Father, we give you thanks and praise that Jesus is present amongst us this morning.
We thank you, Father, that we have the great privilege and honor to meet with Jesus in the presence of his people.
And we acknowledge before you, Father, that we can't come based on our own righteousness, our own specialness,
and we can't come in our own power, that we are always dependent upon your grace.
We are always dependent upon your Holy Spirit drawing us.
So, Father, we ask that now as we think upon your word written,
that your Holy Spirit would move deeply in our minds and hearts and wills, move in our souls and in our bodies,
and make us, Father, receptive to your word so that your word may come deeply into us,
touch our hearts, and our lives will then bring you glory.
And this we ask in Jesus' name, your Son and our Savior. Amen.
Amen. Please be seated.
This is going to make it sound like I'm a world traveler. I'm not a world traveler.
But about 13, 14 years ago, something like that, I got to go to Africa.
I went to a conference of Anglican leaders from around the world.
And we were going to meet in Kenya.
And in fact, we were going to meet in a seminary that Africans went to.
So it wasn't like five-star fancy.
Often places when you go to Africa where tourists go, they're very nice.
This is where it wasn't that it was bad, but it was just it was far more simple and rudimentary.
And it was going to be about 40, 50 kilometers.
I think it was north of Nairobi.
Anyway, just a month or so after we'd already bought my plane ticket, before we went,
there started to be a travel advisory from the Canadian government recommending that Canadians not travel to Kenya.
Some naughty people had been trying to shoot planes down from the sky when they were landing at the airport.
There were some attacks against people by terrorist types on top of the normal crime.
And so there was a travel advisory against going.
And in fact, actually, all of the airlines at the time that flew into Nairobi canceled their flights.
Only KLM was still flying into Nairobi.
But that was actually the airline that I was with.
My wife and I talked about it and we prayed about it and I decided I would still go.
And so I went and got there eventually after a lot of travel, got there in an evening.
And later on the next day in the afternoon, I'm a runner.
Well, actually, increasingly, I'm a daughterer.
But I was a runner back then still.
And so I went in the afternoon for a run.
And I got about two kilometers, we're way out in the country, quite rural.
And I'm out running along this rural road.
And I'm about two kilometers away from the place where I was staying.
And walking towards me down the center of the road were about 12, 15, 20 young black men,
every one of them carrying a machete.
And they were walking towards me.
I mean, they weren't hunting for me.
I wasn't that paranoid or anything.
But they were walking towards me and I was running towards them.
So I'm running along and inwardly I'm having this dialogue.
Maybe I should turn around.
Maybe I should turn around and go back to the place where I'm staying and not keep running towards them.
And on the other hand, I'm thinking, no, no, no, no, no.
This would be, you know, this would just, you know, reinforce stereotypes that, of these wonderful people in Kenya
that people like me are just afraid of them.
And, you know, we don't understand what's going on.
And it would be sort of rude for me to see them and turn around and run the other way.
And then I'm trying to decide, I don't want to do that.
And then I'm running towards them still.
I'm thinking, this could be a really, really dumb way to die.
And I'm actually going through my mind that I get hacked to death.
And back with all of the other several, you know, 150 people at the conference,
on one hand, they'd all be very, very sad.
But I also know they would then be saying to each other, what a dumb way to die.
Like, who in their right mind runs towards 15 young men with machetes after travel advisories?
I just pictured my poor wife having a funeral ceremony for me here in Ottawa.
And while everybody was expressing their condolences, when they weren't with her,
they were saying, what a dumb way to die.
What a stupid thing for George to do.
On a long list of stupid things, this was the dumbest.
Anyway, these thoughts are all going back and forth in my mind, obviously.
Actually, I didn't turn around.
I kept running towards them.
And I thought, well, anyway, I just thought that's what I would just do.
That I was being, I shouldn't be afraid.
And sure enough, they were all just friendly local people.
They all laughed and waved.
And I discovered that not many people in that part of Kenya, I suppose,
were used to middle-aged white men running along the road in shorts.
So everywhere I went, people waved and pointed and laughed.
I caused lots of merriment every day for the locals.
And anyway, they just all waved.
And I can't remember now, there was a greeting you yelled back and forth in Kenya.
And they yelled that at me.
And I had learned at the time.
I yelled it back to them.
And there was a response.
