1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:05,800 Let’s remember the situation that Timothy was in when Paul wrote this marvelous letter 2 00:00:05,800 –> 00:00:12,540 that we’ve been studying throughout the fall to him. Timothy had been given an overwhelming 3 00:00:12,540 –> 00:00:19,540 responsibility. He’s a relatively young person, probably in his thirties, and he is 4 00:00:19,540 –> 00:00:26,799 been given the task of leading the only church there was in the great city of Ephesus. And 5 00:00:26,799 –> 00:00:32,820 in the letter Paul has being laying out to him exactly what that responsibility involves. 6 00:00:32,820 –> 00:00:40,560 And we’ve seen it’s very considerable. Timothy has to stop those who are teaching false doctrine. 7 00:00:40,560 –> 00:00:46,580 He has to sustain his own ministry of the Word and of public prayer. He has to lead 8 00:00:46,580 –> 00:00:52,439 the other leaders in the church. He has to grow in his own spiritual life so that everyone 9 00:00:52,619 –> 00:00:58,259 the congregation will see his progress. He has to oversee the practical care of widows 10 00:00:58,259 –> 00:01:02,279 and others who are in special need in the church. And he has to encourage the whole 11 00:01:02,279 –> 00:01:08,180 congregation to pursue godliness with contentment, to lay up treasure in heaven and so to lay 12 00:01:08,180 –> 00:01:15,180 hold of the life that is truly life. Now that is quite a task by any standard. 13 00:01:15,739 –> 00:01:22,739 And we know from 2nd Timothy that this young man Timothy was not a particularly confident 14 00:01:23,099 –> 00:01:30,720 person. In 2 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 7, Paul uses the word timidity which seems to 15 00:01:30,720 –> 00:01:36,360 describe Timothy’s temperament. He was naturally shy. He wasn’t someone who had 16 00:01:36,400 –> 00:01:45,540 massive self-belief. He was not a forceful person. And John Stott suggests that in addition 17 00:01:45,540 –> 00:01:50,360 to all of this he probably didn’t have very good health either. In chapter 5 and verse 18 00:01:50,360 –> 00:01:59,139 23 of the first letter of Timothy, Paul says to Timothy, take a little wine, for the sake 19 00:01:59,220 –> 00:02:05,720 of your stomach. And John Stott suggests that probably there was a recurrent gastric problem 20 00:02:05,779 –> 00:02:14,240 that Timothy was experiencing. Certainly he was of a nervous disposition. Now you put 21 00:02:14,240 –> 00:02:21,039 all of that together and you get a picture of someone who I think most often have felt 22 00:02:21,039 –> 00:02:27,740 that he was in over his head, out of his depth and must often have felt that he was at the 23 00:02:27,740 –> 00:02:32,779 end of his rope. And perhaps there are many times in your life with what God has entrusted 24 00:02:32,860 –> 00:02:40,360 you to do where you would feel like that also. And so we find ourselves, perhaps especially 25 00:02:40,360 –> 00:02:46,119 at a time like this, saying, you know, how do I sustain everything that God has called 26 00:02:46,119 –> 00:02:53,199 me to do, year after year? How am I to find the energy to live a godly life in the midst 27 00:02:53,500 –> 00:02:59,339 of all the pressures that are coming in on me right now? How do you keep going when you 28 00:02:59,339 –> 00:03:02,160 are overwhelmed by life? 29 00:03:03,100 –> 00:03:08,500 And when there are discouragements and pressures pouring in on every side. 30 00:03:10,220 –> 00:03:13,339 Now, having described the size of the task that 31 00:03:13,339 –> 00:03:19,619 is given to this young man, Timothy, it’s not surprising is it that Paul ends this letter 32 00:03:19,619 –> 00:03:25,639 under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit by pouring into his life the most marvellous 33 00:03:25,639 –> 00:03:29,779 encouragement. And that’s what we’re going to look at together in the scriptures today 34 00:03:30,020 –> 00:03:32,059 beginning at verse 11. 35 00:03:33,139 –> 00:03:35,460 Now, Paul has been describing the way of false 36 00:03:35,460 –> 00:03:41,380 teachers. We looked at that last time, people who set their hearts on money and so forth. 37 00:03:41,380 –> 00:03:47,500 And then he encouraging Timothy to pursue a different path. And I want you to notice 38 00:03:47,500 –> 00:03:55,960 something really surprising, because this is the most personal, intimate part of a letter 39 00:03:55,960 –> 00:04:03,279 from Paul to a friend, a colleague in ministry. Paul and Timothy had traveled together. They 40 00:04:03,279 –> 00:04:10,059 knew each other really well. And Paul is writing in the most personal way to someone that he 41 00:04:10,059 –> 00:04:15,199 knows really well. His friend, his colleague, the guy he has mentored, the one he calls 42 00:04:15,199 –> 00:04:24,679 his son in the faith. And you would expect him, in verse 11, at this most intimate moment 43 00:04:24,679 –> 00:04:37,500 to address Timothy by name. You would expect him to say, but you, Timothy, pursue righteousness, 44 00:04:37,500 –> 00:04:49,959 pursue godliness, faith, hope, endurance, gentleness. But he doesn’t do that. He doesn’t 45 00:04:50,160 –> 00:05:00,260 use the personal name at all here. He refers to him as man of God. Now, I want you to see 46 00:05:00,260 –> 00:05:06,320 how striking that is. So I’m going to pick on someone I know well. It’s my friend Ray. 47 00:05:06,320 –> 00:05:10,660 I know Ray well. We’ve played tennis together over the years, so we’re friends. 