Attention!
2.5 million Ukrainian refugees have fled to Poland. Churches are helping but the financial burden is too much.
Consider helping today!
Consider helping today!
Bible Commentaries
Resources
Other Authors
Verses 1-20
- Intro:
- Mother’s Day: Read intro to gift/Book.
- Last week we finished up Galatians. Now we visit a Roman Province in the region of Galatia, called “Lystra”.
- Let’s visit a house there & meet a family that represents the strongest trio stemming from a maternal line.
- Read 2 Tim.1:5
- Grandmother – only once found in the bible “Lois”(Lane).
- Lois & Eunice step right of the pages of Scriptures here to remind us that there is nothing moms & grandmom’s that is more important in your calling than the early training of your children!
- Make your goal to be like Prov 4:11 “I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths.”
- Read 2 Tim.3:15
- Pray for Mothers!
- Mother’s Day Card read: (Picture) Little boy w/untied sneakers, wagon, toys, cut on his face, smudges on card, in 1st grade printing. (Cover) “Mom, I remember that little prayer you used to say for me every day,” (inside) “God help you if you ever do that again!”
- Outline: Endure! Enabled! Equipped!
- Mother’s Day: Read intro to gift/Book.
- Church Conduct! (1-20)
- INTRO! (1,2)
- Paul adds Timothy to his team when he meets him in Lystra(Acts 16).
- Timothy traveled with Paul & became his special assistant.
- Timothy eventually is sent to pastor the church in Ephesus.
- This is towards the end of Paul’s life, between his two Rome imprisonments.
- Paul as known his protégé “Pastor Timothy” about 20 years at this point.
- Q: Why is this epistle being written? – See 3:15.
- We today need to know how to conduct ourselves in the church.
- It exhorts the worker for God to be uncompromising in his loyalty & devotion to his duty!
- Here we have a guide book on How to do Church!
- I believe most stay away from Jesus not because of Jesus, but because of his church!
- Do this assignment! - Ask people if they have a problem with Jesus or the Church?
- Oh & when they mention sins & hypocrisy in the church, don’t disagree with them, agree along with them…God does!
- We today need to know how to conduct ourselves in the church.
- ENDURE! (3-11)
- (3) The work in Ephesus was not easy, & Timothy probably wanted a new assignment.
- Ephesus was the center for the goddess Artemis aka Diana.
- Paul’s first burden was to encourage him to stay on and finish the task.
- False teachers(Judaisers) were in the Ephesians’ church pews just as Paul predicted they would be.
- The pastor’s job was to stay, teach, & warn.
- Every Christian worker has wanted to quit at one time or another.
- Q: How about you lately?
- Don’t abandon your post! Remain! Don’t quit!
- Paul will use a word Progress in 4:15.
- It means “pioneer advance” its root mean to “cut forward”.
- It’s a challenge to move courageously forward. Day by day; step by step; or even inch by inch.
- Gal.6:9 “let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”
- It’s learning, as Isaiah said, to walk & not faint!
- Josh Billings(American humorist) said, “Consider the postage stamp, it’s usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there.” J
- Lehman Strauss used to say, “The formula for blessing in ministry is to simply preach, & pray, & plug away!”
- Know this about ministry!!!
- It’s recognizing there is “seasons” to God’s work!
- Eccl.3:11 “He has made everything beautiful in its time”
- He uses different workers, at different times, to accomplish various purposes. (In Praise of Plodders; Warren Wiersbe; pg.23)
- He will not always allow you to measure the “results”!
- “God rarely permits His servants to see all the good the are doing.” (George Morrison)