Christ the Truth, the foundation for Relationships — 2 Timothy 1-4

0:01 Someone challenged me this morning in the Lord's Supper. He did not mean to challenge me. He just said something. I wonder what Paul would think if we if we were to ask him regarding this relationship thing and I I answer the challenge. I went to first Corinthians not second Corinthians.

0:23 First Corinthians where he says in 11 verse one, imitate me as I imitate Christ. We're both winners, young man. We're both winners, okay? We're both winners. Folks, Paul lays out his teachings in first and second Timothy to a young man and through that young man, those teachings are disseminated to the church of god that will rest on these foundational truths until the lord Jesus comes back to take it home and so what we need to do and what we've been looking at is the relationship between Paul and Timothy.

1:01 We've been looking at what Paul teaches Timothy. We've been looking at the heart of Timothy for Paul and then we've been looking at the exhortations that Paul gives to Timothy regarding what to do as Paul's time ends here on this Earth. We've looked at that relationship in a in a human context because of course, they were human beings. One was an older gentleman, one was a younger man. But today, we are going to look at what Paul teaches Timothy regarding the relationship of the world and the church to the truth.

1:42 The relationship because these instructions, these relationships between Paul and Timothy really would just be lost to time if they were not built on a foundation that god intended to be lasting until he brings about the new heavens and the new earth. So today, we wanna look at the relationship of truth to the word, to the world, and to the church itself. Outline, it's a little play on words but the truth revealed himself to mankind. Believers must study and know the truth and leaders must guard and transmit the truth. Those are the three points that we will be looking at during this period together, and we will begin with this incredible truth, the truth revealed himself to mankind.

2:48 Before we go any farther, though, I I do wanna go to the lord in prayer and ask for his help. Dearly father, thank you. It is an inestimable privilege to be able to bring your word, to study your word, to learn of your word, and in that word to see your love to us in the person and work of your lovely son. Lord Jesus, help us to take from the words that Paul gave us through the spirit of God. Help us to take those words and study them, utilize them, let them shape us as we endeavor to become more like you.

3:41 Help us to be faithful like Paul. Help us to fight the good fight. Help us to finish our course. Help us to love the day of your appearing. We pray all these things in Jesus' name, your precious name.

3:58 Amen. Folks, there is one truth. I am the way. I am the life. I am the truth.

4:15 Who said those words? The lord Jesus did in John chapter 14. When we look at first and second Timothy, we see revealed the gospel of god to the world. If you look over in second Timothy chapter one or first Timothy chapter one, we're going to do a quick tracing of what is said regarding this truth. Look in verse 15 of chapter one, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief.

5:09 Look over in chapter two and verse three. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of god, our savior, who will have all men to be saved and come into the knowledge of the truth for there is one god and one mediator between god and men. Who is that mediator? The man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time. Turn over if you will to chapter four and verse 10.

5:55 For, therefore, we both labor and suffer reproach because we trust in the living God who is the savior of all men, especially of those who believe. Folks, Paul is writing to Timothy, and as we look at the general theme of Timothy one, Timothy two, we see that Paul is transmitting to his young protege. The young man that has spent at least a decade of his life traveling and ministering with him, going where he's sent, caring for him. This young man, Paul wants to have grip grab hold of Two fundamental truths. The truth of the gospel and the word of god and the need for its transmission to the next generation.

7:44 Paul, who has faithfully served the lord Jesus in the years before he dies and in second Timothy, perhaps the weeks or months before he dies, he lays out to Timothy, this is essential. This world is in rebellion to god and those that don't know the lord Jesus do not know the truth. The truth came and the truth gave himself on the cross to pay for the sins that separate man from a holy god. You see, that last song that we sang in the chorus, come and behold him. The song itself is talking about the father.

8:38 But what does the father reveal to us about his son through the spirit of god in the scriptures? It is the son himself who reveals the father and the son himself came to be the lamb of god who takes away the sin of the world. Paul lays out for Timothy in these last letters of his life. You young man, above all things, hold the truth. Disseminate the truth.

9:23 Spread the truth. Guard the truth. And the truth is this, Jesus loves the world. For god so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life and in the books of first and second Timothy, Paul lays out again, this Jesus is the only mediator, the only one between god and man. No works, no money, no deeds, no no happy disposition, no earthly descriptions of love will get you into a right relationship with god the father.

