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We just ask these for thy health in this last reading meeting that there might be yet things that we could glean from.
Those precious pages with the instruction for our pathway help us to know how to go on and learn more of the My blessed ways. Lord Jesus. So we ask Thy help, commit ourselves to Thee and pray for those on the road now and ourselves to Thee for this time, and ask the help of Thy Spirit and pray in the name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.
Second Timothy, Chapter four of the Science you like diligently to come shortly on me, for demons have forsaken me having love this present world, and is departed on the festival. Nika rescind Siglasia is unto Dalmatia only Lucas with me take Mark and bring him with thee, for he is profitable to me. For the ministry Anticheist have I sent to Ephesus.
The cloak that I left at throw *** with carcass, when I'll come and spring with thee, and the books, especially parchments. Alexandria, 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. 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 still lifting.
Strengthen 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.
Flute, Crisco and Aquila and the household. Vanessa, Forest, Erastus abode, corn, the troponins have I left sick. Do thy diligence to come before winter. Eubeless greedeth thee. Impudence, Linus, Claudia and all the brethren. Lord Jesus Christ, be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.
Well, as we know, these are the last and final words that Paul penned by divine inspiration just before he laid down his life for his testimony and faithfulness to Christ. And as you we take up these last few verses, I think it's beautiful to see, brethren, that there's a very tender and a very human side to what we have here. You know, we think of the great Apostle Paul, the one who was raised up to give the truth of the church and unfold the mystery concerning Christ in the church.
Truth of the Lord's coming have the privilege of traveling amongst the people of God in those early days of Christianity, preaching the gospel in so many places. But there's a very human side to Paul. Paul was a man just like like we are. He was human and he felt things and he felt them very keenly. And what I've appreciated in reading these last words of the apostle Paul is that while he was a man of tremendous faith and trusted the Lord for every circumstance.
Yet he never became callous or indifferent to his circumstances. You know, it's wonderful to be able to go on no matter what the circumstances are, in our personal lives, in the family, maybe in the assembly, our circumstances at home, whatever they might be, difficulties at work. But we always want to have a tender spirit in connection with what the Lord has allowed in our lives.
And so we find here that as we started, he says to Timothy, I think this is so touching. Do thy diligence to come short beyond to me. He wanted Timothy fellowship just wanted to give him a hug just to sit down and talk with him. Paul was a prisoner here. Paul knew at this point he was going to lay down his life. He had special revelation from the Lord that he was going to lay down his life. Want to see Timothy one more time. It was his son in the faith, the one that traveled on the mission field with.
The one that they had no doubt spent many happy hours of communion in the evening when before they lay down to sleep in their room or while they were were journeying along. And any of us who had the privilege of having fellow laborers with us, with us know how close you become to those fellow laborers. Paul and Timothy were very close. And Timothy not only close, but Timothy was a man who had the same exercises and desires. And that all, as we've been saying in these memes, could entrust the care of the Saints.
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Passing on of the truth to do you want to see him one more time he desired his fellowship. Well brother, do we desire one another's fellowship like that wonderful to go online and to communicate have emails and text and all that. Isn't it wonderful when we can get together with the Saints of God those that we are in fellowship with those who like precious faith is nothing like being together. Communication is wonderful from a distance but those opportunities to be together. I trust we value them.
No, we were just in Western Europe. Some of those brothers only see each other once a year. Some of them can only break bread once a year. Some of them are isolated isn't even two of them, so they can't break bread on a regular basis. When they come to a conference or an all day meeting and their tears flow, you know they value it and they appreciate it. Rather, we have so many opportunities here in North America. We really value the fellowship and community of our brothers.
You know we have more than the Lord and saw that.
Here.
Man of Sorrows, I think it's his grief as in fast through this world you have very little fellowship. We didn't have a place to lay his head. It was there were a few havens that left, like the House of Mary and Marshall, where he.
That holds in was appreciated so in the main that many nights on the mountain tops alone and so that our brother Jim has said is is important. We have more than really the Lord enjoyed because we've been brought into a fellowship. If you look at First Corinthians chapter one.
Mentioned there.
Verse nine. God is faithful by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, while it goes on to describe the character of that fellowship.
The seek true brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, as we all speak the same thing. That will be an organization for money left. It was a problem in the fellowship in Corinth because they were not perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
And this the Lord has given us.
And sometimes we just work along that line.
Sometimes we think of fellowship in terms of coming together for recreation or what have you. I don't. It's called fellows here, but it doesn't have a spiritual dimension here. I'm not being critical, but if we get together and see this, particularly in Brazil, and some of the brethren get together, I wonder now, is there any spiritual thoughts to this? Yes, it's nice to be together.
It's wonderful to to the like minded.
But is there a spiritual dimension here? Are we strengthening the things that we make or is it just the time or the social, social interaction and so on where the things that the Lord are in the advance? Well, bubble shift is really the apostles doctrine and fellowship breaking the dread and prayers. It's in the things of Christ. It is not in the things of Christ. It's on a very mundane worldly level.
Which is really not going to be a spiritual encouragement to us. I'd like to see. It's true. That's true. The true fellowship we've been brought into, as you pointed out, First Corinthians is with Jesus Christ, God Son, and with God the Father as well. We get to John's ministry. That's true Christian fellowship. There's a natural aspect of things that's needed and you can't deny nature without.
