1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,300 Other than mine for not warning them a little more. 2 00:00:06,300 --> 00:00:10,300 So if you have something to share, please raise your hand. 3 00:00:10,300 --> 00:00:14,940 Just come on down a few rows and join us up here. 4 00:00:14,940 --> 00:00:16,240 The God hunt. 5 00:00:16,240 --> 00:00:20,840 What has God done in your life in the last week or so 6 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:22,340 that you'd like to share this evening? 7 00:00:22,340 --> 00:00:25,840 Unusual timing, answer to prayer, 8 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:28,580 circumstances he's worked out in your life 9 00:00:28,580 --> 00:00:32,100 or in some other way special care God has given to you. 10 00:00:32,100 --> 00:00:33,840 Now I'll come either side. 11 00:00:33,840 --> 00:00:37,280 So I'll start in the middle. 12 00:00:37,280 --> 00:00:38,780 Does that help? 13 00:00:38,780 --> 00:00:39,580 Who will be first? 14 00:00:44,780 --> 00:00:46,800 We have two weeks in a row of bashfulness. 15 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:48,900 I knew Doris Anne would come if nobody else would 16 00:00:48,900 --> 00:00:52,600 because I know she's had some special things happening. 17 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:54,200 That wasn't what I was going to say. 18 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:55,400 OK, you can come anyway. 19 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:58,200 Thank you. 20 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:00,140 That's intimidating. 21 00:01:00,140 --> 00:01:02,880 Moody, my husband, gets the tapes 22 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:05,740 and I got him a journal too. 23 00:01:05,740 --> 00:01:08,380 And just to see how exciting it is for him 24 00:01:08,380 --> 00:01:11,380 to see God answering as he has been praying 25 00:01:11,380 --> 00:01:13,600 for a special nurse's aid. 26 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:16,140 And she came and said that she and her husband 27 00:01:16,140 --> 00:01:20,480 had met one of the Minnesota Vikings that was a Christian. 28 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:22,280 She didn't tell Moody that he was a Christian, 29 00:01:22,280 --> 00:01:23,480 but Moody knew. 30 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:25,700 And they were invited to his house for dinner 31 00:01:25,700 --> 00:01:29,180 and they were so impressed because this athlete had 32 00:01:29,180 --> 00:01:30,140 invited them. 33 00:01:30,140 --> 00:01:34,440 But Moody knew it was I spy. 34 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:35,040 Thanks. 35 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:37,700 Moody is in the Harmony nursing home. 36 00:01:37,700 --> 00:01:39,940 And if you've never been to see him, you should. 37 00:01:39,940 --> 00:01:42,400 I finally managed to get over this week. 38 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:46,700 And I had to leave early because my sides were aching because 39 00:01:46,700 --> 00:01:50,280 of all the stories that he has to tell. 40 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:51,300 Another one. 41 00:01:51,300 --> 00:01:55,980 Here we go. 42 00:01:55,980 --> 00:01:57,180 I guess one of the things. 43 00:01:57,180 --> 00:01:58,640 You have to tell him your name. 44 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:00,080 I'm Nick Parker. 45 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:03,300 And I'm from a long way away, but we're here for a while. 46 00:02:03,300 --> 00:02:09,380 And we've been realizing lately just how good God's timing is. 47 00:02:09,380 --> 00:02:13,060 We have to make a decision shortly to leave Minnesota. 48 00:02:13,060 --> 00:02:16,340 And we're fellow new Christians, in fact, two years. 49 00:02:16,340 --> 00:02:19,420 And we've never had to make a decision in the law. 50 00:02:19,420 --> 00:02:22,620 And it's just been great to see how his timing is perfect 51 00:02:22,620 --> 00:02:26,180 in providing the classes on decision making and the God 52 00:02:26,180 --> 00:02:27,020 hand and everything. 53 00:02:27,020 --> 00:02:29,580 It's just been a series of things 54 00:02:29,580 --> 00:02:33,220 that has happened that has been just great to see. 55 00:02:33,220 --> 00:02:34,140 Thanks. 56 00:02:34,140 --> 00:02:35,540 You could decide to stay, too. 57 00:02:38,620 --> 00:02:40,620 Another one. 58 00:02:40,620 --> 00:02:41,140 Good. 59 00:02:41,140 --> 00:02:42,780 See, it's not really difficult. You just 60 00:02:42,780 --> 00:02:49,740 have something simple. 61 00:02:49,740 --> 00:02:51,660 See, all sorts of people kind of trying 62 00:02:51,660 --> 00:02:55,980 to get up off the chair, but they just can't quite make it. 63 00:02:55,980 --> 00:02:56,900 Here we go. 64 00:02:56,900 --> 00:02:57,420 Two of them. 65 00:02:57,420 --> 00:02:58,220 Come on up, Beth. 66 00:03:01,140 --> 00:03:02,380 We even let staff do it. 67 00:03:02,380 --> 00:03:03,500 That's fine. 68 00:03:03,500 --> 00:03:06,340 We have eyes fires, too, don't we? 69 00:03:06,340 --> 00:03:08,780 As you know, John, you and I spent some time with Wes 70 00:03:08,780 --> 00:03:12,420 at the hospital while his wife was having surgery. 71 00:03:12,420 --> 00:03:13,420 And it was a simple prayer. 72 00:03:13,420 --> 00:03:14,780 We sat there, and the doctor said 73 00:03:14,780 --> 00:03:17,420 the surgery would take about an hour, and an hour passed, 74 00:03:17,420 --> 00:03:19,220 and so did two. 75 00:03:19,220 --> 00:03:21,020 And as we talked, I just closed my eyes, 76 00:03:21,020 --> 00:03:22,420 and I could see that Wes was getting 77 00:03:22,420 --> 00:03:23,940 a little concerned about the time. 78 00:03:23,940 --> 00:03:26,820 And I asked the Lord, let us hear soon so that we 79 00:03:26,820 --> 00:03:29,100 know how well Judy is doing. 80 00:03:29,100 --> 00:03:30,860 And it wasn't but five or 10 minutes later, 81 00:03:30,860 --> 00:03:34,380 and they called Wes up and found out that everything was fine. 82 00:03:34,380 --> 00:03:36,660 And it came to the point and realized my own life 83 00:03:36,660 --> 00:03:38,900 that we take so many things for granted 84 00:03:38,900 --> 00:03:41,660 and that we have to realize and understand that God's hand is 85 00:03:41,660 --> 00:03:42,980 involved with everything. 86 00:03:42,980 --> 00:03:45,780 So praise the Lord for that. 87 00:03:45,780 --> 00:03:48,180 Thanks, Paul. 88 00:03:48,180 --> 00:03:51,060 My name's Beth Cook, and since the beginning of the summer, 89 00:03:51,060 --> 00:03:52,980 I've been praying for my brother, who 90 00:03:52,980 --> 00:03:54,540 has been without a job. 91 00:03:54,540 --> 00:03:56,620 And there was an answer to prayer on Friday. 92 00:03:56,620 --> 00:03:58,740 He got a job, a full-time job. 93 00:03:58,740 --> 00:04:01,040 And in addition, it's been very hard in their marriage. 94 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:04,220 He's been married only two years because just four weeks 95 00:04:04,220 --> 00:04:07,500 before he was laid off, they had their first child. 96 00:04:07,500 --> 00:04:09,580 And I've just seen a strengthening in their marriage 97 00:04:09,580 --> 00:04:12,660 through this time, and just a change in his attitude. 98 00:04:12,660 --> 00:04:14,060 He's been asking for my prayer. 99 00:04:14,060 --> 00:04:16,500 He's not a Christian, and neither is his wife. 100 00:04:16,500 --> 00:04:18,180 And they've been asking for my prayer. 101 00:04:18,180 --> 00:04:20,260 And when I say, I'm praying for you, they say, good. 102 00:04:20,260 --> 00:04:21,780 I'm glad to hear that. 103 00:04:21,780 --> 00:04:23,500 So I just praise the Lord for that. 104 00:04:23,500 --> 00:04:24,860 Are they local people? 105 00:04:24,860 --> 00:04:26,260 No, they live in Iowa. 106 00:04:26,260 --> 00:04:27,340 Can we have a name? 107 00:04:27,340 --> 00:04:28,260 Brad. 108 00:04:28,260 --> 00:04:29,460 Pray for Brad and? 109 00:04:29,460 --> 00:04:30,220 Kaylin. 110 00:04:30,220 --> 00:04:30,900 Kaylin. 111 00:04:30,900 --> 00:04:31,400 Thanks. 