Open your Bibles, if you would,
to 2 Timothy chapter four, and we'll read verses one to four,
where Paul is exhorting Timothy, number one, to preach the word,
to preach the word. And he tells of a time, Paul
tells Timothy that there's gonna come a time when people will
not heed sound doctrine. They will turn away from it.
Well, we've seen that so much even in our time. Man is following
will worship, right? And when we proclaim that salvation's
of the Lord and that we can't even come to Christ without him
drawing us, without him regenerating us, people say, well, I don't
believe that. Well, that's, you have a problem
with God's Bible then. And really, you have a problem
with God. Because let's see, let's see, and I'm gonna bring
out, I'm gonna bring out six points of what comprises sound
doctrine. Now this is just a little wee
bit, there's more. This is just a little, but a
little sampling of six pillars, I think, of what is sound doctrine. And he told Timothy, preach the
word. See, that's the charge to God's
preachers. Preach the word, just let it
fly, right? The word cannot be caged. The
word cannot be bound, because it's the Holy Spirit of God,
the Almighty, right? Remember, God the Father is the
Almighty, God the Son is the Almighty, and God the Holy Spirit
is the Almighty, right? The three are one. And you cannot
restrain the power of God the Holy Spirit. See, when folks
say, well, I can resist him, you're telling me that you're
stronger and more powerful than God the Holy Spirit? Well, I
know that's a lie. Because I believe in irresistible
grace, because I know that Jesus Christ said, my sheep hear my
voice, and I know them. And he also said, all that the
Father gave me shall come to me. They're all going to come. Isn't that amazing? Oh, it's wonderful. He knows
he saves, he keeps, beloved, because they are washed in his
precious blood. 2,000 years ago, He redeemed
us. Oh, that's marvelous. That's
wondrous, isn't it? So let's read 2 Timothy 4, verses
1 to 4. I charge thee therefore before
God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and
the dead at His appearing in His kingdom? The judge that people
are going to face at the great white judgment throne is none
other than the Lord Jesus Christ. Look at this. I love this. Look
at verse 2. Preach the word. Be in season and out of season. Now, I had Donny Bell talk to
me one time about what's this in season and out of season.
It's when you feel like preaching, and when you're so down, and
you're so tired, and something might be going on within the
congregation, something might be going on in your life, and
you just have no strength to preach. Still preach. preach
the word in season, when you have that burning desire to just
preach away, and when you're at the lowest lows, preach the
word in season and out of season. Reprove. Now this is what the
Word of God does when you preach it. Reprove, rebuke, and exhort
with all longsuffering and doctrine. Now look at that. Longsuffering. We preachers are to be longsuffering
with God's people. And I thank God that you're longsuffering
with me too. We're to be longsuffering with
one another, aren't we? Oh yeah. And look at this. With
all longsuffering and doctrine. Some people say, well, doctrine
divides. Doctrine doesn't matter. Well, it sure mattered to Paul,
didn't it? And it matters to the Holy Spirit
who had Paul pen these words. Oh, my. Look at this. For the
time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. But after their own hearts they
shall heap to themselves. Teachers have an itch in ears.
Now people take this and they say, well, that's at the end
times. Paul, by inspiration of the Holy
Spirit, is warning Timothy about this. So it's as relevant when
he wrote to Timothy as it is for us today and to all the ages. There is going to come a time,
and it's already here. Right? When they will not endure
sound doctrine. But after their own lusts, look
at this, they shall heap to themselves teachers having itching ears.
They want teachers who will tell them things that they like to
hear. Like, let's just tone down sin
a little bit. Why do you gotta talk about Christ
all the time? Well, see, sin, sin is the problem,
isn't it? for all sin to come short of
the glory of God. And Christ is the remedy. Oh,
my. Oh, my. He's the great physician.
Isn't that wonderful? By his stripes, we're healed.
