Completed and Equipped by His Word

If you would open your Bibles. The second letter to Timothy chapter 3 Eric's glam corrected me that in provide the text for the title.

So tonight we will be using the text from second Timothy Timothy three verses 16 and 17 and tonight's title is completed in court, equipped by his word. Here the word of God. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. Let's pray father we come to you tonight and Lord, we do praise you in the songs that we just sang we have declared the truths of Scripture of your work and how you do that work that on the cross you've taken our sin that we can trust in the one who is done the work we know whom we have believed, and he is able father. Those are true is that you drive home from your word.

And tonight, as we look at your word.

I just pray that the Holy Spirit teaches us the truth that we can rest in your word and your word alone for all that we need Lord God. May you be honored by what said here tonight but may your word be effective to our hearts and building us in Christ. And it's in Jesus name we pray. Amen. You may be seated. The text for tonight most likely is a pretty well-known portion of Scripture for many of you here, at least, verse 16.

A lot of people don't carry on through verse 17, but we are in a section where Paul is writing to Timothy, his his student in the ministry and he is continuing to teach him when I spoke on Father's Day week we spoke on second Timothy two where Paul instructed Timothy to remember Jesus Christ. Tonight we move over and that is of further instruction of that same teaching.

In a sense that we find in 16 and 17, Paul is teaching Timothy where he is to be founded because right prior to the text that we read up in verses one through five and then right after. In chapter 4 versus three for through five.

There are warnings giving given the Timothy of what society is going to be like and what even the church may be like when he Zenit and 16 and 17 are instruction on truth that is going to hold Timothy fast in his ministry. Now it is an instruction to Timothy as one coming under teaching to become a pastor and evangelist, but it is also given. It given to us tonight because we take the word of God out to those around us and our families, our friends are communities.

So this is a word for us also. As we look at it. I'm going to use those two bookends were warnings to push us to where Paul is leaving Timothy with what he's teaching in 16 and 17. So if you have your Bibles open still at second Timothy I want you to look up starting at the beginning of chapter 3, and Paul tells Timothy this morning. But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty for people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud and arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, on a peaceable, 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 its power. Avoid such people. So we see in this first morning is a warning to what the society or the culture or man outside of Christ outside of the church looks like and as you walk through that progression. I would argue that we see that very much today don't we. I at work sometimes go on to the business social media called LinkedIn because I get notices that I have to clear out. I don't go on a regular basis, but the other day I wanted to clear out some notices and there was a posting by someone that that has a connection with me and it was a sign that they posted from inside a parking garage and it said this.

Don't feel guilty for doing what is best for you. I read that sign and I thought to myself how counter to Scripture, that statement is, but how much that statement. Even as a believer appeals to me when I sit and realize how sin still crouches at me and how easily it is for me to become enveloped in myself. And when a culture is putting forth a message that says don't feel guilty for doing what is best for you. I mean to sit and realize Wendy and I are going to celebrate our 33rd wedding anniversary this week but in that first 10 years.

It was some of the hardest times in both of our lives because and I can't speak for her side have done this in Sunday school that basically tended to be my motto though I was a believer, though we were going to church together.

I did not look at my wife the way the Bible called me to look at my wife and I look selfishly at what she could provide for me what the relationship could be for me and even now 33 years later not going to God in prayer not being founded in Scripture, it can easily switch in my mind in my own mind. Don't feel guilty for doing what's best for you. J the Bible is so different than what it is teaching us. It is so different and what the Holy Spirit is driving us to and so when we see Timothy were Paul warning Timothy about the culture we have to realize how much the culture pushes it on us and you know at times does that enter into the church. Well, the second warning sorta ties that in because of the second warning if you turn over to chapter 4 Paul is going to tell Timothy after verses 16 and 17 that he charges him to preach the word and he says excuse me, starting in verse three of chapter 4 for the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching. I take that warning to be.

You are going to be pastoring or preaching a church and there is going to come a time Timothy when the people aren't going to like the message of the gospel the message of Christ. The message of God.

They don't want to endure the truth.

