 All right. We're in second Timothy. We're in chapter one. We're going to look at verses eight through 18. In other words, we're going to complete our chapter. There really was enough in this for me to have divided it into more than one study. But I chose to give you actually a single study through this and in some ways I regret that because ordinarily I would have stopped at verse 12 and then picked up at verse 13. But today we're going to do both both sections that I originally would have divided this into, kind of compiling them. And so we'll begin with verse 8 here in first Timothy, rather second Timothy chapter 1. We'll read verses 8 through 12 and then we'll move into verse 13 to the end of the chapter. So let's read together in second Timothy chapter 1 at verse 8 and I'll read to verse 12 and we'll get into our study. Paul writes, therefore Do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord nor of me his prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For this reason I also suffered these things, nevertheless I am not ashamed for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep what I have committed to him until that day. So allow me to once again lay a foundation in as much as I wasn't here able to build on it last time. I'll pick up where I had left off. So I'm going to lay another foundation for you as we look at this portion of scripture together. I would remind you that the apostle Paul it's writing but it's called the second letter to Timothy. The second letter to Timothy is Paul's final letter. It's the last letter that he writes that is found in our New Testament. He's writing to a young man by the name of Timothy. Timothy is a pastor. The pastor was left behind in the city of Ephesus in order that he might pastor the church there in Ephesus. The city of Ephesus is in what is called Asia Minor. It's in modern Turkey and the city of Ephesus was during its day what would be called a cosmopolitan city. It was a port city. It was a city that was known for a variety of things including a heavy influence of idolatry. It was known for its immorality. It was also known for its magic. It's a cult practices. And so Timothy is pastor in a church in a city that is very evil very large and very opposed to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul had been preaching there but as he had preached there in the city of Ephesus and ministered in the city of Ephesus there had been a growing opposition. And so ultimately Paul had left and Timothy was remaining behind to make sure that the church was built up. It was taught well and all. And so now Paul is at the end of his life. He's writing a letter to a young pastor and he's encouraging this young man to remain strong. You see Timothy will be tempted to compromise his faith and Timothy will be tempted to water down the message of the gospel because the cost of remaining faithful is very great. Discouragement is also very great because in the midst of all that he's doing that the Lord is blessing where good is evil will also be. And so where God begins to progress through the message opposition will continue to grow. And so Timothy could become discouraged through all of this. And so Paul is writing to him to encourage him. He's writing this letter because Paul is reminding him that he's gone through very many things himself. He's writing from a cold jail cell. He's awaiting trial before Caesar and Paul is ready to die. He's preparing to die. So this faithful apostle who had traveled for many years who had been preaching and teaching and planted many churches and many people have come to faith in Christ through him. This faithful apostle is now at the end of his ministry. And as one who has remained faithful to God he can write to Timothy and he can speak with credibility. He can speak with experience. You know we have hearts that you know when you're young in the Lord you want to be an encourager in all. And I've always appreciated the younger believers who want to continue to bring encouragement into my life. And as a young believer I wanted to be an encourager to those who had gone on before me. And encouragement is a good thing in the body of Christ. And yet at the same time you know when I've been encouraged by those who've been in ministry longer than I it carries with it a note of credibility. And the apostle Paul had credibility and he's alluding to that throughout this letter. You see he's at the end of his journey. He can speak with experience and he can help this young guy to understand what ministry is all about because Paul had remained faithful to the Lord. He's going to say in chapter 4 that he has fought the good fight, that he has finished the race and that he has kept the faith and that he confidently is awaiting a crown of righteousness. You see Paul had ministered for over 30 years. He traveled exhaustively in order to preach the gospel. When you read the book of Acts you have a detailed explanation of many of his journeys. And the book of Acts speaks of his ministry trials as well as his triumphs. And Paul makes it very clear in his writings that his goal was to take the gospel throughout the world and he did so tirelessly. When he was writing to the Romans in chapter 15 verse 20 he said, I have made it my aim to preach the gospel not where Christ was named lest I should build on another man's foundation. Fact is with all of his accomplishments and all the faithfulness that he's shown to the Lord in the end Paul was abandoned. In verse 15 we'll see that in chapter 1 when he simply says this you know that all those in Asia have turned away from me. In chapter 4 he's going to speak of a man by the name of Demas and he's going to simply say Demas has forsaken me. He'll go on later on in the same chapter and he'll say all those in Asia have turned away from me. And so this is a man who made it his chief aim to take the gospel throughout the world preaching Christ when Jesus's name had not been mentioned where the