Responsibilities With God’s Grace

Transcript

GRM 1265
May 15, 2022
Responsibilities with God's Grace
2 Timothy 1-4
Gil Rugh


Well, I wondered what I should preach on this morning that I could get through. We're going to go to 2 Timothy because I thought this is Paul's last letter, this is my last official sermon. You'll get a lot more personal ones along the way but this is the last official sermon and 2 Timothy is Paul's last letter. There are about 32 or 33 imperatives, 32 imperatives plus one that is taken as an imperative in this short four-chapter letter. So I figure if I spend 5 minutes on each of these we will be well into the afternoon. What I want to do is just highlight what Paul has to say in this letter, using these imperatives. Imperatives in Greek are the commands, those things that must be done, and Paul makes clear to Timothy what the burden is that he has for the future ministry of God's truth. Paul is expecting the coming of the Lord. He told the Romans, I believe in chapter 13, that “now is your salvation nearer than when you first believed.” That was fine but it is some 2000 years and the Lord hasn't come yet, although the Romans have entered into the enjoyment of what God in Christ has provided for them with His death and resurrection. So Paul is expecting the return of the Lord, but he is aware of the fact that the Lord may not be coming. So we have to plan accordingly.

So I want to just walk through this letter, highlighting some of the commands that Paul gives to Timothy, as a reminder to us of God's grace and the responsibility we have in light of that grace. The first seven verses don't have any commands in them, they just are introductions, and in verse 6 he says, “For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of timidity but of power and love and discipline.” And important for Paul to make clear to Timothy that there is a great responsibility on him, but it is a responsibility that God has placed there so God will give the enablement for him to carry out that responsibility. Verse 7, “God has not given us a spirit of timidity,” of cowardice, of holding back. I'm sure for Timothy, Paul is imprisoned in Rome and in all likelihood he is going to die as a result of this imprisonment, being executed, but God hasn't given us a spirit of timidity, of cowardice, of pulling back, but of power, love and discipline. And I love the mixture that Paul has of power, love, discipline that all go together. Love doesn't mean we have no discipline, and discipline doesn't mean we don't have love. And the contrast and collection that will run through this letter.

Then in verse 8 and through the rest of chapter one he has four commands that he gives. I'll mention them to you. “Do not be ashamed,” that's the first one that is not an imperative mood in Greek, but many of the commentators say that in its construction should be taken as a command. The other 32 that we'll mention, or partially mention, are all given in the imperative mood. That means it is something that must be done, it is given as a command. The first, as it is here, “Do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me his prisoner.” And Paul is going to put the two together. He is imprisoned, he has suffered a difficult life since his conversion because of his testimony for Christ. So don't be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me. And Paul joins himself there. And that's crucial, we want to be part of what God is doing on earth at this time. The testimony that Christ had ought to be the testimony of our lives.

“Join with me in suffering for the Gospel according to the power of God.” And there you have that second command and the first of the 32 imperatives. “Do not be ashamed” is the first command, not an imperative but it is given as a command, and then “join with me in suffering for the Gospel.” Paul is writing as a prisoner, a prisoner facing rather sure execution. He'll later talk about that, and the process has begun that is going to culminate in his execution. “But join with me in suffering for the Gospel according to the power of God.” And a reminder, God saved us and called us not according to our work, but according to His own purpose and grace. “Join with me in suffering,” we ought to put things in perspective. We have been blessed as a ministry, as a church, and we appreciate that, but times go up and down and there are times when God is doing a special work in a unique way and it's a privilege and a blessing. But there are times when they are difficult. The apostle is going through one. Timothy has to be prepared to face one. Paul doesn't write and say, it's been difficult for me but I'm sure it will be better for you. No. “Join with me in suffering for the Gospel.” And the rest of the letter, that's the only thing that Paul can focus on and be sure of. There will be suffering that comes for the Gospel and I want you to do it according to the power of God. This is not a get-yourself-built-up, prepare yourself, be ready and you'll be a man. No. It's according to the power of God, He will provide. So you will be able to join with me in suffering. I'm not asking you to do what is normal to you, because he is going to have to tell Timothy and remind him, 2 Timothy 1:6-7, that God hasn't given us a spirit of timidity, of cowardice, but power, love and discipline. So the power is God's power. Even though Paul is in prison and it looks like he is a defeated man, here we are 2000 years later reading this letter. So we want to be careful that we don't take our eyes and focus on what we can see and observe and say, everything is just going downhill. No, Paul says, “join with me in suffering for the Gospel.” This is the victory, this is what God has accomplished for us. Do not be ashamed, but join with me in suffering, and he reminds Timothy of what has happened to him.

