TITLE: GOT JESUS?
SCRIPTURE: II TIMOTHY 1:3-14
I spent much time in prayer the past few days seeking God’s face as to where we need to go this morning for this final Pastoral Sermon of the year. Christmas celebrations have come to an end, yet there is still excitement in the air as we come together this day after Christmas to worship and bring closure to 2010 as it relates to Sunday Morning Worship Experiences.
When the Lord led me to this interesting passage of Scripture and I must admit I was challenged to really hear what God was saying in an effort to Feed the Flock this morning. Once I began to see the focus and direction as to what God was saying to us, the text became alive in my spirit. So, I am excited to stand in the pulpit on this final Sunday Morning of 2010 to bring the final message that God has for this Church this morning. I pray that we listen attentively as the foundation for Perfected Praise Worship Center (PPWC) is strengthened by the Word of God during this final Sunday of the Year.
After reading the text a few times, I found my mind wondering back some 17 years ago when a well-known Commercial made its debut on Television. Maybe some of you above 35 years of age will remember one of the first commercials involving a man sitting at his table with a mouth full of peanut butter and no milk to wash it down.
• A man who suddenly receives a phone call from a local radio station to answer the $10,000 trivia question
• He knows the answer and so desperately tries to get it out but can’t because his mouth is full of peanut butter
• His answer is unintelligible
• He loses out on the prize
• And the commercial ends with the tagline “GOT MILK?”
• Since then countless celebrities and athletes have sported the famous milk moustache
In a world of countless beverage choices - the question, “Got Milk?” continues to remind people about the wholesome goodness of plain, old milk. Got Milk? A good question:
• The role of milk is to nourish, provide immune protection and for bone strengthening
• Milk has been a food source for humans since the beginning to time
• Nutritional value of milk is high
So, “Got Milk” is a very good question, but not nearly as good as the question I have for us this morning – and lift up as a thought -- GOT JESUS? It's really a much more important question than “Got milk?”
• Milk is beneficial for good health, and strong bones and teeth
• But Jesus is helpful in so many more ways!
In a world where there are countless choices when it comes to religion, and countless opinions concerning how someone gets into heaven, GOT JESUS? - is the most important question you can ask a person in life. "GOT JESUS?" is a much more important question than "Got Milk?" While milk is beneficial for good health, strong bones and teeth - Jesus is beneficial for life.
• He is the only One who can forgive our sins
• He is the only One who can Grant us eternal life in heaven with God
• He is the only One who can Deliver us from sickness
• He is the only One who can Transform our lives into something meaningful
• He is the only One who can Grant us new life
• He is the only One who can Give us Peace that Surpasses All Understanding
• He is the only One who can walk with us daily through whatever trials may come our way
There are some interesting dynamics going on in our text this morning. Let’s spend a few minutes connecting our topic with our text. In our text Paul was so thankful that Timothy “GOT JESUS.” In fact he begins by saying, “I thank God, whom I serve…as day and night I remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy.” Isn’t that something?
• Do we thank God enough for the encouragement we receive through fellow believers?
• Do we strive to be the kind of people bringing the kind of encouragement to others that makes them long to see us so that they might be filled with joy?
• Timothy did and Paul thanked God for it!
• He thanked God for Timothy’s faith and the way he let it shine brightly for others to see!
I am not sure PPWC that we fully understand and appreciate some of the personalities that God has bought together at this place. On Sunday morning we have a wonderful Sister that greats us with excitement and exuberance - makes us feel that this is our first experience at PPWC. We have a Bishop no matter where we are he greets us as though he has not seen us for weeks. He does this in the Church – Job – Shopping – Visiting. These are the same traits that Paul said he was Thankful for and found in Timothy.
We should be able to look around this sanctuary this morning and just like Paul, be Thankful for those that are seated around us. When I see the Saints, I have a great sense of Joy, I appreciate the encouragement that is extended every now and then. I appreciate how we encourage one another and are supportive of one another. Just like Paul, we should be filled with Joy even when we think about the saints. Look at VS. 3 with me again - “I THANK GOD, WHOM I SERVE FROM MY FOREFATHERS WITH PURE CONSCIENCE, THAT WITHOUT CEASING I HAVE REMEMBERANCE OF THEE….” He was filled with joy whenever he thought about the relationship he had with the Preacher Timothy.
