2 Timothy

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[3:12] Oh, boon Gestiler, hold the stand behind.

[3:34] The words which I trust the Lord will enable me to make a few remarks will be found in Paul's second epistle to Timothy the fourth chapter the sixth and two following verses Paul's second epistle to Timothy the fourth chapter the sixth and the two following verses For I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand I have fought a good fight

[4:36] I have finished my course I have kept the faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto all them also that love is appearing what a wonderful word to be brought and taught by the Holy Spirit where one can say out of a full heart I am now ready and yet this is how we all should be but are we ready are we ready to meet that great judge of all the earth it's one thing to say we are ready it's another thing to be brought under the influence of the Holy Spirit and to feel the effects of that precious blood of Christ upon our consciences cleansing us from all our guilt and all our unrighteousness and giving us that sweet assurance of faith where we can say beyond all doubt

[6:16] I am now ready but how much one has to be brought into before we shall ever be able to say this I believe that there are those who have a false religion who may feel that they are ready little do they know anything of the fight little do they know of the warfare little do they know of their own need of cleansing little do they know what eternity holds for them but Paul who was one originally a very devout Christian one who was admired by himself and also by those around him for his zeal in his cause but how

[7:25] God in his mercy stopped him and you see how easy it is to have a form of religion to be so so zealous in it that we could even persecute the people of God and this was the case of Paul but here we can see the mercy of God here we can see the sovereignty of God and how God taught him how he led him and how he brought him to this very spot for I am now ready now ready oh it's a wonderful spot to be brought into man is not very often brought into this place where he can truly say that he's ready we need so much to be done for us before we are ready for such an event as this once this event comes upon us there will be nothing else that we can do there can be no more preparation there can be no more crying unto the Lord for mercy there can be no more reading the word of God there will be no more doing of those things which we ought to do but are we ready for I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand

[9:11] I wonder how many of us if we were brought face to face realizing that death would be ours in a matter of moments or hours how we would face it we know not so many have been called suddenly out of this world and we must all appear before the judgment seat of God all of us to give an account of the deeds done in the body and all our zeal all our outward show of religion all our talk will be of no avail in that day that won't make us ready but what a mercy if by the grace of God we've been brought to see one who is a sufficiency for all our needs if we've been brought to realize that there is a God in heaven who can make us ready for this great event and not only make us ready for it but to come to us in such a way that we can boldly face it yea that we can look forward to that time as Paul has said on more than one occasion how he longed for that time he said

[10:49] I desire to depart and be with Christ which is far better for me to live is Christ to die is gain for I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand departure from this sinful world think of it departure from self departure from this earthen vessel departure from all the trials and the conflicts of the way departure from the temptations of Satan departure of all the powers of evil because Paul had such a wonderful insight he had such a wonderful faith in his God he could see what this departure meant it would be as it were as we have just sung a bird as it were let loose as undoubtedly

[11:58] Paul was viewing with the wings of faith that which was before him although doubtless he knew of the suffering which he would have to pass through before this departure was completely effective he had no fears with regard to that but he had this prospect for I am now ready ready to pass through anything ready to pass through pain and suffering ready to be martyred if necessary so that my departure may be brought about and yet how we shrink from pain and suffering how we shrink as it were at the thought of death how sometimes as we walk into a hospital ward and see a corpse carried from a bed how we recoil as it were and yet when the faith of God is within our hearts when we get a touch of that blessed redeemer when he comes and softens our heart and all our sin and all our corruption all our unbelief all our fears they have gone in a moment and we believe that we can say with

[13:22] Paul for I am now ready I believe that unless I am terribly deceived I had a touch of this last Saturday morning just a moment just a fleeting glance when on the previous day how everything not something everything seemed to be in such a state where one was ready to give everything up and then what a difference when the Lord comes you see one is brought to be ready one is brought submissive it is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good God what a mercy of you and I by the grace of God when our time comes that we might be found ready am I made a real Christian watched in the

[14:25] Redeemer's blood have I union with the church's living head I have fought a good fight so many Christians today they have such a wonderful religion they know nothing of this fighting but there is a warfare and Paul knew something of this warfare and when he says I have fought a good fight he doesn't mean that he has fought this battle himself it's been a good fight because it was for a good cause it was a good fight because he had a good God with him in the fight but it was not a good fight to his flesh if you don't know anything of the fight the warfare within it

[15:29] I doubt whether you're ready yet but I believe all the Lord's people to a greater or lesser degree are brought to know something of the inward conflict Paul knew that as he was stopped on the Damascus road when that light from heaven shone within his heart and showed him what he was he said what must I do to be saved what must I do and that's just how our carnal reasoning works what must I do there may be one here tonight saying what must I do to get myself ready for this great day mercifully the Lord hasn't left anything for his people to do not a thing but how there is that warfare and I believe that all the

[16:35] Lord's people and all the Lord's servants know something of this warfare this fight but though hosts of enemies rise up to fill us with dismay the Lord will make his goodness pass before us in the way why it is during this fight that we prove the Lord's goodness to us it is during this fight that we prove that this God is a living God it is during this fight that we know that this God is our God we realize that this God has a personal knowledge of us and not only has he a personal knowledge of us he has a personal knowledge of our enemies he has a personal knowledge of those who are against us he knows the weapons that they use but you see their weapons are carnal carnal reasoning carnal wisdom but you see the weapons of our warfare are not carnal said

