OK, you may be seated. 1 Timothy, chapter 1. I'm going to try to make this
short tonight. I know I've said this so many
times. And. But I do want to endeavor to.
To make these Wednesday night services a little. More brief. I was going to deal with several
verses in chapter one and chapter two. And upon looking at verse
five of chapter two. A very familiar portion of scripture
says there's one God and one mediator between God and man,
the man Christ Jesus. I thought that deserves a Sunday
morning. That deserves to be dealt with
Sunday morning so that everybody can hear that. Now, I'm not doing
what Brother Joe Terrell did. This is comical, but it's so
true. of Joe Terrell when he first
began preaching. He said he was studying a text
one time and he said he had so much liberty it was just thrilling
his heart so he felt like this is just going to be the greatest
message there was. He said I'll save that. He said I won't preach
that to my people. He said I'll save that for a
conference or something. Well Brother Henry he said the
conference came up and he preached it and he said he fell flat on
his face. He felt dead as a building. And you'd have to hear that from
him to appreciate him. I know every young man has done
that and I'll say that well I'm not saving anything now but I
do that verse and there's so many verses to deal with and
verse nineteen caught my attention and I had a lot of liberty in
studying this and I thought well I just can't do verse five of
chapter two justice and verse nineteen justice if I if I don't
deal with them separately. Tonight, we're just looking to
finish up chapter one. Now, as I said before, this is
spirit-inspired wise counsel given by a mature and faithful
gospel preacher, the Apostle Paul, to a young man, a young
man in the ministry, young Timothy. That's what this letter, that's
who this letter is to and who it's from, wise counsel from
a faithful, mature preacher of the gospel and he says begin
with verse eighteen will jump right into. This charge I commit
under the son Timothy. According to the prophecies which
went before on the. That vow by them by these prophecies
and these gifts. That you might war a good warfare. I commit this is a charge I committed
under the signs him he called him his son because he had such
an affection for him and because he was begotten by Paul in the
gospel. And he says this charge I commit
to the according to the prophecies which went before on the you
have to turn over the second Timothy chapter one to. See what he's talking about here.
Apparently Paul. laid hands on this young boy
named Timothy upon visiting with his family. Look at it in Paul
apparently went to visit these two women that he knew, and their
son and grandson named Timothy was there, and Paul saw something
very special in that young man. And look at verse five. He says,
When I called remembrance, the unthemed faith that is in thee,
which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice,
and I am persuaded that it is in thee also. Wherefore, I put
thee in remembrance, that you stir up the gift of God which
is in thee by the putting on of my hands." So apparently the
Apostle Paul met this young man at this time and laid hands upon
him and the Lord the Spirit of God led him to prophesy concerning
this young man growing up someday and being a gospel preacher. Apparently that's what went on
and the Lord gave young Timothy gifts to do that and this very
same thing is taking place in our generation. I want to make
this relative now. This very same thing has taken
place numerous times in our generation. I could give you countless instances
of young men down through the years whom older, wiser, faithful
gospel preachers saw something in them. The Lord led them to
say, hey, there's some gifts here. There's something there,
and this young man perhaps is destined to be in God's service
as a preacher and apparently that's what Paul Paul young Timothy
above average. Above average interest and seriousness
and soberness and sobriety and interest in the things of God. And if I may say so myself. I have prophesied myself, I don't
call myself a prophet at all, but concerning someone, even
our very congregation, and there was nothing that would please
me more. There's nothing that would please me more than to
later on say, I told you so. That would just tickle me to
death. I'd say it over and over again.
Not that I might get the glory, but because I'd be rejoicing
if the Lord did indeed raise up one of our young men to preach
the gospel. There's nothing I would relish
and enjoy more than be able to say I told you so I thought that
might happen I hope so but this is what happened with him. And
and he tells him in verse back in the text he said and I'll
keep your place there in second Timothy we'll go back there and
he says Timothy. This is a charge I commit under
the you remember back when the prophecies were made concerning
you and I charge you that you might war a good warfare. War a good warfare. And he says,
look at 2 Timothy 1 verse 6. He says, I put thee in remembrance
that you stir up the gift of God which is in thee by the putting
on of hands. The gifts of God. By these gifts
you war a good warfare. And look at chapter 2. He says,
my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Verse 3, endure hardness as a
good soldier. By the grace of God, we are what
we are. If anybody is enabled to preach
the gospel or do anything, they don't get the credit. It's not
that a man or a young person is born with gifts or born with
talents. It's God gives them, he said.
