Download July 12, 2015 - 7th Sunday after Trinity – Pastor Free Theme: Keep

July 12, 2015 - 7th Sunday after Trinity – Pastor Free
Theme: Keep your head
1. Persecution will come
2. Continue in the Word
3. Use the Word
II Tim. 3:10-4:5
You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love,
endurance, persecutions, sufferings--what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and
Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who
wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go
from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned
and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from
infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through
faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting
and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good
work
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: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and
out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction. 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. They
will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all
situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
It’s interesting to watch how people handle pressure. Some people just loose it. They panic. They
shut down. They fall apart. Others don’t’ seem to be affected by pressure. They’re clear minded.
They stay calm. And then there are those who almost seem to thrive on pressure. They’ll let stuff go
to the very last minute and then carefully and patiently do what needs to be done and do it so well.
The Lord’s will is that we remain calm in the face of religious and immoral peer pressure. He has
Paul encourage us to keep your head. Keep you in head in the face of religious opposition, by
continuing in and using the Word.
Keep your head in the face of religious persecution whatever form it may take. Paul lists what he
faced: “Persecutions, sufferings – what kind of things happened to me at Antioch, Iconium and
Lustra, the persecutions I endured.” Paul tells us of eroding morals, “Evil men and imposters will go
from bad to worse.” He writes of their rejection of the truth, “They will turn their ears away from the
truth and turn aside to myths.” He tells what we can expect, “Everyone who wants to live a godly life
will be persecuted.”
What Paul faced wasn’t new. Religious persecution has been around since the beginning. Couldn’t
we say it began when Cain killed Abel. Immorality was so bad that God destroyed the earth with the
flood. It didn’t take long for the children of Israel to abandon the truth and worship the golden calf.
What Paul faced, what we face has been around since the beginning. It’s not new. It’s just bigger,
badder and more in your face. And even tougher is that some of the immorality, and turning from the
truth of God’s Word is embraced and encouraged by so called Christian churches, So Paul’s
encouragement – keep your head.
Who knows the form of pressure we may face; labeled, sued, challenged, taxed, teased, picketed,
confronted, avoided, physical persecution. It’s tempting to follow that old adage if you can’t beat
‘em, join ‘em. But God says, keep your head. Don’t panic. Think. Pray. Realize what’s at stake. If we
join with the godlessness and wickedness of men we may, we may be okay in this life. We may avoid
intimidation, threats, lawsuits. We may avoid being avoided. This life may seem to be easier but
what about the life to come. God says, the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God. Keep your
head. Realize what’s at stake. And realize what God did for Paul, “Yet the Lord rescued me from all
of them.”
You know when we face the trials of Christianity it’s good to remember what Elisha told to his
servant as they were surrounded by the army of Aram, “Those who are with us are more than those
who are with them.” Or as the Lord told the Israelites, “Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to
save.” In the face of possible persecution in the face of increasing immorality, in the face of festering
false teachings keep your head. Remember what God did for Paul and what the Lord will do for you,
“The Lord rescued me from all of them.” He will rescue you because He loves you so very much.
He loves you. He loves me. That’s just amazing when we think of all the times, we’ve not kept our
head in times of temptation. We went along, we initiated, we bragged, we laughed at our moral
lapses, our sins. God fumed. God threatened. God’s threats aren’t idle. An angel sinned and was sent
to hell. King Saul sinned and God turned his back. His justice – “Your iniquities have separated you
from your God.”
But God is also gracious. He loves us with a love that we didn’t deserve. His Son is on the cross in
our place, enduring our hell, bleeding and dying to erase our sins. We didn’t deserve that but it’s
what we so desperately needed it. For Jesus’ sake God declares us forgiven for all our sins. Our Spirit
worked faith receives that gift. Our Spirit worked faith brings us into God’s family and takes us to
the glory of heaven. So that we don’t lose that in the time of spiritual hostility, keep your head. Stand
strong. Stand firm.
