If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, He has something for you to do that will give him honor and glory through your vocation. If you find out where the Lord wants you, that's where you can work for Him. Ultimately, we work for God not because we have to, but because we want to build up fellow believers and bring others into the Kingdom of God!
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I. Introduction
II. Works
III. The Workman
a)Workmen are compared to earthen vessels, or gold vessels
b)Workmen may be vessels for honor or dishonor
c)Workmen purge themselves
d)Workmen were sanctified and are being sanctified
e)Workmen flee youthful lusts
f)Workmen follow good things
i. Faith
ii. Love
iii. Peace
iv. Follow those with a pure heart
g)Workmen avoid foolish questions
IV. Conclusion & Prayer
I. Introduction
As we've been going through 2nd Timothy, we found Paul is teaching Timothy and Timothy supposed to teach others, so I guess it's teaching us also: how to be a good Christian. In this world, it's not full of good Christians. How to serve the Lord and what the main goal is. We learned the main goal last week is sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. But now he's going to talk a little bit about being prepared for the work that God has for us. And if you're a believer in Jesus Christ, he has something for you to do that will give him honor and glory. Maybe through a secular job. Maybe through a church job, it doesn't matter.
What matters is, if you find out where the Lord wants you, and that's where you are. That's where you work. That's where you serve him. Peter has been going over the spiritual gifts. And this morning, we were talking about how we have the gift of ministry and the gift of mercy and the gift of exhortation. All of those are used not just in the church, they're used to specifically build up the church, but we can also use those on the job site, at home, everywhere to try to build up the church by encouraging unbelievers to come to know Jesus Christ. Because people look at you. And people watch how you act and how you react. So here, he's going to talk about being prepared for the work. Notice in verse 20.
1 Timothy 2:20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.
II. Works
Now turn over to 1 Corinthians chapter 3, or you can just listen. 1 Corinthians chapter 3. Paul used the same illustration as far as gold and silver and wood and things like that in 1st Corinthians. But as I'm going to show you, they're slightly different, although both are important. 1st Corinthians chapter 3 look at verses .. starting in verse 11.
1 Cor 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. 14 If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
So here in 1st Corinthians, what the writer is trying to tell us is this: he's using the illustration of gold, silver, wood, hay, stubble to describe our works, what we do for the Lord. Some people think they're working for the Lord and all they're doing is woodworks; hay, stubble. As far as the church of God goes, they're going to be burnt up. Just because you're working hard doesn't mean you're working for the Lord. You have to decide. Are you going to be doing what God wants you to? Or are you going to be doing what you want to thinking that's what God wants to? Did you ever do that sometimes?
I knew a guy once who, his boss said, okay. He worked in the house and his boss said, 'Okay, what I want you to do is paint these walls.' Well, the guy said, 'Well, instead of painting the walls, I think I'll put in trim.' So he put up all the trim and the boss came and goes 'what'd you do.' He says, 'Man, I've been working hard today. I got all the trim done.' But the boss said, 'I didn't want the trim up yet. I wanted it painted.'
So, sometimes we do that in Christian work. We say, 'I have been working hard for the Lord. I've been doing what I think the Lord wants' but we've never asked the Lord what he really wants us to be doing. So if you think you're working hard and you're not, it's going to be burned up. Otherwise it's going to be gold and silver and precious stones. But that's far as the work goes. The work.
III. The Workman
Here, in verse 20 (2 Tim 2:20) it's talking about the 'workman'. The person who does the work. When it says in a house, there are some silver and gold and some wood in earthen, it's talking about the workman, the people who work.
a) Workmen are compared to Earthen Vessels, or Gold Vessels
Now, let me explain. Say, you have a fancy house. In the kitchen where all the work is done, they got wooden bowls and wooden cups and they're used to do all the work. To make the mashed potatoes, wooden blocks to cut the meat on. They're not really fancy, but they get the job done.
But once those mashed taters are made in that wooden bowl and everything looking good, then they're put into a silver bowl to be served to the master of the house. You see that silver bowl is just for serving. But it didn't do any of the work. It's still doing a work, what it's designed for. But that's what is talking about, when it says 'in a great house there are many vessels of different sorts'. It's talking about the workmen - not the work. It's talking about those of us, where as Peter is talking about with the spiritual gifts, some of us have gifts. Everybody gets to see us use them. Others have gifts that are done behind the scenes. Nobody gets to see. Their the wooden earthen gifts. They're not the silver and gold gifts.