He must. God must give these gifts, these
talents, these abilities. Everything's a gift. Remember
that. Remember that. By the grace of God, we are what
we are and can do. what we can do everything. And Paul goes into this in Romans
twelve or first Corinthians twelve talking about the gifts of them
and the ministry and the gifts of the spirit and so forth. And
there are people in here who have gifts to do various things
and it's not you. Some of you may have a gift of
prayer and it's not you. You'd be the first to admit it
that If you ever felt like you ever prayed a prayer worth praying,
God had, God was the one that gets all the credit and glory
for it. But God does give gifts. And we're to use them, we're
to use those gifts to the best of our ability. And I believe
that if we found our, found out what that was, the ministry we
have, and could be content, could be content in doing that, feeling
like we're doing that for God's glory, for the good, the edification
of the church, we'd find some peace and some contentment in
it, whether it be the treasury or a deacon or playing the piano
or teaching our children, whatever it may be. If we could find what it is that the Lord would
have us to do and do it, whatever your hand finds to do it, do
it with all your might and never murmur and complain that you
don't have more to do. Be faithful in a few things and
be content with what you're doing. I believe you'd find some contentment
there, some peace and some happiness and some joy in that service.
I know you would. I said to you people when I first
came here that I don't seek. This is not a stepping stone
for me. I don't desire bigger things. Not at all. This is too
big for me as it is. What about you ladies that teach
our children? My soul. One little child, that's
more than. Who's sufficient for these things?
And I might add that that's just as tough, if not tougher, than
standing up here in front of these adults preaching to try
to get the gospel across to a five year old. I'd better be preaching
to adults. Well, use the gift that God's
given you, and that's what he's saying to young Timothy. And
he says here in our text, he says, you're in a war, Timothy.
You're in a war. Barnard used to talk about being
under the banner of King Jesus. And if anybody does take up that
banner, the Lord our banner, if anybody is under that banner,
they are going to be, from that day forward, an enemy of the
world. And they are going to be liable
to be shot. That's what David said in Psalms. He said, The
wicked do draw their bows to hurl their words and insults
at me. They'd like to see me dead. Anybody truly, they that
will live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. And
you'll be an enemy of the world. Christ said, don't marvel, brethren,
if the world hates you. You remember, it hated me before
it hated you. And you're going to remember
when I said that. When it comes to pass, you remember
I said that. Don't think it a strange thing, though some strange trial
should overtake you, like Peter said. And you're going to be
liable To be shot, be an enemy of the world, and if you're subject
to the King, to Christ the King and in his service and in his
ministry, then you're out of sorts with the world and you're
going to be in a warfare, spiritual warfare. And he says, to war
a good warfare. That's what he says in verse
18. War a good warfare. Now listen to this. War, this is fresh on my mind
because I've been reading several volumes on Winston Churchill
and the Second World War. Wars, nearly every war that has
been fought down through the years has something to do with
the conquest of land, right? Wars are fought over land. It's amazing how much blood has
been shed on the ground for which men desire. their own blood has
been shed for a piece of dirt that they desire. Wars are generally
fought over land. And during a war, there's ground
to lose or there's ground to gain. Right? There's ground to
lose or there's ground to gain. And so it is in this spiritual
conflict. And Paul is saying to young Timothy
in so many words, hold your ground. Hold your ground. He says that to Timothy, and
he says it to us, and I'm going to apply it to us in a minute.
Stand firm right where you are. Don't move an inch. Don't you
budge. And then look at what he says in verse nineteen, and
these are the words that caught my attention. War, good warfare,
holding faith. Lay hold on Christ. Or as Paul
said in one place, being your apprehending Christ for whom
you have been apprehended. Hold on to Christ for dear life. Hold on to Christ for dear life.
