Introduction

In the early 1900’s, there was an uprising in China called the Boxer rebellion.  The Boxer rebellion was formed when extreme Chinese nationalists attempted to drive all foreign governments out of China.  In the process, this group also forced out all Christian missionaries and then moved on to terrorize Chinese Christians.  They felt like being a Christian wasn’t a very Chinese thing to do.

From that era, there came a story of unbelievable courage in the face of this terror. Extremist soldiers had surrounded a certain Christian missionary complex.  They sealed off all the exits to the mission except for one.  In front of that exit, they placed a cross in the dirt.  They told the students and missionaries inside that if any of them trampled the cross under their feet, they would be let go and their lives would be spared.

According to the report, seven students trampled the cross and were allowed to leave freely. The eighth student was a young girl.  As she approached the cross, she knelt down and prayed.  She asked for strength.  Then she carefully walked around the cross and was immediately shot and killed.  Ninety-two other students remained inside the building.  Seeing the girl’s tremendous courage, each one came to the cross, walked around it and was systematically executed by those extremist soldiers.

More than 100 years has passed since that incident and the Chinese church is still battling to preserve the integrity of the gospel.  Last month, Voice of the Martyrs published this report about the persecution that still exists in the Chinese church.  Voice of the Martyrs said:

At least 231 churches in one city in China withstood attacks by government officials last year (2014). The authorities carried out a long-term campaign where some church buildings were required to remove exterior crosses (some by force), other buildings were seized by government officials and still others were completely demolished. The church pictured here is a non-state-approved Christian church that has placed large boulders in front of their building to prevent authorities from coming in.

The area pictured here was once open to the gospel.  This year there has been a sudden change in the authorities’ attitudes that is puzzling to many.  One possible reason for the sudden change in policy is a local leader who might be trying to gain favor with China’s president. President Xi Jinping (chee-Jim-Ping) who grew up in a Buddhist home, though he does not publicly practice Buddhism. After he became China’s leader in 2012 he has made statements indicating that he would like to “revive” Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism in China in order to help strengthen the “moral fabric” of the nation. Apparently they still feel like being a Christian isn’t a very Chinese thing to do.

Ironically, when you try to strengthen the moral fabric of a nation through false teaching, it only plunges that nation further into immorality.  Now once again, Christian congregations have been targeted and areas that were once open to the gospel are facing persecution.

Paul, Timothy and persecution

Since the very beginning, Christians have faced persecution, suffering and sometimes death because of the gospel.  Being a Christian in a fallen world requires courage.  Last week, we discussed the incredible persecution that Paul was under while he was writing this letter to Timothy.  Paul carried out his ministry amidst criticism, misunderstanding, false accusations, spiritual attacks, physical attacks and now imprisonment in the most horrible kind of dungeon imaginable.  In the natural, it would make sense for Paul to tell his young apprentice, Timothy, to run for the hills and to not draw too much attention to himself.  For Timothy, being a Christian was very dangerous.

But Paul never tells Timothy to run and hide.  Instead, he encouraged Timothy to further develop his God-given abilities to proclaim the gospel.  He told Timothy that God called him to a task, not to timidity.  The Holy Spirit in Timothy would not easily back down from a fight.  Paul wrote, “…God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (v.7)

The life that you and I are living is going by so quickly.  The day that you and I stand before God and give an account for our lives is going to be here sooner that we think.  It is just another moment away from now.

When I stand before God on that day, I want to be ready.  I want the Lord to be able to look back at my life and see that I courageously stood up for His gospel.  My job here at this church is not to gather a crowd.  The job of the church is to guard the gospel and to equip God’s people for the difficulties that they will face if they are living for Jesus in this broken world.

Many people throughout history and many in the church today are facing tremendous persecution for their faith.  This year alone, several thousand people will be killed for their faith in Jesus Christ.  David Witt at Spirit of Martyrdom ministries wrote me this week and said “right now I can verify dozens of Christians in prison. I can verify thousands of Christians who have been killed. I personally know hundreds of Christians who face daily persecution.”

I need to feel the weight of Paul’s words in 2 Timothy (and I’m largely preaching this message to myself this morning):

• When I’m unfairly criticized for my stance as a believer (or as a Christian leader), I need to be reminded not to be ashamed of the gospel.
• When I am tempted by the deceitful schemes of the enemy, I need to be reminded that I’ve been called by God himself to live a holy life for His glory
• I need to be ready to suffer for the Gospel when I am the victim of the rude or criminal behavior of the unbelieving people around me.
• When I’m tempted to prepare a message in this pulpit that is geared more for your entertainment than for your growth, then I need the exhortation to guard the gospel.

