BEFORE I GO: Some Final Instructions, Part 2–BE STRONG!

The Christian life is not just difficult—it is impossible. There has only been one Person who has perfectly lived the Christian life and that is Christ Himself. The bad news is you can’t do it.  The good news is you don’t have to—for Christ is in you to live His life through you.  

You are not saved by the work of Christ and sanctified by your work.  It is all of Christ and therefore all of grace. Elsewhere, Paul stated, “Therefore, as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him” (Col. 2:6). He described his own experience this way, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Gal. 2:20)—all Christ is for all God demands. 

There are three areas Paul describes in 2 Timothy 2 that demand God’s power to be at work in us, so we can be strong.

BE STRONG IN SERVING (v. 1-7). We are saved to serve. See Paul’s stress on our “aim is to please,” the Lord (v.4); as “a worker,” (v.15); that is, we are “a vessels…ready for every good work” (v. 20-21); being “the Lord’s servant,” (v. 24). 

The Apostle shares INSTRUCTIONS FOR SERVANTS (v. 1-2). For the demands of Christian service, we can be “strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”  Yet, this grace is not given to Lone Rangers who serve in isolation, but God gifts the different members of the Body of Christ to accomplish more together than they could ever by themselves.  

The strength of massive redwood trees that tower into the sky, and have resisted storms for millennia, is found in their extending roots that interlock with other redwoods. They stand and grow together! 

Look at the discipleship chain here. You be faithful to find others who are faithful that can in turn raise up more to be faithful.  Don’t forget that God means for your home to be a discipleship factory as well, (cf.1:5).  

Next, we note ILLUSTRATIONS OF SERVANTS (v. 3-7). 

The first illustration is that of a soldier on the battlefield (v. 3-4). There is a dedication required—a painful price to pay for commitment. We are to be faithful and focused—seeking to please Christ our Commander.  

The second illustration is of a sportsman in the arena (v. 5).There is a discipline demanded—for no athlete excels without intensity and integrity. You can’t take shortcuts or you are disqualified. How many “winners,” become “loser,” disqualified for performance enhancing drugs? The Bible is our rulebook!  

The third illustration is of a sower in the harvest (v. 6). There is a determination required. Hard work and hopeful waiting join hands in the field. For the farmer there is toil and trust, effort and expectation, patience and productivity. 

We must be strong in serving.  Furthermore, BE STRONG IN SUFFERING (v. 8-13). Paul underscores suffering here (v.9)  At the center of Christian faith stands a cross. Jesus summons us to come and die.  Yet, the way we live is to die (v. 11).

Consider, THE STANDARD OF SUFFERING (v. 8-9). “Remember Jesus Christ”—as the supreme standard of suffering. He never asks us to go where He has not been. Paul was following in His Master’s steps up the Calvary Road.  

The writer of Hebrews put it, 

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (12‬:‭1‬-‭2‬‬)

Even as Christ by His death conquered the power of death, Paul’s chains did not bind the Gospel, but liberated it. No grave could confine Christ and no prison can shackle the Gospel!  

So, we are called to THE SHARING OF SUFFERING (v.10-13) “with him” is repeated three times. It is in union with Christ that we have His might to enable us.  Look back at 1:8 where we are bidden to share in suffering for the sake of the Gospel.  

There is a mystery in the sovereign election of God and the responsibility of man to obtain it—along with the agency of witnesses to communicate it (v.10).  

First, the cross and then the crown; first, pain and then the prize!  His faithfulness will keep you faithful—this is the perseverance of the saints (v.11) and note the “if.”  When we see some fall away, it doesn’t mean that the promises of God have failed, but that Christ did not truly indwell them, for those He is in abide in Him! 

Be strong in serving, suffering, and BE STRONG IN STUDYING (v.14-26). Paul emphasizes, “the word of truth,” (v.15); warns of those who have, “swerved from the truth,” (v.18); those “able to teach” (v. 24), and mentioning, “the knowledge of the truth,” (v. 25).  

God’s grace is required to open our reception of the truth, our comprehension of the truth, and in our application of the truth. We do not study the Bible as we would a textbook, written by men, but as a supernatural message inspired by God. It is the sword of the Spirit in the valiant soldier’s hand. It is the standard of the Scripture in the victorious sportsman’s hand. It is the seed of our salvation in the faithful sower’s hand. 

God’s grace in the Word is FOR DISCERNMENT (v.14-21).  We discern what is primary and worth fighting for and what is peripheral and worthless fighting over (v.14). There are hills to die on, but don’t make mountains out of molehills, because such nit-picking over non-essentials only brings ruin to the audience. 

