We'll begin in verse 14 2nd Timothy
chapter 1 Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast
heard of me in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus That
good thing that was which was committed unto thee keep by the
Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us this thou knowest that all
they which are in Asia be turned away from me and of whom are
Phagellus, Hermogenes, the Lord give mercy unto the house of
Onesiphorus. For he oft refreshed me and was
not ashamed of my chain. But when he was in Rome, he sought
me out very diligently and found me. The Lord grant unto him that
he may find mercy of the Lord in that day. And in how many
things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very
well. Now verses 13 and 14 we've looked
at particularly, and they remind us of the subject of this chapter. And we'll see verses 15 and 18
this morning, but the context of these examples given by Paul,
Phagellus, Hermogenes, and Onesiphorus, The context of these examples
given is Paul exhorting and charging Timothy to stand fast, to stand
strong, and be faithful in the ministry, uncompromising, preaching
the truth of the gospel in the face of great persecution. We
see that throughout this chapter. In the midst of that exhortation,
Paul gives examples, both good and bad, of that very thing,
of standing fast of Enduring in the gospel of Christ and not
being ashamed He tells Timothy you hold fast the form of sound
words And keep that which was committed to you in verses 13
and 14 Then Paul gives an example of some who turned away Turned
away from Paul and the gospel. He preached because of persecution
and Then he gives an example of one who stood by him in his imprisonment, it was a
great help to him in the ministry. And then the very next verse
after that, after those examples, is 2 Timothy 2.1, of course,
which says, thou therefore, my son, thou therefore, in that
same context, thou therefore, be strong in the grace that is
in Christ Jesus. the things that thou hast heard
of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful
men who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure
hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." So in the face
of hardships, in the face of opposition, in the face of trials
and tribulations, Be instant be preaching the gospel in season
and out of season and be faithful to the Lord and what he Has to
say to sinners what the his gospel of salvation now these in Asia
who abandoned Paul Likely because of the persecution that was Certainly
possible for anyone who stood with Paul This was not an isolated
event This was something that was almost typical in that day. There were so many examples.
Turn with me to 2 Timothy chapter 4, just a page or two over, in
verse 9. 2 Timothy 4, 9. Paul says there, do thy diligence
to come shortly unto me, for Demas hath forsaken me, having
loved this present world. and is departed unto Thessalonica,
Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia, only Luke is with me. Take Mark and bring him with
thee, for he is profitable to me for the ministry." So he mentions
Demas. It looks like Crescens and Titus
probably were just preaching in other places and weren't there.
He doesn't blame them in any way. This man Demas forsook him
for this reason. He loved this world. He loved
this world. It's the cares, the concerns
of this world that choke out the word our Lord taught in that
parable. And that's what happened to Demas. Look at 2 Timothy 4.14. Just drop down a ways there in
that chapter. And Paul writes, Alexander the
coppersmith did me much evil. He didn't just leave, he opposed
Paul. Lord reward him according to
his works of whom be thou where also for he hath greatly withstood
our words you see the different ways in which the The gospel
is betrayed in this world At my first answer no man stood
with me that all men forsook me How many how many names would
there be among that I pray God that it may not be laid to their
charge that Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me. This is important
because if we're talking about Withstanding opposition and persecution
and hatred for the sake of the gospel and being faithful to
the gospel no matter what This is most important the Lord stood
with me and That's what matters and strengthened me. That by
me, the preaching might be fully known. It's not within our power
to overcome. It's the Lord stood with me and
strengthened me. That's how we're gonna overcome,
just like Paul did. That by me, the preaching might
be fully known and that all the Gentiles might hear and I was
delivered out of the mouth of the lion. So Paul was no stranger
to betrayal, abandonment, and even fierce opposition because
of the gospel that he preached. And no one in the ministry is
immune or a stranger to that. Paul's case, of course, was a
much harder one than any preacher that I'm aware of in this world
now. the time then, you know, people were being killed for
the sake of the gospel. And I don't think any preacher
faces anything like that in this country today that I'm aware
of, but Paul's case is a pattern. I could give you a list of names
of people who've walked away, and it's It's always because
of the gospel. A lot of times, you know, personal
things will come up, but that's because usually if somebody has