00:10:00
Spoiling what's spiritual, but the spiritual is the most important.
Quoting it in verse chapter one of.
We have fellowship one with another.
Principle of our relationship with Christ that we have true fellowship and that word fellowship is the same word that's oftentimes translated communion and it's only mentioned I believe something like 16 times that don't quote me exactly, but not very often. And so communion or fellowship has the same thought to it, but it's based on the finished work of Christ. What a wonderful thing it is for us to get together in our homes.
To have a wonderful meal together and then break out our Bibles and to read a little portion of Scripture, have a hymn sung. And I don't you just picture that. The apostle Paul, as you've just been mentioning, he just wanted to have that little time with Paul, with the Timothy, just one more time. The apostle Paul, one little bit of fellowship with Timothy and they've been sweet times before. And he asked him to come diligently. And then he says a little bit further in verse 13.
When thou comest.
You know, he had the faith that the Lord would allow it. And we oftentimes ask for something. And if if we ask according to his will, we know that he heareth. And so Paul, I believe, had a special revelation from the Lord that he was going to be martyred. He knew that he earlier he spoke and he said, for we shall not all sleep. And so when he was speaking to the Thessalonians and he spoke of the coming of the Lord, but now he says.
My course is finished. His race was over, and I believe Mr. Darby uses that word in connection with that in verse seven. I finished a good fight. I have finished my race. I've kept the faith. He kept the faith. All of it, all of the Christian truth that had been delivered to him, the heavenly truth that arisen Christ had given to him by revelation. He kept it all. He hadn't sacrificed. He hadn't.
Compromised any of it.
And so here he's just waiting for the end, and the Lord just gives a little bit of the time for the preparation, you might say, and to refresh his heart. And he has this opportunity to send one more letter. And I'll just make this other comment is that this is a little picture of the judgment seat of Christ and these individuals that are mentioned. It's not haphazard. It's very, very specific, the way the Spirit of God has given the names and tells a little bit of something about everyone.
There are real lessons about each one.
Who had been with the apostle Paul were no longer with him, but not also the same Lisa some or I comment on Demas. I would say there were some who were out serving the Lord and even typically this he sent to Ephesus for the edification of the president there all wouldn't have selfish photos, did he? He would have liked to perhaps text some of those brethren with him, but he knew that there were needs out there amongst the people of God and in the gospel field.
And so he was happy that they could they could go and get help. But nevertheless he felt it very keenly. I have no doubt there were many lonely hours that the apostle Paul spent. He had the Lord, the Lord stood with him, of course, and he never lost sight of that. But still that natural or human fellowship and contact. Again, I say this very human side to what we have here. But as soon as he Timothy coming, then he brings up a very sad note.
He must have to be having love this present world or this present age. You know, it's interesting that we're going to have Luke here in the next verse, like the next verse. It's interesting that the three brief mentions you have of Demas, It's always in connection with Luke.
And it's very significant. You have him in Colossians and Philemon mentioned with one as one of the fellow laborers of the Apostle Paul. Wow, that must have been quite a privilege. Wouldn't we have all liked to have been able to tag along and travel with the Apostle Paul, sit under his ministry in the third loft in Troas, hear him preach from the temple steps in Ephesus or whatever? It was great privilege. Demas had that privilege. Luke had that privilege.
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And twice he must just mentioned in connection with the fellow laborers of the Apostle Paul. But here at the end of his life, we find that he has to give this sad note. Now, I don't believe it's been already alluded to that Demas went off into a wicked world. I don't think he went off into immorality.
But you know, it was one thing to be associated with Paul the missionary, quite another thing to be associated with all the prisoners. And you can understand this. I've been in countries where Christianity is illegal and to be associated with Christians put you in a dangerous position. There was one thing that's dangerous enough to be associated with all ways without traveling, but to be associated with all the prisoner, why, that could mean you're very light.
Yourself, you'd be guilty.
By association. But how sad it was that Demas wasn't willing to suffer reproach for the name of Christ. Timothy had been exhorted in these epistles to suffer and to endure as a good soldier, and so on. But something grew the heart of of Demas away from following after Paul. And it's really in contrast to what you have in the end of the eighth verse.
Because in the end of the eighth verse, it speaks of those that love His appearing. In other words, those who are living in view of another day, those who are living in view of another world. Do we love disappearing? Are we living in view of the day when Christ is going to reign supreme and things are going to be set right and righteousness is going to be the order of the day, and we're going to be associated with Him and laying with them, and He's going to declare us as His people in that day?
If we don't love his appearing brother, we're leaving our hearts open for this world. It's either that world or this world again. I'm going to repeat a little story I know I've told before, but to me it illustrates. It's so beautiful. William Kelly, whose commentaries are still in print and many appreciate today, was one of the great minds of England back in the early days of the revival of the truth of God. And he had a nephew, I believe it was, who was attending one of the great universities of England. I can't remember was Cambridge or Oxford, but one of those universities.
And this young man was excelling in his Greek studies. And the Dean of the college and the professor realized that this young man must be getting some special tutoring somewhere. And one question about it, he said his Uncle William was helping him. And the Dean of the university arranged to have an interview with William Kelly. And the Demon University was astounded in the presence of one of the great minds of England. And finally he leaned across the destinies that Mister Kelly.