Are you thankful for those around you. Do we have joy when we think about seeing one another? Did you have joy last night when you thought about coming here on this final Sunday of the year? Perhaps David fully understood this. Perhaps this is why David wrote – “I WAS GLAD WHEN THEY SAID UNTO ME LET US GO INTO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD.”
• Perhaps he thought about the greeting he would receive from the Church Administrator
• Perhaps he thought about the Bishop that would greet him like he was the only one in the Church
• Perhaps he thought about the ministers that would give him words of encouragement
• Perhaps he thought about the Church Mothers that would greet him with a smile and a hug
• Perhaps he thought about the church family coming together to support one another
• Like Paul, when he thought about these things he was filled with Joy - I Was Glad
As Paul writes to Timothy we note some other interesting things? Who was responsible for Timothy getting, if you will, Jesus in the first place? It wasn’t Paul. It started with grandma. Grandma Lois loved God and His Word with all her heart. Grandma Lois made sure God’s Word took first place in the life of daughter Eunice and daughter Eunice made sure it took first place in the life of son Timothy and the Holy Spirit took care of the rest. Paul made reference of this process in I CORINTHIANS 3:6 “I PLANTED, APOLLOS WATERED; BUT GOD GAVE THE INCREASE.”
Now this is important my brothers and sisters, this is a concept that we must fully understand in order for the Church to continue to grow. At some point in our life someone asked us that important question – “GOT JESUS.” We should be able to look around the sanctuary and identify that person that we played a role in their life that lead them to Christ. We should be able to look around and know that there is someone serving God today because God used us to witness to them – whether we – PLANTED – WATERED – we know that God gave them the increase. This is why I am so adamant on Sunday morning to play a more active role during the call to Discipleship. This is why we need to get out of the Pews during the Invitation Process, if we don’t know that person in our pew or around us, we need to ask them – GOT JESUS? This is a question that has the potential of Changing their life forever.
Paul says in our text that he was glad that God placed young Timothy in his path. Paul knew that he played a significant role in Timothy’s spiritual development. He recognized that the Spark was already in him. The same spirit in Timothy’s Grandmother was also in Timothy’s mother and they passed it on to Timothy at a very early age. Then Paul came along and taught him, and God took Timothy to a higher level. Turn to your neighbor this morning and ask – GOT JESUS? We must make this a priority in our life – we need to play a responsible role in sharing Jesus with those around us. Young parents, we need to spend more time with our Children introducing them to Jesus. Yesterday family sat down in living room read St. Luke 2 – before any gifts were open and then had Christmas Morning Prayer. That’s not enough - must spend time throughout the year reading and praying with our children, grand-children. Must help them with their relationship with the Lord - We need to ask our children, nieces, nephews, grandchildren -- GOT JESUS – need to know where they are in their spiritual development.
What Paul is referencing in reality is what is called a LEGACY OF FAITH – thank God for Timothy’s loved one’s that loved God enough to instill God in him as a boy. Then Paul comes along to feed the SPARK. THE LEGACY OF FAITH BEGINS AS A TINY SPARK. I can recall from my brief Boy Scout days how difficult it can be to START A FIRE WITHOUT MATCHES.
• Starting a fire the old fashioned way
• Rubbing two sticks together
• Striking two rocks together, with the hopes that doing so will produce a tiny spark needed to start a fire
• A tiny spark that starts out so fragile and delicate
• A tiny spark that needs just the right conditions in order to grow into a raging campfire
• Paper, dry leaves and grass, delicate kindling
• Hands that shield it from the wind and elements to prevent anything from putting it out
• Coddling and nurturing with the hopes of that tiny spark growing into a raging campfire
• A campfire by which you can warm yourself and cook your food
• A campfire that dispels the darkness and lights your way
• A campfire that not even the wind and the rain can completely put out
My brothers and sisters faith works the same way. For Timothy - mom and grandma were the people God used to share God’s Word with him so that the Holy Spirit could provide the Spark. Who was it for you? For most of us it was probably mom and dad bringing us to church, perhaps it was grand-parents - where the Holy Spirit would provide the spark of faith.
