Sermon Cloud

Living with Power: The Power of Focus

2 Timothy 2:1-7

Intro: Walt Disney and Disney World.  He did see it, and that’s why its here.

Compared to canoeing.  Amy and I turned to laugh at the poor canoers and tipped over.

There is power in being a person of focus – and it is not easy when there are so many distractions in the world.

Proposition: You will only have real spiritual growth in life by learning the power of focus.  To achieve what God wants for you – you must be a person of focus.

In 2 Timothy 2 Paul is writing to Timothy in a jail cell and he is telling him how to be a focused, growing disciple.  He gives him three illustrations to teach him how to use the power of focus.

I.                Focus on loyalty (like a soldier). (1-4)

Paul has been talking a lot to Timothy about suffering being a part of being a Christian.  And he tells him that we are like soldiers –and real soldiers remain loyal even through great suffering.

It is vital for a soldier to be loyal. 

Ex. The Philippine Military Academy: “A disloyal soldier has no place in an organized and disciplined army. No element can be more disruptive to any organization than a rebellious, treacherous, and disloyal member. Loyalty is the binding and unifying force in any army. It is the invisible chain of steel that links men together. Remove the spirit of loyalty from the members of a command and the unit will collapse like a house of cards.”

The most used consequence in the military for disloyalty/treason – death.

Ex. 1997 coup attempt in Zambia.  52 soldiers were put on trial for the treason and sentenced to the death penalty in 1999.  Judge Japhet Banda told the civilian-clothed soldiers: "When one is convicted of treason, there is only one sentence, which is capital punishment."

Why is it so bad to be disloyal?  You are siding with the enemy!

4 You adulterers! Don't you realize that friendship with this world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again, that if your aim is to enjoy this world, you can't be a friend of God. 5 What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the Holy Spirit, whom God has placed within us, jealously longs for us to be faithful?  James 4:4-5

Friendship with the world means living a life of sin.  What does it mean practically to be loyal to God and not the world.

1. Loyal personal living: You cannot pursue sin and God at the same time.  You have to choose your loyalties.  And you cannot choose to treasure anything over God.

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.  Matthew 6:24

The word mammon does not mean money.  It means a wealth that you put your trust in – it means making wealth an idol over God.

Ex. Chase two things going in opposite directions.  Man who chases two rabbits gets dizzy.

2. Loyal interpersonal living: You cannot link your life in with people who aren’t seeking Christ.

14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?  2 Corinthians 6:14-15

In relationships the key is where are your loyalties?  Are you trying to please Christ or someone else?  Make sure your loyalties are in Christ alone.

II.             Focus on commitment (like an athlete). (5)

The Bible is filled with athletic terminology.

Paul is saying if you are going to be focused on growing as a believer than you have to be sold out and committed like an athlete.  Athletes do what

What is commitment?

Got this from a US Soldier: "Commitment is to fight when others fold, pursue while others retreat, conquer while others quit, and make right when all else is wrong."

What should I be committed to? 

Paul says committed to winning the prize and committed to competing according to the rules.

Another passage that talks about that: Turn to 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.

1. Commit to (the rules) growing in the spiritual disciplines.

Paul says to Timothy that you got to be committed to the rules like an athlete. 

Paul tells the church of Corinth that they need to be in “strict training” and to train their bodies.

What are the spiritual disciplines?  Prayer, bible reading, worship, evangelism, tithing/stewardship, quiet time, journaling, fasting, and service.  (Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life)

Being a Christian means being committed to these things.  Check yourself on how well you are doing in those areas.  Ex. I thought I was a good swimmer until I did what swimmers do.  I was out of shape.  You might be out of shape.

2. Commit to the (prize) goal.

Paul tells both Timothy and  the church of Corinth that you got to be committed to the prize.  He also calls it a crown.  In other words – it’s the goal.  You got to be committed to the goal – the mission.

There is an end goal you must focus on.  There is a prize at the finish line.  That is why verse 28 says you do not run “aimlessly” and you “do not fight like a man beating the air.”

Civil Rights song: The one thing we did right was the day we began to fight.  Keep your eyes on the prize oh Lord.

Ex. Watching runners in a marathon.  Longed to see the finish line.

What is the prize/crown?  Paul answers that later in the letter to Timothy.

In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.  2 Timothy 4:8

Ex. Golfer 90 and blind gets his first hole in one.  He could see it before it came.  He was committed.

Similar to being committed to the prize is the final thing Paul tells us to focus on.

III.           Focus on the harvest (like a farmer). (6-7)

Paul says that someone focused on discipleship and growing is focused on the harvest.  A farmer knows the whole time he is working that a harvest is coming.  He does the work now with no results knowing that God will bring results.  There won’t just be a prize at the end – but there will be results all throughout life as you work for God.

Being a farmer takes a lot of discipline.  And you are working through that discipline with a great big empty field.  But when discipline comes – that is a seed that will reap a harvest.

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.  Hebrews 12:11

Ex. Spanking for being bad vs. spanking because of ants.  Didn’t mind the latter.  Know God has a purpose for a harvest of your righteousness.  Pain is more bearable when you know there is a purpose.

Don’t let obstacles in the way of growth and the goal stop you.  God never promised His way was without obstacles.

"If you find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead to anywhere." -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

As a farmer and a disciple of Christ you must keep doing good even when you don’t see rewards – for there will be a harvest.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Galatians 6:9

If you know that you are doing what God has called you to do – don’t let anything stop you.  Know that in due time a harvest is coming.

Ex. "Don't let somebody tell you can't do something.  You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can't do something themselves, they wanna tell you that you can't do it. You want something? Go get it. Period." -Will Smith playing Chris Gardner in Pursuit of Happyness

God is constantly giving you seed to be a steward of – use it focusing on the harvest.  (Money, witnessing, time, serving, etc.)

10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.  2 Corinthians 9:10-11

Conclusion: For the love of the game.  Clear the mechanism.

My guess is that most of you need to clear the mechanism.  You got a million distractions in your life.  I don’t know what they are for you.  I don’t know if it’s a relationship, a murky past, a constant sin struggle, depressing thoughts, or something as simple as filling your mind with meaningless stuff.  But this morning maybe your prayer needs to be: help me clear the mechanism.  Help me focus on you God.  God I want you to be my on pure and holy passion.