Well, I hope if you've run away from the Lord that you will come back to him tonight. Aren't you glad God is tender and lovingly calling us back to himself? And even tonight, maybe you're far away from God, maybe you know that you've made some wrong choices, and tonight is the night for you to come back. Isn't it wonderful to know that no matter how far you run, God is always ready to receive you back? When I sing that song, I always think of the story of the prodigal son. And he did a lot of bad things. And he took all of what his father gave him and he squandered it all. He wasted it all on his own living. And yet he still came back and his father welcomed him with loving open arms. And that's how God is. He wants you to come back to him tonight. Great to see you tonight. Glad you're here. If you've had a good day, say amen. I hope you did. If you didn't have a good day, it's really only our own fault, right? Because we had beautiful weather. We have beautiful Sunday morning service this morning. I'm sure most of you probably had some good food this afternoon. God has richly blessed us. And we ought to have the joy of the Lord. A spring in our step, a smile on our face, and true praise on our lips for the greatness of our God. Great to see you tonight. Open your Bibles to the book of 2 Timothy. The book of 2 Timothy chapter two. As Pastor mentioned, all of you, many of you are familiar and are aware, well aware of what's going on in our family. And you know, at these times in your lives there are tough decisions that have to be made. And God has called me to be a preacher, but God has first of all called me to be a man in my home and a husband to my wife. And my wife is desperately needing me to come back. Her sister, her only sister, is about ready to pass away. And I've been gone for several weeks preaching around out here in the West. And it's getting very close to probably Julie's home going. And I just know that this is the time that God wants me to go. And trust me, there is this mixed emotion because I've been looking forward to being at your church, looking forward to this week. But as Pastor said, I know Mike is able and capable and he'll do a wonderful job throughout the rest of this week, if the Lord so wills. And yet we're praying that God's hand would be upon our lives even in these decisions. And I really do believe family comes before your ministry. And so I gotta make the right choice and do the right thing. And I sure have enjoyed getting to know you folks today. And I look forward to any time I can minister here at Hamilton Square Baptist Church. I'm sure we'll be back. And I trust and pray that the rest of this week will go well and that we'll be able to see wonderful things take place in your church this week. We'll be praying, especially for Easter Sunday, that God would bring a whole host of people here that need to be saved. It wouldn't be great if people got saved this week at your church. That would be a wonderful blessing. And you know, it doesn't really matter who the preacher is. What matters is what's being preached. And I know whether it's these preachers or whether it is your pastor or some other person he invites in, that no matter who it is, the gospel will be preached, the Word of God will be clearly shared. And so I'm thankful for the opportunity to share the Word of God with you tonight. And that means that I gotta pack in five services, five sermons into one. Just kidding, I really am not gonna do that tonight, okay? I appreciate you being here, faithful in your place. And we're looking at a book in the New Testament, the book of 2 Timothy. And just before we read the text, I wanna remind you that this is a tremendous book in the Bible for two specific reasons. Number one, it is a book that is written to a very special individual. Timothy was a young person when Paul came through his town of Lystra. Paul, the great apostle, who wrote for us over half of the New Testament, is traveling on these missionary journeys. He comes through the town of Lystra, and he meets this incredible family. We don't know much about Timothy's father, but we know his mother and his grandmother, according to the scripture, were godly ladies that were teaching him the word of God. Later on in this very book, it says that Timothy, from a child, knew the holy scriptures, which were able to make him wise into salvation. And when Paul met young Timothy, I think he was pretty impressed with the potential in this young man. And so he invited Timothy to be one of his disciples, to travel with him, and he actually entrusted him to send him to different places around the world at the time to go to some of the churches that he planted. And this was a very special relationship. That's why we have two books of the Bible. First and second, Timothy. Both written to this young man. So it's a great book because it's a special person that Paul's writing to, but it's also a tremendous book to study because it is Paul's last letter. Paul is in prison. I've heard it said when Paul would go to a town, he would look for a nice prison, not a nice hotel, because he knew he was going to be there anyways. Everywhere he went, he was being put in prison, but this prison was not. any prison normal to what he had been in before. This is a dungeon. Now, he had been in a dungeon in different other places, but he also had some house arrest. He also had some of those kinds of imprisonments. But this imprisonment is his final hour. He's in a dungeon in Rome, and he's under the cruel dictator Nero. And Bible scholars and historians tell us that shortly after he wrote this book, Paul was beheaded. We know that he is struggling with this time like he struggled in every time he was in prison about whether this was going to be his time, whether this was going to be a last moment. But I think he kind of understood what was going to happen because he says in this book, I have fought a good fight. I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there are laid up for me crowns of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day. I'll tell you what, Paul was confident in his death. He was confident that he had lived his life for the glory of his Savior and for the glory of God. And so he's at the end of his life, and so this is not only the last letter to