Faith & Forever Family

Faith & Forever Family 2 Timothy 1:1-7 Today is Grandparents Day! Now I know some of our grandparents are not with us anymore, and for some of us, we never got to meet our grandparents. Or maybe you were too little to remember. For others whose grandparents are still here, cherish them, learn from them, and laugh with them because some of the best memories are made during those times. It reminds me of a little boy who used to love sitting on his grandfather’s knee while having a story read to him. One day his grandfather read him the story about Noah’s Ark and how Noah led pairs of animals onto the ark. The little boy asked, “Pawpaw, you’re really old, were you on Noah’s Ark?” “Gosh no” he replied. “In that case how come you didn’t drown when the flood came?” We all have those funny family moments. So today, let’s remember our grandparents. Let’s appreciate and thank them for all they’ve done. Because whether they’re here or have passed on, we’ll always be forever family. And that’s what we’re talking about today, family. We’re forever family because we’re forever apart of our family. We have family traditions, family get-togethers, and even when separated, we’re still family. That old saying, “It takes a village to raise a child” has a lot of truth to it because for those of us who are older and can look back at our upbringing, we’ll begin to realize how family was there through thick and thin. And I’m sure there is no better feeling than being a grandparent, sitting next to your spouse, and looking upon the family that you’ve built together. Family is important to us, and it’s important to God as well. God is the Creator of the Universe. He made everything; stars, galaxies, planets, mountains, animals, birds. He made everything beautiful, orderly, and His creativity, knowledge, and love is displayed throughout creation. But God said that when He made man it was the pinnacle of His creation. You are God’s greatest creative masterpiece because only people bear God’s image. When God saw that Adam had no suitable helper, God formed Eve from Adam’s rib. That’s why in Genesis 2:24 it says, “That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.” Here we see 2 essential elements of family; marriage and parenthood. The love between a husband and wife provide a glimpse of how Jesus loves the church, His bride. Throughout the Bible, parenthood and family can be seen as God calls us His children. Even Christ was born into a family. God in the flesh, born of the Virgin Mary and raised by an earthly mom and dad. It was within this nurturing family that “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52). We are all created by God, but believers get the privilege and honor of calling God “Father.” When you give your life to Christ, you enter into God’s family, and all of us become children of God in the same way, we’re adopted. Galatians 4:5-7 says that Jesus came “To redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” Family is a masterpiece of God’s creation because it is only within family that you can call God your Father. Family is where you can find shelter, security, and encouragement. It’s where love runs so deep that a Christian family is but a foreshadow of heaven. It’s the masterpiece of God’s workmanship because it’s only within a Christian home that the process of character development is lovingly and faithfully carried on. The church is where we mature in Christ and encourage one another. The church is family, but think about this; God ordained the family before God ordained the church. The family is older than the church, and the church is founded upon the principles only found within the family. Family truly is an amazing part of life, and no matter what your family situation is or was like, God wants to adopt you into His family. So whether you’re born or adopted into a family it doesn’t matter, when love for God is placed first, you’ll have family forever. And that’s something I want to point out in today’s Scripture. In verse 2, Paul calls Timothy, “my dear son.” Now Paul was not Timothy’s biological father. We learn in verse 5 Paul says that Timothy’s faith first lived in his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice. But what about Timothy’s father? Well we have to remember that the Christian faith was still new. In the book of Acts we can read about the beginning of the church and Paul’s 3 missionary journeys where he preached Christ and founded churches. And Acts 16:1 says that when Paul came to Lystra, he met Timothy, “whose mother was a Jewish believer but whose father was a Greek.” Apparently Timothy’s father was not a Christian. But Paul, seeing the faith instilled in Timothy by his mother and grandmother, took it upon himself to spiritually adopt Timothy. Isn’t it wonderful to know that someone believes in you? Paul saw the faith of young Timothy, but he also saw a void. And instead of just preaching the Christian faith, Paul lived his faith by seeing a need, and meeting that need. To believe in someone is to have confidence in that person. It is to encourage and equip that person, which is what Lois, Eunice, and Paul did for Timothy. Family generations came together to instill Godly values in Timothy. That’s why Paul could