Retain the Standard, Guard the Gospel

Transcript

GR 1383
10/26/2008
Retain the Standard, Guard the Gospel
II Timothy 1:12-14


II Timothy 1 in your Bibles. Remember Paul is writing this letter, anticipating his soon departure from this earth. He is facing sure execution and he is in a Roman prison. He writes to encourage Timothy to challenge him to be faithful to the gospel that is being entrusted to him, passed on to him. He also hopes to have one more opportunity to visit with Timothy personally, so he invites him to come and see him at Rome as soon as possible. In verse 8 Paul picks up with what will be a series of commands that will run down into chapter 2, where he exhorts Timothy regarding his responsibility to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In verse 8 he gave two commands. Do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me, his prisoner. Do not be ashamed. The other side of that is but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God. For Paul there are two options; they are not really options but they are two roads that people may take. They may be intimidated or afraid of the suffering that comes with being identified with Christ and the message concerning Him, ashamed of Christ, embarrassed, afraid. And so they will not step forward and be identified with Christ. They will not remain faithful to the gospel that is the proclamation of the finished work of Christ. Or the other alternative is to remain faithful to Christ, to identify yourself with the gospel and with those who preach the gospel and become a fellow partaker of suffering. For Paul there is no third alternative. To be faithful to the gospel, to be identified with Christ will result in suffering. Not every believer suffers in the same way, not every believer is going to go to prison and suffer martyrdom because they identified with Christ, but faithfulness to Christ brings trial, brings suffering, and brings hardship. And sometimes we are tempted to try to avoid suffering, avoid humiliation, and avoid difficulty by shrinking back from identification with Christ, the gospel and faithful preachers of the gospel.

In verse 9 Paul reminded Timothy that the gospel was God's plan for salvation from eternity past. Now in verse 10 we're told it had now been revealed in its fullness with the coming of Christ to earth, suffering and dying on the cross and being raised from the dead. But God planned before the creation of the world that He would provide His salvation, by His grace, apart from works through the death of His Son to be the payment for sin. Now He saved people throughout Old Testament history by grace through faith. But it was not clearly unfolded how God could do this until Jesus Christ came and died on the cross. There was the full revelation of the greatness of God's grace, that He would have His Son pay our penalty so that He could give us the gift of life through faith in Him.

In verse 11 Paul told us that he had been appointed by God a preacher, an apostle, a teacher, however you want to characterize him, one who proclaims the gospel, one who has received as a revelation from God the truth concerning the gospel, one who explains more fully and clearly the details involved in the gospel. No matter how you characterize his ministry, he was appointed for one thing—the presentation of the message of Jesus Christ. And that's what He is unfolding here.

In verse 12 he is going to move again to use himself as an example of unashamed suffering for the gospel. Then in verses 13-14 he'll pick up and give a couple more commands to Timothy. Then he closes out the chapter by a couple of examples, two different kinds of examples—talking about some who have proved to be ashamed and unfaithful and then one man and his family who have been characterized by a willingness to step forward and be identified with Paul and the gospel. And really what he is doing is building this around the commands. You have the two commands of verse 8—do not be ashamed, join with me in suffering, then the further command of verses 13-14. In verses 9-12 he elaborates and clarifies the importance for Timothy, then he gives two more commands and then he shows again the importance, then he picks up in chapter 2 with further commands.

Let's pick up with verse 12. You'll note it starts out for this reason, and we noted this is a closely connected section with verses 8-11 forming one sentence. Now verse 12 builds on that. For this reason. What reason? Because God appointed Paul to be one who gives forth the gospel. What he has just said about the gospel and then his role in verse 11 is one appointed to present that gospel in a variety of ways. For this reason I also suffer these things. You see he is still on that theme of join with me in suffering from verse 8. He'll pick that up with a command in chapter 2 verse 3, suffer hardship with me. This idea of suffering pervades this whole section because the danger to Timothy is that the pressure gets to be such that you begin to look for ways to avoid the suffering. Maybe I don't want to openly deny Christ but I don't want to be so openly identified, I don't want to be identified with Paul. He's too bold. I don't want to be identified with just presenting the gospel, people don't like that. And Paul wants Timothy to understand, my experience of suffering, Timothy, is not something unique to me.

