You Need the Word of God.

Steve Gentry

[0:06] We’ll go ahead and have a seat. [0:07] Welcome to Village Church. [0:09] This is your first time here. [0:10] My name’s Steve. [0:11] I’m one of the pastors here at Village Church. [0:12] And as always, I am thankful and grateful to see each and every one of you.

[0:17] If you have a Bible, go ahead and open it to 2 Timothy. [0:20] We’re going to be in chapter two this morning, as well as a few other texts. [0:24] But we’re in the third part of a four-sermon series on multiplying discipleship. [0:31] So basically what we’re doing is we’re seeking to kind of form a cohesive view of organized [0:37] discipleship. [0:39] Making disciples is the mission of the church, and we seek to take new Christians and guide

[0:46] them to what we call in our mission statement to be fully devoted followers of Christ. [0:52] And so that is our hope for every single person that walks into Village Church, but [0:57] there is much to learn and to be taught on that path. [1:02] And it’s helpful and even necessary to set guideposts along that path to ensure that [1:09] the greatest chance of success for your discipleship is there. [1:13] We started by identifying healthy characteristics of a disciple in the first week, and this

[1:18] was of course used to kind of identify where you are on the path of discipleship, but [1:22] also a helpful tool in order to gauge whether or not someone else is ready to be made into [1:30] a disciple or rather to be discipled. [1:33] Then last week we went further into the life of actual discipleship to look at what those [1:38] groups are kind of founded on and what the hopes of them are and how to know if you’re [1:42] in a healthy discipleship group, this small gathering of three to five people that has

[1:48] a set purpose of growing in order to be ready to multiply into more and more groups. [1:55] And this is what prevents us from stagnating. [1:58] This is what prevents us from getting into this pattern where we just believe we need [2:03] to consume, consume, consume, and be discipled. [2:06] I need one more book. [2:08] I need to hear one more sermon.

[2:09] I need to have one more person in my life to pour into me because I’m not quite ready. [2:15] But the fact is that those groups should not be kind of in perpetuity. [2:20] They should not be forever. [2:22] There should be a hope at the very outset of every discipleship group that there’s [2:27] going to come a point, and whether it’s two years, whether it’s three years, whether it’s [2:31] four years, that you’re going to be sent out, you’re going to commission one another to

[2:36] go and start more groups. [2:38] You are more ready, most likely, to make disciples than you realize. [2:43] Then of course, today, I want to talk about the foundational element of discipleship. [2:50] This week and next week are going to be less vision and more plan as to what is it that [2:55] we need to do in order to ensure that this multiplication takes place. [3:01] Next week, we’re going to kind of get into how to organize these groups, how to specifically

[3:06] look and be in one of these groups. [3:09] But today, I want to talk about what my favorite subject in the entire world is. [3:12] I want to talk about the Bible. [3:14] The Bible is the foundational element for discipleship. [3:18] And so if you are a disciple with any other book, if you are a disciple with any other [3:24] goal than to become what God presents for you in the Bible, you have not engaged in

[3:30] Christian discipleship. [3:31] I want to talk this morning about why the Bible is the indispensable tool in the process [3:38] of discipleship. [3:40] I want to spend time giving you some direction on how to study the Bible. [3:44] Because I think for many of you that I’ve engaged, you’re intimidated by the Bible. [3:49] You look at the 66 books of the Bible and you’re like, you know, oh my goodness, that’s

[3:53] more than a thousand pages, depending on font size. [3:56] All right. [3:57] Some longer, some shorter. [3:59] But you look at that and you’re just overwhelmed. [4:01] Well here’s the key. [4:03] You’re not going to be able to read it in a day.

[4:05] All right. [4:05] I mean, you’re the fastest reader. [4:07] All right. [4:08] It takes time. [4:10] It takes what many of you think you are allergic to, kind of like you’re allergic to pollen. [4:15] Effort.

[4:16] All right. [4:16] You’ve kind of programmed yourself and it’s like, oh, I’m allergic to this thing, effort. [4:20] And it’s like, yeah, it’s going to take effort. [4:22] You’re going to have to read the scriptures. [4:23] But this is the tool that God has given us to be and make disciples. [4:30] There is nothing else on this earth that God has ordained as His word.

[4:36] Therefore this is the foundational element of discipleship. [4:41] Number one this morning, you have to understand that the Bible is sufficient for discipleship. [4:46] It is sufficient. [4:48] If all that you have is other people and the Bible. [4:53] Guess what? [4:54] You’ve got everything you need.

[4:56] That’s discipleship right there. [4:58] You have to let the Bible be what the Bible is and stop using excuses about whether or [5:04] not you think you’re some kind of non-reader, whether or not you think this isn’t your [5:09] love language, whether or not you think you need supplemental tools. [5:13] Whatever it is that makes you not want to engage the Bible, understand that it is sufficient [5:20] whether you believe it is or not.

[5:22] It does not need your permission to be what God says that it actually is. [5:28] It is the sufficient tool. [5:30] It is inerrant. [5:31] It is infallible. [5:33] It is inspired. [5:35] But here’s the deal.

[5:35] You can thank all of those things and never engage it. [5:39] And it’s just this thing that is over there and you thank all those wonderful things about [5:44] it, but you’ve never cracked it open to actually see that it is also this other thing. [5:49] But it is sufficient. [5:52] The Bible is the foundational element of healthy discipleship. [5:58] I want to look at 2 Timothy chapter 2 and I want to start reading in verse 1 as to

[6:03] how Paul kind of engages the life of a discipleship with one of his disciples, Timothy. [6:08] Here’s what we read. [6:09] You then, speaking of Timothy, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ [6:17] and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses and trust to faithful men. [6:25] In 2 Timothy, Paul is writing to a young pastor. [6:29] He aids Timothy through the original one, 1 Timothy, and then this one, 2 Timothy.

