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The night is far spent.
In the sky.
Into the elderly. Lords don't come back.
Rain, Thyroid, Royal Oak in all of a thumbs up from night.
Oh, OK. August 2000.
Two to glory about the will from heaven revealed the savior is only.
His people may say.
Lord will hold for our Son and our you.
I would like to suggest that we begin with the 17th verse of the third chapter and then read the 4th chapter, but we didn't make any comments in connection with the man of God and I think it would be helpful.
Second Timothy.
Chapter 3 and verse 17.
Let the man of God may be perfect, truly furnished unto all good works. Chapter 4.
I charge thee, therefore, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing in 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 lust shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears, and they shall turn away their ears from the truth.
And to 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 has departed unto Thessalonica.
Crescent to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Take Mark and bring him with thee, for he is profitable to me for the ministry. Antichecus have I sent to Ephesus.
The club that I left at Troas, with carpets, window, comma, spring 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 thou aware also, for He hath greatly withstood our words.
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At my first answer, no man stood with me, but all men forsook me. I pray God that it may not be laid 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 forever and ever. Amen. Salute Prisca and Aquila in the household of onosiferous Erastus, abode at Corinth. But Trophimus, have I left at my lead, them sick.
Do thy diligence to come before winter.
Huboulis greeted the impudence and lioness, and Claudia and all the brethren. The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit, grace be with you, Amen.
I suggested we begin with this 17th verse because I believe it's really the link between what we've had in the, in the, uh, third chapter and what we are about to take up here in the 4th chapter. And I think it's a great encouragement to see that even in the days in which we live there, we can still go on as men and women for God and serve the Lord acceptably. And I'd like to go back to a verse in the second chapter.
That, I believe, is linked with what we have here, verse 21 of chapter 2. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's youth. And then notice this expression, and prepared unto every good work. In our verse we read that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. And I want to point out that little expression.
Not just some good works, but all good works and what makes a person a, uh, able to carry on all good works for God's glory in the, in the second chapter, it's separation from evil. That's what marks the man of God in the second chapter is separation from evil a clean vessel If you and I are going to be prepared to every good work in the service of God, the service of the Lord.
We must, it's vital, we must separate from evil. There must be, as I say, a clean vessel, another Scripture says be clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. And vessels in Scripture are so often used as a figure of the human body, the human form. And so whether it's doctrinally evil, whether it's moral evil, whether it's an ecclesiastical connection, a group, A fellowship that holds things contrary to the teaching of the word of God. If we're gonna be prepared to every good work.
We must walk in separation. But then we have a similar expression here in the end of the third chapter, because the other thing that makes the person prepared to every good work is that they they're an empty vessel full of the truth of God, full with the word of God going on in the truth. So there's the net, there's the separation from evil, but the positive side is you'll never be a vessel prepared on every good work unless you're walking in in the truth of God.
It's one thing to separate from that which is not true, but it's quite another thing to then take up with and go on in that which is the is the truth. Let me give you a little example. There was a young man, one time believer, and he exercised a number of people as to the truth of being gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus. He even brought them to a place, the place where the this truth was practically expressed as we did this morning.
In the breaking of bread and other assembly meetings, but they were turned aside. Why? Because he wasn't in fellowship there himself, they said. How can this young man talk to us about the and tell us that this is the truth of God when he isn't going on with it himself? I also knew someone personally who exercised someone else says to the truth of baptism, But when it all came out, this person had never been baptized themselves.
And it stumbled the person that he had brought the truth before. And so again, what what characterizes the man of God and makes them useful for all good work is separation from evil. A clean vessel, but then an empty vessel filled with the truth of God and going on and walking in that truth. And that's what Paul was bringing before this young man, Timothy. He wasn't telling him that it was going to be easy to go on for the Lord and to serve the Lord.
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But he was telling him in the measure in which he walked, in practical sanctification from evil, and in the measure in which the truth of God was a reality in his soul, that he could go on as a man of God. And every one of us here who know Christ as our Savior, we can, if we will, follow this instruction with godly exercise. And by His grace we can go on and be prepared to every good work if we are willing to follow the instructions that Paul gave to Timothy.
And that's why I say that's the link for what we have in this next chapter, because what Paul is going to go on and exhort Timothy, and for our benefit as well, is the ability to go on in service for the Lord until the very end. And though many had turned away and many had been discouraged, he's going to name a few who were seeking by the grace of God, as men and women of God, to go on in their sphere of life and service, even in spite of the fact that it was difficult times in the last days.
Might be helpful to know this how this term the man of God is used in the scriptures and when it is used the first time its first Samuel chapter 2 and verse 27 that is used the first time. And it's always used in connection with a failure and the low state of the people of God. And God raises up one that he can identify with. You might say one that can speak on his behalf.
And one that walks in the truth that he has. And so in in first Samuel chapter 2 and verse 27, it says, There came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus sayeth the Lord, Did I plainly appear unto the House of thy father, when they were in Egypt, and in Pharaoh's house. And he gives them a rebuke in verse 29. Wherefore Kiki, at my sacrifice, and at mine offering, which I have commanded.
