The GOOD SOLDIER-II—2Timothy 2:4(:1-4)
Attention:
Twila Paris’—‘What Did He Die For’...
*Last week we read the first part regarding the WW-II soldier...*
He was twenty-one in 1944
He was hope & he was courage on a lonely shore
Sent there by a mother with love beyond her tears
Just a young American who chose to rise above his fears
And as I watch him struggle up that hill
Without a thought of turning back
I cannot help but wonder...
What did he die for?
When he died for you & me
Made the sacrifice
So that we could all be free
I believe we will answer each to heaven
For the way we spend a priceless liberty
Look inside & ask the question...
What did he die for?
When he died for me...
****************************
Need:
“It is foolish & wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.”—Gen. George S. Patton(1940’s)
“We who are left, how shall we look again happily on the sun or feel the rain,
Without remembering how...They who went ungrudgingly & spent their lives for us...Loved, too, the sun & rain?”—Wilfred Wilson Gibson, Lament(1916)
“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”—Tertullian(~200AD-early Church father).
In verses :1-4 we find that:
Paul encouraged Timothy to answer the personal commitment that he was to give to his calling in Christ Jesus, as a good soldier.
And so,
The level of commitment needed, for a believer to fulfill their calling in Christ, is comparable to that of a ‘good soldier.’
BUT...
What rules does a ‘good soldier’ live by?
Last week we found that:
The good soldier of Christ lives & dies by the rules of...
1. STRENGTH(:1)
2. The TEAM(:2)
3. ENDURANCE(:3)
TODAY, we’ll find that:
4—The good soldier of Christ ALSO lives & dies by the rule of...
ENGAGEMENT(:4a)
Explanation:(:4a)Total Involvement/Focus/Immersion
:4a—“No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life,...”
The active “soldier’s” contact with civilian life is tangible, but distant &/or secondary.
Admirably, the “soldier’s” very life is lived to win & protect the freedoms of civilian life for others.
Therefore, by virtue of the fact that soldiers are enlisted, they cannot live by the same privileges civilians!
The good soldier does not “entangle” him/herself “with the affairs of” civilian “life.” True soldiers,...good soldiers,...are instead fully focused on their engagement in “warfare.”
Being involved in civilian life is a HINDRANCE to the commitment of the soldier’s calling to a military focus that is both defensive & offensive!
Any useful military system is ‘somewhat’ autonomous, in that it has its own support systems, regulations, & court system.
A soldier is considered ‘military’ until the point of the military’s ‘officially sanctioned’ release of said soldier.
•The soldier may experience an ‘off duty’ status, by & within the declarations of military authority. YET, in that context, though they may walk among civilians, soldiers are never considered civilian. They are still under military authority. Soldiers under military authority can be called out at any moment for immediate service.
•GOOD soldiers are all-in!
1)NEGATIVELY, If a soldier gets caught up(“entangles”) in civilian pursuits, it is due to gross personal negligence of their military duty! Such choices are the “soldier’s” own, & they will answer to the highest military authorities!
2)POSITIVELY, The “good soldier” never seeks civilian pursuits, because the military is their career. He/She is thus clearly focused & committed. The “good soldier” finds everything necessary for life, within the confines of the military(work, food, shelter, family, brotherhood, friends, etc.).
—WORDS—
“Engaged in warfare/Warreth/Serving as a soldier”—strateuomai—Present Middle Participle - Nominative Sing. Masc.—1)To make a military expedition, To lead soldiers to war or to battle; 2)To do military duty, be on active service; 3)To fight. Strong—middle voice from the base of stratia[camp-likeness, i.e. an army, i.e. figuratively--The angels, the celestial luminaries]; To serve in a military campaign; figuratively--To execute the apostolate(with its arduous duties & functions), to contend with carnal inclinations. Used 7X.
“Entangles/Entagleth/Gets involved”—emplekw—Perfect Passive Indicative 3rd Sing.—1) To inweave; 1) of a thing--To entangle, involve in. Strong—To entwine, i.e. figuratively--Involve with. Used 2X--2Tim. 2:4; 2Pet. 2:20.?From—en—1) In, by, with etc.. Strong—a primary preposition denoting (fixed)position(in place, time or state), & by implication--Instrumentality(medially or constructively), i.e. A relation of rest(intermediate between eiv[into, unto, to, towards, for, among] & ek/ex[out of, from, by, away from]).—&—plekw—To twine or braid; a primary word.
