Establishing The Network (2 Timothy 3 Notes) – November 17, 2024 (367/366)

After sharing announcements for upcoming November and December events, I proceeded with a commentary, then caught up, then a recap, then the message. Lot of things to cover considering we were under Typhoon Signal number 4 at the time.

One of our youth, Princess, a pretty shy one, bravely took the podium and exhorted on giving. She shared about how recent events brought her to realize how the smallest things were the biggest blessings. She didn’t read from Matthew 25:31-46, but she did share the gist of what she learned: If we bless others we will also be blessed. After her Jandel came up to testify, and then shared about his recent bout with Dengue Fever, sharing how things don’t necessarily end up the way you expect them to – and, this works both ways: For the good, and for the bad.

I proceeded to share on where I was last week and why I wasn’t around last Sunday. I told them about my going to the Incognito concert, telling them how I listened to these guys ever since I was pretty young and cohesive.

I told them about how Incognito comprised of people all around the world, across generations, through the generations – And how they came together and harmonized, and how it was so impressive, how their live performances sounded so close to their recordings. I told the congregation that it’s not just the administrative team, but all of us – we come together, from different points of origin, different upbringings, different generations… but we harmonize and make wonderful ‘music’ together.

I also told them about how, when they performed ‘I See The Sun’ written by Vanessa Haynes, Bluey sang backup and did the smallest of tasks, maracas; It spoke volumes about how passion works with humility, and vice versa. I took this time to tell the team that leadership and humility come together to be effective.

Speaking of harmony and humility, I told them about the death of a good family friend, Auntie Ursula. Out of the various speeches speaking about her, one student described her as ‘The Peacemaker’. She was an firm advocate of saying that leaders should never take sides… and how leaders understand that it takes a village to raise a child.

2 Timothy 3 Reflections

Godlessness in the Last Days

¹ But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. ² For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, ⁴ treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. ⁶ For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, ⁷ always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. ⁸ Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. ⁹ But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.

All Scripture Is Breathed Out by God

¹⁰ You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, ¹¹ my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. ¹² Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, ¹³ while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. ¹⁴ But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it ¹⁵ and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁶ All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

The world opposes the Truth. This opposition is the source of all that follows – for, by default, those who don’t love the Truth (or don’t know that they are loved by the Truth) will love themselves. In absence of Truth, they love money. They idolize themselves. They are in love with their capabilities and actions, caring about themselves more than they care about others, including their own parents. The world without Truth has nothing else to appreciate more than themselves – they believe in themselves, and see no reason to be grateful, to be holy, to be gentle in their words.

And, if I have time, we’d touch base on this as well – among those who oppose the Truth are ‘those who creep into households and capture weak women’ because they are ‘burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, ⁷ always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.‘

Whether we see ourselves as students (sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters, nephews, nieces, younger brothers and sisters, employees, subordinates, etc)…

…and/or as mentors (fathers, mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers, uncles, aunties, kuyas, ates, bosses, teachers, etc):

We’re all ministers.

We all have the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth that:

constantly shows us the Truth – in our experiences, by other people, through the Word.
constantly convicts us of the Truth (that we are righteous).
constantly leads us to the Truth, and to follow the Truth.

No matter what persecution comes our way, the Holy Spirit constantly encourages us to trust in the Lord, and to come from Truth.

He brings us to rejoice always. To pray without ceasing. To give thanks in everything.

I’m merely reminding you of these things.

It’s really the Holy Spirit who lives in you that brings you to want and enjoy these things.

We are all sustained and led by the Word.

We are as soldiers: We listen to our Commanding Officer and trust in His Word.

We are as athletes: We move with discipline and self-control because of the Word.

We are as farmers: We can plant the Word and expect abundant yield.

I’m merely reminding you to read the Word.

It’s really the Holy Spirit who lives in you that brings you to want and enjoy these things.

We all have the Holy Spirit. We are all sustained and led by the Word.

We are all ministers.