Scripture referenced 4 passages
The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.
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2 Timothy 2:11 trustworthy statement about dying and living with Christ, enduring and reigning, denying and being denied, faithlessness and his faithfulness
11 This saying is trustworthy: “For if we died with him, we will also live with him.
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Keep this verse
2 Timothy 2:14-26
main passage for the sermon, covering wrangling over words, being a workman approved to God, avoiding empty chatter, Hymenaeus and Philetus, the firm foundation, vessels of honor, fleeing youthful lust, pursuing righteousness
14 Remind them of these things, charging them in the sight of the Lord, that they don’t argue about words, to no profit, to the subverting of those who hear.
15 Give diligence to present yourself approved by God, a workman who doesn’t need to be ashamed, properly handling the Word of Truth.
16 But shun empty chatter, for it will go further in ungodliness,
17 and those words will consume like gangrene, of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;
18 men who have erred concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past, and overthrowing the faith of some.
19 However God’s firm foundation stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let every one who names the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness.”
20 Now in a large house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of clay. Some are for honor, and some for dishonor.
21 If anyone therefore purges himself from these, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, and suitable for the master’s use, prepared for every good work.
22 Flee from youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
23 But refuse foolish and ignorant questionings, knowing that they generate strife.
24 The Lord’s servant must not quarrel, but be gentle towards all, able to teach, patient,
25 in gentleness correcting those who oppose him: perhaps God may give them repentance leading to a full knowledge of the truth,
26 and they may recover themselves out of the devil’s snare, having been taken captive by him to his will.
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Romans 2:4
the kindness of God leads to repentance
4 Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
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James 1:19-22
quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, doers of the word not hearers only
19 So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger;
20 for the anger of man doesn’t produce the righteousness of God.
21 Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves.
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Recap
The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.
This message came from 2 Timothy 2:14-26, part of an ongoing study through the New Testament. Pastor Carl walked through Paul's instructions to Timothy about handling the word of God faithfully, avoiding empty argument, and what it looks like to serve others with gentleness rather than winning debates.
What was said
Paul's command to "remind them of these things" points back to what he had just written: that union with Christ is the ground of everything, that the gospel frees people from both legalism and license, and that Timothy should pass on what he had received to others who could teach it further. Those earlier instructions form the backdrop for everything in this passage.
The first imperative Paul gives is to be diligent to present yourself approved to God. Pastor Carl worked through the Greek word behind "approved," explaining that it carries the sense of something that has been tested and proved genuine, like a clay pot that has been fired and does not leak, or a coin that is not counterfeit. The point is not to study in order to outdo someone else or win an argument, but to stand before God as a workman who has no reason to be ashamed.
That leads directly into the warning about worldly and empty chatter. Paul says such talk spreads like gangrene, and Pastor Carl took the illustration seriously: gangrene is a consuming rot of tissue that keeps eating unless it is fully removed. The specific case in Ephesus involved Hymenaeus and Philetus, who were teaching that the resurrection had already happened, which was upsetting the faith of believers who were holding onto a future hope.
Against that unstable background, Paul plants a firm foundation: the Lord knows those who are His, and everyone who names His name is to abstain from wickedness. Pastor Carl described the visible church as containing both wheat and tares growing together, and said the practical response is not to appoint yourself the judge of who is genuine but to concentrate on your own standing before God. "You worry about yourself" was the phrase he kept returning to.
The passage then lists what to flee and what to pursue. Fleeing youthful lusts is a direct command, and what you pursue in their place is righteousness, faith, love, and peace, and you pursue those things together with others who are calling on the Lord from a pure heart. Pastor Carl connected this to why the church gathers at all, and recalled something his mother used to say: "Great peace have they that love Thy law, O Lord, such that nothing shall be able to offend them."
The final movement of the passage describes what the Lord's bond servant actually looks like in practice: not quarrelsome, kind to all, able to teach, and patient when wronged. When correcting someone in opposition, gentleness is not optional politeness; it is the method God Himself uses. Pastor Carl pointed to Romans 2:4, which Paul quoted, noting that it is the kindness of God that leads to repentance. The goal of gentle correction is to leave the door open for God to grant repentance, so that someone caught in the snare of false teaching may come to their senses and escape it.
Doing a Bible study?
Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.
- Pastor Carl said that wrangling over words is 'useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers.' Where do you see the line between carefully studying what Scripture says and getting into the kind of quarreling Paul warns Timothy against?
