Jericho: a lesson in trust

Joshua 5-6, “Jericho: a lesson in trust”
——————

Introduction:
Everything’s set for the beginning of the conquest… God has commissioned Joshua & told him not to fear… He took a step of faith & sent spies to the land, and they got a great report of how Jericho feared what was coming… God miraculously dried up the Jordan River & brought them over dry ground – somewhat duplicating the parting of the Red Sea & symbolizing their new walk in the Spirit… Israel took up memorial stones from the riverbed to remember God provision & care over them for the future… Now all that’s left is to fight the battle.

Joshua 5 (NKJV)
1 So it was, when all the kings of the Amorites who were on the west side of the Jordan, and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea, heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel until we had crossed over, that their heart melted; and there was no spirit in them any longer because of the children of Israel.

A. You bet their hearts melted! They had already heard how God had delivered the Hebrews out of Egypt & the parting of the Red Sea, and according to Rahab, their hearts had melted then & had no more courage (2:11). You can only imagine what the Canaanites would have been thinking when God virtually duplicated the miracle at the Jordan River…
__a. When God’s people are walking in the will of God & with God, the world can’t help but take notice…
__b. What does it say about the state of the church today that the world DOESN’T take notice?
.
.

2 At that time the LORD said to Joshua, “Make flint knives for yourself, and circumcise the sons of Israel again the second time.” 3 So Joshua made flint knives for himself, and circumcised the sons of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. 4 And this is the reason why Joshua circumcised them: All the people who came out of Egypt who were males, all the men of war, had died in the wilderness on the way, after they had come out of Egypt. 5 For all the people who came out had been circumcised, but all the people born in the wilderness, on the way as they came out of Egypt, had not been circumcised. 6 For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the people who were men of war, who came out of Egypt, were consumed, because they did not obey the voice of the LORD—to whom the LORD swore that He would not show them the land which the LORD had sworn to their fathers that He would give us, “a land flowing with milk and honey.”

A. The need to get circumcised again…not that they had to do it twice – but anyone who wasn’t circumcised needed to be. Those coming out of Egypt (under 20 at the time of the rebellion) had already been through it – the men who had been born during the 40 year wilderness time had not.

B. Why circumcision? It was a sign of the Abrahamic covenant (Gen 17), and God was about to fulfill the Abrahamic promise…everyone participating in the benefits of the promise needed to be a part of the covenant.
__a. Spiritually speaking, circumcision is a symbol of cutting away the flesh – separating oneself from the world & unto God. What physically took place on their body was to spiritually take place on their hearts (Deut 10:16) & that inward circumcision was the sign of a true Jew (Rom 2:29).

C. Keep the typology in mind. Israel has crossed the Jordan in a picture of being baptized in/filled with the Holy Spirit… Now they’re sanctifying themselves unto the Lord & away from fleshly things. That’s exactly what we need to be doing as Christians, as well. It’s not hard to find Christians (I’ve been one myself) who fall on their face before God – are filled with the Holy Spirit anew for power – and then turn back to old habits almost overnight, and then wonder what happened when they fail or fall into temptation. If we’re going to walk with the Lord in victory over sin, we need to cast off the flesh & be removed from it. (Writing of baptism…) Romans 6:11-13 (11) Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (12) Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. (13) And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. [] When we present ourselves to those old habits & sinful things – we’re engaging in those things that we should have died to. So through the power of the Spirit, we reckon ourselves dead & crucify our flesh…
.
.

7 Then Joshua circumcised their sons whom He raised up in their place; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way. 8 So it was, when they had finished circumcising all the people, that they stayed in their places in the camp till they were healed. 9 Then the LORD said to Joshua, “This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” Therefore the name of the place is called Gilgal to this day.

A. “Gilgal” = “rolling”. This was where they had set up the memorial stones.

B. What did circumcision have to do with Egypt? During their time of wandering, the people apparently didn’t keep up with the covenant of circumcision – even though Moses had commanded it (Lev 12:3). It was as if even though they were free, they still behaved as slaves (evidenced through their constant complaining about how ‘good’ it was in Egypt). The circumcision was a demonstration that they did not belong to Egypt; they belonged to God…

C. Keep in mind that just the act of circumcision was a declaration of their trust in God. With every fighting male newly circumcised, they were completely vulnerable to attack during the time of healing & thus completely dependent upon the Lord for protection.
.
.

10 Now the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho. 11 And they ate of the produce of the land on the day after the Passover, unleavened bread and parched grain, on the very same day. 12 Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan that year.

A. About Passover… (Walvoord & Zuck) “Without circumcision they would have been unqualified to participate in this important event (Ex. 12:43-44, 48). Interestingly the nation arrived across the Jordan just in time to celebrate the Passover on the 14th day of the month (Ex. 12:2, 6). God’s timing is always precise!” What better miracle to be reminded of prior to going to battle against the Canaanites than the Passover? That was the night God purchased their freedom out of Egypt & reaffirmed His promise of a new home…
__a. What do we need to continually remember? Our purchased freedom & salvation in Christ. And we do that through our own Passover celebration: Communion…the body…the blood…pictures of our salvation…
__b. The gospel is not just something given to the unbeliever – it’s for the believer as well! We need to constantly be reminded that our sins have been paid for – that there’s forgiveness at the cross – that we belong to Christ Jesus – that one day we’ll see Him face-to-face. Every day we wake up and walk with Jesus is another day we can be thankful for our salvation – that we now have peace with God. The way we know that God is equipping us for our day-to-day battle against sin is because we’ve been bought with the blood of His Son to begin with. We can rely on His promises regarding sanctification because we’re reminded of His promises & work in our justification. And that’s what Israel was doing…

B. No more manna – a miraculous stop in the same manner of its miraculous provision… Did this mean God stopped providing for Israel? No – He was just providing in different ways. Before, He provided through the manna; now He was providing through the Promised Land.
__a. Be careful not to miss His provision because we were looking for it in a specific way…
.
.

13 And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?” 14 So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?” 15 Then the Commander of the LORD’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so.

A. Who was the “Man”? Jesus! Some have suggested this could have been an angel, but Joshua’s behavior makes that impossible. Angels in Revelation make it a point not to receive worship – yet the “Man” standing before Joshua said nothing about it. This was nothing less than a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ…
__a. This wasn’t as uncommon as we might think. Sometimes we get the false impression that Jesus just suddenly appeared on the scene in Matthew – but Jesus had been appearing in the Scriptures throughout the OT. Jesus walked before Adam & Eve in the cool of the day (Gen 3:8) – Jesus had supper with Abraham & shared the news of the judgment of Sodom (Gen 18) – Jesus wrestled with Jacob & crippled him (Gen 32) – Jesus showed His glory to Moses (Ex 34) – and the list goes on & on. This shouldn’t be surprising to us… The whole Bible message is about Christ & the salvation available in Him – it only makes sense that we see His bodily appearance throughout the Scriptures.

B. Whose side is Jesus on? God’s! We ought not expect for God to be on our side because we’re not the one in control…God is. We want to be on God’s side…

C. Jesus has many roles as the Christ… One of them is as the “Commander of the army of the LORD”. His 1st incarnation was as a meek servant that wouldn’t break a bruised reed; His 2nd coming will be with power & war. Even in His meekness, the Lord Jesus was never weak. At one moment, He’d pick up a child & encourage them to come to Him – or show compassion to a leper & touch the untouchable. The next moment, He’d be flipping over tables in the temple & blasting the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. This is not a weak Man!
__a. As much as I appreciate people’s affection for Warner Sallman’s famous portrait of Christ, it’s left many people with the idea that Jesus is a weak, doe-eyed wisp of a man. But that’s not the picture that the NT paints of Him at all! Revelation 1:14-17 (14) His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; (15) His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; (16) He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. (17) And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. [] This is the Commander of the army of the Lord! This is Who we worship! Is He loving? Yes. Is He meek? Absolutely. But He’s also infinitely powerful, invested with all authority in heaven & on earth, and is coming back to judge!

D. BTW – what made the ground holy? God was standing on it. This was basically Joshua’s burning bush experience. God had told Joshua that He’d be with Joshua just as He was with Moses (1:5) – and this was further proof.
.
.

Joshua 6 (NKJV)
1 Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in.

A. Completely secure and sealed off. Jericho apparently had a multi-tiered wall system, which made it incredibly resistant to attack. [PIC]
B. Why was it “shut up”? Because of Israel – they knew that God was on the way…
.
.

2 And the LORD said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor. 3 You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. 4 And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.”

A. Victory is already certain. Note the past tense in vs 2…

B. In what manner does God desire to show the victory? A strange one! Take the army & march around the city once per day for 6 days – the whole time having 7 priests blowing the shofar while carrying the ark. On the 7th day, do the whole thing 7 times – sound one long trumpet blast & have everyone shout. At that point, the wall is going to fall & the people were to rush inside to do battle. Strange? Yes…but it’s the very word and command of God. If that’s what He says to do, then the people need to trust God & do it.
__a. Bottom line, that’s exactly the issue: trust. Over & over again leading up to this point, God has emphasized that HE was the reason that the Hebrews were going to get the land; it wasn’t going to be due to their might (they were weak), nor their righteousness (they had none), nor their skills (what skills?) – it was going to be solely due to the grace of God. He had provided for them on a daily basis with the manna & now He was going to provide for them in a military battle. Now it was time to put shoe leather to their theology & actually trust God when it counted. (They didn’t exactly have a good track record on this…) …
__b. Do we trust God & His word? Really trust Him? God today hasn’t changed since the day He knocked the walls of Jericho down – yet sometimes we pray in the hypothetical (“God, if it’s possible… God, if you can…”). Of course He can…He’s God! The real question is whether or not it’s His will – and often we know exactly what the will of the Lord is when we read the Scriptures; we simply need to trust Him.
__c. It’s been said that if you locked a new convert inside a room with a Bible & didn’t give him any other books on theology, it would be absolutely certain that he’d come out believing that God works in supernatural ways through His word & the gifts…there’s simply no indication given that God ever stopped working that way. So why do we pray as if He had? Take God at His word!
.
.

6 Then Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD.” 7 And he said to the people, “Proceed, and march around the city, and let him who is armed advance before the ark of the LORD.”

A. Why does the ark go forward? It symbolizes the presence of God. God Himself was the One fighting the battle – He was the commander of the Lord’s army.

B. The rams’ horns were similar…these weren’t military bugles; they were the priests’ trumpets used in religious ceremonies. This was another symbol that the battle was a religious battle. They also symbolized the provision of God… (Abraham & Isaac)…
.
.

8 So it was, when Joshua had spoken to the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the LORD advanced and blew the trumpets, and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them. 9 The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard came after the ark, while the priests continued blowing the trumpets.

A. Joshua doesn’t hesitate in commanding the people to do what the Lord commanded. He had been around long enough to know what would happen if they disobeyed…

B. Beyond the understanding the consequences of disobedience, Joshua also understood that he was a man under authority. (As a military man, he knew that better than most!) He may have had the responsibility for leading Israel, but ultimately he answered to God Almighty – his job wasn’t to debate the commands of the Lord; it was to carry them out.
__a. Obedience is important….. 1 Samuel 15:22 So Samuel said: “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. [] Notice the obedience here wasn’t for the salvation of the people; it was to experience victory in the land God had given them. Likewise for us. We don’t obey God in order to earn our salvation; we obey God in order to experience the victorious life He has for us in Christ. Like any loving Father, He doesn’t desire His children to continually be in sin & failure – He desires for us to live in blessed communion with Him.
.
.

10 Now Joshua had commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout or make any noise with your voice, nor shall a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I say to you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout.”

A. First silence; then a shout. In the 1st 6 days, the people were to be silent among the sounding of the trumpets & probably enduring the taunts & jeers of those in Jericho looking down on them. They weren’t to respond – at that point, they were to be silent & simply wait on the Lord’s timing. On the 7th day, they were to let loose a shout!

B. Why the shout?
__a. It was a shout of faith: They didn’t have catapaults or battering rams; they simply had faith that God was going to do as He promised.
__b. It was a shout of victory: God had already delivered Jericho into the hands of Israel; it was just that Jericho didn’t yet know it.
__c. It was a shout of Christ: Considering the number of times that Jesus is called the “logos” of God & the fact that Jesus had Himself appeared to Joshua, affirming that He would personally lead the battle, it’s hard to escape the imagery of Christ Himself being pictured in that shout – immediately delivering the death blow to the city. Very similar to how John saw Christ in His 2nd coming (Rev 19:11-16), riding in victory with a sword coming out of His mouth…
.
.

11 So he had the ark of the LORD circle the city, going around it once. Then they came into the camp and lodged in the camp. 12 And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD. 13 Then seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually and blew with the trumpets. And the armed men went before them. But the rear guard came after the ark of the LORD, while the priests continued blowing the trumpets. 14 And the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp. So they did six days. 15 But it came to pass on the seventh day that they rose early, about the dawning of the day, and marched around the city seven times in the same manner. On that day only they marched around the city seven times.

