Strengthened by Grace

Introduction

This morning we will be in 2 Timothy 2:1-13, so find your Bibles and turn with me there.

The Christian life is difficult. It is not a cake walk…but rather it is a strenuous journey.

As we walk this Christian life, we have all struggled at times to fulfill the mission God has given us to make disciples for his glory.

We’ve struggle to be bold for Jesus and share his gospel with others.

We’ve struggle to stand for truth and be willing to face persecution and suffering for what the Bible teaches.

And We’ve struggle to teach others how to do all that Christ has commanded us because we are not living out his commands ourselves.

I personally can relate to this, as I am constantly challenged to be a bold witness for Christ and not cave into seeking to please men rather than God.

But not only do we struggle internally in our flesh, we also face external struggles...

You see, The world we live in has rejected God, repudiated his word, and rectified the idols of self, sex, and success in his place....

And if we disagree with the world or do not accept their views, we are slandered, called bigots, and are even threatened with the loss of our jobs, our livelihoods, or other freedoms.

When this happens, we face the constant temptation to compromise our faith and give into their demands.

Our faith is often weak, our hearts are often feeble, and at times we are faithless and not strong enough to “get going when the going gets tough.”

If we are honest with ourselves, there is NO WAY we can complete God’s mission to make disciples in our own strength. . . and there is NO WAY we can embrace and endure suffering by depending on ourselves.

If like me, you can relate to any of these feelings of inadequacy. . . this passage in 2 Timothy 2:1-13 is for you this morning.

You see, Timothy, like us, was also struggling to fulfill his mission.

He was faced with the threat of suffering and persecution for Jesus...and there were false teachers beginning to infiltrate the church and deceive people in his congregation.

But, Paul wrote Timothy a second letter to encourage him and remind him how he would have the ability to fulfill his mission to proclaim the gospel and make disciples for Jesus.

Timothy’s answer, as well as ours, to this weakness is found in 2 Timothy 2:1-13. Let’s discover this answer as we read the passage together.

2 Timothy 2:1-13 “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful-for he cannot deny himself.”

Our passage this morning tells us that the answer to our weakness and inability to make disciples is the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, the main truth we must know this morning is that to fulfill our mission from God, we must be strengthened by the grace of Christ.

Paul says that the grace of Christ will strengthen us in three specific ways:

to make disciples

to embrace suffering

and to endure suffering.

Let us now walk through each one of these points as we study the Scripture together in order to be strengthened by the grace of our savior.

Strengthened for Disciple Making (vs 1-2)

The first way we are strengthened by the grace of Christ is for the purpose of making disciples.

In verse 1, As Paul’s beloved child in the faith, he commands Timothy to fulfill his calling through being strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

The verb “be strengthened” is a command and is in the passive tense.

This means Paul calls Timothy to receive God’s grace to empower him to be a good soldier for Jesus.

Timothy does not earn this grace...but rather it is God who gives it to Timothy through repentance and faith in Christ.

We must know that God is the agent of our strengthening and his grace is the means to accomplish it.

Our adequacy to serve the Lord and fulfill his mission does not come from ourselves but from God (2 Cor. 3:5).

Verse 2 says that by being strengthened by the grace of Christ, we will be enabled to make disciples.

Paul lists four generations of discipleship in this verse.

You have Paul, the first generation, who taught Timothy, who was the second generation.

Then Timothy is to entrust what he has heard from Paul to faithful men, who are the third generation.

These faithful men then go and teach others, which is the fourth generation.

This demonstrates that genuine discipleship is all about replication.

Paul tells us in verse 2 that discipleship involves three things:

Discipleship involves imitation.

If we are going to teach people to follow Jesus, we must first be taught by Jesus ourselves.

To follow Jesus we must submit our lives to him, sacrifice ourselves by dying to ourselves, and becoming his servants to follow him wherever he leads.

The grace of Christ, through his death on the cross for our sins, will help us die to ourselves and be conformed to his image.

Discipleship involves evangelism.

Before we teach others how to follow Jesus, we must first call them to repentance and faith.

The grace of Christ will help us be compelled to share his love with others because of the amazing grace he has lavished on us in saving us from the wrath of God.

Discipleship involves wisdom.

We must be selective in who we invest our lives in.

Paul called Timothy to be selective in who he chose to entrust the gospel with. Specifically, he should entrust the gospel to men and women who were “faithful.”

Faithful describes men and women who are responsible and seeking to live faithful lives to Jesus.

These are people who are wanting to grow in their faith, and willing to then pass their faith along to others.

Jesus prayed all night before he selected the twelve men he would entrust his teachings with…we must follow his example and seek the Lord for guidance to who we should disciple.

Illustration of Dad helping me learn how to swing a bat.

It is the same way with the grace of Christ. It is through relying and trusting in the grace we have received in Jesus and looking to his example that will give us the strength to make disciples for his glory.

