1 00:00:00,400 --> 00:00:04,680 1600 years ago, 1 mother's prayers were finally answered. 2 00:00:06,160 --> 00:00:09,880 Her name was Monica and she was a Christian, but she faced many 3 00:00:09,880 --> 00:00:12,400 difficulties in life. She had a season of addiction to 4 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:15,160 alcohol. She was married to a man who was 5 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:18,160 not a believer. But perhaps the hardest trial 6 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:24,600 she faced was her wayward son. He was enslaved to a life of 7 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:29,080 rampant immorality, but his mother didn't give up on it. 8 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:33,520 She persistently prayed for him. And as one historian wrote 9 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:37,720 recently, if ever there was a helicopter mom chasing down her 10 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:44,760 son for Jesus, it was Monica. In the summer of 386, the Lord 11 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:49,280 answered her prayers. Monica's son, Augustine of 12 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:53,760 Hippo, came to faith. He heard a voice repeat the 13 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:56,160 refrain. Take it and read. 14 00:00:56,920 --> 00:01:01,280 Take it and read, which he understood as a divine command 15 00:01:01,600 --> 00:01:05,440 to open the Scriptures and read the first passage he came across 16 00:01:06,320 --> 00:01:09,280 in God's Providence. That passage was from Romans 13. 17 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:15,800 It says, let us walk properly as in the daytime, not an orgies 18 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:19,640 and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not 19 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:24,640 in quarreling and jealousy, but put on the Lord Jesus Christ and 20 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:30,280 make no provision for the flesh. And upon reading Romans, 21 00:01:30,960 --> 00:01:35,960 Augustine said, I had no wish to read more, and no need to do so. 22 00:01:35,960 --> 00:01:40,600 For in an instant, as I came to the end of the sentence, it was 23 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:43,680 as though the light of confidence flooded into my 24 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:47,960 heart, and all the darkness of doubt was dispelled. 25 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:53,280 In other words, Augustine was saved, born again. 26 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:57,440 The Lord answered his mother's prayers, but shortly after his 27 00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:01,400 conversion, his mother, Monica, got sick. 28 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:06,400 Before she died, she said she was ready to depart the world, 29 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:09,720 for her hope was already fulfilled. 30 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:15,080 Monica said to her son Agustin. The one reason I wanted to stay 31 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:18,720 longer in this life was my desire to see you a Christian 32 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:22,720 before I die. My God is granted this in a way 33 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:29,200 more than I had hoped. Through mother's prayers, God 34 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:34,320 brought a son from death to life and he gave us one of the most 35 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:37,000 important theologians of the church. 36 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:44,080 Kids here, what might God do in your life through your mother's 37 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:47,840 prayers? Augustine would go on to write 38 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:51,120 his spiritual autobiography, Many of Us Know Confessions. 39 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:54,960 He also wrote a treatise on the Trinity and a defense of 40 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:57,920 Christianity against paganism, The City of God. 41 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:02,120 He came to faith in his 30s and he faithfully pastored for 42 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:07,480 years, and in his 70s he finally finished his race. 43 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:14,560 Brothers and sisters, how can we finish the race? 44 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:21,440 How can we faithfully follow Jesus for all our days until our 45 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:24,160 death? Today we begin a new sermon 46 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:25,680 series through the book of Second Timothy. 47 00:03:25,920 --> 00:03:28,560 If you have your Bible, please turn to the book of Second 48 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:30,560 Timothy. If you don't have a Bible, maybe 49 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:32,240 you forgot one. Maybe you don't even own one. 50 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:35,120 Just raise your hand. Somebody would be glad to bring 51 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:38,120 you a Bible right now. If you're not familiar with the 52 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:41,000 Bible, Second Timothy is in the New Testament. 53 00:03:41,960 --> 00:03:44,680 Feel free to turn to the table of contents if you still can't 54 00:03:44,680 --> 00:03:48,280 find it. It's right after First Timothy, 55 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:54,120 right before the book of Titus. As we work through Second 56 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:58,880 Timothy, we'll follow the apostle Paul who finished his 57 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:03,360 race and is now face to face with Jesus Christ. 58 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:08,240 As I read Second Timothy verses one to five, hear the word of 59 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:17,360 the Lord Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, 60 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:23,720 according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus. 61 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:33,120 To Timothy, my beloved child, grace, mercy and peace from God 62 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:36,120 the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 63 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:43,880 I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear 64 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:49,280 conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night 65 00:04:49,280 --> 00:04:55,480 and day, as I remember your tears, I long to see you that I 66 00:04:55,480 --> 00:05:00,120 may be filled with joy. I'm reminded of your sincere 67 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:05,240 faith, of faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and 68 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:11,120 your mother Eunice, and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well. 69 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:15,240 Friends, look over verses one to five. 70 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:20,400 Look there in your Bible you can see that verse 1 is about the 71 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:22,920 sender of the letter Paul. Pretty simple. 