My Favorite Text

I'm going to be speaking to you
today from the book of 1 Timothy, or 2 Timothy, 2 Timothy chapter
1, verses 1 through 12. Now, if you would, I'd like very
much for you to open your Bibles. I know we could put this scripture
up on the screen for you, but I'd like it much better for you
to open your own Bible and follow along with me as I read. I'm
going to be speaking from 12 verses, 2 Timothy chapter 1 beginning
with verse 1. And we're going to talk, the
Lord willing, if I have the time, we're going to have something
to say about every one of these verses, verses 1 through 12 of
2 Timothy chapter 1. Now here's the title of the message
in the event that you wish to write for the tape. The title
of the message is My Favorite Text. And we hear people talk
about their favorite songs and their favorite scripture verses
and their favorite psalms. Well, I believe if I have a favorite
text, it might be this portion of scripture right here. Everything's
here. Just everything is there. So much here. So many blessings. And you listen carefully now
and follow in your Bibles. As I begin with verse 1, II Timothy,
chapter 1, verse 1, and Paul says this, Paul, an apostle of
Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life,
which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Now, God from the beginning
promised eternal life in the Messiah, who is our Lord Jesus
Christ. So now he calls and appoints
apostles and prophets and missionaries and pastors and teachers to proclaim
this promise of eternal life in Christ and to point all men
to the Savior, that in Him they might have life. This is what
John wrote in I John chapter 5. He said, this is the record.
This is the record. God hath given us eternal life. And this life is in his Son,
and he that hath the Son of God hath life, and he that hath not
the Son of God hath not life. So Paul, an apostle of Jesus
Christ, by the will of God, according to the promise of life which
is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Now watch verse 2. He said, I'm
writing to Timothy, my dearly beloved son. Grace, mercy, and
peace from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our Lord, Paul,
an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the glorious promise of life
in Christ Jesus. I'm writing to Timothy, my beloved
son. Now, Timothy was not Paul's natural
son. Paul wasn't married. He didn't
have a wife. He didn't have a child. Well,
why does Paul call this young man his son? Well, I think I
can give you three reasons. First of all, he calls him his
son because of Timothy's youth. Paul was an old man, and Timothy
was a very, very young man. And I think secondly, because
he was his son in the ministry, Paul taught Timothy the gospel. Timothy learned the gospel from
Paul. And then thirdly, he calls him
his son because of his great affection for him. He loved this
young man, Timothy, and called him his son. Paul, an apostle
of Jesus Christ to Timothy, my dearly beloved son. Now listen
to what he requests for Timothy. He says, Grace, mercy, and peace
to you from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ. These
are the three greatest gifts, grace, mercy, and peace. Have
you thought about them much? What is grace? What is grace? Well, grace is God giving us
what we do not deserve. Someone said grace is unmerited
favor. Well, it is. It's God giving
to us what we do not deserve. What's mercy? Well, mercy is
not God not giving to us what we do deserve. That's mercy.
That's mercy. If a man is forgiven of his sins,
that's mercy. God not giving us the wages of
sin is death. And God not giving us death,
but rather in Christ giving us life, that's mercy. So grace,
God giving us what we don't deserve. Mercy, God not giving us what
we do deserve. And then peace, peace with God,
peace with God. Christ made peace with God. He
reconciled us to God through the blood of His cross. Peace
with God. And there's the peace of God.
that passeth understanding, a quietness of spirit, a rest in all things,
rest, and then there's a peace with others. So Paul says, Timothy,
my beloved son, I pray for you that God's grace and mercy and
peace through Christ. All of these things are because
of Christ our Lord, and not because we deserve it, it's because He
deserves it, not because I'm worthy, but because He's worthy
and purchased these things for us. You see, of God are you in
Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness,
sanctification, and redemption. Look at verse 3. I thank God,
whom I serve from my forefathers with a pure conscience, that
without ceasing I pray for you. night and day. When the apostle
thought of this young preacher, Timothy, this young son in the
gospel, two things happened. He said, first of all, I thank
God for you. You know, when Paul was writing
to the church at Thessalonica, he said practically the same
thing. He said, but beloved, brethren, beloved of the Lord,
I thank God for you. I thank God for you. And here
he writes to young Timothy and he says two things. When I call
you to remembrance, when you're on my mind, two things. I thank
God for you and I pray for you. I thank God for you and I pray
for you. You know, that's three marks
of friendship. Genuine, sincere friendship. Love of brethren. I think of
you. I think of you. I often remember
you. I thank God for you. I know God
gave you to me. He said, God gave your friendship
to me and your fellowship. And I pray for you. I remember
you. I thank God for you. And I pray for you. Three marks
of friendship. You know, Samuel wrote this one
time. He said, God forbid, God forbid that I should sow sin
against God as to cease to pray for you. Do you pray for your
friends? Do you pray for your pastor?
