BiblicalMastery Buddy's bible blog

April 24, 2015

To Lead or Not to Lead

Filed under: Titus — admin @ 3:20 PM

Lesson 2

To Lead or Not to Lead

Titus 1:5-16

May 3, 2015

 

The title to this lesson may sound a little like Shakespeare but the idea behind it is very important in the world today. On one of my trips to Russia, I took part in a leadership conference. As part of my presentation I used the concept of the material we use in “The Real Me” sessions here at Church. Since I was in a secular setting I modified the SHAPE acrostic slightly replacing the Spiritual gifts part with specific gifts. What I did not alter was what it meant to be gifted with gifts applicable in that venue. The qualities found in one’s SHAPE are especially important when deciding on leadership of an organization. Everyone of us have gifts, passions/heart, abilities, personality traits and experiences that uniquely equip us for certain roles in a job, school, church etc.

 

Recently, there was a news item that was discussed on TV concerning whether a person should be made to take a personality test as a part of the application process for a job. Of course the answer to it depends on your perspective and whether it has qualified or disqualified a person for a job. I have been a proponent for discovering how a person might fit into an organization based on his or her personality. I believe there would be less dissatisfaction among employees and volunteers in groups like churches it a person knew up front how God has wired or shaped them. When a person is built a certain way it does him and a group a disservice of putting him into a position that additional stress is put on that person because he does not fit the job.

 

This should be doubly true in the church. That might sound like a strong statement. When one honestly looks at what the church is trying to do it becomes very important to have people serve in a position for which they are best suited. An example would be putting a person in a teaching role, who is very uncomfortable speaking before an adult class. He would soon experience burnout and might be unwilling to serve again in any capacity. Paul commanded both Timothy and Titus to take great care in selecting those for leadership roles. Both books contrast the character of godly and ungodly men that would either qualify or disqualify them from becoming, in particular, elders of the church.

 

Titus 1:5

Paul had left Titus in Crete for two reasons. He was to finish the work that he and Paul had started. The church needed to understand the relationships that believers needed to live out each day. Secondly Titus was to appoint elders. Those men were to be the overseers put in place to provide leadership to the church. There were three factors that were truth of elders in all the churches that Paul had started. They were to be from a local congregation, plural in number and qualified to lead. Other than those criteria each church would have its own unique situations that would need to be addressed. Other than elders and deacons, there is little in the Bible about the structure or operation of the church in the different cities and countries.

 

  1. Why was Titus left in Crete? (To help organize, deal with unique issues in the church and appoint elders.)
  2. Why did Paul trust Titus to carry out the work? (He had proven himself to be trustworthy in the completing the tasks Paul had previously given him.)
  3. What were the conditions to be met in appointing elders?
  4. In your mind how has Bethany Place done in setting up the elder model?
  5. Why did Paul not spell out in detail what needed to occur? (Each church is unique. As is seen today if details had been provided then there would be those who would try to be a copycat church.)
  6. What did Paul not want to happen in appointing a plurality of elders? (It eliminated the possibility of one person controlling the church.)

 

Titus 1:6a

The qualifications for elders given here are different than the ones Paul listed in1 Timothy. As was mentioned above, Paul was addressing what needed to take place in the unique setting in Crete. The church of Ephesus was different in its culture and needs. In both cases one of the most important character qualities was to be above reproach. No accusations of misconduct could be made against the man because of his mature lifestyle. The other qualifications were:

  • To be the husband of one wife. Refer back to the study in 1 Timothy to see what this means.
  • To have believing children. As a leader in the home there should be an environment conducive to the children accepting Christ.

 

  1. What are some of the differences in this list than the one in 1 Timothy 3? (Paul does not speak of a elder being able to teach for one.)
  2. Why did Paul give different instructions to Titus than those of Timothy? (Different churches and denominations have different cultures and different needs.)
  3. What did Paul list as the number one priority for the elders?
  4. What does it mean to be above reproach?
  5. In what ways can it be said that you are above reproach?

 

Titus 1:6b

The children of an elder were to:

  • Live a life free from immorality and lack of self-control. The prodigal son in Luke 16 is a perfect example of the attitude of those children who did not follow the teachings of their father.
  • Not rebel against the teachings of their parents or God. To live a life described here showed a total lack of respect or honor for their parents.

 

  1. What is to be the behavior of the children of elders?
  2. What is to be the responsibility of the elders? (To teach the ways of the Lord. The decision to follow Christ must be made by the individual.)
  3. What does it mean to live a live of dissipation? (To waste a life on the those things that are immoral and destructive.)
  4. How does a person rebel against parents?