Instead, they are going to want a teaching that is itching but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober minded endure suffering through the work of an evangelist and fulfill your ministry. So between these two warnings Paul telling Timothy this is culture and society in man outside of Christ and the sin and how it envelops its ugliness in that realm but also within the church. Timothy, there are going to be ones that don't want to hear the true teaching of Scripture.

And they're going to long for a teacher who will speak to them.

A gospel of their own idle their own God so that they can feel right and justified in themselves. It's within that context that sandwiched in their is our text for tonight. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. Paul is giving Timothy the place that he is anchored in that place that he is anchored is in the word of God Alastair Baig talking about sin in general. But within the church shared this. He said there is an old joke that went around it goes in the beginning God made man in his own image, and since the fall, man has been seeking to return the compliment. There is a lot of truth in that old joke that we are trying to fashion God into what we want God to be, but I will take you back to what we started with tonight in that time of hymns we sang. We love to tell the story and then we went we sang. I know whom I believe it and he is able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day and then we sang the great verse from it is well with my soul, my sin know the bliss of this glorious thought my sin not in part but the whole is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul. Why can we sing that with confidence tonight. Why can we sing the gospel with confidence and it is because of what Paul is telling us is the truth that all Scripture is breathed out by God tonight. What I'd like us to do is meditate on two simple points. Paul teaches a lot of things in these verses. He teaches that there is only one truth that can bring man life that that truth is the word of God. He's teaching that we must reapply upon it. The complete and equip us. But what I would like us to focus on are two simple things because they get lost in our culture they get lost in some of our churches, especially our mainline churches and they are these simple points all of God's word is God's word and number two all of God's word is required to complete and equip us to look at the first point.

Very simply.

Verse 16 says it this way and I love the ESV all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that all Scripture is breathed out. If you look at the King James version, you will see our new King James.

One of the two. I think it's King James that all Scripture is inspired by God and there becomes a theological debate on what that term inspired means doesn't mean that God put into men's mind that they should write good things about God and the in a book and presented but when you look at the Greek and being a respiratory therapist. It brings great joy to look at the word used because it is the op new stuff. It is exhaled out. I was telling Wendy. We had the privilege of worshiping with Northcross and so everyone asked me what I do for a living Cinema respiratory therapist and I said one of the things when I chose respiratory therapy. My very first textbook when I opened it up. I believe it was by Dr. Egan. It was the verse that said, and God breathed into the nostrils the breath of life into man and there was a text underneath it.

That said, the first recorded respiratory therapist is a chuckle, but there is a truth of their there is something about the breathing out of God that is important when we look at this. The very first thing that all Scripture is breathed out by God.

It is not a merely that a human was inspired to do something great to write something good and then pennant and give it to the church and hopefully some truth will be in it actually it is God's dictation he is breathing out the words that the prophets and the scribes and the holy men of old record he does it in order and over in an organic way. He does not rob the author of their writing style of their language ability of the way they relate but he gives them the very word to speak or to put down for the church or his people to have now, the claim will come you Christians you say this but doesn't a lot of religions say this if you if you spoke to a Muslim, they would tell you that the Koran was divinely inspired by an angel appearing to Mohammed and revealing these truths about all our God, the Mormon church will declare that they have 1/3 writing 1/3 revelation of Jesus Christ and that it was divinely inspired.

So why do you Christians you you ones that follow this this God of the Bible. Why do you believe the Bible is truly his word and in my classes. We had a class on the doctrine of the word and there are great many physical evidences that many people turn to. There is just in sheer number of New Testament manuscripts last from the early church well over 10,300.

We have manuscripts dating prior to Christ for the Old Testament they are in conjunction they are in harmony and continuity with one another the work being over 1500 years in the continuity that is found throughout all of Scripture, the harmony of the 35+ authors over that 1500 years. Great physical human evidences, but I would argue that there is one evidence that truly trumps all the other and makes it the truth and we can fully rested, and that evidence simply if you want to turn there, but John chapter 1 verses one and two. John, the writer of the gospel says in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God.