48 00:05:10,660 –> 00:05:17,299 Now, it would be quite natural for me if I was writing to you, Ray, to say, now you, 49 00:05:17,779 –> 00:05:24,899 pursue righteousness, pursue godliness.” But if at the end of a letter to Ray, my friend, 50 00:05:24,899 –> 00:05:33,940 I said, but you, man of God, pursue righteousness, godliness, and so forth, don’t you think 51 00:05:33,940 –> 00:05:38,200 that would be a little strange? Don’t you think that that would get 52 00:05:38,200 –> 00:05:46,040 Timothy’s attention? Why is he referring to me like that? Now, it would’ve gotten 53 00:05:46,220 –> 00:05:51,160 Timothy’s attention all the more, because Timothy didn’t have the New Testament, Timothy 54 00:05:51,160 –> 00:05:57,119 had the Old Testament, and he would’ve known it very well. And in the Old Testament, 55 00:05:57,119 –> 00:06:02,000 the phrase Man of God is used only on a very few occasions. 56 00:06:02,000 –> 00:06:07,799 Oh, let me tell you some of the people who are described as man of God in the Old Testament. 57 00:06:07,799 –> 00:06:16,480 Number one Moses, number two Samuel, number three King David, number four Elijah the 58 00:06:16,480 –> 00:06:19,160 prophet, and number five Elisha. 59 00:06:19,160 –> 00:06:23,799 Now do you think for one minute that this timid guy with a nervous temperament and a 60 00:06:23,799 –> 00:06:28,239 bad stomach who wonders why in all the world he’s the pastor of the church in Ephesus? 61 00:06:28,239 –> 00:06:33,480 Do you think for one minute that he thinks he belongs in the company of Moses and Samuel 62 00:06:33,739 –> 00:06:36,279 and David and Elijah and Elisha? 63 00:06:36,279 –> 00:06:40,200 Not for one minute. 64 00:06:40,200 –> 00:06:41,700 But you see the importance of this. 65 00:06:41,700 –> 00:06:45,839 Paul is saying, Timothy, I want you to remember who you are. 66 00:06:45,839 –> 00:06:47,920 You’re God’s man. 67 00:06:47,920 –> 00:06:50,519 That’s who you are. 68 00:06:50,519 –> 00:06:57,119 And I want you to think and to speak and to act and to live not as you are by nature, 69 00:06:57,119 –> 00:07:00,420 but in who you are by God’s grace. 70 00:07:01,079 –> 00:07:03,799 You are God’s man. 71 00:07:03,820 –> 00:07:07,920 So that was great for him, he was after all the pastor of the church at Ephesus. 72 00:07:07,920 –> 00:07:10,619 What about you, do you think you belong in this company? 73 00:07:10,619 –> 00:07:15,700 You know if you turn over just one page to second Timothy, chapter 3 and verse 16, you 74 00:07:15,700 –> 00:07:20,820 will see something very interesting, because in that well known verse Paul speaks about 75 00:07:20,820 –> 00:07:26,299 scripture, and how it is God-breathed, and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting 76 00:07:26,299 –> 00:07:32,799 and training in righteousness, so that the man of God, there is that phrase again, may 77 00:07:32,799 –> 00:07:36,239 be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 78 00:07:36,239 –> 00:07:40,299 Now the scriptures obviously are given not to some Christians but to all Christians, 79 00:07:40,299 –> 00:07:43,359 so this is telling us something wonderful. 80 00:07:43,359 –> 00:07:50,880 The phrase man of God, that in the Old Testament was used to describe only a very select few–Moses 81 00:07:50,880 –> 00:07:54,959 and Samuel and David and Elijah and Elisha. 82 00:07:54,959 –> 00:08:00,339 The few who were given special anointings of the Holy Spirit of God, this wonderful 83 00:08:00,339 –> 00:08:04,299 phrase is now used to describe every believer. 84 00:08:04,299 –> 00:08:08,200 In other words, every man in Christ is God’s man. 85 00:08:08,200 –> 00:08:11,799 Every woman in Christ is God’s woman. 86 00:08:11,799 –> 00:08:20,660 If you are in Christ, you are God’s man as much as Moses and Elijah and David and Samuel. 87 00:08:20,660 –> 00:08:27,600 If you are in Christ, you are God’s woman as much as Sarah and Deborah and Ruth and 88 00:08:27,600 –> 00:08:30,100 Esther. 89 00:08:30,100 –> 00:08:32,340 And this is where Christian encouragement begins. 