And I responded.
Then they said something else.
And I hadn't been trained what the third thing was to say.
But I was alive.
And I was fine.
But it brings up, you know, that there are some really, really dumb ways to die.
And what I'd like us to look at today is a letter written by a man in jail.
And this letter was written by a man in jail.
He's a very interesting fellow.
He had at one point in time been a zealot Jewish person
who'd actually been responsible for the imprisonment of many Christians.
And it actually, in a sense, concurred with the murder of a Christian.
And then he claimed that Jesus, he actually saw the risen Jesus.
And it completely turned his life around.
And there is a record.
We have this record of a letter that he wrote.
And the context is, it's so funny, you know.
It's held in the Bible.
And I have to confess, I have this, you know, black sort of vague leather and gold on the edge.
But this originally started, in fact, if you could just turn to 2 Timothy 2 because we're going to look at it.
It's called, now we know it as 2 Timothy 2.
But it wasn't originally written as 2 Timothy 2 to go into the Bible.
It was written by this fellow by the name of Paul.
It was probably written around the year 65 or 66.
That's 65 or 66 with a zero in front of it.
Like not 165 or 1965, but 65.
And we know from the context and this letter that it was, this fellow Paul had been in jail many, many times.
But this is the second time he's in jail in Rome.
Nero is the emperor.
Nero has been slaughtering Christians in Rome starting in the year 64.
And Paul has been caught again.
He's in a dungeon.
And he's bound with fetters and chains.
And he's been bureaucratically lost.
You know what bureaucratically lost means?
Maybe some of you who've come here from other countries, and probably it happens here in Canada.
When friends and family went looking for Paul to see how he was, oh, I don't know where he is.
But when the executioner wants to find Paul, they take him right to it.
You know, that's called bureaucratically lost, right?
Lost to outsiders, but not lost to the bureaucrats.
And this fellow, he's written this letter.
He's now had a trial, a preliminary trial.
It's gone very, very poorly.
And so now he's in a dungeon.
He's, to all intents and purposes, except for this one fellow who's hunted him down, he's lost to outsiders.
Paul knows that the next trial, which is going to be more of a kangaroo court with a sentence,
that it's going to happen very soon, maybe the next day, maybe the next week, maybe the next month, very soon.
And Paul knows he's going to be found guilty.
And he knows that after that, they're going to take him out, and they're going to cut his head off to kill him.
And that's, in fact, how Paul dies.
Peter, as a bit of an aside, another early Christian, he died by crucifixion.
But Paul couldn't be crucified because he was a Roman citizen.
And so Paul is going to be executed by beheading.
So Paul is in a dungeon.
The first trial has gone bad.
He's awaiting the second and final trial that will lead to his conviction and his death.
And he writes this letter.
So let's look at it.
And at the heart of this letter is, was it a dumb way for Paul to die?
Because as you're going to see in the letter, all Paul had to do was say that, you know what?
Jesus is dead.
Like, I just made it up.
Like, I meant well.
And, you know, it's really provided a lot of meaning to a lot of people.
Like, it's a very, very great metaphor for life.
It's a great symbol of lots of stuff.
It gives lots of people a minute of comfort and hope internally.
But I made it up.
And all Paul had to say was, I made it up.
Or it's not true.
And he had that get out of jail free card.
That's all he had to do.
Say, I got out of jail.
It didn't happen.
And I won't say that it happened anymore.
And Paul could go free.
So what we're looking at here is, did Paul die a really dumb way?
Like a dumb, dumb way to die.
He wasn't married.
But he had nephews and nieces.
And we're his nephews and nieces saying, gosh, Uncle Paul, you're such a goof.
Like, just tell people the truth.
Like, just don't die.
Don't, such a dumb way to die.
Let's look.
We'll begin at verse 1.
Just so you get a bit of the context.
It's going to be a few verses in before you, we get to the part that's sort of very interesting.
Although, actually, it says something very interesting right at the beginning.
Verse 1.
And just a bit of an aside as well.
Like, it looks all fancy right now in our Bibles.
But it really was just a letter that was probably written around 65 or 66 or 67.
Something like that.
There not know precisely where, but somewhere in there.
And so it was originally a letter.
And you can go and see not the original one, obviously, but copies of it throughout the years.
But it looks really nice in our Bible.
