It is amazing grace still. Amazing
grace, how sweet the sound. John Newton knew something about
that grace. He was a slave trader back in
the day. Worked on a slave ship, ran a
slave ship. And one day the Lord revealed
the Gospel to him and he wrote, amazing grace, how sweet the
sound. That saved a wretch, a wretch
like me. Now, from 2 Timothy 3 and partly
in chapter 4, I'm taking the title from these two verses here,
2 Timothy 3.16 and then 2 Timothy 4.2. All Scripture is given by
inspiration of God. Now that's a settled fact to
every believer. All Scripture is of God. We read
it as such, teach it as such, respect it as such, read it as
such. Now verse 2, that being settled,
preach the Word. Preach the Word. Preach Christ,
the Word of God. is given of God. All Scripture,
holy men of old spake as they were moved by God the Holy Spirit. All Scripture is given of God,
therefore the man of God is called to preach the Gospel. What does
he preach? He preaches the Word of God.
There's no other option for believers or the preacher of the Gospel
than to preach the Word of the Lord. I like what my dear friend
Scott Richardson said years ago when he tried to define what
preaching is, what is preaching? Repeating what God's already
said. What is preaching? It's one beggar telling another
beggar where he found bread. The Lord Jesus Christ, He is
the bread that we feed upon. He's the bread of life that we
look unto, that we feast upon. This is saying the same thing
our Lord, when He gives His final instructions to His apostles
before He sends them into glory, seated at the right hand of God, Go into all the world and preach
the gospel to every creature. Go and preach the gospel to every
creature. He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved. He said, all powers given unto
me in heaven and earth, go therefore and teach all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Now I want to go back to 2 Timothy
3. and begin at verse 14, and work
our way down through some of these verses in chapter 4. In
chapter 4, remember that Paul is in prison in Rome, waiting
to be executed for the gospel. As we read there in verse 6 of
chapter 4, he said, I'm now ready to be offered. The time of my
departure is at hand. It was an untimely death. He
departed on time according to God's time. I fought a good fight. I finished my course. I have
kept the faith. Now he writes to his son, his
young son in the faith, Timothy, these last words of instruction
to follow. Beginning at verse 14, he says,
continue, continue, continue. Stand fast in the faith. Continue
thou in the things which thou hast learned and has been assured
of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them. Now, who was Timothy's
teacher? Well, Paul brought the gospel
to him, but God the Holy Spirit was his teacher. Continue in
the critical things you've been taught from the word of truth
by the Spirit of God, the lessons learned by hearing the gospel
preached. All those who have heard and
have learned of the Father, they come to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and been assured
of." Look at verse 15, and that's from a child. Now what a blessing
to be a child brought up in a home where the Gospel is believed
and preached. And that from a child thou hast
known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto
salvation through faith, which is in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, we know something about Timothy's childhood. If you look
back at chapter 1, 2 Timothy chapter 1, when I call to remembrance
verse 5, the unthanged faith that is in thee, which dwelt
first in thy grandmother Lois, and in thy mother Eunice, and
I am also persuaded that it is in thee, that in thee also. Wherefore, I put thee in remembrance,
that thou stir up the gift of God, which is In thee, by the
putting on of my hands, for God hath not given us a spirit of
fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind, be not thou
therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor me his prisoner,
but be thou a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according
to the power of God, the power of God who saved us. Verse 9.
and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but
according to God's own purpose and grace, giving us in the Lord
Jesus Christ. What a privilege it is to have
the Word of God and to have parents that would teach children and
subject them to the holy Word of God. The Lord our God uses
the Word of truth to teach truth, to make us wise unto salvation. The message of all the Scripture,
Old Testament and New, is the Lord Jesus Christ. It's all about
Christ. Remember, our Lord said to those
Pharisees, you search the Scriptures, and in them you think you have
eternal life, They are they which testify of Me." Remember, He
said to those two men on the road to Emmaus, beginning at
Moses, in all the Scriptures, He expounded unto them in all
things concerning Himself. And then again, in Luke 24, when
the risen Lord addresses His apostles, He said, all things
must be fulfilled in the prophets and the Psalms, all about Christ
concerning me." The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to convince
men of sin and reveal the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now hold your place there and
turn back just a few pages over here to 1 Thessalonians chapter
1. The Word of God is used by God
the Holy Spirit, the Word of Truth, to convict and convince
of sin. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, the
book of verse 3. Remembering without ceasing your
work of faith, labor of love, patience of hope in our Lord
Jesus Christ, in the sight of God our Father, knowing, brethren,
beloved, your election of God, for our gospel came not unto
you in word only. Oh, it came in word, but not
word only. but also in power and in the
Holy Ghost, in much assurance, as you know what manner of men
we were among you for your sake, and you became followers of us
and of the Lord, having received the Word in much affliction with
joy the Holy Spirit." Look at 1 Thessalonians 2 verse 13, talking
about the Word of Truth, the Word of God. For this cause also
thank we God." It's chapter 2, verse 13. When you receive the
Word of God which you heard of us, you received it not as the
Word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God that effectually
works in you who believe. God the Holy Spirit takes that
Word of God and the Word of God preached and blesses that Word
to the hearts of His people. to convince of sin and to grant
us life in Christ Jesus. Of his own will, beget he us
with the word of truth. Faith comes by hearing and hearing
by what? The Word, the Word of God. We make much of the Word of truth. Now, the reason being, it's able
to make us wise unto salvation. Saving faith is not born of ignorance.
Saving faith is born of truth. Look at verse 16. And all Scripture,
all Scripture, is given by inspiration of God, Old Testament and New,
and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,
for instruction in righteousness. Now, all Scripture, all Scripture
is God-given, God-breathed. The old timers used the word
verbally inspired, given of God. Inspired and given of God, and
written down by men. We read a moment ago in 2 Peter
1, Verse 21, for the prophecy came not in old time by the will
of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved, driven by
God the Holy Spirit. God breathed Scripture. Now, I thought about that. Given
by inspiration, God breathed into Adam the breath of life,
right? These men God breathed the Word of God into their soul
and they wrote it out. That's exactly what happened.
The Scriptures are commended by their divine authority. This
is the Word of God. God used men to write His Word. These men boldly wrote what the
mouth of God spoke. Whoever wishes to profit in the
Scriptures must, first of all, lay down this sure and settled
point that the Scriptures are not the words and doctrines of
men, but dictated by God the Holy Spirit. We receive it as
the word of truth, not the word of men. All Scripture is given
of God. That is a settled point. A settled
fact in the believer's heart. All scripture is given of God.
What you hold in your hand, this holy book, this holy word, is
the word of God. We read it as such, we treat
it as such, we believe it as such. It is God's truth, God's
word. And that point being settled,
it is profitable. You see that word there? It's
profitable. It's profitable. It's good for
us. It's a benefit. It's servable to us. Serviceable
to us. Profitable to us for doctrine,
for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
The Word of God is quick and powerful, sharper than any two-edged
sword. It is profitable unto us. Make
much of the Word of God. Study to show thyself approved
unto God. Look right across the page. 2
Timothy 2, verse 15. Study to show thyself approved
unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing
the word of truth. Shun profane vain babbling, for
they will increase unto more ungodliness. Study the Word. Meditate upon the Word. Commit
it to memory. Hear the Word often. Read it
often. It is profitable to us. Now,
he mentions Three or four things here. He mentions, first of all,
it's profitable for doctrine. For doctrine. For teaching. For
doctrine. Teaching the Word of Truth. Turn
one page to Titus chapter 1. Titus chapter 1, verse 9. Holding fast the faithful word
as as he had been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine
both to exhort and to convince the gainsayer." So hold fast
to that sound, good, true doctrine. Contrary to the doctrines of
men, we preach the doctrine singular. It's always singular. Whenever
it mentions the word doctrines, it's always referring to doctrines
of men. Whenever it's referred to the
doctrine of God, it's always singular. It's the doctrine of
Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ. Teaching correct doctrine concerning
who God is. How would you know anything about
who God is? but how He reveals Himself in the Word of God. How
would we know anything about the fall of Adam? Sin and guilt
except and apart from the written Word of God. How would we know
anything about true redeeming blood of the Lord Jesus Christ?
