[0:00] Well, good morning. Once again, happy mothers today to you who are mothers.! My name is Tom Zentz.
[0:10] My wife Carrie and her mother are actually on their way back from Chicago this morning.! They were there visiting her aunt who turned 100 years old this weekend. Carrie and I have been married for 39 years.
[0:23] We have six children, seven grandchildren. We've been members of Maranatha since 1984. Over these 40 years, we've had the privilege of ministering to this body in various ways, including now, one, as your deacon.
[0:38] I want to say that it's our joy to see what God is doing here at this church. It is a blessing. When Pastor Andrew asked if I would preach on Mother's Day, I confess, there was some apprehension.
[0:53] This day has often been met with mixed feelings for me. And my own mother was only in my life until I was eight years old. I was the oldest of four boys. We were eight, four, six, and two.
[1:05] When my mother battled an invisible enemy, a brain tumor. That tumor caused her to change her personality, become even violent.
[1:17] My father divorced my mother. He remarried three more times. That ended at three more divorces. And then my mother, at her age of 40, she died of that tumor.
[1:29] So while I'm grateful to God for other Christian mothers, those ladies in churches who have influenced me and my brothers, this was a day we really did not celebrate.
[1:40] Not until I married Carrie 39 years ago and gained a new godly mother-in-law. So whether this day is a celebration for you personally or not, this is the Lord's Day.
[1:55] And the message is from God's word. And it's for our good. It's for his glory. It is a pleasure to look at the scriptures with you today. Our text is going to be 2 Timothy chapter 1.
[2:10] I invite you to open your Bibles there. If you're using the Pew Bible, it's page 995. We're going to be looking at verses 1 through 14, but I'm going to confess to you that we're actually going to be looking at the whole letter of 2 Timothy.
[2:24] Don't get worried. It's not going to be that deep of a look. But we're going to be tracing three themes that Paul threads throughout the letter of 2 Timothy.
[2:39] Before I read this passage here in 2 Timothy 1, let me just say again, thank you, mothers, for your faithful ministries to your children, your family.
[2:50] The emotional and the physical rollercoaster of life can be exhausting, and it can be overwhelming. And I'm praying that the Lord would encourage your hearts today, that you might be renewed and refreshed as you hear the word of God.
[3:08] Please follow along as I read. This is 2 Timothy chapter 1, starting at verse 1. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus, to Timothy, my beloved child, grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
[3:28] I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. As I remember your tears, I long to see you that I may be filled with joy.
[3:43] I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and now I'm sure dwells in you as well. For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
[4:02] For God gave us a spirit, not of fear, but of power and love and self-control. Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me as prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now have been manifested through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do.
[4:45] But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me. Follow the pattern of sound words that you have heard from me in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
[5:03] By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you. Would you join me in prayer? Our Heavenly Father, You are so faithful.
[5:21] You are loyal to your own character. And we can trust you. You are a good Heavenly Father. Thank you for the blessings that are ours through Jesus Christ.
[5:37] Thank you for allowing your Son to go through what he did for our sake. Thank you for the rich gospel and the salvation that we cherish.
[5:50] Lord, we confess to you, we don't love you as deeply as we ought to. Would you help us to love you more and more, day by day, even as we come under the teaching of your word this morning.
[6:09] May your spirit make Christ a little bit more clearer in our lives. Help us to reflect him, to reflect your glory among our families, among our neighborhoods, at our places of work, wherever you have us.
[6:26] This morning as we see your word and your spirit brings things to our attention, help us not to discard it. I pray, Father, that you would have your work and your will done in our lives.
[6:40] I'm guessing that there are some individuals here today who come with some heavy burdens. Some come with doubts and maybe wondering what you are doing. Would you help them to know that your word is sure and your hope, it's eternal.
[7:02] God, I pray that we would be refreshed through the preaching of your word this morning. We want to give you praise. We want to say thank you again for your Son, Jesus, and we pray in his name.
[7:13] Amen. The title of the message this morning, and there's no outline. That's on me. It's a mother's greatest gift.
[7:26] And I would say mothers, and when I say mothers, all of you in here know that the things that we're going to be talking to mothers about, most of it applies to all of us. So mothers and fathers, especially now as Christian parents, mothers and fathers, the most necessary thing as a Christian parent is your own life in Jesus Christ.
[7:47] And it may seem simplistic. It may seem so fundamental. But as Christian parents, our own lives need to be marked by godliness and faith. Godliness and faith are manifested in various ways.