Come over to II Timothy 3. In verses 10-11 Paul tells Timothy, you've followed my life, you know about my teaching, my conduct. Verse 11, persecutions and sufferings, what persecutions I endured. Out of them all the Lord rescued me. Now note verse 12, indeed all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But Paul doesn't think that being an apostle means I suffer but you, Timothy, you won't have to suffer. Paul doesn't even say he hopes for better things for Timothy, he hopes for an easier life. We all want better things for our kids, we all hurt when they hurt, we all like them to avoid the trials and suffering and the difficulties that come in life. And sometimes it becomes a problem because parents then try to become overly protective and think they can shelter their children from life. Paul doesn't function that way with Timothy, his child in the faith. Just the opposite. Here is a man who has suffered extensively as we've already noted in our previous study. Now he's awaiting execution. Tradition says that his head was cut off. And he is not hoping for anything better for Timothy. Timothy, the greatest joy of my heart would be to see you step up and suffer just like me. Not that Timothy hasn't already, he has. Paul is concerned that Timothy keeps on the same pattern. All who will live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. It just comes with the territory, so to speak, because living godly is being identified with Christ. Living godly is doing the will of God. That puts us into direct conflict with an unbelieving world that is hostile toward God, toward His truth and toward His people.

Come back to chapter 1. For this reason I also suffer these things. It's because of the gospel. But note he goes on, but I am not ashamed. And that's the other side of the emphasis that we saw up in verse 8 and continues on through the section. I am suffering but I am not ashamed, I'm not ashamed of the gospel, I'm not ashamed of Christ, I'm not ashamed of being identified with Him. The humiliation, the rejection, the loss of friends, that doesn't deter me one bit. You understand he's using himself as an example for Timothy. He's not holding out a rosy picture. I've blazed a trail; I've battled through the difficulties so that you would have it easier, Timothy. No, no. For this reason I suffer these things, but I am not ashamed. So he's putting himself forward as an example, an example to be followed by Timothy.

Continues on, a well familiar portion of this verse because of the song. Middle of verse 12, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded, that's how the King James has it, convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. We have a song that we sing that includes this statement in it. Some of you who have been believers a while know it well. The reason Paul suffers these things, the reason he is not ashamed is because I know whom I have believed. Perfect tense here, denotes something that is settled, that happened in the past but its results continue. He believed in Christ in the past, in God, and that faith continues to be settled, sure, unshakable. I have a firm faith, I know the God in whom I have placed my faith, and I have the knowledge of Him. That God that I can trust, that God is true. The God that honors His Word, the God who is faithful to His promises.

Turn over to Hebrews 13. And the context here includes suffering, includes difficulty, and includes trials. Verse 3, remember the prisoners as though in prison with them. Those who are ill treated, since you yourselves are in the body. Verse 5; make sure your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have. Then note what the writer to the Hebrews says, for He Himself has said, I will never desert you nor will I ever forsake you. The quote is from the Old Testament. The writer to the Hebrews is saying the same thing Paul does, I know in whom I have believed. Don't be shaken by these things, don't be deterred by these things, and don’t be distracted by other matters. The only thing that matters is God has promised I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you. If you're in prison or enjoying freedom, in good health or in sickness, in poverty or riches. What really matters is we know the One in whom we have believed and He has promised, I will never desert you nor will I ever forsake you. I wonder how many times Paul reflected on that Old Testament passage in his prison experience. My friends are abandoning me; those I thought I could rely upon have deserted me. But I know the One in whom I have believed and He's the One who promised I'll never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.

