A FAITHFUL FOUNDATION - 2 TIMOTHY 1:3-7

Christian Standard Bible (Chapter 1)

THANKSGIVING

3 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. 4 Remembering your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. 5 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.6 Therefore, I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power,, love, and sound judgment.

BIG IDEA: FAITHFULNESS MUST BE OUR NORM.

AS WE CONTINUE OUR WINNING THE WAR WITHIN SERIES, A SERIES DESIGNED TO HELP US LIVE IN VICTORY OVER WORRY AND FEAR, I LANDED UPON ONE OF MY FAVORITE PASSAGES IN 2 TIMOTHY, WHICH ALSO ENCOMPASSES OUR EMPHASIS FOR GRANDPARENT’S DAY...

IN PAUL’S MOST PROFOUND WAY, HE INTRODUCES THE BIBLE READER TO TIMOTHY’S FAITHFUL FOUNDATION.

TIMOTHY HAD A PRAYING MENTOR IN PAUL - A FAITHFUL FAMILY IN HIS GRANDMOTHER AND MOTHER - AND TRUSTWORTHY ELDERS IN THOSE WHO LAID HANDS UPON HIM AT THE ONSET OF HIS MINISTRY...

THAT’S A FAITHFUL FOUNDATION...

AWW BELOVED, AS I READ THIS PASSAGE (AGAIN) FOR THE FIRST TIME, I SEE PAUL’S EMPHASIS ON REMEMBERING - ON APPRECIATING - ON VALUING.

PAUL WANTS TIMOTHY AND US TO SEE GOD’S HAND PLACING FAITHFUL PEOPLE IN OUR LIVES...

WHEN WE CAN APPRECIATE OUR FOUNDATION, WE’LL HAVE CONFIDENCE TO STAND. WHEN WE HAVE CONFIDENCE TO STAND, THEN WE CAN FAITHFULLY CONFRONT OUR FRET AND FEARS!

THIS PRACTICE OF REFLECTIVE PRAYING AND THINKING WAS PASSED DOWN GENERATIONALLY, SAYS PAUL: AS MY ANCESTORS DID...

NOTICE PAUL’S LANGUAGE: REMEMBER YOU - REMEMBERING YOUR TEARS - RECALLING YOUR SINCERE FAITH - REMIND YOU...

PAUL IS ADMONISHING TIMOTHY: I KNOW YOU’RE FACING SOMETHING YOU’VE NEVER FACED BEFORE. I KNOW IT SEEMS LIKE AN IMPOSSIBLE ASSIGNMENT. I KNOW YOU’RE ALREADY BEING TESTED…TIMOTHY I NEED YOU TO:

LOOK BACK!

WE BEGIN TO WIN THE WAR WITHIN BY REMEMBERING HOW GOD GOT US HERE!!!

LOOK AT ME YOUNG PEOPLE. IT LOOKS LIKE I’M STANDING UPON MY OWN TWO FEET.

IT’S NOT TRUE.

I’M STANDING UPON THE SHOULDERS OF REV. JOSEPH BROWN, SR. - MY PAWPAW!

IN THE 1960’S, AFTER FIGHTING WITH A CHURCH THAT DIDN’T WANT BIBLICAL LEADERSHIP, HE WALKED ACROSS TOWN - PURCHASED A BUILDING, AND HAD THAT BUILDING MOVED TO AN OPEN FIELD…AND IN THAT FIELD, HE PLANTED “PURE LIGHT MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH - A LITTLE CHURCH WITH A MIGHTY CHRIST” - 5208 NOBLE STREET, IN THE HEART OF 5TH WARD TEXAS...

I’M STANDING UPON THE SHOULDERS OF MRS. OTELLIA BROWN - GRAND MA!

A WIFE, MOTHER, AND NURSE BY TRADE. SHE RAISED THREE CHILDREN AND COUNTLESS GRAND & GREAT GRANDCHILDREN WITH A LOVING DISCIPLINE, HEARTY MEALS, AND TEA-CAKES THAT WOULD MAKE YOU HOLLER...

I’M STANDING UPON THE SHOULDERS OF MRS. LAURA EMERSON - GANNY!

A WIFE, MOTHER, GRANDMOTHER AND GREAT-GRANDMOTHER, WHO WALKED THE WALK OF FAITH AS A HOUSEKEEPER AND GATEKEEPER - YES, SHE SERVED THE USHER BOARD FOR OVER HALF A CENTURY, NOT JUST SHOWING PEOPLE WHERE TO SIT AND WORSHIP, BUT ALSO SHOWING THEM HOW TO WORSHIP: UNASHAMEDLY & EXTRAVAGANTLY...

YOU SEE, WHEN WE LOOK BACK, WE GAIN COURAGE, POWER, AND CONFIDENCE FOR WHATEVER IS FACING US...

LOOK BACK!

LOOKING BACK: REMINDS US OF GOD’S FAITHFULNESS.

TIMOTHY NEEDED TO BE REMINDED THAT HE HAD RECEIVED A SINCERE FAITH: 5) 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.

