55 2 Timothy 1-2 - Pastor Chuck Smith - C2000 Series

so we turned out to second Timothy this is the last epistle that Paul wrote he is again in prison in Rome it would seem that he was released from the first imprisonment and allowed a little more time of Liberty to preach the gospel and putting together from the various epistles and from the book of Acts it would seem that he went to mellitus and then on over to Corinth and to Troas probably to Ephesus and then on back where he was arrested and take him back to Rome Paul realizes that the situation has now changed in Rome he realizes that the sentence of death is upon him he knows that his time is very short that he will soon be executed by Nero for his faith in Jesus Christ and so realizing that his execution is only a matter of time Paul writes his final letter to Timothy his son in the faith this young man that Paul had discipled and spent so much time with to invest in Timothy's life so that he could carry on the work of Paul once he was gone so Paul now is writing his final epistle this is the last of Paul's epistles shortly after this he was beheaded there on the Appian Way just outside of Rome so Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus you see the sentence of death is now hanging on it so what's he talk about life in Christ Jesus that eternal life jesus said don't be afraid of those who can kill your body and after that they don't have any power and so as Paul is writing with a sentence of death upon him knowing that his execution is only a matter of time it is interesting how he writes about life I'm an apostle by the will of God according to the promise of life not of death but of life which is in Christ Jesus John tells us this is the record God has given to us eternal life and that life is in the son and he who has the son has life according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus oh thank God even with the sentence of death hanging over as we can talk about life that eternal life that age of biding life that we have in Christ Jesus when the rich young ruler came to Jesus and fell there at his feet he said good master what good thing must I do to inherit this age of biding life he saw in Christ that quality of life and he desired it that quality of life that his arse through our faith in Jesus Christ he who has the son has life - Timothy my dearly beloved son notice the enduring terms of Paul now towards Timothy as he realizes this is probably the last time I'm going to write be able to write to him my dearly beloved son and so there's a lot of emotion a lot of pathos in in this second letter to Timothy because of the background of this whole epistle grace mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord these beautiful gifts of God His grace his mercy his peace I thank God whom I served from my forefathers with a pure conscience that without ceasing I have remembrance of you in my prayers night and day the men that God uses our men of prayer Paul is constantly in his epistles referring to his prayer life he was a man who lived and slept and breathed prayer he lived in close relationship with God and with Jesus Christ and so is the case with those men that God uses they are men of prayer and here Paul speaks about his praying for Timothy without ceasing night and day because Paul realized that if the Ministry of the word was to be carried on in truth really the heavy burden was going to be upon Timothy once Paul left when Paul sent Timothy to the church in Philippi he said I have sent unto you my beloved son Timothy because I don't have anyone else who has like-minded as I am who really has you at his heart Timothy was one that had read he modeled his life after Paul Paul could see hey this young man has caught the vision this young man knows my heart and so he realized that Timothy was going to be the natural one to carry on that same ministry of the grace of God to the people and that is no doubt why Paul invested so much time in prayer for Timothy night and day oh Lord he's a young man Lord he doesn't have the background and the experience but God used him help and bless him Lord wouldn't you love to have Paul praying for you night and day Paul said I greatly desire to see you because I remember your tears no doubt the last time Paul had seen Timothy there at Ephesus and had to leave him Timothy was crying probably wanted to go with Paul Paul they believed was arrested in Ephesus at this time when the Roman Church began to I mean the Roman government began to persecute the church again and probably as they bound Paul to take him back to Rome as he said his farewell to Timothy Timothy was just weeping and sobbing and yet it was necessary that he say and establish those brethren in the Church of Ephesus which were being harassed by the false teachers that had come in and so Timothy weeping and Paul had vividly in his mind this beloved collator his son in the Lord he had in his mind the tears as they were coming down Timothy's faith he said oh I greatly desire to see you I remember your tears and I'd love to see you that I might be filled with joy what a beautiful bond is created through Jesus Christ among men and among women this family of God it exceeds even our natural families the bond that God creates in our hearts and in our lives for each other that love that is their pulse that I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith or the pure faith that is in you which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and I'm persuaded as also in you so he came from a good line you know a godly heritage what a blessing it is what a blessing to have a godly grandmother what a blessing to have a godly mother the faith that was in my grandmother the faith that was in my mother the faith that God has planted in my heart you know it's an interesting thing my grandmother was a very special woman she lived in Santa Barbara and the pastor that came to the church there was just a young man he wasn't married yet and so she used to go with him on his calls so that there would be no questions in the minds of people to be called on some of the young wives or whatever my grandmother was always with him and made his calls with him she lived a life dedicated to the Lord to serve the Lord that was hurt the whole passion of her life was to serve the Lord when she was in the hospital dying of cancer there were short of nurses