All right, well we are going to go now into our time in the Word and our hope and our
prayer is that our hearts will be focused for the Lord's table as we come to remember
Christ and what He has done for us this morning.
So there are some clipboards at the back for kids.
Now's a great time to grab them if you want to do the activity sheets that are on there.
We are going to be looking at Paul's second letter to Timothy this morning.
If you have your Bible with you, you can open it up to 2 Timothy, but I'll also try to have
the words on the screen as much as possible for us.
Most of you probably know that Paul was an apostle of Jesus Christ.
He wasn't one of the 12 apostles, but later after the events of the Gospels, as we read
in the book of Acts, Jesus revealed Himself to this man whose name was Saul while he was
on the road to Damascus and his name was changed to Paul.
He came to faith in Jesus and Jesus appointed him to be an apostle, a spokesperson on his
behalf to the non-Jewish world.
And while Paul was on his journeys spreading the news about Jesus, he came across a young
man named Timothy.
And Timothy was from the region of Galatia, which is in modern-day Turkey.
Timothy became a disciple of Jesus and later became a partner in ministry with Paul.
And he helped Paul spread the news of Christ around the Mediterranean world.
At some point in their journeys together, Paul sends Timothy to the city of Ephesus, the ancient
city of Ephesus, and stations him there where it seems Timothy served as a pastor or a leader
in the church.
And so by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul came to write two letters to this man,
this young man, Timothy.
And both of those letters we have in our Bibles today.
And it's this second letter that we turn to today, 2 Timothy.
It's thought that Paul wrote this letter to Timothy sometime after Acts chapter 28.
And if you know the book of Acts, Acts 28 ends with Paul in prison in Rome.
And tradition or history or both has it that Paul later came to be imprisoned a second time
in Rome and wrote this letter to Timothy sometime before his death.
This is a letter of encouragement that Paul writes to Timothy.
And this encouragement comes against the backdrop of suffering.
Paul has suffered much for the name of Christ.
And we're not going to look at all the passages that tell us what he suffered.
But it wasn't just scorn or ridicule.
At this point in the story, there is widespread persecution of the church of Jesus Christ.
And even violence, even putting the followers of Jesus to death.
It's a very difficult time.
And so Paul writes to encourage Timothy.
There's a sense perhaps here in this letter that Timothy is tempted to give in to fear
and to be silent.
To stop preaching the good news of Jesus.
And so Paul writes to encourage him to rekindle the gift of God that he has received.
To keep preaching, keep teaching, spreading the message of Jesus.
Paul writes to encourage him, do not be ashamed of this message of Jesus, this testimony about Jesus.
He writes to encourage him to willingly share in the sufferings that come with making the good news of Jesus known.
And it's here that Paul reminds Timothy of some of the goodness of that news.
He reminds Timothy that we have a gospel, a good news that's worth suffering for.
And so this is what we want to look at this morning as we prepare our hearts for the Lord's table.
Let me read you Paul's words to Timothy from 2 Timothy chapter 1 verses 6 to 12.
Paul says to him,
He has saved us, he has saved us, he has saved us, and called us to a holy life.
Not because of anything we have done, but because of his own purpose and grace.
This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.
But it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus.
Who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher, says Paul.
That is why I am suffering as I am.
Yet this is no cause for shame.
Because I know whom I have believed.
And I am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.
These are sweet words.
Paul is essentially saying,
Timothy, don't forget.
We have a gospel, a good news that's worth suffering for.
Let's consider some of what he says here, especially in verses 9 and 10.
Paul reminds him in verse 9,
He has saved us.
We use that word saved a lot to refer to whether someone has come to believe in Jesus.
We'll ask the question,
Is that person saved?
Or we'll say,
That person was saved a few years ago.
And it might sound strange to outsiders,
But we use this word for a reason.
This is God's word.
For what he has done for us who believe in his son Jesus.
He has saved us.
Which of course begs the question,
Saved us from what?
The Bible's answer to this,
God's answer to this is that we are all sinners who stand guilty before God.