72 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:27,800 In verse 2 we see the recipient Timothy, and verses 3 to 5 are 73 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:31,680 Paul's prayer of Thanksgiving. You can see that there he says, 74 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:36,600 I thank God. There's three points to help us 75 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:40,120 follow along. First verse one, a spiritual 76 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:44,800 father, that's Paul. Second, a beloved son. 77 00:05:44,840 --> 00:05:49,920 Verse 2, that's Timothy. And third, verses 3 to 5, a 78 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:56,600 family of faith, a spiritual father, a beloved son, a family 79 00:05:56,600 --> 00:05:59,000 of faith. First, a spiritual father. 80 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:03,720 Paul writes as a spiritual father in the faith to Timothy. 81 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:07,120 We really see that in verse 2, but I'm titling it for .1. 82 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:12,040 He calls Timothy in verse 2, my child, but notice how he 83 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:16,880 introduces himself in verse 1. He says Paul, an apostle of 84 00:06:16,880 --> 00:06:21,400 Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the 85 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:25,160 life that is in Christ Jesus. Paul's an apostle of Christ 86 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:27,200 Jesus. If you're not familiar with the 87 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:31,040 Bible, what what's an apostle? Jesus himself personally 88 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:35,440 selected 12 disciples and he gave them the office of apostle. 89 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:38,880 He sent them out on mission to be as representatives to the 90 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:42,880 world and to teach in his name. But Paul was not one of the 91 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:47,800 original apostles. In fact, in the book of Acts, as 92 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:51,200 the apostles preach and proclaim Jesus Christ, Paul was 93 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:55,360 persecuting the church. When Stephen was stoned In the 94 00:06:55,360 --> 00:07:01,720 book of Acts, Luke tells us it was Paul, this Paul who approved 95 00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:06,640 of his execution. Luke says that Paul was ravaging 96 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:10,240 the church and he was throwing Christians in prison. 97 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:16,480 So that was Paul the persecutor. How did he become Paul the 98 00:07:16,480 --> 00:07:21,080 apostle and the preacher? He tells us in verse 1, he says 99 00:07:21,080 --> 00:07:27,280 verse one, it's by the will of God, the will of God. 100 00:07:28,240 --> 00:07:30,520 In other words, Paul did not apply to be an apostle. 101 00:07:31,280 --> 00:07:33,640 He did not go looking to be an apostle. 102 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:37,440 In fact, in Acts Chapter 9, on the road to Damascus, he was 103 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:41,960 looking for Christians to imprison them, but he met Jesus 104 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:48,880 Christ who put him flat on his face, and he asked him, Why are 105 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:53,360 you persecuting me? And after some days with the 106 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:57,720 disciples at Damascus, Paul, the man who is persecuting 107 00:07:57,720 --> 00:08:03,640 Christians, preached Christ in the synagogue's he said he is 108 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:08,280 the Son of God. And the persecutor became 109 00:08:08,280 --> 00:08:11,640 persecuted. That was not Paul's plan for his 110 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:16,800 life, that was not his will, but it was God's. 111 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:19,960 And the risen Christ told Paul upon his conversion. 112 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:25,000 He said, I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you 113 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:29,920 as a servant and witness to open the Gentiles eyes so that they 114 00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:35,440 may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to 115 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:39,520 God. His conversion was also his 116 00:08:39,520 --> 00:08:42,440 commissioning. And in verse 1 he tells us one 117 00:08:42,440 --> 00:08:44,640 more thing about his apostleship. 118 00:08:45,040 --> 00:08:48,520 Look at verse 1. He says he's an apostle 119 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:54,360 according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus. 120 00:08:54,640 --> 00:09:00,480 Why does Paul refer to the promise of the life in the 121 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:04,040 greeting of his final letter? Why does he say that? 122 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:10,160 It's because context. What's the context of Paul's 123 00:09:10,160 --> 00:09:16,000 final letter to Timothy? He writes his final letter in 124 00:09:16,040 --> 00:09:19,920 the face of death. Paul tells us this in second 125 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:22,560 Timothy. Turn quickly to chapter 4, the 126 00:09:22,560 --> 00:09:24,720 last part of the letter starting in verse 6. 127 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:31,160 Paul says, for I'm already being poured out as a drink offering 128 00:09:31,960 --> 00:09:34,320 and the time of my departure has come. 129 00:09:34,640 --> 00:09:38,560 I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. 130 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:46,400 I have kept the faith. The apostle Paul packs in four 131 00:09:46,400 --> 00:09:50,200 metaphors to describe the final days of his life. 132 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:51,840 He's reached the end of the road. 133 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:55,480 This is his final chapter. Think of all Paul's done in 134 00:09:55,480 --> 00:09:57,640 ministry. He's already ministered for 30 135 00:09:57,640 --> 00:10:00,760 years, planting churches, strengthening churches, taking 136 00:10:00,760 --> 00:10:02,800 the gospel where Christ hasn't been named. 