10:08 There is only one and and Paul is absolutely clear that Jesus Christ is the mediator between a holy righteous god and a sinful man, a sinful woman, a sinful boy, a sinful girl. The truth that Paul wants defended, guarded, presented, taught is our Jesus loves all. He gave himself a ransom. A ransom for who? He gave himself a ransom for the world.

10:55 But who comes into the good of that? We like to say that everybody is god's children. That is not true, folks. It's all god's show. No.

11:07 No. No. You know who becomes a children or a child of god? Who has the power to become a child of god? John chapter one verse 12 says, those who.

11:18 Believe. Believe. And and Paul in this last series of writings to his young protege says, in in chapter four and verse 10, again, I hope you caught that. The living god who is the savior of all men especially of those that believe. Jesus Christ sacrifice on the cross, it tells us in in first John is the propitiation.

11:47 Not for our sins only but for the sins of the world. There is no weakness. There is no inability in the blood of the son of god to save every man, every boy, every girl, every woman, anyone who comes to the father through the work of Jesus Christ. This is the teaching that Paul lays down through Timothy to be guarded and taught. But for those of us that believe, we come into a special, a special relationship.

12:28 Those who are actually saved come to the good of being sons and daughters and if you see that, we saw that in in verse 10, especially of those that believe, let's look over in second Timothy chapter one and let's read these words. Remember, second Timothy is written, it could be even weeks before Paul is killed. Be not 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 who hath saved us and called us with a holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given he us in Christ Jesus before the world began but is now made manifest by the appearing of our savior, Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light to the gospel. Whereto, I'm appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher of the Gentiles. For which calls, I also suffer these things.

14:53 Do not avert your eyes from the truth. The truth is god loved you. God loved the world. You come into the good by believing and if you believe, it is worth the sacrifice because you have a reward that is beyond your wildest expectations. If you look in chapter two and verse 19 of second Timothy, we read these words.

15:26 Nevertheless, the foundation of the of god stand to the shore having this seal, the lord knoweth them that are his and let everyone that name it the name of Christ depart from iniquity. Can you believe this people? You and I come together to sing songs of worship to the holy god. We come back to remember the lord's supper every week. We bring to the father his son, the lord Jesus Christ.

16:05 Wow. Great. We should because we are created beings. But what does Paul tell Timothy? He says, young man, don't you ever forget this.

16:21 The god of the universe. The god of the universe that loved you. The god of the universe that loved all mankind. The god of the universe that sent his son to be the mediator between his creation and himself. The god of the universe knows those that are his.

16:42 If you can't walk out of here today with just that statement in your back pocket and live triumphantly for at least twenty minutes in your life, I cannot help you. I just can't. The god of the universe who loved you and gave his son for you knows who you are if you were a son or... He knows everything, but he knows you particularly. Who cares what Roman officials do to you?

17:10 Who cares what they say to you on social media? Who cares what somebody says to you pleasantly as you drive the streets of Cleveland? Who cares? Because the God of the universe knows your... I cannot...

17:27 Folks, I'm from a podunk town, a little town called Hephzibah, Georgia. Got one stoplight. My granddaddy was an orphan, dumped off. And God Almighty knows my name. What a what a...

17:51 No wonder Paul can exclaim with victory. Do what I do as I follow Christ. Man, if we grip this young people, all of you young people that, if you grip this, your world will be transfixed on him and it will be a different fifty years until the lord calls you home. I can't make that decision for you and I can tell you, I've been up and down, up and down, up and down But when I know and I grip this that I am known of God, it helps me in the second half of this verse. Let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

18:59 Jesus Christ will reign, and judgment will come. Paul does not shy away from this in verse one of chapter four. I charge thee, therefore, before god before god and the lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick or the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom. The world in which we live today does not like to hear these pronouncements of truth. Paul is about to be executed for this very gospel.

19:48 You know how he could've walked out of that cell? He could've been like Demus and forsaken this or love this present world by doing. You know what he had to do? A simple bow to the emperor and an offering of incense. That's all he had to do.

20:11 And yet, he spent his last days in a hole in the ground under the streets of Rome in triumph because he knew, he knew that that Lord Jesus who died for him was going to judge the world, and he would not throw away that truth for the fleeting pleasures of a few more breaths walking this Earth. Folks, the truth, the truth revealed himself to mankind. You and I are responsible for what we do with that truth. Now, shifting gears Paul wants Timothy to grasp how important it is for believers to know this truth. You've got to study.

