pre-trip: Can I get a witness?!

(1) In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: (2) Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. (3) For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. (4) They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. (5) But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
(2 Timothy 4:1-5)

I've known this verse and always liked it, but I read it recently, looking at verses for a Homegroup teaching and was completely blown away by it. So, feeling it highly applicable to our trip, I wanted to share it here.


(1) In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:

That is an intense introduction to a charge if I ever heard one. God doesn't take things lightly that use his name (commandment #3 (or #2 for our brothers and sisters in the Catholic church)) and Paul was definitely aware of this. Read through it again and look at each clause; Paul wanted Timothy to take what he was about to say very, very seriously.

(2) Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

"Preach the word." Everything else in this charge is clarifications on how, why and when this is supposed to happen. All of the weight of Paul's introduction gets channeled into this one command, "preach the word." I have had seasons of my life that are evangelism-centered (mission trips, HG focus, Outreach Class, Spirit's leading...), but what do we do when we don't feel actively called to Witness? (Answer: we witness anyway). "Correct, rebuke and encourage" are part of the preaching of the word (both to believers and non-believers, Paul doesn't specify). "Encourage" sounds great, but "correct" and "rebuke?" Those aren't always received as well.
   
(3) For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. (4) They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
This sounds all-too-familiar to me. There will always be different points of the Gospel message that are contrary to the culturally-held values around us. We mustn't sacrifice the message of the cross for "helping" it to go down more smoothly. Let us not speak the words that itching ears desire to hear, but those that dying souls need to hear.

and my favorite part:

(5) But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

I love this verse. We are to maintain our God-given, God-centered perspective at all times; faithfully discharging everything God has given us in the face of hardships (they will come if we do this). Earlier, Paul has said that the Holy Spirit has given "some to be prophets, some to be evangelists and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service..." (Ephesians 4:11-12). When I was younger, I had a friend who I looked up to (on a trip to Monterrey) tell me that he didn't have the gift of evangelism, so he just prayed instead of sharing the Gospel when we were out on campus. It sounded off to me, but I didn't know why until I read this verse. "Do the work of an evangelist" Paul doesn't say Timothy is an evangelist. Timothy was a young pastor; I feel like teaching and discipling were probably more his focus. But Paul tells him to witness, regardless of his gifting. You are called to do the work of an evangelist... at all times, in all places, to all people.