You could be a great man in this world. We're either looking on to a future day. We love his appearing. Our brethren were dangerous, believing ourselves open like Demas to love his present age. It can't really be bold.
The infection was everywhere here in in the face of the falls lot of days and.
And again, it's mentioned Venus. It doesn't say he's forsook Christ, but he didn't walk any longer with the apostle.
All.
Says in the first chapter all day which be in Asia have forsaken me.
What a sad picture. But he was perhaps was one of them.
Compromised. There was compromise there.
And perhaps seeking some worldly advantage like we spoke about lot, but he no longer identified with the apostle Paul as mentioned, he didn't go on to The Dirty side of the road, so to speak, but he just did not want to be in the company of the apostle all or I think it it also relates to the truth that.
Paul was teaching, don't you think?
In actuality.
But I believe the great lessons you learn is that in the last days, as we've been saying at great length in these meetings, there's a giving up of that. But it was true in actuality, when he thinks to, yes, I believe so. What's the end of this present age? It's going to be in, in the judgment that falls upon it. And the end of all man's plans and designs and desires are all going to come to an end. So I'd love this.
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Present age, to have our hearts set on things that are really going to come to an end is a sad exchange for that which is eternal. You know, we're delivered from this present evil age, says in Galatians. It doesn't call it the evil age here. It's just wanting things in this world and not wanting that heavenly calling and the path that goes with it.
May even be the religious side of the world. You can apply it in that way because again, there are so many who have given up false doctrine. They haven't given up as John said, they haven't given up the Lord. They haven't given up their Bibles. They are walking to some degree and.
Practical godliness and piety. But to go off into the religious side of the world is perhaps the most dangerous side there is, because Satan knows that that which is closest to the truth can often be that which leads to giving up the heavenly calling the believer. Just say, too, that there are three men here who are connected. We don't want to miss this. We have Demas, if I can sum it up this way. Demas began well.
And then just work and like lost, we never hear of demons coming back and being restored in that way. We find then that there's a loop. Luke, Evan, well and ended well. And then there was Mark or John Marcus. He's called in another place. He began not so well, but he ended well. It's not wonderful. And we see this. These are the last days described here. We find that, yes, there's a giving up. There's a going away.
But there's also restoration and there's also the ability to begin well and end well. But again, I want to bring out a little human side of things here. Only Luke gets with me. Here was the Apostle Paul who had served the Lord for so many years, and the Apostle Paul, who I don't think we realized how battered his body was. He'd been in, he'd been in shipwreck, he's been beaten. He's been in all kinds of things. He's walked through through storms and all kinds of bad weather. He, he, his body, I.
Suggest his body probably 8 sometimes from the things he'd experienced. Why did the Lord make sure that Luke was with him at the end? He was the beloved physician. What better person to be with his faithful servant to the end of his life, but one who could not only minister to him and encourage him spiritually, but one who could minister to him and help him physically. I think it's so beautiful to see that God made sure.
That's a beloved position, many gone their own way for one reason or another. But the doctor was with him. And rather doesn't it show how God cares for for his own? You know, you see an elderly St. of God who's gone on to the Lord and helped the Lords people and serve the Lord and they get to be old and feeble and the Lord comes along. So I bring someone alongside just the person that's needed might be a family member, it might be a young person, it might be.
Brother, sister in Christ, or it may be just somebody who has the ability, naturally speaking, or has in that line of medical things that the Lord provides for his people right to the end. And I think it's so beautiful to see that only Lucas with the beloved physician was written to the very end.
Verse 10 that there are three individuals that are mentioned and perhaps you might say that there are three different things that attracted their hearts and the Spirit of God gives it here. The Demas he went to Thessalonica and in that place they had turned to God from idols to serve the living and the true God and to wait for his Son from heaven. And so they were characterized by the waiting for the coming of the Lord, and it captured their hearts. They desired that. But then the second epistle was written to the Thessalonians.
Thessalonians and really they had lost sight of that coming and they had been deceived. In chapter 2 particularly, he goes over some of the reasons perhaps that they had been deceived. And so perhaps Demus just that says he loved the world, a pretty strong term. And so he set his eye upon this world apart from Christ, and then it says it brings in Christians.
00:25:09
And Cretians, he went to Galatia and Galatians error was in connection with the legalism and they had taken up with the law and they had put themselves under law. They were Gentiles. They God had never intended the Gentiles to take up with Judaism. And Judaism we know is entirely distinct from Christianity. And so he, perhaps we have a little glimpse, perhaps it was that Cretians like that legal side.
Of Christianity. And so he found his place in Galatia, and then Titus, perhaps Titus went to Dalmatia here. And Dalmatia means vain splendor. And so perhaps the showy part of Christianity. I don't want to speak disparagingly of any group of brethren, but sometimes, you know, the Pentecostal side of things, Pentecostal power and a showy side to Christianity is what attracts different ones. And so instead of being occupied with the truth of God.
And instead of being able to say what Paul did, I have kept the faith. These different ones are given, their names are given as something had attracted their hearts. And instead of going on in the purity of the Christian faith, they were sidetracked. And so the Spirit of God gives this these three places doesn't like a Galatia and Dalmatia. And even today there's a snare in each one of those.
