Grace That Grounds, Life That Sustains | 2 Timothy: Entrusted | 2 Timothy 1:1 | Pastor J. M. Lee

Go ahead and grab your Bible and turn with me to 2 Timothy.

This morning, we’re beginning a new journey through the powerful letter of 2 Timothy in a series I’m calling “Entrusted.”

You and I …. we are currently living in a time and place where fear runs high, people are worn down, and convictions are fading. And it’s into that kind of world that 2 Timothy speaks with clarity and weight. 2 Timothy is Paul’s final letter. And Paul … he writes these words from a Roman prison cell to his spiritual son … a man named Timothy.

The words in this letter … are the words of a man who has fought the good fight, who has finished his race, and is now passing the torch. But … make no mistake … this letter isn’t just a final farewell.

It’s a charge. It’s a commission.

Paul is calling Timothy to guard the gospel, to suffer well, to endure hardship, and to finish faithfully. He’s saying, “What’s been entrusted to you … hold on to it. Don’t shrink back. Pass it on.” And friends, that call didn’t stop with Timothy. This isn’t just Paul’s story. It’s not just Timothy’s invitation.

It’s ours.

And …. in this series … we’re going to see that the gospel isn’t just something we believe … it’s something we carry. And every one of us has been entrusted with it. We are all called to live for Christ with courage, to speak His truth with love, and to leave behind a legacy of faith that endures.

Now… if you are able to … please stand for the reading of God’s Word.

2 Timothy 1:1 CSB

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, for the sake of the promise of life in Christ Jesus:

This is the Word of the Lord. Praise be to God

Let’s pray

Father, We come to You this morning as a people who are tired of trying to hold it all together. The truth is…many of us are worn down by pressure, by expectations, and by the quiet voice that tells us we have to prove ourselves to be enough.

But You…. You’re not like that. You are the God who calls. You’re the One who chooses…. not the strong … but the weak. You appoint, not based on merit, but by grace. And You meet us … not with judgment, but with mercy, with peace, and with life.

So, we quiet our hearts before You now.

We ask that by Your Spirit, You would press this truth deep into our souls: That our identity is not achieved … but received. That the life we crave is not found in trying harder … but in Christ alone.

Speak now through Your Word. Disrupt our striving. Calm our performing. Awaken our affections. Anchor us again in the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus.

May our minds be aflame with your truth. May our hearts come alive with your love. And may we leave here not merely informed … but transformed.

We ask this in the name of the One who called us, saved us, and still sustains us … Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

There’s a kind of weariness that … if you’ve never felt it before…. it’s hard to explain. It’s more than just being tired.

Yes … physical exhaustion is real. But I’m talking about something deeper. … which is…. The weight of responsibility that feels heavier than your strength.

You’ve been leading. Loving. Showing up. You’ve poured yourself out … for your spouse, your kids, your workplace, maybe even for your church. And still, deep down, you wonder:

Is it making a difference? Does anyone see? Does anyone care?

Let’s just be honest …. the pressures of life are real.

The pressure to be a good spouse. To hold your marriage together. The pressure to raise your kids faithfully. To keep your faith strong. To perform at work. To manage your life, your future, your image.

You feel the pressure to be strong for everyone else … But…on the inside … if you’re honest … there are time’s when you’re barely holding on.

You try to parent with patience. Try to show up to work with energy. Try to open your Bible and focus.

Try to pray with a clear mind But….the truth is … the fire doesn’t burn like it used to.

You feel like you’re supposed to be full of life … but you’re scraping the bottom of the barrel.

And here’s what I’ve had to come to terms with myself:

You and I ….. We are prone to live as if our identity and our endurance depend on us.

Our strength. Our effort. Our performance.

But friends …. that’s a weight we were never meant to carry. And if we keep carrying it, it won’t just wear us down … it will crush us. And …well… maybe you feel that already. Maybe your soul is dry, your heart discouraged, your spirit exhausted. And if that’s true…. listen to me …. you are not alone … and … you’re not too far gone.

And it’s into the weight of our weariness that God speaks to us this morning. You see … before Paul tells Timothy to do anything … before he charges him to endure, to be bold, to preach … he stops … and he reminds Timothy of what’s already true. He reminds him of the gospel.

