Aliens
Final Words • Sermon • Submitted
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Have you ever been in a place where you feel like you stick out like a sore thumb?
When I was in high school my freshman year I went to a high school that was really preppy, they were known as snobs, people couldn’t stand this high school.
The first school was called Urbana and it had the reputation of being preppy and kinda snotty,
But my sophomore year the school district decided to change which high I went to and I ended up going to this high schools rival school that was very country
And on the other side of us was a high school called Linganore
and on the other side
and Linganore was a very country school
In every way this school was almost the opposite of the preppy school
Because we had take your tractor to school day
and these schools were fierce rivals, whenever there was a sporting event you would know a fight would happen
The songs at our home coming dance went from rap to Sweet home Alabama
and they just really disliked each-other!
And I was a Freshman going to this really Preppy school when I learned that we were getting transfered
I remember after home comming a guy that was in one of my classes asked me if I wanted to go mudboggin with him
And I didn’t even know what that was at the time.
For those of you who don’t its basically off roading
But I remember walking in to this high school and it was a completely different culture
and I remember realizing I stick out like a sore thumb
I dont hunt, I don’t even own Camo
I dont have a large tractor I can drive to school
And I remember going I stick out a little
Which by the way I actually liked that school more then the other after I got used to it.
But you know have you ever felt like you stick out like that before?
Where you look around and you go I don’t know if I fit in here.
Because the truth is as Christians occasionally it can feel like we stick out like a sore thumb.
because Christians are a little different of people...
Many of you are a little different…
And the reason for this is because when you accept Christ into your life, what the Bible tells us is His Spirit litterly dwells in us.
Which is awesome because it makes it so we are dead to our sin and mistakes and we are alive in Christ.
and because of this we start acting and living differently.
But the issue that comes up is that we live in a fallen world.
A world where often times sin seems to have the final say.
and because of this we stick out a little
And what happens in the passage we are in is Paul who is the author of the letter tells us what it looks like for us as Christians to stick out in a world that is fallen and has not yet been redeemed by Christ.
and not only that but he tells us how we should respond ot sticking out like a sore thumb
So turn with me to
and this week we are continuing our series called “Final Words.”
and I am excited for us to dig into what God has in store for us this week.
So once again turn with me to because it says:
(NIV)
A Final Charge to Timothy
10 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11 persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
So like I said Paul in this passage realizes that Christians tend to stick out
and I am going to jump the first couple verse and come back to them later, but in verse 12 it tells us what it looks like to stick out
it says: “Everyone who wants to live a Godly life will be persecuted”
Basically if you are a Christian you will be persecuted
because like I said we live in a fallen world and satan does not want to see the world redeemed and because of that Satan will do whatever he can to stop it
Because
and in this passage it says if you are following Christ its going to result in persecution.
And in the early church persecution was terrible and where they would do unspeakable things and often times the Christians would be put to death.
And while our persecutuion isn’t nearly that bad in our culture today.
There is still something that makes us stick out where we might not be the most popular people
Intact if you look at verse 13 it actually says the divide between those who are in Christ and those who are in sin will often grow worse
because people hearts become hardened
and All of this to say we have to decide how we are going to respond to sticking out and respond to persecution?
And Paul in the passage gives two things to do in the midst of this happening.
And in verse 14 he gives the first thing we should do and that is: Stick to what you have learned because you know who taught it to you.
and in this case he’s talking about himself and you might remember the first week we talked about Timothys mother and grandmother.
and Paul is saying you had these people (myself included) pouring into your life and remember what they taught you.
You know I remember in college there would
and Paul even says in verses 10 and 11 I modeled this for you because I was persecuted like crazy.
He list three places at each place timothy remembers
“Yeah Paul almost died that place and there, and he went to prison and was beat at that place.”
And Paul says in the middle of that I was faithful, I was patient, I showed God’s love, and I kept going even when I kept getting beat down.
And you know I think if Paul was here today he would have written us the same thing
I was faithful
Because even though we don’t face extreme persecution today, the sad reality is that often times we don’t even respond to our adversity and challenges where we have faith, where we have love, patience and endurance.
And Paul says you have seen this modeled but are you going to continue it?
It like how when I was in college there were guys who there parents did their laundry for them and they never had to touch anything.
and they got to college and they had a choice where they could start doing laundry or just wait until their parents came to do it a few months down the road.
and it got smelling pretty bad.
But you know what?
We have a desion if we are going to follow what we have seen modeled for us (in a Christlike way) and when we don’t follow it guess what?
It stinks!
We need to ask ourselves in the middle of a world that has sin how am I living?
The second part that Paul tells us is probably even more important
because in verses 15-17 he basically says listen to scripture.
and he gives a few reasons but the first reason he gives is because all scripture is inspired by God.
You know I have heard people say the Bible is like an instruction manual, it tells you what to do, but I disagree,
because Gods word is living and speaks to us where we are.
Its like a parent talking to their kid. They know what their child needs to hear and they
because scripture is God breathed meaning two things,
first it is living
It isn’t irrelevant, because its alive
, but second off it leads to life.
because if you are familiar with Genesis you know that when God was creating Adam he latterly breathed life into him.
and that is what God’s word does to our life is it breaths life into us.
and Paul tells us how it does that because he says God’s word teaches us right and wrong in our life and really in the world.
and really it teaches us what is sinful and what is not.
It shows us what tears us down and beats us up and it shows us things that bring us life.
I had a friend in college who was majoring to become a dietician and we were talking about diets and what I eat.
and we were having this talk and I found out that there were a ton of food that I was eating that turns out is actually really bad for me.
I thought Potatoes were healthy because they are considered a vegetable, but apparently not!
But I wouldn’t of found out they were even bad for me until years down the road when I am unhealthy and in bad shape.
And you know God’s word says look this thing in your life or this sin that going on in your family or friendships or whatever it is
It is toxic and you might not understand now but I can tell you it is killing you.
Because sin is destructive.
But God’s word shines a light on our life so we can see where in our life we have something that isn’t glorifying towards Him
But we need to listen.
Have any of you ever raised a teenager?
I love teens but occasionally they have selective hearing.
You ask them to clean the dishes and they somehow do not hear you.
You ask them to clean there room and they miss it.
And I am basing this off of me as a teenager
Turns out being a husband can be simalor at times…
But really when we are reading God’s word we have an option o whether we can be selective or whether we can say no this is something I am actually going to change in my life
And then there is one more point I want us to get because Paul gives these instructions, but then look at the last verse (verse 17),
Because all of this to say that a servant of God will be equipped for every good work.
Because you might go I stick out like a sore thumb, I dont know how to live God’s calling on my life like this,
But God is saying no I am going to equip you through people pouring into you and through my word.
and you can do this but you need to listen because you have the ability to not just survive in a world that is fallen but you have the ability to redeem this world through Christ working in you.
and you need to believe it because darkness never overcomes the light.
But light overcomes the darkness.
Will you pray with me?