Share With Me

2 Timothy 1:7-9 (NKJV)

“SHARE WITH ME”

October 16, 2022

Summary: Timothy was a young man who was being mentored by Paul. Paul had so much confidence in him that he sent him to a Ephesus to pastor a church that was facing a lot of difficulty. When Paul wrote the Second Letter to Timothy, it was a very difficult time for the Early Church. Due to Nero’s insanity, he was persecuting believers everywhere — and his methods of persecution were gruesome and cruel. It seems that Timothy may have been faltering a little. Paul talks about a spirit of fear. Not a brief moment of fear, not being scared about something specific, but a spirit of fear. During the pandemic the world capitalized on our fears. Whether it’s the effects climate change (floods, fires and famine), foreign interference in our elections, war in the East, the overthrow of our government or great apocalyptic conspiracies of the end times! The goal of satin is to give you a spirit of fear! That uneasy feeling of anxiety, that negative, creepy darkness of the enemies voice which is constantly testifying that God is a failure, that the worst is about to happen. The spirit of fear is what you feel when there is a message on your phone telling you to call the doctor’s office because there is something about your test. And now you will have no rest, no peace and in fact you will talk yourself into cancer and death before the day is through. Paul identifies it, calls it what it is and then speaks truth of that evil spirit, saying “It is NOT of GOD!” For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and a sound mind. God has been consistent with this doctrine! In Isaiah 41 God said, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” God has given you the Spirit of Power. God has given you a Spirit of Love. God has given you Spirit of a Self Control (that’s a Sound Mind)! And he says, SHARE WITH ME! Share with me in Prison - Share with me in Power - Share with me in Purpose!

1. SHARE IN PRISON

Ephesians 3:1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles — Paul had been in prison for preaching the gospel in Caesarea for almost 2 years and then 2 more years in prison in Rome. But in his letter to Philemon 1:12 But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Ephesians 4:1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called. In our text verse 8 Paul says, “Share with me in the sufferings for the gospel!” We have here the one petition of the prisoner of Christ! “Do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord!” Tell somebody about what God has done for you! Paul says, “I come to you with one request (not to send me relief, not to write me letters, nor to use your resources to get me out of prison - these are usually first things prisoners ask from their friends) BUT THAT you would…” according to Ephesians 4, “Walk Worthy / Live Up To” your profession and your calling; He says simply, “Share with Me as a Prisoner of the Lord… Do Your Share… Do What You Are Called to Do” Christians ought to accommodate themselves to the gospel by which they are called, and to the glory to which they are called! We are Christians; we must answer that call and live like Christians. Paul goes on to tell Timothy that I know you can’t do it on your own, but you can share with me in His prison… according to the power of God!

2. SHARE IN POWER

We have Power! We have wonder working Power! Jesus said in Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Where the world is afraid now and participating in the spirit of fear, God says you have Power! Timothy, He did not give you a spirit of fear He gave you a spirit of power! Part of what is at the heart of fear is a sense that we have lost control and we don’t have the resources or the ability to get anything under control. Power, as used here, means that we can live life with an assurance that we have a God who can do what no one else can do. You see, The power of God means that God lacks nothing, he needs nothing, and he depends on nothing. That when he moves it is overwhelming and comprehensive and irresistible and immeasurable.