Introduction

The Apostle Paul likes to use analogies about running. I strive to discipline my body and keep it under control in every area. (1 Corinthians 9:27) So, I work out and I run. I run long distances. I like to listen to good preaching while I’m running, so I’m disciplining my body and my mind at the same time. Occasionally I’ll challenge myself by training for a long distance running event. This year I ran in two 10K’s.

At the first 10K, there was an older man who I ran with for most of the race and he finished just ahead of me. I didn’t have a chance to talk to him at that event. A few weeks later, I saw that same man at the second 10K running event, so I went up and talked to him. He told me that he usually comes in first place in his age category and he was running for a win again. I’m a pretty average runner, so I felt pretty good about myself that I finished right behind a guy who usually comes in first place in his category….

Until he told me the age category he completes in…. This man was a full 20 years older than me. Running in races is excellent for developing humility. In his 60’s he was still running and he was running to win (and beating 40-year-olds like me). At that second 10K event, I once again finished right behind him as he ran his best 10K time ever.

Since I’ve been in the Verde Valley, I have met many athletic seniors. Every one of them has something in common: they have their minds right. Some of them will complain about not being able to do what they used to be able to do, but they don’t let their age stop them all together. They assess their current condition, they determine what they can do, they readjust their expectations and they just keep on going. They may be older athletes, but they are still qualified to run and they faithfully take care of themselves.

Years of training and experience has helped them to learn how to be well-balanced and self-controlled in their physical training. Paul uses a diligent athlete as a metaphor for the sober-minded preacher. In 1 Corinthians 9:25-27, he exhorts the servant of the Lord to serve in a way to win the Lord’s favor. He says:

²⁴ Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. ²⁵ Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. ²⁶ So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. ²⁷ But I discipline my body and keep it under control,

The Greek could be more literally translated to say, “I pummel my body and make it a slave” so that after preaching to others, I don’t become disqualified myself. (I might make a shirt that says that one day) Our passage today is addressing how to be a faithful servant who keeps their head in the game and remains qualified for continued service to the King.

Recap

Over the past few weeks we’ve been studying 2 Timothy chapter 4. The chapter began with one of the most forceful charges in scripture. Paul wrote, “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: ² preach the word…”

As the chapter continues, Paul points out that Ephesus is a mess. He challenges Timothy to rise above the prevailing secular culture and to be different for the purpose of making disciples. Many people around him would fall prey to false teaching. In verse 3-4, Paul said, “ ³ For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, ⁴ and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”

We can relate to Timothy’s situation. There are some strange religious beliefs in our area too. Paul instructs Timothy to steer clear of this non-sense…. BUT instead to keep a clear head, to get his mind right, to be well-balanced and live a self-controlled life. This morning as we unpack verse 5, I want to show you and I how to remain faithful in the Lord’s service.

#1 Keep your mind right

“⁵ As for you, always be sober-minded…”

The term “sober minded” brings to mind a soldier who is standing ready … so that at a moment’s notice he might follow the commands of his superior officer. The Greek word for “sober” literally means to be “free of intoxicants.” It implies a moral alertness, a coolness of mind and a presence of mind.

In the simplest possible terms, it means don’t freak out – even if everything is crashing down around you. Paul is telling Timothy, don’t lose your head when you face opposition and don’t hang your head in discouragement if everything doesn’t go your way. (Because it probably won’t go your way)

God is in control and storms will happen. You can remain calm in the midst of turbulence by keeping your focus on the Lord.

It reminds me of the apostle Peter in Matthew 4. Jesus had just finished teaching and the disciples all got into a boat to set sail across the Sea of Galilee. As evening approached, a storm developed. It was dark outside. The Bible said they were a long way from land, they were beaten by waves and the wind was against them. These were experienced fishermen & mariners and they were terrified. The storm must have been so violent that they were scared to death.

At the moment of greatest desperation and against all conceivable odds, Jesus appears. How did he get there? According to the eyewitnesses on the scene, he walked across the stormy sea. The sea was raging out of control but Jesus was totally in control. The disciples couldn’t believe their eyes. One of them cried out, “It is a ghost!” and Matt 4:26 says they “cried out in fear.” I wonder what it sounded like when a boat full of grown men were crying out in fear?

When the danger could not have been greater and the level of fear was raging off the charts, Jesus calls out to them and says, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” I’m sure they were thinking “are you kidding? Do you see what is going on around us? Who is this guy?” Peter wasn’t so sure it was really Jesus. It didn’t make a lot of sense. Walking across a stormy lake defied all laws of physics. So he calls out “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”

Jesus replied by saying “Come.” Verse 29 says that Peter “got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.” It was a literal, living picture of the truth that Jesus is totally in control – even in the midst of a storm. When Peter fixed his eyes on Him, he was able to rise above the storm. However, Peter quickly took his eyes off of Christ.

