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Live in Keeping with the Essentials
- Greg Waybright
- 2 Timothy 3:16-4:8
- Famous Last Words
- 30 mins 19 secs
- Views: 584
Study Notes
The Essentials: The Word, The Faith and the Community
2 Timothy 3:16-4:8
All week, as I’ve been preparing this message for you, I have thought about my father who died 2 ½ years ago. He was a man who came to faith in Jesus in his 30s. He was spiritually growing and mentally alert up to the very end. But, at the very end, it was clear that his body was failing and that his end was near. We had a wonderful conversation on the phone not long before he died. I remember so well how, just before we hung up, he said, “Greg, just before we finish, there are a few things I want to say. First, I love you and am so proud of you, especially of your faithfulness to God’s Word. Second, I truly believe the Lord is calling me home and I am looking forward to it. I am excited about meeting the Lord face to face.”
This brings me to 2 Timothy, a letter that the Apostle Paul wrote when he knew, as he said in 4:6, “the time for my departure is at hand.” Throughout this series in 2 Timothy, Pastor Tim Peck, Dr. Washington and I have pointed out that the Apostle Paul’s last letter emphasizes the centrality of Scripture for the life of the individual Christian and the church. It does so from beginning to end. That point is summed up in 3:16-17:
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
What I want to do in this final message is to turn to the Apostle Paul’s very last words in his final letter. When we know we have little time, we usually speak about the things most important to us. I think that was true of the Apostle Paul. So, in the last chapter of his last letter, I believe Paul points us to the most essential matters that must be true in the life of every believer and every local church.
This chapter is easily divided into three clear sections -- each of which speaks of something that is essential to the life of a church. I believe that the essential matters Paul spoke of are still the essentials in the life of every follower of Jesus and every local church regardless of time in history or geographical location in the world.
Essential #1: When We Gather, We Must Take Time to Hear from Our Father. (4:1-5)
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word.
2 Timothy 4:1-2a
Why Should We Keep God’s Word Central? (4:1) God is here and Jesus is coming soon.
- 1 reminds me of a public speaker pounding on the lectern and shouting, “If you haven’t listened to anything up to now, listen to this!” The Apostle Paul here tells Timothy to open his ears to something that all Christians believe, namely, that God is present at all times – particularly in the gathering of His people. He says, “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus.” In other words, God is present among us now and he is the one we need to hear from. After all, Paul went on to say, when Jesus returns, he will judge both the liiving and those who have died. Therefore, when we gather, we should take time to ackowledge that God, the one before whom we will stand, is present here with us.
Do you believe that? – That God is present and that some day you will give account to him for your life? If you do, then you should also realize that when the Word of God is opened, you should be alert – turn off your phone and get focused -- be careful to hear and ready to respond.
What Must Happen When God’s People Gather to Worship? Preach the Word (4:2a).
With great passion, the Apostle Paul calls Pastor Timothy – and all who are called to open the Word to others – to make sure that, whenever God’s people gather, God’s Word will be procaimed. That’s what preaching is: The delivery of what God has revealed in Scripture -- about Himself, about the world, about human life and how we should live -- in such a way that people are called upon to respond to what God has said. Other things may happen in church – but this must happen.
Why must this be the priority? Because the Word of God is what people need the most. People can receive good advice from a therapist and good entertainment at the theater. But, when the church meets, good advice might come forth and it might be done in an entertaining way -- but the most important thing is that God’s message is at the center of the proclamation. When you go to church, you most need to hear a Word from God. Interesting anecdotes and entertaining stories can be a part of the message – but human beings need more than stories and jokes. We all need a message from God’s Word. Therefore, when you show up at church, whether you are a child, a student or a senior adult, you should show up with a deep desire to hear a message from God.
What Will a Message from God Do in Your Life? Correct, rebuke and encourage. (4:2b).
These three words, “correct, rebuke, and encourage”, are very important for what you should pray will happen in others when you teach the word – and that you should be praying will happen in your own life when you hear the Word of God proclaimed:
- When you are drifting into potential error, good preaching can correct you and guide your mind through the issue you are facing.
- When you are tempted to walk away from God, the Word can confront, rebuke and re-direct you back to God.
