100:00:00,000 –> 00:00:15,240Listen, God does not tread us down by branding us according to our nature. God lifts us by200:00:15,240 –> 00:00:19,400calling us to be who we are in Jesus Christ.300:00:19,400 –> 00:00:23,959Welcome to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith. I’m David Pick. Pleased you could be400:00:23,959 –> 00:00:27,840with us today. Colin, that sounds like a message of encouragement today.500:00:27,840 –> 00:00:34,099Yeah, that’s right. It’s really all about who we are in the Lord Jesus Christ. I just600:00:34,099 –> 00:00:41,160love the way that Paul writes to Timothy. We know that Timothy was young. He was relatively700:00:41,160 –> 00:00:47,400inexperienced with a weak stomach. He was evidently by nature somewhat timid. But when800:00:47,400 –> 00:00:54,340Paul writes to him, he refers to him as a man of God. He speaks of him not as he is900:00:54,340 –> 00:01:01,139in the weakness of his own temperament, but in the new nature of who he is in the Lord1000:01:01,139 –> 00:01:06,680Jesus Christ. Now, that’s a marvellous thing. You may find that there are all kinds of fears1100:01:06,680 –> 00:01:12,680and inadequacies in you. And that you wonder whether you’re able to cope with one situation1200:01:12,680 –> 00:01:19,959or challenge or another that’s in front of you. But it’s who you are in Christ that matters.1300:01:20,180 –> 00:01:22,459God’s Spirit lives within you.1400:01:22,459 –> 00:01:27,120God is present in your life by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.1500:01:27,120 –> 00:01:31,820You’re a new creation, and I hope that everyone listening to the programme is going to be1600:01:31,820 –> 00:01:34,620encouraged by that wonderful truth today.1700:01:34,620 –> 00:01:36,139I think you will be encouraged.1800:01:36,139 –> 00:01:41,779So, join us if you can, in 1 Timothy chapter 6, as we begin a message.1900:01:41,779 –> 00:01:44,019Gospel Hope. Here is Pastor Colin.2000:01:44,019 –> 00:01:47,320Timothy had been given an overwhelming responsibility.2100:01:47,559 –> 00:01:54,099He’s a relatively young person, probably in his thirties, and he has been given the2200:01:54,099 –> 00:02:00,660task of leading the only church there was in the great city of Ephesus.2300:02:00,660 –> 00:02:06,800And in the letter, Paul has been laying out to him exactly what that responsibility involves,2400:02:06,800 –> 00:02:09,779and we’ve seen it’s very considerable.2500:02:09,779 –> 00:02:14,539Timothy has to stop those who are teaching false doctrine.2600:02:14,539 –> 00:02:19,740He has to sustain his own ministry of the word and of public prayer.2700:02:19,740 –> 00:02:23,220He has to lead the other leaders in the church.2800:02:23,220 –> 00:02:27,880He has to grow in his own spiritual life so that everyone in the congregation will see2900:02:27,880 –> 00:02:29,520his progress.3000:02:29,520 –> 00:02:34,419He has to oversee the practical care of widows and others who are in special need in the3100:02:34,419 –> 00:02:39,839church, and he has to encourage the whole congregation to pursue godliness with contentment,3200:02:39,839 –> 00:02:44,039to lay up treasure in heaven, and so to lay hold of the life that is truly life.3300:02:44,740 –> 00:02:53,619Now, that is quite a task by any standards, and we know from 2 Timothy that this young3400:02:53,619 –> 00:02:58,440man, Timothy, was not a particularly confident person.3500:02:58,440 –> 00:03:04,679In 2 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 7, Paul speaks and uses the word timidity, which seems to3600:03:04,679 –> 00:03:06,979describe Timothy’s temperament.3700:03:06,979 –> 00:03:09,039He was naturally shy.3800:03:09,039 –> 00:03:12,639He wasn’t