Preaching Biblical Truth

with Pastor Steve Vickery

Be Diligent to Present Yourself Approved

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
— 2 Timothy 2:15

These words of Paul the Apostle in 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 15 are very familiar to all of us as pastors.

We are all committed to rightly dividing the word of truth and to handling it accurately. And in fact, for many of us, it’s the very reason why we are Calvary Chapel pastors. Because as Calvary Chapel, we are fully committed to the truth of the Word of God.

Familiarity Can Lead to Complacency

But as is often the case, familiarity can lead to complacency. And therein lies a great danger for each and every one of us: The danger of complacency leading to compromise.

So I want to encourage you, as brothers in Christ, as fellow laborers, as fellow pastors, to be diligent in handling accurately the Word of God.

Paul’s Context: Encouragements and Warnings

The context in which Paul writes gives us some important encouragements and warnings. Because Paul, of course, is writing to a faithful young pastor, Timothy, who himself was indeed committed to sound doctrine.

And yet Paul still felt the need repeatedly to encourage him, to exhort him, to be diligent so that he might never move away from the truth of the Word of God.

Timothy’s Responsibility in Ephesus

This was vital for Timothy because he was at that time overseeing and pastoring the church in the city of Ephesus. The church of Ephesus was a church that the apostle Paul had planted some 10 years previously.

We, of course, read about that in the book of Acts, chapter 19. Paul spent three years in the city of Ephesus preaching the gospel and teaching the Bible, and a thriving ministry was established, a thriving church built upon the foundation of sound doctrine.

Paul’s Warning to the Ephesian Elders

But it wasn’t long after that that the Apostle Paul saw the need to go back to meet with the Ephesian elders in the city of Miletus in order to exhort them and warn them concerning their calling.

I would just like to read to you some very familiar words of the Apostle Paul to the elders at Ephesus in Acts chapter 20, beginning in verse 28.
These are words for each and every one of us today.

“Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”
— Acts 20:28

Right there, the Apostle Paul is telling the Ephesian elders to take their calling seriously. The church belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ. It doesn’t belong to them, it doesn’t belong to you, it doesn’t belong to me.

The church is the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, and He has called us to be overseers in His church, and that is a calling we must take with the utmost seriousness because the church of Jesus Christ was purchased with the precious blood of Jesus Christ.

A Serious Warning

And with that exhortation to take their calling with the utmost seriousness, Paul went on to give them a very serious warning.

“For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.”
— Acts 20:29 & 30

I have no doubt that the Ephesian elders whom Paul was speaking to at that time were faithful men. Many of them, if not all of them, no doubt had been discipled directly by the Apostle Paul.

And yet Paul exhorts them and warns them with the utmost seriousness against the dangers of false doctrine.

He said, savage wolves and false teachers will come in from outside, but most seriously… in verse 30, he said,

“Also from among yourselves men will rise up speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after themselves.”

From Among Yourselves

“From among yourselves.”

And you see, herein lies the danger, the danger of complacency which leads to compromise.

Perverting the Scriptures is the precise opposite of rightly dividing the Scriptures.

And Paul warned them that even from among themselves, some would depart from the truth because they were more concerned with drawing people after themselves than pointing people to the Lord Jesus Christ.

A Final Exhortation

And so, brothers, with the utmost seriousness, this is the Word of the Lord for each and every one of us:

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
— 2 Timothy 2:15

May God bless you all.