FBC Morning Light – August 17, 2022

Well, a good Wednesday morning to you, and it's appropriate on this Wednesday that we're looking at 2 Timothy 2

.15, and I say that because as a child growing up, I attended

Iwana clubs like a lot of young people back in the day, and

Iwana clubs were held on Wednesday nights in our church, and the theme verse for that

ministry was 2 Timothy 2 .15, study to show thyself approved unto God, a

workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth, and that's in our reading

today, and so I want to highlight that verse because

it has a two -fold application.

Paul is writing to Timothy, and Timothy is a pastor who

has the responsibility of preaching and teaching the word of God, and

that's why he's primarily writing to him as a pastor, as one who teaches the word,

and he's telling him, listen, you need to be diligent, you need to give all diligence

to present yourself an approved workman, a workman of God's that does not

need to be ashamed, and the way you demonstrate that, the

effect of that diligence, is that you rightly divide the word of truth.

That is, you teach it accurately, you preach it accurately, you understand it clearly,

you study it thoroughly so that you do understand it, and then are able to communicate that to

others, rightly dividing the word of truth.

That's critically important for God's people, because Paul goes on to say, you need to shun

profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.

So rather than just spouting off your opinion about things and just

rambling about meaningless drivel from the pulpit or from the lectern,

you need to shun that, because what that will do is encourage ungodliness

among God's people.

He says that as that happens, in verse 17, the message of ungodliness, of

profane and idle babblings, will spread like a cancer and ruin people,

destroy people.

Then he gives a couple of examples of individuals who've done that very thing, these two guys,

Hymenaeus and Philetus.

Remember the other day, if you heard Monday's broadcast, I talked about how there are some

in the course of the work of the ministry who can be a heartache to the pastor.

I mentioned these two individuals back in chapter 1, remind myself of their names,

Phagellus and Hermogenes.

Paul was distressed over how they had forsaken him and forsaken the ministry and forsaken the word.

But now he brings up a couple more individuals, Hymenaeus and Philetus, and they were a grief to him because

they strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already passed

and they overthrow the faith of some.

And so Paul is exhorting Timothy, listen, don't fall into the trap of Hymenaeus and

Philetus.

How do you avoid that trap?

By giving all diligence to show yourself an approved workman, one who rightly divides

the word of truth.

That's the application and the primary application of this for those of us in the work of the ministry.

But I think there's also an application of this for the person in the pew, if you will,

for just the everyday Christian.

I think that you too, all of us, have the responsibility of being diligent

to know the truth of God's word, so that if you happen to turn on the

television and you come across one of these TV evangelist guys, and he's very eloquent,

probably a whole lot more eloquent and charismatic than your pastor, that's for sure, and you're drawn in

by this guy's speech, are you going to be led astray

if he's a heretic or if he's preaching and teaching error?

How will you avoid that?

How can you discern whether someone is proclaiming that which is heretical or that which is

untruth, or a distortion of biblical truth that will

further ungodliness rather than godliness?

How will you know?

By being well -equipped with the word yourself.

Don't assume that 2 Timothy 2 .15 is just for pastors.

It's not.

It's really for all of us.

All of us who claim the name of Christ and claim to believe the word

of God, that we actually know it, that we give diligence to know it and to divide it

rightly, to understand it correctly.

As you go to church, maybe tonight in a prayer meeting, or you go

to church on Sunday morning and you're listening in a Sunday school lesson or to the preaching in Sunday morning service or

Sunday evening service, when you go to church, be attentive, be listening, be

alert, be diligent about it, so that you can rightly understand

God's word.

By the way, just a hint, take some notes.

Have a pen and paper in hand when you're sitting in a teaching setting or a preaching setting, so that

you might learn and grow and rightly divide the word of truth.

Just part of diligence.

That's just a suggestion.

All right, let's pray.

Father, I do thank you for your word and thank you for its impact in our lives.

It does help us and protect us and grow us in godliness.

But Father, help us to be diligent about our taking in of and studying and understanding the word,

that we may divide it rightly, we may understand it correctly, and avoid the errors that lead to

ungodliness.

This we pray in Jesus' name.

Amen.

All right, well, have a good rest of your Wednesday, and I trust the Lord will bless you in it.

Good day.