2 Timothy 1:8-14 A Disciple will suffer
3 types of suffering
-Consequence of personal sin
-Suffering because we live in a sinful & fallen world
-Suffering because we are following the Lord The promise = 2 Timothy 3:12
Background…Paul was in prison in Rome and the church was under persecution under Nero. Tacitus wrote about this Great fire of Rome…Nero was accused of it and blamed it on the Christians and started to persecute them.
We suffer because…
• others hate the Gospel, Paul’s imprisonments are an example of that. Vrs 8 Offensive message Christmas Eve
• we are called to suffering, just as we were called to salvation. Just like people have become Christians since the time of Christ, people have suffered since the time of Christ. Vrs 9-12a The nature of the Gospel is suffering, One died for the many. (we must remember there are different seasons in suffering and as we mature suffering we learn to “Count it all joy” because Christ is working through us.
• of the truth of the Gospel (narrow minded) vrs 10
• we follow the Gospel. Vrs 13 The nature of the Gospel is sacrifice…when you sacrifice you suffer because you are giving up something that normally you desire or something that makes life better. The nature of the Gospel is forgiveness, when you forgive someone you suffer because mentally you want them to pay for what they did so you have emotional turmoil because you “let them off the hook” Son of Man has no where to lay His head
• we have something to guard.
Vrs 14 When something or someone is important to us we do what it takes to make it or they are safe. You may have seen in the news just this week in Australia the terrible floods. In one of the accounts a 13 year old boy his 10 year old brother and his mother were stuck in a heavy current flood waters in their car. The rescue workers made their way to them but only could take one at a time the 13 year old yelled to the worker take my brother first. As they got his brother to safety he was yelling come and get my mom. Unfortunately the rescue workers could not get to them in time. The this young boy valued the lives of his brother and mother over his own and was willing to guard them at his own expense. If nothing is important to you, you will have nothing to guard and therefore you will suffer less….id that an option??? Not for a normal people
What we learn from suffering.
• Should not be ashamed Vrs 8a (Paul to Timothy) Vrs 12a (Paul of himself)
-Ashamed when people don’t agree with Gospel work
-Ashamed to share the whole Gospel “testimony of the Lord” (we leave out the sin & wrath part and only focus on God’s love, go on tangent about how God just being loving does not make sense and therefore only focusing in on that will leave people doubting) “I am a loving judge” illustration GOSPEL
• It has less of a blow when we are in it together Vres 8 “share” (Community Groups)
• God has a purpose in it for us Verse 9 (notice verse 8 he states “The Lord’s Prisoner” not Rome’s prisoner because he knows if God wanted out…he would be out Acts 16:25-27) Maybe in your life there is a situation which you want to made different…rest that God has purpose for that situation.
• Jesus has the upper hand in against suffering. “appearing” If we ever complain about suffering we have Jesus to think about. Vrs 10 Hebrew 12:3 Jesus’ suffering brought us life
• The Gospel is worth suffering for. Vrs 11-12
It is not worth living for something if you will not die for it.
John is the only Apostle that did not die in Martyrdom. But he was boiled in oil and escaped and then exiled to the Isle of Patmos. After that I have a book called Foxes book of Martyrs which gives an 1800 year account of people that died or suffered physically for the trust and the guarding of the Gospel…There are two options for these people…they were either really confused and deceived or they really knew that the Gospel was true.
A person will be willing to suffer if something is important to them.
• It will not last forever Vrs 12
• We have protection during our suffering. Vrs 12
-Through the Word Vrs 13
“Follow” Test everything by the Word (am I doing right before the Lord? If not I may be suffering because I strayed)
“Sound Words” Good Theology…When these things happen we don’t question God as much as we look for what we need to learn from the situation
-Through the Spirit Vrs 14 Relying of the Holy Spirit
(Am I just trusting in my own skills and abilities?)
• Jesus paid my deposit. Regardless of how we suffer we have a guarantee in our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Jesus is saying “Come a Disciple of Me will suffer”
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