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Voddie Baucham - General Session 5 · Voddie Baucham Sermons

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  Speaker 1: If you have your Bibles with you this morning, please
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  Speaker 1: open them to the book of 2 Timothy, 2 Timothy
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  Speaker 1: chapter 1 and verse 1. Let me say that it
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  Speaker 1: is a singular privilege, a unique privilege to be here
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  Speaker 1: with you on today for a number of reasons. First,
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  Speaker 1: to have the privilege to stand before so many shepherds,
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  Speaker 1: so many Pastors, so many faithful men who faithfully feed
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  Speaker 1: their flocks. And to have the privilege to break the
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  Speaker 1: bread of life for you men is just that. It's
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  Speaker 1: a privilege. Secondly, it is a unique and singular privilege
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  Speaker 1: for me to do so here behind this sacred desk.
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  Speaker 1: not only because of the faithfulness of the one who
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  Speaker 1: occupies this position so regularly, but also because of the
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  Speaker 1: unique role that God has allowed him to play in
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  Speaker 1: my life, both as a mentor and as a friend,
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  Speaker 1: the way that the Lord has connected us even before
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  Speaker 1: he connected us. We're just taking note of the fact
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  Speaker 1: that I I appreciated all of the signage and all
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  Speaker 1: of the extra effort that was taken.
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  Speaker 2: I turned 50 on Monday, so... So, Dr.
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  Speaker 1: MacArthur, I just want to thank you for going the
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  Speaker 1: extra mile there for that. No, in all seriousness, though, Dr.
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  Speaker 1: MacArthur started his ministry here in my hometown. I'm an L.A. boy.
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  Speaker 1: The very year that I was born, and I'm reminded
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  Speaker 1: of what that means when I realize that for my
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  Speaker 1: entire life, he's been doing this from here.
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  Speaker 2: And I thank God for that. I thank God for
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  Speaker 2: that investment.
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  Speaker 1: My assignment this morning is to address the issue of
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  Speaker 1: faithfulness and particularly in the.
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  Speaker 2: Context of persecution. And that's always tricky.
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  Speaker 1: I could stand and regale you of stories of faithful
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  Speaker 1: martyrs and men and women who counted their lives not
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  Speaker 1: dear and instead laid them down for the cause of Christ.
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  Speaker 1: And that's important, and we'll speak of that. But I
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  Speaker 1: want to be clear that when we talk about faithfulness
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  Speaker 1: in the midst of persecution, we're not talking about something
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  Speaker 1: that we can manufacture. Sometimes we talk about faithfulness in
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  Speaker 1: the midst of persecution, and it sounds like we're the military.
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  Speaker 1: It sounds like we're the Marines. Sounds like we're trying
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  Speaker 1: to create a culture and create an environment that will
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  Speaker 1: enable men to be willing to do that which is
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  Speaker 1: unnatural when the time comes. And it is true that
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  Speaker 1: we have figured out over time and we've learned over
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  Speaker 1: time how to condition men to go towards the enemy
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  Speaker 1: when everything in them would say go in the other
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  Speaker 1: direction but when we talk about faithfulness in the midst
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  Speaker 1: of persecution we're not talking about conditioning when we talk
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  Speaker 1: about faithfulness in the midst of persecution we're not talking
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  Speaker 1: about preparing ourselves beforehand so that we can and will
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  Speaker 1: be able to endure that Because usually we're talking about
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  Speaker 1: something that we don't see coming, that we don't know
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  Speaker 1: is coming. You don't get a draft notice. You don't
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  Speaker 1: get a declaration of war. Faithfulness in the midst of
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  Speaker 1: persecution is something that comes upon us usually when we
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  Speaker 1: don't expect it. And it's not something that men face
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  Speaker 1: because they've been conditioned to do so. And if you're
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  Speaker 1: like me, you hear the story of martyrs. And you
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  Speaker 1: say to yourself, I don't know. And if you do
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  Speaker 1: say to yourself, if you hear the story of martyrs,
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  Speaker 1: if you hear the story of men and women who've
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  Speaker 1: been burned at the stake and have done so faithfully
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  Speaker 1: and been torn apart by lions and did so bravely,
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  Speaker 1: and you stick your chest out and say, yeah, yeah,
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  Speaker 1: that's who I would be, then you probably wouldn't. Because
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  Speaker 1: that's pride. And pride doesn't endure persecution. There's a difference
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  Speaker 1: between persecution and suffering. Make no mistake about it. Persecution
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  Speaker 1: is a form of suffering. But everybody suffers. Life is suffering.
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  Speaker 1: That's just a product of the fall. We suffer and
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  Speaker 1: we die. Persecution is different than just plain old suffering
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  Speaker 1: or just plain old death. Persecution is a suffering that
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  Speaker 1: we endure at the hands of our adversary specifically because
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  Speaker 1: of his hatred of our Lord and Master and Savior
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  Speaker 1: Jesus Christ. And what that means is while suffering is
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  Speaker 1: something that is inevitable and every man will suffer, it's
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  Speaker 1: not so with persecutions. Persecution can be avoided. All you
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  Speaker 1: have to do is compromise. So persecution is suffering with
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  Speaker 1: a choice. It's suffering with an option. It's suffering that
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  Speaker 1: you don't have to go through if you just.
