God Gave Us a Spirit Not of Fear...

This is the First Mustang Pulpit Podcast, a podcast of the weekly preaching and teaching at First Mustang.! Thank you for joining us. 2 Timothy chapter 1, and again, looking in the Fear Not series.

It's such a great book. Jeremy reminded me when he was talking to me about what are you going to preach tonight? Because he was leading music with John being gone. And before I could even text him back, he said, you know, that's my favorite book.

And I was like, yes, I remembered that. That's your favorite book in Scripture. And so thankful for it. Jeremy shared several sermons that came directly out of this book.

And so, but looking at this opening chapter, and before I read it, I'm just reminded of another event that happened in our lives years ago.

And I don't know if you've done this before, but we were getting ready to leave on a trip. Both Sean and I were leaving to go to Cambodia on a mission trip.

And so with that, we wanted to put all our affairs in order. And so meet with an attorney and get all the will set and get the custody set up and everything.

Well, along with that, I decided to write a letter to my children. And then I've done that even since then. So you don't have to give me a show of hands.

But if you've ever done that, you know what an emotional experience that is to write a letter to your children with the thought that you might be reading this after I've departed and gone to be with the Lord.

And so you're writing something that you want to communicate to them, your love for them, your pride that you have over them and their lives and what a gift they are.

But you really want to communicate that which is most important. And this is what we have in 2 Timothy. We have Paul awaiting execution.

This being the last letter that he would write. And he's writing it to his son in the faith. To Timothy. And I don't want you to miss the emotion from this book.

If you were to read the whole book, emotion just flows from it. And so before we get to our verse here in 1-7, I want to read the surrounding context here.

So beginning in verse 1. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, by the will of God, according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus.

To Timothy. My beloved child. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

I thank God whom I serve as did my ancestors with a clear conscience as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day.

Verse 4. As I remember your tears, I long to see you. That I may be filled with joy.

I'm reminded of your sincere faith. The faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice. And now I am sure dwells in you as well.

For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame 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 self-control. Verse 8.

Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner. But share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God who saved us and called us to a holy calling.

Not because of our works, but because of his own purpose and grace which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began. And which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

For which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher. Which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed.

For I know whom I have believed. And I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me. Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. Guard the good deposit entrusted to you. You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me.

Among whom are Phygelus and Homogenes. May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus where he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains.

But when he arrived in Rome he searched for 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 at Ephesus.

What a great chapter. And it comes right after even what our pastor shared this morning in Philippians chapter 3. And examples to follow.

And those that we are not to follow. And then those that we are to follow. There are enemies. And then there are those that we embrace. And those that we look to.

They are godly examples. And you see that even in this chapter. But again I hope you caught the emotion as well as Paul is penning this letter to his son in the faith.

And knowing what awaits him. But it brings us down to verse 7. And again this is for our purposes in this series.

I want to hone in on this one verse. Now in a good Southern Baptist preacher form.

I've just got one point for tonight. And all God's people said. There's one point. Now there are two sub points under that. And then under the second sub point there are three sub points.

And so all in all you do the math. Joey will tell you later what that adds up to. But just one point tonight. And here is the point.

Paul reminds Timothy of who is with him. And what he has given him after his departure.

So that who obviously would be a capital W. Paul reminds Timothy of who is with him. And what he, capital H, has given him after lowercase h or Paul's departure.

So Paul is reminding Timothy. I was thinking about this in preparation for this sermon about the identity. He's reminding him of his identity.

He's reminding him of his identity. But if we hone in on that. The danger is that within the identity could be something that we're doing. And that's not the point.

The point would be that which God has done. So the identity that we would have is who we are in Christ. Who God and what God has given us.

And so we see it even in the opening of this chapter. That Paul is speaking from apostolic authority. Joey mentioned that last week. That the authority that we speak.

We speak in and from the word of God. Because of the capital A author that has spoken. So that's our authority as preachers, teachers, as fellow believers.