Timothy, but it's the last letter to any of us. And Paul, the great writer, the great apostle, is giving us this final letter. And notice what he says in 2 Timothy 2 as he discusses this matter of being faithful. And he's calling Timothy to be faithful, and he's calling all of us to be faithful. And I would say tonight that where are the faithful people? Faithful, true, reliable, loyal to the cause of Jesus Christ. And so Timothy is being addressed here by the Apostle Paul. And notice how Paul addresses him in chapter two. And just to kind of help you understand what he's doing here, he uses three illustrations of what it means to be faithful. We'll look at verses one through four in just a moment, but glance down to verse five, because verse five gives us the second picture, the second illustration of what it means to be faithful. We need to be faithful like a runner. And if a man also strive for masteries, the text says, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. If you've ever competed in athletic competition, you know it takes discipline, it takes determination, it takes training, and you gotta play by the rules. And he says, listen, if you're going to be faithful to God, you've got to be like an athlete. You've got to strive. You've got to be determined. You've got to be disciplined in your character and your conduct. Now there's a message there, but that's not the message of tonight. That's the second picture. The third picture is given in verse 6. This is the third picture of what it means to be faithful. the husbandman that laboreth must be first partaker of the fruits." So just like a farmer, like someone who's planting the crops, like someone who is going out into the vineyard and faithfully pruning and faithfully planting and doing those things that are hard, doing those things that nobody recognizes, but they're faithfully planting and reaping and planting and reaping every year. That's what a faithful person looks like. He looks like that farmer, that husbandman that is working the ground. So these are the last two pictures. Notice verses one through four. Because in verses one through four, he reveals to us the first picture of what it means to be faithful to God. And he says that being faithful to God is being like a soldier. Notice what he says in verse one. Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also. Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Listen, God is looking for a few good men. God is looking for some faithful people. As we crisscross the country, as we're in church after church, and we talk to pastor after pastor, we're finding out that faithfulness is a fleeting ethical concept that is running away from the church. It's a fleeting characteristic. As a matter of fact, there are pastors who look into their congregation and they wonder, who can I rely on? Who's the person that will just be steady? You realize the word faithful, especially in the Old Testament, was actually taken from the Hebrew root, which was used to describe the pillars of the tabernacle, the pillars of the temple. And the pillars of the temple were what held the temple together. Let me tell you something, folks. We need pillars in every church. We need faithful people that are reliable in every church. You know what? You may not be fruitful, but you can be faithful. You may not have a good feeling about your ministry, but you can be faithful. You see, it's not about the fruit and it's not about the feeling, it's about being faithful. Moreover, it is required in stewards that a man be found faithful. So I say to us tonight, where are the faithful people? And if we're not being faithful, why aren't we being faithful? And let's get back to where we ought to be and let's be faithful like a soldier is faithful. Well, you can't turn on the news today or pick up any newspaper without noticing there's a lot of faithful people serving in our military. I think we ought to pray for them. What do you think? I think we ought to support them. And whether you're a marine or an airman or a sailor or a soldier, whatever branch of the military you join, you understand when you join that there are some sacrifices and you need to be faithful to the cause. You know, as we watch people in the military, we immediately recognize a couple things. First of all, when you join the military, you salute a great commander. The great commander happens to be the leader of the free world, the president of the United States. He is the commander-in-chief. Whatever he says goes. And you know what? When you join the military, you salute your commander. May I say tonight, in the Lord's army, there is a great commander. In the Lord's army, the Lord of hosts is our captain, and we ought to salute him every day. As a soldier, you also surrender yourself to a great cause. Not only do you salute a great commander, but you surrender to a great cause. And let me say, folks, the cause of America is a wonderful cause. If you agree with me, say amen. I pray that God blesses America, don't you? And I believe the cause of freedom needs to spread. And I think that men and women who are fighting for our freedoms and defending us is a wonderful thing to commit your life to. How many of you have ever been in the military? You're a veteran or you're active in the military. Thank you for your service. Thank you for surrendering to that cause. The cause of America, the cause of this country is a wonderful cause. But folks, I'm here to tell you tonight, there's something greater than the country of America. There's a greater cause than a country and that's the cause of Christ. And it spans all cultures. And it spans all countries. And it touches every tribe and every nation. And the cause of Christ is something worth giving your life for. And so a soldier surrenders and salutes, salutes a commander and surrenders to a great cause. And if there's anybody that knew how to be a good soldier for Jesus, I think Paul did. This guy would be called the four-star general in the Lord's army, don't you think? And he is writing this letter to his brand new enlisted soldier, Timothy. And he says, Timothy, you need to be faithful. He also told Timothy, follow me as I follow Christ. So Paul had already exhibited and exemplified in his life that he was a faithful soldier. And he is encouraging Timothy to be that way. And I wanna say to you folks tonight that there are some distinguishing characteristics that have to be in our lives if we're gonna be a soldier for Jesus Christ. If you've ever been in the military, read anything about the military, you understand they have what are called core values. Every branch of the military has core values. If I remember correctly, talking to different people in the military, they want you to memorize these core values. They want you to not only memorize them, but they want you to put those characteristics in your life. And I believe what Paul is doing here is he's revealing to us the core values of a Christian soldier. And if we want to be faithful to God, we must have these characteristics in our life. Notice the first characteristic is in verse one. The first characteristic is in verse one. Every Christian soldier, number one, must be strong. You must be strong. Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. I think all of us recognize that soldiers are strong. Aren't you thankful that we're not sending them rolling onto the battlefield because they're overweight, obese, and eating whatever they want, and doing whatever they want? No, they're not rolling on the battlefield. They're marching on the battlefield. There's a big difference. You join the military, there's physical fitness. There's training. They get your body in physical shape so you're strong. They get your mind and emotional strength so that you are strong. So that you don't quit when it gets hard. And in the same way, this is the illustration. Be strong in the Lord. Be strong in the Lord and the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. You know what we need? We need some strong Christian soldiers. This strength is not worked up in our own power. As a matter of fact, Paul intentionally chooses to use a passive verb. Now let me explain. A passive verb, be strong, is different than an active verb in this way. An active verb is when you accomplish the action on your own. But in the Greek language, when the writer would choose to use a passive verb, that means someone else is doing the action through you. Okay, to illustrate this, we remember a verse in Philippians 4.13. Do you know this verse? Philippians 4.13, I can do all things, say it with me, through Christ, which strengtheneth me. Do you realize that's the same passive verb that is used in this text? So the idea of this text is not, hey, let's go out and do this on our own. The idea of this text is God does the strengthening through us. You know, there are a lot of people who are trying to do the work of God, to live the life for God, and even do ministry for God, in their own power. Listen, without Him, we can do nothing. We desperately need the power of God on our life. How does God enable us? How does the power of Christ strengthen us for the battle? I believe there are two ways. Number one, the word of God. You know, I'm so thankful that as a child of God, that my eyes have been opened and illuminated to the truth of the Word of God. And the Word of God is quick and powerful, right? It's the Word of God that enables us for the battle. You know, from the youngest Christian in this room to the oldest Christian in this room, there is nobody that can stand without the power of the Word of God. You need God's Word. Jesus himself, when he was tempted in the wilderness, quoted the scripture. Why won't we quote it? Why won't we memorize it? Why won't we read the word of God like we ought? It's the power of the word of God that enables us for the battle. Psalm 119 verse nine says, wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee. Oh, let me not wonder from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against God. Jeremiah 15, 16 says, thy word was found and I did eat it, and it became the joy and rejoicing of my soul. You know how God strengthens us? God strengthens us through the power of the word of God. You know what this means? This means if we go day in and day out, or weeks and months, without spending time in the powerful, strengthening tool that God has given to us, we are evidencing that we are self-sufficient. We are showing that we're trying to do this in our own power. We need God. We need God's power on our life, and God's power comes from the power of the Word of God. You know, Paul was concerned about this even for Timothy. Later on in this very book, you are familiar, I'm sure, with 2 Timothy 3, verse 16. You can turn over there, look at what it says. 2 Timothy 3, 16. Chapter 3, verse 16 says, for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. And then he goes on into chapter four, verse one, and it's as if he moves from the personal life of Timothy, and he says, listen, it's the word of God in your personal life, the inspired, profitable word of God, but he says, Timothy, in your public ministry, don't forget about the word. And he says in chapter four, verse one, preach the word. Be instant, in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering in doctrine. And may I say tonight, there is little power in what I say, but there is incredible power in what God says. And this is why from this pulpit and really from every pulpit in America, we don't need psychology. We don't need self-help. We need the Word of God. It's the Word of God that enables us. It's the Word of God that strengthens us. There is a second way that we get God's power, get God's strength, that we allow Him to enable us for the battle. Not only the power of the Word of God, but secondly, the power of the Holy Spirit. Now, I think all of us understand, which I hope we do, that when we get saved, when you believe, if you haven't believed tonight, you could believe, but when you believe, the Holy Spirit indwells your body. Isn't that a wonderful blessing? The Bible says we are baptized by the Holy Spirit the moment we believe. You don't need a second blessing, folks. You don't need to walk upon some platform, be hit on the forehead by some preacher, and get the second blessing of the Spirit. Let me tell you something, you got the whole blessing when you got saved. That means if you're not saved, you need to receive the blessing of the Holy Spirit. Man, I'm sure in this building tonight there's somebody that needs Jesus Christ as your