Like a Good Soldier (Candidating Sermon)

Introduction & Testimony

Well, Good morning, I so appreciated the music this morning, I have been watching lots of the services online, and one thing I really love about this church, is you guys sing some amazing beatiful songs that really encapsulate God. but you guys also have some absolutely amazing singers and instrument players? Is that the right word? anyways..

But, it is really good to be here with you all. If you didnt catch my name my name is Michael Toovey, and I get the amazing priviledge and oppurtunity to candidnate here this week,

I have met lots of you, but i certainly have not met all of you, and so i would love to meet you all, and hopefully I can today.

A disclaimer If i forget your name, it is not because you are a forgetful person, but it is siimply because I am such a forgetful person, just ask my wife.

It has been great getting to know the church, Pastor Trevor, the elders, and the wisdom board and having the opportunity to meet some of you.

But im even more thanful for the opputunity to be in the house of the Lord this morning and to open up his word..

and so, Before we get into God’s Word, I want to share a bit about myself.

I was born in the States and spent the first few years of my life in an orphanage before being adopted into a loving Christian home. My parents loved Jesus deeply and raised myself and 2 other siblings to follow Him, and I am very thankful for that.

But even though I grew up in a Christian home, I wrestled a lot with identity growing up.

Questions like: Am I wanted? Why am I here? What is my purpose?

And honestly, those questions followed me for years.

Over time through my highschool years, started finding my identity in sports, popularity, and what other people thought about me instead of in Christ. But through God’s Word and through some hard seasons in life, God started showing me that my identity is not in those things.

My identity is in Christ.

I eventually went to Bible School for 3 years at Nipawin Bible College, where i graduated with a Bachelors of christian ministry, But my three years of bible school were hard years of lots of growth, and just really seeing my own sin.

Of course you can’t go to bible school without returning engaged or already married…

And so after Bible school I got married to my amazing wife Kimberly, moved to Meadow Lake, and started serving at the Turning Point Youth Centre. Which is a faith based drop in centre, I serve as the program director there currenly, and it has been a great place to get my feet wet for ministry.

Last August we found out we were having twins, and pretty quickly things got kinda got crazy in the toovey household .

We had appointments every second week, and then later on it changed to every week, then 5 months into the pregnancy we had to go to Toronto for twin to twin transfusion surgery… And so badiscally that surgery would make it so both babies are getting the right amount of nutrients.

And honestly that season forced Kimberly and I to trust God in a way we never had before. But God worked in a way that only He could work in, Our 2 amazing daughters Selah and Adielle who you might hear some cries and grunts from them throughout the sermon were welcomed to the earth 2 months early in February, and they have been a real joy to see grow, a great gift from God.

And so now we are in a completely new season of life learning how to be parents and trying to figure out what’s next for us, where does God want our little family to go.

And honestly, through all of this, God has been showing me that I am not as strong as I think I am, and I am definitely not as capable as I like to believe.

And so I need to stay faithful, and endure.

And so that really leads into the passage we are looking at this morning.

Sorry that was a really short spark notes version of who I am, and so if you want to know more come talk to me after the service and I would absolutley love that.

But the passage that we are going through this morning, has been a great reminder to me,

Because lately, I resonate a lot with a man in the bible named Timothy.

A young man feeling the weight of ministry, feeling unequipped at times, and needing older, godly people pouring into him and reminding him what faithfulness looks like.

Sermon

A nicknamne for Timothy one commentar said was “timid Timothy”

and that kinda resonated with me, because for me i feel like “ timid Michael”

I feel like A young man who is aspiring this noble task to be a pastor, yet, I feel unequipped, I feel like there are people that are older who could do it better,

But yet I feel like I have godly men who are pouring into me and sharing with me the weight and the importance of character and qualifications,

and so the title of the sermon today is called

“like a good soldier”

Context

And so if you have your bibles you can turn to 2 Timothy 2, that is where we will be this morning, again that is 2 Timothy chapter 2,

and so i am aware that some of you are unfamiliar with the book of 2 Timothy and so as you guys are turning there I want to give a bit of context so we actually understand what is going on here.

This is Paul writing his second letter to Timothy. Paul is in his second improsinment this time Paul is in prison in Rome when he writes this, and this is the last letter we have from him.