So, I ask you…who are you intentionally discipling right now at Westwood?

Who are you being discipled by?

*Explain what a discipling relationships is…**

Do you fit the description of the “faithful man or woman” that Paul describes in verse 2…able to learn from your leaders and then go out and teach to others?

What are you doing with the sermons and bible studies you hear each week?

Brothers and sisters, if we are not using what we have learned to first live out ourselves and then teach it to others in discipling relationships. . . we are wasting our time and cheapening the grace of God in our lives.

We must know that through repentance and faith we have been strengthened by the grace of Christ to make disciples. . . Therefore, we must put our hands to the plow and get to work as we seek to be good soldiers for King Jesus.

Strengthened for Suffering (vs 3-7)

The second way we are strengthened by the grace of Christ is for the purpose of suffering.

In 2 Timothy 1:8, Paul called Timothy to share in his sufferings and not be ashamed of the gospel.

Later in chapter 3, he told Timothy If anyone desires to live a godly life in Christ Jesus he will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12).

1 Peter with students: if you have decided to follow Jesus, you have signed up to suffer and be persecuted.

He now calls him again in verse 3 to share in his sufferings as part of being a good soldier for Jesus.

A good soldier was one who did not leave his fellow soldiers on the field of battle when things became difficult, but he joined with them in the fight. He suffered, worked hard, and fought with them. This is what Paul is calling Timothy to do...for God has not given Timothy a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control (2 Tim. 1:7).

Paul then lists three examples of what it looks like to embrace suffering as a good soldier for Jesus in verses 4-6.

Each of these images tell us something about what is required of one called to suffer for the sake of the gospel.

First, the soldier illustrates a single-minded devotion to please his commanding officer.

He does not get distracted by “civilian pursuits” or worldly things but works hard to serve the one who enlisted him.

Second, the athlete illustrates discipline to compete according to the rules.

In Paul’s day, the athlete must discipline himself in the ten months of training to qualify and be successful in the Olympic games.

The point is, the only way to win the prize is to compete according to the rules.

Third, the farmer illustrates hard work.

Only the hard working farmer, who embraces suffering and toil, is the one who will be rewarded with his first share of the crops.

These three images teach us what is required of us in being called to suffer for Jesus…we must have a single-minded devotion to Christ, we must discipline ourselves for godliness, and we must be willing to work hard and embrace difficulty.

So what does this look like practically in our lives?

This means. . .

We must not neglect evangelism because its too scary.

We must not neglect discipleship because its too hard.

We must not neglect Bible study because it is too taxing.

We must not neglect Scripture memory because it is too difficult.

We must not neglect gathering together for worship and fellowship with believers because we it is too time demanding.

The truth is, we don’t do these things not because they are too difficult, too taxing, or too time demanding. . . No, the real reason we don’t do them is because they are not important to us.

Let me give some examples:

We wont wake up early in the morning to spend time with God in his word, but we will wake up early to get our exercise in or to eat breakfast.

We won’t make the effort to get to church on time or even maybe come and give 2-3 hours of our Sunday, but you better believe that Saturday when our football team is on we will be on the couch 30 minutes before game-time so we won’t miss a second....then we will be glued to a screen for four hours emotionally cheering for a team we have no connection with.

We won’t be disciplined to memorize Scripture but we will be disciplined to memorize the latest sports scores, news, twitter/Instagram feeds and facebook posts.

We won’t make time to gather in a LifeGroup on Sunday nights because we have “too much on our plate” and enough going on, but when our friend calls about joining her for a shopping spree or joining him for a fishing trip, we can easily find more time in the day.

Here’s the deal. . . When Jesus called us to follow him, did he say, “come follow me and you will have a comfortable and easy life free of difficulty and challenges.”

NO! he said, you must deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me!

Following Jesus requires difficulty and sacrifice. . . it requires dying to oneself and serving our king

Instead of making excuses, we must be like the hard working farmer and work hard to follow Jesus, especially when suffering comes and things get difficult.

Verse 7 tells us that it will be the grace of Christ that will help us understand how to be single-minded, disciplined, and hard working.

For if we look to the example of Jesus…

He stayed perfectly committed to completing the Father’s will.

He exhibited perfect discipline in denying himself.

And he fully embraced the hard-work and toil necessary in dying for our sins on the cross.

Therefore, we must trust in him for his grace is fully sufficient to strengthen us to suffer for his name.

Strengthened for Enduring (vs 8-13)

Lastly, we are strengthened by the grace of Christ is for the purpose enduring suffering.

Paul gives us three specific ways we can endure suffering for Christ:

1. Through remembering Jesus Christ (vs 8).

By remembering Jesus’ death and resurrection, we will have the strength to endure persecution. . . why?. . . because we know that just as Jesus rose from the dead, we too will overcome death through him.

