What is it going to take?
Notes
Transcript
We are continuing our study of 2 Timothy today. I encourage you to open your bibles to 2 Timothy chapter 2.
In this letter, Paul is encouraging Timothy to be strong in the face of opposition and persecution. He is also writing to remind him of his mission, and what it is going to take to accomplish that mission.
This second chapter begins addressing that second topic, what it is going to take to accomplish his mission.
What is his mission?
The Mission
The Mission
If you look over the letters of 1 & 2 Timothy, you will find that he was to teach and preach the word faithfully.
As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer
or to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. Such things promote controversial speculations rather than advancing God’s work—which is by faith.
Command and teach these things.
Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.
Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.
Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.
Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.
Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
A lot of what Timothy was to do was to command, to teach, to instruct. He was also to watch his own life and doctrine.
What was the goal of all of this commanding, teaching and living? Paul wrote in 1 Tim 1:5
The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
I believe the best summary of the mission is Paul’s declaration of his own mission, which I am sure he passed on to Timothy. This declaration of ministry is in Colossians 1:28-29.
Keep your finger in 2 Timothy, and look at that with me.
He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.
This was Paul’s mission. This is the mission for Timothy. This is the mission I have. This is the mission you have. Every believer has this mission. It is the same as what Jesus told his disciples in the great commision. We are to preach the gospel and make disciples, teaching them to obey all that Christ commanded. Or, as Paul says, preaching and teaching with all wisdom so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.
That is the goal for each of us, to be growing and maturing, and helping others to grow and mature in Christ.
What is it going to take to accomplish the mission?
What is it going to take to accomplish the mission?
How are we to do that? What is it going to take?
Now, let’s look at 2 Timothy and see what Paul shares with Timothy to answer that question.
You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.
Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.
Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules.
The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.
Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.
Prayer
In this passage, Paul is telling Timothy what it is going to take to accomplish the mission. He gives him three commands, and three illustrations.
First we see the three commands:
You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
Be strong in the grace
Be strong in the grace
First, what is grace?
Grace is not giving people what they deserve, but giving them blessing, or good instead.
Timothy was facing a lot of opposition. There are people that were saying things that were not true about him. There were people opposing his teaching. There were those persecuting Chritians.
So, giving grace to the ones saying bad things about Timothy would be Timothy not in turn saying bad things about them.
Timothy giving grace to those who opposed his teaching would be trying to instruct them in their errors, instead of just discounting them.
Timothy giving grace to those persecuting him, would be Timothy being kind, instead of trying to hurt them in return.
Grace. Living in grace, and giving grace takes great strength.
So, Paul tells Timothy he is going to need strength to live in grace.
But this is not something Timothy can muster up on his own.
Actually, the verb here is passive, so the better rendering into English is found in the ESV, ‘be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus’.
Timothy needed to be strengthened when he felt weak or attacked, or threatened. Where was he to find the strength to stand and accomplish his mission when everything both within and without the church seemed to be against him completing the mission?
He needed to be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ.
Though people said things that were not true about him, he needed to find the strength in Christ’s grace. What did Christ in grace have to say about him?
Though people were teaching things opposing what he taught, he needed the strength that comes from Christ’s grace. It is only Christ’s grace that is truly going to transform people and accomplish the mission of seeing them come to maturity.
Though people were going to persecute him, he needed the strength that comes from Christ to be able to follow his savior in being lead like a lamb to the slaughter for the good of those who were bringing the persecution. They needed to see Christ’s grace in Timothy. The only way Timothy could be strong enough to show them, was by being strengthened with the very grace of Christ.
Again, this was not Timothy excercising some spiritual muscles, it was Timothy receiving grace from Christ to be able to give grace from Christ to others.
As James wrote,
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”
God is the One who gives grace. We cannot manufacture this kind of grace on our own. We cannot think that we are super-spiritual, or gifted and able to do this on our own. We need to humbly come to the Lord to receive this grace from Him.
After telling Timothy where to find the strength he will need to get the task done, Paul tells him:
And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.
Entrust
Entrust
Paul tells Timothy to entrust what he has taught him to other reliable people.
What does it mean to entrust to them?
Entrust means lay before, or to teach others fully. This same word was used of Paul in Acts 17:2-3.
As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said.
Paul taught the truth from the scriptures clearly, explaining and plainly laying the truth before them.
This was what Paul wanted Timothy to do. He wanted him to take the time to get into the Word of God, and teach it fully and clearly to other people.
To what other people? People who would be qualified to teach others.