someone who had massive self-belief.3900:03:12,639 –> 00:03:16,320He was not a forceful person.4000:03:16,320 –> 00:03:21,259And John Stotts suggests that in addition to all of this, he probably didn’t have very4100:03:21,259 –> 00:03:23,179good health either.4200:03:23,179 –> 00:03:31,240In chapter 5 and verse 23 of the first letter of Timothy, Paul says to Timothy, take a little4300:03:31,240 –> 00:03:35,720wine for the sake of your stomach.4400:03:35,720 –> 00:03:41,000And John Stotts suggests that probably there was a recurrent gastric problem that Timothy4500:03:41,059 –> 00:03:42,880experiencing.4600:03:42,880 –> 00:03:46,440Certainly, he was of a nervous disposition.4700:03:46,440 –> 00:03:53,919Now, you put all of that together and you get a picture of someone who I think must4800:03:53,919 –> 00:04:00,500often have felt that he was in over his head, out of his depth and must often have felt4900:04:00,500 –> 00:04:03,100that he was at the end of his rope.5000:04:03,100 –> 00:04:08,000And perhaps there are many times in your life with what God has entrusted you to do where5100:04:08,080 –> 00:04:10,839you would feel like that also.5200:04:10,839 –> 00:04:17,160And so we find ourselves perhaps especially at a time like this saying, you know, how5300:04:17,160 –> 00:04:23,880do I sustain everything that God has called me to do year after year?5400:04:23,880 –> 00:04:28,839How am I to find the energy to live a godly life in the midst of all the pressures that5500:04:28,839 –> 00:04:31,899are coming in on me right now?5600:04:31,899 –> 00:04:38,720How do you keep going when you are overwhelmed by life and when there are discouragements5700:04:38,720 –> 00:04:42,859and pressures pouring in on every side?5800:04:42,859 –> 00:04:50,799Now, having described the size of the task that is given to this young man Timothy, it’s5900:04:50,799 –> 00:04:55,660not surprising is it that Paul ends this letter under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit by6000:04:55,660 –> 00:05:01,220pouring into his life the most marvelous encouragement.6100:05:01,359 –> 00:05:05,119And that’s what we’re going to look at together in the scriptures today beginning at verse6200:05:05,119 –> 00:05:06,11911.6300:05:06,119 –> 00:05:10,239Now, Paul has been describing the way of false teachers.6400:05:10,239 –> 00:05:15,359We looked at that last time, people who set their hearts on money and so fourth.6500:05:15,359 –> 00:05:20,380And then he encourages Timothy to pursue a different path.6600:05:20,380 –> 00:05:26,399And I want you to notice something really surprising because this is the most personal6700:05:26,459 –> 00:05:34,399intimate part of a letter from Paul to a friend, a colleague in ministry.6800:05:34,399 –> 00:05:36,720Paul and Timothy had travelled together.6900:05:36,720 –> 00:05:40,500They knew each other really well.7000:05:40,500 –> 00:05:45,559And Paul is writing in the most personal way to someone that he knows really well, his7100:05:45,559 –> 00:05:52,940friend, his colleague, the guy he has mentored, the one he calls his Son in the faith.7200:05:52,940 –> 00:06:00,299And you would expect him in verse 11 at this most intimate moment to address Timothy by7300:06:00,299 –> 00:06:02,179name.7400:06:02,179 –> 00:06:14,540You would expect him to say, but you, Timothy, pursue righteousness, pursue godliness, faith,7500:06:14,540 –> 00:06:22,459hope, endurance, gentleness, but he doesn’t do that.7600:06:23,279 –> 00:06:27,359He doesn’t use the personal name at all here.7700:06:27,359 –> 00:06:32,440He refers to him as man of God.7800:06:32,440 –> 00:06:38,320Now, I want you to see how striking that is, so I’m going to pick on someone I know well.7900:06:38,320 –> 00:06:40,239It’s my friend Ray.8000:06:40,239 –> 00:06:41,239I know Ray well.8100:06:41,239 –> 00:06:44,600We’ve played tennis together over the years, so we’re friends.8200:06:44,600 –> 00:06:50,559Now, it would be quite natural for me if I was writing to you, Ray, to say, now you,8300:06:50,559 –> 00:06:55,440Ray, pursue righteousness, pursue godliness.8400:06:55,440 –> 00:07:05,480But if at the end of a letter to Ray, my friend, I said, but you, man of God, pursue righteousness,8500:07:05,480 –> 00:07:10,700godliness, and so forth, don’t you think that would be a little strange?8600:07:10,700 –> 00:07:13,540Don’t you think that that would get Timothy’s attention?8700:07:13,540 –> 00:07:17,820Why is he referring to me like that?8800:07:17,880 –> 00:07:23,540Now, it would’ve got Timothy’s attention all the more because Timothy didn’t have8900:07:23,540 –> 00:07:29,660the New Testament, Timothy had the Old Testament, and he would’ve known it very well.9000:07:29,660 –> 00:07:36,700And in the Old Testament the phrase man of God is used only on a very few occasions.9100:07:36,700 –> 00:07:41,720And let me tell you some of the people who were described as man of God in the Old Testament.9200:07:41,720 –> 00:07:43,920Number one, Moses.9300:07:43,920 –> 00:07:46,160Number two, Samuel.9400:07:46,320 –> 00:07:48,660Number three, King David.9500:07:48,660 –> 00:07:50,820Number four, Elijah the prophet.9600:07:50,820 –> 00:07:52,359And number five, Elisha.9700:07:52,359 –> 00:07:57,540Now do you think, for one minute, that this timid guy with a nervous temperament and a9800:07:57,540 –> 00:08:02,179bad stomach who wonders why in all the world he’s the pastor of the church in Ephesus,9900:08:02,179 –> 00:08:07,380do you think that for one minute that he thinks he belongs in the company of Moses and Samuel10000:08:07,380 –> 00:08:10,220and David and Elijah and Elisha?10100:08:10,220 –> 00:08:14,100Not for one minute!10200:08:14,100 –> 00:08:15,660But do you see the importance of this?10300:08:15,660 –> 00:08:19,179Paul is saying, Timothy, I want you to remember who you are.10400:08:19,179 –> 00:08:21,779You’re God’s man.10500:08:21,779 –> 00:08:24,440That’s who you are.10600:08:24,440 –> 00:08:31,019And I want you to think and to speak and to act and to live, not as you are by nature,10700:08:31,019 –> 00:08:36,340but in who you are by God’s grace, you are God’s man.10800:08:36,340 –> 00:08:38,859You say, well, that was great for him.10900:08:38,859 –> 00:08:41,820He was, after all, the pastor of the church at Ephesus.11000:08:41,820 –> 00:08:42,820What about you?11100:08:42,820 –> 00:08:45,419Do you think you belong in this company?11200:08:45,419 –> 00:08:49,059You know, if you turn over just one page to second Timothy chapter three and verse11300:08:49,059 –> 00:08:54,38016, you’ll see something very interesting, because in that well known verse, Paul speaks11400:08:54,380 –> 00:09:00,200about Scripture and how it is God breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting11500:09:00,200 –> 00:09:06,700and training in righteousness, so that the man of God, there’s that phrase again, may11600:09:06,700 –> 00:09:09,299be thoroughly equipped for every good work.11700:09:09,299 –> 00:09:13,940Now, the Scriptures obviously are given, not to some Christians, but to all Christians.11800:09:14,260 –> 00:09:17,299So this is telling us something wonderful.11900:09:17,299 –> 00:09:24,380The phrase man of God that in the Old Testament was used to describe only a very select few,12000:09:24,380 –> 00:09:31,659Moses and Samuel and David and Elijah and Elisha, the few who were given special anointings12100:09:31,659 –> 00:09:37,900of the Holy