Sermon Tone Analysis

*2 Timothy 1.*

*[OHP 1 2 Tim 1:15]* - unusual key verse - intro to letter - time of declension, final word exhorting to preserve the faith.

It is worth preserving!* READ*

-  The situation  in the church gives plenty of reason for discouragement, yet still Paul remains thankful.

- *LIFE:* *-* Promise of life in Christ Jesus - life is only found in Christ Jesus - life in all its fullness!

Eternal life!

Why desert it?

*[OHP 2]* - The /promise of life in Christ Jesus /is the hope that motivates and inspires Paul.

It is also the object and intention of his appointment i.e. "to further, to make known, the promise of eternal life."

It is this same promise to which Timothy is a servant.

It takes grace, mercy and peace from God to carry out - only through Divine enabling, Divine grace can we continue to hold out and prevail amidst such apostasy, opposition and godlessness.

- Life is only found in Christ Jesus.

In Him, and Him alone, we have the certain promise of life (*John 1:4 */In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.

/*; John 6:35 */Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger/*; John 10:10 */I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly./*;

John 11:25 */I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies/*; John 14:6*/ am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me./ *Romans 8:2*/ the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death/)

 - Life is /the/ one thing that matters, the things worth pursuing - what value is anything else if you haven’t got life?

And this is /real/ life!

(Time when I merely existed)

- life comes through the Gospel (v.10) life and immortality!

Life that lasts forever.

- *GOSPEL:* - Paul lays great value and emphasis on the Gospel because it is the only means to life.

- Always foremost in Paul’s mind was the glorious Gospel by which we are saved and called to holiness - God’s wonderful grace, His eternal purpose for us to be His.

This eternal mystery has now been revealed - made known in the appearing of Jesus Christ.

The Gospel is intrinsically tied up with Christ’s coming to earth - abolishing death through His death and bringing life and immortality to light through His resurrection - this is the Good News.

Jesus died for my sins according to the Scriptures, was buried and rose again three days later - death conquered, eternal life made available in His death and resurrection.

- It was all planned before time but now that great plan has been revealed, grace is revealed in the coming of Jesus Christ [*John 1:14, 16-18* /And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.

For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.

No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him./]

- Note the emphasis on "revelation" (2 Tim 1:10 φανερωθεῖσαν, ἐπιφανείας, φωτίσαντος) - the mystery has been revealed, made known, manifest, brought to light.

The Gospel (cf. 2 Tim 1:8) is revealed in Jesus - it is to do with salvation (cf. 2 Tim 1:9,10) - rescued from death, the consequences of sin - eternal judgment.

It is /now/ known!

Hallelujah!

No longer hidden, available to all!

Through His death Jesus abolished death - rendered it inoperative.

Now life - eternal life - has been brought to light.

It is available only through the Gospel - the death, burial and resurrection of the LORD Jesus Christ.

Praise His name!

Praise God that He has been revealed, that He came to earth as a man revealing God’s salvation!

- wonderful revelation!

This purpose and plan, though before all time, was hidden/ /- now revealed, revealed in Jesus/  /- what is the revelation?

Life! Immortality!

Light!

How does it come?

Through the Gospel?

What is the Gospel?

- repentance from our own way and utter reliance, faith, in Jesus - His finished work, death, burial and resurrection.

- precious, worth preserving

- *FAITH:* - the message of the Gospel is repent and believe - faith - trust, utter dependence and reliance on Jesus alone.

- inherent in faith is faithfulness - faithfulness, persistence, stick ability, constancy, consistency - prayed day and night

- maintaining the faith - the heritage of the faith

- faith is sure: I know Whom I have believed.

What we have entrusted to Him (our salvation, life in Him) will come to fruition, we will receive what has been promised.

It is worth holding fast to.

- Paul’s confidence was not in theology, doctrine, philosophy, in a thing - it was in a *person!* "I /know /*Whom* I have believed..." Personal knowledge - based on a relationship that is sure and secure!

Hallelujah!

In *Jesus*!

He will not fail us.

Our confidence is in *HIM!*

We will never be disappointed

- continuity of the faith - served as his fathers did - we must ensure it is passed on, that the heritage continues - passed on from Mother to son 

- value of godly upbringing (Adam) [*Deuteronomy 6:3-7, 20-25*/ Hear, O Israel!

The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.

You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up./]

- tradition and heritage are scorned today - there is human tradition which can be bad but there is godly tradition that is of immense value - Paul lays importance on the heritage of the faith - passing it on from one generation to another.

This is Paul’s reason for writing, to ensure that the faith is carried on to the next generation, and also that it will be passed on to the succeeding generations.

- continuity of the faith - grandmother: OT faith, continuity, not with Judaism but the God of the Jews - this was no new faith but the fulfilment of/ /an old one./

/Lois and Eunice had embraced Jesus as the promised Messiah of the Scriptures and believed in Him.- Godly women influenced Timothy (perhaps his father was an unbeliever) whatever, it was the women who passed on the faith - vital role of mothers - you can set your children on the course they will follow for life.

- the faith doesn’t change/ - /people want something new - if it’s new it’s different, it isn’t the truth once declared to the saints.

- sincere faith- Paul had seen many desert the faith, and those with impure motives, so that to have one with a genuine faith was precious and rare - to be jealously guarded and preserved.

Is it no so today?

Those with a genuine faith are precious indeed - many profess and then prove to be false, or give up along the way.

So many had proved to be a disappointment - but that which was in Timothy was of a different kind.

- Paul has great confidence in Timothy (2 Tim 1:5).

He calls to mind Timothy’s "unfeigned faith," and how genuinely real it was, with no hypocrisy or make-believe sham.

He was persuaded with full confidence that the same genuine faith which resided in his mother and grandmother was present in Timothy also.

- *CALL:* - called both to live and proclaim this faith and Gospel.

- This precious faith Paul was called to procalim

- Paul often makes clear his apostleship is no position he has chosen - it is a Divine appointment and therefore carries Divine authority.

Paul has been commissioned by God!

By His will! serve with a clear conscience!

Who can say that?

What about: *1 Timothy 1:15* /Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.

/*Romans 7:18* /For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not./? - wonder of the Gospel, sinners have a completely clear conscience - Paul served with a clear conscience!

- called to a holy life - to be separate - We are not to be part of the world but different, separate, holy.

We are called to be separate from the world.

- also called to proclaim the Gospel.

The Gospel is propagated through Divinely appointed ministers - through servants who proclaim and preach it, who are sent out with Divine authority to break new ground, and by teaching the doctrines of the Gospel.

Preaching, proclamation and teaching are the means by which the Gospel goes forth - Paul had been called to preach this Gospel, pass on this faith, so too had Timothy (laid hands on, called to pass it on)

- we are called to ensure the continuity of the faith, that it is passed on - called to proclaim it - sent out to spread it, to teach it.

We’ve got to understand the doctrine.

Can’t let it die!

We have a Divine calling!

- Why are we called?

- no reason, except God called us - it is prearranged because of God’s purpose, not our own idea - it’s nothing to do with what is in us has nothing to do with what we have done because the call and the grace was given even before time began!

Amazing grace!

- *TRUST:* - this most precious gift (it is by grace 2 Tim 1:2, 9) i.e. life, the Gospel, the faith, the call has been entrusted to us - it is to be guarded and preserved - we can’t do this by ourselves, only by the power of the Holy Spirit

- A great and glorious treasure has been entrusted to us - the Gospel, the very life of the LORD Jesus Christ!