Do’s & Don’ts in Ministry

2 Timothy 2:14-26, “Do’s & Don’ts in Ministry”
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Introduction:
Timothy’s been in Ephesus & has had to deal with false teaching since his arrival there… So Paul (his mentor & spiritual father) has been giving him some “do’s & don’ts” in teaching & ministry… DO teach the truth – DO live holy & honorable – DO teach in gentleness

2 Timothy 2:14-26 (NKJV)
14 Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers.

A. Remind who? Everyone! The word “them” is added by the translators (italics). Part of Timothy’s responsibilities as a pastor/overseer was to remind the entire church of the basics of the gospel & God’s faithfulness, which Paul sang about in vs. 11-13…
__a. Can we ever hear too much about the gospel? I hope not! We (hopefully) all know very well that Christ died for our sins, rose again to life, and offers new life to all who call upon Him in repentance and faith. But it’s something we need to be reminded of constantly. Why? We didn’t get ourselves saved; why would we think we can do any better in daily life? We are saved by the grace of God, walk with Christ by the grace of God, and look forward to eternal life by the grace of God.

B. What does it mean to quarrel/strive over words? Got a great example of this in 1998 when President Clinton told a grand jury, “It depends what the meaning of ‘is’ is.” This happens in Christianity all the time! Instead of exhorting the church to the simple truth of the gospel & to walk with the Lord Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit, we get caught up in all sorts of debates splitting hairs between people who would otherwise call one another brothers & sisters in the Lord. (When is the exact moment regeneration takes place in a believer? What’s the difference between filling & baptism of the Spirit? Etc.) (Augustine) “In essentials – unity; in non-essentials – liberty; in all things – charity.”
__a. That doesn’t mean we’re not to contend for the truth & pure doctrine. Paul’s made that extremely clear. But at the same time, we need to beware & be careful of striving (fighting) over words.

C. What is the inevitable result of useless quarreling? “Ruin” = literally καταστροφή! Too strong of a word? No – not when we consider that Jesus’ primary prayer for the church was for unity within the church. (John 17:20-21) … Instead of unity, useless quarreling leads to ruin through disunity. [Martin Luther & Ulrich Zwingli]
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15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

A. DO be “diligent” in studying… Not talking about mindlessly reading – Greek implies active, eager studying & labor over the Scriptures. Pastors aren’t to run from study; they’re to run to it – actively seeking the truth behind God’s inspired word.

B. What comes of diligence? The pastor does not need to be ashamed because he’s “rightly dividing the word of truth”… Gk for “dividing” is the only time it’s used in the NT & a rare word in ancient Greek overall. Compound word meaning “straight cutting”…some translate it “dissecting” – others liken it to plowing a straight line in a field. We need to be careful not to put our own spin on the English word – to some older dispensationalists, to ‘rightly divide’ the truth means to accurately determine the various dispensational ages. To some in other theological traditions, it means to ‘rightly divide’ between law & grace. Neither is the context here. Paul’s whole subject is one of teaching…to ‘rightly divide’ the truth is to rightly teach the truth…
__a. The word of God is the “word of truth”. Jesus affirmed the same thing (John 17:17)… Paul will get into this more in Ch 3 – but the word of God is the very truth of God. We can trust every single jot & tittle in the Scripture.
__b. It IS possible to wrongly divide it… What happens when teachers do so? They’ll be held to a stricter judgment (James 3:1). Does that absolve us of any responsibility? No – we’ve got to be Bereans. (Acts 17)
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16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.

A. DON’T promote profane teaching…it’s empty babbling – just mindless noise. Wrote the same thing in 1 Tim 6:20…and it was still a danger for the church. To allow it to continue (or worse, to embrace it) would lead to ungodliness & spiritual disease…
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17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, 18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some.

A. Example of profane & idle babblings: Hymenaeus & Philetus. We don’t know anything about Philetus (except that his name is ironic: “amiable”), but Paul’s addressed Hymenaeus before (1 Tim 1:20). Apparently Hymenaeus didn’t learn anything in his discipline & continued to cause problems in the church. We don’t know the exact heresy they taught…simply that they believed the resurrection had already come. (Similar heresy exists in hyper/full-preterism…) Whatever the case, it was profane babbling & wrongly dividing the word of truth.
__a. FYI, the resurrection has not yet come (in case you hadn’t noticed).  We ARE to expect a physical resurrection! 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 (20) But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (21) For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. (22) For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. (23) But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. [] According to the NT, the question isn’t whether or not there is a physical resurrection to come (that is assured – proved by THE Resurrection); the question is how you’re going to take part in it. Are you Christ’s?

B. Their message kills (like cancer & overthrows faith). “cancer” = γάγγραινα ‘gangrene’ – it decays and spreads quickly & incessantly. The only real solution is to cut it out or amputate it. Likewise with heretical teaching, the enemy uses it to overthrow faith. As in the parable of the sower, the birds come & snatch away the good word sown in their heart (Matt 13:19)…heresy is a dangerous thing. The church is supposed to be the “pillar & ground of the truth” (1 Tim 3:15) – we ought to guard against profane teaching & guard the truth of the word of God.
__a. Does false teaching affect everyone the same way? No – it “overthrows the faith of some.” But that doesn’t mean it’s not still to be avoided. How many times do we want to play Russian Roulette? Eventually, we’re going to get killed. Likewise with false teaching, if we engage it long enough & imbibe enough bad doctrine, it’s bound to affect us somehow…
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19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”

A. False teachers & teaching will come & go, but God’s truth will stand! What’s the solid foundation? Christ (1 Cor 3:11)? The Gospel (Luke 6:48-49)? The Church (Eph 2:20, 1 Tim 3:15)? Yes.  The immediate context is that of the church (speaking of those people sealed by God) – but the church is only the church because of the grace offered through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

B. Gives a couple of loose quotes from the OT. 1st quote: Rebellion of Korah – Numbers 16:4-5 (4) So when Moses heard it, he fell on his face; (5) and he spoke to Korah and all his company, saying, “Tomorrow morning the Lord will show who is His and who is holy, and will cause him to come near to Him. That one whom He chooses He will cause to come near to Him. [] 2nd quote is a little more uncertain – could be a reference to Num 16:26 or Isa 52:11…both speak of departing from uncleanness/iniquity, though neither is an exact match. But the metaphor of Korah is inescapable. Those like Hymenaeus & Philetus were attempting to usurp the church of God through their heresy – and those who followed them would be swallowed up with them.

C. The point? The Lord protects His people. If you’re abiding in the truth, nothing is going to take you away from Him…He’s sealed you. He knows exactly whom He has called, and He’s going to keep you as His own. We don’t need to fear false teachers; we just need to avoid them. At the same time, if you’re not abiding in Christ & departing from iniquity, you have good reason to examine yourself to see if you are in the faith! (2 Cor 13:5)
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20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. 21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

A. Paul’s continuing to refer to the Church (the great house) – but keep in mind there is both the visible & invisible Church. The visible are all those who claim the name of Christ; the invisible are all those who truly belong to Him & have been born again. (Jesus says much the same with the wheat/tares & sheep/goats…) WE may not know which is which, but God does (He’s sealed them & knows His own). But although we cannot necessarily know others (apart from their fruit), we CAN know ourselves. And we ought to want to be vessels of honor!

B. How are we made vessels of honor? By cleansing ourselves of dishonor? Staying away from dishonorable false Christians? Both! Paul’s going to write about personal behavior in the next verse, but he’s still wrapping up the thought of amputating the gangrene (he has a tendency to mix metaphors!)… When we discover that a teacher is promoting a heretical version of an essential doctrine (like the resurrection) – the responsibility falls to us to either bring correction or pull away from it. [‘Bishop’ Carlton Pearson??]

C. What happens if we are vessels of honor? We’re “sanctified & useful” for our Master: We’re set apart for God & His purposes. He uses His word to equip us for every good work (2 Tim 3:16-17), so it follows that as He prepares us through His true teaching, we would cleanse ourselves from false teaching. We want to be ready to be used by God when He needs to use us…
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22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

A. How should we cleanse ourselves? The same way that Paul exhorted Timothy in his earlier letter – 1 Timothy 6:11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. [] Good advice doesn’t change.  Specifically here: flee “youthful lusts.” Keep in mind Timothy was a relatively young minister – somewhere in his 30’s. He was still a prime target for youthful temptations (not that temptations stop at certain ages, but the kinds of temptations typically change). We tend to immediately equate “lust” with “sex” because of our culture – but the context is a lot broader. Hymenaeus & Philetus were apparently lusting after power & fame in the church… Lust can take on a lot of forms. The specific Greek word refers to a deep longing or desire – something that someone would set a fierce passion upon. Ultimately, it’s a reference to covetousness…be it another person who’s not your spouse – or the desire to be ‘right’ no matter what the cost – or calculating a way to be a person of great influence. It’s wanting what we don’t have, and doing whatever it takes until we get it. Those who desire to live godly & be honorable vessels for our Master ought to flee those things!
__a. ‘Is fleeing from temptation really a good option?’ Yes – it’s biblical! [Joseph & Potiphar’s wife – Gen 39] Especially in the area of sexual immorality – the NT tells us to flee from it (1 Cor 6:18).

B. Don’t just flee from something; flee to something else. Pursue godliness. Specifically:
__a. Righteousness: As Christians, we are given the righteousness of Christ (1 Cor 5:21) – it’s imputed to us by God as we have none of our own (Rom 3:10). But just because God gives us righteousness doesn’t mean we stop pursuing it. We ought to seek after holiness – living as men & women who really have been born again by the Spirit of God.
__b. Faith: Like righteousness, faith is not something that begins & ends the moment we repent & place our trust in Jesus Christ for salvation. It definitely begins there, but it ought never end. The apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith (Luke 17:5) – as the early church in Asia grew, they were strengthened in the faith (Acts 16:5). Every day we breathe and walk with the Lord Jesus is another day that we can grow in our faith, understand what it means to trust Him, & rejoice in the gospel.
__c. Love: Speaking of agape (selfless – Christ centered) love. Of all the spiritual gifts and things we could pursue, there’s none greater than love…it’s better than tongues, prophecy, and miraculous faith combined (1 Cor 13). The contrast is striking, isn’t it? We’re to flee lusts, but pursue love. Lust is consumed with self; love seeks for others. Love fulfills the law (Rom 13:10) & is at the heart of the gospel (John 3:16)…Christians ought to pursue love!
__d. Peace with other believers: Simply because we’re brothers and sisters in the Lord doesn’t mean we won’t hurt one another. Part of what comes with loving one another as Christ loved us is to bear with one another when the other person isn’t very bearable (1 Cor 13:7). Does it come naturally? No – but that’s why it’s something that ought to be pursued.
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23 But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife.

A. One way of seeking peace with one another? Don’t needlessly argue – takes us back to vs. 14 & a constant theme in the letter. There are always people who want to wrangle over every word & debate issues that are only speculation…and it’s easy to get caught up within it! (What exact processes caused the earth to flood… How many other children Adam & Eve had… Etc.) Arguments come easily enough for us without Christians actively seeking them out.
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- DO be a servant…
24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth,

A. As opposed to quarreling & striving with one another, the person who desires to be a servant (doulos) of God needs to be “gentle.” Talking about meekness; not weakness. Specifically for a pastor/teacher, he’s got to be patient & humble in his teaching – knowing that although he’s teaching the truth of God, he himself is not beyond error & is no better than anyone else. (Pastors aren’t celebrities…)

B. But bring correction! It must be done in gentleness, but we shouldn’t buy into the idea that gentleness turns a blind eye to false teaching. The most loving thing we could do with someone who’s bought into heresy is to share the truth with them. But we’ve got to know the truth if we’re going to share the truth…
__a. Specifically for pastors, they’ve got to have the skill to “be able to teach.” It’s not much good to someone else if we know the truth, but can’t share it with them…

C. What do we hope to gain by godly correction? Repentance & restoration! This is always the goal of discipline/correction within the church. Never is someone corrected out of spite; they’re always handed over to the Lord in order that the Lord would bring them to repentance.
__a. Can we talk someone into repentance? No. But we can share the truth with them. We can share Scriptures, and the gospel, and continue to love them enough in Christ to teach them the truth. But repentance isn’t a work of man; it’s a gift of God, available for the asking.
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26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.

A. Ultimately, those who are in opposition, teaching false doctrine, and quarreling over words are losing a spiritual battle (which they may not even be aware of). They’re ensnared by the devil.

B. But the good news is that Jesus has come to set the captives free! (Isa 61:1, Luke 4:18) Have you been set free? Then rejoice! Or have you realized that you’ve been lulled to sleep & trapped by the devil? Then repent, and let Jesus free you!

Conclusion:
It’s easy to imagine the relief Timothy must have felt when reading this letter from his friend & mentor, Paul. Timothy had likely struggled with some of these false teachings in Ephesus since the day he arrived, and must have wondered along the way whether or not he was doing the right thing. And then one day he gets a letter basically telling him to keep it up.

1. DO teach the truth. Don’t compromise on it; don’t entertain false ideas; don’t let heresies infect the church. But do study with diligence as a laborer to his trade & ensure that the church is feeding on the milk & meat of the word of God.
2. DO be a clean & useable vessel for the Master. He’s going to sort out the dishonorable vessels in His time. But our responsibility is to keep ourselves clean through the enabling of the Holy Spirit. Whether it’s avoiding sinful teaching or sinful practices – we’re to be a holy people of God.
3. DO teach in gentleness. Timothy didn’t need to ramrod the truth; simply to proclaim it. God’s word is alive & powerful & sharper than any 2-edged sword (Heb 4:12). Our responsibility is merely to proclaim in truth in the love in which it was given to us.

Are these only instructions for pastors? No – they’re instructions for the church…all of us who have been sealed by God. Christian, be wary of giving up the truth of God’s word for anything. Not only do we need to be taught it, but it’s God’s word that cleanses us (Eph 5:26), and it’s by God’s word that we bring gentle correction in hopes of restoration & repentance (Gal 6:1). It’s good to equip us for every good work!

Do you know the truth? Jesus said that He IS the truth (John 14:6) – have you received Him as your Savior & Lord? Whether you know it or not, if you haven’t trusted Christ Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, you are ensnared by the devil & are an enemy of God through your sin (lies, lusting, hating, coveting, etc). But God loves you & offers you forgiveness & new life!

Christmas thoughts

Sorry this is late…I decided not to spend much time online at Christmas. Go figure.

Luke 2:25-32 (focus on 29-32)

One part that often gets left out of the Christmas story is what took place 8 days later, according to the law… After Jesus was circumcised, Simeon saw the Child for who He was: the Christ!

