{"id":18209,"date":"2016-01-24T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-01-24T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sugar-land-bible-church.local\/sermon\/2-timothy-019-light-and-not-heat\/"},"modified":"2016-01-24T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2016-01-24T06:00:00","slug":"2-timothy-019-light-and-not-heat","status":"publish","type":"sermon","link":"https:\/\/slbc.org\/es\/sermon\/2-timothy-019-light-and-not-heat\/","title":{"rendered":"2 Timothy 019 – Light and Not Heat"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","book":[100],"series_event":[454],"sermon_service_type":[472],"speaker":[6],"class_list":["post-18209","sermon","type-sermon","status-publish","hentry","book-2-timothy","series_event-2-timothy","sermon_service_type-main-service","speaker-dr-andy-woods","no-post-thumbnail"],"acf":{"sermon_title":"2 Timothy 019 - Light and Not Heat","sermon_date":"20160124","sermon_month":"1","sermon_year":"2016","sermon_notes":3333,"sermon_slides":3350,"sermon_mp3":3337,"sermon_id":"124161010508","series_or_event":454,"service_type":[472],"speaker":6,"books_of_the_bible":100,"chapter_and_verse":"2:24-26","sermon_transcript":"Andy Woods\nLight and Not Heat\n1-24-16 2 Timothy 2:24-26 Lesson 19\n\nGood morning everybody. If we could take our Bibles and open them to the book of 2 Timothy, taking a look this morning at 2 Timothy 2:24-26, as time permits. The title of our message this morning is Light and Not Heat. Of course, we\u2019re in the midst of a study through the book of 2 Timothy which is basically about competing the race that God has set before us, in terms of different things He\u2019s called us to do. Of course, Timothy had a huge calling; he was basically put in a position of authority over the church at Ephesus by Paul, and was told to be the pastor of that church.\n\nSo there were times of encouragement, there were times of discouragement, there were valleys and peaks, most likely the kind that you experience in your life, depending on your calling or where God has you. But Timothy was really one of those valley times. We\u2019ve kind of explained the reasons for that and he was thinking about just quitting. So this book, in essence, is written by Paul from prison, as his last word and testament to Timothy to encourage this young man to fulfill his task in God.\n\nWe have been spending our time the last several Sundays in chapter 2 and we\u2019re coming near the end of chapter 2, we may actually finish chapter 2 today, although I can\u2019t promise that. But these are basically a series of metaphors, about ten of them here, showing young Timothy what endurance looks like: the metaphor of a teacher, the metaphor of a soldier, an athlete, a farmer, even the example of Christ and Paul, and then Paul gives Timothy a trustworthy statement, then the metaphor of a workman; last week the metaphor of a vessel sanctified unto God for the Master\u2019s use.\n\nAnd we come now to our tenth word picture and that\u2019s the metaphor, or word picture, of a servant. So here\u2019s sort of a little outline that we can put together as we look at this metaphor of a servant. We have what is a servant, verse 24. And then verses 25-26 is a description of why become a servant unto God. And as I\u2019ll try to show you this morning, the decision you make as a Christian on becoming a servant the way it\u2019s described in verse 24, puts you into the realm of spiritual warfare. It puts you into the angelic conflict, because what you\u2019ll discover is God wants to use servants to accomplish His work, verse 25, and hinder the devil\u2019s work, verse 26. But God doesn\u2019t just use anybody, He uses those that He calls servants, that fit the description of servants under His power, given in verse 24. So that basically is the direction that these few verses move in.\n\nLet\u2019s go ahead and start off with verse 24, what is a servant? We throw this word around quite a bit but what does the word \u201cservant\u201d actually mean? Notice verse 24 as Paul describes a servant to Timothy. \u201cThe Lord\u2019s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wrong.\u201d\n\nNotice how Paul starts off verse 24; he uses this word \u201cbond-servant.\u201d Now actually that may not even be the best translation. The Greek translation, \u201cbond-servant,\u201d comes from the Greek word doulos, a doulos is more than just a servant, a doulos is a slave. Paul, many times in his ministry and in his writings called himself a slave unto Christ.\n\nFor example, in Romans1:1 it says, this is how Paul begins the book without touting his credentials, he instead describes his status as a slave unto Christ. \u201cPaul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus\u2026.\u201d So Timothy, the first thing you need to understand is that you are a slave, or translated sometimes \u201cbond-servant\u201d unto Christ. What kind of people does God use in the angelic conflict to advance His own purposes and to hinder Satan\u2019s purposes. He uses those that are slaves unto the Lord Jesus Christ.\n\nTo understand this word \u201cslave\u201d it is modified, it says, \u201cthe Lord\u2019s bond-servant,\u201d not just a slave but a slave unto Christ. A slave, of course, would be somebody who has really no rights or will of their own, rather their life totally consists of being inscripted for their master\u2019s use. Now a lot of times in our culture we look at this word \u201cslave\u201d and we say I don\u2019t want any part of this; slavery has a negative connotation and in America it does and it should. So we look at this and we say well, all this Christianity stuff is great but I don\u2019t want to be a slave unto Christ, call me something else.\n\nWell, the fact of the matter is biblically every single human being today, alive on planet earth, is a slave to something. We are all slaves, either to the old nature, or to the new nature. Jesus, in John 8:34 says, \u201cVery truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.\u201d [NIV] See, when people get involved in sin they like to promote it as freedom.\n\nLet me tell you something; being addicted to pornography is not freedom, being addicted to drugs is not freedom. Being addicted to materialism is not freedom. It is slavery. And God seeks to set us free of the things that once enslaved us. John 8:36 says, \u201cSo if the Son of man sets you free, you will be free indeed.\u201d [NIV]\n\nSo as a newborn creature in Christ Jesus I have a constant choice to make. Am I going to go back to the sin nature, masquerading itself as freedom, which in reality is nothing more than servitude or bondage, or am I going to submit the members of my body to Christ Jesus. Either option is slavery.