In my habitation and honours thy sons above me to make yourselves fat with the cheapest of all the offerings of Israel, my people. Well, it was a time of collective failure for the people of God and the priesthood in that at that time, Eli and his family, his sons had failed in their testimony in Israel and they had failed in the office of priesthood. And uh, and God then had one he could speak on his behalf and deliver a message.
From his heart of love, but yet in rebuke to Eli and to his sons. And so we have Timothy here named as he's, uh, got this title as the man of God. I think it's used in first Timothy chapter 6 as well. Uh, first Timothy chapter 6, verse 11, it says, but thou, O man of God, and he tells them, now, how is it that you're going to be able to be complete in all the will of God? How is it that you're going to be?
Able to be thoroughly furnished unto all good works. How is it? Well, he says follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Remember, this is another list in the Word of God, another list that is given. And it's the key to be able to walk in fellowship with the thoughts of God, and in the day of weakness to be able to walk in communion with Him.
And notice its righteousness first and then the expression of godliness that's really walking in communion with the Lord men righteousness or umm, then faith and love and patience and meekness. And so this expression is used, very notable. I wonder if the Lord could trust us to deliver a message for himself, would we be faithful in the delivery of a message on his behalf?
Are we walking in righteousness or are those things that are not according to the mind of God that we're allowing in our lives and He can't use us because of it? Eli was in the priesthood. He was the priest. He was the high priest, you might say in that way in Israel and God couldn't use him. He had to send a man of God. We have the example as well in First Kings. I think it's chapter 13, maybe verse one and or two, and the Lord sent a man of God out of Judah to speak.
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To King Jeroboam as he was about to offer on that altar and he had to send that man of God. There was a prophet in Bethel, but God couldn't use that one. He wasn't walking in righteousness and separation from the evil. He had compromised his path, but God used that man of God.
So then at the beginning of the 4th chapter, he charges Timothy in connection with his service preaching the word and and the things that follow, but he charges him before God. It's interesting. It's before God because he's been referred to as a man of God. So it's before God and the Lord Jesus Christ. Why? Because he said it's as if he says, Timothy, remember, as you go now to serve, serve as Paul says, as you go on to serve the Lord in my absence, remember.
The eye of God is on you and the eye of the Lord Jesus. And Paul wasn't going to be there to to shepherd Timothy any longer. He wasn't going to be there to mentor him, to watch over him. He had given him instruction. He was passing the truth on to him. But we find that this chapter is the last recorded word of the apostle Paul by divine inspiration. Very shortly thereafter he was led out and he gave his life as a martyr for Christ and for his testimony.
And he says, Timothy, I'm not going to be there to direct you and watch over you, but remember the eye of God is on you and remember your service for him needs to be acceptable to the Lord Jesus. When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, we won't take time to turn back to it. You can look it up. The Corinthians questioned everything about Paul's ministry. They quest questioned his authority as an apostle. They questioned his ministry.
They even questioned his ability to present his ministry. But Paul said to them, that's OK.
We labor that whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. Now, brethren, don't misunderstand me. We need to serve our brethren in a way that's acceptable to our brethren too of Asher. Let him be acceptable to his brethren. That's that's the balance. And if you do things that rub your brother in the wrong way, you're never going to have their ear and serve them acceptably. But in the final analysis, what was Paul saying? In the final analysis, I'm gonna stand before the Lord Jesus at the judgment seat of Christ.
And I'm going to have to give an account for my ministry and my service, and everyone of us are going to have to do that. Do we seek to serve in a way that is acceptable to the Lord Jesus so that in that coming day when we stand before him, he can say, well done, thou good and faithful servant. What's gonna matter, brethren, when we stand at the judgment seat of Christ? How well we got along down here, how acceptable we were to people down here?
Know what's gonna matter is his acceptance and his well done are sometimes said to the young people, you know, especially when we're younger. We want to be accepted. We want to fit in and we want to be accepted by our peers. It's not wrong to desire to be accepted, But the question is who's acceptance do we want? Paul's desire was to accept, to serve in an acceptable way. He said. Timothy, that's my prayer for you too. You remember you're gonna serve me in my absence.
With the eye of God resting on you and the Lord Jesus watching. Do it in a way that is according to the truth of God that has been set out before you and in a way that is well pleasing to Him.
Renders the wording a little differently, and perhaps I would say a little more accurately. I testify before God and Christ Jesus. Now he's presented as that heavenly man to whom all judgment is given, and God is the God who judges. He's a God who judges sin, but he is committed judgment to a man. The Lord Jesus Christ Jesus, the risen glorified man, is going to judge.
And it's part of Paul's doctrine that he says he's going to judge the living and the dead, and he tells us the distinction between when those events take place. And so the living are going to be judged at a different time than the dead. The living at his appearing will be judged. And so the Lord Jesus, let's turn to it. Let's maybe just Second Thessalonians, even Paul speaks of the difference, the distinction between the appearing.
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The distinction between the rapture and he speaks very distinctly as to the, uh, sequence of events. And so he says, uh, let's look at the appearing chapter one, Second Thessalonians.
Verse uh chapter one verse 7 to you are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God.
And that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power, when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints.