a problem with the preacher or the message, it's usually a personal
thing. That's just, they're using it
as an excuse for that. But it's the, if you love the
gospel and you understand that God uses the weak and the foolish
and the, the base things of the world
to preach his gospel, then you're not gonna be easily offended. But I could also give you names
of people that have opposed me and withstood my words, and it's
not me. I know people have lied behind
my back about things, and that's just part of it. But bless God,
I could also give you the names of a few Ones syphilis is That I Mean you tell me look at verse
16 The Lord give mercy unto the house of Ones syphilis For he
oft refreshed me It was not ashamed of my chain I Think that's setting
a low bar. He wasn't ashamed of me. That's
kind of a low bar except everybody else was. No man stood with me. Paul went
to prison. He's nobody. He's nothing. God's
not using him. Yeah, he was just writing the
word of God. You know, God wasn't using him. But that's man's perception. The word refreshed. I want to
look at that first here. It's such a beautiful word. For
he oft refreshed me. It means to cool off, to recover
from the effects of heat. What a beautiful word. I thought
about Texas summers growing up. I've been refreshed in a physical
sense, so I know a little bit about what this is saying. When I was young, we didn't sit
in the house and look at our phones a lot. We constantly were outside playing
football or basketball somewhere in the Texas heat. I still have
scars from those times. But the heat was intense, to
say the least. And if you've ever come in the
house from the heat for a drink Your face is red as a bead. There's
sweat pouring down your back and pouring down your face. You
go over and stand in front of the window unit air conditioner.
Have you ever done that? You just been sweating hot and
just about to fall down. And we used to have a window
unit and you could stand in front of that and there ain't no air
in this world like the air that comes out of a window unit. Y'all
know I'm right. It's so refreshing. And that's
what I thought of. It's like you just, it's like
you're floating off the ground. That's exactly what I thought
of when I saw the definition of this word refreshed. The affliction
and the opposition that Paul faced was like an intense heat. The heat, especially there, and I've been
hot here, don't get me wrong, but boy, the heat and humidity
in Texas, it's oppressive, it's draining. It'll drain you in
a matter of minutes. When I was young, not so much,
but now, I've always loved the heat, but boy, it'll drain your
energy quicker than anything. And you've got to have relief
from it eventually. It's not sustainable. Eventually,
you're going to have to have some relief from it. When your
air conditioner went out in Texas, it was a 911 call. But eventually, without some
relief, you won't make it. There's places in the world that
will kill you. The heat will kill you in just
a matter of minutes if you don't have some relief from it. And
that's how it is spiritually, too, to your spirit, mentally,
and to your heart. You've got to have relief. Nobody
can do it. Nobody can stand it without some
relief. And that's what Omesiphorus was
to Paul and others at other times. But that cold air conditioner,
that lifted Paul's spirit like nothing else could was a fellow
that stood by him and encouraged him and ministered to him. And that's what keeps you going. The Lord uses his people to refresh
his people. And that's what the Lord gives
often when the heat is too much. And I've been there a couple
of times. And think about this, Paul thought the world of this
man. He thought the world of him. He's mentioned in the very
word of God, appreciated him so that Paul wished the very
best. Paul desired the very best for
Onesiphorus. Do you know what the very best
is? Mercy from the Lord. When you want the very best for
somebody, ask God to have mercy on them. It don't get better
than that. Not Lord reward him for his good
works. That's what the publican cried
for at the mercy seat here. God be merciful. God be merciful
to me, a sinner. Paul cried to God, God be merciful
to Onesiphorus. Have mercy on his soul. There's
no greater expression of love from one sinner to another than
that in this world. Mercy and peace unto you. And
Paul said this, he oft, he oft refreshed me. The Lord used this
man, Onesiphorus, in a very special way because if you think about
this, it's not just in the ministry. There are those that a friend
or a parent or a child that God uses to refresh you and just
trial the trials of this world. But think about this now. How
many people could you describe this way that often is that refreshment
to you? often is that cold air and that
icy drink. There aren't very many, I'll
tell you in my, not very many. In my entire life, there's not
that many. I could name every one of them
for you and it wouldn't take very long. How about you? Thank God for them and what an
honor it would be to be one of them. What an honor. Paul said he wasn't ashamed of
my chain. People love to back a winner,
don't they? And Paul in the eyes of this world was a loser. Not many wanted in on that. To
stand by the Apostle Paul when almost nobody did, and he says
nobody did at one time, was something very special to the Apostle.
