INTRODUCTION
READ 2 TIMOTHY 2:20-22
Notice that there are honorable and dishonorable vessels in the same house!
The way a vessel becomes honorable or dishonorable is by the way that it is used. (EXAMPLE) WRENCH. (ROMANS 9:21)
Sometimes we can do the work of God, or so we think, and not get anything done for God. We like to blame it on the heathens in the church, the church is dead.
Maybe it is not the church that is dead, maybe it is the vessel?
The way that we interact with people that is our attitude toward people and the way that we conduct ourselves can have an adverse affect on that work, or it can be a pathway of opportunity.
Today you have a choice to make, you have to decide whether you are going to be vessel of honor or a vessel of dishonor. I say that the choice is ours because verse 21 says that if anyone cleanses HIMSELF from these things (false teachings).
TRANSITIONAL SENTENCE: Today let us examine the actions and attitudes it takes to remain a vessel of honor for God.
READ 2 TIMOTHY 2:22-26
SERMON
ACTIONS OF A VESSEL OF HONOR. 22-23
A. Flee. V. 22. 1 Timothy 6:11 says the same thing in regards to riches
1. A continuous action which indicates a habit of life.
2. Flee the youthful lusts.
3. You can get a large audience together for a strip-tease act-that is, to watch a girl undress on the stage. Now suppose you came to a country where you could fill a theater by simply bringing a covered plate on to the stage and then slowly lifting the cover so as to let everyone see, just before the lights went out, that it contained a mutton chop or a bit of bacon, would you not think that in that country something had gone wrong with the appetite for food? And would not anyone who had grown up in a different world think there was something equally queer about the state of the sex instinct among us? C. S. Lewis (1898-1963)
4. It is easier to abstain than to restrain. A French Proverb
5. In the movie Lifeboat some shipwrecked people are left drifting aimlessly on the ocean in a lifeboat during WW2.. As the days pass under the scorching sun, their rations of food and fresh water give out. The men grow deliriously thirsty. One night, while the others are asleep, one man ignores all previous warnings and gulps down some salt water for a few days. He quickly dies. Ocean water contains seven times more salt than the human body can safely ingest. Drinking it, a person dehydrates because the kidneys demand extra water to flush the overload of salt. The more salt water someone drinks, the thirstier he gets. He actually dies of thirst. When we lust, we become like this man. We thirst desperately for something that looks like what we want. We don’t realize, however, that it is precisely the opposite of what we really need. In fact, it can kill us.
B. Pursue. V 22
1. We are not only to flee youthful lusts, but we are to pursue some things.
a. You flee to something, you don’t just flee aimlessly!
2. Righteousness
a. Pursuing what is right
b. Chasing after with great effort.
c. "In quality control, we are not concerned about the product." "We are concerned about the process. If the process is right, the product is guaranteed." How relevant to our Christianity. We tend to be more oriented to the "product" of our faith than the process. As American Christians, we tend to desire and demand products of righteousness, but give little attention to the process.
3. Faith.
a. humble and dynamic confidence in God.
b. Faith is something that you have to pursue, it doesn’t just happen by osmosis!
4. Love
a. Agape. We are to pursue what is spiritually best for the other person. It is easy to spend our time looking out for #1. True love says that I will look out for what is spiritually best for you!
b. Most of what people pursue is not love. IF you love a person, you will not try to use them for your own benefit.
5. Peace
a. Harmony
b. Our contentment comes from God.
6. You are to fellowship with other people who are doing the same things! EXPLAIN!
C. Refuse V. 23
1. Have nothing to do with.
2. Foolish and ignorant speculations. 1 Tim 4:1,
3. 1TI 6:3-4 If anyone advocates a different doctrine, and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions,
ATTITUDES OF A VESSEL OF HONOR 24-25
A. The bondservant of God must not be…….
When arguing with a stupid person, be sure he isn’t doing the same thing!
1. Quarrelsome
a. The word is one the was used of people in armed combat, then it was used of those in hand to hand combat, then it was used of people who battle with words.
b. Some Christians just like to quarrel with people. (PERSONAL EXAMPLE TAKE NO PRISONERS!)
c. Sometimes you can win the battle and lose the war. Little Bighorn June 25, 1876.
d. The less sound a man’s argument, the louder he gets!
e. Behind every argument is some ones ignorance.
f. In quarreling, the truth is always lost.
B. The bondservant must be……
1. Kind to all.
a. A lot of people mean well, but their meanness is greater than their wellness.
b. Never waste a minute thinking about your enemies; pray for them.
c. One kind act will teach more love of God than a thousand sermons.
d. When we are not kind to a person, we are saying that we think less of them than Jesus.
2. Be able to teach.
a. This is an action, but it also is an attitude.
b. Are people important enough to us that we will take the time to know the Bible well enough that we can teach a person how to be saved?
c. Are people worth the time that it takes to spend our time teaching them?
d. You will not teach the truth of God’s word accurately if you wait till Sunday morning or 12 A.M. on Saturday night to prepare for 5 minutes, that is the height of arrogance to think that you can week in and week out!
3. Patient when wronged.
a. This means that we are ready to endure being wronged along with giving up our right to revenge and ill feelings toward the person who wronged us.
b. That is hard to do. Dear God, please grant me patience. And I want it right now.
4. Correcting the opposition with gentleness.
a. GAL 6:1 Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; {each one} looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted.
b. Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy.
c. The word for correct means to train a child.
C. The desired effect of our attitude on others. V 25-26.
A. That God may grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.
1. God opens the door for the word. Colossians 4:3
2. God brings the growth from the teaching of the word. 1 Cor 3:6
3. Power of the Word is the power of God. Rom. 1:16
4. Repentance is a change of mind and heart. The Holy Spirit convicts man of their sin and need for change through the Word of God
5. PRO 9:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
6. HOS 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge……..
B. And that they may come to their senses.
1. With repentance will come spiritual wakening!
2. Coming to one’s senses means to wake up from a sleep.
C. They may escape the SNARE of the devil
1. Victims of the enemy.
2. The problem with this trap is the fact they a lot of people don’t realize that they are trapped.
3. We are told that they have been held captive by the devil to do his will!
4. As we set people free from the snare of the devil, they are free!
5. JOHN 8:32 and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. "
CONCLUSION
Paul tells us that if we are going to be a vessel to be used of God, then we have to do some things.
To remain spiritually useful and healthy we must perform the proper actions of:
Knowing what to flee from.
Knowing what to pursue.
Knowing what to refuse.
Know why we do it and for who!
Our effectiveness as Ministers of the gospel will be adversely affected by not following Paul’s instruction.
We cannot be considered the faithful men of verse 2 if we do not work on these things. We cannot just go into the pulpit unprepared and claim to speak for God.
Remember that in the same house are vessels of honor (useful) and vessels of dishonor (useless). Which do you want to be?
We love people and we do all the things that Paul commands because it is the only way that we will reach people for Jesus. It has been said that you are the only Jesus that people will see, what are we showing them, a loving Jesus, a vindictive Jesus, a Jesus who doesn’t care about people?