137 00:10:03,560 --> 00:10:07,600 But there will be no more ministry on earth after this. 138 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:10,640 He's already travelled. Think of all his missionary 139 00:10:10,640 --> 00:10:14,560 trips to Antioch and Iconium, to Ephesus and to Philippi, to 140 00:10:14,560 --> 00:10:17,640 Jerusalem and even to Rome. But there will be no more 141 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:22,760 missionary trips after this. And think of all Paul's written. 142 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:26,800 He's already written Romans, First and 2nd Corinthians, 143 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:29,720 Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, First 144 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:33,400 and 2nd Thessalonians, Philemon, First Timothy and Titus. 145 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:37,400 But there will be no more letters written after this. 146 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:43,160 This is Paul's final lap, for he writes to Timothy from prison, 147 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:49,320 and he writes as a man sitting on death row. 148 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:56,040 Paul's like Moses to Joshua in second Timothy. 149 00:10:56,840 --> 00:11:00,680 He's passing the baton. He's giving Timothy his final 150 00:11:00,680 --> 00:11:03,560 charge. He's nearing death, but he 151 00:11:03,560 --> 00:11:07,440 points Timothy to the promise of life. 152 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:14,480 What's the promise of life? It's not Paul's expectation to 153 00:11:14,480 --> 00:11:16,360 be set free from his earthly chains. 154 00:11:16,560 --> 00:11:21,960 It is his expectation to be set free from death itself. 155 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:24,600 It is Paul's certainty that there is hope. 156 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:30,800 There is life after death for God's promise, eternal life for 157 00:11:30,800 --> 00:11:32,960 all those who are in Christ Jesus. 158 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:39,040 Paul's hope in his last days is this hope that he got on his 159 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:43,280 first day of being a Christian. Eternal life. 160 00:11:43,840 --> 00:11:48,920 Think of how much Paul's endured for Jesus Christ. 161 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:56,600 Imprisonments, beatings, stonings, shipwrecks, sleepless 162 00:11:56,600 --> 00:12:02,320 nights, hunger and thirst, and now this final trial, death. 163 00:12:03,400 --> 00:12:06,680 Why? Why would someone endure all of 164 00:12:06,680 --> 00:12:10,920 that for Jesus? If you're not a Christian, do 165 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:14,680 you wonder why would somebody go through all of that? 166 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:20,720 What could be worth all of that suffering and that sorrow? 167 00:12:21,080 --> 00:12:26,520 What hope could a man have in the face of death? 168 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:33,440 Paul's hope was a promise. It was the promise of life. 169 00:12:33,760 --> 00:12:37,640 He held fast to the promise of life. 170 00:12:39,400 --> 00:12:45,440 Friends, Jesus said I am the way and the truth and the life. 171 00:12:46,240 --> 00:12:50,040 And he said whoever believes in me has eternal life. 172 00:12:50,640 --> 00:12:55,000 And he said whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 173 00:12:55,160 --> 00:13:00,160 And to fulfil his promise, Jesus gave us life by laying down his 174 00:13:00,160 --> 00:13:03,640 life for us. That's the good news of the 175 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:06,320 gospel. The wonder of the gospel is that 176 00:13:06,560 --> 00:13:10,920 though you and I deserve eternal death for our rebellion against 177 00:13:10,920 --> 00:13:15,480 God, he offers out eternal life in Jesus Christ. 178 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:20,800 For Jesus Christ. God's own Son died on the cross 179 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:25,360 and bore God's wrath and defeated death as he rose again 180 00:13:25,560 --> 00:13:30,240 from the grave. And in Jesus Christ there is the 181 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:35,600 promise of life, eternal life for all those who have turned 182 00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:38,200 from their sins and trusted in Him. 183 00:13:38,680 --> 00:13:44,440 Friend, would you today find this promise of life yourself? 184 00:13:45,080 --> 00:13:49,120 Would you forsake your sin and trust in Jesus Christ and Him 185 00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:52,880 alone? And if you have brothers and 186 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:58,800 sisters, if you've found in Jesus your life, then like the 187 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:02,840 apostle Paul, though you die, you shall live. 188 00:14:04,720 --> 00:14:08,200 Brothers and sisters, these glorious truths are ours in 189 00:14:08,520 --> 00:14:10,760 Christ Jesus. That's what Paul says in verse 190 00:14:10,760 --> 00:14:12,720 one. Look at verse 1. 191 00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:16,920 He appeals to the doctrine of union with Christ. 192 00:14:16,920 --> 00:14:21,800 That's what that little phrase in Christ Jesus refers to. 193 00:14:22,040 --> 00:14:25,200 Union with Christ is like being grafted into a plant. 194 00:14:25,880 --> 00:14:29,640 If you're grafted into a plant, then you receive life and 195 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:31,880 vitality. And if we're grafted into 196 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:37,400 Christ, we receive our new life from him, eternal life. 197 00:14:38,280 --> 00:14:43,640 Paul writes this phrase in Christ Jesus seven times in the 198 00:14:43,640 --> 00:14:47,560 book of Second Timothy, 7 times. Because all the blessings of 199 00:14:47,560 --> 00:14:50,960 salvation are found in Jesus Christ. 200 00:14:50,960 --> 00:14:54,520 And if they're in Christ, then you can't be separated from 201 00:14:54,520 --> 00:14:58,560 them, because if you belong to Jesus, then you can never lose 202 00:14:59,160 --> 00:15:04,360 these gifts, this gift of life. Now, here's the thing. 203 00:15:05,840 --> 00:15:09,400 None of us, as far as I'm aware, are facing imprisonment today 204 00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:13,360 for following Jesus Christ. None of us, as far as I'm aware, 205 00:15:13,800 --> 00:15:17,920 are not facing martyrdom for following Jesus Christ. 206 00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:22,880 But we have the same promise of life as the Apostle Paul. 207 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:26,640 We have different troubles, but the same promise. 208 00:15:27,520 --> 00:15:30,400 The promise of life. It gives us boldness as 209 00:15:30,400 --> 00:15:36,280 Christians to set our hands to the plow and never look back, to 210 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:43,400 even add on and take on new sacrifices and new sufferings 211 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:47,240 for our Savior. The promise of life. 212 00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:52,800 It gives us courage in this life to face any and every trouble 213 00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:57,960 with the hope and the assurance that in eternity we will be 214 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:01,560 delivered by our Savior, Jesus Christ. 