Let's look in our Bibles tonight
to 2 Timothy chapter 4. 2 Timothy chapter 4. I charge thee, therefore, before
God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and
the dead at his appearing and his kingdom, preach the word,
be instant, in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort
with all longsuffering and doctrine. 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. I want to speak to us from Paul's
words to Timothy in verse 3 concerning sound doctrine. Sound doctrine. The word which is here, translated
doctrine, could also be translated learning or teaching. And Paul, we see, warned Timothy
that the time would come, when he was writing this, this was
future, the time would come which would be marked by men who would
not endure sound doctrine. Most of the writers believe,
and I agree, that this time spoken of by Paul, that it soon, soon
came upon the churches. I think all serious-minded believers
today would accept that whenever the time came, we live in that
time, in that day, when men will not endure sound doctrine. When we see so-called Christian
churches involved in all kinds of entertainment, surely we live
in that time which Paul spoke of, when men would be turned
unto fables. The Apostle Peter, I want you
to keep your place here, but the Apostle Peter, if you look
over in his second letter, he sounded a similar warning in
2 Peter chapter 2. And verses 1 and 2. 2 Peter chapter 2, verses 1 and
2. But there were false prophets
also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers
among you, who privilege shall bring in damnable heresies, even
denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves
swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious
ways, by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken
of. Now Peter here calls them false
teachers who bring in damnable heresies. And we know that they
are in so-called Christian churches. They profess to be Christians
because they deny the Lord that bought them. In other words,
they are in a place that you would assume they believed that
they had been purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ. But they
have not, and they deny the Lord Jesus Christ. Deny Him, the scripture
here says. But I want us to go back to our
text tonight, 2 Timothy chapter 4, and I would like to give us
three marks of sound doctrine. Paul warned Timothy of the time
coming when men would not endure sound doctrine. And I want to
give us tonight three marks of sound doctrine. First, one mark
of sound doctrine is it comes from the Word of God. And I say
that because you notice here in our text, Paul admonished
Timothy, preach the Word. Preach the Word. That seems easy
to me to understand that sound doctrine comes from the Word. Or he never would have exhorted
Timothy to preach the Word. Sound doctrine is the Word of
God, comes from the Word of God. Remember this, when Paul writes
here and told Timothy to preach the Word, he would have certainly
referenced the Old Testament. The Scriptures, the Word, the
Old Testament. If you look with me back in Romans
chapter 15. Romans chapter 15. And verse
4. He said, for whatsoever things
were written aforetime were written for our learning. Now that's
the same word that is translated doctrine in our text. For whatsoever
things were written aforetime, that is what we would refer to
tonight as the Old Testament part of our Bibles. Whatsoever things were written
aforetime were written for our learning, for doctrine, for teaching,
that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might
have hope. The Old Testament is called the
Scriptures here. The Scriptures. And we know that
the New Testament, if you would like to turn to 2 Peter chapter
3 again, we know that the New Testament is also referred to
as the Scriptures. 2nd Peter chapter 3 and verses 15 and 16. The apostle
writes, an account that the long-suffering of our Lord is salvation, even
as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given
unto him hath written unto you. Now notice, as also in all his
epistles, all his letters, speaking to them of these things, in which
are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned
and unstable rest, as they do also the other Scriptures." Now,
the other Scriptures would refer to the Old Testament, right?
The Old Testament part of our Bible. But here, the Apostle
Peter, he likens the letters of the Apostle Paul to the other
Scriptures. In other words, equating these
New Testament words as Scripture. Both the Old Testament and the
New Testament are the Scriptures. The Word. Preach the Word. The
time will come when man will not endure sound doctrine. Where's
this sound doctrine to come from? It's going to come from the Word
of God. It is the Word of God. this sound doctrine. You know
the prophet Amos, he was one of the minor prophets and he
prophesied to the kingdom of Israel, the northern kingdom
in the year 786 to 746 BC, before Christ was born. But he told
in his prophecy of a day in which the Lord God would send a famine
in the land. Now a famine can be very severe. I was speaking recently to another
pastor about Egypt and Joseph. The famine that came upon the
land of Egypt. That famine was very severe,
wasn't it? It was so severe that first of
all, the Egyptians sold their livestock to get corn. Next, they sold their land to
get corn. And next, they sold themselves
to get corn. Now, that's a famine. That's
a famine, when people will sell themselves into slavery and everything
that they have just for food. But Amos speaks of a different
kind of famine. In his prophecy, he said, Behold,
the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine
in the land, not a famine of bread. It's not going to be a
famine of bread, nor of drink, nor a thirst for water. You and
I, we live in a day, we live in a land when there is plenty.
