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Salt + Light Community is a SOMA church plant in the heart of Fort Worth, TX. Here you’ll find teaching and discussions from our gatherings on Sundays.
If you wanna open your copy
of the scripture to pull up
your a me in a few different
chapters of first of two Timothy.
Two second Timothy two,
three, and four today.
So, um, and as you open your copy
of the scriptures, um, I just
want to celebrate one more thing.
Um, one of my favorite things
about anyone who leads or tries
to facilitate or, uh, uh, fosters
anything is that they're super humble.
Um, we have a super humble team,
um, and it is right and good.
Um, to recognize when folks use their
gifts for the upbuilding of the body.
God's given us each gifts and
we all serve in many ways.
And that kind of stuff.
It, today's the first day that, uh,
Brian and Stefan have led together, so
we all help me thank them using their
gifts for, uh, building up of the body.
Thank you guys very, very much.
Um, all right.
Question.
You get to answer me on this one.
Why do you live where you live?
Grandchildren.
Grandchildren.
Lockheed.
Lockheed.
That's where you live.
Okay.
That's where I live.
That makes sense.
Yes.
That's my son.
To be clear, just you're weird.
If not, um, job.
Job.
Yeah.
Uh, and we can go on like it's the right.
Yes, ma'am.
Um, because my woman had a, had good jobs
because your mom and dad had jobs there.
Yeah.
So for most of us, like that's, that's
a primary reason is we live where
jobs are a street that has the right,
uh, the house that has the right
number of rooms or this kind of stuff.
Maybe the school district is why some
of your moms and dads live in the places
that you live and this kind of stuff.
Right?
Um, those are the normal reasons
that we live in the places we live.
Um, why do you work where you work?
We could also ask kids,
here's a question for you.
Why do you go to school
at the school you go to?
Yeah.
Because that's where.
Okay.
That's where we make you go to school.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Home school is the best
because homeschool is the best.
Okay.
I have a big fight about that afterwards.
Maybe a little, little rumble.
Um, all the different,
various forms of school.
Homeschool has some good,
really good things to it.
Yes.
We won't let me do a middle
school dropout because we won't
let you drop out of school.
Also true.
Yes, yes, yes.
Re pointing at someone.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Um, because it's the
right school that fits.
It's the right school that
fits the way that you learn.
Mm-hmm.
We go, Ooh, that's true.
I'm gonna trust that all of
your kid reasons, your parents
believe that to be true.
It's the right school for
the way that you learn here.
Here's the, the deal.
Whatever the like logical reasons are,
the decision tree reasons or the kind
of human reasons for all these things
where you live and work and learn.
And play.
There's also a better, bigger,
more grand, more spiritual reason.
That is equally true, if not more true.
You are where you live.
You go to school where you go to
school, you're in the job you have
because God has put you there.
You believe that doesn't mean
that everything's great every day.
It doesn't mean you're
never allowed to move homes.
Our nets.
I know you're closing in two
homes in the next couple weeks.
So yeah, it's never, it means, it
doesn't mean you're ever locked
in, but, but God is, wherever
you are, God has put you there.
If you don't believe this about
your specific situation, then,
then most of us in the room
would say that God is our king.
Yes.
Jesus is our king.
That God is over our lives, that he
knew every day of our lives before we
were formed in our mother's womb, that
God guides us these kind of truths.
If that's true, then it applies to the
specific situation you find yourself in.
You're there for a reason.
Wherever you are and whatever that
situation is, you know the reason
God has you there, you're ready.
It's 'cause He's called
you to be a minister there.
You are a minister of the gospel.
Wherever you live, wherever you
work, wherever you learn, wherever
you play, that surprise you.
Surprise, you're in ministry.
Uh, here's how Paul says
it in one Corinthians.
Uh, he says, if anyone is in
Christ, he or she is a new creation.
The old has passed away.
Behold the new has come.
And all this is from God who through
Christ reconciled us to himself.
We talk about that side a lot in
modern Christianity and also gave
us the ministry of reconciliation.
God's given you ministry.
That is in Christ.
God was reconciling the world to himself.
Not counting the trespasses
against them and entrusting to who?
Us.
To us.
Who's the us, us, anyone who's
been made into a new creation.
The message of reconciliation.
Therefore, we are ambassadors.
You're a sent one of God.
For Christ God making
his appeal through us.
So we've said this before and
it's worth just, just coming
back to every now and then.
It doesn't matter if a church pays
you or not, or a ministry pays you or
not, or a school or some company or
organization, or the government pays you.
