Called & Strengthened

If Timothy, which is right near the end of your Bible, is the very last book, Revelation, turn to the left and you will find First and Second Timothy just a little bit before the big book called Hebrews. We are going to be in Second Timothy, Chapter Two today, but we're going to back up to Chapter One to begin our reading at verse one.

In Second Timothy, Chapter One, verse one, the Apostle Paul says, "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, to Timothy, a beloved son: grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord."

I thank God whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did. Without ceasing, I remember you in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice. I am persuaded that it is in you also.

Therefore, I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me, His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.

This grace has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. To this gospel, I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For this reason, I also suffered these things. Nevertheless, I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed to Him until that day.

Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

Holy Spirit, who dwells in us, you know that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chain. When he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me. The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that day. You know very well how many ways he ministered to me in Ephesus.

You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. The things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You, therefore, must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. Also, if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. The hard-working farmer must be first to partake of the crops. Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.

Father, as we stand here today before You and before Your Word, I pray, God, that You would speak by Your Spirit. We trust that what we have here before us is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. It is inspired by You and is useful for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness, so that we, as Your people, would be ready and thoroughly equipped for every good work.

So, God, I pray that the time we come before Your Word today, and as Your Spirit works in us, would prepare us for whatever it is that You have before us this week. We may not know, but we come before You as a God who does work in us of preparation. Speak to us and encourage those who may be downhearted, Lord. We pray in Jesus' name, and all those that agreed said, "Amen."

You can be seated. If you have been with us for about the last five weeks or so, it may seem a little bit redundant to go back and read through the entirety of chapter one to lead us into the passage that we are at here in chapter two. However, as I was preparing to come to this passage in chapter two, I went back and I was...

Reading back through chapter one, it seemed appropriate to get the context of what Paul is going to be saying as he goes into chapter two. It's always important for us to remember that when Paul wrote this, he didn't go chapter one, verse one, verse two; none of that was added until much later. In fact, the chapters and verses were not added until almost 1,500 years after Paul wrote these things. They were just added so that we could get on the same page a little bit easier.

When we come to a passage like this, which begins with the two words that Second Timothy chapter 2 starts with, "You therefore," we need to backtrack. I've said it many times before, and I'm going to continue to say it every time we come to the word "therefore" in the Bible: we need to look back and remember what it's there for. It's pointing us back to what has been previously said.

So, this section, chapter two of Second Timothy, opens with those words, "You therefore," and it points us back to what is being said. Just before Paul comes into this next exhortation in chapter 2, he says, "Hey listen, Timothy, you know very well that all of those who are in Asia have turned away from me."

At this moment, the guy that Paul is writing this letter to, Timothy, is in what at that time was referred to as Asia Minor; today, it's modern-day western Turkey. He's in the city of Ephesus, which was the capital city of that region of the world at that time. Paul says, "Listen, you know really well that all of those who were in Asia have turned away from me."

The context of this is very clear. Paul is, at this moment, facing a trial and ultimate execution in Rome. It's about the year 66 AD, and he knows that his time is short. That becomes really clear when reading through this last letter of his; that's why we're calling this series "Last Words."

As he's in that position, there is a real temptation for a lot of people who once associated with Paul, who were close to him, maybe even co-laborers, to step back. You can remember if you go back to the time of Jesus, the night that he was betrayed by one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot. He was arrested, and the next day he would be crucified. All of his disciples forsook him. He told them, "All of you will forsake me this night." They said, "No, we'll never do that; we'll die with you." But within a matter of hours, they all kind of split. It is a fulfillment of the word in the Old Testament that says, "Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will scatter."

So here Paul is in a situation where he is facing imminent execution, and a lot of those people who once stood with him have turned away.