112 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:42,360 Anybody else? 113 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:43,360 Here comes one. 114 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:50,660 Hi. 115 00:04:50,660 --> 00:04:51,760 Give me your name. 116 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:53,560 My name is John Che. 117 00:04:53,560 --> 00:04:57,840 My wife's not here, but it's a prayer request or answer 118 00:04:57,840 --> 00:04:59,240 to prayer for her. 119 00:04:59,240 --> 00:05:01,720 She started working as a nurse about a month ago 120 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:04,920 at the VA hospital, and we live in White Bear Lake. 121 00:05:04,920 --> 00:05:07,320 And so she has 25 miles to go. 122 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:09,240 And one morning, she got into an accident 123 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:12,480 because she just started working while she didn't get 124 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:17,000 much information on the other driver, and it was his fault. 125 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:21,080 And about a month went by without anything 126 00:05:21,080 --> 00:05:22,440 from our insurance agent. 127 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:26,160 And I called him back, and he had basically given up on us 128 00:05:26,160 --> 00:05:29,160 because there was not enough information. 129 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:31,640 And so I decided to just make one phone call 130 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:33,400 to the guy's insurance agent. 131 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:35,480 And they called us back and said, 132 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:36,760 we'll send you the money for it. 133 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:39,040 And it came out about $200. 134 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:42,600 And so it's something that we've been praying about, 135 00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:46,280 but it was a great answer to prayer, good timing from God. 136 00:05:46,280 --> 00:05:46,760 Thank you. 137 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:53,360 Well, we'll take time for one more here, if it's quick. 138 00:05:53,360 --> 00:05:55,120 And then we'll move on to some more singing. 139 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:56,120 Here we go. 140 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:04,920 I attend Northwestern College. 141 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:05,680 My name is? 142 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:07,760 Lynette Hendrickson. 143 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:09,280 I go to Northwestern College. 144 00:06:09,280 --> 00:06:13,200 And this past year, I was planning on living at home, 145 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:16,200 and mostly because of financial reasons. 146 00:06:16,200 --> 00:06:19,120 And about three weeks before school started, 147 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:21,920 the Lord provided me with a state grant. 148 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:25,080 And so I decided to live in the dorms then. 149 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:29,120 And at that late date, I didn't have any choice 150 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:30,440 as far as roommates go. 151 00:06:30,440 --> 00:06:33,840 And so I said, Lord, this is all in your hands completely. 152 00:06:33,840 --> 00:06:38,840 I'm going to trust you for getting in the right room. 153 00:06:38,840 --> 00:06:43,160 And just this last week, one of my roommates said, 154 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:44,720 Lynette, you don't know how nice it 155 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:46,280 is to have you as a roommate. 156 00:06:46,280 --> 00:06:48,800 And that just really touched me. 157 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:50,400 And I just said, thank you, Lord, 158 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:52,480 for putting me in the right room. 159 00:06:52,480 --> 00:06:53,960 You mean at a college like Northwestern, 160 00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:55,880 you can make a mistake in a roommate, huh? 161 00:06:55,880 --> 00:06:56,380 Yeah. 162 00:06:56,380 --> 00:06:56,880 OK. 163 00:06:56,880 --> 00:06:58,360 OK. 164 00:06:58,360 --> 00:06:58,860 Thanks. 165 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:02,520 OK. 166 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:04,160 Let's sing together. 167 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:06,120 And it's number 364. 168 00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:07,600 He leadeth me. 169 00:07:07,600 --> 00:07:08,760 And indeed, he does. 170 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:17,560 Well, that's a hymn that has a lot of emotional impact 171 00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:20,720 in my life, because the last two churches I resigned, 172 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:23,360 that was the hymn we sang before I announced my resignation. 173 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:31,760 John wants to sing it again to see if I have an announcement. 174 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:42,840 Bill and Mary Layman said to give greetings to you. 175 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:44,760 Bill and Mary were a part of our church 176 00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:48,120 for a couple of years, several years ago now. 177 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:52,320 Bill works for 3M and is heading up 3M's operation 178 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:53,080 in the Far East. 179 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:54,840 They live in Hong Kong. 180 00:07:54,840 --> 00:07:56,500 And it was with Bill and Mary that we 181 00:07:56,500 --> 00:08:00,280 stayed that first night of our missions trip. 182 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:03,840 Actually, Bill had to leave town and on business, 183 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:04,840 so he missed seeing him. 184 00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:08,760 But we saw Mary and their youngest son, Matt, 185 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:10,880 and said to be sure to give you greetings. 186 00:08:10,880 --> 00:08:13,040 You met Nick Parker here a few moments ago, 187 00:08:13,040 --> 00:08:14,840 if you didn't know him before. 188 00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:18,640 His brother is a news anchorman in Hong Kong. 189 00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:22,880 And yes, we did hear him on television. 190 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:24,280 But he wasn't seen. 191 00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:26,680 He was a reporter that night, but he wasn't on 192 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:28,960 so we could see what he looks like. 193 00:08:28,960 --> 00:08:31,640 But I could tell from his voice and, of course, from his name 194 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:34,000 that he was your brother. 195 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:36,280 Anyway, greetings from them and also greetings 196 00:08:36,280 --> 00:08:42,200 from both the Linettis, our missionaries in Indonesia 197 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:45,480 on the island of Taliabu, along with their co-workers, 198 00:08:45,480 --> 00:08:48,680 Daryl and Kyla Palmer, who were with us last year 199 00:08:48,680 --> 00:08:49,800 in our missions festival. 200 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:52,680 Some of you befriended them, and they 201 00:08:52,680 --> 00:08:56,600 asked to be remembered to the church as well. 202 00:08:56,600 --> 00:08:59,000 Well, I'd like for you to open your Bible, please, with me, 203 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:02,880 to the book of 2 Timothy, the third chapter. 204 00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:05,560 God has made many wonderful promises to his children, 205 00:09:05,560 --> 00:09:10,000 but nowhere has he promised that our service for him 206 00:09:10,000 --> 00:09:13,240 would be easy. 207 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:17,840 In this last epistle that came from his inspired pen, 208 00:09:17,840 --> 00:09:21,240 the apostle Paul talks about our service for Jesus Christ. 