By his blood, we're purchased. Because of his perfect finished
work, we have forgiveness of all our sins. And the born again
believer says, hallelujah. What a savior is Jesus Christ,
my Lord. Look at this, and they shall
turn away their ears from the truth. They don't want to hear
it. Why do you think when we start
talking to people about what we believe, about election, which
is in the Bible, it's there, right? About limited atonement
that Christ himself said, I lay down my life for the sheep. About
the total depravity of man that we absolutely fell in on him,
fell in on him. That there's no hope for us.
Irresistible grace, that you can't resist the calling of the
Holy Spirit if you're truly one of God's people. And then perseverance
of the saints. So many people say, well, who
are professed in religion, well, I can lose my salvation. Well,
then you don't have God's salvation. Because we just saw in that first
study that we're kept by the power of God. And Peter's writing
that to the saints of God, to God's elect. to his people. My, and people, they turn their
ears away from, I don't believe that. You ever heard that? I
don't believe that. I don't believe that. Turn their ears from the
truth. It says, and they shall be turned
into fables. Now, Paul told Titus that every
pastor must hold faithful the word of the gospel truth firmly.
as we've been taught, so that we may be able to, by sound doctrine,
both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers. Listen to this.
In Titus chapter 1, verse 9, holding fast the faithful word,
that's the gospel, as he has been taught, that he may be able
to, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convince the gainsayers,
the unbelievers, And without sound doctrine, you
know what the pulp of this? It's as useless as a broken pipe.
That's what it is. Here are six pillars of sound
doctrine from the scriptures. Six pillars of sound doctrine,
which are essential to the faith of the gospel. And may God, by
his grace, see that we hold these firmly, beloved. Number one,
God Almighty, The Almighty One, God, is absolutely sovereign
in all things. God is sovereign in creation,
God is sovereign in providence, and God is sovereign in salvation. He does what He wills, when He
wills, where he wills, with whomever he wills, and he has mercy on
whom he will have mercy. Romans chapter nine says this,
as it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses,
I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I have compassion
on whom I have compassion. Aren't you thankful God had compassion
on you, beloved? I'm sure thankful. So then, now
look at this, listen to this. So then it is not of him that
willeth. There goes your will. Nor of
him that willeth. There goes your works. but of
God that showeth mercy. Isn't that wonderful, beloved?
Gives God all the glory. That's the first point. God is
sovereign in all things. Number two, second pillar of
sound doctrine. The Bible is the word of God.
And by the scriptures, by the Bible, God reveals himself to
man. The Bible alone is inspired by
God. Therefore, the Bible alone is
our rule of faith, beloved. It's our practice. And the only
voice of authority in all matters of doctrine and spiritual instruction
is the Word of God, is thus saith the Lord. Thus saith the Lord. This book
is our final authority, isn't it? Right here. My oh my. That's God's book,
isn't it? Yeah? Listen to this. Number three, point number three
of sound doctrine. All men by nature are totally
depraved. I mean dead as a doorknob. Man is totally depraved, fallen.
And Adam, we fell, spiritually dead, guilty, sinful, helpless,
dead in trespasses and sins. Vicki, if there was a man between
you and I, and he's sitting here on the floor, and I said to the,
he's dead, totally dead. And I said to him, dead body,
if you can get up and rise, we're gonna take you over across the
road to McDonald's and give you some food. But I won't do that
until you get up. What would happen? I'd just be
talking to a dead body, wouldn't I? That body's got no will. That body's got no life. That's a picture of us spiritually,
beloved. Ephesians chapter two. Ephesians
chapter two, verses one to three. And you hath he quickened. Who
did it? God. Born again. who were dead in trespasses and
can't do nothing. Oh my, that's our natural state. Vicki was in Oregon and someone
said, well, I don't think the will died. And she said, well,
I guess your definition of death isn't the definition of death,
is it? Because the definition of death is you're dead. Yeah. And in the Greek, When
it says we were dead in trespasses and sins, that's graveyard dead. But see, religion says you're
only mostly dead. Well, that's a lie, isn't it?
We're fully dead. We cannot come to Christ on our
own. We cannot believe on our own. We're spiritually dead.
