The Church’s Role in Times Like These
Notes
Transcript
Welcome
Welcome
Well Good evening church!
This feels like home
Let me introduce myself
Again my name is TJ Girt
I am the Pastor of Crescent Valley Baptist Church
and I am about 6 months into this Pastoring thing
as I was ordained in March as their pastor
and I served 6 months or so as their interim prior to that
so technically I have been with them 1 year this month
which pretty much means when I wouldn’t go away they let me stay
Wow! What an honor it is to be here this evening
thank you Walter for the invite to preach the message this evening
I mean in a room full of full time Pastors you
asked the Bi-Vocational guy to write an extra sermon this week
but that’s ok
And no, it doesn’t matter you asked me 6 months ago
we both know I didn’t start until Tuesday
no, I am kidding
It really is an honor to be here
GBA is a great organization
that has done so much for me
and fo r our church
There are so many men in this room that I lean on
and respect so much
Refer to those that have helped me
Pastor Wesley in class
daniel - preaching
darrel - his boys
cody - support and tech
walter - guidance
then because he is front of me
but brother former pastor
Marcus Gohlke
preach the word - but love the people
It’s even an honor to be standing in this place
in this room
It was right over there
that after my wife told me I had to come to church with her if I wanted
to continue dating her
That I heard Pastor Tim Williams preach the gospel
I don’t remember the message
But I remember he preached the word
I heard the gospel
Then I heard God’s effectual call
The Holy Spirit convicted me of my sin
and Jesus saved me right there in that spot
I was baptized right there in that spot
Several years later I preached my first sermon
right here, in this spot!
So, this is pretty cool
to now be standing here
in a room of my mentors
now my peers
preparing to preach the word
SO If you will, please open your bibles to
2 Timothy chapter 4, we will be in verses 1-5 this evening
Our message this evening is titled
The Church’s Role in Times Like These
But I assume the subtitle could be
Preach the Word
So, with that said
I hope you have found your places
so please stand as we read the word of God
2 Timothy 4:1–5 (CSB)
1 I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and because of his appearing and his kingdom: 2 Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and encourage with great patience and teaching. 3 For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear what they want to hear. 4 They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths. 5 But as for you, exercise self-control in everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Let us Pray!
Probably heard this text many times
especially if you are a pastor
This text may sound like it is for pastors
but really it is for all of us
all of us in this room
are in ministry
I chose this text for this evening
not because I feel like this is something we
are not doing
But because I want to encourage us
to continue doing it
to stay the course
and to not be swayed by culture
or anything like that
I want us to understand the significance we play in times like these
and the seriousness of the call and charge of ministry
I think we could all agree
that the church in America is at a crossroads.
I think we could all agree times are crazy right now
Im not sure if your aware or not
but there is this election happening pretty soon
and I tell you what
folks are worked up about it
and for good reason
We are literally witnessing
a cultural unraveling,
an out right rejection of God’s truth on every front.
The political divide is immense
and it seems like they
are trying to drive this nation
into more and more division
Gender is fluid,
marriage has been redefined,
babies in the womb are just a lump of disposable cells
relativism has replaced truth of Scripture.
Nominal Christianity is on the rise,
entertainment
is preferred over biblical preaching,
and unfortunately,
many churches are feeling the pressure
In most of the country church attendance is down
Im not going to speak to the statistics right now
but they are substantial when compared to just a few years ago
In many ways, the church has been relegated to a status of “non-important”
optional we could say
and with the surge in streaming services
especially after Covid
many have found that streaming is a viable option
in contrast to actually having to leave the house
worshiping from their couches
and forsaking the gathering of the witnesses
Now, we live stream
there is nothing wrong with that
when traveling or home sick etc
but again, the option
has now become the norm
Many say the church is outdated
behind the times even
that our message of grace and hope to a dyeing sinful world
is no longer relevant
We’re ridiculed by the media
and our voice is often ignored
So, in light of all that
What is the Role of the church in times like these?
the times that we are living in right now…
What is the role of the church next week
what is the role of the church on November 6th
But perhaps…
Maybe an even better question to ask is what does God
want to see from His church
from his Shepards
in times like these..
Well, in his final letter to Timothy,
Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit
provides an answer.
See Paul knew that the world
was no friend of the church,
and he anticipated that Timothy would face
opposition
from both within the church and outside it.
