Sermon Info:
Responsive Reading: 2 Timothy 3:1-15
Key Verse: 2 Timothy 3:14-15
Background Scripture: John 6:22-40
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Hunger of a Depraved World
– Perilous times, perilous people
3. The Two Food Choices on the Menu
– The food that perishes
– The food that endures
– The hunger proverb
4. Satiated by the Food That Perishes?
5. Satiated by the Food That Endures
– Consume the word of God
Watch & Listen
Introduction
What do you hunger for, or desire, out of life? I think that is an interesting question to ask now, especially considering what our answers were when we were children. In preschool and elementary school, most kids either wanted to be the president, a famous athlete, or a famous celebrity when they grew up. In middle and high school, we wanted to be rich in whatever we chose to do. What about now that we have all grown up? What do you hunger for out of life?
The Hunger of a Depraved World
Me and my brother, over the past few weeks, have had discussions about what it seems people are always chasing after – what they hunger for – in life. I believe that most folks would tell you that they are searching for happiness, right? Do you hunger, desire, to be happy? What do you believe will make you happy?
Perilous times, perilous people
In 2 Timothy 3:2-4, Paul wrote to Timothy about how there would eventually be a time of peril in the world. In those days of peril, Paul wrote that people would be lovers of themselves and money; they would be proud blasphemers that despise good. Lastly, in those two verses, Paul wrote that people would be lovers of pleasure, rather than lovers of God. Don’t know what you think, but that sounds a lot like today.
In 2 Timothy 4:3-4, Paul wrote to Timothy that the time would come when people would not “endure sound doctrine.” As we should know, sound doctrine is the word of God. Paul then said that according to their own desires (what they hunger for), they will raise up teachers that will “turn their ears away from the truth” for fables. Paul then said, “evil men and imposters will grow worse, deceiving and being deceived (2 Tim. 3:13).”
Let’s be honest, we live in a world today where people gather around a cesspool (pit of waste) and love to jump head first into the pool of waste! All it seems most folks are interested in is sex and drama. I said to my brother a few weeks ago that if he was to share a message built on a bunch of drama, he would go viral, but share a good word and very few seem to care.
That cesspool is also filled with the ignorant blabberings of men which tears down, suppresses, oppresses and persecutes others; it causes suffering and tribulation. Rather than being appalled by such a waste pit, many people are consumed with its aroma.
I would say that I’m amazed, but sadly, I realized quite some time ago that we live at a period of time where people despise good because they aren’t even able to recognize what is good! We should love what is good but what is good – the word of God – is slept on, glossed over, and ignored for the hunger of a depraved world.
The Two Food Choices on the Menu
In the beatitudes, Jesus said to the disciples, “Blessed (spiritually content) are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled (Matt.5:6).” Do you hunger for righteousness?
In John 6, Jesus tells us that there are two meals we have to choose between to consume in our life. After the miracle of feeding 5,000, John 6:24 shows us that many of that great multitude sought Jesus out the day after. When they found Him, Jesus said, “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life (John 6:27). The two meals: the food which perishes and the food which endures.
The food that perishes
There is a difference between these two foods that I want to share with you and I will start with the food which perishes. First, we will take a look at Satan’s temptation to see what the food (meal) that perishes.
In Matthew 4:3, scripture tells us that Satan tempted by suggesting Jesus command the stones to become bread. After failing to get Jesus to turn stones into bread, in Matthew 4:8, we see that Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world and their glory — the food (meal) which perishes. Does this meal sound appetizing to you?
As I do each time that I teach of Satan’s temptation of Jesus, I focus on his offer of the kingdoms of the world and their glory for a specific reason. The reason I do this is because this is the meal that Satan will bring to the table for you; he brings to the table the glories of the kingdom of the world.
So, what is this meal? What are the glories of the kingdoms of the world? Well, they are the riches, the splendor, the towns, cities, mountains, oceans, and valleys. To be clear, the glories of the kingdom of the world are built on wealth and power, control and authority. The offer of wealth and power, control and authority has proven to be a very appetizing offer to mankind for a very long time. Does this meal sound appetizing to you?
The food that endures
Now, if that does not sound appetizing to you, then let’s take a look at the food that endures. What is the food that endures? Well, in being tempted, Jesus said to Satan that man should live by the word of God; He said that man should worship and serve the Lord (Matt. 4:4, 10).
If we take a look back to John 6, we will see in John 6:35, Jesus said to the multitude that had sought Him, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” Again, in John 6:27, Jesus said, “Do not labor for which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”
Jesus brings a meal to the dinner table which consists of the word of God, and the meal has been sealed so that it does not go sour or spoil but remains fresh. David encouraged that one should “taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him (Ps. 34:8).”
As I have said all year long, everyone should hunger for the word of God, but we know that many look at the plate that the devil brings to the table and crave the glories of the kingdom of the world; they believe that those glories will satisfy their soul.
The hunger proverb
In Proverbs 27:7, the proverb states, “A satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb, but to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.” Why did I mention this proverb, what does this proverb mean?
To explain this proverb in a manner that we can easily understand, let’s consider our stomachs. When our stomach growls, we are motivated to find something to eat because we’re hungry, right? When we are completely starving, it really doesn’t matter what we find to eat because we will eat just about anything at that point. Now, when you have eaten to the point that you’re full, then you will back away from the table; not even dessert can draw you back in!
