Reading
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Trust is protect.
Oldest reason?
How to play in our life, or I'll let you know when you've landed in the game for the trash can for the treasure.
Yeah, nothing has heard of this wild chicken of his dinner.
When?
2018.
Throat.
And it's time I shine where? Oh God, God for my name. We need help with the strip. Her crown.
We could look at the Second Timothy, chapter 2.
We know that the Papa Paul was seeking to encourage Timothy.
He was the next generation that was, uh, going to take the baton, so to speak, and, uh, have the responsibility, responsibility, God-given responsibility in the testimony when Paul was taken. And so in this chapter, we have instruction that was given from the heart of Paul himself to his son in the faith.
Are you happy with that portion?
Second Timothy, chapter 2.
Thou therefore, my Son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
The things that thou hast heard of me among many.
Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
No man that wore entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who have chosen him to be a soldier.
And if a man also strives for masteries, yet is he not proud except he strived lawfully? The husbandman that laboreth must be first partaker of the fruits.
Consider what I say and the Lord give the understanding in all things.
Remember Jesus Christ of the seed of David, raised from the dead, according to my gospel, wherein I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even unto bonds that the word of God is not found. Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
00:05:16
It is a faithful saying for if we be dead with him.
We shall also live with Him. If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we believe not that he abided faithful, he cannot deny himself.
These things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord, that they strive not about words to no prophet, but to the subverting of the hearers.
Study to show thyself approved unto God, a Workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
But sun, propane and vein babbling, so they will increase onto more ungodliness, and their word will eat and stop. A canker of whom is Hymenaeus and Eyelidus, who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is passed already and overthrow the faith of some.
Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure having this seal.
The Lord knoweth them that are his, and let everyone that nameeth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
But in a great house there are not only vessels of golden and silver, but also of wood and of earth, and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor sanctified, and meet for the masters use and prepared unto every good work.
We also use the lust.
But follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
But foolish and unlearning questions avoid knowing that they do gender strikes.
And the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apartment to teach, patient in meekness, instructing those that oppose, if God per adventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
This chapter really has to do with the service in the House of God, the labor as he laborers in the, uh, we know in Timothy, really that's a picture of the house in disorder in the days and the last days. And yet, uh, there was going to be a work of God that would go on for the glory of God, for the blessing of his people and, umm.
So Paul was giving this instruction to Timothy and he uses 7 examples of one that might be a labor. And, uh, I'll just, uh, mention them here at the outset so that, uh, they give a little bit of an outline of how Paul is going to address Timothy here. So in verse one, he speaks of my son, and that's a child. He was in connection with the affections of the apostle. We know that perhaps Paul preached the gospel and that Timothy heard from.
Uh, Paul?
Foam lips, the gospel of the grace of God who was saved. And so he speaks of a son and then in verse three, he speaks of a good soldier and then he speaks in verse five of a man that's striving for mastery. So he speaks, gives a little picture of one that would strive in the games, in the Olympics. And then in verse six, it's the husbandman. So it's a farmer and then a little bit later on.
He speaks of a Workman in verse 15.
That needeth not be ashamed, directly dividing the word of truth. And then a little bit later on in verse 21, he speaks of a vessel. If any man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. And then in verse 24, the servant.
Servant of the Lord must not strive. So he really the apostle desire that the work would continue in the Christian testimony and umm, because of the weakened state of things, there might not be the reception that, uh, there would be desired the reception, but the work was still to go on. And so he gives them this, these examples. And as any list in scripture is given, it's not haphazard.
00:10:12
That's what purpose with absolute accuracy. And so he's addressed. Timothy first is addressed as a son. And so it has to do with the affections and the response of our hearts that we're going to serve the Lord and have any desire at all to be a blessing to the brethren. And the support for the Christian testimony in the day that we live is going to be with a sense of the grace of God and that we're sons of God, heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ.
And so as those that desire to respond and love to the Savior.
To just minister the needs of our brethren and to strengthen the testimony in any way that we can. That's the first verse. And so he appeals to Timothy on this basis. Lovely to see the spirit of Paul in this summit. Thought that Paul might be a very hard man, very difficult man and self will. Certainly he was the beginning of his career, we know, but he was very, very tender hearted man. You read in the Scriptures of Paul weeping.
Many times he was weeping and he might have been a tough person when before he was saved, a tough persecutor of the church. But he was a very tender hearted man and the Lord worked in his life and might be.
It's noteworthy as we contemplate.
The circumstances that Paul was in at this time, he was in bonds, he was in prison. And if we back up into chapter one, he tells us something else in verse.
15 This thou knowest that all they which are in Asia He turned away from England.
Of whom are Phi jealous and homogeneous?
It doesn't say here that it turned away from Christ. So in measure, I believe there was still faith in Christ, but it wasn't the willingness to follow Paul's teaching. And Paul labored fervently in these areas, and yet we find that.
