Fan The Flame Series

Fan the Flame

2 Timothy 1:1-12

Rev. Brian Bill

June 3-4, 2023

As we kick off the summer, I want to share how God led me to our new series called, “Standing Firm” from the book of 2 Timothy. Initially, I planned to preach through Colossians but as I followed the readings from the Edgewood Bible reading plan, I was gripped by the call to be unshaken and unashamed from the book of 2 Timothy. Since we will be focusing on worldview and apologetics this fall, this letter from the Apostle Paul will lay the foundation for what we’ll be learning together. We’ll take some breaks from the series when I’m out of town and also for Father’s Day. Beth and I are in countdown mode as our youngest daughter Megan and her husband Lucas have await the arrival of their first baby.

I wrote down four words that summarize the book:

• Personal

• Pastoral

• Practical

• Passionate

Here’s our main idea: Fan the flame of faith so you remain faithful when tough times come. I see five points of application for us in these tumultuous times.

1. Intentionally invest in the next generation. Paul’s introduction is found in verses 1-2: “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, my beloved child…” Most of Paul’s letters were written to groups of Christians gathered in churches; but here, he singles out Timothy and calls him his “beloved child.” “Beloved” refers to someone “dear and highly valued.” Even though Timothy was not his physical child, he had become a spiritual son to him.

After greeting him with “grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord,” Paul became quite personal in his feelings. All this led him to pray tirelessly for Pastor Tim. Check out verse 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.” When Paul remembered Timothy, he prayed for him unceasingly and incessantly.

It means a lot to be thought of, doesn’t it? When we think of someone, we should thank them. Beth and I experienced this one Sunday afternoon during Covid, when a whole stream of cars drove by our house honking their horns. When I went outside in my socks, a couple Edgewood kids ran up and handed me a plate of cookies and a thank you note and then quickly jumped in a car and drove away. I noticed the window of one car had these words on it, “Thank you for all you do! Gather, grow, give, and go with the gospel!” Another car was covered with hearts. This drive-by-blessing was done for all the pastors on our team.

Paul was honking his horn for Timothy. Not only did he think and thank, but he also stayed and prayed. At this point, Timothy was the pastor of the church in Ephesus but had traveled with Paul for many months previous to that. When we come to verse 4, we see how this triggered a tender memory for Paul: “As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy.” As Paul recalled Tim’s tears, it made him “long” to see him. It had been about 11 years since they last saw each other. This word means “to yearn and desire earnestly.” The word “filled” has the idea of being empty or hollow.

Timothy represented the next generation of emerging Christian leadership. Paul was old and days from his death. Timothy was in his 20s or 30s and pastoring a challenging church. Paul was committed to encourage and equip the next generation. The older I get, the more convinced I am that I must pass along what I know before I pass away.

Timothy was not only young, but he was also prone to “frequent ailments” according to 1 Timothy 5:23. On top of this, he was timid by temperament. This is so encouraging, isn’t it? It doesn’t matter if you’re young, physically frail, or timid, God can use you!

In verse 5, Paul honors Timothy’s spiritual heritage by celebrating how God used his mother and grandmother: “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.” Didn’t Pastor Kyle do a great job explaining the importance of honoring our heritage and leaving a legacy last weekend?

During the 9:00 hour, I spent time on the lower level visiting our children’s ministry classes, our junior high and senior high groups, and several of our adult Growth Groups. I was blown away by how our workers and teachers are intentionally investing in gospel proclamation for the next generation. My favorite experience was going into the junior high class. I opened the door and entered without them knowing I was there. Several of the young teens were sharing about a video game and when they saw me, one of them screamed, “I didn’t know you were in here! I don’t play that game. I promise.”