Challenge to the Pastor

Well, I counted a deep privilege to be asked by my friends, your pastor to speak to him on this occasion. And in doing so, and in the sermon that has gone before, we're following a very time hallowed tradition of Baptists. Baptists, since their origins in this nation and then their roots across the Atlantic and the British Isles. One, the installation and ordination of men to the ministry have usually had two sermons, one that addresses the congregation on their responsibilities and their duties, and then one that is addressed to the pastor. And it is a great privilege to be asked to speak to our brother as he enters upon the office. of the pastor of Jefferson Park Baptist Church. I've chosen to do so from the letter of the Apostle Paul that we know as Second Timothy, specifically verses six and seven of chapter one. Second Timothy, chapter one, verses six and seven. I remind you. The fan is a flame, the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God gave us a spirit, not a fear, but a power and love and self-control. Before I plunge into this passage in terms of what it says regarding our brother's ministry, what he needs to focus on as he pursues his calling in this church, among this congregation, let me say a little bit about the background that leads to these verses. The context in which Paul writes Second Timothy, Paul is in prison in Rome, Second Timothy, chapter two, verse nine. You don't need to necessarily refer to all the verses that I'll cite, but just so that I'm indicating something of this background. Paul is in prison in Rome. He has been arrested at some point in the previous months, probably in the Roman province of Asia. where Timothy still is in the city of Ephesus. In 2nd Timothy, chapter 1, verse 15, Paul mentions a little further down in the chapter that at the time of his arrest, two men, an unusual to Paul, he names them. Philetus and Hermogenes had actually, he expected them to stand by him. He expected them to stand with him at the time of his arrest, but they did not. In fact, Paul has already undergone what in Roman legal terminology, an aspect of Roman law that we still carry on today. He'd already undergone a first defense, which is a preliminary hearing to determine whether or not there was enough evidence to take him to trial. He is under arrest as a preacher of the gospel Christianity has at this point and only a few years previously become an illegal religion or a persecuted religion in the Roman Empire and in 2nd Timothy 416 he talks about how he has undergone this preliminary trial. He has come through it unscathed in one sense, but he is not gripped by an on you optimism about the future, because he knows that the future holds for him. Second Timothy four, six through eight martyrdom in such a context. He is seeking to encourage Timothy. It's really a letter that is a passing on of the mantle. And in that sense, a very, very appropriate letter for today. It is reminding Timothy of essential things in the gospel that need to characterize his life, his ministry as a minister in Christ. After Paul is gone. He focuses in chapter one on the spirit, Chapter two, the theme of remembering Jesus Christ, chapter three, the word of God, and then in chapter four, there are some details regarding travel. Timothy traveling there, he mentions twice. Come to me. Versus nine of chapter four and verse twenty one. And so there is external pressure. that is being born upon the church at this time. He is leaving the church as John Owen, the great Puritan leader, once said at the time of his death in 1683, he wrote a letter to a friend. I'm leaving the church of God in a storm. But as long as the great shepherd is in her, there's nothing to fear. There's not only external problems, there's internal problems, which actually are a more Devastating aspect for the life of the church. There is heresy. There have arisen within the church chapter two verses sixteen through eighteen. Two men he names again. Very unusual. You can search for all Paul's letters. He often has opponents in his letters. He never names them. He renames them. In Second Timothy, chapter two, Philetus and Hymenaeus. Verse 17, they've swerved from the truth. They are teaching the resurrection has already happened. They seem to be teaching some form of heresy that denies the reality of the resurrection of the body. And so Paul then knows that Timothy, after Paul is gone, is facing challenges. Challenges from about, challenges from within. In such a context, in 2 Timothy chapter 1, Paul begins by urging him, you need to lean on the Holy Spirit. It's an interesting section. Especially for us evangelicals at this point in our history, because evangelicals in North America have tended to be in the last century shy of the Holy Spirit. He scares us. We are familiar with certain groups who I'll leave on name. who have made a focus of the spirit and other times brought, I think, disrepute upon his ministry. And we have sought to steer clear of such. But in doing so, we have lost touch in one sense with the great source of our strength as Christians. The indwelling spirit. In times of trial, challenge from about which we face here in our day. Challenges from women, which again we face in our day. The admonition that Paul gives to Timothy in that day, nearly 2000 years ago now, I give to our brother. In your ministry, you need to lean on the Holy Spirit. Verse six, you need to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, Paul says, for God gave us a spirit, not a fear, but a power and love and self-control. Paul assumes that Timothy has gifts, he doesn't name them. Presumably they're gifts for ministry, public leadership, for teaching. And God has gifted our brother with such. Paul emphasizes that Timothy is to keep that gift burning at bright light. There are two ways of reading the phrase fan into flame. Either Paul has in view that the flame, the fire has died down to simply embers and Timothy has to blow upon those embers to kindle it afresh. That's one way of reading this phrase. I think a better way of reading the phrase is that the embers, the fire is not burned down