June 23, 2019,
2 Timothy 1:1-18
This letter was written by Paul not long before he was martyred, 4:6-18. Timothy was his son in the faith. 2 Timothy like 2 Peter, 2nd and 3rd John, and Jude deal with our walk and personal testimony during these days of apostasy, moving away from the gospel. In the last days, as we see them now, there is a turning away from the truth of God's Word, 2 Tim 3:1-5. The last days are characterized by a love for self, worship without intimate fellowship with Christ and a life without surrender to Him.
We live such selfish lives and in doing so miss our eternal significance,
2Ti 2:4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
(A pastor shared a story about one of his members, a lady who lived alone. She worked as a cleaning lady in a high - rise office building. She lived in a one-room apartment and took the bus and subway to work and back every day. The hours were long and the pay was minimal. It was determined in one year she gave Twenty (20) thousand dollars to foreign missions. On her salary that was impossible. She never earned that much from her job. People gave her money: they would put in her hand, in her bag, put it anywhere so she would have money. She was asked about getting a bigger place to stay: why do I need a bigger place, she said, I have everything I need. People urged her to get a car. Her reply was the same. If I get a car, I would have to pay for parking, upkeep, insurance and I can go anywhere I need to go now. She said I have everything I need. ) There are two things you know immediately from this story: It was the LORD who impressed people to give her money and the second thing, she wanted to please Him who had chosen her to be a soldier.
The more your life is about having rather than giving the more you become entangled in the affairs of this life, see 2 Cor. 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Why is it important to be a good Soldier of Christ?
In the book of Jonah, you see the heart of God for mankind to know the way of life and you see His grace in dealing with one of His servants, Jonah 3:1-10, 4:1-1,
You know the story of Jonah and how he refused to go to Nineveh. In his disobedience, he learned you can run but you cannot hide and you will always pay the fare and find a vessel that will take you down the road of disobedience. Also, he learned there is a difference between the saved and the unsaved: God prepared a great fish, a whale, to swallow him. And in the belly of the whale, he cried to the LORD, 2:7-10.
He got a second chance Jon 3:1 And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Jon 3:2 Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. Jon 3:3 So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city of three days' journey.
This Great City repented but Jonah's sermon did not say repent – he said in 40 days and Nineveh will be overthrown, 3:6,7,8, But they hoped in God's mercy, i.e. V9 Who can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not?
And their hope was not denied, Jon 3:10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.
Here is the power of God's Word, when heard and believed: the entire city, 3:7 And he caused it to be proclaimed andpublished through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor drink water: Jon 3:8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.
Here is the faithfulness of God when you believe Him, God saw they turned from their evil way to His Word and He took away judgment on them. 3:10, (see 4:11 The 120,000 could have been children since cattle were included to show helplessness) A city that size, ( 3:2) I think would be more than 120, 000 in total population =Maybe One half million?
Even though Jonah received the grace of another opportunity he did not think others should have a second chance, 4:1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was very angry. The real reason Jonah ran from the LORD is revealed in 4:2.
Jonah pictures much of the Body of Christ today
In the conclusion of the story, the only thing that Jonah was happy about was the gourd, 4:6 And the LORD God prepared a gourd and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head, to deliver him from his grief. So Jonah was exceeding glad of the gourd.
We are living in the Church Age, Christ is the Head, "°.And he is the head of the body, the church°.
The Gourd represents the comforts of home, our comfort zone: the life that does not require living by faith or the presenting our self to our head, 2:4, No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
Most of our caring and praying is for a gourd for our self. The gourd of my needs, my bills, my health, my house, my, my, my, my. And there is little thought of the Master and His will! See 1 Timothy 6-10 and 17-19.
Are we not told that we are dead with Him? 2 Cor. 5: 14-15 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
So, He is the one who died for all (us) and rose again. (and the life I now live, see Gal. 2:20) – we are living – and we are told to live unto Him: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.
You as a believer must take care of your life. You have been bought with a price and we are not our own. 1Cor. 6:19-20, We are not our own – we have been redeemed. We sinned and lost our value but Christ redeemed us = He reset our value!
You have an adversary, the devil, 1Pe_5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because of your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
But it is our lust that entraps us. James 1:12-14 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed
Suffering for Christ in this life is a choice you make, 2 Tim. 2:12. If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
What is [1]a living sacrifice—in glorious contrast to the legal sacrifices, which, save as they were slain, were no sacrifices at all. The death of the one "Lamb of God, taking away the sin of the world," has swept all dead victims from off the altar of God, to make room for the redeemed themselves as "living sacrifices" to Him who made "Him to be sin for us"; while every outgoing of their grateful hearts in praise, and every act prompted by the love of Christ, is itself a sacrifice to God of a sweet-smelling savor.
You, the believer in Christ as your Saviour are the Living Sacrifice. Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Notice this act of faith is holy and acceptable to God, "that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God," He is the One who died that you might live.- we are to be the living sacrifice. (Heb 13:15, 16). By him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
We should be an Honorable Vessel
2Ti 2:20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 2Ti 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
There are many vessels in the House of God, 1 Cor.12:20-23 But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness.
The distinction is not between the vessels of gold and silver and of wood and the earth but from the vessels of Honor and dishonor.
There are varying degrees of usefulness, and we are to attain to our Saviour's desired place for us. It is best described in the words of scripture, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
The admonition is to not follow after, be influenced by the vessels of dishonor: those who do not abstain from wickedness,(see v 19). Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity
Sanctified" Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. You are sanctified by your faith in Christ. You are set apart by Him! His expectation is for you to be useful to Him.
"Meet" = useful to the LORD
Prepared" You want to be prepared, see Rev.19:7,8, 22:12------[2]Reflection: Our "wedding gown" as the bride of Christ will be made up of many "strands," each representing a time of living in God's approval – i.e. receiving faith from God and obeying.
Conclusion:
See that His Grace is not just for Jonah but for you also, Jon 3:1 And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, There is Grace for every need – not just for the second chance but the innumerable times.
See, His care for His prophet; He found Jonah and gave him His counsel, Jon 3:1 And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, saying, Just as He would many years later find Peter and give Him counsel, John 21:15-22.
Jonah was a prophet but the greatest of all gifts is love: Could love have been missing from Jonah? 1 Cor. 13:2.
C. S. Lewis, "If you read history you will find out that the Christians who did most for the present world, were precisely those who thought most of the next." Jesus said, Rev 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
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