Once identified with him, they pulled back. To really ground it here, Paul doesn't just make a general statement that all those in Asia have turned away from him; he actually identifies by name two of the individuals. I can't even imagine having your name immortalized in Scripture by the Apostle Paul as one of the people who deserted him in his time of need. Yet, he mentions them at the end of chapter one. You know who they are: Timothy and, in this context, understand that this letter, when it was delivered to Timothy, was not like he received a little envelope and opened it to read by himself. This was probably read publicly to the whole church, addressed to Timothy.

So, publicly addressed to Timothy, Paul says that such were Phygelus and Hermogenes. They have split; they have taken off. This moment occurred when things were getting more difficult for Christians at this time in history, right around the middle portion of what was the first state-sponsored persecution against Christians. It would not be the last. If you read church history, you would see that throughout history, there has been significant persecution of Christians. There is still, today, persecution in certain parts of the world. We are graced with the opportunity and privilege of living in a nation where that is not our reality, but it was a reality for Paul and for the church that Timothy was overseeing in Ephesus.

Here, this letter is read, and Paul states that all of those in Asia have forsaken him, and among them are Phygelus and Hermogenes. Therefore, in chapter 2, verse 1, he says, "You therefore, my son, be strong." In the midst of this situation, where persecution is escalating, Timothy, you are going to be the focus of this persecution, along with other believers in Ephesus and throughout the Roman Empire. You are going to experience this. Paul says, "Timothy, you therefore be strong."

Now, if there's anything we can be certain of in reading through the ten chapters of First and Second Timothy, it is that Timothy lacked confidence. He seemed to be thrust into a leadership position that he did not feel fully adequate to fulfill. He didn't seem to have the fullness of strength in the midst of this. How do we come to that conclusion? Well, at least 25 times in the ten chapters of First and Second Timothy, Paul encourages him to be strong. You only encourage someone to be strong if there is a good possibility they are not. So here he is in this situation, Timothy, and he...

is lacking confidence, and he may not have felt that he should be in the position that he was in. Yet, there he is, thrust into that position, called by God—not just by Paul, but called by God to occupy that position. Now, I could be wrong about Timothy in assuming that he lacked confidence and was a little bit timid. Maybe I'll get to heaven, and he'll pull me aside and say, "Listen, you had it all wrong about me, buddy." That might happen, and I'll be happy to say, "Timothy, I'm sorry."

However, it seems from the text here that he was fearful. If we look back a little bit to chapter 1, specifically 2 Timothy 1:6, it says, "Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands." In verse 7, it continues, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." Timothy, you might be fearful, but God has given you a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind.

Therefore, in verse 8, it says, "Do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me, His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God." Why is he fearful? He is facing possible persecution and suffering. I don't know anyone facing the potential of suffering who would be like, "Yes, let's do this thing!" except for maybe a pregnant woman getting ready to give birth. I just don't know that there are too many people who would say, "Yes, this is exactly what I've been looking forward to—suffering."

I'm one of those people who has a deep aversion to anything painful. Is anyone else with me? Good, it's all the guys raising their hands. Do you realize the population of the world would be about 1 billion if it were left to men to have babies?

So, he says, "Share with me in the sufferings for the gospel of God, who has saved us and called us," in verse 9, "according to His own purpose and grace." He has enabled us with His grace. In verse 12 of chapter 1, he says, "For this reason, I also suffer these things; nevertheless, I am not ashamed, for I know in whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed to Him until that day." Until the day that we see Christ, hold fast.

In verse 13 of chapter 1, it says, "Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus." That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit.

Now, it may seem like I'm belaboring this point by reading and rereading and going back over these verses, but it's really important to understand and grasp the context, especially as we take this 2,000-year-old document and try to bring it into our lives today.

In the 21st century, we can apply the teachings of the Apostle Paul to our current situation. As much as we might like to see ourselves in Paul, who wrote 13 letters in the New Testament and whose life and ministry are chronicled in the Book of Acts, the reality is that we are often more likely to identify with Timothy. Timothy experienced timidity and fearfulness on several occasions.