Later on in 2 Timothy 4:6 he says he is already being poured out and his time is coming to an end.

So when you read this letter, you are reading the last words of the Apostle Paul…

And so, Timothy is someone Paul met back in Acts 16. His mom ( Lois)and grandmother (Eunice) were believers, his dad was not, and Paul brings him along and starts pouring into him. And So Timothy becomes like this young man that he views as his spirtual son.

By the time you get to this letter it is 15-17 years later, Timothy is in a church in Ephesus. and so, If you read 1 Timothy, that church has problems. There are false teachers, there is confusion, and Paul leaves Timothy a young probably mid 20 year old there to deal with it.

And even before that, Paul had already warned the leaders in Ephesus.

In Acts 20, when he is speaking to the Ephesian elders, he tells them that false teachers are going to come in and distort the truth.

It’s not like this is not a surprise situation. But This is something Paul already knew was coming.

And Timothy is now right in the middle of it.

Paul tells him in 2 Timothy 1:7 that God has not given him a spirit of fear, and in 1 Timothy 4:12 he tells him not to let people look down on him because he is young.

And so you can just feel the tension, that Timothy is this young man, who may feel, young, unequipped..

And so going back to the name “timid Timothy”.

That secicif name is Not an insult, just to say he needed encouragement. He needed what i like to call the grey hairs, Older wiser Goldy people to pour in and mentor him…

And so that is essentially what you have here .. You have Paul as an older, faithful man of God writing to a younger man Timothy who feels that weight.

And what makes this letter so powerful. And just so beatuful

that these are the final words of a dying man saying, and he decides his last words are going to be, to his spirtual son

Paul as an apostle of Jesus, could’ve decided to do somethiung totally differnt, He couldve before he died wrote another letter to the Corinthians, or the Ephesians,

He couldve written encouragment to Peter who likely died around the same time in the same city for the reason as Paul.

But you see Paul decides to write to a young man, He decides the last words he is going to write before he passes on are to his spiritual son Timothy

and he wants Timothy to know..

Timothy this is how you endure. This is how the Gospel continues on… This is how you run and finish the race well. This is how you stay Disciplined in the christian life.

And so again we are in 2 Timothy chapter 2, ill be starting in verse 1

Pause Breathe

2 Timothy 2:1–7 ESV

You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 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. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

Let’s Pray..

Water

1. Strengthened by Grace(v.1)

I said this earlier but what stands out here is that Paul adressess Timothy as “My Child” or “My Son”

And again that Paul is not Timothy’s biological father, But in a sense Paul is a spirutal Dad for Timothy. And Paul instruct Timothy here

2 Timothy 2:1 ESV

You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus,

You Know it is intersting that Paul would choose to use the word “grace” Paul could have said be strenghtend by the love, or being strenghtned by the power of Christ.But Pauls says and empasizes here be strenghtned by the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

If you guys are familiar with Pauls letters you would see that this is a common instruction that he gives. If you turn to the beginning of any of Pauls letters, at the beginnig he starts with Grace, and the end Paul also ends with Grace… He does that in all 13 of his letters.

And so if we dont know what Grace is

Grace is getting what you dont deserve.

For example, we dont deserve Jesus dying and reconciling or restoring our relationship with god, yet tho it was undeserved Jesus does it and gives us access to the father.

And So Paul is is saying here Be strenghtend, dont be timid Timothy, dont be fearful, But Timothy, Michael, Church, Be strenghtend by the Powerfrul Grace of God.

I dont know about you, but what a beggining reminder Paul gives, The reminder that it is not myself, but it is the Grace of God, that makes you/ us strong, God is the one who is going to enable you, and equip you. This verse remidned me of two beatiful and common Old testament verses.

Isaiah 41:10 ESV

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.

Joshua 1:9 ESV

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

What a reminder, Dont be timid about your faith, but lets aleways rember that we have a Gracios Merciful King who is enabling and equiping us for minsirty.

Water..

Moving on to Verse 2 Pauls says to Entrust the Truth:

2. Entrust the Truth (v.2)

2 Timothy 2:2 ESV

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.

Timothy was not just to keep the truth to himself but he was to Entrust the Truth and raise up faithful teachers, who will teach,

And so intersitng it says to entrust to faithful men, but Paul uses the word the greek word anthrōpos.

which actually refers to to man, or human beings.