[8:01] But one of the chief ways is a love for and a trust in God and in his word. A godly mother steeped in God's truth is powerfully effective as an instrument of God in the lives of her family.
[8:18] The challenge this morning from our text is to delight your own selves, mothers, in the word of God. That affection that you have for God and his word is what your children are going to see.
[8:30] Your faith in the scriptures to guide you, to encourage you through the challenges of life, that will be evident. You see, we can only share what we possess.
[8:43] Christian mothers who know little of Christ will have little of Christ to share with their children. Christian mothers who delight little in Christ will instill little delight in their children.
[8:57] Christian mothers who speak little of Christ will have children who speak little of Christ. Our children are sponges. Their little souls are inclined to soak up what floods forth from our lives.
[9:12] As we delight in the Lord and in his word and we display that delight to our children, they do take note. Generally speaking, the things that capture your hearts, they capture the hearts of your children.
[9:30] If you would allow me, I was walking out this morning from our entryway in the house and I saw this. And I thought, I'll just bring this. My daughter-in-law, a few years ago, created this for us.
[9:49] And as she began to understand the Zenz family and what we like and what we like to do, she created this. And it says, in this house, we forgive, we give grace, we say prayers, we do Sunday family lunch, we give hugs, we choose joy, we love really well, we play games, we reminisce about Japan, we live there for more than 10 years, we do puzzles, and we drink milk nog.
[10:23] You'll have to ask me about that one later. We serve the Lord. It dawned on me that for her, not having grown up in my family, as she began to observe what we like and do, those began the things that she began to like and to do.
[10:43] And as we think about ministering to our children, it is the scriptures that give us the wisdom and the means to do so. Of course, we will never do so perfectly, but if we would seek to do it well, our lives must be filled with the scriptures.
[11:01] The word is how we are made wise into salvation, and how we accomplish ministry for the good of those around us, including our children. Lois and Eunice serve as two great examples of this in our text this morning.
[11:16] There in 2 Timothy 1, 5, Paul says to Timothy, I'm reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and now I am sure dwells in you as well.
[11:33] That word sincere is very interesting to me. If you take that Greek word, it literally means not hypocritical. And the word hypocritical, some of you remember, it's from the Greek drama, and as that mask was put on, and the person behind the mask is speaking as if they're this person, that person is disguised.
[12:01] They are hypocritical. Not hypocritical is removing the mask, being true. And so Paul is saying about his faith that your faith is true.
[12:14] It's sincere. I also like the English word sincere. That comes from another cool word that's from the Latin. That word sincere, the first part of it, the sin, it's really sign.
[12:26] That means without. And the serra, that means wax. And so in Greek culture, a merchant that sold pottery, maybe he's putting things out on the table and he drops a vase.
[12:38] It doesn't shatter, but maybe it gets a crack. What he can do is put a little wax on that and then touch it up with paint and set it out as if it's okay. And if you're coming alongside to buy that, you'll take that vase if you're a good, shrewd purchaser and you'll hold it up against the light.
[12:58] And what you're looking to see if it is without wax, if it's true and if it's the real thing. And that's what Paul is saying to Timothy here.
[13:08] Your faith, Timothy, it is sincere. It's true. I'm reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and now I'm sure dwells in you.
[13:25] What a lineage. Here are two women of the word, women who loved the scriptures and made sure to obey their son and their grandson in the truth. Talk about a godly example.
[13:38] I confess at this point, I was very tempted to name this message a mother's faith. And while there may be some merit in that, I think both Lois and Eunice would agree that the knowledge of divine things, especially the salvation that Timothy enjoyed, it was not derived from their faith.
[14:03] It has only come through the holy scriptures and through God himself. Remember what Paul said to the church in Rome in chapter 10, verse 17.
[14:14] Faith comes from hearing the message. And hearing the message is through the word about Christ. It is through the word of God that salvation comes. Here's our key theme this morning.
[14:27] Mothers and the rest of us, your most important task, your greatest gift, is to delight yourself in the Lord and in his word and model that before and pray that for your family.
[14:44] That should be encouragement because it's not up to you to save your children. It is yours to faithfully live, love and live the scriptures before your family.
[15:02] I want to start by considering the background of this second letter to Timothy, if I may. Paul's in Rome. He's in prison for the gospel. The letter, this letter will be his last before his execution in AD 67.
[15:17] It's filled with affection for Timothy, his son of the faith. And with urgency and concern for the state of the church after his death, he's going to write this letter.
