 Alright, here we are. Second Timothy, chapter 3. We'll read verses 10 and 11. I'll give you an introduction, as I normally do, develop it, and then we'll move into our study here in Second Timothy as we continue our verse by verse approach to the book of Second Timothy. So here we are in Second Timothy 3. We'll read verses 10 and 11 and get into our study. Paul writes, and he's writing to a young pastor named Timothy, and he says to him, but you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra. What persecutions I endured, and out of them all, the Lord delivered me. Now, in verses 2 through 7 here in chapter 3, Paul had outlined the conditions that would characterize what we call, what Scripture speaks of as being the last days. And as we looked at that together, let me refresh your memory for a moment. Now that he had made it clear to Timothy that in the last days, perilous times would come, and that's a guarantee. The point he's making is this is a certain thing. In the last days, perilous times will come, and I was sharing with you how that the word perilous can also be translated hard to bear or dangerous. Dangerous and extremely difficult times will be the earmark he was saying of the last days. And I mentioned to you last time we were together that, though the conditions spoken of have existed throughout church history, as the end approaches, they will be more intense and extensive before Jesus returns. So Paul made it clear that the last days would be hard and difficult days to live in. And it won't be just because of lack of jobs. It's not going to be because of the high cost of living or of wars or natural disasters. They're going to be perilous because of the evil that will be increasing and being normalized. You see, in some ways the conditions will exist because the church has been infiltrated with deception. The fruit of false and compromised doctrine is going to begin to produce spiritual weakness in the body of Christ. We need to remember that belief produces behavior. You actually act out what you believe. It's one thing for me to say I believe something. It's another thing for me to do something. And I've mentioned more than once, I'll repeat myself because this is important to remember, that the Greeks, which has the Greek way of thinking has actually influenced us to this day, but the Greeks during the time of the writing of the New Testament believed that knowledge was the accumulation of information. And so if you had a tutor, you had a mentor, somebody who was pouring into you, they would say that you were gaining knowledge because you were gaining information by and large. But the Jews looked at it differently. The Jews looked at knowledge as being something that transformed your behavior. So there's an entire different way of thinking. One, the accumulation of knowledge. Two, the using of knowledge, which transforms you. So information for the Jew, information is to be assimilated. It's to be taken in. So assimilation is supposed to produce transformation. So information, assimilation equals transformation because my life is going to be changed by the things I believe. And I will do those things that I believe. That's why Jesus said, why do you call me a Lord, Lord, and do not the things that I say? That's why we are supposed to do what we're taught. And so Paul is making it very clear that in the last days there'll be an infiltration, that there will be people who are bringing in deceptive doctrines. And the church is going to be infected by that, and thus there'll be dangerous times because the church will lose its ability to discern. They're forgetting that belief produces behavior. And it's by the manner of life that one lives that true faith will always be evidenced over time because there are those who will take the word and immediately with joy receive it, but over time they go back to their old way of living. They never were converted. They simply were for a moment entertained by the truth that they were now beginning to absorb, listen to, but never really act upon. You know, the Bible teaches us very clearly that it's by our behavior that we demonstrate whether we know God or not. In Proverbs chapter 20 verse 11 it reads, even a child is known by his deeds whether what he does is pure and right. And so we have people who here in the United States who will go through school and will take certain tests and will get certain diplomas and we walk out saying we know something, but the Jewish person would say, well, during the time of Christ would say, well, you may have information but I don't see that it's really made any difference in your life because information is supposed to produce transformation. So Jesus made it very clear that false doctrine will come in through false teachers and you have to be aware of the fact that infiltration will take place. It is especially true during the last days. In Matthew 7 Jesus said it like this in verses 15 through 20. He said, beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing and inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, he said, by their fruits you will know them. So Paul is warning Timothy concerning infiltration and he's speaking to him concerning the conditions of the last days and as he had said in chapter 3 verse 1 he had said, in the last days perilous times will come. In the last days the church will continue being infiltrated. Instead of the fruit of the Spirit, the works of the flesh will be present. So with this in mind, Paul begins to exhort Timothy and he's exhorting him to remain a faithful