And so I think that is important becaue Paul is saying because you are strenghtend by grace, as belivers in the body of Christ, we are to share the gospel to faithful people…

That is interesting because I peronally belive what Paul is getting at here is discipleship.

because just think about the chain reaction Paul is talking about here. where Paul teaches Timothy. Timothy teaches faithful Believers. Those faithful Believers teach others also, and so forth…

Paul is talking about the very calling that we all as belivers in Christ are called to be.. Disciples of Jesus Christ.

The Exhortation Paul is getting at is Timothy continue to be a Disciple of Christ, But Timothy don’t just stop there, continue to raise up new faithful belivers so that they too can be disciples of Jesus…

That is how the Gospel or the truth is faithfully entrusted. But also, that is how we expand Christ’s Kingdom through the sharing of the Gospel.

And honestly, I believe that is the heart of what Paul is getting at here.

Because when discipleship is lacking, it is easy for churches, for leader, for us to drift away.

Again, Timothy is in Ephesus where there are false teachers, confusion, and what Paul calls “irreverent babble” in 1 Timothy 6:20.

And Paul is saying, Timothy, be strengthened by grace and just as i have discipled and mentored you, continue making disciples.

Continue raising up faithful believers who will hold onto the truth and teach others also…. Because that is how the church stays grounded.

One of my favorite verses from the bible comes Paul’s first letter to Timothy where he says,

“O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you.”

And then he says it again in 2 Timothy 1:14,

2 Timothy 1:14 ESV

By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

Paul knew that if truth was not guarded and faithfully passed on, the church would drift.

And honestly, that is still true today. That comes from a lack of discipleship.. and a lack of relaince on the Holy Spirit..

Water

And then in verse 3, Paul shifts into three pictures that describe what the Christian life actually looks like.

He talks about a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer.

And so for the rest of our time this morning, I want to walk through those pictures and what Paul is really getting at.

3. Live Like a Soldier (v.3–4)

A) A Solier Doens’t get entagled in civilain pursuits

Paul says,

“No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits…”

And so i thinks that word entangled is really important. Because Paul is talking about getting wrapped up in things that pull your attention away from the mission.

I love how one commentary put it saying

“A solider must not allow ordianary affairs of life to become the main object of existence. BBC pg.2182”

A soldier has a focus, They have a mission. And the significanfe of a solider is that they have a single minded devtion to the mission.

A soldier understands there is something bigger going on than just comfort or distraction.

And honestly, Timothy needed to hear that.

Because Ephesus was full of distractions. False teaching, pressure, fear, compromise, people trying to distort the gospel for there own selfish gain.

And Paul is saying Timothy, do not get wrapped up in everything else and lose sight of Christ. Timothy’s needs goals needs to be exclusive loyalty to Christ.

For us as belivers we are enlisted by the Lord, and because of that we are not to conform to the things that are here of this world, but we are to offer our lives as a pleasing aroma, or sacrice to the Lord.

And so Paul is reminding Timothy here that a soldier cannot afford to lose sight of the mission.

Live life a Soldier Timothy. Be devoted to Christ Michael. Aim to please God in all you do church…

And personally , I think this is one of the hardest charges or exhortations of the Christian life…..

Not necessarily huge moments of persecution or suffering, but the daily battle of staying focused on Christ in a world full of distractions.

A good solideir does not get entaglned…..

And then we see in the second part of this verse:

B) A Soldier wants to please his commanding officer

Paul continues in verse 4 and says,

“…since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.”

The heart behind the whole soldier illustration. is that a soldier understands who he belongs to. I alread sorta touched on this..

But for a solidier His aim is to please the one who enlisted him.

Timothy needed that reminder, and i aswell for sure need this remnder, because it is easier to fear people more than God. or to aim to please the people around you..

But Paul reminds Both Timothy and us, your goal is not to please the culture around you or even yourself. Your aim is to please Jesus Christ.

That is the life of a good soldier. That is a life that we are all to live…

You are a soldier of the Lord Most High , so stay focused on the mission and desire to please the One who enlisted you, who is Christ.

4. Compete Like an Athlete(v.5)

Then Paul gives another picture when he says to compete like an athlete in verse 5.

2 Timothy 2:5 ESV

An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.

