(II Timothy 2:1-6)

Have you seen the new reflector tape down at Napa?   It is what you can put on a fish house?  Terribly expensive, but works very well.  Actually is required by law if you are going to leave a house on the lake.

A good reflector takes the light thrown at it and bounces it back towards the source.

Paul needed Timothy to take the light and truth being thrown at him and reflect on it (Webster says to throw or turn back the thoughts upon anything, to ponder, or to cast blame).

When we reflect on Scripture, we meditate.  For disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ this will allow us to worship – in many different ways.  It also makes a way for the Lord to give us insight into all these things (verse 7).

There are several commands (imperatives) that Paul gives for Timothy to reflect on.

I.                    Be Strong (2:1).

endunamou – (present passive imperative) to empower, passive to be strong (same as Ephesians 6:10).

-         In grace that is in Christ Jesus

This is one reason that we have local churches.  When we come together like this we allow our selves to become strong in the Lord.

II.                 Pass on the Faith (2:2).

paraqou – (aorist middle imperative) to place to another’s trust, to entrust, to deposit, to commit for safe keeping.

-         In the things you heard me say in presence of many witnesses

III.               Endure Hardship (2:3-6).

sugkakopaqhson – (aorist active imperative) to suffer evil together, to endure affliction together, to take one’s share of rough treatment.

sugkako – join together

paqos – the passion or suffering

-   don’t get entangled (keep you weapon free from you cloak)

-         keep focused and devoted (civilian affairs)

On Wednesday night Eli could not keep his mind on the story of the alligator snapping turtle.  He kept seeing his reflection in the grand piano and couldn’t resist the urge to dance and look at himself.

Have you ever seen yourself in the side of a milk truck?  Whenever I see myself I start to dance.

When we were kids at the First Baptist Church in Frazee, there was an old couple in the church that had a new shiny car (for some reason my dad’s cars were not new or shiny in those days) 3 or 4 of us would line up and look at our short image in Earl’s car and well you know what . . . .

Keep focused!  Don’t become enamored with you reflection . . . rather reflect on these things.

-         please your commander (remember who is the boss)

How long has it been since you heard a young person say, “I can’t wait until I’m 18, then nobody can tell me what to do”?

A great surprise awaits my young friends!  Right now there are 2 main people that are telling you what to do.  After you turn 18 you will have 2,000 people telling you what to do!  And they will have the law behind them!

-         there is a crown (stefanow)

-         stick with the plan (compete according to the rules)

I was watching Minnesota play Michigan in college football.  Did you know that a college quarterback can not ground the ball with out being penalized?  If he is outside the box and can get the ball to cross the line of scrimmage, he can throw it anywhere he wants.  I watched Michigan’s quarterback do this and I said to myself, “Let him have it ref!”  No flags, the players lined up and the game went on.  New rule – everybody knew it except for me.

We must play by the rules of the Book and stick with God’s plan.

-         work hard (kopiwnta) work until you are exhausted

-         hard work will be rewarded (notice I Corinthians 9:7).

I Timothy 4:9 – “For this we labor and strive that we have put our hope in the Living God.”

II Timothy 2:15 – “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.”

When the last shipment of new chairs came to our church, there was a semi-trailer parked in the back lot by our new sidewalk.  There was a whole crew of workers here unpacking and bringing in chairs.  When this good hard work was done, I brought out the rolls and coffee.  Gordon said, “Oh, what is this?”  To which I said, “You don’t muzzle the ox that treads out the grain; so have yourself a roll.”

You won’t get a roll each time you work hard in this church; but the Lord says that hard work will be rewarded.

IV.              Reflect and Remember (2:7-8).

noew – (present active imperative) to understand, to think over, to consider – “work out what I am getting at”.

mnhmoneue - (present active imperative) to remember.

upomimnhske (present active imperative) to remind someone else of something.

One of the beautiful things that happens around a communion table is that we are free to remember. 

My sin has been forgiven.

Remember Jesus Christ.

There is a man who today is serving a long sentence in prison.  This man could not remember much – either because he wasted his mind so badly with drugs and alcohol or because he could not or would not allow himself to because of the great pain it brought.

In prison he is learning how to remember.  He has found forgiveness for his sin – and as he finds forgiveness, he begins to remember.  What a bitter sweet experience.

But it is good. 

Remember and confess.

The only reason we are able to do this is because we reflect on and remember Jesus.

C.S. Lewis:  “All you life an unattainable ecstasy has hovered just beyond the grasp of your consciousness.  The day is coming when you will wake to find, beyond all hope, that you have attained it, or else that it was within your reach and you have lost it forever” (The Problem of Pain, p. 147).