- And, when you go to church worn-down because of ongoing struggles and you feel discouraged, an apt message from God can encourage you to go on.
To all who are here who are pastors or who teach children, students or adults in your church, the instructions about how to preach and teach at the end of v.2 are so insightful. Do it 1) with “great patience”. Don’t get frustrated with your people when they seem bored or unresponsive. Love them. Want the best for them. Be as patient with them and God is with you And, do it 2) with ”careful instruction”. Be the best student of the Word that you can be. Prepare as fully as you can. Then, teach the Word and let the Spirit of God do his work. He will do more through the Word than you will know – more than you might even imagine.
What Should You Expect When the Word is Central in your Worship? (4:3-4) The time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine... (4:3-4).
When I read vv.3-4, I think it sounds as if Paul here is speaking about the church in the 21st C. Paul foresaw a day in the future in which people would no longer put up with God’s message being delivered with “careful instruction” in the church. Why? Some will find its message unpalatable at times and and other will say its irrelevant. The Bible tells you to keep studying the Word and proclaiming how it applies to the things happening in the world. Don’t be surprised when some “will not put up with sound doctrine.”
There is a phrase in v.3 that I dare not ignore, i.e., that people will flock to those who”give them what their itching ears want to hear.” The phrase, “itching ears”, has to do with the love of sensational things. The Bible isn’t saying that we should not care about what people want to hear or what they feel they need. What it is saying is that this cannot be the main thing that directs our preaching. We must always start with what God has said we need. When you rightly understand what God’s Word says, then I believe you will find it speaks to the deepest needs of people.
So, I encourage you always to start with God’s Word. Seek to understand it’s message. Then prayerfully consider how it applies to the situation in people’s lives to day. And then, preach or teach it as compellingly as God gives you the ability. The first essential matter that must be true of every church is that God’s Word will be opened and preached.
Essential #2: We Must Respond to God’s Word with Faith and Confidence in Our Lord. (4:6-8) … the time has come for my departure… Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness...
This is a very personal section in which the Apostle Paul applied the Word of God to his own situation. Paul had faced many challenges throughout his life and ministry -- shipwrecks, beatings, imprisonments, rejection, etc. But, as he wrote 2 Timothy, he was facing what most consider to be the most challenging dimension of human experience, i.e., his imminent death. In these three wonderful verses, Paul gave us two biblical perspectives on dying that set the person who trusts Jesus apart from others in this world.
Perspective 1: Death as an Act of Dedication I am already being poured out like a drink offering.
This language of drink-offering is from Numbers 15:1-10. It referred the time in which wine was poured out in a burnt offering or peace offering being made to God. All the wine in the flask was to be poured out. So, what Paul meant when he referred to his dying as an offering is that he viewed the days ahead of him as an opportunity to give himself and whatever happens fully to the Lord.
This gives us deep insight into how a follower of Jesus should face any hardship that comes our way – even one as tragic as a message that you have a terminal condition. How should we walk through such times? The Bible teaches that we need not wallow in self-pity. We need not seek frantically for miracle cures or escapes. God may do a miracle and we can certainly ask him to do miracles to his glory. I have experienced them myself. But, learn from the Apostle Paul. He saw his hardships as providing opportunities to show anyone who watched him that his whole life – in good times or bad – was committed to the Lord.
2 Timothy 4 is a passage that has spoken to me directly to me in times of my life that seemed like tragedies – like a cancer diagnosis or the news that my brother was killed by a drunk driver. In such times, the question I ask myself is whether I will trust the Lord. This isn’t easy. I’ll confess that! It’s especially hard for “self-sufficient people” to say, Iam ready to trust whatever the Lord wants in this situation. It’s natural for us to think, “I can handle this myself.” Well, sometimes there are things we cannot handle. In those times, we are left with whether we are ready to trust Jesus like a child sometimes has to trust its parents. There is a conscious choice to be made -- to trust him or not to trust him. Here’s my testimony: I have always found the Lord to be worthy of trust.
And that’s what is happening in this text. Paul made a conscious choice while in prison and facing his death. His options: to face death with faith or to face it with anxiety. His choice: to trust God in the face of death just as he had in the times of his greatest triumphs. He decided he would show the world how a Christian dies – with confidence in the midst of death. He poured out his life fully as an offering to God.
