TESTED & APPROVED IN CHRIST
2 Tim. 2:15
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. A man named Bubba had a stray dog that kept showing up at his door. His wife said, “Bubba, you need to take him out in the woods and drop him off.” He did, but when he got to the house, the dog was standing on the doorstep.
2. His wife said, “Bubba, you need to drive him way out in the country, drive around in circles so you get him confused so he can’t get back.” So Bubba did it; he drove 2 hours away & crossed and crisscrossed his path & dropped him off.
3. Finally he called his wife, “Has the dog come back home?” “Yes, he’s just walking up the drive.” “Do me a favor, put him on the line -- I’m going to need directions to get home!”
B. TEXT
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” Heb. 12:1-2
C. THESIS: OLYMPIC GAMES ANALOGY
1. Hebrews 12:1 (and chap. 11) describe the Christian’s life as being similar to the Olympic Games where we are all competing to win the approval of God. He pictures the saints and the angels as looking on as witnesses of our efforts. But it’s not the saint’s or angel’s opinions of our efforts that matter, but only what the Great Judge, Jesus Christ, thinks!
2. Paul makes a direct allusion to the Games in 1 Cor. 9:25; “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.”
3. An interesting fact is that the Lord commends some people as “approved” while they’re still running their race on Earth.
4. The title of this message is “Tested & Approved in Christ.”
I. MEANING OF THE TERM “APPROVED”
A. GREEK TERM & USAGES
1. The Greek word “dokimion” means “tested in battle; trustworthy, reliable, an object which is tested, genuine, or valuable and ‘approved by God’.”
2. LOOK AT THE FOLLOWING VERSES:
a. Paul said that some Christians have “DISQUALIFIED” themselves from the prize (1 Cor. 9:27 – adokimos, disproved).
b. Some Christians are told they NEED TO WORK TOWARD THIS stamp of approval:
1). 2 Tim. 2:15, “Do your best to present yourself approved (dokimos) to God, a workman who doesn’t need to be ashamed and correctly handles the Word of Truth.”
2). 2 Cor. 10:18, “For not he who commends himself is approved (dokimos), but whom the Lord commends.”
c. Paul says some have ALREADY BEEN APPROVED:
1). Paul & apostles, 1 Thess. 2:4, “On the contrary, we speak as those approved (dokimazo) by God to be entrusted with the gospel.”
2). Apelles, “approved (dokimos) in Christ” Rom. 16:10
3). The Macedonians, 2 Cor. 8:2, by their virtue of staying true to Christ during severe suffering, are said to be “proved” (dokime).
3. This approval always is the result of testing.
B. THE CONCEPT OF BEING TESTED NOW
1. Human existence stands under divine testing in which it must prove itself. This testing culminates in judgment. Judgment is a testing of human life and achievement. Our stance of awaiting judgment and constant submission to the divine scrutiny fashions a life oriented to testing. God’s goal is our maturity (Rom. 5:3-4).
2. Temptation is not something evil, but simply ‘testing’ which is designed to strengthen. Temptation is God’s way of saying, “I think you can handle this, so I’m going to give you a chance to grow.” God’s intent is that we rise to new heights in Christ, not that we fail.
C. EXAMPLE OF TESTING & APPROVAL
1. For hundreds of years, church bells were produced by pouring liquid metal into molds at a foundry. Once the metal had fully hardened, the founder would take a heavy hammer and strike the bell on each side with a hard blows to see if it would crack. Why? Because it was better to find out before the bell was hung in a bell tower and then cracked. [Knights 3,000 Illus., p. 685, “Tried & True”]
2. The hard blows with the hammer wouldn’t hurt a well-made bell; they confirmed its good quality! It’s the same with us!
3. Axhandles. Wind-blown hickory trees are the very best wood to make into axhandles. It can withstand the most crashing of blows; it won’t shatter, because it grew up being continually tested.
II. CHRISTIANS WILL BE TESTED
A. WHEN DIFFICULT SITUATIONS ARISE
1. As a Christian, I can’t tell you that you’ll never have troubles – because you will. We must see God as the Lord and in control of every circumstance. God is guiding us to maturity.
