2 Timothy 4:1-5
I loathe politics. Not government, but politics. I spent 22 years in the military to support and defend the Constitution and the United States as a constitutional federal republic. The issue is the politicking that goes along with it. People, regardless of political leanings, are drawn to those who will “tickle their ears” with grand promises of free stuff and a life of leisure. We see (well, hear it) every two years during the election cycles. Voting with emotion versus facts. Sadly, the church is just as prone to say things to accommodate society and culture for the sake of getting people in the door. This issue is not a “today” issue. It has been an issue since the beginning. In today’s passage, Paul is writing to his young protégé, Timothy, to be on guard. In fact, he gives Timothy a specific charge: “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” Words that must be the foundation for all preachers of God’s word. There are many faiths, denominations, and individual houses of worship that will say anything for the sake of being user-friendly. But their “gospel” is rife with human emotion to tickle the ears of those who would listen, but it brings only false hope and ultimately an eternity separated from God. In other words, Hell. Even within evangelicalism, people will church hop because they didn’t like what the pastor said. Now, please understand, we have the responsibility to challenge a pastor, preacher, or teacher if there is a doctrinal issue we either don’t understand or disagree with. But its resolution must go back to Scripture. What does the Bible say? It is our natural inclination to fall back on feelings rather than on truth. Paul anticipated that “the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.” God’s truth elicits conviction. And that is where the decision point is: do I yield and repent, or do I go somewhere else that chooses to affirm sinful behavior? Just like everyone else, I don’t enjoy being confronted, especially when it comes to issues of conviction. But I have never regretted it when the dust settles. Preaching, proclaiming, and living out our faith as believers in Christ is not easy. And while not all are called to vocational ministry, we are called as ministers of the Gospel. And as Paul writes, “But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”
I loathe politics. Not government, but politics. I spent 22 years in the military to support and defend the Constitution and the United States as a constitutional federal republic. The issue is the politicking that goes along with it. People, regardless of political leanings, are drawn to those who will “tickle their ears” with grand promises of free stuff and a life of leisure. We see (well, hear it) every two years during the election cycles. Voting with emotion versus facts. Sadly, the church is just as prone to say things to accommodate society and culture for the sake of getting people in the door. This issue is not a “today” issue. It has been an issue since the beginning. In today’s passage, Paul is writing to his young protégé, Timothy, to be on guard. In fact, he gives Timothy a specific charge: “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” Words that must be the foundation for all preachers of God’s word. There are many faiths, denominations, and individual houses of worship that will say anything for the sake of being user-friendly. But their “gospel” is rife with human emotion to tickle the ears of those who would listen, but it brings only false hope and ultimately an eternity separated from God. In other words, Hell. Even within evangelicalism, people will church hop because they didn’t like what the pastor said. Now, please understand, we have the responsibility to challenge a pastor, preacher, or teacher if there is a doctrinal issue we either don’t understand or disagree with. But its resolution must go back to Scripture. What does the Bible say? It is our natural inclination to fall back on feelings rather than on truth. Paul anticipated that “the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.” God’s truth elicits conviction. And that is where the decision point is: do I yield and repent, or do I go somewhere else that chooses to affirm sinful behavior? Just like everyone else, I don’t enjoy being confronted, especially when it comes to issues of conviction. But I have never regretted it when the dust settles. Preaching, proclaiming, and living out our faith as believers in Christ is not easy. And while not all are called to vocational ministry, we are called as ministers of the Gospel. And as Paul writes, “But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”
Posted in Devotional