90 00:08:32,340 –> 00:08:38,460 You see, Paul is saying to his dear and much loved friend, who is nervous by temperament, 91 00:08:38,460 –> 00:08:43,700 tends to be very sick and have ill health, probably who did not other than Paul have 92 00:08:43,700 –> 00:08:47,919 a major male influence in his life. 93 00:08:48,700 –> 00:08:54,960 And Paul says to this man, you need to know who you are in Jesus Christ, Timothy you are 94 00:08:54,960 –> 00:08:57,000 God’s man. 95 00:08:57,000 –> 00:09:00,299 You are not your own. 96 00:09:00,299 –> 00:09:03,880 You have been bought with a price. 97 00:09:03,880 –> 00:09:08,119 God created you, Christ redeemed you. 98 00:09:08,119 –> 00:09:15,440 The angels in heaven confess that Jesus Christ purchased men for God. 99 00:09:15,440 –> 00:09:22,080 Think about this, what is Timothy by nature? 100 00:09:22,080 –> 00:09:35,859 By nature he’s a shy, timid guy in his mid-thirties, overpromoted and with a bad stomach. 101 00:09:35,859 –> 00:09:39,280 By grace he’s God’s man. 102 00:09:39,280 –> 00:09:44,500 And Paul says Timothy that’s what you need to know, that’s what you need to hear. 103 00:09:44,500 –> 00:09:49,580 You need to know who you are in Jesus Christ. 104 00:09:49,580 –> 00:09:56,619 When God speaks to believers he speaks to us not as we are by nature, but as we are 105 00:09:56,619 –> 00:10:01,880 by grace in Christ. 106 00:10:01,880 –> 00:10:04,000 William Barclay puts this so beautifully. 107 00:10:04,000 –> 00:10:11,179 He says, when the charge is given to Timothy he is not reminded of his weakness, helplessness, 108 00:10:11,179 –> 00:10:14,159 inadequacy or his own sin. 109 00:10:14,239 –> 00:10:23,960 He is rather challenged by the honor which is his, the honor of being God’s man. 110 00:10:23,960 –> 00:10:30,299 See, that’s why in the New Testament, you would never find in the New Testament God 111 00:10:30,299 –> 00:10:37,640 speaking to Christian believers, rubbing our noses in it, going on about what a miserable, 112 00:10:37,640 –> 00:10:43,419 pathetic failure and how hopeless you really are and so forth and so on. 113 00:10:43,719 –> 00:10:48,320 How could that be true of the people of God in whom the Holy Spirit lives? 114 00:10:48,320 –> 00:10:49,099 Listen. 115 00:10:50,380 –> 00:10:57,159 God does not tread us down by branding us according to our nature. 116 00:10:58,140 –> 00:11:04,299 God lifts us up by calling us to be who we are in Jesus Christ. 117 00:11:06,119 –> 00:11:08,780 That’s why God speaks to believers like this. 118 00:11:08,780 –> 00:11:13,239 He says, put on the whole armor of God, that when the day of evil comes, you may be able 119 00:11:13,239 –> 00:11:15,159 to stand. 120 00:11:15,159 –> 00:11:18,580 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature. 121 00:11:18,580 –> 00:11:20,299 Be on your guard. 122 00:11:20,299 –> 00:11:21,299 Stand firm. 123 00:11:21,299 –> 00:11:27,340 Be men of courage, or in verse 11 here, pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, 124 00:11:27,340 –> 00:11:28,539 and godliness. 125 00:11:28,539 –> 00:11:30,580 How can you do that? 126 00:11:30,580 –> 00:11:35,179 Timothy, because you’re not just a weak, sickly, 30-year-old. 127 00:11:35,179 –> 00:11:38,099 You’re God’s man. 128 00:11:38,099 –> 00:11:40,960 You’re God’s man. 129 00:11:41,119 –> 00:11:45,919 You’re God’s man in Jesus Christ. 130 00:11:47,159 –> 00:11:54,039 Now, Paul underlines what it is to be God’s man to be God’s woman in three very wonderful 131 00:11:54,039 –> 00:11:55,039 ways. 132 00:11:55,039 –> 00:11:59,599 I want us simply to see these great distinguishing marks of those who are in Christ. 133 00:11:59,599 –> 00:12:10,059 First, he reminds God’s man, Timothy, that he has made a great confession of faith. 134 00:12:10,059 –> 00:12:12,219 This is in verses 12 and 13. 135 00:12:12,219 –> 00:12:17,299 Notice he says, take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, when you made your 136 00:12:17,299 –> 00:12:21,039 good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 137 00:12:21,039 –> 00:12:24,599 Timothy, remember this. 138 00:12:24,599 –> 00:12:31,979 As God’s man, you have made a marvelous confession of faith. 139 00:12:31,979 –> 00:12:37,780 Now, he’s obviously referring to a specific occasion when many people were present. 140 00:12:37,900 –> 00:12:42,440 It seems most likely that this would have been Timothy’s baptism. 141 00:12:42,460 –> 00:12:47,739 Ever since the Day of Pentecost, Christian believers have confessed faith in the Lord 142 00:12:47,739 –> 00:12:55,599 Jesus through baptism, which is a sign and a seal of our union with Christ. 143 00:12:55,599 –> 00:13:00,880 Scripture says, in Romans 10 in verse 9, that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus 144 00:13:00,880 –> 00:13:05,479 is Lord, and if you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will 145 00:13:05,479 –> 00:13:07,619 be saved. 146 00:13:07,700 –> 00:13:14,020 From the earliest times people made that confession, the Romans 10 9 confession in baptism, in 147 00:13:14,020 –> 00:13:15,299 being baptized. 