WEBVTT 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:01.600 Well, good morning. 00:00:02.640 --> 00:00:04.719 If you're a guest, I want to welcome you. 00:00:04.879 --> 00:00:07.200 We are glad that you are here. 00:00:07.519 --> 00:00:13.759 Take your Bibles and turn with me to the letter of 2 Timothy. 00:00:14.480 --> 00:00:21.679 We are in 2 Timothy looking today at verses 1 through 7 of chapter 2. 00:00:21.920 --> 00:00:27.280 And I want to talk today about being a good soldier of Christ. 00:00:28.079 --> 00:00:30.480 Being a good soldier of Christ. 00:00:30.640 --> 00:00:38.560 Now, some of you may be here today and you hear that phrase, being a soldier, and you may think to yourself, that sounds a little intense. 00:00:39.359 --> 00:00:41.439 That sounds a little dramatic. 00:00:42.399 --> 00:00:54.399 One thing that we we may say is we we may dress casually, praise the Lord, but there is nothing casual about the Christian life. 00:00:54.880 --> 00:00:58.479 The Christian life is very intense. 00:00:59.200 --> 00:01:02.159 Even the Bible would call it a warfare. 00:01:02.479 --> 00:01:04.959 And that's what we are looking at today. 00:01:05.359 --> 00:01:08.640 Timothy is the recipient of this letter that we're looking at. 00:01:08.719 --> 00:01:10.959 That's why it's called Timothy. 00:01:11.200 --> 00:01:31.120 Paul is writing from a Roman prison cell, and he's suffering there, but he is also writing to encourage and challenge Timothy, who he mentors, who he loves, to challenge him to press on, to be strong, not to tap out when it gets really hard. 00:01:31.439 --> 00:01:33.760 And this is what I want to look at today with us. 00:01:33.920 --> 00:01:52.079 I remember a number of years ago, I was in high school, and a buddy of mine, he was a year younger than I, but he was a big fella, big as in 6'6, 330, maybe, and uh very athletic as well. 00:01:52.319 --> 00:01:53.280 Very athletic. 00:01:53.359 --> 00:01:56.879 He wanted to play uh football in college just as I did. 00:01:57.120 --> 00:02:02.400 And the difference between he and I is he looks a look, he looked like he he could and should. 00:02:02.799 --> 00:02:10.319 But um this friend of mine, he was also one of these types of guys who he wanted everybody to know where he was going. 00:02:10.479 --> 00:02:13.680 He wanted everybody to know that he was gonna go play Division I football. 00:02:13.840 --> 00:02:16.960 You watch me, watch what I'm gonna do, watch where I'm gonna go. 00:02:17.199 --> 00:02:21.840 And he was very, he would talk a lot about it uh to some people's annoyance. 00:02:22.319 --> 00:02:29.599 And time went on, and very funny enough, in God's providence, he and I both ended up at ODU. 00:02:30.000 --> 00:02:33.199 And we played football together very briefly there. 00:02:33.360 --> 00:02:36.719 And I was a year ahead of him, and it came time for August to come. 00:02:36.800 --> 00:02:40.879 And for in the football world, August is camp season. 00:02:41.120 --> 00:02:54.319 And what camp is, it's this really terrible time where there's no school, and the NCAA lets the coaches just have full access to you from 5 a.m. 00:02:54.479 --> 00:02:55.599 to 6 p.m. 00:02:56.000 --> 00:02:57.120 Uh all day long. 00:02:57.280 --> 00:02:58.000 This is camp. 00:02:58.080 --> 00:03:01.680 It's just a time of preparing for the season, and it's a time that's really hard. 00:03:01.840 --> 00:03:09.120 You know, it's early morning, late at night, and you got workouts, you got practice, you got film and rinse and repeat all throughout the day. 00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:17.039 Well, my year two comes, and my friend finally arrives, and we are in day two of camp. 00:03:17.280 --> 00:03:22.719 And I remember he had a very fantasy land view of what it would look like to play football. 00:03:22.800 --> 00:03:32.719 In day two of camp, we find ourselves in the cafeteria there and grabbing a bite to eat, and we're around some guys eating lunch, and and he says something that we all laughed at. 00:03:32.800 --> 00:03:34.240 He's like, you know what, y'all? 00:03:34.560 --> 00:03:36.879 Tomorrow, I ain't showing up. 00:03:37.360 --> 00:03:40.080 I'm sleeping in, I ain't showing up tomorrow. 00:03:40.400 --> 00:03:43.520 And we all laughed it off, like, yeah, yeah, whatever. 00:03:43.840 --> 00:03:54.639 Well, sure enough, next morning, 5 30 a.m., we're all dressed, padded up in practice, and this brother is nowhere to be found. 00:03:54.879 --> 00:03:57.360 And so they send somebody off to his dorm room. 00:03:57.599 --> 00:04:01.360 His dorm room is spotless, empty. 00:04:02.159 --> 00:04:03.120 He quit. 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:05.360 He lasted two days. 00:04:05.520 --> 00:04:07.840 We thought he was kidding, but he was dead serious. 00:04:08.159 --> 00:04:09.759 He was not showing up. 00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:11.680 Now, why do I share that with you? 00:04:11.840 --> 00:04:23.360 Because I think there can be a temptation for us as Christians, perhaps especially new believers, to have this fantasy land view of the Christian life. 00:04:23.680 --> 00:04:28.240 This mindset of, oh man, once I surrender to Jesus, it's gonna get easy. 00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:31.439 It's gonna be, it's gonna be easy, it's gonna be fairy tale, right? 00:04:31.519 --> 00:04:32.959 Happily ever after. 00:04:33.519 --> 00:04:41.839 Now, you who've been following Christ for a long time, though, you know, not so fast, following Jesus is not easy. 00:04:42.160 --> 00:04:44.160 Following Jesus is hard. 00:04:44.399 --> 00:04:56.319 And there's times in our Christian life, and I'm sure many of you are even here today in that place where we don't feel strong or adequate, but we feel totally weak. 00:04:57.120 --> 00:04:58.959 We feel inadequate. 00:04:59.360 --> 00:05:02.399 We feel weak in our fight against sin. 00:05:03.199 --> 00:05:07.519 We feel weak in trying to go share the gospel with others. 00:05:07.839 --> 00:05:14.560 We feel weak in just our normal duties, raising children or our workplace, whatever it may be. 00:05:14.800 --> 00:05:15.759 We feel weak. 00:05:15.920 --> 00:05:18.160 We feel weak in our prayer life. 00:05:18.800 --> 00:05:24.720 Maybe not even knowing what to pray, get up in the morning, our knees hit the ground by our bed, and we don't even know what to say. 00:05:25.519 --> 00:05:27.600 We can feel very weak. 00:05:27.920 --> 00:05:35.839 And in those moments of weakness, or perhaps even worse, moments of suffering, we may be tempted to tap out. 00:05:36.800 --> 00:05:39.120 We may be tempted to give up. 00:05:39.920 --> 00:05:43.439 And this is what God's word is looking at. 00:05:44.240 --> 00:05:49.120 As Paul is writing to Timothy, who is in really a pivotal place. 00:05:49.279 --> 00:05:50.879 He could go left or he could go right. 00:05:50.959 --> 00:05:52.480 He is in a pivotal place right here. 00:05:52.720 --> 00:05:57.199 Paul is suffering for the gospel, and he's writing to encourage Timothy. 00:05:57.439 --> 00:06:00.319 Don't abandon the path of faithfulness. 00:06:00.560 --> 00:06:02.639 Don't forsake following Christ. 00:06:02.879 --> 00:06:08.800 Don't forsake being a faithful minister of the gospel, even though it is gonna cost you. 00:06:09.279 --> 00:06:13.279 Even though being faithful will mean suffering. 00:06:13.680 --> 00:06:20.480 He's writing to encourage him, and I pray that the Lord would use his word to strengthen us today. 00:06:20.720 --> 00:06:28.879 And that we would set our hearts on being a strong, not in our own strength, but in the strength of Christ, a strong soldier of Christ. 00:06:29.600 --> 00:06:45.839 That no matter what you're feeling, no matter what burdens weigh you down, that God, through the Holy Spirit and through the Word of God, would lead you today to press on, to soldier on in following after Christ. 00:06:46.160 --> 00:06:48.480 I want to look at this passage that we're in. 00:06:49.519 --> 00:06:51.680 Verse 1 to 7 is what we're looking at today. 00:06:51.839 --> 00:07:03.439 And I want to look at verses 1 and 2 as a chunk, and verses 3 to 7 as a chunk, and really two things that I want to highlight that the text is calling us to be. 00:07:04.319 --> 00:07:06.720 Two things that the text is calling us to be. 00:07:06.879 --> 00:07:10.959 Number one, that we should be strong in Christ. 00:07:11.279 --> 00:07:15.920 And number two, that we would be good soldiers of Christ. 00:07:16.160 --> 00:07:17.600 That's what I want to look at. 00:07:17.759 --> 00:07:20.319 Look with me, verses one and two. 00:07:20.639 --> 00:07:24.240 Number one, being strong in Christ. 00:07:24.959 --> 00:07:26.319 Being strong in Christ. 00:07:26.399 --> 00:07:27.600 Here's what Paul writes. 00:07:27.839 --> 00:07:35.199 He says, You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 00:07:35.439 --> 00:07:45.040 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. 00:07:46.399 --> 00:07:49.199 Notice Paul calls Timothy his child. 00:07:49.439 --> 00:07:53.360 He says, You then, my child, or your text may say, my son. 00:07:54.160 --> 00:07:56.160 Paul loves Timothy. 00:07:56.480 --> 00:07:58.399 He loves who he's writing to. 00:08:05.279 --> 00:08:07.279 They have a very close relationship. 00:08:07.439 --> 00:08:09.120 And he's writing to strengthen him. 00:08:09.199 --> 00:08:17.199 Notice what he says, you then, my child, you be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 00:08:17.360 --> 00:08:19.920 I want you to circle that word grace. 00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:35.519 Now, for us here who feel weak, if we feel weak, it cannot, it's not necessarily a helpful thing, but even it could be a hurtful thing or a frustrating thing for somebody to just look at you and say, Oh, you feel weak? 00:08:35.759 --> 00:08:36.720 Be strong. 00:08:38.080 --> 00:08:40.559 What that's the whole problem. 00:08:40.799 --> 00:08:41.679 I feel weak. 00:08:41.840 --> 00:08:43.679 I don't feel strong, right? 00:08:44.080 --> 00:08:48.399 So to sit there and say, be strong actually doesn't help. 00:08:48.799 --> 00:08:50.799 But that's not what Paul is saying. 00:08:51.200 --> 00:08:54.879 Notice the source that he is pointing him to. 00:08:55.279 --> 00:09:00.320 He's not looking at Timothy and saying, hey, you Timothy, you be strong in and of yourself. 00:09:00.559 --> 00:09:03.759 You just work up strength, right? 00:09:04.080 --> 00:09:06.639 That's why self-help fails. 00:09:07.200 --> 00:09:08.559 It doesn't work. 00:09:08.799 --> 00:09:10.799 It's a false savior. 00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:12.639 He doesn't point them there. 00:09:13.120 --> 00:09:14.480 Where does he point them? 00:09:14.879 --> 00:09:17.840 The grace that is in Christ Jesus. 00:09:18.159 --> 00:09:26.080 He says, You then be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 00:09:27.039 --> 00:09:29.840 Grace is everything in our Christian life. 00:09:30.480 --> 00:09:32.720 You know, grace is not only the thing that saves us. 00:09:32.879 --> 00:09:37.440 Ephesians 2.8 says, By grace are you saved through faith. 00:09:38.240 --> 00:09:40.799 Grace is what saves us, but that's not it. 00:09:41.039 --> 00:09:44.320 Sometimes, if we're not careful, we as Christians can think, hey, you know what? 00:09:44.399 --> 00:09:47.519 I'm saved by grace, but now it's on me. 00:09:48.080 --> 00:09:51.919 But now I gotta go live this Christian life in my own strength. 00:09:52.080 --> 00:09:56.559 I can't be weak, I can't stumble, I can't have any questions go through my mind. 00:09:56.720 --> 00:10:01.360 I just have to be I just have to, in my own strength, be flawless, right? 00:10:02.720 --> 00:10:03.039 No. 00:10:04.080 --> 00:10:11.200 We are saved by grace, but now we live this Christian life also by grace. 00:10:11.759 --> 00:10:14.240 It's always by grace. 00:10:15.200 --> 00:10:16.399 This is what he's saying. 00:10:16.879 --> 00:10:21.279 Be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 00:10:21.919 --> 00:10:24.480 Notice there is only one source of this. 00:10:25.279 --> 00:10:26.639 It's in Jesus. 00:10:27.039 --> 00:10:29.600 This grace, it's in Christ. 00:10:29.759 --> 00:10:34.159 It's in our King, it's in our Savior, it's in our Redeemer. 00:10:34.240 --> 00:10:35.440 He's the only one. 00:10:35.919 --> 00:10:37.279 He is the only one. 00:10:37.519 --> 00:10:43.600 And really, if you're in this room and if perhaps you're exploring Christianity, understand, I'm glad you are here. 00:10:43.840 --> 00:10:46.159 We as a church family, we are glad that you're here. 00:10:46.240 --> 00:10:47.440 We want you to be here. 00:10:47.679 --> 00:10:49.679 But I want you to understand this. 00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:58.720 Grace is the one thing, not the one thing, not the only thing, but one of the biggest things that separates Christianity from every other religion in the world. 00:10:58.960 --> 00:11:03.200 So if you don't understand grace, you will never understand Christianity. 00:11:03.360 --> 00:11:04.879 You'll never understand this book. 00:11:05.039 --> 00:11:10.559 You'll never understand why Jesus Christ is so valuable, so perfect, why we love Christ. 00:11:10.720 --> 00:11:12.720 You'll never understand the gospel. 00:11:13.440 --> 00:11:15.440 The gospel is the gospel of grace. 00:11:15.519 --> 00:11:20.159 And if we had to summarize the word grace in one word, it is undeserved. 00:11:21.519 --> 00:11:22.960 Undeserved. 00:11:23.360 --> 00:11:35.440 Every other religion in the world, you go do this, you go do this, you work hard enough, you go be diligent enough, you let your good outweigh your bad, and you know what? 00:11:35.600 --> 00:11:37.039 You might just make it. 00:11:37.279 --> 00:11:40.960 If you do good enough, it's on you. 00:11:41.600 --> 00:11:43.759 Grace is the opposite. 00:11:44.240 --> 00:11:47.200 The gospel is the gospel of grace. 00:11:47.440 --> 00:11:49.919 The Bible makes clear all have sinned. 00:11:50.159 --> 00:11:52.639 All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. 00:11:52.799 --> 00:11:54.799 Grace does not mean sin doesn't matter. 00:11:54.960 --> 00:11:57.039 Grace does not mean sin is not a big deal. 00:11:57.200 --> 00:12:01.200 On the contrary, sin is a huge problem. 00:12:02.480 --> 00:12:07.840 Because our sin is against the holy and righteous creator of the universe. 00:12:08.080 --> 00:12:22.320 The God who made you, the God who formed you in your mother's womb, the God who created all people and gives us life and breath, and yet at the same time that he's giving us so much, all have turned our backs to God. 00:12:22.879 --> 00:12:25.519 All have gone their own way, the Bible says. 00:12:25.759 --> 00:12:31.679 And if we don't believe that, if you don't, if you're not convinced of that, the Bible makes clear, just take a look at the law. 00:12:31.840 --> 00:12:40.000 You go through the Ten Commandments and you see very quickly, if our salvation is based on doing that, then we don't have hope. 00:12:40.799 --> 00:12:42.399 We don't have hope. 00:12:42.799 --> 00:12:44.559 But it's not, praise God. 00:12:45.039 --> 00:12:52.879 You see, the law came in to show us that we're sinners, that we've fallen short, that we can't be saved by trying to be good. 00:12:52.960 --> 00:13:05.440 And the good news of the gospel of grace is that God in his love and mercy sent Jesus, his only son, the perfect, spotless Lamb of God, completely holy, completely perfect. 00:13:05.600 --> 00:13:07.919 We are all born with a sin nature. 00:13:08.080 --> 00:13:15.039 That is, because of Adam's sin and fall, Adam passed on like a disease, his sin nature to all of us. 00:13:15.200 --> 00:13:21.360 This is why we sin, we make sinful choices because we're sinners. 00:13:21.679 --> 00:13:29.039 Because it's in us, it's in our wiring, not because God made us that way, but because Adam's sin passed on to all of us. 00:13:29.120 --> 00:13:30.720 It's what we've inherited. 00:13:31.360 --> 00:13:36.000 Jesus was born of a virgin, didn't inherit that sinful nature. 00:13:36.159 --> 00:13:46.240 And the Son of God came to us in humility and love, and Jesus lived a perfect life where we broke God's law, where we rightly deserve to be accountable to God for breaking his law. 00:13:46.480 --> 00:13:48.399 Jesus fulfilled it perfect. 00:13:48.639 --> 00:13:55.200 And then Jesus goes to the cross to bear the penalty for sin that you and I deserve. 00:13:55.519 --> 00:13:57.120 He took it on himself. 00:13:57.679 --> 00:14:04.159 And three days later, the Bible says he rose to life and he was seen by hundreds of witnesses. 00:14:04.399 --> 00:14:08.720 You want to know something else that separates Christianity from every other religion? 00:14:08.960 --> 00:14:10.320 The empty tomb. 00:14:10.879 --> 00:14:12.399 Where is Jesus? 00:14:12.639 --> 00:14:15.519 You won't find him, you won't dig him up. 00:14:16.320 --> 00:14:18.480 He's at the right hand of the Father. 00:14:18.799 --> 00:14:23.519 And he gives eternal life to any who would repent and believe in him. 00:14:24.159 --> 00:14:26.080 We're saved by grace. 00:14:26.480 --> 00:14:30.320 Not by works, not by trying to be a good person. 00:14:31.039 --> 00:14:33.759 We're saved by grace through faith. 00:14:34.080 --> 00:14:40.240 And so, first and foremost, if you don't understand that piece, everything else we're walking at and looking at will make no sense. 00:14:40.480 --> 00:14:46.559 You have to first understand the gospel of grace and turn to him in his grace, in his love. 00:14:47.039 --> 00:14:48.480 And understand that. 00:14:48.799 --> 00:14:53.679 But now, even in this Christian life, we walk by grace. 00:14:53.840 --> 00:14:57.600 We're saved by grace, but we are also kept by grace. 00:14:57.759 --> 00:14:58.799 Did you know that? 00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:07.200 Christians, if you're following Christ today, do you know it's because that God in his grace is keeping you? 00:15:07.759 --> 00:15:09.120 He's keeping you. 00:15:09.440 --> 00:15:11.919 His grace is a power that keeps you. 00:15:12.080 --> 00:15:13.840 He preserves us in his grace. 00:15:14.000 --> 00:15:20.639 He strengthens us to press on, to persevere in this Christian life and following after Jesus. 00:15:20.799 --> 00:15:24.559 And we live this life relying on his grace. 00:15:24.720 --> 00:15:26.080 This is what Paul is doing. 00:15:26.480 --> 00:15:28.639 And I've seen so many Christians. 00:15:28.960 --> 00:15:30.320 It is amazing. 00:15:30.480 --> 00:15:33.440 I have seen Christians suffer immensely. 00:15:34.720 --> 00:15:35.440 Suffer. 00:15:36.399 --> 00:15:42.399 Suffer in the hospital, suffer with broken families, suffer in so many different ways. 00:15:43.039 --> 00:15:49.600 And yet you see their unshakable confidence in the Lord. 00:15:49.919 --> 00:15:54.000 You see even joy in the Lord, peace in the Lord. 00:15:54.080 --> 00:15:55.840 How do we make sense of that? 00:15:56.480 --> 00:15:58.720 The powerful grace of God. 00:15:59.360 --> 00:16:02.159 He gets all the glory, he gets all the credit. 00:16:02.399 --> 00:16:03.759 This is what Paul is pointing at. 00:16:03.840 --> 00:16:05.919 We see he's written about this many times before. 00:16:06.000 --> 00:16:19.679 In 2 Corinthians chapter 3, verse 5, Paul wrote, Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God. 00:16:20.559 --> 00:16:21.679 It's from God. 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:24.720 Or 2 Corinthians chapter 12, verse 9. 00:16:24.879 --> 00:16:29.679 This is a passage where you remember Paul, he has a thorn in his flesh. 00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:37.120 We don't know what specifically that thorn was, but we know this that it was something that was causing him to suffer. 00:16:37.440 --> 00:16:39.279 He was agonizing about it. 00:16:39.360 --> 00:16:40.639 It was painful. 00:16:40.879 --> 00:16:44.559 And he's pleading with the Lord to take this thorn. 00:16:44.879 --> 00:16:46.240 Take this thorn. 00:16:46.720 --> 00:16:52.720 And in 2 Corinthians chapter 12, this is what he reflects that God spoke to him about that. 00:16:52.799 --> 00:17:05.039 In verse 9, he says, but he said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. 00:17:06.160 --> 00:17:07.920 Are you going through suffering? 00:17:08.720 --> 00:17:10.400 Are you feeling weak? 00:17:12.559 --> 00:17:16.880 Is a trial burdening you down to the ground? 00:17:20.480 --> 00:17:21.839 You're not alone. 00:17:22.720 --> 00:17:25.039 Many Christians gone before us have been there. 00:17:25.279 --> 00:17:28.079 Many Christians, even right now in this moment, are there. 00:17:28.400 --> 00:17:35.599 And one thing that the Lord, through the word of God, is telling us his grace is sufficient. 00:17:35.920 --> 00:17:39.519 His power is made perfect in weakness. 00:17:39.759 --> 00:17:41.599 We see what he said in Ephesians. 00:17:41.680 --> 00:17:44.000 We see this also in Ephesians chapter 6. 00:17:44.319 --> 00:17:51.519 Paul writes, Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 00:17:51.839 --> 00:17:54.240 In other words, it's not your might. 00:17:54.400 --> 00:17:56.000 Don't look to your own self. 00:17:56.160 --> 00:17:59.680 Don't look inwardly to find strength, as the world says. 00:17:59.839 --> 00:18:01.359 You got to dig deep, right? 00:18:01.599 --> 00:18:04.400 You got to just dig down deep and you got to find that strength in you. 00:18:04.480 --> 00:18:05.359 And you got to pull it out. 00:18:05.519 --> 00:18:07.279 No, that's not what the Bible is telling us. 00:18:07.359 --> 00:18:09.839 The Bible is saying, no, you look to Christ. 00:18:10.160 --> 00:18:11.119 You look to him. 00:18:11.599 --> 00:18:15.440 You look to your Lord for strength, and he gives you strength. 00:18:16.559 --> 00:18:20.720 His well of grace is a never-ending well. 00:18:22.240 --> 00:18:26.079 We will find all sufficiency in him, all of our need in him. 00:18:26.319 --> 00:18:29.519 And this is the one way we live this Christian life. 00:18:29.839 --> 00:18:31.359 We walk with Christ. 00:18:31.599 --> 00:18:38.720 We seek to follow his word in all things by grace, by the strength that he gives us. 00:18:38.880 --> 00:18:41.839 This is what he is writing to encourage him, to challenge him. 00:18:42.240 --> 00:18:43.759 Don't be crushed. 00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:47.680 Don't be crushed with the opposition bearing down on you, Timothy. 00:18:47.839 --> 00:18:50.799 You look to Christ, you find your strength in Christ. 00:18:50.960 --> 00:18:52.960 Be strengthened by his grace. 00:18:53.279 --> 00:18:54.559 He goes on. 00:18:54.880 --> 00:18:58.240 And we see here where he's depending on this grace. 00:18:58.400 --> 00:19:01.279 He's depending, he's calling him really to depend on it. 00:19:02.000 --> 00:19:04.160 And really that's the challenge for us. 00:19:04.400 --> 00:19:11.519 Our challenge as we think about the grace of God is to depend on that and not to depend on ourselves. 00:19:12.240 --> 00:19:14.319 You know one way to feel crushed? 00:19:14.640 --> 00:19:20.720 If you want to feel crushed, then you just go about your day-to-day life depending on yourself. 00:19:22.000 --> 00:19:24.240 Oh, that will weigh us down. 00:19:25.039 --> 00:19:27.519 Christ wants us to depend on him. 00:19:28.400 --> 00:19:30.640 He wants us to depend on his power. 00:19:30.799 --> 00:19:33.440 Not our power, but on his power. 00:19:33.680 --> 00:19:36.079 Depend on his grace. 00:19:36.559 --> 00:19:38.000 That's what we need. 00:19:38.720 --> 00:19:41.039 Verse 2, we see the reason for it. 00:19:41.519 --> 00:19:44.480 Remember, Timothy is a minister of the gospel. 00:19:45.920 --> 00:19:48.079 He's leading the church in Ephesus. 00:19:49.119 --> 00:19:52.319 And he's face to face also, likely with persecutions. 00:19:52.400 --> 00:19:57.039 The same ones that put Paul in prison would just as easily put Timothy in prison. 00:19:57.359 --> 00:20:02.880 And face to face with that, now we see, hey, your strength needs to be rooted in the grace that's found in Christ. 00:20:02.960 --> 00:20:06.960 But here's why, verse 2, look at what verse 2 says. 00:20:08.400 --> 00:20:20.559 Verse 2 says, And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses and trust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 00:20:21.759 --> 00:20:24.480 What's the purpose of this strength that Timothy needs? 00:20:24.720 --> 00:20:27.839 Well, he needs that strength to continue spreading the word. 00:20:28.480 --> 00:20:31.519 He needs to continue spreading the word. 00:20:31.839 --> 00:20:33.039 That's his call. 00:20:33.279 --> 00:20:41.599 To proclaim the word of God, to spread the message of Christ, to teach the word of God to others, who in turn would be able to also teach others. 00:20:41.759 --> 00:20:44.400 Notice the four chains in this link. 00:20:44.880 --> 00:20:45.920 Look at this. 00:20:46.319 --> 00:20:49.279 Paul taught Timothy. 00:20:49.920 --> 00:20:59.200 And now Paul is commanding Timothy to entrust the word of God, the apostolic teaching, to faithful men. 00:20:59.839 --> 00:21:03.599 Who in turn would therefore go and teach others? 00:21:03.759 --> 00:21:05.759 Do you see the four chains in the link? 00:21:06.000 --> 00:21:07.519 That's what he's telling them to do. 00:21:07.680 --> 00:21:13.279 This is what the Lord is calling us to do, even more broadly, all Christians, men and women alike. 00:21:13.920 --> 00:21:20.799 To you men in this room who have been following Christ for a while, who are who know the word, teach others. 00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:28.319 Find others, and you teach them with the aim that they therefore would be able to go and also reproduce that. 00:21:28.799 --> 00:21:30.799 Same thing for the women in the room. 00:21:31.119 --> 00:21:36.319 Find women who perhaps are younger in the faith and disciple them. 00:21:36.640 --> 00:21:37.759 Teach them the word. 00:21:38.160 --> 00:21:40.640 Entrust to them the word of God. 00:21:40.799 --> 00:21:46.960 That word entrust, it's this idea of passing on something very valuable. 00:21:47.279 --> 00:21:50.000 Some of you have family heirlooms. 00:21:50.880 --> 00:21:59.200 You have things in your family that are valuable, things in your family that have been passed down from generation to generation to generation. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:04.000 That's the picture here of what we as Christians are to pass on. 00:22:04.799 --> 00:22:06.799 Do we have the Word of God? 00:22:07.599 --> 00:22:10.480 Do we have the gospel of Jesus Christ? 00:22:10.960 --> 00:22:16.960 We are to pass it on as something so precious, as something so valuable. 00:22:17.200 --> 00:22:20.799 We are to pass it on for the sake of advancing the kingdom of God. 00:22:21.039 --> 00:22:22.480 This is our mission. 00:22:22.960 --> 00:22:25.200 This is the mission of the Christian life. 00:22:25.359 --> 00:22:27.599 Our mission is to advance the gospel. 00:22:27.759 --> 00:22:29.839 Picture a globe, a dark globe. 00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:34.319 Every time somebody becomes a Christian, there's a light speck on that globe. 00:22:34.559 --> 00:22:44.240 Our aim as Christians should be to make that whole globe completely light, to spread the message of Christ, to teach others. 00:22:44.319 --> 00:22:52.720 And notice here the word is to teach and trust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 00:22:54.079 --> 00:22:58.000 He doesn't just say find other faithful men and spend time with other faithful men. 00:22:58.160 --> 00:22:58.720 Praise God. 00:22:58.799 --> 00:23:03.119 I am so thankful for the Christian friends that I have in my life. 00:23:03.359 --> 00:23:08.880 Christian friends and even close fellowship as Christians, it is a gift from above. 00:23:09.279 --> 00:23:14.079 What a blessing it is to have close Christian fellowship. 00:23:14.160 --> 00:23:16.480 If you have that, you are blessed. 00:23:17.359 --> 00:23:18.720 You're blessed. 00:23:19.119 --> 00:23:21.839 But this here is something even more than that. 00:23:22.160 --> 00:23:25.599 What he's pointing to here is teaching. 00:23:25.839 --> 00:23:29.519 It's one thing to have Christian friends to encourage each other with and do life together. 00:23:29.680 --> 00:23:30.720 Praise God for that. 00:23:30.880 --> 00:23:36.960 But for making mature disciples of Christ, there has to be teaching of the word of God. 00:23:37.279 --> 00:23:39.200 We are sanctified by the truth. 00:23:39.359 --> 00:23:43.519 John 17, 17, Jesus praying to the Father in the high priestly prayer. 00:23:43.680 --> 00:23:46.400 He says, Lord, sanctify them in the truth. 00:23:46.720 --> 00:23:48.880 Your word is truth. 00:23:49.279 --> 00:23:50.480 This is Paul's mission. 00:23:50.559 --> 00:23:52.799 Go to Colossians, go to the left. 00:23:53.759 --> 00:23:55.519 Go to Colossians chapter 1. 00:23:55.599 --> 00:23:56.880 I want you to see this. 00:23:57.119 --> 00:24:04.400 If you're wondering where Colossians is, it goes Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, General Electric Power Company. 00:24:05.359 --> 00:24:10.400 Colossians chapter 1, verse 28. 00:24:11.279 --> 00:24:15.039 In Colossians 1, 28, really, this is his mission. 00:24:15.279 --> 00:24:17.119 You see Paul's heart for ministry. 00:24:17.200 --> 00:24:18.880 You see his strategy here. 00:24:19.599 --> 00:24:21.119 You see his aim. 00:24:21.359 --> 00:24:23.119 And this is our aim. 00:24:23.440 --> 00:24:31.839 If you don't know what your aim is, if you don't know what your mission is as a Christian, then today, Lord willing, we can walk out of here and say, okay, I know now. 00:24:32.160 --> 00:24:34.000 Colossians 1, 28. 00:24:34.720 --> 00:24:38.640 Paul says, Him we proclaim. 00:24:39.119 --> 00:24:40.160 Who is the Him? 00:24:40.319 --> 00:24:41.440 It's Christ. 00:24:42.480 --> 00:24:48.160 Christ we proclaim, warning everyone and what? 00:24:48.960 --> 00:24:57.279 And teaching everyone with all wisdom that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 00:24:58.480 --> 00:25:00.960 How do we grow to maturity in Christ? 00:25:01.279 --> 00:25:02.240 We teach. 00:25:02.799 --> 00:25:03.759 We teach. 00:25:04.079 --> 00:25:11.519 How do we train little children to walk not just as boys and girls for the rest of their life, but to become men and women? 00:25:12.000 --> 00:25:15.920 Men and women of God, we have to teach them and train them. 00:25:16.079 --> 00:25:18.319 It doesn't just come naturally. 00:25:18.960 --> 00:25:23.039 And so likewise to grow into maturity, there is teaching to be done. 00:25:23.200 --> 00:25:24.400 We see this in the Great Commission. 00:25:24.480 --> 00:25:26.640 Go to Matthew 28 to the left. 00:25:27.920 --> 00:25:34.160 Matthew 28, when Jesus has resurrected from the dead, he's with the 12. 00:25:34.319 --> 00:25:38.160 And in Matthew 28, we see the Great Commission starting in verse 19. 00:25:38.400 --> 00:25:42.240 I want you to see closely what Jesus says. 00:25:42.640 --> 00:25:44.799 We know we're called to go and make disciples. 00:25:45.039 --> 00:25:46.640 Praise God, go and make disciples. 00:25:46.720 --> 00:25:47.440 That's our mission. 00:25:47.599 --> 00:25:48.240 But how? 00:25:48.559 --> 00:25:50.079 How do we do that? 00:25:50.799 --> 00:25:54.720 Matthew 28, starting in verse 19. 00:25:54.960 --> 00:26:07.599 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. 00:26:07.759 --> 00:26:12.240 And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age. 00:26:12.799 --> 00:26:14.000 Do you see that? 00:26:14.559 --> 00:26:19.759 Baptize them in the name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and then you teach them everything. 00:26:20.079 --> 00:26:23.680 You teach them everything that you can in God's word. 00:26:24.480 --> 00:26:28.079 This was Paul's mission to declare the whole council of God. 00:26:28.720 --> 00:26:29.599 Teaching. 00:26:30.240 --> 00:26:34.960 In other words, when we become a Christian, we become a learner. 00:26:35.200 --> 00:26:37.200 And that's something that should never change. 00:26:37.440 --> 00:26:42.720 I want to be a learner until the day I die, until the day I see Christ face to face. 00:26:42.960 --> 00:26:44.160 We're called to be learners. 00:26:44.240 --> 00:26:50.960 And so this is my encouragement here in light of his command to Timothy to entrust this to faithful men, that they would teach others. 00:26:51.119 --> 00:26:54.799 We as all Christians in the room, take the word of God. 00:26:55.039 --> 00:26:58.480 If you feel inadequate, which we all do, then you keep learning. 00:26:58.559 --> 00:27:03.440 In other words, we should never stop learning the word of God, but then you teach it to others. 00:27:03.839 --> 00:27:05.440 Teach it to others. 00:27:05.920 --> 00:27:07.759 As you teach it to others, watch. 00:27:07.920 --> 00:27:12.000 You're gonna see those who are young in the faith become mature in the faith. 00:27:12.240 --> 00:27:13.920 We're really missing the mark. 00:27:14.000 --> 00:27:22.640 If those who are more mature in Christ see those who are immature in Christ and all their mess and all their stuff and all the way they talk and act and all that thing. 00:27:22.720 --> 00:27:26.960 And if that pushes us away from them, we're missing it. 00:27:27.200 --> 00:27:31.519 That's like imagine running away from your child because they do annoying things. 00:27:32.000 --> 00:27:32.640 What? 00:27:34.240 --> 00:27:36.960 We have to train them and teach them. 00:27:37.200 --> 00:27:50.240 Likewise, those who are more mature in the faith should be teaching those who are younger in the faith, linking arms with the younger in the faith, how beautiful it would be if every single Christian in this room was either in one of two categories. 00:27:50.559 --> 00:27:55.119 Either one, you were really pouring into somebody else. 00:27:55.359 --> 00:27:58.400 Like you have found maybe one to three, and you're pouring in. 00:27:58.640 --> 00:28:01.680 You're training, you're teaching them the word of God. 00:28:02.400 --> 00:28:06.480 Or you're on the receiving end of that. 00:28:06.799 --> 00:28:09.119 What a beautiful thing that would be. 00:28:09.359 --> 00:28:16.400 Beautiful for the sake of Christ, beautiful for the sake of our growth in the Lord, and beautiful for the sake of advancing the gospel. 00:28:16.880 --> 00:28:18.240 This is what he's calling him to do. 00:28:18.319 --> 00:28:19.680 This is his strategy. 00:28:19.920 --> 00:28:25.680 We do it by grace, and we teach the word and we grow in the word through that. 00:28:26.000 --> 00:28:27.279 But all of it's by grace. 00:28:27.440 --> 00:28:32.880 Number one, looking at verses one and two, he's calling him to be strong in Christ. 00:28:33.599 --> 00:28:35.759 And that through the grace of God. 00:28:36.160 --> 00:28:39.680 But now, verse three to seven, turn your attention there. 00:28:39.759 --> 00:28:48.400