We are all deserving of punishment because of that.
And the Bible tells us what the punishment or the penalty for our sins is.
Death.
And beyond that,
Hell.
And so there is need for us to be saved.
To be rescued from that.
And the good news,
The gospel of Jesus,
Is that God has done that for us.
He has made a way for us to be saved.
He has made a way for us to be forgiven of our sins.
And our guilt taken away and atoned for.
And our final sentence changed from death and hell.
To life forever with God.
Heaven.
And this is a big deal.
Timothy, remember.
God has saved us.
Remember this good news.
We were in dire need.
He provided a way for us to be rescued from ultimate disaster.
Father.
And there's more.
Not only has he saved us,
Paul says,
He has saved us and called us to a holy life.
Quite literally here,
He has called us to a holy calling.
Now there's some differences among the translations here.
I put a couple of them up there on the screen for you.
Some say with a holy calling.
Some say to a holy calling.
Truth be told,
in the original language,
it could be either.
But the native speakers of the language 2,000 years ago,
they probably would have known exactly which it was,
just by the context.
We're kind of left to guess a little bit here today.
Is it that the calling itself is special,
distinct,
holy?
Or is it the life that the calling brings us into
that's special,
distinct,
and holy?
And I can't tell you the answer from this passage alone,
but we do know from other places in the New Testament
that both are true.
Both are truths that are taught
in the Scriptures by God.
Let's look at the first one.
First,
we are called with a holy calling,
with a special calling.
And I'll give two reasons.
First,
the calling is holy
because God is holy.
It's a special invitation,
call from God
because of who it comes from.
And second,
the calling
is special.
It is holy
because it is powerful
and effectual.
We'll look for a moment here
at Romans 8,
verse 28 to 30.
This is also Paul writing to the church at Rome.
He says,
And we know that in all things,
God works for the good of those who love him,
who have been called according to his purpose.
For those God foreknew,
he also predestined to be conformed
to the image of his son,
that he might be the firstborn
among many brothers and sisters.
And those he predestined,
he also called.
Those he called,
he also justified.
Those he justified,
he also glorified.
There is an unbreakable chain of logic here.
All who are foreknown
are also predestined.
All who are predestined
are then called.
All who are called by God
respond with faith
and are justified.
They're made right with God.
And all who are justified
go on to be glorified
someday when Christ returns.
So it is a very special,
holy calling.
First, because it's from a special and holy God.
And second,
because it seems to be
a powerful and effectual calling
such that those who receive this calling,
they do respond.
They are saved.
In that sense,
it is special.
It is set apart
from the general invitation
that God gives to all.
So that covers
the first possibility
that God has called us
with a holy calling
and two reasons there.
But as I said,
the second possibility
is true as well.
God also tells us
in quite a few places
that we have been called
to a holy life.
To a different life
than we had before.
We've been hearing
a little bit about this
in the Gospel of John
as Jesus speaks
to his disciples.
In John 15,
verse 19,
he said to his disciples,
I have chosen you
out of the world
to be different than them,
to be set apart from them,
to be holy.
In other passages,
we see to live a holy life.
And Paul will go on
to urge Timothy
in this very letter
to live that distinct life,
that holy life,
filled with righteousness
and love and faith
and peace.
A life that matches
the Jesus
that we have believed in.
That in 2 Timothy 2,
verse 19 to 22.
So God has saved us.
He has called us
both with a holy calling
and to a holy calling.
And, says Paul,
he has done this
not because of anything
we have done,
but because of his own
purpose
and grace.
This being saved,
this being called by God,
it's not something God
did to us
because we had been
such good people
or because we had done
enough good works.
No, says Paul.
He saved us
and called us
because of his own
purpose
and grace.
Do you hear this?
God has his own
purpose
for saving
and calling sinners
like you and me
to himself.
He has his own purpose,
his own reason.
It's not because
he's obligated
to save us
because of
how we've
somehow
met a certain requirement,
done enough
good works.
No, the purpose,
the reason God
saves and calls us
is not found
in us.
It's found
in him.
