Timothy's genuine faith, Paul's godly pattern

0:00 What's pure religion? Say it.

What's pure religion? Say it. Say it. Say it. I'm...

And the widows. And the widows. Okay? And to keep yourself unspotted from the world. I'm gonna tell you a little story before we get to this.

It's kind of a transition from what we just went in... What we just discussed. My wife was telling me this and I'd forgotten about it. But for those of you that are not married that are single, just to let you know, I was very old. My wife was much older when we got married.

She lived in a whole another decade than I did. I like to ask her what the moon landing was like, what it was like at Woodstock. Yeah, I like to ask her because she lived it. She lived it whereas I I did not. So, so but the the joy of this is we were old when we got married.

So, we did a lot of different things during our twenties that a lot of you don't have to do or didn't have because you you were married young. But one of those things was we were in deep and happy fellowship at our respective meetings. I'm from the glorious state of Georgia. She's from North Carolina. We...

It's just a long story. We'll tell you about it later on. But we fellowship at Believer's Gospel Chapel. She was at Wilmington Bible Chapel. And she suffered from something that many of you ladies will will know is series, that she had endometriosis.

Very very painful painful disease. And she sometimes felt really down about the sufferings that she endured because of this particular disease. But she was having a Bible study with an older lady named miss Mary Fran McNally. And she was an old southern girl from Durham, North Carolina and had moved to Wilmington. And Tammy spent a lot of time in fellowship with her at her house doing different bible studies and enjoying supper and and and then on occasion, Sunday dinner or that sort of thing.

But Tammy was one time just bewailing her physical condition. And I don't say this negatively. It's just you hurt, you hurt. And Miss Mary Fran looked at her and he says, So you're 20 and you hurt or 26 and you hurt. Have you ever ever considered the widow's bench?

And for those that are young, sometimes you don't even think about that. But if you'll look in your assembly, there's a lot of times a row of pews or a row of chairs in which ladies who have lost their husbands or husbands who have lost their wives congregate because they share in a in a sorrow that nobody else can know. And this lady who was a widow looked at my wife and said, have you considered the suffering that goes on on the widow's bench? It revolutionized my wife's twenty years... The age of her twenty years, the last five years of being 25, 26, that sort of thing.

Because then she began fellowshipping, working with, enjoying the time that she had with these older ladies. And do you think that might have helped with her later ministry and counseling? Do you think it might have helped her later ministry amongst the assembly? She did some conference speaking, all those. It just opened up a vista to things that she was not a part of.

I just would like to, as we transition from the last message into what we're talking about this next one, which will be some carryover, is that there are opportunities everywhere if you take the time to look, if you open your eyes. Y'all know the statistics. About eighty percent of people come to know Christ before they're 20 years old. After they're 20, people get set in their ways and they... But have you ever thought that older folks are one step away from eternity?

Any thought of witnessing to them? Any care? Any compassion? Any working towards saving them as by fire? Do you have a ministry here?

I don't know. I'm not saying this, I'm just asking. I don't know. I know that as a young man, was hard to go into the nursing homes. I was always in the nursing homes.

I had very old grandmas, and I spent a lot of time with their aunts. Not their aunts, their sisters and their brothers. And so I understand it's a difficulty. But if you're looking for a ministry folks, and you're wondering young people, I can't do anything, show up at an older folks' home. There'll be at least 10 of them that would love to just have you sit and play games with them.

Talk. Why are you here? I love Jesus. I love Jesus. Then you've got a chance.

So just an opportunity where you can utilize a natural desire. Are all all older folks gonna love having you? No. No. But not all human beings like each other.

But the amazing opportunities that you will have if you open yourself up. And let me just tell you this. We we love to sing the song or we used to sing the song, Jesus loves the little children. All the children of the world, red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.

You know, Jesus loves the little widows of the world. Jesus loves the old widower. Jesus loves the old couple that is shuffling on. Jesus loves everybody, and he gave himself for everybody. So again, what we are doing together this weekend is hopefully encouraging ways that we can, whether it's a gospel outreach to forgotten folks or whether it is strengthening the body to corporately look for opportunities to strengthen each other and to witness, I hope that you will think in different ways than maybe maybe you would have thought in a in a normal...

6:42 Prayer and transition to Paul's heart for Timothy

We know that these were your people. We know that these were outstanding servants of your son. Help us to glean in this forty five minutes, this hour, what we need to learn from them to be better servants of your glorious son. Help us, we pray in Jesus name. Amen.

Now, we left off with Paul's heart for for Timothy and we left off with this idea of his caring for Timothy's physical condition. So he had remembrance of him in his prayers night and day. He greatly desired to see Timothy. He would be filled with joy when he got to see Timothy, and he cared about his physical condition. Our third point, we wanna look at Paul's evaluation of Timothy's faith and heart.

We want to look at Paul's evaluation of Timothy's faith and heart. Turn if you would to second Timothy chapter one. Second Timothy chapter one. We read here in verse five these words We don't read the words that I'm looking for because I told you go to first Timothy and not second Timothy. That's what happens when you spend a lot of time in the Timothy's.

Go to second Timothy. That would be helpful for both the preacher and the ones that are trying to follow him. Second Timothy chapter one and verse five, when I call to remembrance, the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois and thy mother Eunice and I am persuaded that is in thee also. We'll get more to the family relationship in another message but what do we see Paul saying of Timothy in a direct letter to the young man? He says, you don't have a faith that's faked.

You have a real genuine faith. I've seen it, and I am convinced that it is true. Paul's evaluation of Timothy looks at his heart revealed through his deeds. How do you see faith? What does James tell us?

You see faith by obedience. I love Jesus. I love Jesus, but I don't want to obey Him. And I'm not saying that flippantly. It's hard.

There's a whole lot of things that everyone of us has different issues that we struggle with. Every single one of us has, you know, you you do not want to be with me in a vehicle. You just don't. I won't don't want you in a vehicle with me because then I you have to see me confess. You have to see the rottenness of my inner being.

I don't think any other human being can drive and so therefore, I struggle with their inability to drive properly. And I drive a lot of places, thousands upon thousands upon thousands of miles a year. And I spend a lot of time in confession. So I'm not trying to tell you that I'm any better than you. I don't know what your particular issue is.

I don't know what you're struggling with. But when Paul looked at Timothy, he could say, I have seen what you do and who you are, and your faith is real and genuine. Young people, you can fool folks. Older folks, you can fool folks. But what would it be?

What would it be if when you came to your end, this chapel was full of young people weeping that you'd gone on to glory because of your unfeigned faith in Jesus Christ. You wouldn't need anything on your tombstone. You'd have it written on the fleshy hearts of those that are around. What about you young people? It's one thing to say, I love Jesus.

Boy, hear me worship. Wow. I like the praise band. I can sure love Jesus with my voice. What are your feet doing?

What are your hands doing? What are they doing in your relationship to those that are not like you in this meeting? Timothy's faith was unfaked. It was real. And Paul, through the Spirit of God, through the Spirit of God, inspirationally writes this of Timothy.

I want you to turn over now to Philippians chapter two. Philippians chapter two is a very, very famous passage. Those of you that do attend the Lord's Supper will hear it read probably 10 times during the year if if you hear it at all. It's very famous, maybe even 30 times. It just depends on the week.

But if you look at Philippians chapter two, I want us to read I want us to read verses one through five. If there be, therefore, any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the spirit, if any bowels of mercies, fulfill you my joy that you be like minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory but in loneliness of mind, let each esteem others better than themselves. Let not every man or look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of others. Why is Paul writing Philippians?

Well, they were having difficulties. In that small church, there was a lot of conflict that was going on in that that little place. He loved the Philippian saints, but there were some things that he he needed to get adjusted, and he wanted them to see. So what does he say? Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory.

Let each esteem others better than themselves. Look not every man on his own interest but on the things of others. Then he goes into the example of Jesus Christ. Everybody's heard that verse of praise in in verses six through 11. Have you not?