And verses and all were added many, many, many centuries later just to help people find parts in it.
They weren't there, obviously.
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, verse 1, by the will of God, according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus.
And just pause there.
The promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus.
A few years ago, the Armed Forces of Canada had an advertising campaign.
And at the heart of it was a slogan, there's no life like it.
Now, if you know anybody who's served in the military, you can ask them about it.
And they will tell you a range of rude things that people in the Armed Forces said about the slogan.
I'm not going to say any of these rude things.
But you trust me.
You ask some people in the Armed Forces.
They have a variety of ironic or rude things that they would say about it.
And so just so you understand here, that's not what Paul is saying here.
When the Armed Forces was using the slogan, there's no life like it, what they really mean is there's no lifestyle like it.
That's what they mean.
Okay?
There's no lifestyle like it.
So Paul here isn't saying Paul.
Remember, he's in fetters.
He's in chains.
He's in a dungeon.
He's already been found guilty of the preliminary trial.
He's waiting a kangaroo court to pronounce him guilty.
And he's going to be executed.
He has a get-out-of-jail-free card.
And Paul is writing this letter to his friend Timothy.
And how does he begin the letter?
And he also, by the way, knows that the officials will probably look at the letter before it goes out.
Okay?
So what's Paul going to do?
He begins his letter by saying,
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus.
There's life in Christ Jesus.
Not a lively lifestyle, but life in Christ Jesus.
It's not the way you talk about a person who's dead.
It's not the way you write to impress jailers and judges in a kangaroo court so you can go free.
You write it so that if they start to read it, immediately they're going to say,
Good grief, that guy's still saying that.
Bleepity, bleepity, bleepity, bleepity, bleep stuff.
Verse 2.
To Timothy, my beloved child.
Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
Note he's talking as if Jesus is alive and can do things.
Verse 3.
I thank God whom I serve as did my ancestors with a clear conscience.
He's in jail, but he has a clear conscience.
He's not lying.
He's speaking the truth.
His conscience is clear.
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.
I am 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.
Just pause for a second.
And it's sort of really cool that Paul, in his cell that's going to lead to his death,
thinks of grandmothers.
It's not one of my points, but if you're a grandmother here,
godly grandmothers are really important.
Just as godly mothers are.
And it's just so, you know, here it is.
It's just like a little shout out right here for godly grandmothers and godly mothers.
To pray for your kids.
Pray for your kids.
Don't give up ever praying for your kids.
We'll keep going.
Where was I?
Verse 6.
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.
For God gave us a spirit,
and that spirit there should be capitalized.
It's the Holy Spirit that he's referring to.
He's not talking about an attitude.
He's talking about a spirit.
For God gave us a spirit, not of fear, but of love, power, and love, and self-control.
And just sort of pause.
I know I haven't got to the evidence.
I mean, we already looked at some evidence here about what Paul,
about how he's going to handle the get-out-of-jail-free card.
But the word fear here, when it says God gave us a spirit,
like what does the Holy Spirit give us?
Not of fear.
And the word fear there isn't the same word which is translated in other places,
like that can be maybe good in terms of a fear of God.
It could also be translated,
if you were using more words and the grammar would be messed up,
it means being a coward.
The Holy Spirit never leads you to be a coward.
Never.
You know, and one of the things here,
and we're going to return to this at the very end,
it's just a quick application right here.
You know, one of the hardest things for most of us to confess to
is that we're a coward.
You know, there's socially acceptable things.
You know, we might say, like,
nobody makes a big deal about the fact that you might be afraid of heights
or, you know, afraid of, you know, being in an enclosed space
or something like that.
But just, you know, generally in areas where people should have,
you know, be a big, strong woman or a strong man,
and we're not, we cover it up.
We don't want to acknowledge it about ourselves.
We cover it up from others.
We try to say about how we're being reasonable,
we're being patient, we're being,
you know, we're taking, turning the other cheek.
We talk a lot about language.
But one of the hardest things for any of us to confess to,
even to ourselves,
is that we are a coward in this situation.
In fact, you know, whether or not you believe in the gospel or not,
if you just see this text,
just as a matter of pure wisdom,
isn't it true that we have a hard time acknowledging
that we're a coward sometimes about certain things?
Maybe we're brave everywhere except talking to our mother-in-law,
or our father-in-law,
or our daughter,
or our boss.
