 We're looking at 2 Timothy chapter one I'm gonna give you a long introduction and then a long Bible study. So get ready Here we go 2 Timothy chapter one beginning at verse 1 reading to verse 7 Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God According to the promise of life, which is in Christ Jesus to Timothy a beloved son Grace mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I Thank God whom I serve with a pure conscience as My forefathers did as without ceasing. I remember you in my prayers night and day Greatly desiring to see you being mindful of your tears That I may be filled with joy when I call the remembrance the genuine faith That is in you which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice And I am persuaded is in you also therefore I Remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the lane on of my hands For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and of a sound mind This is obviously titled the second epistle or the second letter of Timothy It was written about three or four years After Paul had written the first letter it was written somewhere around AD 67 Timothy is the pastor of a church in Ephesus. He's under pressure So Paul is writing to bring encouragement to him As we go through this book we're going to see a variety of pressures. He's dealing with and Things that Paul wants to say to him. So as we go through second Timothy We're going to see Paul assuring Timothy of his love for him Paul is going to tell Timothy that he prays continually for him He'll encourage him to endure. He's going to remind him of his spiritual roots and responsibilities He's going to use the illustration of being a man who is a man who is a man who is a man a soldier an athlete and a hard-working farmer to encourage him to persevere We're going to see that in second Timothy Paul once again will speak to him concerning the signs of the last days and Because they're living in days that are that are filled with pressure and all Paul says to him you need to preach the word and you need to do so faithfully Paul once again will remind him. He's an example of a believer That means he's going to endure hard times. He needs to be prepared for growing resistance and there is a growing resistance because The Emperor Nero who was ruling at that time Had initiated persecution against the church Half of Rome had been destroyed by fire in AD 64 and Nero had blamed the Christian church So under Nero persecution began to grow against Christians in AD 66 Paul's enemies were able to oppose Paul and he was once again jailed. You'll see that in verse 16 of chapter 1 Scholars point out that Paul had been released from jail after writing first Timothy, but was re-arrested So as this is taking place fearing for the lives the believers in Asia Minor began to desert Paul after his arrest Notice what it says in verse 15 It says as you know in chapter 1 as you know that all those in Asia have turned away from me So they've begun to desert him Rome according to chapter 2 verse 9 Regarded him as what Paul refers to as an evil doer So because of this no one defended him at his first defense before the court and you'll see that in chapter 4 verse 16 And he was abandoned by almost everyone you see that in chapter 4 also He's placed in a cold Roman cell And under these conditions Paul begins to write the second letter to Timothy again Timothy's pastoring a church in the mighty and pagan city of Ephesus and for us We don't have a clue about what that really means of course. I mean this is 2,000 years ago Ephesus was a port city It was a huge city by ancient standards And it was filled with sin and a variety of other things that made it very difficult to preach the gospel All you need to do is envision cities like New York or like LA or San Francisco any other modern port city and you can get an idea What it was going what was going on at that time and how difficult it was to minister We're told in the book of Acts in chapter 19 that Paul had ministered in Ephesus and while Paul was there ministering God had moved mightily His initial three months were fruitful, but opposition began to grow and in spite of it Paul ministered effectively for two years as He was given the word of God and many were coming to the faith of Christ in chapter 19 verse 20 It says the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed Well at that time of silversmith his name was Demetrius Organized a resistance against the apostle Paul and the gospel and he incited many in the city to fill an amphitheater in Near riot conditions and because of this Paul went north But young Timothy remained to care for the church And so that leads us to the theme of the letter and the theme of the letter if you take notes is do not be ashamed Do not be ashamed of the gospel in chapter 1 verse 8 verse 12 verse 16 and chapter 2 verse 15 all those verses use the word ashamed in Chapter 1 verse 8 do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord nor of me his prisoner Chapter 1 verse 12. I am not ashamed for I know whom I have believed chapter 1 verse 16 Anisophorus was not ashamed of my chain in chapter 2 verse 15 a worker who does not need To be ashamed so the word ashamed and I'm going to be highlighting that and developing that with you as we go through the study This again is your introduction The word ashamed is highlighted several times What he's saying is be courageous The word is shamed when you're ashamed of something literally in the Greek language. It means to shrink back from something So when you're courageous, you're not going to shrink back from something You're not going to be ashamed of the gospel. You're not going to be ashamed of identifying with believers You're not going to be ashamed of the church and that's what Paul is telling Timothy as a pastor. Don't shrink back hold fast and As a pastor continued to do the work out of evangelists Continue to proclaim the message in this mighty city that is in such opposition Don't