Daily Reading March 11 2010 from 2 Timothy 4:1-8 NIV

Day 60

2 Tim 4:1-8 NIV
1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage–with great patience and careful instruction.3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. 6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure.7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day–and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Preach the Word, desire the Word!
Today we have an interesting section of scripture as Paul writes some of his final instruction to Timothy. Paul charges Timothy to preach the word and then goes on to say that a time will come when men will not desire to hear the truth of God's Word but will gather under those willing to compromise the gospel and preach what the audience wants to hear. This passage then becomes a command to both preacher and listener; preach the word and desire to hear God's Word. We know that it is the truth of God's Word that will make us free so then the distorting of that Word must bring about bondage. He says that teachers who compromise will amass large audiences who have turned aside from the truth.

Paul then gives Timothy some advice:

1. "keep your head in all situations"
2. "endure hardship"
3. "do the work of an evangelist"
4. "discharge all the duties of your ministry"

We can draw some conclusions from this advice. Timothy is going to be tested, he is going to face hardships as he stays true to the truth, he will need to be a ready evangelist to save some, and he will need to continue diligently completing all the duties of ministry in spite of the hardships and tests he will endure.

Paul's Good Fight of Faith -
Paul closes the section making Timothy aware of the struggles he had endured. "I have fought the good fight", I am being poured out like a drink offering", "the time has come for my departure". Paul is beginning his goodbye to his son in the faith and leaving behind a reminder of what is required of a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul continue to remind Timothy to stay on task and be prepared for the opposition he will surely face. Paul concludes with the promise; "there is in store for me a crown of righteousness" he says the Lord "will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing." Keep fighting Timothy, believers of every generation because once this life is over there is an award waiting greater than we can anticipate or imagine.

If you're a teacher/preacher are you preaching the Word?
Believer are you still desirous of the whole truth of God's Word?
Are you on task?
Are you fighting the good fight of faith?

Blessings,

Pastor Larry