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I.
Really.
267 A fullness resides, Jesus, our head fullness survives.
Answer all needs. Whatever distress awaits us below, such plentiful grace and war will be stolen 267.
God lives here.
And when we are playing today.
And ready to prepare.
For this one dream, and it's really very well.
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Response.
And the Lord Jesus Christ.
Out of the season, your foods with youth absorb they're all alongside and often.
Time will come, and they will not endure some doctrine, but after their own lunch, themselves teachers, they shall turn away their ears from the truth.
But watch out in all things, in your afflictions.
You work in dangerous by mistake, for I am now ready the authority I find partially that hand. I apologize. I have finished my course. I attacked the base and is laid up for me from the crisis.
Right, that's it not to me only call them also that love disappearing. We got diligence come shortly. I'm seeing for the homosexual state and the gloves is present for and it's the party that's the best of the night destiny for Malaysia.
On the new position, take part and bring him with you that he is profitable to you for the ministry.
This is my sense episode.
For last harvest, I'm not coming spring with you and of course especially the departments.
Alexander is much evil. The Lord reward them.
Be that aware also, if you have greaterness to allow words at my first answer all membership. I pray God that may not be late to their charge. Notwithstanding the world's the goodness testing that by me approaching must be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might be delivered as it is. The lion and the Lord shall deliver you from every evil Lord, and you'll preserve this heavenly Kingdom.
Jesus Christ.
I guess in this chapter we have some some.
Very clear incentives to service in a day of ruin. There's about four areas here that the apostle touches upon, but we might summarize it by saying that Paul was going to depart, he was going to be taken. His service had come to an end. He had finished his course with joy.
And the ministry which the Lord had given him to fulfill.
And he's exhorting Timothy here to take this charge seriously and to make full use of his ministry. Timothy had a gift, undoubtedly.
But he's tended to be timid and.
Lacking perhaps in courage, but.
We have here an exhortation throughout the chapter I.
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Divine incentives for service for the Lord. And I think it's good for us to remember that in view of the ruin that has come into Christendom.
This is brought out in several parts of this chapter that the time will come when.
Those that are in the Christian profession that is viewed in this epistle, those that are in the Christian profession without reality are going to refuse. They're going to reject the truth and.
They're not going to continue in the path of the truth.
Paul Timothy would encounter this sort of thing. But there's also encouragement for Timothy and the fact that the Lord will reward faithful service.
He brings this before him, the crown of righteousness, that all is going to be revealed at the judgment seat of Christ.
Timothy would be assured not only Paul of that crown of righteousness, but it was for Timothy as well if he would continue on in that path of the service. And there was an urgency because all.
Apostasy. The apostasy had not begun, but there was the signs of apostasy beginning in the Christian profession. Is is brought out here.
In different parts of this chapter, turning away their ears from the truth.
Turned unto fables. This is apostasy beginning in the Christian profession. We see it now more and more developed even the day in which we are.
So in that context, that's really what we have in the beginning. I'm sorry, I interrupted.
Well, there's the fact that.
Judgment is soon to fall upon the Christian profession, that is, that brings up, that's brought out here.
In verse one.
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 that is there there's going to be accountability. A day of accountability is coming for all men. That's the first incentive we we our lives are going to be reviewed at the judgment seat of Christ. The second one I suppose is the time is coming when.
In the Christian profession, they will not receive the truth.
They they refuse it.
It's in view of the apostasy that is coming. The third incentive would be the fact that the Lord will reward faithfulness. Those who continue on. The 4th incentive was the shortage of laborers. We see various ones who have failed here in this chapter.
Cited Dimas and there are others that have.
Turn from the apostle demos you know he walked with the apostle and labored with him and here the world had got into his heart doesn't say he went into immorality, but he no longer walked in that path of separation with the apostle so the shortage of laborers and faithful servants is another incentive that the.
Brings before us in the chapter.
Yes, I think it's good to keep it in the context in which we find it, because when he speaks of this judgment at the beginning of the chapter, well, it has no doubt a broad application. And it's true that judgment will come, eternal judgment will come to all those who have and do reject God's offer of mercy and salvation. Yet in the context here, this judgment is on professing Christendom.
It's solemn when you go to Revelation to realize that the most awful judgments that fall fall on those who've had the light of Christianity and those who have refused it. And they are they in Thessalonians, who are who of whom, we're told they receive. They're sent a strong delusion that they believe a lie, that they all may be damned. And so judgment begins at the House of God, so to speak. That is where there's been the most light. Then God comes in and there's the most severe judgment.
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And in light of that, then Timothy was told to not give up.
Not just to say, well, it's no use. Nobody's listening to me. Nobody wants the truth today. Nobody's going to heed what I'm saying. They've all given it up. No, what is he to do in light of the fact that there's judgment coming? He is to preach the word. He's to be instant in season, out of season. He's to reprove, to rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. And I'll just say this to any who seek to encourage or to teach the Saints of God.
