Let's pray. God, once again, we just thank you for who you are and your goodness and the great things you have done, and we give you praise. We pray now that you'd take our hearts and turn the attention of our hearts to your word, and that you'd speak to us by the power of your spirit as you so faithfully do. And we give you praise, God, for the work that you have done, the work you're gonna do. In Jesus' name, amen. 2nd Timothy today, we're going to finish the first chapter verses 8 through 18 and it is a study that I have called don't deviate Don't be afraid and don't be ashamed. That's the essence of 2nd Timothy chapter 1 Paul tells Timothy don't be afraid to serve God and don't be ashamed of the message and or the men of God The work of Christ in you is genuine. You are grounded in the word, you are gifted by the spirit. Therefore stir up the gift of God which is in you and Christ will be magnified through you for God has not given us a spirit of fear, right? but of power and of love and of a sound mind. It is the birthright of every believer in Jesus Christ. And therefore, he says in verse eight of chapter one, 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. You see, since God has not given us a spirit of fear or timidity, now let's not forget what we're talking about when we say that. We're not saying that as a believer, you will never be afraid, or if you are afraid, that you are somehow in sin. That is unbalanced, it is untrue. We know that fear can keep us out of a lot of trouble. What we're talking about here is that fear that paralyzes you, that keeps you from following through on God's plan or God's purpose for your life. The Spirit of God will enable you to overcome that fear, to follow through on what he's leading you to do. And that will be affecting you in very tangible, very practical ways. One of which will be your concern for what God thinks over your concern of what man thinks. The Bible declares that the fear of man will bring a snare. And our desire to be accepted by man, can cause us to do some very shameful things. And so often we value too much what man thinks and we value too little what God thinks. And because of that we might hang our head in shame or in silence when we ought to be standing up and speaking out. But Paul says, don't, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. Now, when he says that, we translate this a couple millenniums later. Today, we might be embarrassed a little bit, people start talking about Jesus or something, but we're 2,000 plus years removed and a continent away from the context of what Paul the Apostle was speaking of here. Somehow we have managed to sanitize or maybe somehow disinfect the cross. We've made it all safe and stuff. It's jewelry now. Perhaps it's a decorative emblem or item on a shirt or on the back glass of your car is a sticker or something like that. But in Paul's day, to follow a crucified master, and especially to call him savior, carried entirely different connotations. I mean, today I don't see too many lethal injection needles dangling off the ear in the form of an earring on someone, or an electric chair on the end of a necklace, a firing squad line up as some big bling across the chest or something. You know, we don't see that. That would be really awkward. It would seem kind of crazy to somehow glamorize or magnify the instrument of death. And yet that's exactly what was happening in, you know, in Paul's day. Hey, it seemed crazy. Let's put it like this. To the Corinthians, he said this, for the message of the cross is foolishness, right? to those who are perishing. What are you doing? You're magnifying this instrument of death, this man who died on a cross. The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, the Bible says, for they are foolishness to him, nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. But to us who are being saved, you see, to you and me, we realize it's the power of God. The message of the gospel is the power of God to save souls and to transform lives. And therefore, Paul says to you and to me, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. Don't be ashamed to declare the fact that Jesus Christ is the foundation of your life and there is no salvation in any other, for there is no other name given among men under heaven by which we must be saved. Don't be ashamed to declare that in order for you to be saved, you must believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and that if you want to be where he is, you must deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow him. Paul says, don't be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. nor of me, he says, his prisoner." His prisoner? Wait a minute, Paul, you're a prisoner of Rome. No, no, no, no way, Paul says. God is in control of my life, and if I'm here, it's because it will somehow serve the providential plan of God for my life. Say, wait, wait a minute, what are you trying to say? Are you actually trying to say that sometimes God's will can allow for discomfort or tough times or even suffering in my life? Yeah, that's exactly, it's both the declaration of the word of God and the invitation of Paul the apostle. He says, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel. There was no ambiguity, there was no uncertainty when Jesus said very clearly, in this world, you will have, not you might have, not if it's your rough day, you could have, but what? You will have tribulation. Later on in this very letter, Paul writes, yes, and some, some of you who are unfortunate, is that what it