Do you long to be useful to the Master? In this message Brian explains that we can be used by God as long as we are Clean Vessels and Kind Servants.
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Useful To The Master
2 Timothy 2:20-26
In 2 Timothy 2:21, there is an expression that I think drives this entire passage. It is the expression, “useful to the Master.” If there is one thing I want to be, it is “useful to the Master.” How about you? Is there anybody else here who wants to be useful? I think of the Lord’s work in this world as so wonderful, and important, and significant, that I can’t think of anything else that could ever come close to having God use you to accomplish His great eternal purposes.
If you look back to vs. 14, Paul speaks of those who wrangle about words, which is useless, and leads to the ruin of the hearers. So, there are those who are useful in the kingdom of God, and there are those who are useless. In 2 Timothy 4:11, Paul tells Timothy to pick up Mark, and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.” There was a time when Paul viewed Mark as useless for service, because he deserted the missionary team and went home. However, things have changed. Mark has changed, and now he has become useful for service.
So, how can we be useful to the Master? Paul teaches us how by introducing two final pictures. Chapter 2 is full of illustrations. There are 3 in the first half of the chapter: soldier, athlete, farmer. Then there are three in the last half of the chapter: workman, vessel, servant. We have already examined the illustration of the workman last week. So, today we will focus on the last two metaphors: a clean vessel, and a kind servant. If we want to be useful to the Master, we must be a clean vessel, and a kind servant.
1. A Clean Vessel
In verse 19 Paul has told us that in spite of the false teachers and their damnable teaching, the firm foundation of God stands having two seals. One of those seals is invisible, and the other is visible. One seal speaks of our eternal free election, and the other of our diligent pursuit of holiness. However, don’t lose sight of the fact that he has been speaking about a foundation. A building rests on a foundation. The building Paul is describing is the visible Church. In 1 Cor. 3:9 Paul tells the Corinthians that they are God’s field, God’s building. In Eph. 2:19-22, Paul says, “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.” Peter also tells us in his first letter that we are living stones, being built up as a spiritual house” (1 Pet. 2:5).
So, it is clear that the house Paul is describing in 2 Tim. 2:20 is the Church. Well, what do we find in this house? We find vessels to honor, and vessels to dishonor. The vessels to honor are the gold and silver vessels. These would include those beautiful exquisite vases placed on the mantle for all the visitors to see, and the beautiful dishes to serve food from. The vessels to dishonor would be trash cans and spittoons. In this passage Paul is not contrasting different kinds of Christians, but different kinds of teachers. Since 2:14, he has been showing the destructive effects of false teaching in a congregation. Thus, the vessels to dishonor are the false teachers who are leading to the ruin of the hearers, further ungodliness, and overturning the faith of some. The vessels to honor are those like Paul and Timothy who are diligent workman who accurately handle the word of truth.
Let’s look first of all at the way we can be clean vessels, and then we will look at the result of being clean vessels.
THE WAY TO BE A CLEAN VESSEL
Cleanse Yourself From The False Teachers: When Paul says “if a man cleanses himself from these things,” he is referring back to the corrupting influence of the false teachers in Ephesus. He is telling Timothy he must separate himself from the vessels of dishonor in order to be a vessel to honor. So, what exactly must Timothy cleanse himself of? He must not wrangle about words (2:14), or participate in worldly and empty chatter (2:16), go astray from the truth (2:18) or get involved in foolish and ignorant speculations (2:23). He must not lead to the ruin of his hearers (2:14), or to ungodliness (2:16), or spread evil teaching like gangrene in the church (2:17), or upset the faith of some in the Church (2:18) or produce quarrels in the Church (2:23). He must, rather, spread sound doctrine which will lead to the salvation and spiritual maturity of his hearers (1 Tim. 4:16). Timothy must not follow the example of men like Hymenaeus and Philetus and Alexander who have made shipwreck of their faith. He must stand for the truth, and teach that truth accurately with all diligence.
Flee From Youthful Lusts: In verse 22, Paul tells Timothy there is something he must run from, and other things he must run to. The word “flee”, has the meaning of running for your life to escape from danger. It is the word used when John the Baptist told his hearers to “flee from the wrath to come” (Mt. 3:7), or when Jesus asked the Pharisees, “how shall you escape the sentence of hell?” (Mt. 23:33). It’s Joseph leaving his garment in the hand of Potiphar’s wife when she sought to seduce him, and fleeing naked that he might not sin against God.