Whether it's on a local, in a local sphere, in the local assembly, or wherever it might be, don't be discouraged. You say the years of the my brethren are close to what I have to say. They just don't want to listen to the truth. They don't want Pauls doctrine, but don't be discouraged.
Take heart from what Paul said to Timothy. He encouraged him to go ahead. You know, I often think of John the Baptist in this regard. You know, John the Baptist presented a wonderful message. He was presenting the coming of Christ, but he said on The Voice of one crying in the wilderness. You know, you get out in a wilderness place and you start talking. You might say, well, I'm not doing much good out of here. Out here. Nobody's out here. Nobody's listening to me. John felt that way. It's true. There were those that repented and came to John for baptism.
But generally speaking, the populace in Israel didn't have ears to hear what John had to say. He was the voice, the one crying in the wilderness. Maybe you feel sometimes like the voice, the one crying in the wilderness. Timothy might have felt that way. But he says, no, don't give up, Timothy. Keep preaching the truth. Keep presenting the truth of God. And that, brethren, is our responsibility. We're not responsible to open the ears of the Saints. We can't reach down in the hearts or consciences of our brethren.
Thank God that's not our responsibility or it's a burden we couldn't carry around, but we are responsible to not only walk in the truth ourselves, but we are responsible to present it as God gives us opportunity.
Here by inspiration speaks to Timothy and he says I charge you therefore before God.
And So what was going to be done is going to be done in the sight of the Lord. And I often think of this in connection with Josiah and different ones in the Old Testament in chapter 34, Second Chronicles 34, I'll just read it, verse one. Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign. He reigned in Jerusalem one in 30 years. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. And so every one of us has the responsibility as we walk in the sight of the Lord.
To walk according to the wisdom of God's Word and the charge that we have been given to maintain the truth and to.
Really that the positive truth to pass it on uncorrupted to another generation. And so this was something that would encourage Timothy because he would be doing what he was doing and responsibility before the Lord and there was going to be judgment in the future and there so there was an urgency really he was going to judge the quicking or the living.
And the dead that is appearing in his Kingdom, SO2 separate occasions really at his appearing, he was going to judge the living. And that's really his appearing in connection with Christendom. He's going to judge and bring Brother Jim's already brought that out. But then at his Kingdom, it's really going to be at the end of that Kingdom period. Why Revelation chapter 20, you have him. I'm just going to quote it here. I'm going to read it because I don't want to misquote it, he says.
In connection with the 2nd resurrection.
They inverse 4 Acts or Revelation chapter 20 and verse four. I saw Thrones, and they that sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them. And I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads or in their hands, and they lived and reigned with Christ.
1000 years. So those are the ones that were faithful to the Lord. And then it says in verse five, but the rest of the dead live not again until the thousand years were finished. And so God is going to judge those that have died in unbelief and rebellion against him, but those that are raised among the dead from from the dead and stand before the great white throne are going to stand before the great white throne after.
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The millennial Kingdom of the Lord Jesus. So Paul in a sense just says in a very quick nutshell, he's going to judge the ones that are living and he's going to judge the ones that are dead. All rebellion is going to be brought down. And so then he encourages him just to preach the word, preach the word. How often have we been at a gospel meeting? And often times the word of God isn't read, isn't open, and isn't spoken from.
Really in a sense sometimes versus the Scripture or quoted stories are told, but the Word of God isn't read for maybe 15 minutes. It's wonderful to have those stories told and so on, but we need the Word. It says preach the Word. Paul was or Timothy was to preach the Word. That's what has power.
Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
Experience or his own ideas. He was to preach the word and that applied by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Is the.
The way in which God saved souls. So in view of this these judgments seems to me we have a an evangelical dimension here. Preach the word the instant in season out of season.
Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine.
Motivation must be love for souls.
But we need to be faithful in presenting the truth.
Sometimes people will say, this is I've had it said to me a number of occasions. This is not the place to to talk about these things. Well, I'd like to know where. Where is the place where we cannot present the gospel? I know we need wisdom, but.
In season and out of season.
We should be ready to redeem every opportunity that presents itself, even though it may not be.
At a time when people would be receptive.
We're dealing with eternal souls and we are to warn them, preach the Word, bring Christ before them, and be urgent because there's a judgment coming as we have here the day of accountability coming for the unsaved. But also there's a there's a review of our lives too.
At the judgment seat of Christ.
I mentioned this preach the Word instant in season and other season. I was thinking of it and evangelical outreach, which is the gospel whether you're witnessing to somebody.
That work at your office is what you just say. How do you think the word and that is only by the Word of God and the word of God is.
Memory of the scriptures. If you bring the scriptures before them, not your own thoughts, not your own ideas, what you think, the own thing about the place, then it just creates the word if you present.
Message to someone if you just preach the word only the groceries for dogs would you know that they will not return under his voice?
So.
Don't reason on your own thoughts to get them. And if you preach the Word in season and overseas, that means that you should be prepared. That way you're witness to somebody or talk to someone about the Lord that you're ready in season and overseas.
