2 TIMOTHY 1:8-182008 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: 2 Timothy 1:8-18

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2008. Last week as we began chapter 1, we talked a lot about the Holy Spirit and the importance and need and the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Focusing on verse seven, which I'll read to you again, it says, for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Paul was sharing with Timothy the need for us as Christians, for us like Timothy called to minister to one another, having been given the trust and privilege of sharing the gospel message of building up and uplifting one another in the faith. There's a need for us as Christians to

To be bold, to have courage, to not be fearful or the word also could be translated be cowardly. He's not given us the spirit of cowardice or fear, but he's given us the spirit of power. That is the power of the Holy Spirit working in the Christian's life.

Now, Paul, as he goes on in chapter one, is continuing that line of thought, the need for the power of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer and the power that God has given to us by the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer. Here in the last part of the chapter, he's encouraging Timothy in regards to persecution and suffering.

Here in the United States, we really do not face persecution and suffering in the same way as what we're reading about here in 2 Timothy 1. There's much of the world still today that suffers persecution like Paul is describing. But for many of us as Christians, if we've not been outside of the United States, if we've not seen some of those other cultures, it's very difficult to understand the type of persecution that takes place.

You know, to think about Aaron, who we prayed for a couple of weeks ago and sent him out. And he's in China now ministering the gospel and the communist government there being very anti-Christian and and very against the things of God.

And it's hard for us to understand the things that he will face and the issues that will come up as he addresses those things, because we've lived in a country that is allowing freedom of religion and that is encouraging freedom of speech and and.

shelters really and harbors that freedom that we have and that we enjoy so abundantly. And so to some degree, there's an area where we can't really relate. There's an area where we don't really understand. And I think as Christians in the United States, often we really miss what it means to suffer persecution.

And yet, as Christians here in the United States, I do believe that there is things that God wants to teach us about suffering and persecution. There is different types of persecution that we face here in the United States. Very different, but very real nonetheless.

Now, if you'd like more information, I would encourage you to be lifting up those who are persecuted around the world for their faith. And there's a website called Voice of the Martyrs, and you can find their website at persecution.com. If you want to go check it out and see what type of persecution and what type of things really go on around the world to this day, situations much like we read about in the New Testament, and

and even the history following the New Testament, which was great, great tribulation and persecution for the church. This morning, though, as Christians here in the United States, God wants to challenge us with this passage as well and deal with our hearts about not being ashamed of the gospel.

He starts out talking to Timothy in verse eight says, 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.

He starts out, verse eight, with the word, therefore, connecting it immediately back to what he's been sharing about. God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love and of a sound mind. And so he's telling Timothy, since we haven't been given the spirit of fear, since we've been given the spirit of power, since we've been given the Holy Spirit and God calls us to be courageous and bold and not to run from trouble, not to run or or take flight at the first sign of difficulty.

but to stand fast. And so he says, since we have this boldness, since we have the Holy Spirit, the spirit of boldness, not cowardice, he says, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. Do not be ashamed. This word ashamed, Paul will use three times in this portion that we're looking at today here in chapter one.

Using himself as an example of not being ashamed, using Onesiphorus as an example of not being ashamed and calling Timothy to not be ashamed. This word ashamed means to have a feeling or a fear or shame which prevents a person from doing something.

It's that feeling of, well, I don't know what's going to happen. And so it prevents you from really doing something that you know you need to do or should do or are called to do. It keeps you. It holds you back because of the unknown, the shame or the fear of what might take place if you go ahead and do that thing that's upon your heart. Paul is telling Timothy, since we have been given the spirit of power, be courageous and

Don't hold back. Don't let outside things prevent you from doing what God has called you to do. Don't be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. Just because there's outside influences or outside pressures, just because there's people around you or governments around you or situations around you that would cause you to want to hold back regarding the testimony of our Lord.

Don't let it happen. We've not been given the spirit of fear that we would turn and run because there's difficulty, but we've been given the spirit of power by the Holy Spirit that we might stand fast, that we would not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord.

What is the testimony of our Lord? There's many things that we could look at this word testimony. It's a pretty flexible word. It could be referring to the teachings of Jesus Christ, the message that he proclaimed. It could be who he proclaimed to be. He claimed to be Jesus Christ, the son of God.