- The sermon described being 'approved' or 'docimas' as passing the test, like a clay pot that holds water or a coin that is not counterfeit. In practical terms, what does that kind of diligent self-examination look like in your own walk with God?
and 3 more questions in the guide
Read the full transcript 5,923 words
0:02
Good morning, everybody. How are you? It's kinda quiet in here. Let's get wrestling a little bit, shall we? Would you stand up?
0:09
We'll sing, fall afresh from Psalm one zero three. Praise the Lord my soul, all my inmost being praise his holy name. Lyrics of this song, spirit of the living God fall fresh on me, come wake me from my sleep.
0:40
To hunger to seek. Go. Awaken first love. First love. Don't wait.
1:02
Do as you do. Spirit of the living God. Spirit of the living God. Come following fresh on me. Come wake to overflow.
1:42
Alright. Sing again. Awaken my awaken my soul.
2:36
Let's sing spirit come and fill this place.
3:59
Amen. Y'all can have a seat. Have a few announcements this morning. If I can get em clicking here. Monday night's at Frisbee.
4:10
Yep. Yeah. Monday night's at Frisbee.
4:12
What's Frisbee though. Yeah. Yes. We're on spelling errors. We are on meal music message.
4:21
We're in Ephesians three tomorrow, and that is God's plan of salvation. And yep, that's my favorite animal. And Paul's prayer for for the church. Oh, there's there's Ray's too.
4:33
That was a reminder. Carl and I and Tanya and Pascal are all going. I'd like for y'all to be praying for us as we head off to go to Africa. Not this week but next week and so we'll be leaving out after Monday night, next Monday night, not tomorrow but tomorrow week if you're from the South. We'll be headed to Africa.
4:52
Monday nights are happening. Tomorrow night, Carla is preaching tomorrow night. So, there we go. Awana is happening at the same time in this room right here. So, they're gathered around the game circle and they'll start off and then spread all over the church, pouring scripture into their hearts.
5:06
They're going to get a second little message inside the message today but Awana is great. An approved workmen are not ashamed. Awana, it's good club. Young Life, speaking of good clubs, Young Life is in need of volunteers and leaders who love to connect with teens. So, if you are a Christian who wants to minister to teenagers, would you contact Alley Lane?
5:29
(307) 201-9914 or get in touch with her at jackson hole dot young life dot org. That's a good way. It's a great organization, but there are constantly teens coming through and volunteers and leaders. Y'all know how this place is. People come in for a while and then they go.
5:45
So if you would contact Allie Lane if you wanna be a part of Young Life. It'd be a good thing. Community Bible study is meeting on Wednesdays, 09:30 in the morning to 11:30 and meeting in the evening, 06:30 to about eight. Childcare is available in the morning. That's a great study.
6:04
They're going through Hebrews. They're about halfway through the book of Hebrews but you can pick up at any point. You don't have to have already attended all of the others. Precept study is going on. Jesus's witnesses empowered by his spirit, the study of Acts that is happening on Thursday mornings in the fellowship hall at nine.
6:22
That's a good one too. Connect hours between services and Jennifer Lampo is down there right now preparing for the in between. So, that ought to be a really good kind of a breakfast or second breakfast if you're a hobbit down the hall in between services and I think that's it. Did I forget anything? Okay.
6:42
Would y'all stand up and just greet one another And we will bring you back together.
8:31
Your love. Verse one.
10:40
God, as we sing that song, I can't help but think about the sweetness in surrender. That sweetness and yielding our will to yours. Our will to your design. Gotta know that sometimes we just kick against you and Lord could we just for right now in this moment put it in neutral. Put it in neutral and trust you, trust your will, trust your ways, surrender our will to your design, and God watch what happens after that.
11:10
In Jesus' name, amen.
11:27
Alright. Let's
19:48
God almighty, we come before you this morning thankful and humbled lord. The words of the songs are reminding us and lord, we're declaring out of the breath that's in our lungs. Lord, we want to praise you and lord, with all that we have and all that we are, we want to continue your loving and gentle work here on earth as it is in heaven lord. So, would you do what you do, what you alone can do, build your church, lord but we're asking that you would take the offerings that we put in these plates, lord and take these resources that you would bless and multiply them to do your kingdom's work In Jesus name, lord, we pray to be always operating and going forward. We pray that the gospel would advance and that we would be lord included graciously and mercifully in that.
20:39
Would you do your will, your way through us this morning? Amen.