gospel had not entered. And now he's in a jail cell. He's in a cold cell. He's been abandoned by everybody and he's encouraging Timothy. You see Timothy could be tempted to lose heart and he could be tempted to lose hope. Paul's about to die and the world that he's been ministering to is deeply opposed to Christianity and it could seem that there's nothing that can be done to overcome this growing and creeping darkness. You could feel the same way if you're a strong believer in Christ and if you really do believe that the message of the gospel is true and if you really do believe that you should communicate this message to others or else they're lost, you could feel the same way because every day it seems more and more evident that the world that we live in is rejecting Christ. More and more people are saying that they're not Christians or Jewish or even Muslim for that matter. They're simply spiritual. They don't even identify with any kind of faith of any sort because they believe that their own beliefs is enough for them and so we're living in a time where there's a lot of negativity. There's a lot of things that are being said about Christianity that isn't true. There's a lot of things that are said about believers that simply are not true and you could get to the point where you think that this world is completely against us and there's nothing we can do. There was a man, he was an Archdeacon, his name is Athanasius and he was standing up against a heresy that was growing in the church that related to the deity of Jesus Christ and there were people who were standing up saying and teaching that Jesus Christ was a creation of God and Athanasius had stood in opposition to that and he was when he was championing what Scripture says pertaining to Christ that Christ is God incarnate and the church was being in terms of this higher echelon of the theologians and those who had established and were presenting the faith they were being at that time influenced by a heresy that had entered into the church and many of the bishops were beginning to embrace this particular heresy called Arianism and what happened as it had begun is Athanasius was the one really the loudest voice in opposition to this growing heresy and finally on one occasion someone said to him Athanasius Athanasius the world is against you and Athanasius's reply very famously is stated that he said no it's not the world against Athanasius it's Athanasius against the world and that's what we're called to an awareness that though the darkness continues to creep in we have the light of the gospel and we hold fast to the truth and that's what Paul is simply saying to this young man this young man named Timothy he's encouraging him and using himself as a credible witness as to what it means to pay a price to speak the truth in in an age that rejects it Paul was a man who understood struggle he understood difficulty so he could write from that from that perspective he had his own share of struggles he had his own times of trial and despair in 2nd Corinthians chapter 1 verses 8 through 10 Paul said this he said we do not want you to be ignorant brethren of our trouble which came to us in Asia that we were burdened beyond measure above strength so that we despaired even of life yes we had the sentence of death in ourselves that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead who delivered us from so great a death and does deliver us in who we trust that he will still deliver us so he said I've gone through my times my struggles and the difficulties in life and I have a God who delivers he did it in the past he's doing it now and he'll do it into the future so Timothy appears to be discouraged so Paul began with an exhortation and he had said to him in verse 6 of chapter 1 I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the lane on of my hands so Paul had begun with his word fan up the gift that is in you it's not that the flame is extinguished but it's very low it needs to be rekindled Paul is about to be put to death he's ready to depart planet earth Timothy must carry on where Paul left off and he cannot do this in his own strength you cannot fight a spiritual battle with carnal weapons you can't have a victory if you're doing it in your own flesh and in your own strength that's why he's to rekindle the flame he needs to return to his first love he's telling him in verse 7 God isn't given to us a spirit of fear but a power and of love and of a sound mind God hasn't given to us a fear but God has given to us the the tools that are necessary for us to be able to go out engage the enemy and be victorious we have power we have love we have spiritual discipline and this is all necessary and we also need to have these things in our life so we can live out this message that we're giving to others and so with all of that Paul is moving on now into verse 8 to continue what he's saying and he says therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord nor of me is prisoner but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God and so he says therefore do not be ashamed now remember when we began the study I mentioned to you that the key word in 2nd Timothy is the word ashamed and he's saying do not be ashamed don't be ashamed of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ I want you to remain bold and strong in the face of opposition is what he's saying Paul repeats the word being ashamed several times he exhorts Timothy to be courageous and faithful to Jesus and Jesus's message as well as the people of the Lord so he's saying do not shrink back from sharing the testimony of the Lord don't be ashamed of the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ you see some people today are ashamed of the message of the gospel because it seems simplistic I mean we speak to people and we say listen the reason there is evil is because we are by nature evil and immediately when you say that you got people who will argue with you and