Guard the Treasure

glad you're here we welcome you invite you to stand with us we'll pray we'll get things started and father we we come before you this morning god and we just thank you for another day thank you for allowing us to be here this morning god we just want to praise you god we want to glorify you this morning lord and we want to lift a joyful noise to you lord and lord may your word go out with power lord move mightily this morning by the power of your holy spirit god just bless us lord god and change us to make us to look more like you god we love you and we praise you in jesus name amen now we just thank you for that amazing grace amen you guys can go and have a seat if you like

just thank you that you are our living hope well because because you willingly took our place on that cross you willingly went to the grave but then three days later you rose again lord god because you are alive today we have hope for forgiveness we have hope for new life lord we have hope for a life with you after this one lord and we just give you we give you praise lord god yeah we can't thank you can't thank you enough lord christ is my first foundation yes lord god and we know that you are faithful fail let's go and stand with me for the last of the force lord for taking our rightful place because of because you took my rightful place on that cross the bondage of sin i have a chance at a new life

with you in heaven lord god and i just i thank you lord lord god and we praise you this morning and now as pastor ryan comes i just pray that you would move mightily this morning by the power of your holy spirit overflow him with your gift of teaching lord and give us hearts to receive it this morning we love you and we praise you in jesus name amen amen everybody uh look around you find somebody and greet them good morning if you could begin to locate your seat grab a bulletin we'll get ready to go over some announcements welcome to calvary chapel i'm glad that you have joined us this morning a handful of things to take note of uh in the middle section of your bulletin uh first of all uh if you are still interested in in uh opportunities to serve a

new one has come to light that with us adding the new building on here in about two weeks we are going to need additional cleaning people it really is not as hard as it sounds it's a about a once a month commitment to come in and clean some bathrooms and do some vacuuming so if you are interested in getting plugged in with that you can either talk to myself or you can talk to lauren lewis or leah abby they're the ones that have that up so um men's breakfast is this coming saturday october the 18th at eight o'clock a.m back in the agape room fellas take time of breakfast and fellowship together there is a fall fire youth event this weekend october 17th and 18th and all of the info is right there in your bulletin and if you need more info than

that go talk to jared after the service there is a quarterly sunday school meeting this coming saturday at 9 30 in the in the cornerstone room and if you have questions about that you can see sandra davis also uh just a reminder about getting your operation uh christmas child shoe boxes together uh last week i think they put together a hundred boxes and those were all gone so they're back there frantically putting together more boxes for you to take this week also i was supposed to remind you from joe that there is a a couple of different packing parties coming up for the shoe boxes this wednesday the junior high and high school youth group will be packing boxes during their time of youth and then

next sunday from two to five there will be a operations christmas child shoe box packing party here at the church headed up by joe and danielle all they have all of the supplies if you could donate any money towards that it would be greatly appreciated the cost is around ten dollars a box and then if you are interested in coming and helping a bunch of kids put boxes together they would they would enjoy some help with that so should be a great family time together um and then one last thing about operation christmas child believe it or not they had 35 spots open to go down to dallas and all 35 of them are now full which is pretty cool however there is a short waiting list so if you inevitably something comes up and somebody has

to drop out so if you want to go and you say hey if somebody drops out i could fill their place go put your name on the waiting list that's out there and then we can get you plugged in in case something comes up and somebody has to bail out of that so those are the things that are going on if you would make sure that your mobile device is silenced and for our responsive reading this morning we are going to be in psalm 42 psalm 42 looking at the new american standard for this part if you need a copy there should be one in a row around you and as you are turning to psalm 42 if you are able please stand in the honor of the reading of god's word i will read the odd verses if you will follow along with pastor allen and the even verses

psalm 42 for the choir director a mascal of the sons of cora as the deer pants for the water brooks so my soul pants for you oh god my tears have been my food day and night while they say to me all day long where is your god why are you in despair oh my soul and why have you become disturbed within me hope in god for i shall again praise him for the help of his presence deep calls to deep at the sound of your water falls all your breakers and your waves have rolled over me the lord will command his loving kindness in the daytime and his song will be with me in the night a prayer to the god of my life i will say to god my rock why have you forgotten me why do i go mourning because of the oppression

of the enemy as a shattering of my bones my adversaries revile me while they say to me all day long where is your god in read verse 11 with me why are you in despair oh my soul and why have you become disturbed within me hope in god for i shall yet praise him the help of my countenance and my god and father we do praise you that that you are our help in time of need and lord as the deer pants for the water brook surely we do uh long for you lord and so i just ask that you would meet us here today father that as we dive into your word that you would be with us and that you would be with us that you would be very present with us and and that we would be aware of your presence with us

and that you would minister to our hearts as you see fit and so father move through this time we pray in jesus name amen you may be seated and if you would open up in your bibles to the book of second timothy chapter one second timothy chapter one in this book of second timothy we've entitled the overall study uh final words from a faithful servant and within the book of second timothy there's going to be a handful of exhortations that sort of dominate sections of the book exhortations that he gives to timothy as a part of these final words from this faithful servant today we look at the first of those exhortations that he gives to timothy and the first of those exhortations is to guard the