teacher. He's saying to Timothy, you ought to remain firm and faithful. You're steadfast in your doctrine. You see, as a genuine teacher you need to remain firm. This is what Timothy has been doing. He has remained firm. He has been steadfast and that's why Paul can write, but you have carefully followed my doctrine as we read here in verse 10. When he says, but you, that is as distinct from the false teachers. The false teachers have not carefully followed my doctrine, but Timothy you have. You are sincere. You're a genuine believer in Jesus Christ. Timothy, you have been a true son in the faith, a genuine disciple. You see, Paul is about to die. As we get to the end of the book in chapter 4, he makes it very clear that he's awaiting his departure. So in a sense, Paul could be saying to him, you have seen the way I have lived and Timothy, the way I have lived has prepared me to die. So continue using me as your example. I taught you how to live. Now let me teach you how to die. Use me as your model. We need models by the way today, don't we? We need mentors. We need people who are up there doing the thing that God has called us to do. Amen for overwhelming applause. We, what we do? We need examples. It's one thing to try and explain to your child, this is before Velcro and everything else and zippers and all. It was one thing to teach your child verbally how to tie their shoes. It's another thing for them to learn how to do it. And the way they learn to do that is as you taught them, holding their hands or whatever you did with those strings and you taught them how to tie. It's the things that we learn. Even the most basic things are very often modeled for us. They're taught to us. I can still remember as a young boy growing up that there were a lot of models for us, what it meant to be a man. A lot of models. And that went all the way back into, well forever it was traditionally that way. My dad, for example, when I was a little boy would take us to drive-ins because you could get the whole family in pretty cheaply, right? So we went to the drive-in quite a bit. And oh boy, here we go, I just remembered a story. My brother, Frank, wanted to sneak into the drive-in. For some reason he thought it would be a good thing to do. And he said, Daddy, let me sneak in. They don't know how many kids you have. You can tell them that you have just the three. Let me hide. So my dad said, all right, go ahead, Frankie. My brother hides, we had a station wagon and he was hiding behind the back seat, the driver's seat. And we put a blanket over him. And so he was kind of looking towards the door, actually the window, and he was down like this with a blanket over him. So I still remember rolling up and the guy said, how many, sir? And my dad said, two adults, three children. Now this is my dad and one idiot. He pulled the blanket off of my brother and my brother's looking up at the guy. I'll never forget that. It was hilarious. My dad used to do dumb things like that. You know, why did I tell you that? Well anyway, we went to the drive-in together often. And at that time, be surprised or not, there were still role models that were portraying certain things. Guys like the John Waynes. We say how corny, right? John and Wayne, are you kidding me? That guy... Well, one of the things that we need to remember is that he was a symbol. He was a symbol of masculinity. He was a big man. He was a six-foot-five. He played for USC. He was a football player. And he's a big, big man. And what he was for a lot of young people was a model that you could be big and strong but you didn't have to be a bully. You could be big and strong and you can still be heroic. You could still stand up for the underdog. That's something we don't have today. Somewhere along the line, we changed the hero into the anti-hero. So the ones that people look at today very often are not the good people at all. They're the bad ones who get away with things. What do you think made the godfather such a hit? It's just that the bad guys got away with doing bad things in a way that made them look like a family. It was just odd how our society was transformed where we used to have in weekly programs corny classics now, but they were part of the cultural norm. You know, the father knows best. Try and imagine today a show where the father actually leads. Try and imagine in a comedy because that was a comedy. Try and imagine something like that. You don't have that anymore. And see, so we have undermined role models in many ways. So young people don't necessarily have the same attachment to a heroic figure who does good anymore. So we need to recapture that. I believe that the church needs to have men who are men who can be used as examples of what a man is supposed to be. That's what we Christians are to do. And that's a very real statement because a lot of the men that I know, the younger men especially, are still wondering who are they and how do they lead? Well, we had mentors. We had people who were examples. And Paul is actually pointing to himself in that way. He's about to say that you can use me as your role model because Paul is the one who said, imitate me insofar as I imitate Christ. I am somebody that you can look at and you can use as an example. We need to remember that Christianity is not taught as a subject though its teachings can be listed. But genuine Christianity is learned. It's modeled but it's learned as it's lived out in John 14. Jesus said it like this in verses 21 through 24. He who has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father. And