All right, we're continuing on through the letter that Paul wrote to Timothy, the second one.
So please open your Bibles up to 2 Timothy.
We're in chapter 3, and as you flip open, let me just remind us what's going on here.
Paul is writing this letter from prison.
He's writing it to Timothy, who has been a leader in the church in Ephesus,
a city in the province of Asia, which is now modern-day Turkey.
And the tone of this whole letter has been encouragement and instruction and warning.
If we look just back over the last chapter, chapter 2,
we see that Paul has been encouraging Timothy to continue in the cause of Christ,
no matter how difficult things get.
Serve like a soldier, he said.
Run like an athlete to win.
Work like a hard-working farmer.
And Paul reminded Timothy, just in the last chapter, about the gospel,
emphasizing the kingship of Jesus
and the eternal life and glory that await those who believe in him.
And then as we continued on in chapter 2,
we saw Paul encouraging Timothy to live a holy life,
to set himself specially apart for the honorable purposes of God.
In contrast to how some of those false teachers were doing,
they were giving themselves to the dishonorable purposes of the devil, said Paul.
Last Sunday, we heard Paul warning Timothy about how things would be difficult in the days ahead.
How these last days, this last part of God's great story from Timothy's day until the end
will be characterized by religious pretenders and false teachers
and depraved infiltrators who claim to know God
and have an outward form of godliness
but can be recognized as false by their persistent sinful attitudes and behaviors.
Their love of themselves.
Their love of money.
Their love of pleasure rather than God.
And these kinds of people, if they do not respond to gentle instruction with repentance,
Paul says we're to avoid and to have nothing to do with them.
Well, now as we come to verses 10 to 15 this morning,
we see Paul now contrast himself with these false teachers and influencers.
So if the point of what we heard last Sunday in verses 1 to 9
was to help Timothy identify religious pretenders and false teachers.
The point of these next verses that we're looking at this morning
is to assure Timothy of who he can trust
and how he can be confident that his faith is well placed.
And so let me just read the passage for us here in 2 Timothy chapter 3.
And I'm just going to start it up in verse 8
and we'll read right down to the end of 15.
Just as Janus and Jambras oppose Moses,
so also these teachers oppose the truth.
They are men of depraved minds who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected.
But they will not get very far,
because as in the case of those men,
their folly will be clear to everyone.
You, however, know all about my teaching,
my way of life,
my purpose,
faith,
patience,
love,
endurance,
persecutions,
sufferings.
What kinds of things happened to me in Antioch,
Iconium, and Lystra?
The persecutions I endured.
Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them.
In fact,
everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus
will be persecuted,
while evildoers and imposters will go from bad to worse,
deceiving and being deceived.
But as for you,
continue in what you have learned
and have become convinced of,
because you know those from whom you learned it,
and how from infancy you have known the holy scriptures,
which are able to make you wise for salvation
through faith in Christ Jesus.
So what is Paul doing here?
Paul is reminding Timothy
of why he,
as an apostle of Christ Jesus,
can be trusted.
He's saying,
Timothy,
unlike these false teachers
and religious pretenders
who are claiming to have revelation from God
and to speak for God,
you can trust me.
You know me,
me,
Timothy.
Quite literally,
you have closely followed my teaching,
my way of life,
my purpose.
And Paul lists nine things from his life.
This phrase here,
it's a little different translation on screen,
but literally,
you have closely followed.
The sense of this is not like
how we might closely follow,
you know,
a story in the news
from a distance.
The verb that's used here,
the context here,
it implies a much closer kind of following.
It implies
intimate knowledge.
Timothy,
you were there.
You were with me.
Timothy was there himself
when Paul first came through his town.
He heard Paul's teaching firsthand.
And then later on,
he traveled with Paul
and worked together with him.
And so not only does he know
the teaching of Paul,
but he knows Paul's character.
He knows Paul's attitudes
and his conduct.
You closely followed my way of life,
says Paul.
You know that my living
matches my confession.
You know my purpose,
he says.
Timothy,
you know the reasons
why I've been doing
all that I've been doing.
You've witnessed firsthand
my faith,
says Paul.
Why was Paul doing all that he did
in the cause of Christ?
It was because he believed
that Jesus really is the Christ.