215 00:16:02,520 --> 00:16:07,600 Paul died. He died in Christ, and Paul 216 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:10,520 lives. He lives in Christ. 217 00:16:10,520 --> 00:16:14,200 He was eventually executed by the Roman Empire, but he lives 218 00:16:14,200 --> 00:16:20,240 today in glory land, as do all who've trusted in Jesus Christ 219 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:23,840 for the forgiveness of sins. As we sang together earlier, 220 00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:30,120 He's left this world of pain. Thank God up there. 221 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:35,280 He'll die no more. He'll suffer not again. 222 00:16:36,160 --> 00:16:41,680 Paul was a faithful spiritual father, and he writes to his 223 00:16:41,680 --> 00:16:47,360 beloved son in the faith. Now we turn to Timothy .2, a 224 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:52,960 beloved son. Paul writes to Timothy. 225 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:58,840 He calls him my beloved child. We heard a bit about Timothy in 226 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:01,480 Acts chapter 16. Earlier in the service, Timothy 227 00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:05,040 was from Lystra. Paul preached the gospel in 228 00:17:05,040 --> 00:17:08,040 Lystra on his first missionary journey and then on his second 229 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:11,040 missionary journey. He returned to Lystra and it 230 00:17:11,040 --> 00:17:14,760 seems that Timothy somewhere in there came to faith and he was 231 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:18,520 growing spiritually. For Luke records in Acts that 232 00:17:18,520 --> 00:17:21,760 Timothy was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra. 233 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:25,880 So Paul asked Timothy to accompany him to partner 234 00:17:25,880 --> 00:17:27,880 together for the sake of the gospel. 235 00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:31,600 But do you remember Timothy's initiation into ministry? 236 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:37,280 It came with a cost. Right before Acts 16 is Acts 15. 237 00:17:37,480 --> 00:17:41,120 In Acts 15, at the Jerusalem Council, the apostles, along 238 00:17:41,120 --> 00:17:45,080 with the elders and the church, were debating a serious matter. 239 00:17:45,280 --> 00:17:49,480 Some were saying that Gentile believers need to be circumcised 240 00:17:49,480 --> 00:17:51,240 in order to faithfully follow Jesus. 241 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:55,800 But the apostle Paul taught that Gentile believers are saved by 242 00:17:55,800 --> 00:17:59,880 the grace of Christ Jesus, in other words, that circumcision 243 00:17:59,880 --> 00:18:03,160 was not necessary for salvation. And the matter was settled. 244 00:18:03,160 --> 00:18:05,440 They even wrote a letter and they sent it throughout the 245 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:09,720 region. But then comes Acts 16, and 246 00:18:09,720 --> 00:18:14,160 Timothy wants to minister alongside Paul, and Paul wants 247 00:18:14,160 --> 00:18:17,440 Timothy to join him. And to do that he has to get 248 00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:21,000 circumcised because his mother's a Jew, but his father's a Greek, 249 00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:24,280 so he had not been circumcised. And he's an adult. 250 00:18:24,880 --> 00:18:28,920 That's what he does to minister the gospel. 251 00:18:29,440 --> 00:18:33,320 He does not get circumcised for his salvation, but his 252 00:18:33,320 --> 00:18:36,920 circumcision is for the salvation of others. 253 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:42,880 His circumcision is a sacrifice for the sake of the gospel. 254 00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:45,480 Those are his first days of ministry. 255 00:18:46,520 --> 00:18:49,440 And then for over 15 years, he faithfully ministered with Paul. 256 00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:53,720 He was Paul's ministry protege, working alongside Paul with 257 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:57,080 Paul, with the Thessalonians, the Corinthians, the Saints in 258 00:18:57,080 --> 00:19:00,520 Philippi, and at Colossi. Eventually, Paul asked him to 259 00:19:00,520 --> 00:19:04,200 pastor the church in Ephesus where he faithfully pastored. 260 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:07,000 And it's likely where he received this very letter. 261 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:12,600 Timothy was very dear to Paul. Paul calls him. 262 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:18,680 Look at that in verse 2, my beloved child, he was like an 263 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:23,600 adopted spiritual son. Timothy was so dear to Paul that 264 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:25,880 Paul encouraged the Philippians about Timothy. 265 00:19:25,880 --> 00:19:31,120 He said I have no one like him. You know his proven worth, how 266 00:19:31,120 --> 00:19:35,200 as a son with a father, he has served with me in the gospel. 267 00:19:36,480 --> 00:19:40,240 Timothy was Paul's right hand man, indispensable. 268 00:19:41,040 --> 00:19:44,840 Paul loved him, but Timothy was very far from Paul. 269 00:19:46,040 --> 00:19:49,000 If he remained in Ephesus, which is what Paul told him to do in 270 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:53,280 first Timothy, then what separated Paul, who's in Rome to 271 00:19:53,280 --> 00:19:56,600 Timothy who's in Ephesus was over 1600 miles. 272 00:19:57,320 --> 00:20:02,280 And Paul's departing, the Apostolic era's ending, the 273 00:20:02,280 --> 00:20:05,200 preservation and the proclamation of the gospel 274 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:07,880 needed to be passed on to the next generation. 275 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:13,640 So as Paul departs, he reminds Timothy in verse 2 that God 276 00:20:13,760 --> 00:20:15,200 remains. Verse 2. 277 00:20:15,920 --> 00:20:23,080 Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our 278 00:20:23,080 --> 00:20:27,280 Lord. When Paul described his old life 279 00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:30,840 to Timothy back in First Timothy, he says, I was a 280 00:20:30,840 --> 00:20:36,880 blasphemer, persecutor, an insolent opponent, but I 281 00:20:36,880 --> 00:20:41,280 received mercy, Paul says. And in the next verse he says 282 00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:46,520 the grace of our Lord overflowed for me. 283 00:20:47,120 --> 00:20:50,480 Paul had met the grace and the mercy and the peace of Christ 284 00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:53,920 Jesus and he was sending it along to Timothy. 