2 Timothy chapter 2 is where we are. We are almost finished with this passage, just like we are almost finished with this year, we will study verses 23 and 24 this morning. St. Timothy chapter two, verses 23 and 24. Feeling a little bit of a head cold, I'll try not to make it too annoying to listen to me today. If I duck behind the pulpit, I'm just blowing my nose and I'll be back in just a second, okay? St. Timothy chapter two, verse number 23. Three, we'll read both verses and then just move through these phrase by phrase together and hope to learn something from the Bible today, help us in our Christian lives. The Bible says, but foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes and the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient. And I really appreciate verse number 23 in our passage because it settles the debate once and for all. From the Bible, the Bible says there is such a thing as a stupid question. Did you see that? but foolish and unlearned questions avoid. If somebody asks a stupid question the Bible says you're under no obligation to answer it. in all seriousness think about this there are sincere questions and there are skeptical questions and it's important for us as we seek to witness the people and as we seek to minister to people and as we seek to teach the Bible in certain contexts to be able to discern the difference between a sincere question and a skeptical question because not every question deserves an answer. The Bible says not just here but in many places that there are questions that you ought to avoid. Okay, sometimes the purpose of the question is not to get information, is not to learn. Sometimes the purpose of a question is to distract or to divert. Even worse, sometimes it's to try to lure you into an argument. Never argue with a fool, he will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience. Okay, so the biblical way of handling certain questions is to avoid them. And that's not being compromising and that's not being weak. What it is is exercising wisdom. Because what we want to do is profit. We want to help. We want our conversations to be beneficial and edifying. And sometimes questions can detract from that purpose. We've encountered this already in our passage. Go back to verse number 14 and let's read that again. 2nd Timothy 2. In verse number 14, the Bible says of these things, put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord, that they strive not about words to no profit, but the subverting of hearers. Don't waste your time arguing about things that don't matter. Okay? And this is important in a number of contexts, but primarily, at least in this stage of your life, the application would be in your witnessing. You don't need to argue about things that don't matter. You need to focus on the gospel. Like if you're trying to witness to your friends, the thing to lead with is not why we don't celebrate Christmas. right you're not trying to convert them to your position on holidays or the gap theory or you know some obscure biblical truth or some crazy conspiracy type thing there are more important things to focus on and to talk about, okay? So some questions, sometimes it's not you leading with that information. Sometimes it's the person you're trying to witness to or talk to or minister to trying to draw you into this fight or this argument. And the Bible says, just avoid that. Just stay on topic. Just divert to what is profitable. is what this passage says. You remember when Jesus was on the earth in his public ministry, oftentimes people would come to him with questions. And many times the scripture says that they asked him a question tempting him. What they were trying to do was trip him up. What they were trying to do was paint him into a corner. What they were trying to do was catch him saying something inconsistent that they could then use against him. And Jesus, obviously, handled all of those situations masterfully and perfectly. Often he would turn around and ask them a question, but never was he lured into an unprofitable conversation. One of the cross-references would be Matthew 22, 35. One of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him. In Mark 8, 11, the Pharisees came forth and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven. tempting him. All right, so you've got to be able to recognize when the question is a temptation versus when the question is something that is worth pursuing and demands an answer. I'm not suggesting that we just need to be rude and dominate every conversation that we're a part of. I'm just saying we need to be able to recognize that It's important to keep our conversations on track and don't allow yourself to be diverted. Sometimes just avoid certain things. Let's run some cross-references because this is all throughout the New Testament. It shows up more than you might expect. Look at 1 Timothy 1 and verse 4. We'll just read some of these passages together. 1 Timothy 1. And verse number four, there's instruction to a young pastor who had been placed by Paul the apostle in the church at Ephesus. That's Timothy, he's writing to him here, giving some instruction and he says, neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies which minister questions rather than godly edifying which is in faith So do. So choose to focus on that which is edifying, that which will build people up, that which is profitable, that which is godly. The problem with a lot of these weird side issues is that there's no end to it. endless genealogies. You chase one rabbit, and at the end of that trail, there's just another rabbit going another direction. So those things have a way of just keeping you off topic and off track, and the Bible says to guard against that. Look at 1 Timothy 6. In verse 4, 1 Timothy 6. In verse 4, Verse number three, if any man teach otherwise and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the doctrine which is according to godliness, he is proud knowing nothing but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness from such withdrawal. thyself. So again, Timothy being instructed not to get drawn into these questions and strifes of words. A lot of times the arguments that people want to get into it kind of comes down to a semantics thing and who defines the terms and what exactly do you mean by that and