Skip to content A Vessel Fit For Use Jul 12 · 46 min ...more
A Vessel Fit For Use
July 12, 2026 · 46 min
A pastoral call to examine drift, surrender to Jesus, and be refilled by the Spirit so we become usable vessels for God's work in family, church, and community.
Series 2 Timothy Video
Calvary Chapel teaches the Bible simply and literally, presenting scripture verse by verse so everyone can understand and apply God’s Word to daily life. We
July 12, 2026 · 46 min · 2 Timothy Video
A pastoral call to examine drift, surrender to Jesus, and be refilled by the Spirit so we become usable vessels for God's work in family, church, and community. ...more Show the full description Show less A pastoral call to examine drift, surrender to Jesus, and be refilled by the Spirit so we become usable vessels for God's work in family, church, and community.
Series 2 Timothy Video Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
Support this leader
Liking this video? Support this ministry.
Give
Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
In this video 0:00 The Danger of Drifting Away5:49 Rightly Handling God's Truth34:03 Cleansed Vessels for Honor43:40 Gentle Restoration and Diligence46:16 Faithful Prayer and Commitment
The Danger of Drifting Away 0:01 Father, we're grateful for mornings together and to see the work of your hands, to see what you've done, through the lives of those kids throughout the week,0:12 Lord. Just watching them from Monday to Friday transform into just joyful kids that love to sing your praises. It was such a joy to hear0:24 their voices being lifted up in worship to you and praise to you. And I pray, god, that throughout the week, the things and the seeds that have been planted in their hearts will continue to be watered so that they0:36 would continue to grow in you. And, if not, already, lord, I pray that they would all surrender their lives to you, lord Jesus, that they would accept you as their savior.0:49 I thank you for each and every person that volunteered, and I just pray, god, that you would just, continue to be with us as we look to the next year and then look to the next opportunities, lord, to serve you and to1:00 serve this community. I pray this morning as we open your word, Lord, that the words would come alive to us. As we read the scriptures, may truth be found buried in our hearts, Lord, so that we are1:12 well equipped for every good work that you have for each of us. For we know you have great plans for us, and we pray, god, that we would just be open to receive your truth and to accept, the1:24 things that we're gonna read and to apply the things that we're going to consider, so that our lives would be effective in the days that we're living in. Bless us now in this time. In Jesus' name we pray.
1:36 Amen. Amen. Have you ever watched someone you trusted slowly come undone? Not through some
1:48 drastic public collapse, but through a slow drift, a compromise here, a rationalization there until 1 day you look up and you
1:59 barely, barely recognize who they become. Maybe it was a friend, maybe it was a family member, And if we'd be right on it, honest with ourselves, maybe it was
2:11 us. That we've drifted from the Lord, that we drifted into a place that was not healthy and was not where God would want us to be. You see, Paul, the apostle had
2:23 watched many men and many believers do that very thing, that they would drift from the truth, that they would drift from Jesus Christ. Men who had once stood in good standing
2:35 with him among the believers, Now they were explaining away the foundations of our faith, the pillars of the Christian belief. Paul doesn't
2:47 call their error a small mistake. We're gonna read it. He calls it a cancer, and cancer kills. Cancer spreads. Cancer does not,
2:59 necessarily move slowly. It goes quickly. Something that doesn't stay contained, that kills and destroys. And I would imagine that pretty much every
3:11 single 1 of us here today knows the fear of slowly coming undone, slowly drifting in certain seasons in our lives when things get tough. The
3:23 questions that surface in our heads, maybe when we're lying at night, could be these things. Am I still being honest with myself and with god, or have I gotten
3:35 comfortable with small dishonesties? Number 2, have I let something go uncleansed in my life so far and for so
3:47 long that I become unfit for the matters, for what matters most? And then lastly, when someone I love starts drifting in destructive thinking,
3:59 do I have the strength to go after them without pushing them farther away? Everyone of these questions, the apostle Paul will answer if we can get through the rest of these
4:11 verses in chapter 2. Questions that we all might have, questions that any 1 of us who desire to live for God might find ourselves asking. Have
4:23 I drifted? Have I allowed sin in my life? Have I allowed compromise in my life? Or have I allowed a brother and sister in Christ to wander off on their own not being bothered to
4:35 be a part of the solution? Paul answers these 3 questions with 3 pictures. So as we walk through this text, don't just listen for
4:47 how this will speak to others in your life. I want you to think about how it speaks to you in your life. Take it personally. Listen for yourself
4:59 because although this passage is about ancient controversies in Paul's day, It's also about you and it's about me and the kind of person that we're becoming,
5:11 the kind of believer that we are, the kind of follower of Christ that has strong faith, weak faith, no faith, whatever it may be. We're always being transformed. We're always being molded and
5:22 shaped into the likeness of Christ, 1 small choice at a time. I've named or I've titled this message, A Vessel Fit
5:34 for Use. Are you a vessel fit for use? Are you available to God to be filled, to be used, to be effective in
5:46 the circle of influence he's given to you? Maybe it's your family, maybe it's at your workplace, maybe it's in your friends group. Are you making an impact for Christ?