22:38
Chosen not for sale. I am chosen am I am. Chosen Sing that together. I'm chosen. I am chosen not forsaken.
23:00
I am where you say I am. You are for me I'm a child yes I
24:20
Alright, it's that time. Children's Church is starting downstairs, Peak Children's Church. Kids are headed down, getting a age appropriate message. And we're up here. So, we're going to be up here studying from second Timothy.
24:41
So, we've been doing a chronological study for a long time now. It's been like five and a half years. Maybe more. We've been going through the New Testament together. We went through the life of Jesus in the book of John and then, the life of the early church in the book of Acts and since then, we've used that as a framework for going forward.
24:59
I see a few new faces. I just go into this, right? But we've been going forward and we're up to, I think, what I think is the last book that Paul wrote. He's writing to his own personal friend, true son in the faith understudy, Timothy, mentee. He's the mentor in this relationship kind of and so he's writing and we're up to verses 14 through 26 of chapter two and so, he starts off in second Timothy two fourteen.
25:28
He starts off like this, remind them of these things. Now, you know, when they originally read these letters, when you get a letter, do you read it one sentence at a time or one clause at a time or two sentences at a time? A love letter you might. When you're rereading it but typically, they'd read this whole thing. So, Timothy would have read this altogether.
25:46
Reminding me of these things. If I'm reminding you of what we just covered because this is a command from Paul to Timothy. This is an imperative. He says, remind them of these things. Well, which things is he talking about?
25:59
The immediate context is right there. Second Timothy two eleven, he just said this. This is the this is what immediately precedes it. He says, this is a trustworthy statement. It's like the fifth time he said that to either Timothy or Titus.
26:13
It's a trustworthy statement. For if we died with him, if we identify with Christ in his death, we also will live with him and if we endure or persevere, we will also reign with him. If we deny him, then he'll deny us. He said so. Jesus said so, you know.
26:32
If we're faithless though, he remains faithful or he cannot deny himself. Timothy was in a state where it sounds like he'd had a lot of opposition and he might have been in a place where he's waking up in the morning and going, oh, I'm going through this again and he's feeling kind of bedraggled and faithless but Paul reminds him, if we are faithless, he remains faithful. He's God and he will empower and he will keep on for he cannot deny himself. Union with Christ is what it's all about. If you're not with Christ, he will do it.
27:02
So, that's the immediate context. Just before that, he had said, retain the sound words of gospel, the actual gospel. The good news to free you from legalism or from license. The good news frees from both of those extremes. Get you out of the ditches and up in the good old gospel way.
27:19
Retain the standard of sound words and guard this treasure which has been entrusted to you. This is not something that enslaves. It's not cultic. It's real presence of almighty God. Retain the standard of sound words, guard them, don't let anybody add to or take away from the gospel.
27:38
Be strong. Be strong in what? The grace that is from Jesus Christ. Be strong in the unmerited favor that you have received from Christ and be given it away. Be given that grace to other people.
27:53
Right here, you therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that's in Christ Jesus. The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses and trust these to faithful men who'll be able to teach others also. Entrust what you know. If you've got it, share it. If you've got the gospel, you've accepted it.
28:12
Jesus, man, that's a good start as to why your life has been changed and trust what you know from me to other faithful men and then suffer hardship as a good soldier. That was from last couple of weeks. We've seen those things. So, when he says, remind them of these things I just did. I reminded y'all of those things, okay?
28:33
Remind them of these things and solemnly charge them. Solemnly charge em is a part of remind right there which is an imperative. Remind and then solemnly charging technically. It's a participle, not a imperative but it attaches to that other remind. Remind them by solemnly charging them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words.
28:55
Do y'all know people who quibble all the time? Come on, poor favour. Who just quibble over words and all the time. They're parsing every single thing. Now, I do parse stuff.
29:08
Now, I love that. But I'm examining the word of God and trying to share exactly what it says. If we get into the place where we're debating and every single little back and forth and we're at each other's throats, he's saying, don't do that. Don't wrangle over them. I do spend a lot of time in the study thinking about what this means, looking up what other people have said, trying to discern prayerfully but I try not to wrangle about it because of this.
29:35
In the presence of God, not to wrangle about words which is useless and it leads to the ruin of the hearers. Have you ever gotten so exasperated when somebody's arguing over something that doesn't matter where you go, just I can't stand it anymore. Please, stop. Is this worth arguing over? That's what Paul's kind of saying.
