Stirring up the gift of God that is in you.
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Good Morning!!! I feel like we should all break out in a dance. So excited to have everyone back in the house of the Lord this morning. I want to tell you how much we appreciate your patience and understanding through this extended period of time wehre we have not been able to gather together.
I know it has been hard for you and it has truly been hard for me as well. But I also wanna commend what God has done through you. There have been many churches which have struggled during this time because their giving dropped significantly and they have all the modern methods of giving but your faithfulness and generosity unto god has been on display because our church has been very faithful in thier giving and I wanna tell you this.
That is a testimony to your love for God and your obedience to His commands and it blesses my heart to see your faith on display in the area of your giving. So thank you.
2 Timothy 1:3-18
I wanna talk with you this morning on this subject rekindling the gift of God that is in you!
Not too long ago Amy and I were out in the backyard and we were cleaning up a pecan limb that has fallen in our back yard and we have a fire pit and we were carrying the pieces of that limb over and all of the branches and leaves to be thrown into the fire to burn them up. We had the fire rolling as I continued to cut up the rest of the pieces left in the yard, but it was’t too long before Noah hollered daddy the fire is going out you need some lighter fluid.
The fire had been burning for quite some time and there had been alot of brush laid on top of it and I told him no we dont need lighter fluid son, we just need to move the stuff around and let air get to those hot coals that were lying right beneath the surface.
We need to stoke the fire to make it burst into flame once again.
This is the way it happens in the Christian life, we have a divine moment where we feel the presence of the Lord and we begin to follow Him in obedience, we have passion for the Lord we have drive for the Lord but as the circumstances of this life come and fall on top of us it can begin to squelch that fire within us.
We begin to feel like we are in a rut and have lost that passion and drive to do what we were doing when we first began with the Lord.
I wanna talk to you about this, how to stay on fire for the Lord.
I am 35 years old but I was just talking to a good friend who I graduated with and as we thought about the men who graduated with us and out of the vast majority who graduated with us only he and I and a handful are left serving the Lord in ministry. At one time they were on fire for God but for whatever reason not anymore.
It is something that breaks your heart, it is something that makes you feel pain for these brothers and even sisters who had such passion not too many years ago.
How do some people manage to stay on fire for God?
How do others who were once on fire for God no longer on fire for Christ in terms of their passion and desire to know Him and make Him known?
Some of the saddest words you can ever hear in church, is this… you know I used to be faithful at one time I was really active. At one time I really served the church. What will your kids see in you?
How to stay on fire for God?
Therefore, I remind you to keep ablaze the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, 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 the One I have believed in and am persuaded that He is able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day.
(Let’s Pray)
Not everyone who met Jesus FOLLOWED Him. not everyone who heard Jesus preach the gospel surrendered their life to Him and became born again!
Not everyone who heard Jesus followed Him. Adrian Rodgers used to say if I could take Jesus out of my heart and put Him in your heart just for 5 minutes youd neveer wanna let Him go. You know that and I know that but why doesnt the whole world know this?
Jesus would have massive crowds they would come to see Jesus Christ the Son of God they would hear His message He is the Lamb of God born to take away the sin of the world! They would see His miracles they would be moved to an extentbut not moved enough to commit thier lives to Him they would simply walk away.
Therefore, when many of His disciples heard this, they said, “This teaching is hard! Who can accept it?”
From that moment many of His disciples turned back and no longer accompanied Him.
Now the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will depart from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,
I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.
We are a gospel church, you are a gospel flock, I am a gospel preacher. When we say gospel what do we mean?
It simply means this THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT JESUS
Jesus was born, Jesus died in my place, Jesus was resurrected on the third day, and if I repent of my sins and place my faith in Christ alone Jesus will save me!
the gospel is the good news about Jesus!! MY SIN WAS LAID ON HIM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS WAS LAID ON ME!
JESUS IS GOOD NEWS!!
None of us deserve this news, any of us can have this gift, some of us will reject this news, but some of us who get this news the Bible sasy that we are to persevere in this faith all out life.
So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Hold firmly to the message of life. Then I can boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run or labor for nothing.
I try when I read the Bible to have hymns or songs of some kind playing. I try to finish my quiet time with a morning song.
