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Could we sing 191?
Still in.
I thought our father we.
Just look today for this time you set aside for the reading of Thy word. This next hour you commit the time today. We look today for the leading of Thy Spirit again. We pray for each one of us that we would have years to hear Thy words and.
We just ask this now.
In the blessed name, the Lord Jesus.
Continue with Second Timothy, chapter 2.
Save or save? Yeah.
Second Timothy chapter 2 verse starting with verse 8.
Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel.
Wherein I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even unto bonds, but the word of God is not born well, therefore I endure all things for the elect sake, that they may also obtain the salvation, which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
It is a faithful saying, For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with them. If we suffer, we shall also reign with him. If we deny him, he will also he will also deny us.
If we believe not yet the abide is faithful, he cannot deny himself.
But 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 Sean profane and vain babbling, for they will increase unto more ungodliness, and the word will eat, as doth a canker of whom is Hymenaeus and Philitus.
Who concerning the truth of earth, saying that the resurrection is passed already?
And overthrow the fate of some.
Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth. Shore having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his, and let everyone that name it the name of Christ, depart from iniquity.
Fought in a great house, there are not also only vessels of gold and silver, but also wood, never some to honor, 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 is prepared up to every good work.
Also youthful us, but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace with them to call upon the Lord out of a pure heart.
Foolish and unlearned questions avoid knowing that they do gender stripes.
Servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men. Apartment to teach, patient in meekness, instructing those that oppose themselves.
If God, her adventure will give them repentance to the acknowledgement, acknowledging of the truth, that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by them as his will.
The.
Before Timothy these very practical.
Expectations. Really.
And charges he brings in this this verse.
Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David.
Was raised from the dead according to my Gospel and the new translation said remember Jesus Christ raised from among the dead.
Of the seed of David, according to my glad tidings and I would love to hear others but.
She's Jesus Christ.
Is, you know, anointed 1.
00:05:01
David speaks of this really kingship.
Raised from among the dead.
You know that.
The Lord was crucified, rejected, but raised up.
According to my gospel and you know.
There were times this is one of the places where God where Paul refers to not the gospel, but my gospel.
And this is what I'd love to hear. Other comments, but really false ministry.
Was.
So much.
Illuminated and instructed by the knowledge of Jesus Christ, the Rejected 1.
And going on in this world as belonging to him, the one who was rejected as a part of as the heavenly body of Christ. And so.
You know, it's just interesting. It's near the reference. It's not the gospel. There's my gospel.
So Paul had a certain line of teaching.
That he was given by God and then he was faithful with. But really in so many ways it has to do with the heavenly calling of the believer going on.
As belonging to a resurrected but rejected Christ.
I'd love to hear some comments on this.
I just appreciate that like, like, like you read from Dougherty and other good translations have it that way as well. It's not so much remember a fact, but it's really remember a person. So that person being Jesus Christ and he's just been talking about enduring hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. And I take it that.
He lays before them an example in the Lord Jesus, the one who endured hardness, one who suffered, and we can be thankful there are many soldiers who have to follow generals.
Who never saw combat and who never had to go through the toil and the trenches and whatever.
It was the West Point that graduated, became officers and flew a desk for a while, and now they're commanding soldiers.
Difficult for them to relate to those soldiers experiences when they command them, you know, want you to go take position act. And we can be thankful that we don't have we're not serving someone like that. We're serving one who went far beyond anything that we will ever be expected to go through. And then he also sets before them himself in verse 9, wherein I suffer trouble as an evildoer even unto bond.
So he also Paul, the apostle Paul, who is saying this is also not one who is, you know, just preaching from a desk, if you will. He's one who is he's been in the field, he knows what it's like that he's telling us to to follow those same footsteps.
Along that line and.
Colossians chapter one, verse 24, it says now I rejoice in sufferings for you. I'm reading from the Darby translation and I fill up that which is behind of the tribulations of Christ in my blessings for his body, which is the assembly.
So.
It was the body that was paramount, and Christ.
Had shown how paramount it was in the giving of himself at the cross, and Paul sees his own tribulations as as the same outworking.
Of Christ on behalf of the assemblies.
And as far as my gospel, it goes on to say in Colossians.
Of which I became minister, that is, of the assembly according to the dispensation of God, which has given me towards you to complete the word of God. The mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, but has now been made manifest to His Saints, to whom God would make known what are the riches of the glory of His mystery among the nations.
00:10:15
Which is Christ in you? The hope of glory? That was false gospel.
Encouraging in verse 10 to see the care that Paul has towards the elect.
That would include you and I think you really had a care towards.
Obviously was the folks done too, but.
He was willing to endure all things.
In their state, because he recognized that he had something that was valuable, so he was willing to give up his own comfort, his own advantage.
Things that He had in the flesh for others for their blessing that they could have the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. And He had seen that Himself. And so to Him it was worth it what He was going to suffer because He wanted others to be able to have what was so valuable to Him.
