Kindling A Passionate Ministry

Transcript

GR 1380
10/05/2008
Kindling a Passionate Ministry
II Timothy 1:3-7
Gil Rugh

We're studying Paul's second letter to Timothy, so if you'd turn there in your Bibles. This is Paul's last letter, when he writes it he is a prisoner in Rome. And church tradition indicates that Paul dies under the Neroian persecution, Nero is the emperor. Following the burning of Rome he has accused the Christians of being guilty, made Christianity an illegal religion and the result is the martyrdom of many believers, the Apostle Peter being one of them, and the Apostle Paul being another. He knows that this is the end of his earthly ministry as he writes this letter.

Turn to the fourth chapter, the last chapter of the letter. Verse 6, for I am already being poured out as a drink offering and the time of my departure has come, referring to his departure from this life, departure from this earth, his death. I am on the brink of my execution. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. For Paul he says the race is over for me, I've come to the finish line, my life, my ministry has come to its conclusion. So he believes that the end is shortly to come. He is confident that he has been faithful to this point.

You would think the Apostle Paul, with the ministry he has had, his preaching the Word of God, his writing the Word of God to churches, his being involved in many, many lives over time, he would have much support at the end of his life. But you realize that that wasn't the case. Look down in II Timothy 4:16, at my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me. In his first trial those believers, those professing believers, those who had been with him, it was too overwhelming, too intimidating, too frightening. And we're talking about life and death here; we're talking about serious consequences for being identified with Jesus Christ, with the message of the gospel, and with the ministry of the Apostle Paul. When it comes time for Paul to go through his trials, there are no friends, nobody with him. They all deserted me, but the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, he says in verse 17. The One who said, I will never leave you or forsake you, He was still there when everybody was gone. But it is striking to see that the Apostle Paul goes to trial, you'd think it would be counted an honor to stand with him. But it was not the case.

He names one trusted co-worker who deserted him, verse 10. Demas, having loved this present world has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Demas, a man who appears elsewhere as a co-worker of Paul, he bailed out also. Any wonder Paul says to Timothy in verse 9, make every effort to come to me soon. I mean, I would really be encouraged, comforted, blessed to have you here. Someone whom I can trust, whom I can rely on, who will be faithful.

Back up, before we look further into II Timothy, to II Corinthians 11 where we read here a little bit of Paul's situation. Paul's life has a pretty consistent pattern: difficulty, trial, persecution, suffering, and hardship. It's the pattern of his life right up until the end. Here he has finished his course, he has kept the faith, and he has been faithful to the Lord. And what is he doing? He's waiting in a damp, dark Roman dungeon, disgraced from the human perspective, soon to be beheaded. And all his so-called Christian friends have abandoned him. But look earlier, Paul wrote II Corinthians and he lets you know what his life has been like up to that point, contrasting himself with those who are attacking him, those who claim to be believers and yet are trying to undermine his ministry.

We'll pick up in verse 23, are they servants of Christ? I speak as if insane. I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number. I mean, I've been beaten so many times, I've lost track of the count. Often in danger of death, five times I received from the Jews 39 lashes. Remember the Law said you could give 40 lashes for certain punishments; if you gave 41 you were guilty of the person's death, if he died from the beatings. So the Jews always only gave 39 in case somebody miscounted. Paul got that kind of beating five times. That's in addition to the other kinds of beatings, times without number, the end of verse 23. Then three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked. A night and day I have spent in the deep. I've been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren, in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And that's just the external things. I also have the burden of all the churches resting on me, concerns I have for them.

And it doesn't get any better because now we read of him at the end of his life, at the end of his ministry; he's waiting in a Roman dungeon to be beheaded. You can begin to say, I can understand why people deserted him, I can appreciate why Demas thought he might go to Thessalonica. There is no excuse, but humanly speaking you can see there is no future with Paul. If I stay with him, I'll end up like him. And indeed there is more than just an element of truth in that.

So when you come to II Timothy 1, Paul has opened this letter to Timothy and we've already read in chapter 4, he says, make every effort to come to me soon. There is not a lot of time, so as much as possible, get here as quickly as possible. Because if he doesn't hurry, it will be too late, obviously. He began by identifying himself as an apostle, an apostle entrusted with the message of eternal life as found in Jesus Christ, the promise of life in Christ Jesus. And he's writing to Timothy, his beloved son.

