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Intro. Paul had been mentoring Timothy for many years. This writing of this 2nd letter to Timothy is about 21 years after they first met in Lystra.
I. TIMOTHY'S THOROUGH KNOWLEDGE OF PAUL.
A. Being a companion, traveling and serving with someone for 21 years, you get to know them quite well.
B. He knew Paul's:
1. Doctrine. He had heard the teachings of Paul for many years. Paul's message was the same where ever he went.
a. Timothy did not have the advantage of tapes, but heard Paul declare the gospel over and over again.
b. He heard Paul's defense of the truth.
2. His manner of life.
a. More important than what I teach is how I live.
b. Many times a persons manner of living does not measure up to what he is preaching.
c. We must practice what we preach.
d. I heard a tremendous sermon on the danger of lust. The pastor said that the worst thing you could do with lust was to feed it, for it only grows, that there was only one answer to get rid of lust and that was to starve it to death.
e. Paul writes:
ROM 2:21 You who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? You preach that a man should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You teach that we should not worship idols, do you have idols?
3. My purpose.
a. Paul's purpose was to win the race.
b. He purposed to be found in Christ, not having his own righteousness, but the righteousness which is of Christ through faith.
c. He was purposed not to glory in anything accept the cross of Christ.
4. My faith. His full confidence and commitment to the will and purpose of God. "All things work together for good."
5. My longsuffering.
6. My love.
7. My patience.
8. The persecutions and afflictions that came unto me at Antioch and Iconium and Lystra. This would be Antioch of Pisidia, where the Jews stirred up such opposition to the ministry of Paul and Barnabas that they were expelled from the city, from there they went to Iconium, where there was a plot to stone him, but when he found out they fled to Lystra and Derbe. It was in Lystra that he was stoned and drug out of the city for they thought he was dead.
9. The Lord delivered him out of them all.
a. Sometimes the Lord delivers us from, and sometimes He delivers us in, and there are times when He delivers us through.
II. WE COME TO MY MOST UNFAVORITE PROMISE IN ALL OF THE BIBLE. "YEA, AND ALL THAT WILL LIVE GODLY IN CHRIST JESUS SHALL SUFFER PERSECUTION."
A. Jesus said:
MAT 5:11 Blessed are you, when [men] shall revile you, and persecute [you], and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great [is] your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
1. Note there is no promised blessing if you are persecuted for being obnoxious, or weird.
2. If persecution comes for His sake then rejoice, you are in good company.
B. Have you suffered persecution lately? If not, maybe you had better check on yourself.
1. Living a Godly life is an irritant to the world.
2. We are strangers and pilgrims on this earth, just passing through.
III. CONTINUE IN THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE LEARNED AND BEEN ASSURED OF.
A. It is important that I be taught the truth. It is even more important that I am assured that it is the truth.
1. From a child you have known the holy scriptures.
2. One of the greatest things that you can do for your children is to teach them the scriptures.
a. Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
b. Timothy had a Godly mother and grandmother who taught him the scriptures from his childhood.
B. Paul tells him to continue in them.
1. In Hebrews we are exhorted to take the more earnest heed to the things that we have heard, lest at any time we should drift away from them.
2. Jesus told the Jews that believed on Him:
Jhn 8:31 If you continue in my word, [then] you are my disciples indeed;
3. Paul wrote to the Colossians:
Col 1:21 And you, that were at one time alienated and enemies in [your] minds by your wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If you continue in the faith grounded and settled, and [be] not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard.
4. John wrote:
1Jo 2:24 Let that therefore abide in you, which you have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, you also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.
C. Paul is declaring that the scriptures bring you saving faith.
1. They will bring you to a faith in Jesus Christ.
2. Paul said to the Romans,
Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved but how can they call on Him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Take a look at your feet kids, God says: Beautiful
IV. ALL SCRIPTURE IS GIVEN BY INSPIRATION OF GOD.
A. David said:
2SA 23:2 The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, and His word [was] in my tongue.
B. Jesus confirmed that for Jesus said:
Mat 22:43 He said unto them, "How then did David in the Spirit call him Lord?"
Mar 12:36 For David himself said by the Holy Spirit the Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.
C. Peter also confirms it.
Act 1:16 Men [and] brethren, this scripture must be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit by the mouth of David spoke before concerning Judas, who was guide to them that took Jesus.
D. Peter wrote:
2PE 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke [as they were] moved by the Holy Spirit.
E. The word of God was and continues to be a favorite target of Satan.
1. To Eve, Satan said: "Hath God said?" Questioning the word of God.
2. "You surely will not die." Contradicting the word of God."
3. We believe that the Bible is the inspired inerrant word of God in the original writings.
a. We will admit that in copying the scriptures some of the copyist made errors especially in the Hebrew numbers. The Hebrew alphabet is used for their numbers, many of the Hebrew letters are extremely similar, and thus sometimes you will find one number given in Kings, and another in Chronicles.
b. That is not a contradiction, that is the mistake of a copyist.
F. The Bible is the inspired inerrant word of God, never give up that foundation.
1. The critics have sought for centuries to disprove the innerancy of the Bible. So many of them have passed on proving what the Bible said, "It is appointed unto man once to die, and after that the judgment." Though the critics have passed the Bible still
Verse-Reference
Square — [Jhn 1:1 KJV]
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