Staying Firm in Faith

As we’ve spent time looking at Paul’s prayers in his letters, we’ve also been able to get a bit of an introduction and overview of each letter. And before we look a our passages for this morning, I want to help us understand some of the background to this letter.

Chronologically, Second Timothy is the final of Paul’s letters. From what we can tell historically, the year is about A.D. 67. This is the second time Paul has been imprisoned, and he is now waiting to be put to death.

And as he sits alone, he writes a letter to the man he had personally trained as a minister of the gospel. That’s who Timothy was.

Unfortunately, the letters seems to indicate that Timothy was stepping back from his role as a leader. He was afraid, and he was ashamed. Continuing in the work of Christ brought the possibility of imprisonment, ridicule, and even death.

You probably don’t experience those kinds of things to the same degree, but your Christian life faces fear in some way. If we give serve Christ as He has called us to, there will be a cost. You will lose something.

That’s why Jesus said that choosing to follow Him means laying down your life. It’s like a daily death. We sacrifice comfort. We sacrifice money. We sacrifice entertainment. We are supposed to die to ourselves.

So, this letter which was intended to spur Timothy to faithful ministry is also an important message for us. And I’d like you to see Paul’s commands in the opening chapter.

Look with me at chapter 1, verse 6. This is the first command Paul gives. Second Timothy 1:6—For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, [7] for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

The fire, or the desire, for faithful ministry was waning. And Paul says, “fan it into flame. Don’t let it go out.”

A second command comes in verse 8. Paul says this—Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God.

Rather than walk away from his duties, Paul urges Timothy to follow his example. Look at verse 13—Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. [14] By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

That should be enough to help you see the tone and the message of this letter. Paul is saying, “Don’t let fear and shame win. Fan the fire of ministry in your life. Be ready to suffer. Follow my example. Protect the message of Jesus Christ.”

The aim of the letter isn’t to teach new theology, or new concepts. It is to take us back to the fundamentals of the faith—fundamentals which are so often and so easily forgotten.

My wife and I are helping coach our daughter’s softball team. And that means we’ve got a range of girls with regard to their level of skill and experience. But regardless of how skilled or experienced an athlete is, they always need to be reminded about the fundamentals. That’s what a coach does.

We tell the girls, “Get your glove all the way down. Move your feet. Watch the ball hit the bat.”

Well, in my own Christian life, and in yours, we need the same kind of reminders regarding the fundamentals. So, in looking at Paul’s prayers, which are confined to chapter 1 of this letter, this morning I want to give you three simple, but necessary reminders about getting back to the heart of ministry—the heart of the Christian life.

Lesson number 1 is this: Remember your God. Remember your God.

As Paul begins his letter, he expresses his joy over Timothy, but it’s not just a generic expression of happiness. He doesn’t simply say, “I’m happy.” He says, “I thank God.” Those are the opening words of verse 3. Paul’s joy over Timothy is expressed as thanksgiving to God.

Paul saw the entirety of his life and ministry in relationship to God. And you and I need to do the same thing. God is not simply an add-on. God is not just a bonus. God is in the entirety of all that Paul is and does. In the highs and the lows, Paul remembered his God.

He doesn’t say it in this letter, but in his letters to the Romans, to the Corinthians, to the Philippians, and to Philemon, he says “I thank my God.” Can you say the same thing? Is there a personal connection, or is God just some generic force?

In all that we do, you need to remember your God. What makes this reminder so important is how obvious it is, and yet how easily we forget it.

If you have surrendered your life to Jesus Christ, you know there is a God. You know He created and sustains all things. You know you deserve His judgment, but you also know He has mercifully reconciled you to Himself through His Son Jesus Christ—through His perfect life, through His sacrificial death, and through His glorious resurrection.

You will also know, at least intellectually, that life is supposed to be about serving Him. Everything we do, is supposed to be because of Him, and in His strength, and for His glory. Everything is from Him, and through Him, and to Him. But as foundational as that truth is, theologically, it’s so easy for us to forget practically.

It’s kind of like when someone asks you to pause and take a deep breath. Up to that moment, you probably weren’t consciously thinking about your breathes. Breathing is an essential aspect of life that, but sometimes we still need a reminder.

Verse 3 continues with another phrase. Paul says, “I thank God whom I serve.” Whom I serve.

