Enduring Hardship
The sermon emphasizes the importance of enduring hardship and persevering in our faith, even in the face of adversity, and warns against the danger of numbness and leveling off in our spiritual walk.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the importance of enduring hardship in the Christian faith, drawing from Paul's encouragement to Timothy to not be ashamed of the cross and to embrace the afflictions that come with the gospel. He highlights the danger of becoming numb to suffering and the temptation to recoil from the challenges of a faithful life. Tozer reminds us that God has not given us a spirit of fear, urging believers to stand firm like good soldiers of Christ Jesus. He reflects on Timothy's strong Christian upbringing and the need for perseverance despite the pressures and monotony of faithfulness. Ultimately, Tozer calls for resilience in the face of trials, encouraging believers to remain steadfast in their commitment to Christ.
Text
It is possible to be beaten until you are numb. You can smile and praise the Lord and say, "Jesus, I my cross have taken," for a while. But then you are slowly beaten until you are numb, and you get into a sort of a rut where you cannot fight back. Timothy had been with Paul a long time, and Paul had been in so much trouble so much of the time. Timothy was tagging along behind in the same trouble, and Paul had noticed a little temptation to be ashamed of the cross. Essentially, Paul was saying, "Don"t be ashamed of the cross.
Don"t shrink from the affliction of the gospel.
God has not given us the spirit of fear." Then in Second Timothy 2:3 Paul said, "Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus." It is as though he might have detected in the young man a little temptation to recoil a bit from the hard life he was called into. Paul knew that Timothy was basically a sound man. He knew Timothy had been reared in a Christian home. He mentioned Timothy"s grandmother, Lois, and his mother, Eunice. The grandmother and mother were both Christians, and good ones. Young Timothy had learned and become a Christian early in life. Paul knew that he was basically sound.
But Paul was afraid that the pressure of things and the boredom of always being in the minority might put Timothy in danger of leveling off.
Sermon Outline
- The Danger of Numbness
- Paul's Warning to Timothy
- Enduring Hardship
- Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus
- The importance of perseverance in the face of adversity
- God has not given us the spirit of fear
Key Quotes
“God has not given us the spirit of fear.” — A.W. Tozer
“Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We must remain committed to our faith and our calling, even in the face of adversity.
- We should not be ashamed of the cross and the sacrifice that Christ made for us.
- We can avoid leveling off in our faith by staying focused on our calling and remaining committed to our values and principles.