CHUKA KEN MINISTRY

We ’re ending where we began. Paul does call Timothy to act. Timothy, keep feeding the white-hot honey of God’s gift — of unashamed courage to speak openly of Christ and to suffer for the philosophy. Feed it, Timothy. Do that. Addict that honey. Feed that fire. And every time you sermonize the word of grace to yourself, and strengthen your heart with blood- bought pledges of life and help, look deep into eternity to see why you’re doing this. Verses 9 – 10 Do n’t feel less authentic because of that lineage. My ministry, my service to God, is also “ from my parents ”( verse 3). I too have been deeply shaped by my lineage. Do n’t envy this family influence, Timothy. Glory in it. God gave — that’s a gift — a spirit not of fear but the contrary, courage. To be sure, important courage and loving courage and tone- controlled courage — but the note falls on courage because verse 8 continues, “ thus, don’t be shamed. ” That’s what courage is it isn’t shamed. That was the point of verse 1, Timothy. I’m “ Paul, an backer of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the pledge of the life that’s in Christ Jesus. ” I’m Christ’s authorized spokesperson. I was called to this by the will of God. I didn’t put myself in this position. When Christ failed for you, Timothy, to be your discipline and your perfection, and also rose again to abolish death and open everlasting life, what he manifested in that philosophy was the eternal purpose of God to be gracious to you. God, for all eternity, has planned to be gracious to you. To awaken you and give you faith and power and unashamed courage and suffering and keeping and eternal glory. Timothy, keep feeding the white-hot honey of God’s gift — of unashamed courage to speak openly of Christ and to suffer for the philosophy. I get the words “ unashamed courage ” from verses 7 – 8. Start in the middle of verse 6 “ the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and tone- control. thus don’t be shamed. ” So, how does Paul mean for Timothy to feed this honey? He tells him to do it. Does he show him how? We’ve formerly seen part of the answer The last expression of verse 8 is “ by the power of God. ” The honey of your unashamed courage to speak and suffer for Christ is sustained “ by the power of God. ” You’re given a spirit of power, love, and tone- control. The answer, Timothy, is that you feed the white-hot honey of unashamed courage to suffer for the philosophy by sermonizing to yourself the foundational trueness of this letter. And you feed the courage of your people the same way. God has ordained that his autonomous grace comes to you with power for unashamed courage through my God- given words. On the negative, verse 8 says, “ Partake in suffering for the philosophy. ” Embrace this. God has given you this gift, Timothy — to burn with the courage to speak and to suffer. Feed that honey, Timothy. Feed it. And at that moment, I imagine Timothy breaking down in gashes and weeping. The reason I picture this is verse 4. It says, “ As I flash back your gashes, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. ” utmost observers, it seems, suppose that these were gashes of farewell, when Paul parted with Timothy. nothing knows for sure. But why would we guess farewell gashes when the main event of Timothy’s life in this paragraph is the tremendously important moment of the laying on of hands, and having God Almighty, through one of the most authoritative people on the earth, speak over your life “ youthful man, against all your predispositions and all your sins and all your timidness, you’ll speak for me unashamedly and dauntlessly, and you’ll suffer for my philosophy. ” If you want an easy life, secure, recognized, untroubled, comfortable, safe, also get out of the ministry of Christ. And if you’re single, do n’t marry a woman who wantsthat.However, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me, “ If anyone would come after me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the philosophy’s will save it ”( Mark 834 – 35). The Calvary Road is a hard road. And the most joyous road of all — in the power of God. How did Timothy get this gift of unashamed courage to speak openly of Christ and to suffer for the philosophy? Paul says in verse 6 that he got it “ through the laying on of my hands. ” “ For this reason I remind you to addict into honey the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ” In 1 Timothy 414, Paul says, “ Don’t neglect the gift you have, which was given you by vaticination when the council of elders laid their hands on you. ” I suppose Paul is pertaining to the same occasion. Feed it, Timothy. Feed it. Feed this honey! Because if you do n’t, it’ll go out. Do n’t quench this spirit, Timothy. It’s a gift from God. Addict it till it’s white-hot. Feed it till it’s all ablaze. Everything additional in this passage serves to explain and empower that feeding, that gift, that courage, that speaking and suffering for that philosophy. Timothy, keep feeding the white-hot honey of God’s gift — of unashamed courage to speak openly of Christ and to suffer for the philosophy. Second, I add the expression “ keep feeding. ” Timothy, keep feeding the white-hot honey. The reason for this is that Paul’s point isn’t that Timothy has grown cool and needs one good hot fix. That isn’t the point. The present tense( verse 6, anazopurein) for the verb “ addict into honey ” is nonstop, ongoing action.