November 16th, 2003
Let us pray
Welcome...
If you missed Bible Class last Wednesday, you missed a blessing. By the way, no one
called me to say they could not make it, so it might have been because it was windy, and
maybe you had no lights. Bro. Holloway’s topic was, "Don’t brag - it wasn’t you." Last
Sunday Bro. Jones spoke on Spiritual Growth, and that was a blessing. If you are not
growing spiritually, who do you blame? Do you blame the pastor? Do you blame the
minister? Do you blame the church? or do you say, it might be me. That’s something to
think about....
With God’s help, I would like to en-courage all of you. It is so very easy to put people
down. It is so very easy to walk all over people. It’s so very easy when some-one is down,
to want to see them stay down, even though they are trying to get up before the count of
ten. My to-pic for to-day is, Be an en-courager. The word en-courage means, to give
courage or con-fi-dence; to ad-vise and make it easy for some-one to do some-thing;
be some-body’s coach. That baseball player when he is not doing well, he needs a coach
to en-courage him that he can do better. We all need en-courage-ment; we all need a
coach to tell us, child you can make it; just hold on a little longer; don’t you give up; it’s
going to be alright. I want some-body to know today, if God is guiding you, every-thing
is going to be alright.....elaborate...
Please turn with me in your bi-bles to 2 Timothy 1 verses 1
through 7. Let’s all stand and read together. Please tell some-one, hold on a little longer.
In our text for today, I believe the apostle Paul was an en-courager to his son Timothy in
the faith. This Epistle or letter which has been well described as "the last will and tes-ta-
ment," of the apostle, "written as it was under the very shadow of death, opens with a
touching evidence of personal interest in Timothy. The text starts off by saying, "Paul an
apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God." Paul was made an apostle not by the will of
man, not by his own will, but by the will of God, he was a chosen vessel of God. Paul was
out there destroying God’s people when God chose him. Paul was not thinking about God,
but God was thinking about him, and God chose him.................elaborate...we too were
out there living our own way, but God chose us......
The design of his apostleship was "according to the promise of life which is in Christ
Jesus." Its design was to make known this promise, a promise which was life eternal,
promised in Christ Jesus before the world began.
This letter was addressed to Timothy whom he calls his dearly beloved son. Paul loved
Timothy, he was Paul’s son in the faith, and when he speaks to Timothy there is a warmth
of loving affection in his voice, my beloved child; my dearly beloved son. Most men
don’t really show love in the things they say, they are very cautious in the words they use,
but here we find Paul calling Timothy is dearly beloved son, and goes on to say, " grace,
mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord." This was an ex-tra-or-
din-ary greeting from Paul, but I am sure it was a greeting that would enourage Timothy.
Some-body to-day need to hear a kind word from you; some-body needs to hear an
uplifting word from you, so be an en-courager........elaborate.....
In verse 3 of our text, Paul is thanking God for the love and re-mem-brance of Timothy’s
faith (read verse 3) Paul was saying, Timothy as I re-mem-ber you, as I think about you,
night and day I am taking the time to pray for you. You can’t pray for some-one if you
don’t love them, but here we find Paul was praying for Timothy whom he loved as his dear
son....elaborate.....How much time do you spend praying for others? Paul was
encouraging Timothy and wanted him to know that he was taking the time to pray for
him. We say it so very easily, I am praying for you, but is that always true?..........
In verse 4 of our text. Paul is saying to Timothy, I am longing to see you. There was a
longing in Paul’s heart to see his son Timothy in the faith. Some-how he re-mem-bered
Timothy’s sorrow at their last parting. He had commanded Timothy before to stay in
Ephesus, but now he desired to see him, because he is alone in prison. Timothy was sorry
to part with Paul, he wept at parting, and therefore Paul desired to see him again, because
he had perceived by that what a true affection he had for him. ....
It is a wonderful thing when children are able to follow in the steps of their godly parents.
In verse 5 of our text, we find Paul reminding Timothy of his family tradition, and that he
was walking in a fine heritage, and it was important for him not to fail. Listen to what Paul
says in verse of our text (read). Paul reminds Timothy of the un-feigned faith of his grand-
mother Lois and his mother Eunice. Paul was letting Timothy know that he had a good
grand-mother, and a good mother, and they had instilled some good qualities in him. Paul
had some-thing good to say about Timothy. He had some-thing good to say that would
encourage him. Some of us are here today because of the good qualities that was instilled
in us by godly parents, and we should be en-couraged. I want to en-courage parents and
grand-parents here today who are godly to instill in that son or daughter; that grand-son or
grand-daughter some godly qualities. I still re-mem-ber my mother waking me up early in
the morning for family devotions. I still re-mem-ber going to church on a Sunday morning
about 5 times for the day. Early morning prayer meeting at 5:00 am; Sunday School
at................It was not very easy getting up and going to church in the early morning, but I
thank God for a godly mother who cared........elaborate.....