And to be admired in all them that believe, because our testimony among you was believed in that day. So he's going to judge at his appearing. He's going to judge the living and the nations there. He's going to hold court, you might say. And there's going to be sessional judgment. The nations will be judged as well. And so.
At the appearing of the Lord Jesus, the living will be judged. We could read other passages of Scripture, but then.
At the end of the tribulation period, seven years later, the debt, or I should say the at the end of the seven years while the Lord will appear, but at the end of the Millennium, he's going to raise the dead and he's going to judge them. And so we could read it in different passages, but he refers to it here. He's going to judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom. At the end of that Kingdom period, he's going to judge.
Though the dead, and so he gives that distinction.
And so Timothy was the word in light of this, and it's interesting too, that it is the appearing that's brought before us in this chapter. We'll notice that later on because the appearing has to do with responsibility. The rapture has to do with our our bless, our position and as to grace. But the re the the appearing has to all has always to do with responsibility. Now, I believe in these first couple of verses.
It's the Western world particularly that's going to receive the greatest judgments, the most severe and direct judgments, because they are they which have refused the light and those who have refused the have had the most light are held the most responsible, and they're going to come under the most direct and severe judgments. And Paul is telling Timothy, he says they're giving up the truth. They're giving up my doctrine, what I presented. They're living for themselves.
But remember, there's a day coming when judgment is going to fall. I agree with Robert. It has a broader application too. But remember those who the the nations who've had the most light are the nations and the people that are going to come under this most severe and direct judgment. And he says, Timothy, now you have a responsibility in view of that. You have a responsibility now to preach, to preach the word, be instant in season, out of season.
Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and and doctrine.
Timothy wasn't just to give up and say it's no use. Everybody's turning away. They've all forsaken what Paul has taught. They're all going their own way. They're living for themselves. So it's just no use. You know, there's an old expression. I know the young people won't remember it, but there's an old expression, hang crepe. That's an expression that comes from the old days when before the days of funeral homes where you went to view a body or to have a funeral service at a Funeral Home.
They used to lay out the body in the home and they had a crepe wreath that they hung on the door, which indicated to everybody that passed that house that there was death in the house. And the expression hang crepe is really an expression that ha came to mean, well, there's no use if the person's dead, there's no use. But it has a broader application. There's there's no use going that direction. There's no use trying that. That you're you're beating a dead horse is another expression I'm not trying to bring.
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Worldly expressions into this meeting but just to make my point, Timothy wasn't just to throw up his hands and say there's no use after Paul was gone. He said Timothy is it the last days is it difficult times? Is there a giving up? Is there gonna be judgment on those who have rejected the truth. He said don't give up. Preach the word carry this out until the the end and we're gonna find then that Timothy is gonna be held responsible later on he brings this out. Paul was gonna be held responsible Timothy.
We're never going to be judged for our sins as believers, but as we've already said, there will be a day when we will have to give an account. Have we brethren in the last days sought to preach the Word? Now, Timothy had a special gift. I, I, I understand that, but I want to make a little broader application here. This is just an application because I look into the faces of brothers and sisters here. And we all have a responsibility to hold fast the truth and in our proper sphere presented faithfully to others.
Brothers and sisters alike, I know this was special for Timothy. He had a public ministry to fulfill. But we all, as we said earlier, have a service and a ministry to fulfill. Are we gonna do it or are we just gonna say, well, it's no use it just so those people, they don't wanna listen to what I'm saying. They don't wanna hear the truth. They don't wanna go on for, for the Lord according to what has been been laid out for us. No, we are to be faithful ourselves.
And as the Lord gives us opportunity, we are to be faithful in our ministry to others.
Timothy.
I remember year for years I thought that meant to be instant, like instant coffee.
Like, you know, ready to go. It's it has to do with it has to do with attitude. God Paul is addressing attitude here is turned to Luke 23 and verse 23.
That's where the Lord Jesus is before Pontius Pilate and 22 verse 22 Pilot says to the them the third time, why? What evil has he done Verse 23 and it says they were instant with loud voices. That doesn't mean they were prompt. It means they were urgent and that's what the meaning here and that's what the Darby translation renders it urgent and it's good to keep in mind that God is urgent and and he in Hebrews.
Chapter 12 Says our God is a consuming fire. God is urgent. He is patiently urgent and urgently patient.
For any opportunity that the Lord gives, you know, we don't have to get up in the morning and pray for opportunities to serve the Lord and speak for him. As much as we need to get up in the morning and pray that we will be in the state of soul and the proper spirit and attitude, as John has just said, that we will avail ourselves of the opportunities that are there. That's what it really means when it says redeeming the time or buying up every opportunity.
I can only point to my own heart. How many opportunities do I miss in a day? It's not that there weren't opportunities, but I perhaps wasn't in the right state of soul or spirit, uh, to, to avail myself of those opportunities. And then it says be instant in season. Well, there are those times when we are to be ready and in the proper spirit and attitude. Times like this when we're together. This is perhaps more in season when we come to the assembly meetings. Let me just say a practical word.
When we come to the reading meeting at home, are we ready to give something, to share something? You know, sometimes we come and we shake our heads and go away and say, well, wasn't much food. Well, we're no more individ, uh, collectively than we are individually. Were we ready in season? Where we urgent in season? Did we come with some exercise of soul to share what the Lord had given us perhaps on that passage or subject, But then there's out of season.
