“The Perpetuity of the Gospel” 2 Timothy 2:1-13

Well, take your Bible with me and let’s turn back to Second Timothy as we continue our trek through the pastoral epistles. And we see a little bit of a different emphasis. This one’s going to be a little bit different than what we’ve considered, although there’s some of those same concepts of what Paul is reminding all of us that are important in the local New Testament church.

I’ve already made mention of the fact how that Second Timothy is a very private. Well, it’s kind of like a private personal letter to Timothy, but yet written by the spirit of God and is powerful and profitable for our admonition and properly understanding what God would have. But not only that, it is. an indication of what is important in these last days, in transitional times, advice of an older pastor to a younger pastor, and that’s how we are kind of looking at this particular passage. This one is one of those that it’s extremely personal, and yet it is profoundly public. and something that we should all take note of. It is good for local churches. It is good for missions and missions, agencies and missionary work. And it has to do with and I got the title of a message from Charles and Spurgeon. It was called the perpetuity of the gospel.

Now, I doubt if that’s a word any of you use this past week, except for Pastor Ryan, who announced that this morning. that I don’t know that he really probably said that word too many times this week. Perpetuity, the perpetuation, you might think of it that way. It’s how is the gospel or how does anything continue on? So we’re going to be looking at more of a how-to today than so much as characteristics that Timothy would need that Paul wants him to do, although he will introduce the concept that particular way.

I want to begin by just kind of reflecting a little bit of how I looked at some of the events of the events of Tuesday and the election, the election results. and just everything as far as how that comes together. But I’m not really, I don’t want to do it so much from a political standpoint. In fact, I’ll mention both names, but not so much in my particular feelings, but no doubt what either they are thinking or they will be thinking in the days ahead. So the President Trump, and the win, and apparently very substantially, and the red wave and everything is however people want to do that. However, we also know that since President, what is it, Cleveland, that getting reelected with another person in between, this is only the second time that’s ever happened. And so but what that does mean that there is no second term after this.

A lot of times when a president is put in, there can be a perpetuity of his administration if he does a good job and it continue on for another so he gets his eight years. However, President Trump does not have that as a guarantee. And so no doubt, whatever is going in through the mind of President Trump, he’s got to be thinking about the future. And now he’s thinking about that in no doubt calculated ways. Number one would be what can I do now? So we hear about the possibility of losing, you know, Senator Rubio to a secretary of state. And we would hate that to lose him. I would hate to lose him from the state of Florida as one of our senators. But it’s all of their business, not mine. But, you know, he’s he’s looking at how does he, you know, looking into the future. But he’s trying to do he’s doing something. That’s the point. He’s doing some things with the future in mind. And then there’s just some things he can’t do. And we’ve heard this on both sides.

Kamala Harris, along with Donald Trump, that my first day of being the president, you know, their first day. And there’s going to be a flu of all kinds of activity that’s going to go on. And he wants to be able to accomplish some things. And he’s looking to the future of what is that January 20th, I think, if I’m not mistaken, and January 20th. And so he’s looking to the future on how he can with perpetuity be able to continue that on. Well, then he has four years. But before the four years is up, then there is this time called midterm elections. Well, again, however, this is, you know, they get the Senate and we got the House. And but then that kind of comes up again and in two more years. And so he’s got to have that in mind. So he has the end make America great again, but He’s got to get through, you know, from now till April or until January 6th or January 30th, 20th. And then you got to go from the 20th to the two year event and the elections. And then he’s got two years and then it’s done. It’s over. And he is he’s thinking about that. And just exactly who’s going to take over after President Trump has to leave office and he can’t come back. And so they’re beginning to think about that.

Is it J.D. Vance? Would it be Marco Rubio? Would it be? And you can put any name in there. I’m not suggesting anything. I’m saying that is the mindset of anybody who has their act together, that that’s the perpetuity of Republicanism. and that kind of an office. Now, the same thing is true on the opposite side that Kamala Harris apparently thought that she was going to win and she didn’t. And the the way that they did their campaigning, I think personally just had all kinds of weaknesses. You know, putting all of your cookies into one bag, you just bad mouth your opponent and you bring in stars. Beyond that, what are they all talking about? But what be that as it may, but now they’re all we hear.

