There's More To Multiply

Spiritual Growth 101: Multiply

Title: There’s More To Multiply

Story: Always thinking about legacy. The influence my children are going to have. The impact the church is going to lead for generations to come. The disciples I’ve made that will continue to boldly multiply themselves. Question: Have you spent time thinking about the legacy that you will leave?

Passage: 2 Timothy 1:13 - 2 Timothy 2:2

Be Loyal To The Faith

Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit through the Holy Spirit who lives in us. 15 You know that all those in the province of Asia have deserted me, including Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16 May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. 17 On the contrary, when he was in Rome, he diligently searched for me and found me. 18 May the Lord grant that he obtain mercy from him on that day. You know very well how much he ministered at Ephesus.

Be Strong In Grace

You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

Pray: (Pause 3-5 seconds)

Background: Paul is writing this letter to his friend, mentee, and spiritual son Timothy. Paul walked with Timothy for many years discipling him in the faith. Timothy looked to Paul as his spiritual father. This letter was written to give final instructions and to encourage Timothy, who was the leader of the church at Ephesus and going through a season of transition.

Paul is in prison for the last time. He had been freed for a few years after his first imprisonment, was arrested again, and writes this just before his execution under Emperor Nero. This would be Paul’s last letter. Therefore I believe it reveals his heart and priorities for the local church; sound doctrine, steadfast faith, persevering labor, and faithful discipleship.

Main Points: I want to divide our time into 3 different progressions I see in the text...

1. Who’s walking with you?

   1. Paul is encouraging Timothy in the people that he surrounds himself with. I believe there’s two possible reasons for Paul taking the time to recount the stories of these three men.

      1. First, here’s how I’d apply it: you are who you hang around. That the people you place closest to you will drastically influence your life. And that even leaders can fall. So be careful. The good deposit Paul means is the gospel teaching he handed to Timothy, and the people closest to you can help you guard it or lose it.

         1. Question: Are the people closest to you speaking sound doctrine over your life?
         2. Question: Are the people around you helping you guard the good deposit?

         3. “Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.” - 1 Corinthians 15:33 2. Second, based on what follows, I believe that Paul was encouraging Timothy to choose wisely those that he was going to invest his time in. Time is short and therefore he encourages Timothy to commit to “faithful” men.

         4. It’s true that not every investment you make is going to yield the harvest you had planned, but stay the course and persevere.

         5. Choose wisely, work hard, stay faithful, and trust God with the results.
            2. Phygelus and Hermogenes

      2. Something happened in the relationship with Paul and these two men. There was a moment in time where something changed and they deserted Paul.

      3. It doesn’t say in the text, but looking at Paul’s life, it would be probable that it had something to do with Paul becoming a criminal for preaching the Gospel and ending up in prison. That Paul’s suffering drove them away and they deserted him.

         1. This is also called a fair-weather-friend. They are there when times are good, but gone when things go bad. 3. Paul is saying to Timothy, “There are going to be those that desert you! There are going to be those that walk away from God! But you Timothy, you stay faithful! Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching and guard the good deposit!”
            3. Onesiphorus

      4. We don’t know much about Onesiphorus other than the fact that he was a good friend and faithful co-laborer with Paul.

      5. Question: Who is an Onesiphorus in your life?
      6. I would imagine that Timothy knew all of these men. It would be like me talking with you saying “you remember how Jared was there for me and found me in my darkest moment. How he encouraged me and how he was not ashamed by my suffering!” Oh yeah… Jared. We love Jared.
      7. Here Paul is encouraging Timothy that though you may feel alone. There are others that are for you, others that are with you! Keep people like Onesiphorus close to you! It’s men and women like this that will carry you and walk with you through every season! Whether in your greatest moments of victory, or when you’re buried in a prison cell!

      8. Who are you walking with?

         1. “You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men”
         2. Be strong in God’s undeserved and unmerited favor. Paul is instructing Timothy that the strength he is going to need to endure is found in Christ alone!
         3. Spiritual growth does not happen in isolation. Spiritual growth does not occur when the focus is inward. True spiritual growth does its best work as you reproduce yourself in others!
         4. Every great leader is not thinking about their empire, but their successors. Those that will come after them and carry the baton.
         5. Question: What are some characteristics of a faithful man or woman?

      9. F - faithful

      10. A - available
      11. I - Intentional
      12. T - teachable

      13. H - hungry

          6. Illust: farming takes time, energy, and investment.

      14. Work hard to cultivate the soil

      15. Keep planting the seeds

      16. Spend time nurturing and developing the crop

          1. As you’re developing the crop guess what’s happening, seeds are beginning to grow inside your fruit. Seeds that will spread and start a new harvest. 4. Protect the garden from negative elements 5. Reap the benefit of the harvest

          2. One of the greatest benefits is the multiplication that happens in the fruit.

             7. Don’t stop short of the harvest! Persevere! Stay the course and you will see the fruits of your labor.
          3. Where will you lead them?

   2. “commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

   3. Here we see 4 generations of discipleship. Paul to Timothy, Timothy to faithful men, and faithful men to others. And behind Paul stands Jesus.
   4. All throughout Scriptures we see a pattern of multiplication. The best being Jesus and the 12 disciples. The world was turned upside down because of the investment Jesus made in 12 men over the course of just a few years.
   5. Question: With those that you will invest in, are you leading them to knowledge for knowledge sake, or are you leading them to reproduce themselves in others and then to repeat the process.
   6. If every believer were to follow this pattern, we could see the entire world discipled in our generation!

Closing:

Spiritual growth happens when we put all of these things we’ve discussed into practice. Reading and applying the Word of God, praying to God, serving others with a purpose, boldly sharing our faith, making disciples, and then replicating the process in others.

This is the more to multiply. It takes hard work, perseverance, and a deep reliance on God to be your strength in every season!

Walking Points: The Greatest Example (an old hymn)

1. Join a Crew and learn

   1. In order to make disciples you must first be a disciple. A disciple is a learner!
   2. Learn the process, learn the word of God, learn what it looks like to be vulnerable with others.
   3. Show up, lean in, and learn.

   4. Start a Crew

   5. We’re always gearing up for the next season. Let your Crew Captain know now that you want to lead a crew next season.

   6. Take notes and ask questions. And start now thinking of who all will be in your Crew next season.
   7. Crew Captains are not the super Christians. They are for all!

   8. Join our Men and Women discipleship groups

   9. 12 months discipleship course

   10. Great start to memorizing scripture, reading books, and practicing spiritual disciplines
   11. “Show up to Grow Up”

Invitation.

Let’s pray.