A. Followed the instructions perfectly…
B. Note they marched on the Sabbath Day. Were they breaking the 4th Commandment? No…they weren’t working; God was. This whole event was a demonstration of the power of God to deliver Israel into the land. And that was the whole point of the Sabbath…to show that God was delivering us into His rest…
.
.

16 And the seventh time it happened, when the priests blew the trumpets, that Joshua said to the people: “Shout, for the LORD has given you the city! 17 Now the city shall be doomed by the LORD to destruction, it and all who are in it. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent. 18 And you, by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it. 19 But all the silver and gold, and vessels of bronze and iron, are consecrated to the LORD; they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.”

A. The city was doomed… The people were doomed… Rahab was spared…

B. The gold, silver & other metal items belong to the Lord… [Firstfruits…] Keep this in mind for next week. When they don’t completely follow through with this, they get into trouble at Ai.
.
.

20 So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. 21 And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword.

A. Man, woman, child, and animal were destroyed in the siege. Was this right? Yes… God is God; we’re not…
.
.

22 But Joshua had said to the two men who had spied out the country, “Go into the harlot’s house, and from there bring out the woman and all that she has, as you swore to her.” 23 And the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. So they brought out all her relatives and left them outside the camp of Israel. 24 But they burned the city and all that was in it with fire. Only the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD. 25 And Joshua spared Rahab the harlot, her father’s household, and all that she had. So she dwells in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

A. What happened to Rahab? She went on to be the great-great-grandmother of David…
.
.

26 Then Joshua charged them at that time, saying, “Cursed be the man before the LORD who rises up and builds this city Jericho; he shall lay its foundation with his firstborn, and with his youngest he shall set up its gates.” 27 So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame spread throughout all the country.

A. The city was cursed! (1 Kings 16:34)
B. The word spread…the rest of the countryside was fearful of the God of Israel too – which makes next week’s failure all the more tragic.

Conclusion:
What a way to begin the conquest! You couldn’t ask for a more successful 1st outing. What this should have done was emphasize that the Lord was the one fighting the battles for Israel & all they needed to do was to continue trusting in Him, and they’d see victory. They didn’t quite learn the lesson – as we’ll see in Ch 7-8.

But it was an immense victory! Israel came up against overwhelming odds & experienced an overwhelming triumph. Why? Because the Lord Himself was the One fighting their battles. Israel didn’t do a thing except to trust God and walk in obedience with His word.

We’re no different today. We experience overwhelming odds in our battle against sin. Every time we turn on the TV, there’s sexual imagery. Every time we read the newspapers, we’re bombarded with temptations of power & ego. We can’t drive down a highway, turn on a radio, or walk in a store without seeing temptation to materialism. Every where we look there’s another temptation to sin – and even though we’re freed from the slavery that sin brought, we are engaged in a constant battle against it.

Here’s the good news: our battle isn’t against flesh & blood, but against powers & principalities – and although we are face overwhelming odds, we serve an Overcoming Savior. Jesus has given us everything we need to experience victory over sin – He’s empowered us by the Holy Spirit – we’ve been given the word of God – now we need to walk in victory. The question facing us is the same question that faced Israel: are we going to trust God at His word?
* He promises a way of escape from temptation – do we look for it?
* He promises peace that passes understanding when we pray – do we bring our needs to the feet of Christ?
* He’s promised us power to be filled with the Spirit – do we ask?

The greatest victory Joshua & Israel will experience in the promised land come as a result of simply trusting the word & promise of God. May we do the same & walk in victory.

Now THAT’s a Greeting!

Titus 1:1-4, “Now THAT’s a Greeting!”
————-

Introduction:
Who was Titus? We don’t know too much about his family background. He’s actually (strangely) not mentioned in Acts at all, though he seemed to be present at the Acts 15 council with Paul as proof of God’s genuine conversion of the Gentiles (Gal 2:1-3)… Titus was probably a direct convert of Paul (1:3), though we don’t know when/where his conversion took place. Eventually he became one of Paul’s trusted emissaries…he had been dispatched to Corinth to see their progress & help them get the financial offering for Jerusalem organized (mentioned 8 times in 2 Cor!). Towards the end of Paul’s life, Titus had left Rome for Dalmatia (present day Serbia/Bosnia – old Yugoslavia) most likely to continue spreading the gospel (2 Tim 4:10). Bottom line: Titus was someone that could be trusted with the gospel – he was a proven minister for the Lord.

At the time of this letter, Titus seems to have been in Crete (MAP – 1:5). He was left there by Paul just like Paul had earlier left Timothy to minister in Ephesus. Crete had a pretty bad reputation (1:12-13) & part of Titus’ task was to not only help the church organize in a Biblical manner, but behave in such a way as to not look like the stereotypical Cretan. When the world can look at the Church & not see a difference from itself, it’s a problem. And that’s not just something specific to ancient Crete, but the present day church in America as well!

As for today, we’re not going to get much further than the greeting – but what a greeting! With the (notable) exception of Romans, most of Paul’s epistles start with a quick introduction & description of Paul himself – a bit of theology about Christ – a bit of theology about the Church – and the famous “grace & peace”, and then heads directly into the meat of the letter. The letter to Titus has the same general pattern, but Paul goes into much more depth than usual & there’s much to see. Paul touches on everything from his roles in the body of Christ – to the believer’s walk with Christ – to God’s eternal plan – and the glorious proclamation of the gospel. Not bad for 4 verses.

Titus 1:1-4 (NKJV)
1 Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ,

A. Paul was a slave: “bondservant” (Gk doulos) is commonly translated “slave” or “servant” throughout the NT. In the Greek culture, it was the lowest possible servant in a household – the person born into servitude. In the Hebrew culture, it was quite a bit different…the Hebrew bondservant was a willing slave. Every 7 years, slaves were to be set free… If the slave loved his master or his family, he had the choice of staying & serving him forever (Exo 21:5-6). Considering Paul’s background, the Hebrew thought is more likely the intent – but both mesh together really well in the gospel. When Paul was born again, he died to the slavery of sin, but was born as a slave to righteousness – yet this wasn’t a slavery of burden, but of joy! Jesus’ yoke is easy & His burden is light…
__a. Is servanthood a bad thing? Not when the Master is Almighty God. The psalmist declares he’d rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than dwell in the tents of wickedness (Ps 84:10). To serve the Lord is to experience true freedom, because we’ve been set free from sin & death, and are now free to worship God as He created us to do.

B. Paul was sent: At its most basic level, the word “apostle” simply means “sent one/messenger.” Paul had been sent out by the Lord Jesus to take the gospel to the Gentiles. More specifically, Paul had been an eyewitness of the Risen Son of God & entrusted with the responsibility of helping to lead the church in evangelism & doctrine.
__a. Note the paradox here: Paul is both a humble slave & a respected ambassador. On the one hand, he is simply a servant in the household of his God; and on the other, he has been personally sent out by the King of Kings to help plant churches around the world.
__b. We may not share in that specific gifting, but we all share in that calling – because we’ve all been given the Great Commission…we’ve been called by the Lord Jesus to be witnesses of Him in whatever situation He’s placed us.

C. Question: Did Paul need to remind Titus of all this? Of course not – which gives us a very good indication that Paul expected this epistle to be read to the entire church at Crete. It establishes his apostolic authority up front, and shows that although Paul is passing on personal instruction to Titus, the entire letter is written with the church in mind. (Meaning you & me, too!)
.
.

…according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness,

A. How is Paul a bondservant & apostle? “according to the faith” – this is due to the gospel. Paul never stopped being amazed at the fact that God would take a murderous hateful Pharisee, save him, & turn him into a servant of God. And neither should we. We’re who we are today as Christians because of the work of Jesus, as proclaimed through the gospel. We’re new creations according to the faith.

B. Who’s faith is it? “God’s elect,” i.e. the Church. As a born-again believer, you have been elected by God to salvation. Salvation never starts in the heart of man; it starts in the heart of God – He is always the initiator and we love Him because He 1st loved us (1 John 4:19). Before time began, in the eternal mind and counsel of God, He looked forward & chose us for His own. Romans 8:29-30 (29) For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. (30) Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. [] Do you see the wonderful news here? God knew you by name, chose you to Himself, and the entirety of your salvation is in His hand. There’s no more wonderful place to be!
__a. ‘Doesn’t the Bible also teach that we have to choose God?’ Yes…without a doubt. God gave His only begotten Son for the entire world (John 3:16) – He is not willing that any should perish, but for all to come to repentance (2 Pet 3:9) – He commands that all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30) – and whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved (Rom 10:13). Those who choose to remain in sin and not call upon Jesus for salvation will not be able to blame God in eternity, nor charge Him with any wrongdoing. God has given us the Lord Jesus Christ & His gospel; we must respond.
__b. Can the two thoughts be reconciled? Sure – by God. So often when our minds fail to reconcile God’s sovereign choice of us & our responsibility to choose God, we think that one of the ideas must be false. But the fault isn’t in the truth of the Scripture, it’s in our limited human brain. From our perspective, we choose God; from God’s perspective He chooses us.
__c. ‘So how do I know if I’ve been chosen?’ There’s only one way to find out: choose Jesus. Turn from your sin and trust the Lord Jesus for your salvation – entrust your life to Him as the Risen Son of God.

C. The interesting thing about mentioning the elect of God here is that Paul immediately balances it out with man’s response. We know we are God’s elect when we come to “the acknowledgement of the truth” – when we come to a precise, experiential knowledge of the truth of the Gospel. ‘Precise’ in that we truly understand we are sinners in need of salvation & that God provided that salvation through Jesus Christ’s death & resurrection. ‘Experiential’ in that we don’t leave that information at the front of our brain, but we’re so convinced of its truth that we act on that knowledge and receive Christ as our Lord.

D. What goes with the knowledge of the truth? “Godliness” in living. Godliness always accompanies the truth of God. Christians ought to live and behave as if they’ve been bought by Christ & given new life. This is going to be what Paul comes back to over & over again in Titus.
__a. That doesn’t mean that Christians are perfect & reach a state of sinlessness. It does mean that we’re new creations… That we war against the flesh… That we’re to press on in Christ’s forgiveness…
__b. Just like we tend to polarize God’s election & man’s response, we also tend to polarize faith & works… But the two go together! We’re saved by grace through faith & not of works (Eph 2:8-9), but our faith is never without works or else its dead (Jas 2:17). Our godly living is the evidence of our faith.
.
.

2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began,

A. What’s the end of faith in Christ & the acknowledgement of the truth? The “hope of eternal life…” The good news is good because it promises forgiveness from sin and eternity with Jesus. We all may have an appointment with death once – but for the Christian, never more. We will have forever life in the presence of our God.

B. How assured are we of that hope? We have the word of God Himself on the matter. And God cannot lie. Note, it’s not that God WILL not lie; God CAN not lie. Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? [] When we say God is “omnipotent” we tend to think that it means God can do anything. Granted, all things are possible with God – but there are some things God can not do: God cannot be tempted by evil (Jas 1:13) – God cannot deny Himself (2 Tim 2:13)…and God cannot lie. When God speaks, things come into existence (creation!), thus everything God says is true as He is true.
__a. This tells us something pretty crucial about lying. We tend to think that of all various ways we could sin, that lying isn’t that big of a deal (even though it breaks the 9th Commandment). How bad is lying? It’s something that God cannot do; it’s antithetical to His very nature. Jesus is the truth (John 14:6); when we lie, we engage in something that is the complete opposite of Jesus Christ! No wonder all liars have their part in the lake of fire (Rev 21:8)…
__b. Again, bring it back to our salvation. If you’ve repented & placed your faith & trust in Christ Jesus alone for salvation as the Son of God who died for your sins & rose again to new life – if you’ve been born again of the Holy Spirit – you can be sure that you’re saved. Romans 10:8-9 (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. [] That is a statement of fact, and God has given us His word. God does not lie about the promise and gift of salvation. Let God be true & every man a liar! (Rom 3:4)

C. When did God promise the gospel? “before time began…” Jesus may have gone to the cross when He was 33 years old, but the Lamb of God was slain from the foundation of the world (Rev 13:8). God was never surprised by sin & Adam’s fall – when He called out to Adam in the Garden, it wasn’t because He didn’t know what had happened; it was that He wanted Adam to repent. But God had provided for Adam’s sin long before Adam ever existed. (Which means there’s nothing we do that’s a surprise to Him either! Don’t keep sin unconfessed…confess it to Jesus & receive His forgiveness & cleansing!…1 John 1:9)
.
.

3 but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior;

A. Jesus may have been promised before time began, but He came incarnate to earth in due time (born of a woman – Gal 4:4)… He came at just the right time & in just the right way. Well over 300 prophecies are fulfilled in Jesus’ 1st coming, dating back to the Garden of Eden (a logical impossibility & a true miracle in itself!)…including the timeframe between the commandment to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity until the coming of the Messiah (Dan 9:25). According to some calculations, this works out to the very day Jesus presented Himself in the temple on Palm Sunday prior to His crucifixion. “In due time” indeed! The Jews were looking for their Messiah (re: John the Baptist) – the Pax Romana ensured that missionaries could travel in safety in the known world – and the gospel could travel speedily to the ends of the earth. It was at this point that the eternal Son of God became incarnate, & provided the good news of salvation.

