1 I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he appears to set up his Kingdom: 2 Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. 3 For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will reject the truth and chase after myths. 5 But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you. 6 As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. 8 And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing. (2Timothy 4:1-8 NLT) If there was ever a need for a case to be made that we must be completely saturated in Him, Pauls words here in Second Timothy should be part of that testimony. How do you say those things with a half-hearted interest? For those words, the things he writes could not possibly come from mans view on life. He is preparing for what he knows is the inevitable end. While at the same time asking all of us to do the same in our own lives. Not the kind of stuff you say to people you are asking to follow you. At least not from the worlds view. But if I may, I would also like to back up to the beginning of his message and address his command. Paul was making a case in the first two verses and especially verse two that we have our marching orders. With these marching orders there must be a complete connection to Christ. I dont know how you live out verse two unless you are completely saturated in Him? If this is at all about you, verse two just does not happen. We will be thinking about what others think of us. We will be concerned about how we are going to be received or if we are going to be liked. This case he is making here is the case that should be clear by now to all of us. Daily devotion to Him is of THE highest order. It is the springboard to everything else. In my view, because I have lived the half-hearted way and the fully devoted way, the only way that we are truly being transformed is through this daily devotion. We may...in some ways be somewhat transformed through experience in things like worship and bible study or home group, but with the opportunity to just sit there with Our Creator, why would you pass that up? What could possibly be more important than that? Yesterday we spoke of the church and the happenings therein. If we are to live out what Paul is strongly urging us to do, we must be making this the culture. If we happen along a conversation where God is asking you to be His voice...be it. Because here is what He is showing me is happening and all of you have every right to dispute this. Because people are in the church and the scene is social, there is this slow erosion of the truth that is going on. Its as if there is this invisible covering that makes it okay to continue to live the way the world lives and talk about all of that stuff because we are doing this church thing. Because I get the idea that the whole purpose for the church building and the church people is for the purpose that they do have brokenness. At some point that brokenness must be challenged. Its not okay to stand in a group of people and share about the crazy party you were at last night. If our ways cause someone else to stumble, that is clearly a problem. This happens because new followers are in these conversations and they hear others talk about parties and other crazy things and probably wonder and think; is it okay that we can still do those things? Somewhere in this covering of the church real life change has got to be established. It doesnt have to be anything dramatic, but choosing the world over Him and in a place we call His house, where does it end? The critical element here friends is all of us. We can change the culture in those environments, by living out what Paul is telling us to live out. Walk in there saturated in His presence and watch the way people react to you. If you are approached by a friend, after the pleasantries are out of the way, ask him/her what God is teaching them or showing them in their life. Ask them if there is something you can pray about for them. Share the Gospel with them. Be salt and light to everyone. Remember, if we are following Him, we should be able to share the Gospel and it should be received excitedly. Otherwise this is not true... 16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile.[g] 17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” (Romans 1:16&17 NLT) Case after case must be laid before us friends that daily devotion to Him is absolutely necessary if any of this is going to be lived out in our life, for in that time He is erasing the old you and replacing it with Him. We are His conduit, His vessel, His servant, His messenger and through that view we can live out Pauls urging so that we can endure the suffering and all of the other hardships that the enemy will throw at us to keep us from being the voice God has called us to be. His love is so deep for us...
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 12:26:40 +0000
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015