I will love him and manifest myself to him. Judas, not a scary it, said to him, Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us and not to the world? Jesus answered and said to him, if anyone loves me, he will keep my word. And my Father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him. He who does not love me does not keep my words. And the word which you hear is not mine, but the Father's who sent me. Christianity is lived out and it's actually learned as you live. And there are those who model that before us to help us to see what that means. So Paul used himself as an example and he was using himself as an example of what a believer is to do and that's how first century rabbis actually taught their students. You see, during the time of Christ, a disciple, if an individual wanted to be a disciple, well, a disciple decided to follow a certain teacher. He would memorize his words. He learned his way of ministry, imitated his life and character and then he became like his master. He ultimately trained up his own disciples. Paul had already said that in verse 2 of chapter 2. He said, The things that you have heard from me among many witnesses commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. So that's how they did it in that day. So Paul would use himself as an example of what a believer is to do. And so Paul is telling Timothy that he is a genuine follower of Christ and begins to outline the things that demonstrate that he truly is and that he's a genuine son in the faith. And that's what he means in verse 10 when he says, But you have carefully followed my doctrine. You have followed my teachings. You have followed my life. You'll see this in a moment. When he says you have carefully followed, the words carefully followed reveals that Timothy followed his lead and it's one of those ways of saying that you've followed completely in the same path. You have followed my teachings carefully. You've never moved off the trail. You have traveled with me and you have served with me and you have followed me step by step. You've heard my teachings. You've watched my life. You've taken note of my works. So he used Paul as his example and he was very careful not to move in a different direction. And that's why he said, But you have carefully followed my doctrine. You have walked step by step. My footprints were here and there and you put your feet in each one of the footprints and you didn't veer off the path. You have carefully followed me. You followed my doctrine. So you can use me as a model in contrast to false teachers. And as you have used me as a model, you are motivated to reject their teachings and to refute them because you've seen the real thing and you can wisely reject and you can separate yourself from the false teachers. So he begins to list what Timothy has faithfully followed. Notice with me as we look at this in verse 10 and into verse 11. He says, You have carefully followed my doctrine. The word doctrine speaks of his teachings. You have not veered from the path of my teachings concerning Jesus Christ and his message. You have consistently heard my teachings and you've done so from early youth. And you can see that I have not changed my message. I never made my message any different. It's always been the same message. In 2 Corinthians when Paul was writing to the church in Corinth in chapter 2 verse 17, this is what he said to them. He said, For we are not as so many peddling the word of God, but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ. We're not as so many peddling. The word peddling means to change for personal profit. We haven't taken God's word, changed it so that we somehow may benefit personally from it. We haven't peddled God's word. He said in Galatians chapter 1 verse 8, even if we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel to you, then what we have preached to you, let them be accursed. You have followed carefully my doctrine, my message concerning Jesus Christ and his gospel. The second thing he says, you have followed my manner of life. You have followed the example I've laid before you, the way that I've lived, the way that I have done what I have taught. You've seen how I live amongst people. You see my priorities. Timothy, you have seen my unselfish consecration. You have seen how that I have lived a consistently devoted life. You have witnessed this firsthand. In Acts 20 verse 18, when the Ephesian elders came to Paul and he was giving last instructions to them, it says that when they had come to him, he said to them, you know from the first day that I came to Asia in what manner I always lived amongst you. If you want to teach somebody and you want to have lessons that are going to be embraced, be consistent. Live out the things that you give out and do so consistently. A third thing you have seen is my purpose. You're aware of my driving force, the driving force that has kept me faithful to the message and my mission. You know my chief aim. You've heard me say it in various ways many times. In Philippians 1, Paul said it like this. At verse 21, he said, for me to live is Christ and to die is gain. He made it his aim to preach the gospel according to Romans 15-20, not where Christ was named because he said I don't want to build on another man's foundation. When he was speaking to the Philippians again in chapter 3 in verse 13 and 14, he said this. He said, brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended, but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Timothy, you know my chief aim. You know my purpose, the