Rightly Handling God's Truth
5:58 See, a lot of the scripture that we're going to read is going to be very convicting to us. The things and the actions and the way we interact with 1 another. But, boy, I really I believe with all
6:10 my heart that if we allow the Holy Spirit to bring correction and conviction in our hearts, we can align our lives to what God wants for us. So let us look if you will. Verse
6:22 14 in chapter 2, Paul continues as he speaks to Timothy. Remind them of these things. Charging them before
6:34 the lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourselves approved to god,
6:47 a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and idle babbling, for they will increase to
6:58 more ungodliness, and their message will spread like cancer. A manius and Philetus are of the sort who have strayed concerning
7:11 the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past, and they overthrow the faith of some. Nevertheless, the solid
7:22 foundation of god stands having this seal. The lord knows those who are his, and let everyone who names the name of Christ
7:34 depart from iniquity. But in a great house, there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor.
7:46 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel of honor, sanctified, and useful for the master, prepared for every good work.
7:59 Flee also youthful lust, but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the lord out of a pure heart.
8:11 But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes knowing that they just generate strife. And a servant of the lord must not quarrel, but be gentle to
8:23 all, able to teach, patient, in humility, correcting those who are in opposition. If god perhaps would grant them repentance so that
8:35 they may know the truth and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his
8:47 will. Paul, as he speaks to Timothy, a pastor of a of a church in Ephesus, encourages this young man to be effective in his
8:59 ministry. And to be effective in ministry means to start being effective in your own life. You may not be in ministry, but as a child of God, you are always there to
9:10 make a difference and to be an example to a dark world. So in a sense, we're all in ministry. You may not realize it, but your family's watching, your friends are watching, your
9:22 coworkers are watching, your enemies are watching. You call yourself a Christian. Do you act that way? You know, many think Christianity means you think you're perfect. I would
9:34 say quite the opposite. Christianity brings us to a place where we know we're not perfect, but we serve ones who certainly is. Do we not? The 1st thing I see in this starting
9:46 in verse 14 through 19 is a worker rightly handles the truth. A vessel fit for use is a worker that rightly handles the
9:58 truth. It's important for us to understand that as we read our Bibles that we understand what it teaches. Again, the beauty of Calvary Chapel is we're in the word of God.
10:09 We're not just picking little things here and there to talk about a verse here, a verse there. I mean, I've talked to people in our church that never knew anything about a Calvary Chapel, grew up in church, but never
10:20 knew the stories or where they were in the Bible. But as he this person comes to Calvary Chapel, as I read the text, as we read the scriptures, like, oh, that's where that is. Oh, that's where that is. See, we have the
10:32 beauty and the the honor to be able to pick up our bibles, read the stories, and know what they mean and understand what they say. Knowing the word of God, wouldn't you admit, helps you be a stronger believer? To
10:44 know the truth, to know that the truth sets us free, to know who God is, the character of God. So we have to make sure we handle the truth properly. That's a high call for us as
10:55 Christians. We don't ever wanna misspeak God's word. We don't wanna take God's word out of context, but you know what? Many do. Many take the word of God out of context to fit their own circumstances.