[6:35] He aids him in structuring his church. [6:38] He also provides guidance on organization, provides guidance on leadership. [6:43] It’s a helpful tool. [6:44] And that’s why they call this collection of books the pastoral epistles. [6:47] But understand that those are not the main topics of these books. [6:51] The main topics of 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, we get Titus in there, another book to another

[6:56] pastor, is that Paul is ensuring that his legacy of disciple making will continue. [7:05] And so the chief topic that’s actually addressed in these books is the issue of how do you [7:11] a disciple making church? [7:14] And he’s speaking to Timothy as Paul is actually in prison at this point. [7:18] He’s awaiting his execution. [7:20] He knows that he doesn’t have a great deal longer to live.

[7:24] He’s kind of going day by day as to whether or not he’s going to survive to the next day. [7:28] And he writes a collection of letters, and one of them is 2 Timothy, and he sends it [7:32] to him to ensure that his legacy of disciple making will not end with Timothy. [7:39] And Timothy understands that he needs to pass everything on that Paul taught him to [7:46] the next spiritual generation. [7:48] The key for you to understand there is that is the hope of every New Testament church.

[7:54] That we have a great legacy of disciple making that needs to be continued to the next generation. [8:03] And that is quite literally the mission of every single member of every single church [8:09] that has ever existed. [8:11] Paul finishes chapter 1 by noting that some have abandoned him. [8:17] And he says some have succeeded in the quest for discipleship. [8:21] Paul is very upfront with the reality that discouragement is going to happen.

[8:28] He deals with it head on. [8:30] There are people that have let him down. [8:34] I need you to understand that in the process of disciple making, people will let you down. [8:40] People are going to disappoint you. [8:43] Here’s the deal. [8:45] Sinners gonna sin.

[8:47] That’s what they do. [8:49] If you engage in the mission that God has given us through the gospel of Jesus Christ [8:54] to proclaim the good news that Jesus saves, to continue then after that, and to teach [9:00] them everything that He has told us to observe from Matthew 28, you need to understand that [9:06] there are going to be people that don’t make it. [9:09] I will tell you, I’ve been discipled.

[9:12] I’ve had many mentors. [9:14] I’ve had many coaches. [9:15] I’ve had many disciple makers in my life. [9:17] I’ve sought to pass it on. [9:19] And I have had both people that have poured into me as disciple makers that have disappointed [9:25] me and I have had people that I have poured into in the process of discipleship that have

[9:29] also disappointed me. [9:31] I have had pastors that mentored me in discipleship relationships. [9:35] They have blown it. [9:37] They have shipwrecked their faith. [9:39] They’ve had financial misgivings. [9:41] They’ve had sexual misgivings.

[9:43] They have abandoned the faith of Jesus Christ. [9:46] I’ve also had people that wanted to be pastors. [9:49] They were young guys that said, hey, I need you to pass this on to me. [9:52] I need you to disciple me. [9:53] I’ve sought to make disciples out of them. [9:55] And guess what?

[9:56] They’ve quit. [9:57] Whether it was by sin or whether or not it was they were little sissy boys, they have [10:02] quit. [10:03] All right? [10:04] Here’s what Paul is saying to Timothy in verse 1 of chapter 2. [10:08] When he looks to Timothy and he says, you then, he’s saying this isn’t about them.

[10:15] For some of you, your discipleship or lack thereof, your disciple making or lack thereof [10:22] is about what someone else has done. [10:26] You won’t own the responsibility because you were hurt. [10:30] You won’t own the responsibility because you were disappointed. [10:33] You won’t own the responsibility because you were betrayed. [10:36] You won’t own the responsibility because someone was disloyal.

[10:39] You won’t own the responsibility because someone abandoned the faith. [10:42] You won’t own the responsibility because someone ventured into immorality. [10:46] You won’t because someone else didn’t. [10:49] The Apostle Paul looks to Timothy and he says, [10:52] people have abandoned me, don’t base your faith, [10:56] don’t base your discipleship on them.

[10:59] What does he tell Timothy to base his discipleship in? [11:02] The strength of the grace that is found in Jesus Christ. [11:07] That is what he says in verse one. [11:09] It is not about what God has called someone else to do, [11:15] it is not about how someone else has failed, [11:17] it’s about you and Jesus.

[11:19] The only thing that will keep you encouraged [11:23] on the path of discipleship is the gospel of Jesus Christ. [11:27] When you get your eyes off of Jesus, [11:31] and you get your eyes onto the person [11:33] that stabbed you in the back, you won’t make it. [11:37] You won’t endure.

[11:38] People are gonna blow it. [11:40] Here’s the deal. [11:41] If you’ve ever been in any type of a relationship, [11:44] if you’ve ever been in the church of Jesus Christ, [11:46] it is not that long after the initial high [11:50] that they give you in the foyer

[11:51] that someone’s gonna do something wrong and offend you. [11:54] It’s not gonna take me, half of you are gonna [11:56] walk out the door and be disappointed [11:57] at how I set the thermostat this morning. [12:00] That’s how finicky we are. [12:02] We are people that have trained ourselves

[12:04] to get real disappointed, real quick, [12:06] over real small issues. [12:08] And so some of them are small issues, [12:10] some of them are not small issues. [12:12] I mean, I’ll tell you, you guys will come to me [12:14] and you will say, well, this has been my experience

[12:16] and this is why I struggle in Christianity. [12:17] I bet I could match it and raise it a little bit. [12:20] I’ve been in this game for four decades, my entire life. [12:23] I’ve seen some things, all right? [12:26] But I’ll tell you, the one thing that has endured [12:29] that entire process is the faithfulness of Jesus Christ.

[12:33] Is the strength that is available in the grace of Christ. [12:37] He has endured every disappointment. [12:41] He has endured every heartache. [12:43] He has endured every moment. [12:45] Not just of other people’s weaknesses. [12:47] Let’s not be too hard on other people.

[12:50] He has endured my weaknesses. [12:52] He has endured my unfaithfulness. [12:54] He has endured my lack of ability, my lack of strength. [12:58] Where every point of sin has cursed this world, [13:01] Jesus has been found faithful every single step of the way. [13:06] And that is why before Paul gets to someone else

[13:09] being made a disciple, Paul goes to Timothy and says, [13:12] you remain a disciple. [13:13] Do not quit because Jesus will not quit. [13:17] Continue to go in his strength and you will endure. [13:22] But the key is, Paul doesn’t just leave it there. [13:26] Paul then looks to Timothy and says, what I taught you.