Hold on. You remember us reading there
in Hebrews three, if you hold fast to confidence, if you hold
fast to confidence, firm to the end. Well, you say, I thought
that Christ was holding us. I thought Christ is holding us.
It's he who holds us. It saves us. That's true. But
we're sure holding on to him, too, aren't we? Huh? Give you
a simple illustration. A young baby, say Rick there
with young Anna. She's not able to... She's totally
dependent upon him, totally under his protection and his care. And he's holding her. Say he
has her. She's not old enough to walk now. You can crawl. She
can't even crawl yet, can she? That tender little child, he's
holding on to her. She is kept by his power. Totally kept by his power. The power of the father who holds
that child. But you let a stranger come around. You let danger, the slightest
instance of danger, come around. And you'd see if that child doesn't
grab ahold of him, too. No matter how young they are,
right? They'll grab ahold of their daddy
for safety. And that's what we're called
on to do, too. Lay hold on Christ. You do that,
believer. Hold him in faith. Stand firm. Paul said, Stand
firm, grounded, settled. Be not moved away from the gospel
you've heard. Don't be moved away from the
gospels you've heard. Terry Kimson, don't you give
an inch. Don't give an inch, but don't budge an inch concerning
this gospel. Don't give up an ounce of doctrine.
I'm not an ounce. Not one out of five points. Don't
give an inch. Don't lose an ounce of pure doctrine.
Don't settle for anything. Don't settle for ninety-nine
and forty-four, one hundred percent pure. You've got to have the
whole counsel, God, don't you, John? The whole counsel. I've kept back nothing's profitable
from you. Good, that's the way it should
be. Woe is unto me. Necessity is laid upon me. Woe is unto
me if I don't preach the gospel. Well, don't you settle for anything
less, Joe Parker. Don't settle for anything less
than grace. And I'm talking about sovereign grace. I'm talking
about sovereign electing grace. I'm talking about sovereign electing
eternal grace. I'm talking about sovereign electing
eternal saving grace. I'm talking about God's grace. Don't give an inch. Don't settle
for anything less. Never. I think that's a sense
of what he's saying here. Hold the faith. Hold the faith. And never rise above this, this
confession of faith. You want my confession of faith?
Now, I'm not going to send you back to London, although I believe
everything they say in that. I'm not going to send you back
to Westminster, not back to Philadelphia, although we believe that, those
things and all that. Here's my confession of faith.
Like the simple fellow that was led before that group of Pharisee. I said. What do you believe. What do you think he said. I'm
just an old sinner and nothing at all. But Jesus Christ is my
own. And they grilled him didn't they.
Charles you remember that illustrate grilled him or what. That's not
good enough. What about what do you think about the millennium.
Well I don't know. I'm just no sinner nothing at
all but. Jesus Christ is my all in all." Well, if you can say
that from the heart, you've said a mouthful, haven't you? Because
in Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and
you're complete in Him. You have all the knowledge you
need. And we need to hold on to that
gospel. The gospel has saved our souls. We still need it,
don't we? Never rise above that gospel.
Never rise above it. The same message has saved you.
Is it going to be the same message that will keep you. And to hear
it over and over again. And this is what he said holding
faith and a good conscience and what is that faith. What is that
faith. Incorporates a good conscience
here. You remember how I said that back in chapter one verse
five. Pure heart good conscience faith
unfeigned and here and Chapter one verse nineteen and over in
chapter three verse nine I believe it is. Yeah, the mystery of faith
and the pure conscience. Paul talked about it in Hebrews, didn't
he? A conscience purged from dead works to serve a living
God. Purged from dead works. What
is the faith? What is the faith we're holding
on to? What is the faith of the gospel? I just said it in that
simple confession of faith, but it's this. Jesus Christ is all
my salvation. If I get to heaven, it's because
of who he is and what he did. Nothing dependent upon me at
all. Nothing. I'm dependent upon,
not even dependent upon my faith. Dependent on his faithfulness,
isn't it? Great is his faithfulness. And
salvation is of the Lord. That is our, that is the faith. Look into Christ and him alone.