He could also be referring to as the testimony of our Lord of Timothy's association with him, with with Jesus. He's saying, Timothy, don't be ashamed to to be associated, to be called Christian and and be related to and linked with Jesus Christ. Now, we've seen from the books of Timothy here, first Timothy, we saw in second Timothy already. We saw as well that Timothy was fearful in a lot of ways. He was timid in a lot of ways, holding back.

And not using the authority that God had given to him, not fulfilling the ministry that God had called him to and not really dealing with situations that he needed to deal with. And so Paul has been writing to encourage him. He's been writing to build him up and help him to press on in those things, even though there might be difficulty. And now Paul is writing, look, even though I'm in prison right now, don't hold back.

From the testimony of Jesus, even though that's the reason why I'm in chains at this moment, don't be afraid. Don't be fearful. Don't be ashamed to name the name of Jesus Christ. Don't be ashamed to teach what he taught to proclaim his message and to hold on to who he claimed to be.

Do not fear being linked with Jesus. And Paul even says, don't fear being linked with me either. He says, don't be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner. Paul, you're I'm sorry. Paul says, Timothy, you're to not be ashamed to to be bold and and to not let those things prevent you from doing what is right. Hey, it might mean prison. It might mean suffering. But Timothy, don't be a coward.

Regardless of what it means, regardless of what threats are there, don't be a coward and let those things prevent you from doing what you know you ought to do. Now, again, we certainly do not suffer persecution like much of the world, but there's many Christian leaders and pastors and teachers who warn that that is in store for the United States. It's possible that Christians

The freedoms that we have always enjoyed, always, I mean, in our lifetime, might change. In fact, we see a trend towards that, even though this claims to be the age of tolerance. There's tolerance for everything else except for biblical Christianity. And we see that in the schools. We see it in workplaces. We see it all over the place. And there's a need for us as believers in Jesus Christ right now, in the future, and

We need to be bold and to not be ashamed of the testimony of Jesus Christ. Now, as I shared, much of the world suffers persecution in a much more dramatic and probably more physical way than we do. I kind of relate it to Peter when he denied Jesus Christ. It wasn't in the face of great men and persecution. It was to a servant girl.

You know, that's, I think, sometimes how we are.

Yeah, there's those who have their lives threatened and they are pressured and tempted to deny the Lord, to be ashamed of his testimonies. And then there's sometimes that we, you know, we're faced with this servant girl, not really a threat. There's no real physical implications to our stand for Jesus Christ. But many times we're tempted and we're persuaded, we're swayed to deny Jesus Christ.

sometimes within our families in order to keep peace. We don't want to rock the boat. We don't want this person to be mad at us. We don't want to, you know, have this family and the people be upset with us. And so we compromise and we become ashamed of the testimony of Jesus Christ. We waver from the truth, from who Jesus is or what he claimed to be or what he taught. And we allow that.

to be compromised in order to keep the peace. It's like Peter before the servant girl saying, I don't know this man. Sometimes in the workplace, perhaps there's a situation that comes up and there's a discussion that's taking place, questions that are asked and scripture comes to your head. And yet sometimes

You don't share that scripture. You keep silent because of what may happen or what people might think or what your boss might say or what the corporate office might do or what the human resources manager, you know, how they might respond. Or we we can think of all of these things and it prevents us from doing what God has put upon our heart. That's ashamed to ashamed to be ashamed is to have a feeling of fear or shame, which prevents a person from doing something wrong.

Maybe you've had this experience. You're somewhere out of the ordinary. You're not at your house. And you prepare to have a meal. And you have the whole conversation in your head. Now, do I pray for this meal or do I not pray for this meal? Whether it's at a restaurant or someone else's house. Well, normally, yeah, I always pray for my meal. But, you know, in this situation, I don't know. I don't know.

Now, not to be legalistic, it's not that you have to pray for a meal and you're not saved or anything like that. But I would challenge you and ask you as we look at these things this morning to challenge your heart. Now, there is sometimes that we need to keep quiet. But there's other times, and we know when those times are, that God has put specific things upon our hearts. He's put those scriptures in our minds that

For that very time, for that season. And we must not be ashamed. We must not let the fear of shame or something else that may come. We must not let those things keep us from standing fast, holding true, from being bold and standing up and doing what God has called us to do. There's many temptations today to compromise the message.

