INTRODUCTION.
(ILLUS.) When I began my first year at Bible College, I quickly became friends with another guy who was in my class -- let’s call him John. John and I were both from Brethren In Christ churches, we both came straight from high school, and we were both enrolled in the same program -- preparation for pastoral ministry. The other interesting factor in our friendship was that we actually resembled each other physically -- about the same height and build, both had blond hair. Some of our professors actually had difficulty telling us apart -- of course, we didn’t help them any when we deliberately sat together in class (sometimes even wore similar color clothing to heighten the similarities).
We had a great first year - we became room-mates in our second semester, we studied together, and developed a great friendship. The following summer, we got together for some weekend activities, and generally had a great time as friends.
In our second year of college, however, things changed. John began to fall behind in his work, and became distracted by things at home. After only 2 months, he dropped out of college, and left the goal of pastoral ministry behind. John and I have tried to keep up with each other -- we participated in each other’s weddings, and correspond once in awhile; but things were different.
When John dropped out of college, it had an interesting impact on me. I became distracted with my work, and I found that I really missed his company. I also began to get worried about my own future -- if this type of discouragement could cause Ben to drop out, how could I expect to endure the next few years of school? How could I ever hope to endure the demands and difficulties of ministry itself?
Thankfully, other friends and family came alongside of me to encourage me and help me stick with my schooling, and eventually end up in pastoral ministry. Without their assistance, I probably would have given up as well.
Now of course, the experience I had in college was not abnormal -- many young people go through it. It is one of the many times in our lives when it is natural to have questions and doubts about who we are, what we are doing, and where we are going.
And, of course, it continues to happen today. Most of us experience times when we’re unsure of ourselves -- whether it’s our work, our families, our church, or some other aspect of our lives. We are forced to stop and evaluate whether or not we’re on the right path. These times can be very unsettling for us -- we desperately need to find some stability and assurance.
Timothy was a young pastor who had been with the apostle Paul for a number of years as an apprentice and assistant. Paul had taken a personal interest in Timothy and had deliberately trained him for ministry -- later placed him in leadership.
The time came when Paul was arrested and placed in prison, with the very certain possibility that he would be executed for his ministry. Paul knew that Timothy would be concerned for him -- not just because Paul might lose his life, but because he himself might lose his friend and mentor. Paul knew that Timothy might be feeling uncertain of his future, and of his ability to continue in ministry without him. He knew that Timothy would need some encouragement & stability for his life and ministry. So Paul wrote Timothy a letter of instruction and encouragement, sharing from his own experiences and motivations for ministry. In this letter, he urged Timothy not to worry about him -- to remain firm and committed to ministry, regardless of the circumstances.
Last week, we noted that five times in his letters to Timothy and another church leader, Paul used a phrase that set a specific principle or truth apart from the rest. "This is a TRUSTWORTHY saying..." -- lit. "faithful the word..." Five times, he said "this is trustworthy" -- "This you can believe. If nothing else seems true and dependable, you can count on these principles -- and you can build your life on them."
In these five statements, Paul gave us FOUR TRUTHS that we can count on -- Four Spiritual Checks That We Can Take To The Bank, knowing that they are not going to bounce. We looked at the first one last week; today, we’ll discover the second.
READ 2 TIMOTHY 2: 8 - 13.
The first foundational truth that Paul shared with these two leaders was "The Certainty of God’s Grace." (last week) We talked about having a proper understanding of God’s Grace -- what we were before Christ, what God has done for us, and what God desires from us.
Notice here, that Paul again refers to God’s grace:
-- (v.8) "Remember Jesus Christ..." -- not just once, but a continual action. He was saying: "Always keep Jesus as your central focus." Remember who He was and what He did for us.
Why would Paul consider that to be so important? Because he understood that when we truly see how much Jesus suffered and sacrificed for us, it motivates us to be faithful and firm in our calling -- and it gives us the drive to continue in the midst of difficult circumstances.
