Building a Gospel Culture

2 Timothy 2:1–13 NASB95

You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier. Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules. The hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops. Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned. For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory. It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.

Well, I have been looking forward to this time together since we left here last week! I am so excited about God’s Word, I just want us to pick up where we left off- Do you remember last week, as we stood together and boldly declared “I am not ashamed of the Gospel”?

I believe the Spirit of God is moving in this church - I am confident that He was working in us this past week and I pray that this week you have come here having already surrendered your heart in order to hear from God again today. And so, I say, Let’s prepare to put our lesson last week into motion as we continue our study this morning.

In fact, that’s how Paul begins this second chapter, “Therefore” - as we continue to live for Christ with no regrets, therefore be strong in the grace of Christ Jesus.

Paul starts right off here with an encouragement. We all know that we cannot be bold by ourselves. No, we need help. We need to be like the apostles whose boldness was supplied by the Holy Spirit. When they were persecuted, they praised God and prayed to be even bolder!!

Paul tells Timothy, “let your faith be emboldened because of the grace demonstrated through Jesus Christ.”

We like to sing the song “Amazing Grace” - Paul says this grace is our strength. It is God’s grace that brings hope and salvation. It is God’s grace that offers pardon and love. I cannot stand tall for the Gospel because of my merits, but I can be confident in the grace that is greater than all my sins.

So, this morning, we are going to look to put:

Action to our attitude

Feet to our faith

Wheels to our words .... I got more

Movement to our motto, steps to our stance… you get the idea.

The bottom line is that, as we discovered last week, you and I have been called out - to a holy calling and this morning, we want to do more than just stand up, we want to begin to Build a Gospel Culture at LRBC that makes way for the Holy Spirit to move in wondrous ways.

Paul gives us a plan, a picture, and a promise that will help us Build a Gospel Culture. The plan is simple and is laid out in v. 2.

The Plan: Be Disciple-Makers

You might get tired of hearing that, but I got news for you. THIS IS GOD’S PLAN FOR HIS CHURCH!

Now, you might think, I can’t do that. I don’t know how. Well, I want to put this in basic terms for us this morning. Paul spells it out -(Read v.2)

You’ve heard the faithful teaching of God’s Word, you have demonstrated sincere faith (last week), you have the Holy Spirit living in you, now SHARE IT!!

In other words, we must take that which has been taught us and teach it faithfully to others who will teach it to others who will teach it others…etc.

Disciple-making is quite simple, actually. You want to know a good definition. Write this down: Disciple-making is replicating yourself in another person.

I want to know- What would this church look like if you were replicated in it?

If everyone was as faithful as you, what would our worship look like?

If everyone were as generous as you, what would our budget look like?

Evangelistic? Mission-minded?

Would the Kingdom of God be advanced, and God be glorified if the church were full of people like you?

Paul understood Timothy’s faith. If everyone in the church of Ephesus was as sincere and willing to serve as Timothy, I imagine that there would have been an overwhelming Gospel explosion! I am looking out, knowing the sincere faith that some of you have, and I can honestly say that if the whole church demonstrated faith like yours, there would be a revival like we’ve never imagined!

This is God’s plan for the church. To take our sincere faith and pour into others like Paul did Timothy in order to replicate that discipleship, and expand God’s Kingdom.

Discuss: Disciple-making is about replicating your faith into another- Who will you begin this relationship with?

The first part of Building a Gospel Culture is knowing the plan, but next Paul gives us a:

The Picture: Suffering & Sacrifice

This sounds fun, doesn’t it? Suffering & sacrifice. There is no sugar-coating or bait & switch conversation going on here. No, this disciple-making call us raw and messy. Paul gives us 3 analogies to help us see the picture more clearly. (3-6)

Soldier - A picture of God’s Purpose

Paul invites Timothy to suffer as a soldier. This means to suffer as one on a mission. There are lots of distractions, but we cannot get tangled up in the webs of the world. It does not mean to retreat from the world, but rather to keep our focus on the Gospel. It is more imperative that our neighbors hear the Gospel than our politics. The Kingdom of God is greater than any kingdom of man, even our own.