driving force that I've remained faithful to Christ in bringing his gospel to the world. He says a fourth thing. He says you have carefully followed my faith. You have followed my faith towards God which results in salvation and abundant life. This faith that I have towards God has assured me of salvation. It's propelled me to preach to others and it's the message that you've embraced yourself and you've seen that. In 1st Timothy 1.15, Paul had said worthy of all acceptance that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief. A fifth thing you have seen is my long suffering. Long suffering speaks of patience. Patience with people, especially those who persecuted him. Timothy saw the way he responded. A sixth thing you have seen is my love. My love for the Lord and my love towards people in general. And that's what motivated him in his ministry. And that's what motivates you in your Christianity. It's the love for God and it's the love for others. Jesus was asked the question what is the great commandment in the law? He said the first is love the Lord thy God with everything in you and the second is like unto the first love your neighbor as yourself. You can have a theoretical love for God and that's okay but John would say how can you say I love God whom you have not seen because Christianity is not something like I just theoretically love that someone up there but Christianity actually wears shoes and walks amongst people. That's why God who is love took upon himself human flesh so we could see love incarnate and learn what love actually does. We do that by looking at the life of Jesus Christ. So this love motivated him it motivated him concerning all that he did in his ministry. In 2 Corinthians chapter 6 verses 11 and 12 he was speaking a very open-hearted word to the Corinthians. The Corinthians had been infiltrated by false teachers who had called into question the apostle Paul's ministry. And if you read 2 Corinthians which is his most open-hearted letter if you read 2 Corinthians carefully and begin to note certain things you're going to find that Paul is actually answering accusations that had been lodged against him by the Corinthian the people who have infiltrated the Corinthian church. The calling into question so many things you can find actually 20 or 21 specific responses to accusations in 2 Corinthians and so he was very open-hearted with his church a church he loved very much and in 2 Corinthians 6, 11 and 12 he said to them, oh Corinthians we have spoken openly to you. Our heart is wide open. You are not restricted by us but you are restricted by your own affections. Corinthians I have opened my heart up Paul was saying I have opened my heart up to you in such a way I have opened it so widely that I have made a room for you in it and all I'm asking in return is that you make it possible for me to enter into your life in 2 Corinthians 12, 15 he said I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls this is something I think is very touching coming from the heart of Paul I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls though the more abundantly I love you the less I'm loved. Timothy you have seen you have seen my life you have seen these things and you have seen my love for the Lord you have seen my love for others Timothy you have seen my perseverance a seventh thing perseverance is endurance under trying circumstances you have seen how I have held fast and haven't released my faith abandoning it but I have stuck it out you have seen my perseverance in 1 Corinthians 4, 11 through 13 he began to speak concerning and he says to the present hour we both hunger and thirst we are poorly clothed and beaten and homeless and we labor working with our own hands being reviled we bless being persecuted we endure being defamed we entreat we have been made as the filth of the world now the word off scouring speaks of the scrapings from a pan when you have cooked something and the residue of whatever it is that you have cooked is there on the lip of the pan or is burned into the pan and you scrape it off that's called the off scouring he says that's what we are in this world we are the off scouring of all things until now but you have seen my endurance in verse 11 he gives an eighth thing the persecutions you are well aware of because throughout my ministry I have experienced persecution again to the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians 11 23 to 28 he spoke of the false apostles and he said are they ministers of Christ I speak as a fool I am more in labors more abundant in stripes above measure in prisons more frequently in deaths often from the Jews 5 times I received 40 stripes minus 1 3 times I was beaten with rods once I was stoned 3 times I was shipwrecked a night and a day I have been in the deep in journeys often in perils of waters in perils of robbers in perils of my own countrymen in perils of the gentiles in perils in the city in perils in the wilderness in perils in the sea in perils among false brethren in weariness in toil in sleeplessness often in hunger and thirst in fastings often in cold and nakedness besides the other things what comes upon me daily my deep concern for all the churches you have seen me go through this model a ninth thing you have seen in verse 11 afflictions the pain that I've endured for the sake of Jesus now when he says to him in persecutions afflictions which happened to me at Antioch at Iconium and Lystra what persecutions I endured and out of them all the Lord delivered me this would be a reference to his first