Well good morning to everyone, good to see you all this morning, it's a beautiful day and sunshine, a little less humidity. All the animals were happy on the farm this morning, just so you know. 

We're starting a new book today, it's our commitment, it's our belief here at Living Hope Church that we preach through the Word, verse by verse, book by book, expository preaching because we trust what God says that He will encourage, He will build us up by His Word, by His truth. Jesus said sanctify them by your truth, your Word is truth. So that's our commitment, that's what we do here and we finished 1 Timothy last week. Now we're going to begin the book of 2 Timothy and work our way through this letter. 

Jeremiah 17:9, I wanted to start with this morning, not a tremendously encouraging verse, but Jeremiah 17:9 says that the heart of man is desperately wicked and deceitful above all things, who can know it? We observe in our world throughout history and today, it seems more of late that this truth is manifest in the actions, the systems of our world. The whole world lies in the sway of the wicked one. And I think back as you think about the scriptures and the different times, you know these times have us thinking and wondering about what's going on and where things are going. 

I was thinking back to Sodom and Gomorrah as Abraham pled with God to save those cities. For the sake of the righteous, he said, but there were not ten righteous men in the city and God destroyed it. Or in the days of Noah when God destroyed the whole earth with a flood because the thoughts and intents of their hearts were only evil all the time. Judgment came on the whole earth in the flood, judgment came on Sodom and Gomorrah, and final judgment is coming to this world, this wicked world in which we live where it seems that the wicked are prospering. 

I've been thinking lately about David in Psalm 37, Psalm 73, how he said, I look at the wicked and they prosper, they don't have pain and suffering as we do. He says, my foot had almost slipped until I went into the house of the Lord, and then I saw their end. We live in a modern-day Sodom, we live in a modern-day Corinth. When we look around at this world and all that's going on, when we see the church failing to hold up sound doctrine and bring a clear message to lost and dying men, we can become perplexed, not know what to do. 

What is the man of God to do? What must we do as individual believers as a biblical church? We begin a new study today in the second letter to Timothy, and here we have a very different circumstance than we found in the first letter. Paul is now in his second and final imprisonment in Rome; he's in the last days of his life and ministry on this earth. He's living under the evil Nero and the church is suffering greatly through persecution in this time. 

Paul has a great concern for the continuance of the work of the gospel, and this letter is really an appeal to young Pastor Timothy to hold fast to the truth, to the doctrine, to live a life worthy of his calling, to effectively preach and teach the word of God for the growth and fruit of the saints and for the furtherance of the gospel. 

It's an emotional letter, especially when we take some time to ponder the circumstances of Paul and his great concern for the church and for the work of the gospel. He's in a really bad spot. Tradition says that he spent his final days on this earth in the Mamertine prison, not sure how many of you are familiar with that. It was a prison in Rome; it was literally a hole in the ground, circular in shape, about 30 feet across, and prisoners were dropped down in through the hole in the ceiling of the room. There was a large door on one side. After they had accumulated 30 to 35 prisoners in this dungeon, the door would be opened, allowing the sewer system of Rome to wash in and take away the prisoners drowning them in the sewage. 

This is where Paul spent his last days. This is where he wrote this letter to Timothy. Paul's fate was not to be washed away in the sewer system, but in a public display he would be taken out of that pit by Nero and have his head laid on a block and be publicly executed by beheading. There was a great persecution of the Christians in this time after Nero had burned the city of Rome to the ground. He lit the fire in July of 64 A.D. and it burned for nine days, destroying two-thirds of the city of Rome. He wanted to rebuild it, that was his mania. 

Under public pressure and looking for a scapegoat, Nero decided to blame the fire on the Christians and a great persecution began which caught up to Paul and placed him in this dungeon-like prison. It was from here that he wrote in 67 A.D. this letter to Timothy. This was a hard time for the church. Paul writes that everyone had abandoned him, no one stood with him, only Luke was nearby. Everyone was afraid to be associated with Paul, to be arrested as he was. 

And the great apostle who had given his life to so many, to the gospel, to the growth and the maturity of the churches, who had traveled all those miles and endured so many sufferings, sat alone in the Mamertine prison awaiting his martyrdom. What is his concern? What is his heartfelt plea to Timothy, who had now received the torch passed from Paul to continue the work of the gospel? What is the man of God to do in such a time as this? This is what this letter is all about. 

And we're going to begin our study this morning in the first six verses. Look at 2 Timothy 1:1 with me, please. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, to Timothy, a beloved son. Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 

I thank God whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy. When I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. Therefore, I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 

I've given you four points on your outline this morning. First, promise of life. Second, personal affection. Third, pure conscience. And fourth, purpose of ministry. 

