Guarding the Gospel: The Cost and Call of Discipleship
Summary
In 2 Timothy, we find Paul, an elder statesman of the faith, writing from a Roman prison. His words carry the weight of a man who knows his time is short, and he writes with urgency to his disciple, Timothy. Paul’s message is clear: discipleship is about following and guarding the sound doctrine that has been entrusted to us. He emphasizes the importance of adhering to the "pattern of sound words" and guarding the "good deposit" of faith. This is not just about maintaining tradition for tradition's sake, but about preserving the truth of the gospel in its purity and power.
Paul uses the imagery of a custodian to describe Timothy's role in safeguarding the doctrine. This is a call to fidelity, not innovation. The gospel is not to be altered to fit cultural trends or personal preferences. Paul reminds Timothy that the gospel is inherently offensive to the world, and fidelity to it will inevitably lead to suffering. Yet, this suffering is part of the cost of discipleship, a theme echoed by Jesus Himself.
The Reformers understood this well. They were not just about boldness and courage; they were deeply invested in discipleship. They knew that the truth of the gospel had to be passed down to the next generation, just as Paul passed it to Timothy. This succession plan is built on fidelity to the truth, not on the charisma or innovation of the messenger.
Paul also highlights the importance of conviction. Discipleship is not just about knowing the right doctrines; it’s about standing firm in them with courage and confidence. The Reformers turned the world upside down not just because of their content, but because of their conviction. They stood 'contra mundum'—against the world—with a boldness that came from their unwavering faith in the power of the gospel.
Finally, Paul assures Timothy that he is not alone in this task. The Holy Spirit dwells within him, empowering him to be a faithful guardian of the truth. This divine assistance is crucial, for it is by the Spirit’s power that we can hope to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
Key Takeaways:
- The Urgency of Discipleship: Paul’s final words to Timothy emphasize the urgency of preserving sound doctrine. Discipleship involves a commitment to the truth of the gospel, which must be guarded and passed on to future generations. This is not a task for the faint-hearted, but for those who understand the eternal significance of the message they carry. [01:44]
- The Cost of Fidelity: True discipleship comes with a cost. Paul reminds Timothy that suffering is an inherent part of following Christ. This suffering is not due to personal failings but is a result of standing firm in the gospel. The cost of discipleship is a theme that runs throughout Scripture, reminding us that following Christ requires sacrifice. [32:08]
- Guarding the Good Deposit: Paul uses the imagery of a custodian to describe the role of a disciple. This involves guarding the "good deposit" of faith with diligence and care. The gospel is a treasure that must be protected from distortion and error, requiring a steadfast commitment to the truth. [15:29]
- Conviction and Courage: The Reformers exemplified the conviction and courage needed to stand for the truth. Their boldness was not rooted in their own strength but in their unwavering faith in the power of the gospel. This conviction is essential for discipleship, as it empowers us to stand firm against opposition. [45:25]
- Empowered by the Spirit: Paul assures Timothy that he is not alone in his task. The Holy Spirit dwells within him, providing the strength and guidance needed to be a faithful disciple. This divine empowerment is crucial, as it enables us to fulfill our calling with confidence and hope. [46:30]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:31] - Leaning into Paul's Final Words
- [01:05] - Paul's Imprisonment and Urgency
- [02:08] - Discipleship Reformation
- [03:17] - Focus on Doctrine
- [04:20] - Prayer for Understanding
- [05:21] - Commands to Follow and Guard
- [06:37] - The Good Deposit
- [08:06] - Sound Words and Hygiene
- [10:14] - Unsound Words in the Church
- [12:10] - Following the Pattern
- [14:22] - Guarding the Inheritance
- [16:07] - Discipleship and Innovation
- [19:24] - Content of the Gospel
- [31:27] - The Cost of Discipleship
- [38:14] - Conviction and Courage
- [46:30] - Empowered by the Spirit
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- 2 Timothy 1:13-14
- Galatians 1:6-9
- Matthew 16:24-25
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Observation Questions:
1. What are the two imperatives Paul gives to Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:13-14, and how do they relate to the concept of discipleship? [05:21]
2. How does Paul describe the "good deposit" in 2 Timothy 1:14, and what imagery does he use to convey its importance? [06:37]
3. In the sermon, what examples are given of unsound words infiltrating the church, and how does Paul address this issue? [10:46]
4. How does Paul connect the concept of suffering with discipleship in 2 Timothy 1:8 and 1:12? [32:08]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. What does it mean to "guard the good deposit" in the context of modern-day challenges to the gospel? How can believers apply this in their daily lives? [15:29]
2. How does the sermon illustrate the cost of discipleship, and what are some contemporary examples of this cost? [31:27]
3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that conviction and courage are essential for discipleship, and how can these qualities be cultivated? [45:25]