Brave everywhere else except in that one area.
And isn't it really interesting what it says that the Holy Spirit does give us?
The Holy Spirit gives us power, love, and self-control.
What a wise combination of virtues.
Like, isn't that, even if you're not a Christian,
isn't that something that you'd want?
Power, love, and self-control.
You don't want power without love.
The world is filled with people with power without love.
And the world is filled with people with power with no self-control.
And you don't want to just be love with no power or no self-control.
You don't want to have self-control without power.
Isn't this a wise three things to want?
Like, isn't this a good thing to pray for?
Let's just keep going.
Verse 8.
Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord,
nor of me, his prisoner,
but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God.
Now, I just sort of want to, you know, pause there for another second.
This is another really important,
just for those of us who are Christians,
a bit of a, just a time out here,
just to camp here for a second.
This is a really, really, really important little verse.
The choice before a Christian is always whether or not
he or she will be ashamed of the gospel
or suffer for the gospel.
It's the constant choice.
Just a couple of months ago,
I was in a Starbucks out in Kanata,
and I got talking to a guy who was involved in high tech.
And he had just noticed me reading one of these big commentaries,
and he noticed me reading these big fat books many times,
and I guess he'd never quite figured out what they were.
And I guess he thought I was learned or something like that,
or like reading serious types of stuff.
And he got into a conversation with me,
and somehow or another in the conversation,
very quickly it turned about how not being,
like being a Christian was being on the wrong side,
the uneducated, unintelligent side of the divide.
And I have this brief moment.
He's well-dressed.
He's well-spoken.
He probably makes two or three times what I do,
well-educated,
and he's just dismissed the Christian faith.
What do I do?
Now, it's very, very tiny suffering,
but do I want him to think I'm one of those dumb people
who take the wrong side?
Am I going to be ashamed of the gospel,
or am I going to be willing to suffer
or share that I believe the gospel
and potentially suffer just a small way?
The choice before me,
be ashamed or suffer.
That is a daily thing that we walk
in post-Christendom Canada.
Now, to my shame,
there are times when it's hard for me
to be willing to do that,
but in this particular case,
I said, well, actually,
I'm one of those dumb people on the wrong side.
Now, in this particular case,
I didn't suffer for it.
He got red and embarrassed.
But you see, often what it is
is that the devil uses our fear of suffering
to help us be ashamed of the gospel,
when actually, if we're not ashamed of the gospel,
we actually don't sometimes suffer.
Sometimes we do, by the way,
as many of us can give stories of.
And so it's that very, very important moment
in the text.
It sends this two directions or pass for us.
And just one other thing.
I know it's another bit of a time out.
But some of you know that one of the things
that our church has started is Royal College.
And there's a need to have
a cross-denominational evangelical
training college in Ottawa.
In a sense, we want to be your friendly neighborhood
evangelical cross-denominational training college,
but also a witness to the nation.
And one of the things that many academics
who teach theology,
at the heart of what they're saying,
and it can be very sophisticated,
when I went to my liberal seminary,
I'm dealing with guys and gals
who know five languages,
one or more PhDs,
they're bright, higher IQ than me,
nicer people than me,
but what was actually at work
in much of what they were talking about
was they were ashamed of the gospel.
And they didn't want to suffer for the gospel.
So they blunted the gospel
and twisted the gospel.
And one of the things
which I am so pleased about
is that guys like Gary
and the academics that we have teaching
are not ashamed of the gospel.
They aren't.
And there is a profound need
for a college with professors
who are unashamed of the gospel
to teach unashamed workers.
They equip them.
So if you could just pray
for a while, college,
you know, we need some money
and some other help
if you want to make a donation,
that would be good.
I didn't know I was going to go
all that direction with it,
but it's just a really important moment.
And for many of you
who are in university
or in the civil service,
it's really, you know,
one of the things
which causes us great problems
is that the gospel
isn't compatible
with the modern,
the postmodern mind.
So it regularly,
before we realize it,
we don't want to say,
well, actually,
I think this particular way
on this ethical issue.
Or, no, actually,
I believe God
is the creator of all things
and we don't want to say that
and so we're ashamed of it
and we don't want to suffer for it.
And before you know it,
you lose it.
