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Essentials of Discipling ()
Grace Church at Willow Valley (09/16/2018)
Intro: When Jesus left this earth, he gave his followers their mission.
You and I know it as “the Great Commission”
Last year, we as a church made the decision to intentionally focus on understanding and practicing our obedience to this mandate from Jesus to be “making disciples.”
We have defined this process of discipling as (in its most basic essence) as “helping another to follow Jesus” (for their good and God’s glory, of course).
It is because of our desire to intentionally work on discipling that we find ourselves in 2 Timothy this morning.
How so?
As we saw last Sunday, the letter of 2 Timothy is the Apostle Paul’s “swan song.”
He wrote it during his second of two Roman imprisonments while waiting for his execution which was rapidly drawing near!
In this letter, Paul’s focus is on Timothy.
It is arguably the most personal of Paul’s 13 NT letters.
And as his final letter, many consider it his last will and testament.
Quote: This letter was “written not merely in ink, but in Paul’s life blood.”
(John Calvin)
And in this final communication with Timothy, Paul urges Timothy to:
Guard the gospel ........ persevere in the gospel … proclaim the gospel (show chart of book)
So what we have here in this rather brief letter is Paul calling his young metee to action!
Guard the gospel ........ persevere in the gospel … proclaim the gospel (show chart of book)
BTW -
Quote: “In this letter to Timothy, the apostle used no less than thirty-three imperative verbs in twenty-seven commands.
His time grew short, and he had a lot of urgent information to tell his friend.”
(Chuck Swindoll)
Swindoll, Charles R.. Insights on 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus (Swindoll's Living Insights New Testament Commentary Book 11) (Kindle Location 3639).
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
Swindoll, Charles R.. Insights on 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus (Swindoll's Living Insights New Testament Commentary Book 11) (Kindle Locations 3638-3639).
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
As we work thru this letter, we will have a front row seat to observe Paul, the aged veteran of many spiritual battles, discipling Timothy, his young protege, helping him to follow Jesus!
READ 1:1-7
PRAY
Now Paul opens this letter as he does with most of his letters after the customary practice of his day.
He identifies himself as the writer, Timothy as the recipient and then offers this greeting expressing his desire that Timothy would enjoy grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now as he moves on … in vv.
3-7 - we can see three essentials of the discipling process.
To help us get a handle on these … I am going to use three phrases:
A strong bond
Some warm words
A pointed reminder
A Strong bond
We noted last week that Paul id’s the recipient of his letter as “Timothy, my dearly loved son.”
Now contrast this with how Paul id’ed Timothy in his first letter to him.
1 ti 1
One writer commenting on this difference (which is more than just mere semantics) writes:
Paul
“Timothy, my dearly loved son” is much stronger than “Timothy, my true son in the faith.”
It is not that Paul loved Timothy less when he wrote that first letter, but that Paul was now expressing it more.
As Paul’s life drew to a close, he realized in a deeper way how dear Timothy was to him.”
Warren Wiersbe, p. 124
And just how dear can be seen in
1 ti
2 Timothy
Paul here offers thanks for the recipient of his letter (in this case, Timothy).
This is his usual practice.
And note that he thanks God when he CONSTANTLY remembers Timothy in his prayers NIGHT AND DAY.
Paul closes his eyes at night … he thinks of Timothy.
He awakens in the morning … Timothy is on his heart.
And so he is praying off and on throughout his long days and nights sitting in a Roman prison cell praying for Timothy.
He also thinks of Timothy’s tears - probably shed when they parted for the last time.
The picture in Paul’s mind of Timothy weeping … just made him long all the more to see him again.
A desire that not only does he express here, but as we saw last Sunday - he expresses twice toward the close of his letter:
Paul here offers thanks for the recipient of his letter (in this case, Timothy).
This is his usual practice.
,
So … are you feeling this strong bond which existed between the two?
And its not just Timothy’s tears that Paul is reflecting on … but also his sincere (literally ‘unhypoctrical’) faith which he has seen in Timothy and which had first been in his grandmother Lois and mother Eunice.
Later in the letter, Paul makes an indirect reference to these two when he writes:
2 Timothy 1:3-
Note that
So not only do we see the strong bond between Paul and Timothy .... but also the strong bond which existed between Timothy’s g-mother and mother and Timothy!
All this to say this about the discipling process: the context for effective discipling is genuine relationships.
ILL --- And how we need to hear this!
In this digital age in which we live … our lives are increasingly dominated by Facebook rel’ships .... which are miles wide and inches deep!
But if we are going to become the disciplers God wants us to be … then we need to do a lot more “face time” with each other … and I am not talking about face time on the iphone!
We need to come alongside of each other and begin to cultivate authentic, genuine, deep relationships.
Some warm words
Let’s look again at
2 Timothy
Not only do these words convey much affection which Paul had for Timothy, they also drip with affirmation for Timothy!
Can you imagine how Timothy’s own heart must have soared when he read these words from his mentor?
That Paul … the great Apostle … thought of him and prayed for him night and day … and that he wanted to be reunited with Timothy just as much as Timothy so desired to see Paul?
And that Paul acknowledged the reality of his faith … being CONVINCED that the genuine faith Paul knew to be in Lois and Eunice was very much on display in Timothy’s life?
This past summer as we spent 6 Sunday mornings in the OT book of Wisdom … one of the topics we looked at was our speech … and the power that exists in what we say!
Consider these verses …
Tim Keller … writes concerning this verse:
“In this proverb, however, we are told we should not try to deal with anxiety on our own.
We need a kind word from others.
We need people to affirm us, to relate their own experience, to point us to God, or even just to be there so we don’t feel so alone.”
(Tim Keller, God's Wisdom for Navigating Life: A Year of Daily Devotions in the Book of Proverbs, p. 105).
Timothy most likely was battling anxiety in his ministry.
Some were looking down on him because he was young and inexperienced …
Keller, Timothy.
God's Wisdom for Navigating Life: A Year of Daily Devotions in the Book of Proverbs (p.
105).
Penguin Publishing Group.
Kindle Edition.
And here in this letter, Paul urges him to . . .
1 ti 4:
He was often plagued by stomach and other health issues
1 ti
He appears to have been a timid sort
1 Cor
And he had to contend with false teachers within his own church … Concerning two of these false teachers, Hymenaeus and Philetus … Paul writes:
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