This was the bond of that relationship. What is
the bond of that? Why were these men so precious
to one another? Philippians 1.3, listen to this.
I thank my God upon every remembrance of you. You literally, is there anybody
you literally thank God for every time you think of them? Thank
God. Always in every prayer of mine
for you all making requests with joy for your fellowship in the
gospel That's the bond That's what it is isn't it it's it's
your fellowship in the gospel We're a couple of sinners saved
by the grace of God It's two people That don't just like one
another it's something more than just a The usual earthly friendship.
It's your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now. How long does it take for two
people to establish fellowship in the gospel? Paul said it started
on day one. It does. It does, doesn't it? People you've never met before.
People you've never met. I could give you names of people
that I met for the first time and immediately, they're my brother
and sister. It's really amazing, isn't it? From the first day until now. That's something more than the
usual earthly relationship. It's not just you both like some
of the same earthly things. It's not natural chemistry. Two
people that love the gospel are family. Two people that love
the Lord Jesus Christ and serve Him are family. And that's something that God
does. It's a bond that is divine. Sinners saved by his free grace
sinners that both know that Christ is all you're on the same page
With me about that aren't you not because it's me, but you
know I didn't really say that right But we're on the same page
about that that Christ is all That he is salvation that his
blood has saved us and And this is basic to this knitting together
of hearts that's not like anything else in this world. And then, of course, God does
give a special bond to certain of his family with one another.
The fact that two people are saved doesn't necessarily make
them like each other even. We all know that. We experience
that. They do have a bond that's unique
to believers. That's something that exists
because you are believers. We do agree, we worship together,
we agree on things, but it doesn't mean you're close necessarily,
but there are gonna be some that you are close with, and that's
a special thing too, that's a precious thing. When God gives both, that
bond in the gospel and then just a friendship that's very precious,
it's an amazing thing. And I thank God for everyone
that loves and supports the gospel. I do, but every believer has one or two, maybe a few,
just a handful that they could name like Paul did here. He named
him, he told him, this man's precious to me. And God uses them to keep you
going. He uses them to refresh you. Is a necessary thing It's indispensable To refresh your soul that's vital
And you seek each other out when the heats too much you seek each
other out Thank God for those In verse 17, let's look at this
for a minute, but when he was in Rome and He sought me out
very diligently, and he found me. Well, I tell you, the Lord's
given me some examples in my life of these things that I can't
help but think of. I thought of the first time I
went to college, it was, I'll be honest with you, it was
a very traumatic thing for me. It was about four or five hours
from home. I went to college from, lived in Deer Park, Texas
with my family. And still lived at home at the
time and went to college in Arlington, Texas, which is about, it's a
little over four hours, I reckon. But I literally did not know
what loneliness was. It was just a concept to me until
I got to that place. I got there early before anybody
really had come to the school. I checked into the dorm. At least
it seems like it was a couple of weeks, even for some reason,
I got there early before anybody really was there yet. And it
was a very small school and I was hurting. I was hurting. I'd never
been away from anybody that I loved for any period of time. And anyway,
one evening I was in my dorm room, miserable and really suffering.