And that I feel is very important, especially with the younger ones where the children had healing. If you had the word of God within you, then you're going to read it to preach.
You want to clarify, though, that the gospel preacher has liberty to give illustrations, and the Lord Jesus taught by two ways. One is that he taught with his words. He spoke the Word. He preached the Word.
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But then he also spoke and used illustrations, he used parables. He also, we might say a third way is he used.
Examples He took a little child and set him in their in their midst, and he used it as an object lesson. So the Lord taught by his words, he taught by parables or little stories, examples and then he taught by.
A really by object lesson and so those three ways the Lord himself taught. So it's necessary. I was just seeking to reinforce.
Here in verse two, that is the word of God that has power and so that's why Paul was telling Timothy.
Use what has power, use the word of God, but he doesn't negate the other use. So there is plenty of room for explanation and exposition of the scripture. Another way the Lord taught was by current events too. The tower of Siloam fell on those ones, those who had been slain by by Herod I believe it was, and so he even used the current events of the day. But my telling a story in the gospel about somebody who almost drowned isn't going to save a soul.
It may make a point, but we want to stress that it is the word of God that's living and powerful. But I want to take it a little step further too, because it's not only true in the Gospel, that's that's true, but it is also true in presenting the truth to those who are the are already the Lords.
Or those who make a profession, we can't always tell who they are. And let me just read this verse in Mr. Darby's translation, this second verse of our chapter, he says proclaim the word, be urgent in season, out of season, convict.
Rebuke, encourage, with all long-suffering and doctrine.
So it's true, as we've been saying, in an evangelical sense, and Timothy is told later on in this chapter to do the work of an evangelist. But I believe it also goes back to what we were saying this morning, that the gospel and salvation is more than just the truth of our sins forgiven.
And knowing that we're on our way to heaven. And so Timothy, in presenting the truth to those who were giving it up, he was to be urgent in season, out of season. And really that expression is really telling us, take up whatever opportunities there are. Don't miss an opportunity, whether it's for the gospel to the lost, whether it's in presenting the truth to the Saints of God.
This venue that has been provided for us this weekend might be what we think of as in season.
And so there's been a venue provided by our local brethren and meeting schedule. And so there's opportunity, according to the character of the meetings that our brethren have been exercised to list on our schedule to present the truth and to present the gospel this evening if the Lord tarries. But there's opportunities out of season. You meet somebody on the on the plane, you meet somebody at the airport, you meet another, not just in the gospel, you meet another Christian and they have some question about the truth of God.
And you're able to speak a little word and give a little explanation of something that's out of season as well. So I just say, well, it begins with the work of the evangelist. It doesn't end there. It's for all of us in presenting the truth, whether it's to the loss or whether it's to one another. And again, in regard to the context of this portion, there was a giving up, a turning away from the truth.
And Paul says, Timothy, you be consistent in your presentation of the truth, whether people receive it or not. And also in Timothy you have the context of public ministry. I want to stress that for a moment. Just go back to, I think it's the first epistle, yes, a verse. We don't always take in its proper context and it no doubt has a broad application, but.
Timothy, Chapter 4.
Till I'm verse 13, till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine, neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the Presbyterian. So on what he's really talking about here is public reading of the word of God.
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Public reading and exposition of the Word of God in the assembly. I say that because in the early days of the church there were few people who could read. Everybody didn't have a copy of the parts of the word of God that had even been written at that time. Certainly was nobody. I don't think with a masters they're APHD. Paul came about as close, but Timothy then was to take up the word of God. He evidently had education. He could read.
And he was to take up the word of God and read it publicly and explain, give exposition of it, which I think was part of his gift. He was to give exposition and explanation of it. And again, when we come to the second epistle, Timothy might have been discouraged. Well, yeah, in first Timothy.
There were days when there were ears for the for the truth of God by many. Now Timothy says, but Paul, should I still give attendance to reading, to exhortation? Should I still stand up and give exposition of doctrine they don't want to hear? Paul says, don't give up. Is it the last days? Yes.
Timothy, be consistent, Continue thou I really believe is the key phrase of this whole portion.
Four, you're you're right, Jim. The whole chapter deals with the exercise of gift in first Timothy 4. It's office in first Timothy 3 and the the underlying teaching of the of the chapter is output, not input. And meditate upon these things. How does the how does the new translation read there? Yeah, I think the thought is that Timothy was to be exercised.
To present the truth. I know it's often taken another way and I wouldn't detract from that, but I think the thought is that he was to present the truth publicly.
Give, give thyself wholly to them. Thy profiting may appear unto all.
Certainly in the give attendance to reading, that's certainly the public reading there.
What I was thinking in in our chat coming back to our chapter that.
The apostle saw that.
There was a lot of departure coming into the Church of God. It was in a Laodicean condition, and although the apostasy per se has not yet begun, that will be so when the man of sin is revealed. After the Church has been taken to glory, a man of sin will be revealed. There you will have the full development of the apostasy, but the signs of it were beginning to.
Show themselves now, verses three. Time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.