29:57
Not to wrangle about words which is useless and leads to a ruin of the hearers. Be diligent. Oh, another imperative right there. So, remind them of these things. Be diligent to present yourself.
30:10
Oh, this is where I'm looking for that little video, Blake. So, y'all remember this.
30:17
Why about yourself? Why about yourself?
30:20
Can I help? No.
30:24
I'll help.
30:24
She's getting in a seat, in her child's Can
30:27
I help? One more. I don't care. Okay?
30:30
You can help when we go out I
30:31
can't help when we are out here. Do have Okay. Do you have this to see?
30:36
Probably. You want me to help, Ross?
30:40
No. Thank you. No. Thank you.
30:46
What do you want me to do?
30:48
What about yourself? About yourself?
30:53
What about yourself?
30:54
I'll do this one. So I'm gonna do that. You drive. What about yourself? Don't drive.
31:02
Go. What about yourself?
31:05
So that's it. Her part, she knew that she could clamp that seat. She had done it before. She knew that was her job and he's like, can I help you? No, you worry about yourself.
31:15
I think a lot of times we're trying to help other people where we really need to worry about ourself and so what Paul says to him and it's an emphatic position where he puts this, right? He says, be diligent to present yourself approved. You study to show yourself approved. Don't study to outdo someone else. Don't study so that you look smarter than someone else.
31:36
Don't study so that you can get up and debate someone else. Study to present yourself approved to whom? To God. Amen. Study to show yourself approved to God.
31:49
As what? Actually, let me go for documas here. Documas is the word. I'm wrangling over words, aren't I? Yeah.
32:01
I'm not going to arm wrestle anybody about this though after it's over. Documas means tested or approved. So, to show yourself approved to God, tested or approved. It was derived from Decamai which means to welcome or receive. Something that is welcomed or received is that which is proves to be true, right?
32:22
Properly, it is that which passes the necessary test. It passes scrutiny. It's acceptable because it's genuine. It's not counterfeit. Does that make sense?
32:34
It's real. So, when you're passing through money, if you know what real money feels like, counterfeit money feels a little different. There's something about it that doesn't pass the feel test, the look test, the snip test, the smell test, the water test, whatever. They used it at this time also for vessels like for a clay pot. If it were fired and it did not leak, then it was docu mas approved.
32:59
It held water. Docu mas was used for proving or testing of coins too. So if there were missed strikes, they were thrown back into the kill, I mean, the found forge to be melted back down again. Confirming that they were genuine. They were not counterfeit and they were not corrupted, corrupted.
33:22
So, that's documents and he's saying that we should study be diligent to present ourselves, hasten to in the old King James. It's get be in a hurry to present yourself acceptable. Keep on, study, go for it. Be diligent, present yourself approved to God as a workman. So, it's not just approved but approved what?
33:44
Someone who is ready to go into the work. He used last week three analogies. One of em was a soldier and one was an athlete, one was a farmer and he said, be diligent, present yourself approve to God as a workman. A workman who does not need to be ashamed. So, I wanna is approved workmen are not ashamed actually.
34:08
I think I have that up there, approved workmen are not ashamed. That's what I wanna stands for and I believe in this text, he is saying that right here, a workman who does not need to be ashamed because he is accurately handling the word of truth. That does take some wrestling with oneself through it in your mind with lexicons, with dictionaries, maybe with other verses, with concordance, with your chain reference Bible, I don't know. But you want to get to the point of accurately handling the word of truth. I've said many times up here that in sufficient scriptural, well, maybe not insufficient.
34:48
I'm wrangling over words again, aren't I? Accurately handling the word of truth. When we have scant scriptural information and we have a felt need, that's a right place for heresy and so people will invent something if there's something that's obscure or if there's something that looks a little bit like, oh, I see something in that. I see something in there that I want to see and they make it all about that and then they look for other places in the Bible to confirm that. Does that make sense?
35:16
Rather than saying, God, help me with this. Please, I want to accurately handle it. I definitely don't want to present it to anyone else. Something as true that is not true. We know your word is true, sanctify us by your truth, work us into that, lord.
35:34
True. Accurately handling the word of truth. Actually, a word for accurately handling is cutting a straight line. Ortho tomato is it? From to cut and straight properly.
35:44
It is to cut a straight line. You ever take scissors and try to cut a straight line? It helps if you have a line drawn, doesn't it? Because if not, you go all over the place. Well, rightly dividing what?
