All right, well, we are back in 2 Timothy this morning
as we take time to open up God's Word together.
So if you have your Bible with you, you can open it up to 2 Timothy.
And without getting into all the details,
my preaching schedule for this book is all mixed up.
But it's because Charles and Fred have been gracious to preach in my place
a couple of Sundays so that I could focus on the annual conference
with the BGC in Calgary and on sorting stuff out with purchasing a home.
So we're just going to keep working our way through.
We're going to be in chapter 2, verse 8 to 10 this morning.
And as much as I would have liked to finish this book by the end of June,
we'll just save the last chapter for this fall when I return from sabbatical.
If there's one thing that I've learned in my years of being a Christian,
it's that rushing through the Word of God doesn't really help us very much.
So with that being said, let's pick Paul's words up here in 2 Timothy 2, verse 8.
Paul writes,
Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David.
This is my gospel, for which I am suffering,
even to the point of being chained like a criminal.
But God's Word is not chained.
Therefore, I endure everything for the sake of the elect,
that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
There's only one imperative in these few verses.
One command.
What is it?
Remember.
Remember Jesus Christ.
Why does the Apostle Paul even need to say this to Timothy?
The guy who has traveled all over the Mediterranean world with him,
countless miles, preaching about Jesus, planting churches.
Why does Paul even need to say this to Timothy?
He's being treated like a criminal.
Because it's all too easy to forget.
Remember Jesus Christ.
Now, I don't think Timothy's in danger of forgetting Jesus completely or outright.
But as we heard in verses 14 to 18,
it's all too easy to forget that Jesus is to be our main focus
and our main message and our main relationship.
It's all too easy to get off track,
to get distracted,
to get sidetracked into other ideas and teachings.
As Paul warned about in verses 14 to 18.
And so Paul doesn't hesitate,
even to this spiritual leader,
Timothy,
there in Ephesus,
to simply say to him,
remember Jesus Christ.
Paul's not saying this because Timothy has troubles remembering things,
but because Jesus is everything.
He's the most important person and reality.
And if we deviate from him,
if we get sidetracked into something or someone else,
we're missing it badly.
So remember Jesus Christ.
And Paul has really just two things to say about Jesus in this reminder.
Two things that he wants Timothy not to forget,
not to lose sight of.
First thing,
he was raised from the dead.
Remember Jesus Christ,
raised from the dead.
And second thing,
remember Jesus Christ,
descended from David,
that he is the Messiah,
descended from David.
But this is it,
he says.
This is my gospel.
The word gospel means good news.
This is my good news,
says Paul.
It's Jesus Christ,
raised from the dead,
descended from David.
Such a short statement of the gospel here.
And yet Paul says,
this is my message.
This news is why I'm suffering as I am.
Even to the point of being chained like a criminal.
Do you hear Paul's point here?
He's saying,
my life is on the line for this,
for Jesus,
the risen Christ.
Nothing matters more.
As we'll hear even more from Paul.
He's saying,
I would gladly die for this truth,
this news about Jesus.
And let's remember,
Paul,
he's in chains,
like a criminal,
but he hasn't done anything wrong.
He's suffering,
and it's because of his commitment to Jesus.
And to proclaiming the good news about Jesus.
Paul knows that Jesus is worth dying for.
And as we can see here,
he takes his faith in Jesus so seriously.
Do you?
Let's consider these two things about Jesus
that God wants to remind us of here.
First,
he calls Jesus Christ.
And says he is descended from David.
What's the significance of this?
The word Christ
comes from the Greek word Christos.
And it's the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word Messiah.
Which means anointed one.
Contrary to popular notion,
Christ is not Jesus' last name.
It's actually a title.
And Paul makes it very clear
that this is what he means
when he spells it out.
Referring to Jesus.
Remember Jesus.
Christ descended from David.
Descended from David.
Who is David?
About a thousand years before Jesus came,
David was the king of Israel.
When David was just a young man,
God sent the prophet Samuel
to anoint him,
to pour oil on his head.
And that anointing signified
that David was God's choice.
It wasn't any man or people
that chose David to be the king of Israel.
It was God himself.
Nobody even suspected that David would be chosen for king.
He was the shepherd boy in the family of Jesse,
the least of Jesse's sons.
And yet we read in 1 Samuel 16
about how God specifically chose David
and put his spirit upon him.
And it's a wonderful account
of what God did there
in the books of 1 and 2 Samuel.
David was opposed fiercely
by his father-in-law,
Saul, who had the throne at the time.
And Saul tried numerous times
to murder David,
but nothing could stand against
God's choice and God's plan.
