A Desperately Needed Letter

Well, please do have a seat. Thank you so much, Neil, for starting us off so well.

If you're visiting us, you're very welcome. If you're not, we'll just about tolerate you for the evening.

We're in 2 Timothy. I've been excited about this letter for many years.

I'm excited about getting to go through it together.

I think it has so much to teach us, so much to challenge us with, so much to encourage us.

So tonight we're just going to kick off with the first seven verses.

I call this sermon a desperately needed letter.

And hopefully by the end, if you get nothing else, you'll understand why it is a desperately needed letter.

A desperately needed letter when it was written to Timothy, but also a desperately needed letter for each of us here today.

I wonder, what do you see on the screen?

What do you see on the screen?

13 or a B.

What would help you decide whether it was a 13 or a B?

A bit of context, wouldn't it?

So that is obviously a 13.

That is obviously a B.

Context really helps us get what the meaning of something is.

Or for example, say you've got this text message.

Just taking the dog out for a walk.

I mean, probably the most boring text message.

But if you set a bit of context to the text message, it may become slightly more relevant.

So if you've got this text from someone suffering from severe depression.

Just took the dog out for a walk.

That would be a reason to rejoice.

They managed to get out for a while with the dog.

If it's from your son who's supposed to be revising for important exams tomorrow, it might be a source of great annoyance.

What are you doing taking Fido for a walk when you should be doing algebra?

If this is from your dad who is looking after your dog who's just had an operation and is recuperating.

Great times.

Rover is walking.

Good to know.

Thanks, Dad, for keeping me informed.

If this is from your wife and you don't have a dog, that's a source for real concern.

She having a slight episode.

If this is in South Korea where they really like eating dogs, you might be quite terrified that Alfie might end up as a kebab.

Context brings deeper meaning and real understanding.

If we can really get behind words and why they're written and who they're written by and what they're for,

then it springs off the page and becomes much more relevant to us.

There's an ancient Greek cliche that translated says text without context is pretext.

Text without context is pretext.

So if we tonight could get behind the context of this letter, understand the characters involved in the situation into which it is written,

then I think we'll see this letter in new light.

This week, as I've really dug in and, you know, marinated myself in a kind of not creepy way into Timothy,

it's popped off the page in new and quite brilliant ways.

If we get why Paul writes this letter to this man in his situation,

then the relevance of this message will cut to our hearts, hopefully like never before.

This has been just what I've needed to study this week.

So quite apart from anything you get off it, it's been fun.

Let me pray and I'll read these first seven verses and then we'll get to work.

Father God, thank you that you know us.

You remember how we're formed.

You remember that we're dust.

Father, that you've called us to be involved in your work.

And Lord, we want to confess that at times it's painful.

At times it's far from glamorous.

And very, very often we want to give up.

And so with this letter ministered to us tonight by your spirit,

may we hear your voice.

And may you bring about categoric Jesus glorifying change.

In who we are and what we do.

Father, bless us in Jesus name.

Amen.

To Timothy, verse one.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,

in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus.

To Timothy, my dear son,

grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

I thank God whom I serve as my ancestors did.

With a clear conscience as night and day,

I constantly remember you in my prayers.

Recalling your tears,

I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy.

I am reminded of your sincere faith,

which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice.

And I am persuaded now lives in you also.

For this reason,

I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God,

which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

For the spirit God gave us does not make us timid,

but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

And so firstly, I want us to look at the cast.

The cast.

Who is involved?

Well, this is written,

you don't need to be a genius to work it out.

His name is the first word in the letter,

Paul.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.

And who's it written to?

It's written to Timothy.

And so let's get a bit of a sense of the timeline.

The apostle Paul who writes this letter is converted

very swiftly after Jesus's death,

burial,

resurrection and ascension.

Around 33 or 34 AD.

That is when he meets the risen Lord Jesus

on the road to Damascus in Acts 9.

He then pretty swiftly embarks on his first missionary journey

with Barnabas to Cyprus and southern Galatia.

Does this for about three years between 47 and 49

till 47 to 49 AD.

Acts 13 and 14.

