Faithfulness in ministry and suffering

I. You remain faithful by passing on the Gospel to others.

A. Paul tells Timothy in 2 Tim. 2:1 to be strengthened for his ministry in the Gospel. Be a man. Where would this strength come from for Timothy? Paul says in vs. 1 to be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Grace is a supernatural word. Jesus never runs out of grace to help us and strengthen us for the Gospel work He has called us to do. We have been called to guard the good deposit entrusted to us in the Gospel (2 Timothy 1:14).
B. And we guard the Gospel by giving it away. “What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” (vs. 2). We need to love one another as believers if we are to be faithful in passing on the Gospel. John 13:34, 35: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

II. You remain faithful by following the example of other faithful workers.

A. Paul gives Timothy three examples of faithfulness to follow in chapter 2. The examples Paul uses are of the soldier (vs. 3-4), the athlete (vs. 5), and the farmer (vs. 6). If you are going to be faithful to Jesus in passing on the good news about Jesus, you will need to be disciplined. Faithfulness requires the soldier, the athlete, and the farmer to set aside their own pleasure and comfort to do their work well.
B. By using these examples of the soldier, the athlete, and the farmer, Paul is saying to Timothy, “Be willing to pay the price in your service for Jesus. Endure hardship and suffering. No pain, no gain.” Passing on the Gospel requires strain, struggle and diligence. In a word, it will take the suffering Paul writes about in vs. 3.

III. You remain faithful by remembering the faithful service of Jesus.

A. When Paul wrote these words to Timothy, he was suffering (vs. 9). How did he encourage himself and Timothy in their depressing circumstances? Remember Jesus Christ (vs. 8). Remember the Gospel of Christ dying for our sins and being raised from the dead. The Gospel is powerful! Jesus will be faithful to powerfully use the Gospel to make new disciples (vs. 11-13). Jesus will remain faithful to us always. He will forgive us if we return to Him in repentance and faith. So, stay faithful.

Application:
Remember Jesus and follow in His footsteps of faithfulness.

Sources:
The Bible
Commentaries by Andreas Kostenberger, Phillip Jensen, R. Kent Hughes, Philip Ryken.

Sermon Discussion Questions

1) How does passing on the Gospel to others help to guard the Gospel? Who are you passing on the Gospel to?
2) How are soldiers, athletes, and farmers examples of faithfulness? What do faithful people do with the distractions in their lives?
3) How can remembering Jesus help you to keep calm and carry on in hard circumstances? Why is it impossible for Jesus to be unfaithful?