B. “His word”: In Greek, “logos”, but this seems to be a reference to specifically to the gospel (which always points to Christ anyway). Whereas the promise & hope of eternal life was referenced throughout the Scriptures (beginning in Gen 3!), after the death, resurrection, & ascension of Christ Jesus the gospel is now completely manifested & proclaimed.

C. Note that the gospel wasn’t invented by Paul or even discovered by Paul; it was committed/entrusted to Paul. IOW, the focus isn’t so much on the messenger as it is the message. Paul’s not the big deal; the word of God – the faith – THAT’s a big deal! God commanded that Paul would go forth and proclaim the word that He had committed to him to the world – and like an imperial secretary, Paul was faithful to that commission.
__a. This is the same message that’s been entrusted to the church – and one reason why the church should be adamant to be faithful to the truth. This is the gospel of Jesus Christ – not invented by us, but committed to our care. We’ve been charged by the Lord Jesus not to preach health & wealth, but salvation…we don’t have the right to change it at our will.

D. God is our Savior! Keep in mind this is one of the primary descriptions of God. Throughout the Bible, God is described as “God our Father” – the “God of our fathers” (esp. in OT) – as “God of our salvation” – as “God our refuge” – and “God our Savior.” Our prayers tend to be focused on God as our provider, or our healer, or our justice… Although He definitely is all of that; His primary method of describing His role is as our God, our Father, and our Savior (and He wouldn’t be our Father if He wasn’t our Savior to begin with!). There’s been an off/on trend since the 1800’s to portray the primary message of Christianity as social justice – but that’s not the primary message of God’s own description! He’s given us Christ Jesus not to make our earthly life better; but to make eternal life possible… We need to be saved & God is our Savior!
.
.

4 To Titus, a true son in our common faith:
A. “true son”: Titus was one of Paul’s personal converts…

B. The faith we have is a faith that’s shared…it’s common to all of us. “common” = koine (Koine Greek)…something that’s held in common by all the people; shared ownership (as in marriage). Our faith is shared among all the body of Christ. Presbyterians, Baptists, Lutherans, AG, CC – anyone who’s a born-again believer in Christ Jesus shares a common faith, even if we have doctrinal differences.
__a. We have a tendency to major on the minors when it comes to theology…and it ought not to be so. There’s a time & place for vigorous debate – but if we agree on the essentials of the faith (that Jesus is the Son of God, God the Son, died on the cross, rose three days later, is coming again), then we ought to be able to lock arms with one another instead of dividing – and praise God for our common faith.
.
.

… Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.

A. Similar to Paul’s common greeting… Not all translations have “mercy” – this is one area in which the Greek manuscripts vary. Some (not all) of the older extant manuscripts omit the word – but the vast majority of manuscripts include it (which is one reason I use the NKJV). There’s good reason to believe it’s an accurate rendering since both of Paul’s other pastoral letters to Timothy also include “mercy.”

B. Where do grace (the unmerited favor of which we don’t deserve), mercy (the awesome forgiveness of sin), and peace (reconciliation with the God of the Universe) originate?
__a. God the Father: Because He has showered down His mercy and grace upon us through Jesus Christ, we can call God our Abba Father. Before our salvation, we were children of wrath & of the devil as we rebelled against our Creator. But in Christ, we’ve been given the spirit of adoption & made joint heirs with Christ (Rom 8:15-17).
__b. The Lord Jesus Christ our Savior: Not only is God our Savior (1:3), but the Lord Jesus Christ is our Savior too (emphasizes the Trinity…). It’d be tough to get too much more descriptive of Jesus than this. He is the “Lord” – the King, invested with the same authority as God because He is God. He is the “Christ” – the anointed & chosen One of God to be King over Israel, and to fulfill every prophecy. He is the “Savior” – Jesus has the only name given among men by which we must be saved. Praise God for Jesus!

Conclusion:
What does all this greeting tell us as believers?
A. We have an identity & a calling… As Christians, we’re all slaves/servants of Jesus… We also have a calling from Him for service…

B. God loved us from before time’s beginning. He promised us the gospel, chose us for salvation, and manifested the good news when we heard the gospel & received Christ as our Lord & Savior…

C. Our salvation is completely wrapped up in God. It’s assured through His unbreakable promise – founded in His eternal Fatherhood over us – and demonstrated in His awesome Son…

Why start off the letter with this kind of depth? I suggest that it’s to provide the foundation for the coming call to righteous living. The reason our faith “accords with godliness” is because we’ve been saved. We’ve encountered God the Father – we’ve been brought to the feet of the Lord Jesus Christ, the very Son of God who died for our sins & rose from the grave. There ought to be no way we could walk through that experience and NOT have our lives drastically change! When Isaiah had the vision of God on the throne, all he could think of was his own dreadful sin until it was purged, and then all he wanted to do was to serve his God & Savior… Likewise with us… …

Maybe you’re at the point where you’ve never had that life-altering realization of Jesus Christ. Every single one of us is going to come face-to-face with Jesus one day, and we’ll have to give an account for every deed, every word, and every thought we’ve ever had. All of our lies, our self-centeredness, our hate, our lusts, and more are going to be brought before the God of the Universe – and when that happens, who can stand? We’re utterly deserving of everlasting punishment. But this is the good news: before time began, God made a promise of salvation precisely because He desires to show mercy and grace to us. That’s why Jesus went to the cross – died the death of a criminal – and rose again 3 days later…

Paul’s Farewell

2 Timothy 4:6-22, “Paul’s Farewell”
——————

Introduction:
When we began 2 Timothy, we asked the question: if you knew you had one last phone call to make or email to send before you died, what would you say? Who would you send it to? For Paul, we know the answer, because 2 Timothy IS that letter. Paul knew his death was at hand, and though he wanted to see Timothy one last time before he died, he was under no illusions that his execution by the Romans couldn’t come at any day.

So what did he say? In Ch 1, he encouraged Timothy to not be afraid or ashamed of the gospel & doctrine that Paul had passed on to him…but to preach it boldly & accurately. In Ch 2, he exhorted Timothy to stay focused on the Lord Jesus & his calling to minister the word of God faithfully & accurately. In Ch 3, Paul warned him about the last days apostasy, the expected persecution, and once more underscored the need to Timothy to continue teaching the God-breathed Scripture. Finally in Ch 4, Paul gave him one final climatic charge to preach the Word. No matter what anyone else taught or how people desired their ears to be tickled, Timothy (and all of us) need to stick to the simple proclamation of the Scriptures which ultimately proclaim Jesus Christ.

As the letter comes to a close, we see a lot of personal requests, but we also see some simple reflection. Simply put, these are Paul’s last recorded words to the church – and he takes the opportunity to look over his walk with Christ…especially this latest round of imprisonment. As he looks back, he can honestly proclaim himself to be faithful to his Lord – forgiving towards others – and fully reliant on the promises of God for the future…

2 Timothy 4:6-22 (NKJV)
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.

A. What’s a drink offering? [Part of the daily offerings – Num 28:7] Even in the pagan Roman religions, it was common to pour out a libation prior to an animal sacrifice. The analogy for Paul is clear: he’s about to die by Roman hands, and his life itself is an offering to the Lord.

B. What’s a Christian’s view of death? Not “the great unknown” – not “the abyss” – not “soul sleep” – it’s a “departure.” Gk has to do with pitching one’s tent, or preparing to set sail…definitely a euphemism for death, but it provides a great word-picture for the Christian. Because Christ conquered the sting of death with His resurrection, at death born-again believers are absent from the body & present with the Lord (2 Cor 5:8). We go instantaneously from life to death to life again as we ‘depart’ this world & see our Lord & Savior face-to-face. [BDW, “Changing Neighborhoods”]
.
.

7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

A. Paul was fond of sports analogies…used a similar thought in 1 Cor 9:24-27. Whether it’s boxing or racing, Paul was eager to participate, and kept his eyes on the prize. One of the common misconceptions about Christianity is that “Once you give your heart to Jesus, your whole life will become easy, prosperous, and wonderful!” Praise the Lord that Jesus’ yoke is easy (we’re not under the law) – that we are made co-heirs with Christ (so we are eternally prosperous) – and that we have peace with God the Father, are indwelt by the Spirit, and are friends of our Lord Jesus (which is truly wonderful)… But nothing in the NT indicates that we won’t struggle along the way. There are promises of trials, temptations, and persecution. We ought to expect them, and be prepared to endure as an athlete endures his/her trials…

B. How do we endure? What gives us the strength? Jesus. Hebrews 12:1-2 (1) Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (2) looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. [] He’s not only our source of strength; He’s our example.
C. Keep in mind that Paul’s not claiming perfection here; simply completion. From the day Jesus 1st called him while on his way to Damascus – to being stuck away in Tarsus for years – to his various missionary journeys, imprisonments, trials, etc., there were many days Paul struggled against sin (re: Rom 7), but in the end through the grace of God, Paul persevered. [Don’t give up! Stay faithful…]
.
.

8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

A. Paul carries the sports analogy all the way through. Someone didn’t compete in a race simply because they had nothing better to do; an athlete competes to win. (Olympic crowns…) The Christian’s crowns are the “crown of righteousness”, the crown of life (Rev 2:10), & the crown of glory (1 Pet 5:4). What exactly are they? Are they all different names for the same thing? No one knows…what we do know is that our focus won’t be on the crowns we’ve been given, but upon the crown-Giver.
__a. Paul is assured of the fact that he will receive the crown of righteousness. Does this mean Paul was some sort of super-Christian that did things ‘just right’ to deserve his crown? Of course not! He was the self-proclaimed “chief of sinners” (1 Tim 1:15) & like the rest of us, he was saved by grace through faith & not by works (Eph 2:8-9). Paul’s crown is being given to him because he abode in Christ. The righteousness he was looking forward to was not earned; it was given.

B. Who gives the crown? The Judge – Christ. Every athletic contest needs a referee (which is the immediate context), but don’t forget Paul just introduced the Lord Jesus as the Judge of the living & the dead (2 Tim 4:1). All of us will one day face the Judge; it’s just that Christians will be the ones who will be saved.
__a. ‘I thought Christians weren’t judged?!’ We’re not judged for our sins; that was taken care of at the cross. We ARE judged for what we’ve done in the Body of Christ – not for punishment, but for reward. “That Day” isn’t a reference to the Great White Throne, but to the Bema Seat… 2 Corinthians 5:9-10 (9) Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. (10) For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. [] The Bema Seat doesn’t affect our salvation (if we’ve repented from our sin & trusted Christ to be born-again, He’s saved us), the Bema Seat judgment does affect our reward. [Read more about it in 1 Cor 3:9-15 & Rom 14:10-13] Timothy would have been well-familiar with the concept in his travels with Paul.
__b. Here’s the point: One reason Paul was ready to see Jesus & prepared to be poured out as a drink offering was because he lived every day knowing that he was going to give an account of his life to his Lord. If we have a court appointment to stand before a judge tomorrow, it would probably change the way we acted today…we wouldn’t want any embarrassing (or illegal) events to be brought up. Likewise, we DO have an appointment to stand before the Ultimate Judge. If you’ve been forgiven, you can praise God Jesus has already paid the price for your sins – but you will still give an account for everything you did after you became a Christian… Like everything else in our walk with Christ, we entrust ourselves to our Savior’s grace and mercy – His holiness will burn the fleshly stuff away, to where all that remains is what He’s done in our lives.

C. Who gets the crown? “all who have loved His appearing” The Church! Everyone who’s turned to Jesus Christ as the Living Son of God for forgiveness of sins – everyone who has trusted Jesus as Lord & Savior, and is looking forward to seeing His face (either by death or rapture) will receive the “crown of righteousness.” Why? Because it’s not OUR righteousness; it’s His.
.
.

9 Be diligent to come to me quickly; 10 for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for Thessalonica—Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia.

A. Paul loved Timothy as a father – but he didn’t just want to see Timothy because he missed him. Paul felt pretty lonely & at least in one case, abandoned by someone he originally thought he could trust. Demas is mentioned in Col 4:4 & Phm 24 as one of Paul’s companions – we don’t know what he might have done with Paul, other than he was one of Paul’s “fellow laborers” at one time. Whatever happened along the way (perhaps he was frightened by Paul’s 1st brush with death – vs 17?), he eventually abandoned Paul in favor of the love of the world. Some commentators are quick to soften the blow for Demas & say there’s no reason we should assume any sin on his part – but Paul specifically wrote that Demas had “forsaken” (utterly abandoned) him, having given the agape love that should have gone to Christ to the world, implying apostasy or lack of any real belief in the 1st place (1 John 2:15).
__a. There’s a tragic contrast here. Paul has been faithful to the end, and is prepared to meet his Savior to hear the words, “Well done, good & faithful servant.” Demas had fallen away – and even though he was once a minister, unless he repented at some point, most likely heard the Lord say, “Depart from Me, I never knew you.” Our hope of eternal life does not rest in what we think we can do for Christ; it’s in what He’s already done for us. There are many who sit in churches every week that believe they’re saved because they sit in churches every week (teach Sunday School, lead worship, etc.)… May it not be so with us – our trust is in Christ alone & the world has nothing to offer us in comparison with Him.

