Stir Up The Gift

10-5-25

Hoonah-Hadley

2 Timothy 1:1-14

Call to Worship Psalm 37:1-10

Daily Verse’s: 2 Tim. 1:6-7

Stir Up The Gift

“Therefore, I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of sound mind.” Brother Budke says, “knock it off!” There are fears that are natural, God given, fear of heights, fear of falling, and a few others I suppose, but “God has not given us a spirit of fear.” Did you hear that? “God has not given us a spirit of fear.” No if and or buts about it, knock it off, stop the nonsense. If God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear, then where does it come from? It’s a lie straight from the pits of hell. Proverbs 23:23 “Buy the truth and do not sell it, also wisdom and instruction and understanding.” It’s the truth that sets us free, fear has us in all kinds of bondage, fear is a liar, knock it off! 1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love; but perfect love cast out fear, because fear involves torment.” God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power! Stop this milky toast, weak, doubting, fearful whining stuff, be done with it, graduate from it! He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or imagine, His strength is made perfect in our weakness. Ask, knock, seek! James 1:5 “If any of you lacks wisdom, ask God who gives to all liberally…and it will be given to you.” A quote from an elderly pianist in a small country church: “Fear God and you will fear nothing else.” You either trust God or you don’t. Vs. 1 “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus.” An apostle is one sent as an official representative of Christ.  Question: Do we represent Christ?

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“By the will of God.” The same God that commissioned Paul commissions us. The One who created us in His image, breathed life into us, numbered our days, called us, elected us, predestined us, forgave us, loves us, healed us, transforms us, fills us, sends us. He is able, I am convinced of that. Not only does God give us the victory, we are to sit, walk and stand with the blessed assurance that with Him all things are possible and if He is with us, who can stand against us? No one, that’s who and especially that loser Satan! When the waves of life roll over you one after the other, when you cry out to the only One that can save, raising your hand for help, He’ll take you by the hand every time and raise you up on angel’s wings. Blind Bartimaeus cried out, the disciples told him to shut up so he cried out all the more. Jesus asked him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” Bartimaeus replies, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.” Jesus says, “Go your way, your faith has made you well.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road. Matthew 28:18 “All authority had been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” This authority has been transferred to us by and through the Holy Spirit which is “given to us.” Vs.1 continues, “according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus.” Remember, an apostle is one sent and the role of the apostle is to proclaim the life that is in Christ. This “promise of life” refers to life eternal. The construction worker with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth knows the score, “we’re all going to die, it’s just a matter of where we’re going.” 1 Tim. 1:16 “…that in me…Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life.” We can substitute our names in this epistle for Paul, Timothy or both. Paul is the pattern to which we are called, yes, he is teaching Timothy, but this is God’s word, profitable for instruction to those who believe.

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Vs. 2 “To Timothy, a beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” This is Paul near the end of his life, God’s ministry through him, and as he is, so are we, called to pass the torch. There is nothing greater that you might do with your life than to share the Good News with your children, grandchildren and all those that God would have you share it with. Psalm 127:3 “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord.” Deut. 6:6-7 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children…” A brother in Christ did this very thing, raised up 2 daughters in the way they should go. The one daughter having a lengthy commute to work, and being pregnant would play scripture on the radio during that drive. Psalm 139:13 “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.” Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way they should go and when they are old they will not depart from it.” In 1 Samuel 1 Hannah makes a vow to the Lord saying if You “will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life…” Crosby, Stills and Nash 1970 “Teach Your Children”. Vs. 3-5 “I thank God…without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day…when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.” Week after week, lesson after lesson there is an ongoing theme of thanksgiving, prayer, remembrance and faith. One of the keys here is a “genuine faith”, not the “whitewashed tombs” Jesus speaks of in Matt. 23:27-28. “Woe to you…hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which…appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones…but inside you are full of hypocrisy…” Thank God for the “genuine faith” of our mothers and grandmothers.

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“And I am persuaded is in you also.” Paul was convinced of Timothy’s “genuine faith”, that he wasn’t just there for the bacon. The bacon is good, thank God for the bacon that sustains us for the day. “Genuine faith”, food for the soul for our children and our children’s children. Paul was persuaded, I am persuaded, but most importantly, this is God’s word, He is persuaded in your genuine faith, that’s why you are here, and that’s why He is here. Vs. 6 “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you…” This is a “reminder” of what Paul taught Timothy in his first letter in 1 Timothy 4:14-16 “Do not neglect the gift that is in you…Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them that your progress may be evident to all…Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” The New International Version “to fan into flame the gift of God…” The modern-day Appalachia version, “pour the coals to it”, “feed the fire”. Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith…it is the gift of God.” (genuine faith) James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above…” 1 Peter 4:10 “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Do not neglect the gift, stir it up, fan it into a flame, pour the coals to it. Salvation is a gift of God, it comes from Him, your genuine faith confirms this gift. Use it to minister to one another, be good stewards of the grace of God. At the end of the day, we will all “appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body…whether good or bad.” (2 Cor. 5:10) Do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, He did not give us a spirit of fear, but power, love and sound mind. Pour the coals to your gift, fan the flame. Amen.