faith, not your resolve, not your good works, not your righteousness,
not your church going, not this, not even your repentance, but
Christ, who he is and what he did. If you can say that, you
have a good confession of faith. And he says, hold that faith,
hold on to Christ and Christ alone with a good conscience,
conscience void of offense, conscience, this is what the Scripture says,
conscience willing to live honestly. Before God and man, Paul said
that. We trust that we have a good
conscience before you, before God, before man, willing to live
honestly in all things. Barnard used to say this. He
used to say, honest people don't wind up in hell. Now you think
about that. That's a good statement. In other
words, those who are really and truly and honestly in this thing. hypocrites don't wind up there
half-hearted. Seekers don't wind up to be honest
seekers true believers those who are truly in this thing. Wanting to know Christ when Christ
be found in him. If you can say that from your
heart with a pure heart. From the conscience faith on
pain. And I've got good hope for you.
And the testimony of your conscience, he said this, the testimony of
your conscience is that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with
fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, you have your conversation
or your life. It's all by the grace of God.
Christ is your life. Either he is or isn't. All right,
now look at verse 19 again. He says, Now holding faith and
a good conscience, which some, having put away concerning this
thing. And made shipwreck. So we'll put it away. And it
is this faith and made shipwreck out of. Shipwreck. Scripture talks about some having
their consciences seared. With a hot iron, not a good conscience,
but a seared conscience. Conscience has been seared by
a worldly influence. Worldly influence, peer pressure.
religion fame fortune pleasure whatever it may be and concerning
faith. Shipwreck. A jump ship. Was talking about a jump ship. They left Christ. Some do that
we've seen it happen right here. They left Christ the arc of safety
under the pretense to go somewhere else but it rarely ends up that
way. They left Christ their arc of
safety. I hope you can say from the heart
like Peter and the boys said to Christ Lord where we don't
go. To whom shall we go. Well we're here in the gospel
right here. I wouldn't want to go anywhere.
Granted he's not very pretty to look at this preacher and
not as good as others but he tells the truth and this is the
gospel I need. I wouldn't want to go anywhere.
They've left the Ark of safety, Christ, why wouldn't, can you
imagine those animals wanting to swim to shore? Why would you
leave it? And this is what always amazes
me about men and women wanting to work their way to heaven.
They'd rather have a works religion than just rest. You know that's
all, you know what Moses, Noah, all he was called upon to do
in that And two things he was called upon to do in that hour.
Feed the animals, and rest. And rest. That feeding didn't
require all day long. You know, every now and then,
when they got home and the opportunity arose, he fed them. And he rested
the rest of the time. Just ride. Just go along for
the ride. Rest. Rest. Why wouldn't somebody want to
swim? Noah didn't, did he? He knew better. Why would anybody
want to leave Christ their ark of safety in favor of some man-made
raft of religion? That's what it is, isn't it? Man-made rafts of religion. First
trial, first big waterfall they come to, that thing's going to
be broken up. They leave the gospel fellowship, and I have
to ask you, what would you leave the gospel for? Christ asked
that, didn't he? What would a man give in exchange
for his soul? He'd give just about anything, isn't he? That
is that a grandchild parent of a wife husband. A better job a new house whatever
what would you give what's the gospel worth to you. It's worth
anything it's worth everything. If you've ever seen the gospel
it's worth everything to you wouldn't trade anything for first
one and I said it's only made shipwreck and Paul called some
names of whom is how many is an Alexander all name names that. And I do that and I believe youthful
ignorance but all wasn't a young man and when he named a ten to
ten to ten times in the scripture. All name names of people who
started out well. People who appeared to be. Of
the faith but left. As or as John would say people
who seem to be of us. But they went out from. It might be made manifest. It
might be clear that they were not all over. And I turn over
to first Peter chapter four with me first Peter chapter four. First Peter four and you read
that sobering passage in Hebrews three. And here's another one. First Peter four now before before
I prepared this message. I talked on the phone. For about
forty five minutes long distance. Staying in prime hours. To y'all give another ten bucks
because that's probably what that phone calls and calls to.