be ashamed of the gospel and don't be afraid in Joshua chapter 1 verses 8 and 9 in the Old Testament it reads this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth But you shall meditate in it day and night that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it For then you will make your way prosperous Then you will have good success Have I not commanded you be strong and of good courage do not be afraid nor dismayed For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. So Paul is saying something similar to Timothy God has not given to us a Spirit of fear but a power Love sound mind. Don't be ashamed of me. Don't be ashamed of the testimony of the gospel Be courageous and don't be ashamed of Jesus hold tightly Timothy to the very end I was remembering as I was preparing this something about an ancient bishop by the name of Polycarp polycarp was was martyred in the year AD 161 and there was an eyewitness there were several eyewitnesses, but one was there recording the events of polycarps Martyrdom and so let me read this to you Polycarp was the bishop of Smyrna and was a disciple of the Apostle John Under Roman persecution. He was arrested and taken to an arena The Roman proconsul tried to persuade him to renounce Jesus Saying to him have respect for your old age Swear by the fortune of Caesar Repent and say down with the atheists The atheists by the way is what we were called we were Christians were called atheists because we didn't have multiple gods We only had one God. So we were called atheists Polycarp looked at the heathen multitude in the stadium and said to them down with the atheists Swear urged the proconsul reproach Christ. I will set you free To these words Polycarp replied 86 years have I served him. He has done me no wrong How can I blaspheme my king and my savior? They threatened him to be torn by animals. They finally burned him on a pile of wood. They bowed his hands behind him and lit the fire When they did this he looked up to heaven and said, oh Lord God Almighty the father of your beloved and blessed son Jesus Christ By whom we have received the knowledge of you the God of angels powers and Every creature and of all the righteous who lived before you. I give you thanks That you count me worthy to be numbered among your martyrs Sharing the cup of Christ and the resurrection to eternal life both of soul and body Through the immortality of the Holy Spirit May I be received this day as an acceptable sacrifice as you the true God have Predestined revealed to me and now fulfilled. I praise you for all these things I bless you and glorify you along with the everlasting Jesus Christ your beloved son To you with him through the Holy Ghost be glory both now and forever Amen, the fire did not kill him So the executioner stabbed him with the dagger Jesus and Matthew 10 32 and 33 said whoever acknowledges me before men. I Will also acknowledge him before my father in heaven, but whoever denies me before men I will deny him before my father in heaven Paul is saying Timothy do not be ashamed of the gospel and do not be ashamed of Jesus Christ As we read the Bible We need to remember that Paul's greatest desire was to be faithful to the calling that God gave him in Philippians 1 verse 20 he says according to my earnest expectation and my hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed of But that with all boldness as always so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body Whether it be by life or by death So Paul is encouraging this young man Timothy Serve the Lord remain faithful to Jesus Christ and remain faithful to the truth All four chapters will give to us insight into his concern for Timothy to remain faithful to the truth of the gospel in Chapter 1 verse 13 he tells them hold fast to the pattern of sound words in chapter 2 verse 2 Commit the things you have you have learned to others who will teach sound doctrine chapter 3 verse 14 You must continue in the things you have learned in chapter 4 verses 2 through 4 preach and teach the word It's all about sound doctrine and that's what Paul is sharing with Timothy and so that's your introduction Let's move into the letter of 2nd Timothy Beginning at verse 1 reading verses 1 into and moving into our study Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God According to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus to Timothy a beloved son Grace mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord Remember with me that ancient letters all began by first the sender So he says Paul an apostle then it goes to the recipient to Timothy a beloved son And then the third element would be a blessing grace mercy and peace from God the Father That was normal writing during that day So Paul is writing to his son in the faith, but he's reminding him first and foremost as to who he is He Paul is an apostle chosen by God to declare the gospel of Jesus Christ and as such He has spiritual authority to instruct and to exhort this young man by the name of Timothy and that's what spiritual fathers do by the way That's what we do I am a spiritual father to a number of men and what I do is I exhort them and encourage them in the faith And that's what he's doing with his young man He's just simply saying you need to remain faithful to the Lord and therefore listen to the things that I as your mentor Have to say to you he says I'm an apostle notice in verse 1 I'm an apostle of Jesus Christ and I am an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God I didn't appoint myself. He's saying I was chosen by God to be an apostle in John 15 verse 16 Jesus said you didn't choose me I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain Paul when he was writing about this in Galatians 1 said it like this at verse 1 He said Paul an apostle not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead So he's saying I am an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God and God's calling is upon my life And I'm acting upon