treasure guard the treasure so starting in verse eight of chapter one it says this therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our lord or of me his prisoner but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of god who has saved us and called us with a holy calling not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace which was granted to us in christ jesus from all eternity but now has been revealed by the appearing of our savior jesus christ who abides in the kingdom of god and who abides in the kingdom of god and who abides in the kingdom of god and who abides in the kingdom of god and who abides in the kingdom of god and who

abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel for which i was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher for this reason i also suffer these things but i am not ashamed for i know whom i have believed and am convinced that he is able to guard what i have entrusted to him until that day retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me and the faith and love which are in christ jesus guard through the holy spirit who dwells in us the treasure which has been entrusted to you you're aware of the fact that all who are in asia turned away from me among whom are phagellus and hermogenes the lord grant mercy to the house of

onesiphorus for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains but he when he was in rome he eagerly searched for me and found me the lord grant him to find mercy from the lord on that day and you know very well what services he rendered in ephesus the treasure there's three things he's going to tell us about this subject of guarding the treasure he's going to tell him don't be ashamed he's going to tell him i know whom i have believed and he is going to give him that exhortation to guard the treasure let's look at the first one starting in verse 8 he's going to tell him don't be ashamed he says therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our lord or of me his prisoner but join with me in suffering for the gospel

according to the power of god he tells timothy not to be ashamed of two things he tells him don't be ashamed of me and don't be ashamed of the testimony now it's interesting that he would tell him not to be ashamed of paul there's a reason for that the reason for that is that though paul has been one of the standard bearers one of the torchbearers for the early church because he was such a firebrand because he was such a lightning rod he oftentimes was shunned by many in the early church especially those who weren't willing to make a difference in the church he was shunned by many in the early church he was shunned by many in the early church he was shunned by many in the early church to make a stand for the gospel of

he was shunned by many in the early church to make a stand for the gospel of jesus christ who to make a stand for the gospel of jesus christ who weren't willing to suffer shame for the gospel jesus christ who weren't willing to suffer shame for the gospel of jesus christ and so he says weren't willing to suffer shame for the gospel of jesus christ and so he says he tells timothy don't of jesus christ and so he says he tells timothy don't don't be ashamed of me don't be ashamed of he tells timothy don't don't be ashamed of me don't be ashamed of the fact that i'm in prison me don't don't be ashamed of the fact that i'm in prison for the message of the gospel but more

more importantly, he tells him, and don't be ashamed of the testimony. Don't be ashamed of the testimony. Of course, we know that the testimony is the message of the gospel that Paul testified of everywhere that he went. And he tells him, don't be ashamed of the testimony. It's interesting because this is not the first time Paul has exhorted a believer or group of

believers not to be ashamed. As a matter of fact, the subject matter of the book of Romans actually starts with, therefore, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ because it is the power of God unto salvation. There was probably a handful of reasons why someone would have been ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, why someone would have been ashamed of the testimony. First of all, the testimony bore witness of a Jewish carpenter. The Jews in particular at this point in time were

not overly popular in the world. Some things never change. They weren't overly popular in the world at this point in time. And the Greek or Roman mindset looked down on physical, physical labor. And so to, to follow a, a itinerant rabbi that was also a Jewish carpenter would have been something to be ashamed of at this point in time. Not only was he just a Jewish

carpenter, but he was, he was a Jewish carpenter who had been crucified. We have to understand that Roman citizens were not allowed to be crucified. It was actually illegal to do that to a Roman citizen. Only the slaves and the thieves and those who had no true pedigree in their lives were allowed to be crucified. It was one of the most shameful acts that was ever perpetrated.

On humanity at that point in time. And anyone who was crucified was considered to be such a lower class of human that no one would have identified with someone who had been crucified. Therefore, he says, don't be ashamed of the gospel because it bears witness of a Jewish carpenter who had been crucified. But not only that, the hope of the gospel lies in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Something that much of the world at that point in time considered to be a ridiculous

thought. And so everything about the gospel was something to be ashamed of. At that point in time. And so he reminds Timothy, don't be ashamed of me, a lowly messenger of a shameful gospel. Don't be ashamed of the testimony. He tells him, he tells him for it is, let me catch my place here. He says, therefore, don't be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me as

prisoner. Instead, he tells him, but join with me in suffering for the gospel. Now, can you imagine that? A friend walks up to you and he doesn't invite you to a concert that you're going to that night. You don't invite him to go to a coffee shop and talk about Jesus and study the Bible together. Instead, what you invite him to do is, hey, listen, it's Saturday night. I don't know what you're doing, but would you join me in suffering tonight?