[13:30] He’s holding him responsible. [13:31] He’s looking to Timothy and he says, [13:33] I taught you something, didn’t I? [13:34] And I didn’t just teach you. [13:36] I taught you in the presence of many witnesses. [13:40] What is it that you think Paul taught?

[13:43] The gospel and scripture. [13:46] Paul taught Timothy the Bible. [13:49] Paul, yes, taught Timothy the Old Testament. [13:52] But within one generation, the very words that Paul [13:55] would use to instruct the churches of the New Testament [13:58] were then made scripture as well.

[14:02] The very teaching that Paul passed on to Timothy [14:05] is the teaching of the Bible. [14:08] And that is what Paul wants Timothy to pass on [14:11] to faithful men. [14:13] Paul wants us to understand that this book [14:17] is the word of God and then there isn’t another.

[14:21] And you say, oh, I don’t know if I would go that far. [14:23] Well, one chapter later, Paul says this. [14:26] Maybe you know this one, I hope you do. [14:27] I talk about it all the time. [14:29] 2 Timothy 3.16. [14:30] He looks to Timothy and he says,

[14:32] all scripture is breathed out by God and it is profitable [14:35] for teaching, reproof, correction, [14:37] and for training in righteousness. [14:41] Friends, I will tell you, in a world that often [14:44] wants microwave spirituality, [14:47] the Bible can be intimidating.

[14:50] But this text makes it abundantly clear [14:53] that this is the only material that exists [14:57] that such verbiage is used to describe. [15:00] There is no other book, there is no other resource, [15:05] there is no other source, period, [15:08] that exists in this world that this claim

[15:12] is made of by God. [15:16] But the Bible has that claim. [15:19] I’ve taught about that text many, many times. [15:22] But I will tell you, I want to be clear [15:25] that the Bible is ground zero. [15:27] The Bible is a foundational necessity for discipleship.

[15:31] It is the non-negotiable tool that you must be discipled with [15:36] or you did not receive Christian discipleship. [15:39] Many of you will tell me, and you have pushed back [15:42] so many times when I have said, you just need the Bible, [15:45] you just need the Bible, you said, well, [15:47] I kind of need other books to help me with the Bible.

[15:51] And I will say, that’s great, I’ve studied many books [15:54] about the Bible over the years. [15:56] They’re wonderful helps, they’re wonderful supplements, [15:59] but they in no way can serve as a replacement [16:02] with me engaging the very scripture of God. [16:05] They are no replacement.

[16:06] Why would I want someone else’s secondhand experience [16:11] when God says I can have a first hand experience [16:14] with his word? [16:15] The same Holy Spirit that aids other people [16:18] in understanding the scripture is in you [16:21] if you are a follower of Jesus,

[16:22] and you just simply need to trust the process [16:25] and confront yourself with the Bible as often as you can [16:30] so that you will grow in learning it. [16:33] Friend, I did not learn the Bible in a day [16:36] when I was a child. [16:37] It has been something that I’ve had to go to over

[16:40] and over and over and over. [16:43] I have read it cover to cover dozens of times. [16:46] I’ve engaged it in the original language, [16:49] I’ve engaged commentaries about it, [16:51] I’ve read theological treatises about it many, many times, [16:55] I’ve read volumes about God’s word,

[16:57] come up to my office, see all the books that I’ve read, [17:00] and I will tell you none of them [17:02] hold a candle to the real thing. [17:04] None of them hold a candle to this. [17:06] I don’t go to them over and over again [17:08] the way that I go to this over and over and over again.

[17:12] Some of you are stagnant in your faith [17:14] because you are willing to settle [17:16] for a secondhand experience [17:18] of someone else’s confrontation with scripture, [17:22] and you won’t yourself trust the Holy Spirit [17:24] to teach you this book.

[17:26] You have to go to it, you have to memorize it. [17:28] It is an anchor for you and your relationship with Jesus [17:33] in a world that will seek to take you away from it. [17:35] If you don’t believe me, [17:36] maybe you’ll believe the apostle Peter. [17:39] In 2 Peter chapter one, he talks about this very issue

[17:42] and starting in verse 16, he says, [17:44] we didn’t follow cleverly devised myths [17:46] when we made known to you the power and coming [17:49] of our Lord Jesus Christ. [17:50] In other words, the disciples were accused [17:53] of making the gospel up.

[17:55] They were accused of lying about the resurrection. [17:57] They were accused of strategizing together to do that. [18:01] And Peter’s looking at him saying, [18:02] we ain’t smart enough to do that. [18:04] He says, this isn’t some devised myth. [18:07] He’s like, we did this because we were eyewitnesses

[18:12] of his majesty. [18:13] And then he’s gonna give you a couple of examples. [18:14] He says, when we received honor and glory, [18:17] excuse me, when he received honor and glory [18:18] from God the Father, and the voice was born to him [18:21] by the majestic glory, this is my beloved son

[18:23] with whom I am well pleased. [18:25] We ourselves heard this very voice from heaven, [18:28] for we were with him on that holy mountain. [18:31] So that Peter’s saying, I had a personal experience. [18:35] Peter was there when Jesus was baptized. [18:38] He saw what happened, but more than that,

[18:40] he was one of the select three disciples [18:43] that was invited by Jesus to what we refer to [18:45] as the Mount of Transfiguration. [18:47] He saw Jesus in his glorified form, [18:50] but more than that, Jesus invited Moses and Elijah [18:54] to be there too.

[18:54] What a head trip. [18:56] You guys have been gone for a long time. [18:58] What are you doing here? [18:59] And so Peter’s saying, I was there. [19:02] It’s like, I saw it. [19:03] It was an amazing experience.

