That day

… Paul to Titus It's just, sorry, no, 2nd Timothy, sorry, 2nd Timothy. Just 2 verses therein that come before me, 2nd Timothy, verse 6 speaking, 3 verses, chapter 1, chapter 1, verse 12. Well really you've got to read verse 11 to get the bearing of it. The gospel to which I have been appointed a herald and apostle and teacher of the nations, for which cause also I suffer these things. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep for that day that which I have committed unto him. And down in verse 17, But being in Rome, Onesiphorus sought me out very diligently and found me. May the Lord grant to him to find mercy from the Lord in that day. And how much service he rendered in Ephesus you know best. And then in chapter 4, chapter 4 and the verse, well really I think we were at the beginning of verse 6 just to get the context. For I am already being offered or poured out, and the time of my departure or release has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth the crown of righteousness is laid up for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will render to me in that day. And not only to me, but also to all who love his appearing. It was just the thought of that day. Because you know, for Paul, there were only two days. This day and that day. What about the rapture? Oh, that wasn't a day. The rapture is the entry into eternity, isn't it? God's eternal day. We didn't touch the day of God this afternoon, did we? We had the day of Christ, we had the day of Jesus, we had the day of the Lord Jesus, we had the day of Jesus Christ, we had the day of Christ. We didn't have the day of God. Day of God. Time shall cease to be. Time shall cease to be. Day of God. Anyway, it was two days that affected the Apostle Paul. I felt, although it was some very precious matters this afternoon on about the day of Christ, the day of Jesus Christ, wonderful day that to think about. As it said, the day of display. The day of display. And it's wonderful to think about that. The wonderful day when the Lord Jesus will have his rights owned in this scene. This world has rejected him, will be compelled to own and honor him. What a great and wonderful day it is. And you know, as you look through scriptures, you find that it's in the Old Testament in particular, you get most of the wonderful descriptions of that day. Think particularly of Psalm 72, don't we? King shall fall down before him. Golden incense bring. All nations shall adore him. Yes. What a wonderful day of display it will be. He'll be there. King of kings and Lord of lords. Owned with universal power and adoration. And of course, in that lovely chapter of Revelation 21, we see the bride, his compliment for that day, coming out in display. The bride, you notice the bride, the lamb's wife. Bride, the lamb's wife. We are always reminded, aren't we, that it's one of the puzzles, or not really a puzzle, but about the church, that she's a wife before she's a bride. And then she comes out in that day of display as the bride, the lamb's wife. The two terms are put together. And of course, in eternity, she'll no longer be the wife, she'll just be the bride, you see. Because a bride is a bride for a day, isn't she? And of course, eternity is God's eternal day. So the church will be a bride in all eternity. But she'll be there, and we see that wonderful picture of that heavenly city. And it all reflects the glory of Christ, all his beauty, his splendor, all these things coming out in him. And it finishes by saying, no light nor temple seen there. God and the lamb are the light and temple of it there. And beloved Mr. Darby, as usual, captures it in his hymn 79, doesn't he? God and the lamb, my soul, you see. It says, there only to adore my soul its joy shall find. Radiant hosts forever share the unveiled mystery. That wonderful day of display. But of course, there is a responsibility connected with it. And it seemed to me very much in this afternoon's reading that that was why the beloved Apostle Paul was bringing forward the day. The beauty, the order of it, the preciousness of it would weigh upon us. But it will be a day of reward for those who've been faithful to the Lord in this scene. And so for the Apostle Paul, he was very much stressing that day. Yes, wonderful the rapture it is that we're going to be with Christ forever. But you see, we would then just maybe if all we thought about was the rapture and we get into a holy huddle and we just all get together. And we wouldn't worry about a Christian life or service or anything like that. We'd all be ring-a-ring-a-rosies, hush-a-hush-a, we'd all fall down. You see things like that, that would be our style. But no, we are called here to serve. We are saved to serve. And of course, obviously the highest form of service is in worship and praise. But we are also to serve in many other ways. And we're here to reach out to souls around. And of course, to minister to other fellow saints. Not to pat ourselves on the back and think, oh dear, I've got the wonderful truth. I've got all Mr. Darby's writings and all Mr. Kelly's writings here. I've got a space there for Macintosh's writings and things like that. No, no, that's very good if you have them. But, you know, when I was a young believer, I think I was only about 17, I do remember a brother, he was a blind brother. But this brother used to feel his way around the tenements of Edinburgh giving out tracts, you know, up and down the stairs. And he says, you know, he says, what we need is the truth not just in our books, but in our boots. So we must have the Christian truth coming out in our boots. And so, you see, that's why I feel the Apostle Paul was stressing very much this matter of that day, what's going to come out in that day. And here, of course, in this second epistle to Timothy, we had, of course, Philippians this afternoon. And God willing, hopefully, if we are left here for another few days, it was mentioned it was a prison epistle. There are those that seem to think there was two spells of Paul in prison with possibly about 18 months, two years between. But I don't go into that. Here again is prison epistles from Paul. The first and second letters to Timothy, the letters to Titus and Philemon. And but it does seem, of course, that they were written even later than Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians. And most of those that seem to delve into these things think that this letter was the last of Paul's writings. And here he writes here of this this letter, a second one to Timothy. In the first one, he had spoken to him and said that they might know how to behave yourself in the house of God, which is the pillar and base of the truth. And here, of course, things had got broken down and what was the house of God had just become a great house. And in this second epistle to Timothy, we have where we read in verse 12, a wonderful persuasion, an indomitable persuasion here with the Apostle Paul. In chapter two, we have an immovable foundation. And in chapter three, we have an infallible guide. The Holy Scriptures, don't we? An infallible guide. And in chapter four, where we read, we have an imperishable hope. I trust you, dear young brethren. I've got that again, that bit of alliteration there. These things stay with you. And so here the Apostle Paul had been speaking of the, again, of the persecutions that he had. And he was appointed a herald, not just to mumble a few words here and then, but he really sent it out, proclaimed it, gave it right out, preacher of the gospel. But he was an apostle and teacher of the nations. Now, we're not all called, perhaps, to be heralds or apostles or teachers. But we're called in measure to make known the glorious gospel and the incorruptible gospel. And the Apostle said he suffers these things, but he was not ashamed. And of course, in any measure that we stand out for the gospel today and for the Christian testimony, we will be, we will suffer. But this didn't worry Paul. He wasn't ashamed of this. He says, for I know, I know whom I have believed. Not necessarily in whom I believe, but he says, I know the person I believed. Knowing the certainty of that person. Not only had he believed in him, he had believed on him, but he had actually got the person before him. I know whom I have believed. And he was persuaded that he is able, oh, the wonderful ability of the Lord Jesus Christ, his great ability. He's able to keep, he's been able to save. Hebrews is able to save to the uttermost, right through, right through. He's able to save and he's able to keep for that day, that day. And there, of course, there's no question that will be kept for eternity, for heaven. But it is as our testimony, our position, our testimony will be kept for that day. And the Apostle Paul was certain, convinced of it. And if we go in for these things, then what we've committed to the Lord Jesus Christ, our souls and well-being, not our eternal soul in the eternal sense of it, but our responsible side, that's been committed to him. We've placed it in the bank, in the bank. And the Lord Jesus, we might, if I might, I don't want to be irreverent, but he's the very best bank manager. There was lots of complaints in the papers, isn't there, about the banks and things like that. There's no complaint about the Lord Jesus Christ. There's a certain good rate there, and there'll be a very good rate of interest paid to the full. I'm told about a brother in Tyneside that used to preach the gospel, you know, down there. Of course, there was lots used to preach the gospel down there, and some still do, thankfully. And one heckler said, how many half-crowns you get for that? Now, for the sake of the young ones, to see a half-crown was before we had tenpences, you know, pennies and things like that. And there was this coin, it was like twelve and a half P, now today, and it was known as a half-crown, you see. And the heckler said, how many half-crowns you get for that? And the brother, as old Tynesiders as we are, he was ready for it. He had the answer, and he said, oh, my Lord doesn't deal in half-crowns. He gives us full crowns, full crowns. And that silenced the heckler. You see, the man was on fire for the Lord. So anyway, the Lord Jesus will give a good and full reward in any service that we do for him. So he will keep, for that day, that day, the deposit I have entrusted to him. And so, then further down, a very responsible matter. We don't quite know what had happened about Onesiphorus. It must have been that he perhaps maybe turned away from the Lord. It says, all who are in Asia have turned away from me. And sadly, of course, there are many today, not just in Asia, but in Europe and North and South America, India and other places, who have turned away from the teaching of the Apostle Paul. They've set it aside in all sorts of ways and said, oh, well, you know, that's just him. He was a misogynist and things like that, you know, and, you know, and they've gone away from the real truth of the one body. It's all believers are formed into one body and the truth of the headship of Christ and the responsibility. A lot of these very vast teachings, these correct teachings, you find it so often when you meet and talk with people, there's always a departure from the teaching that God gave to the Apostle Paul. They departed from and it may well be that Onesiphorus was one of those that had got caught up in this. And maybe not quite as badly as Phagellus and Hermogenes, but he perhaps sided with them. I thought, well, maybe what they're saying, there may be something in what they say, you know. And anyway, he did refresh the Apostle Paul often. Very blessed thing to refresh the Apostle Paul. Philemon did so to refresh the saints. A very, very necessary calling, dear saints of God, you know, to refresh the saints. Very, very blessed thing to be refreshed. And he says he's not been ashamed of my chain. Even in Rome, where the Apostle Paul, of course, was in prison. He sought him out. Well, he just didn't give him one phone call over there. I left a phone message. No, no, he sought him out diligently. He wanted to make sure that he got in contact with the Apostle Paul. And, you know, a brother wrote recently about diligence, things that we need to be diligent about. And it's a very good thing to seek the saints out diligently and found them. And so he says