And say being alone in prison, having your friends all forsake you is worth something. Well, it was the eternal glory, the salvation that he recognized was worth it. It wasn't comfortable. It wasn't glamorous, wasn't something that others would look on in the flesh and say, wow, I wish I could be like you. No, it was like faith.
That you perceive these things and was willing to take up this supper even as an evil doer, not being one, you know, we might suffer a speeding ticket because we're speeding. That's not fake. And he was suffering as if he was an evil doer even though he wasn't. He was suffering that unrighteousness.
For the blessing of others. And that kind of care is really needed amongst ourselves, isn't it too?
Don't want to send this down a rabbit trail at all, but.
Last in New Jersey.
Can't remember exactly how he put it, but Fall in Love was telling me this little quote I guess he heard. He said we don't do what we do because we're unwilling to face the consequences.
And in other words, you don't go the speed limit.
For the reason that just started getting a ticket, if that's the reason that you're going to speed limits, then where is there any reward for that? You're just scared, that's all.
And I think that that has application with a lot of the things that we face right now and today.
We don't do what we do because we're scared or because we're not willing to face the music. You know, let's submit because I don't want the government to come and block us all up or whatever it is. That's not why we do or it should not be why we do what we do. We should be doing what we are doing for the glory of God.
So if there is found in us.
The spirit of being unwilling to suffer, that's not good, should be.
Willing to stop her.
Says the word.
Or it is a faithful saying you have. The translation says the word is faithful.
Or if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him. That's the consequences we're looking for. We don't have our eyes on consequences here, but the consequences of being faithful according to the word to Christ. So if we.
If we be dead with him, we shall also live with him. What could be better than that? Death has no claim on us.
If we suffer, we shall also reign with him.
If we deny him, he also will deny us. That's a sad.
00:15:03
Circumstance there.
Verse 12, I take it? I know that there are different thoughts on verse 12.
So I would welcome other thoughts as well, but as I understand verse 12 it just refers to if we deny him.
It means the first part of the verse if we suffer the second part if we deny. So there is the Lord tells us to do something and we deny him and we say no, or we deny him as Peter denied the Lord and do not want to admit our our association with him says He also will deny us. And the way I understand that anyway is it says we and I take it to be believers that the Lord will deny us in a practical way.
What we ask of him, if we ask, if he asked us to do something, we say no, I'm not going to do that.
Then we turn around and get sick and we say, oh Lord, please heal me.
It may not be that the Lord will do that, that's how I take it, but I know that there's other thoughts on that so.
Make room for that. But in verse 13 is talking about salvation. I believe if we believe not or literally if we are faithless. Did he abide as faithful? He cannot deny himself. So if we are saved, we are in Christ. The Lord cannot deny Christ. How can that even make sense? One says you're always saved, so he's careful to make that distinction.
So the thought would be that if he.
If we are not faithful, He still abides faithful to us.
Such a It's such a comfort and joy to know that the Lord abides faithful.
There's many that we perhaps might look up to that might let us down.
We know ourselves. We let ourselves down.
With the Lord Jesus, He just abides safely.
That's just such a constant when we have circumstances that change people to change. He's the same.
And that's never going to change for eternity either. And he just abides faithful.
And even if he has to deny us.
You know, we still know that all things work together for good to them the love God to them who are the called according to his purpose.
And even if, like Peter, you know, he missed out on that opportunity to stand with the Lord, but the Lord was at that point where everyone turned away from him. He missed that opportunity.
You know, the Lord still abode faithful Peter. He still loved him and he wanted him back. He wanted Peter to be fruitful again.
It's just wonderful for each one of us, our measure as we go through this life and perhaps wandering here longer there the Lord abides, faithful, and He always wants us to enjoy fellowship with Himself.
Always, you know, it's such a, such a constant. I think it's easy to take it for granted because, you know, he's so faithful.
Is referred to as the Faithful and true witness.
He's been faithful to the uttermost to his Father's will.
And.
By the same token.
In the same work, he is also faithful to us to the uttermost.
And bringing us.
To his father.
And.
That faithfulness does not.
End with salvation.
It goes on.
He is our great high priest.
Is faithful.
To keep us from failing.
He's our advocate when we do fail.
00:20:04
Be faithful.
They're just the last few minutes. Here is only two readings.
At this time, I just think of the last few verses.
Just give us some instruction in a time when there is perhaps a lot of.
Contention or differing opinions It talks about of all the foundation of God standing sure.
The building that is built on it, if you will, has become a great house.
And it's huge and it has all kinds of different vessels and summer of good quality and some are of bad quality and some are dirty and some are clean. And we're instructed, we're given instruction with regard to that condition of things to separate ourselves from those vessels which are unclean.
But as we get down to like verse 23, it starts to talk about how we would interact.