In verse 8, Paul declared "This is my gospel (the core of my faith), for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal." Now we have to realize that this was the worst punishment he had ever experienced -- in the past he had been stoned nearly to death, beaten, imprisoned indefinitely, shipwrecked, etc -- but now he was bound in chains to a Roman soldier, awaiting his own execution.
But notice Paul’s attitude -- "despite my limitations and imprisonment, God’s Word is not chained." The truth of the Gospel could not be bound by human chains, it was not limited to human frailties -- continued to spread. (v.10) "Therefore (for that very reason), I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory." He was saying "if God can use my chains to further His message of grace, I am willing to suffer any pain, any humiliation -- out of concern for the lost, and out of love for Christ."
That’s not easy to say, is it? That you’re willing to endure hardships, difficulties, pain and sorrow so that others might come to know Christ -- that type of confidence & commitment come only from an understanding of God’s Grace. That was the motivation for Paul’s ministry, and it was important for Timothy to begin in the same place with his ministry. But now, Paul wanted to encourage him that he would be able to get through the challenges ahead.
Which brings us to the Second Foundational Truth / Second Spiritual Check -- "THE RELIABILITY OF GOD’S PROMISES."
In verse 11 Paul states, "Here is a trustworthy saying..." This was followed by four statements that are arranged in a unique and meaningful manner, believed by many scholars to be an early Christian hymn, arranged in the typical Hebrew style of poetic parallelism. Here we find four "if" clauses, followed by a balancing conclusion: "if we do this, then the outcome will be this."
In these statements, Paul offered Four Distinct Promises to provide encouragement and assurance to Timothy and his followers -- based on the faithfulness of God.
PROMISE #1 -- God Will Turn DEATH INTO LIFE.
In v.11, Paul states "If we died with him, we will also live with him..." Now it is important that we understand the grammatical construction of this verse -- to gain its full significance. Notice that it doesn’t say "if we DIE with him, we will live with him...;" it says, "if we DIED with him" -- a specific action in the past -- a definite experience which has already taken place.
Remember that Paul is speaking to Timothy and his followers -- people who were already Christians -- who had already chosen to follow Christ. Paul was reminding them that at the moment a person makes the choice to become a Christian (follower of Christ), something happens inside of them -- part of them dies. When we admit that we are sinners, and accept Jesus as our Savior, we are identifying with His death; we’re saying that when He died, He died for ME -- that it’s just the same as if I had died right there on the cross with Him. In fact, that is part of the symbolism of believer’s baptism -- it’s a physical action in which we see ourselves as dying with Christ and being raised to a new life.
Read Romans 6:3-10. Because Jesus died for us, (and through him, we died) we have eternal life -- death no longer has any power over us.
(ILLUS.) Many of us enjoy playing the game of Monopoly -- one of America’s favorite games. All of us have our favorite strategy -- which properties we want to own, which to avoid, how to make the most money. And as we travel around the board, occasionally we’ll land on the square marked "Chance" in which we pick up a card and follow it’s direction. And I suspect that all of us who have played the game have, at one time or another, picked up the card marked "Go To Jail, Go Directly To Jail, Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200." It’s the card we want to avoid picking up, because it results in punishment -- which is why most of us feel tense when we land on "Chance", fearing that we’ll pick up that card.
Well, in a similar way, each of us is traveling around the game board of life, and according to the Bible, one of those squares is marked death and judgment -- and unfortunately, all of us will eventually land on that square. It’s unavoidable. However, as Christians we do not have to fear landing on that space -- it has no power over us. Christ’s death offers us the ultimate "Get Out of Jail Free" card.
But that’s not all! (read Romans 6:11). Our identification with Christ’s death affects not only our future, but also our present -- it affects our lives right now. Since His death freed us from the power of death and sin, we don’t have to feel weak and helpless in times of temptation -- we have his power and authority to overcome it. And as we identify with His death, our motivations and desires become purified, freeing us to choose what is right & godly, as we offer every part of ourselves in submission to Christ. The Result is a life worth living -- life of freedom and love.
