Sermon Tone Analysis

2 Timothy 1:1-5 ; 3:14-17

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen Caswell  © 1999

Illustration Of Passing on a Godly Heritage

 

Dr G. Campbell Morgan had four sons - all of whom followed his example by becoming ministers.

It’s reported that at a family reunion a friend asked one of the sons, “ Which Morgan is the greatest preacher?

” That’s easy, “ the son replied.

” Mother!

“ This son recognised the important role that his mother had in the family!

Today is mother’s day.

So I thought I would talk about the role of being a mother and a grandmother.

Today these positions are often belittled.

But they are just as important today as they have ever been.

But you fathers and grandfathers can listen too.

Lois and Eunice are not very well known and only mentioned once in the Bible.

But their grandson and son is.

Timothy was a faithful servant of the Lord in the early church.

Paul thought very highly of him and greatly appreciated this young man.

Timothy was greatly influenced by both his mother Eunice and grandmother Lois.

These two ladies provide a wonderful example of passing on a godly heritage.

I would like to look at how Timothy turned out first.

I.

Timothy - My Dearly Beloved Son

 

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

/

 

Paul was not Timothy’s father.

This probably refers to his relationship to Timothy in the faith.

Paul was Timothy’s mentor.

Timothy was Paul’s protege’.

Paul was very fond of Timothy whom he met on his first or second missionary journey to Galatia.

[Acts 16:1-2] Paul remembers 3 things about Timothy in these verses.

I Remember You

 

*2 Timothy 1:3* /I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of you in my prayers night and day;  /

 

*/Firstly Paul Remembered Timothy’s Ministry/*

 

Paul had placed Timothy into the position of chief elder or pastor of the large church at Ephesus.

Timothy was serving here when Paul wrote the two epistles bearing his name.

Paul remembered Timothy’s faithfulness to the Lord and wrote to encourage him.

He instructed him how to lead this large church.

Paul gave thanks to the Lord for Timothy as he continually remembered him.

Paul literally said /I have joy before God as I remember you unceasingly./

Timothy brought continual joy to Paul’s heart.

He prayed for Timothy night and day.

This shows the special place that Timothy had won in Paul’s heart.

*Philippians 2:19-22/ /*

/ /

/But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly unto you, that I also may be of good comfort, when I know your state.

For I have no man likeminded, who will naturally care for your state.

For all seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ’s.

But ye know the proof of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me in the gospel.

/

*/Secondly Paul Remembered Timothy’s Sincerity/*

 

*2 Timothy 1:4-5a */Greatly desiring to see thee, *being mindful of your tears*, that I may be filled with joy; When I call to remembrance the *genuine faith* that is in you/

 

Paul remembered the tears Timothy had cried on a previous occasion.

It may have been when Paul was rearrested and placed in prison.

Timothy was a very sincere young man who cared for the Lord’s apostle.

In fact Paul said that he cared for all of God’s people this way.

Timothy had learnt what it  meant to be a servant.

He was sincere in all he did and wept for Paul as he was imprisoned for the Lord.

Timothy was sincere and this meant much to Paul.

In verse 5 Paul says that Timothy had a /genuine faith./

He told Timothy that he had been persuaded that he was the /genuine /article.

Some people profess to be Christians but their lives don’t back up their profession.

This was not the case with Timothy.

Paul saw God at work in His heart and knew for sure he was sincere.

His faith was the /genuine/ kind.

*/Thirdly Paul Remembered Timothy’s History/*

 

*2 Timothy 1:5* /When I call to remembrance the *genuine faith* that is in you, which *dwelt* first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.

/

 

Paul knew that the /genuine/ faith that Timothy exercised was part of a /godly heritag/e that had been passed on to him.

His grandmother Lois was the first member of his family to believe in Christ.

She shared her faith with Eunice her daughter who in turn believed in Jesus Christ.

Then both of them passed on this rich Christian heritage to Timothy.

They did this I believe through 2 methods.

1.

Example - By Living Out The Faith

 

Timothy’s grandmother was the first to believe.

Paul says that the faith */dwelt/* in them.

This word* /dwell/*/ /means to/ *inhabit* /or */to be infixed./*

The idea portrayed is that of permanent residency.

They didn’t behave one way at church and then completely differently during the week.

Their faith was a consistent pattern.

The word */genuine or unfeigned/* means */without hypocrisy/*.

Their faith was not just words or knowledge, it was much deeper than that.

Paul says that this genuine faith was passed on from Lois to Eunice and then on to Timothy.

Paul knew that Timothy had the privilege of growing up with a godly heritage.

He knew the blessing that this brings since he had mentioned his own heritage in verse 3. Genuine faith is contagious to those who come into contact with it.

Nothing puts people off more than hypocrisy.

People who say one thing but live another.

The old saying /do what I say not what I do/ is so true.

It seems that Timothy’s father was a Greek who did not believe in Christ.

But that did not prevent his mother and grandmother leading him to faith in Christ.

I am sure that Timothy would have been surrounded with love and discipline.

His mother and grandmother would have invested time and effort into training this young boy.

The way he grew into a godly man was no accident.

Many hours of prayer, coupled with love, correction and their own example helped shape Timothy into the man of God that he was.

Those four things are essential.

*Love, Prayer, Discipline, Example.*

Children spell love, T.I.M.E.

Paul wrote to Titus concerning the important roles of being a mother or grandmother.

*Titus 2:3-5*:/ The older women likewise, that they be reverent in behaviour, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things — that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

/

 

Make Them Proud

 

As parents, we desperately want to be proud of our children, but perhaps our first concern should making them proud of us.

The story is told of a Christian writer who had received an award, the publisher sent him a roll of gold stickers designed to grace the book covers.

His eight year old daughter saw them, and asked if she could have a few, with no idea what they represented.

They took their place next to the cartoon character stickers on the door of her room.

She cared a lot more about the willingness of her dad to share them than what they stood for.