Stir Up the Gift
by Raymond Sloan
November 5, 2020 · Cornerstone Apostolic Church
Kind: teaching
Scripture: 2 Timothy 1, 2 Timothy 1:3-5, 2 Timothy 1:6-7, 2 Timothy 1:8-11, 2 Timothy 1:12-14, 2 Timothy 2, 2 Timothy 2:1-7, 2 Timothy 2:8-13, 2 Timothy 2:14-16, 2 Timothy 2:19-21, 2 Timothy 2:22-26

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/raymond-sloan--stir-up-the-gift
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

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well praise the Lord everybody welcome welcome once again to our midweek Bible study so good that uh you all are joining us here at Cornerstone Apostolic church for a Wednesday Night series uh it's exciting to gather together it's always a joy to go into the word of the Lord and to dig deeper and to try to understand and grow closer to him and understand more about his word uh go ahead and get your Bibles notepads your computer whatever you're using gather your family friends around wherever you are we're going to go into the word of the Lord uh every week we are spending half an hour or so on Wednesday night tonight coming together looking at uh the letters we have been in the New Testament trying to grow and uh learn how to draw closer to the Lord and please him it's part of maturing it's a part of growth uh so every week we look with anticipation and expectancy about how God is going to speak to us and help us to understand more and more about him we're growing together and we are learning more about uh what he has in store for for us every day now we open with prayer of course please uh remember uh the prayer requests the needs that you know about family friends your job uh neighbors whatever it happens to be pray for them also on this Wednesday evening pray for our community pray for Chattanooga uh pray for the United States of America we need the hand of the Lord to to be leading and guiding us every single day also pray for our military men and women that protect our freedoms pray for our first responders that are there on the front lines helping us through all of the things that happen in life uh I believe we should pray for them and let's pray for missionaries also around the globe wherever they are let's pray that God's blessing and the Miracles will be with them and God will be constantly moving and and and uh helping them in every day life and everyday living and the work that they're doing so let's pray together and then we'll get into the word Lord Lord Jesus one more time we thank you for the opportunity to gather around the scriptures Lord to gather and and to take notes and to dig into the word thank you for that Lord it is our Wednesday evening tradition God to look to the word and to draw close to you I pray Lord for every family every individual every heart Lord that is gathered tonight Lord I ask that your glory would rest upon each home help us God as we look to you for answers and for a better understanding of who you are and your plan for us I pray Lord for those that are hurting those Lord that are sick those that are are in in trouble Lord in their jobs or in their finances or whatever it is God I pray for them our neighbors and family members God touch each one of them bring them through it Lord and help us God to be a blessing to them as we pray for them Lord we pray for our community God bless Chattanooga bless our nation the United States of America Lord Lord I pray for our military men and women our First Responders pray God for our missionaries around the globe wherever they are Lord we believe that there is Revival in our day and we believe Lord that your hand is upon the church your hand is upon those who will follow after you and hunger for you give us Victory Lord let us be joyful tonight as we look to your word we love you for it we thank you in advance Lord we thank you in Jesus name we pray amen amen amen all right all right tonight we are going to continue in the letters that Paul wrote uh we have have of course over the last several weeks we've looked at Ephesians and Galatians and Colossians and we've looked at Thessalonians and um spent time just getting into the letters uh trying to understand them and then of course the last several weeks we've looked at the letter that Paul wrote to Timothy the first one and uh tonight we are going to pick up with second Timothy and uh we will couple of weeks here tonight and next Wednesday night will be looking at that uh just want to give a a little bit of background of course um that when Paul wrote this second letter to Timothy he was actually in a prison in Rome okay uh and some historians in fact many historians would declare that this second letter to Timothy was actually Paul's last will in Testament per se uh it was written about 66 ad and we know that history tells us that Paul died at the hand of Nero at about 67 ad somewhere in there so uh this letter could have actually been and probably was the last letter that Paul wrote um while he was ministering here on planet Earth all right now it's it's a very powerful and a very strong word if you will of determination and love that Paul had for the churches and that Paul had for Timothy for an example his spiritual son there was a a connection between Paul and Timothy and so we we saw if you'll recall we saw in the first letter that was written that Paul was continuously trying to encourage Timothy how to Pastor how to teach how to guide the church that was there in Ephesus where Timothy was and uh it was