Now, I'm not so good at this, but I travel a lot with a man by the name of Garvin Seymour. Many of you, most of you have heard his name. He's a wonderful brother who is instant out of season. Sometimes we're together on the streets of a village on one of the islands or in Guyana, South America. And I look down the street and all of a sudden I realized Brother Garvin's got about a dozen young people around him and he's given them the gospel and they're hanging on every word. He has a tremendous gift in the in that regard.
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That's being instant out of season. That's being ready for every opportunity.
And again, are you and I walking circumspectly so that we're ready for those times that the Lord is going to put in our way? I'll give you another example. The brothers with the Lord now. But it was an elderly brother in my home assembly for many years. And I was in the bank one time and there was quite a line up in the bank. This is a long time ago, before electronics were so prevalent, and they still wrote a few things out by hand. There was quite a long line up in the bank. And this brother was half a dozen people in front of me in the bank and he didn't know I was there.
But I saw him and someone turned to him and recognized him and they said, oh, uh, good afternoon and how are you today? Now, somebody asked me that in the bank. I probably would say, well, I'm fine and you know, but it's an awful wet day today and I wish it wouldn't rain so hard. And is that what this brother said? He said, no, by the grace of God, I'm very well. And he went on to give a short couple of sentence gospel to the individual. That was a, that was a brother who was ready, that was a brother who was urgent. So these things are very practical and very real.
And they are that which we can practice today. We don't have to look at this and say, well, that was OK back in Timothy's day or back in our grandfather's day. It's a different day. We can't do that today. No, this brings us right down to where we are today.
That it's not only limited to the gospel, is it, it's, uh, as we often apply it to the gospel and rightly so. But really the work that Timothy was given was he was to do the work of an evangelist we read here in verse five, but he was to also exercise his gift of teaching and ministering the truth of God among the Saints. And there would be a spirit of things in the day that he lived. And Paul was speaking prophetically in the next verse, he says that the time will come.
When they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lustral heap, they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears. And perhaps even in referring to the day that we live in, those that are pastors and raised up and elevated among the people and umm, they're told literally what they will be taught, what the people will tolerate as far as what the preaching will be. And so they preach what they're told to preach, and they don't go beyond the bounds that they're given.
But here Timothy was to preach the Word and he was to preach the Word, no doubt in the gospel, but he was to preach the Word in connection with doctrine. And so he uses this term. I'm going to read it in the new translation. It says be urgent in season and out of season, rebuke, convict, rebuke, encourage with all long-suffering and doctrine.
And so he was to use the word of God in a right way to encourage the Saints and to teach the Saints, and he was to use doctrine. It's, I think Brother Jim mentioned it yesterday. It's an old English word and it means teaching. He was to use sound teaching and he was used the word. Now just I don't like to tell too many stories, but I when it says here preach the word always brings to mind old brother Charles Hale.
And uh, we were at a Hessler all day meeting in Ontario and gospel preacher got up and he spoke for probably 15 minutes, maybe 20 minutes, didn't even open his Bible and he was telling stories. He was, uh, he was just speaking. I, perhaps he gave the gospel, I can't remember. And brother Charles Hale was in the audience maybe 3 rows back from the front. Then he stood up and he said brother.
Preach the Word.
And he sat down again and the brother opened up his Bible and he finally read a passage of Scripture. And he began to preach from that particular passage of Scripture that he read. Now that's pretty bold, perhaps you might say, and we don't want to encourage that kind of activity, but it really Paul was speaking to Timothy and he was saying, make sure you preach the word, make sure you use the word of God. That's what has power with the Saints. And that's what.
The Spirit of God can use to bring blessing and encouragement to the Saints. They need the teaching of the Word of God.
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And so Timothy, as we already spoke, uh, yesterday, he had a good outline of all of the truth of God, all of Paul's doctrine, and he could address the needs of the Saints based on the truth that he knew. And so he used the word of God. Let's be exercised to speak the word of God to one another, to memorize the word of God and to be able to quote it in season and out of season.
About this word rebuke, I noticed that both the King James and the Darby translation mentioned it, and it's a it's not a popular word rebuke.
But I look back over my life.
And some of the most valuable experiences of my life have been when a brother faithfully rebuked me, pointed out to me something I needed to hear the reviews.
Been beneficial, I'd like to.
Refer to a verse in Proverbs. Rebuking is not something that's popular. It's something we shy away from. It's it is something we neglect. For that reason, Proverbs chapter 20.
8.
Verse 23.
Now it takes grace to rebuke that and and I'm not suggesting to go around it. There's a little saying it's been very helpful to me. The law condemns, we asked in the previous meeting, we talked about the difference between legality and reproving. The law condemns, legality condemns, grace humbles and a proper rebuke comes with grace and it humbles and it benefits. And the the verse I have in Proverbs is chapter 28.
And verse 23, he that rebuked a man afterward shall find more favor than he looked. Flat Earth with the tongue. You know, we can go up to a brother or sister and compliment on them on the meal. And we might be, I may not be flattering, it might be genuine, but there is such a thing as flattering. Sometimes we, we try to get on the good side of people by flattery. And the world uses flattery all the time and we very easily slip into it.