On this missionary journey,

he visits a place called Lystra.

That is significant.

Just put that in the back of your mind.

Lystra.

First missionary journey.

In 49 AD,

we have the Jerusalem Council

where everyone gets together

to work out how Gentiles are to be part of the church.

Straight after that,

they go on their second missionary journey.

But as we looked at last Sunday night,

Paul and Barnabas have a bit of a Barney,

having a Barney with Barney

over a guy called John,

who's also called Mark.

They go their separate ways.

So Paul and Silas

go to Macedonia and Achaia.

AD 49 to 52.

One of the places they revisit is Lystra.

And in Lystra,

everybody says,

oh,

we've got this guy.

He's a bloke.

You need to watch.

His name is Timothy.

Everyone speaks well of him.

And Paul says,

I'll take him along.

We need to do a little bit of surgery

before we go along

because his dad's a Gentile

and his mom's a Jew.

It's quite a recruitment process.

But he goes along.

Beginning of that,

about 49 AD.

But later on,

they go on their third missionary journey

to Asia and Macedonia,

including at least two years spent in Ephesus.

Another one for the back of your mind,

Ephesus.

Acts 19 to 21.

Things then get worse.

The end of Acts is all about imprisonments

and captivity.

Caesarea in Rome.

In prison,

he writes 1 Timothy around 59 AD.

He writes 2 Timothy around 64 AD.

And we're not quite sure of the date.

But history would tell us

he's beheaded in Rome,

64 to 67 AD.

The cast gives us the timeline.

Why is it important?

Because by the time Paul writes

2 Timothy to Timothy,

the two have had a ministry association,

a partnership in the gospel for 15 years.

Their lives have been intimately entwined.

Timothy saw what Paul did.

Timothy's brought up to do what Paul does.

15-year apprenticeship under the apostle Paul.

Secondly,

from the timeline,

at the time of writing,

Ephesus Evangelical Church is 10 years old.

It's well established.

It was planted

in the second missionary journey.

2 Timothy's written about 64 AD.

10 years old.

The banner committee got together.

They've got some new things on the wall

that they did for the anniversary.

Timothy's 15 years,

Ephesus 10 years old.

The cast

that are involved in the letter.

But we see

that Ephesus Evangelical

isn't all sweetness and light,

rainbows and unicorns.

In fact,

it's chaotic.

We know more about the church in Ephesus

than we do any other church

in the entire New Testament.

We know a whole chapter

about how it's planted,

Acts 19.

We have Paul meeting

the Ephesian elders

on the beach at Miletus,

Acts chapter 20,

Acts 20 · chapter mention

where he gives them a big speech.

We have a letter

written specifically to Ephesus

which imaginatively

is called Ephesians.

About the health

and organisation of the church.

We have one Timothy

written to Timothy

who's the lead elder,

who's the pastor,

who's the overseer in Ephesus.

And we have two Timothy.

Timothy's still in Ephesus.

And they even get a letter

from the Lord Jesus himself

in Revelation.

We know more about Ephesus

than any other church.

And at the time of writing

to Timothy,

it's chaos.

And there's three reasons

the church is in chaos.

The church has gone rogue.

Let me show you

how the church has gone rogue.

Acts chapter 19.

Acts 19 · chapter mention

Paul planted the church.

And it was a work

of great breadth.

Look at Acts chapter 19,

Acts 19:10

verse 10.

Paul preaches in the synagogue.

He then lectures daily

in the hall of Tyrannus.

Verse 10,

Luke's editorial comment,

this went on for two years,

so that all the Jews

and Greeks

who lived in the province

of Asia

heard the word of the Lord.

That is incredibly broad.

It would be the equivalent

of Brunsfield Evangelical Church

preached the gospel

all the time

for two years

until everybody

in the Lothians

heard the word of the Lord.

But probably size-wise

till everybody in Scotland

heard the word of the Lord.

Massive.

It's a work of great breadth.

But see Acts 19,

Acts 19:18–20

verses 18 to 20.

It's also a work

of great depth.

Many of those who believe

now came and openly confessed

what they had done.