As I said earlier, Mark didn't start out so well and Paul realized that in the early days, Mark wasn't up to what they were going to face on their missionary journeys and there was a sharp contention between he and Barnabas over the situation and John. Mark went his way and Paul took Silas and so on. But isn't it beautiful to see that even in these days that are described here at the end of Paul's life?
There was restoration and all recognized that now John Mark had learned the lessons that he felt he needed to learn. There's no doubt this spiritual growth. And now he was profitable for the ministry and he wanted Timothy to bring John Mark, to bring John Mark with him. He wanted his fellowship too. He wanted to see him as well. Perhaps give him a little encouragement, said John Mark, did you deliver the lessons? I hope you've learned. I sent you away in love because I knew you weren't up to it. But now you've learned it. I could if they ever had this meeting, I could just imagine how tender. I don't know if they ever had it, but if they ever had, I can just imagine how fans are. It must have been. And can't you just picture John Marks saying, yes, Paul, you were right.
I wasn't ready to go with you. You were right.
But I've got into the essence of the Lord, and I don't want to read in the Scripture when it's there, but something that happened between John, Mark and the Lord. And now he was profitable. And Paul had another comfort, didn't he, That as he departed, there was another young man who was going to take up the torch with Timothy and carry on for the Lord.
Like all passing on the back home and I really, you know a person will.
Run so far.
Then their work is finished. They pass on the baton to someone else who takes it up and goes on. You look at first Timothy 6 and the exhortation of the apostle Paul there in Christ. Timothy 6:00 and 12:00 to Timothy. I think it's good for us to consider here, fight the good fight of faith. Here was his exhortation to Timothy.
Fight the good fight of faith. It wasn't gonna be easy. There was conflict. Lay hold of eternal life on eternal life.
What is really life? Whereunto thou hast also, thou art also called?
And has professed a good profession before many witnesses and if we look over in.
Philippians 2. Philippians 2/22/21.
Other exploitation there Philippians 2.
21.
Will all seek their own, and not the things which are Jesus Christ. Well, look at the commendation 19 But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy shortly unto you, that I may.
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Also may be of good comfort when I know your state all seek their own, and not the things which are Jesus Christ. But Timothy was not of that character, but you know the proof of him that as a son with.
The Father, he has served with me in the Gospel, and therefore I hope to send presently so soon as I shall see how it will go with me. Well, there was real sacrifice there, Paul's.
Work as an evangelist was not easy. He suffered every peril. He was shipwrecked. He was.
Beaten was robbed five times he was.
Stoned and left for dead, Timothy was sharing this these sufferings with the Apostle Paul. Turn over to Matthew 9.
Where the Lord?
Gives an exhortation there. Good for all of us.
37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few. Ray, therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth laborers into his harvest.
Well, it was important, of course, to be faithful to the truth that Paul had.
Had left with the Saints. Upholding and and teaching Paul's doctrine was very important.
Definitely.
Especially when it was being given up here to such a large extent. But there was the field of labour.
Timothy would have to gird up the loins of his mind and enter into the You have to be engaged in the fight.
In the conflict here in in giving out the gospel too. And well, there's still a shortage of laborers in the vineyard, as the Lord said.
We, we all can do our our part.
Perhaps there's never been a time when laborers are more needed in the vineyard and but we have to gird up our loins, loins of our mind. But we look at that verse. There is a first Peter chapter.
One, it's good to be reminded of these things with Peter. Chapter one.
Verse 13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Girding up the loins, that takes energy. We can't allow our minds to go everywhere and the things of this world.
You have to restrain and you have to.
Of those things, the emotions and the thoughts under the control of the word of God. I don't want to get away from our chapter, but I think that Paul was just passing on the baton to Timothy here and.
And exhorting him to continue in the in the good fight of faith.
Genuinely feeling. How do you get on? There's a difference. There isn't. It's a genuine feeling. The Apostle Paul and those that were written had a genuine feeling.
That commitment?
That means I personally have a phone.
00:35:11
That were particularly suited and prepared by God to go with the apostle Paul. He wasn't a one man show, if we could put it that way. He knew that he needed others. And so if you turn to Acts chapter 20, we find that there are others listed there that went with him on these on a missionary journey, or this was not a missionary journey, but they went with him. It says verse 4. They're accompanied with him.
They're accompanying him into Asia soccer of Berea and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secondus and Gaius, of Derby and Timotheus, and of Asia Tikis and Trophimus. These going before tarried for us at Troas. So they were a complement of individuals that went, and they were prepared by the Spirit of God to go, and they were particularly suited to complement Paul as he presented that heavenly doctrine.
That the risen Christ had delivered to him. And we have these different ones that are mentioned in this chapter as well. So they were mentioned at the beginning of Paul's work, you might say, and now they're mentioned at the end. And so one of them here is mentioned in verse 12. Tikakis have I sent to Ephesus. Now Tikakis was one who was an encourager. He had a special work given to him of the Lord and Paul recognized it. And if you look, I think it's at the end of Ephesians.
It says in verse 21 That ye may that ye also.
May know my affairs and how I do. Tikakis, a beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord, shall make known unto you, to you all things whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know our affairs, that he might know our affairs, and that he might comfort your heart. Now here was a faithful messenger. He took a message from Paul, delivered it to the Saints, and then delivered a message from the Saints to Paul.
And he was an encourager.