35:55
The word of truth. So, his word, correctly apportioning the word of truth. So, Mondays at 05:45. Little advertisement right there. A wanna club.
36:05
That's what we're trying to do. We're pouring scripture into the hearts and we ask them to memorize it and there are there's incentive for memorization but to get that word in early gives the Holy Spirit a deep well to draw from for the rest of their lives. I think it's a really good thing. Accurately handling the word truth but avoid worldly and empty chatter. Sounds a whole lot like what he just said, didn't it?
36:25
Doesn't it? Avoid worldly and empty chatter for it will lead to further ungodliness. He's saying worldly and empty chatter is actually ungodly but it will lead to further ungodliness and their talk will spread like gangrene. You might see like a canker in some versions or like a cancer in some versions but I think gangrene is better. A better translation for one thing, gangrena is the Greek word.
36:54
Gangrena. That's where we get gangrene. So it is a gangrene. If you don't know what that is, it is an eating sore. This is gross.
37:03
Alright? It is a putrification of tissues. Have you ever seen someone with gangrene? Okay. We have really bright and shiny new TV screens up here right now.
37:15
So warning, the next slide is a very vivid illustration indeed. This is a picture of gangrene. The only cure is to remove those, to get rid of them completely, to remove all the dead flesh and the leading edge. They used to treat this with maggots. They put maggots that only ate dead flesh and they would eat it right up to the live flesh.
37:46
Horrific. There we go. Y'all can open your eyes again now. So, if that's the illustration that Paul uses, that's not what I made up. That's just a picture of what he said, okay?
37:58
If that's the illustration that Paul uses and he says that talk will spread like gangrene. That eating just keeps on eating and it is worldly and empty chatter and meaningless words that that that people are wrangling about where the he says it several times. He's saying, don't do this. Don't argue over this and now, he's going to get to what he's specifically talking about in this case and in this case, among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus. Hymenaeus and Philetus, men who have gone astray from the truth.
38:30
What they're preaching is not true. They might have some scripture in there but it's not true because they say that the resurrection has already taken place and by doing that, they're upsetting the faith of some. Some who have put their faith in Christ and are looking forward to that incorruptible hope and maybe even looking forward to that day when he comes back and then says, oh that already happened. That already happened. Don't you understand?
38:57
If there's still sin in your life, then you're not saved. This is a call to holiness but that last statement I just made is not true. Hymenaeus and Philitus were spreading stuff and it was against Paul's teaching. It was against the gospel and Paul saw this very very dangerous because he called it gangrene. They upset the faith of some.
39:22
Nevertheless, I love this. Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands. Let God be true and every man a liar, the firm foundation of God stands having this seal. The Lord knows those who are his. It's not up to you to decide who is in and who is out of the kingdom.
39:40
Does that make sense? You can tell who's telling the truth or not. If you know the truth, if you know Docimas, if you know what is the truth, it's easy to spot counterfeit. Some folks who are counterfeit are going to be on the legalistic side of the road. They're going be in a ditch where they think, you have to do this, you have to do this, you have to do this.
39:58
If you do this, then God will do XYZ. Does that make sense? Legalist, I'm going to put God in a position where he must bless me. Oh, almighty God. You're going to put God in a position where he must do something?
40:13
I don't think so. That's legalism or license. Well, Jesus came to die so we wouldn't have to worry about sin. Oh, boy. That's a harder ditch in some ways over here where you can have complete license.
40:27
Actually, the technical term for this is antinomian. Antinomian means there is no law. There is nothing. I am completely free to do as I please. Absolutely and before God, he will be happy because all he sees is the cross.
40:42
It is true that when you accept the good good old gospel way, it is true that God is pleased to see the cross when he sees you and he throws your sins as far as the East is from the West. He remembers them no more, throws them in the sea of forgetfulness, remembers them no no more. Though your sins be a scarlet, white as snow, but then, in this flesh, we have spirit and flesh where which are always at war with one another and we can feed the spirit or we can feed the flesh and if we feed the flesh, that voice of the spirit gets to be more and more dim and then we start believing all kinds of horrible stuff and Paul does not do that. He says, retain the standard of the sound words. Guard them.
41:21
Do not go into either one of the ditches. The Lord knows who are his. You don't worry about them. You study to show yourself to prove. You be diligent to be presented to God as a workman who need not be ashamed.