Paul was promising Timothy that even when death seemed to be just around the corner, he could rely on this promise -- that God will turn death into life for all who have identified with Christ.
II. God Will Turn OSTACLES INTO ADVANTAGES.
See 2 Timothy 2:12 -- "if we endure, we will also reign with him." We have to understand that for awhile, Christians had enjoyed relative safety from persecution and trials. That had been considered a sect of Judaism (a recognized religion), and as such, had enjoyed a brief time of protection under the law.
However, things were beginning to change for them: Jewish leaders and zealots were becoming more and more hostile against the Christians -- rooting them out, and condemning them. And Romans were starting to demand more and more of both the Jews and the Christians. The Christians were approaching a time when everyone would be required to make a public sacrifice to the Roman gods -- to show allegiance and obedience to Rome. And to refuse would mean imprisonment, or more likely, death.
It would be very tempting for Christians to yield to these obstacles, and to become equivocal in their loyalty to Christ and the church. They would be tempted to compromise, to keep up appearances, to do what they knew was wrong. Paul knew that even Timothy would be tempted to give in, to bend the rules -- just to survive.
We understand that feeling, don’t we? All of us have been tempted to do this:
-- to snicker at an off-color joke.
-- to let someone copy your answers.
-- to lie on your report to cover someone else’s mistakes.
-- to cheat a customer as your employer instructed you to.
-- to hide your faith.
Let’s be honest: no one likes to stand out, to be rejected; to make waves. No one likes to do things that invite ridicule and hardship. We prefer to be liked, to be accepted, to blend in with the crowd. So at times, we make choices that we know are wrong, or that compromise our principles -- we don’t like doing it, but we defend ourselves saying it’s necessary to survive in today’s world.
Paul was telling Timothy: "some things are MORE IMPORTANT THAN SURVIVAL." Being faithful to God is more important than keeping up appearances. Being godly is more important than being comfortable. Being honest and truthful is more important than keeping your job. Being loyal to God is more important than staying alive.
You and I must recognize that there are going to be obstacles, and difficulties, and temptations. There are going to be people who misunderstand you and abuse you. These things are going to happen -- we should EXPECT them. What is important is that you stand firm, and remain faithful -- that you stay true to God through thick and thin.
Paul offers this Promise -- It will be worth it! God will turn those obstacles into advantages -- the end result will be far greater than you could imagine. So we need to keep on enduring, right up to the end. He will reward your faithfulness with eternal joy and blessings. It will be worth it!
III. God Will Turn DENIAL INTO LOSS.
Now we don’t like to talk about this one very much -- we prefer to think about God’s love, and mercy, and grace. In fact, God also would rather be talking only about His love, and mercy, and grace -- but He can’t. God created us as thinking people, with a free will. He didn’t need to -- could have created robots -- but you can’t have a relationship with a robot.
The Bible tells us that God created us in His image -- with the ability to have relationships with Him, and with each other -- part of the package was freedom of choice. As long as Adam and Eve obeyed God, they experienced His love and were at peace. But the moment they sinned, they had to relate to God’s other attributes: righteousness, holiness, justice, and hatred of sin. They brought themselves into the place of judgment -- we live with the consequences.
The Good News (Gospel) is that through Christ, we can receive God’s love and mercy and grace, as we make the choice to accept it personally. As we obey God, we continue to enjoy peace and fellowship with Him. However, just as we have the right to accept Christ, we also have the right to reject Christ -- to deliberately turn our backs on Him. Paul shared the consequences of that decision (v.12) "if we disown him, he will also disown us..." This is a serious warning -- we cannot reject Christ without being rejected ourselves.
Before we gloss over what Paul is saying, let’s turn to Matthew 10 (Jesus) -- Read Matthew 10:32-33;37-38. Paul wasn’t making this up, he was quoting the words and thoughts of Jesus. There are consequences to denying your faith in Christ / turning your back on Him -- you put your relationship with God in jeopardy. And again, I want to emphasize that this is a deliberate choice -- you can’t do this by accident -- it is an intentional act of the will.