The testimony of our Lord. There's a great pressure to kind of soften the message, not talk so harshly and deal with some of the difficult things. But let's just talk about love. And there's a great movement to try to unite all beliefs and all faiths. But in order for that to take place, you have to compromise the message. You have to be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord.

We need to stand fast. We need to hold true. The testimony of Jesus is that he is the son of God, the savior, the only way to heaven. John 14, six, Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me. That's kind of narrow. Yeah. Jesus said the gate is narrow. Wide is the road that leads to destruction. There's many who find it.

But narrow is the way of salvation, and there's few there are that find it. Jesus proclaimed these things. This was his testimony. Do not be ashamed of his testimony. You don't have to apologize that Jesus said he is the only way to the father. You don't have to apologize. It's not wrong. It's not cruel. It's not unfair. It's perfectly right. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life.

And the world will look at you and people will say that's ridiculous. That's unfair. How cruel of you. How can you say that God's sending everybody else to hell? And it's not you. It's the testimony of our Lord. Do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. The world will never understand the gospel message. They will always pressure Christians to try to change the message. In 1 Corinthians chapter 1, Paul is talking about

The gospel message and its impact in their world. And Paul says in First Corinthians one, twenty two through twenty four, he says, we preach Christ crucified. That's the gospel message. Jesus Christ was crucified. He died on the cross for your sins and my sins. And he goes on to say this is a stumbling block to the Jews. The Jews have a hard time with this. It bugs them. It's difficult for them.

It's a stumbling block. They don't get it. They can't figure it out. And it makes them very upset. This message that we preach. And to the Greeks, he says, it's foolishness. The Greeks, the intellectuals of that day. So this guy died and now we can be saved by believing in him. That's foolishness, the Greeks would say. Paul says, look, the world's not going to understand.

For some, it's going to be a stumbling block. It's going to really upset them and make them mad and cause them to stumble. For others, it's going to seem as foolishness. That's ridiculous. How could you believe that? But that is the gospel message. And we are not to be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord.

In Romans chapter one, verse 16, Paul says, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes for the Jew first and also for the Greek. Paul makes it very clear he is not ashamed of the gospel.

He doesn't hold back. He doesn't allow the outside things and situations to prevent him from boldly proclaiming and sharing the gospel message, the truth of Jesus Christ and who he is. A few months ago on K-Wave, I really enjoyed it. They were kind of having a season about this verse, not ashamed of the gospel message.

And so they would have throughout the day and the different times and stuff, they would have the different hosts and announcers and people who are on the air and they would say, you know, I am so and so and I am not ashamed of the gospel. And then the next announcer would come on a little bit later. I'm so and so and I'm not ashamed of the gospel.

And I think it's so important for us as Christians that we be able to say that I'm not ashamed of the gospel. It's not something that needs to be apologized for or held back from or shared meekly or timidly. But it's something that we can share with confidence, with boldness, because it is the power of God to salvation.

The gospel message is what saves people. It's what rescues people from eternal damnation. It's what saves people from hell. It's the gospel message where we need to be the least amount ashamed in our lives. If you want to be ashamed about different things that you've done in the past, that's fine. If you want to be ashamed about, you know, your church attendance. Hey, that's fine. But don't be ashamed about the gospel because that's what can save somebody.

Your church attendance can't save anybody. You know what you've done in the past or the things that you've done for the Lord? Hey, those things can't save people. But what can save someone is the gospel message. For them to hear the truth of Jesus Christ and believe and be saved. Paul says to Timothy, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. In our homes, in our workplaces, in our schools, wherever we go. Our neighborhoods, our stores, everywhere.

We need to not be ashamed. We need to be bold, to be a witness, not in our strength. We haven't been given the spirit of fear, of cowardice, to hold back and be ashamed of the gospel, but we've been given the spirit of power by the Holy Spirit to be a witness, to be strong, to be bold, to proclaim the truth. Now, I'm not saying that you have to stand up on your desk at work, although God may call you to do that, but to live according to his word.

To live up to the name and the title Christian. To be Christ-like. And when God presents the opportunity, as He presents the open door, to step through it and share the gospel message.

To share the truth as often as he gives you opportunity. What is this gospel message? He describes it for us a little bit in verses 9 through 11. It says, 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 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. He ended verse eight talking about the gospel message of Jesus Christ. And what has Jesus done? What is this gospel message? First of all, he says in verse nine, it's that he saved us. He saved.

saved us. He redeemed us. He paid the price for our sin upon the cross. He paid the penalty so that we would not have to pay that penalty. He took our place, received our punishment so that we do not have to experience the judgment of God, the eternal judgment of God in hell. He saved us. That's the gospel message.