it Now this is according notice. This is according to the promise of life. You might want to underscore that the promise of life in Jesus Christ So I'm to exhibit as well as proclaim the promise of life that a person can have through Christ and This promise of life had been received by Paul by faith and resulted in a call to ministry This is a promise that Paul rested his entire Eternity upon Because if the promise isn't true Then Paul of all people there in a jail cell about ready to die He of all people would be most miserable But because it is true Paul though facing death can rest with confidence He was confident because God does not lie. You might want to mark that in your heart. God isn't a liar in Numbers 23 19 God is not a man that he should lie nor a son of man that he should change his mind Does he speak and they're not act as he promised and not fulfill in 1st Samuel 15 29 He who is the glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind for he is not a man that he should change his mind Titus 1 verse 2 speaks of a faith in knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life Which God who does not lie promised before the beginning of time God promised us eternal life And Paul is speaking concerning that he is an apostle by the will of God according to the promise of life This promise of life was received by faith and acted upon was evidenced by his life And he knew that God's life was in him You see throughout the New Testament believers are given the assurance of salvation. It's not something that we earn That's one of the things that that that we need to emphasize constantly. You don't earn eternal life It's not because you go to church. It's not because you go good do good deeds. It's not because you're generous It's not because you have a compassion at heart and all of those things It's the reason that we're able to say we have life is because Christ Jesus died on the cross For us he took upon himself my sin and I asked God for forgiveness of my sin And as a result of that by faith, I've been saved through the grace of God When I first got saved at the age of 20. I Went to visit some friends to share the gospel with them And as I was sharing I heard this more than once I Was so exuberant. I was so excited. Listen. I'm going to heaven now. You need to remember something Back in 1970 71 People actually knew there was good and there was bad. We actually knew that We didn't have this moral kind of Everything's okay. If it doesn't hurt that was just beginning to come in we didn't have that there was black and white There was good and there was evil. There was right. There was wrong and I grew up in that environment I grew up in that atmosphere. We didn't make excuse for sin. We recognize it. It's really wrong You shouldn't do that. Lying is wrong going out on your wife is wrong Getting drunk and staggered around in public. That's wrong. There were things that were right. There were things that were wrong and People went to heaven. Yeah, but normally we had made it in such a way that it was only the most saintly people only the best people And so all the rest of us were going to hell and we knew it And so I told people my friends I'd say I'm going to have it. I was excited about I don't know if you're excited about I was excited about I'm going to heaven I'm going to heaven and I would tell people that I'm going to heaven and They'd say no, you're not You're not that good Now today you say I'm going to heaven and the guy with but yeah me too, you know, but at that time. No No, you're not But they told me that they'd say You're not that good And that and I'm a brand new Christian. I'm a month old and in the Lord and I'm saying You're right. I'm not that good but he is He is and the reason I'm going to heaven isn't because of works that I did The reason I can say I'm going to heaven because it's because of the work he did I Simply received what he offered me as a gift. It's the promise guys. Have you received it? It's the promise of life in Christ Jesus. How you need to do is read your Bibles Read John John loved to remind us about life In John 3 16 God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him should not perish But have everlasting life John 3 36 he who believes in the sun has everlasting life He who does not believe the sun shall not see life the wrath of God abides on him John 4 14 whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst But the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life John 5 24 most assuredly I say unto you You hears my word and believes in him who sent me has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment But has passed from death into life John 6 47 most assuredly I say to you he who believes in me has everlasting life John 17 2 and 3 you have given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him John 20 verse 31 when he is explaining the reason of the gospel He writes and John says these are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and that Believing you might have life through his name and in 1st John he wrote in chapter 5 verses 11 through 13 This is the testimony that God has given us eternal life This life is in his son. He who has the son has life He do he who does not have the son of God does not have life These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God That you may know that you have eternal life and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God That you may know I know that I know that I know that I have eternal life Not by works of righteousness But according to his mercy he saved me and that's what Paul is referring to How that it is the promise of life that you receive through Jesus Christ He goes on in verse 3 to say I thank God whom I serve with a pure conscience as my forefathers did as Without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day Greatly desiring to see you be mindful of your tears that I may be filled with joy when I call the Remembrance the genuine