God’s Grace for Gospel Ministry • 11.13.22
Nick Lees   -   November 13, 2022

God’s Grace for Gospel Ministry
2 Timothy 2:1-7

Embracing the reality of gospel ministry

  1. Recognize the source of all gospel ministry
  2. Guard the good deposit by entrusting it to others
  3. Join the rest of the saints in suffering for the gospel

Amen! What an appropriate cry of praise and thanksgiving to our Creator and Sustainer!

I don’t know if you know this, but November is National Adoption Month. Sunday, 11/13 is known as Orphan Sunday, when many are advocating on behalf of those without families. Today we’re going to hear from someone who is seeking to slow down the number of children being orphaned in our state by providing practical help to families in need.

Our church has the privilege and benefit of having Ashley Baker, Director of Together for Good Iowa, with us this morning. Ashley is a sister in Christ who has a passion for helping the local church come alongside vulnerable families in their time of need. Together for Good is a ministry that we are excited to partner with and I’d like to invite Ashley to the stage to share about the ministry and how we can be involved.

Ashley presents

Sermon

As we transition into our study of God’s Word this morning, why don’t I…

Dismiss 4th + 5th graders

Ushers + Bibles (2 Timothy 2; page 1180)

Last week we kicked off our study of 2 Timothy by covering all of chapter 1. We discussed our response to the Gospel’s work in our lives. There were a variety of calls to action given by Paul to Timothy that we made personal to ourselves such as the call to be faithful stewards of our faith, our gifts, and our suffering… all for the sake of the gospel.

Remember that this is the final letter Paul writes and it is coming near the end of his life/ministry. He’s reminiscing about his dear friend and disciple, Timothy, and he’s thankful for Timothy’s faithfulness to the gospel. Paul writes this letter to encourage Timothy to persevere in the faith. To not grow weary or be ashamed of the gospel but to keep guarding and sharing the faith! That’s the same message he’s going to be carrying through to this part of the letter today.

In all reality, while we stopped at the end of chapter 1 last week, Paul wrote this as a single letter intended to be read all at once. So, when we pick back up today, try to connect it to what has just come before in chapter 1. Paul’s exhortation to Timothy to persevere in the faith and share in suffering that comes as a result of gospel ministry. If you noticed, our sermon title for today is “God’s Grace for Gospel Ministry.” As you’re about to hear, God is the one who supplies all that we need to accomplish the mission!

Let’s pick back up in 2 Timothy 2:1-7.

2 Timothy 2:1–7 (ESV)

You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 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. 3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. 5 An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. 7 Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

Paul, in line with the personal nature of this letter, is focused on helping Timothy run the Christian race well. He wants to make sure his friend perseveres to the end. Towards that end he is drawing attention to the incredible resources that are available to him, as well as the necessary actions that Timothy needs to take to live out of that reality. In the remainder of our time together this morning we are…

Embracing the reality of gospel ministry

Reality – the state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them (COED)

We need to understand what God says about how ministry in his name and for his glory is going to go. If you’re going to be an ambassador for Christ, like you’re called to be, then you need to know the facts about gospel ministry. And, incredibly, the first fact that Paul draws Timothy’s attention to and reminds him of is… that his strength comes from the Lord.

That’s essentially what Paul is saying in verse 1.

2 Timothy 2:1 (ESV)

You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus,

The verb “be strengthened” is in the passive tense, which indicates this is something being done for Timothy by someone else – namely God. This is often called the “Divine passive” because God is the one doing the action for the sake of someone else. In this case, Timothy is being strengthened by God’s grace that is in Christ Jesus.

This is an incredible statement. It’s far too easy to read it and blow right past it. Which is exactly why we need to slow down and digest what it is saying. Which also brings us to our first way to embrace the reality of gospel ministry…

  1. Recognize the source of all gospel ministry

I want you to write the following underneath this bulletin point – God’s grace enables Gospel ministry.

Grace –

  • the free and unearned favor of God (COED)
  • God’s generous initiative and sustaining faithfulness culminating in the powerful, restorative activity of God on behalf of humanity (NDBT);
  • undeserved favor of God in providing salvation for those deserving condemnation (HIBD);
  • “God’s riches at Christ’s Expense”

As we discussed last week and often are reminded of from Scripture, outside of faith in Christ, we are sinful men and women condemned to death. We came into this world rebels against a holy God. As you might imagine, rebellion against the King of Kings is treason of the highest order and deserving of judgment and death. Yet, as we read through the pages of Scripture, God has made a way for us to be forgiven of our sinful rebellion and brought back into right relationship with him.