He called us, he said, with a holy calling, not according to our works. The gospel message is that it's not about what you have done, how good you are, how faithful you are in doing these religious things or rituals.

It's not according to our works. We don't measure up. We can't earn the salvation that God has given. We don't deserve and will never deserve the salvation that God has given. He called us, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace.

A familiar word to us because we've just been studying the grace of God. Grace is undeserved favor and kindness. Salvation is a result of God's favor and kindness towards us that we don't deserve, that we can't earn, that we don't have the right to, but he gives it to us.

Salvation is given to us by God through grace. Now, he goes on to say the grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. That was one of the areas I would have loved to do a study on, but we needed to continue on in Second Timothy. But grace is not just a New Testament thing.

We see the grace of God throughout history. It's grace that was given before time began. It was revealed through Jesus Christ. That was when it was made clear. That's when it was revealed. The plan of God, the grace of God for those who would be saved. So it's according to his purpose and it's according to his grace. Not our works, not our earning it or deserving it.

He saved us and he's abolished death. He goes on to say in verse 10, he's abolished death. We talked about that a little bit last week, I believe. He took it away. There's no more death. Jesus said, if you believe in me, you will never die. We'll live for eternity. As Paul said, to be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord. Our last breath here is our first breath in heaven, as many say.

We will continue to live for eternity as a result of the gospel message, the salvation of Jesus Christ because of what he did upon the cross. And he ends up by saying he's brought life and immortality to light.

Through the gospel. The gospel is the core. The gospel is the message. Through the gospel, he saved us. He's called us by his grace. He's abolished death and he's brought life and immortality to light that we can have the abundant life that Jesus promised in John 10, 10. And that immortality, again, eternal life waiting for us.

That God has promised through the gospel message. And Paul says, it's to this message that I was appointed a preacher, an apostle and a teacher of the Gentiles. It was to this message that I was called. Timothy, he'll go on to say, I'm not ashamed. Timothy, you don't be ashamed. Do not be ashamed of the gospel message. Do not be ashamed of the testimony of Jesus Christ. Do not be ashamed of the truth.

Do not be ashamed of the gospel. Now, as we go on in verses 12 through 18, there's three things I want to point out. Three marks of a person not ashamed of the gospel.

I hope in looking at these verses, you understand the need for us to not be ashamed. Now, how can we tell what are the marks and the characteristics of someone who is not ashamed of the gospel? Paul will give us three things here in the following verses, starting in verse 12. He says, 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. The first mark of a person not ashamed of the gospel is they share in the sufferings. A person not ashamed of the gospel shares in the sufferings.

Paul says here in verse 12, for this reason, I also suffer these things, the imprisonment, the things that he's facing. He's facing execution. I suffer these things. Why? Because I was appointed a preacher, an apostle and a teacher of the Gentiles because I preach the gospel message. Paul says, I'm suffering these things. Now, first, Peter, chapter four makes it very clear. And it's important for us to know.

We're not to suffer as a murderer, as a thief, as an evildoer, as a busybody in other people's matters. But if we suffer as a Christian, Peter says, don't be ashamed. Glorify God in this matter. Paul is in prison not because he was a murderer or an evildoer. He was in prison because he preached the gospel. And Peter says, if you suffer for preaching the gospel, for representing Christ, for being a Christian,

Don't be ashamed. Glorify God in this matter. Again, don't hold back. Don't let that suffering prevent you or the fear of suffering prevent you from being obedient to what God has put upon your heart. Paul says, for this reason, I suffer. I preach the gospel message and now I'm in jail as a result, facing execution for the gospel message. It was a very real threat then as well as today for many around the world.

It's not something we have to face here. Not yet. And it's not something that needs to be faced in our own strength. Paul is calling Timothy to share in the sufferings of the gospel. In verse 9, going back up there for a second, he says, Share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God.

It's not in your strength, Timothy, that you'll be able to share in these sufferings. It's not in your strength that you'll be able to endure these trials and have the boldness that you need to have in the face of opposition. But it's according to the power of God. Again, the power, dunamis power, the power of the Holy Spirit in your life. In Acts 1.8, Jesus said, you'll receive power and you'll be witnesses to me.