This opening verse of 2 Timothy … it’s not just a formal greeting. It’s a holy re-centering. A return to what grounds us, a return to what gives us life and sustains us. The Gospel.

In this opening verse, Paul gives us two spiritual truths that breathe life into dry and striving souls. So…. if you’re tired… if you’re discouraged… if you’re not sure how to keep going … then this word is for you.

Let’s begin with the first gospel reality:

Our Identity Is Grounded in Calling, Not Earned by Doing

2 Timothy 1:1 CSB

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will …

Before we can feel the weight of Paul’s words …. we first need to understand who Paul was. Understand … Paul didn’t rise through the spiritual ranks. He didn’t become an apostle because of his charisma, his credentials, or his pedigree. He wasn’t voted in. He wasn’t promoted. No! Before Paul was an apostle, he was a persecutor. His mission was to silence the very gospel he would one day proclaim. He was zealous. He was driven. And he was violent. In other words …. Paul was a man absolutely convinced that he was right… and at the same time …. he was completely blind to the truth.

But then …. something absolutely miraculous happened.

On the road to persecute more Christians … God stopped him. Not gently. Not gradually. But physically, forcefully, and mercifully. In other words …. this wasn’t a slow journey of spiritual discovery. This was a collision with God’s grace. Understand… Paul didn’t just change his mind one day. No! He was confronted by the glory and the mercy of Jesus Christ. You see… Paul wasn’t simply converted. He was claimed. He was called. He was appointed …. “by the will of God.” And in that moment… everything changed.

Now … make note of that phrase: “by God’s will.”

And understand … this phrase is neither vague nor passive. It’s not some abstract divine plan floating in the clouds. No …. this is the decisive, sovereign hand of God laying claim to a soul. Remember … Paul wasn’t on a search for meaning. He wasn’t on a spiritual journey. He was on a mission to destroy the church. He wasn’t chasing after God …. he was raging against Him. And it was right there, in his rage, that God’s grace showed up.

Because ….. that’s what God does. Dear friend… do not miss the amazing truth that God’s grace doesn’t wait for potential. It doesn’t respond to effort. It doesn’t require strength. Rather God’s grace meets us in our weakness. It steps into our mess. And yes … even into our rebellion.

You see …. it’s by God’s sovereign will that:

— Dead hearts come to life. — The guilty are justified and declared righteous — The sinner is made clean. — And the weary are destined for glory.

That’s the gracious purpose of God ….. to break into sin-hardened hearts. To speak life where there was only death. To silence our pride and to stir up praise. Understand … the same God who governs galaxies and kings looks at sin-hardened hearts and says, “That one, he’s Mine. That one, she’s Mine.”

Friends … this is the will of God that calls … and He calls….not based on your performance, but on His mercy. His love is not earned by striving, but given through grace. It’s not transactional. It’s transformational. And that calling? It doesn’t just save you …. it holds you.

Brothers and sisters, rest in this truth:

Everyone God calls by grace … He keeps by His power.

That’s why …. even from a Roman prison cell … chained and facing death … Paul can still write with confidence: “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God.” And … not as a title to impress, but as a testimony to God’s amazing grace.

Now, why does that matter for you and me?

Well … because that’s our story too!  Think about it ..… you didn’t sign up for this. You were chosen. You didn’t submit your spiritual résumé and wait to hear back from heaven. You didn’t climb your way into God’s favor through consistency, good parenting, or faithful church attendance. No! God’s love found you. God’s voice called you. God’s mercy interrupted your life and said, “You’re Mine.”

And this means….listen to me…. You don’t have to fight for your place in God’s family. He’s already called you into it. Praise God that we are held … not by our strength. Not by our consistency …. but by God’s will and mercy.  Isn't that amazing?!!! Brother…. sister…. your identity isn't found in your ability to achieve or produce. It’s a gift. And that means …. you don't have to prove your worth. If you belong to God … You are His …by His will … and your purpose is to live for His glory!

Take a moment and let this sink into your soul. 

Before you are anything else …. before you’re a husband, before you’re a wife, before you’re a dad or a mom, before you’re a son or daughter, before you’re an employee or leader … you are someone God has chosen by His sovereign will and for His sovereign purposes.

