Gods Mission For Every Believer and Every Church Focus Text: 2 Timothy 1:1-10 Paul, an apostle of Christ

Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3 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. 4 As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. 5 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. 6 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, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and selfcontrol. 8 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, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel 1. 2. 3. 4. vv. 1-3: vv. 4-5: vv. 6-7: vv. 8-10: Service & Prayer Christian Fellowship & Identity Gifted To Be A Gift Boldness About The Gospel

Introduction It is the will of God that every believer and every Christian church be effective in the mission of God. As a matter of fact, one cannot be effective without the other. As individual believers use their God-given gifts (in their community and world) the church is blessed and the Kingdom of God is expanded. We, as believers, are Gods missionary people called to follow Him grow in Him and serve Him. The Apostle Paul believed strongly in the necessity of believers using their gifts to serve the Lord and impact their world. The book of 2 Timothy is called a pastoral letter. Paul is in Rome and nearing the time of his death. He had sent a young and timid leader named Timothy to the church at Ephesus as its leader. During Timothys leadership the church came under horrible persecution from Nero. Pauls letter challenges Timothy and the church to not lose focus on the Gospel of Christ. He tells them to guard the gospel (1:14), to persevere in it (3:14), to keep on preaching it (4:2) and, if necessary, to suffer for it (1:8; 2:3). But this letter also opens with a charge to the young Timothy (and by

extension those he leads) not to lose focus on some fundamental ideas necessary during times of great turmoil and stress (persecution). Service and Prayer Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3 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. There is a sense in this passage that Paul is passively reminding Timothy of two necessary elements of fulfilling the call of God: service and prayer. In verse 3 Paul use the Greek term latreu to describe the type of service he characterizes as important to the church. The word latreu is translated 16 times as serve in the New Testament. In almost every case the word is connected with an act of worship to God. (Only once is it used negatively to mean worship of others gods see Romans 1:25). o There is some sense here that Paul is speaking of a freedom of service. o The New Testament predominantly uses another word douleu to speak of service. However, this word is often connected with the idea of slave. Positively it speaks of obedience to God. Negatively it speaks of one who becomes enslaved to the evil and darkness of this world. o Paul tells the Galatian church that because Christ has put the Holy Spirit in them they are no longer slaves (doulos) but are now sons and heirs with God. It seems Paul is trying to remind Timothy that even in times of great stress and persecution he needs to remember Whom he works for. His service is a free and voluntary action offered as a gift of love back to the God who had delivered him from the bondage of sin. o Remember that Paul is saying this while he is also under severe persecution. He is no longer under house arrest in Rome. He had been set free and then rearrested and placed in a dungeon. But Paul recognized that even the trials are an act of service to God so that the Gospel will continue to spread.

(CONNECTION) Paul goes another step forward and offers a practical way that he serves God: prayer for Timothy (and the church at Ephesus). Paul was locked in a dungeon in Rome. Everyone in Asia had deserted him (cf. 1:15). The only one who was physically with Paul at this time is Luke (cf. 4:11). Unlike Pauls previous arrest, where he was housed in rented home and could receive visitors; the dungeon was not as accommodating. He could not preach, or teach, or lay hands on people, or anything else. Nevertheless, he recognized that even in this most dire of circumstances he was expected to worship God through prayer for others. Prayer for Timothy is connected to Pauls belief that whatever he was doing in service was an act of worship to God. This does not mean that we only pray when all else is taken from us. Quite the opposite. Paul was a man of prayer before the dungeon but given his physical limitations he was quite happy to allow God to use him in the gift of prayer. Christian Fellowship & Identity
4