Now with verse 3 he picks up with a word of thanks. I thank God. And what a blessing. You read of the Apostle Paul's life and the kind of suffering he went through, as we just read a portion of in the letter to the Corinthians. You read now his present circumstances and situation, but you don't pick up, I'm so discouraged, I'm so disheartened, I don't know if it's been worth it all. What does he pick up? I thank God. In the midst of all this, even being abandoned by those he counted on, he's going to start out by saying, I thank God for what He has done. And what He has done in your life, Timothy, is the focus, because you have to go down to verse 5 to get the completion of this. I thank God, verse 5, for I am mindful of the sincere faith within you. The connection is I give thanks to God because I remember your genuine faith. What a blessing it is, having people bail out, having some indicate that they indeed were genuine in their faith, having some within teaching false doctrines.

Turn over to chapter 2 verse 16, avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have gone astray from the truth. Here are well known men who have been involved in the church, in teaching, and now they've abandoned the truth. And Paul says, you know error is like gangrene—it spreads. It is a relentless task to stay on track, to stay faithful to the truth. But error, just give it a little foothold and it blossoms, it spreads on its own. That's what he says is going on with the false teaching.

But when he starts out in chapter 1 there is a bright spot as he has opportunity to reflect, to remember. And that's the key word in these verses. I thank my God, back in chapter 1 verse 3, as I constantly remember you. Verse 4, even as I recall, and that's the same basic word. If you were reading in Greek you would be hearing the same word at the heart of everything here. Different forms of the word, but the same basic word. We lose that connection even in the sound of the word because of our translation. Even as I recall or remember your tears. Verse 5, I am mindful or I am remembering. Same basic word again. And then verse 6 he'll tell Timothy, now you remember. For this reason I remind you. Same basic, core word. I want you to remember. Friends have abandoned him in a Roman dungeon of a prison, but he is thinking back on God's grace, the work that He has done in Timothy's life, what a blessing Timothy has been to him, and what joy it would bring to him if Timothy could be here.

So in verse 3 he follows on and he has a series of statements and phrases that modify what he is saying. We have the basic connection; I thank God for I am mindful of the sincere faith within you. But we have to elaborate that. I thank God, and this is one sentence—verses 3-5 as Paul wrote it in Greek. In our English versions it has been broken up into a couple of sentences, but it flows right along.

I thank God whom I serve with a clear conscience, the way my forefathers did. I thank God, and then I have to tell you, this is the God that I serve. He uses the word here, not the normal word for serving or service. But he uses a word that always is used of religious service for God. In the Greek translation of the Old Testament it was used of Israel's worship, their service in the temple. It is religious service, it is service offered to God, done for Him, done as His slave, if you will. This is the way the Apostle Paul started his letter to the Romans.

Back up to Romans 1:9. You'll see it is very similar in the context and in what is said. He starts that letter; Paul almost can't get on without first telling you about the blessing God has brought to him in placing him into the service of the living God. He has already mentioned the fact that God called him an apostle; he's an apostle by the will of God to preach the message of Christ. Now in Romans 1:9, for God whom I serve, and there is our word, latrual, the service is offered to God, the service I do on behalf of God. Whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers making requests. The Romans were a regular part of Paul's prayer ministry. We're going to see that Timothy is also as this letter continues. But Paul saw his life, not a life of drudgery, not a life of overwhelming abuse and almost intolerable difficulty. He saw it as a life of serving the living God. That put it into perspective.

So when he writes to the Galatians, he talks about the beatings, the scars that are left, you know what he calls them? Brand marks of Christ. I bear in my body the brand marks. That's not the abuse that they heaped upon me, that's badges of honor. They identify me with Jesus Christ. That's why he tells the Corinthians, those who are attacking my apostleship and my ministry to you Corinthians, well, let's see their scars. He's telling the Galatians, I'm tired of all this bickering and fighting. Here I offer proof of my apostleship, I have the brand marks.

He says I see it in light of my service and it's the God, back in II Timothy 1:3, whom I serve with a clear conscience. Isn't it a great thing to be able to say at the end of your life, my ministry for the Lord was done with a clear conscience, a clean conscience, a conscience that the inner judge either tells you you're guilty or not guilty? Not a totally reliable guide, because of the fall into sin. You know how your conscience is, you do something wrong and you have that sense of guilt. You do it wrong again and the sense of guilt is not quite as sharp. Keep doing it wrong regularly and pretty soon what do we say? My conscience doesn't bother me anymore. That's true. So our conscience is not a totally reliable guide, but in the context of the Word of God, as Paul has carried on his ministry in light of the Word of God, he says my conscience is clear, it is clean, doesn't accuse me of anything. I have been faithful. There is no area where his conscience convicts him.