 

Titus 1:7

Again Paul continues with the qualities of an elder/overseer. He first again stated the first quality of being above reproach. He went on to write that the elder was to be God’s manager or steward of God’s people. A steward took good care of the affairs of his master. To be a good overseer of the body an elder was not to be:

  • Self-willed. He was not to do those things to just please himself but the will of God.
  • Quick-tempered. He was to refrain from being angry.
  • A drunkard or to act as under the influence of any kind of substance that clouds the mind or causes a person to act irrationally.
  • He is one who is contentious as is always looking for a physical or verbal fight.
  • Fond of sordid gain. It has already been seen in Timothy how a man might use his position to use others to acquire wealth. Some people are unscrupulous in the way they get wealth.

 

  1. Why did Paul feel it necessary to list the particular attitudes elders were to avoid? (Any or all of them could destroy the witness of an elder and destroy the church.)
  2. What does it mean to be a good steward of God’s church? (One handles the things of God in a way that leads others to Christ.)
  3. If a man has a tendency to possess the characteristics, how does he overcome them?
  4. In what ways are making sure that the above list does not describe who you are?

Titus 1:8

Rather than dwelling on the above the elder was to be:

  • The Greek work is philoxenos, which means having a love for others. Notice the first part of the word is philo, which signifies having brotherly love. Another way to view it is to be friendly towards one’s fellow man.
  • A lover of good people and things.
  • Sensible: It means to be prudent and to wisely control ones thoughts and actions.
  • Just: The elder was to give every man his due.
  • Devout: It is to live a godly life.
  • Self-controlled. It is a man who has mastered himself. It might be described as understanding the tension between excesses of too much or too little in regard to ones thinking or action.

 

  1. In what ways have you shown hospitality to those who have attended our church?
  2. What does it mean to be hospitable?
  3. Why it so important to be a sensible person? (Good decisions are not made by those who are irrational.)
  4. How do you maintain self-control?
  5. What does it take to live a devout life?
  6. In what ways do you practice being devout without being self-righteous?

 

Titus 1:9

Paul wrote that the one way a person can devote himself to the Christ like qualities that had just been mentioned was to hold to the teachings of God’s word. Only then could Titus or the elders he was to appoint be able to exhort and encourage others to believe in sound doctrine. That knowledge would allow them to refute all those who were false teachers.

 

  1. How can a man expect to live out the qualities about which Paul had written? (By holding onto the truths taught in Scripture.)
  2. Why was it important for the church that the leaders were students of the Bible?
  3. What does the church need today? (Ones who believe the Bible who are then willing and able to exhort and encourage others.)
  4. What other thing does knowing and believing God’s word allow us to do? (To refute the false teaching of the opponents to the church.)

 

Titus 1:10-11

Titus was to face opposition from those who were rebelling against God’s word. The opponents to the truth of the gospel were the Jews who spoke of the law and traditions that were full of empty promises. Paul indicated to Titus that such teaching must be silenced because of the harm it was bringing to families. Again much of what they were sharing were philosophies to make money off those who were brand new in the faith.

 

  1. Who are those today who are rebelling against God? (Those who deny the truth found in His word.)
  2. What do people like the Jews of Paul’s day have to offer? (Empty promises that will leave a person lost.)
  3. How do we silence that type of individual? (By proclaiming the truth only found in God’s word.)
  4. Who are those who are teaching philosophies of health and wealth for their own personal gain?
  5. How do you identify them? (Their teachings are not found in the New Testament.)

 

Titus 1:12-14

Among the nations of the world the Cretans had a very poor reputation. The Greeks did a play on their name. It was the word cretize which meant to lie and cheat. Paul used a saying of one their own citizens to describe the people among whom Titus was put to minister. They were called liars, evil beasts, lazy and gluttons. Rather than commanding his young protégé to leave he encouraged him to criticize them severely calling attention to their sinful way of living by pointing them to the sound doctrine found in the Scriptures that would lead to a saving faith. They were to longer pay attention to the false teachings of any man, including the Jews, who would lead them away from the truth.

 

  1. How would Paul describe the place where we live?
  2. What are the conditions of our society that would be like Crete?
  3. Knowing what was taking place in Crete why did Paul command Titus to stay?
  4. In similar circumstances what would we be inclined to do?
  5. What did Paul indicate the people of Crete needed?
  6. Why did Paul use such strong words to describe the actions Titus was to take?
  7. What did it say about the character of Titus that Paul left him with such a monumental task to accomplish?
  8. If you were Titus how would you deal with the needs of the people?

 

Titus 1:15

There are those who look for the good in all situations. Paul in other places spoke of the good that God was doing for His people. There are on the other hand those who never see anything as beautiful, or good or pure. Sadly, they are the people that are defiled in both mind and conscience. Nothing good can be found in them. Jesus alluded to this very idea when he told Peter on the occasion of the last supper. “He who has bathed only needs to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” (John 13:10) All of the disciples but Judas, Jesus declared as having purified in the Spirit. Judas was so wrapped up in his on agenda could not see the goodness of Christ because it did not benefit him.