and so she would get up and go around and take bedpans to people and and took care of them and and waited on people there in the hospital because that was her life just service it was a life of service to God and a trust in God I recently found out that inscribed on her tombstone or the words Jesus never fails and that was just the story of her life it was a life of faith in the Lord and so the family members because that would just was sort of the hallmark of her life Jesus never fails they put that on her tombstone I didn't know that but over in Fair Haven here in Santa Ana on my mother's tombstone we have placed Jesus never fails because the faith that was in my grandmother was passed on to my mother and I could remember from a child my younger brother had asthma and when he would have his attacks and start wheezing couldn't sleep we had an old rocking chair that creaked and as a little child I can remember lying in bed hearing my brother wheeze you know that asthmatic wheeze that you know that it has a unique sound to it and I could hear that I could hear the creaking rocking chair out in the other room and I could hear my mother singing Jesus never fails Jesus never fails heaven and earth may pass away but Jesus never fails and I would go to sleep hearing her rock my brother during his asthmatic attacks singing of the unfailing grace of Jesus Christ whenever we were sick she would come in and sing to us Jesus never built my brother was healed of asthma the Lord didn't fail and all through our life the Lord has taken care of us the Lord didn't fail and so because this was so much a part of her life without knowing it was on my grandmother's tombstone we had it put on her tombstone over here in San Anna and so there in the cemetery and Montecito you'll find the gravestone of my grandmother says Jesus never fails you over here in Fairhaven you'll find my mother's grave stone that says jesus never fails the faith that came from my grandmother to my mother now passed on to us and we of course passing it on to our sons and now they to their sons and grandchildren and all oh how glorious it is the heritage that is ours in the Lord and in the things of the Spirit and it's just it's just a beautiful thing Paul said I know the faith that was in your gram of their loss and also in your mother you earth and I know that it's in you oh the greatest thing that we can offer and give to our children is this heritage of trusting God and faith how important that we pass it on wherefore I put the in remembrance that you stir up the gift of God that is in thee by the putting on of my hands now Paul has a couple of times already made reference to this when Timothy was a young man and began to join Paul in the ministry there in Lystra the elders laid hands on Timothy and prayed for him and as they did the Lord gave to Paul a word of prophecy in which the Lord spoke to Timothy telling him the gifts that the Lord was giving to him and outlining some what the ministry that Timothy was to fulfill and Paul has made mentioned before of this experience that Timothy had when the elders laid hands on him and he received the Holy Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit and the Word of prophecy directing his life and his ministry and so Paul said remember and stir up the gift that is in you that you received when the hands were laid upon you and the gift of prophecy exercised it is possible for us to neglect the gifts of God within our lives but God did not give us these gifts to be neglected he gave us these gifts to be used and so Paul's exhortation to Timothy stir up that gift that is in you begin to exercise it again by faith begin to exercise again that gift of the spirit that God has given unto you for God has not given us the spirit of fear now evidently Timothy became a little fearful in the exercise of this gift and I think that that is a tool that Satan often uses to discourage our exercises of the gifts of the Spirit fear I don't know what people are going to think you know if I say that to them you know and and we have this fear that many times restricts us from the exercise of this we got but God hasn't given us the spirit of fear but of power love and a sound mind the spirit of power oh thank god the spirit of love how important and a sound mind so be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord nor of me his prisoner but be thou a partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel according to the power of God now there are a lot of situations where we can just keep our mouths shut and stay out of trouble when we really ought to be opening our mouths and getting into trouble you know when when people are saying blasphemous things we can just keep our mouths shut and sort of shrug and say oh you know poor stupid soul or we can say to them do you realize what you are saying what a filthy mouth you have doesn't it bother you to have such a filthy mind and mouth I've often said to people when they are using the name of Jesus in a blasphemous way hey that hurts me you're talking about a man who I love more than anyone else who died to save me from my sins and it hurts me to hear you talk about in that way hey you know they sometimes get upset and they you know look like who do you think you are you know and and all that kind of stuff but yet Paul tells Timothy that God has given us the power of the spirit of power of love and of a sound mind therefore don't be ashamed of our Lord but be a partaker of the afflictions of the gospel we'll get to it a little bit they who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution the scrip the promise in the Bible that I hate the most the power of God who hath saved us and called us with a holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began so God who called us and saved us but it wasn't according to our works we are not saved according to our works but according to the purposes of God now this was the message that Paul was proclaiming and the message that was being perverted by the legalism that was creeping into the church now remember that Timothy was ministering there in Ephesus to the church in Ephesus and already there were those seeds of legalism that had taken root and were beginning to turn the people away from the glorious gospel of grace that Paul had proclaimed and Paul speaks to Timothy of his concern that they were turning away from