How To Become An Effective Christian
“Fan The Flame!”
II Timothy 1:1-7
Introduction
He was a man who was letting go of his life. He sat in a jail cell, resembling more of a dungeon than a cell. It was poorly lit. It was cold and damp. He was chained to the wall and waiting…waiting to die. His execution was imminent and he was lonely. As his thoughts began to wander, they centered on his close friend. His friend had been more like a son to him really and they had shared many experiences, both good and bad, together. The last image he had of his friend was of him weeping. His friend had been so saddened by his departure. He didn’t want him to leave. Now, as he sits in his cell, he too longs to see his friend once more. He sits down and decides to write his friend a letter. It would be a letter in which he would pour out his heart to his friend; telling him how much he loved him, encouraging him, building him up and informing him that he is now in charge of the work that they had shared together. It’s time for his friend to take over and the work must not fail. The man writing the letter is the apostle Paul. His friend is Timothy.
II Timothy is such a dynamic letter. It is so authentic and genuine. Paul had been recently arrested in Rome under the orders of the Emperor, Nero. During Nero’s reign as emperor of Rome, he took great delight in the persecution and killing of Christians. Nero would be responsible for the deaths of both the apostle Paul and of Peter. This letter is written shortly before Paul’s death. So often we hear of people saying that they never got the chance to tell a loved one everything they wanted to tell them and how they cared about them before that person died. Paul wants to make sure he tells Timothy everything on his heart while he still has the chance.
More than anything, the letter of II Timothy is a changing of the guard. Paul passes on the torch of ministry to Timothy. One of the great spectacles of the Olympic Games is the passing of the torch. Just this year, the United States was able to experience the Winter Olympics and thousands of people had the opportunity to run with the torch and pass it on to another until it reached the site of the Games in Salt Lake City. The passing is symbolic. One person has fulfilled their duties and responsibilities and now those same duties and responsibilities are passed on to the next person and so on and so on until the work is completed. Paul has finished his turn of carrying the torch of the gospel of Christ. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” II Timothy 4:7 Now it is Timothy’s turn to carry the torch and finish his leg of the race.
This message series that will take us through the whole letter of II Timothy is entitled “How To Become An Effective Christian”. Paul’s words to Timothy were filled with principles and sound, proven advice on how Timothy could be the most effective leader and Christian he could be. Like Timothy, we are currently taking our turn at running with the torch of the gospel of Christ. We need to hear Paul’s words and apply them to our lives so that we can be effective in our service to God.
“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I have been 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. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” II Timothy 1:1-7
Our emphasis tonight centers around Paul’s words in verse six in which he tells Timothy to “fan into flame” the gift that he has received from God. Scholars have debated what this gift was and it is commonly accepted that Timothy had a gift for ministry. He was capable of starting churches, teaching, preaching and evangelizing. Paul’s message to Timothy is to fully express his gift, not hold anything back, in his work for Christ.
Paul encourages Timothy to fan into flame his gift for ministry by:
I. DRAWING ON HIS SPIRITUAL HERITAGE.
We all have a heritage. We can trace our families back to where they originated, knowing the careers they worked and the lives they lived. Our ancestors lives continue to shape our lives even today. Our last names bear our ancestors mark. Even our health is connected to that of our ancestors. Our family heritage gives us a complete picture of our identity, who we are and where we came from.
Likewise, as Christians, we all have a spiritual heritage. Our spiritual heritage consists of the people that introduced us to Christ and have helped us to mature in our faith. For some, our spiritual heritage may be linked to a specific church or a minister. It may be linked to a teacher or a friend. Or as in Timothy’s case, our spiritual heritage comes directly from our family.
Paul gives us a glimpse into Timothy’s spiritual heritage. “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.” II Timothy 1:5 Timothy grew up in a house of faith under his mother and grandmother. His mother and grandmother were both Jewish while Timothy’s father was Gentile. It was his mother and grandmother who taught him about God. In the time period of Timothy, it was common until the age of seven for a Roman boy’s mother to be his main formative influence up until the age of seven. Since Timothy’s father was not religious, being a Gentile, it was customary that boys without a living religious father learned about the law from grandmothers if they were still living. (Bible Background Commentary).
What Paul is reminding Timothy is that he comes from a great family of faith. His mother Eunice and grandmother Lois were great women of faith and Paul sees that Timothy has followed in their footsteps. Timothy needs to draw on his heritage of faith for strength and guidance in order to carry the torch of ministry that Paul is passing on to him.
Who makes up your spiritual heritage? Who was it that helped form your faith? Can you still go to those people in times of decision or crisis? Are they still active in your faith development today? Even more important than that is who’s spiritual heritage are you a part of? Who’s life are you impacting? Besides Timothy’s mother and grandmother, Paul made up a substantial piece of Timothy’s spiritual heritage so much so that he refers to Timothy as “my dear son” in verse 2.
It’s his spiritual heritage that will help Timothy fan into flame his gift for ministry.
II. DEVELOPING HIS GOD GIVEN GIFT.
In order for Timothy to fan into flame his gift for ministry he must draw on his spiritual heritage, but he must also develop that gift. Paul encourages him to develop his gift in verse six. “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” II Timothy 1:6
The words “fan into flame” that Paul uses here can also mean to “stir up” or “rekindle”. The gift that God has given Timothy is like a fire. It’s burning inside of him. Paul wants Timothy to develop this gift, not to waste it. Paul wants Timothy to intensify the fire within him. Paul wants him to be overcome with passion for this gift that God has given him and use it to its fullest potential.
In the Southwest United States, there is a fire code that helps distinguish the fire danger for the day. WIMS, the Weather Information Management System collects various data and issues these ratings everyday. A low risk is coded by the color green. A moderate risk is alerted by the color blue. A high risk is issued by the color yellow. A very high risk meaning that the conditions are very ripe for a fire to start and spread quickly are indicated by the color orange. An extreme warning is issued when condition are present for a fire to start quickly, spread furiously and burn intensely. This is identified by the color red.
Paul wants the fire in Timothy to be extreme. He wants a code red. He wants Timothy to develop his gift and fan into flame his gift to the point where through Timothy the gospel spreads furiously and its followers burn intensely with a passion for serving Christ and accomplishing his mission.
“But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.” I Corinthians 7:7 The Bible tells us that we have all been gifted just as Timothy was gifted. Are you developing your gift? Do you know what your gift is? Find out what you are gifted at. Once you discover it, do everything in your power to develop that gift so that you can use it for service to God. Fan into flame your gift. Make it so that it burns intensely in your heart and you can’t help but exercising it all the time. Don’t waste what God has given you.
III. DISPLAYING HIS SPIRIT OF GODLINESS.
Timothy has gift of ministry. It was given to him by God through the laying on of Paul’s hands. Paul has instructed Timothy to fan into flame that gift by drawing on his spiritual heritage and developing this God given gift. He now instructs him to display a new spirit- a spirit of godliness.
Timothy was known for having a spirit of timidity. He was shy and sensitive. We’ve already mentioned how he wept when Paul had left him previously. Paul reminds Timothy that God has given him a new spirit. “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” II Timothy 1:7 In order for Timothy to fan into flame his gift and assume the responsibility of the ministry that Paul is leaving him, he would have to take on a spirit of godliness.
The spirit of godliness consists of three different areas:
1. Power- Timothy would have to take on a more authoritative role and rely completely on the power of God to sustain him through this time. This would prove to be difficult because of Timothy’s age. He was probably in his early to mid thirties and yet was still considered a youth in the faith. This is probably why Paul wrote these words to Timothy in I Timothy 4:12, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in live, in faith and in purity.”
2. Love- The Bible declares that God is indeed love. He has given every believer His spirit of love. God’s love for man is so great that it drove him to send his Son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. He held back nothing for the world that he loves. Timothy must take on that same spirit of love as he fulfills his ministry.
3. Self-Discipline-In order to fully use his gift of ministry, Timothy is going to have to show a lot of self-discipline and apply himself to keeping the fire burning inside of him. He’s going to have to continually stoke the fire and keep it burning brightly and intensely.
We are no different than Timothy. We must also take on the spirit of godliness that Paul describes here. The word that sticks out in verse seven is the word “us”. “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, and of love and of self-discipline.” The same spirit that was given to Paul and Timothy has been given to us as well. We must exercise our gifts with the power of God, the love of God and a self-discipline that comes from God.
Conclusion
Paul is writing to Timothy and encouraging to carry on. The torch has been passed. Timothy must use his gift of ministry and persevere if the Church is going to survive and grow. Craig Keener writes, “That the letter (II Timothy) was preserved almost certainly indicates that Timothy did persevere.”
How can we become effective Christians? We can fan into flame the gifts that God has given us by drawing on our spiritual heritage, developing our God given gifts and displaying a spirit of godliness.