B. Crescens & Titus: We don’t know the reason Crescens & Titus were no longer with Paul…we shouldn’t assume that they also apostasized (they’re associated with “departing” & not “forsaking”). Most likely, they had been sent on ahead in ministry. But Paul still missed them as family.
.
.

11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry.

A. The one person that remained was Luke (frequent travel companion of Paul & author of Luke/Acts). Luke was a physician & it’s easy to picture him tending to his friend during his last days in prison.

B. This one line about Mark is one of the greatest examples of restoration in the NT! If Demas had left the ministry; Mark had been restored to ministry. [Paul & Barnabas – Acts 15:36-41] Whereas at one point, Paul couldn’t even trust Mark as a travel companion, now he’s calling for him to be used in ministry.
__a. Never stop trusting the Lord for reconciliation…
.
.

12 And Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus.

A. Possibly to replace Timothy in service there. Last saw Tychicus in Eph 6:21, as Paul had sent him before. He would have been an obvious replacement for Timothy since he already knew the people there.
.
.

13 Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come—and the books, especially the parchments.

A. Paul may know that his death is coming any day, but he’s not slowing down anytime soon. Theories abound as to what the books & parchments are – they could be Torah scrolls & commentaries…could be copies of his own letters…could be early collections of the gospel accounts. Regardless what they were, it’s apparent Paul wanted to continue studying & learning about the Lord up to his date of execution.
.
.

14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. 15 You also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words.

A. Who was Alexander? It’s a common name, but this is most likely the Alexander mentioned in 1 Tim 1:20…whom Paul had to excommunicate due to blasphemy. Because of this past history, Timothy was to be careful…

B. Was Paul wishing harm on him? No – simply praying for the Lord to intervene; some suggest that he was even prophesying what would take place. Vengeance belongs to the Lord; Paul had no need to ‘want’ Alexander to be punished – he just needed to leave the matter in the hands of the Righteous Judge.
.
.

16 At my first defense no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them.

A. “All”? Possibly even Luke & Titus? We don’t have an exact time frame here, so we don’t know if Luke & Titus were with Paul at his 1st defense. But whomever of the church was there, they abandoned Paul & allowed him to face Rome alone.
__a. Jesus knows what it’s like to be abandoned by those He loves. He came to His own people, but His people did not receive Him (John 1:11) – He betrayed by one of His own disciples – even one of His closest friend denied Him on the eve of His death. If you ever feel abandoned or betrayed, take heart – you have good company who understands.

B. If you haven’t learned it yet, you will: sometimes Christians will disappoint us. Just because they’re a believer in the Lord doesn’t mean that they’re perfect & will never fail (are you? ). The question is: how will we respond when it happens? Paul chose to forgive them. Just like Jesus… Just like Stephen…
__a. Is forgiveness easy? Not often – especially if we’ve been truly hurt. But forgiveness is a choice that’s easier to make when we understand how much we’ve already been forgiven. [Matt 18 – Unforgiving Servant] Our own sin incurs the holy wrath of the Righteous God…whatever our own personal history, every single one of us deserves infinite Hell because we’ve rebelled against our infinite God. Yet because Jesus died in your place, He forgave you your entire debt…not just the ‘little’ sins; He forgave you of everything. With that in mind, how can we possibly pray “Forgive us of our debts, but don’t ask me to forgive my debtors?’ No – we forgive our debtors not because of their work; but because of Christ’s. Ephesians 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. []
.
.

17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

A. The whole church may have abandoned Paul, but the Lord Jesus didn’t! He is faithful & never leaves us nor forsakes us…He’s with us till the end of the age.

B. Jesus strengthened Paul to continue to share the gospel… Did “all the Gentiles” hear? At the time, not necessarily – though Paul was certainly faithful to continue preaching the gospel of Christ, no matter what his circumstances. We know that many of the palace guard were saved through his preaching. But ultimately, we have to say “Yes! All the Gentiles DID hear.” After all, whose words are we reading right now? The Lord Jesus strengthened Paul through every trial & every circumstance, giving him the grace to endure (because it is sufficient) – and as a result, he wrote at least 13 of the 27 books of the NT!

C. Delivered from death in some way. Nero was often referred to as “the lion” among Roman authors, so Paul could have been referring to an earlier trial. As a Roman citizen, Paul would not likely have been thrown to a literal lion, but if so, it’s equally possible that God miraculously delivered Paul as He did Daniel. 3rd possibility is simply a reference to some trap laid by the Devil who roams about like a roaring lion (1 Pet 5:8)… The point isn’t so much the method of deliverance; it’s that Paul had a Deliverer!
.
.

18 And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!

A. Because Jesus repeatedly delivered Paul in the past, Paul could trust Jesus’ deliverance in the future. Question: If Paul knows he’s about to be executed, then how can he say that “the Lord will deliver me from every evil work?” Because he understood what “deliverance” means. (Hint: it’s not health, wealth, & never experiencing hard times!)

B. Jesus WILL deliver us from every evil work when we are abiding in His grace – but He’ll deliver us in His way. (Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego) Daniel 3:17-18 (17) If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. (18 ) But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” [] Like Paul, they knew that their souls were not in the hands of the king, but in the hands of God. We may be delivered away from trials – we may be delivered through trials – but eventually we’re delivered into the presence of Christ, Who preserves us & keeps us for all eternity with Him in glory.
.
.

19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus stayed in Corinth, but Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick.

A. Final greetings to old friends: Prisca (Priscilla) & Aquila are often partners with Paul in the gospel – they helped disciple a young Apollos in the faith (Acts 18:26). Onesiphorus mentioned in Ch 1:16-17 as the man who searched Paul out in Rome. Erastus was likely the treasurer of Corinth mentioned in Rom 16:23. Trophimus was a common companion of Paul & had accompanied him to Jerusalem (and was the reason why the riot broke out at the temple – Acts 21:29). All were faithful to the Lord Jesus & partners in the Great Commission.
.
.

21 Do your utmost to come before winter. Eubulus greets you, as well as Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brethren.

A. Winter: hence the cloak… Sends greetings forward from the church…there’s no other Biblical record of the names mentioned – just brothers & sisters in Christ.
.
.

22 The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.

A. Final greetings to Timothy…
B. Final greetings to the church. “Grace be with you” (plural). If there’s any one word that sums up Paul’s ministry, it’s “grace”…and the grace of Christ is what the Church needs to abide in the most.

Conclusion:
The ministry God gave the apostle Paul was absolutely amazing. Jesus took a former persecutor of the faith, who’s one desire was to purify Judaism among the Jews & turned him into the greatest missionary to the Gentiles the world has ever known. His passion was proclaiming the grace and gospel of Jesus Christ, and wouldn’t compromise on that message in the slightest – even among other apostles! As time went on, he entrusted that same message to others (like Timothy & Titus) & continued to exhort them to stay true to the gospel & the truth. Was Paul perfect? Far from it – but he was forgiven, and understood what it meant to rely completely on the grace of God through Jesus Christ.

As Paul came to the end of his life, he could look back & see certain things. He was:
A. Faithful to his Lord & Savior – the Judge. He was ready and prepared to see Jesus at the Bema Seat & probably couldn’t wait to see Him face-to-face.

B. Forgiving towards others. Those who we’d expect to see faithfully sticking by Paul abandoned him in his hour of need – but Paul wasn’t taking a grudge to the grave. The chief of sinners had been forgiven much. and thus he loved much & was ready & willing to forgive others.

C. Fully reliant on the promises & grace of God. Out of the days he had left, Paul knew his toughest still lay ahead of him. But he had no reason to fear the executioner’s axe; he had a Deliverer Who was standing by him & would never leave him. Paul understood the instant his heart stopped beating, that he’d see Jesus in glory – and there’s no better promise than that!
.

All in all, Paul was ready to meet Jesus. Are you? As a Christian, are you abiding in Christ, or enticed by the world? Don’t be a Demas…immerse yourself in the grace of God to walk faithfully with Him till the end. Forgive others as you’ve been forgiven. And trust God at His word.

If you’re not a Christian, I can guarantee you you’re not ready. Keep in mind “Christian” doesn’t mean you’re a member of a denomination somewhere or that you attended Sunday School as a kid. A Christian is someone who’s been born-again by the Spirit of God because they’ve put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin. When we see our sin for what it truly is (rebellion against God & worthy of death), then we ought to fall to our knees upon the grace and mercy of Jesus. He paid the penalty for your sins already at the cross, and offers you new life in His resurrection – we simply need to respond to His offer & receive Him as our Lord.

Crossing the Jordan

Joshua 3-4, “Crossing the Jordan”
——————-

Introduction:
Moses has died & been buried by the Lord, but the Lord affirmed Joshua’s calling when He spoke to Joshua in Ch 1 & gave Him a charge: be strong & courageous… Joshua demonstrates this, acting out in faith by sending spies into Jericho. There they are received by the harlot Rahab, who demonstrates her own faith in God by hiding them from the authorities. She tells how all of Jericho is terrified of the Lord and the coming of Israel & the spies leave her with a promise of protection, as long as her house remains marked by a scarlet cord… The spies return to Joshua with the good news & Joshua’s now ready to lead the people into the land.

Only one obstacle remains: the mighty Jordan River. To be sure, the river itself isn’t all that wide (between 50-75 wide in most places) – but it has a strong current & over 2 million people needed to cross it. Combine that with the fact that River was in its flood stage (Josh 3:15) & it becomes a major issue that Israel had to deal with before beginning the conquest. What can they do? Nothing – it’s what GOD can do & does…

Joshua 3 (NKJV)
1 Then Joshua rose early in the morning; and they set out from Acacia Grove and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they crossed over.

A. [MAP – blowup of Jordan]

B. It doesn’t say what exactly set Joshua off to moving that direction, but he had just received the news of the Canaanite’s “faintheartedness” (2:24) – so it seems that Joshua didn’t waste any time. God had already told Joshua that He had already given them the land; so now Joshua is again acting in faith & heading in the direction he needed to go, knowing that the Lord would give him direction when he needed it.
__a. Our problem is that we generally don’t start moving at all. We turn into ‘spiritual couch potatoes’ waiting for a hand-delivered letter from heaven to drop into our laps to tell us where & when to go… But sometimes we’re just to get moving & let God guide us & direct us along the way. (Paul & the man from Macedonia – Acts 16:9)
.
.

2 So it was, after three days, that the officers went through the camp; 3 and they commanded the people, saying, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. 4 Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it, that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before.”

A. The Ark had gone before Israel before & led them through the wilderness (Num 10:33)…at this point, there’s no indication that Joshua & the officers knew exactly what God would be doing, but they did know He would be leading them, and His presence was symbolized by the Ark of the Covenant.

B. When the ark nears, make some space. 2000 cubits x 18 inches = 1000 yards (10 football fields or over ½ mile). Why so much space? (1) So everyone could see how the Lord was leading them. (2) Because God is holy! Supremely holy… Yes, the people were the people of God, His children whom He had brought out of Egypt, but their relationship with God was never to be flippant. He isn’t “The Man Upstairs” or any such nonsense…He is the LORD GOD. Just as the people were to make room around the base of Mt Sinai as God gave the 10 Commandments, they were to make room at the Jordan River for the Ark to pass through the camp.
__a. Also underscores the fact that this was a special event…God Himself was in their midst. It’s sad how much we end up taking this for granted today. Wherever 2 or 3 are gathered, Jesus is in our midst – we’ve been invited to worship the Holy God of the Universe – we’re indwelt by the Spirit of God, present at Creation…and yet we often treat worship or prayer as boring, or rote, or flippant. We’re worshipping/praying to GOD! What an honor – what a privilege! It doesn’t get any more special than that…
.
.

5 And Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.” 6 Then Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, “Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over before the people.” So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.

A. To the people: be sanctified. “Sanctification” has the idea of being “set apart”…we are set apart by God, and we also set ourselves apart from sin through repentance. This is what Israel was to do – set themselves apart for a period of repentance, worship, and cleansing from sin, and wait to see what the Lord God would do. Again, remember Joshua doesn’t know at this point – he just has faith that God was going to do something miraculous at this stage.

B. To the priests: be ready. Joshua may not have known exactly where the priests were going to go, but he knew that God was going to work…at this point, all eyes were going to be focused on the Lord.

C. Keep in mind we’re not just the people of God; we’re His priests (1 Pet 2:5). If we want to walk in the power of the Spirit (which we’ll see in a minute), we need to be sanctified & we need to be ready. IOW, we are set apart by Christ & made holy by Him, but we also set ourselves apart from sinful practices – and then we need to be ready to follow the Lord where-ever He would have us go.
.
.