They don't want sound doctrine, they want something that will tickle their ears.
Some sort of spectacular.
Interpretation of.
Prophecy or love and marriage, always.
Topics that draw people. But this is not what the apostle says here. That they don't want to endure sound doctrine. They don't want to tolerate the teachings of the apostle Paul and and follow those teachings.
And so it's misunderstood or it's misinterpreted.
Paul's doctrine I'm Speaking of now misunderstood or misinterpreted or discarded.
We don't want that today. We want to have something that appeals to the natural man, some something.
Spectacular. Or it says here, it speaks of the itching ears. You know the audience is controlling their teachers.
And this is happening in Christendom today.
After their own loss, they will heat to themselves, teachers, those that want to give them what they like.
Not what is faithful to the Word of God, but what we want to hear and.
And so it's just a departure from the truth of God. It's a giving up.
And it's a it's a Laodicean condition.
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And we're going if you present the whole truth of God, you're, you're going to be unpopular.
Go back to Isaiah 30 in that regard and you get something very similar in the days of Isaiah.
I'll just read it here in Isaiah chapter 30 because I think you'll see the parallel very quickly.
Isaiah 30 and verse 9.
That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord, which say to the seers, see not and to and to the prophets prophecy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things.
Prophesied deceits, you can hardly imagine such a thing. But as John said, the people were controlling what was being presented to them. And I think you find that even today, if a man gets up and preaches the truth of God, he may lose his position amongst his his congregation. They may vote him out or something like that. And we hear of these things in many circles today, but that's what they wanted in the days of Isaiah. In other words, they didn't want to hear things that stirred up their conscience.
Just as John said, nice smooth things that God loves us and how to get along in our relationships one with another and that kind of thing, but nothing to stir up the conscience. Another reason I believe that Pauls ministry was turned away from so quickly and is being turned away from today is because Paul's line of teaching detaches us from this earth in every sense of the word.
Paul's ministry teaches us that our goals and aspirations as believers are not connected with this world. The only thing that connects us with this world, brethren, is that we're still physically in it, but we are seeing seated already positionally in heavenly places in Christ.
We have goals and hopes beyond this world. We're not connected with it.
And so man would like to think, even the believer would like to think that there's some connection here with this world and that he's a moral force to change things and for the betterment of this world and so on. And what has happened, why they become all confused about who's going to go through the tribulation and who isn't, whether the Lord is going to come before the tribulation, during the tribulation, after it, during the Millennium, post Millennium, premillennium, whatever you want you want to talk about.
And man likes that because it places some onus on man. It makes man feel that he's contributing something to the plans and purposes of God. And the natural man likes that feeling. And so I think all these things are combined in the exhortation. And it's interesting that he's going to take up the subject of the Kingdom here and what is the head in the Kingdom for us and how we ought to live in view of it. But.
He wants us to understand that, well, we are to love his appearing. We're to look for that coming day. Yet we are not connected with this world. And brethren, we are not a moral force to usher in the Kingdom. And don't you think, Brett, Christians who really believe that must be pretty discouraged today. You think that? I mean, if we're honest with ourselves, are things getting better in this world today with global terrorism and all this kind of thing, if we're a moral force to usher in the Kingdom?
Rather than the Kingdom is a long way off, but I believe the Lord is coming. Perhaps this afternoon and very few years thereafter the Kingdom will be established.
Jeremiah chapter 14 verse 14, that the prophets, the prophets prophecy lies in my name. I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them. They prophecy unto you a false vision and divination and a thing of not, and the deceit of their heart. So you know Timothy was sent. The apostle Paul had really laid his hands upon Timothy and he had the fellowship of his brethren, if we could put it that way.
And he really had gained the confidence of his brother even from the very first as a young man in Acts chapter 16, when were introduced to him. And it appears that he he was sent, he had a message. And you and I are really.
Empowered if I could use that word to because we know the truth, we're responsible to deliver it to communicate that truth and so.
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Here he was sent and he was sent with a message to preach the word and he's.
Warned that there was going to be an indifference to that message that they will not endure. There's going to be a time that will not endure. Sound doctrine. But he was still to keep on ministering the truth. He wasn't to modify the message. So these ones that preach for money and they have a church and they are making their living by.
Raising up their own organization, as it were.
Why, oftentimes they're just serving themselves and they don't have the message of the truth of God that He's going to judge the unrighteous and what Timothy was to preach. So it's a responsibility that we have that we are sent and we ought to speak the truth.
He was to be vigilant and on his guard because the enemy.
Will seek to lead us away from the truth of God. We it's been recovered and we can thank God that we've been LED into that path. Not that we are any better than those who are still in the systems of men. Let us not get that idea that we are in some superior position.
Spiritually, we're in a place of privilege, but we need to walk humbly and watch in all things because is the danger of us losing it.
How many that I walked with when I was a young man in Ottawa, no longer at the Lords Table, mentioned many names. Ernest preached the Gospel with them. They've departed from the ground of the truth.
