One who raises the Remnant that God Has Remained (2 Timothy 1:3-8)
Actualization of 1st, 2nd, 3rd RUTC:
One who raises the Remnant that God Has Remained (2 Timothy 1:3-8)
The word Remnant originally means all the people left behind by God to receive salvation (Isaiah 6:13, Romans 11:5). God desires to save and heal the word through these people. But there is a reason we especially focus this word on the posterity. All the remnants in the Bible were people who were ready early on. The 7 remnants faced various hardships, but they were all prepared as individuals who possessed some type of foundation, basics, and groundwork early on.
It says that in the end times curses, disasters, and sufferings will continue to happen (Matthew 24, 2 Timothy 3). It says that churches will crumble, and especially a time where the posterity suffers will come within that. That is why Jesus said, “Do not weep for me, weep for your children” (Luke 23:28). The mystery to stop this time of curse and suffering is finding and raising the posterity remnant that God has remained. What is the covenant we must hold unto in order to raise these remnants? We will find this in the passage Paul left during the final times of his life.
- Why did Paul leave his last letter of his life to Timothy?
It is because he loved him as a son of faith. But that was not all. In 2 Timothy 3, Paul knew that during the last days sufferings will come, but if remnants like Timothy rise, they will be the answers of the world and churches. How earnest must he have been?
1) The eyes to see the future like this is called vision. The CVDIP that all believers should possess is to build and raise remnants.
One person, a remnant, will change the world and save the church. It is a covenant given from God. It is called vision because it will surely be fulfilled, and we will be able to see this. Dream about the remnants that will rise through me. Draw a specific picture and set up a plan (Image). A work only you can do will be revealed, and you will be able to accomplish it (Practice).
2) How did God allow Paul to meet this Timothy?
① Paul who was once a persecutor meets Christ, and now risks his life and walks the way of an evangelist.
He goes on three evangelism trips, and on his first trip, he goes to a region called Lystra. Satan’s disruption was so large, it became a time where he was almost beaten to death by people. At this time, many disciples were raised (Acts 14:19-21).
② Timothy is the person he meets after that when he risks his life and enters the region of Lystra again.
We can meet true disciples during our hardest times. Do not be deceived that there is nothing that can be done because it is hard for me, or because I don’t have anything. Disciples and the posterity will rise as much as I truly love the gospel and stake my life for the gospel. Later on, this Timothy is used as a representative leader of the Early Church as he carries out ministry in the Ephesus Church.
- How did Paul raise and build Timothy? All parents, teachers, lay leaders, and pastors must hold unto this together.
1) Paul was a person who always embraced Timothy in his heart and prayed in front of God.
“As night and day, I constantly remember you in my prayers” (Verses 3-4). This form is 24 hours.
Find a remnant to support with prayer, and place it in your heart, and try to start praying. God allows you to grow within that (1 Corinthians 3:6). Deep love that you didn’t have when you truly prayed before will form, work that needs to be done will be visible, and blessings you will enjoy to save these people will come to you.
2) Paul helped discover God’s gift (talent) that was in Timothy.
Paul saw the different thing Timothy possessed in their first encounter (Acts 16:1). The faith he possessed as he grew up under a believing Jewish mother and being equipped with a multi-ethnic background from his Greek father would have been a great talent (TCK).
It is important to have the eye to see the different or special thing when looking at a person, and especially the posterity. Especially, there was something Paul prayed for while ordaining Timothy. He prayed and helped so that the prayer and gift he prayed for at that time would rise like fire (verse 6).
① To the saved people of God, the Holy Spirit surely gives something different to each person (1 Corinthians 12:4-11).
There is a famous song by a Myung Hee Song, a poet with a cerebral palsy disability, who was called the Fanny Crosby of Korea. “God who is fair, I may not have something that others possess, but He has given me something that others do not possess.”
② We must develop, like the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. That is why the parent, teacher, and church worker who helps this, is important.
The individual can work hard, however, for the time as remnants, everything depends on who they meet to receive support and training.
③ We must help them to realize their heavenly mandate and mission, so that they may be surely used for World Evangelization.
In this, we need to help them make a specialty that is only for the Gospel. It is good to find a model in the Bible, or from people around us. A model for medical personnel is doctor Luke, who was loved by everyone and lived as an evangelist (Colossians 4:14). A model for economists is Gaius, who lived as a host for all evangelists and churches (Romans 16:23). There is a politician like David, who Loved God and sincerely loved his people (Psalm 78:70-72). There is a soldier like Joshua, who only meditated on the Word and lived for God’s glory (Joshua 1:8).
3) Paul raised Timothy as a person who never feared sufferings under any circumstances.
People usually teach to live a comfortable life, but rather Paul taught him to hold unto God’s power and receive suffering with the Gospel (verse 8). It says to stand like the soldier, athlete, and farmer of 2 Timothy, but what are their characteristics? They are strong people.
① We have to prepare them of the persecution for the gospel. This was also the reason Paul was imprisoned.
We need to surely plant the gospel to the point that even though they may go through suffering and be accused of heresy while declaring only Christ, they rather possess self- pride, and thanksgiving. It is Only Christ, Unique Christ, and Absolute Christ (Acts 4:12, Acts 20:24).
Then people you meet live, and lives change. How will Satan disrupt this?
Most people go down the easy road and follow calculations and benefits. We must raise the remnants and children we build to not follow that road.
② We must teach them what truly God’s Kingdom is. There is surely the world’s kingdom, and God’s Kingdom.
Satan is playing the role of a master in this world we live in. That is why there are more corruption, evil, and events we cannot understand taking place. We have been given the mystery of victory through the name of Christ (Luke 10:19, James 4:7). Praying for God’s kingdom to take place everywhere we go is our mission and blessing to enjoy (Matthew 12:28). If we know the actions of the devil, the king of earth, we are able to appease (Matthew 26:51-53, Luke 22:50-51). A greater blessing is prepared.
③ We must make them to look upon only the power of God. It is a different power, and an absolute power. This mystery is prayer.
During the time as a remnant, one must be trained in resolving everything through prayer and receiving answers. This blessing is needed especially when starting important work. This is needed during hardships, and on the contrary, even when things go well. I must become a person of prayer first. Then it will be relayed as it is.
Conclusion – We are all individually remnants inside only Christ. And the one person, the other remnant that I’ll be raised through me is important. This is the answer to enjoy today, and blessing to prepare the future. I bless you that you may be main figures of this blessing and answer.
pulpit 7_21_2019 pulpit 7_21_2019