4. How does the assurance of the Holy Spirit's presence empower believers to fulfill their discipleship calling, according to the sermon? [46:30]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you faced a challenge in standing firm in your faith. How did you respond, and what might you do differently in the future to "guard the good deposit"? [06:37]
2. The sermon emphasizes the cost of discipleship. Identify a specific area in your life where following Christ has been costly. How can you find encouragement and strength in this struggle? [32:08]
3. Consider the role of sound doctrine in your spiritual life. How can you ensure that you are following the "pattern of sound words" in your personal study and in your church community? [05:21]
4. The sermon highlights the importance of conviction and courage. What is one area where you feel called to stand "contra mundum" (against the world) with boldness? How can you prepare yourself for this challenge? [45:25]
5. How can you rely more on the Holy Spirit's guidance in your daily walk with Christ? Identify a specific situation where you need to trust in the Spirit's empowerment. [46:30]
6. Think about a person in your life who might benefit from discipleship. What steps can you take to invest in their spiritual growth, following the example of Paul and Timothy? [29:58]
7. Reflect on the sermon’s message about the urgency of discipleship. What practical steps can you take this week to prioritize your commitment to preserving and passing on the truth of the gospel? [01:44]
Devotional
Day 1: Urgency in Preserving the Gospel
Discipleship is a call to urgency, as Paul’s final words to Timothy emphasize the critical importance of preserving sound doctrine. Paul, writing from a Roman prison, knows his time is short and urges Timothy to guard the truth of the gospel with diligence. This is not a task for the faint-hearted but for those who understand the eternal significance of the message they carry. The gospel must be passed on to future generations in its purity and power, without alteration to fit cultural trends or personal preferences. This urgency is a reminder that the truth of the gospel is a treasure that must be protected and shared with conviction. [01:44]
2 Timothy 1:13-14 (ESV): "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."
Reflection: What specific steps can you take today to ensure that the truth of the gospel is preserved and shared with those around you?
Day 2: Embracing the Cost of Discipleship
True discipleship comes with a cost, as Paul reminds Timothy that suffering is an inherent part of following Christ. This suffering is not due to personal failings but is a result of standing firm in the gospel. The cost of discipleship is a theme that runs throughout Scripture, reminding us that following Christ requires sacrifice. Paul’s words encourage us to embrace this cost with courage, knowing that it is part of our calling as followers of Jesus. The willingness to endure suffering for the sake of the gospel is a testament to our commitment to Christ and His message. [32:08]
2 Timothy 3:12 (ESV): "Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."
Reflection: In what ways have you experienced the cost of discipleship in your own life, and how can you find strength in Christ to endure it?
Day 3: Guarding the Treasure of Faith
Paul uses the imagery of a custodian to describe the role of a disciple, emphasizing the importance of guarding the "good deposit" of faith with diligence and care. The gospel is a treasure that must be protected from distortion and error, requiring a steadfast commitment to the truth. This call to fidelity is not about maintaining tradition for tradition's sake but about preserving the truth of the gospel in its purity and power. As disciples, we are entrusted with this precious message and must be vigilant in safeguarding it for future generations. [15:29]
1 Timothy 6:20-21 (ESV): "O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called 'knowledge,' for by professing it some have swerved from the faith."
Reflection: How can you actively guard the truth of the gospel in your daily interactions and conversations?
Day 4: Standing with Conviction and Courage
The Reformers exemplified the conviction and courage needed to stand for the truth, turning the world upside down not just because of their content but because of their unwavering faith in the power of the gospel. This conviction is essential for discipleship, as it empowers us to stand firm against opposition. Paul’s message to Timothy highlights the importance of standing firm in the truth with courage and confidence, even when it is unpopular or offensive to the world. Our boldness should be rooted in our faith in Christ and His message, enabling us to stand 'contra mundum'—against the world. [45:25]
Ephesians 6:13 (ESV): "Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm."
Reflection: What is one area in your life where you need to stand firm in your faith, and how can you draw strength from God to do so?
Day 5: Empowered by the Holy Spirit
Paul assures Timothy that he is not alone in his task, as the Holy Spirit dwells within him, providing the strength and guidance needed to be a faithful disciple. This divine empowerment is crucial, as it enables us to fulfill our calling with confidence and hope. The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives is a source of comfort and strength, reminding us that we are not left to our own devices in our journey of faith. As we rely on the Spirit’s power, we can be assured of hearing, "Well done, good and faithful servant." [46:30]
Romans 8:11 (ESV): "If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you."
Reflection: How can you become more aware of the Holy Spirit’s presence and guidance in your life today?
