Guard the Gospel

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. It is with great joy that I share the Word of God with the saints of Durbin Memorial Baptist Church which exists by grace, for glory, in love.

Back in the day at Bryan Station, I played football with a guy by the name of Chaz Mitchell. Chaz was the fastest athlete I’ve ever been on the field with. Just truly remarkable what he could do on the field. But the crazy thing about Chaz is that he isn’t even the best athlete in his own family. Chaz’s cousin is the Olympic competitor, world champion, Lexington Legend, Tyson Gay. In 2008 Tyson Gay was the final leg for the US 4x100M race team. In the qualifying round of the leg, things were going smoothly for the United States through the first two legs. But when Patton, the third leg, closed in on Gay and Gay reached backward, they couldn't connect. Patton made a final lunge to get the stick to Gay before he ran out of the passing zone, but as Gay's hand closed, the stick wasn't in it. It bounced off the rain-slickened track, and the crowd gasped.

Gay said he felt the baton but "then I went to grab it and there was nothing. It's kind of the way it's been happening to me this Olympics."

Patton said he was every bit as much to blame.

Also In 2008, the women’s 4X100 team were in good shape heading into the final exchange, but Lauryn Williams didn't receive the baton from Torii Edwards. It fell to the ground as Edwards screamed and covered her face with her hands.

"Heartbreaking," Edwards said.

Both of America’s teams, men’s and women’s, dropped the baton. They were filled with world-class athletes. They had all the training. Yet both races ended with a fumble. The problem wasn’t speed, talent, or training, it was the handoff.

With this in mind, open your bibles to the book of 2 Timothy. This is Paul’s second letter to Timothy, the young leader of the church in Ephesus. The Apostle Paul, as he is writing this letter, finds himself in quite the predicament. You see Paul wrote 1 Timothy while traveling freeing after being released from his imprisonment at the end of Acts. Now at the time of writing this second letter, Paul finds himself in the cold, underground dungeon of Rome’s Mamertine Prison. This letter is written during the bloody reign of Emperor Nero who take a heavy stance against the early Christians. From the context of this letter, particularly its ending, we can infer that Paul has had his court hearing and is expecting to be executed soon.

Throughout this letter, Paul is using this time to pass the baton of preaching the gospel to the next generation, namely, Timothy.

All throughout Biblical history, we see moments in which one person faces a transition and passes the baton of faith on to the next phase. Moses lays hands on Joshua and prepares him to lead the nation of Israel. David charges Solomon to be strong, courageous, and do the work, when transitioning to be the next king, Elijah gives his cloak to Elisha, Jesus gives His disciples the Great Commission prior to His Ascension. Paul plants churches all over, remains with them for some time before going on to the next field, and here where we are beginning in 2 Timothy, Paul is sending his parting message to Timothy.

Each of these transitions happen for different reasons and in different circumstances. But they all have something in common. In each of them we see that God’s mission of redemption continues on. The gospel cannot be overcome.

Our church is in a transitional time. But by the grace of God, through Faith in Christ, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we aren’t going to fumble the passing of the baton. Through this look at Paul and Timothy’s transition, we will see the glory of the Gospel, the exuding strength of God’s grace, the firm foundation of truth, the centrality of God’s Word, and the continued fellowship of faith. The overarching theme is that the work of God and the mission of the church does not stop as circumstances change. Church, seek first the Kingdom of God and rest that His grace and plan are bigger than we could ever imagine. And this morning, let’s rally together in glorious admiration of the gospel.

Here is Big Idea this morning: The gospel is our greatest treasure, received by grace, empowered by the Spirit, and entrusted for faithful stewardship.

We begin this admiration with see that the Gospel is rooted in God’s Eternal plan, bigger than any one person, but perpetuated through humanity.

I. The Gospel Is Rooted in God's Eternal Plan

2 Timothy 1:1–2 ESV

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

I’ve probably said something to this effect each time we’ve begun an epistle, but don’t overlook an introduction! These are verses that we are tempted to brush by as a simple greeting before getting into the meat of a letter, but the amazing reality of the Word of God is that all of it is for our good and we see beautiful theology and context in this introduction.

Let’s walk through this, First we see Paul introduce himself as an apostle of Christ Jesus. When we speak of apostles in the New Testament, we are talking about those men who were official eyewitnesses of Jesus' resurrection, personally commissioned by Him, and given authority to lay the foundation of the church. As we read last week in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul considers himself least of the Apostles, because of his persecution of the church prior to his encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus.