He saw the effects of the wind. Keep in mind that he is standing on a raging sea. Understandably, he is afraid. He knows that if he goes under these waves, he might not come out alive. Taking his eyes off of Jesus, he begins to sink under the waves. He cries out, “Lord, save me.”  Jesus responds by saying to Peter, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

It is so much like what Timothy is facing. The storm of false teaching and paganism is swirling all around him. If he takes his eyes off of the Lord in the midst of the storm he’s in, he’ll quickly drown. Paul tells Timothy to keep his head. Stay sober-minded. Don’t get intoxicated with the world, but keep your eyes fixed on Jesus.

• Jesus is in control.
• Jesus can manage the storm.
• Jesus is the answer in every seemingly impossible situation.

Paul models this kind of level headed thinking a few verses later as he speaks about all those who deserted him. Paul was also in the midst of enduring a serious trial. He was in jail for his leadership in the Christian church. He might be executed at any time. When it was time for his trial, he stood there alone. No one stood up to defend him.

Paul could have said, “I hope they all get sick and die.” But he didn’t. He exemplified sober-mindedness when he wrote in verse 16, “¹⁶ At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them!” Once again, he acknowledges that Jesus is totally in control and totally trustworthy. Verse 17 he says, “¹⁷ But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it.”

Paul is not reckless. He’s focused. He is focused on Christ. You and I will also face trials of various kinds. In 2 Timothy chapter 3, Paul underscores the fact that “¹² …all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Once again, Paul reminds his young apprentice to expect and endure suffering for the sake of the gospel.

#2 Don’t be afraid of suffering for the gospel

^“5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering…”

The topic of enduring suffering is visited over and over and over again in 2 Timothy:

• “Share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God.” 1:8b
• “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” 2:3
• “⁸ Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, ⁹ for which I am suffering” 2:8-9a

The phrase “endure hardship” in the Greek literally means to “suffer evil.” Paul was often faced with incredible situations where he found himself suffering tremendously (suffering evil) for preaching the gospel. In 2 Corinthians 11, he gives us a glimpse into the depth of his suffering when he writes:

“²⁴ Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea;²⁶ on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers;²⁷ in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.”

Not only that, but he was constantly concerned about the welfare of the churches he planted. He writes in the very next verse, “²⁸ And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.”

Why did Paul endure such suffering for the gospel? He tells us in 2 Timothy 2:10 when he says, “I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.”

No one will be able to say that they were faithful during their life and “fought the good fight” (2 Tim 4:7) if they give up during difficult times. Look, I’ve never been beaten or imprisoned or shipwrecked for the gospel. Many of us will never face the kind of trials the Paul faces. But we will face trials. We will sometimes face trials that are so difficult that we will be tempted to give up on the Lord all together.

In my short time as a pastor, I have faced relational abandonment, spiritual warfare, the weekly burden of preaching, financial instability, discouragement, doubt, wounding criticism, false accusations, untimely deaths and suicides and more. But I know that pastoral ministry is no place for the frail, the weak or the cowardly. Pastoral ministry is for men who can keep their eyes on Jesus in the midst of various storms and lead others to do the same.

Focusing other people’s attention on Jesus is the heart of pastoral ministry and the heart evangelism. Paul’s next charge to Timothy is to “do the work of an evangelist.” There is a call on every Christian’s life to proclaim the truth of Christ and there is a call on every pastor’s ministry to clearly explain the gospel. I would summarize the work of an evangelist as a call to proclaim the Gospel.

#3 Continue to proclaim the Gospel

“⁵ As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist…”

I have met some people who have a God given gift to share Jesus with others. They see opportunities to tell others about Jesus in seemingly every situation they find themselves in. I find that I’m often convicted when I’m around them and then I make this excuse for myself, “Well, I’m not really gifted to be an evangelist. You know not everyone can be Billy Graham.”

It’s notable that Paul does not call Timothy an evangelist here (he tells him to do the work of an evangelist). Timothy probably would not call himself an evangelist. He’s timid by nature. Even though Timothy was primarily called to pastoral ministry, Paul still tells Timothy to do the work of an evangelist. While Timothy was charged to make disciples and to teach the Bible to believers, Paul also charged him to continue preaching the message of the gospel to unbelievers. So what does that mean?

Preaching the Gospel simply means to clearly explain what God has done through Christ on behalf of sinners. The Gospel is not a discussion on the sovereignty of God. The Gospel is not a discussion of about the benefits of regeneration. Both of these things are related to the gospel, but they are not in themselves the gospel.

The gospel is the explanation of why the Righteous Son of God had to lay down his life to pay for the sins of unrighteous men. The gospel is a proclamation of God’s grace, Christ’s payment for sin and man’s role of receiving salvation by faith. It is only when we make the gospel plain and clear that we can proclaim the benefits of receiving the gospel and the danger of rejecting it. Proclaiming the gospel is not limited to preachers and it is not limited to evangelistic outreach ministry programs.