One of my favorite Hymns and Jan and Gene and Dale can all tell you this is one of my favorite hymns:
COME THOU FOUNT
“Oh to grace how great a debtor daily I’m constrained to be
let thy goodness like a fetter bind my wandering heart to thee,
Prone to wander Lord I feel it
Prone to leave the God I love
Heres my heart Lord take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above”
I believe this with all my heart
ONCE TRULY SAVED ALWAYS TRULY SAVED
But for some people this idea of once saved always saved just becomes a excuse for a person to live however they wanna live. Im saved I am saved I aint been to church in 5 eyears, aint read my Bible since the day I got saved I got baptized though and I am good!
WHAT?
Maybe the church in this generation has become numb to the reality of the good news and maybe the church in AMerica has a bunch of lost church members. I am not trying to make light of this nothing burdens my heart more than the thought of that.
If you claim that you are born again but there is never any spiritual fruit that grows then there is no root amen.
You cant meet my Jesus and not be changed. Now this dont mean you wont struggle with sin because you will but heres the key you will struggle with sin.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.
The same Jesus who said Matthew 7
Thou shalt not judge, eeryones favorite verse the Bible says thou shalt not judge
The same JEsus who said that 15 verses later read what he says
You’ll recognize them by their fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes or figs from thistles?
Dont judge! But I’m telling you a Christian can spot a Christian a mile away!
(lady in the gym)
2 Timothy is personal the old experienced minister Paul he is a veteran of the ministry, he has alot of years under his belt. He has traveled many miles and he has started many churches and his focus is on strengthening the young brothers in the Lord.
Timothy is the recipient of this letter, he is young he is wet behind the ears, he is trying to get his legs under himself as the new pastor of this church called the Ephesus church. He is timid, he lacks confidence if you notice everytime Paul addresses Timothy personally He says be strong be confident. There is a reason Paul was telling him that!
He seemed to feel the fear and stress that comes with a life of ministry, the Bible seems to indicate that he was raised by single women his mother Eunice and his Grandmother Lois and yet Gods hand was on timothys life and 2 Timothy 1:2 said Paul loved timothy like a son this is what he says to His son in verse 6
STIR UP THE GIFT OF GOD THAT IS IN YOU TINOTHY
Rekindle the gift of God that is in you timothy God has put something in each of us. We are saved by the blood of Christ and the HS was given to us at the moment of our salvation and He helps me bear the fruit of Christ to help me look like Christ I cant look like Jesus by myself but the HS if He is in me He is insisting that I look like Jesus and not like me!
The HS wants to encourage those around me through the way that I live that they might look like Christ so what is the ministry of the HS?
The Hs is given to us the moment we get saved to help us look like Jesus and help us that we might encourage others.
He produces a gift inside of me that helps me fulfill my destiny inside the Lords kingdom and this is what Paul is saying to Timothy He is saying the Holy Spirit is alive and He is inside of you and He wants to mobilize you YOU FAN THE FLAMES!
Our job is to reorder our life to the mission of God we are to surrender to the HS and yield to Him we are to know Him the best we can through the word and prayer. We are to fully agree and be unified with whatever God wants us to do. Stir it up rekindle what God wants to do. Stoke the fire feed the fire fan the flames with whatever the Lord is doing in your life. ‘
Many of us know God is doing somethign and we run from itbut Paul is saying you fan the flames!
You make it your goal to do everything God has called you to do.
Why is this so important?
Because naturally I am afraid of the unknown but heres what Paul says
For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.
Dont be afraid Timothy God has not given us a spirit of fear!
THE PROBLEM IS MOST OF FEAR MAN TOO MUCH AND NOT GOD ENOUGH BUT WE SHOULD BE FEARING GOD MORE WE SHOULD BE FEARING MISSING GODS PLAN MORE AND WHO CARES WHAT MAN THINKS OF US. BUT WEVE GOT IT BACKWARDS WE CARE ABOUT WHAT EVERYONE THINKS AND WE DONT CARE ENOUGH ABOUT WHAT GOD THINKS
BUT BEING A CHRISTIAN IS WHAT DOES GOD THINK?
(DISCIPLESHIP A PRIORITY)
So he says I am giving you POWER LOVE SOUND JUDGMENT
POWER= GODS STRENGTH NOT MINE
LOVE= GODS LOVE ME UNLOVELY
How can you do those things you didnt think you could do?