the grace of God and for him to establish them in the grace of God a few years later Jesus wrote a letter to Ephesus and all was not well within the church in fact Jesus called the Church of Ephesus to repentance and he said unless you repent I will remove my presence from you they had come to the place where their whole religion was a works thing because the Lord said I know thy works by labor and so forth and thy works they had come to a legal relationship with the Lord they had come to a salvation based upon works who saved us and called us Paul said not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began now the result of a legal relationship to the Lord is really the loss of relationship because Jesus doesn't want a legal relationship with you he desires a loving relationship with you he wants you to relate to him in love and so he said to Ephesus you've left your first love you've got all these works men you've got this whole thing going all kinds of works but I have this against you because you've left your first love I don't want a legal relationship with you I want a loving relationship with you and tonight Jesus is looking for a loving relationship with you he's not interested in all of these little rules and regulations and and keeping your works up he's interested in your just loving him supremely this loving relationship I have this against you you've left your first love now remember from whence your fallen and repent and do the first works over that is the works that were motivated and prompted by love or else I will move the candlestick out of his place where was the place of the candlestick Jesus was walking in the myths so Jesus is saying I'll take my press from your midst if you try to have a legal relationship with me that's not what I want I want love relationship and so Paul is encouraging him in the grace God has called us with this holy calling but God didn't call you because of your works or because you were deserving or worthy of it but just to accomplish his purposes of love and of grace which was given us in Christ before the world began but it is now made manifest God has always loved us but the love was manifested by the appearing of Jesus Christ you see heavens declare the glory of God the earth shows his handiwork Dan today they enter this beach I have no argument with the man who says God speaks to me in nature God speaks to me in nature and how I love for God to speak to me through nature how I love to walk along the beach how I love to get into the surf how I love to watch a beautiful sunset how I love to sit under the stars out in the desert and just look up into the heavens the vastness of the galaxies and all how I love to see the raging streams I love Yosemite I love nature God speaks to me through nature I have no argument the Bible says that God speaks to you through nature day and today they utter their speech night and tonight their voice goes forth there isn't a speech or a language where their voice isn't heard yes I believe that God can speak to you when you go out to the desert where you go up of the mountains when you take a Sunday off and just go out among nature and just enjoy the beauty of God's creation I believe that God speaks to you there I have no argument with that but what nature cannot and does not tell you is how much God loves you it took more than nature to reveal that it took Jesus Christ it is interesting that whenever God wants to show you his love or to prove his love to you he always points to the cross and so God who loved us before the world ever existed but has manifested it by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ who has abolished death now here Paul is a got the death sentence Nero says you know death sentence is upon him but Paul says God's abolish death oh thank God for the life that is ours and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel the Christian does not die it is wrong to say of a child of God he died the Christian does not die Paul the Apostle said we know that when the earthly tent of our body is dissolved when my body goes back to dust decomposes and goes back to dust I have a building of God not made with hands that's eternal in the heavens so then we were in these bodies in these tents too often groan earnestly desiring to move out of this old tent not to be an unembodied spirit but to be clothed upon with the new body which is from heaven for we know that as long as we are living in these bodies we are absent from the Lord but we would choose rather to be absent from these bodies to be present with the Lord so when a Christian dies rather than saying oh he died last week we should say oh he moved last week have you seen John lately Oh didn't you know he moved into a beautiful mansion he's no longer living in that old tent who has abolished death and brought us life and immortality jesus said to Martha I am the resurrection and the life yes Lord I know on the last day he's going to rise no jesus said I'm the resurrection and the life I'm here now and he that believeth on me though he were dead yet shall he live and if you live and believe in me you'll never die he said you believe this that's the gospel that's the good news that we have to proclaim the Lord has abolished death he who lives and believes shall never die Oh move yes that's important and that's desirable I wouldn't want to live in this dumb old tent forever everyday I live the Lord is making it just a little bit easier more desirable to move I'm getting aches and creaks that I've never had before I have the most difficult time walking across the floor the first thing in the morning I mean it it takes a while now to get warmed up my feet just kill me in the morning especially after a few sets of tennis not a funny thing it's miserable growing old the old tent slowly dissolving but I have a building of God for God is abolished death and brought us life and immortality we're in - he said I am appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher of the Gentiles the three things that Paul was called to do he was a preacher he was an apostle he was a teacher preaching is ordained by God to bring the unbeliever to a faith in Jesus Christ preaching is not for the Christian or the saint or the church preaching is for the unregenerate for in the preaching I am proclaiming to the unregenerate God's good news to man you don't have to go on in