Savior, and that very moment you believe that Christ died and rose again, you repent and believe the gospel, that very moment the Bible says the Holy Spirit, who is God, will indwell your body. What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost? Let me tell you something, folks. I think in a lot of Baptist churches we have pushed aside the power of the Holy Spirit because we're afraid that somebody might think we're going charismatic. And there's a lot of confusion on the Holy Spirit, but here's the reality. Without the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit, we, as God's people, will not do anything fruitful. Nothing. Without the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit, we are nothing in the battle for the Lord. Why? Because we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. And so Paul tells the Ephesian believers in Ephesians 5, verse 18, be not drunk with wine wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit. You know what we need? We need the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit to enable our lives. He comforts us. He convicts us. He chastens us. He encourages us. And the question is, are we responding in submission, or are we grieving the Holy Spirit? Are we quenching the Holy Spirit in our lives? You know, there are times where you'll sit in a service like this, where I'll sit in a service like this, and I'll be under conviction, and there's this temptation to just push that conviction aside. No, I don't need to deal with that sin. No, I don't need to deal with that lack of commitment. And we will grieve the Holy Spirit. We'll push the Holy Spirit aside. All I'm saying is, if we want God's power, we need to be submissive to the power of the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. God enables us for the battle. Paul was fully aware of this. He said, I'm the least of the apostles. This is Paul, the great four-star general in the Lord's army. He said, I'm the least of the apostles. He said, I am the chief of sinners. He said, I thank Christ Jesus, my Lord, who has enabled me. and counted me faithful and put me in the ministry. Paul was fully aware that it wasn't his talent and his training and his upbringing and his teaching that made him successful. It is the power and the strength of Almighty God that makes us successful. We need God's power. Have you been running away from the word of God? Have you been resisting the power of the Holy Spirit? You know what? We need some soldiers that are strong in the Lord. And so Timothy, and he says, Paul says to Timothy, and he says to us under inspiration, be strong. Well, I'll tell you what, the devil is strong, but praise God, greater is he that's in us than he that's in the world. And if we have God's power, we can be successful in the Lord's army. Distinguishing mark, number one. Verse one, be strong. Notice what he says in verse two. He tells us the second core value, the second distinguishing mark that we need, verse two. He says, and the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also. Now I am fully aware that one of the primary applications of this verse is for those of us that are in the ministry to be looking for younger men that we can help and enable and strengthen for the ministry, that we would multiply ourselves in the lives of other people. But I think there is a general principle that is found in this verse, and that is that we need to be touching the lives of other people, that we need to care about others, that we need to be multiplying ourselves in the lives of others. This verse is talking about discipleship. Discipleship ministry, which takes sacrifice, which takes service and surrender to God. And so I say it this way, distinguishing mark number two is be serving. Be serving. It's impossible to teach others if you can't see the needs of others. It's impossible to teach others and minister to others if your eyes are only on yourself. And I think there was a concern that Paul had for Timothy. Here's Timothy that traveled with Paul, that could have claimed that he was a big shot preacher. Hey, man, look at me. I had the best training in the world. He could have walked into all these towns, you know, kind of hoping everybody honored him and hoping everybody respected him. And you know what? God does not use big shots. God uses servants. God wants us to be servants of his. Just as Jesus exemplified for us when he picked up a towel and he washed the disciples' feet, and as he invested in his life into those 12 disciples. Just as we see throughout the New Testament where Jesus would say, whosoever is great among you must be servant of all. Listen, soldiers care more about their fellow soldiers than they do about their own lives. Now the stories could be told all night long, couldn't they? I mean, countless testimonies of people who have sacrificed literally everything for another person in the military. I remember reading recently about a young man named Michael Monsoor. Michael Monsoor was a Navy SEAL. He received the Congressional Medal of Honor. Those of you who know about the award system in America, the Congressional Medal of Honor is the highest military honor given usually to someone who has been deceased in battle, presented to their family for the heroic act that they did. Michael Monsoor was in Iraq. He was covering for some Marines on the ground. He and his Navy SEAL teammate were on a roof overhang protecting and watching them as they cleaned out the insurgents in some town in Iraq, when all of a sudden they were ambushed by a group of insurgents. And before long, grenades were flying, bullets were flying, and before he could get off the roof, a grenade was tossed up onto the roof, bounced off of Michael Monsoor's chest, and landed right there in front of him. He had literally a few seconds to decide, will I save my own life, or will I save my teammate? You know what, this kind of story could be told thousands of times. And I think you know what Michael Monsoor did. He took his body with all of his body armor and equipment, and he rolled on top of the grenade. Immediately, the grenade exploded. He lost his life, and his Navy SEAL teammate is still alive today. Let me tell you something, folks. That's an act of service. That's an act of kindness, because he loved his teammate