But the longer I listen to some in the congregation, the more I realize this is not the case for everyone. Some here this morning that were not raised in the Church, were not introduced to Jesus at an early age. Someone along the Crossroads of Life let their light shine and in so doing were instrumental in leading others to see the light. No matter who they were or when they did it, thank God for those people because those were the people God used to make sure you “GOT JESUS” and in so doing you gained forgiveness of sins and eternal life in heaven through faith in Jesus as well!
GOT JESUS? - involves knowing and believing that as Paul tells us, “God saved us and called us to a holy life – not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time. Christ Jesus who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” Think about that for a moment:
• It wasn’t by chance or accident that God brought these special people into your life
• It was His plan and purpose for you before time began
• Jesus going to Calvary was not for His sake – but for ours
• Before we were placed in our mother’s Womb – God loved us
GOT JESUS? You ought to give thanks to God for the fact that you do, and as Paul tells us in our text, “stir up the gift of God.” The picture Paul uses is that of someone stirring up a fire into flame. Something that needs to be done continually and regularly to keep the fire going. As Christians we cannot rest secure in the knowledge of past blessings.
• We can’t rely on and rest on the laurels of a good Christian Life Seminar Education
• We can’t rely on and rest on the laurels of a Good Bible Study Education
• We can’t rely on what Mom – Dad – Grandmother taught us
• We can’t hang our hats on the fact that we know what we need to know and we really don’t need to know anything more about God’s Word
We can’t just rely on the past. Having those kinds of attitudes would be as foolish as working so hard to start a Campfire on Friday night using sticks and stones and then walking away, feeling that you’re good to go for the rest of the weekend without having to toss any more logs on the fire.
• How long do you think that fire is going to last
• What’s going to happen when that fire eventually goes out?
• Don’t let the fire of faith go out in your life, or in the lives of those you love, by being lazy or making excuses when it comes to growing in God’s Word
• If you see that happening, do something about it, before it’s too late
When Jesus comes again on judgment day, He will be looking for fires. At the very least he’ll be looking for sparks and smoldering wicks. And if he doesn’t see any of those things in you or in the lives of those you love, the chances of spending an eternity with Him are slim to non-existent. GOT JESUS? The fact that you’re here today says that you do. That you see the importance of growing in God’s Word and fanning that fire into flames realizing what can happen if you don’t.
• Fanning the fire of faith into flames can’t be done through academics or athletic
• It can’t be done through video games or television shows
• It can’t be done through community service or helping others in need
• It can’t be done through career or business opportunities
• It can only be done through regular and frequent involvement in Word and Fellowship
Paul tells us, “FAITH COMES BY HEARING, AND HEARING BY THE WORD OF GOD.” So toss another log on the fire by coming back here and participate in the life of the Church.
• Toss another log on the fire by supporting Sunday Worship Experiences
• Toss another log on the fire by spending time in God’s Word every day
• Toss another log on the fire by supporting Prayer Service and Bible Study
• Toss another log on the fire by gathering around the warmth of the dinner table for a family devotion
• In so doing, you’ll not only be fanning the fire of faith in your own life, you’ll be fanning it in the lives of others as well
GOT JESUS – Then we should be bold about our Faith. Bible says “LET THE REDEEMED OF THE LORD SAY SO.” Don’t be TIMID or AFRAID for as Paul tells us in our text, “GOD HAS NOT GIVEN US THE SPIRIT OF FEAR, BUT OF POWER, OF LOVE AND OF A SOUND MIND.” So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord for as Paul tells us elsewhere, “GOD WANTS ALL MEN TO BE SAVED AND COME TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH.” We have the truth in Jesus. We also have the command and privilege to go and share this truth with others.
• We should boldly tell others how we feel about the Lord
• We should not be ashamed to come to Church and Raise the Roof for the Lord
• I don’t know about you, but I don’t mind making some noise for the Lord
• Every now and then I need to get my Shout on for the Lord
• I don’t mind telling those around me that Only What You Do for Christ Will Last
--How can you shout like that – Cause I GOT JESUS
--Why are you so excited about the Church – Cause I GOT JESUS
--How can you Share your Faith with others so easily – Cause I GOT JESUS
--I Can’t wait to come to Church every week – Cause I GOT JESUS
--I Can’t wait to hear the choir, prayers and preached Word – Cause I GOT JESUS
--Why do we Preach and Teach like we do – Cause I GOT JESUS
--How can you Love and Forgive – Cause I GOT JESUS
