WHAT IS A SOLDIER OF CHRIST TO DO?
2 TIMOTHY 2:1-7 (NIV) 1 YOU THEN, MY SON, BE STRONG IN THE GRACE THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS. 2 AND 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. 3 ENDURE HARDSHIP WITH US LIKE A GOOD SOLDIER OF CHRIST JESUS. 4 NO ONE SERVING AS A SOLDIER GETS INVOLVED IN CIVILIAN AFFAIRS--HE WANTS TO PLEASE HIS COMMANDING OFFICER. 5 SIMILARLY, IF ANYONE COMPETES AS AN ATHLETE, HE DOES NOT RECEIVE THE VICTOR'S CROWN UNLESS HE COMPETES ACCORDING TO THE RULES. 6 THE HARDWORKING FARMER SHOULD BE THE FIRST TO RECEIVE A SHARE OF THE CROPS. 7 REFLECT ON WHAT I AM SAYING, FOR THE LORD WILL GIVE YOU INSIGHT INTO ALL THIS.
INTRODUCTION: TODAY IS MEMORIAL DAY SUNDAY, A HOLIDAY ESTABLISHED FOR THE EXPRESSED PURPOSE OF REMEMBERING AND HONORING OUR FALLEN SOLDIERS, REMEMBERING THE COST, AND CONTEMPLATING THE LEGACY OF THEIR SACRIFICE. IT IS ALSO A DAY OF PICNICS, FAMILY GATHERINGS, BASEBALL GAMES, AND RECREATION.
FOR THE FOLLOWER OF CHRIST, THIS SUNDAY, LIKE THOSE BEFORE IT AND THOSE AFTER IT, IS A TIME OF CONTEMPLATION OVER THE WORD OF GOD, THE WORSHIP OF OUR CREATOR, AND OUR OWN COMMITMENT TO SERVICE.
TRANSITION: IN OUR TIME TOGETHER TODAY, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A FEW MOMENTS AND ANSWER THE QUESTION, “WHAT IS A SOLDIER OF CHRIST TO DO?”
I. BE STRONG – VERSES 1-2
A. IT IS ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS – “MY SON”
1. WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO DRAW STRENGTH TO ACCOMPLISH TASK FROM OUR RELATIONSHIPS
2. PAUL USES A TERM OF ENDEARMENT WHEN HE CHALLENGES TIMOTHY TO THE TASK BEFORE HIM.
3. WE HAVE AN EVEN GREATER RELATIONSHIP THAN THIS WITH OUR SAVIOR.
4. UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS GOD WHO CALLS US TO DO THINGS FAR GREATER THAN EVEN HE DID WHILE HE WALKED THIS EARTH.
JOHN 14:12 (NIV) I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, ANYONE WHO HAS FAITH IN ME WILL DO WHAT I HAVE BEEN DOING. HE WILL DO EVEN GREATER THINGS THAN THESE, BECAUSE I AM GOING TO THE FATHER.
DO YOU BELIEVE IT? IT IS GOD’S WORD; WE HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE BUT TO BELIEVE IT. THE QUESTION IS WILL WE ACT UPON IT?
B. RELATIONSHIPS EMPOWER US – “BE STRONG IN THE GRACE”
1. THE WORD MEANS TO BE EMPOWERED, OR TO DRAW POWER TO ACCOMPLISH A TASK
2. TO BE EMPOWERED BY SOMEONE ELSE (GOD), INSTEAD OF TRYING TO DO A TASK IN MY OWN POWER
3. TO DRAW STRENGTH FROM GOD IN ORDER TO FOCUS ON THE CALL OF CHRIST FOR OUR LIVES.
OUR SPIRITUAL BACK-UP POWER SOURCE. IT IS THERE WAITING FOR US TO ENGAGE IT IN OUR LIVES. THE QUESTION IS WILL WE ENGAGE THE EMPOWERING RESOURCE OF GOD IN OUR LIVES IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT CHRIST HAS SET BEFORE US. WE MIGHT VERY EASILY CALL THIS THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD, WHO CHRIST SAID THAT WHEN HE CAME HE WOULD DIRECT US, GUIDE US, AND EMPOWER US
4. THE SOURCE OF THIS POWER IS GOD’S GRACE
a. THIS GRACE PARDONED US FROM OUR SIN
EPHESIANS 2:8-9 (NIV) FOR IT IS BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED, THROUGH FAITH--AND THIS NOT FROM YOURSELVES, IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD-- 9 NOT BY WORKS, SO THAT NO ONE CAN BOAST.
b. THIS GRACE SHOULD BE EVIDENT AND APPLIED IN OUR DAILY WALK
COLOSSIANS 2:6 (NIV) SO THEN, JUST AS YOU RECEIVED CHRIST JESUS AS LORD, CONTINUE TO LIVE IN HIM,
i. WE RECEIVED CHRIST BY FAITH
ii. WE NEED TO LIVE OUR LIVES BY THAT SAME FAITH IN HIM THAT WE EXERCISED FOR SALVATION.
WE BELIEVED IN HIM FOR OUR SALVATION (OUR ETERNAL DESTINY), WHY WILL WE NOT TRUST HIM FOR OUR PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES?
OUR STRENGTH FOR TODAY COMES FROM HIM. WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THIS AND APPLY THIS IN OUR LIVES!
