Grace-Driven Discipleship
Text: 2 Timothy 2:1-9
Core Idea: Jesus Christ calls us to anchor ourselves in His grace as we help others experience the same grace. Then with unwavering devotion to Christ, integrity, and diligence, we must live out the gospel as we proclaim it to the world. This is the kind of discipleship that we are to engage in.
INTRODUCTION
Thank you, Jon, for honestly sharing the struggles of your fatherhood – but also reminding us that we can overcome our fears and worries by meditating on who God is, remembering that our heavenly Father knows and cares for us. I pray that his story has encouraged you especially if you feel circumstances have caused your faith to be shaken. Let us continue to fix our eyes on Him, the Author and Perfecter of our faith.
And on that note, Happy Father’s Day. As a way to encourage our fathers, I wanted to share from Hebrews 7:25, which says, “He always lives to intercede for them.” I don’t know about you – but I’ve been feeling incredibly inadequate and, at times, lost as a father recently. I want to be a godly dad – patient, kind, caring, and loving – but I find myself more impatient, frustrated, and exhausted, which often leads me to feel defeated and guilty. I feel like I’m not doing enough, loving enough. And it’s in this discouraged state that God spoke to me through this verse. So, dads, take this in: Jesus is praying for you right now. He didn’t leave you to carry this call on your own – He is intensely, constantly interceding for you. Then let us continue to look to our Father in heaven as we learn to love our family the way Christ loved the church. And as for the rest of you, take some time to show your love for your fathers today – pray for them and encourage them.
We’ve been looking at the life of Jesus through the Gospel of Mark. Last week, we learned that Jesus’ messiahship shapes our discipleship – that as Jesus Christ was called to suffer, be rejected, be killed, and rise again, we too are called to take up our cross and die to ourselves. We talked about how we should joyfully surrender our lives to Him, knowing that that’s exactly what Christ did for us – He “wastefully” gave us all. Now, what does this mean practically? What does it mean to die to ourselves and follow Jesus? Then before moving further into the book of Mark, I thought this would be a good place to take a short break and discuss a little more about discipleship. So, to do that, let’s turn our Bibles to 2 Timothy 2:1-9. Let me read this for us.
1 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. 3 Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer. 5 Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. 7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this. 8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, 9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal.
Amen. This is the Word of God for you today.
There are three aspects of discipleship I want to look at from this passage.
THE FOUNDATION OF DISCIPLESHIP: GRACE
THE CALL OF DISCIPLESHIP: ENTRUST
THE CHALLENGE OF DISCIPLESHIP: SUFFERING
1) THE FOUNDATION OF DISCIPLESHIP: GRACE
Let’s start from verse 1. “You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” The truth is that discipleship is not easy – I mean, who’s able to joyfully die to themselves? Discipleship is messy, inconvenient, and uncomfortable. We don’t always want to obey God’s Word, share the gospel, or invest our time in helping others grow in faith. It’s time-consuming, money-consuming, and energy-consuming. Living with Jesus at the center in this broken and evil world almost seems impossible, which is why we need a strong and unshakable foundation we can stand on. Then the question is: “When we feel weak, when we feel distant from God, when we lose that motivation to follow Jesus, where do we look to get that strength? What keeps us from giving up when the storms of life come at us, when the busyness of life wears us out? Is it really grace as Paul says – or are we turning to something else as the source of our strength?” If you think about it, we know our answer should be grace. It only makes sense. But the problem is that too many of us don’t really know what that means. And as a result, we feel even more defeated and frustrated because we “know” the answer, but we don’t really know how to apply it. So, in our confusion, even as Christians, we end up resorting to something less or something that is actually opposite to grace – we resort to work. We feel better about ourselves and in our relationship with God because we do the right things. Or we feel guilty and feel like we’re not doing well with God when we don’t do the right things.