\n\nRomans 6:16 say, \u201cDo you not know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves you are slaves of the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin which leads unto death, or obedience which leads to righteousness.\u201d (NIV)\n\nSo slavery, apparently is not an option for any of us. I\u2019m either a slave to the sin nature at any moment in time, which yes, brings some temporary pleasure, but ultimately leads to death. Or I am a slave at any moment in time to the Lord Jesus Christ, which brings forth the fruit of righteousness.\n\nSo Timothy, the first thing I want you to understand in this metaphor of the bond-servant is the type of person that God is going to use is the slave, the slave unto righteousness, the slave unto Christ. Now what does a slave, a bond- servant, a doulos, unto Christ look like? Notice verse 24, \u201cThe Lord\u2019s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome.\u201d Now this flows very nicely out of verse 23 because Timothy was to avoid (you remember last week), avoiding superficial conversations that \u201cproduce quarrels.\u201d You\u2019ll see quarrels\u201d there at the end of verse 23, and so this subject of quarrels prompts in Paul\u2019s mind this metaphor of a bond-servant unto the Lord who must not be quarrelsome.\n\nYou know, there are so many people, even in the Christian world that are very cantankerous people; it\u2019s almost like they are ready for a rumble on any given subject at any point in time. The name we used to give for some of these people are \u201cfighting fundies,\u201d people not just standing for truth, which is a wonderful thing to do, but people looking for an argument. And the Lord\u2019s bond-servant must not be that way. Well how should he be? Or she? \u201cThe Lord\u2019s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome,\u201d but look at this, \u201cbut be kind\u2026.\u201d\n\nYou know, the Bible has a lot to say about not just what we say but how we say it.\n1 Corinthians 13:2 says this, \u201cIf I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. (NIV) Ephesians 4:15 tells us to \u201cSpeak the truth in\u201d what? \u201clove.\u201d And in fact, Ephesians 4, when you understand that context is basically telling us speaking \u201cthe truth in love\u201d is a sign of maturity in Christ. I find speaking the truth is the easy part, speaking it in love is more difficult. Very few seem to be able to master that.\n\nIt\u2019s totally possible to win an argument with somebody but lose a heart. Sadly I\u2019ve done this many times; I\u2019ve become so aggressive in an argument that I\u2019ve lost the person because of the manner in which I conducted myself. And I remember one time I was just really bent out of shape about something at the school that I work at and it\u2019s not that I didn\u2019t have a valid concern, but I went into one of the senior professors there, Dr. Steve Sullivan who has a great walk with the Lord and has been there for a long time, and I went in to his office and I was just piping mad about something and I remember telling him what I was going to tell the administration. And I aggressively laid out my case before Dr. Sullivan, thinking he would just jump right on board and applaud me because of the righteousness of my cause\u2026 right?\n\nAnd he just kind of sat there, very patiently and listened, and then when I was done with my sermon he said something that was very convicting. He says, well, you know, it\u2019s not really what you say that\u2019s going to be the issue, it\u2019s how you\u2019re going to say it. That\u2019s all he said. And that sort of has stuck with me looking at these verses about being quarrelsome; it\u2019s sometimes not what we say but it\u2019s how we say it, \u201cspeaking the truth in love.\u201d\n\nTwo of my political heroes and I just use these two for illustrative purposes, one of them is Barry Goldwater and the other one is Ronald Reagan. When you look at those two individuals they essentially spoke the same message, the same kind of themes is what they spoke, and yet Barry Goldwater lost an electoral landslide in 1964. Ronald Reagan, in 1980 and then into 1984, the opposite happened, he won an electoral landslide. And people have looked at those two elections, 1964, 1980, 1984, and said well, how was there such a difference when the message of both men was identical. And there\u2019s lots of different theories on it but one commentator had something interesting to say, which has always stuck with me, he said what Goldwater spoke with a scowl Reagan spoke with a smile. And isn\u2019t it interesting how w cheerful heart, a cheerful word makes a heart glad. And I remember even in college a lot of my professors just hated Reagan because of his policies but so many of them hated his policies but actually liked him as a person because of the manner in which he spoke, the manner in which he conducted himself.\n\nThis is the sort of thing that Paul, I believe, is getting at here when he says, \u201cthe Lord\u2019s servant must not be quarrelsome, but kind.\u201d [ 2 Timothy 3:24] You know, the gospel is offensive enough, it is not? In fact, Paul, in Galatians 5:11 calls the gospel an offense, a stumbling block. [Galatians 5:11, \u201cThen the stumbling block of the cross has been abolished.\u201d] The message in and of itself is offensive because it\u2019s in assault on human pride. And I fear that many times we add an unneeded offense because of the way we present it to people.\n\nSo \u201cThe Lord\u2019s servant must not be quarrelsome, but he must be kind,\u201d now don\u2019t let that last little clause or that middle clause there escape you, \u201ckind\u201d to who? Kind to those who agree with him? No, it doesn\u2019t say that. Kind to those who treat him or her nicely? No, it doesn\u2019t say that. It\u2019s very clear, it says \u201ckind to all.\u201d You know, the mafia is kind to people that are nice to them. Kindness is not tested based on who\u2019s nice to you, who agrees with you, who treats you properly; kindness is tested based on our reaction to people that are mean-spirited toward us\u2026 \u201ckind to all.\u201d\n\nAnd then he goes on describing this servant, \u201ckind to all\u201d and he says here, verse 24, \u201cable to teach,\u201d so the Lord\u2019s bond-servant must present himself or herself in a truthful manner, but in a kind manner, but they must be accurate in how they biblically present material. This is a difficult calling, to be biblical and loving. I think it\u2019s easy to be biblical if you don\u2019t care about being loving. I think it\u2019s easy to be loving if you don\u2019t care about being biblical. But to be both, that\u2019s the type of person that God uses in the great angelic conflict that\u2019s going to be described for us in these verses: the ministry of teaching the Word of God.