Do you pray for one another? If you love one another, you
do. I remember you, I thank God for you, and I pray for you.
Look at verse 4. You see why I love this text?
So many things here. Now watch verse 4. I greatly
desire to see you, being mindful of your tears. I tell you, when
Paul left this young man in Ephesus, he left him with a work to do.
He left him with a job to finish. He left him with a people to
feed. And when he left him there, Timothy was so sad for Paul leaving
him. And Paul going to Rome, he knew
he was going to prison. Everybody else knew he was going
to prison. And he left Timothy weeping. He said, I'm mindful
of your tears. But Timothy had finished the
work and Paul here Desires him to come to Rome. He said I have
need of you you come to Rome that I may be filled with joy
Greatly desiring to see you being mindful of your tears But I'll
be filled with joy when you come and help me here in Rome and
verse 5 now listen to this Paul said to Timothy I call to remembrance
The unfeigned faith that's in you. What is the word unfeigned
mean? When Paul is talking about this
young man here, he says, I call to remembrance the unfeigned
faith that's in you. Unfeigned is genuine, sincere,
no pretension, no hypocrisy. Paul said, one thing I know about
you is that your faith in God, your faith in Christ, your love
for Christ is genuine and sincere, no pretension. and no hypocrisy. Now, what's this next statement?
What's this next statement? I call to remembrance the genuine,
sincere faith that's in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother,
Lois, and in your mother, Eunice, and now in you. Think about this. What a blessing. Three generations
of believers. three generations in that one
home. Timothy, you see, his mother
was a Jewish and his father was a Greek. But there in that family,
the grandmother Lois, the mother Eunice, and now Timothy, all
believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, all resting in the promise of
God, that promise of eternal life in the Messiah. They believed
it. What a blessing. You know, families
need to go to the house of God together. Grandparents, parents,
children, go and sit together. Hear the Word of God together.
Worship together. Pray together. Speak to one another
about the things of God. Look at verse 7. Timothy, listen
to me. Timothy, I put you in remembrance. I've got something to say to
you. Stir up the gift which is in you by the laying on of my
hands, the gift, the gifts and graces that God's given you.
Don't be indifferent. Don't be careless, but be zealous
and stir up, stir up, be encouraged. Use these gifts and these graces
which God has given to you for the glory of God. Use them. Be
a good steward of the grace of God. What are these gifts? Well,
I'll tell you, eternal life's the gift of God. The Scripture
tells us that the gift of God is eternal life for Jesus Christ
our Lord. If eternal life's in you, it's
a gift of God. And then repentance is the gift
of God. The goodness of God leads us to repentance. We repent because
of the goodness of God. And then faith's the gift of
God. If a man believes, it wasn't born from his natural heart.
Faith is not a flower that blooms in a natural garden. It's a spiritual
gift. Listen to this verse. For by
grace are you saved through faith. That not of yourselves. It's
the gift of God. And then knowledge and wisdom
is the gift of God. James says, if any man lack wisdom,
let him ask of God. But let him ask in faith, nothing
wavering. The power to preach is the gift of God. The power
to teach is the gift of God. So Paul, writing to this young
man, this beloved son in the ministry, says, Timothy, stir
up. Be zealous. Use the gifts and
graces that God's given you for His glory. Because God has not,
look at that verse, God has not given us the spirit of fear.
We're not shy and timid and cowardly in this business of preaching
the gospel. We don't fear men. In preaching the gospel, we do
not fear men. We do not fear persecution. We
do not fear failure. We do not fear demons. We do not fear these things.