Over in chapter 4 verse 7 we read, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. I have been true to the Word of God. Is that the goal, to finish well? That's what Paul is going to be encouraging Timothy. It's wonderful the testimony Timothy has had to this point. He has been a faithful man to this point. Paul's concern is that's not enough. You must finish well. I have kept the faith, I have a clear conscience in my service for God, and I am here condemned by men, found guilty by the courts, rejected by friends. You say, how could they do that? But you know how it is, people follow friends. One person becomes critical, pretty soon that criticism begins to color my thinking, and pretty soon what my friends are saying supersede what the Word of God says. I had someone tell me one time, we didn't leave the church because we had any problem with you or the doctrine; we left because our friends left. Well, that's your choice, your decision. We want to be careful we follow the truth. I'm not saying because you leave this church you've left the truth, but I'm saying we need to be very careful. We can understand how Paul ended up standing alone. Well, pretty soon I can see some validity in their criticism, I know if Paul hadn't been so hardnosed, if he hadn't confronted the Jews head-on, if he hadn't been so open but used a little more tact, maybe the Romans wouldn't have imprisoned him. You know Paul had trouble everywhere. You know a person who has trouble everywhere is probably not the everywhere, it's probably him. Now just think about it, where did Paul go that he didn't have trouble? I mean, we can read his own testimony to the Corinthians. He can't even keep track himself of how many times he was beaten. But do you think it was everybody else, or do you think it was Paul? I mean, I appreciate that Paul taught the Word, but let's be realistic. Paul didn't have to be so hardnosed about everything. And pretty soon, I can see reasons, no sense in my getting caught up in Paul's troubles. I'm not going to deny Christ, but I don't think I can stand here with him at this time. And what good would it do anyway? And on we go. And pretty soon we've rationalized being unfaithful to Christ, unfaithful to the Word of God, and unfaithful to the servants of God. That's what Paul's concern for Timothy is going to be in this letter—you have to continue to be faithful, Timothy, and that will be a costly thing.

So I serve God with a clear conscience, the way my forefathers did. You mean your Mom and Dad? I mean, Saul, whom we know as Paul, was converted by dramatic intervention of God Himself, as Christ confronted him on the Damascus Road in Acts 9. No indication that Paul's parents or grandparents were believers, but his forefathers, his ancestors. In other words, what Paul is doing is connecting himself in faithfully serving God and being obedient to His Word to the forefathers in Israel—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel. I serve with a clear conscience. And it's crucial, this is the way that faithful servants have always served, this is the way my ancestors and Israel served, the true godly people in Israel. They served with a clear conscience.

Now he's back to Timothy. I remember you in my prayers night and day. You know Paul must have had a wonderful prayer life. Evidently even in that Roman prison he was making good use of his time, praying, praying for Timothy. Now it says he prayed night and day. That doesn't mean he never stopped praying for Timothy, because he couldn't have gotten anything else done. But it means every time he is praying, Timothy is part of his prayers. Like we would have. You might have a child who is off someplace and in a difficult situation, perhaps serving in the military. And you pray for a lot of things and you don't pray for everyone and everything every day, but you pray for them. It shows how special Timothy is. I pray for you every time I am praying, night and day. For the Jews the day started at evening, so they talk about night and day because really their day started at night and then day. We usually refer to day and night, but they refer to night and day.

And a longing to see you, even as I recall your tears, that I may be filled with joy. Longing to see you, it's an intense word. He has a strong inner desire to see Timothy again. It is not so we can minister together, because Paul already has said, my ministry is basically over. But it would be an encouragement to him, a blessing to him. And it would be an encouragement to Timothy. But Paul says, I remember your tears, evidently referring to their last parting.

