Please turn in your Bibles this evening to II Timothy chapter 2 as we continue our study through the Word of God. As we saw last time, this letter is Paul’s last will and testament, in a sense. It is his last letter he wrote before he was martyred for his faith in Christ. And we see Paul trying to encourage his son in the faith, Timothy, to continue on the work that God has called him to do, not to give up. Paul was passing his ministry on to the next generation, and Timothy was part of it!
Here in II Timothy chapter 2 Paul is admonishing Timothy to continue on and he gives four analogies to make his point, showing Timothy that he needs to be strong, he needs to be obedient, in his spiritual life. In II Timothy 2:2 Paul uses the example of a teacher and he wants Timothy to pass on what God has given to him to others. He then moves to the example of a soldier in II Timothy 2:3-4. Then he moves to the example of an athlete in II Timothy 2:5. And he then concludes with the example of a farmer in II Timothy 2:6. The rest of the chapter, as we will see, deals with those who are approved of God and those who are disapproved – vivid lessons for not only Timothy to learn, but for all of us. With that said, let’s begin reading in II Timothy chapter 2, starting in verse 1 and see what the Lord has for us this evening.
VERSE 1
Over and over again Paul admonishes Timothy to be strong, which tells me that Timothy may have been afraid. Maybe he vacillated in what to do. Maybe he thought of giving up because the work was too big for him to do. As frail, as timid as Timothy might have been, Paul tells Timothy, “Son, you are weak but God is strong. Rest in His strength and He will enable you to do great things. His grace is sufficient for you!”
Now here is where many of us get into trouble. We just sit around and expect God to do great things through us. That is not what Paul is saying. His point is simple. Yes, it is all about God enabling us to do the work, but then we must take those steps of faith and walk.
Let me give you an example of what I mean. As Moses died, Joshua was now going to lead the children of Israel into the Promise Land, and he had some fear, some uncertainty. Moses led them for forty years and they didn’t make it there. Thus, in Joshua 1:2-9 we are told, “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them — the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Notice, his strength is from the Lord, so he was not to be afraid but it didn’t end there. Joshua needed to walk into the Promise Land, he was to defeat the enemies who outnumbered them, were stronger than they were and yet they had the Lord fighting for them and in their weakness, even though they didn’t deserve it, God extended His grace and brought them into the Promise Land giving them great victories. Paul is saying the same thing to this timid young pastor and to each of us!
VERSE 2
The first example that Paul gives to Timothy is that of a teacher and this has been called “The ministry of multiplication.” Paul taught Timothy, instructed him with the things of God and now Paul is passing off the scene shortly. Thus, Timothy is to pass these things on to “faithful men” who will then pass it on, and it keeps going and going! Who are faithful men? They, of course, are believers and they are also servants. They are not looking to be served but to serve others with the things of God. That is a very important lesson. TEACH others the things of God!
VERSES 3-4
Next, Paul speaks of a solider as he shows Timothy what a strong spiritual life is all about. This is not a suggestion by Paul but a requirement for him to follow – to be a soldier in the battles that are before him. The picture I see Paul painting here is that a soldier needs to be FOCUSED because he will face hardships, not that he might. He must be obedient to his commanding officer and not let the things of this world distract him for what he is called to do. Paul, picturing a Roman soldier, saw how he had a purpose; he was not distracted from the work he was called to do by his commanding officer.
Now, as a Christian, the Lord is our commanding officer and we need to be in complete obedience to Him. We need to stay FOCUSED on what He has called us to do and not let the affairs of this life entangle us, stop us from what we are to do. Now please understand that Paul is not necessarily speaking of things that are wrong, but anything that can interfere with what we are called to do. I can give you an example in my own life. I love to run, I love to race and when I was first married I ran many races, even after I was saved. Now there is nothing wrong with running or racing unless it interferes with my relationship with the Lord, and when it did, I cut back on my running and my racing. If something you are doing, which may not be wrong, is interfering with your relationship with the Lord, you need to let it go and draw close to Him!
Most of us don’t really understand what war is about, the cost, how these men are focused in what they are doing and many Christians are not taught about the warfare they are in. Jon Courson tells us of some very brave soldiers. He said:
Knowing they would be mowed down by Nazi machine guns, the first soldiers off the landing craft at Omaha Beach charged valiantly. Those who miraculously made it to shore safely began to climb the cliffs, knowing they were most likely climbing to their deaths. What would cause a man to hit the beach or to climb a cliff, knowing he would be gunned down in the process? Subsequent studies have shown that the heroes of D-Day did so out of respect and appreciation for their commanding officer and fellow soldiers. The concept of fighting for one’s country is sometimes too big, too abstract. But risking one’s life for the safety of one’s commander or for the safety of the soldiers right beside him makes sense.
And so, the mark of a good soldier is that he needs to be FOCUSED because in any battle there will be hardships and there will be things that come your way to entangle you or tie you up, preventing you from doing the work that God has called you to do!
VERSE 5
Paul now speaks of the athlete, that he must follow the rules or he will be disqualified from the competition. The idea that Paul is trying to get across to Timothy is that of OBEDIENCE! The Greek Games, still held in Paul’s day, had every athlete meet three qualifications. He needed to be born a Greek. He had to prepare for at least 10 months for the games and then swear before a statue of Zeus attesting to that fact. And then he had to follow the rules of the event he was in.
As Christians, we too must be OBEDIENT to the Lord and follow the rules He has set for us to compete. First of all we must be born again or saved, that is obvious. Secondly we must be dedicated to the work that God has called us to do, not lackadaisical about it! And thirdly, we must put forth a constant effort in the work. May we “ . . . do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13. And so, the mark of a good athlete is his OBEDIENCE to the rules so he may receive the crown!
VERSE 6
The next picture Paul paints for us is that of a farmer and what I see here is Paul teaching Timothy PATIENCE. Being a farmer is not a glamorous job, you work hard and it takes time before the harvest comes and you see the fruit of your labor.
For the Christian, we must also be PATIENT. Yes, it is work as a pastor pours his heart, his life into people, but it takes time. The fruit will come. Another point here is that a pastor/teacher or a teacher must first partake of the fruit of God’s Word before he can feed others. You can’t give what you don’t have and for me, I’m sure I get more out of these studies than you as God speaks to my heart, as I search the Scriptures in preparation for these studies, and then I share with you what God has given to me. I also know that God’s Word is living and it is powerful and the only thing that can stop it from working in you is YOU! The key to the hardworking farmer is PATIENCE!
VERSE 7
Paul is saying to Timothy, “Son, as I have shared with you what the Lord has given to me, think these things over and ponder them. Examine your own life and ask yourself if you are a strong Christian, a spiritual Christian, a mature Christian. Examine yourself and see for the Lord will give you the understanding you need if you are listening to Him.”
Keep in mind the examples Paul gave to Timothy. He gave to him examples of a TEACHER who TEACHES others the things of God. A SOLDIER who is FOCUSED on the work his commanding officer has given to him. He showed him the ATHLETE who is OBEDIENT to the rules that are before him. And he showed him the FARMER who works hard and is PATIENT, waiting for the harvest to come in. You see, a teacher who is not teaching will have no one to carry on. A soldier who stops fighting because the battles are hard, things are getting in his way will not see the victory. An athlete who doesn’t compete according to the rules will not receive the prize. And a farmer who stops working will never see the fruit, there will be no harvest. Thus, “Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.” II Timothy 2:7.
VERSE 8
In other words, “Keep the main thing the main thing!” And the main thing is Jesus, God who became flesh and dwelt among us, born from the linage of David and raised from the dead giving us the confidence that in Christ we will have eternal life and one day we will be raised up or resurrected from the dead, receiving eternal bodies just as our Lord did! It is as Paul said in I Corinthians 6:14, “And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.” Paul wants Timothy to keep Jesus at the forefront of his message, not to lose sight of Him!
Now some come to the faulty conclusion that Jesus is a New Testament idea, that the Jewish Scriptures, the Old Testament, never spoke of God becoming flesh to save us from our sins. I disagree. There are many places we can look, but let’s just start in Genesis 3:15 where we are told after Adam sinned, “And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.” I realize that does not mean God will accomplish this, it just speaks of the seed of the woman, which is interesting in itself, for the man is the one that carries the seed to fertilize the egg. So there is a hint of the virgin birth here. Then, in Micah 5:2 we are told, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.” In other words, this babe in the manger, the one who is to be born in Bethlehem always existed, he is eternal, from “beyond the vanishing point.” Folks, that is an attribute that only God has!
And in Revelation 5:6, as John is caught up into heaven and is before the throne of God, we are told, “And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.” Notice, before the worlds were created, Jesus, God Almighty, knew what He would have to do to save us from our sins! Obviously we can look at other passages, but I think you get the idea, as we are told in Matthew 1:23, “‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us.’” You see, not a man or a god, but God with us! In fact, Jesus said that the Jewish Scriptures themselves were a witness of Him in John 5:39-40, “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” May we not lose sight of this fact, that Jesus is the main thing!
Now when Paul says “according to my gospel” what does he mean? He is not saying that this is something he came up with on his own. Paul received this Gospel, which means Good News, into his life as he received Jesus into his life as Lord and Savior, and thus, he could say that it was his gospel, it was his Good News! What is good news to you? We can put all kinds of things like; money, jobs, a house, a car and-so-on. But if the greatest news to you is Jesus, then you can say as Paul said, “according to my gospel” because it is yours!
VERSE 9
Paul tells Timothy that he is suffering as someone who has done evil, what evil did Paul do? He proclaimed the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Gospel message. Thus, when people reject it, they will try to silence those who proclaim the Good News. Paul in II Corinthians 11:23-33 gives to us some insight into what he went through for the Gospel sake. He tells us, “Are they ministers of Christ? — I speak as a fool — I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness — besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation? If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. In Damascus the governor, under Aretas the king, was guarding the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desiring to arrest me; but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall, and escaped from his hands.”
Timothy witnessed some of the trouble Paul endured as he preached the Gospel message and now he wants Timothy not to forget that, why? To encourage Timothy not to give up, to finish the work no matter what may come his way, no matter how difficult it will get. In fact, in II Timothy 3:12 Paul said, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” If you are serving the Lord, if you are living a life that is pleasing to the Lord you WILL suffer persecution, not might! People will come against you because your light exposes their darkness. Thus, they try to extinguish the light, put it out – don’t let them!
Look at the life of Jesus as an example for you. He healed the sick, freed those who were demon possessed, raised the dead, fed the hungry, comforted the brokenhearted, had compassion for people and they put Him to death! Thus, if they did this to Jesus, then we, as His servants can expect no less if we are living godly lives, speaking forth the truths of God. Jesus warned us in John 15:18-20 of this as He said, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”
And Paul, admonishing us to fight against sin, not to give up or give in, to endure the hardship of living a holy life, tells us in Hebrews 12:2-3, “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.”
Folks, faithful service to the Lord, being His disciple is costly, it has always been costly. In Hebrews 11:35-38 we are told, “ . . . Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented — of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.” How did they do it? It is as Paul said, “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” Acts 20:24.
There were over 600 miles of catacombs under the city of Rome, nearly all dug and used by ten generations of Christians and for a period of some 300 years. These catacombs were used as meeting and burial places for over four million Christians! Now think about the millions of Christians who have been martyred for their faith in our generation. In fact, more Christians have been martyred for their faith in our generation than any other time in church history! The cost of being His disciple is high, but it is what we have been called to endure!
During World War II, eleven missionaries were martyred on the Island of Panay in the Philippines. One of these was Dr. Francis Rose, who had penned these poignant and challenging words in what is commonly called “The Martyr’s Hymn”:
All human progress up to God
Has stained the stairs of time with blood;
For every gain for Christendom
Is bought by someone’s martyrdom.
For us he poured the crimson cup,
And bade us take and drink it up.
Himself he poured to set us free.
Help us, O Christ, to drink with thee.
Ten thousand saints come thronging home,
From lion’s den and catacomb.
The fire and sword and beasts defied;
For Christ, their King, they gladly died.
With eye of faith we see today
That cross-led column wind its way
Up life’s repeated Calvary.
We rise, O Christ, to follow Thee!
Paul, writing these words was chained, locked in prison, but he also understands that no matter what may happen, God’s Word is not chained! John Bunyan wrote Pilgrim’s Progress while in jail in Bedford, England for preaching the Gospel. They thought they put a stop to the Word of God being proclaimed and yet, Pilgrim’s Progress, for many years was the second most popular book, behind the Bible! Nothing can stop God’s Word from going forth except us by keeping silent, by watering it down, by abandoning it! Paul is admonishing Timothy and us to keep speaking forth God’s Word no matter what may come our way, as Jesus said in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
VERSE 10
I thought Paul was serving the Lord, that his service was unto the Lord? If that is true, then why did he say he was doing this “for the sake of the elect”? Because Paul’s love for God is measured in his love for people. In John 3:16 we are told, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” That is God’s love for sinful man and God has given to us the ministry of reconciliation. Thus, as we bring the Gospel message to the lost, as we build up believers in the faith, it is just a reflection of our love for God!
It is not always easy because of the hardships that may come our way. Yes, the work is hard but I think what is even harder are those who come against the work you are doing, many times from within the church and not by the unsaved! John Wesley, a great man of God knew what it meant to work hard for the Lord. He traveled on foot or by horseback some 250,000 miles, he preached some 40,000 sermons and he also wrote, translated or edited more than 20 books. In all he did for the Lord he was continually ridiculed and pelted with stones by the unsaved mobs, and even worse, was ostracized by fellow clergymen in the Church of England!
Think about all the glory that is poured out on people when they die. They could have been a wicked person and yet, at their funeral, they are spoken of as a saint. Maybe you heard of the story of the two wealthy men who were wicked, filthy, lived a very immoral life and one day one of the brothers, Bob, died. So his other brother went to the priest and said that he wanted him to do Bob’s funeral service and if he could speak of how good Bob was. The priest knew both of these men and he knew they were bad people and he must have had a worried look on his face, for the dead man’s brother said to the priest, “If you do this I will give you a million dollars, just say some good things about him!” The priest agreed to do it. At the service the priest got up and started to share. He said, “All of you know Bob, the lifestyle he lived. He was a drunkard, a womanizer, he spoke filthy words, he was dishonest.” At this point the dead man’s brother looked at the priest, confused, upset and the priest looked at him and said, “Yes, Bob was all these things, but compared to his brother Pat, he was a saint!”
Folks, don’t look for the praise of men, but the praise of God as you serve Him. We will one day be raised up in glory to be with our Lord and Savior. Paul, in Romans 8:16-17 put it this way, “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if [since] indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” It is a glory that outshines anything that the world has for us and by God’s grace we will be raised up in glory one day!
VERSES 11-13
Paul is quoting an early Christian hymn known by Christians in his day and thus, Timothy was familiar with it. This hymn starts out with a promise of resurrection life for those who have died in Christ. Paul is speaking of persecution for our faith and that is what he might have in mind here, those who were martyred for their faith in Christ, but I also think it goes even beyond that, to all those who have died in Christ, believers!
Next Paul speaks of those who endure, those who are faithful believers; they will receive an eternal reward. We will reign with Christ in the Kingdom Age! Thus, in this life we are being prepared for the next life, for resurrection life with Christ!
But here is a warning. If you deny Christ He will deny you! In Matthew 10:33 Jesus said, “But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” You see, count the cost, and don’t make an empty profession of faith so that as things get tough, you deny the Lord. I don’t believe those that deny the Lord were ever saved for their failure to endure and hold onto their relationship with Christ shows they were never saved in the first place. Now we all fall into denying the Lord when we fail to stand for the Lord, as happened with Peter. The thing is, it is not a continual denial but a temporary one. But if your life is given over to denying Jesus, then you are lost!
Folks, all that the Lord is is not based upon our faithfulness or what we have to say. Just because some deny the Lord doesn’t change anything about the Lord, He is who He is! Let me share with you this example of Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park. Old Faithful erupts about every ninety minutes. Say you are sitting there, waiting, and you get tired of waiting after about 45 minutes and something in the woods gets your attention, a big elk, so you go into the woods looking for it. I, on the other hand wait and at ninety minutes Old Faithful erupts. After a while you return and you do see it erupt. Here is the thing, no matter what you do or say, Old Faithful will erupt. No matter what you do or say about the Lord, He is still King of kings and Lord of lords! His blessings will flow no matter if you are faithful or not. You may miss out on those blessings just because you were not there, but they still flow from God and God is still God!
Obviously we are not going to finish this chapter tonight so next time we will pick up in verse 14 of II Timothy chapter 2 as Paul is going to admonish Timothy to stay focused or else! As I close this evening, let me share with you this story. When one Christian in the days of the ancient Roman empire was commanded to give money to the building of a pagan temple, he refused; and though he was old, they stripped him practically naked, and cut him all over his body with knives and spears. They started to feel sorry for him, so they said, “Just give one dollar to the building of the temple.” But he still would not. “Just burn one grain of incense to this pagan god,” they asked – but he would not. So he was smeared with honey, and while his wounds were still bleeding, they set bees and wasps upon him until he was stung to death. He could die; but he could not deny his Lord. The Lord can give you the same strength to live for Him, even as this man died for Him. It is as Paul said in I Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”