Show and Tell, pt2
Leadership in Context with Keith Tucci
Episode 214 SHOW NOTES
2 Timothy 2:2, “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
Timothy was with Paul and knew Paul very personally. “Things” is rather broad. The chapter before this gives some insight into the kind of “things” that Paul demonstrated.
2 Timothy 1:8
Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God…
What Timothy saw in Paul was that Paul was not ashamed of the gospel. He believed the gospel could work for anyone. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation.
Not only was Paul not ashamed of his message, but he was not ashamed to share that message, even in hostile circumstances. Timothy was right beside Paul, and he saw Paul’s faith being demonstrated.
As leaders, we have to live a shameless life that inspires others to do the same thing. A life that shows we are not ashamed of the gospel.
2 Timothy 1:9
…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 granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity…
What stirred the Apostle Paul to suffer for the gospel, to be separated from his social leaders, to be attacked by the Jewish culture? He believed that WE, not just him, have been saved with a holy calling. There are no stepchildren in the Kingdom of God. The same God that saved me and radically changed my life is the same God that saves you.
Even though our callings are different, we ALL have a holy calling. A calling doesn’t mean just a five-fold calling. You might be called to be an engineer or police officer. You might be called to be the president of your school board or to start a business. There are lots of things you can be called to do. You are called to bring the Kingdom wherever you are. You don’t have to be a pastor to be called. You have a holy calling.
As a leader, don’t apologize for calling people up to their holy calling. God wants us to be a disciple and be a disciple maker because we are called with a holy calling.
2 Timothy 1:12
For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.
Here is where the Apostle Paul connects the suffering dots. He is not afraid to suffer because of what he is gaining.
People will never suffer if there is nothing to gain. People aren’t going to suffer, get beat up, be ridiculed and put down for nothing. People who suffer understand that they embrace something that is not embraced by the world but is embraced by God, and the tradeoff for them is more than fair. Others who don’t see the value won’t be able to suffer. If you don’t see the value, you won’t be able to endure hardships. (2 Timothy 2:3)
Suffering is not just enduring. Suffering is not just doing without. Suffering is not just taking a beating. Suffering is an understanding that I am giving something of myself that others might gain even more.
The suffering in the Bible is not about our circumstances. The suffering in the Bible is for the gospel’s sake. I lost my job because I testified to Christ. I was turned down for a promotion because they knew I would act in a godly way that would cause corruption to be revealed. It’s not that God doesn’t have compassion and mercy for our life’s circumstances. The suffering in Scripture is talking about a tradeoff, an understanding that I have the privilege of giving something up so that other people may gain something.
That’s how you have to look at ministry. Look at it as a privilege in serving God, in serving people, in serving even an unappreciative world. That’s what the Apostle Paul was imparting here. That is some of the “things” he was telling Timothy to remember that he saw.
Join us next week as Keith Tucci continues to put leadership truth in the context of the local church. And as always, please like, share, rate/review, and invite others to listen. See you next week!
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