Multiply: Called to Multiply

Sermon Notes

Called to Multiply [Multiply]

Main Text: 2 Timothy 2:1-7

We have been EMPOWERED: (2 Timothy 2:1)

a. We are empowered by the GRACE of Christ

b. We are encouraged to BE STRONG in Christ

c. We are commanded to MAKE disciples of Christ

We have been ENTRUSTED: (2 Timothy 2:2)

a. We are entrusted with the GOSPEL of Grace

b. We are called to INVITE and INVEST in others

c. We are commanded to MULTIPLY disciples of Jesus

We are called to ENDURE: (2 Timothy 2:3-6)

a. Like a SOLDIER: Commitment

b. Like an ATHLETE: Discipline

c. Like a FARMER: Patient

We are called to EXAMINE: (2 Timothy 2:7)

a. God’s WORD by meditating on it

b. God’s WILL by trusting in His promises

c. God’s WAYS by applying the Gospel to our lives

Application:

a. IDENTIFY: Pray for discernment

b. INVITE: Make a personal ask

c. INTENTIONAL: Have a plan

d. INVEST: Set a time

“You teach what you know, but you reproduce what you are…You can impress from a

distance, but you can only impact up close.” – Howard G. Hendricks

Sermon Manuscript

INTRODUCTION

If you’ve ever interviewed for a job, you know that before you agree to take any position,

it’s incredibly important to carefully read through the job description. A good description

doesn’t just tell you what your job title is. It describes the scope of the work–such as the

core duties and responsibilities. It should also outline clear expectations and goals. This

is important, because you need to know exactly what it is that you are agreeing to.

If you’re a fan of the show The Office; there’s an episode where Dwight Schrute is given

the title Assistant to the Regional Manager by Michael Scott. Now, this sounds pretty

harmless, right? The problem is Dwight believes that he has been promoted to Assistant

Regional Manager, not realizing that the words “to” and “the” are very important.

So, he begins to interact with his co-workers as if he is the Assistant Regional Manager.

He starts giving orders. He makes decisions. And he acts like he’s the boss when in fact

he is not. And while he believes he’s in charge, everyone else is thinking: “Dwight, that’s

not your job. You’re NOT the Assistant Regional Manager. You are the Assistant to the

Regional Manager, which is completely different.”

And so you have to be very careful when it comes to reading job descriptions, because

two small, seemingly insignificant words may end up causing a lot of unnecessary pain,

discomfort, and awkwardness later on–both for you and for others.

And while this makes for great comedy, I think many of us do something similar when it

comes to the Christian life. We accepted the position. We like the job title. But we never

really read through the job description. Yes, we are saved by God’s grace through faith

in Christ alone. And we know that Jesus loves us. But we assume that the Christian life

is mostly about showing up on Sundays, listening to a sermon, doing some good deeds,

reading our Bibles, avoiding the big sins, and trying to be a good neighbor.

And for many of us, the Christian life doesn’t really go beyond that. But if you read the

New Testament, you’ll find that Jesus didn’t call us merely to be churchgoers or simply

good people. He has called us to be disciples who make disciples.

In other words: Jesus has called us to be disciple-makers.2

SUBJECT

This is what this MULTIPLY series is all about. It’s about knowing who Jesus is, knowing

who we are in Him, and doing what we He has called to do. Last week, we learned that

a disciple of Jesus: believes in Jesus, follows Jesus, and helps others to do the same.

This is our definition of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. You could say

that this is our job description. And this is important because if you claim to follow some-

one, you should know who it is that you are following and what they’re asking you to do.

And for those of you who missed last week, Pastor Keith ended with a challenge for us

to get off the fence and to go all-in with Jesus. And if you missed it, I would encourage

you to go and watch it online. But the question is: What happens once you go all-in?

What’s the job description for the third part of that definition?

In other words: How do we actually make disciples?

Well, I’m glad you asked, because Paul answers that question for us in 2 Timothy 2.

