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Every morning at the Shepherds Conference, we're given a conference chronicle. The very first day, this is what it said. Front page news as we come to the Shepherds Conference. And I quote right from the conference chronicle.
It will come as no surprise to hear that a recent Barna article titled U .S. lacks notable Christian leaders claims that one out of 20 U .S. adults think that Joel Osteen is the most significant Christian leader in America.
It's probably his smile. That wasn't in the article. What is more revealing about the sad state of mainline Protestantism are the studies dealing with church growth, attendance and the pastoral tenure.
For example, one study revealed that the number of Protestant churches in America has declined from more than 80 ,000 to about 72 ,000 and only 15 of all American adults associate with those churches.
Perhaps even more startling is the reality that 1 ,500 pastors leave the ministry every month. And if they do stay, they last only four years before moving to another congregation. Ironically, those same polls indicate that a pastor's greatest ministry impact comes in years 5 through 14.
That was what we were introduced with the first day at the Shepherds Conference. It goes a lot in line with what Scott was sharing with us. If you would, for tonight, turn with me to the epistle of 2 Timothy.
The epistle of 2 Timothy 3, beginning in verse 14. 2 Timothy 3, beginning in verse 14. Paul in writing to Timothy says, verse 14,. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing in his kingdom, preach the word, be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, and exhort with complete patience in teaching.
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to soothe their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. These are Paul's final words to young pastor Timothy. So you might be thinking to yourself, I can tune out now.
I'm not a pastor. I don't have to adhere to what Paul has to say here. But if you are a Christian, if God has saved you and you are a follower of the Lord, you are a member of his body, it's important to know what Paul outlines for Timothy here for two reasons.
Because you are a member of Christ's church. And secondly, it's important so that you can discern when the world or even the church says this is what ought to be happening in church, to be able to discern if it aligns with the word of God.
Most people begin this section in chapter 4, but as we know, the chapters are not inspired, right? Paul's exhortations here and actual commands, his advice, his final word to pastors begins in verse 14 where we read.
But what would today's pastors say? What would the advice today be in the 21st century? Could be something like preach Joel Osteen's message based on his books Becoming a Better You and It's Your Time.
Or the message or the advice could be to pastors, don't offend with the gospel. Or it could be, why don't you entertain so that you can draw a crowd or be politically correct for that matter. Or, you know, don't be so narrow minded.
Be inclusive, not exclusive. Make sure to please everyone. Be innovative in your thinking. Remember, creativity and spontaneity are the bedrocks of a solid ministry. Give the people what they want. That would be today's advice.
But as we will see, Paul is at opposite ends here with what he advises young pastor Timothy and his final word to him. We know these are Paul's final words because he says, as you will jump in chapter 4 there, verses 6 to 8, he says, I'm already being poured out as a drink offering and the time of my departure has come.
I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Henceforth, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day.
And not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing. This is Paul's swan song. This is it for him. He's at the end of his life. And these are his final words. And we know that somebody who is at the end of their life, last words are lasting words.
Timothy took these words to heart. And Paul here gives him ten imperatives, ten commands. And these verbs give the directives for pastors, for what the church is to be all about. Notice he says in verse 14, he begins with, but as for you, in contrast to what's happening in verse 13, notice verse 13 with me of chapter 3, actually going back to verse 12.
Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted while evil people and imposters will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But in contrast to that, as for you, Timothy, these are the things I want you to do.
And here are the ten imperatives that Paul gives, ten commands and his final word of advice to Timothy. Number one in verse 14, continue. He tells Timothy to continue. It's the same word that Jesus used in a number of occasions.
In John 15, the classic passage of the vine and the branches. I'm the vine, you're the branches. If you continue in my word, if you abide in my word, that's the same word Paul uses here. Jesus used that word in John 8.
If you abide in my word, if you continue in my teaching, then you are truly my disciples and you shall know the truth and the truth shall what? Set you free. Paul also uses this word in Colossians chapter 1 verses 22 to 23.
He has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, referring to Christ in order to present you a holy and blameless and above reproach before him. If indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard.