[19:05] Then he goes on and he says, verse 19, [19:08] we have the prophetic word, but note this, [19:10] some people miss this. [19:12] He says, we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, [19:18] to which you will do well to pay attention. [19:21] And then I think he references Psalm 119

[19:23] when he says, as to a lamp shining in a dark place [19:26] until the day dawns and the morning star rises [19:28] in your hearts, knowing first of all [19:30] that no prophecy of scripture [19:31] comes from someone’s own interpretation, [19:33] for no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man,

[19:37] but men spoke from God as they were carried along [19:40] by the Holy Spirit. [19:42] What Peter is saying in this text, don’t miss this. [19:44] He says, I can come to you and give you a firsthand account [19:48] of what I saw, but he says, you shouldn’t trust that [19:51] as much as you trust the Bible.

[19:54] He says, the scriptures are a more fully confirmed word [20:00] than my experiences. [20:02] That is a bold claim from the very man who experienced it. [20:07] Why? [20:07] Because if Peter just kind of looks to you and says, [20:09] here is what I experienced,

[20:11] apart from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, [20:14] he’s giving you a secondhand account. [20:16] He’s giving you his words. [20:18] He says, you don’t need my words. [20:22] You need the more fully confirmed word of God, [20:26] and that is only ever going to be found in scripture.

[20:30] That is the confidence that Peter had in the word of God. [20:33] The Bible, according to the apostle Peter, [20:35] is more trustworthy than human experience [20:38] because it is the very word of God. [20:41] And then he makes the bold claim [20:43] that was not delivered by men.

[20:47] He says, it was delivered by God himself [20:49] as men were carried along by the Holy Spirit. [20:54] So here’s the deal, I can’t overstate my belief about this. [20:57] This is the word of God. [20:59] This is the sufficient word of God. [21:00] There is no other.

[21:02] You need this more than you need me. [21:04] You need the scriptures. [21:06] But then secondly, understand, [21:07] the Bible must be passed on to others. [21:10] The Bible must be passed on to others. [21:14] Israel itself experienced the reality

[21:16] that it only takes one to two generations [21:18] for people to forget the word of God. [21:21] If you do not pass this on, [21:23] if you do not pass on how to understand, [21:26] if you do not pass on not just that belief, [21:29] but the interaction with the very words of God

[21:32] within one to two generations, it’ll be completely lost. [21:36] If I endure in ministry and fail at teaching my children [21:40] how to study the word of God [21:41] and what to believe about the word of God, [21:43] my entire ministry is a failure. [21:45] It’s a complete failure.

[21:47] After that, it’s on them. [21:49] But I’ve gotta do it. [21:51] I’ve got to do everything that I can [21:54] to ensure that this faith endures [21:56] to another spiritual generation [21:58] and then another spiritual generation

[22:00] and another spiritual generation. [22:02] We are dependent on God’s revelation of himself [22:05] and we must act like we are. [22:08] This starts with being a healthy discipleship. [22:12] And every aspect of that discipleship [22:14] is dependent on God revealing himself to you.

[22:18] This is something that he has done. [22:21] This is something that have already been seen [22:23] that you can trust. [22:25] But in 2 Timothy 1, one chapter earlier, [22:27] starting in verse 13, Paul directs Timothy [22:29] that the fuel for what is ahead

[22:32] is in remembering what his discipleship is based on. [22:35] Verse 13, follow the pattern of the sound words [22:38] that you have heard from me in the faith and love [22:42] that are in Christ Jesus. [22:44] By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, [22:46] guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

[22:49] He was given what Paul calls a pattern of sound words. [22:54] This is, yes, the gospel. [22:56] But what the gospel doctrine is rooted in [22:59] is the revelation of God of himself in the Bible. [23:04] We are completely dependent on God revealing himself to us. [23:08] And by his grace, he has.

[23:11] A huge key in remaining faithful [23:13] is in always remembering and reminding yourself [23:17] that God revealed himself to you. [23:21] God was not hiding from you, and you were looking for him, [23:25] and you couldn’t find him because he was being squirrely, [23:27] and he kept hiding himself, and he’s like,

[23:29] I don’t want you to find me. [23:31] And then one day you discovered him [23:32] because you’re just so much sharper than everybody else. [23:35] You’re just so much smarter than everybody else. [23:37] You’re so much wiser than everybody else. [23:38] I don’t know what everybody else’s problem is

[23:40] because you figured this out, so why can’t they figure out? [23:42] That’s not the way it worked. [23:43] This isn’t something that you concocted, [23:46] you made, you got yourself into. [23:47] You were a sinner in rebellion against God, [23:50] and God pursued you through his word.

[23:54] God pursued you, and he gave you the gift of redemption. [23:58] We weren’t looking for God to redeem us. [24:00] God chose to redeem us out of his love. [24:03] But understand, there is not one person, [24:08] not one that has come to faith in Jesus [24:11] that has not done so through the revelation of scripture.

[24:15] Everyone that’s ever come to faith in Jesus [24:17] has come to faith in Jesus because of the scripture, [24:19] and you might say, well, they weren’t holding a Bible [24:21] in their hand when they told me the gospel, [24:23] but where do you think they heard it ultimately? [24:26] No matter if they were holding a Bible in their hand,

[24:28] no matter if they were quoting Bible verses, [24:30] if they told you that Jesus is God, [24:32] what do you think the primary source of knowing that is? [24:35] Right here, it’s in the book. [24:37] It’s in the supernatural pages of the scriptures. [24:41] The key note of Christianity that Jesus is Lord and Savior

[24:46] is sourced in the Bible, and God’s revelation [24:50] is shown to have a design because of that fact [24:54] to go to others. [24:56] That’s the design of it all. [24:59] It’s a wonderful thing, the way that God [25:00] has designed the human mind.

[25:01] He has designed our minds to retain information [25:06] and to regurgitate that information. [25:09] That’s why the Bible is the way that it is. [25:12] There’s something supernatural [25:13] to the way that our mind works. [25:15] 2 Timothy 1, 14, as we just read,

[25:17] notes that this is a work of the Holy Spirit, [25:20] and he says, you need to be faithful [25:22] to guard what you are entrusted in. [25:25] It needs to stay pure. [25:27] Don’t let it be transformed. [25:28] Don’t let it be, excuse me, perverted.