21:14 You've got to know it. I love being with old saints. Most of the time. Most of the time. Because if you've been with a man or woman who's been a follower of Jesus for fifty or so years or more, it is amazing how the conversation always turns to some element of scripture.

21:44 Or some encouragement or exhortation that comes from walking with the lord Jesus and a deep knowledge of the word of god. I went to seminary at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Fancy word for a seminary that is no longer really in existence but it was in Chicago and there were three of us that went to a little chapel called Evanston Gospel Chapel on the North Side Chicago. That assembly is no longer in in operation but there were three of us that came down. It was a forty five minute drive.

22:15 We would get up every morning. We drive down to the meeting together and one Canadian, one Lumbee Indian, and one semi redneck And we would drive down in the truck, and we'd we'd we'd sit. And in front of us was a man who was from Wales. He'd grown up in Wales, and he would get up and he would pray. And oh my word, we were transported.

22:39 Every word that dripped from his lips was scripture. And he's just amazed at this. He would call us the minor prophets. He would turn around and look at, oh, minor prophets are here today and is brogue. But I've never forgotten, never forgotten the lips of praise that dripped with the scriptures.

23:05 I cannot pray that way. I cannot pray that. Because I I don't know the scriptures like he does. I'm pretty good with connections and dots and whatever but he immersed himself with it. Folks, Paul leaves to Timothy two major major points regarding this.

23:46 I spent a lot of time in school. My son is a complete... He knows everything. It's ridiculous. It's hard as a father sometimes.

23:57 You know, I I I say something. He just, no, it's this that I... He's he's just right about all kinds of things because he sits and he reads and he wants to know. He wants to know. He wants to know.

24:06 Do you really wanna know what god's word says? Or do you just want to come to bits and pieces of these conferences or these youth group meetings or these little snippet that I can share here or there so that I look like I know something? Do you really want to know? And what does Paul say to Timothy in this last letter in second Timothy? He says to him, study, study, study, study to show yourself approved.

24:37 What does it mean if you don't study? If studying marks you out as approved, what does not studying mark you out as? God's not pleased with that. I mean, it's a it's a it's a yes or no kind of thing. Okay?

24:59 It's like we were talking about getting engaged. If I ask my wife, you know, would you marry me? And she gives any other answer but yes. If there's something in the middle, well, let's stick around and see how much you make the first year of our relationship. Well, she knows I'd have been gone.

25:20 That'd been done. You know, that would have worked out too well for both. And I'm stubborn that way. You might have stuck around and show... Proven to her, but I was like, gee.

25:27 But you know what I'm saying? Yes or no? Are you studying? Are you not studying? And and Timothy is implored.

25:34 He's exhorted. He's commanded study to show show yourself approved unto god, a workman that needs not to be ashamed. If you look at that in second Timothy, I want you to see that as and that from a child, look at 14, but continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and has been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them, and that from a child, thou hast known the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise into salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. That's chapter three, chapter two verse 15 says, study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Study.

26:25 Continue. When did Timothy begin this study? We know this from our study this weekend. He began this with his mother and his grandmother. Families, young families, again, let me implore you, begin the study with your children as early as they can grasp.

26:44 Begin with picture books. A great one... King of glory out of rock. Wonderful wonderful wonderful tool to use. Parents, you are going to have a responsibility before god just as the elders, just as the elders have a responsibility for god for what goes on in the meeting.

27:05 They're going to have to give an account of this. Parents, Would it be better to stand before the lord Jesus and say, I had my children in your word. What they do with it when they get of age is up to them. You can't make those decisions they've got to make but as a parent, have your children in the word. Study, study, study so that you may not be ashamed.

27:33 The second thing that Paul says in this second passage in chapter three, all scripture is given by inspiration of god and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction, and righteousness that the man of god may be perfect, thoroughly furnished under all good works. Imma give you two little illustrations here from these two passages. I used to play golf I'm from right outside Augusta, Georgia. Many of you will have heard of the Masters Golf Tournament. You know, one of the big four.

