Be Apart of the Movement of God

20/20: Seeing Clearly • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

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Good morning church! I hope you have had a good weekend so far. Today, we wrap up our 3 week series which we have called 20/20: Seeing Clearly. From the get go of this year, I want us all to see clearly who we are and what we are about here at East. How can you get plugged in here?

Since Jan 5, I have been reminding you of what this church has been about since it first started and what we plan to be about going forward. Our associate Pastor Greg and I were having a conversation this week about church stuff. And Greg said something that is so totally true...

1. Be at the gathering

Too many churches do a whole lot of GOOD things instead of doing a few GREAT things. You see, what we do is simple here at East. And that’s not because we have cramped space or because we are only 6 years old as a church. The simplicity of what we do has been intentional since our inception and I want to see that vision continue into the future. I don’t want to be known as a good church that does a lot of good things. We need to be known as a great church that does a few things with excellence and intentionality, AMEN?

We talked about on week 1 that our weekly worship service is ridiculously important for us as a family to gather together. But it’s more than just being here! We need to have at the core of hearts each Sunday morning “God, Teach us to know you.” And “God, be with us!” If we don’t, we are just a seat warmer. But if we all get to that place, we will see God do some crazy stuff right before us, in us, and through us!

2. Be in a group

This sermon series has walked you through the three things we want to do and expect our members to do. If you want to be a part of East, want to get plugged in here, this is what we lay before you...

Our groups are pivotal to spiritual growth! When you come to a group, you are setting yourself up to Grow up through knowledge and understanding of God’s Word, grow in by being with people who are loving one another and meeting one another’s needs, and grow out by inviting people along to our group and reaching out to those who are far from God!

1. Be at the Gathering.

We know that God has called us to come together for worship but that worship must be driven by two GREAT desires… God, teach us to know you. God, be with us. We want the Word of God and the Presence of God to be our deepest desires as we gather. We looked at that week.

Let me brag on you here for a moment church! We kicked groups off last Sunday and our groups coordinators have told me that 18 adults attended groups for the first time! Isn’t that good!? Let’s praise the Lord for that, AMEN? You guys were willing to take the challenge from last week, and I can’t wait to see how God grows each of us through this session of groups! It’s gonna be so good!

2. Be in a group.

Last week I showed you the importance of our groups. Every group leader leads their group a little different, but the main purpose of our groups are the same: GROWTH in three areas. GROW UP, GROW IN, and GROW OUT. We studied through a portion of .

And just to brag on you guys and God… This week, as best we can tell, we had 18 adults who took a huge step to be in groups for the first time! Isn’t that awesome? Let’s give God praise for that! Groups are important to what we do. That being said… There is always room for you! You can grab your phone right now and sign up at lindsaylaneeast.org/groups.

3. Be apart of the movement of God.

And today, we dive into point 3

And this week, we look at the third part of this...

3. Be a part of the movement of God

Turn in your Bibles to .

This piece of the process is where way too many people never reach. They come to the gatherings for a while and maybe they even start coming to a group, but they don’t take that all important next step. If that’s you today, I’m going to show you how you CAN take it and why it’s important. I also want to show those of you who have taken that step ways that you can go deeper!

The Bible outlines plenty of ways that we can partner with God. But through my time in ministry, I’ve seen three major ways that I want us to talk about as a church.

I’m going to read a portion of this, I’ll pray, and we will come back and look at this together.

2 Timothy 1:1–2:2 CSB

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, for the sake of the promise of life in Christ Jesus: To Timothy, my dearly loved son. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience as my ancestors did, when I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day. Remembering your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. I recall your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and now, I am convinced, is in you also. Therefore, I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment. So don’t be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, or of me his prisoner. Instead, share in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God. He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. This has now been made evident through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who has abolished death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. For this gospel I was appointed a herald, apostle, and teacher, and that is why I suffer these things. But I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day. Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit through the Holy Spirit who lives in us. You know that all those in the province of Asia have deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he diligently searched for me and found me. May the Lord grant that he obtain mercy from him on that day. You know very well how much he ministered at Ephesus. You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

2 Timothy 1:

PRAY

Paul is the writer of this letter. It is the second letter that he wrote to a guy named Timothy. Timothy was much younger than Paul and had been taken in by Paul as a protege at some point on one of Paul’s missionary journeys. Timothy got to travel with Paul and Silas and see how God was using them to spread the Gospel and establish churches throughout the known world. Can you imagine what that was like for this young Timothy?