We fear God. That's right. We fear God. It's
a fear of reverence and worship and all. But we do not fear men. We fear God. And God has not
given us the spirit of fear. Paul said, if I try to please
men, I'm not the servant of Christ. But God has given us, listen
to this, three things. He's not given us the spirit
of fear, but He has given us the spirit of power, power to
preach the Word. Our gospel came to you, not in
word only. We're not arguing. You know,
I expect people to believe what I'm preaching because it's the
truth. I believe it. I expect you to believe it because
it's the Word of God. You know, that's just so. We
have the Spirit of power to preach His Word. Our gospel is not in
word only. It's in power, in the Holy Ghost,
in much assurance. He's given us the Spirit of love,
love for Christ, love for people, love for the gospel, love for
His Word, love for His church. And then he's given us a spirit
of wisdom. Wisdom. Wisdom. Oh, for wisdom to preach
the gospel. For wisdom to avoid tangents. Avoid majoring on minors. To
major on Christ. Preach God's Word. Look at verse
8. Now listen to the instructions
of the old preacher. Words of wisdom from an old preacher. In jail. Paul was in prison when
he wrote this epistle. This is called one of his prison
epistles. He was in prison in Rome for preaching the gospel.
And he writes to this young man. He says, number one, now, Timothy,
be not thou therefore ashamed of our Lord. Don't be ashamed
of the testimony of our Lord, the gospel of our Lord. Don't
be ashamed of Jesus Christ. I'm not ashamed of the gospel.
It's the power of God under salvation to everyone that believe it,
to the Jew first and also to the Greek. male, female, bond-free,
old, young, wise, unwise. The gospel of Christ is the power
of God to salvation. I'm not ashamed of the gospel
because in that gospel, the holiness of God is revealed, the mercy
of God is revealed, the grace of God is revealed. Ashamed of
Jesus? Just as soon let midnight be
ashamed of noon. Ashamed of Jesus? Sooner far
let evening blush to own a star. Ashamed of Jesus, that dear friend
on whom my hope of heaven depends? No, when I blush, be this my
shame, that I no more revere his name than what I do." Now,
don't be ashamed of the gospel. Now, watch this. Timothy, don't
be ashamed of me, his prisoner. Now, listen carefully to me.
Listen carefully. I've got something to say here.
Paul was in bonds, in prison for the sake of the gospel. Paul
wasn't in prison because he was an evil person. Paul wasn't in
prison because he'd violated the law. Paul wasn't in prison
because he'd done what he shouldn't have done. Paul was in prison
because his gospel was contrary to the recognized religion and
to the recognized way of approaching God. He was in prison for preaching
the truth, the gospel. And he says to Timothy, now don't
be ashamed of the gospel. And don't be ashamed to be identified
with me, the prisoner of the Lord. Don't be ashamed of those
who are true believers. Don't be ashamed to be, now listen,
to be identified with people who are true believers. Now,
I don't want to be identified with a lot of religious people
in this day. I don't want to be identified with them. I don't
want to be considered one of them. Because we're not even
walking the same direction. We're not believing the same
God. We're not preaching the same gospel. All of this emotionalism
and charismatic and phony religion and TV personalities and carrying
on all kind of entertainment in the name of God and begging
for money and selling trinkets and using God's name to profit
ourselves and living in mansions and driving expensive automobiles
and wearing expensive clothing and diamonds and gold and all
of these things at the expense of God's dear people. I do not
want to be identified with any of this terrible, terrible things
that are going on in the name of religion, in the name of God.
And Paul's not talking about being identified with everybody
who uses the name Jesus and everybody who uses the name God and everybody
who talks about Everybody says, Lord, Lord's not going to heaven.
That's what Christ said, but he that doeth the will of my
Father. But when you find someone who's preaching the truth, living
the truth, and loving Christ, and loving His Word, and walking
with Him, and conducting their gospel and their ministry and
their services and their worship services in a way honoring to
God, and glorifying to God and true to the scriptures, you identify
yourselves with them. Don't be ashamed of them. I'm
ashamed of a lot of things going on in the name of religion today.
In fact, most of it, most of it is not of God. But don't be
ashamed to be identified with someone who knows God. Then he
says, you be a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according
to the power of God. Yes, the power and grace of God
will support us in time of trouble. We're going to have trouble.
But if He calls us to suffer, if He calls us to preach, if
He calls us to do His will, He'll deliver us. This is the 974th
broadcast over this station of this program. And we have never
asked anybody, anywhere, anytime for one dime. And never will.
Never sold anything. Never begged for anything. You
know what? If God's in something, He'll
support it. If God's with someone, He'll
bless him. If God calls someone and sends them to preach, He'll
give them the power. And if He calls on us to suffer,
He'll give us the grace. His grace is sufficient. And one of the clearest indications
That God is not in something is when man has to pay for it
and has to promote it and has to sell it. God's not in it.
