If you'd like to follow along
I'm gonna be in 2nd Timothy chapter 4 2nd Timothy chapter 4 and I'm
just gonna read two verses. It's gonna be kind of strange,
but that's the way this works 2nd Timothy chapter 4 verse 14
Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil and The Lord reward
him according to his works. Of whom be thouware also, for
he hath greatly withstood our words. And I'm gonna stop right
there. Now, before I get going, I'm gonna
ask you a question. What would a believer do if he
or she could? What would you do if you could?
Now understand, according to Galatians five and verse 17,
I do know that ye cannot do the things that you would. But what
would you do if you could? And I think I know. I started
pondering on this. Somebody asked a question at
a bulletin. And I think I know what a believer now would do
if he could. First of all, pray. Second of
all, read God's scriptures. Third, rejoice in God's providence. Fourth, sing holy praises unto
our God. And rejoice in Christ Jesus. And the last thing is spend time
with his people. Now the beautiful thing about
this is that we can do this and we do now. But I think the answer
to that question is what would a believer do if he should, or
if he could, or if she could, is I would do this better. I would do it more often. And
that's what I'd like to do. Life gets in the way, but still
we have time to pray, to read the scriptures, to praise God,
to sing unto his holy name, and spend time with his people. That's
what I think. And to be honest, I'd like to
be able to do it better, and I'd like to be able to do it
more often. So anyhow, Alexander the Coppersmith did me much evil.
And I did turn that on, okay. This is the name that Paul gives,
and the title, a description, Alexander the Coppersmith. the
coppersmith. Paul calls out this man in this
letter to Timothy by name and by occupation. Now, I want to
be clear here. We don't know for sure who this
man really is, other than his name is Alexander and he was
a coppersmith, and I am assuming, and most people are also, I believe
it to be true, that this man was in Ephesus, because that's
where Timothy was when Paul was writing this letter. He wrote
it to Timothy, and he was in Ephesus. So I am assuming and
I believe this man was in Ephesus. I also believe Paul knew that
Timothy knew who he was talking about. That's why he doesn't
go into any detail. Now, if you look at the name
Alexander in Strong's Concordance, it'll give you a definition.
and what it says is man defender. Then it says this, the name of
four people in the Bible. Three Jews and a guy, or three
Jews and a man is what it says. So that's it, there are four
people named Alexander in the scripture. Now in First Timothy,
just through your, First Timothy chapter one, verse 20, Well,
here we go, verse 19. Holding faith in a good conscience
which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck. Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander
whom I have delivered under Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. I don't think this is the same
guy. It doesn't really matter, but it's just, you know, Two
of the people named Alexander Paul wrote to Timothy about.
It's just one of these strange things. Here it is, though, because this
man, Alexander the coppersmith, holds a, well, yeah, I was gonna
say he has a bit of fame about him. He's famous, or actually,
in this case, more infamous. because I don't know how many
people have read this scripture. Who is Alexander the coppersmith?
What did he do? Well Paul doesn't tell us, but
he does tell us a few things. And it's a strange and it's a
very sad thing to be famous for. This epistle I'm sure was read
by other people in that day and eventually it may have actually
gotten back to Alexander the coppersmith, I don't know. But
here it is, I read these verses to you today, 2,000 years or
so after Paul wrote them. And we're gonna be talking about
Alexander the coppersmith. Here it is. Paul wrote this to Timothy. Alexander the coppersmith did
me much evil, much evil. Now Paul gives no details here,
like I said. He gives no details, he just
writes it out. He did me much evil. And I also
suspect from the lack of detail here that Timothy knew exactly
what Paul was writing about. Timothy knew exactly who this
Alexander was and what this Alexander, the coppersmith, did to Paul. Paul didn't have to tell him,
so he didn't. And that is the thing. He didn't have to go into detail.
He said this one thing. Alexander the coppersmith did
me much evil. Much evil. And then he makes
this statement. The Lord reward him according
to his works. Now folks, that is not a benediction. That's not a benediction. It's
not a pleasant greeting because here's the thing, this is not
something you want to hear yourself. I don't want to hear somebody
say may the Lord reward me according to my works. I don't want that.