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  Speaker 2: Stop preaching.
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  Speaker 1: If you just stop believing, or at least just say
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  Speaker 1: that you've stopped believing. If you just stop going that
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  Speaker 1: way and go, If you just stop pressing on this
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  Speaker 1: particular point, if you just stop raising this particular issue,
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  Speaker 1: if you just stop putting the emphasis on that syllable.
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  Speaker 1: But those who are persecuted have this in common. They
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  Speaker 1: come to a place where faced with that choice and
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  Speaker 1: were given that option, they say, I can't.
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  Speaker 3: And what is that? That's what I want us to
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  Speaker 3: look at today in 2 Timothy.
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  Speaker 2: I'll read it.
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  Speaker 1: The first chapter, we're going to focus on really verses
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  Speaker 1: 8 through 12, but I want to read the first chapter.
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  Speaker 1: Before I read it, let me just give you this picture.
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  Speaker 1: Paul is writing this letter to young Timothy and he's
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  Speaker 1: writing this letter to young Timothy from prison. He is
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  Speaker 1: in prison again. He's what you call a repeat offender.
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  Speaker 1: And he's pretty certain that this will be his last time.
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  Speaker 1: We figure that out from the last chapter. In the
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  Speaker 1: last chapter, he makes it very clear. If you'll go
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  Speaker 1: there with me and look there with me. These very
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  Speaker 1: familiar words in chapter 4. Where he says, beginning in
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  Speaker 1: verse 3.
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  Speaker 2: For the time.
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  Speaker 1: Look down, well, let's look down further in verse 6.
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  Speaker 1: For I'm already being poured out as a drink offering,
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  Speaker 1: and the time of my departure has come. I have
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  Speaker 1: fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I
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  Speaker 1: have kept the faith. henceforth there is laid up for
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  Speaker 1: me the crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous
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  Speaker 1: judge will award to me on that day and not
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  Speaker 1: only to me but also to all who have loved
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  Speaker 1: his appearing the end has come he is fully aware
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  Speaker 1: And he's facing it. Not only is he facing it,
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  Speaker 1: but he's writing a letter to young Timothy. And he's
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  Speaker 1: not writing the letter to young Timothy that you or
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  Speaker 1: I would write. Or let me just own it myself.
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  Speaker 1: It's not the letter that I would have written to
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  Speaker 1: young Timothy had I been in prison knowing that the
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  Speaker 1: end was near. If I had written a letter to
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  Speaker 1: young Timothy during that time knowing that my end was
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  Speaker 1: drawing nigh, my letter would have included at least at
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  Speaker 1: some point a statement like this. Timothy, do you remember
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  Speaker 1: the guys who were praying together when Peter was in prison?
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  Speaker 2: Go find them. Amen, somebody.
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  Speaker 1: But nowhere in his letter does he do that. And
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  Speaker 1: I believe it's strategic and important that he does that.
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  Speaker 1: When you understand the theme of this letter, you understand
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  Speaker 1: why he couldn't do that, even if he desired to
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  Speaker 1: do so. There is one theme that runs throughout this letter. Really,
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  Speaker 1: it's parallel themes. They're like railroad tracks. They run here
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  Speaker 1: parallel to one another. And you find it in every chapter.
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  Speaker 1: You find these two ideas in every chapter. The first
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  Speaker 1: idea is that Paul is writing to young Timothy, and
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  Speaker 1: he is saying that... You must preserve and proclaim the
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  Speaker 1: truth of the gospel. He knows that he's about to die.
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  Speaker 1: He's writing to his young protege. And here he is.
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  Speaker 1: He's saying to him, you have to preserve this truth.
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  Speaker 2: You have to proclaim this truth.
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  Speaker 1: The apostle knows that not only is he at the
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  Speaker 1: end of his life, but most of the apostles are
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  Speaker 1: now coming to the end of their lives. They are
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  Speaker 1: not going to live forever. And not only are they
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  Speaker 1: not going to live forever, but they're going to die
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  Speaker 1: martyrs' deaths. And as they die martyrs' deaths, there are
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  Speaker 1: a couple of things that Paul fears. And one of
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  Speaker 1: the things that he fears is the perversion of the gospel.
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  Speaker 1: And so he says, in every chapter, preserve and proclaim
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  Speaker 1: the gospel. Look at it in chapter 1, beginning there
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  Speaker 1: in verse 12. Follow the pattern of sound words that
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  Speaker 1: you have heard from me in the faith and love
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  Speaker 1: that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who
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  Speaker 1: dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.
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  Speaker 3: Chapter 2, verse 2.