148 00:13:15,299 –> 00:13:21,039 People stated Jesus is Lord as they were going into the water, a practice that is still followed 149 00:13:21,039 –> 00:13:23,979 as people are baptized today. 150 00:13:24,700 –> 00:13:32,979 Now, Paul reminds Timothy that this is true of him, Timothy you have made this great confession. 151 00:13:32,979 –> 00:13:40,479 But this reminds us of something very important indeed that a Christian is a person who has 152 00:13:40,479 –> 00:13:46,520 reached a conclusion about Jesus Christ. 153 00:13:46,520 –> 00:13:50,539 Jesus is Lord, that’s our confession. 154 00:13:50,539 –> 00:13:56,739 A Christian is a person who has reached a conclusion about Jesus Christ. 155 00:13:57,700 –> 00:14:03,059 Now, that’s important because we all know that as Christians, we are in process over 156 00:14:03,059 –> 00:14:05,159 many things. 157 00:14:05,159 –> 00:14:09,599 We’re in process over repentance, we’re in process over holiness, we’re in process over 158 00:14:09,599 –> 00:14:14,500 spiritual growth, we’re in process over prayer, we’re in process in overcoming temptation 159 00:14:14,500 –> 00:14:21,260 and so forth, but we are not in process over who Jesus is. 160 00:14:21,299 –> 00:14:24,119 We’ve reached a conclusion. 161 00:14:24,119 –> 00:14:26,700 We’ve made a confession. 162 00:14:26,700 –> 00:14:33,299 To be a Christian means that you have nailed your colors to the mast about who Jesus is 163 00:14:33,299 –> 00:14:36,900 and your dedication and your loyalty to him. 164 00:14:36,900 –> 00:14:40,539 To be a Christian means that we stand with Peter. 165 00:14:40,539 –> 00:14:45,380 When Jesus said to him, remember, who do people say that I am and who do you say that I am? 166 00:14:45,380 –> 00:14:47,940 And Peter said, You are the Christ. 167 00:14:48,020 –> 00:14:49,919 You are the son of the living God. 168 00:14:49,940 –> 00:14:51,320 We stand with Peter there. 169 00:14:51,320 –> 00:14:53,219 That’s our confession. 170 00:14:53,219 –> 00:14:57,640 We stand with Thomas, who had gone through a long period of doubting. 171 00:14:57,640 –> 00:15:02,599 But then, when he came to that place of faith, he fell on his knees and he said before Jesus, 172 00:15:02,599 –> 00:15:05,200 My Lord and my God. 173 00:15:05,200 –> 00:15:07,700 We’re with Thomas right there. 174 00:15:07,700 –> 00:15:12,320 We stand with all the believing people of God in every generation and in every continent 175 00:15:13,280 –> 00:15:19,380 in declaring that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. 176 00:15:19,380 –> 00:15:20,919 That’s our confession. 177 00:15:20,919 –> 00:15:26,559 We take in our stand there, that’s what it means to be a Christian. 178 00:15:26,559 –> 00:15:30,700 One who confesses Christ. 179 00:15:30,700 –> 00:15:35,599 And a confession of faith is more than an opinion, you know. 180 00:15:35,840 –> 00:15:44,840 It’s more like vows in marriage or perhaps receiving citizenship of a country. 181 00:15:44,840 –> 00:15:49,460 And that of course is the significance of baptism. 182 00:15:49,460 –> 00:15:58,679 That in the presence of witnesses, you declare that Jesus Christ is Lord. 183 00:15:58,679 –> 00:16:05,679 And in baptism, you receive the sign of one who has been united with Jesus Christ in his 184 00:16:05,679 –> 00:16:11,179 death and united with Jesus Christ in his resurrection. 185 00:16:11,179 –> 00:16:14,500 And this is not a private matter. 186 00:16:14,500 –> 00:16:21,539 Anyone who says or thinks that Christian faith is a private matter has not read the New Testament. 187 00:16:21,539 –> 00:16:26,140 This is a public confession before witnesses. 188 00:16:26,299 –> 00:16:29,979 That’s the point that Paul is making here. 189 00:16:29,979 –> 00:16:37,140 And the role, of course, of witnesses is to remind a person of the confession that they 190 00:16:37,140 –> 00:16:39,080 have made. 191 00:16:39,080 –> 00:16:42,380 This is true in a wedding. 192 00:16:42,380 –> 00:16:49,500 Why do we have all these bridesmaids and weddings and all these groomsman? 193 00:16:49,500 –> 00:16:53,140 In Britain, where we do it on the cheap. 194 00:16:53,140 –> 00:16:55,419 We only have one of each. 195 00:16:55,419 –> 00:16:56,919 One bridesmaid, one groomsman. 196 00:16:56,919 –> 00:17:02,099 When they come to this country, you’ve got them lined up, lined up. 197 00:17:02,099 –> 00:17:03,239 What are they there for? 198 00:17:03,239 –> 00:17:04,819 They make the place look beautiful. 199 00:17:04,819 –> 00:17:07,619 What are they there for? 200 00:17:07,619 –> 00:17:11,939 You know what the purpose of witnesses is? 201 00:17:11,939 –> 00:17:16,459 The purpose of the witness is if you’ve ever stood with someone in their wedding. 