Did you know that?

And if you did… Are you living like it? Because that truth … if you really believe it …  it will radically change the way you live.

Dear friends … You’ve been entrusted with a calling… and not because you were impressive, but because God is gracious. And that calling? That’s what grounds you …. even when everything else feels unsteady…

…. especially when everything feels unsteady. 

And that’s the mystery of divine calling. That God would set His love on us before we could ever return it. That His mercy would meet us in our rebellion. That His sovereign will would not just assign us a title … but write our name in His book.

Friend, can I ask you something, gently and honestly?

What do you find your identity in? What are you looking to for grounding?

Because the truth is …. what grounds you will shape how you live your life. If you're grounded in performance, you’ll always live in fear of failure. If you're grounded in people's approval, your peace will rise and fall with their opinions. If you're grounded in success, you’ll be crushed when life doesn’t go according to your plan.

But Paul shows us a better way. What grounded him wasn't his résumé, his accomplishments, or his pedigree ….. No … He was grounded in the gracious will of God. He had grounded his life in the truth that God’s sovereign love had claimed him …… and that love was unshakable.

But here’s the next question:

If that’s what grounds us… then …. what sustains us?

Because lets be honest …… identity is only the beginning. There’s still life to live. There’s still pressure to bear. There’s suffering to endure. So what carries us through? What keeps us steady when everything around us feels unsteady?

Well …. Paul gives us the answer in the very next phrase. Look back at verse 1. He says,

2 Timothy 1:1 CSB

1 …. for the sake of the promise of life in Christ Jesus:

And right there ….. tucked into a phrase we might be tempted to skim past …. Paul names the second spiritual reality that breathes life into dry and striving souls. And that truth is …..

We Are Sustained by the Promise of Life, Not the Fear of Failing

Remember… Paul is writing this from his prison cell and this time… he’s not getting out …. He’s facing death. And these words to Timothy are going to be his last recorded words. The truth is….everything around him is unraveling … his freedom, his reputation, even the churches he helped plant. And yet … in that moment… what was his focus? Not survival. Not his reputation. He doesn’t speak of regret or fear. He talks about Life.

Think about it…. Why did God make Paul an apostle?

“...for the sake of the promise of life in Christ Jesus.”

This is the gospel. And the gospel is not a message of morality. It’s not just an invitation to try harder. Rather…. it’s a divine promise that those who are dead in sin can be made alive in Christ.

And Paul … well…. he knew that promise… he had received it…. and he dedicated His life to proclaiming it. And now … even as he stares down death … it’s that same promise of life that sustains him. The message he preached was the mercy that carried him. The life he offered to others was holding him together.

But what is that promise? What is this gospel that revives and sustains?

It’s this:

That while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. That Jesus lived the life we couldn’t live, died the death we deserved, and rose again to give us new life … eternal life … in Him.

That’s the gospel: It is not a ladder we climb, but a Savior who descended. It’s not a call to perform, but a gift to receive. It’s not self-improvement, but resurrection.

And that promise? It not only saves but it sustains.

Now… let’s be real here ….. for many of us … if we were to look at our lives …. the truth is… for may of us…. we are surviving. In fact the other day that was my answer.

A friend of mine asked, “How are you doing?” And I said, “I’m surviving.” And you know what… The Holy Spirit convicted me…. And I realized that for many years …. I have been surviving… but not really living. I had been getting by…performing…. checking boxes…. and as result my soul had dried up. I traded the promise of life for the pressure to perform. Unlike Paul …. the message I was preaching wasn’t sustaining me. Why?!?!

Well…. because I had started to measure my worth by my productivity. I began to confuse business with spiritual maturity. I began to mistake activity for intimacy. And the result?

Not fruitfulness. But fatigue. Not joy. But depletion. Not peace. But pressure.

And you know what … I don’t think I’m alone in this. Perhaps you have felt this way too. You’ve been showing up. You’ve been faithful. But inside …. you’re tired. You’re reading your Bible, serving your family, doing your best to worship… But something’s missing. The joy has faded. The passion feels thin. You believe in Jesus, but you’re not tasting life in Him.

Maybe, like me, you’ve started living like your worth is tied to what you can produce. Maybe you’ve begun to believe that God loves a future version of you … one who’s less tired, more focused, more fruitful.

