Faith Foundations: Building Your Legacy

Paul's letter to Timothy from prison reveals the beautiful patterns of discipleship that create a legacy of faith across generations.

• Paul's letter to Timothy shows his investment in the next generation despite being imprisoned
• Timothy's faith foundation came through his grandmother Lois and mother Eunice
• Four generations of discipleship appear in 2 Timothy 2:2 showing how faith passes through generations
• We must all eventually make our faith our own rather than relying on someone else's faith
• Paul calls Timothy to "fan into flame the gift of God" rather than sitting on the sidelines
• God gives us a spirit of power, love and self-control, not fear
• Graduates should find a church, get involved, and serve rather than merely attending
• Being a disciple who makes disciples continues the chain of spiritual investment
• Legacy isn't claimed at the end of life but built throughout every season
• Every person whose legacy we admire was once young, making daily decisions about faith

If you don't know Jesus Christ and want to understand the gospel message more deeply, please reach out – we'd love nothing more than to talk with you about it.

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Second Timothy
• 3:54 Disciples Remember Their Foundation
• 10:43 Recognizing Those Who Invested in Us
• 15:23 Building Upon Your Foundation
• 19:12 Creating a Legacy of Faith

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:23

1st Baptist, baptist El Dorado, will you join me now in listening to our sermon from this week Church family open with me to the book of Second Timothy. Second Timothy we're taking one week, kind of a standalone, outside of our Roman series. We'll get right back to it next week. But in consideration of our graduates and really a word that applies to every one of us I want to look briefly this morning at the book of 2 Timothy and I want to say I know I was up at the baptistry and coming down this way but to our graduates I say congratulations, both the ones in this room, the graduates that Colby named, from college, from master's and master's degrees, and we are proud of every one of you. I will say this I was walking under and looked in on the live feed down in the booth. I've not been to an Eldorado graduation yet here in town, and the robes are purple, they are very purple. I've never seen more purple of a robe than the ones y'all are wearing, and so I say congrats to you, congrats 2 Timothy.

Speaker 1: 1:41

We see that Paul, the greatest missionary that ever lived, he's getting towards the end of his life. In fact, in 2 Timothy he's sitting in a prison cell as he is awaiting could be days or months longer or shorter his own execution. He would die for his faith. And so he sits in this prison cell. And what does he do? Not what you and I might be tempted to do and say woe is me. Instead, he looks at the next generation. He writes a letter to one of his disciples, a young man named Timothy, who he's walked through many things, with many ministry moments, the highs and lows of life. He invests into the next generation and into Timothy. We can see in verses three and four of chapter one just the deep love that exists within this discipling relationship. Look with me here. I thank God, whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly. You see clearly the love that exists here between a disciple maker and a disciple, the love that Paul has for Timothy. You and I are a little spoiled that we live in a world where we could pick up a cell phone right now and FaceTime someone on the other side of the world. We never really have to be out of contact, out of communication with anyone Was not the case in this time with Paul and Timothy. They went long seasons of life without seeing one another communicating through letters. Paul knew that Timothy was up to some great ministry work, but he was sitting in a prison cell in Rome and he longed to see his disciple, and the words he's about to say in verse 5 through 7 are beautiful. I think they beautifully apply both to our graduates today, but every one of us in the room.

Speaker 1: 3:47

I just want us to see two simple things this morning, and the first is this Disciples of Jesus remember their foundation. Disciples of Jesus, remember their foundation. Look at verse 5 with me Again, paul to Timothy, I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. You see the discipleship that happened within Timothy's own home. You see Paul describing the faith foundation that existed within the life of Timothy. They have been poured from one generation to another.

Speaker 1: 4:29

We celebrated Mother's Day last week and we talked about a little bit briefly the discipleship role and how meaningful mothers are spiritual mothers, disciple makers. No better place in all of Scripture do we see it here. Grandmother Lois, who invested the faith into mother Eunice and now dwells within Timothy. Where is Timothy's father in this situation? We really just don't know. Scripture's silent on that. He may have been extremely present. There's some that wonder if he was not a believer, if he had already passed away. We don't know. But we do know this Timothy had an unbelievable foundation because of a grandmother and a mother that invested into him. He had disciple makers that passed down the faith from one generation to another and that idea is really what Paul is all about.

Speaker 1: 5:20

All throughout, really, the book of 2 Timothy gets back to this idea of disciple makers from one generation to another. I love 2 Timothy 2, verse 2. It says this, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men and women who will be able to teach others. Also, in that one verse you see four generations of disciple makers. Paul says, and the things you have heard from me so there's Paul to Timothy, in trust to faithful men and women who will be qualified to teach others. Four generations of discipleship coming down the line. That's exactly what we see in the life of Timothy these three generations a grandmother, a mother and Timothy passing along the faith. But notice the end of verse 5,. Paul says that faith that I am sure dwells in you as well. So there is a sense in which Timothy had to come into that faith on his own or at some point that faith had to be his faith. What I mean by that is we don't just get to say grandmother was a believer, mom was a believer. Does that mean I'm in? No, no, no. You make your faith your own and clearly, because of the foundation that had been laid, we see Timothy at some point come to the point where he does that and he becomes a great minister of the gospel.

Speaker 1: 6:44

I think about the faith foundations. I think about the faith foundations even in this church and maybe you didn't grow up in this church and I didn't grow up in this church. Maybe you think of faith foundations that has been poured into you in maybe other places. I've talked before about a lady named Miss Peggy in my first grade Sunday school class and she just faithfully taught Jesus. It was in that class that I came to know Jesus. I gave my life to Him, was baptized, like the two we had this morning, baptized a few weeks later. And Miss Peggy you know her name isn't on every billboard, she isn't some famous believer out there, but you know what she did. She faithfully showed up and laid a foundation.

Speaker 1: 7:32

Now I'm about to do something, and it might be a massive mistake, and so I'd also like to say this If you are a guest in the room, I promise you we're not a strange church Everybody's scared. They're going to bring a guest the room. I promise you we're not a strange church. Everybody's scared. They're going to bring a guest and they're going to bring them on the one day, you know, the pastor decides to do something weird. This may go great, it may go poorly, but we all have people in our lives that have laid spiritual foundations for us, and just this morning I kid you not from the room I want to hear names, first names and you say them out loud of people, first names that have poured into you.

Speaker 1: 8:16

If my name to give out is Peggy, I want to hear from the room and I know this is weird, and if you're in my Wednesday night crew, you know I'm not afraid of awkward silence Will somebody just give me some first names? You can just shout it when you know it, just say it, even from the balcony of someone in this church or any church or any walk of life that has invested in your foundation. We sounded borderline charismatic for a second. That might get us in a little trouble. I I loved hearing those names. I love that Some of the names I even recognize if you're talking about the same person. I'm thinking of Some person I don't know. I think even here I heard a mama or meemaw. I love that Faith foundation and every one of you has that person or those people in your life. I pray you do.

Speaker 1: 9:25

I think of our graduates this morning. I think of, and I hope and pray, the people within this church or any church that have very much invested into you, into your life and into your faith, and I hope and pray in these days that you will think about those that you will remember, those that you will rejoice in, those who have invested well into your life, who have laid that foundation. Here's what I love, even about our own graduating class. I know of at least three that have been baptized in this church just in the last couple months. They're new to the family of faith and yet, I would argue, in every one of their lives they still have those all along the way, whether they know it or not, whether they realize it or not, until just a couple of months ago. All along the way they were laying foundation. And even now they can say maybe it was a reality check speaker, maybe it was a youth pastor, maybe it was a music minister or orchestra director, but somebody laid a foundation in my life. So I call our graduates and all of us to remember that foundation, the foundation that the Lord has built in you.

Speaker 1: 10:36

But then I want to go on to this Disciples of Jesus build upon their foundation. Disciples of Jesus build upon their foundation. Look with me at verse 6 and 7. 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, for God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control. You see, paul knew that Timothy had an unbelievable spiritual foundation, but he wanted to let Timothy know that now it is time to do something about it. Now it's time to build upon that foundation. We're not called just to be invested into by grandmother or mother or by Sunday school teacher or youth pastor and praise God for all of that, but we're not called just to receive and just sit back in the spiritual life and sit on the sidelines. We're called to receive that foundation so that then the Lord can use us to go out and make much of him in any and every walk of life that he calls us to. For our graduates this morning, I hope and pray. This has been a church that has invested in you well, and now we are calling you to go out wherever it is, whether it's a college campus or the workforce wherever it is, to go out and fan into flame the gift of God.

Speaker 1: 12:04

Paul knew that Timothy sometimes needed a little encouragement, a little courage, a little boldness. You may remember in 1 Timothy, chapter 4, he reminds Timothy don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set the example for the believers. Here he has to remind Timothy to fan into flame the gift of God that has been poured into you. It's almost like Paul just has to walk Timothy a little closer to the edge and say, hey, you can do it. You got to come out of the kiddie pool and you can handle the deep end. You can do it.

Speaker 1: 12:45

Fan into flame the gift of God For every graduate in this room. But every believer in this room, if you know Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit dwells in you, then you have received at least a gift of the Spirit that God has called you to nurture and to grow and to use, and I don't know what it is for you, maybe preaching and teaching, maybe hospitality, maybe evangelism, maybe generosity, whatever that looks like in your life. I just call you, as Paul calls you. Fan into flame the gift and go out and use it to make much of Jesus. Why? Because God hasn't given us a spirit of fear. This foundation hasn't been provided, and God, you know, give us life and breath and salvation so that we can sit back in fear. But instead he's given us a spirit.

Speaker 1: 13:42

What does he say? Of power, of love and self-control. Power not in and of yourself. None of us can look up and say, god, aren't I impressive all by myself? No, no, the power of his spirit that lives in us, of love. I think about 1 Corinthians 13,. If things aren't done with love, then what difference does it really make If I do many wonderful things but there's no love behind it? What difference does it make? But instead we have the spirit of love and self-control, not getting ahead of the spirit, behind the spirit, keeping in step with the spirit of God For every graduate in this room.

Speaker 1: 14:24

It's time for you to fan into flame the gift of God. Now, that doesn't mean you haven't been fanning into flame for years. I know some of you very well and you have been running the race for Christ for some time but I do think there's something about this transition time that maybe it's moving to a new place, a new school, new people, a new town. There's just some newness in this time that maybe, more and more, as we remember the foundation Christ has laid, we can fan into flame the gift of God. But again, this isn't just for graduates, for everyone in this room. Do you remember the foundation that's been poured into you? We've just named some names, but you could probably spend the rest of the day thinking through more names. Fan into flame the gift of God. For my graduates specifically, how can we do that practically Well? For my graduates specifically, how can we do that practically Well? There are probably 18,000 ways you can do that practically and we'll do that practically.

Speaker 1: 15:29

But I want to give you two quick ones. Number one I would just say this Wherever you go, if you're at least some distance away from this place, I would encourage you in this next season of life. Find a church, get involved in that church, love that church. Don't just show up to that church on Sunday morning, do that, but serve with that church, invest in that church, let that be your church home, serve at their VBS and serve, teach their third graders Sunday school and work at their reality check weekend and invest deeply in that church. You're never going to hear a pastor say this, but I will say it. If you desire, transfer your membership to that church. I know that's weird to say for a pastor, but do it to invest, invest well. And if you move back here after you better come right back to us but invest, be a part of it, give towards it, serve their ministry, love that ministry, serve them and let that church serve you and pour into you and invest into you. And secondly, I just say this graduates, be a disciple who makes disciples. We talked a lot about foundation. I don't want to act as if, now that you have this transition, the foundation ends. We forever grow in our foundation. Be a disciple in your individual life, be a disciple of Jesus, look for people, a spiritual season ahead of you that can disciple you when you get involved in that church. Let that church family Disciple. You Be a disciple who makes disciples Turn the page and look out towards others and invest In the very same ways have invested in you. I'll close with this.

Speaker 1: 17:31

I've been thinking lately and over the last month and a half I can speak personally to the church family for a minute over the last month and a half or so, I've been thinking lately about some of the funerals we've had around here and some of the just absolute legacy members. I mean legacy members that have walked through these halls, legacy members that have served so faithfully all along the way. I think about the life of faith that we've been able to celebrate. I think about literal, just with these people, centuries worth of service to this church that we've been able to celebrate. But you know what I've been thinking about. I've been thinking about that, all of these people that we've celebrated their legacy at the end of their lives. I've thought about this. At one point they were 18. At one point they were 27. They were 35. They were 48. They were 55 or 60. At one point they walked through every season of life.

Speaker 1: 18:43

And so I ask you this question how is a legacy of faith built All along the way, every step of the way, every moment, every season, the things you do, not just graduates, but every church member. The things you do in the here and now to invest in those around you. The things you do to serve this church, but not just this church, this community, your family of faith, but beyond this family of faith, the things you do to serve this world. That's how a legacy is built right. You don't get to the very end and just claim a legacy.

Speaker 1: 19:28

You look and say all along the way, not by my power but by the power of spirit dwelling within me, I've been able to do something in this life that has made much of Jesus For our graduates. You have a season of transition now where more and more you can look towards this kind of life. How can I be a disciple? How can I make disciples? How can I start to pour into others the same way others have poured in to me but not just graduates, for everyone in this room? I think about that same thing for you. How can we make much of Jesus pouring into others in the here and now?

Speaker 1: 20:19

Maybe you're here this morning and you've seen two get baptized and heard a little bit of their testimony and you said, I want what they have the gospel that they understand, the gospel that Paul gave his life to the fact that Jesus Christ has died and risen again for my sins. Taylor, I want that. I'd love nothing more than to talk to you about that. Maybe you want to join this church family, talk about baptism, maybe you just want to come down and I'd be thrilled to pray over you. But however you'd like to respond, I'll be down front.

Speaker 1: 20:51

You can respond. You can even just respond between you and the Lord, maybe in prayer, right where you're at, but let me pray for us and then at the conclusion, we'll worship Lord Jesus, I do thank you for the gospel. I do thank you for just the truth of your word that you have invested in us in so many ways. It's unbelievable to consider how much you've done for us, how you love us and, lord, as I think about people that have helped lay foundation in my life, lord, I just can do nothing but give you praise. And so, lord, I pray. If there's anyone now that doesn't know you that today would be their day, that maybe wants to come and be a part of this church family so that we can walk towards you together, that today would be their day, lord. However, someone needs to respond. I pray that they would do it now. I pray this in Christ's name Amen. Would you stand now as we sing?