Right? Like all of us would go, well, probably I have other plans because I don't think that's what I have going tonight. That was actually not on my bingo card at all. Suffering is actually not on any bingo card I've ever owned or ever planned to own. But he says, join with me in suffering for the gospel. You see, Paul knew what this was. I was actually thinking about this during worship. I thought, wouldn't it be fantastic

to put a movie together, like a little mini series together that was based on the book of second Timothy. And then each of these things that Paul states, it sort of flashes back on his life. It sort of flashes back on a moment in his life when he suffered for the gospel. I'm sure that as he is sitting in this dungeon, as he's sitting in this prison, undoubtedly facing execution, he thought about the suffering that he'd been through in his life. And he thought, well,

in the moment, it's the worst thing I could have ever gone through. I've never known Christ more in the moments when I was suffering for him. And so he invites Timothy, join with me in the suffering. Let me read it to you in a couple of different translations. He says, share with me in the sufferings of Jesus Christ or the sufferings of the gospel. And my favorite,

of course, came out of the Amplified Bible. He says, continue to preach regardless of the circumstances. Continue to preach regardless of the circumstances. And again, I will remind us that in the culture we live in today, I would tell you, continue to preach regardless of the circumstances. Continue to bear witness of the truth, regardless of the backlash. Continue to

bear witness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, regardless of how anyone treats you for your witness for Jesus Christ, because that is joining in the sufferings. After all, we not only are united with Christ in all of the resurrection, but we are united with him in his sufferings. Amen. And so he says, join with me in the sufferings. But as he points out, what to join him in the sufferings of, he reminds him that what they're suffering for is

the gospel, which is according to the power of God. The gospel, which is according to the power of God. And we're going to spend just a little bit of time here talking about the gospel, because that's what Paul spends some time doing. Again, the first thing he tells us about it is that it is according to the power of God, and that means two things. Number one, it means that according

to the power of God is how the gospel works in our lives, because the gospel does power. It's how the gospel works in the life of the believer. We had our Fields of Faith event Wednesday night, and we had this young preacher come, and he was a wonderful young man, and he delivered a powerful message, but it was not anything compared to what four young people did when they stood up and they gave their testimonies. And I think anyone that was there would tell you that the most powerful part of that night was to watch four young kids, all under the age of 22, stand up and tell what Jesus had done in their lives.

Every kid that came to me for prayer and said, that speaker really spoke to me, what every kid that came to me for prayer said was, I related to what they said, because that's where I am right now. I related to what they said because that's where I am right now, and I need that. I need that Jesus in my life, because that's the power of the gospel. I got to thinking about the fact that I'm going to start making these posts because I think it's cool to tell stories of grace, because I have two posts of two of the kids that gave their life they gave their testimonies the other night one picture of when they gave their life to Jesus and I have a picture of them standing next to me

after they gave their testimony and I thought this is the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ is that it takes someone who is in this place where they were broken because of sin broken because of the world broken because they didn't know their identity any longer either because of a sport or because of sin and now not only do they have the confidence of the gospel of Jesus Christ but listen they had the confidence to stand before a crowd of over 1,200 and give the testimony of what Jesus had done in their lives because that's the power of the gospel I saw four examples of it the other night he says join with me in suffering for the gospel which is according to the power of God but not

only is the gospel the power of God and that it has the power to say but the power of God is what gives us everything that we need to preach the gospel the gospel is what gives us everything that we need to preach the gospel the gospel is what gives us everything that we need to preach the gospel it's what gives us everything that we need to declare the gospel again I sat there and watched my 17 year old daughter who in her life has been through a certain amount of social anxiety stand in front of a crowd of people and declare the gospel of Jesus Christ and some people came up to her afterwards and said how were you able to do that she said Jesus gave me everything I needed because that's the power of God through the gospel is it's not just the

power of God it's the power of God through the gospel it's the power of God through the gospel it's the power of God through the gospel it's the power of God through the gospel it's the power of God exaggerated andoma wrong with a prepared to me how about these 11 people while the Bible says as you for his Word is the power of God well believe he had water and blood from his water in every debate he said it was a relationship of speech all the time it was a firm and a announced message of um you know I really care about all of those who say well why is there no forums like you have saying is that the only thing that's제� Ioanna said he said you have with a holy calling. He has saved us and called us with a holy calling. That word saved could

also be translated delivered. He has delivered us. And what did he deliver us from? He delivered us from the power of sin. He delivered us from the power of death. He delivered us from the grip of the enemy and set us free because he has saved us. He has delivered us from the power of the enemy. And then he has called us with a holy calling. This is the part that gets left out of

gospel sometimes we love the saved part we like to leave out the holy calling part because you were not just saved to be happy that you're saved that's a wonderful fringe benefit but that's not the reason you were saved you were saved with a holy calling because salvation is not just deliverance from the penalty of sin it is deliverance into a holiness of god because that's what he's saving us for is he's saving us for holiness again let me read this to you in a couple of different definitions and translations that we are called with a holy calling it means set apart unto a consecrated life or set apart unto a life of purpose set apart unto a life of purpose a holy calling means a life consecrated unto god in every part

of the way that we live our lives that means that the rest of our life as believers in jesus christ is running from sin and running to god running from the things of the world and running to the the savior who saved us from the things of the world that's what it means to live a consecrated life it means to live set apart unto god and that set apart aspect of our life is a continual process of being set apart but not only that it now means a life of purpose a life of purpose in everything that we do everybody wants to know one thing right what's my purpose in life why did god drop me on top side of planet earth am i just here for the heck of it no you're here for the purpose of it your purpose is to know and

to serve god and you will always be restless until you begin to live out the holy calling that god has given you in your life which is to know and serve god you can make all of the money in the world you can have all of the fame in the world you can have all of the prestige in the world and you will still have many things and all of the spiritual life you're going to be sick god will help you become better you they're the ones whouks to life and i only live that way completely so that no one has the power to show up with his say kill you rest in peace use your soul that neither nor have you fallen intoaffeism or don't think your soul will be saved that's the number one thing

Can you imagine how miserable church would be if all of us were saved by our works, right? It'd be like your workplace because everybody's talking about what they did all the time. Everybody's just like, listen, how'd you get here? Well, I'll tell you, it took work. I'll tell you, I tried really, really hard. And finally, after I did all of these things, and let me tell you, it took me some time to get there.

