Will We Commit?

Will We Commit

Friendship Baptist Church

January 14, 2024

INTRO:

The first two weeks of 2024 has come and gone, and where are we right now spiritually?

This is not a new year’s resolution message but a call to arms message. I am reminded of Jeremiah’s words to cities of Judah:

Jeremiah 26:2

2 Thus saith the Lord; Stand in the court of the Lord’s house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the Lord’s house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word:

You see at this point in time God’s people were not obeying His Law or hearkening to His Word, so he sent Jeremiah to set them straight and urge them to turn back to God and to commit to Him.

Today it is the desire of my heart that we all can see that it is time to commit whole heartly to the Lord and the things of the Lord.

PRAY:

MESSAGE:

As we look at today’s text, we look at a passage that many are very familiar with; some have even studied this out in great detail. I beseech you to open your hearts and your minds despite all that you think you may know to God this morning. You see when we look back at Jeremiah and the city of Judah where the people have tuned out God, my dear church it is vital to our growth not to tune out God but eagerly listen and open ourselves to what He has in store for us today.

We pick up with the Apostle Paul’s Call to courage, his call to fully commit to the Lord Jesus Christ as he addresses Timothy.

2 Timothy 1:6–14

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;

9 Who hath saved us, and called uswith 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.

13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.

There is so much goodness packed in these 9 verses! If you can not get excited about this passage and the wholesome goodness that God has given us here to take in whenever we want you need to check your heart, because we see so many truths, commands, and promises in these verses we could be here for hours just taking it in. But we are Baptist and church has to be done by noon so we can get to lunch and other things.

But we read here this morning of the path that God put Paul on and the path that he is putting Timothy on, and we get to see that play out right in front of us.

Just as God put Timothy on a path, He has done the very same for you and me.

So, what must we do to regain or continue the commitment Paul desires of Timothy?

1. No Fear!!

2 Timothy 1:7

7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Fear is quite the disabler; it keeps many trapped in a place of unusefulness.

Paul is quick to confirm with Timothy this point that God has indeed not given him just like you and I the spirit of fear.

Fear first defined by G. Stanley Hall the nineteenth-century founder of the American Journal of Psychology as “the anticipation of pain”.

Pain can be many things, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. We humans do not like pain so when there is a possibility fear starts to sneak in. Now fear may not fully manifest itself but what it does do is it causes reasonable doubt. And that reasonable doubt is all we need to stay clear. Reasonable doubt just like the justice system.

You may be here today and say I am not fearful, and my question to you in return is are you hesitant? You see friend fear has many masks and many paralyzing qualities. It is not my desire to talk you into admitting that you are fearful. It is my desire to help us see that God knew we would face moments of fear and doubt or hesitation and that is why Paul was so quick to point out to Timothy that he was not given a spirit of fear, just as you and I were not given the spirit of fear.

Back when I was growing up there was a clothing line that gained great popularity with a slogan just like Nike’s “Just Do it”, except theirs was “No Fear”. No Fear was a clothing line that started for extreme sport enthusiasts, and it quickly became a 90’s must have for all kinds due to their iconic shirt sayings. It all boiled down to, no matter what or how hard (the harder the better in their eyes) there was no fear and losing was not an option.

Paul is telling Timothy along with us as readers here tonight that we DO NOT have a spirit of fear but what, of POWER of LOVE, and a SOUND MIND, no quit no fear!!!!!!

Church this world around us, our circles, our families need to see that we have that Power, that Love and that Sound mind if we are to be confident in the Lord and as Paul tells us in the first part of verse 8, “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord”.

2. Have the Right Perspective

2 Timothy 1:8–11

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 uswith 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.

I fall to this many times and that is I think that this life that I am living is mine and therefore I want it to go a certain way and accomplish certain things, and my ways oft times are not always God’s ways. The right perspective changes that for a Christian.

You see us having the wrong perspective allows us to think…

There is nothing wrong with the way treat people…

I am right in the way I am thinking…

Why would God allow this…

And so many other self-centered thoughts and concepts.

We need to remember and take this verse as literal as it is written,

1 Corinthians 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

When you and I have the correct perspective as Paul did, not that he was perfect but his life really does resonate that he not only believes these words he has written but he lives it.

We are all familiar with…

2 Corinthians 12:7–10

7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.

9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Paul realized in these verses that this thorn in the flesh had a purpose, it had meaning, and it wasn’t just because. We see that when he says “lest I should be exalted above measure…” not only once do these words come out of his mouth, but twice. We see this perspective again in our text where not only does Paul testify but employers Timothy and us as the reader to “be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

Paul then reminds us of who God is…

9 Who hath saved us, and called uswith 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”.

Paul not only takes the thorn in the flesh but he also the afflictions he has received (we can read about in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28) because he knows that His life, Timothy’s life, and our life is not about us, but about God and his glorious power and plan.

Dear church if we do not have the right perspective on this thing called life as Christians then we will go through it accomplishing what God has put us here to accomplish. Paul clearly states, “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”. Catch that ACCORDING TO HIS OWN PURPOSE AND GRACE, not OURS.

Dear friends if we understand and take the No Fear attitude and approach as well as having the Right Perspective then we can lastly…

3. Commit

2 Timothy 1:12–14

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.

13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.

Paul knows that God is faithful and that he is persuaded that God is able to keep that which is COMMITTED unto HIM against that day. Paul is persuaded but are we? Or are we like what we read in Luke…

Luke 9:57–61

57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.

61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.

We see in this passage that each person that either said or was asked to follow the Lord wanted to do so on their own conditions. They wanted to commit as long as it matched up with their plans and their ideas or their conveniences. That is how many American Christians approach this Christian life today. We want to go off and do “my life” and when it suits me then I will follow God. There are a lot of deceived Christians out there that are more interested in the bi-products of following Christ rather than actually following and committing to follow Christ as Paul is telling Timothy along with you and me. Today we have churches that are more interested in the way God answers prayers, and how they are feeling at the moment, and so and so forth, rather than the glory, or honor, wonder, the beauty and the magnificence of God their father. They want to commit when they receive something first then they are in until the next time…

Paul has committed to serving God until that day no matter the cost no matter the trials and no matter the afflictions because he knows what you and I should know and that is there is NO FEAR and it’s not about him (Paul) or Timothy or even you or I but, about GOD!!!!

My dear friend, will we COMMIT TODAY?

Will we open ourselves to God wholeheartedly and commit unconditionally?

Today is the day of salvation and it is the day for us Christians to evaluate ourselves honestly and OBEY the Word of God unconditionally!!!

2 Timothy 1:12–14

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.

13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us