This city that's absolutely

drowning in magic

and sorcery

and witchcraft.

Many of those who believe

now came and openly

confessed what they had done.

A number who had practiced sorcery

brought their scrolls together

and burned them publicly.

When they calculated

the value of the scrolls

the total came to

50,000 drachmas.

In this way

the word of the Lord

spread widely

and grew

in power.

It's a real work

of the Lord

when people are

confessing

sins

openly.

so caught up

with the holiness

of God

that they must

get right with him

and they pour out

all their sins.

They burn their scrolls

50,000 drachma.

If these people

a drachma is

one day's wage

if they're getting

the new living wage

50,000 drachmas

is about

2.6 million pounds.

Burn them.

a work

of great

depth

and a work

of great

a work of great

breadth

and a work

of great depth.

So by the time

we get to

verse 27

we get

Demetrius the

silversmith

calls everyone

together in the

trade guild

and he says

there is a danger

not only that

our trade

will lose

its good name

but also

that the temple

of the great

goddess Artemis

will be discredited

and the goddess

herself

who is worshipped

throughout the

province of Asia

and the world

will be robbed

of her divine

majesty.

Just imagine

if God worked

so graciously

and powerfully

in Edinburgh

that everybody

who is trying

to make money

out of illicit

means has to

complain because

their source of

income has

completely dried up.

