SERMON OUTLINE:
(1). The Soldier (vs 3-4, 8-13)
(2). The Athlete (vs 5)
(3). The Farmer (vs 6-7)
(4). The Victor (vs 8-13)
SERMON CONTENT:
Ill:
• Just imagine a factory in the UK of about 40-50 employees;
• The aim of that factory is to produce shoes.
• To help the factory become a success;
• The management has invested great sums of money;
• And many man-hours into the plant to produce the finest shoes possible.
• Money has been spent on salaries for the employees,
• Machinery for shoe making,
• And materials from which the shoes are to be made.
• The plant is in operation and many of the workers can be seen scurrying to and fro.
• Machines are running full blast,
• And activity is at a maximum.
• Then one day the owner of the factory asks the production manager,
• “How many shoes have we produced so far?”
• To his surprise the production manager answers: “None”
• So the factory owner exclaims; “How long have we been in operation?”
• The production manager replies: “Years and years.”
• The factory owner can’t quite believe his ears and comments:
• “Did you say years and years? And still no shoes?”
• The production manager says:
• “That’s right, no shoes, but we sure are really busy.
• In fact, we have been so busy that we are all worn out”
• We all know what would happen in that situation:
• The factory owner would not just be concerned,
• He would probably fire somebody, and try to find out what the problem was.
• TRANSITION:
• Now if we now put a cross on top of that building;
• And transform it into the church in Park Gate, Southampton!
• Our church, we will find much activity going on.
• Men and women are working hard.
• But…what is our end product…how many shoes/disciples are we producing?
• Now I know people are different from a product;
• And yet surely we should see results from time, money and effort invested!
• Remember that the objective of this local fellowship is to produce disciples.
• To help people of all ages and from all backgrounds come to a real faith in Jesus Christ;
• And to help them grow in their faith!
• The biblical word for that is discipleship!
• That is our purpose as a Church – to bring folks to Jesus (make converts);
• And then to bring them closer (make disciples).
Quote: Alan Redpath the late great British evangelist, pastor and author.
"The conversion of a soul is the miracle of a moment,
but the manufacture of a saint is the task of a lifetime."
• Becoming a Christian, a follower of Jesus may start suddenly;
• Can happen this morning, if you are willing to take a step of faith;
• And invite the living Christ to be your saviour & Lord!
• But the learning process never ends this side of eternity!
• Our passage this morning is a reminder that discipleship is a process!
Ill:
• Russian comedian Yakov Smirnoff said:
• When he first came to the United States from Russia;
• He wasn’t prepared for the incredible variety of instant products;
• That he found available in American grocery stores.
• He says, "On my first shopping trip,
• I saw powdered milk--you just add water, and you get milk.
• Then I saw powdered orange juice--you just add water, and you get orange juice.
• And then I saw baby powder, and I thought to myself, what a country!"
• Quote: "The conversion of a soul is the miracle of a moment,
• but the manufacture of a saint is the task of a lifetime."
• Becoming a Christian, a follower of Jesus may start suddenly;
• But the learning process never ends this side of eternity!
• Our passage this morning is a reminder that discipleship is a process!
Note:
• Just before we look at the four pictures mentioned:
• I want you to notice two things from verses 1-2;
FIRST:
• A disciple is someone who has come to faith i.e. conversion;
• That is where the process of discipleship starts.
• This letter was written to Timothy;
• Who was the Pastor, one of the leaders of this local Church.
• In the previous chapter (2 Timothy chapter 1 verse 5) we are told:
“I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also”.
• Timothy had a big advantage in his life that I for one did not have:
• He had a Christian parent and grandparent.
• He had a Jewish grandmother called Lois, who was converted to Jesus Christ.
• She was the first one in the family to come to faith.
• He also had a Jewish mother called Eunice;
• She too became a follower of Jesus Christ.
• As for his father we know very little;
• All we can glean about him in the Bible was that he was a Greek.
• The important bit is that:
• Timothy heard the truth of the Christian faith from family members and believed.