First of all, we hear of some who have our are just so messed up. And I don’t know that we would want to perpetuate this. Women wanting to cut all their hair off and promising celibacy because of whatever that is going to do. And some really weird stuff. You’ve got governors saying, I’m not going to do anything. I’m thinking, yeah, first disaster in your state. You’ll be begging President Trump for money because that’s just politics. And so they, in their sense of what they consider rejection and that, they’re a little bit messed up, but some are now beginning to think of the future. They say, yeah, in two years, we’re going to see what we can do. In four years, we’re going to see.

So there have been talk about, well, will Kamala Harris try and run again? Probably not. Historically, I guess once you really lose like this and vice president and everything, probably that would not, but who knows in today’s world. But if you’re a Democrat, you’ve gotta be thinking about, okay, who’s gonna be our next leader? And people think, well, Mr. Newsom, and they all do all that, and that’s why he didn’t get really involved. And on and on it goes. Now, I’m not making all of that comment just because it’s just this week and everything, but it’s on a point. Because you see, ultimately, both sides are wanting to know who’s going to lead us in the future when the current person, whether winner or loser, when they’re off the scene. What is gonna perpetuate our situation? Is it gonna be J.D. Vance? Or is it gonna be if Kamala Harris runs again and with AOC as vice president?

Now I just picked names, okay? Definitely not trying to give suggestions. Although it might be a good suggestion just because it might guarantee certain outlets. But I’m just saying that in jest. But to say they’re already thinking about it. What will be the next step? Well, the Apostle Paul apparently is in prison or soon to be in prison. He’s not that now he’s in prison and he’s not looking at wanting to get out. And we’re going to see that more and more. Chapter three, chapter four. He’s not really looking like he’s going to get out for my time of departure is at hand and it’s not get out. It’s time to die. And he’s thinking about, okay, what’s the next generation gonna do? Who is, there’s no more apostles popping up here. The apostles are all being killed. Christianity has been made illegal and things look really bad.

The apostle Paul, an apostle born out of due time, he’s looking at certain death and they’re looking at the next generation. What is it? that is going to make the movement of the church, of Christianity, what is going to cause it to gel more? What is it that’s gonna help it continue on in the future and to remain what it’s supposed to be? And it wasn’t looking really good because the leaders were all being killed, That’s not so much true today, but the leaders are dying off. You know, I saw, you know, I see pictures of, you know, what was it? Alistair Begg has just announced his retirement and everybody, you know, poor John MacArthur ends up with some heart issues. And these people, I wish they would stop doing it. They keep saying, what bad news do we know about, you know, and they kind of almost make it look like one of them. I had to follow through this week thinking that John MacArthur did die. Well, he does have some health issues and he could die right now or God could be gracious and kind. But one thing’s for sure in 20 years from now. He’s not going to be with us. And he’s a great man.

R.C. Sproul. And some of the to look at it in our generation. Well, what happened? Well, R.C. Sproul was a co-pastor with Burke Parsons and over it in Sanford, Florida. John MacArthur’s got a full team and elder board and they’ll pass that off. And no doubt I’ll get I’ll bet you that they’ve got what’s gonna happen in the transition and what’s gonna happen there? Because that’s exactly what needs to be done. Who’s gonna take the baton and pass it on and give it to the next generation? What is being passed? It is the faith once delivered unto the saints. But how? And what is supposed to be done? What is the process or how can we conceptualize it?

We’ve been looking at that already is what we voted at our quarterly business meeting and the transition kind of doing a bit of a flip situation between myself and Pastor Ryan because just being reminded much more very graphically last year of my mortality. Well, how do we take a look at it? Well, we don’t have to just wonder or look at some Dale Carnegie and so what is You know, what does the business world say? We don’t have to go there. We can come to the Word of God. And we’ve been involved in that process.

Well, let’s take a look at what was on the heart of the Apostle Paul when they were looking at this sort of thing. And it’s all because of this terrible thing that we call the second law of thermodynamics or everything goes to a greater state of disorder. So how are we going to keep it together? And how is this going to continue? Well, we have this that is given in Chapter two of Timothy, and it’s actually going to go over into Chapter three. So today, what I want to begin to look at is, is that it’s very personal. And he’s going to give some instructions on the how to. And then there’s going to be actually seven illustrations of what that is like. And they’re not really given as complete or full illustrations, just enough to cause the mind to begin to put it together so that he will even say in verse seven.

