2nd Timothy and I want us to read from verse 8 through to verse 12. Please read with me. 2nd Timothy chapter 1 verse 8 through to 12. 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. Verse 9, 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. Verse 12, for this reason I also suffer 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've committed to him until that day. Please pray with me. Father, we ask you in the hearing of the scriptures that you would open our hearts. We pray that you would convict us. We pray that you would bring light to bear upon our souls. We pray for your transforming grace. We pray for the power of your Holy Spirit to teach us truth in the inward. Be with your servant, in Jesus' name. Amen. Well, the title of my message is Not Being Ashamed of the Gospel. And as you can see in your outline, if you have one, that this really is the first part of a number of sermons I'm going to preach, really from verse 8 right through to verse 18. Because really, this passage really deals with one And that key theme is not being ashamed of the gospel. Not being ashamed of the gospel. Now I want to remind you that these words that Paul writes to Timothy are really his last will and testament. This is the last thing the Apostle Paul will write. This is just before his execution. Of all the people that Paul could write to, has chosen to write to this young man. And there's a very obvious reason for that, isn't there? The obvious reason is that Paul is thinking beyond his life to the mission of the gospel, that the work must go on. And so he's writing to this young man who is going to quite literally take up the baton, who is going to be the one who steps up and carries the mission forward. And really, in essence, if you were looking for a verse that could sum up the whole letter of 2 Timothy, it would be the verse, I believe, found in chapter 2, verse 1. In fact, you should actually underscore it because this is that verse that everything can be tied back into. You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Now we know that Paul was in this dreadful prison, we know that things were very bleak for him, but in the midst of this dreadful prison, with hours, or maybe even, maybe days, maybe hours, we don't know, left to go, again, our brother Paul is thinking about his young protege, and he writes to him, and he, the first five verses that he writes to him in his, in his introduction and in the first things that he gets into, he writes to encourage. He writes to encourage this young man who is a servant of the Gospel. You know folks, just even thinking about that, we've got to realise that if someone is going to be serving in the capacity of preaching the Gospel, if someone is called to the ministry, one of the first things they need is they need encouragement. Because if they really call to the ministry, you know what they're struck with? They're struck with the reality of what Paul says in 2 Corinthians where he says, who is sufficient for these things? So Paul writes to Timothy to encourage him. Timothy is in the church in Ephesus. He's undergone a great deal of difficulty and challenges. There are people that have been trying to undercut his ministry. There have been people that have been introducing various kinds of heresies. One Timothy tells us that Paul has been attacked. Timothy's age, he's been despised for his age. And when we think of Timothy as a young man, we can perhaps think of him in his mid-30s, maybe late-30s, because he was at least 30 years younger than Paul. And so, Timothy may have very well been at a place, or at least Paul may have got information, got hint that Timothy was flagging in some way, that he was jaded, that he was just growing battle weary. So, the first five verses, our brother Paul, the apostle, seeks to motivate, to encourage, to stir Timothy up, And he does that in a number of ways. He does that with his authority. He speaks about the fact that he was called and he serves his forefathers with a clear conscience. Thanks God for that. He speaks to Timothy about his selfless spirit. He expresses appreciation for him. He reminds Timothy of his many prayers. He talks about the affection that he had for Timothy and he remembers Timothy's affection for him, his tears. And he expresses a deep desire to be with Timothy. He says, Timothy, I want you to come and visit with me. He affirms Timothy in verse 5. And he reminds this young man, he reminds him of his faith. He says to him, your faith is genuine. You have great spiritual roots. Your grandmother and your mother believed. You have a great spiritual heritage. Timothy, you are truly a true child of God. You are solidly in the Lord, Timothy. You have no reason to fear. Paul then gets to the practical instruction. He goes, as it were, a step further than just encouragement. And he comes now to exhortation. We find the first, therefore. And he says to Timothy in the light of that, I want you to remember, Timothy, God has given you a gift through the laying on of hands, through prophecy. But God has given you a gift and you must fan into flame. You must stir up. You must agitate that gift so that it burns white hot. Timothy, you cannot afford to be mediocre. You cannot