And Timothy,
you've seen that in my life.
You've seen it.
You know it.
He says,
you've seen and known
my patience,
my love,
and my endurance.
This is the big difference
between Paul
and the false teachers
and the religious pretenders
mentioned above.
If you glance back up
to verse 3 of chapter 3,
people will be
lovers of themselves,
lovers of money.
They'll be without love,
said Paul.
Without love,
lacking love.
But Timothy,
you've seen firsthand
my genuine love
and concern for you
and for others.
You've seen the patience
that I've had towards
all kinds of difficult people
and how I've borne with them.
Enduring all kinds of things
for the sake of Christ
and his good news.
Timothy,
you have seen
and you have known
my persecutions
and sufferings.
Paul really belabors
this point.
He expands on it.
He says,
what kinds of things
happened to me
in Antioch,
Iconium,
and Lystra,
the persecutions
I endured.
And we notice there
that he's very specific
about three spots
where Paul was persecuted.
Antioch,
Iconium,
and Lystra.
What's the significance
of these three locations?
All of these are places
in Timothy's home region
that are fairly near
to each other.
Antioch was a city
where the Jews
became angry
that Paul was preaching
the gospel
to the Gentiles.
And so they began
in that city
to contradict Paul
and it says
to heap abuse on him
and incite the leaders
of the city
against Paul
and Barnabas
until they had
basically expelled him
from the area.
So what did Paul do?
Well,
he carried on
to the next city
just down the road,
Iconium.
And Paul proclaimed
Jesus there.
And some of both
the Jews
and the Gentiles
there in that city
were plotting
against Paul
to mistreat him
and to stone him,
it says in the book of Acts.
Paul escaped
just in time.
What did he do?
He went down the road
to the next city,
Lystra.
And in Lystra,
Paul performed
a miraculous healing.
And the people there
began,
they became confused
and they started
trying to worship
Paul and Barnabas.
It says in the book of Acts
that they thought
Paul and Barnabas
might be the Greek gods
Zeus and Hermes.
It was kind of
a kerfuffle there.
And then in the midst
of all that,
the Jews from Antioch
and Iconium arrived
and they won
the whole crowd over
and they stoned
Paul,
so hurling rocks
at him violently,
they dragged him
outside the city
and they left him
for dead.
You can read all of this
in the book of Acts
or at least they thought
he was dead.
What's the significance
of this?
Well, Lystra
is the town
that Timothy was from.
That was his hometown.
That's why Paul's
reminding Timothy
of these locations
because Timothy,
you were there.
you saw how
they treated me.
You saw how
they persecuted me.
You saw how
I suffered.
Reflecting back
on all that persecution
and suffering,
this is what Paul says.
He says,
yet the Lord
rescued me
from all of them.
All my persecutions,
all my sufferings,
up until this day,
the Lord
has rescued me
from all of them.
Not that Jesus
kept him
from suffering
or being persecuted,
but that
from out of the midst
of that persecution
and suffering,
he rescued me.
He delivered me.
And Paul sort of
takes a step back here
to make a point.
Verse 12 and 13,
he says,
in fact,
everyone who wants
to live
a godly life
in Christ Jesus
will be persecuted.
While evildoers
and imposters
will go from bad
to worse,
deceiving
and being deceived.
And there's a lot here.
A general truth,
a general principle
of the Christian life
for all followers
of Jesus
is that we will
be persecuted.
We will be opposed.
And we kind of notice
a contrast
in this verse.
There's those
who want to live
a godly life
in Christ Jesus
and then there's
the evildoers
and imposters.
They kind of share,
at least in the moment,
a different course.
The Christ followers
will be persecuted,
he says.
But somehow
the imposters,
they seem to avoid that,
at least for the time.
I think Paul's
making the point
that persecution
and suffering
are marks
or are evidences
of true faith
in Jesus.
Paul wants Timothy
to remember
his sufferings
and his persecutions
because they are evidence
that his faith
in Jesus
is genuine.
Why?
Because people
generally
won't choose
to suffer
or even to die
for what they know
is a lie
or for something
that they don't
even really believe in.
Kind of believe it
but not really.
They won't suffer
for that.
What are the marks
of the false teachers
and the imposters?
