Sermon Tone Analysis

Three pictures of faithful service

We are to be servants of Christ and in our passage this morning Paul is giving Timothy three great illustrations of servants.

I hope we can learn from this as we grow together in service to one another.

“it is said that Wendell Wilkie asked President Franklin D. Roosevelt, when he visited the President in his office in the White house, ‘Mr.

President, why do you keep that frail, sickly man, Harry Hopkins, at your elbow?’

Said the President, ‘Mr.

Wilkie through that door flows daily an incessant stream of men and women, who, almost invariably, want something from me.

Harry Hopkins wants ONLY TO SERVE ME.

That’s why he is so near me!’ - recorded by Howard H Hamlin M.D.

Let those words sink in Harry Hopkins only wants to Serve the President.

What is our desire, what is our motive when it comes to service?

Timothy is a young evangelist for our illustrations today are not geared just to evangelists but for all who are to serve the Lord.

No matter what your gift, talent or function within the body is.

Some servants to consider:

Job

Samuel

David

Timothy himself (Php2:19-22)

Timothy with Kindred spirit and genuine concern for the churches welfare, was of great worth to Paul and the gospel.

Epaphroditus (Php2:25-27)

Epaphroditus, servant, called fellow soldier, messenger, minister in need was willing to serve even to the “point of death” but God had mercy on him.

Jesus is the best example (Mt20:28)

this is just one of many examples of Jesus service given, one in illustration would be the washing of the apostles feet in (Jn13:1-17) you can look that one up.

So, this morning we are looking at the illustrations from scripture of:

The dedication of a Soldier (2Tim2:3-4)

The discipline of an athlete (2Tim2:5)

The diligence of a farmer (2Tim2:6-7)

Dedication of a soldier

We have recently looked at the soldier, today we will grasp a little more information regarding the dedication as one of our illustrations of serving the Lord

The Soldier is long-suffering, willing to endure for the gospel (2Tim2:3; 2Tim1:8; Mt5:10-12)

The soldier must be willing to endure hardship, for the Christian it is hardship for the gospel.

Jesus even said persecution and rejoice and be glad about it.

The Solider is focused , engaged (2Tim2:4; Lk8:14; 1Tim6:9-12)

The soldier stays focused to the task at hand.

He concentrates and stays engaged in carrying out the orders commissioned to him

The soldier is not like the seed in the thorns, for he does not get choked with worries, riches and pleasures of this like that bring no fruit to maturity.

What kind of fruit do you think this is?

Fruit from the gospel you have been commissioned to carry out.

The soldier does not get caught up, entangled in the things of the world, and he fights the good fight of faith.

The Soldier is devoted (2Tim2:4; 2Cor5:9; Col1:10)

The soldier wants to please the one who enlisted him.

Speaking of enlisted, how were you enlisted?

By the gospel, someone shared the gospel with you, you believe it, you obeyed it and you were enlisted into God’s army.

So be a solider who is devoted to the gospel.

We know we want to be pleasing to him (2Cor5:9)

The devoted soldier wants to walk in a pleasing manner, oh consider this passage

(Transition) I think when you see a man or woman in uniform you know the sacrifice, the commitment the dedication and devotion they have for their calling to serve our country.

We as Christian soldiers are called with a heavenly calling to do the same.

The question comes, are we accepting that responsibility as a Christian Soldier and faithfully carrying it out.

This now leads us to our next biblical example of a servant.

Discipline of an athlete

An athlete that wants to excel has to train, has to discipline his body to accomplish the goal.

Paul uses an athlete for Timothy for the type of disciplined service needed.

The athlete must be obedient (2Tim2:5; Mt28:20; Lk6:46; Jm1:22; Mt7:21-27)

The athlete knows the rules and must adhere to the rules if desires to wins.

Think about this are Christians, here I will say Christian athletes running the race set before them (Heb12:2) any different, don’t we have rules to know and rules to abide to?

the Christian is to observe all that has been commanded

Now think about this passage; If we are competing, running the race, we run according to the rules, keeping His commands, Jesus says why call Him Lord if you do not do what he says.

he says if you love me keep my commands (see Jn14:15)

As a Christian athlete running the race set before us we need to be a doer of the word not just a hearer

Jesus addressed this too in Mt7:21-27, let me summarize that

Not everyone who says Lord will enter the kingdom, though many will say “did we not prophesy, cast out demons, perform miracles in your name” Jesus will say be away from me who practice lawlessness, and lawlessness is sin (see 1Jn3:4).

but then look at

Be a house builder as an athlete building on the rock, which is Christ (see Mt16:18)

The athlete must be self-controlled (2Tim2:5; 1Cor9:24-27; 1Pt1:4; 2Cor13:5)

The Christian, the athlete racing for the prize, reaching for the goal must be self-controlled, by the way is a fruit of the Spirit (see Gal5:23)

For the Christian strives for an imperishable crown

We can know we are not disqualified by following the rules, by being disciplined and having self-control.

So, test, example yourself, your faith!

Not to disqualify yourself, but to have the assurance of the Christ in you.

The assurance, an inheritance your salvation.

So, when you turn on the Olympics here in a few weeks, or you watch a football game and you look at the discipline and self-control of the athletes competing by the rules, look at your life as a Christian athlete running the race set before you!

How are you running?

(Transition) this now leads us to our third biblical illustration that Paul offerers to Timothy, to the Church at Ephesus and to us as the church today.

Diligence of the farmer

Dedication, discipline now diligence, all sound like there is something that the Christian is to do, not for salvation but from salvation.

The farmer is a great example of faith in action.

May we take a few minutes together and look at the farmer?

The farmer is hardworking (2Tim2:6; Mt9:37-38, 20:1; Jn4:36)

I think we can agree since we live in a farming community that farmers cannot be called lazy, and that farming is no easy task.

They like the athlete need to be discipline, and like the soldier be dedicated if they want to produce, expect a crop.

As Christians we are labors in the vineyard of the Lord (see Isa5:7) and workers for the harvest are needed as jesus said.

and consider

How does the lord find, hire workers for the harvest, for the vineyard.

He got them through the sacrifice of the Son on the cross, the very blood shed was the cost for the workers.

- as workers we are gathering fruit, not fruit we created, well, think about this

Gathering fruit for eternal life!

The fruit we gather for the Lord as laborers, as farmers with all diligence is the very soul of man, leading them to the vinedresser (Jn15:1) who sent the Son to save the souls of sinful man.

The farmer is motivated (2tim2:6; 1Cor15:58; Rom6:22-23; 2Tim4:8)

He is able to partake of the first fruit of the crops.

Now I’m sure you would agree with me a new Christian is a great motivator!

The Christian farmer, laborer is done not in vain.

The end result of the labor is a crown of glory

oh wait, we need this to complete that thought

(Transition) so we have the dedication of a soldier, the discipline of an athlete and the diligence of the farmer that are great illustrations for a Christian, for we need these things.

Oh wait, I forgot one more scripture for today to finish off this passage

May our Lord give us understanding in our life as a Christian regarding dedication, discipline and diligence so that we may please our God.

(Invitation - obey the gospel) (Song) (Prayer)