Certainty in the midst of Uncertainty

PREFACE

2 Timothy 1:1–7 ESV

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Good morning Stone Hill , my name is Jonathan Singh and I have the privilege of bringing God’s Word to you today. If you have your bibles would you please turn with me to 2 Timothy 1:7.

As many of you’ll may know this is our verse for the year . It reads

This verse is such an appropriate verse, especially when you consider the year we’ve had thus far. 2020 has not been an easy year for any of us , all of us have our own struggles in life as it is , then add to that the Pandemic , the injustices we see around us , the racial tensions , the lose of job opportunities, it is fair to say that we have had far too much. Perhaps some of you are crying out to the Lord. How much more can we take of this Lord? Have mercy oh Lord ! And this brings us to the first point of my sermon today :

1. Fear that Encapsulate us

This is the fear that encapsulates us, surrounds us . The uncertainty of things , of not knowing what’s going to happen tomorrow. The fear of people.

This is the kind of fear we read about of Timothy. Mind you Timothy

In the book of Acts we first meet Timothy in chapter 16, during what is known as Paul’s second missionary journey. On the first journey Paul had founded churches in the southern part of what we call Asia Minor or Turkey (as any Bible map will show), at Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe. Revisiting these churches on his second journey (Acts 15:36-41), he apparently met Timothy for the first time.4 We learn from 2 Timothy that his grandmother and mother, Lois and Eunice, had been among Paul’s first converts from the Jewish community in Lystra; Timothy must have responded to the Christian gospel in the time between Paul’s visits. Writing Timothy years later, Paul remains impressed with the women of this family, recognizing in them their sincere and abiding faith (2 Timothy 1:5). In fact he expresses the hope that Timothy’s mature faith is somewhere near to comparing with theirs!  But Paul immediately saw something in his young man of deep value for the propagation of the gospel, since he immediately joined him to his team.

The shift to leadership with Paul was painful for Timothy.

Paul writes to the Corinthians, “I sent you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ Jesus, as I teach them everywhere and in every church” (1 Cor. 4:17). Similarly he sent Timothy to Thessalonica to represent his own concerns, and gather news of the congregation for Paul (1 Thess. 3:1-7). On the other hand, Paul clearly recognized that Timothy had a call upon him in his own right. He urges the Corinthians to give Timothy the respect due to one who is “doing the work of the Lord, just as I am” (1 Cor. 16:10), and affirmed that he was one who also “preached the Son of God” to them (2 Cor. 1:19). It is in this light that we grasp why Paul referred to Timothy not only as “child” and “son,” but as “brother” and “co-worker.” In 1 and 2 Timothy Paul’s confidence in Timothy’s pastoral performance lies ultimately not on his willingness to take orders from Paul, but in the way Timothy has learned to rely on his own faith and calling (1 Tim. 1:4, 19; 6:11-15; 2 Tim. 1:6-7; 13-14). These passages testify to Paul’s anxiety for his friend, and he is not hesitant to press upon Timothy the remembrance of the experiences and the teachings that continue to tie the two together.

-Timothy Fear despite being with the greatest missionary that ever existed

-But it is not because of what Paul did but what the Spirit does in each of us who are born again

2. Spirit that Empowers us

- With the Spirit we can burst out

Ephesus was in the Roman province of Asia. It was here in Ephesus Paul had a home church for about 3 years Acts 20:31

During these years Paul experienced marvels through God’s work and great suffering from persecution. The hardships were so great , Paul and Timothy despaired even of life yet God delivered them 2 Cor 1:8-9. At Paul’s final imprisonment in Rome almost all of his coworkers from Asia deserted him 2 Tim 1:15

The city and the church had people of various ethnic groups. Jews, Romans Prisca and Aquila, his fellow tent makers, learned Alexandrian Apollos, Lycaonian Timothy, Macedonian Aristarchus. Paul also had friends and enemies among the Gentiles Demetrius, his travelling companion Gaius, Timothy, Tychicus and Trophimus were from Asia Acts 20:4

Ephesus was well known as a center for the study and practice of magic . Some Christians had previously participated in magic practices. When they willingly and publicly burned their valuable incarnations books , the gospel message grew and became powerful Acts 19:18-20

Paul’s overall purpose is to urge Timothy to promote the sound doctrine of God, Savior, who desires all to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth by countering the false teaching threatening the life of the church at Ephesus.

Unlike Titus and 1 Timothy, in 2 Timothy, Paul is now in prison. Paul is the Lord’s “prisoner” who is “suffering for the gospel” (1:8, 12). Paul mentions his own suffering many times (he suffers hardship for the gospel, “even to the point of being chained like a criminal,” while, in contrast, “the word of God is not chained” [2:9] and he quotes a “saying” that encourages Christians who suffer [2:11]). Paul summarizes his life (3:10–11; 4:7–8) and the inevitability of persecution for a Christian (3:12). He discusses “death,” which has been “abolished” by Christ Jesus (1:10)

Unlike the situation in the other prison epistles (Phil 1:14; Col 4:7–14), all in Asia “have turned away” from or left Paul, including Phygelus and Hermogenes (1:15), Demas (4:10), Crescens, Titus (4:10), and Alexander (4:14). At his first defense, all “deserted” him (4:16). In contrast, Onesiphorus’ household was “not ashamed” of Paul’s “chain.” Instead, when Onesiphorus’ household arrived in Rome from Ephesus, he eagerly searched for Paul and found him (1:16–18). In this context, Paul’s main message to Timothy is not to be ashamed of his imprisonment, but rather to “share in suffering” (2:3; 4:5).

Paul’s overall purpose in 2 Timothy is to encourage Timothy to join in suffering with him for the gospel which he learned, unlike others who have abandoned Paul.

3. Love that must Emanate out of us

Stone Hill…Suni Experience

4. Self Discipline we should Exercise

A couple of months ago , our family got a call from India that a family member of ours is diagnosed with cancer and we were not sure what stage it was in yet