August 1, 2004, Sunday Morning

"Diligent to be Ready"
In serving God, you justify your faith and prepare yourself for Judgment Day


OPENING: 2 Timothy 2:14-18 (key v.15)


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INTRO: The great struggle in life is to understand the Word of God well enough that we can translate it into godly living in the midst of a very difficult world in which we live. Consider Nehemiah: He was raised in the Persian culture, far from home, in an environment not friendly to the things of God. This man developed a passion for and served God his whole life. He withstood unfamiliarity of the culture, the old power structures of Jerusalem ("city hall") and worked faithfully to accomplish great things. The reason for his success was that he had an accurate handle on the truths of God and God blessed him for it.

TIMOTHY (LIKE US) NEEDS TO WEIGH CAREFULLY THE CORRECT PRIORITIES IN LIFE

• Timothy was guided by his teacher, Paul, just as we--the congregation--are guided by a pastor
  
  
• 2 Corinthians 6:2: The decision to serve Christ cannot be drawn out or postponed until later because you cannot guarantee there will be tomorrow; the Bible says, "make your decision today to be saved!"
  
  
• Being saved is just the beginning; now you (as Timothy did) consider how to live your life
  
  
  • Be diligent in serving God (quickly, eagerly)
  • To love and help others (the second most important commandment)
  • To be "perfect" in your daily walk with God by forsaking evil and its pleasures, always
  
  
• There are no shortcuts to success in life; you must have diligence and put forth a constant, careful effort
  
  
  • Mark 12:30: Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind (the first great commandment)
    
    
  • Mark 12:31: Love your neighbor as you love yourself (the second great commandment)
    
    
    • (And by following these first two, you--in effect--follow all of God's commandments)
    
    
  • With haste: what are you waiting for? You can get started later but soon later becomes too late
    
    
  • Eagerness: you do the job passionately--not out of a sense of duty or consequence
  
  
• The battle is against being a sluggard; for the heart is lazy
  
  
  • Proverbs 13:4: Soul of the lazy wants but gets nothing while the working man has more than he needs
    
    
  • Proverbs 19:15: The lazy shall go hungry
    
    
  • Proverbs 21:25: And the lazy shall--as the Bible says--kill himself prematurely
  
  
• 2 Timothy 4:7: And there is no greater personal satisfaction in life than to honestly say that you fought and held on to your beliefs/faith to your final day
  
  
• APPLICATION:
  
  
  • What effort are you making in your life today to walk with the Lord Jesus Christ?
    
    
  • What is winning in your life: diligence or laziness?

FIRST QUESTION: "WHY DO WE HAVE TO BE DILIGENT?"

• Because it's our personal responsibility to be accountable for our behavior in life
  
  
  • Matthew 12:36: Contrary to the belief of some people today, there is coming a day where you'll have to answer to God for "every idle word" you have said in your life
    
    
  • 2 Timothy 2:15: Moreover, study the Bible to show yourself approved to God
  
  
• 2 Corinthians 5:10: Because one day, we will all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ; to be recompensed for all we have done in life, both good and bad
  
  
  • There will be no one around you to support you; you will be all alone, in front of God
    
    
    • If you are saved, you will be found not guilty--no matter how many bad things you've done
      
      
    • Revelation 20:11-15: If you are not saved, you'll stand before the White Throne, to be judged to spent forever in hell; a place of complete separation from God
    
    
  • You will be judged not against the laws of man in this world but against the commandments of the Bible
  
  
• God shows no partiality; no one in this world is better or worse than another; you are either saved or lost (spiritually speaking)

SECOND QUESTION: "WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO?"

• 2 Timothy 2:15: Paul tells Timothy to work without being ashamed
  
  
  • In other words, don't be ashamed of speaking for God to this world, as many are
    
    
    • Matthew 10:33: Jesus says that if you deny or be ashamed of Him, He will do the same to you before God, the Father
  
  
• Best way to avoid shame: be a laborer for God
  
  
  • James 2:17: Faith (i.e., believing and speaking with your MOUTH that God exists) is not enough; it must be followed by work (i.e., believing in your HEART and praying for God to save your soul) to prove that faith
    
    
    • Consider that even Satan believes God exists; that doesn't mean he'll be in Heaven with the saved
      
      
    • Do not be confused by the difference between faith and works, in terms of getting to Heaven
      
      
      • Isaiah 64:6: All the works we do in this world (i.e., helping others, perfectly obeying the law) is not enough to get you to Heaven; YOU CANNOT EARN YOUR WAY TO HEAVEN
        
        
      • Saying you believe in Christ and what he did for you, without ever changing your life to reflect that (i.e., praying, renouncing your sinful past), is a faith that's dead
        
        
      • James 2:23: EXAMPLE: Abraham believed in God (faith) but it wasn't until he passed God's test (told to sacrifice his only son Isaac--Genesis 22:2-13) that his work perfected/justified his faith
    
    
  • James 2:22: Doing good works is required to prove your faith--not to "earn" your way to Heaven
    
    
    • Works are a demonstration is what you believe to be true
      
      
    • James 1:22: Working--not talking--is the key to there being no shame
  
  
• What works are you to do?
  
  
  • 2 Timothy 1:8: Do not be ashamed (i.e., publicly denounce) Jesus Christ or those who follow Him
    
    
  • 2 Timothy 2:1: Be strong in the faith of Christ (i.e., keeping the sin of the world out; the words of the Bible in you)
    
    
    • We are not controlled by situations or by others
    • We are to be controlled by the Spirit of God
    
    
  • SPECIFIC WORKS:
    
    
    • Stand for truth
    • Faithfully execute your responsibilities (church, family, work, community)
    • Treat others with patience/love/kindness
    • Get rid of bitterness/anger
    • Leave vengeance to God (Romans 12:19)
  
  
• The key to your faith and works will be God's tests
  
  
  • The testing of your faith proves your endurance and your true character
    
    
  • Hebrews 11: Known as the Bible's chapter of faith, this chapter summarizes the outcome of all of those who passed God's test of faith

BASIS FOR BEING READY FOR JUDGMENT IS TO HAVE CORRECT GRASPS ON TRUTHS OF GOD'S WORD

• Paul tells Timothy to handle God's Word correctly
  
  
  • James 1:18: First, appreciate that God found us worthy enough to give us His Word (Bible)
    
    
  • 2 Timothy 2:15: Second, study the Word to show yourself approved to God
    
    
    • We study not to be better/smarter than others but to correct impart and explain God's Word to others
      
      
      • 1 Corinthians 8:1: The Bible warns: don't let too much knowledge give you a superiority ego over others
    
    
  • To "handle correctly" means you have taken the time to learn to use something correctly--after much practice and careful learning
    
    
    • In today's world of instant service/satisfaction, we must not lose sight that some things require much time (i.e., a simple magician's card trick can require eight hours of practice before getting that first trick right!)
  
  
• Ephesians 6:13-17: God's Word is considered the "sword of the Spirit" in the "armour of God," which we are to wear

CLOSER

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Following Christ is simple--not complicated

• You don't perform a sequence of complicated actions; you repeatedly do simple/base things (i.e., prayer, reading the Bible)

Just as complacency leads to forgetting how to do tasks, the same applies to your relationship with God

The power we, the saved, have in this world is the Word of God; May we accurately and carefully explain it to others, in the hopes if their salvation

Let this world remember you as someone who loved, helped and didn't see faults in others--not as a stoic Biblical scholar (which unsaved, evil people can be, too)