Now, in the passage we just read
Paul lays out a solemn charge, one that is
just as relevant today
as it was then.
Paul’s answer to Timothy
and his answer for us today
Is to Preach The Word
So with that said
Lets unpack this most significant piece of scripture
verse by verse
and see just what Paul says
Our role is,
in times like these
under this charge
To Preach the Word
Now, I am typically a 3 point guy
but tonight
just because you mean so much to me..
I have 4
So lets get started with our first point
and that is that we
Remember Who We are Responsible To
Remember Who We are Responsible To
See before Paul even tells Timothy what he should do in times like these
he wants to make sure Timothy
and us know
How series this charge is
How series our responsibility
and role in this world is
in times like these
V1 begins with I (Paul) solemnly charge you (Timothy)
Now, what does this mean for Paul to solemnly charge Timothy
The greek here for charge
essentially gives us a courtroom like terminology and feel
To make a Long story short
Paul is essentially calling Timothy to stand
before the highest court
In other words
Paul is not addressing Timothy
as his friend
he is not addressing Timothy
in the fatherly like manor he has adopted
he is not even merely offering him friendly advice
No!
He is asserting his apostolic authority here
and calling him to an accountability that extends beyond
earthly consequences
beyond human advice
to an eternal accountability to God
this charge we are about to hear is a divine mandate
This is an apostolic command and charge
that is to be done
Before God, and Christ Jesus
Paul invokes both God the Father and Christ Jesus
in this charge,
emphasizing that Timothy’s ministry (Our Ministry)
is conducted in full view of heaven.
The phrase “before God and Christ Jesus”
underscores that everything Timothy does in ministry
everything we do in our ministry
happens under the watchful eye of the One who holds the ultimate authority.
He didn't solemnly charge timothy
before rome
He didn’t solemnly charge Timothy
before Jerusalem
He didn’t solemnly charge Timothy
before any man,
ruler
or crowd
No, he charged him before God and Christ Jesus
This serves as our reminder that our accountability as
leaders and pastors
is first and foremost to God,
not to human institutions
not popular opinion.
In today’s world,
the church often faces pressure to conform to
societal norms
or compromise biblical truth.
in order to fill the seats
But just like Timothy,
we must remember that our service
is done before the face of God.
Our ultimate responsibility is to Him,
not to cultural trends or the shifting values of the world.
but to Him
Then, Paul further emphasizes the gravity of Timothy’s responsibility
by reminding him that
Christ Jesus will judge the living and the dead.
See Christ’s authority spans across all of humanity—
those who are alive
and those who have already passed away.
No one escapes His righteous judgment.
not you
not me
For pastors and church leaders,
this means that every aspect of our ministry
will be weighed in the balance
by the One who knows all things.
Our faithfulness to the gospel,
our handling of the Word,
and our care for God’s people
will all be subject to Christ’s evaluation.
We will be judged according to our work
This is a sober reminder that we do not serve to
please men
but to
honor Christ,
Now, as if that wasn’t enough to get Timothy’s attention
and hammer down
the importance of this
ministerial charge
Paul adds even more weight to his charge
by pointing to Christ’s appearing (His second coming)
and the reality of His eternal kingdom.
This eschatological focus
this end times focus places
Timothy’s ministry within the broader
context of God’s redemptive plan.
Christ will return,
and His kingdom will be established in full.
Therefore, everything we do
in ministry must be done
in light of this eternal perspective.
Our role and our responsibility today
is to be carried in light of eternity
A young pastor once went to Charles Spurgeon
and complained that his congregation was not big enough
that his congregation was not as large as he deserved
Spurgeon asked this man
how big is your congregation
how many do you preach to on the sabbath?