202 00:17:16,459 –> 00:17:21,939 The purpose of witnesses is to remind the bride and groom of the vows that they took 203 00:17:22,819 –> 00:17:27,859 years when times may become difficult, and surround them with that strength. 204 00:17:27,859 –> 00:17:32,939 That’s what you’re there for after the day’s over. 205 00:17:32,939 –> 00:17:36,060 And Paul says to Timothy, you see, it’s the same in the church. 206 00:17:36,060 –> 00:17:39,400 That’s why when the church family gathers for a baptism, what a wonderful thing that 207 00:17:39,400 –> 00:17:45,939 is to witness people within the body of Christ confessing Jesus as Lord in baptism. 208 00:17:45,939 –> 00:17:51,099 The purpose of the witnesses is that we should remind one another in difficult times. 209 00:17:51,099 –> 00:17:52,099 You’re not your own. 210 00:17:52,099 –> 00:17:55,619 You’re bought with a price. 211 00:17:55,619 –> 00:17:57,420 You’re not aimless and lost in this world. 212 00:17:57,420 –> 00:17:59,040 You belong to Jesus Christ. 213 00:17:59,040 –> 00:18:02,939 You have made your good confession. 214 00:18:02,939 –> 00:18:05,000 You are His. 215 00:18:05,000 –> 00:18:08,199 And we are to encourage one another in this way. 216 00:18:08,199 –> 00:18:12,479 Now, you see, that is exactly what Paul is doing for Timothy here. 217 00:18:12,479 –> 00:18:14,479 You are God’s man. 218 00:18:14,479 –> 00:18:16,020 And you know, here’s the marvelous thing. 219 00:18:16,020 –> 00:18:20,500 If you are God’s man, if you are God’s woman, if you have nailed your colors to the 220 00:18:21,160 –> 00:18:26,660 mast, if you have truly been crucified with Christ and raised to new life in Him. 221 00:18:26,660 –> 00:18:31,359 You don’t begin each new day wondering who you are and why you’re here and to whom you 222 00:18:31,359 –> 00:18:32,359 belong. 223 00:18:32,359 –> 00:18:33,859 You’re Christ’s. 224 00:18:33,859 –> 00:18:37,119 You’re united to Him in His death and resurrection forever. 225 00:18:37,119 –> 00:18:39,020 You have made a confession. 226 00:18:40,800 –> 00:18:46,640 From now on, it is no longer for you to live for yourself, but for Him who died for you 227 00:18:46,640 –> 00:18:49,780 and was raised to life. 228 00:18:49,780 –> 00:18:54,439 And just before we move on here, I want you to notice that this confession is never something 229 00:18:54,439 –> 00:18:56,380 that the Christian makes up. 230 00:18:56,380 –> 00:19:01,880 Do you notice that having spoken about Timothy’s confession, Paul goes on immediately to speak 231 00:19:01,880 –> 00:19:04,939 about Christ’s confession? 232 00:19:04,939 –> 00:19:12,359 Verse thirteen, Christ Jesus who, while testifying before Pontius Pilate, made the good confession. 233 00:19:12,359 –> 00:19:17,359 You remember that Pilate asked Jesus, are you the king of the Jews? 234 00:19:17,939 –> 00:19:25,079 And Jesus said, it is as you say. 235 00:19:25,099 –> 00:19:32,439 So when we make our confession that Jesus is Lord, we are agreeing with Christ’s confession. 236 00:19:32,439 –> 00:19:38,199 And that is why Paul says in verse twelve, Timothy, it’s a good confession. 237 00:19:38,199 –> 00:19:42,839 If you have confessed Christ as your saviour and your Lord, you have made the best confession 238 00:19:42,839 –> 00:19:46,000 that a person in this world can ever make. 239 00:19:46,020 –> 00:19:51,239 For you have identified yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ who died bearing your sin 240 00:19:51,239 –> 00:19:59,599 and rose to bring you to everlasting life, you belong to him and you are God’s man, God’s 241 00:19:59,599 –> 00:20:01,319 woman. 242 00:20:01,319 –> 00:20:02,880 What a privilege. 243 00:20:02,880 –> 00:20:06,420 Have you made that confession? 244 00:20:06,439 –> 00:20:12,040 If you are, have, remember who are, God’s man, God’s woman. 245 00:20:12,199 –> 00:20:19,000 If not, I invite you to talk with Pastor Greg, one of the other pastors. 246 00:20:19,000 –> 00:20:25,979 We’re preparing for a baptism service in the new year and this would be a wonderful 247 00:20:25,979 –> 00:20:34,079 opportunity for you to move your faith from the realm of private opinion into the realm 248 00:20:34,079 –> 00:20:41,880 of public confession before many witnesses, and it would be our joy to share your joy 249 00:20:41,900 –> 00:20:47,680 in confessing Christ. You’ve made a confession Timothy. 250 00:20:47,680 –> 00:20:56,020 Second, you have embraced a calling. Verses 13 and 14. And here Timothy is being given 251 00:20:56,020 –> 00:21:04,260 a great charge in the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Jesus Christ, Paul 252 00:21:04,260 –> 00:21:11,300 says, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame. 253 00:21:11,300 –> 00:21:16,099 Now what is the command he’s referring to? It seems that the command is in verse 11 and 254 00:21:16,099 –> 00:21:20,739 12, that there’s a character for Timothy to pursue, a battle for Timothy to fight, and 255 00:21:20,739 –> 00:21:27,939 a life for Timothy to gain. Notice verse 11, the character that he’s to pursue. But you, 256 00:21:27,939 –> 00:21:35,219 man of God, pursue righteousness and godliness and faith and love and endurance and gentleness. 