says? No, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus, what? will suffer persecution, probably the least liked promise in all of the Bible. How many of you have that scripture like on your wall or your refrigerator, somewhere on a plaque in your bathroom or something, you know? You're probably not. I don't either. But there seems to be a sense of entitlement almost today in the average American Christian that believes that the Christian life is one that should be all easy and sweet and bright and breezy and all. Or as my children say, easy peasy, lemon squeezy. to which I promptly add, throw it in the fridge and freeze it. And it just gets instantly and audibly rejected as a viable addition to their catchphrase, be that as it may. Many believers think that we just have an indulgent heavenly father who exists to remove every rock out of our road, never let anything serious happen to us and make sure we lie sweetly every night on a bed of roses. It's like the will that read, true story, to my son, I leave the pleasure of earning a living. For 25 years he thought the pleasure was mine, he was mistaken. You know, but sometimes that's the way we perceive God. Like he's there to make our life easy, you know. Yet the word of God says, share with me. in the sufferings for the gospel. Not enough, Paul says, to simply be unashamed of the imprisoned apostle, the one who is suffering for his faithfulness to the Lord. Not enough to simply be identified with him or unashamed of him. the invitation, the exhortation is to share with him in the sufferings. Do me a favor, leave 2 Timothy, flip to the left about an eighth of an inch at max to the book of Philippians chapter three. So turn back, gee whiz, that's maybe a sixteenth of an inch. Philippians chapter three, just a few pages back. You there? You there? Everybody there? Good chunk of you? Philippians chapter three, let's draw your attention beginning in the eighth verse where Paul the apostle writing again says, yet indeed I also count all things lost for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have, oh there's that word we don't like. suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith, that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship," what's that? Of his what? Sufferings. being conformed to his death, if by any means I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Oh, you see, we're all about the power of the resurrection. There's something about this word power. that is appealing, that is attractive to us. You remember, how many of you remember before he passed away, you remember Billy Mays, that guy that did all of the different infomercials and stuff? Billy Mays here with the power of OxyClean, remember that guy? Billy Mays here, and that's the power of the garden weasel, you know? Garden weasel, did anybody ever buy one of those? Don't raise your hand, I don't wanna know. The garden weasel. Billy Mays here and the power of Mighty Putty, you remember that? That was his big word, the power of this and the power of that. And we're attracted to, we're drawn to this power. And here we see the power of the resurrection and we say yes, we're all about the power of the resurrection. But the fellowship of his sufferings? Yeah, not so much. But listen, how can we know the power of the resurrection apart from the fellowship of his sufferings being conformed to his death? Death, last time I checked, death always precedes resurrection. And if we're to know the power of the resurrection, the fellowship of his sufferings conformity to his death, Well, that's a must. To the Galatians, Paul said that like this. He said, I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. I have been crucified with Christ. I am conformed to his death, you see. It is no longer I who live, that old man is dead, and now it is Christ who lives in me. Share with me in the sufferings for the gospel, notice, according to the power of God. Now herein lies, in sort of a deductive rationale, but herein lies the acknowledgement that no one really likes to suffer. Nobody really enjoys the concept or the reality of suffering. I mean, even Jesus himself prayed three times that if it be your will, Father, remove this cup from me. You remember that Paul the Apostle pleaded with God again and again and again, three times, that if it be possible that he would please take this thorn, whatever the affliction may have been, he said, please, God, that you would take it from me. However, there are simply times that suffering will be a part of the Christian life. But now here's the deal, we're to make sure that if we're suffering, it's for no fault of our own. You say, what do you mean? Well, what I mean is that if you do something wrong and you bring some ramification or recourse upon yourself, don't think you're suffering for the sake of the gospel. We call that sowing and reaping, right? It's an inescapable law, spiritual law, that God has put into effect. No one escapes it. If you sow to the wind, you will reap the whirlwind. If you sow to the flesh, of the flesh we reap what? Corruption, right? But, however, if you're doing the right thing and you suffer for that, then you are what we call partaking of the sufferings of Christ, who himself suffered and yet did no wrong, you see. And here's Paul, suffering for no fault, no wrong of his own. He says, share with me in the sufferings for the gospel. You know, there's also a sense in which we share in the sufferings when we, what? Weep with those who weep. When our heart is intertwined with those who are in that place