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  Speaker 1: And what you have heard from me in the presence
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  Speaker 1: of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be
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  Speaker 1: able to teach others also. Look with me down in
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  Speaker 1: chapter 3, beginning at verse 14. But as for you,
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  Speaker 1: continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed,
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  Speaker 1: knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood
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  Speaker 1: you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are
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  Speaker 1: able to make you wise for salvation through faith in
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  Speaker 1: Jesus Christ. And again in chapter 4, verse 2. Preach
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  Speaker 1: the word. Be ready in season, out of season. Reprove, rebuke,
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  Speaker 1: exhort with complete patience and teaching.
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  Speaker 2: In every chapter. over and over and over again.
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  Speaker 1: He says to his young protege, preserve the gospel, proclaim
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  Speaker 1: the gospel. This is incredibly important. If the message of
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  Speaker 1: the gospel is going to go forth, if the world
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  Speaker 1: is going to hear, the gospel cannot be perverted. It
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  Speaker 1: has to be preserved. And the gospel cannot be held back.
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  Speaker 1: It has to be proclaimed. And so he says, preserve
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  Speaker 1: and proclaim the gospel, but that's only one side of
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  Speaker 1: the track.
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  Speaker 2: There's another side of the track.
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  Speaker 1: And it's this side of the track that's the reason
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  Speaker 1: that Paul could not flinch.
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  Speaker 2: In writing this letter to young Timothy.
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  Speaker 1: Because he says on the one hand, preserve and proclaim
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  Speaker 1: the gospel, and on the other hand he says, endure
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  Speaker 1: the suffering that inevitably must follow as a result of
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  Speaker 1: preserving and proclaiming the gospel. Again, every chapter. Look in
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  Speaker 1: chapter 1, verse 8. We'll come back to that. Chapter 2,
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  Speaker 1: verse 3. Share in suffering as a good soldier in
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  Speaker 1: Christ Jesus. Chapter 2 verse 8. For which I am
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  Speaker 1: suffering bound with chains as a criminal. Go with me
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  Speaker 1: to chapter 3 beginning at verse 10. You however have
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  Speaker 1: followed my teaching, my conduct, my And then in chapter 4,
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  Speaker 1: verse 5. As for you, always be sober-minded. Endure suffering.
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  Speaker 1: Do the work of an evangelist. Fulfill your ministry. In
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  Speaker 1: every chapter, preserve and proclaim the truth of the gospel.
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  Speaker 1: And in every chapter, endure the suffering that will follow
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  Speaker 1: inevitably as a direct result of preserving and proclaiming. Why
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  Speaker 1: could Paul not say in his letter, get the guys
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  Speaker 1: who prayed together? Pray that God will get me out
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  Speaker 1: of prison. Because essentially, here is the message of 2 Timothy.
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  Speaker 1: The message of 2 Timothy is this. Timothy, they are
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  Speaker 1: about to kill me for preaching the gospel. When they do,
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  Speaker 1: you preach the gospel until they kill you. You can't
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  Speaker 1: write that letter and the one that I would have written.
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  Speaker 1: It doesn't work. You can't say to a young man
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  Speaker 1: who apparently had some struggles with his courage from time
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  Speaker 1: to time and needed it to be fanned into flames.
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  Speaker 1: You can't say to that young man, on the one hand,
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  Speaker 1: preserve the gospel, proclaim the gospel, endure the suffering that
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  Speaker 1: will come inevitably. And oh, by the way, I'm scared.
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  Speaker 1: If this is the letter that you're writing, you leave
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  Speaker 1: that out even though it may be true. If this
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  Speaker 1: is the one to whom you're writing and you're trying
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  Speaker 1: to encourage him, then you do that. You encourage him.
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  Speaker 1: You undergird him at every point. And that's precisely what
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  Speaker 1: Paul does with this young protege. That's the reality of it.
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  Speaker 1: That's the pattern here. But in chapter 1, verses 8
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  Speaker 1: through 12, we get the theological underpinning, if you will,
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  Speaker 1: that explains it. The letter is not just Paul saying,
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  Speaker 1: here's how you condition yourself to do this. Here's how
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  Speaker 1: I've conditioned myself to do this. No, the letter is
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  Speaker 1: essentially letting Timothy know that he already has everything that
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  Speaker 1: he needs in order to do this.
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  Speaker 2: Now, let's go back. Look at chapter 1 and then
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  Speaker 2: look at our section here.
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  Speaker 1: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of
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  Speaker 1: God according to the promise of life that is in
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  Speaker 1: Christ Jesus. To Timothy, my beloved child, grace, mercy, and
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  Speaker 1: peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.
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  Speaker 1: I thank God whom I serve as my ancestors did
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  Speaker 1: with a clear conscience as I remember you constantly in
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  Speaker 1: my prayers night and day. As I remember your tears,
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  Speaker 1: I long to see you that I may be filled
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  Speaker 1: with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a
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  Speaker 1: faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your
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  Speaker 1: mother Eunice, and now, I am sure, dwells.
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  Speaker 2: In you as well.
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  Speaker 1: For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame
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  Speaker 1: the gift of God, which is in you through the
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  Speaker 1: laying on of my hands. For God gave us a spirit,
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  Speaker 1: not of fear, but of power and love and self-control.
