2nd Timothy 3.10. Thou hast fully known my doctrine,
manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, patience. Now in verse 10 here, the apostle
invites an examination of himself. speaks of his own character. And that's not something that
a believer will typically do. We don't recommend ourselves
or tout ourselves, and Paul said that many times. We preach not
ourselves. Nor do we want anyone, we don't
have any confidence in the flesh, we don't want anybody to have
any confidence in the flesh, you know, ours, theirs, or anybody
else's. But it's very important, it's vital to the understanding
of this verse in the context to see why Paul wrote what he
did here in verse 10. So let's look at why he's doing
this. Why is he saying, you know me,
you know what I preach, you know how I live, what I do, why I
do it. Why is he doing that here? We'll
look at chapter one, verses eight through 15. Just back a page
here. Chapter one. Listen to what he's saying here.
This is the context now. This is leading up to what our
text is this morning. Be not therefore ashamed of the
testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner. But be thou
partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power
of God. Now, he's saying, of course,
don't be ashamed of the testimony because Paul was in prison for
it. And it's real easy to start mincing
words and compromising when there's a price to pay. And then also,
don't be ashamed of me, his prisoner. Think of, put yourself in this
situation. The Apostle Paul, this is toward
the end of his life. He's been preaching the gospel
for years. And the end result of his ministry is he's a convict. While other false preachers are
doing real fine. They're real popular and real
doing well. Everybody's, they're drawing
crowds and Paul's in prison. So he's telling Timothy, don't
be ashamed of me now. as the prisoner of the Lord.
I'm a prisoner of Jesus Christ, not man. And so think about this
now with me, who has saved us and called us with an holy calling,
not according to our works, but according to his own purpose
and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world
began. When the Lord inspires Paul to
somewhat defend himself as a preacher of the gospel here, This language
is fraught with the gospel as well. This is what he was in
prison for preaching right here. He called us not according to
our works, not according to us doing anything, not according
to us walking in an aisle, not according to us saying a sinner's
prayer, not according to us getting saved, but because of his own
purpose and grace in Christ Jesus he saved. That's what got Paul
in prison right there. Now look at verse 11, whereunto
I am appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher of the
Gentiles, for the which cause I also suffer these things. That's what I just said. Nevertheless,
I'm not ashamed. He just said, now don't you be
ashamed. I'm not ashamed of it. If I never get out of prison,
It doesn't discourage me. By the grace of God, it doesn't
now. Because this is what we're doing. And this is why. For I
know whom I have believed and am persuaded. I'm not ashamed. I'm not rattled. I'm not discouraged.
Why? Because I know him. I know him. I know why I'm here. Because
I know him. I know that he doeth all things
well. I know this is his purpose. I
know that he brings the storm and he calms them when it pleases
him. You see, the God that we worship is the reason we are who we are. That's what he's saying. Now
listen, verse, I left off there in verse 12,
for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able
to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. I'll
commit myself to him. If he wants to put me in prison,
then I'll be in prison. If he wants to get me out, if
he wants to send me hither and yon, I'll go hither and I'll
go yon. And he's talking about, of course,
his immortal soul. I've committed myself, body and
soul, to the Savior. I'm confident that he's able
to keep me. Hold fast, listen to him now,
hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me in
faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. I'm in prison and everybody else
is doing just fine preaching a false gospel, but you listen
to my message, you hear my gospel, and you hold fast to it like
your life depended on it, because your life depends on it. That
good thing which was committed unto thee by the Holy Ghost which
dwelleth in us, this thou knowest that all they which are in Asia
be turned away from me. Everybody else is like, Paul's
in prison. I knew there was something wrong with that guy. You know
what I'm saying? You know how you are, and me
too. That's how we are. Well, I just thought, you know,
yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't know about that, if the
Lord was using him. Don't think he'd be in prison
right now. That's what Job's friends did to him too. If you
were living right, if you were in the will of God, you wouldn't
be on the ash heap right now. Oh boy. Those, all those which
are in Asia are turned away from me. You see the stigma of him
being a prisoner. That's why he's saying, you know
me, Timothy, you know me. And we'll talk about that in
detail, but we need to get this background. They be turned away
of whom are phagellus and hermogenes. And then he mentions those that
were still with him, and the Lord blessed them and gave them
mercy. Paul calls himself a prisoner here of the Lord. But many, many
had turned away from Paul, again, because of just the stigma of
being a convict, a prisoner. Maybe the stigma of having all
of the religious authorities of the day turning thumbs down
on him. They all despised him and opposed
him. That's not easy to overcome.