1. Who was Simeon? Just a guy. Scripture gives us very little background on him:
__a. He was “just & devout” & filled with the Spirit…but not a priest (nor a prophet, necessarily). The priests were the ones who expected to see the Messiah 1st (which may be why they hung around John the Baptist so much!). In retrospect, they seem to have been the last to know. From man’s perspective, Simeon was not a likely person; but from God’s perspective, Simeon was just the guy!
____i. Why? Because Simeon had faith! Any righteousness & reverence he had (just & devout) came as a result of trusting in God & His promises. Hebrews 11:6 (6) But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. []

2. What was he doing? Waiting in the temple for the promised Messiah…actually received a personal promise from the Holy Spirit that Simeon would see him before his death. Logical place to wait; but an unexpected candidate! The Messiah didn’t ride through the city gates as a confident warrior/king, but as an 8 day old infant brought in by a poverty-stricken young couple… But through eyes of faith, Simeon saw much more:
__a. God’s salvation: That’s exactly what the name “Jesus” means! “Yahweh is salvation”. We so desperately need to be saved from the results of our sin (death), and God Himself provided that salvation by sending His only begotten Son to die on the cross & rise again from the grave. Did Simeon know every detail when he looked at baby Jesus? Probably not – but he did know that it was through this little baby that God was going to offer salvation to the entire world!
__b. A light to the Gentiles: Who are the Gentiles? We are (for the most part)! Literally the Greek is ἔθνος (ethnicity) = “nations.” The Son of God did not come for only one tiny country seated on the Mediterranean Sea; Jesus was given for the entire world! John 3:16 (16) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. [] He came for you & for me!
__c. The glory of Israel: Jesus did come for the world, but He also serves a very important role for the nation & people of Israel – He is their awaited King. He is the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham (Gen 12) – He is the prophet to come promised to Moses (Deut 18) – He is the son of David, who is the eternal King of Israel (2 Sam 7). Did Israel receive Jesus as their King? No – they rejected Him (as prophesied, Isa 53:3), but He was born as their King, died as their King, and was risen to life as their King forever…which means Jesus is our King as well – the King of Kings & Lord of Lords!
____i. Does it matter to Gentiles that Jesus is the King/Messiah of Israel? It should! God has kept His word to His people – despite their rejection of Him. If God kept His promise of a Deliverer for Israel, we can trust in His promise of salvation to us, too!

3. How do we see Christ? As a babe? A myth/legend? A nice story to read at Christmas & Easter? Or as the salvation of the Lord God – the promised Messiah – our Deliverer? We recite a lot of fairy tales at Christmastime (nothing wrong with that) – but Jesus isn’t one of them. [] God Himself really did come to earth as a babe, born of a virgin – and Jesus grew in wisdom & stature with the Lord. When Jesus was grown, He was well-pleasing to His Father in Heaven & proclaimed to us that He is the way, the truth, and the life & no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6). He died on a cross – not because He deserved it, but because you & I did… And then He rose to life again on the 3rd day, and is still alive to this day – offering forgiveness & grace to any who receive Him as Lord & Savior. Want a reason to celebrate at Christmastime? It’s simply this: we have seen the Lord’s salvation – and it is Christ the Lord!

Empowered Endurance

2 Timothy 2:1-13, “Empowered Endurance”
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Introduction:
So where’s the Christmas message? Shouldn’t we be talking about a manger & some magi? Actually, every message in which we talk about Jesus (which should be every one!) is a Christmas message. Every time the gospel is preached, we’re proclaiming the same thing the angels said to the shepherds outside of Bethlehem: there is a Savior, Christ the Lord.

Actually, the whole Nativity story is filled with examples of what Paul is writing to Timothy in Ch 2: the need for endurance & perseverance in the middle of tough times. Mary (most likely a teenager) likely had to persevere the looks & rumors from her community when she became pregnant with a baby that was not her betrothed husband’s. Joseph probably had to endure the same when he took Mary as his wife anyway & didn’t have her stoned to death. They both had to endure a tough trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem while Mary was 9 months pregnant – they had to tough out not having a place to sleep when they arrived – they had to persevere while in Egypt escaping from the hand of Herod – and the list goes on. For this “most blessed of woman” & her husband, it’s hard to imagine a tougher 1st few years of marriage. If they weren’t enduring their hardships in the strength of the Lord, they wouldn’t have endured at all!

And that’s what Paul is calling Timothy to do. Timothy has been overseeing the church in Ephesus for some time now & although there’s always a danger of external attack (which he’ll get to in Ch 3), there’s also always a danger of the internal temptation to slip into laziness. We get into a rut in our Christian lives & start to think, “I deserve a good life because I’m such a good Christian”…when in reality we ought to be prepared to suffer, not due to anything we’ve done, but simply because the world hates Christ. Since our Lord & King suffered, we ought to expect it as well. Once we understand that sufferings & hardships are part of what Jesus promised (John 16:33), we start to understand the importance of endurance.

Starts by laying out the call (the need) for endurance – gives 3 metaphors of what Christian endurance looks like – provides real-life examples of endurance – sings a hymn of endurance at the end. All in all, Paul gives a pretty well-crafted sermon.

Remember out context leading up to this point: Paul had been charging Timothy to not be ashamed of the gospel & to hold fast to the doctrine he had received from Paul. Others had abandoned Paul (and the gospel) while in prison (all of Asia, Phygellus, & Hermongenes) – very few had stayed true to him (Onesiphorus). It’s with those who have fallen away in mind that Paul picks up in vs 1…

2 Timothy 2:1-13 (NKJV)

- 3-fold call…
1 You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

A. Call #1: “be strong” – more literally, “be empowered”. We need strength – we need power in order to endure. Not only do we need to be mentally prepared to be strong, we need to understand that the power doesn’t come from us. The mistake that we often make when facing trials is that we try to be strong through the methods that come naturally to us – we try to talk ourselves into readiness & ‘psyche’ ourselves up for the battle. But that never works…it doesn’t even make sense. (Do stick a cordless drill in the corner waiting for it to recharge itself?) We need to be endued with power – i.e., whatever strengthens us must come from another source.

B. Be strong in what? “the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” “Grace” here is overarching – speaking of our salvation, but speaking more generally of any favor & gift we receive from the Lord Jesus. IOW, we gain our strength not from anything we’ve done, but by going before our Lord & Savior & relying completely on His grace. He’s given us grace in saving us from sin – He gives grace when He fills us with the Holy Spirit & power – He gives grace when He equips us with spiritual gifts – He gives grace when He gives the peace that passes understanding through prayer. As James says, “He gives more grace…” (Jas 4:6)
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2 And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

A. Call #2: be faithful to the doctrine. Over & over again, Paul’s pastoral epistles have the call to stay true to the teaching & gospel message he passed on to his students. For good reason! We inherently have a tendency to change a message immediately upon hearing it. (Ever play “telephone”?) The 1st Apostles hadn’t yet all passed away when Jesus gave letters to the churches exhorting them to get back to the truth of the gospel! We’ve got to stay true to the word of God – it is our final authority because it comes with the authority of Christ Jesus Himself.

B. How was Timothy to fulfill this call practically? By being faithful to teach others who will teach others. It wasn’t enough for Timothy to be true to the gospel, but not pass it on to others & train up new leaders. If that were the case, the church would have died out in a few generations. Jesus continues to build His church by calling people to Himself in salvation, and it’s the church’s responsibility to pass on what we’ve been taught. This is the primary call in the Great Commission – Matthew 28:19-20 (19) Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. [] Not converts; disciples!

C. Who was it that Timothy was to teach? Faithful men. (Guzik) “When Timothy looked for those whom he could pour Apostolic doctrine and practice into, he was to look for the quality of faithfulness. He didn’t need to find smart men, popular men, strong men, easy men, perfect men, or good-looking men; Paul told him to look for faithful men.” Common sense tells us the opposite. We have a tendency to look for those whom we think are the most talented or skilled… Talent/skill is never the issue (God can give that); faithfulness is. The Christian who is faithful in a few things will be given more (Matt 25:29); those who want to be used by God for His glory must be faithful in what He’s given them initially to do.
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3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

A. Call #3: be prepared. (Boy Scout motto…) Far more important than a camping trip, Timothy was to be prepared to “endure hardship” while in the ministry of the gospel. We’ve been called into service (drafted) by our King – we need to be ready to do what He calls us to do until He takes us home. Going to expand on this…
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- 3 metaphors of endurance…
4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. 5 And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. 7 Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.

A. The soldier…common analogy for Paul. Gives 2 characteristics:
__a. No entanglements. Battle-ready soldiers have a singular focus. They can’t afford to worry about fantasy football when bullets are flying over head. While on the battlefield, they avoid any entanglements that takes their mind off what is facing them. Needless to say, we are on a battlefield! [] What Paul is NOT saying: Go find a Christian ghetto & keep yourself holed up there, never working a regular job, never paying bills, and never speaking to a non-believer. [] So what IS Paul saying? Don’t get involved in anything that takes you away from what the Lord Jesus (our commanding officer) has called us to. Beware of getting entangled & ensnared in sin (Heb 12:1)… Beware of getting entangled in conflicts of interest…things that may not be obviously sinful, but are just at odds with being who God called you to be. (Tough for a bi-voc pastor to be a door-to-door salesman…)
__b. One desire: please his commander… It doesn’t matter what the neighboring private told him to do; the only orders that matter are the ones from his commanding officer. Likewise for Timothy, it doesn’t matter if everyone else falls away. All of Asia may have been ashamed of the gospel, but Timothy was just to serve the Lord Jesus.

B. The athlete…another common analogy for Paul – he was quite the sports fan!
__a. The athlete wants to win…he’s striving for the crown of victory. The athlete who’s lackadaisical is the athlete who always loses. We are to run in such a way that we may obtain the prize of the imperishable crown (1 Cor 9:24). When we get lazy in our faith, we lose track of what we’re doing, fall into sin & worse.
__b. If he’s going to win, he must be faithful to how the game is played. [Marion Jones – Oct 2007 admitted drug use] Life obviously isn’t a game, but we’ve been told what to expect (trials, tribulations, and temptations) – so we persevere according to how God has told us to through His word. In faith, hope, love, and grace…

C. The farmer. Paul’s used similar analogies to speak of a minister of the gospel being provided for from the work of the ministry (1 Cor 9:8-11). But that’s not the context here. If the soldier is dedicated to his military responsibilities, and the athlete is dedicated to his game, the farmer is hardworking. As Paul wrote in 1 Tim 5:17, ministers of the word are expected to labor in the word. (Going to continue the idea in Ch 2 to be a diligent student of the word). Just as farmers dig deep into the rich soil before expecting a crop, so should the pastor dig deep in to the Scripture before expecting any fruit & the evangelist till the ground long before expecting a harvest.
__a. Does the farmer till the ground for fun? No – he grows a crop for sale so that other people can partake. But before he puts in on the market, he’s the 1st to taste of the fruit. [] I’m the 1st one that gets blessed through the weekly sermon, because I’m the 1st one who sees it. People always learn more when they teach than when they’re taught. (Good reason to get involved in children’s ministry!)

D. What do all three have in common? They’re dedicated – they’re faithful – they’re ready, willing, and prepared to endure what’s necessary till the end. Keep in mind that these are instructions to ministers – and we’re all ministers! We just minister in different areas. Are we relying on the power and grace of Christ to help us be steadfast to His calling & His gospel? If you’re a born-again believer in Christ Jesus, you’ve been called by the Lord, and equipped through the Spirit to serve God in some capacity. We want to be found faithful & endure what needs to be endured till we see our Master face to face.
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- Examples of endurance…
8 Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel,

A. Example #1: the Lord Jesus! Like a common criminal, He was beaten, mobbed, whipped, & crucified. If anyone knows what it’s like to endure hardship and suffering, it’s Christ Jesus! Isaiah 53:3-4 (3) He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. (4) Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. [] All of us have experienced trials in the past; not many of us understand what it’s like to be smitten by the hand of God Almighty Himself… Yet what was Jesus’ response to His trials? Faithfulness! He endured the cross, despised the shame, and sat down at the right hand of God (Heb 12:2).
__a. FYI, He didn’t stay dead…He is risen! The Lord Jesus is alive today because He defeated death through the Resurrection…which is the reason we’re all gathered here this morning. At the cross, He took on the wrath of God that you & I so utterly deserved, paid our penalty for us – and we can be assured that it’s indeed paid. How so? Because His grave is empty.

B. Why does Paul mention Jesus’ genealogy through David? It’s a reminder that Jesus really is fully human. The Lord is not some demi-god that descended from a mountain; He was born of a woman like anyone else. But just as His birth proves His humanity, His resurrection proves His divinity (Rom 1:3-4).
__a. As you celebrate Christmas this year, remember that one of the reasons of rejoicing over the Incarnation was that the King of Israel (the promised Messiah) was born & has been revealed… He is the son of David – the son of man – the Son of God!
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9 for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained.

A. Example #2: Paul. Literally chained to a Roman soldier 24/7, awaiting execution by one of the cruelest emperors in Roman history, Paul knew what it meant to suffer. As with Jesus, Paul would have appeared to be a common criminal due to his chains – but his chains were due to the gospel & due to Paul’s complete faithfulness to God’s calling. He was exactly where God needed him to be, and was completely relying on God to give him the strength to be there.
__a. We need to get rid of the idea that truly spiritual, godly Christians don’t suffer! Our evangelical culture has bought into the idea that if we’re really in the middle of God’s will that life will be smooth, our wallets will be rich, and everything will come up roses. It’s a lie. God will provide for whatever He’s called us to; but what He may provide is strength to endure the suffering.

B. Paul may have been chained, but the word of God wasn’t! Not only was it being lived out & demonstrated in a dark Roman prison cell, it was being written & going out to the churches around the known world.
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10 Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

A. What is the effect of the word of God being unchained through Paul’s chains? It went forth into the entire world, and called the elect to salvation. … Never underestimate the power of the Scripture in evangelism! Faith comes by hearing & hearing by the word of God (Rom 10:17).

B. Where is salvation to be found? “In Christ Jesus…” There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12) – salvation is in Christ alone, who is the way, the truth & the life (John 14:6).
__a. The elect are simply those called out by God for salvation? Are you elect? Find out by responding to His call. If you have not trusted Jesus Christ for forgiveness from sin & consciously received Him as your Lord, God is calling you right now – convicting your conscience of your sin & revealing His righteousness to you. To obtain salvation, you must respond to Him in faith.
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- Hymn of endurance…4 parts – each with a condition & promise.
11 This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him.

A. Part 1: Identification at the Cross. It may sounds incredulous, but for all those in Christ, when Christ died, we died. Like Paul, we were crucified with Christ (Gal 2:20). We may not have been physically on that cross, but our sin was – because Jesus became sin (who knew no sin) for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ (2 Cor 5:21).
__a. Visually & publicly portrayed in baptism… Romans 6:3-4 (3) Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? (4) Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. [] Spiritually speaking, the moment we are born-again, we are baptized into Christ. But physically, the act of baptism is a demonstration of what has already taken place: our old man is dead – crucified with Jesus at the cross. Our new man is alive because Jesus is alive & risen from the dead. Our new eternal life is bound up in Jesus’ resurrected life.

B. And that’s the glorious promise – that we who died with Christ will one day live with Christ in eternal glory. Understand heaven is not the prize; it’s the location. Life with Christ is the prize! The only reason it’s called heaven is because Jesus is there…
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12 If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.