I his name is only mentioned five times in Scripture. Jim mentions that Demis has only mentioned three times. Many of these dear ones, they're, they're mentioned in Scripture is very, very brief, but they had a very specific work. I hope there's a lot of encouragers in this room. Tikakis was noted for it and he was used of God to encourage the Saints and to encourage the apostle Paul himself. And so Tikakis was sent by Paul to Ephesus.
And as young men, these ones learned in the presence of Paul what it was to travel and preach the gospel and minister the truth. And I think it's very helpful for young people to associate with the gospel work. It might be in your own local area, it might be Sunday school work, might be going down to the inner city with a brother who has an exercise, and so on. I'm thankful as I look back on my youth.
Had opportunity to go to the Gospel tent work in Nova Scotia and other places and I learned a great deal from those brothers who had that exercise. It was their exercise and their work and we went simply to help Content Eggs to make sure the chairs were set up.
But while we were doing that, we learned a great deal from them spiritually and how to handle the truth of thought and present it and so on. Wonderful training ground. And so it's good. I just want to encourage those who are younger. But I just say this too, with the Apostle Paul, as you meet his life, Paul was careful too, who he chose to travel with him. And sometimes there are those who may want to travel with a certain person.
Be part of a work and I believe a person who has been raised up of the Lord to carry on the work. They are responsible to carefully choose their fellow laborers, those that they know are going to be a help to them in the work, whether it's in a physical way or or a spiritual way that the great thing happened with all the markets.
So now the case with Paul, and we could turn to it in chapter 15 of the book of the Acts. It's a good principle.
Jim And it's something that we all need to be very careful, very exercised about to labor with those that are.
Really of the same mind and so here Paul it says in chapter 15 of Acts verse 40, Paul chose Silas and departed, being recommended by the brethren under the grace of God. And he went through Syria and Celestia, confirming the churches and then he came to Derby and Lister and behold, a certain disciple was their name Timotheus. Well, we won't get into the detail of it, but isn't it wonderful that Paul was a little bit older and he.
00:40:29
Valued the having a young man around and it would have been nice to have John Mark, but it just John Mark hadn't made that real commitment. He hadn't really devoted his life to Christ and to service in the way that Paul thought was necessary. And and so he just felt that John Mark was holding back a little bit. He hadn't given 100%. He wasn't willing to lay down his life for Christ. And Paul could discern that. And so he said it's not right.
Not, not the right time, but isn't it wonderful? The Lord gave him Timothy. And so the Lord gave the best, as it were, and then he gave him Silas to go with him. But they went together and they were of the same mind. And these men, not like you and I, we go out perhaps to give out gospel tract or invitations to come to special gospel meetings or something. They went out to the Gentile world and they well knew that they could face murder them that day.
And so they had to make a commitment that it was worth going to the Gentiles to tell them about Christ and that their idols were nothing. And so they faced death every day. So it's a wonderful thing that the Lord raises up different ones. May we each be exercised to allow the Lord to use us.
If brother comes along says I think I'd like you to come along with me and the work.
Well now what about the individuals exercise? Are they concerned to be before the Lord about whether they should take up this invitation or not? And I just want to think of that in verse nine there it says, do thy diligence to come unto me shortly. So here's Timothy reading this letter and he gets to this point and he says, Oh dear, Paul wants me to come with him. I guess I'd better be before the Lord about this.
And as he's considering, maybe he doesn't know what to do. Sometimes the Lord works this way that we we have a an idea, maybe something the Lord maybe has put in our heart, but we're not too sure. And then you come down to verse 13 and Paul goes on to say the quote that I left at Troas with purpose. When thou come a spring with thee. And sometimes the Lord has a a very gentle way of reinforcing to us that, yes, this is from me. And I do want you to take this up just in these very practical little things. He could have been reading along and saying, oh, well, that makes perfect sense. Thank you, Lord, I think all good.
So just from a a practical standpoint, we have to each one of us be before the Lord. And I'm sure Paul would have been the last one to try to run over anybody else's conscience, but he would have presented it and say, you know, it's between you and the Lord, Timothy, but I'd sure like to see you again.
The bottom line is describing together for the faith of the gospel, and Paul always wanted to make sure that his fellow laborers had the same foundation. I'm going to speak very plain for a moment. I remember some years ago a brother who left the Lords Table. He contacted some of us who had a gospel work at that time and he wanted to continue on with us in that gospel work. But I when the brother, not the other brother and I discussed it, we said, how can we strive together for the faith of the gospel? Because this brother, young brother said well.
It's just a gospel work, and we can go on in the gospel work. But what about when souls get saved and he wants them to go to his fellowship and we'd like to exercise them as to the truth of the Lord's table. That's not striving together for the faith of the gospel. And so Paul's desire when he wrote to the Philippians, he uses that expression because he wanted to make sure, as I say, that his fellow laborers had the same exercise as to the truth that he had been given by inspiration.
And again, as Walt said, it works the other way too. If someone asks you to go on a little mission trip or something, make sure it's those who hold the same principles. That you're not going to get off somewhere and find out that you're going to have to compromise your position or your principles because you're hooked up with, with a, a gospel work or some Christian activity that really doesn't hold the same basis of truth that you do. So I think as we've been saying, not to belabor it, but it's a very important principle.
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Person cannot break bread and fellowship at the Lord's Table. We should be careful about working with them too. This, this.