Well,
if we just glance
back up to verse 4,
we see that they're
lovers of pleasure
rather than lovers
of God.
They'll take
the easy road,
the comfortable road,
the path
of least resistance.
Pleasure
and persecutions
are like opposites
here.
they love pleasure,
they love comfort
and so when the moment
of decision comes,
they're not going to choose
to suffer for the name
of Christ.
But Timothy,
you know that I was willing
to give up all of that
as I risked my life
and suffered painfully
in the cause of Christ.
Paul's main purpose here
is to anchor Timothy.
Yes,
there will be difficult days
in the days ahead
because of wicked people
and imposters
who creep in
and deceive.
But remember
how the teaching
that I gave you
matched my life.
People are going to try
and say all kinds
of things about me.
They'll try to discredit me.
But Timothy,
you were there.
You heard me.
You saw me.
You followed me closely.
You can trust the gospel message
that I gave you.
You know that I am the real deal.
I am no hypocrite.
I am no imposter.
I practiced what I preach.
Speaking of imposters,
in verses 12 and 13,
last Sunday I suggested
that the first half
of this chapter
was not so much
about the world in general
or unbelievers in general,
but specifically
about religious pretenders
and devious
spiritual influencers,
false teachers.
And this is kind of confirmed
as we get down here
to verse 13
where Paul draws
this contrast
between all who seek
to live a life
devoted to Christ
and those who are
evildoers
and imposters.
Imposters.
We notice that word.
someone pretending
to have a form
of godliness,
but it's just a form.
Someone confessing
the name of the Lord
is up in verse 19
of chapter 2,
but not turning away
from wickedness.
In a manner of speaking,
Paul's kind of reiterating
what he just said
in the previous verses.
These kinds of people,
evil doing imposters,
will go from bad
to worse.
This is going to be
the normal behavior
of some people
who are confessing Christ.
We need to be careful
how we understand
this statement
that evildoers
and imposters
will go from bad
to worse.
We need to be careful
that we don't lose sight
of what Paul just said
up above in verse 9.
He made two statements.
First, he said,
they will not get very far
because their folly
will be clear to everyone.
Then he said
that they will go
from bad to worse,
deceiving
and being deceived.
So Paul is not saying
that these evildoers
and imposters
will be more and more
successful at deceiving
the true followers
of Jesus.
I think verse 9
up in chapter 2
kind of says the opposite.
They're not going
to be successful.
Their folly
is going to be clear
to the true followers
of Jesus.
So in what sense
will they go
from bad
to worse?
Well, Paul doesn't
really flesh this out
in a lot of detail
except to say
they will be deceiving
and being deceived.
It could mean
that as time goes on
there will be more
of these kinds of people.
It could be
that as time goes on
the sheer number
of lies
and deceptive doctrines
being promoted,
false teachings,
will increase.
It could mean
that the deception
as we get closer
to the end
will be of a higher
quality and caliber
perhaps more and more
helped by the deceptive
work of the devil
and demonic influence.
And we glance back
up to verse 26
of chapter 2.
It could be
that the evil
being done
by these evildoers
and imposters
is just that much
more widespread
and influential
in the world
all while claiming
a form of religion,
a form of devotion
to God.
That's implied
with the word
imposter.
My sense is that
the closer and closer
we get to the end
when Christ returns,
the truer
that these words
in verse 13
will feel
that things
are getting worse.
we also notice
in this verse
that these
evildoers
and imposters
are not only
doing the deceiving
but that they themselves
are being deceived.
This suggests
that many of them
will actually believe
the lies
that they're spreading.
They themselves
have bought into them
hook, line, and sinker.
Again,
we glance up
to verse 26
of chapter 2
where we see
that Timothy's
false teaching
opponents
are described
as those
who have been
ensnared
by the devil
and taken captive
to do his will
and it seems
without even realizing it
they need to come
to their senses.
They don't even
really understand
what's going on here.
Let's come back
for just a moment
to Paul's statement
about Christian persecution
here in verse 12.
everyone
who wants
to live
a godly life
in Christ Jesus
will be persecuted.
First,
we should know
that this was something
that Jesus himself said
in John chapter 15
verse 20.
Remember what I told you.
A servant
is not greater
than his master.
if they persecuted
me
they will persecute
you also.