I need this message this morning and I encourage you to listen in as I preach to myself. We serve an incredible Savior who is worthy of our service and even our very lives.  The gospel is nothing to be ashamed of.

Exhortation #1: Do not be ashamed of the gospel

Look at verse 8:

“⁸ Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God…”

If we are not intentional about the gospel, we might easily fall into the temptation of timidity.  Timothy struggled with timidity.  He lived in a pretty tough town.  Timothy served as the pastor of the church at Ephesus.  Ephesus was a city full of idols, pagan religious systems and hard-core secular worldviews.  Like modern-day China, many of the Ephesians were not excited about the gospel entering their community and bringing into question their lifestyle and way of thinking.  Being a Christian was not very Ephesian.

Earlier in his ministry, Paul spent an extended time in Ephesus preaching the Gospel. For three months, he spoke boldly in the Jewish synagogue and the Bible says, “some {jews} became stubborn and continued in unbelief, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation…” (Acts 19:9)  Paul was kicked out of the synagogue and began preaching in the Hall of Tyrannus.  The locals became concerned that the spread of the gospel would threaten their idol making business.  A silversmith named Demetrius gathered up some of his buddies, and they began to riot to drive Paul and his Christians beliefs out of town.

People in this era were doing their best to marginalize the message of the church and to mock those who would call themselves Christians.  The earliest known picture of the crucifixion is the sketch of a human figure on a cross with the head of a donkey.  I have a picture of it. There is a young man standing next to the image and the caption reads, “Alexamenos worships God.”  It’s mockery.  This image represents the widespread mockery of the church that existed in Timothy’s day.

Our Savior warns us about shrinking back in cowardice when the world begins to mock you and I for following Him.  Jesus says in Mark 8:38, “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Are we going to let the opinions of other people influence what we know to be true about Jesus? Gospel-centered courage requires us to take our stand with Jesus and let the chips fall where they may.  Paul goes on to say, “do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner…”

It was socially unacceptable to be a Christian in Ephesus.  A Christian could be imprisoned like Paul and if you were a church leader or elder, there was a good possibility someone would try to kill you.  It took a brave man or woman to take a stand to Christ.

It also takes courage and intentionality to take a stand for Christ in America today.  I took one year off of Bible college to get some of my general education classes completed at a local community college.  I took a business ethics class that year.  It was taught by a lady who was a Buddhist.  She taught the class from a secular perspective, but she knew that I was a Bible college student and in training for the ministry.  She would sometimes call on me for my opinion.

I did my best to present my side from a Christian perspective.  Some of the Christians in the class would make some comments to me after class.  But… none of those believers in the class would stand with me during class – even when I was being criticized by my non-believing, secular peers.  I wondered what they were so afraid of?

• Our teacher (who was giving me a ‘A’)?
• The other students (who they did not know)?

If they were not able to take a stand for Jesus in that setting, would they never have the strength of conviction to take a stand for the gospel in the midst of REAL persecution like Timothy faced. Cowardly believers will often refuse to associate with those who take a stand for Christ.

• It may happen in school when a believer speaks up for Jesus, while other Christians show little or no support
• It may happen on a sports team when a player refuses to participate in post-game activities that dishonor the Lord while the other Christians allow that athlete to make his stand alone.
• It may happen on a business trip when a believer stays behind, while the other Christian employees go out with their unbelieving co-workers to have “a little fun” while no one is looking.

I think that Paul was greatly disappointed in the believers who had abandoned Him. However, he did not let it throw him off his mission.  Paul never forgot who he was and what he was called to do.  God did not save us so that we could run back into the sin that entangled us.  He saved us so that we could live holy lives.

Exhortation #2: Christians are called to holy living

Let’s read verse 8 and 9 together: “⁸ Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, ⁹ who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began…”

The God who saved us also called us to a new mode of living.  God saved us and He called us.  He’s not saving us and calling us – as if it is a process.  The work is already done. 

• He saved us (period).
• He called us (period).

Our salvation and calling to holy living is in the past.  God, Himself, drew us to the gospel to accomplish HIS purposes.  Verse 9 says that God called us to a holy calling because of his own purpose and grace.  We are now living in the fact of the new reality that every Child of God is called to live a holy life and in that calling, God has a purpose He wants us to fulfill through our lives.