of suffering or going through that tough time or that hardship, but we're to suffer. Well, the quote is, the phrase found is, according to the power of God. What does that mean? Well, it means that God's power is not always there to remove the suffering, okay? Sometimes it's there to see us through the suffering. You remember, there they were, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, right in the heat of it, man, right in the flames. And there was one like the Son of God right there with them, in the midst of it with them, seeing them through it, you see. I say this occasionally, we talk about suffering, but it's not the scripture, it's Simon and Garfunkel that talked about being your bridge over troubled waters, right? Jesus, the word of God, says that he will lead us through the waters, and he will uphold us with his righteous right hand, right? Oftentimes we envision God's power as the attribute that will make us some kind of superhero, some superman abolishing all evil. Because this word power is related to the, well you remember Acts chapter one, you shall receive Power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and that word dunamis there that dynamic dynamite type power of the Holy Spirit and so when we read of this power we think boom and pow and you know abolishing all evil and this and that and every affliction is removed and all and Certainly God can do that However, sometimes God's power is there to simply see us through times of pain, not alter the situation, but enable us to endure, to bear up under that load or that situation, that stress. You see, according to, by the means of. You see that? Share with me in the sufferings for the gospel by the means of or through the means of. the power of God. Verse nine, who has saved us by the power of God, God who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ who has abolished death and brought to life and immortality has brought pardon me abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel do yourself a favor highlight underline parentheses somehow draw attention to these two verses in this chapter they are the heart of the gospel message that God has saved you, that he has called you, not because you are holy, but that you might be holy, not according to your works, but according to his own purpose, by his grace, which was given to you in Christ Jesus. Notice the phrase, before time began. Now this is one of those verses that if you think about it too long, it's like your head explodes. You know what I'm talking about? However, I encourage you to think about it, to meditate on it. Let it sink deep into your heart. God's redemptive purposes toward you were established before the world was ever created, before time ever began. What does that mean? That means that time is something that God created. He lives outside of. He created it to establish structure and order and parameters for you and for me, a linear life. But for God, He created it. His redemptive purpose for you was purposed before or ordained before. Creation, you see. I want you to notice the divine initiative. Why did you surrender your life to Christ? I'm gonna give you a clue. It wasn't because you initiated the search. It wasn't because you just thought, well, I just think I'll go, you know, hey, no. It was because God called you, okay? That's why. And you responded to his call in your life. Isn't that what Jesus said? He said, you didn't choose me. I chose you and I appointed you that you should bear much fruit and that your fruit should remain. And that's why you guys, it's so critical to respond when you sense the tugging of the Holy Spirit. You sense God tugging on your heart and in your life because there's no guarantee that he's gonna call out to you again. That's why the Bible says today is the day of salvation. If you will hear his voice, don't harden your heart. Open your heart. Oh yeah, we know God is gracious. Many times he pleads and pleads and pleads, doesn't he, that we would be reconciled to Christ. But in the end, we have no guarantee. When God calls, you do well to respond right then and there. Don't put it off if God is drawing you, if he is speaking to you, if he is tugging on you. And notice that He didn't call us because we were such a great find. So many times, I mean, we think more highly of ourselves than we ought. Wow, God got a good catch when He landed me or something, you know, or maybe it was because of that that He called out to me or whatever. No, hey, listen, not according to your works has nothing to do with you. I think it was Spurgeon who used to say that he was so thankful that God called him before he ever existed because if he waited until after he had existed, he'd have never got the call, you know, kind of a thing. We all, like sheep, had gone astray. We were all pursuing our own way, but God had a plan, and he called out to us according to his own purpose, not because we were holy by any means, but that we might be holy, you see. He called us by, well the word is, his own purpose and what? What's the word? You see it there? Say it loud. Grace. In the book of Ephesians, Paul said it like this, for by grace you have been saved. Look at that, all the stuff you can underline in there. For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It has nothing to do, you see, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. You see, His purpose was prepared beforehand. Translation, His grace was given to you in Christ Jesus, as it says right here, before time began. You, listen to me, you are a part of the eternal