Even today we heard in verse 4 that God calls or enlists us to his people. If you were here with us last week, we read in 1:8-12 that God saves and calls people to a holy calling, not based on their works but solely because of… his own purpose and grace. It’s right there in verse 9!

Paul states multiple times in this short letter to Timothy that it is God’s grace that enables or empowers his gospel ministry. God has done and is doing a work in Timothy to strengthen him for the work he has called him to do!

What an incredible reality to embrace. How do I put this into words that would sufficiently convey the weightiness of the reality?! I’m going to try…

God’s grace (unmerited favor and forgiveness towards sinners like us) has:

  • Predestined you for godliness/eternity in heaven (Ephesians 1:3-14)

God determined before the foundation of the world. Before time began… that he would extend grace to you. Not only that, God’s grace has…

  • Provided his Son, Jesus Christ, as the propitiation for your sins (Romans 3:23-26)

Romans 3:23–26 (ESV)

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

  • Propitiation – satisfaction and removal of God’s wrath – no wrath left for you!

Through faith in Jesus Christ, God looks at you and declares you innocent. Righteous! Jesus took the wrath meant for you. But wait there’s more! His grace…

  • Convicted you through the Holy Spirit to turn from sin to God (John 16:8)

Apart from God’s work, you wouldn’t care about your sin. You wouldn’t have desired to turn to God in faith. Even this is an act of his grace towards you! But once you were aware of your sin and convicted about it… then God’s grace has also…

  • Forgiven your sins (Ephesians 1:7)

Ephesians 1:7 (ESV)

7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,

Every step of the way, your rescue and redemption has been a product of God’s grace. How incredible is his love for you!? God’s grace not only forgave your sins, by grace he…

  • Regenerated your being into a new person (Titus 3:5)

Because our old self was dead in sin, God had to make us into a new creation. He gave us a new heart that was capable of loving and obeying him. That is a product of grace! Through this process, God’s grace also…

  • Declared you positionally righteous/innocent before God (Titus 3:7)

We heard earlier that Jesus was the propitiation for your sins. The outcome of that is God, the perfect Judge, now looks at you and says, “Not guilty!” This is the only way sinners like us could have any right to enter into God’s presence for all eternity. Noy only that, but God’s grace has…

  • Enabled you to daily stand before God and hope in His glory (Romans 5:2)

Romans 5:2 (ESV)

2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

God daily sustains your life by his grace. Every breath, every heartbeat is a gift of God’s grace to you. And because of his grace we have the hope of being with him one day in heaven, seeing and experiencing his glory fully. At the end of the same chapter, we are given another amazing truth about God’s grace.

Romans 5:20–21 (ESV)

20 Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, 21 so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

God’s grace…

  • Abounded over your sin, securing your eternal hope in Christ (Romans 5:20-21)

Just like the old hymn says:

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!

God’s grace is greater than all our sin, which is why we have the certainty of eternal life. No one can take us out of the Father’s hand. This is all great, Nick, but what about the many trials and tribulations I face in this life. I have good news for you! God’s grace has…

  • Provided you with God’s power in your weakness (2 Corinthians 12:8-9)

Paul speaks of his own “thorn in the flesh”, a messenger of Satan who harassed him. It was clearly quite the trial for him, leading Paul to feel weak and discouraged. Listen to how he engaged God about it.

2 Corinthians 12:8–9 (ESV)

8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Christ himself gave Paul reassurance that what he needed was not a change of circumstances but a change of perspective. He needed to realize that his weaknesses were opportunities for Christ to pour out grace upon him. That God’s grace was sufficient, no matter what he was going through and that what he needed most in the trial was God’s amazing grace!

Finally, at least for my purposes today, God’s grace has…

  • Secured your future in his eternal glory (1 Peter 5:10)

This has already been hinted at in several of the other passages, but I wanted to effectively travel through our life in these meditations on God’s grace. Listen to Peter’s reflection:

1 Peter 5:10 (ESV)

10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

Suffered “a little while” – you realize that could be the rest of your life, right? And yet, in light of eternity, that’s just a little while. And the promise is the God of all… WHAT?… grace! Will himself restore, confirm, STRENGTHEN, and establish you. That may come in this life or it may come in the next – in his eternal glory. Either way, God’s grace is incredibly rich towards those who believe.

