Becoming an Effective Disciple Maker - Be Faithful - Don't Shrink Back (2 Timothy 4), Part 2

Do you wish you had more courage, that you were stronger, that you were more faithful?

How do we overcome this deep-seated fear that grows in our heart? Today we'll hear from the Apostle Paul his very last words on earth that will give you and me the hope we need. Thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. Chip's our Bible teacher for this international discipleship ministry focused on helping Christians live like Christians. Well, today we'll wrap up our newest series, Becoming an Effective Disciple-Maker. For the past several programs, Chip's been teaching through the book of 2 Timothy, examining the Apostle Paul's four challenges to Timothy and considering how they apply to our lives some 2,000 years later.

So if you've missed any part of this series, catch up anytime at livingontheedge.org or via the Chip Ingram app. If you have a Bible, turn now to 2 Timothy chapter four for part two of Chip's message, Be Faithful, Don't Shrink Back. He begins by sharing how he remained true to God and his word through a tense situation. I've been the pastor of a couple very, very big mega, mega churches. I had a hot band. I teach God's word and I'm inspiring and motivating. And I'll never forget when Columbine happened and it was a jolt to the country.

And I remember thinking, how in the world can something like that happen? And I asked, one of our most dynamic ministries was fifth and sixth graders. And we felt like we were being very successful.

And don't get me wrong, I just wondered, what is the diet like in our church? And so we did a little survey. And of course, you know, fifth and sixth graders, they're like honest. And you know, they listed the kind of movies and kind of things that are fifth and, these are Christian families. And I mean, some of it was just vile. And I just thought, oh my, we are measuring some of the wrong stuff. I got there the next week and people were concerned, what are we doing with our kids? What's happening in the culture?

I mean, think of how long ago this was. And so I tried to come in the side door. I said, we've done a recent survey and I just need to tell some of you parents, your fifth and sixth graders are getting up in the middle of the night and they're sneaking out of your house.

They are renting movies that I'm sure you would never let them watch. And I just felt like I should make you aware of that. And it started us on a journey and we had to repent.

And we still did it very imperfectly. But for the last at least 25 years, my passion has been to help Christians live like Christians and pastors measure the quality and the health of the ministry by, are you preaching the word in a way that convicts, rebukes and then don't miss this and exhorts. You know what we pastors are afraid of?

We don't like talking about things that we know we're going to get rejected on. The fear of man's a snare. I can't tell you how many sermons it's been like, oh God, do you really want me to say this? I remember one guy, the very first church too, he was very demonstrative. And I remember I look at him and I think, you know, I'd want to change my sermon right in the middle of it.

This young pastor and I care about what people think. And there was another older guy named Bill and I don't know where I would be. Bill was a layman and he spent three or four hours every night after his work in God's word. He would come to me and ask a question and literally, I was a young pastor, I was really sure Bill knew the Bible way better than me. And Bill and I would go out on Thursday nights, you know, this is the old days and people would move into the area and so we would take them a pie and we would welcome them and we would let them know kind of what's going on and look for an opportunity to, has anyone ever shared with you how much God loves you and how you can have eternal life?

And, you know, this is rural Texas, you know, it's not quite like today. No. Well, would you like us to?

Well, sure, why don't you come on in and sit down, we'll cut that pie. I mean, every Thursday night I'm sitting around these tables with Bill and I'll never forget, we would share Christ and I could tell it's getting tension like, oh man, this is not going well, we don't really know these people, I think we should back off. And I'll never forget this huge man talking to this lady, tears streaming down his face as she's rejected Christ. And he just said, I just want to make sure you understand that you are choosing a Christless eternity forever and ever and ever.

You're rejecting the love of the Son of God. And I remember other times where he was, he was discipling me, I just didn't know it. And there was a real bad situation of, we had a sexual predator who did something at a gas station and then he came and visited our church and volunteered to usher and, you know, you're like 29 years old and like, you need to go confront that guy and say what, you know? And so Bill and I meet him at the Pizza Hut and, you know, Bill's this very godly older guy and he really challenged me to speak into areas and so we were sitting across the booth and Bill kind of lays out everything and he gets to the end and he goes, Chip has some important things he wants to say to you. That's what Paul's saying to Timothy. You know why I told you about Bill? Because you all are sitting here at some level thinking, you know what Chip, you're right, this is what these pastors ought to do. In fact, I'm going to give this message to my pastor.