 

  1. What does it mean to see things in a pure way? (See as God sees them.)
  2. Describe someone you know that never sees anything in a positive way?
  3. What would you say about their heart condition?
  4. In what ways is this attitude opposite of what a Christian is to be like?
  5. Who is an example from the Bible who had a defiled mind and conscience?
  6. How can we best be of the heart and mind to see the good in the world?

 

Titus 1:16

Paul wrote here about the same people described in 2 Timothy 3:5. They were “holding to a form of godliness, although they denied its power.” Every thing they did denied that God had a place in their lives. They proved that they did not know or love Him by being “detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.

 

  1. How would Titus know those who were defiled?
  2. How do we know that those around us do not truly believe in God? (By their actions.)
  3. How are we to deal with such individuals? (By doing what Paul commanded Titus to do earlier.)
  4. Why would sometimes have trouble spotting individuals with those attitudes? (Because we may be like them in so many ways?
  5. How can we be true servants of Jesus Christ? (By displaying the qualities written in the Bible.)

 

  • Pray that you will be discerning in the selection of leaders for our church.
  • Review the qualifications and attributes of those who would be put into leadership roles.
  • Take advantage of the “Real Me” classes to determine your place of service and leadership in the church.
  • Work on those areas of your life that might disqualify you from serving in some capacity.
  • Stay in God’s word and then follow the directions given to you.

 

As has been seen in these verses it is critical that we do not take the selection of leaders lightly. Conversely, we should never let the fact that there is such thing as perfect individuals keep us from serving in the way and place God has prepared us to minister. We each have a responsibility to continue to grow in our walk with Christ so when the opportunity comes we are willing and able to step forward to work along many other faithful people who sacrifice time and energy to disciple others. There is one caveat to what has been said. We have to realize to mature in Christ cannot be done in our own power. It will only occur under the influence and direction of the Holy Spirit. That one thing is true for each of us whoever we are. It is a privilege to work for the advancement of God’s kingdom so find your place in the movement and be willing to lead no matter the cost.

 

 

 

 

 

April 18, 2015

Right Man for Crete

Filed under: Titus — admin @ 7:05 PM

Lesson 1

Titus 1:1-4

Right Man for Crete

April 26, 2015

 

There is a saying that every organization will rise or fall depending on the type of leadership that is in place. Many years ago Jim Collins wrote a book titled, “Good to Great.” In it he profiled businesses that had reached the status of being great organizations. One of the criteria he used was the type of leadership that company had in place. There was a local business on that list. Not having looked at that book for a number of years I do not know how many of the organizations are still in operation. One of the corporations was Circuit City. He held it up as one that met all of his standards. Unfortunately, when the president who had led the way from good to great retired, Circuit city went bankrupt. It took some time for that to happen but eventually it closed its doors and has been replaced by another big box electronic type store. I am not sure whether Best Buy would find it way into one of Mr. Collin’s books but it too is in trouble because of the changing ways that consumers purchase products today.

 

Churches face the same dilemma today. I have not read the article, but Thom Rainer, president of Lifeway, wrote an article concerning the barriers to church growth. I am sure that one of the problems he addressed is leadership. Churches grow sometimes because they are in a heavily populated area of new homes. If they do not grow it would indicate they possibly do not have the kind of leadership capable of providing the vision the church needs to grow, they are making no effort whatsoever to reach out into the community. Others have to work harder to grow because they have been around and are in an older established neighborhood. Another factor would be that they are located in a dying or transitioning community. It would take solid, visionary leadership to turn one of these churches around. The key is turning around a difficult situation into one that is dynamic and vital to the area.

 

Into just that kind of situation Paul sent Titus. From what is found in other places in Scripture he evidently had the gift of administration. We will find out in the book of Titus expected of that young coworker.

 

Titus was probably written about the same time as the first letter to Timothy. It was during the interlude between Paul’s first and second imprisonment. He had left Timothy at Ephesus and Titus was left on the island of Crete. Evidently, each of those churches had its unique problems. While the congregation at Ephesus seemed to be well organized with elders already in place, the church on Crete must been floundering for lack of organization. Paul dealt with each situation by sending men uniquely qualified to deal with the issues.

 

Titus 1:1

As has been mentioned before, although this was a personal letter to Titus, Paul knew many others in the church on Crete would read it who may not have been familiar with him. He therefore began with his credentials as he had done in other letters. Paul always considered himself a bondservant or more appropriately a slave of Jesus Christ. The word used for slave was doulos. A doulus was the lowest form of servant hood. That person had not rights of his own and was always ready day or night to carry out the most menial of tasks for his master. For Paul that was an honorable position knowing that he owed everything to Jesus.

 

Secondly, he saw himself as an apostle. An apostle was one who had witnessed the risen Lord and had received instruction from Him and then had been sent out into the world to share the gospel with all who would listen. Paul saw the reason he had been called was a clear picture of the discipleship process. In his mind, he had been called as an apostle to lead all those who had been chosen by God into a life of faith to be His children. From that starting point they were to acquire the knowledge from God’s word that would help them live a godly life.