Quotes
"Paul's an old man when he writes 2 Timothy. He's in prison. He's in Rome. The winters aren't terribly harsh in Rome, but they're worse than Orlando winters. Paul's in a prison, perhaps it's a bit dank, musty, cold. He asks for his cloak. You get a sense of his frailty. You get a sense of the urgency. He says at the end of this book that he is ready. He is ready for that final sacrifice. His whole life has been poured out as a drink offering, as a sacrifice to God in service of Him. Now, he's ready, as it were, for that final sacrifice." [00:55:48]
"Follow, 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." [04:05:56]
"Paul, as you know, was trained in the Old Testament, and we have this great poetic expression of Hebrew parallelism. If to say it once is a good thing, why not say it twice? That's even better. And so we find this parallelism consistently in Paul. That's what we find here. They're grammatically parallel, versus 13 and 14. There's the command, 'Follow.' Follow what? Follow the pattern of words, but not just any words. Sound words. And these were the words which you heard from me. Then he repeats this in verse 14. 'Guard.' The Latin expression here is 'custodi,' to be a custodian, a guardian." [00:55:48]
"Paul is outlining for us here what discipleship is. Discipleship is following. Discipleship is guarding. And it's not in being innovative. Calvin says when Paul tells Timothy to guard this pattern of sound words, he is saying, 'Don't simply hold fast to the broad strokes of my ministry.' Now, Paul talks about Jesus. I'll talk about Jesus. Paul talks about salvation, I'll -- No. This is what Calvin says, 'The very form of expression.' Do not deviate, not one iota. Not just in the broad strokes. The very form of expression. Do not deviate from that." [16:04:81]
"Paul doesn't just command. He also demonstrates what those sound words are. There's a content to these sound words. There's a content to our faith. In fact, if you go back up in the preceding verses we see it. Let's take a look at verses 8-12. Everywhere in Paul we see the content. Paul says in verse 8, 'Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord.' That's content. A testimony of our Lord. 'Nor of me as prisoner,' this is the occasion. Paul's in Rome. 'But share in suffering' -- I'm going to come back to that. Anytime Jesus talks about discipleship, doesn't He talk about suffering? Share in suffering for what? The gospel. There's the content. The gospel. The gospel, the gospel, the gospel." [19:50:49]
"True discipleship is a cost. We're seeing it currently in our moment culturally. You know, if you look just at American evangelicalism, in the 1980s and in the 1990s, we were at the cool table. Do you remember the cool table in junior high where all the athletes sat, and you wanted to sit at the cool table? I was always over at the nerd table. That longed to be where Mr. Larson sat at the cool table. Little known fact, a surfer in his teenage years. Little known fact. Now not so little known. In the '80s and the '90s, you know what? We had a seat at the cool table." [33:30:49]
"Paul endeavored to be winsome, but never at the sake of compromising the gospel, but clearly recognizing that it's the gospel that is the offense. And fidelity to the gospel means suffering. Fidelity to the gospel means suffering of some kind. He says it again, doesn't he? Down in verse 11, 'For which I was appointed a preacher of this gospel. I was appointed a preacher of the gospel. I was an apostle of the gospel, and I am a teacher of the gospel.' That's who Paul is. He's a preacher, he is an apostle, he is a teacher. And then verse 12, 'Which is why I suffer as I do.'" [32:48:60]
"Discipleship is about conviction. It's not just standing on the gospel, it's standing on the gospel with conviction. What made the Reformation was not just the content. What made the Reformation was the boldness and the courage and the confidence with which those Reformers proclaimed the doctrines of the Reformation. And they turned a world upside down. And some of that turning of the world upside down was through their martyrdoms. We are called to follow a pattern. We are called to guard a good deposit. And we are called to do so with conviction." [45:32:64]
"By the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells within us. God has not left us to our own devices to be His faithful disciples. He has given us His Spirit and that Spirit indwells us, and it is by the power of the Holy Spirit that someday God in His graciousness will say to us, 'Well done, you good and faithful servants.'" [46:37:48]
"Paul is a classic germaphobe. Back here and scattered all around, of course, are the hand sanitizers. And I love you people. I really do. You come from all over, and you also bring your germs with you. And you want to hug me and you want to shake my hand, and you want to leave a good deposit. So I was using one of these hand sanitizers out in the back here, and one of the other speakers -- I won't tell you who it was, he's -- I think he's the President of a Southern Baptist Seminary, but -- I turned to him and I said, 'I guess we're all germaphobes these days,' and he said, 'That's actually the one phobia that can be good for you.'" [08:06:17]
"Paul is such a great teacher, isn't he? So vivid. He doesn't just say, 'Follow sound words. Be hygienic, Timothy.' He says, 'Follow the pattern.' This is a fascinating word, pattern. We lived in Amish country for 17 years. This was quilting country. And the intricate design and the thread work and the care, the diligence, and there were these patterns -- I don't understand any of them or what they were, but gifted quilters can identify those patterns that give shape to various quilts. And they follow that pattern." [11:19:52]
"Paul singles those two names out. There were others. It's a vivid example of those who did not follow the pattern and those who did not guard the deposit. But Paul's confident of better things with Timothy. And so he gives a positive example. Look at chapter 2, versus 1-2. 'You then, my child, be strengthened by the graces in Christ Jesus and what you have heard from me.' Same expression from verse 13. 'In the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach other's also.' This is God's truth succession plan. God's truth succession plan has one agenda item. Has one criteria. And it is fidelity." [38:44:96]
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