they'll say oh no people aren't evil people are inherently good they will argue the goodness of man and those who have a tendency of arguing the goodness of man are probably those who have never had a child because then you have a baby you discover man is evil you discover that you discover how evil they are their little nature their monsters I mean when they're six or eight months old they would kill you if they were big enough to do it they're monsters they have their mother's nature and that that's just a fact amen amen actually they have what is called the Adamic nature we men have given it we are the ones who are are transmitting it Adamic nature fallen nature and and and and and and there's this argument that they're actually good when in fact they're not they have to be trained to be good we have to be trained out of evil and everybody knows that except for those who for whatever reason have rejected that and so we preach a message we say listen your your nature is evil but God loves man so much that God did something about that he he he determined to rescue us we were lost in sin and walking in darkness and God has chosen to rescue us and here you are trying to figure out how to be rescued when in fact God has already told you how to be rescued but sadly sometimes they don't hear because there's no preacher and sometimes they don't hear because the preacher is mixing up the message and not giving it clearly and thus he brings his own opinions into what the author of that message intended to communicate because for him it's difficult and there are those who who want to change the message to make it more understandable to man when in fact we just need to present it and yet the intellectual will listen and say that's just too simple that's simple minded are you telling me there's such a thing as a god that man by nature is fallen and that someone has to ransom or rescue him and that if that person all he has to do all she has to do is just just say oh forgive me and it's all done and a brand new life is given people will argue about that because it sounds simplistic there's no depth to that they're not understanding what it means they're just arguing on the surface but in fact God is the author he knows how to how to how to heal us he's the one who gave to us the manual that speaks of how to repair and he's the one who does that he's the one who does the work for us and yet people are look at that message as too simple and all it's a message that is confounding to some intellectually shallow to others in first Corinthians 1 17 and 18 Paul said it like this he said Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel not with the wisdom of words lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect for the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but to us who are being saved it's the power of God the preaching of the message of the gospel is foolishness it's immecilic it's moronic it makes no sense the natural man receives not the things of the spirit of God they are foolishness to him neither can he know them for they are spiritually discerned Paul later on says in chapter 2 verse 14 the natural man the unspiritual man the unregenerated man the man devoid of the Holy Spirit rejects he doesn't welcome it in he does he does not receive the things of the spirit of God why they're foolishness the word foolishness again moronic immecilic it makes no sense to them why because you're trying to figure out the Almighty God the Almighty God has to reveal himself because we would not find him surely he is a God who hides himself and if he determines to tell us who he is then we need to listen to him when he speaks and that's the gospel and so Paul said that this message of the cross this message of the gospel is something that is foolishness to those who are perishing but to the ones who are being saved it's the power of God and we need to understand that Timothy you need to remember that it's a message that will save those who believe so continue preaching that message in 1 Corinthians 1 21 through 24 Paul goes on to say for since in the wisdom of God the world through wisdom did not know God it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe Jews request a sign Greeks seek after wisdom but we preach Christ crucified to the Jews a stumbling block to the Greeks foolishness but to those who are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God Timothy do not be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ understand that the gospel is God's message to man and present it as such share this message with confidence trust that the Lord will use it to reach other people that's a big problem we're having in the church today because it is confrontational listen remember this always truth is confrontational real truth confronts the error it always does that's what it does that's why Jesus Christ was crucified he said I am the way the truth and the life no one comes to the father but by me and immediately the intellectuals say no wait a minute you've got all these people throughout history and you're saying to me that's the problem so I'm not here to try and explain God I'm here to proclaim God it's his word that we embrace and Paul is simply saying that to Timothy and he's saying share this message with confidence trust that the Lord will use this message Timothy to reach other people you are in the city of Ephesus highly sophisticated city a city like San Francisco a city like New York City like LA San Diego any mega mega allopolis in the world it's like a Paris or whatever it's Rome it's it's it's a city that is filled with with not only population but with darkness and you can look at it and you can you can say how are we going to reach these people so preach the message preach the word in season and out of season convict repent reprove and exhort with all-long suffering and teaching continue to do that Timothy hold fast to these things you see Timothy remember that I'm in jail remember