plan of God. Who knows the end from the beginning? He has given you his grace before time ever began. You say, I don't get it. Listen, I don't either, but I'm so thankful for it. that God had a plan for you and that He called out to you. He has ordained that your life would glorify Him through His redemption and good works in your life, through His grace in your life, through His strength in your life as He sees you through that season of struggle or suffering. You see, God's plan of redemption, of grace toward man through faith in Christ, of bringing Jew and Gentile together as one, all of it, has been in the heart and mind of God since eternity past, but has now, the Bible says, been revealed by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ. So what does that mean? Well, it means that God's plan of salvation, of grace through faith, of eternal life, of the abolishment of death was, well, it was cloudy, it was a bit convoluted, if that's the right word. It was murky in the Old Testament. Oh, there were shadows, there were illusions, but they were cloudy at best. But they're made clear in Christ. It means that, think about this, God's power, God's complexity, God's creativity, His diversity, the very fact that He is a reality are crystal clear, even in nature, you see. I mean, think it through. David declared, the heavens declare the glory of God. And the firmament shows his handiwork. Day unto day utters speech. Night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice, that is the voice of creation, is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world. The whole earth is filled with his glory. Romans 1 tells us that the invisible attributes of God are clearly seen. through the creation of the world, so that man is without excuse as to his existence. So creation itself. reveals God's existence, God's power, His diversity, His complexity, the sun, the moon, the stars, the galaxies, the complexities of the human anatomy, the various systems, cardiovascular, reproductive, nervous, muscular, skeletal, all of these things, the diversity of the animal kingdom, aquatic life, insects, plant life, it all screams the existence of a divine creator. But what it doesn't tell me is that God loves me. It does not communicate with me that God is for me and not against me, that He longs to forgive and have a relationship with me. That purpose of God has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ. That God so loved the world, you see, that He gave His only begotten Son. who has abolished death. That word abolished means to render idle, unemployed, which is my personal favorite, render death unemployed, I like that idea. Inoperative. or to make of none effect. Now it doesn't mean that you'll never taste death, okay? But that God has saved you out of death. Death has lost its sting, you see. You will never be separated from God by death as a believer. Death for the believer becomes the chauffeur that delivers you into his presence. It graduates you into glory. and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. These are the things, again, immortality means incorruptibility. I'd refer you to 1 Corinthians 15, verses 50 through 58 on that one, if you wanna read on that. And again, the understanding of life after life, it was murky in the Old Testament. There were shadows, there were illusions, there were suggestions and hints and all of that. But Jesus brought those things to light when he said, I am the resurrection and the life and he who believes in me will never die. He said, do you believe this? Though he may die yet will he live and shall he live and believe he will never die. Life after life. Jesus made it clear through the gospel, through his own death and resurrection. How can you deny life after life when there Jesus stands, you see? The word gospel, I mean, it just means what? Good news. Hey, listen, it's good news that God thought of you, isn't it? It's good news that God loved you and called you before time began. It's good news that Christ died for you, that he has a holy calling for you, and that he has shown to you and shared with you eternal life. He's given you eternal life. Christ has abolished death. He has brought life and immortality to light. through the gospel, you see. To which Paul says, I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. And for this reason, I also suffer these things. That is, he's imprisoned there. He's got a sentence of death upon him. Nevertheless, he says, I'm not ashamed. For I know whom I have believed and am persuaded. that he is able to keep what I have committed to him until that day. Okay, Paul gives kind of a three-fold thing here, an apostle, a preacher, and a teacher of the gospel. We know that the apostle means sent out. What's the difference between preaching and teaching? Well, preaching is for the unbeliever, okay? Preaching is for the lost. It is a declaration that you are a sinner, and as a sinner you have offended a holy God who must punish sin in order to be just. But yet this same holy God has loved you. He's given his son to pay the penalty for you. And if you will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, that God will forgive you of all of your sin, that he will reconcile you to himself through the blood of the cross of Jesus. You see, this is the gospel. We preach these things. We proclaim these things. Teaching, on the other hand, is for the saved, for the one who knows the Lord. It's where we break down and explain the great truths and doctrines that are contained in Scripture. It's the exhortation and