BECAUSE WE MUST

I charge in the presence of God
and the Anointed One Jesus…”
2 Timothy 4:1a lks

2 Timothy 4:1-8

Outline
Proclaim the God-breathed Word

…because the Lord demands it, 1-2.

• The Lord is Judge, 1a-b.
• The Lord is King, 1c
• The Lord is the Word-designer, 2 (compare 3:16-17).

…because the season demands it, 3-8.

• The season demands it because people refuse to listen, 3-4.
• The season demands it because the calling must not be silent, 5-8.

We re called to do the work of God. The call is clear, solemn, and glorious. We are called to know the story, to remember who we are, whose we are, and why we are here. We know the story through spoken words and lived words. Our knowing and our doing are one.

We are called to be the people, to live out who we are, whose we are, and why we are here. We have our being as a people, not as gathered individuals. We are most fully ourselves when in relationship with our Christian siblings and our holy God.

We are called to embody the kingdom, to live our life together in a way that makes obvious the reign of God. We do not bring about the kingdom. We do not expand the kingdom. Rather, we embody it, making the kingdom clear to all who will see.

This is a solemn call, commanded in the very presence of God. It is not optional. It is not an add-on. It is, rather, the very essence of who we are as God’s people.

This is also a glorious call, for we are called to partner with the Lord of the universe.

How can we do otherwise?


Tag(s): lectio

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“Unless otherwise noted Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.” http://www.esv.org/