So it's a really important
little aside here
and it's very, very interesting
because Paul
is walking the talk.
And in fact,
actually, remember,
the jailers are liable
to look at Anisiphorus.
Let me look at
what Paul's written.
Whoa, one moment.
He's talking as if Jesus is alive.
And one moment.
Do not be ashamed
of the testimony
about our Lord.
That is not exactly
a get-out-of-jail-free card
being used.
This is
bring on
the guy
with the big sword
card.
I'll read it again
and then we'll keep going.
Therefore,
do not be ashamed
of the testimony
about our Lord
nor of me,
his 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 now listen to this.
And which now
has 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 a teacher
which is why
I suffer as I do
but I am not ashamed
for I know
whom I have believed
and I am convinced
that he is able
he's present
he's doing it right now
he is able to guard
until that day
what has been entrusted
to me.
And then he says
to Timothy
follow
the pattern
of the sound words
the healthy words
that you have heard
from me
in the faith
and love
that are in Christ Jesus
by the Holy Spirit
who dwells within us
guard the good deposit
entrusted to you.
So if you could
bring up the first point
that would be great.
Paul died
because he would not lie
and say that Jesus was dead.
Paul died
because he would not lie
and say that Jesus was dead.
This isn't a full argument
for the truth
of the resurrection
but it's a really important
piece of evidence
isn't it?
in fact
if you could put up
the next point please
just sort of
restating it
Paul died
because he had
first hand knowledge
and told people
that Jesus Messiah
had died
defeated death
and was now alive
forevermore.
Paul died
because he had
first hand knowledge
and told people
that Jesus Messiah
had died
defeated death
and was now alive
forevermore.
that's what we
discover here.
You keep on reading
the rest of the letter
there's other instances
where he talks about
Jesus being alive
having defeated death
and that's why he died.
If it's not true
it was a really
dumb way
to die.
If it is true
well maybe
some of you might say
it's still a bit of
a dumb way to die
or a tragic way to die
like why didn't Paul
just agree to it
and then get out
and do something else.
Like why didn't he
sort of just say
oh yeah yeah yeah
yeah yeah yeah
yeah yeah
you know I don't
you know internally
I don't believe it
but yeah Jesus is dead
I made it all up
and then he goes out
and does something
well it would be
amongst other things
it would then be written
in the court records
and the people
who were killing Christians
would be able to tell
everybody that
one of the people
that you claim
is a witness
to the fact
that Jesus is alive
that he's defeated death
and he's still alive
he's actually said
on public record
that that's not true.
You see Paul
because of this
profound truth
he had to maintain it
for our good
and it is really good
for us
because every single
one of us
is going to have
to face death.
One of the things
I do sometimes
in the morning
is I read some
of the obituaries
in the paper
and it's a very
very common thing
in the newspapers
to see people
talk about how
the deceased
they give a long
long line
of all the wonderful
things about
the person who's died
and you know
probably they were
wonderful things
about the person
who died
and then in it
they'll talk about
how this person
will live on
in our memories
forever.
You will live on
in our memories
forever.
It's a very
very very
just trust me
you go
you read the obituaries
you will see it
regularly
and it's a regular way
that people talk
about death.
Now I don't mean
to upset you
but I'm going
to challenge
that idea.