Well, Paul begins the letter by stating his authority, his commission from God. He says, Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. He makes clear right here at the beginning that his authority is from God, that he was called and sent by God according to his will. Paul was under constant attack concerning the legitimacy of his apostleship. It was said by false teachers in Corinth and Galatia and in Ephesus where Timothy was, that Paul was a self-appointed apostle. He was not a true apostle as Peter was, or the others. They constantly attempted to undermine him by challenging his credibility. But Paul starts the letter here refuting that. 

He's asserting that his call was directly from God and that his apostleship, the reason he was sent, he says, was according to the promise of life. The promise of life was what his apostleship was all about. And what life? Eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. John 5:24, Jesus said, Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death unto life. 

In John 10:10, Jesus said, The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly. Ephesians 1:11, it says, In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. 

In Him you also trusted after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also having believed you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession to the praise of His glory. The inheritance of the saints, the promise, is eternal life. 

John told us in 1 John 5:13, These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, present possession. If we believe Jesus, we have passed from death unto life. We now possess eternal life, one that lasts forever into eternity. When we hear the gospel, the message of Jesus' death, burial and resurrection, His death in our place for our sins, and when we turn to Him in faith, trusting solely in what He accomplished on the cross, we pass from death unto life. We have eternal life now today for eternity. 

This is the promise of life. And my friends, this was the substance of Paul's ministry. This is so important to understand. We're going to see him implore Timothy, command Timothy to have this same substance be his ministry. This was his call, this was his apostleship. It was according to the promise of life. It's Paul's great desire that Timothy would get hold of this truth for his life and ministry as well, that he would see that the purpose of his calling is to preach the gospel, to preach the Word, to lead men to the promise of eternal life through faith in Jesus. 

And all that contributes to this purpose, this calling, is what Timothy needed to focus on. Not all the cares of the world, not righting the wrongs, not his personal sufferings. Even as Paul sits in the Mamertine prison alone and waiting the chopping block, his concern is that the gospel would go forth, that Timothy would be focused on preaching and teaching on doctrine and personal holiness, not all the distractions and wranglings of men and wisdom of the world. 

And so Paul encourages Timothy, expressing his personal affection and love for him. Look at verse 2 of our text. To Timothy, a beloved son, grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God whom I serve with a pure conscience as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day. Isn't that encouraging? How would you like to have Paul write to you and say, I remember you night and day in my prayers? 

I pray for you; a pastor says that to me, I pray for you every day. How encouraging is that? Because we trust God, we believe God to work out His will in our lives. Greatly desiring to see you, he says, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy to see Timothy, to spend time with him, would fill him with joy when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you. There's no question here in Paul's mind about Timothy's faith, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. 

Paul and Timothy had a long history of ministry together, and it may be that Timothy had come to faith through Paul's ministry through his mother and grandmother. Paul calls him a beloved son. He thanks God for Timothy. He greatly desires to see him so that their tears may be turned to joy. Paul loves Timothy dearly as a son. And he has poured his life into him, teaching him, discipling him, encouraging him to be the one who carries on the ministry of the gospel. And now he wants to see him again, see him one last time, so that they might be encouraged together. 

Let's go to chapter 4 with me, please, 2 Timothy 4, at verse 9. This is Paul's heart. He says, "Be diligent to come to me quickly, for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world and has departed for Thessalonica, Crescens for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry." Isn't that a wonderful statement there after the history that Paul had had with Mark and didn't want him to go on the missionary journey with him because he had failed before? 

Now he says, "Bring him to me, he's useful to me for ministry. And Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come, and the books, especially the parchments," the word of God Paul wanted. "Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. May the Lord repay him according to his works. You also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words. At my first offense, no one stood with me, but all forsook me. May it not be charged against them." 

Look at this, "But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil work, and preserve me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever, amen." And if you look at verse 21, he says, "Do your utmost to come before winter." Come and see me, Timothy. Come to me, be diligent to come. Come before winter. 

Paul wants Timothy to come to encourage him and so that Paul might see him again before his departure, so that he might strengthen Timothy and encourage him in his ministry. You know, for years, Pastor and I have met together. I think 2001, Pastor. Just about every week, we've met together. And there's been a long growth curve for me there. It's been a wonderful thing, an unorthodox thing, but a beautiful thing. And many times, I've laid in bed and thought, what am I going to do when he's gone? What am I going to do when Paul's about to be gone and he wants to meet with Timothy to encourage him, come to me? 