Listen to this. And you, Ethel Quicken, who were
dead and trespassed the sins, were in times past. This was
our former, right? You walked according to the course
of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air,
the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience,
among whom also we all had our conversations in times past,
in the lust of our flesh. Oh, we loved our sin. Oh, yeah. Fulfilling the desires of the
flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath,
even as others. Dead nature. And unless God intervenes to
save a man or woman, then all men were forever perished, being
justly condemned. D.J. Ward used to say, if God
hadn't have chose some, heaven would have none. That's true. If God hadn't have chose to save
some, heaven would have had none. Because no man will ever want
to come to Christ in their natural state. Because we're dead. Spiritually
dead. Physically alive and yet spiritually
dead. My. Number four. Another pillar of the truth. God determined to save some people
in eternal electing love. If God hadn't chose some, there'd
be no one saved. Listen to this. Paul's writing
to Thessalonian church, a young church, and he says this, in
2 Thessalonians 2, 13. But we are bound to give thanks
always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because
God hath, from the beginning, well, when's the beginning? That's in eternity. Isn't that
wonderful? Look at this, listen to this. Because God from the
beginning chosen you to salvation. My, oh my! When did he do that? When he chose us in Christ. Oh,
that's wonderful. How? Through sanctification of
the Spirit and belief of the truth. See, we're born again
by the Holy Spirit of God, and we believe the truth of the Scriptures
that we never believed before. We believe what God says about
our sin. We believe what God says about the fall. We believe
what God says that there's no hope for us outside of Christ.
We believe we have no ability to come Christ. And we believe
that Jesus Christ is the only savior of sinners, that he was
sent by God to save his people from their sins. And he did it,
praise his mighty name. He's finished. He's finished. God chose a people in Christ
in eternity without any consideration of anything except His own will.
Now, let us chew on that for a while. God chose a people in
Christ in eternity without any consideration of anything except
His own will. God chose a people, and all who
were chosen of Him will be saved. We'll be safe. It's not a matter
of if, it's a matter of when. Number five, Christ died in the
place of his elect, another pillar of the faith, and accomplished
their eternal redemption by his death. See, this is just sound
doctrine. It's from the scriptures. Hebrews
9, 12, neither by the blood of goats and cows, but by his own
blood, he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained,
oh, he obtained it, beloved, by his death, by the shedding
of his blood, says, having obtained eternal redemption for us. That's
for all the elect of all the ages. Isn't that wonderful? And we don't know who they are,
so we preach the gospel to all. Trust Christ. Look to Christ
and live. Isn't that wonderful? Believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. My. My, oh my. Christ satisfied divine
justice for his people in their room and place and redeemed them
from the curse of the law. Redeemed us, saved us from all
our sins. And we are just in awe. Because
we're undeserving, we don't merit it, we can't earn it, and yet
this wondrous salvation is given to us. It's a work already done
by the Lord Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago. It's amazing. It's amazing. And the sixth and
final point is God the Holy Spirit saves every elect redeemed sinner
by irresistible power of his grace. If you could resist it,
then God's not sovereign. If you say, well, I can choose
to believe on Christ or I can reject him. If you're one of
his sheep, he's going to get you. you will not be able to resist
it. Because God, remember our first point, is absolutely sovereign. And Christ said, all that the
Father gave me shall come to me. And you know what? He won't
lose one of them, beloved. Now how that comforts my heart
as a sinner, saved by grace. Here never loses hold on you
and I, beloved. That's wondrous. Listen to this. We'll close with this. Psalm
65, verse 4. Blessed is the man or woman whom
thou choosest, whom God chooses, and causes to approach unto thee. He causes us to approach. We're
made willing in the day of his power. Isn't this wonderful?
Because we never would have come. that he may dwell in thy courts,
we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of
thy holy temple." Oh, marvel, beloved of God. Marvel at the
grace of God, which does not offer salvation, but brings it
to us. My, oh, my. All we can say is
praise the name of Jesus. Amen and amen.