And we read about how God intervened
in all kinds of ways
to protect David
and to end the rule of Saul
and to establish David
as king over all his people in Israel.
God described King David
as a man after his own heart.
It was David who wrote many of the psalms
that we have in the Old Testament,
the prayers and poems
and songs of worship we find there.
And God made a special covenant with David
a set of solemn promises.
And we read about this
in 1 Chronicles 17.
And I'm just going to read
a portion of Scripture from there.
I'm going to take us back
into the Old Testament a little bit.
And as I read this,
I want to encourage you
to think about David
and how these words apply to David.
But also, I want to encourage you
to think about how this relates to Jesus,
the descendant of David.
Reading from 1 Chronicles,
chapter 17.
After David was settled in his palace,
he said to Nathan the prophet,
here I am living in a house of cedar
while the ark of the covenant of the Lord
is under a tent.
Nathan replied to David,
whatever you have in mind,
do it,
for God is with you.
But that night,
the word of God came to Nathan,
saying,
go and tell my servant David,
this is what the Lord says,
you are not the one
to build me a house
to dwell in.
I have not dwelt in a house
from the day I brought Israel
up out of Egypt to this day.
I have moved from one tent site
to another,
from one dwelling place
to another,
wherever I have moved
with all the Israelites.
Did I ever say to any of their leaders
whom I commanded
to shepherd my people,
why have you not built me
a house of cedar?
Now then,
tell my servant David,
this is what the Lord Almighty says,
I took you from the pasture,
from tending the flock,
and appointed you ruler
over my people Israel.
I have been with you
wherever you have gone,
and I have cut off
all your enemies
from before you.
Now I will make your name
like the names
of the greatest men
on earth,
and I will provide
a place
for my people Israel
and will plant them
so that they can have
a home of their own
and no longer be disturbed.
Wicked people
will not oppress them anymore
as they did
at the beginning
and have done
ever since the time
I appointed leaders
over my people Israel.
I will also subdue
all your enemies.
I declare to you
that the Lord
will build a house
for you.
When your days are over
and you go to be
with your ancestors,
I will raise up
your offspring
to succeed you.
And I will establish
his kingdom.
He is the one
who will build
a house for me,
and I will establish
his throne forever.
forever.
I will be his father
and he will be
my son.
I will never take
my love away from him
as I took it away
from your predecessor.
I will set him
over my house
and my kingdom
forever.
His throne
will be established
forever.
So what did God
promise to David
all those years ago?
Thousand years
before Christ came,
he promised to raise
up the offspring
of David
to succeed him
as king.
He promised to
establish the kingdom
of one of David's sons.
He promised to
establish the throne
of one of his sons
forever.
And he said
that he would be
the father of this
son of David
and that this
son of David
would be his son.
These are the promises
God made to king David
about a thousand years
before Jesus was born.
And there's a near
and a soon
fulfillment
to these promises
and there is a far
and distant future
fulfillment
to these promises.
Yes,
God was in these promises
referring to David's
immediate family.
One of your own sons
was fulfilled
in Solomon.
King Solomon.
He was the one
who built a house
for the Lord,
the great temple.
And so,
there was this near
and soon fulfillment.
But there is also
without a doubt
a far and distant
future fulfillment
to these promises.
Three times,
God used the word
forever
to refer to this kingdom.
The throne
that would
go on forever.
I will establish
his throne forever.
I will set him
over my house
and my kingdom
forever.
His throne
will be established
forever.
How can the throne
of Solomon
be established
forever
if Solomon
does not live
forever
but eventually
dies?
So,
even the way
that these
promises are phrased,
there's something
more being promised
than just one son
of David's
immediate family
to sit on the throne.
what's being promised
is an enduring
kingdom,
an everlasting
dynasty.
So,
how would God
keep this promise?
Well,
prior to the coming
of Jesus,
I mean,
we might have expected
that God
would keep this promise
just by ensuring
that in every generation
there is a descendant
of David
on the throne
of Israel.
and for many
centuries after
David,
King David,
there was.
But as we read
the Old Testament
history
and God's words
through the prophets,
we begin to see
glimpses of how
God intended
to keep this promise
that he made
to David
in a different way.
It starts to become
obvious when God
deliberately reduces
the once great
kingdom of David
and Solomon
by ten tribes
and then allows
the northern kingdom
to be conquered
and many of its
inhabitants to be
led away into exile
and then
even allows
the southern kingdom
to be conquered,
even Jerusalem
to be conquered
and its inhabitants
led away into
captivity
and its king
removed.