All Christians are called to spread the gospel in all areas of life. Gospel driven men and women should abound in the church. You and I might have the chance to proclaim the truth of the gospel on the street to a stranger, but more commonly, the gospel is received in more everyday environments:

• The gospel might be shared across a kitchen table when a friend is going through a difficult time.
• Or the gospel is lived out in the workplace and then discussed over lunch in the break room.
• Or the gospel might be brought up on the bus on the way home from the game by a Christian athlete

Planting the gospel is an intentional process and it’s best done in the relationships we already have. The Bible often describes the gospel as a seed.   I love spicy food and I love jalapenos. I would love to grow so many jalapenos that I could have jalapenos for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Over spring break, my family asked me to help them put together a garden in our back yard. I constructed a box (according to the square foot gardening method). We put in nutrient rich soil. I even ran irrigation lines. But, so far, we have left out one critical component.   We never planted any seeds. If I wanted to be enjoying fresh jalapenos from my own organic garden, I really needed to plant the proper seeds.

The Bible often uses this analogy because you and I will only reap gospel fruit where we’ve sown gospel seeds. Not a lot of people actually take the effort to plant the seeds. Jesus said that there are very few people who will ever hear the call to share the gospel. Matt 9:37-38 says, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; ³⁸ therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

In small group, I heard one person in our church give an incredible prayer request a few weeks ago. They prayed that the Lord would give them the opportunity to share the truth of the gospel with one other person that week.

What if we all prayed for that opportunity? Being an “evangelist” seems overwhelming to me, but sharing the gospel with one person does not seem very overwhelming. What if we all prayed that we would have one opportunity this week to have an authentic conversation about the gospel with one other person in our life who does not currently know Jesus as their Lord and Savior?

I’d love to see what would happen if we were all intentional about sowing a few gospel seeds this week. We can’t hope to drive out evil in the heart of men without first leading them to a knowledge of Jesus. Paul said in Romans that without Christ, every man is a slave to his sin.   Dealing with eternal matters of salvation in individuals and winning men’s hearts to Christ is more important than trying to deal with evil in general. What good is it to rid a community of evil if people in that community still are dying without Christ?

An old Scottish theologian named Smeaton once said, “To convert one sinner from his way is an event of greater importance than the deliverance of an entire kingdom from temporal evil.” In other words, pursuing salvation in individual people for eternity is far more important than dealing with the temporary evils in this temporary world. Do you believe that? When I read that, I had to seriously ask myself if I was convinced of his statement.

You and I can spend so much time focusing on the secular agenda that has captured the hearts of our nation that we lose sight of the importance of leading individual people to Jesus. If the gospel is of eternal importance, wouldn’t it be wise to pray for the opportunity to share it with at least one person this week?

God has called you and I to focus on eternal matter rather than temporary ones. God’s calling on all the lives of all of His disciples is to complete His agenda. Fulfilling the work of the ministry is to complete God’s agenda here on earth. All of Paul’s exhortations in the section are summed up in this one line: “fulfill your ministry.”

Life Application: Complete the job God has called you to complete

Is there a job that the Lord has called you to that is still left undone? I’ve felt the Lord urging me to ask our church this question several times over the last few months because sometimes you and I can be resistant to the Lord’s calling in our lives.

It reminds me of when the risen Christ appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus. Jesus made a visible appearance to Paul and the light that emanated from Him was brighter than the sun at noon on a Middle Eastern day. It blinded Paul in broad daylight. Acts 26:14 records the event this way:

¹⁴ And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

Kick against the goads? When an ox was first harnessed to a plow, they would often buck. A goad was a sharp stick that was used to poke oxen in the heels when they tried to buck. If the ox went against the will of the farmer, the ox would get hurt.

Jesus is saying to Paul, why are you fighting against my agenda? If you go against my will, you’re going to get hurt. I feel like the Lord is also asking us: Are you or I fighting against the Lord’s agenda in our lives? Are we kicking against the goads?

The immediate context of 2 Timothy 4:5 suggests that completing his ministry has to do with proclaiming the gospel in a culture that is hostile to the gospel. That sounds familiar. We are still doing that today. Paul exhorts Timothy to keeping speaking the truth to others in every situation and to continue loving the church.

This week we’ve been challenged to keep our mind right. We do that by spending time in God’s Word and by not chasing after fads, myths or false teaching. We’ve been challenged to endure suffering and to do difficult things for the sake of the gospel as needed. And finally, we’ve been challenged to pray for one opportunity to share the gospel this week

As you pursue these tasks, I want to hear how the Lord uses you this week. I printed my direct email address at the bottom of the bulletin. I’d love to hear a report back from you. As you seek after the Lord and proclaim the gospel, do you think that one person might receive Jesus as Lord and Savior as a result of our intentional seed planting this week?

If that happens, let me know and I’ll celebrate with you!

Life Application

How to stay qualified for the Lord’s service (2 Timothy 4:5):

#1 Keep your mind right – Matt 4:26-29, 2 Timothy 3:12, 4:16-17

#2 Don’t be afraid of suffering for the gospel – 2 Timothy 1:8b, 2:3, 8-9a, 4:7, 2 Corinthians 11:24-28

#3 Continue to proclaim the Gospel – Matthew 9:37-38

Application:

Complete the job God has called you to complete – 2 Timothy 4:5, Acts 26:14

Challenge to pray for one opportunity to share the gospel this week – mstafford@canyonbiblechurch.org