There is diligence required for studying Scripture,(v.15).  I challenge you to be a student of the Word, but sadly many will splash around in the shallow end of the pool rather than plunge into the deep end. 

Why? 

It’s hard. It takes discipline!  Because of Scriptural illiteracy, there is spiritual immaturity and many fall prey to godless babble and gangrenous error (v.16-18). 

Just because an author is a best-seller or a preacher has a big following doesn’t mean you should blindly swallow what they are saying!  You need to see if what I am telling you aligns with God’s Word. 

Look at Paul’s warning in Ephesians 4:13-16, as he urges us onwards:

“until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”

Failure in discernment is why you will have pastors and church folk who will endorse abortion and embrace perversion!  The professed faith of many is futile, but for those whose minds are saturated with Scripture, their foundation is firm (v.19). 

What kind of church member are you—a vessel for honorable use or dishonorable use?  (v. 20-21). A china plate or a chamber pot?  If you cannot discern the difference, don’t invite me over for a meal at your house!  

The kind of member you are will depend on the kind of student you are—particularly, from whom you learn. Paul was an honorable vessel—a special instrument set apart for the Master, and prepared for every good work. 

In contrast, Hymanaeus and Philetus were dishonorable vessels.  Timothy needed to purge his mind from such garbage they were spewing (v. 21), so he might follow Paul’s example and be an honorable vessel too. There is a connection between theology and morality, between conviction and conduct, doctrine and devotion. Let a man depart from the truth of the Word and he will soon descend into the trash of the world. 

God’s grace in the Word is for discernment, and also FOR DELIVERANCE (v. 22-26). It is not surprising then that Paul moves from the warning about shunning false teaching to fleeing filthy living.  We must be reminded that knowing the truth is good, but not good enough.  We must be doers of the Word and not hearers only, lest we deceive ourselves as James warns, (cf. James 1:22). 

May God deliver us from the sinful passions of our youth (v. 22a)!  By the way, you don’t have to be a youth to succumb to the sins of youth.  You can be a dirty old man!  The grace that comes to us from the Word is to guard us from evil, so we can flee it, but also to guide us into holiness that we may follow it, namely, “pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace” (v. 22b). 

The church is to be a hothouse where members are plants that are rooted and grow into fruitful believers, “along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart,” (v. 22c). In tending tender young plants, preachers and teachers cannot be brutal, but must be gentle—not demanding, but patient (v. 23-24).  Jesus’ model was, “a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench” (Matt.12:20). Sinners aren’t the enemy.  They are brainwashed by Satan. Therefore, we are to love them and lead them to Jesus!

SERMON PREP 101

“Peter explained it to them in order.” – Acts 11:4 

Dr. Stephen Olford—one of the best examples and equippers of expository preaching writes this about Acts 11:4:

Here is the correct way to rehearse, declare, or teach the Truth. Paul says, when writing to the          Corinthians, “Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Cor. 14:40), and it applies here as well. To expound Truth in or by order presupposes: 

Study. No one can expound on a subject about which he knows nothing.  In this case, Peter had seen the vision, had heard God speak, and had a  good grasp of the Truth which God sought to impart. 

Sequence. There is no order where there is no sequence. All thoughts or  points should be marshaled in order of sequence. 

System or Synthesis. The putting together of the message ready to be  delivered. 

Lord, enable me to approach the preaching and teaching of Your Word in a worthy manner. (According to Your Word, p.99, Kindle version)

So, I would summarize the results of this as: study—yielding the accurate interpretation of the text; sequence—producing a systematic organization of the points; synthesis—birthing an understandable presentation of the message.

SCRIPTURAL SATURATION

 

When first introduced to Stephen in Acts 6, we are told he was “a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit,” (Acts‬ ‭6‬:‭5‬‬). This fullness of faith came from a Scripturally saturated life. Paul stated that, “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God,” (Rom. 10:17). So, it stands to reason that the more of God’s Word we have in us, the fuller our faith will be. Likewise, we are called to obedience, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only,” (James 1:22a). This yielding to Scripture is the emptying of self and the filling of the Spirit. Stephen sets the standard of a Scripturally saturated servant of God such as all God’s preachers need to be. 

He was BIBLICAL IN HIS EXPOSITION, (Acts 7:1-50). Stephen based his sermon on the Old Testament. He was able to speak spontaneously because he had studied scrupulously. Jesus promised, “A good man put of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things,” (Matt. 12:35). Yet, the Spirit can only bring out what we have put in!  Too many preachers have been like Old Mother Hubbard who went to her cupboard to get her poor dog a bone, and when she got there the cupboard was bare so the poor dog had none.”  We cannot feed God’s flock on Sunday morning, if we have not filled our soul with the Word during the week. 