It’s an interesting thing when it says, consider what I say. The term consider is a hapax legomenon, just a one time occurrence only found here in the New Testament. But it served him well. He said, consider or contemplate what I say. And may the Lord give you understanding in all things. In other words. I’m just going to introduce the concept. You can run with it and figure it out a lot of it this by yourself. So let’s come back and take a look at this now. As in chapter one, he has told him to remember certain things. He has told him therefore be mindful and to stir up the gift that was in him. And then he went into this little diatribe of it were as it were on and don’t be ashamed. And that sets up a historical account.

Christians were falling away because they were ashamed. Everybody’s being ashamed. We don’t want we don’t want we don’t see the perpetuity of the gospel as being shameful. That’s not where you want to be, especially when you’re losing all of your leaders and everything. So don’t be ashamed and how not to be ashamed so that he concludes this by saying, verse 12. chapter 1 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 that which I have committed unto him against that day and then we get the series of things and he starts it actually in verse 13 of chapter 1 hold fast to the pattern of sound words so he’s approaching motivation He’s approaching of the do, hold on fast, don’t give up those things. But he still does not want them to be ashamed, it says that verse 16. And now look at chapter two, verse one.

Notice how it begins, you therefore. So the therefore is, he’s continuing that thought, don’t be ashamed, hold fast, don’t let this stuff go. You know, this is worth fighting for. You want to hold on fast. You, therefore, now notice the kind words and the encouragement that he’s giving. You, therefore, my son, my fellow labor, my soulmate, as it were, in the things of Christ. You, therefore, my son, And then he uses three words that has to do with the how-to. Be strong. Look at, he says, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus and the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses. Here’s the next word of attitude and commitment is to commit. Commit these things. to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You, therefore, he’s still wrapping things up. You, therefore, must endure.

So three important words that are here to be important in these and what he wants to do. Then he gives a series of illustrations within this passage of this shows you how to do that. So today what I want to do is to consider Paul’s personal exhortation. And I use it that way. Personal exhortation. In exegesis you got to see who’s writing, to whom is writing, who’s receiving it, and what we’re supposed to. This is a personal thing. Paul tells Timothy, you. You what? You be strong. And he was, that’s why we’re here today. The perpetuity of the gospel, we’re here today because Timothy remained strong. And others who came after Timothy, faithful men. to whom they remained strong and that they committed and they endured persecution. And we are here today because this special sequence was followed. It’s a personal exhortation, but he does it in four ways or I want to handle it in four ways.

So let’s consider it. The first is that that admonition. You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. and the things that you have heard from me. So let’s just be strong. The term to be strong in the original language is called a passive, which means it’s not active would be the opposite. But passive means it’s something that is he’s being encouraged to do, exhorted to do. But it’s going to be it’s not so much that he’s going to gender this all himself. Like you just get in there and get a good grit in there and so forth. The strong means it’s a passive that the strength in which to remain, to endure, and to do all of this is not found in him. That’s why the phrase, in the grace, and where is that? It’s in Christ Jesus. The kind of strength that holds together the perpetuity of the gospel, the going to the other, is when we don’t rely upon ourselves, but we rely on grace that is found in Christ. We like to think nice thoughts of, well, I’ll bring it up here a little bit, but some of the heroes of the faith. Who do we look to?

Well, in more reformed circles, we look to Martin Luther. We look to John Calvin. And those were pretty strong men. They were strong in different ways, but they were very strong men. I’ve already mentioned a couple here recently. John MacArthur. He is no weakling and he’s an extremely strong man. But we are not here because of those men and their ability to grit. We are here because of grace and because of the grace of God and because the message which they committed, it was all wrapped up into Christ. Because there are and have been men that have fallen aside. In fact, he’s made mention of some of those even within this book. And so to be strong, the strength is by means of grace. It has to do, it does have to do with personal stamina and endearment to the truth, to the brethren, but ultimately unto Jesus Christ. And so what we have here is an exhortation that we in the perpetuity of the gospel need to rely heavily.

