Teacher and Student / Based on 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 / Delivered
on October 20, 2019 to UMC Hudson
Hymns: Lord Speak to Me That I May Speak, Thy Word is a Lamp
Unto My Feet, We Are Called
2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 Contemporary English Version (CEV)
14 Keep on being faithful to what you were taught and to what
you believed. After all, you know who taught you these things. 15 Since
childhood, you have known the Holy Scriptures that are able to make you wise
enough to have faith in Christ Jesus and be saved. 16 Everything in the
Scriptures is God’s Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people
and for correcting them and showing them how to live. 17 The Scriptures train
God’s servants to do all kinds of good deeds.
4 When Christ Jesus comes as king, he will be the judge of
everyone, whether they are living or dead. So with God and Christ as witnesses,
I command you 2 to preach God’s message. Do it willingly, even if it isn’t the
popular thing to do. You must correct people and point out their sins. But also
cheer them up, and when you instruct them, always be patient. 3 The time is coming when people won’t listen to good
teaching. Instead, they will look for teachers who will please them by telling
them only what they are itching to hear. 4 They will turn from the truth and
eagerly listen to senseless stories. 5 But you must stay calm and be
willing to suffer. You must work hard to tell the good news and to do your job
well.
Children’s Message:
Have you ever played Hide-and-Seek? Can you tell me what some of the instructions
are for how to play the game? Closing your eyes without peaking, counting to a
certain number, calling out something like “ready or not here I come” are
examples. When we’re playing games which
do you think is more important – winning, or having fun together? I would hope having fun together is the most
important! Cheating by peaking or not
counting the full amount might let you win but it would make the game a lot
less fun for everyone. Some games are
easy, and some are harder. I know how to
play chess; sort of. I know how each of
the pieces move and I know the goal is to trap the king piece so it can’t move
without being taken. But I’m a very bad
chess player because there are more little things that take place beyond those
simple instructions. If I wanted to get
better, I’d need to have someone that was a good chess player teach me some of
these details and practice with me until I got better. Here’s a Bible. One song I like says the letters of the word
Bible stand for “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth”. The main message I think is that God loves us,
and we are instructed to love God back and love everyone else too, because God
first loved us. It is more complicated
than that once you start living your life and it is important to have someone
that has studied the Bible help you understand.
That can be a person like Reverend Dawn or Deacon Susan, or a Sunday
School teacher, or maybe an older family member that has studied the Bible. Reading it yourself is important too, and you
can help each other understand better by talking about it together. Living together happily is easier when we learn
these special instructions.
Main Message:
The passage from 2 Timothy is my main scripture but I’m
pulling in a few more. I’m also pulling
in some Methodist specific tradition; the Wesleyan Quadrilateral.
The passage in 2 Timothy is meant to encourage Timothy as a
teacher. It starts with pointing out the
subject Timothy is to teach then moves into how to be a good teacher and
finally gives an example of poor students.
I’m going to touch on each of those topics and throw in a tutorial on
Bible study in the end.
Timothy’s focus for teaching is scripture and what he has
learned from other leaders in the faith.
3:14 Keep on being faithful to what you were taught and to
what you believed. After all, you know who taught you these things. 15 Since
childhood, you have known the Holy Scriptures that are able to make you wise
enough to have faith in Christ Jesus and be saved.
His teaching is based on a mix of scripture, lessons from mentors,
and his own experience since he’s been a good Jew since childhood so has some
wisdom himself. That combination made me
think of John Wesley’s Quadrilateral.
Picture in your mind a large circle. Label that large circle “Scripture”. Inside that circle imagine three circles
interconnected with each other. Label
them “Tradition”, “Experience”, and “Reason”.
Scripture is the bedrock. The
other three are how to wrestle with the meaning and application of scripture.
Timothy had mentors as well as his Jewish traditions. Going back to the first chapter we see family
listed.
2 Timothy 1:5 I also remember the genuine faith of your
mother Eunice. Your grandmother Lois had the same sort of faith, and I am sure
that you have it as well.
My study Bible says this is the final letter Paul wrote
before he was executed. He would have
been one of Timothy’s major influences, his first Christian pastor.