257 00:21:35,219 –> 00:21:41,819 Timothy, you’ve made this confession that you’re God’s man. Now you go after the life 258 00:21:41,819 –> 00:21:46,520 that God’s man pursues. That’s how you’re to live. I give you this charge. Go after 259 00:21:46,520 –> 00:21:51,900 it. And realize, Timothy, that there will be a battle to fight. Verse 12, fight the 260 00:21:51,900 –> 00:21:57,699 good fight of the faith. He’s speaking to Timothy about all that’s involved in 261 00:21:58,020 –> 00:22:02,900 that. Nailing your colors to the mast, standing with Jesus Christ in a Christ rejecting world 262 00:22:02,900 –> 00:22:07,839 you will always find yourself in conflict with the currents of the culture when you 263 00:22:07,839 –> 00:22:13,520 take your stand with the Lord Jesus Christ. So fight the good fight of the faith. 264 00:22:13,520 –> 00:22:17,439 And then Timothy, verse 12, take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when 265 00:22:17,439 –> 00:22:22,800 you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. Now notice the language 266 00:22:22,800 –> 00:22:31,079 pursue, fight, take hold. It’s all active. And I guess the question when you think of 267 00:22:31,079 –> 00:22:35,819 all the load that is on Timothy, and the question that surely comes to us many times is where 268 00:22:35,819 –> 00:22:40,599 do you find the energy for this life? You know, you’ve been a Christian for many years 269 00:22:40,599 –> 00:22:49,640 and the Word of God says to you, pursue and fight and lay hold and, aw man, I’m so tired. 270 00:22:49,640 –> 00:22:56,300 So I think it’s very significant you see that Paul, when he gives this charge, he says in 271 00:22:56,300 –> 00:23:05,160 verse 13, In the sight of God who gives life to everything I give you this charge. You 272 00:23:05,160 –> 00:23:13,319 see what he is saying, Timothy? This is really tough, to keep pursuing godly character, to 273 00:23:13,319 –> 00:23:19,140 keep engaging in the fight of faith, to keep laying hold of the life to which you were 274 00:23:19,140 –> 00:23:26,420 called. It’s relentless. It’s demanding. But I’m giving you this charge in the sight of 275 00:23:26,420 –> 00:23:31,339 God who gives life. That means not only that He’s your creator, 276 00:23:31,339 –> 00:23:37,020 but He’s the one who sustains your life. Or to put it another way, the god who will give 277 00:23:37,020 –> 00:23:44,880 you energy for this life. As you pursue this calling you pursue this calling in the sight 278 00:23:44,880 –> 00:23:54,060 of God who gives life. As your days are so will your strength be. Timothy, remember who 279 00:23:54,060 –> 00:24:00,719 you are, you’re God’s man. And God gives life to His people for the pursuit of everything 280 00:24:00,719 –> 00:24:07,920 that He calls us to do. Timothy, you’ve made this good confession. 281 00:24:07,920 –> 00:24:14,719 Timothy, you have embraced this great calling. And now here’s the third distinguishing 282 00:24:14,719 –> 00:24:22,239 mark of God’s man or God’s woman, and it’s this anticipation of Christ’s glorious return, 283 00:24:22,239 –> 00:24:34,579 which is the note on which we end. Verse 14, keep this command without spot or blame until 284 00:24:34,579 –> 00:24:41,800 the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. 285 00:24:42,739 –> 00:24:54,540 Now let’s pause to try and take this in. The appearing. You’re going to see the 286 00:24:54,540 –> 00:25:04,619 Lord Jesus Christ. God will bring about this day, Paul says here, in his own time. 287 00:25:05,540 –> 00:25:12,719 But you can be certain of this, that the day will come, when your faith will be turned 288 00:25:12,719 –> 00:25:26,599 to sight. Now this is an amazing promise, and I want us to grasp why. Because right 289 00:25:26,599 –> 00:25:34,439 here in verse 16, where Paul, in his doxology, his expression of praise to God, 290 00:25:34,640 –> 00:25:40,199 is speaking of the greatness and the glory of God, do you notice that in verse 16, 291 00:25:40,199 –> 00:25:49,479 He speaks of how God lives in unapproachable light? Unapproachable 292 00:25:49,479 –> 00:25:59,520 light. That’s very important statement. God is not obscured in unapproachable 293 00:25:59,520 –> 00:26:10,319 darkness. He is, the Bible says, inaccessible in unapproachable light. In 294 00:26:10,319 –> 00:26:14,479 other words, we are not alienated from God because he is obscured in darkness. 