afford to be lukewarm. And he tells Timothy how he is to do it. Through the Holy Spirit. God has not given you a spirit of fear, says Paul, but He has given you a spirit of power. You are a new creation. And the Spirit indwells you. And He causes you to walk in power. And He gives you a heart of love. And He gives you a sound mind. And He's really saying to Timothy, play the man, Timothy. Play the man. God has given you everything you need. In these verses that we are going to look at this morning, and I'm only going to be able to look at verses 8 to 10, what Paul really deals with here is he deals with what is necessary to serve God. What kind of attitude is necessary to serve God? It must be a pervasive attitude rooted in the power and the love and the self-control of the Holy Spirit or the sound-mindedness of the Holy Spirit. If we were to look at it from a negative perspective, we could put it this way. It is quite literally the Apostle Paul saying your attitude should be courage, but you must not be ashamed of the Gospel. You are to be bold and courageous and to speak and stand for Christ. That's what is important for carrying this mission on. You are to have the attitude That is, I trust the Lord, I fear no man, I fear God alone. That's what's necessary for an effective gospel ministry, friends. That's what's necessary to see the Kingdom of God expanding. There must be a willingness to be courageous for Christ, no matter what the cost is. no matter what you face. And so, in these next 10 verses, Paul speaks to the matter of not being ashamed. And he does it in verse 8, he does it in verse 12, and he does it in verse 16. And so I really believe that's the heart of what Paul is saying to Timothy. That's the attitude he needs to have. He is calling this young man to be courageous. He's calling him to be uncompromising, to be bold in his commitment to proclaim Jesus Christ, whatever may happen. I want to say, friends, that anyone who is going to effectively serve God must take this position. Anyone who is going to serve God must take this position. This must be characteristic of... I was thinking of that verse in Daniel. I don't know what translation it is, but it is stuck in my mind where in the latter chapters of Daniel we read this, that the people who know their God will do great things. And it is God who gives us the courage and the strength to face whatever we have to face. It is God who empowers us. Now think about this for a moment, friends, because once again we might glaze over with our eyes and think that this is only talking to Timothy. But let me say that everything that is in the Scriptures is for all of our benefit. And there is great practical application here for us. Think about this for a moment. Practically every one of us have been ashamed at some point to speak of Christ or to be linked with Christ. I know I have. There are times when I should have said something and I said nothing. And I know that it's true for every one of you. That at some point you have been ashamed of Christ. Now, our brother Paul is talking to Timothy about persecution. And certainly persecution is a strong deterrent to us. We fear death. Naturally, we fear death. But persecution is not the only thing that produces that fear. The Bible also talks about the fear of man. In fact, Proverbs tells us the fear of man brings a snare. And so, We can associate. We can at least relate to what Paul is saying here. Because we've all been embarrassed. We've all been ashamed of Christ at some point or another. I think one of the classic passages that speaks of being ashamed of Christ is when our disciples were with the Lord just before He was arrested and when He was arrested. Many of them fled from In fact, it's in Matthew chapter 26 and verse 56 we read these words. He's very own disciples. Then all the disciples forsook him and they fled. Now Peter fared a little better from this point of view that he didn't completely run away. He followed behind at a distance. But in the end, when Peter was confronted, what did he do? He denied the Lord three times. And the last time Peter denied the Lord, he denied the Lord with an oath. He swore that he didn't know this man. We know that when the Lord was resurrected, he comes to Peter and he restores Peter in John 21. And you remember what Jesus did when he restored Peter. Three times Jesus asked Peter, do you love me? And three times Peter had to affirm, Lord, you know, I love you. Why did he have to do it three times or why did Jesus do it? Why did he ask him three times? Because Peter denied him three times. And I want you to understand, friends, even in thinking of that, every time Peter affirmed he loved Jesus, what did Jesus say? Feed my sheep, feed my lambs, feed my sheep. Why did he restore him this way? Because you see, Peter had become, had been overcome with fear. And that fear had made him useless and rendered him ineffective. Peter was recoverable. And this is our Lord restoring Peter. And he says to our Lord three times, Lord, I love you. I love you. And three times the Lord says, feed my sheep, feed my lambs. Friends, why does our Lord do that? Because Peter needed to be restored. Peter needed the strength that he would not fall again into