1
“Share the Gospel Urgently”
2 Tim. 4:1-5
As followers of Christ and members of this church we are called to share our faith in Christ.
The Command to Share (vv. 1-2)
We are commanded to share. Each of the first 5 books of the NT clearly state this:Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47; John 20:21; Acts 1:8.
If commanded, Why don’t we share our faith?
One, we don’t share because we don’t know how. We think we have to have training before we can tell others about our faith and about Christ. Training can be good. Learning questions such as Share Jesus Without Fear are helpful, but you don’t have to have it. Remember, the most powerful thing you have on your side in sharing the faith is not the method, but the message.
Two, we don’t share because we are afraid. We are afraid of rejection. We are afraid we will be belittled. We are afraid we will be asked questions we cannot answer.
Three, we don’t share because we don’t think we’ll be successful. I won’t say the right thing, I’ll flub it up, they won’t respond favorably. Look at the previous five passages commanding us to share. Do any of those say we go out and save people? Do they say if a certain percentage of those you share with don’t get saved you failed? No, they all say one thing- just go out to the people and share. Your job is not to save and get a certain percentage of favorable responses. Your job is to share.
Paul then gives some details to the command to share. “Be ready in season and out of season” is a phrase that means be available. Be sensitive to the needs of people.
Paul gives three phrases of how we use the word in ministry. “Reprove” refers to the intellectual side of sharing and defending the faith which we cover in a moment. This speaks of helping others before they make a mistake. “Rebuke” speaks of confronting someone after they have made a mistake. We have to do this in love and in a spirit of how we can help them, not condemn them! “Exhort” refers to encouraging people with the word. The point is, look around and opportunities for ministry abound in terms of sharing and talking to people about the faith. Note that this will take “great patience” and this is especially true for the next thing Paul mentions.
The Challenge in Sharing (vv.3-4)
There are challenges to sharing and this is where sharing about our faith can become defending the faith. Why reprove, rebuke, exhort? Because false teaching has always been and will always be a problem. In these two verses, Paul shows the progression of what happens with false teaching. Jer. 5:31- “The prophets prophesy falsely, and my people love to have it so.”
“Ears tickled” and “own desires” answer the question. “Tickled” relates to the desire that stems from pathos- your passion or even lust. A lot of what we hear from those who deny the existence of God or reject the authority of the Bible is that they do so on intellectual grounds. But look at what Paul is saying- It’s not about the intellect, it’s the desire- the “passions.” Why is false teaching really appealing and so many follow it? The “I’m a thinking person” is a ruse for the real issue: I don’t want Jesus to be King!
Another reason we must be careful about identifying false teaching is seen in Paul’s use of “turn away/aside” in v.4. The phrase was used of someone who wrenched a limb out of joint. Dangerous because it can happen slowly over time, but end in disastrous consequences.
The Basics of Sharing (v.5)
In v.5, Paul rattles off in fast order the basics of sharing the faith.
“Be sober in all things”- the phrase literally means, “keep your head.” In sharing the faith with people and in defending the faith you will need much patience as Paul already said in v.2. People may be mean, they may be offensive, they may have beliefs that startle and outrage you. Remember if you do not respond in love you’re only going to push them back. You can be loving and still stand for the truth.
“Endure hardship”- You may be made fun of, ridiculed, or called things when you share/defend the faith. This may happen to you when you choose to live in obedience to the Lord and refuse to go along with the crowd.
“Do the work of an evangelist”- This is where the discipline of sharing comes in. It is work. We won’t be near as effective witnesses if we wait for opportunities to share to come to us rather than make opportunities.
“Fulfill your ministry”- The idea is to fill your life up to the brim with the things Paul has mentioned. Always be about how you can be a minister.
The Reason for Sharing (v.1)
Why are we to be urgent and intentional in sharing and defending the faith? Because the day is coming when we will stand before our Creator in judgment. Face it- sharing is a matter of life and death, heaven or hell, eternal bliss or eternal torment. We don’t know the time the Lord will return or the time we or others will die. So, we need to get busy sharing. Time is running out!