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  Speaker 1: Our text, therefore, Do not be ashamed of the testimony
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  Speaker 1: about our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner, but share
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  Speaker 1: in suffering for the gospel by the power of God
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  Speaker 1: who saved us and called us to a holy calling,
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  Speaker 1: not because of our works, but because of his own
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  Speaker 1: purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus
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  Speaker 1: before the ages began and which now has been manifested
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  Speaker 1: through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus who abolished
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  Speaker 1: death and brought life and immortality to light through the
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  Speaker 1: gospel for which I was appointed a preacher and an
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  Speaker 1: apostle and a teacher and which is why I suffer
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  Speaker 1: as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I
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  Speaker 1: know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that
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  Speaker 1: he is able to guard until that day what has
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  Speaker 1: been entrusted to me. Follow the pattern of sound words
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  Speaker 1: that you have heard from me in the faith and
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  Speaker 1: love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit
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  Speaker 1: who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.
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  Speaker 1: you are aware that all who are in Asia turned
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  Speaker 1: away from me, among whom are Phagellus and Hermogenes. May
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  Speaker 1: the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for
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  Speaker 1: he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains.
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  Speaker 1: But when he arrived in Rome, he searched for me
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  Speaker 1: earnestly and found me. May the Lord grant him to
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  Speaker 1: find mercy from the Lord on that day. And you
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  Speaker 1: know well all the service he rendered at Ephesus. Faithfulness
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  Speaker 1: in the midst of persecution. I want us to look
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  Speaker 1: at these few verses and really just at verse 8.
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  Speaker 1: Because the rest of what we find in verses 9
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  Speaker 1: through 12 is really an expansion of the point, the
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  Speaker 1: theological truth underpinning this faithfulness that we find in verse 8.
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  Speaker 2: Paul says, therefore, do.
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  Speaker 1: Not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor
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  Speaker 1: of me, his prisoner, but, and here's the essence of it,
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  Speaker 1: share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God.
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  Speaker 2: That's all I want us to.
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  Speaker 1: See, that we share in suffering, that we suffer for
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  Speaker 1: the gospel, that we suffer by the power of God.
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  Speaker 2: First, this idea of shared suffering.
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  Speaker 1: You see this idea of shared suffering really in the
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  Speaker 1: tone and tenor of the entire letter.
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  Speaker 2: What is the theme of this entire letter?
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  Speaker 1: The theme of this letter is, I am suffering for
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  Speaker 1: the cause of the gospel. I'm going to die for
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  Speaker 1: the cause of the gospel. They're going to kill me
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  Speaker 1: for the cause of the gospel. And when they kill
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  Speaker 1: me for the cause of the gospel, I want you
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  Speaker 1: to know without any doubt that it is your turn
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  Speaker 1: to then step into my stead and suffer for the
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  Speaker 1: cause of the gospel. Paul is not asking young Timothy
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  Speaker 1: to do anything he's not willing to do himself. And
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  Speaker 1: we see that really if you look at this frame
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  Speaker 1: in verses 8 and 12. Look at verse 8. Therefore,
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  Speaker 1: do not be ashamed. There's shame. Do not be ashamed
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  Speaker 1: of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner,
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  Speaker 1: but share in suffering for the gospel by the power
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  Speaker 1: of God.
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  Speaker 3: Don't be ashamed, but suffer. Suffer.
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  Speaker 1: Now go to verse 12. In verse 12, we find
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  Speaker 1: it in reverse. In verse 12, he says, which is
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  Speaker 1: why I suffer as I do, but I am not ashamed.
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  Speaker 1: You don't be ashamed, but suffer. And I realize what
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  Speaker 1: I'm telling you because I'm not ashamed and I suffer.
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  Speaker 1: I suffer. Share in suffering. Chapter 2 and verse 3.
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  Speaker 1: Share in suffering as a good soldier in Christ Jesus.
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  Speaker 1: But this is not the only place we find this
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  Speaker 1: theme in Paul. Go with me if you will. To
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  Speaker 1: Romans chapter 8. And look at verse 16. The Spirit
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  Speaker 1: himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children
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  Speaker 1: of God. And if children, then heirs, heirs of God
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  Speaker 1: and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him
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  Speaker 1: in order that we may also be glorified with him.
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  Speaker 1: Paul is not only saying to Timothy, suffer with me.
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  Speaker 1: He is saying, suffer with Christ. Go with me, if
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  Speaker 1: you will, and look at 2 Corinthians chapter 1 and
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  Speaker 1: verse 5. For as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings,
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  Speaker 1: so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If
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  Speaker 1: we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation.
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  Speaker 1: And if we are comforted, it is for your comfort,
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  Speaker 1: which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings
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  Speaker 1: that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken. For
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  Speaker 1: we know that as you share in our sufferings, you
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  Speaker 1: will also share in our comfort.
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  Speaker 2: Go with me to one more place.
