2 Timothy 1:3-5 Invest Where it Counts - Revision history

Wakefien: /* We each can and should preach the word. */

2025-05-28T15:24:22Z

‎We each can and should preach the word.

Wakefien: /* We must not forget that others have poured themselves into each of us. */

2025-05-28T15:23:06Z

‎We must not forget that others have poured themselves into each of us.

Wakefien: /* We must not forget that ultimate truth rests in Christ. */

2025-05-28T15:22:19Z

‎We must not forget that ultimate truth rests in Christ.

Wakefien: /* We must not forget that which has been passed down to us. */

2025-05-28T15:21:06Z

‎We must not forget that which has been passed down to us.

Wakefien: /* Image: */

2025-05-28T15:20:06Z

‎Image:

Wakefien: /* Having an eternal legacy will demand deep relationships with some who are not yet your peers. */

2025-05-28T15:19:37Z

‎Having an eternal legacy will demand deep relationships with some who are not yet your peers.

Wakefien: /* Having an eternal legacy will demand an ongoing prayer life. */

2025-05-28T15:17:16Z

‎Having an eternal legacy will demand an ongoing prayer life.

Wakefien: /* Image: Parent child dedication and promotion Sunday */

2025-05-28T15:14:33Z

‎Image: Parent child dedication and promotion Sunday

Wakefien: /* MTR: Ask yourself, "Am I honoring the investment?" */

2025-05-28T15:14:04Z

‎MTR: Ask yourself, "Am I honoring the investment?"

Wakefien at 13:46, 27 May 2025

2025-05-27T13:46:53Z

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 ===We each can and should preach the word.===
-So, what is the charge? To preach the word. Paul makes "the word (λόγος)" the object of the command. It is an interesting choice. Paul does not say preach the Gospel, he does not say preach the truth, and he doesn't say preach Christ. Paul says preach the word. Why? Because I think Paul is including all of those things—Gospel, truth, Christ—in his metaphor. What Paul is saying by using the phrase preach the word is that the message Paul has passed onto Timothy—the message of salvation, the Gospel, truth, and Christ—can all be poetically captured as the Word.
+So, what is the charge? To preach the word. Paul makes "the word (λόγος)" the object of the command. It is an interesting choice. <mark>Paul does not say preach the Gospel, he does not say preach the truth, and he doesn't say preach Christ. Paul says preach the word.</mark> Why? Because I think Paul is including all of those things—Gospel, truth, Christ—in his metaphor. What Paul is saying by using the phrase preach the word is that the message Paul has passed onto Timothy—the message of salvation, the Gospel, truth, and Christ—can all be poetically captured as the Word.
-Think about it this way: Paul has just given Timothy all sorts of directions, and now he says, "Do it!" I don't need to tell you again what "it" is; I just told you. Now it is time to start doing: Preach the word. This command given to Timothy is just as applicable to each person here today. Preach the word.
+<mark>Think about it this way: Paul has just given Timothy all sorts of directions, and now he says, "Do it!"</mark> I don't need to tell you again what "it" is; I just told you. Now it is time to start doing: Preach the word. This command given to Timothy is just as applicable to each person here today. Preach the word.
 ===A proper response to the investment of others is to just do it.===

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 ===We must not forget that others have poured themselves into each of us.===
-I want you to take a minute and think about someone who has invested heavily in you. Take a minute and remember that investment. In verse 14, Paul calls on Timothy to "guard the good deposit." Throughout the history of the church, one thing that has been a constant problem is the risk of distortion, dilution, deletion, and addition. We must constantly be ready to guard the truth that others have invested in us.
+I want you to take a minute and think about someone who has invested heavily in you. Take a minute and remember that investment. In verse 14, Paul calls on Timothy to "guard the good deposit." <mark>Throughout the history of the church, one thing that has been a constant problem is the risk of distortion, dilution, deletion, and addition. We must constantly be ready to guard the truth that others have invested in us.</mark>
 But we are not alone in this. Here is a really cool reality: We are to guard the truth along with the help of the Holy Spirit. This certainly involves prayer and time spent listening for the Spirit's leading, but I also think this brings up a really important reality: the "gut check" is a real thing that we should employ when we are looking at our beliefs. What I mean by that is if something sounds wrong or feels wrong, we should carefully evaluate it with the help of the Holy Spirit because it might just be wrong. Ultimately, we should test everything against Scripture.