Now, it’s not only this, and that’s going to come out in the illustrations. but that we must rely fully and heavily upon number one, God’s grace. And the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, who was risen from the dead. This is the work of Christ. It’s not wrapped up in a man. Now, I know some people don’t like to refer to like sometimes people will say if they’re referring to Fellowship Baptist, oh, that’s Pastor Piatt’s church. It’s not my church. It’s the church of Jesus Christ that Jesus allows me in grace to pastor right now. That’s what it is. It’s it’s not the work of man. And in fact, when it becomes the work of man, that’s when the real problems begin. So we have this exhortation to be strong, but that’s not the only word that is found here, because it says in the thing, OK, to be strong in the grace that is in Christ and to be strong That is, it’ll be committed. And that’s going to be this work coming up. But to be strong or to have strength in the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses. So what is all of that?

Well, that would be the testimonies, the preaching. I think we have a little bit of of an idea here. It has to do with the scriptures. It’s a full passage and we’ll get this far. Not probably. Well, not today. But in chapter 3, verse 16, that one verse or there’s a couple of verses that are so important to us as Bible believing Christians. Be strong and be and then be strong in the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses like what? Well, the scriptures that all scripture is given by the inspiration of God. and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God, which is what he wants, that he may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. And that’s what he’s going to talk about in what we’re going to see what follows. So remember and be strong in the scriptures. Hold to the scriptures.

I got this week. I haven’t responded yet because I don’t want to endure a lot of wrath from some of my extremely liberal friends. But there’s a a cartoon that’s on Facebook as a picture of Jesus talking to his disciples. And the caption goes something like this. It won’t be an exact quote, but this will be the gist of it that you got Jesus talking. And Jesus says, some of you, and supposedly he’s talking to the Pharisees, some of you are trying to understand what love is by reading the scriptures. Some of you are trying to understand what love is by reading the scriptures. Basically, you need to stop that.

What you need to do is understand what love is and then do what the scriptures say that you ought to do with it. Do you see a major problem with that? That the Bible is our only rule of faith and practice? How do I know what love is? Well, I get warm fuzzies in my heart. Well, that isn’t gonna help you. Is that going to help? But that’s exactly where a lot of that leads. I now believe that certain lifestyles that, well, if you read the Bible, it says is an abomination unto God. But I want to have love for them. Well, I do love them to the fact that I love them enough to tell them that’s sin. You want to understand what love is. Love confronts, does it not? If we don’t love the lost and confront them which they don’t take as an expression of love we would never confront and they’ll die in their sins and go to hell.

So you see this idea you’ve got to there’s got to be a parameter and an order that comes. That’s the reason why attending a Bible believing Bible preaching church is so important. It’s with the scriptures and what the Bible says first. And that’s how we interpret it. That’s called a Christian or a biblical worldview. And those in our society today or in any society, if they don’t start with the Bible first, they don’t have the parameter. And then what will hold them to be strong in or what they will be committed to to pass to the next generation? They will mess it up. And so that’s what he is giving this warning on. And the things that we have, that you’ve heard from me among many witnesses, those things, don’t go adding, don’t go changing, don’t go saying that now this is a different age. These things, commit these things to whom? Faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

And so you just basically need to, know, teach, preach the word of God and commit those things to other faithful men who will then do that. And what will do what? That they will study and they will be committed to the scriptures, committed, sold out to, and then that they will deposit it in the life of other men. And that’s the reason why that is true here. See, I thought about one way of illustrating it, but for sake of time, I did. But I could call several of you up. And just say, who did God use in your life?

So we’ll do this as you can do this in your own mind. Who did God use in your life to bring you into a saving knowledge of Christ? And we’ll all come up with someone. It might be a preacher, might be a parent, and probably In the way the gospel seems to be spreading an awful lot in our day and age, it’s parents leading kids to the Lord. But whoever this is, who is it that God used? To to give you the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and that God used to call you. What did they come up with that themselves? No.