295 00:26:14,479 –> 00:26:22,479 We are alienated from God because he is inaccessible to us in light. Our problem 296 00:26:22,479 –> 00:26:27,939 is not that we can’t find God, that He’s obscured in darkness. Our problem is we 297 00:26:27,939 –> 00:26:34,099 couldn’t get near him if we did. And you see, if you think about the Bible story, 298 00:26:34,099 –> 00:26:42,000 all through the Bible what we find is this. The best of men can’t stand up in 299 00:26:42,000 –> 00:26:52,079 the sheer intensity of the glory of the Son of God. That’s true both in the Old 300 00:26:52,260 –> 00:26:57,900 Testament and the New Testament. John chapter 12 and verse 41, 301 00:26:57,900 –> 00:27:06,900 John tells us that Isaiah in the Old Testament saw Jesus’ glory. Jesus’ glory. 302 00:27:06,900 –> 00:27:10,859 Now he’s referring of course to the vision that most of us know well in 303 00:27:10,859 –> 00:27:15,500 Isaiah chapter 6, where Isaiah sees the glory of the Lord. John says what he was 304 00:27:15,500 –> 00:27:18,540 seeing was Jesus’ glory, the glory you’re going to 305 00:27:18,560 –> 00:27:26,900 see. And what happened when Isaiah saw Jesus’ glory? He sort of crumples up and 306 00:27:26,900 –> 00:27:34,859 he says what? Woe is me because I am ruined. That’s the Old Testament. What 307 00:27:34,859 –> 00:27:40,939 about the New? In the New Testament John the Apostle, who had sat right next to 308 00:27:40,939 –> 00:27:48,579 Jesus at the Last Supper, eating and drinking with him, John is given a vision 309 00:27:48,579 –> 00:27:53,380 of the glory of Jesus in the book of Revelation and he sees Jesus in His 310 00:27:53,380 –> 00:27:56,560 glory. And in Revelation chapter 1 and verse 17, 311 00:27:56,560 –> 00:28:04,579 John says, when he sees Jesus’ glory, when I saw him I fell at his feet as if dead. 312 00:28:05,119 –> 00:28:12,800 You see, in the incarnation the glory of the Lord Jesus was veiled, which is why 313 00:28:12,800 –> 00:28:17,099 the disciples could walk around in cornfields eating with him and all that 314 00:28:17,099 –> 00:28:24,839 stuff. But now that he is ascended, the glorified Lord Jesus, and you’re going to 315 00:28:24,839 –> 00:28:33,599 see him in his glory. When Isaiah saw Jesus’ glory, he goes, woe is me I’m ruined. 316 00:28:33,599 –> 00:28:38,319 When John, who sat by Jesus at the Communion service, sees Jesus’ glory he 317 00:28:38,319 –> 00:28:42,719 falls at his feet as though dead. So how is it going to be for you and for me 318 00:28:42,719 –> 00:28:48,540 when the Son of God appears in all his glory with all his holy angels with him? 319 00:28:48,719 –> 00:28:57,900 And yet Jesus says to us, 320 00:28:57,900 –> 00:29:12,900 And John, who fell at the feet of the glorified 321 00:29:13,119 –> 00:29:19,459 Christ as a dead, says in his letter, 322 00:29:19,459 –> 00:29:26,459 When he appears, we shall see him as he is. 323 00:29:28,739 –> 00:29:31,540 Now if you really think about that you will be asking the question 324 00:29:31,540 –> 00:29:38,540 how is it possible? If Isaiah crumples and John falls 325 00:29:39,380 –> 00:29:46,380 at his feet as though dead how will it be possible for me to stand with joy 326 00:29:48,979 –> 00:29:53,859 in the glorious presence of the son of God when he appears? 327 00:29:53,859 –> 00:30:00,859 There was a man by the name of Thomas Binney who wrote a hymn that some of us may know 328 00:30:01,060 –> 00:30:08,060 I think it’s worth all of us being aware of a hymn that asks and answers exactly this 329 00:30:08,800 –> 00:30:15,540 question. I don’t think I’ve found any more beautiful expression of it in all the years 330 00:30:15,540 –> 00:30:23,260 outside of the scriptures themselves. I want to quote four stanzas from Binney’s hymn for 331 00:30:23,660 –> 00:30:30,660 you I do this because I feel absolutely certain that Binney must have had this very passage 332 00:30:31,119 –> 00:30:38,119 of scripture from 1Timothy in chapter 6 in his mind when he wrote this hymn, God in inaccessibly 333 00:30:38,939 –> 00:30:45,939 light. Binney’s hymn begins with these words, Eternal Light, Eternal light, How pure the 334 00:30:52,599 –> 00:30:59,599 soul must be, when placed within thy searching sight, it shrinks not, but with calm delight 335 00:31:00,540 –> 00:31:07,540 can live and look on thee. You see, he is saying to stand in the presence of God, to 336 00:31:12,920 –> 00:31:18,739 even look on the holiness of the Son of God in all His glory, the soul would have to be 337 00:31:18,739 –> 00:31:25,739 absolutely pure. Otherwise, it is going to shrivel up in the white heat of the presence 338 00:31:26,060 –> 00:31:31,199 of the glory of the Lord. Our God is a consuming fire, so how is it possible for people like 339 00:31:31,199 –> 00:31:36,500 us to look with calm delight, with joy on the presence of Jesus? 