And if you read
through the prophets,
it's quite surprising.
Hundreds of years
before any of this
happened,
God was warning
the people,
he was telling
them,
I'm going to
bring disaster
if you keep
on this wicked
course that you're
on,
if you do not
repent and
humble yourselves.
And God even
spells out in many
of these passages
in the prophets
explicitly what
that disaster
would be.
He takes all
the credit
for dismantling
what remains
of the kingdom
of Israel
and yet at the
same time
we hear in the
prophets him
promising to
restore it
someday
and make it
the greatest
kingdom
that this
world has
ever seen.
And so this
is why a
thousand years
after David's
kingdom,
the Jewish
people of
Israel had
this expectation
and anticipation
of a coming
Messiah,
a great king
of God's
choosing,
whom God
would use to
establish the
kingdom again
and this time
permanently,
this time
forever.
We see this
anticipation and
expectation all
over the
gospel accounts
in the New
Testament.
We see it in
John chapter 4
verse 25 with
the woman at the
well.
I know that
Messiah is
coming, she
said.
He will explain
everything to us.
We see it when
she reports back
to the town,
her encounter
with Jesus.
Could this be
the Messiah?
We see it a
little later on
in the gospel
of John.
The people are
wondering,
they're asking
the question,
have the
authorities really
concluded that
he's the
Messiah?
When the
Messiah comes,
will he perform
more signs
than this man?
Some were
saying he is
the Messiah.
Others were
saying, well,
how can he
come from
Galilee?
They were
talking about
where he was
to come from.
Does not
the scripture
say that
the Messiah
will come
from David's
descendants and
from Bethlehem,
the town where
David lived?
Even Jesus'
opponents,
Jesus said,
they were
expecting the
Messiah.
They were
looking at
this promise.
He said,
why do the
teachers of
the law say
that the
Messiah is
the son of
David?
This was
what the
high priest
asked Jesus.
Are you
the Messiah,
the son of
the blessed
one?
looking back
on that
promise
made long
ago?
Even at
Jesus'
trial,
this was
at the
center.
He
opposes
payment of
taxes to
Caesar,
the religious
leader said,
and claims to
be Messiah.
And what's the
significance of
that?
A king.
And even as
Jesus hung on
the cross,
the people
jeered and
mocked.
He saved
others,
let him
save himself
if he's
God's
Messiah,
the chosen
one.
So there
was all
this
anticipation
and expectation
that a
Messiah was
coming,
a king of
God's choosing,
the great
king,
the one who
would rule
over this
kingdom
forever.
not only
do we see
the anticipation
though,
we see all
over the
gospel accounts
that Jesus
was and
is that
Messiah,
the king
of God's
choosing.
We see it
in the
genealogies
given in
the gospels
tracing Jesus'
ancestry back
to David.
We see it
confirmed in
the census
order that
moved Mary
and Joseph
forcing them
to go back
to Bethlehem
to the town
of David
to register
further proving
that Jesus
was descended
from David.
We see it
at the birth
announcements
of Christ
that were
made by
the angels.
The Lord
God will
give this
child the
throne of
his father
David
and he
will reign
over Jacob's
descendants
forever.
His kingdom
will never
end.
We see it
declared by
the demons
that Jesus
drove out
of people.
Jesus
rebuked the
demons
and wouldn't
allow them
to speak
because they
knew he
was the
Messiah.
This was
the message
that Jesus
declared right
from the
start.
The time
has come.
The kingdom
of God
has come
near.
Repent
and believe
the good
news.
And we
see it
declared on
the lips
of the
apostles
and disciples
who saw
the miracles
that Jesus
was doing
and believed.
We have
found the
Messiah
that is
the
Christ.
And so
this issue
of whether
Jesus
was the
Messiah,
whether he
was God's
chosen king
for Israel
is at the
very center
of all of
it.
It was at
the very
center of
what happened
during the
Passion
Week.
Remember how
Jesus rode
into Jerusalem
on a donkey
in fulfillment
of that
messianic
prophecy in
Zechariah
to shouts
of blessed
is the
king of
Israel?
and that
he was
claiming to
be the
Messiah
was the
accusation
being made
by the
religious
leaders
after his
arrest.
It was the
question
Pilate asked,
are you
the king
of the
Jews?
It was the
thing written
on the sign
over his
head on the
cross.
This is
Jesus,
the king
of the
Jews,
to which
the religious
leaders
took issue.
No,
write that
he only
claimed to
be the
king of
the Jews.