There is an important point in the exhortations from Paul to Timothy in 1 Timothy and 2 Timothy. Point number one on your outline is that God has called us to things for which we feel completely inadequate. If we take some time to reflect, most of us, if not all, can identify with this truth. God has called us to tasks that often feel beyond our capabilities.

You may have experienced this in various aspects of your life, whether it was going through school, pursuing your education, or entering the workforce. You may have found yourself in situations where others placed expectations on you, and you felt unprepared to meet those demands. This feeling of inadequacy is certainly the case with the calling that God has placed upon our lives.

However, this sense of inadequacy is not necessarily a bad thing. It can be beneficial for at least two reasons. First, when we feel inadequate, we are more likely to rely on God for strength. God places us in these situations so that we will turn to Him and ask for His help. The added benefit is that when we rely on God, He receives the glory. If God thrusts us into a situation where we feel inadequate, and then by His power, we are enabled to fulfill the task, it highlights His strength and grace in our lives.

You're not going to look at me, but I got this. Now, if you do, you can pretty much be certain that God will say, "Okay, I'll let you have this." You would probably experience that, and the outcome of that is something we call humility. It's not humility by humbling yourself; it's humility by humiliation, and that's no fun at all.

So, it's much better in that place to say, "God, I'm fully reliant upon You. I can't do this. I need You to enable me." That's a good place to be. It reminds me of a passage of Scripture, which is actually one of the first passages I remember. It's in 2 Corinthians chapter 3, verses 5 and 6. It says, "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think anything as being of ourselves, but our sufficiency is of God." He has made us able ministers of the gospel. He enables us because we are insufficient of ourselves.

I love how the New International Version translates that. It says, "Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God." We are incompetent. I mean, we could probably wear t-shirts that just say "incompetent," and that would be totally true in every respect. We need to remember that our competence comes from God. He has made us competent ministers of the New Covenant, as stated in 2 Corinthians chapter 3, verses 5 and 6.

At this point, as I'm talking about the calling of God, there are some of you sitting here right now thinking, "I'm not called of God." You might say, "Pastor, you're called, but I'm not called, so that doesn't apply to me." If you're thinking that, I want to totally destroy that notion right now.

So, turn with me to the book of Romans. If you're in 2 Timothy, turn to the left, and ultimately you'll get to Romans. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John—the beginning Gospels—then Romans. Romans chapter 1, and we'll begin reading at verse 1. That's a good sound. With more and more digital devices, you don't hear that so much anymore, but this is a good sound.

Romans chapter 1, verse 1 says, "Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle." There you go! We know Paul was called by God to be an apostle.

One sent with a message seems like such a powerful title. Apostle. Oh yeah, that's Paul. God called him to that, separated unto the gospel of God, which God promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures concerning His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead.

I love Paul, the run-on sentence king. Through Him, through Jesus, we have received grace and apostleship. You notice that through Jesus, we have received grace and apostleship. Paul's called to be an apostle, but then he says we have received grace and apostleship. What does that mean? It means to be sent with a message. All of us have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name.

Among whom, notice this verse 6, among whom you also are the called. You are the called of Jesus Christ, who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints. Grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Twice in that passage, he says you are called. You are the called, specifically called according to His purpose.

Now, some of you may say, "I don't feel called, and I feel inadequate to fulfill the calling that God has placed upon me. I don't want to claim the promise that I'm called by God." But if you will not take on that title, the called of God, then you would have a really hard time claiming the promise of Romans chapter 8, verse 28, which a lot of Christians love.

Romans 8:28 says, "For we know that all things work together for good." A lot of Christians love to claim Romans 8:28, saying, "All things work together for good, brother." But the passage says to those who are the called according to His purpose. So, you can't claim that promise unless you're willing to wear the title called by God.

You may ask, "What are we called?" I think of 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 9, where it says, "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, God's own special people." The King James Version says, "God's peculiar people." That speaks...