But you know what? They are all important. When it says "some are to honor and some are to dishonor", you can be a silver or gold gift and still do things that dishonor the Lord. Or you can be a wooden, an earthen gift and still do things that give the Lord honor. And that's what it's talking about. In God's house, he wants to use all of us, regardless of what your gift is, regardless of whether it's a silver gift, a gold, a wooden gift, an earthen gift.
b) Workmen may be vessels for honor or dishonor
Are you using the gifts that God has given you for his glory and honor? Are you using it for honor? That word 'honor' just means something that's valuable, something that's useful. But dishonor means to disgrace and shameful. And so we have to be careful. Looking in God's word saying 'Okay, Lord I know what you want me to do, but now show me how to do it.'
Y'all know, most of, you know, I'm addicted to Facebook. I know, we have to confess our sins to everybody. I just did that. But there was a thing on there once I saw and maybe you saw it and if I paraphrase it wrong, just give me a break. But it said that when the Lord called you, he knew you were dumb and unprepared but he called you anyway. You see, and that's what God does. Sometimes when we get called by the Lord, to do something, we think "I'm too dumb for that. I don't know how to do that."
But God would have never called you if he didn't think you could do it given, first of all, that you present yourself a living sacrifice. And then just do it. How many times have you done that? You say, why I think God wants me to do this? I've told you my testimony. I thought in high school, God wanted me to teach or preach and I thought I can never do that. I don't like standing in front of people.
Then I joined the Navy. And after while, I became senior enough, I had to teach. I was ordered to teach groups of people. God said, "I'll show you" and that's what he does with us. He doesn't call somebody because they're already perfect at what they're going to do. He calls somebody that's willing to do it. And he's called each of us for something. What have you done?
Notice, verse 21. By the way, I looked up these words, ladies. When it says 'man' it means somebody that's a member of mankind, a human being. So it applies to all of us..
2 Tim 2:21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour ...
c) Workmen purge themselves
Purge himself from what? Why, I think it's the last part of verse 20, some to dishonor. You purge yourself from the things that cause dishonor. Specifically, people. People that dishonor God, that say they are believers, whether they or not. You know, he'd already mentioned two guys up a few verses before that. Two guys who were supposed to be Christians, but they were convincing everybody, "Ahh, the Rapture has already passed. You guys missed it." He says they were vessels unto dishonor. When he says purge yourself from these, he means - this is taught over and over and over in scripture. Don't hang around with people that are going to draw you away from God. Even if they say they are Christian. You purge yourself from them, and then you can become a vessel unto honor. A vessel that gives, that is valuable to God to use.
And hopefully everyone of us in here would say, 'that's what I want' because that's the kind of vessel that .. you know when I die and come to the Lord, he's going to say, "Well done thou good and faithful servant." But he continues on. He says, you'll ..
2 Tim 2:21 .. be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
d) Workmen were sanctified and are being sanctified
Sanctified, set apart, made holy. Now at salvation, we are sanctified because now we are born again. We are set apart for God's use. But everyday, we have .. it's a thing called 'progressive sanctification'. In other words, every day we have to allow ourselves to work for Christ to become more Christ-like. And if you decide I want to be a vessel unto honor, I want to be valuable to God, then he'll set you apart. He'll make you special to serve him in whatever area. He says, 'meet' or prepared for the Masters use.
Honestly, I think sometimes as Christians, we don't get excited about serving God as much as we should. Why, cuz the world .. it comes upon us .. the world's all around us. Problems, everyday problems. You know. We can't pay the bills or the job is getting tough. Or our neighbors are getting tougher. Health issue show up in so many things are thrown our way. Sometimes we forget about God. Oh, he's there so I can pray and ask him to help me with this and help me with that. But he also wants you to serve him, to be 'meet' and prepared for the Masters use.