A. Part 2: Identification with His suffering… This is what Paul’s been teaching about during this whole passage. Lots of people want to identify with Jesus’ power, glory, and authority; few want to identify with His suffering. Yet when we endure suffering through His power, we’re fellowshipping with Christ in a deep way – it’s the “fellowship of His sufferings” (Phil 3:10) & it’s an affirmation that are truly His children (Rom 8:16-17). Yet notice that the suffering is not everlasting. One of the greatest truths a born-again Christian can understand is that this world is as bad as it’s ever going to get… [] After this life, we’ve a promise to reign with our Lord & King – what a privilege! What grace!

B. Part 3: Refusing identification altogether. To “deny” Christ is to renounce or disown Christ…to say “no” to Him & reject Him. And the promise of God for those who deny the Lord Jesus is truly tragic: He will deny them in return. Jesus said the same thing (which is probably where the line originated) – Matthew 10:32-33 (32) “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. (33) But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven. []
__a. If this is true, why did Jesus restore Peter to ministry after denying Christ 3 times? The word describing “denial” in both cases are the same… But the context is different; this seems to be a reference more to final apostasy. The person who consistently denies Christ all his/her life will find that Christ denies him/her for eternity.
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13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself.

A. Part 4: Failure in faithfulness… Some take this to mean that if we are faithless and deny Christ, that Christ is faithful to His promise & will deny us – because He cannot deny or break His own word. Others think that our “faithlessness” is a different subject than vs. 12’s “denial.” Rather than speaking of apostasy, Paul would have changed the subject to speaking of the believer’s struggle against sin. Both ideas are biblical, even if Paul’s intent is unclear (Grk could mean either “disbelieve” or “disobey”). To someone who has dove into blatant sin, enjoyed its pleasures, and completely disowned Christ, the Lord will be faithful to His promises of judgment. To someone who is grieved over sin, repents & seeks the Lord’s help & forgiveness, God remains faithful despite our faithlessness.

B. Jesus is faithful! We often define “omnipotence” as “the ability to do anything” – but that’s not the best definition. Granted, nothing is impossible for God & conversely all things are possible with God. But there are some things God cannot do. God cannot be tempted by evil (Jas 1:13) – God cannot sin (who would He sin against?), etc. One example is given here: God “cannot deny Himself.” God (and thus Jesus) cannot deny/denounce/disown Himself – His word – His existence. He simply IS, and thus it is impossible to deny His being. Thus when it comes to His promises concerning His salvation, His love, His covenant, His indwelling, His sealing & guarantee, He cannot and will not deny Himself. God is faithful!
__a. ‘Even when we sin?’ Yes – even when we sin! As sure as we can be of trials & tribulations, we can be assured that we will fall from time to time & sin. When we do, we don’t need to run around fretting whether or not we’ve lost our salvation at every turn, because our salvation isn’t based on our faithfulness; it’s based on God’s. Writing of Judah’s sin & Jerusalem’s conquest… Lamentations 3:22-24 (22) Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. (23) They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. (24) “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” [] God is faithful!! He is going to be true to His promise, no matter what!

C. Does that give us license to sin? Absolutely not. Again, those who consistently dwell in sin are denying Christ & showing their own sinfulness. God will be true to His promises for judgment and eternal denial. But for those who repent, and trusting in Christ alone for forgiveness, there’s no need to live in condemnation – Jesus has already taken your condemnation upon yourself. Instead, you can rejoice in God’s forgiveness through Christ & in God’s enduring faithfulness!

The End of Moses

Deuteronomy 33-34, “The End of Moses”
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Introduction:
For 40 years, Moses has been leading the Hebrew people. Virtually day in & day out, he’s heard them complain, seen them rebel, and virtually been deaf to his calls for repentance (with rare exceptions). Only when God disciplined them, did they run to Moses & pay attention to what he had to say. Not only that, the one thing Moses wanted to do most (enter the Promised Land), he’s not able to do because of how he reacted to their rebellion.

With that in mind, one would think that Ch 32 would be a more fitting end to Deuteronomy. Moses’ song was dark & heavy, and prophetically spoke of disasters and the curses that were to come upon Israel when they eventually abandoned the Lord for idols. Yet that’s not how Moses ends. The last written words of Moses are not of cursing, but blessing. Like a spiritual father to his children, he calls them together one last time to pray over them & bless them in the name of the Lord. A truly fitting end for the humble man of God.

The blessing is similar in scope to Jacob’s farewell blessing in Gen 49 (and echoing some of the same things). But different focus. Whereas Jacob’s blessing primarily prophesied over their coming difficulties, Moses prophesies about God’s grace upon them. They will fail (of course), but God is still God, and still pours out His grace to us.

Deuteronomy 33 (NKJV)
1 Now this is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death. 2 And he said: “The LORD came from Sinai, And dawned on them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran, And He came with ten thousands of saints; From His right hand Came a fiery law for them.

A. Speaking of the giving of the 10 Commandments. Remember from Exodus 19-20, it was an incredible sight to behold! Thunder, lightning, a thick cloud on Mt. Sinai, God descending in fire & smoke, and a trumpet blast so loud & long that the people trembled. The giving of the law took place between God & Moses, but was witnessed by tens of thousands of angels – this was an absolutely glorious event!
__a. As rightly it should have been. The Law is referred to by some as a burden, but it’s really a gift. For the 1st time, God’s handwriting was revealed to mankind – and although His glory was written in the heavens & His law upon our hearts, now they had a written code of what reflects the holiness of God. Today we know what coveting is because God told us about it in His law. Does it pierce our hearts? Yes – but it also prepares us for the Savior.

B. “Moses the man of God”: 1st time this phrase is used in the Bible… Who else was it used for? The Angel of the Lord (Judges 13) – various prophets (1-2 Sam, 1-2 Kings) – Elijah – Elisha – David (2 Kings 8:14)…Timothy (1 Tim 6:11)… Who else? US! 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (16) All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, (17) that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. []
__a. Want to be known as a man of God? Woman of God? Get the word of God into your heart! Let the word of God cleanse you, transform your mind, and mold you into the image of Christ Jesus. Everything there (OT & NT) is breathed out by God & profitable for us.
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3 Yes, He loves the people; All His saints are in Your hand; They sit down at Your feet; Everyone receives Your words.

A. Over & over in Deuteronomy, we see the command for Israel to love the Lord their God (most obviously in Deut 6); here we see explicitly that God loves His people. When we think of books like Deuteronomy, it’s easy to get bogged down in the idea of curses & famines for when the people break the covenant. But underneath it all is God’s love for His people. If God didn’t love His people, He wouldn’t warn them away from sin – He wouldn’t discipline them to bring them to repentance – He wouldn’t provide for their repentance through the promise of a Savior. Over & over, the picture we see of God in the OT is not one of a harsh, condemning judge, but of a loving & just King. God truly loves His people.
__a. And God loves you too! It’s an amazing thought to consider that Almighty God truly loves us, and yet He does. Demonstrated through the Cross, proclaimed though the Scriptures, and exemplified in Jesus Christ. God loves you.

B. What’s the proof of God’s love for His people? His provision of the Law. To sit at the feet of our Maker & learn His ways and precepts is an incredible privilege & gift to His people.
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4 Moses commanded a law for us, A heritage of the congregation of Jacob. 5 And He was King in Jeshurun, When the leaders of the people were gathered, All the tribes of Israel together.

A. We often say that the monarchy began with King Saul – but Israel (Jeshurun) was originally a monarchy from the beginning. Its monarch was God. When the people would later complain to the Judge/Prophet Samuel to provide them a king, God acknowledged that what they were doing was really rejecting the king they had already: Himself.

B. Moses is going to go through each tribe of Israel (except Simeon) – praying God’s blessing over each of them as they enter the land. (MAP) Some think this could be a reference to the millennial kingdom…
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6 “Let Reuben live, and not die, Nor let his men be few.”

A. For the 1st born tribe, it seems like a rather generic blessing…and it is. Reuben had laid with his father’s concubine (Bilhah) & Jacob removed the 1st born blessing from him in Gen 49. At this point, Moses is showing a lot of grace to the tribe…saying, “Don’t let them die out.”
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7 And this he said of Judah: “Hear, LORD, the voice of Judah, And bring him to his people; Let his hands be sufficient for him, And may You be a help against his enemies.”

A. Judah is the tribe of David, and thus the tribe of Jesus (who is Jacob’s prophesied “Lion of the Tribe of Judah” – Gen 49:9)
B. Interesting that Simeon isn’t mentioned in this blessing – their inheritance was completely surrounded by Judah, so perhaps they’re included here.
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8 And of Levi he said: “Let Your Thummim and Your Urim be with Your holy one, Whom You tested at Massah, And with whom You contended at the waters of Meribah, 9 Who says of his father and mother, ‘I have not seen them’; Nor did he acknowledge his brothers, Or know his own children; For they have observed Your word And kept Your covenant. 10 They shall teach Jacob Your judgments, And Israel Your law. They shall put incense before You, And a whole burnt sacrifice on Your altar. 11 Bless his substance, LORD, And accept the work of his hands; Strike the loins of those who rise against him, And of those who hate him, that they rise not again.”

A. Natural to have a longer blessing for Levi – this was Moses’ family.
B. Levi didn’t have an inheritance of property; they had an inheritance of service to the Lord (the Lord Himself WAS their inheritance). Thus they had responsibilities to teach the Scripture… Minister the sacrifice…
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12 Of Benjamin he said: “The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by Him, Who shelters him all the day long; And he shall dwell between His shoulders.”

A. Don’t you love the picture of grace this is? Like a boy being carried on his Father’s back, Benjamin will is beloved of the Lord & will dwell between His shoulders. Will Benjamin mess up? Yes! In major ways, as detailed in Judges 19-21. But at the same time, where is Jerusalem located? Southern Benjamin.
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13 And of Joseph he said: “Blessed of the LORD is his land, With the precious things of heaven, with the dew, And the deep lying beneath, 14 With the precious fruits of the sun, With the precious produce of the months, 15 With the best things of the ancient mountains, With the precious things of the everlasting hills, 16 With the precious things of the earth and its fullness, And the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush. Let the blessing come ‘on the head of Joseph, And on the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers.’ 17 His glory is like a firstborn bull, And his horns like the horns of the wild ox; Together with them He shall push the peoples To the ends of the earth; They are the ten thousands of Ephraim, And they are the thousands of Manasseh.”

A. A lot to say about Joseph (Ephraim/Manasseh), but remember he received the 1st born blessing after it was taken from Reuben. Moses speaks of the best of the land given to him, and between Ephraim & Manasseh, they got the lion’s share of the land. They also became some of the most powerful tribes – to the point where the Northern Kingdom was sometimes known as “Ephraim”.
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18 And of Zebulun he said: “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, And Issachar in your tents! 19 They shall call the peoples to the mountain; There they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness; For they shall partake of the abundance of the seas And of treasures hidden in the sand.”

A. Zebulun and Issachar were neighbors – neither tribe dwelt right on the seashore, but they weren’t far from it. Moses is blessing them in whatever they do – be it in the mountain, sea, or desert.
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20 And of Gad he said: “Blessed is he who enlarges Gad; He dwells as a lion, And tears the arm and the crown of his head. 21 He provided the first part for himself, Because a lawgiver’s portion was reserved there. He came with the heads of the people; He administered the justice of the LORD, And His judgments with Israel.”

A. Gad was one of the nations on the east side of the Jordan who came over to help “administer the justice of the LORD” on the Canaanite nations. As a result, their lands were large on the east side.
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22 And of Dan he said: “Dan is a lion’s whelp; He shall leap from Bashan.” 23 And of Naphtali he said: “O Naphtali, satisfied with favor, And full of the blessing of the LORD, Possess the west and the south.”

A. Two short blessings! Doesn’t say much about Dan; Moses implies that they were a youthful tribe (whelp), but that they were also militarily powerful. Bashan had already been conquered on the east side of the Jordan; the leap may be a reference to the other side of the land by the Mediterranean.
B. Naphtali was also to be blessed by God & satisfied with everything God gave them – they possessed land west of the Sea of Galilee.
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24 And of Asher he said: “Asher is most blessed of sons; Let him be favored by his brothers, And let him dip his foot in oil. 25 Your sandals shall be iron and bronze; As your days, so shall your strength be.

A. “Asher” actually means “happy/blessed”…so the blessed one is blessed of God. Moses is prophesying that God would specifically bless them with wealth: olive oil, iron, bronze.
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- Ends with a proclamation of praise to God…
26 “There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, Who rides the heavens to help you, And in His excellency on the clouds. 27 The eternal God is your refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, And will say, ‘Destroy!’ 28 Then Israel shall dwell in safety, The fountain of Jacob alone, In a land of grain and new wine; His heavens shall also drop dew. 29 Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD, The shield of your help And the sword of your majesty! Your enemies shall submit to you, And you shall tread down their high places.”

A. There is no God like God! God is the Almighty Omnipotent Creator who created the heavens and the earth. There is no other god beside Him. And HE is the God of Israel. He is their refuge, strength, protection, and provision. No one & no thing can stand against Him. So the conclusion? Israel is blessed – and Israel should rejoice! Who among the nations of the earth were like them, who had God as their God?

B. The parallels are easy to see. There is no God like OUR God! There is no circumstance that we encounter that is too big for Him to handle. There is nothing in all creation that can pull us away from His love. How happy we should be as men & women saved in Christ! We have been born again & adopted into the family of God & we have much reason to rejoice – we are “a people saved by the LORD!”
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Deuteronomy 34 (NKJV)
1 Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is across from Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land of Gilead as far as Dan, 2 all Naphtali and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, 3 the South, and the plain of the Valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar.

A. [PIC] … Basically gave Moses a view of the entire land that Moses just prophesied about.
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4 Then the LORD said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have caused you to see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.”

A. Review why Moses isn’t crossing… (Numbers 20) Destroyed a picture God was showing of Jesus Christ (verified by Paul in 1 Cor 10:4)

B. Keep in mind that even though Moses’ sin is the reason he could not go over, it fits in perfectly with the overall plan of salvation. Moses is the lawgiver, but the lawgiver cannot deliver rest; that has to come from someone else – Joshua/Yeshua/Jesus. Thus – John 1:17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. []
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5 So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. 6 And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor; but no one knows his grave to this day.

A. Notice Who buried Moses: God Himself. … Seems to have been a spiritual battle even over this – Jude 9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” [] (There’s always a spiritual battle! But who does the fighting? God!)
B. Interesting that the Bible makes it clear that Moses died, but also makes his gravesite unknown. No doubt on his death – but no opportunity for idolatry, either…
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7 Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished.

A. 40 in Egypt in a powerful political home – 40 in Midian as a shepherd/servant – 40 in the desert leading, teaching, & interceding for Israel. From all indications, he could have gone on for another 40 years if God so desired! God was ready to take him home.
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8 And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days. So the days of weeping and mourning for Moses ended. 9 Now Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him; so the children of Israel heeded him, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses.

A. Moses had laid his hands on Joshua in Deut 31…commissioned him to the ministry. Joshua had the same spirit as Moses – the spirit of wisdom. Was this the filling of the Holy Spirit? Yes…but in a different way than NT believers. OT believers weren’t sealed with the Spirit or indwelt at salvation.
B. Possible that Joshua wrote this last chapter…
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10 But since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, 11 in all the signs and wonders which the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt, before Pharaoh, before all his servants, and in all his land, 12 and by all that mighty power and all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.