Well then, so if I said, OK, if I would use myself as the illustration, who did God use? Well, it was a man by the name called Niall Fisher. It was Pastor Niall Fisher. I didn’t call him Niall, that’s for sure. Just Pastor to me. He’s my pastor. But I heard him. And but now what kind of a guy was he? Well, he was a humble man. He was a man who had been instructed in the things of God. And he was faithful to take the things, the same things that Paul had preached and was faithful to the inspiration of the word of God and so forth. And he taught it, preached it, and he taught it to me. And now I’ve taught it to you. And some of you, maybe I have influenced to become a Christian. Commit thou to faithful men who will do the same to others also. And so we continue it on. And so but who talked to Pastor Fisher? Well, it was somebody out in the Yakima Valley on the West Coast. Go figure. So somebody preached.

So Niall Fisher got saved over in the northwest. who then became a pastor, endured and was strong, committed, came to Dayton, Ohio for 40 years, and then I took it and went to Ohio, but then ultimately came to Florida. Now that is the perpetuity of the gospel. You put that in. And the same thing would be true in Pastor Ryan’s life. Okay, he’s committed, he wants to endure, he’s strong in the word of God, Well, where did how did he come to know Christ and come to these things from somebody in Maine? That means at least there’s two people that lived in Maine. Only kidding. I’ve never been there, you know, in retirement or something. I’m going to go up there. I want to go see this. Dairy farm, and I want to go up there and see what People really do live way up there, you know, and so but OK, so but it’s from Maine. Then he goes and works out and gets an education, goes to Pennsylvania. Yeah, that’s another state. I know they got a lot of people. I don’t know at least, you know, how intelligent they all are. I say that in jest. But, you know, so you got Pennsylvania. Then he comes to Florida from somebody up there.

You see, that’s the perpetuity of the gospel. Take the things. You’ve got to be committed to it. You’ve got to endure it. And then you commit those things even when you’re being persecuted and persecution. Now, here it was hot. I mean, this is blood death kind of day and age. But even though, you know, you could have had a future with the cows. Or you come to sheep that are called believers. And so, again, that’s why when people say, well, you know, to me, they say, well, you sacrifice being a veterinarian. That’s a sacrifice? I don’t even view that as a sacrifice. It’s a different life, but sacrifice. But you have to endure. You’ve gotta be, and it may involve some suffering. But that has to do all those things have to do with the perpetuity of the gospel.

This term to commit means to entrust. It is an imperative and something that we do. It means making a deposit of something that is precious. Look back at chapter one, verse 12. Chapter one in verse 12, it says, for this reason, I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I’m not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I’ve committed unto him against that day. You see that sense of strength of soul spirit? You see that sense of endurance, the sense of commitment? I have kind of, that sometimes just gushes out of me when I’ll say something.

I was witnessing to a person this week, And I was talking about some things about some of the events of the second coming of Christ. And I said, you know, I’d take a bullet for the fact that Jesus is coming back. I really would. But there are some things in the book of the revelation I would not take a bullet for, because I don’t know, and there’s been too many good men that have disagreed. I take a bullet. that the Bible is the inspired, holy and errant word of God. I take a bullet for the deity of Christ. Nothing beat me, shoot me. I don’t care. Bamboo under the fingernails. Ow, that’s got to hurt. You endure if you’re committed. And you just remain strong.

That’s how Christianity has made it to 2024. And if it makes it to 2050, barring the Lord’s return, it will have to take that kind of a commitment with a sense of strength of soul, because that which is deposited is value enough for that. That was what he was saying then. Okay, we read that in verse 12. Look at verses 13 and 14 of chapter one. Hold fast. with strength, the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, and faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed to you, keep.

Now, now it goes passive. Can you do it yourself? Keep by the Holy Spirit who indwells you, or indwells us. How is that done? Because God causes men to remain firm, strong, and powerful. So those are the things. So be committed. A personal commitment and the things of the Word of God. Take those things and you commit them to other men. That’s one reason why it was good and even John Calvin made mention of the fact as you do this and you see this happen in a local church and the process to make the foundation of local churches even firm and a constant testimony, a light into a dark community.

You pour your life into men and then some will become elders. But then you bring along younger men, and oftentimes those older men come through the deacon board. But then once they have this down, then you develop these elders that within a local church, as they come together to enable and help a pastor. We don’t give on certain things. It becomes a firm thing to do. You commit it to others, and then they commit it to others, that’s why we’re all teachers. That was the mark of an elder and of a pastor is to teach. It isn’t only for the elders is what we saw in the in the confession of faith, but it definitely includes the elders.

