Please turn with me to 2 Timothy 3 - starting at verse 16.

Someone has said, “The light at the end of the tunnel is the headlamp of an oncoming - what? train.”  Ever feel like that?

Former heavy-weight boxer James “Quick” Tillis is a cowboy from Oklahoma who fought out of Chicago in the early 1980’s.  He still remembers his first day in Chicago after arriving from Tulsa - full of hope and expectation.

James says, “I got off the bus with two cardboard suitcases under my arms in downtown Chicago and stopped in front of the Sears Tower.  I put my suitcases down, and looked up at the Tower and said to myself, “I’m going to conquer Chicago.’  When I looked down, the suitcases were gone.”  (1)

Last Sunday we looked at Paul’s encouragement to Timothy - to keep going regardless of the adversity - to fulfill his God given ministry.  We were reminded that we are also called - regardless of what may be thrown at us by the adversary - to continue - committed to leading people into a relationship with Jesus Christ and equipping them to serve God - 24/7/365.

Thinking about that commitment - and the Character of a Committed Christian - what does it take to do that - to remain consistent in our walk with God - to go the distance with Jesus - when everything around us says stop.

2 Timothy 3 - starting at verse 16:  All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

These are familiar verses to many people.  But, let’s pause and make sure we’re all on the same page here.  Three words.

First - Scripture.  Say that with me, “Scripture.”

Paul writes that all Scripture is inspired by God.

Timothy had the Old Testament.  Probably the Gospels of Matthew and Mark were circulating through the Church.  He’d personally received the original of 1 Timothy.  Now he’s reading through 2 Timothy.  Paul’s other epistles were probably circulating through the Church.  Timothy was there when most of these letters were being written.  Imagine watching someone write Scripture.  That’s a mind blower isn’t it?  

There was a pastor who told the old joke about Bible ignorance where someone asks, “What are the epistles?”  And the answer received is, “They were the wives of the apostles.”  This pastor said, however, that after the sermon a woman came up and asked, “Pastor, I didn’t get the joke.  If they weren’t the wives of the apostles, whose wives were they?”

Inspired is actually backwards.  The word comes from the Latin “spiro” which means to breathe and “in” which means - “in” - so the meaning is “to breathe in.”  But that’s the opposite of what happened.  The Greek word is “theopneustos” which has the idea of God breathing out.  Scripture was breathed out by God - through guys like Paul - who wrote down what God wanted them to write down - while at the same time having their own character come through in the writing.  So that - in the original writings - God’s word is God’s word.

In Genesis God takes dirt - forms man - breathes into it His own breath - the breath of life - and the man becomes a living being with his own personality - but owing his form and life to God.  That’s what God did with His words when He breathed out Scripture.

In the fourth century representatives of the Church worldwide came together and recognized what God had done.  They took the 39 books of the Old Testament and brought to them the 27 books of the New Testament.  In Timothy’s day that grouping was being breathed out.  Today its complete.  All Scripture - is translated for us - from the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek - into what we have here in the Bible.   

Second word - Profitable.  Say that with me, “Profitable.”

All Scripture is profitable - is helpful - is useful - for four things - if we’ll read it and live by it - allow it to have its due authority over our lives.

Scripture is profitable first - for:  Teaching - instructing our minds about the things of God.  How to know God and be made right before Him - the forgiveness of our sins.  How to live life.  The deep issues of the soul.  What comes after death.  The things we cannot understand on our own - God’s word teaches us.

Second:  Reproof.  It shows us the truth about our lives.  Where we’re falling short.  Where we need to change.

Third:  Correction - Not only does Scripture show us where we’re falling short - reproof - but it shows us how to live - how to make the right course corrections in our lives.  Rather than living this way - which is self-destructive - live this way - which opens us up to the power of God working in our lives - the joy of living life with God.

Fourth:  Scripture is profitable for Training In Righteousness.  The word “training” has the idea of instructing children.  Lovingly coming alongside a child and helping him or her to “get” life - to understand and develop healthy patterns of living life.  The Bible coaches us - fine tunes us - trains us in what it means to live righteously - rightly - before God.

Bottom line:  The Bible points the way to God - opens up the mind of God to us - enables us to think along the lines that God is thinking - and to live life the way it was designed by God to be lived.

First word - Scripture.  Second word - profitable.  Third word - Purpose.  Say that with me, “Purpose.”