[25:31] It’s a good deposit entrusted to you, [25:34] but do you think God gave you that deposit [25:36] so that you would just sit on it? [25:39] Do you think he deposited that in you [25:42] so that you could just keep it [25:43] and hide it from everybody else?

[25:45] Do you think Paul looks at this and says, [25:48] there has been a great gift of sound words [25:52] that the Holy Spirit supernaturally entrusted [25:56] into your life so that you could just hide it away [25:59] for the rest of your life? [26:00] No, God wants a return on that investment.

[26:05] God wants that investment to be used by you [26:08] and invested from you into the lives of others, [26:12] and that is where a sticking point [26:14] pops up with us sometimes, [26:17] because guarding the investment [26:18] and then letting that investment

[26:20] go into the lives of others requires effort. [26:24] You know, it takes effort to understand God’s word, [26:27] and that’s by design. [26:29] It’s by design that we grow in our wisdom. [26:31] It’s by design that we grow in our knowledge. [26:34] It’s by design that we grow in our understanding.

[26:37] My hope is that a lot of you are a lot smarter [26:39] than you were when you were six months old. [26:42] I hope you’ve figured a couple things out in life [26:45] since then. [26:46] I know some of you, it’s a tough road, [26:48] and you don’t understand that much more,

[26:50] but you at least know how to potty. [26:52] So we got that going for us, okay? [26:55] Some of you. [26:56] But the key is that you have to understand [26:59] that God designed us to grow in our knowledge, [27:02] to grow in our understanding,

[27:04] so that we can put the effort in [27:06] and so that we can wrestle with the text of scripture, [27:09] so that we can grow in our knowledge of him, [27:11] so that we can grow in our understanding of him. [27:13] It’s all a work of grace, but more than that, [27:15] it’s a work that’s always been that way.

[27:18] I think some of us look at Israel, [27:19] and we’re just like, man, Israel had a foot up on us. [27:21] God just made them understanding. [27:23] No, look at Nehemiah chapter eight. [27:26] In Nehemiah chapter eight, there was a revival [27:28] that broke out in Israel as they began to rebuild the walls

[27:31] because they read the law of God. [27:35] In verse eight, it says this. [27:36] It says they read from the book, [27:38] from the law of God, clearly, [27:41] and they gave the sense [27:44] so that the people understood the reading.

[27:46] In the original language there, [27:48] that phrase, clearly and they gave sense, [27:51] means that they didn’t just read it as some rote routine. [27:56] It wasn’t just some rote liturgy that they went through. [27:59] Rather, they read it, [28:02] and then they explained it to each other.

[28:04] They read the word of the law, [28:07] and then they sat down with one another and said, [28:09] here’s what this means. [28:11] You think we’re the first people to form community groups? [28:15] I fully believe that Israel had community groups. [28:18] I think texts like this show us that they would sit down,

[28:21] they would engage one another on the law of God. [28:24] They would engage one another in the book of Deuteronomy, [28:27] and they would interpret, they would seek to teach [28:31] not just what the specific words were, [28:34] but they engaged one another [28:36] on what the sense of those words were

[28:39] because it necessitated explanation. [28:42] The people sought to grow in their understanding [28:46] of the word of God. [28:49] And here’s the key with discipleship, [28:50] and here’s the key with what I truly believe [28:53] the design of discipleship is.

[28:55] You must grow the confidence that is needed [28:58] to sit down with one another and teach each other the Bible. [29:02] And right there’s where some of you, [29:04] I don’t know about all that. [29:07] I’ve never been to seminary, Steve. [29:09] I can’t do what you do.

[29:10] I’m not asking you to do what I do. [29:12] I don’t even know what I do half the time, okay? [29:14] Can’t even explain to you what it is I’m doing right now. [29:17] All right? [29:18] But what I wanna do, and this is something [29:19] that we’ve taught people for a long time,

[29:21] I wanna aid you in understanding [29:23] you don’t need to go to seminary to understand the Bible. [29:26] I wanna give you seven questions for reading the Bible. [29:32] Seven questions for Bible reading. [29:34] Now, the guys that developed this, [29:37] their names are Donnie Mathis and Matt Rogers,

[29:39] and Matt Rogers is a good brother. [29:40] The guys that designed this, they call it Seven Arrows [29:43] because they wanna, you know, pretty it up, all right? [29:46] I think creativity can get confusing, all right? [29:48] But what are these arrows? [29:50] It’s questions, all right?

[29:51] It’s questions, all it is is questions. [29:53] Seven questions for Bible reading. [29:55] And if you will learn to go through these questions [29:58] as you read the Bible, you can then use these questions [30:03] to sit down with others and very easily teach them [30:06] how to read the Bible.

[30:08] Question number one, what does this passage say? [30:12] What does this passage say? [30:13] And I can see it on some of your faces. [30:15] You’re looking at me saying, that’s the problem. [30:16] I don’t know. [30:18] I thought you were gonna teach me.

[30:19] If that doesn’t, I already had that question, Steve, all right? [30:23] You’re misunderstanding what I mean. [30:24] No, literally, what does it say? [30:26] This is common sense. [30:28] This is what you were taught in elementary school. [30:31] Are there nouns?

[30:32] Are there verbs? [30:34] Are there the dreaded adjectives and adverbs, all right? [30:38] What does the sentence actually say in the passage? [30:42] And you’re like, well, I can’t get down [30:43] to the Hebrew and Greek. [30:44] You don’t need to.

[30:45] Some smart guy in some room did [30:48] and he gave us an English translation and here’s the deal. [30:50] You can trust the ESV. [30:52] It’s close enough. [30:54] I have at least enough expertise to tell you that, all right? [30:57] You can trust the words and you need to look down

[31:00] and use basic reading comprehension to just say, [31:05] what does the text say? [31:06] And so let’s look at 2 Timothy 2 verses one and two [31:09] as our example. [31:10] In this text, we know that from chapter one, [31:13] if you’ve read it, he just told Timothy

[31:17] that he needs to dedicate himself [31:19] to what Paul had taught him. [31:21] He mentions that some people didn’t dedicate themselves [31:24] to it, so they abandoned Paul. [31:27] But a couple of other people have stayed with Paul [31:29] and that’s really good news.