\n\nIn fact, this word, \u201cteaching\u201d here, didaktikos,<\/em> basically that means skillful teaching. And there are different derivations of that root many times in Paul\u2019s letters but this specific word is only found one other time in Paul\u2019s writings, it\u2019s something that he has already referenced in 1 Timothy, and in 1 Timothy 3, as Paul is laying out the qualifications for elders in a church this is what Paul says.\n1 Timothy 3:2, \u201cNow the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled,\u201d and then it says, \u201cable to teach.\u201d [NIV] Same word.\n\nOne of the things that God desires to happen in His church is the ministry of teaching the Word of God. For a very long time I have felt this, that the church of Jesus Christ, in general, has been preached to death. We have all heard all sorts of preaching but what is lacking in many circles is the teaching of the Word of God, the showing of people who are blood-bought saints how to live in Christ, how to think, how to behave. And that is something that we will never grow out of because we always will have room for further growth and edification. And so consequently the teaching ministry of the church is to be foremost in any assembly.\n\nAnd if there are two ministries the devil hates there are these two: number 1, intercessory prayer; the devil, as the saying goes, trembles when we\u2019re on our knees. And the second ministry I believe that Satan hates, more than any other ministry is the ministry of teaching the Word of God. The Sadducees, the opponents of the early church, hated the teaching of the Word of God. Who were the Sadducees, well, the Sadducees were always sad you see, because they are enemies of God. And this is what it says in Acts 4:18 when they began to persecute the early church, it says: \u201cThen they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.\u201d [NIV]\n\nWe can put up with a lot these Sadducees said, but I don\u2019t want you guys, you apostles, Peter and John in this case, speaking, and we certainly don\u2019t want you teaching about Jesus. And you begin to discover this the moment God puts you into the position of a teacher, how the devil tries to derail you constantly from your task. And yet the teaching of the Word of God is something that is pivotal to the development of the Christians in that particular church. In fact, it\u2019s so critical that he includes here, in verse 24, \u201ckind to all, able to teach,\u201d and then notice this last clause in verse 24, \u201cpatient when wronged.\u201d Not when wrong but when \u201cwronged,\u201d in other words, when someone wrongs you, the Lord\u2019s bond-servant must in those circumstances be patient.\n\nI looked up this word patience and I looked it up impatiently, \u201cLord give me patience and give it to me right now\u201d, as the saying goes. What does patience mean? It means enduring difficulties without becoming angry or upset. So frequently we endure difficulties but we do it with a grudging spirit, we do it with a bitter spirit, we do it in a way where we\u2019re internally upset at this, that or the other. And that\u2019s really not what patience is; it is enduring difficulties without allowing your emotions to become negative.\n\nPatience is one thing, but notice it says there, at least in the New American Standard Bible, \u201cpatient when wronged.\u201d What are we like when people mistreat us, abuse us? That\u2019s how you test patience. You don\u2019t test patience when people treat you properly and respectfully; you test patience when people abuse you, say all kinds of evil manner against you, spread rumors against you, criticize you for things that may not even be within your control. That\u2019s how you test patience and whether we respond, by God\u2019s grace, in those circumstances determines whether we qualify to be the type of bond-servant that God wants to use in spiritual warfare.\n\nAfter all, isn\u2019t patience, when wronged, isn\u2019t that what Jesus was all about? What did Jesus say as one of His final words on the cross? As a human being was being mistreated, perhaps more than any other human being in the history of the world, what was His final words on the cross. He said a number of things but one of His statements was, you know the verses very well, \u201cForgive them Father, for they know not what they do.\u201d [Luke 23:34]\n\nPatient when wronged, He didn\u2019t say I\u2019m going to get every one of you when I come back the second time; you just wait till the book of Revelation is written, then you\u2019re going to see Me coming back with vengeance and a sharp sword is going to come out of My mouth and all that apocalyptic stuff which is all true also. But it\u2019s very interesting, He said, \u201cForgive them, Father, they know not what they do.\u201d\n\nYou know, this idea of patient when wrong as a reflection of God\u2019s nature, it\u2019s all over the Scripture when you start looking for it. You think of the days of Noah, where the people in the days of Noah, prior to the flood, were involved in corruption, violence, blood was being shed, and God, the Apostle Peter tells us, waited patiently in the days of Noah. Patient when wrong. [1 Peter 3:20, \u201cto those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water,\u201d [ NIV]\n\nIn fact, God\u2019s patience was so expansive that Genesis 6:3 tells us that God waited patiently for one hundred and twenty years, [NASB \u201cThen the LORD said, \u2018My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.\u2019\u201d [NIV] \u201cThen the LORD said, \u2018My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.\u2019\u201d] That\u2019s a long time, that\u2019s about half the duration of the United States of America. While people were involved in despiteful behavior and offenses against God. When we are patient when wronged we are exhibiting Christlikeness in its highest degree, and that\u2019s what God desires to see in His servants.\n\nThese, I don\u2019t believe, are attributes that we conjure up through human power and will power and white-knuckling it and self-discipline, these are things that the Lord will reproduce in us as we walk moment by moment according to the Spirit of God who is within us, and we say no to the perpetual yearnings of the old nature. So that\u2019s what a servant is, I mean, there\u2019s so many descriptors here.