sin and die in your sin and trespasses you can have eternal life through Jesus Christ repent believe on the Lord Jesus Christ that's preaching teaching is what the church needs now the weakness of the church today is that there is too much preaching and not enough teaching in the church the church has been preached almost to death and what the church needs is teaching teaching us how to walk teaching us how to grow teaching us how to develop in our relationship with God that's what the church needs the teaching of the word and that's where the church is failing in a real teaching ministry so Paul had a combination of a preaching and a teaching ministry called as an apostle for the witch cause he said I also suffer these things nevertheless these things this you know I'm in prison I'm sentenced to death and for it's because of my teaching and preaching that I'm here in prison nevertheless he said I'm not ashamed for I know whom I have believed now notice he didn't say I know what I believe now there's a lot of people today say well I know what I believe you know I believe in the orthodoxy I believe in the Apostles Creed I believe and they know what they believe but it's not what you believe or in what you believe but it's in whom you believe that's important I know in whom I have believed and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day I have committed my life to him I'm persuaded he is able to keep it I know in whom I have believed correct orthodoxy is important but a Creed cats a view only Jesus Christ can save you it's not belief in a system it's not belief in a religion is not belief in a doctrinal position it's belief in a person that brings salvation it's the belief in Jesus Christ and so we know we need to know in whom we have believed Paul's that I'm persuaded he's able to keep that which I've committed that word I've committed in the Greek is an interesting word it's the word that is used for making a bank deposit I've entrusted it so I've entrusted my life to him he's able to keep it nero may take my head off but he's going to keep my life because I know in whom I have believed I'm persuaded he's able to keep me holdfast that form of sound words which you have heard of me in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus as these false teachers were beginning to come along and you remember Paul in his last recorded visit in the book of Acts with the elders of Ephesus as he had come to Meletis and he had sent a message to the elders in Ephesus to meet him at Miletus because he was in a hurry to get back to Jerusalem wanting to get back there before the feast that he might take the offering back to the church in Jerusalem that he had collected among the Gentile churches and so they met him on the beach the ship was offshore waiting for Paul and he was talking with the elders of the Church of Ephesus he said I'm going to Jerusalem I don't know what's going to happen all I know is everywhere I'm going the spirits warning me I'm going to be bound and so forth beyond that I really don't know the Lord hasn't shown me but I want you to bear record that night and day I bore faithful witness of Jesus Christ as I lived among you and I told you and I showed you the things of the Lord now he said I know that after I depart grievious wolves are going to come in not ready with pure motives they're not going to spare the flock of God they're going to bring in these pernicious doctrines and even from your own midst men are going to rise up and trying to draw men after themselves trying to create little factious groups and Paul was weeping he said I know that this is going to happen I can't stop it but he encouraged them to the faithfulness of the word and the faithfulness of the teaching that he had given to them well it was true after Paul left these men did come in and so as Timothy is there and trying to buck these doctrines that are raising up their ugly heads within the Church of Ephesus and these men who are trying to create these little divisions by getting these weird doctrines and espousing some strange thing and all puls says hold fast that form of sound doctrine or words which you have heard of me that good thing which was committed unto you that is the truth the Word of God keep by the Holy Spirit which dwells in us for this you know that all of they which are in Asia have turned away from me of whom are feigl as' and her Majin ease those in Asia had now turned their backs upon Paul he was no longer able to be a strong influence there they didn't have to fear him come in apostolic power to correct their false doctrines anymore and they were becoming emboldened in their heresies and in the drawing of people after themselves Paul means a couple of them they've turned away from me what a what a sad thing Paul was read he pretty much forsaken now with the sentence of death upon him even Dimas who had been a companion for so long had forsaken him others have fled Luke only was remaining with him there in Rome but there was one faithful brother Anisa for us the Lord gave mercy unto the house of Annisa for us for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains Paul was chained there in a dungeon in Rome and Anisa forest went to Rome and searched through dungeon after dungeon until he finally found Paul and there ministered to him in Riis dim for when he was in Rome he sought me out very diligently and he found me and the Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus you know very well so this Anisa forest had been just a blessed man and had ministered to Paul while Paul was in Ephesus and then came to Rome and searched until he found him and there ministered to him Paul praise God's mercy and blessing upon him for it now therefore my son be strong in the grace you see it is legalism that is threatening the church this idea that you can work yourself into divine favor so be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus and the things that you have heard of me among many witnesses the same commit thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also and so this is how the gospel is spread as Paul said now you remember the things that I said then I was teaching among many of the Brethren now you take these same things and commit them to faithful brethren who will be able to teach others the disciple of men in the truths of God investing your lives and others as we have grown