Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

<<READ>>

Advent / Christmas series - “Your King Has Come”

The Christmas Story in a nutshell

Champion / hero / king

Children, I’m going to pay special attention to you this morning, because you’re here, you’re doing great, it’s Christmas time.

Kids, do you know what joy is?

Joy is like happiness, but better.

Happiness is like Joy’s little sister.

Happiness is like when you take a bite of a just-baked, warm, chocolate chip cookie.

But joy is like discovering that you can make a chocolate chip cookie and make somebody else feel happy.

Joy is like Happiness’s big sister.

Joy is what happens when Jesus takes happiness and shines His blessing on it.

And at the heart of the Christmas story is life-changing, world-changing, history-making joy.

We would sit under the tree and open these wonderful presents.

One year I got a G.I. Joe jet plane.

And I was so excited about that jet plane that I spent the rest of the day flying it around the house and making up songs about it.

But my happiness was nothing compared to my dad’s joy.

And do you know what?

I understand it now.

He was full of joy because he made us happy.

In the Bible, God’s special book, Jesus says “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

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Joy is like Happiness’s big sister.

Joy is what happens when Jesus takes happiness and shines His blessing on it.

And at the heart of the Christmas story is life-changing, world-changing, history-making joy.

Christmas starts with God.

God made you and me to shine with His goodness and glory everywhere we go.

He made you as a treasure to show the world what a treasure He is.

That’s what it means to glorify Him.

To show and tell what a treasure He is.

And God made you and me to shine with His goodness and glory everywhere we go.

He made you as a treasure to show the world what a treasure He is.

That’s what it means to glorify Him.

To show and tell what a treasure He is.

But the people God made didn’t obey God or trust His words, and because they disobeyed, death came into the world.

Sin is disobeying God.

And sin and death have been in the world ever since.

And the Bible tells us that because we all sin and serve ourselves instead of shining with God’s goodness and glory, everybody in the whole world needs to be saved, to be rescued from our sins.

Because if we aren’t rescued, then God will have to punish us for our sins forever in hell.

But God loves us, and He had a plan to rescue people from their sins.

And God had a plan to rescue people from their sins, even before He made you and me or anything else.

It’s a plan full of joy because God gave the greatest gift we could ever receive.

And children and grown ups just like you and me, and even angels, have been writing songs about it ever since God gave us this amazing gift.

The Christmas story is the turning point in God’s great rescue plan.

On Christmas, God the Father sent His Son to be born like you and me.

The way John chapter 1:14 says it, “The Word [that’s God the Son - God’s Son] became flesh and dwelled among us.”

Now kids, I’m going to take a moment to talk to the teens and grown ups, ok?

As you turn to , you might be wondering how this text is going to tie into Christmas.

Advent series - have been looking at God’s promises in the Old Testament fulfilled in Christ.

Today, look at a couple of Christ’s promises fulfilled in us as we answer the question:

Q: How does Jesus strengthen us in the midst of hardship?

Organization:

I. Entrust yourself to Jesus (2:1-7)

<<READ vv1-7>>

B. Three examples showing faithful endurance (Soldier, athlete, farmer)

Soldier

C. The reward for endurance: Christ’s pleasure, a crown, the crops

<<READ vv1-7>>

The heart of verses 1-7 is Paul’s concern that Timothy would be able to do what God called him and sent him to do.

So Paul sets out to encourage Timothy to keep going in faithfulness to Jesus.

So he starts out <<v1>>, “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”

Everything that Timothy needs to keep going in faithfulness is from God and is a gift to Timothy.

The grace that strengthens him is in Christ Jesus.

His identity and calling comes from Jesus as “the one who enlisted him”.

His growth in understanding comes from Jesus according to v7.

Timothy’s success in Jesus’s mission for him is dependent on Timothy’s dependence on Jesus.

Everything that Timothy needs to keep going in faithfulness is from God and is a gift to Timothy.

The grace that strengthens him is in Christ Jesus.

His identity and calling comes from Jesus.

His growth in understanding comes from Jesus.

Timothy’s success is not wrapped up in Timothy’s talent or self-effort.

Paul is absolutely convinced that Timothy’s success in Jesus’s mission for him is dependent on Timothy’s dependence on Jesus.

And here’s what Paul wants Timothy to do, in verses 2-7.

Verse 2 says that Timothy’s job is to entrust the Good News about Jesus to faithful men who can teach others.

Throughout 1-2 Timothy, Paul tells Timothy to teach, preach, pass on, and guard the true and trustworthy message about Jesus Christ.

Kids, let me ask you this: If someone wants to get really strong, what should they do?

<<WAIT>> Exercise!

So think about this with me - imagine a very weak person who starts exercising every day.

And after two years, they have become very strong.

Do you know someone who’s really strong?

Paul wants Timothy to become spiritually strong - so that he can do what God called him to do.

Did you know that God wants you to be spiritually strong, too?

Only Christians can become truly spiritually strong, because the grace that is in Christ Jesus - the gift of God’s love and blessing - the thing that strengthens us - that is a gift that God gives to everyone who turns away from sin and asks Jesus to be their savior.

So if we want to be spiritually strong the way God wants us to be, the very first thing we should do is to become Christians by putting our trust in Jesus Christ as our savior.

And here’s what Paul wants Timothy to do, in verses 2-7.

Verse 2 says that Timothy’s job is to entrust the Good News about Jesus to faithful men who can teach others.

Throughout 1-2 Timothy, Paul tells Timothy to teach, preach, pass on, and guard the true and trustworthy message about Jesus Christ.

In , he calls it “the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.”

In the next verse, he calls it “the good deposit entrusted to you,” and he says Timothy must guard it by the Holy Spirit.

In verses 3-6, Paul gives Timothy another exhortation: Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

In verses 3-6, Paul gives Timothy another exhortation: Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

Jesus did not call Timothy to do something easy.

In fact, Jesus says to every one of us,

To walk with Christ Jesus is not a leisurely sight-seeing stroll.

Paul says it’s more like a military expedition, an Olympic competition.

It’s more like a day on the farm than a day at the park.

To walk with Christ Jesus is not a leisurely sight-seeing stroll.

Paul says it’s more like a military expedition, an Olympic competition.

It’s more like a day on the farm than a day at the park.

Remaining faithful to Jesus over time requires God’s grace to strengthen us.