May 18, 2025 • 22 mins
Paul's letter to Timothy from prison reveals the beautiful patterns of discipleship that create a legacy of faith across generations.
• Paul's letter to Timothy shows his investment in the next generation despite being imprisoned
• Timothy's faith foundation came through his grandmother Lois and mother Eunice
• Four generations of discipleship appear in 2 Timothy 2:2 showing how faith passes through generations
• We must all eventually make our faith our own rather than relying on someone else's faith
• Paul calls Timothy to "fan into flame the gift of God" rather than sitting on the sidelines
• God gives us a spirit of power, love and self-control, not fear
• Graduates should find a church, get involved, and serve rather than merely attending
• Being a disciple who makes disciples continues the chain of spiritual investment
• Legacy isn't claimed at the end of life but built throughout every season
• Every person whose legacy we admire was once young, making daily decisions about faith
If you don't know Jesus Christ and want to understand the gospel message more deeply, please reach out – we'd love nothing more than to talk with you about it.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:23):
1st Baptist, baptist El Dorado, will you join me now
in listening to our sermon fromthis week Church family open
with me to the book of SecondTimothy.
Second Timothy we're taking oneweek, kind of a standalone,
outside of our Roman series.
(00:44):
We'll get right back to it nextweek.
But in consideration of ourgraduates and really a word that
applies to every one of us Iwant to look briefly this
morning at the book of 2 Timothyand I want to say I know I was
up at the baptistry and comingdown this way but to our
graduates I say congratulations,both the ones in this room, the
(01:07):
graduates that Colby named,from college, from master's and
master's degrees, and we areproud of every one of you.
I will say this I was walkingunder and looked in on the live
feed down in the booth.
I've not been to an Eldoradograduation yet here in town, and
the robes are purple, they arevery purple.
(01:29):
I've never seen more purple ofa robe than the ones y'all are
wearing, and so I say congratsto you, congrats 2 Timothy.
We see that Paul, the greatestmissionary that ever lived, he's
getting towards the end of hislife.
In fact, in 2 Timothy he'ssitting in a prison cell as he
(01:54):
is awaiting could be days ormonths longer or shorter his own
execution.
He would die for his faith.
And so he sits in this prisoncell.
And what does he do?
Not what you and I might betempted to do and say woe is me.
Instead, he looks at the nextgeneration.
(02:14):
He writes a letter to one ofhis disciples, a young man named
Timothy, who he's walkedthrough many things, with many
ministry moments, the highs andlows of life.
He invests into the nextgeneration and into Timothy.
We can see in verses three andfour of chapter one just the
(02:35):
deep love that exists withinthis discipling relationship.
Look with me here.
I thank God, whom I serve, asdid my ancestors, with a clear
conscience, as I remember youconstantly.
You see clearly the love thatexists here between a disciple
maker and a disciple, the lovethat Paul has for Timothy.
(03:06):
You and I are a little spoiledthat we live in a world where we
could pick up a cell phoneright now and FaceTime someone
on the other side of the world.
We never really have to be outof contact, out of communication
with anyone Was not the case inthis time with Paul and Timothy
.
They went long seasons of lifewithout seeing one another
(03:27):
communicating through letters.
Paul knew that Timothy was upto some great ministry work, but
he was sitting in a prison cellin Rome and he longed to see
his disciple, and the words he'sabout to say in verse 5 through
7 are beautiful.
I think they beautifully applyboth to our graduates today, but
every one of us in the room.
I just want us to see two simplethings this morning, and the
(03:49):
first is this Disciples of Jesusremember their foundation.
Disciples of Jesus, remembertheir foundation.
Look at verse 5 with me Again,paul to Timothy, I am reminded
of your sincere faith, a faiththat dwelt first in your
grandmother Lois and in yourmother Eunice and now, I am sure
(04:10):
, dwells in you as well.
You see the discipleship thathappened within Timothy's own
home.
You see Paul describing thefaith foundation that existed
within the life of Timothy.
They have been poured from onegeneration to another.
We celebrated Mother's Day lastweek and we talked about a
(04:32):
little bit briefly thediscipleship role and how
meaningful mothers are spiritualmothers, disciple makers.