285 00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:57,040 That's what Timothy needed. It's what we all need. 286 00:20:57,360 --> 00:21:03,600 Grace, mercy and peace from God and God is glad to give it. 287 00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:09,880 We've seen the apostle Paul as a spiritual father and his Co 288 00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:14,480 worker, Timothy as a beloved son and in that in their 289 00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:18,680 relationship we see a beautiful portrait of discipling, 290 00:21:19,560 --> 00:21:22,240 something that every Christian is called to do. 291 00:21:22,840 --> 00:21:28,680 Discipling simply this keep it simple, helping others follow 292 00:21:28,960 --> 00:21:32,640 Jesus, that's discipling. It's spiritually pouring out 293 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:35,960 yourself for others so that you can fill them up. 294 00:21:36,640 --> 00:21:39,200 Discipling can happen anywhere. Can happen in a coffee shop or a 295 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:40,920 living room. It can happen while you're 296 00:21:40,920 --> 00:21:43,960 folding clothes or you're sipping on tea, or when you're 297 00:21:43,960 --> 00:21:46,000 on a run or when you're going to the grocery store. 298 00:21:46,200 --> 00:21:49,560 It can happen in the 15 minutes before and after the service or 299 00:21:49,560 --> 00:21:53,160 over a meal at your lunch break. Discipling is something that you 300 00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:57,360 Christian, must do for others and that other Christians will 301 00:21:57,360 --> 00:22:01,160 do for you. One of my favorite quotes on 302 00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:04,160 discipling is from Mark Dever. Here's the quote. 303 00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:10,160 For me, discipling is the only way I can evangelize non 304 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:15,880 Christians and equip Christians in that one place where I can 305 00:22:15,880 --> 00:22:20,280 never travel the future beyond my life. 306 00:22:21,360 --> 00:22:27,600 Mark says discipling others now is how I try to leave time bombs 307 00:22:28,320 --> 00:22:32,200 of grace. That is a great quote. 308 00:22:32,640 --> 00:22:35,120 It's packed with ministry vision. 309 00:22:35,120 --> 00:22:38,040 You Christian, you're giving this one little life. 310 00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:42,360 And then at the end there's a door where you exit. 311 00:22:42,720 --> 00:22:45,560 But through discipling, through pouring yourself out for the 312 00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:49,600 sake of others, good, You can actually do spiritual good to 313 00:22:49,600 --> 00:22:54,160 the coming generations. Or as Dever says, you can leave 314 00:22:54,160 --> 00:23:01,600 time bombs of grace. Now look, I love Mark, but 315 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:04,640 Mark's ministry model, it is not Mark's idea. 316 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:08,480 You could even say he stole it. He stole it from the Apostle 317 00:23:08,480 --> 00:23:10,400 Paul. Isn't that what Paul did? 318 00:23:10,720 --> 00:23:14,480 He poured himself out like a drink offering into Timothy. 319 00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:16,800 And isn't that what his very letter is? 320 00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:22,240 This letter is a time bomb of grace that we get to experience. 321 00:23:22,720 --> 00:23:26,280 And of course, this did not originate with the Apostle Paul. 322 00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:31,720 Paul simply follows in Christ's footsteps, who gave himself to 323 00:23:31,720 --> 00:23:35,800 his 12 disciples and then even more to an inner ring of three, 324 00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:40,160 and then he entrusted them all to do the same. 325 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:45,040 Brothers and sisters, give yourself to discipline. 326 00:23:45,800 --> 00:23:50,360 Leave time bombs of grace in this church for the next 327 00:23:50,360 --> 00:23:54,600 generation. And remember, discipling is not 328 00:23:54,600 --> 00:23:59,760 a quantifiable ministry. How many lunches does it take to 329 00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:03,960 disciple someone? How many early morning meetings? 330 00:24:04,080 --> 00:24:08,000 How many minutes of spiritual good do you need to input into 331 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:11,680 someone else? There's no secret formula to 332 00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:18,160 disciple either. All you need to do is commit to 333 00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:23,400 a lifetime of doing spiritual good to others. 334 00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:28,200 And sometimes in this life, you get to see the results. 335 00:24:28,640 --> 00:24:35,120 Praise the Lord, but most of the fruit of discipling will surely 336 00:24:35,120 --> 00:24:41,600 only be seen in eternity. Discipling is how we pass on the 337 00:24:41,600 --> 00:24:46,240 gospel from one generation to another, which is what Paul 338 00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:51,640 points to as he turns to prayer in verse 3.3. 339 00:24:52,440 --> 00:25:01,240 A family of faith. Listen and be encouraged as you 340 00:25:01,240 --> 00:25:06,520 hear the apostle, Apostle Paul pray as he prays from prison. 341 00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:13,160 Verse three. I thank God whom I serve, as did 342 00:25:13,160 --> 00:25:17,120 my ancestors with a clear conscience, as I remember you 343 00:25:17,120 --> 00:25:20,560 constantly in my prayers night and day, as I remember your 344 00:25:20,560 --> 00:25:26,360 tears, I long to see you that I may be filled with joy. 345 00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:31,480 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first 346 00:25:31,480 --> 00:25:35,960 in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and now I am 347 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:42,720 sure dwells in you as well. Verses 3 to 5, or one sentence 348 00:25:42,720 --> 00:25:46,520 in Greek, they form one prayer of Thanksgiving to God. 349 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:49,400 Paul starts it with his ancestors in verse three. 350 00:25:49,680 --> 00:25:52,640 He ends it with Timothy's ancestors in verse five. 351 00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:56,560 And three times in the prayer Paul says, did you catch it? 352 00:25:57,040 --> 00:26:01,360 I remember, I remember He remembers Timothy in prayer 353 00:26:01,360 --> 00:26:04,080 verse three. He remembers Timothy's tears 354 00:26:04,080 --> 00:26:08,640 verse 4, and he remembers Timothy's family of faith verse 355 00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:11,000 5. In verse 6, just look one verse 356 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:14,360 over. Paul will say, I remind you, but 357 00:26:14,360 --> 00:26:18,920 not yet. First, Paul remembers, he 358 00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:21,120 remembers Timothy in prayer. Look at the beginning of Paul's 359 00:26:21,120 --> 00:26:22,880 prayer. He thanks God. 360 00:26:23,960 --> 00:26:27,040 It's a prayer of Thanksgiving written from prison. 