The Word of God is Not Bound
Fearless and Faithful: Forward in Faith, Not Back Into Fear • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 12 viewsWhen Paul wrote this letter, he was in prison. Likely, this was his second Roman imprisonment. He was bound with chains and waiting to be executed. He had every earthly reason to be pessimistic about the future. It would have been easy to believe the Good News would never successfully spread throughout the world and people would never accept the idea that Jesus is King. However, in spite of his circumstances, Paul was incredibly positive about the future. He knew that he might be bound, but “the word of God is not bound!” Nothing was going to stop God’s plans from succeeding. Are we that confident, as those who are being called to carry on the Christian mission in this place at this time?
Notes
Transcript
Fearless and Faithful
Fearless and Faithful
Last week we introduced our new theme, “Fearless and Faithful.”
God didn’t give us a spirit of FEAR, but of POWER, LOVE, & SELF-CONTROL
We cannot let fear govern our lives
Over and over again, in Scripture, we are told not to fear
Every day this year, it’s our goal to…
FEAR LESS…TRUST MORE
FEAR LESS…TRUST MORE
That’s the only way to be FEARLESS is just gradually, FEAR LESS and TRUST MORE
Every day, take away a little bit of the control FEAR has over our lives
Trust God just a little bit more
Let him govern your fears and your life just a little bit more today than you did yesterday
because I love you, I’m going to keep asking YOU and MYSELF…
What are you afraid of? (that you might lose or miss out on?) What’s holding you back (from being the follower Jesus is calling you to be)?
What are you afraid of? (that you might lose or miss out on?) What’s holding you back (from being the follower Jesus is calling you to be)?
we’re studying the book of 2 Timothy to help us ask these questions…
Context
Paul was in a scary situation
Timothy was in a scary situation
But they faced their mission, FEARLESSLY and FAITHFULLY
1 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.
Another way of stating The Great Commission
make disciples
of all nations
We are carrying on that legacy and mission
A lot of things going on in our lives
are side quests
that we are treating like the main plot
we need to remember, this is the mission
3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.
Share in suffering is NOT seeking it out
Don’t compromise in order to avoid it
Are we compromising in order to avoid suffering?
Please our commanding officer
Jesus
If he’s happy with our service, nothing else matters
two more metaphors with the same meaning
5 An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. 7 Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.
Athlete
there is a reward - victory crown
IF you compete according to the rules
don’t cheat
don’t take a shortcut
IF you suffer through the games
Farmer
there is a reward - share of the crops
IF you are hard-working
IF you suffer through the growing season
DISCIPLE - CHRISTIAN
athlete
farmer
soldier
It’s worth it. All the suffering. All the endurance.
8 Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound!
Christ
risen from the dead
offspring of David
glorified
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CROSS
Paul
suffering
bound with chains
What would be your attitude in these circumstances?
Hopeless
Distraught
“People will never listen/learn.”
“the word of God is not bound”
I might be in prison, but God’s word is not in prison!
I might be broke, but God’s not broke!
I might be sick, but God’s not sick!
God is not limited by our circumstances.
10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
I endure everything
imprisonment
rejection
poverty
suffering
SHAME
that they may obtain salvation
people can hear the Good News
give their loyalty to Jesus
share in this inheritance
with eternal glory
Paul could suffer shame
Timothy could suffer shame
All the elect could suffer shame
BECAUSE we will be GLORIFIED with CHRIST
11 The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; 13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.
If we…
die with him
endure with him
we will live and reign with him
But if we…
deny him
he will deny us
That doesn’t mean
Jesus is faithless
He’s not a traitor
Just because we are faithless
Jesus is…
GOING to WIN
Reign with all of his servants
Keep his promises
The only question is, “Will you reign with him?”
Jesus wins. The question is “Will YOU share in his victory?”
Jesus wins. The question is “Will YOU share in his victory?”
Sometimes I tell my kids.
I’m going to get ice cream later.
The only question is, “Will be joining me?”
The answer depends on the choices you make.
I WILL keep my promise.
I will get ice cream.
That is 100% guaranteed. Your participation in the ice cream is NOT guaranteed.
Let’s be honest: Some people will not be sharing in his victory
because they care more about pursuing their own interests over the mission of God
because they care more about enjoying their lives, rather than enjoying the victory of God
because they care more about what people think, rather than what KING JESUS thinks
Sharing in the victory of Jesus
Suffering with him now
Making sacrifices now
Prioritizing his kingdom over everything else