\n\nNow the next question is why become a servant? The answer is usability. First of all, God wants to use servants to further His purposes; that\u2019s in verse 25; secondly, God wants to use servants to hinder Satan\u2019s work. So let\u2019s notice the first of these incentives, take a look, if you will, at verse 25, continuing on with servant imagery, \u201cwith gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth.\u201d\n\nTimothy, you have been fortified with all sorts of apostolic arguments; you are my son in the faith, Paul says, but the goal of your knowledge is not to pound people so far into the ground that they\u2019ll never see the light of day again. [\u201cTo Timothy my true son in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.\u201d 1 Timothy 1:2, NIV]\n\nPeter talks about this, he says, \u201cBut in your hearts revere\u201d or sanctify \u201cChrist as Lord. Always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that lies within you,\u201d and people usually cut the verse off right there, because that\u2019s the famous apologetic verse, apologia in Greek means defense of the faith. I can\u2019t tell you how many people I know quote that verse but they leave off that little clause at the end there, what does the rest of it say: \u201cBut do this this with gentleness and respect.\u201d [1 Peter 3:15, \u201cbut sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.\u201d]\n\nPeter, like Paul, is saying it\u2019s not what you say, it\u2019s how you say it that is significant as well. If you start studying this word, \u201cgentleness\u201d it\u2019s interesting how it\u2019s used constantly in tasks that God expects of His leaders. For example, how do you restore the erring brother or sister. Galatians 6:1 says, \u201cBrethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one\u201d now most people stop reading the verse right there, but what does the rest of it say, \u201cin a spirit of gentleness \u2026.\u201d Restoration, when it comes to that is to be conducted with \u201ca spirit of gentleness.\u201d\n\nMatthew 7:5 is the famous verse where Jesus tells people to take the log out of their own eye before they take the speck out of their brother\u2019s eye. Matthew 7:5 says, \u201c \u2026first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother\u2019s eye.\u201d [NASB] How do you take the speck out of somebody\u2019s eye in the world of ophthalmology, optometry, medicine? It\u2019s not something you rush into, it\u2019s something you must do with great delicacy and surgical precision. In other words, it\u2019s something that must be done with a spirit of gentleness.\n\nWhat does the Lord require of His servants? That they\u2019re patient when wronged, \u201cwith gentleness\u201d \u2026 with gentleness. Proverbs 15:1 says this: \u201cA gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.\u201d [NASB] You don\u2019t believe Solomon there when he wrote that? Test it out this week. Let\u2019s say you\u2019re having a disagreement with your spouse or somebody in your business, you say to the person who disagrees with you, you\u2019re a liar; or you say to the same person, you know, I respect your viewpoint but I see things a little differently and here\u2019s why. If you do that latter rather than just coming out and calling someone a liar, we all know that those are going to invoke two totally separate reactions from people. And this is the kind of thing that Paul is dealing with here. \u201cA gentle word turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger.\u201d\n\nAnd in this electronic world that we\u2019re living in, with e-mails and posts and messages, it\u2019s so easy hiding behind a screen, without seeing eye contact with someone, to speak a very harsh word. You know, we say things in our little electronic cocoons that we probably would never ever say face to face. Everybody is brave behind a computer, you\u2019ll notice. And you\u2019ll notice that this would apply to us, therefore in this time period that we\u2019re living in, probably more than anybody else that\u2019s ever lived, because we have the ability through harsh rhetoric to stir people\u2019s emotions. If you want to make a fool of yourself electronically you have unlimited options to do that today. And we, I put myself in this category as well, we should be very careful about the words that we are choosing. I\u2019m not saying don\u2019t stand for truth, I\u2019m saying it\u2019s how we say things is just as significant as what we say.\n\nNow who do you show patience towards, verse 25, \u201cwith gentleness correcting those who are in opposition? Why would Timothy have to understand these interpersonal skills? Because there were people in the church opposing Timothy. Paul never says these people have a point, Timothy, you ought to think about what they\u2019re saying. You get the idea that Timothy is being challenged by people unfairly. In fact, that goes with the territory. The greater you go in your walk with God, the greater you go in your usability before God is the more and more people you will discover are opposed to you.\n\nPaul, in21 Timothy 3:12 is going to highlight this, he says, \u201cIn fact, everyone who seeks to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.\u201d So Timothy, there are going to be opponents, there are going to be detractors and I want you to exercise this attitude of gentleness, even in the midst of detractors, because the servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome. And something else that is very helpful is when you get critics, or detractors, and if I\u2019m reading my Bible right you should have them if you\u2019re doing things correctly, it\u2019s important to look at them, not as so much opposing you but opposing God. The world hates God and if you are accurately reflecting the light of God in your life, the very people that hate God suddenly start to hate you.\n\nI\u2019m reminded of 1 Samuel 8:7, this is a setback for Samuel because the people did not want to wait on God, they wanted a king of their own choosing and they wanted it right now. And Samuel, the prophet, I think got his feelings hurt, to some extent, I think he took it personally. And I\u2019m reminded of what God says to Samuel in 1 Samuel 8:7, \u201cThe LORD said to Samuel, \"Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them.\u201d [NASB]\n\nSee, you can step out at your place of employment or in your family and do something that you feel the Holy Spirit is calling you to do, you can do it in the right way and the right manner and still be criticized for it. And in those circumstances it\u2019s so easy to take it personally, but it\u2019s not personal against you, it\u2019s personal against God. If the world hates God it stands to reason that the life that is reflecting the light of God would also be hated. This is why Jesus says, \u201cWoe to you when all men speak well of you.