And the second metaphor makes this decision even clearer.
Persective 2: Death as a Journey Home The time has come for my departure.
The word “departure” that Paul used wasn’t a common way to refer to death in his world. They used the word much like the way we do, i.e., of leaving one place or situation in this world to go to another. I think that the main point to us is that, for Christians, death is not an end but a departure.
One interesting use of this word “departure” was that it often referred to the launching of a ship. When the rope was untied and the anchor lifted, the ship could embark on its journey. It could depart. Paul had taken many journeys but he was convinced that the greatest journey of his life was just ahead. He would soon be traveling to his eternal home and into the presence of the Lord. And, you see in verses 6-8 that he was confident.
Let me speak to you about this pastorally. I am convinced that faith in Jesus should change our perspectives on everything in life. But perhaps the most dramatic difference faith in Jesus makes should be seen in the way you and I approach death. Do not miss the fact that, in these verses, Paul was not fretting about his upcoming funeral. He was looking forward to his future.
There is no religion or philosophy in the world that enables a person to approach an ending like death with such positive anticipation. Paul was a man who had come to an ending and was at peace. He looked back at his life in v. 7 and said, “My life in this world is nearly over. I have completed my work and kept the faith.”
And the optimism crescendoed in v.8, “Now, there is in store for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge will award to me on that day.” Notice Paul’s confidence -- “There is in store for me…the Judge will award to me.” I tell you: Here is a man who is assured -- eternally assured. The assurance is not in what he has done but in the one to whom he had committed his life and to whom he continued to commit his future.
And, this same confidence is available to all of us. It is not just for the great Apostle Paul. As he put it so marvelously: this confidence is for “all who have longed for his appearing.”
Here’s my point: If we are preaching the Word and living according to it (essential #1), then this should flow forth into a life of confident faith. When we are committed to Jesus, then confident, peace-filled faith should permeate our lives – no matter what the world throws at us. When Lake Avenue Church is preaching the Word and trusting Jesus, then peace and confident faith should be the trademark of this church, no matter what is happening in the world.
People may leave the church but God does not. Governments may oppress us -- but all authorities are all under God’s authority. Money may be in short supply -- but God will not leave his people lacking what is indispensable. This then is second essential: when the church gathers, we must renew our faith in God – and then leave our worship time confident of his sufficiency.
I will end there – though Paul gave a third essential in vv. 9-21. It’s about Christian community.
Essential #3 (for another day): Our churches must be a places where people love people. (4:9-21). Do your best to come to me quickly… Please, come before winter.
Paul was lonely, bored, discouraged and about to face an awful trial. He needed his church family to stand with him. Read it and you’ll be moved by his words. But, we’ll have to come back to that another day.
I’m sure you sense how much I love 2 Timothy 4. It is a great text for the life of every follower of Jesus and every local church in the world. When you attend churches anywhere in the world, you should expect to experience a wide array of differences -- language, worship forms, music styles, etc. But those things do not stand at the core of what a church must be. Wherever the church of Jesus Christ is found, these three “essentials” found in Paul’s last words, must be central:
- We must hear the voice of our Father when we come together. His Word must instruct us about how to think and how to live.
- When we hear that Word and obey it, our lives and our churches should radiate a confident and hope-filled faith.
- We must be people where people love and care for people -- as God loves and cares for us.
If you keep those three essentials are at the heart of your life and we keep them at the heart of our church your church, we will together, I believe, live well and we will bring glory to the Lord.