To do what? Good works. I know some say well, as long as you're saved, you don't have to do any works. Well, we don't work for salvation but God expects us to work after salvation. You'll remember the verse Ephesians chapter 2:8-9. Many of us can probably quoted but we forget about first 10.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
When you accepted God's grace and had your sins forgiven, now, you're in Christ Jesus for the purpose of doing good works. Wouldn't the world be a whole lot better if every Christian started thinking what God wanted them to do and how to serve him and do good works? I just, so many times we end up fighting. Somebody said, once that Christianity is one of those religions where they shoot their wounded. And that's bad.
e) Workmen flee youthful lusts
Instead we should be lifting each other up as many of the gifts Peter went through. Encouraging one another and realizing God has a plan for each one of us. What's the plan for you? Well, many times it just to be a witness on the job. He goes on. In verse 22, he's talking about first we'll 'flee' and and then we'll 'follow.'
1 Timothy 2:22: Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
Flee youthful lusts. Well, that's more than just, when it says youthful lust, it's more than just sexual desires. Think about it. Some of you are still kids, you still falling into that youthful lust part. Remember when you were a kid, some of the rest of us. There was nothing you could do wrong. You were always right. Everything I did, they're wrong. It doesn't matter that they've had years of experience. I've made a decision. I'm right. That's a youthful lust, thinking you're always right. Getting angry for no reason. Being emotionally ..
How am I going to put this? Being emotionally moved to go with the crowd. So you'll be accepted. Sometimes the crowds heading in the wrong direction. Youthful lust. Things that we do when we're young and foolish that when we get older, we go, 'Man, I wish I had never done that.' That's what he means by flee youthful lust. Specifically he wrote to Timothy and Timothy is a young preacher and a lot of young preachers fall into this.
How can I .. they get the big head? You know what I mean? 'I'm the pastor. I don't care if you've been saved for 142 years, I know more than you do.' That's wrong. That's a youthful lust. Many, many churches have failed because pastors have thought they were better than the people. That they could get away with sins that normal people can't. No. It don't matter if you're a pastor or pew sitter. We're all children of God. We're all expected to act the same way, amen?
f) Workmen follow good things
And so he says, flee youthful lusts, stop doing things that are not thought out or not according to the word of God. But instead, he says follow, run away from youthful lusts. But follow the things, the good things. He says "follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart." (2 Timothy 2:22) So he says what we should do if we want to be good workers is flee the youthful lust things, instead follow the good things, the spiritual things, the righteousness. Doing the right thing the way God wants it done.
i. Faith
And the faith. Just believing God. Sometimes that's hard. Something happens in our lives that can really set us back emotionally, physically, and it's really hard sometimes to just say, "Lord, I trust you. I don't know how you're going to handle this, but I have faith you're going to handle it." Sometimes we .. our prayers are answered as 'no', like the Apostle Paul. Paul said, 'Lord. Heal Me.' God said, 'No, my grace is sufficient for you.' And then trusting that - is faith.
As we're working for the Lord, we need this righteousness so that we do the right thing. We're vessels unto honor. We need the faith. So no matter what happens, we always trust God. I'm doing, Lord, what you tell me to do. And it may not turn out the way we want it, but it will always turn out the way he planned when 3we follow him. He says, charity.
ii. Love
Or love. That's simple. Jesus' last command was said, what? "Love one another." You cannot be a workman for God if you don't have love one toward another. It's as simple as that. Unless you care about the things that benefit other people, you can't truly be a workman for God. You have to care about people.
iii. Peace
And then, it says 'peace'. This is just an inner contentment. It doesn't say it, but I like to look at it as 'joy'. You know, joy. Joy is that inner feeling that everything's going to be alright. Not happiness. There's a lot of people that are preaching 'be happy'. You know, if you have faith, you're going to be happy. But the Bible doesn't teach a lot about happy, but it teaches a lot about joy. Happiness is based on conditions. You can be happy as a clam.
But you're working somewhere and you hit your thumb with a hammer, that happiness goes away. And once the throbbing starts to subside, then the joy inside you went 'Lord, I know you're still with me. I can't wait to get to heaven so I won't hit my thumb with a hammer anymore." But notice what it says at the end.
iv. Follow those with a pure heart
All of these things we're supposed to follow, we're to do them "with them that called on the Lord out of a pure heart." (2 Tim 2:22) And this a key. Remember at the first it said, stay away from those that will cause you to fall. And now it says, stay with those who lift you up, that believe what you believe. Many, many, many believer has fallen because they ran with the wrong crowd. They strayed. They've gone the wrong thing because they started listening to the wrong people. That's why, you know, that's why we meet together.
