No Fear
2 Timothy • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Read I Timothy 1:1-8
Preach through a book.
Legacy Building
Legacy Building
What did Paul think was important enough to need to emphasize to Timothy.
Timothy’s Sincere Faith
Timothy’s Sincere Faith
Salvation through faith in Jesus Christ
Genuine and authentic
Tied into a clear conscience
Even With Sincere Faith We See The Fear Factor
The Greek word here is actually cowardice, timidity, reticence and then fearfulness.
This word for fear deilia is always used in a negative sense.
So this is wrongful fear. It is why it is defined in English as cowardice
a lack of courage or moral strength.
usually rendered in a idiom like, “My heart melted in the face of the enemy.”
The thought here is to shrink back, to not step up, to not go boldly, with the implication in context of abandoning your post or position.
Paul left Timothy as pastor over the church of Ephesus.
Timothy was a young man at the time and from what we gather from Paul’s letters to him, he was experiencing some issues with people not respecting him because of his youth.
Which would include people not listening to his teachings or disciplinary measures.
It would appear that it was wearing on Timothy and he was beginning to waver in his pastoral authority, possibly even thinking he wasn’t cut out to be a pastor.
Spirit of Deilia
Fear is also called a spirit, here.
In purposeful contrast to the Holy Spirit.
But it is the same word for spirit as in Holy Spirit. Both are pneuma.
pneuma - also means breath and wind.
what word are you hearing that plays into your fear?
what wind of culture or society is blowing your way?
But it also means spirit as in evil spirit.
Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord terrorized him.
But whereas the Holy Spirit left King Saul, and the Lord sent an evil spirit upon him, Paul tells us that God has NOT given us an evil spirit of fear, but has given us the Holy Spirit.
If God has not given us a spirit of fear, then the implication is that we should have no fear.
Why? HE has not given us...But (HAS given us a spirit of) power, love, and sober-mindedness.
Now, we’re going to contrast the spirit of fear with the spirit of faith.
And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? How is it that you have no faith?”
In this context, the contrast we are looking at is not a spirit of faith unto salvation, but rather a faith in the work of the Holy Spirit.
This is a fear that I can’t get it done...in my own strength, but still trying to do it “in my own strength”
It’s a fear of persecution.
It’s a fear of man.
Forgetting that there is a spirit more powerful residing within you that you have to put your faith back in.
We need to be reminded about the Holy Spirit.
The Gift Of God In You Through The Laying On Of My Hands. (vs. 6)
The Gift Of God In You Through The Laying On Of My Hands. (vs. 6)
This phrase is chock full of debate. Is the Gift of God:
Spiritual gift
Ordination / calling
Holy Spirit
THE gift. There is a definite article attached to gift.
So its not A gift, implying spiritual gift, but THE gift, implying the Holy Spirit.
Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
en - preposition meaning abiding or remaining within.
“I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.
We see examples of when the Apostles laid hands on people and people received the Holy Spirit.
Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit.
I believe it is the Holy Spirit.
And yet, that includes all that the Holy Spirit brings to the table. I Corinthians 12
Spiritual gifts and calling; sanctification and fruit.
And we’ll see in a minute, power, love and a sound mind.
Kindle Afresh (vs 6.)
Kindle Afresh (vs 6.)
...fan into flame the work of the Holy Spirit.
“Keep at full flame” Do not let it die out.
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;
Praise and worship
Thanksgiving
In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words;
Prayer
The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
Obedience - Active engagement to submit to and follow the leading of the Spirit.
Disobedience grieves the Holy Spirit.
Not A Spirit Of Fear, But (The Spirit) Of Power (vs 7)
Not A Spirit Of Fear, But (The Spirit) Of Power (vs 7)
but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
Many times we fear because we feel powerless.
Things are out of my control.
There’s too much uncertainty.
Not enough info to make an informed decision.
I don’t know how they’re going to respond.
power
dynamis
ability or capability
achieving power
Power- not just potential, but actual.