[15:29] It reveals a man who is coming to grips that he's going to soon die. Timothy was born in the town of Lystra. That's the southern part of Galatia.
[15:41] If you're able to imagine, remember the Mediterranean Sea and you've got Israel over here and you've got the Boots country, Italy over here. You've got a body of water, the Adriatic Sea, and then you've got this peninsula at the bottom of that peninsula.
[15:56] You've got Greece. Another body of water, the Aegean Sea, and then you have this piece of land that kind of juts out this way. The very end of that land, that's modern Turkey, but that was Asia Minor.
[16:10] When you're reading Revelation, you see the seven churches there. That was in that piece of land. And then if you just go further east, there's another fairly big piece of, that's a big region, and that's Galatia.
[16:23] And in the southern part of that region is Lystra, and that's where Timothy was born. His mother and his grandmother were both Jews, and they had come to know the Lord Jesus Christ.
[16:41] Acts 16.1 tells us, however, that his father was a Greek. And the way that it's constructed there, it sort of implies that his father did not know the Lord Jesus Christ.
[16:52] Imagine the potential tension then for a mother wanting to participate in the Jewish traditions, and not having the support of her husband. Not having the praise, and the influence of a godly husband.
[17:10] Or the tension of parenting Timothy in the ways of the Lord, and not having that affirmation. No details of how dysfunctional home life was is mentioned in the word of God, but it's easy to assume there were challenges.
[17:26] It may be that Lois, the grandmother, first, and perhaps then Eunice, heard the gospel preached when Paul came to Lystra during his first missionary journey there in Acts chapter 14.
[17:38] If you recall that story, Paul and Barnabas came into the city of Lystra, and they met a man who was lame, and through the power of God, they healed that man.
[17:50] And immediately, the townspeople, they're like, whoa! And they said, the gods have come to us. And they praised Paul and Barnabas as gods.
[18:01] And immediately, Paul and Barnabas said, no, no, no. They deflected that praise, and they said, no, that belongs to Jesus Christ. And they ministered the gospel of Jesus Christ in the city of Lystra.
[18:13] Soon after that, some Jewish teachers from nearby Antioch and Iconium came, and they began to spread lies about Paul and Barnabas. And they changed the hearts of the people of Lystra.
[18:26] In fact, what they did was they ended up stoning Paul. They drug him outside the city and left him for dead. And the Bible says he was revived, and guess what he did? He went right back into the city of Lystra, and he ministered the gospel there.
[18:38] And he made sure the churches were strengthened, and leadership was in position. As you're reading through the book of Acts, chapter 15, Paul goes back to give report in Jerusalem, and then in chapter 16, he's going on a second missionary journey.
[18:55] And he's taking Silas with him. And you know where he makes a beeline for? He goes right back to Lystra. And in Lystra, in Acts 16, verses 2 and 3, I'm going to read it for you.
[19:07] It says this. This is regarding Timothy's character. He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him.
[19:19] When Paul went back to revisit Lystra, he met Timothy. He met a young man, probably a teenager, not unlike some of you here. And there was something about Timothy that the people saw him.
[19:34] And they noticed, and they remarked about his character. He was probably still a new believer, but he was making a mark for the gospel. And I think it's because of his grandmother's and his mother's influence in training him in the truth.
[19:50] You're in 2 Timothy. You just flip over to chapter 3. Look at verses 14 and 15. It says here, But as for you, continue what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it.
[20:06] And how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. The Greek here for the word for whom is actually plural.
[20:18] There in verse 14. It seems to imply that this influence was from Timothy's grandmother and mother. It was their teaching in the scripture that helped Timothy to grow in the spiritual disciplines.
[20:34] He observed their devotion to Christ and his word while living at home. That famous verse in chapter 3, verse 16, that says, All scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
[20:54] When Timothy read that, he's like, I know that. I experienced that. So by the time Paul writes this second letter then to Timothy, this young pastor had been ministering there at the church of Ephesus.
[21:11] He had been pastor at the church of Ephesus for about four years. It had been almost just as long since he received the first letter of Timothy to him. Timothy had been a faithful servant to Paul ever since he left home with the apostle about a decade earlier there in Acts 16.
[21:29] And since that time, he had ministered alongside Paul for the duration of the second and third missionary journeys. He had visited places like Troas, Philippi, Corinth. Timothy was not unfamiliar to the Ephesians when he settled in Ephesus to be the pastor there because he had been with Paul for almost three years ministering alongside Paul to the church there.
[21:52] And now Paul writes this second letter to this young pastor. He's going to provide him encouragement and strength to face the difficulties and trials that would surely come after Paul's own death.