As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. 5 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. I believe verse 4 is one of the tenderest passages in all of Scripture. It points to the extremely close relationship between Paul and Timothy. Paul remembers the tears that Timothy shed as Paul was being arrested and taken away to Rome a second time. The image of the brokenhearted Timothy, Pauls son in the faith, is powerful and moving. Paul desires to s ee Timothy again so that he may again be filled with the joy received from his relationship with Timothy. This verse illustrates the power of Christian fellowship in times of stress and adversity. Ladies and gentlemen, WE NEED EACH OTHER! Sure, there are those within the Body of Christ with whom we are closer than others. Thats OK. The point is that we, as sons and daughters of God, are a part of a family. And part of our joy as members of this family comes from knowing and laboring together with others in the Kingdom. The writer of Hebrews asks us to consider how we (the Body) might, spur one another on toward love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:24). There is something about being a

part of the Body AND, MORE SPECIFICALLY a local body a local church, which empowers us to stay on the right path and do the will of God. The writer goes on to tell us how NOT to build empowering relationship by not meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing Then he tells us HOW TO: encouraging one anotherand all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25). The word encourage (NIV) or exhort (KJV) is from the Greek parakale. This word comes from the same root that we translate as comforter when speaking of the Holy Spirit. It carries the idea of one who is summoned to come along side another for the purpose of helping and strengthening. As humans, we cannot do the work of the Holy Spirit. We are however called to be in fellowship with one another. The New Testament uses the phrase one another 54 times. The book of Romans alone tells us to: Be devoted to one another Honor one another above yourselves. Live in harmony with one another Love one another Stop passing judgment on one another.... Accept one another Greet one another

In verse 5, Paul links his remembrance and joy with the idea of identity. He credits Timothys mother Lois and grandmother Eunice for helping to establish Timothy in the faith. Paul does not take credit but points back to Timothys family and church relationship. Lois and Eunice were converted when Paul came through Lystra preaching the gospel (see Acts 16:1ff). Timothy grew up with the faith support of his mother and grandmother and the local body of believers. (Most believe his Greek father was not a believer). As Christians we have an identity. Our identity is not rooted in what we have or the things we have accomplished. Instead, our identity (and righteousness) begins in our relationship with Christ. That transformative relationship allows us to be formed into followers of Christ. Many factors play a role in this process: our disciplines as believers, our community, our family, and our denominational ties. Both the good and the bad of all these relationships work together to bring us closer to Christ (cf. Romans 8:28 in all things God works for the good)

Gifted To Be A Gift
6

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, 7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and selfcontrol. (CONNECTION) For this reason because of the faith that has been formed in you, because of our relationship, because of the prayers and service of Gods people fan into flame the gift of God! We are not saved to sit - we are saved to serve. How do we serve? By knowing the gifts God has placed in us. How do we know what those gifts are? THROUGH PRAYER, SERVICE, FELLOWSHIP AND CHRISTIAN IDENTITY! In Timothys case, he became aware of his pastoral and leadership gifts when the elders of the church laid hands on him. Again, this speaks to a relationship forged in the context of the church body and church leadership. Remember that Ephesus is under sever persecution and on top of this there are false teachers infiltrating the church. Most scholars believe that because of these circumstances Timothy had began to shrink back and become timid about doing the work God had gifted him to do. Paul tells him Timothy, God gave you gifts not fear (not timidity). God gave you power not fear. God gave you love not fear. God gave you self-control not fear. o Gifts come from someone who loves and believes in you. o God gives us love - Paul connects love with power. In this Paul is telling us that power is not about how many people we control (which is what fear tries to do) but how many people we LOVE (serve, bear burdens with, pray for, help follow Christ). o Fear comes from someone trying to intimidate because they know the power you possess in Christ through the Holy Spirit o Fear comes when we live lives without discipline (moderation, soundness of mind). God gave Timothy these gifts to be a gift (a blessing to Gods people).