 

  1. Why did Paul identify himself as a doulos? (He considered himself completely own by Jesus Christ?
  2. What is important for us to understand about the word? (Unless we see ourselves completely subservient to the Master we cannot truly serve Him.)
  3. Why do we have such difficulty having this mindset?
  4. Why did Paul believe it was necessary to use the term apostle in a personal letter? (Many would read it.)

What did Paul mean by the fact that he was an apostle for the faith of others? (His task always was to lead people to trust in Jesus Christ.)

  1. What did Paul mean by the word chosen? (All those who accept Christ as Savior are the chosen ones.)
  2. How do we make progress in the Christian walk? (Study of God’s word.)
  3. What are the result of coming to Christ and the study of the Scriptures? (It leads to living a godly life.)

 

Titus 1:2

The hope that all who follow the discipleship process of belief, growing and living in a godly manner is eternal life. Eternal life is more than just living forever. It is living a godlike life forever in the presence of the Trinity of God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The hope is the assurance promised by God for each follower of Christ from before the beginning of time. It is a promise that cannot be broken because it was made by the very One who cannot lie.

 

  1. What is the one thing of which one who becomes a follower of Jesus Christ can be assured? (Eternal life.)
  2. What is eternal life? (It is living the same kind of quality of life that God lives in the presence of the Godhead, the three in One.)
  3. How do we know this is true? (Because God promised it would happen.)
  4. What is the key to believing? (God cannot break a promise.)
  5. What have you done in your own life to make sure this is true for you?

 

Titus 1:3

Galatians says, “When the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son.” (Galatians 4:4) Paul told Titus, “At the proper time.” Both indicated that when the conditions were right Jesus came. The things that were in place were:

  • The world used the same language, Greek
  • There were no limits to where the apostles could travel since the Roman Empire was so widespread.
  • Travel was easy since the Romans had built great road system that was relatively safe.
  • The pax romana, Roman peace was prevalent.
  • The people, especially the Jewish people, had a deep spiritual hunger that all other religions could not fill.

 

It was into this world that the good news came. Paul was one the primary proclaimers of the Gospel everywhere he went under the command of God.

 

  1. What did Paul mean by the “proper time” in Titus and “fullness of time” in Galatians? (All the conditions for receiving of the gospel needed to be in place.)
  2. What were the conditions in the world when Christ came and during the years that the gospel was proclaimed throughout the Roman Empire?
  3. What was the most important factor? (The hunger for the truth.)
  4. Why is it necessary for us to share the gospel today? (God has commanded it and it has never been easier to spread the word.)

 

Titus 1:4

Finally got around to addressing Titus. In the same manner as with Timothy, Paul had a deep affection for Titus. He was his spiritual son and spent a great deal of time with Paul or being his envoy to carry out difficult missions for him. One thing was plain then that needs to be understood even today. Every man, even if loved by Paul as a son, must come to Christ in the same way. It is a common faith that is experienced by all.

 

Paul ends his salutation with the words that have been seen in his letters to Timothy. He invokes a blessing of grace and peace through God the Father and Jesus Christ on Titus. Grace is the gift of unmerited favor. Peace is a prayer for a person’s wellbeing.

  1. How did Paul view his relationship with Titus?
  2. What one other person do we have a record of Paul feeling that way about?
  3. What made these two men special? (He had seen them grow spiritually from the beginning of their walk with Jesus. He had been a major part in seeing all of this occur.)
  4. Who are those to whom you feel especially close because of the spiritual relationship you share?
  5. What was the blessing Paul gave to Titus?
  6. What does it mean to hear the words grace and peace from someone?
  7. What are some examples in Scripture that indicate the trust Paul had in Titus? (See Galatians 2:1-3; 2 Corinthians 8:6, 10,16, 23 and 12:18.)
  8. In what ways do we indicate our trust in others today? (Putting them into leadership roles and sending them on mission trips.)

 

  • Understand that your spiritual life is one of being a disciple for as long as you live. Faith in Jesus Christ is only the beginning.
  • After faith comes a growth in knowledge and wisdom building on the beginning faith.
  • Realize that a godly life can only come as you continue in the discipleship process.
  • Take seriously the kind of leadership you put in place. Pretty soon you will be selecting a least one new elder. Prayerfully consider the man you would want to be part of the elder team for the next three years.

 

A true church whose members are genuine followers of Christ is composed of slaves. When we became believers we gave the right to our lives. Christ is now our Master who gives us direction for the way we are to interact with each other and the world. Because we are all equal having been saved from sin that has overtaken everyman we should treat each other as family. Paul saw Timothy and Titus as his sons in the Lord. As we look around when we are together do we look at each other in the same way? Having said that there is diversity in the body that should not lead to division and jealousy. Although everyone is equal, when it comes to salvation, each person is gifted by God in a different way. See 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12 and Ephesians 4 to see the variety of gifts and how they all fit together to make us a unified body. In the way you are called be willing to serve God to the fullest extent of your ability.