application in the moral demands of the Word of God that we might grow. You see, in our faith, be transformed by the renewing of our minds through the washing of the water of the word of God, that we might be made more like Christ. So the church needs teaching, you see. We need to be taught what God's word says, how it applies to our lives, and how we should obey what he has said. That we might live this quote unquote holy calling to which we've been called. And Paul says that because of his faithfulness to lay hold of that for which Christ laid hold of him, to be the apostle and the preacher and the teacher of Gentiles, that he is suffering in prison. He says, but I'm not ashamed. Why? Because he says, I know whom I have believed. Two words, two critical words there. If you're an underliner or a note taker, margin etcher, whatever, Number one, the word know. Very important. It's not a know as in experiential knowledge. It is a stronger word. It means absolute beyond even a chance of doubt knowledge. The knowledge of what God is intrinsically in himself which makes him absolutely dependable in every situation, any circumstance you see. I know this, he says. And the second word is whom. It's whom. It's not what. Well, I know what I believe. Well, that's neat. It's not a what. It's not legalism. It's not ritualism. It's not religion. It's whom I believe. It is a personal relationship with a person, the person of Jesus Christ that's critical. I know whom. I know whom. I have believed. Now this phrase, I have believed, again, is in the perfect tense. And what that means is I have believed in the past, right, with the present result that my faith is a firmly settled one. It's like hammering a nail through a board and then bending it over on the backside so that it can't be removed. That's what he's saying, he's saying my faith is like permanently, immovably in the God whom I know. You see, he says I am persuaded. Again, the perfect tense. He had come to a settled persuasion regarding the matter. He was fixed in an immovable position, knowing that Jesus is able to keep that which had been committed to him until the day that we see him face to face. You say, well, that's real neat, Jeff. That's a neat interpretation. What's the application? Commit everything to him. That's the application, right? Everything. Your life, your soul, your body, your character, your reputation, your resources, your children, if it's of value to you, commit it to Jesus Christ. For he is able to keep that which is committed to him until that day. He is intrinsically, immovably faithful, you see. Question, until that day, he says, how precious is that day to you. That probably depends on how much you've committed to him. You see, if your hope, if your treasure lies in the things of this world, then you may not be looking forward too much to that day when you say goodbye to all of the things in this world. But where your treasure is, where everything that you value is, there your heart will be also. Look at verse 13, he says, hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus and that good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. Hold fast, he says. Hold on, hold on tight. That suggests that someone or something will try to snatch it from you if you're not holding on unrelentingly, you see, to the truth of the word of God, the gospel, that good thing that's been committed to you. If you don't hold fast, if you don't hold on, the enemy will snatch it from you. You remember, he came to steal. to kill and to destroy. You remember the parable that the sower went out to sow the seed and on some, the birds of the air came and they snatched it away. Remember that? He will not miss his opportunity, believe you me. You hold fast. But really, this is the measure of any pastor, isn't it? Does he hold fast? I don't care who he is, if he stands behind a pulpit, if he takes a stage and shares the word of God, here is the measure. Does he hold fast the pattern of sound words? The primary measure is not, man, he's hilarious. Or, man, he's really entertaining. Or, hey, I'm never bored when I go to church there. Or the measure is not even, man, he has a real heart for the lost, you see. Because, hey, look, in some, in seeking to be acceptable to the unbeliever, Remember we talked about earlier how sometimes the drive to be accepted by man will cause us to do some shameful things. And sometimes some pastors, some guys who take the pulpit in an effort to really, really be accepted by the world is what it is. They want the people who are unbelieving, who are worldly or whatever to say, hey, church is something I can identify with. Hey, church is cool and it's hip and their goal is to be accepted by the world. We call it seeker friendly, right? And some guys, in seeking to be acceptable to the unbeliever, abandon the truth of the gospel. They don't want to talk about the blood of Christ. They don't want to proclaim that you're a sinner who needs saved. They don't want to offend anybody. Hey, listen, the gospel is an offensive message. And so today, we go to psychotherapists, and we get, what's the word, and we get analyzed and prescribed, and we're told that we have disorders, you see, different disorders. You know what the Bible calls disorders? Sin. You know, I mean, here's the thing, when you have a quote unquote mental disorder, and I know, hey listen, I'm not talking about, I'm not throwing the baby out with the bathwater, but you know, you have a, gosh, I mean, you know, the list goes on and on, look up the word disorder, I'm not even