Good morning to everyone. Another beautiful day. We like these cool days. I suppose fall's coming. Someone told me the other day, fall is the best season. I said, yeah, it is a good season, but the problem is winter comes right after, so we'll look forward to those nine months that are coming. 

We're continuing our study in the pastoral epistles this morning in 2nd Timothy chapter 1, and in this section that we're studying is filled with amazing truth and tremendous application for us. The verses before us this morning are all about being ashamed, or rather not being ashamed, of Jesus Christ. 

And we might be quick to dismiss such a notion for ourselves, the thought of being ashamed of Christ. It's certainly a revolting thought, a troubling idea to think that I might somehow be ashamed of Jesus Christ, my Savior, my Lord. It goes so clearly against the very purpose for which I'm here, the truths of my salvation, my hope, my very life, my eternity. 

And yet it's a concern, and perhaps too often a reality in the lives of Christians. It was a concern for Paul regarding Timothy. "Do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, or of me, or of the gospel," he writes in verse 8. "And I am not ashamed," he says in verse 12. Being ashamed of the testimony of Christ, of the gospel, of our association with other believers, or with Jesus, apparently is a real danger, and it certainly was for Timothy. 

So the question becomes, and this is the heart of our text of Paul's encouragement to Timothy in the midst of a very difficult and threatening time, how is it that I can keep from being ashamed of Christ? How is it that I can be a focused, bold, powerful witness for Jesus, as opposed to being ashamed of his testimony? 

And this is an important and very practical question; it's a question that we'll strive to answer as we consider our text this morning. Let's look at 2nd Timothy chapter 1 at verse 7, we'll read our text again. 

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings 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 given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. 

For this reason I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that day. 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." 

This you know that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chain. But when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me. Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that day, and you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus. 

I've given you three points on your outline for our study this morning. First, no fear. Second, hold fast. And third, be not ashamed. 

Well, last time we were together a couple weeks ago, we looked at Paul's tremendous truth statement in verse 7 when he said, "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and of a sound mind." There's such a spirit of fear in our world, and so much of it an irrational fear. I see it more and more everywhere I go. People are very afraid, and ultimately, I think it all boils down to this. People are afraid to die. 

And the Scriptures tell us that men know the truth. They know the truth of who God is, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. So when something comes along that confronts men with the truth of their mortality, makes them think about death and eternity, they know deep down in their hearts that they are deserving of death, that they are accountable to God, and that they have no assurance, no peace, no confidence in death and eternity. 

Whenever I see the panic, the irrational behavior, the absolute fear of people in our world all around us, the question I want to ask each one of them is, what are you afraid of? What frightens you so much? Are you afraid to die? I understand that we may not want to die. We may want to do what we can to avoid death as long as possible, or avoid an undesirable means of death. We should not be careless or reckless people. 

But my brothers and sisters, for those of us who believe Jesus, who have passed from death unto life, who have an absolute certain and confident assurance in life and in death because we are in Christ, for us there should be no fear. And this is what Timothy needed to hear. He needed to be strengthened with truth. He needed to think on things above, not on things of the earth, temporal things. 

Now turn over to Colossians 3 with me, let's look at Paul's admonition concerning this. Colossians 3 at verse 1. The translation really should be in verse 1, since you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things of the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. 

Do you see the great truth here of our identification with Christ? We died with Christ, Paul says. When we believed Jesus, our old man was crucified with Christ. We were buried, and we were raised to newness of life with Jesus. We're going to have a baptism today, and the glorious truth that water baptism pictures is a symbol of the union of the believer with Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection from the dead. That's why the only biblical means of baptism, the mode of baptism, is immersion. 

Because it pictures the death, burial, and resurrection that we experience in our union with Jesus Christ. Paul says you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. And look at this great promise based on the truth of our death with Christ. When Christ, who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Let me ask you, my brother, my sister in Christ, what do you have to fear? You will appear with Christ in glory. No question, done deal. 

Those whom He justifies, He also glorifies. If God be for us, who can be against us? Now it's easy for us to get caught up in the things of the earth, the temporal things, to be afraid of the politics, the protests, the purveyors of evil in our world. It's easy when we focus on the world, when we focus on ourselves, to become afraid. When we think about what might happen, think of Timothy. There was a great persecution in the time against Christians when Nero was persecuting them, searching them out. Paul was sitting in the dark dungeon in Rome facing martyrdom. It was easy for Timothy to focus on what might become of him and then allow fear to overtake him. 

But Paul says, "Timothy, listen. Think about the truth, the doctrine of your salvation, your calling. Think about the fact that God has given to us not a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and a sound mind, discipline and self-control. Think on these things. Set your mind on things above, on Jesus, our Savior, our Lord. Think about what He has done in accomplishing our salvation, who we are and what we have in Him. 