Every Christian is a minister of Christ.
And that foundation is vital because today
we're gonna walk through a lot of verses.
We're gonna walk through 'em very fast.
I made a terrible mistake.
I didn't want to plan this series out.
Um, and it's a lot of varied aspects
of life in ministry that Paul is giving
to Timothy Paul was, was Timothy's
mentor and, and Timothy's, a, a,
a minister at a church in Ephesus.
Um, and so he is giving Timothy
these, these, these varied aspects,
varied pictures of life and ministry.
And so it'd be easy to write off.
For most of us in the room, like I'm not
a church leader, I'm not in ministry.
And that's actually why we piled
a bunch of verses together.
Um, God, like, we'll just race
through these together 'cause
they might not apply to everyone.
But I was convicted this week, the
last couple weeks as I've been prepping
this, that two things are true.
And so I just wanna invite
you to, to process these
verses with these two lenses.
First, I believe these nurses
actually applied to everyone in the
room because you are in ministry.
Shocking.
Makes us drop things.
Shocking reality.
Um, you are in ministry and so I
believe that these verses, these
principles apply to everyone.
God has sent you into your everyday life,
every place you exist with his message,
with his ministry of reconciliation.
But then too, I, I've wondered and
I continue to wonder if God might
prompt someone in the room to move
from that, like in general form of
ministry to something more specific.
And, and I'm just gonna invite you to
process it through that, to, to step
into, to leading to using your gifts
and time to equip others to maybe
raising your hand, uh, to lead and serve
within a specific church or ministry.
Um, our church, every church,
every ministry is led by a team.
Maybe God would have you join us.
So something even in
that serves your heart.
Maybe just pay attention to that,
whether it's generally or specifically
God has a ministry designed for you.
So as we talk through this process
of, of life and ministry, these
aspects of life and ministry, I want
you to hear through those two lenses.
One, what does this mean for me,
however, I'm quote unquote in ministry.
And God, do you have
something more for me?
So lemme pray as we step into that.
Father, would you help us see your
design for life and ministry in general?
Uh, it would help us, uh, be
aware of, of our role in it.
Um.
And God, as, as, as we walk through
this everyday life in whatever situation
we're in, what do you help us to
display and declare your good news?
The text that help us to preach the
word, um, and help us know if you
want something more out of us as well.
It's in your son's name.
Amen.
Alright, so there's gonna be four
aspects of life and ministry in
these verses, uh, and, and I've
shaped them as kind of the following.
First is a soul full of integrity.
A strength found in God's grace,
a heart to stand against suffering
in a mind shaped by God's truth.
And, and here's why I, I chose
to shape him around this.
In Mark 10, uh, excuse me, mark 12.
Jesus has asked, what's the greatest
commandment in the Old Testament?
Uh, and he says, the
greatest commandment is this.
He shall love the Lord, your mind with
all your heart, all your soul, with
all your mind, and all your strength.
And he says you should love
your neighbor as yourself.
Um, and here's the deal.
Life in ministry is
not all that different.
From what God charges all people.
Um, it's just an invitation to go
deeper, to, to try to model it in a daily
basis, to try to bring others into that.
And so we're just gonna look at what
it look like for, for ministers to
love the Lord your God, with all
your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
So the first part of that is,
is a soul full of integrity.
Um, now the soul is like the most
intangible part of this, right?
Like it's the, the essence.
It's the core of one's
being, it's the eternal.
The intangible is, is how
the soul is talked about.
Um, but for the sake of these verses,
through all of Christian history, Orthodox
churches, orthodox Christians have
believed that for eternity, the soul's
gonna head one of two directions, right?
It's going to be eternity with
God or eternity without God.
Yes, there'll be a, a
reconciliation of the world.
We'll be reunited with our bodies,
but our eternal essence will spend
eternity with God or without God.
And so Paul's painting a little
bit of a similar picture here
of two paths that people can
choose to go on during this life.
And it's, it's a question
of integrity or hypocrisy.
It's a question of integrity or hypocrisy.
Um, here's how he says it is.
A second Timothy two starting in verse 14.
Remind them, remind those who are part
of your church of these things and
charge them before God not to quarrel
about words, which does no good.
Thankfully today, no one quarrels
about words online or in person, so we
don't have to worry about that verse.
Um, remind him not to quarrel
about words, but which does no
good, but only ruins the hero.
Do your best to present
yourself to God as one approved.
A worker who has no need to be
ashamed, rightly handling the word
of truth, but avoid irreverent Babel.
