Pressing Forward in the Gospel:
"Linked together for the Gospel"
Phil Schaefer
August 3, 2008
Key Scripture: 2 Timothy 3:10-17
Introduction: Paul and Timothy have been co-laborers for many years. Paul, now in prison and nearing the end of his life, is writing to encourage and exhort Timothy in the faith. Paul is reflecting on their life together through the years. In these verses we see how Timothy and Paul have been Linked together for the gospel.
2 Timothy 3:10-17:
“But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all, the Lord delivered me. Yes, and all who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. That the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
1.The gospel elevates us.
- “But You”- You in the Greek is emphatic. Paul is calling Timothy forward as an individual.
- He also puts emphasis on their long life together in ministry
- You have closely observed, carefully and diligently followed me.
- Paul then lists a number of categories of things they have gone through, that have a flow and progression to them.
- He culminates with vs.16- “ that the man of God might be equipped for every good work.”- What a powerful perspective, to be called a Man of God or a Woman of God! It is an emphatic declaration of our identity in God.
- 1 Timothy 6:11- “But as for you, O man of God…”
- This speaks to all believers. We each have this calling, to be a man or woman of God. We are not just anybody walking this earth. You are called!
2. The gospel equips us to make us competent.
- This listing of things, are in groups of twos or threes. They are linked together. And in the Greek each category has the word ‘my’ prefacing it.
- “My teaching’ is linked to “my conduct”.
- “My aim in life” is linked with “my faith”.
- “My steadfastness is linked with “my persecutions and sufferings”.
- Paul links the events together:
Vs 11- Persecutions ‘I endured’ is linked with ‘ and the Lord delivered me’.
Vs. 12 – ‘ The Godly life’ goes with ‘persecutions’.
Vs. 14- ‘Learned’ goes with ‘firmly believed’.
Vs.17- ‘ Competent’ goes with ‘equipped’.
Equipped means thoroughly furnished, fitted out.
Competent means complete and accomplished.
Illustration: A video of Lynn Hill mountain climbing. Patience.
She emphasizes that we need: patience, focus, visualization of where we are going next, sensitivity to balance and gravity, realization of our position, experience and the large perspective.
- It’s not enough just to have the right equipment, we have to be competent.
- The gospel is about making us competent and equipped so that in everything a good work is produced in us, and through us.
- The way that we live our life is not to be separate from our faith.
- My conduct is proof of my teaching. Example- I don’t just want to be able to teach about grace, I want to apply it in my life with others.
- My faith is proof of my aim, or purpose in life. Example- My aim in life is to follow the Lord as the disciples did and to be able to expose my weaknesses as they did. I want to say that everything I do is done in faith?
- My patience is proof of my love. Example- Everyone struggles in marriage, but patience is the proof of our love towards each other.
- Persecutions and suffering are the proof of my steadfastness. Example- if we are steadfast in serving God, there will be suffering for the gospel.
- The Lord’s deliverance is proof of my endurance. Example- Stick through a thing until you see the Lord’s deliverance.
3. The gospel links us together.
- Paul and Timothy were linked together; connected in life and in ministry for the gospel.
- Timothy watched Paul walk through his trials. Paul had to walk by faith as we all do, by going through the struggles, not by escaping them.
- When we understand that we are linked together by the gospel, we can watch each other work through our struggles in life, and see God working faith in each other. We go through them together and it is a good thing when we see one another come out on the other side. We walk together through disease, loss of a job, commitment to the church, marriage problems, issues with children, with faith, recurring sin, doctrine, etc., and we grow in faith together.
4. The gospel shows us the way through.
- God develops character in us by allowing us to experience things in which we are tempted to express the exact opposite quality. For example:
- God develops love in us by putting unlovely people around us.
- He puts us in places of sorrow so that we can learn joy.
- God develops peace in us, not by things going as we planned, but by allowing chaos and confusion in our lives.
- He develops hope in us by putting disappointment before us.
e. He develops faith by allowing us to go through times where we have no control.
5. How do we diligently follow, the way Timothy diligently followed Paul, so that we are equipped and competent for every good work?
- We recognize that we are linked together.
- We stop in the rush hour traffic, of our thinking, of our emotions, of our argument inside our head, of our hurt, of our anger. We pull over to the side of the road and slam on the brakes right where we are.
- We ask ourselves, “ What am I thinking here? What is this emotion that I’m having? What is the situation that I find myself in?”
- We begin to confess our thoughts or emotions or circumstances to the Lord. Such as, “Lord, I’m frustrated. Lord, I’m hurting. Lord, I’m jealous.”
- Don’t bring anybody else into your confession. Don’t put the blame on others, putting them between you and God. Such as, “ Lord, I’m frustrated because my husband is a lazy bum, he doesn’t listen, he’s insensitive” etc. Or,“ Lord, I’m jealous because this other person is getting ahead, and getting recognition that I should have.” Or, “Lord it’s not fair that others are more athletic, more popular, and getting better grades.”
- God doesn’t need your suggestion, or your solutions to the problems. Those things just get in the way of what God wants to equip in you.
6. Take that negative and begin to focus on the positive. The Lord wants to build the positive into you. For example:
In suffering- rejoice.
In anger- peace.
In jealousy- security.
In depression- hope.
7. Don’t waste all your energy in wrestling with the negative. Use your energy to wrestle with what God wants to build in you.
8. Don’t ask just to get out of a thing, Ask God to give you what you need to be an over-comer in it. Paul said, “My patience, my steadfastness, my endurance; yet out of them all, the Lord rescued me.”
9. Be sure to thank God. Whenever you see a seed of hope where you used to have depression, or a sense of peace when you used to have rage, when you didn’t have bad feelings about someone, thank Him.
10. Keep the Word of God always before you. Verse 16- “ All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”
Discussion questions:
Have you ever been in a Paul and Timothy/ mentoring kind of relationship? How has that affected your life?
Do you feel that you have a strong sense of identity as a man or woman of God? Give 3 reasons why you think this. If not, why do you think this might be?
In what ways is your aim in life connected with your faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ?
What do you think it means that your endurance is linked to God’s deliverance? Have you ever personally experienced this truth? How might this apply to us as a church body?
Discuss the video of Lynn Hill teaching on the qualities necessary to be a competent mountain climber. What were some of those qualities and how do they correspond to the qualities necessary to become competent in your spiritual life?
Why is it so important to understand that we are linked together for the gospel? What are some pitfalls that we experience when we don’t recognize this?
Name some of the ways that others have walked with you through you life struggles. How has that made a difference in your spiritual walk/
Do you find it easier to focus on the negative circumstances in your life or the positive things that God wants to work into you? Why might this be true?