C. RELATIONSHIPS MULTIPLY US – “ENTRUST TO RELIABLE MEN”
1. THIS IS THE MINISTRY OF MULTIPLICATION
2. WE NEED TO EXERCISE OUR STRENGTH IN THE PROPAGATION OF THE GOOD NEWS NOT JUST TO OTHERS BUT THROUGH OTHERS!
THE LIFE APPLICATION NEW TESTAMENT COMMENTARY SAYS IT THIS WAY, “IF TODAY’S CHURCH CONSISTENTLY FOLLOWED PAUL’S ADVICE, THERE WOULD BE AN INCREDIBLE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL AS WELL-TAUGHT BELIEVERS WOULD TEACH OTHERS AND COMMISSION THEM, IN TURN, TO TEACH STILL OTHERS. DISCIPLES NEED TO BE EQUIPPED TO PASS ON THEIR FAITH; NEW BELIEVERS MUST BE TAUGHT TO MAKE DISCIPLES OF OTHERS.
THE CRIME OF THE CHURCH TODAY IS THAT IT CHOOSES BY ACTION AND ATTITUDE TO BE WEAK. WE CHOOSE TO BE TIRED SPIRITUALLY AS WELL AS IN SERVICE, NOT BECAUSE WE ARE BUT BECAUSE WE REFUSE TO ACCEPT THE RESOURCE OF GOD’S GRACE AND STRENGTH FOR OUR LIVES!
II. BE STEADFAST – VERSES 3-6
A. THESE VERSES BRING TO LIGHT WHAT GOD EXPECTS, AND WILL HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE FOR CONCERNING OUR ACTIVITY AS A SOLDIER/SERVANT OF HIS!
B. WE ARE EXPECTED TO BE A GOOD SOLDIER!
1. WE NEED TO ACCEPT THE NEGATIVES – FATIGUE, HARDSHIP, AND DEPRIVATION
2. WE NEED TO ACCEPT THE COMMITMENTS
a. FAITHFULNESS
b. SINGLE-MINDED PURPOSE
c. DISCIPLINE
d. OBEDIENCE TO THE COMMANDING OFFICER
3. WE NEED TO ACCEPT THE REWARD – THE APPROVAL OF GOD HIMSELF
C. WE ARE EXPECTED TO BE A GOOD ATHLETE
1. THE COMMITMENTS
a. DISCIPLINE
b. SELF-CONTROL
c. ENDURANCE
d. TOUGHNESS
e. RULES
i. AS BELIEVERS WE HAVE BOUNDARIES THAT WE NEED TO ADHERE TO
ii. GOD HAS LAID OUT FOR US HOW WE ARE TO ACT IN THIS LIFE
iii. WE ARE TO, EVEN AS PAUL DID – RUN THE RACE TO OBTAIN THE PRIZE
2. THE REWARD – VICTORY
D. WE ARE EXPECTED TO BE GOOD FARMERS
1. THE COMMITMENTS
a. HARDWORKING – IN CONTRAST TO LAZY OF IDLE WORKING
b. LABOR PRODUCES RESULTS
i. SEEDS DO NOT PLANT THEMSELVES – THEY NEED A SOWER
ii. HARVESTS DO NOT GATHER THEMSELVES – THEY NEED A HARVESTER (I HAVE NEVER SEEN A HARVEST WALK ITSELF INTO THE BARN)
2. THE REWARD – THE FRUIT
III. BE INTROSPECTIVE – VERSE 7
A. JAMES 1:5 (NIV) IF ANY OF YOU LACKS WISDOM, HE SHOULD ASK GOD, WHO GIVES GENEROUSLY TO ALL WITHOUT FINDING FAULT, AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO HIM.
B. NO WHERE IN THIS PASSAGE DO WE GET ANY HINT THAT WHAT IS ASKED OF US IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO DO.
C. THERE ARE NO QUALIFIERS ON WHO OR WHAT
THE CHURCH TODAY IT FULL OF THOSE EITHER TOO YOUNG TO SERVE, TOO OLD TO SERVE, OR THOSE TOO STUCK UP TO LET OTHERS SERVE WHO WANT TO SERVE.
THE MEMORIAL DAY OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH WAS EASTER MORNING. TODAY SOME 2,000 YEARS LATER THAT SAME MEMORIAL IS TARNISHED BY IDLENESS, UNKEMPT BY SELFISHNESS, AND OVERGROWN BY LAZINESS.
WE JOKE ABOUT THE END OF THE WORLD COMING AND GOING MAY 21ST. BUT WERE IT TO HAVE ACTUALLY HAPPENED, HOW WOULD YOU HAVE ENTERED INTO HEAVEN? AS A GOOD SOLDIER? AS A SHEEP? AS A GOAT?
IN THE WORDS OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT, WHO WHEN CONFRONTED WITH A DESERTER TO HIS ARMY, UPON FINDING OUT THAT THIS YOUNG MAN’S NAME WAS THE SAME AS HIS, ALEXANDER, CHARGED THIS YOUNG MAN TO EITHER CHANGE HIS BEHAVIOR OR CHANGE HIS NAME, I ASK YOU, IF YOU CALL YOURSELF A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST – A CHRISTIAN, WOULD YOU TODAY CHANGE YOUR BEHAVIOR, OR CHANGE YOUR NAME!