It will lead people into more and more
ungodliness and their talk will spread
like gangrene among them are hieu and
who have swerved from the truth saying
the resurrection has already happened.
They're upsetting the faith of some.
But God's firm foundation
stands bearing this seal.
The Lord knows those who are his, and let
everyone who names the name of the Lord
depart from iniquity around a great house.
There's not only vessels of gold and
silver, but also wooden clay, some for
honorable use and some for dishonorable.
Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself
from what is dishonorable, he'll be
a vessel for honorable use, set apart
as holy, useful to the master of the
house, ready for every good work.
And there's a lot of,
a lot of words there.
Um, but if we boil it down,
here's what Paul's saying.
He's talking specifically about
words, but where do words come from?
Throughout the scripture,
words reflect the heart.
Out of, out of the heart.
The mouth speaks what
we say, the way we act.
The, the external things are just displays
of what's going on internally, right?
And some of us are real good
at like hiding our even facial
expressions and that kind of stuff.
Some of us not so much, you know
exactly what's going on internally,
uh, when you see someone's body
language and this kind of thing.
And so our words reveal one of two paths.
Starting back in verse 15, uh, Paul says,
our, our words either show that we're
presenting ourself to God, we're approved.
There's no shame in us.
We're trying to rightly handle
God's truth and the gospel.
That's a path of integrity.
And where that leads in verse 18 to go to
the next slide is it's a firm foundation.
The path of integrity leads to, to
being sealed to God, knowing who is his.
Is the path of integrity leads
to those who call on God to
be free of iniquity, iniquity,
hypocrisy, or falsehood or, or evil.
That's one path that Paul
says, our words reveal.
We can expand it to actions,
facial expressions, this
kinda stuff our lives reveal.
But then also there's the second path,
and in verse 16, Paul talks about
those who enter into irreverent Babel.
And so specifically that
leads to ungodliness.
It says that that kind of
thing spreads like a fungus.
Paul even names a couple of people.
Again, man, I made it into the Bible.
How?
Oh man.
Um, he names those people who
departed from God's truth and
upset other people's faith.
Um, and at times, and in these
verses, the, the topic of false.
Teaching is related to words specifically.
They were saying Jesus
already raised from the dead.
But that's just one example of dozens,
hundreds of false teachings throughout
history of myths and untruths and
irreverent babbling in this kind of thing.
And there's all sorts
of false and ungodly.
There's all sorts of false
and ungodly teaching.
There's all sorts of false
and ungodly instruction here.
Here's one of the problems with anyone
being able to have a platform, is
that you can find anything to justify
what you think and you can find others
who believe the same thing you think.
And so we can come to
this strength in numbers.
Um, I haven't heard someone say.
Hey, uh, I was watching this speech
and this person was using like
the, the, the flat Earth Society.
If you're part of that, I'm
just gonna speak against you
overtly for just a moment.
So watching the Flat Earth Society,
and they were saying like, Hey,
that's what they believe, and there's
enough of them where we should just
let them believe what they believe.
Isn't that a great message?
It's like, no, no.
What a terrible example to use of like,
let people believe what they believe.
Like if something is overtly
unprovable, uh, uh, uh, provably false.
No, but man, we can find anything
and clinging on to anything.
And sometimes those anythings, these
really harsh words against other things
and other tribes and other anythings.
And man, there's no end of false, ungodly,
unwise teaching instruction and words.
People are just vicious with each
other, especially if they can do
it anonymously, which is cowardly.
Um, everywhere we look, we can see
this replacement or this blending
of core Christian truth with kind of
cultural influence or other religions.
Self-help is rampant and everywhere
we look, man, it's not hard to see
the hypocrisy of leaders and folks
who are charged with these same things
that Paul's charging Timothy with.
I was with, um, some church planning
residents this week and we had a long
conversation about the difference
between like someone's stage voice.
Versus who they are as soon
as they get off the stage.
It's okay if you're a
paid actor, less, okay?
If you're trying to like lead someone
with integrity toward Jesus and man, and
that's just, again, like, that's just one.
That's a light example of having one face
in the light and one face in the dark.
Sadly, there are far,
far, far deeper exam.
And, and so this is
what Paul's describing.
He's describing this path of
hypocrisy and falsehood and, and
words that lead people away from God.
And he's describing this path of
integrity and, and living the same
in the light as we do in the dark.
And he describes the different paths with,
with this image of household vessels.
And if you wanna play it out, literally
it talks about, uh, one of this, this
beautiful serving dish and this other's
a cistern, you know, what cisterns were
at the time before plumbing existed?
