70 Workers Who Save the Next Generation (2 Timothy 2:1-7) 7/10/2022
24 Answer of the 1st 2nd 3rd RUTC:
70 Workers Who Save the Next Generation (2 Timothy 2:1-7) 7/10/2022
We are the 70 Workers that save the next generation. We must prepare the future and the next age to come. There are at least three reasons we must do something to save the posterity.
First, it is a blessing that the future generations must rightfully enjoy. It is a responsibility of the parents and the first-generation to whom God has gifted children. The child’s entire life depends on the parents and leaders they meet and become nurtured and trained by. As our future generations inherit the covenant and blessings through their parents and the first generation, we must help them have gratitude for those things.
Second, it is a blessing that parents and the first-generation will enjoy. No matter what, the children are the fruits that parents and the first-generation bear through their prayers, devotion, and life. Some unbelievers even form an opinion about how well honorably the parents lived by their children.
Third, it is an absolute mission from God (John 21:15). The world will progressively fall deeper into pain, curses, and disasters. Along with human greed, it is the final wrath of Satan (Revelations 12:12). Within this, it is our children who must save their fields, the church, and their next generation. At the conclusion of this mission, we will meet Jesus who will come again and stand before God.
- We want to see Paul in the passage as a model who revived his posterity.
1) Paul called Timothy “my son” (beginning of verse 1).
Biological children are precious relationships that God has given to parents. They are God’s heritage and reward on earth (Psalm 127:3). However, biological children are not the only connection that God has allowed. Paul was an evangelist who lived alone and carried out world evangelism. Timothy was someone who Paul met while he evangelized in the field. Paul believed that Timothy was someone who God has given to him as a son. According to that faith, Timothy was the one who stayed by Paul’s side during his final days, and that love was captured and remained as the book of 2 Timothy.
2) What Paul desired to relay to this son was only gospel (end of verse 1).
“Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” There are three absolute reasons.
① Only this gospel is the way (John 14:6) and door (john 10:9) to enjoy all of God’s grace.
We meet God through this Christ, and in him we become free from all sin and curses and victorious over Satan’s authority. This Satan is working 24 hours to deceive the saved people, their families, churches, and field (1 Peter 5:8). However, Satan can never overcome us, who grow stronger in the grace that is in Christ. All his strategies will become the path to greater blessings and doors.
② God makes all things in the life of those who are in the grace of Christ into evidence (Acts 1:8). With that grace and evidence of blessings, they are standing as the ones to save the field, the church, and the world. Those individuals are called disciples. God desires us to raise disciples, whether they are our biological children, or children we meet in our fields.
③ All relationships and devotions that come in this Gospel becomes something eternal. When we stand before God, our children and posterity that we have raised become our eternal reward and eternal heritage.
3) What was the missions that Paul gave to this son? He told him to relay this gospel to other reliable people. Just like Paul met this Timothy, there will be other reliable people (disciples) in the field that God will allow us to meet. As much as we hold onto this covenant of discipleship and stand as a disciple ourselves, more disciples like us will be raised through us.
- Paul suggested three models to raise his beloved son Timothy as such a disciple (verse 3-6).
1) He told Timothy to endure suffering as a good soldier of Christ. They are the remained ones.
① What is one difference between a church member and a disciple? Church goers expect to live an easy walk of faith, but disciples are determined for suffering to come (Matthew 16:24). They are individuals that choose loss, persecution, and crises. However, in the end, those things become absolute blessings (Mark 10:28-30). Abraham, Isaac, Joseph, Moses, Caleb, David, Daniel and his three friends, Esther, and the figures of Hebrews 11 are such witnesses.
② Why did he talk about modeling a soldier? It is because we must fight against the enemy to protect and save our families and people. Satan is continuously working to destroy us, our families, the church, and the field. What would happen to ourselves and the people around us if we do not have the strength or the mission to fight against him? Someone must become a watchman, and a soldier that can fight and have victory.
③ All saved people of God are God’s army and soldiers of Christ from the moment they receive salvation (Exodus 12:41, Numbers 1:3, Ezekiel 37:10). Especially in a time like this where curses, disasters, and spiritual problems continue, God has promised us this blessing (Revelations 17:14, 21:7). We are people who can win if we stand against in faith (Luke 10:19, 1 Peter 5:9, 1 John 4:4). These are the remained ones.
2) He told Timothy to stand as a one who competes for the victor’s crown.
① This is an insight to our life’s journey. We must stand as the ones who know the journey. He compared life to a marathon. A marathon is not determined by how well you run in the beginning. We must look ahead to the long run. There is no reason to be tired or deceived if we do not see good results right away. Keep the pace of your faith, striving forward toward our eternal destination (covenant journey, journey of a pilgrim, journey of a victor).
② To compete according to the rules means to follow the Word (Psalm 119:105). Challenge yourself to make five things your lifestyle throughout your entire life (deep meditation, deep prayer, deep breathing, deep foods, deep exercise).
③ Where is the final destination of those who compete in this race? It is to relay. It is the work of an antenna. We must relay the blessing of the gospel through the entirety of our lives. This was the beginning of the marathon.
3) He told Timothy to enjoy the blessing of a hardworking farmer. They are the ones who prepare for the future.
① What are three things we can learn from farmers?
First, they look ahead to the future. Second, since they see that future, they can sweat to till the field and sow the seeds today. Third, they wait until those seeds grow and bear fruit.
② We must live our lives like this and raise our children and disciples this way. If we can properly raise one individual, it can change the world. When you look at someone, don’t look at who they are right now and judge easily. Look at the future that God has prepared for every individual. The prayers and devotions we pour into them now is the work of sowing the seeds in sweat. They are not ordinary seeds; they are holy seeds. Now, we just put our faith in God and wait. God is the one who will bear the fruits and allow us to enjoy (Galatians 6:9. People who work hard like farmers have separate blessings they will enjoy. They will enjoy those blessings first.
Conclusion – May you stand strong in the grace that only Christ Jesus gives. In that grace and blessing, may we raise our future generations as victorious soldiers, competitors who know the journey, and farmers who prepare for the future.