more than he loved himself. He could have saved himself, but he became a servant to his brother, to his teammate. And listen, this is the kind of thing that happens in the military. They band together, they join together, they love one another, they serve one another, so that the entire team can be successful. You know what, folks? I think we can learn a lot from watching that, and we can put some of those things into loving one another in the church. Loving the brethren. Listen, this church, this body of believers, this is a family. You gotta love one another, and yet it is amazing to me how many people show up to church and they never touch the life of another person. You come in and maybe sit in the same place, but you don't really communicate with somebody, you don't really look in the eye of somebody, you don't find out how things are going, you don't take time to really minister to someone that has needs. You say, well, Brother Mark, who should I minister to? Well, I just wanna help you folks look around. Who should you minister to? People that are sitting right around you. There are people that are right down the pew from you. People right in front of you or right behind you that have hurting hearts and they're waiting for somebody to help them. They're waiting for someone to encourage them. And there are plenty of places of service and opportunities here in this local body. Sad to say a lot of people come to church with this attitude. Here's the attitude of a lot of people. Well, that church is not meeting my needs. That church is not meeting my needs. You know what, folks? I think churches ought to meet needs, but that's a terrible attitude to come to church with. We shouldn't come to church expecting the church to meet all of our needs. We ought to come to church looking for someone we can minister to. Life is about ministry, and there's joy in serving others. And faithful soldiers of the cross open their eyes and see the needs of other people, and they help them in times of need. One of the greatest ways to serve is to share the gospel. In the church, one of the greatest ways to serve is find a place of ministry, find a place of service. I promise you, if you came to Pastor and you said, I wanna find a place of service, I wanna ministry in the church, would you have anything available? I promise you, Pastor Ennis is not gonna say, we're all full. We really don't have a place for you here. Just come and attend. I promise you that's not going to happen. As a matter of fact, he's probably waiting for some volunteers. Someone who loves God and loves others and loves the ministry and say, hey, pastor, you know what? Here's the gifts that God has given me. Here's the burden of my heart. Is there any way that I can use some of these things in the church to help minister to people in this area? I promise you, pastor's gonna say, you know what? Let me write that down. Let me think about this. And I'm gonna get back to you with a ministry that we can put you in and get you involved in in the local church. You know what I believe? Every Christian ought to be serving in the church. You ought to be serving somewhere. Don't just attend, be a servant. Be a soldier who is touching the life of other soldiers. You know, one of the greatest things about growing up in a pastor's home is I learned very quickly, there's a whole lot of joy when you give of yourself to meet the needs of others. I remember the first time I went on a missions trip. If you've ever been to the mission field, I remember I was a 13-year-old boy and how God really struck my heart with, wow, you know what? Life is not all about me. You know, junior hires really do think that everything revolves around them. And I think it came to a point in my life where coming back from the mission field, even that first time, I finally realized the happiest time of my life is when I get my eyes off of myself. and I see the needs of others and I help meet their needs. And I wanna encourage all of us to be that kind of a faithful soldier of the cross, a soldier who is a servant. I think Paul was a servant. I think Timothy was a servant. And I think we ought to be a servant. Faithful soldiers are strong and they are serving. Notice verse three, he tells us a third distinguishing mark. And I hope these marks, these core values will be in our life because God is looking for faithful people. God wants you to be faithful. Success is not measured by the fruit. Success is measured by the faithfulness. Be faithful and be strong and be serving. Notice what he says in verse three. He says, be steadfast is the third core value. Look what he says, thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Now, folks, I would love to stand up here in this pulpit and say to you, if you live for God, I would love to tell you this, if you become a soldier that is strong in the Lord and serving other people, I would love to tell you that everyone's gonna love you. But that's not true. I would love to stand up here and tell you that if you become a faithful soldier of the cross, that you won't ever have any problems. Now you might hear that at other places in America, but you're not gonna hear it from the truth of the Bible. Paul was one of the most persecuted people in the Bible, probably one of the most persecuted preachers ever. I mean, everywhere he went, he suffered, but he was faithful. And so he's telling Timothy, listen, endure, endure the suffering. Now, this is a very specified word. for endurance. This word endurance is not the typical Greek word that's used in the New Testament for patience in suffering. This is a word that means to endure alongside of or along with others who have endured. We see this in chapter 1 verse 8. The only other time this word is used is chapter 1 verse 8. It says, Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me as prisoner, but be thou partaker, here it is, partaker of the afflictions of the gospel, according to the power of God. The word is lengthened out. And here's the word, partaker of the afflictions of the gospel. So in other words, he says, listen, you're not the only one suffering. Now, who do you think he's talking about when he says endure alongside of others who have endured? Well, let's talk about the person who endured the most. Who would that be? Jesus