209 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:22,800 In the first two chapters, he tells us 210 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:25,440 how to serve God acceptably. 211 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:30,280 And in the last two chapters, how to serve God expectantly. 212 00:09:30,280 --> 00:09:32,120 He has told us that there are certain things 213 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:34,880 that we can expect in our service for Christ. 214 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:37,200 In the first place, we can expect 215 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:40,920 that the world will oppose us in our service. 216 00:09:40,920 --> 00:09:45,120 And the closer we come to the end of the age, 217 00:09:45,120 --> 00:09:50,040 the more difficult it will become to serve the Lord. 218 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:52,800 What are we to do in light of that expectation? 219 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:54,720 Well, he tells us in verse 10 that we 220 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:57,800 are to follow his example, and we 221 00:09:57,800 --> 00:10:03,400 are to endure persecutions and sufferings faithfully. 222 00:10:03,400 --> 00:10:06,600 He tells us as well in verse 11 that we are, excuse me, 223 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:12,280 in verse 14 that we are to continue in our convictions. 224 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:14,600 The things that we have learned, those things 225 00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:16,920 that we have become convinced of, 226 00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:21,480 we are to abide in them and not lose our convictions, 227 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:23,800 though the times will be difficult. 228 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:28,400 And then finally, he assures us in verse 10, excuse me, 229 00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:31,400 verse 11, that the Lord will deliver us 230 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:34,880 from our persecution and suffering. 231 00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:37,160 So we can expect the world will oppose us. 232 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:39,520 The second thing he tells us to expect 233 00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:45,060 is that the word will achieve its ends. 234 00:10:45,060 --> 00:10:50,680 We do not need to be afraid that somehow our service for Christ 235 00:10:50,680 --> 00:10:53,100 will be void. 236 00:10:53,100 --> 00:10:57,160 The word of God, which we preach and share with people, 237 00:10:57,160 --> 00:10:59,960 will accomplish its ends. 238 00:10:59,960 --> 00:11:02,560 We are not promoters of ourselves 239 00:11:02,560 --> 00:11:04,540 and of our own opinions, but rather we 240 00:11:04,540 --> 00:11:10,100 are ambassadors of an eternal and an errant revelation 241 00:11:10,100 --> 00:11:13,080 of the infinite personal God. 242 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:16,960 Thus, there is authority in the message 243 00:11:16,960 --> 00:11:20,040 which we have to declare, an authority not 244 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:23,040 originating with the messenger, but rather 245 00:11:23,040 --> 00:11:26,260 with the author of the message. 246 00:11:26,260 --> 00:11:29,620 We can expect that the Bible, the Holy Scriptures, 247 00:11:29,620 --> 00:11:34,720 will achieve its purposes in both time and eternity. 248 00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:36,520 There is a wonderful statement about this 249 00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:43,880 in the book of Isaiah, the 55th chapter. 250 00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:47,720 Right toward the end of the chapter, 251 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:51,120 we have these verses, verses 10 and 11, 252 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:53,240 where a picture is even given of this truth, 253 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:56,240 that the word of God will be fruitful. 254 00:11:56,240 --> 00:12:01,280 It says in verse 10, for as the rain and the snow come down 255 00:12:01,280 --> 00:12:03,880 from heaven and do not return there, 256 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:07,400 without watering the earth and making it bare and sprout 257 00:12:07,400 --> 00:12:11,720 and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 258 00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:16,520 so shall my word be which goes forth from my mouth. 259 00:12:16,520 --> 00:12:20,600 It shall not return to me empty without accomplishing 260 00:12:20,600 --> 00:12:24,480 what I desire and without succeeding in the matter 261 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:27,040 for which I sent it. 262 00:12:27,040 --> 00:12:29,160 Now, that is God's promise. 263 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:33,120 Jesus put it this way very briefly in John 10, 35. 264 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:37,080 The Scriptures cannot be broken. 265 00:12:37,080 --> 00:12:40,880 By that, he means that the authority of Scripture 266 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:43,280 cannot be set aside. 267 00:12:43,280 --> 00:12:46,880 The message of Scripture cannot be nullified. 268 00:12:46,880 --> 00:12:51,600 It will accomplish its purpose. 269 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:55,760 From our text that we'll look at tonight in 2 Timothy, 270 00:12:55,760 --> 00:12:58,320 we learn three life-changing truths 271 00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:01,760 about this book, the Bible. 272 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:03,600 In the first place, we learn that the Scriptures 273 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:05,760 are unique in their origin. 274 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:07,560 Look at verse 16. 275 00:13:07,560 --> 00:13:13,000 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, 276 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:18,040 for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, 277 00:13:18,040 --> 00:13:20,040 that the man of God may be adequate, 278 00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:24,280 equipped for every good work. 279 00:13:24,280 --> 00:13:27,360 The Scriptures are unique in their origin. 280 00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:32,160 They are God-breathed, just as your words 281 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:35,200 are the product of your breath moving 282 00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:38,000 across your vocal cords. 283 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:40,800 So these words in the Bible are the result 284 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:46,040 of God breathing or His activity in the lives 285 00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:49,640 of its human authors. 286 00:13:49,640 --> 00:13:52,960 The linguistic key to the Greek New Testament 287 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:55,200 has this helpful statement. 288 00:13:55,200 --> 00:13:58,720 The rabbinical teaching was that the Spirit of God 289 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:03,800 rested on and in the prophets and spoke through them 290 00:14:03,800 --> 00:14:08,480 so that their words did not come from themselves 291 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:10,280 but from the mouth of God. 292 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:14,560 And they spoke and wrote in the Holy Spirit. 293 00:14:14,560 --> 00:14:19,440 The early church was in entire agreement with this view. 294 00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:23,120 The later church, sad to say, is not 295 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:26,840 in agreement entirely with that view. 296 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:29,760 But this church is. 297 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:33,640 The Scriptures are God-breathed. 298 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:37,440 This inspiration that we're talking about here 299 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:41,360 is different than the merely human inspiration 300 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:44,440 which an author may get for his book 301 00:14:44,440 --> 00:14:49,280 or an artist may get for his painting. 302 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:53,360 The inspiration here is the work of the Holy Spirit 303 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:58,600 superintending or guiding the writers. 304 00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:02,160 As 2 Peter 1, 21 says, these writers 305 00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:08,720 were born along, carried, as it were, by the Holy Spirit 306 00:15:08,720 --> 00:15:14,080 so that without suppression of their own human personalities, 307 00:15:14,080 --> 00:15:16,760 but rather with an elevation of those personalities 308 00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:20,480 to a higher level, they wrote all that God wanted them 309 00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:27,320 to write without error in any detail whatsoever. 310 00:15:27,320 --> 00:15:33,440 One of my favorite commentators is William Hendrickson, 311 00:15:33,440 --> 00:15:38,600 a reformed commentator and a man that passed away just about a 312 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:45,960 year and a half ago, a gifted, skilled, scholarly man of God. 313 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:49,000 This is what he says regarding inspiration. 314 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:51,600 It should never be considered apart 315 00:15:51,600 --> 00:15:54,000 from those many activities which serve 316 00:15:54,000 --> 00:15:59,040 to bring the human author upon the scene of history. 317 00:15:59,040 --> 00:16:03,360 By causing him to be born at a certain time and place, 318 00:16:03,360 --> 00:16:09,120 bestowing upon him certain rather specific endowments, 319 00:16:09,120 --> 00:16:13,100 equipping him with a definite kind of education, 320 00:16:13,100 --> 00:16:17,160 causing him to undergo predetermined experiences, 321 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:20,240 and bringing back to his mind certain facts 322 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:23,000 and their implications, the Spirit 323 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:26,080 prepared his human consciousness. 324 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:31,640 Next, that same Spirit moved him to write. 325 00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:35,160 Finally, during the process of writing, 326 00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:40,200 that same primary author, in a thoroughly organic connection 327 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:43,320 with all the preceding activity, suggested 328 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:46,960 to the mind of the human author that language, 329 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:51,040 the very words, and that style which 330 00:16:51,040 --> 00:16:55,280 would be the most appropriate vehicle for the interpretation 331 00:16:55,280 --> 00:16:59,760 of the divine ideas for people of every rank and position, age 332 00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:01,000 and race. 333 00:17:01,000 --> 00:17:03,700 Hence, though every word is truly 334 00:17:03,700 --> 00:17:07,400 the word of the human author, it is even more truly 335 00:17:07,400 --> 00:17:10,880 the word of God. 336 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:14,080 When we talk about the Scriptures being inspired, 337 00:17:14,080 --> 00:17:17,800 we're talking about the very words of Scripture 338 00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:21,960 and not just the thoughts that were involved. 339 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:26,640 Thus, we speak of what is called the verbal plenary inspiration 340 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:27,280 of Scripture. 341 00:17:27,280 --> 00:17:31,200 That means the words, verbal, the words themselves 342 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:33,000 were given by God. 343 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:37,120 And plenary, the whole, the completeness of it. 344 00:17:37,120 --> 00:17:42,440 The Scriptures in their entirety are inspired of God. 345 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:44,000 Someone asked, well, did the church 346 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:47,240 decide which books were inspired? 347 00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:48,320 The answer is no. 348 00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:54,160 They merely recognized the phenomenon of inspiration. 349 00:17:54,160 --> 00:17:57,620 I believe that when you and I get a hold of this truth, 350 00:17:57,620 --> 00:18:03,060 that the Scriptures are unlike any other book 351 00:18:03,060 --> 00:18:05,240 in human literature. 352 00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:09,240 That they are indeed the very word of God. 353 00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:11,260 When we get a hold of that, then we 354 00:18:11,260 --> 00:18:14,920 will see that the Bible cannot be treated casually 355 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:16,800 or carelessly. 356 00:18:16,800 --> 00:18:21,740 But rather, it demands that we carefully listen to what it says 357 00:18:21,740 --> 00:18:24,640 and then obey its precepts. 358 00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:27,880 The Scriptures are unique in their origin. 359 00:18:27,880 --> 00:18:30,800 That's the first truth that we see in our text tonight. 360 00:18:30,800 --> 00:18:32,400 There's a second one. 361 00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:37,200 It is that the Scriptures are useful in their purpose. 362 00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:40,680 Notice in verse 17, it says they are profitable. 363 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:43,280 That is, there is advantage. 364 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:44,400 There is advantage. 365 00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:49,040 There is benefit in the Scriptures. 366 00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:51,080 They are profitable for teaching. 367 00:18:51,080 --> 00:18:52,920 That is, for doctrine. 368 00:18:52,920 --> 00:18:56,280 The Scriptures impart to us God's revelation 369 00:18:56,280 --> 00:18:58,440 regarding Jesus Christ. 370 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:00,720 There is no revelation of Jesus Christ 371 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:02,720 apart from the Scriptures. 372 00:19:02,720 --> 00:19:06,880 Oh, I know every now and then we have some person somewhere 373 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:11,400 who claims to have found a lost gospel or additional writings 374 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:13,400 regarding Jesus. 375 00:19:13,400 --> 00:19:16,360 None of them, even if they are ancient writings, 376 00:19:16,360 --> 00:19:18,200 can compare to this book. 377 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:20,400 For they are the revelation that God 378 00:19:20,400 --> 00:19:24,200 has given regarding His Son. 379 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:28,880 The Scriptures are profitable for teaching us, imparting to us 380 00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:34,400 the knowledge of God and of His Son, Jesus, the Christ. 381 00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:36,200 And then they're profitable for reproof. 382 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:41,440 That is, for refuting of error and rebuking of sin. 383 00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:46,000 The Scriptures produce conviction in our lives. 384 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:50,080 False doctrines and false teachers must be exposed. 385 00:19:50,080 --> 00:19:51,800 How is that to be done? 386 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:54,600 Through the Scriptures, the teaching of the Word of God. 387 00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:57,640 For they are profitable for reproof. 