The recipient of things that plumbing
now, now takes from us and flushes
through our house and this kind of stuff.
So he is basically saying like, one is
going to to be this beautiful serving
pot of gold and silver, and this
other path leads to nothing but just
being filled with fill in the blank.
Stinky things.
Falsehood, hypocrisy.
Just to be clear.
Is living two lives, living one way in
the light and another way in the dark.
Living one way when people see you and
living in another way when people don't
living one way, when um, um, somebody
else is gonna look over the books
and another way when no one else is
integrity is living the same way
in the light as you do in the
dark and resting in God's truth.
Not, not perfectly 'cause no one does, but
pursuing a holistic holy life in Jesus.
See the difference.
That's the soul.
That's the intangible.
It's the unseen aspect of this.
So I wanna end each of these kind
of four, heart, soul, mind, and
strength with a question for you
to process for you to consider.
We can send you these slides
'cause we don't have a ton of time
for you to sit with these today.
But the question for this one is,
what is hiding in the darkness as
you consider your life in ministry,
wherever you live, work, learn, or play?
What's hiding in the darkness?
What hypocrisy exists in you that causes
us to swerve from God and his truth?
And, and here's, here's, here's
what I'd invite you into.
It's not a question of
is there some hypocrisy?
Like none of us are perfect.
None of us are Jesus, none
of us are, are fully holy.
And so it's not a guilt question, but
that sometimes we don't stop and go, Hey,
can I be honest before God with what is?
And if we, if we can't admit what is,
then we don't exactly know even how to
pray for God to take us to what's now.
Next.
And so that's the question.
Each of these questions are gonna
be a little bit of a spotlight.
They're not meant to, to
cause guilt or shame, but just
honest awareness for the Lord.
'cause we can confess
and admit what's true.
Then we have a right starting point
for God to go, Hey, here's what's next.
So what hypocrisy exists?
What's hiding in the darkness?
That's the first aspect
of a life in ministry.
Second aspect of a life and ministry is
a strength that's found in God's grace.
Paul says in Second Timothy 2 22,
so flee youthful passions and pursue
righteousness and faith and love
and peace along with those who
call on the Lord from a pure heart.
Have nothing to do with
foolish, ignorant controversies.
Maybe that's what some of
us need to to hear today.
Just walk away from it.
For, you know that they just breed
quarrels and the Lord's servant must not
be quarrelsome, but kind to everyone.
That is hard.
Yes, I can be kind to some
people, but everyone able to teach
patiently enduring evil, correcting
his opponents with gentleness.
God may perhaps grant them repentance,
leading to a knowledge of the truth,
and they may come to their senses and
escape the snare of the devil after
being captured by him to do his will.
And these verses are obviously
immediately after the previous one.
So on one hand, they're just
building on that and charging.
Timothy don't get caught in those
quarrels, those irreverent silly babbles.
But more than that.
They're showing the heart posture, the
strength, the, the, the power and resource
that leads to this life of integrity.
Paul's showing us where the
source of true strength is.
So if you, if, if, if you or someone
in a moment or in a lifetime is opposed
to God and instead believes the ways
of the world and engages in the,
the, the online culture wars and this
kind of stuff, where, where is that?
Where is your strength found?
If your strength's not found in
God, where is strength found?
Yourself.
It's either in yourself
or somehow in other.
In other people, right?
Whether it's through writing or through
strength in numbers or that kinda
stuff, we're relying on ourselves, our
abilities, our power to force things,
our power to prove people, right?
Our power to, to dominate, to
argue the right argument, right?
If people aren't relying on God,
we're relying on our own abilities.
And life and ministry takes a
different posture because Paul
says it's a better source, a truer
source, a bigger source of strength.
Y'all strength is not found
in your ability to fight.
Strength is not found in your
engagement of controversy.
Strength does not look like
domineering over others.
Paul says That's immature.
That's emotional.
Emotions are fine, but, but, but, but this
leads out of negative emotions in Christ.
This is words he uses in, in this
passage, true strength look like
righteousness, and faith and love and
peace and patience and gentleness.
And I accidentally wrote down
patience again, but maybe that's
because I need to hear it twice.
And a pure heart.
Those are all words that
are in these verses.
What does that list start to sound like?
If you've read much of the New
Testament, it's okay if you haven't.
What's that list sound like though,
if you have the fruit of the spirit?
Love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, gentleness,
faithfulness, self-control.
Where's that come from?
It's a fruit of the spirit.
