2 Timothy 1:1-12 - A Spirit of Boldness

this is a message from the ministry of calvary chapel santa barbara for more information about our church please visit calvary SB comm would you please open up your Bibles to the book of second Timothy second Timothy I'm gonna begin by reading the first verse and we'll give a little bit of background to the letter as we make our way this is a letter written from the Apostle Paul to his young Protege the one who had mentored and raised in the faith a man named Timothy 2nd Timothy chapter 1 verse 1 Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus second Timothy is a unique letter from the Apostle Paul it's unique in one sense because he wrote it to an individual Timothy now I don't have any doubt that Timothy would have this letter read in the church or church is that he oversaw in the area of Ephesus I don't have any doubt about that but there are other letters written to individuals such as Paul's first letter to Timothy the letter to Titus the letter to Philemon no it's not just the fact that it's written to an individual that makes it unique Paul wrote this letter from prison that's very clear later on as we get into the letter that he wrote it from prison and that's not particularly what makes it unique several of Paul's letters were written from prison what makes second Timothy unique is that Paul wrote this knowing that his death was very close the year was about 66 AD there was a man who was both crazy and corrupt reigning as the emperor of Rome his name was Caesar Nero and Nero was a crazy man and as I said a very corrupt man and as part of Nero's persecutions of the Christians he imprisoned the Apostle Paul and he executed the Apostle Paul by beheading in the year 66 now when we last left Paul with the close of the letter of first Timothy all had been imprisoned that's the imprisonment described at the end of the book of Acts but then he was set free from that and he enjoyed anywhere from three to five years of freedom in those three to five years he wrote the letter of first Timothy he wrote a few other letters but now he's been arrested again now he's in the Roman traditionally what's known as the mammer time prison in Rome which is really just a hole in the ground then he writes this letter knowing that his death is imminent let me tell you there's nothing to clarify you're thinking than the knowledge that your death is very close we think about it sometimes it's a great tragedy with the thought that somebody knows that they're going to die and there's no doubt that there is a tragic aspect in that but friends can you realize as well that there's a gift in knowing that you're about to die and the gift in knowing is that you can prepare yourself for it and here in 2nd Timothy we see Paul as a man dealing with the things that are absolutely most important he's not messing around with trivialities I mean I just look at this first verse look at it with me again Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God it fascinates me that Paul just like all of his other letters introduces himself as an apostle now many times when Paul introduced himself as an apostle it was to sort of establish his credentials but here we can almost have the sense that with you why would you need to establish your credentials why do you need to say you're an apostle who do you have to prove it to you don't have to prove it to Timothy you almost said you almost wonder if Paul's not speaking that to himself listen there is an idea that when a man or woman especially appointed by God to fulfill some service that they should have an easy life because of it Quinn really it's just the opposite isn't it and here's Paul from prison and not just from any prison from death row and yet he knows in his heart I'm an apostle I am a special ambassador of the king of heaven I have a divine Commission to fulfill God has given me this great purpose so he's an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God it wasn't because of his own ambition it wasn't because of popular vote but because of the will of God and then he adds this line which is unique in all of his greetings he says according to the promise of life he gives no other greeting like that in his other letters but you can see knowing that his death was near how precious it was for him to think of that I am an apostle according to the promise of life verse 2 2 Timothy a beloved son grace mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord I thank God whom I serve with a pure conscience as my forefathers did without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day greatly desiring to see you being mindful of your tears that I may be filled with joy when I called to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and I am persuaded is in you also it's fascinating Paul's thinking about his spiritual family first he speaks of his beloved son Timothy but then he speaks of his forefathers in the faith verse 3 he says he's thinking of his forefathers who served God with a pure heart and then he greets him with this idea of grace mercy and peace Paul reminded Timothy that he was on his prayer list look at that in verse 3 without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day palmated a regular practice to pray for people and Timothy was very much on his prayer list by the way I love that what did Paul do when did Paul pray Paul only prayed two times a day night and day other than that he didn't pray much no but I want you to think about how wonderful this is Paul the Apostle this man who did such an amazing work for God all over the Roman Empire now in this prison cell knowing that his his days are very short his wings are clipped