that Nero is about to have me executed I'm ready to depart I'm ready to be with the Lord there's a crown of righteousness awaiting me I have fought the good fight Timothy but this message I'm giving to you is intended to continue till Christ returns so be faithful in preaching this message listen college student high school student when you're in class and you have a teacher that is in opposition to the gospel and ridicules believers don't be intimidated they're lost I spoke in between services today to a young lady who said pastor can you help me when it comes to dealing with an atheistic professor that I have in college she said to me he he asked about Christianity and he began she said he's an atheist evangelist he's trying to evangelize the entire class into atheism what should I do so I encouraged her I said get you know you can do some studying you know get get some books on apologetics and be prepared and go into class and and and be ready to give an answer the professor said to her you know young lady you need to learn how to defend your faith better I said don't be ashamed at that use that as a challenge and take some time or read up and and learn some arguments I said that's a great way to grow in your understanding of the things of the Lord don't be intimidated just because the world screams because the world screams because it's hit I say this often but you throw a rock into a pack of dogs and the one that barks got hit be aware of that so when you have somebody who's evangelizing don't let the world out evangelize the Christian just know what you believe and share it speak it with confidence take courage be ready to share what you know and when the opportunity presents itself do so I did that as a young college student I'd be in class I didn't always go to Christian colleges I went to several universities that were not and I would be in the class I'd be in the social studies of the psychology or whatever the class may be in the professor would be an atheist an agnostic and and I just took opportunity and yeah I was ridiculed I was ridiculed I was made to feel stupid but guess what it's the truth of the gospel and God has a way of using that word just speak the truth and take courage and Psalm 40 verse 9 and 10 it says I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness in the great assembly indeed I do not restrain my lips oh lord you yourself know I have not hidden your righteousness within my heart I've declared your faithfulness and your salvation I have not concealed your loving kindness and your truth from the great assembly I haven't held back in other words in Psalm 119 verse 46 I will speak of your testimonies also before kings and I will not be ashamed so he says don't be ashamed of this message verse 8 nor of of me his prisoner share with me in the sufferings for the gospel so don't be ashamed of identifying with Paul or other believers Paul's imprisonment could cause Timothy to fear to identify with Paul and would even help to keep him from coming to see him Paul was experiencing what he had been prepared for Jesus had taught that believers would endure persecution Paul was doing just that Paul's mindset concerning his imprisonment should be an example to Timothy Timothy could see what Paul was going through and take courage in 1 Peter 4 16 the apostle Peter said if anyone suffers as a Christian let them not be ashamed but let them glorify God in this matter you know the interesting thing as you look at this is how Paul makes this statement again in verse 8 do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord nor of me his prisoner notice he didn't say I'm a prisoner of Rome or I am a prisoner of Caesar he said I am God's prisoner in Ephesians 3 verse 1 for this reason I Paul am the prisoner of Christ Jesus Ephesians 4 verse 1 he speaks as a prisoner for the Lord I may be in prison but I'm not man's prisoner and God is my comfort and God is my strength and God protects me like it says in Psalm 62 verse 2 he only is my rock and my salvation he is my defense I shall not be greatly moved so share with me he says share with me in the sufferings for the gospel suffering for the sake of the Lord as part of being a believer don't be this don't be surprised don't shrink back don't shrink back from identifying with Christ don't shrink back from identifying with Christ people don't shrink back from being identified with his message you see as he speaks you notice this in verse 8 with me he says share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God now that's interesting what he's saying is listen Timothy no matter what you're going through God is with you and he will strengthen you in the midst of it God enables you to endure suffering Paul makes it clear that those who are subjected to trials because of the gospel are able to look for divine strength to uphold them and he encourages Timothy to endure those trials relying on God's strength and not on his own strength you see in the end Timothy being willing to share in such sufferings is one of the ways that demonstrates that he has genuine faith remember in Matthew 10 verse 22 Jesus gave us a promise that we don't want to ask for you don't find in your promise boxes that you get in the bookstore in Matthew 10 22 you will be hated by all for my name's sake that's a promise but he goes on to say but he who endures to the end will be saved Timothy hold on and stay true notice in verse 9 how he says who has saved us and called us with a holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began he saved us and called us with a holy calling not according to our works so notice with me it says who has saved us it is God who saved and called us and the gospel declares the holiness of God salvation comes before the call to serve and the message reveals that God is holy and because God is holy Timothy live out a holy life A.W. Tozer is one of my favorite devotional writers and Tozer said this you can be sure the Holy Spirit