Paul was not well liked. He was completely shunned by
all established religion because of the gospel of Christ that
he preached. And in writing to Timothy here,
while he's glorying in Christ in the declaration of the truth
of the doctrine that made him hated, he's also forced to defend
himself as the servant of Christ that he was. And listen, why
did it come to this? Who put Paul in this situation
and why? So that we might maybe examine
ourselves through Paul, and these things, these exhortations, might
be something that we need to consider as believers. So notice
in chapters two and three, also, Paul begins to name some men
who were, and you don't need to scan through that right now,
but in chapters two and three, he names men specifically who
were enemies of the gospel, and then at the beginning of chapter
three, He gives a detailed graphic expression to describing such
men as pervert the doctrine of Christ. Lovers of them own selves, covetous,
boasters, proud. Now that's all that men in general
will be that way, but then he goes down in verse six, for of
this sort are they which creep into houses. that these preachers,
these false preachers, these soul winners, so-called, are
like these people, are this way. You'll know them when you see
them. And then after a lot of warning
here against specific ones and just a scathing denouncement
of false teachers in general, Paul says in verse 10, but, you
see that? That's where we are, but. And the but in verse nine is
part of this also. Think about it. Verse nine, but they shall proceed
no further. This is not a competition that
I'm losing, because I'm in prison and they're out spreading their
lies. They're going to go just as far
as God wants them to, just like the waves on the beach. Hitherto shalt thou come, and
no further. No further. And so that's part
of it too, but then, but God has fully known my doctrine,
what I preach. It's not hid, it's not ambiguous,
it's not confusing. You know, people say election
and predestination, well, that's just confusing. No, you just
don't like it. You just don't like it. What
gets confusing is trying to reconcile it with your preconceived, false,
blasphemous ideas of who you think God is. That'll get real
confusing. You won't be able to make a fit
with that. But here I am, think about it now, here I am in prison,
arrested, an icon of failure and rejection. While those who
hate Christ and pervert his doctrine are free to spread the anti-Christ
poison that all of the religious community loved and praised them
for and rewarded them for. These reprobates were not only
not in prison, they were popular. Paul mentions their names in
assuming that Timothy knows who they are, and I'm sure everybody
did. How do you know they were popular,
Chris? Because they are now. They still
are. They always are. And of course,
their names were common as Paul spoke to them. For Paul in this
scenario to be considered the true servant of God, you think,
what if I went to prison? And you see the religion of this
world, and of course, things are a lot bigger now, so people
just get lost in the shuffle. Nobody would even remember my
name. trying to convince those who
hear you preach that you are God's apostle, you are God's
sent preacher. And everybody that preaches another
gospel, Paul, as you know, denounced very, very clearly. Let them go to hell, he said,
with their false gospel. But for him to be considered
the true servant of God, the true preacher of the gospel,
and everybody pretty much else that were drawing crowds and
saying what people wanted to hear, were all liars. Remember the reason Paul said
that he didn't come with enticing words of man's wisdom? It's because
all of these false preachers did exactly that. They were convincing. Here is hated rejected prisoner
Paul the loser writing a letter saying don't listen to them Turn
away from them chapter 3 verse 5 and hold fast to the doctrine
that you've learned of me Not an easy sell unless Unless by
God's grace and gracious providence You had since you were a child
learned the holy scriptures which are able to make a sinner wise
unto salvation chapter three verse fifteen but still paul here doesn't give
a resume he doesn't mention his accomplishments so-called he
doesn't list all the places he had preached give a tally of
decisions that were made and you know, baptisms and rededications
and make a big board up here with statistics on it. I've seen
enough of those. He just reminds Timothy of the
difference between the ones he's been warning against and a true
servant of the Lord and what characterizes a true servant
of the Lord. And he's doing this for Timothy's
sake, not to brag, he's doing it, chapter two, verse three. Thou therefore endure hardness
as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. He's teaching Timothy. Now, Timothy's
a young man. Paul is about to die here. And Timothy's a young preacher.