Paul became an apostle through the miraculous encounter and we see, once again in verse 1, that Paul’s apostleship occured “by the will of God.” God worked powerfully in Paul’s life to put him in this position. Paul was summoned by God and heeded the call! In Paul we see the divine intersection of God’s Sovereign Call and Human Responsibility and Agency. God made him an apostle and then, as Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul worked harder than any of the apostles. God worked in and through Paul by Paul’s own spiritual sweat. Paul’s Work was proceeded by God’s call and Paul’s Work was possible through the enabling grace of God.

I bring this up because sometimes we get ourselves in a theological mental pretzel trying to define the extent of God’s sovereignty and our own responsibility. But as the prince of preachers, Charles Spurgeon said, “I wouldn't try to reconcile them; I never reconcile friends.” We give God all the glory and praise Him for the power of salvation while putting in the Holy sweat to work for the glory of God.

And it all comes back to God’s eternal plan for salvation. Notice where Paul ties God’s making him an apostle, he says, “according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus!”

Paul is explaining that he is commissioned to preach the gospel. The good news. That is the promise of the life that is in Christ. It is the eternal plan of God to save sinners in need of salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ! The gospel gives life to believer! All throughout the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, we are witness folks drinking the water of life, salvation that comes through Jesus. One pastor said, “The gospel is like water: man did not invent it, and man cannot live without it. Therefore, faithful servants of Jesus will take the water to thirsty men and women.”

We will see in a moment the unity that those who have received the gospel share, we see a touch of it in Paul’s calling Timothy his beloved child in verse 2, but don’t overlook the contents of the greeting here either! GRACE, MERCY, PEACE from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord!

Have you ever been walking down the street, you see someone you haven’t seen in a while. You share some pleasantries. You might say, “I hope you’ve been doing well.”

That’s not exactly what happening here! This isn’t just an insincere pleasantry. This is a reminder to Timothy from Paul of what Timothy has already obtained by the grace of God! When you receive salvation you have been given exuberant grace that covers every sin you’ve ever even imagined! You have been given mercy because the wages of your sin, the just result punishment for your wrongdoing, is death. You have been given peace because the you formerly stood against the all-righteous God but by the grace of God you have now been reconciled! And God gets all the glory for the wondrous gift you have been given while you live each moment in response to the gift you have received! You serve God because of the grace, mercy, and peace He has lavished over you!

Our Key Observation here:

The gospel is a glorious gift which is anchored in God’s eternal purpose, not human ambition.

God has been working out HIs plan of redemption from the very beginning and it has not, will not, cannot be beaten! In a culture of shifting truths, remember that your faith is grounded in something eternal. It is best for you and it is bigger than you! What a grace that God would graft us in to His glorious plan and future!

If you have received the gospel, then understand that you cherish that gift by living in response! You share the gospel with others, look to the verses 3-7 as we see how the gospel is transmitted through faithful relationships.

II. The Gospel Is Transmitted Through Faithful Relationships

2 Timothy 1:3–7 ESV

3 I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. 4 As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

As we read through this section, we see the deep affection that Paul has for Timothy, an affection that we should share for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul is thanking God for Timothy constantly in his prayers. We pray for each other particularly when we know of a need that one another has, but church are we thanking God for one another on a regular basis? I know that this is an area of my own prayer life that needs to be better. It is truly a grace of God that He has allowed me to meet and serve and covenant with the saints of Durbin Memorial Baptist Church. I thank God for you! I’ve heard secular psychologist suggest that gratitude is the antidote to fear, anxiety, and resentment. While I won’t claim to have a deep understanding of the science, what I do know is that when we have been save by grace through faith, the right outworking of that reality is a grateful heart both for the God of our salvation and the people He used along the way to introduce us to the gospel and spur us on in the faith as we go from there.

Notice the lineage of Timothy’s faith explained in verse 5. Paul recalls Timothy’s sincere faith, passed down from his grandmother Lois and mother Eunice. There is no shame in parents and families pointing there children and grandchildren to Christ, in fact it should be encouraged! I’ve heard so many stories of parents and families who don’t prompt their children to be involved in church activities. They want their children to, “make their own decisions” when it comes to things of faith. And on that side, let me say, you can’t force a child to believe. We each have to come to see our personal need for Christ, the ugliness of our own sin, and the beauty of Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf. But don’t tell me that you don’t want to “make” you kids come to a place where they are nurtured and safe and saturated by the gospel when you have no problems forcing them to attend piano practice or scouts or athletic practices or ACT prep courses, or anything else that is for their good even when they “don’t feel like it.” I think, if we’re being really honest this morning, that we sometimes allow our kids “disinterest” to be an excuse for our own lack of prioritization of holiness in our own lives. I’m not saying that we can beat the Christian into anyone. I am saying that we can create a culture of Holy prioritization that teaches our children that faith and service to God are rightly the focal point of our lives. To do that, we not only prioritize gathering with other believers, but we model living lives in submission to God, reading our Bibles, spending time in prayer, cultivating family worship, on the days in between as well.