Christ. And doesn't the Bible tell us that when we suffer and we respond properly, that we are literally partakers of Christ's sufferings, and when we suffer and go through it with rejoicing, we are standing next to Jesus, and his suffering makes ours look like nothing. His suffering, the suffering of his body, the suffering of his soul, the suffering he had physically and spiritually, makes ours look like it's nothing. And so it helps us to look at the cross and to see the sufferings of Christ. But it's not only Jesus who suffered. How about Paul? He was shipwrecked. He was stoned. He was left for dead. He was scourged. He was imprisoned and literally lost his head for the cause of Christ. He was martyred. How about all the other apostles? Almost every one of them that's listed in the scripture. Almost all of them giving their lives for the cause of Christ. Literally becoming martyrs for the cause of Christ. We could pull out throughout church history a book called Fox's Book of Martyrs. Anybody ever heard of that book before? Fox's Book of Martyrs discusses and lists out for us many people throughout church history who gave their lives for the cause of Christ because they didn't want to deny Jesus. They were burned at the stake. They were thrown into a dungeon. They were sent into a Colosseum. They were stretched on a rack. There are all kinds of stories. And even to this day, there are people who are losing their lives in the world because they are Christians. They are fearing every day whether that is going to be their day to die. And so what Paul is telling Timothy is, listen, Timothy, lots of other people have suffered, and if you suffer, you're in good company. I mean, this is a pretty good crowd of people. Jesus, Paul, Timothy, all the apostles, all the faithful servants of God throughout the centuries who have given their lives for the cause of Christ, and if you suffer and you endure, you are in good company. So don't ever quit. And I say to you folks tonight, don't ever quit. When the going gets tough, the tough keep going with the power of God and the strength of God, knowing who their God is, they keep pressing on into the battle that is raging. Don't allow a trial, don't allow a situation, don't allow a persecution from a family member to sway you from doing what you know is the right thing to do. I'm sure in a congregation like this, there are many of you that are to the point where you're feeling like, man, is it really worth it? Should I keep doing what is right? I mean, I have to face this, and I have to face that person, and I have to face this kind of trouble. Is it really worth it? I say to you, it is worth it to be faithful. Be faithful to God. Someday you may even receive the suffering crown, the suffering award of heaven because you were faithful and endured. Endure and be steadfast. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15, 58, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. And so if you're about ready to quit and you're about ready to surrender and you're really discouraged, I say to you, get back in the battle. Don't quit. Don't hold up the white flag and say it's not worth it. No, there's a cause that is worth fighting for. And be faithful to that cause and be faithful to Jesus Christ. So he says, be strong. He says, be serving. He says, be steadfast. And finally, notice verse four, the fourth core value that we need to see. He says, no man that woreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who had chosen him to be a soldier. This verse is a direct correlation to what happens when you join the military. When you enlist into the military, there are certain things that happen immediately that show that you are no longer a civilian. You are not entangled with civilian life, all right? One of the first things that happens is they change your clothes. They give you a uniform. I mean, it is pretty obvious who's a civilian and who's a military person, right? Because of the uniform. Some of them are separated from their families in their deployments. They're separated even from their country and serving on bases around the world. And so this is a great illustration that when we join the Lord's army, there are certain sacrifices and separations that need to happen. Don't be entangled with the affairs of this life. Listen, soldiers for Jesus are a little bit like pilgrims and strangers passing through this world. And yet it is strange to me that it is even being preached in this country that is a positive thing if we look like the world and act like the world. And yet the Bible says, friendship with the world is enmity with God. Isn't it true that the worst thing that could be said about us is that we are God's enemy? That's the worst thing that could be said of us. And if you're a soldier of the cross, you don't want your captain to say you're an enemy. But when we become a friend of the world, we are the enemy of God. You know, there's an interesting person mentioned in the book of 2 Timothy. His name is Demas. Have you ever heard about Demas? You don't hear much about him. I believe he had a lot of potential like Timothy, but here's what it says about Demas. Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world. And I believe there are a lot of people in the church today, and here's the bottom line issue with them. They are not faithful to God because they love the world. We are so earthly-minded, and yet all of what we see is gonna burn. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, living for pleasure, living for possessions, making a name for ourself and our own pride, all of that stuff, it is not of the Father, it is of the world. So I say to us as the church tonight, we need to be friends of God, not friends of the world. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. He tells us in Romans 12 verse two, don't be conformed to the world. He tells us that we ought to be crucified unto the world. And yet you look at the church today, and there's a whole lot of entangling going on. We're looking more and more like the world, acting more and more like the world instead of separating ourselves from the wickedness and getting unentangled with the affairs of this life. Listen, we are soldiers with a mission. We cannot be distracted by toys and technology and finances and fame. We cannot be distracted by all of the stuff that lures people away from the cause of Jesus Christ. We must keep a focus in our mission, and that mission is to stand for Jesus, to fight for Jesus, and to speak for Jesus. That must be our mission. We cannot be entangled with the affairs of this life. Where are you finding yourself being pulled into the philosophies and ways of this age, this world? What are you choosing in your life that you feel like is making you be more worldly instead of more godly? These are the things that we ought to consider tonight about being a soldier for Jesus. Come out from among them and be separate, saith the Lord. I want to say, folks, that we as God's Christian soldiers ought to look different, act different, and be different. You know, one of the encouraging things about seeing somebody in the military is they stand out in the crowd. I've been in a lot of different countries. I've been in a lot of different airports in a lot of different countries. And I'll tell you, one of the greatest things is when I'm walking through some airport in some foreign country, and there's a sailor. There's a Marine. It's like, whoa, man. Everybody notices their uniform. Everybody notices that they're different than the normal civilian people. Folks, that's the kind of thing I'm talking about. Don't be entangled, and look like everybody else, and act like everybody else, and follow the same things that everybody else follows. Be a soldier for Jesus. Stand up for him, speak out for him, and be different, and be different on purpose, not entangled with the affairs of this life. Folks, these are the core values of a soldier for Jesus Christ. And I say it again, where are the faithful people? God is looking for a few good men and women. The Marine Corps says, semper fidelis, always faithful. Where are the faithful people that are going to be strong, serving, steadfast, and separate from sin and from this world? God's looking for you. A few years ago, Mike and I were flying across the world. We were going to Guam. Those of you who have ever been to Guam, you know on the island of Guam there are many military bases. And so there were lots of people that were on the flight that were heading there to be in the military, but there was one guy that we noticed immediately. He was being pushed in a wheelchair. right in front of us as we were getting off the airplane there on the island of Guam. And he had a Marine Corps baseball hat on. The back of the hat there was embroidered those words in Latin, Semper Fidelis, always faithful. I immediately thought to myself, here's a Marine that has been injured in battle and he's probably come back home to Guam. So I remember I'm kneeling down beside his wheelchair and just giving him a word of thanks for what he has done for our country. I said, thank you for your service to our country. I don't know what your injuries are. I don't know what you've been through, but I just want to tell you thank you for your, for surrendering for our country. And I stood up and started talking to the lady that was pushing the wheelchair, which happened to be his mother. And she said, I just want to tell you that the other day, my son came out of surgery and he said, mom, I'm going back to the battle. She looked at him strangely, and he got kind of intense as he was laying in his hospital bed, and he said, I'm going back. She said, son, you're probably not going back, but he never lost the soldier's heart. Though he was knocked down, though he was wounded, though he was badly bruised and discouraged in the battle, and even out of the battle, he wanted to get back in the battle. And I say to us tonight, maybe you feel a little discouraged, maybe you've been wounded, maybe you've been persecuted and you're about ready to quit. I say to you tonight, get back in the battle. Get back in the battle. There is a war that is raging around us. It's a spiritual warfare. And it's the warfare for your soul, for my soul, for the souls of our kids. And we need to be faithful to God. Strong, serving, steadfast, separate. Can you say those with me? Strong, serving, steadfast, separate. And if we will put those core values in our life, you know what? Someday we might hear him say, well done. Well done. Because we were faithful servants and soldiers of the cross. Would you bow your heads and close your eyes? Father, I pray tonight in this invitation that you will speak to our hearts about the core values that are missing in our lives. Lord, if we are children of the King, then we should desire greatly to be a faithful soldier. Lord, maybe you've convicted tonight of some of these core values that are missing in our lives. Lord, I pray that we will get on our knees, we'll recommit to you, that we'll look for the people we need to serve and put that true love and service for others, that we will have that sufficiency in you, having your power on our life, that we would never quit in the suffering and the trials that come our way, and that we would set apart our lives, separate our lives from the world. Lord, help us to be the kind of soldiers that you can use in the battle. I pray none of us will become traitors. None of us will be casualties in the battle because we forsake you and love the world. Lord, do what you need to do in our hearts tonight. I'm sure that you have convicted. I'm sure there are things that need to be decided. I'm sure there are commitments that need to be made. And I pray that tonight we will do so on bended knee Just like a soldier would do before they head into battle, commit themselves to the cause, put those core values into our life. And Lord, I pray that we will do that tonight in this invitation. Do your work, I pray, in Jesus' name, amen. Would you stand quietly with heads bowed and eyes closed? I'm gonna ask Amy to play that song, Am I a Soldier of the Cross? A follower of the Lamb. If you want to come and you want to get on your knees, just heads bowed and eyes closed, just come and kneel before the Lord. Maybe you're discouraged. Maybe you need the strength of God in your life. Maybe you need to find a ministry. You need to serve somebody else. God wants you to be a faithful soldier. As she's beginning to play that song, you just come and get on your knees before the Lord here tonight and