\u201d If the world is applauding everything you do you might want to rethink, are you in the will of God or not.\n\nBut you\u2019ll notice also here that the servant of God is not a pushover. He\u2019s not one of these types of people that is to say well, everybody can just say whatever they want, think whatever they want, do whatever they want because as these people are opposed to Timothy, he is to, you\u2019ll see it in verse 25, correct them. Notice what it says, \u201cwith gentleness correcting those who are in opposition.\u201d Timothy, stand for the truth, but do so with a gentle, non-quarrelsome spirit.\n\nSome people are just pushed over, over everything, and that\u2019s not what God calls His servants to do. Other people are so aggressive in standing ground that they react in a volatile manner; that\u2019s not the call of the servant either. It\u2019s \u201cspeaking the truth in love.\u201d Now why do this? Because you become in scripted into the angelic conflict. The moment the Spirit begins to replicate in you the character\u00acistics of a servant you become part of the great spiritual war that is taking place over the hearts and minds of people.\n\nVerse 25, \u201cwith gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth.\u201d Look at this expression here, \u201crepentance leading to the knowledge of the truth.\u201d What is the goal as you interact with those in opposition? It is \u201crepentance\u201d in them, \u201cleading to the knowledge of the truth.\u201d That\u2019s what the end game is; it\u2019s not to defeat them in an argument, it is for a heartfelt change of repentance to occur.\n\nNow this word \u201crepentance\u201d is the Greek word metanoe\u014d<\/em>, meta means change, meta<\/em> means change, as in metamorphosis, a change or your cancer has metastasized, which is never a good thing, by the way, from a health point of view it\u2019s changed from one part of your body to another. And then you have this word noe\u014d<\/em>, where we get the word notion, or idea which comes out of the mind. What is repentance? It is change of mind. It\u2019s a change of outlook. It\u2019s a change of heart. It\u2019s a change of conviction. That\u2019s what God wants to do through you as a servant.\n\nAnd if you are dealing with unbelievers God wants to use you as a servant in such a way that they change their minds about Jesus. In other words, they quit trusting in themselves and they trust exclusively in Christ. That\u2019s a conversion; it\u2019s a synonym for faith or believe. You can read on your own these quotes from Lewis Sperry Chafer, who tells us that.\n\n[A serious Arminian error respecting this doctrine occurs when repentance is added to faith or believing as a condition of salvation. It is true that repentance can very well be required as a condition of salvation, but then only because the change of mind which...has been involved when turning from every other confidence to the one needful trust in Christ. Such turning about, of course, cannot be achieved without a change of mind. [Lewis Sperry Chafer, vol. 7, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1993), 265-66]\nThis vital newness of mind is a part of believing, after all, and therefore it may be and is used as a synonym for believing at times (cf. Acts 17:30; 20:21; 26:20; Rom. 2:4; 2Tim. 2:25; 2 Pet. 3:9). Repentance nevertheless cannot be added to believing as a condition of salvation, because upwards of 150 passages of Scripture condition salvation upon believing only (cf. John 3:16; Acts 16:31).\nLewis Sperry Chafer, vol. 7, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1993), 265-66]\n\nWhen you evangelize the lost we don\u2019t tell them to repent and believe, two things, we tell them to believe which properly defined is also to repent, because when you stop trusting in religiosity and trust in Christ you are believing, but also simultaneously you\u2019ve just changed your mind, metanoe\u014d.\n\nSynonyms, different words, same meaning; it\u2019s very confusing today because people say you\u2019ve got to repent and believe, or you\u2019ve got to believe and repent and they don\u2019t unpack what repentance is. So your average person out there thinks that they have to do some sort of work because they don\u2019t know anything about Greek and they\u2019re defining repentance by how it\u2019s used in the 21st century and so we\u2019re teaching a very confused garbled gospel; that\u2019s my plug for Wednesdays, where we\u2019re trying to iron out some of these things, 7:00 to 8:00. 6:00 to 7:00 physical food; 7:00 to 8:00 spiritual food, or online. All right, enough commercials.\n\nSo the goal with these unbelievers is to get them to repent so that they can come to a knowledge of the faith. But what I want you to see is I don\u2019t think Paul here is primarily talking about Timothy\u2019s interaction with unbelievers because Timothy is a pastor of a church. This is the third pastoral letter written to Timothy, teaching him how to pastor a church. So Timothy is, no doubt, dealing with believers. Even believers whose minds have not been reprogrammed because they have not submitted (in many cases) to the authority of the Word of God, they have not read through the Word of God, you\u2019ll discover that many Christians still think like pagans.\n\nThis is why Romans 12:2 as a command to the brethren, believers, tells us to perpetually renew our minds. [Romans 12:2 , \u201cAnd do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.\u201d]\n\nSo Timothy, you\u2019re going to be interacting, not just with unbelievers but believers; you\u2019re going to have the opportunity as a servant of God to get these Christians who don\u2019t think the right way to start thinking properly. What is God\u2019s goal for you? It is so you \u201crepent\u201d which is a synonym for saying believe on Jesus Christ to be saved. Then what is God\u2019s goal for you? God\u2019s goals continue because He wants your mind renewed, which will not happen automatically. If it happened automatically then there would be no sense in Paul giving a command in Romans 12:2 to the brethren to renew their minds.\n\nAnd the degree to which your mind is renewed is your familiarity with this book, the Bible, and your willingness to apply it moment by moment. If that\u2019s not happening in your life then your mind is not being renewed. A lot of people have one verse of Scripture that they know, John 3:16, [\u201cFor God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.