One reason for Sunday school and church and Sunday afternoon and Wednesday is to get together with people who believe the way we believe. Who want to encourage us to stand up and serve the Lord. Because if you run with the wrong crowd, pretty soon you start talking like they do. I remember when I was a teenager, I started working at a grocery store. Mom was always taking us to church and suddenly out here in the world working with other people, my language started sounding like their language. I started saying words that mom used to wash my mouth out for. Them old cuss words.
But what's the Bible say? Let no corrupt communication proceed from your mouth. And it was hard. Once the Lord slapped me upside the head so to speak, got my attention said, 'Hey, everybody thinks you're just one of the world cuz you're talkin like them and you're acting like them and you're listening to the same things.' My life changed.
[talking to one of the people in the crowd] Not pepper. Just regular Ivory soap. Oh, good for you. You must have been really bad. I hope it helped. [end talking with person.]
But you know, God wants us to live pure holy lives. He wants us to serve him. And do what he wants to. And do it with people that believe the way you believe, that love the Lord out of a pure heart.
g) Workmen Avoid Foolish Questions
2 Tim 2:23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.
Final thing he says is, as you're working for the Lord, as you serving him, you're doing what you should. There's always going to be somebody that's going to ask you stupid questions. You're saying, 'Pastor, you said stupid?' Well, that's what the word foolish means. In the Greek it means 'stupid', stupid questions. You know, you ever heard the saying there's no such thing as a dumb question? Yes, there is. I've heard them. You know, I mentioned some last week, somebody says, 'On Noah's Ark, why did they let the mosquitoes on there? Why didn't the termites chew on the wood and they sink?' Who cares? God, preserved them. God, save them from destruction. That's what we should be centering on.
So, avoid questions 'that gender strife.' In other words, they cause fights. That's why we got to be careful when we talk politics. There's some questions too. You know, this doesn't say avoid spiritual questions. Sometimes we got to avoid these political questions because they get us into fights. As the old saying goes 'Better the world think you a fool then open up your mouth and prove that their right.'
IV. Conclusion & Prayer
So what did we learn? You're part of a great house, if you're a believer. If you've trusted Christ, you had your sins forgiven, you're all part of God's family. Some of us are wooden vessels, earthen vessels. Things that aren't normally seen by everybody else, but they get the work done. Some are silver and gold. They're more noticeable. But regardless of what kind of vessel you are, regardless of the gifts that God has given you, he wants you to use them. He wants you to serve him, he wants you to be a vessel unto honor in everything you do.
We're going to do the Lord's Supper in a few minutes. And when we do, one of the things, as we always say, we need to examine ourselves. Why don't we do that right now? Let's bow our heads. Shut our eyes. No one looking around and ask yourself, first of all Lord, do I know you as my Savior? If the trumpet should sound or I should die, I'd be in heaven, right then.
And if you are a believer, if you are a child of God, what are you doing for him? Are you living life based on your own ideas? Are you living life based on God's? Are you doing what you hope God wants you to do? Or are you doing what God really wants you to do? And those you work with or other family members see you, can they tell by the way you talk; can they tell by the way you act that you're a vessel of honor or one of dishonor? Hopefully the Lord spoke to each of our hearts now. So as I pray, lift your heart up to God.
Heavenly Father, Lord we thank you for your word. We thank you Lord that we're able to see what you desire from us. We know, Lord, that we're created for good works. We know, Lord, that you have a plan for us. That's why you've given us your Holy Spirit and the gift of the Spirit. Lord, this doesn't mean that we can't serve in secular jobs.
But whatever we do, we should do it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men. Help us Lord to be a child of God. Not just on Sunday mornings. But we act like the child of God every day of our lives. Lord, because you deserve it. You saved us. You're preparing a place for us in heaven and one day you're coming for us. And Lord, we can't thank you enough for that. In Jesus name, amen.