say in verse 3, “I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.” If you look at today’s Scripture, you’ll notice that in verses 3-6 Paul uses a form of the verb to remember 4-times. He uses the words, remember, recalling, reminded, and remind, to teach us that no Christian is an island. A family is not built alone, and all of us as God’s people stand on the foundation of those who came before us. It reminds me of an old 19th-century lamp that was proudly displayed in the living room of young Ben. His father cherished that family heirloom as it represented his families history. That lamp lite both the home and his father's heart. But one day young Ben was roughhousing with a friend. They ran down the hall, flew into the living room, soared over the couch, and crash-landed into his father’s precious lamp. Ben’s faced just sank as he watched his mom pick up the shattered remains. But then a wave of fear came over Ben as he realized that his dad would soon be home. Anxiously waiting in his room, Ben kept wishing if only he’d been more careful than everything would be ok. When Ben’s dad walked into the bedroom, Ben immediately wailed, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it. It was an accident.” Then he shrank down awaiting his punishment. “Ben, I’m not going to punish you,” his dad said softly. “Yes, the lamp is ruined, but it’s just a lamp. Someday, years from now, you may have a son or a grandson, and he may break something important to you. When that happens, I want you to remember this day.” Likewise, Paul told Timothy it’s not just me. It’s not just your mother and grandmother. It goes back further than that, and it’s up to us to continually build upon what we have learned. Even though family can’t always be together, like Paul and Timothy, through tears they embraced past times. For those who’ve temporarily said good-bye to a family member, keep them alive in your heart by passing on the best parts of them to future generations. Be encouraged and encourage others by your action and attitude. Remember, encouragement is upward and outward. It’s upward because we thank God first, and it’s outward because we turn our words into actions. What may seem like small acts of kindness can have far-reaching rewards. In spite of Timothy’s dad being a non-believer, Lois and Eunice instilled Godly values in Timothy. When talking about faith Paul says in verse 5, “I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” The word Lived means “abided or dwelt in.” It’s the kind of faith that stays; it’s permanent. Small things can have eternal rewards. It can change a life; it can make a life; it can save a life. You may not see the fruit of your effort right away, but don’t give up. In the face of any struggle, keep your faith. Timothy was young and timid. He was unsure of himself, although he found himself as the pastor of the large church in Ephesus. But here’s what you need to know about being timid; Being timid usually happens as fear creeps in, and you begin to only see your situation as you focus upon your own limited abilities instead of God Sovereignty and power. In today’s verses, Paul was encouraging young Timothy to trust in God, just as his ancestors did. He is not alone; you are not alone because God is faithful. But even in encouraging Timothy in his sincere faith, Paul knew that encouragement would only last so long. To truly encourage someone is to give them the resources needed to stay encouraged long after your gone. Verse 6 says, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God.” It’s to reignite the fire and keep the flame burning within you so that you can say, “Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD is my strength and my defense” (Isaiah 12:2). We live in a world filled with technology. Things happen now that we never thought we’d see. For instance, I read about how someone’s grandma passed away. While her grandson was cleaning out the home, he found his grandma’s tablet. Curious, he turned it on and started searching through it. He found Facebook and thought he’d see what his grandma used to post. Now for all of us who know, when you're on Facebook, all your friends know when you're logged on. Well, he wasn’t logged on but a couple of minutes before he, rather his grandmother, received a message from his sister which read, “Uhh…grandma? Hello?” Quickly he closed Facebook and called his sister to let her know that their grandma was not using Facebook from heaven. Psalm 145:4 says, “One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.” While we can’t leave Facebook messages from heaven, we can leave a Godly legacy that “one generation shall commend to another.” Verse 7 says, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” Power is courage, love is compassion, and self-discipline is self-control. I can’t think of any 3 better qualities to pass on in my family. And that includes all of you sitting in here. The question is; If you find yourself standing on the edge of eternity looking back over your life, would you see your faith living on in others, especially your family? If you haven’t already, give your life to Christ. Make Him the Head of your family, of your life. Because belonging to Christ means your forever family. Amen.