When Paul came to a city, he would begin to tell others about who Jesus was and how he had changed his life. As Paul saw conversions, he would work to see those Christians begin meeting together regularly and caring for one another. He would often also help them establish elders in their church before he moved to the next city.

Then Paul would write letters to check in on those churches from time to time. He often sent someone he trusted with the letter to stay for a while and encourage the church and maybe help them deal with issues.

One particular churchplant that we can read much about is the church meeting in Ephesus. At one point in Paul’s ministry, he had gotten concerned with the church and sent Timothy there to serve in leadership as an elder. The two letters that we call 1st and 2nd Timothy are written to Timothy while he is in Ephesus. That’s why we know so much about this body of believers!

2nd Timothy is written as a challenge for Timothy in leadership. The hope was that he would be sharpened and lead even better than he was!

Since this letter is written to a pastor of a church, some people try to deny its ability to speak to everyone in the church. But, like last week, the principles that Paul shares with Timothy are ones that have application for us all!

I believe in this first chapter of 2 Timothy, we see three great ways that we can be a part of the movement of God.

Use your gifts

In other places, Paul gives a more full explanation of what spiritual gifts are, but here that isn’t his concern. Timothy was clearly familiar with the term and didn’t need the 101. But just in case you do...

When we are saved, God gives us his very presence. The Holy Spirit of God comes and lives within us to unite us with Christ. With the gift of the HS come spiritual gifts. These are unique giftings to be used for the furtherance of the Gospel and the Glory of God. We will probably be covering this sometime in February.

As I said, Paul doesn’t describe gifts here to Timothy, instead he challenges him to keep the gift fiery! There is no such language anywhere else about gifts. But Paul seems to be saying that in some sense, our gifts can become dim.

There are many different ways that God can gift each of us. Paul compares a church full of uniquely gifted people to the human body: lots of very different parts, but each very important to the body. What happens when one part of the body

Campfire dwindling

That’s Paul’s image here! A present tense, ongoing rekindling of the spiritual gifts Timothy had been given. It could not be allowed to fade, but needed to be fanned up and pumped up.

Any camping I had done had been in a tent in a sleeping bag. You lay on the ground and the sleeping bag on top of you keeps you warm. In hammocking, however, there is another issue to contend with… Anyone know?

There is not only air above, but air below! It’s why bridges can freeze long before roadways. When you lay in a hammock, that thick sleeping bag keeps the cold air above you out. But did you know that when a sleeping bag is compressed, it doesn’t do its job so well? I do!

On that camping trip, we did the safe thing and didn’t build the fire up before bed but instead let it kind of smolder. We didn’t want it to go out completely, because it helps keep animals away and its easier to get a fire going in the morning for breakfast if it’s still burning.

About an hour into the night, I moved my hammock even closer to the fire. But the fire was still too small. So, I added a log. That made a big difference. I’m hanging there almost right beside the fire. But then that didn’t seem like enough. I was shivering and unable to sleep. I added another log and climbed back in. This went on for a bit. I probably added 3-4 logs to the fire.

Does a nice thick log catch fire quickly or does it take it a while to catch a full flame around it? It takes a while, right? Well let’s just say that about 2 oclock, the flames were coming up even with my hammock. It was a little risky, but I could finally feel the warmth!

The next morning, one of the dads who went with us was getting on me about burning up too much firewood over night. I didn’t care, I got some sleep!

What I did first that night was stoking or rekindling the fire because we had let it burn down low. And what i did all night until 2 oclock was continuing to rekindle the fire. That’s Paul’s image here! A present tense, ongoing rekindling of the spiritual gifts Timothy had been given. It could not be allowed to fade, but needed to be fanned up and pumped up.

Well, how do you do that? By discovering, sharpening and using the gifts! God has gifted each of us in this body for a particular role to play. What I like to say is “I am not gifted to do everything, but I am gifted to do something. And I want to find out what that is and get to work!” AMEN?

If you have trusted in the finished work of Jesus on the cross and been saved by Jesus’ blood, you have been gifted by God to serve for the glory of God. You may need to discover what those are, but they are there. And then you need to sharpen them. But all along the way, you need to be using them.

We have a bunch of ways that you can serve here at East! We want to help you find where your gifts intersect your passions and then plug you in there! If you can find the place like that, it doesn’t feel burdensome at all! You are effective because of the gifting and enjoying it because of your passion!

You may be a gifted teacher, but hate being around little kids. You see? Gifts and passions.

It’s part of our job as pastors and staff to help you find where you are most gifted and passionate to serve.