Paul says
he does it
according
to his own
grace.
God is a good,
gracious,
generous God.
he is truly
benevolent
and it's out
of his own
goodness,
his generosity,
his giving nature
that he has
purposed
to save us
and to call us
to himself.
Perhaps another way
to say it
is this,
that God
has decided
to save us
and call us
reflects much
more on
him
and who
he is
than on
us
and who
we are
and have
been.
That's
humbling,
isn't it?
In fact,
this is why
the good news
of Jesus
is so wonderful
because truthfully
we are
unworthy
of God
because of
our sins,
because of
our corruption,
our rebellion
against him.
We don't deserve
to be in a
favorable relationship
with him.
But he is
the kind of
good and
gracious
God,
compassionate,
merciful God
that he offers
this saving,
this salvation
as a gift,
a free gift.
And that is
wonderful news
because according
to God's word,
I mean,
we could never
do enough
good to earn
it,
to get that
right standing
with God.
That's why
we need
to be
saved.
We need
to be
rescued.
So God
has saved
us.
He has
called us
both with a
holy calling
and to a
holy calling.
And,
says Paul,
he has
done this
not because
of works
we have
done,
but because
of his
own purpose
and grace.
And he
goes on,
this grace
was given
us in
Christ
Jesus
before the
beginning
of time.
I'll be
honest,
I actually
don't like
that translation.
Quite
literally,
the text
reads,
grace that
was given
us in
Christ Jesus
before times
of eternity.
But that
doesn't come
through so
well into
our English
language.
So I
understand
what the
translation that
was just on
screen is
trying to
get at.
Let me be
philosophical for
a moment
here.
This is not
the scriptures
talking,
this is me
talking.
In my
understanding,
time does
not have a
beginning in
the first
place.
Time is no
thing in
itself.
What is
time?
Isn't it
just how we
measure the
sequence and
succession and
duration of
happenings of
things that
occur?
Think about
this, if the
earth didn't
rotate, if it
didn't orbit
the sun, there
would still be
sequence and
succession of
events upon
the earth.
Never mind
that life would
probably cease to
exist because we
need the sun and
all that regular
stuff.
We just find
different ways to
measure it.
But I'm getting
all philosophical
now.
This is why I
prefer other
translations.
The King James
got it right
400 years ago,
I think, when it
says, before the
world began.
That's what he
means, isn't it?
Before the world
began.
Or another good
translation, the
New American
Standard Bible,
this grace which
was granted to
us in Christ
Jesus from all
eternity, from
that time before
our world was
created, before
time as we know
it began and
that chain of
events in our
world started to
unfold.
Are you getting a
sense of what
Paul is saying
here?
This is a
profound thing
and it's something
that God wants
you to know and
to understand.
God's grace, his
gift of salvation
for sinners like
you and me was
given, meaning it
was decided, it
was planned, it
was purposed long
ago.
Before the world
even came into
being from all
eternity in that
vast infinite
sequence of
happenings before
God had created
the heavens and
the earth, he
knew what would
happen on it.
He knew what
path we would
choose.
He knew that we
would become
corrupt and fall
away and become
guilty and already
he had decided back
then that he would
do something to
save and rescue
us.
Which means that if
you're a Christian
today, if you are a
born again believer in
Jesus, a child of
God, listen to this,
you have been loved
from all
eternity
by this God
who created you.
You were loved so
deeply
before the universe
as we know it
even came to be.
There was a purpose
and a plan in place
to save you.
A decision
that was made
to call you to be
a special child of
God.
And again, it's not
because of how good
we have been or any
things we have done
or how awesome or how
wonderful we would
someday be.
No, it's because of
how good and
gracious God has
always been.
I love the words of
the psalmists and
David.
Give thanks to the
Lord for he is
good.
His what?
His mercy, his
loving kindness, his
love endures forever.
It's an everlasting
love.
He has saved us and
called us to a holy
life not because of
anything we have done
but because of his
own purpose and
grace.