Personal experience is a strong proof. Paul often recounted his experience of
meeting Christ on the way to Damascus as his turning point. Methodism was founded because of a personal
experience of John Wesley. We celebrate
his personal experience within the church on Aldersgate Day. In Wesley's words: ' while he was describing
the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my
heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for
salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even
mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.'
When I think of the third aspect, Reason, I think that is the
point when the Holy Spirit goes one on one with us. Does the interpretation we’re wrestling with
feel true or make sense when we ponder it thoughtfully? We are not alone while we are ponding. The spirit is with us.
John 14: 25 I have told you these things while I am still
with you. 26 But the Holy Spirit will come and help you, because the Father
will send the Spirit to take my place. The Spirit will teach you everything and
will remind you of what I said while I was with you.
Reading other spiritual writings is not a bad thing, but as
Christians the Bible is our main resource.
Paul was writing to Timothy at a time when scripture was the first five
books of the Old Testament as well as a few of the scrolls of the prophets. The Bible has grown to include more books,
and though Paul wasn’t talking about his simple letter at the time I believe
God’s breath is there.
Using tradition, experience, and reason is a way to wrestle
meaning out of it.
2 Timothy
3:16 Everything in the Scriptures is God’s Word. All of it is
useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them
how to live. 17 The Scriptures train God’s servants to do all kinds of good
deeds.
4 When Christ Jesus comes as king, he will be the judge of
everyone, whether they are living or dead. So with God and Christ as witnesses,
I command you 2 to preach God’s message. Do it willingly, even if it isn’t the
popular thing to do. You must correct people and point out their sins. But also
cheer them up, and when you instruct them, always be patient.
Before you sit back and think I’m now getting to the point of
talking to teachers and preachers and not you, please think again. We are all called to be disciples and to make
disciples. We are called to teach each
other.
Matthew 28: 18 Jesus came to them and said: I have been given
all authority in heaven and on earth! 19 Go to the people of all nations and
make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit, 20 and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be
with you always, even until the end of the world.
This week the email from our Wisconsin Conference just
happened to have an article on how John Wesley empowered lay people. Here is an excerpt from that article.
“Nearly all the leaders of the early Methodist societies were
lay people. John Wesley established a system to develop and empower them by
organizing them in small groups for accountability and support for living the
Christian life. The intent was to help people become disciples who live out
their love of God and neighbor.
Each week, the small groups — or “classes” — of 12-15 members
of a Methodist society met weekly with their leader to give an account of how
they were living their faith as they answered the question: “How is it with
your soul?” guided by the Methodist rule of life, the General Rules.
Class leaders, appointed by Wesley, were lay women and men
who could be trusted with the spiritual formation and care of others. They
served as role models, mentors and discipleship coaches for the Methodists in their
pursuit of holiness of heart and life. Class leaders shared in the pastoral
work that needed to be done when the appointed clergy, or circuit rider, was
absent. They were the disciples who made disciples.
The General Rules are simple and straightforward practices
intended to help people live out the teachings of Jesus as summarized in
Matthew 22:37-40 (NRSV):
“'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and
with all your soul, and with all your mind.’” This is the greatest and first
commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as
yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
The class members formed habits of (1) doing no harm by
avoiding evil of every kind; (2) doing good to all people; and (3) attending
upon all the ordinances of God, like participating in worship, receiving
communion, reading the Bible, praying and fasting.”
You don’t need to be ordained to be a role model, mentor, and
coach, but you do first need to be a student yourself.
The final thoughts in 2 Timothy brings up a problem with
students.
3 The time is coming when people won’t listen to good
teaching. Instead, they will look for teachers who will please them by telling
them only what they are itching to hear. 4 They will turn from the truth and
eagerly listen to senseless stories.
I bought us all into the role of teacher. Now I’m taking us into the role of
student.
What kind of students are you and me? How often do we let our minds wander? Are your thoughts currently on lunch or the
ballgame coming in the afternoon? Do you
pay less attention to lay speakers because they aren’t “real” preachers? Do I pay less attention to lay speakers? Do I think I know enough to stop listening? Or, like the students in our scripture, do we
have the desire to find a speaker that tells us what we want to hear? Do we have itchy ears?