I can't even explain it to you. It's a physical pain when you're
that lonely. And there was a knock on my door
and it surprised me and I opened the door and my best friend in
the world at that time was standing there in the door. Old David
Parr. And I just, I couldn't even believe
it. He didn't tell me he was coming.
It was a complete surprise and I had no idea he was going to
drive for four or five hours to come see me, but I'll never
forget it. It was one of the happiest moments
of my life. I was just overwhelmed that he
would come just to visit me. And no doubt whatsoever in my
mind, Paul was glad to see Onesiphorus in Rome. Paul was, he was in
his own hired house. He wasn't in a dungeon like they, put you in
when you were in prison then, but he was bound to that house. He was under house arrest, and
so his freedom was taken away from him. And what a blessing
a friend is all the time, but especially when you're down,
especially when you're lonely. No man stood with me. Nobody
stood with me. Everybody was ashamed of me for
being arrested and put in jail. But it almost sounds like what
the Lord did for us. And then when it describes on
the surface, he sought me out diligently and he found me. Does the Lord make us a little
bit like him when he saves us? I believe he does. I believe
he does. He makes us a little bit like
him, at least every once in a while. Reminded me of Luke 15 for what
man of you having in a hundred sheep if he lose one of them
That's not leave the 99 in the wilderness and go after that
which is lost Until he find it Go after him until he find it
Diligently Not well, we did our best, you know until he find
it. And when he has found it, he
layeth it on his shoulders rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calls
together his friends and neighbors saying unto them, rejoice with
me for I found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you that
likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth. I want you to notice this. Turn
to it if you need to do that to get this in your mind, because
I want this in your mind by God's grace and in your heart. Over
one sinner that repenteth. Look at the two ways this is
described. It's the same event described
two different ways. Over one sinner that repenteth
more than over 99 just persons which need no repentance. When
you repent, This is what I want you to remember now. When you
repent, when you change your mind about God, about who He
is, and about what you are, and you change your mind about how
God saves a sinner, when you repent, That is the Lord finding
his lost sheep and bringing you home. That's what's happening.
It's not you getting smart. It's not you having an epiphany.
It's God finding you. He sought you till he found you
and he brought you home rejoicing. That's what happens when you
repent. It's not you doing some great thing. It's God doing the
greatest thing that was ever done. Always remember that. And the Lord is still finding
you. The Lord found Paul on the road to Damascus and blinded
him and taught Paul who he is. And the Lord found Paul in prison
at Rome and gave him a friend." He's still finding me too, isn't
he? He's still finding me. And it wasn't a one time and
done thing either. Listen, verse 18. The Lord grant
unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day and in
how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus. Thou knowest
very well how many things. He oft refreshed me. How many
things he ministered unto me at Ephesus. And what all would
that include? I don't know. Just being a friend,
just standing by him. But it sounds like he helped
him financially. He helped him in whatever way
he needed it. Often, how many things? There are quite a few people,
there's hundreds of people that I could tell you about and say,
remember that one time, what a blessing that one person was
to me, that one time. And that may be the only opportunity
they ever had to be a blessing to me. I'm not saying anything
bad about them. There's hundreds of those, but
how many could we say, How many things they've ministered unto
me How often have they refreshed me? God give every one of us
at least one person like that Especially in the things pertaining
to God There's nothing more refreshing
than the gospel is there I We see one way that we might refresh
one another in the example of our text. Onesiphorus visited
Paul when he was down. And this is one of the specific
things that our Lord mentions in Matthew 25, 34. Listen to
this. Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand,
come ye blessed of my father. Inherit the kingdom prepared
for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and
you gave me meat. I was thirsty and you gave me
drink. I was a stranger and you took
me in. Naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited
me. I was in prison and you came to me. Onesiphorus visited the
Lord Jesus Christ in prison. According to the testimony of
the Lord himself When he went and saw Paul and refreshed his
soul. Oh My may God teach us these things And consider these
things also listen to Romans. I should have you turn to some
of these but I I Got quite quite a bit of Scripture Romans 15
30 Now I beseech you brethren for the Lord Jesus Christ sake
and for the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with
me in your prayers to God for me." Oh, how refreshing to know
that the people of God are praying for you. That is an humbling
thing. That is a delightful thing. It's
a comforting thing. Very, very precious. Pray for
me. And Paul said, you've prayed for me. You strive together with
me in your prayers that I may be delivered from them that do
not believe in Judea And that my service which I have for Jerusalem
may be accepted of the saints That I may come unto you with
joy by the will of God and may with you be refreshed Being with
Let me remind you here what a privilege it is to be a member of God's
family and encourage you not to neglect the fellowship of
his church. What a blessed thing that is.