361 00:26:27,040 --> 00:26:31,360 It's a paradoxical prayer. He thanks God, though he's in 362 00:26:31,360 --> 00:26:34,480 prison. And isn't it the apostle Paul 363 00:26:34,480 --> 00:26:39,320 who taught us and taught the Thessalonians give thanks in all 364 00:26:39,480 --> 00:26:42,920 circumstances? Paul sits in prison and he 365 00:26:42,920 --> 00:26:48,000 practices what he preaches as he prays and as he thanks God. 366 00:26:49,160 --> 00:26:51,440 Christian, what circumstance are you facing today? 367 00:26:52,240 --> 00:26:57,520 Is there any circumstance in which you can't say thank you, 368 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:01,320 God? Paul also serves God. 369 00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:06,960 It's another paradox. He serves God though he's in 370 00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:10,480 chains. His chains and his prison cell 371 00:27:10,680 --> 00:27:13,720 do not prohibit him from worshipping God. 372 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:18,600 He serves God just as Abraham and Isaac, just as Jacob and 373 00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:21,360 David before him. Paul understands that the 374 00:27:21,360 --> 00:27:25,240 promise of God believed by the Saints and the patriarchs of the 375 00:27:25,240 --> 00:27:30,680 past is the same promise of the gospel that is fulfilled in 376 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:33,880 Jesus Christ. According to Paul, when he looks 377 00:27:33,880 --> 00:27:38,920 back, he sees how God has preserved the faith of his 378 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:42,040 people from one generation to another. 379 00:27:43,080 --> 00:27:48,640 And see also that Paul holds a clear conscience. 380 00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:54,200 It's yet another paradox. His conscience is clear. 381 00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:58,320 Though he's been declared guilty, he's done nothing wrong 382 00:27:58,640 --> 00:28:02,480 and he'll be put to death. He's guilty in the eyes of man, 383 00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:04,280 but he's innocent in the eyes of God. 384 00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:08,600 He's condemned according to man, and yet there is no condemnation 385 00:28:08,600 --> 00:28:14,040 for him in the Christ Jesus. He has the freedom of a clear 386 00:28:14,600 --> 00:28:20,480 conscience. Friend to you, God has given 387 00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:24,560 each of us a conscience, a capacity for moral judgement. 388 00:28:25,760 --> 00:28:31,360 Your conscience is what you believe is right or wrong, and 389 00:28:31,360 --> 00:28:34,120 sometimes your conscience is wrong. 390 00:28:34,960 --> 00:28:38,840 It needs calibration. Earlier this week I hopped on my 391 00:28:38,840 --> 00:28:42,400 exercise bike after putting in new batteries and the little 392 00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:45,360 computer said I needed to calibrate my pedaling. 393 00:28:45,960 --> 00:28:50,240 So it had me pedal at different speeds to make sure that how I 394 00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:53,280 was pedaling was how the computer was tracking my 395 00:28:53,280 --> 00:28:57,360 pedaling. Believers, we need to calibrate 396 00:28:57,360 --> 00:29:01,960 our conscience to make sure it's in accordance with Scripture. 397 00:29:02,280 --> 00:29:06,520 You need to take what you think is right and wrong and then 398 00:29:06,520 --> 00:29:10,720 search the Scriptures and baptize them in God's Holy Word. 399 00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:13,880 And you need to always obey your conscience. 400 00:29:14,920 --> 00:29:19,400 When your conscience yells at you, stop, that's wrong. 401 00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:23,040 Don't do that. You need to obey it. 402 00:29:23,800 --> 00:29:26,320 Well, what you're doing might not actually be sin, according 403 00:29:26,320 --> 00:29:29,320 to God. To go against your conscience is 404 00:29:29,320 --> 00:29:31,320 sin. That's what Paul says in Romans 405 00:29:31,320 --> 00:29:33,880 14. He says whatever does not 406 00:29:33,880 --> 00:29:38,520 proceed from faith is sin. If you think something is sin, 407 00:29:38,760 --> 00:29:41,520 do not do it. Do not go against your 408 00:29:41,520 --> 00:29:45,640 conscience. Brothers and sisters, is your 409 00:29:45,640 --> 00:29:52,040 conscience clear this morning or are you hiding secret sins? 410 00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:55,680 Do those secret sins condemn you? 411 00:29:55,920 --> 00:29:58,600 Does your conscience itself cry out against you? 412 00:29:58,600 --> 00:30:03,320 Hypocrite, liar, phony, imposter. 413 00:30:05,040 --> 00:30:06,320 Brennan, that's you this morning. 414 00:30:07,240 --> 00:30:11,720 Do not silence your conscience. Do not hit snooze. 415 00:30:13,040 --> 00:30:17,640 Listen to your conscience. You can have a clear conscience 416 00:30:17,640 --> 00:30:20,560 this morning. How can you cleanse your 417 00:30:20,560 --> 00:30:24,920 conscience? Repent of your sins, turn from 418 00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:28,840 them, kill your sin and look to Jesus Christ. 419 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:32,160 Drag your sins into light through confession. 420 00:30:32,480 --> 00:30:35,120 Talk to your brothers or sister in the church that you trust. 421 00:30:35,640 --> 00:30:38,160 Confess your sins to God and your brothers and sisters. 422 00:30:38,480 --> 00:30:42,080 Kill your sins. Take God's side against them. 423 00:30:42,520 --> 00:30:46,720 Don't ignore them. Find freedom in mortification 424 00:30:47,120 --> 00:30:50,120 and look to Jesus Christ. The author of Hebrews tells us 425 00:30:50,440 --> 00:30:56,200 that the blood of Jesus Christ purifies our conscience, making 426 00:30:56,200 --> 00:30:59,840 it clean. Keep your conscience clean by 427 00:30:59,840 --> 00:31:03,880 being honest about your sins and finding the forgiveness you need 428 00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:10,800 in Jesus Christ. And all of this for Paul is 429 00:31:10,800 --> 00:31:17,920 working in the background as he remembers Timothy in prayer, as 430 00:31:17,920 --> 00:31:22,600 he sits in prison. He prays, he remembers Timothy 431 00:31:22,600 --> 00:31:25,880 in prayer. He says night and day, morning 432 00:31:25,880 --> 00:31:28,080 and evening. His prayers are not occasional. 433 00:31:28,280 --> 00:31:30,840 They are constant. And if you think about all the 434 00:31:30,840 --> 00:31:34,520 people in the world who need prayer in this moment, doesn't 435 00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:36,720 the apostle Paul make the top of the list? 436 00:31:38,040 --> 00:31:42,160 He's in prison, on death row, abandoned by most of his 437 00:31:42,160 --> 00:31:46,720 friends, and yet he is the one concerned about others. 438 00:31:47,560 --> 00:31:50,280 He's the one praying for Timothy. 439 00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:56,120 And whatever circumstances we face, do we face anywhere we 440 00:31:56,120 --> 00:31:59,720 can't be concerned about our brothers and sisters in the 441 00:31:59,720 --> 00:32:02,840 church? Is there any situation we face 442 00:32:03,160 --> 00:32:06,920 in which we can't turn to God in prayer? 