Laxity comes in amongst us, you know, and.
There's association. I want to be careful what I say, but there's association with those who are still connected with system. Now they're their desire to give out the gospel is commendable.
That's good and.
We have to have discernment now. Can we bring them along and allow them to just distribute tracks and so on? Or it takes discernment but to wholeheartedly join with them as if there was no difference and have fellowship with them in their in their social?
Social field.
A sister can can easily be drawn away by her affections into another fellowship entirely and and leave the Lord's table that way. We have to be careful who we labor with in the gospel. I know that has been I've had that problem in India because when you go to India.
Every door is open, just come along.
Western Missionary is welcome everywhere.
You could speak in dozens and dozens of halls. They'll widely open the door for you. Come on. Well, you have to be careful on that because if you're going into a hall that where they're holding doctrines that are not according to scripture and have no idea of the truth of separation, you're joining with them and.
It, it's a, it's a compromise really. So I, I've had that.
Exercising problem in my own life. It's best to work. There's lots of work with those who are gathered on scriptural ground. There's still many, many open doors for the gospel to work together.
Unitedly, according to divine principles.
Scriptures that might be a help to guide because we need the word of God to give us wisdom in that connection, don't we? And so Mark's Gospel Chapter 9 tells us of an incident in the Lord's ministry and John asked this question. John, Mark's Gospel Chapter 9 and verse 38. John answered him saying, master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us, and we forbade him because he followeth not us Jesus. But Jesus said forbid him not.
For there is no man which can do a miracle in my name that can lightly speak evil of Maine. For he that is not against us is on our part. And so the Lord had to rebuke John. We don't need to go and interfere in the work of God in amongst our brethren in other places. And so John wasn't told to go and join with him in the work. He was told to let the Lord do his work, and he was going to use others if the gospel was the only thing that.
If the gathered Saints were the only ones that ever preached the gospel, the grace of God, there be very few saved. But we can rejoice that the gospel is given forth in other places, but we're not to join the other.
Scripture is an Old Testament passage and it applies in principle. In Deuteronomy chapter 22 it says there in verse 9, Deuteronomy 22 and verse 9.
Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds, lest the fruit of thy seed which thou hast sown, and the fruit of thy vineyard be defiled or forfeited. There's a reward. There's a sowing that goes in, goes on, and a vineyard speaks of a private worker, an individual work. You have your own little vineyard. If you're doing a little bit of a gospel work, you have your own vineyard. Well, don't mix it with the work of the flesh and the work of faith.
Fleshly means to mix it in. Let's be plain about it. Let's not use worldly practice to try to get the Saints that get sinners into hear the gospel of the grace of God. We need to work in on the principle of faith, and the Word of God is used in the preaching of the Word of God. But then there are those that hold principles in connection with salvation, and they are mixed in their fellowships. Let's be plain.
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Some people teach that you can be saved and lost again. You want to preach the gospel with someone like that. Now someone may get saved. If you were to preach with someone and they didn't hold the truth of what it is to truly be gathered to the Lords name on divine ground or they didn't hold the truth of eternal security.
Someone might get saved, but you might not get the reward. That's what it's saying in Deuteronomy chapter 22.
The Lord would delight to give you a reward, but it may be forfeited.
And we would be nice if there was a brother who was spiritually emphasized.
I also have.
Because.
A lot of, but that's basic.
And I know.
And happiest my brother was spiritually.
Well, it starts with the physical little thing.
Faithful and not which is least is faithful also in much. And as we said yesterday, those little practical things like Samuel ministering to the Lord and helping to open the doors of the temple and just helping Eli as he got older. Those were the things that were the springboard then for God using him as a mighty judge in Israel later on. But brethren, our time is moving on and I just want to, I think we ought not to miss just a few general comments in connection with the end of this, the last part of this chapter.
We find again a very human side with the apostle Paul in verse 13. He wants his coat and that's why in verse 21 he tells Timothy to come before winter. That's we don't have to spiritualize that. That's that's a very real thing. Paul was an old man and prisons weren't prisons like they are today. I've I've spoken in some prisons in this country in the United States that are as good as the Best Western almost. Well, those that wasn't the conditions Paul Paul was in.
And he felt these things very keenly. Like I say, he never became callous or indifferent to his circumstances. And so he needed his coat and he wanted Timothy to bring it before winter. But he wanted some books too. He wanted some writings. Again, I'm going to make a practical application. Do we value that which God has caused others to write that are a help to us in our study and appreciation of the Word of God?
Paul wrote by several epistles, by divine inspiration as we know, but there were others who wrote things too. And there were things written that are not included in the word of God that no doubt Paul felt were a help too would were a help in edifying. We had a table full of them here yesterday. There's libraries full of them. You can go on the Internet now on things like STEM publishing in the Bible Truth website and those kinds of places and find that that good written ministry.
Paul valued it and he didn't have access to it like we do. He couldn't just log in and, and, and read something from Mr. Darby or Hamilton Smith or whatever, or pick a book at a conference like we can. He desired that Timothy, when he came, would bring those writings that he valued. Well, do we value those things? God has raised up men of past generations and there are men today too, that God has raised up that are writing things that are very helpful. They don't replace the word of God. Nothing replaces.
The Word of God. But there are the there is Christ Exalting ministry that will help you in your understanding and study of God's Word.