Do you remember the account of “The Mutiny on the Bounty”?  Either you read the book or cheated and saw the move.  I can picture Marlin Brando  - “Mr. Christian!  Someone has taken one of my coconuts!”  In the 19th century - mutineers took over the ship HMS Bounty - set their captain - Captain Bligh - adrift in a lifeboat - and ended up finally on Pitcairn Island - in the South Pacific.  What happened to these mutineers after they landed on Pitcairn Island is an interesting account in and of itself.

For the most part, these mutineers were rough - tough - godless sailors.  Together with the wives they brought with them from Tahiti, they spent their days on Pitcairn drinking - gambling - swapping wives - fighting with each other.  All that led to murders and suicides.  Almost like an episode of Lost or Survivor.

In 1808 when the island was rediscovered by the American ship Topaz - living on the island were the descendants of the mutineers and only one lone surviving mutineer - John Adams.  John Adams - when he left England aboard the Bounty - had been known as “Reckless Jack.”  He was a thief - a criminal - who had learned to survive on the streets of London.  Adams was one of the most active mutineers - part of the group that seized Captain Bligh.

But on Pitcairn Island - rummaging through his trunk one day - he found a Bible that his mother had put there.  He began to read it.  And soon - through the Holy Spirit’s work - God’s word changed his life.  When that island as rediscovered in 1808 John Adams was known to be kindly, wise, deeply religious - the moral leader of the islanders.  On Pitcairn - because John Adams began to teach God’s word to others - there was no jail because they had no crime.   They loved God and they loved each other.  God’s word had totally changed their lives and their society. (2)

All God breathed out Scripture is profitable so that - purpose - so that the man of God - and women of God as well - may be adequate - complete - having everything that we need - for every good work.  All that we need to live as God calls us to live in this world is found in the Bible.

The first article in the Evangelical Free Church of America Statement of Faith says this - let’s say this together:  We believe in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments to be the inspired word of God, without error in the original writings the complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men, and the Divine and final authority for all Christian faith and life.

God’s word - because it is God’s word - must have the authority over our lives.  And we desperately need that authority - to hear and obey what His word says.

Chapter 4 - verse 1:  I - Paul - solemnly charge you - Timothy - in the presence of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom

Jesus’ appearing - is about two bookends.  The first bookend is the first coming of Jesus - who through His work here on earth offered salvation and the reality of life in God’s kingdom - eternal life in the presence of God - offered through His broken body and spilled blood.  Bookend two is His return in judgment - claiming His bride - His people - those who have trusted Him as their Savior - and dispatching the unrepentant to hell.

Where Timothy ministers - where we minister - is between those two bookends.  Timothy - and each of us - we’re to serve God knowing that what we’re about doing has eternal consequences for us - and for those around us.  That’s incredible.  We are a part of God’s offering salvation and His kingdom to mankind

The ministry that we carry on is carried on before God.  God who is the one who holds all human life in His hands.  Who is sovereign over the events of human history.  God the Father who gives to God the Son the role of judgment.  (John 5:21-27)

All that is sobering.  Isn’t it?  A solemn responsibility.   Point being:  What we’ve been charged with - it just doesn’t get more crucial and important and significant than this.

Verse 2 - here’s the solemn charge - preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.

I read about a young pastor whose main sin was not laziness, but conceit.  He frequently boasted in public that all the time he needed to prepare his Sunday sermon was the few minutes it took to walk from the parsonage to the church next door.  Can you guess what the congregation voted to do?  They bought a new parsonage eight miles away. (3)

To preach is to proclaim - to herald - to announce - make it known.  Its not just what preachers do.  Its what every believer is called to do.  Proclaim God breathed Scripture - declare what God has said - while you’re hanging out at Starbucks - or eating lunch at school - anytime - anyplace - because hearts are open - hurting - wounded - needing the truth of God’s word - because what we proclaim has eternal significance for everyone.

Paul writes “be ready.”  That’s proactive - taking the initiative.  If someone’s drowning we don’t say, “Well, I think I might possibly be able to help you if you really want me to and I can remember what I learned about the density of water and factors relating to the buoyancy of a human being.  Of course I’m not sure I can remember all of that.  So, maybe I shouldn’t really try.”  Can you imagine the guy in the water.  “Throw me the life saver!”