older we've sought to invest our lives into younger ministers sharing with them spending time with them teaching them committing to them the Word of God in order that they might then go out and give the same thing to faithful men who will then be able to go out and teach others when we started our ministry here at Calvary Chapel we met with a group of men and many times their wives five nights a week for two years the first two years five nights a week we gathered together entrusting to these men the teaching of the word of God studying several books going through the entire Bible with him after two years with these men I said all right the time has come you fellows start teaching your own home Bible studies and so they started teaching their Bible studies in their homes I would every week get calls from them when they were going to have a Bible study that night they'd have a list of questions that they'd go over before they went to their Bible study or had their Bible studies in their homes after two years many people who were saved in their Bible studies then started their own home Bible studies and it was passed on and on and on from spiritual generation to spiritual generation people who were saved in a Bible study began to teacher Bible study in which men were saved who went out and later on began to teach their own Bible studies and so it goes on and on it is as it is passed you teach faithful men who are able then to teach others you disciple others so that they in turn can disciple others and so the progression goes Paul said endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ we're in a real battle a tough battle it's a battle of the eternal destiny of human souls it's a fierce battle the enemy is relentless he attacks night and day he never eases the pressure is great endure hardness Paul said is a good soldier hang in there and no man that Wars entangles himself with the affairs of this life and that's our problem so often as Jesus said in the last days be careful lest you at any time be overcharged with gluttony surfeiting or with drunkenness or the cares of this life so that the day of the coming of the Lord will catch you by surprise catch you unaware Jesus in talking about how that the thorns grew up with the wheat identifying the thorns he said the desire for riches the cares of this life and the desires of other things choked out the fruitfulness of the gospel within their lives so the cares of this life can choke out the fruitfulness no man who is in war no man who is signed up for the army gets all involved in the little mundane things of life hey I'm in a battle and I can't get bogged down with the cares of this life my desire is that I might please him who has chosen me to be a soldier you see I have made a commitment under the commanding general that I will serve that I will go into battle that I am on call any time he can give an order for me to move out must be ready to go I want to please him who has called me to be a soldier that's the whole desire of my life to please God who has called me into this warfare also if any man strive for the masteries now Paul was referring here to the Olympics and the wrestling competition within the Olympics and the wrestling competition in those days was called striving for the masteries striving to master over another one throw him out of the ring pin him on his back he who strives for the masteries he is not crowned unless he strives lawfully see the referee can blow the whistle on you and say hey that was not right you know you hit him after I called break you're not crowned unless you strive lawfully there are the rules by which you must wrestle the husbandman that labrum the man who is out there in the field laboring gets the first fruit of harvest you were able to eat while you were in the field working picking the fruit you could eat the fruit he's the first partaker of the fruits consider what I say and may the lord give you understanding in all of these things remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel this is the heart of the gospel the resurrection of Jesus Christ don't forget that remember the resurrection without that we have no gospel and so he's encouraging him to come back to the heart of the gospel and you find that everywhere they went the center message the thing that made Christianity different from Buddhism or Confucianism or any other religious system is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and so he's reminding him of that unique difference in Christianity wherein he said I suffer trouble as an evildoer even unto these bonds these chains but thank God the Word of God isn't found they can bind me they can bind my arms to this soldier next to me to this guard but they can't bind the Word of God therefore I endure all things for the elects sake that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory so I endure these things because God has elected certain people to be saved and if by my sacrifice by my commitment I can bring them the knowledge of Jesus Christ great my desire is to see the salvation which is in Christ Jesus that they might share the eternal glory of a child of God so in another place he said I know that the present suffering isn't worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed when Christ comes oh yea it's hard now yeah it's tough yeah it's not easy they're suffering but it can't be compared with the glory the eternal glory so he said our life affliction light affliction Paul let's see you say once you were stoned three times you were beaten with rods three times you received 39 stripes you were shipwrecked you were beat up you were in prison how many times light affliction Paul our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh an exceeding eternal weight of glory interesting contrast light affliction for a moment eternal weight of glory so endure hardness is a good soldier don't get all entangled in worldly things seek to please the one who has called you to be a good soldier it's a faithful saying it's a true saying if we be dead with him we shall also live with him they're going to take my life pretty soon but I that is this physical life but I'm going to be living with him if we suffer we shall also reign if we deny he also will deny if we believe not he abides faithful he cannot abide deny himself there are some people who say rather pompously well I just