The man answered with only 100
To which Spurgeon answered
son, 100 souls is plenty to
to answer for
when standing at the judgement seat of Christ
Brothers and sisters
when we are judged according to this charge we are about to receive
We will not be asked how big our ministry was
we will not be asked how many books we wrote
we will not be asked how many people knew our names
It doesn’t matter if your congregation is 1000 plus or
35
No we will be judged
we will be held responsible
for how we handled
the charge for those
we were given responsibility of
We are the Church of Jesus Christ
We are not part of mans plan for the world
we are part of God’s plan for the world
We are responsible to God and God alone
with this charge
That is who we are responsible to
and that is who will judge us
Now,
Now that we know the weight of this charge
Now that we know the significance of this charge
Now that we know who we are responsible to
Lets move to our second point of the morning
found in V2
Remember the Charge
Remember the Charge
Now, this charge does not start with
planning programs
it does not start will scheduling and facilitating meeting
it doesn’t start with visiting folks
it doesn’t even start with getting your seminary degree
No! His charge to us is to
PREACH THE WORD
We only have one message
and it is the Lords message
It’s not a combination of our thoughts and the worlds desires
we don’t work Gods word
into what WE want to say when time and room allows it
no
Our entire message is God’ Word
we have nothing to say in the manner
The word PREACH here is KERUSSO
I probably butchered that but
it means to proclaim
to herald
In ancient times,
a herald was someone
who delivered a message from a king or ruler,
and the herald had no authority
to change or alter the message—
they were to deliver it as it was given to them.
and for us today that message we are to PREACH
is the entire written word of God
from Gen to Revelation
we are to preach the entire council of God
And Paul within just this section testifies to the word of God
in 2 Timothy 3:15 he refers to the word as the “sacred scriptures”
in 3:16 he calls them the scriptures
4:3 he refers to it as “sound doctrine”
and in 4:4 as “the truth”
Brothers and sisters we have the profound
and unspeakable privilege to
herald
to proclaim
to preach
God’s timeless and perfect
truth to the people
H. B. Charles said on Facebook a couple of weeks ago—
so you know it’s true—“Pastors, this Sunday: open your Bibles, read the text, explain the text, apply the text, then sit down.”
Brothers, that’s the heart of what we’ve been called to do.
We don’t need gimmicks.
We don’t need tricks.
We don’t need smoke shows or lasers to make the Word of God effective.
We have God’s Word,
which is living and active,
sharper than any two-edged sword.
It doesn’t need our embellishments—
it just needs to be faithfully proclaimed.
The world today may be clamoring for entertainment,
for something flashy to hold their attention.
But the church’s role in times like these is not to entertain—
it’s to proclaim the unchanging truth of Scripture.
Our culture is in desperate need of truth,
not another show.
And the Word of God,
faithfully preached,
is enough to transform hearts,
convict sinners,
and encourage the saints.
Now, when are we to preach this word
Now, when are we to preach this word
Paul tells us to
Be ready in season and out of season
in other words at all times
whether it is convenient or not
In season and out of season implies
that there are times when preaching the word
will be well recieved
and then there will be times that it is not
But we must be ready
there must always be a sense of urgency
in light of the truth we are preaching
During my study of this topic and text I came across an article
or actually its an expert out of the commentary
exalting Jesus in Timothy
that spoke of a man that visited a Leper Colony
in Nigeria
Now it was his first time in a Leper colony and it took him a while just to soak it all in
he relayed how heartbroken he was just seeing the poverty here
seeing the physical effects of leprosy
seeing the unbelievable conditions that these people were living in
and what really overwhelmed him was their desire
to simply have someone to talk too
He said him and his team of 12 men visited with them for about an hour
then the guide
seemingly out of no where announced
that Pastor Tony (the author) was going to preach
and to gather around and form a circle
Pastor Tony said at first he was caught off guard
he didn’t prepare
he didn’t have notes
he didn’t even have a bible
But then he remembered this verse
“be ready in season and out of season”
Romans 8 came to mind
and he began to preach about suffering and glory
and that we all need a savior
He said the longer he preached the bolder and more passionate he became
Then he turned and noticed
a woman
who lost her fingers to lepracy
with both arms raised
praising God
See he was ready,
he didn’t have coffee in the lobby
he didn’t have a PA system
he didn’t have screens
he didn’t have a door greeter
he didn’t even have a bible
Yet the word was preached
and people were saved
Now I am not saying there is anything wrong with any of those things
we have all of those at my church
But what I am saying is that all that is really needed
is faithful preaching of the gospel
faithful preaching of redemption
faithful preaching that is centered on Christ
and Him crucified
and for that
Paul gives us 3 ways or actions to deliver this word or charge
the first is through
Correction, rebuking, and to encouraging
We could call this Preaching the word - Pastorally
this is how we are to apply the word to our flock and to the world
through our preaching and teaching
we are to correct false teachings
rebuke the actions that come from those false teachings
and then encourage and build up from there
pastorally
with love
and many times
due to the perfection of scripture
this all occurs within the same
text
sermon
or teaching
secondly we are to Preach the Word Patiently
Sanctification is a slow process
it’s easy to grow discouraged
when we don’t see immidiate change
it’s easy to get discouraged when times are as they are now
culturally
but we must rememeber we are planting seeds
but those seeds must be culminated
they must be watered
they must get some sun
and overtime
they will produce fruit
so, preach the word patiently
and finally we are to Preach the Word - Theologically
as in our preaching should be accompanied by teachings
teaching isn’t something that only happens in sunday school class
and preaching isn’t only something that happens from the pulpit
together they are interwined
that is why perhaps this famous verse on preaching,
mentions teaching
I read that preaching is heralding the facts
while teaching is explaining the facts
We are to declare that the tomb is empty
and that the throne is now occupied
then explain
How that can only be done by Christ
the king of kings
and Lord of Lords
Why do we preach this way?
