Faith For The Struggle

If you’ve ever thought, “I can’t take one more thing,” this one meets you right there. We’re preaching straight from 2 Timothy 3:12–17, where Paul refuses to sell a soft, trouble-free faith. He says godly living comes with pressure, and the world can slide from bad to worse. So the real question isn’t whether storms will come, it’s what you’ll stand on when they do.

We talk about the everyday struggle in plain terms: parenting stress, marriage tension, bills piling up, sickness, grief, and the fear that life can change overnight. Then we land the point Paul gives Timothy: keep going by continuing in what you’ve learned. That “continue” isn’t a vibe, it’s a command to abide, to stay planted, and to keep choosing faithfulness when you don’t feel strong.

Most of all, we lift up the practical power of Scripture. The Bible isn’t just a Sunday word. It’s God-breathed and profitable, with real-life benefit for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. We say it plainly: the Word that saves is the same Word that sustains, and it’s the same Word that shapes. If you want faith for the struggle, you don’t grow out of the Word. You grow deeper into it.

If this encouraged you, subscribe, share it with someone who’s carrying a heavy load, and leave a review so more people can find this message.

Transcript

Opening Call And Response

SPEAKER_00 0:10

May lay Camba Come someone needs you. Someone needs you love. Come by. Come by. Someone needs you love. Come by. Oh, come by. Someone needs you love. Come by. Come by. Come by. Someone needs you. Someone needs you. Someone needs you lay. Someone needs you love. Come by.

Reading From 2 Timothy 3

Anderson George 2:43

Amen. Second Timothy, chapter number three. Second Timothy, chapter number three. We will commence at verse number twelve and we will culminate at verse number seventeen. Paul's second letter, second epistle to Timothy. The third chapter, beginning at the twelfth verse, says this. Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learnt them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that a man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. If you read that with me, say amen.

Naming Life’s Real Struggles

Anderson George 4:46

Faith for the struggle. Faith for the struggle. The truth is since you have been born, you have experienced the vicissitudes of life. That is to say, at one point or the other, you have had an unpleasant encounter. You may have had the experience of being ridiculed. You may have had the unfortunate experience of losing a loved one. You may have had an experience with medical maladies. You may have had experience with family discourse. You may have had an experience with several things that you would simply categorize as unpleasant. In addition to all of those things that you have already faced, there is also the question of life beyond the grave, death, and my spirituality. The truth is every one of us have several things that we wrestle with on a daily basis. You, if you're a parent, you have to wrestle with the years that you have this child with you. You have to go through the terrible twos and then the moody teenage years. You have to go through several things. If you are a husband, you know that you need to love your wife even when you don't feel like loving her. If you are a wife, let me quickly say you have to put up with your husband at times when you don't always feel like putting up with him. We have so many things to deal with. Tax is due in a few days, bills are due. We have things that we deal with on a daily basis. And the question is not what will happen or when it will happen. The question is what will you do when it does happen? How will you treat with the circumstances of your life? How will you deal with the vicissitudes and the storms and the waves and the winds when they do arise? Because the truth is those who are godly will. One of three things. You are already in a situation, you are on your way to a situation, or you just came out of one. The question is not, will life happen to you? The question that we have to ask and answer is what do you do when life happens? What do you do when family becomes an issue? What do you do when your children don't go the way you want them to? What do you do when there is more money than month? What do you do when the bills are piling up? What do you do when sickness takes you? What do you do when death is at your door? What do you do? Do we have an answer for life? And I'm here to announce that we do. That answer is Jesus. That answer is the word,

What Will You Do When It Happens

Anderson George 9:10

both risen and inscripturated. The risen word Jesus and the inscripturated word scripture. I want you to know that this word that you hear about on Sunday mornings, that you hear me talk about from this podium. This this word is not just so that you could hear something good on Sunday for a few minutes and then you go home. This word that we call scripture is important. It's important not just on Sunday because this word is the word that saves you. This word is the word when you're in difficulty, is the word that sustains you. This same word that saves is the same word that sustains. You don't grow out of the word, you grow deeper into the word. You don't need any other word but the word. Let me explain. Because sometimes what happens is as you go through life, you get a word from someone for your thing that's not the word. And so let me show my age. There was a time when uh you're looking for familial or medical advice, you would seek Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz. There was a time when you you were looking for just good life principles. You you would sit down and you would take in some good Oprah. There was a time where you would, if you're not into any of those things, you you have a situation and you would call, uh, you would call home, you would call your good friend. And I'm not telling you that you can't find a good word elsewhere. What I am telling you is the only sure word, the only good word, the only word you need to put your life on is the word that came from God. That's the only word that is able to see you through everything you're going through in this life. It's the only word that is capable enough, it's the only word that is thorough enough, that is able to see you through anything and everything from earth all the way to heaven. Paul, as he writes this text to Timothy, allows Timothy to know that part of his job as the man of God, that's a phrase he uses particularly to refer to Timothy as the mouthpiece of God. Part of Timothy's work as the mouthpiece of God is to preach to the church, and the only thing Timothy was allowed to preach was thus says God. The only thing Timothy was to say to the church is this is what God says to you and for you. And it's interesting that as you read the book of 1st and 2 Timothy, it's