that can be endless. That can go on and on and get you trapped to where you're not able to get out of that and have a profitable conversation. Look at Titus 3. We had two of the verses in our passage we've already read, but Titus 3 9. And verse number nine says, but avoid foolish questions. Again, Bible says there is such a thing, but avoid foolish questions and genealogies and contentions and strivings. We're going to get to this striving, contention, disputing in just a moment, but avoid foolish questions and genealogies and contentions and strivings about the law for they are unprofitable and vain. And this is the thing that shows up in each of these passages. We want our ministry to be profitable. We want to help people. We want to edify. We want to build up. And that's the way we ought to live our lives as Christians, loving your neighbor as you love yourself. What love is, is always doing what is in the best interest and for the benefit of the other person. And the example that Jesus left for us was always living for others, laying down his life for others, trying to bless and benefit others. And this avoiding questions, it's not just to shelter ourselves from awkward situations. It's to actually help the people that we're around and try to be a Blessing to them. I think we see this clearly in each of these verses look at Hebrews 13 verse number 9 Hebrews 13 and verse number 9 Bible says be not carried about the diverse and strange doctrines. I For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace, not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. You know, there's some really cool things in the Bible. There's some really obscure things in the Bible. There's some really curious and fascinating truths in the Bible. There's some strange things in the Bible. I mean, you can talk about the flying roll in Zechariah 5 and what exactly is all that? Melchizedek, who exactly is he? And continental drift and the age of the earth and giants in the earth. And I mean, there's some interesting things. There's some room here and there for some speculation and just, you know, curious things. But the Bible says we don't need to major on those things. We don't need to focus on those things. We don't need to start with those things. not carried about with diverse and strange doctrines even if it's a true doctrine. If it's one of the obscure, strange, interesting, listen, don't focus there. That's not gonna build somebody up in their Christian faith. Let your heart be established with grace. You gotta lay the foundation of the first principles of Christ, Hebrews 6 says, in order to go on to perfection. The classic example that I remember from my life when I think of this passage is one time when we were downtown, Greenville, South Carolina doing public ministry. And I think it was a young adult conference. One year we had this huge group and we're singing and preaching and passing out tracks and just having a great time. And there were some other street preachers there and praise the Lord. There are other people that are out proclaiming the gospel and they had signs and they had tracks, but then we talked to them and their tracks were about the flat earth. And suppose the earth is flat, and it's not. But suppose that it is. Suppose that it is. Whether you believe that or not has absolutely no bearing upon your soul, your eternal destiny, or any aspect of your Christian life at all. And if you have the opportunity to exercise the freedom to go out and proclaim the gospel, why is that what you want to talk about? You know what I'm saying? Look, I believe the King James Bible is the word of God. I believe that modern English Bible versions are corrupt. But if I can convince somebody of the King James, or I can convince somebody that they need to be saved, which is more important to start with? I'm not saying the King James Bible is not a profitable discussion or an important topic. I'm just saying it's not as important as somebody hearing that Jesus died for their sins, was buried and rose again, and how you need to be saved. Okay? And I think that's what we're trying to get at here. Look at Proverbs 26. Proverbs 26. We're going to go downtown October 31st. There's a Monsters on Main Street event and people celebrating Halloween and dressed up in all kinds of crazy costumes. We've got two options. We can go pass out pamphlets about why you shouldn't celebrate Halloween or we can go pass out gospel tracts. Which is more profitable? Okay, and it's not that as believers, we're not gonna make sure that we understand the roots of that holiday and our call to be separate and different from the world. It's just that when we're going out into that place, there is something more important that we're trying to accomplish, and that's getting the gospel to those people, get them saved, and then we'll tell them why. That's a really bad idea. Proverbs 26, verse number four. Look at this, Proverbs 26, verse four. Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him. So there are certain situations in which the question should not be answered, okay? Because it's a foolish question. And then verse number five, answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit. So one verse says, don't answer. And the next verse says, well, you better answer. And how am I going to be able to tell the difference? I'm going to need the Holy Spirit to help me with that. I got to look at the second part of the verse, lest thou also be liking him. I need to make sure I don't stoop to his level. But verse number five, lest he be wise in his own conceit. There are situations where you just got to kind of be able to say something to put question asker in the right place, and then move on in a profitable direction. But what I want you to see from Proverbs 26, we're not gonna spend all of our time trying to discern which is which, but just the fact that some questions ought to be avoided. That's what our passage said. But foolish and unlearned questions avoid knowing that they do gender strifes. 