God can use any willing human as His mouthpiece, so we’d be
wise to listen. In the Old Testament He
even used a talking mule. God’s word
combines with the Holy Spirit within us to get His message across even if the
speaker isn’t trained or has decades of experience.
A good student listens.
The purpose of study isn’t so we’re better able to act as judge and
jury. We study to become proficient and
equipped for every good work!
It’s easy to applaud when we see fingers pointed in
correction at others, but it doesn’t feel very good when the finger is pointed
at us. We can feel like good Christians
when pointing out how somebody else has failed to live up to a verse of
scripture we feel good at following, while ignoring other scriptures like:
Luke 6:37 Don’t judge others, and God won’t judge you. Don’t
be hard on others, and God won’t be hard on you. Forgive others, and God will
forgive you.
Our scripture from 2 Timothy lists Jesus as the judge not
us. Notice the small group session I
described earlier asked the members for self-reflection on the question “How is
it with your soul?” A good teacher may
need to correct but it is done with encouragement not in judgement. The goal is to give understanding that
following the instructions found in scripture brings joy.
Here are verse 101-104 from the Psalm 119 passage assigned
for today.
101 I obey your word
instead of
following a way
that leads to
trouble.
102 You have been my teacher,
and I won’t reject
your instructions.
103 Your teachings are sweeter
than honey.
104 They give me
understanding
and make me hate
all lies.
To go back to my children’s message; following these “Basic
Instructions Before Leaving Earth” allows us to feel joyful when we are in
community. Relationships are more
important than “winning” whatever that word “winning” means. God’s instruction isn’t limiting us. It is providing a path to a wonderful sweet
life lived in community.
God loves us, and we are instructed to love God back and love
everyone else too, because God first loved us.
How simple that sounds, but how hard to follow! We need teachers and mentors and more than a
little patience from our fellow travelers on this journey as we struggle to get
life figured out.
Peter called new Christians similar to infants to whom milk
was a matter of life or death.
1 Peter 2:2 Be like newborn babies who are thirsty for the
pure spiritual milk that will help you grow and be saved.
We are to drink it in.
Galatians tells students how to treat teachers.
Galatians 6:6 Share every good thing you have with anyone who
teaches you what God has said.
That verse made me smile as we’re currently doing our pledging. Support the teachers of God’s word.
I know Bible study might be new to some of you so decided to
add in a beginner’s class. Never be
afraid to join a study because you think others will judge you for knowing so
little. We aren’t born knowing this
stuff. Some learn it younger and some
learn it older, but the real tragedy is that some don’t learn it at all.
The Bible is a collection of many books. Some are in narrative format, some are poetry,
some are nearly like journals, and some like the scripture today are
letters. Here’s how to find your way
through this book of books.
Turn to the front of your bulletin. Kathy put our scripture passage there in nice
large font.
2 Timothy 3:14-4:5
If there’s a number before the name, that number is part of
the title of the book. That means there
is more than one “Timothy” and the one we’re reading out of today is the second
one in the Bible. We don’t call it “Two
Timothy” we call it “Second Timothy” since that first number is indicating the
order. A “1” and then “Peter” would be
called “First Peter”. When you look it
up in the table of contents most likely it will be the number in the front of
the title, but I’m throwing in how you’d say it, just so you know. To look up our book today in the table of
contents you would look for the number 2 followed by Timothy.
The table of contents is divided into two sections. One called Old Testament and the other called
New Testament. After some practice you
might be able to remember what books go into which section but in the beginning
just scan down each until you find the book you’re looking for. Old Testament is a collection of books from
before Jesus was on the Earth and New Testament is after Jesus lived among us. Both are important to our Christian faith. I recommend starting with the New Testament
and feel compelled to add that I believe the Old Testament should have an “R” rating
due to violence and sexual situations. Be warned.
