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[0:00] Paul's there talking about his ministry and he's giving Timothy some pointers, some truths! that he can take on board as a young Christian minister.

[0:13] ! 1.

[0:31] Out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 2. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lust shall heep to themselves teachers having itching ears, and they shall turn their ears away from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

[0:54] 3. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry. 4.

[1:04] For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 5. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. 6. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them, also that love is appearing.

[1:31] 7. I'd like to talk about Bible truth. 8. The truth. The truth is about a text. The text is the word of God.

[1:43] This is our textbook for truth. It says, Paul writes, verse 2, preach the word, preach the word, proclaim it at every opportunity. The Bible is our standpoint, the rule of our faith, our guide for the life and for the church.

[2:02] Some say it's unchristian to address error. It's a judge. It's a question. It's a dare to speak out and explain the truth. We're living in a politically correct world.

[2:15] You don't rock the boat. You don't give a contrary opinion. I mean, it seems as much as this is a side issue about man-made climate change. There's question marks about that, but it's spouted in the media as the gospel, you could say.

[2:33] It's what the world would say is the truth, and yet there's different views on these things. But brothers and sisters, there might be different views, but this has got to be the guide.

[2:44] This has got to be the ultimate, the absolute guide. And when people deviate from the guide book, we need to say, hey, this is where we need to get straightened out.

[2:57] This is what we've got to go by. It's a rule. A rule as in it's straight. A rule as in it's something that if we're a bit off-center, we need to come back to the rule.

[3:08] We need to come back. And this is what's got to change. Man has got to change to get according to the Word of God. Precept upon precept. Line upon line.

[3:19] If they're out of line with the Word, there's no light in them. Brothers and sisters, we need to get in accordance with the Word. Hold fast what is right in a firm but gracious and loving way.

[3:34] Of course, we don't want to be putting people down. We want to be lifting people up. We want to lift people up to the standard, to the truth. Because this is what we all need.

[3:46] Every one of us. And to say something is wrong. Sometimes that's going to be hard to do. But we must say that which is wrong and that which is right. To hold fast that which is right. And is it unloving to set something straight that is crooked?

[4:02] Is that unloving? Is it unfair to stop a child's fun by steering them away from touching the hot plate? Is it being too hard to warn of the danger of poison?

[4:17] To one who seems unaware of the danger? Is that unloving or unfair? The Word of God is filled with warning. It's filled with correction.

[4:28] About instruction. About right conduct. About life's choices. About right living. And I for one need it.

[4:39] I need to be corrected. And brothers and sisters we all need that. And it's hard sometimes. Like I was talking about earlier. There's people that I've had to correct about things.

[4:50] And they've taken it personally and got offended. I don't want to offend anybody. But if the truth offends then so be it. It must offend. If we're not going to be corrected then we will be offended.

[5:05] But friends it's not that I'm wanting to take a position of dictating something. Dictating to other people. But there's a necessary declaring of the truth. Isn't there?

[5:16] And if I'm unfaithful in that then woe unto me. And the Word instructs us to speak the truth in love. I'm not saying to hammer someone over the head with a Bible and bash people up.

[5:28] But to gently correct. To gently admonish. To gently reprove. And we're commanded to speak the truth. The gospel truth in love.

[5:39] To proclaim Him who is the truth. The soul saving truth. The one that we need. Every one of us needs Him. It says verse 2. Reprove, repute, exhort. They're strong words aren't they?

[5:52] Reprove. To correct someone. It's talking about warning people. Of rebuking, of encouraging. Of exhorting. It says in John 16.

[6:03] How be it when He, the Spirit of truth, is come. He will guide you into all truth. For He shall not speak of Himself. But whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak.

[6:16] And He will show you things to come. Some would say, let's not worry about the truth of the Bible. Let's just follow what we believe is God's voice. There's people that are very airy-fairy with these things.

[6:31] Oh, God told me this. God told me that. You know, then it's like they get these impressions about what God's telling them. And look, I'm not denying that that can be possible. That can be possible.

[6:42] But it must always be, must always be guided by the truth. If it's out of line with this then, friends, don't listen to that voice.

[6:53] The Spirit will lead us by His Word. This is the Word of God. This is the Word. God's given me a word. Yeah, it's here in your hand. This is it. This is the Word.

[7:05] And it must be that we're Word-based people. Word-based. Not some kind of feeling or sense. You know, fleshly based.