Power to witness, Acts 1.8. Power to suffer, 2 Timothy 1.8. The Holy Spirit is given to us by God that we might be the Christian that he desires us to be, that we might accurately represent and honor the name of Christ, that we might be a witness and that we might have what we need to endure suffering, to endure whatever difficulty may lay in front of us and still demonstrate the characteristics of

Jesus Christ. Don't let threats, suffering, persecution, keep you from following Jesus Christ. A person not ashamed of the gospel shares in the sufferings by the power of God. Consider Daniel in Daniel chapter six. There's a decree. No one shall pray to any God except to Darius. There's some pressure there. The penalty is, well, you'll be thrown in the lion's den.

There's some pressure. There's difficulty. What does Daniel do? Is he ashamed? No, it says he goes home just like he always does. He opens his windows and gets on his knees to pray. Now, that's boldness. That's not being ashamed by the power of God. Ready to suffer, to receive the penalty for his actions. 2 Timothy 3, later on in a couple of chapters, Paul tells Timothy this.

All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. This isn't one of those light messages that we can just kind of all feel good about. God's word promises that we will suffer persecution.

That to follow Jesus Christ is going to be tough. There's going to be pain. It's going to be difficult. There's going to be people who come against us. There's going to be hard situations. There's going to be difficulties. But the message of the gospel is that we have the power of God. We have the Holy Spirit indwelling us and upon us to be able to help us.

be the Christian that he desires us to be, to be bold, to be courageous, to do the work and represent Jesus Christ in the midst of the most difficult and the most extreme things that we may experience in this world and in this life. The persecutions that the church endured immediately after the era of the apostles,

There with the Roman Empire and Caesar Nero and those who came against the church, it was incredible what the church endured. And they represented Christ. The gospel was proclaimed. There was a bold witness, not because of their strength, but because of the power of God. They were not ashamed of the testimony of Jesus Christ. And so they shared in the sufferings. Are you willing to serve Jesus Christ if it means that there's sufferings?

Unfortunately, many times as Christians, we're not willing. When it comes to suffering, well, that's too hard. That's too difficult. I don't want to do that. I don't want to rock the boat. I don't want to make waves. I don't want people upset with me. I don't want to lose my job. I don't want to move to that place. I don't want to... And it becomes, many times, a stumbling block. We only like to serve God sometimes when it's convenient, when it's easy, when...

There's not suffering. Now, there's a whole segment of Christianity that teaches, well, you know, Christians aren't supposed to suffer and God wants us to be blessed. But the Bible is very clear. All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. Are you willing to suffer persecution? Are you willing to receive the wrath of the people around you for not being ashamed of the testimony of Jesus Christ? Now, none of us...

I don't think would desire or look forward to suffering in that sense. It's not that we're supposed to enjoy the pain, but that we're to be ready and willing. It's worth it. The cost, it's not too high to pay. The suffering is worth it to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be a witness that others might know the gospel message. The disciples, when they were beaten in Acts chapter 4,

They went away rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus Christ. It's a Christianity. It's a commitment to the Lord. Like probably many of us, we really don't understand that type of commitment. We don't understand what that takes and what that's like to really suffer bodily for the name of Jesus Christ. But are you willing?

Are you willing, whatever it takes, if it means isolation, if it means emotional persecution, if it means, well, financial persecution, you can't have the things that you wanted to have or the position that you potentially could have. Are you willing to suffer, to share in the sufferings in order to not be ashamed of the testimony of Jesus Christ? Paul says, nevertheless, I'm not ashamed. I'm in prison, Paul says, but I'm not ashamed.

Why is he not ashamed? Check this out there in verse 12. He says, for I know whom I have believed. Why is he not ashamed? I'm not ashamed, Paul says, because I know whom I believed. He's not ashamed because he has a real relationship with Jesus. And in addition to that, he's focused on eternity and not this life.

Paul doesn't say, I know what I've believed. It's not an intellectual knowledge that he's talking about. He has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. And he knows, he trusts, he has confidence. There's no doubt in his mind that it's worth it.

That Jesus is real. And he says that he is able to keep what I have committed to him until that day. His focus is on eternity. Paul says, look, I've committed to him. I've given him my life. My eternal state is in his hands. And I'm persuaded he's able to keep it. And so whatever goes on and whatever people do to me, that can't take away what God has and is holding for me.

The inheritance that's undefiled and uncorruptible, it's reserved in heaven for me, Paul says. God is able to keep it. The word there that he's committed to him, this thing, is the idea of we went and got a safety deposit box at the bank and we put in there the things that we wanted to keep safe, knowing that, hey, one day we can come back and redeem or get those things back. In the same way, Paul says, I've given him my life.

My eternal state is in his hands. And on that day, the day that I stand before him, the day that he returns, I'll receive it back. I'll receive what he has for me. Paul says, I'm not ashamed. I'm not holding back because whatever happens in this life, if I lose my life, if I'm beaten, if I'm persecuted, if there's difficulty or trials, if everybody abandons me, I still have Jesus Christ. I know whom I've believed. And he has waiting for me eternity.

Nothing can change that. Nothing can shake that. So I'm not ashamed of the testimony of Jesus Christ. I know Jesus, Paul says. I've given him my life. I've entrusted him with my eternal state. And he will be faithful. Jesus told his disciples, In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. John 16, 33. You will have tribulation. You will suffer. There will be difficulties. There will be problems.

Jesus told his disciples at another place, if the world hated me, the world's going to hate you. It might be masked or held back a little bit here in the United States and the life that we live, but the world still hates Jesus Christ. The world still hates Christians and Christianity. The world hates the gospel message. You will suffer tribulation. You will suffer persecution. But Jesus says, be of good cheer. I've overcome the world. On that day,

You will receive what I have reserved for you. You've committed to me your life. Jesus said, if you want to save your life, lose it. You'll gain it back. He's got it reserved for you. Paul says, I know him. I have a relationship with him. So I'm not ashamed. It doesn't make me waver. The most pain and difficulty can't shake me because I know Jesus Christ. And I know that he's holding my eternal state in his hand. Paul is not looking at this life

He's not relying upon this life for his satisfaction. He's looking at eternity. He's looking at that day. He'll make reference to it again before the chapter's over. That day, looking towards eternity. It's what's most important. So first, a person who is not ashamed of the gospel shares in the sufferings. Are you willing to suffer for the testimony of Jesus Christ? The second thing we find is in verses 13 and 14, which says,

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. The second thing we find the mark of a person not ashamed of the gospel is that a person who's not ashamed holds fast the sound words.

Holds fast the sound words. It's from right there in verse 13. Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me. Now, these two verses here, 13 and 14, are very similar to the encouragement that Paul gave Timothy in 1 Timothy chapter 6. There in chapter 6, he says, if anyone teaches anything else, if they don't consent to wholesome words or sound words, then they are proud and they know nothing.

He goes on later in chapter six of First Timothy to tell Timothy, guard what was committed to your trust. The word guard is the same word keep there in verse 14. The thing that which was committed to you, Paul says, keep or guard by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. The idea here, what Paul is saying is, look, Timothy, you have been entrusted with the truth, with sound words, with sound doctrine. You've been entrusted with.

With the ministry that you're involved in, Timothy, guard it, keep it by the Holy Spirit. Again, by the power of God, not in your strength, but be faithful and be steadfast with what God has given to you. And you and I are like Timothy. We have been called into the ministry. We've been called to make disciples. God has placed people in our lives that he desires for us to teach how to follow Jesus, how to walk with him.

Matthew 28, 19 and 20. We have a role within the body of Christ, a part that we're called to play. We're called into the ministry. We've been entrusted with it. And so you and I, like Timothy, we need to hold fast the sound words. We need to keep the thing which was committed to us by the Holy Spirit. It's absolutely vital that we stick to the word of God. Paul says, hold fast, cling to God.

The pattern of sound words don't sway away from the truth, but hold fast to the word of God. In Luke chapter nine, verse 26, Jesus is talking and he says, whoever is ashamed of me and my words.

My words of him, the son of man, will be ashamed when he comes in his own glory and in his father's and of the holy angels. Jesus says, if you're ashamed of me or if you're ashamed of my words, what I have said, I'll be ashamed of you when I come. Paul says, hold fast the pattern of sound words. We need to hold fast the truth, the teaching, the sayings and the words of Jesus Christ. Now, I kind of like this.