faith that is in you which dwell first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and I am persuaded is in you also I Serve God with a pure conscience as noticed as my forefathers did Faith in God has been held as a sacred tradition in my family this faith in God has been handed down to me It is something that has been deposited in my life by faithful ancestors And this is something that Timothy also had he had a faith that had been handed down When you read about Paul Paul was raised in a very religious family had very conservative Religious heritage he says when giving his testimony in Philippians chapter 3 verses 4 through 6 He said I also might have confidence in the flesh if anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh I more so Circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin a Hebrew of the Hebrews Concerning the law of Pharisee concerning zeal persecuting the church concerning the righteousness, which is in the law blameless Now he's about to die the death of a criminal But in spite of this he can say I have served God with all my heart with all my mind Because he sincerely sought God in all that he did and all that he taught In chapter 24 of the book of Acts verse 16. He said I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men So he could say I serve God with a pure conscience because he was a saved man You see everyone has a conscience But Christians can have pure consciences and he's his conscience had been cleansed by the blood of Christ in Hebrews 10-22 it reads let us draw near with a true heart and full assurance of faith Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience our bodies washed with pure water There are people who have consciences and They may even have nothing to accuse themselves of They could say I have a clean conscience, but they're still unsaved and that's because a conscience could be calloused or Biblically uninformed a great preacher of another day a man by the name of Charles Spurgeon once said this Conscience may tell me that something is wrong, but how wrong it is Conscience itself does not know did any man's conscience unenlightened by the spirit ever tell him that his sins deserved damnation Did it ever lead any man to feel an abhorrence of sin as sin? Did conscience ever bring a man to such self renunciation that he totally abhorred himself and all his works and came to Christ? The answer to that question is no It takes the spirit of God to awaken us to make it real that we need a savior But Paul could serve with a clear conscience because he trusted the Lord now as an observant Jew He served with a clear conscience though unsaved because he was holding fast to the law But as a Christian Paul served with with a pure content Conscience because it had been cleansed by faith. He knew the blood of Christ cleansed from all sin He was a new creation and he trusted the Lord Now notice in verse 4 how he says this and I want to develop this and get some practical Application going here notice what he says in verse 4 Greatly desiring to see you being mindful of your tears that I may be filled With joy. This is very very human It reveals a relationship and I want to talk to you about that for a moment It reveals the relationship that a mentor has with his pupil. It reveals a relationship a pastor has with someone he pastors and loves It reveals a love that Paul has For a young pastor by the name of Timothy when I was in college one of the colleges I attended I was taking comparative religion. It was a non-christian college being taught by a non-christian professor and the professor spoke concerning the apostle Paul and the professor said that the the apostle Paul was an intellect an Emotionless intellect When you read the writings of Paul and and by the way, that's one of the reasons It's difficult to read through his writings when you read the writings of Paul. They're difficult, aren't they? Some of the things he writes They're just like so beyond us and and that's why it takes hours for me to prepare Bible studies Because I have to go through line upon line and I do cross references and I say how does that work? And what does that mean because it's it's difficult and yet I realized that these are letters He wrote I mean he's writing a letter and he's sending it out and people like me 2000 years later are sitting down in front of computers with my books open saying what are you talking about? It's tough the apostle Peter said that his words are weighty and people have a tendency of twisting them And that was true then it's true to this day So you can look at Paul and you can say this was a an intellect This is a man who had all mind and no heart, but that's not true at all If you read your Bible you'll see that he had he had heart and I remember when my professor as well as the The book that they had us reading for this class was pointing to Paul out as being just an intellect I thought that's not the Paul that I know inscription I was only in my mid-twenties at this time, but I've been reading my Bible and and I read about it I thought how could Paul be just an in an emotionless man when this is the man who wrote first Corinthians 13 and Describe what love is and encouraged us to it How could this be a man that is heartless when you read second Corinthians and you see how he says? I've opened my heart wide enough for you All I'm asking in return is that you open your heart wide enough for me though I love you more yet. I am loved less by you This is the guy who speaks concerning his tears and the sorrows and the pains that he went through So this guy did not have just a mind this man had a mind and a heart and you have a picture here of a minister And he's saying I'm mindful of your tears and I want to see you again. He's encouraging this young man because a young man last time They saw each other wept over the fact that he wouldn't see him. I Want to see you and I want to see you before I'm executed He repeats this desire to see him in