388 00:19:57,640 --> 00:20:02,000 Just as Titus is told over here a couple of pages later 389 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:06,040 in the first chapter in the ninth verse, by the apostle, 390 00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:11,360 Titus is told this, holding fast the faithful word, which 391 00:20:11,360 --> 00:20:14,160 is in accordance with the teaching 392 00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:18,760 that he may be able both to exhort in sound doctrine 393 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:23,880 and to refute those who contradict. 394 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:26,080 The rebuking of false doctrine is 395 00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:30,560 not to be based upon our own logic or wisdom. 396 00:20:30,560 --> 00:20:32,360 But when we refute false teaching, 397 00:20:32,360 --> 00:20:34,080 it must come from the Word of God, 398 00:20:34,080 --> 00:20:37,240 for it alone can truly reprove. 399 00:20:37,240 --> 00:20:40,320 And then it's profitable for correction, it says. 400 00:20:40,320 --> 00:20:43,680 That's really the positive side of the former. 401 00:20:43,680 --> 00:20:47,040 It is the restoration to a straight path 402 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:50,240 of one who was astray. 403 00:20:50,240 --> 00:20:54,560 It literally means to set upright on the feet. 404 00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:57,080 We see the Lord Jesus doing this, for example, 405 00:20:57,080 --> 00:21:00,160 with his words when he restores Peter and says to him, 406 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:03,680 Peter, feed my sheep. 407 00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:04,840 Peter was astray. 408 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:08,400 He was discouraged, depressed because of his own failure 409 00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:10,800 in his denial of the Lord. 410 00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:14,520 So the Lord Jesus Christ gives to him a word. 411 00:21:14,520 --> 00:21:16,880 And that word is a word of correction, 412 00:21:16,880 --> 00:21:19,800 setting him up on his feet again. 413 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:23,320 How thankful I am for the Word of God, aren't you? 414 00:21:23,320 --> 00:21:27,240 That it not only tells us where we have gone astray, 415 00:21:27,240 --> 00:21:32,960 but it has the ability to set us back upon our feet, 416 00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:35,240 to restore us to the straight path, 417 00:21:35,240 --> 00:21:37,760 once again, to correct us. 418 00:21:37,760 --> 00:21:42,440 And finally, it is beneficial for training in righteousness. 419 00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:46,000 In the Word of God, we find nurture and instruction 420 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:47,920 in the will of God. 421 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:50,360 We cannot find that anywhere else, 422 00:21:50,360 --> 00:21:53,520 for God has not revealed his will anywhere else. 423 00:21:53,520 --> 00:21:56,000 But in the pages of these 66 books 424 00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:59,480 that we call the Bible, the scriptures 425 00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:01,200 are unique in their origin, and they 426 00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:03,800 are useful in their purpose. 427 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:06,920 And through teaching, reproof, correction, training, 428 00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:10,280 and righteousness, their ultimate purpose is achieved, 429 00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:13,800 and that is that the man of God may be adequate, 430 00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:16,680 equipped for every good work. 431 00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:20,440 That is that every believer may be 432 00:22:20,440 --> 00:22:24,560 brought to a place of maturity. 433 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:26,920 What does that mean, to be brought to maturity? 434 00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:31,840 Well, he tells us that we might be adequate in the first place. 435 00:22:31,840 --> 00:22:34,560 Adequate means fitted, that we might 436 00:22:34,560 --> 00:22:38,800 be able to meet all of the demands upon us. 437 00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:43,280 Do you ever feel ill-equipped, unfitted? 438 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:46,200 You ever feel like you can't meet all the demands that 439 00:22:46,200 --> 00:22:51,600 are placed upon you for answers, the demands upon you 440 00:22:51,600 --> 00:22:55,600 by temptation, the demands placed upon you 441 00:22:55,600 --> 00:23:00,240 by people who persecute you? 442 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:02,640 Indeed, you can't in yourself, but the word of God 443 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:04,040 is able to fit you. 444 00:23:04,040 --> 00:23:07,080 It is able to make you adequate for all 445 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:10,280 of the situations of life. 446 00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:15,560 And it's also able to equip you for every good work. 447 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:18,120 That word, equipped, means to be furnished, 448 00:23:18,120 --> 00:23:22,480 to be completely outfitted. 449 00:23:22,480 --> 00:23:25,200 Some of you have been on the canoe trips up north 450 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:27,360 to the boundary waters. 451 00:23:27,360 --> 00:23:29,520 When you do that, one of the things you have to do 452 00:23:29,520 --> 00:23:31,880 is stop at an outfitter. 453 00:23:31,880 --> 00:23:33,560 So that before going out in the lake, 454 00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:36,760 whether it be for a few days or a few weeks, 455 00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:39,440 you're able to get the equipment you need 456 00:23:39,440 --> 00:23:42,400 so that you can live out there. 457 00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:46,120 The word of God is able to furnish and equip us. 458 00:23:46,120 --> 00:23:52,040 It is our outfitter for whatever life has to bring. 459 00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:55,640 The word of God is useful in its purpose. 460 00:23:55,640 --> 00:23:57,920 It matures us. 461 00:23:57,920 --> 00:24:00,880 It brings us to the place of being adequate and equipped 462 00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:04,360 for every good work. 463 00:24:04,360 --> 00:24:08,720 And I like the emphasis there, for every good work. 464 00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:10,840 So often we speak of the church as being 465 00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:12,840 a volunteer organization. 466 00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:15,080 I don't like that concept. 467 00:24:15,080 --> 00:24:16,520 For we are not volunteers. 468 00:24:20,560 --> 00:24:24,360 We are purchased servants of Jesus Christ. 469 00:24:24,360 --> 00:24:28,120 We are not volunteers in any sense of the word. 470 00:24:28,120 --> 00:24:31,160 We talk about volunteering to come next Saturday 471 00:24:31,160 --> 00:24:32,760 to help clean here. 472 00:24:32,760 --> 00:24:35,960 And I understand what we're saying there. 473 00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:38,680 But in a sense, we do not have the liberty 474 00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:43,800 to volunteer for things because we are servants of Jesus Christ 475 00:24:43,800 --> 00:24:46,960 and we have been prepared for good works. 476 00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:49,240 That's what we're here for. 477 00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:53,280 Not just to volunteer when we are the whim to do so, 478 00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:57,360 but to serve the Lord by our works. 