he can't go to the synagogue and preach he can't walk the streets in the marketplace and testify of Jesus Christ he can't sit down with other believers and encourage them he can't do all those things that he was so used to doing as an apostle but it's as if he said this I can do one thing what can I do I can pray and Paul was gonna do whatever he could to advance the kingdom of God brothers and sisters when we sometimes think about the things we can't do it's an overwhelming list isn't it I can't do this I can't do that I don't have the time I don't have they build a don't have the talents I don't have the gift we all can make a great big long list of the things we can't do but why did you find a couple things that you can do and do them Paul could not do many things that he was used to doing as an apostle but what he could do was he could pray and so he said I am going to pray night and day but he did it all if you notice the next phrase there in verse 4 he did it mindful of the tears perhaps the tears Paul remembered were the tears that Timothy shed at their last parting he has that image in his mind so even though he remembered the tears of Timothy at the same time verse 4 says that he was filled with joy when he called to remembrance the genuine faith that was in him when Paul thought about what a strong vital genuine believer Timothy was it made him happy he was filled with joy at that thought and then he said that faith it didn't begin with you notice verse 5 it dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice now Paul's getting nostalgic here isn't he he's thinking back to many years before when he met Timothy's family probably on his first missionary tour you see Timothy was from the city of Lystra and Lister was a city that Paul visited on his first missionary tour now we don't know for sure that Paul met Timothy and his family on the first missionary tour because on his second missionary tour he went back to Lystra and there it specifically describes him meeting them but I would suspect I mean it's not a crazy idea that Paul actually met them and led them to faith on his first missionary journey and followed up with them on the second one there was a relatively short period of time between the two missionary tours so Paul's thinking back very nostalgic ly to the time when he first met this young man and he goes I remember you you were a young man so excited about Jesus Messiah and you had a good grounding your grandmother Lois your mother Eunice they poured into you bringing you up as a good Jewish boy and we also know from the book of Acts that Timothy's father was a Greek a Gentile so he grew up in sort of a mixed home his mother and his grandmother poured into him as a young man and sort of prepared his heart to trust in Jesus when the gospel came and can't you see what a wonderful work it would be among this family that the mother got saved the grandmother got saved and then Timothy himself trusted in Christ I want to believe that his father also did but I can't say I know that for sure but when Paul left Lystra in a second missionary tour he took Timothy with him said I see something in this young man I want him to come along with me and be a part of our group and that's what it describes in Acts chapter 16 so Paul was absolutely persuaded he said I see the faith in your grandmother I see the faith in your mother and I see that it's also in you now grandmothers and grandfathers mothers and fathers they all have something very precious to pass on to future generations don't they isn't it a wonderful thing may God raise up many more Lois's many more you need Eunice's many more people like that who will take their responsibility as a grandmother as a mother as a grandfather as a father very seriously and say I'm gonna do whatever I can to poor Jesus Christ into my children my grandchildren but I want you to know this that it has to be embraced by those new generations it's a very important line in verse 5 I am persuaded is in you also grandma's faith wasn't gonna rescue Timothy his mother's faith wasn't gonna rescue him Oh God might use their prayers in a wonderful way but he had to be persuaded himself and fortunately he's was and Paul could see it in him now after that very brief introduction starting with verse 6 now Paul is going to begin exhorting encouraging Timothy ready verse 6 therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands now that's very interesting just in the previous verses verses 4 & 5 he spoke of the faith that he knew was in Timothy Timothy I know that you burn with a passion you burn with a true faith in the Lord I know all that but Timothy by the same token you need to verse 6 stir up the gift of God which is in you Timothy was a gifted valuable man for the kingdom of God but it seems like he was like a lot of us God gave him more potential than he was actually living out and so what did he have to do he had to stir it up he does sort of stir up the coals now we find so many times in these letters of first and second Timothy that the Apostle Paul encouraged Timothy to be bold to stir it up to be strong and we've discussed this as we went through first Timothy but it's worth mentioning again many people take it from the attitude that Timothy was maybe kind of a coward maybe something of a weakling I gotta say the more I've thought about it and if anybody were to catch my teaching on first and second Timothy for many years ago I'd probably teach it from that angle but the older I get and the more I look at I don't think so much of it was that that Timothy was a man of small courage in my estimation Timothy was probably a man of normal courage but he faced an extraordinary responsibility