the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord in that day. So perhaps there was something that was wrong there. But the Apostle Paul desired that he would find mercy from the Lord in that day. And he says he's rendered much service. So perhaps the Lord would mention to him at that review just where he had fallen short and how he hadn't adjusted himself correctly. But there was that diligence and caring and looking for the Apostle Paul that would be something that would give him a reward. And he would find mercy from the Lord in that day, the lordship of Christ. And then another reference, very blessed one. Again, very familiar one in Chapter 4. The Apostle Paul speaking and saying, I am being poured out. I better not say too much about that because, God willing, we should have that in a reading if the Lord leave us here presently. In Philippians 2, being poured out. It's basically the drink offering. Andrew there has a booklet, hasn't he, on the drink offering. So, God willing, Andrew, we're looking for great things from you on Monday in the elaboration of the drink offering. Drink offering, pouring out. And he says the time of my departure or my release. He thinks of it as a release. And he says I have fought the good fight. I have fought the good fight. Perhaps a great thing to be fighting the good fight. There's only one fight. We had that this afternoon. There's only one fight. We're all in it. And to do it well, legitimately. And finish the race. Finish the race. And kept the faith. We've had the faith committed to us. Help us to hold it and keep it. And also, as we keep the faith, let us be kept by the faith. It's not only a question of keeping the faith, but to get by it. And to hold to it. And so, he said, henceforth. Translated henceforth. Though it's usually finally. It's the same word as we have finally in many of the other scriptures. We have it twice in Philippians. Finally. Finally, the crown of righteousness is laid up for me. I won't take a great deal of time. We won't get into all the various crowns there are. It's the crown of righteousness. God's righteousness because of the way the apostle had served him. It was righteous of God to give him a crown. And it's laid up for me. Which the Lord. Again, the Lordship of Christ. The righteous judge. He will judge righteously. As we stressed again this afternoon. It's not well done, good and successful servant. It's well done, good and faithful servant. It's according to the faithfulness which dear saints have been into. I was reminded of that William Carey, the great missionary. Who served the Lord in India. In the late 18th, early 19th century. William Carey. Maybe not all of you, but a lot of them have heard of him. I think he was an Irishman. Many have heard of him. But not very many may have heard of Mary Carey. She was his sister. Bedfast. Hidebound. Bedbound. But she prayed night. She prayed morning, noon and night for her dear brother. In India. That was her service. You see. So, you know, there are those that are minding the stuff and praying, you know. I always remember a brother used to speak about in the colliery where he worked. That there was a power station and that was the powerhouse. There was a powerhouse to power all the colliery. And he used to bring it home to us. That the prayer meeting is the power meeting. And that's the strength of your meeting. Maybe a hundred at the breaking of bread. What, twenty or so, thirty at the prayer meeting. Two or three prayers. You know, that gives you the strength of the meeting, doesn't it? That tests the strength of the meeting. In Acts 2, doesn't it? Continued selflessness and apostleship. In breaking of bread. Was that all? Not in prayers. In prayers. So we need these four anchors, doesn't it? We need the four anchors. In Acts 27, doesn't it? They cast four anchors out of the stern. So we need these four anchors. And we need prayer very much. So anyway, it says he will render to me in that day. In that day, yes. There's going to be reward for the apostle Paul. Well, we know, of course, that we won't have any reward like that. But in any measure which we've gone in for him. There will be some reward, you see. Because he says, not only to me. But also unto all who love his appearing. I challenge your hearts. I challenge my own heart. Do I love his appearing? I know we are longing to see his blessed face and to be with him. But do we love his appearing? As we've got really before us that wonderful day of display. And the Lord Jesus will be supreme in this earth. And any nations that don't come up to celebrate the feast of ingathering at the end. There'll be no rain upon them. How wonderful this world will be administered. And everything there bowing the knee before him. And that wonderful day of display. Do we love that appearing? You know, the late Queen Mother. She was once asked about what was her greatest day. And of course obviously on the day in April in 1923 when she was married. She said, that was my greatest day. But she said, I think on the 12th of May 1937. When I stood on the balcony of Buckingham Palace beside my husband. Just been crowned King George VI. She said, that was a great day too. He was then, wasn't he? He was Emperor of India. And he owned Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada. Were all his subjects. And the populace there owning him. And she said, that was a great day too. Maybe not matching her wedding day. But nonetheless she saw a great day. And of course that's only a very, very poor analogy dear friend, dear brethren. With the wonderful fact of the Lord in that day. This earth, this world, it's trying to do without him. And more and more doing away with him. Men getting worse and worse in their antagonism of the Lord Jesus. And forgetting about him. As he said, they're going to bow their knee in that day. Every knee shall bow before him. And they'll be subject to him. And they'll be owned with the universal order in that day. And do we love his appearing dear saints of God. It searches my heart very often. Do I love his appearing? And I trust indeed that as we think of that day. That it may search us as to do we love his appearing. …