2 Timothy: Jesus Is The Leader Of Leaders
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PREACHING CHRIST THROUGH THE BIBLE |
2 Timothy: Jesus is the Leader of Leaders
Key Verse: “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” – 2 Timothy 2:1
Intro
When we talk about leaders, we all yearn for a good one. We want someone to lead us. We look for someone who has all the answers, can guide us in critical moments, and is generally a good person. We look for leaders everywhere: our countries, companies, and churches. We have many examples of great, mediocre, and even poor leaders if we survey history. We look for their successes and achievements and how they’ve changed the lives of their followers. On January 17th, this country will celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. He is honored for his leadership in advocating for equality and human rights for African Americans through nonviolence so that this nation may bring God the glory.
The truth is we all need leaders. I’m here today because of great leaders who have and still are guiding, mentoring, and helping me in my journey. These men and women have poured into my life, and they’ve inspired me to follow Jesus. I’m thankful for each one of these leaders.
During our time together today, we’ll look closely at the leadership demonstrated by Paul in his letter to Timothy, who was a young pastor. Then, we will focus on what it takes to answer the calling to lead. If you feel that you aren’t a leader and this message won’t apply to you, I’m here to tell you that that's not true. To be a leader means that you have influence. Each of us can always influence someone, whether family, coworkers, E12 groups members, or friends.
I believe it is an opportunity to influence someone wherever God has placed us. Especially as we live through such a time as now, I believe even more that this world needs the light of God. What would it look like if you and I decided, “Wherever God has placed me, I will lead to show his light”? Paul’s letter to Timothy can guide us as we step into leadership.
Background
After writing the prison epistles wherein Paul was in house arrest in Rome at around 63 A.D., he was let go and was able to resume ministry again in 65 A.D. By then, he went on to different places and wrote the books of 1 Timothy and Titus. Two years later, around 67. A.D., Paul had been put to prison again while in Troas and was placed in Mamertine prison in Rome.
Being in this prison was direr than the first one, knowing he was about to be executed. From here, Paul wrote his most intimate and final letter to his best friend and son in the faith, Timothy.
2 Timothy was written during Paul’s last days and would be his very last letter. Just before the writing of 2 Timothy, there was a fire in Rome due to an accident done under Nero’s reign. This great fire devoured a considerable part of the city. Emperor Nero shifted blame to Christians for this destruction. As a result, Christians were persecuted, and many early church leaders were martyred. The church, this time, was on edge. Many have entirely left the faith for fear of persecution and death.
I think we can relate to how the church was feeling back then. Paul encouraged Timothy to lead despite the challenges he was facing. This letter is not about giving Timothy more theology or principles on structure the church in Ephesus he was pastoring. It’s more like his last words to a servant of Jesus who might be feeling discouraged and even defeated in the ministry. Just as Timothy needed some inspiration and leadership, I believe we do as well. We will camp here in Chapter 2, as it gives us a glimpse of Paul’s heart in this letter. There are two points of encouragement here that we will emphasize today, and I pray this message will also impact your life.
I. Be Strong.
1You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 3Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. 5An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops. 7Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. – 2 Timothy 2:1-7
In the first verse of this passage, Paul addresses Timothy as his “child ”. This gives us a peek at the intimate relationship they shared. Paul knew Timothy like his own son. This spiritual connection led them to a stronger bond than any other. And just like a father who knows his time is almost up, he gives Timothy some last words to live by. “Be strong,” is Paul’s central encouragement to Timothy. This is more like “be continually strengthened in its original use.”
Timothy was to get strength continually in the grace that is in Christ. This sentiment is reminiscent of Moses’ word to Joshua when Moses was about also to pass. So what is this grace? To put it is “underserved divine help.” Timothy would need this grace to lead generations of people to Jesus. In verse two, we see the task Timothy has. He was to uphold the message with conviction and stand upon it. Not only that, but he was to entrust the message that he has to others who will share it with others also. This chain of entrusting the gospel message to others is how Christianity ultimately spread throughout the known world.
In being strong for this calling, Paul gives Timothy three pictures of the strength he needed to ponder upon:
1. The Endurance of a Soldier - In verse 3, Paul urges Timothy to picture himself as a good soldier for Jesus Christ. Why a soldier? In Paul’s reasoning, those who have decided to be soldiers expect hardships and sufferings to come in their chosen career. In a way, suffering comes with the package of being a soldier. In our church, a couple of guys have signed up to be part of the Armed Services. When they come back, I am always intrigued by the hard training and regiment they’ve had to endure.
They had to leave behind their civilian life and choose to live a completely different one to join and be a soldier. They have to endure all the pains and the grind that come with the job, but they know they’re doing it for a more significant cause. Timothy needed to understand that following Jesus is a different life than before. It is a life that expects trials and sufferings, all for the sake of Jesus.