Paul writes, “Be ready in season and be ready out of season.”  That doesn’t mean beating people over the head with a Bible and cramming Scripture down their throat whether they want to hear it or not.  John Stott said, “This is not a biblical warrant for rudeness, but a biblical appeal against laziness.” (4)

The point is, proclaim God breathed Scripture whether we feel like it or not - whether we feel ready or not.  “Let me share with you something that has changed my life.  I believe - like God has the answers to my life - He has the answers to yours.”

Its like those Nike ads:  “Just Do It.”

There’s a number of ways we do that.

First:  Reprove:  Which has the idea of logically talking with people about what’s wrong in the world.  About the struggles common to humanity.  Where we all fall short.  Why people act the way they do?  Then bringing that conversation to a discussion of Scripture and God’s answer found in Jesus Christ.

Second:  Rebuke:  Sometimes its necessary to point out sin.  Without totally destroying the person or persons involved - being honest - clarifying with Scripture what is self-destructive behavior.

Third:  Exhort:  Most of us fear change - the unknown of what will happen if I let go of certain habits and attitudes.  What will that mean?  There’s this huge unknown out there.  Even if we know how we’re living isn’t healthy - maybe even painful for us - at least we know what that kind of life is like.  Exhortation is encouraging people to try something different - to come along side them and walk with them through the process of setting aside their fears and encouraging them to move towards God - trusting Him and living life according to the teaching of Scripture.

Then fourth:  With great patience and instruction.

Patience is the Greek word, “makrothumia”  Literally “slow to get hot” - slow to explode in anger.  Which often happens when we’re talking with someone about what’s really close to our hearts - which our relationship with God is.  When someone repeatedly doesn’t get what we’re saying or outright rejects what we’re saying - especially when we’re talking about something near and dear to our heart - its easy to feel that anger starting to well up within us.

Patience and instruction means putting ourselves aside and hanging in there with people for the long haul.  Not abandoning or driving away those who are slow in responding.  But we keep reproving - keep rebuking - keep exhorting - keep sharing from our heart.

Bottom line:  Whether we feel comfortable with it or not - in obedience to God - each of us is charged - called to proactively proclaim the word of God.  

Verse 3:  For a time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.

Do you know who Katharine Jefferts Schori is?  Katharine Jefferts Schori is the newly elected Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States.  There are some serious problems - battles raging - in the Episcopal Church USA.  In 2003 they elected the Rev. V. Gene Robinson as their first openly gay bishop.  That led to huge battles.  At the core of the problems racking the Episcopal Church here in the US is the battle between those who see the Bible as the authoritative word of God and those who see it as something less.

Bishop Schori - newly elected - speaking of the task of the Episcopal Church - said that the message they preach is this:  “God became human in order that we may become divine.” (4)  Think about that statement in light of what Scripture teaches.  Does the Bible teach that we’re all to become a god - or join with some divine entity?  Of course not.

Lorenzo Snow - fifth president of the Mormon Church - a cult that believes that the Bible is only accurate if its translated by the Mormon Church - and that adds to the Bible other works as equally authoritative - Doctrine and Covenants - The Pearl of Great Price - Lorenzo Snow summarized core Mormon belief - when he said, “As man now is, God once was; As God now is, man may be.” (5)  God was once a man and over a long period of time he gained what he needed to become God Almighty.  Does that sound like what Bishop Shori is saying?

The United Church of Christ affirms the Bible as the authoritative witness to the Word of God.  Did you catch that?  The Bible witnesses to the word of God - doesn’t mean it is the authoritative word of God.  The UCC adds to the Bible the creeds of the ecumenical councils and the confessions of the Reformation. (6)  In other words - there are other authoritative witnesses other than the Bible.  The United Church of Christ teaches that the Muslims and Christians all worship the same God. (7)  That Christianity is faith tradition among other faith traditions. (8)

Paul writes that there is coming a day when people aren’t going to want to listen to sound doctrine - sound teaching - that comes from Scripture breathed out by God.  They’re going to turn their ears - they themselves will choose to turn - to reject the truth.  They will be turned away to myths.  They’ll gather around themselves - literally heap together - pile up - teachers who will teach them only the PC teachings that they want to hear - what sounds good - what makes sense to them.

