Stir Up Our Faith!
2nd Timothy 1:6-10 – Victory Fellowship
August 20, 2023 - Rev. Roderick Grabski
I. Introduction: Keep the Fire Burning
a. That’s the thing about fires. As long as there is an ember you can stir it into a bonfire. (Me fanning home firepit)
b. Paul understands our faith is like that. He tells Timothy to rekindle, or stir up the gift of God in him.
II. Relating the text:
a. Paul is in prison in Rome when he writes this letter to Timothy (~ 66 A.D. prolly just before his execution)
b. Paul is encouraging Timothy and reminding him that God gave us a spirit that is not timid (or cowardly), but one of power, love and self-discipline.
c. These are good words to us, as well. We need to stir up our faith w/o being ashamed of the Gospel. We do that with a spirit of boldness, of power, love, and self-discipline.
III. Application:
a. The Spirit of Power – The Holy Spirit
i. Christians are empowered and equipped for God’s service by the Holy Spirit.
ii. The Fruit of the Spirit continually remakes us after the image of Christ.
iii. The Holy Spirit living in us is like that ember burning. We can just sit and simmer or set ablaze our faith.
b. The Spirit of Love – The Example of Jesus Christ
i. He gave the greatest commandment – love God with all we have and are, and love neighbor as ourselves.
ii. Love stirs up the fire of the Holy Spirit in us.
c. The Spirit of Self-Discipline (sound mind)
i. Seeking the wisdom of God through reading His word, prayer, Bible study, devotions, and holy living.
ii. These things are the fuel that keeps the fire of our faith going strong.
IV. Conclusion
a. Do you remember what it’s like to discover something or learn something for the very first time?
i. It’s such a joy to watch we actually get a renewed excitement about it.
b. That’s the way our faith should be – renewed every day.
c. Today I encourage you to remember your faith when it was new. I want to encourage you to stir up your faith – even if for the first time.
i. We certainly get stirred about other things in our lives – why not with God?
d. We can never really know the extent of our influence until we are a soul on fire for God.
PRAYER
SONG: Soul on Fire (Third Day)
2 Timothy 1:6-10 NKJV 6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 8 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, 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 given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, 10 but 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