We’re Called to Gospel-Energized Loyalty2 Timothy 1:8-18

We all live with regrets. What are some of the regrets that people over 60 have? A recent survey of 1000 senior adults attempted to find out1. The respondents were asked to choose from a pre-selected list of steps they wish they had taken early on in life to prepare for their senior years.

Here are the top five responses from the survey and I’ve thrown in an extra one for good measure.

So which of the six up there was the most frequent response? Which step had seniors wished they had taken early on in life to prepare for their senior years? Let’s see what it was. (HIT ENTER) 1- Saved More Money (45% of those surveyed wish they had saved more money).

What do you think was next? (Get feedback). Let’s see what it was. (HIT ENTER) 2- Taken Better Care of My Health (36% of those surveyed wish they had taken better care of their health)

Next? (HIT ENTER) – 3- Made better investments

Next? (HIT ENTER) – 4 –Kept legal documents more organized

Next? (HIT ENTER) - 5 - Stayed closer with family

And as you can guess, ‘Centered life around the gospel’ didn’t make the list. Admittedly it wasn’t given as a preselected option for seniors to choose. But if it’s true that the gospel is the very center of what God is doing in our world today, it makes sense that centering our lives around the gospel should be a high priority for every Christian. Surely we don’t want to get to the end of our lives and realize that we haven’t made God’s priorities our priorities.

1 USA Today Article, 7/15/14, Regrets? We’ve Had a Few

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We pick up this morning in 2 Timothy 1:8. If you have your bibles let’s get the passage in front of us…2 Timothy 1:8 and I’ll read all the way to verse 18…

8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, 12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. 13 Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

15 You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16 May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, 17 but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me— 18 may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that Day!—and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus.

As we said last week, 2 Timothy has been called Paul’s last will and testament. Paul is in a Roman prison. The end of his life is near. And the book of 2 Timothy is Paul’s last chance to build into his young disciple’s life.

I’ve entitled the message this morning, “We’re Called to Gospel-Energized Loyalty”

If you’ve been with us over the last few months, you probably realize that we’re using the word ‘gospel’ a lot more frequently. It does seem that God has us on a journey as a church–a journey that continues to place the gospel center stage. I want to thank Justin publicly for his role in that journey; he’s been a great spark plug along the way.

So we are attempting to more frequently make the gospel center stage in our church life. And by the gospel we mean the good news of what Christ has done on our behalf. It’s the news, as one writer said, that “Jesus Christ delights to switch places with guilty rebels…It’s the astonishing news that what God demands, he supplies in Jesus Christ.2

Over the past few months, we’ve begun saying things like this:

“The gospel is both for unbelievers and believers”2 Dane Ortlund, What’s All This Gospel-Centered Talk About? Blog

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“The gospel is something we should return to often” “The gospel is more than a message that gets us saved but it’s a message that keeps us saved”“We could spend a lifetime plumbing the depth of the gospel”And finally ‘The gospel provides the ultimate motivation for living the Christian life’

Those are things we’ve been saying.

This morning in the verses before us, 2 Timothy 1:8-18, Paul uses the gospel to motivate Timothy (and us) to loyalty. So we could say that this message is a ‘gospel for believers’ message. In other words the main exhortation will not be for you to trust Christ for the forgiveness of your sins (although clearly we would hope that if you’re here and you have not trusted Christ as Savior that you would by all means do that today). No, the main exhortation will be “Be loyal to Christ and His purposes because of all that He has done for us, because of the gospel.” So this is a “gospel for believers” message.

Let me try to make what I’m saying a little more clear with a slide.

First of all notice the battery on the slide. The battery is the gospel.

In verse 8 of our passage, Paul urges Timothy to be loyal to Christ, to be loyal to Paul himself, and to be loyal to the gospel… by the power of God.

Verses 9-10 describe all that God has done for us through Christ—that’s what we would call the gospel, right? And I’m going to argue that that’s where the energizing comes from.

In verses 11-12, Paul puts his own loyalty to Christ and the gospel on display for Timothy to see.

In verses 13-14, Paul again urges Timothy to be loyal to the things he has been taught, specifically

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And then in verses 15-18, Paul gives examples of disloyalty and loyalty for Timothy to reflect on.

Well let’s look at our text…

Look at verse 8… 8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,

Now why does verse 8 begin with ‘therefore’? Look back at verses 6-7. In verses 6-7, Paul had exhorted Timothy to fan into flames the gift for ministry he received. He reminded Timothy that God had given him through the Holy Spirit everything he needed to shepherd the flock in Ephesus—power, love and self-control.

So as a result of this, verse 8, as a consequence of his equipping for ministry, Timothy didn’t have any reason to be ashamed to witness about Jesus. Timothy could be loyal to Jesus Christ, to Paul, and to the gospel. He could be loyal even though persecution would come his way.

It’s interesting to me that Paul urged Timothy not to be ashamed of him. Imagine your father in the faith, your mentor of 15 or so years being put in prison as a common criminal. Perhaps it would be easy to be ashamed of him in such a place. Perhaps it would be difficult to be associated with him given that he was in such a place. But we should make the point in verse 8, it’s not that Timothy was ashamed, it’s that Paul’s urging him not to begin to be ashamed.3 Timothy, don’t begin to be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord and of me his prisoner…his prisoner. Yes Timothy I am in a Roman prison but I am HIS prisoner, I am the prisoner of the Lord Jesus who is sovereign over all.

Well Paul continues in verse 8 with the first of three commands in our passage .. Share in suffering for the gospel.4 Suffer together with me Timothy for the gospel!. …but don’t miss what Paul writes next…. by the power of God! Undertake what God tells you to do Timothy in the strength that He provides.

Now this is instructive….

We can encourage obedience to God’s commands… ORWe can encourage obedience to God’s commands and encourage our listeners to rely on the power of God as they carry out His commands OR

We can encourage obedience to God’s commands and encourage our listeners to rely on the power of God as they carry out His commands and then go on to remind them of the incredible things God has done for them already in the gospel.

3 Aorist Subjunctive verb4 Handbook on 2 Timothy, Share in suffering translates a verb that occurs only here in the whole New Testament. It means to undergo the same kind of suffering that others have experienced. In the present context Paul is exhorting Timothy to suffer for the gospel in the same way as Paul, and it will be helpful to make this clear in translation by saying something like “join with me in suffering” or “share with me …”

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You see it’s the third of those options that Paul does in our passage.

“Share with me in suffering for the gospel, Paul writes to Timothy, by the power of God, he adds…. and then he follows with some of the astonishing details of the gospel, vs. 9-10…GOD IS THE ONE WHO SAVED US AND SUMMONED US INTO HIS KINGDOM ENTIRELY BECAUSE OF HIS PURPOSE AND GRACE. AND WE RECEIVED HIS GRACE BEFORE TIME EVEN BEGAN. AND GOD’S WONDERFUL PLAN CAME CLEARLY INTO VIEW WITH THE APPEARANCE OF JESUS CHRIST WHO ABOLISHED DEATH AND BROUGHT LIFE AND IMMORTALITY TO LIGHT…

Isn’t that a message that deserves our loyalty?

You see in verses 9-10 Paul is energizing Timothy’s loyalty (and ours) with the details of the gospel. In light of all that God has done, we should be motivated to be loyal to the end.

Well let’s unpack the details of the gospel in verses 9 and 10…

{And to whet your appetite, one author writes about verses 9 and 10… “There are few passages in the New Testament which have in them and behind them such a sense of the sheer grandeur of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”5}

Verse 9 begins…9 who saved us and called us…

The word saved is a clearly a summary of all that God has done. The word called reminds us of

the process of our salvation. The great King summoned us into His kingdom through the preaching of the Word. That’s what the word ‘calling’ brings to mind. And our being called by God is just one step in God’s great salvation plan for believers everywhere. Paul reminded the believers in Thessalonica that they were called into his… kingdom and glory.6 Paul reminded the believers in Corinth that they were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.7 Paul reminded the Galatian believers that they were called in grace8; he reminded the Roman believers that those (whom God ) predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. The called ones are clearly secure in Christ.