For me as your pastor, I am called to be true to God. I cannot get caught up in trying to preach ear-tickling sermons about social justice or engaging in controversies outside of their Gospel implications. For us all, we must seek primarily to please God.

Athlete - A Picture of God’s Process

Paul talks about how an athlete cannot win a medal unless he competes by the rules. We can take this to mean that being a disciple-maker means no short-cuts. We cannot simply try to formulize the process- although we might try. We cannot reduce disciple-making to a 6 week period or bible study nor can we hire out the process to another. That, Paul says would be the equivalent to , if running a race, cutting through the middle of the field. You don’t win.

Instead, we must reproduce in others what God has done in us. It takes energy and dedication. It means suffering and sacrifice.

Farmer - A picture of God’s Providence

God is sovereign and HE brings about the fruit. Our role is obedience. Paul is telling Timothy to trust God. Just as a farmer plants a seed, waters it, weeds around it, GOD grows the seed! The farmer cannot make the seed do anything. You and I cannot force a person to grow spiritually. Instead, we work to ensure they get the spiritual food necessary and support the environment that demonstrates the gospel. And we trust God to do the work of growth.

This is the picture of disciple-making. Sacrifice and suffering that exemplifies God’s Purpose, Process, and Providence.

Discuss: How can you commit to suffering and sacrifice in order to be a disciple-maker?

The plan is to be a disciple-maker. The process is sacrifice and suffering. Finally, Paul shows us

The Promise - Unchained Gospel

Friends, if you are asking “Why should I suffer and sacrifice?” Then let me point you to verses 8-13.

In verse 8, Paul calls Timothy to remember Jesus. I don’t think Timothy was in danger of forgetting Jesus, but rather what we should see is that Paul wanted Timothy to not become desensitized to the Gospel.

It happens today- we live in the Bible belt, and so many people who sit in churches across our area have grown numb to the power of Jesus Christ! So many people have forgotten the Victory in Jesus. We might sing a song, but the power gets left behind. It is so easy to gloss over the reality that Jesus is the promised Messiah- the Redemption that God Himself provided!

This morning, you should have received the elements to observe the Lord’s Supper. If you’re at home, you perhaps have readied your own juice and wafer. Because this is an ordinance that calls us to remembrance, I want to pause right here. I want you to take just a moment and pray with me and prepare to take this Lord’s Supper.

Let us remember Jesus as Paul preached- victorious in resurrection! Let us remember that HE was the promise that was made by God in Genesis 3- the God-man who is the expression of God’s love toward us.

[Pray, take of ordinance]

With that reminder, let us read the second part of verse 9.

2 Timothy 2:9 NASB95

for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned.

This! You cannot imprison God’s Word. The Gospel is POWERFUL! God said that His word will not return void- the grass withers and the flowers fade, but the Word of God endures forever!!

Hey, Christian, The Gospel is greater than the persecution you and I will encounter. It is greater than the frustration and rejection that we will face.

God is trustworthy. He is faithful. His promises are true.

Friends, we are called to a holy calling - to keep our eyes on Jesus, pursuing Him, obeying Him, worshipping Him. We are called to replicate who we are in Christ in other people. This is no easy task, but this is God’s plan for His church. And we have His promise, indeed the Gospel is unchained… or as the young people used to say, It’s off the chain.

I want to encourage you this morning to be a disciple-maker and build a Gospel Culture right here in Little River. Commit to it. Suffer for it. And trust in the God who cannot be imprisoned.

As we close this morning, I want to ask you to respond to the Holy Spirit’s call in your life. Let us pray.

Discuss: What does it mean that the “word of God is not imprisoned”? How does this truth impact your commitment to be a disciple-maker?