In I Timothy 1:3 Paul says, I left you at Ephesus to set in order things that remain there. That may be the time referred to, there are not details filled in whether Paul had opportunity to have personal contact with Timothy other than that. That's the most probable occasion. And Timothy was distraught to have to say good-bye to Paul. We can understand that. And Paul reflects back and remembers what it was like the last time he and Timothy were together and how broken up Timothy was. So, I would just love to see you again. You know what Paul says? That would make my joy full, which would fulfill my joy, fill up my joy. I love statements like this because they remind us that Paul was human. We sometimes think Paul was a little different than we because he'd go through this suffering and it didn't affect him. We sometimes talk about the fruit of the Spirit this way. You know the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy. We'd say we have the fruit of the Spirit and it is not dependent on external things. And it is not. That does not mean that there is not a correlation as these things become involved and I can't sort them out. The Spirit of God uses the people of God, He uses the circumstances of my life to multiply my joy and increase it. It's not like now I've been saved, I'm like a robot with a program on the inside and I have joy no matter what happens around me. I have peace no matter what happens around me. No, I still live in a real world, a real life as a real human being. And tragedy comes into life and it what? It brings sadness and sorrow. You don't find Paul writing here, I recall your tears when we parted and remember I told you, Timothy, you shouldn't be crying. You should have joy. Not at all. In fact Paul said if I could see you now my joy would be filled up. Well you have the joy of the Holy Spirit, how can you get any more joyful? Because God graciously uses events and people and so on in our lives and it does increase our joy. In times of tears and sorrow we can still say, as I think about what God has done in my life and His grace that saves me I do have joy and peace. But it's not the same kind of joy I have when that sorrow and that grief and that pain is not there.

So we are reminded here that Paul lived in a real world. It is discouraging; it's been disheartening to have my friends desert me. There is joy in knowing the Lord didn't desert me, but we don't have to think it didn't hurt to have his friends abandon him and to have a friend like Timothy who will be faithful to the end come and see him. That would fill up his joy.

Verse 5, now we complete the thought begun in verse 3. I thank God for I am mindful, or as we might translate it, cause to remember the sincere faith within you. It's hard to give us the flow in English, but it's that word to be reminded, to be remembering, to be made to remember. The sincere faith. Paul says, what I reflect on as I express this thanks, given the context for it, your genuine faith, Timothy, what else would there be? With men like Hymenaeus and Philetus denying bodily resurrection, error spreading like gangrene, Demas forsaking me, having loved this present world, all deserting me at my first trial. Then I am filled with gratitude to God when I think back on your genuine faith, a true faith, and a sincere faith. This is our English word hypocrite. We just transliterate this word over into English, basically, and that's where we get the word hypocrite. Its negative here, an un-hypocritical faith. You remember it came from actors of the time who wore a mask as they played a role, so they were hypocrites because they were pretending to be someone else. Obviously didn't have the negative connotation then, it was just being an actor, playing a role. A hypocrite comes to be someone who is not being genuine. And I remember your genuine faith, your sincere faith.

It's a faith that first dwelt in your grandmother, Lois, and then in your mother, Eunice, and now I know it's in you as well. So here we get a little glimpse into Timothy's life. His mother and grandmother became believers before him. Now the Bible never tells us how that happened. Remember, we meet Timothy in Acts 16, the chapter opens up. We meet his mother there, although she is not identified by name but we are told it was Timothy's mother, and that she was a believer. And that his father was a Greek and evidently was not a believer. He's not identified any further. And now we have the grandmother brought into the picture and she had been a believer before Timothy as well. We have no idea how these women were saved. Maybe they were saved as Timothy would have been on Paul's first missionary journey when he stopped in Lystra. Perhaps these two Jewish women had been saved before that, perhaps in visiting, perhaps in going someplace where there were believers they had heard the gospel and believed. Nothing is given. You know with our focus on families today we would have developed all scripture around family relationships. The Bible says very little, only what is said here is what is pertinent to Timothy's faith. Your mother and grandmother had faith before you. So sometime before Timothy believed his mother and grandmother had believed.

Now why does Paul mention that here? Well Paul has made clear he has a genuine faith and has lived with that faith. For Paul to have faith in Christ and the gospel and to live in light of that are inseparable concepts. So he's already said that he served the Lord with a clear conscience the way his forefathers did, his ancestors going back in time. Now he tells Timothy, I know you have a genuine faith. How do you know that? Timothy has served the Lord as Paul has. And you know what? You have godly people as your heritage as well. I have them in my line, going back to the Old Testament. Paul being a Jew was a descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. You have a godly line, too, Timothy, because your grandmother and your mother were believers before you. He's putting Timothy in a context here to motivate his faithfulness and be reminded that he has something passed on to him that he must keep on.