7 And the LORD said to Joshua, “This day I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. 8 You shall command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, ‘When you have come to the edge of the water of the Jordan, you shall stand in the Jordan.’ ”

A. Note God was exalting Joshua (not Joshua exalting Joshua). For Joshua to raise himself up in the eyes of the people would not only be extraordinarily difficult, but it’d be fleeting. Any pedestals we set ourselves on generally crumble, simply because we’re human. But when God lifts us up, it makes all the difference. At that point, it’s not a matter of ego, but elevation.

B. Why? So that they would see God through him. God doesn’t elevate people in order that we might be glorified; He elevates those He chooses in order that HE might be glorified. The 1st shall be last & the last 1st – which flies in the face of our human nature, and ends up giving glory to God. After all, how else would it happen? How does a runt of a shepherd end up becoming King of Israel? To the glory of God. How does a persecuting Pharisee end up writing ½ the NT? By the glory of God. How are we who were once the enemies of God end up as His sons & daughters, and co-heirs with Christ? By & to the glory of God.
__a. Interesting parallel with the Greater-than-Joshua – it was at Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan when God testified of His Son & exalted Him before the people…

C. One short command: just tell the priests to stand in the water. This is all that’s recorded for us, but surely God told Joshua more because Joshua gives much more detailed instructions…
.
.

9 So Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Come here, and hear the words of the LORD your God.” 10 And Joshua said, “By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites: 11 Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is crossing over before you into the Jordan. 12 Now therefore, take for yourselves twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one man from every tribe. 13 And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off, the waters that come down from upstream, and they shall stand as a heap.”

A. Question: had the Israelites already been given examples of why they should know their God was the living God? Yes – many! The Egyptian plagues – the Passover – the Red Sea – the Manna – the water – the 10 Commandments & the list goes on. Why another one? Because we’re human… We see God work & provide & we’re still nagged with doubt each time a trial comes along. God understands…

B. Keep in mind they’re about to enter into a conquest of the land. They are a ragtag nation of a few million without a home just wandering through the desert for a generation. They’ve had little to no formal training in warcraft or strategy & they’re about to take on the entrenched, battle-hardened nations of the land. The ONLY way they’re going to conquer is if the Lord is fighting for them – this is a grand reassurance that God is going to be the one to drive out the existing nations. And not a nation is left out of God’s listing – all of them had filled up the measure of their sins, and their iniquity was now complete (Gen 15:16).
__1. Is it moral for God to destroy whole nations of people? Yes! (1) He’s God & we’re not. (2) He gave them well over 400 years to repent. (3) He’s being merciful on future generations by not allowing children to be brought up in sin & eventual damnation.
__2. Ultimately, these nations represent our struggle against sin & the flesh. We aren’t to compromise with temptation; simply to defeat it in the power of the Lord God.

C. What’s the main difference between the Jordan & Red Sea? (Aside from the Egyptians ) The Red Sea is completely tied with Passover – where the Angel bringing death passed over the houses covered by the blood of a lamb. Passover purchased the Hebrews’ freedom from Egypt; the Red Sea sealed it when Israel passed through the waters & the Egyptian pursuers were utterly destroyed. Bring it to the NT: when we are covered by the blood of our Passover Lamb (Christ Jesus), our sins are forgiven & our salvation is purchased & assured. When we are baptized into Christ (spiritual work; demonstrated through physical baptism), we are now dead to sin & alive in Christ…identified with His death, burial, & resurrection.

D. But now what? For Israel, it had been 40 years since the Red Sea, wandering around in the wilderness experiencing failure after failure in their walk with God. Sure, they had the word of God, worship through the Tabernacle, and freedom – but their 40 year journey was marked far more by failure than victory. Now that they’re ready to enter Jordan, God prepares a “2nd baptism” for them in anticipation of the enormous victory He’s going to bring them. Keep in mind the typology here: the conquest is a picture of living the Spirit-filled victorious life. Sin is vanquished in the power of Christ. What does crossing the Jordan have to do with it? The filling/baptism of the Holy Spirit!
__1. Jesus used the same word-picture – John 7:37-39 (37) On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. (38) He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (39) But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. []

E. Note the priests have to get their feet wet. This is different from the Red Sea where Moses simply raised his rod over the Sea (Ex 14:16). But this time, the priests need to step into the river as an act of faith.
__1. This is the way the filling of the Spirit works. As born-again Christians, we are all indwelt & sealed by the Holy Spirit for salvation (2 Cor 1:22), but we also have a promise to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to be a witness for Christ (Acts 1:8) & we have a command to be filled with the Holy Spirit for walking with Christ (Eph 5:18). So how do we appropriate the filling/baptism of the Spirit? By faith! Luke 11:13 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!” []
.
.

14 So it was, when the people set out from their camp to cross over the Jordan, with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, 15 and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the edge of the water (for the Jordan overflows all its banks during the whole time of harvest), 16 that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, the city that is beside Zaretan. So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; and the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan.

A. Why only a heap on one side? It was a river; not an ocean/sea…drainage. Apparently, the river was cut off from some distance upriver (which has been duplicated by modern earthquakes in the area). Was it still a miracle? Absolutely.
__a. There was no record of an earthquake that day.
__b. The timing was miraculous in beginning & ending
__c. The people walked across “dry ground”; not muddy ground.
__d. Be careful about ‘needing’ a naturalistic explanation for miracles of God. The very fact God does it makes it supernatural, by definition. And our God is a supernatural God…our salvation depends upon it!

B. Was it the Ark that stopped the waters? Of course not – it was God, Whom the Ark symbolized. Ultimately, it was God bringing Israel through as a testimony to His own grace & goodness.
.
.

Joshua 4 (NKJV)
1 And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying: 2 “Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, 3 and command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.’ ”

A. Each tribe was to take 12 stones from the bottom of the dry riverbed. Why? Apparently the Lord told Joshua, who revealed it to the people…
.
.

4 Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe; 5 and Joshua said to them: “Cross over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, 6 that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 7 Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.”

A. The stones had significance: as a teaching opportunity. Sooner or later, their descendents would ask, “Dad, what are all those rocks doing stacked up over there?” And the Israelites were to respond with the testimony of God’s greatness and provision.
__a. Apparently, these memorial stones stayed in the area for quite a while – Gilgal is mentioned several times in the OT as a place where people went to pray & worship God. There may even be a reference in the NT with John the Baptist as he was known to baptize in the Jordan in Bethabara (John 1:28), which is very close to Gilgal. Matthew 3:8-9 (8) Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, (9) and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. [] Which stones? Possibly the memorial stones! It could be Jesus was baptized in the same place that Joshua crossed…

B. We all have “memorial stone” moments in our walk with God. It’s never a good thing to “live our lives in the past” – but it IS very important to remember key times of God’s past provision; it’s how we trust Him for present & future trials… [personal testimony] What are your memorial stones?
.
.

8 And the children of Israel did so, just as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the midst of the Jordan, as the LORD had spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. 9 Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day. 10 So the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the LORD had commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and crossed over.

A. Not only did the people take memorial stones, Joshua set up a group of stones in the middle of the Jordan River. Interesting – because who would have seen them? No one. Was it still a testimony? Yes! God knew they were there & so did Israel.
.
.

11 Then it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over, that the ark of the LORD and the priests crossed over in the presence of the people. 12 And the men of Reuben, the men of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses had spoken to them. 13 About forty thousand prepared for war crossed over before the LORD for battle, to the plains of Jericho.

A. Apparently, the ark had been on one riverbank, and now the priests crossed over to the other side.

B. Not everyone crossed; only the soldiers from Reuben, Gad, & ½ Manasseh…the others stayed behind.
__a. God doesn’t force us to come to Him to be filled with the Spirit. He certainly makes it available to every born-again believer in Christ through faith; but if we don’t want to humble ourselves and rely on His grace, He’ll let us rely on our flesh…
.
.

14 On that day the LORD exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life.

A. Exactly what God said would happen – this was the defining moment that the Hebrews understood that God had picked Joshua.
.
.

15 Then the LORD spoke to Joshua, saying, 16 “Command the priests who bear the ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan.” 17 Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, “Come up from the Jordan.” 18 And it came to pass, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD had come from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet touched the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks as before.
__A. The river stayed miraculously stopped up until the priests left the riverbed… Interesting that even the end of a miracle is a testimony to the Lord!
.
.

19 Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they camped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. 20 And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal. 21 Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ 22 then you shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land’; 23 for the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over, 24 that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever.”

A. Reiteration of the memorial stones…what were they to teach?
__a. God previously dried up the Red Sea: This is never very far from the mind of the Hebrew – and rightfully so. They viewed this event much like we do the Cross of Christ. It was the moment their freedom was purchased and the day they passed from death into life.
__b. God dried up the Jordan: Showing that God had brought them into the land – fulfilling the promise He made to Abraham, and prepared them for a victorious conquest over the Canaanite countries that remained there.
__c. As a witness to the nations of God: God’s work in the life of the Hebrews wasn’t merely to benefit the Hebrews, but to continue to provide a witness to the world that they may repent and fall on their knees before the Lord God.
__d. As a witness to the people of God: God’s work in the life of the Hebrews didn’t end at the Red Sea, but continued into the Promised Land, where God affirmed that He would give them the victory.

Conclusion:
We all can learn/remember the same things from our walk with Christ.
1. God dried up our Red Sea: We were dead in our sin, enslaved to our own fleshly desires, awaiting physical & eternal death, when the Lord Jesus Christ saved us! Through His death on the cross & His resurrection on the 3rd day, He purchased our salvation, and we passed from death to life.
2. God dried up our Jordan: Many of us have been at the place where we’ve been wandering from place to place in our own power, always giving into temptation, and failing in our sin. We know we’re forgiven (and rejoice in it), but we just don’t know how we can walk with Christ. At that point, we go to Him to be filled with the Spirit……
3. God works in our lives as a witness to the nations around us: Each of us has a testimony of God’s goodness & grace….
4. God works in our lives as a witness to us: He saved us – He sealed us – He empowers us – He equips us… God will give us the victory……

Are you walking in the power of the Spirit? Do you have rivers of living water flowing out of your life? So often, we find ourselves falling into the trap of “There’s no other choice…this is just the way it’s going to be,” & we don’t HAVE to do that. We can life in victory – in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Preach the Word!

2 Timothy 4:1-5 “Preach the Word!”
———————–

Introduction:
Titles are often good descriptions of a person’s duties: Managers manage, accountants count, teachers teach, painters paint, and butlers buttle. Thus it comes as no surprise that Preachers preach. But what we preach is a matter of great importance! There are multitudes of books & conferences given over to style & method. (Ex: “Synergistic Strategies to build your church”) But to the apostle Paul, style pales in comparison with substance. And the one substance he charged Timothy to preach throughout his ministry is the Scripture – the word of God.

Let’s keep our context in mind – the charge picks up with a “therefore,” so we know Paul is referencing the last section he just came out of in his letter. Starting Ch 3, he mentioned the false teachers of the end times (which he’ll review in Ch 4), and then showed himself in contrast to them. Paul was faithful to the gospel & truth of the Scriptures…to the point of suffering in prison awaiting a death sentence because he was so steadfast. Why was the truth worth suffering for? Because the truth as revealed through the Scriptures give us the gospel (make us wise for salvation – 3:15).

At that point he wrote why the Scriptures were so special – which we just had time to barely touch on last week, so let’s review…

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV)
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. Remember “inspiration” is literally “God-breathed.” The words we read in our Bible are not random thoughts of Paul, John, or Moses – they’re not man’s best efforts to lift our eyes toward the heavenlies…the Scriptures are the very words of God Himself. Written through man, yes – with each of their personalities & style, but every word preserved for us in the pages of the Bible is given us expressly by God Himself.

B. Because it’s God-breathed, it’s good for everything in our walk with Christ. The Scriptures are the method by which God has ordained for the Christian to be made “complete” – ready for whatever we’ll run across until we see Jesus face-to-face.
__a. This tells us something about those who follow conference after conference looking for the next “outpouring of glory.” God’s given them (and us) everything we need in the Bible! He’s told us how we can be filled with the Spirit by faith & empowered by Him. He’s demonstrated what it looks like to worship God in Spirit & truth. We don’t need another ‘conference’; we just need the Bible!