But I can tell you how I did it. It would be miserable because we'd just be bragging all the time. Can you imagine how miserable that would be? Instead, the only kind of bragging that we can do is, how'd you get here? I have no idea. Jesus just did really good stuff. God's just really, really amazing. His grace is really powerful because otherwise there's no reason I should be here.

There's no reason I should be standing on this stage right now because only by God's grace, because we are not saved by our works. And it's so important for us to pay attention to because I'm around Christians sometimes who don't know this. I'm around Christians sometimes who don't believe. They still think that their works are what saved them. Well, I've got to make sure that I go to church the right amount of time.

I've got to make sure I read enough of the Bible. I've got to make sure I do all of these things and do it correctly. Listen, go to church. It's a beautiful thing to do. Read your Bible. It's a beautiful thing to do. But those things don't save you. Those are things we do in response to the fact that we are saved. We are not saved by our works. And it hurts my heart to see people that are so oppressed.

Because they still think they have one more thing they have to do. They still think they have one more thing they have to do to try to earn salvation. And they're defeated because of it. You are not saved by your works. What are you saved by? Notice what he says. Middle of verse 9. But according to his purpose and grace, which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity.

I'm going to take those two things in reverse order. He says, first of all, that we are saved by his works. Grace. Of course, that word grace is unmerited favor. It was simply a gift that was given to us. It's a gift that God extends to anyone who's willing to accept it. It's a gift that you don't have to do anything to earn. And quite frankly, God doesn't expect anything in return.

He just wants you to accept it. Because he knows once you accept the gift, everything else will take care of itself. You will respond properly once you truly understand God's grace. He says, it is by his grace that you are saved. But it's also according to his purpose. According to his purpose. You know what I love about that? Can I give you Ryan's translation of that?

It means he did it on purpose. He saved you on purpose. And I think sometimes we, you ever around a family that's a really large family and the first three kids are like, yay, mom and dad meant for us. And the last one's like, I was an accident. You ever been around those families? Like that just happens sometimes. And I get it. Like God knew what he was doing.

But they weren't planning on that one. There's no such thing as that in the family of God. There's no such thing as a whoopsie. Everything was according to his purpose. God planned you. God planned you when he created you. And God planned you when he saved you. And I think that that should make you feel pretty good about yourself. That should build godly confidence inside of you to know that God saved you on purpose.

That he intended to do it. As a matter of fact, it was according to his own goodwill, we're told in Ephesians. He meant to do it. He's happy that he did it. You were saved by grace on purpose. But how did it all come into our lives? Through Jesus Christ. It was granted to us in Christ Jesus from eternity. That phrase in Christ is, again, one of Paul's favorite phrases.

Matter of fact, if you read the book of Ephesians, you will find it littered throughout the book of Ephesians. Because the only way that we can receive God's grace is to be in Christ Jesus. The only way that we can receive all of the benefits of being believers, in Jesus Christ, is to be in Christ Jesus. And how do we find ourselves placed in Christ Jesus? Well, by faith alone.

By faith, we find ourselves in Christ, which makes us recipients of all of the grace that he could ever pour into our lives. And did you notice when we receive this grace from Christ Jesus? From eternity. You know, one of the coolest things about God is that God knew from before time began that you were going to exist. That you were going to live the life that you live.

And that you would eventually come to faith in him. And I had somebody ask me yesterday, they said, so does that, so what's the point of even trying if God already knows where you're going to land? Because he still wants it to be of your own free will. He still wants it to be a choice that you made. But he knew from eternity that you were going to make that choice.

Isn't that great? Ryan, I don't understand that. Me neither, but isn't it fun? I've never, if anybody tells you they understand it, they're lying. Because none of us do. There's a certain number of things about God that we're never going to understand. And listen, praise God. Because if I understood everything about God, you know what that would stop making him?

God. The fact that there are things that I will never understand, especially on this side of eternity, make him God. And they make me want to pursue him even more. Lord, I know I'm never going to have that full grasp of who you are on this side of eternity. But help me know as much as I can. Amen. Help me learn as much of you as I possibly can on this side of eternity

so that I'm as ready for the other side as possible. And so he says that he has saved us. He's called us with a holy calling. This is the gospel. Not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which he granted us in Christ Jesus. But notice what he says in verse 10. But now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Salvation was always God's plan, but salvation was revealed when Jesus showed up. All of the truth of the Old Testament, the promise of salvation that was made from Genesis chapter 3 was revealed to us when Jesus showed up. And what did Jesus do when he showed up? Look at the end of verse 10. He abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

He abolished death. I don't remember where I read this. I think it was in the Amplified Bible, but it might have been in Strong's Concordance when it talks about the fact that he abolished death. Well, let me tell you why I needed to look a little further. Because I face death on a pretty consistent basis in my life and in my ministry. I face death a lot. And every now and then I'm like,

Lord, I know your word says that you abolish death, but I still do a lot of funerals. I think I rounded out somewhere near 100 the other day in my ministry. And I'm like, Lord, I still face a lot of death. So what does it mean that you abolish death? Anybody else wrestle with that every now and then? Where you're like, Lord, I mean, I know the reality of what you say,

but what do you mean you abolish death? Because I've said goodbye to some people I love a lot here recently. So what do you mean when you say you abolish death? I feel like God kind of answered that in this translation that I read. It says, He made it null and void. He made it null and void. In other words, it doesn't have the effect that it used to have on our lives.