We have the song, may those who come behind us find us faithful. Timothy, you have a godly heritage. I've talked to you about my godly heritage, you have one, too. And I'm keeping that going and you have to keep it going. And that genuine faith first dwelled in your mother and grandmother. I wonder what kind of contact Paul had with these godly women that gave him such a settled conviction regarding their faith. And I am sure that it is in you as well. Timothy, I have no doubt about you, the genuineness of your faith. That's a strong commendation in light of what Paul has seen happen to those around him in rather recent times.

That prepares for what he is going to say in verses 6-7. You'll note verse 6 begins, for this reason. Everything down into chapter 2 is so tightly connected that you read writers and commentators and they say it's hard to know where you want to break into this. But you see verse 6 connects to what he has just said. Verses 3-5 are one long sentence. Then verse 6 begins, for this reason, the reason I just said, the genuine faith that is in you and I am sure it is in you. For this reason I remind you, I want you, now, to remember what you have to do. Now it's the same basic word that we've referred to as remember and so on in the previous verses. To kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. Kindle afresh. That translation of this word may give you the idea that Timothy has let the fire in his service for the Lord go down. But that probably is not the best translation here. There is no indication anywhere that Timothy was dragging his feet, had lost his passion in service and so on. This is the man that Paul sent to represent him to Corinth, to Thessalonica, to other places. This is the man that Paul is confident will be standing true in the faith when others have bailed out. So I think better translation of the word here is in the line of keep it burning brightly, keep the fire going. In other words, it is not a rebuke, it is an encouragement because Timothy is about to come to the most discouraging time. He's had some difficult assignments; he's been in some difficult situations. But Paul is about to be executed. Timothy has to keep on. Paul realizes this will be a body blow, a punch in the stomach; this is going to have the tendency to take all the wind out of Timothy's sails. That's the human response. Timothy, you have to keep the fire burning. So I take it what he's saying is you've done well, it is burning brightly, strong. Keep it stoked, keep it going. To keep the fire burning, keep it in full flame, one person translated it.

What he's talking about is the gift of God which has been given to Timothy. He doesn't identify the gift, but it is obviously the gift of ministry, the gift in proclaiming the Word of God. In chapter 2 he will remind Timothy to keep on teaching men who will teach others also. So you keep that gift that God has given you for serving Him, you keep it at full flame. You have to understand, for the Apostle Paul, half-hearted service for God was never, ever acceptable. And so the use of his spiritual gift had to be at high heat all the time. That's the only way Paul knew to go about the ministry, burning at full flame. That's what he is telling Timothy. A reminder to us as well. We are serving the living God, these are gifts. The word here, charisma, it was the word for spiritual gifts in I Corinthians 12-14, Romans 12. That gift of God's grace to enable us to serve Him as He would have us. What a waste that we would do anything but at full throttle, full flame, full passion. Now Timothy has been with Paul a long time, 17-18 years. You know what it's like. You can launch into something and everything is new and fresh and exciting. You keep at that ministry week after week, month after month, year after year. Pretty soon you think, I just need a break, maybe back off, maybe.......... You don't quit. What do you think Paul's body was like after what we read in II Corinthians 11? Do you think that body was in the same condition as when he started out? No. Is that an excuse, now, for less? Well I can only do what this body can be driven to do. But you know what he told the Corinthians in II Corinthians 2? I discipline my body; literally, I beat it black and blue and bring it into subjection, lest when I preach to others I, myself, should be disqualified. His body may not have been able to go like it used to, but Paul is driving it as hard as it could go in the service of the Lord. He's going to finish well. And what is he doing here? Lying in a damp, dark Roman dungeon. He's writing a letter to Timothy to challenge him to continue on the ministry. He says I have finished the course, but they haven't cut my head off yet so I have more ministry to do. I'm writing to you, Timothy. And he's going to have other instructions in chapter 4. Have to burn brightly; just as bright as when I began. Is that true of us? You can understand why he has to encourage Timothy. Many of you have been believers a long time; I've been a believer a long time. I have to ask myself, am I burning as brightly as I did when I started? Constant tendency to tail off. We have to finish well. Timothy, keep the fires burning at full flame.

It's the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. I want to take you back, Timothy, to the time God communicated that gift to you. Those days with the apostles and here with Timothy's special ministry, God intervened in direct ways. Back up to I Timothy 1:18, this command I entrust to you, Timothy my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight. Evidently when Timothy was set apart for the ministry in Acts 16 there was prophecies given regarding what God's will for him would be. And in light of that Timothy was to carry on his ministry to fight the good fight. God doesn't call us to a life of relaxation and ease; he's called us to a battle, to a war. Paul is going to use this analogy in II Timothy 2. Timothy, those problems are for you to fight the good fight, you continue on in persevering. And that's to be his pattern to the end of his ministry.