How He redeems us with His precious blood. How would we know anything
about that apart from We are not redeemed with a corruptible
thing, but with the precious blood of Christ written in the
Word of God. How would we know anything about how God saved
sinners by His grace, except as we read and study as revealed
to us through the Word of God? How would we know anything about
the regenerating work of God the Holy Spirit? apart from God's
truth and His Word teaching a correct, right doctrine. Not the doctrine
of men, doctrines of men, but the doctrine of the Gospel. The
Gospel of God concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. And then he
mentions reproof. The Word of God is the sword
of the Spirit, which refutes, roots out, and cuts out all the
false doctrines of men. It roots it out. How would you
refute any false doctrine? It's by the Word of Truth, the
Word of God. You remember this scripture, Ephesians 6? Take
the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, Which is
what? The word of God, quick and powerful,
sharper than any two-edged sword. And then he mentions here for
correction, for correction. The Word of God is popular for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, correction in our attitude and
state of mind, to humble us, to cause us to be thankful, always
looking to God, and always honoring the Gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ. In everything give thanks, for
this is the will of God and Christ Jesus concerning you. And then
he mentions here instruction in righteousness. Listen to me
carefully here. He's not talking about how we're
to live morally. When he talks about instruction
in righteousness, he's not talking about instruction in morality.
Now, I'm all in on morality. We ought to be straight and good
and honest and all that we can be. But that is not the righteousness
that is revealed here. Instruction in righteousness
is pointing us to Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our
righteousness. God made Him to be sin for us,
who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of
God in Him. Now, we're ignorant of that righteousness. apart from his revelation. Totally
ignorant. That's why men are going about,
those who are ignorant of God, and ignorant of the righteousness
of God, that's why they're always going about to establish a righteousness
of their own, and have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness
of God, which is in the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the end of
the law for righteousness to everyone that believe it. So,
He gives us instruction in righteousness. How God can be just and justify
the ungodly. He is the Lord our righteousness. He's made unto us. He takes our
sin and gives us His righteousness. Now that's the instruction we
need. And that's the instruction that the Gospel, the Word of
Truth gives us. That, look at verse 17, that's a man of God. that the man of God may be complete,
perfect. The man of God, the believer
resting in the Lord Jesus Christ, do you know he's a perfect man?
Wait a minute now. You just told us we're sinners.
Yes, we are. But in the Lord Jesus Christ,
that word perfect there is complete. In Him dwells all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily, and in Christ we stand, what? Complete. Of His fullness have
we all received grace for grace. That the man of God, the believer, might be complete in Christ,
the man of God. He's talking about all believers.
Sons of God by His grace. Sons of God. The man of God is
also talking about ministers of the gospel. Oftentimes, preachers
in the Word of God are called the man of God. I looked it up
73 times. Now, every believer is a son
of God. Every believer is a child of
God. But this has particular reference
to Timothy that the man of God Seventy-three times preachers
are called in the Word of God, the Man of God. I'll give you
some examples. Elijah and Elisha were both known as, remember
our study, in 1 and 2 Kings, the Man of God. Moses was called
the Man of God. We call the Lord Jesus Christ
the God-Man Mediator. that the man of God, and that's
every believer, may be perfect, complete in Christ, truly, completely
furnished, perfected, notice on the word truly there, the
marginal reference is perfected, perfected unto all good works,
all good deeds. Preaching the gospel, ministering
and teaching the Word of God is a good thing, is it not? God said, I charge you to preach
the Word. Ministering the Gospel and teaching
the Word of God is a good employment. God has chosen by the foolishest
of preaching to save them that believe. It pleased God to call
out His people to the preaching of the Gospel. How shall they
hear except God sends them a preacher of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ? It's a good thing. Now, chapter
4. Chapter divisions, we know, sometimes
are not placed where they should be. Translators have made a chapter
division here, but really there's no need for there to be one. Knowing all Scripture is given
of God, and knowing all Scripture is possible, and knowing that
the man of God is truly furnished under this good employment to
preach the gospel, he says, I charge thee therefore, before God. Now this is serious business.
I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who is the
judge of all men He's the judge of the living, the quick, the
living. He's the judge of the dead. He
will judge the living and the dead at the appearing of His
kingdom. You remember from our reading last week, it's appointed
unto man once to die, and after that, judgment. God's committed
all judgment to the Lord Jesus Christ. He's appointed a day
in which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man.
He has the right to judge. I charge thee before God and
the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead
at the appearing of His kingdom, to do what? Debate the Word. No, declare
the Word. Preach, preach, preach, preach
the Word of Truth. The Word of Truth. And do it. Be instant. Be ready. In season. Out of season. Reprove, rebuke,
exhort with all longsuffering and with doctrine. Preach the
Word. Preach the Word. All the time,
in every place, it's always a good season to preach the Gospel of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Now notice it says, preach the
Word. Now if you look that word, W-O-R-D,
up, it's the word L-O-G-O-S, Logos. It's the same word that's
found in John 1, verse 1, In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was
made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the
glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace
and truth. That Word is Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ. The Word
of God. Preach Christ all the time. You remember the Apostle Paul
said, I'm determined not to know anything among you, but Jesus
Christ and Him crucified. I'm determined. Preach the Word. Preach the Word. Teach the Word.