and there's quite a difference here isn't it a man with normal courage normal backbone so to speak when he's faced with an extraordinary responsibility he senses a great need to be strengthened and encouraged along the way and let me tell you something Timothy's responsibility was indeed enormous there were many Christians in many congregations meeting over an entire region and Ephesus you get this from Acts chapter 19 verses 9 and 10 in Acts chapter 19 verses 17 through 20 I think it's probably much more likely to think that Timothy was a man of normal courage who had enormous responsibilities and therefore he needed this special encouragement but he got it from Paul in 1st and 2nd Timothy there are no less than 25 different places where in some way or another Paul encourages Timothy to be bold be strong to step up to his responsibilities that's why he says verse 6 therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you Timothy you can't be passive and just let it all happen you need to be bold and stir up the gift of God which is in you that some people have gift given to them by God but those gifts are neglected and actually this is a fairly sobering thought isn't it I have to be a little bit careful when I speak to you about it because it's an area that could be easily used to bring condemnation and excessive guilt into somebody's life it's easy for the pastor's sort of lecture the congregation now what are you doing for God you know on and on along those lines that's sort of a I don't know it it's it's a little bit too easy because every one of a sense that we could serve God better in greater ways but I just want to fundamentally ask you this question if God were to say stir up the gift that's within you which okay Lord I think I know what you're talking about I think I know that there's some ways in which you've gifted me you've spoken to me and those aren't being realized as they could as they should but this really reminds us of an important principle God does not work his gifts in and through us as if we were robots even when he gives a man or a woman gifts he leaves an element that needs the cooperation of their will their desire and drive if God and I'll just use it in a way that's analogous to me and maybe in some sense some of the gifts that I have myself as a as a pastor a preacher a Bible teacher I could have the gift but I can neglect it I could neglect God's Word I could neglect diligent study I could neglect prayer I could neglect those things that go into truly being prepared to preach God's Word it's possible to do that and could God nevertheless use my efforts in some way well yes of course he could but how much more could God use if I said no I'm gonna stir up the gift that God has given me and regard it as a serious thing you see friends there are some people who are very passively waiting for God to use them God just used me anytime you want but think sort of thing that God will just sort of energize them like a robot and God just says stir up the gift that's within you and some people are waiting for some dramatic anointing a dramatic spiritual experience okay God give me that new dramatic spiritual experience and then I'll know you can use me and God says already gave it to you stir it up that's within you now I'm not trying to say that there's never a place to seek new gifts to seek new of nee blings to seek for a fresh work of the Holy See I'm not trying to say that but you get what I'm saying there's so much that God has already placed within us that he might just say stir up the gift that's within you and the language that's user is very much of a fire being stirred up you know what it's like with a campfire sometimes you look at a chemical what that thing's almost out it's about dead you get the stick or the the you know metal poker and there you stirred whoa it's back up in flame and that's very much the idea of stirring up the gift that which is thought to be dead or dormant can be brought into life but then notice this which is in you through the laying on of my hands God used the laying on of hands to communicate spiritual gifts to Timothy now please this is not the only way that God gives such gifts but it's a way that God gives such gifts and I wonder I wonder if you ever had that have you ever had somebody just lay hands on you in the name of the Lord and pray that God would give you every spiritual gift that you need have you ever had somebody do something that's simple if you haven't you should and please don't think like it has to be like some super spiritually qualified person we don't need the Apostle Paul to come back and lay hands on us because I'll tell you some good news if you're believer in Jesus Christ the same Holy Spirit that filled the Apostle Paul fills you and we can pray for one another in this way but it's a good thing to do I remember myself as a young believer gathered together with friends just in the context of a of a small Bible study a community group a life group that kind of small setting it's a beautiful setting for that kind of thing to happen and what we did was we just had that the time of prayer where you just had the hot seat you know what the hot seat is don't you you just put a chair in the middle of the people and that's the hot seat and somebody sits down in the hot seat and everybody comes and just lays a hand of love and grace upon that person and you just pray for them and pray that God would give them every spiritual gift that they would need that they would be filled with yes there is a place for receiving things from God by the laying on of hands it's a good thing to ask others to pray for us and that God would give gifts in that way it's not