Chinese Study Notes
基本要素:話語,信心和群體
提後3:16-4:8
一周來我一直在準備這篇信息,也想到我兩年半前過世的父親。他是在30多歲時相信耶穌的。此後終其一生屬靈生命不斷成長,時刻保持警醒。在他生命的最後階段,他很清楚他的身體極其衰弱,他的時間已經不多。在他過世前不久, 我們有一段非常美好的通話。我清楚地記得在我們即將掛斷電話的時候,他說 “Greg,結束前我有兩句話想和你說,第一,我愛你並以你為榮,特別是你對神話語的忠心。第二,我堅信主召我回家,我也一心盼望。我很興奮就要與主面對面。”
這讓我想到提摩太后書,使徒保羅在意識到他在世時日不多時寫了這封信,就像他在4:6節說的,“我離世的時候到了。” 在這次提摩太后書的系列講道中,提姆派克牧師,華盛頓博士和我都相繼指出使徒保羅的最後一封書信重點強調聖經在個體信徒生活和教會生活中的核心地位。整卷書信的要點以3:16-17做了總結:
“聖經都是神所默示的(或作:凡神所默示的聖經),於教訓、督責、使人歸正、教導人學義都是有益的,叫屬神的人得以完全,預備行各樣的善事。”
我在這最後一篇信息中就是要轉向使徒保羅最後書信中的最後遺言。如果我們知道自己的時日不多時,我們都會講我們認為最重要的事;我想使徒保羅也是如此。所以,在他最後書信的最後一章中,我相信保羅要為我們指出,對每位信徒和每間教會的生活都是最重要的基本要素。
本章自然分為三個部分—每一部分都講到一些教會生活的基本要素。我相信保羅所講到的這些基本要素,對任何時間、任何地點的耶穌門徒和地方教會而言都是至關重要的。
基本要素#1: 當我們聚會時,必須花時間聽天父的話(4:1-5)“我在神面前,並在將來審判活人死人的基督耶穌面前,憑著他的顯現和他的國度囑咐你:務要傳道”(提後4:1-2a)
我們為何要尊神的話為中心?(4:1)上帝在這裡,耶穌必快快再臨
第1節讓我想到一位演講者正敲著桌子大喊,“如果你們其它的都沒聽進去,這個一定要聽!”使徒保羅在這裡告訴提摩太要張開耳朵傾聽所有信徒都相信的事實,即神一直在我們中間,在他百姓的聚會中。他說,“在神並基督耶穌面前。”換句話說,神當下正在我們中間,我們要傾聽的正是他。保羅接著說,當基督再來時,他要審判活人死人。因此,當我們聚集時,我們要花時間認識神,就是我們將要站在他面的,此刻正在我們中間的那一位。
你相信這一點嗎?神在我們中間,有一天你將跟他面對面為生命交帳?你如果相信,你也會意識到當你打開神的話語時,你要警醒—關上手機,集中精神—仔細傾聽,做好準備回應。
神的百姓聚集敬拜時要做什麼?務要傳道(4:2a)
使徒保羅帶著極大熱情呼召提摩太牧師—以及所有蒙召向人傳講話語的—要確保每次神的百姓聚集,都要傳講神的話。講道的意思就是:傳講神在聖經中已啟示的—關於他自己,關於這個世界、人生以及如何生活—並呼召人們來回應神的話。教會也要做別的事—但這件事必須做。
這件事為何是首要的呢?因為神的話是人們最需要的。人們可能會從治療師收到好建議或在劇院得到享受。在教會的聚會中也許會聽到討好人的建議—但最重要的是,神的資訊是宣講的中心。你去教會的時候,最需要的是聽到神的話。有趣的注腳或娛樂性的故事可以是資訊的一部分—但人們需要的可不只是故事或笑話。我們都需要從神來的話語。因此,當你來到教會,無論你是孩童,學生或老人,都要帶著一顆渴慕神話語的心。
從神而來的信息對你的生活有何意義?責備人、警戒人、勸勉人(4:2b)
“責備、警戒、勸勉”這三個詞是你在教導神的話語時,需要為所教的人迫切禱告的—你也要為自己祈求,在聽到神的話語時有這三件事發生在人的生命中:
- 當你滑向錯誤邊緣,好的講道會讓你面對並進行糾正,引導你的心思。
- 當你遇到試探要離開神時,講道會挑戰,責備,帶領你重回神面前。
- 當你因著不斷掙扎和失望疲憊不堪地來到教會時,一篇從神來的講道會及時地激勵你前行。
對所有坐在這裡的牧師們或教會中的教師們來說,第2節最後部分的教導實在非常寶貴。要竭力1. 用“百般的忍耐”:如果你教的人看來沒反應或感到無聊,不要感到受挫;要愛他們,使他們得益。你對他們有耐心時,神就與你同在。2.用“各樣的教導”:努力作神話語的好學生。盡可能好地做預備,教導神的話並求聖靈工作。聖靈要借著道所成就的遠超過你所求所想---超過你的任何想像。
當神的話是敬拜中心的時候,你應該期待什麼? 因為時候將到。。。他們將掩耳不聽真理。。。(4:3-4).