What is necessary talking to a man. Who left a supposed gospel
church. Along with several others several
people. And he and several others contend
now that the man behind the pulpit is no longer preaching the gospel. That they first heard the gospel
they believe and the gospel they need. And so they left. And it
happens time and again. Time would fail me to give you
illustrations of these things happening. Some of you are products
of and broken so-called churches. It happens time and again. Preachers
fail. Preachers fail. Just recently, I won't relate to old circumstances,
but just recently, a preacher of the gospel with four children,
this is a new one now, a sovereign grace preacher of the gospel,
divorcing his wife, and leaving his family and resigned his church. It happens time and again. Preachers
fail. Churches split. People leave
the gospel. And I have to cry out with David
in Psalm 12, Help, Lord, that godly man ceaseth and the faithful
fail from among the children of men. Help, Lord, help me,
Lord. Help me, Lord. And it's here. It happens time and again. And
it's it's here, it's happening now, I'm not talking about in
this place, I'm talking about what this verse is saying, look
at first Peter four, verse 17. It says the time has come. The
time has come that judgment must begin. It's here. This is another reason,
another evidence, I believe, that Christ is coming soon. The time is now. Today. Today. It is today. It was called
today, and it is here. Battle lines are being drawn.
Battle lines are being drawn concerning the gospel, Henry,
even among those who profess to believe it. Battle lines have been drawn
are the rhetoric concerning the faith, what it is, what a man,
what's necessary to believe. In that unbelievable that people
would even sit around and debate that what's necessary to believe
where everything God says is necessary to believe in. You
can't not believe anything God says and be saved, you know,
that's. My sheep hear my voice. They
believe. You believe, you don't believe. Believer, that's what we're calling
it. Believer. What does that mean? You believe. Even election. He loved that. He loved everything
God says. But battle lines are being drawn
concerning what is the faith in it. The Church. True and loyal. Who are true
and loyal soldiers of the Lord Jesus Christ? And who are not?
We need to be like Martin Luther. Buddy, I like that old warrior.
Say what you will about that man. Let people say what they
will about him. But, buddy, when he was pressed
about what he believed concerning justification by faith without
scriptures alone, grace alone, Christ alone, those were the
watchwords of the Reformation. That's what tore this religious
world upside down. And it still was tearing it up.
And when they pressed that man and said, Don't you take that
back, he said, I, here I stand. I can do no other. I'm not going
to budge an inch. And don't you dare give an inch.
You hear me, Joe Park? If I leave, don't you budge an
inch. I'm serious, buddy. Don't settle
for less. Don't lose an ounce of the doctrine,
of the truth, of the gospel. Don't lose an ounce. You'd be
the first on the board to kick me out of here, and you remind
me that I said It's happening. It's happening
here I stand I can do no other. This is the only gospel I know
this is what we need to say this is the only gospel I know. This is. Brother David's message,
this gospel is distinctive, this gospel we preach, Brother Henry.
Why? It's so distinctive, it's as clear, it's different between
day and night, it's distinctive. Why? Because it's the only gospel
that gives God Almighty all the glory. I'm talking 100 percent,
not part of it, not a cooperative effort. all of it, right? That's what's distinctive about
our message. And you can judge the difference by that rule. You can judge what you're hearing
by that rule. Is what that man's saying, is
that giving God all the glory? It's a giving man a little bit
of it. And it's the gospel of your salvation. It's the only gospel that can
save you. I mean save you. Save you. Not try. Savior. They said, call his name
Jesus. Why? Sounds like a good name.
They'll enjoy that at Christmas time. Good name. How sweet the
name is. No, because it means something.
God, the Bible names men's names down through the years because
they meant something. We name ours, you know, what have you,
because dad's name or grandfather's name. God had names that meant
something to them. He says, call this one. You call
this one's name Jesus. Why? He shall save. Joshua, the Old Testament name
for that, but he didn't have the full name. Joshua could have
saved and there wouldn't have remained an arrest. That's what
he said in Hebrews 4. But this one did. He saves. And this gospel concerning God's
Son is the only one that can save you. I mean, thank you,
only one is able to keep you from falling. It's the only one,
Terry, that says you don't have to keep yourself, he'll keep
you. Isn't it? I challenge you. Listen to the
rest of them. They'll tell you that there's
something you have to do to keep yourself. And when I relate these
things that the Scripture says concerning our man's responsibility
and the use of means and all that, all these means are is
to point you to Christ. You talk about reading the scriptures
and praying and all that? Not that that's some magical
thing that's going to keep you. What you're doing when you're
reading the scriptures is looking for Christ. Growing in grace
in the knowledge of Christ, who is able to keep you from falling.
