The Palmer Formula for Christian Service
Notes
Transcript
Introduction: Do you know one of the things that I love about us? The show doesn’t have to go on. We are not a seller of religious goods or of a religious show. We are a family! And right now our family is grieving. We don’t grieve as those without hope because we know that Chuck Palmer is in the presence of Jesus whom he loved, worshipped, and served faithfully.
We don’t grieve as those without hope because we believe the Gospel, that anyone who turns and trust in the life-giving work of Jesus has eternal life and abundant life.
We don’t grieve as those without hope because we know that to fall asleep in Jesus in this broken world is to awake in His presence in the Kingdom of God.
We don’t grieve as those without hope because we know that the work that Chuck began while here will continue until Jesus comes, and that Chuck will be rewarded for the fruit of his labor.
Friday night after receiving the text from Jessi about Chuck I made a call to inform someone who ministered a lot with him and they said, “What do we do now?” I was in a total brain fog because although we knew this day was coming it still left me stunned. I said; “we continue to do what Chuck started.”
I want you to know this morning that not every pastor fills a pulpit on Sunday morning. Chuck was a shepherd of people. He didn’t have an office at a church but he took his calling to shepherd seriously.
So, I began to ponder what scriptural passage would best represent what Chuck would probably say to us. This morning I want to give you The Palmer Formula for Christian Service. Turn with me to 2 Timothy 2:1-7
1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. 5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. 7 Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.
Be Consistent in Your Faith.
Be Consistent in Your Faith.
Paul in verse 1 is contrasting Timothy with those who have deserted the faith and encouraging him to follow the pattern of Onesiphorus and himself.
Allow the gospel to invade every aspect of your life.
I noticed something very quickly after meeting Chuck and I’m sure that you did too. Christianity was not a compartment in Chuck’s life; it was his life.
The encouragement is to be continually strengthened by the grace of Jesus Christ. If our Christianity is only a Sunday thing then eventually it will not be anything at all to us.
The Gospel requires our lives not just a portion of our time. Chuck got this! Do you know I was thinking Saturday that Chuck only missed 4 gatherings since being diagnosed. That is including the surgery. Why? Because he wanted to be continually strengthened in the grace of Christ.
Don’t give up, don’t give in, and don’t quit.
Preach, Teach, Make Disciples, & Multiply
Preach, Teach, Make Disciples, & Multiply
The things that Paul speaks of in verse 2 is the Gospel. Not just receiving it but living it out.
The focus for Paul was the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Matthew 28:19
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
The emphasis of the great commission is to make disciples, not just converts.
The means by which to do it is by going in the power of Jesus.
That power is best articulated in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Romans 1:16
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
I love the way Chuck simplified this task: Preach, teach, and make disciples.
That is what Paul is directing Timothy to do.
What you have heard, Preach.
What you have been taught, teach.
What you have learned commit to faithful men who can teach others.
The process of discipling also multiplies.
LifePoint and WooHoo Bible study actually started in 2015 at McDonalds by Central Hardin. Chuck and I met to talk about the Nones. Not the Nun’s but the Nones. Those who chose to have no religious affiliation. He and I racked our brain about how we could find them and them find us. We felt that a authentic Christianity, a genuine faith community, combined with a strong reliance on the life-changing Gospel was the only thing that would reach the lost and unchurched. We parted ways with the lost of E-town on our heart. When I contacted Chuck in 2021 about LifePoint, he said I need to pray about it, but are we gonna reach the Nones?
The Chuck Palmer Formula was to live the Gospel (Be consistent), share the Gospel (preach, teach, make disciples). But also as we have seen through his life.
Expect Hardship
Expect Hardship
The Christian life is not for the weak minded that need help making it through life as skeptics would say. The Christian life is difficult and adversarial.
Christian service will not bring you ease and luxury.
You will face adversity in the world.
You will face adversity at work.
You will face adversity in the spiritual realm.
You will face adversity at home.
And you will even face adversity at church.
Why? Because there is a war that cannot be seen with the physical eye.
Listen to Paul’s admonition to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:3-4
3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.
The Spiritual wickedness in high places that we battle wants to use us, disable us or lull us to sleep with his propaganda.
The key thing that Paul is trying to teach Timothy and us is that we need endurance.
Let me tell you that cancer is not the only foe that Chuck has faced in his Christian service.
He had attacks, disappointments, doubts, and fears while preaching, teaching and making disciples.
You know what he did? He kept on going and didn’t allow it to make him bitter.
He faced it like every other problem. He put his shoulder to the boulder and pushed.
To the end Chuck was thinking of ways to reach people with the Gospel.
Listen, we must expect hardship. It may be the indicator that your moving in the right direction. You can’t win a war by avoiding the enemy.
Remember Jesus is Alive.
Remember Jesus is Alive.
Listen to 2 Timothy 2:8
8 Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel,
Our Redeemer lives and because He has overcome death and lives forever more we have eternal life, hope, and help.
Dr. Jim Walker gives a wonderful illustration for this passage. He said; “In 1865 Gen. William Sherman wrote a letter to U.S. Grant: In it he said, "I knew wherever I was that you thought of me, and if I got in a tight place you would come--if alive."
If you were alive you would come and help me. That was Sherman’s comfort
Our Comfort – Jesus is alive – He is with us & He does help us – He has overcome!
We can know wherever we are, whatever we’re going thru – We can know our risen Lord loves us, He wants us – He died for us and if we get in a tight spot He will be with us –
He will be our aid because He is alive!”
Jesus came to Chuck’s aid many times during his life. And Friday night He was there to faithfully, fully, and finally deliver Chuck from a world broken in almost every way and transfer him into a Kingdom ruled and reigned by God.
I just want to say that Friday afternoon at around 2:00 is not the last I’ll see of Chuck Palmer. Because Jesus is alive, Chuck is alive and I’m alive and everyone vest all their hope in Jesus can live. Let’s pray!
Invitation:
Invitation:
I’m so glad that God gives us godly examples that we can emulate. Chuck lived well. What will folks say about your life when death comes for you?
Now, Chuck didn’t depend on his well-lived life. In fact, he would tell you that he didn’t live by his own strength. There was a time and place that he believed the Gospel.
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