When the Apostle Paul wrotes this his last letter to Timothy, he was aware that he was living in the ‘last days’ – days when human sin and rebellion will increase and become part and parcel of daily living. In fact, ever since the Lord Jesus ascended to heaven, those ‘last days’ have been here – and so in 2 Timothy 3:1-9, Paul encouraged Timothy to have a ‘mindset’ that his ministry was to be in those days, and like a paratrooper dropped behind enemy lines, be prepared for battle – not against flesh and blood, but for the truth of the gospel.

Message

Outline

• The eighth in this series
• The church facing a crisis
• What of the future?
• See Paul’s teaching on the ‘last days’ and…

1. The troubles in them (v.1)
2. A preview of them (v.2-5)
3. The causes behind them (v.6-9)

Behind enemy lines…
Preparation, perseverance, purity

Paul used numerous meteaphors in the first part of this letter and also in 2 Timothy 2:20-26, especially the diea of a ‘clean vessel’. In order that Timothy might be a ‘worker approved by God’, he would need to be like a ‘clean vessel’ and it would be this, not his wisdom or strength that would make him useful to the Master – especially as he faced the onslaught of false teachers. Even then, Timothy’s response to opposition was to be Christ-like and not one of impatience. There would be no point winning ‘the argument’ if he lost his hearers in the process.

Message

Outline

• The seventh in this series
• Goals of faithfulness and single-mindedness
• The ‘images’ Paul has used
• See how Paul wanted Timothy to be useful by being a ….

1. A clean vessel (v.19-23)
2. A godly servant (v.24-26)

Who was Timothy to imitate?
The servant approved by his Master!

With the Apostle Paul aware that he would soon die, part of his motive in writing to Timothy the young pastor was to prepare him for the day when he would no longer be there to help him. Further to this, the church at Ephesus (like all the churches of that era) faced the challenges associated with the rise of false teachers and their associated heresies. In 2 Timothy 2:14-19, Paul wanted Timothy to watch both his talk and walk in order that false teachers might be silenced and the truth made clear.

Message

Outline

• The sixth in this series
• The danger facing the church
• ‘Approved by God’
• See how Paul called Timothy to….

1. Be very careful with his talk (v.14-18)
2. Be very watchful of his walk (v.19)

A leader for a crisis moment
Our high calling & great challenge!

The Apostle Paul was never one to tell someone what to do or to face danger, if he hadn’t done what he said or faced that danger himself. Sitting in his prison cell, writing to young pastor Timothy, Paul wanted Timothy to ‘do as he had done’ – that is, prove to be faithful in all aspects of his ministry and true to the Lord Jesus. How Paul did that was to encourage Timothy towards endurance, perseverance and singleminded service of the Lord. Only then would Timothy prove that the Lord will reward those who endure suffering for the gospel’s sake.

Message

Outline

• The fifth in this series
• Where we left off last week
• Endurance required!
• See how Paul called Timothy to be encouraged by…

1. The central truth of the gospel (v.8-9a)
2. The effective power of the gospel (v.9b-10)
3. The great reward of the gospel (v.11-13)

The battle of Waterloo
The gospel: worth living for and dying for!

Any talk about being ‘soldiers of Christ’ may be a bit ‘on the nose’ for many today. Images of the Crusades might quickly come to mind. But this was the metaphor that Paul used the most in 2 Timothy 2:1-7 as the Apostle urged Timothy to do many things that would show him to be a faithful servant of His master and trustworthy with the gospel.

Message

Outline

• The fourth in this series
• What we’ve noted from chapter 1
• The ‘imperfect’ first century church
• See how Paul called Timothy to be …

1. Strong in grace (v.1-2)
2. Ready for suffering (v.3)
3. Faithful in service (v.4-7)

William Booth and the Salvation Army
Your task and mine….!

As Paul wrote to the younger pastor/teacher Timothy from his Roman jail cell, his time on earth was short, and Timothy’s time on earth would soon become more complicated with the rise of many false teachings and teachers. So what Paul wanted Timothy to do was be committed to the truth of the gospel – not be like others who fell away – but remain strong like Onesiphorus who not only sought out the Apostle in jail but met his needs there. We find this is 2 Timothy 1:13-18 were we read of a man who was a great encouragement to the imprisoned Apostle.

Message

Outline

• The third in this series
• Paul’s example and what he expected of Timothy
• The passing of that baton
• See how Paul pointed Timothy toward …

1. Committed to the truth of the gospel (v.13)
2. Guarding well the truth of the gospel (v.14-15)
3. Living out the truth of the gospel (v.16-18)

That ministry of encouragement
What will you do…?

In 2 Timothy 1:8-12, we find that the Apostle Paul was just ‘getting warmed up’ after his initial greeting to Timothy. After establishing the reasons why he was so thankful for Timothy, Paul proceedes with some exhortations to Timothy to take responsibility for the gospel, not so much teaching it (not yet anyway), but suffering for it. Paul was in prison and facing death and he was doing all this for the sake of the gospel. Timothy was not yet in prison and not yet facing death, but he was still called to live a li9fe of faithfulness to the gospel as Paul did – regardless of the outcome.

Message

Outline

• The second in this series
• What we learned about Paul and Timothy
• The passing of the baton
• See how Paul speaks of …

1. The content of the gospel (v.9-10)
2. His suffering for the gospel (v.11-12)
3. Timothy’s responsibility with the gospel (v.8)

Five French young men
Faithful unto death…