11:08 Hey. We not be the people that look to the word to justify our actions, but look to the word to correct our actions, to correct the things that we think and believe.
11:22 Have you ever believed 1 thing about God only to discover in the word? It taught you the absolute opposite. Boy, is that convicting. It's like, wow. What I was believing was wrong,
11:34 but the word of god sheds light up on that. Notice what Paul says in verse 14. Remind them of these things. The very 1st thing he tells Timothy is to remind them of
11:46 some things. Now what we talked about last time, he was talking about in verse 8, remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead. We talked about it last time, how important it
11:58 is to remember the resurrection of our Lord. And so Paul saying in verse 14, remind them of that. Keep reminding them of that. Keep showing him that because there's power in the resurrection of Christ. There's power
12:09 in the belief that God is alive and that he's seated at the right end of God. There's power in knowing that we too will rise 1 day with him in glory. And then in verses 11 through 13 of
12:21 this chapter, he said, for we died with him, we shall also live with him. If we deny him, he also will deny us. If we are faithless, he remains faithful. He cannot deny himself. So we sing to
12:33 Timothy, remind them. So I'm here this morning to tell you, to remind you, Jesus is alive. Jesus is risen,
12:45 and he wants us to live for him and honor him. I believe for many of us, even mature believers, a constant reminder of what God says is
12:57 healthy for us because it feeds our soul. It rein it re, invigorates the foundation of what we believe. It constantly remember, I think it's even Peter
13:09 that's says he's constantly gonna remind people. He's constantly gonna stir up those things. It's important for us to remember what Jesus said. Because if we're not remembering what Jesus says,
13:21 guess what? We're gonna be thinking about what others say, what the world says. Again, I call it stinking thinking. It's like thinking of things that are not of god. So you see where he says,
13:33 remind them of these things, Timothy. Notice, charging them before the lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. See, there's talk
13:45 that's good and encouraging, and then there's talk that's damaging and destroying. You said, I'm writing Timothy, listen, charge them before the Lord not to strive, not to have these arguments because
13:57 in the the church that Timothy was pastoring, there was arguments about faith. There was arguments about the things of the world, and they were fighting as believers. And Paul is saying, listen, tell them to stop doing
14:08 that. It's not healthy. Nothing wrong with a good debate. But we should not argue with 1 another. We should not fight against 1 another against
14:19 1 another. We should support each other, have a conversation. Again, words of no profit. There's no there's no life in that, the things that we talk about.
14:33 I was joking with some people this morning about talking about soccer. Isn't soccer the big topic? Right? We're all talking about who our teams
14:45 are, who's playing, who who's this? Like, there's nothing wrong with having these conversations. But do do you find yourself talking about the lord?
14:57 Do you find yourself bringing up the topic about Jesus, about what he's done for you? Do you know how important that is for our own soul, for our own spirit? This doesn't this thing called
15:09 Christianity doesn't just happen by chance. We have to be active in it. We have to participate in it. We have to remind each other about the lord and the work that the lord is doing. When's the last time you
15:21 looked at your spouse, your kids, a friend? Say, what's god saying to you? What's god speaking to you? How's god working in your life? Those are the challenging questions we should be asking 1 another. Hey. It's great
15:33 to have interest. I'm not bad mouthing soccer. I like watching soccer. But Paul is saying, listen. Don't talk about things that mean nothing, that actually are are damaging.
15:45 Don't argue about things. Talk it through it. That's fine, but don't fight about it. The picture is of endless arguments over insignificant matters
15:57 while people's souls hang in the balance. Notice it says, to the ruin of the hearers because sometimes our conversations can push people away from god. Sometimes the
16:09 things that we say, sometimes the way things that things, or sometimes something that someone says to someone that you did can cause them to drift from god. How many of us know people that used to love the
16:21 lord, walk with the lord, serve the lord, and now no longer are because someone said something, someone did something. Jesus never said, follow my disciples.
