Key Value 4 - Sermon Notes
Reach out responsibly and joyfully with the Gospel to those around us,those who come in and the wider world, as our mission.
Steve Harzo
2 timothy 1:6-12
Let us just remind ourselves of the first three key values for St Andrew’s that we have already considered “give time and effort to value and empower each member of our church family”, “hold confidently and courageously as vital, sound biblical teaching and principles “and “worship, prayer and a genuine experience of god should be the expectation of those who attend” and our forth and final key value which we are looking at today is “reach out responsibly and joyfully with the gospel to those around us, those who come in and the wider world as our mission”.
In our passage Paul is encouraging timothy to be faithful to the lord and his people by bringing attention to timothy’s sincere faith, handed down by his mother and grandmother, Eunice and Lois however there is no mention that his father was a believer. Let that be an encouragement to mothers, grandmothers and aunts that the influence they have in the lives of youngsters, for good in Christ, can make them “wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” 2 tim 3:15.
This was to be the apsotle Paul’s last letter, he was in a roman prison awaiting the death penalty, why, because he was convicted of being a follower of Jesus of Nazareth, 2 tim 4:6 “the time has come for my departure”, so he is passing to timothy the torch of leadership, reminding him of what was truly important and encouraging him in the faith.
Imagine how timothy must have felt receiving this letter and hearing first hand from his beloved mentor Paul. Have you ever in your career been asked to step up to the plate, to step into the shoes of someone you greatly respected. Your boss promoted you he could see something in you that you could take on the role successfully. Yes you probably need some convincing and cajoling for no one likes to fail or let the side down.
Paul would have been well aware of timothy’s apprehension so in love he reminds timothy of the qualities necessary for a faithful minister of Jesus Christ here in our passage and through into chapter 2. Paul tells timothy to remember his call and tells him to use his gifts with boldness, v’s 6-12, keep to the truth, v’s 13-18, prepare others to follow him in the ministry, 2:1/2, be disciplined and ready to endure hardship, 2:3-7, and keep his eyes focused on Christ, 2:8-13.
It was what timothy needed to hear for no doubt he would have felt in himself inadequate and ill equipped for the task, despite the experience and teaching received from his mentor Paul, the missionary apostle. Says Paul in chapter 1:14 “guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you, guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in you”.
We note that timothy was not expected to step up and step out in faith alone, no it would be in the power of the holy spirit who lived in him but he needs to be bold as Paul says in verse 7 “for god did not give us (that’s Paul, timothy and you and I) a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline”
As we read in verse 8 Paul’s challenge to timothy it is so relevant to us today, “so do not be ashamed to testify about our lord”, I am reminded of that old hymn “ I’m not ashamed to own my lord or to defend his cause, maintain the honour of his word, the glory of his cross”.
Paul was indeed a faithful servant of the lord Jesus Christ for those things he received of the risen lord Jesus that he faithfully passed on to others for how similar was the great commission of the lord Jesus to his disciples just before he ascended into heaven for we read in acts 1:8-9 “but you will receive power when the holy spirit comes on you and you will be my witness in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth”.
So where was the lord Jesus commissioning his disciples, and us, to witness for him in the power of the holy spirit, Jerusalem that would have been their family first and foremost, all Judea that would have been their friends, Samaria, well we know that the Jews and the Samaritans had nothing to do with one another, so that would have been their foes, and the ends of the earth, that would be to foreigners or the mission field.
How are we doing as individuals and as a church in our witness, in the power of the holy spirit, do we share our faith with our families, you say I’ve tried and they don’t want to know, well don’t give up keep praying for openings and opportunities. I encourage you as I encourage myself, my dear father-in-law was witnessed to by his wife, children and grandchildren over several years until one day god graciously saved him, late in life and now he is in the glory with his blessed lord.
What about our friends there will be lots of things we have in common with them that we can chat about, things we have in common, but when it comes to our blessed saviour we clam up, we choke, we assume that they will not want to hear about how the service went on Sunday. Was Paul right are we “ashamed to testify about or lord”?
I love to hear stories for example of a dear faithful sister who has been witnessing to her hairdresser for along time or another sister who shares her faith with her taxi driver or our vicar mike able to share the hope that is within him for eternity with a terminally ill patient at hospice and hear that he came to Christ.
It challenges my own heart, what am I doing to share the love of god through Christ with my friends, what about you when did you last share your faith with family or friends?
Paul again writing to the romans in chapter 10:13-15 “everyone who calls on the name of the lord will be saved. How then can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news”.
So it seems to me that there is a threefold process in someone receiving god’s eternal salvation, firstly it is our responsibility to preach to them, it doesn’t need to be fire and brimstone message, I heard the story of an old Irish worthy preaching of hell and the gnashing of teeth and some wag responded, what if we have no teeth and as quick as a flash the preacher responded, “teeth will be provided”.