• For him the process of discipleship had begun!
Quote: BILLY GRAHAM who said:
“Children will invariably talk, eat, walk, think, respond, and act like their parents.
Give them a target to shoot at. Give them a goal to work toward. Give them a pattern that they can see clearly, and you give them something that gold and silver cannot buy”.
• Timothy’s mother and grandmother had given him something that gold and silver cannot buy.
• A sincere faith, that brought him into contact with the living Christ.
• Notice that although his mother Eunice & grandmother Lois;
• Had sown the seed of faith in his heart(chapter 1 verse 5)
• It took a travelling preacher, the apostle Paul to come along and reap that harvest,
• It was Paul the visiting preacher who led Timothy to the Lord;
SECOND:
• And we need to share that faith with others i.e. evangelism.
• That is one of the signs we have faith;
• We looked at the words of Jesus at the very start of this series on discipleship;
• Where he commanded us to ‘go and make disciples of all nations’.
• (Matthew chapter 28 verse 19)
• A disciple should have a desire to share the good news of Jesus Christ with other people.
• It is not only a privilege to receive the Christian faith - it is also a duty to transmit it.
• If we want folks to be saved we must speak out the gospel to them;
• Question:
• When did you last speak ‘one to one’ to a stranger, family member or friend?
• Maybe that should be the first practical application from this morning’s talk!
Ill:
• Last weekend we heard the story of the Christian teacher,
• Who was taking a lesson Monday morning in a tough comprehensive secondary school;
• One of the pupils asked him a question out loud and before the rest of the class;
• What he had been doing over the weekend?
• The teacher replied; you would not be interested;
• But the pupil insisted and kept asking the teacher what he had been up to.
• So the teacher said; “We were doing some evangelism in the city centre”.
• The pupil looked shocked and said; “Sir, what did you really do?”
• So again the teacher replied: “We were doing some evangelism in the city centre”.
• Once again the pupil looked shocked and said;
• “Sir, next time you do some vandalism in the city centre can we come!”
• A disciple should have a desire to share the good news of Jesus Christ with other people.
• It is not only a privilege to receive the Christian faith - it is also a duty to transmit it.
• If we want folks to be saved we must speak out the gospel to them;
• Every Christian is called to be a witness:
• Quote: “Evangelism is just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread”
Now let’s look at the four metaphors in the passage:
• In this chapter the apostle Paul presented a number of pictures;
• There are four of those word illustrations in this short passage.
• I am going to be very disciplined this morning;
• And only choose one or two applications from each of the four pictures mentioned.
(1). The soldier (vs 3-4, 8-13):
Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
4 No-one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs— he wants to please his commanding officer.
Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel,
9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's word is not chained.
10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
11 Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him, we will also live with him;
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us;
13 if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself.
Ill:
• The great missionary and explorer David Livingstone;
• Went to what used to be called ‘darkest Africa’ as a lone missionary.
• After some time his missions committee wrote to him saying:
• "Some people would like to join you. What’s the easiest road to get where you are?"
• He replied,
• "If they’re looking for the easiest road, tell them to stay in England.
• I want people who will come, even if there’s no road at all!"
• Sometimes the pathway of the Christian life will appear to be a smooth-surfaced road;
• Other times it will be a stony uphill track.
• That is why the apostle Paul told these Christians to “Endure hardship”.
• Following Jesus Christ is tough at times!
• So if you want an easy life don’t follow Jesus;
• And yet if you want a full life, a purposeful life then follow him wholeheartedly!
Ill:
• The great American evangelist D.L. Moody;
• (The Billy Graham of the 1800’s)
• Would not allow his song leader Ira Sankey;
• To use “Onward Christian Soldiers” in any of their evangelistic meetings.
• Mr Moody thought that the Church as he knew it;
• Did not look or act like an army of soldiers.
Quote: Backward Christian soldiers (Anonymous)
“Backward Christian soldiers, fleeing from the fight
With the cross of Jesus nearly out of sight.
Christ, our rightful master, stands against the foe
But forward into battle, we are loathe to go.