I discovered my gifting years ago, and I wanted to use that gift as often as I could. I was passionate about impacting teenagers for Christ. So, I began teaching teenagers in my youth group. That led to an opportunity to be a youth pastor of a church in West Limestone. I got to teach multiple times per week. But then I noticed that I discovered new passions. I became passionate about adult discipleship and moving people through a process of learning. I began using my gifts towards that end by designing courses and teaching them in my church. This led to an opportunity to go to a different church and focus my attention on that. While at both of these churches, I got a lot of opportunities to preach and teach the whole church during the weekend service. This seemed to stir in me a new passion for the weekly preaching of God’s Word as a pastor. Then God opened that door for me too as I came here to be campus pastor.

You see, through the whole journey it was the same gift that was being sharpened over and over. But it was my passion changes that led to different uses in the church.

Here at East, we want every person to serve where their gifts intersect their passion! It’s part of our job as pastors and staff to help you find where you are most gifted and passionate to serve.

If you are not currently serving, you need to first discover your gifting. You can take some online assessments and stuff, but I have found that the best way to find your gift is to study those passages and begin serving. There will be parts of your service that you feel like you are walking on air. That’s when you are using your gift!

If you are serving already, FAN it up! Don’t let the gift grow dull. Keep rekindling and rekindling!

If you would like help finding a place of service, you can fill out a card this morning and write on the back, that you would like to begin serving. We will follow up with you and figure that out together.

3. Be a part of the movement of God

Use Your gifts!

This one is going to be a fun one! We are going to look at and 2 and see three key themes that fit this part of our process here! We won’t be studying this section word for word, because ain’t nobody got time for that.

The second way we partner in the movement of God is...

Share Your Story

Paul presents a word in verse that we are all too familiar with in the church today: “testimony.” He tells Timothy, “Don’t be ashamed of the testimony about Jesus.” The Greek word that Paul is using is also translated as “witness.” I think for our terminology, that paints a more accurate picture of what Paul is saying.

Paul was saying, “You have witnessed Jesus Christ in your life. Don’t be ashamed of it.”

That’s why I think witness helps us here. When we think of testimony, we think of the story of our lives. A testimony will obviously include salvation, but it is mostly about what we have done. That is not the idea here!

A true witness or testimony ABOUT Christ is one that centers on who he is not who we are! Yes, we need to talk about our mistakes and shortcomings but only in the light of Christ’s redemption. Yes, we need to talk about the trials and difficulties, but only in the light of Christ’s protection. Yes, we should talk about our fears and uncertainty, but only in light of Christ’s fulfillment.

You see, it is less a testimony of our lives and more a witness of Christ’s work!

Does that make sense?

Because we are covering so many verses I am just going to read the introduction to this letter, pray, and then start diving in, OK?

2 Timothy 1:1–2 CSB

Paul shares his testimony in a couple places in the book of Acts (chapters 22 and 26). In both of them, every piece of it is flipped into the Gospel of Jesus.

1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by God’s will, for the sake of the promise of life in Christ Jesus:

PRAY

EXAMPLE

2To Timothy, my dearly loved son.

Paul looked for opportunities to share how Christ had changed his life. Which stories he told depended on the crowd.

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

In the same way, the full evidence that you have witnessed of Christ work in your life should be longer than you can do over coffee or a conversation. But in that conversation, look for points of interest and pull those stories out to share. Think of your testimony as a catalogued folder of stories. You can scan the heading on each label and grab only what you need. That’s what Paul did.

-->PRAY

EXAMPLES.....

As you read along with me, this letter was written by… (Paul) and written to…(Timothy) Timothy was a young guy whom Paul had taken in as a disciple. Timothy got to travel throughout the known world alongside Paul and Silas. What a wild ride that must have been!

A great way that you can be a part of the movement of God is to Share your story.

This team of missionaries would move into a city, declare the Gospel to all who would hear and, before the moved to the next town, would see a church meeting and caring for one another! ONe such place was Ephesus. After Paul moved on from a city, he would often send letters to the churches he had helped start to commend them of the good or to call on the carpet the bad. Other times he would stop in himself as he made another round through the area. On one of these missionary journeys, he left Timothy in Ephesus. Paul clearly had a purpose in that (one of which involved sorting out some doctrinal issues there: ). Timothy seems to be sent to serve as a pastor there. There are some clues to that in the Bible though not fully spelled out. But church history affirms that he served as the first overseer in this body of believers. And we know that these two letters from Paul were written to him while he was still in Ephesus.

