INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• This is the last message in our “Committed” series. Following Jesus is always easy to do. Commitment to anything will have times of difficulty, times of trying to decide what take priority in life.
• I saved this message as the last message in the series because I did not want people to run out the door on the first message of the series.
• There have been countless numbers of people who have suffered and even died for the sake of the Gospel.
• Recently ISIS beheaded four children because they would not convert to Islam.
• “Islamic State turned up and said to the children, you say the words that you will follow Mohammed,” White said. “The children, all under 15, four of them, said no, we love Yesua, we have always loved Yesua, we have always followed Yesua, Yesua has always been with us. “They said, ‘Say the words.’ They said, ‘No, we can’t.’ They chopped all their heads off. Read more at http://www.inquisitr.com/1665841/isis-beheads-four-christian-children-after-they-refuse-to-convert-to-islam/#vH1VeeKQUlCCGCm2.99
• These children with their wholes lives ahead of them were all in for Jesus.
• The thought of suffering is not a joyful thought, it is not something one looks forward to do.
• The situation in the Middle East is an extreme one; however, there will be times when we will all will have to decide how sold out to Jesus we are.
• When we speak of suffering for Jesus, it is really all about being all in for Jesus.
• It is about having a deep enough conviction of faith to not let anything cause one to walk away from Jesus.
• Today we will examine some principles Paul shares with the young evangelist Timothy as he endeavors to encourage Timothy to follow Jesus no matter what, even in the midst of uncomfortable circumstances.
• Let’s being our examination today by opening the Word to 2 Timothy 2:8
• SLIDE #2
• 2 Timothy 2:8 (HCSB) Keep your attention on Jesus Christ as risen from the dead and descended from David. This is according to my gospel.
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
I. Keep your focus on the paragon of Jesus. 8
• Keep your focus on the excellent example of Jesus!
• Jesus came to show us the way. He constantly said to Come and follow Him. The washing of the disciple’s feet on one of the examples Jesus gave so that we could follow His example of service and humility.
• The foot-washers job was given to the lowest servant of the house.
• Jesus did not give orders to His followers and just sit back and do nothing. He was on the front lines!
• SLIDE #4
• Matthew 20:28 (HCSB) just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many.”
• On many occasions Jesus spoke of the fact that He was going to have to suffer in order to carry out His mission.
• When Ananias was called to speak to Paul, Jesus told him that Paul would suffer for His sake. Paul recognized this also.
• SLIDE #5
• Colossians 1:24 (HCSB) Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you, and I am completing in my flesh what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for His body, that is, the church.
• Paul followed paragon of Jesus until the very end.
• Paul reminds Timothy of two other facts, one that Jesus rose from the dead.
• This shows that God put His stamp of approval on Jesus and His ministry.
• The same God who raised Jesus is the same God who will empower Timothy and YOU to be able to faithfully serve Him.
• Romans 6 reminds us that when we are in Christ, we will rise with Him when He returns!
• No matter what we face in this life, it is but temporary. We will not suffer for eternity when we are in Christ!
• Paul also reminds Timothy of Jesus’ incarnation. Jesus came in the flesh as a descendent of David.
• Jesus led the way, He is an example which can aspire us to stay faithful no matter what hits us!
• SLIDE #6
• 2 Timothy 2:9 (HCSB) I suffer for it to the point of being bound like a criminal, but God’s message is not bound.
• SLIDE #7
II. Appreciate the power of the Word. 9
• Have you ever had to deliver a difficult message to another person and you would ask them ahead of time to not shoot the messenger.
• Paul was a messenger for the gospel and plenty of people figuratively shot at him.
• He suffered much hardship because of his calling to proclaim the gospel; however, he would not stop.
• SLIDE #8
• 2 Corinthians 11:25 (HCSB) Three times I was beaten with rods by the Romans. Once I was stoned by my enemies. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the open sea.
• This is just a small taste of what he endured. Nonetheless, the gospel was not stopped!
• Even in the midst of hardship, the word can still do its work. Paul was bound in chains, the gospel was not.
• In the Roman jails, the Romans did not want their prisoners to escape so they would chain a guard to certain prisoners. The guards would rotate shifts being chained to the prisoner.
• Paul as you may guess, shared the gospel with each and every one of those guards.
• Nothing has to the power to stop the gospel.
• The power of the gospel cannot be overtaken by the darkness.
• SLIDE #9
• Romans 1:16 (HCSB) For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.
• When we suffer for the gospel we are not suffering for a weak loser, our suffering can produce fruit.
• We proclaim the message of the creator of all things!
• Let’s turn to verse 10
• SLIDE #10
• 2 Timothy 2:10 (HCSB) This is why I endure all things for the elect: so that they also may obtain salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
• SLIDE #11
III. Apprehend the purpose of your mission. 10
• Why did Paul do what he did in the midst of horrific hardship and suffering? He understood the purpose of what he was doing.
• Knowing the purpose behind what you do can be a huge motivator. When I was pursuing my bachelor’s degree, I ran a CRAZY busy schedule, especially the first two years.