\u201d] Okay, if that\u2019s all your know your mind is only renewed by that verse. It\u2019s not until you become familiar with all 66 books and begin to diligently study the full counsel of the Word of God that the mind will start changing as the Mapsco tells you when you\u2019re lost. What does it say? Recalibrating. I mean, I\u2019m driving way off point. And it keeps saying \u201crecalibrating, recalibrating,\u201d and it gets so irritating you want to shut the whole thing off.\n\nWhat is God\u2019s goal for your mind? It is recalibrating. Just because you\u2019re saved doesn\u2019t mean your mind doesn\u2019t still think like a pagan. You think all of the baggage that the world system has put into you and your sin nature has consumed over all of the years prior to your conversion,, do you think that baggage just disappears instantaneously? Of course not! The mind has to be renewed. And there are many people in the body of Christ whose minds have not been renewed. They still think the old way on a great number of subjects. Those are the people, Timothy, that will be in opposition to you and you just need to be patient with them with the end goal that God will lead them unto repentance, a change of mind toward a knowledge of the truth.\n\nNow who causes the repentance? See, we think that\u2019s our job, but that\u2019s not what the passage says. Verse 25, \u201cwith gentleness correcting those who are in opposition,\u201d watch this, \u201cif perhaps God may grant them repentance\u2026.\u201d \u201c\u2026if perhaps God might grant them repentance.\u201d Who causes repentance? It\u2019s God and not us. But He uses us, doesn\u2019t He. He uses us as His instruments to cause repentance in people if we emulate, through His Spirit, the characteristics of a servant. But ultimately at the end of the day it\u2019s God that causes a change of mind.\n\nNow when you repent unto God, let me ask you a question: what attribute of God most causes us to repent? Is it His wrath? Is it His anger? Perhaps that does cause repentance in a great many people, but what does Romans 2:4 say? It is \u201cHis kindness\u201d which leads us \u201cto repentance.\u201d [Romans2:4, \u201cOr do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?\u201d]\n\nWhat really causes a repentant heart is seeing the goodness of God, the grace of God, not the anger and wrath of God, although many people do get saved, praise the Lord, by understanding His wrath. But Romans 2:4 says it is \u201cHis kindness\u201d that leads us \u201cto repentance.\u201d I was just fixated on that verse yesterday and I kept playing that song by\u2026 I forgot the name of the performer, I think her last name is Phillips, where she\u2019s singing \u201cit is His kindness that leads us unto repentance.\u201d And if the Lord wants to use you to change the mind, either of an unbeliever or a believer, what part of your character will God use to produce that change. If it is His kindness that leads us to repentance then what is God going to use to change the mind of either a very carnal Christian or an unbeliever? It is seeing in you the same attribute of kindness.\n\nThat\u2019s why it says here over and over again, he must be \u201cpatient when wronged,\u201d he must be \u201cpatient,\u201d correcting those in opposition, he must not be quarrelsome. If it\u2019s his kindness that leads us to repentance who does God use to change the minds of people? He uses the servant who is committed, not just to speaking the truth, but \u201cspeaking the truth in love.\u201d [Ephesians 4:15, \u201cbut speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ.\u201d\n\nNow you\u2019re in the role of a servant and does that guarantee that everybody around you is going to repent and change their mind? That\u2019s not what the verse says. It\u2019s not a promise, it says \u201cif perhaps God may grant them repentance.\u201d \u201c\u2026if perhaps\u201d maybe God will use it, maybe He won\u2019t. But you just make yourself available. In fact, this word \u201cgrant\u201d in the Greek language is in the subjunctive mood, which is the mood of possibility; maybe it\u2019ll happen, maybe it won\u2019t. But don\u2019t worry about it because it\u2019s not your job any way to create it; it\u2019s God\u2019s job. You focus on these characteristics of servanthood, letting the Spirit of God reproduce those in your life.\n\nSee, whether we become servants the way God calls us to depends on whether God\u2019s purposes are going to be advanced in our lives either over unbelievers or wayward Christians. And as we become servants do you know who we deal a setback to as God allows it? \u201cthe devil.\u201d And that\u2019s what\u2019s described in verse 26, \u201cand they may come to their senses\u201d talking about these unrepentant people, \u201cthat they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.\u201d\n\nNotice this expression regarding Timothy\u2019s opponents, \u201cthat they may come to their senses.\u201d These people, Timothy, that are opposing you are not in their right mind. Their mental faculties are not thinking biblically, logically nor rationally. There is something greater than themselves influencing them and he tells us what that force is in verse 26 when he says that they may \u201cescape from the snare of the devil.\u201d \u201c\u2026the devil.\u201d I think Keith Green has a song where Satan is boasting in this song as Keith Green narrates, and Satan is boasting because there\u2019s a line in the song which says, \u201cno one believes in me anymore.\u201d\n\nA lot of people don\u2019t even think the devil exists. Sadly, many systems of theology teach that the devil is bound now; it\u2019s called amillennialism. I like the title of Hal Lindsay\u2019s book myself; here\u2019s the title, great title, great book too, but the title is really good: Satan, Alive and Well on Planet Earth. The devil is alive and well, not only outside the church but he is wreaking a tremendous havoc in the church, many times in the mind of the blood-bought saint.\n\nIn other words, Satan is so active that some people are actually in a snare or a trap. Think of a bear caught in one of those bear traps where that steel comes upon the bear\u2019s foot and the bear is in pain and he tries to get loose but he can\u2019t because he\u2019s in this snare, he\u2019s in the trap. That is how people are; that\u2019s where the whole subject of spiritual warfare comes in. There are men and women outside the church, there are Christians inside the church with a pagan mindset that literally have that steel trap over their leg where they cannot escape. In fact, in most cases they don\u2019t even realized they\u2019re trapped, that\u2019s how deceptive the devil is, because after all, no one believes in him anymore.