Of Cross-Connection Church, you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, God's own peculiar people. You are called to proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness and into His marvelous light. If you're a Christian today, God has called you out of darkness. Some of you really remember the darkness you once lived in before you were a follower of Jesus. He called you out of darkness to be in His marvelous light, and He says, "Here's your calling: that you would proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness and into His marvelous light."

Point number two on your outline: God has called us to make His greatness known. That is your calling, Church. He has called each one of you specifically to make His greatness known—the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. In whatever context you live, from Sunday to Sunday, each of us has a different place where God has called and placed us. The calling that God has placed upon me has much to do with this church, this place, and the ministry here in this area.

However, He has called you to a school campus, to an office building, to a construction site. He has called you to law enforcement, to work in a hospital, and to be in that context wherever you are, to declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness and into His marvelous light. In that situation, we can sometimes find ourselves feeling a little timid, like Timothy, feeling the pressure to not fulfill the calling that has been placed upon us.

Why is it that we have a hard time with this? I suggest it is pretty simple to understand why Timothy would have a hard time. He spent the better part of the fifteen years prior to this letter being written to him traveling with the Apostle Paul around the known world. He traveled with this dynamo of the Christian faith, who was outspoken for the gospel everywhere he went. However, pretty much everywhere Paul went, where he was outspoken for the gospel, it either resulted in a revival or a riot, and most of the time, both. Many times, Paul was dragged out of the cities and beaten up. I imagine, though I could be wrong—Timothy might correct me—that Timothy stood there wide-eyed, thinking, "What in the world have I gotten myself into?"

Within a matter of weeks, with him signing on to the work with Paul, they went to a city called Philippi. It is described in the 16th chapter of the Book of Acts. Paul was preaching the gospel there when he cast a demon out of a girl who was a servant, a slave of two masters. She had this amazing ability to fortune-tell because of the demon she had. After Paul cast the demon out of her, she could no longer fortune-tell, which made her masters unhappy. So, what did they do? They had Paul and his associate Silas arrested, beaten with rods, and thrown in jail. This was Timothy's introduction to the work of the ministry. "Come along, Timothy; it'll be fun!" That was what he had to look forward to.

In chapter 1, verses 11 and 12, Paul says, "To which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For this reason, I also suffered." Paul was essentially saying to Timothy, "Come on, suffer with me." Timothy was facing what Paul had gone through for his whole life: persecution and suffering for making God's greatness known. Paul will tell him, as we will see in the next chapter, 2 Timothy 3:12, "For all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." That is the promise; you will suffer persecution.

Now, it is highly unlikely that you and I, living in 21st-century Southern California, will experience physical suffering and persecution for making Christ's greatness known. Praise God, we are privileged to live in a nation where that is not our reality. However, it is the reality for many other Christians around the world. It may become our reality here in America someday; I don't know. But it is highly unlikely that we will experience physical harm, violence, or suffering as those who profess the name of Christ.

However, it is probable—quite possible—that you might experience some sort of social fallout. We don't necessarily face physical violence for being followers of Jesus, but in a more increasingly secular society like ours, it is likely that you will suffer some sort of social fallout for being a follower of Jesus, especially if you are an outspoken follower. People may look at you and say, "Well, sure, that's foolish. You actually believe that stuff?"

I'm sure some of you have had that conversation with people at work or in your family. You believe that stuff? Oh, that's just foolish. We might be considered foolish; we might be considered weak. I remember having a conversation years ago with someone who had heard that I was a pastor. They said, "Oh, that's really great that you're a pastor. I'm glad you do that. There's a lot of people that need that kind of ministry." I think I took that as a compliment, I'm pretty sure. The implication was that I don't need it, but there are people who do—those weak people out there.

