2 Timothy 1:1-7 Be Bold in Faith

Scripture: Zion

Intro:

This is the last letter that Paul wrote

2 Timothy 4:6 ESV

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.

When he got to Rome he was imprisoned and eventually released

He was able to travel a bit more and then was imprisoned a second time

This letter is right before he was beheaded by Nero

Shortly before his death much of Rome had burned in a fire and Nero blamed the fire on Christians

Paul writes this letter to his protege, Timothy, from prison in Rome

Timothy is the pastor of the church in Ephesus and he is struggling

Paul starts by encouraging him to be bold in his faith

In 1 and 2 Timothy there are no less than 25 different places where Paul encouraged Timothy to be bold, to not shy away from confrontation, to stand up where he needs to stand up and be strong.

Because of who Timothy was and the responsibilities he had to bear, this was what Timothy needed to hear.

People are all at different places.

For some, the last thing they need to hear is, “You need to be bolder” because that is not their problem.

Many others come from the place where they need to hear, “Stir up the gift of God which is in you; be bold, get going, go for it.” Timothy was of this second type.

Some who appear bold really are just good at pretending.

They use a confrontational, in-your-face attitude to mask a lot of pain and insecurity.

They need to become really bold and secure in the Lord, instead of pretending and hiding behind a mask of false courage.

WE are all called to be bold in our faith

Boldness is not external, it is internal

Boldness is not outward courage or a charismatic personality

Boldness is a firm trust in Jesus and a willingness to be used to by God in the gifts he has given you

Today we are going to talk about being bold in faith

That looks different for each person but I want to show you four keys to help you be bold

Mercy for the Worn Down vs. 1-2

We can be bold in our faith because when we burn out and are worn down there is mercy

This is a typical greeting from Paul

He is an Apostle of Jesus by the will of God

He then addresses it to Timothy

Where it changes is that Paul adds in mercy

Mercy: Compassion for the miserable.

Timothy was miserable and Paul writes this second letter to encourage him

Mercy is something that God has had to show his people in spades since the beginning of time

Exodus 34:6 ESV

The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,

Three aspects of mercy

1st, he is slow to anger

2nd, he is abounding in unmovable love

3rd, he is faithful

If you are worn out and need an injection of boldness I suggest you start with mercy

Bold in Prayer vs. 3-5

Being bold in faith starts with being bold in prayer

Paul is thankful for Timothy

He also understands what Timothy is going through and so he prays for him day and night

There was a time when Paul and Timothy were together and Timothy broke down in tears

What is causing the tears? Ministry is hard

The pressure from leading a network of churches plus the constant criticism from those in his church who are older than him

Timothy had a sincere faith that was instilled by his mother and grandmother

Bold Faith is fueled by prayer

Look what Jesus said in the sermon on the mount

Matthew 7:7 ESV

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

The writer of Hebrews tells us we can come boldly to the throne

Hebrews 4:16 NKJV

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Being bold in our faith starts with prayer

It is impossible to be bold without going to the source of boldness

Bold in Your Gifts vs. 6

Being bold in your faith means you are bold in your spiritual gifts

Timothy had recieved his gift by the Paul laying hands on him

His gifting was being a teacher of God’s Word

Paul tells Timothy to fan the flame of his gifting

Stir up: This has the idea of stirring up a fire to keep it burning bright and strong; a fire left to itself will always burn out, but God wants us to keep our gifts burning strong for Him.

The Greek anazopureo (stir up) means either ‘to kindle afresh’ or ‘to keep in full flame’.

There is no necessary suggestion, therefore, that Timothy had lost his early fire, although undoubtedly, like every Christian, he needed an incentive to keep the fire burning at full flame.

Romans 12:4–6 ESV

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them

Bold in the Spirit vs. 7

Being bold in your faith is fueled by being empowered by the Spirit

has not given us a spirit of fear: Paul saw the timidity that was in Timothy; Timothy knew the fear he sometimes felt. God wanted Timothy to know that this fear wasn’t from the God he served; he needed to know that God has not given us a spirit of fear.

We all face situations where we feel timid and afraid. For some, speaking in front of others makes them fear; others are afraid of confrontation, others of being made to look foolish, others are afraid of rejection. We all deal with fear.

The first step in dealing with such fears is to understand that they are not from God.

It is a significant step to say, “This isn’t God making me feel like this; God hasn’t given me this.”

Perhaps it is from personality, perhaps a weakness of the flesh, perhaps a demonic attack – but it isn’t from God

The second step in dealing with such fears is understanding what God has given us: a spirit of power and of love and of a sound mind.

God has given us a spirit of power: When we do His work, proclaim His word, represent His kingdom, we have all His power supporting us. We are safe in His hands.

The word power there is the word dunamis

It is where we get our word dynamite from

It is also the word in Acts 1:8 when Jesus says that the Holy spirit will come

Acts 1:8 ESV

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

God has given us a spirit of love: This tells us a lot about the power He has given us.

Many think of power in terms of how much we can control others; but Jesus’ power is expressed in how much we can love and serve others.

1 John 4:18 ESV

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

God has given us a sound mind: The ancient Greek word here had the idea of a calm, self-controlled mind, in contrast to the panic and confusion that comes in a fearful situation.

Paul wrote this to Timothy because boldness matters; without it, we can’t fulfill God’s purpose for our lives. God’s purpose for us is more than making money, being entertained, and being comfortable; it is for each of us to use the gifts He gives to touch His people and help a needy world.

Fear and timidity will keep us from using the gifts God gives. God wants us each to take His power, His love, and His calm thinking and overcome fear, to be used of Him with all the gifts He gives.