His teaching is opposed and of course, he himself. And So what I see, though, in Paul is that he is still seeking the blessings of others and he still has the Lord's interest at heart. He doesn't resent what's happening to him. And I think it's beautiful to see. And I think it's because Paul appreciated the grace of God in his own soul.
And he thinks about what he was before he was converted.
And how you say he was, uh, injurious man, And he was.
One that persecuted the Lord's people.
And yet God saves him, and he really appreciates that, that God would show favor to one who.
Least deserved it, and refers to himself as the chief of sinners.
So in writing to Timothy, I believe, uh.
Gary emphasizes importance in verse one of our chapter. Now. Therefore, my Son is strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
We need to keep in mind the favor that God has shown to you and to me.
Well, we don't deserve it. A bit of it, and we ought to be showing that kind of.
Favor to others too. You know the grace of God that it might influence our behavior towards those that are without as well as those that are within.
Is strong in the grace in Christ Jesus.
You get umm. Also you mentioned the 1St chapter. Well in the 4th chapter we have brought before us that Paul anticipated that his time was getting near the end. You have in verse chapter 4 and verse uh, six.
Where I am now, ready to be offered in the time of my departure to Japan, my release is at hand.
00:15:06
He was expecting the executioner to arrive shortly.
What's he thinking of? Is he thinking of the execution of coming?
The sinking of the burden he has for this man, Timothy.
That he'd go on.
My son, be strong from the great citizen Christ Jesus.
I think that the, uh, this chapter here is that the version, particularly in the first part of the chapter is the spiritual condition that is necessary to go on in a day of weakness too. So you have here the strong and the great citizens of Christ Jesus.
As we live, brethren, in a day when things are being given up to a shocking degree.
And, uh, it's it's it's.
For both of us that are a little bit older, we can't believe our when we see 30-40 years ago the changes that have taken place in the setting aside of the very fundamentals of Scripture.
Is there a path for God has if we can't see this, what about our dear young people coming along? Is there a path for them in this day? There is a path, brethren, and that's why the God gave us this that we that Saints of God go on and whether we're in our 70s or 60s or our 20s or younger, there's a path to go on in the grace of God. Now what I don't want to ask the question in connection with this first verse.
What is the grace that is in Christ Jesus? What is it that the apostle is referring to? He is strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
Be that He is the source of that grace for us.
Umm, all was given by Moses of great truth in diagnosis crisis.
Have the full display of the abrasive blood in the person and twice and his, uh, entrance into this world and glory. Umm.
Grace is the unmerited favor of God.
And we're subjects of it, we're trophies of it. That grace that we're showing in the, uh.
In the life of Christ, in his umm, entrance into this world.
Uh, where sin abounded, grace did much more abounded. Not the Roman Catholic.
And live there.
And so we find that.
Full exhibition of the.
Of the grace of God in the person of Christ, you say?
What about second Peter? Uh.
3 and 18.
But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen.
For those two, they linked up together those two thoughts and those verses.
Hi with umm for the second Timothy chapter 4, verse 22 really is the last words that we believe Paul wrote and uh, he mentions grace there as well. The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit, grace be with you, Amen. There are different meanings to the word grace. Uh, brother John has mentioned that, uh, grace, uh, in connection with our salvation.
Really speaks of unmerited favor of the unmerited favor of God. But then, uh, we, uh, can read of the apostle Paul and he's had the thorn in the flesh and, uh, the Spirit of God records that, uh.
The Lord told them, my grace is sufficient for thee. So he had strength, he had grace, He had energy from God himself to go through the trial. And umm, we know too that, uh, sometimes when we give thanks for our food and in the world, they'll often use the term that, uh, you can say grace. And so it means that to, to be thankful, to have a thankful spirit. So those 3 meanings generally, we can attach to that word, that English word, grace. But uh, the apostle Paul here, his last words.
00:20:11
In the day of declension that he lived in, he spoke of grace, grace be with you. And then the verse that you read, the last words of Peter that we know that he wrote, uh, he mentions grace as well, but grow in grace in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And then if we turn to the Book of Revelation, we find that the last chapter of the word of God and the last verse 21 John, the ministry of John, he speaks the same way.
Embrace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. And so there was a calm, sweet spirit in connection with the Lord and as he went through his trials and, uh, there was never any bitterness. And Paul at the end of his life doesn't speak in a bitter way at all. And we know that, uh, the Lord is working with you and I in a day that we live in, that we might not get bitter about things, that we might be thankful that we might have been given strength and grace for the day that we live in to be gracious with one another.
And, uh, it's not like we're looking at, uh, days of strength and, umm, but there should be something of Christ that you see in me and that, that, uh, I should be able to see in you. And we should be very thankful and to be very gracious with one another. And I believe this is partly what Paul was saying here to Timothy, that in a day of declension, be sure to manifest a gracious spirit, the very grace that was in Christ Jesus, and he would give the strength.
To go on that's important is that from that angle, of course, that we are. We feel like by the grace of God that we are on scriptural ground that we are gathered according to the word of God outside the systems of men. We want to become proud about that we we are. It's only the grace of God that is LED us into the path of the truth and maintained us there over the years.
