FAMOUS LAST WORDS

Well, when you think of famous last words, you may think of words such as what you see on the screen Nice doggy Yeah What does this button do or one that maybe we've all said I know I can pass this guy Hopefully those are not famous last words for anybody here But maybe that's what you think of when you think of famous last words or maybe you think of the kind of profound things People would say as they know that they are nearing the end of life That's the kind of last words famous last words that I want to talk about this morning Some of you will remember Laman Strauss who used to come here about every other year for Bible conferences back in the late 80s and through much of the 90s Laman Strauss was a great Bible teacher Pastored for many many years for a lot of books just a great Bible teacher. I'll never forget him telling the story of being in a town for a meeting at some point and he was Preaching in a church and he was watching the six o'clock news just before leaving for the service and they were playing up this big interview They were going to do with the 11 o'clock news with a guy who in that community had lived to be a hundred years old and and So he thought it sounded kind of interesting. He said I think I'll try to listen in on that tonight got home after the service back in the motel room Turned on the news of 11 o'clock and of course as they always do with those kind of feature stories They make you wait to the very end of the news and they're playing it up real big You know we're gonna interview this guy we're gonna find out his secret to a long life And so finally the end of the news comes the interview comes and the the interviewer has the microphone right under the guy's face and Finally ready to ask the big question to what do you attribute you're a long life? Guy thought for a moment and he said well you just got to keep on breathing And you know the guy was interviewing me kind of taking back a little bit and he's trying to press for a little more You know surely there's some something you did eat or something you didn't eat. I mean mr. Hand Cross the road that you lived 104 always attributed it to drinking one doctor pepper every day You know, so it was something something you did you ate or you didn't eat some exercise regimen something you used to do Or did and every time you would ask the question got the same answer you just got to keep breathing Well now that is really basic that is really basic you lived to a hundred if you keep breathing We've been getting back to basics here on Sunday morning in this focus Refocus series back to the very basics of what the church is to be what we are to be as a church and We have seen that there are in the scriptures five purposes for the church The first one the very heartbeat of the church is worship and We've seen that that is loving Christ When we worship we love him. We express our love for him But loving Christ is not all the churches about we are to love one another and fellowship with one another and so the next circle of Ministry and of reaching out is Fellowshiping with one another we gather around each other we gather together with Christ That's what fellowship is all about But when we worship Christ we love him and we gather together we come together with other believers We also as a church are to be Discipling others so discipleship is the third focus of the church the third purpose of the church that we want to focus on today Now to disciple to do discipleship is to grow in Christ worship is to love Christ Fellowship is to come together with Christ discipleship is to grow in Christ How do we do that? What is growing in Christ all about? We have seen that in Matthew chapter 28 Jesus had make disciples of all nations the word disciple itself Means two things it means a learner and a follower That's what the Greek word means a learner a follower someone who learns what it means to be like Christ and then does it Follows it and Jesus said the way of the Cycle people in Matthew 28 is teaching them to observe all things Whatsoever I've commanded you so Jesus is saying that the focus of being a follower and a learner is the word of God The focus of discipleship is Instruction in the word of God teaching them to observe all things that I've commanded you and that's exactly what Paul said Was the focus of his ministry in helping people to mature in Christ Colossians 128 he summarizes his ministry this way we proclaim him Admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom wisdom describing the word of God What's the purpose of that Paul? What's the purpose of proclaiming and monitoring teaching the wisdom of God so that we may present everyone? Perfect in Christ the word perfect meaning mature complete fully grown mature in the faith So spiritual maturity Paul says the way I did it in my ministry was to proclaim Christ Teach and admonish the wisdom of God the word of God the focus of discipleship is Instruction in the word of God Paul drives that point home in his Famous last words in second Timothy chapters three and four. Let's open our Bibles to second Timothy three We're gonna see Paul's Famous last words to Timothy Just before he closes with a few remarks and greetings in this book, which will be the last letter he will write before he dies He gives a Timothy a charge He charges him in a very solemn and serious way What he's doing is he's boiling down everything he wants to instruct Timothy about into this one last thing I only have time to say one more thing Timothy This is the most important thing I can tell you in chapter three He's painted a very dark picture