Come back to II Timothy. In I Timothy 4 we are also told that the elders laid hands on him. So in that context where Paul's action as an apostle and a gift that is identified is clearly given to Timothy. Timothy, you keep it going. Verse 7, a reminder. You keep the flame burning brightly. A little different way, for God has not given us a spirit of timidity. Some take from this that Timothy was a timid man and maybe he was, compared to Paul, but not in the sense of a shy, retiring person, reluctant to step forward. From the beginning of his ministry, what were the commands? Fight the good fight where Paul sent Timothy to be his representative in difficult circumstances like Corinth, like Thessalonica where Paul had recently been driven out by opposition and persecution. Timothy goes back in there. So this is not a man we would look at and say, he just is afraid to step forward. Not at all. The word here would be better translated cowardice.

And you'll note, God does not give that spirit of cowardice. You'll note the context here, the next verse; do not be ashamed of the testimony of the Lord or of me his prisoner. Join with me in suffering for the gospel. This fear, that hesitancy to present Jesus Christ, the gospel, to be identified with those that is, that spirit does not come from the Lord. We sometimes think, I wish the Lord would give me the courage so that I could present the gospel. What does that mean? Do you think God gave you that spirit of cowardice that spirit of fear, that spirit of being ashamed, embarrassed? Isn't that what he says? God has not given us a spirit of cowardice. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony, don't be ashamed to be identified with believers that stand for the truth. You know, we get this idea, if the Lord wanted me to witness for Him, if He wanted me to present the gospel He'd give me the courage to do it. Well it is put negatively here first. He doesn't give you that spirit of fear; He doesn't give you that spirit of being a coward when it comes to being identified with Him. With the message of Christ, with believers who are being faithful to the Word, like Paul, the first thing you remember, Timothy, when that sense and tendency to be embarrassed or afraid, that doesn't come from the Lord. I take it Paul knew what that was like and he knew it didn't come from the Lord so he didn't let it determine his action. He disciplined his body and brought it into subjection to do what he needed to do, when he was afraid and when he wasn't afraid, when he wanted to turn and run but he wouldn't turn and run. Why?

But God has given us a spirit of power and love and discipline, power. That sufficient enablement to do what He has called us to do. Is there any of us who does not have a sense as we look at ourselves, of inability; I'm not up to the task. That's why Paul asked the question at the end of II Corinthians 2, who is sufficient for this? Well you get into II Corinthians 3 and he says He has made us sufficient. We are all mindful of our weakness. I mean, who am I to step up in this situation? Who am I? I'm a weak, frail, and cowardly. God gives a spirit of power. How will I know when I have the spirit of power? Just open your mouth and present the gospel, step up and identify with Paul. If I sit here like some power is going to come over me like superman, now I can leap off tall buildings, now I go and present the gospel fearlessly. I go and present the gospel and I do it in the power He gives and I know that desire to be a coward doesn't come from the Lord, that desire to hide behind my embarrassment and say nothing, that desire to distance myself from believers who are being ridiculed, suffering to the gospel like Paul was, desire to abandon and desert, put some distance doesn't come from the Lord. The Lord uses the spirit of power that enables you to stand. How do I know it will be there? Do you have a genuine faith in the Lord? Then step out and do it. And if you've been a believer very long you know that sense where you were scared to death but you just knew you had to present the gospel in this situation, you presented it, and you walked away and said, I can't believe it. I can't believe I presented the gospel to them. They didn't stab me in the heart and I got through the whole gospel. You go away and there is a sense of joy and happiness. Where did the enablement to do that come from? From the Lord.

I used to take swimming lessons and training to be a lifeguard. You know, I realized, you would never learn to swim if you didn't get into the water. I had people who wanted to learn to swim, but they were deathly afraid to get into the pool. We can give you all kinds of instructions, we can tell you to hold your nose and stick your finger in your ear and whatever else you want to do to keep water out of your head, but you'll never learn to swim until you get into the water. You can lie on your carpet all day and get the strokes right and learn how to twist your head, but you have to get into the water. Then you want to go up to the high dive. I remember the first time, I must have gone up and down the ladders, I don't know how many times. I had the whole pool staring at me. It just was so much higher when I got up there than when I was down here looking up. The worst that can happen to me is I die, so I closed my eyes and off I went.