41:35
The Lord knows those who are his and everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness. There are things that are wrong for us to do and we should not do them because we love God and we recognize that he has graciously loved us that we did not deserve it. So, in some way, probably, Philetus and Hymenaeus had something. Their beliefs, mostly legalistic it sounds like led them to a place where they felt like they could do whatever they wanted to because they were already in the kingdom because Jesus had already come back. Resurrection already happened.
42:13
Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain. So, it does put the onus on us to surrender our will as Carl said this morning, put it in neutral and allow God to send us forward or backward but not be begrudgingly holding on to our sin. Now, in a large house, they're not only gold and silver vessels but also vessels of wood and earthenware and some of them are for honor and some dishonor. This analogy has all kinds of people all over the map. All the commentaries are all over the place.
42:49
You might even say they're wrangling about the words. I am not sure but I think that what he's saying, Jesus said, the wheat and the tares grow up together and that he was the righteous judge and he would be able to tell the difference and it's very hard for us to tell the difference. So, what are we supposed to do? You worry about yourself, okay? You worry about yourself.
43:14
Documents, work towards being approved. When you see a flaw, ask God to fix it in yourself. When someone else ask you if you can help them with the flaw by good gracious. Yes. You can help them by applying the word of truth and accurately handling it to the situation but if you're sitting here today and you're thinking, oh, I hope so and so is hearing this message.
43:38
I'm talking to you. Okay? Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things. Now, which things is this? Well, wickedness for one thing, you're to abstain from wickedness.
43:52
Cleanse yourself from wickedness. You know what you struggle with. Avoid it. Stay away from it. Have an accountability group that helps you to stay away from it.
44:00
Work on it with the Holy Spirit's empowerment and allow him to do the work in you. Abstain from wickedness Abstain from worldly and empty chatter immediate context It leads to further ungodliness. If you keep on saying stuff long enough, you're going to believe it's true and end up in the ditch with Philetus and Himeneus Don't go astray from the truth. Actually, pay attention to what the word says. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor and sanctified and useful to the master.
44:34
It looks like to me, I think, maybe, that there is a big, right now, we have a whole lot of people in this church and I can see y'all. This is the visible church and within the visible church, there is the presence of the invisible church triumphant of all the people who put their faith in Christ. Does this make sense? For all ages, the church triumphant of all different types of denominations, flavors, backgrounds, races, tribes, tongues, all that, okay? But the visible church, there are going to be some that don't speak correctly, that don't preach the truth, that don't pay attention to the truth.
45:13
There will be some and Jesus says, let the wheat and the tares grow up. Together and he's a righteous judge. You worry about yourself, okay? Now, handle the word accurately by all means and if someone is engaging with you and they want for their own edification to be right before God and approved, then, they'll accept the word of truth and reject that which is not, okay? He'll be a vessel honored, sanctified, and useful to the master.
45:42
Prepared for every good work. Are you with me? Does this make sense to you? Okay. Now, flee the youthful lust.
45:51
Flea youthful lust. He said that specifically as an imperative. I didn't write it up there that it's an imperative but flee these youthful lust. It's an imperative. He's talking to Timothy.
46:01
He's talking to us. Get away from the things that you're lusting after. Flee those youthful lust but pursue righteousness. Actually being right, okay? Not not looking right, not coming across as right, not winning the debate, not winning the argument, not winning the Twitter battle.
46:18
You actually pursue righteousness. Actually pursue the faith. Faith in Christ. Actually pursue agape love, unconditional love, and actually pursue peace. Wow.
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And do that with those who call on the Lord from pure heart. Why do we have church? One of the reasons is so that together, draw fast, draw, draw close, come in. And hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering. You know, that's what Hebrews says.
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Do this. Pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace. If you have a little small group, a right a a group that is seeking to do life together so that they may become more righteous. Praise God. That they may understand the faith better that they may more unconditionally love those and have peace.
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Amen. I'm I keep thinking it's in the back of my mind and my mother used to say all the time when I was little. I'm upset about someone. I don't like so and so. This this bothers me.
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It really bothers me. I'm griped and it feels like that's the whole society these days. We're all griped about something. She said this often. She said, great peace have they that love thy law, oh Lord, such that nothing shall be able to offend them.
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Oh my goodness. That's so good. That's not antinomian and that's not legalistic. Great peace have those who love what is actual the law of the Lord. Such that nothing shall be able to offend them.