Like I said before, this is not a magic rabbit's foot. Huh? Prayer in the Bible, this is
not some cross you hold up before the devil who's a vampire, you
know, stay away. No, the Lord's rebuked thee,
Satan. That's the only thing you can
say. And this gospel is only one that's
able to keep you from falling. The only one that will really
save you is really the only one I want to hear. How about you? The only one I want to hear.
It was sweet to me when I first heard it. And this is what's
so amazing about it. This is what validates the truth
of it. What if I got up here and told you some story? Just
say, I can't give an illustration right now, but say some worldly
story. What if I got up every single
Sunday and told you the same story over and over again about
some silly story? You'd get so tired of that, wouldn't
you? You'd say, I've heard that before. Are you going to tell
that again? You may say that about my illustrations. I forget
what all I've told, but you don't say that about the gospel, do
you? It's the same story you heard fifteen, however many years
ago was, same exact story, hasn't changed a bit, hasn't it? What
do you want to hear that again for? It's just as sweet now as
it was then. It's not sweeter, right? That
proves the truth of it. No other story would do that,
nothing else would meet that need like that. And it was sweet
when I first heard it, and it gets sweeter as the years go
by, and it's the gospel that saved me to begin with, It's
the gospel I want to hear to keep me safe. And my spiritual
house was built on this. I was laid on this foundation. On Christ's solid rock I stand.
All other ground is sinking sand. Right? My hope is built on...
How many times have you sung that song, Joe? Y'all have been
here a few years. How many times have you sung
that song? My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood
and righteousness." I still love to hear that. I still love to
sing it. Why? Because that's, My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and His righteousness. And this house is being built,
this house was built to begin with, on this foundation, because
no other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid.
God laid it, didn't He? The foundation is Christ. Christ. He's that chief cornerstone,
that headstone. He's the chief cornerstone. The
foundation of our faith is salvation is by grace. Isn't it? That's the foundation. And if
the foundation be destroyed, what are we going to do? Well, do the best you can. It's
not good enough. The foundation be destroyed.
What's the foundation? Salvation by grace. I cried salvation
my great. And I that this was the foundation
that this spiritual house is built on and by God's grace.
My God's grace. When I like this almost or what
like the songwriter right when I can read my title clear. When
I stand before God Almighty someday and that's when you read your
title clear when he says in Iran. that which is prepared for you.
When I can read my title clear, in that great day, I'm going
to have to shout the same thing I did first to begin with. I'm
going to have to shout with old Zerubbabel. When he laid that
top stone on the wall of the temple, grace. He shouted grace
unto it. Salvation by grace. That's the gospel to save me,
and that's the gospel to keep me saved. That's the only gospel
there is, and that's the only gospel I want to hear. How about
you? Now, hold that faith. Hold that
faith. In good conscience, sincerely. Hold faith. Don't give an inch.
I don't care who leaves. I don't care how eloquent the preacher is, who
he is or whatever, if he swerves an inch from this gospel, the
gospel you've heard, you'd do well to bear with me. Right? All right. Stand with me and
I'll dismiss it. Our Heavenly Father, we thank
you for the gospel of our salvation. a gospel concerning your Son,
a blessed and glorious gospel of your sovereign mercy and grace
in Christ. We thank you for preaching it
to us in the beginning, beginning that work in us. We thank you
for continuing to preach it to us, and we ask, dear Lord, we
beg, we beseech you, that you will continue for the remainder
of our days to enable us to be faithful in proclaiming this
gospel, believing this gospel, for there is no other. May we
hold on to this faith, our confidence firm to the end, Christ, Christ
alone, grace, grace, salvation by grace in Christ. Keep these
people, dear Lord, by your power, by that same gospel. Keep them
hungering for it, and give me liberty and many messages to
give to them. In Christ's name we pray. Amen. Thank you.