And honestly this one hits a little harder for me because sports was such a big part of my life growing up. Growing up every weekend we were either at the rink, at the track, or at the football field or gym for the sports that we all played.

Specifiacally, i remember growing up playing hockey and one thing my dad would always tell me was, “Practice how you play.”

Then i never understood. Because honestly, I hated practice.

I would barely try in drills, skate half speed so i didnt get tired, joke around in the line. But when it was gameday, i would try my hardest, but i wouldnt be the best because I wasn’t fully devoted.

But my dad was always trying to push me into showing that the way you practice eventually becomes the way you play.

And so, I think that is a truth that connects really well with what Paul is saying here.

One specifigc thing Paul could be refering to here is the Greek Games or what is commonly know today as the olympics. For the athletes of the greek games they had to swear an oath confirming that they had trained for at least ten months.

If an athlete left the gymnasium even once during the ten months of training, he was disqualified and could not participate in the games. These athletes lived with intense discipline and strict training because if they failed to compete according to the standards and rules of the games, they would be disqualified.

So Paul’s point here is not just that you need to compete harder.

But you, You need to train, and you need to endure, but you also need to compete according to the rules.

And i practiaclly the best way to do that, is by keeping Christ at the centre.

By staying rooted in the Word of Christ,and also understanding that there needs to also be a willingness to suffer for the sake of the Gospel.

David Platt in his Exalting Jesus Commentary said this:

“If athletes can train and compete for trophies and men’s applause, how much more should we train and sweat for that which is eternal!” Exalting Jesus pg 101

There needs to be the single-minded devotion and discipline of an athlete in the Christian life.

5. Work Like a Farmer (v.6–7)

The last image Paul uses is to work like a Farmer…

2 Timothy 2:6 ESV

It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops.

As I was studying this week, one commentary mentioned that around 85 to 90 percent of the population back then was directly involved with growing or getting food as their primary occupation.

And so when Timothy heard this illustration, this would have immediately connected with him because farming was everyday life.

looking at the the occupations, it seems to me like the first 2 are far more glamours or exciting than the last one…

a soldier who is noble in duty may get a medal of service, he or she can become highly decorated or promoted.

An athlete can recieve crowns or trophies,

And so thinking about those 2 when thinking about a farmer, A farmers job isnt glamoros, its not glorius or exciting.

A quote I read from a commentary was

“ The hardworking will be first in line for the reward, and the reward will far outweigh the toil.”

A farmer keeps working even when he does not immediately see the results.

And that needs to be the same for us as belivers in Christ, doing the best we can to endure through the tough and the good seasons.

Enduring because when we do at the end of out time here on earth, tPaul says in

2 Timothy 4:8 ESV

Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

And so as we close this morning, How does this relate to us, How do i practically apply this.

Application

Well this passage I think as an application right in the text here. verse 7

2 Timothy 2:7 ESV

Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

I love that Paul says that because he wants Timothy to really sit on these pictures.

Think about the soldier. Think about the athlete. Think about the farmer.

Because all three of them point back to the same thing.

Staying faithful to Christ.

Thats the pinnacle of what Paul is saying.

And so it’s what Paul says to Timothy, and in turn what Paul says to us.

Dont get distracted, dont get entagled, but by the strengh of God’s grace stay faithful to the one who enlisted you.

Faithfully endure.

And honestly, I think that is what this passage is not just saying to Timothy or to me, but to all of us in the body of Christ.

In the amazing season, in the rough season of life,

Faithfully endure.

“Be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”

Because at the end of the day, our strength and endurance do not come from ourselves.

They come from Christ.

Pray

God we praise you for who you are, that you are a God that graciously Ransoms, and reconciles broken sinners like us to be in a right relationship with you. We thank you that you have given us your word, that you rev eal yourself to us through it. God I pray that your word would continue to reveal yourself to us, that we would be disciples of you, who want to make more disciples to share in your gracious gift of eternal life. But God I do pray for those who maybe are going through a hard season, maybe they are entaglled in sin, or they just have so much going on in ther life that they just feel like they can’t feel that once strong connection with you, or maybe those who are wrestling through, what does it look like to really be a follower of Jesus. God you know the hearts of all the people here this morning, and God I do pray that you would meet them where they are at, and give them the peace that surpasses all understanding, we thank you for this time together. Amen