Text: 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5
Facebook live: The word of God, lives!
3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Two men had an argument. To settle the matter, they went to a judge for arbitration. The plaintiff made his case. He was very eloquent and persuasive in his reasoning. When he finished, the judge nodded in approval and said, "That's right, that's right."
On hearing this, the defendant jumped up and said, "Wait a second, judge, you haven't even heard my side of the case yet." So, the judge told the defendant to state his case. And he, too, was very persuasive and eloquent. When he finished, the judge said, "That's right, that's right."
When the clerk of court heard this, he jumped up and said, "Judge, they both can't be right." The judge looked at the clerk of court and said, "That's right, that's right."
Roger von Oech, Ph.D., A Whack on the Side of the Head, Warner Books, 1983, p. 23.
Truth is Truth! "That's right, that's right."
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
In a recent poll, light is shed on the paradox of religion vs. morality, or God’s truth vs. our actions and how we live.
In the poll, 81% of the American people agree that:
"An individual should arrive at his or her own religious belief independent of any church or synagogue."
Believing that truth is determined apart from God’s word and teaching.
81%!
This interesting thought is key and can help maybe us understand the paradox that many - who claim to be Christians - are arriving at faith on their own terms, and these terms that make no demands … on behavior … or Christian values.
Charles Colson, Against the Night, p. 98.
The apostle Paul tells Timothy and us:
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Truth - when it is God’s word - is Truth!
At times life and society tell us what truth is to be believed – whether marriage is between a man and a woman, or whether we can celebrate this gift from God in any way we choose. Whether even,
27… God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply Gen. 1:27-28a
These words were just proclaimed at the wedding of Bonnie and Dan Trylch.
Today even gender is no longer a physical determination of male and female but a psychological determination as many see fit - and society in its many forms and in many ways, has bought into that truth.
How someone sees themselves, or feels about themselves, becomes the determining truth or reality.
An interesting video that I saw on line has a white man of about 30 years of age and around 5’-8” in height on a college campus asking students what they would say if he told them that he is 6’-4” tall.
Most smile a bit and say: “Well who am I to disagree with your truth. If you see yourself as 6’-4” than I guess you are 6’-4”."
When he pushed it further and asked how they might react to him being 6’-4” and Chinese they smile and roll their eyes and say: “If that is your reality then who am I to argue against you?”
Finally, when he claimed to be a 6”-4” Chine woman, one student said: “Oh come on!”
You see, if you don’t believe and trust God’s word: Then truth is determined by the reality of the individual. If we believe that the child in the womb is just a bunch of cells, then removing them is no different than removing a tumor that is benign or cancerous.
If you don’t believe and trust God’s word: Then there are many paths to the Father as some claim, and Jesus is not the savior of the world and the only way to the father that he claimed to be.
If you don’t believe and trust God’s word: Then you might be a pretty good person, from your perspective, and not dead in trespass and sin as Paul writes - the truth of our condition in Ephesians 2.
If you don’t believe and trust God’s word: Then everlasting life is given to all, apart from faith in Christ, and the death of Jesus Christ was unnecessary and accomplished nothing.
If you don’t believe and trust God’s word: Then the rich man from our lesson a few weeks ago was not in torment in hell, and he could have easily gone from death to life eternal just by changing his truth and reality.
If you don’t believe and trust God’s word: Then Jesus didn’t really rise from the dead and you are still dead in trespass and sin.
But truth is truth … when it is God’s word …
That is what Paul keeps telling young Pastor Timothy:
Preach the Word!
4 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
As Christians we have the truth and we know this by God’s gift of faith alone.
Jesus prays for his disciples in his high priestly prayer of John 17 when he prays to the Father:
14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world,
Dear friends we’re here for the duration.
but that you keep them from the evil one [from sin, death and the power of the devil]. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them [or keep them holy and set apart from the world] in the truth;
Your word is truth!
We are kept in the truth, as we gather together to hear the truth of God’s word, as we receive the gift of forgiveness of sins in our Lord’s word and sacraments and then we go forth joyfully with that same word of comfort and peace to seek those who remain dead in trespass and sin.
For St. Timothy and for you and me, the road remains the same as Paul reminds him:
3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,
4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths
or lies of the evil one as the time now shows.
5 As for you, as it was for Timothy, always be sober-minded,
Clear headed and knowing that the truth of the word, is truth
endure suffering,
that is the reality for all who believe
do the work of an evangelist,
preach the word and comfort those in need the truth you have been comforted with …
fulfill your ministry.
That is the work dear friends!
Truth is Truth! "That's right, that's right."
