I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.—2 Timothy 4:1–8

Personal Introduction

Good morning. My name is Andrew Sheard and I am a deacon here at our Downtown Campus and currently in my last year of seminary at Bethlehem College & Seminary. For the past couple of years, I have worked in the Neighborhood Outreach department with Pastor Ming-Jinn and Gretchen Spencer—doing a lot of things with our Welcome Team—but I have recently been approved to serve as a church planting resident starting in January 2020. After graduation, my wife, Lida, and I are planning to move to New Hampshire with another family in our seminary cohort, the DeLormes, with the hope that God would be pleased to grow a church through our efforts in a town that currently does not have a gospel-preaching church. We are very thankful for the opportunity to do the residency—thankful to be sent out from our Bethlehem family, and I am thankful for the opportunity to stand up here this morning and deliver God’s word. Let me pray for us.

Prayer

Introduction

As a Downtown Campus our pastors have been preaching through 2 Timothy—the second letter in our Bible from Paul to a young man named Timothy, whom Paul considers his “child in the faith.” Up to this point in the letter, Paul has encouraged Timothy to be bold, to not give in to false teachers, to pursue holiness, and, in the previous section (3:10–17) Brian Tabb preached several weeks ago that Paul’s exhortation to Timothy is to continue in the faith.

When we come to today’s text, we learn something new. We learn that after nearly 30 years of back-breaking ministry, Paul is about to die. It turns out the letter is not just a casual letter to a long-distance friend but is more like a letter of last words to a son.

Illustration

Now we as humans do an interesting thing at partings. When we part from someone we love, we naturally use the opportunity to wish the person well. Usually, we don't even think about it. For example, when family members leave the house for work or school, you might say that you hope their day or meeting goes well. Or when you drop a friend off at the airport, you might wish them a good flight or a relaxing vacation. For some reason, we use partings to state the ideal future outcome and wish it upon the person.

The same is true for the parting of death. I think it often happens that when a man or woman knows that he or she is going to die, there is a desire to give a final blessing or a final admonition to loved ones. And final words like this are important and they are often telling. What someone chooses to say at a parting like death can reveal their most deeply held convictions and beliefs about the world, about life and happiness.

Overview

In these eight verses we are looking at this morning, we have the opportunity to listen in on Paul’s parting words with Timothy. We get to hear what is on Paul’s mind, what he believes about the world, and how he wishes it upon his friend, Timothy. At the center of these parting words, and the main point of this sermon, is the charge to Proclaim Christ.

Sermon Outline

• Proclaim Christ in your living (vv. 1–5)
• Proclaim Christ in your dying (6–8)

1) Proclaim Christ in Your Living

Paul says,

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word.—2 Timothy 4:1–2

The first thing we see is that Paul wants Timothy to speak.

The Content

But what does Paul want Timothy to speak—what does he mean by “the word”? If you look back at 2:8, Paul says this, “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound.” And we know from chapter 3 that the sacred writings or the Bible tells the gospel story and message.

Maybe you are here today listening to this sermon and you are not a Christian, or are not very familiar with Christianity, asking yourself, “What is with these people and their book? They sing stuff out of it, they quote it in their prayers, and then they sit and listen to someone talk about what it is written in it—they even preach sermons from it about why you should preach sermons from it!” After all, we just read that Jesus is going to judge the living and the dead, and that kind of sounds like what every other religion teaches—just make sure you do more good than bad.

But we learn from this Book that Jesus’ judgment is not like our own judgment because God’s standards are not like our standards. What do I mean by this? God is himself the source of all goodness and all truth. He created the world out of that sublime justice and he requires it of all humanity, for our own good and happiness. The problem is that every single human since the beginning of time has rebelled against God and his goodness, to our own detriment. And because God rules the universe with perfect justice, he cannot turn a blind eye to our sin and he is unwilling to let us into his stunning, perfect presence. And the whole Old Testament says this on repeat: “We cannot save ourselves, we cannot save ourselves”—and our physical death is a constant reminder of this reality.

But that same OT track has another word on repeat. It a word of hope and promise—“God is faithful, God is faithful.” God will save his people. And in the NT we see God’s staggering solution to our problem: God the Son, who created the universe and everything in it, takes on human flesh to live out his perfect standard of goodness and bear the penalty of our brokenness. And this representative life and death of Jesus, the solution for every person, is offered to anyone who might believe that it is true. And to those believers, God beckons us into his presence and invites us into an eternal life of joy.