Let me explain that to you. Do we still lose the physical person on this side of eternity? Yes. Do we lose the person? No. Because they're home with Jesus now, and we have the hope that we will see them again someday. You see, death for the unbelieving world is it. It has all of the power of sin in their life, which means eternal separation from God. But for the believer in Jesus Christ,

the power of death is now null and void in our lives, because though death can take away our physical being, it cannot separate us from God. That's why Paul in the book of Romans says, for I have come to know that nothing can separate me from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, neither life nor death. Because the relationship that I have with God now will not end when I stop breathing on this side of eternity. Right?

It will just continue to the other side of eternity in a brand new body. That's why death is now null and void, because it does not have the claim on me that it had before I came to know Jesus. He says he has abolished death, not in the physical aspect, but in the spiritual aspect. And we now face eternal life through Jesus Christ. That's the hope of the believer.

He says, but now has been revealed verse 10, by the appearing, of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who abolished death and listen, brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. I want to remind you where Paul sits when he wrote that the gospel has brought life and immortality to light, and that Jesus has abolished death. He is sitting in the Mamertine prison. He's sitting in a dungeon, separated from everybody else, knowing that what awaits him is beheading.

And the hope that he's holding on to, as he thinks about the gospel, and this is why I think 2 Timothy would make a great movie, the hope that he's holding on to as he's talking about the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is more real to him now than it ever has been in his entire life. It's more real to him now than it was up to this point in time, as he's saying, because Jesus has saved us and called us with a holy calling. And he did so from eternity, but now has been revealed through Jesus, who has abolished death. Oh, death, where is your sting?

The sting of death is sin, right? He says he's abolished death, and what has he brought to life? Or what has he brought to light? Life and immortality, a life that will go on forever. And as Paul faced the last few months, if not years of his life, he knew it's okay, because life is what waits for me, not death. Because death has no hold on me. That's the power of the gospel.

And he says, this gospel is what I was appointed, a preacher and an apostle and a teacher. Again, I think reflecting on his life, reflecting on his ministry, he thinks about the fact that he's been these three things his entire life. This gospel, this truth that is not just something he read in a book, but something that Jesus has made more real, to him than the stones that he's standing on, as he dictates this letter to somebody to write down. Something that is more real to him than the executioner that he was on his way to face.

This truth of the gospel is what he has been a preacher and an apostle and a teacher of. He preached it through the declaration of evangelistic messages. He was an apostle because he was sent out to everyone, and he was a teacher. And I think truly at his heart, he was a teacher. You know why I know that? Because Jesus at his heart, he was a teacher. And I think anybody who loves God's word has been called into God's ministry,

even if they're a preacher of the gospel, at their heart, they're a teacher. Because that's what is so necessary in the world today. And listen, that's what's missing in churches today. I just, you need to know that. There's not a lot of teaching that goes on. And the only reason I do this is because I was trained to do this. And now, I have the Holy Spirit that I have to answer to that.

If I don't, do this, he's going to come get me. He's going to pull me off this stage, because I'm not doing what he called for me to do. It's interesting. I was reading Chuck Smith on this, and Chuck Smith's 2000 series, 5000 series, whatever series it was, that's on the Blue Letter Bible that I listened through in Bible college. He made in the early 80s. I think it's between 80 and 82,

maybe between 78 and 82, somewhere in that range. And that long ago, 45 years ago, he was saying, the problem that we have in the church, is that we've lost teachers. The Word of God has been preached to death, but it's not been taught. And therefore, you have a lot of people with a little bit of faith. That's not very deep. He said, that's why God told me,

don't preach the gospel, teach it. Teach people what it has to say, because if you can teach them what it has to say, the Holy Spirit will take care of everything else. So he says, this is why I was appointed a preacher and an apostle, and a teacher. And then he goes on to say this, as he comes to the next thing, when he says, I know whom I have believed. I know whom I have believed.

Notice what he says in verse 12. For this reason, I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed. For I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced, that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day. He says, for this reason, I suffer these things. For what reason? Because he's an apostle, and he's a teacher, and he's a preacher of the gospel.

The gospel, which is foolishness to the Gentiles, and a stumbling block to the Jews. The gospel that is unpopular because it calls out sin. The gospel that is unpopular because it declares only one way to righteousness. The gospel that is exclusive, and that is a very narrow road. He says, for this reason, I suffer these things, because I preach a gospel that's very narrow,

and it's way, because it's the one true way. Jesus didn't say, I am a way, and a truth, and a life. He said, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. It's a narrow road that he walked, because it's a narrow gospel that he taught. He said, for this reason, I suffer these things, but I love it. He says, but I am not ashamed.