And then in verse 14 he makes it clear that who he is talking about this word is Jesus Christ.

And then we go to Paul's writing to Romans chapter 1 and verse four and he says and was declared to be the son of God in power according to the spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.

So people will come back and say well that's a strawman argument that the circular reasoned argument you're using the same textbook to prove its authentic truth that it's from God. Ladies and gentlemen, it is not circular it is not strawman, when in history. There is a man, Jesus Christ. When in that history of our lives for our story. That man is put to death by the Romans and now we have an empty tomb. So, CS Lewis sets before us a truth that we have to wrestle with. Just like Pilate asked what will I do what must I do with Jesus.

What shall I do with Jesus. There is a truth that is there. We know historically. He exists.

We know he hit historically.

He lived and he died by the death that was declared in the Scripture so the question is, is the resurrection true, and if the resurrection is true, it is the authentication of everything that is stated in Scripture. Because Jesus is that very word of Scripture. And if you go through all the, the viable evidence of the witnesses, the tomb, the movement, all of it. It is clear that Christ has risen from the dead to the point that in first Corinthians 15, Paul makes the greatest defensive ramp resurrection that there is so we do not stand in a circular argument, strawman argument. We stand in the truth that the Lord and King of the universe himself has been authenticated by the power of God through the resurrection so that first statement. All Scripture is God breathed, we can rest in that truth. Timothy can stand in that truth as the world around him rebels as even his church may flee the one thing that is true, that is certain that we can stand on whether were at Latrobe at the abortion clinic or in church on Sunday order or desk on Monday is the truth of the story that we love the tell what does that mean for us.

Paul is teaching us very simply that from Genesis 112 Revelation 2221 from in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth to the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be off with you. Amen everything in that text is the spoken word of God to us.

When Eugene after reading the text says this is the word of the Lord. That is a heavy statement, folks. That is a truly heavy statement when we read this text. It is this text that the Holy Spirit takes and applies to a man's heart and changes them and brings life from death. It is the word of God that we have that can make a difference in a world that is running towards sin and hell. This text is the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Paul does not shy from making that clear in the verses above in verse 15.

He tells Timothy and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. What writings are Paul referring to what writings would have been available to Timothy to his mother and his grandmother in his younger years. It would be the Old Testament, the New Testament, the latest writing given to this book is between 64 and 68 the first writings of the New Testament around 50 to 52 where they're recorded and used in the churches from our understanding so the text that Paul says brought the wisdom of salvation in Christ Jesus is the Old Testament there's many in our churches today. Even the van evangelical churches who want us to believe that the Old Testament is of no value that it's a relic that it's an old covenant that's obsolete that we don't need to turn to. But we see Paul.

We see Jesus on the road to Emmaus. He guides those disciples to what Moses, the prophets in the Psalms, and he reveals himself to them from the Old Testament, so it is the whole text the whole Canon that is breathed out by God and is profitable. So knowing that it is all Scripture is breathed out. We now want to then turn to what is required that it is God's word.

It is required to complete and equip us. Verse 17 tells us that Timothy tells us in the tell her. Paul tells us in Timothy that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work by what by this Scripture that is breathed out by God.

Paul shares the God's word is needed for us in order to teach us. God reveals that it is his full counsel when we sing we love to tell the story. It is telling that full story that God the creator made man good and right and without sending and placed him in a garden he created it all man rebelled and fell, and in Genesis 3, right after that declaration God gives us the first inkling of the gospel when he tells man through the curses that woman.

I will put enmity between your seed and her seed you shall strike his heel. But he will crush your head, we see this creation fall redemption being the whole of the text of Scripture, and it is the whole of what we need in order to be equipped and completed to do the work that God is calling us to do.

First Corinthians chapter 10 verses one through 11, take us through some of the things that the forefathers of the faith in the Old Testament went through in their sin and it says nevertheless with most of them, God was not pleased.

For they were overthrown in the wilderness.

In verse five in verse six he goes on to tell the Corinthians. Now these things took place.