In Timothy’s day there were teachers who had spiritualized the Old Testament in much the same way that people today will claim that the Old Testament - and the New Testament - is a collection of stories - not actual people and events.  They’re like myths.  There’s some historical accuracy.  But, we can’t take it literally. 

Point being:  Toss out Scripture as being the authoritative word breathed out by God and we can believe anything we want.  Mormons and Episcopalians all trying to become divine.  Christians and Muslims all worshipping the same God.  Sin is relative - a matter of perspective.  Holiness is a matter of enlightenment.

The myth of becoming divine by our own efforts.  The myth of reincarnation.  If you don’t succeed.  Die again.  The myth of humanity being able to solve our problems without the need for religion or God.

Paul writes, there will come a day when it will be like that.  Doesn’t sound too different from today.  Does it?

Verse 5:  But you - Timothy - be sober in all things - keep alert - stay calm - don’t swerve off the truth - endure hardship - do what it takes regardless of the cost - regardless of the opposition - regardless of what others may say about you - do the work of an evangelist - proclaim the word in season and out of season - fulfill your ministry.

Fulfill is the Greek word “plerophoreo.”  It means to be so full there isn’t room for anything else.  Gorging at HomeTown Buffet and rolling out the door.  Water in a cup overflowing.  Timothy - keep going with your ministry until you can’t go any farther.  Don’t leave anything undone.  We proclaim the word until God says stop.

The great philosopher Junior Samples - speaking on the TV program Hee Haw - remember that?  Junior Samples once said, “Size ain’t got nothing to do with it.  If it did, a cow could outrun a rabbit.”  Sometimes we get stuck on size - on what we think makes us adequate as Christians. 

We’ve heard people say, “I can’t share Jesus with people at work because they might ask a question that I don’t have an answer to.”  Or, “I can’t teach Sunday School.  I haven’t been to seminary.”  “I can’t work in the nursery.  Little kids scare me.”  Husbands are called to be the spiritual leaders in their homes - that terrifies us.  “Wives honor your husbands as you honor the Lord” opens a whole other can of struggles.  “You need to seek the forgiveness of that person.”  “You need to forgive so and so.” 

Ever say this to yourself?  “I’ve got this kind of a past and this kind of inadequacies.  How can I be useful to God?

In my preparation time I ran across this quote.  I have no idea who said this.  But, I like what it says about trusting God.  “Has the enemy come and swept away the trophies of remembrance of God’s good hand on you?  Focus on what has been achieved, not on what has not.”

When we came together and agreed that we believed God was leading us to move forward with phase one - this new building - that was a step of faith - wasn’t it?  I have yet to hear one person here say that they felt adequate for the task.  We wondered if the money would be there.  If we would be able to do the work necessary.  What would happen to the ministry.

AWANA for example - without a gym where would AWANA meet if it rained?  And yet we have not missed one single Wednesday night of AWANA because of rain.  We learned to worship in the courtyard under tents.  In Room 10 in close fellowship.  Through those experiences our ability to worship as a congregation has deepened.  In every way - and we could go on naming them - God has been faithful.

Together we’ve been learning the truth of what Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 3:  “Such confidence we have through Christ toward God.  Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God.” (2 Corinthians 3:4,5)

How are we going to proclaim God’s word in such a way that those around us needing to hear it will listen and respond?  Will we be adequate for that ministry?  Will we be able to go the distance with Jesus?

God has brought us this far.  Think about that for a moment - about your life.  Of what that reality includes.  Where you’ve come from.  The God who brought you here.

God isn’t hung up on our past.  He isn’t caught off guard by our inadequacy.  He’s not bothered by our feelings of failure.  God knows where we’re at.  That same God desires to lead us forward - revealing - correcting - healing - stretching - enabling. 

There’s a promise for each of us in what Paul writes to Timothy.  Rely on God’s word - and God - as His word shapes your life - God will make you to be adequate - equipped for every good work.

______________________________
1. Today in the Word, September 10, 1992
2. Campus Life Magazine, May 1981
3. Charles Swindoll, Swindoll’s Ultimate Book of Illustrations & Quotes, page 457
4. Quoted by Ray Stedman in his sermon, The Majesty of Ministry
5. Quoted in USA Today, 02.05.07
6. FARMS
7. www.ucc.org
8. UCC General Synod 1989 adopted resolution “The Relationship Between the United Church of Christ and the Muslim Community”
9. www.ucc.org

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible®, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation.  Used by permission.