This was
even
symbolized
in the
crown of
thorns
that was
put on
his head
and the
purple robe
that they
gave him
to wear
as they
mocked him.
And that
Jesus was
the Messiah,
the Christ,
the son of
David,
was confirmed
three days
after he
died when
God raised
him back
to life
from the
dead.
It was
confirmed
again 40
days later
when God
took him
up to
heaven
right before
the eyes
of his
followers
to sit
on
heaven's
throne.
This
theme
of Jesus
as Christ,
as Messiah,
as king,
is one of the
central themes
of the entire
Bible.
You can trace
it right from
Genesis all
the way through
to Revelation.
God was
hinting at it.
He was
foretelling it.
He was making
promises about it.
He made a
covenant about it
for generations,
adding more
and more
details as
to what
this is
going to
add up
to and
look like.
And then
in the
New Testament
we read
of how
he began
fulfilling
it,
that the
first coming
of Jesus
2,000
years ago
in the
first century
and this
forever
kingdom
will reach
its ultimate
climax
when Jesus
the king
returns
to rule
and reign
right here
on earth
someday
in the
future.
It may
seem
like Paul
is not
saying a
whole lot
about Jesus
here
when he
says
remember
Jesus
Christ
descended
from David
but actually
he's saying
so much
about Jesus.
He's saying
yes,
he is the
king of
God's
choosing
not just
for Israel
but for
the whole
world
forever
he is
that
king
of
kings
the
forever
ruler
of
earth's
last
kingdom
the
kingdom
of
God
who
would
have
thought
that
God's
plan
was to
keep
this
millennia's
old
promise
made
to
David
not
by an
unbroken
succession
of
kings
but
by one
flesh
and
blood
descendant
of
David
who
was
God
himself
born
into
our
world
to
live
to
die
to
be
raised
to
life
and
as
both
God
and
man
to
live
forever
and
so
to
reign
forever
when
he
comes
back
sometimes
in the
church
we
neglect
this
part
of
the
gospel
you
know
the
atonement
part
the
part
about
Jesus
dying
on
the
cross
for
forgiveness
of
our
sins
it
makes
sense
to
us
we're
comfortable
with
that
Jesus
is
our
savior
it
makes
sense
but
Jesus
as
Christ
Jesus
is
king
as
our
messiah
of a
kingdom
that is
still
coming
this
can be
difficult
to relate
to in
our
modern
times
and in
our
different
culture
but
this
too
is
no
less
the
good
news
of
Jesus
than
the
part
about
our
forgiveness
remember
Jesus
Christ
raised
from
the
dead
descended
from
David
this
is
my
gospel
we're
not
called
to
follow
an
idea
or
just
some
historical
person
we're
called
to
believe
and
follow
and
pledge
allegiance
to
the
greatest
king
that
this
world
has
ever
seen
who
is
coming
back
soon
to
rule
and
to
reign
we're
called
to
follow
the
man
who
right
now
is
seated
on
heaven's
throne
at
the
right
hand
of
the
father
waiting
until
that
day
when
he
will
ride
down
as
king
and
take
up
his
seat
on
his
earthly
throne
and
show
this
world
what
real
righteous
leadership
and
government
looks
like
what
did
the
prophet
Isaiah
say
nearly
2,500
years
ago
Isaiah
9
verse
6
and
7
for
to
us
a
child
is
born
to
us
a
son
is
given
and
the
government
will
be
on
his
shoulders
and
he
will
be
called
wonderful
counselor
mighty
God
everlasting
father
prince
of
peace
of
the
greatness
of
his
government
and
peace
there
will
be
no
end
he
will
reign
on
David's
throne
and
over
his
kingdom
establishing
and
upholding
it
with
justice
and
righteousness
from
that
time
on
and
forever
the
zeal
of
the
Lord
almighty
will
accomplish
this
Jesus
is a
king
worth
living
for
and
as
we
hear
now
in
the
words
of
Paul
Jesus
is
a
king
worth
dying
for
let's
look
for
just a
moment
at
this
second
thing
that
Paul
says
about
Jesus
here
he
says
remember
Jesus
Christ
raised
from
the
dead
raised
from
the
dead
why
didn't
Paul
say
remember
Jesus
Christ
crucified
on
the
cross
in
fact
to
the
Corinthians
Paul
summed
up the
good
news
with
that
very
language
he
said
the
message
we
preach
is
Christ
crucified
but
here
in
Paul's
summary
of the
gospel
to
Timothy
there's
no mention
of the
cross
whatsoever
it's
Jesus
Christ
raised
from
the
dead
why
does
Paul
choose
to
so
emphasize
this
particular
gospel
truth
that
Jesus