Timothy had a godly mother and grandmother. God used these women to work in Timothy’s life so that he would come to know and love and have sincere faith in Jesus Christ. And now that nurturing has prepared Timothy to be a leader in the church at Ephesus. Paul urges Timothy to “fan into the flame the gift of God” Once again showcasing the divine unity of God’s gifting and human responsibility. Timothy has been confirmed for ministry and now it is his responsibility to press on! He can do so because God grants not a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power and love and self-control.

Church, we are not all called to be church leaders like Timothy, but if you know Christ Jesus and have been born again in the newness of life, then you have the same bold spirit! We don’t have to be afraid, we look forward to eternal life! We don’t have to fear others, but we can show love as a reflection of the great love we have received as Christ loved us first. We can have self control because our eyes have been opened to the goodness of glorifying God rather than our faulty and worldly desires. So church, whether you are a church leader or not, be bold with the gospel! Think back through your own life! You know the Lord because someone was bold enough to share it with you! By the grace of God, you can do that for others, stoking the fans of faith and taking part in the expansion of the kingdom of God.

The gospel is transferred through faithful relationships. Church, are we being faithful in the relationships God has placed around us to share the gospel?

The Gospel is worthy to be proclaimed in any and every circumstance. Look to verses 8-12

III. The Gospel Must Be Boldly Proclaimed, Even Through Suffering

2 Timothy 1:8–12 ESV

8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, 12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.

When we see the beauty of the gospel and the mighty power of God in salvation, there is nothing to be ashamed of. At this point of our text we have to remember that Paul is writing this letter from the dungeons of Rome. Timothy would have known of Paul’s situation and may have been facing discouragement. The message in response is clear. In the face of adversity, do not fear, but be even bolder, hold on even stronger to Christ Jesus. When transition happens, even when tragic, we don’t turn from the gospel of Christ, we lean into it! Even in suffering hold on to it!

The glorious truth of the Gospel is rooted eternity past, applied in the present, and directing for the future. Watch how Paul progresses through that timeline in this section. God saves us, verse 9! God rescues sinners from their despondent condition and by His grace for His own purpose, He gives us life through Christ. The gospel was always the plan and was always coming. You’re probably tired of hearing of my favorite verse, but back in the Garden of Eden, in Genesis 3:15 God says to Satan, I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your offspring and her offspring. He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise His heal. The snake crusher was always coming. It was always God’s plan and the Christian’s hope now is rooted in the consistency of God’s plan throughout eternity’s past. We can see how this played out through “the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” The work and plan of God in the past is made known to us in the present and we see how our lives our rightly ordered around Christ in the here and now. Our future is directed towards eternal glory and temporal service. We have the future hope of eternity with Christ, and we are commission to serve God in the direct Future before we get there. Look at verse 11. Paul says because of this glorious gospel he is not a preacher and an apostle and a teacher. We’ve already acknowledged that all of us are not called to serve in vocational ministry. But don’t get it twisted! Because of the gospel we have all been called to serve in ministry! We have all been called to disciple others, to be ambassadors for Christ!

Even when we are suffering. As is the case stated for Paul when we get to verse 12.

Now depending on your translation, the second half of verse 12 may look a little different. The esv reads: 2 Timothy 1:12 “for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.” The KJV, and the song in our hymnal translates this verse, “for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I’ve committed unto Him against that day.”

If you pull up the translations side by side it can be a bit confusing. What you are seeing is a case where the Greek construction is ambiguous, and either reading is grammatically possible.

That could mean that Paul was talking:

“What I’ve entrusted to God” (as in the KJV view) or “What has been entrusted to me by God” ( as in the ESV view)

Both make theological sense:

Paul can trust God to guard his life or salvation. OR, Paul can trust God to guard the gospel ministry entrusted to him.

Though the wording differs, both translations express this central truth:

Paul is confident that God is faithful to protect what truly matters until “that day” (that is the final day of judgment or Christ’s return).

Whether that’s: Paul’s soul (KJV emphasis), or Paul’s entrusted ministry and message (ESV emphasis),

Instead of splitting hairs over the translation, the better thing to do is catch on to the undebatable overarching meaning…Paul trusts God to guard it all. And you can too.