No better place in all ofScripture do we see it here.
Grandmother Lois, who investedthe faith into mother Eunice and
now dwells within Timothy.
Where is Timothy's father inthis situation?
We really just don't know.
(04:53):
Scripture's silent on that.
He may have been extremelypresent.
There's some that wonder if hewas not a believer, if he had
already passed away.
We don't know.
But we do know this Timothy hadan unbelievable foundation
because of a grandmother and amother that invested into him.
He had disciple makers thatpassed down the faith from one
(05:15):
generation to another and thatidea is really what Paul is all
about.
All throughout, really, the bookof 2 Timothy gets back to this
idea of disciple makers from onegeneration to another.
I love 2 Timothy 2, verse 2.
It says this, and what you haveheard from me in the presence
of many witnesses entrust tofaithful men and women who will
(05:37):
be able to teach others.
Also, in that one verse you seefour generations of disciple
makers.
Paul says, and the things youhave heard from me so there's
Paul to Timothy, in trust tofaithful men and women who will
be qualified to teach others.
Four generations ofdiscipleship coming down the
line.
That's exactly what we see inthe life of Timothy these three
(06:00):
generations a grandmother, amother and Timothy passing along
the faith.
But notice the end of verse 5,.
Paul says that faith that I amsure dwells in you as well.
So there is a sense in whichTimothy had to come into that
faith on his own or at somepoint that faith had to be his
(06:24):
faith.
What I mean by that is we don'tjust get to say grandmother was
a believer, mom was a believer.
Does that mean I'm in?
No, no, no.
You make your faith your ownand clearly, because of the
foundation that had been laid,we see Timothy at some point
come to the point where he doesthat and he becomes a great
minister of the gospel.
I think about the faithfoundations.
(06:46):
I think about the faithfoundations even in this church
and maybe you didn't grow up inthis church and I didn't grow up
in this church.
Maybe you think of faithfoundations that has been poured
into you in maybe other places.
I've talked before about a ladynamed Miss Peggy in my first
(07:06):
grade Sunday school class andshe just faithfully taught Jesus
.
It was in that class that Icame to know Jesus.
I gave my life to Him, wasbaptized, like the two we had
this morning, baptized a fewweeks later.
And Miss Peggy you know hername isn't on every billboard,
she isn't some famous believerout there, but you know what she
(07:29):
did.
She faithfully showed up andlaid a foundation.
Now I'm about to do something,and it might be a massive
mistake, and so I'd also like tosay this If you are a guest in
the room, I promise you we'renot a strange church Everybody's
scared.
They're going to bring a guestthe room.
I promise you we're not astrange church.
Everybody's scared.
(07:52):
They're going to bring a guestand they're going to bring them
on the one day, you know, thepastor decides to do something
weird.
This may go great, it may gopoorly, but we all have people
in our lives that have laidspiritual foundations for us,
and just this morning I kid younot from the room I want to hear
names, first names and you saythem out loud of people, first
(08:13):
names that have poured into you.
If my name to give out is Peggy,I want to hear from the room
and I know this is weird, and ifyou're in my Wednesday night
crew, you know I'm not afraid ofawkward silence Will somebody
just give me some first names?
You can just shout it when youknow it, just say it, even from
(08:33):
the balcony of someone in thischurch or any church or any walk
of life that has invested inyour foundation.
We sounded borderlinecharismatic for a second.
(08:58):
That might get us in a littletrouble.
I I loved hearing those names.
I love that Some of the names Ieven recognize if you're
talking about the same person.
I'm thinking of Some person Idon't know.
I think even here I heard amama or meemaw.
I love that Faith foundationand every one of you has that
(09:22):
person or those people in yourlife.
I pray you do.
I think of our graduates thismorning.
I think of, and I hope and pray, the people within this church
or any church that have verymuch invested into you, into
your life and into your faith,and I hope and pray in these
(09:42):
days that you will think aboutthose that you will remember,
those that you will rejoice in,those who have invested well
into your life, who have laidthat foundation.
Here's what I love, even aboutour own graduating class.