As an example for us that we might not desire evil as they did. He goes on to list some other things that they did and at the end. Verse 11. Now these things happen to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, God providing his word to teach us and to teach us in ways that we do not desire send the thing that crouches and pulls at us that makes us want to think yeah I probably should put myself above everything else know know God of the Scripture makes that clear. That is not what we are called to his followers of Jesus Christ.

The catechism the shorter catechism puts it this way concerning what the Scripture is to be used for. Everyone knows question number one right is the chief end of man who here knows question number two.

Raise your hand go down real quick question number two. I have it printed so menacing like a genius. What role hath God given to direct us how we may glorify him and enjoy him so really a follow-up to question number one. And the answer says the word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the old New Testament is the only road to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him question number three follows and it says what do the Scriptures principally teach the Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God and what duty God requires of man I would love for them to put one more question.

There and who provides this teaching and the proof would be our text tonight.

It is not man trying to grasp and figure out who God is understanding that the God that created everything has condescended and has given us the truth of who he is, of who we are, of what he has accomplished of what is required of us. But what is also done by Christ Jesus on our behalf. He's revealed it all.

Everything that we need to be in communion with the God of the universe with the holy right and just God that is described in Isaiah 6. God has given to us in his word. The other thing that the Timothy or Paul tells us in this is that it is good, for reproof and as a man that's red reproof just as a rebuke. I was looking at William Barclay's commentaries on the these verses and he stated this and it just struck me. This term means much more than rebuke reproof in this text means convincing a person of the error of their ways and pointing them on the right path and I sat back and thought that really is that what reproof is and how could I how do I see that scripturally and it dawned on me, go to acts chapter 2 and I read Peter's sermon and it is a sermon of reproof, where he says you took the Lord of glory, and crucified him. Five. Allowing an ordination of God, but it is you who rejected your Messiah and crucified him, and as he is Peter preach that message.

In acts 237 what happened in that reproof when reproof is used.

Listen to what God does with reproof now when they heard this, they were cut to their heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, brothers, what shall we do when we sit and start to see what those terms mean how God teaches how he reproves with his word.

He goes on from there. He also corrects what are we correcting especially now in our society and in our churches and what's amazing to us.

If I were to throw out the first part of of chapter 3 in the first part of chapter 4 is society and church.

We would say it's clearly evident to us all these things are taking place all what's amazing is to realize Paul wrote this to Timothy because he knew was going take place than to sin hasn't changed folks.

Send my end of changed in our areas, we may see it more clearly and distinctly.

Paul is teaching Timothy back 2000 years ago. Listen, I've been an apostle. Since Christ changed me. This is what you're going to encounter. This is what sinful man is and this is even inside the church. What sin clinging to man can cause in men to want and desire. It is not different.

We may seem, because it's in our 70 or 80 years of occurring, and it may have been flow during our time, but it is the exact same issue and so what is the correct thing that we must stand up to will Paul answers at all throughout his letters. It is to false teachers. It is to false beliefs coming in false theologies.

All sciences even in the culture. Paul is addressing all those things and I used for the, the, the proof of this second Corinthians chapter 10 verse five, Paul tells the Corinthians there that we destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ you know back in the 1940s, 50s and 60s the church was hit with scientific evidence of an old earth and in an undeniable event of evolution and there were churches and main Catholicism struggled. How do we deal with this and so they allowed the teaching of divine evolution to be put forth.

It's hard for us to grasp at times, but in those trials when science supposedly is bringing truth before you empirically.

How do we respond will we respond over the Scripture tells us how God worked. The Scripture tells us that this is what God perform, we will stand and what Scripture teaches, not in what we find 50, 60, 70 years later are still unproven hypothesis of something that they take based off of assumption. We don't live on a book of assumptions. If Jesus Christ is raised from the dead. This is the truth of God, and it upholds year after year, decade after decade, century after century and now 2000 years later two millennia is still the same truth that we can put forth and stand on. Finally, this one is somewhat strange, and how I'm going to approach it, but all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for training in righteousness as we sit and look at that I wanted to make sure that I didn't stand up here this evening and tell you that you can make yourself a writer. Make yourself merit anything from God by being in this Scripture that is declared. So I went. This Isaiah 61 verse 10.