like some ironclad law God can give gifts any way he pleases but we see this as a pattern that appears somewhat frequently in the scriptures now in verse 7 Paul gives Timothy a reason why he can be bold Timothy stir up the gifts in within you be bold get out there this is why you can be bold look at verse 7 for God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind well Paul saw whatever it was in Timothy that the largeness of the responsibility or maybe some timidity within Timothy Timothy knew the fear that he sometimes felt and this is what God and Paul wanted Timothy to know Timothy when that fear rises up within you it's not from God God has not given you a spirit of fear and listen every one of us we all have situations where we feel timid and afraid for some people doing what I'm doing right now speaking publicly in other for some people this is the most terrifying thing that they can contemplate doing which I mean obviously I don't have a great problem with it everybody gets nervous at different times and different from time to time but you know that somebody may have that fear and they look at me go oh what a courageous well it's not it's just that's not my fear I've got my own fears thank you very much we all deal with them don't we we have the things that we're afraid of but the first step in dealing with such fears is to understand they're not from God it's a significant step to say this isn't God making me feel like this God hasn't given me this now maybe it's personality maybe it's a weakness of the flesh perhaps it's some kind of spiritual attack perhaps there's something going on physiologically within a person but it's in person God Himself isn't giving this God has not given me the spirit of fear so if God has not given me the spirit of fear then what has he given me I love how he answers this in verse 7 but a power and of love and of a sound mind all right if God has not given me the spirit of fear what has he given us well first of all he's given us a spirit of power when we do his work when we proclaim his word when we represent his kingdom we have all his power supporting us yes Lord what you're at work there should be a sense of your power secondly he's given us a spirit of love that tells us a lot about the power that he gives us now listen everybody wants love everybody wants power I should say power yes I want the power but do you really want power that will be expressed in biblical love you know the greatest example I can think of that from the pages in the New Testament is in the life of Jesus when on the night he would be betrayed when he met with his disciples in what we call the Last Supper when he got together with them and he went to wash their feet do you remember what it says in the Gospel of John chapter 13 it says this that Jesus not paraphrasing that Jesus knowing that all authority had been granted to him in heaven and earth which is like awesome I mean knowing all authority has been granted to you in heaven and earth I mean you you just want to go out and like set some things right you want to you know tell the Roman governor off you want to tell those religious leaders off I've got all authority in heaven and earth what does it say that Jesus did understanding that he had all this authority it says that he set aside his outer garment he girded himself with a towel and he washed the disciples feet jesus said I have all power on heaven and earth and I'm going to express it in sacrificial love to people that's something that for the most part the world doesn't understand and it never will but that is the love of God in action God has not given us a spirit of fear but he's given us a spirit of power and of love and what's the third one of sound mind the ancient Greek word here has the idea of a calm self controlled mind in contrast to the panic and confusion that comes in a fearful situation power love a sound mind now there's something I think is important for us to understand about this is that God I believe has that promise for every person but each one of us because of who we are biologically because of who we are by our experience because of who we are in the environment that we've lived in we may come at that from a completely different place you know if somebody is very anxious and fretful and and and panicked almost in mind by Nature then for them to receive the gift of God sound mind might look different than it does in a person who's just pretty calm cool and collected all the time anyway and God doesn't use these things to erase our personality he's not trying to make us automate ons all just exactly like one another but what you can do is you can say Lord I believe that the transforming power of Jesus Christ should be real in my life Lord I need more of your love I need more of your power I need more of your sound mine would you fill me with that I think about that when it comes to people who struggle with some forms of mental illness what a difficult thing that is how much compassion and sympathy people like that really deserve and should have among the people of God and these aren't things that you can just quote a verse at but they are things that you can say I believe that God working in and through this wants to bring this help to me and listen where that person has helped it might look different from another person who just has a different nature and character altogether but they should be able to rest that the love and the grace of Jesus is going to come to them to bring power and love and a sound mind I just love those words he's not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and a sound mind now what's he supposed to use that power and love and sound mind for