HoHum:
One day I was looking for something in our medicine cabinet at home. I was amazed to see how many different types of pills that were in there (remember to bring pills from home). I’ve brought a few examples to show you. Take a few samples and talk about them.
As I looked at these pills, I started thinking, wouldn’t it be wonderful if someone could develop a pill that would cure everything! No matter what was wrong with us, this one pill would cure it. That would be wonderful, wouldn’t it? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was a pill that would help people with every problem? What kinds of problems do we have? Well, thanks to God there is such a pill. It is called the “Gos-pill.” It is the “Gos-pill” of Jesus Christ. The word gospel means “good news.” What is some good news that we like to get?
The best good news is that Jesus loves us, died for us, wants to forgive us our sins, and He is able to take away the suffering and pain today and especially in heaven. The one pill that can help us through all the hurt and pain in our life is the “Gos-pill” of Jesus.
WBTU:
Last week we Speak of a Savior. Focusing on 1,2 Timothy and Titus.
This week we speak of the gospel.
Thesis: Ask 5 critical questions
For instances:
What is the gospel?
From Greek culture- Good news from the battlefield, good news from the palace, good news about a treaty between differing parties, Paul uses the gospel the most in his writings in NT
Means simply a good message, “The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”” Galatians 3:8, NIV. From the Jews came Jesus Christ. Through Jesus Christ, this blessing of Abraham is extended to all Christians. Bless the nations through the gospel.
2 Timothy 1:8-10: Jack Cottrell- The Gospel- the good news about the saving power of Christ- is the Gospel truth that dispels Satan’s lies and brings light and lift to all the world
2 Timothy 2:8: The crucified, risen Lord Jesus Christ is at the heart of the gospel.
“Mark Rutland recalls a survey in which Americans were asked what words they would most like to hear. The first choice: ‘I love you.’ Number two was ‘I forgive you.’ The third choice: ‘Supper’s ready.’ It dawned on Rutland that these three statements provide a neat summary of the gospel story. We are loved by God, forgiven by God, and invited to the banquet table.
In the 1490’s a Catholic monk and the personal physician to King Henry the 7th and 8th, Thomas Linacre, decided to learn Greek. After reading the Gospels in Greek he wrote in his diary, “Either this is not the Gospel… or we are not Christians.”
How do we secure the gospel in our lives?
Entrusted with the gospel and Guardian of the gospel for Paul
1. Entrusted- 1 Timothy 1:11.
Entrusted means to be the one who has a sacred thing handed to us and we steward this thing
Paul was the chief of sinners, and yet God saved him and entrusted him with the awesome responsibility of proclaiming the gospel to others. The solemn truth is that God does not save us so that we might live happily for ourselves and go to heaven. He has left us on this earth to proclaim His gospel message.
2. 1 Timothy 6:20; 2 Timothy 1:14; Guard- Alert soldier, watch over so that it does not get lost or damaged or stolen. A true treasure is worth sharing, worth guarding, worth living for and worth dying for. The gospel of Jesus Christ is that good deposit, that good thing committed to us, our true eternal treasure and we must preserve this sound teaching from being corrupted by any means. We must defend it and never let the message of the gospel be diluted or distorted.
In our zeal for the gospel we can become doctrine snipers or truth cops. Had one man who said that in Acts of the Apostles they emphasized the resurrection so that is what we need to emphasize. In the letters they emphasize the cross so we need to emphasize the cross. Others say that is fine but we need to emphasize the response to the gospel. The gospel is a beautiful and magnificent wall, take out section of the wall and the wall collapses.
““Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people the full message of this new life.”” Acts 5:20, NIV.
What does it mean for us to suffer for the gospel?
2 Timothy 1:8- Paul was in prison for the gospel. “Finally, let no-one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.” Galatians 6:17, NIV.
Only know about being marginalized, not put in jail or tortured, etc. Met people who have suffered but not suffered in that way ourselves.