443 00:32:07,880 --> 00:32:09,480 Paul remembers Timothy in prayer. 444 00:32:10,800 --> 00:32:13,040 He also remembers Timothy's tears. 445 00:32:13,240 --> 00:32:17,240 Look at verse 4. Apparently the last time they 446 00:32:17,240 --> 00:32:22,360 were together, Paul left Timothy in tears. 447 00:32:22,680 --> 00:32:25,360 He doesn't tell us exactly when it happened, but in Acts chapter 448 00:32:25,360 --> 00:32:30,040 20, Paul gives a final speech to the Ephesian elders, and the 449 00:32:30,040 --> 00:32:34,520 author of Acts tells us there was much weeping on the part of 450 00:32:34,560 --> 00:32:37,880 all. So just to see Timothy again, 451 00:32:38,920 --> 00:32:45,520 that would bring Paul such joy. When we lived in Dubai, we knew 452 00:32:45,520 --> 00:32:48,760 a lot of friends in ministry, and from Dubai, a lot of people 453 00:32:48,760 --> 00:32:51,160 would go on to minister in other places. 454 00:32:51,160 --> 00:32:54,160 There was kind of a tradition among our friends in ministry 455 00:32:54,160 --> 00:32:57,520 that we would go to the airport together when it was someone's 456 00:32:57,520 --> 00:33:00,120 final night and we'd say our goodbyes. 457 00:33:00,440 --> 00:33:03,320 And those flights were often at 2:00 in the morning or three in 458 00:33:03,320 --> 00:33:05,520 the morning. So we'd be there at the curb of 459 00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:11,280 the airport at midnight, saying goodbyes, embracing, giving our 460 00:33:11,280 --> 00:33:15,920 hugs and shedding our tears. And then two years ago, it was 461 00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:20,080 our turn. We drove to the airport with two 462 00:33:20,080 --> 00:33:24,200 or three other cars and everyone poured out and you know, you're 463 00:33:24,200 --> 00:33:27,720 trying to get all your luggage. And we had, how many kids did we 464 00:33:27,720 --> 00:33:31,640 have back then? Three little kids and everyone's 465 00:33:31,640 --> 00:33:36,320 crying and saying goodbye. Part of faithfully following 466 00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:41,360 Jesus means that you'll have tearful departures from good 467 00:33:41,360 --> 00:33:46,240 friends in the faith, some you may never see again in this 468 00:33:46,240 --> 00:33:51,840 life. Tears shed reveal a heart that 469 00:33:51,840 --> 00:33:55,880 cares. It reveals affection and love. 470 00:33:56,920 --> 00:33:59,680 Members of Trinity Baptist Church, I don't know how long 471 00:33:59,680 --> 00:34:02,520 you'll be a member of this church, but I pray and I hope 472 00:34:02,520 --> 00:34:06,280 that you invest so deeply in the members of this church that 473 00:34:06,280 --> 00:34:11,000 these Saints become so dear to you that when and if you leave, 474 00:34:11,719 --> 00:34:15,159 there will be tears shed at your departure. 475 00:34:16,360 --> 00:34:21,840 Paul remembers Timothy's tears. And finally, Paul remembers 476 00:34:21,840 --> 00:34:24,480 Timothy's family of faith. Look at verse 5. 477 00:34:26,360 --> 00:34:29,480 Paul's reminded of Timothy's sincere faith. 478 00:34:30,639 --> 00:34:34,960 Sincere Paul's been. In 30 years of ministry. 479 00:34:35,840 --> 00:34:40,600 He's seen friends become frauds, men who started strong but did 480 00:34:40,600 --> 00:34:43,600 not finish the race. But it's not Timothy. 481 00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:47,719 Timothy's faith is proven. It's without hypocrisy. 482 00:34:47,920 --> 00:34:52,000 It is genuine. It is a faith, Paul says, that 483 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:57,600 dwell first in his grandmother Lois and in his mother Eunice. 484 00:34:58,440 --> 00:35:02,560 Remember back to Acts 16, Timothy's father wasn't a 485 00:35:02,560 --> 00:35:05,600 believer and his mother Eunice was. 486 00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:09,640 His grandmother Lois apparently was too, meaning that Timothy 487 00:35:09,640 --> 00:35:11,560 was not the first believer in his family. 488 00:35:11,720 --> 00:35:15,840 His physical family tree was also his spiritual family tree. 489 00:35:16,280 --> 00:35:21,080 His grandmother and his mother. We're both faithful Christians. 490 00:35:22,920 --> 00:35:26,320 Remember earlier in our service we rank we sang 2 hymns from the 491 00:35:26,320 --> 00:35:32,640 18th century Rock of Ages and Arise My soul, Arise. 492 00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:37,880 Do you know how hymns like these found their way into the 493 00:35:37,880 --> 00:35:41,320 preaching of one of the greatest preachers of the 19th century, 494 00:35:41,800 --> 00:35:45,760 Charles Spurgeon? How did those hymns make it into 495 00:35:45,760 --> 00:35:48,760 his preaching? It was through his grandmother. 496 00:35:50,000 --> 00:35:52,320 Here's a trick for grandma's if you're if you're listening. 497 00:35:52,520 --> 00:35:55,920 When Spurgeon was a young boy, his grandmother offered to pay 498 00:35:55,920 --> 00:35:59,880 him a penny for each Isaac Watts hymn that he memorized. 499 00:36:00,480 --> 00:36:03,920 But he was so good at memorization that she eventually 500 00:36:03,920 --> 00:36:06,720 had to downgrade the deal or she feared she'd go bankrupt. 501 00:36:07,320 --> 00:36:12,120 And that love of hymns, that love of Isaac Watts hymns 502 00:36:12,120 --> 00:36:15,000 remained with Spurgeon. And it even bled into others 503 00:36:15,200 --> 00:36:17,280 like Charles Wesley, like we sang earlier. 504 00:36:17,880 --> 00:36:21,600 And Spurgeon said of himself, he said, no matter what topic I was 505 00:36:21,600 --> 00:36:26,200 preaching, I could always in the middle of any sermon, quote some 506 00:36:26,200 --> 00:36:29,680 verse of a hymn in harmony with the subject. 507 00:36:30,960 --> 00:36:33,920 That's not a gift I have personally, I'm, I don't possess 508 00:36:33,920 --> 00:36:35,120 that. But Spurgeon did. 509 00:36:35,600 --> 00:36:38,440 And you can trace it back to his grandmother. 510 00:36:39,280 --> 00:36:42,440 Godly grandmothers are a great gift. 511 00:36:43,320 --> 00:36:46,240 Godly mothers are a great gift too. 512 00:36:47,800 --> 00:36:50,560 And yet, sadly, when you look at our current cultural climate, 513 00:36:52,720 --> 00:36:57,560 they whisper to women that being a mom is a wasted life. 514 00:36:58,880 --> 00:37:02,040 Our current cultural climate says that children are problems 515 00:37:02,040 --> 00:37:06,680 to be prevented, that beauty and financial freedom should be 516 00:37:06,680 --> 00:37:10,080 chased after. Instead, it says that motherhood 517 00:37:10,080 --> 00:37:14,640 is too costly, it's too burdensome, it's too inefficient 518 00:37:14,640 --> 00:37:18,320 economically. And you can hear the chorus in 519 00:37:18,320 --> 00:37:21,680 an article published by Bloomberg in 2022. 520 00:37:21,680 --> 00:37:27,360 It's titled Women who stay single and don't have kids are 521 00:37:27,360 --> 00:37:30,720 getting richer. Now, just so you know, study 522 00:37:30,720 --> 00:37:34,040 after study shows that that's actually not true, but it's what 523 00:37:34,040 --> 00:37:38,800 people believe today. And sadly, this is not just 524 00:37:38,800 --> 00:37:41,200 contained to the cultural climate of the West. 525 00:37:41,440 --> 00:37:43,360 It's the message of the whole world. 