missionary journey that's where Timothy actually had been saved he mentions these cities Antioch that's where he endured persecution it's recorded for us in Acts chapters 13 and 14 he says you're aware of these things but he goes on to say in verse 11 but God delivered me out of all these persecutions and afflictions God has faithfully delivered me he's preserved me see Paul knew that he was invulnerable until God decided it was time to take him home and that's how he ministered because he's speaking concerning all of these things he gives to us a promise that all of us can mark and put in those little promise boxes that we have and then take it out and say what is it that you have for me today Lord and we can read verse 12 all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution thank you for your promise Lord but I think I took the wrong one I think this is my wife's promise for the day because who wants to claim such a promise but that's the bottom line those who live in fellowship with the Lord will endure hardship that's what God teaches us we're living in a time where people are actually surprised at that that's what's amazing to me today is that we're living in a time when Christians are actually surprised that this particular verse is becoming more real to us the world that we live in has always had persecution we know that but many of us who are Christians really thought only of the persecuted churches being in another land perhaps in Eastern Europe or perhaps in Southeast Asia or in the Middle East there's obviously plenty of opportunity for persecution in various places but Americans seem to be overly surprised at what has taken place here when in fact we're gaining right now incidents of persecution as a matter of fact it would seem to be a safe statement to make that the church is under a lot of persecution even as I speak there are laws that are being passed here in the state of California that are extremely anti-Christian in terms of the things that we believe and teach where your children are being mandated to learn certain subjects in school and that you have to go through certain things through sex ed and all that actually are saying that particular lifestyles that the church has taught against in the Bible strictly that certain lifestyles are wrong it's not that God can't change and God can't forgive people he does but he makes it very clear that certain lifestyles like homosexuality bisexuality that those are sins and we as parents we as Christians have the responsibility of reading and understanding scripture and we train our children up in the ways of the Lord that's what we do and so to get around your training what happens is there are these particular subjects must be taught to your children and you can't opt out of them and what we have done and I'll say this in all honesty and I think we all know this is the church has fallen asleep in the midst of a battle and we're awakening to the fact that we gave up so much territory that it's going to be difficult to somehow gain it back and we have opportunities to exercise rights that we have we can vote we can say I'd like this person to represent me you know but many Christians stay away from the ballot box they don't even vote they don't go to city council meetings they don't go to school board meetings they don't do any of that and then they get surprised when certain curricula are foisted on their children and then wonder how did this happen it happened because the church was asleep at the wheel that's how it happens and we need to awaken to that because our kids are being stolen right now and those of you who are parents realize that but it's true and there are certain things that are being passed right now in California state legislature that are stating that certain books cannot be sold in book stores you know if we have a testimony a book about somebody who was homosexual and came out of homosexuality and was you know saved and transformed and these are the things that you can do and I have a conference it'll happen in the future because this is already moving in this direction right now that if we were to charge attendees then we actually would be fined and it's against the law because what has happened and what is happening is speech is being now clamped down on and you can't say things that you believe out of scripture and that is happening right now that is happening right now and if you look at your representatives those that are representing California and no I'm not making a political speech I'm trying to be practical speaking about salt and light and what we're supposed to do I'm not telling you who to vote for though I would I'm simply saying we don't even vote then we get mad about the life that we're living right now and how did this happen it happened because millions of Christians don't vote millions don't vote so what we end up with is people who are representing others but not representing us and they're passing laws that restrict your rights because they don't hold fast to your rights because they're anti-christ they're anti-christian they hate Jesus and his message they really do and we're seeing that today guys we're seeing that in our day right now where it's going to become possible for a minister like myself to be arrested for just teaching the Bible and see what has happened is old people like me they don't even go after you've got one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel why are we worried about you you're nothing, you're old you'll be gone it's your grandchildren we want because