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[0:00] Good morning, welcome. I know John just prayed, but I want to just ask the Lord for a little bit more.

[0:14] ! Father, in a moment we are opening your word. And we recognize that this is your very heart. You've revealed yourself to us through your word.

[0:32] So this morning we want to lift up your word faithfully. We ask, Lord, that you, your spirit would work in us. You would have your desired effect in our lives. That we would look more like Jesus Christ.

[0:46] And we do recognize right now, whether here or at home, there are some among us who are really struggling. Some whose faith is just right on the brink.

[1:01] And God, we lift them before you. You are our sure foundation. There is no other hope. There is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

[1:14] We love you. We honor you. Father, we pray this morning might be to the glory of your son, Jesus Christ. We pray in his name. Amen.

[1:29] Well, I'm Tom Zentz, one of your deacons. Carrie, my wife, and I have enjoyed being members here at Maranatha for about 42 years. I'm sorry, but that's hard to believe.

[1:40] One of the things about getting older is the area of forgetfulness, especially names. And so forgive me if I come up to you and ask you your name.

[1:52] And you've been like a 12-year member here or something, you know. But names. And then the Lord refreshed my memory this week. I was helping Carrie with laundry and pulled out some of her stockings or socks.

[2:05] And I couldn't remember where they go. And she said, well, we've only been married 42 years. So you should know where these go, right?

[2:17] So forgetfulness is something that we all struggle with, isn't it? We need days like tomorrow, by the way. Just as constant reminders so that we don't forget to remember those who have sacrificed their lives in service to our nation.

[2:34] If you'd allow me, I think it's fitting to remind us all of what Memorial Day in the United States is about. And then to use that to launch into our text this morning. Memorial Day is a national day of remembrance in the United States.

[2:49] It's set aside to honor the men and women who have died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. Its roots trace back to the years following the Civil War when Americans began decorating the graves with flowers of all these fallen soldiers.

[3:06] In fact, early tradition, we know it as Decoration Day. Over time, the observance expanded to honor all service members who gave their lives in every American conflict.

[3:17] And in 1971, it became an official federal holiday observed on the last Monday in May. We observe Memorial Day not simply as a long weekend, but as a moment to pause and reflect on the cost of freedom.

[3:35] It invites us to remember the courage, the sacrifice, the selflessness of those who never returned home. It invites us to express gratitude for the liberties their service helps secure.

[3:51] And whether through ceremonies, quiet reflection, or the national moment of remembrance at 3 o'clock on Memorial Day, this day calls the nation to honor the fallen and to carry forward the memory of their service with respect and gratitude.

[4:04] There have been many calls of remembrance throughout American history. As I was preparing for this, I got to thinking about different ones like, remember the Alamo.

[4:19] It was the battle cry of the Texas Revolution. It symbolized sacrifice and the fight for independence. Or maybe you remember this one. Remember the Maine.

[4:30] I bet most of you don't remember that one. That was the 1898 Spanish-American War outcry when the battleship, the USS Maine, was sunk in Havana Harbor.

[4:44] It propelled our nation into war. How about remember Pearl Harbor? December 7th, 1941, when the Japanese attacked us on U.S. soil.

[4:56] It inspired a nation to unity and resolve. More recently, Never Forget became the defining memorial phrase after that terrorist attack on American soil, September 11, 2001.

[5:12] It cost nearly 3,000 lives. These were all calls to remembrance. But, see, they're not just calls to remember. They're calls to respond. Similarly, throughout biblical history, there have been a number of calls.

[5:27] I have a list here. But, as I was preparing this, the scores of verses to remember, it's amazing. Deuteronomy chapter 8, the whole chapter is about remembering and not forgetting.

[5:43] But, verses 1 and verse 18 say, Remember the Lord your God. It's a call to remember, but also to respond. Ecclesiastes 12, 1 says, Remember your Creator in the days of your youth.

[5:57] Exodus chapter 20, verse 8. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. In 1 Chronicles chapter 16, in verse 12.

[6:09] Remember the wondrous works that He has done. His miracles, all the judgments He's uttered. And then, down in verse 15. Remember His covenant forever.

[6:20] The word that He has commanded for a thousand generations. And then Jesus Himself said to His disciples there in the upper room, as they were partaking of that communion, He says, Do this in remembrance of me.

[6:37] I didn't have it on here, but remember Lot's wife, right? I always wondered about that verse.