And remember your great calling, your very purpose for being here, for the position that you hold in Ephesus, what God has for you and how He has empowered you by His Spirit to carry out His work in your life. Think on these things, Timothy, and do not be ashamed of Christ." 

This is the danger, my friends. We live in a hostile world, hostile towards Christ, toward truth, toward the gospel, and toward those who believe and stand for Jesus. And the danger is that we might just think on these things and become afraid. We might just let the opportunities pass to share the gospel, to speak truth, to stand for the Word of God, because it's easier, it's safer, it keeps us from potential harm or persecution. But listen now, it is being ashamed of Christ. Do not be ashamed. 

And the first key we see to not being ashamed is to deal with the fear that comes with focusing on the world. God has not given us a spirit of fear. We must remember this and reckon and believe the true power that God has given us in His Spirit living in us, imparting strength to our inner man, the true and good purpose that He has called us to with a motive of love for all men, the gift of a sound mind, right thinking, resulting in discipline. 

There's a lot to fear if we fail to hold fast to these things. Look at verse 7 again in our text. "For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and of love and a sound mind. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord nor of me, His prisoner. But share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God who has saved us." 

Look at verse 9. "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 given to us in Christ Jesus before time began but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ who has abolished death." 

What do you have to fear? He's abolished death. He's brought life and immortality. Man fears his mortality. We have life and immortality to light through the gospel to which I was appointed a preacher and apostle, a teacher of the Gentiles. And it's for this reason that Paul was in jail, that he was in chains because he was a witness for Christ. But he's not ashamed. 

He knows whom he has believed and he's persuaded, he's convinced that God is able to keep that which he's committed to him until that day. In verse 13, "Hold fast, hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus." 

Hold fast. This command, this exhortation is so prevalent in the Scriptures. Even in the Old Testament, this was key to serving, to obeying the Lord. Listen to Deuteronomy chapter 11:22. He says, "For if you carefully keep all these commandments which I command you to do, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways and to hold fast to him." Chapter 13, verse 4, "You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, you shall serve him and hold fast to him." 

Take careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses, a servant of the Lord, commanded you, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to keep his commandments, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. Joshua 23:8, "But you shall hold fast to the Lord your God as you have done to this day." 

This becomes more clear in the New Testament where we are exhorted specifically to hold fast to Jesus, to the clear new covenant gospel truth. 1st Corinthians 15, Paul writes, "Moreover brethren I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which you also received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain." 

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. Hold fast to that gospel truth. 1st Thessalonians 5:21, "Test all things, test them by the Word of God, by truth, hold fast what is good." 

And the book of Hebrews emphasizes the necessity of holding fast to Christ, to our confession again and again. But Christ is a son over his own house whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. Chapter 4, verse 14, "Seeing then that we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession." 

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering for He who promised is faithful. And the book of Revelation ends the instructions to the churches with this same consistent admonition and warning, "But hold fast what you have until I come." 

Remember therefore how you have received and heard, hold fast. Behold I am coming quickly, hold fast what you have that no one may take your crown. That's really the essence of New Covenant faith. The word literally means to hold or to keep, to guard. It expresses the faith of the believer in Jesus who is wholly dependent on Him, looking entirely to Him, trusting Him. 

As Paul says so powerfully in our text, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ," why? "Because I know whom I have believed." And I'm persuaded that He is able. Not according to our works, Paul says, but His grace and purpose in which He called us. I know whom I have believed. 

How could Paul have such boldness, such confidence when he endured such circumstances, when he had been beaten, stoned, persecuted wherever he went, hated by the Jews, hated by the Gentiles, hated by Caesar? How could he have such fortitude to keep going, to keep his focus and his message on the simplicity of the gospel of Christ crucified? 

And have such boldness and clarity in preaching the truth? Even as he sits in the Mamertine prison, knowing that he's facing certain death, even as all his friends have forsaken him and left him, how? How in the world can Paul have the sole concern of the furtherance of the gospel through the passing of the torch to Timothy? The only answer is summed up in these two great words, hold fast. 

The words make me think of a storm-tossed sea, a violent storm and a man overboard in the cold waters. There's danger and fear all around, a real possibility of death, and someone in the boat throws that man a rope. What can that man do? What's the remedy to his fear, to the threat of death? It's to hold fast to that rope, to hold fast as they pull him to safety. 

That's the Christian life in this world, my brothers and sisters. Dangers and threats, evil and intimidation, a real serious possibility of persecution and death for those who stand for Christ. What can we do to be fruitful, to be bold, to love, to not fear? Hold fast to Christ. Hold fast to our confession. Hold fast to His promises, to our hope, and remember our mission. 

Remember our calling, and know whom we have believed, and know that He is able to keep us, to preserve us, to empower us, to do His will. Hold fast, hold tight to Christ. And I think these words bring a specific application to Timothy and to us as well, to every believer. 

