The Gospel Coalition National Conference 2009 - John Piper notes

I love the passion of John Piper. It is inspiring! Below are my notes from this afternoon's session.

The Gospel Coalition National Conference 2009
Entrusted with the Gospel – Living the Vision of 2 Timothy
April 21-23, 2009

John Piper – Bethlehem Baptist Church
Session 2
2 Timothy 1:1-12
2TI 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,

2TI 1:2 To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

2TI 1:3 I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

2TI 1:8 So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, 9 who has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

We need to be looking for the main point in every text

The point of this paragraph is “Timothy, keep feeding the flame of God’s gift in you – namely the gift of unashamed courage of speaking about Christ and suffering for the Gospel.”

1) Where does that point come from?
-Seeing the main point in the text.
-SHOW ME THE TEXT! Don’t generalize
-vs. 6-8
-Speak openly and suffer well
-God did this in you (vs. 8)
-depend on His power

2) Is that the point of the whole book
1:16 – not ashamed
2:3 – share in suffering
2:9 - I am suffering
2:10 - I endure
2:12 - If we endure
2:15 do your best to not be ashamed
2:24 endure evil
3:1 – difficulty
3:10 - followed sufferings
3:12 - persecution
4:5 – they turn from truth
4:6 – being poured out
4:7 – fought the good fight, ran the race
4:16 – stood alone
It’s the point of the book!
If you are in the ministry for an easy, comfortable, safe life, get out NOW! And if you are single, don’t marry a woman who wants that!
-It’s a hard road to follow Jesus, take up your cross and deny yourself, lose your life to find it

3) How Paul intends for Timothy to feed the white hot flame of this gift
vs. 8 – By the power of God
-linking 1:2 with 2:1 – be strengthened – be powerful by the grace that is in Christ Jesus
-Paul starts all 13 of his Epistles with a grace to you, and ends with a grace be with you
-Paul is very aware that as they begin to read they will be receiving grace through the
truths that he is saying/writing, and then when they get to the end, they need to take
that grace with them, it will go with them.
-Grace as the central truth, as the means of power, as the means of courage

4) Let’s do it!
vs. 3-5 – “Timothy, I believe with all my heart that your faith is real, even though it came from your grandmother, and not your dad, and from your mom, and not your dad.”
-John Piper “I am a momma’s boy”
-Paul serving as a spiritual father for Timothy – Timothy’s father wasn’t a believer
-Paul gives himself as a pattern for courageous suffering for God’s sustaining grace
-Timothy, when you speak as a preacher/teacher you are going to suffer
-Paul is in prison, but not ashamed
-The reason we don’t have to be ashamed in the one who entrusted us with the
Gospel is because the Gospel is powerful
-Paul modeling for Timothy what it looks like to be a man living in grace, even in hard
times.
-Most important sentence (though not the main point) - vs. 9-10
-That’s the kind of power with which to feed the flame
-The grace of God (vs. 1) was not given to you when you were converted, but rather
before when the world was created – before the stars were made!
-Not according to your works, but according to God’s purpose and grace – Romans 9