[22:08] As Paul lays out what he considered the most important last words for Timothy to hear and to live by, we have the benefit of gleaning from that. There are some rich takeaways.
[22:20] I'm just going to give you three. And if you're taking notes, the first point would be this. And guys, this is like the most important thing, Paul, is this is what's on his heart.
[22:33] And here it is. Salvation comes from God alone. You look back at chapter one, verse one of 2 Timothy. Just follow along. I'm going to kind of take this thread through the letter.
[22:46] In verse one, the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus. Timothy, remember where your salvation comes from.
[22:57] It's nothing you've earned. It's only in Jesus Christ. Look at verse two. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. Go down to verse nine.
[23:08] Who saved us and called us to a holy calling. Not because of our works, but because of his own purpose and grace which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.
[23:20] And the next verse, verse 10. Our Savior Christ Jesus who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. And there in verse 12, for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.
[23:41] I'm just going to take a little bit of a pause. That was the English Standard Version. The literal translation, if you go back, it says this, I'm convinced that he is able to guard until that day the word is my deposit.
[23:57] That's all it is. And there are godly men and women on both sides of this. The ESV says that deposit that was entrusted to me. The King James and the Legacy Standard Bible, the New American Standard Bible says it this way.
[24:13] What I have entrusted to him. The difference is this. Not only does God source me with salvation and shower me with salvation, he is the one who secures my salvation.
[24:29] It's not up to me to hold it and then to hang on as tight as I can. My salvation rests in the power of God to secure it. You go down to verse 13.
[24:42] We're still looking that salvation comes from God alone in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Verse 18. May the Lord grant him, O Neciferus, to find mercy from the Lord on that day.
[24:57] And then, we're just going to do this. Go to chapter 2. Look at verse 10. That they, that is the elect, may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
[25:10] In chapter 3, verse 15. For salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. In chapter 4, verse 8. Henceforth, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness.
[25:24] The, the laurel of righteousness and not my righteousness but the righteousness of Christ. And how did I get it? What does it say there? It was awarded to me.
[25:35] It was given to me by my righteous judge Jesus Christ on that day. And guys, it's not because I've earned it. It's not because of anything I have done.
[25:47] It is a free gift. from our Savior Jesus Christ. Not to me only but also to all who love his appearing. Timothy was well grounded in the scriptures.
[25:59] His theology was pretty good. But he still needed to be reminded of this. We all do. There are times in our lives we take our eyes off the Lord Jesus Christ and we begin to look at the circumstances around us and we begin to sink like Peter did.
[26:18] We begin to wonder in doubt. We all need to be reminded. By the way, we live in a broken sin infested world too.
[26:33] But don't we rejoice that we've been delivered from this? This darkness? We've been freed from the chains of sin and death. We've been rescued out of the kingdom of Satan.
[26:43] We've been delivered into the kingdom of his dear son Jesus Christ. We've been made children and heirs of God our Father and we're going to spend eternity with him. That's good news.
[26:54] That's great news. Nevertheless, we and our families are not immune to the heartaches of this world or the attacks of the enemy or even our own tendencies.
[27:05] just to doubt and to wonder and to wander. Christ is our only hope and his word is our sure foundation. Mothers, believe this for your own selves and then gently remind those under your care of the beauty and the glory of salvation that comes through Jesus Christ alone.
[27:31] As Paul's considering what he must tell Timothy, I think the second thing I am reading through this letter is this. The word of God is our ultimate passion.
[27:45] The word of God is our ultimate passion. Go back to chapter 1. Look at verse 8 please. Do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord.
[27:58] The testimony about our Lord, that's the gospel message of Jesus Christ. That's the word of God. Don't be ashamed. To be ashamed is to feel that guilt or disgrace.
[28:11] I think it also, there's a measure of fear that comes with being ashamed. What's the opposite of fear? What is it that casts out fear?
[28:24] It's love. Don't be ashamed of the word of God. Paul's going to use this word a lot, especially in this letter. Love the word of God.
[28:38] Love the God of the word. Don't be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, but share in suffering for the gospel. Look at verses 11 through 12 there in chapter 1.
[28:50] For which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. Here it is. I am not ashamed. Verse 13.
[29:02] Follow the pattern of sound words that you have heard from me. That's the word of God. In the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Verse 14.
[29:13] Guard the good deposit entrusted to you. Now this echoes 1 Timothy chapter 6 verse 20. Paul says there in his first letter, O Timothy, Timothy, guard that deposit entrusted to you.