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  Speaker 1: Philippians chapter 1 and verse 29. For it has been
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  Speaker 1: granted to you. That for the sake of Christ, you
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  Speaker 1: should not only believe in him, but also suffer for
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  Speaker 1: his sake. Engaged in the same conflict that you saw
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  Speaker 1: I had and now hear that I still have. Paul
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  Speaker 1: says to young Timothy, join in suffering. Not just suffer,
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  Speaker 1: but join in suffering. Join me in suffering. Join us
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  Speaker 1: in suffering. Join Christ in suffering. Essentially, it is all
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  Speaker 1: about joining Christ in suffering, but in two ways. We
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  Speaker 1: join Christ in his suffering because it is in the
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  Speaker 1: suffering of Christ that we find our place in him.
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: It is in the suffering of Christ that we find
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: forgiveness of our sins and peace with God. But it
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: is also in the suffering of Christ that not only
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: are we delivered from our sin and to Christ, but
• 26:46
  Speaker 1: we are delivered from our sin to Christ and to
• 26:50
  Speaker 1: one another as we become part of the body of Christ.
• 26:54
  Speaker 1: So there is this idea that not only has Christ
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: suffered for me on the cross in bringing me to salvation,
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: but Christ has also suffered for me through his body
• 27:07
  Speaker 1: in bringing me the gospel. Christ suffered for me on
• 27:16
  Speaker 1: the cross. And because of that, he purchased my salvation.
• 27:23
  Speaker 1: But Christ suffered for me through his bride and body,
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: the church, and down through the years, the suffering of
• 27:33
  Speaker 1: the people of God brought the gospel to me. And
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: so as you and I join Christ in his suffering,
• 27:51
  Speaker 1: we are not just joining Christ in his suffering in
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: terms of being saved and having our sins atoned for
• 27:58
  Speaker 1: through the sufferings of Christ, but as you and I
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: labor and suffer in the gospel, Christ through that labor
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: and suffering is bringing the gospel to those for whom
• 28:10
  Speaker 1: he died so that he might indeed have the fullness
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: of his reward. We join with Christ.
• 28:25
  Speaker 2: In suffering.
• 28:27
  Speaker 1: Not just normal suffering of life, but the suffering that
• 28:32
  Speaker 1: follows inevitably as a direct result of faithfulness in the gospel.
• 28:38
  Speaker 2: Because we have an adversary who hates the gospel.
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: We have an adversary who hates Christ And because we
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: are in union with Christ and in communion with Christ,
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: he hates us as well. And not only does he
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: hate us, but he hates the gospel that we preach.
• 28:54
  Speaker 1: And because he hates us and he hates the gospel
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: that we preach, persecution comes our way and we suffer.
• 29:03
  Speaker 2: But not alone. Not alone.
• 29:12
  Speaker 1: Don't believe that for a moment. You don't suffer alone.
• 29:20
  Speaker 1: There are many and there are myriad who have suffered
• 29:25
  Speaker 1: before us. The martyrs, the martyrs in heaven, John tells
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: us in Revelation, the martyrs in heaven, they want to
• 29:33
  Speaker 1: know how long before they'll be vindicated. And what's the
• 29:36
  Speaker 1: answer that comes to them? Your number's not complete yet.
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: There are more who will suffer and who will die
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: for the cause of Christ. Oh, vindication is coming. But
• 29:50
  Speaker 1: suffering's not over. Persecution's not over. Because not all have
• 29:58
  Speaker 1: heard And so Paul says to his young protege, join
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: with me. But notice what else he says. He says,
• 30:11
  Speaker 1: back again in verse 8. Therefore, do not be ashamed
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner,
• 30:18
  Speaker 1: but share in suffering for.
• 30:23
  Speaker 2: The gospel. Share in suffering for the gospel. The gospel.
• 30:33
  Speaker 1: The question that we're asking is what is that thing?
• 30:36
  Speaker 1: What is that thing that God gives to his people
• 30:39
  Speaker 1: that allows them to be faithful even in the midst
• 30:41
  Speaker 1: of persecution? And one thing that he gives us is
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: the body. He gives us his body. He gives us
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: Christ's body. And we feast on Christ's body. And he
• 30:51
  Speaker 1: gives us Christ's body in the church. And we are
• 30:53
  Speaker 1: in communion with Christ's body, the church. But then he
• 30:56
  Speaker 1: also gives us this gospel. This gospel that saves us,
• 31:00
  Speaker 1: this gospel that sustains us, this gospel that calls us.
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: And so we continue to preach and suffer for the
• 31:07
  Speaker 1: cause of Christ because the gospel has not finished doing
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: its work. Look at what he says. Suffering with the gospel,
• 31:17
  Speaker 1: with the power of God who saves us and calls
• 31:21
  Speaker 1: us to a holy calling. Not because of our works,
• 31:25
  Speaker 1: because of his own purpose and grace. which he gave
• 31:29
  Speaker 1: us in Christ Jesus before the world began, and which
• 31:32
  Speaker 1: now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior,
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to.
• 31:39
  Speaker 3: Life through the gospel, for which I.
• 31:43
  Speaker 1: Was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher.