What does it say? Let this man be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of god thought it not robbery to be equal with god but made himself of no reputation and look upon him or took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross. Wherefore, god also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is lord to the glory of the father. That's the gospel. K?

That's the gospel. Jesus, God, came in flesh and died for you and me. Humbled himself, and one day he will be exalted. Paul is looking at the Philippian church and he's saying to them, you are struggling with being Christ like because you are self concerned, you are self conceited, you are looking at your own interest as being more and more valuable than others. You are not being humble.

Here is the lord Jesus. This is what he did for you. We all know this part of the chapter. We're all reminded of this part of the chapter. Now look down, if you would, in verse 19 of chapter two.

But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timotheus or Timothy shortly unto you that I also may may be of good comfort when I know your state. For I have no man like minded who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ but you know the proof of him that as a son with the father, he has served with me in the gospel. Him therefore, I hope to send presently so soon as I shall see how it will go with me. When Paul reaches for an example of someone who is the epitome of humility and putting others concerns above themselves.

When he is looking for an example of that which he has laid out in the first 11 verses of chapter two, who does he go to? He looks at the young man, Timothy. There's a couple things embedded in this that you need to grasp. He is saying, when he refers to Timothy that there is no one like minded that will care for your state like Timothy will. He is saying that Timothy and I or Timothy, there is no one here.

No one in my circle that has the same goals as Timothy does. The word basically means one in spirit. I have no one of equal soul. No one of equal soul. You remember the story in the Old Testament?

That great love story of platonic male love between Jonathan and David, their great great friendship, what does it say of Jonathan's soul? It was knitted. I see somebody knitting back here, I think. Crocheting, something like that. Grandma did both of them, but I I I did not sit to learn.

I'm sorry. I should have. That would have been a great example for cross generational fellowship. But alas, I just took whatever she gave me and said thank you. Can you imagine that?

18:42 Paul sending Timothy to Philippi

Again, we talked about the ages. He could be a little younger. He could be a little older, but he's probably in 61 or 62 when when Philippians is written. He's gonna be probably probably 30 to 32. Young men, do you aspire?

Do you aspire to the greatness of being a servant like Paul? I mean, honestly, do you look in the mirror and say, I cannot wait to not be full of myself. Young ladies, do you look around and say, I cannot wait till I am just like Jesus? And I'm not saying through words, I'm saying, I want to give myself holy to the people of god without my own interest. I am not there yet, folks.

And it breaks my heart. I look at the mirror so many times. It's what I want. What's important to me? That person has bugged the stew out of me.

I'm tired of them. I'm sure there's nobody like that here. But Paul, in his prison cell, says to the Philippians, I am sending to you my very heart and soul. Notice the heart and soul of Paul. Paul is alone in a prison.

His protege, the one that he calls his dearly beloved son, he is willing to send him to Philip... To Philippi. And in doing so, he is giving up that which he holds dear for the good of the Philippian believers. Again, go back to our discussion yesterday. Parents, are you willing to send your children to serve God in places that you don't want them?

Are you? Or are we always wondering about what your retirement fund will look like if you go there or do that? I look at this relationship between Paul and Timothy, and I hope against all hope that my son will find somebody like this that he can emulate to the glory and benefit of the people of God. I'm glad when he follows me in certain things, but I am so happy. I heard him preach a message.

He was out at Emmaus and he did their student chapel. Made fun of him a little bit because that's what daddies do. But we listened to one of his sermons on the way up in the car, and I was just so overjoyed to see that he's not a bombastic stump grinder like his father. I'm I'm who I am. I'm not ashamed of who I am, but if I could be gentle and kind, oh, if I could be gentle and kind.

I just have such marvelous admiration for strong men that are kind, actually kind. I'm kinda kind behind the scenes. I won't let you know. I don't know if it's daddy and John Wayne. I have no idea what that influence is, but I see genuine kindness in my son.

I don't know, I got that from his mama. And I just think, wow, I hope that one day someone, an older brother could write, what a follower of Jesus, young Cobb is. I don't know if you want that for your children. I'm sure you do. I don't know if you want the elders for your assembly.