Why was Paul being so strong? So that Timothy and his followers would understand the importance of taking a stand and being faithful to God -- so they wouldn’t be tempted to ride the fence. He also wanted them to understand the nature of God’s Grace -- His grace is not so trivial that you can ABUSE it; however, neither is it so tenuous that you can LOSE it. It is an important balance.
IV. God Will Turn DOUBT INTO ASSURANCE.
An obvious reaction to such a warning would be fear -- that somehow they would unwittingly deny Christ and lose fellowship with Him; that if they weren’t completely obedient, they would lose their salvation. Furthermore, they knew that there were likely to be times of weakness and doubt; when things became difficult and uncertain, and they would begin to question their faith / God / their ability to cope.
Indeed, what happens then -- when our faith is weak, and doubt is strong? Paul gives us the answer in v.13 -- "if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself."
God’s faithfulness is eternal -- it’s part of His unchanging character. He knows our heart, and our desires -- He can see past the hurt, pain, sorrow, and the questions to what’s inside. He will respond with love and peace, answering our questions and easing our doubts -- gently restoring us to Himself. When we’re filled with doubt and uncertainty, we can be assured that His love and care continues to surround us -- and that no matter what happens, He won’t give up on us.
This week, I’ve been reading Max Lucado’s book, Six Hours One Friday. I came across a passage that speaks about God’s faithfulness, and I want to share it with you as we close.
"Though God’s people often forgot their God, God didn’t forget them. He kept his word... God didn’t give up. He never gives up. When Joseph was dropped into a pit by his own brothers, God didn’t give up. When Moses said, "Here I am, send Aaron," God didn’t give up. When Aaron was making a false god at the very moment that Moses was with the true God, God didn’t give up. When only two of the ten spies thought the Creator was powerful enough to deliver the created, God didn’t give up.
"When Samson whispered to Delilah, when Saul roared after David, when David schemed against Uriah, God didn’t give up. When God’s word lay forgotten and man’s idols stood glistening, God didn’t give up. When the children of Israel were taken into captivity, God didn’t give up. He could have given up. He could have turned his back. He could have walked away from the wretched mess, but he didn’t. He didn’t give up.
"When he became flesh and was the victim of an assassination attempt before he was two years old, he didn’t give up. When the people from his own hometown tried to push him over a cliff, he didn’t give up. When his brothers ridiculed him, he didn’t give up. When he was accused of blaspheming God by people who didn’t fear God, he didn’t give up. When Peter worshiped him at the supper and cursed him at the fire, he didn’t give up.
"When people spat in his face, he didn’t spit back. When the bystanders slapped him, he didn’t slap them. When a whip ripped his sides, he didn’t turn and command the awaiting angels to stuff that whip down that soldier’s throat.
"And when human hands fastened the divine hands to a cross with spikes, it wasn’t the soldiers who held the hands of Jesus steady. It was God who held them steady.
"So, the next time that [doubt, that] obnoxious neighbor walks in, escort him out. Out to the hill. Out to Calvary. Out to the cross where, with holy blood... [he] wrote the promise, ’God would give up his only son before he’d give up on you.’"
[excerpt quoted from chapter 5 of "Six Hours One Friday" by Max Lucado, 1989, Multnomah Books]
APPLICATION.
It’s not strange or abnormal to experience times of questioning and doubt; in fact, it’s very natural. And in this very personal letter, Paul wanted to reassure Timothy that, although tough times would come in which he would question his faith and his ministry, God would help him to get through -- He would be faithful. And the same is true for us.
So what do you do when life is uncertain? Rely upon what you know to be true and trustworthy -- two of which we’ve discovered so far:
-- The Certainty of God’s Grace, and
-- The Reliability of God’s Promises.
** Note: The Next Sermon in this Series will be from 1 Timothy 4.