Just like Paul’s teaching Timothy was not meant to stop with Timothy, Timothy’s teaching was not to stop with those who heard him. Timothy was to take his time to really pour into those people who would be faithful to then teach others. If we are going to see the mission of people coming to maturity in Christ accomplished, we need to have more and more people being taught, and then teaching others.
That was the goal when I was in Malaumanda in Papua New Guinea. I was not there to be a perpetual missionary. I was there to teach others, who would then be faithful to teach others. Praise the Lord that now there are no missionaries in Malaumanda. They have their own teachers who are teaching others.
That has to be our goal here at this church. Our mission is to teach others, so that they will teach othes. What you are hearing today, you need to share with others in your life, who will then share with others. That is why in the homework, I often encourage you to find someone else with whom you can share what you are learning.
The only way the mission of seeing people come to maturity in Christ will happen is if we are being taught, and teaching others, who will then teach others.
What does he mean by those qualified to teach others? I think that means they need to be growing and maturing in Christ as well. You don’t want someone who has no interest in growing and becoming more mature themself to be trying to teach others.
I confess that I am growing. I am not yet mature. I need a lot of work. But I am trying to grow in Christ. So, I am teaching you what I am learning, hoping that you will grow, and teach others.
After telling Timothy to Be strengthened, and to Entrust, he then tells Timothy:
Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
Join in Suffering
Join in Suffering
Paul had already challenged Timothy to do this in the first chapter. 2 Timothy 1:8.
So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.
We already looked at this before. The fact that Paul says it again to Timothy underlines its importance.
We need to realize that if we are engaged in the mission to mature, and to teach and preach so that others can come to maturity in Christ, we will face opposition. We will face opposition from some who claim to follow Christ. We will face opposition from some who will oppose what we teach from the scriptures. We will face persecution from the world, who hated Jesus, and will hate us as His disciples. So, we need to be ready for that, and not surprised by it.
We need to be ready to join in suffering like a good soldier.
Here Paul begins using three illustrations.
He has given three commands: Be strengthened, Entrust, Join in suffering.
Now, he gives three illustrations to help Timothy, and us understand what it is going to take.
Let’s re-read the three illustrations, and then talk about them.
No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.
Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules.
The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.
Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.
Paul shares these illustrations and then tells Timothy to reflect on them. The Lord will give insight into the meaning.
What are the three illustrations?
As we consider the illustrations, notice that each one deals with a person, what they do/do not do, and what the result is.
So, Who are the people? What do they do? What is the result?
Soldier - does not get entangled in civilian affairs - pleases his commanding officer
Athlete - competes according to the rules - gets the victor’s crown
Farmer - works hard - first to receive a share of the crops
What is common to these three illustrations?
What should we learn which will help us understand what it is going to take to complete the mission God has given to us?
I think the common theme is discipline.
The Soldier
The Soldier
The soldier needs discipline, and training to focus on his mission. There are a lot of things in life that would distract. There are a lot of things in this world that would want to pull our focus off of the mission. However, like a soldier, we need the discipline to stay on mission. If we stay on mission, we will please our commander, Jesus.
The Athlete
The Athlete
The athletes in the Greek Olympic games had to commit to a 10 month training period. If they did not train for the 10 months, they could not compete, nor win the crown. They needed to focus and discipline themselves in their training. It was not a quick and easy training. It took time and discipline. They needed to stay on task, and then only could they win the crown.
The Farmer
The Farmer
The hardworking farmer is also disciplined. He does not wake up and say it is too rainy or too hot. He is not deterred by the circumstances. He is disciplined to get out into the fields, and do the work that needs to be done. Then, as a reward for his discipline, he will be recognized for his discipline, his diligent work, and receive a reward.
What about me?
What about me?
What is our mission? What is our goal?
The mission and goal of our church is the same one that Paul and Timothy had.
He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.
We need to be proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. What is the good news?
Jesus died for our sins, according to the scriptures. He took our punishment, that we might be reconciled to God.
Jesus rose again on the third day, according to the scriptures. He rose and offers us new life, free from slavery to the sin and passions that held us captive. He has recreated us to be holy and righteous.
This promise for all who will believe in Jesus.
So, we proclaim Christ to those who are not yet saved from their sins, that they might be born again by grace through faith.
We proclaim and admonish, teaching everyone who does believe so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ!
We need to grow up. The bible refers to us a being born again. We begin as spiritual babes. We need to continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord, and walking as His disciples in our lives.
We need to grow in living out our holiness and righteousness that is given to us in Christ.
We need to grow in our knowledge and understanding of the truth, and be passing that knowledge and truth on to others.
We need to look for people who will be reliable. People who also want to grown in their faith, who will then be passing it on to others, so that we may present everyone of us mature in Christ, on-going through the generations in this world..