I loved Ben’s comment during his ordination when he said that were to be about whatever it’s going to take to the furtherance of the kingdom until Jesus comes, until the king comes. That’s what it’s about, with commitment, with strength. And thirdly, with endurance. Look at verse three. And you therefore must endure. Endure. Endure. Watch that word. You must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Look down at verse 10. Therefore, I endure all things for the sake of the elect.

Look at verse 12. If we endure. We shall also reign with him. And so endurance becomes the mark of something that we need to see in the men as they perpetuate that truth to suffer along with others. the personal endurance of hardship. And then he’s going to go through from that point, these three things that are necessary to be strong, be committed, have endurance. That means do these things for the long haul, endure perseverance. Without compromise, without avoiding and avoiding entanglements, we must treat God with perseverance.

Now, let me illustrate that is what the apostle Paul says. in this particular passage. What are, and he gives seven illustrations of those kinds of people that do that. The first one is found in being able to teach. Verse two, the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to, what? Teach others also. What is God’s method of the perpetuity of the gospel? Teaching. Preaching. That’s why Paul would say in 1 Corinthians, for it’s the preaching of the word of God, which is the power of God unto salvation. So to teach and preach. When churches have given themselves over to drama.

Now, that doesn’t mean that preaching cannot be dramatic. Some are better at it than others. But I’m not saying that there isn’t a dramatic element. But when it becomes drama, or interpretive dance. We don’t hear a lot about that anymore. I suppose there’s still churches that are doing that. But when they give themselves over and they feel that they need to enhance the preaching with fog machines. That was kind of, I’m gonna let that one go, but you know, there are those that want to, where they just say, well, we don’t want to preach. I don’t want to, whenever a preacher says, well, I don’t want to sound preachy, I’ll just say, shame on you. Preachers are supposed to sound preachy. How can you preach against sin if you’re not preachy?

See right there, I was preaching. That was a little bit more dramatic for me, too. So you see, you include these things. But when you downplay the proclamation of God’s word in context, verse by verse. Well, that’s boring. I liked what some of the preacher A.W. Tozer, boy, there was a guy who could say an awful lot in a few words and really make you convicted. But he just says, you know, if people don’t come to Sunday night, then preach so they can’t wait to be there on Sunday night. But there’s another side to that.

Feed them with the word of God and those that are the faithful that want to be involved in the perpetuity of the gospel, they will want to be there on Sunday night too. Or to prayer meeting. I think it was Warren Wiersbe who said, sometimes people don’t go to other services because nothing is there worth going to. Ow. If you’re only giving good advice, Hey, I can stay at home or read a good book and get advice. And so you see, one has to be involved as a teacher of God’s word. One of them. And I’ve just had this happen to me a couple of times, probably because of how we’re going to flip things around here.

But I have been encouraged. by different ones who have come up to me and said, you know, I have learned so much since I have come to this church with your preaching. Well, praise God. Not because of me, but praise God that I must be doing something right because that’s what I want. And that would be the heart of Pastor Ryan. And that is the heart of every pastor that I want to teach and preach so that people can learn. I like what it says. You know, you haven’t taught till the student has learned. I kind of taken that over. into my preaching, you haven’t really preached until I bring them over. Sometimes people will say, you know, I like your style of preaching. I don’t have the slightest idea what that means. And if I prod them on a little bit, sometimes people will say things like this.

Well, and this cracks me up. Well, it seems like, well, like you really do believe what it is that you preach. I’m thinking. And you would listen to a preacher that doesn’t believe what he’s preaching. I don’t understand that. But the idea there is with commitment. And that’s what I commit now, these things and then committed to others so that they will want to do the same as well. And that is how I see kids going off to college and those that don’t follow away because they’ve had people that then that have instilled the word of God into their lives and that it’s been real to them. Well, there’s so much more that could be here, but there’s other illustrations. Let me just quickly get through them.

So how are we to perpetuate with the perpetuity of the gospel with strength, commitment and endurance? Well, like a good teacher. Secondly, it’s like a good soldier. It’s interesting what he says, and you, therefore, verse three, must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engages in warfare and tangles himself with the affairs of this life that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. In other words, hey, who will go for me and who will preach the word of God? Here am I, Lord, send me. OK, now endure it like a good soldier. There’s going to be fights. There’s going to be bad deacons meetings. I really haven’t had too many bad ones. None here. But there have been, you know, some tough things in other ministries and things like that. Nothing of what some of the horror stories I’ve heard from some preachers. I know one preacher where guns were pulled. Ow. That was a Bible believing church, by the way.