Then in verse 13 he gives the third command, “Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard in me.” Retain the standard, hold onto the truth. That's key. The pressure with the opposition is that we begin to adjust the truth, we begin to water down the truth to avoid some of the suffering, and then the battle is lost for us, so to speak. “Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.” He keeps taking us back to what they have in Christ, what Timothy has in Christ, what Paul has in Christ, what we have in Christ.

The fourth command given here in verse 14, is guard. “Guard through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.” You'll note this is not something that we're doing in ourselves. We have much that goes on, even in conservative circles politically, we just need to pump up, we need to be ready, we need to get ourselves prepared. No, he says we need to realize the power of God and God's enablement in the worst of times. Paul is in what we would call the worst of times, he is going to die as a martyr shortly but he will only talk about God's power, God's power. Through the Holy Spirit, guard through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. That's security, we're not in this on our own. “Guard through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us the treasure which has been entrusted to you.” And Paul doesn't paint an unrealistic picture. He immediately says, “You are aware of the fact that all who are in Asia have turned away from me.” Wait a minute. “Guard through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us,” that means we ought to be victorious, we ought to be conquering. We are, even in the worst of times. Paul is in prison and he says everyone in Asia, Asia Minor, that would include places like Ephesus, that were in a position to stand and support me have abandoned me. Remember what we are to do, verse 14, we are to “guard through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us the treasure which has been entrusted to us.” “The treasure which has been entrusted to us,” the treasure is the Word of God. That's the treasure that has been entrusted to us, it has been passed on. We are studying Paul's letter 2000 years after he had been writing in this imprisonment, and shortly he will be executed. But it is a treasure entrusted to us, we must guard it through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. And that doesn't mean we are not realistic. “All who are in Asia have turned against me.” And he even mentions two of them by name, Phygelus and Hermogenes. How would you like to be immortalized in the Word of God that way? Everyone in Asia, let me give you two examples, Phygelus and Hermogenes. I don't want to be like them. No, you don't, but Onesiphorus, he stood with me. When he was in Rome he searched Paul out, he gave him help. It didn't matter, this may be costly because he might get arrested. He's another one of those men like Paul, we ought to arrest him, too. No, “The Lord will grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day,” verse 18.

So there are only four commands, three imperatives, and then that additional command that started this list in verse 8, “Do not be ashamed.” Join with me in suffering, retain, guard. And then chapter 2. In chapter 2 we're going to have a list of imperative commands, this is what you must do Timothy. You get the idea that Paul in this chapter and in chapter 4 particularly, he will pile on these commands, these forceful instructions. This is what you have to do because soon, Timothy, I won't be here. But that doesn't mean God won't be here.

So chapter 2 opens up with the first command in the chapter, “You therefore, my son, be strong,” be strong. It may not be part of Timothy's, what we call his nature, because again 2 Timothy 1:7 Paul says, “God has not given us a spirit of timidity, of cowardice,” and he reminds Timothy in verse 6 to “kindle afresh that spiritual gift that is in you.” Timothy may have tended to retire into himself, to pull back. No, Timothy, “Be strong,” 2 Timothy 2:1, that is a command, “in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” This constant reminder, this is not human. We have any number of humans that are not born again human beings that are put on the news, put out there, these are people who really stand out. That's not what we are talking about, we're talking about those who will be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, that supernatural grace that God will give you. It's not natural, it's not—I learned and now I know how to really . . . No, it's I'm depending on God's grace, that unmerited favor that is in Christ Jesus. What is Timothy's responsibility? He has to have a big life-impacting, world-impacting . . . Very simply, “The things you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these.”