Perhaps we could say Dimas did that and didn't go into immorality, but he no longer walked with the Apostle Paul. So the the apostle says here, endure afflictions, there's going to be suffering. The when the truth is attacked, there's going to be suffering persecution. Do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. Well, that's a good exhortation. I know that this is often applied.
In the way that we all can do the work of an evangelist, I'm sure that is that is very good. You don't have to be a member of the Paris Sound Fire Department in order to warn someone whose house is on fire and the smoke is pouring out and they are asleep in the house. You can knock at the door and and awaken them. You, you may have to smash windows and so on to do it, but at least you're going to get them out.
And we don't all have the gift of an evangelist. It's a, it's a rare gift today, but I think that Timothy had the gift of an evangelist and we just tend to be timid in the use of it in the apostle encourages him to do the work of an evangelist. Well, that's a good exhortation for every one of us because we tend to be speaking for myself, we tend to be negligent in that regard.
We are here to be a testimony. We're surrounded by thousands who are on the road to a lost eternity without hope, without God. We were among them. Infidelity is rampant in the world today.
Education system. We are being flooded with those who are in false religions. Well, we have a field. The fields are white already to harvest. Laborers are few.
We didn't mention it, but at the end of verse four it says their ears are turned from the truth.
And shall be turned unto fables. So man needs to be occupied. God has made man in such a way that he needs an object for his heart. And you and I need an object for our hearts. It's Christ himself. And we need to have the truth of God before us in connection with the Savior and the truth of the person of Christ, his deity, and all those things. But we know that we live in an age that people are turning from the truth of God to fables.
A good story, but not the truth of God. You know, Mr. Kelly made an interesting statement. He said the spirit of error not to hear is the spirit of error.
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Not to hear, not to want to hear. The truth is the spirit of error. And so if we find ourselves anytime not wanting to listen to that brother because he speaks a little too closely to the conscience, it's really the spirit of air coming in.
And so we need to be very clear in our consciences as to what the truth is and how it's connected with the person and the work of the Lord Jesus. And that's really what the enemy desires to attack today.
Timothy was to be as already mentioned, watchful or Mr. Darby's translation sober. And if you notice Mr. Darbys footnote on that, he says the word there has the thrust of being awake and having clearness of mind. You know what characterizes the last days is lethargy and spiritual sleep and we're told that is high time to awake out of sleep for now is our salvation nearer than when we believe. That's not physical sleep he's talking about there.
It's the spiritual lethargy that has crept in amongst the people of God in the last days, and Timothy was to be careful that he didn't let that spiritual lethargy come in. You know it doesn't happen all at once. You know yourself that if you're sleepy and meeting, you're never wide awake one minute and sound asleep the next. I often think of Utick as you know, Utica sat under the ministry of the Apostle Paul.
As Paul preached there in the third loft, But you know, he did two things that were dangerous. He sat in a window. First of all. In other words, he wanted to keep one eye on what was going out on on the street below and one eye on what was going on in the assembly. One year tuned to the ministry of Paul and one year tuned to the world outside. And you might say, well, wasn't there a 5050 chance he'd fall either in or out of the window? Brethren, it doesn't work that way if we leave ourselves open for the world in any way.
It is what is going to drag us down. But then he began to doze off.
And I don't think Eudicus was wide awake one minute and sound asleep the next. I suggest it was like you and me in meeting. It's a process of things. Our eyes get heavy, our head nods, and it comes back up. Then it happens again. And if it's allowed to happen long enough, we may eventually find ourselves sound asleep and meeting. And brethren, we need to be careful that it doesn't happen that way in spiritual things because Satan is so clever.
He doesn't come along and pull the rug out from under us, so to speak. It's a little by little. It's just giving up a little here, giving up a little there. Sometimes said. The compromise is really letting the barrier down slowly. And when it's gone, you don't even realize perhaps it's gone. It was removed so slowly.
And so Paul gives Timothy this warning. He said there's those who have already fallen into this state.
Now you be careful, Timothy, that you don't fall into this state have be awake to these things, have clearness of mind. You know, he's given us a sound mind.
That interesting. It's not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of love, and of a sound mind.
Someone comes along and says, well, that person is crazy. The stuff they talk about though, they used to talk about that, but they're no, you're talking, speaking the truth. God says he's giving you a sound mind. And so he's given us that ability to take in the truth, but we need to be awake to it and have that clear, that clearness of mind.
The Church of God.
Is here in this world as a light. The Lord Jesus was here as the light of the world, and he's gone.
Day of Pentecost, the Spirit of God being sent down, united those believers in one body. And there was a collective testimony here in this world. There was a light in this world. It was the body of Christ to reflect, just like your body does everything that's in your head, and Christ is that head in heaven.
And so Christ was here again. Satan thought he got rid of him at the cross. No, he raised him good. Well, then he went back there. All finally got rid of him there. Day of Pentecost, there he is again, the members of his body. The Church is called the Christ, Christ and the Church. And so she was here as a vessel of testimony in this world, a light bearer in this world, like those candlesticks and revelation in the seven assemblies.