Just this
about a month
or so ago
I read a novel
by Reed Farrell Coleman
he's won a variety
of awards
he's a writer
in Long Island
part of New York City
but Long Island
and he wrote
this novel
called Where It Hurts
which I was reading
and one of the main
aspects of the
entire novel
is him dealing
with the sudden
death of his son
his son John
20 years old
he's just playing
pick up basketball
outside
he makes a shot
scores the basket
just walks away
and as he's walking
away he just crumbles
nobody touches him
he just crumbles
he had a brain aneurysm
I hope that's not
a spoiler alert for you
but it's not a big
spoiler alert
he had a brain aneurysm
and he just dies
he doesn't die
in Afghanistan
he doesn't die
in Iraq
he doesn't die
doing something bad
he doesn't die
doing something courageous
he just dies
all
just a couple
of friends
in a school
in a park
open air
basketball court
he just dies
and a major thing
of the entire novel
is the main character
wrestling with this
meaningless death
of his son
here's a very interesting
thing which is part
of the novel
he's at the
basketball court
and it's a fall day
and he's looking at it
and the wind
is blowing the leaves
around
and he's looking
at the basketball court
and he says this
but this wasn't
his grave
this wasn't
the church
this wasn't
the funeral home
or the hospital
those were all
places where
his body
had been
places where
all that was
left of John
was bone
and flesh
in the shape
of my son
but wasn't
my son
by the time
he got to the
hospital
he was somewhere
else
somewhere in the
wind
his memories
his sense
of humor
his love
and anger
his smarts
and his mess-ups
gone
just like that
gone
what was left
of him
lived now
only as pieces
of the people
who had known him
and when we were
dead
and in the wind
he would be
forgotten
that was still
the hardest part
to take
that he would
be forgotten
so soon
don't tell me
about photos
and videos
about how
we live
on in those
things
it's a lie
go get out
your parents
photo albums
one with their
parents and
grandparents
in it
look
really look
carefully
at all the
faces of the
dead
sure you may
recognize your
great grandparents
but you might
not
but even if you
do
what of their
relatives
what of their
friends
what of the
faces
unrecognized
this is
our future
our shared
destiny
all born
to be
forgotten
Paul
is a witness
not to how
butterflies
come
out of a
cocoon
and not
to how
spring
follows the
winter
and not
to how
you plant
a seed
into the
ground
and then
the seed
comes to
life
but he
is
going to
die
by the
hands
of Nero
because he
is going
to claim
that there
was a man
who defeated
death
who was still
alive
who would
share
that
defeat
with
ordinary
human
beings
like
you
and
me
listen
again
to what
he says
in verses
8-12
therefore
do not
be ashamed
of the
testimony
about our
Lord
nor of
me
his
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 has
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
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
now here's
the first
thing
just to try
to unpack
that a little
bit
just to help
us very briefly
towards the end
if you could
put up the next
point Andrew
one of the
things that the
Bible does
which is very
counterintuitive
to our culture
is in our
culture
when we think
of death
we think of it
as a biological
problem to be
solved
it's a biological
problem to be
solved
the Bible
like great
scientists
and great
sociologists
and economists
and great
philosophers
who look at
things which
seem to be
quite different
and see how
they're connected
and therefore
come to a deeper
understanding of
what's really
going on
Newton
began to
suspect
that what
governs an
apple falling
from a tree
might be the
very same
thing that
governs the
movements of
the planets
what a jump
eh
like now
it's still a bit
counterintuitive
to us who
aren't really
scientist types
that dropping
something from
my hand to
the ground
can help to
determine the
movement of
the stars
in the sky
but Newton
made that
connection
and it's not
here in this
text but it's
part of the
Bible
what the Bible
does is the
Bible links
human death
to human
rebellion
against the
living God
who created
us
the Bible
links human
death to
human rebellion
against the
living God
who created
us
and that means
that if you're
going to try to
solve one
you have to
solve the
other
you know just a
bit of an
aside one of
the things about
our culture
it's very very
interesting in our
culture on one
hand you could
have the same
newspaper I
don't think I
don't know if
I've ever actually
literally seen it
but you could
easily see it
happening because
occasionally there's
different reports
about different
scientists or
technologists trying
to come up with a
way of defeating
death you know
whether it's a
matter of freezing
us or putting us
in a state of
suspended animation
until the cure for
the illness that we
have comes available
and then they would
resuscitate you and
then the scientists
would be able to
cure you or maybe
they're going to
look at ways of
taking our
consciousness and
putting it in a
different body or
you know maybe
they'll be able to
design a baby in a
test tube that won't
be susceptible to
breakdown as our
bodies are broken
down but in the
same time that you
have in the science
pages things that
praise this movies
always portray any
solution like this in
the future as being
something connected to
evil without exception
that if there is a
day in the future
where some babies can
be made in a test
tube that won't die
that's bad news for
everybody else if
there is a way to
take our consciousness
and put it into
another body that's
bad news for somebody
else it's there's
always something evil