He was BOLD IN HIS EXHORTATION, (Acts 7:51-60). Because His sermon was Biblical, his stand was bold. He did not waver from the truth. His communication confronted the congregants with the need for commitment to that truth. He was only responsible for being faithful; the hearers were accountable for their response. 

Stephen saw the rejection of the message by the listeners. If everyone is pleased with what we say, then it is likely the Lord is not. “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets,” (Lk. 6:26). They extolled the false prophets for they told them what they wanted to hear instead of the truth they needed to know.

But, Stephen also saw the reception of him as messenger by the Lord. As Stephen sealed his testimony with his own blood, the Lord honored his man by standing up, ready to welcome him, when he arrived home in heaven. I think of the old Gospel song, William Willingham—one of my Bible professors at Fruitland—used to sing:

It will be worth it all
when we see Jesus!
Life’s trials will seem so small
when we see Christ.
One glimpse of his dear face,
all sorrow will erase.
So, bravely run the race
till we see Christ. (Lyrics and Music: Esther Kerr Rusthoi)

This is the satisfaction waiting the man of Scriptural saturation!  Now, open that Book!  Digest the truth, so you may declare it faithfully and fearlessly!

INTAKE BEFORE OUTFLOW

 

 Old Mother Hubbard 
Went to the Cupboard,
 To give the poor Dog a bone;
 When she came there,
 The Cupboard was bare,
 And so the poor Dog had none.

As a preacher of God’s Word, we cannot give what we do not have. There must be intake before there can be outflow. If the spring is not flowing, then we cannot draw out water. Our people come to us, thirsty and longing for the Water of Life. Is the well dry?

We may all feel that way at times. Having given and given and given—we are poured out and exhausted—with nothing left to give. Yet, here comes another Lord’s Day and the assembling of the saints to drink. They are thirsty. The world they have functioned in all week has drained them dry. They look to the pulpit for help. What will you do?  Jesus provides the solution. 

There must be DESIRE. He says, “If anyone thirsts.”  

Self-sufficiency may drain our desire. Pride calls us to self-sufficiency. It’s our job to give the people the Lord’s message and satisfy their spiritual thirst.  We have been to seminary. We are the Bible experts. So, we function as professionals, just doing our job. There will be no outflow of grace from such a pulpit, for there has been no intake. God gives grace to the humble, and not the self-sufficient.

Carnal satisfaction can deplete our desire. Rather than the intake from the tributaries of truth in Scripture, we may satiate ourselves at this world’s well.  Distracted by electronic devices, addicted to worldly amusements, and gorged with fleshly pursuits, we think on Saturday night, we can borrow some other preacher’s bucket and share the contents of his intake with the thirsty Sunday morning crowd. 

Jeremiah speaks to this:  “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns—broken cisterns that can hold no water.” (‭Jer. 2‬:‭13‬‬). 

God forbid that we be a broken cistern!  Let us desire to drink deeply of Christ all week long through the fountain of the Spirit-inspired Scriptures.  Then, no matter how demanding our week has been, we may claim the promise, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled,” (Matt. 5:6). 

There must then be DIRECTION.  Jesus said, “let him come to me.”

Good intentions will not get the job done. We may have meant to dive deeply into the text we are to preach, but so many good things have detoured us from the primary task. I think of the Apostles, in the early days of the church. The congregation was growing exponentially, conflict arose, ministry demands intensified, and the church turned to the leadership. Their response was to install other godly men to care for those needs, for they said, “we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word,” (Acts 6:4). There must be delegation of many tasks, if there is to be the declaration of mighty truths. 

Wrong direction will keep us from the right direction. There is a place for reading commentaries and listening to podcasts. But, we must prioritize seeking Jesus. Our agenda is to drink deeply of Him, before we dive deeply into research. Pray much before you study long—to seek the Savior and not just create a sermon. You will be amazed how if you are in the Word with regularity, the Lord will fill you up, so you can pour out. Prayer and the ministry of the Word are inseparable.

Finally, this calls for DECISION. Our Lord said, “drink.”

The old adage is, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.”  I can present this, but you can ignore it. You may nod your head and say, “Amen,” with your lips, while returning to the old rut of doing what you’ve always done. You may feel guilty and so drained as to despair and quit the ministry. Some preachers go down in flames of moral failure, while others just fade away.  

It is time to come and drink. Open your heart to Christ anew. The Holy Spirit promises to flow into you and then out of you!  That outflow will be “rivers of living water,” not a trickle, but a torrent!  You may be drained, but the Spirit within you never is—not even a bit—from His boundless supply. 

Let us seek the Lord, brothers. God will supply the outflow if you take care of the intake.