[31:30] Then he mentions that Paul wants Timothy to personalize it. [31:35] You then is the exact phrase that he uses. [31:39] And so we know that Paul is telling Timothy [31:42] to do something. [31:43] This is about what Timothy needs to do, [31:46] but more than that, Paul wants to encourage him

[31:49] of where he can find the strength to actually do it. [31:53] The gospel of Jesus will strengthen Timothy [31:57] to do what he needs to do and what is that? [32:01] Disciple other people. [32:03] Pass what you’ve been taught on to other people. [32:06] You don’t need to be a theologian to get that.

[32:09] It’s just what it says in the text. [32:11] Not just anyone though. [32:14] Faithful men is the designation that he gives it. [32:16] So we know that there needs to be some commitment [32:20] that they have so Timothy will know [32:22] that they have a better chance of enduring.

[32:25] I didn’t interpret, I didn’t do anything [32:27] other than say what does the text say? [32:31] What does the passage say? [32:32] Second question, what did this passage mean [32:35] to its original audience? [32:37] What did this passage mean to its original audience?

[32:39] A key mistake that many people make in Bible study [32:45] is that they start with what does it mean to me. [32:48] You should never start with what it means to you [32:51] because you’re usually wrong.

[32:54] I’m just gonna put all my cards on the table, all right? [32:56] That’s a good way to get it really wrong [32:59] because I’ve got many, many people in this room [33:02] and if I just kind of surveyed 20 of you, [33:04] what does this text mean to you? [33:06] There’s a great chance I’m gonna get

[33:08] 20 different meanings. [33:10] Well how do I know which one of you are right? [33:12] And don’t go down that road like all of us. [33:16] No, there’s also a good chance 20 out of 20 [33:19] are completely wrong, okay? [33:21] All right, that’s just what you have to understand

[33:22] with truth. [33:24] I need to actually do a little bit of work [33:28] at finding out what did this text mean [33:31] to the original audience because that is the authority [33:35] above what it means to me. [33:38] And that’s why Bible study tools are immensely helpful

[33:41] and the good news is is that even from like 10 years ago, [33:45] the wealth of information about the Bible [33:48] and the wealth of Bible study tools that are available [33:52] is far beyond anything we’ve ever had [33:54] in the history of the church. [33:55] But most of us aren’t tapping into it.

[33:57] We can very quickly get Bible study tools [34:02] to learn what the text meant to the original audience. [34:04] But I’ll tell you, start, the easiest place, [34:07] get a study Bible. [34:08] Get a study Bible. [34:09] If you just came to faith in Jesus Christ,

[34:12] the first piece of advice I have for you [34:14] is get a study Bible and read that study Bible. [34:17] I specifically recommend the ESV study Bible. [34:19] All right, I got the first edition of it. [34:21] I had a pre-order in like six months before it came out [34:24] and then when it showed up,

[34:26] I was shocked because it weighed 76 pounds. [34:28] All right, it was like a brick [34:30] that I could put as a cornerstone [34:32] of a foundation for a house. [34:34] All right, that’s how stout the ESV study Bible is. [34:37] But it has so many helpful introductions,

[34:40] so many helpful Bible study tools [34:43] and references throughout that it serves [34:46] as a great way for me to easily know [34:50] what the original audience was, [34:52] who the original audience was, [34:53] and I can glean the background information

[34:55] for almost every text of scripture. [34:58] But this is about more than that. [35:00] It’s not just about finding a bunch of facts. [35:03] This is about putting yourself in the shoes [35:05] of the original audience. [35:07] Imagine as you’re reading the scripture

[35:09] that you are the people or person [35:11] that received this letter or book. [35:14] What would it have been like to be the people [35:17] that are referenced in this passage? [35:19] What would it have been like to be Timothy [35:21] reading through this letter for the first time?

[35:24] What would it have been like to be one of those faithful men [35:28] that Timothy chose to invest in? [35:31] What would it have been like to be the apostle Paul [35:33] at the twilight of his life seeking desperately [35:36] to pass his legacy of discipleship [35:38] onto more and more people?

[35:40] Some passages, let’s just be fully honest, [35:43] are more difficult than this one is. [35:46] But this passage, the bridge between us [35:49] and the original audience, really isn’t that far. [35:52] An interesting thing, and I will say, [35:53] if you wanna kinda just see an example of this,

[35:55] an interesting thing to notice is the phrase, [35:58] what you have heard from me. [36:01] That’s an interesting and important phrase in this text. [36:03] How can we know what Timothy may have heard? [36:06] That’s important by reading the other letters of Paul [36:10] in the New Testament, by reading Paul’s sermons in Acts.

[36:14] Here’s the deal, if you read the book of Acts, [36:16] Timothy followed Paul and he heard many of his sermons. [36:20] More than that, Timothy at this point was in Ephesus. [36:26] He was pastoring the church at Ephesus. [36:29] Paul wrote an entire letter to the church at Ephesus. [36:33] It’s the book of Ephesians.

[36:35] And so if you wanna know what would Paul, [36:37] have wanted to pass on to those men, [36:40] read the book of Ephesians. [36:41] That’s the clear ground zero [36:44] of what Paul was teaching at that point. [36:46] So you get the idea.

[36:48] All of scripture is helpful in understanding [36:51] a part of scripture. [36:53] Next question, what does this passage tell us about God? [36:56] What does this passage tell us about God? [36:59] You might be frustrated, I didn’t get to you yet, did I? [37:03] No, did you know that you’re not

[37:04] the main character of the Bible? [37:06] You’re not, no, God is the main character of the Bible. [37:10] It’s not primarily about us. [37:13] And so many of you, you go to the Bible and you’re like, [37:15] I think I’m an Esther.

