Minister: Pastor Seyi Osanyinbi
Text: 2 Timothy 2:1-2
The church is a place where we ought to be cultivated and trained, but many do not like to stay in such places. It takes time and effort to train; training is a serious drill that eliminates many unwanted things from our lives. It takes years to cultivate someone called into the pastoral ministry because pastoring is not just about church membership, it is a ministry gift.
Jesus took time to raise his chosen ones because he was never after the crowd. He took out time to build and instruct those he chose.
2 Timothy 2:1
From the above verse, Paul instructed Timothy to follow in his stead. Apostle Paul was involved in the growing process of Timothy and Timothy submitted diligently to His training.
The standard of God is faithfulness. God is looking for men that are faithful, and the church is in dire need of faithful men. Nothing will be committed to an unfaithful man. Being faithful is not all about ability or being skillful. The first thing that matters to God is our faithfulness. For us to qualify for greater commitments, we must pass the test of faithfulness. A faithful man is a consistent man; a man who is dependable and trustworthy.
The aforementioned attributes are what God saw in the life of David. David was not chosen because he could sing, but because of his faithfulness and commitment to keeping his father’s flock. His faithfulness was clearly demonstrated when he risked his life just to save a sheep from the look and the bear.
2 Timothy 2:3
‘… therefore, endure hardness…’
Endurance is a key factor and requires one to go the extra mile despite the conditions that might surround the situation. Thoroughly trained soldiers have the capacity to operate in any kind of environment without complaining. To endure hardness is to be dead to every iota of fear. It does not connote being foolish or living carelessly.
Joel 2:1-7
‘…they shall not break ranks…’ The force we are called into does not permit the breaking of ranks. To break ranks is to march out of formation. It is important for us to always maintain formation because someone’s life depends on you not breaking the ranks. When God gives an instruction, it is not to be negotiated, but to be fully obeyed. We cannot afford to run our lives on our own terms; we must learn to obey God’s instructions.
2 Timothy 2:4
As Christians, we are professional soldiers, and our job should be how to be a better version of our calling. It is important to know and master our formations by minding what we get ourselves committed to. A soldier does not entangle himself with civilian affairs. He has a fixed mindset of his job – to fight. We also must be focused and never get distracted.
It takes time and resources to raise a soldier. It took time for God to raise Samuel before he was confirmed an authentic prophet in Israel.
We must be patient enough in learning how to handle the weapons of righteousness. There are defensive and offensive weapons given to all Christians and we must be skillful in applying both. This is why it is important we learn wisdom in order to deploy these weapons accurately.