Thursday, June 17, 2010
I think the best book in the Bible for fatherly counsel is 2 Timothy. It's Paul's counsel (the father) to Timothy (the son). Timothy was not Paul's biological son but he was his son in the faith.
The first verses confirm this, "Paul an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, to Timothy, my dear son..." (2 Timothy 1:1-2).
And in chapter 2, Paul continues his fatherly counsel with these words, "You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. Endure hardship like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs - he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. ( 2 Tim. 2:1-6). I notice several things that a son needs to hear his father say.
1. Be strong. The other day I grabbed the arm of one of the San Francisco 49er football players. His arm was like iron! The physical strength of this finely tuned athlete was incredible. But Paul isn't speaking about physical strength, he's referring to the strength we gain by living in God's grace. God's grace puts iron in our spiritual muscles and makes us fit for his service.
2. Teach others. Paul didn't counsel his son to go out a see how many decisions you can get for Christ. Rather he counseled his son to teach others who can in turn become teachers as well. This is the multiplying effect of evangelism. It makes our family tree grow faster and more effectively. I heard a lady say to me the other day, " I have 4 children, 15 grandchildren and 32 great grandchildren". Do you see the point?
3. Endure hardship. We are all going to face tough times, but we may not all endure. Like a soldier that keeps fighting to the end, we too must avoid the pitfall that will lead us to quitting. The pitfall is misplaced trust. Trusting the world rather than our Commanding Officer.
4. Stay disciplined. An athlete cannot write their own rules. They must compete according to the rules. Likewise, we can't write our own rules for the Christian life. We must discipline ourselves to obey our rule book, the Bible.
5. Work hard. The farmer works hard but he also is the first to receive a share of the crops. God will reward us with fruit that will last if we will keep plowing for him.
So this is our heavenly Father's counsel to all of his sons: be strong, teach others, endure hardship, stay disciplined and work hard of God and His kingdom.
Happy Father's Day!
Pastor Tim
The first verses confirm this, "Paul an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, to Timothy, my dear son..." (2 Timothy 1:1-2).
And in chapter 2, Paul continues his fatherly counsel with these words, "You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. Endure hardship like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs - he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. ( 2 Tim. 2:1-6). I notice several things that a son needs to hear his father say.
1. Be strong. The other day I grabbed the arm of one of the San Francisco 49er football players. His arm was like iron! The physical strength of this finely tuned athlete was incredible. But Paul isn't speaking about physical strength, he's referring to the strength we gain by living in God's grace. God's grace puts iron in our spiritual muscles and makes us fit for his service.
2. Teach others. Paul didn't counsel his son to go out a see how many decisions you can get for Christ. Rather he counseled his son to teach others who can in turn become teachers as well. This is the multiplying effect of evangelism. It makes our family tree grow faster and more effectively. I heard a lady say to me the other day, " I have 4 children, 15 grandchildren and 32 great grandchildren". Do you see the point?
3. Endure hardship. We are all going to face tough times, but we may not all endure. Like a soldier that keeps fighting to the end, we too must avoid the pitfall that will lead us to quitting. The pitfall is misplaced trust. Trusting the world rather than our Commanding Officer.
4. Stay disciplined. An athlete cannot write their own rules. They must compete according to the rules. Likewise, we can't write our own rules for the Christian life. We must discipline ourselves to obey our rule book, the Bible.
5. Work hard. The farmer works hard but he also is the first to receive a share of the crops. God will reward us with fruit that will last if we will keep plowing for him.
So this is our heavenly Father's counsel to all of his sons: be strong, teach others, endure hardship, stay disciplined and work hard of God and His kingdom.
Happy Father's Day!
Pastor Tim
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Father, you sound like you have a man-crush when you talk about grabbing the football players arm. Vern, I supppose?
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