[29:26] This is the deposit coming from God to Timothy. It's not the same deposit as in verse 12. Here, this deposit. Commentators, even MacArthur comments and he says this refers to the truth of divine revelation.
[29:44] God has entrusted Timothy with the truth of God's word. He is to care for it. He is to protect it, to guard it, to keep it pure. Chapter 1, verses 16 through 18.
[30:02] Let me just take a moment to say this. Sometimes, friends, when you're pursuing God and his word, you can come to think that am I the only one doing this?
[30:19] Am I in it by myself? I would just encourage you to look around. But for Timothy, Paul's going to give him an illustration.
[30:30] He says there, in verses 16 through 18, I want you to think about somebody. His name's Onesiphorus. For he often refreshed me and he was not ashamed, there it is again, of my chains.
[30:45] But when he arrived in Rome, he searched for me earnestly and found me. May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus.
[30:58] The Apostle Paul had gone through a lot. I mean, you read his own writings and he talks about the shipwrecks and the heartaches and suffering and the stonings and I mean, what a list.
[31:09] What in the world would then ever refresh the Apostle Paul? Here he is in chains. I mean, you're just talking about a damp cloth across the forehead?
[31:21] I don't think so. You're talking about a pat on the back and a word of encouragement? I don't think so. There is something that I think Onesiphorus used to refresh Paul and I believe it was the word of God.
[31:36] That's the only thing we can hope in and rely in. It reminds me of this. You are not alone in this pursuit. Look at chapter 2, verse 2.
[31:53] What you have heard from me entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. And I can hear Timothy saying, yep, that's my mom. I didn't appreciate her as much when I was younger but I'm so thankful for her faithfulness to the scriptures and to me.
[32:11] Mothers, grandmothers, it is never too late to have this kind of passion for God and his word. I'm going to take a moment to brag on my mother-in-law.
[32:25] As she was approaching her 80s, she wanted to see the scriptures afresh. And so she committed to reading through her Bible once again and this time having the commentary of Matthew Henry.
[32:40] And she spent three and a half years going from Genesis through Revelation. and often she would come to us and she would just share with joy some of the nuggets of truth that she had learned from God's word.
[32:52] It is never too late to come back to God and say, help me to see you with fresh eyes, with fresh faith. Help me to see you for who you truly are.
[33:05] Help me to love your word even more deeply. In chapter 2, verses 3 through 6, what Paul's going to do is change a little bit.
[33:16] He's going to start giving some metaphors, some illustrations of what it means for those who are passionate for their craft. He wants to show Timothy, you model this just like these people are doing.
[33:31] And he gives, first of all, the good soldier. This good soldier is one who trains hard, knowing there's an enemy and that his own life might be required to protect others.
[33:42] be passionate for the word of God. He then talks about the crowned athlete, one who's focused and faithful in developing their skill, not allowing anything to sidetrack them in order to win the prize.
[33:57] And this third one, the hard-working farmer, what a visionary. He looks at an empty field and he sees fruitfulness for the coming season even before he's sown.
[34:18] He rises early and he works late to make this happen. He trusts in God who alone controls the circumstances and the elements. Consider their sacrifice, their effort, their faith, their focus.
[34:32] Timothy, be passionate like they are for the word of God. In my preparation for this, I almost missed this. There's really not just three metaphors and three illustrations.
[34:48] There's a fourth one and it starts in verse eight. because what Paul does now is he says this, remember Jesus Christ. Those were good, but now let me give you the best model of someone who is passionate for the word of God.
[35:08] It's the word of God, the word incarnate himself. Jesus Christ. Timothy, be passionate for his word. Remember Jesus Christ there in verse eight, as preached in my gospel for which I am suffering.
[35:23] Bound with chains is a criminal. The word of God is not bound. Therefore, I endure everything. Timothy, it's worth it.
[35:37] He is worthy. A familiar verse there if you've been in Awana in chapter two, verse 15. Do your best to present yourselves to God as one approved.
[35:52] This word approved means tested by God and found fit. If you want to see the opposite of that, Titus chapter one, verse 16. There's a word there that sometimes is translated reprobate, sometimes just unfit, but it does mean tested by God and found unfit.
[36:14] But here, do your best to present yourself to God as one who has been tested by God, found fit, a worker who has no need, again, to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
[36:28] Skip over to chapter three, verse 10. We're taking that thread through this second letter. You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch.