I know of at least three thathave been baptized in this
church just in the last couplemonths.
They're new to the family offaith and yet, I would argue, in
(10:05):
every one of their lives theystill have those all along the
way, whether they know it or not, whether they realize it or not
, until just a couple of monthsago.
All along the way they werelaying foundation.
And even now they can say maybeit was a reality check speaker,
maybe it was a youth pastor,maybe it was a music minister or
orchestra director, butsomebody laid a foundation in my
(10:28):
life.
So I call our graduates and allof us to remember that
foundation, the foundation thatthe Lord has built in you.
But then I want to go on to thisDisciples of Jesus build upon
their foundation.
Disciples of Jesus build upontheir foundation.
Look with me at verse 6 and 7.
(10:50):
For this reason, I remind youto fan into flame the gift of
God which is in you through thelaying on of my hands, for God
gave us a spirit not of fear,but of power and love and
self-control.
You see, paul knew that Timothyhad an unbelievable spiritual
(11:11):
foundation, but he wanted to letTimothy know that now it is
time to do something about it.
Now it's time to build uponthat foundation.
We're not called just to beinvested into by grandmother or
mother or by Sunday schoolteacher or youth pastor and
praise God for all of that, butwe're not called just to receive
(11:32):
and just sit back in thespiritual life and sit on the
sidelines.
We're called to receive thatfoundation so that then the Lord
can use us to go out and makemuch of him in any and every
walk of life that he calls us to.
For our graduates this morning,I hope and pray.
This has been a church that hasinvested in you well, and now
(11:54):
we are calling you to go outwherever it is, whether it's a
college campus or the workforcewherever it is, to go out and
fan into flame the gift of God.
Paul knew that Timothy sometimesneeded a little encouragement,
a little courage, a littleboldness.
You may remember in 1 Timothy,chapter 4, he reminds Timothy
(12:17):
don't let anyone look down onyou because you are young, but
set the example for thebelievers.
Here he has to remind Timothyto fan into flame the gift of
God that has been poured intoyou.
It's almost like Paul just hasto walk Timothy a little closer
to the edge and say, hey, youcan do it.
(12:37):
You got to come out of thekiddie pool and you can handle
the deep end.
You can do it.
Fan into flame the gift of GodFor every graduate in this room.
But every believer in this room, if you know Jesus Christ and
(12:57):
the Holy Spirit dwells in you,then you have received at least
a gift of the Spirit that Godhas called you to nurture and to
grow and to use, and I don'tknow what it is for you, maybe
preaching and teaching, maybehospitality, maybe evangelism,
maybe generosity, whatever thatlooks like in your life.
I just call you, as Paul callsyou.
(13:19):
Fan into flame the gift and goout and use it to make much of
Jesus.
Why?
Because God hasn't given us aspirit of fear.
This foundation hasn't beenprovided, and God, you know,
give us life and breath andsalvation so that we can sit
back in fear.
But instead he's given us aspirit.
(13:42):
What does he say?
Of power, of love andself-control.
Power not in and of yourself.
None of us can look up and say,god, aren't I impressive all by
myself?
No, no, the power of his spiritthat lives in us, of love.
I think about 1 Corinthians 13,.
If things aren't done with love, then what difference does it
(14:04):
really make If I do manywonderful things but there's no
love behind it?
What difference does it make?
But instead we have the spiritof love and self-control, not
getting ahead of the spirit,behind the spirit, keeping in
step with the spirit of God Forevery graduate in this room.
(14:24):
It's time for you to fan intoflame the gift of God.
Now, that doesn't mean youhaven't been fanning into flame
for years.
I know some of you very welland you have been running the
race for Christ for some timebut I do think there's something
about this transition time thatmaybe it's moving to a new
(14:46):
place, a new school, new people,a new town.
There's just some newness inthis time that maybe, more and
more, as we remember thefoundation Christ has laid, we
can fan into flame the gift ofGod.
But again, this isn't just forgraduates, for everyone in this
room.
Do you remember the foundationthat's been poured into you?
(15:09):
We've just named some names,but you could probably spend the
rest of the day thinkingthrough more names.