Now that we understand the proverb with a physical mindset, let us understand the proverb with a spiritual mindset. Again, Proverbs 27:7 says, “A satisfied soul loathes the honeycomb, but to a hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.” There are many who are living in the world with a soul that is starving. They do their best to satisfy their starving soul, but sadly, many aren’t taking into consideration what exactly they are feeding their soul; they will feed it anything.
You see, many of us look at the menu that Jesus spoke of and what looks the most appetizing to us is what we choose to eat; we eat with our eyes. Now, we know very well that what looks the most appetizing is often the most unhealthy thing for us to pick to eat. That being said, when you’re starving, you aren’t really thinking about what is healthy or unhealthy; many of us are choosing the most unhealthy thing to feed our soul.
Satiated by the Food That Perishes?
Let’s pay close attention to what Paul said would be the motivator behind what people choose to consume in order to satisfy their soul. Again, in 2 Timothy 3:2, 4, Paul said that the motivators to satisfy one’s soul would be the love of one’s self (selfishness), the love of money (greed), and the love of pleasure (lust and covetousness).
Now, we should not be driven by the eyes as it is never good to eat with your eyes. However, as John said in 1 John 2:15-16, “if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.”
You see, many of us are eating with our eyes – we are consumed with our hunger for the food that perishes. Sadly, in this consumption for the food that perishes, many loathe the word of God. Imagine loathing the word of God which David said is more desirable than much fine gold and sweeter than honey and the honeycomb (Ps. 19:7, 10).
What are you consumed with and have given most of your time to in feeding your soul? What is on your mind all the time? Is it truly the Lord and His word? Ask yourself: Is God first in my life or have I become consumed with the knowledge, power, riches, lusts and splendor of the world?
You see, what we prioritize and give most of our time to, in our heart, says a lot to what we hunger for in our soul. For your sake, I hope that you are not consumed with trying to satisfy your soul with the food that perishes because that food will do your soul no good.
When Paul expounded on the thought of one choosing to consume the food which perishes, he stated that those who are led away by various lusts are men of depraved (corrupt) minds. Those that consume the food which perishes, Paul said, would never come to the knowledge of the truth (2 Tim. 3:7), and they would not progress (mature) in faith those days (2 Tim. 3:9).
When you eat unhealthy food, spiritually, there will be no growth in your being (your soul). The food that perishes is not food that can nourish the soul; it may temporarily satisfy the lust of the flesh and eyes but will not satisfy the soul. So, why do we put so much time in hungering for, living for, and consuming food that will do nothing but kill the soul?
Satiated by the Food That Endures
Many are eating unhealthy food, spiritually, and don’t take those spiritual health concerns seriously; they laugh off hungering for what is wicked, but you should understand that always craving for what is wicked is not a laughing matter!
When it comes to our physical health, some of us feel like we can get away with having a poor diet so long as we sprinkle in some healthy eating; we cannot have that kind of mindset when it comes to our spiritual health. You see, I have come to despise the food that perishes because I learned it does nothing for me; when I slip up in what I consume, I never feel good.
All of God’s children should despise the glories of the kingdom of this world – its riches and splendor. The power, the treasures, the money, the lies that you have been feeding off, Jesus said, you should not be laboring for! So, it bothers me to see so many people hunger for food that perishes, especially those who claim to be a child of God.
Consume the word of God
In my key verse for today, Paul encouraged, “you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them.” What have we learned and who has assured what we have learned?
14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
KEY VERSE – 2 TIMOTHY 3:14-15 NKJV
Jesus, I remind you, delivered the word of God to us. Yes, we have all been preached to and taught the good news by flesh and blood (people). Yet, I remind you that the Holy Spirit ministers to us around the clock.
The role that the Holy Spirit serves is to convict the world of sin, and of righteousness; the Holy Spirit guides us, the true believers, into all truth (John 16:8, 13). The Lord will feed you what is good and will satisfy your soul unto everlasting life.
In the second of my key verses, Paul said, “that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” Notice: It is not the glory of the kingdoms – the power, riches, and splendor – that makes one wise for salvation. To be clear, salvation is the deliverance from what hurts and burdens the soul unto peace, joy, and contentment.
You can spend every waking moment craving and hungering for the food of the world but that food will not make you happy; it will upset your stomach (soul) and make you sick. Why hunger for something that will do nothing but poison your soul? Why give the majority of your time to consuming what won’t deliver you from the pain and hurt of your soul?
The Lord calls on us to push back from the table of sin and sit at His table! In 2 Timothy 3:3-5, Paul said to turn away from those that are depraved in their hearts that believe they have a form of godliness. How can they have a form of godliness if all they do is swim in the cesspool of wickedness? As the saying goes, “you are what you eat”.
So, what do you hunger for in life? There is more to life than money and power, and greed and lust. God’s will is for you to consume the food that endures so that He may raise you up the last day to where you will enjoy true happiness – peace and contentment – for everlasting life (John 6:40).
By now, your taste should have matured to the point that you can turn away from craving the world’s glories to eat what is good and healthy for the soul. What will you hunger for and seek to feed your soul? I pray today that you will choose the plate of Jesus rather than the plate of sin.