2Tim 1:6-8
Stay Faithful!
We began this book last week, giving some introduction to the book,
1. It was written from Paul to Timothy, making it a pastoral
epistle.
2. It was also a prison epistle.
a. Paul was in a Roman prison (I believe for the 2nd time).
b. We believe it to be the last book Paul wrote that God
preserved.
c. Paul will die shortly by guillotine and Paul seemed to
know that.
3. We noted that the demeanor of this book is greatly different
from 1Timothy. 1Timothy is more like a seminar while
2Timothy was a farewell.
4. In \\#1:1-5\\, we see Paul’s heart for Timothy. Why wouldn’t
we? The gospel is a message of unlimited love.
Tonight, we want to see some of the last command that Paul passed
along to Timothy. I think last commands and last words are
important. One would think that the last things we pass along would
be well-thought out and for Paul well-prayed over.
II. Paul gives Timothy some commands.
A. \\#2Tim 2:6-8\\ Timothy, "Stir up your gift!"
2Tim 1:6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance
that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in
thee by the putting on of my hands.
1. The gift that Paul was referring to the gift of preaching,
but that is not all that Paul wanted Timothy to keep
stirred.
2. Paul wanted Timothy to keep the passion of the preaching
stirred.
a. It is not just knowledge and a calling that drives a
preacher to preach.
b. It is the passion that they have for Jesus and for the
lost.
c. It is that passion, that love, that needs to be kept
stirred.
3. Paul was teaching Timothy that it was up to him not to let
his gift die.
a. That is a truth for all believers.
b. Our gifts are from God but it is the responsibility of
the gifted to keep and to use those gifts.
(1) God gave us salvation. We are responsible to
keep the passion of salvation burning hot.
(2) God gave us the Bible. We are responsible to keep
the passion for the Word burning hot.
(3) God gave some the gift of helping others, of
being merciful, of evangelizing, of organizing,
of leading—whatever the gift is, We are
responsible for keeping it burning hot!
(4) That is not only true of the spiritual gifts God
gives, but of all the gifts God gives.
(a) If God gave you mate, keep the passion
burning.
(b) If God gave you children, keep the passion
burning.
(c) If God gave you employees, keep the passion
for them burning.
(d) If God gave you authority over others, keep
the passion for them burning.
(5) It takes work on our part…
(a) …to stay diligent and fervent.
(b) …to stay tender and sensitive to God.
(c) …to stay right and godly.
4. Paul told Timothy several things about the gift God had
given to him.
2Tim 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with
an holy calling, not according to our works, but
according to his own purpose and grace, which
was given us in Christ Jesus before the world
began,
a. \\#9\\ It was a holy calling. Several thoughts come
to me as I think on this term.
(1) holy
(a) Some thing pure, clean, from God. God’s
business is like God, holy. How can we be
used of God if we are not likewise holy?
(b) That means God’s gifts are not from man but
from God.
i. God calls AND equips people for His
purpose. He does not call based on
our talents but gives talents based
on His call.
ii. God can take an ignorant, introvert
and call him to be a fiery evangelist
who rails against sin and moves
entire communities to God.
iii. God can take a woman with no esteem
or talent and crown her with glory
and grace to make her the most
valuable member of the church.
iv. This is possible because this calling
is also of grace. That means, it is
God doing the work through us and not
just us doing the work for Him.
(2) calling
(a) This is more than our thought of a phone
ringing and the choice to answer it being
ours.
(b) God summons us. He is the Master. One does
not refuse the summons of God!
b. \\#10\\ This calling was made manifest because Jesus
had come.
2Tim 1:10 But is now made manifest by the
appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath
abolished death, and hath brought life and
immortality to light through the gospel:
(1) The gifts and callings of God are different from
the Old Testament.
(2) Whereas people have always been born with talent,
the Holy Ghost’s abiding presence gives some of
us who skipped the pre-birth talent line an
second opportunity to be enabled!
c. \\#6\\ For Timothy, this gift was imparted to him
when Paul laid hands on him.
B. \\#1:8-12\\ Don’t be ashamed.
1. \\#8\\ Don’t be ashamed of Jesus our Lord.
2Tim 1:8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the
testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner:
but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the
gospel according to the power of God;
a. No one wants to be persecuted, imprisoned, or killed.
b. Facing such outcomes, many hid their faith and some
even denied their faith.
(1) While it is true that Christians must be wise in
times of persecution so that they do not "throw
away" their lives, there is such a thing as
holding on too tightly—even to life itself.