It comes from not your power, not
your dominance, not your persuasive
techniques, not your position.
In other words, true strength
looks like this other fruit of
the spirit, which is self-control,
not, not avoiding folks who
are hypocrites, not avoiding
stepping away from folks who,
who clearly don't know Jesus.
Just engaging with them, not, not
even, not even walking away from
folks who are causing controversies,
just engaging them differently than
everyone else would engage them.
Don't ignore people who teach and live
and lead wrongly, but rather he says in
verse 25, correct them with gentleness.
Humans are not known for
being gentle in today's world,
and I love, I love the hopefulness
of this last statement.
God may perhaps grant them repentance,
leading to a knowledge of the truth.
What I would like to.
Pray for the folks who you think are
just so out there wacko, so different
from you, that God would grant,
God would meet them more than your
ability, that God's power would sice
or suffice more than you could ever do.
If you engaged that kind, what
would it look like to pray this
prayer that God, God, would you
perhaps grant them repentance,
leading to a knowledge of the truth?
God, will they come to their senses
and escape from the snare of the devil?
After being captured
by him to do his will.
That's a strong statement,
but man, life and ministry is not
hear me, is not a life of power and
dominance and forcing your own way,
rather life and ministry, whatever
form it takes is a life of patience
and dependence and asking God to do it.
Only God.
So God, would you do that
to folks who oppose you?
Would you lead them to repentance?
Would you save them from the snare?
So here's a question.
What is your posture toward others?
If they disagree with Jesus, if
they lead people into falsehood,
do you tend to engage by your
power and strength or rely on God?
That's
or you, or you just disengaged?
Do you walk away?
Maybe there's another question there.
Would you engage with God's strength?
That's the second aspect.
A soul of integrity, a
strength found in God's grace.
The third, third aspect of
ministry is a heart to stand
against suffering, and here's why.
If you stand for God's truth in a world
of, quote unquote my truth or name sin
in a world that says, you don't get
to determine what sin is or talk about
a narrow path in a world that says
all paths go, or not even to heaven.
'cause what does that word mean?
And I don't choose to believe
in that and that kind of stuff.
If you stand for these things
that form the Orthodox history of
Christianity, and if you fight for
integrity in a world of hypocrisy,
and if you turn the other cheek.
Which might happen when we engage
gently like Jesus did, while
the world around us bows up.
When we do things like that,
we're going to face opposition.
Maybe passive aggressive
may just be aggressive, but
there's going to be opposition.
So here's what Paul says as
we move into chapter three.
Understand this Timothy and everyone
in any form of ministry, wherever
you live, work, learn and play.
Understand this in the last days.
There will come times of difficulty.
Anyone struggle with the world
around us and find it difficult
to live for Jesus in it
for people who will be lovers of self,
lovers of money, proud, arrogant,
abusive, disobedient to their parents.
Even that one just feels
funny to me to put that in the
verse, but kids pay attention.
Ungrateful, unholy, heartless,
unpleasable, slanderous
without self-control.
Brutal, not loving, good, treacherous,
reckless, swollen, with conceit
lovers of pleasure rather than lovers
of God having the appearance of
godliness, but denying God's power.
Avoid such people.
For among them are those who creep
into households and capture weak women.
Burdened with sin and led
astray by various passions.
Always learning, but never able to
arrive at a knowledge of the truth
just as Janice and Jamus opposed Moses.
So these men, these people also oppose
the truth, corrupted in mind and is
qualified regarding the faith, but
they will not get very far for their
folly will be plain to all as it
was, as was that of those two men.
These are some of those like ominous
verses in the whole New Testament
in our work with, with church leaders,
which is like the other half of my
world outside of salt and light.
Um, we, we, we say this at times
that sometimes walking in ministry,
and so again, I'm gonna bring
all of us into this for a minute.
Walking in ministry in 2025, almost
2026 in the US can feel like this
image, I'm gonna put it up here.
It feels like we're walking through
this tiny ravine while there's this
battle raging on two cliffs above us
from two opposing armies, and sometimes
those armies are aiming at each other.
Arrows Cha.
GPT chose guns but aiming arrows
at each other, sometimes either
accidentally or on purpose.
The arrows are aimed at us.
Folks who are in ministry, and the reason
it feels like we're in this little ravine
between two types, uh, between two cliffs
is 'cause there's two types of people
that Paul points out in this verse.
Is that cause people
in ministry to suffer,
um, on one cliff is, is like
the overtly godly people.
They quote unquote.
Cause difficulty is how Paul says it for
people in ministry because they pursue.