A flattery produces a an immediate positive response.
But.
It's deceptive. It doesn't do the person any ultimate good. If you wanna invest in somebody's life, if you wanna invest in the future, it says he. The rebuke of the man afterward shall find more favor than he that flattereth with the tongue. It's not that we look for opportunities to rebuke, but we need to not shy away from it when it can really help somebody.
So faithful as a woman in another proverb. And it's interesting that then he qualifies as we, as Timothy was, to speak in these different ways. It was to be with two things. First of all, with long-suffering. That is to be patient. You know, sometimes we think people should smarten up and see it the way we're presented right away. Sometimes it isn't always true. Our responsibility is not to make people see the truth.
But to present it faithfully, and it may sometimes be in the in reprove for and re and rebuke, but leave it there. Then don't force, try to force the issue. And so it's with long-suffering. And then what? And doctrine or teaching. Always use the word of God because as you say, brother Robert, it's the word of God that's gonna have the effect. I might come and I might tell you a lot of things that I think are wrong with something you're doing or not doing. But what's gonna have the effect in the end, My argument on the issue or to present the truth of God with long-suffering.
That's where the power really is. So whether it's whenever we present the truth of God, whether it's to edify, to comfort, to exhort, to rebuke, to reprove, whatever it is, we always want to use the Word of God. Now we can use the Word of God in a way that can cut someone's ear off too. And remember this, when you use the Word of God, it's the sword of the Spirit. It's when it's used in communion with the Spirit that it's going to have its power. Peter used to had a sword and he used it without the sanction of the Lord and what he did, and he only ended up giving the Lord more work to do.
And I can rebuke or reprove someone and do it in a bad spirit and without, and I can even use the word of God. But if it's not in the power of the spirit.
Then I'm only gonna end up giving the Lord more work to do in the end, as as Peter did. So these things are very practical, aren't they?
00:40:05
I think of the case where the apostle Paul was dealing with the question of division in, in first Corinthians chapter one. And umm, division was a, was a serious matter. You might say it was, it was the just the beginning seed that was planted in the church that has grown up into such ruin, umm, in the, in uh, the history of the church.
And yet the apostle Paul.
In.
Uh, in addressing that failure of the Corinthians, because really what they were doing was they were looking at men and they were choosing the, umm, the characteristics in man that was suited to really themselves in the flesh. And but the, what the apostle Paul, Paul does there in First Corinthians.
As he sets before them the truth of Christ crucified, the cross.
What did that do that actually set aside man, the 1St man completely and by the end of the chapter he has instructed them to the point where they see nothing to glory in in themselves.
But they see themselves in Christ as their righteousness, sanctification, redemption. He's actually instructed them out of the failure that they had fallen in, delivered them from looking at themselves in the first man and what they desired for the flesh and he he.
He he actually brought them into the them into the the the umm, the value of what the cross had done in presenting them in the new man. And I just bring that out. He he is reproving them, but he's he has instructed them to the point where they receive and they see receive correction. But it's it's.
Instruction at the same time.
It's interesting that he speaks of here here in this passage, isn't it? And I was thinking of Proverbs again in chapter 2 of Proverbs. One of the principles in Scripture is that we are to cultivate the ability to incline our ears unto the Lord. So it says in Proverbs chapter 2, verse one, my son, if thou wilt receive my words and hide my commandments with thee.
So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart unto understanding. Well, he says incline nine year. Now it's kind of old terminology, but I only hear with one ear. I don't hear in my left ear. And I have to incline my ear sometimes to hear a brother with a soft voice.
And I have to incline my ear in the right direction to be able to hear because I don't have directional hearing. I got only here in one ear. And So what Paul is Speaking of here is this instruction is going to come. This reproof is going to come. If it was going to be given in a proper rebuke, he was going to need to have an ear that was willing to be inclined to hear the word of God. And you and I need to cultivate that.
Ability to incline our ears to hear, to want to hear. And what he's Speaking of is those that don't want to hear will not incline their ears. Their brother had this hearing too this morning. Very interesting. Are we connected with the word of God and willing to hear the instruction from the word of God, from our brethren? So they shall turn. They'll have itching ears.
And then they'll turn their away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. A fable is a lie. It's not the truth at all. It may have a little quantity of truth mixed into it, but it's not the truth, it's a lie. And so if we don't incline our ears under the truth, something else will come in, and we'll take the place of it. That's solemn, isn't it?
00:45:04
You know, I should cultivate the desire to know the Word of God and to turn our ears, open our ears to be able to hear it and the Lord. We're not going to be able to choose the vessel.
God may use someone to speak to us and to give us a message, and if the word of God is used, then there's going to be fruit.
I'd like to increase his fifth verse then in the new translation and Mr. Darby's translation because I think it's helpful. He says but, but, but that'll be sober now. Brother John has brought that before. It's interesting that Mister Darby has a footnote that says in the original language, it has the thought of clearness of mind. You know, he's given us a sound mind that tells us earlier in the book of Tim Timothy. Sometimes we speak the truth and people think we're crazy.