Make Disciples

Paul lays out for Timothy a whole lot of things that would be good for us to look at one day, but for today, I want to simply scan chapters one and two for three key statements that Paul tells Timothy that explain to us how we too can be apart of the movement of God.

Paul had obviously considered Timothy a disciple. Paul has mentioned over and over again that he has taught, invested in, and loved Timothy. He even referred to him as a son in the faith. But Paul didn’t want the discipleship to end with Timothy. He wanted Timothy to continue the process!

The first one is found in verse 6…

Look at it...

2 Timothy 2:1–2 CSB

You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

Paul lays out four generations of disciple-making here! How cool is that?

He says, I have taught you a lot of things. Entrust that same teaching to a group of faithful men. Paul wanted his teaching of Christ and the church to continue through Timothy to a new generation of young men.

But that’s not all Paul said, right?

He clarified the type of faithful men who he wanted Timothy to teach. Don’t just teach a group of guys who are going to learn from you and then sit on that info. Find a group of guys who are willing to teach others also! Paul wasn’t just praying for grandkids in the faith here. He was ensuring GREAT grandkids! How cool is that?

That’s exactly what Paul and all the early Apostles did. You know how we know that? Because we have their written works in the Bible! If Paul and Peter had poured into guys and never challenged them to share with others who could share with others, their works would have never survived! But because they began disciple cycles, we can now hold these incredibly important texts right here in our hand! AMEN?

This would be a cool evidence of true disciple-making here and we could

1. Use Your Gifts

What does this look like in the church today?

2 Timothy 1:5–6 CSB

I recall your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and now, I am convinced, is in you also. Therefore, I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands.

2 Timothy 1:

5I recall your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and now, I am convinced, is in you also. 6Therefore, I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands.

I don’t like to define discipleship as some very specific task. Some people will say that meeting weekly with a group of 3-5 same gender people for Bible Study and accountability is discipleship. Others will say it needs to be one on one. I believe both of those can be discipleship. But it can look even different from those.

Paul knew Timothy’s family and knew that he had been invested in spiritually. But notice, as a side note, the faith of his mother and grandmother would not save him. Paul says that SAME SINCERE FAITH is now IN YOU!

I define discipleship simply as this...

Then comes that all important word, THEREFORE! Any time you see words like therefore, because, so that, and others, you need to take notice. And all my English nerds said, “AMEN!” These words are conjunctions or, what I call, connecting words. They connect blocks of text together.

INTENTIONALLY HELPING ANOTHER PERSON TAKE STEPS TOWARDS JESUS.

Here Paul is saying, “Because I have witnessed your sincere faith (I know you are a believer, I know you are saved, I know God’s Spirit lives in you) THEREFORE rekindle the gift of God that is in you! Paul knew that God had done a work in Timothy’s life. He recognized the faith he had and Paul knew that with that faith is given the very presence of God in the Holy Spirit. When we surrender to Christ, God gives us his Spirit and with the Holy Spirit he also imparts spiritual gifts. These are unique giftings that God gives for the building up of the church and the furtherance of the Gospel. They are distributed to all who believe.

That first word is key!

Paul doesn’t speak of exactly what Timothy’s gift was, but it is clear that he had seen its evidence. He uses similar vague language in . He calls it simply “the gift.” But it is clear that between them, they knew how God had uniquely gifted Timothy to serve God in the church and in the world.

I’ve talked with people who believed because they were a Sunday School teacher or group leader, they were a disciple-maker. Not necessarily. You can teach the Bible all day every day to a group of people, but that doesn’t mean that you are helping them take NEXT STEPS towards Jesus!

But Paul gives Timothy a challenge here… “Rekindle your gift.” That can sound as if Timothy has totally quit using his gift and is living in disobedience, but that is not the case. The Greek term Paul uses is in the present tense and has an “ongoing, continuous” vibe to it. As if the gifts that God gives to us aren’t just wide open all the time, but must be cared for, sharpened, and “rekindled.” This fire based image is a perfect teaching point for how I feel my spiritual gifts have been rekindled over the years.

So, if you would say, Heath, you are right! I want to make disciples. What do I do?

Think campfire… How do you start a fire? Well, you need a source, right? It may be a fire starter or two sticks you are trying to boy scout into a fire. But guess what, we have a source! God gives us a match! It’s the Holy Spirit! You can’t just hold that match under a log. You start with small kindling. Really thin dry strips. For me those are the times in which I was testing the waters, speaking up in class and maybe teaching for 10-15 minutes somewhere. I doesn’t seem like much, but it’s important to figure out how you’re gifted.

