The Second Epistle to Timothy
ID
eb001
Language
EN
Total length
03:02:29
Count
4
Bible references
2 Timothy 1-4
Description
unknown
Automatic transcript:
…
tonight is from Paul's second letter to Timothy, the whole of chapter 1.
If my memory serves me well, or more particularly if my records are accurate, the last time
I was in this area I took up some of the cardinal features of the pastoral epistles, themes
which are developed in 1st Timothy, 2nd Timothy and Titus. It seems reasonable that building
upon that we should spend time this week, if the Lord will, on Paul's second letter
to Timothy. Also, since four evening sessions are available, it's not unreasonable to
look at an epistle where we can give something of a survey of four chapters. Many of you
are youngish Christians, but you can't make any excuses on that account. If you begin
at Acts 14 with the preaching of the Gospel at Lystra and Derby, and follow through every
reference sequentially to the last reference of Timothy in 2nd Timothy chapter 4, you'll
find that while there's steady, unspectacular, consistent progress, he hadn't really been
a Christian any longer than most, if not all of us. So this record has been left in Holy
Scripture as a guide as to where we should be at least as believers on our Lord Jesus
Christ. Gift varies, rate of progress varies, but if any of us have been believers for several
years, looking around, I see no reason to doubt that. The things that are said by way
of instruction and challenge to Timothy are relevant to us. And those of us who are longer
in the tooth than that, it's a very good reminder of things that we should have learned
and applied and should be encouraging other younger believers to follow. So there's
something in for us all, brother and sister alike. Chapter 1 begins, as many epistles
do, with Paul's assertion of his apostleship. God gave him a special job to do. He's called
an apostle because God sent him with messages for the Lord's people, which is what an apostle
is, a sent one. But while we take account of that, let's just think in passing, first
of all, how men generally regarded Paul, and then we'll think of what God takes account
of in Paul. The local populace who knew about him would consider, first of all, that he
was what they would call a political prisoner, which is unlikely to affect you and me. More
particularly, those who knew anything at all about him would regard him as a religious turncoat.
He'd been a very influential, powerful Jew, read the history in the book of Acts, and then suddenly,
instead of rooting out and securing the imprisonment, or worse, of those who named Christ
as saviour, he turned completely around and he was now the foremost protagonist of the Christian
Gospel at that time. And God, by the Holy Spirit, has preserved for 2,000 years almost, this record
where Paul is directed by the Holy Spirit to speak of himself in this special way.
Underlying all this is the fact, read 2 Corinthians 11, the catalogue of things that the Apostle
Paul suffered because he'd become a believer on the Lord Jesus Christ. It's a staggering
catalogue of things that he suffered. But implicit in what Paul says to Timothy about
himself is this. He's going to go into the detail, but he says, Timothy, I've trodden
the way before. God has preserved me through thick and thin. When many things might have
been well calculated to dissuade me from being a committed Christian, God has sustained
me through everything. And the God who has sustained me will sustain you. He knew, what
we learn from scripture, that Timothy was a relatively timid person with a tender constitution
the kind that might easily be put off. We all vary, don't we? Some of us thrive on
encouragement. Some of us thrive on gentle leading. Some of us have such a perverse temperament
that we positively thrive on opposition. Whatever our personal inclination, God brings
the kind of experience into our lives that if we make good use of it, it will bring us
through as God brought Paul through and as he brought Timothy through. Now, in his salutation
here, he says to Timothy, my dearly beloved son. Very good. When you see a special bond
between an older believer and a younger believer, most of us, if we've been around it any length
of time at all, can look back and give thanks to the Lord that in our formative years there
was an older believer, mature, wise, with the wisdom that comes from experience, that
gave us the right kind of encouragement at the right way and looking back we'll say,
well, if it hadn't been for the Lord's provision in that godly man, godly woman,
where would I be now? And Timothy had that sort of bond, accentuated by the fact that
Paul evidently had been used to bring the young man, Timothy, to the Lord. He says we
have this special spiritual bond. I was allowed of God to be your spiritual father and we've
been helpful to one another ever since. And he goes into this. And in verses 3 to 6, he
goes over some of the happy memories that Paul had of Timothy. We all have memories and if we
are discerning, we can have happy memories of the way the Lord has led us from the first day we
trusted Christ as saviour until now. One of the major issues in 2nd Timothy is that the Lord is
coming soon. We haven't much time left and increasingly as the Lord's coming draws near,
things are going to get worse rather than better. And when times are tough and things are difficult,
one of the Lord's mercies to us is that he preserves in our thoughts memories of good
experiences of the Lord and happy fellowship with those who are like-minded that will stand us in
good stead in evil days. The Lord is merciful. He brings back to our memory, not that we are always
sighing for the good old days as men speak of it, but if we are discerning, we store up treasured
memories of spiritual blessing, good relationships, good fellowship with those who are like-minded
and the Lord uses them to encourage us in difficult days. One of the things that Timothy
had to give thanks for was that he'd had the right sort of encouragement from his earliest days.
Grandmother, mother and then himself. Some of you, I know, had godly grandparents, godly
parents and you've chosen to follow the good example that they set you. I used to live in
Cheshire, geographically, for 20 years, just over the border from Lancashire where all the cotton
mills were. And there was a well-known saying then, which is known nationally, internationally, a sad
tale. Clogs to clogs in three generations. You'll have heard the expression. You know what it means?
Someone, clogs, were worn by the lower social and financial orders. A cotton worker, starting from
nothing, labouring with clogs on his feet. Worked hard, did well, made progress, finished up very
successful man. Influential, powerful, rich and he'd had, he'd built up a great business and he
appreciated where he'd come from, which was nothing. His son, second generation, perhaps a very small boy
when his father began to build the business up. He knew the origins of his father and he appreciated it
to some extent, but he hadn't gone through it himself. Hadn't quite been born with a silver spoon in his mouth,
but he'd enjoyed blessings that he personally hadn't worked for. But some measure of appreciation. He had a son,
third generation. His father, by the time the grandson was born, his father, well-heeled, well-clothed, affluent,
enjoying what the grandfather had worked hard for. Sad to say, the grandson, who knew nothing about what it was to work
his way up from nothing, dissipated the result of the grandfather's hard work. And so much so, as his grandfather had
started with nothing, the grandson finished with nothing, back to labouring in clogs. A sorry historical picture, isn't it?
Happened many times. Paul says to Timothy, I'm glad in your case there isn't this spiritual counterpart of that, but be warned,
Timothy, be warned, you and me. If some of us have had the benefit of godly grandparents and parents who to some measure
knew the pit from which they'd been dug, or let the grandchildren, the third generation, beware, in case we throw overboard what
grandparents worked so hard to build up spiritually. It's a telling lesson, isn't it? We live in a day where spiritually clogs have gone to clogs
in three generations. Now Paul says to Timothy, I'm persuaded better things of you. Godly grandmother, godly mother, they showed you the way that was right
and you followed their good example. And he says, keep going in that. I move down now to verse six. Oh yes. There are some things that are beyond passing from generation to generation.
Encouragement, devotion, appreciation. Yes, very good. But if God is going to give you a work to do for him, he will implant within you a gift, some capacity to work for him
in the name of your saviour. See, there are some things that are not a matter of natural generation or inheritance. If God wants you to do something for him, he will give you a personal gift
which needs to be encouraged, yes, but it needs to be developed. And in natural things, we know all about atrophy. If you don't use it, you lose it. It's even more true in spiritual things than it is in natural, secular or business things.
So, God, Paul says, God has given you something, a capacity to take in and develop and mature and you owe it to your Lord and saviour to put to good use what he has given you to enjoy for yourself.
Now, he says, what resources are available? Verse six he says, by the way, he says, I'll be very quick to recognise and to identify where that gift is developing. I'll be very happy to give you opportunities.
I've noticed often these happy relationships between an older believer and a younger believer where you have that happy blend of mature experience and youthful vigour, how useful it is in the work of the Lord.
And Paul says, I'll give you all the encouragement you need, but he says, the resources that you will need to employ come from on high, from heaven itself. God has not given us this spirit of cowardice. He knew that Timothy was a relatively timid man, but he says, he's given us power, love and sound mind or wise discretion.
No time now. If you want to know, well, if you want to consider a development of what's involved in this verse, power, love, wise discretion in Christian terms, as with many other things, you'll have to turn to the epistle that tells us so much about the Christian assembly.
And assembly principles. If you look at 1 Corinthians chapter 12, you'll read about the gifts that God makes available. If you look at chapter 13, you'll see the love that motivates everything.
And if you look at chapter 14, you'll see how the gifts with which God endows individuals and local companies and in a larger sphere, how these gifts have to be used with wise discretion.
Happy title or subtitle this over chapters 12, 13 and 14 of 1 Corinthians, power, love and wise discretion. Now, those resources are there. And in verse 8 he says, be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner.
Be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God. Or Timothy Paul says, the more you are committed to serve the Lord, the purer your motives,
the greater your commitment to do what is right, the more you can be sure there'd be opposition. There'll be misunderstanding. People will misconstrue your motives.
They'll say nasty things about you in a stage whisper, making sure that you're here, even though they're talking to somebody else. And the nearer we get to the coming of the Lord, the more this will be so.
Discouragement to those who commit themselves to doing what is right in line with Holy Scripture. But he says, if this day, the present period, if this day is going to be a dark day, one of the things that will keep you going is the recognition of what's going to happen in that day.
It's a special term, especially in 2nd Timothy. That day, the day when God will reveal everything in its true colours. The day when God will make plain his assessment of what you're doing.