[7:16] You know, we get these warm and tingly feelings and God's telling us something. It's not necessarily so. And like I say, I'm not denying that God can give us an impression and put something on our heart and prompt us and urge us and move us and convict us.

[7:38] But it must be that the Word is underpinning that sensation, that guidance that we're feeling. We must let the Bible lead the path that we take.

[7:50] The text. We must have the text. Preach the Word. Preach the Word. Proclaim the truth. That's for all of us. Proclaim the truth. Declare the truth. Declare it loud and clear.

[8:01] And secondly, he says, he talks about teaching. Truth is about teaching. It means sound doctrine. Verse 2, Paul tells Timothy, With all long-suffering, or patience and perseverance, long-suffering and doctrine.

[8:17] Doctrine or teaching. For the time will come, verse 3, when they will not endure sound doctrine. There's going to be a time, Paul says, when on planet Earth, there's going to be a time when people aren't going to want to endure sound doctrine.

[8:33] They're not going to want to listen to the Word of God and take it in. They're not going to want to be learning and having a teaching that's truth-based. Truth means instruction and training in the school of Christ.

[8:47] It means letting the Holy Spirit be your teacher. In John 8, 32, the Lord Jesus declares, He says, And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

[8:59] Now, friends, today there's lots of people who have Bibles. Lots of people of different persuasions. Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses have Bibles. But they lack the truth.

[9:11] They lack sound doctrine. There are many and varied doctrines today. And false leaders and teachers who preach all manner of heresies. And it's by and large the people that are most popular.

[9:24] The ones that we can most readily tune into. And so we need to be guarded and guided by the sound doctrine, by the truth of God's Word.

[9:35] It's more needful now than ever before. Truth means more than just knowledge, knowing about things. It means right teaching and learning. It means being willing to be teachable, to heed instruction.

[9:50] Being willing to change and grow. Being willing to believe and obey the truth, to take it to the heart.

[10:01] And when we get that kind of truth, that kind of Bible truth that we can depend upon, it's going to guide our whole way of thinking, our worship.

[10:12] In John 4, verse 23, the Lord Jesus says, But the hour cometh, and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth.

[10:23] For the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. Friends, we must have the truth to guide our worship.

[10:35] We need to guard the music program of the church. Because it's often the first thing that goes. When you let that door ajar, and you let the things come in that are questionable, or that are not firmly founded on sound doctrine, that door gets wider and wider.

[10:57] And before you know it, there's no substance to it. And friends, that's why we hold to these time-honoured hymns of the faith, the ones that are full of doctrine and truth.

[11:12] It talks about psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, teaching and admonishing one another. Brothers and sisters, there's a learning that we can have even as we're singing these words that are so meaningful.

[11:26] Because there's doctrinal truth there in the Word of God, in the songs that we sing, even in the hymn book that we use. And so we need to have a truth that impacts even our worship.

[11:39] But as it's been said, our worship time is not to make us feel good. It's not about you. It's about him. And it's not directed for you to get a warm and fuzzy and jivey and dancey kind of feeling, and you know, with the smoke machines and the disco lights and the spectacle and the stage and the platform and the worldly mimicking that goes on.

[12:06] It's not about that at all. It's all about him. It's directing our worship and our praise towards him. And that's why we love to sing the truth, to worship him in spirit and in truth.

[12:21] And truth is about, we've said the text, the Word of God, the Bible, that we can found our lives upon and guide our lives ahead. We're a Bible-based church.

[12:32] That's what we want to be, first and foremost, that we're based on the Bible fairly and squarely. And friends, if we're getting off track, please tell me. I need to know if I'm getting off track.

[12:44] And we want to have a church that has teaching, that our teaching is sound biblical teaching, sound doctrine, that the teaching is faithful and it's true to the Word of God.

[12:58] Our practice and our behaviour, our whole attitude and philosophy of ministry, our whole direction as we set as a church, as we guide, as we look forward to the future, that it's governed by a love for the truth.

[13:17] That that will govern what we do and that we're truly faithful to God. And so we see the text, the Word of God. We see the teaching, the sound doctrine.

[13:28] And thirdly, we see that this truth is being turned away from. It's being rejected. It's being rejected by the world today. Verse 3, they will not endure sound doctrine.

[13:40] People are turning away from it. They're turning their backs upon the truth of the Word of God. They will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts or their own desires, they're going to heed to themselves teachers having itching ears.

[13:56] They're going to go by their feelings. They're going to go by their lusts, by their desires, by their wants, and not by what they need, the Word of God. It's going to be rejected.