TEXT

If you have your Bibles, I want to invite you to turn with me to 2 Timothy 2:1-7 [stand]:

1 You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 What you have heard from me in

the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in the

concerns of civilian life; he seeks to please the commanding officer. 5 Also, if anyone competes as an

athlete, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer ought to

be the first to get a share of the crops. 7 Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in

everything.

PREVIEW

For our time together this morning, we’re going to look at four truths from this passage:

1. We have been EMPOWERED

2. We have been ENTRUSTED

3. We are called to ENDURE

4. We are called to EXAMINE

And we’re going to finish with some practical ways we can begin multiplying disciples.

I. We have been EMPOWERED (2 Timothy 2:1)

The first truth we see is that we have been empowered. Look at what it says in verse 1:

“You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”3

Now, in order for us to understand what’s going on here in this verse, we have to look at

the context. At this point, Paul is older. He has spent decades faithfully following Jesus.

He’s traveled thousands of miles to preach the Good News. And along the way, he has

been tortured, rejected, and persecuted for the Gospel.

And now he is sitting in a Roman prison. He knows that his time is short. And according

to historians this was most likely his final letter before being executed by Emperor Nero.

And so he takes this opportunity to write to Timothy, his young protege, who he calls his

son in the faith. And he gives him some words of encouragement and final instructions.

And these instructions weren’t just intended for Timothy, they’re intended for us as well.

And we see here in verse 1 that: We have been empowered by the GRACE of Christ.

Now that phrase be strong is a combination of two words in the original language: “in”

and “power,” which is dunamis, where we get the word dynamite. And here, it means to

be empowered or strengthened by someone or something outside of yourself.

You see, Paul is reminding Timothy that the true source of his power and strength is not

found in himself–not in his abilities, his talents, or his experience. It is found in the grace

of Jesus. Timothy was empowered by the grace of Christ to do the work of Christ. And

the same is true of us as well. We have been empowered by His grace to do His work.

I believe that one of the greatest obstacles to disciple-making is insecurity. We think: “I

don’t know the Bible well enough. I’m not a pastor. I don’t have a seminary degree. I’m

not qualified. My life is too messy. Who am I to disciple someone else?” But here’s the

thing: I don’t know the Bible well enough either. My life is messy as well. And I often

don’t feel qualified to disciple others. But friends, I think that’s the point!

It’s not because we are stronger or better or smarter or more knowledgeable about the

Bible than others. Again, the power doesn’t come from us. It comes from Jesus. He is

the source. Think about the disciples that He chose. If it was about knowledge, abilities,

charisma, reputation, or strength. He would not have chosen the people that He did.

Instead, He chose blue-collar fishermen and a Jewish tax-collector to be His disciples. If

you were picking an all-star team. These guys would definitely not be on the list. And in

the same way, Jesus doesn’t just call the qualified or the strong. He qualifies the called,

and He strengthens them to do His work.

I love what Paul says in Colossians 1:28-29: “We proclaim Jesus, warning and teaching

everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. I labor for

this, striving with HIS strength that works powerfully in me. Friends you and I have been

empowered by the grace of Christ. And what is it that we have been empowered to do?4

We have been empowered to go and MAKE disciples of Christ.

Jesus says to His disciples in Matthew 28:19-20: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of

all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,

teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with

you always, to the end of the age.”

Now this command isn’t intended only for the twelve disciples. It is for all believers for all

time. It is the mission of the Church and the calling of every believer. Notice that Jesus

doesn’t simply call us to make converts. He calls us to make disciples. Yes, evangelism

is part of the mission–we proclaim the Gospel and invite people to believe in Jesus. But

we don’t stop at conversion. We help them learn to follow Jesus, obey Jesus, become

like Jesus, and ultimately help others follow Him.

And what’s amazing is that He promises to be with us to the very end of the age. Jesus

doesn’t just give us the mission; He gives us the power to accomplish it. And He doesn’t

just give us His power; He gives us His presence. He promises to be with us.

II. We have been ENTRUSTED (2 Timothy 2:2)

The second truth that we see in our passage is that we have been entrusted.

We have been entrusted with the GOSPEL of grace.