16:34 Did he? No. He said, follow me. That's why I think it's so amazing when the apostle Paul uses himself as an example. Imitate me as I imitate Christ. That's a high call, Tim,
16:46 Paul. Nothing wrong with that, but at the same time, we follow Jesus because people will fail. Wouldn't the enemy love it if
16:58 we all just sat here and argued with each other, fought with each other? Who used to be in your life that's no longer in your life because you had a disagreement? Because you
17:09 fought. That's what the enemy wants. He wants to build a wedge in marriages. He wants to build a wedge in friendships. He wants to build wedges in families. He
17:21 wants arguments. He he loves it when you argue. He loves it when you yell. He loves it when you get angry, but it breaks the heart of God. And I've always said, not the
17:33 easiest thing to do. But when those things begin to happen, someone that's mature needs to say, time out. Let's pray. Time out. Let's take a break, and let's invite
17:45 the lord in our conversation. Change the perspective. Change the atmosphere. Listen.
17:57 It's easy to complain. It's easy to argue. It's it's a fleshly thing, and we can all do it very well. But wouldn't it be a lot better if we talked about god? We talked
18:09 about what the lord is doing. I know people in my life that the very 1st thing they wanna talk about is what god did in their life, what miracle they show god showed in their life, how how god worked in their life. They
18:20 were praying for something and god showed up. I love that. May we be people that wanna talk about god. Again, a worker rightly handling the truth. It's like, oh, I read my
18:32 devotion this morning. This is what god spoke to me just this morning. I got a screenshot of someone's devotion, and it it spoke about how the holy spirit will speak through you as he sees fit, to
18:44 encourage me as I stand here, that the Holy Spirit would speak through me. I would want that for all of us that the Holy Spirit would speak through us so that 1 person in this room can encourage someone else with the
18:56 truth. Are you discouraged this morning? Maybe you need to hear some truth. You're depressed. Maybe you need to hear that God loves you unconditionally. Whatever it may be, God's word is there
19:08 to deal with the issues in our life. He says in verse 15, be diligent to present yourselves approved to God.
19:20 Doesn't that sound like we have a responsibility? Doesn't that sound like we're to participate in this thing called faith? Be diligent to present yourselves approved to god, a worker
19:32 who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. You know what the word of truth is? You hold it in your hand. The word of truth is the word of god.
19:45 Rightly dividing it means rightly explaining it. It means understanding it. And I know sometimes we read our bibles and go, boy, that's hard to understand. But you know you have a holy spirit
19:57 in your heart that can give you insight into that truth. That we're to be people that are studying. This word be diligent carries a sense of urgent effort in in a sense of haste.
20:09 You know, it's why is it so easy for us to neglect the simple things that god has given us to grow in our faith? Things like prayer, bible
20:21 reading, staying in fellowship. Why is it we neglect those things that give us life? Those of us in this room that are in the word every single day, multiple times a day, know the strength of the
20:33 word of god. And if you're here this morning and you're finding weakness in your life, is it because you're neglecting reading the word of God? Well, pastor Rob, you don't understand. I read it. I just don't understand
20:43 it. Give it time. Pick up a Bible commentary. Here's another thing. We have so many resources to help us understand the very words of God.
20:55 You know what Paul had in his day? He had the old testament and the teachings of Christ. He didn't have the bible. We have the bible. We have no excuse for not knowing
21:07 this, to stay in it, be in it, study it. Again, it's an urgent effort. It's not casual Bible study. It it's like the earnestness of a craftsman
21:20 taking time to understand his trade, to study it. Paul calls Timothy a worker. This means it takes effort. It takes work to to study the word.
21:32 Please, I pray. May Sunday morning not be the only time you open your Bible. Please. I would if this is convicting of
21:44 you, good. Because it's available to you. It's not like anybody's keeping it from you. Most of us in this room have more than 1 Bible. We probably have 5
21:55 Bibles. Plus you have a phone that has Bible applications. Plus you have all kinds of podcasts that teach you about the we have no excuse not to know the word of god, to understand
22:07 it. Take the time to do it. Ain't it funny how we take the time for everything else in our lives?
22:20 Stuff that doesn't feed our soul? Stuff that distracts us from the things of god? You know the things I'm talking about.
