Strength in the Lord

Order of Service

• Call to Worship — Psalm 67:1-7
• Hymn
• Prayer of Invocation
• Confession of Sin
• Assurance of Pardon — Isaiah 55:6-7
• Scripture Reading — 1 Samuel 23:1-14
• Pastoral Prayer
• Hymn
• Sermon
• Hymn
• Benediction

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Sermon Title: Strength in the Lord

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:1-7

I. The Source of Christian Strength — 2 Timothy 2:1

A. Grace defined as de-merited favor — not merely unmerited, but given to those who have actively merited God's curse

1. We were enemies of God, yet Christ died for us (Romans 5:8)
2. Unmerited favor leaves open the possibility of neutrality; biblical grace does not

B. This grace is found in Christ Jesus alone

1. Paul calls Timothy to keep on being strengthened — a continuous clinging to Christ
2. Timothy's union with Christ goes back before the foundation of the world, to Calvary, and to his conversion

C. Warning from the church at Ephesus — Revelation 2:1-7

1. The Ephesians were zealous heresy-detectors, yet had abandoned their first love (Revelation 2:4)
2. Christ commands them to repent and return to their first works (Revelation 2:5)
3. Christian strength is not found in loudly denouncing heresy but in a humble heart swimming in the grace of God in Christ
4. Application: Even as we contend for truth, our actions must be saturated with grace, flowing from our first love

D. Supporting texts on God's strengthening of the weak

1. Isaiah 40:29 — He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of those who have no might
2. 2 Corinthians 12 — When I am weak, then I am strong
3. Philippians 4:13 — I can do all things through him who strengthens me

II. The Sharing of Christian Strength — 2 Timothy 2:2

A. Timothy is to entrust the apostolic doctrine — what he heard from Paul before many witnesses — to faithful, able men who will teach others

1. The pastoral epistles address the question: what will the church look like when the apostles are gone?
2. The next generation's authority rests not on title, status, or tenure, but on faithful proclamation of the apostolic gospel

B. The primacy of able preaching and teaching

1. Illustration: Charlie Wingard's question when vetting church-plant candidates — "Can he preach?"
2. The passing of sound doctrine from mentor to intern to the next generation models precisely what Paul commands here

C. The church's strength is corporate and generational, not dependent on one charismatic leader

1. A church built around one personality is a sign of weakness — more like a cult than a church
2. True strength comes from the apostolic word faithfully proclaimed from generation to generation

III. The Standards of Christian Strength — 2 Timothy 2:3-7

A. The Soldier — 2 Timothy 2:3-4

1. A good soldier shares in suffering; the Christian life is a spiritual war (Ephesians 6:12)
2. No soldier entangles himself in civilian pursuits — his aim is to please the one who enlisted him
3. Paul may be alluding to the Roman military code of Theodosius forbidding soldiers from civilian occupations
4. Application: Both feet must be in the kingdom of God — no divided loyalty between the world and Christ

B. The Athlete — 2 Timothy 2:5

1. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules
2. In the ancient world, Olympic competitors were required to complete a ten-day training period and swear an oath before the judges
3. Church vows (ordination, membership) mirror this commitment — binding the individual to the standards of discipleship and service

C. The Farmer — 2 Timothy 2:6

1. The hard-working farmer deserves the first share of the crops
2. In the ancient world most farmers did not own their land (akin to medieval serfs); owners offered the first-fruits as an incentive for diligent labor
3. Christ is the owner of the crop; he sets the terms and rewards faithful labor

D. Synthesis of the three metaphors

1. Jesus is the General of the war, the Judge of the event, and the Owner of the crop
2. Christian strength is found in submitting to Christ as Prophet (his word rules), Priest (his blood covers), and King (his reign governs)
3. There is no mixture with the world's standards — no substitute Christs (the Da Vinci Code's Christ, Bart Ehrman's Christ, the Christ of social-justice theory, the Christ of popular media)
4. Strength is found solely in the apostolic Christ — his word, his blood, his rule, and his reign