fear. You see, you can't proclaim what you're ashamed of. And when the Lord restored Peter, he was fit for service. It's interesting, in John chapter 21, verse 18 and 19, John records these words of our Lord Jesus. Or at least, he writes this under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, speaking about Peter's death. This is what he writes, Most assuredly I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished. But when you were old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish. And then John writes, this he spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he said to him, follow me. What did Peter do? Peter followed him. What does that mean? Peter embraced what that would mean. He embraced that that meant death. He embraced this calling and he understood what it meant. And when you get to the book of Acts in chapter 2, you see Peter preaching and you see a different Peter, filled with boldness, no fear in him, but courage. He preaches Christ fearlessly, confronting and denouncing the Jews and their wickedness, unashamedly. And with great boldness in the Spirit, he preaches Christ crucified. He preaches the resurrection, the judgment of God, telling people how they need to be saved. And people are cut to their heart. There is no fear in Peter. Filled with the Spirit of God. Mind set on the glory of Christ. And 3,000 people are saved for him, under the preaching of Peter. Why do I say this? because I think this ties in with what Paul had said in verse 7 where he says, For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Really what Paul is saying is, Timothy, embrace, embrace the gospel ministry wholeheartedly. The Spirit will give you power to face down that fear and God will use you mightily. He will use you mightily. Well, we come to our text and this is the second, therefore, that Paul gives in verse 8. In the light of what God has given Timothy, Paul now addresses Timothy's attitude, his outlook, his perspective. And friends, let me say this to you, this should be the attitude and the outlook and the perspective of every Christian. This is what we should, this is the attitude with which we should face the world. No matter what it costs, we're serving Christ. No matter what it costs. The first thing he says in verse 8 very simply is, do not be ashamed of the gospel. This is an imperative. This is a command. Do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner. Now let me pause for a moment and say the phrase, be ashamed, is not implying that Timothy had already become ashamed and Timothy was derelict of his duty. I don't think that's what it's saying. Maybe he was flagging someone, but that's not what it's saying. It's not as though Paul is saying, you're ashamed Timothy, you need to cease being ashamed. That's not what he's saying here. In fact, I believe the use of the Greek eros tense here suggests that at present, Timothy was not ashamed. However, Paul wanted to warn Timothy. And really this is, he's saying to Timothy, don't ever let such fear get a foothold in your heart. You see, Paul realized under the pressure, under the challenges that were taking place, Timothy may easily succumb to such fear, which would completely wreck his ministry. So there was this temptation to succumb to shame. Now folks, this is not a figment of Paul's imagination. What was going on with the Christians in Rome and the Nero? They were being thrown in jail and then they were being taken out, marched out and put on poles and wrapped in tar and set alight as human tortures. Many of them were thrown to the lions. It was very tempting. for Timothy to succumb to shame. The cross of Christianity was and always will be a scandal. Think about what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians. He says both Jews and Gentiles view the cross as a scandal. The crucifixion was seen as a scandal, a penalty reserved only for the worst of criminals. In fact, it was seen by many as the ultimate emblem of disgrace and dishonor. We have no idea of what that means for us. We carry around jewelry with little crosses on them and have little earrings with crosses. We have no idea what that cross really, what it meant in those days. It's like, might as well wear an electric chair or a hangman's noose. In fact, it's far worse than For the Jews it was someone who was cursed. And so, Timothy, who is being warned by Paul, don't be ashamed. Don't be ashamed of testifying about the Lord or the testimony of the Lord. Don't be ashamed about associating with me. There's every possibility that Timothy may have been embarrassed that some of the mockers saw Jesus as no more than a dead Jew. Oh, you see what happened to this Jesus. Now look what happens to his apostle. He's in prison. He's about to have his head chopped off. What does all of this amount to? You think about Paul and Timothy's relationship with Paul. Timothy could have been tempted to be ashamed of Paul. Here he is in prison again. Oh, that man is always in prison. And perhaps his detractors were stirring up trouble, saying all kinds of things about the Apostle Paul. He's in prison again. Timothy more than likely might have been tempted. I don't want to end up in that awful prison where Paul is. That's