340 00:31:36,500 –> 00:31:43,500 He asks the question pointedly in the second verse. Oh, how can I whose native sphere is 341 00:31:46,380 –> 00:31:53,380 dark, whose mind is dim. I live in this darkened world. How can I whose native sphere is dark, 342 00:31:53,520 –> 00:32:00,520 whose mind is dim, before the inevitable appear and on my naked spirit bear the uncreated 343 00:32:03,500 –> 00:32:04,599 beam. 344 00:32:04,599 –> 00:32:11,599 By the way, I had to look up the word ineffable in the dictionary. Ineffable means too great 345 00:32:12,180 –> 00:32:19,180 for description in words. That’s what it means. And you see his point. God is light and in 346 00:32:19,939 –> 00:32:26,459 him is no darkness at all and here I am living in this dark world, and when I stand before 347 00:32:26,459 –> 00:32:32,979 God everything about me is going to be disposed. I will stand as it were naked before him, 348 00:32:32,979 –> 00:32:39,979 everything exposed. How can my naked spirit bear the intensity, the laser light? Uncreated 349 00:32:42,060 –> 00:32:49,060 because God is uncreated. He always has been, always is, and always will be. How can I who 350 00:32:49,180 –> 00:32:56,180 live in this dark world stand in that kind of light where I’m fully exposed and here’s 351 00:32:59,560 –> 00:33:06,560 the answer? You ready for it? There is a way for man to rise to that sublime abode, and 352 00:33:06,979 –> 00:33:13,979 here it is, an offering and a sacrifice, a holy spirit’s energies and advocate with God. 353 00:33:14,959 –> 00:33:29,380 ans here it is, an offering and a sacrifice, a holy spirit’s energies and advocate with 354 00:33:29,380 –> 00:33:31,920 God. 355 00:33:31,920 –> 00:33:40,160 How can I live in the joy of God’s presence? 356 00:33:40,400 –> 00:33:46,439 How can I live in the otherwise unapproachable light? 357 00:33:46,439 –> 00:33:55,760 The answer, an offering, that is, the son of God loved me and gave himself for me, that’s 358 00:33:55,760 –> 00:33:58,280 the offering. 359 00:33:58,280 –> 00:34:00,640 A sacrifice. 360 00:34:00,640 –> 00:34:06,619 Christ bore our sins in his body on the tree. 361 00:34:06,680 –> 00:34:12,639 A Holy Spirit’s energies, the Holy Spirit uniting you to Jesus Christ in his death and 362 00:34:12,659 –> 00:34:18,820 in his resurrection so that all that is his becomes truly yours. 363 00:34:18,820 –> 00:34:24,080 And the risen Lord Jesus Christ, our advocate, standing right now in the presence of the 364 00:34:24,080 –> 00:34:34,459 Father on your behalf, so that by him, the risen Lord, you may be able to dwell with 365 00:34:34,479 –> 00:34:39,479 the joy in God’s eternal light. 366 00:34:39,479 –> 00:34:42,500 Then Benny ends his song this way. 367 00:34:42,500 –> 00:34:47,739 These, that’s the offering, the sacrifice, the Holy Spirit’s energies and the advocate 368 00:34:47,739 –> 00:34:49,399 with God. 369 00:34:49,399 –> 00:34:54,419 These prepare us for the sight of holiness above. 370 00:34:54,419 –> 00:35:01,919 The sons of ignorance and night may dwell in the eternal light. 371 00:35:01,919 –> 00:35:05,520 And here’s how through the eternal love.” 372 00:35:05,520 –> 00:35:08,040 Isn’t that beautiful? 373 00:35:08,040 –> 00:35:17,560 You can dwell in the eternal light of God through the eternal love of God, poured out 374 00:35:17,560 –> 00:35:22,760 in the offering and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit to 375 00:35:22,760 –> 00:35:28,719 bring you into union with Him and the risen Lord Jesus Christ standing now at the right 376 00:35:28,879 –> 00:35:32,919 hand of the Father as your Advocate with God. 377 00:35:32,919 –> 00:35:39,919 So folks, this is the wonderful life that we share together in the Church. 378 00:35:40,280 –> 00:35:44,260 We make the same confession that Jesus Christ is Lord. 379 00:35:44,260 –> 00:35:50,639 We pursue the same calling in the energy that God gives to us of a holy life fighting the 380 00:35:50,639 –> 00:35:55,320 good fight of faith and laying hold of the life to which we have been called. 381 00:35:55,320 –> 00:36:00,899 We live in the same anticipation of Christ’s glorious appearing which is not a dreadful 382 00:36:00,899 –> 00:36:07,840 thought to us but a wonderful thought to us because we are called into the blessing of 383 00:36:07,840 –> 00:36:15,679 life under the rule of God with all its joys for those who are given an entrance into what 384 00:36:15,679 –> 00:36:22,679 otherwise would be inaccessible, an entrance that comes through the offering, the sacrifice 385 00:36:22,719 –> 00:36:29,719 of Jesus, the work of the spirit, the advocacy of the Son of God in the presence of the Father. 386 00:36:32,120 –> 00:36:39,120 What a blessing to be God’s man, to be God’s woman. Let’s pray together. 387 00:36:39,120 –> 00:36:45,360 Father, work the deep truths of the Gospel into our hearts that they may be a life, and 388 00:36:45,699 –> 00:36:52,699 hope, and peace, and blessing to us all. For these things we ask in the Saviour’s name, 389 00:36:53,419 –> 00:36:54,239 and every one said, Amen.