當我讀3-4節時, 我覺得保羅是在說21世紀的教會。保羅預見了將來有一天,人們不再認真傳講神的話。為什麼?一些人覺得很難認同那信息,一些人則覺得無關痛癢。聖經告訴你,要不斷學習神的話並應用在這世界所發生的事情上。不過當有人掩耳不聽真理時,你不要覺得奇怪。
我不敢忽略第3節的這句:人們為自己的耳朵能被呵癢得舒服,召來許多教師。“呵癢耳朵”就是要聽聳人聽聞的事。聖經沒有要我們不理睬別人想聽什麼和他們的需要是什麼,但這些不可能左右我們的講道。我們必須從神認為我們所需要的開始。當你正確地理解神所說的,我相信你會看見神的話直指人最深的需要。
因此我鼓勵你常常從神的話開始,努力明白它的信息,然後以禱告的心去想如何應用在人們今天的生活中;並照著神給你的恩賜去傳講教導。每個教會都必須做到第一個基本要素,神的話必須要被解開並傳講。
基本要素#2: 我們必須以在我們主裡的信心和確信回應神的話 (4:6-8) … 我離開世界的時候已經臨到了。。。有那公義的冠冕為我存留。。。
這是非常個人性的一段,保羅把神的話應用在自己的處境中。他的一生和他的事工面對過許多挑戰:沉船、被鞭打、被監禁、被拒絕。。。但在寫本書時,他所面對的是人類最具挑戰性和最關切的經歷,即肉體的死亡。在這精彩的三節中,保羅帶給我們對死亡的二方面認識,從此讓信耶穌的人與世人截然不同。
第一方面: 以死為祭 我已經在被澆奠了
酒祭一詞出自民數記15:1-10,指的是向神獻燔祭和平安祭時把就澆奠其上,容器裡的酒都必須潑出。保羅視自己的死為給神的祭奠,因此不久的死期就是完全獻給主的機會。
這帶給我們深刻的啟示,就是一個耶穌的門徒應該如何面對生命中的艱難---甚至面對絕症?我們應該如何走出來?聖經教導說不要自怨自艾,不要瘋狂地求神跡或逃避。神也許會行神跡,我們當然可以為神的榮耀而求神跡---我自己就親身經歷了。但是從保羅學到的是,艱難是一個機會,可以顯示在一生任何處境---或順或逆---都要委身於主。
提摩太后書第4章曾在我人生看來最糟的時候對我直接說話---當我被診斷出有癌症,當我的哥哥被一個酒駕的司機撞死的時候,我曾自問:我是否還繼續信靠主?我承認這不容易回答!特別對那些自足的人,他們就更難說出“不管何境遇,我都信靠主”。人們自然而然的想法是凡事靠自己;但有時偏偏自己搞不定,這時我們就要想想是否我們應該像孩子信靠父母那樣去信靠耶穌。這是一個良心的決定:信耶穌或不信耶穌!我所見證的是,我看見主在任何時候都值得信賴!
