Fight the Good Fight of Faith (1 Tim. 6:11-16)

Outline: Fight the Good Fight of Faith (1 Tim. 6:11-16): 

1. The command to fight (vv.11-12)
2. The motivation to fight (vv.13-16)

Summary:  God has called us into a fight, a life-long fight of faith.  By God's grace we have been called through the gospel and the powerful working of the Holy Spirit.  Therefore, we must take hold of the eternal life that first took hold of us.  We made a public confession of our faith and now we are called to continue in our confession by fighting the fight of faith.  Like a boxing match, the fight of faith will include strategies of both defense ("flee") and offense ("pursue").  We are commanded to engage in such a fight.  And our motivation for heeding the command comes from the fact that the fight takes place in the presence of God the Father and God the Son.  Both God's intimate presence with us and Jesus' example of making and continuing in His confession are meant to motivate us to fight hard until the bell rings at Jesus' return.   

Main Point: We must persevere in the faith by engaging in a disciplined fight to trust God and keep His word until Jesus returns.

Discussion Questions:

• How should Jesus' good confession made before Pontius Pilate (v.13; cf. John 18:28-19:16) motivate us to continue and persevere in our good confession (v.12)?
• The fight of faith is like a boxing match that includes the need for both defense ("flee") and offense ("pursue").  From v.12 and your own experience, how might a christian "fly like a butterfly" and "sting like a bee" in his fight of faith?
• How should the majestic description of God in this passage (esp. vv.15-16) motivate us to engage in a disciplined fight to trust God and keep his word?
• How long must we engage in the fight of faith? 

Application Questions:

• Do I live like I understand that the normal Christian life is a fight to trust God and keep His word until Jesus' returns?  In other words, do I expect my life to be a fight?
• How am I currently fighting the good fight? What situations in my life are calling for greater defense and what situations are calling for greater offense?

Prayer Points:

• Praise God for calling us though the gospel and the powerful working of the Holy Spirit
• Praise Jesus for making and persevering in His good confession even in the face of the cross
• Praise God for His intimate presence with us as we fight to persevere in the faith
• Ask God to help us discipline ourselves to "fly like a butterfly" as we flee sin and temptation
• Ask God to help us discipline ourselves to "sting like a bee" as we pursue righteousness 
• Ask God to encourage and empower someone you know who is struggling in the fight of faith 

The Letter to the Church in Philadelphia (Rev. 3:7-13)

Outline: The Letter to the Church in Philadelphia (Revelation 3:7-13)

1. Affirmation (v.8)
2. Earth-bound promises (vv.9-10)
3. Exhortation (v.11)
4. Heaven-bound Promise (vv.12-13)

Summary:  We now focus our study on Jesus' letter to the church in Philadelphia.  Philadelphia, like Smyrna, was a healthy church.  Therefore, Jesus did not speak words of rebuke, correction, and warning but words of affirmation followed by promises that were designed to encouraged and inspire them to stay their faithful course.  Jesus promised to help them triumph and endure the sufferings of this life and to lavish blessing on them in the next life if they conquer, that is, if they continue in patient endurance to the end.         

Main Point:  All churches and Christians are called to conquer, that is, to patiently endure suffering and trials though faith-filled obedience to Jesus.

Discussion Questions:

• Is v.7b an accurate, one-sentence summary of John's vision of Jesus in 1:12-20? Explain. 
• What is the church of Philadelphia affirmed for in v.8?
• What is the relationship between keeping Jesus' word and not denying Jesus' name?
• How is it possible that Philadelphia had "little power" yet was considered a healthy church?
• What earth-bound promises did Jesus give (vv.9-10)? What effect are they meant to have?
• Jesus exhorted Philadelphia (v.11)? Why do even healthy churches/Christians need such exhortations?
• What heaven-bound promises did Jesus give (vv.12-13)? What effect are they meant to have?
• What promise is particularly meaningful to you right now and how might you use it as motivation to patiently endure in the midst of your present circumstances?
• What form does conquering take in the first five churches? How about for Philadelphia?

Application Questions:

• What am I clinging to in order to make it through? What does this reveal about my heart?
• How am I obeying God's word in the midsts of my circumstances? 
• What is it going to take for me to patiently endure to the end?
• How is my weakness an opportunity for God to show His power? (cf. 2 Cor. 12:9-10)
• What brother or sister is currently in special need of endurance? What can I do to encourage them? 

Prayer Points:

• Praise Jesus for using His loving authority to open and keep open the door of salvation to us
• Praise Jesus for His power and acknowledge His ability help us endure in the midst of trials
• Ask God to help us not be disheartened by our weakness but to trust all the more in His power