Paul reminded Timothy that the gospel included a call, a summons from the great king of the universe…

5 Hughes, R. K., & Chapell, B. (2000). 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus: to guard the deposit (p. 180). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.6 1 Thess. 2:127 1 Cor. 1:98 Gal. 1:6

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But it was a call to something…it was a call to a holy calling… The purpose of our salvation is a changed life… that each believer might produce a lifetime of obedience and holiness to God instead of being focused on themselves.

Well Paul reminds Timothy of the basis of his salvation next in verse 9… not because of our works…

Can we remind ourselves of this too often?

Titus 3:5–6 ….5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

Ephesians 2:8–9….8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

And If He saved us not because of works, can’t we then expect his grace daily not because of works? In other words, can’t we can expect His favor all the time? Yes. We can expect His favor even when we haven’t had a quiet time or read our bible. His favor comes to us daily not because of our works.

And If we’re saved not on the basis of good works, what is the basis of our salvation then? We’re saved because of (God’s) purpose and grace. God has a plan and God has the resources to accomplish His plan and what’s even more incredible, He’s written us into His plan. Listen to Ephesians 1:11 ….11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will… ‘God has a plan, Paul is telling the Ephesians, and He’s committed to make it happen! ‘

Continuing in verse 9.... which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,

What was given us before the ages began? God’s grace

God’s grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time” (v. 9b)—literally, “before times eternal.” 9

9 Hughes, R. K., & Chapell, B. (2000). 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus: to guard the deposit (p. 181). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

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So we understand that Jesus Christ existed before the beginning of time and that grace preexisted in Christ. Paul expands on this idea in Ephesians 1:4–6 ….4 even as he (God) chose us in him (Christ) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he(God) predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.

And since God gave grace to us in Christ before history began, it is absolutely certain that salvation is not from our works. God the Father gave us grace in Christ before we did or could do any good works. Our salvation is due only to God’s preexistent grace.10

Verse 10..10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, God’s purpose and plan which was set in place before time has now became visible and effective in the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Christ.11

….who abolished death…. The word abolished is a verb that is frequently used in the earlier letters of Paul and means “to bring to nothing,” “to make void.” In the present context it means “to destroy”12 Death been deprived of its force, its, influence, its power, its sting. Death has been made ineffective and powerless. As 1 Corinthians 15:55 says, “O Death, where is thy sting?” O grave, where is thy victory?”

….and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,

The word immortality there in verse 10 means incorruption—and it’s the word that refers to the resurrection body. Our present body is corruptible; it dies and decays. But the glorified body we shall have when we see Christ will not be subject to decay or death. Paul is saying in verse 10, that the gospel in a very special way brought to light what life after death was really all about.

In the Old Testament, the doctrines of eternal life, death, resurrection and the eternal state were in the shadows. Here and there you find glimpses of light; but for the most part, the picture is dark. But then Jesus Christ shone his light on death and the grave.

Listen to this quote by a scholar named Driver:

“The gospel first gave to a future world clearness and distinctness, shape and outline; the gospel first made it a positive district and region on which the spiritual eye reposes, and

10 Hughes, R. K., & Chapell, B. (2000). 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus: to guard the deposit (p. 181). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.11 Hughes, R. K., & Chapell, B. (2000). 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus: to guard the deposit (p. 181). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.12 Arichea, D. C., & Hatton, H. (1995). A handbook on Paul’s letters to Timothy and to Titus (p. 180). New York: United Bible Societies.

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which stretches out on the other side of the grave with the same solidity and extension that which the present world does on this side of it.”

Do you see what he is saying?

We could imagine a line on the platform here separating this world from the next. Everything in this world has definition. We can see specific outlines and shapes. Everything—trees, and rocks and mountains—is distinct. But across the line, as we look into the next world everything is shadowy. There are no distinct shapes. But this verse says the gospel (use a flashlight) brought to light the area across the line. “Oh look…it is a positive district and region…there are shapes and contours and outlines…it is as solid over there as it is on this side of the line.

But how did the gospel do this? How did the gospel shine the light on every thing across this line? I Corinthians 15:3-4 tells us that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures….and I Corinthians 15:4 says he appeared to many…the risen Christ appeared to many, he ate with his disciples…He conversed with them…He commissioned them….So we got a glimpse of what life was like on the other side…we got a glimpse of a risen Christ in a glorified incorruptible body….a light was shined on everything across this line.

