7 Profiles of a Disciple

 7 Profiles of a Disciple

 *In 2 Timothy 2, Paul gives these seven illustrations or pictures of a disciple: 

•Son (2:1) 

•Soldier (2:3-4) 

•Athlete (2:5) 

•Farmer (2:6) 

•Workman (2:15) 

• Vessel (2:20-21) 

•Servant (2:24) 

Consider the parallels between these figures and a follower of Christ. 

So apparently Timothy was like a son to Paul for he starts his letter in 2 timothy 1:2 with “To Timothy, my beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord”

  2 Timothy would be the last letter he would write before his martyrdom, you can almost feel the emotion as you read the letter. As Paul was nearing his death, he felt compelled to write one final letter to Timothy, not one of the churches, not to one of the other apostles or even Ceasar to plead for his worldly life, but to his son in the faith…Timothy.

 

Son   (2:1) You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

Do you or I have this kind of parental affection for those you disciple? To love them as a son even if there is no actual blood relationship. 

 

 

Two ways to have children, note the parallels: 

•Biological - spiritual “birth,” you lead them to Christ and train them from the ground up. •Adopted - already saved, but you are coming alongside them to further train them. 

But let’s look at the son, there are four things that a good son does: 

(1) Love his father. - “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. John 14:21

(2) Listen to his father. - Listen to your father who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old. Proverbs 23:22

(3) Show increasing likeness to his father… both inner and outer. 

(4) Lengthen the family line. (grows the kingdom of GOD) 

Soldier  (2:3-4)   3 Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him. 

If you are a soldier, you not only endure hardship, you expect hardship! Consider the enemies the Christian faces daily: 

•The World | James 4:4 & 1 John. 2:15-17 

•The Flesh | Gal. 5:16-17 

•The Devil | 1 Pet. 5:8 

*Notice the driving motivation for the soldier, you are trying to please your commanding officer! •Is this your daily aim? Are you getting distracted? Consider Col. 3:2; Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth.  Heb. 12:1-2. Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking only at Jesus, the [a]originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

 A soldier is built to be a threat to the enemy!  Are you a threat to the enemy? 

Athlete  (2:5) 5 And if someone likewise competes as an athlete, he is not [c]crowned as victor unless he competes according to the rules

Consider the parallels between the discipline and training needed for athletes and what that might mean for us as believers. •The word for “athlete” here comes from a word meaning to wrestle, struggle, contend… How are we doing these things in our daily pursuit of Christ? An athlete is consumed by his sport, he masters it, he continues to push the limits for greater success, and he loves it! •We’d be much more effective Christ-followers if we did these same things! 

Farmer  (2:6) 

*He is a hard-working farmer!   •May we fight hard against the temptation of laziness and complacency! As Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. (Luke 2:10) What’s a good farmer do? •Studies the soils - condition of someone’s heart. •Studies the seeds - the Word of God. •Studies how to match the proper seeds and soils - how can you speak the truth of the Word of God to specific people in ways that relate to them. •Studies the seasons - are people particularly receptive to the Word of God in certain times or circumstances? 

Workman  (2:15) Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

•“rightly dividing” has the connotation of cutting a straight path. The idea for Timothy is to cut straight to the accurate and true meaning of the text and communicate it to his hearers. *Do you know how to rightly handle the Word of Truth? How can you continue to equip yourself for this work, and equip those you disciple to do the same? Be a workman, train a workman. 

 

 

 

Vessel   (2:20-21)  20 Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver implements, but also implements of wood and of earthenware, and some are for honor while others are for dishonor. 21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be an implement for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.

What is a vessel? A hollow object designed to contain someone or something for the purpose of being manipulated by its master so that it can be poured out however the master sees fit! •As a vessel, we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Jn. 14:16-17), and we contain the life of Christ (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19)! If we are to be a vessel for Christ, we will not be ornamental, but instrumental! What is the best gift a vessel can give to its owner? •Its own emptiness! 

Servant (2:24) The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, skillful in teaching, patient when wronged,

The servant we’re seeing here is a Bondservant *One who is entirely devoted to his master for the entirety of his life! •Throughout the New Testament, bondservant is a title applied to those who were absolutely devoted to Christ (Rom. 1:1; Phil. 1:1; Jas. 1:1; 2 Pet. 1:1; Ju. 1:1). A bondservant is: •Bound to his master - Christ freed us from our slavery to sin, now we are bound to him! •On call at any moment - we have no will of our own, no rights of our own, no schedule of our own, no resources of our own, it all belongs to Christ! •Affectionately committed to his master - we are so supremely devoted out of love!

 

And that my brothers and sisters in Christ, is the profile of a disciple through the eyes of Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus.