Let's read the text. Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to life through the Gospel. For which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what he has entrusted to me. Let's pray. Our Father, we pray that you would minister to us because of your Son's work on our behalf by the power of your Spirit as we consider this text. Help us as we prepare to gather together as worshipers, fill us with your Spirit, Prepare to hear Pastor Jones preach. Fill him with your spirit as well. Help us this day to be strengthened in our faith by the power of the gospel we believe. In Christ's name we pray, amen. Okay, let's start at the very end of this paragraph. Look at verse 12, folks. There at the end of verse 12, I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me. Now, this is kind of a controlling thought in all of chapter 1 and into chapter 2, I think through this whole book. That phrase, what has been entrusted, is of great importance. And I think the ESV's done a better job with this text for us than the New King James. So I'm glad that we're reading it in the ESV. Some define that phrase, what has been entrusted by simply the deposit. A deposit of doctrinal content that was committed to Paul. I'll say more about that. 1 Timothy chapter 6 and verse 20. O Timothy, guard the deposit. Guard what was entrusted to you. It's a beautiful concept you want to get in your mind and have in your mind. So let's develop this just a little bit. While this deposit may have been more like a more developed document, maybe like our confession, It included what we read in verse 8. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord. And then he sums that up a little bit further in that same verse. The gospel. Okay, that's the deposit committed to Paul. The testimony about our Lord, the gospel. God entrusted this deposit about his son to Paul. Now look what he says in verse 11, for which I was appointed a creature, an apostle, and teacher. And we could add in there at times he functioned like a pastor, probably long before he ever was sent off to the mission field. So there's Paul, commissioned by God to proclaim this deposit. what was entrusted to him. We must understand that God gave a particular message, we can sum it up with that phrase of the deposit, to be proclaimed, and he chose the messenger to deliver that message, the Apostle Paul, who wrote what we read here. So he's an author. But he wrote, he penned these things. And so now look with me again in 1 Timothy beginning in verse, 2 Timothy, excuse me, 2 Timothy chapter 1 verse 1. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God. That was something he used over and over in writing the Epistles. He always anchored his authority in this concept of the will of God. And so he's doing it again here, reminding Timothy of things he already knows. So there we have it. Now, so there's what we're kind of at, we're thinking about this deposit, this thing's been entrusted by the Father, and we're thinking about who Paul is. Now, who's Timothy? That's a good question. Well, Timothy, there in chapter one, verse two. To Timothy, my Now, if you're a man, you may not like being called a child, but I have a suspicion that Timothy loved this. He loved. He probably heard Paul's very voice. Paul's son in the faith. Verse three, I thank God in my service, I thank my ancestors with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. Paul loved Timothy. He looked at Timothy as his son in the faith. He prayed for Timothy. And verse four, as I remember your tears, I long to see you that may be filled with joy. He missed Timothy. We recognize all those things as evidences of someone's love for us. In addition, notice verse 5, I'm reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois, your mother Eunice, and now I am sure dwells in you as well. Timothy is a genuine believer. Son of Paul, in the faith. A man beloved by Paul. a genuine believer. One more thing, verse 6. For this reason I remind you to fan and to flame the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. Timothy was an ordained preacher and pastor. So what do we must say? We must understand that God gave a particular message to deposit to be proclaimed And he chose a messenger to deliver that message, a message about his son. He chose the apostle Paul, who gave, excuse me, who then gave this to Timothy. Timothy was a proclaimer of the same gospel, the same deposit about God's son, entrusted to Paul, and Paul entrusted it to Timothy. It's beautiful. Now, another question, why did Paul write this second letter? 