A. As of the time of this particular writing, that was true. It was true up till the manger in Bethlehem when another prophet (more than a prophet) arose in Israel.
__a. Jesus knew the Lord face-to-face far better than Moses. With Moses, it’s more or less a figure of speech showing the accessibility he had with God, but Moses never actually saw the face of God because no one can see God & live. But Jesus HAD seen God because Jesus was in the beginning with God and IS God. When Jesus became flesh, He declared God to us (John 1:18).
__b. Jesus did great signs & wonders & showed mighty power. Moses may have parted the Red Sea, but Jesus calmed the stormy sea, fed thousands at a time, healed the sick, cleansed the lepers & much more.

B. Moses told Israel to expect someone like him… Deuteronomy 18:17-18 (17) “And the Lord said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good. (18) I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. [] And this is exactly what happened.
__a. Moses was the mediator between Israel & God… Jesus is our Mediator. (1 Tim 2:5)
__b. Moses was an intercessor… Jesus intercedes for us. (Rom 8:34)
__c. Moses was the law giver… Jesus is the law-keeper… (Matt 5:17)
__d. Moses provided manna from heaven… Jesus is the bread of heaven. (John 6:51)
__e. Moses provided water in the wilderness… Jesus gives the living water… (John 7:38)
__f. Moses’ face glowed upon being in the presence of God; Jesus IS the face of God. (Col 1:15)
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Conclusion:
So what was the legacy of Moses? All of Moses’ life was dedicated to proclaiming the word of God and preparing the people of God for what God had for them. He gave the Law, but oftentimes we think of the “Law” as a dirty 4-letter word. Is the law bad? No! The Law serves at least 2 very important functions:
A. It helps us know what sin is… Romans 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” []
B. Because of that, it helps us understand our need for salvation. The law shows us our need for a Savior, and brings us to the feet of Jesus…. Galatians 3:24-25 (24) Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (25) But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. []

5 Books of Moses, all leading up to this point. Genesis showed God as creator & man falling away from Him. Exodus showed God calling Israel back to Himself. Leviticus shows God’s holiness & how He gave Israel the law in dealing with ongoing sin. Numbers showed God showering grace upon Israel in their rebellion. Deuteronomy shows God covenanting with Israel to be their God. All of this is in preparation to bring them into the promised land – but more than that, all of this is in preparation to keep them looking for the promised Messiah. In Christ Jesus, God not only deals with sin, but reconciles man back to Himself – ultimately reversing the curse way back in Genesis.

No matter what book of the Bible we read, the message is the same. God has provided salvation through faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And the application is always the same as well.

A. To the one convicted of sin: repent & trust Jesus for forgiveness.

B. To those of us already walking with Jesus: rejoice! The One Moses prophesied about was revealed to mankind on Christmas morning…which is the reason why the angels sang (and what we celebrate in 7 days). We have reason to rejoice because the Lawgiver has come & fulfilled the Law on our behalf – freeing us to walk with Him in holiness and fellowship.

Act Like It’s Good News

2 Timothy 1:8-18, “Act Like It’s Good News”
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Introduction:
Left alone in a Roman prison, awaiting his imminent execution, one would think Paul might have cursed the gospel. After all, from an outside standpoint, this sure didn’t seem to be “good news.”

But it is! It always has been good news, and whatever we experience in the future, it will always be good news – so we should act like it’s good news. We need not fear to proclaim the gospel, nor be ashamed to witness of Christ. Paul wrote the same thing in the beginning of Romans – Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. [] How does this work out? That’s what Paul writes to Timothy…

2 Timothy 1:8-18 (NKJV)
8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God,

A. Wherefore the “therefore”? The context is that God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. There may be a lot of reasons to be afraid, but we can be assured that this kind of fear does not come from the Lord God. Proper fear of the Lord drives us to God; ungodly unhealthy fear drives us away from Him. Since God hasn’t given us that spirit of fear, “do not be ashamed…”
__a. Why would someone be ashamed of their Christianity? There seems to be a movement now of people (ironically) proclaiming their shame in Christians. One prominent pastor wrote a top 10 list of things he disliked about Christians. Popular book titles include stuff like, “They Like Jesus But Not the Church” & “unChristian”. What’s happened is that we’ve bought into a certain stereotype of what an American Evangelical Christian looks like, and we feel like we’re either forced to denounce it or defend it. But there’s another option…to redefine it according to the Scripture. Why let the world tell the church what a Christian is? That’s backwards! We ought to be demonstrating to them what a Christian is by our love for God & our love for one another…

B. Don’t be “ashamed of the testimony” of Jesus: “testimony” = “witness” (martyr). Don’t be ashamed of the Cross. Jesus wasn’t a failure because He was executed by the Romans; that was exactly what God had planned for Him – it pleased the Lord to bruise Him (Isa 53:5). Neither should we be ashamed of Jesus’ resurrection, which was the reason for ridicule in Athens – the Resurrection is God’s declaration (testimony) to the world that Jesus is the Son of God (Rom 1:4). The testimony of Christ may seem like foolishness to the world, but it’s the power of the gospel!
__a. Keep in mind Paul’s not implying that Timothy was ashamed of Christ; he’s exhorting Timothy never to be ashamed. It’s easier to imagine a circumstance in the context of the Roman empire (or in persecuted nations today) where someone might be tempted to be ashamed of the gospel – but what about us? Our temptation may not come with a life/death scenario; it may be more subtle. Ever want to “take a day off” from your faith? Not be Christian for a day? (I’ve been there…) Don’t do it! We don’t just follow Christ; we belong to Him – He bought us (1 Cor 6:20). Every day belongs to Him – and each day we spend ashamed is a day we’ve missed out on fellowship with our Savior & God…

C. Don’t be ashamed of Paul’s imprisonment. Saw this a little last week…some might have thought Paul was a failure since he was in a jail cell. Not true! His chains are in Christ (Phil 1:13); Paul is “His” (Jesus’) prisoner. IOW, there are only 2 reasons Paul is in prison: (1) because Paul was being faithful to preach the gospel, and ultimately (2) because it was the will of God. Paul’s imprisonment didn’t come as a surprise to God – Satan didn’t ‘slip one past’ the Lord… God allowed Paul to be in prison because in some way it glorified Himself. Thus there was no reason for Timothy (or anyone else) to be ashamed of Paul’s chains…God was using him there to proclaim the gospel to Caesar, the guards, the household, to write much of the NT, etc…
__a. We have got to trust in the promises of God! Even if we don’t have a clue what’s going on around us, we can comfort ourselves in the fact that we trust in the One who knows everything. He loves us, brought us into His own family, empowers us through His Spirit, equips us through the Word, and ultimately He causes all things to work for the good for those who love God & are the called according to His purpose (Rom 8:28).

D. “share with me in the sufferings”: All one word in Greek – some scholars think Paul made it up. (Ever do that? Some words just aren’t enough…) Compound word “with” + “endure afflictions/undergo hardship” – Paul’s basically inviting Timothy to be unified with Paul in his trials; to undergo the same things Paul is going through in Rome. Is Paul inviting Timothy to Rome? Possibly an invitation to visit; more likely an invitation to be bold in the ministry of the gospel. Coming out of vs 7, we see we don’t have to be afraid of any suffering we might endure for Christ. He’ll give us the power we need to endure & glorify Him. In fact, any sufferings He allows us to endure we do so “according to the power of God” – His supply is proportional to His infinite power!
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9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,

A. God “saved us”: Amen! We needed saving, and He saved us… Before Christ, we were shipwrecked, floating adrift in the ocean just waiting for our doom – but God saved us through Jesus Christ! He saved us from the penalty of sin, justifying us by His grace & giving us the righteousness of Christ… He saves us from the power of sin, freeing us to walk in purity with Christ by the power of the Spirit… He will continue to save us from the very presence of sin when we are glorified in Christ and spend eternity with the Lord Jesus… He saved us!

B. God “called us”: We weren’t seeking Him, but He was seeking us. As the Good Shepherd, God called us to Himself, convicted us of sin, righteousness and judgment, and gave us the faith we needed to repent & trust Christ. On top of all that, He called us to His family, and adopted us as His own. There’s hardly a more glorious thought than the idea that the Creator God of all the Universe would call you by name to be His own – and yet that’s exactly what He did.

C. It’s all God! Our salvation is “not according to our works”. People tend to place so much value upon their works…it’s the focus of every major religion outside of Biblical Christianity. We think somehow that even though God is manifestly perfect (as demonstrated through His power in Creation), that we can somehow ‘impress’ God with our good deeds. (It’d be like a fireant trying to impress us by not biting. ) Our best works in the flesh are still tainted by our sinful nature inherited from Adam [] – like Isaiah says, “all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags” (Isa 64:6), like something that should be thrown in a biohazard waste bin in comparison with the holiness of Almighty God.

D. What’s the flip-side to our salvation not being according to our works? Our salvation is completely due to God’s “own purpose & grace”. We’re not saved by OUR works; we’re saved by HIS work. God had His own purpose in mind when Jesus went to the cross, paying the price for our sin – and it’s by His grace alone that He extends the invitation to us to be saved.

E. When were we given God’s grace? “Before time began.” I love this part of the gospel! Before Adam fell…before Adam even existed, the Son of God had already been slain for sin. [Writing of Antichrist] Revelation 13:8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. [] Before there was a need for a sacrifice, the Ultimate Sacrifice had already been provided. God has always had a plan for dealing with sin, and He has always been victorious over it!
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10 but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,

A. Grace was given us before time began; it was revealed to us at the Incarnation. Want a reason to celebrate this Christmas? This is why! The miracle in the manger didn’t occur so that we could get excited about an overweight guy in a red velvet suit; it was the revelation of the grace of God shown by the appearing of God in the flesh. This is what the angel proclaimed to the shepherds – Luke 2:11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. [] God gave us a Savior, and His name is Jesus, whom God anointed to be Christ the King. THAT’s the Christmas message, and it’s the revelation of God’s grace.

B. What did Jesus do?
__a. “Abolished death”: Considering the death rate is still 100%, this might seem a bit misleading. “Abolish” is an accurate translation, but the Greek is a bit more thorough – could be defined as “invalidate, be freed, to deprive of force”. (NET) “broken the power of death”…this is more the idea. Jesus already paid the wages of sin (death), so now we don’t have to. As Christians, we may still taste death, but it has no more sting. Jesus is the Resurrection & the Life & those who believe in Him, though we die, we shall live (John 11:25).
__b. “Brought life & immortality”: Speaking of eternal life. Not only did Jesus take away the sting of death for us here on earth – He forever takes away the existence of death in heaven. He gives us life to enjoy in His presence, and this life endures forever…it will never end. You can’t imagine more life than what Jesus provides – all brought to light through the gospel message.

C. That’s why this is called the Good News! Yes, we are in desperate need of salvation due to our sin & we can do nothing to cleanse ourselves from it’s bloody stain. But God did all the work through Jesus Christ, Who appeared in a manger in Bethlehem & was put to death on the Cross at Calvary & raised again to life three days later in Jerusalem! Forgiveness and salvation has now been made available to the whole world because of the appearing of Jesus Christ – and now we can be gloriously cleansed! This is Good News!
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11 to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

A. What happened to Paul as a result of God’s grace in action through Jesus? [Paul’s testimony] Now he’s a preacher, apostle, and teacher of the Gentiles.

B. We all have a similar testimony! ‘No we didn’t. I was a good person… Or I was worse…’ Compared with each other, possibly. Compared with God, not in the slightest…we were all in the same boat. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 (9) Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, (10) nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. (11) And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. [] Goes back to the idea of saving & calling. We were desperate sinners, but God saved us, washed us, and called us to His own. He’s called us to His family, and He’s called us into His service…demonstration upon demonstration of the grace of God.
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12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.

A. For what “reason” wasn’t Paul ashamed of his chains in the gospel? Because it was the gospel of Jesus Christ that saved & called him! Because without a shadow of a doubt, he trusted in the character of Jesus Christ & knew that God is faithful.

B. “I know whom I have believed…” When Paul writes, “know,” he’s not writing of wishful thinking, or that sometimes he knows due to past experience – he’s writing about absolute, unwavering, it’s-a-fact knowledge. Paul knows Jesus Christ. And the Son of God is faithful & able. He’s not going to let Paul’s ministry in the gospel be in vain – it’s going to continue till the Day of Jesus’ return. (And we’re living proof of that…)
__a. Do you know Whom you have believed? Do you have that kind of assurance? There are so many ideas floating around about Jesus Christ that sometimes people get confused. Is He merely the so-called “historical Jesus” who was a good moral teacher (except for all that lying about his divinity, etc.)? Is He the “Genie Jesus” who lives to deliver up every materialistic thing our hearts desire? No – Jesus is the Biblical Jesus – the son of God, God the Son, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Christ, Savior! We need to know Him.
__b. When we claim Him, but don’t know Him, this world is an uncertain place. If Paul was trusting in a historical Jesus, he would have asked, “What’s the point?” There’s no need to suffer if Jesus isn’t really God Risen from the dead… If Paul was trusting in the prosperity genie-Jesus, he would have asked, “What have I done wrong in order to suffer?” After all, if Paul had been doing the right things with enough faith, his life would have been blessed… Instead, Paul knows Jesus & knows that God is in control & that the Lord who loved him, saved him, and called him will continue to care for him in whatever circumstance he endures.
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- How not to be ashamed…
13 Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 14 That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

A. “Hold fast” to doctrine, “the pattern of sound words”: Sometimes we tend to downplay the importance of theology, thinking that stuff only really matters to people in seminary. Not true! All the Bible is theology – anything we know about God is theology (theos – logos)… In order not to be ashamed of the gospel of Christ that saved us & called us, we need to hold on to the teaching that Christ has given us & provided for us. When we don’t, that’s when we start getting pulled aside by false ideas about Jesus, and we don’t know Him as well.
__a. But hold to it in “faith & love”: Keep in mind Paul’s writing to a pastor – as Timothy preaches and teaches doctrine, he needs to do so in faith & love. The temptation would be to teach ‘sanitized’ theology…knowledge of God without God Himself – and that doesn’t do anyone any good. The Great Commandment calls upon us to love God with all our mind, but primarily to love Him with all our heart. True doctrine about Jesus should cause our faith to be strengthened & our love for Him to increase…

B. “Hold fast” to the gospel, “that good thing which was committed to you” – done by relying upon the indwelling Holy Spirit. How so? The Spirit testifies of Jesus (John 15:26), the Spirit teaches us about Jesus’ words (John 16:14), the Spirit empowers us to be witnesses (Acts 1:8). When we stay true to the gospel of Christ, it’s only because the Spirit has equipped us to do so in the first place! (Which is another reason to continually pray to be filled…)
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- Examples of shame or steadfastness…
15 This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.

A. The poor examples first. All of Asia Minor… Phygellus & Hermongenes were apparently ashamed of the gospel & had abandoned Paul in one of his greatest hours of need. No other mention of them in the NT – it’s sad that this is their only legacy.
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16 The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; 17 but when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me.