rose
from
the
dead
in
this
letter
and
I
think
it
has
everything
to
do
with
Paul's
situation
right
now
he's
at the
end
he's
on
death
row
he is
soon
to
die
and so
what's
the
remedy
to
that
it's
the
resurrection
of
Jesus
from
the
dead
it's
Jesus
promise
to give
eternal
life
in the
same
manner
to all
who believe
in his
name
the
resurrection
of
Jesus
has
become
exceedingly
precious
to
Paul
because
it
is
the
guarantee
that
Jesus
who
promised
this
everlasting
life
this
resurrection
to his
followers
can actually
deliver it
and
without
the
resurrection
of
Jesus
I
mean
what
kind
of
kingdom
would
this
be
the
promise
of the
forever
kingdom
and all
its
goodness
and all
of its
blessings
rests
on the
shoulders
of the
forever
king
who
defeated
death
and rose
to life
and will
ever
live
to reign
over
this
kingdom
of
God
and so
these
are the
two
precious
realities
of the
gospel
that Paul
wants to
remind
Timothy
of
near the
end
of his
life
Jesus
conquered
death
he is
the
long
awaited
king
of
God's
choosing
to
fulfill
all the
good
promises
God
has
made
this
is
why
I'm
suffering
as
I
am
even
to
the
point
of
being
chained
like
a
criminal
but
God's
word
is
not
chained
he
says
they
may
be
able
to
tie
me
down
and
restrain
me
but
they
can't
restrain
the
gospel
message
about
Jesus
our
Lord
it's
going
to
spread
and
it
cannot
be
stopped
verse
10
therefore
I
endure
everything
for the
sake
of
the
elect
that
they
too
may
obtain
the
salvation
that
is
in
Christ
Jesus
with
eternal
glory
why
is
Paul
willing
to
suffer
like
he
is
and
even
die
because
through
his
preaching
the
gospel
the
people
that
God
has
chosen
will
obtain
salvation
with
eternal
glory
just
like
with
Jesus
himself
a
willingness
to
be
condemned
in
the
courts
of
man
and
die
will
bring
about
the
eternal
salvation
and
glory
of
those
who
believe
it's
like
Paul's
life
is
following
the
same
pattern
as
Jesus
by
refusing
to
be
silent
by
continuing
to
preach
this
message
of
Jesus
the
Christ
the
people
whom
God
has
chosen
will
be
saved
forever
and
though
Paul
suffers
now
and
dies
soon
after
writing
this
letter
those
who
hear
the
gospel
and
believe
it
will
be
saved
forever
they'll
come
to
enjoy
life
and
glory
with
all
the
others
whom
God
has
chosen
for
himself
it's
just
like
he's
doing
a
bit
of
a
calculation
here
like
my
temporary
suffering
my
momentary
death
because
of
my
preaching
the
gospel
of
Jesus
will
result
in
eternal
salvation
and
glorious
life
for those
who
hear
and
believe
those
whom
God
has
chosen
and
that's
a
pretty
good
trade
people
have
us
that
we don't
know
exactly
who
the
chosen
are
only
God
knows
that
but
do
we
know
that
God
intends
to
use
us
to
bring
those
he's
chosen
to
salvation
and
eternal
life
sometimes
as we
think of
these
kinds
of
conversations
with
people
I
think
we
get
stuck
wondering
what
might
I
lose
if I speak up?
If I speak about Jesus,
if I take the risk
and talk to them about spiritual things,
what might I lose?
But I pray that God would use these words
to help us think differently.
Not what might we lose,
but what might they gain
if I take up the name of Jesus,
if I speak up,
if I take a risk,
if I tell them this hope that I have.
And isn't that worth
whatever scorn or insult
or ridicule or mistreatment
may come my way?
Of course, not everyone we share with
will believe,
but some will.
And that's a difference of eternity
for that person.
And so let us not get distracted
or sidetracked
as we've been talking about this morning.
Let's not get caught up,
so caught up in the things of this world.
Remember Jesus,
the risen King,
may this be our gospel
for which we live
and if it comes to it,
for which we suffer
and die.
Enduring whatever comes our way
for the sake of God's chosen people
that they too
may obtain the salvation
that we have found
with eternal glory.
Let's pray.
Amen.
we so look forward to that day when he will return.
Oh, I pray that we would live
in accordance with the reality that he is right now
the King of Kings who will come on that day.
Do that work in us, we pray,
for his honor and his name.
Amen.