because once we rememeber who we are responsible to
once we understnd our charge
then we must realize or remember the time we are living in
and that is our 3rd point this morning
Remember the Times we are Living In
Remember the Times we are Living In
2 Timothy 4:3–4“For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear what they want to hear. They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths.”
Paul foresaw a time for both Timothy and Us
when people would reject sound teaching—
and I sould say that time has certainly arrived.
We live in an era where truth is relative,
where people are more interested
in finding a message that makes them feel good
than in hearing the truth that can save their souls.
Itching ears abound,
and people are accumulating and elevating
for themselves
teachers who will tell them
exactly what they want to hear.
Whether it’s things like the prosperity gospel,
hyper-grace teachings,
or the outright rejection of biblical morality,
people are turning away from the truth in droves.
We see it everywhere:
churches that deny the exclusivity of Christ,
leaders who endorse lifestyles
that the Bible clearly condemns,
and a broader culture that values personal experience
over objective truth.
As we can clearly see in this upside down world
This is why Paul’s charge to preach the Word is so urgent.
False teaching isn’t just a possibility—
it’s a reality.
and it is knocking at our doors
That is why
in our final point of the morning
We Must Remember What We are to Do
We Must Remember What We are to Do
V5 begins with “But as for you”
For Timothy and for us
not just the pastors
all of us
This is our call to be faithful
this is how we are to continue this charge
to preach his word in an upside down world
Listen to what he says to finish his thought
we are to “exercise self-control in everything,
in everything!
this means for us to be sober minded in a world
that has lost it’s mind
we are to be vigilant
we are to be alert
Not just in our ministry but in everything!
not only must we stand firm in a world that is trying to get us to compremise
But we must also stand firm other all other areas
just think about how many pastors fall
and have fallen hard
why, because they got too big for thier britches
and they no longer could maintain self control in all things
sure thier ministry looked good
but everything under the surface
was den of secrets
Brothers and sisters we must excersise self control
in times like these
Becasue we will
endure hardship,
ministry is not easy
and hardships are inevitable
Whether it’s persecution,
opposition,
or the emotional
and spiritual toll
of shepherding a flock,
leading a minsitry
or just being a parent
we will face trials.
Paul’s command is not to avoid hardship but to endure it
finally, we are to do the work of an evangelist,
our role in this world
is not jsut about what happens
inside these walls
but about reaching outside of these walls
with the saving message
of Jesus Christ
Because after all
this is how we will
fulfill your ministry”
whether that ministry
is changing diapers
playing music
teaching kids
or preaching the message
Conclusion
Conclusion
So, to answer the question of what is our role in times like these—
I hope I’ve made it clear through Paul’s charge to Timothy.
We are to preach the Word.
We are to give,
live,
and proclaim the gospel
to a world that so urgently needs it.
Brothers and sisters,
let me encourage you:
the battle has already been won.
The war is over.
We serve a victorious King.
The cross has already defeated sin,
and the empty tomb has already conquered death.
So, while we may face trials,
opposition,
and a culture that resists the truth,
we do so with the confidence that
Jesus Christ reigns supreme.
Our role is to be faithful.
Our role is to keep proclaiming the gospel,
Our role is trusting in the power of God’s Word.
And know this: we are not fighting for victory;
we are fighting from victory.
Victory that Christ has already secured
So, stay the course.
Weather the storm.
Preach the Word
with boldness and confidence,
because we know how the story ends.
We are on the winning team—
and our King is coming again.
Let us Pray!