And Paul's doctrine is vital.
To that.
Testimony in this world.
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Paul's doctrine was vital to that, and so the charge to Timothy in the first book is.
I want you to stay at Ephesus and make sure that doctrines maintained what was given to the Ephesians. Will you read the book, The Epistle to the Ephesians? Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace, the truth, truth of the Church as His body and His bride.
Those things that have to do with corporate testimony in this world, the church here.
As the light and he said I need you to maintain that later in this chapter there's different ones that depart and go here and go there, but there's one in verse 12 and Titicus have I sent to Ephesus. Why it's vital that that doctrines maintain I it's not that he just went here and there of his own accord. I sent him there just like he sent Timothy there. It must be maintained if there's going to be a collective testimony.
And that is why he says be instant or urgent in season. Why because of that doctrine is not maintained and walked in, there will not be a corporate testimony in this world.
It will be done urgent, it's needed, it's right at the closing day and he's exhorting him to maintain those things that would.
Support that testimony in this world.
You know that in Israel's history they finally went into captivity.
And there was, as it were, no more testimony in the land of Israel, but God in his grace he restores a little remnant company after the 70 years of captivity, and they come back to the land, and they build the temple again, and the wall around the city, and so on. Why?
Because the scripture said that unto us a child is born.
Unto us the Son is given, and he was going to be born in Bethlehem, and He was going to be born of the tribe of Judah. And God intended that there would be those there of His people to be ready to receive Him when He came. And they were few, just a little remnant character of things with those shepherds and a Simeon. They were there to receive the King when He came.
They were there that the.
Christ might be born in Bethlehem. There was a company returned.
To Jerusalem. In that way, God gave a wonderful recovery of Paul's doctrine in the early 1800s.
And the truth of Christ's return was sounded around this world as the Ebony moment, expectation and hope of the Church of God, that midnight cry went out. Behold the Bridegroom. Why? And there was a recovery of Paul's doctrine. Why, that there might be that in this world, that in some way just a remnant character represented in a collective way his bride.
And his body down here and expectation of his return to receive him when he came.
And he says it's vital that you maintain that truth.
It supports that very thing.
What is the meaning of make full proof of thy ministry along that lines given that?
Exhorted to make full proof of his ministry. What does that mean? To go back to Galatians chapter 6.
The apostle says there.
Verse four. Let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone.
And not in another, for every man shall bear his own burden. Doesn't that bring in the thought of public ministry? There a gift has been imparted to each individual, but we are to prove it, not only.
Gift is not godliness and.
We are to prove that.
That ministry by what we do not only teach, but to do the work of an evangelist, there have to be the the outward proof that.
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The Lord has given us a ministry, or if we're given a gift, if we have a gift, we are responsible to use that gift for the Lord's Lord.
The possession of the gift gives us that responsibility and that privilege to use it for the not for the benefit of ourselves, but for the benefit of the body of Christ. And that's what Timothy was told to do. Make full proof of thy ministry. Give evidence of it in the way you act. Is that the thought of someone has another thought?
Christian ministry, really, Simply put, I think Mr. Kelly put it this way, is the exercise of gift. Simply put, God doesn't tell you to do any work that he hasn't fitted you to do. So Christian ministry is the exercise of gift. So I can't do the work of an evangelist if I'm not an evangelist, but I can confess Christ. And I thought that was nicely brought out in the in the illustration of a house on fire.
But any work he's given us to do, he has fitted us for he's fully equipped us. And so with Timothy, he not only had the gift of public ministry and ability to shore up the Saints in connection with Pauls doctrine, but he also was an evangelist. He was a gift of Christ for the church and he wasn't to neglect that side of things. You know, it's we need.
And to apply it to ourselves, that balance, not only to have a concern for that which is connected with the Saints and a in a collective way going on for the Lord, but also towards the lost as well and whatever ability God has given us.
Whatever it might be, I'd like to make just one quick comment heaping to themselves. Teachers having itching ears. When Moses went up on the mount and they, Israel couldn't see him anymore, that's when they got dissatisfied and it was brought out that Pauls doctrine really brings before us the heavenly calling and character of the church and it's unseen things that faith lays hold of. We find in Corinthians we look not on the things which are seen.
That the things which are unseen, and it's those things that form our character. It's Christ and glory is the object of our hearts, but he's unseen. And when they they were no longer satisfied with the Moses, they couldn't see upon that mountain. They said this Moses, we don't know what became of him.
Make us a God. And what did Aaron say? He says take the earrings that are in your ears. And he took them, and he made a golden calf having itching ears. Where did that calf come from? It came from their ears. And where does this character of idolatry come from? It comes from giving up.
No interest in an unseen Christ, in professing Christianity, but wanting something tangible.
Visible down here that I can set my heart upon.
There's another thought too, in connection with ministry here. Let me just read it in Mr. Darby's translation. He says fill up the full measure of thy ministry. Because not only has been pointed out does God give each one of us a little ministry to fulfill, but he gives us the ability to carry that ministry to its fruition. Sometimes said God won't take us home to heaven until one moment before our ministry is fulfilled, however.