Ministering the word of God to each other. The authority that you have is not an authority that is in and of yourself. But it's based on the author of his word. So the authority you have comes from the word of God.

That we're able to speak. And so Paul is speaking with apostolic authority. By the will of God. According to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus.

He addresses Timothy specifically. Then verse 3 lets him know that he thanks God with a clear conscience. As he remembers him in his prayers night and day.

So he's praying. He's laboring in prayer. As a mentor. As a father in the faith. He's praying constantly for young Timothy. Then he remembers his tears.

Again we don't have specific information of what he is remembering about his tears. We get little glimpses of it. It could be related directly to fear.

Or being timid. Or being prone to heading down the path of cowardly actions. Paul is reminding him here.

That you need to understand God has given you something and it's not a spirit of fear. Chapter 2 verse 1 he'd say.

Then you then my child be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus. This idea of being empowered. Being strengthened. He's reminding him of these things.

So Paul is reminding him also as he remembers his tears. And he longs to see him. Verse 4 that he'd be filled with joy. Verse 5. Reminded of your sincere faith.

A genuine faith. That existed within Timothy. That was passed on. That his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice now influenced in his life.

Because they first had that genuine faith. And then verse 6. For this I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God. Which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

Once again it could be the gift is speaking just in general terms as a believer. But I think he's honing in here more specifically as a minister of the gospel.

You've been empowered by God. And recognized by me as a mentor. And as an apostle. And by the church herself.

And you're to fan into flame. You're to keep the flame from burning out. But then specifically. Here tonight.

Paul reminds Timothy. Who is with him. For God. Many passages of scripture that begin with but God.

That makes all the difference. When we understand God is involved. That changes everything. This isn't just the best player on the team.

Like we're picking at recess. And we go. Let's get the most gifted guy. Oh we got him. You're our number one draft pick. This is one who is perfect. We're talking about God.

Who is all powerful. Who is omniscient. Who sits above space and time as we know it. Because space and time was his creation. For God.

God. Gave. For God gave us. Collective here. Not just for you. But for believers.

And then. Here's sub point number one. He speaks in the negative first. So Paul reminds Timothy. Of who is with him. And what God. Or he.

Has given him. And he begins first with the negative. For God gave us. A spirit. Not of fear. Not of fear.

Delia. In the Greek. Speaks to. Timidity. To cowardice. To shameful fear. Fear.

That perhaps is generated. Even by selfish character. It's not where we get the word. It's not phobos.

Where we get the word. For fear. Like a phobia. But this word is unique. In the New Testament. And again. It speaks to. And that's why some translations. Would say.

A spirit. Not of timidity. But here. The ESV uses. Fear. But it's the idea. That God has not given us.

A spirit. In which we would. Shrink back. That we would be cowardly. That we'd be timid.

We'd be on. Pins and needles. Or we'd be walking on eggshells. We'd be. Those that are gripped. By.

Potential shame. That could even come. And Paul reminds Timothy. This is not the spirit. That God gave you.

You're not one to walk in fear. You're not one to be timid. You're not one to pull back. And be cowardly. You're not one to be filled with shame.

You're not one to be paralyzed. By fear. And maybe here tonight. You need to be reminded of that. You.

As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Have not been given a spirit of fear. God has given you something else.

And it's not a spirit of fear. Fear. Now. Little side note here. This is specific to a believer. If you are not a believer.

You do need to be gripped with fear. Because what awaits you is judgment. For it is appointed unto a man to die.

And after that. To face judgment. In fact. The greatest fear in your life. Should be. You're standing before God. We try to distract ourselves.

We try to tell ourselves. We're young. We got all the time in the world. I got my health. I've got money in the bank. I've got. You fill in the blank. And if you're not right before.

The God who created you. You need to be in fear. You need to be in fear. But. It doesn't. You don't need to stay there.

Because there's good news. And the good news is. There's one who. Came and lived the life. That you couldn't live. He lived without sin.

He lived a righteous life. He fulfilled the law. And he died the death. That you deserved. He paid the penalty.