That is the goal. That is the purpose and mission of our church; of each one of us individually and collectively.
Our goal is not a certain number of people here in this building on a Sunday. Our goal is not a quantity, but a quality of Christians.
So the first question, I have to ask myself is:
Am I growing to maturity?
Am I growing to maturity?
Am I being strengthened in grace?
Am I like the soldier, athlete and farmer who are disciplined and focused?
Is growing in my knowledge of Christ, and living out holiness and righteousness a focus and goal?
Or, are the things of this world distracting me? Am I getting entangled in civilian affairs? Am I slacking off in my training? Am I putting off the work I need to do until tomorrow?
A great many of us are entangled in civilian affairs. We are distracted by the hobbies and priorities of this world to the detriment of our growth and maturity in Christ.
Many will be disciplined for their physical training, because they want to be in shape physically. We will put hours each week into working out, running, and exercising. We will spend a lot of time learning about nutrition and different diets. We will put a lot of effort into being disciplined in what we eat.
Or, we may put a lot of time and energy into a game in which we want to really learn the strategy, or techniques to be able to win the game.
Or, we put a lot of time and energy into the causes of this world. We are more concerned about reading and posting about the politics and concerns of this world than we are concerned about our spiritual maturity.
Too often, we do not have that focus and discipline in our spiritual lives. Are we really taking the time to be truly disciplined and focused on our spiritual maturity?
Paul wrote in 1 Tim 4.8
For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
When Christ comes, will he find us physically mature, but spiritually weak?
Will Christ find our skills in gaming impressive, while our skills in holiness and righteousness are rusty?
Will Christ find us more knowledgable and outspoken about the concerns of this world and our nation than of His kingdom?
All of those disciplines have no promise for eternity. They will lead to loss for eternity.
What will last for eternity?
Holiness and righteousness. Maturity in Christ.
Knowing Him, living for Him and making Him known. That will last for eternity.
Am I being disciplined?
Let’s be disciplined starting today.
For every hour spent in a game, for every hour spent reading about and trying to plan our diet and exercise, for every hour spent in physical exercise, for every hour spent reading about and responding to the concerns of this world, spend an hour in the scripture and prayer!
If we did that, how many hours would we increase in our time spent growing in our Lord?
Make that your goal this week.
But what will I read? What should I study?
Where do you need to grow in holiness and righteousness?
Where do you need to grow in being strengthened in grace?
I know I need to grow in being strengthened in grace.
Take time to look up passages that deal with your struggles. Study them, Commit key verses to memory. Meditate on those passages. Seek to begin living according to the scriptures and the Lord’s instruction in that area of your life.
How will I find those passages?
Use the Logos Bible app on your mobile device or on the web, app.logos.com
Use the Dictionary of Bible Themes
The second question is:
Am I entrusting to others?
Am I entrusting to others?
Am I actively seeking to teach and proclaim Christ to others? Either to those who do not know Christ around me, or to those around me who do know Christ who I may be able to encourage and exhort to grow in Christ?
We need to ask the Lord, “To whom, in our lives, do we need to entrust the things we are learning?”
Look for, and pray for those opportunities. Maybe there is someone in your family; your kids, your spouse, your nieces and nephews? Maybe there is a friend, a coworker, a neighbor?
Pat has a bible study at his house for men on Fridays. If I remember correctly, it started with him and a couple believing coworkers who just decided to take this encouraging and exhorting one another seriously. They wanted to fulfill the mission.
With whom can you do that? Ask them to start getting together regularly.
Parents, begin setting time aside each day with your kids to be teaching them. Encourage them to read and grow. Teach them the truth of the Word. Do not make all of the sports and extra-curricular activities a priority and not prioritize growing in Christ. Doing that teaches them that the real priorities are the things of this world. You have the opportunity to teach them that the proper priority is to grow in Christ, and then enjoy the things that God has given us in this world.
Let’s be about the mission this week, to preach and proclaim Christ, and seek all of us growing in maturity in Him.
Be strengthened in grace, entrust to others, and join in suffering like a good soldier
Be strengthened in grace, entrust to others, and join in suffering like a good soldier
And all of this is going to take grace. Because when you try to make this a priority, you will face opposition.
You will face opposition from those who are believers, but who are immature in their faith.
You will face opposition from those who want to teach things contrary to the scriptures. You will face persecution from the world who will tell you that your priorities and beliefs are wrong.
All of that that will require us to be strengthened in grace, that we will respond properly, and continue to keep the priority of the mission ourselves.
Let’s be strengthened by Him in grace, entrust others with the truth, and be diligent: disciplined and focused on the priority of maturity in Christ.
Let’s pray.