just say, Lord, I need to be faithful. Here is the value, here is the core value that is missing in my life. As she continues to play, you step out if God's working in your heart right now. You just leave your seat, just come down here to the front and get on your knees and say, you know what, this is what needs to change for me to be a faithful soldier. Faithfulness is what God is looking for. Whatever you face, be faithful. Don't desert the truth. Don't desert the cause. You must have God's strength. You must reach out and touch the lives of other people. You gotta be steadfast when it's hard. Separated from the world. Hey, if God's speaking to your heart tonight, just respond. Maybe you don't wanna come to the front. I understand, maybe you don't wanna do that. Just talk to the Lord right where you stand. Tell him what needs to change. Tell him that you want to be faithful. Amy's playing that wonderful song that really testifies of the message tonight. Am I a soldier of the cross, a follower of the lamb? A wonderful song that testifies of the suffering of a soldier, and yet we press on. The trials that we face, we never quit. There is a mission and a cause that is worth it all. It is worth our life. So don't quit. Don't ever quit. Father, how we praise you tonight. for simple truth, but profound teaching from the Word of God, that we would go out into this city, that we would not be embarrassed to hold the banner high, to preach the truth of Jesus Christ, that Jesus saves, that the city of San Francisco would know there are some Christian soldiers that are faithful. That they would recognize the difference in our life. They would see the strength of God upon our lives. That we would love people to the cross, to the salvation in Jesus. That you would use our lives to touch others because we are servants. Lord, I pray that these core values will be in our life. Thank you for the word of God. Thank you for what we've learned tonight. And I pray that we will be faithful soldiers of the cross. In Jesus name I pray, amen. Pastor. It's interesting that if we had any idea, there's nothing worthwhile we have in America as far as our freedoms are concerned. that would be ours if there were not those that laid down their lives. And for those who didn't lay down their lives, they were willing to do so. See, there are those who died, yes. Thousands, hundreds of thousands have died just to give us our freedoms, but there are millions of others that were willing to die. You don't always have to die, but you need to be willing. See, it's the willingness for God to have your life, all of it. When I came here 37 years ago, it was all or nothing. I said, God, look, it doesn't matter what happens to me. We're going, that's the way it is. and there is no great benefit in life that's ours spiritually as far as freedom is concerned that we would have if someone had not made a commitment to the point of giving their life in death. Do you understand what I'm saying? Shake your head yes or no. So if we are going to bless the lives of other people, the level of commitment has to be one Not that we're going to die, but we are willing to just give it all up if we need to. If we don't need to, that's fine. But we just put it all on the line. And that's the level of commitment that it takes. This is why the homosexuals are winning. They're willing to do that, and we aren't. You got that? This is why the progressives are winning. They're willing to do that, and we aren't. Whoever's willing to do it wins. You have a battle in your life, in your home, at your workplace, in your neighborhood. See? Good sermon, huh? Helpful? Useful? Did you get encouraged? I hope. I hope. 361 in your hymn book, let's sing it. Am I a soldier of the cross, a follower of the Lamb? Come and lead us, please, Pastor Kelly, 361. It's a short one, and then we'll go down and get something downstairs at the Munson Mingle. Hymn number 361. of the cross, the Father of the Lamb. And shall I yearn to own his cross, for it was to speak his name? The sign he carried to the skies, the glory that's of his. ♪ Excel in what he sees ♪ ♪ That there are foes for me to face ♪ ♪ But silence in the flood ♪ ♪ Is this my world of friends to grace ♪ ♪ To help me I'm doomed to fail ♪ If I would reign in peace like her age before, I'll live for her. Heads bowed and eyes closed for just one moment, please. Very quickly now. Are you still awake? Still awake. Heads are bowed, eyes are closed. Private, personal time. How many say, Pastor Ennis, I'm burdened about reaching someone with the gospel this week and toward Easter Sunday? I have those whom I'm trying to invite and reach. Please pray with me concerning reaching these people. Can I see your hands? All right, thank you, God bless you. How many would say now, Pastor, again, heads bowed, eyes closed, this is personal and private, okay? How many would say, Pastor, I am fighting a personal battle in my own life. There's a spiritual war going on and I need victory. Pray for me, can I see your hands? All right, that's a great many. All right, God bless each one of you. How many would say that there's someone else that's a believer that I'm really concerned about and I've been praying for them. Pray with me about these people, can I see your hands? All right, God bless you, each one. Father in Heaven, you see the needs that are represented by these uplifted hands. I pray that those who are in time of battle and struggle will experience in their lives the power of the cross of Jesus Christ, ministered by the Spirit of the living God in their lives. Give them light, give them help, encouragement, and bring them through with great triumph and victory. For those who are seeking to reach people, open hearts give great wisdom and tenderness of approach. But God, we pray that You shall speak to hearts and work and motivate people to receive and be receptive toward the gospel. And then, our Father, for those who have burdens about others who have needs, I pray that you shall, by the Spirit of God, take the burden of the hearts of our people here and do a work in the hearts of others who need your help and blessing. Thank you for this night. Bless our fellowship to follow, we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. God bless you as you go. Encourage those around you.