That is “the Word” bound up in this book that Paul charges Timothy to go on proclaiming. So when I say that the point of this passage and the point of this sermon is to “Proclaim Christ,” I mean that we are to proclaim the person and work of Jesus as it is told in this Book.

The Manner

Who is this charge to?

Timothy is a leader in the church at Ephesus. So when we read this charge, “Preach the word!” we can take it first as a charge to elders, whose unique authority and responsibility is to lead and teach the congregation. Part of this responsibility is to preach or proclaim “the word” when we gather, like I am doing right now. I praise God that the exhortation to “preach the word” or “proclaim Christ” has fallen on listening ears at Bethlehem. And as a member, I want to exhort our elders to continue to lead and teach and disciple and preach the gospel from this word. Preach and teach the God who has revealed himself in this word.

But most of us are not elders and do not have a regular pulpit ministry. So what does this charge to “preach the word” or “proclaim Christ” mean for us, if anything? The word for “preach” in the NT generally means to announce aloud or make a public declaration like raising ones voice in the marketplace. And I think if Paul were here right now and we asked him, “Hey, Paul, you know that charge you gave to Timothy, one of the leaders in the church at Ephesus, about preaching the word? How do you feel about non-leaders proclaiming the name of Jesus?” I think Paul would probably say something like, “How are Christians supposed to follow Jesus’ command to make disciples without speaking of who he is and what he has done?” So I think that the heart of Paul’s charge to speak and proclaim the Name of Jesus applies to leaders and to every follower of Jesus.

How are we to speak this word?

We see in the rest of verse 2 how we are to do it: with readiness and urgency, “in season and out of season,” to do it with skill and relevance, “reproving, rebuking, and exhorting,” and to do it gently and thoroughly “with complete patience and teaching.” Paul has shown a concern throughout the letter that Timothy doesn’t preach the word like a wrecking ball but like a builder, who genuinely loves those he speaks to.

So it is clear that Paul cares about speaking the word, but as we move into the next two verses, we see there is a right way and wrong way to receive the word.

Receiving

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to truth and wander off into myths.—2 Timothy 4:3

The Standard of Receiving

First, notice that this section on receiving begins with “for” introducing the reason why Timothy must preach. Timothy must proclaim Christ in the face of opposition and even because of opposition. For Paul, truth is not determined by how people receive it or react to it. He states very plainly that there will be two reactions: (1) some will endure and listen to truth and (2) others will turn away to myths and accumulate self-affirming teachers. One commentator colorfully explains “itching ears” here as “an itch for novelty” and “look[ing] for interesting and juicy bits of information.” ¹ When an exciting or juicy idea sweeps over a culture or a church, this does not necessarily mean the people have discovered a new truth or moved on from something false. (And it also should be said that just because an idea has been around also does not necessarily mean that it is true.)

For Paul, and for us as Christians, “sound teaching” and “truth” comes back to what the trustworthy God has revealed to us in his word.

More specifically, sound teaching is not just using this book, but teaching that strives to understand and explain this book in the way its human authors and divine Author intended it to be understood and explained. For example, as I teach this morning, if Paul were here, I would want him to say, “Yep, you got it right. That’s what I was saying.” And I would want God to say, “Yep, that fits with all that I have said from Genesis to Revelation.” So sound teaching is communicating God’s ideas and commands in the way that he intends them. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:2, 5,

We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word …. For what we proclaim is not ourselves but Jesus Christ our Lord.

And how do we come to recognize what is sound and unsound? How can a doctor identify a healthy heart if he has never learned what the difference is between a healthy heart and an unhealthy one? Receiving sound teaching takes work. We learn to recognize sound teaching from a life of engaged thoughtfulness with God’s word. Whenever we are in a place to hear or think for ourselves what God is saying, whether through an event or personal time, we pray for God’s help and wisdom, and we work to understand what God is saying to us. When we sit in the pews on a Sunday morning, we are not passive listeners but are active participants in searching the depths of God’s truth and living accordingly.

The Pattern of Receiving

So from these two verse on receiving I have pointed out that (1) God’s word is the standard for receiving and (2) receiving takes work—it is not passive. I want to make one more observation from these verses: There is a pattern in the Bible of receiving in order to give. What do I mean by that?