Umm, many have left the ground of the truth, but it's not that we are any better. It's.
It's entirely the goodness of the Lord and His grace. So however, it is the other word of caution that.
I could not forget and that is proof also has its place and grace doesn't mean that we overlook evil in the assembly or a.
For, umm, treat, uh, sin lightly. So that's not the purpose of grace. If it has to be dealt with according to the, uh, the word of God, uh, so there has to be separation from.
What is contrary to the word of God should be done in that gracious manner, but it there is the aspect to the.
The other side, that truth must be maintained, the claims of God in his assembly, in our own personal lives. Uh, separation from what is on Prairie to the word of God. In fact, the whole chattery takes that up.
735 the first into a verse that's in Ephesians chapter 6, we have to remember who he's talking to. The first, uh, first or second Timothy, He says in verse two to Timothy, my dearly beloved son, this was a precious one. This was one who he felt a, a special affinity to and he doesn't want him to go on in his own strength. And Ephesians 6 and verse 10, he tells them, finally, my brethren.
Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
The thought of grace is there too, because grace would signify undeserved favor, unmerited favor. And it's unmerited because we are nothing, absolutely nothing, and we cannot do anything without cancer. And that's what he wants Timothy to do, to lean on him completely and fully, to trust in the Lord in all aspects of his life.
Good for us too. That's the only way really and we could produce rates practically.
Uh, when the Lord was here as a man.
He gives us the definition of phrase in Second Corinthians.
Chapter 8.
00:25:01
Verse nine it says for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he would rich, yet for your sakes he became more that he through his body might be rich. We didn't deserve any of that, but the Lord took that low place and he went to the cross of Calvary to redeem us and that really is what grace is. It's making that whole place.
And I believe in our chapter here we have, we're Speaking of service.
Aspects of service once mentioned and uh, a little further on in our chapter, it says.
After it mentions about the husband and verse 6.
Must be first partakers of the fruits. This is consider what they say the Lord give the understanding of all things. And then it says, remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel. Why does he bring the resurrection? And because it shows the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ accept the court of wheat falling on the ground and die and abideth alone. But if it die, if bringeth forth my fruit.
An order from Lord Jesus to have truth.
God that meant in obedience going to the cross and dying for us to put away our sins and that brought fruit for God's glory. And, and so it's in connection here with with these different workers that they all had to be diligent in what they did to produce, produce the fruit that was required in their occupation. It was a farmer and he was he had to work with, we know farmers today, they have to work really hard to get the crops at the end of the year to get a good profit. They got to work hard at it, telling the soil and so on.
And so I think it's instruction for for all of us, but for Timothy, that in order to be a good Workman that we need to lean on the grace of God.
For the pathway on His strength, on His grace, where we will be able to produce anything, and Christ is a perfect example for us as a man.
With that, what is often brought before us, I can hear it in the doctor. It's it's fact of the ruins that this is in the Christian testimony.
Umm, it's a different character to the first epistle. Uh, here Paul is at the end of the journey and all that they would be in Asia have turned away from him. They don't. They didn't want to walk in Paul's doctrine.
Uh, as noted today, it doesn't say they, uh, were so Christ, umm, forsook the apostle to having loved his present war, his present world, but.
The point is in the doctor, it's declension has come into the Christian testimony on every side. What is our pathway in view of that, the resurrection of Christ, Where did he see as Venus has brought before us, He saw fruition, resurrection. So in these difficult times.
We are exhorted to continue on, not to give up, and to follow the instruction the Apostle gives us here as to separation.
Within Christendom, where we're in the Bright House, we cannot get out of the great House, Uh.
And the instruction is given how we should behave ourselves in the Great House.
That separation is necessary. Well, that's anticipating what is great for us in the in this situation.
I have enjoyed, uh, thinking of this verse in this way that.
Umm, the grace that is in Christ Jesus has already been mentioned by Second Corinthians 8:00 and 9:00. How the Lord became.
For for us, in the face of opposition, how is it that I react?
When the Lord was here, he faced opposition. He was called a wine bibber and a glutton.
Somebody called you that. What would you say back?
What would I say back?
The way that we react when the flesh in US reacts to these various circumstances that come up.
00:30:02
Show is really the state of soul that I'm in, and Paul here is ministering to Timothy. Timothy, you've got to stay close to the Lord in your life because you're going to face this kind of opposition as you go on and be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
With that reference there to the Lord.
In uh, uh, remember Jesus Christ, the seed of David and the Lord went on to the end and he left it all to when he was reviled, he reviled God again. He left it. He left us an example that way. So in the face of opposition, brethren, it seems to me that the burden of the apostle Paul, he anticipates.
The difficulty that is going to come in in connection with giving up the truth of the testimony and what is the mind of God. The Scripture says consider what I say and the Lord give the understanding he tells in this verse in this chapters to vote not to strive but to be gentle that takes grace. So if you find somebody perhaps that you feel that feel different about you and connection with.
What the scripture says be careful. The spirit that we show when we talk to them, that's what I.
Enjoy in connection with this, it seems that.
He's trying to point Timothy to the Lord himself, doesn't it? If the grace is in the Lord, then to enjoy that grace you have to do with the Lord. And the anticipation is not merely of opposition, but possibly even death. And as Enoch pointed out.
And uh, verse eight, he brings up the matter of the war being raised from the dead. I just make a comment because I read this left out the word that and the word was some probably noticed that it's because they're not in there. They were added by the translators. If you read it without that, what it points to is not to remember a fact.
It's to remember the Lord Himself. What verse you're referring to Verse 8.
It should read Remember Jesus Christ as to remember the Lord Himself raised from the dead.
So as to remember the Lord himself, particularly the fact that he's raised from the dead. But it's not to remember, just the fact is to remember the Lord himself raised from the dead, because that is to give the encouragement, you know, to remember that the Lord was raised from the dead. And that he, not just that he was raised from the dead, but that he is raised. That's the point. He's alive, He's there, He's raised from the dead as the first fruits, right, of the resurrection to remind us that all who believe in him are going to be there too.
They're going to be raised too, so this is all in anticipation of the possibility of facing death for the sake of the truth.
I just mentioned that the word spirit, umm, we need to take heed to our own spirit as a modern English word that might be an equivalent is our attitude. So if you read that in connection with the Spirit, taking heed to our own spirit really is instructive. The Lord is telling us to be very careful about our attitude. So this would really harm, hinder the work of God in connection with Timothy.
If his attitude was one of superiority among his brethren, and perhaps looking down upon his brethren as they went on in unfaithfulness, but he was to really having a have a sense of his own nothingness, and of the faithfulness of Christ himself, and to go on in the same spirit of the Lord.
It's also to remember that the Lord is for us. The grace that is in Him is a reminder to be for us in verse.
Verse four of chapter one, it mentions Timothy's tears. You know, this just had to be such a just such a discouraging time.
For Timothy, you know, the one who led him to the ward, who is now in prison. People are falling away, those in Asia are leaving. His doctrine, umm, just, it must just have been a terrible, terrible time, discouragement and, and, uh, so you can see in many of Paul's words this.
00:35:02
Shoring up?
Timothy need to be shored up, so to speak.
In the face and, uh, because of this situation.
And Timothy may have been.
Becoming ashamed.
1St chapter there and Paul says that about them.
Verse 8 be not valid, therefore, ashamed of the testimony you brought up some fights about all the carnasia turned away you know and remember what these assemblies were offices and.
Smyrna and Pergamos and thyroid, thyroid and Sardis and Philadelphia and they have the SIA and we'll follow themselves with Colossus. I believe it's correct, isn't it, that they were all in Asia?
And the highest truth and great gift was there. But there is a younger Timothy now in the midst of these and.
And they're all gone away. And there's the Apostle Paul, his father in faith, in prison, and maybe he was feeling it, feeling the shame. And so Paula Patel in there, Don't be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. Rough me.
And then a little later he tells him in verse 12, I'm not ashamed. I'm not ashamed for my no, I believe it's funny. I'm through the Lord. And then to encourage him further, he brings in the ministry of Omeprazole in verse 16 and talks about him who was not ashamed of my chain. There was one in a sense, like Timothy may have been like you lied to. He thought he was the only one that was left.
And no one says there's some occipirus.
He came to Rome. He sought me out diligently and found them. And what a message that is for us in the day was for giving up. We must give up. The Apostle Paul's ministry on the Cypress sought me out diligently and found me. That's the message. In it for us is the old fast to continue that the search of this elderly ministry comes from the Apostle Paul. Seek it out and find it.
In this great sports chapter here the greatest grace for that.
But we have the advertise liners. And so it's instilling in Timothy the idea that, you know, though I'm ready to be offered. He says don't give up. Don't see some ashamed. Instead, he says in verse six, stir up the gift of God attending. It's not a time when there's apostatizing, there's backsliding on behalf of all those who were so radiant before. He says still for the individual, this is the second book, second book before last days.
And so he says there in last days, it's time to stir up the gift, be encouraged, continue that. And so this is what we have. I believe here he may have been getting a little ashamed of the testimonies.
What goes upstairs? Reproach. Isn't it the outside place?
And, uh, you can be ashamed of, uh, of our own lives sometimes, but be ashamed of the testimony of the Lord.
And to, uh, in the gospel, there's nothing to be ashamed of. We should be, uh.
Uh active and uh.
And not draw back. We we instinctively feel that the message of the gospel is not going to be reduced. We we feel that we feel the reproach. But the award would encourage us to press on boldly with.
Customer, I was thinking the second verse in our Chester here. Umm.
The Apostle.
Uh, it works, Timothy, to pass on what he has received. I think there's four generations here right before us. And uh, he was to pass on the truth in the same way in which he received it wasn't to add anything to it or change it. The things which allow us heard of me among many witnesses the same commit thou to faithfulness. It doesn't say intelligent men.
Are very gifted men.
It says faithfulness. We shall be able to teach others also. So there was a, there was a.
00:40:02
Passing on of the crew.
Always going to leave the scene.
But Timothy had diligently followed up on the teachings of Paul, right? You see that in the first First Timothy 46. If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, where unto thou hast attained. So Timothy was diligent.
In learning the doctrine that the apostle Paul had imparted to him. And now he says, you pass it on to others in the same way in which you have received it.
That it that it might continue to be ministered among the reward people.
How does that happen?
While it's not in a Bible seminary. Umm.
You have the truth in its purity, in the assembly. We can boast about anything but.
Umm, I believe that the, uh, the place of learning the truth is in the assembly.
Gathered through the Ward's name and uh, recognized that gifts have been given. A lot of the gifts that we have in the written ministry, the the brethren themselves have passed off the scene, but we do have their ministry.
In written form and that we should avail ourselves of it. And then we have teaching in the assembly. I believe that's where young people learn the truth in the assembly by by.
Availing themselves of the much precious ministry that has been left to us and and enjoying it. And then little by little, perhaps taking more responsibility in the in the gathering that that would be. I was thinking about the importance of the reading game.
A lot of times our own assembly and off the stage, maybe out, sometimes the reading.
But this is how the truth gets passed on.
And uh, Ioffer my own soul that attending the reading room.
You only picked up perhaps one valuable truth tonight. That's 52, uh.
True, you'll learn of the year and uh, you can't underestimate the importance of the reading meeting come together. This is one of the ways in which this truth was to be passed on to others. Can't pass it on. If you don't have an audience, you don't have people coming out to attendance. Can't be passed on. You can get so much of the ministry books.
But there's a value in having.
A number of brothers sitting around at a reading meeting over God's word and getting the proper meaning of the past.
Pretty valuable. I think that's very important Venus and needs to be stressed. It says, you know, in Acts chapter 2, they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine in fellowship, breaking your bread and prayers. And we're living in a day, I think, where the meetings are being neglected, just to be honest, Uh, the breaking of bread most come out to, but umm, the prayer meeting, the reading meeting are being neglected.
And, uh, we need to be together over the word, don't we? And in prayer, how can we expect things to continue if we neglect these things? So I think what you're pointing out is very important.
It's really a language. I'm sorry. I can, uh, if I can say the, the last, the last statements on 1St 2 here is also great importance. Umm, you think of who is the son of a missionary who, uh, was speared at the handed off Indians and who's playing? He wrote a book called the great omission and he, he says how not only is teaching the word of great importance, but also teaching to teach.
So, umm, in a sense, like there's a statement that goes, you know, if you, if you give a man fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime. But if you teach that man to teach, that's kind of a third element of you, you see the nation for a lifetime. So.
Not only should we teach the word, but umm, and but we should teach people to teach. There's that sense that the multiplying effect. I think that can happen here when people are positive that we, we get at the end of the first, so.
00:45:12
That's how the chain works, isn't it? You know, we're taught ourselves the truth and we can pick up that truth mentioned in the reading me a lot of the truth they're not together as we sit around read the word of God.
And then?
Those that receive that truth are able to pass it on to others. And so it's a.
Continuous lengthy might say.
To begin with, Paul and uh, Paul having umm, received something from a risen head glory and umm, it says that of Timothy that Don has heard of me among many witnesses. So it doesn't mean specifically that Paul sat Timothy down and said, now listen, I want to tell you about this and went through a whole course structure. It was as Paul ministered the truth, as you might say in a reading meeting, as Paul ministered the truth.
To others, Timothy was there, he heard what Paul said, and it's necessary for us to go to the place where Paul's ministry is upheld and it's honored, it's read, it's ministered in its faithfulness. So as you say, it's also necessary to identify others that might be exercised in their souls as to going on in all of the truth of God and to deliver, to teach, to deliver some of that.
Truth to them I just might point out that Paul's ministry there's four real key points to Paul's ministry he's not Speaking of something that's really.
Fast and undefinable. He's speaking very specifically to Timothy here. And so Paul's, uh, ministry largely takes up four different points. One is that, that we're in Christ, that, umm, you know, that little, uh, expression that Paul uses, that we're in Christ.
Is not used by Timothy, uh, by umm, the other apostles in the same way. And so it's really we're associated with Christ in the glory in Christ. We're part of that heavenly scene. We're not part of the earthly scene. And then he speaks of the great mystery as well. The second point and uh, in connection with the Christ in the church and we're Paul taught that, uh, Peter didn't teach us, uh, Peter taught other things, but.
And John is, uh, given to, uh, in his ministry to teach us of how to maintain communion and so on. But Paul teaches us about the mystery.
And then he also teaches us about the rapture in tells us about the change that's going to take place in First Corinthians chapter 15, some details there. And he teaches us in First Thessalonians chapter four, he teaches us about the rapture and the sequence of events that will take place and so on. That's unique to the apostle Paul. And then the other thing is he speaks of the Lord's Supper and the emblems on the table, what they need the Lord instituted. He gave the seed plot of the remembrance of the Lord.
But Paul goes into detail on who teaches the distinct meaning of the loaf that represents the body of Christ and so on. And they cop on the table. That is the it's not a cup of suffering. That's not a cup of judgment. This really has to do with blessing and communion, our communion with God on the basis of that shed blood of Christ. So this is the same commit thou to faithful men.
Who shall be able to teach others also? Now each one of those doctrines the enemy is seeking to destroy today, every single one of them. We talked to a Christian on the street. You identify someone in the airport and reading the Bible and go over and talk to them and, and pretty soon you find out that they have no idea when the Lord's coming. They thought they did before, but now someone's teaching something different. They have absolutely no idea. So Paul taught this doctrine. It's necessary to know it and to enjoy it, to savor it and to.
Minister of faithfully and lovingly in the Assembly and then to go on with the next generation.
And I think that's the key.
The real key is, uh, to administer, uh, that truth, uh, with love. And if we read and, uh, you know, in First Corinthians, the greatest belief that Jesus loved, you know, faith, hope and charity. And, uh, if we're doing something with an agitated spirit in the assembly, it's not going to accomplish anything for the Lord whatsoever. It's just going to drive, uh, the person that you're agitated with away. And, uh.
00:50:13
The person who feels that agitation because.
In fact, Christian is agitated. Uh, and they're going after, uh, the other, uh, the other people in the assembly. I mean, you know, they're gonna feel it and it's gonna drive them further away and, uh.
I heard, I read the ministry, umm, I, I figured which brother had said it, but, uh, in his ministry, very godly brother. And uh, he said unless something is red out of sin, let's keep him more forward, you know, and uh, not to be going with that person, pointing out the faults and picking on them and driving them away.
And uh, J&B said. Uh, you get a touch of the heart. You can touch the heart.
Conscience only just driving the trees like the first centers, you know, And I was just thinking of the love that the Lord had, you know, and, uh, he's giving us that mandate to, uh, to show that love to others. And, uh, you know, if we see something that's, uh, irritating, uh, another Christian is doing, but, umm, and all, all things do all things with a partiality, you know, partiality as well. I got one rule for myself and I got one rule for everybody else, you know?
Yeah, and, umm, you know, that just amounts up to, uh, like the Farazies, they were hypocrites and I didn't even know it, you know, because, uh, they had a, they had one rule for themselves and for everybody else, you know, and even they put the Lord down, you know. But anyway, I was just thinking of John 13. I'll just read it quickly. He rises from supper when they decide the Germans, his Germans are the Germans of the low in Cassia, you know, and, uh, so gentle.
He took a towel and girded himself.
And wash their feet and, uh, then, you know, he and verses 15. So I've been giving you an example, but you should do as I have done to you. Look, we all have faults, you know, I have more faults, I think, than anybody talking through. And I feel it and, umm, but when you know, when you see Christians picking another Christians, you know, for some heavy little things, you know.
It just drives those Christians away. And, uh, if you're talking about behind their back, that's going to drive them away because, uh, if we're talking about people and, uh, you know, uh, you know, picking on, let's say somebody's children, you know, without the knowledge of the parents, you know, and the children are going to go back and tell their parents what happened. That's, that's, that's just normal. But that drives people away. And, uh, the apostle Paul, I, I love this in, uh, second Corinthians in Chapter 7, the apostle Paul.
Umm, he's so gentle, he's so much like the Lord, uh.
And the disciples, you know, they argued and they fought and, and, uh, things like this. And we know that, you know, and, uh.
Anyway, Second Corinthians in chapter UH-7 and umm, of course this is real soon that was in the assembly and the the brother had to be put away, you know.
Uh, but Paul, Paul felt so bad about it, you know, and uh, he thought that he was too harsh on them, but I couldn't know if it wasn't because, umm.
But anyway, but Paul was going through verse five in Chapter 7 for when we were, uh, coming to Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side without the fightings within our fears. Nevertheless, God, that comfort those that were cast down. The apostle Paul was cast down, you know, and the Lord had to bring him to that situation in his life where he, he brought out the love that he had for those Corinthians. They were very wealthy people, Christians and.
You know, in chapter 12, he has to advance and say, examine yourself the CGB in the face because they were going on with a set sin, you know, and uh, these weren't false. This was sin. And so, uh, we read here, umm.
It's just so lovely. Umm.
He was so cast down and, uh.
Umm, in verse seven, and not by the coming only, uh, but by the constellation wherewith he was comforted in you when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning your fervent mind toward me so that I rejoiced the more. For though I gave you story with the letter, I do not repent, though I did repent. And you know, he felt bad, You know, he felt was that too hard on him? He really, really bothered. He wasn't self-righteous, not one little bit. And.
