Title: Suffering with the Gospel
Suffering with the Gospel
Text: 2 Timothy 1:1-8
For women in Korea who were suffering from ignorance, poverty, and disease at a time when Christianity was introduced by the missionaries, the gospel really was the light of salvation. The joy and the filling of the Holy Spirit when they accepted the Gospel were incomparable to anything else. They were often beaten and kicked out of marriage because they believed in Jesus, but those who realized the love of Jesus always confessed their faith and evangelized. One woman confessed her amazing transformation like this: “I knew that when I was called a sinner, I was a thief and a robber who did bad things or harmed others. I never thought I was a sinner because I had never done these things in my life. I realized that I was a sinner, and my sins felt so heavy, but I realized that the Lord had forgiven my sins, and I knew that living a life of faith is the way to heaven. I was severely criticized by my relatives for not helping and not participating in the ancestral rites, but I did not suffer.”
“Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12).
A woman graduating from the Department of Pharmacy at Ewha Womans University gave up a good job and volunteered as a missionary to Africa. That was the early 80's. At that time, Africa was a land of 'danger' and 'desperation'. As she left her backcountry, many people prayed only for her safety.
“Is this place safe?”
“It’s safe. I'm happy. What could be more rewarding than saving souls? It is said that anglers are thrilled with the 'hands' when they catch fish. It would be nothing compared to the ‘taste of evangelism’ that lifts the soul.”
‘Expression’ is an active Christian act of faith. ‘Evangelism’ is a step forward from ‘expression’. It is the right and duty of believers to express the gospel. The reason that the growth of the Korean church has slowed significantly since the mid-1980s is because Christians have neglected to express Jesus. As a result, the number of “autistic Christians” is increasing. Prayer Bible Study Koinonia Praise is zealous, but there are many believers who are indifferent to evangelism. Even if given the opportunity to evangelize, he is showing severe autism that keeps his mouth shut.
But the Lord has commanded you to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). Woe to us if we do not preach the gospel. (1 Corinthians 9:16)
'I solemnly command you in the presence of God, and in the presence of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, by his appearing and his kingdom, that you preach the word, do your best in season and out of season, with all patience and teaching rebuke, rebuke, exhort The time is coming when people will not receive sound doctrine, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers, and will turn their ears away from the truth and follow myths. But you will be sober in all things, suffering suffering, doing the work of an evangelist. Do your duty' (2 Timothy 4:1-5).
Why is the gospel important? Because people are saved only through the gospel. Because the gospel is God's power to lead those who went to hell to heaven. This gospel becomes the power to forgive any sinner and lead them to God's people. How are we saved? We are saved through the gospel, the event that Jesus shed His blood on the cross for our sins, and through that gospel we are saved. What does the world need most? Gospel.
“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me’ (John 14:6).
'Therefore, as much as possible, I want to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome as well, for I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and then to the Greek. God's righteousness is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written, "The righteous will live by faith" (Romans 1:15-17).
A recent Gallup Korea survey on “church activity and faith consciousness” among Christians suggests many things. This survey poses a very common question for Christians.
“Why is the church you attend growing or declining?”
Believers with weak assurance of salvation are hesitant to preach the gospel. Paul's letter to his beloved disciple Timothy presents a great challenge.
“Do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me a prisoner for his sake, but suffer for the gospel by the power of God” (2 Timothy 1:8).
The main text is that the apostle Paul was released from his first prison life in Rome, but he was arrested again in the midst of the great fire in Rome (AD 64) and the great Christian persecution of Emperor Nero, and the dire situation that he might be martyred while in prison for the second time. has been placed on
In this situation, Paul had a foreboding of his martyrdom and was organizing the rest of his life before he was martyred (AD 67) to encourage Timothy, the son of faith, to hold on to the truth of the gospel, persevere in suffering, and boldly carry out the mission of preaching the gospel. year), which corresponds to the last of his epistles.
Here, why can the Apostle Paul say to Timothy, the son of faith, “Suffering for the gospel”? What makes him so worthy of suffering along with the gospel?
* Prayer: Lord, who has become my joy, my hope, and my life, help me to obey your commands and devote myself to the gospel witness. Let us rejoice in suffering along with the gospel. I think that there is a lot of suffering in this world in order to have a heart for heaven. Help me to find a deeper level of truth through suffering. Look to the Lord of comfort and peace in the midst of suffering, take up your cross, and pray always with patience. Preach the Gospel Help us to find the meaning of life through the hardships that come to us and to overcome it with the power of faith and use it as an opportunity for growth. We pray in the name of our Savior Jesus. Amen
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