• 31:46
  Speaker 1: He's appointed to the gospel, which is why I suffer
• 31:49
  Speaker 1: as I do.
• 31:49
  Speaker 2: Why?
• 31:50
  Speaker 3: Because of the gospel. Because it's worth it.
• 32:00
  Speaker 2: For the sake of the gospel.
• 32:03
  Speaker 1: Now let's be careful because again, there's a couple of
• 32:06
  Speaker 1: ways that we can look at this. We can look
• 32:10
  Speaker 1: at this and say, yes, we need to think more
• 32:13
  Speaker 1: of the gospel. We need to think more highly of
• 32:16
  Speaker 1: the gospel. We need to proclaim the gospel and be
• 32:17
  Speaker 1: faithful to the gospel. We need to suck it up
• 32:19
  Speaker 1: and be tough because of the gospel. And there's some
• 32:24
  Speaker 1: truth in that. But where does that come from? The
• 32:31
  Speaker 1: gospel is not your gospel. It's Christ's gospel. We can't
• 32:44
  Speaker 1: even make an idol out of the gospel. I preach
• 32:51
  Speaker 1: the gospel. I'm a minister of the gospel. I'm committed
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: to the gospel as though the gospel is this thing
• 32:59
  Speaker 1: that exists on its own over here in isolation.
• 33:03
  Speaker 2: No, it's the gospel of God.
• 33:05
  Speaker 1: It's the gospel of God's work on behalf of his
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: elect through the person and work of Jesus Christ. It's
• 33:12
  Speaker 1: the gospel of Christ. Why do we love the gospel?
• 33:15
  Speaker 1: We love the gospel because we love Christ. Why do
• 33:17
  Speaker 1: we love Christ? Because he loved us in the gospel.
• 33:22
  Speaker 1: So it's not that we need to sort of work.
• 33:24
  Speaker 3: Ourselves up for this work that we have to do.
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: It is that we need to be reminded over and
• 33:29
  Speaker 1: over and over again of the work that Christ has
• 33:32
  Speaker 1: done on our behalf. That our very existence is found
• 33:37
  Speaker 1: in his work in the gospel. And not only that,
• 33:41
  Speaker 1: but our passion for the gospel is born out of
• 33:44
  Speaker 1: our passion for Christ himself.
• 33:51
  Speaker 2: Christ loves his bride.
• 33:56
  Speaker 1: And praise God that I'm a member of the bride
• 33:59
  Speaker 1: of Christ and the body of Christ, but it does
• 34:01
  Speaker 1: not end with me. Our desire for the gospel burns brightly,
• 34:11
  Speaker 1: not just because the gospel saved us. If that was it,
• 34:16
  Speaker 1: then you get saved and go commit suicide. but our
• 34:22
  Speaker 1: passion burns bright for the gospel because the gospel was
• 34:28
  Speaker 1: not just the means of God saving us, but it
• 34:32
  Speaker 1: was the means of God saving a people for himself,
• 34:39
  Speaker 1: for his glory. We've been brought into something. I don't
• 34:48
  Speaker 1: know if it's right to even have a favorite theological
• 34:50
  Speaker 1: reality It's kind of like having a favorite child, right?
• 34:54
  Speaker 1: Even if you do, you don't say it.
• 34:55
  Speaker 2: Amen?
• 34:58
  Speaker 1: I'm the father of nine. Yeah, no. Who's my favorite?
• 35:03
  Speaker 1: Whichever one I'm talking to right now. Yes, you're my favorite.
• 35:05
  Speaker 2: Yes. But recently, the doctrine.
• 35:14
  Speaker 1: That has really been staining me and my passion and
• 35:19
  Speaker 1: desire And yearning for God has been the covenant of redemption.
• 35:27
  Speaker 1: That in eternity past, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit live
• 35:34
  Speaker 1: and exist in this perfect unity, this perfect communion in
• 35:39
  Speaker 1: the Godhead in need of absolutely nothing. And then that
• 35:44
  Speaker 1: perfect love spills out As the Father, out of his
• 35:52
  Speaker 1: love for the Son, gives the Son a people. And
• 35:55
  Speaker 1: the Son, out of his love for the Father, gives
• 35:59
  Speaker 1: himself to redeem the people whom the Father had given
• 36:02
  Speaker 1: to him.
• 36:03
  Speaker 2: And then the Spirit, the.
• 36:05
  Speaker 1: Very personification of the love between the Father and the Son,
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: actually applies that redemption to those whom the Father gave
• 36:12
  Speaker 1: and the Son redeems as the love of God spills
• 36:16
  Speaker 1: over them. into his creation and into redemption. And you
• 36:22
  Speaker 1: and I get to be not only the byproduct of that,
• 36:24
  Speaker 1: but we get to be a part of that as
• 36:26
  Speaker 1: the love of God is proclaimed in all of creation
• 36:30
  Speaker 1: through the redemption of the saints of God.
• 36:35
  Speaker 2: Oh, I love the gospel.