No, this is, this is the truth of God and this is what God has given us to say. Then say it in spite of those that have turned away and say, this is, this is not, uh, what it should be. And then he says they're evils. Now I know in, in the King James, it's afflictions, but I, I, I think it's a little different context here. It's not so much here physical affliction, but remember it, but notice the context. As we've been saying, it's in connection.
With them not just accepting the truth, but then presenting untruth, that which is not according to the word of God, fables and falsities and so on. And it's not that he's to bear with it or to go along with it.
But he says if you present the truth, be rest assured, there are those, there are those who are going to oppose it. And just just you're gonna have to, you're gonna have to bear that. It's somewhat akin to what Paul said to the, uh, Ephesian elders in the 20th of Acts. He said that after his departure, two things would happen. Grievous wolves would enter in not sparing the flock. That's from the outside. And then he said, and of your own selves, that's inward, of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things.
To draw disciples after themselves. And so we find here he's told to bear with, to bear evils, do the work of an evangelist. I personally, I know this difference. I personally don't think that Timothy was an evangelist because he was a guy. He was shy, he was reticent. If God, God always links natural ability with spiritual gift. I don't believe God is gonna give the person the gift of an evangelist and and cause them to be shy or reticent or to have a stutter in their voice or whatever. Now, now God can.
Person can overcome anything and.
But Timothy, I believe, had more of a gift of teaching, as you've been pointing out, but he was to do the work of an evangelist. This includes everyone of us in the room. You say, well, I'm not an evangelist. I'm shy like Timothy. But we can all do the work of an evangelist. We can all leave a gospel tractor, a wallet calendar when we leave a tip at the restaurant. We can all speak a little word here and there as the Lord gives us opportunity. But then what I really want to notice here, he says, Phil.
Up the full measure of thy ministry. Timothy had been given a ministry, a service for Christ, and he wasn't just to do it in part, he was to fill it up. Paul did that. He finished his course and he made full proof of it, of his ministry. I want to go back to an example in the book of Colossians of a man, another, a man who needed an exhortation in this regard. Colossians, chapter 4.
Colossians chapter 4 and verse 17.
And say to our kippers, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received of the Lord, that thou fulfill it. Paul was writing to the Saints at Colossi, and there was a man there named Archipelas were never told what his ministry was. In fact, we're never told that he preached a sermon, or he went out in the Lord's work, or he had a public work. But God had given him a ministry, and Paul felt that Archippus was not carrying out whatever that little ministry was.
And that he, and I believe Paul, felt that the Saints at Colossi were suffering a lot because he wasn't carrying out that ministry.
And brethren, I believe there are many assemblies gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ who suffer a lot because there are those in the assembly who are not carrying out the little ministry that God has given them.
00:50:04
And this doesn't just apply to those of us who are older, this applies to everyone of us.
And remember this too, that it doesn't start with the big things. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much. And I have noticed that the young people who stay behind after the fellowship meeting and help do up the dishes and sweep the floor and clean, clean up afterwards and get the chairs ready for the next meeting. Those, those young people who fulfill that little ministry, they are the young people that God often later on entrusts a greater ministry too. And even if he doesn't, it's important. It's not the greatness of the ministry or the service that counts.
It's doing it as unto the Lord. The slaves at Colossi might have been concerned that they weren't able to serve the Lord because they were slaves, their servants to ungodly masters. He says, don't do I service as men, pleasers, but in singleness of heart, knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance, for ye serve the Lord Christ. He said. You fulfill the little ministry that God has given you even in service to your ungodly master, and that's counted as ministry for Christ.
And so Archippus needed to be exhorted in this regard. Timothy needed to be exhorted in this regard.
And Paul's desire for Timothy was that in the end he would be able to look back and say he had fulfilled the ministry that God had given him. Brethren, that's a wonderful thing. None of us here have finished yet. Some of us perhaps are a little further along than others, but none of us have finished yet. Are we exercised to fulfill our ministry so that when we look back in the coming day at the judgment seat of Christ, we'll be able to say we finished, fulfilled our ministry, and that we finished our course with joy. Paul could say both.
Both.
Well, in Galatians chapter six he says he speaks of humility here as well in verse 3. Galatians chapter 6, verse 3. For if a man think himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another.
You know, it's important for us to find out what our work is and how we're gonna find this out. But I think Brother Jim has brought the key to us is when we see something that needs to be done among our brethren, we could pray to the Lord and ask him for help to be able to fill the need that needs to be filled. And it needs to be. Perhaps I would suggest a work behind the scenes first. You have even in the apostle Paul, when he was saved, his name was Saul and he labored behind the scenes.
Perhaps in in Barnabas shadow for probably about five years, but he was in the wilderness of Arabia and in Damascus for three years, and then he was in Tarsus for two years. He was hidden away. He wasn't doing his work. God was preparing him for the work. And then he labored with Barnabas probably about five years and then perhaps on and off. We know that in Chapter 11 he was there in Antioch.
And then he was commissioned by the Lord himself to be the apostle to the Gentiles, and he and Barnabas went forth. But it says, let every man prove his own work. And so the Lord will give you something to do if you're willing to do something that's hidden away behind the scenes, and He will prepare you for a future work.