for Timothy. He's warned him that he will minister in a society that will pervert biblical truth He will minister in a society that will be characterized by a religion that is nothing more than Empty formalism and false intellectualism and resistance of the truth. He describes that in chapter three He warns him that his own stand for the truth versus 10 through 12 of chapter three will be Caused for persecution and then he finally says in verse 13 Timothy. Guess what? It's gonna get worse and worse and worse Now in light of that Timothy in light of the picture I'm painting for you of the kind of times in which you will minister I'm dying. I only have one more thing to say to you one final charge for you Timothy. What is it? What is so important that I would say to the very last thing to say In verse 14 he says but as for you Continue in what you have learned and it become convinced of because you know those from whom you've learned it He goes on to say some other things about how he's taught the word of God and then he gives this charge in chapter four Preach the word we'll get to that in a moment But what I want you to see is the focus of what he has to say in these famous last words to Timothy is Continuing the words stay in the word preach the word focus your life and ministry on the word of God Mitering people in Christ Helping people to grow up in him Must be focused on the word of God the instruction of the word of God. Why is that so? For several reasons that Paul Fleshes out in this passage the first reason Paul says we must focus on the word in Mitering people discipling people helping to grow up in Christ is because of the power of the word This book has a power that no other writing no other book does no other literature does This book has power inherent in it in This passage Paul talks about the power To bring salvation it has the power to bring salvation this is the tool the Holy Spirit uses to open up hardened hearts and To bring salvation to people you see what he says there in verse 15 He says how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures Which are able the word for power in the New Testament which are powerful to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus I do not have the power to save anybody neither does anybody else It is through God's word that people are saved and it has an amazing power to save people God's word does not need our marketing techniques God's word does not need our fancy formulas to put with it I'm all for being culturally relevant. We tried to focus on that here at Johnston Chapel But not at the expense of the word of God the focus of ministry must always be the word of God because it and it alone Has the power to save the human heart The only way that lost sinners will be convinced of their need of Christ is through the power of this book The writer of Hebrews said for the word of God is alive and active Sharper than any double-edged sword has the power to cut into the human heart discern the thoughts and intents of the heart This book has the power to penetrate Deeper than any other word can go because the Holy Spirit takes this book and does it work in the human heart that nobody else and nothing else can do You know it is possible to manipulate things to get people to come forward in services It's possible to do that. That's been done for years But the word of God alone has the power to genuinely enter the human heart and bring true salvation Isaiah said to the prophets in his day Prophets who were claiming to be giving messages from God and Isaiah says in his unique way and Isaiah chapter 8 They peep and mutter Basically he's talking about they're getting these messages from the occult claiming to be from God And he says they're giving these messages as though they were from God They get them from their dreams and from their divining with with the the occult and His answer to that in Isaiah 820 was to the law and to the testimony for it is this word that shall convince them Jeremiah said the same thing Jeremiah 23 When he talks about prophets prophets who claim to have a dream I Have a dream he says I have a dream they say read it there in Jeremiah 23 They're claiming to have a dream, but they're not proclaiming the word of God and So he says this God says to Jeremiah is not my word like a fire is not it like a hammer You see it is God's word God's word alone that can break the hard human heart that can burn away Self-righteousness and pride like a fire God's word penetrates the human heart the psalmist said the entrance of thy words gives light It is the it is the word of God which opens blinded eyes Eyes that are blinded by Satan and everything around us, but it is God's word which gives light Peter said in 1st Peter chapter 1 of verse 23 being born again not of corruptible seed But of incorruptible by the word of God which live it on a bite of forever So it's the word of God which germinates life It's the seed which germinates the life of the human heart only the Bible can do that Only it is a hammer and a fire and a sharp to edge sword and a light and a seed that can actually bring life to a human heart So it has the power to bring salvation but it also has the power to bring growth And although that's not the focus of what Paul's saying here in 1st Timothy 3 There's much in the Bible to tell us that it also brings growth Look at these verses will put them on the screen so we can go through them rather quickly John 153 Jesus says you're already clean Because of the word I've spoken to you the word of God cleanses us John 1717 sanctify them by the truth your word is truth as Jesus