When the Lord Jesus Christ, your Lord and Saviour, will have taken account, at the judgement seat of Christ, of everything that you've done for him. And he will bring that into universal display.
Or Timothy Paul says, you will get opposition, you will get discouragement. It won't always be easy, just the reverse. But when it gets difficult in this day, you bear in mind that day in view of which you're serving the Lord at the present time.
Now we'll just have a little touch on verse 9. Yes, verse 9 is very important.
When we first start reading Scripture, many things puzzle us. One of the things is this kind of thing. Notice, verse 9 says, God has saved us and called us with an holy calling.
Not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace. Now, hidden in that verse is a marvellous truth. When we first trust the Saviour, we are saved and we know it and we are delighted, ready for heaven while living upon earth.
It may well be some time after that, before we begin to realise that there are greater matters involved than my being saved, wonderful though it is.
And we begin to realise that certain dignities have been conferred upon us, we who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. And this is referred to here as a calling.
While I read many translations to get help in study, I'm glad that our simple English version lends itself to the kind of alliteration that makes it easy for us to remember things.
This calling of God, this dignity that God has conferred upon us, it's spoken of as a heavenly calling, it's called a high calling, and here it's called a holy calling. And there's much food if we like to consider them.
It's a mercy that we are allowed to enjoy the forgiveness of sins, knowing the Lord is our Saviour, finding his help as a friend and shepherd, we are allowed to enjoy that and then we begin to appreciate some of the deeper truths of Christianity.
That's the way we grow into it. But if you look later in the verse, there's another expression, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace.
Now this is looking at things from the other end. God's purpose, if you'll excuse the exactitude of this, to me, the purpose of God in Scripture is always spoken of in the singular, never in the plural.
I might in a loose way or believers might talk about the purposes of God. Scripture speaks of one. God has ever had one thing in mind, the glory of his well-beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, and our association with him as his companion, as his bride.
Christ, the mystery concerning Christ and the Church. Everything else is geared to that end. This is what God has in mind. But in order that his purpose might be brought to fruition, it's needed the exercise of God's grace, free unmerited favour, if that purpose is to be brought to pass.
Now in this one verse, we look at it from both ends. First of all, he says God has saved us and called us. That's our way into it. This is on the line of apprehension.
We grow in that way. Happy are we when we begin to notice in Scripture, God telling us things as a matter of revelation. And purpose and grace in that order are a matter of revelation. God telling us what he's done and why that he's done it.
But the way we grow into it responsibly is on the line of apprehension. Just a little thing, but very well worth noticing. Verse 12, we get Paul's personal conviction. There are many verses in Scripture where we might say, oh, that's normal Christian experience.
Very good. But there are many things we can't learn in a crowd. Has to be gone in for personally, individually, without leaning on any props. God provides us props when we are weak.
But God provides us with props or crutches so that as we develop strength, we don't need the props. And sometimes we don't like it when the props, the crutches are taken out the way.
It would be a sad thing, wouldn't it, if I broke my leg and that I have to spend the rest of my life on a crutch because the leg never gained its full strength.
It's even more sad spiritually if we never develop the kind of spiritual stamina and strength that means that even if the Lord chooses to remove the crutches, the props, we are still able to go on committed to the Lord to be well pleasing to him.
Well, Paul had this personal commitment, verse 12, look at the detail, meditate about it, in particular this point that it's not something that he can say of Timothy.
Paul can say it of himself like just one example in Philippians, for to me to live is Christ. Paul couldn't say that on behalf of the Philippians. The Philippians had to decide whether they had the commitment to say it on their own behalf.
There are many things like that. We can enjoy it in company with others who have gone the same road but only if we've gone that road as an individual for ourselves.
Well, he says, there will be discouragement, there will be opposition without dwelling on it. Verse 15, this thou knowest. Oh yes, in verse 12 he says, I know.
He's gone through it himself but he has to say, now you know certain things that if God is working in you, the devil will also try to undo that work. He says, so beware.
Take account of the opposition and make sure your personal commitment to the Lord will see you through the darkest days. In between, verse 13, he says, how are you going to do it?
What do we say to the little ones? Read your Bible, pray every day. We need to say that to one another every time we meet each other. The major resource in helping us to resist the evil in the dark days before the coming of the Lord is to gain, as from God, from the Scriptures, in the power of the Holy Spirit,
what he speaks of as an outline of sound words. In other words, personally in my bonnet, I suppose, I would say, generally speaking, if you are aware of someone that's trusted the Lord, soundly say, no doubt about that,
I would say, within about two years, you will be able to discern whether there will be anything or nothing in the Lord's work. There are exceptions.
But generally speaking, if we really love the Lord, if we study the Scriptures and get an understanding of the framework of the teaching, the doctrine of God, within about two years, we should be beginning to be useful servants of the Lord in one way or another.
We don't all serve in the same way, we don't all have public offices to fill, we don't all have the same level of prominence. But there'll be something that the Lord gives you to do that you'll do with commitment.
And of course, while I say this about you, you can say it about me. If I've really handed myself over lock, stock and barrel to the Lord within a couple of years, provided I'm given the right sort of encouragement from older believers, they've helped me to understand how I can take in edifying ministry and apply it in my own life, I'd say again, within a couple of years.
It will become obvious whether I'm going to be anything or nothing in the service of God. Well, Timothy, if you read that chronological sequence, you'll find that he certainly developed that way.
The last few verses, just a few moments. The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus.
Paul's talking to Timothy, but he doesn't hesitate to bring in a mention of other people that Paul has had his eye on and who've been a help to Paul, and Paul gives open thanks.
Not ashamed to give credit where it's due. Now, this is not a prayer for the dead when he says, the Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day.
This is not a prayer, it's a statement of fact. He says, Onesiphorus, good friend of mine, provided hospitality whenever I was in the area, wasn't ashamed that he was housing, being hospitable to someone who was a public disgrace and even a jailbird.
How would you feel if you volunteered to be hospitable, provide hospitality for the preacher that's coming next week and he was a well-known jailbird?
How comfortable would you feel with the neighbours, having that sort of person in your house, on your visiting list? Onesiphorus didn't mind. Where he was put was for the work of the Lord. I'm delighted to give him the right hand of fellowship and provide hospitality.
And Paul says, well, whether it was in his home, whether it was in Rome, wherever it was, he sought me out. And he says, a statement of fact. In that day, the day when everything will be declared for exactly what it is, the Lord will reward him in that day.
That's all there's time for tonight. Trust the outline will be a help. For those who are younger, a guide as to the way we are to go. For those of us who are older, a reminder of things that we should have had by personal experience and should now be passing them on to others. For the moment, let us sing our closing hymn, number 52. …
Automatic transcript:
…
On the first of four sessions we hope to spend together, and in part because there are four
sessions available, we are hoping to look at the four chapters of Paul's second letter
to Timothy. And last night we looked at chapter one. There isn't time to recapitulate, but
I understand a recording of last night's meeting is available for those who wish to
hear what was said. I think it's right that even though it's a fairly lengthy chapter,
I think it's right to read the Word of God. So let us read 2 Timothy chapter 2. Last night
then we looked at chapter one. The last known epistle written by the Apostle Paul. Written
to a younger believer to pass on godly counsel, to provide edifying instruction, and to issue
various challenges. Looking around, I would say almost all of us, potentially at least,
should be in the position of being classified as Timothys, Christian Timothys. And we look
further tonight into what that involves. Some of us are at the stage where we should have
been living with Timothian features, exemplifying them for many years. We do well to take stock
as to whether we've forgotten things that we should have been practising for many years.
The epistle was written about two-thirds of the way through the first century AD, about
thirty years after the Lord died and rose again. There'd been time for Christianity
to become established, and the various features that mark any group of people who do things
together had begun to emerge. It was with great foresight that the epistle was written
because so early, perhaps a generation after the Lord died and rose again, pointing out
features that would be particularly true immediately before the coming again of our
Lord Jesus Christ. If that was true then, nineteen and a third centuries ago, it's
even more true now, that we can expect the scriptures, as in every place, to be entirely
topical to our own situation. Because Christianity had been around several years now, he begins
by speaking of what we might term four spiritual generations. He speaks of himself, me. He
speaks of Timothy, thou. He speaks of faithful men and he speaks of others also. When he
speaks of himself, he's speaking of what is common to the apostolic band, the generation
of those first-generation believers who were commissioned by the Lord, sent out by the
Lord to act on his behalf. Following closely behind them, there were what we might term
the Apostles' Delegates, not commissioned immediately by the Lord himself, but those
who received their commission from the Apostles themselves, who had first-hand intimate knowledge
of the Lord Jesus. And it's fair to speak of these, this second generation, in a special
way, as Apostles' Delegates. Timothy was one, Titus was another, and so on. Thankfully,
that generation of Apostles' Delegates did their job so well, that they were enabled
to pass on to a third generation, who proved themselves to be faithful men. And then it
is considered, I don't like the word inevitable, but it is certainly considered right to point
out that the conditions immediately before the Lord comes, the Apostles have gone, the
Apostles' Delegates have gone, and faithful men, generally speaking, were in the past.
And if it was true in the days of Timothy to speak of a generation, it's certainly
true now, we must be in the days of the others also. So he speaks of these four spiritual
generations. There is every instruction available that whatever our gender, male or female,
whatever our age, whatever our present stage of development, there is enough resource in
Scripture, there is sufficient power in the Holy Spirit to make good the truth of God
in our souls, to enable us to meet every commitment, every challenge that Paul issued to Timothy.