[36:46] And then skip down to verse 14. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and affirmatively believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus, all scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
[37:16] To be a complete man or woman for God, it requires the right handling of the word of God, allowing the spirit of God to use his word to teach, reprove, correct, train, and equip us.
[37:31] Friends, to assume that we or our children will ever be complete by any other means makes God a liar.
[37:42] It has damnable effects in the lives of people. Is it a wonder then that his final word about this is in chapter 4, verse 2?
[37:55] Paul says this with such force, preach the word, herald the word, be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, and exhort with complete patience and teaching.
[38:10] You cannot do this if you do not have the scriptures as your center and Christ is not your love.
[38:24] Embrace them by faith. That third thread I think that we're going to see through this second letter, it's a bit somber. It's closely related to the second thread and here it is.
[38:39] Timothy, beware of misplaced passion for something other than God and his word. I'll say it again. Beware of misplaced passion for something other than God and his word.
[38:54] If you go back to chapter 1, look at verse 15. Paul's going to mention two people. He says this, you are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.
[39:11] The word turned away there, that phrase, it's a disloyal desertion. It's a treacherous or a traitorous abandonment.
[39:24] it's saying, I'm going to pursue something else. Something has captured my attention and it's not you, God.
[39:37] And it's not your word. Go to chapter 2. Look at verses 17 through 18. Paul says this, and their talk will spread like gangrene.
[39:55] Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus who have swerved from the truth. The word swerved from the truth means missed the mark. Something has attracted their attention.
[40:09] Something has caused them to leave what is true and they have pursued something else. It wasn't God and it's not the word of God.
[40:25] Chapter 3. There's sort of a lengthy area here verses 1 through 8. I'm not going to read the whole thing. Paul's going to help Timothy understand that in the last days this is what you can expect.
[40:36] He says there in verse 1 in the last days there will come times of difficulty for people will be lovers of self lovers of money a little bit later on not loving good further on lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth just as Janice and Jambres opposed Moses so these men also opposed the truth their affection was not on God and his word chapter 4 verse 2 a time's coming Timothy when people will not endure sound teaching that is the word of God but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit what their own passions and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths
[41:44] I'm going to ask you friends what's stealing your affection today what is it that's robbing you of making Christ and his word the most important thing in your life what is competing for your love what's taking your time and your joy look down at verse nine what a sad commentary on this gentleman I use the word gentleman he did follow Paul for a while Demas in love with this present world has deserted me here's a person that followed the apostle Paul that served alongside him that ministered with him says here he loved this present world his affection turned away it swerved away don't be like this don't allow competition for your love to have any place in your hearts and I don't know what that means for you but I believe the Holy
[43:06] Spirit will bring that to your attention you know this was supposed to be an encouraging message I think it is there's so much that's so rich here I'm thinking mothers I hope you've been encouraged this morning see what what God did for Timothy here he can do for every one of your children no matter no matter how scarred they are by sin no matter the decisions that they've made no matter how rebellious they've been the gospel can change their lives embrace the Lord and his word with all your hearts teach his principles live by them by faith pray by faith like that farmer there is a barren field in front of him but he sees fruitfulness goodness because by faith he's trusting that God's going to bring that about work hard at your craft don't get sidetracked can I give you a kind of a
[44:26] Paul Harvey rest of the story moment after my mother passed away my father sent me something I had never seen before my baby book didn't even know I had one and in it were several things like how big I was how long I was how much I weighed and so on but there was also this prayer it goes like this dear Tommy if anything should ever happen to mommy and daddy we want you to know that we loved you so much we love each other and are very happy we love God and know he sent you to us we want you to love God and pray every day read your Bible and ask God to lead you in the right way and then there was more about not drinking and cussing and going out with the girls who do but my mother's prayer was that her son grows up to love God and to love his word sometimes I wonder if I'm here today because my mother prayed that prayer and God answered he can do that for you let's pray father we're all here by the grace of
[45:42] God all the glory all the worth belongs to Jesus Christ there are some family members that we know who know who need this gospel and we ask God that in gentleness but also in power that your word would overwhelm them with the truths that we read here in your word that they would be convicted of their sin that you would draw them to yourself we have neighbors and co-workers we have friends who don't know the Lord Jesus and we pray for their souls God save them we lift them up before you God even our own lives at times we're such wretches we rebel we wander and stray we find affections in other things would you draw our hearts back to you and what's truly important loving you and loving your word would you do a work in us today
[46:55] God would you revive our hearts we ask this in Jesus name amen you're dismissed thank you Thank you.