you could see how that Paul was very concerned about making sure that Timothy understood how to grow the church how to uh move the church forward okay and of course 2020 we read that and we of course gain knowledge and strength and guidance from that letter as well uh something else though is that uh the church at Ephesus of course is continuing to grow just like the one in the Philippian church the colossian church and and it's taking now as it matures it's taking a lot of input and effort to the ministry these Brethren that are there continuously working in the churches and growing and developing new uh leaders that come in so a as we look at this it's just four chapters here and it's a very short letter as we look at it uh we're going to understand that Paul realizes that of course he's in another jail this has happened to him various times you can read through history and it's it's taking its toll I would dare say on Paul and uh he is trying his best to finish what he feels like God gave him to do as the establisher of churches as the encourager by writing to them and helping them so we're going to pick up in the second letter here and there are some very specific things again this letter is written to the preacher to Timothy and it is an an an addition to what had written before in the first letter and so Paul is clarifying some things and kind of even helping Timothy with some specifics so let's begin notice here in second Timothy that's where we are in uh first chapter I want to read begin reading at verse number three one and two is the greeting and then verse three I thank God whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day greatly Desiring to see thee being mindful of thy tears that I may be filled with joy when I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois and thy mother Eunice and I am persuaded that in thee also all right as Paul starts this letter he greets of course his spiritual son and then he lets Timothy to know that uh he has Paul has a great burden for the work there but also he encourages Timothy and he says Timothy I know that you have this burden as well there's something that has been put in you as you helped and to establish it The Many Tears In fact is the way Paul mentions it about Timothy you've cried you've wept over this and you've you've struggled with and try to do your best but uh there's one thing that Paul makes sure that Timothy understands L listen you've got to have faith that what you're doing is right okay in fact it's called unfeigned which basically by definition means sincere unwavering sure okay the family that Paul knew that was connected to Timothy he mentions these ladies okay his grandmother and his mother there was a connection there that Paul had made as he was establishing churches and he saw the faith that they had their desire their their want to be a part of the things of God and so Paul said Timothy I've seen that in you it's a strong faith it's a faith that says no matter what everyone else says or does or or tries to make us believe uh your our desire is to please God our desire is to have a relationship with God all right no doubt that's why Paul probably chose Timothy to be the one that stayed in Ephesus to help mature and to grow this church notice then as we continue in this Paul mentions the his some of his Heritage of Timothy's Heritage some of where he came from his love for the work notice in verse six wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of my hands all right for God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind now remember uh Paul mentions the laying on of hands here which means the passing of authority all right it's a gift it's it's a it's a a purpose that was imparted to Timothy with that Assurance Timothy gains encouragement because he can remember and he can recall the connectedness of Paul helping him to be established in the work that he's doing and in doing so Paul tell tells Timothy listen God didn't give you fear that that spirit of fear didn't come from God God doesn't want you to be afraid don't be afraid of the unknown don't be afraid of what you're not able to do perfectly okay uh Timothy don't don't be afraid of somebody coming in and trying to destroy everything you're doing you keep doing the right things and God is going to continue to bless all right as a preacher as a saint it doesn't matter there are those who will disregard the word work that you're doing that's a fact and that's going to be true in 2020 just like any generation before but you stay true because what God did give us is he gave us power he gave us love and he gave us a sound mind he gave us the the power because he knew we would need the strength he gave us love because love can overcome so many obstacles and a sound mind says I won't let it wander out into the darkness of the unknown but instead I will know God all that is needed to overcome the doubts and the questions and so forth God has given us God is on our side in 2020 I'll Echo the words God didn't give us fear but he gave us love power and a sound mind that holds true today so what Paul was trying to help Timothy to understand was you do the work of God there's a gift in you prayed over it it's in it's something that you received from from the way your grandmother and your mother worked in in the in the kingdom in the church it's now in you so Timothy Don't Be Afraid verse 8 notice how he continues be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of Our