Spirit of God, this wonderful phrase is now used to describe every believer.12200:09:38,260 –> 00:09:45,780In other words, every man in Christ is God’s man, every woman in Christ is God’s woman.12300:09:45,780 –> 00:09:54,619If you are in Christ, you are God’s man, as much as Moses and Elijah and David and Samuel.12400:09:54,619 –> 00:10:01,859If you are in Christ, you are God’s woman, as much as Sarah and Deborah and Ruth and12500:10:01,859 –> 00:10:04,059Esther.12600:10:04,059 –> 00:10:06,900And this is where Christian encouragement begins you see.12700:10:06,900 –> 00:10:12,599Paul is saying to his dear and much loved friend who is nervous by temperament, tends12800:10:12,599 –> 00:10:19,179to be very sick and have ill health, probably who did not other than Paul have a major male12900:10:19,179 –> 00:10:21,619influence in his life.13000:10:21,619 –> 00:10:28,739And Paul says to this man, you need to know who you are in Jesus Christ, Timothy, you13100:10:28,739 –> 00:10:31,840are God’s man.13200:10:31,979 –> 00:10:37,599You are not your own, you have been bought with a price.13300:10:37,599 –> 00:10:42,000God created you, Christ redeemed you.13400:10:42,000 –> 00:10:49,359The angels in heaven confess that Jesus Christ purchased men for God.13500:10:49,359 –> 00:10:56,000Think about this, what is Timothy by nature?13600:10:56,000 –> 00:11:09,760By nature, he’s a shy, timid guy in his mid-30s, over promoted and with a bad stomach.13700:11:09,760 –> 00:11:13,200By grace he’s God’s man.13800:11:13,200 –> 00:11:18,400And Paul says, Timothy, that’s what you need to know, that’s what you need to hear.13900:11:18,400 –> 00:11:23,460You need to know who you are in Jesus Christ.14000:11:23,460 –> 00:11:30,619When God speaks to believers, he speaks to us not as we are by nature—but as we are14100:11:30,619 –> 00:11:35,059by grace—in Christ.14200:11:35,059 –> 00:11:40,260You’re listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith and a message called Gospel Hope—part14300:11:40,260 –> 00:11:45,140of our series 10 Distinctives of a Gospel-Centred Church.14400:11:45,140 –> 00:11:49,619If you’ve ever missed one of the messages in the series, it’s easy to catch up or go14500:11:49,619 –> 00:11:57,020back to listen to any of them again by coming online to our website, openthebible.org.uk.14600:11:57,020 –> 00:12:00,679You can also find them as a podcast — if that’s a better way for you to keep up with14700:12:00,679 –> 00:12:04,559Pastor Colin’s messages, those are on all the main podcast sites.14800:12:04,559 –> 00:12:09,280You can find them by searching for Open the Bible UK, or by following a link from the14900:12:09,280 –> 00:12:10,679website.15000:12:10,679 –> 00:12:11,719Back to the message now.15100:12:11,719 –> 00:12:13,960Here again is Pastor Colin.15200:12:14,340 –> 00:12:21,260When God speaks to believers, he speaks to us not as we are by nature, but as we are15300:12:21,260 –> 00:12:26,559by grace in Christ.15400:12:26,559 –> 00:12:32,559William Barclay puts this so beautifully, he says, when the charge is given to Timothy,15500:12:32,559 –> 00:12:38,880he is not reminded of his weakness, helplessness, inadequacy, or his own sin.15600:12:38,880 –> 00:12:43,580He is rather challenged by the honor, which is his.15700:12:43,580 –> 00:12:48,799The honor of being God’s man.15800:12:48,799 –> 00:12:55,619See, that’s why in the New Testament, you’d never find in the New Testament, God speaking15900:12:55,619 –> 00:13:02,820to Christian believers, rubbing our noses in it, going on about what a miserable pathetic16000:13:02,820 –> 00:13:08,780failure and how weak, helpless, and hopeless you really are, and so forth and so on.16100:13:08,780 –> 00:13:13,159How could that be true of the people of God in whom the Holy Spirit lives?16200:13:13,239 –> 00:13:25,479Listen, God does not tread us down by branding us according to our nature, God lifts us up16300:13:25,479 –> 00:13:31,219by calling us to be who we are in Jesus Christ.16400:13:31,219 –> 00:13:33,679That’s why God speaks to believers like this.16500:13:33,679 –> 00:13:37,960He says, put on the whole armor of God, that when the day of evil comes, you may be able16600:13:37,960 –> 00:13:39,919to stand.16700:13:40,840 –> 00:13:44,719For whatever belongs to your earthly nature, be on your guard.16800:13:44,719 –> 00:13:45,719Stand firm.16900:13:45,719 –> 00:13:47,140Be men of courage.17000:13:47,140 –> 00:13:53,260Or in verse 11 here, pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, and godliness.17100:13:53,260 –> 00:13:56,919How can you do that, Timothy?17200:13:56,919 –> 00:13:58,700Because you’re not just a weak, sickly 30-year-old.17300:13:58,700 –> 00:14:05,739You’re God’s man, you’re God’s man.17400:14:05,859 –> 00:14:11,859You’re God’s man in Jesus Christ.17500:14:11,880 –> 00:14:18,640Now Paul underlines what it is to be God’s man, to be God’s woman, in three very wonderful17600:14:18,640 –> 00:14:19,640ways.17700:14:19,640 –> 00:14:25,039And I want us simply to see these great distinguishing marks of those who are in Christ.17800:14:25,039 –> 00:14:34,059First, he reminds God’s man, Timothy, that he has made a great confession of faith.17900:14:34,260 –> 00:14:36,820This is in verses 12 and 13.18000:14:36,820 –> 00:14:37,820Notice he says,18100:14:37,820 –> 00:14:43,359′–take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, when you made your good confession18200:14:43,359 –> 00:14:46,039in the presence of many witnesses.’18300:14:46,880 –> 00:14:49,359Timothy, remember this.18400:14:49,359 –> 00:14:57,280As God’s man you have made a marvelous confession of faith.18500:14:57,280 –> 00:15:02,419Now, he’s obviously referring to a specific occasion when many people were present, and18600:15:02,520 –> 00:15:06,520it seems most likely that this would have been Timothy’s baptism.18700:15:07,059 –> 00:15:12,479Ever since the day of Pentecost, Christian believers have confessed faith in the Lord18800:15:12,479 –> 00:15:20,359Jesus through baptism, which is a sign and a seal of our union with Christ.18900:15:20,359 –> 00:15:25,640Scripture says—in Romans 10 and verse 9—that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus19000:15:25,640 –> 00:15:30,340is Lord, and if you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will19100:15:30,340 –> 00:15:32,380be saved.19200:15:32,479 –> 00:15:37,960From the earliest times, people made that confession—the Romans 10 and 9 confession—in19300:15:37,960 –> 00:15:38,960baptism.19400:15:38,960 –> 00:15:43,700In being baptized, people stated, «Jesus is Lord», as they were going into the water,19500:15:43,700 –> 00:15:49,960a practice that is still followed as people are baptized today.19600:15:49,960 –> 00:15:53,460Now Paul reminds Timothy that this is true of him.19700:15:53,460 –> 00:15:57,719«Timothy, you have made this great confession.»19800:15:57,719 –> 00:16:05,000This reminds us of something very important indeed, that a Christian is a person who has19900:16:05,000 –> 00:16:10,559reached a conclusion about Jesus Christ.20000:16:10,559 –> 00:16:15,239«Jesus is Lord», that’s our confession.20100:16:15,239 –> 00:16:22,359A Christian is a person who has reached a conclusion about Jesus Christ.20200:16:22,400 –> 00:16:27,679Now, that’s important, because we all know that as Christians, we are in process over20300:16:27,679 –> 00:16:29,859many things.20400:16:29,859 –> 00:16:34,280We’re