1. A Faithful Man of God
2 Timothy 3-4

2. A Faithful Man of God I. Understands the Times (3:1-9)
II. Knows the Truth (3:10-17)
III. Recognizes his Task (4:1-5)
IV. Focuses on his Trophy (4:6-8)

3. I. Understands the Times (3:1-9)
1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.

4. 6 They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7 always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth—men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. 9 But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.

5. A Faithful Man of God I. Understands the Times (3:1-9)
A. Know It is the Last Times (1a)
“1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in
the last days.”
1. Last Times is this whole age (Heb. 1:1-2;
Acts 2:16-17; 1Tim. 4:1; 1Jn. 2:18)
2. Things will get worse (3:13).
3. We are 2000 years closer.

6. A Faithful Man of God I. Understands the Times (3:1-9)
A. Knows It Is the Last Times (1a)
B. Knows It Is Perilous Times (1b-9)

7. B. Knows It is Perilous Times (1b-9)
1. Lovers of self (2a)
2. Lovers of money (2b)--Lk. 9:23-24; 2Thes. 3:6-8)
3. Lovers of nothing (3a)--unloving
4. Lovers of freedom (3b)--w/o selfcontrol
5. Lovers of pleasure (4a)--Heb. 11:25
6. Not lovers of God (4b)--Mt. 22:37-38
7. Lovers of Religion (not reality) (5)
8. Lovers of the flesh (6)--1Jn. 2:16
9. Lovers of learning (not truth) (7-9)
b. Sharpen tools and never build (9)

8. II. Knows the Truth (3:10-17) A. Knows Doctrine (3:10)
“10 You, however, know all about my teaching [doctrine], my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance,”
B. Knows Duty (3:11-12)
“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,”

9. C. Knows Deception (3:13)
“13 while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”
Comments:
1. We can recognize the counterfeit unless we know the genuine.
2. We can’t treat sickness unless we study it.
3. It takes experts to recognize good counterfeits.

10. D. Knows Determination (14-17) 14 1. To Continue in the Scripture (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,”
2. To Concentrate on the Scripture (15-17)
“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 man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

11. A Faithful Man of God I. Understands the Times (3:1-9)
II. Knows the Truth (3:10-17)
III. Recognizes his Task (4:1-5)

12. III. Recognizes his Task (4:1-5)
“I charge you therefore before God…. Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears from the the truth, and be turned to fables. But be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

13. III. Recognizes his Task (4:1-5)
A. Declares Truth (1-2) “I charge you therefore before God…. Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
B. Detects Error (3-4)
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears from the the truth, and be turned to fables.

14. III. Recognizes his Task (4:1-5)
A. Declare Truth (1-2)
B. Detect Error (3-4)
C. Disseminate the Gospel (5)
But be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

15. A Faithful Man of God I. Understands the Times (3:1-9)
II. Knows the Truth (3:10-17)
III. Recognizes his Task (4:1-5)
IV. Focuses on the Trophy (4:6-8)

16. IV. Focuses on the Trophy (4:6-8)
A. Focus on the Reality of Life (6)
“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering and the time of my departure is at hand.”
B. Focus on the Race of Life (7)
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the Faith.”
C. Focus on the Reward of Life (8)
Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that Day….”

17. A Faithful Man of God I. Understands the Times (3:1-9)
II. Knows the Truth (3:10-17)
III. Recognizes his Task (4:1-5)
IV. Focuses on the Trophy (4:6-8)
“I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14).

18. A Faithful Man of God I. Understands the Times (3:1-9)
II. Knows the Truth (3:10-17)
He knows the:
Word and World
Message and Melieu
Content and Context
Anchored to Rock and Geared to Times

19. A Faithful Man of God Understands the Times
“The children of Isachar who had understanding of the times, so that they knew what Israel ought to do….” (1Chrn. 12:32)
Stands for the Truth
“I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race.
I have kept the Faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Tim. 4:7-8)

20. A never dying soul to save,
A Charge to Keep I Have...
A Charge to keep I have,
A God to glorify,
A never dying soul to save,
And fit it for the sky.

21. To serve the present age, O my it all my pow’rs engage
A Charge to Keep I Have...
To serve the present age,
My calling to fulfill;
O my it all my pow’rs engage
To do my Master’s will!

22. A Charge to Keep I Have... Arm me with watchful care
As in thy sight to live,
And now Thy servant, Lord, prepare
A strict account to give!

23. A Charge to Keep I Have... Help me to watch and pray,
And still on Thee rely,
O let me not my trust betray,
But press to realms on high.