But you know sometimes people think somehow the Lord is just going to come over me and I'm going to have a courage like I've never had, and I'm just going to give them the gospel. It just doesn't work that way. What do we do? Well, Lord, I know you didn't make me a coward; you didn't cause me to be embarrassed because of my relationship with you and the truth concerning your Son. So I know that's not from you. And you do give power. This is power in the context of the gospel, power in the context of service of the living God, power in the context of identifying with like-minded believers. He gives that enablement to do it. It's not natural, it's not me. He also gives love, love for the Lord, love for His Word, love for fellow believers, love for the lost. That is a fruit of the Spirit that He produces in our spirit, and He gives self-discipline. That word translated discipline, self-discipline, self-control. I discipline my body, I bring it into subjection. You know being submissive to the Spirit of God and drawing upon the enablement He gives is why we do those things, not because oh, they are just made differently than I. No, that's not the reason. Anybody who is doing the work of the Lord in the energy of the flesh is accomplishing nothing. Those that are doing it like Paul is not because he had a different constitution and a different makeup than I; he was just willing to trust the Lord and do it in his weakness. So he could write to the Corinthians and say in I Corinthians 12, I find the Lord uses me with my weakness and that's His plan. So I rejoice in my weakness, because the main thing that concerns me is that the power of God rests on me.

So here we are. Paul has confidence in Timothy's faith that is genuine. Do you have a genuine faith? Are you just hanging around people who have a genuine faith? Do you have a genuine faith, a true trust in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross as the payment for your sin? In Him alone. I know without Him I would be lost, but in Him I have salvation. A genuine faith that has been demonstrated by a life that is lived for Him; a clear conscience obedient to the Word of God. I have evidence I have a genuine, real faith. Based upon that you have a spiritual gift that has been given to you by God's grace. Is it burning hot? Do you keep it at full flame? Are you passionate in your service for God and desirous that you get the maximum out of the use of your gift? I can't get the maximum out of someone else's gift. Someone else may be a better preacher, a better teacher. I praise God for that and appreciate their superior gift, but I have to keep my gift burning as hot as I can, to use it to the maximum. I look around at the ministry God has given to us together as a church family, how many people using their gift, going all out. Because it is easy, because it doesn't take energy? No, because they are committed to serve the living God the only way He deserves to be served—with all of my heart, my mind, my strength, utilizing to the fullest the ability He has entrusted to me.

And in this I'm reminded, God doesn't give me that spirit of cowardice. Why do I always tend to be embarrassed or ashamed or afraid to speak up for Him? We run out and talk about the football game and it just spills off our lips, but to talk about Christ........ I don't know if it's the right thing to say, I don't know that they would be open to it, people might overhear and it would be embarrassing, I'm just not that kind of person who can speak out about these things.

We have to come back full circle. Do you have a genuine faith? If you do, the Spirit of God has given you a gift and He has called you to serve Him and there is only one way of serving Him that is acceptable, and He doesn't give a spirit of cowardice. He doesn't make you embarrassed or ashamed of the gospel or of those who present the gospel. He gives power, He gives love, and He gives the self-discipline so that you do as He has instructed you to do. How have we done in following the pattern that Paul puts down for Timothy? What an opportunity, what a privilege and what a blessing.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for your truth. Thank you for your Word, its clarity, its beauty, its simplicity, its power. Thank you for your work of salvation. Lord, how amazing that we like Paul, like Timothy, like saints of old, like saints of recent days could have saving faith, a genuine faith, a faith that saves the soul and changes the life. Thank you, Lord, that with salvation comes the gift of your grace to enable us now to be effective in our service for You, to serve you in a way that will honor you. Lord, may we be passionate in that service, may we not accept anything but going at full flame in our service for you. Lord, in these physical bodies with our reluctance often to be identified with you, our fear of embarrassment, our fear of rejection, our fear of what others will think, our fear of suffering persecution, we sometimes take that as an excuse to justify our cowardice. Lord, thank you for the reminder that you don't give a spirit of cowardice, but you do provide power and love and the self-discipline that enables us to discipline these minds and bodies to do what you have called us to do. May that be true of us in our service to you as a local church and our service to you individually within this local church and as we represent you in other places. We pray in Christ's name, amen.