Of course, there is instruction as to how these four generations might move on. The
Apostles were beginning to go off the scene. No doubt Paul was one of the last of them.
And then after him, perhaps another 30 years afterwards, John went to be with the Lord,
the Apostle John. But before he goes off the scene, he leaves these instructions as to
the need to go on, the need to continue in the things that they knew to be true and how
in fact they were to equip themselves to respond to the exhortation. Now we move on from that
to verses three to six with the well-known similes. Paul says to Timothy, being a Christian
is like being a soldier. Being a Christian is like being an athlete. Being a Christian
is like being a farmer. He takes these up one at a time. And he says, as to being a soldier,
he says, you will need to endure hardness or hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
Now I understand that the word there, when it says endure, it means taking your share.
When it gets tough and rough, as it does, are you willing to take your share in taking the
strain, sharing the burden? Oh yes. On behalf of the Lord, you're his representative. But when
the trouble comes along, are you willing to stand your ground as a good soldier or do you want to
disappear into the crowd and be right on the verge of things? I'm interested in speaking of this,
that in verse four he says, no man that woreth. First Corinthians chapter nine, the last few
verses about 24 to 28. Paul says, you know, being a Christian, it's not like shadow boxing. It's
the real thing. It's the bout itself. And when he takes up this similar thought here, he says,
this is no training camp. It's the real thing. You're in a war. And he says, the overriding
impulse of a good soldier, whose where he is for the right reason, is to please the one who
commissioned him to enter the war, enter the battle on his behalf. I was slightly embarrassed. I've
been asked the question before, but some time ago, a very old Christian gentleman, had been
taking some meetings, something like this, and afterwards he said, are you full time? How do I
answer without being facetious? I said what I hope any of us would say. I hope before the Lord,
I've been full time since I trusted the Lord as my saviour. Being a soldier of Jesus Christ is not
a part-time occupation. It affects every department of our life. I've been interested and a little
saddened lately to learn some very good friends of mine who affirm most strongly that what they
believe should affect every department of their life. And when they go into detail, they are
absolutely certain that what the Word of God says should affect their personal life. It should affect
their family life. It should affect their professional life. But sadly, they stop there. I
would have thought that as well as our personal lives and family lives and business lives, it
seems obvious that most of all it should affect our ecclesiastical lives, the way we behave as
individual Christians and as we act collectively also. Oh yes, we're in a war. We need to apply the
Word of God to every part of our lives and full time, all the time, whatever we are doing. Well,
he makes this point as he moves on. And again, he takes up the matter of the athlete who must compete
according to the rules. Otherwise, he will be disqualified. Perhaps the hardest simile introduced
might be when he says a Christian should be like a farmer. Now, I can only understand this in the
light of Genesis 8.22. I think it might be worth turning to it. We have to keep moving. Genesis 8.22
While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night
shall not cease. Now, that was the promise given to Noah. But every farmer, whether he's a Christian
or not, acts upon the promises of God. A very earnest Christian farmer of my acquaintance said
to me once, I'm not too concerned what weather comes as long as it is seasonal. He meant, of course,
that as the scripture says, the farmer relies upon a succession of cyclical weather. You have daylight,
you have darkness, you have heat and cold, you have summer and winter. And when the farmer ploughs a furrow
and sows the seed, he knows that all the seasons are necessary. If the product is to be right in quality
and quantity. Now, above all, a Christian must act upon the promises of God without fear or favour. And in this way,
it's proper that these three similes apply to the Christian. Verse 7. Consider what I say and the Lord give thee
understanding in all things. Now, in common with other statements like this in the pastoral epistles, 1st and 2nd Timothy
and Titus, this is not a prayer. It's a statement of fact. We have the writings of all the apostles, not just Paul.
If we consider in the Lord's presence, the Word of God in dependence upon the Lord and the power of the Holy Spirit, we have this
promise. The Lord will give thee understanding in all things. Notice here, it's the Lord in submission to him,
recognising that he knows and his way is best, we find out that the Lord does indeed give us understanding in all things.
And he adds to that, in verse 8, he says, the foundation of triumphant Christianity is the personal, bodily, actual
resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Time and again, he emphasises this. Oh yes, Christ who died, rose again, he's ascended where he was
before, he's exalted a prince and a saviour, and those who depend upon all the resources that he provides from his present exaltation have the promise of God
that he will see through the servant of the Lord. Won't be easy, as we have in chapter 1, he says, wherein I suffer, don't expect an easy time,
indeed, the more you commit yourself to being true to the Lord, personally, family-wise, business-wise, assembly-wise, don't imagine for a moment that if you're true to the Lord and the Lord's name
in every department of your life, don't assume for a moment you'll be universally popular, just the reverse. Satan will ensure that even if you do the right thing for the right reason, with the right motive in your heart, Satan will ensure that every kind of opposition will try to put you off.
The Lord himself will ensure that you're tested in every way that's necessary to demonstrate that not only your actions, but that your motives are pure. And he says, now, this day is the day of suffering, the day of rewards for the Christian lies ahead, oh yes, you'll have joy in your soul now, but as to manifest reward,
that will await the day of display at the appearing in glory of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. And he goes on to say this, being linked with the Lord at a time when the Lord's rejected will not make for easy living at the present time,
but there is the satisfaction that the Lord, who himself has gone through to victorious session at the right hand of God, your links with him will demonstrate, will manifest the rewards that he assesses you are worthy of.
Verse 14 onwards, he says, now, speak to those that you're in touch with, remind them of these things, charge them, this again, this typical word of the pastoral epistles, bring this charge, not an accusation so much, but ensure that they are aware of their responsibility to respond to these things.
I try not to quote other people, in case people think I'm trying to hide behind it. A brother who was always helpful to me, made this remark, you may have heard me quote it before.
I think I must have apologized for saying something that we all knew. And this is what he said, don't be afraid of repetition, but beware of recitation. There's a difference, isn't there? It's obvious.
The truth of God was being repeated in the first century AD by Paul, then by the apostles delegates, and then the faithful men, even if we are down to the others also now, it's incumbent upon us to tell it again, repeat to one another as often as is necessary, the things that we all know to be true.
If we don't, surprisingly quickly, they'll go out of mind, and we will no longer think that they are important. We need to keep reminding ourselves and each other of the things that we know to be true, and that we might all be compelled to see the necessity of seeing them through.
How do we get there? Verse 15.
When I was in my mid to late teens, I was in a Bible class. Happy to be there because the Bible class teacher was my father in the faith. He brought me to the Lord. I learned a lot from him, in demeanour as much as detailed instruction.
A very unworldly man, not interested in the things of this world at all, or the times and the seasons. I was amazed when the last Sunday before Christmas, he came into the Bible class, and he said, I've got a Christmas box for you. I didn't even know that he knew of such an expression.
We all waited agog. He said, this is a Christmas box for every one of you. Second Timothy, chapter 2, verse 15. Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
I wasn't very conversant with the time. Of course, I memorised it then because he'd given it to me, as well as to the others. And of course, what you memorise when you're young, you don't forget when you're old.
I'm always encouraged when I meet mature, aged believers who can't remember what deities are where they live, but they're still word perfect on verses of scripture that they learned early in life.
Let us not only read the scripture, let us memorise it, not just to quote verbatim as ammunition, but in order that it might govern every department of our life. Well, that was a verse that I learned early.
And of course, if these to whom Timothy had to address himself were going to be any use as Christian soldiers, athletes or farmers, it would only be as they were fortified and armed by the word of God in their soul.
So Paul was right to say to this. He says there will be opposition. Perhaps I leave the reference to Hymenaeus and Philetus till we look at chapter three. But notice that where God is working, the devil also works.
In each of these chapters, without trespassing too much, where there's a poison referred to, in the immediate context, there is an antidote. In this particular case, verse 17, their word will eat as doth a canker. We know how cancer eats away the body.
Verse 19, the antidote, nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure. And again, the preservative in advance, chapter 2, 15, study to show thyself approved unto God.
First of all, giving God his portion and then being fully equipped as we learn in chapter three. Now, the twin truths, balancing truths in verse 19 provide us with this foundation.
First of all, the Lord knoweth them that are his, the sovereignty of God. Balancing that, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity, the responsibility of man.
How often the balance between the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man are spoken of in the same breath. There's no conflict, there's no contradiction. They are balancing truths, they are both true.
When that rather strange organisation, chapter 2, was first brought into being, I thought what a strange name to take to itself. On enquiry, I found it was an abbreviation for 2nd Timothy, chapter 2.
Very good. But those of you who shelter under the umbrella of chapter 2, you realise, don't you, that you are committing yourself to abide in every department of your life the precepts that are taught in 2nd Timothy, chapter 2.
But of course, that doesn't let the rest of us off the hook. If we name the name of Christ, if we affirm faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, 2nd Timothy, chapter 2 and every other chapter of the Bible is therefore our instruction and ultimate obedience.
The difficulty, I am aware, is in verse 21. First of all, verse 20. In a great house, let us be simple concerning evil, wise concerning that which is good.
Nevertheless, I am not happy when believers say, 1st Timothy, the house of God in order, 2nd Timothy, the house of God in disorder. Can't be so.
I know the house of God is a responsible concept. Nevertheless, we do not get the house of God in disorder in 2nd Timothy. We get man's house. We get the disorder of man's house, which, like the mustard seed in Matthew 13, has become so large, it can absorb and contain every kind of evil.