There are things too that might cause bitterness in a child of God. And you know, someone has said the experiences of life that we pass through either make us bitter or they make us better. And so here he mentions Alexander the coppersmith. And we might add to what Jim added earlier or said earlier, those 3 individuals. But Alexander is one perhaps that started off on the wrong foot, started off badly and he ended badly.
And so he opposed Paul and perhaps it's the very same one that had been disciplined or had that's really in First Timothy. He really was in the outside place and he never found repentance. He had missed the mark. He says in verse 20, chapter one of First Timothy, of whom Alex is Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blasphemy. Oh, he just never seemed to have a recovery.
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And so it could have caused bitterness in connection with the apostle Paul. But Alexander was bitter. He didn't have a forgiving spirit towards Paul. He didn't have any appreciation for the apostle Paul. But then it speaks of those that had forsaken Paul. He went to prison. He had a court appearance. And at the court appearance the brethren didn't show. And so he says at my first in verse 16, 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.
Can't you see the old Apostle Paul in the prison alone? He stands before the court, not a brother in Christ, with him as all by himself. Now there may have been some that perhaps couldn't be there, Maybe Luke. We don't know why it doesn't mention that Luke was there, but it says no man stood with me. All men forsook me.
And so we live in these days where circumstances come up and their bitterness that could come in. But Paul didn't become bitter. He begged the he, he says, I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. He didn't hold them accountable for it, if you will. And he went on in the spirit of grace.
But they didn't show us period of retaliation.
Alexander was a very harmful character, whoever, whoever he was, he was a bitter opponent of Paul. And then, but Paul doesn't retaliate. He says the Lord will reward him according to his works. The solemn, solemn fact there. But all left him with the Lord. There's some things that we just have to leave with the Lord.
Not to defend ourselves and retaliate. The Lord never retaliated when he was treated in such a.
Ignominious way in his death. He didn't defend himself and he didn't.
Stand up for his rights or retaliate against those who were treating him in that shameful way well.
Here was a man that was withstanding his words. And as Robert said, this must have been Rome, wasn't it, Robert? This must have been Rome, because that's when he was brought before one of the cruelest tyrants that ever lived. It must have been before a Nero and.
You know what type of person he was and.
And the Lord delivered him, I guess on the 1St instance, but finally he was beheaded by the Nero's power. Nevertheless, the Lord stood with me and strengthened me. Isn't that a beautiful contrast by me? The preaching might be fully known that all the Gentiles might hear delivered out of the mouth of the lion. I think the lion was Nero, and that's what he he, he was delivered on one occasion.
But.
It was only it was only temporary. He was later arraigned again. Did he ever get his liberty here?
I don't believe liberty after this.
Perhaps it was the Saints at Rome that had forsaken him, because really here he was in Rome and those in the assembly at Rome could have been a comfort for him to him. But as a lion, as you say, is really the Roman authorities and really under satanic influence, don't you think? And the same in connection with the Lord Jesus. The Roman power was there, the dog, but it was under satanic influence.
And so we live in days when the authorities, the powers that be, are coming under the influence of Satan, Satanic delusion.
Robert, because this must have really impinged the heart of Paul, because in the end of Acts, when he was approaching the imperial city of Rome.
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And to me, it's one of the tenderest scenes in the life of Paul. The brethren did come out and they came out as far as API Forum in the three Taverns. And when Paul saw it, he thanked God and took courage. What a blessing it was for the apostle Paul when they came out. But when he got to Rome and they saw what was going to happen and he was brought before Nero, they weren't then willing to associate with him again, perhaps because of fear of persecution or even death.
And so it must have really hurt Paul. They had initially, as he'd entered Rome, been a great encouragement to him. But in the hour, shall we stay of his greatest need. No man stood with him, but the Lord was with him. And brethren, we can always take comfort. Let's let's bring this right down to where we are. You say I've got trials. I'm going back to work next week. This week I'm going back to school. I'm going to face some circumstances. We're going back to our little assembly and.
I know what's going to happen when I go back there. Maybe you're going to feel like no man stands with you. But brethren, remember the Lord is with you and he gives us the strength. And here it wasn't the strength to crush the enemy, it was the strength to overcome.
In the face of the enemy, Paul wasn't about to crush Nero. That wasn't the point. But he was going to be. He was able to stand even at this very difficult time. It was strength to overcome.
In spite of the forces that were arrayed against him. And then notice verse 18. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and preserve me unto his heavenly Kingdom. You say, well, I thought we just said that he was going to lay down his life. That doesn't sound like deliverance.
From the power of Nero. But just take a moment to go back to the book of Daniel, because I think you see something similar there with the faith of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
In Daniel chapter 3, we know this story well.
Daniel's three friends were faithful in not bowing down to the image that the king had set up. And remember, again, like Nero, the king in the Nebuchadnezzar had the power of life and death, and whom he would he slew, and whom he would he kept alive, and so on. And so the promise or the threat was that they were going to be thrown into the fiery furnace if they didn't bow down. But let's notice what they say to the king when these three men are brought before him.
Verse 16 of Daniel chapter 3. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, Oh Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If so, be our God whom we serve. Now notice this is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace. I'm going to stop there. They didn't know the end of the story. We know the end of the story because we've heard it from the days of our youth, but they didn't know what was going to happen.