[6:48] Why? You know, it's not Lot's wife in particular that you're supposed to remember. You know what you're supposed to remember? God is holy. This is a consequence of veering away from His character.

[7:02] Why do you think there's so many Bible verses calling God's people to remember? It's because we're so prone to forget, aren't we?

[7:14] This morning I'm here echoing Peter's sentiment from 2 Peter chapter 1, verses 12 through 13. Let me just read it for you. Let me just pause.

[7:33] The things we're going to be talking about are things most of you already know. You know them. But I'm bringing them back to you by way of reminder. Peter continues. He says, Well, what truth is that?

[7:53] I'd invite you to open your Bibles, please, to 2 Timothy chapter 2. We'll be looking particularly at verse 8. If you have a pew Bible, it's page 995. And as you're turning there, 2 Timothy chapter 2, just remind you that Paul, he's an old soldier of the cross by now.

[8:13] He's sitting in a Roman prison, and he's writing to Timothy. And Timothy's a younger pastor. He's tired. He's discouraged by the ministry.

[8:23] He's under a lot of pressure. Paul's going to give him one central command. And here it is in verse 8. Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David as preached in my gospel.

[8:42] Period. The scripture here calls God's people to remember Jesus Christ. Not merely recalling factual information about Jesus Christ, but responding with our hearts, with our choices, and with our very lives.

[9:01] Remembering is always tied to a response. Devotion, love, obedience, worship, courage, faithfulness, resolve.

[9:15] I wonder, church, this morning for you, which of these responses does God want for you? And maybe there's something you're dealing with this morning.

[9:30] Some struggle, known or unknown. This morning, the Lord wants you to respond as you remember Jesus Christ.

[9:40] On a weekend built around remembrance, Paul's words ring out loudly. Timothy, don't forget to remember. Now, by way of context, before Paul ever tells Timothy about verse 8, he's going to give Timothy three images, three pictures.

[10:04] These are Memorial Day-like pictures of endurance. He's going to tell them about the soldier, about the athlete, and about the farmer. And there in verses 3 and 4, with this soldier image, Paul is telling Timothy, I want you to remember something.

[10:22] I want you to remember your commander. Let me read verses 3 and 4 for you. Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in the civilian pursuits since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.

[10:41] Paul's telling Timothy, there are three responses for the soldier who remembers his commander. Here they are. Endures hardship without complaint. The soldier accepts suffering as part of the mission.

[10:55] It's not an interruption to it. This good soldier, he stays focused. He's not getting entangled with all these civilian thoughts and ideas.

[11:08] And I will tell you, this is one of the ones that I struggle with. The disruptions, the distractions of life. Paul says, a good soldier keeps his eyes fixed on the mission.

[11:23] He's not divided by the distractions of ordinary life. A good soldier, Timothy, lives to please the one who enlisted him. Has Jesus Christ enlisted you into his family?

[11:36] Has he died for you? If he has, he's your commander. Listen to him. The good soldier's ultimate loyalty is not to comfort, but it's to his commander.

[11:49] This Memorial Day, we honor soldiers who gave everything because they remembered their mission and commander.

[12:03] They lived and they died with focus, courage, and devotion. Well, then Paul's going to tell Timothy about this next image. It's the image of an athlete.

[12:14] He's saying, Timothy, as an athlete, you must remember the rules. Verse 5 says, an athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.

[12:29] The word here for competes is this word, athleo. We get our word athletics from it. It describes the discipline and the integrity that it takes to do the job, to run the race.

[12:46] The athlete is faithful to his training effort with unrelenting pursuit. And guys, there's no shortcuts. This athlete, he follows the plan to win the prize.

[13:03] Been watching some of the basketball tournament. Some of you have, some of you don't care. But those basketball teams, they're meeting with their coaches and the coaches and the coaches are laying out their game plans, right?

[13:15] And the coach expects these athletes to play according to plan, to execute the plan. That's what we're talking about here. The athlete follows the plan to win the prize.

[13:31] He's directed by the playbook, not by personal preference. And our playbook is the very word of God. It's not how I feel.

[13:43] It's what does this say. And will I obey? The athlete realizes that it's not just about effort alone. You can have great effort, but if it's misdirected, if it's not skillfully directed, it can go really badly.

[14:04] We have a Southwest Church Golf League and I can put a tee in the ground, put a ball on top and I can stand in front of that ball and swing with all my effort. But if I don't swing with skill, it's not good.

[14:20] In fact, it could be out of bounds easily. And so you have to learn the skill. You have to learn the grip. You have to learn the stance, the swing and so on.

[14:34] Zeal without obeying the rules can get you disqualified. You're in your Bibles in 2 Timothy 2. If you go down to verses, I don't have it up here. It's like verses 17 and 18.

[14:45] There are two guys that are mentioned there. Hymenaeus and Philetus, I think those are names. You know what it says about them? They swerved from what?

[14:57] The truth. They didn't play by the rules and they were disqualified. The athlete competes with discipline, with integrity, and effort, skilled effort.

[15:15] He executes according to the plan in order to win the prize. Well, the third image Paul gives to Timothy is one of a farmer.

[15:27] He's telling Timothy here, I want you to remember the reward, Timothy. Let me just read verse 6. It is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops.

[15:41] Now, growing up in Indiana, I met a lot of farmers. A lot of farmers went to our church. These farmers, for them, they would work late, work early.

[15:53] They'd work when it's dark. They'd work unseen. And there was nobody there applausing them after they were done with their work for the day. There was no crowd.

[16:05] There was only faithfulness in the field. Day after day, laboring to the point of exhaustion. It's hard work. And that's what this hard-working expression means.

[16:19] Laboring to the point where you just can't take it anymore. You're just exhausted. Paul's telling Timothy, this farmer, he trusts and he prays that a good harvest will come.

[16:33] Seeds are planted. He has faith that the soil will bear the harvest. The farmer, he patiently labors to produce an abundant reward.

[16:46] Psalm 126.6, you may remember this. He who sows in tears shall reap in joy. The yield is worth the weight. Wait on the Lord.

[16:59] So the farmer, he works early, works late, works unseen. He trusts that the harvest will come. So what's Paul's point? Well, there in verse 7, he says this.

[17:10] Timothy, I want you to think over what I say. Think very carefully what I say. For the Lord will give you understanding. These three images describe the kind of endurance that Paul calls Timothy to.

[17:24] And they also beautifully reflect the character of Jesus Christ himself. Think about this. Jesus Christ was the perfect soldier who remembered his commander.

[17:36] Not my will be done, but yours. Jesus Christ was the perfect athlete. He played by the rules. And I don't use that word loosely.

[17:48] He followed the rules. He could have called down help there in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was also the perfect farmer.

[18:01] He remembered that the reward was worth it. Isn't that Hebrews chapter 12? He was looking for that reward. Maranatha Baptist Church, you and I are also called to remember these things and let these images give us understanding.

[18:20] Let them shape us. Let them remind us of what faithfulness, of what Christ himself looks like. And then this leads to Paul's next point there in verse 8.

[18:32] And now Paul gives this command. It's going to be a command that anchors the whole passage. Let me read verse 8 for you. Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David.

[18:47] The word remember here, it's a little bit hard to say. It's neumonet or something like that. You don't have to say it correctly. It means more than just call to mind though.

[19:02] It's to continually, remember. It's to have this, this always at the front of your center and focus Jesus Christ.

[19:14] Constantly being reminded that Jesus is there. And then also to let this recalling of Jesus Christ shape your identity. We don't do it in our family so much, but I've heard of other families say, hey, you remember you're a, I hope there's no Millers out here.

[19:32] Remember you're a Miller. Remember you're a Young. Remember you're a Smith, whatever. What is that supposed to mean? It says, in your remembering, there's an action, there's a response that I expect of you.

[19:45] There's a lifestyle that you should have because you are this, you're mine. Let this recalling of Jesus Christ shape your identity, shape your decisions, shape your actions.

[20:00] This word, pneumoneo, it's the same word we get from this English word, and maybe you know this, maybe you don't, mnemonic. You say, well, I only know that one.

[20:11] Well, you use it all the time. When Pastor Conoyer was up here, I don't know how many times I heard him say, lefty, loosey, righty, what is it? Tidy. Because we forget, right?

[20:24] There are five great lakes. So you remember, homes. And so you have Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior. We use mnemonics all the time.

[20:36] And Paul's saying here to Timothy, hey, don't let Jesus Christ slip from your memory. Keep him always at the forefront, front and center, continually.

[20:51] Don't forget to remember him, Timothy. Don't get distracted by other things. And then from this one verse in verse eight, there come three challenges, each one with an active response.