This litany of all these like awful
sounding things that Paul just lists
with no explanation in verses two
through four that we just read.
There's a litany of ways that
people oppose God, litany of ways
that people break his commands.
And so if we oppose, if we come
against, if we, if we based on God's
word, try to gently correct and
engage folks pursuing those things,
where's the arrow gonna be aimed?
Like you're, you're, you're opposing.
My pleasure, my desire.
I love the song we sang, like
we kind of, the anything I want
is what matters most in life.
If it makes you happy, can't be that bad.
Set a prophet in the nineties.
A arrows get aimed at at truth.
And, and even gentle correction
because as, as one Australian theo
theologian said, the hearts of the
world are set in individualism,
materialism, and, and hedonism.
If we're honest, we, we know
that 'cause ours are too.
But outside of Jesus, the hearts of
the world are set on individualism,
materialism and hedonism individualism me.
Whatever I want, I can do it.
Materialism, whatever I
want, I can get it hedonism.
Whatever makes me happy,
I get to pursue that.
So you as a minister in general,
displaying and declaring the good news of
Jesus, trying to be the salt of the earth
and the light in the world of the world.
Wherever you live, work, learn, and play,
like you gotta target on your back 'cause
you're trying to display and teach and
love people into something differently.
We as a church are walking through
this little ravine and we may be hit.
Suffering will happen.
Suffering is in every, every
book of the New Testament except
for Lord talks about suffering.
We don't like to talk about it,
but it's there.
But, but we also may be hit
from this other cliff too.
Um, and this is the sneaky
army, the sneaky battle.
Um, it's not only overtly
ungodly people that cause.
Ministers to suffer.
It's also ungodly people
who look very religious
that cause difficulty for ministers.
Um, and again, you can see the news
like there's, there's all sorts of
hypocrisy in ministry as there is
in every other aspect of humanity.
But in verse five, it's interesting,
like Paul ends this like list of
terrible things with these words he says.
Some have the appearance of
godliness, but deny God's power.
And then he says, avoid such people.
And man, that may sound really strong.
Um,
I'll admit, I, I don't
talk about this a lot.
There's, there's two people that I've
met in, in all my days in Fort Worth, uh,
that I will not associate with in any way.
Okay.
It feels really strange to say
that out loud, if I'm honest.
Both claimed to be spiritual leaders.
Um, one is still claiming to
be a spiritual leader and both
are utterly hypocritical and
led dozens of people astray
claiming the name of Jesus.
I do.
And Paul doesn't just give permission.
He, he commands avoid, avoid such people.
And, and here the distinction
here, like pursue the, the,
the outright ungodly people.
Like, pursue those folks, engage
them, correct them, display the
unconditional love and hope of Jesus
and declare the good news to them
and display all sorts of great.
But if there's a man or woman who's
claiming the name of Jesus, but taking
advantage of, this is kind of the
picture of ball pains, the little
old ladies, the, the, the, the, the
susceptible, the easily oppressed.
The, if they're leading people away
from Jesus and claiming knowledge,
but diverting people from the truth.
Like you don't just have permission,
you have a charge run from those people.
And as an example, Paul referenced
these, these, these two people, Janice
and Jamus, anyone know who they are?
Jewish tradition says that they
were the names of the magicians
in Egypt who opposed Moses.
So when Moses went to Pharaoh and
said, you know, God can do these
signs, Pharaoh said, I got some
magicians that can do these signs too.
That apparently, apparently
Jewish tradition says that
Janice and Jamus were those.
Magicians.
Um, they opposed Moses.
They opposed God.
They caused difficulty for God's people.
Kept God's people enslaved.
So why on earth would Paul
bring those people up here?
At the time, one, they were, they
were known Paul's writing to a first
century Jewish and, and Asian community.
So it was kind of a known entity,
but there were known people who stood
against God and deceived people.
And yet what happened?
As God continued to show his power,
these magicians couldn't match it.
God got the final say.
God got the final judgment.
God's power is greater than
those deceptive false teachers.
God's power, hear me?
And we don't talk about this a lot in,
in, in our church tradition, but God's
power is greater than the signs that other
quote unquote spirits can conjure up.
Like God's capital S Spirit
can do far more than any other
power or principality on earth.
Anyone, anything that causes
harm against God and his people
has no uncertain judgment
unless God answers the prayer
that they would repent and
turn from this from the enemy.
But there's no power.
There's no sign, there's no false truth.
There's no religion that
can stand up to God.
Is that good?
Is.
Jesus suffered
suffering shows up in every
one of Jesus's followers.