never enters a man and lets him live like the world that's true that's that's good that's good the Holy Spirit does not provoke me to be carnal the Holy Spirit gives new power to be holy to be separated to live a life that is identifiably different and it's the and it's the gospel that declares the holiness of God but it is also the gospel that calls us to live a separated life in 1 Peter 1 15 and 16 as he who called you as holy you also be holy in all your conduct because it is written be holy for I am holy Ephesians 4 1 says as a prisoner for the Lord then I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling that you have received so notice he speaks concerning this holy God who's called us with a holy calling but notice also in verse 9 how he says this not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began that is where a lot of people have problems today because we try to work our way into heaven we try to have a righteous appearance but in reality it's just dressing up the outside putting it's putting lipstick on a pig if you will I when I dress my outside but my inside hasn't been changed it's it's I'm I'm I'm only I'm only becoming a hypocrite because I'm trying to appear in one way when in fact inside I'm entirely different when I was in the army many years ago now I I there was a new show at that time which is ancient history for many of you now but it was a new show at that time it was called kung fu starring Raul Reese from Calvary Chapel Gold Springs it was called kung fu and you know that you may or may not know this but the martial arts and things like that in the 50s and 60s did not really exist you did not see many things related to karate kung fu judo you never saw anything like that because the the United States was built on on the martial art of boxing right so so whoever really watched these foreign things you know where people would throw people and we jujitsu and things like that that was foreign to us so now it's 1970 71 and there's a new program called kung fu and I'm thinking well that's interesting you know I don't know anything about that so I started to watch it whenever I had opportunity and you've got this guy Shaolin Monk you know all the story of it and he's walking around and he's got these saffron robes and shaved his head and and he goes you know he's a man of peace and and he goes into into the west and beats everybody up so that was interesting the man of peace who kicked everybody's tails all over the place but anyway as I was watching it I was a new Christian and I thought well look how humble he is because he had a shaved head and he had this saffron robe so I so I tried to become humble on the outside I didn't put on a saffron robe the they wouldn't let me in the army but I I did walk around with my head bowed low and I'd walk by people like that and that lasted about three days you know because I didn't have that it was all outside it was an inside so a long time ago as a brand new believer I began to realize that I can put on the face of a humble person but if the heart is not broken and conforming to Christ it's just a show it's a charade in all of that so I need the power of the Holy Spirit to transform me it's not something you do on your own it's something that you trust the Lord to do within you but you seek him that he might have his way and we need to understand that salvation is something that is like he said in verse 9 not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace so it's a free gift from God and it is available to any who in faith call upon him and so Timothy you're going to have opportunity to take this message to a city that rejects Christ but this is a message that is for everybody he saved us he called us with the holy calling but not according to our works I was speaking to somebody and perhaps this may offend some of you please let me finish what I'm saying before you stone me but I was speaking to somebody one time many years ago and my own personal religious background and faith trip was I was raised in the catholic church you may have been you may not have been I was and so I was baptized when I was an infant I received first communion when I was eight years old I received confirmation at 13 I had those sacraments and all I expected to have the sacrament of marriage etc I knew my catholic theology at least through the catechism I understood it and all and so I was raised in a in a home with a mother who led the uh in at the saint pious the 10th church my mother was involved with the organization of women there who uh used to do the rosary and my mom would do that she taught us to do rosaries my mom taught me catholic faith from the time I was very small my mom taught me to pray for st anthony because saint at to st anthony because there was one particular thing I would pray st anthony st anthony please come around for there is something that cannot be found because I was always losing my keys and my mom taught me what you need to do is that so I was raised with the traditions of of of speaking to others and not necessarily to God my mom said to me son you know how that when you want something and your dad's not around you come and speak to me and I bring it to your dad and I said yes and she said well that's how it is with Mary you come to Mary and you ask her and Mary will bring it to to Jesus so my mother was devoted to Mary and she tried to teach me to be the same so I didn't have a relationship with Jesus Christ I would speak to anthony or I'd speak to Mary that's how I was raised and I thought that that was okay I thought that was what God would say after all my mother wouldn't lie to me and that's how I grew up and my mom did the best that she could to try and teach me to to venerate and respect and all of that and and that's that's my religious upbringing and so I get saved and and now I'm saying oh wait a minute the things that mama mama taught me are not not found in the Bible and and so I'm starting to grow and now I'm beginning to learn more and I'm beginning to teach and now I'm speaking to somebody I love very dearly who is a devout Catholic and and and I say to them I said you know you love Mary right and he's yes I say to him do you uh do you think that she is sinless because we were taught that she was immaculate did she sinless he says yes she has no sin I said let me ask you a question please answer me I said if Mary has no sin why didn't they crucify her why didn't they put her on the cross and save Jesus from having to do that because what God desires is a perfect sacrifice thus if Mary is without sin why was she not put on the cross and why was Jesus it's because she said my soul rejoices in God my savior and only saviors only sinners need saviors on one occasion it's found in John chapter 2 the scripture speaks concerning the fact that Jesus is at a wedding in Canaan of Galilee and and she Mary his mother approaches him and says to him they have no wine and Jesus's response is woman what does that got to do with me and then later on she walks up to the people who are there who are supposed to provide that and she says this she says whatever he says to you do it and that's what we're supposed to do whatever he says to you do it so when you preach the gospel you're preaching the gospel concerning a righteous savior who died on the cross for sinners for us Jesus did that and that's how we're saved and it's not our works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration the renewing of the Holy Spirit it's grace by grace that you're saved through faith that that not of yourself it's a gift of God and not of works lest any man should boast and that's what Paul is speaking about here when he speaks concerning the fact that we've received God's unmerited favor and this grace he says in verse 9 was given to us in Christ Jesus you see and notice how he says it was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began that means that salvation is not an afterthought it's God's plan from the beginning and because of this our works could have nothing to do with our own salvation this is something that he planned before we even existed before time began reminds Timothy that works never produced salvation salvation came solely as a result of God's loving plans from eternity so this plan verse 10 has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel this has been revealed by the appearing notice the appearing of our Savior this grace has been given to us in Jesus before time was but it's revealed in his incarnation John 1 17 says the law was given through Moses grace and truth came through Jesus Christ so God's grace is now being clearly revealed through what Jesus has done for us notice verse 10 he has abolished death and brought us life in his gospel abolished the word abolished speaks of rendering something inoperative the sting has been removed is what he's saying I've done a number of funerals over the years I've been in ministry a long time the very first funeral that I ever officiated I was about 28 years old 29 years old at the time and the funeral was for a man who was a pedophile he had molested his own daughter the man was also an unrepentant gambler and alcoholic and at his funeral his friends showed up who were prostitutes and gamblers and and druggies and you name it that was my very first funeral that I ever did to share with a group of people now when I was like you know in sin and unrepentant sin and I remember my mom when I grew up she used to speak of prostitutes and some of you have heard this before maybe you heard this as a kid yourself my mom would refer to prostitutes as ladies in red I had no clue what that meant I didn't know what that meant but in fact many of the prostitutes would wear red very bright and so there were ladies in the funeral wearing red with bright red lipstick it was amazing you know I thought wow and and I cannot give hope I cannot preach a word of hope of that man I can't say oh god is going to let him into heaven because he died an unrepentant sinner the second person that I I did a funeral for was a man who killed himself those are my first two funerals and I began to learn a long time ago that that in Christ death has lost its sting I discovered a long time ago that when you're right with the Lord Jesus Christ I can preach a word of hope to a congregation I can say this brother here this sister here that's gone on but she's gone on to glory she's with the Lord Jesus Christ because of what God has done when I brought my my father to faith in Christ when I was 20 years old and and he was there at the kitchen table with my mom and and I let him in a prayer to receive Christ many years later I was able to bury this man my father and my mother and as I was able to say you know I never said goodbye to them I'm simply saying I'll see you later because they're with the Lord because death where is your sting where is your sting and that come through the gospel that comes through the gospel that's the hope that we have in Jesus Christ in 1st Corinthians 15 verses 54 and 55 when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption this mortal shall have put on immortality then shall be brought to pass the same that is written death is swallowed up in victory oh death where is your sting oh grave where is your victory the story is told of a father and a son who were taken to drive one afternoon when a bee flew in the window the little boy was allergic to bee stings and when that bee flew into the window the boy began to panic as the bee began to fly around inside the car and seeing the fear on his son's face the father reached out and he caught the bee in his hand and then he opened his hand and the bee began to buzz around again and once again the little boy began to panic and the father reached over to his son and he opened his hand showing him the stinger that was still in his palm and he said to him relax son I took the sting the bee can't hurt you