479 00:24:57,360 --> 00:24:59,760 Well, it's the scriptures that are 480 00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:02,320 useful in accomplishing that purpose in us 481 00:25:02,320 --> 00:25:05,640 so that we can work for the Lord profitably. 482 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:07,200 Now, the third truth that I see is 483 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:11,080 that the scriptures are urgent in their proclamation. 484 00:25:11,080 --> 00:25:15,040 Notice what Timothy was to do. 485 00:25:15,040 --> 00:25:19,000 He's already been told to continue, chapter 3 and verse 486 00:25:19,000 --> 00:25:20,680 14. 487 00:25:20,680 --> 00:25:22,400 But now he is to go beyond that. 488 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:26,840 He is told in verse 2 to preach the word. 489 00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:28,360 That means to proclaim it. 490 00:25:28,360 --> 00:25:33,440 He is to be a herald of the truth. 491 00:25:33,440 --> 00:25:39,120 A herald in those days was a very responsible person. 492 00:25:39,120 --> 00:25:45,080 A herald was an official, usually of the government, 493 00:25:45,080 --> 00:25:51,720 who was the official announcer of matters of great importance, 494 00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:56,560 perhaps compared to the press secretary today 495 00:25:56,560 --> 00:26:00,720 that follows our president around. 496 00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:04,560 After the meeting this afternoon over in Iceland, 497 00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:06,400 although I haven't heard it directly, 498 00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:08,640 I've only heard it by bits and pieces, 499 00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:11,080 I understand the press secretary had 500 00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:13,120 to give the disappointing news regarding 501 00:26:13,120 --> 00:26:16,320 the collapse of those talks. 502 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:19,240 Well, who is this man that stands before the press? 503 00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:23,520 He's the official spokesman for the president. 504 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:27,040 You see, a herald in those days was something similar. 505 00:26:27,040 --> 00:26:32,400 He couldn't stand before cameras and microphones, obviously. 506 00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:35,120 So there were even many heralds. 507 00:26:35,120 --> 00:26:38,920 These responsible people would fan out throughout the nation 508 00:26:38,920 --> 00:26:42,560 to declare the announcement to proclaim 509 00:26:42,560 --> 00:26:45,400 the word of the leader. 510 00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:48,880 Now, that is the picture that the apostle draws upon 511 00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:51,560 when he tells Timothy and you and me 512 00:26:51,560 --> 00:26:54,240 to proclaim the word of God. 513 00:26:54,240 --> 00:26:57,360 We are here in a mission. 514 00:26:57,360 --> 00:27:01,560 We are God's official announcers. 515 00:27:01,560 --> 00:27:05,280 We have a message to proclaim. 516 00:27:05,280 --> 00:27:08,640 And that message is the word of God. 517 00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:13,800 Not what we want to say, but what God has to say. 518 00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:17,280 I had some people come to me after the service this morning, 519 00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:21,080 and I appreciated their encouragement. 520 00:27:21,080 --> 00:27:24,800 They said, we're glad you had the courage 521 00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:29,280 to say what you did this morning regarding Sunday 522 00:27:29,280 --> 00:27:31,720 and its importance in our lives. 523 00:27:31,720 --> 00:27:35,200 You know, I just shared this with you very honestly. 524 00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:40,840 I don't find that it takes courage to say things like that. 525 00:27:40,840 --> 00:27:43,520 Because here's the way I feel about it. 526 00:27:43,520 --> 00:27:46,560 It's not coming from me. 527 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:49,640 Now, if its source were in me, if I had thought up those things 528 00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:52,960 or if I were telling you what I wanted you to do on Sunday, 529 00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:55,720 then it would take some courage on my part. 530 00:27:55,720 --> 00:27:59,640 All I have to do is pass along a message to you. 531 00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:01,640 That's God's message. 532 00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:04,480 And that's all you have to do, too. 533 00:28:04,480 --> 00:28:07,680 We don't have to originate anything. 534 00:28:07,680 --> 00:28:11,240 All we have to do is to be faithful heralds 535 00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:15,720 of the message God has given to us. 536 00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:18,400 It doesn't require courage. 537 00:28:18,400 --> 00:28:21,400 All it requires is faithfulness to say 538 00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:24,640 what God has told us to say. 539 00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:28,200 That's what Timothy was to do, proclaim the word of God. 540 00:28:28,200 --> 00:28:29,160 That's what you're to do. 541 00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:30,920 It's what I'm to do. 542 00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:35,080 We're to proclaim the word of God to our generation. 543 00:28:35,080 --> 00:28:38,000 Now, notice when Timothy was to do this. 544 00:28:38,000 --> 00:28:38,880 Preach the word. 545 00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:43,320 Be ready in season and out of season. 546 00:28:43,320 --> 00:28:46,880 That is, he's always to be ready, always on duty. 547 00:28:46,880 --> 00:28:49,040 That's you and me, too. 548 00:28:49,040 --> 00:28:53,160 Whether it's convenient or inconvenient, 549 00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:59,440 we are on duty as heralds of our King. 550 00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:01,120 How was Timothy to do this? 551 00:29:01,120 --> 00:29:03,120 How are we to do it? 552 00:29:03,120 --> 00:29:03,840 To proclaim it? 553 00:29:03,840 --> 00:29:05,800 Well, he tells us, we're to reprove. 554 00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:06,720 We're to rebuke. 555 00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:12,080 We're to exhort with great patience and instruction. 556 00:29:12,080 --> 00:29:13,440 How are we to proclaim the word? 557 00:29:13,440 --> 00:29:17,640 In the first place, we are to bring the word to people 558 00:29:17,640 --> 00:29:21,240 so that their consciences can be convicted. 559 00:29:21,240 --> 00:29:25,480 We are to reprove with the word of God. 560 00:29:25,480 --> 00:29:29,400 The verb of the word used back in verse 16. 561 00:29:29,400 --> 00:29:31,240 As we proclaim the word of God, we 562 00:29:31,240 --> 00:29:34,080 are to do it in such a way that the conscience of the hearer 563 00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:35,960 may be stricken. 564 00:29:35,960 --> 00:29:38,760 He may be wrought under conviction. 565 00:29:38,760 --> 00:29:41,640 That may not always be comfortable for us, 566 00:29:41,640 --> 00:29:44,000 but that's what God tells us to do. 567 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:50,400 We are not to be afraid to reprove a person or a people. 568 00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:53,800 And then he tells us we are to rebuke. 569 00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:57,160 It gets even stronger. 570 00:29:57,160 --> 00:30:00,720 Sin has to be faced directly. 571 00:30:00,720 --> 00:30:02,040 It must be reprimanded. 572 00:30:02,040 --> 00:30:05,680 Sin has to be censured. 573 00:30:05,680 --> 00:30:07,160 We cannot compromise. 574 00:30:07,160 --> 00:30:10,680 We cannot negotiate with sin. 575 00:30:10,680 --> 00:30:14,840 That's the mistake of so many churches these days. 576 00:30:14,840 --> 00:30:18,680 They try to reach some kind of a settlement with sin 577 00:30:18,680 --> 00:30:22,840 so that there's no offense and no one gets upset. 