if I can get your three year olds and your four year olds and your five year olds I get them for life it's true you know this don't you if you don't know this learn it they get their minds they're a high school age and college age people right now who perhaps even in this room or who will hear what I'm saying who will actually get agitated and angry because they say that's not true when in fact you have been brainwashed into believe that there's no such thing as real truth there's only their opinion if you really want to know truth I have to just go to Almighty Google and he'll teach me all I need to know because I have instant information now I never studied I never thought I never prayed I never prepared I simply wrote the words somebody gave me their opinion that becomes my opinion I don't know how to defend these things I just know how to spout them and in spouting them we will march around with little little signs that say ban the guns and everybody sees oh wow don't get mad at them and be haters because these people really see there's violence but we'll never really talk about what makes violence violent we'll never speak about the fact that guns don't fall off of shelves load themselves and then follow people down the street and shoot them we never talk about that because they don't do they do they and now am I am I said oh let's go no I'm just saying if you ban guns they kill with knives that's what they're doing in England if you ban guns they just use knives guess what if hatred and murder is in your heart you will find a way to kill someone because it's a heart issue and these people I have to be careful because I'm a pastor I'm supposed to love but but it's just yeah don't stir me up because it's just real listen I have four kids I have eight grand children I was a kid I'm a human being I know nature I know my nature and I know that that sin is wrapped up in human nature rebellion is in the heart of a child the right of discipline drives it far from them they have to be trained to do what is right trained to do what is wrong because they they learn I'm sorry trained to do what is right because they're already trained to do what is wrong they're already trained that's their nature so we have to train them into righteousness they need a new nature because the old nature is hell bound some men sins are real evident you know that they're a sinner just by the way they live look at this guy's a drunk the guy's doing drugs he beats up his wife she goes out on her husband those are evident sins but there are others that are hidden they're dressed up in suits and ties and they pass laws and they say we look righteous when in fact you're not we're trying to get votes for the future we'll give all kinds of promises to people and keep them alright this is going to be offensive forgive me in advance we'll keep them our slaves they will depend on us for everything from housing to their welfare to their food to their education we will make them dependent on us if you don't see that, that's the fact that's what's going on and our Christian voices are being stifled passers like me one day will be going to jail we're all has stated he's ready to go and I will write him when he goes you're my hero raw don't be surprised stop being surprised Jesus promised it if you live godly you will suffer persecution listen I've been living under that for years because I'm looked at as being stupid ignorant a hillbilly racist you name it that's what I am to some people but not to God to God I'm supposed to be a voice in the wilderness make way for the Lord make a straight path for him that's what God has called us to do so don't be surprised don't be surprised when you suffer persecution it's not some strange thing in 1 Peter 4 12 and 13 the apostles said beloved do not think it's strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you as though some strange thing happened to you rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings that when his glory is revealed you may also be glad with exceeding joy he says in verse 13 evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse deceiving and being deceived evil men and imposters notice will grow worse and worse it will be a time full of peril to the Christian faith and endurance it will be a time causing pain and trouble why because evil men and imposters deceivers will rise up in the last days evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse they proceed from worse to worse they will deceive and they're even more deceived themselves we're living in the last days we're witnessing this the assumption enters into Christian thought believers and they don't even recognize it let me use an old example something that occurred years ago now when Mitch Romney was running for for president he had given a speech at the George Bush presidential library and this is something Mitch Romney said he said there is one fundamental question about which I am amassed what do I believe about Jesus Christ then he gave his answer I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God and the savior of mankind my church's beliefs about Christ may not all be the same as those of other faiths each religion has its own unique doctrines and history these are not bases for criticism but rather a test of our tolerance religious tolerance would be a shallow principle indeed if it were reserved only for faiths with which we agree so the fundamental question what do you believe about Jesus Christ his answer I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God and savior of mankind