Serious #9 2 Tim 2:11-13

11Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him,
we will also live with him;
12if we endure,
we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
he will also disown us;
13if we are faithless,
he will remain faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.

This passage really does speak for itself ... The prayer of us all has to be that we are to die with him, endure and remain faithful

Sensible Series #8 2 Timothy 2:8-10

 ⁸Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, ⁹for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God's word is not chained. ¹⁰Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

Paul here doesn't paint a very rosy picture of Christian Discipleship ... the gospel he has been preaching has got him into trouble ... to the point of being chained like a criminal although he is prepared to undergo that suffering for the sake of the Gospel why? so that the hearers may obtain salvation. 

It is an amazing thought that through our study, through our faithfulness God can speak, can work in the lives of those listening ... mmm...It really has to be down to God tho. This stuff is certainly not light reading but when you do think about it is in serving Him that true freedom and purpose is found.

Awesome Privilege but equally the responsibility to take the job of preparing prayerfully and faithfully studying God's word as well as living it out is ours. "this is what you've called me to" 

"Will you then, in the strength of the Holy Spirit, continually stir up the gift of God that is in you, to make Christ known to all people. By the help of God I will."

Sensible #7 - 2 Timothy 2:2-7

²And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. ³Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. ⁴No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—he wants to please his commanding officer. ⁵Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules. ⁶The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. ⁷Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

It is interesting in this passage Paul mention three occupations all of which you don't pick up immediately, all of them require a lot of patience, a lot of hard work and a lot of time.

A soldier has to undergo an immense amount of trainning, of disciple, of commanding officers shouting at them to get them into shape, to respond to command, to be ready for fighting as well as doing duty in peace time as well. They are solely focused upon what they are called to do. This reminds me of an experience with the RAF over the summer and the amount of work that goes into keeping the body fit. They are ready to put themselves on the line for their friends, ready to go wherever they are called to be.

The athlete ... just think about the amount of trainning that goes into the race, cold days spent on the track runninng, jumping whatever, keeping the body at its peak ready for the race.

Then the farmer, the dedication need to nurture animals and crops, using knoweldge handed down, ready at all time to do what it takes to get the best from the land.

All three take work, hard excruciating work, back breaking work to get the best. They all demand time and determination. Surely as we think upon this all of this we as ordinands have to struggle with these metaphors, it is what we are being called to. The nurture of those to whom we have been called, running the race, putting ourselves on the line for others, putting ourselves under God's command ready to respond whenever he calls and be ready to do and say what he commands.

The passage today speaks of Timothy having to entrust others with what he has been entrusted with. The whole idea of entrusting and encouraging others to share the gospel is essential. No clergy person can do this task themselves we need to be empowering the body to do what it has been called to do. We need to identify those within our congregations who have the gifts and encourage them to use them to the glory of God.

This is part of my "sensible series" stepping through the pastoral in preparation for ordination - these are purely my own random thoughts.

Sensible #4 - 2 Timothy 2:13-14 (The prayer of all preachers)

¹³What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

Surely this has to be the prayer of all preachers - for our hearers - keep what they have heard from us. But with that there is a impetus upon us - to keep our teaching sound - i.e. free from error. There is within this passage a huge responsibility - guard the good deposit that is entrusted to us.

How?

Prayer, trusted friends & colleagues to give us feedback, good reading materials which will keep us in check, and also what it says in the passage ... the help of the Holy Spirit.

speaking personally, I am constantly reminded of the systematic nature of theology, once you pull at one string of doctrine lots of things rest upon it, so keeping our theology in check, of discussing ideas with others really helps cement what "sound teaching" actually entails. Does that make sense ...?

Then if we reverse this statement and become the hearers of the sound teaching there is a lesson to actually keep what we have heard and and guard it. This certainly is a challenge ... I wonder what I have done with the last piece of sound teaching ... have I let it grow or has it fallen on the rocky soil ...mmmm....

This stuff links directly into our ordination vows

Do you believe and accept the Holy Scriptures as revealing all things necessary for eternal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ?

Do you believe and accept the doctrine of the Christian faith as the Church of Ireland has received it?

In ministry will you expound the Scriptures and teach that Doctrine?

We do need to keep our doctrine sound, we are called to expound the scriptures. It is my prayer for myself and all being ordained that we will hold to sound doctrine so that the truth of the Gospel may be proclaimed.

Sensible #3 - 2 Tim 1:8b-12 - Gospel in a nut shell

But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, ⁹who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, ¹⁰but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. ¹¹And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. ¹²That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

Take a look at verse 9 - if you were looking for the gospel in the nutshell ...here it is 

God has saved us and has called us to a holy life ... not because of anything we have done but simply because of who he is ... which is truly amazing ... free grace ...on offer

What has Jesus done, he has destroyed death and brought us eternal life ... That's it, that's what we are proclaiming, that is what we are called to proclaim, to teach and to live out. 

But it is also costly grace in the sense that it cost Jesus his life, it costs us our lives in the form of our total surrender of our wills to his but the irony is that the thing that we give up, we also gain because the life which he promises is life in all its fullness. 

Why bother about ministry at all ...??

see what paul says in verse 12 I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day. 

I am not ashamed, why? because I know whom I believed... Absolutely ... the Jesus in the gospels, the God of the covenant is the same God... he is a faithful God who knit me together and who has a plan for my day... he's the one who I worship, he's the one who has promised eternal life for me, he's the one who I can trust through the darkest hour and the brightest day ... he is the one! 

I am not ashamed and pray that I never will be ashamed of him or the good news to which I am called to proclaim. 

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This posting is part of a series of Bible Readings which I am doing on the run up to ordination in the church of ireland. They are my own personal ramblings.

Sensible No. 2 - 2 Timothy 1: 1-8

Well, this morning we are looking at the text of 2 Tim 1:1-8 which states

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

Encouragement to Be Faithful
3I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. 6For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
8So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God

Being the opening of the letter there are a couple of things to note here, firstly who is writing this letter, Paul (Look how he describes himself - an apostle of Christ Jesus) by the will of God according to the promise of Christ Jesus. 

On this first point we should not be surprised to see Paul saying that it is by God's will that he is an apostle - Let us remember that Paul was living as the infamous Saul before his dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus. Some people today have dramatic conversion stories, stories which tell what they were before they met Jesus and what they were like after they did. an encounter with the living God. Many would shirk away from using such terminology as they are "just normal", they have gone to church, grown up in sunday school etc etc. But those are just as important. The important thing is that as Christians we understand that we are in a relationship with Jesus and that we are clinging to the promise of Christ Jesus. 

Isn't it great how this apostle Paul describes Timothy ... my dear son 

One of the things over the last year I have thoroughly appreciated in the chuches which I have been in is the encouragement from rectors and parishioners, their encouragement, their guidance and the love shown. There are some people who have as one of their natural gifts to encourage, to build up and to show concern for people. Paul displays it here as he sends his opening greeting to Timothy. 

Remember you Constantly in prayer 

One of the things which I am hoping to work on over the next few months as I complete this "sensible" series is constancy in prayer. it is crucial for survival as a christian. There is a book from Bill Hybels entitled "too busy not to pray" and I can think of many times when I have got this one the wrong way round thinking "too busy to pray". Who or what should we be praying for ... well anything / anyone really! - who needs our prayer today?, what circumstances need our prayer? 

I am reminded of your sincerce faith 

It is amazing the amount of times I, like Paul am reminded of instances of people's faith in certain circumstances, of conversations I have had with people who are inspiring people, people who are normal but express a deep love of the Lord. I wonder is there anyone you know who you have had that sort of thing with?, people who you know have a sincere faith?

fan into flame the gift of God 

Discipleship is hard work! I don't know if you have ever tried to light a campfire, when I think about this I am reminded of my old scouting days of trying to light a fire in the middle of the countryside. Sod dug, dry leaves dry kindle then the wind comes. It is difficult but it is possible, you just need to keep working at it, fan the flame... work at it ... this image when you think about it logically the spark, turns into a flame, the flame into a fire which is useful and which is blazing. 

Not timidity 

At our core, many of us are shy, quiet people not wanting to upset people rather wanting to please and keep all on our side. We are not called to be timid but rather we have through God a spirit of power, of love and self-discipline. This links to what we call the fruit of the spirit 

"love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" If this is the "stuff" which God is producing in us then we need to be displaying it in our christian walk. In situations where we feel out of our depth, let us remember that it is not us but Christ working through us. 

Do not be ashamed to testify about our lord 

I have come across a couple of good friends who live out this verse to its full. People who are not called to be clergy but who are not ashamed to testify about Jesus but who "acknolwedge Him" in everything they do. How am I / you testifying to the Lord today? 

A couple of Questions picked from the BST Study notes for you to think about

1. What does it really mean to wish someone grace mercy and peace? 
2. What are the 4 major influences on Timothy's life and are you aware of similar factors on your own?