in process over repentance, we’re in process over holiness, we’re in process over20500:16:34,280 –> 00:16:39,200spiritual growth, we’re in process over prayer, we’re in process in overcoming temptation20600:16:39,200 –> 00:16:45,919and so forth, but we are not in process over who Jesus is.20700:16:45,960 –> 00:16:51,419We’ve reached a conclusion, we’ve made a confession.20800:16:51,419 –> 00:16:58,000To be a Christian means that you have nailed your colors to the mast about who Jesus is20900:16:58,000 –> 00:17:01,619and your dedication and your loyalty to Him.21000:17:01,619 –> 00:17:06,859To be a Christian means that we stand with Peter, when Jesus said to him, remember who21100:17:06,859 –> 00:17:10,280do people say that I am and who do you say that I am?21200:17:10,280 –> 00:17:15,719Peter said, you are the Christ, you are the son of the living God, we stand with Peter21300:17:15,839 –> 00:17:17,939That’s our confession.21400:17:17,939 –> 00:17:23,020We stand with Thomas, who had gone through a long period of doubting but then when he21500:17:23,020 –> 00:17:29,040came to that place of faith he fell on his knees and he said before Jesus, My Lord and21600:17:29,040 –> 00:17:30,040my God.21700:17:30,040 –> 00:17:32,439We are with Thomas right there.21800:17:32,439 –> 00:17:37,060We stand with all the believing people of God in every generation and in every continent21900:17:37,060 –> 00:17:44,099of the world in declaring that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.22000:17:44,280 –> 00:17:45,579That’s our confession.22100:17:45,579 –> 00:17:48,680We take in our stand there.22200:17:48,680 –> 00:17:51,280That’s what it means to be a Christian.22300:17:51,280 –> 00:17:55,439One who confesses Christ.22400:17:55,439 –> 00:18:00,339And the confession of faith is more than an opinion you know.22500:18:00,339 –> 00:18:09,540It’s more like vows in marriage or perhaps receiving citizenship of a country.22600:18:09,540 –> 00:18:14,180And that of course is the significance of baptism.22700:18:14,180 –> 00:18:23,400That in the presence of witnesses, you declare that Jesus Christ is Lord.22800:18:23,400 –> 00:18:30,400And in baptism you receive the sign of one who has been united with Jesus Christ in His22900:18:30,400 –> 00:18:35,900death and united with Jesus Christ in His resurrection.23000:18:35,900 –> 00:18:39,380And this is not a private matter.23100:18:39,420 –> 00:18:46,280Anyone who says or thinks that Christian faith is a private matter has not read the New Testament.23200:18:46,280 –> 00:18:50,979This is a public confession before witnesses.23300:18:50,979 –> 00:18:54,760That’s the point that Paul is making here.23400:18:54,760 –> 00:19:01,680And the role of course of witnesses is to remind a person of the confession that they23500:19:01,680 –> 00:19:03,859have made.23600:19:03,859 –> 00:19:07,140This is true in a wedding.23700:19:07,140 –> 00:19:14,640Why do we have all these bridesmaids and weddings and all these groomsmen in Britain23800:19:14,640 –> 00:19:16,540where we do it on the cheap?23900:19:16,540 –> 00:19:20,140We only have one of each.24000:19:20,140 –> 00:19:22,060One bridesmaid, one groomsman.24100:19:22,060 –> 00:19:23,140We come to this country.24200:19:23,140 –> 00:19:26,060You’ve got them lined up.24300:19:26,060 –> 00:19:27,060Lined up!24400:19:27,060 –> 00:19:28,060What are they there for?!24500:19:28,060 –> 00:19:29,319I mean, they make the place look beautiful.24600:19:29,319 –> 00:19:32,339What are they there for?24700:19:32,339 –> 00:19:36,680You know what the purpose of witnesses is?24800:19:36,880 –> 00:19:41,099The purpose of the witness is that if you’ve ever stood with someone at their wedding,24900:19:41,099 –> 00:19:47,160the purpose of witness is to remind the bride and groom of the vows that they took in future25000:19:47,160 –> 00:19:52,599years when times may become difficult, and surround them with that strength.25100:19:52,599 –> 00:19:57,579That’s what you’re there for after the day’s over.25200:19:57,680 –> 00:19:58,760And Paul says to Timothy…25300:19:58,760 –> 00:20:00,760You see, it’s the same in the church.25400:20:00,760 –> 00:20:04,099That’s why when the church family gathers for a baptism, what a wonderful thing that25500:20:04,119 –> 00:20:10,699is to witness people within the body of Christ confessing Jesus as Lord in baptism.25600:20:10,699 –> 00:20:15,859The purpose of the witness is that we should remind one another in difficult times, you’re25700:20:15,859 –> 00:20:20,339not your own, you’re bought with a price.25800:20:20,339 –> 00:20:24,619You’re not aimless and lost in this world, you belong to Jesus Christ.25900:20:24,619 –> 00:20:27,660You have made your good confession.26000:20:27,660 –> 00:20:29,699You are His.26100:20:29,699 –> 00:20:32,979And we are to encourage one another in this way.26200:20:33,140 –> 00:20:37,219Now you see that is exactly what Paul is doing for Timothy here.26300:20:37,219 –> 00:20:39,180You are God’s man.26400:20:39,180 –> 00:20:40,780And you know, here’s the marvelous thing.26500:20:40,780 –> 00:20:45,260If you are God’s man, if you are God’s woman, if you have nailed your colors to the26600:20:45,260 –> 00:20:51,500mast, if you have truly been crucified with Christ and raised to new life in Him, you26700:20:51,500 –> 00:20:56,520don’t begin each new day wondering who you are and why you’re here and to whom you26800:20:56,520 –> 00:20:57,520belong.26900:20:57,520 –> 00:20:58,520You’re Christ’s.27000:20:58,520 –> 00:21:01,880You’re united to Him in His death and resurrection forever.27100:21:01,900 –> 00:21:08,439You have made a confession and from now on it is no longer for you to live for yourself27200:21:08,439 –> 00:21:14,500but for Him who died for you and was raised to life.27300:21:14,500 –> 00:21:19,140And just before we move on here, I want you to notice that this confession is never something27400:21:19,140 –> 00:21:20,920that the Christian makes up.27500:21:20,920 –> 00:21:26,640Do you notice that having spoken about Timothy’s confession, Paul goes on immediately to speak27600:21:26,640 –> 00:21:29,680about Christ’s confession?27700:21:29,680 –> 00:21:37,199Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession.27800:21:37,199 –> 00:21:41,859And remember that Pilate asked Jesus, are you the King of the Jews?27900:21:41,859 –> 00:21:49,839And Jesus said, it is as you say.28000:21:49,839 –> 00:21:56,060So when we make our confession that Jesus is Lord, we are agreeing with Christ’s confession.28100:21:57,000 –> 00:22:02,880And that is why Paul says in verse 12, Timothy, it’s a good confession.28200:22:02,880 –> 00:22:07,579If you have confessed Christ as your Savior and your Lord, you have made the best confession28300:22:07,579 –> 00:22:10,699that a person in this world can ever make.28400:22:10,699 –> 00:22:15,959For you have identified yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ, who died bearing your sin28500:22:15,959 –> 00:22:19,939and rose to bring you into everlasting life.28600:22:19,939 –> 00:22:24,180You belong to Him and you are God’s man.28700:22:24,180 –> 00:22:25,719God’s woman.28800:22:26,079 –> 00:22:28,079What a privilege.28900:22:28,099 –> 00:22:32,319You’ve been listening to Open the Bible with Pastor Colin Smith, and a message called gospel29000:22:32,319 –> 00:22:33,319hope.29100:22:33,319 –> 00:22:38,699It’s the last message in our series, Ten