Fan into flame the gift of God.
For my graduates specifically,how can we do that practically
Well?
For my graduates specifically,how can we do that practically
Well?
There are probably 18,000 waysyou can do that practically and
we'll do that practically.
(15:29):
But I want to give you two quickones.
Number one I would just saythis Wherever you go, if you're
(15:51):
at least some distance away fromthis place, I would encourage
you in this next season of life.
Find a church, get involved inthat church, love that church.
Don't just show up to thatchurch on Sunday morning, do
that, but serve with that church, invest in that church, let
that be your church home, serveat their VBS and serve, teach
their third graders Sundayschool and work at their reality
check weekend and invest deeplyin that church.
You're never going to hear apastor say this, but I will say
(16:12):
it.
If you desire, transfer yourmembership to that church.
I know that's weird to say fora pastor, but do it to invest,
invest well.
And if you move back here afteryou better come right back to
us but invest, be a part of it,give towards it, serve their
ministry, love that ministry,serve them and let that church
(16:36):
serve you and pour into you andinvest into you.
And secondly, I just say thisgraduates, be a disciple who
makes disciples.
We talked a lot aboutfoundation.
I don't want to act as if, nowthat you have this transition,
the foundation ends.
We forever grow in ourfoundation.
Be a disciple in yourindividual life, be a disciple
(17:00):
of Jesus, look for people, aspiritual season ahead of you
that can disciple you when youget involved in that church.
Let that church family Disciple.
You Be a disciple who makesdisciples Turn the page and look
out towards others and investIn the very same ways have
(17:25):
invested in you.
I'll close with this.
I've been thinking lately andover the last month and a half I
can speak personally to thechurch family for a minute over
the last month and a half or so,I've been thinking lately about
some of the funerals we've hadaround here and some of the just
(17:46):
absolute legacy members.
I mean legacy members that havewalked through these halls,
legacy members that have servedso faithfully all along the way.
I think about the life of faiththat we've been able to
celebrate.
I think about literal, justwith these people, centuries
(18:08):
worth of service to this churchthat we've been able to
celebrate.
But you know what I've beenthinking about.
I've been thinking about that,all of these people that we've
celebrated their legacy at theend of their lives.
I've thought about this.
At one point they were 18.
At one point they were 27.
(18:29):
They were 35.
They were 48.
They were 55 or 60.
At one point they walkedthrough every season of life.
And so I ask you this questionhow is a legacy of faith built
(18:51):
All along the way, every step ofthe way, every moment, every
season, the things you do, notjust graduates, but every church
member.
The things you do in the hereand now to invest in those
around you.
(19:11):
The things you do to serve thischurch, but not just this
church, this community, yourfamily of faith, but beyond this
family of faith, the things youdo to serve this world.
That's how a legacy is builtright.
You don't get to the very endand just claim a legacy.
You look and say all along theway, not by my power but by the
(19:35):
power of spirit dwelling withinme, I've been able to do
something in this life that hasmade much of Jesus For our
graduates.
You have a season of transitionnow where more and more you can
look towards this kind of life.
How can I be a disciple?
How can I make disciples?
(19:55):
How can I start to pour intoothers the same way others have
poured in to me but not justgraduates, for everyone in this
room?
I think about that same thingfor you.
How can we make much of Jesuspouring into others in the here
(20:17):
and now?
Maybe you're here this morningand you've seen two get baptized
and heard a little bit of theirtestimony and you said, I want
what they have the gospel thatthey understand, the gospel that
Paul gave his life to the factthat Jesus Christ has died and
risen again for my sins.
Taylor, I want that.
(20:39):
I'd love nothing more than totalk to you about that.
Maybe you want to join thischurch family, talk about
baptism, maybe you just want tocome down and I'd be thrilled to
pray over you.
But however you'd like torespond, I'll be down front.
You can respond.
You can even just respondbetween you and the Lord, maybe
in prayer, right where you're at, but let me pray for us and
then at the conclusion, we'llworship Lord Jesus, I do thank
(21:02):
you for the gospel.
I do thank you for just thetruth of your word that you have
invested in us in so many ways.