[21:06] If you're in your outline, this is point C. The conduct that comes from remembering Jesus. We see right at the outset, remember Jesus Christ.

[21:17] It's interesting that Paul starts with a name. Not a doctrine. Not a system. Not a ministry strategy. A name.

[21:29] The name. A person. It's the person. It's Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords. That's what matters, Timothy. That's what's going to be your sure foundation that we just sang about.

[21:44] It's Jesus Christ. When life gets hard, Timothy, remember Jesus' compassion. He bore our sorrows and our griefs and he loved us to the end.

[21:58] He loved us when we were unlovable. Isn't that right? Remember his authority, Timothy. All power in heaven and under heaven.

[22:09] They're his. And by extension, they're yours because he gives you his authority. Remember his nearness, Timothy. He said, I'm with you always.

[22:23] I'm with you always. To the end of the age, I'm with you. Remember his sacrifice. He gave himself up fully.

[22:37] He held nothing back. Remember his lordship, Timothy. Jesus Christ is Lord of lords. He is Lord over every other name.

[22:48] He is Lord over every other king. And he is to be obeyed. This Memorial Day, we honor fallen soldiers by remembering who they were.

[22:59] We honor Christ Jesus by remembering who he is. He is our Lord and Savior. We remember him, not just facts about him.

[23:13] We trust him. We obey him. We submit so that we're being transformed by him. What's to be the response? It's loyalty.

[23:26] Stay faithful. Stay with him when culture pushes you to compromise. Lovingly obey with humility, living out Christ in you before others.

[23:42] Paul then says, Timothy, not only do I want you to remember his person, I want you to remember his power. And as a result, I want you to conduct yourself with confidence.

[23:54] The scripture says here in verse 8, this is Jesus Christ risen from the dead. He's alive, isn't he? He is alive, church. He's not dead. And he's praying for you.

[24:05] He's actively involved in your life. He is with you. This is the heart of our faith. Paul's reminding Timothy, you serve a risen king.

[24:20] Death is defeated. fear has lost its grip. And the hardship that you're experiencing, it's not the end. I was just talking to somebody this morning.

[24:35] Things are tough. 10,000 years from now, we're going to have a different perspective, aren't we? The things that we think are so impossible now, they're not going to be much of a weight at all.

[24:52] They won't be a weight. What's to be our response? Loyalty. Are you loyal to Jesus Christ?

[25:05] Well, Timothy, he's discouraged. Paul says, lift up your eyes, Timothy. I want you to lift up your eyes of faith. Remember the empty tomb.

[25:18] You know, this Memorial Day, we remember the cost of freedom. But we also remember with thankfulness the hope that those who've sacrificed their lives have given, they've secured.

[25:29] And our response here is to conduct yourself with confidence. Walk in courage. Face trials with resurrection hope. Don't shrink back. Some of you, right now, are going through some difficulties.

[25:44] It's dark. You don't see how the end is going to happen. You don't see what the next step is. And I would just say, remember Jesus Christ. Remember him. It will be good.

[25:57] It will be right. Jesus is a good shepherd. Isn't he? He will lead you by his word. Remember him. Be confident.

[26:07] Not cocky, but be confident. Then thirdly, Paul says to Timothy, remember his promise. And as you do so, I want you to conduct yourself with endurance.

[26:21] See, he says this. This Jesus Christ, he's the offspring of David. Now, David lived about 700 plus years before Jesus. It's been a long time.

[26:35] Almost three times longer than our United States, 250 years. But this phrase, the offspring of David, it points to God's covenant faithfulness. God is faithful.

[26:48] He will keep his promises. It points to the promised Messiah. Jesus Christ is the son of David. David, he is God in the flesh, living the perfect life that Adam failed to live.

[27:02] Isn't that good? Pastor David, this morning, in his prayer, was praying about Jesus Christ, who lived the life that we couldn't. You know what he secured for us in doing that?

[27:15] His righteousness. When he died on the cross, he paid for our sins, yes. But he also gave us something. He gave us his righteousness so that in Christ, you and I are considered righteous.

[27:32] Amen? That's great. The offspring of David, this phrase also points to the unbreakable plan of salvation.

[27:45] God's plan is unfolding perfectly and timely. nothing is out of step. It shows the certainty of Christ's eternal reign.

[28:01] He will reign. I said it this morning this way too. I'm sorry. It's not he will reign. He reigns. He reigns.