chapter 4 verse 9 as well as chapter 4 verse 20 21 when he says come to me quickly and come before winter Timothy please bring the things that I need bring my cloak bring my books But especially bring the parchments the books and the parchments were for study They included The writings of the Old Testament. I need to see you by the way, I Haven't forgotten your tears But I want those tears to be turned to joy You see Paul was like a father to Timothy Timothy's dad was not a believer. I have friends who We didn't have dads who are ministers pastors I Have friends who had fathers But their fathers were distant from them didn't love them didn't show affection and when they will speak to me of Their love for their pastor Chuck Smith There's a love for this man because Chuck treated them like sons I was seated next to the apostle the apostle. That's funny My mind's getting ahead of me. I guess really back. I was sitting next to my pastor Chuck at a pastors conference many years ago now and As we receded I can still tell you he was right there. I was right here receded on a pew at the chapel in Murietta and I said Chuck, I want to tell you something. I said I have had the best I said my dad was still alive at that time. I said I have a father That I love with all of my heart And I did and I said and I have you My spiritual father. I have the best of both worlds my biological dad and my spiritual dad I loved Pastor Chuck Smith like I love my own dad. I did I Understand One of my special memories is one day I was at a men's conference I was about to go up to speak there are 10,000 men and I was seated and pastor would sit Pastor Chuck would sit in a certain place and people in or leave him alone and I went and sat next to him just before I went up to speak I still remember it like it was yesterday I sat next to Chuck and I smiled at him because Chuck would get up and walk up these steps Introduced the next speaker and so I just wanted to make it easier for him and to get up to the stage quicker So that I could give my message and I still remembers seated there being seated next to Chuck and Chuck looks at me and I look at him a smile, you know and a moment later he puts his arm around my shoulder and Draws me to himself and just held me like a father holds a son and He didn't let me go for a minute two minutes He just sat there holding me and that's one of my memories of my pastor Forgive me. That's a pastor Who loves you didn't say word I? Went up to the stage. He had stolen my wallet. That's another story, but see I understand that I understand that and Paul is speaking to his son in the faith and He's encouraging him and Timothy is going through hard times and Paul is saying Timothy don't be ashamed You're in tough times ministry isn't easy Opposition from outside and there's opposition from inside There are great disappointments. You have with brothers and sisters But Paul's saying I have been abandoned by everyone All have forsaken me at my first defense. No one stood with me I know what it's like at the end of a ministry after the end of the of the ministry that God gave to this man Where he tirelessly ministered the gospel He said I made it my aim to preach the gospel where the name of Jesus has never been mentioned He had been beaten people had stoned him. He had been it been torn up with rods He had he had been hurt in every way shape and form he carried the burden Not only being rejected by man, but at the very end even the church that he loved with all of his heart Had nothing to do with him Timothy Don't be ashamed of me and don't be ashamed of the gospel God hasn't given to you a spirit of fear Timothy power love discipline Hope fast Hope fast and that's what it's all about and that's what he's sharing with him. Listen. I remember your tears. I remember how you felt I Know you love me and I love you too and we shared emotions That's true in Acts chapter 20 verses 37 and 38 It speaks of how that Paul was ministering to the Ephesians elders Timothy more than likely was part of the group That's recorded there and it says as he was telling them you'll see my face no more This is it They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him what grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again Then they accompanied him To the ship so he says I want to see you So that your tears can be turned to joy He says in verse 5 when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you Which first dwelt in your your grandmother and your and your mother? Paul had a heritage of faith, but Timothy did too now his grandmother and mama had the foundation of God's word and that had prepared the way for salvation and they had poured that foundation into their grandson and son Later on in 2nd Timothy 3 Paul will say at verses 14 and 15 to Timothy You must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of knowing from whom you have learned them and That from childhood you have known the holy scriptures Which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus You have known from infancy the word childhood there is from the word Infancy when you were a baby from the time you were small You were raised in these things that prepare the way for for God to save you you have a heritage of faith You see again Timothy's mother and grandmother were both Jews his father was a Greek He must have had a very permissive father Because he allowed his wife during that time the the father actually the husband would allow the wife to do certain things and all and he allowed her To hear the message and to live it and he grew in a home that had a mother who had become a believer They had come to faith through the preaching and they presented that message to Timothy So what can be a greater mission in life than depositing faith in our children? Because laying this foundation makes it easier for them to come to faith in Christ So he says I remind you in verse 6 stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying out of hands I