Note how it goes on in Hebrews 13:6, so that we confidently say, the Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? Think about it; think about Paul sitting in that Roman dungeon. Am I afraid what man can do to me? Paul, they have power, they're going to execute you and it won't be pretty. What can man do to me? The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. Yes, but He's not going to get you out of this. But you know what? I'm here by divine appointment. My God who promised never to leave me or forsake me is here with me and I am here because this is where He wants me to be. I know in whom I have believed. My confidence is in my God, His truth, His person. So my circumstances change, my God has not changed and my faith in Him is just as settled. It's one of the beautiful, remarkable things about Paul's faith. We see that consistency. Trials come and go, they get more severe, they are less severe, and we have what seems like times of relief. But you know what? My faith is settled in God, whatever comes, whatever changes. That is a blessing. It gives stability, it gives confidence, and it gives assurance.

Come back to II Timothy 1. This is where Paul goes. I know in whom I have believed and I am convinced. You know when you have that settled faith; you have a confidence, an assurance that comes with it. There is an alliteration here that we don't pick up in an English translation. You know how alliteration works, you either begin something with the same letter or the same sound, or you end it with the same sound. Well the two Greek words here are both in the perfect tense, denotes something that is settled and sure. And so they begin with the same sound—peithastuka is the Greek word. I know that doesn't help but just listen to the sound, peithastuka. And the Greek word for I am convinced is peithasmy. So you see that peitha, peitha. I know it sounds like it should be Spanish, but we're talking about the alliteration here, the sound of the word. So it just draws their attention. I know in whom I have believed, I'm convinced. I have a settled faith, I have a settled conviction. Nothing changes. When I was enjoying myself with my friends and having the liberty to present the gospel and see people saved and having people stand with me, my faith was settled, my conviction was sure. And now that I'm in a Roman dungeon, abandoned, all who are in Asia have forsaken me, Demas has forsaken me. My faith is still settled, I know the One in whom I have believed. I am sure, I am convinced, and I am settled in my conviction. How often it comes, people go through trials and difficulties, all of a sudden it seems like their world is turned topsy-turvy. I don't know if the Lord is with me anymore, it seems like the Lord has abandoned me. I'm not even sure what I believe. And we've all probably been through that. But what does Paul say? I know, here I am in a Roman dungeon. I don't know if it's the one I visited in Rome, it's the one tradition points to. What a terrible, terrible place to be. Wherever it was, it wasn't pleasant. We'll have more to say about that when we talk about Onesimus. Paul's faith? The same as it was on the bright, sunny days. His conviction the same as it was in the good times. Good times, bad times, nothing changes. My God doesn't change and I know in whom I have believed.

I am convinced; I am settled in the power of God. That's what he says in verse 12. I am convinced that He is able. Basic word, we get English words like dynamite, dynamic from. He has the power, He is able. I have a settled conviction in the power and ability of God. That doesn't seem so great. No, it doesn't, we sit here comfortable and assured. But Paul is in a Roman dungeon. What am I doing here if He is the all powerful God and I'm His servant, His slave? Where is God when I need Him? Why doesn't He intervene and demonstrate His power, show to the world that I'm His servant? Well God is able, He has the power and He has done that, hasn't He? Two thousand years later here we are reading a message written by the Apostle Paul in that prison, in that humanly speaking hopeless situation, writing a letter that will impact believers in the church now for 2000 years. He is there by divine appointment and the work of God is being accomplished in his life. Aren't you glad that Paul had that settled faith and that sure conviction in the power and ability of God that he didn't get sidetracked, and we are the beneficiaries of what God was doing through him at that time and even directing Him in the writing of this letter.

He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. You have an elaboration here. What I have entrusted to Him. Sometimes when you're translating from one language to another you make adjustments to convey the idea. But sometimes in the translation of our Bible we lose some of what is being developed in the translation. And I think that happens here. Then its expanded here and interpreted for us. What I have entrusted to Him is the translation of a Greek expression that simply says my deposit. I am convinced that He is able to guard my deposit until that day, is literally what it says. God will guard my deposit until that day. Now what does my deposit mean? It could mean what I have deposited with God or what God has deposited with me. I think in the context here and of what Paul says the two other times he talks about the deposit; he's talking about the gospel. And what he is assuring Timothy is that God is the One who guards the gospel which has been deposited with Paul and now is going to be passed on and deposited with Timothy, because when we get down to verse 14 Timothy will be commanded to guard the treasure, or literally guard the deposit. So you carry this emphasis of deposit.

Go back to I Timothy 6:20, oh Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter. And literally we're saying, oh Timothy, guard the deposit. I mean Timothy is to guard what has been deposited with him. The other side of that, avoiding worldly and empty chatter, opposing arguments of what is falsely called knowledge. Remember when Paul wrote to the Corinthians, the Greeks love wisdom. The gospel is a problem for them because they love wisdom. The Jews, they like miracle things, signs. Here, don't let those who want to try to impress you with wisdom and knowledge turn you away from the simple beauty of the gospel. Some have professed knowledge and have gone astray from the faith. You guard the deposit. Now what he is doing here in the context of verse 12 is reminding Timothy before he gives him a command again in verse 14 to guard the gospel, that God is the One who sovereignly guards His gospel. So Paul is aware of what has been entrusted to him really is under the care of God. And ultimately God guarantees its preservation. Men fail, some apostasize from the faith, some turn away from the gospel, and some have professed knowledge, falsely so-called and have gone astray from the faith. But you know what? God guarantees the preservation of His truth. Now that is a word of encouragement and challenge to Timothy. God is sovereign over this and the deposit that is being passed on is ultimately under the care of God.

Let me read you a little bit of an extensive quote, I don't read long quotes often but I thought this got to the point very clearly. John Stott pastored for many years in London. I believe he is still living but he is retired, close to 90 now. He retired at 88 I believe, keep that in mind. Let me read you what he wrote on this passage. There is great encouragement here. Ultimately it is God Himself who is the guarantor of the gospel. It is His responsibility to preserve it. On no other ground would the work of preaching be for a moment endurable. We may see the evangelical faith, the faith of the gospel everywhere spoken against, and the apostolic message of the New Testament ridiculed. We may have to watch an increasing apostasy in the church as our generation abandons the faith of its fathers. Do not be afraid, God will never allow the light of the gospel to be finally extinguished. True, He has committed it to us, frail and fallible creatures. He has placed His treasure in brittle earthenware vessels and we must play our part in guarding and defending the truth. Nevertheless, in entrusting the deposit to our hands, He has not taken His own hands off it. He is Himself its final guardian and will preserve the truth which He has committed to the church. We know this because we know Him in whom we have trusted and continue to trust.

And that is true. The assurance that the gospel will continue is that God will guard it ultimately. Two thousand years after Paul wrote to Timothy, what he wrote has been demonstrated to be true. Men have come and gone, some have proven unfaithful. The gospel stands and we are here privileged to study it today. He will do it until that day, the day when Christ intervenes and we are called to give an account before Him.

Back in II Timothy 1:13, now we go to a command. We pick up the commands and really in just reading you could read verse 8 of the commands there and jump to verse 13 and read them there. What he has said in verses 9-12 have elaborated on these commands and encouraged Timothy in understanding the importance of obeying what he is commanding him to do. The first command in verse 13, retain. Then you have a second command in verse 14, guard. Retain. That means to hold to something, to keep it, to preserve it. And Paul is commanding Timothy retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me. Paul is telling him to have a hold on the gospel. I take it this is instruction for Timothy in his own personal life. He has to maintain a firm hold on the truth of God for himself. That's number one. I have to be careful I don't get distracted and get my eyes on teaching you and preaching to you and fail to maintain my heart and my mind with its firm hold on the gospel and the truth of the Word of God myself.

Back up to I Timothy 4. Similar kind of context and we've seen repeated if you've been here for our studies of II Timothy. Look at verse 14; do not neglect the spiritual gift within you. We saw that earlier in II Timothy 1. Verse 15, take pains with these things, and be doing these things so that your progress will be evident to all. You see that Timothy had responsibility for himself. The Word of God is to be at work in his life, people are to see it working in his life, his commitment to the truth, to teaching the truth, to living the truth. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching. Pay close attention to yourself. Timothy, you be sure that you stay on track, that you maintain your hold on the truth, that you are careful to live the truth. And be careful that what you are teaching is pure truth. Persevere in these things. That's the pattern set down. So when Paul commands Timothy in II Timothy 1:13, retain the standard of sound words, what you have heard from me, the standard of sound words, we'll say more about that in a moment. You retain that, you hold onto that. No changes, nothing added, nothing taken away, you take what I give to you, the truth of the gospel, the Word of God. You take that and you hold onto that for yourself. You make sure you have a grasp of it. We have a simple job, we are in the ministry of passing on, taking what faithful people have received and passing it on. That's the ministry of our church. Nothing new, nothing splashy from a world's perspective. We're simply passing on the same thing that was passed on. I've shared before if people from the church at Ephesus would come and sit down here today they ought to be perfectly comfortable. Now they may look around and say, what's all this? But the message they hear, no changes. That's what Timothy taught, that's what Paul taught. Yes, no changes, no alteration. Two thousand years. If everybody had their little changes, what will we have today? As newborn babes we are to long for the pure unadulterated milk of the Word of God that we might grow with respect to our salvation, Peter wrote in I Peter 2, the pure unadulterated milk of the Word of God.

Timothy, you retain the standard of sound words. That's it, that's the standard; this is the pattern, that's the sound word. The word translated sound is the word healthy. We get words like hygiene from this. Healthy words, sound words, sound in the sense of healthy, health-producing, and health-giving. These are the words of life, they give life, they sustain life, and they are healthy words as opposed to sickly and diseased. He'll talk in chapter 2 about men who have departed from sound words, healthy words. And their teaching spreads like gangrene, it's diseased, it destroys and corrupts.

This is a constant emphasis through the Pastoral Epistles, this emphasis on healthy teaching, healthy words. He starts out in I Timothy 1. And you'll note the context here; it contrasts with the wrong doctrine and wrong living. So the law was intended for people practicing sinful things. Verse 9, the law is not made for the righteous but for the lawless and rebellious, ungodly sinners and so on. And down in verse 10, immoral men, homosexuals, kidnappers, liars, perjurers, whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, healthy teaching. You see we recognize sometimes the distinction between doctrine and practice as we break it down. But there is no break or separation between the two. The truth of the Word of God shapes our lives, our behavior, our conduct, our practice. We are healthy, we have entered into life and now we live out that new life in Christ as new creatures. So healthy teaching. You see it is contrasted with that which is unhealthy, ungodly.

Look at I Timothy 4. Here you have good doctrine, which would be the same as healthy doctrine. Pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, nourished on the words of the faith and of the good doctrine, the sound doctrine. It's a healthy doctrine, which you have been following. In I Timothy 6:3, if anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, healthy words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing. So this is the doctrine that reveals the truth concerning God, it's also the doctrine that reveals truth concerning living a life that is pleasing to God, that is empowered by God.

In II Timothy 4:3 we are warned of the time, the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, healthy teaching. People won't want to hear, they may go to church but they don't want to hear the purity of the Word of God, the healthy doctrine. Wanting to have their ears tickled, they accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires. We need to be aware of that danger.

Titus 1:9, elders are to be those holding fast the faithful Word. That's the word that was used of Timothy when he was to retain the standard of sound words. Well here it is translated holding fast. Retain; hold fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching so they will be able to both exhort in healthy doctrine, sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict. Verse 13, this testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be healthy in the faith. And then in Titus 2:1, as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine, healthy doctrine. Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, healthy, sound in faith. That emphasis on good health, healthy teaching, a healthy life, a godly life. Healthy teaching, the teaching of the Word of God in its purity.

Back in II Timothy 1. Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. Orthodox doctrine, orthodox practice; godliness in doctrine, godliness in practice. And the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. We maintain and have that settled faith in God and the love that the Spirit of God produces for others which motivates us in sharing God's love, recognizing the love He demonstrated to us. We pass on that message of love to a lost and dying world.

Look at the command in verse 14, guard through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us the treasure which has been entrusted to you. This word guard is another command. So we've got four commands we've looked at beginning in verse 8, do not be ashamed, join with me in suffering; verse 13, retain the standard of sound words; verse 14, guard the treasure. Now again we've made it complicated here, I wish they had stayed with the translation, just the deposit because we could have seen the connection here. Because the literal command here in verse 14 and this is the way the verse starts, the good deposit, guard the good deposit. What's he talking about? We've translated it here the treasure which has been entrusted to you. But really what he says is guard the good deposit. What is a deposit? We've been talking about it; a deposit is something placed for safekeeping. We go to the bank and make a deposit and we're concerned that that deposit be safe. If I'm going to put money there I want to know, is it FDIC insured? I'm not sure that means anything anymore, but we do look for that. Supposedly what? That helps guarantee the security of our money. In the Great Depression some people didn't want to deposit their money in banks. Why, because banks had failed. A deposit is given to be kept secure, to be guarded. In this day, and you can read this if you read some of the better commentaries, they'll give you examples of the times, of what people did. In those days they didn't have banks so if a person was going to take a trip they may take their valuables and deposit them with a neighbor, giving them to a neighbor for safekeeping. And you can read accounts of these early times where a debate came up because when a person came back the neighbor didn't have what had been deposited with him and so they are in a court battle over his deposit and so on.

So the concept of a deposit being given for safekeeping, here it is to be guarded, to be protected. Remember Paul told the Ephesian elders in Acts 20, be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made your overseers. Why? Because I know after I leave there will arise from among your own selves’ men who will teach perverse doctrine. So Timothy, you are to guard the deposit. So this idea, he told him this in his first letter in I Timothy 6:20, guard the deposit. Then he has reminded them of the value of that deposit, the gospel. That's what God's plan is in eternity past; it indeed is a treasure of great value. This is God's eternal plan of salvation; there will never be another plan of salvation. The work of Christ is God's plan from eternity past; you have to guard that, protect it, and preserve it. But I've already reminded you, it is under the protection of God. Well then what does it matter what I do? Because God has entrusted it to you, as Paul wrote to the Corinthians, we have this treasure, the gospel, in earthen vessels that all the glory may belong to Him.

And you see the connection has a responsibility—you guard the deposit through the Holy Spirit who indwells us, who lives in us. This is what has been entrusted to Timothy. So you can see God ultimately is in charge. It's sometimes like you do with your children as they are growing up. You entrust them with the responsibility but you don't let it out of your control. You're going to assure what needs to get done but they are responsible. They will be accountable. You call them to account and they say I knew you'd take care of it. That doesn't count because I told you to do it. But ultimately God will see that it gets done. But we are accountable to God for what He has entrusted to us.

