Central Heights Baptist Church

1. To Be Useful We Are to be a Son – verse 1
2. Timothy was not Paul’s flesh and blood but was his adopted spiritual son
3. We are adopted into God’s family when we trust Jesus as our Savior
4. We should work and behave like a member of His family

1. To Be Useful We Are to be a Good Soldier – verses 3-4
2. The Christian is a soldier in the army of God
3. The last chapter of Ephesians tells us that the believer is fighting a spiritual battle and he needs to put on the armor of God.
4. Ephesians 6:12-13
5. We are not to entangle ourselves in the things of this life but recognize that we are soldiers and that the Christian life is not a playground but a battlefield.

III.           To Be Useful We Are to be an Athlete – verse 5

1. Strive refers to contending in the game.
2. We should want to win and do everything we can to win
3. Someone once said “The only exercise some Christians get is jumping to conclusions, running down their friends, sidestepping responsibility and pushing their luck.”
4. That is not the kind of exercise Paul is talking about
5. Philippians 3:14 – press toward the prize
6. I Corinthians 9:24-27 – keep the body under control
7. What if you told your coach – “I want to be an ‘all-American’ but I don’t want to play or practice

1. To Be Useful We Are to be a Farmer – verse 6
2. We are to till the field and sow the seed of the Word of God not the seed of discord
3. Then we can look for a harvest

1. To Be Useful We Are to be a Workman – A Teacher – verse 14-15
2. Study the Word
3. Interpret the Word the way God gives it to you and not to make it say what we want it to say
4. Never argue about the Word – just seek for insight from God

1. To Be Useful We Are to be a Vessel – verses 20-21
2. If a vessel is usable, it must be clean
3. You don’t want to find left-over food on a plate or fork – my dad used to say that he could wash the dishes a lot quicker without his glasses
4. Here a believer is pictured as a vessel –
5. If you were thirsty and found two cups – one is made of gold and highly ornamented, but it’s dirty – the other is an old crock cup – it’s cracked and worn and will barely hold water but it is clean – which one would you want to use?
6. Remember when the Governor was coming to Mayberry to shake Barney’s hand for giving his car a parking ticket – Otis poured his whiskey in the water crock – the more Barney talked the more water he drank – he thought the governor was coming to punish him – the world will pour into our lives if we aren’t careful – we need to let God fill us up.

VII.       To Be Useful We Are to be a Servant – verses 24-25

1. A believer is like a servant – he is to be gentle to all men
2. The soldier was to fight but the servant is not to fight
3. When you are standing for the truth, you are to be definite and let people know where you stand
4. Don’t be a coward – be bold – not timid
5. Always strive to be a steppingstone in the body of Christ – never to sow discord – never to hinder the work of Christ
6. I could introduce you to a family this morning that has always had a reputation for causing trouble in the church – helping run preachers off – talking about everyone in the body in a negative way – gossiping – never being for progress – hindering the kingdom work –