Jesus said
a similar thing
in Luke 21
verse 12
specifically applying
to his
disciples
but also
in principle
to all of his followers.
He said
before all this
speaking of some
of the things
that will happen
at the end
they will seize you
and persecute you.
They will hand you
over to synagogues
and put you in prison
and you will
be brought
before kings
and governors
and all on account
of my name.
That's actually
being fulfilled
right now
as Paul writes
this letter
in prison
being brought
before kings
and governors
on account
of the name
of Jesus.
So Jesus
taught
that generally
his followers
would be persecuted.
next we should
appreciate
the immediate
relevance
of this
statement
to Timothy.
Paul is in jail
he's soon
to be executed
as we've already
heard the majority
of professing
Christians
in the whole
region where
Timothy lives
the province
of Asia
have deserted
Paul
that's back
in chapter 1
verse 15
they're distancing
themselves from him
things are getting
hard.
One of the
major things
that Paul
has been doing
in this whole
letter is calling
Timothy
to join with him
in suffering
for the gospel
and so in
Timothy's day
this was written
in his region
and time
it's not an
understatement
for Paul to say
everyone who
wants to live
a godly life
in Christ Jesus
will be persecuted.
This would have
felt so true
to Timothy
and to everyone
in his church
in light of all
that they knew
was going on.
That's the second
thing about this
statement on
Christian persecution.
Finally I do
think it's important
that we take this
as an enduring
principle
not just for that
time
but also
for the centuries
that followed
and even for today
but not to the
point
that we judge
and criticize
Christians
who are not
presently
experiencing
persecution
persecution.
Persecution
is the normal
for the true
devoted follower
of Christ Jesus
and that's
because we live
in a fallen
and sinful
world.
It's a world
in the words
of Paul
full of
unrighteousness
that seeks
to suppress
the truth
that in the
book of Romans
but we've been
called to
proclaim the
truth.
It's a world
full of
darkness
and evil
deeds
said Jesus
in John
chapter 3
while he
is the
light
that
exposes
that
darkness
we're
proclaiming
the king
that was
hated
and that
was
rejected
and that
was
murdered
by the
majority.
So for
those reasons
persecution
in its
various forms
and degrees
is to be
expected
just for
seeking to
live a life
devoted to
Christ Jesus.
However,
that does not
mean that we
should automatically
question the
genuineness of a
person's faith
simply because
they have no
persecution in
their life at
the moment.
In the larger
story since
Jesus came,
there have been
notable exceptions
to this general
principle.
There's been
times and places
where by the
grace of God
in answer
to the
prayers of
his people,
God has
given his
people favor
in the eyes
of leaders
and governments
and he's
brought renewal
and revival
in whole
regions.
And if God
works like
that in a
place,
then we
should expect
the natural
expectation is
that this
principle of
persecution
may lessen
in that place
for a time.
there was a
time when
many of the
early settlers
and colonists
of North
America were
either Christian
or if not,
were at least
raised to
respect and
uphold Christian
values by
their parents
and grandparents
in England
or in Europe.
And so in
Canada and in
the U.S.
in the past
100 years or
so, we've
enjoyed much
less persecution
than the norm
because of the
way that our
nation and our
society started
off.
There was a
time not
that long
ago when
everybody went
to church.
That was
just the
thing.
And so
their Bible
believing,
Christ-centered
churches all
over North
America like
ours, who
for the past
several generations
have known
very little of
government
interference or
anti-Christian
violence, but
have enjoyed
tremendous religious
freedom.
But of course
all of that is
we're starting to
see is now
changing.
It's shifting
back to the
normal for
Christians around
the world and
for Christians
throughout the
centuries.
So that's
thing number
three about
Christian persecution.
This does apply
to us, but we
just need to think
about it carefully.
Some people have
used this verse in
really weird ways.
They've kind of
looked at it and
said, well, since
this is true, that
everyone who wants
to live a godly
life in Christ
Jesus will be
persecuted, and I'm
not being persecuted,
well then we must
not be living
faithfully.
Therefore, maybe we
need to pray, we
need to ask God to
bring some persecution
our way.
I don't think so.
That's not what Paul
said in the first
letter to Timothy.