Look at what it says in verse 2: “What you have heard from me in the presence of many

witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”

Paul was reminding Timothy of everything he had heard and observed from his life and

ministry–not just his teaching. Because he not only learned by listening to his teaching,

he watched as Paul endured great suffering, persecution, and hardship for the Gospel.

This is why Paul could say in 1 Corinthians 11:1: “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.”

Paul’s goal wasn’t to build a following around himself. His goal was to follow and imitate

Christ and then point others to Him so that they would follow and imitate Christ. Friends,

this is the goal of disciple-making. It isn’t simply about information transfer. It’s life-on-life

transformation. Again, the goal is to help others be more like Jesus. It’s not just: “Let me

teach you what I know.” It’s: “Come walk with me as I follow Christ.”

And if our disciple-making isn’t leading others to be more like Jesus, then chances are,

we’re not making disciples of Jesus. We are making disciples of someone else. Friends,

we have been entrusted with the Gospel of grace to go and make disciples of Jesus–not

disciples of ourselves or anyone else.

And in order for us to do this: We need to INVITE and INVEST in others.5

The word here for commit carries the idea of placing something valuable into the care of

another. Paul wants Timothy to understand the value of what he’s been entrusted with.

And what was he entrusted to do? It says that he was to entrust the work of the Gospel

to faithful men, who are able to teach others. And this verse is important, because here

we see four generations of discipleship: Paul → Timothy → Faithful Men → Others

Think about what Paul is saying here: Paul invested in Timothy. Timothy was to invest in

faithful people. And those faithful people were supposed to teach others. And over time,

Paul’s ministry is continuing through people he may never meet. That’s multiplication!

He didn’t have to reach everyone personally to make an impact. He faithfully invested in

a few, who invested in others. And friends, this is how the Gospel multiplies.

Notice what Paul doesn’t say. He doesn’t say go find the smartest or the most talented

or the wealthiest or the most popular or charismatic. He says find faithful people. People

who are willing to listen and receive instruction. People who are humble and teachable.

BUT this also means that we need to examine our own lives, because we cannot give

what we do not have.

We have been entrusted with a great treasure, and we cannot keep it to ourselves. The

question is: Who are the people God has placed in your life? Maybe it’s a co-worker or

neighbor. Maybe it’s a son or daughter. Maybe it’s someone at the church. Maybe it’s a

family member or a close friend.

Who is going to grow in their walk with Jesus because you are walking with them? Who

is going to learn how to study and apply God’s Word because you took time to open the

Bible with them? And who is going to learn how to be a godly husband, wife, father, or

mother because of the way you have modeled Christlike love to your own family?

In other words: Who are you going to invite and invest in?

III. We are called to ENDURE (2 Timothy 2:3-6)

This brings us to the third truth: We are called to endure.

Now some of you may feel a little hesitant as you hear this. Maybe it’s because of past

experiences. Maybe you’ve been hurt by a church leader. Maybe you’ve tried to disciple

someone in the past and it didn’t go too well. Maybe you’re simply overwhelmed. Let’s

be honest people are messy. Relationships are complicated. Our schedules are full. Our

careers are demanding. Life feels hectic and chaotic. And at times, we feel that we have

so little margin or bandwidth to do anything else.6

I’m sure Paul understood this feeling as well. In 2 Corinthians 11, Paul talks about being

beaten, imprisoned, shipwrecked, being hungry, thirsty, exhausted, and persecuted. And

on top of all that, he says in verse 28: There is the daily pressure on me: my concern for

all the churches. And you have to remember, he had another job as a tentmaker. Yet, he

remained faithful to the work that Christ had given to him in the midst of it all.

And this is what gave him the credibility to say in verse 3: “Share in suffering…”

This phrase carries the idea of enduring through afflictions together with someone else.

Paul understood what it meant to suffer for the sake of the Gospel. And he encourages

Timothy to endure together with him.

And to illustrate this, Paul gives three examples of what this endurance looks like:

Like a SOLDIER: Commitment

The first example is a soldier. He says in verse 4 that: “No one serving as a soldier gets

entangled in the concerns of civilian life; he seeks to please the commanding officer.”