On your behalf. Oh. But praise God. Again. The good news is. He rose from the dead. On the third day. It's what we just celebrated. Easter Sunday. And again. It's what we celebrate.

Each and every. Lord's day. We gather together. The first day of the week. And we are preaching. A risen Christ. And the Bible says.

If you will repent. Means doing about faith. And by faith alone. In Christ alone. You. Too. Can be saved. And so turn to Christ.

Tonight. Even this night. For you've not been promised. Tomorrow. And again. I'd remind you. Your greatest fear. Should be God.

And where you stand. Before him. But there's hope. The hope of the gospel. The hope of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that you can turn to him. This very day.

Now for the believer. Specific to the believer. Specific call. Speaking here to Timothy. Who then includes us. I believe we can draw the general application.

From this. For all of us. Who were found in Christ Jesus. He is reminding us. Of who is with us. And what he's given us. And he begins first in the negative. You've not been given a spirit of fear.

Timidity. Cowardice. This series says fear not. Why do we fear not? Because you're a child of God. You have no reason to fear.

Why? For God gave. Not a spirit of fear. But here's the positive. Sub point. Number two. The positive. What have we been given?

If God has not given us a spirit of fear. Then there is something that this verse tells us. He has given us. For God gave us a spirit not of fear.

And then. Here you go. Your three sub points. He's given us in the positive sense. Power. Love.

And self control. Power. Love. And self control. He's not given us a spirit of fear.

Number one. He's given us power. It's a supernatural ability to do God's will. Great force. Great energy.

That emboldens us. And it helps us face and triumph over adversities. This in fact would be the essential.

This is the essential argument throughout 1st and 2nd Timothy. And the entire discussion pointed toward Timothy and his renewal in ministry. Is Timothy you've been given a spirit of power.

Power. And I would say maybe your translation here has a lowercase s. I do believe that numerous commentators point to that could very easily be a capital S for the Holy Spirit.

For God has given us. Many translators translate spirit with a lowercase s because it's pointing to a disposition or an attitude.

Or it's pointing even some commentators say it's pointing to the negative first. That he's not given us a spirit of fear. We don't walk in fear. We don't have an attitude or a disposition of fear.

But then we see the Holy Spirit himself. A direct mark of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers is one of power, love, and self-control.

And so with power is this supernatural ability to do the will of God. Now that doesn't sound like timidity or cowardice.

In fact it leads to boldness. How can I do this? How can I be bold in that which God has called me to? Well how I can be bold is because it's his power.

Not my power. You're not saying let me conjure this up. You're not giving yourself a pep talk. You're not saying if I can just talk myself into this halftime speech and I'm just going to do better.

I'm going to be better. I'm going to leave it all out on the field. No. That misses a point because all the focus is on yourself. What we're talking about here is God's power. God's power?

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. That kind of power. God spoke and poof it existed.

That kind of power. The power that Jesus is walking in a crowd and a woman with an issue of blood just touches the hem of his garment and she's healed.

That kind of power. The power that calls Lazarus by name. Coming from the dead because he's going to raise him from the dead.

This power is from God and he's given it. Not for you to exhibit that power thinking it originated within yourself or to be spent on yourself.

But it's power to do the will of God. This is the power that we've been given and it's been given by God.

You say, oh Jeff, I'm fully aware of my own weakness. And to that I say, amen. You are weak.

So am I. But you know what scripture says? When I'm weak, he is strong. He uses broken vessels.

He uses jars of clay. He uses those with feet of clay so that his power is on full display. Because none of the glory should ever go to his created beings.

All the glory goes to him. And when we walk in his power, doing his will, he receives all the glory. Just ordinary people walking in the power of God.

And maybe tonight you need to be reminded of that. Because you've been walking in fear and timidity and cowardice. Because you've forgotten God has given you power.

But not only that, number two, he has given us love. But of power and love. Agape love. Seeking the good of others before ourselves.

It's a committed love. It's not an emotional type love. It's not a phileo love, a love of friendship. This is the committed.