Like a mighty tortoise moves the Church of God
Brothers we are treading where we’ve always trod.
We are much divided, many bodies we
Having many doctrines, not much charity.
Crowns and thorns may perish, kingdoms rise and wane,
But the Church of Jesus hidden does remain.
Gates of hell should never ‘gainst the Church prevail
We have Christ’s own promise, but think that it will fail.
Sit here then ye people, join our useless throng
Blend with ours your voices in a feeble song.
Blessings, ease and comfort, ask from Christ the King
With our modern thinking, we don’t do a thing”.
The apostle Paul often used this illustration of a soldier in his letters.
• You can in your own time look up the references in a concordance;
• Clearly Paul saw in the life of the soldier a picture of the life of the Christian.
• This is not surprising since he lived under the military occupation of the Roman army;
• At times when he was in a Roman prison or under house arrest;
• He was chained to a soldier, often more than just one!
• He saw Roman soldiers ‘up close and personal’;
• And when he needed an illustration he was able to draw on his experience.
He describes for us in these verses, various characteristics of a "good soldier of Jesus Christ”:
(a).
• We could focus on the fact that a good soldier (verse 3a):
• ENDURES HARDNESS: “Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”
• Jesus himself was persecuted cruelly, and warned his followers to expect the same. He was unjustly accused, and subjected to violence and degrading execution.
• The New Testament describes the persecution endured by the early Church:
• It included: imprisonment, flogging, seizure of property and death.
• The persecution facing Christians today;
• Is one of the largest human rights violation issues in today’s world.
• It is estimated that 200 million Christians in at least 60 countries;
• Are denied fundamental human rights solely because of their faith.
• (Source: http://www.christianity.org.uk/index.php/are-christians-being-persecuted.php)
• The most common forms of persecution of Christians are:
• Violence against people and property, exclusion from education and employment,
• And removal of access to housing, Bibles or food and water.
• This kind of persecution occurs in countries;
• Where Christians form a minority of the population;
• Or in countries where the government regards any religion as a threat to their authority.
ENDURES HARDNESS: “Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.”
• Because that is a normal part of the Christian life;
• Sooner or later we will all face tough times for our faith!
Notice verse 4:
• A soldier is consecrated; Set apart (verse 4a).
• “No-one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs”
Ill:
• When the Roman soldier joined the army he took the sacramentum,
• This Latin word ‘sacramentum’, means an ‘oath of allegiance'.
• A Roman soldier made a ‘sacramentum’ to the Emperor.
• It was the public seal upon his promise of loyalty & change of Lordship!
• The soldier's supreme promise that he no longer lives for himself;
• But for the emperor he now serves.
• The Christian too must be loyal to Jesus Christ,
• We have to have taken a ‘saramentum’, we have died to self and we now live for him!
• And our objective as verse 4 puts it is: “to please his commanding officer.”
Once a man or woman has enlisted in the army;
• He or she can no longer live as a civilian - living for the ordinary things of this life;
• The Christian has different values, different attitudes, different priorities.
• And a good soldier of Jesus Christ;
• Never forgets that he or she is always on duty, concentrating on their service!
Ill:
• Shortly after joining the Navy,
• The new recruit asked his officer for a pass so he could attend a wedding.
• The officer gave him the pass,
• But informed the young man he would have to be back by 7 p.m. Sunday.
• “You don’t understand, sir,” said the recruit. “I’m in the wedding.”
• “No, you don’t understand,” the officer shot back. “You’re in the Navy!”
• The first duty of the Christian is obedience to the voice of God,
• ill: Compare the children’s game ‘Simon says’ to ‘Jesus says’.
(2). The athlete (vs 5):
“Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules.”
• Paul often used athletic illustrations in his writings:
• He mentions wrestling, boxing, running, and exercising.
• The Greeks and the Romans were enthusiastic about sports,
• And the Olympic and Isthmian games were important events to them.
In his first letter (1 Timothy chapter 4 verses 7-8).