28:08 It's going to happen next month. It's, if you ever get a chance to go to the Masters, you should go. Very hard to get in, very difficult, beautiful, beautiful place and that grandfather that I was telling you about in the story, he was a bicycle boy there in the early 30s when they would take the scores back to the clubhouse. He'd ride a bicycle and and do that sort of. But I played golf and I I used to play a lot with Andy's uncle, mister Warren.

28:31 Mister Warren and my dad were elders together at the meeting at believers and that was their they we would play golf all. You know, don't play golf anymore. I don't play golf. I I I wish I could but the farm and how much money it is and my son's not around. I I just don't have anybody to play golf with and so I don't go out of my way to play golf but you know what?

28:49 I do play golf once a year or twice a year. I'm not going to shoot in the seventies but I'm also not gonna shoot over a 100. You know why that is? It's because I have muscle memory. I played.

29:03 I played. I played when I was younger. And if I don't break my back in the first swing on the first tee box or, you know, you know, fall out of the golf cart and hurt myself, I'm going to shoot decently. I'm not going to embarrass myself because I have muscle memory. Young people, be in the word.

29:23 You cannot imagine how hard it will be to memorize things as you get older. Get in the word now. Fill your mind. Fill your heart so that it bubbles up as you go through life and encounter different situations. Study from a child.

30:11 I'll give you a story that maybe you'll, how many of you know that Georgia is the peach state? Anybody ever heard that? The peach state? Well, let me just tell you a little fact. We are not the peach state anymore, okay?

30:24 There's a county in South Carolina called Edgefield County. Edgefield County produces more peaches than the entire state of Georgia put together. Massive, massive peach state. There's a place there. Peach production.

30:37 There's a place there called Ridge Spring Mineta. It's one of the little towns. There's a Johnston, South Carolina. We pass through these on a on a regular basis. They're about an hour from where we live.

30:48 I have a buddy who I went to Emmaus with. His name is Spence. He was living in North Carolina. We went to visit him one time and as because I'm a kind and wonderful friend, I stopped by one of these peach packing plants in Ridge Spring Boneta and took him a box of fresh peaches from the farm, from the the the orchard. When we got to his house, on his counter was a bag of peaches that he and his wife had purchased from a grocery store called Aldi.

31:24 I think y'all have Aldi's around here too. So I'm I'm speaking of something that you know. We go to our car and we pull out this box. We bring it out. We say, we brought you some peaches.

31:35 When you open the box that we picked up at the orchard that day or the day before, whenever it was, we, that, we picked that orchard. We pulled out peaches that were the size or bigger of my fist. It was like, these are massive peaches. On the counter is a bag. Of peaches.

31:56 And they're half the size of my fist. They're little bitty peaches. And I I was curious. And so I looked at the bag from Aldi and it said this, these peaches or this fruit or whatever it is, the legal mumbo jumbo was produced in Ridge Spring Maneta. Same exact town where I picked up the box of peaches had produced these peaches but because they'd had to pick those peaches so much earlier to ship to the stores, they had not gotten those peaches at the full ripeness and maturity.

32:41 I've never forgotten it and what Paul is saying here is that you need to study the word of god because it's profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for instruction, and righteousness that the man or woman of god may be thoroughly furnished, may be mature to do what? Practical works. Practical good. It's one thing to love your neighbor. It's another thing to give that neighbor food or to give that neighbor clothes or to do those things that really warm the heart and that we should be involved in but if you don't do it in a way that points them to the lord Jesus, your work dies.

33:25 Your work dies. So, what do we do? We learn, we study, we utilize the scriptures so that we can be men and women of god that point to the fact that the truth loved us and died for us and gives us a way of getting to glory. I've gotta hurry, so I'm just gonna stop with that at that moment. You can hit me up after when we're eating dinner.

34:34 These words, as I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went to Macedonia, that thou might charge some that they teach no other doctrine. Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies which minister questions rather than godly edifying which is in faith so do. Now, the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfeigned from which some have swerved having turned aside into vain jangling, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor whereof they affirm. But we know that the law is good if a man use it lawfully. How many culture out there that take the word of god and twist it and then have followers follow them right into the pit of hell?

35:30 Millions upon millions upon millions. I don't have time to read to you first and second Timothy and this is where some homework goes in. Go to the scriptures and see how important it is for Paul that Timothy, that Timothy know the truth, study the truth, follow the truth. Timothy himself is specifically exhorted and warned. Shun, avoid, guard, strong words are used over and over in these books by Paul to Timothy.