2. We need to completely trust in God. The devil’s not doing anything except what God allows – and whatever happens to us is somehow for our good.
3. So when bad things happen it doesn’t mean the devil’s taken over or that God’s left you, or that you’re out of the will of God.
4. 1 Pet. 4:12, the Greek for temptation is “that which puts us to proof.” Temptation is designed to bring out what’s really in us. Matt. 4:1, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted. It was part of the process of His spiritual growth.
B. WAYS PEOPLE ARE TESTED?
1. BY DEMANDING GREAT SACRIFICES, Gen. 22:1
2. LEADING US INTO DIFFICULT WAYS, Deut. 8:2
3. GIVING OPPORTUNITY FOR CHOICE, 1 Kings 3:5 Solomon
4. BY PERMITTING US TO SUFFER, Acts 16:23-24
5. TEMPTATION, James 12-3
a. To overcharge
b. To take up old sin again
c. To say harmful things
d. To watch something you shouldn’t
C. ILLUSTRATION
1. After Martin Luther got saved, the devil came knocking at the door of his life. Martin would say, “Lord, would you mind answering the door please?” Jesus would and the devil would ask for Martin.
2. Jesus would say, “He doesn’t live here anymore, now I do. Can I help you?” The devil, seeing the nail-prints in His hands and the pierced side, yelped, “Oops! wrong house!” and immediately took off running.”
3. It’s good for every home and life to have Jesus as a permanent resident.” [Paul Tan, Encyclo. Of 7,700 Illus., #6516 altered].
III. WHAT CAN YOU DO WHEN FACING TEMPTATION?
A. PRAY FOR DELIVERANCE, Matt. 6:13, “13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.”
B. HIDE GOD’S WORD IN YOUR HEART, Ps. 119:11, “Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you.”
C. RELY ON GOD’S STRENGTH, 2 Cor. 12:9-109 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
D. RESIST THE DEVIL, James 4:7, “Submit yourselves to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
E. TAKE THE WAY OF ESCAPE, 1 Cor. 10:13 – Jesus! “There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUS.: SHE CHOSE TO PLEASE GOD OVER WINNING CHAMPIONSHIP
1. A high schooler, Chelsea Richards from Bloomingdale High School in Brandon, Florida. She lost her chance to win the 2004 State Golf Tournament Championship because of her conviction to be honest before God in all circumstances.
2. In her qualifying finals Chelsea hit her T-shot on the second hole into the rough. This was to get her into the State Finals. With this win she could easily get paid college scholarships to play on golf teams.
3. Without knowing it she played another golfer’s ball out of the rough and finished the hole. During the third hole round, she looked at the ball and realized it wasn’t hers. Nobody knew this except for her.
4. The rules say the golfer must declare a mix-up of ball before they put it in the cup (Hole) it occurs on or they will be disqualified.
5. Now she faced a decision: “Do I give up my dream of winning and getting a college scholarship or do I decide to be right with God and please Him by being honest?” She could keep quiet, cheat, and take her future into her own hands, or she could be a person of integrity and let God be the One who’s Lord of her future.
6. Chelsea drew strength from her favorite Bible verse: Phip. 4:13, “I can do all things thru Christ which strengthens me.” Chelsea reported her error, a painful ending to her senior season and her dream of going to State.
7. She said, “With my faith, the most important thing to me was not winning a tournament but knowing that I won with God.”
8. Had Chelsea cheated, her victory would have been fraudulent and built on a lie and all benefits derived from it would have been empty. Instead, her seemingly foolish decision has been spread by Christian speakers to a worldwide audience and Chelsea has now become a model for young people everywhere to do the right thing and to please God instead of following selfish motives!
B. THE CALL
1. We are being tested NOW as to the genuineness of our quality. Will we stand true to God and accept suffering and loss for the cause of Christ?
2. As Paul said, “We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts” 1 Thess. 2:4. Let’s put away all dishonesty and subterfuge and live lives worthy of the Righteous Judge!
3. PRAYER
