God’s Word: Inspired
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I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.
4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.
6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.
13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. -
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
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Revelation
We are in a moment of history that will remain with us for the rest of our lives, 19 September 2022 is the funeral of HRH QEll. Our children will remember this, and we will get used to re-telling that our queen died 8/9/22 and buried 19/9/22. It will be etched on our minds and our memories. The first state funeral I remember as a young boy was that of Winston Churchill (when I was 8 years old). He died 24/1/65 and was buried 30/1/65. We are saddened by the death of our queen and many stories have been told about her character and great faith. What will people say about us?
Context:
2 Timothy is Paul’s last letter before he was martyred in AD66. Paul is in a Roman Prison. This is a moving, personal, memorable, tender letter from the older mentor to his successor, the younger pastor - Timothy. Paul is saying farewell, confesses his faith and gives guidance to stir up and strengthen Timothy and us one last time.
Picking up on this theme of God’s word inspired, we will highlight three aspects of that from this passage
1. Inspiring People
2. Inspired Word
3. Inspired Gospel
Inspiring People
Do you know Tommy Foster, Denis Clarke, Willy-John McMurray and Rita Burke?
I thought you wouldn’t. They were Christians who taught me, prayed for me, encouraged and corrected me – they brought me up in the way of faith. Can you remember the first person who introduced you to God and the Bible? My mother led me to say a child’s prayer at the age of nine and that prayer changed my life. Denis Clarke was a fearsome preacher who really encouraged me in my formative years, Tommy was my Sunday School teacher and Willy-John was my grandad.
John Stott wrote that the person who led him to Christ wrote to him every week for seven years and prayed for him every day.
Paul in 2 Timothy 3:14 appeals to Tim to remain loyal to the teaching he received from his mum and grandmother (see 2 Tim 1:5). Mum brought him up in the way of faith. Tim knew the scriptures from childhood Timothy would name Paul with Eunice and Lois
For years Timothy had been an understudy to Paul, now moving to a new role – Paul’s successor, young pastor.
Paul writing from his prison cell is saying Tim ‘remain loyal to the gospel’ (do not be ashamed). This is Paul’s last letter.
When people shared stories this week of her Majesty the Queen, we were frequently reminded of her sincere faith (same as Eunice and Lois 1v5). It is great to hear these anecdotes but Paul goes further with Timothy. He says ‘over to you young Christian, take the torch and run with it’
‘fan into flame the gift which is in you…. for the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid but gives us power, love & self-discipline.
2 Timothy 1:6,7
Fan into flame is not meant to imply that his flame of zeal had faded (Stott) this is Paul stirring Timothy up. He continues in v8 ‘Do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord… suffer for the gospel.’
Inspiring people should never leave you feeling useless or worthless. They stir us into action.
Paul writes to us today, to stir up the gift within you. Inspiring People pass the baton on, over to you now, says Paul to Timothy. If you are an older person - pray for and encourage and mentor young people. This could be your own child or Grandchildren, or a young person in the church fellowship. What will people say about you?
Inspired Word
Paul writes ‘all scripture is God breathed’(NIV). I learnt this as a memory verse when I was younger. The NIV translation says ‘God breathed.’ It is a good translation, others say it is the inspired word’ of God (KJV, GNV RSV ). The implication is that Scripture is brought into existence by the breath of God (not that the writers wrote it and God rubber-stamped it). It is the inspired word of God, it originated in the mind of God and he breathed it, whispered it is profitable for:
What to Do
1. Teaching
4. TrainingWhat not to do
2. Rebuking
3. Correcting
Theologian Jeremy Myers suggests this verse (16) in the Greek is written in Parallel Form so that two synonyms are grouped together (1 and 4 - What to do, 2 and 3 What not to do).
2 Timothy 3:16 ‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.’
Inspiring Word
This inspired word is also the inspiring word of God. The bible is not a book that Christians study for a mind exercise or academic theology (some people do). The inspiring word thoroughly equips us to serve and minister to those around us (v17). God will prompt through his word today.
Practical suggestions
How can the word inspire us?
The first suggestion is to read it. Pray before hand and then read. God’s Word will prompt us to do some act of service or kindness. Secondly, memorise it (see the Wilderness Challenge on kelvinburke.org)
Thirdly, meditate is another way, for example, imagine yourselves there. Take the Palm Sunday accounts and imagine you are in the crowd, or that you are with the disciples, or just just looking from afar.
Fourthly, ‘Pray the Psalms’ e.g. Read Psalm 23 and pause to pray after each sentence. ‘The Lord is my shepherd - Lord I pray that you will help me to allow you to shepherd and guide me this day.’
Fifth, use a commentary (e.g. John Stott’s commentary on 2 Timothy BST Series is excellent.
The Inspiring word also rebukes or corrects our ways and brings us back to the cross where we are put right with God.
‘The way back to God from the dark paths of sin, there’s a door that is open and you may go in. At Calvary’s cross is where you begin, when you come as a sinner to Jesus.’