 

 

April 10, 2015

Putting a House in Order

Filed under: 2 Timothy — admin @ 7:16 PM

Lesson 8

Putting a House in Order

2 Timothy 4:6-22

 

Many years ago I worked for an insurance company as an agent. Those who had been in the business for many years were passionate about the idea that everyone needs life insurance. My career in that organization did not last long because for one thing I did not have the personality to sell the product. I spent a year being miserable and not being successful. That whole experience taught me that I had not planned out my life very well. I took the job to escape from a job with not future. The timing was good because the business was closed shortly after I left, but the choice of careers was poor.

 

Preparing for the future is important for every family. None of us know what the days to come will bring. This came very clear when the handling of my mother’s affairs for the last three years of her life fell to me. I was so thankful that we had the forethought to have her give me a Power of Attorney. She had two other documents in place for us. One was her will and the other was a living will. It certainly made it easier to make decisions that she could no longer make for herself. To make sure that we do not face having to make last minute arrangements, my wife and I have given the needed authority to one of our sons.

 

The Church needs to have a process to make sure that its house is in order. It should begin with deciding on the direction that the congregation is to take. Most churches drift along never putting together a vision that will eliminate confusion of who it is. This will affect how it ministers in the culture where it is located. Based on the vision the body can then establish policies needed for the ongoing dealing with issues the church may face.

 

Probably the most important area that needs to be addressed is the process by which disciples are made and leadership is developed. Jim Putman, the Pastor of Real Life church located in Idaho, has written a book titled “Real Life Discipleship: Building Churches That Make Disciples.” In the book he provides concise ideas on developing disciples through the small groups. It is the means they use to raise up and develop the leadership that have become staff members. Paul was coming to the end of his letter to Timothy. It is a picture of a man who was ready for the future he believed was facing him.

 

2 Timothy 4:6

Paul had just told Timothy to fulfill the ministry that had been given to him. With all he had said, he now knew that the end of his life was very near. He faced it with a willingness to have his blood spilled out as a sacrifice. Finally he said, “The time of my departure has come.” The word used for departure was “analuis.” It had four possible meanings. They were:

  • The unyoking of an animal from a cart.
  • Loosening of bonds or fetters
  • Loosening the ropes of a tent to move on to the next place of encampment.
  • Loosening of the mooring ropes of a ship.

 

  1. How does this verse tie in with what he had just told Timothy? (Timothy needed to know that he was not going to have Paul around and would have to depend on the leadership and comfort of the Holy Spirit.)
  2. Why did Paul use the idea of a drink offering being poured out as a reference to his own death? (It sealed the offering to the gods by the Romans. Paul’s own blood was to be spilled out for God.)
  3. What sacrifice have you made in your service to Christ?
  4. How do you interpret the verse, “What profited a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?” Luke 9:25 as it relates to Paul?
  5. How would you summarize the four possible meanings of analuis? (Each freed the object to be free from the retrains that held it.)
  6. What did mean for Paul? (He was to throw the bonds of this earth.)

 

2 Timothy 4:7

Looking back on his life Paul listed three accomplishments in his life as he faced death. He stated that he had:

  • Fought the good fight. Paul had done his best in the arena of life. He had given his all and had not held back anything in reserve as he had faced many conflicts.
  • Finished the course. In the racecourse of life he was in it from start to finish.
  • Kept the faith. His trust and confidence in Jesus never waivered. As he said in other places that he had hope in that which was unseen.

 

  1. In what ways do you feel that you have handled the difficult conflicts that life has thrown at you?
  2. Where are you in the race of life? (For the young people the race may have only started but decision to stay in the race needs to be made.)
  3. In what ways do you believe you have kept the faith?
  4. How would you summarize the three characteristics Paul mentioned? (The Christian life is not a sprint but a marathon. One must be faithful to Christ for the long haul.)
  5. How did you maintain these characteristics in your life?

 

2 Timothy 4:8

Paul knew what lay ahead. The promise of the reward of a job well done was waiting for him. His work on earth was done and he was looking forward to receiving the crown of righteousness that was to be given to him by Jesus Himself. As an encouragement for Timothy and all those who would become followers of Christ who was to come after them, Paul said that the same reward was waiting for each person.

 

  1. What was the reward Paul was expecting?
  2. Why did he expect to be rewarded?
  3. Who else is going to receive a reward?
  4. How are you preparing to be part of that group?
  5. What is the greatest part of the fact that rewards will be given? (Christ will be the giver.)

 

2 Timothy 4:9-12

The last part of this chapter deals with personal matters that Paul wanted to share with Timothy. He first asked Timothy to come to Rome. Paul was a lonely man at this point and wanted companionship of those who meant much to him. Luke was the only one with him at that point. Demas had deserted him for what the world had to offer. Cresens, Titus, and Tychicus had been sent to other churches to minister. What may have seemed like a strange request, Timothy was commanded to bring Mark with him to Rome. The man who had deserted Paul and Barnabas on the first missionary trip had proven himself over the years and was now seen by him as fit for service.