God called us and then gifted us to carry out the work of the gospel.  Verse 10-11 say,“…which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, ¹¹ for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher…”

God called us and He equipped each one of us to play some part in the work of the ministry:

• If God called Paul and appointed him as a preacher, apostle and teacher, then how long do you think Paul would be happy if he continued just making tents?
  What value would Paul’s tents have if He was not doing the thing that God appointed him to do?
  What value would his life have at all if he was not doing the very thing God had created him to accomplish?  Paul had to preach.  He was compelled by the Spirit to fulfill his calling and was willing to do whatever it took to fulfill his appointment.
• If God called me to start a church and preach the gospel in Cottonwood, then would I be able to find any real satisfaction in doing anything else?  I needed to plant a church.  I was compelled by the Spirit to come here for this season and do whatever it took to put this fellowship together.  I had to do it.  I felt a calling.
• Has God called you to a task?  Is there something burning in your heart that you feel like you need to accomplish for the kingdom?

People who have been called by God to live holy lives don’t ignore the burdens that God places on their hearts.  If you don’t know what that calling is, then get into the Word and then ask God to reveal it to you! God has given you power to fulfill the ministry He’s called you to complete.  You’re going to need that power because doing anything in the name of Jesus requires some sacrifice on your part (and mine).  God uses trials and persecution for our good and His glory.

Becoming a Christian does not mean an immediate resolution to all of our difficulties. Thinking the Christian life is the easy life is bologna!  Romans 8:28 says, “…we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” The Bible doesn’t say that God uses only the good things for good.  He uses all things for our good and sometimes trials and suffering and persecution are critical for growing us in holiness.

The Bible makes it pretty clear that holiness and trials often go hand-in-hand.  If you or I never face a trial, a confrontation or an uncomfortable moment for our faith, then it probably means that we are not living out our beliefs.

• If other people can’t see Jesus clearly in our lives, then they won’t bother to persecute us.
• If you or I never do anything bold for the gospel, but live in perpetual timidity, then nobody will criticize our zeal for the faith.

When we see men and women in the Bible courageously living for the glory of God, their actions are always met with opposition.

As you and I grow in holiness, we are going to find more delight and satisfaction in the pursuit of God than we ever had before.  Glorifying and serving and enjoying God is exactly what we were made for.  When we do the thing we were made to do, that is when we find ultimate satisfaction.  But as we grow in holiness and we will also face more trials.

Exhortation #3: Be ready to suffer for the gospel

If the gospel is really important to you (or to me), it will require a degree of suffering. Look at verse 12.  Paul explains how he’s willing to suffer for his calling:

“…which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.”

You may have received an email from me a few days ago asking you to pray for Russell Stendal.  Last week he was put into prison on trumped-up charges.  He is currently suffering persecution for the gospel. Hundreds of people went to prayer all over the world for Russell and thankfully, he was acquitted and released late Thursday Night. When he was released, he gave out a book he wrote to his prosecutors that explains the Gospel.

A couple of days before his arrest, he sent out a support letter.  In that letter he said these words, “…Over five hundred of my close friends and acquaintances have been killed here in Colombia. More pastors have been tortured or killed in Colombia over the past twenty years than in any other country upon the face of the earth. …. I have been taken hostage five times by guerrilla soldiers, three times by rogue paramilitary forces and jailed by…the government.

Yet my worst enemies are not the armed actors of the Colombian war (many of whom have come to the Lord) but rather the religious factions who fear that our literature and radio broadcasts will cause the people to escape from their heavy hand into the liberty of the Holy Spirit. Multiplied thousands are finding freedom as one of the greatest revivals in history has been lit off in this land.

How does Russell have enough strength to stand up under such a tremendous amount of persecution for his faith?  How does Russell find the strength to continue his ministry when his worst enemies are those within the religious factions?

He finds strength to face his trials from the same place you and I receive the courage to stand up for Jesus in the break room or on the ball field or on the business trip.  Jesus’ grace is sufficient for you and His power is made perfect in your weakness. (1Cor. 12:9) Jesus is enough.  When you suffer for the gospel, you have the privilege of sharing in the suffering of Christ and knowing the power of Christ.

The reason martyrs throughout history have been willing to lay down their life for the gospel is because they believed the gospel was worth it.  Paul found Jesus more desirable and more enjoyable and more beautiful than anything else.  Even dying was gain for Paul because death was the gateway by which he could be face-to-face with the Savior.