And he's saying, you know me, you know my manner, you know
what I preach. And you endure hardness. If you have to go through
things like this, I hope you don't. But be ready, be ready. So he's doing this, not to brag. You know my doctrine. We talked
about this last time. This was pretty much the bulk of the lesson last time
was you know my doctrine. You know what I preach. You know who I preach. First
Corinthians 2.2, for I determined not to know anything among you,
I determined not to even know that people are pre-millennialists
and post-millennialists and infralapsarianists or superlapsarianists. I determined not to get involved
in the disputes and the strifes of words. that Paul mentions
in other places. I determined not to know anything
among you, save Jesus Christ and what he did on Calvary, what
he accomplished. You know that I don't preach
myself, but Christ Jesus, the Lord and myself, your servant
for his sake. 2 Corinthians 4, 5. You know that
the gospel I preach is not after man, For I neither received it
from man, neither was I taught it by man, but by the revelation
of Jesus Christ, Galatians 1, 11, and 12. Our doctrine is a person. Who
is God? Look to Christ. What must I do? Look to Christ. How can a sinner be saved? That's
a good question, and I wonder if anybody's answering that question
anywhere. around us today? Jesus Christ is the answer. What is your doctrine, Chris,
Christ and him crucified? What's your hope? How do you
lay down your head at night? I will both lay me down in sleep
and peace. For thou only, Lord, makest me
to dwell in safety. My hope is Christ, my Lord. Well,
that's awfully simple. You're just dodging the question.
That's too simple. Yeah, but you know the problem
with false religion? It's what they leave out. You
say, well, my preacher didn't say anything that wasn't true.
Maybe not, but did he preach the truth? It's what they leave
out. Here's what we leave out. When
we say Christ is salvation, here's what we leave out. Everything
you've ever done, everything you think you're doing right
now, and everything you ever will do or think you might do,
that's what we leave out. It's Christ, he is salvation. He that hath the Son hath life,
and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. It's not of him that willeth.
You can name your church that, you can talk about it till you're
blue in the face. It is not of him that willeth. You are not
going to free will your way into salvation. Your will is your
problem. Read Genesis chapters one through
three. Your will is your problem, not
the answer. Your part in salvation is that
you need it. That's all of your part in it.
And even that's not true in the good sense. You don't need it
in the sense that you actually know that you need it. Your part
is you need it and you don't need it. That's the sad truth. Paul said, also you've known
my manner of life. Now this is in contrast to verses
two through eight. Look back at chapter three again.
Men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boaster. You think if Paul loved himself,
he would have taken as many beatings as he did for preaching the gospel?
If he was in it because he loved himself? Covetous, if he was
covetous, would he have had to work to make his own money and
preach the gospel to all these churches and travel and all of
that? And make tents and labor? and have to exhort the churches
to give so that he might continue
to preach. Boasters, proud, blasphemers,
disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy. Isn't that interesting
that disobedient to parents is in there? It sounds like he's
talking about reprobates, you know? I think he even mentions
that they're reprobate here in the context somewhere. Disobedient to parents. And you know who takes a lot
of blame in that? The parents. It's their evil. But how many
times in the scripture are the consequences dire when the Lord
had to say, you didn't do anything about it? King David, Eli, And
the Psalms were taught very clearly about how to correct our children.
Disobedient to parents, that's where it starts. And then it ends in wrecked lives
and deep heartache. I've witnessed it. Unthankful,
unholy, without natural affection. We won't read all the way down
through verse eight, but you see what he's talking about.
