April 13, 2008
Morning Service

IITim. 1:1-6

 

Review:

1.       One of the things we found while studying the Apostle Paul’s writings was his encouragement to watch, and beware of false doctrine, and those who taught it.  We left the Roman letter with this in mind.  We went to Paul’s first letter to Timothy.  Paul’s writings to Timothy, and Titus are referred to as Pastoral Epistles.  These are instructions for all, who would lead, or minister in the church.  

2.       We find that Paul left Timothy in Ephesus, and Titus in Crete to nourish, and feed the church the pure doctrine of Christ.

3.       We want to continue in Paul’s writings to Timothy.  We have just finished I Tim.  So we are going to look at his second letter to Timothy.

4.       Paul wrote the first letter to Timothy from Macedonia, around the year 62AD. 

5.       Nero set fire to the city of Rome in AD. 64, and the christians were blamed.  This gave a reason for them to arrest the Apostle Paul, and cast him into prison.

6.       From this imprisonment he writes his second letter to Timothy.  This is around the year 67AD.

 

Let’s begin IITim. 1.

 

2Ti 1:1-18 KJVR  Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,  (2)  To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 

·        Again we see the trademark salutation from the Apostle.  GRACE, MERCY, AND PEACE FROM GOD THE FATHER, AND CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD.

·        Paul mentions “the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus.”  Paul made a statement in one of his writings, he said, “if in this life only we have hope, we are of all men most miserable.”  Meaning that we have the hope of eternal life in Jesus Christ.  It also means we have wonderful hope while we are still in this life.  IT IS A GLORIOUS LIFE FULL OF GRACE, MERCY, AND PEACE, FROM GOD OUR FATHER, AND OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.

·        The world does not have this, this morning, but can have, for it is for whosoever will.

(3)  I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; 

·        With a pure conscience.  Doing what he believes is right.  But how do we build our consciences?

·        Paul built his by learning the Old Testament laws, and way of life.  He believed this, and actually thought he was doing God a favor when he was persecuting christians.  Much like the religions today that believe they are doing God’s work when they are persecuting people who don’t believe the way they do.  And this comes from what they read, and are taught.

·        We choose to build our consciences by the Word of God, the Bible.  When we choose to do this, we choose to be different from most religions.  We choose love, and not hate.  We choose forgiveness, and not retaliation.  We choose to turn the other cheek, and not revenge.  We choose to pray for those who despitefully use us.  We have chosen to build our consciences on the teachings of the Bible, the Word of God.  We choose to believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, instruction in righteousness, that the man of God might be thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

·        That’s why when Paul told Timothy to study, he was building his conscience.  When we study, we are building our conscience. 

·        THEN WHEN WE DO SOMETHING RIGHT OR WRONG, THE HOLY SPIRIT BRINGS TO REMEMBRANCE WHAT WE HAVE READ, AND STUDIED, TO CORRECT, OR BLESS US.  YOU SEE, WE HAVE A HELPER, A COMFORTOR, THE HOLY SPIRIT, WHOM JESUS SAID HE WOULD SEND TO HIS FOLLOWERS, FOR THIS PURPOSE.

 

LET’S GO ON:

(4)  Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy;  (5)  When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. 

·        Can you see how Timothy was subjected to this lifestyle?  He saw it in his Grandmother, and Mother. 

·        There was no alcoholism, drugs, cursing, fighting, in his childhood.  Only love, and goodness.

·        It was easy for Timothy to want this type of life.  It was full of GRACE, MERCY, AND PEACE.

·        He probably had friends that were living in this other lifestyle, and was able to decide what kind of a life did he want to live.

·        Hopefully we can see the challenge set before us.  To live the blessings of the Christian life in front of our children, and not glorify the worldly life to them.

·        Along with the glorified worldly life comes anxiety, stress, adultery, divorce, drugs, alcohol, eventually a broken life.

·        Along with a Christian life comes, GRACE, MERCY, AND PEACE, and life eternal with God.

·        We need to think, talk, act, Godly, so that our children will see Christ in all we do.

PAUL’S ADMONITION TO TIMOTHY:

(6)  Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands. 

·        God gave Timothy a gift, by the Apostle Paul laying his hands on him.  Now Paul says, “stir it up.”  Get fired up, get to going, get to using this gift.  Do the things that will cultivate this gift that you have been given.

·        Does he not say the same thing to us?  God has given us all a special gift to use for His glory, in the church.  We are all members of the same body, but we do not all have the same function.  Each and every gift that God distributes to us is for the betterment of the whole church body.

·        God says, “stir it up”, get busy, cultivate the gift that I have given you. 

• NOTICE;

1Co 12:4 KJVR  Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 

1Co 12:7-11 KJVR  But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.  (8)  For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;  (9)  To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; (10)  To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:  (11)  But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

• NOW NOTICE:

Rom 12:6-8 KJVR  Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;  (7)  Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;  (8)  Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness.

• PAUL TOLD THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS;

Eph 4:8  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

The reason for these gifts?  Eph 4:12-13 KJVR  For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:  (13)  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:

CHRISTIAN, YOU HAVE A GIFT GIVEN TO YOU BY GOD, USE IT!  GET STIRRED UP!  YIELD YOURSELF TO GOD, BY LETTING THE CHURCH LEADERS KNOW THAT YOU WANT TO BE USED.  

THE LORD NEEDS FOR YOU TO STAND UP, AND BE COUNTED.  THE CHURCH NEEDS YOUR GIFTS TO BE USED FOR HIS GLORY, AND THE PERFECTING OF THE SAINTS.      STIR  UP THE GIFT OF GOD!