now many Christians would say so do I a certain well known teacher was asked are Mormons Christians and he said well they believe Jesus Christ is their savior therefore they must be is that true he pastors one of the largest churches in the United States I won't mention Joel Osteen by name it's something you could have read yourself I'm not gossiping about him but in Mormonism Jesus is the spirit brother of Lucifer in Mormonism God has a physical body in Mormonism people exist as spirits before being born so that they can be exalted as gods and have their own planets in Mormonism Jesus is a God amongst other gods and in Mormonism the Bible is not a complete revelation do you believe those things no why don't you because the scriptures teach against those things you see and many who profess Christ get upset when they hear somebody like me point those things out oh you're a judge yes I am yes I am I'm not supposed to take my spiritual life and my brain and put it on a shelf and just kind of nod my head in agreement like one of those stupid bobble head dolls when people say stuff I'm supposed to have discernment Jesus said judge righteous judgment and you do that through the word of God and so if these things are not so they ought to be stated and these things are not so but Paul when he was speaking to the Ephesian elders said this in Acts 20 verse 29 he said I know this that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock in Galatians 1 6 through 9 Paul said I'm shocked that you are turning away so soon from God who is in his love and mercy called you to share the eternal life he gives through Christ he went on to say you are already following a different way that pretends to be the good news that is not the good news at all you are being fooled by those who twist and change the truth concerning Christ let God's curse fall on anyone including myself who preaches any other message than the one we told you about even if an angel comes from heaven and preaches any other message let him be forever cursed I will say it again if anyone preaches any other gospel than the one you welcome let God's curse fall upon that person that scripture how did Mormonism start the angel Moroni how did Islam start they claim Gabriel gave Muhammad revelation he said even if an angel from heaven comes and gives a different gospel let him be anathema let him be a curse that's scripture that's not some angry old man in a pulpit that's the word of God and that's what Paul is speaking about the remedy to deception study God's word regularly systematically Jesus said going to the world preach the gospel command them to obey everything I have told you in Acts 20 Paul said in verse 27 I have not shunned to declare to you all the counsel of God you see when pastors fail to teach the whole counsel people are not equipped to discern error because the word of God gives us ability to discern and to resist deception so he says in verse 14 you but you must continue in the things which you've learned and been assured of knowing from whom you have learned them continue to believe Timothy continue to obey continue to teach these things as a faithful minister abide faithfully in the teachings of God's word you have not only learned but you have been assured of these things so you confidently cling to the truth in a personal way you have been set free by the truth and in verse 14 know from whom you learned them you had a mother named Lois you had a grandmother named Eunice and you've had me in your life you have a chain of faith to lean on they prepared the soil of your heart for the gospel to be planted they prepared you for the struggles that you would encounter and I've been an example of one who overcomes and your training that you've received prepared you to trust the message here's something for us as parents and grandparents it's found in Proverbs 22 6 it's a very famous scripture all of us have heard it train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it make that your goal listen and I'll say this is something that people get mad at so might as well but you're a little more angry today before I send you home to hate me I've been ministering in this particular church for almost 37 years I've encountered many people you can imagine over the years known people who have come and gone I'm not somebody who puts a chain on someone says please stay if someone is led by the spirit to move on God bless them as they go I minister to those who are here that's what I do at the same time that doesn't mean I don't notice and over the years more than once I've had conversations with people when I say are you going to be in a church I haven't seen you in a couple of weeks oh I've been real busy are you going to be at the midweek well you know I'm real busy really what do you do well my son plays soccer my daughter is playing softball and so we have tourneys and in Nevada whatever and we have tournaments and those are weekend tournaments and I say oh really and so they'll put their life into the children's recreation and then when the child is 16, 17, 18 straight away wants nothing to do with church they get upset they speak to me I don't get it what happened well what happened is you said to them that sports was more important than salvation that their future really was in their fun and you never taught them that some things are learned with repetition especially spiritual things because the world is at war because guess what the world doesn't take a vacation the world doesn't go out for recreation the world is constantly opposed to