look at it here in verse 8 therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord nor of me his prisoner but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God okay Timothy I've just told you about the spirit of power and love and a sound mind now what are you supposed to do with it well one thing you're supposed to do with is stand beside me don't be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord first don't be ashamed of the testimony of Jesus I believe it is so hard for us 2,000 years removed from the first century to really understand how embarrassing the culture thought it was to follow a crucified Savior in the Jewish mine the one who was crucified hanged on a tree was the object of God's special curse and Christians are supposed to say that's my Messiah and Lord in the Roman mind the crucifixion was a torture fit only for slaves only the worst criminals of the most degraded classes and he said I'm gonna follow a crucified Savior there's a graffiti when I think about it I can't tell you trying to remember recall in my mind if it was on the walls of Pompeii or Rome but I can't say it was honor there's walls of an ancient city and in a crude drawing but by the way just as an aside one of the ways we know that ancient Rome and the Roman Empire that people were much more literate than we give them credit for is the widespread existence of graffiti if people couldn't read at all why would there be so much graffiti written on the walls in any regard there's a graffiti with a crude drawing of a crucified man you can see the arms out you can see the legs down you can see a rough little cross behind them and it looks like the image of a crucified man except for one thing the head is of a donkey and it says I forget the name exactly something like Al exempts worships his God do you get the mockery behind that ha ha you worship a crucified God what could be crazier than that that's why it's a big deal for Paul to write here in verse 8 therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord though he was crucified but he's Lord of all and actually what in the eyes of the world was his greatest humiliation is the pathway to our great glory and unity with him nor he says in verse 8 I love this nor of me his prisoner you know if Jesus looked alright I'll say these words grant me a little grace here please if Jesus looked like all the world like a loser on the cross because who's a bigger loser than a guy being crucified then didn't Paul look an awful lot like a loser sitting in a Roman jail waiting for his execution don't be ashamed of Jesus don't be ashamed of me but I love how he phrases us here you get a little window into the soul of Paul that should cheer us most look at it right here nor of me his prisoner whose prisoner if you were to go interview the Apostle Paul Oh Paul whose prison aren't you the prisoner of Rome because no I'm not the prisoner of Rome I'm the prisoner of Jesus wherever I am I belong to Jesus if I'm in jail I belong to Jesus in jail I am Here I am Jesus's all the way but he says but share with me in these sufferings and do it all according to the power of God look at what he says here he says but share with me in these sufferings it's the same way that Paul spoke of it in Romans chapter 12 verse 15 he said rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep you see do that identify with me this is what Christian love is about and Paul actually suffered according to the power of God think about that phrase it's a very strange phrase do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord nor me as prisoner reading verse 8 again but share with me in the sufferings for the Gospel according to the power of God Paul said I am suffering for the Gospel according to the power of God say what if the power of God were to be manifest there wouldn't it be getting Paul out of prison nobody says no that's not always how it works you see in that prison cell I'm sure it seemed like the power of Rome was more real than the power of God but not to Paul listen the Empire of Rome is gone Christianity is alive and well on planet Earth it's thriving the power Paul knew even in that prison cell was greater than even the power of Rome continuing on now verse 9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel when you study the writings of the Apostle Paul you'll become familiar with these little sections sometimes they last just a verse or two sometimes they're extended for several verses but you'll become aware of these sections where the Apostle Paul just kind of forgets himself and gets on a roll I mean what's he talking about in the car he's talking about him being in prison Timothy not being ashamed but when he's talking about the power of God even in the midst of a prisoner he gets on a little bit of a roll here and look at how he explains it who has saved us and called us with a holy calling not according to our works I mean he starts preaching to Timothy here he saved us and called us not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace isn't that a wonderful thought people that God has a purpose in calling you and he's called us according to his own purpose he has a plan and he's included us in that plan now I know there's some people get upset by this they say well listen if God has a plan then you know why doesn't it include everybody why doesn't it include me am I out of God's plan what do you want to be in God's plan yeah I do okay fine then you can come on in God's plan well but how do I know if he wanted me in that plan to begin with he wants you in come on in but if somebody would say well no I don't want to be a part of God's plan but then why are you sore that he didn't include you in it if you want to be in his plan come on in if you don't want to be in his plan why should have set you that you're not there no it's a beautiful powerful statement who has saved us and called us with a holy calling not according to our works verse 9 but according to his own purpose this is why God called us it wasn't because of anything great we are or were or would become but because it fit in with his wonderful purpose and he gave us look at this in verse 9 grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began did your head just explode a little bit in some way Paul's explaining this I can explain the words I don't know if I can drill down and explain the thought but the words go something like this God has an eternal purpose and plan and those that he's called though that are going to be part of that plan he has showed them his grace before time began now first of all that do you mean that time had a beginning yes when was that beginning I don't know it was before I ever came on this earth God has a ability to stand not only outside of creation but outside of time itself time itself is a property that he has created and implemented in the world and apparently there was a time before time even began and just like a couple lovingly plans for a baby before the baby is born so God made plans for us now something of this look at verse 10 has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ the appearing of Jesus revealed the purpose in the grace of God He fulfilled the eternal plan of God Jesus shows us what this eternal plan is all about and as part of that plan look at it right here in verse 10 he abolished death is that beautiful now it's wonderful for us to think about it this time of year with this coming Sunday being Easter Sunday and Jesus abolishing death taking all of its sting all of its terror away we're very cheered by that thought it's a wonderful thing but please notice this Jesus took the idea of death and he transformed it completely death does not take anything away from the Christian it is simply their graduation into glory that's why in regard to believers death is even called did you see it there in verse 10 it says but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ who has Baal is death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel you see here's the idea it even is beginning to come to the place where Jesus himself reveals life in eyetality because of the appearing of Jesus we know more about life in immortality than ever before now when you study the Old Testament you find that the understanding of the afterlife is murky in the Old Testament it's unclear it's cloudy something effective sometimes you'll find David the psalmist saying can I praise you and I'm dead and and like maybe not now other times you'll find triumphant statements like Jobe will stand up and say I know my redeemer lives and I shall stand with him on that day before he collapses in despair again so in the Old Testament you have it there's unclear there's a murky understanding about the afterlife this shouldn't surprise us why because what is verse 10 say Jesus Christ brought life and immortality to light do you want to know about life in immortality look to the New Testament look to what Jesus said and Jesus teaches us more about life and immortality than anybody else Jesus and the revelation of the New Testament brings this true to us and he does it all through the gospel verse 10 through the good news of Jesus Christ and I love how it has this beautiful chain that goes first of all it began before time began it continues with the appearing of Jesus Christ our Savior it came to us when he saved us and called us it continues as we live our holy calling and then finally it'll show itself in immortality that is eternal life this was the message that Paul preached this was the message he was in prison for and Paul would say it's worth it I want to remind you that a man like the Apostle Paul could have escaped death and prison if he would have just renounced Jesus Christ if he would have just said it's all a lie I been deceived I've been deceiving but he wouldn't do it this was how firm his grasp upon this truth of God was now let's finish up with the last couple verses we're not gonna make it through the whole chapter here this evening verses 11 and 12 and the next time were together we'll pick it up in verse 13 he says verse 11 to which I was appointed a preacher an apostle and a teacher of the Gentiles for this reason 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 what I have committed to him until that day 2nd Timothy is such a beautiful and powerful letter because sometimes in the letter we sense sadness in Paul there hasn't been too much of it in the first 12 verses that we've looked at here but you just wait till we get to the final chapter there's some real heart-tugging sadness in the Apostle Paul but yet there's also these these places in the letter where it seems like Paul gained strength and excitement he thinks about the great message of God that he just described in the previous verses and now he says this is the thing to which I was appointed a preacher listen I preached a lot of sermons I founded a lot of churches as an apostle and I brought many nations to Jesus Christ as a teacher of the Gentiles God has used me and even though I'm here in this prison cell even though my head is gonna be on the chopping block because that's how Paul died he was beheaded he knew that's how he would die they wouldn't crucify him he was a Roman citizen and they would never crucify a Roman citizen he knew he would die by beheading he goes I know I'm destined for that it could be in the next few hours or days