Man, we need more guys like this in the world today. We need more people, who will stand up and say, I know what it's going to cost me, but it's worth it. I know what it's going to cost me, but that's okay. I will still go back to the Sunday, right after Charlie Kirk died, and I don't want to elevate him. I think there's a little too much of that going on right now,

because he was just a man, but he was an amazing man. I remember the Sunday after he died, somebody coming up to me and saying, you know, I would venture to say that if he knew that his life would end that day declaring the truth, he wouldn't have changed a thing that he said, because he knew it was worth it. And I couldn't agree. More because at the end of the day, we all have to come to a place where we realize, even if it cost me my life, it's worth it because no one else has the words of eternal life because no one else is preaching the truth.

Nobody else has what the gospel has. And so even if it cost me my life, I'm going to declare it to the world because if the last thing that I let someone know is that they are loved by a savior who's to what who wants so desperately for them to come to eternal life. If those are the last words out of my mouth, then I will have done an amazing job in my life.

So Paul says for this reason, I'm suffering these things, but I'm not ashamed. Why is he not ashamed because of his relationship with the one that he is preaching? He says for I know whom I have believed. I know whom I have believed. Listen, we need to realize something. It's not what you know is orthodoxy important. Absolutely. It's doctrine. It's important hundred percent,

but orthodoxy and doctrine lead us to a person. If they only lead you to knowledge, you have missed the point. If all you can do is spout biblical knowledge, you have missed the point. Do you remember what Jesus told the religious leaders? He said you declare the truth of Scripture because you think in it you have life, but these are they which testify of me.

In other words, they knew all the facts. They missed the point. They knew all of the things, but they missed the one that it was pointing to. And what Paul says here is it's not what you know. It's who you know. You can't just know facts about Jesus. You need to know Jesus. And this is his day in and day out walk that brought him to this place where he could say,

I know whom I have believed and I have a question for you this morning. Do you know about Jesus or do you know Jesus? Because it's one thing to tell people a whole lot of things about Jesus. It's a whole other thing to have a personal relationship with him where he is your everything, where he is the one that you are communicating with constantly. And he is the one who is continuing to pour into your life.

I'm here to tell you right now when you really know Jesus, there's a difference. There's a difference in your life with the peace that you have, but there's also a difference in your life and the way that you address everything else that you do because you filter everything else through the knowledge of Jesus. It changes you. And as someone who has been through some not awesome things in life, but in the midst of them has since the presence of my Savior right next to me the whole time.

I can tell you I know whom I have believed. Can you say the same thing? See Paul could say this because of the life that he had lived. Paul could say this because it was a relationship that he had walked out continually in his life. And I just want to see you. Have that. I want to see each person that sits here not just have a nominal understanding of who Jesus is not just have a nominal experience world where you say,

well, I put in my my Sunday dues this week. I made sure I covered that part of my life. I did my I did my Sunday obligation. But where you pursue the knowledge of the God for whom you were created. Remember how we said you were saved and called with a holy calling, which meant a life of purpose and what we said that life of purpose was. That life of purpose is to know Jesus.

Everything else from your life that you do from here on out flows from that one central core of purpose. It flows from that one central core of things because it colors everything else that you do in your life. The colors the way that you handle your job the way that you handle your relationships the way that you handle yourself at the store the way that you handle yourself at the coffee shop the way that you treat your waiter your waitress. You see if I know that that Jesus is at the corner.

the core of everything I do. I don't treat my waiter or waitress like they're serving me, even though they're called servers. I treat them like they're a fellow human being who I want to show love and grace to, the same way that Jesus showed love and grace to me. It colors the way I handle every other aspect of my life. I no longer view my job as something that I hate. I view my job as an

opportunity to share. I no longer view my family as just a group of people that I'm responsible for feeding and clothing and housing. I view them as the people that God has given me to point to him, because that understanding of my purpose to know Jesus colors everything else that I do, which is why Paul, as he nears the end of his life, says, I know whom I've believed. Why can I suffer these things and not be ashamed? Because I know why I'm doing it.

I know whom I have believed, and notice what he says, and I am convinced that he's not ashamed. He is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day. That word convinced means to be persuaded or to come to a settled persuasion. The idea is a settled conviction. He goes, I am convinced of this one thing because I know whom I believe. I'm convinced of this one thing, that he is able to guard what I have committed to him

until that day. Now, a bunch of people who care more about facts than they do about knowing Jesus can't figure out what he means by that which I have. They know that God is able to guard what I have committed to him until that day. Is he talking about the message of the gospel that's been committed to Paul, or is he talking about his own life, which he has committed to Jesus? I think you all know how I usually stand on these things.

The answer is yes, because what Paul has been committed with is the gospel of Jesus Christ. So, the message committed to Paul, he knows and is convinced that God is able to use. It will not die after he dies. You see, that's the beauty of the Word of God. that we are preaching the same gospel that we were 2,000 years ago. That's why Paul can say, I know whom I believe,

and I am convinced that he is able to guard that which has been committed to me until that day. Because the message of the gospel won't die. As a matter of fact, in the next chapter, he's going to say the gospel is not chained. You can't stop it. You can try to kill its messengers. You can try to burn its pages. But the fact of the matter is, the gospel won't change because it is empowered by the Holy Spirit.

