“Love Christ’s Appearing” 2 Timothy 4:6-8

“Love Christ’s Appearing” 2 Timothy 4:6-8

An Expositional Sermon
2 Timothy 4:6-8
“Love Christ’s Appearing”

Theme/Big Idea: The charge to “preach the Word” is grounded in the knowledge of Paul’s coming death, and the hope of the gospel is receiving the award of justification in the face of God’s coming wrath.
Aim/Appropriation/Application: Love Christ’s appearing and put your trust in Him and not yourself.

Outline:
1. Preach the Word (2 Timothy 4:6)
2. A Christian Is a Soldier, Athlete, Farmer (2 Timothy 4:7)
3. Do You Love Christ’s Appearing? (2 Timothy 4:8)

Questions for Further Study:
(1) How is Paul’s charge to Timothy to “preach the Word” affected by the knowledge of Paul’s coming death?
(2) When you think of biblical preaching is it a drudgery for you or do you come with expectation to be shaped and grow in God’s Word?
(3) Why do Christians give themselves to preaching? Are we just dull and unimaginative? What’s the impetus for Christians and churches to keep preaching in the same way that we see in the New Testament?
(4) Are you living with a war time mentality?
(5) What’s the equivalence to rationing, sacrificing, and bringing everything in your life into submission to serve your driving desire to see the gospel speed in our community and to the nations?
(6) Do you see the supporting preaching of the Word to all nations as something worthy of sacrificing money, time, and comfort?
(7) Does your life look like a soldier, athlete, farmer for the sake of the gospel?
(8) What does it look like in your life and in the life of our church to pursue to “keep the faith”?
(9) Are you investing in others to pursue these things, and are you opening up your life to others so they can encourage you in pursuing these things?
(10) What is the definition of “the faith” in this passage? What Bible passages would you cite to support your answer?
(11) What is “justification”?
(12) Is it offensive to you to hear that you are not innately good, and that in and of yourself you can do nothing good?
(13) In light of God’s coming wrath for sin what is your hope of salvation? How can we be made righteous or be justified before God’s coming just judgment?
(14) What is hell? (Just eternal conscious torment in God’s wrath) How would you define hell from Scripture?
(15) What is the fundamental difference between Christianity and every other religious/faith system in the world?
(16) Why is it impossible and illogical to believe that doing “good” things could somehow outweigh or cancel out the bad/sinful/wicked things we’ve done in our lives?
(17) What will you say is the reason that God should forgive you for your sin?
(18) How can anyone be saved? How can we have assurance or a confidence like Paul here of receiving the “crown of righteousness” or “justification”?
(19) Do you love Christ’s appearing?
(20) How will you be found on judgment day? Will you turn from your sin today and trust in Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection alone as the sole ground of hope for salvation? Repent and believe in Christ today.