“Affairs”—pragmateia—Noun Dative Plural Fem.—1) Prosecution of any affair—1a) Business, occupation. Strong—A transaction, i.e. negotiation. Used 1X--2Tim. 2:4. English = ‘pragmatic’.?From—pragmateuomai—To busy oneself with, i.e. To trade. From--pragma—A deed; by implication--An affair; by extension--An object(material).
“Life”—biov—Noun Genitive Sing. Masc.—1) Life—1a) Life extensively—1a1) The period or course of life, 1b) That by which life is sustained, resources, wealth, goods. biov denotes the period, means, manner, of existence. Hence biov is more naturally used of animal, & zwh of men; zoology, biography. NT usage exalts zwh & tends to debase biov. Strong—Life, i.e. literally--The present state of existence; by implication--The means of livelihood; a primary word. Used 11X.
Argumentation:
1Tim. 6:8-12—“And having food & clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation & a snare, & into many foolish & harmful lusts which drown men in destruction & perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, & pierced themselves through with many sorrows. But you, O man of God, flee[Gk.-imperative mood thruout] these things & pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight[imperative] the good fight of faith, lay hold[imperative] on eternal life, to which you were also called & have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
1Tim. 4:12-16—“Let no one despise your youth, but be an example[Gk.-imperative mood thruout] to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention[imperative] to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect[imperative] the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself[imperative] entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself & to the doctrine. Continue[imperative] in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself & those who hear you.”
2Cor. 10:3-6—“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments & every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, & being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.”
•Technically speaking, Christians are armed & dangerous, thru God’s equipping them!
Eph. 6:10-18—“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord & in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh & blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, & having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, & having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, & the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer & supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance & supplication for all the saints--”
Lk. 9:57-62—“Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him(Jesus), “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes & birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go & bury my father.” Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go & preach the kingdom of God.” And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go & bid them farewell who are at my house.” But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, & looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.””
Illustration:
The other day our Brother *** shared with me an interesting fact about his navy engagement. When ***’s son was born, he came out of the womb with a head full of jet-black hair. Then shortly after his son’s birth, *** had to be deployed to active duty. When *** finally got to return to his family, he had been away for so long, that when he returned home, his son born with the jet-black hair, was now completely towheaded(blonde/white)!
IF you want to start-out mowing(or plowing) a straight row, you MUST focus your attention on one ‘unmovable’ spot or landmark on the horizon that is dead ahead of you! And you MUST continue to engage the spot/landmark until you complete that initial row!
•The Rule of ENGAGEMENT
Go to any military deployment from home. Their families are there. Many tears are shed. Children are passionately hugged & kissed. Wives & husbands are passionately hugged & kissed. But the soldiers go nonetheless!
•The Rule of ENGAGEMENT
IF the Church would choose to live by the Rule of Engagement—as are the branches of the military—THEN, regardless of the struggles encountered, we—as the body of Christ—would be invincible, by God’s power working in & thru us!
Application:
?As a Good Soldier of Christ, are YOU following the rule of ENGAGEMENT?
?Is YOUR duty fulfilled by total ENGAGEMENT?
?Are YOU a good soldier of Jesus Christ?
Not only does...
The good soldier of Christ live & die by the rules of...
1. STRENGTH(:1)
2. The TEAM(:2)
3. ENDURANCE(:3)
&
4. ENGAGEMENT(:4a)
But:
5—The good soldier of Christ ALSO lives & dies by the rule of...
HONOR(:4b)
Explanation: (:4b)to Please/Satisfy
:4b—“...that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.”
The “good” “soldier’s” overriding purpose is to “please” the enlisting military branch(Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard) to which he has committed/joined himself. To “please” his/her commanding officer!
“Pleasing” their commanding officer, requires the “soldier’s” full attention to duty, even when off-duty. As stated before, a “soldier” is always on call, to protect the freedoms in which civilian life thrives.
“Soldiers” secure the intended freedoms for their fellow countrymen, by means of their “enlisting” country & officer!
•American soldiers do what they do, to maintain the most blessed, most wonderful, most fantastic country presently on the face of the earth... America. American “soldiers” are also our ‘fellow Americans.’ So America’s ideals must be the “soldier’s” ideals as well.
•America’s HONOR—as being founded on Judeo-Christian ‘principle’—hangs in the balance, & must be protected. That honor is protected by the “soldier’s” commitment, training, knowledge, sweat, tears, efforts, going when they can’t go any more, & by surrendering their very life to the ideal!...
*Likewise:
When we are saved by God’s grace thru faith in Christ Jesus, we commit to give every ounce of who we are, to the One who has “enlisted” us in His service! Thru our obedience in Christ Jesus, God is fully honored!