I want you to hear these words, I will greatly rejoice in the Lord my scop soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress and a bride adorned herself with her jewels. God is very clear in the Scripture, that he is breathed out that our righteousness rests solely on the work of Jesus Christ. Yes, you and I are going to be challenged by this that we should find ourselves in Scripture. But when we find ourselves in Scripture, we should be finding ourselves more and more in Christ Jesus, who is the one that close us with his righteousness, so that when we stand before a holy just and right God, like Paul, I want nothing that I can boast in accept Christ. That is our righteousness throughout the whole of Scripture God is making clear that we as men fail to meet the holy right expectations of God and that he will provide one starting in Genesis 315 who will come and do what you and I can't do and that's live under the law perfectly, and then give himself over take on all of our sin, and in that action clothe us in the righteousness of himself so that we stand right and justified before God. Timothy finishes out this section, Paul, I'm sorry finishes out teaching that though there is going to be great sin going on around us, and even in the church.

Some will want to hear message that tickles their ears that Timothy you must stay steadfast to the full counsel of God is revealed by him church.

We must stay steadfast to the full counsel of of God that he has revealed to us and Spurgeon summed it up this way. He said the word of God will be to you a bulwark and a high tower. A castle of defense against the foe OC to it that the word of God is in you and your very soul permeating your thoughts and still operating on your outward life that all may know you to be a true Bible Christian, for they perceive it in your words and deeds so J what's the point of what you're talking about here, what are we to do with this text. As we walk out. First, I would tell you that we are to rest firmly on God's word. If you read Psalm 19 seven through nine. It will take you through why you should says the law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. It says that God's excuse me, I'm going to read.

I was going to try to go but obliterated the law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.

The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart the commandment of the Lord is pure lightning. The eyes, the fear of the Lord is clean and enduring forever the rules of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. The psalmist writes about how God's word is a lamp in to his feet and a light into his path that he he loves the word of God and his statutes and his command. Are we that same kind of people. I did a quick search as I was preparing this on Google and I searched how often do Christians read their Bible the best out of polls that came back through pew and other groups. 35% say they read it at least once a week I would challenge you tonight as we hear this text that you find yourself in his word daily that you find yourself growing in your knowledge and the grace of Jesus Christ.

Daily by the word that he is revealed to us and given to us to speak to us what else we need to be sharing this word, that is what Paul is preparing Timothy for. It's what he's preparing us for we are to share with our family, friends and enemies. I did say enemies.

Those that we don't like those that we don't want to hear. We need to be professing Christ they are heading to hell without this word without the Scripture, as we sit and think how do we share it. One thing that I will tell you, there shouldn't be a word that comes out of my mouth that causes any great movement and you. It is the Holy Spirit using the actual text of Scripture. When you have conversations reference the texts reference John 316 for God so loved the world that he gave his only son reference that your dead in your trespasses and sin and at the right time God in his richness of mercy and love toward you brought life to your soul.

Tell them the Scripture because that is what Paul says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. We are called to be men and women of Scripture, we can stand strong in that Scripture, because God has spoken. It is truth and it is truth for those in society who are chasing sin and those in sit in the church who were chasing a gospel that they so desire.

I pray to God tonight that we would be imitators of Christ as we are called in first Corinthians 11 and honor and glorify God or king by standing on his truth. Let's pray father your word is a lamp into her feet and a light to our path.

Lord, we praise you tonight that we can hence rest on the truth that you have declared this Scripture that you have given us your word that the promises are your promises, and that we can stand firm in those even in the worst of times. Paul rejoiced that he was in prison and going before Caesar any rejoiced because he was going to be able to share the word of truth with Caesar or God, let us so understand your word and be lost in your word that that is our joy, not what happens to us or could happen to us or might happen to us, but our joy is in sharing Christ and what he has accomplished. Father, we thank you and we praise units in Jesus name we pray. Amen