578 00:30:22,840 --> 00:30:24,840 You see, in preaching the word of God, 579 00:30:24,840 --> 00:30:30,560 we have to rebuke at times so that sin is directly seen 580 00:30:30,560 --> 00:30:33,960 and people can see what they need to do. 581 00:30:33,960 --> 00:30:36,560 And then he tells us we're to exhort. 582 00:30:36,560 --> 00:30:39,400 This is a kinder word, perhaps. 583 00:30:39,400 --> 00:30:43,160 It's a word that means to encourage with tenderness. 584 00:30:43,160 --> 00:30:47,000 We are to urge people on. 585 00:30:47,000 --> 00:30:49,960 We are to exhort. 586 00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:51,720 And notice that he says that all of this 587 00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:56,760 has to be done with patience and with instruction. 588 00:30:56,760 --> 00:30:59,880 I like that because some people have the idea 589 00:30:59,880 --> 00:31:02,960 that preaching doesn't have any content to it, 590 00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:05,600 that it's all fire and brimstone. 591 00:31:05,600 --> 00:31:09,360 And there is some preaching that is that way. 592 00:31:09,360 --> 00:31:11,640 So whatever the style may be of the preacher, 593 00:31:11,640 --> 00:31:14,520 the point is that there's also to be content there. 594 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:20,360 There's to be instruction in the preaching of the word. 595 00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:23,480 Now, why was Timothy to preach the word? 596 00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:24,360 Couple of reasons. 597 00:31:24,360 --> 00:31:28,440 In the first place, because Jesus Christ is about to come. 598 00:31:28,440 --> 00:31:29,320 Notice verse 1. 599 00:31:29,320 --> 00:31:32,640 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God 600 00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:36,000 and of Christ Jesus, who is, in the tense of this, 601 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:38,920 who is about to judge. 602 00:31:38,920 --> 00:31:41,720 He sees the judge is just on the other side of the door 603 00:31:41,720 --> 00:31:46,480 with his hand on the handle, about to open it and come in. 604 00:31:46,480 --> 00:31:49,360 And he says he's about to judge the living and the dead, 605 00:31:49,360 --> 00:31:51,320 that is, those who are alive when he comes 606 00:31:51,320 --> 00:31:53,120 and those who've died. 607 00:31:53,120 --> 00:31:54,800 By the way, Paul may have had himself 608 00:31:54,800 --> 00:31:57,760 in mind in the latter group and had Timothy 609 00:31:57,760 --> 00:31:59,520 in mind in the former group because Paul 610 00:31:59,520 --> 00:32:02,600 knew he was about to die. 611 00:32:02,600 --> 00:32:06,400 And he says, by his appearing in his kingdom, preach the word. 612 00:32:06,400 --> 00:32:08,040 What is he saying? 613 00:32:08,040 --> 00:32:11,240 He's saying Jesus Christ is about to come, Timothy. 614 00:32:11,240 --> 00:32:15,280 Therefore, proclaim the message of God. 615 00:32:15,280 --> 00:32:18,800 And so I say to you, here tonight at Grace Church, 616 00:32:18,800 --> 00:32:20,880 proclaim the word of God. 617 00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:22,680 You say, why should I do that? 618 00:32:22,680 --> 00:32:26,920 Because Jesus Christ is about to come. 619 00:32:26,920 --> 00:32:30,560 He is the judge to whom all must give answer. 620 00:32:30,560 --> 00:32:33,640 Every one of us will give account of ourselves to God. 621 00:32:33,640 --> 00:32:36,480 Preach the word. 622 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:41,160 He's also the deity who will gloriously appear. 623 00:32:41,160 --> 00:32:44,640 Like the sun rises in the morning and its brilliance, 624 00:32:44,640 --> 00:32:46,680 he will appear. 625 00:32:46,680 --> 00:32:48,960 He is the God who is coming. 626 00:32:48,960 --> 00:32:51,960 Preach his word. 627 00:32:51,960 --> 00:32:57,640 He is the King who will reign in his kingdom with the faithful. 628 00:32:57,640 --> 00:32:59,320 Preach the word. 629 00:32:59,320 --> 00:33:02,520 Jesus Christ is about to come. 630 00:33:02,520 --> 00:33:05,160 We must never lose sight of that fact, 631 00:33:05,160 --> 00:33:06,760 that he is coming soon. 632 00:33:10,120 --> 00:33:13,080 And then he says, preach the word for a second reason. 633 00:33:13,080 --> 00:33:15,920 More directly, he says, preach the word. 634 00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:19,920 Verse 3, for the time will come when they, the hearers, 635 00:33:19,920 --> 00:33:23,280 will not endure sound doctrine, but wanting 636 00:33:23,280 --> 00:33:27,880 to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves 637 00:33:27,880 --> 00:33:30,920 teachers in accordance with their own desires 638 00:33:30,920 --> 00:33:33,440 and will turn away their ears from the truth 639 00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:35,640 and will turn aside to myths. 640 00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:38,360 But you be sober in all things and endure hardship. 641 00:33:38,360 --> 00:33:43,600 Do the work of an evangelist fulfill your ministry? 642 00:33:43,600 --> 00:33:45,720 The second reason that Timothy and we 643 00:33:45,720 --> 00:33:48,160 are to proclaim the word of our King 644 00:33:48,160 --> 00:33:54,200 is this, that hearts will grow cold, especially 645 00:33:54,200 --> 00:33:58,000 as the end of the age comes. 646 00:33:58,000 --> 00:34:04,160 There will come a time when men will not tolerate the truth. 647 00:34:04,160 --> 00:34:07,280 They will no longer put up with it. 648 00:34:07,280 --> 00:34:10,960 I cannot help but feel that many in our society 649 00:34:10,960 --> 00:34:14,720 are already at that point. 650 00:34:14,720 --> 00:34:18,000 One of the exciting things about visiting another culture, 651 00:34:18,000 --> 00:34:23,440 seeing the Far East, is to sense the openness of the people 652 00:34:23,440 --> 00:34:25,160 to the gospel. 653 00:34:25,160 --> 00:34:28,560 If I didn't know that God had called me to be pastor here 654 00:34:28,560 --> 00:34:31,600 at this church for this time, I think 655 00:34:31,600 --> 00:34:36,400 I would resign and go to the Far East as a missionary. 656 00:34:36,400 --> 00:34:39,960 Because the doors are so wide open, 657 00:34:39,960 --> 00:34:42,760 people are eager to hear the word of God 658 00:34:42,760 --> 00:34:46,160 and willing to respond to it. 659 00:34:46,160 --> 00:34:49,320 Now granted, because of the oriental manner, 660 00:34:49,320 --> 00:34:51,440 there are times when they respond simply 661 00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:54,440 to please the preacher. 662 00:34:54,440 --> 00:34:57,360 But the fact is that one can stand before a crowd 663 00:34:57,360 --> 00:35:00,320 of 10,000 people over there and preach 664 00:35:00,320 --> 00:35:02,360 and see not just hundreds respond, 665 00:35:02,360 --> 00:35:07,560 but thousands literally respond to the gospel. 666 00:35:07,560 --> 00:35:09,440 People are hungry for the word of God. 667 00:35:09,440 --> 00:35:11,680 They want to hear it. 668 00:35:11,680 --> 00:35:14,840 But that is not the case, for the most part, 669 00:35:14,840 --> 00:35:16,720 in our own society. 670 00:35:16,720 --> 00:35:19,960 Our society might be reflected by these words. 671 00:35:19,960 --> 00:35:23,000 They will not tolerate the truth. 672 00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:26,680 Paul warns that people will intensely desire teachers 673 00:35:26,680 --> 00:35:30,240 to suit their own tastes. 674 00:35:30,240 --> 00:35:34,240 They will want teachers to pander to their fancies. 675 00:35:34,240 --> 00:35:35,640 He puts it this way. 676 00:35:35,640 --> 00:35:39,680 They will have itching ears. 677 00:35:39,680 --> 00:35:42,440 And they will want teachers who will reach up and scratch 678 00:35:42,440 --> 00:35:44,640 those ears. 679 00:35:44,640 --> 00:35:47,280 And it says that they will accumulate for themselves 680 00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:48,040 these teachers. 681 00:35:48,040 --> 00:35:50,960 Not just one of these teachers will come along, 682 00:35:50,960 --> 00:35:52,600 but there will be many of them. 683 00:35:52,600 --> 00:35:54,560 They will heap them up. 684 00:35:54,560 --> 00:35:58,200 Many of these teachers will appear. 