 

  1. Why would Paul want Timothy to come to him? (To encourage him and to provide for some of his basic needs. With everyone gone Paul was probably lonely.)
  2. What did it mean that Demas loved the world?
  3. How does his attitude match the parable of the soils?
  4. How does Paul’s request for Mark give us encouragement? (It is not how a man begins but how he finishes that is important.)
  5. What was Paul doing by sending the men mentioned away from him? (The work must go on in the churches Paul had started?

 

2 Timothy 4:13

Paul then asked Timothy to bring some personal items to him:

  • The cloak that would have acted as a blanket for warmth.
  • The books which may have been early copies of the gospels
  • The parchments which could have been either Paul’s legal documents or the Hebrew Scriptures

 

  1. If you were in a similar situation like Paul what are some of the things you would want that you consider valuable?
  2. What would you do if you were like Paul and did not have access to the Bible?
  3. What are some books that are important to you?
  4. What does that selection say about you?

 

2 Timothy 4:14-15

Almost nothing is known about the man, Alexander. One thing is sure he definitely was an enemy of Christ. There is only speculation that he may have been the same man mentioned in 1 Timothy 1:20 who had been part of the church but was involved in teaching false doctrine. Another author mentioned he might have been an informant at Paul’s first trial, who sought to cause him great harm. Whatever the case Timothy was being warned to watch out for the man because of his enmity to the cause of Christ. Paul spoke strongly that Alexander would face harsh judgment at the hands of God.

 

  1. Why do we need to be warned about men like Alexander?
  2. What is the great danger of such men to the church?
  3. Who are some of the people today that are the enemies of the church?
  4. How can you prepare to face such people?
  5. Why is it best to not become involved with them? (May be misled by their ideology.)
  6. Why did Paul not try to judge those men? (That is God’s job.)

 

2 Timothy 4:16-17

At the first trial before the Roman officials in Rome Paul had to face the situation by himself. There was not a single Christian who stood with him to testify in his behalf. He did not lay any blame on them. He understood that to be at the trial would put them in jeopardy of losing their life or being imprisoned.

 

Although all his friends deserted him he did not feel abandoned. He knew that the Lord was with him and from that assurance he received strength to face his accusers. He also believed that he would be freed from that trial to continue to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. Paul was released but was not in prison for the last time.

 

  1. Why did Paul’s friends and co-workers desert him? (For fear they might be killed or imprisoned.)
  2. Why did Paul not condemn their actions?
  3. Who did stand by him? (The Lord)
  4. What did Paul receive from the assurance that Christ was with him?
  5. What has been a situation when you felt deserted by someone you thought was a friend?
  6. What confidence will be yours if you know that Christ is with you?

 

2 Timothy 4:18

Knowing that Christ had been with him in the most difficult conditions, Paul believed that he could expect the same in the future after his death. Death for him was a rescue from the evils of this life. In his mind he was guaranteed a place in the kingdom of God. That kingdom was more wonderful than anything on this earth and would last forever.

 

  1. What gives us the assurance that Christ will never leave us or forsake us?
  2. Knowing that fact what is our guarantee for the future?
  3. How did Paul view heaven? (A place to behold all of God’s glory.)
  4. What does God’s glory mean to you?
  5. What assurance do you have that you will one day be with Christ and see people like Paul?

 

2 Timothy 4:19-21

Paul sent greetings to a number of people through Timothy. They were people who held a special place in his heart because of the relationship he had with them. They had been co-workers in the sharing of the gospel in difficult places and times. He also brought him up to date on the situation of others that were in different places of ministry. There were some people with Paul who wanted to send their greetings along with his.

 

Paul then called on Timothy to make every effort to come. As has been mentioned before, a very practical reason for him to come before winter was to bring the cloak that Paul needed.

 

  1. What was special about the people named in these verses?
  2. What do you enjoy about getting a newsletter from family and friends at Christmas?
  3. Why did Paul have a sense of urgency concerning Timothy’s trip to see him?
  4. What are we now missing, since we no longer write letters, as was done prior to the Creation of the internet?
  5. Who might be someone to whom you might need to send a note?

 

2 Timothy 4:22

The last words of Paul were an encouragement to Timothy? He desired that God’s Spirit rest upon him. Finally, he wrote, “Grace be with you.” Paul wanted nothing more than God’s gift that had provided him salvation to be present throughout his life.

 

  1. What was so important about God’s Spirit in the life of Timothy? (From Him he would receive strength and courage to face the days ahead.)
  2. What does it mean to have God’s grace? (It is the assurance of God’s favor on your life.)
  3. How would you feel if someone you admired and respected said those words to you?
  4. Why do we not use that type of ending in our correspondence?
  5. If you knew you were going to die, as Paul did, what would be some of the last words you would want to express to someone?