anymore and Jesus Christ took this sting for us he is saying calm down my son calm down my daughter I took the sting you can't hurt you anymore that's the gospel that's part of the message that we give to others that's a message of grace God has saved us and that's why we have hope and he made this decision to do so before time began in verse 11 he says to which I was appointed a preacher an apostle and a teacher of the Gentiles even though I'm in prison I know who I am I am in prison that's true but Timothy I was appointed a preacher an apostle and I'm a teacher of the Gentiles it's been said you can take a man's liberty but you can never take his freedom and when you're free in the Lord Jesus Christ though you may be some situation like Paul was that he's in a jail cell a prison cell awaiting death he still knew who he was he never forgot who he was and he's telling this young man don't forget who you are because Timothy though I'm here in chains if you were there though I'm here in prison and and and I'm locked up and all I'm still a preacher I'm still an apostle I'm still a teacher for this reason he says in verse 12 I also suffered these things nevertheless I'm not ashamed for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep what I have committed to him until that day for this reason I'm in prison I'm only guilty of faithfully fulfilling my calling I'm still doing it faithfully and I trust the Lord to work through all that I go through for his glory and because of this I may suffer but I'm not ashamed I'm not ashamed of suffering for the cause of Jesus and Timothy neither should you he says in verse 12 I know whom I have believed and I am persuaded that he's able interesting he's saying I know whom I've believed not simply the truth of the gospel but the one who gave that gospel I've entrusted my soul to him into his hand I've commended my spirit I've committed my life to him and I know he's able to keep me completely and on that day I will see him and the crown of life will be given to me and so because of this verse 13 hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus that good thing which was committed to you keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us this you know that all those in Asia have turned away from me among whom are by jealous in Hermogenes the Lord grant mercy to the household of an esophagus for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chain but when he arrived in Rome he sought me out very zealously and found me the Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that day and you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus and so we'll roll into a conclusion by looking at these last few verses notice in verses 13 and 14 how he says hold fast the pattern of sound words hold fast hold tightly to this form of doctrine and teaching that forms a life it is healthy it produces a healthy spiritual life and Timothy I'm giving you an order that you need to follow I have laid the outline out for you so steadfastly hold to the outline of healthy teaching this gospel is what has strengthened me in my difficult times so you need to hold tightly to it also I'm about to depart I'm going to be with the Lord but I'm leaving you behind to carry on his work so do so faithfully hold fast to the message of grace that you have in Christ to guard that gospel you have responsibility of transmitting this healthy teaching it's a message that sets people free it's a message that heals broken lives teach that message faithfully God's word is to be received by faith and acted upon and when it is received by faith and acted upon it brings healing there's a Psalm Psalm 19 verse 7 that says the law of the Lord is perfect that word perfect means it lacks nothing the law of the Lord is complete it lacks nothing converting the soul the word converting in the original language speaks of healing or refreshing God's word is perfectly able to heal any broken soul God's word is able to bring comfort when man's word never will it's one thing when you bury your father and someone says I'm sorry for your loss it's another thing when you bury your father and someone says one day you'll be with him in paradise because God's word gives us hope for the future man does the best to encourage you but God's word heals you and that's why we and that's why we give his word that's why we don't spend time talking about the latest philosophy or the latest thing that's coming down the road for people to be aware of if you know the word of God no matter what you encounter you will overcome because the Lord Jesus Christ will give you direction and power to do so and Paul is about to die he's about to lose his head he's not about to give a pep talk to Timothy he's saying you need to hold fast to the pattern of sound words you need to remain faithful to that and by the way it may end up with you losing your head but guess what you close your eyes here and you look at Jesus there so hang on to his word don't let it go do not be ashamed of the gospel it is the message of God that that guards you and and it is the power of the Holy Spirit that strengthens you from the inside and we need spiritual strength because the spiritual attacks that occur are difficult to endure notice what he says in verse 15 this you know all those in asia turned away asia what are you speaking about asia there is not in china or japan he's speaking of turkey it's called asia minor he's speaking of to the north of israel in what is modern turkey and the people that he administered to have turned away from me he did a lot of work in that area when you read of his travels he did a lot of work in that area many came to faith through christ in christ through him and the ones who should have been there to support him didn't they abandoned him it may be that paul requested character witnesses to appear on his behalf but out of fear none of them did he was abandoned by those he loved the most and among those who abandoned him he