Significant or important to the Lord will bring it all out in the coming days. I had an older brother tell me once I mentioned something to him that I've done some little thing. He says in the ways of God there are no little things he said. So it kind of brought me up. It's very good and I've enjoyed the little expression that brother has in another assembly out east. He says, you know when you work for the world, you work for minimum wage, but he says when you work for the Lord you do a little something for him. You're working for maximum wage.
He said, you don't know what that is, but he says it's going to be maximum wage. And when you get to the judgment seat of Christ and he tells you how much it meant to him that you observe some of need among the people of God, perhaps in the meeting room, perhaps in the home of one of the Saints. Whatever it was, and you feel that need, you did it for him. He's going to pay. He's going to, it's going to be maximum reward, maximum pay, and he's going to never forget those little details.
00:55:05
So Paul was encouraging Timothy in this way.
That he was to make full proof of his ministry, not to set it aside, not to get disheartened in it because of the lack of response.
Sampling connection with what Brother Mark has just said, you have an Old Testament principle because you find with the Levites that every Levite had a service and a ministry to fulfill in connection with the Tabernacle in the wilderness. And it's been pointed out it wasn't the greatness of the service that mattered.
It wasn't that one Levite was to look at the other and say, well, I wish I was carrying the boards, or I wish I had the responsibility of those one beautiful curtains. No, the Levite that went around and picked up the pins or kept the cords from tangling. His service was just as important as the service of those that carried the boards and those that carried the bigger pieces of furniture and so on. What would you think if they got to the next place and they went to set up the Tabernacle?
And those the, the Levites that kept the pins together or the cords or kept the, the pans and the, the things that were needed for the to hold the ashes and the different a aspects of the sacrifice had left them behind and said, well, it doesn't matter. It's not that important. I'm not doing a great work like my fellow Levi. Well, they wouldn't have been able to set up and carry on the ordinances and sacrifices of the Tabernacle in the proper way. Every service was, was important.
And that's why I quoted the verse earlier that we're not to do I service as men pleasers.
It's with the eye of God, and it goes back to what we said at the beginning. Timothy was to fulfill his ministry with the eye of God.
And for the acceptance of Christ Jesus, not for man's approval or some pat on the back from his Fe, his fellow brethren. Paul says you're not gonna get that anyway. For the most part, that's not gonna be the case. And so I just say that and I, I think it's an encourage. I wanna encourage my fellow young believer. You know, Timothy traveled with Paul for quite a while. Timothy was in the background too, you know, if you take up a service.
And help an older you help an older brother or sister in a service they're doing for the Lord that's going to be a stepping stone for the Lord to commit something to you. If you're you ever help an older brother, you ever help an older sister in the local assembly with some service they're doing for the Lord. Joshua in his was a young man and he was Moses minister and because he was faithful in helping Moses as Moses minister God. Then when Moses passed up the scene.
He raised him up as a great leader to lead the people into the land. And again, that's what Paul was doing here. He was. He's gonna speak now in the verses that follow of his departure. He's finished his course. He's satisfied in his own soul that he has fulfilled his ministry. And now he's gonna pass the baton on to Timothy. The race here in Timothy is not the Sprint. It's not even the marathon here. It's the relay. That's the analogy he's using here in Timothy.
He had, he had been given the truth by the Lord himself. He'd been given the baton. Now he's passing it on to Timothy. Timothy is gonna have the responsibility to pass it on to faithful men who will pass it on and so on. We've already talked talked about that. But remember, Timothy was content to travel with Paul to serve with Paul. As Paul said, he served with me as a son, serves with a father in the gospel.
And now Timothy is raised up for this wonderful responsibility of taking the truth and passing it on to others. You know, God doesn't operate more careless than humans. Any of us who've been in business know that when you hire someone, you don't usually hire them at the top. You hire them at the ground level. And as they prove themselves, they move up through the corporation or the business. Now, would God run some his, his house more his business, so to speak, more careless than we? No, He starts you at the ground level, so to speak, if you're faithful.
He'll move you along and give you a greater responsibility.
Interesting experience.
I injured my hand working carelessly with a knife at work.
And I couldn't use my hand for.
A few months.
It was interesting. I couldn't do my normal work and I I like to work. I like to work hard. My body likes it too. Generally my head was telling my body to work.
01:00:11
Part of my body couldn't work anymore, and because my hand was injured, my arm couldn't do its normal work to support the hand. There was one particular job that needed to happen and there was nobody else to do it.
And uh, I talked it over with my boss and.
He sort of left and well, I guess it won't get done, but my head wanted it done.
We are all members of the body of Christ if we are believers.
And we all have our specific gifts.
But my head wanted a job done, and the job that needed done required two buttons to be hit at the exact same time. They were separated by a couple of feet and just looked like it couldn't happen. But they hadn't figured out that if it's hold the right foot to balance the whole body for a while and the left knee to stand up quick and hit the button at the same time as my right hand.
It took a lot of extra effort.
The whole body had to adjust because one hand was injured.
But if the head wants something done.
And there's a member that's not responding.
That is going to tell other members, even though it's not their gift to get in the game.
It's really easy to look and say, oh that needs to be done. Well so and so is gifted. Why is me in the game?