I'm committed to seek your good above my own. One man said, love is the antidote to fear.

Fostering selfless acts and genuine connection with others. Let me say that again. Love is the antidote to fear. Fostering selfless acts and genuine connection with others.

It's not just a mere platitude. This means you enter into others' lives. Which, guess what? My Sunday school class hears me say this often.

Ministry is messy. Why? Because people are messy. You're messy. We're all messy. But love? Love says I'm committed to walk with you in the midst of the mess.

I'm going to just be alongside as a fellow sojourner. We're traveling the path to celestial city. We're just going to walk alongside each other.

And I'm going to remind you of the promises of God. I'm going to remind you of the attributes of God. I'm going to remind you of the nature of God. And then you're going to do the same for me. And that's what happens when iron sharpens iron.

So one man sharpens another. Is we're committed to love God. And then love others. It's an agape love. This is the spirit we've been given.

It's not only of power. But of love. See this in Galatians 5, 6. See it in verses 22 and 23 of Galatians 5.

The fruit of the spirit. Another cross reference is 1 Timothy 2, 15. So we've been given power. We've been given love.

Number three, we've been given self-control. Again, various translations will translate this with different words. The idea is one of discipline.

You're sound-minded. It's a sound-minded manner of thinking and behaving. Sound-minded manner of thinking and behaving.

That reflects the orderly mind of God. A sound mind ensures we do not fall prey to confusion.

But remain anchored in divine wisdom. Love that. A sound mind ensures that we do not fall prey to confusion. But remain anchored in divine wisdom.

So this self-control is self-discipline or it's discretion. It's moderation. It's prudence. Depicts control over one's actions and thoughts that prevent rash behavior.

And this aids us in a balanced assessment of our situation. It's sober-minded. It's clear thinking. It's not being too high and not being too low.

It's given by the Lord so that you'll be able to assess the situation with the reminder that God is involved.

God is sovereign. God oversees all of my circumstances. God oversees all of my circumstances. Another man put, In this context, this would enable Timothy, the clarity of thought necessary to trust in the invisible God, despite the threats of very visible opponents.

So, Paul reminds Timothy what we need to be reminded of tonight.

Especially if we're prone to fear. That we would remember who is with us. God.

God is with us. If you remember, and you were here last week, Joey preached out of Joshua 1, pointing us back to the transition from Moses to Joshua.

Moses, my servant, is dead. It's a passage of Scripture. I can never hear nor read without thinking of my childhood pastor. And that was the text of Scripture he came from when he was announcing he was retiring.

Just one of those etched in my mind moments. I could take you to the pew in the church that I grew up in. Hearing Moses, my servant, is dead. And he went on to share how the Lord was moving him out of pastoral ministry in this church into another phase of ministry.

Times of transition can be very, very fearful. We can be gripped by fear. Just like Moses, my servant, is dead.

Joshua is coming. What is the reminder? Be strong. Be courageous. He keeps reminding Joshua. Why? Because God is with you. Not because of some power within you, but because of God.

That's why you can be strong and be courageous. And so here marks a New Testament transition. Paul is about to depart.

And young Timothy is still here. And what is the charge? Hey, Timothy. Be strong.

He's not giving you a spirit of fear. In fact, he's giving you one of power and love and a sound mind or self-control.

Hey, Timothy. Remember, you're to be strengthened in the grace of God. Hey, Timothy. Remember, I saw your genuine faith that dwelt in your grandmother and your mother and now dwells in you.

Hey, Timothy. Remember, God has gifted you. The gift wasn't given by Paul or any other elder who laid hands on him. The gift is given by God. And Paul reminds him of that.

Hey, Timothy. Remember, the gift that God has given you. Fan it into flame. Later, he's going to remind him. Hey, Timothy. Remember the Scriptures that lead you to salvation in Jesus Christ.

And remember that all Scripture is breathed out by God. Hey, Timothy. The time of my departure has come. But the same God who led Moses, who led Joshua, who led Paul, leads Timothy and is leading you and I as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.