It's unbelievable to considerhow much you've done for us, how
you love us and, lord, as Ithink about people that have
(21:28):
helped lay foundation in my life, lord, I just can do nothing
but give you praise.
And so, lord, I pray.
If there's anyone now thatdoesn't know you that today
would be their day, that maybewants to come and be a part of
this church family so that wecan walk towards you together,
that today would be their day,lord.
However, someone needs torespond.
(21:49):
I pray that they would do itnow.
I pray this in Christ's nameAmen.
Would you stand now as we sing?
1st Baptist, baptist El Dorado, will you join me now
in listening to our sermon fromthis week Church family open
with me to the book of SecondTimothy.
Second Timothy we're taking oneweek, kind of a standalone,
outside of our Roman series.
(00:44):
We'll get right back to it nextweek.
But in consideration of ourgraduates and really a word that
applies to every one of us Iwant to look briefly this
morning at the book of 2 Timothyand I want to say I know I was
up at the baptistry and comingdown this way but to our
graduates I say congratulations,both the ones in this room, the
(01:07):
graduates that Colby named,from college, from master's and
master's degrees, and we areproud of every one of you.
I will say this I was walkingunder and looked in on the live
feed down in the booth.
I've not been to an Eldoradograduation yet here in town, and
the robes are purple, they arevery purple.
(01:29):
I've never seen more purple ofa robe than the ones y'all are
wearing, and so I say congratsto you, congrats 2 Timothy.
We see that Paul, the greatestmissionary that ever lived, he's
getting towards the end of hislife.
In fact, in 2 Timothy he'ssitting in a prison cell as he
(01:54):
is awaiting could be days ormonths longer or shorter his own
execution.
He would die for his faith.
And so he sits in this prisoncell.
And what does he do?
Not what you and I might betempted to do and say woe is me.
Instead, he looks at the nextgeneration.
(02:14):
He writes a letter to one ofhis disciples, a young man named
Timothy, who he's walkedthrough many things, with many
ministry moments, the highs andlows of life.
He invests into the nextgeneration and into Timothy.
We can see in verses three andfour of chapter one just the
(02:35):
deep love that exists withinthis discipling relationship.
Look with me here.
I thank God, whom I serve, asdid my ancestors, with a clear
conscience, as I remember youconstantly.
You see clearly the love thatexists here between a disciple
maker and a disciple, the lovethat Paul has for Timothy.
(03:06):
You and I are a little spoiledthat we live in a world where we
could pick up a cell phoneright now and FaceTime someone
on the other side of the world.
We never really have to be outof contact, out of communication
with anyone Was not the case inthis time with Paul and Timothy
.
They went long seasons of lifewithout seeing one another
(03:27):
communicating through letters.
Paul knew that Timothy was upto some great ministry work, but
he was sitting in a prison cellin Rome and he longed to see
his disciple, and the words he'sabout to say in verse 5 through
7 are beautiful.
I think they beautifully applyboth to our graduates today, but
every one of us in the room.
I just want us to see two simplethings this morning, and the
(03:49):
first is this Disciples of Jesusremember their foundation.
Disciples of Jesus, remembertheir foundation.
Look at verse 5 with me Again,paul to Timothy, I am reminded
of your sincere faith, a faiththat dwelt first in your
grandmother Lois and in yourmother Eunice and now, I am sure
(04:10):
, dwells in you as well.
You see the discipleship thathappened within Timothy's own
home.
You see Paul describing thefaith foundation that existed
within the life of Timothy.
They have been poured from onegeneration to another.
We celebrated Mother's Day lastweek and we talked about a
(04:32):
little bit briefly thediscipleship role and how
meaningful mothers are spiritualmothers, disciple makers.
No better place in all ofScripture do we see it here.
Grandmother Lois, who investedthe faith into mother Eunice and
now dwells within Timothy.
Where is Timothy's father inthis situation?
We really just don't know.
(04:53):
Scripture's silent on that.
He may have been extremelypresent.
There's some that wonder if hewas not a believer, if he had
already passed away.
We don't know.
But we do know this Timothy hadan unbelievable foundation
because of a grandmother and amother that invested into him.