Step Number 1 - Who will you disciple?

The fire still may not burn hot enough for you to throw a whole log on yet, so you use branches and twigs. For me, this is a second level where you begin to take on consistent ministry. Maybe you are serving every week or on a rotation. You are learning more and more about how God has wired you to impact the Kingdom!

Step Number 2 - Where are they in their walk with God?

Then you can introduce the logs and really thick branches. This is where you get the consistent, steady burn. This is where you totally embrace your gift and have been sharpening it and asking God to grow you in it! When your gift is burning like this, people can see it in you. Often times you may find yourself in a leadership role because of that even when you don’t feel qualified. It’s not that you are something, it’s that God has done something special in you!

Step Number 3 - Help them take steps through prayer, conversation, and modeling.

Listen, if you don’t know how God has gifted you to serve him, we want to help with that! There are some online assessments and stuff that can be helpful, but the best way I have found is to study the passages that speak of spiritual gifts and start serving. It may take you a while to find the right spot, but we are patient and you should be too! God has a place for you!

That may seem oversimplified, but i believe it really is that simple!

Here at East, we want to see every person who calls this church home serving in some way here! We want you to serve where your gifts intersect your passions! Begin praying now for God to reveal those things to you and if you want to have a conversation about it, fill out the card in the seat in front of you and write in the prayer request section Gift Convo. Someone will call you and set up a time to discuss that with you!

If you would like to have more info on disciple-making, let us know. We can sit down with you and pray for you and try our best to answer any questions you have. Use the card

The only way that you can “rekindle” the gift is to use it. If you know how God has gifted you, feed the flame! Serve! Put yourself in a place to use your gifts!

We know that God is at work in the world, AMEN? He always is. And there are certain ways that he has promised that we can partner with him in his work. The three most simple ones have been laid before you today...

2. Share your story

Use Your Gifts

After Paul discusses the gift he says,

Share Your Story

2 Timothy 1:8–12 CSB

So don’t be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, or of me his prisoner. Instead, share in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God. He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. This has now been made evident through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who has abolished death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. For this gospel I was appointed a herald, apostle, and teacher, and that is why I suffer these things. But I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day.

8So don’t be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, or of me his prisoner. Instead, share in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God. 9He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. 10This has now been made evident through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who has abolished death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11For this gospel I was appointed a herald, apostle, and teacher, 12and that is why I suffer these things. But I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day.

Man, that’s so good! There’re about four sermons there, but I’m pulling one point for one sermon!

Make Disciples

Man, that’s so good! There’re about four sermons there, but I’m pulling one point for one sermon!

Which of these do you need to do? What is your next step? How can you be obedient to the Word that has been preached this morning?

Paul is reminding Timothy that God is sovereignly weaving together a story in every believer’s life. During this period of time, there was great persecution against the church, so, inevitably, that story involves difficult times, hardships, and pain. But even in the midst of all that Paul had endured, (he’s writing this from a prison) he says I AM NOT ASHAMED! If you read Paul’s letters, you will see that he liked to share his story with other people. In fact, Paul gives his testimony in two places in the book of Acts (22 and 26) before large crowds!

Make that decision here and get after it! and remember that we are here to help!

Paul had modeled this well, but he wanted to challenge Timothy to share the story of God’s faithfulness with others as he ministered in Ephesus. Paul uses a term that gets translated “testimony” in verse 8, but I don’t know about y’all, but that word has been ruined for me. When I think about the word testimony, I automatically go to someone standing on stage at a youth conference talking about all the crazy, illegal things they did, wound up in prison, alone, abandoned, thought about killing themselves but tripped one day and landed on a Gideon Bible.

If you are looking for a church home that is working to be a part of the movement of God here in Harvest and around the world, you can also come talk to us about joining our family here! East is a great place to worship God and impact others.

I heard tons of those growing up, and they are awesome! But that’s not my story! If the word testimony makes you think of these intense types of things as well, take heart! The Greek word Paul uses can also be translated as “witness.” Testimony here is the same thing as a witness. Someone called in to give their account of the actions of another, right?

Also, you may not be thinking about next steps, you may need to take your first step. If you are not a Christian, a follower of Jesus, if you’ve never called on the name of Jesus to be saved, we would love to talk with you about the love God has for you through Jesus’ blood and how you can be changed and made new by having your sin removed! I will be down here along with a couple other folks who want to help you.