22:32 The words that Paul uses here rightly dividing speak of a a road builder cutting a straight path through rough terrain, a farmer plowing a straight furrow, a mason,
22:44 squaring up a stone, a tailor cutting cloth in a straight line. It's about dividing it straight, keeping things straight. The image is not merely intellectual accuracy.
22:56 It is skilled. It is careful. It is honest labor that doesn't take shortcuts with God's word. You can't I say it all the time. I've said it to myself.
23:08 The more time you spend in the word, the more benefit you're gonna get out of it. I literally knew a believer who gave he he had just gotten saved,
23:20 and he was a reader. And this guy, I'm not even kidding you. I wish I was kidding. Spent 7 to 8 hours a day reading the Bible. I wanna say within a year, he was actually a pastor
23:32 of a church because of his commitment to the word of god. And I'm not saying that's necessarily your call, but you understand the effect of it. He loved the word of god so much that in a very short period of time, he
23:44 felt a call upon his life because he was able to consume the word of God, and it transformed his life. That's what the word of God does. It transforms our life. Look what the
23:56 in in the book of Ezra chapter 7 verse 10. Look at this. For Ezra, listen, had prepared in his heart to seek the law of the Lord
24:08 and to do it and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel. Wow. What a verse. Ezra prepared his heart to seek the
24:20 lord. In other words, he planned it. It didn't just, oh, wait. I feel like reading the word today. No. He planned it. He made it a part of his life. He purposed in his heart. He prepared his heart to seek the
24:32 lord. I don't know about you, but on my phone, if you open up my calendar, there's 1 appointment after another. Monday, Tuesday, 1, 3 appointment, appointment, appointment. I have everything else scheduled in
24:44 my life. You know what I don't have? Study the word of God. But it's the very 1st thing I do when I wake up because I know that's a priority.
24:57 And if I can schedule every single other thing in my life on my calendar, why can't I schedule this? Why can't we schedule time with God? So when someone comes to me and says, man, I just I don't
25:09 hear from the Lord. Is he not speaking to me? 1st thing I ask, are you in fellowship? Are you in his word? And do you talk to him? Well, I'm trying. You know, I love when
25:21 I hear people, I'm getting ready to try to find a church. How do you get ready to chart find go look? I'm preparing myself because I know it's gonna be hard. I mean, it's like, I'm getting ready to find a
25:32 church. And maybe we're saying the same. I'm getting ready to read my Bible. I'm trying to get myself ready to read my Bible. Listen. Just do it. That's what I love about this. He prepared in his heart to seek the Lord,
25:43 the law of the Lord, and to do it because it's not important to read it and have it in our heads. We have to live it. What does the word say? Do it. How are you supposed to live? He'll tell
25:55 you. And to do it. Apply it. Do you set aside specific times to read and study the word and then purpose to do what it says?
26:08 Right? Was it isn't it in James? Don't be hearers only, but be doers of the word. It doesn't do you any good to just sit in church and listen to it and then walk out there and do what you want.
26:20 How is god working in your life? You're not allowing it. Do what it says. So hopefully, if you're not already, you're gonna commit time to read the word of God.
26:33 Listen. You can listen to the word of God. Put your headphones on. Listen to the word of God. Let the word of God get in you. Listen to it and do what it says.
26:45 In Acts chapter 17, you know, the Bereans says, then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.
26:57 These were more fair minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with readiness, and here it is, searched the scriptures daily
27:10 to find out whether these things were so. They heard it. They heard good teaching, and then they went back and they studied it for themselves.
27:22 Guys, again, I can't I can't emphasize it enough. You've been given the Holy Spirit to reveal truth to you. That's the Holy Spirit's job is to remind you of scripture that you've read, to remind you of the things of
27:33 Jesus, to remind you of your relationship with god. That's the holy spirit's job. When you read the word, you're not doing it alone. God is there to help you. He'll illuminate the
27:45 truth. If you read something you don't understand, stop and go, holy spirit, what does this mean? I know we live in a world that everything moves quickly, fast, get it done quick, quick, quick. You
27:57 can't rush the word of god. You can't rush time in the presence of god and listening to the holy spirit. So 50 verse 15
28:09 is such an encouragement to all of us that we would all rightly divide the word of truth individually on our own. Look at the contrast, though, in verse 16.