don't believe in Jesus Christ so what you see you're believing or not believing doesn't alter the facts one iota you may deny him but he can't deny himself that you know that would be impossible to deny your own existence so you're saying I don't believe that Jesus was the son of God is like saying I don't believe that two and two equals four I just look at you think your your little nuts but that's all right you have a your right to be but you don't change the facts your believing or not believing doesn't alter the fact at all the fact that Jesus Christ is the son of God that he did die for our sins is the fact that remains whether you believe it or not you see you're believing or not doesn't affect him at all it does affect you seriously and for eternity and so it is rather ridiculous to say well I don't believe it and to think that it doesn't exist just because you don't believe it you can deny the truth but he can't deny it he can't deny himself what he is and what he has done so if we don't believe it's still true he can't deny himself so of these things put them in remembrance charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no prophet all they do is subvert the hearers there are those that get all involved in birds and in little concepts and twists and and all of a scripture and they are really totally unprofitable do you know that the church was divided once over an argument on how many angels could stand on a head of a pin people used to argue over that and and people have all these concepts honest too but that's not going to help anybody and you look at a lot of these things that people bring up and a lot of divisions that are created how are you baptized brother you know then they they well you weren't really baptized then you know and you better be baptized the right way you were baptized backwards oh-ho no face down man that's the only way you know and they get in these silly little things and and all and all it does is subvert people subvert the hairs study to show yourself approved unto God a workman that doesn't need to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth this particular scripture was the inspiration to Scofield in setting out the dispensations in the Scofield Bible rightly dividing the word of truth I think you've been a little far with it but it's interesting that this is the verse that inspired him to make the divisions especially within the Scofield Bible as he shows you the dispensation of innocence the dispensation of government the dispensation of law the dispensation of grace and the dispensation of you know the future reign of Christ on the the dispensations rightly dividing but it is important that we rightly divide the word of truth study it's important that we study but shun profane and vain babblings for they will increase unto more ungodliness there are those who turn the grace of God into a cloak to cover their own lasciviousness well if God is so ready to forgive and so full of grace it really doesn't matter if we do it because we can just ask him immediately to forgive us then and it will you know he's graceful and it's all over so let's go ahead and do it and then we'll seek the grace of God to forgive us know these kind of vain and profane babblings only increase ungodliness Paul himself said shall we go out and sin freely then the grace may abound perish the thought how can we who are dead to sin live any longer therein the grace of God is not an excuse or a cloak or a reason to go out and just to live recklessly saying well the grace of God will cover me profane vain babbling be careful of it their words will eat like a canker worm of whom is hymenaeus and philetus I mean Paul doesn't mind naming these fellows does he or Paul shame on you I'm going to write you a letter whoo concerning the truth have aired saying that the resurrection is past already and the overthrow of the faith the Sun now the Jehovah Witnesses say the you know the resurrection is already past really I mean Jesus came again in 1914 in June oh oh but I thought every I was going to see him oh no only those were the spiritual eyes those who were living in the headquarters and they saw him in New York spiritually with a spiritual eye and he set up his reign in a secret chamber and he is ruling now from the secret chamber through these men in New York but we're in the kingdom age Satan is bound glory to God hey if this is the kingdom age I'm greatly disappointed I was hoping for much better than this I wish the Lord did not put such a long chain on him he still has enough rope to give me a bad time who have erred concerning the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place and they subvert the faith of many people they're turning a lot of people away to this weird little doctrine of theirs drawing a lot of people after this nevertheless the foundation of God stands it stands sure it has this seal the Lord knows those that are is the Lord knows those that are his and let everyone that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity if you take the name of Christian if you take the name of Christ then depart from iniquity the Lord knows those who are his but in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and of earth clay some to honor some to dishonor Paul here refers to the church is a great house Jesus in the kingdom parables indicated that the church was going to become something God didn't intend it to be those seven parables in Matthew's Gospel 12 and 13th chapter the deal with the kingdom age talking about the church it's like into a mustard seed that's very small but it was planted and it grew up into a great tree wait a minute mustard you know they don't have mustard trees they have mustard bushes if you've got a tree you've got abnormal growth and the birds or the fowls of the air came and lodged in it the birds in the scripture are always used in an evil sense you remember the parable of the seed that fell by the wayside and the birds came and plucked it up now the birds were Satan who plucked the word out that it couldn't take root what's he saying Satan's going to lodge in the branches of the church oh yes he is found lodging within the branches of the church there is more junk comes out of the World Council of Churches proclamations and the National Council of church proclaims and you can believe concerning hymenaeus and philetus who have erred concerning