685 00:35:58,200 --> 00:36:01,160 And believe me, there are always those teachers 686 00:36:01,160 --> 00:36:04,040 who are willing to scratch the ears of those 687 00:36:04,040 --> 00:36:05,200 wishing to be tickled. 688 00:36:08,240 --> 00:36:12,600 And he says that they will turn away their ears from the truth 689 00:36:12,600 --> 00:36:15,200 and will turn aside to myths. 690 00:36:15,200 --> 00:36:18,680 You see, you cannot turn away from the truth 691 00:36:18,680 --> 00:36:20,680 without turning to something else. 692 00:36:20,680 --> 00:36:22,600 Do you see that? 693 00:36:22,600 --> 00:36:27,200 When people reject the truth of the message of the word of God, 694 00:36:27,200 --> 00:36:30,280 they will inevitably turn aside to something else. 695 00:36:30,280 --> 00:36:35,720 And Paul calls it here, myths, lies, stories, legends. 696 00:36:39,880 --> 00:36:41,120 Preach the word of God. 697 00:36:41,120 --> 00:36:42,400 Why? 698 00:36:42,400 --> 00:36:45,280 Because Jesus Christ is coming. 699 00:36:45,280 --> 00:36:48,680 But before he comes, the age will become hard, 700 00:36:48,680 --> 00:36:51,120 and people will not tolerate the truth anymore. 701 00:36:51,120 --> 00:36:56,080 Nonetheless, preach the word. 702 00:36:56,080 --> 00:36:58,840 To Timothy, he gives final instructions. 703 00:36:58,840 --> 00:37:00,920 In contrast to the false teachers, 704 00:37:00,920 --> 00:37:02,400 he says to him, you be sober. 705 00:37:05,160 --> 00:37:11,160 Don't pander to those who wish you to tell them 706 00:37:11,160 --> 00:37:13,520 what they want to hear. 707 00:37:13,520 --> 00:37:20,320 And by the way, isn't our society full of that today? 708 00:37:20,320 --> 00:37:22,960 People telling their preachers, telling their teachers 709 00:37:22,960 --> 00:37:26,160 what they want to hear, and then those people 710 00:37:26,160 --> 00:37:30,920 then responding and telling them that very message. 711 00:37:30,920 --> 00:37:34,720 The prophets prophesy, but they prophesy falsely, 712 00:37:34,720 --> 00:37:37,760 just as they did in the Old Testament. 713 00:37:37,760 --> 00:37:40,640 Now to Timothy, he says, you be sober. 714 00:37:40,640 --> 00:37:41,800 Be calm and steady. 715 00:37:41,800 --> 00:37:44,240 Don't become intoxicated yourself 716 00:37:44,240 --> 00:37:48,080 with all the contemporary fads, Timothy. 717 00:37:48,080 --> 00:37:50,440 Let me tell you, there are a lot of fads going around, 718 00:37:50,440 --> 00:37:55,200 faddish kinds of themes for churches and teachers 719 00:37:55,200 --> 00:37:58,160 and preachers and authors to follow. 720 00:37:58,160 --> 00:37:59,680 All you have to do is take a look 721 00:37:59,680 --> 00:38:03,200 at the many, many, many religious books coming off 722 00:38:03,200 --> 00:38:06,440 the press today that could all be condensed and put 723 00:38:06,440 --> 00:38:10,320 in a thimble as to their import. 724 00:38:10,320 --> 00:38:12,060 And you understand that today there's 725 00:38:12,060 --> 00:38:16,280 an awful lot of intoxication with many different fads that 726 00:38:16,280 --> 00:38:19,000 don't amount to anything. 727 00:38:19,000 --> 00:38:22,120 And so to Timothy, he says, be sober. 728 00:38:22,120 --> 00:38:23,420 Be balanced. 729 00:38:23,420 --> 00:38:25,520 Stay on course. 730 00:38:25,520 --> 00:38:29,400 Don't follow after the fads that come along. 731 00:38:29,400 --> 00:38:33,880 And he says to him, endure hardship. 732 00:38:33,880 --> 00:38:36,640 He is not to court it, but he's not 733 00:38:36,640 --> 00:38:39,880 to complain about it either. 734 00:38:39,880 --> 00:38:42,000 As he instructed him earlier in the writing, 735 00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:47,000 he is to suffer with Paul for the gospel of Christ. 736 00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:49,840 He tells him, do the work of an evangelist. 737 00:38:49,840 --> 00:38:52,080 That is, keep on telling the good news. 738 00:38:52,080 --> 00:38:55,200 Don't hold back, Timothy, to avoid suffering. 739 00:38:55,200 --> 00:38:58,160 It's a good word for us too, isn't it? 740 00:38:58,160 --> 00:39:00,200 There are times when we're tempted to hold back 741 00:39:00,200 --> 00:39:03,120 because we don't want to undergo the mocking 742 00:39:03,120 --> 00:39:07,160 or we don't want to be made fun of by our fellow students 743 00:39:07,160 --> 00:39:09,720 or by those that work around us. 744 00:39:09,720 --> 00:39:12,560 But do the work of an evangelist. 745 00:39:12,560 --> 00:39:15,240 And then he says, fulfill your service. 746 00:39:15,240 --> 00:39:16,400 Fulfill your ministry. 747 00:39:16,400 --> 00:39:22,120 Carry out to the full what God has called you to do. 748 00:39:22,120 --> 00:39:25,760 You and I have a glorious message to proclaim. 749 00:39:25,760 --> 00:39:29,840 It is a message that is both old and new. 750 00:39:29,840 --> 00:39:33,360 It is ancient in that God inspired it, 751 00:39:33,360 --> 00:39:35,600 and it was written by human authors 752 00:39:35,600 --> 00:39:39,840 inerranely thousands of years ago. 753 00:39:39,840 --> 00:39:44,240 It is old in that ancient sense, but it's new in the sense 754 00:39:44,240 --> 00:39:46,120 that it's relevant. 755 00:39:46,120 --> 00:39:51,200 It speaks to the very age in which we live today. 756 00:39:51,200 --> 00:39:55,280 You and I are called to serve the Lord. 757 00:39:55,280 --> 00:39:59,000 We can serve Him in this difficult time 758 00:39:59,000 --> 00:40:02,240 and do so expecting that the Word of God 759 00:40:02,240 --> 00:40:06,480 will accomplish all that God has purposed for it to accomplish. 760 00:40:06,480 --> 00:40:10,760 Not one word of it will ever fall void. 761 00:40:10,760 --> 00:40:16,960 God will do all that He intends to do and without fail. 762 00:40:16,960 --> 00:40:20,160 There have been many who have attacked the Word of God. 763 00:40:20,160 --> 00:40:24,480 There have been those who have subtly tried to undermine it. 764 00:40:24,480 --> 00:40:29,280 But none of them have succeeded, nor shall they ever. 765 00:40:29,280 --> 00:40:33,320 For the Word of God stands forever. 766 00:40:33,320 --> 00:40:37,120 And that is the rock upon which our faith is built. 767 00:40:37,120 --> 00:40:39,960 And that is the message which God has called us 768 00:40:39,960 --> 00:40:44,040 to herald to this generation. 769 00:40:44,040 --> 00:40:46,800 I like a poem that I heard quoted several years ago 770 00:40:46,800 --> 00:40:48,000 and which I copied down. 771 00:40:48,000 --> 00:40:49,080 It's called The Anvil. 772 00:40:52,120 --> 00:40:56,400 Last Eve, I passed beside a blacksmith's door 773 00:40:56,400 --> 00:41:00,400 and heard the anvil ring the vesper chime. 774 00:41:00,400 --> 00:41:06,280 Then looking in, I saw up on the floor old hammers worn 775 00:41:06,280 --> 00:41:09,440 with beating years of time. 776 00:41:09,440 --> 00:41:13,640 How many anvils have you had, said I, to wear and batter 777 00:41:13,640 --> 00:41:15,880 all those hammers so? 778 00:41:15,880 --> 00:41:18,120 Just one, said he. 779 00:41:18,120 --> 00:41:21,440 And then with twinkling eye, said, 780 00:41:21,440 --> 00:41:25,680 the anvil wears the hammers out, you know. 781 00:41:25,680 --> 00:41:30,720 And so, thought I, the anvil of God's Word, for ages, 782 00:41:30,720 --> 00:41:33,800 skeptic blows have beat upon. 783 00:41:33,800 --> 00:41:37,520 Yet though the noise of falling blows was heard, 784 00:41:37,520 --> 00:41:40,560 the anvil is unharmed. 785 00:41:40,560 --> 00:41:42,800 The hammer's gone. 786 00:41:42,800 --> 00:41:43,280 Let's pray. 787 00:41:46,360 --> 00:41:49,320 Father, we thank you for your blessed Word, 788 00:41:49,320 --> 00:41:54,560 for the fact that you have called us to proclaim it. 789 00:41:54,560 --> 00:41:56,920 And thank you that it will not return void, 790 00:41:56,920 --> 00:42:01,760 that as it is sown, as we scatter it as faithful sowers, 791 00:42:01,760 --> 00:42:05,840 so it will bring forth fruit, some 30, some 60, some 100 792 00:42:05,840 --> 00:42:08,440 fold. 793 00:42:08,440 --> 00:42:12,680 Make us faithful communicators of the Word this week. 794 00:42:12,680 --> 00:42:17,080 May we never shrink from it or be embarrassed by the Bible. 795 00:42:17,080 --> 00:42:21,600 But may we recognize what a miracle it is 796 00:42:21,600 --> 00:42:26,680 and how precious it is, because you have breathed it. 797 00:42:26,680 --> 00:42:28,960 You have inspired it for us. 798 00:42:28,960 --> 00:42:50,000 In Jesus' name, amen.