Now before we leave verse 9-10, let’s make a point. When you and I think of the good news of the gospel, we think of it in its simplest form as shared with us in 1 Corinthians 15: Christ died for our sins, Christ was buried, and Christ rose from the dead. Right? But Paul has really opened up our understanding of the gospel. We really could spend a lifetime plumbing the depth of the gospel. Paul’s reminded us that the King of universe summoned us into His kingdom. He’s reminded us that we are saved because of God’s purpose and grace. And he’s reminded us that all of this transpired before the creation of the world—it was God’s purpose that we receive grace before anything was even created. And we’re reminded that because of the resurrection of Christ everything in the next life is certain.

II. Be energized by the loyalty of Christ’s servant, Paul (vs. 11-12)

11 for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, 12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.

In verse 11, Paul emphasizes his appointment as a preacher and apostle and teacher. It was the God who purposed such a great salvation for us, who called Paul to those roles.

He was a herald, the first to bring the glad tidings of the good news of the gospel. He was an apostle sent out with the gospel message to those who had not heard. And he was a “teacher” explaining the gospel with a view to edifying the church and that’s why he suffered as he did (vs. 12).

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His suffering wasn’t pointless or meaningless; he suffered for the gospel.

But he continues… But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, (Notice that Paul doesn’t say, “I know what I believed…he says I know whom I have believed—Christianity is at the core a relationship with Christ.) The tense of the verb believed emphasizes Paul’s ongoing belief even as he is writing Timothy. There is no wavering or doubt. We could picture his belief by hammering a nail through a board and somehow grasping it on the other side. His belief, like that nail, is there to stay—I know whom I have believed.

Paul imprisoned, abandoned, alone, already being poured out as a drink offering, nevertheless is profoundly confident about Jesus’ purposes for him. I know whom I have believed.

I know whom I have believed and I am convinced—take another nail, hammer it through the board and grasp it on the other side--- that he is able (that God is all-powerful) to guard (a military term meaning to defend, keep watch)13 until that Day (the day he would stand before Christ) what has been entrusted to me.

The words “what has been entrusted to me” are one Greek word, a word which means “my deposit.”

God is able to guard until that day my deposit. And ‘my deposit’ could be taken two ways--what

He has entrusted to me14 or what I have entrusted to Him.15 Our English versions go either way there and a case can be made for both.

I prefer thinking of the deposit as something Paul entrusted to God. In classical Greek the word was always used that way--someone, in preparation for a long journey, would deposit his money and other valuables with a friend, trusting him to restore the deposit on his return. 16. “Here… I’m going on a trip. Keep this safe until I return” And Peter used the same Greek word that way in writing to suffering saints in 1 Peter 4:19 Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls (same word—deposit themselves) to a faithful Creator while doing good.

So Paul knew that God would safely guard his deposit. But, what was it that Paul deposited with God?

Well Paul, at his conversion, gave up everything and deposited his very life with God. He deposited his work in the ministry with God. He deposited the churches he had founded with God. He deposited the converts he had made with God. Paul had taken all of himself, all of his

13 Word Studies in the Greek New Testament, Wuest, page 12414 Objective genitive (RSV, TEV, CEV, ESV)15 Subjective genitive (JB, NIV, KJV)16 International Critical Commentary, Lock, 2 Timothy, page 90

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work, everything that had value to him and deposited it with God. He was fully convinced and persuaded that God was able to safeguard it until that day….the day in the future when he would appear before Christ….the day of Judgment

Well in verse 13-14, Paul turned from the example of his life to exhort Timothy to be loyal to the gospel

III. Be loyal to the gospel (vs. 13-14)

13 Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

In verse 13, Timothy is exhorted to have, or to follow as his pattern or example the sound words that he had heard from Paul. “Follow” is the second command in the passage. Paul had given to Timothy an essential outline or sketch of sound teaching (and the word ‘sound’ there is the word ‘healthy’—healthy doctrine, orthodox doctrine) and Paul commands Timothy to stay true to that pattern. 17

But there was a context in which he was to stay true to that pattern—it was the context of faith and love. In other words as Timothy “endeavored to follow the sound teachings of Paul, his whole being was to be permeated by his trust in Christ and his love for others.”18

Orthodox teaching, healthy teaching is always to be tempered with “faith and love”.