the truth corrupt men of corrupt minds putting on a clerical garb taking the title of Reverend and espousing every rotten cause that comes along every damning issue that would demoralize and destroy our society and these men are ready to take it up and champion it and they're ready to fight against anything that is good a group of Ministers filed a suit against President Reagan for proclaiming the year of the Bible in 1983 hey wearing a backward collar doesn't make a minister out of anybody only God ordains a lot of men have the title of Reverend I would I would fear anybody taking that title sometimes people call me Reverend Smith and I cringe they write that on a book or you know on a letter something and I cringe I I know that they don't know me when I get these letters Reverend Charles Smith or the Reverend Charles men are the most Reverend Charles I I know hey they don't know me because I don't consider myself reverend at all there's nothing reverent about Chuck Smith the Bible says we are to reverence God's holy name that I do but I don't want anybody reverencing my name or me god help me I'm a sinner just like you I need the grace of God just like you in a great household many vessels some gold some silver some wood some clay some for honor some for dishonor kingdom of heaven is like a woman hiding leaven in three measures of meal until it permeates the whole lump leaven is always used in an evil sense in the scriptures the leaven of sin the leaven of hypocracy it's a type of sin because it multiplies by true trophic ation does it makes an excellent type of sin which multiplies by Putra fication and so the church the leaven within it until it leavens the whole lump the evil influences that have their way of permeating through the whole church again the kingdom of heaven is likened to a man who planted wheat in his field and at night the enemy came and sowed the terrors so that the servants as it began to grow said Lord there are terrors going on among the wheat shall we go out and pull them up no he said let them grow together until the end and then it harvests take and gather the tares together and put them in bundles and cast them into the fire but bring the wheat into my barn Jesus taught that these evil influences would exist within the church that they would grow together until the time of the great harvest the church is not a perfect organization the church is made up of all kinds of people and it's wise for you to recognize that because you can get skinned by people calling themselves Christians almost more readily than anybody else not all who say Lord Lord are going to enter the kingdom of heaven and let's not be blind or foolish about this the church is not a perfect organization it's made up of all kinds of people thank God there is the good thank God for the faithful thank God for those who are really seeking after God with all of their hearts it's because of those we continue to exist if it weren't for those the Lord would have brought judgment on the church a long time ago and it would have been wiped out but the time will come when judgment will begin we're at the house of God and if the righteous scarcely be saved where will the sinner in the ungodly appear I mean if the judgment begins at the house of God but our going to do when you get to San Francisco so the church is not a perfect organization and those that are spending their lives and ministries to perfect the church so that the Lord can come again or do for a great disappointment because in a great house there are all kinds of vessels some are for honourable purposes some for dishonorable purposes those of gold and silver were for the master of the house that he might eat and drink out of these vessels of gold and silver these were those that you love to use and entertain with when company comes you bring out your best silver and your best golden cups and bowls and all vessels of Honor I want to display them but in the same house big Alice you've got so much garbage it's got to go out so you've got a clay pot over there but you dump all the garbage vessel of dishonor you throw the trash in it you carry the trash out with that all kinds of vessels some of honors some of dishonor we are in this great house we are a vessel what kind of a vessel am I am I a vessel of Honor that is fit for the Masters use how can I be first of all I've got to separate myself from those impure doctrines and men who are espousing the impure doctrines if a man will purge himself from these these what I often call sterile doctrines you say well there's nothing wrong with that nobody sounds a little weird but doesn't hurt anybody oh yes it does so often there are doctrines that are being promulgated that the effect of the doctrine is sterilization when you start to embrace it it sterilizes you so that you are no longer fruitful doctrines that get the people all introspective all into themselves demon demon who's got the demon you know and they have these parlor games where they cast the demons out of each other lust and gluttony and and lethargy and and all of these demons that are hovering around and possessing the the believers you know so we're going to have a casting out party tonight you know come on over we're going to cast demons out and and so a person yawns have oh did you see him beyond we better cast the demon of sleepiness out of him and if you burp man hands are laid on you and the gluttony demon has to go purge yourself from these things they're not profitable purge yourself from these things and you will be a vessel unto honor sanctify that is God will set you apart God will anoint you and you will be fit for the Masters use then God will begin to use you and that really is what it's all about isn't it to be used of God to touch some life to be used of God to share his love to be used of God as an instrument that's what life is all about fit for the Masters use as he prepares us unto every good work God begins to prepare you through the word through prayer through your experiences they're all a part of God's necessary preparation Paul wrote to the Ephesians and said you are his workmanship God's working in you created together unto created together unto Christ Jesus created together in Christ Jesus unto the good works that God is before ordained that you should accomplish God is already four ordained that service that he wants you to accomplish for