A. Good example in Onesiphorus! He wasn’t ashamed of Paul’s imprisonment, but willingly, gladly, and zealously sought to help him. And he was a welcome help – “refreshed” = “to cool, revive by fresh air.” Onesiphorus was a breath of fresh air in a stifling prison cell to Paul.
__a. We don’t know what Onesiphorus did – but even his visit alone was enough to encourage Paul. Don’t underestimate the value in a simple visit.
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18 The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that Day—and you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus.

A. Final words of commendation – praying that Onesiphorus would be rewarded at the Bema Seat Judgment.

Conclusion:
The gospel of Jesus Christ is good news! God provided for our salvation before the foundations of the earth – He revealed His grace through the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ – and He invites the whole world to be saved through His work & not our own. For those who respond, He saves us & calls us & equips us for life now & life eternal. Amen to good news!

So Christian, don’t be ashamed of it. There’s no message that can possibly be more glorious. How many of your friends and family did you tell when you were engaged? Or had a baby? How much more is our salvation in Christ? True, the world thinks it’s foolishness – but it’s the power of God…they just don’t know it yet.

Some of you today might feel some kinship with Paul in his suffering. His testimony to Timothy is the same to you: don’t be ashamed of the gospel – trust in it and know Whom you have believed. Jesus didn’t save you once and then hang you out to dry – He saved you completely & whatever you’re going through today, He’s caring for you, providing for you, and interceding for you to God the Father. You can trust your Savior, because He is faithful.

If He’s not your Savior, then you have a decision to make. You’ve heard the gospel – you’ve heard your need for salvation because of sin, how Jesus died on the Cross to pay your debt, & how Jesus rose to new life offering you forgiveness. You’ve probably even felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit affirming that these things are true & that you need to be saved. Don’t ignore His voice – don’t reject His invitation. Turn away from your sin & trust Jesus today…

Promising Discipline; Demonstrating Love

Deuteronomy 31-32, “Promising discipline; Demonstrating love”
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Deuteronomy 31 (NKJV)
1 Then Moses went and spoke these words to all Israel. 2 And he said to them: “I am one hundred and twenty years old today. I can no longer go out and come in. Also the LORD has said to me, ‘You shall not cross over this Jordan.’ 3 The LORD your God Himself crosses over before you; He will destroy these nations from before you, and you shall dispossess them. Joshua himself crosses over before you, just as the LORD has said. 4 And the LORD will do to them as He did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites and their land, when He destroyed them. 5 The LORD will give them over to you, that you may do to them according to every commandment which I have commanded you.

A. Moses can’t go. He’s 120 years old (40 growing up in Egypt – 40 in Midian – 40 leading the Hebrews) & due to his sin with the rock & waters of Meribah Kadesh, he won’t be going any further…going to be reminded of this at the end of Ch 32.
B. God can go…and will! “The LORD your God Himself crosses over before you…” It’s not merely that they will go over the Jordan with the blessing of God; they will go over the Jordan WITH God. He’s the One going to fight the battles – He’s the One that’s going to gain the victory – He’s the One who’s going to deliver the Hebrews into the promised land.
__a. Important to keep in mind! The Hebrews may have followed a representative of God for the past 40 years, but their hope wasn’t in Moses. Neither would their hope be in Joshua; their hope was in God Himself. Likewise for us…we follow Christ Jesus, God Himself. There may be various leaders in the church who are faithful & others who are not – but our hope & trust isn’t in them. Our hope & trust is in Jesus alone.
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6 Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” 7 Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. 8 And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”

A. “Be strong & of good courage”: We’re going to see this repeated often during the transition from Moses to Joshua. Joshua will be going up against what would seem to be insurmountable odds. He’s going to face nations larger and stronger than Israel – these nations will have the home-turf advantage, whereas Israel is nomadic – and Joshua’s leading a nation of 1st-class whiners… Yet the call isn’t to trust in his own strength, but to trust in the strength of the Lord God. Because HE’s strong, we can be strong & courageous in the face of insurmountable odds. If God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom 8:31)
B. Don’t fear. Why? First of all, God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear (2 Tim 1:7)… But also because God was giving them assurances of His provision.
__a. God is the One going with them…there is none stronger.
__b. God is the One who won’t leave them…there is none more faithful.
__c. God made a promise to their fathers…God always keeps His word.
__d. We have a similar promise today. He is with us always, even to the end of the age (Matt 28:20) – He will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb 13:5) – nothing in all creation can ever separate us from His love (Rom 8:39)…Christian, don’t fear!
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9 So Moses wrote this law and delivered it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel. 10 And Moses commanded them, saying: “At the end of every seven years, at the appointed time in the year of release, at the Feast of Tabernacles, 11 when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 12 Gather the people together, men and women and little ones, and the stranger who is within your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the LORD your God and carefully observe all the words of this law, 13 and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God as long as you live in the land which you cross the Jordan to possess.”

A. The covenant was written down… Probably speaking of the whole book of Deuteronomy. No telling how many copies were made – most likely 2: one to be placed in the Ark & one to be given to the Levites.
B. God wanted the law to be read…often! But unfortunately, that’s not what happened. (Clarke) “It does not appear that from the time mentioned (Jos 8:30), at which time this public reading first took place, till the reign of Jehoshaphat (2Ch 17:7), there was any public seventh year reading – a period of 530 years. The next seventh year reading was not till the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah, (2Ch 34:30), a space of two hundred and eighty-two years. Nor do we find any other publicly mentioned from this time till the return from the Babylonish captivity, (Ne 8:2).” To read it publically 3 times in 882 years…is it any wonder that the people fell into idolatry & sin?
C. Why was the law to be read publically? So that they & their children could learn to fear the Lord & obey Him. Keep in mind that they didn’t have multiple study Bibles & various translations in every tent. Copies of the Scriptures were very rare & the literacy rate was obviously low. One has to know God’s Word if they’re going to obey it. And if the people were to know it, they would have to have it read to them.
__a. We’ve got a tremendous privilege & advantage over the ancient Hebrews in that we have our own (multiple) copies of the Scriptures! We have no excuse not to be reading it more than they did…
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14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, the days approach when you must die; call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of meeting, that I may inaugurate him.” So Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tabernacle of meeting. 15 Now the LORD appeared at the tabernacle in a pillar of cloud, and the pillar of cloud stood above the door of the tabernacle. 16 And the LORD said to Moses: “Behold, you will rest with your fathers; and this people will rise and play the harlot with the gods of the foreigners of the land, where they go to be among them, and they will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them. 17 Then My anger shall be aroused against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide My face from them, and they shall be devoured. And many evils and troubles shall befall them, so that they will say in that day, ‘Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?’ 18 And I will surely hide My face in that day because of all the evil which they have done, in that they have turned to other gods.

A. Commissioning Joshua in the presence of the Lord. Both Moses & Joshua went to the Tabernacle with God’s glory present (symbolized by the pillar of cloud). If there was any doubt on God’s choice of a successor, there wouldn’t be any after this!
B. On the eve of writing down the covenant, God tells of how the Israelites will break it. The ink likely isn’t dry yet & God’s already telling them of their coming failure…it’s that certain. And history shows it to be true. Joshua no sooner passes away as Judges Ch 1 starts writing of the sin of the Israelites.
__a. This is just our human nature. Left to ourselves, we are sinful! When we turn away from God, we’re turning to sin (by definition) – and we shouldn’t be surprised when we see the effects of sin showing up in our lives.
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19 “Now therefore, write down this song for yourselves, and teach it to the children of Israel; put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for Me against the children of Israel. 20 When I have brought them to the land flowing with milk and honey, of which I swore to their fathers, and they have eaten and filled themselves and grown fat, then they will turn to other gods and serve them; and they will provoke Me and break My covenant. 21 Then it shall be, when many evils and troubles have come upon them, that this song will testify against them as a witness; for it will not be forgotten in the mouths of their descendants, for I know the inclination of their behavior today, even before I have brought them to the land of which I swore to give them.”

A. Song serves as a witness against them. How so? Not many people can claim to have been warned away from idolatry as much as Israel has. The song of Moses is one more step in that…as they learned, memorized, and sung this song, they were singing the about the prophecies of God concerning what would happen when they fell into apostasy. Thus it was a witness against them.
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22 Therefore Moses wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the children of Israel. 23 Then He inaugurated Joshua the son of Nun, and said, “Be strong and of good courage; for you shall bring the children of Israel into the land of which I swore to them, and I will be with you.”

A. Again the repeated charge to Joshua: “Be strong and of good courage…”
B. Again the promise of victory in the Promised Land. God knows not only their coming failure, but He also knows the deliverance He will give them… Our God is a merciful & gracious God! Knowing their failure, He’s going to be true to His word, no matter what.
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24 So it was, when Moses had completed writing the words of this law in a book, when they were finished, 25 that Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying: 26 “Take this Book of the Law, and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there as a witness against you; 27 for I know your rebellion and your stiff neck. If today, while I am yet alive with you, you have been rebellious against the LORD, then how much more after my death? 28 Gather to me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to witness against them. 29 For I know that after my death you will become utterly corrupt, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you. And evil will befall you in the latter days, because you will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger through the work of your hands.”

A. Good point from Moses. If they were evil during his life, with all the miracles among them – how much more rebellious would they be after his death? One could hardly ask for more visible proof of God’s blessing & existence than what the Hebrews experienced!
B. People today fall into the same line of thinking. “Want me to believe in Jesus? I need more proof.” God has already given us all the witness we need regarding sin & righteousness. [Lazarus & the rich man…] Luke 16:31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ” [] How true! We have the witness of creation, of Scripture, and of the resurrected risen Son of God – and yet some people still do not believe. This isn’t a lack of proof; it’s a lack of willingness. Those who reject the gospel do so knowingly & willfully.
__a. But God still loves them enough to make salvation available…
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30 Then Moses spoke in the hearing of all the assembly of Israel the words of this song until they were ended:
Deuteronomy 32 (NKJV)
1 “Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; And hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. 2 Let my teaching drop as the rain, My speech distill as the dew, As raindrops on the tender herb, And as showers on the grass. 3 For I proclaim the name of the LORD: Ascribe greatness to our God. 4 He is the Rock, His work is perfect; For all His ways are justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright is He.

A. Introduction…remember this is poetry (thought of as the prime example of Hebrew poetry in all literature); Moses is petitioning all Creation to hear the witness of the Lord through this song.
B. What better way to begin than by proclaiming the glory & praises of God? He is great – He is the Rock of Salvation – His works are perfect as He is perfect – His ways are just because He is just – He is a God of truth, righteousness, & uprightness! Our God is worthy of praise!
__i. It’s important to start this song with this – for there is much here that some would charge God with unrighteousness with. God is definitely going to discipline His people and judge sin, but that doesn’t make Him unjust. On the contrary, it affirms His justice & righteousness! It’s proof of His goodness…
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5 “They have corrupted themselves; They are not His children, Because of their blemish: A perverse and crooked generation. 6 Do you thus deal with the LORD, O foolish and unwise people? Is He not your Father, who bought you? Has He not made you and established you?

A. In their rebellion, they’re certainly not acting like God’s children…
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7 “Remember the days of old, Consider the years of many generations. Ask your father, and he will show you; Your elders, and they will tell you: 8 When the Most High divided their inheritance to the nations, When He separated the sons of Adam, He set the boundaries of the peoples According to the number of the children of Israel. 9 For the LORD’s portion is His people; Jacob is the place of His inheritance.

A. Going to recount Israel’s history – showing how God interacted with them.
B. First, God chose them. Of all the peoples of the earth, God chose Abraham & the Hebrews. He picked them out of all the sons of Adam as His own people; His own possession. Not because they had earned His favor, but because He is good & gracious. Likewise, God chose us as His own people, as a holy priesthood unto Him (1 Pet 2:9). We love Him because He 1st loved us (1 John 4:19).
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10 “He found him in a desert land And in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye. 11 As an eagle stirs up its nest, Hovers over its young, Spreading out its wings, taking them up, Carrying them on its wings, 12 So the LORD alone led him, And there was no foreign god with him. 13 “He made him ride in the heights of the earth, That he might eat the produce of the fields; He made him draw honey from the rock, And oil from the flinty rock; 14 Curds from the cattle, and milk of the flock, With fat of lambs; And rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, With the choicest wheat; And you drank wine, the blood of the grapes.

A. Second, God provided for them. Once free from Egypt, God guided them through a desert wasteland for 40 years, providing life, manna, water, clothing, protection, and more. Israel has no need whatsoever to turn to idols; they serve the Living God – Jehovah Jireh their provider.
B. Note God didn’t merely provide for them as if He was obligated to do so with the bare minimum…God truly loves His people. They are “the apple of His eye” – He takes care of them like a mother eagle – He gave them the “choicest wheat”, etc.
__a. Is God’s provision really a sign of God’s love for them? After all, God causes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust (Matt 5:45). But God’s provision is far more than causing our bellies to be full – He’s given us provision at our greatest need: salvation! Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. [] There’s no greater provision than that!
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15 “But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; You grew fat, you grew thick, You are obese! Then he forsook God who made him, And scornfully esteemed the Rock of his salvation. 16 They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods; With abominations they provoked Him to anger. 17 They sacrificed to demons, not to God, To gods they did not know, To new gods, new arrivals That your fathers did not fear. 18 Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful, And have forgotten the God who fathered you.

A. Who’s Jeshurun? Just another name for Israel. A bit of irony here, as it’s translated “the upright/righteous one” while describing their unrighteousness.
B. How did Israel respond to God’s gracious choice & provision? They forgot Him & provoked Him to jealousy & anger through idolatry. Were they really serving other gods? No – there is no other god but God Almighty. So who/what receives idolatrous sacrifices? Demons (vs. 17). Paul takes up the same theme in 1 Cor 10 regarding communion. The prohibition from idolatry doesn’t stop with the New Covenant – it carries over to us as well. God fathered us & adopted us as His own; we dare not forget Him.
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19 “And when the LORD saw it, He spurned them, Because of the provocation of His sons and His daughters. 20 And He said: ‘I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end will be, For they are a perverse generation, Children in whom is no faith. 21 They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God; They have moved Me to anger by their foolish idols. But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation; I will move them to anger by a foolish nation. 22 For a fire is kindled in My anger, And shall burn to the lowest hell; It shall consume the earth with her increase, And set on fire the foundations of the mountains.

