Replication 2 Timothy 2:1-7

How Do We Make More Disciples?

We have reached a pretty exciting place at my house. My children are old enough to take care of most of the basic tasks of our household without any real oversight. Yesterday was great! I told my lawn boy (Joseph) to go mow the grass and he did it. He did it right. He did it without correction or review. It was fantastic! At this point in my life, I can say that I have successfully replicated myself, someone who can do the things that I can do (at least with a push mower). That’s at the heart of what we are talking about when we are talking about making more disciples. But here’s the question: How do we make more disciples?

I. We Must Be Strengthened by Grace v. 1

In our passage today, Paul is writing again to the young man Timothy, instructions regarding his leadership in the church at Ephesus

As Timothy fulfills the work of the Lord in the church, there are going to be four critical instructions to remember here

First, he must be strong:

On the surface, this seems self-explanatory and even encouraging: It’s a message to “man-up” to be tough and to face whatever challenges come his way

That’s true, but there is a particular quality to this strength: It is a strength that comes from the grace that is in Christ Jesus

It turns out that there is a strength for the mission that is not internal, but external

This is not something that you dig deep and find within yourself; it is a gift from the Lord

But, in what sense are we strengthened by grace?

By grace, we recognize that we are not under any kind of condemnation

By grace, we trust that fruitfulness overflows from faithfulness

By grace, we rest in the Lord’s ability to work in and through us, providing for each need

Apart from the grace of Jesus, the Christian life would be totally overwhelming

It becomes a set of rules to keep, not a teacher to follow

It is a heavy burden, rather than an easy yoke

It is crushing, not liberating

However, when we are strengthened by the grace of Jesus, everything changes!

We have a saying in our culture: “You are enough”, but the Gospel strengthens us with better news. I don’t have to be enough, because Jesus is enough for me!

II. We Must Teach the Truth v. 2

Second, we see the specific command: we must teach the truth to faithful people

We have a responsibility to pass the truth along

This is the proclamation of the Gospel

This is the doctrine of the Church

This is the way of a disciple

However, there is a bit more here than just teaching:

We are looking for people who are faithful; they have a genuine desire to grow in the grace of Jesus and to serve Him

We are trusting them to be partakers in the ministry of the Gospel; we are giving ownership and even leadership responsibilities to them

We are expecting them to teach others also

The goal is not just to make disciples, but to make disciples in such a way that our disciples make disciples

They don’t just need to know the truth

They need to have been impacted by the truth in such a way that they are compelled to walk with others in the truth

I think this is a big part of the challenge:

It’s not enough to just share facts about the faith with the people in our lives

It is a call to teach them in such a way that they can pass it on and they feel a responsibility and confidence to share in the work of the Lord themselves

1 Corinthians 11:1

[1] Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. (ESV)

I’m left with a really difficult question to answer: I am a setting an example worth following? What are people learning about following Jesus by following me? If I reproduced myself, could I be satisfied with the product?

III. We Must Suffer as a Soldier vv. 3-6

Paul’s next statement feels like a shot across the bow, but it’s a good word of warning and wisdom to anybody who engages in the work of making disciples for Jesus:

We must be prepared to share in suffering as a good soldier of Jesus

I never like the idea of suffering, but it is the expectation of a soldier of Jesus; this work will not be easy. It has a high cost that we must be prepared to pay

However, we do not own it alone; we are sharing in His suffering

It is impossible to do great things for the Lord that does not involve the high cost of conformity to Him

What does this look like? How do we share in suffering?

We live with a single-minded focus; we are not entangled in civilian pursuits

This is not a condemnation of any kind of life apart from the distinct work of the Lord

It is however, a warning against entanglement with the distractions of the world

Our aim must be to please the Lord who enlisted us into His service

We live ethically, competing “according to the rules”

We do things God’s way, avoiding the shortcuts and alternative pathways to fulfilling His work

We cannot do things our way, according to our wisdom, or for our own glory and expect to win the prize of faithfulness

We work hard

I think this is a good word for all of us; the Lord expects His people to work hard from Him

It is not always easy, but there is a reward, the first share of the crops

There is a blessing that comes from the labor!

We can trust that the Lord will make the prize worthy of the cost.

A famous evangelist told the following incident: I have a friend who in a time of business recession lost his job, a sizable fortune, and his beautiful home. To add to his sorrow, his precious wife died; yet he tenaciously held to his faith -- the only thing he had left. One day when he was out walking in search of employment, he stopped to watch some men who were doing stonework on a large church. One of them was chiseling a triangular piece of rock. 'Where are you going to put that?' he asked. The workman said, 'Do you see that little opening up there near the spire? Well, I'm shaping this stone down here so that it will fit in up there.' Tears filled my friend's eyes as he walked away, for the Lord had spoken to him through that laborer whose words gave new meaning to his troubled situation.

Romans 8:18

[18] For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (ESV)

IV. We Must Seek Understanding v. 7

Finally, Paul invites Timothy to “think over what I say”

That message of perseverance, of the cost of discipleship and of disciple-making, is a heavy weight to bear

We must really think about it and count the cost of following Christ

Some of us are seeking a relationship with and the blessings of the Lord in our lives, without a commitment to His mission

Honestly, you can spare yourself a lot of trouble that way; there is a serious cost to following Jesus

However, if we do this, we miss the blessing and the joy of obedience:

I get to see lives changed

I get to see God move in power

I get to see the provision of God in my life

I come to know God in a way that I never would have earlier

You do not have to be a missionary, a pastor, or any kind of leader to know God in this way, but you cannot know God without participating in His work

Keep seeking understanding, keep seeking the Lord; He will give you understanding and the confidence to follow Him

When you are questioning the cost, when you are afraid and uncertain, He will make His way clear as you keep seeking Him.

American artist James Whistler, who was never known to be bashful about his talent, was once advised that a shipment of blank canvases he had ordered had been lost in the mail. When asked if the canvases were of any great value, Whistler remarked, "not yet, not yet." 

-Are you trusting in Jesus and seeking Him?

-Are you enduring through the hardships?

-Are you committed to teaching others to follow Jesus?