The Impact of a Godly Influence

THE IMPACT OF A GODLY INFLUENCE

(ESV)

INTRODUCTION:

TAKE YOUR BIBLE AND TURN WITH ME TO THE BOOK OF 2 TIMOTHY, CHAPTER 1…

WHEN YOU’VE FOUND YOUR PLACE, STAND WITH ME AS WE READ VERSES 1 THROUGH 12.

STAND – READ – PRAY

MOST THEOLOGIANS WOULD AGREE THAT THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH A PERSON IS RAISED HAS A GREAT DEAL TO DO WITH THEIR DEVELOPMENT…

AND THEIR WORLDVIEW…

SO AS WE THINK ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF A DAY LIKE TODAY, AS THE PARENTS OF SIX CHILDREN STOOD TO PROCLAIM THEIR INTENT TO RAISE THEIR CHILDREN ACCORDING TO GODLY VALUES…

I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD IF WE LOOK TO THE WORD OF GOD TO REINFORCE THIS GREAT NEED…

SO LET’S UNPACK THIS PASSAGE AND ASK GOD TO HELP US APPLY THE TRUTHS WE FIND HERE…

SO LET ME POINT OUT A FEW THINGS THIS MORNING…

1. FIRST, PAUL EMPHASIZES A GODLY INVESTMENT…

a. LOOK AT THE COMPONENTS OF A GODLY INVESTMENT…

b. SINCERE FAITH…

i. PAUL HAD EXPERIENCED, AS MANY DO, THE BETRAYAL AND DEPARTURE OF MANY PEOPLE WHO ONCE WERE LOYAL TO HIM…

ii. SO TIMOTHY’S “SINCERE” FAITH WAS REFRESHING TO PAUL…

iii. AND TIMOTHY’S SINCERE FAITH WAS DUE, IN LARGE PART TO THE…

c. GENERATIONAL INVESTMENT OF TIMOTHY’S MOTHER AND GRANDMOTHER…

i. PAUL POINTS OUT THE IMPACT OF THE FAITH OF TIMOTHY’S GRANDMOTHER LOIS AND HIS MOTHER EUNICE...

1. THIS IS INDISPUTABLE EVIDENCE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF A CONSISTENT, GOD-HONORING INVESTMENT ON THE PART OF PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS…

ii. SO PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS, LIVE YOUR LIVES IN SUCH A WAY THAT YOUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN AND SEE THE IMPACT OF CHRIST ON YOUR LIFE, SO THAT YOU CAN MAKE AN IMPACT ON THEIR LIVES…

d. AND HELP THEM TO FAN THE FLAME OF THEIR FAITH…

e. LOOK AT THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF PAUL TO YOUNG TIMOTHY, BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH…

i. HE REMINDS TIMOTHY THAT CHRIST-FOLLOWERS ARE NOT TO LIVE IN FEAR…

1. BELIEVERS HAVE NEVER BEEN GIVEN THE OPTION OF COWERING IN FEAR FROM A WORLD THAT DISAGREES WITH OUR WORLDVIEW…

2. PAUL MAKES THAT STATEMENT HERE IN VERSE 7…

a. THE SPIRIT OF GOD DOES NOT LEAD US INTO FEARFUL PLACES…

b. HE LEADS US TO LIVE AND MOVE IN THE POWER OF GOD…

ii. BUT WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN POWER AND LOVE AND SELF-CONTROL…

1. IT’S IMPORTANT TO NOTICE WHAT PAUL SAYS WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN…

2. IF YOU ARE A BELIEVER, YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN, THROUGH THE INDWELLING PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT…

a. THE POWER TO LIVE YOUR LIFE IN A WAY THAT PLEASES GOD…

b. THE ABILITY TO SHOW THE LOVE OF GOD TO OTHERS…

c. AND THE ABILITY TO LIVE IN A SELF-CONTROLLED MANNER…

3. THIS MEANS THAT ALL THE EXCUSES HAVE BEEN TAKEN AWAY BY THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT…

a. SO WE CAN NO LONGER SAY, “I CAN’T HELP MYSELF…”

i. NOT WHAT SCRIPTURE TEACHES…

b. I’M JUST NOT A VERY LOVING PERSON…

i. NOT WHAT SCRIPTURE TEACHES…

c. I DON’T HAVE THE STRENGTH…

i. NOT WHAT SCRIPTURE TEACHES…

f. SO OUR RESPONSIBILITY AS PARENTS…AND GRANDPARENTS…IS TO BE GODLY INFLUENCES ON OUR CHILDREN…

g. BECAUSE A GODLY INFLUENCE…

2. LEADS TO PREPARATION FOR A LIFE OF SERVICE TO GOD.

a. HOW YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE WILL SERVE AS A GAUGE FOR HOW THEY SHOULD LIVE THEIR LIVES…