• 36:39
  Speaker 1: Not just because the gospel has saved me, but because
• 36:43
  Speaker 1: in the gospel, God of the universe is proclaiming over
• 36:48
  Speaker 1: and over and over again, this is love.
• 36:52
  Speaker 2: I am love. Look at my redemption.
• 36:59
  Speaker 1: And that redemption is a picture of the love that
• 37:02
  Speaker 1: the Father has for the Son and the Spirit, and
• 37:04
  Speaker 1: the Son has for the Father and the Spirit, and
• 37:06
  Speaker 1: the Spirit has for the Father and the Son, this
• 37:09
  Speaker 1: perfect love. that has existed for all eternity and will
• 37:12
  Speaker 1: exist for all eternity and will bring glory and honor
• 37:15
  Speaker 1: to God for all eternity. And that is the gospel
• 37:19
  Speaker 1: that we love. And so we share in suffering for
• 37:28
  Speaker 1: the gospel.
• 37:30
  Speaker 2: How? By proper conditioning and girding up our loins? No.
• 37:37
  Speaker 1: No. By power of God this is so counterintuitive because
• 37:49
  Speaker 1: the letter that I want to write to Timothy is
• 37:53
  Speaker 1: a letter based on this reality the power of God
• 37:58
  Speaker 1: is what you need to get you away from persecution
• 38:04
  Speaker 1: God persecution is coming my way show your power And
• 38:08
  Speaker 1: deliver me from it. No. Share in suffering. For the gospel.
• 38:19
  Speaker 1: By the power of God. Not God saving you. From persecution.
• 38:29
  Speaker 2: And suffering. But God sustaining you. Through persecution. And suffering.
• 38:37
  Speaker 1: Amen. There's the power of God. There's the power of God.
• 38:41
  Speaker 1: There's the power of God. That's where the power of
• 38:44
  Speaker 1: God is. Where's the power of God in his people
• 38:49
  Speaker 1: not having to endure suffering when everybody has to endure suffering?
• 38:58
  Speaker 3: No.
• 38:59
  Speaker 1: And that's what we marvel in when we hear those stories.
• 39:05
  Speaker 1: I'll share just one. Polycarp's prayer.
• 39:14
  Speaker 2: It is martyrdom.
• 39:19
  Speaker 1: Lord, almighty God, father of your beloved and blessed son,
• 39:26
  Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, through whom we have come to the knowledge
• 39:31
  Speaker 1: of yourself God of angels of powers of all creation
• 39:36
  Speaker 1: of all the saints who live in your sight I
• 39:39
  Speaker 1: bless you for judging me worthy of this day this
• 39:43
  Speaker 1: hour so that in the company of the martyrs I
• 39:47
  Speaker 1: may share the cup of Christ your anointed one, and
• 39:52
  Speaker 1: so rise again to eternal life in soul and body.
• 39:57
  Speaker 1: Immortal through the power of the Holy Spirit, may I
• 40:01
  Speaker 1: be received among the martyrs in your presence today as
• 40:06
  Speaker 1: a rich and pleasing sacrifice. God of truth, stranger to falsehood,
• 40:12
  Speaker 1: you have prepared this and revealed it to me, and
• 40:17
  Speaker 1: now you have fulfilled it Your promise. That's not a
• 40:25
  Speaker 1: man praying when he escaped martyrdom. That's a man praying
• 40:31
  Speaker 1: as he's being lit on fire. How?
• 40:39
  Speaker 2: Because he was more man than you or me? How?
• 40:44
  Speaker 2: Because he was properly conditioned and prepared?
• 40:47
  Speaker 3: How?
• 40:48
  Speaker 2: How? The power of God. And only by the power
• 41:03
  Speaker 2: of God. Look at the text again. And let's put
• 41:07
  Speaker 2: this together.
• 41:09
  Speaker 1: Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord,
• 41:13
  Speaker 1: nor of his prisoner, but share in suffering for the
• 41:17
  Speaker 1: gospel by the power of God. And he's going to
• 41:19
  Speaker 1: expand on that and explain the theological reality that allows
• 41:24
  Speaker 1: him to ask this of Timothy. Because he should not
• 41:31
  Speaker 1: be able to ask this of another man. You just shouldn't.
• 41:36
  Speaker 1: It just doesn't make sense. I'm about to die. Get
• 41:40
  Speaker 1: in line after me. It doesn't make sense. How do
• 41:42
  Speaker 1: you do this? How does this make sense? By the
• 41:46
  Speaker 1: power of God. Again, we've read it before, but look
• 41:48
  Speaker 1: at the nuances here. Who saved us and called us
• 41:52
  Speaker 1: to a holy calling, not because of our works, but
• 41:55
  Speaker 1: because of his own purpose and grace. God did this
• 41:59
  Speaker 1: because of his own purpose and because of his own grace,
• 42:01
  Speaker 1: not because of anything in you. You can do this,
• 42:04
  Speaker 1: not because of anything in you, but because God called
• 42:07
  Speaker 1: you for his purpose and by his grace. which he
• 42:14
  Speaker 1: gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began and
• 42:18
  Speaker 1: which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior,
• 42:22
  Speaker 1: Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality
• 42:27
  Speaker 1: like through the gospel.