Some need to hear it that way, but more often than not people want to be spoken to gently and lovingly, they want to hear of god’s love and Jesus’ sacrificial death, the remarkable fact that god’s well beloved son would love them so much that he would be prepared to lay down his life for them, they want some assurance that a home in heaven awaits them when they leave this world.
God graciously promises in matt 10:19/20, “at that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the spirit of your father speaking through you” and once we have faithfully, lovingly and compassionately shared the hope that is within us as best we can, through the leading of the holy spirit the responsibility passes to the individual to call on the name of the lord, if they cry in faith for god’s forgiveness and believe with all their hearts that Jesus died to pay the price for their sin then the final and certain act is that god promises that he will save them.
Well that’s our witness to family and friends but what about our foes or strangers, those where we will not necessarily find a welcoming mat, a friendly face or an outstretched hand.
Remember the story Jesus told of the Good Samaritan, when others who the badly beaten man would have expect to stop and help ignored him, it was his foe the Samaritan who not only stopped and helped but went the extra mile by finding him a safe place and refreshment.
Did the badly beaten Jew consider telling the Samaritan to go away and risk no one being prepared to help him, I guess not, the Samaritans act of kindness and compassion would have meant so much to him that we would have awaited his return to thank him and no doubt befriend him in a reciprocal way.
It seems to me that this is how we reach out to our foes or strangers, by acts of kindness, by being there for people when others have no time for them, for it is in this way that by being Christ like in our actions we can break down barriers. We are already doing that to a good degree in our community at Easter and Christmas with little gifts, letting people know where we are and that we are interested in them, but we can always do more, if they won’t come in we have to go out to them.
Brian Howden someone louise and I have known for some years felt the call to go to Angola to serve the lord with his then young family, after overcoming many obstacles they settled in Angola having learned the Portuguese language. After a while brain and Debbie realised that the best way to reach the people in the first place was practically, by doing something for them, by meeting a human need of theirs. Brian is a very practical chap as well as spiritual so he set about the task of making a water supply for the people of the town by way of pipes and pumps which saved them having to carry water a very long way day after day.
It was a successful project both practically and spiritually, he won the people’s hearts by his act of kindness and thus opened the way for the preaching of the gospel.
That brings me to reaching out to foreigners or as I see it the mission field, how can we do that, well we are already doing it by support and prayer, and even more wonderfully by having a member of our congregation out serving the lord and his vulnerable people at liv village in south Africa.
What Emma is doing in south Africa, for such a young lady, is truly immense and deserves our support both prayerfully and practically, but not just Emma and the dear folk of liv village but in other places where we feel god is leading us to support prayerfully and practically, such as Romania and through the leprosy mission.
Louise and I have had the blessed privilege over the years to have had fellowship with missionaries from all over the world, some paid a great price to serve the lord, learning the language, fitting into the culture, bringing up children in far from ideal conditions, medically, educationally etc., or ever leaving their children at home or a mission school. They were amazing people but ever so humble, they saw themselves as just ordinary people who felt the lord had called them onto the mission field.
Never let us as a church become too insular, the lord is using people to take the glorious message of the gospel of our lord Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth, let us be part of that mission in any way we can, our support in prayer, financially or practically, giving things that we take for granted that these dear people do not have or even a letter of encouragement will mean the world to them, whoever they are, they will realise that they are not on their own.
Looking again at this key value for St Andrew’s church it says “reach out responsibly and joyfully with the gospel to those around us, those who come in and the wider world as our mission”, I think we have already considered our responsibility but let us do it joyfully, that is out of a full heart, not grudgingly.
It has been mentioned before how much people feel welcome when they come to St Andrew’s certainly louise and I were made very welcome when we arrived 3 years ago as strangers. When people do come in, whether casually wondering what happens here, specifically to use our facilities, purposely looking for a spiritual home or dutifully as family or guests at a christening, marriage of funeral we must always be ready to welcome them and tell forth the good news of the gospel of our lord Jesus Christ.
In closing can I just ask whether we all here today find comfort and assurance in what Paul says to timothy and us, v12 “I know whom I have believed and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day”
Now whether the deposit Paul was talking about was the souls of the converted through his preaching, the message of the gospel he was now entrusting to timothy or as I would like to think his own soul until the coming of Christ all these things we entrust to god and know that they will be safe for time and eternity.
However god has put the message of the gospel “in earthen vessels (that’s you and I) that the excellency of the power may be of god and not of us” 2 Corinthians 5:7, so we have the responsibility to share this glorious message with others whether it be family, friends, foes or far away folk, let us do that for his glory whether individually or collectively as a church at St Andrew’s.
2 timothy 1:6-12
Let us just remind ourselves of the first three key values for St Andrew’s that we have already considered “give time and effort to value and empower each member of our church family”, “hold confidently and courageously as vital, sound biblical teaching and principles “and “worship, prayer and a genuine experience of god should be the expectation of those who attend” and our forth and final key value which we are looking at today is “reach out responsibly and joyfully with the gospel to those around us, those who come in and the wider world as our mission”.
In our passage Paul is encouraging timothy to be faithful to the lord and his people by bringing attention to timothy’s sincere faith, handed down by his mother and grandmother, Eunice and Lois however there is no mention that his father was a believer. Let that be an encouragement to mothers, grandmothers and aunts that the influence they have in the lives of youngsters, for good in Christ, can make them “wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” 2 tim 3:15.
This was to be the apsotle Paul’s last letter, he was in a roman prison awaiting the death penalty, why, because he was convicted of being a follower of Jesus of Nazareth, 2 tim 4:6 “the time has come for my departure”, so he is passing to timothy the torch of leadership, reminding him of what was truly important and encouraging him in the faith.
Imagine how timothy must have felt receiving this letter and hearing first hand from his beloved mentor Paul. Have you ever in your career been asked to step up to the plate, to step into the shoes of someone you greatly respected. Your boss promoted you he could see something in you that you could take on the role successfully. Yes you probably need some convincing and cajoling for no one likes to fail or let the side down.
Paul would have been well aware of timothy’s apprehension so in love he reminds timothy of the qualities necessary for a faithful minister of Jesus Christ here in our passage and through into chapter 2. Paul tells timothy to remember his call and tells him to use his gifts with boldness, v’s 6-12, keep to the truth, v’s 13-18, prepare others to follow him in the ministry, 2:1/2, be disciplined and ready to endure hardship, 2:3-7, and keep his eyes focused on Christ, 2:8-13.
It was what timothy needed to hear for no doubt he would have felt in himself inadequate and ill equipped for the task, despite the experience and teaching received from his mentor Paul, the missionary apostle. Says Paul in chapter 1:14 “guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you, guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in you”.
We note that timothy was not expected to step up and step out in faith alone, no it would be in the power of the holy spirit who lived in him but he needs to be bold as Paul says in verse 7 “for god did not give us (that’s Paul, timothy and you and I) a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline”
As we read in verse 8 Paul’s challenge to timothy it is so relevant to us today, “so do not be ashamed to testify about our lord”, I am reminded of that old hymn “ I’m not ashamed to own my lord or to defend his cause, maintain the honour of his word, the glory of his cross”.
Paul was indeed a faithful servant of the lord Jesus Christ for those things he received of the risen lord Jesus that he faithfully passed on to others for how similar was the great commission of the lord Jesus to his disciples just before he ascended into heaven for we read in acts 1:8-9 “but you will receive power when the holy spirit comes on you and you will be my witness in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth”.
So where was the lord Jesus commissioning his disciples, and us, to witness for him in the power of the holy spirit, Jerusalem that would have been their family first and foremost, all Judea that would have been their friends, Samaria, well we know that the Jews and the Samaritans had nothing to do with one another, so that would have been their foes, and the ends of the earth, that would be to foreigners or the mission field.
How are we doing as individuals and as a church in our witness, in the power of the holy spirit, do we share our faith with our families, you say I’ve tried and they don’t want to know, well don’t give up keep praying for openings and opportunities. I encourage you as I encourage myself, my dear father-in-law was witnessed to by his wife, children and grandchildren over several years until one day god graciously saved him, late in life and now he is in the glory with his blessed lord.
What about our friends there will be lots of things we have in common with them that we can chat about, things we have in common, but when it comes to our blessed saviour we clam up, we choke, we assume that they will not want to hear about how the service went on Sunday. Was Paul right are we “ashamed to testify about or lord”?
I love to hear stories for example of a dear faithful sister who has been witnessing to her hairdresser for along time or another sister who shares her faith with her taxi driver or our vicar mike able to share the hope that is within him for eternity with a terminally ill patient at hospice and hear that he came to Christ.
It challenges my own heart, what am I doing to share the love of god through Christ with my friends, what about you when did you last share your faith with family or friends?
Paul again writing to the romans in chapter 10:13-15 “everyone who calls on the name of the lord will be saved. How then can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news”.
So it seems to me that there is a threefold process in someone receiving god’s eternal salvation, firstly it is our responsibility to preach to them, it doesn’t need to be fire and brimstone message, I heard the story of an old Irish worthy preaching of hell and the gnashing of teeth and some wag responded, what if we have no teeth and as quick as a flash the preacher responded, “teeth will be provided”.
Some need to hear it that way, but more often than not people want to be spoken to gently and lovingly, they want to hear of god’s love and Jesus’ sacrificial death, the remarkable fact that god’s well beloved son would love them so much that he would be prepared to lay down his life for them, they want some assurance that a home in heaven awaits them when they leave this world.
God graciously promises in matt 10:19/20, “at that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the spirit of your father speaking through you” and once we have faithfully, lovingly and compassionately shared the hope that is within us as best we can, through the leading of the holy spirit the responsibility passes to the individual to call on the name of the lord, if they cry in faith for god’s forgiveness and believe with all their hearts that Jesus died to pay the price for their sin then the final and certain act is that god promises that he will save them.
Well that’s our witness to family and friends but what about our foes or strangers, those where we will not necessarily find a welcoming mat, a friendly face or an outstretched hand.
Remember the story Jesus told of the Good Samaritan, when others who the badly beaten man would have expect to stop and help ignored him, it was his foe the Samaritan who not only stopped and helped but went the extra mile by finding him a safe place and refreshment.
Did the badly beaten Jew consider telling the Samaritan to go away and risk no one being prepared to help him, I guess not, the Samaritans act of kindness and compassion would have meant so much to him that we would have awaited his return to thank him and no doubt befriend him in a reciprocal way.
It seems to me that this is how we reach out to our foes or strangers, by acts of kindness, by being there for people when others have no time for them, for it is in this way that by being Christ like in our actions we can break down barriers. We are already doing that to a good degree in our community at Easter and Christmas with little gifts, letting people know where we are and that we are interested in them, but we can always do more, if they won’t come in we have to go out to them.
Brian Howden someone louise and I have known for some years felt the call to go to Angola to serve the lord with his then young family, after overcoming many obstacles they settled in Angola having learned the Portuguese language. After a while brain and Debbie realised that the best way to reach the people in the first place was practically, by doing something for them, by meeting a human need of theirs. Brian is a very practical chap as well as spiritual so he set about the task of making a water supply for the people of the town by way of pipes and pumps which saved them having to carry water a very long way day after day.
It was a successful project both practically and spiritually, he won the people’s hearts by his act of kindness and thus opened the way for the preaching of the gospel.
That brings me to reaching out to foreigners or as I see it the mission field, how can we do that, well we are already doing it by support and prayer, and even more wonderfully by having a member of our congregation out serving the lord and his vulnerable people at liv village in south Africa.
What Emma is doing in south Africa, for such a young lady, is truly immense and deserves our support both prayerfully and practically, but not just Emma and the dear folk of liv village but in other places where we feel god is leading us to support prayerfully and practically, such as Romania and through the leprosy mission.
Louise and I have had the blessed privilege over the years to have had fellowship with missionaries from all over the world, some paid a great price to serve the lord, learning the language, fitting into the culture, bringing up children in far from ideal conditions, medically, educationally etc., or ever leaving their children at home or a mission school. They were amazing people but ever so humble, they saw themselves as just ordinary people who felt the lord had called them onto the mission field.
Never let us as a church become too insular, the lord is using people to take the glorious message of the gospel of our lord Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth, let us be part of that mission in any way we can, our support in prayer, financially or practically, giving things that we take for granted that these dear people do not have or even a letter of encouragement will mean the world to them, whoever they are, they will realise that they are not on their own.
Looking again at this key value for St Andrew’s church it says “reach out responsibly and joyfully with the gospel to those around us, those who come in and the wider world as our mission”, I think we have already considered our responsibility but let us do it joyfully, that is out of a full heart, not grudgingly.
It has been mentioned before how much people feel welcome when they come to St Andrew’s certainly louise and I were made very welcome when we arrived 3 years ago as strangers. When people do come in, whether casually wondering what happens here, specifically to use our facilities, purposely looking for a spiritual home or dutifully as family or guests at a christening, marriage of funeral we must always be ready to welcome them and tell forth the good news of the gospel of our lord Jesus Christ.
In closing can I just ask whether we all here today find comfort and assurance in what Paul says to timothy and us, v12 “I know whom I have believed and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day”
Now whether the deposit Paul was talking about was the souls of the converted through his preaching, the message of the gospel he was now entrusting to timothy or as I would like to think his own soul until the coming of Christ all these things we entrust to god and know that they will be safe for time and eternity.
However god has put the message of the gospel “in earthen vessels (that’s you and I) that the excellency of the power may be of god and not of us” 2 Corinthians 5:7, so we have the responsibility to share this glorious message with others whether it be family, friends, foes or far away folk, let us do that for his glory whether individually or collectively as a church at St Andrew’s.