In his sermon 'Burning in the Soul,' Tom Ascol discusses the importance of Apostle Paul's instruction to Timothy to remember Jesus Christ risen from the dead, as recorded in 2 Timothy 2:8. Ascol reflects on why Paul would emphasize this to Timothy, a seasoned pastor, suggesting that Christians may not forget Jesus entirely, but may assume His presence while focusing on worldly issues. Ascol argues that remembering Jesus' resurrection is crucial, as it redefines how Christians face life's challenges. He references Paul's experiences in Asia as an illustration of relying on God's power rather than one's strength. Ascol emphasizes that Jesus' resurrection demonstrates God's ultimate power and capability to intervene in any situation, providing hope and assurance. He concludes that remembering Jesus is the most practical thought for Christians, as it sustains them through trials and blessings, fulfilling Old Testament promises.

Remember Jesus Christ risen from the dead, offspring of David, as preached in my gospel. That's one of the last things the Apostle Paul ever wrote, 2nd Timothy chapter 2 and verse 8. And I've wrestled with that verse over many, many years. First coming to think about it, why in the world would the apostle Paul, who is facing death, write that to Timothy, who is a very experienced coworker, Paul, who's leading the church at Ephesus? Did Paul think Timothy was in danger of forgetting Jesus?

What Christian can forget Jesus? And not forget that Jesus exists, not forget that Jesus is the one whom we trust with our everlasting souls to take us home safely to God. But as I wrestled with that and thought about it, I realized how absolutely essential it is for every Christian, especially for me as a pastor, to remember Jesus Christ risen from the dead, offspring of David, as preached in my gospel. Because while most of us in this room want to be guilty of completely putting Jesus out of our mind and forgetting Him, we will be tempted to assume Jesus and to think about life with a kind of attitude of, yeah, I'm a Christian, I know that, but here are these real issues facing me. Here are real problems, and I've got to get through these real problems, so I need real strategies, I need practical helps, and I know Jesus.

And that's exactly the wrong way for us to think. Jesus, when you become a Christian, you're putting your life in the hands of the God man. You are saying there was a man who walked on this earth 2, 000 years ago who was crucified, dead, and buried, and he came back from the dead never to die again. That's crazy! A dead man came back and is alive 2, 000 years later.

That's absolutely insane unless it's true. But if it's true, it changes everything. It means the most practical thing you can ever do is to remember Jesus Christ risen from the dead. And the temptations that come to us, especially in trials, they can cloud our thinking and they can eclipse that reality that there's a dead man who came back from the dead who's alive today. He'll never die again, and He's at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, making intercession for me, and He will come for me.

He's ruling and reigning over every aspect of my life. I take great comfort in recognizing that the Apostle Paul who wrote those words had to apply them to himself as well. When he was in Asia, he had an experience. He writes about it in 2 Corinthians chapter 1, and they knew what it was. We don't know what the details were, but he says, I don't want you to be ignorant about the things that happened to me in Asia.

So we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength, it despaired of life itself. I don't know what it was, but for Paul who endured all the things he endured, to describe it as being not just burdened but utterly burdened, beyond our strength, despaired of life, thought he was gonna die. There's a hint there that maybe even he wanted to die. But now as he looks back on it, he's telling the Corinthians, but all that happened, that was to teach us not to trust ourselves, but God who raises the dead. And I think if the Apostle Paul had to be reminded of that and be taught that lesson in the midst of trials, then there's hope for me because I need that lesson as well.

It's the most practical thought that you can have. No matter what happens to you, what people do to you, no matter what your failures are, no matter what the challenges are in front of you, you as a Christian have a crucified risen Savior. Lord, I don't have enough money to pay my bills. Lord, I don't have the resources to get through this challenge. Lord, I don't know how I'm going to make it with this child, with this difficulty.

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead. Our God raises people from the dead, and that changes everything. That means that the most difficult circumstance you face is not beyond his ability to come and intervene and just countermand in ways that show his great glory and provide great good for you as his child. And it means that whenever you go into seasons of life where everything looks like it's going just right, and you see obvious blessing all around you that the one who provides those blessings is the one who gave up his son for you. And if God didn't spare his only son but delivered him up for us all, how much will he more with him freely give us all things?

He's the God who raises the dead. And so as I try to pray that into my soul and try to help others to think about that, it just it staggers me. It staggers me to think that this is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This is our God. He's the God who can do anything.

He is the God who's demonstrated His great power. He's the God who's given us all these incredible promises that we are fools not to believe because He's the God who raises the dead, and He's proven it through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And my greatest need as a pastor, as a father, as a grandfather, as a husband in all of my relationships, all of my responsibilities. My greatest need today, tomorrow, until thy last breath is to do exactly what the apostle Paul admonished Timothy to do, to remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, fulfilling all the Old Testament promises as preached in my gospel. And I'll see you next time.

Thanks for watching.