REMEMBER JESUS CHRIST RAISED FROM THE DEAD (Outline)
October 29, 2006 - PENTECOST 21 - 2 Timothy 2:8-13
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INTRO: What is important in your life? It all depends when that question is asked to figure out what is really important in one’s life. At different times, stages, and places in life different things can seem more important that others. At times our family is important. Or our finances sometimes seem important. One would one do without good health? That list of important things can be rather lengthy at times.
We can narrow that open-ended question down quite a bit. What is the MOST important thing in your life? Prayerfully and hopefully you are able to answer that question automatically without much hesitation. Our most important possession is our faith, our Savior, forgiveness of sins, eternal life. For the believer the eternal things are far, far more important than any earthly things. "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures"(1 CORINTHIANS 15:3,4). We use God’s words through Paul as our theme:
REMEMBER JESUS CHRIST RAISED FROM THE DEAD.
I. God’s word is not chained, and:
II. God will remain faithful.
I. GOD’S WORD IS NOT CHAINED
A. A reminder: Paul is in prison in Rome for the second time. This time is not as pleasant as before.
1. Still, Paul does not want the believers to be overly concerned about his situation.
2. Verse 8. Remember Jesus: God’s Son and the Son of man was raised from the dead.
B. In remembering Jesus’ resurrection the believers would focus on things eternal. Important things.
1. Verse 8b, 9 reminded the people of the importance of God’s gospel which Paul proclaimed.
2. Paul was now even considered a criminal, chained for the sake of the gospel (see Chap. 4).
C. Verse 9b describes the power of God’s word, the freedom of God’s word though Paul was chained.
D. It is good to remind ourselves of the power of God’s word and the freedom it provides for every be-liever. Scripture is filled with examples describing God’s holy word. God’s word is called a light, a sword, living and active. God’s word becomes one of our most important possessions because of its pur-pose. Consider this purpose of God’s word (and Jesus’ miracles) as given to us by John. "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name"(JOHN 20:31). God’s word is not chained. God’s word provides his holy, divine power to believe in Jesus’, God’s Son raised from the dead.
E. Like Paul, at time you and I are also prisoners. Jesus said that a person is a slave to whatever masters him. In moments of unbelief and faithlessness you and I sin. At that moment of sin we are slaves to whatever that sin might be. In sinning we are held captive by our sinful desires. Sometimes Satan chains us up with his lies and deception. It is God’s word that reminds us of our times of captivity. "But I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members"(ROMANS 7:23). Yes, God’s law is not chained.
F. What is the answer to our captivity? How can we be set free from the power of sin and Satan? Re-member Jesus Christ raised from the dead. This is the simply, saving, strong truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Armed with the resurrection knowledge of Jesus every chain is destroyed. We are no longer pris-oners of evil and wickedness. "The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners"(ISAIAH 61:1). God’s word is not chained.
TR.: REMEMBER JESUS CHRIST RAISED FROM THE DEAD. God’s word is not chained, and:
II. GOD WILL REMAIN FAITHFUL
A. Once again we see, hear, and believe in the power of God in the life of the apostle Paul.
1. Paul’s suffering would serve as an inspiring, encouragement and example to others.
2. Verse 10 reveals how Paul is suffering for the sake of the elect.
a. Elect are the believers already converted by God’s power.
b. Elect also include those yet to be converted by God’s grace.
3. Realize that Paul’s suffering did not save the elect or himself -- God’s grace did that.
B. The last three verses, 11-13, of this text are considered to part of a very early Christian hymn.
1. Verses 11, 12a. Those who die to sin and remain faithful will live and reign with Christ.
2. Verse 12b warns that Christ in heaven will deny those that deny him here on earth.
3. Verse 13 is much like a doxology. To God be the glory because he will remain faithful!
C. God will not disown his creation, the work of his hands – even though mankind may act faithless.
D. Faithless!?! None of us would ever want to be put into that category of being faithless. But what else can you call sin? Sin is an act of faithlessness. Sin is an act of unbelief. Daily we sin against God with wicked words. Daily we sin against God with evil actions. Our sinful thoughts also reveal unbelief. Yes, from time to time, every day we are faithless. "Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things"(PHILIPPIANS 3:18b, 19). How often does our mind stray to earthly things rather than divine.
E. Thankfully and joyfully our loving God will remain faithful even when man is unfaithful. Examples abound. Adam and Eve with their first sin destroyed God’s perfect creation. Did he destroy them to get even? No, God promised them a Savior (Genesis 3:15). Later the world grows so wicked that God de-stroys it with a flood. In the midst of that worldwide destruction, the believers (Noah and his family) are preserved. "But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to re-deem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons"(GALATIANS 4:4, 5).
F. In the midst of man’s faithlessness and unbelief God will remain faithful, always, eternally. This is our motivation for living a Christian life. Though we often fall short of the glory of God – he will remain faithful. Though we often turn away from God or maybe, even against him – God will remain faithful. God cannot disown himself. Our loving, heavenly Father constantly, consistently shows the depths of his love for us. "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds"(HEBREWS 10:23, 24). God’s forgiveness is our daily encouragement so that we may and can encourage others in this life.
CONC.: So, what is important in your life? It all depends. The most important thing in our life is easy. Remember Jesus Christ raised from the dead. This is the message of salvation that is sometimes forgot-ten or overlooked in the multitude of mega-churches today. We remember Jesus Christ raised from the dead because God’s word is not chained. Because God’s word is not chained we also are reminded that God will remain faithful. The following doxology of Peter is today’s fitting conclusion. "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you"(1 PETER 1:3,4). Amen.
Pastor Timm O. Meyer
Sunday radio broadcast @ 9:05am on KQNK 106.7FM or 1530AM + www.kqnk.com
Pentecost 21 readings: AMOS 5:6-7, 10-15; HEBREWS 3:1-6; MARK 10:17-27