If all the

strip clubs

down in

Toll Cross

started to

lobby the

city halls

because they

couldn't make

a single penny

because no one

wanted to go

because God

had worked

so thoroughly

in Edinburgh

the city

is being

completely

reformed

by the

gospel

it's a work

of great

depth

but it's

now

a work

in great

danger

so by the

time we get

to 1 Timothy

the first

pastoral epistle

to Timothy

in Ephesus

we read

some terrible

things have

happened

1 Timothy

1 Timothy 1:3

1 verse 3

as I

urged you

when I

went into

Macedonia

stay there

in Ephesus

so that you

may command

certain people

not to teach

false doctrines

any longer

or to devote

themselves to

myths and

endless genealogy

such things

promote

controversial

speculations

rather than

advancing God's

work which is

by faith

this church

in Ephesus

has started

to teach

things that

are not

from God

so chapter

1 Timothy

1 Timothy 3:14

3 verse 14

although I

hope to come

to you soon

I am writing

to you with

these instructions

so that if I

am delayed

you will know

how people

ought to conduct

themselves in

God's house

which is the

church of the

living God

the pillar

and foundation

of the truth

Timothy's in

Ephesus

and Ephesus

is in real

trouble

it's chaotic

it's disordered

Paul wouldn't

write verse 14

of chapter 3

of 1 Timothy

if things were

all going well

he's writing it

to say you need

to put it in

order because

it's chaotic

and there's false

teaching going

on everywhere

and so 2 Timothy

comes a little

bit later on

a few years

later maybe

5 or 6

years later

and what's

Paul saying

now keep

going

keep going

keep going

in what I've

called you to

do keep doing

what I command

it why

because the

church is still

in peril

the church is

still having

real difficulties

the church is

still roguish

and going

more rogue

Timothy is

still there

to bring

re-reformation

to

Ephesus

to the

struggling

band of

believers

that are

fragmenting

and spreading

each and

every way

just imagine

if you're

Timothy

you got a

letter from

your mentor

saying you

need to

sort it

out and

here's how

to do

it

six years

later you

get another

letter

things are

just as

bad

Paul says

keep going

keep doing

it

don't give

up

church has

gone rogue

secondly the

leaders

have gone

feral

they've gone

wild

the leadership

at Ephesus

has been

thoroughly

trained

they had an

intense

eldership

course

and the

example of

the apostle

Paul himself

for those

two and a

bit years

while he

was in

Ephesus

they have

an intense

refresher

course on

the beach

of Miletus

they were

given

everything

that they

needed

I know

this is a

bit of a

paper chase

but just

flick back

to Acts

20

the first

thing we

see is

they knew

Paul's way

of life

Acts

Acts 20:18

chapter 20

verse 18

when they

arrived he

said to

them

you know

how I

live the

whole time

I was

with you

from the

first day

I came

into the

province

of Asia

he says

you know

you know

what I

did you

know how

I conducted

myself

verse 34

at the end

of his

speech

you yourselves

know

that these

hands of

mine have

supplied my

own needs

and the

needs of

my

companions

in everything

I did I

showed you

that by this

kind of hard

work we

must help

the weak

remembering the

words of the

Lord Jesus

himself it

is more

blessed to

give than

to receive

they knew

Paul's way

of life

they had

a model

to follow

they weren't

just left to

kind of make

it up as

they went

along they

had a

precedent

and they

had Paul's

charge

verse 28

of Acts

20

keep watch

over yourselves

and all the

flock of

which the

Holy Spirit

has made

you overseers

be shepherds

of the church

of God

which he

bought

with his

own blood

that's what

he says

he shows

them what

to do

and he

tells them

what to

do

he charges

them be

shepherds

keep watch

over the

flock

they have

Paul's

charge

verse 32

of Acts

20

they have

God's

resources

now I

commit you

to God

and to the

word of

his grace

which can

build you

up and

give you

an inheritance

among all

those who

are sanctified

they don't

lack

instruction

they don't

lack a

model

they certainly

don't lack

resource

Ephesus

is a

church

that is

well

catered

for

but Paul

is a

realist

he knows

Ephesus

is in

the real

world

and that

Ephesus

is made

up of

sinful

people

and so

he gives

them a

warning

in verse

29

I know

that after

I leave

savage

wolves

will come

in among

you and

will not

spare the

flock

even from

your own

number

men will

arise

and distort

the truth

in order

to draw

away

disciples

after

them

so be

on your

guard

remember

that for

three years

I never

stopped

warning each

of you

night and

day

with tears

they had

everything they

needed

and they have

this stark

warning

be careful

be watchful

be on your

guard

there's wolves

about

and even

some of the

people in the

room who look

white and

fluffy

have

actually got

really sharp

teeth

and they'll

come and

they'll show

and they'll

draw people

away and

this flock

the flock

brought with

the precious

blood of the

Lord Jesus

won't be

spared