Entrust is another command. Be strong and, “entrust these to faithful men.” Here is what you have to do, Timothy, and it is not a complicated responsibility. Be faithful to the Word of God, you have heard it from me. “Now entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” That's not a big deal. It is because the pressure is relentless all around us. Sometimes it seems like it is a little bit relieved, but really . . . Over my 50-some years here we've had the times—everybody move in, we have to get more people in. I remember having a conversation with Don one time at lunch, we'll have 10,000 people if this keeps up. Well, it doesn't keep up, but we have to keep up. We have to be faithful to the Word regardless. So we have the time and we think we must be doing something wrong because we don't have the same result. Well, Paul didn't have the same results. Here he is in prison, his life is coming to an end. Look back, what have you accomplished? You were somebody in Judaism and then you were turned from that and placed your faith in Christ and devoted your life to Him and now you are going to be executed as a nobody who we want to be rid of. And you're telling me to be strong? “And entrust these things you've learned from me to others also.”

And then, verse 3, we're back to where we started, “Suffer hardship with me.” Up in 2 Timothy 1:8 Paul said to Timothy, “Join with me in suffering.” Now he says in 2 Timothy 2:3, “Suffer hardship with me.” Then he is giving to us three pictures there, we're not going into detail, you can get those in Sound Words when we walked through this in a more expanded way. But as a good soldier, as an effective athlete and, verse 6 says a hardworking farmer. “Suffer hardship with me.” Look around you, it's difficult. There are things you learn from it. “No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life.” Let me say,just an aside, that's one of the things that weakens us as a church. Before Sunday morning, Sunday School, I remember my dad telling me.
I was saved as a young teenager. My parents—my dad was saved in his early 30s and my mother was saved about the same time. But I remember him telling me, because we were having discussion, I was being discussed to. But I was maybe…don't need to go on Sunday night. He says, let me tell you how things are in this house. You will go to church on Sunday morning, Sunday School and Sunday service, you will go on Sunday evening, you will go on Wednesday night, and you will go with the youth group on Friday night. Now when you get your schoolwork done you are free with the other nights. What if I decided I don't want to do that? When you are old enough and you decide you want to move out and establish your own home you can do that. Other than that, you live in this house you will do what I decide. Then I met Marilyn and I liked going to church. But the Lord used that in a good way. We'll move on here, that does remind me of suffering hardship. No. “Suffer hardship with me as a good soldier.” Now he gave some examples of what it means to suffer hardship. There is concrete reality—a soldier, an athlete, a farmer. There is discipline involved. This is not just take it easy, relax.

“Consider,” verse 7, is the next command given. “Consider,” it's the 8th in the list. We had the four in chapter one, and now we are up to 8 because we have four here. This is the 4th, verse 7, “Consider what I say, the Lord will give you understanding.” Paul is writing under the inspiration of the Spirit of God. He'll talk about this in 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is inspired by God,” and Paul is writing Scripture. At the time he is aware the Spirit is using him, but he doesn't know that this will be joined and 2000 years later we'll be studying it together. “Consider what I say, the Lord will give you understanding in everything.” So this is something that Timothy is to contemplate. It's not just, give me a general biblical talk and move on. Consider this, apply your thoughts to it, your mind to it, consider what I'm saying. Have you considered the command, suffer hardship with me? We get a comfortable Christianity. Hardship, that's not part of it. We begin to pull back. I've shared with you, my dad told me we go to church on Sunday morning in this house, and we go on Sunday evening. The Bible doesn't say that, but the Bible does say don't forsake the assembling of yourselves together, and it does say submit to those that God has placed over you. If they decide we're meeting together on Sunday night, we're meeting together on Sunday night, and you will be there as long as you are part of this house. And it was good instruction for me, obviously. I haven't forgotten it over these
60-plus years ago that he said it. So now, consider what I say, give it careful thought. The Lord will give you understanding, so I'm going to apply myself to the Word.