you imagine the tension that would fill Paul's heart in mind every time he heard the jailer walking down the aisle is now the time is today the day because no serve God while I preached I founded churches I preached the gospel among the nations and he recognized verse 12 for this reason I also suffer these things I preach a wonderful message but it's cost me dearly and why was it worth it friends if you remember nothing else from these first 12 verses of 2nd Timothy chapter 1 look at this phrase in verse 12 for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded now I believe it's very important for Christians to know what we believe and probably more than ever it's so important what do we believe folks what do we believe do we believe the truth do we have leave but I'm gonna tell you something as much as I believe in knowing what you believe have I stressed that enough it's important to know what you believe but let me tell you something it's even more important to knowing what you believe it's knowing in whom you believe and that's what Paul says look at that phrase again from verse 12 for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded this explains why Paul was so bold in his work this explains why Paul endured to the end because he said I know Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ is near to me in this presence so Jesus Christ has affirmed my work I'm in a prison cell forgotten by most written off by many considered a loser by still many more I know that but I know whom I believed and the preciousness of his very real relationship with Jesus Christ surpassed any of that Charles Spurgeon said this know thyself said the heathen philosopher that is well but that knowledge may only lead a man to hell no Christ says the Christian philosopher know him and you shall know yourself and this shall certainly lead you to heaven for the knowledge of Christ Jesus is saving knowledge isn't that wonderful I know whom I have believed and verse 12 and am persuaded that he is able to keep what I've committed to him this is a second reason that explains Paul's boldness Paul gave Jesus his life and Jesus was fully able to keep it Paul wait a minute hello Paul don't you think you're about to lose your life you're gonna lose your life in a few days listen I can't lose my life my life is in Jesus Christ it's never gonna be lost now they're gonna put your head on a chopping block and they're gonna use a sword or something and they're gonna be had you're gonna lose your life my life's not lost its hidden Jesus Christ this is the same thought this is the same philosophy that cries out and says listen to live his Christ to die is gain what are you gonna do to a man like this nothing because he knows whom he has believed and he'll do it look at how close his air in verse 12 I am persuaded that he is able to keep what I have committed to him until that day now what is that day well he would say what's the day of Jesus maybe it's the day when Jesus comes for us I don't know about you but I'm in the come quickly Lord Jesus Club it cannot happen too soon for me maybe it's the day Jesus comes for us or maybe it's the day we go to him but either one of it's gonna be that day that day now you know that the Bible uses a lot of imagery to speak about our relationship with Jesus he's the Potter we're the clay he's the Shepherd we're the Sheep and everybody understands you know it doesn't mean that you're a literal lump of clay it's an analogy well another analogy it uses is that we are the bride and he's the bridegroom it's an analogy it's a wonderful powerful analogy and it's a beautiful one well listen um you ask any bride what is the day and they know what the day is you don't have to explain it to them hey so getting ready for the day yeah ask what they're gonna yeah it's not like they well what day do you mean they're not gonna say that listen there's a sense in which it has all that power and even more for us as believers we don't have a date to circle on a calendar and if anybody tells you there is they're wrong please stop setting dates I always have this thought that if somebody were just by luck by chance to accidentally choose the right date for when Jesus was going to return then Jesus said well now I'm not going to return on that day because you know and you could be delaying it for us so stop please just stop with the dates so we don't know the date you better believe it's circled on God's calendar and he is able to commit it all until that day I'll commit it to him and that's the day it's gonna be all fulfill in that beautiful now you and I in a warm Santa Barbara evening comfortable place with lighting and all the rest we can say that in the cherish is our heart I can't get away from thinking where this was written from father help us help us to commit everything unto you until that day father we need this same heart Lord in the present moment you haven't called us to suffer the same way that Paul did and Lord it's likely that nobody in this room is gonna die the death of a martyr but Lord we pray that you would so fill us with your spirit and with your contentment and with your goodness that we would be determined to live lives as martyrs thank you lord and just collectively Lord we together we say we know in whom we have believed and we're so happy to commit it all unto you until that day in Jesus name Amen this is a message from the Ministry of Calvary Chapel Santa Barbara for more information about our church please visit calvary sb calm [Music]

Channel: David Guzik

Views: 21,963

Rating: 4.8892307 out of 5

Keywords: boldness timothy paul

Id: 8mRBshY56gA

Length: 51min 50sec (3110 seconds)

Published: Wed Jun 06 2018