The message of redemption is based upon two things, two essential things. Two things God finds necessary in saving a lost and dying world. Salvation runs on two tracks, and each is just as important as the other.
1. The first is this:
a. The redemption that is in Christ.
b. The fact that Jesus died on the cross for the sin of mankind.
c. He purchased redemption for every man paid the penalty for the sinner.
2. The second is this:
a. You may not think it as important, but it is.
b. The message or the telling of that redemption.
c. You can not have salvation without either one.
d. You would readily say yes to the first one. The offering, the paying the price for salvation.
e. In addition, there must be the proclamation of the message.
f. The message must be made known or is it of no value.
g. It does me little or no good to know of a cure, if I don’t know about it.
3. Through the New Testament you find this two-fold track.
a. Christ died
b. We must tell of His death.
c. Matthew 28:18; Acts 1:8
4. There is nothing more to be done in Christ offering for sin. Dying for sinners, many verses say, “It is finished.”
5. The work of God in now making you and I fit vessels for carrying the message.
6. This is the message Paul is sharing with Timothy. Verse 2, Pass on what you have hear, commit it to faithful men.
7. Describing the type of person that is necessary if this message is to be spread or shared.
a. He uses three figures of speech to describe the kind of person God is trying to make us into.
b. Soldiers, Paul’s favorite picture of a Christian. Why? Paul spent a great deal of time in jails.
c. Athlete must play according to the rules. Verse 5
d. The farmer, verse 6
8. In trying to get us to understand what kind of a person God is making us into, to carry the message of salvation.
a. Why? Use these three: they all involve hard work.
b. Toil, labor, hard work, a soldier, an athlete, a farmer.
9. There is always the tendency to picture the Christian life as something like a bed of roses. A bed of ease, a bed of convenience, of extraordinarily little effort. You will not find that in the bible as to serving God.
10. Let’s look at these three persons and see what instruction we might receive as to better help us serve God. better to carry the message.
I. The Admission of the Servant
1. Verses 3-4
2. Paul used the comparison between the Roman soldier and the Christian over and over.
a. Indicating the Christian life is one of warfare. We are in a battle.
b. Not to be entangled with the things of this life so we can be free to obey Him, why?
c. That we may please Him.
3. The first consideration in every Christians life is, to please Him that has chosen him to be a soldier.
a. Nothing else matters
b. Everything else must bow and submit to this one thing.
4. There is a great freedom in a person aligning himself with this one ambition.
a. It means there is uncomplaining sacrifice.
1) If my only goal is to please Him, then there will be no complaint when a sacrifice is demanded and called for.
2) By the way you do have goals and ambitions if you know it or not.
b. It means there is an unhesitant obedience.
1) There is a great deal about soldiering I don’t know. But this much I do know:
2) There must be unhesitating obedience if he is a good soldier.
3) Philip, “Arise and go.” Acts 8:26
4) When God called Abraham, he went.
c. It frees us from the judgment of other men.
5. Everything we do as Christians, as a church, our one aim should be to please Him.
a. You know when a church begins to backslide. When our love grows cold. We find ourselves indifferent.
b. When God shuts the door of blessing and removes His Spirit.
c. When we begin to please others instead of Him.
d. How will this affect me?
6. Paul says to keep ourselves free form the things of the world so we can please Him. 2 Corinthians 5:9
II. The Admonition of the Servant verse 5
1. An athlete strives to win the crown, but the important thing is not that he wins, not that he strives, but that he does it lawfully. According to the rules.
2. Not a matter if you succeed or get what you want.
a. Build a great Sunday school class.
b. Build a great church.
c. How I preach, must be according to the rules.
3. The quality of our service is determined by the quality of my life.
a. When I stand to preach on Sunday morning on Sunday evening.
b. Our level of judgment is so different than God’s.
c. Singing in tune, sharp, or flat, what in your heart. Why are you doing this?
III. The Anticipation of the Servant verse 6
1. To a great extant this is what motivates the servant.
2. The farmer must labor.
3. What motivates the farmer to work, without praise, applause, or medals?
a. It is the anticipation of the harvest.
b. He is the first one to enjoy it.
4. A teacher who prays, visits, prepares may bless his pupils, but the teacher is the one who is bless first and the most.
5. These three characteristics are what God is trying to make us into.
IV. In closing
1. If we are to be a person God can use, then….
2. Our life must not be entangled, that we might please Him.
3. Live our life by the rules.
4. Tasting the fruits of the harvest keeps us in the field of His service.