Pray that we might
have peace and favor
in the eyes of
governments.
So let's not pray
and ask God to
bring persecution.
Let's not fear that
our faith is less
than genuine simply
because we've
experienced very
little of it.
let's just keep
focusing on being
faithful to King
Jesus and on
declaring him
whatever comes our
way.
Let's thank God
for the freedom
that we have had
to gather and to
worship and to
speak about Jesus.
But let's not be
surprised if in the
days ahead,
persecution is
much stronger,
opposition has much
more teeth than in
the years behind us.
verse 14,
Paul writes,
but as for you,
continue in what you
have learned and
have become convinced
of because you know
those from whom you
learned it and how
from infancy you have
known the holy
scriptures which are
able to make you
wise for salvation
through faith in
Christ Jesus.
promises.
So no matter how bad
things get,
Timothy,
continue on in what
you have learned and
become convinced of.
Think about that.
What is that?
Well, it's the truth of
God,
the gospel,
the good news of
Jesus Christ.
And who has Timothy
learned these things
from?
Well, Paul's already
just mentioned himself.
He says,
you know me,
you know my life and
my teaching,
but Timothy,
you also know the
truth of God and
what led you to all
this in the first
place from your
mother and your
grandmother.
They're the ones who
taught you the holy
scriptures which was
the foundation to you
receiving and
accepting and
believing the gospel.
Paul mentioned them
earlier in the letter
back in chapter 1,
verse 5.
Timothy's mother,
Eunice,
and his grandmother,
Lois,
and how they had a
sincere faith.
And so I think that's
who he's probably
referring to here.
They were the ones
that taught him the
holy scriptures since
the time he was a
young child.
You know them,
Timothy.
You know the
genuineness of their
faith.
You know their
conduct.
You know that they
have integrity,
that their love was
genuine, that they
were faithful people.
And at this point,
Paul shifts and he
actually encourages
Timothy not just to
anchor his faith and
his knowledge of his
mother and his
grandmother and of
Paul, but he
encourages Timothy to
anchor his faith in
the scriptures
themselves.
And oh, I hate to
do this, but we're
going to hold off on
these next verses until
September.
16 and 17, the
verses that follow are
some of the most
important verses in
the entire Bible.
memorizing these
verses when I was a
kid and being
reminded of them over
and over again in
Bible college has made
all the difference in
my life.
These verses for me
have been one of the
golden keys to my
Christian growth over
the past two decades.
They're the foundation
of all my preaching
and teaching and any
spiritual leadership
that I've been able
to give.
And so they really do
deserve their own
sermon.
And we're going to
dig into them deeply
in September when I
return from my
sabbatical.
But let's just collect
up some of the things
that we've heard
already this morning
in these few verses
we looked at.
Paul's main thing
here is to encourage
Timothy to be
steadfast.
Difficult times are
coming.
Persecution is
intensifying.
And it's going to get
worse.
Evil people and
imposters are going
to make it hard in
the days ahead.
And so be steadfast
Timothy.
Continue in the
gospel which you
have learned, which
you have heard from
me and from others.
Follow my example
just as you have
until now,
Timothy.
Look at my life,
my way of life.
Look at my approach
to things, my
purpose.
Look at my faith.
Look at my patience.
Look at my love.
Look at the
opposition I
endured.
Paul really puts
himself forward as
just this example
of the truth of
the gospel.
An example to
follow as the
days get darker.
We often wonder,
what can I do
to encourage
my kids to be
steadfast in
their faith?
We've been
teaching them at
home.
We've been
teaching them here
at church for
the kids that
are in alive.
And as they
grow up, we
know that they're
going to face
the full pressure
of our world to
be anything but a
devoted follower
of Jesus.
How can we
encourage them to
be steadfast?
Paul's encouragement
here for Timothy
is his life.
How I have
lived.
You know,
Timothy, since the
beginning when you
first believed and
came on those
journeys with me.
Let's not
underestimate the
power of a life
lived for Christ
to encourage
others and to
help them be
steadfast.
Isn't this what we
want to be able to
say to our own
kids and to the
younger Christians
in our church?
Son,
difficult times
are coming.
And it's going to
continue to get
worse.
Evil people and
imposters are going
to make it hard in
the days ahead.