There are those I believe.
Who do not fulfill their ministry, who get off the path. The apostle Paul had finished his course and fulfilled his ministry and justice. Go back to Acts 20. See what he says to the.
Ephesian elders in connection with his course and his ministry.
Acts 20, verse 24. And none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course.
With joy. You know all Christians don't. All Christians don't finish their course with joy.
But Paul, in spite of the tears that he had and the many trials and difficulties from within and from without, he finished his course with joy. But notice what else he says, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testify the grace, the gospel of the grace of God, He finished that too. And so the apostle Paul was given a ministry. He fulfilled that ministry faithfully as a servant of God. And his desire for Timothy now in passing the torch on to him.
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His desire was for Timothy to not only begin his ministry well, but to continue and to fulfill that ministry. And that's what he wants for each one of us brethren, if we can just make this very practical in each one of our lives. I know we're not all Timothy, but we have all been given a little ministry to fulfill for the blessing of others and gift and ministry is not for our own edification or blessing, as John has just said.
If we're given a gift and ministry, and we all have been, it's for the blessing and the edification and the building up.
Of others and it's when it's used that it's going to have the proper effect on others.
But are we going to finish our course with joy? Are we going to fulfill the ministry that has been given to us? And so Paul says to Timothy, fill up the full measure of thy ministry. Timothy, again, don't be discouraged. Don't start out, Don't get halfway through what the Lord has given you to minister and get discouraged and turned aside. Well, brethren, don't we need that exhortation today? You know, it's wonderful to be at a conference like this. And we can speak of the things of Christ together and.
We have the Word of God and we're encouraged to be together, but what about next week?
In the little assembly we came from, are you going to fulfill your ministry? Just go to the end of Colossians and you'll see a little exhortation there in that connection.
Colossians, chapter 4.
And verse 17.
And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received of the Lord, that thou fulfill it.
You know, we're not told a great deal about archivist, nor are we really told what his ministry was. But the apostle Paul, in writing to the Saints at Colossi, felt that the assembly was suffering a lack because there was a brother in that assembly who was not fulfilling the little ministry that God had given him to do.
And Paul felt that he needed to be stirred up to carry that out. Now you're going to go home to a little assembly.
Or a medium sized assembly, whatever it might be. But you've got a ministry. And if you don't fulfill that ministry in your quiet way, whatever it be, and I'm talking to the sisters too, not just the brothers, Brothers and sisters all have a ministry, you know, your home assembly is going to suffer.
Not only are you going to not get the reward, but your home assembly is going to suffer if you don't carry out the little ministry that the Lord has given you. And I say this even to the sisters because there were some ladies in the days of the Lord Jesus on earth of whom it says they followed the Lord and ministered to them of their substance. What about the children here? You know, I think it's twice, maybe three times, it says of Samuel as a boy.
He ministered to the Lord. You don't have to wait till you grow up to minister to the Lord. What did Samuel do? Well, there he was at the temple. Eli was getting old. His sons weren't doing what they should have been doing to help out in the temple. Maybe it was simply to help, but well, we know he helped open the doors of the temple so the people could come up and worship. Those doors were heavy for an old man like Eli. I like to think of him sleeping up the ashes and making sure the sparks from the sacrifices weren't in the wrong place. Perhaps.
Little mundane tasks that Timothy or that Samuel did and it was ministry to the Lord. We used to have a brother at home along with the Lord, but he used to have a few peppermints for us If we helped pick up the hymn books after meeting. Well, there was a little incentive, I know, but you know you can help. That can be a ministry for the Lord. You can help keep the chairs straight. Make sure the hymn books are picked up after the gospel meeting. I've noticed that those who young people who stay behind.
After the meal, the fellowship meal and help clean up and wash the dishes, you know, they're the young people that God gives a greater ministry to later on. Well, I just say that in a very practical way, brethren, Timothy was given a ministry. He was to make full use of it. He was to finish it. He was like the apostle Paul to fill up that ministry. And I believe that's a good word for every one of us.
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We're coming to the third incentive here, I think in our reading here, and that is the rewards that await faithful service. That is it's, we've often been told a reward is not a motive for service, true, but it certainly is an incentive. And Paul encourages Timothy, a young man.
To continue on in faithful service.
And to keep the faith, look in this these books you'll find there were those that.
Made shipwreck of faith. There were others that departed from the faith. There were those that denied the faith, there were those that wandered from the faith. There were those that were overthrown. All of these things in the context here.
Timothy is encouraged to keep the faith and to press on even though the conflict was fierce. Paul is leaving now. I have fought a good fight. I don't think that was a boast at all. It was just an encouragement for Timothy. You can. You're in the battle as well. We're in the battle, brethren, and it's a real battle. I have finished my course.
