Deo Gloria
June 22, 2025
Sermon
Pastor Martin Bentz
Text: 2 Timothy 1:3-10
Theme: Do Not Be Ashamed to Testify About Our Lord!
The apostle Paul was in prison—no, not under house arrest like last time. This was the real deal, with bars and chains and Roman guards. You see, his recent trial before Caesar did not go as well as the first one. In fact, following this trial, Caesar had Paul locked up in the dungeon. And Paul fully expected that he would be condemned. So this was it for Paul, the end of the road, at least as far as this life is concerned. How much time he still had left he wasn’t sure—a few days maybe, perhaps a few weeks at the most. Paul knew it was only a matter of time before the soldiers would come and march him outside the city to be put to death.
As you might imagine, there were a few things Paul wanted to take care of while he still had time, important things, including writing a letter to his dear friend and coworker named Timothy.
Timothy had accompanied Paul on many of his missionary journeys and had helped serve a number of the congregations Paul had established. Yet Timothy was so much more than just a fellow pastor and co-worker. Paul looked at Timothy like a son. In fact, back in v. 2 he addresses Timothy as “my dear son.” Timothy, of course, was not a physical son of Paul’s, but he was a spiritual son, someone Paul had shared the gospel with and had brought to faith in Jesus as his Savior, someone Paul had personally trained to be a pastor and who had traveled with him and worked beside him in spreading the gospel throughout Greece and Asia Minor. The two of them had become very close over the years. Paul deeply appreciated his companionship and his assistance and his hard work. He loved Timothy, like his own son. And now he was going to have to say goodbye for the last time. What should he say to Timothy? What would you say? Let’s take another look.
I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. (vv. 3-5)
Paul starts with a word of thanks to God. Does that surprise you? Paul is on death row, facing imminent death. And yet, he begins his letter to Timothy with thanks to God. It’s a good reminder to us, isn’t it? No matter what we’re facing in life, no matter what trials or troubles have come into our lives, no matter how dark and ominous the clouds on the horizon might be, we still are blessed in so many ways. We still have reason to give thanks to God.
Paul gives thanks for Timothy. He considered Timothy’s friendship and his companionship and his assistance over the years as a tremendous blessing from God. No one had been by Paul’s side during his trials and his troubles as Timothy had. No one had supported and helped him in his ministry to the churches as Timothy had. And no one loved Paul—even to the point of shedding tears. No one loved Paul as Timothy did. It is quite likely that Timothy was with Paul when he was arrested and taken away to Rome for trial, which would explain the tears shed by Timothy the last time Paul had seen him. Paul was very thankful for Timothy.
He was also thankful for the sincere faith that lived in his heart. As Paul says, it was a faith that first had lived in his grandmother Lois and in his mother Eunice. They too had been believers, people who trusted in God and his promises, especially his promise to send a Savior one day. And they had passed that faith on to Timothy too. When he was little, they taught him about the Lord and the great things he had done for his people over the centuries. I’m sure they taught him about Moses and how God had used him to deliver his people from slavery in Egypt. I’m sure they taught him about David and how he had defeated Goliath with a sling and a stone. I’m sure they taught him about Samson and how God had used him to deliver his people from the Philistines. But most of all they had taught him about the Great Deliverer that God would send one day, someone to rescue his people from enemies even worse than Pharaoh, even worse than Goliath even worse than the Philistines. And then that day came. God sent a Savior named Jesus, to deliver his people, to deliver all people, from their enemies. And then Paul came to Timothy’s hometown of Lystra and told him and his family about Jesus, that he was the Savior God had promised, that by his death on the cross and his resurrection from the grave he had defeated sin and Satan and death, that all who believe in him shall not perish but shall have eternal life. And they believed. They believed in Jesus as their Savior.
What a blessing that was! Lois and Eunice had had a hand in Timothy’s faith. They had taught Timothy about God and his love and his promises when he was little. Paul had had a hand in Timothy’s faith too. Paul had taught Timothy about Jesus on his second missionary journey. But Paul knew who was really responsible for Timothy’s faith. God was. God had used his grandmother and his mother and Paul to share his Word with Timothy. But God was the one who planted that faith in Timothy’s heart, the faith to believe in him and his promises. And over the years he had continued to feed his faith and strengthen his faith and keep his faith vibrant and strong. Paul saw that as a tremendous gift from God, for which he was very thankful.