2. The Discipline of an Athlete - The following picture Paul gives Timothy is a disciplined and focused athlete. Paul might have thought of an ancient Olympic athlete when writing this illustration for Timothy. An athlete cannot make up the rules as they go. They need to know and play by the regulations of any game they signed up for, or they’ll be disqualified. In the same case, Timothy had to discipline himself under the principles of the word of God. He cannot just lead and live the way he wants to. Timothy cannot live his life the way just as he pleases. He needed to subject himself to the “rules” God had given him.
3. The Perseverance of a Farmer - Paul's third picture shows a hardworking farmer. There isn’t any glamor in being a farmer, unlike the first two. Instead, there’s a lot of humility, labor, and patience. There’ll be times when one sees their fruits and when one doesn’t. However, a farmer does not stop working to receive what he worked for. Timothy had to understand that just like a farmer, he needed to be diligent in his labors for this call. He shouldn’t give up easily but keep on serving as a farmer. Paul speaks of experience because he’s seen workers that have turned their backs against God and even deserted Paul. Perseverance is a necessity if one is to serve Jesus truly.
So how does this apply to us today? Sadly, modern Western Christianity doesn’t see following Jesus this way. Our Christianity is very comfortable, risk-free, and undemanding. We don’t see our Christian lives in any of these pictures of a soldier, athlete, or farmer. Instead, we have used a picture of an audience, spectators, and consumers just waiting to feel good about ourselves. Maybe the reason why there’s so much dissonance when it comes to Christianity today is that we’ve assumed that if we believe in Jesus, nothing should go wrong, and everything will be alright for us.
You see, Jesus had a very different way of inviting followers. He said in Matthew 16:24, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” And with this call, a lot of people turned their backs away from Him because they knew there was a high cost to following this Man. What would it look like if we saw ourselves as followers of Jesus this way? We will expect and endure the trials, hardships, and sufferings of life. We will be disciplined and live this life according to His will. We will persevere and work the calling He has for us, and we will not easily give up. Like a soldier, athlete and farmer, we’ll pursue Christ and His purpose in our lives.
When I was studying in seminary, this was one of the first messages I preached as a student. We were allowed to preach at our chapel hour and practice our messages. I remember this passage very clearly, and I thought I could do the work God has for me to do when I finish seminary. I’ll be like the soldier, athlete, and farmer for God. Boy, was I wrong. I realized pretty quickly that if we want to follow Jesus, there’ll be a lot of challenges, hurts, trials, and discouragements. Seminary is so different from real life. This is why I needed and continually need to be strengthened by Jesus’ grace. What makes Jesus the Leader of leaders is that yes, there’s a call to take up, but there’s also His grace to empower us.
Here is our encouragement today. With all of the challenges we continue to face, it would be easy to turn our backs from following Him. And so, let’s lean into the grace so readily available for us to strengthen us and lead us to more profound service and devotion to our Jesus.
II. Remember.
Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David; such is my gospel, for which I suffer hardship to the point of imprisonment as a criminal, but God’s message is not imprisoned! So I endure all things for the sake of those chosen by God, that they, too, may obtain salvation in Christ Jesus and its eternal glory. This saying is trustworthy: If we died with him, we will also live with him. If we endure, we will also reign with him. If we deny him, he will also deny us. If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, since he cannot deny himself.
– 2 Timothy 2:8-13
Paul tells Timothy why he should be strong amid all the problems and chaos he was about to face in this section. Next, we’ll see the ultimate reason Timothy should pursue the calling He has. That reason is none other than Jesus Christ. Finally, Paul gives Timothy two instructions to guide him in the ministry entrusted to Him.
Remember Him
From verses 8-10, Paul writes that Timothy should remember who Jesus was and what He has done. He is the descendent of David, showing that Jesus is the promised Messiah and King who died and was raised again. With all the examples Paul shared earlier, Jesus trumps them all. Jesus perfectly personified and exemplified the pictures of a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer. He showed the most incredible strength by becoming weak to die in our place. He took on suffering, lived the perfect life the Father wanted, and persisted even to the point of death.
Jesus was such a different kind of leader. He revolutionized what it meant to lead. Leading in the Greco-Roman period was all about acquiring more power and prestige. It is about lording over people. But Jesus displayed a different path. He led with love. Jesus gave up power, prestige, and even his own life that others may live. And now He is asking His followers to do the same. Dan McCarthy writes, “Christ learned humanhood from his suffering and therefore we learn Christhood from our suffering.” He defeated death by rising again, making it possible for us to live again.