For example, when I meet people for visitations, I often ask, “How are you doing with God?” Interestingly, many of them assess their relationship with God based on their performance rather than the state of their hearts. Here’s what I mean. They often say, “I’m doing well with God. I’m reading the Bible consistently and I’m praying.” Or they say, “I’m not doing well with God. It’s been a while since I opened the Bible and prayed. I missed services a number of times too. I know I need to get back on these things soon.” It’s almost rare that I hear someone say, “I’m growing in love for God and His Word. I love getting to know who He is. And I want others to know and experience what I have with God.” Or “I’m doubting God’s love these days, and I need to reflect on the gospel truth to remember His love for me. I’m totally living in sin, and I need to repent and be right with God.” I hope you can see the difference. Now if this is true, how do you assess your relationship with God today? This is so important because performance either makes you proud or distraught – it causes you to question His love for you when you’re having a spiritually bad day. But the people who are anchored in grace – regardless of their performance, they’re always drawn to God. They always find ways to trust in His love for them. Think of it this way. If I spend time with Alicia and help her around the house, I’m a good husband. If I don’t do those things, I might be a not-so-good husband. But it still doesn’t change the fact that I’m her husband. My performance doesn’t change my identity. Sure, my fellowship with her may change but not my relationship with her. In the same way, our sin, our laziness may cause our fellowship with God to change, but never our relationship with Him because He is committed to us – His love for us will never change. Listen to what Jerry Bridges says, “Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God’s grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God’s grace.”
Now, some of you might be suspicious – “Are you really telling me that I don’t have to do the right things, ‘perform’ to be loved by God?” Absolutely. Our God is not petty. He is unimaginably generous with His love and compassion for us. Is this how you understand who God to be – this merciful Father? You see, our understanding of God may be distorted because we live in a world where we must prove our worth and significance. “Why would God be any different?” But this is why the gospel is good news – it says that Jesus frees us from the burden of impressing God because He has impressed God on behalf of us. His righteousness becomes ours. The amazing thing is that when we receive His grace, we don’t just linger in our imperfection, unbelief, and disobedience – we fight for holiness because this is what we’re saved for. We begin to want to say no to sin and live in such a way that pleases God. We want to see God glorified in our obedience.
Then practically speaking, what does it mean to be strong in His grace? It means that we preach the gospel to ourselves every day of our Christian lives. That’s what Paul means when he said in verse 7, “Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.” Here, Paul was not talking about getting new information, he was talking about engaging in meditation – thinking, pondering, considering the things that you’ve already heard. Pastor Tim Keller wrote, “The Christian life is a process of renewing every dimension of our life – spiritual, psychological, corporate, social – by thinking, hoping, and living out the ramifications of the gospel. The gospel is to be applied to every area of thinking, feeling, relating, working, and behaving.” In other words, we need to learn to apply the gospel to every area of life. Apply it deeply into our own souls and work out personal examples of how the gospel can come alive in the context of our lives. So, here’s a challenge for us: take some time to think through the gospel for yourself this week. In fact, you could do this in your small group. Reflect on how the gospel can speak to the context of your life – in the way you study or work, in the decisions you have to make, in your marriage, parenting, in the way you’re battling with certain sins, in the things that are causing you to worry, and so on – then share and pray for each other. That’s what Paul was encouraging Timothy to do. The foundation of our discipleship must be grace – this is what will spur us on even when following Jesus seems hard. Then let us continue to work out the implications of the gospel in our lives.
2) THE CALL OF DISCIPLESHIP: ENTRUST
Let’s turn to verse 2. “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.” Paul tells us that if you’re a Christian, you’re now called to help others experience the same grace. In other words, just as we’ve been entrusted with the gospel, we have the same responsibility of entrusting the gospel to others who will do the same. Now, this could mean making new disciples (evangelism) or helping other believers mature (sanctification).
Then here are four practical insights about what it takes to help others know Christ. First, we need to know that it will take time. The word “reliable” in verse 2 has to do with a person’s character. Paul was saying, “Find people of character and entrust the gospel to them.” Now, how do you know if somebody has a character? You have to spend time with them – get to know them. You have to be in a close relationship with them. So, the first thing you need to do is invest your time.
Second, we need to share our life. In Acts 16, we see Paul on a missionary journey as he went around different cities to preach the gospel and plant churches. When he got to Lystra, where Timothy was, Paul actually invited Timothy to journey with him. So, that’s what they did – they traveled together, ate together, suffered together, served together, prayed together. They essentially did life together. Now, isn’t it true that when you travel with someone, you begin to see a lot more about who they are? That’s exactly what happened with Paul and Timothy. Paul invited Timothy to see every part of his life – his ups and downs, his struggles, fears, and challenges. He was intentionally choosing to open up his life to Timothy. This is very different from meeting someone once a month for coffee. This means hospitality. This means inviting people to your home even when it’s inconvenient, not all put together. Then let me ask you, “Are you willing to invite people into your life? Are you willing to become vulnerable and let them see you for who you really are? Are you ready to inconvenience your life for others?”
Third, we need to pass on what we’ve learned. It’s not just spending time together but it’s also how we spend that time together. And Paul tells us that it can’t be without intentional teaching – passing on of the gospel truth. What have you learned from the Bible? What have you learned about God through your life? Take that and pass it on – share it and proclaim that to other people.