\n\nIt\u2019s a different way of looking at opponents, isn\u2019t it? There is something greater than themselves holding them back. That\u2019s why you need to be patient with them, and not be quarrelsome with them, and to speak the truth in love to them because they are not in their right minds. These opponents, Timothy, that you are facing are actually victims. You know, when someone opposes me I don\u2019t look at them as a victim; I look at them as the enemy. Biblically they\u2019re not the enemy; biblically they\u2019re victims. And that\u2019s why our prayer life becomes so significant.\n\nSee, you can\u2019t yell at them, you can\u2019t scream at them, you can\u2019t out logic them, you can\u2019t send them Facebook posts that go fifteen paragraphs expecting to convince them because they don\u2019t even have the rational faculties to understand what it is you\u2019re saying. What you need to do is be loving towards them, \u201cspeaking the truth in love,\u201d because it is His kindness that leads us unto repentance.\nShould God grant them repentance it will be that attribute of kindness that God sees in you that they see in you, because it\u2019s His kindness that leads us unto repentance. [Romans 2:4, \u201cOr do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?\u201d]\n\nThis is one of the great problems of so-called evidential apologetics. Apologetics means defense of the faith; I\u2019m pro apologetics, let\u2019s get the arguments down, let\u2019s defend the faith, let\u2019s offer them a reason for the hope that lies within us. [\u201cBut sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:\u201d I Peter 3:15, KJV] But you see, the problem is we think that if we just align the arguments the right way and appeal to the mind we can get them saved.\n\nThe fact of the matter is, evidential apologetics doesn\u2019t comprehend this issue of spiritual warfare that even if you presented the best possible case, ironclad, tight logic, right from the Bible, they will take that argument and they will distort it because they\u2019re in a trap and they\u2019re not in their right senses. And I\u2019m not bashing evidential apologetics; I think apologetics has its place and has its time. My problem is people who place such an emphasis on it that they are not understanding the spiritual warfare component of the whole thing.\n\nAnd they are being, verse 26, at the end of the verse, after he talks about this snare, \u201chaving been held captive by him to do his will.\u201d \u201cCaptive,\u201d what does that mean? It means they\u2019re in bondage. Now we understand this with unbelievers fairly well; unbelievers are in bondage, 2 Corinthians 4:4 says, \u201cin whose case the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they cannot see the light of the gospel.\u201d It\u2019s not that they will not see it, \u201cthey cannot see\u201d it; spiritual things to them are veiled because Satan has worked so aggressively in their minds that he\u2019s actually blinded them. The capacity of the devil for deception is almost, from the human point of view unlimited.\n\nIn fact, the devil is so good at deception that Revelation 12:9 says the devil or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. [Revelation 12:9, \u201cAnd the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.\u201d] He is so good at it that he\u2019s got the whole world confused. The capacity of Satan to deceive!\n\nDo you know Satan deceived a third of the angels, that stand in the very presence of God, into rebelling with him against an all-powerful God? Do you know Satan deceived himself in that process? Did you know that Satan deceived Adam and Eve before sin had ever entered the picture? When they were still in a perfect relationship with God the devil came and deceived them. If the devil has this capacity for deception what could he do with the unbelievers that are \u201cdead in their trespasses and sins.\u201d [Ephesians 2:1, \u201cAs for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins. NIV]\n\nWhat could he do in the church, filled with people whose minds have not been recalibrated? We, because we don\u2019t believe in Satan anymore, underestimate his deceptive power and his ability. And my goodness, if he can do this to unbelievers could he do it to a believer? You bet! You know, Peter made a statement one day, \u201cwho do men say that I am?\u201d [Mark 8:27, \u201cJesus went out, along with His disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them, \u2018Who do people say that I am?\u2019\u201d] Peter, the apostle with the foot-shaped mouth raised his hand like Horshack in Welcome Back Kotter. I know the answer\u2014and Jesus said \u201cGet behind me Satan,\u201d you just spoke a devil\u2019s deception. Matthew 16:21-23.\n\n[Matthew 16:21-23, \u201cFrom that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. [22] Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, \u201cGod forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.\u201d [23] But He turned and said to Peter, \u201cGet behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God\u2019s interests, but man\u2019s.\u2019\u201d\n\nYou know right at the beginning of the age of the church, in early Acts, Satan immediately starts deceiving God\u2019s people. We run into a couple of people named Ananias and Sapphira who got slain in the Holy Spirit, which is not a good thing, I hope you know,\n\n[Acts 5:1, \u201cBut a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, [2] and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife\u2019s full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles\u2019 feet [3] But Peter said, \u2018Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? [4] \u2018While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.\u2019 [5] And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it.\u201d]\n\nAnanias, how is it, Peter says, that Satan has \u201cfilled your heart.\u201d The Greek word for heart is pl\u0113ro\u014d, it\u2019s the same verb used in Ephesians 5:18 to describe the command that the believer should be filled with the Holy Spirit. [Ephesians 5:18, \u201cAnd do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,\u201d] Just as the Holy Spirit wants to fill a believer Satan came into this church and he filled a heart full of deception, to such a degree that these two were struck dead by God. People say well, they weren\u2019t Christians. Well, number 1, what were they doing in church? Number 2, Acts 5:11 says great fear seized the whole church. Why was the church afraid? Because they figured out, wow, God is serious about sin amongst us. That\u2019s why they are afraid. [Acts 5:10,\u201dAnd immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. [11] And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things.