Lord nor of me his prisoner but be thou partaker of the afflictions of The Gospel According to the power of God who hath saved us called us with a holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and Grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began verse 10 but is now made manifest by the appearing of Our Savior Jesus Christ who hath abolished death hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel all right whereinto I am appointed a preacher and Apostle teacher of the Gentiles Paul instructs his young friend here to not be ashamed not not to be embarrassed or to be upset or or or to wonder and be afraid of the situations that life is bringing okay others might think that your situation your struggles your trials and so forth um that you're being punished or that you you deserve the worse because of of you're just trying to do this and it doesn't make sense however that is okay but that's not true God receives glory in all of life situations somehow some way God's hand is in it therefore we're called for the purpose of lifting him up and bringing honor and glory to him all right if we're submitted to the plan of God Paul was telling Timothy and the words come true today as well Jesus has has the ability to move and to do in the church as he pleases because it's his church right in life in in in the work of God and all that we do eternal life comes from him so as we are working day in day out year in and year out for the things of God what we are doing is as we are establishing principles in our day-to-day living that will affect how we live in eternity the fact is friend that we need to Simply embrace the reality that Jesus loves us and that he's on our side and sometimes I don't know how you do this but there are times that I have to encourage myself in that you know God I may not understand or I may not see how all this is coming about but I'm trying and therefore I I know that you love me and that you're on my side and that as long as I'm moving forward and as long as as I'm pouring into somebody or trying to help or trying to be there for someone that that things can happen in a positive way all right perhaps tonight and you're you're in this study maybe you need to to sit back and to pause and say lord it's going to be okay all right life's life's tough right now or things are being thrown at us or whatever but God I I believe that you're on my side therefore I continue to move forward okay notice how Paul continues here in verse number 12 he's talking again about what what has happened in Timothy how he got to where he is and this is what he says for the which cause I also suffer these things nevertheless I'm not ashamed for I know whom I have believed and I'm persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day hold fast the form of sound Words which thou has heard of me in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus that good thing which is was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth within us which dwelleth in excuse us Paul uses words like like help okay he's using words like encouragement to Timothy I know in whom I've believed I hope this helps you Timothy you should know in whom you've believed I'm confident that he hears me Timothy you should be confident that God's listening to you when you pray and when you work Timothy hold fast to that confidence all right it's the same as we are today in our generation we have to hold on to the words of of the Lord Jesus Christ the words and the scriptures that it is from those words that we can take promises and and things that that he is is promised that he's going to bless the church with and those that love him and work for him if if God said it he's going to complete it all right and we don't have to worry or wonder about that we can rest on that whatever we commit to his hands to his purpose if you will he has a plan for that and he can take that and use it and and he can encourage us through steps and and the things that we're doing day in and day out uh the fact is is that as this first chapter ends uh notice that keeping what we've committed to the Lord God we have to believe that he's able to follow it through all right uh he he then he mentions that some have left this Faith some have decided to walk away it's almost a Bittersweet if you will uh some have decided they're going to do other things and they will do that and in our culture and in our society in our generation today it's the same thing again last letter that we read to Timothy that first one uh it spoke of this specifically there are going to be those that are going to walk away they're going to fall away from it and they're not going to trust it any longer but Paul was simply reminding Timothy at the at the last part of chapter one here that some are going to walk away but some are going to fall in love and they're going to make a choice to live for Jesus so Timothy you take those that decide I want to know God I want to serve him and I want to be connected to him and you move forward in the Kingdom building the kingdom of God here on Earth for the glory of God now second Timothy Chapter 2 notice how this transition s now thou therefore my son be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus and the things that thou Hast heard of me among many witnesses the same commit thou to Faithful Men Who Shall be able to teach others also thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ no man that Warth entangleth himself with the