Paul is saying to Timothy, continue. But as for you, in contrast to what the world is doing, you continue. This is really the perseverance of the saints. That a true believer will not ultimately fall away from the faith, no matter what trials come their way.
God will preserve them till the end. Philippians 1 6. He who began, God is the one who began a good work in us. He will bring it to perfection, to completion. What was Timothy to continue in? Paul says in verse 14, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed.
What was that? The scriptures, the word of God. He continues in verse 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with what? The sacred writings. That is what the pastor is to continue in, is the word of God.
From whom did Timothy learn this? Paul said in verse 14, knowing from whom you learned it. From his mother and his grandmother. Earlier in the book, Paul made that very clear in chapter 1 verse 5. So Timothy, you learned these as a child growing up.
Continue in what you have learned in the sacred writings of scripture. Since when did he learn it? From infancy, from childhood. That's what he was acquainted with, the sacred writings. And Paul then goes on to demonstrate some functions of these sacred writings of the word of God, as he tells us here in verses 15 to 16.
And let me list them for you. As Paul says to Timothy, I want you to continue in the sacred writings of scripture. Basically why these is what it's going to do for you. Number one, the function of the word of God is salvation.
Salvation. And just to be consistent with Pastor Steve this morning, we'll have some ION endings. So it'll be easy to remember. Verse 15, how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
That's why Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable through the living and abiding word of God. The apostle James also said in chapter one of his epistle, receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to what?
Save your souls. It's the seed of the word of God that brings salvation. Remember Jesus' parable of the sower. The seed is what? The word of God. That is what we sow because it is the word that is alive and active, able to bring salvation.
Not only is the word for salvation. Number two, it's for instruction. Instruction, all scripture. Verse 16 is breathed out by God and profitable for what teaching. That's why we teach the word of God.
Number three, it's also for conviction. Conviction. All scripture is profitable for teaching and for reproof. Reproof. It has to do with conviction. The Greek word and length is the same word that Christ himself used to describe the ministry, the role of the Holy Spirit in John 16, eight when he said the spirit would convict the world of sin.
Same word Paul uses here. That's what the word of God does. It convicts. How does he do that? That is why the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword. Only scripture is living and active.
Only scripture can bring conviction. Number four, scripture is also good for correction. All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction. Actually, this is the only time this word in Greek is used here in the New Testament.
And it's an interesting word. It was used in extra biblical Greek of writing a falling object or helping back to their feet. Those who had stumbled to bring something all right again. That's what scripture does after it convicts because it is living and active.
It corrects us and brings us all right again. Number five, scripture is also useful for sanctification. For profitable, for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness. Training in righteousness.
Hebrews 12, the writer puts it this way. My son do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord. Nor be wary when he reproves, when reproved by him for the Lord disciplines those he loves. That's what scripture does.
It trains us. It disciplines us for righteousness. It's part of our sanctification. And finally, verse 17, scripture is useful for preparation. Preparation that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
So Paul is saying to Timothy, to pastors, his final word on his deathbed, so to speak. This is what I want you to continue in. Continue in the word of God that which you learn, the sacred writings. Because it's the word of God that brings salvation.
It's the word of God that brings instruction and conviction and correction and sanctification and preparation. This is my dear brothers and sisters, the sufficiency of scripture. Scripture is sufficient for all those things.
Why is it sufficient? Notice how he began verse 16. All scripture is breathed out by God. They opened this to us. The Greek term for a spirit, Numa. It's the word of God. It's not the word of men. No, God used men and didn't go contrary to their personalities.
You can see in their writings. It is ultimately the word of God. That is why Peter, the apostle, said in second Peter, chapter one. He was talking about the Mount of Transfiguration. He's talking about his experience there with Jesus and the other two, James and John.
And he says in verse 19 of chapter one of the second epistle. We have something more sure than that. Which is what? Verses 20 and 21. No prophecy of scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man.
But men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. This is the word of God. It is not the word of men. And this is what Paul tells pastors and young Timothy that they are to continue in.