Jesus And Scripture As The Answer

Anderson George 12:35

not just about sitting in church, how many songs to sing before Lord's Supper, how many prayers to have, should we have an opening prayer and a closing prayer? Should announcements go before or after? None of those things are discussed in Timothy. And sometimes we make much ado about church and what happens in church. But these two books, these two letters spend more time emphasizing how everyone ought to behave. In fact, because the people in Ephesus are not acting the way they're supposed to, they're not acting the way you expect a Christian to, Paul opens up 1 Timothy saying we need to set some things in order, the things that are lacking set in order. Then he spends an entire chapter talking about women and being respectable and modest, then he talks about men, and then he talks about elders and deacons, and we've done so many things with that text. But here's why Paul wrote it. If you're in 1 Timothy chapter 3, verse number 14, Paul tells Timothy, I write these things hoping to come to you and hoping not to delay. But in case I delay, I've written these things that everyone would know how they ought to behave in the church. Paul didn't spend much time talking about whether we should have one cup, two cups, if if giving should come before or after Lord's Supper, because at the end of the day, what is important is how you live. So he gives all of these instructions to all the groups: the women, the men, the elders, the deacons, and for the entirety of the letter, he's writing to Timothy so everybody knows what's expected of them as Christians. And then he tells them teach and prescribe these things. Tell them that the word is what you need for your life, the word is what helps you to grow, the word is what is going to help you be a better woman, a better man, a better minister, a better servant. The word is what helps. Then he comes in his second epistle to say it's necessary for you to change your life and change it according to how scripture calls us to live, because there are only two types of people in this world those who are getting worse and those who are getting better. Only two. And he says it's your choice to be one or the other. But what he says is if you're choosing to be one of the worst, bear in mind worse only produces worse. If you're choosing to be better, also bear in mind that better produces better. Now you're looking at me funny. It's in the text. I'm I'm not misquoting him. Okay, meet me in verse number 12, 2 Timothy 3, verse number 12. Let me show you. It's in the text. He begins by saying, indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. Category number one. Category number one, he calls evil men and impostors. This is the category of persons who are not walking like Christ, who are not seeking to imitate Christ. There are only two people in the world: those who are in Christ and those who are not in Christ. Those who are not condemned and those who are condemned. I know we see everything else, but from the standpoint of God, you're either in Christ or out, not condemned or condemned, saved or lost, sheep or goat. There

Two Roads Getting Worse Or Better

Anderson George 17:05

is only two. What he says is of this evil group, the only thing you could expect from them is evil and more evil continually. And this evil is going to get worse. You just need to look at the days in which we live. If you're old enough, you're able to say 10 years ago it wasn't this bad. Okay, it's just me. 10 years ago it wasn't this bad. 15 years ago it wasn't this bad. 20 years ago it wasn't this bad. As time progresses, something that progresses with the time is increasing evil. So you could choose to be of this category. I could be evil men and imposters, but know that you don't stay where you are. If you choose to be of this category, there's going to be increased evil. You're just going to get worse and worse. Let's get it out of the way. No one wants to be in this category. So you want to be in the other category. Here's what he says. Verse 14 You, however, on the other hand, contrarily but you continue in the things which you have learned and have become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them. Watch this. Says, on the other hand, you've had this evil category, they grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But on the other hand, you continue. This word continue is from the Greek word meno, and it really means to abide, to live in. Additionally, the way Paul uses it, he uses it in what we call a present tense, active voice, imperative mood. I don't like to be technical, but when I am, it's for a reason. The imperative mood is the mood of command. Paul is not suggesting, he's commanding. You live in this, you stay here, you abide in this. It's an active voice, which means that this is something only you could do actively for yourself. So I need you to stay, to stand in it, but you need to will yourself to do it. Active voice. The present tense, when it's coupled with the imperative mood, has something we call aspect. The aspect here is not do it once, but keep doing it. So, all of that to say, when Paul says continue in the things or whatever word is in your Bible, Paul is saying, I need you to continuously stand, continuously dwell, continuously find yourself living in, planted in the things which you have learned and become convinced of. And this is where we have to ask the question. Well, if this is the contrast to evil, what is it that Timothy has learned and become convinced of? You're tracking with this? Okay, let me try it again. Paul said there are two groups. Group number one, evil men and imposters. Here's what you know about evil men and imposters. They're going to get wissed. Choose. Group number two is the group he says, Timothy is in. He says, You however, as opposed to this group that's doing this, you however stay here. That's why he uses meno. Abide here, live here, keep standing here. And what he says is, keep standing, keep living, keep dwelling in the thing that you have learnt. Whatever Timothy learned and became convicted of, these are two parts that I hope to sell to you on this morning. Whatever Timothy learned and became convicted of is necessary for Timothy to make it in this life through persecution, through disappointment, through struggles, through ups and downs. Let me prove that to you before we continue. Meet me in verse number 10. Same text, verse number 10. Paul says, Now you followed my teaching, my conduct, my purpose. My faith, my patience, my love, my perseverance, persecutions and sufferings such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra, what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me. And then he said, Indeed, all those desiring to live godly will suffer persecution. Paul started this conversation saying, Timothy, look at me. And as you look at me, you would learn life is not easy. It's not always a bed of roses. As much as I am a preeminent apostle of God, you were there when I was stoned at Iconium. You were there when they chased me out of Antioch. You were there when I was on trial at Lystra. You were there, and you saw people, sometimes people called friends, doing despicable things, wishing despicable things to me. That's the life that we live in, where you have to face

