The Gospel In One Sentence

Introduction

But I wanted to begin this morning by talking about the concept of light the fire. What kind of spark do you have in your heart for the Lord and his things?

It occurs to me as football season begins that a manager is one who, if he does his job well, lights the spark or lights the fire or fans the flame. A lot of times victory is not just about talent and ability. It’s about getting players to achieve at their ultimate level to spark them to excellence. Okay, Aggies, I’m throwing you a bone. The most impressive thing about Thursday night’s victory was not your new quarterback, but your coach, Kevin Sumlin. When I walked away from that game, I said he proved he’s a great coach by what he got out of those players Thursday night. So I was impressed more by him. And you know, my role as a teacher of God’s word is not dissimilar to that of a coach.

I am here to fan the flame of your devotion to the Lord. But that’s going to be dependent to some degree to your knowledge of certain things. And that’s why I want to call your attention to 2 Timothy chapter 1, verses 1 through 14. You may be familiar with other parts of 2 Timothy more than this beginning, but there may be some things that sound familiar in this. I want to read the first part of this text as we begin. Paul is writing, Paul the Apostle is writing to Timothy. And he says, Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life. What a phrase that is, according to the promise of life in Christ Jesus. To Timothy, my beloved son.

Grace and mercy and peace from God the Father in Christ Jesus, our Lord. He said, I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in prayers, night and day, longing to see you, even as I recall your tears, so that I may be filled with joy. For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother, Lois, and your mother, Eunice. And I’m sure that it is in you as well. And for this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. An apostle was able to distribute the ability to perform miraculous spiritual gifts by the laying on of hands.

Timothy was not an apostle, but Paul laid his hands upon him which gave him this miraculous ability, and he is told to kindle afresh that gift, or to fan the flame. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and of love and discipline. And so when I look at that verse six about kindling afresh the gift, obviously, the foremost reference of this text is to this miraculous spiritual ability that had been given to Timothy, and I don’t understand the experience of that. But apparently, one’s ability to use that gift had something to do with one’s own personal faith, keeping it vibrant and alive, and perhaps meditation, prayer, that these things were essential to use and employ this gift. But this idea of kindle afresh, this ideal of our zeal and enthusiasm for the Lord, I want to talk about very briefly the spark that is in you.

And the reason why I want to talk about that, just like Timothy had to fan the flame to keep his gift alive, I think all of us who have been Christians for any period of time realize that our zeal and enthusiasm isn’t always as vibrant and strong as it is at other times. And sometimes we come to this place of worship not feeling as enthused and not feeling as energetic and on fire as we would want to be, as we once were. How can we generate that enthusiasm again? What has happened to us? Why does zeal sometimes diminish? And I think ultimately can be traced to three things. Number one, we lose sight, as we talked in our Bible class period, we lose sight of things.

We lose sight of the core of everything, as we saw in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, the resurrection of Jesus Christ and all that means. Our vision becomes poor, and thus zeal begins to wane. And as our vision becomes poor, well, there’s a lot of trappings out there in the world, football being one of them. There’s all sorts of distractions and things that occupy our time and attention and affections and things that we like to do, and we get drawn away by all of these things, and the devil can even use them against us. And as we become distracted by all sorts of things, we foolishly begin to think that those things are more important than God’s things. And we start thinking things like, you know, I really want those things more than I want to engage and be excited about God’s things, and we think that we’re actually getting more, but really what we’re doing is we’re settling for less.

So that the thoughts our minds entertain is one very significant key in keeping the flame alive. And this passage in 2 Timothy chapter 1 is going to go on to extol the goodness of God in our salvation. God is so good. And I am so flawed.

Are we singing Rock of Ages? We’re going to sing Rock of Ages as an invitation song momentarily. And I want to call your attention now to verse 2 of that song that we’re going to sing. Could my tears forever flow? Could my zeal no longer know? These for sin could not atone. Thou must save, and thou alone. In my hand, no price I bring simply to the cross. I claim. Oh, the salvation of God. And that’s what Paul is going to talk to Timothy about in the following verses, and I want to share those verses with you today. I’m going to do something a little bit different before I get to the title of my sermon and the verses that it corresponds to. We’re going to talk about some points.

1. Two Great Soldiers of the Cross

This lesson is going to have four points, and they’re going to be sprinkled in maybe a little bit unusually. I want to talk to you this morning first, point number one about two great soldiers of the cross. These two men who are having this conversation, Paul is writing to Timothy. And I think it’s important to know something about their relationship. We’re going to talk about these two men, Paul and Timothy, and I want to assure you they are great figures in history. Now, I know what you’re thinking, young people. You’re about to start taking some. Maybe you started history this year already, and you’re going to study all these great people of history. Alexander the Great, who’s actually in the Bible, Napoleon Bonaparte, and all of these figures of history, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

I’m here to talk to you this morning about two even greater figures in history, though you won’t talk about them in your history class at school.

