Generations – Equipping for the Future

Offering - Psa. 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.

Generations – Equipping for the Future

God has given believers two advantages of ministry in the last days:

At the time Paul wrote his Second Letter to Timothy he was anticipating that the time of his martyrdom was near. Unlike his situation during his first imprisonment in Rome, Paul on this occasion saw no chance of his being acquitted and released. (Cf. 2 Timothy 4:6-8). He wrote this letter to say farewell. He desired to write one final word of encouragement to his dear son in the faith, Timothy, an encouragement that would also benefit the church.

Advantage #1 – He has told us what will happen

2Tim. 3:1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days.

2Tim. 3:2-9 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. 6 They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7 always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth—men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. 9 But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.

Advantage #2 – He has told us what to do

1. Follow Godly Examples – Ones that… * Have nothing to hide. * Teach the truth. * Practice what they preach. * Aren’t afraid of persecution.

2Tim. 3:10-13 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11 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. 12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

Luke 6:40 A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.

2. Continue in What’s Been Learned

2Tim. 3:14-15 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

3. Get Equipped “In Righteousness” * Teaching * Correcting * Rebuking * Training

2Tim. 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.