b. HOPEFULLY, YOUR EXAMPLE WILL HELP THEM TO NOT BE ASHAMED OF THE TESTIMONY ABOUT OUR LORD…

i. IN A CULTURE THAT IS OFTEN VICIOUSLY OPPOSED ALL THINGS RELATED TO THE CHRISTIAN FAITH…

ii. OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN DO NOT NEED TO JUST BE ENCOURAGED TO STAND STRONG IN THEIR FAITH…

iii. THEY NEED TO BE PROVIDED EXAMPLES OF PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS WHO ARE STANDING STRING IN THEIR FAITH…

iv. THIS IS NO TIME FOR SOFT-BELLIED, CHRISTIANITY…

v. WE NEED TO BE CHRISTIANS WITH THE GUTS TO LIVE ABOVE THE FRAY, AND HONOR GOD WITH EVERY ASPECT OF OUR LIVES…

vi. THERE IS NO OFF-SWITCH IN THE CHRISTIAN FAITH…

vii. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS SITUATIONAL ETHICS…

1. THERE IS ONE WAY TO LIVE AS BELIEVERS, AND THAT IS TO HONOR GOD, EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY…

c. HOPEFULLY, YOUR EXAMPLE WILL ALSO HELP THEM TO SHARE IN SUFFERING…

i. SUFFERING IS SIMPLY A PART OF THE CHRISTIAN WALK…

ii. AND OUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN NEED TO WITNESS PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS WHO REMAIN CONSISTENTLY FAITHFUL…EVEN IN THE DEPTHS OF DESPAIR…

iii. THEY NEED TO WITNESS A FAITH IN US THAT CAN AND DOES WITHSTAND THE STORMS OF LIFE…

iv. BECAUSE STORMS ARE A GUARANTEE…

3. AND IF WE DO ALL THESE THINGS, THE CHANCES ARE MUCH GREATER THAT THIS WILL RESULT – IN OUR CHILDREN – IN A GOD-HONORING RETURN.

a. SALVATION…

i. –9A (ESV) – 8 THEREFORE DO NOT BE ASHAMED OF THE TESTIMONY ABOUT OUR LORD, NOR OF ME HIS PRISONER, BUT SHARE IN SUFFERING FOR THE GOSPEL BY THE POWER OF GOD, 9 WHO SAVED US AND CALLED US TO A HOLY CALLING, NOT BECAUSE OF OUR WORKS BUT BECAUSE OF HIS OWN PURPOSE AND GRACE, WHICH HE GAVE US IN CHRIST JESUS BEFORE THE AGES BEGAN,

b. A HOLY CALLING…

i. :9B–11 – AND CALLED US TO A HOLY CALLING, NOT BECAUSE OF OUR WORKS BUT BECAUSE OF HIS OWN PURPOSE AND GRACE, WHICH HE GAVE US IN CHRIST JESUS BEFORE THE AGES BEGAN, 10 AND WHICH NOW HAS BEEN MANIFESTED THROUGH THE APPEARING OF OUR SAVIOR CHRIST JESUS, WHO ABOLISHED DEATH AND BROUGHT LIFE AND IMMORTALITY TO LIGHT THROUGH THE GOSPEL, 11 FOR WHICH I WAS APPOINTED A PREACHER AND APOSTLE AND TEACHER,

c. A SURE REWARD…

i. (ESV) – 12 WHICH IS WHY I SUFFER AS I DO. BUT I AM NOT ASHAMED, FOR I KNOW WHOM I HAVE BELIEVED, AND I AM CONVINCED THAT HE IS ABLE TO GUARD UNTIL THAT DAY WHAT HAS BEEN ENTRUSTED TO ME.

CONCLUSION:

SO THE IMPACT OF A GODLY INFLUENCE IS CLEAR…

A GODLY INVESTMENT… LEADS TO PREPARATION FOR A LIFE OF SERVICE TO GOD… WHICH WILL RESULT – IN OUR CHILDREN – IN A GOD-HONORING RETURN.

BUT YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT BEING A GODLY INFLUENCE IS MUCH MORE THAN PRAYING AT THE DINNER TABLE, OR OCCASIONALLY COMING TO CHURCH…

IT CONSISTS OF A WORLDVIEW CHANGE THAT IS EVIDENT IN THE LIFE CHOICES WE MAKE…

AND THE ONLY WAY FOR THIS TO HAPPEN IS TO HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST…

I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT CHURCH MEMBERSHIP, I’M TALKING ABOUT BEING A MEMBER OF THE FAMILY OF GOD…

AND THERE’S ONLY ONE WAY THIS HAPPENS…

IT HAPPENS WHEN YOU RECOGNIZE YOUR SINFULNESS, REPENT OF YOUR SINS, RECOGNIZE THAT FORGIVENESS OF YOUR SIN COMES ONLY FROM JESUS, AND RELENQUISH CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE TO HIM…

YOU WANT TO IMPACT THE LIVES OF YOUR CHILDREN?

LET JESUS IMPACT YOUR LIFE…

LET’S PRAY…