Text: 2 Timothy 1:8-12
Exegesis
- Theme: Paul’s Suffering
- Topic: Why Paul was willing to suffer for the Gospel
- Truth: The Gospel gives Paul assurance both in this life and in the next.
- Thrust: Timothy must not be afraid to suffer with Paul for the Gospel.
Exposition
- Theme: Suffering for the Gospel
- Topic: Why believers must be willing to suffer for the Gospel
- Truth: The Gospel gives all believers assurance in this life and in the next.
- Thrust: Believers must not be afraid to suffer for the Gospel if necessary
Exhortation
- Type: Both
- Take Home Message: Be willing to suffer if it means life now and forever.
- Trailing question: Why we should be willing to suffer for the Gospel
- Talk (sermon):
A. Take-off (intro)
Life is full of suffering. But when suffering has no reason, life becomes unbearable. We can only endure suffering if we know the reason for it. Paul suffered persecution and eventually, at the time of this writing, imprisonment. But he was willing to go through it, endure it, and even rejoice in it, because he knew why he was suffering. He was suffering for the Gospel. He was challenging Timothy to do the same because of two reasons.
B. Teaching outline (body):
- The Gospel promises true salvation for this life (vv.8-9a)
- The Gospel promises true hope for the next life (vv.9b-12)
C. Touchdown (conclusion)
The Gospel promises true salvation for this life and true hope for the next life. Therefore, it’s worth living and dying for. Although it might entail suffering now, the Gospel promises everything — everything that we truly need for life now and forever. Be willing to suffer if it means life now and forever.