I think this would really help him. Bill preached God's word verbally and by life. Bill was ready in season and out of season. Bill, with those same tears, an issue came up in the church. Chip said I think this church is either going to go this way or this way and you're the pastor and if you do what God wants you to do, you're going to become very unpopular. He said, now I don't know what God's plan is for your life. He goes, Bill, Bill always had this very word centered, he had a little bit of this mystical, he goes, you know I've been conversing with the Lord and I've got a sense, Chip, I've got a sense that he might have his hand on your life in a special way.

He said, these will be your tests. You either have the courage to say what it says, knowing what's going to happen, or you'll compromise. And you've got some good gifts, so if you compromise you'll probably still have a nice little church that'll do some good things. And you know, I look back and I just realize when you're a pastor, there's like some people that you can trust, there's people that are like on your team that you can really be vulnerable with. Or a lot of pastors, part of their big challenge is they don't have that.

And they're getting killed right now. You open the church, I'm leaving. You don't open the church, I'm leaving. You make me wear that mask, I'm not coming. You tell those people to wear masks, if they don't, I'm not coming. If you don't preach on vaccines, if you don't preach on Black Lives Matter, if you don't preach on, and it doesn't matter what they do right now.

Can you imagine if the church rose up and said, we're going to help our pastors? You know? I don't care what people think. We're not doing that here.

We're going to disagree, and we're going to agree to disagree. We're not having this unity in this church. We are one. And I'm one of the leaders, or I'm one of the influencers. And you are. You're generous with your finances, your priorities in general or in order, and the favor of God has been on your life. But here's the memo. It's not so that you're happy and everything just goes with you.

It's so you're positioned to make a difference in your church and in your neighborhood and in your community and where you work. That's the why. How? With great patience and instruction. That word is, in some of your translations, will be long suffering. It's that picture of it just with patience. You have a very, very long fuse before you give up on something. You hang in there. It's the bricklayer saying, everyone thinks we should give up on Chip because he's a flake because he's a flake, but I'm not.

He long suffered with me. It's not about do this and do this and why do you do this. It's here's this God's better than plan.

Here's where you fall short. I'm going to encourage those who are making progress. I'm going to comfort those that are struggling. I'm going to admonish and come up pretty strong against the people who are willfully disobeying. I'm going to do it with patience. And then when we correct, it's that here's the way to do it.

Not you're a bad person. Here's the way to do it. And so he says, Timothy, that's the what and the how. Then notice verse three and four, he says there's going to be a challenge. For the time will come when they will not tolerate.

Are you ready? Here it is again. Underline it. Sound doctrine. It's this theme of truth, of reality.

But wanting to have their ears tickled, just the idea of tell me something I like, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires. I can't think of a better definition of the prosperity gospel than that line. I mean, who doesn't want to go rah, rah, rah for a message that says, here's how to get rich. This is your self-help genie. You know, press A7B4C69. And send me $10,000 and God will send you $100,000.

The only people who get rich are prosperity teachers. Verse five, but as for you, contrast. I love this. Keep your head. Wouldn't that be a good word for all of us right now in the world we're living in? Hey, keep your head. The word means to use self-restraint, to be wide awake.

The literal meaning of it is kind of to be sober and not overcome with wine. Just keep your head. Don't get drunk with all that's happening and all the media and all the struggles and all the people and all the stuff.

In the midst of all of this, hey, use self-restraint in all things. Endure hardship. Do the work of an evangelist. Fulfill your ministry.

Literally discharge it. You do, Timothy, in your life and with your life everything God has called you to do, just like I have done everything God's called me to do. Perfectly, absolutely not. We put these people in stained glass. Timothy hung out with Paul.

I would go on record, and I don't know, but I'm going to go on record anyway. I think if you hang out with Paul, there were days that he really kind of lost it. This choleric, high-driving personality, I think there was times where I think he was a little harsh at times. Mark can't go. He's done. Really? Yeah. Why?

Because he flaked out once. You don't get a second chance like you? No. You want to talk about this? No.

You got any other questions? Remember, I'm the guy that sort of gave you the second chance with the disciples. Yeah, I get it. Good. Go do that with him.

I'm going to get back on mission. God used him. But he wasn't Jesus. He was just Paul.

And neither are you, neither am I. And then we get the reason in verse six and seven. These are very encouraging verses. Four, I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I've fought the good fight.

I've finished the course. I've kept the faith. In the future, there is reserved for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, unlike Nero, will award to me on that day. And this isn't just for me, but not only me, but also those who love his appearing, those that are looking forward, those that are living with an eternal perspective. Timothy, those that are doing what I told you, be bold, be strong, be prepared, be faithful.