Affairs of this life that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier and if a man man also strive for masteries yet is he not crowned except he strive lawfully Paul continues here in this second chapter very very encouraging words be strong all right remember the things you learned be strong in those things okay take what you have received and you entrust it to others teaching them because they're going to come along and they're going to help you and then you're going to move on and they're going to continue to grow and the cycle is going to continue to move that's how the body of Christ Works Timothy be strong second he tells him to endure okay with the strength has to come endurance all right don't become entangled with the things and and the stuff if you will the present world all right but be a soldier fight the fight that you're in go through it understand God is with you look for the victory in it all do the work of God and bring honor and glory to his his name all right again he he ends chapter one talking about some that have come and some that have gone okay and then he picks up and he says listen uh you've got to move forward in this you got to be strong with this you got to endure okay I'm helping you preacher so that you can help the Saints and grow others that will mature and move forward and so in verse S notice here in second Timothy Chapter 2 consider what I say and the Lord give thee understanding in all things remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my Gospel According to the good news that I shared with you wherein I suffer trouble as an evildoer even un bonds but the word of God is not bound therefore verse 10 says I Endure all things for the elect's sake that they may also obtain the Salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory it is a faithful saying for if we be dead with him we shall also live with him if we suffer we shall also reign with with him if we deny him he will also deny us he also will deny us excuse me if we believe not yet he yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself listen to what Paul's telling Timothy here remember who Jesus was remember why he came why he he appeared through the miraculous if you will through the Miracles of coming on planet Earth um as the word of God deity yet Humanity all of that remember him and understand that salvation comes no other way but by that plan of Jesus coming to planet Earth salvation comes by the name of Jesus Christ that needs to be first and foremost in your life his plan God's plan is sufficient for all of time okay if we live for him he is alive in us if we deny his plan and he can't work that plan in us we have to follow and believe that we are part of what God is doing in Our Generation okay as Timothy continues here notice notice what he says of these things put them in remembrance charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit but to the subverting of the hearers verse 15 study to show thyself approved unto God a Workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth but shun profane and vain babblings for they will increase unto more more ungodliness Paul warns Timothy in this when he's telling him to be strong and to endure he's telling Timothy listen uh there are teachings and beliefs of the world that are useless all they're going to do is pull you down walk away from those okay some things can push a hearer away somebody that's trying to get it and they can begin to air because they follow a lie instead of the truth the important thing that Paul was in this letter trying to get timoy to understand is that if he will prepare if he'll study if he'll if he'll gain understanding about who God is and what he's doing if he'll apply himself to the principles and character that he's learning of God every day in his life then those who are listening they will begin to also decide I believe it I'm going to follow it or I'm not going to okay it is very important for if you're going to use the scriptures to try to reach somebody to help somebody Even in our society today that you have to prepare yourself okay uh there's a there's there's something that the world around us and and Paul mentions this to Timothy in this letter they offer babblings uh basically it's useless information all right and when it's concerning the things of God heaven and and hell when it's concerning the the way that God is interacting with humanity and with his purpose and with his plan you can get sidetracked with the simplest of things and then all this opinion comes to you and instead of believing the truth of the word of God you understand even in 2020 we can do for right reasons the things we feel like we need to do but if we're listening to babblings and useless information it can steer us off of the right path stay away from those fables and things stay away from those lies if you will they're not going to help you okay nevertheless verse 19 says here in Chapter 2 nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are his and let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity but in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver but also of wood and of Earth and some to honor some to dishonor if a man therefore Purge himself from these he shall be a vessel unto honor Sanctified and meet for the Master's use and prepared unto every good work okay God is a Creator and he's the plan maker all right that's simple enough God created he made the plan that is sure that is