Episode 250: Make Hay While the Sun is Shining | +Quigg Lawrence

Introduction

Alright. Hey. I did some really dumb stuff when I started in the ministry, and some I need forgiveness for. Could I share one if you promise not to tell anybody else? Because this isn't online.

So, in my first church, I looked like I was 16 years old and I had the mind of a middle school boy. That's kind of my maturity level. Anyway, the third week I was there, I looked out and everybody in our church had white hair. Literally, like the median age was 70-something. And they all had hearing aids. And I thought it would be super funny to come up to the pulpit and do this. And then, like two senior citizens reached for their hearing aid and turned it up, and all of a sudden you could hear them humming—they were feeding back. Cause then I started to talk in my regular voice. It was so loud, they started feeding back in their ear. Didn't endear me to the senior citizen crowd. And I don't believe in karma—that's a cruel doctrine that comes out of Hinduism. But if I did believe in karma, I think the Lord has a sense of humor because I was mocking these people, kind of making fun of their hearing aids.

And I've been noticing my wife is just really hard of hearing. I mean, she doesn't enunciate right now. Do we have a picture? So, I'm always doing this. I'm like, Could you speak up? And I thought about getting one of the old-time devices, if you could look at that. There was a man in my neighborhood growing up. He was like 93, arthritic and all that. He had a big old—what they call an ear trumpet—and when you would talk to him, he'd go, and he'd stick his ear trumpet right in your mouth. And this is kind of what my grandkids are having to do now with me. So, what I found out is it's really isn't a problem with Annette's annunciation. It's really a hearing issue, probably from shooting too much. And so, I was supposed to go to the hearing place this week and get a new hearing aid, but sorry, I didn't make it and I lost my prop. But just know, I will be getting a hearing aid. I'm joining the club. And karma is pretty tough. When you make fun of something, it comes back to bite you. So, there you go.

But the main point is, in terms of hearing, is we've got this amazing letter from Paul to Timothy. And Paul really wants a young Timothy to listen to him. Like Paul was getting ready to die. He suffered unimaginable pain. I mean, you've read the story. You know, whipped, beaten in the city, shipwrecked. I mean, you know it all—cold, hungry, all that. And now, he's trying to tell Timothy, Timothy, I need you to listen to me because I'm going to be going to the Lord soon, and there's some things I really want you to, I'm imploring you to listen to what I have to say to you.

The Context of the Passage

And so we open up and it says, Paul says to Timothy, I charge you. I charge you. In other words, this is so important. I'm trying to get your attention. Listen to this. This isn't frivolous talk. This is so important, Timothy. I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus.

When I read that, it strikes me funny. What strikes you funny about that? I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus. It almost sounds as if there's God, and then there's this other entity being Christ Jesus. Could you see where people who are heretics, who don't believe Jesus is fully God, could navigate here among other verses and try to say Jesus is less than the Father? The thing is, when you read these things, maybe we don't understand what Paul's trying to say. Maybe it's a Hebrew expression. But what we do know is, you can interpret a verse out of the context of so many other verses that prove to us that Jesus is equal with God.

You've seen me, you've seen the Father. The Father and I are one. Jesus is the expressed image of the Father. I am, I am, I am, I am. And so there's like no doubt, but here he's saying, I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus. So, maybe it's a theological thing that goes above most of our heads. To them, when they talk about God, they're talking about the Father. So, in the presence of our Father and also of God the Son, God incarnate, the man Christ Jesus.

Maybe it's showing that the Father has a different role. He's not greater or less than. He just has a different role than the Son and the Holy Spirit. Perhaps, that's true. But, as a middle school boy in my own intellect, I tend to think it's like this. I swear by my mama's grave. And then the next guy goes, oh, yeah? I swear by my mother's mother's grave. And so I wonder here if he's saying like, I charge you in the presence of God and also of Jesus—upping the ante, perhaps.

But the main thing is, there is a charge and what is the charge? He says, I want you—verse two—I want you to preach the word. Ready in season and out of season. Preach the word. Now, I don't know about you guys, but I don't really like people preaching at me. I mean, in church it's okay because you expect it. But if you go to Kroger and you're just in the aisle picking up, trying to find beef under $24 a pound, I mean, seriously? Do you really want some stranger coming up and says, could I share with you the Romans road? Or Isaiah 53 and start like preaching at you, telling you you're a sinner and God's wrath is on you and you need to turn from your sins?