And did you notice Paul's picture isn't Rome is not killing me and Nero's not killing me. This is an offering. This is my drink offering.

I'm giving my life. This is just a great picture, time of departure. The word has two or three different meanings, but one is to sort of put up your sail to catch the wind. The word was also used for like you're at a dock, and you take off the rope, and so you depart. You leave your mooring. I'm leaving the earth, and death is not an end.

I'm going to somewhere. And finally, the word was used for someone whose chains are loosed. And so he says, I'm loosing the chains of my mortality and all that I've been through. I'm departing to receive the gift and the reward that the righteous judge has promised for me.

And then, like a military campaign, if they would say, okay, strike your tents because we're going to move. And Paul's saying, I'm striking my tent, the tent of this body, and I'm going to move on. And I love.

He's so confident. I'm moving on. And then he uses this military term, I've fought the good fight. I've been in a battle.

I've finished the course. I've kept the faith. And I think he's saying to us and saying to Timothy, in the midst of evil, in the midst of chaos, in the midst of struggle, in the midst of suffering, in the midst of health issues and cancer and racism and division, and Christians that don't live like Christians, and your failure and my failure and our repentance and getting back on, hey, fight the good fight. Finish the race.

It'd be interesting. You can do a little study. In 1 and 2 Timothy, the number of times, and so and so drifted, so and so turned away, so and so departed from the truth. There's this theme through these books of focus, soldier, athlete, discipline, finishing and turning, drifting, departing. And then he says, make every effort to come to me soon.

What I love about this is he not only has in focus his reward, is that Paul, despite his great godliness, you never outgrow your need for others. He says, come soon. Once winter comes, it's too dangerous.

The ships don't sail. I need you, man. I need you. I can't do this alone. Make every effort. I mean, hurry up. It's a strong word.

Why? For Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. The presence has gone to Galatia and Titus to Domathea.

Did you catch the contrast? Those who love is appearing. Demas loves this world. I am departing to be with God.

Demas is discerning. And it's not without intention that the Holy Spirit sort of lays before us, do you want to go the Paul way or the Demas way? Only Luke is with me.

Take a long mark. Bring him with you. I guess Paul softened up after a while. He's useful for me.

By the way, isn't it great to remember the body? Paul was a lousy counselor, but a great apostle. Praise God for Barnabas.

I'll just tell you, your pastor and some of your friends need a Barnabas. Some of you, oh, I'm an introvert. Great. You'll go deeper with people than other people. Oh, I have this mercy. I don't strike up conversations.

Great. Just look for people that are hurting. Sit down next to them.

Start asking them questions. I mean, there's a role in the body for each one of us. He goes on and sort of basically going through why Timothy needs to come. When you come, bring the overcoat, which I left in trots with Carpus and the books, especially the parchments. Warning, Alexander, that coppersmith did me great harm. The Lord will repay him, according to his deeds. There's the Paul we know and love. Be on your guard against him too, for he vigorously opposes our teaching.

Notice, did you get it? Preach the word, sound doctrine, tickled ears, the teaching, the truth. It's what we need today.

It's what they needed then. At my first defense, no one supported me, but all deserted me. I love this.

May it not be counted against them. Anybody, are you ready for this? Lean back for a second. This isn't no time.

I just want to be, this is a special moment. Anybody during this COVID time feel like someone in your family or someone in your church has hurt you, said hurtful things, did hurtful things. How are you doing with forgiving them? Paul's in a dungeon, chained to a wall, rats running around all by himself, his closest associates out of fear. They're human. I mean, Peter did it to Jesus.

We've all been cowards at times. They've all departed. And Paul's attitude to the end is, may the Lord not hold it against them. Don't hold it against them.

They're in the process. They're on the journey. They're just like you. They're just like me. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me. Why?

The guy never loses his focus. So that, purpose clause, through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished and all the Gentiles might hear. And I was rescued out of the lion's mouth. I don't think this is literal. Maybe the lion was Nero.

Maybe it's just a picture of at that defense, not being executed. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. Confidence. Did you notice the lack of the word hope? I wish or I hope that someday, someway, somehow, no. The Lord will rescue me from every evil and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. He had absolute assurance of salvation. Greet Priscilla and Aquila, the house of Onesiphorus. Erastus remained at Corinth, but I left Trophimus sick at Miletus.

Make every effort to come before winter. And then he gives a few more names. He identifies 20 different people in this small book. Life really is about relationships. The summary is faithfulness to endure whatever suffering, hardship, or persecution can only be accomplished by God's supernatural enabling, his grace, and the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit within us.