00:55:08
You know professing Kristen Kristen thinks of the apostle Paul being hired man and of course, even on our own natures and.
And, umm.
Uh, brother and 1800, she said this uh, mighty man used a driving to gather Thorazam until the end of his life and used money to the Lord. He said, umm, we all have a tendency, uh, naturally speaking to think of the Lord as a austere man. Now an austere man is very hard. He's got a set of rules. You follow them, and if they don't follow them exactly to his specifications, that man will get angry.
In the spirit and everybody feels it and, uh.
But the Lord doesn't want us to have that spirit where we're angry all the time with people, you know? But, umm.
And then in verse 8, four, I think it made you so sorry with other I do not pretend so I do repent, for I perceive that the same epistle has made you sorry, though it were. But for a season he really felt bad. And then verse nine. Now I rejoice not that you were made sorry, but that you sorrow to repentance. For you remain sorry after a godly manner that you might receive.
That you might receive the damage by us in nothing.
And so he was so concerned. And then the first hand for godly sorrow work with repentance to salvation.
But anyway, umm, I just want to mention that, uh, you know, uh, this brother that was, you know, the, they were, they wouldn't forgive them, you know, And uh, they, they still, uh, you know, they were being ungodly themselves, I mean, but not forgiving him and bringing him back into the polls. And, uh, but the biggest thing is, uh, Paul had this great love.
He had such a love. He was just so, so afraid that he independently too far and was too hard on him. But of course he wasn't. And, uh, we know that he was such a gentleman and.
We have it on the beginning of the chapter. He was so gentle and, uh, I think he was.
The most gentle Christian I ever lived.
I, I always think of that and uh, the Lord, he is so gentle and uh, we only began to taste his love.
I'd like to add a little different thought in connection with the second verse here that.
I got it when I was kind of reviewing by an uncle of mine. Time Buchanan.
When I was talking to him about our children were younger, about coming to the meeting and that there wasn't much in the meeting for them, I felt that the minister was getting down to the proper level.
And in his own blood way, he said to me it is not the responsibility of the assembly to bring up your children.
Your responsibility that God has given and He referred me to take a minute and turn to Deuteronomy Chapter 11.
Uh, versus, uh, I think we're somewhat familiar with Deuteronomy Chapter 11 and verse 18.
Therefore thou shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand.
That they need the front desk between your eyes. And you shall teach them your children. Speaking of them.
Citizen Thine House, when the walkers by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest suffering, thou shalt break them upon the doorposts of thine house, and upon thy gates, that your days may be multiplied in the days of your children in the land which the Lord swear unto your Father to give them at the days of heaven upon the earth, so you can see easy at night.
Those verses that the the principal in the Old Testament was that the that the father, particularly mother and I I don't want to leave the mother because mine, I, I-1 feels the.
New parents here that that are have young children.
01:00:00
Uh, and you want your children to go on to please the Lord?
Here's the instruction. Here's the instruction for the fathers. And you know, it's not just the teaching of them, but do the parents, do the children see in us that it's something that fills our lives and that means something to us when we walk by the way, do they see that it's the days of heaven upon the earth? Well, I just bring that out as additional thing our one feels out.
Important the assembly is but.
Here's the home to be brought in as well. I think it's important as well.
If I just very much appreciate you saying that and I'd just like to comment maybe a little bit practically on it.
Umm, first of all, if you just go back to first Timothy chapter.
Four for a moment.
In verse 13, Paul said Timothy, he said, Till I come give attendance to the reading, to exhortation.
And to doctor the exhortation is the umm.
The, the practicing, if you will, of, of what you've read. And you know, there, I think back 30 years ago, first of all, just to comment on reading generally, uh, dumbbell Sally at, at his camps enforced very strictly a 15 minute rule that when you went to bed at night, you had to read your Bible for 15 minutes. It left in a powerful impact on my life and it's been a tremendous, umm, exercise to me, especially in the last.
Few years, about how much? First of all time I devote and I challenge all the young men here today, especially who are in their 30s and 40s and younger too. How much time in a day do you devote to the reading of the Bible?
But then there's the exhortation parts and what you just said. And the reason I bring this up is that I do believe that there's a lot to be gained if I can put this personally for someone, say my age, to listen to the ministry of the older brethren who are here in this room and generally. So where do we, if we don't maybe have quite so much opportunity, shall we say, to exhort in the assembly? It's good to learn. Where do we, where do we put it to practice?
In the home is a tremendous place to start and I want to share something personally about what happened to me this morning. I make this really interesting alive to people. We had an argument in our house, not an argument, but a discussion about.
Clothing and what my children should wear today. And why do we have one standard for Saturday and why another?
We're not going to bring that up here today. This will be a diversion and it's not why I bring it up.
It's questions like that that come from your wives and your children.
That as men and there's gonna be fathers here in this room very soon, forced us into the Scriptures to dig and to find the answers. They may say, well, why do you believe this about the assembly when I'm hearing from my Christian friends or at school something different that gives us an opportunity to study and to dig and to exhort and teach in our own house and.