But you've known my manner of life. Clearly he's referring back to that. But this
is not just a bare examination of Paul himself. He's not just
out of the blue saying, look at me. It's a contrast. It's a comparison, a contrast.
Yes, I'm in prison, and false religion seems to thrive, but
you know me. You know what I'm doing here.
You know. Verse 12 is what I'm doing here.
Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer
persecution. To some degree or another, we'll
talk about what it is to live godly. I believe that's the title
of the message this morning. Living godly. What does that
mean? Manner of life, my manner of
life. This world, especially this religious
world, hates the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what I'm doing in prison.
That's what he's saying here. You've known my purpose. False
preachers have a purpose. Titus 1.11, whose mouths must
be stopped, who subvert whole houses. Have you ever thought
that yourself? Their mouths must be stopped.
I pray that God would put them out of business. I absolutely
do. Put them out of business. Who
subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not.
You remember the rest of it? Probably not. We haven't quoted
this in a long time. For filthy lucre's sake. For
gain. For gain. That's their purpose. But you've known, Timothy, you've
known why I do what I do. Not for gain, for the elect's
sake. and I'm crucified under this world and this world is
crucified under me, why? For the glory of Christ and what
he did on the cross, that's why. Not self, not gain. Look at Ephesians
six, turn over there with me please for a minute, Ephesians
chapter six. verse 18, praying always with all prayer
and supplication in the spirit and watching there into with
all perseverance and supplication for all saints and for me, praying
for me. Pray for me, that utterance may
be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make
known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador
in bonds, that therein I may speak boldly as I ought to speak.
He's sitting there in prison, and he doesn't say, you know,
you guys pray for me that the Lord would get me out of here. Pray that God would give me grace
to speak the gospel boldly. like I ought to. Now, I'm gonna try not to spend
as much time on all of these, but faith, long-suffering, love,
patience, these are things that don't characterize false religion.
They just don't. Rather than faith, you know that
false religion is not about faith, it's about sight. It's about
religious trinkets and gimmicks and objects and outward show,
gold-plated things and ceremonies and doing things, saying things,
counting things. There's no faith in that. It's all about sight. The gospel
is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that what? Counteth,
quoteth, walketh. No, everyone that believeth.
Everybody that believes in Christ. He's my, I don't even know if
penance is a good word, the way, you know, we talk about doing
penance. If it is something good, Christ
is that for me. I have never been sorry for my
sin. Not enough. But Christ was perfect before
God in every way for me, as me. Long-suffering. You know what
that word is? A long-suffering there. You've
known my long-suffering. That means endurance, steadfastness. Well, how many times would I
have quit if I had gone through what Paul had? Just a little
bit of it. I've wanted to quit just for
stupid things. Paul. We'll read a little bit about
that in a minute. Well, let's look at Acts 20, verse 17. You think about this now. This
message this morning requires that we enter into this a little
bit, kind of put ourselves into this. Acts 2017. I guess it always does. Longsuffering, Acts 20, 17. And from Miletus, he sent to
Ephesus and called the elders of the church. It's talking about
Paul. He called a meeting with the elders. And when they were
come to him, he said unto them, you know, from the first day
that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with
you at all seasons. Notice these key phrases that
talk about our longsuffering. long-suffering, steadfast, endurance,
at all seasons, serving the Lord with all humility of mind and
with many tears and temptations, trials which befell me by the
lying in wait of the Jews." That's religion. and how I kept back
nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you and
have taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying
both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance toward
God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. That's what Paul
prayed. You've known my doctrine, repentance toward God and faith
toward Christ. Confession of sin. repentance,
a change of mind about everything, about who God is, about who Christ
is, about what you are, about how God saves sinners, a change
of mind and heart. Concerning all that and now verse
22 behold I go bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem Not knowing the
things that shall befall me there. Here's the only thing I know
that's gonna happen Save that the Holy Ghost witnesses in every
city saying that bonds and afflictions abide me It ain't gonna be good