And so the question is, will you pursue
truth and godliness and integrity
even in the face of opposition?
Are you willing to suffer for the
sake of a lost and dying world?
That's a lot of what a life
in ministry looks like.
And then there's the last charge
from Paul to ministers, and it
may undergird the other three.
And this to, to pursue a
mind shaped by God's truth.
Why can you think about the other three?
God's truth is, is the truth that's
going to point you in a right path,
a path of truth, not hypocrisy.
Um, God's Truth is going to
help you, uh, embrace true
strength like it's God's truth.
It reminds us that strength
comes from him, not us.
And then God's truth alone can
sustain you through suffering.
And so one of the goals that we talk
about within why we do DNA groups,
why we do missional DNA groups,
is to be guided by God's story.
We believe that every one
of us has other stories.
That are so easy to, to, to belong to.
That means, uh, believe and cling.
When you put 'em together,
you get bullying.
So, uh, other stories that are so
easy to believe and clinging to
both, and yet the story of God is
the primary shaper of your life.
And the, the, the story of God is
the primary message of reconciliation
that he gives to all of us as we
go through this life of ministry.
We say in our value statements that we
believe that the gospel is good news
for everyday life and every cultural
moment that Jesus has good news for
everything you're walking through.
All those things should be true of
every church, not just salt and light.
I'm not trying to put us
on some pedestal up here.
And so the last aspect of life
and ministry that Paul charges
Timothy with is to pursue a mind.
Shaped by God's truth.
Read a few, few verses here.
Verse 10 of two, Timothy three.
You, however, have followed my teaching,
my conduct, my aim in life, my faith,
my patience, my love, my steadfastness,
my persecutions and sufferings
that happen to me at Antioch and I.
Iconium and lira, which
persecutions I endured.
Get from them all.
The Lord did what?
Rescue me.
Indeed, all who desire to, to live a godly
life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
There's that suffering while evil,
evil people and imposters, two cliffs
evil people, one, one imposters, those
claiming to be followers of Jesus will
leave people astray, will go from bad
to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
But as for you, continuing what you
have learned and have firmly believed.
Knowing from whom you learned it,
and how from childhood you've been
acquainted with the sacred writings,
which are able to make you wise for
salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
All scripture is breathed out by
God and is profitable for teaching,
for reproof, for correction, and for
training and righteousness that the
man or woman of God may be complete
equipped for every good work.
And so I charge you in the presence of
God in Christ Jesus, who is to judge the
living in the dead and by his appearing
and his kingdom, preach the word.
Be ready in season and out of season.
Reprove, rebuke and exhort with
complete patience and teaching.
Again, do all those things, but with
complete patience and teaching for the
time is coming when people will not endure
sound teaching, but having itching ears,
they will accumulate for themselves.
Teachers that suit their own passions
and will turn away from listening to the
truth and will wander off into myths.
But as for you, always be sober minded,
endure, endure suffering, do the work of
an evangelist and fulfill your ministry.
So again, in some ways these verses relate
to the other three things we've seen.
It's one letter, it's one flow of
thought, but Paul says to Timothy,
Timothy, you've seen my integrity
the way that I've fought to live the
same way in the light in the dark.
Timothy, you've seen how I
engage opposition, how I don't
back off of truth, but I engage
with correction and gentleness.
Timothy, you've seen my suffering, my
persecution, and you've seen God rescue
me over and over and over again, and what
he's saying, what he's charging, Timothy
and you, the same will be true of you.
This will be true of you.
Temptation exists.
Opposition exists.
Suffering and persecution exists, but God
will sustain you because God is with you.
You, and this is what Paul's saying to
Timothy and to you, whether you're in
ministry in general or have a specific
ministry role, even as the society
and world and that cliff and even as
the, the religious leaders go from
bad to worse, clinging to what you've
learned, clinging to what is true.
For Timothy, he learned it in
his family as a young child,
his mother and grandmother.
Paul's exhorting part of the
purpose of the scripture is also
part of why we believe this whole
thing is better in community.
He says, stand strong in season and
out as easy times and hard times be
shaped by God's truth no matter what.
That's the urgency that Paul's giving.
Timothy.
And we'll see this next week.
This is likely Paul's, some of
Paul's final words to Timothy.
And so here Paul's plea alongside
Timothy from, from the seasoned
minister to his protege.
Preach the word we said before
in, in, in the New Testament.
Preaching is not what I'm doing right now.
This is teaching your followers of Jesus.
Were, we're instructing
and learning together.