Saints of God, be an en-courager, try to help some-body along the way. Paul loved
Timothy, and was doing all he could to help him. If you don’t have some-thing good,
some-thing up-lifting, some-thing en-couraging to say to some-one, please don’t say
anything. When some-one is down, they need to hear some en-couraging words. It seems
to me some people only see the negative things in others; but look for the positive things
in others, and be an en-courager. There are kids around, that days go by, and there is no
mother or father to say I love you, but instead all they hear is, you are no good, and you
will amount to nothing. Be an en-courager, that dis-couraged child needs an en-couraging
word........elaborate...
It seems Timothy was getting a bit depressed. It seems Timothy was concerned about
Paul’s imprisonment, and so Paul had to be an en-courager to Timothy. Let’s look at verse
6 of our text (read). Timothy my son, God has given you a special gift, and there is no
time to get dis-couraged; there is no time to have a pity-part; there is no time to feel sorry
for yourself, but stir up that gift that God has given you. Timothy, don’t allow your gift to
go to waste, but stir it up. When that fire is dying, you have to stir it up, so that the flames
can be rekindled. The gift was to be stirred up by reading, med-i-tation, and prayer, so that
he might be enabled, with fresh zeal, to reform the abuses of the Church and endure as a
good soldier of Jesus Christ. If you are not spending time reading God’s word, meditating
and prayer, it would be ex-teremely difficult to stir up your gift.........elaborate......God
wants us all to be involved in the work of the ministrty, so let’s stir up that gift....
There are some people in the church, all they know to stir up, is to stir up trouble. As a
young boy in Jamaica, I re-mem-ber a sister in the church, and it seems all she did was to
stir up trouble.........................elaborate.....
My purpose today is to en-couarge every child of God to stir up the gift that is in you.
Every child of God has a spiritual gift, and if you don’t use it you could loose it. Timothy
I want to encourage you to stir up the gift in you, and don’t forget the strength and
boldness that you received when I laid my hands upon your head and blessed you. Some-
one might ask, why should Timothy stir up his gift or why should I stir up my gift? The
first portion of verse 7 is in the negative, and it says, "For God hath not given us the
spirit of fear..." Please underline the word not. The question we might ask ourselves is
why are Christians so fearful, coward, afraid, when God hath not given us the spirit of
fear. As a child of God, what are you afraid of?........elaborate.....
Christians are afraid to come out at night because it is too dangerous, that might be true,
but I can hear the word of God saying in Psalm 91 verse 5, "Thou shalt not be afraid
for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day..." Christians are afraid
because it seems the world is against them, that might be true, but I can hear the word of
God saying in Psalm 27 verse 3, "Though an host should encamp against me, my
heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident."
Saints of God don’t you know that, "greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the
world."
Saints of God, be en-couraged there is nothing to afraid of, but maybe fear itself. Saints
take comfort, and be en-couraged in Isaiah 41 verse 10, "Fear thou not; for I am with
thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen the; yea, I will help thee;
yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." When things are
getting rough, and it seems you are all alone, and there is no way out, don’t be afraid, but
take courage in Isaiah 43 verses 1 and 2, "But now thus saith the Lord that created
thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed
thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through
the waters, I will be with thee, and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee:
when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the
flame kindle upon thee."
Saints of the First Church of God in Harvey, be en-couraged, and be an en-courager to
some-one today. God has not given us the spirit of fear, so don’t be afraid, but he has
given us some-thing positive, he has given us the spirit of power, as opposed to the
weakness of cowardice. He has delivered us from the spirit of fear, and replaced it with
the spirit of power. Not only has God given us the spirit of power, but he has also given us
the spirit of love. Some of us here had no idea what it meant to love, we were un-lovely,
but when Chrsit came in, he taiught us how to love.............elaborate...now we can love
every-body....oh glory to God....
Finally, God has given us the spirit of self-control, now we have a sound mind. No longer
are we acting foolish, because we have a sound mind. No longer do we have to party all
night, because now we have a sound mind. No longer do we have to drink ourselves to
sleep, because..............elaborate....
Saints of God, be an en-courager, let some-body know how much you appreciate them,
and mean what you say. Let some-body know that you care, and show that you care. Give
an helping hand to the fallen; give a word of cheer to the cheer-less; be a friend to the
friendless, give some hope to the hopeless, and don’t ever forget, we all need each other,
and I need you to survive. The choir sings this song quite often......I need you, You
need me (read words)
Let’s form a circle as we all join hands and pray for each other, I pray for you, you pray
for me........elaborate....
Closing prayer and dismissal.
