Famous Last Words: About Courage
2 Timothy 1:3‑12
Today, I will be speaking about finding courage to do whatever God calls us to do. As I’ve been preparing, I remembered this famous episode in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings when Frodo realized how hard his calling was.
"I am not made for perilous quests," cried Frodo. "I wish I had never seen the ring! Why did it come to me? Why was I chosen?"
"Such questions cannot be answered," said Gandalf. "You may be sure that it was not for any merit that others do not possess; not for your power or wisdom, at any rate. But you have been chosen and you must therefore use such strength and heart and wits as you have." J.R.R. Tolkien's Fellowship of the Rings
Have you ever felt you were called to do a task for which you were particularly unsuited? If you know anything about the Timothy of the Bible, you know this young man needed courage to fulfill his calling. Why?
First, Timothy was young which was a disadvantage in a society in which age implied authority more than it does today – and he was to lead a church in which people like the Apostles John and Paul had been. Second, Timothy was physically weak in a culture in which physical strength was considered as much a virtue as it is here in Southern CA. But, mostly, Timothy seems to have been by temperament a rather shy, withdrawn individual. Frankly, when it comes to leading a difficult church, that last quality could potentially be fatal.
One of the aims that Paul had practically as he wrote this letter was that he wanted to motivate "timid Timothy" to face his responsibility to take the Word of God to his world. Paul was clearly convinced that Timothy had the ability. Paul also knew that Timothy had been called by God for the task. But still, Paul knew that Timothy needed courage. Paul here is writing to a young pastor – but I think his words speak to us all when there is something we know we should do but aren’t sure we can do it. The question of the day -- posed by this passage is this: Where do we find the courage to do those challenging things God calls us to do?
So, Paul’s opening words to Timothy are a bit like a motivational speech, a biblical motivational speech.
Motivator #1: Take time to Remember (1:3-7) I remind you…”
Remember what?
- Remember those who are praying for you (1:3-4). I constantly remember you in my prayers…
Paul told Timothy that he prayed for him “night and day” Would that have encouraged you? It must have been a great encouragement to Timothy to know he had the prayer support of such a personal and spiritual friend. Many of us as followers of Jesus have been helped to face a challenging task by the knowledge that someone who loves God and loves us is regularly interceding in prayer. In this I recognize the need for more to have some people in church – usually in a smaller group – who know you well enough that you can pray for them in challenging times and they can pray for you. I’m convinced that this kind of mutual prayer support is one reason God has placed local churches in neighborhoods. He wants us to encourage one another through prayer.
- Remember that God will use the experiences in your background (1:5). Your sincere faith first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice…
Timothy obviously came from Godly, Jewish kin ‑‑ at least, on the maternal side. The faith in Christ so evident in this young man had been planted in his heart at a very young age. We all know that there is something special and exciting about the dramatic conversions of people who have been rescued from the depths of moral depravity in adulthood. Many here at LAC have experienced that kind of conversion. If so, that is something that should be remembered. But we should never think that such a conversion is somehow superior to the testimonies of those Christians who simply embrace the faith they have heard from and seen in their parents. Timothy did not have the dramatic later-in-life testimony that the Apostle Paul had. But, this was not a detriment, Paul says. God will use it.
I came to know Christ as a young boy and believe that the testimony of knowing Christ from youth is also a great testimony ‑‑ one that those of us who have it should be thankful for. Having been brought up I a church since I was young helps me in many ways, not the least of which is to know that I shouldn’t expect perfection out of people still in process. I simply want to say that whatever background is you is something that God knows – and has been present in. He will use the person you are – even as he is remaking you into his image. In times of anxiety, I have found it helpful to stop and remember that God has prepared me for just such a time and task.
- Remember God’s special gift within (1:6-7). Fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you…
Something had happened in Timothy’s life that made it quite clear that Timothy was called to the task of teaching the Word and passing on the faith. There was some undeniable gift that had come his way from God when Paul had once laid his hands on Timothy and prayed for him. The Bible never specifies what that gift was though Paul also refers to it in his first letter to Timothy. Whatever the gift actually was, Paul’s main point is this: A Biblical Principle: God never appoints anyone to a task without adequately equipping him/her for it.
If Timothy needed courage to fulfill his calling, then the same God who called him would give him whatever he needs to do the work to which he had been called. This is what v. 7, one of my favorite verses, is all about. “God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline.”
Your weaknesses of temperament, your shyness and fear, do not need to inhibit you in your service to God. God can compensate for your weaknesses by giving you power through His Spirit. Remember that!
This is the first thing I want to say to all of you who are facing some difficult callings: Remember! Remember those who are standing with you in prayer. Remember that the experiences God has given you—both good and bad – are things he will use in your current calling. Mostly, remember your God-given gift. Remember that when you became a Christian, you became a person indwelt by God’s mighty Spirit.
Remember -- and have courage.
Motivator #2: Just do It (1:6,8). Join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God…
I imagine most of you remember the famous Nike advertisement calling us to “just do it” – to do what we know we need to do. I think that in v.6 and v.8, Paul was saying something very similar to Timothy. Paul is telling him, “Go out and do what God’s called you to do and see what he will do through you!”