GOD HAD POSITIONED PEOPLE AROUND TIMOTHY TO POUR INTO TIMOTHY!

AND WHAT THEY POURED WAS AUTHENTIC FAITH!

THAT WORD SINCERE MEANS WITHOUT HYPOCRISY - GENUINE - PURE!

TIMOTHY’S GRANDMOTHER AND MOTHER WERE THE REAL DEAL - JUST LIKE YOURS!!!

SO ON THIS GRANDPARENT’S DAY, I ADMONISH YOU TO LOOK BACK...

I REALIZE SOME MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN THEIR GRANDPARENTS, BUT PERHAPS YOU KNEW OF THEM…OR PERHAPS THERE WAS A WISE BELIEVER WHO PRAYED FOR YOU, POURED INTO YOU, CHALLENGED YOU, PUSHED YOU....

LOOK BACK AT THOSE WHO HELPED YOU TO SEE GOD’S FAITHFULNESS....

PAUL WANTS TIMOTHY AND US TO LOOK BACK, SECONDLY, HE WANTS TIMOTHY TO:

LOOK WITHIN!

6 Therefore, I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands.

TIMOTHY, THERE IS A GIFT WITHIN - SEE IT AND SEIZE IT!

DO NOT NEGLECT THE GIFT THAT’S BEEN PLANTED WITHIN YOU...

DO NOT ALLOW YOUR POTENTIAL TO BE COMPROMISED...

ONE OF MY FAVORITE FILMS IS THE LION KING. SIMBA HAS LOST HIS WAY. HE’S BELIEVED A LIE. AT HIS POINT OF COMPLETE DESPERATION, HIS FATHER’S SPIRIT (MUFASSA) COMES TO HIM, AND SAYS THESE WORDS: “SIMBA, YOU ARE MORE THAN WHAT YOU HAVE BECOME.”

BECAUSE SIMBA BELIEVED THE LIE, HE LIVED BENEATH HIS POTENTIAL. HE SUPPRESSED HIS ROYALTY TO FIT IN - TO HIDE!!!

BELOVED, OUR GRANDPARENTS HAVE GIFTED US WITH ROYALTY - NOBILITY - AND MANY OF US ARE LIVING BENEATH THAT POTENTIAL.

SOME HOW, IT’S NO LONGER COOL TO LIVE A DIGNIFIED LIFE…EVEN A HOLY LIFE!

BUT LESS I STRAY TOO FAR FROM MY TEXT: PAUL SAYS TO TIMOTHY: STIR IT UP! STIR UP THE GIFT! FAN THE FLAME! REKINDLE THE GIFT OF GOD!

EVERY NOW AND THEN, WE NEED TO AGITATE OUR FAITH IN ORDER TO KEEP THE FLAME LIT!

THAT’S IT:

LOOKING WITHIN KEEPS OUR FLAME LIT!

THERE’S A GIFT IN YOU, CHILD OF GOD! STIR IT! FAN IT! USE IT! IF YOU DON’T, YOU WILL LOSE IT!

COULD THERE BE ANYTHING WORSE THAN NOT USING AND CONSEQUENTLY LOSING A GIFT FROM GOD?

HERE IT IS: STOP LOOKING AROUND AND LOOK WITHIN...

STOP CONCERNING YOURSELF WITH OTHER FOLKS GIFTS OR POSSESSIONS, AND FOCUS UPON YOUR LANE - YOUR RACE - YOUR CALLING!

LOOK BACK - LOOK WITHIN...

FINALLY, PAUL ADMONISHES TIMOTHY TO...

LOOK UP!

7) FOR GOD HAS NOT GIVEN US A SPIRIT OF FEAR, BUT ONE OF POWER, LOVE, AND SOUND JUDGMENT...

LOOK UP! LOOK TO THE LORD...

LOOKING UP REINFORCES OUR FAITH!

WHEN WE LOOK UP, WE LOOK TO GOD AND WHAT HE HAS GIVEN US...

NOTICE HOW PAUL EMPHASIZES WHAT GOD HAS NOT GIVEN TIMOTHY OR US: FEAR!!!

IN MY OWN EXPERIENCE: UNMONITORED CONCERN LEADS TO WORRY, WHICH ULTIMATELY LEADS TO FEAR/FRET! WHICH PAUL CLEARLY STATES: AIN’T FROM GOD!

LOOK UP FOR STRENGTH - SUPPORT & STABILITY! LOOK UP...

Mark Hatfield tells of touring Calcutta with Mother Teresa and visiting the so-called "House of Dying," where sick children are cared for in their last days, and the dispensary, where the poor line up by the hundreds to receive medical attention. Watching Mother Teresa minister to these people, feeding and nursing those left by others to die, Hatfield was overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the suffering she and her co-workers face daily. "How can you bear the load without being crushed by it?" he asked. Mother Teresa replied, "My dear Senator, I am not called to be successful, I am called to be faithful."

Beyond Hunger, Beals