(2) The greatness of life is not measured in how long
you live but in how well you live it.
(3) \\9\\ Look how Jesus lived His life—saving us!
2Tim 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with
an holy calling, not according to our works, but
according to his own purpose and grace, which
was given us in Christ Jesus before the world
began,
10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of
our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished
death, and hath brought life and immortality to
light through the gospel:
(4) \\#10\\ And in doing so, Jesus "abolished death,
and ….brought life and immortality" to us.
(a) That doesn’t mean that we will not die
physically.
(b) It means the grave can’t hold us because the
the spirit lives on!
(5) Get this - Few people change their minds about
Jesus when they face persecution. They just
amplify the way they have been treating Him all
along.
(6) One thing is for certain. If you are ashamed of
Jesus today, you will certainly be ashamed of
Him when persecution comes.
2. \\#8\\ Don’t be ashamed of Paul.
a. Being ashamed of one of God’s servants does not seem
as wicked as being ashamed of Jesus, but it still
doesn’t seem right.
b. In almost every city Paul had entered, he had been
arrested; but now he was arrested by the emperor
himself.
(1) \\#11\\ Paul had been called to be a…
(a) …apostle - He was sent from God.
(b) …preacher - proclaimer of the gospel.
(c) …teacher of the Gentiles. Paul was called
to teach the Gentiles how they too could
have eternal life.
(2) \\#12\\ For being faithful to these things, Paul
suffered imprisonment, beatings, and shame.
2Tim 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer
these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for
I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded
that he is able to keep that which I have
committed unto him against that day.
(3) But Paul was NOT going to quit.
(a) Paul knew Jesus, the One he had believed in.
(b) Paul knew that Jesus always finished what He
started.
(c) Paul knew how this Christianity was going to
end!
c. Paul was brash and bold, but had he not been the
gospel may not have spread so far so quickly.
(1) Even the strongest, boldest, brashest servants of
God like to have friends stand with them.
(2) Just because a servant is not dependent upon a
friend does not mean that he would not
appreciate one.
d. \\#15-18\\ Notice that most of Paul’s friends were
ashamed of him and had turned away.
2Tim 1:15 This thou knowest, that all they which
are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are
Phygellus and Hermogenes.
16 The Lord give mercy unto the house of
Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not
ashamed of my chain:
17 But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out
very diligently, and found me.
18 The Lord grant unto him that he may find
mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many
things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou
knowest very well.
3. "Be thou a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel"
a. Even as Paul was prison, he encouraged Timothy to be a
partake in the afflictions of Christ.
b. Paul was telling Timothy to WILLINGLY join into
the sufferings of standing for Christ.
c. Many had quit Christ to avoid the persecution.
d. Most who were staying faithful would be working
hard to stay clear of the persecution.
(1) Paul was saying, "God needs some to courageously
challenge the persecution."
(2) \\#7\\ It is in this context that God gives
Timothy another verse which is often quoted.
2Tim 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit
of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a
sound mind.
C. \\#1:13-18\\ Hold to sound doctrine.
2Tim 1:13 Hold fast the form of sound words,
which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love
which is in Christ Jesus.
14 That good thing which was committed unto
thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.
1. To me, denying the faith is not as bad as changing the
faith.
a. At least when a person denies the faith, they separate
themselves from it and their influence in that realm
dissipates.
b. When a person changes the faith, their influence
continues over those that trusted them.
c. Paul having warned Timothy not to be ashamed and deny
the faith now warns him to stay faithful to preaching
what he had heard.
2. What had God given to keep our doctrine sound? This was
written along time before printing made it possible for
each Christian to have a Bible of their own.
a. \\#13\\ Preaching
(1) God’s used preaching to pass the truth from one
generation to the next.
(2) One might think that with the Bible, preaching
is not as important. Maybe it is not from one
point of view but since most people, even many
Christians, never read the Bible, sound
preaching still remains important.
b. \\#14\\ The Holy Ghost
(1) The Holy Ghost was given to guide us to TRUTH.
Joh 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth,
is come, he will guide you into all truth….
(2) Even when we don’t have preachers, God has a way
of speaking to us to help us to understand what
truth is,
Joh 7:17 If any man will do his will, he shall
know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or
whether I speak of myself.
It was not just Timothy’s generation who had to make these kinds of
decisions. Christians of all generations have to decide what they are
going to do with what God has given them.
1. Their gifts
2. Their suffering
3. The doctrine
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