• Paul had urged Timothy to exercise like an athlete.
• Now in these verses Paul admonished him to obey the rules like an athlete.
• The key quality here is honesty,
• Christian character is being like Jesus,
• That is to ‘walk the talk!’ and practice what we preach.
Ill:
• Until the Lance Armstrong episode
• The world’s biggest sporting cheat had been Canadian Ben Johnson.
• The 1988 Olympic games,
• Saw two of the greatest athletes competing against one another:
• American Carl Lewis was competing against Canadian world-record-holder Ben Johnson.
• Lewis was favourite to win, but the race did not go to plan;
• Halfway through the race Johnson was five feet in front.
• Lewis was convinced he could catch him.
• But at 80 meters, he was still five feet behind.
• It’s over, Lewis thought. As Johnson crossed the finish,
• Johnson stared back at Lewis and thrust his right arm in the air,
• Index finger extended.
• Lewis was exasperated.
• Johnson refused to shake Lewis’ hand and left the track.
• But then came the announcement that Johnson had tested positive for anabolic steroids.
• He was stripped of his medal - The gold went to Lewis.
The apostle Paul is telling Timothy:
• What is the point of winning the race (in our case getting to heaven);
• Only to be disqualified later on! (i.e. lose our reward – not our salvation!)
• Paul was saying to young Timothy,
• You are not running the race to please people, or to get fame.
• You are running to please Jesus Christ!
• He is your motivation and he is your example and inspiration!
• So play fair, be honest!
Ill:
• Grandpa was always going on about the good old days,
• And the lower cost of living, in particular.
• "When I was a kid, my mom could send me to the store, and I'd get two pints of milk,
• Six oranges, two loaves of bread, a magazine, and some new blue jeans;
• All for a thruppenny bit
• Then Grandpa said sadly,
• "You can't do that anymore - now they got those video cameras everywhere you look."
• As disciples of Jesus Christ let us be honest in our words;
• And honest in our actions.
• Let’s live according to the rules of honesty & truth!
(3). The farmer (vs 6-7):
The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.
7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.
Ill:
• Old joke:
• Farmer who advertised in a newspaper lonely hearts column for a new bride.
• He wrote; “Farmer seeks wife with her own tractor, please send photo of tractor!”
• A farmer and farming is another favourite image found in Paul's letters.
• Again there are some simple analogies that we can draw on.
• But for the sake of time I will focus on just one:
• Often the farmer must be content, first, to work, and, then, to wait.
• Patience!
Ill:
• Anne Mansfield Sullivan had a host of folks telling her:
• That the blind 7 year old brat she was teaching was just not worth it.
• Anne persisted in spite of:
• Temper tantrums, physical abuse, meal time madness & even thankless parents.
• In her heart she knew it was worth the pain:
• Within 2 years the girl was able to read and write in Braille.
• She ultimately graduated from Radcliffe college,
• Where Anne Sullivan had spelled each lecture into her hand.
• The name of that pupil was 'Helen Keller':
• Who then devoted the rest of her life to aiding the deaf and the blind.
• Anne Mansfield Sullivan was "Patient" against the hard going.
• She displayed a positive attitude and in time she reaped the rewards!
• TRANSITION:
• More than any other workman,
• The farmer has to learn that there are no such things as quick results.
• The farmer sows their seed and waits and waits and waits;
• In due time they will reap the harvest!
The Christian too must learn to work and to wait.
• Often we sow good seed of the word into the hearts and minds of men and women;
• With no immediate results.
• ill: One Christian organisation reckon it takes three to four years for people today;
• To come from first contact all the way through to faith in Christ!
In many areas of life we need to be patient:
• Quote Ivor:
• “Lord give me patience……but hurry!”
• ill: A teacher has often to teach, and see very little difference in those whom they teach.
• ill: A parent has often to seek to train and guide, and see no difference in the child.
• It is only when the days, weeks, months, years go by;
• That the result is seen;
• The farmer has learned to wait with patience,
• And so must the Christian teacher and the Christian parent and the Farmer!
ONE COMMON THING IN ALL THREE PICTURES.
• The soldier is upheld by the thought of final victory.
• The athlete is upheld by the vision of the crown.
• The farmer is upheld by the hope of the harvest.
Each submits to the discipline and the toil for the sake of the glory which shall be.
• So to with the Christian.
• The Christian life & the Christian struggle is not without a goal;
• It is always going somewhere.
• The Christian can be certain that after the effort of the Christian life,
• There comes the joy of heaven;
• And the greater the struggle, the greater the joy!
(4). The victor (vs 8-13).
• In this last picture the apostle Paul now focuses in on Jesus Christ!
• Our greatest example.
13Fix this picture firmly in your mind: Jesus, descended from the line of David, raised from the dead. It's what you've heard from me all along. It's what I'm sitting in jail for right now—but God's Word isn't in jail! That's why I stick it out here—so that everyone God calls will get in on the salvation of Christ in all its glory. This is a sure thing:
If we die with him, we'll live with him;
If we stick it out with him, we'll rule with him;
If we turn our backs on him, he'll turn his back on us;
If we give up on him, he does not give up—
for there's no way he can be false to himself.
Paul has used various pictures to encourage and inspire Timothy:
• A Steward. A Soldier. An Athlete. A Farmer.
• Now he comes to the greatest appeal of all-“Remember Jesus Christ”.
• Even if every other appeal to Timothy's gallantry should fail,
• Surely the memory of Jesus Christ cannot.
In the words which follow, Paul is really urging Timothy to remember three things.
(1). Remember Jesus Christ risen from the dead.
• The tense of the Greek does not imply one definite act in time,
• But a continued state which lasts for ever.
• Paul is not so much saying to Timothy:
• "Remember the actual resurrection of Jesus";
• But rather:
• "Remember your risen and ever-present Lord."
The risen ever present Christ is the Christian’s constant inspiration.
• We do not depend on the memory of Jesus, however great.
• We enjoy the power of his presence.
Ill:
• What an encouragement this is:
• Who knows what task, what circumstances, what difficulties await us this week?
• When a Christian is summoned to a great task that he cannot but feel is beyond him,
• They go to it in the certainty that they do not go alone,
• But that there is with every Christian;
• The presence and the power of his risen Lord.
• When fears threaten, when doubts assail, when inadequacy depresses,
• Paul tells Timothy (and us) “Remember the presence of the risen Lord”.
(2). Remember Jesus Christ born of the seed of David.
• This is the other side of the coin.
• "Remember," says Paul to Timothy, "The humanity of Jesus."
• We do not remember one who is only a spiritual presence;
• An ever present deity.
• We remember one who entered our world, lived this life,
• Faced struggles and difficulties, and who therefore knows what we are going through.
• We have with us the presence not only of the glorified Christ,
• But the Son of man who pitched his tent and lived amongst us!
• The Christ who knew the desperate struggle of being a man;
• And who was willing to follow to the bitter end the will of God.
(3). Remember the gospel, the good news. The message of Jesus!
• At times sharing the message of Jesus demands much,
• It is not always easy to make a stand or be a witness.
• So remember that the message we share is more than words;
• It is more than information,
• It is a person!
• Quote John Wesley: “I offered them Christ”.
So Paul kindles Timothy to heroism by calling upon him to remember Jesus Christ:
• To remember the continual presence of the risen Lord,
• To remember the sympathy which comes from the manhood of the Master,
• To remember the glory of the gospel, share Jesus;
• To a world which has never heard it, might not want it, but is in desperate need of it!
In Conclusion:
• The process of discipleship requires:
• First: We come to Faith.
• Second: We are willing to share that faith.
• Third: We endure hardships.
• Fourth: We are honest & truthful.
• Fifth: We are patient.
• Sixth: We remember that the living Jesus Christ is with us always!
Quote: The great missionary, J. Hudson Taylor, often said,
"It is not by trying to be faithful, but in looking to the Faithful One,
that we win the victory."