\u201d]\n\nAn unbeliever gets killed by God, so what? But if God disciplines His own people sometimes that severely, to the point of death, takes them home early, these two (Ananias and Sapphira) were Christians.\n\nEphesians 4:26-27, \u201cBe angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,\u201d that\u2019s why I\u2019ve always wanted to move to Alaska, [laughter] \u201c\u2026do not let the sun go down on your anger, [27] do\u2026.\u201d This is very clear, you look at this in context, it\u2019s talking to believers, \u201cdo not give the devil a foothold.\u201d The Christian can cater to the sin nature and give the devil a foothold; that\u2019s why Romans 12:2 says we need our minds renewed. [Romans 12:2, \u201cAnd do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.\u201d]\n\nAre you dressed for success? That\u2019s why there\u2019s the command regarding the various pieces of armor in Ephesians 6, including the helmet which protects the what? The mind. If I was invincible to Satan\u2019s devices there would be no need for this command, would there, to \u201cput on the full armor of God.\u201d\n\n\u201c\u2026having been held captive by him to do his will.\u201d You know, I think too much of our theology comes from Star Wars; there\u2019s the light side, The Force, and there\u2019s the dark side, use The Force Luke, don\u2019t yield to the dark side. Many people look at Satan as the dark side, just some kind of impersonal source of energy. And may I just say to you, number 1, the devil exists, the Old Testament describes him many places; every writer of the New Testament speaks of the devil, and Christ, 25 times talks about the devil.\n\nAnd then number 2, Satan has the elements of personhood, for example, when the Bible refers to Satan it calls him \u201che\u201d or \u201chim,\u201d a personal pronoun. Satan, when you look at those Scriptures, has intellect, emotions, and what\u2019s the third one there, \u201cwill.\u201d It\u2019s right here in this passage, \u201chaving been held captive by him to do his will.\u201d\n----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n[Satan has intellect, 2 Corinthians 2:11, \u201cso that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.\u201d Emotions, Revelation 12:12, \u201cFor this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.\u201d Revelation 12:17, \u201cSo the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.\u201d Will, 2 Timothy 2:26, \u201cand they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.\u201d]\n-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\nSatan is not an impersonal source of energy, his personality is just as real as yours or mine is and he actually has a will.\n\nWell, God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life\u2026 fantastic! Do you know the other side of that? Satan hates you and has a terrible plan for your life. What\u2019s Satan\u2019s plan for your life? Jesus tells us in John 10:10, \u201cThe thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;\u201d why is it that these people are in bondage and need prayer? Because they are held captive by Satan to do Satan\u2019s will. What is Satan\u2019s will? \u201cTo steal, kill and destroy.\u201d That\u2019s why they need prayer.\n\nBut what\u2019s the other side of this: I came that they may have life and have it to the full. [\u201c\u2026I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.\u201d John 10:10] What\u2019s God\u2019s plan for your life? Life abundantly! What is Satan\u2019s plan for your life? To steal, kill and destroy. That\u2019s why, Timothy, as you are interacting with people outside the church and inside the church you are in the midst of an angelic conflict. God wants to use you through an attribute of kindness, to liberate from bondage men and women. The job of repentance and liberation is not your job, God says, it\u2019s My job, but I\u2019ll use you as My vessel if you cooperate with Me in this realm of being a servant.\n\nWOW! A lot to think about, huh! Are you a servant? Look at verse 24. Why become a servant? Verses 25-26, God wants to use you to assist His work, verse 25 and He wants to use you to hinder the devil\u2019s work.\n\n[2 Timothy 2:4, \u201cThe Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, [25] with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, [26] and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.\u201d]\n\nMay God help us this week at Sugar Land Bible Church as God\u2019s people to press into this calling to servanthood, and become enlisted in the great conflict that is happening over the hearts and minds of people. You know it\u2019s possible you could be here today and never have repented ever in Christ. You\u2019ve never really changed your mind about Christ, you\u2019ve never, in other words, believed in Christ, never trusted in Him. And if that describes you, you can change your eternal destiny right now as I\u2019m speaking. Through a simple act of the will you can transfer your allegiance from self, religion, self-righteousness, exclusively to the promises of Jesus Christ. It\u2019s not something you have to raise a hand to do, walk an aisle to do, join a church to do, pray a prayer to do, if you want to pray, wonderful, but that\u2019s not a condition. The condition is faith, \u201cfor without faith it is impossible to please God.\u201d [Hebrews 11:6, \u201cAnd without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.\u201d]\n\nEven as the Spirit of God places you under conviction our exhortation to you, if you\u2019re an unbeliever, is to respond to that convicting ministry of the Spirit and trust in Christ and Christ alone for salvation. And then grow in servanthood and watch how God will use you to advance His purposes and to defeat the agenda of Satan over the minds of people. Shall we pray.\n\nFather, we\u2019re grateful for this truth and the things that it reminds us of. Help us to take seriously this issue of servanthood. We\u2019ll ask that You\u2019ll use us this week as servants to advance Your purposes upon the earth. We\u2019ll be careful to give You all the praise and the glory. We ask these things in Jesus name. God\u2019s people said\u2026.","series_sermon_number":""},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t