Useful for faithful service

The book of 2nd Timothy is written to give instructions for serving as the church, especially to Timothy the young evangelist in Ephesus. Our passage today looks at faithful service, and be a vessel of honor unto the Lord. I think we need to back up a bit so to keep things in context today.

2 Timothy 2:19 NASB95

19 Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.”

The Christian is God’s house (Ref. 1Cor3:16)

The temple of the living God according to (1Cor3:16)

The Christian has the seal of God (ref. Eph1:13)

Set upon them as noted in (ref. Eph1:13)

The sealed Christian has responsibility (ref. 2Tim2:19)

To abstain, depart, flee from iniquity (ref. 2Tim2:19)

God has done His part, He sent Jesus (ref. Rom5:13)

Man has his part now to do depart from iniquity (2Tim2:19); we are chosen to be holy and without blame (ref. Eph1:4)

(Transition) So, this morning we are looking at being useful for faithful service to the Lord, at being a vessel for honor not dishonor, to be a workman approved, not one who brings division.

The useful Christians work on personal conduct, living (2Tim2:20-22)

The useful Christians work on interpersonal relationships (2Tim2:23-26)

Be Useful - in conduct

To be a useful Christian in service to the Lord, conduct matters and there are some must’s for us to look at, so that we are not hindered in being useful in service to the body.

2 Timothy 2:20–21 NASB95

20 Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.

2 Timothy 2:22 NASB95

22 Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

In this temple of the living God, in this house, in the foundation that is sealed there are articles, utensils. Paul divides them into two categories

Those of honor (like, gold, silver)

Those of dishonor (like wood and clay)

He had previously been addressing false teachers, or times when sound doctrine would be traded (vv.15-18).

So when it comes to vessels (gold, silver) are the truth, the gospel, true teachers who rightly divide the word

Wood, clay are not, while they may be cheaper, they maybe more popular they cannot survive the test of fire.

It is important that the honorable vessel not be contaminated by the dishonorable one.

Paul is admonishing Timothy and we get to learn too that we are to be separated from the false teachers, we are called out, set apart, and God honors us when we do that by equipping us to be of useful service to Him. This admonishment is similar to the one found in 1Tim6:11-12

1 Timothy 6:11–12 NASB95

11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

(Transition) To flee, pursue, fight, take hold of! - So, to be able to do these things there are things we must avoid, things we must do, that is if we want to be a useful for faithful service.

To be useful, there are things to avoid

Must cleanse self, so to be prepared for every good work.

Think about this, how can we cleanse ourselves? Is it like it says in Eph5:26, the washing by the water of the word?

Is it in our confessing our sins to one another as noted in (1Jn1:9)?

Or, how about, is it Jesus who does it by His blood continually as we walk in the Light (1Jn1:7)?

Or here let me give you this one

James 4:8 NASB95

8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Is it in our drawing near?

Must cleanse self of false teachers and doctrine (2Tim2:16-18)

2 Timothy 2:16–18 NASB95

16 But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, 17 and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 men who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset the faith of some.

Must flee youthful lusts (2Tim2:22)

2 Timothy 2:22 GNB

22 Avoid the passions of youth, and strive for righteousness, faith, love, and peace, together with those who with a pure heart call out to the Lord for help.

Include and consider lust of eyes and materialism (1Tim6:9-11)

1 Timothy 6:9–10 NASB95

9 But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

1 Timothy 6:11 NASB95

11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.

Things to do (2Tim2:22)

2 Timothy 2:22 NRSV

22 Shun youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

Pursue righteousness, love and peace

For without these qualities (2Tim2:22) no one will see the Lord (Heb12:14) and these are qualities well suited for the man of God as noted in (1Tim6:11)

Hebrews 12:14 NASB95

14 Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.

How are we to do, how are we to pursue? With a pure heart, along with others with the same heart and pursuit. We seek to be holy by actions and associations.

(Transition) God wants all to be saved (1Tim2:4; 2Pt3:9) so we cannot separate fully, we need to be rooted, grounded in the truth, in the hope, anchored (Heb6:19) so can share it with others (1Pt3:15). Now this leads to our next section of scripture.

Interpersonal relationships

To be a useful faithful servant you are going to “be engaged” in interpersonal relationships. There are things to avoid and things to do when it comes to these things too.