28:20 But shun profane and idle babblings. Idle babblings is basically, your Bible probably says it, empty chatter. Empty chatter. For they will
28:32 increase to more ungodliness. Or lead to more ungodliness. These things are not gonna grow your relationship with God. Whatever these conversation, whatever these talk,
28:44 this talk is about. And their message will spread like cancer. Doesn't the Bible say a little leaven leavens the whole lump? A little bit of negative
28:57 will spread. A little bit of complaint, a little bit of discontentment, it spreads. And so the opposite is to be in the word of god, be encouraged in things of of the of the lord, not the
29:08 things of the world. And that's what Paul is saying. And he mentions these 2 gentlemen, Haemonius and Philetus, 2 men that are are are the ones spreading the truth about, oh, the resurrection's already come. We're
29:20 already in the millennium age. You missed the resurrect or the the rapture. He's convincing people that are losing their faith because they're discouraged. And it's like there's people in the
29:32 world and people in the church in Timothy's time, in our time, that are teaching false things and discouraging people. That's why it's so important for us to know the truth, to
29:43 focus upon the gospel of Jesus Christ and what it means to believe in him. That's the focus. Paul says if you're
29:55 diligently pursuing the word, the things of the world are gonna fade in the in the in the timeline. Right? But shun profane. Shun. Keep away. Don't
30:07 participate. Be the 1 that says, you know what? I'm not gonna be in participate in this conversation. It's of no good. It's of no use to me. In verse, 19, he
30:18 says, never I love this. I love this about the apostle Paul. Nevertheless, the solid foundation of god stands,
30:30 having the seal. The lord knows those who are his, and let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity. In the midst of all the distractions, in the midst of all the
30:42 worldliness, and in the midst of all the false teaching, Paul says, listen. Nevertheless, god is true. God is the solid foundation. God has a
30:54 plan, a purpose, and a strategy. And guess what? His will will be done. You know that? No matter what, God's will is gonna be done. We read in our Bibles. We've
31:06 been going through book of Revelation on Saturday mornings. We're learning about the end and that end is gonna happen no matter what. No matter what, God's plan
31:18 is gonna be unfolded. Question is, how hard is it gonna be for us? Are we gonna believe it? Are we gonna embrace it? Are we gonna help others to come to understanding what it means as the the last
31:30 days wrap up and the return of Christ draws near? Be thankful you're saved. Don't be a Christian that will not read the book of
31:41 Revelation because you're afraid of it. Be a Christian that reads the book of Revelation and realizes most of that's not gonna happen to you because you're just gonna be a bystander watching it.
31:53 But it should also be conviction in your heart to help others to avoid it as well. It should bring us to that place. Paul says, the solid foundation of god
32:05 stands. That foundation that he has laid, that is Christ Jesus. Couple verses in Isaiah 28 16. Therefore, thus says the Lord God,
32:17 behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation. Whoever believes will not
32:29 act hastily. When you're standing on the rock that's Christ, you're standing on solid ground. If you're not standing on Christ, you are on shaky
32:41 ground. You're on sandy ground, sinking sand. Stand upon that foundation. Paul says it this way in 1st Corinthians chapter 3, for no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which
32:52 is Christ Jesus. You want stability in your life? Stand on Christ. He's the same yesterday, today, forever. He doesn't
33:04 change. We change. We change. But when we stand on him, when we look out at the world, we don't get worried because we know he sees and he knows and he's got everything in control.
33:16 It seems like chaos to us. But to god, it's like, saw this already. I've seen god has seen the movie already. He knows what's gonna happen. He knows what's gonna happen in your life in 10 minutes. He knows what's gonna
33:28 happen to your wife on Wednesday. He knows what's gonna happen in your life in 5 years if you can get there. Hopefully, he comes before then. But he is the rock that we stand upon. He is
33:40 that sure foundation. And I love in verse 19, he says, the Lord knows those who are hidden. He knows you.
33:52 He knows you better than yourself. He knows what you struggle with. He knows what you deal with. He wants you to look to him to be that strength.Show more
Rob Taylor7.57K followers