It doesn't say he finished his the finished the work. He finished the course. I don't know if anyone can say they finished the work except the Lord Jesus. But he was a wonderful servant of the Lord, not without failure and he was leading his work with the Lord. I have fought the a good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith, he says, Timothy, you continue on.
Is a reward for you as well, that crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge shall give me at that day, not to me only, but unto all them that love His appearing. Well, there's a lot in that verse eight that we could, we could dwell upon there. What is the crown of righteousness, Jim? Do you have a thought on that? Well, I believe it's a crown of righteousness here for perhaps two reasons. I'll just say before we comment on that, that there are crowns taken up in the New Testament in connection with various aspects of faithfulness for Christ.
As rewards at the judgment seat of Christ, and they're always in contrast.
A crown of life is given for one who lays down his life. The crown of glory is given to the one who.
Has no glory in shepherding the people, people of God. There's no so often there's no glory in that. But he says, never mind, I'll give a crown of glory at the end. We have an incorruptible crown in contrast to a corruptible crown and so on. But I believe here the crown of righteousness, first of all, is a reward for living righteously in an unrighteous world. In other words, Paul, as we said this morning, he has spoken of living righteously. We spoke of practical righteousness.
And don't we live in an unrighteous world? And brethren, we get so uptight sometimes because we see things handed down in the courts of this land that are unrighteous. But brethren, can we expect righteousness in an unrighteous world? Not a chance. It's only going to get more unrighteous as the darkness of apostasy, the seeds of apostasy, and the moral darkness deepen over the Western world. We can't expect righteousness in an unrighteous world.
But as we read this morning, we can live soberly, righteously godly when in this present world or this present age, right where we are today. Is it the last days and perilous times? Yes, indeed. But we have the resources to live righteously right to the end. In fact, if the day ever gets so morally and spiritually dark that we can't live for God's glory, we can't live righteously in this world, the Lord will take us out.
But until that moment we can live righteously. And He promises if we do that, there'll be a crown of righteousness in the end. But I believe it's a crown of righteousness for another reason, because we notice here it's in connection with the Kingdom. It's all those that love His appearing.
That's not the hope of the Lord's coming at any moment for us, but it is part of our hope. Perhaps just take a moment and go. Let me read it from Titus. We could quote it, but it's sometimes helpful to see it in Titus chapter 2. Just say, before I read this, we often say that our proper hope is the hope of the rapture, the Lord's coming at any moment. And that's true, but it's only part of it. Just notice what he says in verse 13 of chapter 2.
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Looking for that, the blessed hope, That blessed hope, that's what we're expecting at any moment. The rapture, the Lord to give the shout and call us home. But that's not all. And the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ, it's all part of our hope. It's all part of what we're to be looking for. We're to be looking for the Lord to come at any moment, but we're also to be looking for his appearing. And Paul tells us where to love his appearing.
And the crown of righteousness will be a reward for our position in the Kingdom. In other words, we are going to have a part in the righteous reign of Christ according to our faithfulness. Now be thou over 5 cities. Be thou over 10 cities.
Brethren, a king is going to reign in righteousness, but Princess are going to rule in judgment. We're going to have a part in the administration of the Kingdom, the righteous reign of Christ in the Millennium for that thousand years. And the way we're living now, our righteousness is, if I can put it that way, are going to be manifested and rewarded at the judgment seat of Christ. They're going to be, I'm sorry, they're going to be rewarded at the judgment seat of Christ, and they're going to be manifested at the marriage of the Lamb.
When we, and then when we come back to reign with Christ, it's the righteousnesses of Saints. It's that which he can reward for and give a crown of righteousness for. And so I say our position in the righteous reign of Christ is being determined now by the way we are living. Are we living righteously? He'll give a crown of righteousness in that day.
Of that day when all will be manifest, where the world will look upon us as being foolish for taking a path like that. You had something. So if I'm not living righteously, Brother John, then what am I going to love is appearing.
You know, I think of, you know, maybe others have heard this, I think of Eric Smith view of the crown, whether it be righteousness or the crown of life. You know, Eric Smith came from New Zealand. I think many of us can remember him. He served the Lord for 50 or more years in Bolivia as a young man. He had the world before him. He could have had a good position in the government.
In the business with his father, his father was an unbeliever. He had the opportunity to be a captain of a ship. And he turned his back on all of that. And he said to his father, father, I'm going to Bolivia to preach the gospel. Well, his father thought that you completely threw his life away. He said, son, if that's your decision, you get out of this house. There's no place for you here.
He suffered. He suffered for making that choice.
Of following the Lord.
And he had to leave the house. He went to Bolivia. But what a fruit, what a harvest of souls that I hear. Heard about him coming in there once on a, on a truck. And as he came down the riverbed there, there were the Saints up in the high altar Plano, where it's very cold. There they were all gathered singing hymns.
The tears were pouring down the cheeks of Brother Smith, He said. There is the reward for for my sacrifice in going to Bolivia to preach the gospel. Well, it may be not exactly relevant to what we're the the crown here, but it was certainly a crown that he is enjoying now.
We sing 312.