And verse 8, we're back to where there is repetition, but there is expansion. “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my Gospel for which I suffer hardship, even to imprisonment as a criminal. But the Word of God is not imprisoned.” So again, we put things in perspective, I'm writing this. Where is Paul when he wrote that? He is in prison. Yes he is—I’m in prison. But do you know what? The Word of God is not in prison. So Paul has been dead and his body has been turned to dust, it's been 2000 years, but here is the Word of God. The Word of God is not in prison. So we want to be careful that we don't get tied up, because what happens over time? I've shared with you quotes from different men who say that the third generation moves away. And how does it move away? Not by initially denying the truth, but being willing to wed the truth to make it fit more with the world. Pretty soon then we have denied the truth. We've seen this in our major denominations. “Remember Jesus Christ.” That's a command. Timothy, remember, you must constantly remember Jesus Christ. And then you understand why I suffer hardship, because I'm identified with Him.

Verse 10, “I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen,” the elect, “that they may obtain the salvation.” We are faithful to the truth, and it's not just selfishness, but it's for the benefit of others because through your testimony other people hear about Jesus Christ and the trustworthy statement. “If we died with Him we will live with Him, if we endure we will reign with Him, if we deny Him He will deny us.” If we are faithful as He is faithful. So we want to be careful and stay in line, on track. Just as an aside, some of the observations I've had over the church in years, and not just me but others, in our country, there is a decline, there is a marked move away from serious consideration of the truths of the Word of God. And it starts not by denying anything—no, we believe everything you believe, we believe the same thing. Yes. We don't meet this time, we don't meet that time. Pretty soon it's easier to stay home and watch it on TV. We can do that now, we're part of the service and we get the Word. But what about Hebrews 10 that says don't forsake the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is? There were some already. Yes, but it doesn't matter whether I'm there, I'm getting the truth. Wait a minute, it's just not about you, it's about somebody else. So we have the trustworthy statement. That's not one of the commands, the command is remember Jesus Christ. But if you remember Him you will remember what Paul said about Him. “If we died with Him we will live with Him; if we endure we will reign, if we deny Him He will deny us.”

So, verse 14, here we go again, “Remind them.” So I'm telling you what you already know, but I'm just doing what He commands us to do, that other command—remember in verse 8, “remind.” “Remind them of these things, solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless.” Remind them of the basics, remind them of the truth, remind them of the Word of God. So much of the reading today, and we find it influencing believers, we want to hold to the Scripture but we can also do this. And, really, we move over and pretty soon the “this” replaces the Word of God. And we're aware where major denominations are, like Methodists which I was, Presbyterians and so on. What happened? If you'd ask a person they would say, “we believe all that.” But it's just superficial.

“Be diligent,” that's another command. “Be diligent to present yourselves approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” Back in 2 Timothy 1:8 what did he say? “Therefore do not be ashamed.” Now 2 Timothy 2:15, “Be diligent,” so that you are a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. That's what the church is about, the church is the pillar and support of the truth. We are to be about the Word of God, we are about handling the Word of God accurately. We want to be careful that we are biblical. I've shared with you, there is a movement now that is prominent among evangelical Christians, some that I respect but I don't know what is happening to them, where we take the three steps and like they do it in an emergency ward where they decide the first, second and third step. Somebody who really is in dire need, you are #1, and #2, and #3 is it is serious but it can wait. And eschatology, in the parallel, is #3 so that what the Bible says about the future, we can disagree on that, it won't divide us. Who made that up? Where do you get that in the Scripture? Where do you get in Scripture that so much of the book of Isaiah is not so bad if you disagree about it? Or the book of Revelation? That's all right, you can just have your own opinion. And so we begin to deny portions of the Word of God while we claim to be believers in the Word of God, that erosion. Verse 15, the command is “be diligent to present yourselves approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” Where do I get the idea that eschatology, future things, is not that important and we can disagree on that and we still all are just fine? I'm to be diligent, that's a command. That's what Paul, here at the end, wants Timothy to understand. Handling accurately the word of truth. Well, that doesn't mean everything in Isaiah and Ezekiel and Revelation and Matthew. We generally handle it accurately, but we realize you can have different . . . No, you can't have a difference, we need to hammer it out. I realize there are differences, some who claim to believe the Bible have a different view. That's fine, but they can't be part of this church and have that difference. We are dispensational, from the Greek word which has to do with house law. God is managing his household according to truth. You may be a believer and may be in error on the truth, but we let you have your church and we'll have ours. I'm not saying that everybody who doesn't hold every detail and cross every “t” the way we do, but I am saying that we must be faithful to the Word and as we understand it.

We “avoid” certain things, there is another command. “Avoid,” verse 16, “worldly and empty chatter, it will lead to further ungodliness.” Paul is concerned about what is happening to believers, to churches. You'll note, “Avoid worldly and empty chatter, it will lead to further ungodliness and their talk will spread like gangrene.” And here is another couple of men. We don't want to mention people, but Paul does—they have been immortalized in the Word of God, Hymenaeus and Philetus. They are two examples of men. They got confused on life after death and the resurrection, and they now have a spiritual resurrection, and the bodily resurrection isn't important because bodily things don't matter. But it's the spiritual that really matters. Whatever, it's like gangrene. You'll note how error takes hold, even among believers. “Their talk,” verse 17, “will spread like gangrene.” I'm amazed, it's like relentless. You hammer the truth and then it doesn't take much and it seems . . . Examples I've read you of those who say the third generation basically moves away from the Word of God. They don't necessarily deny it, they move away from it. And I could list seminaries, and have, that have done that. And they're not the same school, not the same school I went to, but the same school we identified with. And not the same church. “They are,” verse 18, “Hymenaeus and Philetus,” he says in verse 18, “men who have gone away from the truth…and they upset the faith of some. Nevertheless the firm foundation of God stands.” So I realize there may be different views, but basically we want to follow our hermeneutics, our interpretation, and we want to be consistent with those principles. And be careful because, well, it won't make that big a difference, and we agree on the basics, we agree on the fundamentals. Which are what? Everything God has said. Do you think He put the book of Revelation in there just because He wanted to confuse us? And He put so much of Isaiah there just so we get off track? And then Christ said some things that there is a variety of views on. Pretty soon we say let's just throw out all the portions of the Word of God that we find might be controversial, and that grows. “Avoid.”

Verse 19, “The firm foundation of God stands having this seal, the Lord knows those who are His. Everyone who names the name of the Lord,” and here is another command, “is to abstain from wickedness,” abstain from wickedness. But he has been talking about the view of the resurrection, that's a third level thing. Wait a minute, let everyone who names the name of the Lord abstain from wickedness. Why do they deny a portion, why do they deny biblical prophecy? I don't know, it's between them and the Lord. The Lord will decide, but I have to stand firm and true to the Word. I say this and emphasize it, I know some of you are saying we agree with this. I've met people, a person years ago had been to this church, and I said, “where are you going now?” Well, I don't think you'd agree with them but . . . “I said where are you?” They mentioned a liberal Protestant church that doesn't believe the Bible. My kids are teenagers and they have friends there, and they thought they would like to be there so I thought it was better than no place. Well, what are we doing? Your children don't matter so put them where there will be things that spread like gangrene and corrupt them spiritually and put them on the road to an eternal hell? “Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness,” verse 19. So to abstain is another command.

So now we're going to broaden this. “In a large house there are gold and silver vessels, there are wood and earthenware, some to honor and some to dishonor.” So the church has grown, Paul is aware of that. Verse 21, “If anyone cleanses himself from these he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful to the master.” Then a couple more commands, three really—“flee” is a command, “from youthful lusts;” “pursue” is a command, “righteousness, faith, love peace with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” Verse 23, the third command, “refuse.” Flee, pursue, “refuse foolish and ignorant speculations that produce quarrels.” We are not quarrelsome, we don't want to battle over these things. That doesn't mean we don't hold them, and in this church you will not be tolerated to teach otherwise. You can come, you can listen, we hope you will come to believe. No, you can't have a position, you can't be given responsibility, because you are not where we are. You're saying I'm not a believer? I'm saying what you say and what you want to teach is not consistent with what we understand the Word of God to teach. Understand, every church in town is not a dispensational church. Some of those who have been dispensational are moving away from that. To me they are beginning to loosen and weaken their hermeneutics and pretty soon we just have a religious organization like the Jews. The Jews are a nation chosen by God, even though they are under the judgment of God for their unbelief. The majority of Jews are on their way to an eternal hell even though God is going to restore that nation future. So for us, as a church, we need to remember and apply these things. “Refuse foolish and ignorant speculations. The Lord's bond-servant,” slave, “must not be quarrelsome, but kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged; with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition if perhaps God may grant them repentance.” So it's not, I don't want to deal with you. No, I would like to talk with you further about it. But it's not because you have your view and I have mine. There is something that is correct here, that is biblical here, and in many of these conversations you don't have to be arrogant—well, you are wrong and there is nothing to talk about. No, I would love to talk to you about it. I'm not open to what you are saying, but I would like to present to you the truth and talk about the truth. God may grant repentance. We could have spent hours with testimonies, and you would share how you came to know Christ. And somebody shared the truth with you, and you believed that truth, and it changed your life. That's what we're doing. God may grant them repentance. Paul, everywhere he went he presented the truth. He didn't do it with arrogance—I’m right and here is what I have to say. If you don't want to hear it, that's too bad, and you're going to hell. No, let me tell you about it. Let me pray for you, let me share with you the truth, let me get together with you again and share some more of the truth. God may grant them repentance. Verse 26, “they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil.” So we want to be careful. We're not saying we're right, we don't talk to anybody. But that doesn't mean I'm going to spend two hours listening to what this person in error has to say. I'm going to present the truth of the Gospel to you—not because I'm better than you, not because I have much more knowledge than you. I may be, humanly speaking, dumber than you. You may have earned degrees in fields that I don't have a clue about, but let me tell you about what God has done for you in Christ. I can tell you what He did for me, I can tell you what He'll do for you.

So we come to chapter 3, and the first verse has another command in it. “Realize,” realize, “that in the last days difficult times will come.” Know this, and that's the word to know, ginosko, realize, know this, “in the last days difficult times will come.” Every day we think it's difficult, and in different parts of the world at different times the difficulties are different. There was a time in the '60s and '70s when Bible teaching was the “in” thing in this country, and I remember a pastor of an evangelical church in town telling me after seeing what was happening at Indian Hills, “I decided I had to concentrate on learning to teach the Word better.” Why? Because people were pouring in here. Now whether they are pouring in or pouring out, I don't know. What would we do differently to have filled up again all the seats, and have people, and put chairs in the aisles? In the last days difficult times will come. Are these the last days? I don't know, but we're 2000 years closer to the coming of the Lord, the seven-year tribulation that will follow the rapture of the church, than we were when Paul wrote this. But in the last days difficult times will come, here is what men will be like. They “will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather lovers of God.” Well, I guess we could say we are in the last days. And then you have verse 5, “Holding to a form of godliness.” Wait a minute, you have these described in verses 2-4, and then verse 5 tells us they are “holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power.”

And there is another command now. The first command in chapter 3 was “realize,” the second command is “avoid,” avoid, “such men as these.” There are certain people its better we don't have involvement with. Those that are determined to teach, and preach, or promote the error, the kinds of things we are talking about in verses 2-4, we're constantly warned. We see this, we have a hard time maintaining discipline in our homes as parents. My dad told me, you think you can do your own thing, then you are welcome to move out. It's different today; we have parents, they just don't want to do this. Things change and it begins to affect the thinking of believers. And if we are not careful, that prepares the way for this—we have a form of godliness but we've denied its power. “Avoid such men as these,” we don't need them here, we don't need them promoting or teaching what they do. Anybody can come, that's fine, but there have been occasions where we have had to ask people not to attend anymore. We've had some people we told no, you can't attend. Why? Because they wanted to bring up and constantly be a disruptive influence. They are always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. He gives some examples from Old Testament history. You ought to underline verse 12, it's not a command but it's a statement of fact. “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Are you persecuted? Well, I realize I'm not out looking for it, I'm not being obnoxious, you know what I mean about that, but I'm not going to compromise the truth. This church cannot compromise the truth. “All who desire to live godly in Christ will be persecuted.” Doesn't say some. Now some of you are even persecuted now, and your family, in situations. Be of good cheer, it's biblical. If you desire to live godly, you will be suffering for it. “Evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse.” We just can't get away from the evil because the devil is a relentless enemy and he uses his people. So “evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.”