C. What are the implications of the Scripture being the very living words breathed out by God? Several:
__a. The Bible is infallible: Infallibility tells us that the Bible won’t lead us wrong or astray in matters of faith & practice. Every doctrine taught by in the Scripture is absolutely true…even doctrines that we don’t necessarily like. (Who likes the doctrine of hell? But it’s true!)
__b. The Bible is inerrant: Inerrancy goes a step further than infallibility. More than being free from error in doctrine, inerrancy tells us that the Scriptures absolutely say what God mean them to say. Every word is purposefully preserved for us, without error or contradiction. … ‘What about the supernatural stuff?’ Especially the supernatural stuff! What need would there be for salvation if there had not been a fall of Adam? Why would Jesus refer to both Noah (Luke 17:26) & Jonah (Matt 12:38 ) as historical events if they had not occurred? If we don’t believe the supernatural, what repercussions does that have on the Resurrection itself & our salvation?
__c. The Bible is supernatural: More than merely recording historical events of God’s supernatural power, the word of God is itself supernatural. The work of the law is written on our hearts (Rom 2:15) – the message of the cross is the power of God (1 Cor 1:18 ) – it’s living & powerful & sharper than any 2-edged sword (Heb 4:12). God uses His word in miraculous ways to awake lost people to their need to be saved… … When we neglect the use of Scripture in witnessing and evangelism, we’re denying ourselves of our single most powerful tool against the spiritual warfare we face…it’s the sword of the Spirit (Eph 6:17)!
__d. The Bible is prophetic: There’s not a single prophecy in the Bible in past history that’s proven to be false. Every single one has come true. Daniel reads like a history book of the various MidEast & Mediterranean empires, yet it was written during the Babylonian & Persian empires, before the others ever existed. Over 300 prophecies refer to Jesus’ 1st coming, and Jesus fulfilled every one to a ‘t’… [] So what? If the Bible is correct in every past prophecy, that means we can be assured it’ll be correct in every future prophecy. When the Bible tells us that Jesus is coming back, there needn’t be any doubt!
.
.

- With all this in mind, Paul moves to his charge in Ch 4…
1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:

A. The meat of the sentence is actually in the charge itself – but there’s too much here to pass up & gloss over!

B. Note the equality between God & the Lord Jesus. Paul makes a point of this in his epistles. God the Father and Jesus the Son are of the same authority by which Paul can give Timothy this charge. Why? Because (along with the Holy Spirit), they are One Godhead.
__a. Beware of any group that demotes Jesus – most cults start that way…

C. Appeals to Jesus not simply as our Savior, but in His authoritative role as the King of Kings – “the Lord Jesus Christ”. IOW, this is not something Timothy should take lightly; this is an order to a servant from his Highest King…

D. What’s one of Jesus’ roles? Judge. We don’t often like to think of Him in that role – we want to consider Him as our friend & buddy… But He’s our Lord – He’s God – and He is the ultimate Judge… God the Father has appointed it to Him – John 5:22-23 (22) For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, (23) that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. []
__a. The universalists get one thing right: every human being WILL see Jesus one day. But we’ll either see Him as the Judge or the Judged (on our behalf)…

E. When will Jesus sit as judge? “At His appearing and His kingdom.” There are many opinions as to which judgment this might be (the sheep/goats – the great white throne) – what’s clear is that it takes place at His 2nd coming. “appearing” = ἐπιφάνεια (epiphany)…Christ appeared to the world the 1st time as Savior & sacrificial lamb; He’ll appear the 2nd time as King & Judge.
__a. Again, we can be assured of this because the Scriptures are God-breathed and prophetic. Are you ready to see Jesus?
.
.

2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.

A. Here’s the charge: “Preach the word!” If there were any doubts as to what a pastor’s primary responsibility was, they should have all been removed! Everything in vs. 1 comes to bear on those 3 words – commentators agree that Paul uses the strongest language possible here. This isn’t a suggestion – this isn’t a “every once in a while” thought – this is a command from Timothy’s father in the faith before the Lord in heaven. “Preach the word!”
__a. “Preach”: herald/proclaim… (Wiersbe) “In Paul’s day, a ruler had a special herald who made announcements to the people. He was commissioned by the ruler to make his announcements in a loud, clear voice so everyone could hear. He was not an ambassador with the privilege of negotiating; he was a messenger with a proclamation to be heard and heeded.” Emphasize that last point: preachers aren’t to negotiate the message & pick/choose what they may like out of it & disregard the rest; preachers are to proclaim the message.
____i. ‘What if someone is offended by the gospel or the Scriptures?’ That’s not left in our hands. People will at times be offended…but that doesn’t make the gospel message any less vital for them to hear.
__b. “the word”: I.e. the Scriptures! Not anything else – not the latest movie, or our favorite books, or constant personal history or jokes. Pastors/teachers have been given the responsibility of presenting & proclaiming the word of God to the church & the world. “word” = λόγος…contextually Paul is referring to the Scriptures (gramma/graphe – 3:15-16), but “logos” is a common title for the Lord Jesus (see John 1). All the Scriptures are about Christ…when we preach the Bible or proclaim the gospel, we proclaim Christ.

B. When should pastors preach the word? “in season and out of season…” Anytime – all the time – convenient or not. Sundays and Wednesdays may be times set aside for extended preaching, but preaching the word goes far beyond the sermon. Pastors need to be ready to share the Scriptures over phone calls, visits, airplane travel – or as in Paul’s case, prison, before those who would execute him, and more. Wherever the word needs to be preached, someone needs to preach it. Romans 10:14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? []
__a. If there’s a rebuke that can be heaped upon many pastors/preachers today, it’s that they do not preach the word of God. Every Sunday becomes a “7 steps to a better life” & “What I need to do to make myself feel good.” That is not the gospel! Those pastors who constantly ignore the word of God in their teaching are either not called to teach, or being disobedient to our Lord. We are called to preach the word – to do less is to shortchange the church.

C. What should they do in their preaching?
__a. “convince”: to reprove/convict. Where we need to be corrected, pastors are supposed to correct us through the preaching of the word. That’s one of the functions of the Scriptures, as listed in vs. 16: reproof.
__b. “rebuke”: censure/admonish. Timothy apparently had several people in the Ephesian church that needed to be rebuked (2:17). He wasn’t to simply declare them outcast based on his feelings or emotions; he was to go to the Scriptures & show them where they were in error & sin…ultimately letting the word of God bring rebuke where it was needed.
__c. “exhort”: encourage/comfort. Likewise, Timothy (and all preachers) need to preach the word in such a way where those who need encouragement are lifted up. We don’t use the Bible to hit someone over the head when they’re down…to those who are repenting & struggling, we are to come alongside them and restore them in spirit of gentleness (Gal 6:1).
__d. Do so in “longsuffering & teaching”: IOW, don’t give up. Keep preaching the word in truth again & again & again. That is the pastor’s one call – and it never changes.
.
.

3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;

A. Is Paul talking about Timothy’s time or the end-times? Seems to be more of a reference back to Ch 3:1 (the last days), though certainly Timothy was struggling against false teachers of his own. But the church was to expect a time of the rising & exaltation of false teaching – and though every age sees it in their time, it’s no doubt we see it in ours as well!

B. Two characteristics of these last days:
__a. People “will not endure sound doctrine”: Could be translated, “will not tolerate sound teaching.” Instead of receiving the word of God for what it is (a gift!), people won’t want to even put up with it at all. Those who love the darkness hate the light & thus don’t want to hear the truth that God provides.
__b. People want their own customized doctrine, “according to their own desires”: Our culture has a tendency to treat religion like a buffet line…pick a little from each dish & put together what they want.

C. So what’s a person to do if they can’t endure the truth & want their own customized teaching? Simple – heap up some teachers for themselves according to their own “itching ears…” If they don’t like the fact that a pastor is preaching the word of God, they’ll go find a teacher who’ll tell them what they want to hear.
.
.

4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

A. The result of customized, ear-tickling teaching? People turn away from truth & once they do, the teachers turn them away even more to fables. (Wuest) “The second occurrence of the word “turn” is from a verb (ektrepō (ἐκτρεπω)) which means “to turn or twist out.” In a medical sense it means, “to wrench out of its proper place,” as of the limbs. It is used of a dislocated arm, for instance. When people avert their ears from the truth, they lay themselves open to every Satanic influence, and are easily turned aside to error.” Once a person starts seeking out false teaching, they often don’t realize how much the false teaching is changing them. Soon they aren’t just mixing truth with error; they’re believing nothing but error – and they don’t know how they got there.

B. Does our culture tolerate fables in our Christianity? Sadly, yes. Real life examples: God wants you to be rich… Real Christians never suffer… Jesus is never coming back… You can please God if you work really hard… If you want it bad enough, all you need to do it believe it and have faith & it’ll come true… (think positively – it’s the power of attraction, Oprah) Everyone’s saved – they just don’t know it…

C. God has so much more than fables for us! God offers the TRUTH. We can worship Him through spirit & truth (John 4:24) – we are sanctified by His word, which is truth (John 17:17) – God always speaks the truth & never lies (Num 23:19). This is what His word contains – Psalm 119:160 The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever. [] Why would we give up that truth for anything? It’s not worth it…
.
.

5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
(In the meantime, till all these other things take place…)

A. “Be watchful”: Speaking of sober-headedness & calm under trial. Don’t panic; just be aware that these days will come & that people will fall away. When they do so, don’t stop preaching the word. [] There are consultant services that will analyze a community & let a church know exactly what they need to do, look like, and sound like to attract the average person in their town. But that’s not what God has called us to do. We’ve been called to proclaim Jesus; so we need to do so faithfully.

B. “Endure afflictions”: If there’s one thing Paul understood well, it’s that the preaching of the gospel would bring persecution (3:12). In the Roman empire, proclaiming the word of God wasn’t merely somewhat inconvenient; it could get you jailed or killed. But that’s not to stop Timothy (or any of us) from doing what God had called him to do. Whatever took place, he was to stick it out.

C. “Do the work of an evangelist”: Contextually, this is still in the charge of preaching the word. So however/whenever Timothy taught the Scriptures, he was to point to Jesus in all of it & share the gospel continually. It’s interesting here that Paul isn’t necessarily calling Timothy an “evangelist,” but rather to do an evangelist’s duties. God has given evangelists to the church (Eph 4:11) & when someone is truly gifted for evangelism, it becomes evident. We may not all have the spiritual gift of evangelism, but we all have the spiritual empowerment to evangelize. We can all “do the work of an evangelist” by sharing with those around us.

D. Fulfill the ministry God has called you to: The grand summary. Everything in the letter to this point has been Paul reminding Timothy of what God has called him to do.
__a. What ministry has God called you to? … Are you fulfilling it?

Conclusion:
It’s not often we get a 1-point sermon, but here it is: Preach the Word! Pastors, preach the word – churches, preach the word – however you interact with those around you, preach the word & point people to Jesus. We so often confine preaching to a pulpit, but it’s far greater than that – it’s simply proclaiming the truth of the word. Maybe your ‘pulpit’ is a coffee cup – maybe it’s your driveway…preaching is not necessarily a style of talking; it’s the content of what’s being said. Is what we’re saying proclaiming Jesus? Then guess what? You’re preaching.

We live in a time when people want to hear anything BUT the word of God. Oh, they desire to be spiritual, and they love thinking that they’re god-like – but they don’t want anything to do with the One True God because He’s holy, righteous, and perfect. And yet that’s exactly why we MUST share the truth with them – because they WILL face Him one day when Jesus sits enthroned as Judge. We’ve been given a commission & a charge – and we ought to be about it.

So we know what pastors are supposed to do, what about the rest of the church? Don’t forget this letter isn’t simply given to the pastor at Ephesus; it’s given to the entire church at Ephesus. Everything we do as a Body is to glorify God through the preaching of the word & the gospel… Whatever pressures we might face as a church, the one thing we will continue to do is preach the word! Let’s help each other in the task through prayer, support, service, encouragement, whatever.

Be Strong & Courageous

Joshua 1-2, “Be Strong & Courageous”
———————-

Introduction:
Welcome to the 1st OT book NOT written by Moses! For many Christians, the most they know of Joshua is that he “fought the battle of Jericho & the walls came a-tumblin’ down.” But there’s a lot more to the book – and a lot more we can learn as we see the various types throughout Joshua.

Biblical typology can be a tricky thing to nail down as it can easily get into very subjective areas…but some things are plain, because the NT makes certain OT types perfectly clear. For instance – we know that the Rock that Moses struck in the wilderness was a type pointing to Christ because Paul explicitly tells us so (1 Cor 10:4). Knowing this, what can we know for certain regarding the types found in Joshua?
1. We can know Moses represents the Law & the Law does not deliver rest. (John 1:17)
2. We can know that Joshua is a type pointing to Jesus in many ways – primarily because “Iesous/Jesus” is the Greek transliteration of the Hebrew “Yeshua”…and the name means “Yahweh is salvation.”
3. We can know that Canaan does not represent heaven (as per many gospel hymns), but rather ‘rest’ from battling against sin (Heb 3-4). To an extent, we will have final rest from sin when we it is removed from our presence in heaven (glorification) – but the NT makes it clear that this rest is available today & that we are to be diligent to enter into it (Heb 4:11).

What does that tell us about Joshua? It tells us that although Joshua is absolutely a record of historical events, that it is also a teaching book. The moment we were born again, God freed us from the penalty of sin in our lives – in addition, He also frees us from the power of sin over our lives…we don’t have to give into its temptations. Yet many of us do – like Paul, we cry out, “Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Rom 7:24). And his answer is the same as our answer: the Lord Jesus Christ! Just like Jesus had to deliver us from death & hell, He also has to deliver us into victory and the abundant life. Our salvation is completely due to His gracious work through faith & not ours! Thus Joshua is an extended word-picture of what this looks like. What does it mean for us to walk in faith & conquer sin? Joshua & the Israelites demonstrate it in success & failure – and there’s much for every NT believer to learn from them in the process.