Teach that class, love them kids, foster them kids, go on that trip? POWER!!
LOVE you love everyone who looks like you dresses like you and agrees with you.... SO DOES THE WORLD!
But being a Christian is God I love the unlovely
SOUND JUDGEMENT= God gives us wisdom to live in this broken world this fallen world God gives us wisdom
Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, 200 chiefs, and all their kinsmen under their command.
OH GOD GIVE ME WISDOM THAT I MAY UNDERSTAND THE TIMES AND KNOW HOW I AM TO LIVE
POWER LOVE AND SOUND JUDGMENT
Now youd think Paul would have had a number of words to encourage this young Preacher Timothy I mean Paul could have wrote to Him and said Hey timothy your going to do great things. You are going to be the pastor of a big church your gonna have a bunch of friends and favor and financial security and everyone is gonna love you and your preachign and they are gonna wish you would preach and hour instead of 30 minutes, its gonna be fun and its gonna be awesome....
NONE OF THAT NOT EVEN CLOSE
Paul has a premonition that death is knocking on his door. In his farewell address to young Timothy he uses these words to describe what ministry might look like.
SHAME, PRISON, SUFFERING, FRIENDS WHO WILL DESERT YOU
Wow where do I sign up!
No wonder we need to constantly be throwing a log on the fire of our faith. No wonder we must keep rekindling what God is doing in our lives lest we become discouraged how do we do it?
Heres how
DON’T BE ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL!
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,
DONT BE ASHAMED OF THE TESTIMONY OF OUR LORD OR ME HIS PRISONER
dont be ashamed of His message that has landed me in prison
to be ashamed means to be disgraced to be singled out it would be easy for Timothy to get this letter and go your writing this to me and your in prison!
IS IT WORTH IT?
Listen to me I would rather suffer the criticism of this world, I would rather be hurt by friends and sere Jesus where I know He has called me to be and be rewarded for being faithful from my Heavenly Father, than to live my life with a host of friends having never obeyed the Lords commands.
MANY OF YOU YOU ARE ASHAMED OF THE NAME OF JESUS YOU WONT TELL ANYONE ABOUT HIM!
MANY OF YOU ARE WORRIED ABOUT SUBMITTING TO HIM IN YOUR DAILY DEEDS AND RELATIONSHIPS BECAUSE YOU ARE SCARED OF WHAT IT MIGHT COST YOU!
WHATS THE LORDS TESTIMONY?
For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”
Whats our testimony?
Sometimes our testimony is like the blind guy in John 9, look I dont know how I am where I am or how it happened all I know is this once I was blind but now I cane see.
Whats Pauls testimony?
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.
WHY WOULD WE BE SAVED OF A JESUS WHO LOVES US AND GAVE HIS LIFE AS THE RANSOM TO SET ME FREE?
Heres how you can know your not ashamed
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.
If your not willing to suffer for Jesus name, then I promise you, dont have fire
WE KNOW GODS POWER IS MADE PERFECT IN WEAKNESS
Oh Ill serve God just not there I cant do that!
I CANT I CANT
GODS POWER IS PUT ON DISPLAY WHEN WE REALIZE WE CANT DO IT WITHOUT HIM!
We know our calling verse 9 is based on his purpose not my abilities!
Gods not interested in letting people brag on my abilities God is interested in using my life so that people say how is that dude a pastor? It has to be the Lord!
When you begin to
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.
It is for His purpose that I live, I wanna be in His will for my life no matter what that looks like!
(Baseball player/fireman)
(PE COACH/ BIBLE TEACHER)
(church planter/pastor)
You see my vision was blurry I didnt know what God wanted me to do, all I knew was that He wanted me to share Jesus and the more obedient I was the clearer my vision beame!
DO YOU SEE WHY ITS IMPORTANT TO ALWAYS GO BACK TO THE BASICS?
WITHOUT BEING FAITHFUL IN THE BASICS YOU’LL NEVER WALK INTO YOUR PURPOSE!
IF YOU WONT READ YOUR BIBLE TODAY YOU WONT BE READY FOR HIS WILL TOMORROW
Paul says I am a herald, I am a teacher this message is my jobI live to declare this message!
But get this (12) this message has caused deep suffering
and that is why I suffer these things. But I am not ashamed, because I know the One I have believed in and am persuaded that He is able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day.