1 Timothy is full of pastoral and church order instructions, it's prized by every true pastor, every true church, but there's something a little different going on in this second letter. Paul wrote initially to encourage Timothy to get back to the work remind you to fan into flame the gift of God. You have gifts, you have responsibilities. Let's get back at the Word. He's encouraging. Verse 7, For God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control. Now, there's a whole sermon there I can't go into this morning. But let's suffice to say this, that this indicates that Timothy was discouraged for some reason. How do you encourage a discouraged pastor? How do you encourage a discouraged preacher? There's no great secret here. You encourage him by reminding him of the gospel message he preaches. And that's exactly what Paul did at the end of the year. that message to Timothy, and Timothy had preached it. The very same message that they preached for the salvation of souls would save Timothy's soul from discouragement and fear. Timothy needed a solemn reminder of the message of God's purpose in sending the Lord Jesus Christ, which they had preached to others. They wanted to see people saved and brought into the kingdom. That's good. Settle this in your mind. This is really, really important. There wasn't a message for salvation and a different one for sanctification. You have got to learn this. I have been a believer since I was 15 years old. I'm 72 now. Every day I go back to the same message. Timothy is being reminded here by the man who loved him, go back to the same message. It was the same message of God's grace to sinners. What is that message? He sent his son to save sinners. His son who is the Christ, the incarnate Jesus. who ascended to the Father's right hand, who rules over all in this age and the one to come. It is the message of God's awesome power to save sinners that we hear every Sunday. Sunday in and Sunday out. And that you need to remind yourself day in and day out, sometimes multiple times a day. Who is Christ? What has He done? Who is God? You have to research, rework through that, preach it to yourself. This is what Timothy needed, this is what I need, this is what you need. Verse 9, who saved us. Isn't that good? I remember when I was becoming a Calvinist, somebody had given me this little tract, booklet by J.F. Packard. Remember that? It's his introduction to John Owen's Death of Death and the Death of Christ. I don't know how I remember that, but there it is. And he said Calvinism can be summed up in this little phrase. Many of you have read this. If you haven't, you ought to find that introduction at the introductory essay and read it. Calvinism is summed up in three words. God saves sinners. Isn't that good? What did Paul say to Timothy? Who saved us? God saved us. You are saved, Timothy. Okay, you're discouraged. Fears come upon you. But you're saved. That's what Paul told Timothy. That's what Timothy needed to hear. From what? What are we saved from? You know, when I was a kid in Los Angeles, you could drive along the freeway, and there was this church building that had a huge red letter, Jesus saves. That's always kind of bothered me because it's not enough in this world we live in. Who is Jesus and what does he save us from? He saves us from God's just wrath and condemnation. We need to know that. So we read verse nine. He saved us and he called us with a holy calling. All right. He called us with a holy calling. He birthed us with a holy birth. He regenerated us with a holy regeneration. He enlightened us with a holy enlightenment. There's a lot of things you can put in there to help you understand that. God sent his son to save you. to bringing us to eternal living. So what does he say in verse 9? Not because of our works. It's a holy calling. How is it holy? Because it's not of our works. There's nothing holy we bring to anything. But because of his own purpose and grace. But because of these impossible things, he is granted to us his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, which has now been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death. Are you discouraged? Death isn't death to you anymore. And brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. These are the words Timothy needed to hear. These are the words you need to remind yourself of regularly. Is this encouraging? I find this very encouraging. I just really enjoyed studying this this week. Wonderful stuff. Paul brought out his biggest doctrinal gun, so to speak, the most powerful aspects of free and sovereign grace. Why? Because Paul wanted Timothy to remember these great truths of salvation because he loved Timothy. It is only these truths which point us and Timothy to reconciliation with God, to eternal bliss that can save us from fear and unbelief and quitting, because we all are going to be tempted to quit. Every one of us. I lost count decades ago on how often I am tempted to quit. Timothy was tempted to quit. Don't quit! You have a good reason to not quit. Paul maneuvered them for you. Paul cared so deeply for them that he wanted them to remember these great work it out yourself right now, because we need to go to prayer. When any believer needs true encouragement, where do we go for it? Go to the truths of the gospel of Christ crucified. There you'll find encouragement.