Religious people find God useful, but disciples of Christ find Him beautiful….   Religious people find God useful, but Gospel-centered, zealous, disciples of Christ find Him beautiful!   Jesus told this parable in Matthew 13:

⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, ⁴⁶ who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.”

When Jesus and the kingdom of heaven is your greatest treasure (a pearl of great value), then you’re more than willing to give up anything and everything for the pursuit and the acquisition of that treasure. When you are able to grab ahold of that treasure, then it is far too valuable to ever let go of.

Exhortation #4: Guard the gospel (like a priceless masterpiece or a pearl of great value)

Look at verses 13-14

¹³ Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁴ By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

The Mona Lisa is considered the most valuable painting in history.  It is on permanent display in a purpose-built, bulletproof case in the Louvre Museum where the painting attracts an incredible 6 million visitors every year.

About 50 years ago, when the Mona Lisa was last appraised, it was valued at 100 million dollars.  It is considered so valuable that it has only been displayed outside the Louvre on two occasions in the last 100 years.

Consider the people who were responsible for transporting this masterpiece on those two occasions.  Imagine if one of the movers decided that da Vinci was a little short on artistic talent and whipped out a can of spray paint and some stencils to modernize the painting so it looked like this. The people who hired the mover would be furious.  The mover destroyed an irreplaceable masterpiece!

The mover’s job was to deliver the painting in its original condition, not to add to it, improve it, or modify it.  Now how much more valuable is the Word of God than the Mona Lisa?!  Our job is to deliver the Word of God in its original condition, and not to add to it, nor improve it, nor modify it.

For those of us who are called to teach others the Bible, this passage is especially relevant.  “…guard the good deposit entrusted to you.” Teachers of the Word are called to protect the gospel from the distortions of heretics, intruders and wolves who want to add to it or take away from it.  This passage is an encouragement to both you and me to keep studying the gospel and living out the gospel.  We live in a world that desperately needs to hear what this incredible book has to communicate!

This task is humbling and a bit overwhelming.

• Where do we find the strength to care for a treasure as valuable as God’s Word?
• Where do we find the courage to stand up in the face of suffering to protect the gospel against those who would hijack it for their own purposes?

Paul’s words are an encouragement to us that we have the power for this incredible task through “…the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.”  We are not alone in our mission.  God is with us, in us and for us.  Paul says in Romans 8:31b, “…If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Life Application

Paul wraps up this chapter by providing both negative and positive examples to reinforce his exhortation to be unashamed of the gospel.

Reject unfaithfulness

Paul mentions two men, named “Phygelus and Hermogenes.” These men were from Asia Minor.  They were probably influential.  They were possibly leaders in the church.  What we know for sure is that they had rejected the gospel.

Verse 15 says, “¹⁵ You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.”  These men are not mentioned anywhere else in the New Testament, so we don’t know much about them.  Whoever they were, they disappointed Paul and are representative of other people who easily turned away from the gospel as soon as either false teaching or suffering entered into the church.

In contrast to these two detractors, he mentions Onesiphorus as an example of a faithful man to emulate.

Follow the example of faithful men

Look at verse 16-18:  “¹⁶ May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, ¹⁷ but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me— ¹⁸ may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that Day!—and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus.”

The merciful, faithful and loyal example of Onesiphorus illustrates what sacrificial service looks like.  This passage leaves us with this question:

• What kind of example are you?
• Are you like Phygelus and Hermogenes are retreat away from the gospel at the first sign of trouble?
• OR, are you a loyal servant like Onesiphorus who works hard in the midst of persecution, doesn’t run away in the face of suffering and spends his time and energy to encourage and refresh others?

There are all kinds of servants needed in the kingdom.  Some are called to teach and lead like Paul and Timothy.  Others are called to encourage and support like Onesiphorus.  God saved us and called us all to work for the furthering of His kingdom.  Let’s all work hard in the face of opposition to complete the call that God has put on each one of our lives.

Teaching Outline

Exhortation #1: Do not be ashamed of the gospel – v.8, Acts 19, Mark 8:38

Exhortation #2: Christians are called to holy living – v.8-11, Romans 8:28

Exhortation #3: Be ready to suffer for the gospel – v.12, 1 Cor. 12:9, Matt 13:45-46

Exhortation #4: Guard the gospel – v. 13-14, Romans 8:31

Application

Reject unfaithfulness – v.15

Follow the example of faithful men – v.16-18

God saved us and called us all to work for the furthering of His kingdom.