This grace was given
us in Christ Jesus
before the world
began but it has
now been revealed
through the appearing
of our Savior,
Christ Jesus who
has destroyed death
and has brought
life and immortality
to light through
the gospel.
There's a distinct
moment in the story
of our world when
God's eternal love
and grace touches
down to earth and
the plan to save us
comes into motion and
Paul tells us this has
now happened with the
appearing of Jesus
our Savior.
Jesus himself is the
grace of God that
has now been revealed
to humanity.
This is the good news.
This is the gospel.
God's salvation has
arrived.
This gift that's free
has come and it comes
through the Messiah,
the Christ,
Jesus.
He's the Savior.
He's the one who
will accomplish our
rescue.
And this is why we
treasure Jesus so
much.
It's not just the
story of some wise
rabbi who lived
2,000 years ago and
did some things.
It's the story of
God's eternal grace
and goodness breaking
into our world through
the coming of a very
special son.
man, the son of
God.
And here is what the
Savior has done,
says Paul.
Look at this.
Verse 10.
He has destroyed
death and has
brought life and
immortality to
light.
Quite literally, he
has abolished
death.
He has rendered it
powerless.
death.
That great
inevitable fate of
every single person
who has ever walked
the earth.
Death.
That unbeatable
demise that overtakes
all of us.
Jesus has destroyed
it.
He has abolished
it.
He's broken its
power.
And, says Paul,
he has brought two
things to light.
Now, this is
metaphorical language
here, but it is
beautiful.
The sense of it is
that there were two
things that were
lost to us in the
darkness, meaning
that we could no
longer find them.
They were out of
reach, out of
sight.
And both of these
things really are
closely related.
One of them is
life.
We have a measure
of life, but
eventually we all
die.
Human life in its
fullness was not
meant to be like
that.
That's not how we
were made in the
beginning.
It was meant to
go on.
We were not
created originally
with defects
whereby our
bodies age and
our parts begin to
wear out and
fail and then
die.
That came after
we rebelled as
the consequence
for sin.
And so life,
like we used to
have it, was
lost to us.
It was lost in
the darkness.
beyond our
ability to find
it.
And the second
thing that Jesus
has brought to
light is
immortality.
There was once
a time when
we were
immortal.
That doesn't
mean eternal.
Eternal means
that always has
been, always
will be.
Immortal just
means you will
never die.
We still had a
beginning.
We are not
God, but
immortal.
We used to be
immortal.
There was a
time when we
would not die.
But as I said
before, when we
sinned against
God, our
immortality was
lost.
Death came.
It was the
punishment we
deserved.
And no matter
how hard we
tried, we
could not find
immortality again.
It was lost
to us.
And so what
has Jesus
done?
Paul says he
has shone the
light on life
and on
immortality.
He has helped
us to see how
we can have
those things
again.
He has helped
us to find what
was lost to us.
Or in the words
of Jesus, so
often used,
he has shown
us how to
get eternal
life.
There is, by
the grace of
God and by
the kindness
of God, a
way to live
forever.
And Jesus
has made the
way by
abolishing death
and he shows
the way through
his words.
We're going to
look at some
of them.
All of them
from the
gospel of
John.
John chapter
4 verses
13 to 14
says this.
This is Jesus
talking.
He says,
everyone who
drinks this
water, meaning
the water in
the well, will
be thirsty
again.
But whoever
drinks the
water I give
them will
never thirst.
Indeed, the
water I give
them will
become in
them a
spring of
water welling
up to
eternal life.
Or John
chapter 5
verses 24
and 25.
Jesus said
this,
very truly I
tell you,
whoever hears
my words and
believes him
who sent me,
has eternal
life and
will not be
judged but
has crossed
over from
death to
life.
Very truly I
tell you, a
time is coming
and has now
come when the
dead will hear
the voice of
the Son of
God and
those who
hear will
live.
On another
occasion, John
chapter 6
verses 33,
Jesus said
this,
for the bread
of God is
the bread that
comes down from
heaven and
gives life
to the world.
Verse 35,
then Jesus
declared,
I am the
bread of
life.