Distinctives of a Gospel Centred Church.29200:22:38,699 –> 00:22:42,859And we’ll be continuing this message in our next broadcast, so hope you’ll join29300:22:42,859 –> 00:22:44,400us for that.29400:22:44,560 –> 00:22:48,979If you miss any of the previous messages in the series, you can easily catch up or go29500:22:49,000 –> 00:22:55,359back and listen again by coming online to our website OpenTheBible.org.uk29600:22:56,459 –> 00:22:59,000Open the Bible is supported by our listeners.29700:22:59,000 –> 00:23:04,020It’s people just like you, who enable us to stay on the radio and on the internet,29800:23:04,020 –> 00:23:07,079and we’re extremely grateful for the support we receive from you.29900:23:07,079 –> 00:23:11,180So, if you already give to Open the Bible, thank you so much.30000:23:11,180 –> 00:23:15,579If you’re considering beginning to support Open the Bible financially, this month we30100:23:15,579 –> 00:23:17,280have a great offer for you.30200:23:17,280 –> 00:23:23,339If you’re able to begin a direct debit of five pounds per month or more or a one-off30300:23:23,420 –> 00:23:30,160gift of 60 pounds or more, we’d love to say thank you by sending you a copy of John Stott’s30400:23:30,160 –> 00:23:32,339book, The Incomparable Christ.30500:23:32,339 –> 00:23:36,660Colin, what is the one thing you want people to take away from this book?30600:23:36,660 –> 00:23:42,859Oh, well Jesus once asked his disciples, who do you say that I am?30700:23:42,859 –> 00:23:48,339And that is the most important question that I think any of us could ever answer.30800:23:48,339 –> 00:23:53,520When you settle in your mind and your heart who Jesus is, you really laid a foundation30900:23:53,520 –> 00:23:58,420for your life and for everything else, you can rest the weight of your life, your death31000:23:58,420 –> 00:24:00,939and your eternity on him.31100:24:00,939 –> 00:24:05,619And Peter’s answer to that question when Jesus said, who do you say that I am?31200:24:05,619 –> 00:24:07,819Peter said, you are the Christ.31300:24:07,819 –> 00:24:15,459Now this book, The Incomparable Christ, really lifts up who Jesus is, how he’s presented31400:24:15,479 –> 00:24:21,239to us in the New Testament, how he has been understood throughout the history of the church,31500:24:21,239 –> 00:24:26,280how he’s inspired people through the centuries, and how he will be when we see him in his31600:24:26,280 –> 00:24:28,739power and his glory when he returns.31700:24:28,739 –> 00:24:29,859It’s a marvelous book.31800:24:29,859 –> 00:24:35,180I think it’s the best book you can read about Jesus, The Incomparable Christ.31900:24:35,180 –> 00:24:38,660And I think that people will be greatly blessed by this book.32000:24:38,660 –> 00:24:43,500Well this book by John Stott, The Incomparable Christ, is our gift to you when you begin32100:24:43,500 –> 00:24:50,060a new direct debit to the work of Open The Bible in the amount of £5 per month or more.32200:24:50,060 –> 00:24:54,140Or a one off gift of £60 or more this month.32300:24:54,140 –> 00:24:58,099Full terms and conditions are on our website, that’s at openthebible.org.uk.32400:24:58,099 –> 00:25:01,640And you can give online.32500:25:01,640 –> 00:25:07,380Don’t forget to leave your full name and address so we can send you your free gift.32600:25:07,380 –> 00:25:11,800For Open the Bible and Pastor Colin Smith, I am David Pick and I look forward to you32700:25:12,239 –> 00:25:16,040us again for our next program.32800:25:16,040 –> 00:25:26,040How do you keep going when you feel overwhelmed by life and there are discouragements on every32900:25:26,040 –> 00:25:27,380side?33000:25:27,380 –> 00:25:29,520Find out next time on Open The Bible.