as far as the flesh is concerned. I know that before I go But none
of these things move me That's our text steadfastness Enduring
none of these things move me Neither count I my very life
dear unto myself, that I might finish my course with joy in
the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testify
the gospel of the grace of God. What an honor, what a privilege,
may nothing ever move us from it. And I say us, this is Christ's
ministry here, and every one of us are vitally involved in
it. every one of us. And now behold,
I know that you all among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom
of God shall see my face no more. Wherefore, I take you to record
this day that I am pure from the blood of all men. That's
it now. It's not because you haven't
heard, is it? It's not because God hasn't greatly privileged
you with every outward advantage, for I have not shunned to declare
unto you all the counsel of God. Boy, may that be so. And I love
the last part of it. I was gonna read the last part
of it just because I love it so much, but I won't do it. But
look at the next one. Love, you've known my love. Now
this is a great, great, great difference between true gospel
church and preaching versus the false. You think about this. This is a great, great, great,
great difference. Our doctrine is different. Our
purpose is different. But boy, this is a blessed one
here. God, I've said this to you so many times before, God
will always send you a messenger that loves you. Every time, if
he sends you a messenger, he's gonna love you. His promise to
his church throughout the ages is, I will give you pastors after
mine own heart. That don't mean I'm holy like
him, but it does mean I love you. It means I love you like
he does. Not the same, not as much, but like that. False preachers love your money.
They love numbers, what they call success. By God's design and by God's
doing, I love you. I don't care how many are here
this morning. Doesn't make any difference to
me at all. Do I preach any different when there's 10 here? Doesn't matter to me. But it
does matter to me who's here. Who's here. It does a lot. When you hurt, I hurt. When you're happy, I'm happy.
When somebody falls, it breaks my heart. Look with me at Romans chapter
12, verse nine. Let love be without dissimulation,
without hypocrisy. It's not a meet and greet. Most
church services are just a meet and greet. They'll be shaking
your hand and looking around the room while they're doing
it. I've been steeped in it for most of my young life. I know
what I'm talking about. Don't let love be like that,
where you're just working a room, where you're just putting on
a show. Religion is so full of that,
it's sickening. When I say religion, I mean us
by nature. Abhor that which is evil. Think about what this book calls
evil now. It's anti-Christ, isn't it? It's
not smoking and drinking. I don't see that in here anywhere.
Evil, abhor that which is evil. Cleave to that which is good.
Be kindly affection to one another with brotherly love. You know
my love, you know the manner of my love to you. In honor of
preferring one another, not slothful in business, fervent in spirit,
serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation,
continuing instant in prayer. I'm getting to verse 15, distributing
to the necessity of saints, given to hospitality. That's love indeed,
isn't it? Paul told one church, your giving
proves the sincerity of your love. Do you love money or do
you love somebody? Bless them which persecute you,
bless and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice,
and weep with them that do weep. That's love. You hurt, I hurt. You win, I win. That's just the
truth, isn't it? That's just the truth. When one part of Paul said in
one part of if you got a sore thumb you're hurting all over
it Everything's affected by that if one part of the body suffers
the whole body suffers That's just the truth and it's been
vice versa Now long-suffering and patience
are very similar Patience is this last one here, but you'd
have to know exactly how these were used then. You know how
we use words that are in many cases the same word, but depending
on what we're saying, it has a different meaning in the English
language. It was like that. in Greek as well, so you'd have
to know exactly how these words specifically were used, but it
seems certain that one refers to steadfastness in the carrying
out of his purpose, and the other has to do with the endurance
of trials, just hanging in there in trials. Paul suffered great,
great tribulation In his life, and this is what I was talking
about while ago turn with me to 2nd Corinthians chapter 11
2nd Corinthians chapter 11 verse 23 I Believe this is what this Patience It also means steadfastness and
Constancy like like the other word does but again you'd have
to know the subtleties of Greek to know which one means which
But I guarantee you one of them either long-suffering or patience
one of them means this Verse 23 Are they ministers of Christ? And see how applicable this is
to our text. He's talking about false preachers.