I'm sure you do. But could you imagine being able to say, I have six young men and six young ladies at Westlake Bible Fellowship who epitomized the humility and kindness and the shepherd's heart of the Lord Jesus. Older folks, what are you doing to make that happen? Are you investing? Are you pouring?

Are you taking the time? It doesn't happen ex nihilo. What did Paul do? We learned this yesterday. He saw Timothy doing good things.

He heard reports of Timothy and he didn't just say pat him on the head and say, good job, kid. He said, you're going with me. I'm taking you. I don't know what you are doing for the lord, older folks. I have no idea what your ministries are.

I I don't know you in that regard but I know that most of you are faithfully serving the lord somehow. Are you personally taking young men, young ladies, and telling them this is a worthwhile place to invest your life? They might not decide to go that direction. They're young people. They have that decision.

But if they see you faithfully doing something, will you one day be able to look at them, my word. What a wonderful thing to see them following Jesus as I have attempted to do. And I hope, as all parents do, that your protege and my protege and my son and your son far and away exceeds our devotion to the Lord Jesus. When Paul sought to give an example of one living out the tremendous examples of the humility and self sacrifice of Jesus Christ, he highlighted Timothy. Oh, that that were you and I.

Oh, that that were you and I in our relationships today. One commentator wrote this, Timothy Timothy's qualities were unexcelled. His whole life stands as an example for every child of God. Could you imagine people saying that about you? Could you imagine that being said of your children?

Could that... Can you imagine that being said of Westlake Bible Fellowship? Their entire testimony their entire testimony is unexcelled. Your whole life stands as an example to every other child of God. Young people, wake up.

26:46 Begin now, you have choices

Do it now. Begin now. You've got choices now. And if you don't make those choices now, it'll be very difficult, not impossible. Not impossible.

But if you don't start now, what are you doing? You're wasting time. Ain't no getting back time. Guaranteed no getting back time. Not happening.

Young people, older folks, how much time you got left? Do you know? The answer to that is no, you don't know. So why wait another day? Why wait another day to put your heart and your soul into helping young people turn into an unexcelled example of a follower of Jesus Christ?

I say that because that's what has to be said. I hope that I can live that. And I hope that you together can learn to love and live as Timothy did for Paul. Now, I'm gonna have to frankly leave out a bunch of stuff. I know a lot of you that brings great joy, but there is so much here that I'll have to skip over.

But I will put this together in some kind of electronic format, and I'll have that at some point if, not this weekend, but some point. What we wanna look next is Timothy's heart towards Paul. Now we have to extrapolate this. We cannot find this in a, in in a writing of Timothy. We've already discussed that.

But we want to see what Timothy thinks regarding Paul. Well, we can just stay right there in Philippians for the moment. For the moment, we read the verse already but we can pick up and know exactly what he thought of Paul himself when we read in verse 22, but you know the proof of him that as a son with a father, he has served me or with me in the gospel. We see this that Timothy recognized Paul for who he was and willingly served with him as a son to a father. Now, I'm gonna tell you this right now.

There is no one in this world that I have more admiration for as a young person than my son. I don't mean to I I I he's my son. So, please forgive me. We all have favorites, okay? I love y'all.

I'm glad that you had me. Grant, great conversations. Enjoyed them. Remembered your name. See that?

Took only twice. Okay? I remembered your name but when I think about my son, I have been with him and I've seen him and I've seen the decisions that he's had to make, not perfect by any stretch of imagination but he's something very rare in this generation. Very rare. And when I talk about my son, I'll tell you this is what astounds me about him.

Okay? And I'll and I'll brag on him, and it's not what you would think about. We farm. I'm terrible at it. I'm a man with cows, not a cattlemen.

A cattlemen knows what he's doing. I fumble my way through it but what we do is we work hard and we do terribly nasty things and we get sweaty and we get dirty and we have all hours. You may get a call in the middle of the night that your cows have gotten out. You gotta go get them on the... There are all kinds of things that you don't want to do, that you hate doing, but they're part of the package.