With each other when there is a kind of divided state of things.
And I just appreciate the wisdom of some of these verses. Difficult to act on it sometimes, but foolish and unlearned questions avoid knowing that they do gender strikes. There are some questions, we we tend to call them in our vernacular as a loaded question. I think sometimes we just call it that.
And we just made a question where, you know, that the questioner is really just looking for a fight. That's, that's really all it is. And so they ask a question and, and, and the goal of that question is to really draw you in to some sort of a debate, which is not going to be for anybodies blessing. It's just going to result in strike. And the instruction that is given is to just avoid those questions, to just avoid them.
And it could be so tempting, you know, you feel like you have wisdom. You feel like, oh, this one, I know I can, I can get this one. And you go down that road and it just an hour later, it just.
Should never answer this and there's such wisdom in this avoiding the foolish and unlearned questions and it just presents the principle of how we are to deal in the face of disagreement when we're talking with somebody in verse 24. The servant of the Lord must not strive but be gentle unto all men have to teach patients feel like if you're in a discussion and you realize at some point it just kind of comes to life in the middle of that discussion.
That you're striving, you're wrestling. You're not talking anymore. If you're wrestling with that, that brother, your sister, you're striving with them, then you have to recognize that you have failed.
Because now you're striving with them and you haven't been yet and.
And then there's more instruction in verse 25 unique about it structure. Those that oppose God will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth. It really requires when somebody is wrong.
But they don't think that they're wrong, and they take up some line of things and they start to argue that point. It's really hard. It requires a repentance, a change of thinking, and it's humbling to admit, okay, I was wrong. That's not easy. It's not easy for any of us. It is so much easier to say, okay, you know.
I just don't want to admit that I was wrong, you know, and just keep arguing or whatever it is so we can seek the Lord.
To give them repentance, the acknowledging of the truth.
There's many practical excitations in this chapter.
And so often.
The Lord is brought out in many of these verses, and I think in carrying out any of these things.
It really needs to be in communion with the Lord. There's no substitute or shortcut.
Living the Christian life, we need to do it in communion and you know, whether it's the servant of the Lord must not strive nor representing him.
In everything that we do and say, all of our interactions, whether other people know about them or whether they don't.
00:25:02
And all these things that we just try and carry them out without connection to the Lord, you know, we're going to come up short.
Really need to be firmly connected with him and carrying out these things.
Can't do them in our own strength. If you try, and you can try all these things and some of us maybe are stronger characters, you can do a better job of carrying them out and their own strength. But we're going to come up short unless we have the strength of the Lord to carry these things out.
Day the home is brought before us in verse 22 we also youthful us to flee is the run of fear. This isn't you know linger around give yourself opportunity, but it's to run the fears to stay away and in connection with the Lord Jesus. You know where to follow that which is right you have a pure heart. That's what he desires. He doesn't desire to have those that are you know maybe going to give him 5% of our focus or.
Maybe even 50% of our focus and once at all. He wants our hearts to really love him and notice that's a tough word to each one of us. You know, it can come to meeting and do what I need to do a meeting, but the Lord wants our hearts all the time. We're going to carry out these things like Timothy that needs to be in connection with him. You know, we know that.
Then there's, you know, those decisions we make more time and how we carry it out and we just need to talk so much to do these things.
It's sobering to consider.
That when we lack.
In that communion with the Lord.
And.
He failed and.
Some of these and other exhortations.
It's it's begun with an individual or.
Two, and then you end up with a great house.
You know that troubles me. Again, small, but they can grow.
There can be parties that are formed one side to the other.
And the result is, is that the truth is set aside because the Lord has been set aside. And so now we carry our own.
They don't carry anything for the Lord it's.
It's all outside of the realm of Christianity, and so you have that which is watered down.
Could we sing 172?
I.
Show with friends.
Our gracious God, our loving Father.
We were just bowed with shame.
For anything that we may have done that or would have caused discouragement to another.
Or have.
Driven them from Christ.
Father we.
The best that we may.
Off times, be unwilling to perform or do those things that make for peace.
Unwillingness to deny ourselves.
Take up our cross and follow him.
We thank the Father for the scriptures we've had before us.
We just look to Thee for blessing from them.
That we would be not leaving here, leaving it behind, but be mindful of that.
00:30:03
That we might profit from them to thine honor and glory.
We're thankful, our Father, for all thy love and grace.
That have been shown to us.
So abundantly in the giving of thine own son.
And in judging him.
In our place.
For that which we are and have done.
Sinners and sin.
Father.
We thank thee.
For the love of that blessed One who would so suffer and die for our sakes.
And what he bore in those hours of darkness, we shall never know.
But we shall know the peace, the joy.
The glories of the heavenly place.
Because of his faith, we thank Thee for that blessed point.
So we just commend ourselves to the.
Remainder of her time together.
In the long, worthy and precious name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.