Latest / The Daily Word / June 26 – Think Over These Things
Transcript
- Cory Barnes: Well, hey there, Pastor Jenny here. It is June twenty-sixth, and we are in Second Timothy chapter two today as we continue in the life journal reading plan. I want to share with you a passage from or passage of scripture from the passage. So we're gonna jump right in today. I'm gonna read to you verses one through seven. It says this You then my child will ⁓ you then my child. Be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Let's pause there for just a second, because we're gonna kinda get into some other thoughts in these next few scriptures. I love these first couple of scriptures because Paul is exhorting Timothy, he's reminding Timothy that Be strengthened not in and of yourself, but by Jesus. And remember, entrust what you've been told. Don't leave it just with yourself, but you've got to share it with others in such a way that they're able to teach others. Don't just talk to them about it so that they go, ⁓ yes, that's good. That's good. I like that. But no, you have to share it and entrust it to them. to not just anyone, but to faithful men. So you're helping build up their faith and teaching it in such a way that they're able to teach others. So love that. Love how he is very specific with his words there. And of course we're getting our English translation. So I get there's nuances in the translation, but we're communicating the heart there. All right, let's jump into really the scripture I wanted to lean into, which is verses three through seven. But I thought those first couple of verses were good for context. All right, it says this. Paul continues in talking to Timothy. He says this share in your suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hard working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. Verse 7, think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. ⁓ I love that he ends the this portion with that verse. Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. If you take anything away from listening today, I would leave you, I would if that was the only scripture I shared, it would be that. And not being think over what I, Jenny, I'm saying. ⁓ or even when you hear a message on a Sunday, think over what the pastor is saying. But when you hear the scripture, when you hear God's word, think over what God is saying, and the Lord will give you understanding in everything. ⁓ you know, again, the Lord was using Paul, ⁓ and we know this is the inspired word of God, but g and God was breathing on this. So God does give us both his written word and he speaks through people. But it requ there's two parts here. God is speaking, so we have to be listening, but we also have to take time to pause and to think, to think about it. We can't just gloss over things. We can't just quickly in our fast-paced world and our fast food society just take something and Try to digest it really quickly and it comes and it goes. No, we're supposed to chew on things and to meditate it. Remember Joshua ⁓ one eight that says to meditate on my word day and night. ⁓ I love how Pastor Gill often gives us that metaphor of it's like chewing on gum. You're just chewing on it, chewing on it. so with that in mind, let's kind of go through these scriptures one by one. Let's take a few moments this morning or This afternoon, this evening, wherever you're whatever time you're listening to this, to think about these. Share in the suffering, share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. If you follow along in ⁓ like if you are, you know, using any sort of study Bible, you're gonna see some other scripture references. ⁓ one of those being tied to tying the scripture to 2 Peter 2 20, which says, For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord, they are again entangled in them, so and overcome, the last day has become worse for them than the first. And that in other words, once you come to a knowledge of Jesus, if instead of following the ways of Jesus, ⁓ and leaning into the truth of God's word, you fall back into the patterns and ways of thinking of this world, ⁓ you're gonna be worse off than you were before. And so when we take time to meditate on this, that we that no soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, what's it talking about? Does that mean we're supposed to be just strictly engaged with quote unquote the spiritual battle? We don't take time to be around people. No, that's not what it means. What it means is we ⁓ as soldiers of Jesus We're not taking time to entangle ourselves with we we are now engaged in the kingdom. We're not taking our time to get pulled back into the ways and thinking of the world. verse five an athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. There's a famous monk called Saint Benedict. He had something called a ⁓ people have written several books on. ⁓ you have John Mark Comer's ⁓ practicing the way. You have many books that reference ⁓ Saint Benedict's ⁓ rule the rule of life or having a rule of life. ⁓ and so it reminded me of this when I read this: an athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. ⁓ and so we have to remember that just like an athlete has to discipline himself or herself to compete according to whatever the rules of that game is, we as followers of Jesus do submit ourselves to the lordship. Of Jesus, we submit ourselves to the ways of the kingdom. And there is there are ways in which God's kingdom works and that He has called us to live. And when we step outside of the ways that He has designed that, then it doesn't work. It just doesn't work. and so we have to recognize that just like an athlete when they step outside, compete outside of the rules. They're out of bounds. Well, it's the same thing for us. And this isn't about behavior. ⁓ it's not a behavior thing. You know, we know with all things with the Lord it comes back to the heart. But there, you know, God, there's a lot of if then statements in the Bible. If you will do this, then this will happen. And it's just like if I throw a ball up, then it's going to come back down. Because gravity is a principle. There's so many principles in the Bible, and we have to know God's word in order to engage that. So, next scripture, final one to think over is it is the hardworking farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. I love this scripture that it cross-references here is First Corinthians 9, verse 10. And it says this, does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written for our sake because the ploughman should plough in hope, and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. better reference, ⁓ let's see or maybe not better, but just another one. Hebrews six seven for land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it and produces a crop useful to those for those whose sake it is cultivated receives a blessing from God. ⁓ As we ⁓ plow, ⁓ because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher in hope, like as we work hard, we're not working just for the sake of even the crop, but our hope is in Jesus, our hope is in his kingdom, our hope is in eternal life, our hope is in what is to come. But there's a scripture that says one plants. and other waters, but God brings the increase. And so our hope is in knowing that God is the one who brings the increase, but we we do and we will get to share in those fruits. so whether we get to see it on this side of heaven or in eternity, we can be confident with a hopeful kingdom expectation, ⁓ a biblical hopeful expectation that ⁓ kind of like I said in the last one, God will do what he said he would do, his principles reign true, and ⁓ as one at what we sow, we will reap. So like verse seven said, I leave you with this. Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. There's a lot more we could pull from this scripture today, but I'm out of time. So let me pray for you. Lord, we thank you for your word. We thank you for your Holy Spirit that promises to lead and guide us into all truth. So Lord, we ask that you would continue to speak to us today. Continue to reveal to us your written word and your sh ⁓ spoken word, your Rhema word. Thank you, Lord, ⁓ that you are with us in all that we do, and that we have the opportunity to not only hear and digest your word, but to go and to share that and to teach that to others in a way that they too will be able to teach and illuminate your ways. In Jesus' name. Amen.