[37:18] Oh boy, all right, oh boy. [37:21] I’m kinda, you know, I’ve kinda got a lot of machismo in me [37:24] so I wanna be Samson. [37:26] So I tell him, well, I can’t cut my hair, honey. [37:27] That’s how I apply the Bible. [37:28] That’s what it means to me, all right?

[37:30] You know how dumb that would be [37:32] if I thought something like that. [37:33] No, don’t start with you, start with God. [37:36] The Bible is the narrative of God’s moves [37:39] throughout history. [37:40] We have to start with God so that we can learn

[37:43] to see God in every passage of scripture. [37:47] This passage then in 2 Timothy reminds us [37:50] that God has a mission for us. [37:52] It tells us that God has the strength [37:55] that is offered through the gospel. [37:57] It speaks of the great grace

[38:00] that God uses his strength to accomplish. [38:02] But put those two together. [38:03] This text tells us two attributes of God very quickly, [38:07] that God is gracious and God is powerful. [38:10] And he combines his grace, he combines his power [38:14] to complete the mission of the gospel.

[38:17] We can go beyond that. [38:18] This text also tells us that God is loving. [38:21] We know he’s loving because he provides his strength. [38:25] God then also through this text, [38:27] we see that he is committed to his mission. [38:30] He’s not looking for a new mission

[38:31] for Timothy to be a part of. [38:33] He wants Timothy to plan towards his mission, [38:37] not another one, and he has designed a gospel mission [38:41] to endure through the ages in a pattern of discipleship. [38:45] What a wonderful way that we can in just two verses [38:49] learn so much about God.

[38:53] Next question, what does this passage tell us about man? [38:57] What does this passage tell us about, [38:58] first, humanity as a whole, [39:01] secondly, me as part of it? [39:04] Don’t start with just you, [39:06] start with what the passage tells you

[39:07] about people in general. [39:09] How do I see people in this text? [39:12] The Bible is God’s revelation of himself to man, [39:14] and because of that, we know that there is something [39:17] that God wants to tell us through the Bible. [39:19] From sin to redemption to the mission of discipleship

[39:22] to future glory, the Bible tells us so much about ourselves, [39:27] and it also tells us so much about each other. [39:30] We must then look at the Bible to see what God wants to do [39:34] and can do through people. [39:36] First and second Timothy two, we see that there’s always [39:40] low hanging fruit in the Bible.

[39:42] When I was in Sunday school, I was a very young boy, [39:44] I learned that if I just raised my hand to any question [39:47] and said Jesus, I was at least gonna see [39:50] a 60% success rate, all right? [39:52] And so I was that guy, as soon as there was a question asked, [39:55] raised my hand, Jesus.

[39:56] If I was wrong, which was about 40% of the time, [39:58] I just went back to the drawing board. [40:00] But start with the low hanging fruit. [40:03] Don’t try to get super theological [40:05] and Trinitarian all over everything, all right? [40:08] Look for the low hanging fruit.

[40:09] So what does this text teach us about people? [40:12] Well first, it teaches us that God is for us [40:14] and not against us. [40:16] God loves people, that’s why he wants to give us grace. [40:19] God loves people, that’s why he wants us [40:21] to be strengthened by his grace.

[40:22] God loves people, that’s why he wants to have a mission [40:26] for the gospel and that’s why he wants it to be passed on [40:29] to other people, but it goes beyond those things. [40:31] It teaches us that the gospel is about more than forgiveness. [40:35] The gospel is about the spirit of God empowering sinners [40:40] to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to others

[40:43] and to teach others how to live lives of obedience to God. [40:48] But it also teaches us that discipleship is about potential. [40:53] That Paul is looking to Timothy [40:54] through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit [40:55] and says there are faithful men in your church [40:58] that have disciple-making potential.

[41:02] Find them and teach them. [41:04] Next question, what does this passage demand of me? [41:08] What does this passage demand of me? [41:10] We’ve seen the wonder of who God is, [41:12] we’ve seen the glory of what God wants to do through man, [41:16] but then I always have to understand

[41:18] that I must have a proper view of God [41:20] and a proper view of myself to see what God is calling [41:23] to actually respond with in his word. [41:27] God wants to shape how I think [41:30] and he also wants to shape how I feel [41:33] along with the actions that I take.

[41:36] So don’t just limit this to action. [41:39] You have to understand that transformation [41:40] through the power of the Holy Spirit starts from the inside. [41:43] And so some of us are called by God into lives [41:47] that demand action. [41:50] Moving away from something,

[41:52] others of us are gonna have to move towards something. [41:55] And you have to look to the Bible [41:56] to see which group you’re in at that point in time. [42:01] More than that, 2 Timothy 1 through 2 [42:03] demands obedience, but don’t just say, [42:06] I need to be obedient, I need to obey.

[42:08] Well, what kind of obedience is it calling you towards? [42:11] And I wanna look at those three areas, think, feel, act. [42:14] How’s this text calling me to think? [42:16] Well, I need to think about my life [42:18] according to God’s strength rather than my own. [42:21] I need to think of myself, am I like Paul?

[42:25] Am I like Timothy? [42:26] Am I like the faithful men? [42:27] And what I mean by that is some of us need to read [42:30] this text and we’re at a place of maturity in our faith [42:32] and we need to start being coaches like Paul. [42:35] We need to start thinking about the legacy

[42:37] that we’re leaving and we need to train others [42:40] how to train others. [42:41] Some of us need to be like Timothy. [42:43] We’re at a place in life where we’re growing in our faith [42:45] and we need to kind of take the responsibility [42:48] to start teaching other people about the word of God

[42:51] and teaching people the word of God, [42:53] but others of us, let’s just be honest. [42:55] We’re like the faithful men. [42:57] Say, we need someone to teach us. [42:59] We need someone to guide us [43:01] and I need to think about myself like that.

[43:04] All of us should be in one of those three categories. [43:08] Feel, how does this text demand my feelings? [43:11] Well, first, how do I feel about discipleship? [43:14] I mean, you need to be honest with yourself about that. [43:16] What are my affections where the strength [43:20] for the mission ahead is?