A. God’s response? The same as Israel’s towards Him:
__a. God forsakes them. There’s no more terrible thought than God hiding His face & presence from His children. It’s no wonder Jesus cried out in anguish from the cross, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?” (Matt 27:46) when bearing the sin of mankind.
__b. God provokes them to jealousy. How so? Through us! Romans 10:19-20 (19) But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says: “I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation, I will move you to anger by a foolish nation.” (20) But Isaiah is very bold and says: “I was found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me.” []
__c. God moves them to anger. When Israel & Judah are taken into captivity, they’ll understand a bit of the anger they caused the Lord.
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23 ‘I will heap disasters on them; I will spend My arrows on them. 24 They shall be wasted with hunger, Devoured by pestilence and bitter destruction; I will also send against them the teeth of beasts, With the poison of serpents of the dust. 25 The sword shall destroy outside; There shall be terror within For the young man and virgin, The nursing child with the man of gray hairs. 26 I would have said, “I will dash them in pieces, I will make the memory of them to cease from among men,” 27 Had I not feared the wrath of the enemy, Lest their adversaries should misunderstand, Lest they should say, “Our hand is high; And it is not the LORD who has done all this.” ’

A. It’s a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God! Promises famine, pestilence, war, and destruction.
B. How bad is it going to be? So bad that the Lord would have completely wiped them out, if not for the neighboring nations being able to bring a charge of unfaithfulness against the Lord God. I.e. “God must not keep His word if He destroyed His own people.” Thus, due to God’s own glory & reputation, the Hebrews remained a people even though they faced terrible devastation.
__a. There has always been a remnant of God’s people – even today! And still the glorious promise remains that God will remove the blinders from the rest of the nation & they will one day recognize their Messiah & worship Him in Spirit and truth. (Rom 11:5, 26)
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28 “For they are a nation void of counsel, Nor is there any understanding in them. 29 Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this, That they would consider their latter end! 30 How could one chase a thousand, And two put ten thousand to flight, Unless their Rock had sold them, And the LORD had surrendered them? 31 For their rock is not like our Rock, Even our enemies themselves being judges. 32 For their vine is of the vine of Sodom And of the fields of Gomorrah; Their grapes are grapes of gall, Their clusters are bitter. 33 Their wine is the poison of serpents, And the cruel venom of cobras.

A. What were they too foolish to understand? That the sin wasn’t worth it! God had promised incalculable blessing for walking with Him & utter devastation for not doing so. Yet they chose the sin instead…
B. We do the same thing every time we choose sin over obedience… We could experience blessing & fellowship as we walk with Christ Jesus, but so often we experience consequences and God’s discipline when we choose to sin instead. It’s just not worth it!
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34 ‘Is this not laid up in store with Me, Sealed up among My treasures? 35 Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; Their foot shall slip in due time; For the day of their calamity is at hand, And the things to come hasten upon them.’

A. IOW, this isn’t a threat; this is a promise. When they fall into idolatry, these things will come upon them.
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36 “For the LORD will judge His people And have compassion on His servants, When He sees that their power is gone, And there is no one remaining, bond or free. 37 He will say: ‘Where are their gods, The rock in which they sought refuge? 38 Who ate the fat of their sacrifices, And drank the wine of their drink offering? Let them rise and help you, And be your refuge.

A. As the prophets of Baal found out with Elijah (1 Kings 18), false gods can’t help people because they don’t exist. People can sincerely believe with their whole hearts in false gods & false religions & still be sincerely wrong.
B. But note that God has compassion on His people – even after momentous sin (vs. 36). That’s just Who God is…it’s part of His character & name. Exodus 34:6-7 (6) And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, (7) keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” [] Will He judge? Yes – absolutely. But does God still show compassion in the midst of it? Yes! Just in the fact He doesn’t completely destroy Israel, He demonstrates His compassion. But He doesn’t stop there; He desires to see them repent, and bless the nation. Again, we see it underlined, highlighted & put in bold type: God loves His children!
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39 ‘Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand. 40 For I raise My hand to heaven, And say, “As I live forever, 41 If I whet My glittering sword, And My hand takes hold on judgment, I will render vengeance to My enemies, And repay those who hate Me. 42 I will make My arrows drunk with blood, And My sword shall devour flesh, With the blood of the slain and the captives, From the heads of the leaders of the enemy.” ’

A. There is no God but God! In blessing and destruction, God is always sovereign and almighty. None can stand or compare to Him…
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43 “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people; For He will avenge the blood of His servants, And render vengeance to His adversaries; He will provide atonement for His land and His people.”

A. Why can Gentiles rejoice with God’s people? Because God’s atonement is for all of us. The atonement through Jesus Christ makes us one people: the people of God.
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44 So Moses came with Joshua the son of Nun and spoke all the words of this song in the hearing of the people. 45 Moses finished speaking all these words to all Israel, 46 and he said to them: “Set your hearts on all the words which I testify among you today, which you shall command your children to be careful to observe—all the words of this law. 47 For it is not a futile thing for you, because it is your life, and by this word you shall prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess.”

A. Israel may be certain to break the covenant, but that doesn’t stop Moses from imploring with them to follow. Whether or not they followed the law meant life or death…and God would have them choose life!
__a. Whether or not we respond to the Word of God is still a matter of life & death. God knows who will be saved and who won’t be saved…He still implores them to receive forgiveness through Christ.
B. As Christians, we dare not neglect observing God’s word through the Scriptures. We have a tendency to think that any call to obedience is a call to legalism – but that’s note true. Granted, the law has been fulfilled through Christ – but God’s commandments don’t stop with the Old Testament. We’re still commanded to love God will all our heart, soul, mind, and strength – to love one another as Jesus loves us – to bear one another’s burdens & fulfill the law of Christ & more. The difference is that we know today that it’s only through the empowerment of the Spirit that any of this is possible – but we’re still commanded to do it & observe the commands of our Lord & King.
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48 Then the LORD spoke to Moses that very same day, saying: 49 “Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, across from Jericho; view the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel as a possession; 50 and die on the mountain which you ascend, and be gathered to your people, just as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people; 51 because you trespassed against Me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin, because you did not hallow Me in the midst of the children of Israel. 52 Yet you shall see the land before you, though you shall not go there, into the land which I am giving to the children of Israel.”

A. Moses isn’t going to go into the land, but God WILL let him see it… Going to see more of this next week – ultimately this is a show of grace to Moses from God.

Conclusion:
Whether to Israel, Moses, or Joshua – God keeps His word! Joshua was promised to take the people into the land, and God gave that to him. Israel was promised judgment for their sin & redemption upon repentance, and God gave it to them. Moses was promised that though he would not go into the land, that he’s see it, and God gave it to him.

God always keeps His word! God promises salvation to all who repent and trust Christ, and He gives it to us…

Stir It Up

2 Timothy 1:1-7, “Stir It Up”
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Introduction:
Imagine for a moment you knew you had one last phone call to make or email to send before you died. Who would you send it to? What would you say? It’s likely the specifics would be different for each of us – but it’s certain we would tackle it with the utmost seriousness & try to say what we feel is most important.

For Paul, 2 Timothy is that letter. Written between 64-67AD. Nero had already burned Rome & blamed the Christians. At some point, Paul had been re-arrested & there’s some indication he may have been able to personally witness the gospel to the emperor. Nero refused & had Paul killed shortly thereafter. 2 Timothy indicates that Paul knew that he was going to be executed soon – it’s possible this epistle was written after that potential witness encounter. Whatever the history, this is the last letter that Paul wrote…his farewell address.

When we left off in 1 Timothy, Paul had sent Timothy to Ephesus as his emissary (MAP). Sent him with a charge to preach the gospel & to help the Ephesian church get back in order. From all indications, Timothy is still in Ephesus & has been faithful to what Paul originally charged him to do. If 1 Timothy was about initiating the work according to God’s will, 2 Timothy is about being faithful in the work. Faithfulness to the gospel of God – to his calling from God – to the church of God.

Starts with a call to serve. Timothy had the support of his family & the gifting of God – and whatever circumstances he faced in Ephesus, that was enough to keep on serving in the mission God had called him to. The apparent problem is that Timothy had forgotten that he had all he needed. It’s impossible to know all the circumstances, but it seems that Timothy had encountered many trials in Ephesus & perhaps had started trying to “do” ministry in his own strength, rather than fully relying on God. That’s not to say he was somehow backslidden (no appearance of that at all!); simply that wasn’t ministering in the fullness of what God had intended for him. (It’s easy to get to that point! …)

We can fall into the same rut. As Christians, we ‘know’ God has equipped us through the Word & through the gifting of the Holy Spirit for whatever it is He has called us to do in our walk with Christ. But we can get to a place where we stop relying on Christ & start relying on ourselves…and that’s never a good place to be!

2 Timothy 1:1-7 (NKJV)
1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,

A. How did Paul serve? As an “apostle” – he was the apostle to the Gentiles. At the most basic definition of the word, “apostle” simply means “messenger” – but in Paul’s case, he served in the office of an apostle as an eyewitness of the Risen Christ, commissioned personally by Jesus. Interesting that Paul would mention this in such a personal letter to Timothy… (Why bother?) Seems to be an indication that Paul intended for this very personal letter to be read to the entire church. Several aspects mentioned here:
__a. Who is he an apostle of? “Jesus Christ.” Paul had no other agenda than to simply preach Christ. Other false teachers might try using godliness as a means of financial gain (1 Tim 6:5), but Paul had a laser-like focus of proclaiming the death & resurrection of Jesus Christ.
__b. Why is he an apostle? Due to “the will of God.” His apostleship wasn’t something Paul picked out for himself; nor was it imposed upon him by other elders in the church. God had a specific plan for Paul (just like He has for each of us) – and Paul was simply being obedient to God’s calling.
__c. How is it possible he’s an apostle? “according to the promise of life…in Christ Jesus.” Talking about the gospel! The gospel is the promise of life because without Christ Jesus, the one promise we have is death (Rom 6:23) & judgment (Heb 9:27). But in Christ and through Christ, we have forgiveness & the promise (guarantee) of eternal life!
____i. And it IS a promise. Made certain by the Resurrection & the seal of the Holy Spirit…
____ii. Why is this important to Paul’s apostleship? It wouldn’t be possible without the gospel! Everything we do for God is grounded in the grace of God…
B. Does this solely apply to apostles? No. Whoever you are in Christ & whatever role He’s given you – it’s the same. You might be an evangelist of Jesus Christ by the will of God according to the promise of life. Or a teacher… Or a father/mother/husband, etc. Whatever it is the Lord Jesus has given you to do, you do as a representative of Him by His will, according to His promise…
C. Dual meaning to “promise of life”. Not only is Paul’s calling due to the new life he’s received through Christ, he’s also fully aware of the promise of everlasting life through our Risen Savior. Put yourself in Paul’s shoes – you’re keenly aware that the emperor wants your head on a platter & it’s a matter of weeks (if not days) until it happens. What is it you find comfort in? “The promise of life which is in Christ Jesus…”
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2 To Timothy, a beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

A. There’s a lot of family & focus on spiritual heritage in these few verses. Starts by looking at Timothy’s spiritual father. Whether or not Paul led Timothy to the Lord is uncertain (see vs. 6), but two things are sure: (1) Paul was a spiritual “mentor” to Timothy in many ways – to the point of them being likeminded in doctrine, purpose, and love. (2) Timothy might never have heard the gospel if it weren’t for Paul.
__a. Timothy was a native of Lystra (modern day Turkey – MAP2), to which Paul & Barnabas 1st brought the gospel on their 1st missionary journey (Acts 14). What’s interesting about this 1st visit to Lystra is that it’s the 1st of several…Paul & Barnabas could barely stop people from sacrificing to them after a healing & some of the Jews stirred up the people to stone Paul till he appeared to be dead (Acts 14:18-19). Most of us would consider that to be a closed door! … Not Paul. There were disciples made on that 1st visit & when Paul visited again in his 2nd journey (with Silas), he met Timothy who was already a believer (Acts 16:1).
__b. Here’s the point – we never know what God is going to do through the sharing of the gospel except one thing: He’s not going to let His word return void. Isaiah 55:11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. [] … Maybe we’re planting the seed – maybe we’re watering – maybe we’re harvesting – those are things for the Lord to determine. We just need to be faithful in participating in the Great Commission. What might have seemed to be a ‘failed’ 1st visit to Lystra ended up producing a vital assistant to the Apostle to the Gentiles & a faithful elder in the church of Ephesus.
B. Typical Pauline greeting (combination of Greek & Hebrew) – with the addition of “mercy…” (only in pastoral epistles – pastors need to experience it & extend it). Where do grace, mercy, & peace come from? God the Father & Christ Jesus… Equal placing; equal divinity…
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3 I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, 4 greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy,

A. Shows the closeness Paul had with Timothy. Prayed for him often – cried over each other at their last meeting.
B. What does it mean for Paul to serve God “with a pure conscience”? Paul may have been in prison, but he was there due to the will of God (as opposed to any criminal actions). He was right where God wanted him to be, and was serving how God wanted him to serve.
__a. Sometimes we buy into the idea that the way to determine God’s will is by choosing the path that seems the easiest (“He’s blessing me here, so that must mean He’s provided for this!”). If that’s the case, what does that say about Paul or Peter or Jeremiah or Moses or even Jesus? Were they somehow outside of the will of God because they encountered tough things? Perish the thought! Many times the will of God is to bless us in the midst of our suffering by strengthening us through the Holy Spirit.
C. Moves to Paul’s family here. Which “forefathers” is he referring to? Granted, Paul’s father was a Pharisee (Acts 23:6), but this seems to be more a reference to his own spiritual forefathers like Abraham, Moses, and David. These were men who were certainly flawed, but they served the Lord with pure consciences – seeking to glorify God and trusting in His promises & provision. There may have been a change of covenants/dispensations between David & Paul, but definitely not a change of Gods. We serve the same Lord & Savior – we are saved in the same way (by grace through faith)…
__a. BTW, Paul’s spiritual fathers are ours as well – going all the way back to Abraham. Abraham was justified by faith, and thus he is the forefather of everyone who is justified by faith (that’s us!). Romans 4:11-12 (11) And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while still uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are uncircumcised, that righteousness might be imputed to them also, (12) and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also walk in the steps of the faith which our father Abraham had while still uncircumcised. []
__b. Why learn of our spiritual heritage? So we can learn from their walk with God: their victories & their failings. We sometimes get the idea that we’re the “only one” who has ever gone through what we experienced (lapses of faith, sin, trials). Not true! Abraham lapsed in his faith numerous times regarding Sarah, yet he’s known as the father of faith. David sinned against God through murder, adultery, and deceit, yet through his repentance he’s known as a man after God’s own heart. We don’t study the OT merely to increase our knowledge or to adopt Hebrew culture. We study the OT to see Christ Jesus & what He taught our forefathers who sought to serve Him with a pure conscience.
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5 when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.