Teaching and preaching. Is there a difference? When I'm
teaching, I'm preaching, and when I'm preaching, I'm teaching.
It's the same thing. Declare the Word of God. And
then the Apostle says this, 2 Corinthians 4 verse 5, We preach not ourselves. We preach Jesus Christ our Lord,
and ourselves your servant for His sake. So we're determined
to preach the Lord Jesus Christ crucified as all the counsel
of God. All the counsel of God. He bought
the church with His own blood. So we preach and we're determined
to preach Christ, to lift Him up. The Apostle Paul said in
Romans chapter 1, for as much as in me is, I'm ready to preach
the gospel to you who are at Rome. For I'm not ashamed of
the gospel of Christ, the power of God and the salvation to everyone
that believes, to Jew and also to the Gentile. Therein is the
righteousness of God revealed. We can't get away from that word
this morning, can we? The righteousness of God. The
hope of righteousness we have by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord has ordained the preaching
of the gospel to call out His sheep. Shouldn't we be ready
to always preach Christ and lift Him up? It's the means the Lord
has ordained to instruct us in the way of salvation, to reprove
us, to rebuke us with all longsuffering and doctrine. We're to feed the
church of God, which He purchased with His own blood. Peter writes,
desire the sincere milk of the word that you might grow thereby. We have comfort and assurance
and growth through the word of truth. So preach the Word. Preach Christ. The Lord Jesus
Christ. His person and His work. Preach
Him all the time. Now look at verse 3. This is
2 Timothy chapter 4 verse 3. For the time will come when they
will not endure sound doctrine. But after their own lusts shall
they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears, and they
shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned
unto fables." The time will come, and we can be sure that we are
living in this time. Notice what he said in verse
1 of chapter 3, knowing this also, that in the last days perilous
times shall come." Are we living in the last days? Absolutely.
Absolutely. Without question. We can be sure
we're living in the last time when men will not endure sound,
correct teaching from the Word of God. Sound doctrine, true
doctrine, good doctrine, right doctrine. They won't have the
truth. They'll heap to themselves teachers having itching ears. Lust, the time will come. They have not endured sound doctrine,
verse 3. But after their own lust shall
they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears which will
turn you away from sound, sound doctrine. Now, let me sum up
to you sound doctrine. Sound doctrine. Can I sum it
up in a few minutes? Sound doctrine, what it is. You've
heard me use this phrase before, TULIP. T-U-L-I-P. T-U-L-I-P. There's a good track on the table
out there. It's entitled, just in case you're
interested, written by Pastor Don Fortner probably 40 years
ago. I would highly recommend that
you pick it up and read it. But T-U-L-I-P. What does T-U-L-I-P
stand for? TULIP. Total depravity. Total depravity. This, I believe,
is a sum of what sound doctrine that's taught in the Word of
God teaches. T-U-L-I-P. The T stands for total
depravity. Let me make it more personal.
What we are. You really don't believe in total
depravity unless you believe that you are totally depraved. If we say we have no sin, The
truth's not in us. We are sinners. We are sinful because we are
sinners. Born that way. Shapen in iniquity. So when we talk about total depravity,
we're talking about our total sinfulness, what we are. And
you really don't believe it unless you believe you're totally depraved. And then the U stands for what?
Unconditional election. This is what God has done for
us. He said, you didn't choose me,
John 15, 16. You didn't choose me, I chose
you. So we do believe the Scripture teaches total depravity, total
ruin in the fall, and Adam all sinned, and Adam all died. And
then, unconditional election, what God has done for us. We're
bound to give thanks to God for you, brethren. God has, from
the beginning, chosen you to salvation. This is sound doctrine. Sound doctrine. What does the
L stand for? Limited atonement. That is the
scope of it. We're not limiting the power
of it. The scope of it. Who did the Lord Jesus Christ
die for? In other words, we can put it
this way. What happened at Calvary? He made atonement for the sin
of His people. Call His name Jesus, He shall
save His people from their sin. So there you have the T, the
U, the L, limited atonement. Or we can put it this way, particular
redemption. The Lord Jesus Christ laid down
His life for His sheep. And then the I stands for irresistible
grace or effectual call, what God does in us. what He does
in us. God who has begun a good work
in you will finish it. Irresistible grace, my people
shall be willing in a day of God's power. These are the things
that make up and stand for as the Word of God teaches sound
doctrine. T-U-L-I-P. Perseverance. Perseverance and
preservation. What happens and what continues
to happen in our life, He preserves us. He preserves us and causes
us to persevere in the faith. Kept by the power of God. Kept
by the power of Almighty God. T-U-L-I-P. What do they preach
down there at Zebulun Grace? They preach TULIP. Tell them
next time what TULIP is. This is sound doctrine. The time
will come when they'll not endure sound doctrine. Boy, that's so
today. You give people those five, blessed,
truth, and the Word of God, and they will not have it. They will
not have it. God's people love it. I don't
like weeds, I like tulips. I take my hoe and my roundup
and I kill every weed I can find. My weed eater cut them down,
but I love tulips. I do everything to preserve my
tulips. My mother was a Dutchman and
I love tulips. That country's full of flowers.