where Christians end up. So Paul adds, don't be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, which is the gospel. Nor of me, his prisoner. Now friends, I don't want to hurry on here without seeing something important. It's very striking how Paul identifies himself. Notice how he identifies himself. Nor of me, his prisoner. He doesn't say nor of me, Nero's prisoner, or a prisoner in Rome, but of his prison, of Christ's prison. This is, what is Paul doing? He's really saying to Timothy, Timothy this, I'm exactly where God wants me to be. I am not held by the chains of the Romans. I'm not in the prison of the Romans. I am here because I am an ambassador. This is exactly where God wants me to be. He so identifies. Paul is so united with Christ in what he's saying here. He said it in Philippians and he's saying it here. In fact, let me go as far as to say this, friends. Do you remember what Paul said in the book of Galatians? Do you remember what he said to the Galatian church? He made this stunning statement in Galatians 2,220. It's one of my favorite verses. I am crucified with Christ. Therefore, I no longer live. You see, beloved, when Paul writes to Timothy, and he talks about the Lord's testimony, and he ties that in with himself being a prisoner. What he's literally saying is, listen, as Christ is, so am I. I have been crucified with Christ. This is what Christ did, and this is what every one of us is called to. Hendrickson says this. since Paul is so intimately associated with the Gospel, it does not surprise us to read, Do not be ashamed of the testimony concerning our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner. Not Nero's prisoner is Paul, though it may seem that way, but our Lord's. And the Apostle always emphasizes that thought in connection with the idea of being a prison. You see beloved, if you're in Christ, there's nothing that can do that is not directed and guided and under the hand of a sovereign God. That is great decomfort. That is great decomfort. Because Christ causes your thoughts And wherever you are, Christ is. And whatever they do to you, they do to Christ. Remember what happened on the road to Damascus when Saul was persecuting the Christians? And what did Jesus who appeared to him say? Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? I want to say, beloved, this is a strong antidote against fear. This is a strong antidote against fear. You are safe, you are secure in Christ your Savior. He had come to understand profoundly those words, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute? And remember what God had said about the apostle Paul, Acts chapter 9 15 go for he is a chosen vessel of mine to bear my name before the Gentiles Kings and the children of Israel for I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name's sake he's saying to Timothy don't be ashamed of the Lord and don't be ashamed of me I am exactly where God wants me to be Timothy and that is the same for you and Whatever may come your way, you will be exactly where God wants you to be, because you are in Christ. I cannot help, friends, but be struck by this. How the Lord had so set this man free and delivered him. This is the Apostle Paul from himself. Because what Timothy is witnessing in practice is the very words that Paul spoke in Galatians of that indestructible life of Christ in the believer who trusts his Savior. Remember how he starts, I am crucified with Christ, therefore I no longer live. And then he goes on and he says, but the life I live in the flesh, how do I live it? I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me. I am here because Christ loves me. and Timothy, whatever comes your way, whatever you have to endure and face, God will give you the strength and you will be exactly where you ought to be because Christ loves you. I think that's a strong motivation. He says, do not be ashamed, but then he goes on and he says, share my suffering. Beloved, Paul's words are an imperative here. But they are also a warm, I think, an exhortation to Timothy. This is really Paul writing to Timothy and saying to him, look away from yourself, Timothy. Look to Christ. This is the walk of faith. Look to Christ. Consider my example. God has called you to be a partaker of true life in Christ, which means that you share in gospel suffering. Share with me in the sufferings for the gospel. You see, beloved, I want to submit this to you. You cannot separate sufferings in this world from the Paul of being a Christian. You can't. You will soon. In fact, later on, Paul's going to write to Timothy in this very letter. Everyone who desires to live a godly life will be persecuted. But you remember what Paul says in Philippians. writing to those believers under great duress. He says these things in chapter 1 verse 29 of Philippians. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake. Friends, did our Lord Jesus himself not tell us that this was part of what it means, the blessedness of what it means to be a Christian. Think of Matthew chapter 5. Think of what Jesus said at the end of the Beatitudes. He said this, Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad for great is your reward in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets who were before them. For the Christian's suffering cannot be separated from the wonderful glory that is ours in the cross. And Paul tells us that. You look at verse 8 again. Right at the end of verse 8, what does he say? He says, therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me, his prisoner, but share with me in the suffering of the gospel. Notice the next thing. According to the power of God. According to the power of God. Now, I want to remind you, friends. In the New Testament, it was always considered a blessing to be counted worthy of suffering. Now, I want to also make a clarifying statement. I'm not saying that suffering in and of itself is a good thing. It's a terrible thing. Suffering is an awful thing. But when we suffer for Christ, when we suffer for the gospel, there is wonderful glory in that. Peter wrote to the believers in the diaspora. Remember what he says to them. In 1 Peter 4, verse 12 and 13, he says, Beloved, don't think it strange concerning the fiery trial, but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings. And when his glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. And then Peter says this, if you are reproached for the name of Christ, Blessed are you. Why? He says, for the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. You preach the cross, beloved, and I promise you, you will suffer for Christ. I promise you. I'm quite prepared to stand here today and to be opposed, but I know I won't be. Because when you preach the Christ, and you preach Him crucified, and you preach Him faithfully, you will suffer for it. You will suffer for it from family members, you will suffer for it from your community, you will suffer for it from your society. That is guaranteed. This is what we need to come to terms with tonight. We need to come to terms with what Paul is saying here to Timothy. Our suffering is inextricably linked with the glory of the gospel. It is inextricably linked with the glory of the gospel. Share with me. In suffering for the gospel according to what? The power of God. Now I want to take these things Paul exhorts Timothy to remember the power of God. This is where we see the power of God. It is the gospel of power by the power of God who has saved us and called us to a holy life. Look at this. Verse 8, according to the power of God who saved us and called us with a holy calling. You know, when you think about the world's definition of power. It is so horrible, isn't it? It is so horrible. People glory in the power of their humanity. And there is a form of power, to be sure. Think of military power, political power, technological power, economic power. People love power. They do. And there is some power. They're so obsessed with power that they think they can achieve almost anything in and of themselves. Think about how people are besotted with power. People actually are now making plans to cryogenically freeze themselves because they believe that in the not too distant future they can actually bring themselves back to life and they can have any disease that they have cured. It's been happening for a long time. And so, there is this idea of power, but friends, it is not power. Because no one has ever been able to save themselves from death. Even though man's power is great to an extent, compared with God's power, what is it? It's pathetic. In fact, Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians, even the foolishness of God is better than the wisdom of man, is stronger than the wisdom of man. Think about the power of man. Can man's power change the condition of a sinner? No. And as long as man is in his sin, he will always Man can have his behavior changed and manipulated, but ultimately his heart cannot be changed. There will always be war, there will always be wickedness, there will always be all manner of evil. But compared to God's power, God's power affects not only life in this world, but the eternal world through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. You see, beloved, when we think of God's power, we need to think about how Christ conquered that grave. We need to think about how Christ crushed the head of the serpent. And God's power is not given to destroy. God's power, its purpose is to save. Oh yes, friends, we will see God's power in the destruction of sinners. But the Bible explicitly tells us that God does not delight in the destruction of sinners and of the weak. He doesn't delight All of God's power was manifested in Christ's suffering and dying on the cross and conquering the grave. For what, friends? For what purpose? To save! To deliver man from sin! Friends, this is the message our world needs. And this is the message that is conveyed so powerfully and so clearly. Will God's saints suffer for the sake of the gospel? There is a glory of God that rests on it. I don't know about you, but I can speak for myself. I have a book in my library by J.C. Waugh, Life from Old Times. One of the things I love reading in that book, I haven't read it for a while, it is on the account of those martyrs as they went to the stake to be burned. And they were singing the hymns and reciting the hymns. And as they were being burned at the stake, people were being saved. Children were being