remind you I admonish you it seems that Timothy is troubled by Paul's situation Paul's on death row And Timothy will soon suffer the loss of his friend as well as his mentor and the prospect of losing someone he loved so much Was bringing sorrow to his heart You see it is possible to rely so much on one man that you forget what cod can do Timothy's the pastor of Ephesus He's going through great challenges, but Timothy is now left without the counsel and example of Paul What am I supposed to do? Sometimes we need to be reminded and we need to remind others the promises of God Because he promises you strength in the inner man And Paul admonishes him in verse 6 stir up the gift of God which is in you the word stir up means a kindle in flame Strengthen become Zalas Don't neglect your gifting Don't neglect your gifting He had said that in 1st Timothy 414 do not neglect the gift that is in you Which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership You see it's possible to neglect God's gifting and become cold Ministry can become routine your experience in ministry can interfere with the movement of the spirit Fatigue can diminish your zeal. So stir up The stir up the power of the spirit You know, he is a relatively young man. He's in a culture that values age. He's in poor health. He's under constant opposition And he can begin to neglect his gifting. So what is the solution? He says fan up the gift The flame isn't extinguished. It's just low. It needs to be rekindled Paul says I'm ready to depart So Timothy you need to carry on where I'm leaving off and you can't do this on your own strength You need to rekindle the spiritual flame You need to be faithful to the first love that you have remember God has not given you a spirit of your power and love and a sound mind That's what he's given you Timothy the spirit doesn't produce timidity in your life. It gives you power and This is necessary the power and and love and spiritual discipline is necessary to be faithful and proclaiming the gospel You you need to understand that use my imprisonment for the gospel as an incentive to preach and to teach use my example of someone who is weathering the storm and remain faithful and you know what happens guys I'll give you something practical when Somebody goes through something and you see how they deal with it it can help you to know how to deal with something and when you see someone come under fire and you see their response and How they deal with it it can encourage you so recently I did this Facebook live program and a Lot of people got shook up and angry and started writing mean things and went on by dear friends who is also Someone who is like a Timothy to me David true heel David true heels pastor at Calvary Chapel South L.A David true heel was a gangster. He's with a group called the harpies And he was just a crazy young man crazy young man and you all know the story He was challenged by someone from this church to give his faith to the lord and The guy told him you ought to come to my church and And David said your pastor something like your pastor's just stupid And so the guy said well if you think he's stupid Why don't you come and tell him to his face? So David said why not because David's that way So David came with a van full of his friends his gangsters And they came to a Wednesday night And he was going to come to tell me how stupid I am And I gave a message like I am today Gave an invitation And David came up and gave his heart to Christ That's how David true heel got saved He came to show me how stupid I am And he came to faith in Jesus Christ That's how it works and that's that's okay. So David was with us for a while. I put him on staff and he used to work with us He went off to plant his church and he's been out there faithfully serving the lord in some pretty rough air in a rough area It's where he's at right now Dave is very defensive for me And he started reading some of the things that are being said about me some of the disrespectful things And he wrote Because he's like the apostle peter. He just pulled out that sword. Come on, you know, that's And he writes and says I can't believe your disrespect For this man. He's very defensive for me. So I wrote him. I said, it's okay It's okay Calm down No biggie Because when you throw a rock into a pack of dogs the one that barks is the one who got hit So there's a lot of barking A lot of people got hit That's okay Because god can speak to their hearts You see and he watches me how I responded these things Because as a young man A warrior He wants to step in And he wants to handle it But you know what? God is my defense God is my rock God is my strength God fights the battles The battle is the lords So all you need to do is just trust the lord God will take care of it And again those who are so upset of the things that are true May the lord speak to their hearts And bring them to faith in christ I don't have to worry about that But Dave is watching me The way that paul is saying Timothy you're going through tough times You're going through hard times Oh by the way timothy They're gonna kill me So watch me Because I have fought the good fight I have finished the race I have kept the faith Use me as your example That's why he could write and say to this young man God hasn't given us a spirit of fear But of power and of love Sound mind These are the things you need To be successful in ministry timothy Not fear Not your carnal strength Not human wisdom You need to trust the lord Again at the end of his ministry paul was abandoned by many But timothy you have the power of the spirit So remain faithful to god This gospel is a gospel that promises god's power love and self-discipline That produces a life that is capable of declaring such a life-changing message Hold fast and watch what god will do And finally therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our lord Nor of me as prisoner share with me In the sufferings for the gospel according to the paul