Because here's the thing, I know what the wages of sin is. The
wages of sin is death. I don't want rewarded according
to my works, because my best works are at best filthy rags
in God's sight. Don't even want to go into my
bad works. My best works are filthy rags
in his sight. I don't want to be rewarded according
to my works. Neither did Alexander the coppersmith,
whether he knew it or not. whether he knew it or not. Now,
because here it is, it doesn't matter who you are, you do not
want to be rewarded according to your works. But that's what
Paul said for this fella. You understand, this is not good
news. Because being rewarded for your
works is very, very bad news. Now, I'm not gonna keep you long
today. Paul says in the next verse,
of whom be thou aware also. Writing to Timothy. Watch this
guy. Beware also of them, of him. Beware of whom. Be aware. Pay attention. Look. See. Because here's the thing. Those that have done great evil,
much evil to the Apostle Paul don't like you either. Why? Because you're saying the same
things I am. Oh my. Paul warned Timothy about
people. Actually, in verse 10 of chapter four here, 2 Timothy,
For Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and
is departed unto Thessalonica, Cretans to Galatia, and Titus
unto Dalmatia. Demas has forsaken me. I already
read 1 Timothy 1 and 20, of whom is
Hymenaeus and Alexander. So Hymenaeus, Philetus, Alexander,
and Demas. And who else? Paul would warn
Timothy against any and all who speak and teach contrary to the
gospel. Beware. Watch out. Pay attention. Don't give heed to those who
want to talk about fables, who want to talk about endless genealogies. Don't pay any attention to them.
Why? Because it's contrary to the
gospel, contrary to the gospel. Beware. Watch out. But Paul here
specifically points out Alexander the coppersmith. Be wary. And
here he tells us the reason why. Now, like I said, he didn't go
into any detail, but he does say this. For he hath greatly
withstood our words. Our words. I remember Earl used
to say, he'd get, talk to you, he'd say, all you do is pick
about words. That's what we got. Earl was
a preacher. That's what he did. He spoke
words. Paul was a preacher. He was an apostle, but he was
also a preacher. Timothy was a preacher. What
do we use? We use words, and this man greatly
withstood our words. I mean, because here Paul's telling
the reason for much evil, for much evil. He doesn't elaborate
on it. He doesn't state what it exactly
was. There's no details. We don't
need them. The only reference to the much evil of Alexander
the coppersmith did to Paul is this. He greatly withstood our words. He greatly withstood our words. You understand what's that mean?
Alexander the coppersmith stood against and opposed our words. And not only that, this is one
of the things that hit me, he greatly withstood our words,
greatly. Not just opposed, greatly opposed. What's that mean? Well, for one
thing, I believe it means this, Alexander the coppersmith went
out of his way to oppose the gospel. That's what it means. He went out of his way, he greatly
withstood, greatly opposed, greatly was against. And I can tell you what that
means. Alexander the Coppersmith hated the words of the Apostle
Paul. And there are people today who
hate the words of the Apostle Paul. And specifically, I can
tell you this right now, They are so against the book of Ephesus,
the letter to Ephesus, they like to take it out of the Bible. I know this for a fact. I've
heard them say it on TV. Paul didn't write that. It's imaginings. It came in later. No, it's the truth of God as
inspired by the Holy Spirit and written down and preserved to
this day. People hate it. And Alexander
the coppersmith hated Paul's words. And because of that, you
can tell this, that Alexander the coppersmith hated Christ
and him crucified. Because that's what Paul preached.
That's who Paul preached. And understand this. If you are
speaking the gospel to someone, even if you're just talking in
conversation, and they react with hatred, that hatred's not
for you, although it is. That hatred is for Christ. It's
for the Christ of the Bible. It's for the Christ we preach.
It was for the Christ that Paul preached and Timothy preached.
That's why he warned Timothy. He greatly withstood our words. Not just my words, our words,
the words of every gospel preacher. Because we all preach, we better
all preach the same Christ. Jesus Christ and him crucified.
What is it? This is only one of two times
in the scripture you will find this phrase, much evil. This is one right here. Paul
never used it for anything else. Like I said, he doesn't go into
details or anything else. But the weird thing is, it's
very strange when I found this out, because there's only two
places this phrase, much evil, is translated in the New Testament. And the other one is in Acts
chapter nine. Acts chapter nine. Where am I? Verse 10. And there was a certain
disciple at Damascus named Ananias. And to him said the Lord in a
vision, Ananias. And he said, behold, I am here,
Lord. And the Lord said unto him, arise
and go into the street which is called Straight and inquire
in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus. For behold, he prayeth. and hath
seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in and putting
his hand on him that he might receive his sight. And here it
is. Then Ananias answered, Lord,
I have heard by many of this man how much evil he hath done
to thy saints at Jerusalem. That's the only other place this
phrase is used. For the Saul of Tarsus and Alexander
the coppersmith. But Christ continued, and here
he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call
on the name. But the Lord said unto him, go thy way, for he
is a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name before Gentiles
and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how
great things he must suffer for my name's sake. Ananias said that he had heard
of the much evil of Saul of Tarsus. What was Saul of Tarsus doing?