“You however,” and here is another command. There are only three commands in chapter 3—“realize,” in verse 1, “avoid,” in verse 5, and “continue,” in verse 14. “Continue in the things you've learned.” That's what we have to do, continue in them. And we have the great scripture, “All Scripture is God-breathed,” verse 16, “and profitable.” It will enable us. We are constantly fighting the battle, we want to get educated. I've shared with you on other occasions what has happened to seminaries. We want to be like the world, and then we want the recognition of the world, and on it goes, and it just is relentless, you can't hold on track. We are not like the world. “All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable,” and we want to be careful with that.

Chapter 4, and we have a number of commands here. We have five of them in verse 2. You know, Paul, here, is getting serious as he is closing this letter. “I solemnly charge you,” verse 1, “in the presence of God and of Jesus Christ who is to judge the living and the dead by His appearing in His kingdom.” This is serious business. He is writing to Timothy, and you better not get off track, you better not get off track. “Preach the Word,” and that's the first of the five commands in chapter 4. “Preach,” preach what moves people. “Preach the Word,” preach the Word, preach the Word wherever. You move away and go to a different church, do they preach the Word? Well, I like it because they had this and they had that, they had a good young people's group. Do they preach the Word? That's the first command Paul gives to Timothy. And “I solemnly,” this is an oath, “in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who will be your judge, preach the Word. Be ready in season and out of season.” Maybe it's out of season, maybe they are not packing in. What do I do? I'm to preach the Word, I'm to be ready in season and out of season; when it is favorable, when it is unfavorable. We're unfavorable compared to, but not like some places in the world where you are persecuted if you try to meet together and preach the Word.

“Reprove, rebuke, exhort with great patience and instruction.” Three commands—“reprove,” “rebuke,” “exhort.” I just like something positive that helps me live my life and get on with what I'm doing. Well, “reprove, rebuke.” First things you do, “reprove, rebuke,” and then you “exhort.” Well, I don't want to hear the negative. I have one well- known preacher who is on TV and has a very large ministry in the south—and no, I don't preach about sin and that, because people need something positive. Well, that’s arrogance. I decide? God doesn't decide, I decide. God says “reprove, rebuke, exhort with great patience and instruction, for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.” That's the challenge. What happens if the church continues to shrink in size? Well, the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, sound teaching. Well, they don't want the sound teaching anymore, then we'll give them something else. They'll accumulate, they like to have their ears tickled, they want the things that are pleasant. “They will accumulate for themselves teachers according to their own desires and turn away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” It's not complicated. What will happen to this church if the Lord doesn't come in fifty, sixty years? Well, the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. We are to “reprove, rebuke, exhort.” People don't come. I shared with you my brother-in-law's experience of having 3000 on Sunday morning, and 100 came back on Sunday night. People just don't come to hear it anymore, we're not interested. Okay, if you're not interested in the Word of God, you won't be interested in this church. But we're not going to make adjustments so we can fill the church and feel good about it, because people “turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths,” verse 4.

Four commands in verse 5. “Be sober, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” Paul is writing here and he's not saying, Timothy, it has been tough for me but it will be better for you. There is none of that. “Be sober, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. I'm being poured out…the time of my departure has come. I've fought the good fight, I've finished the course… henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness.” So I've been a success. Paul doesn't use that language, but basically what he said from the spiritual standpoint is I've done what God called me to do. Verse 7, “I have fought the good fight, I finished the course, I kept the faith.” I'm going to be executed, “I'm already poured out,” the process that will culminate in my death, if the Lord doesn't directly intervene is underway. But I'm not going out as defeated, no. “In the future there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.” Who has the most now? Nero, the emperor, or Paul, the apostle? I'd rather be Paul the apostle, and he died as a martyr. Nero didn't die a very good death himself, but when Paul is writing Nero is sitting on a throne and Paul is in prison. Paul is going to die as a martyr, having nothing. So with that the letter is completed.

He has five commands, I'll just mention them to you. We’re not going to talk about them. “Make every effort,” is the first command in verse 9. Then in verse 13, “bring,” because he wants the cloak, something to help keep him warm, bring the cloak. Verse 15, “be on guard” against those whose error and who will oppose the teaching. And then verse 19, “greet,” Priscilla and Aquila and some others. And “make every effort,” verse 21. And he is done, it is a wrap up.

Basically we've gone through all 33 commands in this final letter. We say is it a positive or a negative letter? Well, it is both. There are things you don't want to be, and there are things you want to be.

Let me just say a couple of things about us. I've looked over our teacher list, Sunday morning, Wednesday night. I just want to encourage you. Many are older and that's good, people who have weathered, who have been in the Word. But we need to be training younger men. Paul, here, is ready to pass it on to Timothy. Doesn't mean Timothy is perfect, but he has exhorted Timothy, he has reminded Timothy. I encourage some of you, maybe the Lord has prepared you to be a teacher, maybe not. Don't be selling yourself, in the wrong sense. Duane is going to be teaching a class for teachers, maybe you ought to attend that class. Find out, maybe the Lord wants me to be a teacher. I don't know, try it, do it. Don't be offended if people say right now I don't see it, maybe you ought to start lower. I started in kids' classes, I taught kids' classes for several years. That's fine, they need the Word. There are some of you who have taught those classes and you are older. That's fine. I mean you're teaching and will find out where God uses you and how God uses you. And some of you aren't teachers, that's fine. I tried it and I decided I fit here best. That's fine. But I am concerned, who is going to step in for the teachers. Well, they'll just die and then whoever comes along…The Lord will replace us. Well, that's not the way Paul went out, he prepared men. Not just Timothy, but others that he mentions. So I would say some of you men consider, maybe I ought to take the teacher training, maybe I ought to look at that. Some of you say no, I know for sure that is not where God would use me. Then get involved. But we do need teachers, they are the key for the rest of the ministry that will hold the truth. I'm glad we have older men who are filling this role on Sunday morning, Sunday night, some of our home Bible studies. But look for somebody to come alongside, like Paul with Timothy. Timothy wasn't perfect, but he had Paul there to remind him. “God has not given us a spirit of timidity.” Work on this, work on that, do this, do that, so that we don't end up with a gap.

Sunday evening, I won't say anything about that. My dad told me as long as you live in this house we go to church on Sunday morning, Sunday evening, Wednesday night, and you go on Friday night to the youth program. We don't even model that anymore. That's fine, the Bible doesn't say how much, it just says don't forsake the assembling of yourselves together. And it was already the practice of some, Hebrews 10:25, when that letter was written. So in 2000 years it's just a matter of time. I am concerned. After church on Sunday evening we used to go out and we'd see people from this Bible-believing church, and this Bible-believing church, and this Bible-believing church. Now basically we stay home. We're busy, we're tired. I don't know that we are busier than people were then. I look at my dad, there were times when he was the supervisor at U.S. Steel, and he was there at 7:30 every morning, and sometimes he wasn't home at 7:30 in the evening. I was, of course, willing to help him. I said, we won't need to go to church tonight because you are at work, he would call. He'd say no, I called to tell you that you go ahead and head there and I'll meet you there. But I'm glad he did now, 60-some years ago, then I chafed against it. So I just would have you consider, where am I? I see a weakening of the church, it's not whether we have Sunday night or not, it's that it is a reflection. Why wouldn't we have Sunday night? What better place to be? What better to do than be with God's people? But I'm not preaching on Sunday night anymore so I have felt more free to dump on you. I won't be preaching on Sunday morning so be careful, I may get a message together, and if you're not here I'll have to find you. Trust the Lord will continue to bless the work, bless Jesse as he comes, bless the ministry of His truth, and I trust we will be faithful until the Lord comes.

Let's pray together. Thank You, Lord, for Your grace. Thank You for Your faithfulness that even when we are unfaithful You are faithful. You cannot deny Yourself and we take heart in that, we take courage in that. We thank You for the grace that has brought us salvation in Christ, grace that has brought us together as a church, and the grace that sustains us day by day. I pray that we might be faithful in all that we do. We pray in Christ's name, amen.