about it at the same
time that our culture
only understands death
as being connected to
biology we understand
that somehow we should
try to defeat death
but the other hand part
of us understands that
human attempts to
defeat death by
biology will probably
involve great evil it
will not be a picture
of utopia but
dystopia and in the
midst of our cultural
longings and confusion
the bible does
something our culture
never suspects which
is to link human
rebellion to death
human rebellion against
the living god to
death if you could put
up the next slide
please one of the
things to ask any
philosophy of life any
new age philosophy any
religion any academic
philosophy is how does
it handle death how
does it account for
death how does it
handle the meaning of
death and how does
the christian account
match up to it and I
want to challenge you
that if you look at the
christian account with
its rivals it's wise
obviously there can be
arguments and quibbles
but it's wise and what
we see here in this text
is that jesus messiah's
saving death and
resurrection had its
origins in eternity but
took place in history
that jesus messiah's
saving death and
resurrection had its
origins in eternity but
take place in history
look at verses 9 and 10
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 outside of time
eternity in which now
has 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 teacher and
apostle appointed if you
know the whole story of
paul how was he
appointed he wasn't
appointed by a committee
he wasn't appointed by a
group of people who
wanted to say yay paul yay
paul yay paul no in fact
the matter is is that
when paul first became
a christian everybody
was terrified of him
the last guy on the
planet that any human
being would appoint who
appointed him he got
appointed when jesus
appeared to him after
death after he'd risen
that's how paul knew he'd
been appointed how paul
knew that jesus was alive
he'd seen him and so only
god is going to be able to
fix the problem of human
rebellion and only god is
going to be able to fix
the problem of death and
so we see here that jesus
messiah saving death and
resurrection had its
origins in eternity its
origins in god but took
place in history it's real
it's concrete it's not a
story it's not a metaphor
it's not a symbol paul would
have gotten out of jail if
he had said it's just a
metaphor it's just a symbol
it's concrete and it's real
and if you could put the
next point andrew please
jesus messiah's death upon
the cross was a just and
merciful dealing with human
rebellion and his resurrection
from the dead vindicated him
as the power of god for
eternal salvation for all who
believe in him see the bible
links human rebellion against
death god as connected to
death you solve one you have
to solve the other in fact
there's a very very curious
bit in the book of
revelation that hints that a
time in the future might come
when human beings solve the
problem of death and the very
interesting thing is when it
hints at this the human
response is to ask for death
psychologically profoundly wise
because if you solve the
biological problem but don't
solve the problem of rebellion
against god you will only have
evil you will have dystopia not
utopia and jesus in his death
upon the cross in history planned
by god voluntarily entered into
by him his death upon the cross
as our substitute as an act of
exchange and his might tasting all
there is to taste of death and his
mighty resurrection is god dealing
with both problems in a way that
means that we can share in jesus's
defeat of death and live with him
eternally in the new heaven and the
new earth
just a couple of things in closing
andrew if you could just a couple of
things for you to take away i'm
going to put them up fairly quickly
if you can't i don't know some
people write these down if you can't
write them down you can go on the
web page later and they'll all be on
the web page and really all four of
them are prayers i want to challenge
you if you're here as a guest or
maybe somebody dragged you here maybe
a grandmother grad dragged you here
i don't know your mom dragged you
here
i want to challenge you you know
there's no better time than today
to give your life to jesus to deal
with your death to deal with that
which causes your death and he turns
no one away
he turns no one away and there's no
magic words romans 10 just says you
believe in your heart that god raised
him from the dead and you confess with
your lips that jesus is lord and you
will be saved but i i've just put some
words up here to sort of summarize the
sermon that you might want to consider
praying to begin the great journey the
great
opportunity to be with jesus to share in
his defeat of sin and death to pray
jesus messiah you died and tasted all of
death and you rose triumphant over sin
and death and hell please be my savior and
my lord i hold nothing back from you all
of who i am i give to you thank you for
taking me as your own forever if you
pray that prayer from your heart jesus
will answer it and the words of that
prayer will be true for you
put up the next one please just three
there are four little prayers for us to
take away
second one is for those of us who are
followers of jesus remember verse seven
um
actually we'll begin at verse six for this
reason i remind you to fan into flame
the gift of god which is in you through
the lane out of my hands for god gave us
a spirit the holy spirit not a fear but
of power and love and self-control i want
to challenge you some of us aren't even
aware of the ways that being a coward has
shaped and defined our lives and god does
not want you to live as a coward and the