saved. And then the children were being burned at the stake. The glory and the power of God in the gospel. Paul is telling Timothy, the gospel is where the power of God is. Don't be ashamed, Timothy. Don't be ashamed of the testimony of the Lord. Don't be ashamed of me, His servant. I am not helpless. I am not a victim. I am exactly where God wants me to be. Standing in the power of God. Friends, we should not be ashamed of the gospel. There are many things we could be ashamed of. But may it never be said of us that we are ashamed of the crucified Christ. For therein is the power of God unto salvation. Well, there's another thing Paul draws our attention to here as he speaks to Timothy. He talks about the power of God, but as he goes deeper and he expands on the gospel, he talks about the grace of the gospel. He talks about the grace of the gospel. Look at verse 9 and 10. 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 he gave 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 life through the gospel. Folks, it's a wonderful thing to know that God is powerful. Wonderful. But it is also frightening, because power without grace is terrible. Because Hebrews tells us that we We need to be careful that we don't fall into the hands of the living God, for He is right in this world. If we're outside of Christ, we do not want to fall into the hands of the living God. We do not want to experience His power and His wrath for that race. And that's what's so glorious about the Gospel. That's what Paul does here. He tells us of the Gospel. He exhorts Timothy to focus on the Gospel. One New Testament scholar, William Barclay, said this, There are few passages in the New Testament which have in them and behind them such a sense of the sheer grandeur of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Let's talk about this grace that we see in these verses. The first thing we see about grace is that it is sovereign grace. It is sovereign grace. Join with me in suffering for the gospel by the power of God who has saved us and called us to a holy life, not because of anything we have done, but because of his own purpose and grace. Beloved, The gospel originated in God, and the gospel is totally the good news of God's grace. It is not only the gospel of Jesus Christ, but it is the gospel of God. That's what Paul calls it in Romans chapter 1, verse 1. It is not based on anything we have done. It is not based on anything we have done. It is all of grace, undeserved kindness from above. Paul put it this way in Titus chapter 3 verse 5. He says, He saved us not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy according to His purpose. Ephesians, one of the key verses of this. Chapter 2 verse 8 and 9. By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not from yourselves. It is the gift of God, not only by works, so that no one can boast. Beloved, our salvation is of God. If it depended in anything, or if it depended on anything in us, if it depended on our position, if it depended on our breed, if it depended on anything in us or out of us externally, in terms of our condition or our environment, it would be utterly insufficient. It would be utterly insufficient. It would be hopeless. We would never have peace. We would never have confidence. You see, beloved, this is one of the problems of the Roman Catholics, is they keep getting thrown back onto themselves. It's all about them and their works. And so they can never have assurance of faith. When you ask them, I hope so. No, friends, it is all based on what God has done. All based on the finished work of Christ. All glory goes to God for His sovereign, omnipotent, sustaining grace. It is sovereign grace. But Paul does something else here. He tells us it's not just sovereign grace. He tells us it's pre-existent grace. Look at the next phrase in verse 9. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time. I remember a little biography I was reading about Charles Spurgeon. And there was an old lady in the church who came up to Spurgeon, and Spurgeon had just preached about the sovereign grace of God, about the fact that it was love before time. And she said to him, and it must have touched his heart, because it's actually notes. So it's really his own biography. She said, Mr. Spurgeon, I am so thankful for the doctrine of an action, that God chose me before time. Because if God had waited, when I was born and I lived, He would never have chosen me. And beloved, this is God's love before time. He sets His love on us. If we go to Ephesians again, and you look at chapter one, verse four to six, It expands this. This is what Paul says, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in love. God loves before time. God loved you before time. And since God gave grace to us in Christ before history began, friends, we are absolutely certain, therefore, that salvation could never be from anything. There is no iota of doubt about that. God the Father gave us grace in Christ before we did or could do any good works. And our salvation is due only to God's pre-existing grace. Grace before time. God's love before time. He set us apart. He called us. Isn't that what Paul means when he says in Romans 8 verse 28 when he wrote these