Ain’t Skeered
2 Timothy 1:6-10
Intro: One summer night during a severe thunderstorm a mother was tucking her small son into bed. She was about to turn the light off when he asked in a trembling voice, "Mommy, will you stay with me all night?" Smiling, the mother gave him a warm, reassuring hug and said tenderly, "I can’t dear. I have to sleep in Daddy’s room." A long silence followed. At last it was broken by a shaky voice saying, "The big sissy!" [ sermon central ]
. How many of you have seen the bumper stickers or rear window stickers that say “ain’t skeered”?
. You usually see them on pick up trucks driven by good old country boys as we call them here in Georgia. These are guys who are proclaiming, in there own way, that they consider themselves tough and that they are not scared of anybody or anything.
. For the most part that is true until it’s time to share their faith if they are a Christian.
. Then they are like most of us. We become ashamed or afraid of how our faith affects our social standing or our popularity in school or maybe how it will affect our success in business.
.Maybe we become ashamed and afraid that if we share our faith with someone that then they would start asking questions about why our words don’t match our actions. Why we don’t walk the talk.
. The greatest example of this fear and shame is found in Matthew chapter 26.
. Go back with me to the Passover meal and the last supper as we call it.
. Jesus and His disciples have shared the meal and Jesus has instituted the ordinance of communion. They bibke tells us that they sang a hymn or psalm and went out to the mount of olives. While they were on there way, they were talking .
. Jesus tells them that they will all desert Him that that night and that He will be taken up and killed but He will meet them after He has been raised from the dead in Galilee.
. Now if they had pick up trucks back then, I believe that peter would have had one of those “ain’t skeered” stickers on it.
. Peter pokes out his chest and says even if all these others here desert you, I will not. You can depend on me . I ain’t skeered Lord.
. In verse 34 of Mt 26 Jesus say’s;
“I tell you the truth, Peter—this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.”
. Peter says no, that won’t happen Lord. Even if I have to die with you, that won’t happen. I ain’t skeered Lord.
. all the other disciples agreed with peter saying that there was no way they would not stand with Him.
. Well Jesus goes to the Garden Of Gethsemane to pray and Judas betrays him there. Jesus is arrested and turned over to the authorities
. As all this is going on, we are told in verses 69-75 that;
. Meanwhile, Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl came over and said to him, “You were one of those with Jesus the Galilean.”
70But Peter denied it in front of everyone. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.
71Later, out by the gate, another servant girl noticed him and said to those standing around, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.”
72Again Peter denied it, this time with an oath. “I don’t even know the man,” he said.
73A little later some of the other bystanders came over to Peter and said, “You must be one of them; we can tell by your Galilean accent.”
74Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know the man!” And immediately the rooster crowed.
75Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he went away, weeping bitterly.
.Peter was afraid and ashamed to be associated with Jesus.
. In our scripture today, the apostle Paul is talking to his protégé. His son in the ministry as he calls Timothy and he is encouraging him not to be ashamed or afraid.
. Paul was speaking directly to Timothy in this regard but he is also speaking to us today.
. As we look at our scripture, we will see three ways we can avoid being ashamed or afraid to tell others about Jesus.
. Lets look at our scripture. 2 Timothy 1:6-10
. 6This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual agift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.7For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
8So never be ashamed to btell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News.9For God csaved us and called us to live a holy dlife. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.10And now he has made all of this plain to us by the eappearing of Christ Jesus, our fSavior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News
. The first thing we can do to help us in not being ashamed or skeered to share our faith is to.
. Renew Our Gift
. vs 6 says: 6This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual agift God gave you when I laid my hands on you.
. Remember the gift that you were given when you gave your life to Jesus. When you made that commitment to God.
. It would seem that Timothy’s gift was exhortation. The gift of preaching and sharing Jesus with others.
. It seems likely that Timothy’s excitement and devotion had cooled a little bit. Paul’s first advice was to renew his commitment and exercise the gift that God had given him.
. He told Timothy to fan the flame. Stoke up the fire Timothy to the intensity you had when you were saved and commissioned.
. A few weeks ago we talked about being a church on fire and how we were to keep the fires burning on the alter and in the church.
. That’s what Paul is basically telling Timothy and us.
. Use the gift that God has given you to tell others about Jesus.
. In Romans chapter 12: 6-8 Paul lists these gifts for us.
. 6In his grace, God has given us different agifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.7If your gift is bserving others, bserve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well.8If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give cgenerously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
. Paul writes that if you have the gift to preach, preach.
. If you have the gift of service, serve.
. If you have been given the gift of teaching, teach
. if you are an encourager, encourage
. If you have been given the gift of giving, give.