But friend, hear this:

That’s not the gospel. The promise of life isn’t reserved for when you get it together. It’s given to you in Christ. And…. it’s available now.

And get this…..

if you’re soul feels dry…

If you’re weary…

If the fire feels more like a flicker…

The invitation is not to try harder. It’s to return to the promise. Return to the Person. Return to the life that is yours in Christ.

Friend… life … real life … is found in Jesus.

Not in control. Not in security. Not in success.

You can chase those things. You can build your whole world on them. But they won’t hold you. They won’t satisfy you. And they certainly will not sustain you when life falls apart.

True life… deep, abiding, soul-satisfying life … can only be found in union with Christ.

I am reminded of 1 John 5:12

1 John 5:12 CSB

12 The one who has the Son has life. The one who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Consider what Jesus says in John 14 …

John 14:6 CSB

6 … “I am the way, the truth, and the life. ..

And Paul also proclaimed this in Galatians 2:20

Galatians 2:20 CSB

20 I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Friends .. don’t miss this… don’t miss the fact that the life that Jesus offers isn’t just a gift. He is the Life ! And this speaks to the truth that life isn’t something you climb toward like a ladder. Rather life is a Person who came down to meet you in your lowest place.

And Paul knew that. And so…. even as his ministry began to shrink and as his life is being poured out, the deepest truth about him wasn’t that he was dying … it was that he was alive in Christ.

And that’s why he writes,

“…for the sake of the promise of life in Christ Jesus.”

Because ….. His calling wasn’t just to do work … It was to proclaim the gospel. To offer the very life that had first been given to him. And friend… that same life … resilient, eternal, joy-filled life…. is what’s been entrusted to you, too. And like Paul we are called to faithfully proclaim this message of Life. But… in order to fulfill this calling…. we need to first understand that ….

We are not sustained by ministry outcomes. We are not carried by control, success, or stability.

We are sustained by the promise of life in Christ Jesus.

So if you’re tired of running on empty, if you’re done fearing failure, if you're over striving for significance—

Then …. Come back to the promise. Come back to the Person. Come back to the life that’s found in Christ alone.

He is not asking you to perform. He is not waiting for a better version of you. He is offering you Himself …. right now.

Brothers and sisters…. Real life is not something you can earn. It’s someone you receive. And His name is Jesus.

Communion Talk – “Sustained by the Promise of Life”

Now … As we come to the Lord’s Table today, let’s do so with this truth in our hearts:

We are not sustained by our performance. We are sustained by the promise of life in Christ Jesus.

This bread and this cup are not reminders of what we’ve done for God. They are sacred symbols of what He has done for us. The Bread declares that Jesus gave His body for us … to feed starving hearts, to strengthen weary souls, to give life where there was death. The Cup declares that His blood was poured out ….. to cleanse our sin, to silence our shame, and to quench the thirst of every longing heart.

So if you come to this Table today feeling weak … If you're tired of trying to hold it all together… If your soul feels dry… This meal is for you.

And ….not because you’ve earned your seat… but because Christ has made a way.

Understand .… when we take the bread and the cup, we are not performing a ritual … we are receiving a reminder:

That the life we need is not something we earn, but something Christ gives.

So come. Come not with perfect strength, but with honest need. Come not with impressive faith, but with real hunger. Come because Christ is your life, your hope, and your sustaining joy.

And if you are not yet a follower of Jesus …. if you’ve not yet received Him by faith …. I am going to ask that you to let the bread and cup pass today.

And not because I want less for you— but because I long for more. More than a symbol. I want you to know the Savior who gives eternal life.

But for all who are in Christ … baptized believers… come.

Come and taste the promise. Come and eat what Christ has provided. Come and be sustained again by the gospel of grace.

Let’s pray.

Father, Thank You for this Table. A Table not of performance, but of promise. Not of strength, but of grace.

As we eat and drink, remind us again that our hope is not in ourselves, but in Jesus … crucified, risen, and returning.

Fill our hearts with joy, quench our spiritual thirst, and nourish our souls with the life that only You can give.

We pray this in the name of our Savior— Jesus Christ, the Life-giver. Amen.