Power - not weak, but fully capable of achieving the end result.
I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.
God had to remind even Paul of his struggle with fear.
And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.”
That power is within us.
that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,
But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
a reference to our final resurrection
But in context a reference to walking in the Spirit vs walking in the flesh.
That whole section is about having the power of the Holy Spirit to help us live a godly life in this body.
The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us to help us live a resurrected life.
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
Far...more...abundantly...beyond
All...ask...think
For His glory.
We need to remember that things may be out of our control, but they are not out of God’s control.
He gives us the power to do what we need to do when we need to do it.
Do Not Be Ashamed (vs. 8)
Do Not Be Ashamed (vs. 8)
Paul gives us a glimpse into what Timothy was struggling with specifically at this moment.
Being ashamed of the testimony of Jesus
Being ashamed of Paul’s imprisonment
Suffering for the gospel
Maybe Timothy was becoming fearful that he was going to be arrested since he was a disciple of Paul.
Remember, Paul wrote this letter from prison shortly before he was martyred.
Maybe he was already getting some flack for preaching the Gospel.
Fear of persecution / fear of man.
According to the power of God (vs. 8)
So Paul is reminding him about the power of God both for salvation, for preaching, and implying now for suffering through the Holy Spirit.
Here’s the crazy thing. The Holy Spirit oftentimes waits until we step out in faith first. Then He acts.
Peter on the water. Peter had to step out in faith before the Holy Spirit enabled him to walk on the water.
Jesus said don’t worry about what you will say, the Holy Spirit will give you the words. Implied that as you are speaking the Holy Spirit will direct your mind and tongue.
“But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. “For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
So cowardice - when opportunity presents itself, shrinking back instead of stepping into boldly. Not arrogantly, but boldly, in faith, trusting the Holy Spirit to do something.
There is no need to be a coward and shrink back, because the power of God to raise the dead is in us and at work in our lives and will give us the words we need when we need them.
Power Constrained (vs. 7)
Power Constrained (vs. 7)
Power is constrained by love and sound judgment.
Power is constrained by loving deeply
Pastoral authority, teaching, preaching, discipline...constrained by love.
The Holy Spirit helps us to love
But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
Agape - noun
a sacrificial love - looking out to meet the needs of others.
a serving love - good will toward others.
a submissive love - doing what’s best for the other person.
comes from the verb agapao
to find one’s joy in someone.
It brings me great joy to help you succeed.
coaching...
teaching...the “aha” moments
preaching - spiritual growth and maturity
This love comes from God.
we cannot love because we do not have the love of God within us.
we love because He first loved us.
First attributes of the fruit of the Spirit and then connected is peace and joy.
This leads to the second set of attributes: which ties into the purpose of love.
loving others.
patience, kindness, goodness
Power is constrained by thinking clearly
discernment - sound judgment
The Holy Spirit helps us to have wisdom and discernment
This helps us know how to use our power in the right way at the right time and in the right amount.
discipline - self discipline / self-correction
self-control
Third set of attributes from the fruit of the Spirit - faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Love and sound judgment helps us to be meek.
Meekness - power under control (gentleness) - Gal 5:22 - one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit of which self-control follows.
so we can do what we need to do in the right way, at the right time, in the right measure, with the right attitude, for the right reasons.
It is a balance born in strength of character.
Conclusion/application:
We are not given a wrongful spirit of cowardice and of shrinking back in the face of uncertainty and being out of control, or of facing persecution or the ridicule of man, but rather we are given the power of the Holy Spirit tempered by love and sound thinking, so we can do what we need to do in the right way, at the right time, in the right measure, with the right attitude, and for the right reasons.
We need to stay connected to the Holy Spirit and filled up with the Holy Spirit so that we can access the Holy Spirit at any given moment in any given circumstance.
We do that through prayer, praise and worship, and meditating on the Word of God.
So I don’t have to be a coward.
I don’t have to be ashamed.
I don’t have to fear.
Holy Spirit take over and take control.
fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Closing Song: Same Power
