Have you ever thought about what you would write to somebody if you knew it would be your last letter ever to them? Especially if you were writing to a family member or a close friend…somebody you care for but knew that you would never see again? I’ve heard of parents who, when finding out that they were terminally ill, wrote many letters to their children, mile-stone letters, such as for their 10th birthday, their 18th and/or 21st birthday, high school and college graduation letters, and letters for the occasion of their wedding or the birth of a first child. I can imagine that these letters would contain messages from this dying parent of matters that mean very much to the person. Have you ever thought about what you would write if you could never again speak with someone? In our reading today from 2 Timothy, the Apostle Paul is writing just such a letter. After Paul had been released from prison in Rome in 62 or 63 AD, and after his fourth missionary journey, Paul was again imprisoned, this time by the emperor Nero, this time around 66 or 67 AD. The first time Paul was in prison, he lived in a relatively nice, rented house. But this time, Nero sentenced Paul to death, and put him into a cold, dark dungeon of a prison to await his execution. And from this prison, Paul wrote this second letter to Timothy, his beloved young apprentice. Paul knew that he was going to die soon, and so in this second letter to Timothy, Paul spells out what he feels are the most important messages and instructions he has for his young apprentice…messages of instruction of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that Paul wants Timothy to continue to adhere to and to teach others, even after Paul’s own death. So let’s open with prayer and then take a look at what Paul is telling us through his letter to Timothy. Let’s pray…
You know, I can remember the moment in time when I realized that I was really and truly an adult. Now, that time was certain not the day I turned 18 years old because as anyone who has known me over the past 25 years can tell you, I might have been technically and legally an adult the day I turned 18, but I certainly wasn’t an adult as far as my maturity was concerned. How about you? Can you remember that moment where you realized, “yes, I am an adult now”? For me, that moment wasn’t even the day I got married, but rather January 31, 1998, the day my twins—Stephen and Ingrid—came into the world. It was that day, as I held my little newborn twins, that I realized that God had truly conveyed adulthood upon me as I understand that these tiny, helpless children with which the Almighty God had entrusted me, needed me. I remember looking at them and thinking that without they were dependent upon Vanessa and me for every little aspect of their new lives. I’m sure that every parent in this sanctuary can fully relate to what I’m saying here. I bring this up because it really is the central message of 2 Timothy, chapter 2, verses 1-13. Paul, in writing this last letter to his beloved Timothy, a young man that Paul loved so much that he even called him his own son in the faith, wants him to understand what it means to be mature in Jesus Christ. Paul took Timothy under his “wing,” as it were and personally trained him to be a pastor in Christ’s church. In 2nd Thessalonians Paul says that Timothy’s faith is growing more and more. And in chapter two, verse one, of our reading today Paul says to Timothy, “You then, my son, be strong in the grace in Christ Jesus.” You see, Paul knew that the early church would continue to suffer persecution. And Paul also knew what an important influence he himself had been to Timothy. And so, knowing that he was about to be executed, not only was Paul concerned about the church’s well-being under persecution, but Paul was also personally concerned for his son in the faith, his beloved young Timothy. And so Paul has a message for Timothy that teaches us all about being strong—being an adult, mature in Christ Jesus. In fact, the theme of being mature in Christ is can be found all over in Paul’s writings that we have in the Bible. Ephesians 4:13, “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature…,” Philippians 3:15,” All of us who are mature should take such a view of things…,” Colossians 4:12, and “He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.”
And so standing firm in the Gospel of Jesus Christ—the Grace of Jesus Christ—is indeed the central message of 2nd Timothy. Again, verse one of chapter two, “You then, my son, be strong in the grace of Christ Jesus.” As Paul’s last letter, as his last will and testament, these are powerful words Paul has for Timothy, and as Christians, that apply just as much to you and to me. So friends, how can you and I be strong in the grace of Christ Jesus? Is Paul telling us to something, to be brave as it were to receive Christ’s grace? No, he is telling us to be strong IN the grace of Christ Jesus, meaning that because we are saved through our faith in Jesus—saved in the grace of Christ Jesus—we can and ARE strong. It’s cause and effect here that Paul is talking about. The grace of Jesus Christ has the effect on us by causing us to be brave. Now, you and I don’t live under the persecution of Nero. We live in a country of religious freedom that allows us to worship any god—any way we want to. But we also live in a country that goes out of its way to tell us that our religious views have no place in our public lives. For example, if a fourth-grade public school teacher were to pray with her students or to even teach about Jesus Christ, she would quickly find herself without a job. And of course here locally in Elk Grove, Michael Newdow has gone out of his way to make sure that there is no reference in any way, shape or form to God by our government. Newdow even wants “In God we trust” to be removed from out money. So although you and I aren’t sitting in chains in a prison waiting to be executed for our faith in Jesus Christ, are we not still as Christians being persecuted for our faith? Are we not being told by some members of society that we have no business talking about Jesus Christ anywhere except in our homes or here in this sanctuary? Religious persecution comes in many shapes and forms and I for one have been in trouble many times in my secular job for mentioned God. But in that persecution I hear Paul’s words again, “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” Friends, through our faith in Christ, we are strong. And what do we do with that strength?