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There's great peace in that. There's great love in that because we know if we know God, he is good and he's righteous and he's merciful and loving. Now, flee the youthful lust and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart but refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, refuse them. Another imperative. Refuse that which is not true.
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Now, when you hear a heresy that is like, come on, por favor. The Bible talks about suffering. We've hit suffering in every sermon, every single sermon for the last six months. Suffering has come up at some point. How can they just keep on promoting the prosperity gospel which is hard watch.
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Really? Refuse foolish and ignorant speculations. If you think that you're going to twist God's arm into blessing you, I don't think you're going to do that. You might twist another spirit and that can be real bad. Refuse the foolish and ignorant speculations.
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Avoid that worldly name to chatter. It leads to further ungodliness. Knowing that they produce quarrels. Oh my goodness. That's what produces quarrels.
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Foolish and ignorant speculation. Paul's writing to Timothy and he's telling him things that he knows are going on because he's done this. You know, he's been in ministry a long time and he understands how people twist it. And then he centers it back and it's neutral this time. It's not you, Timothy.
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It's not me. He said, the Lord's bond servant. The Lord's bond servant must not be quarrelsome. This is one of the qualifications for an elder in first Timothy and in Titus, Lord's bond servant must not be quarrelsome but be kind to all regardless of political stripe, regardless of nationality, race, socioeconomic background, be kind to all. The Lord's bond servant must also be able to teach and patient when wrong.
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So, this is what a picture of the Lord's bond servant looks like right there. It's clear as a bell, not quarrelsome, kind to all, able to teach, patient when wrong. And then he goes on to say, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition He corrects those who are in opposition but he does so gently gently and why? Why would he do that gently rather than just blasting him because he's got the truth and he can win the argument. Actually, let me flip back to this.
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With gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps, leaving the chance open, if perhaps, God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth. That's a good reason. So, and that they may, it doesn't say that they will. If you're nice to him, it does not say that they will accept it but they're more likely to accept it. They may come to their senses and they may escape from the snare of the devil having been held captive by him to do his will.
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If they're wrangling about words and spreading foolish and ignorant speculations and blasting the actual gospel. It is possible for them to be redeemed. It is possible and they may come to their senses and they may escape that snare of the devil. I like this. Romans two four says this, do you think lightly of the riches of his patience?
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Of God. This is speaking of God. Do you think lightly of the riches of his kindness and his tolerance and his patience? This is right after the quoted verse that's quoted all the time in Romans one where he turned him over to a reprobate mind. They burn in lust after, it's it's it's right after that, okay?
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This is after that long list of sins where people rejected God and they suppressed the truth and then, it says this, or do you think lightly of the riches of his kindness and of his tolerance and his patience, not knowing that it is the kindness of God that leads to repentance. Do you want to be godly? Be kind. Be gentle. James 119 through 22 says this, and this you know my beloved brethren, that everyone must be quick to hear and slow to speed, slow to anger, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
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The anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. Therefore, putting aside all filthiness, this is he just said in second Timothy to those who name the name of lord must abstain from wickedness. He's saying, therefore, James says the same thing. Putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility, receive the word which has been implanted, which is able to save your souls and then, prove yourself the doers of the word and not merely hearers who delude themselves. You worry about yourself.
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Concentrate on that. I think that's the last slide. It is. I get the band to come on back up. As I'm as I'm standing and pondering and thinking this morning right here, there's a lot in that that we just covered.
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There's a lot there. I would say, seek after Christ who is right in the center of this and the he is the antidote for both of those problems and he's not just between em. I'm not saying if you're legalistic, you ought to just send some. Does that make sense? And I'm not saying that if you are in this licensed ditch where you feel like you can do anything else, then come to church every Sunday.
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He's not between them in that sense. He's the answer for both of them. Does that make sense? Okay. Jesus name, I hope it does.
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Amen.
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Amen. Let's stand up together. We'll sing this. Make it a prayer song. Take my life and let it be.
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Amen. And now, for the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It's offering it to all people. It teaches us to say no to ungodliness and to our worldly passions and to live self controlled and upright and godly lives in this present age. And what Paul has just said to sec in second Timothy is if we are doing this, then those who oppose that may come to know him.
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And if we don't do this, we are keeping people away from the kingdom of God. In Jesus name, Lord, would you let this verse be true of us and not ever let us bar the door. Amen.
Topics
False TeachingHandling Scripture AccuratelyKindness And CorrectionLegalism Vs LicenseQuarreling About WordsStudying The Bible
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