And I can say this about a Gen Zer named Cobb Hollingsworth that even if he hates what is being done, if it has to be done, I can count on that young man to be by my side. And I just am so proud. I'm so intensely proud of that. He's not gonna be a farmer. He don't wanna be a...

He don't want this. He's gonna go off. I'm not gonna make... I can't make him. He's gonna go do something else.

But whenever the call is there for something... And it's not just on the farm. It's in the local church. It's at camp. It's in all of these ministries.

I see that boy, that young man doing what has to be done even if he doesn't want to do it. Timothy was doing what he had to be done even if he didn't wanna do it. Where was he sent? He was going to Philippi. What is that?

A bunch of squabbling folks, including two older women that are going at it. Here's a young man being thrust into that position. Where is he sent? He sent to Ephesus. They are trying to kill Christians.

They are having riots. Yeah. Send me to the riot zone. Could you send me to Iraq? Could you send me to Iran right now?

Could could I go... Could you put me in Tehran right now? No. I don't wanna go to Tehran right now. You don't either.

You don't want your kids to go there. But if Paul said, Timothy, I got to have you. I got to have you, son. I'm stuck in this prison. I need you to go.

Where would he... He did it. He did it. Young people, it's not about your convenience. It's not about doing everything that you like because you like...

I'll give you a hint, young people. I'm not I'm not fussing at you. I'm a history guy and I grew up with parents that... The grandparents that lived through the Great Depression. Y'all have no idea of that.

And that's what's a lot of what's wrong with our society today is there's no connection back to when there was nothing. But I actually had grandparents. My grandma grew up in a place called Plum Branch, South Carolina. It is a hole in the wall nowhere. And she got for Christmas on a good Christmas, she got an orange and a can of salmon.

I'm not making that up. That was Christmas, and it was a happy time. We are so glutted with everything. Everything at our fingers. Amazon, this.

We have a big Amazon plant or dispersal or whatever it is. And I... My children laugh, but this is what I say. When we drive by that thing on the interstate going towards Atlanta, I say, behold the temple of our God. That's really what I say because as Americans, we have everything.

Young people, you got a decision to make. Are you gonna serve that? Because there's a choice between getting everything you want and doing that which is necessary. And I guarantee you which one Jesus is impressed with, is doing that which is necessary. And what is necessary for true religion?

34:49 Love widows and orphans, keep unspotted

Older folks, are you willing to give the grace when they fail in trying to do that which is necessary? Has to work together as an assembly. I love this thought about Timothy As a son with a father, he has served with me in the gospel. In verse four of second Timothy chapter one, Paul says, being mindful of your tears. Timothy loved Paul and hated to be separated.

Hated to be separated. But he was willing to do that which had to be done to be apart from the one who loved him and whose soul his was knit to. But he left with tears. Weeping. Is there anyone in this meeting, young people, that when they pass, you are going to weep tears because of how they spoke into your life, how they worked in your life?

Young people, are you doing those things that would attract the attention of serious minded servants of god that have gone on for decades? Are you doing those things that say, hey, that is material that I can pour into that is going to make a mark for Jesus long after I'm gone? Timothy wept. Wept. Most of the time we weep when we run into somebody because we don't want to see them.

Oh, no. I've got to deal with so and so. Oh, no. That old so and so is gonna say something bad about how long my skirt is. Again, be modest.

I'm not getting into that. I'm just saying, these are things that people, generations struggle with. Here is the deal, folks. Please, please, please understand that the mutual love between Timothy and Paul is one that absolutely transformed the world. Transformed the world.

I'm not asking for you to transform the world. I'm asking you to transform Westlake Bible Fellowship. And in transforming this place, you have a power to impact. I don't know how many counties around here. Three, four, five, whatever it is.

I don't know how many are represented. I do want to point this out. There is the possibility that Paul knew that Timothy's heart was wavering. I don't wanna leave that out. I don't wanna paint a hagiographic picture of Timothy.

But if you look in second Timothy chapter one in verse eight, we read the the... These words. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our lord nor of me his prisoner, but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God. Timothy may have been struggling after years of seeing his mentor, the one that he loved in prison, the one of always being sent to hostile tough places. He may have wavered.