Ignatius of Loyola: Was born in the Pyrenees in Spain 1491. He fought in the Spanish Army. In 1521 he was hit and badly wounded by a canon ball . He had to convalesce for 12 months. All he had to read in his convalescent home was the bible and a book called ‘The Life of Christ.’ As a result of reading the bible he became a Christian and was so inspired by the scriptures that he spent a further year reading & in prayer.
He wrote his own study called ‘the spiritual exercises.’ The exercises are still used today as a way of imagining ourselves into the text. Through our meditations God inspires us and speaks personally and in many wonderful ways to us. My own prompting to sell my accounting practice came from this method on 21/9/94 as I was studying Genesis 12:1 and believed that I would be guided what to do by trusting God in the same way as Abraham. He left his home in Haran, Ur and moved out towards Canan not knowing what lay ahead of him.
The living word is an inspiring word. And finally…. this inspired word of God includes the ‘Inspired Gospel - Gospel revealed.’
Finally, the Inspired Gospel (revealed)
2 Timothy 1:8 ‘So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Saviour, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 And of this gospel, I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.
Throughout his epistles, Paul writes that the gospel was revealed to him, God-breathed. Not taught by apostles after his conversion. Galatians 1:9 ‘I want you to know that the gospel I preached is not of human origin – I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ’. The word Gospel is an old English word for ‘Good News.’ When we say those words, think ‘news’ rather than ‘Good’ as we often do. Verse 8 states that this is a testimony about our Lord – in other words it is news, it has ‘happened.’
We find a wonderful synopsis of the gospel in 2 Timothy 1:9-10 Jesus, Saved us, Called us to Holy life. His Grace, undeserved a Saviour is in verse 10. All of this is glorifying Christ Jesus who destroyed death giving life and immortality through the Gospel.
There is a tendency in evangelical circles to only see the gospel as the way of salvation (to enter the kingdom of God).
It is also the way to address every challenge we face and to grow in faith - living ‘a holy life’ (v9) ‘so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work’ (2 Timothy 3:17)
There is right Christian belief (Salvation) and a right Christian living (holy life). The Gospel is about being found by Christ and then living in him. This letter to Timothy is to Christians, not simply to share the good news but to live the holy life according to God’s purpose and grace. In other words 2 Timothy 1:9 teaches that the Gospel is the A-Z of Christian life, not just ABC of coming to faith
“ I am astonished that you are deserting the call to live in the grace of Christ and turning to a different gospel, which is really no gospel at all.” Galatians 1:6
The early church was in danger of tweaking and trimming the Gospel to accommodate the cultural issues they faced. We are under a similar threat today. J I Packer wrote in A Quest for Godliness (Crossway, p125 1990) that over the last century we have allowed a new gospel to be told. It is not the true Gospel but it sounds similar and is easier to speak about. Its centre of reference is us, a gospel that is “helpful” to us, to bring peace, comfort, happiness, satisfaction and too little concern about glorifying God. I recall from my Sunday School catechism days that the Westminster Confession had a right perspective, a person’s main purpose is to ‘Glorify God and enjoy Him forever.’
Alistair Begg, speaking at the 2022 Keswick Convention remarked ‘the Church once so strong and forceful is now weak and vague, ashamed of the gospel.’
The inspired Gospel has Jesus at the centre. Sounds obvious but we waver from it.
JI Packer wrote 22 years ago that the Gospel had changed its emphasis. How much more has it changed in the last 22 years?
This week it was reported on Twitter that the new HTB senior pastor said that Christians disagreeing about same-sex marriage is like disagreeing over Brexit. That is astonishing, marriage is a creation Ordinance, Brexit is not. The Methodist church last year approved a solemnising co-habitation, I think that is sad. The church seems ‘weak and vague.’
The Gospel is all about glorifying God and our saviour the Lord Jesus. Of course, you will be transformed, you will know peace, freedom, forgiveness, and have eternal life because of him but by his grace he has already earned our pardon on calvary’s cross. The only part I play in the gospel is to say that I am the vilest offender who truly believed ……. [and] that moment a pardon from Jesus received. (Crosby)
[Illustr] Fanny Crosby died in 1915 at the age of 94. She was Blinded by a medical error as child. She reacted positively to her disability. She began to memorise the bible from an early age. Before she was 15 she could recite most of the Psalms, the Pentateuch, the Gospels, Song of Solomon and Proverbs. She had over eight thousand hymns published. Most of them were determined to give the Glory to Jesus Christ. The gospel the Good News about Jesus Christ and must always have him at the centre. In 1875 Crosby wrote “Praise the Lord… let the earth hear his voice. Come to the Father through Jesus the son and give him the glory great things he has done.”
If you are not a Christian, invite the Lord of Lords in to your heart. Yes, will you know peace and forgiveness, a new life and transformation are assured but above all, you will have a personal friend and saviour who loves so so much.
Thank God for people who have inspired you, pray for the people you mentor. Read the inspired word of God, don’t be ashamed of the gospel live it and tell it.