gospel helps us to understand that as the
gospel grips us we realize that god didn't
choose us because we were choice he chose
us because he loves us he didn't choose
us because we had to be perfect he knows
everything there's no about us and still
he loved you so much he died for you on
the cross and as we are gripped by the
gospel the security that the gospel brings
to pray lord as i am gripped by the gospel
help me to know when i am being cowardly
and then please pour out your holy spirit
upon me to live with love and power and
self-control a prayer for the rest of your
life could put up the next one please
andrew this comes from verses 8 and verse
12 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 and verse 12
which is why i suffer as i do but i am not
ashamed for i know whom i have believed
and i am convinced it is able to guard until
that day what has been entrusted to me i
challenge some of you that who in fact
aren't willing to suffer for the gospel
not willing to look like you're a hick
because you believe certain you see the
gospel is in the context of basic christian
doctrines and basic christian doctrines are
in the context of the gospel and as we are
ashamed of some of this because we don't
want to suffer our faith withers and maybe
even dies and so many of us need to pray
this prayer lord as i am gripped by the
gospel help me to be willing to suffer
for the gospel and help me to never be
ashamed of the gospel prayer for the rest
of your life and finally if andrew if you
could put up the final prayer and i didn't
talk about this much but verses 12 to 14
it's really precious verse which is why i
suffer as i do but i am not ashamed for i
know whom i have believed you know for
some of us who are from baptisty type
churches i keep wanting to go for i know
whom i have believed and am persuaded that
he is able to keep that we've now just
revealed ourselves as being old fogies you
just self-identified yourself that way you
um you can join with me in leaving like
this afterwards while all the young hip
people are take pity on us but i i just i'm
i'm i'm old enough i remember when that
was one of like that was a very common
popular say amen all you baptist presbyterian
anglican types you know amen right this
was a very common song anyway sorry where
was i back to this which is why i suffer
as i do but i am not ashamed for i know
whom i have believed it and i am convinced
that he is able to guard until that day
what has been entrusted to me who's
guarding it you know jesus is is is guard
he's entrusted me something but he's
guarding it then he says follow the
pattern of the sound words that you have
heard from me in the faith and love that
are in christ jesus by the holy spirit who
dwells within us guard the good deposit
guard the gospel guard the beautiful
deposit guard that great treasure of the
gospel message which is the power of god
for salvation which is not just good news
it's good news that has doctrinal
implications and it's good news that
shapes all doctrine and jesus has given
this to his people to guard and defend and
proclaim and the really good news is it
doesn't rest on you to succeed because
god guards it and entrusts it
that's really some of us we just need to
wake up in a day and say you know when we
realize that we're starting to walk like
this with a our head down and we just
have to look up and say one moment i'm
carried in the arms of jesus
doesn't rest on my shoulders not as a way
of avoiding responsibility but when you
realize that jesus is involved in it it
helps you take responsibility so many of
us need to pray this prayer lord as i'm
gripped by the gospel help me to take my
part in guarding the gospel thank you
that it is you and only you that guarantees
the transmission of the gospel
it's a wonderful thing to pray a prayer
for the rest of your life and if you could
put up that first prayer just as we're
closing i'd like you to stand please just
as i we bring this to a close this part of
the service to a close we're going to
still intercede we're going to take up a
collection we're going to have it's it's a
you know a short communion service but it's
it's it's it's a heart communion service
it's not done with lots of you know fancy
and all that type of stuff it goes right to
the words of institution right to to the
words of jesus to enter into holy communion
with them and but you know is i'm just
going to pray if you're standing here
there's no better time if you haven't
given your life to jesus i urge you there
is no better time than to give your life
to jesus then and if you if those words
help you use those words it's not a magic
formula use them use your own words but
there's no better time than now let's
pray father thank you for jesus thank you
father that you used an ordinary man like
paul a man like paul who probably had a
temper there's probably all sorts of
irritating things about him just like
there are irritating things about us but
you used him father thank you that you
gave him the courage to not use a get out
of jail free card but that he was willing
to suffer for the gospel to die for the
gospel to continue to share with us the
good news that jesus lived that he died
upon the cross that he tasted all there
is to taste of death and then the third
day he rose and that he will come again
in glory to judge the living and the dead
and to bring in the new heaven and earth
father thank you for this precious news
make us disciples of jesus who are gripped
by the gospel and are learning to live for
your glory this is our prayer and we ask
it in the name of jesus and odd all god's
people said amen
you