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 ===We must not forget that ultimate truth rests in Christ.===
-One of the most significant events in history was the Protestant Reformation. The Protestant Reformation was a key moment in recovering the clarity of the Gospel—salvation by grace through faith in Christ, grounded in Scripture. Despite widespread corruption within the Church, dedicated men were able to bring the Church back from that corruption, and the Gospel continues to be preached, believed, and lived out by millions today. How is this possible? Because ultimate truth rests in Christ. The reformers did something significant; they went to Scripture to uncover the truth. We must not forget that no matter what we have been told, the truth comes from Scripture.
+One of the most significant events in history was the Protestant Reformation. The Protestant Reformation was a key moment in recovering the clarity of the Gospel—salvation by grace through faith in Christ, grounded in Scripture. Despite widespread corruption within the Church, dedicated men were able to bring the Church back from that corruption, and the Gospel continues to be preached, believed, and lived out by millions today. <mark>How is this possible? Because ultimate truth rests in Christ. The reformers did something significant; they went to Scripture to uncover the truth.</mark> We must not forget that no matter what we have been told, the truth comes from Scripture.
 Paul reminds Timothy in the second half of verse 13 that as he keeps the pattern of sound teaching, he must at all times fall back to faith and love in Christ Jesus. What Paul is saying here, I think, is that our pursuit of truth is not just an academic exercise or an exercise in power or control. Our pursuit of truth, our pursuit of the pattern of sound teaching, is rooted in our faith and love of Jesus.

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 ===We must not forget that which has been passed down to us.===
-Back in verse 6, Paul had called on Timothy to fan into flame the gift of God. Now here in verse 13, Paul reminds Timothy how to do that: by keeping the pattern of sound teaching. Timothy was not an apostle; you are not an apostle; and I am not an apostle. However, we do have the apostolic message, that which has been passed down first through oral tradition and then very early through the writing of the New Testament. This apostolic message is to be the foundation of what we do and what we teach.
+Back in verse 6, Paul had called on Timothy to fan into flame the gift of God. Now here in verse 13, Paul reminds Timothy how to do that: by keeping the pattern of sound teaching. <mark>Timothy was not an apostle; you are not an apostle; and I am not an apostle. However, we do have the apostolic message, that which has been passed down first through oral tradition and then very early through the writing of the New Testament.</mark> This apostolic message is to be the foundation of what we do and what we teach.
 When I mentored PhD students, my call on them was to go on and do bigger and greater things. My call on my students was to take what they had learned from me and to move on. This is very different. Paul does not tell Timothy to add to the body of knowledge or change with the culture. No, Paul tells Timothy to take what he had learned from Paul and to keep doing it, to keep following it, to keep it.

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:20, 28 May 2025
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	You can and should invest in your genetic offspring; it matters. You can and should invest in others; it matters. Who is ultimately responsible for discipling? The family or the church? The answer is that we are all responsible, and the church functions best when families work in unison with others in the church to build an eternal legacy.		You can and should invest in your genetic offspring; it matters. You can and should invest in others; it matters. Who is ultimately responsible for discipling? The family or the church? The answer is that we are all responsible, and the church functions best when families work in unison with others in the church to build an eternal legacy.
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−	~~===Image:===~~

	===MTR: Consider the question, "Am I building an eternal legacy?"===		===MTR: Consider the question, "Am I building an eternal legacy?"===

