THE SECOND LETTER OF PAUL TO TMOTHY CHAPTER 3 – 4 V1-4

 

I was talking with a Minister colleague about the future of the Church in this country, and we both felt it was not a hopeful one. The congregations are generally, small, and consist of older people who are not being replaced.  This must be a matter of much concern to those still engaged in full time ministry.

Churches were in villages, places where the Church was once the center of life.  People living in such places have nice homes, some in idyllic surroundings, with good jobs, and every kind of luxury, with none of the anti-social behavior suffered by town and city dwellers.  One would think they had much to be thankful for, but most are just self-concerned, and take it all for granted and the Church does not enter their line of thought, except of course when a baptism or fancy wedding scene is wanted, or a personal problem arises. In fact, God becomes their servant rather than the proper way round.

Some years ago, I was appointed to suburban Church, witch my predecessor had let it slide down. I, with kind parish helpers, circulated notices that the Church would soon be given consideration to  closing down.  The following Sunday saw a rise in the congregation.

Can you imagine the outcry, if villagers were told that their lovely quintessential scene would be deprived of its Church?

Turn with me now, to Paul’s 2nd Letter to Timothy in Chapters ¾.  Paul is in a Roman prison, and this is the last Letter he will write.  He has addressed it to Timothy, a young man whom he wants to continue the ministry Paul is ending, and is giving advice in the earnest plea, that Timothy will persist in preaching the true gospel. For not only does Timothy face much opposition from society, he also faces false teachers within the Church, and we know all about that.

In the first five verses of Chapter 3 he talks of godlessness, describing the very conditions we find today; lovers of selves and money, unholy, children having no respect and disobedient. This is what happens when a nation turns its back on God. We live in an age of relativism, in which there are no absolutes, no basic morals, a case of if it feels right it is. They become lovers of themselves, and there is a moral collapse as the pursuit of money becomes so important. .  Have you noticed that much of what is offered for entertainment, are programmes in which people try to win vast sums of money?

Generally speaking, it is reported that we are the most godless nation after Japan. It is like a car parked on a hill, and someone takes the handbrake off.

Then Paul contrasts all that with the way Timothy has been brought up with a love of Scripture, something children of several generations have been deprived of in the present ages.  The Ten Commandments have become Ten Suggestions, or pick any four from ten.  We have raised a generation, who are unaware of even the most basic beliefs.

We are in a cultural war, and we are losing badly. Immorality is rampant;  same sex marriages- children born  of unmarried parents- abortion on request-sexual attacks on women- women abused-young teenagers running wild with knives- Bishops wanting to change God’s definition of marriage-divorce by demand-Bishops advising people not to attend the meetings of a world famous evangelist  from America- the list goes on.  Added to this are the LGBT lobby who have created a successful campaign, which even some Churches have given support to them.

 

Why is it that the Church is losing?  It is simply because we do nothing and all opposition doing something.  There is apathy in the Church, older people have no inclination to take things seriously as time is running on. and some genuinely think they are too old to help. That is wrong.   Moses became too old to fight, but when the Israelites were in battle, he and Aaron prayed for their army and when they did so their prayers were answered.  How badly the Church needs all its members to pray for its recovery. 

Our children are denied religious teaching of Christianity, not knowing the true meaning of Easter and Christmas. They know too much about sex at a young age because they are taught it in schools,

A lady in my parish collected her grandchild from school, and the child was crying, so the lady asked if she had been bullied, and had difficulty in finding out the reason for crying; eventually the child said, the teacher said my daddy is going to become a mummy.  This is transitioning at a child’s age. Such is cruel madness to tell children something that just cannot happen, and the teacher should be given some advice that a child’s mind is pure and should be left that way.

Turn now if you can, to Paul’s 2nd Letter to Timothy in Chapter 3.  This Letter is Paul at his natural best. The Letter is as relevant now as when written. He tells Timothy who is starting his new post, that things will be difficult because people only love themselves. Nothing is sacred.  They will be proud, mocking God, and children will be disobedient,  Paul lists unpleasant facts which you can read, and then he speaks of the persecution he has suffered, and warns Timothy Christians will suffer some persecution too, with evil impostors roaming around.

Paul then speaks of the teaching Timothy has had of the Scriptures by his mother and grandmother, once a common practice in the home until television pushed it away. Timothy had also teaching from Paul and Peter who together  virtually wrote the New Testament.

Foreseeing into the future, Paul spoke of people not wanting sound doctrine, but wanting preachers who would tell what they wanted to hear. (Imagine Paul saw the 20^th and 21^st centuries) But he told that should be ignored, and keep to the Bible.

v16, Paul makes a doctrinal statement that ALL Scripture comes from God, and teaches us what is right or wrong, and tells us what us right.  It is God’ s way of making us well prepared at every point fully equipped to teach others that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and the only way to God.

It may have been written by men, but these men were inspired by God to give us the message that God wished us to have.  We are therefore enabled to live according to God’s teaching, and be kept from going the wrong way in life.

The important word is ALL.  Once you start discounting parts, you challenge the whole credibility and authority of the Bible itself.