Number two, what does he exhort Timothy with? To preach. Not only to continue, but to preach. Preach the word. Second Timothy four two. Seminary I went to, that was its motto back 25 years ago. It had a symbol of a Bible with a torch and fire coming out of it.
And it had in the Greek, second Timothy four two. Preach the word. Well, to say the least, they've changed their motto. Now it's a little bit softer. I believe the motto now is teach truth, love well.
How nice. I knew the seminary was going down when I graduated. Preach the word. Why is the pastor to preach? It's a sacred commission. It's a solemn oath. It's a serious ministry. Most pastors today do not realize the sacredness of the commission, nor the solemnity of the oath, nor the seriousness of the ministry.
Notice how Paul charged Timothy when he told him to preach the word in verse two. Verse one, he says, I charge you in whose presence? In the presence of God. And of whom? And of Christ Jesus. And what does he use to describe Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead and by his appearing in his kingdom?
Because of who Christ is, God, the judge, the king, you are to preach nothing else but the word of God. It's a solemn oath that a pastor is to take. Pastor Steve Lawson puts it well in his book Famine in the Land.
He says the following, quote,. Unfortunately, many men enter their puppets each Sunday without understanding or feeling the eternal weight of glory resting on their shoulders. And what more resembles sermon nets for Christian nets?
Casual discourses are becoming increasingly focused on massaging felt needs rather than along the biblical text to expose real needs. End of quote. The pastor is to preach the word of God. Again, why the word?
It's the word that saves. It's a word that instructs. It's the word that convicts. It's the word that corrects. It's the word that sanctifies. It's the word that prepares. This is the tool God has given us.
That is why Paul said to the Corinthians in the second epistle. Second Corinthians to 17. We're not like so many peddlers of God's word. Second Corinthians for two. He also says we refuse to tamper with God's word.
How dare we do that? This is the sacred word of God. We need more men like Richard Baxter men preaching as a dying man to dying men. Charles Spurgeon said once the moment the church of God shall despise the pulpit.
God will despise her. It's a young Christian. I remember reading in one of Pastor MacArthur's early books. Our sufficiency in Christ came out in 91. He said the following about the importance of preaching the word as Paul outlines to Timothy here.
And I quote simply preaching the word is out. It's too confrontive and the unvarnished gospel is too offensive. Bible exposition is deemed distasteful. Better to charm people first than slip the gospel in subtly.
Any pastor who follows that pattern and fails to preach the word is prostituting the ministry. Strong words. Many preachers today are fearful only of offending people. Hence, they preach an insipid, powerless message that is in fact an offense to God himself.
End of quote. Timothy preach the word. Pastors preach the word. The church is given the word to be preached. Number three, not only continue in the word, Timothy, not only preach the word, Timothy, but number three, be ready.
Be ready. He tells him second Timothy to 15 earlier in the epistle. He says to Timothy, do your best. Do your best. Your best for what? To present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed.
Rightly handling the word of truth. The Greek that is used there is interesting. It's almost like I remember back in the day we used to put up wallpapers. The other day I was painting 14 hours getting ready for the little baby room.
How exciting. But I was thinking when I used to put up wallpapers, it took longer than 14 hours because you had to have the seam seamless. Correct. That's the idea behind this. Study the word of God in such a way.
Do your best and present it in such a way that it is seamless because it is, after all, the word of God. When is Timothy to be ready? In season, he says there, and out of season. In other words, as Phil Johnson said, preach the word whether it's in fashion or it's not in fashion.
In season and out of season. Number four, he tells him, as we continue in chapter four, he tells him, reprove, reprove. It's the same word as Paul uses to describe the scripture in second Timothy 316 to reprove that convicting work of the Holy Spirit.
The pastor is to use the scripture to do this. Number five, he is to rebuke. He's just going through a list of these exhortations. Rebuke, he says to him. And Paul actually in Titus expands on this a little bit more.
In Titus chapter one, verse nine, he says he must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. That's not in today.
Rebuke. Paul said to Titus and what he's telling Timothy here and to pastors, his final words. The pastor's role is twofold is to give instruction in sound doctrine to teach the word of God, the truth, but also to rebuke those who contradicted.