He greatly opposed the words and gospel of Jesus Christ. That's
what he did. He was going around wanting to
put believers in prison. He hated the gospel that much.
He hated the Christ. Who art thou, Lord? I am Jesus,
whom thou persecutest. I'm gonna tell you something,
folks. To be against the gospel is much
evil. Much evil. Alexander the coppersmith
greatly withstood our words. That's much evil. That's much
evil. People think it's just nothing.
We just have different opinions. Well, yes, we do. But it's not
my opinion I'm talking about, it's facts. Written right here
in this book. It's the truth of God and Jesus
Christ. And people, people don't understand what
it is to reject Jesus Christ. That's much evil. That's much
evil. Strange people look at you and
say, my God wouldn't do that. My God wouldn't say that. Well
here it is, it's written down. This is what he said, and he
said what he meant, and he meant what he said. But they won't
have it. And I'm gonna tell you folks,
that's much evil. That's much evil. And if they
go out of their way to cause trouble for you, that's greatly
withstood your words, his words. And it's because they hate Christ.
They don't know Christ. and they don't wanna know Christ.
And that's what Paul wrote here about Alexander the coppersmith.
Because here, Paul did much evil at one time. Ah, but Paul stopped. Well, no, better way to say it,
Paul was stopped. Paul was stopped. And Christ
told us in Acts 9 that he, Saul, who became Paul, was a chosen
vessel under Jesus Christ. Henry said at one time, Jesus
Christ knocked Paul off his horse. Two, preach the very words he
hated. Now isn't that something? Oh my. To preach the way he greatly
opposed. And Saul stopped, Saul repented,
and Saul heard and was taught Christ's gospel, and Saul preached
Christ's gospel. Oh, I like that. Understand,
we have nothing else written about Alexander the coppersmith
anywhere. This is it. There is nothing else. He greatly
withstood the word of Jesus Christ, and that is, I'll say it right
now, that is much evil. Okay, all by itself. It doesn't
matter what else he did, that's much evil. Now, I do know there are commentators who say
that he was one of the people in Acts chapter 19, which could
very well be. But I don't know. In verse 24,
there's a certain man named Demetrius a silversmith, not a coppersmith,
a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana and brought
no small gain unto the craftsmen, whom he called together with
the workmen of like occupation and said, sirs, you know by this
craft we've made our wealth, and Paul's causing trouble. That's
what they basically came down to. Paul said, telling the people,
saying that they be no gods which are made with hands. Paul told the truth, but it was
messing with this guy's job. But he gathered all the other
craftsmen and that's where they went out crying, great is Diana
of the Ephesians. And then they went on with it.
But the funny thing is, Paul doesn't mention a word about
Demetrius, who was in Ephesus. And Alexander may have been in
that group, I don't know. But I do know this. He greatly
withstood the words of the Apostle Paul. And that is much evil. That is much evil. Opposing the
preaching of the gospel is much evil, whether you know it or
not. Whether you understand or not. He greatly withstood our words. He went out of his way to oppose
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I'll say it one more
time. That is much evil. Much evil. I can tell you this. First John four and verse four
says this. Year of God, little children.