and once you

understand this

you start seeing

it everywhere

in 1 Timothy

and 2 Timothy

you see just

the impact

that the wolves

are having

so with

your really

well worked

fingers back

to 1 Timothy

which seems

to have moved

from the last

time I found

it

1 Timothy

1 Timothy 1:19

1 verse 19

let me show

you a few

of these

verse 18

Timothy my

son I am

giving you

this command

in keeping

with the

prophecies

once made

about you

so that by

recalling them

you may

fight the

battle well

holding on

to the

faith and

a good

conscience

which some

have rejected

and so have

suffered

shipwreck

with regard

to the

faith

some have

given up

what about

chapter 4

verse 1

the spirit

clearly says

that in later

times some

will abandon

the faith

and follow

deceiving spirits

and things

taught by

demons

such teachings

come through

hypocritical

liars

whose

consciences

have been

seared

as with

a hot

iron

the end

of 1

1 Timothy 6:2

Timothy

chapter 6

verse 2

these are

the things

you are to

teach and

insist on

if anyone

teaches

otherwise

and does

not agree

to the

sound

instruction

of our

Lord

Jesus

Christ

and to

godly

teaching

they are

conceited

and understand

nothing

they have

an unhealthy

interest

in controversies

and quarrels

about words

that result

in envy

strife

malicious

talk

evil

suspicions

and constant

friction

between people

of corrupt

mind

who have been

robbed of the

truth and who

think that godliness

is a means of

financial gain

just at the very

end of the letter

his closing words

Timothy

guard what has

been entrusted

to your care

turn away from

godless chatter

and the opposing

ideas of what is

falsely called

knowledge which

some have

professed and

in so doing

have departed

from the

faith

be careful

there's some

false teaching

around it's in

2 Timothy

we're finally

going to read

some of 2

Timothy

you'll be

pleased

2 Timothy

2 Timothy 2:14

2 verse

14

keep reminding

god's people

of these

things

warn them

before god

against quarreling

about words

it is of no

value and only

ruins those

who listen

do your best

to present

yourself to

god as

one approved

a worker

who does

not need

to be ashamed

and who

correctly handles

the word of

truth

avoid godless

chatter

because those

who indulge

in it will

become more

and more

ungodly

their teaching

will spread

like gangrene

among them

are hymenaeus

and philetus

who have

departed from

the truth

chapter 2

verse 23

don't have

anything to

do with

foolish and

stupid

arguments

because you

know they

produce

quarrels

and the

lord's

servant

must not

be quarrelsome

chapter 3

verses 1

to 8

is all about

false teaching

chapter 4

verses 3

and 4

let me read

those

for the time

will come

when people

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

Ephesus

the leaders

have gone

feral

those that

have been

supposed to

be communicating

the truth

are starting

to get weird

they're starting

to talk about

myths

they're quarreling

there's genealogies

there's controversies

and Timothy

is there

the lone salmon

swimming upstream

against all

this stuff

just imagine

being Timothy

some people

speaking in

pulpits

who are

preaching

anything and

everything but

the gospel

how would you

feel

well I think

on the back

of two

Timothy

we can say

this

that Timothy

seems to have

gone quiet

in a church

gone rogue

because the

leaders have

gone feral

the real strain

is seen

on two

Timothy

Timothy

is struggling

under the

strain

one

Timothy

was written

about

everything

that he

should do

to organise

the church

by the time

he gets

to two

Timothy

it's gone

so bad

that he

just wants

to give

up

and I

think

when we

see that

that Timothy

is really

struggling

I think

this letter

takes on

whole new

life

few years

after Timothy

tries to

reform the

church

it's just

as bad

and the

false

teaching

persists

and I

think we

have quite

a low

view of

Timothy

actually

I think

Timothy

we think

he's a bit

of a mummy's

boy with

an upset

stomach

who always

needs to

be told

about his

mum and

his

grandmother

to keep

him going

I think

we pretty

much get

it from

2 Timothy

2 Timothy 1:7

1 verse

7 that

we read

for the

spirit of

God gave

us does

not make

us timid

but gives

us power

love and

self-discipline

so we read

into that

that Paul

is talking

about

Timothy

and isn't

it weird

how we

have timid

Timothy

the two

kind of

go together

I don't

think

Timothy

is timid

at all

I think

outside of

the apostles

he's probably

the greatest

pastor

greatest elder

I think we

ever get

to read

about

Timothy

is a

trusted

dynamic

and good

man in a

crisis

kind of

guy

I don't

think

there's

anybody

in the

new

testament

who should

garner

more

respect

than

this

faithful

servant

Timothy

his

experience

is second

to none

he has

had

ministry

association

from the

apostle

Paul

for 15

years

he has

worked

side by

side

with

him

and

he's

been

deployed

by

Paul

as the

troubleshooter

to the

most difficult

churches

Corinth

is going

mad

who does

he send

Timothy

Philippi's