Those who live around this world who believe, seem to believe
the gospel and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, they don't
have a place to publicly worship. And I encourage them at whatever
cost to find a church and go there. People move from one state
to another for different reasons all the time. There ain't no
better reason than to fellowship with the people of God. No better
reason to do it. If you do it for any other reason,
do it for that. And you'll never regret it. You
will never be sorry. I can't stand here and say that
when we eat together and such that it's just as important as
the worship service. But it doesn't mean it isn't
important. I want to say that to you too. It is to me. Please
don't neglect that. Don't neglect fellowship with
the people of God beyond just Sunday and Wednesday. But then especially, then especially. Listen to 1 Corinthians 16, 14. Let all your things be done with
love I beseech you brethren, you know
the house of Stephanus That it is the firstfruits of Achaia
and That they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the Saints
the whole house everybody in the family Has addicted themselves
to the ministry of the Saints that you submit yourselves unto
such and to every one that helpeth with us and laboreth. I am glad
of the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaus, for that
which was lacking on your part they have supplied, for they
have refreshed my spirit and yours. Therefore acknowledge
ye them that are such." Now listen to me, it's not a question of
Notoriety or a pat on the back for being a you know a good servant
or whatever It's he's talking about acknowledge him and realize
that that that's something that God uses That's something very
precious in the Lord's church. What can I do? What can I do? That's how you acknowledge him?
What can maybe I do? Paul talks about in his letters
people being an example to others and That's what he's saying here.
Submit unto them. Be of service to them and be
of service to others. If that's what the situation
requires. But be addicted to the ministry. Follow his example in that. Be addicted to the ministry of
the Lord. Support the ministry of the Lord.
Be an encouragement one to another. And I'm not just talking about
being to me, but we're the church. All of us are the church. Be
a blessing to one another. And I know I could name a lot
of examples of how that's true of you now. Lift one another
up. Fellowship with one another.
Be that friend that sticks by somebody and stays there, especially
when they're down. Be that friend that drives 300
miles just because he misses you and he knows that you need
a friend. Be a cold, refreshing drink to
somebody who's fainting from the heat of affliction or hard
labor. And here's what I desire for
you. And I want to close with this.
This, I believe, is is paramount in our text. Here's
what I desire for you when you are one in a million, when you
are that one in a million, if that's you. When I think so much
of you that I want the very best there is, I do not pray that
you'd be rewarded according to your works, because as much as
I love you, I know that means hell for you. I don't pray for prosperity for
you in this world, though I do wish it. But the heart that God has given
me for you by His grace will stop at nothing short of that
which is most needed and precious. Lord, have mercy on them. Lord,
have mercy on them. Be propitious unto them by the
blood of your only Son. Lord, as my soul has been refreshed
by them, refresh their soul with the knowledge that it is enough
that Jesus died and that he died for them. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ,
we desire that and we ask for that. Have mercy. Have mercy. Our greatest need. Our most precious. Gift. from our Lord Jesus Christ.