Passing Along What You Have Series

Passing Along What You Have

2 Timothy 2:1-7

Rev. Brian Bill

July 8-9, 2023

We had a blast being with our family for a few days last weekend. Here’s a picture of our seven grandchildren ages seven and under. I appreciated Pastor Ed preaching but wasn’t happy with him singing at the end because that puts the pressure on me to do the same. Not going to happen.

As part of our time together, we made a trip up to Wisconsin to see my dad and my sisters. When my sister Mary arrived, she came bearing two gallons of A&W root beer. I was immediately transported back to the little A&W stand in our neighborhood and the countless treks I would make to pick up gallons of root beer for our family.

When she poured me a glass of the foamy drink the aroma took me back to the days I used to work at the restaurant when I would mix up the beverage in the basement (you don’t want to know how much sugar we added). Incredibly, it tasted exactly as I remembered it, which sparked off another memory of my boss making me dress up as the A&W Root Beer Bear (AKA “Rooty”) and hand out root beer barrels and coupons to patrons in the parking lot.

As embarrassing at it is to admit, part of my identity as a teenager was wrapped up in being “Rooty the Root Beer Bear.”

The topic of identity is a huge issue in our culture today. Many suggest we can find our identity by looking inward. Others proclaim identity is wrapped up in what we do or what we have. Still others equate identity with gender or sexuality.

Identity is quite powerful because it relates to who we are and why we’re here. It is how we define ourselves, and it clarifies our purpose in life. Contrary to our culture’s confusion, identity is not self-declared or self-developed; it is given to us by our Maker and Redeemer. As one author put it, “Christian identity is received, not achieved, taking enormous pressure off us to perform and merit our affirmation.”

In short, YOU ARE WHO GOD SAYS YOU ARE. You have been made in the image of God and therefore have dignity, value, and worth because of WHO you are, or more accurately, WHOSE you are as stated in Genesis 1:27: “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” You matter because you have been made by the Maker.

We’ll be addressing the topic of identity in greater detail this fall in a series we’re calling, “Unshaken and Unashamed.”

As Paul neared the end of his life, he painted some identity pictures for timid Timothy to help him see who he is and what he is called to do. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, Paul used six portraits to show what it means to be a faithful follower of Jesus Christ.

Let’s give our attention to 2 Timothy 2:1-7: “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.”

We could summarize it like this: Before passing on, pass it on by leaving a legacy of faithfulness.

1. A fearless child. The first identity image is found in 2 Timothy 2:1: “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” If you are born again, you are a child of God, a son or daughter of the King. The phrase, “you then” is emphatic and “my child” is personal and tender. Paul had the joy of leading Timothy to faith in Jesus as we see in 1 Timothy 1:2: “My true child in the faith.” In 2 Timothy 1:2, Paul refers to him as, “my beloved child.”

One of my favorite parts of our baptism services is to hear how people come to faith in Christ. I can’t wait to hear more on Sunday, August 13. Speaking of this, I enjoyed reading a recent letter Ray Pritchard received from a woman who is reading “Anchor for the Soul.” She describes how God got her attention in a very unusual and unforgettable way.