I tend to believe that this is Paul just saying, Don't. Not so much as you are, but there's enough evidence that perhaps there's some wavering. It didn't change the fact that Timothy loved him, but he needed the old phrase, buck up buttercup. You gotta face it. There are things that you have to face.

I don't know if that's exactly what Paul meant, but enough commentators point in that direction that we have to acknowledge that at this point, Timothy is making a decision. Let me just riff off that for a moment, young people. I've told you, you gotta make a decision. Timothy is at this age, 30 years old. In America, the age of 18 to 22 is critical for following the lord Jesus.

It's amazing how many young people leave the faith in that eighteen to twenty two year period. But it's amazing to me how many folks make it through their twenties and get bogged down in a successful career and when I mean bogged down, yeah, you've got the nice house. Yes, you've got the nice car. Yes, you have the 2.5 children dressed in an appropriate outfits. But your service to the people of God is simply Sunday morning.

I'm happy that you're here. I am not telling you to leave, but I am telling you that you are missing what is the blessing. And that is the decision that my life from infancy or young childhood as Timothy gave, as we've seen, all the way through to this point in his life. If he was wavering, we know that he didn't waver long because in Hebrews, it tells us that he was imprisoned. Okay?

At least that's the vast majority of people think that that's what that indicates in chapter 13 of Hebrews. Young people, you can look around you and you can see older couples that have followed the Lord Jesus with their lives. They'll be happy to tell you of the struggles. They might not give you all the details, and you don't probably deserve all the details. But they'll be happy to tell you, at this point in life, I had to make a decision.

What helped you? Why don't you see them? Why don't you take the time? Why don't you sit down with them at coffee? Why don't you ask them actual questions instead of, How is your knee today?

How did Paul and Timothy grow together? They live life together. They worked together. They served together. They loved Jesus together.

Oh, what we could do together with him. Not because we're trying to come some fake relationship between generations, but because together we serve the same Jesus. Older folks, I'm gonna turn to you right now. I think I have till 12:45. Is that what I'm understanding?

At least that's what the schedule said. I will close because I know that y'all starve yourselves here at Westlake Bible Fellowship. And so I want to give you a chance to fast for an hour. Older folks, do people wanna follow folks that just talk and don't walk? Do they actually want to follow people into the lion's den who won't walk in the lion's den themselves?

42:37 Paul's example to Timothy

You don't think Timothy already knew that, do you? Of course, Timothy knew that. He'd been with him for at least ten years by the time this is written. In first Timothy chapter two verse seven and second Timothy chapter one verse 11, Paul tells Timothy that he is a preacher, that he is an apostle, that he is a teacher of the Gentiles. You don't think Timothy already knew that?

Of course, he knew this. In second Timothy chapter one and verse eight, Paul tells Timothy that he is a prisoner. In second Timothy chapter two and verse two, Paul gives the truth that his own testimony was exemplary and was known by everybody. So is Paul bragging? No.

He's just telling the truth. In second Timothy chapter two and verse nine and ten, I suffered trouble. I endure all things. Timothy was in Philippi when Paul was thrown into prison with Silas. He saw him being beaten with rods.

He knew every intimate detail of Paul's suffering. And yet, Paul is telling him about the fact that he is persecuted and imprisoned for the work and word of God. What does that tell us? There are two things I think it tells us. Number one, it's a great obvious clue that this was not a book or these were not books that were simply written for Timothy alone.

They were to be read and understand, stood by Christian church at that time, and they are lessons, and they are truths, and they are requirements for us today if we name the name of Christ. Yes. These were personal pastoral letters written from an old man to his young protege who he loved dearly and wanted to see excel in the service of his savior. But they were simply not letters to him alone. They were to you and I living two thousand years later.

Timothy knew all of this stuff. But guess who wouldn't? The rest of us that followed behind. So who is the author of the scriptures? Is it Paul?