How often does this truth counterbalance our own human inclination to compromise under peer pressure? On what issues do you find yourself struggling to communicate God's truth as it relates to life, marriage, gender, sexuality? And finally, what is God saying to you?

Who and what do you need in your life to be bold, to be strong, to be prepared, and to be faithful in the days ahead? You need to sit quietly and say, Lord, since you are so kind and so patient and know me better than I know myself, what's the one step you want me to take this week? Because if you respond to the light that God gives you, you get more light. If you don't respond to the light that God gives you, even the light that you have will be taken away.

Application and obedience are the organ of transformation, not knowledge. This world is messed up and the church is the only hope. And you can look around this room and wish there was someone better, smarter, more godly, more wonderful than you, but here's the deal. It's us and this is it. In your world, in your network, in your family, in your neighborhood, in your church, you're it. You're the man. You're the woman.

You're the student, right? And this book is filled with ordinary, very struggling and adequate people who something happened and they got tapped on the shoulder and they didn't become superstars and they had lots of struggles, but they responded to the light that God gave them. And we see it all through church history. Chip will be right back with his application for this message, Be Faithful, Don't Shrink Back, from his series, Becoming an Effective Disciple-Maker, A Study of 2 Timothy. With all of the hatred and misconceptions pointed at Christianity nowadays, it's really difficult to be a genuine follower of Jesus. In this new study, Chip's going to encourage us that now more than ever, we can't just settle for saying we're a Christian.

We have to live like one, too. Chip will help us put that into practice as he highlights four compelling challenges from the Apostle Paul's final letter to Timothy. Join us as we learn how to live more God-honoring lives and better disciple others along the way. To get more plugged in with this series, Becoming an Effective Disciple-Maker, visit LivingOnTheEdge.org. That's LivingOnTheEdge.org. Chip's with me in studio now to share something that's been on his heart recently.

Chip? Thanks, Dave. Before I come back and talk about the application that Paul has for this young pastor, I want you to know that pastors are hurting like never before. Almost four out of ten pastors right now have considered leaving the ministry. Whether it's the political tension, vaccines, masks, or disunity, I want you to hear that your pastor, your senior pastor, youth pastors, children pastors, we're in the midst of crisis. We at Living on the Edge have doubled down to help them in the midst of their burnout, their job stress, their loneliness, and all the things that are happening politically.

They need our help, and they need our support. We have, as a project, like never before, invested in pastors here and around the world, and that requires a significant amount of money and expense. So would you prayerfully consider giving to Living on the Edge today? Just go to LivingOnTheEdge, all one word, LivingOnTheEdge.org, and right now, every gift given before December 31 will allow us to channel a significant portion of the resources of Living on the Edge to help pastors here and around the world.

Thanks so much. Well, we really do feel a calling to help pastors all around the globe. So we'd like to invite you to join us in that work by going to LivingOnTheEdge.org or by calling 888-333-6003 and giving a gift. And between now and December 31, every dollar we receive will be matched dollar for dollar. Again, to partner with us financially, go to LivingOnTheEdge.org or call 888-333-6003.

App listeners, tap Donate. With that, Chip, let's get to that application you promised. Thanks, Dave. You know, I want to say one last thing as you wrap up this series, this teaching. Multiple times, the apostle Paul wrote and he said, Timothy, come quickly.

He actually, in this book alone, mentions 20 different people. Sometimes we as Americans especially, we hear God's word, we feel that we want to obey Him and do what He wants us to do, and we get this unconscious idea that I've got to do it on my own. Here's what I want you to know. The great apostle Paul couldn't do it on his own. Neither can you and neither can I. Can I encourage you? Get into community. You just simply can't watch videos or listen to podcasts or even read good Christian books.

Those things are super helpful. But who in your life could you do life with? You know, a couple guys or maybe another couple or some gals that you really feel close to. And if you don't have those people, ask God for them. Lord, I need people to do life with that I could be me and be real and get supported and be loved and give love and encourage them.

Could I encourage you to step out of the rat race, of the demands, of all the stuff that's never going to slow down and make sure that this week you develop a pattern. Do life in community. That's a great reminder, Chip. And let me say, here at Living on the Edge, we believe community is really, really important. So if you or your small group are looking for the next thing to study, check out our small group resources. They're so easy to use. Chip provides the teaching. Then you'll have time to discuss what you've heard alongside our helpful study guides. To learn more, go to the store at livingontheedge.org or call us at 888-333-6003. For everyone here, this is Dave Druey saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge.