“There will be terrible times in the last days” (2 Timothy 3:1). It may surprise you but those words were first written by the Apostle Paul sometime around 66-67 AD. Long before skyscrapers graced urban landscapes. Centuries before the sound of jet engines racing through the sky was a reality. Far removed from the threat of bio-terrorism. Decades before the civilized world even realized that North America existed, the Apostle Paul who saw his own life coming to a close penned those words of warning to one of his successors, his young protégé, Timothy. Already in the first century AD Paul knew that the future for life on this earth didn’t look too bright. What kinds of terrible things was the Apostle Paul talking about? He tells us: “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-- having a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Timothy 3:2-5).
Isn’t that the world in which we live today? A world that revels in the destruction of sin: marred by selfishness, thirsty for violence, reckless with words, hateful in action, and filled with hypocritical self-righteousness. Why? Because true love for God that demonstrates itself with selflessness, forgiveness, and self-control is scarce. How do we know it is scarce? Just listen to the voices speaking over the airwaves. Even as we face terrorist attacks there are still far too many human beings who remain preoccupied with love for the baseless promise of the goodness of the human spirit rather than occupying themselves with the good promises of God that fill human hearts with his Spirit and his love. When this is true times will be terrible because the natural spirit of the human heart is utterly sinful.
In the face of all this what can we do? The answer to that question is the same as the answer Paul gave to young Timothy as he faced terrible times nearly 2 millennia ago. The answer remains the same because the root cause of all our problems is still sin and there is still only one solution to that problem. That’s why we listen to God’s encouragement to Timothy offered through the Apostle Paul. In the face of terrible times God encourages us all to: Keep Faith Alive! Keep faith alive 1) by faithfully continuing in the Holy Scriptures. Keep faith alive 2) by responding to God’s faithful ministers.
Why would Paul point Timothy back to Holy Scripture to keep his faith alive and well? Only Holy Scripture could keep Timothy’s saving faith alive and well because only Holy Scripture could make Timothy wise for salvation. This work had begun in Timothy’s life when he was just a baby. From his birth Timothy’s mother and grandmother faithfully share the good news of the Savior, the good news of Holy Scripture with him. Now, even in the face of terrible trials and difficult circumstances Paul assures Timothy that Holy Scripture was exactly what he needed to keep his faith alive and well.
What gives Holy Scripture this incredible power? Paul tells Timothy very plainly that what gives Holy Scripture its power is this: the very words that are recorded on its pages are words breathed by God himself. This is often referred to as the doctrine of verbal inspiration. Not only did God give the human writers the thoughts of Holy Scripture – he gave them the exact words. That means each and every word recorded on the original pages of Holy Scripture is there because God himself wanted it to be there. That’s what makes this book different than any other. Since these words are God’s words they are without error, they are timeless, and they are priceless. Since these words are the words of God they are useful for teaching people about the only path to heaven. Because they are the words of God the Holy Scriptures are therefore also useful as the authority when it comes to identifying and encouraging attitudes and behaviors that are in line with God’s definition of righteousness and rebuking and correcting those that are not.
But Holy Scripture is more than just information. It is also motivation. Holy Scripture works on the head and on the heart. It not only changes thoughts but attitudes as well. God’s Word recorded on the pages of Holy Scripture changed Timothy’s heart by choking his naturally rebellious heart with the law and raising up a new heart of living, obedient faith in its place through the gospel. Through the words of Scripture God eradicated Timothy’s desire to trust in his own works to get him into heaven and filled him instead with true confidence that heaven would be his home because of what Jesus had done for him. As Holy Scripture testifies only a heart that is filled with confidence in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection can actually produce works that are good in God’s eyes because only that kind of heart truly rejoices in the opportunity to give thanks to God by living in joyful obedience to his will. Only Holy Scripture gushes with that kind of confidence that flows like the river of blood out of our crucified Savior’s side off of each page of his Holy Word. It’s that confidence that would thoroughly equip Timothy’s faith for every good work even when tough situations would arise.