1 Peter 3.15, let me give you the other side of that, 1 Peter 3. And verse number 15, 1 Peter 3.15 says, but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason to hope that is in you with meekness and fear. If you listen to sermons on your own time, and I suggest that you do, if you get on sermon audio, and I suggest that you do, I would encourage you to look up Ron Ralph, Cornerstone Baptist Church, Carthage, Tennessee, preached a series of messages called Answering the Skeptics, beginning with this passage, and we are called to be ready to give an answer. And part of that readiness and part of that preparation obviously is intellectual. You want to be familiar with the arguments. You want to be familiar with the questions. You want to be familiar with what the skeptics will try to use to discredit the Bible or argue against the gospel or the Christian faith and arm yourself with some knowledge and some information. But another part of this is spiritual. In fact, the major part of this is spiritual. It's sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. The verse didn't say fill your mind with facts, and you do need to fill your mind with facts. Study to show that self-proven God. The Bible says that the wise man lays up knowledge, okay? Get all the information and knowledge that you can, but sanctify the Lord God in your heart. Make sure your heart is in the right place to be able to answer questions the right way. sanctify Lord God in your hearts be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you but sometimes the way to answer is to avoid. 2 Timothy 2 24 again 2 Timothy 2 and how can I tell if it's something to be avoided is it something that's just gonna get you into a fight the verse, but foolish and unlearned questions avoid knowing that they do gender strifes and the servant of the Lord must not strive. We're not called to win arguments. We're called to win souls. And I think that's really the ultimate distinction. If all that's going to be accomplished is going to be drawn into an argument and a battle of wits, and I'm going to come out with the superior intellect, that's not the point. That's not the purpose. That's not the goal or the objective. I want to try to win somebody to Christ. I want to try to convince them to come to Jesus and have their sins forgiven and know the blessing and joy of living by the Bible. So if it's going to gender strifes, that's something I'm not supposed to do. If it's going to help me help this person, then I'm going to answer the question. I'm going to do whatever it takes to find the answer and give a good answer. But the servant of the Lord must not strive. Jude 1.3 says we are supposed to earnestly contend for the faith. It doesn't say we're supposed to earnestly contend for our intellectual position or our honor and dignity, and there's a fine line. There's an important distinction between the two. Am I following this path and answering this question because I want to prove how much that I know and I'm going to put this person in their place? I mean, I'm going to ram them, right? Or, Is this question really going to help this person come to Christ or if another approach would be more beneficial? I'm supposed to be willing to do whatever it takes to genuinely help the other person. To strive means to contend. to contest, to struggle in opposition, to be in contention or dispute, followed by, against, or with, before the person or thing opposed us. Strive against temptation. Strive for the truth. There are things we're supposed to strive for. We're supposed to strive to enter in at the straight gate, the Bible says. Strive against sin, the Bible says. Press toward the mark. So there is good strife and then there's bad strife. and when the strife is an argument and a dispute and a tempers flaring and blood boiling and getting in the flesh type of strife that's the kind to be avoided and man it's easy to let that happen. You're out, you're standing up for Jesus. You're trying to, you know, you're trying to pass out tracks and you're telling people that God loves them and came so they could be saved. And then they get in your face and then they say the craziest things. And it is easy, it is easy to escalate. It is easy to match the wrong kind of intensity. Right? The servant of the Lord must not strive in that way. Okay? This isn't a personal contention or dispute. This is, I'm supposed to contend for the faith, but how? And the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men. apt to teach, patient. Let me give you some cross references. You can just jot down these verses. Proverbs 20, verse number three, it is an honor for a man to cease from strife. but every fool will be meddling. It is an honor for a man to cease from strife. Proverbs 26, 21, as coals are to burning coals and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindle strife. Don't add any more wood to the fire. Somebody wants to come in hot, and bring the argument to you, just try to take those coals off. Don't add any more coals to it, right? That fire can't keep going unless you fan the flames. Refuse to fan the flames. Avoid however you can. Proverbs 28, 25, heathens of a proud heart stirreth up strife. That desire to enter into contention and prove the point and win the argument, you know what that is? It's pride. And pride never helped anybody else. Okay? That's Proverbs 28, 25. Proverbs 29, 22 says, an angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression. That's pretty much the opposite of what we're told in Psalm 92, to be gentle unto all men. It's easy to get angry. But the Holy Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit is gentleness. The Bible says in Romans 13, 13, let us walk honestly as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness. Now those are bad things. Rioting and drunkenness. That's like a party on Church Street on Saturday night. That's bad, that's wicked. Chambering and wantonness, that refers to immorality. Loose living. Our culture, right? That's wicked, that's bad, that's ungodly and unbiblical. And then the verse finishes, not in strife and envying. The Bible puts pointless fighting in the same verse as those other really bad things that we ought to avoid, okay? 1 Corinthians 3.3, it's a sign of carnality, for you're yet carnal, for whereas there's among you envying and strife, are ye not carnal and walk as men? In Philippians 2.3, let nothing be done through strife or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves. Back to 2 Timothy 2, if you're not already there, 2 Timothy 2, verse 24, and the servant of the Lord must not strive. What's the