In v.6, Paul said that the only way we see the power of God through us is when we step out and get involved in the battle. We have to get out and “fan into flame the gift and calling of God” through obeying him. You can’t just sit back watching video games all day and expect that God will do a mighty work in and through you. I am aware of the fact that there is quite a mystery in this; namely, that eternal things are always the work of God’s Spirit but, at the same time, God expects us to step out in faith and do what He has called us to do. But this same message is found throughout the New Testament. God's gifts make a difference only when we are ready to put them to use. You won't see God using the gifts he’s given you when you don’t step out in obedience. You don't know how powerful a muscle can become until you put it to work. And you don't know how mightily God can use you until you are willing to step into a situation in which you really need to depend on Him.
And, v.8 is quite a challenge to us all: Do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.
This is a simple and direct command from God's Word. God says, "My call is upon you. My power is within you ‑‑ so step out and do what you sense I’m calling you to do.” Get out of your comfort zone and serve at the church, get involved in the community, give witness to Jesus... Whatever you sense God would have you do, just do it! You’ll find that God is there – and is more than able to hope you.
Notice the two areas cited in v.8 in which Paul anticipated that Timothy and his church people might need courage. The first is the fear of “testifying about the Lord”. In other words, opportunities come up that give us an opening to speak of Jesus but we might be afraid of what others may think of us so we remain silent.
And, Paul added, we might be ashamed of being associated with our brothers and sisters in Christ too: “Don't be ashamed of me, his prisoner.” There is pain in those words, isn't there? Do you feel it? In Paul's early days, Christians had been proud to identify themselves with this gifted, educated man Paul who was planting so many churches and was so successful. But by the time Paul wrote 2 Timothy, he was in prison and it seems that some found Paul the unsuccessful convict a painful embarrassment.
So, here’s the point: The Bible calls us to be courageous and not ashamed either of Jesus or of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Just as Jesus endured the cross and its shame and Paul had to endure prison and its humiliation, so the Bible challenges us to be bold and stand up for Jesus when we have opportunity -- and stand with all those who stand for Christ.
That’s the second courage-motivator: a direct challenge, “just do it”, to overcome fear and speak of Christ and serve him and his people. And there is a third.
Motivator #3. Learn from the Examples of Courageous Godly People (1:9-12). I am not ashamed…
In 1:11-12a, Paul wrote, “Of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering…” Do you see it? There is something about the Gospel itself that brings about resistance and persecution. "For this Gospel," he says, "for it, I suffer." If our message were different, then perhaps we wouldn't have any opposition in the world. So, let me ask you: What is it about the message about Jesus that seems to be offensive to many people? You can see some of the issues in vv.9‑10.
In v. 9, we read that it is a call to be saved. That implies that people need to be saved ‑‑ that they are in danger. The message is not that people can just stay as they are and hope that God will somehow let them into heaven. No, people are perishing and need to be rescued. And some people find that to be offensive.
Also, in v.9, Paul says it calls us to live a holy life. If Jesus permitted people to go on living just as they want to live, then lots of people might say they wouldn’t mind becoming Christians. But Jesus calls people to confess sins and obey him. That, I tell you, is as unpopular today as it was in Paul’s day.
And, in v.10, this Gospel says Jesus, Jesus only, is the way to God. “Our Savior, Christ Jesus, has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.” The Christian faith insists that all people must bow their minds, their lives, their wills to this man from a time and culture quite remote on our own and depend wholly on Him for salvation. Nothing in the Bible is more intolerable to our inclusive society than that exclusive claim that only Jesus can save us.
And Paul says, "I know it. I'm in this jail now because I had the courage to live and proclaim this message about Jesus. So, I'm not asking you to do anything that is impossible." Have courage.
So, where did Paul’s courage come from? Paul gives us his powerful testimony in v.12: “I am not ashamed for I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.”
This is another great verse ‑‑ memorized by so many of us. It could be translated either that God will guard what he’s entrusted to us (i.e., the gospel) or that he can guard what we entrust to him (i.e., our lives). I imagine Paul meant both. But, let me emphasize what we have in the NIV translation: Whatever the world may do to you, God is able to guard what really matters in your life. Similar to Romans 8, "nothing can separate us from the love of God." I pray that you and I will have that same testimony. Things may not always go well in this world but we have no reason to be ashamed or afraid. We are convinced that this same Lord Jesus who defeated death is able to keep us. We know in whom we have believed.
Summing It Up
This text has been the most important passage to me throughout my life of ministry and I hope you will find courage from it too. Perhaps, like Frodo said to Gandalf, you too have something before you that God has called you to do and you don’t feel up to it.
If so, first stop and take a moment to use your mind and remember. Remember that you have a church family who will pray for you. Remember that God has been involved in your life and still is present in your life. God has given you his Spirit and that Spirit is not a Spirit of fear.
Then, simply take the first step of obedience. I don’t know what that is exactly – but you can ask God to tell you what the first step is – and just do it.
Finally, remember that many others have been right where you are and that God has been faithful. He will be faithful to you too.
When God calls you to a task, go into it with courage. Go into it with the final words of this passage in your heart: "“I am not ashamed for I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day (2 Tim 1:12).”