. If you are a leader, then lead
. If you have the gift of kindness, be kind.
. All of these are spiritual gifts that God has given to the church through various individuals.
. Re-kindle that gift and use it for the glory of God.
.Depend on what God has given you to use in service for His kingdom.
. Don’t be ashamed or frightened, you have a gift, use it to help share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
. As you renew your gift, you will realize that along with this renewal you can:
RELY ON YOUR RESOURCES that God has given you.
Vs 7 says; 7For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
. If you are timid Timothy, this did not come from God.
. God didn’t give you these gifts to be fearful and timid.
. Use them Timothy and God will provide you through the Holy Spirit with First.
. Power- God will give you His power to accomplish His purpose. Through you Timothy.
. He gives us this same power today. We can depend on Him for that Power.
. When that feeling of timidity comes over us, realize that it’s not from God and depend on Him to give you power through the Holy Spirit.
. Paul writes to the church at Ephesus that when our trust is only in Him, when we depend on Him for our power and strength and our desire is to use the gift that He has given us, that He is willing and able to: “… through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” [ Eph 3:20 ]
. The second resource that we can rely on is Love.
. Don’t be timid Timothy, Love people.
. You have a type of love that only Christians have.
. The love that you have as a resource is very unique Timothy
.
. The love that you have is agape love. A love that is selfless and desires to work for the best interest of the one loved.
. This love is not emotional or conditional as philos love is.
. It is not a sensual or erotic or selfish love that eros is.
. God has given to you a love that is constant and not subject to the ebb and flow of emotions.
. This love that Paul is telling Timothy to use and rely on is only present in Christians.
. It is part of who God makes you when you place your faith and hope in Him and surrender your life to Jesus.
. This love is the love that Paul writes to the Ephesian church about in Eph 3:19 where writes that above all, this love is “… the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge.”
. You see, this powerful love that God shows us through the sacrifice of Jesus is the model that we are to use when proclaiming Jesus to the world.
. The best description that I have ever heard of this powerful love was in material that I was using for children’s church many years ago.
. In order to describe this love to the children we used a little rhyming sentence.
. Wanting the best, for all the rest.
. The love that Jesus had was a love that wanted the best for everyone. No one was excluded.
. When we depend on God for power and show this kind of love for people, our fears will subside and we can share the Good News of Jesus without fear.
. Paul tells Timothy to Renew your gift , Rely on your resources and thirdly here in verses 8-10 he tells timothy to:
. REMEMBER YOUR CALLING
. Vs 8-10- 8So never be ashamed to btell others about our Lord. And don’t be ashamed of me, either, even though I’m in prison for him. With the strength God gives you, be ready to suffer with me for the sake of the Good News.9For God csaved us and called us to live a holy dlife. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time—to show us his grace through Christ Jesus.10And now he has made all of this plain to us by the eappearing of Christ Jesus, our fSavior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News
. Remember your calling Timothy.
. Tell others about Jesus.
. That is your calling Timothy. Share the Good News of Jesus Christ. That is your calling.
. When last we left Peter, He had ran away weeping bitterly as the scripture describes it.
. He was ashamed and frightened but Peter went through thus process that Paul is describing to Timothy.
. Peter’s calling was renewed.
.In john 21:15-17 Jesus renewed Peters calling.
. Jesus is appearing for a third time to His disciples and He has cooked breakfast for them and this conversation took place.
. After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.”
“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus told him.
16Jesus repeated the question: “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
“Yes, Lord,” Peter said, “you know I love you.”
“Then jtake care of my sheep,” Jesus said.
17A third time he asked him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”
Peter was hurt that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said, “Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you.”
Jesus said, “Then feed my sheep.
. Peter’s gift had been renewed.
. A few weeks later during Pentecost we see that Peter had learned to rely on the power and love of Jesus to exercise his calling to share the Good News of Jesus to a lost people.
. Let me share some excerpts from Peters first recorded sermon after the resurrection. We find them in Acts chapter 2.
. People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know.23But God knew what would happen, and his fprearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him.24But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip.
40Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!”
41Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.
. From afraid and ashamed to delivering a sermon that God used to save 3000 souls with.
. Peter would proudly wear the sign Ain’t Skeered.
. As I close this morning, I urge you this day to Renew your gift. Recommit your self to using the gift that god has given you.
. Rely on Gods power and love and use that power and love as you:
. Remember your calling to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with the world around you.
. Proudly wear the sticker that says AIN”T SKEERED.
Invitation
Sources: The Holy Bible, NLT
Macarthur New Testament Commentary, 2 Timothy