[28:12] He is Lord now. Jesus is the fulfillment of every promise God ever made. This Memorial Day, we remember the promises of our nation.

[28:25] Things like liberty, justice, and the ongoing work required to preserve them. And what's to be the response? Conduct yourself with endurance.

[28:38] Keep going. Don't quit. Remember that God keeps his promises. So keep trusting him. Even when you don't see it now, keep trusting him.

[28:50] We finish by looking up this fourth point. The consequences and what remembering produces in our hearts.

[29:03] Paul shows Timothy what this looks like and he says there in verse 9, I am suffering bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound.

[29:16] Paul says, there's courage. I want you to have courage in suffering, Timothy. Be courageous. Paul is chained but the gospel is not.

[29:28] Isn't that good news? There are people around us. People at work. People that live next door. People in our own families. And their hearts are just as stubborn and hard.

[29:43] And we believe, don't we? We are not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the what? It is the power of God to salvation. God can save the most stubborn person.

[29:57] He saved you, didn't he? He saved me. I'm just blown away by that. We don't deserve it. Wow.

[30:09] Paul says, external chains cannot silence eternal truth. The word of God will not be bound, will not be chained.

[30:21] And Timothy's suffering does not signal divine abandonment. In fact, it's not in my notes.

[30:34] But sometimes the only way you're going to know Jesus Christ in the depths of suffering that he went through is to go through it yourself. And if you find yourself in the middle of heartache and suffering and pain right now, and it seems so hopeless and so hard, allow that just to bring your mind back to who Jesus Christ is, your loving Savior.

[31:02] Allow that to help you understand the depths that he went through even a little bit more clearly. Remember Jesus Christ this gives you courage when life is hard and when the way is insufferable.

[31:20] So not only are you to have courage in suffering, Timothy verse 10, you're to have purpose in your pain. Paul says, therefore, I endure everything for the sake of the elect.

[31:36] Pain becomes purposeful when tied to God's mission. There's a reason for it. If that reason is just to tell somebody else, it's not me.

[31:52] It's Christ in me. That's why I can have joy with this illness. That's why I can have joy when faced with this pain or this lack of job.

[32:05] that's why I can smile because there's a living, risen Savior and my hope is in him. There's purpose in pain, every hardship.

[32:20] It's an opportunity to show the grace of God, isn't it? That's what 2 Corinthians chapter 12, verse 9 says, my grace is sufficient for you.

[32:32] No matter how hard it is, God's grace is there and it is completely sufficient for the moment. There's purpose in pain.

[32:44] Sacrifice that blesses others was never wasted. It's never wasted. Paul says that his suffering has meaning. His mission is worth the cost.

[32:56] This Memorial Day, we honor those who endured hardship for the sake of others. Paul says, I endure for the gospel. Jesus Christ, I endure to the end for my sheep.

[33:11] Are you willing to endure? Let me just finish up with this.

[33:25] Tomorrow's Memorial Day. Hopefully, we're going to take a moment to remember the sacrifice, the freedom, and the responsibilities we have.

[33:36] But here in this passage in 2 Timothy chapter 2, Paul also says this. He calls us to remember. Remember Jesus Christ. Remember his person. And Timothy, respond with loyalty.

[33:49] Be loyal to him. Remember his power and respond with confidence. Remember his promise and respond with endurance.

[34:02] Church, I would say, let's remember Jesus Christ. Let's trust and obey him. Let's pray. God, it is true.

[34:21] You are totally sovereign. You are the creator and Lord of the universe. You've given us your son, Jesus Christ.

[34:32] He lived the perfect life. He died that death. He was betrayed and died that horrible death for us. We are so grateful.

[34:45] Grateful for his willingness to obey you, his commander. Grateful for the courage to follow your plan. Father, we look to Jesus.

[34:58] in doing so, we recognize our own failures. And as it says at the end of 2 Timothy, we just turn these things to you.

[35:11] We give them to you. We want to be fit and clean vessels for you. Lord, maybe there's somebody here now struggling. They know these things to be true, but it's still hard to believe.

[35:25] I pray that you would strengthen them as you did, Timothy. May the word of God, may Christ himself be their sure foundation.

[35:37] May they go away changed. Lord, help us to, in our recalling of who Jesus is, to respond in ways that please you. We thank you for this church.

[35:52]  Lord, help us to continue to be a light for the gospel in our communities. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.