and have overcome them because greater is he that is in you
than he that is in the world. They are of the world, therefore
speak they of the world and the world heareth them. We are of
God. He that knoweth God heareth us. He that is not of God, what,
heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of
truth and the spirit of error. He that knows God will hear the
words of the Apostle Paul and won't oppose them. They might
fight against them, they might struggle against them, but I'm
gonna tell you something, God will open your eyes to see his
truth in a way you cannot deny. He that is not of God does not
hear us. I'll put it even stronger. He
that is not of God cannot hear us. Oh, what's that mean? That means
Alexander the coppersmith is not of God. If he greatly withstood
the words, our words, the words of the apostle Paul, the gospel
of Jesus Christ, he is not of God. And he did much evil. But here's what that means. means
that Alexander the coppersmith was uncircumcised and heart and
ears. What? Just like Saul of Tarsus
before Jesus Christ met him. Alexander the coppersmith did
always resist the Holy Ghost. Just like Saul of Tarsus at one
time. And Alexander the coppersmith
greatly withstood the gospel of Christ. just like Saul of
Tarsus at one time. What's the difference? Saul of Tarsus was met by the
Lord Jesus Christ on that road to Damascus. And Jesus Christ
knocked him off his horse, blinded him, spoke to him, blinded him
and sent him on his way. And then the Lord Jesus Christ
sent a man to preach to him the gospel that he hated just a few
days before. And Saul of Tarsus heard and
became Paul the greatest apostle we know, the apostle to the Gentiles,
who preached to what? Kings, leaders, Gentiles, and
the house of Israel. He preached to everybody. Oh
my. So here's the question. Every
one of us was in the same place as the Apostle Paul at one time,
as Saul of Tarsus. Whether we greatly withstood
or just a little bit withstood. Whether we totally denied or
we sort of gave kind of a lip service to a Jesus of our own
imagination. I'm gonna tell you, any way,
if it's not the true Christ of God, it's much evil. It's much
evil. But here it is. Do you love now
the words of Christ Jesus? Do you rejoice in the preaching
of his word now, now? Do you listen with gladness in
your heart when you hear his words proclaimed? He or she knows that knows God
hears the words of Christ. They'll hear the words of God. And he that is not of God doesn't
hear us. Does not hear us. That's the
question. Has Christ laid hold of you?
You may not have been on the road to Damascus, but you were
going nowhere fast. Been there, done that. He stopped
me. He stopped me. And if he didn't
stop you, you don't know him. Because you understand, all of
us were just like Alexander the Compassionate. All of us were
just like Saul of Tarsus. We withstood the words. We withstood
the words of Christ. Until he stopped us. Until he
stopped us. Here's the question. Has the
Lord Jesus Christ gotten your attention? Because once he gets
your attention, he's gonna keep your attention. you're not gonna
be able to get away from him. I was coming up the road this
morning and I got to thinking about this. You know them fellas
in the book of Acts after Pentecost when they were preaching and
there's one old Jew, I don't know, I guess he was old. I always
consider all them people high priests and all that. There was
one with him in there and he looked at him and he said, listen,
if God's in this, you don't wanna oppose it. He told the absolute
truth there. Because here's what he said,
if God's in this, you can't stop it. And if God's not in it, it'll
come to nothing. And that's true too. It's amazing
how people sometimes, God'll give them just that word of truth
and they don't even know they're talking it. Because if God is in this, you
can't stop it. And if God is in this, you better
not get in the way. Don't oppose. But if God's not
in it, it's not gonna come to a thing. Oh, but if he's in it,
what does he say? My word, what are we talking
about? Alexander the Coppersmith did
me much evil. What? Greatly opposed our words,
okay. The word of God will never return
unto him void. Now it's gonna accomplish exactly
what he sent it forth to do. Now, if he sent it forth to harden
your heart, that's what it's gonna do. People don't like to
talk about that. If he sent it forth to make Alexander
the coppersmith mad, it did exactly what it was supposed to do. And
if that very same word he sent forth at the very same time,
what? Opened your eyes to see his glory. That's exactly what he meant
it to do. And that's how, what does it say? We can be. We, actually the people of God,
the preachers, the talkers, The proclaimers can be at the very
same time the saver of life unto life to some and the saver of
death unto death for others. Because that is his word. It's gonna have an effect. It's
not gonna return unto him void. It will accomplish everything
he sent it to accomplish. And it did in the case of Alexander
the Coppersmith. And it did in the case of Saul
of Tarsus. And it did in the case of all
of you. Every single person here. And
whoever's listening. God's word always has the result
he wants it to have. He's sovereign. And it's the
truth. Our Heavenly Father, we're thankful
again to this time, this place. Thank you, Lord. Lord, for your glorious word
that you have given to us. In your scriptures, through the
Holy Spirit, the words of your son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the
words of your salvation, your power, your honor, your glory,
now and forever, help us as we go through this world to remember
and to take heart that you are, oh, working out, working your
will in this world. Be with Paul and Walter as they
come to preach the gospel. Help us to lay it to our minds,
our thoughts, and keep it hidden in our hearts. Thank you, Lord. In Christ's name we pray, amen.