You might conclude that others think, "Oh, you're a follower of Jesus; you're foolish; you're weak." They might look down upon you as the despised. It's a reality. Over time, the community of those who really follow Jesus, believe in Christ as He is revealed in the Scriptures, and believe in God as He is revealed in Scripture, has been kind of sidelined in our culture. We're seeing that more and more, and so there's a temptation to back away from that whole Christian thing just a little bit. We're being told by the culture around us to keep that religion thing private. Private things are to be covered, right? That's what our culture says: just keep that Christian thing out of the public square. Where did that come from? I'd suggest it comes from the devil.

But listen to what Paul said in another one of his letters. He writes this in 1 Corinthians 1:26. He says, "For you see your calling, brethren." He wanted to inform the church about their calling. "Not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called." Well, that's great. What does that mean? It means we're not mighty, noble, or wise. Not many wise, not many noble, not many mighty are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world for what? To put to shame the wise. God has chosen the weak things of the world—that's us—to put to shame that which is mighty. The base things of the world and the things that are despised, God has chosen. And the things which are not, He has chosen. Why? To bring to nothing the things that are.

Now, why does God select from that?

Pool weak despised me. Why? Verse 29 says this in the same passage: that no flesh would glory in His presence. As I said previously, when God chooses the weak, the foolish, the despised, the beggarly, and calls us, He does so because that makes it more likely that we will rely upon Him and His strength. Not only that, but it assures that He will get the glory.

You want to know that probably the number one question I get from people after their first time attending this church? They come and introduce themselves to me, saying, "Pastor, that was a great message! Where did you go to school?" That's always the first question. I say, "Well, I didn't." They respond, "What do you mean? You don't have a degree?" Actually, I was diagnosed with dyslexia when I was in fourth grade. I didn't read a book through high school. It's a miracle I graduated. That might say something about the school system, but God has a sense of humor. Let me tell you, the guy who didn't read a book through high school now reads books. Why? Because God chooses the weak things of this world to confound the wise. That's what He does for His glory, so that you have to fully rely upon Him.

I can't tell you, it's almost weekly that I come to a passage of Scripture and say, "God, I don't have a clue how to approach this." But we have to rely upon Him.

Well, all of that to get to 2 Timothy chapter 2: "You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." God has called all of us, so don't think you're not called. Romans 1 makes it clear; He has called all of us to make His greatness known. This is something for which all of us probably feel completely unqualified and inadequate to fulfill.

Let's go. I don't think I can do that well. That's exactly where God wants you to be. If you think, "I can't do that; I'm not up to the task," well, praise the Lord, you're not up to the task. Because every time you think you're up to the task, you fall flat on your face. So just stay there in that place. If you think, "I can't do this," that's a great place to be.

Be strong, my son. You, therefore, my son, be strong. Our calling requires greatness of strength. This calling that God has given to us is significant. The Bible says in Ephesians that the whole world is under the sway or is moving according to the current of the prince of this world, who is called in the Scriptures the devil. The Christian is called to turn against that and to move in a counter direction, a different direction. It's not easy; it's difficult.

In that calling that God has given to us, it requires great strength. Where does this strength come from? This letter was not originally written in English; it was originally written in Greek. The word that Paul uses for strength there is used in a series of other letters of his. In Ephesians chapter 6, verse 10, he uses the same word and says, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might."

Where does this strength come from to fulfill the calling that God has given to us, which is too big for us and requires greatness of strength? Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. The implication is that you and I have nothing; we need His might and strength to be able to do this.

In another place, in Philippians chapter 4, Paul uses the same word in verse 13: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." What a good promise to claim! I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

What is the counter to that? It is found in John chapter 15: "Apart from Him, you can do nothing." But I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. In his first letter to Timothy, in 1 Timothy chapter 1, verse 12, Paul said, "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me." The word "enabled" there is the same Greek word.

Strengthened me, I give glory and thanks to God who has enabled me because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry. Later on, in the same book, 2 Timothy, chapter 4, Paul says, "At my first defense, nobody stood with me." He was standing to defend himself and the gospel of Jesus. He was on trial in Rome, and he said, "Nobody stood with me; everybody forsook me; everybody fled."