Actually, we don’t take very long to get into things at all…Joshua starts off with a bang as God calls the Hebrew leader to courage & the nation makes final preparations to enter the land by spying out what’s already there.

Joshua 1 (NKJV)
1 After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: 2 “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.

A. 1st recorded instance of God speaking to Joshua personally…we know that Joshua had been with Moses on many occasions when God spoke – including on Mt. Sinai when Moses received the 10 Commandments & the Law. But this seems to be the 1st time that God directed His words at Joshua. [Remember the 1st time God spoke to you? ] What did God say? A lot of comfort, as we’ll see…

B. What’s God’s description of Moses? “My servant…” Amen! Moses was a prince, a shepherd, a husband & father, and the greatest prophet of God seen till the NT (other than John – Matt 11:11). Yet how did God know him? As “My servant” – there can be no greater description any of us could dream of! That we would be called by God as His own – and yet we’re not just His servants; we’re His friends & sons & co-heirs. The grace we’ve experienced in Christ is truly unfathomable!

C. Reaffirms the area of conquest… [MAP] Did Joshua fully conquer the land? There’s a bit of debate here – it does seem that the conquest was somewhat incomplete, though there may have been Hebrew settlements all over the region, even if living among other peoples. The point, though is that God is the One giving it to them – this is the fulfillment of the promises God made to Abraham & the rest of the patriarchs. Note the past tense “I have given” – God’s act had already been done; Joshua simply needed lead the Israelites in obedience in God’s completed work of victory.
.
.

5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.

A. 3 calls to be strong & courageous. Call to courage #1: to take the land. God had promised it & provided for it, but if the Hebrews were to actually live there, they needed to go over & possess it. And this took courage – as does walking in the Spirit and abundant life that Jesus promised. It’s really easy to go back to old habits & old ways of doing things – after all, sin is what comes naturally to us. But to go forward & walk after Christ, that takes true courage.

B. Question: is Joshua expected to do this in his own strength? No – God is with him. What a wonderful promise! “I will not leave you nor forsake you.” Joshua is operating in faith, but his faith is not without a solid foundation – he’s going be trusting in the Lord God the entire time. Just as we ought to be…
__a. Understand that we have the same promise: Jesus never leaves us nor forsakes us. Heb 13:5 uses these exact words in reference to Jesus & Jesus Himself told us something similar 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. [] There is nothing that we’ll face in our Christian walk that we need to fear; Jesus is with us! And if God is for us, who can be against us?
.
.

7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

A. Call to courage #2: observe & obey the law. Considering the pressures our world gives us to disregard the word of God, it’s obvious why we need to be strong, courageous and resolute in our desire to do things God’s way.

B. How is Joshua expected to observe the law? He’s got to know it – God tells him to “meditate in it day & night…” What does it mean to meditate in God’s word? Hebrew could be translated “to growl/moan” – it’s like a rumbling in our mouths that doesn’t go away, we’re chewing & considering & pondering the Scriptures.

C. What’s the result of following God’s word? Prosperity…per Ps 1, Joshua would be like a tree planted by the waters – contextually, God is referring to success in the Promised Land & conquest.
__a. God was not promising financial riches & blessing for giving to the church (which always seems to be the focus – you can’t just give to any church; you’ve got to give to MY church or MY ministry if you want to be blessed). God was promising prosperity in the goal of resting in Canaan – true prosperity is living in peace with the God who saved us. John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. []
.
.

9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

A. Call to courage #3: Don’t be afraid or dismayed. Why? Because God is with him. God basically went over this in the 1st call, but He emphasizes it again with Joshua. Even beyond the idea of possessing the land – whatever it is that God calls Joshua to do, Joshua doesn’t need to fear because God will always be with him. Israel was affirmed of the same promise later through Isaiah – Isaiah 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ [] We’re grafted into that promise as well…

B. Keep in mind that God has not given us a spirit of fear (2 Tim 1:7) – there may be legitimate challenges & problems we face that cause us to be afraid, but we can be assured that fear hasn’t come from the Lord.
.
.

10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11 “Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess.’ ”

A. After 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, the time has come to enter the land. Can you imagine what they were feeling?

B. Most importantly, Joshua reminds them why they’re getting the land: because the Lord their God is giving it to them… We’re going to see this reiterated time & time again throughout Joshua – for good reason: we need to be reminded of God’s work, so that we don’t end up thinking we can do it on our own. [King Asa – 2 Chr 14-16]
.
.

12 And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh Joshua spoke, saying, 13 “Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, ‘The LORD your God is giving you rest and is giving you this land.’ 14 Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But you shall pass before your brethren armed, all your mighty men of valor, and help them, 15 until the LORD has given your brethren rest, as He gave you, and they also have taken possession of the land which the LORD your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD’s servant gave you on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”

A. Review – Reuben, Gad, ½ Manasseh on far side of Jordan (Num 32)… They specifically promised Moses their men would go over to fight & Joshua is reminding them of their promise.
.
.

16 So they answered Joshua, saying, “All that you command us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17 Just as we heeded Moses in all things, so we will heed you. Only the LORD your God be with you, as He was with Moses. 18 Whoever rebels against your command and does not heed your words, in all that you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage.”

A. Oath of allegiance to Joshua’s leadership…it’s hard to say whether or not they were speaking truly or with empty promises. After all, they hadn’t followed Moses too well either. But the intent is good – and at least in one case, actually followed through (with Achan & Ai).

B. Interesting that Reuben, Gad, and ½ Manasseh ended with the same exhortation the Lord had been giving to Joshua: be strong & of good courage. Scripture doesn’t tell us if the rest of Israel had been listening in on the exhortations from the Lord; just that they confirmed it.
.
.

Joshua 2 (NKJV)
1 Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, “Go, view the land, especially Jericho.” So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there.

A. [MAP] Jericho

B. Is the use of spies a lack of trust in God? No – faith is not inaction…waiting on God to hand us His promises on a silver platter. James tells us faith without works is dead (Jas 2:26) – what better way to act on their faith than to send spies into Jericho to see how they ought to proceed in the conquest God commanded them?
.
.

2 And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, “Behold, men have come here tonight from the children of Israel to search out the country.” 3 So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, “Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out all the country.” 4 Then the woman took the two men and hid them. So she said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. 5 And it happened as the gate was being shut, when it was dark, that the men went out. Where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you may overtake them.” 6 (But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order on the roof.) 7 Then the men pursued them by the road to the Jordan, to the fords. And as soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate.

A. Flax was dried on the roof in order to separate the fibers in preparation to make linen. It may not have been a comfortable hiding place, but it was effective!

B. Rahab gave an outright lie in order to hide the Israelites. Was it wrong? The fact that we ask the question means we’re only looking at two options: either she lie about the Israelites, or turn them over to the authorities. But perhaps there may have been a 3rd option that didn’t involve sin – we don’t know. We do know that she saved the lives of the spies, though the Bible never praises her for her dishonesty; just her obedience (Jas 2:25) & faith (Heb 11:31). Keep in mind that God showed grace to Rahab – she’s included in the genealogy of Christ as the great-great-grandmother of David.
__a. It does raise an ethical question for us: do the ends justify the means? Does having a noble cause justify sinful actions in order to achieve it? No. God knows our thoughts, motives, and heart – and though we may have the best of intents, a sin is still a sin…for which we praise God for our salvation!
.
.

8 Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof, 9 and said to the men: “I know that the LORD has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. 10 For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. 11 And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.

A. Was Jericho afraid of Israel? No (though the spies didn’t quite realize that – see vs. 24). They were afraid of the God of Israel…and for good reason! However the news travelled, it was well known how God demonstrated His power in rescuing Israel from Egypt. He sent 9 massive plagues, destroying the imaginary powers of the Egyptian gods – He sent the 10th plague of Passover demonstrating His future salvation in Christ & the exact punishment of sin – He parted the Red Sea, baptizing His people & drowning their enemies – He brought them through the wilderness fighting bigger & stronger armies – and finally He had brought them to Jericho. It’s no wonder that their “hearts melted” – who can stand against the Lord?

B. We don’t think about it often, but our own testimonies declare the same thing: God showed His power in rescuing us! We all have different backgrounds & were saved out of different places & sins (comparatively), but the exact same events took place with all of us. God reached out to someone who was His violent enemy – who despised God & His holiness – who was completely dead in sin – who was enslaved to the devil…and God rescued us! He crushed the head of the serpent at the cross, paid the wages of death with the empty tomb, breathed life into our doomed souls, and brought us into His very own family. A Christian testimony is a powerful thing!
__a. So don’t be afraid to share it. Often we think that we have to have myriads of apologetics memorized & honed persuasion skills to be able to share our faith with someone & that’s just not true. If you’re born-again & belong to the Lord Jesus, then you have a testimony – and all God calls us to be is witnesses of Him. Paul shared his testimony in evangelism repeatedly – to Jews & Gentiles alike. Do apologetics help? They can’t hurt – but don’t put your stock in what you know; put it in what Christ has already done.

C. Interestingly enough, Rahab seems to already be a believer at this point. She saw the work of God, and placed her faith & trust in the “God in heaven above & on earth beneath.” We don’t even know if the spies had said anything at this point – like Peter with Cornelius, God had already gone before & done the work.
__a. Reminds us of a key point in evangelism: it’s impossible to talk anyone into the Kingdom. We’re simply to be faithful in witnessing & leave the results to God… Keep in mind God wants people to be saved; He’s not going to ‘drop the ball’ on us…
.
.

12 Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me by the LORD, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness to my father’s house, and give me a true token, 13 and spare my father, my mother, my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.” 14 So the men answered her, “Our lives for yours, if none of you tell this business of ours. And it shall be, when the LORD has given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.”

A. Covenant between them – Israel was to spare her life (and family) & she was to keep quiet.
.
.

15 Then she let them down by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall; she dwelt on the wall. 16 And she said to them, “Get to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you. Hide there three days, until the pursuers have returned. Afterward you may go your way.” 17 So the men said to her: “We will be blameless of this oath of yours which you have made us swear, 18 unless, when we come into the land, you bind this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and unless you bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father’s household to your own home. 19 So it shall be that whoever goes outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we will be guiltless. And whoever is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him. 20 And if you tell this business of ours, then we will be free from your oath which you made us swear.” 21 Then she said, “According to your words, so be it.” And she sent them away, and they departed. And she bound the scarlet cord in the window.

A. How would the Israelites know her house? By the scarlet cord. Just as God’s Angel knew the houses of the Hebrews in Egypt by the blood covering the doorpost, Israel would know Rahab by the blood-colored cord marking her house.

B. The scarlet cord runs more than just in Joshua 2…it runs through the whole Bible! From the very moment that Adam & Eve fell into sin, God gave a promise of a Redeemer. That promise was carried over through Noah to Abraham to the patriarchs to Moses & all the prophets – all the way Jesus Himself.
.
.

22 They departed and went to the mountain, and stayed there three days until the pursuers returned. The pursuers sought them all along the way, but did not find them. 23 So the two men returned, descended from the mountain, and crossed over; and they came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all that had befallen them. 24 And they said to Joshua, “Truly the LORD has delivered all the land into our hands, for indeed all the inhabitants of the country are fainthearted because of us.”

A. The mountains were a good hiding place – the Jericho soldiers had already gone down to the river to look for them, and the Israelites spies had a good head start to go to the mountains. The range referred to has peaks from 1200-1500 feet & is dotted with caves. It would have made a great hiding place…

B. Note the difference in reaction between this time & 40 years earlier in Kadesh Barnea! Before, 10 of the 12 spies saw giants in the land & were focused on their own lack of military strength. Now, the 2 spies spoke of the assured victory of the Lord. He had already “delivered all the land into our hands”. The difference between walking in defeat in the wilderness & victory in the land? Faith. The inhabitants of the land hadn’t changed; God’s people hadn’t gained any further military prowess – the only difference is that this time they had faith in God…which is exactly what God wanted! Hebrews 11:6 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. []

Conclusion:
Joshua showed his faith when speaking to God & sending the spies. Rahab showed her faith by hiding the men & trusting God. The spies showed their faith when they came back with a good report in the face of overwhelming odds.

There are some things we face that appear to have overwhelming odds… But our call is the same one that God gave to Joshua: be strong & courageous! Our fear is IN the Lord; it hasn’t come from Him – we can have courage as we trust in His word & trust in His promises. The best promise: our Lord Jesus is with us & will never forsake us…He’ll always be with us, and no one is going to snatch us out of His hand. Have faith in Him & in His work…and then walk in faith!

Sin, Suffering, and the Scriptures

2 Timothy 3:1-17, “Sin, Suffering, and Scripture”
———–

Introduction:
Every January, we tend to do a bit of introspection. We tend to alternately look back at the past year to see what went well (and what didn’t) & we look forward to the New Year to plan what might take place. Newspapers, TV’s, and books are filled with predictions. So is the Bible – but the Bible is actually accurate.