What was true for Timothy remains true for us today. Our strength and our salvation are found in the words of our God recorded on the pages of Holy Scripture. We need a steady diet of those words to keep our faith alive and healthy as we face these terrible times. That’s why it’s so important that we gather together for worship as well as Bible Study and Sunday School! That’s why it is disappointing to see that not even half of the members of this congregation participate in Bible Class and Sunday School on any given Sunday. We need to ask ourselves what are our reasons for staying away from Bible Class or Sunday School? Then we need to ask: Would God would be pleased with our reasons? Or is it possible that we are guilty of neglecting our faith by restricting it to a starvation diet of God’s Word that is fed only an hour once each week?
God reminds us that our faith is kept alive and well as we faithfully continue growing together in his Word. He offers us that opportunity both in worship and Bible class or Sunday School at Hope on Sunday mornings. Thankfully he assures us that even if we have been guilty of neglecting our faith those sins have been forgiven through the shed blood of his Son. Now in thankful response he urges us to faithfully continue growing in the good news that he desires to keep on sharing with us.
Because God wills to keep our faith alive through the hearing and learning of his Word he calls ministers to serve us with his Word. As God exhorts Timothy and all ministers through the Apostle Paul to be faithful in their work he is also urging his people to respond to the work of his faithful ministers.
I am afraid that such a statement could come across as self-serving. After all I happen to be one of those ministers, and it may sound like I’m trying to bully you around as I stand before you and tell you that God wants you to respond to what I say. To be honest I felt uncomfortable at first at the thought of preaching on this text for that very reason. But in studying this text I was reminded of some insight my father shared with me regarding the work of serving as a minister. He told me that as a pastor people aren’t necessarily all that interested in your opinions. What they do want to hear from you is what God has to say. Isn’t that exactly what Paul charged Timothy on oath to do? Timothy’s job wasn’t to entertain people, nor was his focus to impress people with his novel ideas or his original thinking. As a minister this was Timothy’s job description: “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-- with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2).
I’m sure that Timothy was eager to get out and share the Word with people, excited to see how they would respond! After all he had the very best news in the world to share! That’s what makes Paul’s next statement a very sobering one. Paul writes, “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4). The reality of living in a sinful world is this: not everyone will respond with excitement when they hear the truth of sound doctrine pouring off of Timothy’s lips. Paul also understands that it is entirely possible that there may come a time when some of Timothy’s parishioners may lose interest in listening to the truth that he was sharing. But that’s no reason to quit preaching and teaching the truth. Paul is reminding Timothy that because we live in a sinful world a minister’s success cannot be measured by the number of people who respond to what he says. A successful minister is one who is faithful to Holy Scripture regardless of people’s response.
Even though people wouldn’t always respond to the truth the way God wanted them to Paul exhorts Timothy not to get discouraged. Even though it would be tough he should continue doing the work that he was charged to do. That’s why Paul offers these words of advice, “Keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all of the duties of your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:5). Timothy couldn’t control the way other people would respond to the gospel, but he could control the way he conducted himself as he shared the gospel. In doing so Timothy would be an example of godly faithfulness that God would use to affect people’s hearts and lives.
Through this congregation God has called me to be your minister. I am solemnly charged to preach the Word of God in its truth and purity. That’s the reason that God urges you to respond to what I have to say – because I come to you with his Word. You respond to that Word by faithfully gathering to hear it in worship, Bible classes, and Sunday School – even if what God has to say exposes and condemns sinful attitudes and actions in your lives. You respond to that Word by joyfully sharing it with others because you know that through it God creates faith and keeps it alive and well in people’s hearts. That’s why you’re moved to give of your time, energy, and talents to share with me in this work not begrudgingly but with thankfulness and joy in your hearts to God. That’s why you gladly support this work and me with your generous offerings. That’s why you keep this work and me in your prayers because in all of these ways you are responding exactly the way God wants you to respond to the sound doctrine and the truthful good news that he shares with you through me that keeps our faith alive and well!
Yes, we may be facing terrible times. But these terrible times have no power over us because our God has given us the one thing needful, his Word, that keeps our faith in Jesus strong and secure. While these may be terrible times I’m thankful that our gracious God has given me the opportunity to face them with you, strengthening you with that precious news as your pastor. We may be facing difficult times but I am grateful that God has blessed us by bringing us together to share in his work of gospel ministry at this time, because through this work God sheds his light of hope on this world fumbling in darkness as he keeps our faith alive – filling our hearts with his love so that our lives might be lived in joyful service to him and one another. May God continue to bless us richly as he strengthens our faith in the one who lived, died, and rose again! Amen.