prays The word of God is that which will sanctify set us apart make us more like Christ Ephesians 5 Paul says in verses 25 and 26 Husbands love your wives Just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her To make her holy okay. How does he make the church holy? Cleansing her by the washing with water through the word and Peter said in 1st Peter chapter 2 and verse 2 as Newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word why that you may grow thereby This book not only has the power to save it has the power to bring growth And as we study this book learn this book get into this book let it challenge our hearts Let it get into our hearts it will cause us to grow To be more like the Lord Jesus It has that kind of power and so here at the chapel we will always stay focused On the word of God in our ministry because of the power of the word I'm reminded of a missionary in Tanzania Who told this story about years ago handing out tracks and gospels in a particular city There in that great country He handed a New Testament to someone and the man wanted to give it back to him He said I don't care you think about this and the missionary said please keep it Read it. He said I'm not going to read it. I'm going to Roll its pages with tobacco and smoke them. That's what I'll do And the missionary said well if that's what you do I can't stop you certainly but would you would you break a promise to me that you would read each page before you smoke it And a guy kind of laughed and walked off 15 years later 15 years later this missionary is at a conference in Tanzania and he sees this guy This guy has become a believer and is now an evangelist in that country and he's going to be giving his testimony in one night in the meetings And the missionary who had reconnected with him before that time was thrilled to hear the testimony of Al When the guy got that new testimony he took it home Read the first page rolled up the page Tobacco smoked it read the second page smoked it And he said you know what he said I smoked Matthew I smoked Mark I smoked Luke But by the time I got to John chapter 3 And read that page I laid it down and I couldn't smoke it The word of God had penetrated his heart caused him to see his need and his sin Caused him to realize that he needed to be saved The Bible the word of God has that kind of power and because of the power of the word we will remain Bible focused Second reason for focus on the word of God and discipleship is the perfection of the word verse 16 All scripture is God breathed we're gonna stop right there you may have a translation if you have the King James Says all scripture is inspired of God Inspiration is what we're talking about here and it's a word that is very important our understanding of the Bible So let's talk about the meaning of inspiration. What are we talking about there? What is inspiration all about Well the niv has translated the word probably the most literally it could be translated all scripture is God breathed Inspiration means that God breathed the scriptures In other words the the word of God originates with him This is not just a human production This is not guys sitting down deciding. I think I'd like to do a little writing today And so they start writing just on their own that's not what this book is about God did use men to write his word But the Bible says they were born along by the Holy Spirit protected from any error as they wrote God breathed out this book now inspiration is not that Isaiah Decided to sit down and write or Paul or Peter and and when they finished God said wow, that's pretty good You know, and so he kind of blew on it and inspired it. It's not that Inspiration is not even that God just filled the hearts of the writers so much they were so inspired to write these great things That's not inspiration the word literally means breathed out by God And it indicates that the word of God originated with him it was breathed out by him He put the thoughts and the very words into the heart of the writers as he breathed them out They caught them and they wrote them God used their background their experience their education Forming their character their life situation so they would be in a right place at the right time to write what he wanted But it was breathed out by God. This is God's word Now there's a very very important reason for believing in the inspiration the scripture several important reasons the importance of inspiration is this To believe that the Bible is perfect that it is inspired of God it comes from him It's very important because if this is God's word if it is the inspired word of God then it's trustworthy You can count on what it says You don't have to doubt anything this book says it is true If it is God's word and it is it is true Second reason for the importance of inspiration is if this is God's word breathed out by God Then it is not only trustworthy it is authoritative In other words This is not just a nice book with nice principles in it that I can take or leave no this is this is authoritative This is the authority for your life and mine. We must do what this book says If this is just a human production, it's really no different than Grimm's fairy tales or esophagus Now you can read some of those things and get interesting things from them and learn principles about life The tortoise and the hare remember that story esophagus fable that's uh Old language for the turtle and the rabbit Remember the story the rabbit jumps off the starting line Zips way out in front. I think she's got the race one takes a little cesta and the plotting never give up turtle beats him