words? Or at least this is what it culminates into. And we know that all things work together for good, even suffering, even the worst possible thing to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his promise. That is a great comfort to me. I think of those of you who've gone through tragedies. Some have lost children. Some have faced cancer. Trials. that all of you have faced in some way, shape or form. All of this was planned by God, and it was for your good. God used even evil things, and to be sure there are evil things, there are bad things, but He used bad things, and have broken all of them, and He uses them for your good, because you are called according to His purpose. And His purpose is that one day you will be presented before Him, the Father, by His Son, spotless and without blemish. He called you to be holy. He called you to shine like the stars, like His sun shines. Let's move on. Sovereign grace. Pre-existent grace. But this text also speaks about visible grace, visible grace. Ultimately, God's sovereign grace, pre-existent in Christ, became visible and effective. It became efficacious. Christ took on a body. He took on a body. He became a man. He lived in this world of sorrows, in this veil of tears. He suffered and he died, and God raised him from the dead. Look at verse 10, carrying on about the grace of God. But, talking about that grace, that grace 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. That's why we come to this table, isn't it? That's why we come to this table. This is glorious. The gospel is good news. Paul wrote this in 1 Corinthians 15 verse 3 and 4. He said Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. He was buried and He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. Friends, from beginning to end, the glory of the Gospel is that everything is of God! Everything! If you think you are worthy of sitting at this table, you better not come. You better not come. I fear for you. You better not come. If you know you are unworthy by nature, if you know that you were a wretch and a sinner and God in His grace had mercy on you and saved you, and yes, you struggle with sin, remaining sin, and yes, there's a battle in this world, absolutely, but you are looking to Christ and you are trusting your Savior, come to this table. And let your faith be restored. And let this table remind you of the power of the gospel. He suffered and died. He is beloved. He is body. He is for you. And all that is required is that by faith you receive it. And you trust it. Beloved, it is the gospel that gives us power to stand. It is the gospel that will drive out shame and fear. If we are tempted to shame, look at Christ. Think about what He has done. Think about His suffering. Think about the power of God manifest. in sending His Son and causing Him to be raised from the dead. That same power that raised Christ from the dead is in you. And when you stand for Christ, that power is manifest in a way that is glorious. It is glorious. And you may not have to have your head chopped off Or you may not have to be burned at the stake, but I tell you, friends, that glory shines when you stand up to a wicked world that is trying to cause you to cower and compromise, and you say, no. No. The grace of God teaches us to say no to ungodliness. But your eyes have to be fixed on Jesus. And that's what Paul is doing for Timothy. He's trying, he's encouraging you. Fix your eyes on Christ. Be rooted and grounded in Him. Abide in Him. Be united to Him. Walk in step with the Spirit of God. And beloved, you will not know the fear and the shame that comes from the flesh. Namaste. And I cannot help but end with one of the most glorious declarations found in the New Testament when the Apostle Paul was writing to the church in Rome in chapter 1 verse 16. And he said this, for I am not ashamed of the gospel. I am not ashamed of the gospel. For it is the power of God to salvation for everyone. And I encourage you, my friends, Don't be afraid of sharing your faith with that crazy atheist who lives down the road or that determined Jehovah Witness or whatever it is. Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid of that family member who you may think, well, if I share the gospel, they'll cut themselves off from me. No. Listen to the words of the Apostle Paul. I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. And it comes down to our practical decisions. It comes down to that temptation that comes on your telephone. It comes down to the temptation that you face in whatever condition it may be. You need to stand in God's grace and say, I am not ashamed. I trust the Lord. I believe the Lord. I'm going to walk with Him. and God will use your words in a glorious and a wonderful way. Again, I remind you of Peter. Three thousand years ago, that day, when he stood in the strength of the Spirit and he preached God. Peter had come to that point where he said, he had said like Paul, I am crucified with Christ. They can do with me whatever they want. You go on in Acts and you see how the Sanhedrin couldn't handle these men. They were ignorant fishermen and yet they spoke with such authority. Beloved, this is the glory and the power of the gospel that enables us to stand.