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 ===Having an eternal legacy will demand deep relationships with some who are not yet your peers.===
-Timothy was not the same age as Paul, probably lacked the pedigree of Paul, and had a Greek father, as described in Acts 16:1. If you were to take a guess as to who would make friends at a party, Paul and Timothy would not be your pick. Timothy was hardly Paul's peer.
+Timothy was not the same age as Paul, probably lacked the pedigree of Paul, and had a Greek father, as described in Acts 16:1. If you were to take a guess as to who would make friends at a party, Paul and Timothy would not be your pick. <mark>Timothy was hardly Paul's peer.</mark>
 Yet I want you to look closely at verse 4. Everything Paul says is intended to convey a deep emotional intimacy between Timothy and Paul. We don't know exactly what event Paul is referring to, but we know that it was emotionally hard for Timothy and that Paul had a deep longing to reconnect with him, going so far as to say it would fill him with joy. These are not high school friends meeting at a reunion or even war buddies. Timothy is not, from outward appearances, in the same social class as Paul; he is not Paul's peer. But that doesn't seem to matter. Paul has something far grander in mind, and earthly classes have nothing to do with it.
-The reality is I don't know how old Timothy was or exactly what happened, but when I read the text, what I imagine is that as a young boy, Paul came to visit the church where Timothy's mom attended and Paul paid attention to this young boy. Over time, Paul began to train Timothy, and eventually, Timothy became Pastor Timothy.
+<mark>The reality is I don't know how old Timothy was or exactly what happened, but when I read the text, what I imagine is that as a young boy, Paul came to visit the church where Timothy's mom attended and Paul paid attention to this young boy. Over time, Paul began to train Timothy, and eventually, Timothy became Pastor Timothy.</mark>
-Consider this: Paul's decision to work with someone who was not his peer resulted in the development of someone who would become more than just a ministry partner for Paul, but a true friend. People often talk about ministry being lonely, but I am going to come out and say that ministry does not have to be lonely. You can have an eternal legacy by investing in those who are not your peers!
+<mark>Consider this: Paul's decision to work with someone who was not his peer resulted in the development of someone who would become more than just a ministry partner for Paul, but a true friend. People often talk about ministry being lonely, but I am going to come out and say that ministry does not have to be lonely. You can have an eternal legacy by investing in those who are not your peers!</mark>
 ===Having an eternal legacy can be genetic but can also transcend genetics.===

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 Paul's emphasis on his heritage tells us that when he considers Timothy, it brings about for him his own heritage. What we see right here is that Paul is connecting his work with Timothy to something huge: his eternal legacy.
-I am reminded here of something very important: You can have a legacy. Let me address some painful realities here. Some of you do not have physical descendants, and some may never have physical descendants. Some of you are in a situation where your physical descendants have broken ties with God or maybe even with you. I know the pain of having no physical descendants; I get it. But that does not mean you cannot have a legacy. In fact, you can have something truly incredible—an eternal legacy. This is where Paul found himself. Traditionally, we know of no physical descendants that Paul had. Historians are mixed on whether Paul was ever even married. What we do know is that Paul was one of the most influential individuals in the history of our planet!
+I am reminded here of something very important: <mark>You can have a legacy.</mark> Let me address some painful realities here. Some of you do not have physical descendants, and some may never have physical descendants. Some of you are in a situation where your physical descendants have broken ties with God or maybe even with you. I know the pain of having no physical descendants; I get it. But that does not mean you cannot have a legacy. In fact, you can have something truly incredible—an eternal legacy. This is where Paul found himself. Traditionally, we know of no physical descendants that Paul had. Historians are mixed on whether Paul was ever even married. What we do know is that Paul was one of the most influential individuals in the history of our planet!
-So, what is the key step to having an eternal legacy? I am convinced that prayer plays an incredibly important role. In verse 3, Paul reminds Timothy that he spent time praying for him. The use of the phrase "night and day" further reminds us that this was no minor prayer life. Paul had an ongoing prayer life and did not hesitate to bring Timothy into his prayers.
+So, what is the key step to having an eternal legacy? <mark> I am convinced that prayer plays an incredibly important role.</mark> In verse 3, Paul reminds Timothy that he spent time praying for him. <mark>The use of the phrase "night and day" further reminds us that this was no minor prayer life.</mark> Paul had an ongoing prayer life and did not hesitate to bring Timothy into his prayers.
-Step 1 to having an eternal legacy: develop your prayer life.
+<mark>Step 1 to having an eternal legacy: develop your prayer life.</mark>
 ===Having an eternal legacy will demand deep relationships with some who are not yet your peers.===

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 =Introduction=
-==Image: Parent child dedication and promotion Sunday==
+==Image: Promotion Sunday==
 Today we are also celebrating Promotion Sunday, as many of our children will move into a new Sunday school class.