So one has to be kind of careful with this, but endure. This is war. It can be tough. in the ministry, and we’ve got to endure as a good soldier. A third illustration. And it just shows how he’s not trying to give every illustration or every way how to be a good soldier. Verse five. And also, if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. In other words you got to do Christianity according to the rules of God’s word.

I’ve coached. Believe it or not. Most people don’t think of me as being kind of the competitive sports person but I coach past pastor. Boy you got a promotion here buddy. Mark Kirby when Mark Kirby when I came here he asked me he says you dive. And I said well I kind of mess around with that and that. And he allowed me to be a diving coach springboard diving coach for Lakeland Christian. And I had the privilege of taking at least three girls to state competition. But what that involved was the involvement was we did it over and over and over. It took, you know, every afternoon we’re on a board. Linda Kirby came along and helped and it’s over and over because and you got to be committed to the rules. And so when I would teach them a back dive or a forward dive or a flip or a twist, It was so funny, it’s because one of my pet phrases was, did the water speak to you?

Now, what that means is, is that, you know, if you enter the water correctly, you slide in. If you punch a hole in the water, you don’t make as big of a splash. But if you do a belly flop and you hit and make a big slide, the water speaks quite loudly and painfully. And so that’s what he’s saying. You know, you’ve got to be like an athlete. You’re not going to win the diving competition and get points to the swim team unless you do it according to the rules. And you practice and commitment, you endure. You go through pain and suffering. He doesn’t go into all of that. He just uses athletics and says that you got to do it according to the reality.

Verse six. Another illustration. And the hardworking farmer. See, Brother Ryan, you think you got away from the farm. And I like it because it must have been he was talking to some city folk because sometimes city folk don’t know how hard farmers really work. And so he just corrects that. And he says, no, you got to be like a hardworking farmer. Now, how’s that? You must be first to partake of the crops. You like the first fruits. You’ve got to be involved in the first fruits. You got to get up before the sun comes up to get the first fruits to beat others. And then he just simply says, consider what I say. Think about it. And may the Lord give you understanding in all things.

You got to work hard like a farmer. Just recently, Pastor Ryan’s parents were here. And, you know, what was it? I think Chelsea told me like six or seven, six p.m., seven p.m. They’re ready for bed. And, you know, it’s time, you know, it gets up for or or, you know, it’s just because the cows and when you’re taking care of animals, especially, you know, there’s a commitment. Actually, I enjoy that. In fact, that’s what I miss. And, you know, not having is my bigger collection of monkeys. But it’s the idea of, you know, they get hungry every day. They need constant care. And boy, if that isn’t a picture of how to take care of a congregation.

Preaching and teaching is a 24-7, just like taking care of animals on a farm. When I told someone I was studying to be a zoo vet, and they said, wow, what a change, being a zoo veterinarian and taking care of a congregation. I said, no, it’s pretty much the same. It’s all a zoo. I meant that in love. It was 100% in love. But it’s like a farmer, but not only that. It’s like being a hard workman. Verse 15, be diligent to present yourself approved unto God, a workman, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. You know, white collar worker, blue collar worker, you need to work. And to have the kind of consistency in the ministry, you’ve got to be diligent at your work.

Now, and that’s the perpetuity of the gospel. Who likes to use that verse? Be diligent, present yourself a workman. Approved unto God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Key in a wanna ministry, isn’t it? Why? Because we want the perpetuity of the gospel. That’s why I love it when I can say my congregation at Fellowship Baptist know what a hypoxilogomenon is. Most of you don’t know how to spell it, but you know what it means. Because you’ve been educated.

This week, I had the opportunity to talk to someone that is a faithful attender to another church, and I was bringing up doctrinal issues. And I said, well, you know, we need to think of it this way. And he was amazed. He said, what sounds like that you almost get a Bible college or a seminary education at Fellowship Baptist? And I’m saying, yeah, why not? Because there is a roaring lion walking about seeking whom he may devour. We need to be workmen prepared. Knowing the word of God. Not trying to keep the people dumb. That was actually one estimation that I would have. That was one of the biggest sins of the Roman Catholic Church during the time of the Reformation, technically even into today. Keep the people ignorant of the word of God.