The way he puts it with sound words, because oftentimes today we try to politically correct everything. Right. And so the words change instead of using sound words. Sometimes, well, we use not so sound words. What are the sound words? What are some of the key words that we need to hold fast to words like sin, right?

We need to be clear about sin, the sinfulness of man, the sinfulness and the condition of our hearts, the sinfulness of activity, the sinfulness of homosexuality in this day. Hold fast to sound words. Don't waver on what Jesus said. Don't waver on what the Bible teaches. Hold fast to the truth. Another important word is repent. The need to turn from sin.

And go towards God to make a hundred and eighty degree a U-turn. Stop living in sin. Stop following that wickedness and start being obedient to God. There's a need for repentance. John the Baptist, when he preached Jesus, when he preached, it was repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Sound words like the cross judgment, sound words like being born again.

Jesus, in John chapter 3, told us the importance, the need for a person to be born again. You must be born again. Don't waver from sound words. That's not, you must have a good self-esteem or you must feel really good about yourself or you must be faithful at church or you must be a good person. No, you must be born again.

There's right now and there will be more as history continues. There's great pressure from the world to sway from the words that have been entrusted to us. These words are key and crucial to the truth that we hold in the word of God, to the message of the gospel, the message of the cross. We need to hold fast to these words, even if it's frowned upon in our schools. Man, we see cases all the time.

Students wanting to proclaim the gospel. Students, there's issues and situations. They want to have a Bible club. And there's all these issues. Start any other club you want, but don't start a Christian club. That's frowned upon. Hold fast to sound words. The name of Christ. In the workplace, there's all this kind of stigma like, oh, you can't talk about God or you can't mention Jesus in the workplace. Right?

Hold fast to the sound words. Don't be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. There is a time and a place and you shouldn't use your work time and steal from your boss in order to preach to the people in the workplace.

But you can be a witness and you can represent Christ and you can talk about the Lord and you can express your love for the Lord and you can use words like sin and repent and cross and judgment and being born again. There's a need for us to hold fast the sound words. These are words that are necessary, that are important, that are crucial to the gospel message that people need to hear that they might be saved. Don't be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord. Don't be ashamed of the gospel message, but hold fast to the words.

It's frowned upon in the government. All kinds of different ways. You can look, you know, there's three things you don't talk about, you know, religion, politics and something else. I don't remember what. But, you know, you don't talk about those things when you're around people because people might get upset or things might happen. As Christians, we need to be bold. We need to stand up. We need to be clear that we hold fast to the gospel message, to the truth about Jesus Christ and who he is.

As Christians, we need to be courageous, not cowardly, but courageous, as Paul told Timothy last week. Be courageous, Christian. Boldly proclaim and stand fast on the truth of God's word. And you don't have to do this on your own. Again, in verse 14, he says, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. Again, it's a work of God in us. It's by the power of the Holy Spirit, by walking in the Spirit, relying upon the Holy Spirit, being baptized in the Holy Spirit, that the power of God dwells.

To hold fast the truth might be in us. Don't be ashamed of the gospel. Number one, a person who's not ashamed of the gospel suffers or shares in the suffering.

Number two, a person who's not ashamed of the gospel holds fast to the sound words. And number three, we find in verses 15 through 18, a person who's not ashamed of the gospel zealously seeks to minister. Verse 15 says, 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 Anisophorus, 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. Timothy is there in Ephesus.

Onesiphorus is from Ephesus. Paul says, you know how many times and how many ways he ministered to me while you and I were there in Ephesus. Now Paul's in Rome and this guy Onesiphorus has gone to Rome. And Paul gives us this contrast of two different types of people naming Phygelus and Hermogenes in comparison or in contrast to Onesiphorus. These other two guys, I'll try to pronounce their names as little as I can.

We'll just call them the other two guys. All those in Asia, he said, they've turned away from me. They've abandoned me. There's Paul in prison. They've turned away. They've abandoned me. But this guy, Onesiphorus, he sought me out. He came from Ephesus to Rome to find me, to minister to me, to encourage me and uplift me, to meet my needs. Paul will tell Timothy later in chapter 4, verse 16, At my first defense, no one stood with me, but all forsook me.