Paul and Timothy. Great spiritual heroes. Because you really, how God observes history, how heaven observes history is the most important history of all. And these were great men. Paul and Timothy. And their relationship is spoken of a lot in the New Testament. And it begins in Acts chapter 16 when Paul is on his second missionary journey. We talked about the Macedonian call in the song Send Alight. Just prior to that, in Acts 16, we’re introduced to this young man whose father was a Greek, whose mother was a Jew, but he was not circumcised, and so Paul had him circumcised so that there would not be any controversy that deterred them from the work over that. Not that he would have had to have been. But he takes Timothy along, and their relationship is forged and their bond is strengthened.

And we find out about Timothy in 2 Timothy chapter 1 that he has received his faith through the passing on of faith from a grandmother, Lois, and his mother Eunice, from a child. We find later in 2 Timothy and chapter 3, he had been introduced to the holy scriptures that are able to make one wise unto salvation. And is reminded that all scripture is given by God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction and righteousness. So we learn about these two heroes of Timothy’s past who introduced him to the truth. And ultimately, as we see in the first epistle, he becomes what Paul calls his true child in the faith. Paul was unmarried, but he adopted Timothy as a son. He refers to him several times as his son and my true child.

And he would say to the church in Philippi that I don’t have anyone else to serve you like Timothy. He has been like a child serving his father. He has proven his worth in the kingdom of God. I have no one else of kindred spirit that I could send to you like Timothy. And when Paul’s life is about to conclude, some have forsaken him like Demas. Only Luke, the beloved physician, is with him when he writes this epistle. And as he comes to the end of this epistle, he asks Timothy to bring Mark and to come before winter. And chapter 2 tells him to be straw, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, because of his imminent departure. I think it’s important to see these two men as men of history, a father and a son, as they’re having this final communication, perhaps one final meeting before Paul’s departure from this world.

2. Marvel at God's Plan and His Working Throughout History

So he introduces this message and speaks of kindling afresh his gift. And that brings us to the second part, which is the meat of this lesson, the second point. We need to marvel, as Timothy needed to marvel at God’s plan from eternity and his working throughout history. In verses 8 through 11 of 2 Timothy chapter 1, we have what I call the gospel in one sentence. I didn’t have enough room to put verse 11 on there. But verse 11 is simply Paul saying, I’m an apostle, a teacher of these things. But verses 8 through 10 represent in one sentence what the gospel is all about. Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me his prisoner. But join with me in the suffering for the gospel according to the power of God who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

As I read this sentence about a week ago, I marvel at the depth of what Paul says in such a short space. God is so good. And the fact that we can partake in these things is extraordinary. And that’s what Paul wants to remind Timothy of, who is also preaching, who is an evangelist. And these things he is to commit to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also in 2 Timothy 2 and verse 2. And that’s really what we’re all about in the 21st century is carrying that torch, keeping the flame alive in ourselves so that we can pass this on to a generation behind us if the Lord wills that the earth stand. And it’s this simple message of an incredible gospel.

Therefore, he says, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. No matter what kind of response you receive, no matter how you’re treated, he says, we are being persecuted for this message that we’re teaching. No, it’s somewhat fashionable. Well, it’s becoming less fashionable to espouse belief in Jesus. Perhaps we might encounter some of the same kind of suffering one day down the road. But if we receive such a negative reaction, he says, Timothy, don’t be ashamed. One day the same people who would persecute you will be envious of what you possess. And then he goes on to say, join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God who has saved us. Only God could remedy the plight of man.

Only God could bridge the wall of separation that had taken place between the goodness of God and the rebellion of man.

He who knew no sin became sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in him, that we might be reconciled to him. This is the message of the gospel. He saved us, not according to our own works. There’s nothing in us that’s particularly redeemable. There’s nothing in us that earns or merits what God has done. But God loved us to such a great extent that he wanted to reclaim us.

He wanted to restore us. He saved us not according to our works, but according to his own purpose. He called us with a holy calling. Whatever you understand about the nature of the gospel, God has called us to a certain kind of life. It’s not he saved us so we can do as we good and well please and make things up as to how we want to live and what we want to believe. He has called us to a holy calling according to his own purpose. This is not about us and the way we want to do things. According to his own purpose makes me think of Romans 8 and verse 28. All things work together for good to those who love God and who are called according to his purpose.

Isn’t that interesting? All things work together. He causes all things to work together for good to those who love him, who in a reciprocal response, that’s the holy calling, who love him in return for his goodness and all that he has done according to his own purpose. And so what I’ll tell you that, this is all about respecting his arrangements and his instruction. After all, we are completely dependent upon him for our salvation. But don’t think for a second that this was accomplished easily. This was something God worked out from all eternity. When sin is introduced into the world by Adam and Eve, we all know the story, right? In Genesis chapter 3, God did not immediately apply the fix for that. I’ve always loved Derek Kidner’s commentary about this when he says, so simple the act, so hard its undoing.

Then God works. He makes promises to Abraham that through Abraham, through his descendants, shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. And finally, a descendant of Abraham, a descendant of King David, comes and lives perfectly and dies on the cross. This was God’s eternal purpose, Paul says in Ephesians chapter 3. His working throughout history. And it all pertains to someone who came. This is rooted in history. Jesus Christ of Nazareth. I tell people all the time. That you have to do something with the fact that Jesus of Nazareth lived. And that there were these eyewitnesses of his life who wrote these things to us, like Paul and Timothy. Who tell us about the meaning of his life? These things are rooted in history. They are not the figment of anyone’s overactive imagination.