• 42:28
  Speaker 2: How can you do this?
• 42:29
  Speaker 1: You can only do this because you are aware of
• 42:32
  Speaker 1: another theological reality that says there is something beyond this
• 42:36
  Speaker 1: life that is more significant than this life that you will.
• 42:42
  Speaker 3: Face after this life.
• 42:45
  Speaker 1: By the power of God, you are able to see
• 42:49
  Speaker 1: the unseen and believe the unbelievable. Because Christ conquered death
• 42:56
  Speaker 1: and the grave. And he rose again. And he assures
• 43:00
  Speaker 1: you that there is life. He brought life and immortality
• 43:04
  Speaker 1: to life through the gospel. For which I was appointed
• 43:09
  Speaker 1: a preacher and an apostle and a teacher. Which is
• 43:12
  Speaker 1: why I suffer as I do. Because God did this.
• 43:17
  Speaker 1: Notice the verbs there. God saves us. God calls us.
• 43:20
  Speaker 1: God gave us. God abolished death. God brought life and
• 43:26
  Speaker 1: immortality to light through the gospel. God appointed me. That's
• 43:33
  Speaker 1: why I suffer. And then he says, but I am
• 43:37
  Speaker 1: not ashamed.
• 43:37
  Speaker 2: Why?
• 43:39
  Speaker 1: For I know whom I have believed and I am
• 43:43
  Speaker 1: convinced that he is able To guard until that day
• 43:49
  Speaker 1: what has.
• 43:49
  Speaker 2: Been entrusted to me. He can do it.
• 43:58
  Speaker 1: And then you follow that up with verse 13. Follow
• 44:02
  Speaker 1: the pattern of sound words that you have heard from
• 44:04
  Speaker 1: me in faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.
• 44:08
  Speaker 1: By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the
• 44:11
  Speaker 1: good deposit entrusted to you. I'm about to die, Timothy.
• 44:26
  Speaker 1: And I'm all right. Why? By the power of God.
• 44:39
  Speaker 1: By the power of God, I love the gospel more
• 44:40
  Speaker 1: than my own life. By the power of God, I
• 44:50
  Speaker 1: believe the gospel. By the power of God, I believe
• 44:59
  Speaker 1: in the resurrection of the dead. By the power of God,
• 45:03
  Speaker 1: I believe there's something more significant than continuing to breathe.
• 45:14
  Speaker 1: And by the power of God, I'm saying to you
• 45:20
  Speaker 1: that the same God saved me and called me and
• 45:27
  Speaker 1: equipped me for this task will do the same for you.
• 45:42
  Speaker 1: Because the task is not finished. That's why. That's how.
• 45:58
  Speaker 1: You can't be conditioned to this because your flesh can't
• 46:03
  Speaker 1: do this. So what's the answer? Trust the God who
• 46:15
  Speaker 1: saved you. Cherish the gospel. But don't just cherish the gospel.
• 46:26
  Speaker 3: As precepts. Cherish the gospel because you cherish Christ.
• 46:34
  Speaker 1: Cherish the gospel because you cherish not only what the
• 46:37
  Speaker 1: gospel has done in calling and saving you, but cherish
• 46:41
  Speaker 1: the gospel because you love what the gospel continues to
• 46:44
  Speaker 1: do as it glorifies God through the salvation of sinners.
• 46:55
  Speaker 1: Cherish the gospel because it gives you hope beyond this life.
• 47:04
  Speaker 2: Cherish the gospel.
• 47:08
  Speaker 1: So that by the power of God, even in the
• 47:12
  Speaker 1: face and in the midst of persecution, you may be
• 47:18
  Speaker 1: found faithful.
• 47:23
  Speaker 2: Let's pray.
• 47:39
  Speaker 1: Our glorious God. God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
• 47:53
  Speaker 1: God who spoke the world into existence. God who sustains
• 48:01
  Speaker 1: it by the power of his might. God and Father
• 48:08
  Speaker 1: of of our Lord, Savior, Master, Redeemer, and soon coming King,
• 48:13
  Speaker 1: Jesus Christ. God, we bow before you as a humble
• 48:23
  Speaker 1: and grateful people, recognizing that the task to which we
• 48:29
  Speaker 1: have been called is far too great for us, and
• 48:35
  Speaker 1: acknowledging our desperate need of your power to sustain us,
• 48:47
  Speaker 1: grant us favor to be faithful to the task. Even
• 48:54
  Speaker 1: if that faithfulness leads us to persecution. Grant not that
• 49:05
  Speaker 1: we might be equal to the task, but that Christ
• 49:12
  Speaker 1: in us may be glorified as we face it. For
• 49:20
  Speaker 1: we ask this not for ourselves, but we ask this
• 49:25
  Speaker 1: because we love the God of the gospel. Because we
• 49:30
  Speaker 1: love the gospel of God. Grant by your grace that
• 49:35
  Speaker 1: we might love it more than life itself.