his glory but he has to first of all work in you preparing you so the experiences that I go through the hardships the difficulties the testings the trials the sorrows they're all a part of God's necessary preparation as he is seeking to prepare the vessel to be used by the master as he empties me of myself that he might fill me with his fullness that I no longer live for my own glory but I live now for his glory that I serve Him in such a way that it brings glory to him let your light so shine before men that when they see your good works they glorify your father which is in heaven prepared unto every good work flee also Timothy youthful lust how many have been injured destroyed because of youthful lust flee them great example is that of Joseph as he was serving in the house of Potiphar and the wife of Potiphar fell in love with him sought to entice him to come into her bedchamber daily was flirting enticing until finally one day when the rest of the servants was were out she grabbed all of him going to force him into the bed and he wriggled free leaving his coat in her hand and he ran out naked fleeing youthful lusts smartest thing he could do there are some times when the wisest in you into his run flee youthful lust but follow righteousness faith love peace with those that call on the Lord out of a pure heart and so those that are calling from a pure heart what are the things what are the characteristics righteousness faith love peace but foolish and unlearned questions avoid knowing that they are only designed to create strife there are a lot of lead questions that are only designed to create an argument a person has a position that they went to a spouse and so they come to you with a question why don't you baptize people immediately when they're saved you see they believe that a person really isn't saved until he's baptized they want to get into an argument with you over baptism now he said avoid these questions all they are intended to do is create strife they're not really wanting to learn they're only wanting an argument they want to get in a fight the servant of the Lord must not strive mustn't get into these arguments but be gentle unto all men and apt to teach and patient ready to teach but you got to be patient because in a great house there are all kinds of vessels in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance into the acknowledging of the truth so you hope that God will work you you take your time your patient you teach teaching and meekness and just hoping that peradventure their hearts will be open that they might turn to the truth and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him at his will oh what an important verse this verse teaches us that there are certain people who have been taken captive by Satan they are bound by Satan they are his captives now we have the power the authority through Jesus Christ to deliver them from the captivity of the enemy those who Satan holds he holds by usurped power you see Jesus died for all men he died for the sins of the world that work of redemption was complete for all mankind it covered every man's sin Jesus redeemed the world back to God however Satan is still holding captive many people but that hold that he has is a usurped authority that he has taken but as long as the people are consenting to it they remain his captives and they consent to it because he has blinded their eyes to the truth of their own condition Paul said the god of this world having blinded their eyes that they cannot see the truth so what a sad predicament the unbeliever is in as he is bound by Satan a captive of Satan but his eyes are blind so that he doesn't even realize the truth of his own condition he doesn't know how precarious is his position for Satan has blinded his eyes he's prejudiced against the Lord Satan has blinded his eyes concerning the truth in Christ Jesus oh I don't believe goodbye with all kinds of contradictions on it you hear that all the time I always say show me one oh well your lots of them well then show me one well let's fill with them you know I'm sure but follow them you know well tell me one no I heard someone say that one time god of this world's blinded their eyes they can't see the truth sad place to be that we might take them from the captivity is it possible that we can take them from the captivity jesus said and you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free we can in love teaching them instructing them bring them the truth which can set them free we can through prayer open their eyes to see the truth we combined that work of Satan that is blinding their eyes that is keeping them from knowing the truth and we can deliver them from this captivity surely we ought to be gay engaged in this warfare enduring hardness is a good solider getting out in the trenches fighting against the enemy delivering these who he has taken captive setting them free through the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ vessels of honor used by the master to bring his love and grace to a needy world around us god help us Jesus we thank you tonight for your word for your help for your strength and now Lord let the Word of God dwell in our hearts richly through faith that we being rooted and grounded may be able to comprehend more fully what is the length and the breadth and the depth and the height of the love of Jesus Christ for us and Lord we wish tonight to present our bodies to you as living sacrifices yielding to you our hands our mouths our feed that you might use them Lord as instruments of righteousness to bring your love to a dying world in Jesus name Amen may the Lord richly bless you fill you with his love and with his word and with his true guide you in all things make this a glorious week as we begin it in the word founded on the truth may you grow up in Christ maturing and growing and developing until your life is being used by the master in a great way bringing glory and pleasure to him in Jesus name

Channel: Ken Zenk

Views: 15,728

Rating: 4.6763005 out of 5

Keywords: Bible, God, Jesus, Christ, Love, Hell, Death, Sex, Marriage, Drugs, Satan, Porno, Cancer, Sports, Girls, Music, Holy Spirit, Children, Family, Heaven, Healing, Pregnant, Aids, Gay, Movies, TV Shows, Animals, Israel Prophecy, Last Days, Christian, Jewish People, Gentiles

Id: jJSTLeGPX5k

Length: 86min 39sec (5199 seconds)

Published: Sat May 11 2013