That’s what a testimony is! It’s your witness statement!

You come to the altar for prayer or to make any decision you need to after I close in prayer.

Another issues is that these stories are often to self focused. Notice that Paul says the Testimony about WHO? The Lord! Your witness statement is about God’s actions in your life, not your own actions for God.

PRAY

Paul is challenging Timothy to not be ashamed of the witness about Christ! To put in Heath terms… Share your story! We all have stories of how God has moved in our lives to bring us to salvation, to protect us from difficulty, to give clarity to our lives or ministry, to grow us by leaps and bounds at times and others in really small ways, the list could go on and on and on, right?

Let me ask you, “Are you sharing this story?” If not, start. We cannot be ashamed of what Christ has done in us!

1. Use Your Gifts

2. Share Your Story

3. Make Disciples

Don’t get squirrelly on me here. This one will take a little unpacking.

Paul clearly had invested in Timothy. Look at verses 13-14.

2 Timothy 1:13–14 CSB

Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit through the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

13Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14Guard the good deposit through the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

Paul had taught Timothy a ton, but Paul didn’t intend on that to end with him! Look ahead at verse 2 of chapter 2.

2What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

2 Timothy 2:2 CSB

What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

Though Paul had taught him a lot, the process wasn’t over until it had replicated.

Kelly and I dated all the way through high school and college before we got married. As the years were ticking by, people will wear you out! When y’all gonna get married? Some of y’all been there! Then, the moment you get married, the question changes doesn’t it? When y’all gonna have kids? And you think, surely that’s it. If you can pull off the kid thing which is a miracle of God’s power in itself, surely there will be no more questions! WRONG! For us, even before Elsie Jo was born, people would ask, “Are y’all gonna have more kids?” Your parents are some of the biggest pushers of this, because they want some grandbabies! They will drive you nuts!

That’s what Paul does here! Paul wants some grandbabies!

Paul refers to Timothy in numerous places as his spiritual “son.” This is Paul calling Timothy out to say, “Get out there and make some children for yourself! Don’t let my teaching die with you!” Paul even goes a step farther here! He is actually asking to be a GREAT granddad! Notice the four generations…

Paul, who taught Timothy is telling him to “commit” these truths to faithful men who will turn around and teach others! Paul was all about spiritual procreation, AMEN!?

And we must be about this here at EAST! We want to see disciples made here who will go and make disciples!

So, hopefully your heart is stirred by this and you may be asking, well, how do I do that? I’m glad you asked…

Some of you may not like this definition of discipleship, but I have adopted this for my own ministry and would like to use it here as well. As so many organizations and leaders are trying to push their own particular program for discipleship, I think it needs to be more simple. Discipleship to me is this…

“Intentionally helping another person take steps towards Christ.”

Sanctification (which is a bible word for spiritual maturity) is taking steps towards Christ. So discipleship is helping someone else get in the right place so that God can grow them!

This is something that we will be talking about more and more in the coming days as a staff and in our leadership meetings. We will continue to flesh it out into more details, but for now, I will give you a couple questions to ask if you are interested in discipling…

- Who will I invest in?

- Where are they in their journey?

- What steps can I help them take towards Christ?

Again, we will talk more about this in the future, I promise!

2 Timothy chapter 1 kicks off in a great way by clarifying three ways that Timothy could be a part of the movement of God. Those three ways are directly applicable for us in the 21st century, North Alabama area as well!

1. Use Your Gifts

2. Share Your Story

3. Make Disciples

So, let me ask you… What part are you playing in the movement of God? Are you doing any or all of these things? If not, let me challenge to commit to take ONE STEP today. If you aren’t serving in the church with passion, discover your gift and start using it.

If you are keeping the story of God’s faithfulness in your life to yourself… Stop! Share Your Story!

And if you are not investing in the lives of other people on a regular basis with intentionality, you can start making disciples today! Go through those three questions I gave you earlier.

We must be willing to take these sometimes difficult next steps towards Christ, because this is what we have been saved to do! This altar will be open for you to pray and make that commitment to God today.

But for some of you, today, you may need to take a FIRST STEP towards Christ. If you have never trusted fully in who Jesus is and surrendered your life to him, you can today. Jesus Christ lived the perfect life you and I were supposed to live and then died the death that we were supposed to die all because he loves you! I will be down front here during this last song and would love to talk with you and help you make this decision. It will change your life!

And, over the last few weeks, you have heard what we are about here at East and what we expect members to be a part of. If you would like to come and join this family of believers, I would love to talk with you about that as well!