across the finish line Well, I can learn some good lessons from that. I can learn the lesson of diligence and and just plotting on and keep it ongoing and that those who Are fast at the start may not even finish. I can learn some good lessons, but it's not authoritative I'm not bound by that. I don't have to live by that if I don't want to This is different. This is not just good moralisms This is the authoritative Breathe out word of God Which is my authority for what I believe and live all of our authority for believing and living is this book So if it is God's word, it's authoritative if it is God's word. It is also a living book This is not just a dusty history book This is a living book. It has within it a life It does what it does because it is what it is If you read Psalm 19 you'll find that six times that refrain in there The law of the Lord is perfect Converting the soul The law of the Lord is radiant enlightening the eye six times He says something the word of God is and because it is what it is it does what it does Because it is perfect It converts the soul So God's word because it is his word. It is his perfect breathed out word It is our authority for living. It is trustworthy. It is a living book That is different than any other book that's ever been written This is the word of God so we will focus on the Bible on the word of God in discipling people Here at the chapel because of its perfection Third We will focus on the word of God like Paul told Timothy to because of its prophet Notice what Paul says in verse 16 All scripture is God breathed and is useful This book has profit. It's the most profitable thing you own. It is the most useful thing you have What is it useful for very quickly? Notice the six things. It's first of all useful for teaching There's no greater textbook than this book It's no greater curriculum you can learn or study than this book It is useful for teaching secondly. It is useful for rebuking You see it there in verse 16 Rebuking means to bring conviction of sin It means that this book points out our sin and calls us to account for it. It rebukes us for our sin But not only is it profitable or useful for teaching and rebuking. It's also profitable for correcting Again, verse 16 useful for teaching rebuking correcting the word correcting literally means to straighten something Some of you need straightened out and I do too. We all need straightening out in certain areas, don't we? If the Bible rebukes us and shows our sin then it also shows us how straightened that out How to get our lives back in order No other world religion will do that I read something on the internet yesterday about the speech by Tiger Woods It was greatly disheartened To hear that he feels he can turn back to another type of religion To get his life straightened out There's only one book that will straighten this out And that's the word of God He will be severely disappointed to turn to any other source than the word of God The word of God is profitable for correcting It's also profitable for training notice there in verse 16 training in righteousness The word training is a word that was used in the first century of the complete education of a child usually done by a household servant Who taught the child all the manners all the things they were supposed to do but also all their formal education That that wholesale curriculum that full curriculum in righteousness how to live or write kind of life is found in the word of God fifth, it's also profitable for Building character notice that they're in verse 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work Actually the King James has a little better here than the niv Because the Greek word artidzo's found twice in this verse And it has two different meanings that the man of God may be perfect Thirley furnished under all good works the first use of the word perfect Means that he must be developed in his character the word of God helps us to grow to mature to be developed in our character Everything you need to build your characters found in this book the word was literally used for mending nets when the net gets torn You mend it when your life gets torn and ripped apart you mend it By the word of God you build character through the word of God The second use of that word in verse 17 actually has to do with preparing for service And that's the thoroughly equipped for every good work Where as this word can mean mending nets it can also mean to be fitted out like a soldier and that's the idea of preparing for service Preparing for every good work So the word of God not only men's our character it also prepares us equip us gives us the clothing the armor the weaponry we need to fight life's battles So this book prepares us for service There is nothing like the word of God It is the most useful thing you have It is profitable Paul says in these six different ways profitable for your life nothing else can replace it I have a Bible with me here this morning It's an older Bible has my name inscribed on it. It was given to me in August of 1970 I Committed my life to train for the ministry and my dad gave me this Bible my mom and dad gave it to me and dad wrote this August 17 1970 in the filialief of this Bible He said dear John words cannot express how proud and happy we are that God has chosen you to preach to others the glorious gospel Of the riches of his grace and salvation and then I want you to listen to what my dad charged me with I've never forgotten that it rings in my ears just like Paul's charge did the Timothy Mom and I trust that this Bible will not only be useful at school And it was I used it all