If you’re following, from start to finish, God’s grace was working in Timothy’s life and is working in your life to accomplish gospel ministry. Gospel ministry meaning the redemptive work of Jesus Christ’ applied to sinners like us. Sharing the Good News about our biggest problem – that it is possible, through faith in Jesus, to be reconciled from our separation from a Holy God.

God’s grace at work in us. And at work in others. Without his grace, there would be no success in the gospel work we are sent out to do! Sinful men and women cannot be convicted and believe apart from God’s grace at work in them.

So, if you think about it, there is so much depth to Paul’s call to “be strengthened by the grace of God that is in Christ Jesus.” Not only is it grace for the present challenges, it is also the promise of future grace for tomorrow and the day after that and after that… The promise of future grace is what keeps us moving forward!

The million dollar question is – “How do we receive God’s enabling/empowering grace???” The answer is in verse 1 – God’s grace is given in Christ Jesus.

In. Christ Jesus. This is a powerful phrase in the New Testament that speaks of a believer’s union with Christ. That we are united to him by faith. I would encourage you to spend some time looking up the phrase in your Bibles or in some Bible Study software. If you widen your search to include “in Christ” or “in Jesus” you’ll find somewhere around 100 or more references describing all the ways our connection to Christ changes our lives.

It’s a common phrase in this letter to Timothy. It has come up in 1:1, 1:9, 1:13, and we’ll hear it again in 2:10, 3:12, and 3:15. Just these references in this single letter tell us that Christ is the source of the promise of life, the conduit of the grace we receive, the one who models faith and love to us, our salvation, our empowerment for a godly life, and the object of our faith.

So, if grace is such a wonderful, life-altering power and promise from God, and it’s found in Christ Jesus, then I hope you’d want to put yourself in a position to be strengthened by it as much as possible. GIMME MORE GRACE! Not selfishly, but for the sake of Gospel ministry!

I want to turn to the resource Habits of Grace by David Mathis to connect the dots here:

Put Yourself in the Path of God’s Grace

It is in this endless sea of his grace that we walk the path of the Christian life and take steps of grace-empowered effort and initiative. It works something like this.

I can flip a switch, but I don’t provide the electricity. I can turn on a faucet, but I don’t make the water flow. There will be no light and no liquid refreshment without someone else providing it. And so it is for the Christian with the ongoing grace of God.

His grace is essential for our spiritual lives, but we don’t control the supply. We can’t make the favor of God flow, but he has given us circuits to connect and pipes to open expectantly. There are paths along which he has promised his favor.

As we have celebrated above, our God is lavish in his grace; he is free to liberally dispense his goodness without even the least bit of cooperation and preparation on our part, and often he does. But he also has his regular channels. And we can routinely avail ourselves of these revealed paths of blessing—or neglect them to our detriment.

Mathis, David. Habits of Grace (pp. 24-25). Crossway. Kindle Edition.

David’s point, which he gets from Scripture, is that God has told us the ways he blesses and the ways he opposes. We’ve heard Paul exhort Timothy in these two letters to pursue godliness and to forsake falsehood. These are the types of things we’re talking about… You can either live in such a way as to put yourself in a place to be blessed by God’s grace or to have God oppose you in your sin and pride. These “means of grace” as they’ve been known historically are not overly complex. They include, but are not limited to things such as:

  • Reading God’s Word and allowing it to shape your life
  • Meditating on the Word – allowing it to soak in deep
  • Memorizing Scripture – storing it up for the battles you will inevitably face
  • Being a humble learner – never reaching the point where you’ve “arrived”
  • Faithful, constant prayer
  • Fasting
  • Silence and solitude – getting away to be with God
  • Fellowship with the Body
  • Corporate worship
  • Sitting under the preaching of the Word
  • Celebrating the ordinances of baptism and communion
  • Making disciples
  • Cheerful, sacrificial giving
  • Wise stewardship of your time

If you want to be strengthened by God’s grace in Christ Jesus, then DO these things. If you’re not sure how to do these things or you’re struggling to be disciplined, ask for help! That’s what we do as the church for one another. But don’t stay stuck in a rut of spiritual apathy. Come back to the source of grace for gospel ministry!