God has given every person in this room gifts. Paul tells us in Romans 12:6 that are gifts different and unique to us but are given to us by Gods grace. We discover and grow in these gifts as we pray and serve; realize our identity in Christ and our position in the church; and that the gifts of God are given to build up others so they too can know their gifts. Most of this discovery happens in the context of the local church (REMEMBER THE ONE ANOTHERS). Boldness About The Gospel
8

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, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel (CONNECTION) Therefore. Paul is telling Timothy that because he has been gifted with power, love and self-control he does not have to be timid about the Gospel of Christ. Neither does he have to be timid about telling others about his relationship with Paul. Then Paul reminds Timothy of the good news the gospel that he is not to be ashamed of and that has landed Paul in a Roman dungeon who saved us and called us to a holy callingit is God who saves and calls us. God does the work of salvation not men AND CERTAINLY NOT OUR OWN GOOD WORKS look at what he rights next not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began It is Gods purpose to save all who will call on His name. But how? Through His grace. How do we know what grace is by looking to Jesus Christ whom God gave us as the redemption from sin from the beginning. But how do we see this thing called grace and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, But what has grace donewhat has Christ done who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel o We who are dead in sin can be made alive by the grace offered by Jesus Christ.

o Christ did not come to make bad people good He came to make dead people alive. o Paul explained this to the church at Ephesus the church Timothy pastored But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressionsit is by grace you have been saved (Ephesians 2:4-5). As a believer who has been gifted by the Holy Spirit to do good works we need not be ashamed of the Gospel that brought us out of darkness and into the light of God. As a matter of fact the thing that will cause us to be bold about the Gospel is when we are serving and praying; when we know that our identity is rooted in Christ and His church; and that we have been endued with gifts to accomplish the mission of God on earth. If God has raised you from the dead you will not be shy about it!

Conclusion I say again, It is the will of God for every believer and every Christian church to be effective in the mission of God! The Gospel of Jesus Christ has made the way for you and I to be saved. Our salvation was more than just a ticket out of Hell it was our adoption into the family of God. And in Gods family we are given a new identity (new creature), a new fellowship and endued with gifts through the grace of God. Our vision of the family of God and our place in it expands as we pray and serve. As I prepared this message I was reminded of a very dear saint of God. She was about 11 or 12 when Sherry and I met her. She was a quiet and shy girl who lived in horrible circumstances. She began coming to church on the bus ministry and eventually was born again. Immediately there was a noticeable change and as she grew in age and maturity in the Lord she discovered she was gifted in intercessory prayer and teaching. This young lady would pray for hours on end in her bedroom. One evening as she prayed her alcoholic father under the influence of Satan burst into her room. He had a screwdriver in his hand and attempted to stab the girl. She escaped to the home of another believer. When she returned a few days later she began praying again. Her father cut a piece of electrical cord, trapped her in her room and beat her. This happened time and time again.

Yet, Sunday after Sunday she made her way to church to teach the children in her Sunday school class. She kept praying and developing her gifts. I would like to tell you the father eventually came to Christ but He hasnt. He has, however, stopped the abuse. But because of this young ladies faithfulness to Gods gift she has led many to Christ and her Sunday school class has produced young preachers and singers and leaders in the Church. She is now studying at university and who knows what God will do with her future.

I am not telling you that you will have to suffer as this young lady did. Who knows what God will ask of us as we walk with Him? But this one thing I know, I watched this young lady walk with boldness and a smile because she realized she was a daughter of God gifted, given an identity and loved by grace. She would have never known the power of a purposeful life had she not first surrendered to the Lordship of Christ. 1. Call To Salvation Have you come to faith in Christ this morning? Have you accepted by faith the free gift of salvation offered through Jesus Christ? You will never know the full potential of your life aside from a relationship with Christ. o Make it immediate.ask for people to respond o PRAYER FOR SALVATION OUT LOUD 2. Call To Seek God To Show Us How We Are Gifted and Where We Can Begin To Serve Him. Some of you may be seeking the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. If you are, please come forward and we will pray with you to receive the Baptism. Some of you may know how God has gifted you but need to fan into flame that gift. Come and seek God ask Him to stir up in you the desire to be used of Him. But let me remind you that as you seek God it is not about looking into yourself but looking up to Christ He is the reason for your gifts and He will lead you.