Look with me again at our text in verse 13. "Hold fast what? 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." 

What does Paul encourage Timothy to hold fast to? The pattern of sound words which you have heard from me. Hold fast to Christ, and this by holding fast to the sound words, to the doctrine that tells us all about who Christ is and what He has done, and the promises that we have in Him. 

The doctrine, my brothers and sisters, teaching, sound words, exposition of the revealed Word of God. How many times does Paul come back to this in these letters to Timothy and Titus? I'd like to just make an observation at this point. 

So many times I talk to Christians, evangelical Christians, and you ask them what they believe. What do you believe? What's your church teach? I don't know. I don't have any idea. We have this, we have that, we do this, we do that. What do you believe? What do you teach? 

Paul's been exhorting Timothy to not fear, to not be ashamed, to be bold and have courage. How does a man have courage? How can he stand fast, be bold, not be moved? It starts with convictions. A man must have a firm belief in something in order to stand for it. And convictions come from doctrine. 

What is it that I believe? What is it that I hold fast to? How can I have courage if I don't have convictions? And this is where we see the great need of teaching and preaching the Word of God, of truth, taught, heard, and believed. Because it is doctrine, it is truth, it is a message about Jesus Christ that produces faith. 

And faith is the foundation for convictions. Faith in the truth, in the doctrine, in the sound words about Jesus. It's when I know what I believe, it's when I know the truth, and I choose to reckon it to be so, to believe it with all my heart and to hold fast to it, that I have great convictions. 

And it's those great convictions, those firm, nailed down beliefs that produce courage in me to stand. There's really nothing else to hold fast to. Would you like to hold fast to the ways and wisdom of this world? How about your feelings and emotions? Do you want to hold fast to that roller coaster? No, the only steadfast rock we can hang on to in the storms of life is the Word of God, is the doctrine, is the teaching and sound words about Jesus, who He is, what He's done. 

And again, we see that this is the very thing the church is to be about. Doctrine, preaching, teaching. Forget all that inspirational, fine-sounding speech, moving stories, psychology and emotional manipulation. Forget the marketing techniques, the business models, the entertainment mindset that plagues evangelical Christianity today. Keep your intellectualism and endless degrees in human wisdom. Give me sound words from God. 

Give me doctrine. Tell me about Jesus, His work on the cross, His death in my place, His burial and resurrection. Preach to me the words of God about the abundant life and hope that I have in Jesus today because I believe Him and I set my mind on Him. Teach me about the promises, the hope of eternal life, of the sufficient grace of God for this very day in this world of turmoil. 

Tell me about the great calling that I have to be a witness for Him to every lost sinner in this world and the greatness of the message that He has entrusted to me, that He's given to me to preach, to share, to bring salvation to every man who believes. And encourage me, strengthen me with the greatness of His power, the very power that works in me to accomplish His will and purpose, the very power that raised Jesus from the dead. 

Give me sound words, truth that I can hold fast to like a lifeline in a turbulent sea. In this there is no fear. In this there is clear truth. In this there are solid convictions. And in this comes amazing courage as we trust the living God. Hold fast to sound words, to doctrine, the truth about Jesus. 

This is how we can be bold. This is how we can be focused and clear and have no fear as we do the will of God in this world. This is how we can be not ashamed. 

Look at verse 15 in our text. "This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from Me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed Me and was not ashamed of My chain. But when he arrived in Rome, he sought Me out very zealously and found Me." 

The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that day, and you know very well how many ways he ministered to Me at Ephesus. These closing verses of chapter 1 give us a real-life example of the two types of Christians in this world. This is Paul's experience in his final imprisonment in Rome. 

These are real people in real time who made real decisions as to what they would hold fast to and who they would trust, who they would fear. Timothy knew these people. Presumably he'd worked with, ministered with them, fellowshiped with them. It does not say that any of the Christians had forsaken the Lord, but that they had distanced themselves, they had disassociated themselves from Paul. 

It's likely that these two men named here were leaders in the church and perhaps led a movement to separate their church, the believers, themselves from Paul. Why would they do such a thing to the great apostle, the one who had brought them the gospel, who had taught them, who had given His life to them and was now in such great need? The only answer is fear. Fear of being associated with Paul. 

Of finding themselves in the same state because the authorities were after anyone who claimed the name of Christ and Paul was the foremost. In their mind, it was safe to distance themselves from Paul. Safe. 

Let me ask you this. What safety is there in compromising our witness of being ashamed of Christ and hiding ourselves in this world? Conversely, let me ask you this. What safety is there in resting ourselves in the everlasting arms of Almighty God? What safety is there in trusting Him, looking to Him, serving Him with boldness and love? 

These two men represent those who are ashamed. Ashamed of Paul, but ultimately ashamed of the gospel and of Christ. And my brothers and sisters, it's easy enough to find ourselves there. Not standing for the truth, avoiding any conflict, keeping our mouths shut when we have opportunity to share the truth, to appeal to men, to believe Jesus. 