[14:07] It's going to be rejected. And we're seeing that today. Friends, as the truth is watered down, it's watered down, and people aren't even holding a reliable translation of the Word of God in their hands, let alone hearing it being preached.

[14:26] And I know it's the case of times where in some church circles, people don't even bring their Bibles to church. You know, they don't have the Bible. And I'm not condemning anyone who's forgotten their Bible this morning, but they've not got the Bible in their homes.

[14:41] They've not got their Bibles in their hearts. They've not got their Bibles in their thinking, in how they go about their lives. It's disregarded and forgotten.

[14:54] And it's a characteristic, friends, today, of the lukewarm church. The lukewarm church. The compromising Christianity, or really churchianity of our day. Modern church, astray from the Word of God.

[15:07] And they say, let us have something amusing, something light and entertaining, pleasing to the ear, comfortable to the soul man. Whether it's the entertainment factor or the joke laden preaching.

[15:26] Friends, it's all about entertaining. You know, they take the view that whoever's up here doing something, it's my job to give you something warm and light and fuzzy and carefree and entertaining, so that you want to come back next time and hear more of the saying.

[15:49] You know? But, and yet sometimes I'm going to say, that's wrong! You're going to hell! But you might say some strong things.

[16:01] You might say some things that, oh, that's getting a bit personal this morning. He must be able to go at me this morning, that preacher. You know? And you think, oh, that's really got up my nose. I'm not coming back there again.

[16:13] And lots of people say that. But friends, it's not about me entertaining you, or offending you, or pleasing you. It's like Paul said, how am I becoming your enemy because I've told you the truth?

[16:24] And friends, I need to know the truth. And sometimes it cuts close to the bone. We might feel offended. But if it's the Word of God that's offending us, that's a good thing, isn't it?

[16:38] And we need to get, we're the one who needs to make the adjustment. And brothers and sisters, I don't want to displease anyone, but the one I mostly don't want to displease is the Lord.

[16:50] And woe betide me, woe unto me if I preach not the Gospel. Woe unto me if I pat you on the back and say, show me right, mate, you know, you're alright Jack, just carry on the way you're going.

[17:03] And friends, I'd be, I'd have blood on my hands. I don't want that. And as it says, I've got to give account for your souls, and I want to do that with joy.

[17:15] As we all want to be faithful to our friends and neighbours, our brothers and sisters, that you'll exhort one another daily. Every one of us exhort one another.

[17:26] Exhort me, exhort each other. Friends, that's what, we're seeing this tide, this flood tide that's sweeping the church.

[17:37] Let's not discuss sin. Let's not, oh we won't go there. We won't touch on that subject. Someone might get upset. That's not politically correct.

[17:48] How dare he talk about that? Let's not challenge. Let's not have conviction or stir up. People don't want conviction today.

[18:00] They want something light and breezy and pleasant and entertaining. Let's not talk about the blood. Oh blood, that's not a very nice thing to talk about.

[18:13] About hell. Oh, don't go there. About repentance. You mean I've got to change something? You mean I've got to stop doing that, which I like to do?

[18:26] Oh, how dare he. About holiness. These are subjects that are taboo in many churches. Let's just have some feel good message.

[18:39] Some man pleasing message. You know, I've said this before. And people might wonder, why did I do that? But, you know, it was a free Sunday night.

[18:50] And I don't have too many of those. And for whatever reason it was, I slipped into the back of paradise AOG. I thought, let's just go and have a look. Go and have a look at what's going on.

[19:02] You know, how can I criticise or, you know, how can I speak fairly about these kind of churches without having been there? You know, people would use that argument.

[19:13] And I slipped in the back door and just had a little nosey. It was a real disco there. Beautiful, you know, coloured lights and thrashing music. Just deafening.

[19:25] And then the preacher got up to speak. And his message was, as he had the display on the screen there, how to make friends and influence people.

[19:37] He was actually using that book, you know, the worldly book, with lots of good ideas maybe. But nothing to do with the word of God. Friends and brothers and sisters, you know, this is what's going on.

[19:48] This is what's going on. Sure, it will draw a crowd. Well, it's good philosophy and helpful personal development stuff and self-esteem and you name it.

[19:59] But where is the word of God in all of that? Brothers and sisters, truth is relative, they say. There are many paths. We all believe in the same God, they say.

[20:14] Everything's a shade of grey. You can't be black and white. You can't have absolute truth. After all, someone might get offended. If we dare speak against their idols or upset their beliefs.

[20:28] Brothers and sisters, truth, truth. It's avoided by the world today. It's not a crowd drawer. It's not comfortable.

[20:40] It's not popular. It's not top of the pops to be faithful to the Bible. To the Bible-based convictions. To be true to what you believe in despite the consequences.

[20:51] Verse 4, it says, And they shall turn away their ears from the truth. They'll just, oh, I don't want to hear it. And they shall be turned onto fables, fables.

[21:03] There's an erosion today of standards. Of blending together of conflicting beliefs. People are turning to the new age. Eastern mysticism, the cults. Even children and Christian parents being duked by things like Harry Potter.

[21:20] What are they doing? Why don't they see it? The Hollywood industry. It revolves around fables and fashions. It's full of it, isn't it? Fiction. This is what our world uses its energies on.

[21:32] They'll sit and watch these fables. The fiction of Hollywood. The superstars. The movie stars. They'll spend their time on that. Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.

[21:45] Friends, what really matters? What really matters? We've only got so much time. I know I'm not as young and sprightly as I once was.

[21:56] And it just seems like yesterday that I was. And tomorrow I'll be less so. And brothers and sisters, we're getting closer and closer to the grave. We're getting closer and closer.

[22:08] And time is limited. We don't have an unlimited supply of it. So let's use our time wisely. To use it for His glory. Friends, truth is here in your hands today.

[22:20] This is the truth that you need, that I need. We need it today. The text, the Word of God, the textbook for truth. The teaching is what we need. Sound doctrine.

[22:31] So get hold of some good teaching material. We've had that book that I showed earlier, last time. There's more of those that we can get. Sound doctrine. Good solid teaching that will help you to grow as a Christian.

[22:44] Ask me. I'll point you to some guides that help. There's a library here. Help yourself. Suggest some things to include in the library. Get yourself some good Bible study commentaries.

[22:56] Some Bible study guides. Get in the habit of opening the Bible. And dusting the dust off it. And putting it into your heart. Yet, friends, there is a turning away.

[23:07] It's sweeping the world, the church world. There's an outright rejection today. And apathy and apostasy. And, friends, I urge you, one and all, to get a hold of the truth.

[23:21] Just lastly, one little aspect to consider, too, is that the truth brings trouble. The truth will bring you trouble.

[23:34] You could be a quiet, secret Christian. An invisible Christian. And you could be one who stands up. And who stands out.

[23:45] And stands and delivers the truth. The truth brings trouble. It means conflict. We know in some countries. The truth, if you stand up as a Christian, you're a target.

[23:58] Literally. They put the crosshairs on you. And you're a public enemy number one. It certainly would be much easier in some countries, and maybe wiser to some degree, to keep quiet.

[24:11] But, friends, we've got no excuse in Australia. You've got absolutely no excuse at all. No excuse at all. It would be easier to ignore error, to excuse, to condone sin, to leave the cancer spot and not remove it.

[24:29] Surgery is painful, unpleasant, uncomfortable. Friends, the truth. It's worth fighting for. It's worth living for. Verse 7, he says, I've fought a good fight.

[24:41] I've finished my course. I've kept the faith. Here he was. He's writing from prison. It's going to get you into trouble, brother, sister, to speak the truth.

[24:55] It's going to stir up strife as you talk to family and friends. It's going to mean a fight. It's going to mean a warfare. It's going to mean people aren't going to want to hear it. But yet, we must deliver it.

[25:07] We must speak it. Jude 1 verse 3 talks about earnestly contending for faith. It's going to be delivered unto the saints.

[25:19] Earnestly. It says, ye should. We should earnestly contend. That's Jude 1 verse 3. For the faith. Earnestly. It's a struggle. It's a fight. It's a labouring fervently.

[25:31] A striving. Truth is worth being earnest about. Earnestly contending. It's worth being earnest about this message. For being strong about it. For being committed to it.

[25:42] It's deadly serious. It's something we should care about passionately. And be faithful to. Be committed to. A battle for truth. It's on the go now.

[25:53] A battle for truth is being waged in our streets. In our homes. In our governments. In our communities. A battle for truth is on in our society.

[26:04] And even within the church. The church. You know. You cross paths with some Christians and. They want. They want to bar us some of the things that. That you might have to say.

[26:17] If you're faithfully declaring the truth. They're going to shoot you down in flames. They're going to laugh behind your back. And. But yeah it doesn't matter. If the truth gets you into trouble.

[26:28] A falling away. Is forecast. It's going to be happening. And I believe. We're seeing it now. A departure. A departure from the truth.