Paul continues: “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline”(vv. 6+7). The gift God had given Timothy through the laying on of Paul’s hands was the gift of being a pastor, the gift of being part of the gospel ministry and proclaiming the good news of Jesus to others. Of course, we all have that gift to a certain extent. God has called us all to be his witnesses and to share his Word with others. We’ll come back to that later. But Timothy had the special privilege of serving as a pastor and working full-time in the gospel ministry. Here Paul urges Timothy to fan that gift into a flame. What could get in the way for Timothy? What could make him timid or afraid? What could possibly cool off his burning desire to serve in the public ministry and share the gospel with others? Look at what happened to Paul. And look what was about to happen to him in the very near future. “Don’t be timid, Timothy. Don’t be afraid. That’s not the kind of spirit God has given us. Rather, he’s given us a spirit of power, and of love, and of self-discipline.”
And then Paul continues with his encouragement:
So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.(vv. 8-10)
Again, in light of what happened to Paul, Timothy might very well be tempted to feel ashamed of the gospel, ashamed to speak up about Jesus, ashamed to continue proclaiming the gospel to others. “No, don’t be ashamed, Timothy, of the gospel or of me. Continue speaking up for Jesus. Continue proclaiming the good news about him to others. And if necessary with God’s help and with his power suffer with me. Why? Because of what he’s done for us, what’s he’s done for all people.”
God saved us. He rescued us from sin, from death, and from the power of the devil—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. And when did God give us his grace? Already before the beginning of time.(v. 9) Already in eternity God loved us so much that he devised a plan for our salvation. Isn’t that amazing? And how has this grace been revealed? Through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, the eternal Son of God, who became one of us so he could be our Savior.(v. 10) And notice what Jesus accomplished as our Savior: “…who has destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel”(v. 10). Jesus has destroyed death. He has broken its icy grip and freed us from its power. And look what at he has given us in its place: life and immorality, life that never ends, life in a perfect place with perfect health and perfect peace and perfect joy that never ends, life with him forever.
That is an amazing message, a tremendously comforting message, one that brings real comfort and real hope and real peace, a message we should never be ashamed of. There are plenty of messages out there that people should be ashamed of. Those who proclaim the transgender message these days—that men can become women and women can become men and they should have their bodies mutilated in order to make that happen—ought to be ashamed. Not only is it a lie, but it is extremely harmful to young men and women both mentally and physically. Those who advocate for gay and lesbian marriage ought to be ashamed. That’s not what God intended in marriage. It’s a gross perversion of what God intended. Those who proclaim the message of evolution ought to be ashamed. Evolution is a lie that is not based on scientific fact and has been used to undermine and destroy people’s faith in the Bible and in Jesus. Those people should be ashamed of their message, but not us. We have the message of God’s love and forgiveness in Christ, the only message that can give people real hope and real peace and real forgiveness and real life—eternal life in heaven.
So why are we still embarrassed at times? Why are we still ashamed of Jesus? Why are we still ashamed of the gospel? Because the message isn’t always popular? Because it seems kind of foolish, at least to the world’s way of thinking? Because people sometimes make fun of us? Lord, forgive us. Forgive us for the times we have been ashamed of you, afraid to speak up for you, timid to tell others about you. Forgive these sins of ours and all our sins. Wash them all away in your holy, precious blood.
Like Timothy, give us a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. Give us the courage and the confidence to speak up for you and be your witnesses and share the good news about you, starting right here at home.
Yes, we could go to a place like Greece or Turkey and proclaim the good news about Jesus there as Timothy did. And if we don’t, we certainly can support missionaries who proclaim the gospel in places like that. But the thing is we have plenty of opportunities right here in Belle Plaine, with the people we know and live with and work with, even in our own homes. Like Lois and Eunice we can teach our children and grandchildren about Jesus their Savior. Or maybe it’s our niece or nephew. Or maybe it’s the elder lady who lives right across the street, the one who just lost her husband. Or maybe it’s your coworker at the office whose mom just passed away. Or maybe it’s your roommate at college who’s really been struggling since her parents split up. There are lots of people right here in Belle Plaine—family members, friends, neighbors, coworkers, classmates, teammates, other parents on your son’s baseball team or your daughter’s soccer team—all kinds of people who need to hear about God’s grace, about his love and forgiveness, about the Savior God sent to destroy death and give us life and immortality. Don’t be timid or embarrassed and keep that message to yourself. Speak up. For their sake, speak up. For Jesus’ sake, speak up. By all means speak up and tell them. Here’s a mission that deserves our undivided attention. You and I have the only message that brings real healing to people’s hearts and real salvation to people’s souls. So don’t be embarrassed. Don’t be ashamed to testify about our Lord and Savior Jesus!