Word Pictures In 2 Timothy 2

Word Pictures in 2 Timothy 2

TEXT: Turn to 2 Timothy 2

INTRODUCTION

Paul used word pictures frequently as did Jesus (parables), David (“fly with the wings of a dove”), writers of Proverbs.

Illus. – A pastor gave a Bible lesson using a nut as an object lesson. After the service a lady who had attended the service came up to the pastor and said, “This is the first time I ever heard a message from a nut!”

The pastor was using a nut as word picture. Let’s look at 6 word pictures from 1 Timothy 2 and see what they teach us about our walk with the Lord.

1. WE ARE SPIRITUAL SONS AND DAUGHTERS – 2 Timothy 2:1-2 – “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”

Two thoughts are found in this verse:

• The first is RELATIONSHIP – 2 Timothy 2:1 – “Thou therefore, my son…”

God is ultimately our heavenly Father, but it was Paul who nurtured Timothy spiritually so that he saw him as his son in the Lord. So, Timothy was Paul’s spiritual son.

We are all the spiritual sons or daughters of someone who shared with us the Gospel and led us to Christ, or someone who nurtured us and mentored us in the Christian faith. My spiritual father as far as salvation would be both my parents who reared me in a Christian home and taught me the things of God. From the standpoint of ministry, my pastor became my mentor and he was, for many years, like my spiritual father.

• The second thought we see in these two verses is REPRODUCTION – 2 Timothy 2:2 – “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”

We are to mature and bear our own spiritual families who, in turn, do likewise. We become spiritual fathers of others whom we have led to the Lord or discipled. Is there someone whom you have brought to Christ or whom you have helped to spiritual maturity?

God wants you to become a spiritual parent for someone.

2. WE ARE SOLDIERS – 2 Timothy 2:3-4 – “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”

There are several things about soldiers we want to see:

• Soldiers must learn to endure hardness – 2 Timothy 2:3 – “Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.”

a. We should learn to take persecution from the outside world. 2 Timothy 3:12 – “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”

b. In the household of faith, we must learn to die to self.

c. Not be oversensitive – Psalm 119:165 – “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.”

d. Not easily affected by either praise or criticism.

• Soldiers must learn obedience

Paul talks about being “a GOOD soldier of Jesus Christ.” No soldier is a good soldier who is a disobedient soldier. The world says, “If it feels good, do it.” God says, “If it is right, do it whether it feels good or not!”

Two motivations in the Christian life:

a. Devotion – Best

b. Duty – Sometimes we must obey out of duty.

• Soldiers must learn faithfulness

A soldier can’t just show up for work when he feels like it. One thing he is trained immediately is to be dependable, to be on time for work, to be faithful

Learn faithfulness in every area:

In your thought life

In your moral life

In church attendance

In your ministry responsibilities

In your devotional life

In your family life

• Soldiers must learn disentanglement – 2 Timothy 2:4 – “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”

Soldiers are different from civilians!

They wear different clothing (uniform)

They live by different standards

You can act or dress anyway you want to in the civilian world.

The soldier is constantly made aware that he represents his country, so his appearance and behavior must be exemplary at all times.

They have a different purpose

Civilians basically work to make a living.

Soldiers sacrifice time and money they might be able to have in the civilian world to serve their country.

This verse teaches us not to be entangled in things that distract us from our main purpose—to serve as a soldier of Jesus Christ.