The word Paul uses there for “serve” is a word that was used for slaves who served a master. In a religious context, it can be translated “worship.” We are here to serve and to worship God. That’s the only place to find true purpose and meaning and satisfaction. It doesn’t mean we will avoid pain in this life, but it means we will live with satisfaction and joy.

Worshiping God in everything we do is a fundamental part of Christian life, but we all forget to do it. We forget to do all things for His glory. We forget that in Christ, everyday things like changing diapers and doing the laundry and driving to work and eating a meal should be done in an attitude of worship. We need to remember God.

Do you constantly live with the aware that you are serving God? You don’t. And neither do I. But if our forgetfulness of God continues long enough, our lives will have a drastically different trajectory, and we need to be careful about that.

It’s easy, even in our religious or moral activity, to convince ourselves that we are doing it for God when we might actually be doing it for someone else, or for ourselves.

Guys, are we sacrificing for our wives out of a desire to please and serve God, or is it simply because we assume doing nice things for them will make the home a happier place, and maybe even increase my chances of romance? A happy home is a good thing; it’s a blessing of God. So is romance, in the context of marriage. But those are not the things we serve.

Serving in the church, teaching kids, playing an instrument, cleaning tables—all good things, but it’s not those things that we serve. We serve God.

Ladies, are you loving your husband and your kids in order to serve God, or is simply to make life easier for yourself? Or to prove to them that you’re the better partner and they should be indebted to you? Is it genuine godly service, or is it self-service?

Do you fight sin, and love and serve others because of God, or is it simply to enhance your own reputation?

Timothy is shying away from his calling. He’s scared. He’s ashamed. So, in that opening phrase, it’s almost like Paul is asking a question. He’s making him think. “I serve God, Timothy. Whom are you serving?”

Later in the verse, there’s another phrase that helps us see life the way Paul did. Paul says he serves God “with a clear conscience.” With a clear conscience.

There is a direct connection between serving God and having a clear conscience, and the connection goes both ways.

If you are focusing more and more on serving God, you will have a clearer conscience. You will mature in your fight against sin. You will know that God is always with you watching everything you do, and in your devotion to Him you will stay away from things you should be staying away from.

It’s like what Joseph said to Potiphar’s wife when she said, “Let’s go to bed.” He said, “How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” His devotion to God kept him form sin.

So, serving God will help you maintain a clear conscience, but the other side of that connection is that the clearer your conscience is, the more you will serve God.

Sometimes, when we get caught up in sin, we can think, “Oh well, I’ve already gotten myself into this, so might as well keep going.” We sink further away from serving God.

Or you might think, “I’m such a sinner, how could God ever use me.” How should we respond to that? How do we get a clean conscience after we’ve sinned? We confess our sin, we remember what God has done for us in Christ. Sin was condemned on the cross. The price was paid. Even if we still feel guilty emotionally, we are not guilty legally because the price has been paid. We confess and we repent. We turn away for it at that moment. And God accepts that and sanctifies us.

First John 1:9 says—If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

So, again, in everything you do, whether it’s everyday, normal routine stuff, or Christian ministry, whether it’s the joys of life and ministry or the sorrows of pain and sin, you need to remember your God. Remember the God you serve.

We serve a God that is powerful and merciful and compassionate, and He is also eternal. He has been working in and through human history ever since creation.

And this leads me to the second reminder we get from Paul. Number one, remember your God. Number two, remember your past. Remember your past.

In 1 Timothy 1, Paul talks about his former life of sin, and he praises God for His kindness and patience. Here, Paul goes back even further.

In speaking about serving God with a clear conscience, Paul says, “I do it ‘as did my ancestors.’”

From a heavenly and spiritual perspective, God saved Him. But from a human perspective, Paul was part of a legacy of saints.

I’m not sure if Paul’s parents were faithful believers. They may not have been if they were happy about Paul joining the Pharisees and seeking to be saved by works rather than by grace through faith. I think Paul has in mind the line of godly saints that came before Him, the faithful Jews of the Old Testament.

Paul recognizes that he’s not the first man nor the first generation to trust in God, and to be entrusted with the truth. And that motivated Him to continue in ministry.

In fact, that what he wants Timothy to remember. Paul was Timothy’s spiritual father. And Paul says, at the end of verse 3, “I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day.”

Verse 4 continues—As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. Paul is eager to see Timothy one last time. That would put a certain amount of pressure on him as well, in a healthy way. What would Paul think if Timothy said, “Well, I’m not serving God anymore. I’m done with all that.” That would be a tragedy.

Here is this godly line of people that includes Paul and Timothy, so how could Timothy walk away from that?

And to make this ever more personal for Timothy, we get verse 5. Listen to what Paul says—I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.

If Timothy was tempted to walks away from the faith or from faithful service to Christ, a verse like that would have helped knock some sense into him and spur him to faithfulness. “Don’t do that, Timothy. Remember your past. You’re part of a godly legacy. Don’t walk away from that. Keep running the race.”

This is what’s happening in Hebrews 11 where we get a list of saints of the past who gave so much because of their faith. It’s a call to remain faithful. And Paul follows up these words with the reminder to fan the flames of God’s gift.

Now, even if your parents weren’t believers, you need to pause and think about all the people that have come before you. If you are trusting in Jesus Christ and serving God, you are in the line of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and Joseph and Moses and Joshua and David and the twelve disciples. Think about that. Those are the jerseys hanging on the wall. That’s the team you’re on.

This past week, I went to the funeral service for Fermín Whittaker. And the next day, I went to a retirement event for my father-in-law who had been with Edison for over 40 years. At both events, people got up there and talked about the person who was being remembered. And it made me think about the kind of worker and father and minister I want to be. It spurred me in my walk.

Those of you who are older can do the same for the younger ones. Encourage them in ministry. Just like Paul does, remind them they’re part of a godly legacy.

This legacy starts with Adam, the first sinner, and will extend through every generation until Christ comes, and into eternity. And with that, we get a final reminder for today. Remember your God. Remember your past. And lastly, remember your future. Remember your future.

This is another of the key themes in this letter. Paul is about to die. And just like he is encouraging Timothy to continue the work of ministry, Timothy is expected to do the same for others. Timothy is going to die too, and he needs to prepare more men.

Jump over for a second with me to Second Timothy chapter 2. Look at Paul’s exhortation in the first 2 verses. Second Timothy 2:1-2—You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, [2] and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.

Christ taught Paul. Paul taught Timothy. Timothy needs to find faithful men. And they need to find other men. This legacy of ministers for Christ has to continue. It can’t end with any of us.

This is a crucial part of our church life. Older saints need to be teaching and encouraging younger saints. It’s especially important for elders. This verse is a call to train up the next generation of leaders in the church. That’s a critical part of remembering the future.

Go ahead and go back with me to chapter 1 of the letter, and we’ll see one final aspect for the future. We need to think about the next generation. We need to think about who we will lead and train and equip. But we also need to think about the final day of our future, which is the day Christ returns. That is judgment day.

In calling Timothy to follow Paul’s pattern, Paul wants Timothy thinking about the final judgment. When that judgment comes, there are only going to be two choices. You will either love Christ and his appearing, or you will be shocked and terrified because you did not truly belong to Him. You did not truly obey Him.

Look at chapter 1, verse 15. Paul gives Timothy vivid examples of what those two options are. Verse 15—You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.

We don’t know the details, but we can understand Paul’s point. Even someone who appears to be faithful can fall away. It’s a scary and sad possibility.

But what’s the alternative? Verse 16—May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, [17] but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me— [18] may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day!—and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus.

Technically, this is a prayer, but for Timothy it’s also a reminder of the reward that awaits the faithful servants of God.

Onesiphorus was not ashamed of the gospel. Onesiphorus was not afraid of what could happen to happen. He faithfully served alongside Paul, no matter how hard it was. And what’s the reward going to be? God will grant him mercy. God will grant him rest from all his efforts. There is a glorious inheritance awaiting everyone who faithfully serves Christ.

Every single one of us is going to be afraid and ashamed in some way. We know we can speak up, but we stay quiet. We know there’s an opportunity to serve, but we don’t take it. We know there’s a war against sin, but we don’t feel like fighting. We see the promises of this world, and they pull us away from a heart that is fully devoted to Jesus Christ.

But we don’t have to stay there. And we definitely don’t need to think that we’re alone. Remember the God you serve. Remember those who have come before you. And remember your responsibility to prepare the next generation. May God use these reminders to make us more and more faithful.