I far too often have been ashamed, silent when I should have spoken. Sometimes silence is golden, right? But how ugly this is when we see it in the situation of Paul in his last days, in his great need, when they all forsook him. 

But not all. Luke was near, he was ministering to Paul, and then there was this man, Onesiphorus. He says, "The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed Me, and he was not ashamed of My chain. But when he arrived in Rome, he sought Me out very zealously and found Me." 

The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord that day, and you know very well how many ways he ministered to Me in Ephesus. This great servant of the Lord and minister to Paul was not ashamed. You know, he could have been reasonable when he got to Rome. He could have played it cool, found the believers and met secretly, avoiding Paul. 

But he didn't. The wording here expresses an agonizing on his part, a fervent, almost desperate search to find Paul, indicating some difficulty in doing so. He didn't care about anything else. He was not afraid or ashamed, but went right to the Mamertine and found his beloved brother and encouraged him openly before the Roman soldiers and government, uniting himself to Paul and the Christians, the Christian faith that he preached, the very reason that Paul found himself in chains. 

And Paul was so thankful. He was so encouraged by him. He prays for mercy in that day for Onesiphorus and his household. This speaks of reward. He's talking about the time of reward that day. May God reward him on that day because of his faithfulness to Paul and to the Lord. 

Timothy knew this man, and he also knew the men who forsook Paul. And I believe that Paul brings these things up to present Timothy with real life examples with a choice. He and every one of us has a choice to be a Phygelus and a Hermogenes, ashamed of Christ, playing it safe, preserving ourselves, focused on the dangers of the world, the threat to the gospel and fear, or we can join up with Onesiphorus and go boldly right to the dungeon and minister to Paul, stand firm in the gospel, and openly, boldly identify ourselves with Christ and His saving message. 

How powerful an example this must have been for Timothy to know these men and to know how they acted and what it meant to Paul and to Christ. This must have spoken volumes to Timothy and encouraged him greatly to hold fast and to not be ashamed of Paul or his gospel. 

And this is really what we want most, isn't it, my brothers and sisters? Isn't that what we really want most? To hold fast to Him, to be immersed in His Word, His truths, looking to Him, believing Him, trusting Him every step of the way? But it's so easy to focus on the world, to fall prey to the forces of darkness, to the wiles of the devil, to immerse ourselves instead in constant fear and lies and the news and views of this world, to be distracted, to forget all these great truths, and then to be afraid and to lack courage because we lack convictions, and then to be ashamed of Christ. 

It doesn't have to be this way. God saved us with the express purpose of conforming us to Christ, of producing fruit through us for His glory. He gave us all things that pertain to life and godliness. We lack nothing. We are fully equipped and empowered to live a holy and righteous, fruitful life with boldness and courage to preach the clear gospel truth into every situation. 

We don't have to be anxious or to fear the circumstances of this world, but my friends, this does not stop us. It doesn't come naturally, without effort. Back in verse 7, Paul said, "God has given us power, love, a sound mind." The word translated sound mind literally means discipline. 

To hold fast, to not be ashamed, and to be a good servant of Christ, there must be discipline in my life. Discipline to focus on Christ, to be in His Word, to come to church, to Bible studies, to read and to study on my own, and to agonize, labor in the Word in order to know the truth. There must be discipline then to reckon that truth, to believe God, and to choose to trust Him in the midst of it all. 

These are all choices we make every day. And it's so easy to fall into a rut, to live in mediocrity, to forget who we are and why we are here and the incredible resources that we have in Christ, to forget our first love. 

These words before us, this letter to Timothy is all about reminding him of these things, encouraging him to get his focus back and to exercise these disciplines, to be strong in the Lord. We will see this continually as we go through this epistle. It was vital for Timothy. If the work of the gospel was to continue, if he was to carry the torch from the Apostle Paul, and my friends, it's equally vital for us today at Living Hope Church in the context of our world, if we're going to fulfill the Word of God in our lives, to be fruitful, to live lives worthy of our calling, and in all things to bring glory to Him. 

Let's close in prayer. 

Father, we're so thankful that You're patient with us, You're good to us, that You take care of us. And Father, we're thankful that in Christ, in our salvation, You have equipped us, You've crucified us, our old man, that we've died to sin, we've died to law, that we've died to the fear of death. And thank You that we now serve in the newness of the Spirit. 

And thank You that we now serve in the newness of the Spirit, that Jesus lives in us, that we have all things that pertain to life and godliness, and that You have saved us for the very purpose that we might live holy lives, that we might be witnesses for You, that we might be bold and clear and see Your power worked out through us for Your glory. Help us to know these things, to believe these things, to hold fast to them and not be ashamed of Christ. 

In His name we pray. Amen.