even mentions by name by jealous and hermogeness he says these are people in the morning like they were they were obviously well known in the church there and he's just calling them out he's saying these people have abandoned me well faithless ones have abandoned me so let me encourage you to remain faithful he goes on though to speak of anisophanosiferous the word onisophorous the name means bringing profit this is a an unknown believer but paul loved him he loved him a lot and onisophorous conquered his fear and he even came to paul to serve him to refresh him somebody said his conduct is contrasted with that of a jealous and hermogeness from whom paul might well have expected to receive sympathy and help they had turned away from him onisophorous acted in a different way not being ashamed of paul's chain and visited him often in order to minister to him and so this is the kind of person that is used as an example let me give you four things in closing about service that you see in onisophorous four things and we'll close with these four things one it's not just a one time thing for him he often refreshed paul he didn't minister to paul one time and then leave it up to others to do his ministry was long term and he didn't grow tired of serving second verse 16 he was not ashamed of paul's chain he understood the cost that paul was paying for his faithfulness to jesus christ and that was an incentive to him to remain faithful in service also it says in verse 17 when he arrived in roam he sought me out very diligently and found me so a third thing he was sacrificial he determined to complete the mission that he had been called to as a servant he actually scoured through the jail cells in roam looking for paul he didn't just go half heartedly making an attempt and then leaving saying well at least i tried he continued looking until he completed his task then fourth in verse 18 may the lord grant to him that he might may find mercy from the lord on that day a fourth thing he was well known for being a servant in his home church in Ephesus and he had a great reputation he was known as a person with the servant's heart and he was to find mercy from the lord in that final day in hebrew 6 10 it says god is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love which you have showed toward his name in that you have ministered to the saints and do minister whole fast to the end guys remain strong we're living in a season in a time when the christian gospel is ridiculed openly believers are ridiculed openly there is strong opposition to your faith in your beliefs you can be intimidated you can be made to feel ignorant stupid uneducated this may this may be encouragement to some or some probably already thinks as anyway there are a lot of people who think i'm stupid but guess what a long time ago as a young believer when i first got saved i made a decision my decision was i'm going to try to know god through his word i want to know not just what i believe but i really want to know whom i have believed this is eternal life that they may know thee the only true god and jesus christ whom thou hast sent john 17 3 i want to know the lord and haven't gotten to the point where i could say and the fellowship of his suffering but that is part of it and so don't be ashamed guys of the gospel look out and see what people are proud of look at the marches people with the banners people standing up with the signs marching for things that jesus died to set him free from and then the church is all quiet like we're ashamed don't be ashamed of the gospel now don't be a bully and don't be arrogant and don't go out picking fights gospel fights don't do that but don't be ashamed to be counted with jesus christ he wasn't ashamed of you don't be ashamed of him don't be ashamed of him stand up stand up because i have discovered and am discovering that he never leaves me nor forsakes me and i also know that there have been times when i've been on on that that hot spot if you will when people are pushing where the lord will give you words and wisdom which none of your enemies can gain say nor resist it is the spirit of your father who speaks at that moment when i've learned to do is i've learned to just close my mouth and open my heart and say god when i speak may your word go forth and god is faithful to his word if you're in a class as a college student high school student whatever you're in a class an office and people are putting jesus down you don't have to stand up and start a fight just find an opportunity to speak to them and say to them something like boy you're angry about the lord huh what happened in your life start a dialogue and a conversation why are you so mad what happened why you know those stinking hypocrite christians say this and they that really you know and and start a friendship and relationship in the sense of communicating with them talk to them open your heart to them they probably haven't really ever met a real christian in their life or the ones that they have encountered are cartoonish they're not the real deal that gives you an opportunity i've had people who have liked me but they didn't like christianity how do you do that but when they like you sometimes god uses that for a conversation well they say well you're different you're different and my thing is no i'm not i'm just a christian and there are millions who love the lord like i do many millions i'm not different i'm just a christian and you know that's how it works guys don't be ashamed of the gospel don't back down i'm not saying again don't hit him with a holy elbow i'm saying just hold fast to what is true and watch what god will do you will be blessed and surprised how god will use you to reach people you will be so thrilled that you will be addicted to it you're gonna want to tell people about the lord that's what got me to be standing right here with you right now is i love talking about jesus christ because he sets the sinner free keep that in mind