Sermon Notes, Oct. 23, 2011
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Pastor Lonnie continued his sermon series "Come Before Winter," from Paul's letter to Timothy from prison before he was to be executed. The scripture reading was 2 Timothy 1:3-8, with special emphasis on verse 5, where Paul reminds Timothy of his spiritual heritage from his Grandmother Lois and his mother, Eunice.
Pastor Lonnie remembered his own grandmother telling him, "You'll do better if you listen to God." Her faith was sincere: daily, living as a servant, and she knew her mission, just as Timothy's grandmother did.
Grandma's faith was daily—it was simple, and lived out. It was a listening faith, even though she didn't always have the answers. She knew God's Word was not just for information, but for transformation. Do you struggle with maybes? Be honest with yourself and with God. There's an intimacy in questions. It's rooted in humility.
Grandma's faith evidenced itself in her servanthood. Lonnie still remembers the Sunday dinners at Grandma's. Jesus, too, was a servant. The church must serve to survive. Know that you can rely on and trust Jesus. The church is a group of people that will help you through your struggles; Jesus is making a whole new world. Share what God has done for you and through you.
Timothy knew his mission: he was the apostle to the Gentiles. Paul was willing to die for what he believed in. We have a mission too, right here, as well as in the rest of the world. We need to spend our energy on things that are "mission critical," the things that are most important. People matter the most.
The Gospel is a gospel of change. God changes people, just as he changes lives. (Romans 12:1-2) We are to be stewards of all He gives us: not only materially, but spiritually. We should hold tight to God, and loosely to things of the world.
Grandmas pass on the legacy of faith. The faith of this church is daily. We are to be God's servants in a hurting world. That is our mission and our legacy.
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