And it will always do what it does. And Paul says, I know, I am convinced that he is able to guard it. But not only that, Paul says, I know he's able to guard my life. My life is secure with him until the day that I stand before him. I can trust my eternity with him. I can trust my life with him and know that nothing's coming into my life apart from the filtered, loving hands of Jesus.

And I can trust in that. And so he can trust that the message won't end and neither will his life until Jesus is ready. He says, I know whom I have believed. And I am convinced that he is able to guard that which has been committed to me until that day. Why? Because Paul has lived a life where he has faced death constantly. And he has seen that God has been faithful every step of the way.

At some point in time, when you're reading through the, word of God, when you're reading through the New Testament, particularly Acts and the Pauline epistles, you should take note of how many times the Holy Spirit or an angel shows up to him and says, it's okay, keep preaching. It's okay, keep preaching. It's a good number of times. And the reason why he has to keep telling him that is because Paul feared for his life constantly.

And so now at the very end of his life, it's like he finally goes, it is what it is. I know whom I've believed. And I'm convinced that he's able to guard my life until that day. And I'm convinced that he's able to guard that which has been committed to me until that day. And I'm convinced that he's able to keep that which I've committed to him until that day.

So I'm just going to keep doing what I can, where I can, when I can. Because Jesus is going to handle the rest. And I think that each of us should come to this place in our lives where we can say, I know whom I have believed. And I am convinced that he is able to keep that which I have committed. He's able to guard that which I have committed to him until that day.

Again, I've watched many godly men at the very tail end of their lives. And this is their testimony. It's the testimony of every godly man I've ever been around. It's near the end of their life when they were still cognizant of what was going on. That they could say, I trust God. I'll keep my life in God's hands because I know he's got me. Well, he then goes on to give the exhortation that we've been working our way towards.

So if you're going to guard the treasure, number one, you can't be ashamed. Number two, you have to know who you have believed in. But number three, you have to get down to the business. And number three, you have to know who you have believed in. And number four, you have to know who you have believed in. And number five, you have to know who you have believed in.

Guard the treasure. Verse 13. Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me in the faith and the love which are in Christ Jesus. Guard through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us the treasure which has been entrusted to you. The first thing he tells them is to retain the standard. Retain the standard. The word retain there can also be translated hold fast.

It literally means follow the pattern. He says retain, hold fast, or follow. Retain the standard. And what is he to hold fast to or follow the pattern of? Notice what it says. Sound words which you have heard from me. Sound words which you have heard from me. The Amplified Bible translates this wholesome teaching. In other words, keep teaching good things. Keep teaching good things.

Remember, Timothy's in Ephesus. And in Ephesus, false teachers had arisen. In Ephesus, false teachers had arisen who were trying to draw away disciples unto themselves. And they were bringing a false message of the gospel. And the truth is no different today. We are still facing false messages. We are still facing false gospels today. And so he tells Timothy, just like I know that I received in this,

and I hope that you all receive from this too, retain the pattern of sound words. Hold fast to wholesome teaching. Hold fast to it and then only accept the wholesome teaching. Hold fast to it and continue to give out wholesome teaching. He says, Timothy, don't let yourself get distracted. Don't let yourself get discouraged. Don't let yourself decide it's not worth it.

Don't let yourself think that you've got to get more flashy, that you've got to get bigger and better and all these different kinds of things. No. Do what God's called you to do. Hold fast to sound teaching. Retain the pattern of sound teaching, of wholesome words. Notice what he says, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. And then he tells them in verse 14,

guard through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us the treasure which has been entrusted to you. Guard the treasure. The word guard there means to keep watch and handle wisely. To keep watch and handle wisely. He tells them, you need to keep watch over the treasure and you need to handle it wisely. The question is this, what is the treasure? Well, of course, it's the treasure.

Of course, the treasure is the word of God. The treasure is the message of the gospel. Again, I will remind us that it truly is a treasure. I think sometimes we forget that in this age of all of the treasures that we're tempted by with our eyes. All of the treasures of the world that we have, especially in our western culture. I would venture to say that the church in Nigeria right now,

they're holding on to the fact that their greatest treasure is the word of God. They're holding on to the fact that their greatest treasure is the message of the gospel. It's we in the west that need a little bit of help with this right now. Because sometimes our greatest treasure is the thing that we drive. Sometimes our greatest treasure is the place that we live in.

Sometimes our greatest treasure is our 401k. Sometimes our greatest treasure are the toys that we have. And we think those are the things that we need to guard. But quite frankly, when everything else is all stripped away, the only thing that will remain is Jesus. It is truly the greatest treasure. You know why? Because that treasure is what changes lives. I heard it declared just a few nights ago.

That that treasure is what brought them from death, literally, to life. He says, guard the treasure. Keep watch over it and use it wisely. And how is he supposed to do that? Through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit that dwells in you is what will help you to guard the treasure. Because the Holy Spirit that dwells in you is what will convict you of the things that are not the treasure.

That's why no matter how much the treasures of this world become big to you, if you're a believer in Jesus Christ, there's that little part in you that says, I think I'm making too big a deal out of that. I think that thing's become a little bit too big in my eyes. I think that thing's become a little bit too important to me. It's the Holy Spirit that keeps drawing you back to the Word.