We can trust that God’s plan includes us and is bigger than us. We can trust that God has a plan and purpose for our lives and ministries and that God has a plan and purpose for His world. His plan is for us and bigger than us. That is a great consolation for me. The only man His plan is dependent upon is the God-Man, Jesus Christ. Not me. Not you. And at the same time He has graciously equipped us to serve Him and give our lives meaning in living them out for His glory.

So, Where are you tempted to be silent out of fear or discomfort? Are you worried about tomorrow? Is the uncertainty of tomorrow influencing your silence with the gospel today?

Church, the gospel that you have come to know and love must be boldly proclaimed, even through suffering, because God’s got this and works through us!

Look at how this is developed in the final portion of our text this morning. Read with me verses 13 and 14.

IV. The Gospel Is Entrusted for Us to Guard and Pass On

2 Timothy 1:13–14 ESV

13 Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

“Follow the pattern of sound words”

The word pattern means a model or blueprint—a repeatable form. Paul isn’t just talking about general ideas or vibes; he’s referring to specific teaching, doctrine, and truth that can be recognized, repeated, and passed on.

In other words, Paul is saying: “Stick closely to the truth I taught you—not just in content, but in tone, spirit, and emphasis.”

This assumes doctrinal clarity and consistency, not just innovation or charisma. In a world where false teachers are reshaping the message as we’ll see later in this letter, Paul urges Timothy to hold the line.

Faith and love are the attitude with which we hold truth—not with arrogance or cold precision, but with Christlike conviction and compassion.

Then in verse 14 we see that God has entrusted something precious to Timothy: the gospel message, the truth of Christ, and the ministry calling that came with it.

The phrase “good deposit” refers to something of great value that’s been entrusted for safekeeping—like guarding a treasure while the owner is away.

Paul is saying:

“You’ve been handed something infinitely valuable. Don’t change it. Don’t dilute it. Don’t lose it.”

*PULL OUT KNIFE*

This knife doesn’t look like much. It doesn’t look like much. It has a couple goofy pictures of Elvis Presley on the handle. It’s part of a set of 4 knifes and keychain that make up the collectible set. I looked it up this week and the whole set is worth about maybe $50 on Ebay. And yet it is one of my most prized possessions because it is the only thing I own that belonged to my grandfather Thomas. Aside from bringing it out today, I keep it on display in a glass cabinet in my office so that I can protect it, while still showing it off to others. That’s what we do with our prized possessions. We guard them and show them off.

The gospel is the ultimate prized possession. By the Holy Spirit we guard the gospel. That means we don’t dilute it. We don’t lose sight of it. We keep it the main thing. And as ambassadors of Christ, we show it off. We follow the pattern of the apostles by being disciples who make disciples. We show off the gospel through living lives that are exuding the grace we have received from God. We show it off by sharing it with others. We put the gospel on display with holy living and sanctified conversation.

So, are you guarding the gospel in your own heart? In your family? In your church?

Guard the gospel by knowing it, living it, and entrusting it to others.

Conclusion: Don’t Drop the Baton

The gospel is the treasure of heaven entrusted to ordinary people. Paul is handing the baton to Timothy. Timothy must guard it, live it, and pass it on.

So must we. The history of Christianity is marked by baton passing moments. Church by the grace of Father, the Work of Son, and the Guidance of the Holy Spirit we can be assured that the baton wont be dropped. Let us be faithful through it all!

What will it look like for you—this week, this year—to guard the gospel?

Not to hide it. Not to hold it back. But to treasure it, live by it, and boldly share it in a world eager to replace it with counterfeits.

Who do you need to thank for handing you the baton?

Was it a parent? A pastor? A youth leader? A friend who wouldn’t give up on you? God used someone to put the gospel in your hands. Don’t let that go unnoticed—express your gratitude and honor their faithfulness by carrying it forward.

And who do you need to entrust it to?

Is there a name on your heart right now? A younger believer? A child? A friend who doesn’t yet know Jesus? Don’t wait for the “perfect moment.” This is the moment. The gospel isn’t meant to die with us. It’s meant to be passed on—intentionally, personally, urgently.

🕊️ Invitation to Salvation

And maybe today, you’re not yet holding the baton—because you’ve never received the gospel for yourself.

Friend, Jesus Christ lived the life you couldn’t live. He died the death you deserved to die. And He rose to give you new life that starts now and never ends.

Paul could entrust everything to Jesus because he knew Him—and you can too.

If you’ve never turned from your sin and trusted in Christ, don’t leave today with empty hands. Take hold of the gift that Jesus offers you: forgiveness, freedom, and eternal life.

The gospel is being handed to you today. Will you receive it?

If so, make that known in this hymn of response. Let’s pray.