He had disciple makers thatpassed down the faith from one
(05:15):
generation to another and thatidea is really what Paul is all
about.
All throughout, really, the bookof 2 Timothy gets back to this
idea of disciple makers from onegeneration to another.
I love 2 Timothy 2, verse 2.
It says this, and what you haveheard from me in the presence
of many witnesses entrust tofaithful men and women who will
(05:37):
be able to teach others.
Also, in that one verse you seefour generations of disciple
makers.
Paul says, and the things youhave heard from me so there's
Paul to Timothy, in trust tofaithful men and women who will
be qualified to teach others.
Four generations ofdiscipleship coming down the
line.
That's exactly what we see inthe life of Timothy these three
(06:00):
generations a grandmother, amother and Timothy passing along
the faith.
But notice the end of verse 5,.
Paul says that faith that I amsure dwells in you as well.
So there is a sense in whichTimothy had to come into that
faith on his own or at somepoint that faith had to be his
(06:24):
faith.
What I mean by that is we don'tjust get to say grandmother was
a believer, mom was a believer.
Does that mean I'm in?
No, no, no.
You make your faith your ownand clearly, because of the
foundation that had been laid,we see Timothy at some point
come to the point where he doesthat and he becomes a great
minister of the gospel.
I think about the faithfoundations.
(06:46):
I think about the faithfoundations even in this church
and maybe you didn't grow up inthis church and I didn't grow up
in this church.
Maybe you think of faithfoundations that has been poured
into you in maybe other places.
I've talked before about a ladynamed Miss Peggy in my first
(07:06):
grade Sunday school class andshe just faithfully taught Jesus
.
It was in that class that Icame to know Jesus.
I gave my life to Him, wasbaptized, like the two we had
this morning, baptized a fewweeks later.
And Miss Peggy you know hername isn't on every billboard,
she isn't some famous believerout there, but you know what she
(07:29):
did.
She faithfully showed up andlaid a foundation.
Now I'm about to do something,and it might be a massive
mistake, and so I'd also like tosay this If you are a guest in
the room, I promise you we'renot a strange church Everybody's
scared.
They're going to bring a guestthe room.
I promise you we're not astrange church.
Everybody's scared.
(07:52):
They're going to bring a guestand they're going to bring them
on the one day, you know, thepastor decides to do something
weird.
This may go great, it may gopoorly, but we all have people
in our lives that have laidspiritual foundations for us,
and just this morning I kid younot from the room I want to hear
names, first names and you saythem out loud of people, first
(08:13):
names that have poured into you.
If my name to give out is Peggy,I want to hear from the room
and I know this is weird, and ifyou're in my Wednesday night
crew, you know I'm not afraid ofawkward silence Will somebody
just give me some first names?
You can just shout it when youknow it, just say it, even from
(08:33):
the balcony of someone in thischurch or any church or any walk
of life that has invested inyour foundation.
We sounded borderlinecharismatic for a second.
(08:58):
That might get us in a littletrouble.
I I loved hearing those names.
I love that Some of the names Ieven recognize if you're
talking about the same person.
I'm thinking of Some person Idon't know.
I think even here I heard amama or meemaw.
I love that Faith foundationand every one of you has that
(09:22):
person or those people in yourlife.
I pray you do.
I think of our graduates thismorning.
I think of, and I hope and pray, the people within this church
or any church that have verymuch invested into you, into
your life and into your faith,and I hope and pray in these
(09:42):
days that you will think aboutthose that you will remember,
those that you will rejoice in,those who have invested well
into your life, who have laidthat foundation.
Here's what I love, even aboutour own graduating class.
I know of at least three thathave been baptized in this
church just in the last couplemonths.
They're new to the family offaith and yet, I would argue, in
(10:05):
every one of their lives theystill have those all along the
way, whether they know it or not, whether they realize it or not
, until just a couple of monthsago.
All along the way they werelaying foundation.
And even now they can say maybeit was a reality check speaker,
maybe it was a youth pastor,maybe it was a music minister or
orchestra director, butsomebody laid a foundation in my
(10:28):
life.