526 00:37:43,640 --> 00:37:47,920 The world has imbibed it for across the whole earth, men and 527 00:37:47,920 --> 00:37:52,240 women are not having children. Of course, some want to have 528 00:37:52,240 --> 00:37:57,280 children and they're not able. But the majority across every 529 00:37:57,280 --> 00:38:01,920 continent except Africa, the birth rates are dropping 530 00:38:02,040 --> 00:38:03,960 drastically. That's true in Europe. 531 00:38:04,680 --> 00:38:06,440 It's especially true in East Asia. 532 00:38:06,640 --> 00:38:10,760 It's true in the United States. People aren't having babies. 533 00:38:11,720 --> 00:38:15,360 Why? Because they don't believe that 534 00:38:15,360 --> 00:38:20,640 motherhood and children are blessings, and it's a spiritual 535 00:38:20,640 --> 00:38:26,760 disease that calls what God has said is a blessing a curse. 536 00:38:28,480 --> 00:38:33,000 We'd be foolish friends to think that these ideologies have not 537 00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:36,360 infiltrated the church also. So we need to calibrate our 538 00:38:36,360 --> 00:38:39,280 conscience according to God's Word. 539 00:38:39,640 --> 00:38:43,240 And the apostle Paul gives us an invitation this morning by Holy 540 00:38:43,240 --> 00:38:46,840 Scripture to ponder the great spiritual good of Christian 541 00:38:46,840 --> 00:38:52,120 mothers and grandmothers, moms and grandmas, Happy Mother's 542 00:38:52,120 --> 00:38:54,760 Day. I did not plan this sermon 543 00:38:54,760 --> 00:38:56,840 series in line with Mother's Day, but in God's Providence, 544 00:38:56,840 --> 00:39:01,360 here we are. You are a God-given blessing. 545 00:39:02,960 --> 00:39:06,760 Your work often may seem mundane, but it matters in the 546 00:39:06,760 --> 00:39:12,000 eyes of God. Do not grow weary in doing good. 547 00:39:13,960 --> 00:39:18,920 One way mothers can pass on the faith to the next generation. 548 00:39:19,600 --> 00:39:22,800 It's just a regular time in God's Word with your children. 549 00:39:23,240 --> 00:39:26,320 That's actually what Lois and Eunice did with Timothy. 550 00:39:26,320 --> 00:39:31,000 Paul tells us that in chapter 3. From childhood, Paul says 551 00:39:31,280 --> 00:39:34,760 Timothy's mother nurtured him with the Old Testament 552 00:39:34,760 --> 00:39:40,200 scriptures. So moms, keep laboring to open 553 00:39:40,200 --> 00:39:42,280 the scriptures with your children. 554 00:39:42,600 --> 00:39:46,720 Keep praying for them to come to faith in Jesus Christ. 555 00:39:46,960 --> 00:39:52,960 And remember mothers, as JC Ryall says, do not forget that 556 00:39:52,960 --> 00:39:57,480 children learn more by the eye than they do by the ear. 557 00:39:57,920 --> 00:40:05,560 No school will make such a deep marks on character at home and 558 00:40:05,560 --> 00:40:08,680 church. We have the responsibility to 559 00:40:08,680 --> 00:40:12,760 support mothers and grandmothers, to encourage them, 560 00:40:12,760 --> 00:40:17,120 to praise them, to celebrate their sacrifices, and to pray 561 00:40:17,120 --> 00:40:20,280 for them regularly. Friends, don't fall into the 562 00:40:20,280 --> 00:40:25,760 spiritual pitfall which says that being a mom is a wasted 563 00:40:25,760 --> 00:40:28,760 life. It is a precious life according 564 00:40:28,760 --> 00:40:31,920 to God. But there's also another 565 00:40:32,000 --> 00:40:35,400 cultural pitfall which the church can easily fall into, 566 00:40:35,960 --> 00:40:42,840 which says that being a mom is all that matters, as if those 567 00:40:42,840 --> 00:40:46,200 who are not mothers lack something. 568 00:40:46,560 --> 00:40:49,840 But notice in this text, Paul points to Timothy's grandmother 569 00:40:50,280 --> 00:40:54,600 and his mother as examples of how they passed down the faith 570 00:40:54,880 --> 00:40:57,880 to Timothy. It is a faith Paul says he is 571 00:40:57,880 --> 00:41:01,800 sure dwells in Timothy as well. Paul did. 572 00:41:02,080 --> 00:41:04,680 Paul knows that Timothy did not receive the faith from his 573 00:41:04,680 --> 00:41:07,320 father. Paul himself was Timothy's 574 00:41:07,320 --> 00:41:10,920 spiritual father because his own father was not a believer. 575 00:41:11,680 --> 00:41:18,680 And so for those who long to be mothers but cannot remember, you 576 00:41:18,680 --> 00:41:20,800 can still be a spiritual mother to many. 577 00:41:21,280 --> 00:41:27,760 And that too, sisters, is a life precious to God. 578 00:41:29,280 --> 00:41:32,280 In Christ, every life is precious and valued, 579 00:41:32,520 --> 00:41:35,840 irrespective of your family of origin, irrespective of your 580 00:41:35,840 --> 00:41:39,040 marital status or of the number of children that you have. 581 00:41:41,760 --> 00:41:48,800 Remember Augustine's mother, Monica, She died around age 56. 582 00:41:50,320 --> 00:41:55,240 At her funeral, Augustine tried to fight back his tears, which 583 00:41:55,240 --> 00:41:57,520 was fitting for the cultural moment of the day. 584 00:41:57,680 --> 00:42:01,240 He did not want people to think that his mother would be was to 585 00:42:01,240 --> 00:42:04,160 be pitied. But despite his struggle and his 586 00:42:04,160 --> 00:42:07,480 efforts, he finally let himself grieve. 587 00:42:07,960 --> 00:42:12,920 And as he recalled her godliness and her gentleness and her love, 588 00:42:13,960 --> 00:42:17,280 he wept. In his autobiography, he 589 00:42:17,280 --> 00:42:22,680 reflects on the funeral. He says, I was glad to weep 590 00:42:22,960 --> 00:42:30,600 before you about her. A faithful mother, pass on the 591 00:42:30,600 --> 00:42:33,840 faith to her son, just as the faith was passed down from the 592 00:42:33,840 --> 00:42:38,480 patriarchs to the apostle Paul and from Lois and Eunice to 593 00:42:38,480 --> 00:42:40,760 Timothy. And that's my job as one of the 594 00:42:40,760 --> 00:42:44,320 pastors of this church. It is to prepare this church for 595 00:42:44,320 --> 00:42:47,680 their next pastor, to prepare this church for the next 596 00:42:47,680 --> 00:42:51,560 generation to pass on the gospel, to preserve it and pass 597 00:42:51,560 --> 00:42:55,080 it down to the next generation. And parents, that's your for job 598 00:42:55,080 --> 00:42:58,640 too, to share your faith and pass it down to the next 599 00:42:58,640 --> 00:43:02,960 generation. And church, that is our job, yet 600 00:43:02,960 --> 00:43:05,400 two years old. But we must remember our 601 00:43:05,400 --> 00:43:10,560 responsibility to protect and to preserve the gospel for those 602 00:43:10,920 --> 00:43:14,920 who will come long after us. That's our job. 603 00:43:15,800 --> 00:43:19,720 Second Timothy verses 1 to 5 encourages us that from one 604 00:43:19,720 --> 00:43:25,920 generation to another, God preserves the faith of his 605 00:43:25,920 --> 00:43:27,960 people. Let's pray. 606 00:43:35,730 --> 00:43:44,450 Heavenly Father, we thank you for the promise of the life that 607 00:43:44,450 --> 00:43:51,810 is in Christ Jesus, that even in the midst of death we can have 608 00:43:51,810 --> 00:43:56,810 hope, hope that's only found in our Savior Jesus Christ. 609 00:43:56,810 --> 00:44:01,840 Lord, we pray that we as a church would be faithful to pass 610 00:44:01,840 --> 00:44:07,720 down the faith from one generation to the next until 611 00:44:07,720 --> 00:44:11,680 Christ returns. We pray in Jesus name, Amen.