Preach the Word
2 Timothy 4:1-8
1) When Others Turn Away
2) Until Our Final Departure
How likely are you to give up something when you face hardship? It depends on how important it is. Back when eggs were super expensive, you probably gave up your preferred brand for the cheaper because it wasn’t important enough to pay the financial hardship. If your vehicle is soon heading to the junkyard, you will probably give up the hardship of recommended repairs and routine maintenance because it won’t change a thing. But if what you’re doing is important to you, then you’ll weather the hardships. Parents do not enjoy parenting. But they endure the hardship of loving discipline and patience because of how important it is to raise their children to be God’s children. If you have a job you cannot stand, you likely endure the hardships because the paycheck you get is important enough. Simply put, if it’s important, then you’ll weather the hardships that come.
The Apostle Paul used the same logic in our verses this morning from 2 Timothy chapter 4. He solemnly charges the young pastor Timothy to preach the word and bear the hardships that come with it. While Timothy would feel those hardships when his listeners turned away from him, he was to not to give up preaching the word because of how important and comforting this message is. To further encourage Timothy, Paul offers himself as an example of a Christian who has preached he word until his final departure. While Paul’s had his share of hardships to endure, he confidently looks forward to the joys about to come. As we consider our place within God’s holy ministry, may we also take Paul’s words to heart: preach the word, even when others turn away, until our final departure.
When Others Turn Away
Paul gives many commands to Timothy. The over-arching one is preaching the word. To explain what that entails, Paul gives a number of follow-up commands. “Be ready whether it is convenient or not” that is, be on call at all times. “Correct, rebuke, and encourage with all patience and teaching” means to lovingly expose our sins and need for a Savior but then to heal with the Savior’s soothing forgiveness. “Keep a clear head” is to be sober-minded, not overcome by anything. “Bear hardship” signals that it ain’t gonna be easy. Just look at today’s Gospel where Jesus told the Twelve what to expect when they went out in his name. “Do the work of an evangelist” shows that Timothy would be preaching the word to people who didn’t believe it or necessarily want to hear it. “Fulfill your ministry” is to leave no stone unturned as you serve in God’s holy ministry.
Paul also warns Timothy of future hardships, when people who once listened would turn away. Some would turn away to a self-accumulation of yes-man teachers telling them what their itching ears wanted to hear. Have you ever had that itch that constantly distracts you until you finally scratch it? That’s what some of Timothy’s listeners would have. But what they were itching to hear wasn’t “What do I need to hear?” but rather “What do I want to hear to appease my sinful desires?” Others would turn away from the truth that Timothy preached to myths. While we don't know the exact content, we are certain they were fanciful tales that had no lasting truth. When Timothy would see his formers listeners, he would undoubtedly question himself. “Should I preach the word when people don’t want to hear it or have instead chosen myths? Should I stop preaching the word before I accidently contribute to someone’s eternal condemnation?”
We ask ourselves the same questions when we see people turn away from our preaching of the word. As we’ve heard in our worship series, every Christian has a part in God’s holy ministry and is called to preach the word: as a pastor, as a parent, as a friend, and many more examples. When have you seen people turn away from your preaching? Perhaps they wanted to scratch their itching with what they wanted to hear rather than what they needed to hear: how we sinners are forgiven by Jesus. Maybe they’ve turned away to a modern-day myth: other religions, untamed science, self-enlightenment, or anything else that denies Jesus Christ as our sole Savior and Lord. When we see these things, we ask ourselves as would Timothy, “should I stop preaching the word? Is it worth all the hardships?”
Remember our earlier conclusion: if something is important, then you’ll weather the necessary hardships. Preaching the word is one of those important things. For it is unique, unparalleled, and certain. You won’t find the message of Jesus who lived, died, and rose for your forgiveness, life, and salvation anywhere else! This word is not a mere help so you can be a better person, but the means by which you learn of and receive the full measure of God’s blessings for you. Because it comes from God himself, you know that everything it says is the truth for you to know, believe, and depend. There’s nothing like this word we get to preach to others!
That doesn’t mean it’ll be easy though. People will turn away from us when we preach the word. Yet, we can’t let that stop us because this word is too important. It’s too unique, unparalleled, and certain to be kept quiet or under wraps. It’s too wonderful not to share. That’s why we preach the word even when others turn away. And we do so until our final departure.
Until Our Final Departure
So far, Paul has told young Timothy what to do and expect as he enters the public ministry. Now he offers himself as an example of one who’s preached the word despite all hardships as an encouragement to the next generation. Paul expects to soon depart from this
world through the sweet sleep of death where he compares himself to a drink offering and runner finishing a race. The drink offering was part of the Old Testament sacrifices where you pour anywhere from a quart to a half-gallon of wine over select animal sacrifices. As Paul’s life ebbed away, he felt like the dregs of a drink offering slowly poured out in service to God. The race that Paul is talking about isn’t a sprint or a short-distance competition, but akin to an ultramarathon where success is measured in simply finishing it. Paul has lived a life filled with hardships that would have broken most people’s faith. Yet he’s about completed the race that has spanned his entire life.
As Paul looks back at his life, he says two things: 1) “I have kept the faith” and 2) “there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness. The Lord, the righteous Judge, will give it to me.” Paul had preached this faith that comes through the word since becoming a Christian. He also believed what he had preached. Because of his faith, Paul now looked forward to the crown of righteousness that was reserved for him and going to be hand-delivered to him by the Lord, the righteous Judge. No longer would he have to cover himself with Christ’s righteousness. Paul could be righteous himself. And soon, Paul would enjoy heaven and all its glories for all eternity.
If we knew we were on the brink of our final departure, would we be as calm as Paul? Looking back on a faithful track record of preaching the word and certain of what will soon be ours? Maybe not, especially if we had felt as spent and strung-out as an Old Testament drink offering or ultramarathoner. When we’re at our wits’ end, don’t you just want to rest and relax? Couldn’t we take an extended vacation from preaching the word as God has called us to do?
Now look the other way, to what comes after you finally depart. Would you be certain of what to expect? We may now because of what the Bible tells us, but what if we stop listening to it? This past week in Vacation Bible School, we time traveled to places like Jerusalem, Jericho, and Athens where we learned about what had happened there. If you think of those places today, they’re not strongholds of Christianity any more. Why is that? Because they largely turned away from the word that was preached there. As a person turns away from God’s Word, so they turn away from the truth of what will happen on the other side.
We may not be as calm as Paul on the brink of our final departure. But we know how to be: by looking to the word that we ourselves preach, whose message is all about Jesus Christ. He lived, died, and rose for us so that we could be children of God, heirs of heaven, and wiped clean of all our wrongs. As we preach this word, we take it to heart. Our appreciation is renewed of what Jesus has done for us. Our attitude is fine-tuned so we cannot help but want to share this good news with all. Our strung-out and spent spirits are refreshed with Jesus’ presence and power for us.