You may have been there before, whether at a family gathering, in an office building, or out on a construction site. Someone makes a joke about Christians, throwing out zingers about those crazy Christians. There are a couple of Christians standing there with you, and all of a sudden, they back away. There you are, alone to defend the gospel. The temptation is to agree, saying, "Yeah, those crazy Christians." You might even think, "Hey, didn't I see a Cross Connection Church sticker on your car?" and find yourself out there with a razor blade, trying to take that thing off.

But in 2 Timothy, chapter 4, verse 17, Paul writes, "But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me." He strengthened me so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. The same word that's used here for strength in 2 Timothy, chapter 2, verse 1, has its root in the words of Jesus on the day He ascended into heaven. This story is written for us in the book of Acts, chapter 1.

Jesus' last words to His disciples were essentially this: "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you." Acts 1:8 states, "You shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the uttermost parts." That includes your neighborhood, your home, your family, and those you work with. You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be witnesses.

Our communal calling by God is to make His greatness known, which requires the enabling and strengthening that comes from God.

Paul specifically says in chapter 2, verse 1, "You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." The English Standard Version states, "Be strong by the grace that is in Christ Jesus." Point number four on your outline is that God's grace enables our strength to fulfill His calling. Grace is unmerited and undeserved favor. You don't work for it; you don't go to church to get it; you don't serve to get it. God gives you His enabling power. The same power that worked in Christ, who raised Him from the dead, is actively at work in us, the church, by the Holy Spirit, enabling us. So, be strong by the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

Once again, in this very simple statement from the Apostle Paul, we see two things that are often presented as being in conflict within the church joined together, united as one. This is the issue of God's sovereignty and man's responsibility. For the last 500 years, there has been a big debate in the church, with people dividing themselves into groups of Christians. Some call themselves Calvinists, leaning towards the sovereignty of God, while others call themselves Arminians, leaning towards the responsibility of man. These two individuals had these views: John Calvin and Jacob Arminius. For the last 500 years, there has been conflict in the church over these perspectives.

Maybe you've experienced it. Some of you come and ask me sometimes, "So, are you a Calvinist?" That question always comes up at some point, and churches have been divided over this. However, what we find in the Scriptures is that these concepts are not in conflict; they are in union together. My little pea-brain may not be able to figure out how these things are united perfectly, but everywhere in the text, they are united, as they are here.

Timothy, be strong—that's your responsibility. Be strong by the grace that is in Christ Jesus—that's God's sovereignty. I have about 400 favorite verses, but I'm pretty sure my number one favorite verse is found in Philippians chapter 2, where it says, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling." That's man's responsibility. "For it is God who works in you to will and to do His good pleasure." That's God's sovereignty, united together.

As one, we have a responsibility to be strong, but we are strong by the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Now, there are those, and we could argue for a long time about whether or not they are actual Christians. This is the discussion that people love to have. Were Demas, Phygelus, or Hermogenes really Christians? We don't know about Timothy; he is only really a Christian if he perseveres. But listen, that's beside the point.

There were some who had been close with Paul—co-laborers, associates with Paul—who, in that moment when persecution came upon him, stepped back. They said, "I don't think I can handle that." Is God still gracious? Yes, I think He is, because every one of us has experienced that moment when all eyes turn on us. So, what do you think about this? There is the temptation to back away because everybody else has stepped away. You might feel the need to defend yourself and the gospel, thinking, "No one stood with me, but the Lord stood with me."

That's what you'll find when you take that step of faith: God's grace enables our strength to fulfill His calling. God has called us corporately as His people, and He desires that, in whatever context we are in—whether in law enforcement, the medical field, as an engineer, or as a student—God has called you to that place. He has called you to a place that He hasn't called me. I'm not there, and I will probably never be there. You can't say, "Well, Pastor, what do you think?" and expect me to answer your question for you. I'm not going to be there, but the Lord will be there, and He will strengthen you. He'll strengthen your mouth.