What is it the Bible predicts? Perilous times & persecution. Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? The NT makes it clear that sinful teachers will abound, and that Christians will endure suffering. Jesus, Peter, Paul, and John all make this perfectly clear. But we’re also told how we can be prepared for the sin & suffering to come: through the Holy Scriptures.

2 Timothy 3 (NKJV)
1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come:

A. When are the “last days”? Technically everything since Pentecost, according to Peter’s quotation of Joel in Acts 2:17. In God’s timeline, the entire church age is the last days. But the implication is that as we get closer to the end, these things will increase.

B. Why will the last days be “perilous”? Because people will be obsessed with selfishness – see vs 2…
.
.

2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

A. Much is self-explanatory…just a few highlights:
__a. “lovers of themselves, lovers of money” – excellent translation of the Greek. These are compound words integrating the word for “love/affection” with “self” & “silver”. These are the things our culture searches after & values the most.
__b. “blasphemers” – Some translations say “abusive”, but “blasphemy” is an actual transliteration of the Greek. The word can mean a ‘railing accusation against others’, but our culture’s slander against God & abuse of His name is rampant… [OMG on TV]
__c. “unloving” – KJV has “without natural affection”…good description. Greek is literally the negative form (“a”) of the word used for familial love (“storge”). The last days would be filled with people who have no love for their families – or babies in the womb.
__d. “slanderers” – Grk word used here is normally used to refer to the Devil. Seems appropriate to describe a people who have turned their backs on God to exalt themselves.

B. Ultimately the last days is marked by idolatry. Instead of loving God, people will be hedonists, seeking whatever it is that bring pleasure to themselves. Note everything in the list can be tied to selfishness in some way…these are all various descriptions of people being “lovers of themselves.” How does it manifest? Primarily through attitudes and language. There are not a lot of the more “visible” sins like murder or fornication here; these are things that many people just wink at. Turn on any ‘reality’ TV program or read any politics news-story & it won’t take long before you see any number of these things.
.
.

5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

A. These sinful traits will be evident in the world, but they will also be evident among people claiming to be ‘Christian’ or ‘religious’. They try to portray themselves as being super spiritual or godly by they way they act in certain places, but have no inward transformation by the gospel. (Christ-less Christians).

B. What should the church’s reaction be? To “turn away” from those people…excommunicate them. ‘Sounds harsh!’ Keep in mind that Paul had just instructed Timothy to correct those in opposition (Ch 2:25)…for those who persist in ungodliness & sin, the church was to recognize & treat them as unbelievers; certainly not listen to their doctrine & treat them as a godly teacher!
__a. It’s not hard to find men like this today. There are many famous ‘bishops’ who are lauded for their ‘tolerance’ & ‘enlightenment’ who deny the very gospel & resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our response to these people shouldn’t be to treat them as a brother in the Lord, but to give them the gospel in hopes that they’d be saved!
.
.

6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

A. What’s so dangerous about Christ-less Christians? They prey off of those who truly need the gospel. People who are “loaded down” & burdened with sin need to hear of the transforming grace of Jesus Christ; not be taken in by a religious charlatan.
__a. Who are the “gullible women”? Paul’s playing off a stereotype – using a word meaning “little woman”. The person who’s foolish & running after every idea that blows through town. (A trait that’s not limited to women!)

B. Some people learn but never know. This happens all the time…especially here in the Bible belt. People have been exposed to Christianity all of their lives – they could tell you the gospel, recite Bible stories, even have basic Scriptures memorized – but they have absolutely no real knowledge of Jesus Himself… This is the exact opposite of what should happen. (Speaking of living a quiet reverent life…) 1 Timothy 2:3-4 (3) For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, (4) who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. []
.
.

8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith;

A. Who are Jannes & Jambres? Unnamed in the OT – these are the magicians of Pharaoh who came against Moses when he 1st came back to Egypt for the Exodus. (Ex 7). Supernatural miracles are not a proof of someone’s “anointing” – the Bible expressly says that false prophets in the end times will do the supernatural (Matt 24:24)… The proof of a good teacher is whether or not they teach the truth.

B. Christ-less christians do the same thing as the Egyptian magicians. They “resist the truth…” In their sin, they strive against the truth & when they resist the truth, they’re ultimately resisting Christ (who IS the truth). Ultimately, their resistance is a demonstration of their corrupted (unregenerate) minds.
.
.

9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was.

A. They might be able to sneak into the church, but they can’t stay hidden for long. Eventually their error & sin will be brought out into the light – how? When the false teaching is held up in comparison with the truth. (Clarke) “False doctrine cannot prevail long where the sacred Scriptures are read and studied. Error prevails only where the book of God is withheld from the people. The religion that fears the Bible is not the religion of God.”
.
.

10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me.

A. As opposed to the Christ-less christians who lived in & promoted sin, Paul demonstrated his true faith in his suffering for the Lord Jesus… Everything Paul endured served to give God glory – all of it could be used as an example for Timothy…

B. What made Paul’s endurance possible? (or Who?) The Lord! God delivered him out of all those situations. ‘Wait a second…did God really deliver him? After all, Paul endured a stoning and was left for dead at Iconium. (Acts 14)’ Yes, God delivered him! Without a doubt!
__a. Paul wasn’t killed; he lived to eventually write this letter…
__b. God never promised that deliverance would be painless; simply that His grace would be sufficient for whatever it is Paul faced…
.
.

12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

A. There’s a promise we don’t run to…but it’s just as true as any other promise of God! Do we all experience the same level of persecution? Obviously not. But if you haven’t experienced some sort of trouble/difficulty because of your faith in Christ, be assured you will… John 15:18-20 (18) “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. (19) If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. (20) Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. []
__a. Keep in mind that we don’t walk through this persecution alone. As soon as Jesus gave the promise of persecution & trials in John 15, He also gave the promise of the Holy Spirit as the Helper/Paraclete (John 15:26).

B. What happens if we don’t experience persecution? Does it mean we’re not living godly? Not necessarily…we just may not recognize the persecution for what it is. Not everyone is going to be jailed or martyred; but we will ALL be hated by the world. At the same time, not all tribulation people experience is brought on by their faith – some Christians are reviled because they’re obnoxious; not because they’re living godly lives & are demonstrating the gospel.
__a. Bottom line: We don’t go seeking persecution, but we shouldn’t be afraid of it… As we share our faith, we do so in love & godliness – when it is inevitably offensive to some people, we ought not to be surprised.
.
.

13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.

A. This pretty much shoots an arrow though the heart of the thought that the end times would be marked by world-wide revival…. Will there be revival in the church? Probably…there have always been seasons of revival. Will it be the overwhelming mark of the endtimes? Absolutely not. The overwhelming mark will be one of apostasy, false teaching, and deception…
.
.

14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

A. What is it that will prepare Timothy to walk after Paul in his suffering for the gospel? What is it that will equip him to face sinful false teachers? The Scripture!

B. Timothy had learned it from childhood from his mother & grandmother (2 Tim 1:5)… There’s value in teaching our children the Scripture! Even if they don’t understand it when they’re young, they’ll benefit from it as they grow & mature…

C. What’s the primary lesson of Scripture? Salvation through faith in Jesus Christ!
.
.

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,

A. “inspiration” – literally “God-breathed.” Just as God breathed life into Adam – just as the Risen Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit into the disciples – God breathed His word into the 40+ authors of the Holy Bible. Each author spoke in his own voice (we can definitely tell the difference between Paul & John), but every word penned by them & preserved in the Scriptures was a word breathed into them by God Himself.
__a. Some commentators & church fathers translated “inspired” differently – changing the emphasis (Every Scripture inspired of God is profitable…). The issue goes back to basic grammar…the alternate translation uses “God-breathed” as a verb, making it the action the Scripture goes through. The actual text uses it as an adjective, which makes it a modifier of the Scripture itself.
__b. Huh? Here’s the problem – if every Scripture inspired of God is profitable, then the question becomes: “Which Scriptures are the inspired ones?”. At this point, men begin to decide which Scriptures are the inspired Scriptures & all of a sudden Scripture is interpreted in light of tradition rather than tradition being judged in light of Scripture.
__c. What the NT is actually teaching is that Scripture is ITSELF breathed out by/inspired by God. When we call it the word of God, we can trust that it truly is the word of God! Do we worship the book? No – we worship the One who gave it to us. It’s not the pages & ink that is special; it’s the content. The Bible is the written revelation of God that points us to the revealed incarnation of God: Jesus Christ.

B. Which part of the Scripture is inspired? ALL of it – every part of it. From Genesis 1 to Revelation 22, every chapter, word, letter, and mark is breathed out by God Himself. Contextually, Paul’s speaking primarily of the OT here…the faith that was previously passed on to Timothy was written of in the OT; the NT was still being composed. But the NT is just as inspired – Peter puts Paul’s letters in the same category as the rest of the Scripture (2 Pet 3:16).
__a. Keep in mind that just because all of it is inspired doesn’t mean that context isn’t crucial. Job’s friends are accurately recorded, even though virtually everything they said was junk. Psalms 14 & 53 accurately state the phrase “There is no God”, but context tells us it comes out of the mouth of a fool. Just because someone is quoting a Bible verse to you doesn’t mean that’s what the Scriptures are actually saying. We’ve got to be willing to read it with our own eyes…
__b. And because all of it is inspired, all of it is profitable! ‘What does this mean about the genealogies & other various lists? Are they still profitable?’ Yes – though they obviously have different levels of importance. (Adrian Rogers) “I’d rather be stuck on a desert island with 1 Corinthians than 1 Chronicles…” But there’s something to learn from every word within the Bible – even if it’s only the realization that God knows every one of us by name.

C. It’s profitable for “doctrine”: One of the key doctrines brought out in the Reformation was Sola Scriptura – the sufficiency of Scripture. The Bible is profitable for our doctrine/teaching & is in fact our final authority in doctrine. There is no interpretation that we should hold so dear that we cannot be corrected by the truth of the Scripture.
__a. There’s a flip side to this too. If Scripture is profitable for teaching & doctrine, then it follows that we shouldn’t come across a Scripture that is unprofitable for it. For instance, it’s not uncommon to find whole websites devoted to supposed contradictions in the Bible. But when we understand that all Scripture is profitable for doctrine, we can have the assurance that the Bible is not in fact contradicting itself – it’s either being interpreted incompletely (context) or incorrectly. The problem isn’t in the Scripture; the problem is in our interpretation.

D. It’s profitable for “reproof”: We don’t use the word much today – when we do we typically think about scolding or rebuke. Grk actually refers to evidence – or something that’s been tested/proven. Scripture definitely tests our hearts & motives – Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. []

E. It’s profitable for “correction”: This may not be the 1st thing that leaps to mind, but praise God that the word of God brings correction! The Law brings correction when it shows us our sin – the Gospel demonstrates the correction when it shows us our Savior – the Epistles correct us from the extremes of legalism and licentiousness – the Psalms correct our notions of trite meaningless worship – and the list goes on & on.

F. It’s profitable for “instruction in righteousness”: Not only are we corrected from error, but we’re instructed in how God would want us to live, worship, serve, and rest in the gospel. God has not only given us the righteousness of Christ, but through the Bible He teaches us what it means spiritually & practically.
.
.

17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

A. What does it mean to be made “complete”? To be made competent/qualified by God for His purposes & His tasks. We are woefully incomplete on our own (hence our need for salvation to begin with!) – but God grants us His grace through Jesus Christ, and instructs us through His word. Scripture prepares you for anything God calls you to do. Through Scripture, we’re not only warned away from sin (Ps 119:11), we’re not just cleansed from sin (Eph 5), we’re equipped for GOOD…

Conclusion:
There’s a caveat to all these promises about the Scripture. It’s good for so much! Exposing sinful teachers, endurance in suffering, doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness, equipping, etc…but we experience none of these benefits if we never break open the book. Read it, hear it, meditate on it, pray through it, discuss it – pick a study method & use it! American Christians are famous for how many Bibles we own, and yet the vast majority of Christians are virtually Biblically illiterate. We complain about not ‘hearing’ the voice of God or knowing His will, yet we don’t pick up the primary way God chose to communicate His will to us. We WILL be changed by reading the word of God – it’s simply a fact. Psalm 1:1-3 (1) Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; (2) But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. (3) He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper. []

Why can the Christian be so sure of the promise of blessing as we meditate & learn the word of God? Because the (w)ord always takes us to the (W)ord…Scripture always brings us to Jesus! As we learn of Him and know Him, we are changed – transformed by the renewing of our mind (Rom 12:2), and conformed into His image (Rom 8:29). Christian – please don’t neglect the 2nd greatest gift from God to mankind: the Holy Scriptures!

What’s the 1st greatest gift? The Lord Jesus Christ! When we were wallowing in our sin & offending God at every turn through blasphemy, deceit, lusts, and hatred, God put on human flesh and walked among us. The perfect Son of God died a tortuous death on the cross not because He deserved it, but because we did – and through the cross & empty tomb purchased our salvation. But you must respond to His offer of grace. God desires the whole world to come to repentance, but some hear the gospel, learn the gospel, & never come to knowledge of the truth. If that’s you, don’t put it off another day – respond to His offer in faith!