Fan the Flame

In 2 Timothy 1:6-7, Paul encourages Timothy to fan into flame the gift of God. What gift was Paul exhorting Timothy to fan into flame? According to Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he received the gift when Paul and a council of elders laid their hands on him. In 1 Timothy 4:14, Paul wrote, “Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.” And in 2 Timothy 1:14, he wrote: “By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.” After exhorting Timothy to fan into flame the gift of God, he continues in verse 7, “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” Timothy, who appears to have had a spirit of timidity, was given a new spirit for ministry. But at some point, fear began to quench the fire. Timothy was facing persecution for preaching the gospel. Paul, who somehow became aware of Timothy’s struggle, wrote to encourage his young protégé. After Paul writes that God did not give him a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control, he continues in verse 8 “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God,”

It appears from these scriptures that Timothy was shrinking back in fear from the calling of God upon him to unashamedly preach the gospel no matter the cost. So, what was the gift that Timothy was to fan into flame? The gift of God was the specific operation of the Spirit in Timothy giving him the power, love, and self-control he needed in order to carry out the call of God. Through the Spirit strengthening him in his inner being to know the love of God, Timothy had the self-control to overcome his emotions and act in faith, not in fear. Through the dynamic work of the Spirit in Timothy’s spirit, he had the faith to receive prophetic revelation about the call of God on his life.

It not only takes faith to fulfill God’s call upon each of our lives; it also takes faith to hear it, receive it, and resolve to fulfill it. The manifest love of God in our hearts will give us eyes to see the needs in our world that God wants us to do something about, the compassion to act, and the courage to overcome opposition (Ephesians 3:14-19). Divine awareness of spiritual realities gave Timothy boldness to preach the gospel and to overcome the negativity of others (1 Timothy 4:12). But somewhere along the way, the fire (passion) began to die. Timothy’s spirit was no longer being stirred by the love of God and the sufficiency of Christ. Therefore, Paul writes to encourage him to fan into flame the gift—the passion, boldness, and courage rooted in the love of God to overcome his fears and fulfill his gospel ministry.

How do we do fan the flame? If our flame is flickering, if we are lukewarm, if our fire to share the gospel boldly and unashamedly is dying, what do we do to fan it into flame? Paul explains to Timothy, “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God” (2 Timothy 1:8). And in the next chapter he wrote, “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:1).  

What enables us to suffer for the gospel? The power of God at work within us that makes known the love of Christ will compel us to labor to spread the good news, even if it costs us. When Paul tells Timothy to fan into flame the gift, he’s not telling him to psych himself up. Rather, he’s telling him to get his eyes off himself and his naysayers and put them back on God. He’s telling him to be strengthened by the grace of God which believers lay hold of through prayer and the word (Acts 6:4). Prayer in the Spirit doesn’t just seek God’s hand to bless our plans. Prayer in the Spirit seeks God’s face so that we might know Him and surrender to His plans. A man or a woman who is intimate with God is not intimidated by man. They are not controlled by fear, but by the love of God. A man or a woman whose spirit God is continually at work in becomes a soldier for Christ. As the apostle Paul also reminded Timothy, “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him” (2 Timothy 2:3-4).

Given the pressures that declining congregations are facing, when past attendees do return and fill a seat, it feels like a big win. But as good as it is to see folks returning to in-person services, the size of a congregation is not the measure for the spiritual health and vitality of a church. The best measure for spiritual health is whether the people in the seats have a love in their hearts that makes them so pained for the spiritual state of others that they can’t just sit around. They must do something for God—they must labor for the kingdom of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).

Remember, the spiritual health of a church is best measured not by how many people are coming, but by who we are becoming—not by its seating capacity, but by its sending capacity.

As J.D. Greer explained, “Some Christians see church as a cruise liner, offering Christian luxuries for the whole family—sports, entertainment, childcare services, and business networking. They show up at church asking only, 'Can this church improve my religious quality of life? Does it have good family ministry facilities? Does the pastor preach funny, time-conscious messages that meet my felt needs? Do I like the music?' If their church ever ceases to cater to their preferences … well, there are plenty of other cruise ships in the harbor. Churches that want to 'prevail against the gates of hell' must learn to see themselves like aircraft carriers, not like cruise liners. Members need to learn to share the gospel, without the help of the pastor, in the community, and start ministries and Bible studies—even churches—in places without them. Churches must become discipleship factories, 'sending' agencies that equip their members to take the battle to the enemy.”

If you’re looking for a Carnival cruise ship, Midwest Bible Church is not for you. But if your desire to be part of a church that is committed to equipping its members to take the battle to the enemy, we invite you to come and die with us. Let’s together embody the cross of Jesus (His self-giving love) in dependence upon the Spirit so that His resurrection power is manifested in and through our lives (2 Corinthians 4:12).

To be and remain a spiritually viable church, we must all have a sent mentality instead of a sit mentality. Every believer in our church has been sent by God on a kingdom mission (John 20:21). We are all called and given various capacities (gifts) to take the battle to the enemy—to go behind enemy lines with the good news of Jesus to turn people from darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto God so that they may receive forgiveness of sins (Acts 26:18).

We all have a gift and a calling to know the love of God and to make it known so we must fan into flame the gift of God. As we draw near to God and as we cultivate intimacy with Christ, we take on His heart. The Spirit will write people, places, and plans on our hearts and we will not be at rest until we fulfill what God has called each of us to do (2 Corinthians 2:13; Gal. 4:19).

Do you have something in your spirit from the Lord rooted in the love of Christ that drives you to your knees to seek the grace of God to fulfill what He’s calling you to do? Has God led you to be part of a specific ministry or to start a specific ministry? Are there people written on your heart that God wants you to labor in prayer for and reach out to with the gospel so that they might know the hope of Christ? Fan into flame the gift of God in prayer, in the word, and in real community. And as the author of Hebrews exhorted believers in his day, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Hebrew 10:24-25).

This year, Midwest Bible Church will be celebrating 90 years of gospel ministry. God has been faithful. May we increasingly become a community of sent believers who seek God’s face in worship so that we launch out on fire for God to bring the hope of Christ to a broken world.  
 
In your service,
Pastor Marco