Now, this example was relevant to Timothy’s context; because he was ministering in the

City of Ephesus, which was a strategic hub of the Roman Empire. It was a port city, and

so it meant that there was a great deal of trade and business that was happening there.

And because of this, the Roman Empire placed soldiers to maintain order and control.

And Roman soldiers were known for their commitment to the mission and their loyalty to

their commanding officers. Paul uses the example of a soldier to illustrate the mindset of

a disciple of Jesus, who is focused, committed, and loyal to the Commanding Officer.

Following Jesus requires commitment and focus. There will be times when loving others

is difficult. And there will be times when investing spiritually in someone takes more time

than we expected. But Jesus has called us to be faithful.

Like an ATHLETE: Discipline

The second example is an athlete. Verse 5 says: “If anyone competes as an athlete, he

is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.”

An athlete understands the value of discipline. All the elite athletes know that talent and

skill aren’t enough. They’ve got to do the hard work day in and day out. This is why they

are so disciplined when it comes to their diet, fitness, and training. They do this so that

when the time comes, they can perform at their best and hopefully win.

And Paul uses this image of an athlete to illustrate the importance of spiritual discipline

for a disciple of Jesus. And this isn’t just for our own spiritual growth and maturity but for7

the benefit of those we are discipling. Because you can’t lead someone towards spiritual

maturity if you aren’t pursuing it yourself.

You can’t tell someone else to read their Bible when you rarely open yours. You can’t

tell someone else to pray when your prayer life is nonexistent. You can’t ask someone

else to forgive when you’re holding on to bitterness. You can’t tell someone to confess

when you’re hiding secret sins. And you can’t ask someone to sacrifice and give when

you are unwilling to sacrifice yourself.

Nowhere is this more important than in parenting. As parents we’re really good at telling

our kids what to do and what not to do. But are we modeling the things that we’re asking

them to do? Are we just telling our kids what it means to follow Jesus or are we showing

them what it looks like in our own lives?

Like a FARMER: Patient

The third example is a farmer. Verse 6 says: “The hardworking farmer ought to be the

first to get a share of the crops.”

Farmers work hard. They till the ground, plant seeds, water their crops, and pull weeds.

BUT as hard as they work, they cannot force their crops to grow overnight. They have to

be patient and wait. And in many ways, discipleship is a lot like farming.

And it can be frustrating, because we want quick fixes. We want instant transformation.

We live in a world of instant gratification: instant coffee; instant ramen; instant access;

instant answers; and same-day delivery. But true and lasting spiritual growth takes time.

You can plant a seed in someone’s life and not see any fruit for months or even years.

Paul understood this well. This is why he says in 1 Corinthians 3:6-7, “I planted, Apollos

watered, but God gave the growth. So, then, neither the one who plants nor the one

who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.”

We must be patient when it comes to spiritual maturity. We cannot manufacture spiritual

transformation. We can’t force someone to grow. Our responsibility is to be faithful, and

trust in God who gives the growth.

IV. We are called to EXAMINE (2 Timothy 2:7)

This brings us to the final truth that: We are called to examine.

In verse 7, Paul tells Timothy to consider these things–to think deeply and examine the

things he has heard and learned from him AND to learn how to apply it.8

There’s a term that I heard years ago called: Practical Atheism. A practical atheist is

someone who professes to believe in God, but lives as though He doesn’t exist. They

may know a lot about the Bible, and they may have all the right answers. But their lives

don’t reflect the character of Christ or the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience,

kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

What this means is that before we can effectively reproduce Christ in others, we need to

ask whether Christ is actually being reproduced in us. Because we cannot reproduce

what we are not becoming. This is why Paul tells Timothy to consider these things.

And likewise, as we seek to disciple others, we need to carefully examine our lives by:

Meditating on God’s WORD:

We don’t just read the Bible to check off a box. We meditate on it because we delight in

His Word and because we want God to change and transform us through it (Psalm 1).