Lastly, we need to be an example to follow. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” It’s not just what you say but it’s also how you live – and humbly inviting others to follow in your steps. Now, this can sound incredibly overwhelming – who would be confident enough to invite others to imitate them knowing how sinful and flawed they are? But you really don’t need to be perfect to do this – you simply need to be faithful. Since it’s Father’s Day, let me share something about my dad. As some of you know, my dad works as a custodian at a church. He’ll be retiring in August, but I remember what he said when he first started this job – something that to this day made a huge impact on the way I do ministry. He said, “I know that this is going to be hard work (physically taxing). And maybe some people may look down on me for what I do. But I’m okay because my desire is to work in a way that pleases God. I recently read about Brother Lawrence.” Now, Brother Lawrence was a monk who worked at a monastery as a cook and wrote a famous book called Practicing the Presence of God. Referring to this book, he said, “Although most of his work involved cooking, he discovered that he was able to experience God’s presence even in the simple task of preparing a meal. And that’s what I want to do. As I pick up the garbage or clean the washroom, I want to experience God’s presence. I want to serve God and this church in a way that will bring glory and honor to God. Pray for me that I’ll be filled with joy as I work.” And that’s exactly what my dad has been doing for over 10 years. I can confidently say that his faithfulness has made an eternal impact on my life – in the way I see ministry and life.
Brothers and sisters, you too can make an eternal impact on someone today. It doesn’t have to be big and flashy. It could simply mean that you love your family faithfully – showing others what it means to build up a God-centered home. It could mean that you work and study hard for the glory of God – showing others how you can shine the light of Christ in your school or workplace. It could mean that you encourage someone regularly, cook for a needy family, and give generously to those who may be struggling – showing others what it means to be graciously hospitable. You see, God has placed you here (in this city, in this church, at your school, at your workplace, at this time) for a purpose. Where you are in your life is exactly where God wants you to be. What you went through is exactly what God wanted you to experience – joy, success, pain, grief, loss, failures, or confusion. And through all these things, God wants to use you. Then, brothers and sisters, I invite you to make yourselves available and make an eternal impact on someone today. Can you imagine if our church lived like this? Can you imagine the kind of impact we can have on one another and beyond this community? Then let’s invest our time, share our lives, teach what we know, and model for others what it means to take up our cross and follow Jesus. Entrust the gospel to one another – this is the call that you and I have received.
3) THE CHALLENGE OF DISCIPLESHIP: SUFFERING
Let’s turn to verse 3. “Join with me in suffering.” The reality is that living for Jesus will not be easy because the gospel is offensive to this world. Many disciples were killed for their faith, and many believers around the world today are being persecuted for their faith. This is the world we’re living in – they are hostile against the message. We will be hated; therefore, we will suffer. Then what must be our response? Should we run away? No, Paul urges us to join in suffering with him – and he gives us three metaphors to describe how we should persevere through this challenge. First, a soldier in verse 3. There are many aspects of what it means to be a soldier that’s parallel to the Christian life. But the particular thing that Paul was bringing out here was this idea of single-mindedness. Regardless of how difficult the mission may be, Paul tells us that a good soldier will not be distracted or be led astray by fear but will do everything in their power to accomplish the mission. It often means that they must forsake things that might be permissible for a civilian but may not be profitable for a soldier. They don’t want to be sidetracked and become ineffective in their missions. And this is no different with our spiritual life as well. Being a Christian is to have God as your commanding officer. Elisabeth Elliot wrote that when Jim Elliot (a missionary to Ecuador who was killed for his faith) was in college, he quoted this very verse to explain why he couldn’t get involved in a romantic relationship with her. Jim had no time to date because his heart was on missions. In the end, they did get married, but it was after he was already in Ecuador – that’s how focused he was. You see, Paul was inviting us to fix our eyes on God and make every effort to obey Him – live with urgency as if you’re engaged in a war; learn to say no to certain things that may prevent you from being obedient to the call that you have received (namely, entrusting the gospel to others). So, the question for us is this: is there anything in your life that you know you’re called to do but have been delaying? Have you sacrificed something to please God and advance His mission? This is how we respond to the challenges of discipleship – unwavering devotion to God.