Well, yes. In a way, he is authoring them but he is moved by the Holy Spirit and this is god almighty. Reminding you and me that the relationship between those that serve the lord is often times going to be one of bumpy, troubled tribulation but that each of us have a job and in the course of life, Paul had been a preacher, apostle, and a minister to the Gentiles. And he wanted the Christian church to know that, but not just him, the Holy Spirit of God wanted us to know that. Timothy knew this, but Paul has given him an example and reminded him, why would he remind Timothy at this critical juncture, especially in two Timothy?

Paul is about to die. Young people, what is the one thing that sometimes drives you nuts about older folks? They tell you the same story over and over and over again. As I said, I married a much older woman, Very, very, very advanced in years. Very advanced.

Very advanced. And one of the things that we laugh about, we actually laugh about it now. She... I said, she'll start a story. She told me the same...

I was like, is this early onset? Am I, what am I dealing with here? You know, she will tell me the same story. We will get out of the car at a McDonald's which by the way, great time of the year, fillet of fish, two for $6 I am not Catholic but I am very happy for this season where they give us fish sandwiches on sale. Just a side note, you don't have to go there but I'm going get fat on my trip because we don't have that in the South because we don't have a very large number of of Catholics so they don't really play to Lent.

You hit the border, bam. It is fish sandwich galore. Wonderful, wonderful time in my life. Thanks for inviting me. Anyway, the point is we could get in the car.

We could be driving to McDonald's and she could tell me a story of what happened in her day yesterday. And she will get out. She will enjoy her little snack of chicken McDuggets dipped in honey with a diet coke and a few french fries. She will get back in the car and tell me, did I tell you about what happened in my day yesterday? And if I'm being a Christ like husband, I will say, tell me again what happened in your day.

I would love to experience with you the joy or sorrow of yesterday. Most of the time, I'm not a Christ like husband, and I'll just say, let's move on to another story. You just told me that one, darling. You know, you just told me that one. Young people, stop being so self centered that you can't take a little time to hear the same story of god's triumph in an older person's life.

You need to be reminded because you're going to get old one day if the lord doesn't come back and you're going to face failure and you're going to face hardship and you're going to cry because you lost a daughter or you lost a son. But you didn't have time to listen because they told the story before. Folks, older folks, let me just remind you. Your stories are important. But for a young person not to listen to your story for the twentieth time is not a mark of heresy or apostasy or living...

Losing the faith. Okay? Grace. Grace. Grace.

All of those things are necessary. Paul tells these stories to remind Timothy, but it's much more than Timothy. It is to the people of God that will be through the spirit of God instructed by the life of Timothy and Paul. Oh, folks. What could we do if we followed the lessons of these two men?

50:05 Second Timothy chapter three 10 through 12

Not that I haven't sprinkled applications here, but I want us to look directly at what the scriptures say. Second Timothy chapter three verses 10 through 12 reads this. Remember, we're in the section looking at Paul's example to Timothy. In this passage, Paul tells Timothy, but thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long suffering, charity, patience, persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra, what persecutions I endured, but out of them all, the Lord delivered me. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

Older folks, did you hear this list? I'm not saying that you have to go out and ask for persecution. We don't live in a society which goes after us. We're very fortunate. If we were in Iran, if we were in The Middle East, if we were in some areas in Asia, if we were in some areas of India, the persecution would be intense and people would be losing their lives.

We're not there. It's coming. It's coming. But let's not let's not equate our suffering at being rejected from going to a party as being the same thing as having our daughters raped and killed in front of our eyes. That happens to Christians across this world.

But I do want you to remember this. Paul lays out for Timothy not just the extravagant sufferings and the persecutions and afflictions, but he lays out for Timothy these daily, quote, unquote, mundane things that are essential for being a good example to the younger generation. You know my doctrine. You know what I believe. You know that my beliefs are based on the holy, inspired, unchanging word of god.

And you know that if you need some help in this time in which the world shifts around you and you want to hear somebody that has been served by their anchoring their life in the word of god, I'm 82 years old. Come and sit and talk to me. Paul says, you know my doctrine. You know my manner of life. I would love for you to follow about 25% of my life.