And that's really important. And so I just appreciate you sharing that.
My whole, uh, father, when I read those statements was we have to do with love and there's some things we just can't do that, Uh, I can't go after somebody else's children and say, well, look, you're, you're, let's see, maybe chewing on gum or something, you know, and we'll have to, you know, and, uh, that's, that's just drives that, that child away. But, uh, it's not proper because they're not the parent of that child. And, uh.
They should say anything. It should go to the parenthood that much, you know, some little thing, but, umm, The thing is, uh, if it's not done well and uh, you know, umm, it's not, it's not going to come to anything. But what makes us want to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord is to hear lovely things about him and to get occupied with his love to us and not our love to him, you know, like.
We have a tendency to do that and, uh, all of us, we have a tendency think, oh, uh, you know.
A lot of people, I, I shouldn't say all of us, but there's some people, I think they're more than others. Like, uh, and I just wanna ask the question and, uh, are there two classes of Christians, uh, calling the older brethren to answer that question? Are there two classes of Christians?
01:05:18
The one thing that comes to mind immediately with me is a brother that said years ago, God has no favorites in his family.
There's nothing. There's another, uh, point here that we'd like to very briefly comment is that, uh.
Timothy's address is my son. And so he had the liberty to come into Paul's presence. You think of the mighty Apostle Paul, and here he has a young man, Timothy. He was a little older now, but uh, Paul was about to say, uh, pass off the scene, but it's a wonderful thing. I'd encourage you young brothers, younger men in the faith that have an exercise to go on in the truth of God, to search out some of those older brothers that are still among us and sit in their presence and to invite them to your home. Umm.
I can tell you.
Umm with loving remembrance of the occasions that I invited Brother Gordon to our home and spend a little time with him, I can tell you of times when I was in brother UMM.
Heinz Brickman's home spent some time over the word. I can tell you different ones. I felt liberty, perfect liberty to be in their homes and to be in their company and to open up the scriptures and ask them about symbols. Perhaps you might say hard questions, difficult passages. Enjoyed it tremendously as a young man. And I just encourage you, those of us that are older, perhaps in the faith ought to make our younger brethren feel welcome and to.
Be able to open up these passages because it says commit or entrust thou to faithful men. And so now there's responsibility. If we have something entrusted to us, it means that we have responsibility connected with it. And the Lord is going to hold us accountable for what we do with what is entrusted to us. So let's enjoy it. Let's pass it on to one another. Let's.
With profit, spend time together in the presence of the Lord and go over the epistles.
Paul's doctrine it was. Paul gives it to us in a very orderly fashion.
One quick comment connection with this second verse. Again, there's no Apostolic succession mentioned or no, no, uh, coordination of ministers.
The This is the apostle Paul that's leaving the sea.
There's none of them that's man made.
So The thing is, that's particularly important in connection with Acts 20. You remember, uh, Paul was more or less saying goodbye to the elders of Ephesus, doubting whether he'd see them again. He didn't, umm, talk about appointing elders to continue. He says, I commend you to God and to the word of his grace. And so that's what we need, isn't it, in his last days, the word of God and the Spirit of God to guide us.
We don't have any, uh, postulates succession and therefore we don't have anyone that has the power of ordaining, uh, an elder in the assembly gaining to anything as far as that goes. That was entirely a fostolic authority. But we do have those that morally take that position of an elder in the assembly and we recognize, we honor them in that position, but we don't, they're not ordained to.
I'm not a.
In fact, there's no argument when it comes to a gift, but even in an office, there's not ordaining. Now, we don't ordain, but we do recognize those that have that moral, uh, moral authority in our midst. Is that right?
A faithful man is one that I believe gives out that which God gives. And you know the Apostle Paul, he spoke about how.
That which I have received with the Lord.
Have I delivered unto you?
So he was a.
You might say a clean conduit for the truth of God, and he passes it on and he wants to see that happen.
In Timothy, and he wants Timothy to be passing down to those that well. Later in the chapter speaks about vessels that are sanctified.
01:10:10
To meet for the master's use. But I noticed when I go to uh, these fast food places.
If I get a drink, I like a straw and those straws, they're wrapped in paper individually and I feel good about that, you know, uh.
Well, the point is what goes in the end of the straw.
You hope is the same that's going to come out the other end and it destroys and wraps up. I I don't go to somebody's table. It's had a drink and there's a straw laying there. I pull it out of the empty cup and start drinking. No, I go to one that's wrapped up because that's a clean straw and I feel that.
Confidence to drink out of it, you know. So I think faithful men are important, aren't they? And speaks to my own heart that we might consider who it is that we're listening to.
And who it is that we're reading?
Fair time's up.
We've seen 172.
Will teach us more of my blessed ways.
The holy Lamb of God, fixed and rooted in thy grace, as those redeemed my blood. 172.
Oh, say just more.
Can you get that straight down? And blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah blah.
Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.