Turn back to the way the scripture is typed on your bulletin. The next numbers are grouped with a colon in
the middle. The number before the colon
is the chapter of the book. The books of
the Bible don’t separate out chapters at the top of a page like most other
books because that would cause way too much white space and create a very thick
book. Instead the chapter is bolded and
tends to be in a larger font. Looking
within Second Timothy we’d look for a big bold 3 to indicate the start of
chapter 3. The number after the colon is
the verse number. Verse numbers are
smaller than chapter numbers and commonly are applied to a sentence or two. Bold number 3 and then a smaller number 14
partway down that chapter is where our lesson started today.
If the focus is on a single verse then there would be no
other characters. If it’s on the whole
chapter sometimes they skip the colon and just have the 3. If it is multiple verses within the same
chapter there is a dash and a second verse number to indicate where it
stops. In our case today we get a second
colon which means we finish the third chapter and get five verses into chapter
4 before we finish reading.
The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew and the
New Testament was written in Greek. That
means we need it translated into English for most of us to read it. That is why we have multiple translations and
versions of translations.
The hymn we will sing after the message is from Psalm 119:105.
The version in our hymnal is based on American Standard
Version: Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And light unto my path.
We don’t normally speak like we’re in a Shakespeare play today. Our church uses the Contemporary English
Version of the Bible which was published in 1995 after completing research in
common speech patterns. It translates
the verse as: Your word is a lamp, that gives light wherever I walk.
Here are a few versions of 2 Timothy 3:16.
Contemporary English Version
16 Everything in the Scriptures is God’s Word. All of it is
useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them
how to live.
New International Version
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching,
rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.
King James Bible
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness:
The Amplified Bible attempts to give more details of meanings
but is tougher to read.
16 All Scripture is God-breathed [given by divine
inspiration] and is profitable for instruction, for conviction [of sin], for
correction [of error and restoration to obedience], for training in
righteousness [learning to live in conformity to God’s will, both publicly and
privately—behaving honorably with personal integrity and moral courage];
Each of these versions are a little different but all are
attempting to tell us reading the Bible would be a very good thing.
The old phrase “ignorance is bliss” is not applicable here. You are not safer when your cruse ship sinks
because you skipped lifeboat training.
You are more likely to stumble on a path that doesn’t have light.
Personal time reading is beneficial. Hearing someone who’s farther along in their
faith journey share how they interpret the scripture gives you more help
figuring things out than you have by yourself.
That’s why attending worship is so important. I agree you can praise God by focusing on Him
while you’re walking through the woods, but that doesn’t increase your
knowledge of His word. For that you need
time with a mentor.
Studying with others has been very useful to me. We live life in community so learning
together and practicing what we’re learning as we interact in community is
powerful.
After my divorce in the early 90’s I went into depression
deep enough to contemplate ending my life.
Pastor Tom helped me through that time and one direction he gave was for
me to attend Disciple Bible Study. It
was a four-year study and it changed my life.
It was my personal story of transformation. My Aldersgate experience; to liken it to John
Wesley’s experience of grace. It
wouldn’t have happened had I not had mentors and fellow students with me in the
journey. It impacted me enough to cause
me to lead three sessions of that four-year study.
My life is complex currently, but I hope to lead Bible studies
again in the future. Rev Dawn is going
to be leading a book study based on a current day shepherd giving his thoughts
on Psalm 23 – that’s the one that begins, “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not
want.” Watch the Musings newsletter or
bulletin for studies that come up and sign up!
Our scripture from Jeremiah 31 assigned for today says
eventually we humans will have the lessons learned.
33 No, this is the covenant that I will make with the people
of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my Instructions within
them and engrave them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my
people. 34 They will no longer need to teach each other to say, “Know the
Lord!” because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,
declares the Lord; for I will forgive their wrongdoing and never again remember
their sins.
Until that day comes, we need to respond to the call to first
to be students and then to be teachers so we can understand how to live
together.
Micah 6:8 inspired my selection of our final hymn today.
He has told you, human one, what is good and
what the Lord
requires from you:
to do
justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God.
It tells us to come and live in the light. We have a lifetime to work toward
understanding how to do that, but I strongly encourage you to start now.
Amen
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