Alright, we must move on. I know I spent a lot of time on point #1. There was too much to speak of on this topic. It’s not the only way we embrace the reality of gospel ministry though. A second way is found in verse 2.

  1. Guard the good deposit by entrusting it to others

Ultimately, gospel ministry is focused outward. It’s all about taking the hope of salvation from sin to those dead in their sin! Paul expects Timothy to take the good deposit of the hope of salvation in Christ and entrust it to others.

Specifically, he wants Timothy to entrust it to faithful men. You have to remember the context of these letters. Timothy is serving the church in Ephesus, where there are many false teachers present. If Timothy is going to leave Ephesus to come and visit Paul, as Paul asks him to do by the end of this letter, then he needs to have trained up other godly men to lead the church in his absence! That’s why the requirement is that they are able to teach others also. These men will be leaders in the church.

This doesn’t mean that Timothy can only teach future elders, as if his discipleship is limited to those men. But it does mean that it cannot exclude such men. He needs to prioritize training up future leaders in the church. Again, this is a specific situation that Paul is addressing here, so we must be careful about how we expand application to our day and age.

This is a time where it is helpful to know the breadth of Scripture. There is a reason one of the six pillars of our church is “Purposeful Discipleship”. In the Scriptures, it is revealed to be absolutely essential for Christians to be disciples who make disciples. Listen to the bookends of Jesus’ public ministry.

Matthew 4:19 (ESV)

19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Matthew 28:18–20 (ESV)

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

From start to finish, Jesus’ public ministry was all about making disciples who make disciples. If you are a Christian, it is not an option to skip out on this part of following Christ. Just like Timothy, we are called to pass on what we have heard and learned from Jesus, Paul, and the rest of Scripture to others.

I would also suggest that it is wise to be discerning in whom you invest. We should share the Gospel with all who would hear, but if someone rejects it or does not appear to desire to take growth in godliness seriously, then it is wise to spend your limited time with those who do desire to grow. Just as Timothy was to identify men who were faithful and able to teach others, thereby focusing his efforts, we ought to be intentional to identify those who truly want to grow and change and pour into them. Our time on earth is limited and the mission is urgent. The more who are able to be trained up and entrusted with the Gospel, the more who will hear from generation to generation. So be faithful to pass on the truth and be discerning in how you use your limited resources to pass it on.

The final way of embracing the reality of gospel ministry that I want to draw your attention to this morning covers the rest of verses 3-7.

  1. Join the rest of the saints in suffering for the gospel

As we heard in detail from our study of chapter 1 last week, there is an expectation and calling for all Christians to suffer. The call to share in this suffering is repeated in chapter 2. Yet this is not a meaningless suffering, as we heard last week, this is suffering for the sake of the gospel. It occurs as we are actively pursuing godliness and the advancement of the Gospel across the world. And, as we heard from Paul, all Christians who live a godly life will suffer.

For the sake of time, I’m not going to revisit all the different areas where this suffering is described in Scripture. The references are numerous. However, I do want to spend our time discussing the analogies that Paul uses to drive his point home. Let’s read the passage again:

2 Timothy 2:3–7 (ESV)

3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. 5 An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. 7 Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

So, we have three analogies: Soldier, Athlete, and Farmer. Each one of these are meant to help Timothy think critically about his calling. Let’s see what we can learn from them.

A soldier has a singular aim to obey or please their commander. I asked one of our veterans to look at this passage earlier this week and give me his insight on it as a soldier. Here’s what he had to say:

Soldiers while enlisted really don’t have say over their own lives. They live were there commander says to live. They eat what their commander serves for food. They carry out the mission no matter what the costs. Family comes second, your personal will and individuality as a civilian are gone while you are on active duty.

 

A great example is politics. If you are a soldier and you make a public statement on politics and you make any reference that you are a service member then you face court martial.

 

Most young soldiers want to party and act like they are in college while they are in and this results in corporal punishment like push ups, running, sleep deprivation etc. This is probably not politically correct but soldiers that get out of line are likely to get jumped and have the crud kicked out of them for disobeying or tarnishing the units reputation.

 

Acting like a civilian so much as getting a faddish haircut or modifying your uniform has big consequences. We were taught that are biggest priority was to follow orders.

 

Civilians care about what they eat, where they live, what they do everyday. Soldiers don’t get to care about that and if they do care about those kind of pursuits then the military spits them out.

I thought that was a helpful explanation of this analogy.