So, it's the great house in 2nd Timothy and there is much, sadly, disorder in that. The safe guard, in verse 21, if a man therefore purge himself from these, the perennial debate is, is it these persons or
these things? Certainly, as individuals, and we get into the individual realm in 2nd Timothy, there will be many things that a consistent believer who not only studies 2nd Timothy, chapter 2, verse 15, but applies it to his life, there will be many things he'll say, well, I can't have anything to do with that at all.
The hardship comes when, with whatever patience and prayer and consultation, that you find yourself in company, at times, with persons who will not abandon the things that scripture says are evil. That's when it's hard.
I, then, in such a situation, have to ask myself this, deep down, am I associated with a Christian fellowship, a spiritual fellowship, or merely a social fellowship?
Or, there are, I've met thousands of believers all over the world and it's lovely to be with all believers, but if I'm going to practice what the Bible teaches, I can only do that wholeheartedly of those who put into practice the precepts that scripture presents.
Oh, but I might say, when you challenge me, they're nice people, you know. I like to go on holiday with them. My children play with their children, they get on fine.
Is it really that important? Oh, I've noticed a very sad trend. Many of my generation, good personal friends of mine, for many years, have preached the truth of God as absolutely essential.
As long as it wasn't disputed. But now that some of the cardinal features of Christianity are being disputed, the temptation is to say, oh, well, really, I didn't know this was going to cause trouble. Perhaps I'd better keep quiet about it.
Is it, in fact, as important as I thought? I don't want to rock the boat. Now, in 2 Timothy chapter 2 terms, the twin benchmarks are these. The sovereignty of God has ensured the blessing.
How willing am I, as an individual, and those believers that I am declared to be in fellowship with, consistent with the truth that scripture presents? It has led to much anguish and will continue to do so until the Lord shall come.
But there is this. Is the overriding consideration social, natural or spiritual? Paul said to Timothy, charge the believers you work amongst, present the importance of these things to them and encourage them in every way you can.
He said, mind, don't imagine for a moment that because you're teaching them that you're clear yourself. And so he brings some personal exhortations to bear upon Timothy himself. Verse 22, he says, flee.
And in verse 22, he also says, follow. In another scripture, he adds, fight, flee, follow, fight. Here, it's flee and follow. In other words, there are things to avoid.
Some of you perhaps know from experience. To be in good physical health, you do well to eat certain things, take appropriate exercise and avoid other things which, for you, are detrimental to your health.
Once you know that, you are well to abide by those guidelines.
I wonder if any of us are tempted to think, if it's going to be as hard as this, why bother?
But for one reason or another, for most of us, it's too late to opt out. We've been reading the scriptures, we've been hearing ministry, so that we know deep down things that are right and true.
You cannot unlearn what you've already learned. You may feel uncomfortable when the time comes to apply them, but you cannot unlearn them. That's the trouble.
Or you might say, I wish I hadn't gone in for it at the start then. If I hadn't read the scriptures and come to the meetings and heard ministry, I'd be a little innocent and I could do as I like and no one would turn a hair.
That's not the way to spiritual joy. Search the scriptures, gain an understanding on the principles of 2 Timothy 2 and seek the grace and the courage to put them into practice.
It's the only way or one of the ways of being a good soldier, pleasing the one who has commissioned you for the battle and the war. There will be errors to avoid, flee from them and there will be good examples to follow.
As any sensible person does with their medical, physical health, so do with your spiritual health. There were things that you will realise eventually aren't good for you spiritually. Avoid them like the plague. There are things that will take time that are good for you. Go in for them. Commit yourself to them as Paul said to Timothy.
Verse 24, The servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach patience and going on in meekness. One of the sad facts of Christianity is, if you do the right thing for the right motive,
bound to be somebody that tries to avoid the issue by saying, I don't like the way you did that. Or couldn't you have tried another way? The devil will ensure that this thought comes to mind if you don't really want to face up to the principle.
Even if you don't like the way he's done it, consider the principle. And how would you have done it if you think it could be done better? Paul said to Timothy, do what you have to do in the best way and the very fact that you're younger means that other people will be looking for an opportunity to criticise.
Do the right thing at the right time for the right motive and, he said, as far as lies within you. Do it in a way that commends itself to your fellow believers. But most of all, he says in verses 24 and 25, do something. Remember Meroz? Curse ye Meroz. Why were they cursed? They came not to the help of the Lord.
Judges 5.23, somewhere around there. We might be tempted to think, well it's better, it's easier, if we do nothing at all. Unless the Lord has given you something to do, you cannot turn your back upon that.
But the way the chapter ends is very good, it's balanced like the rest of the teaching. He says, do the Lord's work and certainly don't do the devil's work. You know, most of the time the devil can sit back, not lift a finger as we would speak of it, because we believers are doing to each other what, if we were all pure,
the devil would have to do for himself. Let us make sure that we are active in positive, constructive service in the work of the Lord and let the devil do his own work, if it must be done at all. So ends chapter 2 and there is much more of the same and a development in chapter 3, if the Lord will. …
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Good evening. Thank you for coming. We begin with Hymn 278, 278. It's the expression of a desire, a good desire.
Saviour, we long to follow Thee. It assumes there are others who are like-minded with whom we wish to follow the Lord.
Saviour, we long to follow Thee, daily Thy cross to bear, and count all else, whate'er it be, unworthy of our care.
278.
Saviour, we long to follow Thee, daily Thy cross to bear, and count all else, whate'er it be, unworthy of our care.
We honor now, O Lord of Thy, the virtues of Thy law,
and make Thy grace and love divine, the psalms and hymns of hope.
Thy Spirit to the present still.
O come, O come, O come, O come, O come, to Bethlehem.
O come, O come, O come, O come, to Bethlehem.
O come, O come, O come, O come, to Bethlehem.
O teach us, Lord, the path to know.
O praise the life within.
O come, O come, O come, O come, to Bethlehem.
Without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof, from such turn away.
For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers' lusts, ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Now as Janes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth. Men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further, for their folly shall be manifested unto all men as theirs also was.
But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience, persecutions, afflictions which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra, what persecutions I endured.
But out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned, and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them, and that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
For all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
2 Timothy chapter 3 outlines the kind of character that God is looking for.
in the days immediately before the coming of the Lord, and it should therefore commend itself to our study.
I remember suggesting a Bible reading once, looking at three or four examples of Scriptures where the presence or the absence of a little three-letter word made all the difference.
And we were going happily, seeing that where the little word thee is used, something specific is being referred to, and if the little word thee is absent in those translations which make any attempt at literal accuracy,
that where the little word thee is missing, it's not so much a specific instance, but the overall character of the thing. Young men were present, seemed to be going along with anything, until someone dropped a bomb.
He said, this is, of course, the inarthorous construction. He may well have been right. Soon as he said that, I could see the shutters come down on the young brother's eyes.
And with one accord after the meeting, he said, we were getting on fine, until we were told that you need to know some of the niceties of English and Greek grammar to understand the Bible.
Now, of course, I've been very careful to say, well, whether the little word thee is in, or whether the little word thee is absent, makes all the difference. I tried to learn from that lesson, so I hope no one switches off because the word's been mentioned.
But there's no doubt, in verse one, we get a good example. It doesn't look much on the surface, but if you examine your literal translations, you'll see that this know also that in thee last days, at best, the thee is in brackets, but most editors say, well, really, it shouldn't be there.
It should be, this know also that in last days, perilous times shall come. The teaching being that it's not so much any specific item, incident, or circumstance, it's the whole character of the thing that makes all the difference.
There is a kind of behaviour, a kind of moral fibre, a kind of character, which will be particularly in demand of necessity in last day's conditions.
It's for this reason, probably, that as long as brethren are kind and know what you're saying, it's probably true to say, if there's one chapter rather than another, that outlines what Scripture means by presenting Philadelphian character, it's 2 Timothy chapter 3.
Now, being well taught, you will recoil and say, we would never claim to be Philadelphia.
Oh, but you will have learned also that while you do not claim to be Philadelphia, which would make you demonstrably Laodicean, what is true is that it is right to aim, not claim, it's right to aim to exhibit Philadelphian character.
Now, if you want to put this together with Revelation 2 and 3, that progressive history of the responsible church on earth, you feel free to do so.
And when you come to Philadelphia, if you want an outline of what Philadelphia or character appropriate to Philadelphia, you'll find it in 2 Timothy 3.
In any event, it's about Christian character that the Lord is looking for.
Now, we'll move slowly through.
of the kind of behaviour and the kind of character that made it necessary for the Son of God to come into the world and die at Calvary.
Compare this list in verses 2, 3 and 4.
Well, you could say certainly 2 and 3. You can compare that with the behavioural pattern of the brute pagans given in the first chapter of Romans.
You would also get towards that list some of the characteristics of the cultured Greeks that you get in Romans, end of Romans 1, beginning of Romans 2.
And you will certainly get things here that are very akin to the outline given of the condition of the Jewish nation, having a form of godliness and so on, denying the power thereof.
We are fortunate in Western Europe in that, certainly for those of us who are older, we've lived most of our lives in a country basking in the aftermath, if I can use the term,
of three or four centuries where, even if the Bible wasn't read, it was respected.
And those who framed the laws of the land, well, all the lands in Western Europe, I suppose, were those who made the laws, framed the laws, took account of the norms of behaviour according to God as expressed in the Bible.
And for three or four hundred years, this had a secondary effect. Whether or not the souls were saved, it had the effect of placing a limiting factor on the behaviour of the nations.
Certainly, in the last fifty years, we've been able to see the result of a movement which started over a hundred years, I suppose, culminating in throwing the Bible overboard out of the home, out of the school, out of religion.
Out of religious societies. It's not surprising then that the conduct of the general population will slide back to what it was before God's written word was published and spread throughout the nations.
And so we get a count here. Things will revert to primitive, pagan conditions. Things that not so many years ago, we would have been done quietly, surreptitiously, behind a curtain, indoors, with the blinds drawn,
for shame's sake, are not only tolerated now, but openly encouraged. We are certainly in last day conditions.
Nothing new. We come to the point where Paul speaks of Janez and Jambres. Tell me afterwards how to pronounce it. I'll be glad to learn.
Babies are named now, not so much from family tradition, but because we like the name. I won't go into that. But in the Bible, names were not only personal, they were characteristic.
Whether they were the names actually given them by their parents or whether it's the names they came to be known by when their characters developed is not for me to say. Often God gave insight as to how that person would live their lives by saying to the parent, you name him so and so.
And in 2nd Timothy, we see a clear trend. In the first chapter, Phygelus, Hermogenes. Second chapter, Hymenaeus, Phyletus. Chapter three, Janez and Jambres.
Now, if you take Pains, easily checked up, you'll find that there's a trend, a moral trend, a moral degeneration.
First chapter, Phygelus, Hermogenes, Fugitive and Luca, root meanings of words.
A suggestion of movement away from the truth and the reason why the movement was attractive for what was in it for the people. When we come to chapter two, Hymenaeus, marriage, Phyletus, amiable.
There were things they didn't like in chapter one, they wanted to move away from them. In chapter two, there are things they are drawn towards. And then in chapter three, Janez and Jambres, seducing and rebellious.
Now, this is no flight of fancy. You can check the meanings of the words, but it's in the text. Notice in chapter one, verse 15, in the same verse where it talks about these men, it says, all they which are in Asia be turned away from me.
Chapter two, verse 18, speaking of the two men who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection has passed already.
Chapter three. These men resist the truth. Now, there's a moral downward spiral there. In the first chapter, it says there are people who turn away from the truth.
In chapter two, there are those who go to the next step. Having turned away from the truth, they accept something that is not the truth. And then in chapter three, you get two men who go a stage further and they positively resist the truth.
You see, that trend is inevitable. It's, I was going to say progressive, but that's a positive word. It's retrogressive, I suppose. If you say, oh, it's best to affirm the truth.
But if people aren't well instructed, haven't thought it through, very honest people, they wouldn't admit to something they haven't gone through themselves. But as long as they don't say it's wrong, well, I'm quite happy as long as they don't make a fuss about it.
But Second Timothy chapters one, two and three say, if you start on the slippery slope down, you don't stop halfway.
If you turn away or don't accept what is the truth, you're exposing yourself to accept something that is not the truth. And whether you foresee it or not, you will finish in the invidious position of resisting the truth.
This is why I forbore from speaking of Phygelus and Hymenides last night. They're best considered as a sequence. The pair in chapter one, the pair in chapter two, and the pair in chapter three. Now we'll move on again.
Verse nine, he says, they shall proceed no further. God will set a limit. God gives us the opportunity to act on his behalf in discerning what is right and what is wrong in the light of revealed Scripture.
But rest, be rest assured that if we don't do what we should be doing to preserve the truth and act upon it, God will set the limit himself eventually. But it will be to the sorrow, the mutual sorrow who had the opportunity to take their place in the ranks of those who stand for the truth.
Verse 10, as always, Paul says, I'm not asking you to do anything I'm not prepared to do myself. Very good thing about Paul. He doesn't, he's not the kind of delegator that gives all the nasty jobs out and keeps the nice one for himself.
Whatever has to be done, he's been through it, he's done it. And he says, look, my life is transparent. You know what I teach. You know how I behave. You know my honest endeavour that the way I behave is consistent with what I say I believe.
It's not for you and me to tell each other what to believe. We owe it to the Lord what we really believe. But we do owe it to the Lord and to each other to act faithfully in line with what we say we believe.
And not only when there is a common consensus, we owe it to the Lord and ourselves and each other to face up to it like Paul and be able to say, now, look, you've known me for a long time, Timothy. It's near the end of my journey on earth.
I'm going to be with the Lord soon if he doesn't come to take me. And you know full well that as long as you've known me, I've taught the truth and I've lived it. And it's not merely words to me. And he develops that more.
And again, if you want an outline of Christian character, you have it given in chapter, in verse 10. Doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, love, patience and so on.
Perhaps I should mention in verse nine, the comment, they shall proceed no further for their folly shall be manifest unto all men as theirs also was.
How good are you at interpreting your own hieroglyphics? I'm not very good. A brilliant thought occurs to me in a meeting. I get my pen out. I scribble a little note in the margin, which is full of treasure for me. I know why I've put it there. Until later, like tonight. And I look at it and I say, now, whatever did I enjoy on that occasion?
When you go home, write it out longhand. Put it on a floppy, whatever. But you'll remember it better. My mnemonic here at this verse, verse nine, it is S-T-S-R-T-S. Now, what does that mean to you?
I can remember this one. How about this as a proposition? The sins of teachers are the teachers of sins. It's right, you know.
I used to engage in a rather doubtful activity. And I began to get a conscience about it. But then, while I was half persuaded, I saw a mature, experienced, very nice, elderly Christian gentleman
engaged in the sort of activity that I was beginning to get a conscience about. Clutching at straws, I thought, if it's all right for him, it's all right for me. It excused my conscience.
We are all examples to each other. Let us make sure we are good examples and not bad examples in what we do and the way that we do it.
This is why a particularly high standard of behaviour is necessary in those who take responsibility in local assembly life. I'm speaking of the elders and the deacons.
Read them through the first epistle. You haven't got to go far, very far back. And if you wonder why elders and deacons have to be particularly whiter than white in their behaviour, it's because the majority of their leadership is leading by example.
And what they have to say, if they need to say anything, will carry more weight when the way they behave is consistent with what they teach or recommend. Well, Janez and Jambres, leaders of their day, the magicians that withstood Moses, God will have the last word.
He will demonstrate their folly. And indeed, at the time, judgment, summary judgment fell upon them. And again, as we saw in chapter two, if you commit yourself to live in a way that's well pleasing to the Lord, don't by any means expect an easy life.
Paul says, you know me, I meant well, I did well, I spoke well, I was consistent all the way through. And yet persecutions, afflictions were my portion. Oh yes, he refers to it here. Go comb through the book of Acts and you'll see what he suffered.
If you're in any doubt, read the catalogue in Second Corinthians chapter 11 of the things that he suffered for the name of Jesus. And he says, not only me, says, yes, I experienced the Lord's delivering hand.
And he says, now, this is a universal principle. All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. It's not just a statement of things that happen. To me, it's a statement of a commitment in character.
All that will, all that set themselves, all who have this burdening desire to be faithful to the Lord, the Lord will give you the kind of experience that will purify your character. And that apart from anything you do, that in character, you'll be well pleasing to the Lord.
So he says, don't expect an easy time, but at least there will be this overriding matter that you'll be well pleasing to the Lord. And he says, keep going.
When I was younger, or about the age of the youngest here, where I lived, there was a group of about 70 apparently keen young brothers and sisters.
Did everything together, tract bands, open air preaching, going either inland to the country or down to the sea and the beaches and going to every opportunity for fellowship and ministry, everything going fine.
I've lost touch with many. No doubt, some may well be serving the Lord as best they can in their present circumstances. I don't know.
Oh, but for everyone like that, there must be dozens who just stopped bothering, made their way in the world, affluence has taken its toll, married nice people, men or women who were nice, cultured.
Friendly, respectable, but no spiritual interest. And out of that 70, sad to say, I could only point to about a dozen now that I'm aware of that are in any way strongly committed to what they believe.
Paul must have had this fear for Timothy. He says, but continue thou. We've had it before in the book. Here it is again. Unless you pursue your Christian service and character as an individual, you'll never enjoy it in company with other peoples.
I don't mean be a loner. If you are true to the Lord and follow him diligently, you will find others with whom you have so much in common. But unless initially you are prepared to do this as an individual in personal exercise before the Lord, you won't get very far.
If you're relying upon the social gang to carry you along, it won't take you very far in your souls. Now, if you're going to do that, you'll need help. You'll need resources.
And so in verse, well, verse 14 is important. Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and has been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.
Makes a difference, you know. If you get help from someone you trust, someone you've observed over the years and got help from in many ways, you know how consistent and reliable they are. It encourages you to go on because you don't want to let them down. But of course, most of all, personal commitment to the Lord.
Paul says, I know you've had a good start, like most of us, I suppose. From a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures. Again, a topic in itself which there isn't time to develop in the whole.
Able, the capacity of the Scriptures, able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
The Lord came into the world, lived here faithful to God. His faithfulness took him into death, even the death of the cross. God raised him by his glory, exalted him a prince and a saviour.
And the one who's gone through it before is there to encourage us when we try to be faithful to him while we wait for him to come.
We have the Scriptures. Again, a nice point. All Scripture given by inspiration of God. Worthy of an address in itself.
The things that are unique in their class because they were brought into being by the operation of the breathing of God.
Man is different to all the creatures because he received life by God breathing into his nostrils and man became a living soul.
There will be a day when Israel will not only be a name but in reality a unique nation because they will be born in a day.
Ezekiel 37 tells us when the breath of God coming upon them, the power of the Holy Spirit will bring them into being as a renewed nation.
There are other examples. Look for them. But here the Scriptures different to all other writings that have ever been written because they've been brought into being by the breathing of God.
Peter talks about men born along by a power greater than themselves bringing the revelation of God to light by writing down in principle and in detail in word as well as concept God's message for men.
And he speaks of this. He uses this adjectively I suppose. All God breathed Scripture. Doesn't mean some is and some isn't. It's giving the character of the Scripture.
Again, this chapter is all about character. It tells you what's right. Doctrine tells you where you're not right. Free proof. It tells you how to get right. Correction. And it tells you how to continue in the way that is right. Instruction in righteousness.
That's the man of God. How many? If you haven't thought about it, let me give an introduction. Very often in the Bible times are difficult. Nothing new.
The trend is opposition to God. Those who try to be true to God despised, opposed. And then you see come to light an individual who is prepared to stand for God in an evil day.
Who says even if there's nobody else, even if I'm going to swim against the tide, if that's what God wants me to do, I'm prepared to do it.
Of course, if I'm standing alone, I've got to examine myself very carefully. Am I alone because the trend is against God and I'm the only one to prepare to do what's right at whatever personal sacrifice?
Or am I on my own because I'm an awkward individual who rubs everybody up the wrong way? If I don't consider that, certainly a lot of other people will.
So the man of God has to be very sure that what he's doing has the right motive in mind. It's done in the right way at the right time and that the character that he demonstrates is that he's on earth to please God.
Now, if any of us, even in a mild way, imagine for a moment that we've committed ourselves once and for all to live in a way that pleases God, totally committed to the Lord, we'll be given ample opportunity to demonstrate it.
God takes us at our word, do you know? Make no loose commitments before God because he will give us the kind of experience that if we say, if nobody else, Peter did, didn't he? Lord, if everybody else deserts you, not me! He was tested on his own ministry as we all are.
And if I say, I'm so convinced that this is the right thing to do that if nobody supports me, I'm still going to stand my ground. Well, so be it. Before we get through the end of the tunnel, the Lord will give us the opportunity to demonstrate the reality of that commitment.
And the term that God uses about such an individual is man of God. Count them. I'd be interested how many you find. So far, I've found 12 in the Old Testament. Everyone doesn't agree. That doesn't matter.
In every case, it's an individual, usually the person's name, not always. But in every case, whoever it is, has to come to the crisis point of saying, if no one supports me, I'm still so totally committed to what God wants me to do that I don't, I'm not worried about the shame, the disgrace.
Or the embarrassment of standing alone. You remember one of them, Elijah, the man of God, he actually said that, Lord, there's nobody left. There's just me. It wasn't true. But before he was relieved, delivered, he had to get to the point where if it was necessary, he was prepared to be alone.
Now, this is the concept of the term man of God. Sometimes the little word the is there, sometimes it isn't. We can talk afterwards how many there are in the New Testament.
John 9, in an oblique way, the man who was born blind, said of the Lord, if he were not a man of God, surely he couldn't do this. He couldn't perform such miracles.
Paul says to Timothy in the first epistle, thou, everybody else does that, but you, thou man of God, you're different, act different. But here it's general, that the man of God, anyone who takes the position of being prepared to stand for God when everybody else seems to be against God.
Always in the individual. I've never found in Scripture the term woman of God. Are there not women prepared to stand for God in an evil day? Of course there are.
All I can conclude in the light of what the Scripture says is that in the examples given in Scripture, they are usually formal occasions about official public matters.
And as we've learned from Scripture, when that kind of responsibility is mentioned, it's the male of the species that is expected to take that responsibility. There is ample opportunity for women, godly women as well as godly men, to exhibit this kind of character and act in this way.
What is the result? If you're going to stand for God when things are difficult, you need the end of the chapter as well. The Scriptures are geared to this end, that anyone who's prepared to stand for God, even alone, that he will be complete, thoroughly furnished unto every kind of good work.
Immense possibilities. And begins in this way. Read your Bible, pray every day, and you'll grow. And the kind of committed Christian character that's necessary in the dark days before the Lord's coming are these features which are outlined in this lovely chapter, 2 Timothy chapter 3.
Let us close by singing hymn 462.
O gracious God, our Father, we thank Thee for Thy Word. To every sense of pleasure, the Spirit of Christ the Lord.
We thank Thee for Thy Spirit that moves those men of old, who in the Holy Grail of Thy truth and love unfold.
For that same one we thank Thee, the earnest and the still, who comes to Thy own children, Thy kind and will reveal.
As none but Thee would do if Thy truth could impart, so none but Those He teacheth will sing it in the heart.
Who may remember'st, Father, Thy gracious work, please be, that we may by Thy Spirit the truth in love receive.
For we would thus be good to serve our faithful Lord, and in this day of comfort cling to His name and Word. …
Automatic transcript:
…
Hymn 250
From various cares our hearts retire,
Though deep and boundless their desire,
We've now to please but one.
Hymn 250
From various cares our hearts retire,
Though deep and boundless their desire,
We've now to please but one.
Hymn 250
With this our hearty motives cast,
Through the world's deserts,
Ruled and raged,
All through its goddess bare,
Whether the stones of troubled sea,
Or all in debt to my destiny,
To God's behold again.
O Lord, the way, the truth, the life,
Exhaust their sorrow, doubt, and strife,
Drop off thy mortal weight,
Henceforth as privileged by thee,
Simple and undistracted be,
The soul which to thee pleads.
Let us of evilness recline,
On that eternal love of thine,
And human goals forget.
Child, by the day what thou wilt say,
Go forth and serve thee what is gain,
Nor leave us with retreat.
I charge thee, therefore,
Before God and the Lord Jesus Christ,
Who shall judge the quick and the dead
At his appearing and his kingdom.
Preach the word.
Be instant, in season, out of season.
Reprove, rebuke, exhort,
With all long-suffering and doctrine.
For the time will come
When they will not endure sound doctrine.
But after their own lusts
Shall they heap to themselves teachers
Having itching ears.
And they shall turn away their ears from the truth
And shall be turned unto fables.
But watch thou in all things,
Endure afflictions,
Do the work of an evangelist,
Make full proof of thy ministry.
For I am now ready to be offered,
And the time of my departure is at hand.
I have fought a good fight,
I have finished my course,
I have kept the faith,
Henceforth there is laid up for me
A crown of righteousness,
Which the Lord, the righteous Judge,
Shall give me at that day.
And not to me only,
But unto all them also that love his appearing.
Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me,
For Demas hath forsaken me,
Having loved this present world,
And is departed unto Thessalonica,
Crescens to Galatia,
Titus unto Dalmatia.
Only Luke is with me.
Take Mark and bring him with thee,
For he is profitable to me for the ministry,
And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus.
The cloak that I left at Troas with Coppice,
When thou comest, bring with thee,
And the books, but especially the parchments.
Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil,
The Lord reward him according to his works,
Of whom be thouware also,
For he hath greatly withstood our words.
At my first answer no man stood with me,
But all men forsook me.
I pray God that it may not be late to their charge.
Notwithstanding, the Lord stood with me,
And strengthened me,
That by me the preaching might be fully known,
And that all the Gentiles might hear.
And I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work,
And will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom,
To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Salute Prisca, and Aquila,
And the household of Onesiphorus.
Erastus abode at Corinth,
But Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick.
Do thy diligence to come before winter.
Eubulus greeteth thee, and Pudens, and Linus,
And Claudia, and all the brethren.
The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit.
Grace be with you. Amen.
Tonight, then, the fourth of four sessions looking at 2nd Timothy.
We are aware that the selected split points for the chapters
is not part of the inspired text.
Nevertheless, the medieval gentleman who was responsible
must have found it relatively easy in 2nd Timothy
because the subject matter lends itself quite obviously
to the splits where they occur between the chapters.
And so we come to his final words.
Not only of this epistle, but as far as we know,
the last recorded written words of the Apostle Paul.
In line with the pastoral epistles generally,
it's another good study to fill in those many leisure hours
when you're wondering how to spend your time.
The charges, the exhortations, the commands.
When he says, now, here is something important
that I have to communicate to you.
I charge thee, therefore, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Well, you will have noticed, I'm sure,
that the way the Lord Jesus is spoken of
in the Old and New Testament
is always significant, appropriate to the context,
once we arrive at a fair translation.
And when we come to this point,
the scholars present will confirm to me afterwards, I'm sure,
that not this general way of speaking to the Lord Jesus,
about the Lord Jesus,
even there paying due tribute to his majesty,
our Lord Jesus Christ,
but here, more accurately perhaps, Christ Jesus.
Which term always takes account of the fact
that the Lord came into the world,
he lived that perfect life,
he departed out of this world by way of the cross,
God raised him by his glory,
he's now exalted a prince and a saviour,
and from his present exaltation,
having gone through it all himself,
he is now in a position
and has the capacity and the desire
to encourage and help those
who want to follow a similar path in measure.
So, wherever we get this term Christ Jesus
takes account of his present exaltation
and the resources he makes available
that we might follow in the right path.
Things will not always continue as they are.
God is long-suffering, as we know.
We know from experience,
happy to note it, happy to enjoy it.
But we are aware, morally,
that things cannot continue
in the downward spiral forever.
God will eventually intervene
and will make his judgement known.
And God will intervene personally
in the person of his well-beloved son
who will be manifested in glory
at his appearing,
the appearing of the power and the glory
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And so it says,
who shall judge the quick and the dead?
I understand that it's said
of the cities of Paris, Rome and Istanbul,
maybe others,
that there are only two kind of pedestrians,
the quick and the dead.
I don't really think that that's
what's being referred to here.
It's merely saying that when the Lord comes,
whenever it is,
there will be some who are alive at that time
and there will be some who are dead,
who have died.
None will miss the judgement.
The dead will be raised
and they will be judged
for their responsible lives
while they were living.
We know from other scriptures
what is true of individuals
will be true of nations as such.
Now, for those who are alive upon the earth,
it will certainly be a point of climax
when the Lord appears in power and great glory.
Revelation 19 tells us
that heaven will be opened
and the Word of God,
he who speaks on behalf of God
because he is God,
he will come out from heaven with his armies,
he will deal with the enemies of God
and set up a righteous kingdom.
He will judge those who are alive
and then finally,
a little more than a thousand years after that,
probably at the final judgement,
the great white throne,
every man will be judged
according to his work.
But, speaking to living believers,
living believer Paul,
speaking to Timothy,
he said now,
do not be discouraged.
As we considered last night,
Timothy, man of God,
acting for God, being true to God
when everybody else seems to be against God,
you need the consolation of knowing
that in the final analysis,
there will be personal intervention
by the Lord himself.
He will set things right
and it is your position at the moment,
you cannot roll the tide of evil back
but you in your day can testify
to what is right
and you can act in accordance with the truth.
And he went into detail,
he says now this is what you do,
you preach the word.
There's always encouragement
to preach the word.
I'm very happy indeed
that in the Lord's mercy,
from being a toddler,
I've enjoyed reading the scriptures.
That's not a boast,
it's just a statement of fact.
The Lord gave me the capacity
to enjoy reading the Bible
from my earliest memories.
Many are not so fortunate.
Many earnest Christian believers,
committed Christians tell me
for them it's hard work.
Oh I pray for you if that is the case.
You either enjoy a thing
or you feel you have to do it as a duty.
May the Lord give us all grace
not only to do it because it's the right thing
but to enjoy it.
And when we are communicating the truth to others
it should not only be that it contains the word
or it's about the word
but it's the presentation of the word itself.
Not vain repetition of scripture verbatim
although it will be largely that
but that essentially it is the word
that is communicated.
I'm going to be hoist on my own petard now.
I don't like padding out addresses
with anecdotes
but when I used to be gainfully employed
as some used to say
there was a very important gentleman
used to visit me now and again
knowing me to be a believer
he would always ask some questions.
He was very interested.
Very religious man.
But quite soon in every discussion
he would sound exasperated
and say it's no good talking to you
all you do is tell me what the Bible says.
Oh may the Lord help us all.
That if anybody is interested and asks us questions
we don't give our opinions.
We don't say what worthy expositors of former
or the present day say.
We preach the word.
Increasingly where the word is not read
another little thing I suppose
maybe there was a time
when in speaking to anyone believer or unbeliever
it could have been a fair assumption
that the miracles and the parables
and the narratives of the Old Testament
were familiar to most people
and you could immediately save time
by applying the scripture.
How sad that we are now at a stage in history
where you can no longer assume
that they know the story.
You have to spell it out ABC
say what the word says
and then apply it.
It takes longer
but it's no good applying a scriptural narrative
and applying it morally
or for the salvation of the soul
if the listener has no idea at all
never heard the story before.
But again the best illustration
of any scripture truth I am convinced
is found in scripture itself.
Every necessary truth
that needs to be applied to us or anybody else
is illustrated somewhere in scripture
the Old or the New Testament.
Be instant, in season, out of season
that's difficult.
The general impression I get from that is
the word is always in season.
It's always appropriate
provided you find the right one.
How do I talk about the detail?
I suppose I can only say
the word guided by the Lord
and the power of the Spirit
scripture is always seasonable
even if the circumstances may suggest
to my natural mind
that this is not the appropriate moment.
In season, even if to man's thinking
it's out of season.
I leave you to meditate upon that.
Reprove, rebuke, exhort, well
we had in verse 16 of the previous chapter
that it's profitable for every kind of way
as we outlined doctrine, reproof, correction
instruction in righteousness.
Exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine.
Have you ever heard anyone say
and it sounds so right
don't give me doctrine, give me Christ.
You cannot give Christ
you cannot minister Christ
without referring to the scriptures.
The scriptures are the only source
of any information that we have
about the Lord Jesus Christ.
We don't get it in dreams
we don't get it in a flash of inspiration
the complete canon of the word of God
is our sole source of information
about the Lord Jesus Christ.
Of course, we know what many mean
when they say that.
Not the cold, vain repetition
or recitation of the text verbatim
without any attempt at applying it to our souls
or but let us remember
that it is the word of God
that is expounded and taught.
Another good line right through the New Testament
are these occasional references to doctrine
teaching there are many of them
in the pastoral epistles.
Time is short
the time will come
when they
those that you're trying to speak to
will not endure sound doctrine
but after their own lusts
shall they heap to themselves
teachers having itching ears
it's the listeners that have the itching ears
not the teachers.
What does it mean?
What a wonderful teacher he is
always telling me something I've never heard before
and my ears are itching
for some new thing
like the Areopagites
didn't they come together every day
hoping to hear some new thing
they had itching ears.
It's dangerous
to make a plea
to the most gifted teacher
and say please
carry on giving us something new
if you demand something new
very soon the point will come
where to provide something new
the teacher has to go outside of Scripture
and that's where the deal
it's happened
we know of cases where it's happened
so preach the word
in a balanced way
drawing from not just a favourite line of teaching
but the balanced layout
of what Scripture presents
and the natural mind
resists the straightforward exposition of the truth
and the ears and the fancy are tickled
when we hear something we've never heard before
beware
safety
edification
is in the presentation
of what the word of God
has to say
Watch
watch
thou
I understand
this is watch with intent
always be on the lookout
be alert
you're on sentry duty
Timothy
you're a relatively gifted young man
you have to use the talent that God has given you
but it will need vigilance
concentration
alertness
and he says
this
as in the other chapters means that
suffering of one sort or another
misunderstanding
the Lord said didn't he
to the disciples in those early days
a man's foes
shall be chiefly those
of his own household
what does that mean?
it could mean your natural family
well might
the sphere where you should get the greatest understanding
may well be
is where the opposition arises
again
that may be my own fault
isn't it true
that if the mask slips
it slips it home
when I'm with other people
with the brethren
in the world
at work
I keep a tight rein
self-discipline
applied
I don't want to give the wrong impression of what a believer is
I get home
I relax
someone touches me on a raw nerve
I blow up
answer back
I'm immediately ashamed but I've done it
so it may be
that my family who know me most and best
are in the greatest position to criticise
or it may be like me
my family also
relax their vigilance at home
and because of this
these things arise
true in the meeting
isn't it
when we meet other brethren
in other places
we are on our best behaviour
everything's fine
but the brethren
that we know
the best
and love the most
when we are just together
privately shall we say
in local assembly
that again may be well the time
when we just relax our vigilance
and speak to each other
in a way that is most improper
how sad that would be
well these are pointers along the way
Paul says thou
he's previously called him a man of God
he says
you will watch your tongue
oh yes
not original to me
or anyone here
I'm sure
when you're in the world
watch your activities
when you're at home
watch your tongue
when you're on your own
watch your thoughts
how easy it is to slip
isn't it
well in all those fears
Paul says to Timothy
and through Timothy to us
he says watch
be careful
get on with the job
do the work of an evangelist
it doesn't say that Timothy
has a particular gift in that direction
be very easy for me
whatever you ask me to join in and help with
I might say oh that's not my gift
I'm waiting for the Lord to tell me
the way to find out what gift is
you see a job that needs to be done
you're willing to help
it will soon become obvious
whether or not
you are particularly gifted in that direction
the Lord will make it plain
but in the meantime
be available
to be a help
if there's any work to be done
verse 6 he says
I'm ready to be offered
my time of service is over
the time of my departure
is at hand isn't that nice
my exodus
I'm going out
I'm going away
but I've done what I could
as long as I was available
and he picks up the teaching
that we had in chapter 2
the soldier
the athlete
the farmer
and he says
I can honestly say
as before the Lord
I have fought the good fight
definite article
I have finished the course
I have kept the faith
yes
he was in this war
and picking up from the Proverbs
I suppose
he accepted the fact
there is no discharge in this war
as long as he was in the flesh
he was available to the Lord
to take his place in the ranks
of those who defended and taught the faith
he finished the course
in accordance with the rules
and he kept the faith
it's to me
it's this last phrase
I didn't mention this the other night
when we were looking at chapter 2
it is this phrase
the answer to the third part
of that trilogy in chapter 2
it is because of this phrase
keeping the faith
acting on the promises of God
that causes me to accept
without any question
that the farming analogy
is right in chapter 2
because of Genesis 8 22
that the farmer acts upon the fact
that God has always kept his promise
in giving the full cycle of the seasons every year
each of which is appropriate
to some stage in the development
of whatever is being grown
henceforth there is laid up for me
a crown of righteousness
oh yes
the crowns
of scripture
more homework for you
if you haven't done it before
the crowns of scripture
one pointer
there are crowns
which are
displayed
as a right
by the king say
and there are crowns
which are
deserved
which are earned
scripture speaks of many of them
and
personified I suppose in Stephen
whose name means crown
wherever crowns are bestowed
and this again is related to the
appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ
after the rapture
before the appearing
each servant of the Lord
will have been interviewed
personally by the Lord
some people think
appraisals are something new you know
the word might be new
but it's been in scripture from the start
that the Lord will
give an appraisal interview
to every responsible believer
that's lived on the earth
and will make his assessment
and will bestow
honours
and these honours will be displayed
when the Lord appears in power
and great glory
now there's something consistent about these crowns
which are earned
bestowed because they've been deserved
and it's this
each crown
is appropriate
to the way in which
the individual has served the Lord
can't follow them all through
I'll give you this one
we've read more than once
that the world is becoming
increasingly unrighteous
we know it
we live in an unrighteous world
Paul foresaw this
and included in the scripture
those
servants of the Lord
whose service involves
acting righteously
in an unrighteous environment
will be given a crown of righteousness
again what does that mean?