• I did not get much sleep. I was burning the candle at both ends as well as in the middle. It was not an easy time, I missed out on doing a lot of fun things. I was always studying.
• I never once seriously thought about quitting. Why? I understood why my purpose, I knew what I was called to do.
• Paul was able to face the adversities he endured because he understood the eternity of others was at stake.
• Numerous people would have quit after just one of the hardships he suffered because of his faith, not Paul!
• The word ENDURE denotes patience under trials, to be able to put up with things as a faithful soldier at his post.
• We need to stay strong in the face of adversity. This thought ties in with “Keeping the Faith” from last week.
• When we know the importance of what we are called to do, we can be motivated to stand strong in the face of adversity.
• Jesus did what He did so that others could have eternal life.
• SLIDE #12
• Ephesians 5:25–27 (HCSB) Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her to make her holy, cleansing her with the washing of water by the word. He did this to present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless.
• The elect are those who choose to accept the call to follow Jesus. If we do not take the message to others, they will not hear.
• SLIDE #13
• Romans 10:14–15 (HCSB) But how can they call on Him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about Him? And how can they hear without a preacher? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who announce the gospel of good things!
• The job is important, souls are at stake!
• Next let us turn to verse 11-13
• SLIDE #14
• 2 Timothy 2:11–13 (HCSB) 11 This saying is trustworthy: For if we have died with Him, we will also live with Him; 12 if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He will also deny us; 13 if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.
• SLIDE #15
IV. Take seriously the promises of Jesus. 11-13
• These verses start out with the phrase, THIS SAYING IS TRUSTWORTHY. There are five such statements in the Pastoral Epistles. (1 & 2 Timothy, Titus).
• The Bible was not completed at this time and these “TRUSTWORTHY STATEMENTS” were short summaries of various doctrines which were memorized for the purpose of witnessing to other people.
• This statement deals with the faithfulness of Jesus.
• If we die with Him, we will also live with Him. This refers to the dying to self that happens when we are baptized into Jesus. Romans 6:8.
• Verse 12 tells us if we endure, we will also reign with Him.
• This is an allusion to the eternal life with will have with Jesus. Romans 6:5
• The phrase TO REIGN WITH HIM only occurs in this passage as well as 1Corinthians 4:8.
• WE will do more than just survive, we will reign with Him! I do not fully grasp with this means, nut it is something special!
• This past of the statement is great, then it goes a bit downhill.
• If we deny Him, He will deny us!
• SLIDE #16
• Matthew 10:33 (HCSB) But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father in heaven.
• Here is the punchline in verse 13.
• if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.
• If one does not read this carefully, it sounds like Jesus will reward you even when you stay in a state of faithlessness; however, this verse is a bit of an ominous warning.
• Since Jesus is faithful, and cannot make exceptions which violate His character (CANNOT DENY HIMSELF), those who remain in a state of faithlessness will receive what Jesus has promised those who reject Him will receive.
• When one abandons opportunities to spread the Gospel, a failure to endure so that the gospel can spread would put one in the faithless category.
• Jesus cannot act as though faithlessness and faithfulness are one in the same.
• Jesus must act in harmony with His holy character!
• Let’s examine a final thought in verses 14-15
• SLIDE #17
• 2 Timothy 2:14–15 (HCSB) 14 Remind them of these things, charging them before God not to fight about words; this is in no way profitable and leads to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth.
• SLIDE #18
V. Joyfully present yourself to God. 14-15
• Paul tells Timothy to KEEP reminding people of these things.
• He speaks of getting caught up in words with Friends, I mean word battles.
• The Jewish Gnostics were giving esoteric definitions to certain Biblical words and phrases, and then claiming their occult practices were actually similar to what one reads in the Bible.
• They would argue their practices were therefore Christian.
• We see the same thing happening with groups today. They sprinkle enough of the Bible into what they do to make their practice appear Christian.
• 2 Timothy 2:18 speaks one issue that was happening.
• Paul tells Timothy not to waste his time engaging these battles, instead focus on presenting himself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed.
• In part how does one accomplish that feat? By correctly teaching the word of truth!
• To present means to show oneself to someone in order to gain approval. Our children to this all the time, especially when they are young.
• To be approved means to be one who has been tried and tested and found to be sterling or genuine!
• A workman who is not ashamed does high quality work!
• When a person asks for directions, most people would seek to give the person the most direct route to get them there the quickest.
• One who correctly teaches the word of truth does the same thing. They strive to teach in a way that a spiritual traveler will be able to get where they need to be as quickly as possible.
• They strive to not confuse them with twists and turns, the one who correctly teaches the word of truth does all they can to not confuse or cause the spiritual traveler to become lost in the fog!
CONCLUSION
• Suffering for the gospel. It does not and is not fun. There are still people today who have and are suffering for Jesus.
• The next time we may be tempted to back off from our calling in the midst of adversity, please remember the four children in Iraq who stared evil in the eye and would not back down!
• They told evil to take a hike, they loved Jesus!
• We cannot give in or give up, no matter what.