through Piedmont got notes all through it Not only be useful at school But will be your constant daily answer to every need Use it constantly Remembering that there is no substitute for the word of God No textbook no commentary no instructor can take its place God bless you and keep you in every way And I turned the page and wrote my response to my dad on the next page If I should ever preach anything but the precious word of God Where if I should be content to be a mediocre preacher of the word god forbid that I should enter the ministry I'll never forget God's challenge to me through my dad In this Bible Just like Paul was challenging Timothy my dad challenged me There's nothing that can take the place of this book There's no textbook no curriculum no instructor no teacher can take the place of the Bible The Bible is what is profitable for everything we need for life and godliness is found in the promises of this book Peter says that It is profitable and for that reason we will always be focused on the word of God But not only because of its power its perfection's profit but also because of the protection of the word Paul deals with this in chapter four the first four verses The word of God is able to protect us from a very serious disease Look at verses three and four and you'll find the disease described first Verse three For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine That's the first stage in this disease When people will not put up with sound doctrine to put up with literally the word means to To stand beside and embrace and not let go of There will come a time when people will not do that. They want to move away from sound teaching of scripture And so what's the second stage of this disease Instead to suit their own desires they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what they're itching Here's ears want to hear The second stage is a desire for something else Rather than the clear teaching and preaching of the word of God desire for something else something new something more spectacular something Something that will make me feel good You can find an awful lot of that today you can find a lot of it on television People's ears are itching for things that will make them feel good And there are plenty of people who are willing to scratch that itch Paul told Timothy that's a disease It's a disease that will eventually lead to this in verse four They will then turn their ears away from the truth a literal resistance of pulling away from the truth in the fourth stage of the disease is this Satanic delusion Notice at the end of verse four they will turn aside to myths things which are not true Things which will deceive them and delude them and lead them down a wrong path satanic delusion That's a terrible disease and our cultures inflicted with it today and so Paul says Timothy Here's the antidote to that disease the antidote is this versus one and two In the presence of God and please notice How solemn this is how sobering this is how he frames this charge to Timothy notice in the presence of God and in the And of Christ Jesus who will judge the living and the dead and in view of his appearing in his kingdom. I give you this charge Well if I were Timothy I'm sitting there saying whoa man. I better listen up Timothy you will give an account for what you do with this when you stand before God I'm putting you right now in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus when he comes to set up his kingdom And you stand before him and you give an account Timothy remember this charge What is the charge verse two preach the word Be prepared in season and out of season correct rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction preach it Timothy preach it clearly the word preach meaning to herald fourth The message of a king to sound forth clearly so people can see it and hear it and understand it and live it preach it Timothy preach it clearly preach it consistently in season out of season when it goes over well when it doesn't When people like it when they don't when you don't feel like it when you do feel like it preach it consistently Timothy preach it he says In verse two with correction correct then rebuke with censure and encourage with comfort and then with great care preach the word of God We will always remain Bible centered God willing Because of the protection of the word this is the only thing that will protect us from going down a path That will be an ultimate destruction for a spiritually protection of the word But there's one other reason and one other element of discipleship. I haven't touched on yet And that is the practice of the word We must remain Bible focused Because of the power and the protection the prophet the perfection of the word but We must also practice the word and here's where discipleship gets very practical We say a couple of things about this first of all The best discipleship is in the context of relationship The best discipleship is in the context of relationship discipleship must be focused on the word But it needs to be in the context of relationship You see I don't want to discount The impact that someone can have on you through their speaking and writing that you may never even meet There are lots of people I've never met But through what I've heard tapes and CDs through the years or what I've read of their books They've been mentors to me I've never even met some of them I would not discount that at all But the best discipleship is in the context of relationship The discipleship is not just communication of the word It must take place in the context of relationship We learn and we