gonna start picking them apart. But when you have a disorder and they just prescribe you a drug, and they say, well, you have a disorder, now you have, okay, I guess I'm just, I'm jacked up. But if I say, It's sin in your life. Well, now there's hope because Christ can cleanse you of your sin. He can deliver you from your sin. You see, so the disorder is without hope. But if I will just be honest with you, if I will say, hey, look, you refuse to repent of your sin. You just keep sinning and sinning. You love your sin. How about you just stop it? How about you repent of your sin and just give your life fully to Jesus Christ? He will take that from you. He will deliver you. He will give you new life. If any man be in Christ, he's a new creation. Old things pass away. Behold, all things are made new. You know, the psychologist, and I don't know if there's any psychologists here, I'm not trying to hammer on you, but the psychologist will get you rolling around in your past, and there's all these things that you haven't really dealt with in your past, and they need to surface, and they need to really, you know, you need to confront these things, and you need to deal with your past and all this. You know what the Bible says? Forget that which is behind you. The psychologist says, you need to get this out. You know what the Bible says? The fool vents all of his feelings at once, but the wise holds them back. I feel like I'm going on a little bit of a rant here, forgive me. But you know, hey, listen. If we just call it what it is, then we have hope. Because Christ came to deliver you, the message of the gospel, you see. Hold fast. Don't deviate from the pattern of sound words. BTW, by the way, what's the point in rolling around in your past when in Christ You're a new creation and old things have passed away and behold, all things are made new. Why go back and visit stuff from which you can't change it? That Christ has made you new in spite of it. So why hang on to it? Paul said, forget that which is behind you. Press on toward the mark of the upward call that is in Christ Jesus. You're a new creation. Do you believe that? I mean, do you really believe that? then why revel in what was? When that old person's dead, you've been crucified with Christ, have you not? It's no longer you who live, but it's Christ who lives in you. Does that make sense? That's the difference between a worldly rationale and a biblical perspective on life. The Bible says God has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness in his word. Hold fast the pattern of sound words. The word pattern means an architect's sketch. In other words, the pattern was the teaching of the apostle's doctrine. He says, the sound words which you have heard from me. We don't need new revelation. We need to be obedient to the exhortation of the word of God. In the early church, there was a standard of testing, you know, the teaching, and we are to remain true to, there's nothing new under the sun. We're always seeking some new revelation. We need to stay true to the apostle's doctrine in faith and love. We're to speak the truth in love. Here's the idea, don't deviate from the solid teaching of the word of God, the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was given to you through the Holy Spirit. It will be guarded in you by the Holy Spirit, not academically, not intellectually, in faith and in love. God is faithful, isn't he? God is faithful with what we commit to his trust, right? The question is, are we faithful with what he's committed to our trust? Think about that. What has He committed to my trust? Oh, He's committed His word, maybe a family, the time He's given you, the talents He's given you. There's all kinds of things that God's committed to your trust. The question is, are you faithful with them? Do you serve Him through them? You see, it's one thing to be faithful when it serves our own interest. That's kind of the American way. You know, what do I get out of it? And I'll stick to it as long as it somehow benefits me. But what about, what about when it stops being to your advantage to be faithful? You know, that's when a lot of people toss in the towel. It's like, what's the point? I mean, I'm not getting anything out of it, but how does that honor the Lord? Has it ever been about what you get out of it? Is that what it's really all about? Or is it about the glory of Jesus Christ? You see, and being faithful, not for our benefit, but for his glory, you see. Write it down, look it up later, we won't go there. Psalm chapter 15, just write it down, look it up. Not now, look it up later. Talking about one who swears to his own hurt and does not change. When's the last time it cost you something to remain faithful? Because you didn't get a thing out of it. But you'd given your word and you were gonna follow it through, you see? God requires, what does the Bible say about a steward? Moreover, it's required in the steward that one be found, anybody have a guess? Faithful. But he didn't leave you powerless to be faithful. You are faithful through the person and the power of the Holy Spirit who dwells in you. He will not demand something of you through which he does not enable you to follow through on that. Now look at verse 15, guys, we're not far from finished. This, you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are, how you say, Phagellus, it's a hard G, and Hermogenes, it's not Hermogenes, it looks like that, but it's like Hermogenes, I looked it up. It's easier to say Hermogenes, but it's not the name. Here's all I want