That's true. Now, he says, don't you be ashamed
of the gospel. Don't you be ashamed of me, his
prisoner. And don't you be afraid to bear the afflictions and sufferings
of the gospel. Whatever it costs you to preach
it, preach it. And don't compromise for anything
in this world. Don't sell out. An Esau that
sells your birthright for a mess of pottage. Then he said, because
he had saved us. By his obedience, by his blood,
he had saved us. He had saved us from the curse
of the law. Cursed is everyone that continueth
not in all things written in the book of the law to do them.
Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law. Being made
a curse for us. From the curse of the law. He
saved us. He saved us from the curse of the law. He saved us
from condemnation. Justice says die. Christ died. I don't have to. There's no judgment
to them who are in Christ. There's no condemnation to them
who are in Christ. Your sin, be sure your sins will
find you out. My sins found Him on the cross,
and He paid for it, and they'll never find me out there gone.
Separated from me as far as the east is from the west. Separate
and remembered no more. He saved us from death. He that
believeth on the Son shall never die. Listen to verse 9. He saved
us. He called us. He called us. Did you hear that? He called
us. He saved us. He called us. He loved us. Not according to our works. I
don't deserve what God has done for me. I don't deserve what
God has given me. I don't deserve what God has
prepared for me. And you don't either. He saved
us not according to our works, not according to our deeds, not
according to our religion. His love, His salvation, His
grace, His call is according to His own purpose. His own purpose. Why does God
love me? Because it seemed good in His
sight. Herein is love, not that we love God. He loved us. We
love Him because He loved us. We call on Him because He called
us. We seek Him because He sought
us. Now listen carefully. He had
called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but
according to His own purpose and grace which was given us
in Christ Jesus before the world began. Did you hear that? It was given us in Christ Jesus
before the world began. That's right. What God does in
time, He purposed in eternity. God never learns anything new.
He knows all things. Jesus knew from the beginning
who would believe on Him and who would betray Him. I have
loved you with an everlasting love, He said, therefore with
loving kindness have I drawn thee. Blessed be the God and
father of our Lord Jesus Christ who's blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places according as he chose us in Christ
before the foundation of the world and Predestinated us in
love to the adoption of children. Oh my Christ is the Great Shepherd
of an everlasting covenant Christ is the lamb slain before the
foundation of the world Christ is the word and listen He is
now, verse 10, He is now manifest. That's right. God had called
us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to
His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ before
the world began, but is now manifested by the appearing of our Lord
and Savior, Jesus Christ. He was in the beginning. In the
beginning was the Word. And the Word was made flesh.
And the Word was with God. and He dwelt among us. And the
Word was God, and we beheld His glory." Oh, I tell you, great
is the mystery of godliness. God was manifest in the flesh,
justified in the Spirit, seen of the angels, preached to the
Gentiles, believed on in the world. Good news. That's the
good news of our Gospel. Our Savior Jesus Christ, listen
to this, hath abolished death and brought life. He has abolished
death and brought life. How did He abolish death? He
died. How did He bring life? He arose.
And immortality, how did He bring immortality? He lives forever. Our Lord Jesus Christ hath been
manifest and appeared. And by His appearance, He abolished
death. He died. Because I died, you
won't have to. and brought life, because I live,
you shall live, and immortality. And one day this corruptible
will put on incorruption, this mortal shall put on immortality,
and then shall be brought to pass the same. Death is swallowed
up in victory." Now, Paul says in verse 11, I'm appointed a
preacher of this gospel. And for this cause, this gospel,
I suffer these things. Look at verse 12. Nevertheless,
I'm not ashamed. I know whom. I have believed."
He didn't say, I know what I believe, I know when I believe, I know
where I believe. He said, I know whom. Salvation's
a whom, not a what or when or where. I know whom I have believed.
I'm persuaded He is able to keep that which I've committed to
Him against that day. There's your gospel. There's
a definition of faith. Our Lord Jesus Christ hath appeared,
abolished brought life and immortality to life through the gospel. And
I'm not ashamed of that gospel. I'm not ashamed. For I know whom
I have believed. And I'm confident, persuaded
that He's able to keep what I've committed to Him. That's my favorite
text. You want that on tape? Send $2.
We'll send you this tape. And there's another message on
the other side that I'll preach next week. We'll mail it to you
by return mail if you'd like to have it. My favorite. text. Until next week, God bless you.

My Favorite Text

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