become a follower not only as we hear but as we see it lived out In front of us and with us what it means to live this book So it's in the context of sharing life together that discipleship is best done When Jesus took 12 of his followers and said you men are going to be the apostles You men are going to be the men on whom the church will be built You will be functional In building the church this is what he said to them in Mark chapter 3 He appointed 12 Designated in the apostles Now notice the reason the purpose he appoints them That they might be with him And that they might send them out to preach and have authority to drive out demons First thing in their curriculum was to be with him To be with him It's no mistake that they asked Jesus To teach them how to pray as they watched him pray It was not just out of a Bible class curriculum that they were excited to pray they watched him pray And they wanted to learn more how to pray It is as we watch people as we rub shoulders with people as we walk with people who are older in the faith More mature in the faith further along in the faith than we are that we catch the fire To become like them and thus like Christ And that's what Paul told the Corinthians as we saw earlier in 1 Corinthians chapter 4 When he said I urge you to imitate me and in 1 Corinthians 11 when he told the same group of people follow my example as I followed the example of Christ You see Paul said I'm a little further down the road than you are As long as I follow Christ you can watch my life and see what you're supposed to do That's the best context for Discipleship and that's why Paul would instruct Timothy or Titus in Titus 2 Titus teach the things which Adorn sound doctrine which really fit with sound doctrine teach those things But teach the younger men that they need to teach or teach the older man that they need to teach the younger men And teach the older women that they need to teach the younger women I mean stuff like how to love their husbands and love their children keep their home and things like that And when he was talking about teaching the younger man he said Timothy you or Titus you'd be an example to them with your own lifestyle You see training in the word discipling in the word is best done in the context of a relationship So for that reason let me say this Spend time with other believers Spend some time with older believers So that you can look and learn and listen How they live their life and then pass that along To younger believers You become a learner a disciple of someone so that you can then mentor someone else and disciple someone else That's what Paul said in second Timothy too take the truths. I've told you Timothy you pass them along to someone else I Believe a ministry that could be very effective in this kind of discipleship is a small groups ministry We've talked about this before We do not have at Johnston Chapel officially The small groups ministry. I know we have some small groups that are meeting But we do not have really a small groups ministry from the church We Want to move in that direction because we believe that discipleship is best done in the context of relationship And for those who are looking for that kind of discipleship we want to provide that's not going to happen next week because Here's the reason When we develop a ministry like this we want to make sure first of all their trained leaders So we'll have a program in place to train leaders to disciple groups now There plenty of folks here who are well trained well versed in the word of God, but we want to make sure every leader of every small group is trained So that we know that the word of God is being taught clearly correctly And then we also want to make sure there is a process of accountability of meetings with small group leaders So that we know That this is a ministry of the church that is helping to To grow people in Christ It is possible For small groups to become groups where people talk about everything else, but the word of God Or where they begin to gossip about everybody else That happens. I've seen it happen We want to make sure when we start a small groups ministry. It's not that That it is trained leadership helping people to understand the word of God in the context of a dozen people or so Who are living life together and sharing their lives in relationship praying together agonizing over their families together Seeking to live life in a way that pleases God together That's the best kind of discipleship I hope I do not embarrass him this morning I want to share with you something that very blizzard said to me 17 months ago and then said it again a week ago Friday to me He said John we have been prepared for what we're going through By the ministry of the word it is the word of God that has prepared us for this And when he told me that the second time he went on to expand he said there are people who have an emotional based religion When they go through things like what we're going through they have no place to stand no strength for this But we have been prepared for this through the ministry of the word of God And then he said something else To me the day of the funeral. I don't think I'll ever forget And that is the amazing outpouring of love From people with whom relationships had been formed It's what's carrying you The word of God in the context of relationships That is what true discipleship is all about And it is people who grow in Christ and mature in Christ through The teaching of the word of God in the context of loving caring relationships That have the spiritual strength to go through the darkest valleys in life