May it not be charged against them. Everybody abandoned me. Everybody left. When things got tough, when all of a sudden, oh my goodness, Paul's in prison. He's been taken prisoner. He's been taken captive. Everybody took off. Kind of like Jesus when he was there in the garden and the guards come and they take him. And the disciples and everybody flees. They take off. Paul's saying, look, that's cowardice. God hasn't given us a spirit of fear. Just because there's difficulty means

Just because there's danger, just because there's a threat of suffering, a potential of harm, they abandon the work of God. They abandon what God had called them to do. Here Paul's taken prisoner. He's pronounced to be a criminal. And everyone disappears. That's not the spirit of power that we have received. That's the spirit of fear. It's the spirit of cowardice. Can you relate to that? The spirit of fear, the spirit of cowardice? Oftentimes,

We find ourselves in difficult situations. And there's pressure to turn away from those who are in need. Whether it's imagined pressure, we're just fearful of what might happen, or real pressure, threats. This is what those guys were experiencing. But Anisophorus says, I don't care what it costs me. I don't care if it hurts my reputation. I don't care if it's illegal. I'm going to reach out to this person. And Paul says, he often refreshed me.

And was not ashamed of my chain. He wasn't ashamed. He didn't hold back. He wasn't fearful. He didn't let that fear keep him from doing what God had called him to do. Do not be ashamed of the gospel. Minister to those who are in need. Share the love of God with those who are hurting. Speak the truth to those who need to hear it. Paul says of Anesophorus, he searched zealously or diligently for me. He sought me out. He tried to find me. He worked really hard to do so.

Seek out those opportunities. Seek out the ministry. Seek out those who are hurting, those who need to be refreshed. A Christian who is not ashamed will be an offense to the world. But to Christians, they're so refreshing.

That word refreshing, it's a word, it speaks of like a cooling off, like cool water. If you've ever, you know, been in a real hot day and just how refreshing it is to jump into the pool or go into the ocean and just how refreshing it is being hot and overwhelmed with heat and then that coolness just comes in and it's so refreshing. Paul says, I was so refreshed, I was uplifted, I was renewed by this guy. Oh, he was so encouraging to me.

So he says, may God bless him in that day. May God give him mercy in that day. Again, looking towards eternity. He is so helpful. He blessed me and ministered to me so much. He wasn't ashamed. He didn't hold back. He didn't let the threat and the fear keep him or prevent him from doing what God had called him to do. He refreshed me. Seek out the ministry. Zealously seek to minister.

Be eager in looking for opportunities. This is a person who is not ashamed of the gospel because the answer is Jesus. When your coworker is struggling, when their marriage is falling apart, the answer is Jesus. Zealously seek to minister. Look for the opportunities. Look for the open door. Look for the avenue.

And don't be ashamed of what might come. Don't be letting those fears and things keep you from holding back or keep you from sharing the truth. Don't let it hold you back from the true words of the gospel message. Search them out zealously. There's a great deal of callousness and carnality in our hearts sometimes. In the workplace, you know, that person's in need. I know this person's struggling. I know they're going through a difficult situation. But we hold back.

We're ashamed. We make excuses like, you know, that person is not in my department anyways. Someone else can minister to them or deal with them, help them out. It's not really my place. They're all the way on the other side of the office. I have to change my meeting plans. We have so many things that we use as excuses many times and it's wrong. Don't be ashamed. Zealously seek out the ministry.

And don't let the fear of what may happen keep you from doing what you know God has put upon your heart. Well, what's going to happen if this, or what if they see this, or what if my boss sees this, or these people see that, or what if? Don't let the what ifs prevent you. That's being ashamed. If God has spoken to your heart, if you know the one whom you have believed, if you've committed your life to his trust, don't be ashamed of the gospel.

Be bold. Be courageous. Because God has given us a spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, I pray that you would help us, God, to be courageous. Lord, as Paul tells Timothy, do not be ashamed. I pray, Lord, that we would take those words to heart. Search our hearts, God. Wash us and cleanse us, Lord, for those times. Forgive us, God, because there are times that we've been ashamed of you.

ashamed of your testimony. Lord, we've backed off and watered down your message. Help us, God, to stand fast, to hold fast to the sound words that you've given to us. Help us, Lord, to be willing to suffer no matter what the cost. Lord, may we serve you and represent you and honor you.

God, help us to not be lazy or callous in our hearts, but to zealously search out, to be diligent, to find ways to minister to people who are in need. God, give us a burden and a passion for the lost, that we would not be ashamed. We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of His Word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.