The Scripture tells us we are to run from sin as though our lives depended on it, because it does! It is only the man who perseveres to the end that will be saved. In Romans 8:13 Paul tells us, “if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body you will live.” The truly converted person puts to death the deeds of the body. If you decide that you are tired of fighting with sin, and settle down and live with your sins, you are only giving proof that you are unconverted. Flee! Flee! Don’t dabble in sin. Don’t toy with it. Don’t fondle with it, as Eve did the forbidden fruit. Don’t get as close to it as you can without crossing the line. Run from it! As John Owen said, “Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you.” The wisest thing we can do is to flee from sin, just as you would flee from a murderer who was out to kill you, or a lion who was hunting you.
What are we to flee from? Youthful lusts. This would of course include all sexual lusts and temptations. We need to be on our guard against sexual lust, and there are temptations everywhere – TV, the internet, magazines, books, billboards, and immodestly dressed women. So, how do we flee from these lusts? Do what you need to in order to prevent yourself from being drawn into these lusts. Put a filter on your computer, avoid certain books and magazines, have a game plan for what you will allow yourself to watch on TV, or better yet, don’t watch TV! Jesus taught us that if our eye causes us to sin to pluck it out, for it is better to go to heaven with one eye than to hell with two.
“Youthful lusts” probably have a wider range of meaning than just sexual lusts. It would also apply to lust for money and possessions, covetousness, and materialism. It would apply to lust for power and position and prestige. It might include lust for popularity and esteem among others. Whatever your particular “youthful lust” is, flee from it!
Pursue Godliness: The word “pursue” means “to run after, to chase down, to persecute.” It describes what the apostle Paul did before his conversion when he would from town to town searching looking for any Christians whom he might have arrested and brought to Jerusalem to be tried. So, if we are not to run after youthful lusts, but instead, flee from them, what are we to be running towards and chasing down?
Righteousness: This word describes the person who lives a life in conformity with God’s revealed will. Jesus taught us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Mt. 6:33). It should be a main concern of ours that every day we are seeking as first priority to live a life which is righteous in the sight of God. Are you daily pursuing righteousness?
Faith: The clean vessel who can be useful to the Master, must be a person of faith. He must be pursuing greater faith. We must not be content with having enough faith to be saved. We should be pursuing greater faith to believe every bit of God’s Word, and every promise He has made. We should be like Abraham, who didn’t waver in unbelief, but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, being fully assured that what He had promised He was able also to perform (Rom. 4:20-21). Are you daily pursuing faith?
Love: Along with faith, love is the great indispensable mark of God’s elect. Jesus taught us that the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves. This would be especially important for Timothy, in that he must love even those false teachers, and others who were opposing the truth. Are you daily pursuing love?
Peace: Since there was so much turmoil, arguing, bickering, and quarreling going on in the church at Ephesus, Timothy must be an example of a man who was pursuing peace. He must take to heart Paul’s admonition, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men” (Rom. 12:18). He must be willing to lay down any desire for revenge and become a peacemaker in the Church. Are you daily pursuing peace?
With Those Who Call On The Lord From A Pure Heart: What does this designation refer to? It’s talking about genuine believers. “Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom. 10:13). Notice, they call on the Lord from a pure heart. There is no impure motive in their calling on the Lord. These people are true and sincere. Folks, you and I need each other in order to grow in holiness and cultivate the graces of the Spirit! If you want to make advances in holiness and fruitfulness, don’t expect it to happen if you are unwilling to commit yourself to living life with a local body of believers. This is why the men meet for prayer at 6:00 a.m. on Tuesdays, and again Thursdays at 6:00 a.m. for study in the Word. That’s why we meet with our Missional Communities each week. That’s why we gather here on Sunday mornings. In fact, the Bible tells us that the reason we gather is to stimulate one another to love and good deeds. This is why we have a time of body ministry every Sunday where you can share what God is doing in your life. As different ones share Scripture they are memorizing, or stories of folks they have witnessed to, or passages they have studied, it provokes and stimulates others to emulate them! By all means pursue godliness, but don’t do it solo – do it with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Everyone wins!
THE RESULT OF BEING A CLEAN VESSEL
Honor: “Therefore, if a man cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor” (2 Tim. 2:21). Every person in the world is a vessel. Some people are vessels to honor. Others are vessels to dishonor. Every kind of vessel serves a purpose doesn’t it? A spittoon, an ashtray, and a garbage can all serve valuable purposes. So too, even lost people will serve a purpose to God. What purpose? Well, turn over to Romans 9:21-23, where Paul speaks about vessels for honor and dishonor in another setting. “Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use, and another for common use? What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory.” Did you notice in this text that again there are two kinds of vessels – vessels of wrath and vessels of glory. The vessels of glory are the vessels for honorable use. The vessels of wrath are vessels for common use. But, what possible use could God have for vessels of wrath? The text speaks of God demonstrating His wrath and making His power known through them. What use could God have for vessels of honor? He makes known the riches of His glory in bestowing mercy upon them. Both kinds of vessels give God the opportunity to make something known about Himself, which is what God loves to do. God loves to display His perfections to His creation. So, vessels to dishonor give God an opportunity to display the perfections of His wrath and power. Vessels to honor give God an opportunity to display the perfection of His mercy. Proverbs 16:4 says, “The Lord has made everything for its own purpose, even the wicked for the day of evil.”
