How to Be Useful to God

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Sermon Video

As you listen to the sermon, or after you've listened to it, here's a quick outline to help you remember and apply the passage:

The passage begins with a picture:

1. A Large House

The large house is the church. 

Gold and silver - the nice dishes - the ones on display

Vessels of honor - The ones you pull out for a dinner party

Wood and earthenware - The daily use vessels.

Vessels of dishonor - the one that’s in the bathroom.

The vessels are believers.

• Honor - faithful believers

• Dishonor - unfaithful/compromising believers

We should aim to be vessels of honor. Useful to the Master. To be useful to the Master, you need to be sanctified.

A Guide to Usefulness

Usefulness begins with a Passionate pursuit of knowing God

2. FLEE & PURSUE (v. 22)

FLEE is a command. It should be the ongoing pursuit. Like a fugitive who never stops running.

Basic immaturity is in view here

When we’re less mature, we tend to focus on wealth,  power, having influence.

Ambition is often overemphasized.

Jealousy, envy and an argumentative spirit  fall into this category.

PURSUE has the same imperative force.

Pursue Righteousness - synonymous with obedience to God’s Word.

Pursue Faith(fulness)

Basic loyalty to God. An unwavering commitment to following Him.

Pursue Love

Agape love - a love that prioritizes the other person over yourself.

Pursue Peace

1. Peace with God

2. Peace with other Christians

Verse 22 concludes - with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart - a reminder toward unity.

The basic definition of discipleship is this: 

Helping one another follow Jesus better.

3. DISCERNMENT (v. 23)

Something that’s sadly lacking in many Christians today. (Basic spiritual maturity)

There are things that need to be filtered out. 

books you should avoid

preachers you should’t listen to

blogs/podcasts that not only not helpful

but harmful.

Discernment is necessary. 

Maturity precedes discernment. 

If it leads to a quarrel - avoid going down that path.

Reminder:

4. YOU’RE A SLAVE (v. 24-25)

These things are not optional for a slave. Slave applies to both Timothy and every believer.

the Lord’s slave must not be quarrelsome,

Instead of that: (another both flee and pursue)

Patient when wronged

Be kind to everyone. - this is certainly the opposite of quarrelsome. Spiritual maturity and humility are necessary

Able to teach

Reminding us about elders and their role in the Body, but this also applies to everyone. 

The idea is that we need to bring Scripture to bear on all situations. Chapter and verse is the first thing every time.

Patient when wronged

If you stay at any church for any length of time, you will be wronged at some point. You will also wrong someone eventually.

What do you do in that situation?

Be patient. Correct with gentleness.

Because: God has been, and is being abundantly patient with you. 

Read Colossians 3:12-15

Unforgiveness is just UNacceptable

Correction must be done in the right spirit, with the right heart attitude, or you’ll need correction yourself.

(Church discipline is certainly in view here)

The goal of discipline is discipleship. 

DISCIPLine. DISCIPLeship

4. The Aim: REPENTANCE (v. 25-26)

The hope of any correction, the hope anytime you’re corrected is repentance.

Principles for correction:

1. You cannot correct in self-righteousness. 

You must have compassion for them. It must be done in love and kindness with gentleness

It’s not about difference of opinion or preferences, but disobedience to Scripture.

Actual sinful behavior. 

Heart attitude is key: Humility must be the foundation 

2 - God Grants Repentance

It’s God that does the work in your heart, and in theirs. The Holy Spirit has to be at work. 

We can’t do this on our own

God Grants Repentance. It:

• Starts in the mind - with understanding

• Moves to the heart - acknowledgement - You own it.

• Leads to outward change. A new direction. A different attitude. Behaving differently.

3 - Full knowledge of the truth

God’s Word coming to bear on the situation.

If the error is a brother/sister wronging you, the gospel is the answer because without the work of Christ and His forgiveness, without the forgiveness that He extended to you, you would never extend that forgiveness to someone else. His forgiveness is the foundation for our forgiveness.

Let’s remain committed to digging deep into God’s Word and, through the power of the Holy Spirit, bring it to bear on all aspects of our lives!

Soli Deo Gloria!
Pastor Rob