Paul seems to telling Timothy though standing for JEsus has cost me THERE IS NO REGRETS
He says in (8) DONT BE ASHAMED he says in (12) HE SAYS PERSONALLY I AM NOT ASHAMED
Heres what Paul i saying to us, is Christianity hard at times? YES
IS THERE SUFFERING WHEN FOLLOW JESUS AT TIMES YES
IS IT HARD IS THERE SUFFERING YES
BUT IS IT WORTH IT
YES YES IT IS WORTH IT
Hwo do we know?
and that is why I suffer these things. But I am not ashamed, because I know the One I have believed in and am persuaded that He is able to guard what has been entrusted to me until that day.
DONT BE ASHAMED TIMOTHY I AM NOT ASHAMED TIMOTHY
I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
GOD THAT STARTED IT WILL FINISH IT
Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
2. We hold on to sound teaching about Christ
We rekindle the fire within us by not being ashamed of the gospel, but we also devote ourselves to sound teaching about Christ
Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
Hold on is marriage language this is why when people get married the vows used to say to have and to hold
WE LEAVE DAD AND MOM AND WE CLEVE TO OUR SPOUSE WE GET A GRIP WE REFUSE TO LET GO
IT means to become one with the rope
HOLD ON COMMIT TO NEVER LET GO!!!
IN OUR CULTURE TODAY WE DONT UNERSTAND COMMITMENT!!!
DONT ABANDON THE SHIP!!!
DDONT RUN FROM THE LORD
IT wont always be popular but you hold on to JEsus bc He is holding on to you WHAT ARE WE CLINGING TO?
If it is anything other than the Holy Scriptures no wonder we have no fire!
3. Hold on to the honor of the name of the HS living inside of you
By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.
Guard= to keep an eye out
it is the word that the night guards would use protecting property
to treasure the fact that you have a relationship with JEsus and you wanna protect that relationship
Just as a man wants to protect his relationship with his spouse or protect his relationship with his friends or kids we ought to honor the relationship that we have!
GOD HAS PUT SOMETHING INSIDE OF US AND WE HAVE TO PROTECT THIS AND FEED THE FLAMES OF THIS
Jesus taught us to pray like this HALLOWED IS YOUR NAME
Do not quench the Spirit.
GUARD THE DEPOSIT OF THE SPIRIT IN YOU
Be sensitive to GOd living inside of us, so many of us are worried about offending others but whats OFFENSIVE TO GOD?
Oh i dont wanna offend this person or that person but whats offensive to God?
GUARD THAT NAME TO KEEP THE FIRE GOING
This you know: All those in Asia have turned away from 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.
ONesiphorus he was an encourager he wasnt ashamed that I was facing persecution.
Let me tell you something I have some encouragers, can I just say something publically the Lord will bless you for keeping this ole boy going. You know who you are.
ONESIPHOORUS would follow me from place to place, keep going Paul keep going!
you never forget who quits on ya, but you never forget who never gave up on ya
Be an encrouager if you have fire in your soul ENCROURAGE OTHERS TO FOLLOW JESUS HARD WITH YOU
The question is this:
Why do some walk away?
Why do some quit?
they dont have fire bc they are not saved
you might not have the fire bc you have never been born again
2. You have a flame but its barely flickering
3. Roaring flame crowd
Who contiually seek Christ
Jesus taught us to pray like this, give us this day our daily bread
What you did for JEsus 10-20 years ago aint gonna sustain you tomorrow morning.
We cannot coast on the fumes of past success
stir up the gift fan the flames ‘
This church has a mission: I PRAY GOD WOULD REKINDLE THE GIFTS WITHIN US DAILY
HOUSTON COUNTY NEEDS UNION HILL TO BE ON FIRE FOR JESUS THE WIREGRASS WHETHER YOU BELIEVE IT OR NOT NEEDS OUT CHURCH TO BE HOT FOR JESUS
AND ALSO AS WE BURN FOR CHRIST AND TOUCH OTHER WE WOULD HELP REKINDLE THEM AND SOMEHOW IT MAY TOUCH THE ENTIRE WORLD!!
this is a cold hard painful world!!! WE NEED THE FIRE FROM HEAVEN!
(LET’s PRAY)