2. Knowing God’s word cannot be bound (vs. 9-10)

Even though Paul is bound in chains for preaching the gospel, he reminds Timothy that the word of God is not bound but continuing to spread throughout the earth.

In light of this, Paul is able to endure all the suffering that he faces for the sake of those that God has chosen for salvation.

3. Our endurance is founded on Christ’s faithfulness (vs. 11-13)

In verses 11-13, Paul recites a “trustworthy statement” which was an early hymn that was sang in the church.

The first two stanzas provide two blessings for those who endure suffering. . . if we have died to our sins and put our faith in Jesus. . . then we will live with him. . . and if we endure until the end. . . then we will reign with Jesus in the new heavens and new earth.

The third stanza in verse 12 gives a warning though. . . if we deny Jesus, and do not endure to the end. . . then Jesus will deny us.

Matt. 10:33 “but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”

We can understand this warning passage in the same way we understand the warning passages in Hebrews. God does not teach us we can lose his salvation. . . but the warning passages are given to encourage us to persevere in our faith during suffering.

Those that persevere to the end will be saved, true believers will never deny their Lord and apostatize.

But in the fourth stanza in verse 13, Paul provides a wonderful promise in times that we struggle with unfaithfulness. . . for he says, “If we are faithless, Jesus still remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself.”

What this verse describes is not the denial of Christ like the previous verse, but rather those that struggle to continue to remain faithful to endure suffering and proclaim the gospel. . . even when there is no fruit in ministry.

They have not reached the point of denying Jesus. . . but are struggling to live faithfully for Christ.

In other words. . . Paul says, “trust the process Timothy, continue to be faithful to proclaim the gospel, continue to be a good soldier, continue to be a hard working farmer and know that Jesus will bring about the fruit. . . for he is faithful and cannot deny himself.

Since Jesus cannot deny himself and will accomplish his purposes. . . we can endure suffering and remain faithful to the Lord. We must trust the process and leave the results up to the Lord.

This verse also gives us assurance that even in times that we may wrestle with unfaithfulness, Christ will not allow us to leave the faith, Christ has the power to keep us (Jude 24) and will do so because he must remain faithful to the covenant promises he has made.

Even as we struggle in our faith to endure suffering and trust in Christ, Jesus will be faithful to give us the grace to persevere and endure suffering and will keep us until the end...for whoever has been given to him by the Father....He loses not one of them! (John 6:39).

Response

So, we see that this text begins and ends with the encouragement and the reminder that as we seek to make disciples, embrace, and endure suffering, it is God’s grace in Christ that will strengthen us . . . and it is God’s faithfulness in Christ that will keep us firm until the end.

This morning, I believe there are three ways that we must respond to this text: repent, receive, and rely.

As followers of Jesus, we must rely on the grace of Jesus Christ to be strengthened to fulfill our mission.

We must not waste the grace we have received in Jesus but must use it to give us the strength to...

Make disciples

Discipline ourselves for godliness

Remain wholeheartedly devoted to him

and be willing to embrace and endure suffering.

We must know that because the word of God will never be silenced, we can have confidence to boldly proclaim the gospel because we have the guarantee that our faithfulness in witnessing for Christ will lead to the fruitfulness that God can produce in drawing his elect to himself.

Ultimately, we must know that even when we stumble, Christ will be faithful to keep us falling away. We must rely on his grace to help us, knowing that it will strengthen us to endure to the end.

But before we can rely on the grace of God…we must first have received it through repentance and faith. . .for we cannot rely on something that we have not first received.

Have you recieved the grace of Christ through repentance and faith?

We are not born as God’s children but we are born as his enemies.

But this is not the way God intended things to be...

You see in the beginning GOD created all things and made us specifically in his image to glorify him and have a relationship with him.

But, Adam and Eve chose to disobey God and their sin brought a curse upon all of creation and all of humanity.

We have sinned as well and followed in their footsteps. OUR sins have separated us from God, and the result of our sin is both physical and spiritual death.

What is worse is that our SINS cannot be cleansed or forgiven by anything that we can do. We cannot fulfill God’s perfect standard and we cannot pay the debt we owe for our sins. . . this shows us our need for a savior.

Yet, because God is rich in mercy, he provided a savior for us through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ became our substitute. . .LIVING a perfect life for us and PAYING the price for our sin.

But death could not hold him in the grave, and three days later he rose again. . . he has ascended on high. . . and he sits at the right hand of the Father. . . and one day he will return to judge the earth in righteousness and make all things new.

EVERYONE who turns from their sin and puts their faith in Jesus will be saved.

Those who trust in him will have abundant life NOW and will continue on to eternity where we will reign with him in the new heavens and new earth.

Yet, those who reject Jesus and do not obey the gospel will face the wrath of God for eternity in hell.

Have you received this gospel of grace through repentance and faith in Christ?