Illustration of a Strong, Christian (2)

Read 2 Timothy 2:1-6

Father, thank for giving us your word and use it to teach, reproof, correct and for training in righteousness, that the man God of maybe complete, equipped and for every good work. In your sons name we pray. Amen.

As I was preparing this sermon, I was thinking of what to say to get your attention, but I realized that isn’t my style so I’ll simply tell you what this passage is saying.

This passage is a letter of the Apostle Paul to his mentee Timothy who was weakening in the faith. Are you weakening in faith? Do you still have the same zeal that you once had before? Paul tells Timothy to be strengthened in the Grace that is in Christ Jesus.

This strength is not Timothy’s own might or will power, but it is freely given to those who are in Christ Jesus. In 2 Timothy chapter 1:7, Paul says “ For God has given us a spirit not of fear, but of POWER, and love, and self control”. This power, this strength is all from God and is freely given. Just like oxygen is free, so is this strength from God. You obtain oxygen through respiration and this process doesn’t cease. In the same way you can be strengthened by God’s grace by praying without ceasing.

What Timothy has heard from Paul in the presence of many witnesses is The Gospel of Grace, not of works. This is unmerited favor, again freely given by God to those who believe. Timothy was entrusted with the Gospel, the Greek word to entrust is παράθου (parathou). It carries the idea of depositing something valuable into another person’s care.

He was commanded to entrust it to others. We're all commanded to fulfill the great commission. That is to make disciples . How would they know how to entrust the Gospel, unless you teach them how to? This is different from our view of teaching today. This is a mentor and mentee dynamic. Like we see with Paul and Timothy. They did ministry together. Timothy learned firsthand from Paul. He got to observe what Paul taught and how Paul carried himself. So Paul taught Timothy by example not merely passing on information. Years ago my flight instructor taught me how to fly an airplane. He began by telling me about the process of maneuvering an airplane, he demonstrated how to fly an airplane and he gave me the controls so that I could repeat what he did. It was like that for multiple flights in a semester before letting me fly solo in a half a million dollar aircraft. How much more valuable is the Gospel than an airplane. If non believers are intentional with entrusting people with knowledge of flying an airplane. How much more should we be with entrusting people with the Gospel.. The same procedure that his instructors entrusted to him, he also entrusted to me. Taking time to ensure how to truly maneuver the airplane before letting me solo. Are you taking the time to entrust the Gospel to others? The passage is not just men teaching other men. The greek word here used is anthropos referring to either male or female. So men, are you teaching the Gospel to your wives, your daughters, your sisters, your mothers.

We’re commanded to share in the suffering. Here in America we don’t face much persecution. We have brothers and sisters in Nigeria, the middle east, and Asia who get persecuted for the christian faith that you and I share. Do you share in the suffering with them? Do you pray for them? Our very own brother Cash here at Bethel, lost one his close friends from persecution in Nigeria. The church that his childhood friend led consisted of over 1500 brothers and sisters and most of them if not all were martyred. This is real, share in the suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus through prayer, and by being bold for the Gospel and not weakening when trials or persecution come so share in the suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

In the first century when Paul wrote this epistle, a roman soldier’s primary duty was to obey the command of his commander and fulfill the mission.

God has assigned you a mission as a soldier of Christ Jesus. What keeps you away from that mission? I’m not talking about your family, your family is part of your mission. I’m talking about the secondary things that take away your focus from the things of God. For some of you it’s comfort, chasing a promotion, more money,the american dream, whatever that might be. Detangle yourself from those things so that you may please the one who enlisted you. If you don’t detangle yourself, you become a double minded soldier. Your Loyalty is then split between God and the things of this world. So live to please your master.

An Athlete is not crowned unless he competes by the rules. I

In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Paul says “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control,[b] lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”

We’re called to compete like an athlete, this involves training. Think of training as intentional studying of scripture, and you are called to exercise self control in all things. Knowledge of the scripture is good, but it profits nothing, if one is disqualified. A runner could be faster than others, but if he is cheating he will not be crowned. For example taking steroids which is against the rules, he would not win the prize. In this case the doping committee isn't made of finite human beings, it’s the all knowing God himself. So compete like an athlete under the law of Christ, lest you disqualify yourself.

It is the hard working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. In the first century context, 85 to 90% of people were involved in farming. They farmed with hand held tools and waited months before the harvest. Paul wrote this to Timothy to remind him that he ought to be the hard working farmer and labor for his ministry to the point of exhaustion. Are you toiling in planting seeds for a harvest? Are you planting seeds in your family, workplace, relationships? Toil like the hard working farmer so that you will have the first share of crops when God grows it.

Take some time to think about today’s passage and sermon in your quiet time with the Lord. God will give you understanding in everything.