In Genesis, God blesses Abraham in order to be a blessing; Paul tells the church to welcome in the same way that Jesus has welcomed them, and comfort others with the comfort they received from God. In other words, the Christian life is not supposed to be like a lake that takes in large amounts of water just to fill up. Rather, Christians are called to be like rivers, who pass on the water—or grace—received quickly downstream to the next person. We see this pattern again here. First, Timothy is called to continue himself in the Scriptures (v.14), and then he is exhorted to “Preach the word!” He is charged to share the Good News with others after being built up himself.

In this way, we see the organic connection between receiving and proclaiming—we receive in order to proclaim. I believe all Christians are to endure sound teaching and listen to truth in order to be a river of God’s grace and not a lake. Receiving the proclamation of Christ through enduring sound teaching and listening to truth is not meant to simply fill up our lake.

This idea comes through when Paul talks about the purpose of leadership in a church in the letter to the Ephesians. Paul says that God gave, the leaders of the church “to equip the saints for the work of the ministry” (Ephesians 4:12). The congregation receives the proclamation and teaching of the word in order to do the work of the ministry. What is “the work of the ministry”? To make disciples through participation in the local church. It is so that you yourselves would proclaim Christ in all of life—speaking of him to your children, to the people in your small group, to your family, to your unbelieving friends. As members of this church, your receiving of the word should overflow into eager participation in how this church makes disciples and plans to make disciples in the future.

So God’s word is the standard of reception—there is work to be done in reception, and reception happens for the sake of whole church proclamation.

Paul concludes the first half of our passage saying, “As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” In contrast to those who will turn away, Timothy is to stand firm in the charge to proclaim Christ in his living and fulfill his ministry.

2) Proclaim Christ in Your Dying

Now we move to the second half of the section and the second point of the sermon: Proclaim Christ in your dying.

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.—2 Timothy 4:6–7

We return again to the fact that Paul is dying, and everything that we have just looked at—his charge to Timothy to proclaim the word in his living, to speak and receive the truth of the gospel message—is the thing that Paul has chosen to say to his beloved friend before he dies. Proclaiming Christ is at the center of all of Paul’s hopes for Timothy in life and God’s hope for us in our lives.

But why does Paul choose to say this?

Yes, Paul wants Timothy to carry on the torch of his ministry in his absence. Yes, Paul wants Timothy to be obedient. But as we have already talked about, obedience does not earn Timothy or Paul or us favor or points with God. So why does Paul say this? Is there something even deeper that Paul wants for Timothy through his proclamation of Christ? Is there something even deeper that God wants for us?

Henceforth, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.—2 Timothy 4:8

Main Point: Persevere in the truly difficult work of proclaiming Christ because it is the fruit or mark of those who are putting their faith in Jesus and, through that faith, will receive a fantastic and eternal reward.

Look at the ways that Paul describes the reward:

First, he calls the reward a “crown of righteousness.” Crowns have been used for thousands of years to symbolize honor, wealth, and power. Think about this. When nations use crowns, there is only one or a few families out of the entire country who get to wear a crown. The picture Paul uses here is that every single person who believes until the end will be given a crown, symbolizing that we possess the honor and joy of the royal family of King Jesus.

Second, notice who is doing the crowning: God, the righteous Judge. Paul expects to receive a sentence of death any day for his preaching the gospel, for proclaiming Christ with boldness. And while man will pronounce him guilty and kill his body, the righteous Judge will pronounce him a son and will keep him for eternity and give him a resurrected body. And, again, it is explicit that these promises apply to all who believe Jesus and have surrendered their life to him, which is evidenced by the love that we have for him and his appearing.

Conclusion

So now we are in a position to take a step back and see the beauty of Paul’s final charge to his son in the faith. The person and message that we are called to proclaim in living and in dying is the very same Person and message that inspires hope and spurs us to persevere until our dying breath. When we preach the word, when we proclaim Christ to those around us, we are preaching to ourselves and reminding ourselves why it is all worth it!

Jesus took on flesh, suffering rejection and treason, defeated death, and rose to life so that we might reign with him. Paul says Romans 8:16–17, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” So church, proclaim Christ in your living and in your dying because “this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” Therefore, may we as a church “look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16–18).

Closing Prayer
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1. Danker, Frederick W., Walter Bauer, William F. Arndt, and F. Wilbur Gingrich. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3rd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000, p. 549.