It's the Holy Spirit that keeps drawing you back to that treasure. I was just telling somebody before the service, one of my college kids messaged me over the summer. And they told me about a church that they went to. And they said, I showed up. I didn't even open my Bible. The pastor gave one verse. And then it was basically spiritual self-help from then on.

It was like a therapy session. Why would someone not just teach all the way through the Bible? Why would someone not just teach the Word one verse at a time? That's what I like. And I said, you know why you like that? Because the Holy Spirit's at work in you. Because the Holy Spirit gave you a hunger for God's Word. That's how the Holy Spirit helps us to guard the treasure.

Because He gives us a craving for the Word of God and makes it to where the rest of the garbage of the world is just not nearly good enough for us. The rest of the shows and the schemes and the programs and all those things, they'll never replace the true teaching of God's Word, the true reading of God's Word, because it is the treasure. He says guard the treasure through the Holy Spirit. But not only that, the Holy Spirit shows us how to get rid of all of that junk in our lives and teaches us and empowers us to stand firm on the Word of God.

He says guard the treasure. And I want you to take note of what He calls the treasure. Let's read verse 14 again. Guard through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us the treasure which has been entrusted to you. That's an important phrase. That word entrusted means a deposit consigned to one's faithful keeping. A deposit consigned to one's faithful keeping. Think back to the parable that Jesus gave, right?

The parable of the talents, which isn't so much about talents like, hey, I'm really good at football, but it's talents being like money. And each of them was entrusted with a certain amount of money. And the guy that was given a bunch of money went and invested his money and the landowner came back and he said, oh, good job. You guarded the treasure. You invested well and you've earned double back.

Enter into joy. Well done, my good and faithful servant. Then the second one came along. He didn't have quite as much entrusted to him, but he broke it and he guarded the treasure. He kept it and used it wisely and he invested it and he earned double the amount that he was given. And he said, oh, well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy that's prepared for you.

But then the third one came along, didn't have a whole lot entrusted to him, but he also didn't use it very wisely. He didn't guard it and keep it wisely. What did he do? He went and hid it. He came back and he, here. He said, well, why would you have done that? He says, why? I knew that you were a hard man and you demanded a lot, so I didn't want to lose it, so I hid it.

He goes, if you knew I was a hard man and I demanded a lot, why didn't you invest it? That's what I would have wanted. You see, he didn't guard it and use it wisely. And so that's why he tells Timothy, guard this treasure and use it wisely because you have been entrusted with it. It is a deposit that has been consigned for you to keep faithfully. And brothers and sisters,

Paul tells us in the book of 2 Corinthians that we have this treasure in an earthen vessel. Guard it, use it wisely because it's something that you have been entrusted with. He then goes on to give a couple of examples of those who did not hold the pattern and those who did hold the pattern. Notice what it says in verse 15. He says, you're aware of the fact

that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phagellus and Hermogenes. The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. But when he was in Rome, he eagerly searched for me and found me. The Lord grant him mercy from the Lord on that day. You know very well what services he rendered in Ephesus.

A tale of two groups of people, right? Can you imagine being Phagellus and Hermogenes? Like, dude, the only time you get named in the entire Bible is because you dimed out on Paul, right? Like, you abandoned that dude. And why? Because they didn't guard the treasure. Because they didn't retain the pattern of sound and wholesome teaching. Therefore, they went the way of the world.

They bailed on Paul when he needed them the most. Because remember, if we keep Jesus at the focus, it colors how we handle every other relationship in our lives. You know how I know that? Because of Onesiphorus. Notice what it says. Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus because he refreshed me. He was not ashamed of my chains. As a matter of fact, he eagerly searched for me and found me.

The idea behind that phrase, eagerly searched, is that he went from house to house and dungeon to dungeon looking for Paul. That's the idea of that phrase. He diligently sought to find Paul. Why? Because he retained the pattern of sound teaching. He guarded the treasure. And it changed the way he handled his relationships. It changed the way he treated people.

Brothers and sisters, we need to understand something. We're not Timothy. You're probably not pastoring some church in a place where you're being attacked constantly by people that are trying to pull you away from the truth. But we live in a world that does that. We live in a world that's constantly trying to pull you away from the truth. And I'm here to tell you right now, guard the treasure.

Don't be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Know who you believe. And make sure that it's not just facts, but that it's a relationship with the God who saved you. And then guard the treasure. Keep it and use it wisely so that you can hear those words. Well done, good and faithful servant. Amen? Let's all stand. And if you'd bow with me. Father, we come to you now.

And Lord, we praise you for who you are. Lord, I thank you that you have blessed us with examples like Paul, with examples like Timothy. And God, that you give us the exhortations that we need to hear. Father, that you encourage us, but you also challenge us. And so, Father, I pray that those that need to rest in the truth of the gospel, that they would find their rest in you.

Lord, those that need to go from facts they know about Jesus to knowing the man, the Savior, Jesus. Lord, that you would do that work in their lives. And Father, that for each of us, as Paul exhorted Timothy, that we would guard the treasure. That we would use it wisely. And God, that we would become who you've created for us to be. So, Father, be with us as we go out from here.

May we stand strong on the truth of the gospel. And may we love the people that are around us. In Jesus' name. Amen. Be blessed. ...for making a way for you. We praise and we give you glory this morning. These things in Jesus' name. All of God's people said, Amen. You guys have a wonderful week. God bless you.