to say about these guys. They stand as examples of guys who did not hold fast and who were not faithful. Oh, they may have been prominent leaders in the area, plausibly why Paul calls them out by name, because he wants Timothy to be certain that these guys, these leaders, these men, Phagellus, Hermogenes, whoever they have you say, they are no longer with him, but they have turned away from him. But here's my point. How would you like to have your name forever etched in the word of God only as an example of unfaithfulness? That's what they get. forever recorded the example of unfaithfulness. And I doubt that they woke up one day and thought, you know what, we're gonna pull the ripcord, we're done with you, Paul. It probably didn't go just like that, but it was a slow and subtle erosion over time, no longer holding fast, it was no longer convenient to do their own thing, pardon me, to do the right thing, they wanted to do their own thing, you see. In verse 16, but he says, the Lord, in contrast, grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. But when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me. Translation, there were a lot of jails or dungeons in Rome and they didn't have phones to call and find out where he was at. So he's looking and looking and looking, you see, all over, and he found me. And the Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that day, and you know very well how many ways he ministered to me there where Timothy is presently at Ephesus. So in contrast to the previous two, this Onesiphorus fella stands out as a shining example of faithfulness regardless of the cost. One who did not deviate but stayed true and served the Lord no matter what. He sought Paul out. He refreshed him. He was not ashamed of him. You know, when times are tough, you find out who your friends are, right? And this man lived up to his name. His name means one who brings profit or one who is helpful or useful. And this guy had a servant's heart, man. He was helpful to have around. What an example for you and me. I love these Onesiphoruses. Is that, how do you say it in plural? Onesiphoroses? Don't know, we're making that up. But you know, these folks who are so refreshing, so helpful to have around, the servant's heart, see a need, meet the need kind of folks. Avoid the example of figelis and hermo, I don't even know, hermogenes. I'm breaking, you wanna break me down? You wanna hear me say it? I can't pronounce it. You know, guys who get going when the going gets tough. Imitate Onesiphorus. Courageous enthusiasm, shameless suffering, spiritual loyalty. You guys, these are the essentials of a fruitful ministry. Courageous enthusiasm, shameless suffering, spiritual loyalty. They're such keys. Don't deviate. Hold fast to the word of God and stay faithful by the power of the spirit of God in your life. Amen? All right, amen, let's pray. God, we thank you for your word and for the exhortations found therein. Lord, we pray that you would help us to be more concerned for your thoughts toward us than the thoughts of man toward us. And we give you praise, God, that you would even think of us. That you would call us, that before we were formed in the womb, you knew us, you had a plan for us. You caused your grace to abound toward us before time ever began. And help us then, God, to lay hold of that for which you have laid hold of us. And may our lives give you much glory. And we thank you, God, that you are faithful. And may we commit all that we are to you and may we be faithful to you. Help us to hold on to your word. We want to be good and faithful servants. You know, the encouragement today is to be unashamed of the testimony of our Lord. Jesus said that whoever was ashamed of him and his words of him, he would be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his father and with the holy angels. God calls us and he saves us. God wants you to know him. He wants you to walk with him. Is he calling you today? That's the question. Don't put it off another day. He's initiating a relationship with you. How do you respond? By repenting of your sin, surrendering your life to Jesus Christ who has loved you and given himself for you. God has loved you with an everlasting love. Jesus shed his blood for you. He has paid the penalty so that if you would believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you'll be delivered from the penalty of sin. and be given everlasting life. Is God knocking on the door of your heart? Is He tugging on your heartstrings? If so, if you're ready, you're willing to respond, today's the day of salvation. You're not gonna harden your heart, you're gonna open your heart. I'm gonna ask you to raise your hand, and if I see your hand, I'll acknowledge that and you can put your hand back down at that point. But if God's speaking to you in this moment, I'm encouraging you, don't harden yourself against it. Don't resist the work of the Spirit in your lives. Anybody I can pray for now is your moment. I don't want you to worry about who you're here with, who's around you, in front of you, behind you. It's your heart in Christ's hands. If you can't say that definitively, then let's make it sure today. Anyone I could pray for. Okay, cool. Then we're just one big happy family and you can receive the exhortation to be faithful and to not be ashamed of the testimony of your Lord and to stir up the gift that is within you. God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power and of love, and of self-control, of sound mind. Let God have His way in your life. I'm going to ask