You see, one thing we need to keep in mind, sometimes we can detach ourselves from the circumstances, and even Timothy, at times, can get beat up on.

Oh, Timothy is given to fear, and he's given to timidity, he's given to cowardice, and Timothy is weak-natured, and we can kind of pile on to Timothy, and we forget the circumstances.

His mentor is awaiting execution. There's an emperor on the throne who's a crazed lunatic who's putting Christians to death.

Not only is there opposition from the outside, but what about the inside? There are false teachers inside who are opposing Timothy.

That Paul says, I'm leaving you here to set these things in order. I'm leaving you here with a charge, and there are people who are in direct opposition to Timothy. See, I think it's important for us to be reminded of this.

Your situation, at face value, might be one that it's perfectly valid to have the emotion of fear.

It's not like we just walk around with our head in the clouds, and we say, hey, I never fear anything. It may be a situation that you are fearful. Listen, I'll be honest with you.

Until baby Bennett was born, you know what I was battling? Fear! Lord, I want his mother to be fine.

Lord, I want Bennett to be fine. Lord, would you preserve them? Would you give them health?

Would you? And if I wasn't careful, and my mind starts running, then I'm gripped and paralyzed by fear of all the shoulda, coulda, wouldas, or all the what ifs.

All of these things that can happen, but what do we do as believers? We remind ourselves who is with us and what he has given us.

God is with us, and he's not given you a spirit of fear. He's given you a spirit of power, love, and self-control.

And so, your situation may lead you to very real emotions of fear. fear. And I would submit to you tonight, you will be paralyzed by fear if you try to control your situation.

Because the answer is not within you, and your hope was never meant to be in yourself. The answer is, I lift my eyes to the hills.

From whence cometh my help? My help comes from the Lord. See, I look to the Lord. And Scripture goes on, Psalm 121, the maker of heaven and earth.

Hey, lest you forget, he's the one who made everything. And that's where my help is coming from. My help comes from God, who made heaven and earth.

For though, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. Why? Because there's some strength and stamina within myself?

No, for you are with me, God. I'm able to walk through the valley of the shadow of death. I'm able to walk through the valley of the shadow of death because you are with me.

And for each and every one of us, the reminder tonight, who is with you and what he has given you.

A spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. God, the spirit empowers individuals like us to live with conviction, purpose, and unwavering faith.

So we fear not. We fear not because God is with us. And we fear not because what God has given us, all for his glory.

glory. Let's pray together. Our Father, we do thank you tonight for the reminder that you've not given us a spirit of fear, one that would lead us to being timid, cowardly individuals who would shrink back.

But what you have given us is a spirit of power, love, self-control, self-discipline, a sound mind.

And oh, how we thank you for all of those tremendous blessings that we have in our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Christ. And wherever we might find ourselves tonight, perhaps it's a time of transition.

Transition in our home, our workplace, our neighborhood, our church, wherever we find ourselves where we're prone to be gripped by fear, would you remind us that you are with us in what you have given us?

Perhaps it's another sense of fear that we are gripped with that is the fear of the unknown or the fear of what ifs, what if a terminal disease is discovered in my body, what if someone I love dies, what if, we could fill in the blank with all sorts of scenarios and situations that could just paralyze us with fear, gripped by fear, but also our circumstances could grip us with fear where we want to shrink back and remain quiet, perhaps when we're to speak the gospel with others and we're gripped with the fear of what if they reject me or what if they throw a question my way that I don't know how to answer and we fill ourselves with all of these excuses where we just don't open our mouths and share the good news because of fear.

fear. So we shrink back or timid we're frightened. Oh, remind us you've not given us that spirit but the spirit we walk in is one of power, your power, love, which is your love and self control, which is given by you.

So lead us this week, I pray, in a week that we would be reminded even as we heard this morning of examples to follow and those to avoid and then to walk not with the spirit of fear but a power, love, and a sound mind.

We pray all this in Jesus' name and all God's people said. Amen.