[43:21] Do I want to see what God can do through me? [43:27] Or am I satisfied with just living a mundane life [43:30] where God doesn’t do anything through me? [43:32] You need to be honest with yourself [43:34] because this text is confronting you with that fact. [43:37] Some of you need to admit

[43:39] that you don’t feel like obeying God. [43:42] You don’t feel like living his mission. [43:46] And here’s the deal. [43:47] That’s not a condemning sentence. [43:49] That’s a foundation to grow from [43:51] because then you gotta ask yourself,

[43:53] why don’t I feel like obeying Jesus in this category? [43:58] Action, it’s very simple. [44:00] Once you get the thought process, [44:02] once you get the feeling, the action is simple. [44:04] I need to move forward in mission. [44:06] I either need to be taught or I need to teach,

[44:09] but I gotta get at one of those two things. [44:11] Next question, how does this passage change [44:14] the way I relate to people? [44:16] How does this passage change the way I relate to people? [44:19] Bible isn’t just about me. [44:21] The Bible’s about other people.

[44:23] The Bible shapes my human relationships. [44:27] And the problem with many of our human relationships [44:29] is that the Bible isn’t shaping our human relationships. [44:33] All right, we need to understand that the Bible changes [44:35] how I relate to people that don’t believe in Jesus. [44:37] But more than that, the Bible changes

[44:39] how I relate to people that do believe in Jesus. [44:42] The Bible changes how I relate to everyone. [44:44] This series has specifically been about multiplication, [44:48] and that’s why I chose this passage, [44:50] because it’s about multiplication. [44:52] How does this passage engage the way that I see other people?

[44:54] I need to start seeing everyone [44:56] through the lens of discipleship. [44:58] I need to stop relating to people in ways [45:01] that don’t engage them in the discipleship process. [45:05] I need to engage everyone like they have the potential [45:08] of growing in their discipleship where Jesus is concerned.

[45:12] Timothy needed to see those faithful men as disciples. [45:18] All right, and the final question, [45:20] what does this passage prompt me to pray about? [45:24] What does this passage prompt me to pray about? [45:27] The Bible is legitimately a prayer manual. [45:33] Your prayers will be so effective

[45:36] if you will connect the scriptures with your prayers. [45:40] Some of you struggle in your prayer, [45:42] and some of you don’t know how to have anything [45:44] but selfish gimme gimme gimme prayers, [45:46] because you are not realizing that prayer [45:48] is not a conversation that I start with God.

[45:51] Prayer is a conversation that God has already started. [45:55] I view my Bible reading as the beginning of a prayer, [46:00] because I first need to have the humility [46:03] to receive word from God [46:06] before I can ever have anything to respond to. [46:09] Prayer is not a conversation that I start.

[46:12] Prayer is a conversation that God has started with me [46:16] through his word. [46:18] Look at this text. [46:19] What is God telling me to pray about in this text? [46:23] Well, it says, like Jesus said, [46:24] the harvest is plenteous, but the laborers are few.

[46:27] Second Timothy two engages my prayer life [46:30] because it focuses me in on the fact [46:32] that I should pray to God first for his strength [46:35] to pursue his mission. [46:37] But then I must pray for disciples. [46:40] I must pray for disciple makers.

[46:43] None of this is going to happen without intentionality. [46:45] Timothy had to seek those faithful men. [46:49] He had to always be on the lookout [46:51] for who God wanted him to invest in. [46:53] Prayer is the vital tool for beginning discipleship [46:57] as well as making disciples.

[46:59] Some of you, you’re like, I need somebody to disciple me, [47:02] but no one is asking. [47:04] Well, are you praying for somebody? [47:06] Are you going to God saying, God, send someone into my life [47:09] so that I can be made into a disciple? [47:11] That’s a huge step.

[47:13] But then secondly, some of you, [47:14] man, you could so make so many disciples, [47:18] but you’re like, nobody’s asking me to disciple them. [47:21] Are you praying for people? [47:24] Are you praying saying, God, put people in my path [47:27] that I can disciple?

[47:30] Nothing of eternal significance [47:32] is ever accomplished apart from prayer. [47:34] Prayer is the hammer that drives the nail of God’s will. [47:41] Those are the seven questions, friends. [47:43] God has given every Christian an amazing opportunity [47:47] to follow Jesus and to invest in others

[47:50] so that they may continue the legacy [47:53] of the Church of Jesus Christ. [47:55] With Bibles in hand, let’s get at it. [47:58] Every Sunday, we reflect on the word of God [48:01] through what’s called the Lord’s Supper. [48:02] And the seat back in front of you

[48:04] or sitting right beside you should be a communion packet. [48:08] And the top of that packet should be a piece of bread. [48:11] That bread represents the broken body of Christ. [48:14] The cup represents his shed blood. [48:17] Now, listen carefully. [48:19] When you eat and when you drink,

[48:21] you are proclaiming to everyone in this room, [48:24] I am a follower of Jesus Christ. [48:27] Well, friend, if you’re not a follower of Jesus Christ, [48:29] I’m gonna ask you to abstain, [48:31] but I also want you to understand [48:33] that today could be the day of salvation for you.

[48:36] If you will realize that you’ve sinned against a holy God [48:39] and you will believe that he loved you [48:42] to the extent that he sent his very son [48:45] to die on the cross to pay the penalty for your sin [48:49] and that he rose from the dead to give you a new life, [48:53] to live in light of that forgiveness,

[48:56] he’ll save you right here and right now. [48:59] If by faith you’ll just call out to him [49:00] right there in your seat, Jesus, I believe you. [49:03] Please save me from my sin. [49:05] Jesus, I believe you. [49:07] Please save me from my sin.

[49:09] That is the beginning of a much longer conversation [49:12] with God that’s gonna go for the rest of your life, [49:14] but if you will pray it by faith, [49:16] friend, the scriptures tell us, [49:17] he’ll save you right here, he’ll save you right now, [49:20] and he’ll save you forever.

[49:22] If you are a follower of Jesus, eat, drink, [49:24] proclaim your faith.