Well Paul reiterates his challenge in verse 13, in the next verse, verse 14

14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

Notice the word ‘deposit’ there in verse 14. It’s the same word used in verse 12. But here, I believe, the reference is not to depositing something with God but the deposit that has been left with Timothy. Timothy is urged to “guard, to watch, to defend” the good deposit—and in light of the context the good deposit would probably be the gospel-- that was handed down from Paul. And he was to do this with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Before we move on, let’s ponder how Paul has used this word deposit in possibly two different ways. On the one hand, Paul has deposited his life, his soul, his ministry with God who can be trusted to guard it well. And on the other hand he has deposited “the gospel” with Timothy and he exhorts Timothy to guard the “gospel” well.

17 Bible Knowledge Commentary, page 75118 Handbook on 2 Timothy

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Can’t that be a picture of your life and mine? We deposit our life with God depositing it for safe keeping while we give our lives, while we center our lives around the gospel? I think that’s a great picture for you and me.

Well Paul moves in verses 15-18 to some specific portraits of loyalty and disloyalty.

IV. Examples of loyalty and disloyalty (vs. 15-18)

15 You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.

We encountered the province of Asia (what is really Asia Minor) in our Acts study. Let’s locate it on the map

POWERPOINT

The capital of the province of Asia was Ephesus a city that Paul spent nearly three years in, on his third missionary journey. While Paul was in Ephesus, his preaching reached every nook and cranny of the province. Acts 19:10 tells us that all the residents of Asia heard the word of God. The seven churches mentioned in the book of Revelation were all located in Asia19

But Paul says ‘all who are in Asia turned away from me’ Clearly it seems that Paul is exaggerating. And because Phygelus and Hermogenes are mentioned only here in the whole New Testament we really can’t pin it down further. Were they key representative leaders? Evidently these two men, representing the entire province, had turned away from Paul. Formerly they had been friendly and cooperative but now that he was imprisoned they refused to help.

19 Wiersbe, Be Faithful, page 126

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But there was one who was a sterling example of loyalty. And to his story Paul turns in verses 16-18.

16 May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, 17 but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me— 18 may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that Day!—and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus.

Onesiphorus was a shining example of loyalty. His name means “profit bearing” and he certainly was a profitable friend to Paul20

His home was probably in Ephesus. We get that from verse 18. And he may have been part of the leadership of the church there. (So he was from the province of Asia but had not turned away from Paul). And we know, verse 16, that he often refreshed Paul while in prison and was not ashamed of Paul’s chains.

It was emphatically spiritual—soul refreshment—because the root of the Greek translated “refreshed” is the word for soul. 21 The word refresh there means to cool again. “Bracing me like fresh air” is the way the Amplified Bible translates Onesiphorous’ actions. The Modern English translation says it this way: “Many times did that man put a fresh heart into me.”

Let’s not underestimate the ministry of refreshment that we can offer each other! How did Onesiphorous refresh Paul? He visited him, he prayed for him, perhaps he met some of his needs. Simply said, Paul was always on his mind.

Verse 17, says that when Onesiphorous traveled all the way from Ephesus to Rome to look for Paul. That was a distance of some 600-700 miles. When he arrived in Rome, he searched for me earnestly and found me. Thank God for Onesiphorous and those like him.

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Where have we been this morning? You and I are called to “Gospel-Energized” loyalty. Our God, before time, graced us in Jesus, summoned us into his kingdom through the preaching of the word of God. He has destroyed death and immortality has been brought to light. If ever a message was worth our loyalty it’s the gospel message. Don’t you agree? And we can get to the end of our lives and not have regrets.

20 Ibid, page 12721 Hughes, R. K., & Chapell, B. (2000). 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus: to guard the deposit (p. 188). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

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Let’s center our lives around the gospel!

As a young preacher from Zimbabwe so memorably expressed it:22

I’m part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have the Holy Spirit’s power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made; I’m a disciple of His! I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.… I won’t give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus.23

22 Hughes, R. K., & Chapell, B. (2000). 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus: to guard the deposit (p. 182). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.23 Hughes, R. K., & Chapell, B. (2000). 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus: to guard the deposit (pp. 182–183). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

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