There's a place for that. I'm so glad the Lord appointed one or two John the Baptist types in my life. But honestly, most of us didn't come to Christ because somebody preached at us in Kroger. And so, when the Bible, Paul saying this to Timothy, but really it's to all Christians—when he says, preach the word—what does he mean? Does he mean get in a pulpit? I don't think so. Because most of you will not be in a pulpit. When he says, preach the word, it's like, be a herald. Like when some good news happens, tell somebody about it. Imagine if going back to Kroger, if they had prime rib eye steaks on sale today for $5 a pound. You guys will be buzzing out here, you get your communion, you get in your car, and you go buy every steak they had. And you would, after you got yours, you tell all your friends about it. The point is, something much greater than steak is here. It's the bread of life. And he's saying, I want you to be a herald for me. I want you guys—Not the clergy. I want Christians. I want you to be a herald. I want you not to be ashamed of me. Yes, I mean, I want you to do it gently and intelligently and all that. And I want you to listen and just don't talk all the time but I need you to proclaim the good news of God in Christ Jesus. Tell the story. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.

Application

Let's go to the next slide. Yeah. So here, 1 Peter 3:15 says it well. It says, always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. Be prepared to make a defense for anyone that asks for the hope that lies within you, but do so with gentleness and respect. And so, no matter what kind of Christian you are, you've been a Christian one month, you've been a Christian fifty years, you've studied advanced, whatever, whatever, or maybe you've just read basic Christianity—you don't have to be a theologian. The Lord wants to use you. He wants you to be a herald for him, to be a light on the hill, so that others may also come to know Christ. So that others will not be lonely like orphans, not knowing their left hand from their right hand. Like sheep without a shepherd, sitting under a weight of sin and condemnation but not having a clue where to go with that.

And we in the church hoard the gospel. Could I just take the pressure off you and say, the Lord does not need most of us to be C.S. Lewis. He needs us to be more like the blind man who didn't know much at all. He says, all I know is I once was blind, but now I can see. And it's that man, Christ Jesus.

Be prepared to give a defense or reason for the hope that lies within you. Preach the word and it's not only telling about salvation. It goes on and says, do it in season and out of season. You know, I think right now, this is out of season. Nobody wants to hear out there. They don't want to hear the word of God. No. That worked in the fifties. It worked in the early sixties, and then all this stuff happened. And now, it's like, la la la la la. This is not a season where a lot of people want to hear hard things. There seems to be no truth in our day except for my truth. And yet, the Lord has told us to be a herald of the gospel, preach the word in season and out of season. And he goes on and he says, I want you to reprove, rebuke, and what's the other word? Reprove, rebuke, and exhort. I don't know about you, but I don't like when people come to reprove me, rebuke me, or exhort. Even a little better, but still.

And yet yesterday, a brother in Christ brought something to my attention, and it wasn't beating me up but it was something I'd rather not hear. And I was like, oh, that hurts. Oh, I want to be defensive but I know I'm not supposed to be defensive. But he spoke words of life and challenge and truth. So, part of being a Christian and being a light on the hill is, yes, speaking of salvation, speaking of your salvation, but also being willing to love a brother or sister enough to, in gentleness and kindness, speak words of truth so they don't wander off the path and get crushed. And so, that's the charge. Preach the word in season, out of season, with patience and teaching.

Hope and Endurance

Now, at verse three, it says, for the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching. But they'll have itching ears, and they're going to accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions. The time will come when people will not endure sound teaching. Do you know most of the seminaries in the United States are garbage? I wouldn't send my dog to most of these seminaries. Even the ones that used to be the lights on the hill, the places that we knew were good and safe and taught the faith once delivered, they're not doing it. It says the time is coming—and maybe it's already here—where people won't listen to sound doctrine or teaching. Why? Why would they not listen to sound doctrine? Because they don't want to, right? It says, they have itching ears.

I know Winnie. Hi, Winnie. Wherever you are, I come up to Winnie when I see her, and she's just like a little bundle of joy. Just makes me happy. And I go up and I do her face like that or do her ear, kind of tickle her ear. Love you, Winnie. See, people want their preachers to be like that. Tell me nice things. Tell me how good I am. Tell me about God's love. Don't challenge me. Don't preach repentance. Don't talk about the cross. Don't talk about suffering. Don't talk about serving. Don't ever ask me about giving or laying my life down. Don't ask me about holiness. Preacher, just say something that inspires me so I can go out and send some more.

I learned very quickly after seminary. I had about fifty people in my class, and we learned very quickly. If you keep your shoes shined, and you iron your shirt, and you smile at people, and are nice, you'll have a really good career. You'll be invited to the country club. You'll get invited to go to somebody's beach house. But on the other hand, if you step into what Second Timothy four is commanding us to—to preach the word of God, to give them sound teaching and not tickle their ears—you're going to get some punch back. The guys that do that usually get fired. I was. First job, fired for preaching basic Christianity—01/2001.