It's to educate the church in the scriptures, but to expose false teachers. You heard it tonight from Acts 20. Paul was in tears, he says there to the Ephesian elders for three years. He was warning them because savage wolves were going to come from among them.
So educate, teach and preach the word, but expose false teachers. Remember our final couple of meetings at the church I was pastoring. I was trying to encourage the people to find a solid Bible based church.
And in doing so, I knew of some churches that they had been thinking about. So I exposed the churches for what they were. And one of the people took offense to that. And I said, listen, I've been involved with your children for 10 years.
And I do not want them to go to a church that is not Bible based. And I will sleep like a baby tonight. I have no problem telling you this is not the place you should send your kids to. We're to expose those who are teaching falsely and not the gospel, not the word of God.
Actually, further on in Titus 1, Paul makes it even stronger. This testimony is true. He says in Titus 1, 13, therefore, rebuke them sharply. Why sharply, Paul? That they may be sound in the faith. Paul tells Timothy to rebuke, but he doesn't end there.
Four more to go. He says to him, exhort, to exhort. Greek, it's the term used of the Holy Spirit, paraclete, parakaleo, to come alongside. The Holy Spirit is called alongside us. That is what he is to do as a pastor.
First Timothy 4, 13, he said, until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and to teaching. And how was Timothy to exhort? How are pastors, how are churches as they are led today to exhort?
With complete patience, the text says, and teaching. With complete patience and teaching. And here Paul almost sends us for an interlude, a little warning of an interlude before he continues telling Timothy and pastors today, this is my final word to you is how you are to lead and shepherd the church of Jesus Christ.
He sends him on a little interlude. Notice what he says, beginning in verse 3, verses 3 to 4 of chapter 4. For the time is coming. In other words, the four is a connective. He's saying, I want you, Timothy, a solemn charge in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus to preach the word.
Be ready in season and out of season. Reprove, rebuke, exhort with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears, they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into miz.
You would think at least today's advice would be to pastors. Well, because people are going to be turning away from the truth. Don't give them the truth. We don't want to turn people away. Give them what they want to hear.
Give them what their itching ears are asking for. But that's not what Paul is saying. He gives Timothy a warning. By the way, as you're preaching the word, no, Timothy, that people are going to turn away from the truth.
But preach the word. It's almost like Jeremiah, huh? He's one of my favorite Old Testament prophets. He was called the weeping prophet. If you read the book, at one point he was considering suicide. And you know what God's call to Jeremiah's ministry was?
You're going to speak the words that I give to you. That saves the Lord. But nobody is going to listen to you. Anyone want to sign up for that ministry? He said it throughout the first epistle to Timothy.
Paul did this warning about false teachers. 1 Timothy 1. Just listen to these verses highlighting what he says to him here in verses 3 and 4. As I urge you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus.
Why? So that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.
1 Timothy 4 .1. Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons. Chapter 6 of 1 Timothy. If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing.
He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words which produce envy, dissension, slander, and evil suspicions. Paul in his first epistle to Timothy had already prepared Timothy for this.
And now this is what he's reminding him of here. Despite the fact that people are going to turn away from the truth and follow false teachings and doctrines, I want you to still stay true and faithful to preach the Word.
I love how John Starr put it in his book Between Two Worlds. He says the following. There is an urgent need for courageous preachers in the pulpits of the world today, like the apostles in the early church, who were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God with boldness.
Neither men-pleasers nor time-servers ever make good preachers. We are called to the sacred task of biblical exposition and commissioned to proclaim what God has said, not what human beings want to hear.
Many modern churchmen suffer from a malady called itching ears, which induces them to accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own likings. But we have no liberty to scratch their itch or to pander their likings.
End of quote. Paul continues and finishes in the next verse, verse 5, what Timothy is to do as a pastor, the seventh exhortation. Be sober-minded. Be sober-minded. Just when you feel like it, Timothy.
Only when things get tough. Only when you're preaching the Word and giving people the truth and they're turning aside to Miz. But other times when they're not, you can relax. No, he says, be sober-minded always, the text says.