2 Timothy 2:3-7, 3 images that apply to all:
1. Soldier, vs. 3-4, 2 things about Roman soldier, 1) They built roads and other public works like aqueducts. Not all blood and war 2) Concerned with pleasing their commanding officer. The swearing of the oath of allegiance, changed the status of the man entirely. He was now utterly subject to his general's authority, and had thereby laid down any restraints of his former civilian life. His actions would be by the will of the general. If he was ordered to do so, he would kill anything in sight, be it an animal, a barbarian, or even a Roman.
2. Vs. 5- Athlete- in Paul’s day there were professional athletes who spent their lives training much like today in the Olympics. In the ancient Olympics there were imposed fines or corporal punishment on athletes who did not follow the rules.
3. Vs. 6- Farming- In that day, no modern machinery. Roman farmers faced many of the problems which have historically affected farmers up until modern times including the unpredictability of weather, rainfall, and pests. “Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.” Ecclesiastes 11:6, NIV.
How do we share the gospel in our culture?
1 Timothy 4:12-16:
A. Paul tells Timothy to "own it"!
Vs. 13- Own God's word and focus on what God's word says. Read it regularly. Understand it. Teach It. Own It. There is nothing more important than knowing God's word.
Vs. 14- In addition to owning God's word, we should own our gifts. All of us are given gifts once the holy Spirit dwells in us. The Spirit is a gift given to us by God, and then we are given spiritual gifts. Timothy was given the gift to preach, teach, and lead the church in Ephesus. This passage is telling us that as believers, we have been given gifts from the Spirit to complete the work of the Church, and to make disciples for Jesus Christ. A woman once approached D. L. Moody to air a grievance. The woman said to him, “Mr. Moody, I don’t like the way you do evangelism!” “Well, ma’am, let me ask you, how do you do it?” Moody asked. She replied, “I don’t!” Moody said, “Well, I like my way of doing it better than your way of not doing it!”
B. Paul tells Timothy to "live it"!
Vs. 15- Give yourself wholly to all the behaviors described in the previous verses. Commit to obeying all these commandments. Commit to obeying them, and through prayer, be transformed by the Spirit to fully live out all of this. We will need prayer to live out the Christian life. We can't do it on our own. And Paul tells Timothy to progress on in the Christian life. Notice that he doesn't tell Timothy to be perfect, but to progress.
Vs. 16- If we know our doctrine, and also live by it, then we will be saved as well as those who are hearing. Others will witness our doctrine and will witness the life that we live.
Vs. 12- Set an example; same in Titus 2:7- The imprint on a piece of wood, clay or metal. It is hard to refute some who is genuine.
Why should we stick to the gospel?
1 Timothy 1:17: Paul could not help this outburst of praise. He must put in a doxology. When he remembered his own conversion and pardon, and his being entrusted with the ministry of the gospel, be was obliged to put down his pen, and lift up his voice in grateful thanksgiving to God. So may it be with us, be with us, as we remember what great things the Lord has done for us!
1 Timothy 6:15-16: Pam Sneddon was taking a class in photography. For one assignment, she chose her 6-year-old daughter as her subject and asked her to sit on a serene hillside. Close by was an apple tree in full bloom. Pam just couldn't resist. She gave the tree a prominent place in the picture. Pam was surprised when her instructor pointed out a problem with the photo. The apple tree distracted from her primary focus, the little girl. "See how it catches the eye," the instructor said. "It competes with your subject. You need to choose one subject and leave the other out." This observation applies to more than good photography skills. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we must center our attention only on Him. Like amateur photographers, we are often attracted to the "apple trees in full bloom." We pay more attention to our hobbies, friends, family, or work. Christ commands our attention because He is "the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality" (1Ti 6:15, 16). Whatever distracts us from Jesus has to go. As the preeminent One, He must be the single focus of our lives.
Show me someone who can worship and I will show you someone who can witness.
God is worthy. God alone is the Emperor of the Roman Empire and the whole world.
“Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.” 2 John 1:9, NIV.