Second, an athlete in verse 5. Paul says that an athlete must compete according to the rules or else will not receive the victor’s crown. What does this mean? It means that we must have integrity in our discipleship. More than a decade ago, there was an article about a man who was running a marathon in northern England – and he had an impressive time (2 hours and 51 minutes, finished in third place). After the marathon, he was being interviewed by the reporters and he talked about how the race was very difficult, that he was very tired but how his training helped him to finish well. Now, some of the other runners were a little suspicious because they didn’t remember seeing this man pass them during the race. So, they did some investigation and realized that after running around 30 km, he got tired; so, he took the bus to the finish line, was hiding in the trees, emerged after two runners had passed him, and finished third. Now, what happened? He was stripped of his prize because he didn’t compete according to the rules. Friends, in the same way, it’s so easy to jump on a bus and cut corners in our spiritual life because the Christian life is much more like a marathon than a sprint. It will get difficult, challenging; we’ll feel like giving up – but Paul was reminding us that we must continue to live out what we preach, because if we don’t do this, we make ourselves, God, and the gospel message a mockery. It’s not only about finishing the race but how you finish the race. Pastor Robert McCheyne once said, “The greatest need of my people is my personal holiness.” He said this to remind the pastors how important our holiness is to the church. But I want to apply this to us all: brothers and sisters, your holiness matters to this church and this city. Then is integrity evident in your life? Are you authentic in your living or are you quick to compromise? The only Christian exposure that your friends may have could be you – no wonder your words, actions, and attitude matter greatly. Only when we approach discipleship with this kind of heart will we remain eligible for the crowning prize.
Lastly, a farmer in verse 6. This is how Jerry Bridges describes farming in his book, The Pursuit of Holiness: “A farmer plows his field, sows the seed, and fertilizes and cultivates – all the while knowing that in the final analysis, he is utterly dependent on forces outside of himself. He knows he cannot cause the seed to germinate, nor can he produce the rain and sunshine for growing and harvesting the crop. For a successful harvest, he is dependent on these things from God. Yet the farmer knows that unless he diligently pursues his responsibilities, he cannot expect a harvest at the end of the season.” Then this is what we learn from the image of farmers: patience and hard work. Paul was saying if you want to see growth in your own life and the lives of others, you need to work diligently as you trust that God will work in and through you. Then how diligently are you living out the gospel? How intentionally are you entrusting the gospel to others? Are you quick to give up because you can’t see the result right away or are you persevering? We can be determined in our hearts but lazy in action. Brothers and sisters, we shouldn’t just talk the talk, but also walk the walk. This is how we should respond to the challenges of discipleship.
APPLICATION: REMEMBER
Let me just share this before we end. Look at verse 8. Remember Jesus Christ. Paul invites us to remember Jesus as we reflect on the suffering that comes from discipleship. Why? Because Jesus endured hardship for the sake of the gospel. Jesus was the ultimate soldier, who said, “I always do what the Father has given me to do” (Jn. 6:38). Jesus resolutely set His heart on the cross knowing that He would die there to save sinners like us. Jesus was the ultimate athlete who for the joy set before Him, finished the race by enduring the cross. And Jesus was the ultimate farmer who on the night before His death found Himself in the garden of Gethsemane, sweating drops of blood, as if He was planting His blood on the ground so that we would be raised to new life through His sacrifice. Paul was saying remember this Christ – “yes, following Jesus is going to be hard but remember that everything you’re called to do is in response to what Jesus has already done for you. You can be faithful because Christ already was, which is why Jesus must be the foundation and motivation of all that you do.” Why do we read the Bible and pray? Because we want to know more of Jesus. Why do we serve the church? Because Jesus served us. Why do we pursue holiness when there’s so much for us to lose? Because that’s exactly what Jesus did for us – giving up everything He had (His glory, His authority, His joy of being in the presence of the Father) so that through His death, we may have life. And now we’re called to die to ourselves so that others may have life through Christ.
CONCLUSION
Lighthouse family, Jesus Christ calls us to anchor ourselves in His grace as we help others experience the same grace. In other words, we’re called to be disciples of Christ and make disciples of Christ. Then with this unwavering devotion to Christ, integrity, and diligence, we must faithfully live out the gospel as we proclaim it to the world. This is the kind of discipleship that we are to engage in. Let us give ourselves to the work of His Kingdom.
Discussion questions
What does it mean to be strong in the grace of God in your faith journey? Why is this important?
What does it mean to entrust the gospel to others? What will this look like in your life (making disciples and maturing disciples)?
What does it mean to suffer like a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer? Which image stands out to you? Why?
Verse 7 says, “Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.” Think about how the gospel can speak into your life today (try to be specific). Then share and pray for one another.