Trusting in God’s WILL and His promises:

Sometimes God’s will doesn’t make sense. Sometimes obedience feels uncomfortable.

But one way we discern God’s will is by trusting Him even when we don’t understand.

Walking in God’s WAYS by applying the Gospel to our lives:

Brennan Manning once said: “The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is

Christians: who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by

their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”

Friends, we cannot acknowledge Jesus with our lips and then deny Him by our lifestyle.

This not only affects our witness to a watching world; it keeps us from experiencing the

abundant life that God desires for us. The Gospel isn’t just something we believe in. It is

something we are to apply and live out.

Application:

As we get ready to close, I want to give some practical steps as we begin this pursuit of

discipleship together this ministry year. Here are the 4 I’s of Disciple-Making:

IDENTIFY: Pray for discernment.

Begin with prayer. Pray for 2-3 people who are already in your life and ask God to make

it clear who you should pour into. And when He brings those people to mind…

INVITE: Make a personal ask.

You don’t have to make it complicated or awkward. Simply ask them if they would like to

grab some coffee and study the Bible together. You don’t have to present yourself as a

spiritual expert. Simply ask if they would like to grow spiritually with you.9

And if you want to be discipled by someone, go and ask them if they are willing to walk

with you. They might say no–that’s OK. You’re not responsible for their response. You’re

responsible for the invitation. God is the One who will do the growth in you and in them.

Be INTENTIONAL: Have a plan.

Don’t just meet to hang out. Have a clear discipleship plan. There are a ton of resources

out there. But whatever it is, make sure that you are spending time in God’s Word, and

that you are challenging one another to grow and be more like Jesus.

INVEST: Set a time.

Have clear expectations from the start. Commit to meeting consistently over a period of

time–maybe 12-15 weeks. It doesn’t have to be forever. But however long it is, be sure

to have multiplication as one of your goals.

Don’t just ask: “How can I grow?” Ask: “Who am I going to disciple next?”

CONCLUSION

I want to leave you with a couple of quotes from the late Howard G. Hendricks, who was

a legendary professor at DTS who impacted thousands of lives, including mine. He said:

“You teach what you know, but you reproduce what you are…You can impress from a

distance, but you can only impact up close.”

Friends, as Dr. Hendricks reminds us, we cannot fulfill our calling from a distance. If we

want to genuinely impact our communities, our families, and the church, we have to get

up close. We have to be willing to open our lives and invest in others.

Jesus didn’t call to simply sit in a seat, listen to a sermon, and watch from the sidelines.

He has saved you, empowered you, and entrusted you with the Gospel so that His life

can be reproduced through you in the lives of others.

You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to have all the answers. You simply need to

be faithful and willing to say yes to the work He has called you to do. So this week, look

for that one person: identify them, invite them, be intentional, and invest in them.

As we head into the new ministry year let’s not just be a church that knows about Jesus.

Let’s be a church that lives like Jesus, follows Jesus, and helps others follow Him.

Let’s pray together.10

Called to Multiply [Multiply]

Date: August 30, 2026

Main Text: 2 Timothy 2:1-7

We have been EMPOWERED: (2 Timothy 2:1)

a. We are empowered by the GRACE of Christ

b. We are commanded to MAKE disciples of Christ

We have been ENTRUSTED: (2 Timothy 2:2)

a. We are entrusted with the GOSPEL of Grace

b. We are called to INVITE and INVEST in others

We are called to ENDURE: (2 Timothy 2:3-6)

a. Like a SOLDIER: Commitment

b. Like an ATHLETE: Discipline

c. Like a FARMER: Patient

We are called to EXAMINE: (2 Timothy 2:7)

a. God’s WORD by meditating on it

b. God’s WILL by trusting in His promises

c. God’s WAYS by applying the Gospel to our lives

Application:

a. IDENTIFY: Pray for discernment

b. INVITE: Make a personal ask

c. INTENTIONAL: Have a plan

d. INVEST: Set a time

“You teach what you know, but you reproduce what you are…You can impress from a

distance, but you can only impact up close.” –

Howard G. Hendricks