So this emphasis on guard the deposit, you do it through the Holy Spirit who dwells in you. That's coming together. God guards it and the ability to do it comes from God Himself, God the Spirit who dwells in us. He's the One who has gifted you, Timothy, back in verse 6 where he was told to keep that gift burning at full heat, that charisma, that gift of grace that was given as I Corinthians 12 ff tells us. That by virtue of the Spirit dwelling within us, now here the enabling power for what God commands us to do comes from the Spirit. Does that mean I don't do anything? I let go and let God? No, Timothy is commanded to hold on to the gospel, to guard it and the power and the enablement for him to do that comes from the Spirit. And so guard through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. Every person who is a believer has the Spirit of God dwelling in him. The book of Romans tells us that if any man does not have the Spirit of Christ he does not belong to Him. In our study in I Corinthians and particularly with the gifts in chapters 12-14 we saw the emphasis on the indwelling Spirit. Paul told the Corinthians that their bodies were the temple of the Holy Spirit, He dwells in us, and He is there to enable us. The God who is able, verse 12, to guard the deposit, that God dwells in me in the person of the Holy Spirit. And so now I draw upon the power He gives. As we talked about in our earlier study, it doesn't come naturally for me to be bold with the gospel, doesn't come naturally to me to be identified with Christ, doesn't come naturally to me to be willing to suffer, doesn't come naturally to me to be willing to be humiliated, to be abandoned by friends and so on. God has called us to do what takes supernatural ability to do. In fact it can only be done with His power, His ability, carrying on the work He has called us to do. Sometimes you get to the point and say, I don't think I can do this, I don't think I have the strength to go on. That's all right, keep going. But you don't understand, I don't think I have the strength to go on. I heard you, keep going. How can I keep going if I don't have the strength to go on? God never asks you to go on in your strength, He never told me to go on in my strength. He didn't tell Timothy to guard the gospel in his own strength, He told him to do it through the Holy Spirit who dwells in him. And He is able, He has power. You understand that we are temples of the living God who dwells in us, the Holy Spirit who dwells in us is Himself God. It doesn't matter how weak Timothy is, doesn't matter that he had frequent ailments, doesn't matter he had stomach trouble. He doesn't have to do this in his own strength, in fact, he can't. The strongest person in the world can't do it. That's why Paul could glory and rejoice at the end of II Corinthians and say, I rejoice when I am weak because when I am weak I am strong. I asked God to take away the weakness and God said, my grace is sufficient for you. And He gets greater glory in our weakness. Paul says, bring on the weakness. I think if we would see the Apostle Paul as he was we wouldn’t be impressed. The Corinthians were, they said, you haven't seen him in person. If you see him in person he's not much to look at, and he's not much to speak of, either. Do you know where the power in Paul's ministry was? In the gospel being presented in the power that God gave him, and lives are changed. So we do our work through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Let me just summarize this, remind you of these commands. Beginning in verse 8, do not be ashamed. Now you'll note, this is for Timothy but in the plan of the Holy Spirit it is for us. We have the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit dwells in us. So as he gives this Timothy, the Holy Spirit is directing him to write this so that the church down to this morning could benefit from it. Don't be ashamed of the testimony of Christ or of me his prisoner. We need to be joined together with like-minded believers in the presentation of the glorious message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Join with me in suffering. I don't want to present a rosy picture, this won't make you more popular, and this won't gain you more friends. We like to think, if I'm consistent as a Christian, people may not agree with me but at least they will appreciate. They won't appreciate. Forget it. They crucified your Lord and you are not better than your Lord, you are a slave of your Lord. Paul presented the gospel in its purity and they cut his head off. Peter presented the gospel in its purity and they crucified him upside down. On it goes. The world does not appreciate Jesus Christ; it will not appreciate the truth. Even the church struggles on this matter.

Do not be ashamed, join with me in suffering. Verse 13; retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me. And we got them from Paul through Timothy through faithful people down through the corridors of time. Do you hold that fast? Do you grasp onto that glorious truth that has been passed on? We're commanded to guard through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us the deposit. That deposit has been made with us now; we are responsible to pass it on as we will be told in chapter 2 to other faithful people. Guard it, no changes, no additions, and no subtractions. And I can do that even by what I don't say. I'm not denying sin; I just don't want to talk about sin because I know people don't want to hear it. I don't want to talk about the gospel is exclusive; there is no other way of salvation but through Christ. I believe that but we want to be careful we don't offend people. The preaching of the cross is offensive to the perishing.

We are called to join with others in suffering for the gospel, not to be ashamed, get a firm grasp on this truth ourselves. Then we guard it, keep our confidence in the Lord. He is able and by His grace He will.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for the truth that you have entrusted to us. How amazing it is that we sinners, those who are lost and without hope in the world, those who were by nature children of wrath even as the rest of the world, yet, Lord, we have received the wonder of your salvation. We've been saved by your grace, your mercy, and your kindness, Lord, bestowed upon us in your Son. We have come to know the One who is life and light. And now the gospel has been deposited with us. We've been entrusted with this treasure, we are privileged to give it forth, to share it in personal contacts with family and friends and neighbors and strangers. We are privileged to teach it in classes, in homes. We are privileged to preach it. Lord, thank you for your grace, thank you for the confidence that we have in you, an unshakable confidence, an unshakable faith that you are the God who has power to guard the gospel. We are frail, we are weak. Lord, we are so unreliable, at times unfaithful but you prove faithful. May we be faithful to the responsibility entrusted to us. We pray in Christ's name, amen.