TAKING IN THAT WE MIGHT GIVE OUT

In the book, “Anointed Expository Preaching,” written by Stephen Olford with his son, David, it states: 

Therefore, like Jehovah's Servant (the Lord Jesus Himself), we must be able to say, “The Lord God has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear to hear as the learned. The Lord God has opened My ear; and I was not rebellious, nor did I turn away” (Isa. 50:4–5; see also Mark 1:35). Jesus never missed His quiet time. Dare we do anything less? It is estimated that the average pastor spends less than ten minutes per day in this devotional discipline. God have mercy on us!

To cram in study on a Saturday night for a Sunday sermon, as one might foolishly try to do before taking a big test the next day is as likely to fail!  Our need to study goes beyond even examining the text that we are preaching. There is a need to feed—to take in from God’s Word that we might serve Him productively. Fervent devotion in seeking Christ on a daily basis will yield fruitful delivery in sharing Christ on a Sunday morning. Our cup will be filled to overflow, spilling out grace and truth to the congregation. Otherwise, our soul will shrivel from malnourishment and there will be no power in the pulpit. The ears of men and women might be tickled by a gifted communicator, but the heart of the people will not be transformed apart from one who has experienced that touch of the Spirit from His inspired Word, day after day.

Don’t be an emaciated expositor!  Take in, so you may give out!

STUFF I’VE LEARNED THAT SEMINARY DIDN’T TEACH ME #24

Never stop learning. When a tree ceases to grow, that tree is dead!  That will be true of you. Oh, you might be still walking and doing stuff, but so do the walking dead in zombie movies. That is hardly how you want to be.  Leaders are learners. You can even learn from those you do not totally agree with—remember that everyone may not be as brilliant as you, yet still have something to say. After all, a broken clock is right twice a day!  With some authors and preachers, you must eat the meat, but spit out the bones!  I understand that we are warned of those, “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (2 Timothy‬ ‭3:7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬). Yet, but a little later, Paul instructs student Timothy, “ “But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” (‭3:14-15‬). What makes the difference?  In the former case, one judges truth by the world’s distorted lens, while in the latter, we judge truth by the Word’s eternal lens.

APPROVED

“Be diligent to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15 CSB)

The commendation of a pastor by the congregation is important.  However, the truth is that a shepherd of God’s flock has a higher pursuit— approval by the Great Shepherd.  

Commitment in the study of God’s Word with a passion to be correct in the sharing of God’s Word is the elders’ great assignment.  He must do many other things, but feeding the flock of God is paramount.  If he fails here, then he fails.  

Hopefully, the sheep will appreciate the meal, but even if they turn their noses up at it or look for another pasture where more sweet treats are offered, the man of God must dig into the Word of God, stand upon it, and speak it with accuracy and authority.  

For this, he will give account to God.

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW

Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”  (Matthew 13:52)

The wedding tradition for the bride says she is to wear:

Something old,
something new,
something borrowed,
something blue,
and a silver sixpence in her shoe.

This is supposed to bring the couple good fortune.

What Jesus says here is much the same, except He is not talking about tradition, but truth, and this is not about superstition, but Scripture.  It is not aimed at a bride at her wedding, but for the Bride of Christ in her worship.  The pastor, in this case, is responsible for bringing something old and something new to the celebration of love at 11 AM on Sunday.

He is to be a student, scholar, and teacher.  He is a “scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven.”  A scribe was one who had immersed himself in knowing the truth, and was skilled in communicating the truth.  You cannot tell what you do not know.  The preacher must not be like Old Mother Hubbard who went to her cupboard and found it was bare!  How many come to the house of God hungry for a Word from heaven and don’t even get a bone, much less meat!  Still, we may have the ingredients from our personal study, but unless we know how to prepare a suitable meal and present it in a digestible and appealing form, the “wedding reception,” may still leave the guests unsatisfied.

The preacher is also the manager of the household property.   The state of the house and the care of the family wealth is in his hands.  We are entrusted with leading the family of God as pastors of a local church.  The treasure of truth—the wealth of the Word—is in our hands.  It is our privilege and responsibility to open the Bible each week and from that treasure chest to bring out something new and something old.  That is, the source of our material is old—given under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit—never to be amended.  We do not give any new revelation, but we can make new application for our times and audience.  There is a perennial freshness to the old Story for it is eternal truth—the same yesterday, today, and forever.  We dare not present it in a stale manner.  Our desire is for people to catch a new vision of God’s glory encountered in the old story.  I have found it to be an inexhaustible treasure of incalculable worth, and we can lead our people to experience that also.  If we are not excited about it, then it is understandable if our audience responds with a yawn of boredom, rather than a yell of joy!  God forbid!