We have been blessed by faith in God’s truth, may we all by that same faith, be steadfast in receiving God word always as truth now and always.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Two men had an argument. To settle the matter, they went to a judge for arbitration. The plaintiff made his case. He was very eloquent and persuasive in his reasoning. When he finished, the judge nodded in approval and said, "That's right, that's right."
On hearing this, the defendant jumped up and said, "Wait a second, judge, you haven't even heard my side of the case yet." So, the judge told the defendant to state his case. And he, too, was very persuasive and eloquent. When he finished, the judge said, "That's right, that's right."
When the clerk of court heard this, he jumped up and said, "Judge, they both can't be right." The judge looked at the clerk of court and said, "That's right, that's right."
Roger von Oech, Ph.D., A Whack on the Side of the Head, Warner Books, 1983, p. 23.
Truth is Truth! "That's right, that's right."
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
In a recent poll, light is shed on the paradox of religion vs. morality, or God’s truth vs. our actions and how we live.
In the poll, 81% of the American people agree that:
"An individual should arrive at his or her own religious belief independent of any church or synagogue."
Believing that truth is determined apart from God’s word and teaching.
81%!
This interesting thought is key and can help maybe us understand the paradox that many - who claim to be Christians - are arriving at faith on their own terms, and these terms that make no demands … on behavior … or Christian values.
Charles Colson, Against the Night, p. 98.
The apostle Paul tells Timothy and us:
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Truth - when it is God’s word - is Truth!
At times life and society tell us what truth is to be believed – whether marriage is between a man and a woman, or whether we can celebrate this gift from God in any way we choose. Whether even,
27… God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply Gen. 1:27-28a
These words were just proclaimed at the wedding of Bonnie and Dan Trylch.
Today even gender is no longer a physical determination of male and female but a psychological determination as many see fit - and society in its many forms and in many ways, has bought into that truth.
How someone sees themselves, or feels about themselves, becomes the determining truth or reality.
An interesting video that I saw on line has a white man of about 30 years of age and around 5’-8” in height on a college campus asking students what they would say if he told them that he is 6’-4” tall.
Most smile a bit and say: “Well who am I to disagree with your truth. If you see yourself as 6’-4” than I guess you are 6’-4”."
When he pushed it further and asked how they might react to him being 6’-4” and Chinese they smile and roll their eyes and say: “If that is your reality then who am I to argue against you?”
Finally, when he claimed to be a 6”-4” Chine woman, one student said: “Oh come on!”
You see, if you don’t believe and trust God’s word: Then truth is determined by the reality of the individual. If we believe that the child in the womb is just a bunch of cells, then removing them is no different than removing a tumor that is benign or cancerous.
If you don’t believe and trust God’s word: Then there are many paths to the Father as some claim, and Jesus is not the savior of the world and the only way to the father that he claimed to be.
If you don’t believe and trust God’s word: Then you might be a pretty good person, from your perspective, and not dead in trespass and sin as Paul writes - the truth of our condition in Ephesians 2.
If you don’t believe and trust God’s word: Then everlasting life is given to all, apart from faith in Christ, and the death of Jesus Christ was unnecessary and accomplished nothing.
If you don’t believe and trust God’s word: Then the rich man from our lesson a few weeks ago was not in torment in hell, and he could have easily gone from death to life eternal just by changing his truth and reality.
If you don’t believe and trust God’s word: Then Jesus didn’t really rise from the dead and you are still dead in trespass and sin.
But truth is truth … when it is God’s word …
That is what Paul keeps telling young Pastor Timothy:
Preach the Word!
4 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
As Christians we have the truth and we know this by God’s gift of faith alone.
Jesus prays for his disciples in his high priestly prayer of John 17 when he prays to the Father:
14 I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world,
Dear friends we’re here for the duration.
but that you keep them from the evil one [from sin, death and the power of the devil]. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them [or keep them holy and set apart from the world] in the truth;
Your word is truth!
We are kept in the truth, as we gather together to hear the truth of God’s word, as we receive the gift of forgiveness of sins in our Lord’s word and sacraments and then we go forth joyfully with that same word of comfort and peace to seek those who remain dead in trespass and sin.
For St. Timothy and for you and me, the road remains the same as Paul reminds him:
3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,
4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths
or lies of the evil one as the time now shows.
5 As for you, as it was for Timothy, always be sober-minded,
Clear headed and knowing that the truth of the word, is truth
endure suffering,
that is the reality for all who believe
do the work of an evangelist,
preach the word and comfort those in need the truth you have been comforted with …
fulfill your ministry.
That is the work dear friends!
Truth is Truth! "That's right, that's right."
We have been blessed by faith in God’s truth, may we all by that same faith, be steadfast in receiving God word always as truth now and always.
In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment