Sunday’s Sermons

Text: 2 Timothy 1:5-7                                                     5/11/08 a.m.

Thesis: Mother’s must trust God, live sincere faith, and disciple children to do the same.

 

Intro: Every Christian is expected to live a life characterized by sincere faith. Every mother, trusting Christ to provide what is needed, must live out a sincere faith in front of her children.

This Mothers’ Day I want to give you the blessing of God’s powerful word applied to the extremely difficult and extremely joyful calling of being a mother.

 

Read 2 Timothy 1:5-7

 

I) Let’s seek a sincere faith

a)      The Apostle Paul was reminded of Timothy’s sincere faith

i)        The Apostle Paul was Timothy’s spiritual father. That means Paul had a significant impact on Timothy’s life.

ii)      They weren’t blood relatives. By joining themselves to Christ through faith these two unrelated people were made into a glorious inseparable family.

iii)    Because of Christ these men had served together. Paul had taught Timothy the deep things of Christ.

iv)    And Paul had left Timothy in Ephesus to set the church in order.

v)      Knowing the weight on young Timothy’s shoulders Paul was constantly in prayer for him. Paul was constantly thanking God for Timothy.

vi)    Paul remembered Timothy’s tears. The tears of difficulty. The tears of suffering. The tears of joy.

vii)  Paul remembered the tears of Timothy a young soldier who was experiencing the highest joys of success and the deepest depression of loss.

viii)            As the Apostle Paul was praying for Timothy, remembering the good as well as the bad he was reminded of Timothy’s sincere faith.

ix)    Literally, Timothy’s sincere faith was brought to Paul’s mind.

x)      Its straight forward, a sincere faith is a true faith; not a hypocrite’s faith but a genuine faith.

xi)    Do you see that already in the 1^st century with the vapor trail of Christ’s ascension still in the sky there is a need to further define the category of faith?

b)      Sincere faith is defined by indwelling faith

i)        Read verse 5

ii)      This is a helpful distinction. Sincere faith is faith that works from the inside of a person out.

iii)    Insincere faith is mindset that attempts to work from the outside of a person in.

iv)    Insincere faith wants to obey the rules. Sincere faith wants to know Christ and be used by Christ.

v)      This distinction will become clear as we work through the text but so you can get the picture I want to just lay it out plainly for you.

vi)    Sincere faith is a product of the Holy Spirit’s presence in the life of a believer.

vii)  1 Corinthians 12:3 says,

Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit.

viii)            No one understands, no one seeks God, no one turns to God through Christ apart from the sovereign and gracious work of the Holy Spirit.

ix)    Apart from the Holy Spirit’s glorious work there is no salvation.

x)      When the Holy Spirit comes into a sinner saved by grace there are numerous gifts given but the first and most necessary gift is the gift of faith.

xi)    We don’t control the Spirit’s work. Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3 that the Spirit is like the wind. We don’t know where it comes from or where it goes but we see its effects.

xii)  In verse 5, the Apostle Paul is sure of indwelling faith in the life of Timothy because he had seen its effects.

xiii)            The Apostle Paul is convinced that Timothy is not just going through the motions and saying the right things. Paul was a witness to Timothy’s faith.

xiv)            This is why I don’t baptize babies and why I am slow in baptizing children or adults for that matter.

xv)  No one has red decoder goggles to see if the Holy Spirit and sincere faith are on the inside but we can see if the effects are there.

xvi)            According to 2^nd Timothy 1:8 we can ask these questions, are they ashamed of the testimony about our Lord? Are they ashamed of the gospel?

xvii)          The gospel is “the good news that Jesus Christ is the sinless sin bearer for all who are united to him by faith” (Bridges, Great Exchange, 14).

xviii)        Sincere indwelling faith leads to the confessing of sin, a desire for change, a stick-to-it-ness even through suffering, and all this because of Jesus Christ.

xix)            Sincere faith is expressed in a desire to be united with Christ. Is that you this morning?

xx)  Do you want Christ? Do you want to know him and make him known? Don’t be a rule follower; be a Christ-follower.

c)      Set your mind to be a mother and a grandmother who boldly models sincere faith for the next generation.

i)        Sincere faith was in Timothy’s granny Lois and mother Eunice.

ii)      What about Timothy’s daddy? Acts 16:1 says, “A disciple was [in Lystra], named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek.

iii)    Timothy’s mother was a Christian but his daddy was not. By the time Paul wrote this 2^nd letter to Timothy it is safe to assume Timothy’s dad has either died or abandoned his family.

iv)    In 2^nd Timothy 3 Paul writes to Timothy, “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ.”

v)      Moms, grandmothers, and those who care about the next generation we must teach them the sacred writings. We must teach them the whole council of God.

vi)    It is God’s Word that will make them wise unto salvation through faith in Christ.

vii)  But notice learning is not enough. If all you do is learn the concepts of Scripture, the books of the bible, and the Romans’ Road all that does is make you smarter on your way to hell.

viii)            Continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. This is another way of referring to sincere indwelling faith.

ix)    One question I regularly ask young people interested in baptism is this, “So tell me, this whole repent of your sins and trust in Jesus thing; is that something you feel like you have to have or could you take it or leave it?”

x)      Moms and Grandmothers, are you modeling a sincere indwelling faith that says, “I have to have Jesus?”

xi)    Or by the words you say and the way you live are you modeling a take it or leave it approach to Christ?

xii)  Moms you want to make this coming year different than the last? Tell your children that no matter how they answer they won’t get in trouble or be loved any less.

xiii)            Then ask your child, “are you convinced that sincere faith dwells in me?”

xiv)            Young people ask your parent, “are you convinced that sincere faith dwells in me?”

xv)  It is my desire with the children and David’s desire with the youth that we raise up young people and parents who are sure about their own faith and the faith of their families for biblical reasons.

xvi)            It is our desire to raise up generations committed to Christ and the ministry of his church.

xvii)          God is calling us to joyfully sacrifice for the good of the coming generations.

xviii)        God is not calling us to have programs for kids. God is calling us to model sincere faith for kids.

II) Sincere faith must be the driving force for ministry

Read verse 6

a)      Because Timothy has sincere faith he is reminded to fulfill God’s calling according to the gift God gives.

i)        God gives the gift you fulfill the calling.

ii)      This reminder in verse 6 is a different type of reminder in verse 5.  Verse 5 is along the lines of remembering someone you haven’t seen in a while

iii)    Verse 6 is reminding your child to take out the trash.

iv)    Because you have the Holy Spirit producing sincere faith in you I need to remind you to keep doing what God has called you to do.

v)      To fan into flame or rekindle means to keep the fire going.  If the rain that tempts you to give up is pouring down you’ve got to keep watch on the fire so it doesn’t go out.

vi)    If the lack of progress or the appearance of God being slow to answer your prayers is tempting you to go to sleep instead of getting up and serving then keep watch on the fire so it doesn’t go out.

vii)  We’ve already seen Paul encourage Timothy not to fall asleep while on duty. 1^st Timothy 4:14, ‘Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.”

viii)            Now in 2^nd Timothy 1:6 Paul is being very specific and personal. Paul was there when this gift of God was given. This gift is the specific empowerment of the Spirit in Timothy’s life.

ix)    The Holy Spirit is real and given to us by God to fulfill God’s calling on our lives.

x)      Paul gives Timothy biblical encouragement. I know you are a Christian. I know you have been gifted by God. Don’t give up. Don’t give in. Don’t turn around.

xi)    Keep on going.  The same Holy Spirit that brought you to Christ is the same Holy Spirit that will use you for Christ.

xii)  Parents, biological parents or spiritual parents, it is crucial that you have this type of conversation with your believing kids.

xiii)            It is crucial that they hear you praying for your own sincere faith and their own sincere faith.

xiv)            It is crucial for our children’s joy and growth that we care more about our child’s development and use of sincere faith than their position on a sport’s team or in a band.

xv)  They need to see in us that we care more about them fanning into flame the gift God has given than we do about what college they get into or who they take to prom.

xvi)            By modeling sincere faith to them, by teaching them the scriptures, by openly praying for firm belief, and by pursuing Christ-centered priorities make sincere faith the driving for your life.

xvii)          How do you do this? Read verse 7

III) Live your life knowing God provides what God requires

a)      God intends to fill you with power, love, and self-control in order to fulfill His calling on your life.

i)        We are a people afraid of everything. We’re afraid of what might happen. We’re afraid of what someone might think. We’re afraid of what someone might say.

ii)      The first word in verse 7 in the Greek is the word ‘No’.

iii)    It’s emphatic. That’s not who we are. God has not given us the righteousness of Christ, the indwelling Spirit, and sincere faith so we can be afraid.

iv)    But this is not just about phobias. This is not God did not give us the fear of spiders, small spaces, and high places.

v)      This is about not being cowards. Living sincere faith fulfilling God’s call is like being in a fox hole on the front line.

vi)    And werse 7 explodes the subject from just Timothy to every believer. God did not give us a spirit of fear but of power, love and self-control.

vii)  If you are going to be a faithful and fruitful pastor, parent, child, spouse, friend, farmer, financer, or framer you’ve got to trust the Spirit to provide the power because things will get impossible.

viii)            You’ve got to trust the Spirit to provide the love when that person becomes unlovable.

ix)    And you’ve got to trust the Spirit to provide the self-control when like Henry Fleming in The Red Badge of Courage all you want to do is run and hide.

x)      I believe the power, love, and self-control given by the Holy Spirit are real. They are not lofty ideals that make us feel warm and fuzzy even though they are not true.

xi)    When I seek the Spirit’s power, love, and self-control I’m not buying the Emperor’s new clothes.

xii)  I’ve seen the Spirit’s power. Think this way: What was it about Jesus that enabled him to live the life he lived and die the death he died?

xiii)            At his baptism, when his official ministry began what happened? The Holy Spirit came upon him (John 1:32).

xiv)            Jesus didn’t have to come and do what he did. Jesus didn’t have to love and die for us. Jesus did not have to come to earth, experience the weakness of human flesh, and live a life dependent on the Spirit for self-control.

xv)  But by the power, love, and self-control of the Spirit Jesus fulfilled God’s calling on his life. Jesus did lived out sincere faith.

xvi)            If Jesus accomplished what he accomplish through the Spirit I am convinced you and I can accomplish what God has called us to accomplish through faith in Christ and the power, love, and self-control of the Spirit.

xvii)          Because we are a people committed to sincere faith in Jesus Christ things are going to be different.

xviii)        Since we are a people filled with the Spirit we will see power, love, and self-control where we didn’t see it before.

xix)            How? Jesus told Nicodemus, “whoever believes in the Son of Man will have eternal life.”

xx)  Will you trust in Christ this mother’s day to remove the stain of sin and the sting of guilt?

xxi)            Will you trust God this mother’s day to provide the power to raise your children to love Christ and not just follow the rules?

xxii)          Will you trust Christ this mother’s day to provide the love that will keep you from running out on your family?

xxiii)        Will you trust the Holy Spirit this mother’s day to provide the self-control to say no to the things that are not for Christ?

xxiv)        I want to say that I am sure sincere faith dwells in you all but I can’t; there is too much fear.

xxv)          But perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18).

xxvi)        Let us pray that the Holy Spirit awakens hearts to sincere faith in Christ.

xxvii)      Let us pray that the Holy Spirit gifts people for ministry.

xxviii)    Let us pray that the Holy Spirit removes fear and in its place we find power, love, and self-control.

xxix)        Let us pray that God does what he promised he would do. Let us pray that God pours out His Holy Spirit.