2 Timothy 2-1-7 “A Disciple Thinks”
We are told what to think by media. Journalists do not just give the reports they also add their own opinion to them, but many times in such a subhuman way as Jack Johnson asks in one of his lyrics “why don’t the newscasters cry when they read about people who die? At least they could be decent enough to put just a tear in their eye”.
We have become a product of a callous world that causes us to be numb to the pain and suffering that is around us or causes us to have a skewed view of what truth is. In this passage we study tonight we find Paul telling Timothy to THINK. Maybe part of the problem we have as a people is that we do not spend enough time THINKING through the things of the Lord.
Start with Vrs 7 “THINK over what I say FOR the Lord will give you understanding in everything”
Read a book this week called “THINK” Based on Verse 7
The basic premise of John Piper’s book is to Lord the Lord your God with your mind requires spending time thinking about what he has told us and when we do that the Lord rewards with understanding.
Christians have fallen into the trap that tells us that people of faith should ignore logical thinking and reasoning and only focus in on divine illumination. What Piper is saying is “we should embrace both divine illumination and human thinking. (Pgs 64-65)
WHY? Is found in Proverbs 2:1-6 Wisdom from the Lord is valuable and He is willing to give it to those who seek Him
Tonight I want to show you how to think by asking yourself questions. Jesus asked questions We will do that by what Paul said to Timothy.
Vrs 1 Rely on Christ. He is the power in us…it is not us it is Him.
-Think about His power and how we can’t do these things on our own.
Q: Have you experienced a time in life in which you witnessed the power of Jesus displayed through you?
Vrs 2 “Heard from me” good doctrine and make sure faithful men are teaching it. Pass that on to the next generation of men…Gospel preaching and Gospel living… we are in serious trouble at FRBC if we don’t bring up the next generation in Good Doctrine. We must always keep in front of us the difference between HOW we do things and WHY we do them.
HOW is the means by which we get the WHY out. What happens many times in churches the HOW we do things becomes more important then WHY we do them.
We will never reach the upcoming generations unless we change the HOW. That means we constantly ask ourselves HOW do we show others that the WHY is relevant to their lives.
Philip Ryken said “one of the most important ways to keep the faith is to pass down the faith”
-Think about what you believe and think about how you can pass it down
Q: How are you passing your faith down to the next generation?
Vrs 3 “A Disciple will Suffer” we talked extensively about this two weeks ago
-Think about what it costs to serve the Lord and think about what it costs Him to serve us.
Q: How have you suffered for following Jesus?
Vrs 4 Don’t get off focus “Good Soldier” focuses on what the chief wants, Semper Fi is short for Semper Fidelis = Always Faithful. As a Christian we need to realize…Jesus is our Chief Shepherd and our Pastor. We need to listen Him.
There are so many voices of other people who feel they know what is best for us, what we should do, how we should feel. They get us off focus
-Think about how I can be faithful to what Jesus wants me to do.
Q: What have you been neglecting that you know Jesus wants you to do?
Vrs 5 Do what is right. Athlete “competes according to the rules” Remember in life the end does not justify the means. A disciple of Jesus should do what is right. Obeying Jesus commands is how we show him that we love him and how others know that it is Him that we follow
-Think about what is right to do in every situation
Q: What sin or sins are you struggling with?
Vrs 6 Work hard “hard working farmer” reaps a reward
-Think about how I can be more effective, (you will reap rewards)
Q: Where have you been lazy when it comes to your spiritual life?
Vrs 7 “THINK over what I say”
The problem…we spend time thinking about sinful, unfruitful or unproductive things. “Every thought should be captive of the Word of God
Examples
-Using thoughts to manipulate. Matt 21:23-27 This is an example of using our minds to not serve the truth…it is using our minds to serve the sin nature. Piper calls this “the seed of relativism” Relativism is “Truth claims are not valid for everyone”
-Desires leading to thoughts that plan sin. Sin starts with a desire and when we start to think in and live in those desires we fall to sin and sin gives birth to death. James 1:14-16
-Sinful thoughts Matt 5…hate, lust etc
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind…As Piper points out the way to glorify and love God with your mind is to think about him and what He has for us to do and what is pure Phil 4:8
Think about on a regular basis
-What you know. Many of you have been here for some time and hopefully you have learned. Spend time thinking about those things
-What you need to know
1. What is the purpose of my life?
2. Do I have clear direction about what I should be doing?
3. Who am I going to listen to…civilians or the Chief?
4. What areas am I lacking
-The Gospel (the basics) Daily think about the Gospel Not “I am a good guy” that is the lie from hell “no one is righteous” GOSPEL
Galatians 3 tells us that whoever breaks God’s law is cursed…but Jesus became the curse for us.
-The promise (gift)…Vrs 7 ”for the Lord will give you understanding in everything”
Challenges
-Before you go to sleep on Sunday nights, shut everything down and get to quiet place and think about what you learned this week in church.
Romans 10:17 “Faith comes by hearing”
-Use what we are learning as springboard for devotion time during the week. Website…notes
-Community Group…one purpose is to think about and discuss what you learned
-Memory Verses in bulletin
“A Disciple thinks and Jesus gives us understanding”
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