He has this personal affection for Timothy as a son in the faith and as a man of God to carry on the ministry in Paul's place. So we see promise of life. We see personal affection. And next, we see pure conscience. Second Timothy 1:3, he says, I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing, I remember you in my prayers, night and day. This is an interesting statement by Paul and an important one. The false teachers in Ephesus had tried to undermine Paul's authority and apostleship, as we've already seen. 

And they also attributed Paul's suffering to his own personal sin. We see this in the letter to the Philippians as well. Turn over to Philippians 1 with me, please. Philippians 1 at verse 12. But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happen to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard and to all the rest that my chains are in Christ. And most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. 

Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill. The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains, but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel. Some suppose they could magnify their ministry by undermining Paul and attributing his suffering to sin, to his own sin, or to God's judgment on him. They were trying to add affliction to his chains. 

And you know, this is common thinking. You'll remember back to the book of Job and the wonderful advice that he got from his friends in light of his tremendous suffering. They said, it's because you've sinned, God's getting you. But Paul wants to make clear that his imprisonment, even his coming martyrdom, has nothing to do with his own sin or God's judgment. He served God with a clear conscience, a pure conscience, as he examines himself and his motive before God. 

This is a common statement by Paul. In Acts 23:1, he says, then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day. In 24:16, this being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men. Romans 9:1, I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying my conscience, also bearing witness in the Holy Spirit. And this is something we are to strive for, as we saw back in 1 Timothy 1:5, where he said, now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, from sincere faith. You remember that that commandment was to preach no other doctrine, to preach no other doctrine but the gospel. 

Paul had a clear conscience before God. And notice what else he says in verse 3, as also my forefathers did. Well, who were his forefathers? Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Isaiah, Jeremiah. We could take a little tour through Hebrews 11, and what do we find concerning many of these great saints? Look at Hebrews 11, verse 36. You know, you read the first 35 verses of this chapter, and you think, wow, God did all these wonderful works through the saints, and they accomplished all these great things. 

Look at verse 36. It says, still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned. They were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains and dens and caves of the earth. And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise. God, having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us. 

They were not stoned and sawn in two and slain with the sword because of their sin or because of God's judgment. They were slain because of their great testimony before God, faithfulness in preaching and teaching the truth. And this is what Paul's saying here. I serve God with a pure conscience, and my suffering is related to my witness for Christ, my zeal for the gospel, not sin or judgment. This is a powerful statement by Paul, and it's something we should expect. 

In 2 Timothy 3:10, Paul says, but you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra. What persecutions I endured, and out of all of them, the Lord delivered me. Now listen to what Paul says to Timothy. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. The world rejects those who are faithful to Christ. 

So we see promise of life. We see personal affection, pure conscience, and finally, and perhaps most importantly in our text, we see purpose of ministry. Look at verse 5, please. When I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois, your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also, therefore, I remind you to stir up the gift of God, which is in you, through the laying on of my hands. 

Paul says he has joy when he remembers Timothy's genuine, authentic faith. There's no question in Paul's mind concerning the genuine faith of Timothy, the fruit that he has observed all these years in the young life of Timothy and their different journeys, and now in the last several years as he's pastored the church in Ephesus. 

And it's based on this that Paul says, therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God, which is in you, through the laying on of my hands. Stir up the gift. To stir up literally means to kindle anew. To relight a fire. It doesn't necessarily mean that the fire had grown cold, but coupled with the concern of Paul here in relation to Timothy's timidity, he is encouraging him to remember the gift that was given to him at his ordination. 

Weiss and Vincent say that this is likely referring to the gift of administration as overseer, pastor, teacher. You remember from 1 Timothy that Paul had left him in Ephesus to right the ship, to correct what was going on, to get rid of the false teachers in Ephesus. And he was to do this through study, through preaching, through doctrine. 

Go back to 1 Timothy 2. Let's look at that text again. Paul's clear instruction as to how Timothy was to conduct himself in the house of God. He says, therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence, for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God, our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 

For there is one God, one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time, for which, Paul says, I was appointed a preacher and an apostle. I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying, a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. This is Paul's example to Timothy. This is what his ministry was all about, to testify in due time, to speak the truth about Jesus. 

He says he was appointed a preacher and an apostle to speak the truth, the truth that Jesus was given as a ransom for all. In 1 Timothy 4:8, he gets specific with Timothy. He says godliness is profitable for all things. Having the promise of life that now is and that which is to come, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. For to this end, we both labor and suffer reproach because we trust in the living God who is the Savior of all men, especially those who believe. 

These things command and teach. Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word and conduct and love and spirit and faith and purity. If the apostle Paul could talk to a pastor today in a biblical church, what would he say? What would he tell them? 

