2 Timothy 2:1-26

We all want to be successful in what we do.  Nobody wants to fail in their job, their family or their math test.  Most of all, we should not want to fail in our service for the Lord.  Paul longs to see Timothy be successful in his ministry and be able to carry on the baton of truth that Paul had carried so far.  I consider this, Paul’s final letter, to be a sort of passing on the baton for Timothy to carry on, and as he does so, Paul is shouting out some final words of Instruction that will help Timothy and us be successful in ministry.
BE STRONG: This ministry is not for the faint in heart or the weak in faith.  If we are going to be successful we must learn to depend upon the Lord in every situation of life.  We cannot be strong in and of ourselves but as we learn to look to the Lord for our strength, He will empower us to be successful in the Work that He has called us to do.  That work is basically to make disciples.  God has called us to impact the lives of other people who will be able, in turn, to impact the lives of even more people.  The multiplication principle of discipleship is key to our being successful at building ministries that will last beyond our lives.  Being strong in the Lord means that we need to be dedicated like soldiers who are willing to suffer in order to please our Lord and advance His kingdom.  Being strong means being disciplined like an athlete who knows how to say “no” to the desires of the flesh and obey the principles of God’s Word.  Being strong means being determined like a farmer who works hard through many “crop failures” because he knows that the eternal rewards of investing in lives and obeying the Lord are far greater than any hardship he might face while preparing soil, plantings seeds and pulling weeds.  The harvest of a life lived for the cause of Christ is worth being strong as we wait for His return.
BE SMART: Several times Paul tells Timothy to remember the Lord and all that He has done for us.  Foolish men will quickly forget the blessings of the past and become distracted by the struggles in the present.  If we are smart we, will face the present problems with the blessings of the past firmly entrenched in our minds as well as the promises of the future deeply rooted in our hearts.  Paul also tells us to be smart in the way that we handle the Word of God.  The foolish will argue endlessly over trivial matters and ride their theological “hobby horse” all the way to the grave.  Paul says that the smart and successful minister will learn to avoid such arguments and stand firm on the teachings of God’s Word.  People are always inventing “new” teachings that they claim to be revolutionary revelations from the very lips of God.  Invariably, these revelations turn out to be far more revolting than revolutionary.  These false teachings spread quickly, pass away quickly but they leave a long line of disillusioned people in their wake.  We must be on the alert for these false teachings and take our stand on the Scriptures that never fail and never change.  We must be smart in the way we remember the Word of God and in the way that we reveal the Word of God to others.
BE SPECIAL: There are all kinds of people in the world.  Unfortunately the majority of people prefer to take the path of least resistance the leads them to perdition.  Paul tells us to choose a different less traveled path of holiness, peace and love.  It is simple to follow the lustful desires of our heart.  Everyone else is doing it so it is simple for us to do it too.  It is simple to pick fights over things about which we disagree.  When people treat us poorly it is simple to treat them poorly in return.  But God has not called us to be simple.  God has called us to be special.  We are called to live our lives in accord with the pattern of Scripture.  We are called to make peace with those who treat us poorly.  We are called to be gentle in our treatment of others so that they might see the love of Christ in our lives and hear the wisdom of God from our lips and, by God’s grace, come to know the Lord who can transform them the way He has transformed us.  In a world of plain and dirty dishes we are called to shine like the finest china that the glow from our lives and the words from our lips might lead men to the Lord who is the source of our light and life.

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