Well, perhaps.
Lord wants you to go to admonish or rebuke.
Or maybe.
He wants you to do something different than what you're used to doing, perhaps different from what you're gifting doing. But if Christ is in me.
And Christ is my head, and I see a need.
Then I don't have an excuse to not be involved.
In in going ahead and getting something done.
My sister's here just turned to a word as well in Romans chapter 16 because it's not only brothers that ought to be exercising this way. It says in verse 12, Romans 16, verse 12 Salute try fina and Trifosa who labor in the Lord salute the beloved purses which labored much in the Lord past tense.
And, uh, some of the writers suggest that this possibly was an older sister that was no longer able to do her work purses. And these two younger sisters try Fina and Trifosa began to do a work, a labor. Now, Paul, this is a little picture of the judgment seat of Christ, Romans chapter 16. And you have little insights to how Paul valued different ones. And it's the Lord values every one of us as individuals and he's noticing what's done.
And so this sister, Persis was a sister that labored.
Much in the Lord.
We're not told what she did, but it's like Grace Hurl. But I often thought of this dear sister. Never owned a new car or anything like that. Didn't have a beautiful house, Had an adequate house and raised a family for the Lord. Taught Sunday school for 50 years and every time there was a hobby class, she spent a week, maybe two weeks out at the meeting room preparing for for the hobby class.
She labored much in the Lord, and when she became incapacitated, incapable of doing that work anymore, it took two or three sisters to do the work that she was doing. We never realized how much she was doing, but she devoted her life to the cause of Christ, and she lived for the Saints and for the gospel. And so he names these names. They labor. I'll just say this.
There's many brothers that are named in this chapter 16 but none of them.
Does it say they labored? And so you and I that our brothers, sometimes we think we go out, we cut the grass at the meeting room or something. We labored and we sweat and so on. But the sisters, they labor. They labor week after week, day after day. And God values that labor. So Paul said to the Philippians, help those women which labored with me in the gospel. Not an interesting comment. Now they didn't preach the gospel on a in a public setting.
01:05:23
But they labored with him in the gospel. Paul did the preaching. But what did these women do?
Well, perhaps they went along to help provide meals and practical things. We don't know. But you know, I'm thankful as we have the opportunity in other countries to travel and present the gospel and so on. I'm thankful for sisters that have labored with me in the gospel. But I want to tell one little story to, to in connection with what Tim has said, because I think what Tim has said is very good because sometimes we can use the excuse. Well, it's not my gift.
It's not my ministry, and it might not be, but I'll tell you a little story that Tim's comments brought to mind. My father was not domesticated in any way. He made a good living for his family, and he raised his children well for the Lord.
But he was not domesticated and he certainly wasn't a cook. But I remember when we were children, my mother and I had gallbladder surgery and gallbladder surgery back in the early 60s was very different than it is today. You were in the hospital after about two weeks, 10 days or two weeks. It was serious surgery back in those days. And I remember my father donning an apron when my mother was in the hospital and cooking for his children. I will never forget it. It seemed like we ate burnt grilled cheese for, for two weeks. I, I know that's an exaggeration.
But I've. But I've often thought of that. My dad, it wasn't his ability. His ability was not in the kitchen. But he loved his children. And in the absence of my mother, he did the best he could. He filled in and he served his family the best way that he could. Now, when my mother returned, he was very glad to take the apron off and let my mother prepare the meals. But I thought of that. So you're gonna go home to your little assembly. Maybe someone who normally takes that responsibility is sick.
Or as you say, they're older now and they can't carry out that. Maybe, maybe it isn't exactly to your bent or your your your gift, but we can all fill in. Maybe the maybe the brothers that preaches the gospel gives a little word in the gospel. Sunday night isn't able to be there. Maybe you're not an evangelist, but you can get up and read a few scriptures and say a few words for for the Lord in the gospel. Tell what great things God has, has has done for you.
That's that's filling in, as Tim said. So I think that's a good word that we've had because I, I fear that sometimes we use the excuse and we just step back and say, well, that's, that's not my gift. That's not my ability. You know, these are days of weakness, brother. There isn't a lot of great gift perhaps, but thank, thank the Lord. The function and administration of your local assembly doesn't depend on gift. It depends on the Lord being there, the authority of the Lord in the midst and the exercise of each member of the body of Christ.
In fellowship in that little assembly, to seek to fill in and carry on for His glory and the blessing of His people.
312.
Lead on all my devils laid on to him Lord is.
By by Lavender.
Where are you involved?
01:10:38
Two soon, right? Does that show?
All day and all your dreams rain.
Healing.
Lord and.
First Kings.
Chapter 19.
First Kings chapter 19 and verse 19.
And so he departed thence and found Elisha.
The son of Shaffat, who was plowing with 12 yoke of oxen before him, and he with the 12Th.
Large farmer.
Patiently going on with the last plow.
And Elijah passed by him and cast his mantle upon him. Second Kings, chapter 3.
And verse 11.
But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may inquire of the Lord by him? And one of the king of the king of Israel's servants answered and said.
Here is Elisha, the son of Shaphat.
Notices which poured water on the hands of Elijah.