 

  • No matter your age plan for the eventually of an untimely death or injury by providing your family with the tools to take care of your affairs.
  • Do not leave words unspoken that your family would want to hear.
  • Write a letter to someone that you love telling him or her how you feel.
  • Like Paul, be assured that Christ walks each day with you and that you have eternal life.
  • Follow Paul’s example of fighting the good fight, finishing the course and keeping the faith so that when you meet Jesus face to face He will congratulate you on being a faithful servant.

 

For almost two thousand years who have followed in the footsteps of Paul. They have been committed, sacrificing and serving leaders of the church. Paul could be at peace facing death because he knew that those he had trained were in place to carry on the work of the church upon his death. Looking at the example he set can solve one of the major problems facing the church today. We need to get serious about the raising up of new leaders. Both Timothy and Titus have given the characteristics of leaders but there has to be a desire to take on that role. Thankfully, in our day there are all kinds of training tools available for us to use. If technology has done anything it has put at our fingertips almost any subject we can hope to learn. We are certainly no busier than those of the first century. The difference is the priority they had for serving the Lord and not themselves. In order for the church to survive into the next generations we must work hard to make sure that leadership is in place to carry us there.

 

 

 

April 4, 2015

The Right Kind of Church Membership Matters

Filed under: 2 Timothy — admin @ 7:36 PM

Lesson 7

The Right Kind of Church Membership Matters

2 Timothy 4:1-5

 

Recently someone gave me an article talking about a new fad that is growing. It is called “Sunday Morning Assembly.” Even though it sounds like a new kind of church in reality it is just a secular gathering of people once a week to talk about the things that would normally occur at a party. I have thought a lot over the years about what church should mean to me. Those thoughts caused me to do a study on what I called “Encounters with God.” It was prompted by looking around in a worship service one Sunday and wondering why the people, who had come were there. If the writing of Paul in 2 Timothy was valid for the church at Ephesus it certainly provides us with an idea of what church is like today. I know that I am not a church expert but it seems to me we have drifted in the direction of looking at the body as a place to be entertained. I am probably just as guilty as everyone else by leaving many a worship service feeling empty. Even though I do not always get it right I have come to understand that the only reason that I am there is to focus on God. He is the one to be honored and glorified by our presence.

 

Thom Rainer, the president of Lifeway, and others have written extensively about what it means to be a member of a church. He believes there are four components to define a member. They are:

  • Attendance at worship services on a consistent basis.
  • Taking part in a small group. There are different kinds of small groups all the way from strict Bible Study to need based ones.
  • Contributing financially to the ministries of the church
  • Involvement in some type of outreach.

 

We know that these are not characteristic of most congregations. Statistically only about 20 percent of the people do 80 percent of all the ministries of the church. If we were to look at the membership of many churches we would probably see that the inactive roll is sometimes larger than the active. God does not call us to be inactive but actively engaged in His word. There is no way this can happen for those who continually sit on the sidelines while others are engaged in the game of life.

 

2 Timothy 4:1

Paul said two things before he actually got to the task for which Timothy had been called. With all the seriousness he could bring forth because he knew his time on this earth was short, he gave Timothy a charge to carry out. This charge would indicate that Paul was saying, you have a responsibility and an obligation to carry out. The second thing that was important for Timothy to know was all of his actions were under the scrutiny of God the Father and Jesus Christ.

 

When Jesus Christ appears at the end of time there will come a judgment on all of mankind. The first judgment will be for those who have rejected Christ. Followers of Christ will not be a part of that time of judgment. Once a person has become a believer he or she has been judged already and has the guarantee of eternal life.     Followers of Christ should not believe however that they have escaped judgment although they cannot lose their salvation. They will come before the judgment seat to answer for the way they have served God during their lifetime. Paul will speak to what happens a little later in Timothy.

 

  1. What does it mean to receive a charge, although given by man, from God? (We have an obligation and a responsibility to serve Him faithfully.)
  2. Why did Paul speak with such urgency? (His time was short.)
  3. To whom are we truly obligated?
  4. What did Paul mean by speaking of the presence of God and His Son? (All of our actions are under the watching eye of the Father and Son)
  5. What is going to take place at the end of time? (Every person whether believer or unbeliever will face judgment)
  6. What are the two types of judgment?

 

2 Timothy 4:2

The charge to Timothy was to proclaim the word of God in every situation. In other words he was to preach whether it was convenient or not. He was to view the proclamation of the word with all urgency. Although Christ might not return for a long time for many the time was short so it could be a matter of life and death for the listener. There would be times when he might be facing a hostile audience. He was not to be fearful but to use his preaching when it was needed to:

  • Reprove was to bring a person under conviction when he or she had drifted from the truth.
  • Rebuke was the stern warning of the consequences that would come as a result of wrong behavior. The idea of being critical of that behavior would also fit.
  • Exhort was to encourage those in difficult times not to lose hope.