established that's what the word of God is this whole thing that we follow day in and day out is all about the plan of God Paul then admonishes Timothy with that idea with that understanding to follow God make that a part of your teaching Timothy tell others about that walk away from the things that are going to distract you okay distractions are very real aren't they yeah they're even today distractions can pull us off of the trail now there are different types of vessels there's different types of uses of vessels and he even mentions that so that Timothy could somehow explain and teach to those that were that were gathering into the church if you will of that day gold and silver they get that those are ornate those are uh pretty those they ke kept on on the Shelf they keep them there and pull them off for those occasions but then there's wood and Earth vessels those are things that could be used day in and day out every one of those vessels has a purpose all right talking about in in a house every one of those have a have a a purpose and how to be used what they are made of will determine their usefulness to the master you strive Timothy and you teach others to strive and and to push if you will and to to grow and mature into a place where they find their place in the kingdom and no matter what it it's for be a vessel in the hands of the king be a vessel that's used to bring honor and glory to the Master Okay God made you to be who you are God knows your name he knows all about your character and your your education level all of that God knows that but you continue to grow and plant yourself and let him use you for what whatever his purpose is now this is this is how we we this letter in second chapter here this how it comes down here in chapter two listen this be flee also youthful lust verse 22 but follow righteousness Faith charity peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart but foolish and unlearned questions avoid knowing that they do gender strives and the servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men apt to teach patient in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if God for adventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him at his will notice this as we close this out Paul Paul talks about Timothy's youthfulness his newness if you will his growth if you will Timothy follow truth all right right and in following truth you will have to overcome the lust and the things of the world righteousness that's what you need to run after Faith charity love peace a pure heart follow Jesus with those traits apply them to your day in and day out workings and and functions okay don't cause Strife don't look to things so that you can simply stir up negativity if you will but be gentle with men realize they're asking questions they don't know or they're trying to find out or or whatever a and and being gentle with men being able to teach them being patient with them uh using meekness as you're trying to encourage them and and pour the word into them um some some are at a point where they're not even really sure where they are but they want to believe and so they just need help in in growing into that um as as we bring the lesson down down to a close tonight what Paul is is speaking to this preacher Timothy this young man that's um learning and growing this is Paul's second letter to him uh probably as I said his last letter that was written he he's he's very focused on the growth the personal development and growth of Timothy because he realizes Paul that his time perhaps is short and so he's going he's going to do everything he can do to try to make sure that Timothy Mak makes it that he he grows keeps the church moving and so forth okay uh the fact is is that we have to look for truth we have to put ourselves in a position to learn and to understand and to mature with it and then we share it with others we do our best to reach for others we do our best to help them to learn help them to grow uh we don't get caught up in in the the hubub of all the negative and the things that can distract and pull us away but tonight as we pray in closing out our Bible study I want us to pray specifically each one of us that we would have a teachable spirit okay and also that we will with that teachable Spirit we will be taught and that we will want to learn more and more and more about the Lord God and his plan and purpose for our lives let's pray together that God will help us through that and this week that we'll we'll look to him and we'll try to understand and extract from the word of God so we can grow pray with me would you Lord tonight as we close out our Bible study we are thankful for our time together I pray Lord for each one of us Lord help us to have a teachable spirit to be able Lord to look to your word and let our hearts and our minds be open to your wisdom to your knowledge and understanding Lord and let it be imparted to us as we grow and mature give us a passion and a love Lord to want to know you to want to understand you and then to share Lord with love uh with patience with other people God that they too can develop velop a relationship with you Lord we want to grow our church Lord we want to mature and grow closer to you we want new people to come in and fall in love with you I pray in the name of Jesus that you would help us to do just that plead your blood over us keep us we love you through it we honor you Lord for all things we thank you in Jesus name we pray amen amen