My friend, are you a vessel to honor? Will God exalt you, lift you up, speak approvingly of you, and show you honor on that great Judgment Day we are all headed toward? Jesus taught, “If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him” (Jn.12:26). 1 Sam. 2:30 says, “For those who honor Me I will honor, and those that despise Me will be lightly esteemed.” Do you want to shine like the sun in the kingdom of your Father? Do you want to hear Him say, “You are to be in authority over ten cities”? Then you must be a clean vessel! “Cleanse yourself from every defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Cor. 7:1). Fight sin with every fiber of your being. Wherever you see sin rising in your life, kill it. Don’t spare it. Bring out the sharp knife and slit its throat.
Sanctified: The word “sanctified” means to be set apart. If we will set ourselves apart from sin and wickedness, we will be sanctified. Hebrews 12:14 tells us that “without sanctification, no one will see the Lord.” A life of holiness is what sets apart one person from another. My friend, are you sanctified? Have you set yourself apart from sin and worldliness to be wholly the Lord’s? It is a great blessing to be counted among those who are sanctified. Only a sanctified man is a vessel for honor. Only a sanctified man has an inheritance. Listen to the words of Paul to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:32, “And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” Oh, brothers and sisters, set yourself apart from the world, and ungodly pursuits, and give yourself completely to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Useful To The Master: Did you notice the flow of thought? It is only as a man cleanses himself and is thus sanctified, that he is then useful to the Master. Therefore, if you want to be useful to the Master, you must be a clean vessel. Why? Well, think of it this way. Tomorrow morning when you get up and amble into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee, are you going to choose a dirty cup that has been sitting in the sink for a couple of days, or are you going to get a clean cup out of the cupboard? Well, if you will only use a clean cup to drink from, do you think God is going to use dirty cups to do His will? Absolutely not. If we desire to be used of God, we must pursue holiness.
Prepared For Every Good Work: An unholy man will mar and stain every good work he strives to perform. It’s like a man who has just tromped through the mud, coming into the house to do the good work of vacuuming the house. He’s trying to do something good, but his muddy shoes are just getting the carpet more and more filthy. In 2 Tim. 3:17 Paul tells us that Scripture enables the man of God to be adequate, equipped for every good work. In Titus 2:14 Paul tells us we are to be zealous for good deeds. Well, if that is the case, we must cleanse ourselves, and chase after holiness! Robert Murray McCheyene once made this great statement, “Do not forget the culture of the inner man– I mean of the heart. How diligently the cavalry officer keeps his sabre clean and sharp; every stain he rubs off with the greatest care. Remember you are God’s sword, his instrument– I trust, a chosen vessel unto Him to bear His name. In great measure, according to the purity and perfection of the instrument, will be the success. It is not great talents God blesses so much as likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.” And by the word “awful” McCheyene didn’t mean terrible, but great and awesome. Bridge folks, flee from sin and pursue godliness that you might be useful to the Master.
2. A Kind Servant
In verses 23-26, Paul switches metaphors from the vessel to the servant. In order to be useful to the Master, not only must we be a clean vessel, but we must also be a kind servant. Paul first tells us the way the Lord’s servant must live, and then the result of him living this way.
THE WAY THE LORD’S SERVANT MUST LIVE
Not Quarrelsome: 2:23-24. The false teachers were quarrelsome. They were wrangling about words. They were involved in foolish and ignorant speculations. But the Lord’s bond-servant must be different. In fact, the qualifications for an elder in Titus 1 list “not quick-tempered, not pugnacious, and self-controlled” among others. In the list in 1 Timothy 3 one of the qualifications is that he must be “uncontentious.” Paul knows that Timothy must deal with a bunch of hot-heads, revilers, and dogmatic windbags. He must resist the temptation to lose his temper, get into heated arguments, or become dogmatic over incidental issues. He can’t be quarrelsome.
Kind To All: In addition to refusing to be quarrelsome, he must be kind to everyone. He must be a person who sees the needs of others, is moved by compassion, and goes out of his way to seek to meet those needs. He must even seek the best interests of the troublemakers in the church at Ephesus.
