Fruit of the Mother
Notes
Transcript
Handout
3 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;
4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy;
5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
1 Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:
2 Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.
3 Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.
4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.
5 And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.
Firmness of Prayer
Firmness of Prayer
2 Timothy 1:3–4 (KJV 1900)
3 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;
4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy;
Prayer was a privilege for Paul, as prayer should be for every believer. But the very thought of taking prayer and zeroing in on a young disciple is a special privilege.
Why? Because we can concentrate on the young disciple's life, and the hand of God can be seen moving upon his life.
Genuine believers know that one of the greatest privileges and comforts of life is being able to carry the needs of a loved person before the Lord and...
• experience the Lord removing the burden from our hearts.
• experience the Lord answering our prayer and meeting the need of our loved one.
• experience the growth and ministry of our loved one for Christ.
The glorious privilege of praying for a young disciple is a privilege indeed, a privilege that needs to be laid hold of more and more. Prayer for young disciples was one of the great glories of Paul. It should be for us as well.
Fervor for Communication
Fervor for Communication
2 Timothy 1:4 (KJV 1900)
4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy;
Paul desires companionship. Remember, he is alone in a cold, dark dungeon. After glorifying God for his call, his children, his conscience, and his conversation with God, Paul remembers Timothy’s crying. Being a young disciple of the Apostle Paul, pastor left in Ephesus by his mentor, and companion on two missionary journeys with Paul, Timothy and Paul must have had some very intimate times together. Times when they shared their heart and souls with each other and the Lord.
You see, sharing our burdens with one another brings glory to God. When was the last time you shared your faults and burdens with another brother or sister in Christ? I don’t mean prayer requests. I mean really pouring your heart to another. Part of our purpose of being here in worship in the presence of one another is to long and yearn to share and edify each other in ministry.
Faithfulness of Mothers
Faithfulness of Mothers
2 Timothy 1:5 (KJV 1900)
5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
Paul now remembers Timothy's family—their genuine faith. Timothy had one of the greatest privileges that a child can have: strong Christian parents. His mother and grandmother were devoted believers who were faithful to God's Word every day of their lives. This was and still is the key in any family: faithfulness to God's Word every day. Timothy's mother and grandmother had taught Timothy the Scriptures from earliest childhood.
Their faith was unfeigned, genuine and without hypocrisy.
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:
5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.
6 Train up a child in the way he should go: And when he is old, he will not depart from it.
The point is this: Timothy's faith in Christ was genuine and sincere; it was real and true. He honestly trusted Christ as his Savior and Lord, and he lived for Christ day by day. One of the major reasons for his strength in the Lord was the strong faith of his mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois. They had rooted and grounded him in the faith. Note: their faith had been strong; Paul mentions this as the very reason he could trust the faith of Timothy so much.
What a glorious testimony, yet an awesome responsibility. Parents must be godly, possessing the strongest of faiths—a faith that is genuine and true, real and sincere. Parents must trust the Lord Jesus Christ and rear their children to trust Christ. They must root their children in the Scripture so that they will know how to walk in Christ day by day.
Fanning of the Flame
Fanning of the Flame
2 Timothy 1:6 (KJV 1900)
6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
Paul was able to live and endure the life Christ laid before him because of the resurrection. The very fact that Christ died for us and was placed in the grave leaving behind many sad and distraught believers. However, after 3 days of reflection, weeping, and grieving, Christ rose from the dead igniting a fire in hearts of these believers that literally turned the world upside right for Christ. This flame was seen throughout the lives of the apostles, deacons, and believers that gave their own lives for the message of Jesus Christ.
Paul spends the next 4 verses remembering Timothy and his heritage. So, I want you to stop and remember for a moment. I want you to remember back to when you were saved, when you asked Jesus Christ into your heart.
Do you remember the joy and the excitement?
Do you remember wanting to share and tell someone of your decision to follow Christ?
Do you remember the one who shared with you the message of salvation, whether a parent, pastor, or friend?
Do you remember that flame of the Holy Spirit that was placed within your heart?
Faith in the Gospel
Faith in the Gospel
7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:
11 Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.
12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
He knew that his faith was sure; he knew Christ.
The point is this: Paul knew Christ on a personal and intimate basis. He walked with Christ day by day—was in fellowship and communion with Him. He had a personal relationship with Christ; therefore, he knew that his belief in Christ was true. This was the reason he was willing to suffer for the gospel: the gospel was true. A person could actually be saved from death and receive life and immortality; a person could actually live face to face with God forever and ever. Paul knew this—knew it beyond a shadow of a doubt.
How? Because he knew Christ personally and intimately.
If your faith is not real, then your child’s faith will not be real.
Who do you trust?
What do you trust?
Is your faith without hypocrisy?