Preaching was.
As you go into the everyday places
you work, live, learn, and play,
you're declaring good news of Jesus.
Not necessarily some pre-prepared
manuscript, but as you look at someone's
life and you know the questions they're
asking, you're giving them good news.
Preach the word, which is yes, both God's
words, scripture, which is useful for
gently, gently, patiently, patiently,
reproving, correcting exhorting
and teaching, and even rebuking.
But also when he says, preach the word.
I say, and preach the big message.
Preach the story.
When the Bible talks about the
word singular, he's talking about
the good news of Jesus every time.
Just for the record, preach the
word means point people to the best,
good news that they're all searching
for, whether they know it or not.
And so question, actually
two, two questions for this.
How strong does God's truth
reign in your mind and what tries
to pull you into lesser truths
and to find answers elsewhere?
And then says, Paul's calling Timothy
and ministries ministers to advantage.
He says, do the work of an evangelist
that's that's exist and display
and declare the good news of Jesus
among a world that doesn't know him.
Perhaps there's this other question.
Who in your life needs
to hear God's truth?
And is there anything
stopping you from sharing?
And, and here's the deal.
People may hear as you quote unquote,
preach the word as you display and
declare the good news of Jesus as you
lovingly, gently, patiently, exhort
and correct and re rebuke and reprove.
And that's true for
fellow followers of Jesus.
And that's true for those who don't.
People may hear and receive and
respond well, and others may not,
but that's not your call.
That pressure doesn't
rest on your shoulders.
That's between them and the Lord.
Your call and your charge is to be
obedient as a minister, given the ministry
of reconciliation, given the, uh, the,
the, the message of reconciliation.
In your heart, mind, and soul and
strength before God and others.
Are you pursuing a soul full of integrity
and strength that's found in God's grace?
And is your heart being girded by the
Lord to stand up against suffering?
And is your mind being
shaped by God's truth?
Whereas Paul summarizes, I
kind of love that he does this.
Hero wrote like a chapter in
two halves and then summarizes
the whole thing in one verse.
He says for you, always be sober minded.
Endure suffering.
Do the work of an evangelist
and fulfill your ministry.
You need a memory verse.
That's a good, that's a good wake up.
God, would you help me do this today?
Verse right there.
That's the heartbeat of ministry.
Those of us who are in quote unquote
vocational ministry, that's kind of
all we got and we can't do any of
it by our power in the first place.
That's a glimpse of a long suffering
life of a minister, whether it's
in general for every Christian or
whether it's in a specific way.
Is this true of you?
So I wanna close, um, with this.
In, in, in one Corinthians
Paul invites all Christians.
He says, follow me as I
follow the example of Christ.
And as, as I read Paul's charges to
Timothy as we've processed through what
Paul gave Timothy, and again, there's,
there's endless depths that we could plumb
in these, in these words we just read.
But as we see Paul charge Timothy
with these, with these things
we know, two things are true.
One is that neither Paul nor Timothy,
nor you, nor me, will fulfill all
of these things a hundred percent
of the time, all the time, right?
Um, sometimes we won't
fulfill any of these things.
But the other, the other thing we know
to be true is what makes Paul's phrase
as, I follow Christ vital for that, so
follow me, but only as I follow Christ.
Only.
Jesus embodied all of
these things all the time.
Yes.
And so anyone who says
Follow me do exactly as I do.
I'm always right without going
like, Hey, as I follow Christ.
Like those are, those
are the avoid people.
They're among the false teachers.
They're not an example of
biblical life and ministry.
But Jesus is the fullness of God's truth.
And Jesus walked with integrity in
the light and the dark a hundred
percent of the time and all the time.
And Jesus is perfectly and fully
dependent on God, the father,
and God's power and strength.
And Jesus suffered more than anyone
in order to accomplish the one
thing that he could accomplish.
So we don't want de Paul or Timothy
or anyone up here as a perfect
example of ministry, but we get to
look to Jesus, who was the perfect
example of ministry and died for all
of the rest of our imperfections.
And we get to look to Jesus, who not
just died, but he rose to give us a new
lens to see all of life through, and
to see your coworkers and classmates
through and see those who oppose you
and you think oppose Jesus through.
And, and Jesus rose and, and sends
his spirit to indwell you and sends
you into your workplace and your
school and your station in life, and
your neighborhood and your street.
By the power of his spirit.
He sent you there to be a minister
in Christ.
If you're a Christian,
you're a minister of.
And it's only possible for the broken
body and shed blood of our Lord Jesus.