Able To Teach: This is the only skill that is mentioned in this section. The Lord’s servant must be able to teach. Just as he must be a workman that does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth, so he must be able to communicate the truth of the Word which he has an accurate grasp of. In the list of qualifications of Elders, the only skill that is mentioned is this one – able to teach. If Timothy is to solve the problems of bickering and false teaching he must be able to gently, and humbly teach these bullheaded individuals God’s word.
Patient When Wronged: Paul knows Timothy has been and will be wronged by these men. How must he respond? Patiently. This word does not mean that he is able to wait a long time. It has the meaning of “longsuffering.” Timothy must suffer long with people who continue to provoke him without lashing out in anger or frustration. When you are in ministry, there will be many times when you will need the grace of longsuffering.
Gently Correcting: The Lord’s servant must be able to teach because he needs to correct the gainsayers with the truth, but he must do it gently. Proverbs 15:1 says, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” If you want to bring about a good and blessed change in others, you have to be able to teach gently. If you want to convince someone that they are wrong, you’re not likely to do it if you become angry and harsh with him. He will just react in self-defense and entrench himself all the more in his own false views. We must win the person’s heart first, and then gently and patiently show him the truth as kindly as possible, and thus we may win him to the truth. Those of us who are passionate about sound doctrine need to be just as passionate about the people we are trying to win to the Lord. Will I bend over backward to display kindness, gentleness and patience to those who oppose me? That’s the real question.
THE RESULT WHEN THE LORD’S SERVANT LIVES THIS WAY
Perhaps God May Grant Repentance: Notice two words in this phrase – “perhaps” and “grant.” The word “grant” teaches us that repentance is a gift of God. We do not muster up repentance in our own strength. It comes down to us as a gift of His grace. The word “perhaps” tells us that God may or may not give this gift. He is sovereign in bestowing it. We can’t twist God’s arm, or do anything to make him our debtor. God is free in bestowing His gifts. He does not act under compulsion. Again, we are brought face to face with the truth of God’s absolute sovereignty in the matter of salvation (1:9; 2:10; 2:19). Friends, do you know someone who you long to come to know the Lord but is not repentant? Know this – only God can bring that man to repentance! You and I must get on our knees and cry to God to grant repentance or he will never repent.
Leading To The Knowledge Of The Truth: When God gives the gift of repentance, it leads to the knowledge of the truth. As long as we won’t turn from sin, we are blinded to the truth. As soon as God enables us to turn from sin, we begin to see the truth more and more clearly. If a sinner is to be saved, he must gain the knowledge of the truth. In 2 Thess. 2:10 Paul says that certain ones did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.
They May Come To Their Senses: This phrase has to do with someone who is drunk and starts to sober up, or someone who is awakened from a deep sleep, and slowly becomes alert. When people live in sin, they are drunk in sin and asleep to the truth. They must be sobered up. We must wake them up. But in the end, only God can begin this process by granting repentance. If God begins the work, they will go on to the knowledge of the truth, and begin to come to their senses. They will see the foolishness of living for this world when it is all going to burn one day. They will see the preciousness and beauty of Jesus Christ, and the folly of neglecting Him day after day.
They May Escape From The Snare Of The Devil: What is the condition of the lost man? According to verse 26, he is held captive by the devil to do his will. The devil has the sinner in chains and shackles. The devil has them exactly where he wants them, and they don’t even know it. They think they are doing their own will, but in reality, they are doing the devil’s will! So, is the sinner free? Well, in one sense “Yes.” He is free to choose whatever sin he wants. He is free to choose whatever options the devil lays before him. But in another sense he is not free. He is chained, held captive, a slave to the devil. But if God moves in that person’s life, He can break the fetters and release him from bondage! “If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed” (Jn. 8:36). Folks, there is hope for the worst and the vilest of sinners. Nothing is impossible with the Lord. There is not a proud stubborn heart in this world that God cannot bring down and humble in the dust and bring as a trophy of grace to His Son. Don’t lose heart about people you love! Keep praying for them and speaking to them. Perhaps God may grant repentance.
Life Application
Again, let me ask you, “Do you want to be useful to the Master?” Then pursue holiness with all your might! Seek to be a clean vessel, sanctified, prepared for every good work. Also, be a kind, gentle servant of the Lord, not reacting in anger or harshness, but in gentleness and kindness to all.
This passage has special application to any men here who aspire to the office of Elder. Seek these graces of the Spirit. Pray for them. Ask the Lord to cultivate them in you. May the Lord of the harvest do that work in us which is necessary that all of us would be useful to the Master.
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