the Lord
John's epistle tells us
is the righteous judge
we are told that for a thousand years
act 17 30 31
he will rule the world
in righteousness
and he will be delighted
to associate with him
in his day of glory
those who have been righteous
in an unrighteous generation
and he will say look at them
these were the few
who were righteous
in an unrighteous day
and it is right
that they should have the kind of crown
which displays the kind of righteousness
that they assured in their life
and service upon earth
the only other one by way of passing
just to clinch it
like Stephen
in act 7
we learn in the book of Revelation
there will be some
who are faithful unto death
and they will be granted
a crown of life
follow them through
it's absolutely consistent
that the crown bestowed
to the faithful servant
is entirely appropriate
to the circumstances
and the difficulties
through which he served
which the Lord
the righteous judge
shall give me at that day
again the emphasis in this last epistle
as far as doctrine is concerned
the term that day
this day can be so horrible
that day is going to be glorious
the day when everything will be revealed
in its true colours
when the Lord Jesus Christ
will be King of Kings
and Lord of Lords
this is personal
it's individual
as he said before
but he says
not just me
I'm not unique
he's already called himself a pattern
in the first epistle hasn't he
I'm not unique
I'm not boasting about anything
that isn't available to any believer
and he says
not to me only
but unto all them also
that love has appeared
oh
what does that mean
some believers love his appearing
and some don't
and those who do
will be blessed
honoured, rewarded
and the ordinary
common rank and file
like me
will have nothing to show
it's not saying that at all
it is speaking
of normal Christianity
surely
it is normal
that a believer
loves the appearing
of their Lord, Saviour
and Master in this sense
when we look
at the unrighteousness in the world
when we see
the double dealing and the hypocrisy
when we see
when we hear the name of the Lord
taken on lips
as an oath and a curse
and blasphemy
instead of with honour
and homage
we long for the day
when he will be given his right place
when everything
that hath breath shall praise him
when he will be given due honour
I'm sure that is what it is
it is consistent
it is normal Christian thinking
to mourn
at the present day
and to long for the day
when he shall be given his rights
it will occur
chronologically at his
appearing in power and great glory
but we instinctively
long for that day
and however lacking in
spiritual intelligence we are
it's the instinct
of the normal Christian
attitude
and then just for a few moments
he launches
into some comments
about individuals
I'll come back to the individuals
in a moment
but just
before that
verses 16 and 17
at my first
answer no man
stood with me
notwithstanding the Lord stood
with me
I haven't looked at the prepositions closely
here
others may have done and can tell me afterwards
but
the truth is right
whether or not I'm hanging it
on the right verse you tell me
in the Acts
there are times when the servants
of the Lord
well it's doubtful whether they are doing the right thing
they may be making mistakes
maybe they're not
always acting in the right way
for the right motive
nevertheless those who have
committed themselves to the Lord's service
the Lord stands by them
and supports them
oh but there are
other occasions
where not only
does the Lord stand by us
through thick and thin
but because
what we are doing is right
and in accordance
with his will
he can identify
himself with us
in what we are doing
in other words
it's a greater thing to have the
Lord standing with us
than standing by us
I leave that for you to pursue
in other
scriptures
verse 18
the Lord the one in control
the master
he will deliver me from every
evil work
and will preserve me unto his
heavenly kingdom
oh yes his confidence
was in the Lord
David remember
King David well maybe before he was king
he was fleeing for his life
and we read
that when he had
nothing else to rejoice in
instead of him
he rejoiced
in the Lord
one of the reasons
we are allowed to feel
lonely and
unsupported
is to remind us
that if no one else
is available the Lord is
always available
maybe that's sometimes
why the crutches are removed
and we are given
the opportunity to stand
apparently on our own feet
so that we realize
whoever else whatever else
the Lord will be with us
and Paul had learned
that for himself the Lord
shall deliver me from
every evil work
and then this last phrase
to whom be glory
forever and ever amen
speaking
in round terms
there are about
20
doxologies
in the New Testament
epistles beginning
from Romans 1
now purists
amongst you might tell me
afterwards they aren't all doxologies
some of them are eulogies well
you can explain that to one another
afterwards
what we do know is this
in a variety of
circumstance
the
apostles
through every kind
of difficulty and in
every kind of blessing
the
circumstances are such
or in spite of the
circumstances there is
a spontaneous
upflow and overflow
of praise and
worship to the blessed God
are our lives like that
if the difficulties arise
if opposition
presents itself
if we get discouraged
do we find opportunities
for praise and worship
not as an
act or as a formula
but spontaneously
overflowing in the presence of the
Lord. Notice this one
comes out of the sense of
the Lord's deliverance
in difficult circumstances
and check the other
19 and you'll find
that this follows
a variety of circumstance
a sense of the Lord's presence
in blessing and in difficulty
resulting
in this upflow and
overflow of praise
again a very good
example to follow
Priscilla
and Aquila as always
found together what a
happy thing it is if
in the Lord's work and
in fellowship that
husbands and wives are together
in what they do
Just to pick out some of these
individuals before we
close
I'll start at the bottom
and I'll take these in ascending order
of appeal
Alexander
the coppersmith
did me much
evil the Lord
reward him according to his
works
this is not a prayer for
fire and brimstone to
come down from heaven upon
Alexander because he
opposed Paul not a bit
it's a statement of fact
Alexander did
he what he chose to do
Paul says I did
what I found to be right before
the Lord I can leave it
to the Lord to put
other matters right
no personal animosity
no personal feeling he can
afford to leave
the finality to the
Lord but Alexander
the coppersmith
he didn't start at all
on the Christian path
and he had a very
bad ending how bad
how sad
doesn't start on the Christian path
and his
end is judgment
condemnation
eternal death
how sad having been
in touch with the apostle
the great apostle Paul
in verse 11 you have another one
Mark
Mark
I think we've met
all these kinds of individual
Mark started
well
he had a little stutter
a hiatus
and we lose sight of him
for a while
but he
ended well
one or two of us
one or two I've met make a good start
keep going
never put a foot wrong
and
appear consistent
all through their life
Mark wasn't like that
but I think it's all the
more commendable
that even though there was that
slight stutter in his
career of working for
the Lord that to him
was given the privilege
of committing to writing
the exposition
of God's
perfect servant the gospel
by Mark again
God chooses servants
differently to what we would
perhaps
I might have questioned
whether someone better fitted could
have been chosen but the Lord said
no
he started right
had a little bit of a
difficulty in the middle but he
came good again and he
finished well
let us not be discouraged
if we recognise
that we've made mistakes
done things we
regretted afterwards
it doesn't finish our
service forever
it just means that we have to pick up the threads
again and like the Nazarite
we have to let our hair
grow again and we are ready
for service once more
well he had a stutter
but he ended well
Demas
well
he made a good start
he was in that helpful
little group that went round with Paul
on his travels
but sadly having made
a good start he fizzled out
began well
but finished poorly
Demas hath forsaken me
having loved this present
world let's finish with
a good example
dear Luke
Luke the beloved physician
he's one of those cases isn't he
from when you first hear about
him he's helpful
active, diligent
available, supportive
and fully involved
in the work of the Lord
there's no reason at all
why our service
for the Lord
in the way we express our fellowship
one with another
shouldn't begin rightly
continue
steadily
it's always better to be steady
than spectacular
and then finish the days
consistent
grateful to the Lord for grace given
to continue
in the way that it is right
these examples are given
that we might be alert
to the opportunities
available, the way lives
the way service
can be patterned
and always we are reminded
the word is in our hands
the Holy Spirit
is in our hearts
and while we wait
for the Lord to come
we love his appearing
and preach
the word in season
and out of season
while we wait for him to come
let us sing
our closing hymn
3-1-6
we are by Christ redeemed
the cost his precious blood
be nothing
by our souls esteemed
like this great good
and so on
thus far by grace preserved
each moment
speeds us on
the crown and kingdom
are reserved where Christ
is gone
3-1-6
we are by Christ redeemed
the cost his precious blood
be nothing
by our souls
esteemed
like this
great good
worth
the last worth
our own
with all
its bearish
stone
and thou
Lord Jesus
our Lord
is still
the poor
our earth
and vessels
fray
the world
itself grows
old
but Christ
our precious
cross will take
and freshly
mold
he'll give
his body
fire
a fresher
mind his
own
he'll build
the whole
creation
smart
and precious
strong
thus far
by grace
preserved
each moment
speeds us
on
the crown
and kingdom
are reserved
where Christ
is
gone
when cloudless
morning shines
we shall
his glory
share
in pleasant
places
other lines
the home
of
hell
to him
our weakness
flees
through tribulation
soar
and
sees the
but of his
wings till
all below
and when
we've run the
race
and fought
the faithful
fight
we then
shall see him
face to face
with saints
in
light …