Tulips, it's a good thing I like tulips. And I love the flower
and I love the doctrine too. And they shall turn away their
ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables." So sad. The self-righteous will not tolerate
the gospel of God that puts all the conditions of salvation upon
the Lord Jesus Christ alone. They will not endure that. They
will not have it. That puts all the conditions
of salvation upon the Lord Jesus Christ instead of putting the
conditions of salvation upon the creature. to all upon the
Christ of God, not the creature, His person, His redeeming work. But rather, seeking after those
lusting for salvation by the works of the flesh, deeds of
the law, seeking out those preachers who desire to tickle the ear
of those who are going about to establish a righteousness
of their own. Remember we read here in verse
5, chapter 3, they have a form of godliness, but denying the
power thereof from such turn away. Verse 7, ever learning,
but never coming to the knowledge of the truth. They will not have
sound doctrine. My friend, that's the only thing
that's going to set us free, is sound, sound doctrine. And they'll turn their ears away
from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. turn their
ear away from the truth taught in the Holy Scripture unto the
fables of men or the fabulous lies of men that free will, works,
religion promote. What do they preach? They preach
what we call the three big lies. What does free will, works, religion
believe? The three big lies. Satan's three
big lies. Do you know what they are? God
loves everybody. Not so. Not so. Jacob haven't loved,
Esau haven't hated. The second lie that works religion
produces and declares that the Lord Jesus Christ died for everybody
without exception. Not so. Not so. He laid down his life for the
sheep. The third big lie they proclaim, God the Holy Spirit's
trying to save everybody. God's trying to save you, they
say, but you won't let Him. My friend, that's not God. That's
not God. God does as He will, with whom
He will, when He will. And it's not as I was listening
to our radio program this morning at 8.30 to 8.45, got in my vehicle,
drove over to the house. There's a man who comes on the
radio right after me on the same station. And he said, God's your
backup plan. God's the backup plan. Now wait
a minute now. Is that sound doctrine? Sound
doctrine is, the Lord said, I'm the way, the truth, the life.
I'm not backup to anybody. I don't play second fiddle to
anybody. He must have all the preeminence, all the glory. You
see how far we've gone today? And that man passes off as a
mainstream religious promoter, but he's a promoter of lies.
He's a promoter of lies. It's not sound doctrine. God
doesn't have a backup plan. He is the plan. He is the way. You see how far we've gone? They
shall turn away their ears from the truth and be turned unto
fables. What are we to do? Verse 5, Watch
thou in all things. Watch thou in all things. Be
on guard. Be on guard. When you're rooted
and grounded in the truth, And God taught you the truth. When
you hear some nonsense like that, God's got a backup plan. He's
got a wonderful plan for your life if you'll just let Him have
His way. You know that's contrary to sound doctrine. Watch thou
in all things, endure inflictions, All that will live godly in the
Lord Jesus Christ, you remember verse 12, chapter 3? All that
will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. You
take a bold public stand for the gospel, you'll be persecuted. Your family and friends, they'll
turn on you. I've seen it happen. I've experienced it. But watch
how in all things endure inflictions, Do the work of an evangelist.
What is that? Preaching the Word. Preach the
Word. Preach the Word. Make full proof of thy ministry. Watch. Be on guard. Endure inflictions. Keep preaching the Gospel. God
will bless it. God will bless it. God will bless
it. Make full proof of thy ministry.
Faithfully discharge your calling. Every one of us who are believers,
God puts you in the ministry. Everyone that believes the gospel,
God puts you in the ministry. Faithfully serve where He's called
you, whatever it is, however it is. Faithfully serve Him.