Timothy to preach the same gospel he heard Paul preach.
Why does it take courage to preach Paul’s gospel? Because Paul’s gospel does not flatter mankind.
Illus: You young men who are approaching dating age, let me give you a clue that will help you get a date. NEVER TELL A GIRL HOW UGLY SHE IS. ALWAYS TELL HER HOW PRETTY SHE WANTS YOU TO THINK SHE IS. It does not matter if she is not real pretty; if you tell her she is pretty she will believe every word you speak.
Illus: Did you know a woman could have on a pair of overalls and her hair has not been combed in days, but if you walk up and tell her she is pretty, immediately she will begin to wipe the dirt off her face and begin to comb her hair with her hands. Why? She likes what she is hearing and thinks perhaps if she can fix herself up you might tell her more things she wants to hear.
One thing is for sure. There are some today who will stand in pulpits and say things that will tickle the ears of the people in their congregation. They may be the most sinful people in town, but when those Elmer Gantries get through telling them how good they are, they all will walk away saying, “That preacher preaches nothing but the truth.
Illus: We are told that President Bill Clinton has spent more money on polls than any other president trying to find out what the American people think. Once he finds out what they want to hear, he is willing to go on television and tell them that this is also what he wants.
Listen, he is good at that kind of stuff, but we have preachers across this nation who are better at it than he is.
Paul told Timothy that he needed to pray for SPIRITUAL STRENGTH, because it would take that if he was going to preach what Paul preached.
Paul told Timothy to preach, “...the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses...”
Our job today, as was Timothy’s job, is not to just PREACH THE TRUE GOSPEL, but also to EQUIP OTHERS to carry it on to the next generation. Lastly, let us look at...
III. THE SIMILARITY.
Again look at our text. We read, “...the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”
In many cases our churches have failed the Lord in that we have not equipped young men to carry this gospel to the next generation.
Generation after generation of people have watered the gospel down and today much of what is being preached and practiced has no similarity to what is in the scriptures.
When you read about the New Testament church in Acts, you find it has no ending. Why? Because God never meant what took place in the New Testament church to come to an end.
Yet, when you compare that church to present day churches you know something drastic has happened to the church. It bears very little resemblance to what it was in Paul’s day. It looks very much like the world today.
Oh, how the church has drifted from the teachings of God’s Word!
Illus: A young preacher got up at a meeting and preached to a group of preachers. He had learned how to master public speaking. He had all the proper mannerisms, and he used his voice in a masterful way. At the close of his message, he said to the ministers, “We have to return to God’s Word.” A minister, who had been in the ministry for many decades, got up next and said this, “Before I say what I am going to say, I want to say this to my young preacher friend. I can not return to preaching God’s Word because I have never left it!”
Listen, a lot of preachers could not say that.
Paul was telling Timothy to be like this old preacher...never leave the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ!
Conclusion/Summary: As a pastor, it is my responsibility to preach the same doctrine the apostle Paul preached. I will give account to God one day. I am a steward of this information. God is going to hold me responsible for being faithful in giving it out.
But, once I give it to you, you have the same responsibility I have. That is, it becomes your responsibility to be faithful in telling others of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I. THE STRENGTH.
II. THE SERMON.
III. THE SIMILARITY.