The servant, the useful, faithful servant in our passage is the Greek word “doulos” which means slave (v.24); In other places Paul calls himself a slave (Rom1:1; Php1:1). A slave is 100% under control of a master. Once we were slaves to sin, now we are slaves of Christ.

As you will notice in our passage the slave to Christ will have a difficult time at times communicating for many will want to have foolish and stupid arguments (v.23)

The useful, faithful servant must not just know the truth and be able to refute the lies, they need to be able to teach the truth with gentleness and respect too. The aim has to be to correct error and lead people into the truth. The servant is not about winning an argument but about winning souls for Jesus (consider v.26) I will expand on that more in a few. But first the passage.

2 Timothy 2:23–24 NASB95

23 But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels. 24 The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged,

2 Timothy 2:25–26 NASB95

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.

Things to avoid

Foolish and ignorant speculations (v.23) (1Tim1:4, 6:4); they bring ruin to the hearers (2Tim2:14; TIt3:9) and increase ungodliness as noted in (2Tim2:16)

1 Timothy 1:4 NASB95

4 nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.

Wait, hold on, we have seen the word speculation a couple of times now, maybe we better define it and not assume the definition

According to Strong’s in this verse means: a question, a debate, controversy, a seeking, search

Avoid foolish disputes, wrangling over words that create strife , that are unprofitable and useless.

Titus 3:9 NKJV

9 But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless.

We are looking today at being useful for faithful service, so you can see this is something to avoid. Then we have the servant who is to be useful is not to be quarrelsome

2 Timothy 2:24 NLT

24 A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people.

This quarreling, is striving, fighting over words. Thayer’s bible dictionary says “engage in a war of words, to quarrel, wrangle, dispute.”

(Transition) To be a useful, faithful servant of the Lord we must avoid word battles. but then there are things we should do.

Things to do

Be gentle (v.24)

Good definition in Strong’s on this is

Affable, that is, mild or kind.

Commentator Gill says

Not only to troubled minds and sounded consciences, by supplying them with the precious promises and truths of the Gospel; and to the backsliders by restoring them in a spirit of meekness; but even to those who contradict the truth, and themselves, by mild and kind instructions.”

Be able to teach (v.24) (2Tim2:15; Tit1:9)

Someone who can, by knowledge, and application can rightly divide the word (ref. 2Tim2:15 “15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”

Able to teach and exhort, consider Tit1:9 “9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.”

Be patient (v.24) (Col3:13)

Patient of ills and wrongs, to be forbearing - Thayer

Patient under evils and injuries - Barnes Notes

A Christ like quality

Colossians 3:13 ESV

13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Do it in all humility (v.25) (2Cor10:1-5)

Do in all humility, is to correct in all humility with gentleness and respect.

Gentleness, mildness, meekness - Thayer

This includes with those who oppose the gospel truth. Those ensnared by the devil or who have left the faith

These qualities, these tools, these weapons are mighty in God

2 Corinthians 10:1–2 NASB95

1 Now I, Paul, myself urge you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am meek when face to face with you, but bold toward you when absent! 2 I ask that when I am present I need not be bold with the confidence with which I propose to be courageous against some, who regard us as if we walked according to the flesh.

2 Corinthians 10:3–4 NASB95

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.

2 Corinthians 10:5 NASB95

5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,

Our weapons are not carnal,such as anger, wrath, and strife, but are mighty, are spiritual and are capable to bring every thought into captivity.

This brings about hopefully, positive results (v.26).

2 Timothy 2:26 GNB

26 And then they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the Devil, who had caught them and made them obey his will.

in one version it uses the word “recover” and in definition it is one who comes out of a drunken stupor according to Vines, Satan makes man drunk with his lies, but the useful servants task is to sober them up with the truth and rescue them from the trap of the Devil.

If we are honest being a useful servant is not an easy task. It is not for the lazy, the loafer or the weak. Because the work of the devil is real, the battles are real and the task at hard is difficult and we need to do it together. So here is the so that for today.

Be engaged in God’s Word, put it in you so you can rightly divide it and be ready to share it with others and able to refute the lies of the devil.

Be engaged in the church, pray for each other, especially for those on the front lines each day so that can be devoted to the task at hand as maybe consider (Act6:1-7). Be engaged financially too as an act of worship to help sustain the work we are doing for the kingdom and so that it ca continue.

Be engaged in the community by being a useful servant in the community in love to be light in the darkness and help lead others to come into the light.