Let's move ahead. So, it says, they won't endure sound teaching. They're going to have itching ears, and they're going to accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions. And it says, this is sad. It says, they're going to turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. Now, I want you guys to help me. This is the participation part. Maybe you've been to a bookstore. Maybe you've noticed that the Christian section is like as big as my thumb. And in the Christian section, the books that aren't heretical or crazy or whack-job books, they're even smaller percentage. But they're rows and rows of books on spirituality.

What kind of myths do you see people in our city? People you know? What kind of myths, when they reject the truth, does the Bible say they wander into myths? What are some myths? And these are not new. They've been going on since the beginning. What are some lies that people believe? Even some Christians in the church.

Money will make me happy. I tell you, my best friend in seminary inherited ten million dollars—that was a lot of money back in 1983. That's a joke. Apparently, a very funny one. But the point being, he he won the lottery and he died penniless and miserable, right? It didn't make him happy. Howard Hughes—how did that work for him? Keep going, keep going.

Other myths: Money will make you happy—that's totally a myth. What else? Jesus isn't the only way. I mean, how narrow-minded can you be? Well, you know what? I'm going to be as narrow-minded as Jesus. Jesus says, I am the way, I am the truth, and I am the life, right? He is the sacrifice for sin. He is the one Isaiah 53 talked about. He is the king of kings, the Lord of Lords, the one who was and is and is to come. He is the one who will be our judge. Jesus Christ.

Other myths: Maybe one or two more—then we gotta go. I'm pretty good fellow. You're a pretty good fellow, right? I'm—you know, I'm not perfect but God grades on the curve, right? And I, unfortunately, make the curve; you don't. So, sorry. Yeah, I'm my own god. I don't need any more. Is that an absolutely frightening thing? You really want to be your own god? What provision do you make for your own sinfulness? You could no more be your own god than a rock can be your own god.

Any other myths that you see? People going astray from the truth? Yes. There's nothing after death. Nothing after death. Right? Eat, drink, be merry—because you know what? When you die, you just turn to dust. But that's not true. It's not true. There, there's going to be a resurrection of the dead, and the Bible talks of two judgments.

Have we gotten there yet? No? Oh, it says, oh yeah, I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who's to judge the living and the dead. There's a judgment in Romans 14. It talks about a judgment for all people, including unbelievers. Like all people will be before the great white throne, and the books are going to be opened, and our deeds are going to be laid bare. It's frightening. That's what happens in judgment. Jesus will judge the unbeliever.

And we Christians are like, whoo, good thing we don't have judgment coming. But what does the Bible teach about, for believers, for Christians? In Romans 2, it makes it clear that there's going to be a judgment for believers. Now, you who are in Christ, you were buried with him in his death, and you've been raised with him in his resurrection. And the Bible says he's going to give you—he's given you—his coat of righteousness, and not because you're good, but because he's good. And when he sees you, when you appear before his seat as a believer for judgment, the one who judges you is the one who poured his blood out for you to make you holy. He's the one who has given you holiness. But there will be a judgment for believers, and we believe it's actually for rewards. Whatever you've done under the least of these my brothers, you've done unto me. And the Lord is going to bless, and he will reward believers who have served him with a whole heart and a glad heart.

Conclusion

Last thing is verse five. Let's go there. It says, as for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. I like being silly. Any of you guys stuck like in middle school mode? Some people call that immaturity. I call it fun. But the Bible says, okay, great. You're wonderfully and fearfully made. God made you with this kind of strange personality that you think is funny, no one else does. But in the midst of that, the call to me is like, don't make excuses. Be sober-minded, so you can be about your Father's business. You don't have to undo your personality, but at least keep your head about you. Right? Don't be so silly. You draw attention away from the Lord and to yourself. And it says, so, be sober-minded, endure suffering. Trust me, if you speak for Christ, there are going to be some people that will not like that. No matter how kind or how gentle you are. But then it goes on and says, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Now, as I often tell you guys—and we're at the end now—is Timothy on the earth alive? Right now. Not here, not here, he's dead. He's with the Lord, but he's physically died. And so, this truth, this letter, while it was written to Timothy, is also our book. It's our story. And so through this passage, the Lord is saying, I want you guys to fulfill your ministries. And you're like, woah, woah, dude. I didn't go to seminary. I got a ministry. The Bible says that God has given spiritual gift or gifts to every Christian. Every single Christian. It's a gift. It's given. And so, the question is, how can you fulfill your ministry that the Lord has carved out for you? The way he's uniquely wired and gifted you. How can you fulfill it if you don't even know what it is?

So, the challenge this week is to say, Lord, I am not content to be like a fourth-string football quarterback on an NFL team—to sit on the bench and to never do anything. I hate that. I don't want to be on the bench. I want to get in the game. I want to serve you, and I want to fulfill the ministry God you've given me. That's a place of amazing joy. Fulfill the ministry the Lord has given you. No one else but you has that ministry.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.