{"id":7403,"date":"2018-10-21T09:30:11","date_gmt":"2018-10-21T13:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scbc.com\/em\/?post_type=ctc_sermon&#038;p=7403"},"modified":"2019-06-29T12:42:09","modified_gmt":"2019-06-29T16:42:09","slug":"the-training-of-a-leader","status":"publish","type":"ctc_sermon","link":"https:\/\/www.scbc.com\/em\/sermons\/the-training-of-a-leader\/","title":{"rendered":"The Training of a Leader"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-gdm-google-drive-embedder-viewer\"><iframe width='100%' height='100' frameborder='0' scrolling='yes' src='https:\/\/drive.google.com\/a\/scbc.com\/file\/d\/1yC_3JRw6jsiQoZ7xzWYHapBZvBNOf82i\/preview?usp=drivesdk' allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-gdm-google-drive-embedder-viewer\"><p><span class=\"gdm-drivefile-embed\"><img src=\"https:\/\/drive-thirdparty.googleusercontent.com\/16\/type\/application\/pdf\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" \/> <a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/a\/scbc.com\/file\/d\/1Knf6JEY-yqsrn7yJPWwm45TWP6wFj7Ji\/view?usp=drivesdk\" target=\"_blank\">View\/Download Sermon PowerPoint<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Perhaps one of the most popular verses from 2 Timothy comes from our text this week, \u201cDo your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In this one verse there are three \u201ccalls\u201d. The first call is to present \u201cOurselves to God as one approved.\u201d Have you heard this call and responded in obedience? Do you seek the approval of others or are you living for God\u2019s approval? The false teachers in Timothy\u2019s church were probably looking for approval from others, but a true servant of God seeks approval only from our Heavenly Father. Now this may seem like an unattainable goal \u2013 how will we ever gain God\u2019s approval? To work toward man\u2019s favour seems more possible. But the truth is the very opposite. Man\u2019s approval is fickle and fleeting, God\u2019s approval is all of grace and is therefore enduring, and completely within our grasp.<\/p>\n<p>Second, there is the call to be \u201ca worker who does not need to be ashamed.\u201d The picture that comes to mind is of those cooking shows where three contestants have their individual dishes judged. Sometimes they stand before the judge with no shame because they know they have done their best and presented a dish that is in accordance to what the judges want. Other times, the contestant stands with shame because they have completely ignored the instructions and the judges are obviously disappointed. How is it with you? At the end of the day will you be able to present your life unashamedly to God knowing that you have followed his directions and have lived a life that \u201cpursued righteousness, faith, love and peace\u201d (2 Timothy 2:22)?<\/p>\n<p>Third there is a call to \u201ccorrectly handle the word of truth.\u201d The Greek word for \u201crightly handling\u201d is orthos meaning \u201cstraight\u201d. It is the basis for words like orthopedic, and orthodoxy. So Timothy is to teach the word of God without deviation, precisely, straight. In the words of John Stott, \u201cThe approved worker handles the Word with scrupulous care, staying on the path, avoiding the byways and making it easy for others to follow.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Does that describe you? Do you rightly handle the word of God or do you simply use the word of God to promote your interests? There are many who treat Scripture like the giant buffet at the Golden Phoenix restaurant. They pick and choose what they want \u2013 ignoring the parts that challenge their lifestyle and goals but picking up great heaps of those chapters and verses that seem to agree with the way they are living and going in life. The word of God is not a buffet from which you can only pick what you agree with. It is food for the soul that \u201ccorrects, rebukes, and encourages\u201d (2 Timothy 3:2) us in every situation.<\/p>\n<p>There are three calls \u2013 a call to look up and seek God\u2019s approval alone. There is the call to look in and live a life that reflects his character. And there is the call to look at the truth of God\u2019s word and proclaim it faithfully.<\/p>\n<p>May God find us faithful to his calling in our lives, Pastor Tom.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>2 Timothy 2:14-26<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":7373,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","ctc_sermon_topic":[],"ctc_sermon_book":[161],"ctc_sermon_series":[452],"ctc_sermon_speaker":[105],"ctc_sermon_tag":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scbc.com\/em\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ctc_sermon\/7403"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scbc.com\/em\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ctc_sermon"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scbc.com\/em\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/ctc_sermon"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scbc.com\/em\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scbc.com\/em\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7403"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.scbc.com\/em\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ctc_sermon\/7403\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8434,"href":"https:\/\/www.scbc.com\/em\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ctc_sermon\/7403\/revisions\/8434"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scbc.com\/em\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7373"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scbc.com\/em\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7403"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"ctc_sermon_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scbc.com\/em\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ctc_sermon_topic?post=7403"},{"taxonomy":"ctc_sermon_book","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scbc.com\/em\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ctc_sermon_book?post=7403"},{"taxonomy":"ctc_sermon_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scbc.com\/em\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ctc_sermon_series?post=7403"},{"taxonomy":"ctc_sermon_speaker","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scbc.com\/em\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ctc_sermon_speaker?post=7403"},{"taxonomy":"ctc_sermon_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scbc.com\/em\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ctc_sermon_tag?post=7403"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}