The Bible is essentially a book of salvation, and there has never been any doubt that the only way to be saved is through Jesus Christ.  He is the focus and climax of the Bible from start to finish.       The whole Bible focuses on the coming of Christ.

In the Old Testament Jesus is predicted, in the Gospels He is revealed, in the Acts He is preached, in the Epistles He is explained, and in Revelation Jesus in anticipated.

I don’t think even Church members give the Bible the attention one would expect.  I know there are many whose sole connection with it is in the Sunday service. But even then, is mainly a case of listening to it being read.  In evangelical Churches it has been the practice of having Bibles in the pews, or at least available, so that members can follow the readings and I always found it helped to follow the sermon, (when the sermon is Bible based that is.)  I went to take a service at one Church where there wasn’t even a Bible to read the lessons from and someone had to go out and borrow one.

Contrast the United States. In the Churches, the pastor announces the reading of the Bible, and All stand up. They all have their own Bibles, which they hold up to read, and quite a number of the congregation make notes as the Bible is preached.

Today the Church is plagued by disputes over issues, and the image it gives is that it does not have any clear or authoritative belief,

There can be no doubt that all the problems facing the Church, are due to a departure from Scripture, to an attitude of let us make Scripture relevant to modern thinking.  We all have to decide do we accept the Bible as the Word of God, the sole authority in matters of faith and practice, or not.  You cannot have a pick/n mix way,  We are called on in this passage to turn to the Bible for guidance in all spiritual matters, and use it to correct wrong thinking; rebuke those who abuse; and encourage the depressed.

There is nothing more important, than for us to be well grounded in what we believe about the Bible. It’s more than just a statement of faith. What we believe about the Bible is fundamental and foundational to everything else we are trying to do as a church.

The Bible has been the best and most printed book through the ages. In all countries and languages. It is the very voice of God, who loves  all people and wants to give them salvation.  It is a great gift from God offered to all people.

 

In Chapter 4, Paul having told Timothy of the importance of Scripture then tells him to go out and ‘preach the Word’.   That Word, is that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for the forgiveness of our sins; that after three days He rose from the dead and later ascended to heaven to sit at God’s right hand; that one day He will return and bring in His Kingdom, and all will face the judgement.  We are here to preach and proclaim the Gospel, as it is written without any additions or submissions. 

The Bible ends in Revelation, with a warning to those who try to alter anything written. The closing words on the last page of the Bible are those of Jesus, in which He states, I warn everyone who hears the words of prophecy of this book, if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of this prophecy, Godwill take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. 

At the same time, Paul is warning all preachers of the serious responsibility to be faithful to Scripture as one day they will be called upon to give answer.

Today there is a tendency for the Church to become worldly and to compromise on doctrine.  The Church has been given exemption from the same sex marriage act, yet bishops and senior clergy were campaigning to be allowed to conduct such false ceremonies which directly contradict Scripture.  What Paul wrote all those years ago, can be clearly seen coming true today, people turning away from truth to suit their own desires.  Once you depart from the Word of God you are in a spiritual wilderness.

We live in a world of itching ears.  One clergyman told me we have to make people feel happy; that doctrine is boring and makes people feel guilty. But preachers are not here to tell people what they want to hear so much as what they need to hear.

Billy Graham, the world’s most greatest and successful preacher, used to speak of sin, and the need for repentance, but sin is one of the words the Church avoids as it might offend.  But people  largely view sin as a sexual offence, but Paul in his Letter to the Galatians descried sin as impure thoughts, lustful pleasure, idolatry, enmity, strife, jealousy, rivalries, fits of anger,  dissensions, envy, orgies and drunkenness. Whilst some will scoff, people went in thousands to hear Billy and took notice of his words, leading to happier lives.

In the gospel passage, Jesus said ‘I will build my Church and the gate of hell shall not prevail against it’.  It seems at time as there are those within the Church who want to open the gates.

There is a basic question we should all ponder.  Why do we come to Church?  There are many answers, but the real purpose should be to worship God with reverence and awe; to learn about God and how He would want us to live. In order to do this, we need to know our Bibles and be prepared to accept what is taught there.  I know this will not be acceptable to some people within the Church, for it may condemn the way they are conducting their lives. 

The Bible has to be the supreme authority of the Church. I heard a Vicar state in her sermon that we should not take the Bible literally, and there are other Ministers who will say the same.  You should question them as to why not.

We have been saturated by a world that is committed to falsehood. That is why, as Paul sets forth here, we must increasingly proclaim the truth as it is in Jesus. The apostle reminds us that the most effective thing is, preach the word, announce the truth, tell of reality, make it clear, spread the word. and declare that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

You and I are called to advance that work. Like Timothy we are a tiny minority amidst an overwhelming majority committed to unbelief.  We face hostility on every side. Do not let anybody tell you that your life as a Christian does not count, it counts tremendously. Glory in what God has called you to do, and be faithful to his command: Preach the Gospel.

 

Let us Praise God for His Holy Gospel, May His Name be Glorified.