the things of God it's an onslaught it's a wave that continues one after another and instead of us preparing our children for life by being prepared ourselves we send them out on a little row boat of sports or whatever and we say I know you'll survive and then when they go to college should they go and we say we just want them to have a good education first thing they encounter will be professors who hate Christ and will pour into them their statistics and their opinions in their class and within a year that child comes back saying I don't really believe anymore well in fact they probably never really did because the parent never really did that much themselves be careful you train up a child in the way you should go that means you spend special effort and you and you minister to them in the way of their personality the direction that they're moving and you find a way in the Lord how to direct their footsteps because listen the very end the only thing you leave behind is your children if you have them your reputation your legacy my legacy is not this church my legacy is my family my legacy my daughters, my sons my eight grandchildren that's my legacy I'm hoping for more grandchildren that's my legacy what matters isn't that papa isn't that papa pastor to church what matters is that papa loved Jesus that's what brings them to their trials and papa loved the Lord in his word I'm telling you some aren't hearing me but it's true he says in verse 15 from infancy from childhood you have been taught the word your education was God centered you learned the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge according to Proverbs 1.7 your mother knew that you were sinful from birth and needed to be directed according to Psalm 51 verse 5 and because she loved you she nurtured you in the ways of the Lord the soil of your heart was prepared the seed of the word produced salvation and so how do we handle the persecution he closes in verses 16 and 17 which really are a study in themselves that I'll just put together in a couple minutes all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for destruction in righteousness that the man of God may be complete thoroughly equipped for every good work all scripture is given by inspiration of God notice he says all scripture all scripture as distinct from simply Old Testament writings you see during this period the entire New Testament writings had not been collected the recognition of the 27 New Testament books had yet to occur the official gathering and recognizing of what is called New Testament canon did not occur until the Council of Hippo the Council of Hippo was a council filled with real large men it's in I'm sorry it was in modern Algeria and that took place in AD 393 and it was again recognized at the Council of Carthage or in Tunisia in 397 now prior to these dates the Old and New Testaments were recognized as inspired 1st Timothy 518 the scripture says do not muzzle the ox while it's treading out the grain and the worker deserves his wages well when he says the scripture says in 1st Timothy 518 he's combining an Old Testament scripture Deuteronomy 25.4 with the New Testament scripture Luke chapter 10 verse 7 and so the New Testaments were recognized as inspired and the apostles themselves recognized their writings as authoritative as well as inspired authoritative Colossians 416 after this letter has been read to you see that it is read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea inspired 2nd Peter 316 says concerning Paul Peter writes he writes the same way Paul's letters speaking in them of these matters his letters contain some things that are hard to understand which ignorant and unstable people distort as they do the other scriptures to their own destruction so Paul speaks concerning that the scriptures are inspired inspiration literally means God breathed scripture owes its origin to the breath of God it's an outpouring of God's life to man in 2nd Peter 1 20 and 21 the apostles said above all you must understand that no prophecy a scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation for prophecy never had its origin in the will of man but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit it's inspired and it's profitable it teaches when it says that it's profitable for teaching it's provoking us to learn it informs us about God and Jesus he said it's profitable for rebuking that means to correct error and understanding of scripture or behavior he says it's profitable for correcting which speaks of actually restoring someone to a right relationship with God and it's profitable for training because by yielding to it and practicing it you develop understanding and the result for 17 is to be complete thoroughly equipped for every good work doctrine and example keep us strong in times of opposition and persecution it is not simply Christians getting mad and Christians simply marching it's in Christians actually living what God called them to live and being used as salt and used as light in this decaying and darkened world being willing to speak when nobody else will being willing to stand when everybody else falls being willing to hold fast when everybody else walks away be willing to be counted when other people desert here I am said Martin Luther unless I can be refuted by scripture and logic I cannot I will not recant here I stand and I really believe that the church needs to take those words to heart today here I stand having done all I will stand victorious in Jesus Christ because he is Lord who transforms lives so here we stand