Avoid them. They're dogs. They're lovers
of themselves. They're covetous. But you know
my manner of life now. You know why I'm here. You know
what I do. You know why I do it. And you
know how I do it. So he's doing that here too,
he's comparing now, are they ministers of Christ? I speak
as a fool, I am more. He's saying, I know it's stupid
of me to say, look at me. But this is not just arbitrarily
look at me, this is a comparison, this is a contrast. This is pointing
out a difference that God has made. It's God that worketh in
you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. But he's making
a comparison here. He's talking about his gospel,
his message, and him as the preacher of that message. Are they ministers
of Christ? I speak as a fool when I say
I am more. But listen, in labors more abundant,
in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths
oft, I suppose that means threat of death, but I'm pretty sure
Paul died one time. You've heard me refer to that.
We could read that, but they thought he was dead, but the
Lord raised him up. Of the Jews, five times received
I 40 stripes. Imagine you going through all
of these things in one lifetime. 40 stripes, save one. Thrice
was I beaten with rods. How many times have you been
beaten with rods in your life? Paul had three times. Once I
was stoned, I believe that's the time that he probably died.
Thrice I suffered shipwreck. A night and a day have I been
in the deep. I've told you before, I think
that's the worst one for me. Can you imagine spending the
night in the ocean? I'd see a shark in every wave,
and you would too. In journeyings often, in perils
of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen,
in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils
in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false
brethren. Maybe the most horrible predator
in this world is a wretched, godless human being. especially a religious one, false
brethren. There ain't nothing meaner than
a church-going, religious, Antichrist fanatic. In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger
and thirst, I had never been hungry in my life, have you?
You say, oh man, I'm hungry. We don't even know what that
is. I can eat, but I don't even know
what it is to be hungry. And fasting's often in cold and
nakedness. Man, you know he had some stories
to tell. Can you imagine? Besides those
things that are without, things concerning the flesh, the body,
that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. Who is weak and I'm not weak? Man, who is offended? You got a little problem with
somebody today? Who is offended and I burn not?
Paul said, if I must needs glory, I will
glory of the things which concern my infirmities. Not look what I've done for the
Lord, but look how wretched I am. Look what a wretch I am. Look
how hated and despised and rejected and miserable I am. The God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, which is blessed forevermore knoweth. I lie not. He wasn't exaggerating. And they're singing somewhere
this morning. It's such a happy thing to be a Christian. You
know, it's so great to be a Christian, you know, happy all the time. I don't know about that. But remember what Paul said where
we read a while ago, none of these things move me. I know
before I go that this is the kind of stuff that's gonna happen
to me. The Holy Spirit has told me to expect it, but I'm going. Pray for me that I might preach
the gospel of Christ boldly as I ought to. may I tell them exactly
what they hate and what they're gonna persecute me for, because
somebody, per adventure, God, might just save one of them. It's not gonna happen otherwise,
unless somebody preaches the gospel. The last part of verse
11, back in our text, I just wanna close with this. 2 Timothy
3, 11. persecutions, afflictions, which
came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra, what persecutions
I endured, but out of them all, the Lord delivered me. All of them. What happened every
time was the Lord saved me. That's what happened every time,
in every case. None of them just went away on
their own. None of them just worked themselves
out. I didn't win my fight with any
of them. I waited on the Lord and he saved
me. Are you going through anything
right now? I waited on him and he saved
me. The word delivered in the text
there, the Lord delivered me out of them all. It's a very
special word for us as believers. Here's the definition, the very
primary first thing in the definition of the word delivered, to draw
to oneself, to rescue. The Lord, every time, what did
he do? He drew me to himself. That's salvation. That's deliverance. How does
the Lord save us? By drawing us to himself, and
right there. You want to know what living
godly is? It's living right there. When the Lord draws you to himself,
right there, living right there is what it means to live godly.
That's why people will hate you, right there, for his sake. If you live right in the arms
of the Savior, you won't be loved by this world. But what does
that really matter? You're in the arms of the Savior. That's living godly. May he draw
us to himself and never let us go. Amen, let's pray.