Living the Gospel

What is the best way to learn anything? To see it modeled, right? There are 4 key steps to teaching and learning when modeling behavior:

1. I do. You watch. We talk.

2. I do. You help. We talk.

3. You do. I help. We talk.

4. You do. I watch. We talk.

There is a 5th step that often goes undone. Once someone has learned the behavior, they become the teacher:

5. You do. Someone else watches. And so they cycle continues. The same thing is true in Discipleship.

What we’ve been talking about the last couple of weeks is how we can, as believers and followers of Jesus, leave a Gospel legacy in our families and church. For that to happen, Disciples must RECEIVE the Gospel and EMBRACE it. When you have received and embraced the Gospel, it changes things about you- who you are, how you live, what you do, etc… What flows out of that life change is modeling behavior. You become a living, breathing example of the Gospel to someone else. The text we’ll see tonight shows us what that example looks like-

(NKJV)

| Living the Gospel

Be Loyal to the Faith

13 Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 14 That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

15 This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. 16 The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; 17 but when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me. 18 The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that Day—and you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus.

Let’s talk about three ways disciples model the Gospel, becoming living, breathing, walking, talking examples of the Gospel to others.

Disciples hold on to the FAITH, vs. 13-14

Let’s talk about three ways disciples model the Gospel, becoming living, breathing, walking, talking examples of the Gospel to others.

(described in two ways here)

They hold on to the pattern of sound teaching

Pattern- prototype, example; sense of a someone or something to be imitated; E.g. this is who we are, what we do, when we want someone to learn. It’s one thing to tell them, it’s completely different to show them. ILL: You’ve heard this before, I’m sure- Do as I say, not as I do. How well does that work? Not well at all, right? Because we are wired to do what we see, not what we hear.

Words = the message, the teaching Timothy has received from Paul (etc...). What is more important that what Paul has told Timothy is that Paul has showed Timothy what he told him. It’s show & tell.

They guard the good deposit of the Gospel; NKJV- the good thing committed to you, KEEP

Keep (guard) - to guard closely, to keep watch over; FSB- protect from loss or damage

Good thing/ good deposit- refers to the Gospel message

The general sense you and I have when we guard something is to lock it up, throw away the key, don’t take it out, don’t look at it, don’t put it at risk of loss or damage. But, that’s not true of the good deposit of the Gospel. The best way to keep it is to put it on display. The best way to guard the Gospel is to give it away. Paul urges Timothy to pass this on to others ().

Disciples who live the Gospel model it to others by holding on to the faith, not hoarding it for themselves. They put it on display everyday, living it out, and giving it away to others.

Disciples REFRESH their Friends (they don’t desert them), vs. 15-16

Here is an example of two people who didn’t model the Gospel: Phygelus and Hermogenes; and one who did model the Gospel: Onesiphorus.

Phygelus and Hermogenes (and others in Asia):

Have turned away- to turn back, in the sense of rejection; a change of belief (CSB- deserted)

they didn’t hold on to Paul’s teaching

It’s apparent they didn’t hold on to Paul’s teaching, they turned away from it, rejected, had a change of belief about it.

they didn’t guard the Gospel in the power of the Spirit

They didn’t guard the Gospel in the power of the Spirit.

they abandoned the faith long before they deserted their friends (one will follow the other)

i.e., they abandoned the faith long before they deserted their friends (one will follow the other)

Here in an example of someone who did model the Gospel: Onesiphorus

He REFRESHED Paul- to revive, renew, to give new life or energy to; one dictionary says it means to encourage, another says to cool; i.e., Onesiphorus was a breath of fresh air. A couple of dictionaries say his name means “profit-bearer, profit-bringer.” You can see how he was profitable to Paul as a friend and fellow-worker in the ministry.

A couple of dictionaries say his name means “profit-bearer, profit-bringer”

He was not ashamed of Paul’s imprisonment (see 1:8, last week’s sermon). Disciples are unafraid and unashamed of the Gospel, they fully embrace it and everything that comes with it- that might mean suffering, imprisonment, death, or taking care of a friend in need.

Disciples are unafraid and unashamed of the Gospel, they full embrace it.

The Gospel is fresh air in the lives of believers and they in turn refresh the lives of others. Disciples who live the Gospel refresh their friends, they don’t desert them in times of need.

Disciples FIND people, MERCY, and Ministry (pretty much everywhere they go), vs. 17-18

ILL: The FINDER TV show- Walter Sherman (Geoff Stults) earned a reputation as someone who was very good at tracking people down while serving in the Army Military Police. After getting caught in an IED explosion, the resulting brain damage enhanced that skill and he became a Finder. Walter teams up with his legal adviser (& others) to find people and things that others cannot or will not find...

Walter teams up with his legal adviser, Leo (Michael Clarke Duncan), to find people and things law enforcement either cannot or will not find, occasionally helping out his Walter's girlfriend, a Deputy U.S. Marshal along the way. The two men also watch over Willa, a teen who was raised by gypsies to be a criminal and whose crafty skill set comes in handy on their jobs from time to time

Disciples of Jesus are finders. Something big has happened to us, there has been (if you will) a Gospel explosion that changed our life, and we are not the same. The Gospel changed our heart and mind. We were found, and now we are finders. A disciple that models the Gospel is a FINDER:

they find PEOPLE

they find MERCY

ILL: The Finder TV show; Disciples of Jesus are finders, because they are always looking. They see people, they see opportunities, they see ministry, and because of that they will obtain mercy. vice-versa, they have obtained mercy, so they look for ministry

they find MINISTRY (pretty much wherever they go, because they are looking.)

e.g. Onesiphorus in Rome looking for Paul, Onesiphorus in Ephesus, ministering in Ephesus (Timothy would know because he was there), Onesiphorus on the last Day, finding mercy. Disciples see people, they see opportunities, they see ministry, and because of that they will obtain mercy (and vice-versa, they have obtained mercy, so they look for ministry).

Disciples see people, they see opportunities, they see ministry, and because of that they will obtain mercy (and vice-versa, they have obtained mercy, so they look for ministry).

Disciples of Jesus are finders, because they are always looking. They see people, they see opportunities, they see ministry, and because of that they will obtain mercy. vice-versa, they have obtained mercy, so they look for ministry

Disciples are people who leave a Gospel legacy because they live the Gospel. They do more than tell the Gospel, they show it. Their life is a model of the Gospel: they hold on to the faith, refresh their friends, and find people.

Can people look at us as Disciples of Jesus and see the Gospel lived out? Are we a breath of fresh air in a sin-humid world? Do we actively look for people and ministry opportunities? Are you living the Gospel?

they find PEOPLE

they find MERCY

they find MINISTRY (pretty much wherever they go) e.g. Onesiphorus in Rome looking for Paul, Onesiphorus in Ephesus, ministering in Ephesus (Timothy would know because he was there)