rupturing

because of

Euodia

and Syntyche

these two

powerful women

who are

factionalizing

the church

and fighting

with each

other

who does

he send

Timothy

he's an

experienced

leader

he's a

good man

for a

crisis

he's

co-authored

some of

holy

scripture

2

Corinthians

starts

Paul

an apostle

of

Christ

Jesus

by the

will

of

God

and

Timothy

our

brother

to the

church

of

God

in

Corinth

together

with

all his

holy

people

throughout

Achaia

he also

writes

Philippians

Paul

and

Timothy

servants

of

Christ

Jesus

to

all

God's

holy

people

in

Christ

Jesus

at

Philippi

together

with

the

overseers

and

deacons

he gets

his name

on the

front cover

of

Colossians

he gets

it on

one

Thessalonians

two

Thessalonians

and

Philemon

he's

helped

he may

have only

been

inking

the

quill

but

that's

more

than

any

of

us

are

going

to

get

to

do

so

Timothy

co-authored

scripture

he's a

trusted

apostolic

emissary

so

the

person

carrying

the

letter

also

carries

the

message

of

the

letter

we

read

in

1

Thessalonians

we

sent

Timothy

who is

our

brother

and

co-worker

in

God's

service

in

spreading

the

gospel

of

Christ

to

strengthen

and

encourage

you

in

your

faith

1

Thessalonians

is

written

to

strengthen

and

encourage

the

believers

in

their

faith

and

it's

sent

with

Timothy

who

does

exactly

what

the

letter

should

do

in

the

flesh

encourage

and

strengthen

you

in

your

faith

he

is

also

an

exemplary

model

of

a

believer

these

words

in

Philippians

I

hope

in

the

Lord

to

send

Timothy

to

you

soon

that

I

also

may

be

cheered

when

I

receive

news

about

you

I

have

no

one

else

like

him

who

will

show

genuine

concern

for

your

welfare

for

everyone

looks

out

for

their

own

interests

not

those

of

Jesus

Christ

but

you

know

that

Timothy

has

proved

himself

because

as a

son

with

his

father

he

has

served

with

me

in

the

work

of

the

gospel

so

wonderful

bio

from

the

apostle

Paul

himself

so

he

sent

to

Ephesus

and

Ephesus

has

got

worse

and

so

then

we

get

to

Timothy

some

years

later

and

in

it

there's

twenty

eight

exhortations

twenty

eight

imperatives

Timothy

is told

to fan

into flame

to not

be ashamed

to join

with Paul

in suffering

to keep

the pattern

of sound

teaching

to guard

the good

deposit

to be

strong

in the

grace

of Jesus

Christ

to entrust

the gospel

to reliable

people

to reflect

on what

Paul is

telling him

to remember

Jesus

Christ

to keep

reminding

people

of the

gospel

to warn

people

before God

about

quarreling

to do

his best

to present

himself

as an

approved

workman

to flee

the evil

desires

of youth

to pursue

righteousness

love

and peace

don't have

anything to do

with foolish

and stupid

arguments

be aware

of the times

and the trouble

in the last

days

don't associate

with those

who have

sham godliness

continue in

what you have

learnt

preach the

word

keep your

head

in all

situations

be on

your guard

why would

Paul write

those commands

because

Timothy's

struggling

why does

he need

to preach

the word

because he's

gone

quiet

why does

he need

to be

on his

guard

because

there's

people

there

who

want

to

devour

the

flock

of

God

why does

he want

to

why does

he talk

to continue

in what

you've

learnt

because he

wants to

give up

why would

Paul write

such clear

instructions

if Timothy

was doing

fine

you wouldn't

write this

letter

I'm a

you would

write I'm

about to

go

Timothy

see you

at the

end

you wouldn't

write this

which is

just

do this

keep doing

this

be on

guard

about

that

Timothy

is on

the brink

of giving

up

wouldn't

you

after six

years

when things

haven't got

any better

surely as

Paul sees

and hears

about the

problems in

Ephesus

the chaos

in the

church

the

disruption

in the

leadership

the strain

on Timothy

he says

I must

write him

a letter

don't shrink

back

don't sit

down

keep on

going

do what

I've

charged you

to do

this is

not a

pointless

correspondence

Paul is

not writing

one of those

Christmas

letters that

everyone gets

and nobody

cares about

this is to

be real

courage

given

to

Timothy

who's

struggling

so with

that in

mind

let me

read you

the first

the

three to

seven

again

I thank

God

whom I

serve

as my

ancestors

did

with a

clear

conscience

as night

and day

I constantly

remember

you in

my prayers

recalling

your tears

I long

to see

you

so that

I may

be filled

with joy

I am

reminded

of your

sincere

faith

which

first

lived

in your

grandmother

Lois

and in

your

mother

Eunice

and I

am

persuaded

now lives

in you

for this

reason I

remind you

to fan

into flame

the gift

of God

which is

in you

through the

laying on

of my

hands

for the

spirit

for the

spirit

of God

and I

fear

but gives

us

power

love

and self

discipline

doesn't that

change how

you read

that

fan into

flame

why does

he need to

fan it

into flame

because he's

going out

the fire

for serving

the Lord

Jesus

is going

out

smoldering

away