Where we want people to be like the Bereans. Question everything I say. Compare what I say to the scriptures. And if the scripture says one thing and I say something else, default scripture. What does the Bible say? That’s the perpetuity of the truth of the gospel is to know it as a workman. But he concludes with two more illustrations that now it gets kind of convicting. It’s a little bit different. Verse 20. But in a great house, there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor, some for dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful for the master, prepared for every good work. Flee youthful lust and so forth.

In other words, we gotta be a special vessel We need to pray and I so appreciate it when people pray for me and when I hear you pray for us and you need to pray for all of our elders and for one another. But to pray for purity. To pray for holiness in our lives. Because you see, when there is a dishonoring of the vessel that has been used, it hurts. We’ve heard of that just recently. Because you see, When a person can say, Pastor, I can’t hear what you say because what I see is screaming in my ears. That’s the reason why we are held to a higher standard in judgment and to some higher standards in qualifications. My marriage has to be good. And it is good by God’s grace and mercy, because how can I help someone who’s having marital problems if I and being separated from my own wife that has taken out one of our own in a sister church. In another state. Because you see, we need to be vessels. We need to be athletes. We need to be soldiers. We need to be like farmers. We need to be like railroad workers and a hard study worker.

Like a teacher, we need to be a special vessel that is holy and pure. The last illustration, it wraps it up, really, and it’s one that would be easy to oversee. But in verse 22. But avoid, he’s telling some things to do and not do and how the how to’s, but avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife and A servant of the Lord must not quarrel, but be gentle to all, able to teach, quiet, patient in humility, correcting those who are in opposition. If God perhaps will grant them repentance. We need to be. A sermon. You serve. That’s what a pastor is, he’s a shepherd. who guards, fights for, there’s going to be other passages, those are coming up. But he just serves. He’s a servant to all. You see a need, you want to do what you can to meet that need.

I know of a preacher once that found out that someone died in their church. They were on vacation and they just said, well, put them on ice and hold them. And I’ll get when I get home, I’ll get around to it. I said, How does that perpetuate the gospel well? He’s not a servant. We need to be servants, a doulos, a slave of Jesus Christ, who tells us to feed the sheep, guard the sheep, take care of the sheep. So he illustrates those things, be strong, be committed to endure, giving seven illustrations of it all.

John MacArthur gave the story, and I’ve used this illustration a long time ago, but it’s in his commentary on the Second Timothy passage, and it had the picture of, he used to run, and he was running a four by four, I think it was 440 race, where they pass the baton, we see those at the Olympics, and they had the first runner was good, he was the second runner, and he was gonna pass the baton to the third guy, and that guy was supposed to be the fastest runner of the team and so the first the first runner got was carrying the baton, things were good, gave it to John. John ran with it and it was going well and he gave it to the third one in line, got the baton, he ran and then he got so far and then he just stopped and he sat down and they lost. And of course, the team goes out there and say, what is wrong with you? And the coaches go out there. Why did you do that? They, first of all, thought he might have pulled a hamstring or something. They were very, very frightened. But when they got to him, they said, why did you stop? He said, I didn’t think it was really that important anymore, and I just didn’t feel like running. And he quit.

There have been pastors of pastors who have done that. and the perpetuity of the gospel, Christianity gets a big bruise when that happens. Those who really love Christ, those who are committed to the gospel, for the perpetuity of the gospel, you gotta run your guts out. Are we willing to do that? May we be found faithful and never just stop. because there are souls who need to hear the gospel. There are people that need to see what endurance is all about, and the message of Jesus Christ, how Christ forgives sinners, is worth dying for. And that’s exactly what Paul is looking at. Will we be faithful?

Let’s pray. Our Father in heaven, thank you, that while we participate in this, We do it by grace that is found in Jesus Christ. Father, strengthen us, enable us, put a flame within us. And as Paul said in chapter one, may we stir that flame and burn out for the glory of our most gracious and wonderful God. And if there be one soul here today that doesn’t think Jesus is worth it, may you by your spirit convict them of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. We pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.