This is the message where Paul put all his stake. This message was why he suffered and sacrificed everything for the gospel's sake. He does not regret anything because he knew it was all for God’s people that they may find salvation in Jesus. For Timothy, Jesus was his motivation, and Paul was his most significant role model, never to give up. This is why Paul can write in 2 Timothy 1:8-9, 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, 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,”
Now you might be asking, “Wait did you not just preach last Sunday about the superabounding grace of Jesus and that our relationship with Him should not be defined by our works? What you’re preaching today sounds a lot like a lot of work.” I want to say thank you for listening and remembering the message last Sunday. And then I would tell you our works should not define our relationship with Him anymore. This is not how the grace of Jesus operates.
Grace was not just given so that we could go to heaven and call ourselves Christians here on earth. Grace is here to strengthen us to live the life God has for us. Here’s the difference, we don’t serve God so that he’ll favor and love us. We serve because we are deeply favored and loved.
If Jesus’ grace is truly amazing, shouldn’t those who’ve tasted it live drastically different lives? Grace doesn’t excuse us from being idle and lazy. It instead gives us our most excellent fuel to run and live the life Jesus has given us. Dallas Willard writes, “Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning. Effort is an attitude. Grace, you know, does not just have to do with forgiveness of sins alone.”
2. Remember this Saying
Paul then ends this section with a trustworthy saying. Some believe this was either an early creed or an early hymn dear to the early church. Just a quick side note to our worship leaders, I just wanted to encourage you to please prayerfully pick worship songs that are true to God’s words and who He is. The songs you lead significantly influence how our church can view Christ. Hymns had a heavy impact on the early church that Paul himself readily quoted in his epistles. I believe it’s the same for us today. You have this great privilege and responsibility to help shape how we relate to Jesus.
And so, with this saying, Paul brings home as to why Timothy needed to continue in his calling. So we will try to quickly go through every line of this vital expression by Paul.
“If we died with him, we will also live with him.” This first line emphasizes a critical truth. Those who share in the death of Christ will also share in His resurrection. This is what is pictured in baptism. If we have faith in Christ, we have died in our sins and are raised to a new life again. Sin no longer can bring us to condemnation because Jesus already paid for its punishment. Now we live as new. Then it is no longer our own lives but the life of Christ in us. This is what Paul meant in Galatians 2:20 when he writes, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
“If we endure, we will also reign with him” There is a reward for those who will not give up. Enduring for Christ will be hard. Paul himself has realized and experienced such. However, there is a promise. Those who have gone through the trials and tribulations will one day reign with Christ. This is a hope for a future reward. When Christ returns, there will be a new heaven and a new earth. Those who have endured for the sake of Christ will be royalties in that future eternal kingdom.
“If we deny him, he will also deny us” Then, Paul gives a warning. Those who will deny Christ, they will also be denied by Him. Paul has seen firsthand men and women who did not just turn their backs from their calling but Jesus altogether. These are people who never really experienced the saving knowledge of Christ. They have never really come into a genuine relationship with Jesus. Therefore, they have denied His work, sacrifice, and love in the end. They have denied Jesus Himself. Jesus will not force Himself upon them, and so Jesus will deny them. Jesus said in Matthew 10:33, “but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.”
“If we are faithless, he remains faithful, since he cannot deny himself” He then finishes with a line of great comfort. There will be a time when Timothy will be overwhelmed. There will be a time when he will feel disheartened and discouraged. There will even be a time when he would think he won’t have enough faith to continue. However, Paul said even in those times, Jesus is the one that remains faithful. Therefore, even if Timothy fails Jesus, it is Jesus that will remain faithful. The truth is Jesus will not deny Himself.
How does this apply to us today? Many of us have gone through very stressful times these past couple of years. Many of us are tired and worn out. We’ve dealt with hurts and some painful experiences. We have grieved and been disappointed. Many of us do not feel like we have not been faithful enough to Jesus. I know many of us have even questioned; if it’s still worth walking with Christ and still worth praying, reading our bibles, living in community, and even attending church. Paul’s encouragement is for us to remember this truth. Jesus is faithful even if we’re not. His promises to you are true, and His presence for us is always real.
Jesus is a different kind of leader. He asks us of everything because He has given us all things. He has given His life for us so we could live all for Him. So wherever we find ourselves now, let’s remember we have a leader who is always there with us and is always for us. Whatever He has called you to pursue, He will always be there to lead you and to guide you. So let’s not quit. Let’s live out this purpose God has for us. There’s a future hope we are holding onto.
The world needs to see a church led by Christ, empowered by His grace, and motivated by His love. So let’s give it all to Him, and we will not be disappointed. Hebrews 12:2 says, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
As I end, let me challenge you with this question. Last week, I asked you if you have never known of Jesus, how will your life be different? Today I would like to ask you, “how would you like your life to be different, now that you know Jesus?”
-Rev. Jerusalem Ona