Ira Baptist Church
October 4

      • Psalms 62:1-2NIV2011

      • Psalms 62:8NIV2011

  • My Soul will Wait
  • El Shaddai
  • Jesus Keep Me Near The Cross
  • Theme of 2 Timothy - Endurance in the faith as a Christian.
    2 Timothy 1:8 ESV
    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,
    2 Timothy 1:12 ESV
    which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.
    2 Timothy 1:16 ESV
    May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains,
    2 Timothy 2:3 ESV
    Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
    2 Timothy 2:9 ESV
    for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound!
    2 Timothy 3:1 ESV
    But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.
    2 Timothy 3:13 ESV
    while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.
    2 Timothy 4:5 ESV
    But as for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
    2 Timothy 4:17 ESV
    But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.
    2 Timothy 4:18 ESV
    The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
    Special considerations
    Paul was in Prison
    Paul was nearing death
    2 Timothy 4:6–8 ESV
    For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

    For believers, all of life should be based on an assurance of God’s will.

    Calling

    Compare 1 and 2 Tim introductory verses
    1 Timothy 1:1 ESV
    Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,
    2 Timothy 1:1 ESV
    Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus,
    Will of God is normally understood in two parallel ways in the scripture.
    Will of Decree or Sovereign WIll
    Ephesians 1:11 ESV
    In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,
    2 Timothy 1:9 ESV
    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,
    Romans 8:28 ESV
    And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
    Will of Command or Moral Will
    Ephesians 5:17–18 ESV
    Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
    1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV
    give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
    Not in competition, but in concert.
    Orchestration.
    It is a small God in your mind if you think that your choices and actions can thwart God’s plan.
    At the same time, it is small-minded of you to think that since God is sovereign, that your actions are irrelevant.
    Compare Paul’s own Apostleship
    He was stopped in his tracks on the road to Damascus
    He was blinded and led to discipleship
    Compare Jonah
    Had God’s call to go to Nineveh
    Ran the opposite direction as far as he cold
    God swam him back in the right direction in the belly of a great fish.
    God’s will in both senses of the terms are at play in those stories.
    For Jonah, he saw God’s will as a bitter thing
    as Command
    As decree
    For Paul, He saw both God’s command and God’s decree as sweeter and sweeter as the days went by.
    And you have to think, why is he telling Timothy this? Timothy has known Paul for at least 15 if not 20 years at this point.
    Paul wants Timothy to know that even at the bitter end of his life, while that life is coming to an end under arrest and in chains, he is assured of God’s will and the promise of life to which he gave the last years of his life.

    Assurance

    2 Timothy 1:12 ESV
    which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.
    “Trust me Bro”
    I had a friend who used to say that a lot.
    Normally, it was in reference to borrowing money for lunch and accompanied by the statement “I’ll get yours next time”
    I was never quite convinced of that promise.
    But you know who was convinced and assured of something? That is Paul as he is convinced and assured of God’s will for his life.
    2 Timothy 1:1 ESV
    Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus,
    Romans 8:28 ESV
    And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
    Romans 8:38–39 ESV
    For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
    1 Corinthians 15:58 ESV
    Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
    knowing… confidence… assurance.
    In reference to both God’s will of Decree - his sovereign will
    And God’s will of command - his moral will.
    There are things in your life in which you can absolutely relate and see the sovereign will of God.
    Where you were born
    The time of history you live in
    Your ethnicity, gender, height, eye color, hair color...
    Health problems
    Weather-related things
    The death of a loved one
    The changing of times and seasons
    The world-stage and international events
    There are things of which you have clear involvement but cannot totally control...
    The fact that you have children
    The personality and actions of your spouse or family
    Taxes
    Grocery and gas prices
    what your friends or neighbors do
    Awareness of God’s will in both the things out of and within our control is critical for the believer.
    The application is rather simple

    Assurance of God’s will is trusting in the things we can’t control, and following in the things we can.

    For Paul, those both applied to his calling in life as an Apostle. He was an Apostle totally because of God’s will, and he also saw it as a command to be faithfully obeyed - to follow Jesus in.
    The same is true for many things in life.
    Father
    Mother
    Things we can’t control are often complicated...
    Children, but number of children or timing...
    Location, but trouble with house or surroundings...
    Church, but changes within the church
    Job, but boss or coworkers
    Health, but unexplained or complicated health things...
    How did I get here?
    That’s normally the direction. I’m doing what I can, but its the things I can’t control that are throwing me for a loop.
    In that direction, trusting.
    Just what Paul is saying here, in the introduction but in the totality of his final letter.
    I’m in chains, some have abandoned me, I’ve suffered terrible things, things haven’t gone to plan, but I’m doing what I can and I’ve only grown in my confidence and assurance in God’s will.
    Trusting in the things we can’t control, following/obedience in the things we can.
    And remember, that’s Trusting in the Lord, not in ourselves.
    Reagan and Gorbachev - Trust but Verify...
    On-site verifications of Nuclear disarmament.
    With us, we may say “Things are going so wrong but I’m doing everything right!”
    Finances
    Marriage
    health
    We become blind to our own weaknesses sometimes.

    Promise

    1 Timothy 1:1 ESV
    Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,
    2 Timothy 1:1 ESV
    Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus,
    Sometimes we feel like we will make it just stumbling and stammering in to the Kingdom of Jesus one day, having held on by a thread.
    And from our perspective that is often the case.
    But from the Lord’s perspective, we are buckled around with the most secure of defenses and shields. His own faithful promise of life.

      • 2 Timothy 1:8NIV2011

      • 2 Timothy 1:12NIV2011

      • 2 Timothy 1:16NIV2011

      • 2 Timothy 2:3NIV2011

      • 2 Timothy 2:9NIV2011

      • 2 Timothy 3:1NIV2011

      • 2 Timothy 3:13NIV2011

      • 2 Timothy 4:5NIV2011

      • 2 Timothy 4:17NIV2011

      • 2 Timothy 4:18NIV2011

      • 2 Timothy 4:6–8NIV2011

      • 1 Timothy 1:1NIV2011

      • 2 Timothy 1:1NIV2011

      • Ephesians 1:11NIV2011

      • 2 Timothy 1:9NIV2011

      • Romans 8:28NIV2011

      • Ephesians 5:17–18NIV2011

      • 1 Thessalonians 5:18NIV2011

      • 2 Timothy 1:12NIV2011

      • 2 Timothy 1:1NIV2011

      • Romans 8:28NIV2011

      • Romans 8:38–39NIV2011

      • 1 Corinthians 15:58NIV2011

      • 1 Timothy 1:1NIV2011

      • 2 Timothy 1:1NIV2011

  • Doxology

      • Hebrews 4:14-15NIV2011

      • Hebrews 4:16NIV2011

Ira Baptist Church
1 member