And when Jesus came, he conquered death, as we’ll read in 1 Corinthians 15 on Wednesday night in our adult auditorium class. He abolished death, that which was our enemy because of sin and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Here we live but for a season. And we pass. As our dear sister Linda has done.

Jesus appeared once in reference to sin, but he will appear a second time without reference to sin, and that will be the final coming of our Lord. Hebrews 9 and verse 28.

3. Be Astonished at His Offer of Salvation

The hope of the gospel is two things. He brings us life, he brings us real living, serving our creator according to his purpose, and he brings us the hope of immortality. How should we respond to that? This gospel that is declared to Timothy here in verses 8 through 10. What should be a fitting and appropriate response? Point number three. Not only should we marvel at what God has done through history and his working out of his marvelous plan, we should be astonished at his offer of salvation and the hope of immortality. You know, when you consider what God has done, there are several logical responses that one would expect for what God has done. What we’re doing here today is certainly a logical, reasonable response for what God has done.

Again, what was it about us that was so wonderful? Have we been so good and acted so wonderfully that God is somehow indebted to save us? What was it about us? It’s not according to our own works. What we have embraced in the gospel, what we have come to share in the gospel is the result of what God has done. God is so good and I am so flawed. He did, he fixed what I could not. Jesus bore the curse of sin. There’s not anything that I can do. Not a river of blood from Old Testament sacrifices. Thousands of animals slain could not take away sin. I think we lose sight of that. We lose our fire, we lose our zeal because we forget. All for sin could not atone.

We can line up with thousands, a hundred thousand sacrifices of animals. And you realize how much work is involved in that. As those people traveled year after year to Jerusalem to offer their sacrifices, all the blood of those innocent animals, but only the innocent sacrifice of Jesus was enough. We’re completely dependent upon that. And we lose sight of it. We take it for granted. I mean, I’ve been hearing the message of Jesus as our Savior since well, since I started hearing. First recollections I have of assemblies like this, I was four years old.

Very vivid memories of meeting with the Lord’s people in my youth. I’ve been hearing about Jesus and his salvation for 46 years that I can recall. And over that time, we can stop marveling. And stop being astonished and lose our zeal for these awesome things. And that’s why we’re here. One reason why we’re here is to be reminded of how awesome it is and how we ought to be astonished. And I’ll tell you the fact that we partake in these things, folks.

You know what happens? You know what one result is? There is a confidence that follows. As Paul says, here is one who used to persecute Christians before he saw that light on the road to Damascus and realized that he was on the wrong side of God’s things. And he says, For this reason I suffer these things, but I am not ashamed. He’s now suffering for this cause himself. He says, For I know whom I have believed. And I am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day. His very life, his very soul, he is entrusted to God, and he’s going to suffer for this cause. He says, I know I’m on the right side of things. Do you have that confidence?

4. Faith and Love Are the Fitting and Logical Response

So profoundly thankful. We should want to follow this message explicitly and unwaveringly. This is both our duty and our privilege. And thus he says to the young evangelist Timothy, retain the standard of sound words, which you have heard from me in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. I talked about the rational, logical things that should follow. And that leads me to the final point. That faith and love are the fitting and logical response. Pursue the faith and love which are in Christ. What is that faith? That is my trust and my confidence that Jesus is the reigning king and the New Testament is his covenant, his will for me to follow. I believe that. I hold tenaciously to that. I hold fast to that, as we saw in 1 Corinthians chapter 15.

And if I do that by which I am saved. He says the faith and the love. The love of God that prompts my love for him and for his things and for his people. That love is not a warm feeling or affinity. But God’s love seeks the interests of his object. There’s an interesting verse in 2 Corinthians chapter 12. Where Paul is somewhat restrained, or at least the Corinthians are restrained in their affections for Paul, and he’s trying to talk them through that. They have been influenced by false teachers and deceitful workers, and yet Paul feels like a father to them in the gospel. And he says, here for this third time in 2 Corinthians 12 and verse 14, I am ready to come to you, and I will not be a burden to you.

And then he says this is love. For I do not seek what is yours but you.

For children are not responsible to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. And then he says, I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls. That’s the love of God right there. I will spend for your souls. That’s what God did. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Paul is demonstrating that love. He says, if I love you the more am I to be loved the less. He tells the Corinthians, I only want what is best for you. I want your salvation. I don’t want something from you. I want something for you. And if we could just convey that to folks. I don’t want something from you.

Conclusion

I want something for you. The faith and the love that are in Christ Jesus. The question we need to be asking is, how do I get there? We are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. In Christ Jesus speaks of relationship. This is how the cleansing blood of Christ is applied to our condition. This is God’s fix or God’s remedy for our sins. Oh, how amazing. It is what God has done. I am so flawed. God is so good. Could my tears forever flow? All for sin. Could not atone. Could my zeal no respite no? Thou must save. And thou alone. Will you embrace the salvation that comes from the rock of angels?

If you need to respond, come now as we stand and sing.