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:14, 28 May 2025
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	===MTR: Ask yourself, "Am I honoring the investment?"===		===MTR: Ask yourself, "Am I honoring the investment?"===
		+
		+
		+	==Parent & Child Dedication Service==
		+	====Senior Pastor====
		+	This morning, we are all invited to take part in a meaningful moment in the life of our church—a Parent & Child Dedication.
		+	This is a special time when Christian parents publicly commit to raising their child according to the teachings of Scripture, relying on the grace of God and the support of their church family.
		+	Unlike baptism and communion—ordinances commanded by Jesus—this dedication is not a requirement but a voluntary act of accountability and commitment. It does not imply that the child is saved or entering into church membership. Instead, it reflects the conviction that parents and the church together have the responsibility to share the Gospel with the child and to pray that one day they will accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.
		+	At this time, I’d like to invite our Children’s Ministry Director, Myra Boden, to come and share with us.
		+
		+	====Children’s Ministry Director (Myra Boden)====
		+	Life began in creation and continues through the gift of procreation. For all of us, life begins with that sacred moment of conception.
		+	Psalm 127:3 tells us, “Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from Him.” And in Mark 10:14–15, Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”
		+	Because children are a gift from God, we recognize that their lives ultimately belong to Him.
		+	This dedication serves several purposes. First, it acknowledges that children are a gift from the Lord and that parents are stewards of their child’s life. It is a moment for parents to pledge—before God and this congregation—to model Christ in the home, to teach the Word of God, to pray for their child, and to guide them toward a personal relationship with Jesus.
		+	Second, as a church, we affirm our responsibility to walk alongside these families—encouraging, equipping, and supporting them as they disciple their children.
		+	Ultimately, this is a celebration of life, a call to faithful parenting, and a recognition of our shared responsibility to nurture the next generation in the love and truth of Christ.
		+	Today, let us make a solemn promise—as parents and as a church—that, relying on the grace of God and working together as home and church, we will provide instruction, discipline, and support in the hope that these children will come to a saving knowledge of Christ. Let us also pray for God’s blessing on these families, His wisdom for the parents, and His guidance for those who will teach and disciple these young hearts.
		+
		+	====Presentation of Families & Gifts====
		+	([Families are called forward and presented to the congregation. Gifts are given.])
		+
		+	=====Senior Pastor=====
		+	Today, I am asking you—parents and church family—to make a commitment before God: To bring up these children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
		+	Let us reflect on the instruction of Deuteronomy 6:5–7:
		+	“Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home, and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”
		+	======To the Parents:======
		+	*Do you promise, in dependence upon God’s grace and in partnership with this church, to teach your child the truths of the Christian faith? “We do.”
		+	*Do you promise to set a Christian example for your child in word and conduct? “We do.”
		+	*Do you promise to bring your child up in the instruction and discipline of the Lord? “We do.”
		+	*Do you promise to encourage your child to accept Christ as their personal Savior when they are ready, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit? “We do.”
		+	======To the Church:======
		+	*Do you, as members of Southview Baptist Church, promise to join these parents in the teaching and training of their children? “We do.”
		+	*Do you promise to proclaim the Gospel faithfully to these children as they grow? “We do.”
		+	*Do you promise to lovingly hold these parents accountable to the commitments they make today? “We do.”
		+	Then today, we dedicate these children to the Lord, asking that He would give us the grace and strength to be faithful to our commitments.
		+
		+	====Prayer of Dedication====
		+	(Pastor or designated leader prays a prayer of blessing and dedication over the families.)

	[[Category:Sermons]]		[[Category:Sermons]]

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 '''Christ Focus: Jesus is the ultimate disciple-maker, exemplifying the importance of teaching and nurturing the next generation of believers. In Scriptures, He invests deeply in the lives of His disciples, setting a model for us to follow in our own discipleship efforts.'''
-'''Homiletical Proposition/Application: Discipleship is an essential part of the Christian life, not just a suggestion. It highlights the impact of personal testimony and intentional teaching in shaping the future faith of individuals in our families and communities. Believers should actively engage in discipling others, recognizing that their influence on children and younger generations can bear lasting fruit for God's Kingdom.'''
+'''Homiletical Proposition/Application: Discipleship is an essential part of the Christian life, not just a suggestion. Believers should actively engage in discipling others, recognizing that their influence on children and younger generations can bear lasting fruit for God's Kingdom.'''
 =Introduction=