2 Timothy Chapter 3 Verses 8 – 9

•Now this is cool because these two magicians aren’t named in the Old Testament but here, Paul names them for us. These are the magicians of Pharaoh who resisted Moses and Aaron by replicating, in an inferior manner, the first couple of miracles given by God to persuade Pharaoh to let the people of God go! This is found in Exodus 7 and 8. First, Moses tells Aaron to throw his rod down in front of Pharaoh and it becomes a snake. Then the magicians did the same thing but…Aaron’s rod used the other two snakes as a light snack. Remember that!?

•Now what I find remarkable is that through the power of the occult, the power of evil, these magicians were able to make their sticks turn into snakes! Anyone else get a little tweaked out about that? Well what does that tell us? That evil is real. BUT, and I love this, the power of evil, the power of the darkness, the power of the occult…is limited and it is entirely, completely, utterly inferior!

•Ok, first example. The power of darkness becomes a light snack for the power of God! Right!? Aaron’s rod gobbled up the magicians’ rods like it was a Thanksgiving honey baked ham! Then the miracles really began. First, Exodus 7, God tells Moses to use the same rod and turns the waters of Egypt into blood! Which they did. And then the magicians were called…and they were able to do the same thing with their enchantments. Second, Exodus 8, God tells Moses to again use the same rod and stretch it out over the streams, rivers and ponds and call out the frogs. HA! Wonder what that sounded like! HA!

•So frogs came and covered the land. But again, the magicians were able to bring forth frogs at their call. I don’t know why but I picture their call much higher pitched…HA! But then, an interesting nugget, only God removed the frogs…Then, the third plague…lice. Same rod, same servant…(a picture of the Holy Spirit by the way and a picture of the Word of God by the way…) the dust of the earth was turned to lice…and this one, the magicians could not replicate and the last thing we hear of them is them telling Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God!”

•I love that! Eventually, the lesser, inferior power displayed by the occult, by darkness, yields and must confess that the power of God is far superior! I mean we are only on the third miracle…how many were there!? Ten! So it’s just a great lesson and a great truth…that yes, evil has a certain power but it is totally limited and it is entirely inferior to the power of God…and yet some will pursue this weakness and resist the truth! And that’s the point here…to resist the truth of God is to welcome inferiority and limit into your life…

•But notice, that inferiority, that limit, folks in the church, folks that claim to be something will eventually wear it on their face, their attitude, their behavior, their lives…they will wear it like an outer coat as they progress no further (which is the definition of “limit”) and their folly (or foolishness) will be obvious. Not for you Timothy and not for you Christian…this is for you…

2 Timothy Chapter 3 Verses 10 – 11

•Do you remember that we talked early in this book and in 1 Timothy how Paul and Timothy had a very close bond…? Well here we have a hint at why. We have a hint also at why Timothy at such a young age, (probably only about 30), was held in such high regard by not only Paul but also the other pillars of the early church.

•Paul says here that Timothy has carefully followed…you see Paul could have taught Timothy the things of God, no doubt…but there is such a depth of understanding still left untapped if all you are doing is learning doctrine…look what’s next…manner of life…or better translated, expressed discipline…discipline in motion…application of these truths…Timothy did more than listen…he watched and he did more than process doctrinal truth, he applied and installed wisdom! He watched Paul…he saw the character and the continual outcome…he saw that not only was the Word of God true, but it was also powerful and practical…and in that Timothy birthed something for himself…purpose…see that?

•Paul says in the last days people will be foolish and their foolishness with limit them and defeat them…they may know doctrine but they will not know applied discipline, no purpose, no real faith, thinned skin, no love, no perseverance…but not you…why? Because you are learned? Not so much…but because you have carefully followed…there is a HUGE difference there…in the moment and in the end because in the end…Paul says, God Himself, His ways and His truth will deliver you man…you’ll come out of that whatever soaring and growing…grace upon grace, strength upon strength…not so for those that choose to learn and not follow…

2 Timothy Chapter 3 Verses 12 – 14

•There it is! More than learning…it’s applying, carefully following, catching purpose and finding faith, love, perseverance and then as the persecutions and hardships come…man I’ve heard this so many times from so many wise and strong Christians, as the trials, temptations and tests come, God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6)…strength emerges…bursts forth even and assurance surges! Assurance in God…assurance in His Word and His ways and His promises!

2 Timothy Chapter 3 Verse 15

•Now interesting, all Timothy had was the Old Testament…and so in other words, one way to look at this, there is within the Old Testament so much about Jesus, the coming Messiah, that through the study and careful following and understanding of it, one will logically be led to the truth of Jesus Christ. Pretty neat. And check this out…Paul says this studying, seeking and careful following…brings great wisdom…but wait, there’s more…

2 Timothy Chapter 3 Verses 16 – 17

•There’s great profit in the Word of God. It is God breathed and I love that…So there’s wisdom, there’s profit and there is preparation…so that we are equipped for what this life is about…and I love this descriptor…thoroughly equipped for every good work…and one other thing…there is completion…

•A critic once wrote a letter to a magazine saying, "Over the years, I suppose I've gone to church more than 1,000 times, and I can't remember the specific content of even one sermon over those many years. What good was it to go to church 1,000 times?" The next week, someone wrote back: "Over the past many years, I have eaten more than 1,000 meals. I cannot remember the specific menu of any of those meals. But they nourished me along the way, and without them, I would be a much different man!"

•The work of God through the word of God in our lives, little by little, here a little, there a little will make in us…what we lack…wisdom, discipline, purpose, faith, strength and longsuffering, love and perseverance…or we can choose to be limited and defeated…how do we choose correctly? Do more than learn, man…carefully follow…