simply to embers, but it is already burning bright. Timothy needs to keep feeding it. He needs to use his gifts, hone them, train them. Now, the reason why Paul can urge this in the context in which he's in, a context of pressure, persecution, inner trial, is because the spirit that God has given to all whom he calls to pastoral ministry, including our brother, is not a spirit of fear. The word that Paul uses here for fear is an unusual word in the New Testament. It's not the normal word, which we recognize very easily in English, the Greek word phobos. We have all kinds of phobias, agoraphobia and arachnophobia, you know, the fear of open spaces and the fear of spiders and on and on and on, all kinds of phobias. And that's the normal word that's used in the Greek New Testament for fear. Here's a different word. Here's the word that speaks of timidity. Or, better yet, cowardice. This is the word, for example, that any number of Greek writers, from Homer onwards, used to talk about what happens to men in a battlefield. Whatever some history books might say, and whatever some young men might think, war and battle are not glorious. There are necessities in a fallen world at times. Whatever the way in which it may be presented, I remember very vividly, I was born in England, growing up in a world that was shrinking. The British Empire was increasingly thing of the past. My teachers, I was raised in the in the late 50s, early 60s in Britain. I now think, remember, recall that my teachers were probably people who were born at the beginning of the century or knew something of the Edwardian and Victorian glories of the British Empire. And I remember the way war was presented, the great battles of the British and the great heroes like Nelson. And the Duke of Wellington. And all those glorious campaigns and as a young boy, your mind being filled with war as some sort of glorious endeavor. The reality that so many find is that in the actual process, they are gripped by many different kinds of feelings other than glory. And for many, it's fear on that battlefield. And some allow those fears so to grip them that they shirk their duty and they show cowardice and they turn tail and run. And that's what Paul's talking about here. The spirit that God has given to those whom he calls into pastoral ministry is not such a spirit. Rather, he is a spirit. And I really think the word, the verse seven here, when Paul's using the phrase spirit in our versions, it's translated, it's translated with a lower case as if this is the human spirit. I think he's talking about the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not a spirit of cowardice. He is a spirit first of power. If we had the time to flesh this passage out, I think that's where Paul's emphasis is lying in this passage. A spirit of power who will enable those whom he calls to pastoral ministry As they lean on him. To fulfill their duty in Christ, to be obedient to all the goal that God has called them to to use their gifts for Christ and for the extension of his kingdom. Come what may come wind, come weather. Frequently in the Bible, the spirit is linked to power. Stephen, as he stands before the Sanhedrin, We're told there was filled the spirit of power. Those against whom he disputed could not stand against the spirit with that was in him and spoke through him. Where is this power found? Ultimately, it has its source in God, the Holy Spirit, it is found in our brother's life, and I encourage him. To make this a priority, it is found in the place of prayer. In the book of Acts, chapter six, when we read of the setting apart of those who are to serve the Greek speaking Jewish Christian widows, we sometimes call those men deacons. It doesn't actually use that word in the passage, but be that as it may. The apostles. Indicate that this is not their calling, their calling is to give themselves to the word and prayer. And our brother, as you have accepted this ministry, one of your central priorities has to be a man of prayer. You have to grow in holiness and spiritual maturity. And as such, a man, God will empower you. Also, the spirit that God indwells his ministers with is a spirit of love. We've already heard this fleshed out. The nebulousness at times of the word, at least in our culture. Number of times in the letter of Second Timothy, love comes through, it comes through, for example, in Second Timothy, chapter two, when how do you deal with those who are heretics who deny the faith? Paul says the Lord's servant, Second Timothy 24, must not be quarrelsome. He must be kind to everyone. able to teach patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance, leading a knowledge of truth, and they may escape from the snare of the devil. One of the things that has struck me over the last probably 10 or so years is the first that is in the previous letter to Timothy second Timothy first Timothy chapter one as Paul again is urging Timothy to stand fast against spiritual declension. He says this to Timothy after he says I've left you in Ephesus second Timothy one three or four so that you may teach those who are there not to lean or not to give themselves to false doctrine and then he says this the aim of our charge the aim of our teaching the aim of our commandment is Love. That issues from a pure heart, a good conscience and sincere faith, what he's saying, in other words, all the words that we speak as ministers of the gospel, all of the words that come forth from our mouths as teachers, what does it all amount to? Is it simply to instruct people in doctrine? Yes, it is, but that's not the final goal. The final goal is to make them people of love. How do I know I'm growing in Christ, am I growing in love? Love for his people, love supremely, obviously, for the Lord Jesus Christ, love for sinners outside of the of the congregation. Who can give such love? Well, as our brother mentioned earlier, it is the Holy Spirit whose preeminent flute fruit is love. You need to lean on the spirit. Keith, that you might become increasingly a man of love. And let me add a kind of codicil to that or a little aside. As a historian, as a church historian, I've