Look at verse 13 of chapter four. Until I come, give attention to reading the word, to exhortation from the word, to doctrine. Doctrine. Over and over and over, Paul emphasizes this. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things. Give yourself entirely to them. 

If I'm going to give myself entirely to the word, to study, to preaching, to teaching, to doctrine, then I shouldn't be doing a whole lot of other things. Entirely to them that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this, you will save both yourself and those who hear you. What an amazing section of scripture this is. 

What is Timothy to be doing? What is the gift that he is to stir up, rekindle into an ongoing blazing flame, a burning bush? He's to command and teach the truth, the scriptures. He's to labor, agonize over the word of God, to suffer reproach because of his trust in the living God. He's to give attention to the reading, exhortation to doctrine, to the word, to give himself entirely to this. This is the gift he is to stir up. 

My friends, we see such clear teaching, imperative commands from Paul to Timothy concerning how he can carry on the ministry that Paul began, how he can be a good minister of Jesus Christ and keep the believers growing, prospering and fruitful for the glory of God. And we see this same truth emphasized in the second letter. Look at 2 Timothy 1:13. 

We'll just take a little browse through 2 Timothy here as we begin our study. 2 Timothy 1:13, hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus, that good thing which was committed to you keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. 2 Timothy 2:1, you therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus and the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 

You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Chapter 3, verse 10. You have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, long-suffering, love, perseverance, all these persecutions and afflictions which happened to Paul. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution, but evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you, Timothy, must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 

All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. What do we need besides the word of God? Complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. That pretty well covers it. And the most forceful, clear passage of the letter is in chapter four, verse one. 

This verse one is the most intimidating verse in the Bible for me, because he says, I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who will judge the living and dead that is appearing in His kingdom. Paul charges Timothy before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to whom Timothy will give account for his ministry, to whom I will give account for my ministry. 

And here's what he says, Preach the word. Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and teaching for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. But according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers, they will turn away their ears from the truth and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 

My friends, the world is going to hell in a handbasket as my mom used to say. The wheels are coming off. Our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. We are to be anticipating. We are to be looking up. Everything seems to be moving toward the time of tribulation and the reign of Antichrist on this earth. So in light of all these things, of all the turmoil and trouble, uncertainties and fears, what is the man of God, the woman of God, to do? 

Do not fear. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. We can have confidence in our God and His will and purpose for us to be a witness, to hold forth the truth as a light in this dark world. We can believe and know that He's working out His will through us as we look to Him in faith and obey His word. And this is precisely what Paul wanted Timothy to take courage in. To stir up that gift that God had given him to use to build the church and lead it in the right direction toward Christ-likeness and simplicity in serving Him. 

Preach the word. Hold fast to Christ. Rightly divide the word of truth. Show yourself a workman that needs not be ashamed. These are all imperatives from Paul with the authority of an apostle, who went to encourage and strengthen Timothy for the work of ministry that he had ahead of him. Paul's ministry was now behind him. 

Look at 2 Timothy 4:6 with me as we close. Think of Paul sitting in that Mamertine prison. He writes to Timothy at the end of this epistle, For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing. 

He sat alone in that prison, that dank dungeon awaiting martyrdom, persecuted for the cause of Christ, abandoned by so many of the brethren. Only Luke is nearby, and what is Paul's concern? This, I believe, is the great testimony of Paul, and his life, and his focus, his ministry. What in his last letter, in his last words to Timothy, was the great concern of Paul? 

It was not his circumstances. It was not that he was abandoned by his friends. It was not that he was facing death. These were not the great concerns of Paul. But rather, what he really labored over, agonized over, was that the work of the gospel would go on. That Jesus Christ would be preached and glorified in the church. 

This is what Paul was focused on, and why he wrote so earnestly to Timothy, because he knew it would be up to Timothy, after his departure, to be bold and clear and faithful in his work, exercising his gift as God intended. And you know this wasn't Timothy's personality. But Paul makes it clear that he should take courage. He should be strong and trust in the Lord to work out the details. 

And most of all, that he should be faithful to preach the Word, the saving truth of Jesus Christ. Let's close in prayer. 

Father, we're so thankful, thankful for Your Word, Your truth, that we can sing in these hymns, that we can meditate on and think on, that we can preach and hear preached, Lord. We can just keep coming back to Your Word, and You're renewing our minds, You're teaching us, You're growing us, You're causing us to think Your thoughts, and we thank You for that, Lord. Thank You for that privilege, for this place, for these people. 

And just pray that we would be faithful to the ministries You've given to us, that we would stir up the gift that You have given to each one of us for the purpose of glorifying Jesus Christ. In His name we pray. Amen.