36:07 The truth is important. The truth is important and your relationship to the truth is important. We'll move on to the third the third teaching It's interesting to me when we've been talking about this transmission of... And this working together from different generations, older to younger. It's interesting to me how much time Paul devotes to the transmission of the word.

36:49 What does Paul tell Timothy? He says, you teach these to faithful men so that they can also teach them. In these last two books, Paul lays out to Timothy the truth that god loves. He lays out the truth of church order. Why?

37:12 Because the apostles are going. The apostles are on their way out. What is going to be the chief disseminator of church of church truth, of of gospel truth? It's going be the local body of believers and so he he sets an order in Titus and Timothy. He sets an order of the church.

37:31 And one of those offices that he sets up regarding the truth and disseminating the truth to the next generation, transmitting the truth as as Timothy was supposed to do to faithful men or elders. What is one of those requirements of an elder? He must be apt to teach. He must be apt to teach. It doesn't mean that he has to preach like me or somebody else.

37:57 He doesn't have to get up here. He has to be able to teach the word of god. And he doesn't know the word of God unless he does what? Studies. Young men, if you aspire to the work of an elder, it's a good thing, But you gotta do the work.

38:21 Timothy did the work. Timothy showed up. Timothy was sent to hard places. Timothy was faithful. Young men, young women, if you aspire to do things for the lord in the local church, you gotta show up.

38:35 You gotta study. You got to be approved. A workman that needs not to be ashamed. Elders, you must be apt to teach. And if you're not in the word of god, you are failing your congregation.

38:47 You are failing your flock. You are failing Jesus's little lambs. I'm not asking you to yell or holler like me or dance around or I'm not all different kinds of teaching and and and conduits of of of knowledge but you've got to be able to teach and notice this, and the elders, I just want everybody in the congregation that I I was not paid to give this statement. This is what the word of god says. We don't talk about it a lot because most folks in local, they don't want to bring this up but it does say, Paul, two Timothy in chapter six verses seventeen and eighteen of first Timothy, he writes these words.

39:49 My bad. Don't don't follow that. Chapter five, let the elders, verse 17, that rule well, be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. For the scripture saith thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treaded out the corn and the laborer is worthy of his reward. I don't know what that special honor is and I'm not getting to all that.

40:12 I'm not... But what I'm telling you is that elders that devote themselves to the word of god and spend the time teaching and guarding the truth of the word of god, the lord holds him in special honor. The sheep, the flock should also. Young men, if you want to aspire to leadership, you got to know the word of God. And if you don't, if you don't, stay away from the leadership of Jesus' flock.

40:50 He is the chief shepherd. You are the under shepherds. That is the truth of the word of God. Now, I'm gonna stop now because everybody's getting hungry and I'm starting to see that stony look coming across across your your eyes and I wanna get home to Georgia. But I do wanna leave with this one thought.

41:11 I want you to look with me at some homework that I'm gonna leave for you. I was not able to tell this story because it doesn't fit. It doesn't fit with our theme. But I want each one of you this week, at some time, to spend a little time in this story of Onesophorus. This is a practical way of taking what we have talked about this weekend and implementing it or incorporating it into your life.

41:55 Paul is in a hole in the ground in Rome. Everyone has deserted him. Everyone has left him. But this man, Anasaphores, goes out of his way to seek him, to find him, to walk into the very mouth of the lion, to encourage the man of god. As we talk as we talk about older, younger, incorporating, make it your life's mission.

42:32 Make it your life's mission to be one who is a faithful refresher of the saints. Whether you're old, whether you're young, whether you're in leadership, whether you're not in leadership, always be looking for the chance to minister to the Lord Jesus Christ by refreshing his people. It's another story, another time. That's homework for this week. Don't forget what we said about the relationship that we have between the older saints, the younger saints, the transmission of the truth of god, the relationship of our responsibility to study the truth of god and responsibility for elders, leaders, and individuals to guard the truth of the word of god.

43:36 Thanks for the opportunity of being here. Bless bless this meeting. I pray with all my heart that out of this place will come men and women who will champion your son, the lord Jesus. And in doing so, this neighborhood, this city, this region will come to a knowledge of the saving love of Jesus Christ. Thank you.

44:06 Thank you for letting me be a part of this. In Jesus' name. Amen.