Breaking Free
Faithful Until the End | 2 Timothy • Sermon • Submitted
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· 4 viewsWe have a choice to whether we be vessels of honor or dishonor. God has called us to be faithful servants to Him.
Notes
Transcript
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Introduction
How many of us this morning have those things in our life that we need to break free from? How many of us are entrapped by the devil? Entrapped by addiction? Entrapped by the flesh? Entrapped and need to break free? There is a way to break free and that is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It is my prayer that before you leave today, you will walk this isle and break free through the only source that can break you free, Jesus Christ.
Focus Passage
22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with [them that call on] the Lord [out of] a pure heart. 23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do engender strifes. 24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, [apt to teach,] patient, 25 In meekness instructing [those that oppose themselves;] [if God peradventure] will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26 And that they may [recover themselves] [out of] the snare of the devil, who are [taken captive] by him at his will.
Outline
Breaking free by being proactive (vv.22-23)
22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with [them that call on] the Lord [out of] a pure heart. 23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do engender strifes.
Within the previous text of Paul’s epistle to Timothy, he is told him that there are two types of Christians within the house of God. There are those that are vessels of value or honor and also some were vessels of no value or dishonor (v.20). He then goes further and states that one chooses which vessel they will be.
21 If [a man] therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and [meet for the master’s use,] and prepared unto every good work.
He writes, if a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be… To often we forget that we choose our own paths in life and we choose how faithful we are to our walk with the Lord. As Jesus told his disciples...
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and [beat upon] that house; and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And [every one] [that heareth] these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and [beat upon] that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
We choose our path, not the consequences of those path. We choose whether we will be vessels of honor or dishonor within the house of God. In this process of choosing, let our choices be proactive rather than reactive.
The Christian is to escape those things in our life that separate us from God
Paul writes, flee youthful lusts. Youthful, within the 21st century, is mainly an idea meaning teenage years and younger. This was not the case in the 1st Century. Within the first century there were only two types of people, the young and the old. Timothy, when this letter was written by Paul, is believed to be in his 30s. While the 30s may be young today, this was middle age in the 1st Century. So, we cannot look at this as Paul writing to a teenager and declaring, flee youthful lusts. He is writing to a middle aged adult.
What does Paul means by lusts? Is this just a fleshly thing as in sensual and carnal? Truly, what Paul is telling Timothy to flee is telling him to flee anything that is against God. We must do the same. If we are going to be the salt of the earth, as the Lord has called us to be, then we must flee youthful lusts. We must grow in our faith.
If we are to escape one thing, God declares that we are chase after another to replace it.
The Christian is to oppose the devil
The half brother of Jesus wrote...
7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
James writes, resist the devil. What does that term resist mean. It means to oppose. It means to stand against. It means actively resisting opposing power or pressure.
If we are to escape one thing, God declares that we are chase after another to replace it.
The Christian is to pursue the character of God
Paul writes to Timothy, follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace. If we are going to follow after something, that is pursue something. The NASB translates (v.22) as, flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love. It is always best to know exactly what you are pursuing and why you are pursuing it? Within our text, Paul says to pursue after...
Righteousness — This is a terming meaning that we are seeking a holy life, living the life that God has called us to live and requires of all his children
Faith — This is a term meaning that one is convicted of the truthfulness of God. The people of God are called to be people of faith (2 Corinthians 5:7), and we are told that without faith is is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:16).
Love — This is an a position of living a sacrificial life for others and putting the good of others before ourselves. We were given the greatest show of love through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross (John 15:13), and love, by the direction of Jesus Christ, is to be the calling card of a Christian (John 13:35).
Peace — This the attitude of the Christian. We are not to be violent and quarrelsome. The Bible states that we are to live at peace with everyone as much as we possibly can control the situation (Romans 12:18).
The Christian is to obey the word of the Lord
James not only wrote, resist the devil and must flee, but he also wrote, Submit to God.
James is stating that the Christians should assume a subordinate role to God. No doubt, Paul this same thinking in mind, when writes in (v.24)
24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, [apt to teach,] patient,
If we are going to be faithful Christians and have a spirit of peace about us, we must learn to be servants of the Lord and in turn servants of each other.
The Christian is to shun false teachings
But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do engender strife (v.23). Paul warns Timothy to stay away from the false teachings of the false teachers. He states to stay away which renders the idea of avoiding, shunning, declining, shoving off. If we are to trust the Lord and do as he states, pursue his character, we must begin that process through proactively shunning false teachings and those that things that associate with said teachings.
All they cause is division and turmoil within the body of Christ and spread like gang green.
Breaking free by being servants of the Lord (V.24)
As Christians, we are not our own. We have been purchased by the blood of Jesus. While we have been freed from the bondage and power of sin, and because of this, we are no longer slaves to sin, but in Christ, we now slaves to righteousness. We are will serve one of two masters. We will either serve the Lord or we will serve the enemy, but we will serve one or the other. So, as a Christian, if you claim to be one, you must understand a certain truth.
Christians are slaves, bought by the blood of Jesus
Christians, as slaves of God, are called to a life that honors him
What type of life honors the Lord. Paul, doesn’t tell Timothy anything without first explaining what God requires. Paul tells Timothy, as servants/slaves of God Christians are...
Called to be peaceful and not quarrelsome - ‘…the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men...’
Called to be truth bearers in patience - ‘…apt to teach, patient...’
Breaking Free (vv.25-26)
Paul states that Satan deceive, attacks, and takes people under his control at will. We all were part of the enemies camp before someone of us accepted Christ. Paul writes, who are taken captive by him at his will. Many are resisting the calling of the Holy Spirit to accept the Lordship of Jesus Christ all through the influence and power of the devil and do not even realize it, those that oppose themselves. They are being imprisoned by his lies and deception. Paul says that this must be combatted.
The Christian helps the lost break free by sharing the Gospel - ‘...instructing those...’
14 I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise. 15 So, [as much as in me is,] I am ready to [preach the gospel] to you that are at Rome also. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to [every one] [that believeth;] to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
God helps the lost break free by the convicting power of the Holy Spirit - ‘…If God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledgement of the truth...’
The lost person helps themselves break free by surrendering to the Lordship of Jesus Christ - ‘…And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil...’
Conclusion
Where are you today? Are you still willfully remaining trapped by the enemy? Are you willfully remaining at odds with God and without salvation? If so, today is the day of your salvation. If the Holy Spirit is working on your heart and revealing to you that you need to make a decision today, do not delay. Come to the altar of God and accept His offer of salvation. If you are saved, but you have not bee pursuing the character of God, then come this morning and repent of your sin and being from this point forward pursing the character of God, submitting to God, and resisting the devil.