They said our God is able, but they didn't know whether they were going to not only be thrown into the fiery furnace, but consumed in the fiery furnace. But notice the next statement.
This is their, this is their real faith. And he will deliver us out of thine hand, O King. In other words, what they said, whether we perish in the fire or not, our God will deliver us from your hand. They knew that their God was able to deliver them in spite of whatever happened. Now we know they were delivered through the fire. Paul was going to receive deliverance by being martyred. Very interesting, isn't it? It's like those in the end of Hebrews. They didn't accept deliverance.
In the way we think of deliverance, they were sawn asunder, they suffered martyrdom and so on. But there was some better thing prepared for them. And Paul knew that whether he laid down his life or not, he was going to be delivered from the mouth of the lion. He was going to be delivered from Nero, and all the power of Satan and his hosts arrayed against him because he knew to depart and be with Christ was far better. You know when Paul wrote that to the Philippians, Far better. He knew exactly what he was talking about.
We know we we quote that verse and we by the Spirit of God from the pages of the word of God, we have some little inkling of what's ahead. Paul had been caught up there temporarily. He knew it was far better to depart and be with Christ. And so as he's about to lay down his life, he says he will deliver me from every evil work.
I'm going home and it's going to be complete deliverance into the presence of the Lord.
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I think in connection with the brother John's question at his first defense was his first trial and though we don't get it traced in in the apostles journeys and the little maps that might be in the back of your Bible. There was he was set at liberty in first Timothy 1-2. I'll just read the verses. You don't have to turn to them as I just softly to abide still at Ephesus when I went into Macedonia.
There was part of that time when he was set at liberty and then in Titus, he says.
In chapter 3 verse 12, I be diligent to come unto me to an accomplice, for I have determined there to winter. And then the beginning of Titus, he says I left the encrete, so he must have gone to Crete as well. We learn in our chapter that he left.
This cloak at Troas down in verse 20. Trophies have I left at my lead. I'm sick. And so he did get a certain amount of liberty and went back again in the sphere of his labours. And what did he find out in that time? All day in Asia? Forsaken me wasn't just in prison, but he found out on that journey that now he was a marked man, he was a prisoner.
And then that very sphere of his laborers, he traveled again and he found he was a rejected man. He was arrested again and he knew this time the Lord revealed it to him he was going to go to trial and what his result was going to be. But I think it's so tender to look at what concerns the apostle in this chapter, the ministry bring, Mark, He's profitable to me for the ministry.
He's concerned that the truth go on not just for his own comfort. He did long for Timothy companionship. I thought that was it's lovely his son in the faith, but his what was before his soul was that the the truth of God would go on and he says none stood with me. Oh it's touching at his first defense, but the Lord gave me power. Why that the preaching might be known.
That was what was the desire of the apostles heart, that the truth would go on and be walked in by the Saints. Just want to notice.
Earth throat from us. Have I left at my lead? I'm sick. Can I make an application?
Maybe the little assembly where you are or large assembly, there's difficulties and when those things come in, they can just.
Be just make our insights turn make us almost physically sick.
When the difficulties come in and they press in, he says. Trophamus. Have I left at my leader sick?
Lord wants you to stay right where you are. It might be hard and maybe things just make you sick at heart, but you stay there and be an encourager and one who is going to seek to be a help to the Saints and encourage them on. In Paul's doctrine, he left him there even though he was sick. And then one other little thing.
He says in his very last words, the Lord Jesus Christ be with my spirit. Mr. Darby translates your spirit. It's plural. It's not just Timothy, it's you and me, your spirit. And like to read one verse.
And, and Psalm 106 is in connection with a little something we had earlier.
Well, maybe 2 verses verse 32 of the 106 Psalm. They angered him all so that the waters of stripes so that it went I'll with Moses for their stakes because they provoked his spirit so these fake unadvisedly with his lips. Timothy, you're going to need the Lord Jesus Christ with your spirit. The days dark. The difficulties are great, even personal enemies like Alexander, the Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit grace be with thee.
How we need it?
He didn't exercise his gift of healing for focus wasn't the Lord's mind, but would be healed on this occasion. So sometimes we we don't always get healing, but.
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He won a trophy to remain there, didn't he, for a work?
Do for him we don't find the gifts of healing, generally speaking, ever used to further the work of the ministry. They were signed gifts for the unbeliever, but not to further the work of the ministry or for the healing of the household of faith. Before we sing again, just say this in conclusion. It's interesting. You can check it out at the end of the of this epistle.
He gives these little commendations and there are three categories mentioned. There is a couple, Priscilla and Aquila. You know, we can go on to the very end as couples. It's given up today, marriage is given up, the families being smashed, but we can go on as couples. Here was a godly couple still going on. There's a household, the household of the Vanessa Forest often refreshed Paul. He said we can go on as households.
And there are individuals. And when you take those 3 categories, brethren, it doesn't exclude anybody in this room.
We're either individuals, we're all individuals. Some of us are couples, some are households with families, and whatever category we fall into, there's full provision to the end. And Paul rejoiced that there were those who were going on in those various capacities even at the end. So brethren, there's full provision for us to go on. There's no excuse to give up all the resources. Are there? Are they the last days? Yes, they are. But I trust we're encouraged to press on the few moments that are left.
Same 288.