A. Timothy’s spiritual father may have been Paul, but he had a spiritual heritage going back in his earthly family: Grandma Lois & Mom Eunice. [Paul’s 2nd journey – Acts 16:1] Who converted who, we don’t know – but it was evident Timothy grew up in a God-fearing home with women who loved the Lord.
__a. BTW: Some of you have been praying for your children & grandchildren a long time…don’t stop! Even if you never see the fruit, don’t stop.
B. What did Timothy, Lois, & Eunice have? “Genuine faith” = “unhypocritical faith”. Greeks used the word we get “hypocritical” from to describe actors – they would play a part on the stage & give rehearsed answers. “Genuine” is the same word with an “a” in the front, negating it. IOW, genuine faith is unfeigned & unrehearsed…it doesn’t put on a “Christian” face when someone’s in a church building & drop it when he hits the parking lot. Genuine faith is sincere & authentic.
__a. ‘I want that kind of faith! Where do I get it?’ God. Ephesians 2:8-9 (8) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, (9) not of works, lest anyone should boast. [] Genuine faith doesn’t pop up in someone’s life because they repeated a prayer that they didn’t mean. It doesn’t come because we decide to “clean up our act” and try to live a certain way. It only comes from God Himself when the Holy Spirit breathes new life in us when we’ve truly trusted in the Lord Jesus for our salvation.
__b. Can people see genuine faith in you? Timothy’s faith was evident to Paul. Would your faith be evident to someone else? It’s often been asked if we were on trial for our faith in Christ, would there be enough evidence to convict us? When our faith is genuine, there definitely should be.
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6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

A. What was the gift? No one really knows – any suggestion is just speculation. In the end, it doesn’t matter; what matters is that Timothy definitely HAD a gift (charisma ~ charismatic). At some point (probably Timothy’s ordination – 1 Tim 4:14), the elders of the church had laid hands on Timothy to either impart or recognize a gift given to him. All of us have gifts! (1 Pet 4:10) When God saved you & called you to Himself, He also called you to service within the Body of Christ. And He’s equipped you for that task through the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
__a. What are some of the gifts we might have? At least 3 different listings in the NT…some miraculous, some service. Romans 12:6-8 (6) Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; (7) or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; (8) he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. [] All the focus seems to get put on the sensational miraculous gifts like prophecy & healing – but ALL the gifts are necessary to the body of Christ. Those who give financially & those who show mercy are just as important to the church as those who teach the Word!
B. Whatever we have, God expects us to use it! “Stir up the gift of God…” Literally, “rekindle/stir into flame.” Fire takes 3 things to exist: oxygen, fuel, and heat. When fires start to die down, one of those things is lacking – stirring up allows more oxygen come in contact with the heat, which spreads to more fuel (wood)…pretty soon you have a roaring fire again. With the gifts of God, it’s similar – He’s already provided the fuel & heat with the gifts in our lives. What we generally need is more oxygen – to be filled anew with & reliant on the Holy Spirit. That’s not something we can fake (ask Nadab & Abihu – Lev 10), but it is something we can (and should!) ask for. Luke 11:11-13 (11) If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? (12) Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? (13) If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” [] Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1), the disciples were repeatedly filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:4, 4:8, 4:31), the NT commands that we continually be filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph 5:18)…we need to be filled! It is impossible to do the work of God without the power of God – and when we’re not relying on the Holy Spirit, we’re not relying on the power of God.
__a. Notice where the emphasis is here: on the gifts of God. It’s not that Paul was telling Timothy to be someone he wasn’t. Timothy seems to have been a meek young man; Paul wasn’t exhorting him to grow some chest hair & be burly & boisterous. Instead he tells Timothy to stir up what God had already given him. [] God has already given us the gifts – He’s already equipped us with what we need. We don’t need to be someone we’re not; we need to be who God has equipped us to be. … …
C. Why stir up the gifts? So we can use them for God’s purpose and God’s glory. He doesn’t equip us and empower ourselves so that we can have some sort of spiritual pride; He wants us to use the gifts to edify the church & evangelize the lost. [Parable of the Talents…Matt 25] We want to hear “Well done, good & faithful servant!”
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7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

A. God gives all sorts of things…faith, wisdom, etc. One thing we can be assured of that He has NOT given us is a “spirit of fear”. Some translate “fear” as “timidity” – which is technically accurate, but we get a different kind of connotation than what Paul probably intended here. It’s not that Timothy experienced mere shyness from time to time, it seemed he dealt with bouts of fearfulness & cowardice. Definitely an unhealthy kind of fear!
__a. What’s the difference between healthy & unhealthy fear? It’s good to have the right kind of fear. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov 9:10) & knowledge (Prov 1:7) – it’s a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God (Heb 10:31). That kind of fear is healthy…it helps us keep the proper perspective regarding the holiness of God & the sinfulness of sin… … The kind of fear Paul’s describing in vs. 7 (only time the word is used in the NT) is unhealthy. Instead of driving us to our knees before the Almighty God, it causes us to flee from what God has called us to do. Healthy reverent fear drives us to God; unhealthy worldly fear drives us away from Him.
__b. Where does unhealthy fear come from? Could have many causes. Maybe we’re too focused on ourselves or our finances – maybe we’ve consumed ourselves with “what if’s” & worries – maybe we’ve come under spiritual attack. Whatever it is at the time, we can be assured of one thing: it didn’t come from God! Knowing that should give us hope…because once we identify unhealthy fear for what it is, then we can start dealing with it in prayer. Philippians 4:6-7 (6) Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; (7) and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. []
B. God does give “power”: dunamis (miracle working power)…whatever power we need to get through whatever situation we face, God provides. He empowers us through the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8) to be faithful witnesses for Him.
C. God does give “love”: agape…demonstrated magnificently through the gospel (Rom 5:18). As a born-again believer in Christ, nothing can separate you from the love of God (Rom 8:39) – He always loves you. Whether we’re fearful or worried, we can rest assured that our Father loves us, cares for us, and knows our need.
D. God does give a “sound mind”: refers to “moderation or discipline”. Instead of having our mind being gripped with unhealthy ungodly fear, God helps our mind be at ease – healthy & controlled.

Conclusion:
Obviously we’re not all apostles or pastors in the Body of Christ. We all encounter different difficulties & different temptations in our walk with Christ. But some things are still the same for everyone who is a believer:
(1) We need a genuine faith…
(2) We’ve been equipped by God for whatever it is He’s called us to do…
(3) We need to do it, by God’s power, recognizing ungodly fear along the way…

So what are you waiting for? Stir up the gift of God in your life & do what He’s called us to do: loving God with all our heart – loving each other as He loved us – and sharing the good news with the world. Walk with Christ by His power, in His love, and with the sound mind assured by His faithfulness.

Choose Life!

Deuteronomy 29-30, “Choose Life!”
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Deuteronomy 29 (NKJV)
1 These are the words of the covenant which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which He made with them in Horeb. [Mt. Sinai] 2 Now Moses called all Israel and said to them: “You have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land— 3 the great trials which your eyes have seen, the signs, and those great wonders. 4 Yet the LORD has not given you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear, to this very day.

A. They’ve seen these things with their own eyes. Which things? Miraculous things! 9 plagues – the Passover – the Red Sea – pillar of fire/cloud… Even though their fathers died in the 40 year wandering, most of those alive are still eyewitnesses to these events. They KNEW the miraculous power of God because they had experienced it for themselves.
B. Yet at the same time, they did not see. They saw with their eyes, but didn’t see with their hearts. Like the Jews who heard Jesus’ teaching, they saw but did not perceive. Many who ate of the fish & loaves left with their bellies full & their hearts empty. It’s not enough to know of God; we have to know God – and the only way that happens is humbly laying our lives before Him. The Israelites were still filled with pride (hence their consistent complaining in the wilderness) – thus God had not yet given them a heart to perceive. God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (Jas 4:6) – all through Jesus Christ.
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5 And I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn out on your feet. 6 You have not eaten bread, nor have you drunk wine or similar drink, that you may know that I am the LORD your God. 7 And when you came to this place, Sihon king of Heshbon and Og king of Bashan came out against us to battle, and we conquered them. 8 We took their land and gave it as an inheritance to the Reubenites, to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh.

A. All miracles of God along the way. Never had a need for new clothes or shoes – never had to plant wheat for bread or vineyards for wine (God supplied manna and water) – able to defeat experienced armies as a foretaste of the conquest…
B. All these things provided by the Lord as evidence that HE was their source of strength. The specific reason, “that you may know that I am the LORD your God”…
__a. This is always God’s reason for His display of power. It’s always to glorify Himself & be a witness unto Him. … It’s never to glorify a man “doing” the miracle! []
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9 Therefore keep the words of this covenant, and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do. 10 “All of you stand today before the LORD your God: your leaders and your tribes and your elders and your officers, all the men of Israel, 11 your little ones and your wives—also the stranger who is in your camp, from the one who cuts your wood to the one who draws your water— 12 that you may enter into covenant with the LORD your God, and into His oath, which the LORD your God makes with you today, 13 that He may establish you today as a people for Himself, and that He may be God to you, just as He has spoken to you, and just as He has sworn to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

A. Invitation to reaffirm the covenant. Who’s invited? Everyone! From the natural born Hebrew to the stranger & slave among them. No one is left out – which is the way God has always worked. The road is indeed narrow & the way is exclusive to Jesus, but the invitation has always gone out to the entire world…we just come according to God’s terms & not ours.
B. God is God. That’s simply an unavoidable fact. But because of His great love & great mercy, He desires to be OUR God. … … Why? Does God need us? Of course not – He is perfectly whole & fulfilled in & of Himself. But because God loves us, to demonstrate His compassion, and to bring Himself glory through redemption, He desires to save us. (2 Pet 3:9)
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14 “I make this covenant and this oath, not with you alone, 15 but with him who stands here with us today before the LORD our God, as well as with him who is not here with us today [perpetual covenant for future generations]

16 (for you know that we dwelt in the land of Egypt and that we came through the nations which you passed by, 17 and you saw their abominations and their idols which were among them—wood and stone and silver and gold); 18 so that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood; 19 and so it may not happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart’— as though the drunkard could be included with the sober.

A. When we turn away from God, do we always turn to idols? Yes. They may not be the silver & gold statues of Egypt, but when we serve someone or something other than the God of the Universe, we’re committing idolatry. Maybe it’s our careers – maybe our computers – maybe even our kids… In the end, this is idolatry.
B. What happens when someone turns away from God to idols? First, they develop a root of “bitterness or wormwood”. It’s either gall in our mouth or poison in our spirit…it always has an effect on the person who turns away, because sin always has consequences.
__a. Usually ends up affecting those around him/her as well. Writer of Hebrews says the same thing – Hebrews 12:14-15 (14) Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: (15) looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; [] Many become defiled by the fall of one – either through reputation or example. We have an effect on others in the body of Christ, thus we not only have a responsibility to God, but to each other.
C. Second, they fall into delusion – thinking they can be blessed even in their sin. The person thinks, “I can do whatever I want & work it out later…it’s no big deal.” Wrong. It IS a big deal. Scripture is clear that we reap what we sow – if we sow to corruption, we’re going to reap from it as well. (Gal 6:7-8)
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20 “The LORD would not spare him; for then the anger of the LORD and His jealousy would burn against that man, and every curse that is written in this book would settle on him, and the LORD would blot out his name from under heaven.

A. The ultimate consequence of turning away from God? Death. Those who reject His offer of life and forgiveness will experience His wrath & judgment for all eternity.
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21 And the LORD would separate him from all the tribes of Israel for adversity, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this Book of the Law, 22 so that the coming generation of your children who rise up after you, and the foreigner who comes from a far land, would say, when they see the plagues of that land and the sicknesses which the LORD has laid on it: 23 ‘The whole land is brimstone, salt, and burning; it is not sown, nor does it bear, nor does any grass grow there, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in His anger and His wrath.’

A. Talking about complete devastation of the land. That which was to be a perpetual gift to Israel is perpetually taken away from them. There’s so much devastation that it would take a miracle of God to restore the land to fruitfulness (which is exactly what happened).
B. How bad would the devastation be? So bad that it would serve as a warning to foreign nations. God’s righteousness is either going to be demonstrated through His people’s obedience, or His discipline on their disobedience.
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24 All nations would say, ‘Why has the LORD done so to this land? What does the heat of this great anger mean?’ 25 Then people would say: ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt; 26 for they went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods that they did not know and that He had not given to them. 27 Then the anger of the LORD was aroused against this land, to bring on it every curse that is written in this book. 28 And the LORD uprooted them from their land in anger, in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.’

A. The reason for such devastation? Forsaking the Lord for idols. (Idolatry is a constant theme throughout Deuteronomy. Why? Because God knows the value of repetition! Israel would repeatedly fall into idolatry in their kingdom years, and God would have saved them from the consequences.)
B. The effect from such devastation? God pours out His wrath on the land. He takes away the promise & blessing, and allows His own people to be severely disciplined.
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29 “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

A. What are the “secret things”? The unknown – the future… God knows it!
B. Need we worry about the future? No. We simply need to walk with the Lord today. You can imagine the comfort this must have brought to the Israelites – after all this discussion about curses & discipline for future rebellion, it helps to know what they can do right now. And what they can do right now is listen to the law of God & obey it. (Going to expand on this in Ch 30…)
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Deuteronomy 30 (NKJV)
1 “Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the LORD your God drives you, 2 and you return to the LORD your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, 3 that the LORD your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the LORD your God has scattered you.

A. Note the acknowledgement that Israel WILL break the covenant and be sent into captivity…this was no surprise to God (who knows the end from the beginning) & should not have been to the people when it occurred…
__a. Why were they taken by surprise? (1) They were prideful & didn’t want to believe the warnings of Jeremiah, etc… … (2) They obviously had not been reading the Scriptures…
B. Who actually sends them into captivity? The Lord! He may have used the Assyrians, Chaldeans & Romans, etc, but it was the Lord God who drove them there…
__a. God is sovereign – even in times we don’t understand. (Habbakkuk)
C. Just as sure that God had a plan for their discipline, He also had a plan for their repentance… This is the compassion of our God! He knows we’re going to mess up, but He also knows what we need to be restored to fellowship. In the Israelites’ case, it was to turn back to the Lord; in our case it’s the same. Confession & repentance (1 John 1:9)
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4 If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you. 5 Then the LORD your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers.

A. Talking about the diaspora & return? Fulfilled in Ezra – or in 1948 – or still to be fulfilled after the rapture of the church? Yes, yes, and yes. God DID bring the Jews out of captivity back to the land – but they didn’t prosper more than in the times of David & Solomon. God DID bring them many Jews back to Israel in the 20th Century, but not all of them – and although they are a prosperous people, they’ve been under constant warfare since their inception. This seems to be a promise yet to be fulfilled, likely after the Church is removed in the rapture & the blindness is removed from Israel’s eyes (Rom 11:25-26). Ultimately the promise must be fulfilled in Christ (as all promises of God are) – thus God must bring them to a point where they see our Messiah for Who He is & their hearts become circumcised – see vs. 6…
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6 And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.

A. This was always God’s intention for His people! They were definitely expected to keep the Law, but God knew their inability & failings. But instead of following God out of rigid legalism, He desired for them to truly love Him and follow Him with their heart. … …
B. Those who are true Jews were circumcised in the heart. Romans 2:28-29 (28) For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; (29) but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God. []
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7 “Also the LORD your God will put all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you. 8 And you will again obey the voice of the LORD and do all His commandments which I command you today. 9 The LORD your God will make you abound in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your land for good. For the LORD will again rejoice over you for good as He rejoiced over your fathers, 10 if you obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book of the Law, and if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

A. What happens with their repentance & God’s blessing? All the curses are reversed! Instead of the Hebrews suffering the curses, the curses fall on those who would oppress them. Instead of the land being devastated, it would be fruitful. Instead of livestock dying off in famine, it would increase. Instead of enduring God’s wrath, they’ll experience God’s rejoicing… Zephaniah 3:14-17 (14) Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! (15) The Lord has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; You shall see disaster no more. (16) In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: “Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak. (17) The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” [] What an amazing thought! That the King of the Universe would rejoice over us – like the Father of the Prodigal Son who showed such compassion, grace, and joy at his son’s return…
__a. Is this reference only earthly blessing? Seems to also look forward towards the Millennium.
B. How does this happen? Through repentance and obedience… (Notice a pattern yet? ) Keep in mind obedience is exactly the basis for God’s blessing. Only it’s not our obedience; it’s Jesus’. HE is the obedience One who perfectly fulfilled the law…
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11 “For this commandment which I command you today is not too mysterious for you, nor is it far off. 12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend into heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 13 Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?’ 14 But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.

A. IOW, God didn’t make it too hard to understand, nor did He make it too difficult to do. It’s not like we have to climb to the top of Mt. Everest to seek the truth – God had placed the truth right before Israel (and us) in His word. He clearly lets us know what is expected of us regarding righteousness, so that we are left without excuse.
B. Why then can’t we do it? Because we have a fallen nature that’s dead in our sin (Rom 5:12). We’re not sinners because we sin; we sin because we’re sinners… This is why we need to be born again & given a new nature by Jesus making us new creations…
C. Paul takes these exact words and applies them to our salvation in Christ. Romans 10:8-10 (8) But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): (9) that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (10) For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. [] Ultimately the way the Law is fulfilled is in Christ, thus the way we are justified in the sight of God is by confessing Jesus as Lord… It’s not a work that we perform – it’s not some good deed we do; it’s repentance & faith in Jesus alone as the risen Son of God.
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15 “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, 16 in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess.

A. What a choice! Life or death – which should we choose? In our flesh, we insanely choose death. We ought to choose life! And when we walk with Christ Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit, we do…
B. What does choosing life look like? Loving God & walking with Him in obedience & fellowship.
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17 But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, and are drawn away, and worship other gods and serve them, 18 I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days in the land which you cross over the Jordan to go in and possess.

A. Pretty clear. If they serve other gods, they will perish. God’s always been clear when it comes to sin. To Adam regarding the tree of the knowledge of good & evil, He said, “the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Gen 2:17) God’s not giving spiritualized commands – He’s not speaking in allegories – He’s simply saying “Sin leads to death.” And that’s never changed…
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19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; 20 that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.”

A. Choose life! So that you & your descendants may live… Choose life! So that you may love the Lord your God & cling to Him… Choose life! So that you may obey His voice & experience His promise of blessing… Just choose life!

Conclusion:
God invites us to follow Him! When we don’t, the consequences are disastrous…God would save us from that.

The Charge

1 Timothy 6:11-21, “The Charge”
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Introduction:
Have you ever received a formal charge from someone? Sometimes a charge is given at high school or college graduations – at Eagle Scout ceremonies (court of honor), the Charge is a major part of the event. Lays out what’s expected of you as you’re sent off into the world with new responsibility.

As Paul closes his 1st letter to Timothy, he does so with a charge – laying out what’s expected of him as a minister of the gospel. In a sense, the whole epistle might be viewed as a “charge” from Paul to Timothy to teach sound doctrine & to establish the church according to God’s design – but in the close, the charge becomes even more evident (threefold). (1) Charge concerning Timothy’s character… (2) Charge concerning the wealthy… (3) Charge concerning the gospel… Why so serious? Why all these charges? Because although Timothy might be the lead elder/overseer in the church, it’s not Timothy’s church. It’s Jesus’ church! Thus Timothy (as do we) had the obligation to do what Christ Jesus was calling him to do – and nothing else.

1 Timothy 6:11-21 (NKJV)
- Charge to the man of God (character)…
11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.

A. Flee what things? What Paul was just talking about in the rest of Ch 6: rejecting the authority of the Bible, obsessing over words & arguments, using godliness as a means of gain, and loving money in greediness. The man (or woman) of God is supposed to flee these things! Like Joseph encountering the temptation of Potiphar’s wife, when we encounter the temptation of pseudo-religion, we’re to run as fast as we can in the other direction…
B. Don’t just flee from something; flee to something else. Pursue that which pleases God! Whether we’re talking about the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23) or the qualifications for elders (3:2-6), these are all qualities that are borne out of the work God does in us as we seek after Him. The basic idea is that the false teachers seek after gain & riches; true Christians seek after Christ…
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12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

A. Don’t just flee; fight! In 1:18, Paul charged Timothy to “wage the good warfare”; here he picks up the theme again with athletic competition. “Fight” = agonizamai “compete – struggle – strive (agony)”. The charge to follow Christ, preach the gospel, and live righteously is not something that is given passively. We are to pursue it with passion & zeal!
B. What are we to fight for? To “lay hold on eternal life.” Is this ‘salvation by works?’ God forbid! We were “called” to eternal life! It’s not something that can be earned nor bought – it is something that must be given to us through the grace of God. God called us to Himself – the Holy Spirit convicted us of sin, righteousness, and judgment – the Lord Jesus made provision on our behalf…the only thing we did was simply respond in the faith He gave us. Salvation is a work of God; not man!
__a. What does it mean to “lay hold” of it? Simply to apprehend that which Christ Jesus has already apprehended for us. The Lord Jesus has already made us new creations (2 Cor 5:17) & the Holy Spirit empowers us to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8) – we are simply to believe these promises and walk in faith.
__b. There are a lot of people that say, “I’ll worship Jesus in Heaven; I’ll learn of Him there…that’s what eternal life is for.” Why wait? What on earth is possibly more important and pressing than worshipping our Savior now? Lay hold on eternal life NOW…
C. What does it mean that Timothy “confessed the good confession”? Some think this is a reference to Timothy’s ordination – others to his baptism…the basic idea is that Timothy at some point (if not continually) had publically confessed Christ as Savior & Lord. Paul’s reminding him, “You already made a public commitment – don’t lose heart in carrying it out.”
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13 I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things [life has but one Source], and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing,

A. Jesus also witnessed the good confession…He was silent before the Pharisees (Mark 15:3-5 – they didn’t really want an answer anyway), but with Pilate Jesus clearly stated who He is (Luke 23:3, John 18:37). Our Lord never asks us to do what He did not already do Himself – He is our example. We might not be called upon to confess Christ when our life is on the line, but we are all called to be witnesses of Him and confess Him continually…our lives ought to be continual ‘confessions’ of the gospel which saved us.
B. Paul’s point? He’s charging Timothy before our God, Creator, Lord, and Savior to keep on teaching sound doctrine & holding fast to the gospel. “this commandment” likely a reference to the entire letter & goes back to the idea of teaching no other doctrine (Ch 1:3)
C. For how long? Until Jesus comes back (literally, His “epiphany”)…until we see Christ’s face through death or rapture, we are to hold firm to the gospel in word and deed. [Winston Churchill after the Blitz] “Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never –in nothing, great or small, large or petty–never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” Likewise for us! We have an unrelenting enemy who tries to take us down at every opportunity. We live in a world that hates our Lord and would love to see us deny Him and His gospel. But we are to never give in – never, never, never, never!
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15 which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords,

A. “He” = God the Father (context from vs. 16). God will send the Lord Jesus to receive His church in God’s own timing, which only He knows – and could happen at any moment.
B. God is the “blessed…Potentate”: We don’t use the word too much today – “potentate” in English refers to someone who has power/rule over others. In Greek (dunastes), the emphasis is on ‘power’ – it comes from the same root word as dunamis (miraculous power).
C. God is the “King of kings & Lord of lords”: In Rev 19:16, the same title is used of Christ Jesus – in both cases it signifies God’s ultimate authority. There is NONE higher than God – not even the prince of the power of the air (Eph 2:2). The Devil’s authority is infinitely less than God because God is infinitely greater than all His Creation. Now put yourself in the shoes of a Roman citizen…if God is infinitely higher than Satan, how much higher is God over Caesar? In a culture where emperor-worship was encouraged (if not demanded outright), the Scripture puts the ‘mighty’ emperor in his place…he ain’t nothing compared to God!
__a. Every human being who ever existed – no matter how great or how small – how rich or how poor – how powerful or how humble – will one day bow the knee to the Ultimate King of all the Universe! … … Philippians 2:9-11 (9) Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, (10) that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, (11) and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. []
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16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.

A. God is immortal: literally, He is “without death.” There will never be a point in which God comes to the end of His existence. By His own name, He is the “I AM” – the ever-existent One who was & is & is to come. More than never dying, God never had a beginning. In a sense, we all experience eternity through everlasting life/death – we will always exist in either heaven or hell for all time. Angels are everlasting beings. Any creature with a soul is an everlasting being. But although everlasting beings have no end, they certainly had a beginning. God never began; He always has been. He has no beginning & will have no ending – and none other in all creation is like Him because by definition, creation has a beginning; the Creator does not.
B. God “alone” is immortal: The statistics are pretty solid – 10 out of 10 people die. But God is God…and God the Father never dies. Even when Jesus breathed His last breath on the cross, God the Father & God the Holy Spirit was still living and active. The rest of us have a date with death or rapture – and ANY access we have to everlasting life comes through God alone via Jesus Christ.
C. God dwells in “unapproachable light”: God is clothed with light (Ps 104:2) & in eternity there is no need for a sun or moon because the Lamb of God Himself is our light (Rev 21:23) – but the emphasis isn’t so much on illumination as it is on His holiness. God is so holy that He is “unapproachable”. Before God gave Israel the 10 Commandments, He told Moses to cordon off Mt. Sinai so that people wouldn’t get to close (under penalty of death – Exo 19:12). Why? Because God is so holy that no man can presume to be worthy enough to approach Him…our sin defiles us.
__a. Yet this is exactly why the Incarnation of God (which we celebrate at Christmas) is so wonderful! We cannot approach God, so God approached us. The Word of God clothed Himself with flesh & dwelt among us, He took our sin upon Himself & died in our place at the Cross. Now in Christ, we can not only reverently & boldly approach God in prayer, but He’s called us to physically spend eternity with Him.
D. God is unseen: Because of His holiness, no one has seen God at any time (not even Moses – Moses saw the backparts of God) except the Son of God & Christ declared God to us. (John 1:18)
E. God is worthy of “honor & everlasting power”: Not only does God have all power and authority (vs 15)…think about this: God is worthy of MORE. For all time there have been creatures continually surrounding the throne of God worshipping Him & proclaiming His holiness & it’s never stopped because it is never sufficient. Our infinite God is worthy of infinite worship.
F. What does all this mean for us? THIS is the God we’ve been called to worship & proclaim! There is no greater privilege that can be bestowed on a man or woman than be called by the Holy King of kings to serve Him. Guess what? If you’ve been saved, you’ve been called!
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- Charge to the rich & wealthy…
17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy.

A. Before those of us not in the top 1% of the population start thinking these verses don’t apply to us…we’ve got to keep some perspective in mind. The poorest people in the United States are generally more wealthy than of the rest of the world’s population. In 2003 of the lowest 10% of US households in income, 91% owned a color TV – 74% owned microwave ovens – 47% owned clothes dryers…all considered luxuries 50 years ago. (Bruce Bartlett, Washington Times 10/6/2003) If you’re an American, you ARE rich!
B. Since we are rich, we ought “not to be haughty”: It’s not difficult to call to mind various people who flaunt their wealth & look down their noses at the masses – Christians shouldn’t be that way. Our sin left us just as guilty before God as the homeless man down the street – we are in just as much need of salvation as him.
C. We ought not “trust in uncertain riches”: We only have to watch the stock market the last few weeks to know that money is fleeting…here one day & gone the next. Yet so often we fall into the danger of trusting our money rather than the One who gave us our money. Trust in God! Jeremiah 9:23-24 (23) Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; (24) But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the Lord. []
D. But “enjoy” what God does give you: There’s no shame in being rich – God blessed many wealthy people (Abraham, David, Solomon, Joseph of Arimathea…even Job). We simply ought to enjoy these things in a way that brings glory to God.
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18 Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, 19 storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

A. The best thing to be rich in? “Good works…” Goes back to where Paul left off earlier in Ch 6. Those who desire to be rich fall into a trap (vs 9), but those whom God has blessed with riches can use them in wonderful ways for His Kingdom. Mentioned last week that we can’t take it with us. But we CAN send it on ahead & store up a “good foundation” for eternity. Matthew 6:19-21 (19) “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; (20) but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. (21) For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. [] The last line is the key: where’s your heart? Are you trusting in God & glorifying Him with what He’s given you?
B. The result? That the rich “may lay hold on eternal life” – just like Timothy. That they would experience that life God has for them. Paul’s not talking about “your best life now” in terms of material blessing – but he is referring to the spiritually abundant life of someone who knows what it means to walk with Jesus who IS the Life!
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- Final charge…to keep the gospel.
20 O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge— 21 by professing it some have strayed concerning the faith. Grace be with you. Amen.

A. Guard the gospel… Just as the gospel was committed into Paul’s trust (1:11), it was committed into Timothy’s. And through the centuries, it’s been committed unto us as well. There are always movements that run through Christianity (historical and present) that either try to water down the gospel until it’s meaningless universalism (generic pablum for the masses) or strip it of it’s grace until it’s nothing but rigid legalism. It is the responsibility of the Church (us! All true Christians) to keep it pure. We have the glorious privilege of proclaiming that Jesus is the Son of God who died for our sins, rose from the dead, and offers forgiveness & eternal life to all who repent from their sins and trust Him by faith. May we guard the gospel fervently!
B. Avoid the apostasy… Timothy was undoubtedly going to encounter the false teachers Paul had been warning about & they’d expose themselves as profane “idle babblings” (literally “empty voices”) which lead to “contradictions of…[false] knowledge”. KJV says “science”, but Gk gnosis = “knowledge”. Paul hadn’t mentioned them directly so far in the epistle, but this could be reference to the Gnostic heresy he dealt with in Colosse. Could also be another reference to the false money-grubbing folks he’s mentioned so far. Some people like to make themselves sound smart through their words, but their ideas prove themselves to be more empty babbling.
__a. Whatever the case, some had listened to this false teaching & began to stray from the truth & faith in Christ. Christian, be forewarned. Guarding the gospel doesn’t just preserve the truth for others to hear, it protects us from the lies of the enemy that creep into the church.
C. Go in grace… And praise God for it! He gives us grace to hear the gospel, grace to receive the gospel, grace to stay in the gospel, and grace to witness to the gospel. All 100% dependent on the grace of God – and all to His glory.

Conclusion:
3 sections, one main charge from Paul as he closed the letter: Do what God’s called you to do! God called Timothy to preach the pure gospel & Timothy was to do it. God called the rich & wealthy to give cheerfully, storing up for eternity and they were to do it. Their charges are ours as well…we’ve been entrusted with proclaiming and demonstrating the gospel of Christ & we ought to be doing it.

What has God called you to do? Maybe there’s something specific like a ministry in the church or someone God’s laid it on your heart to be a witness to… Maybe it’s something general given to the whole church that perhaps has fallen to the wayside (your personal worship or prayer time – living righteously in purity – being the epistle of Christ – bearing one another’s burdens)…

What are you waiting for? We’ve been charged by God Himself – so let’s be about doing what He’s told us to do!