So I call our graduates and allof us to remember that
foundation, the foundation thatthe Lord has built in you.
But then I want to go on to thisDisciples of Jesus build upon
their foundation.
Disciples of Jesus build upontheir foundation.
Look with me at verse 6 and 7.
(10:50):
For this reason, I remind youto fan into flame the gift of
God which is in you through thelaying on of my hands, for God
gave us a spirit not of fear,but of power and love and
self-control.
You see, paul knew that Timothyhad an unbelievable spiritual
(11:11):
foundation, but he wanted to letTimothy know that now it is
time to do something about it.
Now it's time to build uponthat foundation.
We're not called just to beinvested into by grandmother or
mother or by Sunday schoolteacher or youth pastor and
praise God for all of that, butwe're not called just to receive
(11:32):
and just sit back in thespiritual life and sit on the
sidelines.
We're called to receive thatfoundation so that then the Lord
can use us to go out and makemuch of him in any and every
walk of life that he calls us to.
For our graduates this morning,I hope and pray.
This has been a church that hasinvested in you well, and now
(11:54):
we are calling you to go outwherever it is, whether it's a
college campus or the workforcewherever it is, to go out and
fan into flame the gift of God.
Paul knew that Timothy sometimesneeded a little encouragement,
a little courage, a littleboldness.
You may remember in 1 Timothy,chapter 4, he reminds Timothy
(12:17):
don't let anyone look down onyou because you are young, but
set the example for thebelievers.
Here he has to remind Timothyto fan into flame the gift of
God that has been poured intoyou.
It's almost like Paul just hasto walk Timothy a little closer
to the edge and say, hey, youcan do it.
(12:37):
You got to come out of thekiddie pool and you can handle
the deep end.
You can do it.
Fan into flame the gift of GodFor every graduate in this room.
But every believer in this room, if you know Jesus Christ and
(12:57):
the Holy Spirit dwells in you,then you have received at least
a gift of the Spirit that Godhas called you to nurture and to
grow and to use, and I don'tknow what it is for you, maybe
preaching and teaching, maybehospitality, maybe evangelism,
maybe generosity, whatever thatlooks like in your life.
I just call you, as Paul callsyou.
(13:19):
Fan into flame the gift and goout and use it to make much of
Jesus.
Why?
Because God hasn't given us aspirit of fear.
This foundation hasn't beenprovided, and God, you know,
give us life and breath andsalvation so that we can sit
back in fear.
But instead he's given us aspirit.
(13:42):
What does he say?
Of power, of love andself-control.
Power not in and of yourself.
None of us can look up and say,god, aren't I impressive all by
myself?
No, no, the power of his spiritthat lives in us, of love.
I think about 1 Corinthians 13,.
If things aren't done with love, then what difference does it
(14:04):
really make If I do manywonderful things but there's no
love behind it?
What difference does it make?
But instead we have the spiritof love and self-control, not
getting ahead of the spirit,behind the spirit, keeping in
step with the spirit of God Forevery graduate in this room.
(14:24):
It's time for you to fan intoflame the gift of God.
Now, that doesn't mean youhaven't been fanning into flame
for years.
I know some of you very welland you have been running the
race for Christ for some timebut I do think there's something
about this transition time thatmaybe it's moving to a new
(14:46):
place, a new school, new people,a new town.
There's just some newness inthis time that maybe, more and
more, as we remember thefoundation Christ has laid, we
can fan into flame the gift ofGod.
But again, this isn't just forgraduates, for everyone in this
room.
Do you remember the foundationthat's been poured into you?
(15:09):
We've just named some names,but you could probably spend the
rest of the day thinkingthrough more names.
Fan into flame the gift of God.
For my graduates specifically,how can we do that practically
Well?
For my graduates specifically,how can we do that practically
Well?
There are probably 18,000 waysyou can do that practically and
we'll do that practically.
(15:29):
But I want to give you two quickones.
Number one I would just saythis Wherever you go, if you're
(15:51):
at least some distance away fromthis place, I would encourage
you in this next season of life.
Find a church, get involved inthat church, love that church.