spent a lot of time reading in one context, a lot of ordination sermons, the what we're doing today. And it's interesting reading the charges given to the pastor. And how frequently and I'm going back now 200 years, 18th century installation or nation sermons. How rare it is. To find any of the men giving those charges to say anything about the love of the pastor for his wife and family. In fact, I can only think of one Abraham Booth. Speaking in the late 1700s. At one point stops and turns to the man he was speaking to and says, brother, you need to love your wife as well. You need to make sure you spend time with her, spend time at home, deepening that relationship so she is not complaining. You love you say you love her, but you're never at home. I thought. This is so true. But how rare it's ever said in this context, so let me say it to you, Keith, you need to spend time. Despite the pressures of ministry and all the demands on your time, you need to spend time with Lisa. Deepening that relationship that is there already as your family is growing, building into your children, trusting there are more to come. And then finally, self-control, the spirit that God Gives to those whom he calls to ministry is a spirit of self-control. This word is only used in this place in the New Testament only places. This is the only time it's ever used. It has the idea of wisdom, but particularly wisdom that keeps that your head that is able in the midst when everybody else is losing their head, panicking, you're able to stand firm again. Where does that come from? It comes from God, the Holy Spirit. His word. It speaks of balance in the ministry. As is so frequent in Paul's letters, he not only teaches, but he gives examples, and here he gives an example at the end of Second Timothy one. It's one of the great heroes in the early church. He's only mentioned in Second Timothy. Second Timothy one. Sixteen made a household made the Lord grant mercy to the household of in a Sephora for he often refresh me. It was not a shame to my chains, but when he arrived in Rome, he searched me earnestly and found me. May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day. And you well know all the service he rendered Ephesus. This passage, it would take me too long to link it in great depth. This passage is clearly linked to everything Paul has said before because of the little word ashamed. This is the third time in chapter one Paul has mentioned that word. Paul is not ashamed of the gospel. Timothy, you need to so live as a minister that you are not ashamed. And then Paul gives an example. Here is a man who is not ashamed. This man, if you want to ask the question, what does the filling of the spirit, the empowerment of the spirit, the spirit of love and self-control look like in actual action? It is a mesophorus in this context. Paul is giving here an example. Here's a man who is not ashamed. He is a man who is filled with a spirit of power. It is illegal to be a Christian at this point. Well, at least to be associated with Paul. Paul's in prison. And as the forest lived in Ephesus, he finds his way to Rome. We don't know whether he came there purposely to find Paul or he gets there in Rome and he is told Paul's in prison. He searches for him earnestly, it's not easy to find Paul. You can picture him going from house from Christian home to Christian home. Where is Paul? Well, we don't exactly know he's in the Roman prison. Brother, maybe you should simply pray for him. You know, your search could end up you being put there with him. But he searches eagerly for him and he finds Paul finally. And he doesn't simply go once. I'm fleshing out what said there in verses 16, 18. He not only goes once, but he comes back again and again. I've never been in a prison. But those I've spoken to who go in to minister people in prison mention at times the frightening element of going in and the door shutting behind you and that door shut behind a nest of forests, he might not be getting out. But the spirit of power is there enabling to overcome any weakness and fears he might have had, by the way. The presence of power in the Christian life does not mean the absence of fear. Or the absence of weakness, in fact, it's when we're weak, his power is there, our weakness is the context for his power. He comes back again and again. Why does he come back again and again? Because he loves Paul. He demonstrates what Christian life looks like, the willingness to lay down our lives for one another. May God give our brother such a spirit as a force. And notice how Paul talks of him. He says he was he refreshed me for 16. The word refresh is a word that was very frequently used in that day to talk about what it was like in the summer months in the Mediterranean. Rome, a million people, population density greater than Mexico City or Calcutta. A million people crammed into a very small area, most of them living in three, four, five story high rise buildings made out of wood. In the summer, stifling. The humidity, because Rome was built right next to a river, part of Rome had been drained, marshes drained. The wealthy all got out of Rome. The poor had no choice to stay there. Ninety percent of the city. Filthy, smelly, but sometimes they would come off the Mediterranean, a wind in those months of July and August and blow out all the humidity. And that's this word that Paul uses, this word of refreshment. Here is the great apostle Paul, the man who saw the risen Christ, who could have reached out and touched him physically as the apostles did after the resurrection. Here is the great apostle Paul, who is an apostle, a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ, whose words, when we read them in Holy Scripture, are Christ's words. Here is the great apostle Paul, who at one point had been caught up to heaven, heard things he couldn't lawfully repeat. And he needs other Christians. And he is deeply thankful for this man, Anesophorus. What does empowerment by the spirit look like, the spirit of love, the spirit of self-control in this context? It is a force. Keith, my prayer for you. Is that you might be such a man. For such a day. Amen.