[26:39] And Galatians 4 verse 16. I said this before. Am I therefore become your enemy. Because I tell you the truth. Friends.

[26:50] If. If. Telling the truth makes you an enemy. Then. So be it. I know. When I first became a Christian. And. I went to school.

[27:01] And. Those that were formerly my friends. They. Didn't seem to hang around very long. Not. Not at all. Yeah. Within. Within hours. I lost my friends.

[27:12] Speaking the truth makes you an enemy then. Amen. You've got some friends here. Amen. Amen. Amen. Some may resent being challenged about where they stand.

[27:25] But don't shoot the messenger. The truth offends. It causes a reaction. But it must. It must. Because it's the convicting power. The Holy Spirit. Don't rock the boat. They say. Don't judge error.

[27:36] Just sweep it under the carpet. They say. And today. Error often gets cloaked as true. Oh. Do not judge. But of course the Bible says that.

[27:49] Judge righteous judgment. Make. Make. A judgment that's wise. That's. Biblical. We're not talking about. As I say.

[28:00] Um. Hurting people by. Self-righteous judgment. But judging a righteous judgment. That we care about the truth so much. We want to tell people about the saviour.

[28:12] We want to tell people about the one. Who is the way. The truth. And the life. And. Friends. Sugar coated poison. It looks okay. Sugar coated poison.

[28:23] Maybe when you first. Swallow it. It tastes okay. But. It's deceptive. It's deceiving. There's a lot of that about. And. So we need to be very careful.

[28:35] And. You know. There's much. Helpful material that I could share. That. Talks about some of the. Faith movement preachers. For example. Of today.

[28:46] The popular preachers. That are on the airwaves. There's good and bad there. You know. We've got to be careful. Got to. And. As it says of anyone. That you listen to.

[28:57] That you take attention. To the word of God. See if these things are so. It's vital that we. Let the guide be the. The word. And people are being deceived today. There's people who are calling themselves.

[29:08] Apostles. And prophets. I used to go to a church. Where. Where they call themselves that. You know. False apostles. False prophets. False brethren. The bible says.

[29:19] I think there are. In a sense. People who are apostles. In the sense of. Apostello. They're sent for. Our missionaries. You know. They're sent out. With the word of God.

[29:30] And of course. They're not apostles. In the. In the sense of. As. As we see in Acts. But they're certainly sent forth. To be. Those messengers. Of the truth.

[29:41] To these nations. And. Friends. Error. It's likened to. A. A little bit of leaven. A little bit of yeast. We talked about earlier. A little bit of leaven. Just get a.

[29:52] Easy. Leaven. A little bit of yeast. In your dough. And boom. Makes a big difference. And likewise to. Eric. Just a small amount of error. Can affect the whole. So.

[30:03] We must be discerning to it. And avoid it. And let us renew our love for Christ. Friends today. Just to wrap up. Let's be lovers of the truth. Lovers of the word. Being willing to stand firmly with the word of God.

[30:17] With the text. The text. The textbook for truth. To love it. To proclaim it. To live it. To be aware of the modern trend. Of the turning away from the truth.

[30:29] People are turning their gears away. Gears away. And let's be willing to face trouble for the truth. That we're willing to be like Paul. If we must be in prison for it.

[30:40] We must. Be faithful in this battle. That. This battlefield of the world about us. And even of the church world. As we live in an apostate.

[30:51] In a lukewarm environment. Let us pray. Lord. We thank you today. Lord Jesus. That. We can. Call you Lord. We can call you Savior and Master.

[31:02] Help us Lord. To be obedient. To be servants. To be followers. To be disciples. That we be learners. Disciples. To know your truth. And that will set us free.

[31:13] Lord. If there's anybody present here this morning. That. Has not. Put their personal trust. In calling upon you. In realizing the great need.

[31:25] Of. That work of the cross. Where you died for our sin. Where you took upon yourself. Our very sin. As the sacrifice we needed. To be set free from our sin.

[31:36] Lord. That they'll cry out. Save me today Lord. I trust you. I. I turn from my. I turn from my. Own way. To turn to you. To love you. To follow you.

[31:47] Help us each one. To. Find that truth. And make it personal. Make it real. To each life we pray. That we'll love your word. That we'll love your truth. We'll put it into our lives.

[31:59] And live. That truth. Help us to declare it. Faithfully. To tell others. Even if it cost us trouble. And. Trial. Lord. That we'll be faithful to her.

[32:11]  In Jesus name. Amen. Amen.