Don't just show up to thatchurch on Sunday morning, do
that, but serve with that church, invest in that church, let
that be your church home, serveat their VBS and serve, teach
their third graders Sundayschool and work at their reality
check weekend and invest deeplyin that church.
You're never going to hear apastor say this, but I will say
(16:12):
it.
If you desire, transfer yourmembership to that church.
I know that's weird to say fora pastor, but do it to invest,
invest well.
And if you move back here afteryou better come right back to
us but invest, be a part of it,give towards it, serve their
ministry, love that ministry,serve them and let that church
(16:36):
serve you and pour into you andinvest into you.
And secondly, I just say thisgraduates, be a disciple who
makes disciples.
We talked a lot aboutfoundation.
I don't want to act as if, nowthat you have this transition,
the foundation ends.
We forever grow in ourfoundation.
Be a disciple in yourindividual life, be a disciple
(17:00):
of Jesus, look for people, aspiritual season ahead of you
that can disciple you when youget involved in that church.
Let that church family Disciple.
You Be a disciple who makesdisciples Turn the page and look
out towards others and investIn the very same ways have
(17:25):
invested in you.
I'll close with this.
I've been thinking lately andover the last month and a half I
can speak personally to thechurch family for a minute over
the last month and a half or so,I've been thinking lately about
some of the funerals we've hadaround here and some of the just
(17:46):
absolute legacy members.
I mean legacy members that havewalked through these halls,
legacy members that have servedso faithfully all along the way.
I think about the life of faiththat we've been able to
celebrate.
I think about literal, justwith these people, centuries
(18:08):
worth of service to this churchthat we've been able to
celebrate.
But you know what I've beenthinking about.
I've been thinking about that,all of these people that we've
celebrated their legacy at theend of their lives.
I've thought about this.
At one point they were 18.
At one point they were 27.
(18:29):
They were 35.
They were 48.
They were 55 or 60.
At one point they walkedthrough every season of life.
And so I ask you this questionhow is a legacy of faith built
(18:51):
All along the way, every step ofthe way, every moment, every
season, the things you do, notjust graduates, but every church
member.
The things you do in the hereand now to invest in those
around you.
(19:11):
The things you do to serve thischurch, but not just this
church, this community, yourfamily of faith, but beyond this
family of faith, the things youdo to serve this world.
That's how a legacy is builtright.
You don't get to the very endand just claim a legacy.
You look and say all along theway, not by my power but by the
(19:35):
power of spirit dwelling withinme, I've been able to do
something in this life that hasmade much of Jesus For our
graduates.
You have a season of transitionnow where more and more you can
look towards this kind of life.
How can I be a disciple?
How can I make disciples?
(19:55):
How can I start to pour intoothers the same way others have
poured in to me but not justgraduates, for everyone in this
room?
I think about that same thingfor you.
How can we make much of Jesuspouring into others in the here
(20:17):
and now?
Maybe you're here this morningand you've seen two get baptized
and heard a little bit of theirtestimony and you said, I want
what they have the gospel thatthey understand, the gospel that
Paul gave his life to the factthat Jesus Christ has died and
risen again for my sins.
Taylor, I want that.
(20:39):
I'd love nothing more than totalk to you about that.
Maybe you want to join thischurch family, talk about
baptism, maybe you just want tocome down and I'd be thrilled to
pray over you.
But however you'd like torespond, I'll be down front.
You can respond.
You can even just respondbetween you and the Lord, maybe
in prayer, right where you're at, but let me pray for us and
then at the conclusion, we'llworship Lord Jesus, I do thank
(21:02):
you for the gospel.
I do thank you for just thetruth of your word that you have
invested in us in so many ways.
It's unbelievable to considerhow much you've done for us, how
you love us and, lord, as Ithink about people that have
(21:28):
helped lay foundation in my life, lord, I just can do nothing
but give you praise.
And so, lord, I pray.
If there's anyone now thatdoesn't know you that today
would be their day, that maybewants to come and be a part of
this church family so that wecan walk towards you together,
that today would be their day,lord.
However, someone needs torespond.
(21:49):
I pray that they would do itnow.
I pray this in Christ's nameAmen.
Would you stand now as we sing?
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