But be steadfast.
Continue in the
gospel, in the
word of God that
you have learned
from us.
Follow my
example, son,
just as you have
until now.
Look at my life.
Look at my
conduct.
Look at my
purpose.
My faith.
My patience.
My love.
The hardships I've
endured and how
Jesus has rescued me
through all of them.
Be steadfast, my
son, or my
daughter, young
man or young
woman.
To be able to say
that, though,
requires that we're
living that
ourselves, that we
have a life lived
for Christ to
point to,
doesn't it?
It requires that
we ourselves are
living with gospel
conduct, striving to
live uprightly.
It requires that we
ourselves are living
with gospel purpose.
It requires that we're
really trusting Jesus,
and I mean really
putting the full weight
of our lives on his
word and his
promises.
To encourage someone
like that requires that
we're actually living
patiently with
others.
I mean, if Paul had
been an impatient
guy, he wouldn't
have been able to
say this.
No, Timothy, you
know my patience.
You saw it.
It requires that we're
actually loving one
another truly from the
heart.
This is the kind of
life that will
encourage our kids
and our young people
to be steadfast,
even through hard
times ahead.
They need to see
that our faith is
real.
They need to see
that we have more
than just a form of
godliness that lacks
power.
Like the impostors up
in verse 5.
They need to see that
Jesus Christ really
does live in his
people and change
them and changes
them.
How will they see
that unless we
ourselves are,
like Paul said,
wanting to live
lives fully devoted
to Christ Jesus.
Before the days
of GPS and
electronics,
when sailors
lost their way
at sea,
how did they find
their way?
They navigated
using the stars
at night.
And the apparent
position of the
stars in the sky
changes with the
rotation of the
earth and with
each season.
You can see
kind of the
movement over a
time lapse of the
stars.
But one particular
star was especially
useful.
It's the one right
in the middle.
The north star,
Polaris.
It was so useful
because it's just
uniquely positioned
directly above the
earth's rotational
axes.
And as the earth
turns, every other
star seems to spin
around and move.
But the north star
appears to stand
still.
And so no matter
what time of night
or what season
it is, following
Polaris will lead
a traveler who's
in the northern
hemisphere due
north.
And so in this
dark world that
we're living in,
which is getting
darker, our young
people are being
bombarded with all
kinds of messages.
And some are
having doubts.
And some are
getting lost in the
sea of deception,
in the sea of
misplaced priorities
and misdirected
loves.
How will they
find their way
back?
I want my life
to be like Paul's.
A spiritual
north star.
Pointing to Jesus.
Pointing back to
the gospel.
And how it's
true.
Pointing constantly,
day after day,
week after week,
year after year,
till the day that I
draw my last breath.
life.
So that no matter
how tough things
get for my kids,
for the youth,
for new Christians,
for anybody else
watching my life,
that they will have
a view of the way.
A view of what's
true.
Should they leave
home like the
prodigal, that
they'll have a way
to see, yes, the
power of the gospel
is real.
I saw it in my
dad's life.
And so I hope
that's your heart
and prayer too.
Whether you have
kids or not,
there are people
watching us.
They are searching
for the way.
And we have an
opportunity through
our lives to show
them that this
really is the way.
Jesus is the way.
Let's pray.
Father in heaven,
we thank you that
you are patient
with us.
None of us,
not even Paul,
lived perfect
lives.
We struggle
with sin.
We struggle
with impatience.
We struggle
with not being
loving as we
should.
we are tempted
to take the
easy way out.
We would rather
be comfortable
than suffer.
But I pray
that you would
work in us,
that we would
become more
and more
like Paul
in these
words.
That our lives
would point to
you and bring
glory to you,
that we be like
spotlights on
you for everyone
in our world
to see.
We especially
pray for those
in our families,
our children,
and our young
people that
we're connected
with in various
ways.
Lord, it's a
difficult world
to live in.
And we see
the things that
are online and
we just gasp
at some of
these things.
We ask that you
would work with
power in the
hearts of our
children and in
our young people,
our youth,
and that you
would not allow
them to be swept
away or deceived,
but that you
would lead them
and guide them
through our lives.
Please do that
through us,
we pray.
In Jesus' name,
amen.
Amen.