I'd be iffy with about 50%, and I would hate for you to know the other 25%. You wouldn't hear a word I had to say if you knew what I confessed to. I cannot wait I cannot wait till I can serve and love Jesus without sinning. I just cannot fathom how great that's gonna be, To just look at his face and not have to avert my gaze. To look at his face and say, I didn't say something ugly today.

I didn't think something awful. I didn't pursue something worldly. Folks, none of you are gonna be perfect. Young people don't look for perfection in the older folks. You're not gonna find it.

But you can find a manner of life that has lifted up the Lord Jesus and has been an example of one who has faithfully walked with him. Sands for perfection. But older folks, are you letting them into your life? Are you going out of your way to open up vistas for them to see that life? Are you having them in your home for sandwiches or soup?

I don't like soup, so don't invite me over for soup. But sandwiches are okay. You know? What are you doing? We don't have time to go into all of this list, but purpose, faith, long suffering, charity, patience.

Paul's example to Timothy. What about second Timothy chapter four verses seven and eight? You know these. You've read them. You've memorized them.

I have fought a good faith... A fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith. Henceforth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day.

Older folks, can you walk in triumph? Can you walk in triumph and say, look at the Lord Jesus through my life? I have fought. He's been dead since 1968. Some of the older folks may know of a man named AP Gibbs.

He's actually buried in our town. He was killed in a car accident up in Canada, but he was well known in our area. But he wrote a lot of the hymns or music for our hymns in the black book that a lot of folks use at the Lord's Supper. But it was attributed to him, and I don't know, I don't have verification, but my dad used to tell me this, and he was... He used to play golf with him and spend time with him.

But A. P. Gibbs who was a lifelong servant of God said, please let me not be a dirty old man. It was one of his prayers. Don't let me.

Don't let me turn into don't let me. I'm not saying dirty. I'm saying, older folks, are you going to the grave triumphantly walking in faith, looking to the Lord Jesus so that young people can say, I want to finish like that? Are you? Paul could say, I have fought the good fight.

56:40 Closing to this session

Notwithstanding, the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, that by me the preaching might be fully known and that all the Gentiles might hear, and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Notice in this episode as an application, all men forsook Paul, but what did he do? He forgave them.

He forgave them. Older folks, are you quick to forgive? Are you quick to forgive? Paul forgave on his way to having his head chopped off. But he could do that because he knew the one who stood with him.

Who stood with him? The Lord stood with me and strengthened me. What did the Lord Jesus say from the cross? Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. Paul was just following Jesus' example, and he was saying to Timothy, follow my example because I am going to continue doing what?

Preaching until I die. Paul knew that his earthly end was coming, but he triumphantly declared, the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will pervert preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom. We have somehow managed to make the translation into the presence of Jesus something to be feared. We do. I do.

I don't want to die. I'm not afraid to die, but I don't want to. I don't wanna know the process. It's a process. I saw my sister die of cancer.

It was awful. It was the most horrible thing I've ever seen. Hard, fast, seven months of health to death. I'm not asking you to say, yay, sign me up for that. That's part of the fall.

But what I am saying is, Paul said, he will deliver me from every evil work. You would say, getting your head chopped off is an evil work. God didn't deliver him from being evilly treated with a sword. No. You're missing the point.

What did Paul say earlier in Philippians? To be absent from the body is to be present with the lord. Whatever this world throws at you young people, whether it's death or struggle, you will, following Jesus, be delivered into that everlasting kingdom and relationship where the sun never never sets. Sin never rises and pain never shows its ugly face. Older folks, can you triumphantly walk these last days looking to these young people and say, follow me as I follow Christ because he has delivered me from every evil work here on this earth.

And when that death comes to take me which it inevitably will, I will walk with triumph into his very presence because he paid for me. I'm a stop there and we'll pick up after after... We're going to have a different message than it's on your schedule. I'm sorry but I've got some more things to say. We'll have some discussion of relationships but I'll morph that into tomorrow morning as well.

60:40 Closing prayer

Amen.

Timothy's genuine faith, Paul's godly pattern — 2 Timothy 1-4

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Timothy's genuine faith, Paul's godly pattern — 2 Timothy 1-4

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