•We commit ourselves to the Almighty God of History, of Scripture, & to His Church! And we do it by the salvation we have in Christ alone! We belong to Him! We are His “soldier” individually, & God’s “soldiers”, collectively. God’s cause becomes our cause! And it is expected of us, for the sake of the kingdom of God, to commit ourselves to proper training, knowledge, apply our sweat, tears, & efforts, & to go when we can’t go any more, to surrender the very life with which we have been graced, to God’s ideal!
•Why? Because we know God’s HONOR is paramount! He must take precedence! Remember John the Baptist’s statement(Jn. 3:30), •!He(Christ Jesus) must increase & I must decrease!•
Argumentation:
Ex. 14:15-18—“And the LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. But lift up your rod, & stretch out your hand over the sea & divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, & they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh & over all his army, his chariots, & his horsemen. Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, & his horsemen.””
Heb. 13:5-6—“Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say: “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?””
Rom. 8:28-39—“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; & whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, & furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Illustration:
“President Reagan said, ‘A lot of people go thru life wondering if they made a difference, Marines don’t have that problem.’” HONOR!...
*And, might I add, committed Christians ‘don’t have that problem’ either!
•They ‘make THE difference’ in the lives of all people, when they HONOR God’s desire thru Jesus Christ!
Application:
?As a GOOD Soldier of Christ, are YOU following the rule of God’s HONOR?
?Is YOUR duty fulfilled by seeking God’s HONOR?
?Are YOU a good soldier of Jesus Christ?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Memorial Day exists to pay special homage/attention to those who have died, as a direct result of their military service to their country. This Memorial Day season, enjoy your freedoms, your cookouts, families, vacations, parades, whatever you do....but enjoy them knowing...that many ‘someones’ have given their very lives, so that you & I could experience & enjoy those things!
*YET, Let us also NEVER forget, that that reality is absolutely applicable to those who are defenders of the Christian faith, even to the point of death!
•Php. 3:8-11—“Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, & count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ & be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him & the power of His resurrection, & the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”
Heb. 2:14-15—“Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh & blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, & release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
Heb. 12:1-4—“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, & the sin which so easily ensnares us, & let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author & finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, & has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary & discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.”
Rev. 12:10-11—“Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, “Now salvation, & strength, & the kingdom of our God, & the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day & night, has been cast down. And they overcame him[Satan/the devil] by the blood of the Lamb[Jesus/Christ] & by the word of their testimony, & they did not love their lives to the death.”
?Are YOU a defender of faith in Christ Jesus?
As a church, we are to be Good Soldiers....Defenders of Christ Jesus & the faith that is centered in Him...until we draw our last breath on this earth!
?Are YOU as individuals, & Are WE as the local church--called Salem Baptist Church--... Committed to Christian Doctrine?....to Christian Going....to Christian Sharing....to Christian Discipleship....to Christian Correction....to Christian Encouragement....to Christian Multiplication, etc.?
*Read 2nd part of Twila Paris’, ‘What Did He Die For’ regarding Christ.*:
To the darkest day in A.D. 33
Came the mercy & compassion of eternity
Sent there by a Father, with love beyond His tears
Blameless One, the only Son, to bear the guilt of all these years.
And as I watch Him struggle up that hill
Without a thought of turning back,
I cannot help but wonder...
What did He die for?
When He died for you & me.
Made the sacrifice,
So that we could all be free.
I believe we will answer each to heaven,
For the way we spend a priceless liberty.
Look inside & ask the question...
What did he die for?
He died for freedom,
He died for love.
And all the things we do to pay Him back,
Could never be enough...
What did He die for?
When He died for you & me
Made the sacrifice
So that we could all be free
I believe we will answer each to heaven,
For the way we spend a priceless liberty.
Look inside & ask the question...
What did he die for?
When He died for me.
Many of you will remember the children’s song:
*‘I’m In The Lord’s Army’*
“I may never march in the infantry
Ride in the cavalry, shoot the artillery
I may never shoot for the enemy
But I'm in the Lord's army!
I'm in the Lord's army (yes sir!)
I'm in the Lord's army (yes sir!)
Action:
The good soldier of Christ lives & dies by the rules of...
4. ENGAGEMENT(:4a)
5. HONOR(:4b)
1. STRENGTH(:1)
2. The TEAM(:2)
3. ENDURANCE(:3)
Pnt#s 4-5 Presented 06/01/2025am to:
Salem Baptist Church
1618 Salem Road
Bennettsville, SC 29512
Presented 05/26/2013am(Memorial Day) to:
FBC C’belle
206 Storrs Ave. SE
Carrabelle, FL 32322
Presented 05/29/2011am to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