這就是這段經文所說的。保羅在監獄裡面對死亡時做了一個良心的決定,他的選擇是:以信心面對死亡而不是以焦慮面對;並且在死亡面前依然像他多次凱旋時那樣信靠神!他決心向世界展現一個基督徒是怎樣死的---在死亡中依然信心滿滿。他將生命完全澆奠在神的祭壇前。
而第二個比喻使這個決定更清楚。
第二方面: 視死如歸 我離開世界的時候已經臨到了
保羅用的“離開”不僅僅是人通常說的從自己的世界死去,雖然世人的用法有時和我們很相近,表達離開此世界的某個位置去向彼世界。但我想,這裡的要點是,死對基督徒來說,不是一個終點而是一個出發點。
有意思的是,英文中“離開”一詞常指船啟航,當船收繩提錨之後,就可以啟航了,這時常用的“離開”一詞。保羅一生有無數旅行,但他相信最偉大的一次就是當下的:他很快就要旅行到永恆的家鄉,與主見面。從6-8節,你可以看見他有這樣的信心。
讓我從教牧的觀點講,我相信在耶穌裡的信心可以改變我們生命的方方面面,但可以看到的最富於戲劇性的改變是我們在面對死亡時的信心與世人截然不同。注意在這些節裡,保羅不是在擔心他的葬禮,而是在展望他的未來。
世上沒有一個宗教或哲學能使人在生命的終點,面對死亡時有如此積極的指望。保羅就是在終點大有平安的人,他在第7節回顧自己的一生說:“我在世上的生命已經接近終點。該跑的路程,我已經跑盡了;當守的信仰,我已經持守了 ”。
他在第8節更充滿樂觀精神:“此後,有那公義的冠冕為我存留,就是主——公義的審判者要在那一天回報給我的。”注意保羅的信心---“為我存留。。。公義的審判者要在那一天回報給我的”。我告訴你們:他是一個有永生確信的人!這確信不是來自他做過什麼,而是來自他一生委身並將來還繼續委身的那一位。
我們也可以有同樣的信心,因為它不只是給偉大的使徒保羅。正如他非凡地宣告:這冠冕不僅給我,“也要給所有愛慕他顯現的人”。
這是我的要點:若我們傳講神的話並因此而活(基本要素#1),就會流淌出生命的信心。當我們委身耶穌時,確信與平安所帶來的信心就會貫穿我們的人生,不管這世界怎樣對我們;當我們教會傳揚神的話並信靠耶穌時,平安與信心就會成為教會的標誌,不管世界上發生什麼。
人可以離棄教會,但神不會離棄;當局可能會壓迫我們,但所有的權柄都在神之下;錢可能有缺少的時候,但神不會讓他的子民缺乏。這就是第二基本要素:當教會聚會的時候,我們一定要在神的裡面更新我們的信仰,讓我們的敬拜充滿他同在的信心。
我就在此結束---保羅在9-21節還給出了第三基本要素,是關於基督徒共同體的。
基本要素 #3 (另一天用): 我們的教會必須是人人相愛的地方 (4:9-21). 你要儘快到我這裡來 。。。你要在冬天以前儘快趕來。。。
保羅在面對邪惡的審判時是孤獨寂寞灰心的,他需要教會大家庭來支援。只要讀一下,就會感受他的心情。但我們要在另外一天回到這裡。
我確定你已經感到我是多麼喜歡提摩太后書第4章-----對世界上每一間教會和每一個耶穌的門徒的生命都是非常重要的。當你去到世界上不同的教會,會感受到有許多不同,比如語言、敬拜方式、音樂形式等等;但這些都不應該是一個教會的核心所在。不管在哪裡的耶穌基督的教會都應該具備保羅在最後的話中所確立的這三個“基本要素”,而且是以此為中心的:
- 我們聚會時一定要聽到天父的聲音,一定要讓他的話指導我們的思想生活。
- 當我們聽到並順從神的話時,我們的生活和教會必然發出信望愛的光彩。
我們一定要成為彼此相愛的人,如同神愛我們一樣。如果我們把這三個基本要素放在生命的中心,並在教會中持守,我相信我們就會和睦相處,榮耀上帝。
Small Group Questions
Read 2 Timothy 4
- Read verse 1. What does it mean to you that one day you will appear before God who will judge the living and the dead?
- Verses 3 and 4 tell us what will happen in the last days. What does Paul tell Timothy to do in response to the people who turn aside and hear what only they want to hear?
- In verse 2, Paul tells Timothy to “be prepared in season and out of season.” What are you doing to prepare yourself as a minister of the gospel in this way?
- Read Verses 6 to 8. How do you feel as you read those verses? Where does Paul’s confidence come from that he is so bold to say these things?
- Reflect on these ‘famous last words’ of Paul in verses 6 to 8. How do his words affect you and motivate you to live the way you should in God’s eyes? Are there any areas of your life that you need to change in order to “fight the good fight” and finish the race well? Who can you tell who can keep you accountable to that change?