There was a man, many thousands of years ago, to whom God said, "Listen, I have a calling for you. I want you to go down to Egypt and tell Pharaoh to let My people go." He replied, "Lord, I can't talk." God said, "Who made man's mouth? I will give you the words to speak." That man tried to get out of it, but it didn't work.

There was another man who tried to get out of God's calling, and he found himself in the belly of a whale. I know there are some people who will say, "You believe that story?" Well, listen, Jesus believed that story; He talked about it. So, it might seem far out.

And outlandish as it may seem, so does the idea of a big bang out of nothing. That sounds kind of outlandish to me too. From nothing came everything, and it assembled itself together perfectly by random chance and mutation over billions of years. Yeah, that sounds totally feasible.

So, what's the answer? Well, maybe there's an infinite number of universes. Think of it like a bubble bath, where every bubble is another universe. Sometimes they bounce into each other, and a new bubble is made—that's a new universe. We have this infinite number of universes, and we just happen to live in the one that worked. That's what they're saying. Turn on the Discovery Channel; that's the answer of Richard Dawkins. That sounds totally far more feasible than "God said, 'Let there be light,'" and I'm the fool professing to be wise. Romans 1 says, "They became as fools."

I'm a little tired of this whole thing. I keep hearing in the culture that we, in and of ourselves, are completely inadequate and totally unqualified to fulfill this calling. That's how it should be. Why? Then we will rely upon God, and He will get the greatest glory. We can do all things through Him who gives us strength.

Paul, in praying for the church at Colossae in his letter to the Colossians, says in Chapter 1, "May God, by His grace, enable you, empower you, and strengthen you with all might according to His glorious power." For what? Verse 10 states that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being faithful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God. That's Paul's prayer for the church, and I think we're going to stand in just a moment. That's going to be my prayer for us as a church today as well.

Why? Because God has placed you in a dark place to be a light to those who are in darkness. He called you out of darkness and into His marvelous light. All He wants you to do is to proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness and into His marvelous light. So, what does that look like? You're having that conversation with someone who's critical of Christianity or skeptical about these things.

About God, it comes to light that, oh, you're a Christian. Oh, you're one of those people, huh? I get it; you have a hard time with that whole Christian thing, that whole God thing. But let me tell you about my life. I once was in darkness, but now I'm in light. I was blind, but now I see. I was lost, and now I'm found.

Let me tell you about the One who called me out of darkness and into His marvelous light. You can wrestle with that. You may not have all the answers to their questions; that's okay. But you can tell them about the One who called you out of darkness and into His marvelous light. Maybe you could just say, "Hey, why don't you come with me?" You call yourself a seeker of wisdom; maybe you should at least come and see. Just come with me to church. Let's see how sincere you really are in your seeking. Come along; let's check it out.

Because, hands down, the vast majority of those who have actually investigated the claims of Christianity have become followers of Christ. Why is that? Because there's wisdom of God revealed through something that might appear foolish to them at first glance, but in reality, it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.

So would you stand with me? We're going to pray. I'm going to pray that God would strengthen us because He has called us—all of us. Not just me, not just Pastor Mark, not just Pastor Nick, but all of us.

Father, we thank You for this calling of grace that You've placed upon us. None of us standing here today deserve Your grace, Your mercy, Your love, Your peace, or the joy that You give to us. None of us deserve this calling that You've placed upon our lives. But God, You have called us, and You promised that You would strengthen us.

So God, I pray that You would strengthen us with all might according to Your glorious power, Your church, so that we would walk worthy of You, fully pleasing to You, and faithful in every good word and work that You have prepared for us this week. You've prepared things for us for Monday and Tuesday—encounters, opportunities to be a light shining in darkness.

Jesus, You said You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid, nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they put it up high so it gives light to all. Lord, help us to be a light to this world. Enable us by Your Spirit.

Power to proclaim the praises of You who called us out of darkness and into Your marvelous light. We praise You for that in Jesus' name.