God has Paul tell us how we can keep our head, “But as for you, continue in what you have learned
and have become convinced of, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures which are
able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” Keep your head by keeping your
eyes on God’s Word. Think of what that Word has done for you. For most of us, we’ve been a
member of God’s family since we were babies; our name etched in the book of life, a mansion
prepared for us in heaven.
What a miracle. At our conception we inherited a sinful nature from our parents. That sinful nature
kept us from God; doomed us to hell; would keep us out of heaven. But the Holy Spirit performed a
stunning miracle. When water was applied to us and the Word spoken over us it happened. We
received the gift of forgiveness for the very first time. The Spirit crafted and created faith in our tiny
infant heart. With the mess of sin cleaned up and cleared away and the seed of faith planted we
became God’s children.
As toddlers we learned to sing, “Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.” We learned
simple Bible passages – “A Savior has been born; He is Christ the Lord” and “God so loved the
world.” Faith in Jesus as our Savior from sin, as the way out of death and the way to eternal glory in
heaven grew as we continued to hear God’s Word. As we kept our eyes on the Word we realized
even as little children, that His Word is truth. We even, as little children, defended the truth of God’s
Word.
But for teens and adults it seems to be harder to defend and confess that truth, So do now what we
did then, continue in that Word. Hear God say – I love you and will fight for you. I love you and will
uphold you. I love you and sit on the throne to rule all things for your good. Hear God say, if you’ve
caved to that pressure but repent, I forgive you. Keep your eyes on the Word when people oppose it
and intimidate you and God will give you the strength to keep your head, to confess Jesus, and let
His Word guide your life.
But what about those who are being intimidated or are giving up that confession. What about those
who intimidate or don’t confess. Our initial reaction is shock. How can people adopt the immoral as
moral. The viciousness of the attacks against God’s Word shocks us. We’re flabbergasted when
people change the Word which threatens the very need of Jesus as Savior. It’s so easy for us to lose
our heads; to burn with anger or to melt in fear. God has Paul tell us how to react, “But you, keep
your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist.” Earlier He had Paul write,
“Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage with great
patience and careful instruction.”
Keep your head so that you can do exactly what God wants you to do. You think of those movies
where the situation is tense. Someone is flipping out and another person calmly talks them through
what needs to be done. That’s what God is doing here. It’s easy for us to just lose it in the face of
spiritual stress. So God talks us through it. He says preach Word. Tell people what God expects of
them. Correct sinful behavior by clearly speaking the guiding principal of His laws. Rebuke, speak
more forcefully when people continue to do what God forbids. But notice be patient. Seldom does
change happen immediately. Carefully, repeatedly, lovingly let people know what God expects of
them.
It’s easy to wonder what difference will it make in a world that’s slipping in immorality. But
remember Jonah. God sent him to the lawless people of Nineveh. Jonah wondered why. But he
obeyed. He preached the Word, the will of God. And what happened. They repented. Be patient.
Keep your head. Continue to impress upon people what God’s will is and let God work the change of
heart. That’s all He asks. He doesn’t say change their behavior. He simply said preach the word and
He’ll take it from there.
He wants us to keep our head, not freak out in times of spiritual stress so that we can be an
evangelist. An evangelist is someone who speaks good news. The good news God wants you to
calmly and lovingly speak – that God loves the sinner; that Jesus died to eliminate the sins of the
world; that God is thrilled to receive those who believe in Jesus as their Savior into His family and
into heavens endless, limitless joy.
And again, we may question the effectiveness of serving as an evangelist to those who right now are
bitter enemies of God. But remember what the Word is – the power of God for salvation. Remember
who the Word of God has changed – people like Paul, Zaccheus, you and me. Don’t lose heart. Keep
your head. Be an evangelist and let God, let God change hearts, change lives, change people’s eternal
future.
You know we may be the type of person that freaks out or shuts down when times are tense. That
doesn’t have to happen to us when spiritual stress invades our life. With God living in our heart,
coming to us through His Word, guiding and directing our lives, we’ll keep our head no matter what
we face as Christians. We’ll continue in His Word. We’ll do the work He’s given us to do and He’ll
bless us and bless every effort we make in His name and to His glory. What a comfort. What peace.