alternative? What's the positive instruction? But be gentle unto, this is tough, all men apt to teach Now, all of you know this is my strength. If you need an example, you can just look to Brother David. Gentle, apt to teach, patient. I say that highly, sarcastically, and I think the nervous chuckles were an acknowledgment of that. In fact, this is something that I need to continue to pray for the Holy Spirit to work in my life, but whether or not I exemplify it perfectly, this is the standard, this is the bar, this is the goal, this is what God has called us to, to be gentle unto all men, even the annoying ones. Right? I have to teach patient, patient, even even with the annoying ones, right? The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 10, 1, I, Paul, myself, beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ. Aren't you glad that Christ is meek and gentle and patient? and apt to teach in First Thessalonians 2 7. But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children. That's how Paul, the apostles minister to the believers in Thessalonica. We're called in Titus 3 2 to speak evil of no man to be no brawlers, but gentle, showing all meekness unto all men. In James 3, the wisdom, verse 17, James 3 17. The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be, entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, without hypocrisy, all right? So gentle, deescalate, calm. I mean, don't think me, think Steve Jones, right? Gentle unto all men. You can just speak a little softer, speak a little slower, Try to bring the temperature down. Stand your ground, plant your feet, don't move, don't yield, don't bend, don't compromise, but you don't have to jump down somebody's throat either. Okay? Gentle unto all men. Why? Because that has a tendency to be a lot more profitable. Because a soft answer turns away wrath. Right? But grievous words stir up anger. I don't think I quoted that correctly. I need to go back and learn that one. Again, Proverbs 15 and verse number two. I got the first part though. A soft answer turneth away wrath. We need to learn that. We need to practice that. It's gonna take some practice, but let's do it. Be gentle unto all men. Apt. to teach, fit, suitable. Are we looking for opportunities to help the people around us? And when we're witnessing, are we just fulfilling a duty or are we actually trying to benefit that person? We're actually trying to win that person. We actually have care and concern and love for that person. Apt to teach and patient. Patient. It takes time. Right? Aren't you glad that God didn't demand that you were a fully mature Christian the day after you got saved? Has he not given you plenty of time to work on your quirks? Has he not given you plenty of time to try to work on your sins? Your foolishness? I mean, God is patient with us. He has every right just to slap us all upside the head. But instead, he tries to help us. Instead, he gives us another chance. Instead, he gives us instruction. Instead, he sends us blessings. He is gentle. He is apt to teach. He is patient. And that's the example that we're supposed to follow. Patient, not easily provoked. Calm under the sufferance of injuries or offenses, not revengeful. Persevering, constant in pursuit or exertion, not hasty, not over eager or impetuous. Listen, you can't get frustrated every time you go witnessing that everybody you witness to doesn't just immediately bow down and call on the Lord for salvation. That's what we want. That's what we're getting at. But if you're not patient, you're going to get easily discouraged and you're going to quit. Let the Holy Spirit do his work. Let it, let, sometimes it's going to take some time. Now, listen, I understand it's urgent. People are dying and going to hell and we want to see them get saved. But, but if, if, if we're going to reach that goal, then the most effective way is to exercise some gentleness. and some patience. Let me give you some cross-references on this. 1 Thessalonians 5.14, now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. It's what a bishop is supposed to be in 1 Timothy 3.3. It's what the aged men are supposed to teach the younger men, Titus 2. And verse number two, 2 Corinthians 6.4, but in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God in much Patience and much patience. Last place, let's go to Philippians chapter two this morning, Philippians two. All of this comes down to following the example that Christ set in living his life for others. And that's our challenge each day is to live our life for others. The Bible says Philippians 2 verse number one, if there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, any fellowship with the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfill ye my joy, that you be like-minded, having the same love, being one accord of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory. But in the loneliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. That's not to say, you understand what that says. care more about other people than you do about yourself. Look on the things of others. That's not with a covetous intent. That is, I'm supposed to be looking out for other people. Verse number five, let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. The reason he was patient, and gentle. The reason he avoided certain questions is so that he could do the most good to the most people all of the time. And that's the way that we've been called to live. And so this whole thing about avoiding foolish questions, not getting drawn into arguments and strifes and fights and disputes that aren't going to help anybody, that's what it's all about. Let's do what is most helpful. Let's Let's try to win souls, not win arguments, and the two aren't always compatible. Okay? Hope this is helpful to us. Lord, thank you for your word and this instruction, and God help us to follow the example that's been set. by our Savior in every aspect of ministry, Lord, in which we are able to be engaged, helps to really care about the people around us, the lost people out in the world that we come into contact with, our brothers and sisters in Christ that we fellowship with in the church house. God helps to learn to live like Jesus did so that others' lives can be better. We love you. Thank you for being so good to us. In Jesus' name, amen.