 

His approach was to preach with great patience and clear instruction. Lives generally will not be changed overnight. It will take time to cultivate the relationships that will lead to transformed lives especially when facing the obstacles that confronted Timothy.

 

  1. How was Timothy to approach the mandate given to him by Paul to preach? (He was to be fervent and diligent in carrying out the charge.)
  2. What does it mean to proclaim the Gospel in season and out of season? (Take every opportunity no matter how difficult to share the message of the truth of the gospel.)
  3. What are to be the essential parts of preaching?
  4. How should we approach the sharing of the gospel? (With patience and clear instruction.)
  5. What was Paul trying to get Timothy to do when he speaks of patience? (Understand that it would take building of relationships to bring a person to the point that he was willing to face his sin and be converted.)

 

2 Timothy 4:3

The sense of urgency Paul felt can be seen in what he saw coming on the church. His view was both short term and for the period facing the world at the end of time. He knew from all of his experiences that there would come a time, which was already beginning in his day, when people would not longer want to hear the truth. Those individuals would want to be part of a group that told them what they wanted to hear. Of course that would mean that the leadership would condone any kind of behavior and by doing so would be very popular. What they would want to hear more than anything were stories filled with a lot of fluff and no substance.

 

  1. What did Paul see coming?
  2. What do we see happening in our own day?
  3. What are some examples of wanting to have one’s ears tickled?
  4. What is the danger of that kind of preaching and teaching? (The church loses all it power to impact and change lives.)
  5. Why would leadership succumb to that kind of preaching and teaching?
  6. What do you consider to be stories of fluff and no substance?
  7. What do you believe will be the outcome for people who refuse to listen to the truth?

 

2 Timothy 4:5

Before Paul launched into his own situation he had one last set of commands for Timothy as he was facing a difficult time. He said that no matter what others may do that he was to remain clear in his thinking not swayed by false doctrine. Paul gave this same kind of warning in Ephesians 4:14-15 where he stated that the Ephesians were to hold to and understand the teachings found in the Scriptures. Only as a man remains alert can he ward off the attacks of the enemy.

 

Secondly, Paul was sure that that being a Christian was going to become more dangerous. He wanted to reinforce in the mind of Timothy that hardship was coming. Timothy was to endure the suffering to come as a soldier.

 

Although gifted as a teacher, Timothy was called to go beyond that one facet of ministry and also take on the role of an evangelist. In other words he was being commanded to be a soul winner as well as a proclaimer of the gospel. To be a soul winner would require building relationships that would bring a person to the point of decision. The preacher/teacher would then have the responsibility of growing the person in Christ by discipling him.

 

Finally Paul calls him to fulfill his ministry. He was to remain faithful to the task to which God had called him. Knowing that trials were on the way, Paul wanted Timothy to have the victory that would only come from perseverance.

  1. Why is it so important for us to remain sober, clear minded, in all that we hear and experience? (It is so easy to be enticed to drift from the truth.)
  2. What hardships was Timothy going to face?
  3. Why would they be more difficult for him than the ones he had already experienced? (He would no longer have Paul around to guide and encourage him.)
  4. What is the danger of only focusing on the one or two gifts that God has given you? (Neglect other ministries where you are asked to serve.)
  5. Why did Paul specifically admonish Timothy to do the work of the evangelist? (It was not his gift but like all followers of Christ he had the responsibility to share the gospel with the lost.)
  6. How have you followed the command given to Timothy to witness to others?
  7. In what ways can we remain steadfast in our service to Christ?
  8. What is not acceptable in ministry? (To be a quitter.)

 

  • Evaluate your membership based on the criteria from Thom Rainer.
  • Remember that each of us has a calling and a purpose as we serve Christ.
  • Even though you may not have the gift of evangelism you still have the responsibility to witness for Christ.
  • Do not allow those who may sound good cause you to drift away from an understanding of true doctrine.
  • What ever you do remain faithful to it for all your days.
  • Remember 2 Timothy 4:2, 5

 

If there are important words to describe a follower of Christ, three of them would have to be patience, faithfulness and endurance. The influence of the church will and has be diminished because we have not constantly followed through on our commitment to be faithful servants of Christ. Our tendency to join the parade to the church with the latest and greatest methods or fads does not show the world that we have the ability to follow through on our promises to the end.

 

The world is too full of famous people, especially in the athletics, who do not keep their promises or fulfill their contracts, but are always looking for greener pastures. It is important for the church to be different. There are going to be difficult times that each congregation faces but it is the one where the people work together to overcome them that are the true witnesses for Christ. It is the individual responsibility of every person to reflect the attitude of Jesus who remained faithful all the way to the cross. It is urgent that we proclaim over and over again the gospel not only with our words but our actions also.

 

 

 

Powered by WordPress