Whoever
comes to
me will
never go
hungry and
whoever believes
in me will
never be
thirsty.
And down a
little further
in verse 40,
for my
Father's will,
said Jesus,
is that everyone
who looks to
the Son and
believes in
him shall
have eternal
life and I
will raise
them up at
the last
day.
And down a
little further,
the same
passage,
verse 47,
very truly,
said Jesus,
I tell you,
the one who
believes has
eternal life.
I am the
bread of
life,
said Jesus.
Your ancestors
ate the
manna in the
wilderness,
yet they died.
But here is
the bread that
comes down from
heaven which
anyone may
eat and not
die.
He said,
I am the
living bread
that has come
down from
heaven.
Whoever eats
this bread
will live
forever.
This bread
is my flesh
which I will
give for the
life of the
world.
What was Jesus
doing as he
said all those
things?
He was, in the
words of Paul,
bringing light
to life and
immortality,
showing the
way for us to
receive that.
And it comes
through faith in
Jesus.
There is a way
to cheat death,
to beat death.
And Jesus is
saying that he
is that way.
Should we
believe Jesus?
What happened
three days after
he died?
He rose up
from the grave.
He came back
to life.
God's grace.
And this is
Jesus' own words,
John 5, 21.
For just as the
Father raises the
dead and gives
them life, even
so the Son
gives life
to whom he
is pleased
to give it.
This is the
gospel.
This is the
good news of
Jesus.
We can be
saved.
We have been
called with a
special calling
to a special
life.
God's grace.
It's a gift of
God's grace.
Not because of
anything that we
have done, but
according to his
own purpose and
his own goodness.
He planned and
decided to send
Jesus into the
world before he
had even made
it.
And now that
gift of grace
has come and
Jesus has broken
the power of
death and shown
us the way to
eternal life.
life.
And so if you
haven't already
done this, I
want to urge you
today to repent,
to turn to
God, and I
want to encourage
you to believe
this good news.
At the very
center of this
good news, this
plan of salvation
was something that
needed to be done
for us to be
saved.
Our sins
needed to be
atoned for.
A transaction
needed to be
made.
It was Jesus'
perfect, sinless
life for ours.
As we just read
back in John 6,
50 to 51,
I am the living
bread, said Jesus,
that came down
from heaven.
Whoever eats this
bread will live
forever.
This bread is my
flesh, which I
will give for the
life of the world.
His life had to be
offered.
His flesh, his
body given as a
sacrifice for
ours.
It was a great
exchange.
This is what
happened when
Jesus suffered
and died on
the cross.
The grace of God
came to its
fullest expression.
The power of
death over us
was broken
because Jesus
took on himself
the punishment
that we
deserve.
Freeing us
from that
consequence and
opening the
way for us
to enjoy
life and
immortality
with God
forever.
That's what we
remember and
celebrate when we
come to this
table.
The bread
that we partake
of represents
Jesus' body
which was given
for us to have
life.
life and
the cup
represents the
blood of
Jesus which
was poured
out to
atone for
our sins.
And so I
want to
encourage us
now to take
a few
minutes to
just pray
silently.
Talk to
God in the
quiet of your
heart.
Talk to
him about
your own
sins.
God in the
faith.
Ask for
God to
forgive you.
If you
haven't put
your faith
in Jesus,
do it.
If you
have or
if you do
this morning,
then I
want to
invite you
to partake
of this
table,
of the
bread and
the cup
when it's
served as
we remember
our Savior.
So let's
do that now.
Let's just
pray quietly
and reflect.
And after
a few
minutes of
that,
I'll have
Rod and
Dave come
and serve
us the
bread and
the cup.
If you
don't want
to participate,
feel free to
just put your
hand up and
signal that
you don't
wish to.
And when
we do pass
it out,
we'll wait
until everyone
has been
served.
And then
we'll eat
and drink
all together
at the
end.
and
even
shall
be
punished
for
то
,
here
to
pure
and
second
we'll
keep
hard
on
Thank you.
Thank you, Jesus.
Thank you.
Amen.