As we read in the text, soldiers have a singular aim to please their commander. A Christian is a soldier for Christ. Guess what that means your singular aim ought to be? To please Christ. He is the one who enlisted or chose you.

I love how Paul puts it in 2 Corinthians 5:

2 Corinthians 5:9–10 (ESV)

9 So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

Whether you’re here on earth or with God in heaven, your aim is the same. To please him. That must be the ruling desire of a Christian’s heart.

Can we just be honest with ourselves and one another and admit that this is often not our singular aim/desire? In fact, if you were to read James 4:1-3, you would hear teaching that throughout the day there is a literal war going on with the competing desires of our heart. Moment-by-moment, day-by-day, we are engaging in a war to desire to please Christ first and most, above all else.

  • When our spouse is rude to us – please Christ
  • When our boss treats us like dirt – please Christ
  • When we wake up feely crummy – please Christ
  • When the world seems like it’s falling apart around us – please Christ
  • When we’re tempted by ________ (you fill in the blank) – please Christ

Over and over we are faced with decisions of whether we’re going to be a good soldier of Christ who keeps his/her eyes on the aim of pleasing Christ, or if we’re going to divert from that aim and choose to please self. That’s analogy #1.

Analogy #2 is of an athlete. Many of you here likely played sports when you were younger, some of you are young enough to still play them without wondering which bone will break or body part will malfunction 😊 Others of us just like to watch athletes on TV, normally while eating unhealthy food. But I digress! The point I’m making is that we understand that in order to win the competition an athlete has to train hard and follow the rules. If you try to cut corners in your training, your body will fail you when you need it most. If you try to cheat to win, you will be caught and stripped of the prize and face many other consequences. Paul’s point here is that Timothy (and Christians like us) are competing in a far more significant athletic event than an NFL game or the World Series… we are running the race of godliness that leads to eternal life. Our crown is not a temporary wreath but an eternal crown of righteousness.

Paul will speak of this later in this letter of his own race:

2 Timothy 4:6–8 (ESV)

6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

Like Paul, we must exert intense effort in the pursuit of godliness. As he said in his first letter to Timothy, it has value in every way, both for this life and the next. If you want to inherit the crown of righteousness in eternity, then run hard and follow God’s plan in His Word!

Finally, the third analogy is that of a farmer. Not just any farmer, but a hard-working farmer. Paul draws attention to the effort he/she is exerting. His point is that a Christian who labors intensely for the gospel will get to reap the first fruits of his/her labors. Whether that is in this life or the next is not made clear, but the beauty of the analogy is that there are blessings for faithful suffering for the gospel! You can imagine that Paul likely meant that Timothy and others would get to reap the sweet fruit of seeing other men and women come to know Christ. Paul was getting to taste such sweet fruit from his gospel labors in the life of Timothy. He was a dear child and faithful co-laborer.

If you’ve poured yourself out in gospel ministry in this life, then you likely know a little bit of what Paul is talking about. (Photo of Heffners) This is a photo I shared on FB earlier this week. This is Dave + Rachelle Heffner. These are two former college students who were under my ministry in Indiana who are now dear friends. Micaela and I had the privilege of investing a lot of time and discipleship efforts into Dave and Rachelle. We have tasted and seen the fruit of God’s work in their life. They continue to invest in college students to this day and Dave is a deacon at our former church. Who are your Dave & Rachelle? And if you don’t have them… What is stopping you from getting after the work of discipling others? Let’s talk about that – send me an email or visit with me after the Family Chat.

I love how Paul ends this paragraph in verse 7. Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything.

It takes time and effort to understand how these apply to your life! Christianity is a “thinking-man’s” faith. Jesus doesn’t want brain-dead followers. He wants people who are applying the truth of Scripture in nuanced ways to their lives. You ought to be putting in work to understand and apply what you’re reading/learning! Don’t come expecting to be spoon-fed and then walk away unchanged. You have to chew and digest the meat of Scripture for yourself.

We all understand how that works professionally. You have to put in time and work to master your trade. You don’t become a top performer without intense effort. The same is true spiritually. You won’t be a mature, wise Christian without putting in time and work to study and apply the Word of God. There are no shortcuts or cheat codes in the Christian race. So…

  1. Recognize the source of all gospel ministry
  2. Guard the good deposit by entrusting it to others
  3. Join the rest of the saints in suffering for the gospel

Let’s pray.