Verse two, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” So in this strength that we have through our faith in Jesus Christ, is Paul telling us to be quiet in the face of persecution? Was Paul quiet in the face of Nero? Is Paul telling us to passively allow the Michael Newdow’s of the world to push Christianity into a box? No, instead Paul’s telling us that we are to seek out other faithful people, teach them and train them in the faith of Jesus Christ, so that they can also be qualified to teach others. Instead of hiding in the fear of persecution, Paul’s telling us to do the exact opposite: take what we have learned about the saving Grace of Jesus Christ and boldly teach others the saving message. Remember Jesus’ words: “Go and make disciples of ALL nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” This is what we call the Great Commission…Jesus’ own instructions to us to teach others about Him. Paul knew the great commission and so was telling us to boldly do the same thing.
And Paul knew in doing so that the early Church, just like many of us today, would be persecuted for it. Listen to verses three through seven: “Endure hardship with us like a good solider of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a solider gets involved in civilian affairs-he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farming should be the first to receive a share of the crops.” See friends what Paul is saying is now that we know that we are strong in the Grace of Jesus, we just keep marching forward in the faith. I love it when Paul compares the faithful with athletes. He’s telling us that athletes train hard and follow the rules to win. And being athletes for Jesus, we train hard by studying our Scripture, by attending church, by fellowship with other believers, and by listening to Jesus through prayer. Verse seven: “Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.” In other words, pray about it and the Holy Spirit will continue to lead and guide you in this strength that we have through the grace of Jesus.
Moving on to verse eight, Paul says, “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David.” Here Paul’s reminding Timothy—and us—that as place our faith in Jesus, we know that He is the fulfillment of what the Old Testament had been promising for thousands of years…that a Messiah would come from the line of David, and that this Messiah would suffer and die and then be raised again from the dead so that through the Messiah’s death and resurrection, we find life because on our own, in our own sin, we only have death. But through Jesus, we are “strong in the grace.” Paul is so sure of the strength he has through the Grace of Jesus Christ that he tells us that he is “suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal.” In other words, Paul’s telling Timothy here that if he—Paul—can endure being chained like a criminal, awaiting execution, then this same Grace that is getting Paul through this ordeal will carry Timothy and the early Church, just like it will carry you and me, a great way. Again, it’s likely that none of us here tonight will be chained in a prison for our faith, but there certainly are Christians in other places of the world who are killed for their faith. Christians in Pakistan and Iran, for example, are killed for their faith in Jesus. And although these Christians are killed for their faith, God’s Word continues on. Paul says that “God’s word is not chained.” Jesus Christ is the Word of God made flesh, so in our sufferings for Christ, be the persecution I face in my job from mentioning Jesus, or the persecution we face from people like Michael Newdow, or the persecution our Christian brothers and sisters face in Muslim and other atheist countries, God’s Word continues to work its Grace in us because we are “strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” And with that strength—even in the face of whatever persecution we face for our faith, like Paul says in verse 10, we know we can “endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.” In other words, we endure in strength through Grace so that others too may find the grace that gives us life through the death of Jesus.
And so as we wrap up tonight, let’s listen to Paul’s summary of what I just said, as he put it in verse 11:
“Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him,
We will also live with him;
If we endure,
We will also reign with him
If we disown him
He will also disown us;
If we are faithless,
he will remain faithful
For he cannot disown himself.”
See friends, regardless of what life brings, you can always know that through your faith in Jesus, you literally have Jesus Christ living within you. “He will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.” Like the old Christian song, we are Christian soldiers, charged by Jesus Himself to take His Gospel to all ends of the earth, with the sure knowledge that whatever happens to us while we are doing Christ’s work, we are firm and secure in salvation, we are “strong in the grace hat is in Christ Jesus.” Amen.
Now may the true faith which surpasses all human understanding keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus, who is our LORD...Amen.