As far as food, as far as drink is concerned, there is much.
Maybe more than any generation has ever had who have lived on
the face of God's earth. But God said, I will send a famine,
not of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words
of the Lord. The day would come when men would
not endure sound doctrine." Where does sound doctrine come from?
It comes from the Word of God. And God sends a famine. And you
notice in our text, back here in 2 Timothy chapter 3, The Apostle said, they, they
shall turn away their ears from the truth. Man does this himself. He gets tired of the Word of
God. He would rather be entertained.
He would rather hear something different, something new, something
that he's never heard before. He has itching ears to hear something
that's different, something that's novel, something that's new.
But notice the fact that men turn away from the truth and
then they are turned to idols. Men are content to
go to a place that is called a Christian church, and rather
than hear the word of God, rather than hear sound doctrine, to
be entertained by hearing fables and old wives tales, things of
that nature. All scripture, Paul said this
just above this in 2 Timothy chapter 2, when he said, Chapter
3, rather, all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction and righteousness, that the man of God may be mature,
thoroughly furnished unto all good works. But notice above
that, verse 15, where he told Timothy, that he from a child
thou hast known the holy scriptures which are able, which are able
to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ
Jesus. When men turn away from the Word
of God and they're turned to fables, God has chosen to use
His Word in calling out His people and saving His people. The written
Word, the preached Word, Remember James chapter 1 in verse 18,
the apostle said, of his own will hath he begotten us with
the word of truth, with the scriptures. In Isaiah chapter 8 in verse
20, God gave a test for false prophets. And the test was this,
to the law and to the testimony. If they speak not according to
this word, it is because there is no light in them. So, Timothy, be warned, the day
is coming when men shall not endure sound doctrine. And the cure for that is, preach
the word. Preach the word. Now second,
another mark, that's one mark of sound doctrine. It comes from
the scripture. It comes from the Word of God.
It doesn't come from Reader's Digest or these other theological
books. It comes from the Word of God. A second mark, second mark of
sound doctrine here in our text is the truth. The truth. Notice that in verse 4. And they
shall turn away their ears from the truth. Another mark of sound
doctrine, not only is it from the Word of God, but it is the
truth. They will not endure sound doctrine,
they turn away from the truth. And I would emphasize the fact
that the Lord Jesus Christ, He is the truth. He said, I am the
way, the truth, and the life. He is the truth. But they turn
away from the truth. They turn away from the person
and work of Jesus Christ. They will not endure sound doctrine. The Apostle John says much the
same in 1 John chapter 4. If you'd like to turn to this passage
in 1 John chapter 4, Verses 1 through 3, he said,
Beloved, believe not every spirit, that is every preacher, every
prophet, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits, whether
they are of God, because many false prophets are gone out into
the world. hereby know you the Spirit of
God every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in
the flesh is of God and every spirit that confesses not that
Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of Christ not of
God and this is that spirit of antichrist wherever you have
heard that it should come and even now already is it in the
world sound doctrine confesses the truth. Sound Doctrine confesses
that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. Now, when you look
at that, those words, what does that mean? Well, first of all,
Sound Doctrine concerns the deity of Jesus Christ. Sound Doctrine
proclaims and declares that Jesus Christ is God. He is God who
has come in the flesh. And He is the Son of God. Follow
with me now. That Jesus Christ has come in
the flesh. That He is the Son of God who
came in the flesh. But remember this, He testified
of the Father and of the Holy Spirit. So sound doctrine also
means the truth concerning the Trinity. I know you're familiar
with what is called modelism. Sometimes they're referred to
as oneness Pentecostals. But they believe there's only
one person in the Godhead. That sometimes He speaks as the
Father, and sometimes He speaks as the Son. And sometimes he
speaks as the Holy Spirit. But not three persons. One person
who takes these different names. Well, let's look at the Scripture.
This Bible here says, sound doctrine concerns the deity of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ has come in the
flesh. First of all, the Lord Jesus
Christ, He said, I and my Father are one. He didn't say, I am
my Father, did He? He said, I and my Father are
one. Turn with me to the Gospel of
John just a moment. In John chapters 14, 15, and
16, our Lord speaks Concerning the Trinity, we'll
look at several verses here in chapters 14, 15, and 16. But
the first verse in chapter 14, verse 16, he said, I will pray
the Father. Now is he praying to himself? No, he's praying to the Father.
I will pray the Father, and He shall give
you another Comforter." Now this word which is translated Comforter
is the same word that is translated in 1 John chapter 2. We have
an Advocate with the Father. Jesus Christ the Righteous. Another
Comforter. There's one God and yet He exists
in a trinity of persons. Sound Doctrine declares that
Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, that God sent His Son
into this world, that the Son was made flesh, not the Father,
not the Holy Spirit. Now, I understand that we are
not able to fully comprehend this, but that doesn't change
the fact. I believe in the Trinity because
it's revealed in the Word of God. Not because I understand
it. Not because I can explain how
three persons are in one being. But this is what the Word of
God declares. This is what the Lord Jesus Christ
declared who is the truth. I am the way, the truth, and
the life. I will pray the Father And He
shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever. Look down to verse 26 in this
same 14th chapter. But the Comforter, which is the
Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach
you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever
I have said unto you. All right, look in chapter 15.
John chapter 15 and verse 26. But when the Comforter is come,
whom I will send unto you from the Father. Do we not see three
persons here? The Comforter, the Father, and
God the Son manifested in the flesh. When the Comforter is
come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit
of truth which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify
of me. I look in chapter 16 verse 7. Nevertheless I tell you the truth,
it is expedient for you that I go away. For if I go not away,
the Comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart, I will
send him unto you. And then, of course, we have
our Lord's words in Matthew chapter 28. And His command concerning baptizing
disciples in the name, not in the names, but in the name. Matthew chapter 28, verses 18
through 20. Jesus came and spake unto them,
saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go
you therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. You notice
before each person the definite article In the name, God is one. In the name of the Father, of
the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always,
even unto the end of the world. So sound doctrine confesses that
Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, that the Son of God, the
eternal Son of God, was sent into this world to be the propitiation
for our sins. Hearing His love, not that we
love God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation
for our sins. But number two, sound doctrine.
Sound Doctrine concerns the purpose of Jesus Christ's coming in the
flesh. He said it like this, This is
the Father's will that sent me, that of all which he hath given
me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the
last day. So Sound Doctrine concerns the
truth. This is the second mark I have
for us tonight of sound doctrine. First of all, it comes from the
Word of God. It is the Word of God. Second,
it is the truth, and Jesus Christ is the truth. He tells us the
truth about God. He reveals unto us the Father. Not only the truth about His
person, who He is, that He is God, but the truth about His
work, the reason He came into this world. Now I want you to
look at an Old Testament verse in the book of Daniel. Daniel
chapter 9. Daniel chapter 9. Daniel chapter 9 and verse 24. Now to Daniel, listen to me before
we read the script, to Daniel, this prophet who was captive
in Persia at this time, to Daniel, The time of the Messiah's coming
into this world was revealed. And we see it here in this verse
of scripture. The time of his coming was revealed. Be seventy weeks from the time
that the command was given to rebuild the temple. Seventy weeks are determined
upon thy people and upon thy holy city to finish the transgression
and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity,
and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and
prophecy, and to anoint the most holy. Now what I want us to see
in this verse of Scripture is these four things that Daniel
was told that the Messiah would accomplish. He gives him the
time when all of this would take place, but he also gives him
what the Messiah would accomplish when he came into this world.
Number one, to finish the transgression. To finish the transgression.
He would satisfy for the transgressions of his people. The sins of his
people were laid upon him, and he bore them in his own body
on the tree, and he carried them away. That's number one, to finish
the transgression. Number two, to make an end of
sins. He would so make an end of the
sins of his people that no charge can ever be brought against them. So much so that the Apostle Paul,
remember, in Romans chapter 8, said, Who shall lay anything
to the charge of God's elect? Who is he that condemneth? It's
impossible to lay anything to the charge of God's elect or
to condemn God's elect because of their sin. Why? Because the
Messiah made an end of sins. They're blotted out as a thick
cloud. So much so that God said their
sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. Number three, to make reconciliation
for iniquity. He would expiate it, make an
atonement for it by his one sacrifice for sin. And the apostle in Hebrews,
remember he wrote this man, speaking of Christ, unlike all other men,
all other priests who had offered sacrifice after sacrifice after
sacrifice down through the years. But this man, after he had offered
one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of
God to make reconciliation, make an atonement for iniquity. And
number four, to bring in everlasting righteousness. He would magnify
and make God's law honorable by his perfect obedience to it."
Listen to what John Gill, his comment on that is. He said,
not the act of the imputation of it. That is, bring in everlasting
righteousness. He's not saying when Christ's righteousness is imputed
onto us. John Gill said, not the act of
the imputation of it, which is Jehovah the Father's act. It's the Father who imputes this
righteousness to his elect. Nor the application of it, which
is by the Spirit of God. but Christ's actual working it
out by obeying the precept and bearing the penalty of the law. Bring in an everlasting righteousness. When we think about this righteousness
being everlasting, we think about the fact that the first one who
was saved, Abel, all through the Old Testament, each and every
believer, each and every one who was born of the Spirit of
God, who was saved by the grace of God, each one had the same
righteousness, this perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ, which he brought
in by his perfect obedience to God's law. And then think about
this. Not only from old time, but for
all time, everlasting righteousness. And we speak, and the Bible speaks
of this righteousness as a robe of righteousness. And it's a
robe that never wears out. It never wears out. You know,
we have clothes, and thank the Lord we have cloth and material
today that wears a long time. But I'm telling you, this robe,
it'll never wear out. this robe of his righteousness
which is imputed and put on every one of his children. Now, if
the Messiah did not accomplish these four things, then the rest
of this text could not be so, to seal up the vision and prophecy. If he did not accomplish those
four things we just looked at, then the vision and prophecy
could not be sealed up. He had to accomplish these things
and if they, if men deny this, this is what I'm saying, if men
deny what we've just seen here that Christ accomplished, that
His work accomplished, that he did expiate sin, that he did
bring in a perfect righteousness for his people. If men deny that
and they say that we must do our part, we must add to his
work, if anyone teaches that, then it could not be true that
the vision and prophecy has been sealed up. A man does not confess
that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh if he denies any part
of Christ's finished work. Now the last mark of sound doctrine
is sound doctrine exalts God and humbles man. We know this
is true for the Apostle Paul tells us that God saves those
whom he saved that in order that no flesh should glory in his
sight. Doctrine, teaching that is not
sound will always reverse this order. Always. Make no mistake
about it. You listen to a man preach, you
wonder if he's preaching sound doctrine or not. If he reverses
this order where man, man can glory in his decision, in his
free will, or in his works, and God is somehow Lord. Where God
is made more like a beggar, and man is on the throne. You
may be sure he's not preaching sound doctrine. Sound doctrine
is always, always marked by honoring God, glorifying God, and humbling
man. Remember what we read at the
beginning of the service tonight? God said, I will not share my
glory with another. And he will not. He just will
not do that. He will have all the glory and
the salvation of his people. Well I pray the Lord would bless
these words to us tonight and that we might always continue
to desire and to hear and to have sound doctrine. Let us sing a verse of a