Always. Kind of the same feel as he had earlier. Be ready in season and out of season. Number eight, he tells them to endure suffering. Endure suffering. Suffering like Jeremiah might have gone through.
You're going to preach the Word, but know this, that people want their ears to be itched. He said this throughout the second epistle to Timothy. Paul talked about this suffering that he himself went through.
Timothy, remind you, is his son in the faith, right? His grandmother and his mother brought him up in the sacred writings. But Paul came along in Acts 16, took him under his wing, discipled him, and he calls him his son in the faith.
And he wants his son in the faith to emulate the suffering that Paul went through. Just listen to some verses throughout, sprinkled through 2 Timothy, where Paul highlights the suffering that he himself endured as a way to encourage Timothy to endure suffering.
1 .8. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in the suffering for the gospel by the power of God. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the Word of God is not bound. Therefore, I endure everything for the sake of the elect.
Paul was saying to Timothy, I'm suffering, I'm in chains, but nobody can change the Word of God. And I continue to endure for the sake of the elect. And in chapter 3, he also said to Timothy, you, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra, which persecutions I endured.
Yet from them all, the Lord rescued me. Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Endure suffering. It's going to come if you're faithful to the ministry that God has called you to.
Number nine, he tells them to do the work of an evangelist, to do the work of an evangelist, to give the gospel. The gospel of Jesus Christ, the uncompromising gospel of Jesus Christ. Richard Belcher said in his book, quote, if one were to suggest that the time would come when a group of evangelical Christians would be arguing for salvation without repentance, without a change of behavior or lifestyle, with a real avowal of the Lordship and authority of Christ, without perseverance, without discipleship, a salvation which does not necessarily result in obedience and works, and with a regeneration which does not necessarily change one's life, most believers of several decades ago would have felt such would be an absolute impossibility.
But believe it or not, the hour has come. Why? Because the pastor is not doing the work of an evangelist. Pastors today are called evangelists, but what evangelio are they giving? What gospel are they giving?
They're not giving the gospel of scripture. They're giving a man-centered gospel to fulfill man's needs rather than to bring glory to God. The purpose of evangelism, hold on to your seats, is not to win as many souls as possible.
The purpose of evangelism is to bring glory to God. We are to be zealous in our evangelism. That's what Paul is saying here. But Paul also said in Romans 9 that God gets the glory ultimately. And finally, Paul finishes with these words to young pastor Timothy.
Fulfill your ministry. Fulfill your ministry. In other words, be faithful. Be faithful to what God has called you to do. We don't produce the fruit. That's God's job. How dare we think that we can make fruit in a person's life?
God is to do that. We would usurp the authority of Almighty God if we thought we did that. Our role is to be faithful to what God has called us to do. And we leave the results to God. One of the reasons I appreciate Pastor Steve is as he shared this morning, he had written a letter to this pastor who said to people at this man's funeral, why don't you give Jesus a try?
Give him a try for three months. It's funny because my wife leaned over to me at that moment and she says, do they get a 90-day back guarantee? So he wrote him a letter to confront him about it. That's not couth today to do such a thing.
And I appreciate that because I've had to write a few letters because pastors are usurping the authority of the head of the church, Jesus Christ, when they don't do what Paul has outlined for pastors to do.
God has called us to be a part of his church. The head of the church is Jesus Christ. And to not do what he tells us to do is to usurp the authority of Jesus. If you ask any pastor, some of these two pastors I'm thinking in mind that I've communicated with, who is the head of the church?
Are you the head of the church or is Jesus? They would most definitely tell you it's Jesus. Well, then do what he says. Don't do the opposite. Father, thank you for your word that is so crystal clear.
Thank you that you have not left us in the dark, but you've given us your revelation, your divine revelation. Thus saith the Lord. Thank you for this swan song of Paul's in his final days. These were his final words to young Pastor Timothy.
And to pastors today, we hear the exact opposite today. And help us as members of BBC to be able to discern the difference when we hear otherwise, to be able to understand what is the purpose of church, and to be able to appreciate those leaders that God has given us.
Lord, help us each, pastors and members and elders alike, to be faithful, faithful to fulfill the ministry that you have called us to. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.