Wise Words From An Old Soldier

Wise Words From An Old Soldier

Introduction

Today we celebrate and honor our veterans. We thank you for your service.

2 Timothy 2:1-4 NKJV

1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

Paul had lived his entire life in the Greco-Roman world of the first century. He had witnessed the Roman army and had friends and fellow Christians who were soldiers. Some of the greatest examples of faith in the NT were centurions. It was a soldier whose servant was sick who said to Jesus:

Matthew 8:8-10 NIV

“Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.

The Gospel of Mark begins with Jesus's baptism:

And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:11)

It ends with a voice from the earth, the voice of a soldier.

And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39)

It was to a soldier, Cornelius, that the message of the gospel first came to the gentiles. Peter went to a soldier's household and shared the story of Jesus and invited a soldier's family to believe the gospel and be baptized in Jesus's name. God poured out His Spirit on a gentile soldier just as He had on the day of Pentecost and they spoke in other tongues.

When John the Baptist preached the kingdom of heaven he invited the soldiers to do things right. He never told them to stop being soldiers (Luke 3:14).

It was a soldier who God used to protect the apostle Paul in the book of Acts when others would have killed him (Acts 27:43).

Paul used the imagery of warfare and the armor of the Roman soldier as an illustration of the battles that Christians fight, not against flesh and blood enemies, but against spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:10-18).

Some of the greatest sheroes and heroes in Scripture were soldiers both spiritually and literally. The writer of Hebrews speaking of some of God's veterans wrote:

And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets... (Hebrews 11:32 NIV)

And there is Deborah and Jael, and David's mighty men...

As Paul approached the end of his life, he spoke like a seasoned veteran, the words of our text. He uses the imagery of a soldier, soldiers he had respected, soldiers he had witnessed life a life of strength and discipline. Timothy was a young pastor. Our text is filled with the wise words of an old soldier. Words of a veteran Christian to Timothy and to us...

Speaking Points:

1. Be Strong

"Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus..."

Being a soldier takes strength. It takes courage. We are grateful for the courageous efforts of our veterans. We recognize their strength and example.

Being a Christian takes strength. It takes courage. Our strength comes from one place, God's grace. He is the One who empowers us to do what He has called us to do. It is His unmerited favor and the empowerment of His Holy Spirit that gives us strength. There are moments when we are weak, and it is His Strength that helps us. God does not expect us to do it alone. He promises to be with us always.

2. Be an Example

"...the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."

Being a soldier means being an example. We look to our veterans as examples of committed women and men who have served a purpose higher than themselves, faithfully.

Being a Christian means being an example. Paul could confidently invite Timothy to follow his example. As soldiers of Christ, we should live our lives in such a way that we can say with Paul, "Follow me as I follow Christ..." (1 Cor 11:1).