"It's a cartoon I've smiled at again and again. There are two Eskimos sitting on chairs, fishing through holes in the ice. The fella on the right has draped his line through your typical disk-like opening…about the size of a small manhole. The Eskimo on the left has his line in the water, too. He also waits calmly for a nibble. His hole, however, is more like a crater, a Rose Bowl-sized opening that reaches to the horizon - in the shape of a whale. Now that's what I call vision. Smile all you please, but you gotta hand it to that Eskimo on the left. He's ready! You can be sure that his fellow fisherman thinks he's a nut. He might even be mumbling words of criticism, like: "How greedy can you get?" Or, "Man, talk about a showoff!" But there's one thing he must admit about his buddy, he's thinking big! The time he spent preparing for the catch was both extensive and tiring - he probably wore out three saws hacking and chewing through all that frozen stuff. But there is nothing that tugs on his line - and I mean nothing - that he won't be able to handle. From the very start of the project, the man has been a visionary." Swindoll, Chuck, Vision, Come Before Winter, p.311
Dear bothers and sisters in Christ, let me ask you this: Are you a visionary? What are your plans for the next 5 to 10 years? Or even the next year? Are you a dreamer? Do you dream big dreams? I'm talking about in your relationship with God. I'm convinced that a Christian must be a great visionary simply because God is! When God looks at you, He doesn't just see you as you are "today". He sees you for who you can become just by giving more and more of yourself to Him. Jesus was a visionary. Examples: Peter: Fisherman / Holder of the Keys to the Kingdom! Paul: Persecutor / Greatest Missionary! David: Shepherd / King of Israel! Rahab: Harlot / Ancestor of Christ!
And God has big dreams when he looks at Christians today. Unfortunately, too often, today's Christian is content with keeping up with the status quo. We tend to believe more what Satan says about us then what the Holy Spirit does. God calls us to be Saints. But we choose to remain Sinners. Ambassadors / Hostages. Nonconformists / Like the World. Holy / Like everybody else. His Favored Children / His Black Sheep. Self-Controlled / Out of Control. Strong / Weak. Good Christians / Average Canadians. Selfless People / Selfish People. Conquerors / Defeated. Great / Mediocre.
Let me challenge you to be what God wants us to be. Don't be content to just merely meet the status quo. But aim high. Aim to be the best that God wants you to be. In today's passage the Holy Spirit gives us goals to reach out to. Examples to follow. Models to emulate. And if you do, you'll be a Strong & Steady Christian. And you'll be able to stand and shine like a flaming torch in the midst of an ever-darkening World.
First, God admonishes us to boldly claim,
1. THE PRIVILEGE OF SONSHIP (1)
Do you realize that between you and your unbelieving relative, friend or coworker, only you, as a Christian, can claim this blessing? They don't have access to this. But you do! Yet, how so many Christians are daily deceived by the devil, the father of lies, that God's grace is NOT sufficient for their personal struggles and dilemmas. Yet, the Bible warns us about this.
"As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain."
2 Corinthians 6:1
"See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." Hebrews 12:15
Turn to: 2 Corinthians 12:7-9a
A Christ-rejecting world will persecute, reject, humiliate and hurt you as you show them love they don't want. But, as God's son, or daughter, you have something they don't: Spiritual light and strength. And it's all "grace". And it's all in Christ. The question now is, "Do you really believe that? Are you claiming what God has already given you? Are you relying on God's promise?" God gives you in His Son supernatural ability to overcome any and all of your obstacles and He says, "Here it is. Take it."
Secondly, God admonishes us to boldly practice,
2. THE COACHING OF A GOOD TEACHER (2)
Whether you acknowledge it or not, as a Christian, you are a Teacher. Not all Christians are "gifted" teachers! But still, all are teachers. "How is that?"
Well, everywhere you go, people are observing what you do and they're listening to the words that come out of your mouth. So you're teaching a message in 2 ways: By what you "say" & what you "do". The question is: "What are you teaching in your everyday conduct? What message are your words and conduct getting across?"
So, teaching, for a Christian, is not "an option", it's automatic. But, more than that, it's also an explicit command: "The Jesus…said…go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them…and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." Matt.28:18-20.
So what's a Christian to teach? The Truth! Biblical truth. The Will of God. Paul taught God's Word and Timothy heard him many times in many places. So here Paul tells Timothy to teach, "the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses." What "witnesses"? Other Apostles, Evangelists, Elders & Deacons of the Church, who said, "Amen!" to what he taught.
In context, more than "basic, elementary" truths. "Reliable" and "Faithful men" (v.2).
Jesus - Apostles - Elders - Deacons - Members - Husbands - Wives - Children - so on.
"In a state invitational track meet during my college years, I represented my team as the second man in the mile relay. The first man ran a fast first leg, and I did well on the second. But soon after I passed off the baton to the third man, one of our best runners, he stopped, walked onto the infield, and sat down. Our first horrified thought was that he had pulled a hamstring or twisted an ankle. I ran across the field and asked, "What happened?" "I don't know, " he replied, "I just didn't feel like running anymore." Understandably, his teammates, the coach, and everyone else from our college were sickened and disgusted. "How could you do that?" we asked. "Don't you know you're not just representing yourself, but you team and your school? Have you forgotten all the time the coach has invested in you and that your teammates have invested to get where we are? How could you, in one brief, selfish second, destroy all that?" MacArthur, John, 2 Timothy, p.40
Thirdly, God admonishes us to emulate,
3. THE AVAILABILITY & DISINTEREST OF A TRUESOLDIER (3-4)
If you haven't realized it by now, believe me, it'll dawn on you soon enough that, as a Christian, you've been officially enlisted in a Spiritual War. It's a battle between God and Satan.
"Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having dome everything, to stand firm." Eph 6.13
"Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapon of your warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses" 2 Cor. 10.3-4
But notice that Paul doesn't just call upon Timothy to be a soldier for God, he calls him to be "a good soldier of Christ Jesus." In other words, "be the darn best soldier you can be." So, what are the characteristics of a "good soldier"? Paul gives three. A good soldier is:
Willing to Endure Hardship (3)
By writing "with us" Paul is reminding Timothy that he is not alone but only "one" soldier in a whole army scattered worldwide.
Peter writes:
"Resist (the devil) standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of suffering"
1 Pet 5.9
"It is difficult for Christians in most of the western world to understand what serious spiritual warfare and suffering for Christ mean. The secular environment in our society is becoming more and more hostile to Christianity and to religion in general. But we are not faced with loss of job, imprisonment and execution because of our faith. With few exceptions, being a Christian will not keep a student out of college or a worker from getting a good job. But the more faithful a Christian becomes and the more the Lord blesses his work, the more Satan will put roadblocks, hardships, and rejection in the way, the more evident the spiritual warfare will become, and the more frequent and obvious the hardship will become."MacArthur, John, 2 Timothy, p.43
Is Disinterested in the Things of the World. (4a)
The word "involved" here means to be "weaved" or "entangled". In other words, as a Christian you should not get involved in things that will stop you from keeping your spiritual priorities straight. Many things are not "wrong" in and of themselves but can be encumbering to your faithful Christian service. Read: LUKE 9.57-62
Available 24-7 (4b)
"A soldier in active service does not have a 9 to 5 job, or even a long 60 to 70 hour work week. He is a soldier 24 hours a day, every day of the year. His body, his health, his skills, his time - all that he is - belong to the military in which he serves. Even when on leave, he is subject to recall at any time, without notice and for any reason. And whenever ordered into dangerous duty, he is expected to put his very life on the line without question or hesitation." MacArthur, John, 2 Timothy, p.43-44
In other words, you can't always be a "people pleaser" and "God pleaser" at the same time. "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." Gal 1.10
4. THE DISCIPLINE & DRIVE OF A GOOD ATHLETE (5)
The Best Athlete Have The Most Inner Drive To Win (5a)
The fact that the Apostles had the greatest inner drive is proven by the fact that most of them never hesitated to give their lives for the cause of Christ. Paul, James and John the Baptist were beheaded. Peter was crucified. Another (Thomas?), was dragged by a horse to his death. Isaiah was sawed in two. Etc.
Be willing to die for Christ if you have to. Once you settle that it makes things a whole lot easier. Because you know you've got nothing to lose.
In Order To Win An Athlete Follow The Rules (5b)
In other words, you live your Christian life "by the book". You enjoy your "freedom" in Christ, but you don't make it a license to live in sin. You enjoy your Christian liberty, but you don't take it as an excuse to live a spiritual life that is lazy and uncommitted.
"You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love" Gal 5.13
"Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God…" 1 Pe. 2.16-17
"For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord's freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ's slave." 1 Cor. 7.22
"If you love me, keep my commandments." Jn 14.15
In the 60's a newspaper had a picture of a young prostitute with a T-shirt saying, "Jesus loves you". Christian freedom is limited inside the fence of God's revealed will: Don't deliberately offend God or your neighbor.
5. THE CONSTANT TOILING OR A HARDWORKING FARMER (6-7)
"Hard worker" here means "to toil intensely, to sweat and strain to the point of exhaustion if necessary. A hard working farmer starts early and ends late practically everyday, 7 days week through out the day.
Jesus
"One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the (whole) night praying to God." Luke 6.12
Anna (a widow)
"Anna…never left the temple but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying." 2.36-37
Paul
"Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears." Acts 20.31
Why? Because there are no short cuts to success. You have to work hard. And the hard workers are usually the most rewarded.
I first learned how hard a farmer works when I worked for one bailing hay and stacking it in the barn's attic. I thought I was gonna "pass-out". Same thing with planting trees.
Now, the teacher finds joy in seeing his students taking in his teaching. The soldier takes in the excitement and adrenaline of battle. The athlete feels the rush of the intense competition. But not so with the yearlong farmer. His routine involves hours and hours of humdrum, tedious and often an exhilarating routine day to day, just plain hard work. No applause. No medals. No promotion. Just looking ahead to a good and bountiful harvest.
A CALL TO SERIOUSLY PONDER ON THESE THINGS
"Reflect" means to "perceive clearly in your mind, understand fully, carefully consider these things, ponder and think on these things."
"Look at your own life and ask yourself if you are a strong Christian, a spiritual Christian, a mature Christian. Are you devoting yourself to guarding and teaching God's Word? Do you deny yourself and count your life as nothing in order to faithfully serve the Lord? Do you keep a distance between yourself and the affairs of the world? Do you continually prepare yourself to serve your Master? Do you understand self-denial and self-sacrifice? Are you willing to pay the price that He demands?" MacArthur, John, 2 Timothy, p.49
So, as the times get tough so does the Christian. By God's power available in us we can face this present darkness and shine His light to a lost and dying generation. All these mentioned were people with great vision. How great is yours? How big is your ice-hole? How many fish are you planning to catch?
"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." Psalm 19:14
Willing to Endure Hardship (3)
A CALL TO SERIOUSLY PONDER ON THESE THINGS