Continue Means Abide And Keep Going

Anderson George 23:10

a myriad number of things. And you have to face it because they're wicked men and they're good men. You choose who you want to be. Wicked men are going to be more wicked, but you stay faithful to what you learn. This making sense, Church. So what did Timothy learn? What did Timothy learn that is able to make sense of his life and Paul's life? Because Paul dragged himself into it, right? Said, Paul said, Look at my persecutions, and the Lord rescued me from it. I'm telling you, stay in what you learn, so that the Lord will rescue you too. But what did Timothy learn? Verse 14. You, however, continue the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from a child you have known the sacred writings, scripture, which is able to give you wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. That's a mouthful. But all Paul said is, When you were a baby, you were taught scripture. Now I need to explain here because when we say scripture today, we think of the entire canon of scripture, what we call the Bible, Genesis to Revelation. However, when Paul writes this to Timothy, there is not such a thing as a Bible yet. Timothy does not have Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John or New Testament. Timothy only has what we would call Hebrew Scripture or the Old Testament. Now that's good because what Paul just said is even in Hebrew Scripture, you could find Jesus. One, you could find how to be saved, too, but you could find God's wisdom for making it in this life. So you already have what you need, Timothy, and it's in scripture. I'm here to tell you the same thing, church. You already have what you need. The answer is already in your hands, the answer has already been given to you. God has answered all of your problems before the problem occurred, and the answer is found in the person of Christ and in his word. You don't need anything more. So Paul is telling Timothy, when you deal with death, you need Christ. When you deal with heartache, you need Christ. When you deal with financial stress, you need Christ. When you deal with whatever you deal with, you need Christ. But you also need a word. So you don't just need Christ, you need a word. And the only word that's good is the word that comes from God. The only word that will endure is the word that comes from God. The only word that sustains is the word that comes from God. So you, Timothy, you have learned from a child scripture which is able to make you wise unto salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. And then he says, Old scripture. The word

Scripture Is Practical For Today

Anderson George 27:45

profitable comes from a Greek word ophelemos, and it means that it has practical benefit. So what Paul is saying here is as you look at scripture, scripture has practical. If I had time, I don't. I'd have emphasized that sometimes we discard church, God, and scripture to just the mystical and mysterious, but not something that has practical benefit to where you are right now and what you're going through. And that's why we don't run to scripture first, because we don't always see Jesus as practical. Oh, come here, church. You don't always think this church thing makes logical sense. And so you don't always reach for God first as your answer because that's just a church thing, not necessarily what I'm going through now. Thing. So Paul has to use this word to say, no, no, no, no. Scripture has practical real life wherever you are right now, benefit. All scripture is practically beneficial, is what he's saying, because it came from God. Nothing more to say there. And it's designed for several things. For teaching, because you don't know sometimes, and you need to be educated. For reproof, because you know the wrong things sometimes, and you need to be told what the right thing is, for correction, so that you don't only know the right thing, you know how to walk on the right path. For training in righteousness, how to stay right on the path. Purpose so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. Let me be honest with the text phrase and then make application. This particular phrase, man of God, even as you read it, it says, so that the man of God, not every man of God, not a man of God, says so that the man of God. And that's because this particular phrase is a phrase every time it's used, it's only used of the minister or prophet. In the Old Testament, the first time it's used is of Moses. Moses is called the man of God in the sense that Moses is the mouthpiece of God. This phrase is borrowed from the prophets who spoke the word of God and is then used in the New

Teaching Reproof Correction Training

Anderson George 31:05

Testament to refer to the minister, the preacher, who then speaks the word of God like the prophets did. So Paul here is not talking about everybody when he says the man of God. However, because he's talking to Timothy so that Timothy finds himself properly equipped and adequate for his task of ministry. Does that make sense, church? Here's what I'm telling you. You need a word for your life. And there are many words out there, but there's only one word that saves you, that sustains you, and I didn't have time to tell you, it also shapes you, and that's the word of God. It's the only word that could get you through where you are, it's the only word that was designed to take you from earth all the way to the presence of God. It's the only word designed to meet everything in between. The word that saves is the same word that sustains, and it's the same word that shapes. So you don't grow out of scripture, you need to grow deeper in scripture because as you grow deeper into scripture, you learn not just how to do church, you learn how to live godly, how to be godly in this present world. Paul writing to Titus tells Titus in Titus chapter number two, verse number ten, he says, For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly loss,

Closing Charge You Need More Word

Anderson George 33:40

we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. This word that we have is what helps us navigate. You need more word. You could never have too much. Let's all stand. And as we sing, remember that the only thing that you need to help you through life is a word from God.