[17:41] Paul oh what a mercy it is when God fights for his people it's a good fight when you can see as it were your enemy subdued when you can see as it were the whole host and the law so comes and blesses your soul and gives you to realize that he is your God that he is fighting your battles for you and there is a little finger everything is under his control oh I'm now ready when I can see these things and see that my God has my life my future and everything in his wise hands that he's left nothing to me whatever and that anything which may come into my life and my experience although it may be painful although it may be displeasing to my flesh yet my God has permitted it it's all as it were in this fight and sometimes in a warfare one as it were shows themselves to the enemy to draw attack and I believe sometimes the

[19:02] Lord allows his people to be brought to be to draw attack so that the powers of warfare may be seen and known and felt now the child of God as he sees these powers coming toward him and he seems hemmed in on every side there seems to be no way of escape for him the Lord appears now the Lord appeared for the children of Israel in the eleventh hour the Lord appears for all his people just at the right moment you come to that place where you feel you cannot take another step now these things are hid from the wise and prudent yesterday we were speaking to our own people with regard to that path there is a path which no foul knoweth and the vultures

[20:09] I have not seen that hidden way but in that path you see it is that path of safe retreat where the Lord leads his people into now he says I have fought a good fight if we fight our own battles if we use our own wisdom we shall never fight a good fight but Paul had a good God to stand by him in all his troubles and do you know anything of this same God that Paul had do you know what it is to be brought to realize your own weakness your own inability to do anything do you know what it is sometimes to feel as if you're being crushed as a moth it seems that the whole world is against you and then in the midst of it all the Lord comes he speaks a word to you or he may not even speak a word he may come and just take possession of your heart he may quieten as it were your mind he can turn your affections away from the things of

[21:43] God away from the things of earth to the things of God he gives you as it were a token of faith whereby you're able to look beyond your immediate circumstances circumstances and you have such a persuasion there's no doubt there's no fear there's no ifs or buts you have such a persuasion that this God is your God David knew it when he said this God is our God he shall be our guide even down to death now we may have many fears with regard to death but I'm sure of this that if we are the Lord's people we should be ready whenever that time may come

[22:45] I've heard it said well I'm far from ready I need this to be done I need the other to be done before I'm ready if the Lord could create the whole of this universe in seven days he can make a backsliding wayward soul ready for eternity in the twinkling of an eye how we limit as it were the power of God but even this is part of the warfare we wouldn't rest upon the Lord putting matters right for us in a matter of a moment but rather would we come before him and say assure my conscience of her part in the redeemer's blood and bear thy witness with my heart that I am born of God for the time of my departure is at hand

[23:47] I have fought a good fight I have finished my course there was a certain course which was set for Paul and Paul undoubtedly had had a view according to that word which God gives us in Deuteronomy thou shalt remember all the way that the Lord hath led thee I have heard it said that when people are drowning their life as it were comes to them in a matter of moments the mind as it were travels right back to their childhood and their life runs before well that may be that may not be but could it be that Paul had had a view of the mercy the compassion the protecting care of

[24:47] God toward him right throughout his life as he could see the course of providence and the course of grace so beautifully woven together that he could see all the goodness of the Lord toward him in such a way which caused him to say I am now ready that he saw the course of God leading him from nature's darkness into the glorious liberty of the gospel of the Lord Jesus in opening up unto him his understanding and giving him that truth and enabling him to preach the gospel so faithfully as he did and then to realize that now the end was coming I finished my course the Lord has no further need of me and when the Lord has no further need of his servants sometimes we may be troubled as we see one of the

[25:53] Lord's servants perhaps taken suddenly or to us unexpectedly in the prime of life we can't understand it because the Lord because that one has finished his course the Lord has no further need of him sometimes we may look upon a man and we know one we thought with regard to the late Mr.

[26:21] Durbridge as we saw that man and that little church such a united church and people we couldn't understand why the Lord should suddenly remove him but it may have been that man thought too much of him but it's not for us to pry into the counsels of God it's not for us to say what the Lord's will is in these matters but rest assured of this that he had finished his course and he had kept the faith I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith first of all this is the faith of God's elect this was the faith which he had preached this was the faith which he had kept to in the day in which we live it's so common place for people who have been brought up under the sound of the truth to depart from that faith to go for something which is easier something which is going to be more comfortable something which is going to be more pleasing to the flesh but what a mercy of you and

[27:47] I are brought by faith because if we are brought by faith that is the true gift of God true and living faith we should never depart from the faith but if our religion is a false faith if it is a the end thereof are the ways of death but the ways of God are past finding out but there's such a depth in them there's such a blessedness in them and there's such a sweetness in them that when one is brought into this pathway to see it by faith they come with the words of

[28:56] Moses choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season and then they are brought to this place I have kept the faith now Paul does not mean for a moment that he's done it in and of himself in his own strength Paul was the last who would preach free will or even intimate at free will but he was looking back at the goodness of the Lord toward him what the Lord had done kept by the power of God I continue unto this day for I am now ready I have kept the faith hence forth he was looking into the future what a mercy of you and I can leave the past and look into the future hence forth whatever we've been in the past there's much that we would like to put right but we never shall be able to that's finished we can never put those wrongs right as much as we would desire to many things which have come into our life in the past we can ever alter they're finished but hence forth there is a future and to look as it were hence forth and here

[30:39] Paul was looking forward hence forth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness this indicates that Paul felt his need of it Paul valued this it was something which he anticipated something which he hoped for yea which he knew was there it was laid up a crown of righteousness one would have thought that Paul with all his experience with his ministry and the way in which the Lord had favoured him in the ministry one would have thought that he was a very righteous man well indeed he was in the eyes of God but in his own eyes no

[31:39] Paul was known to say this oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death and now you see this was all beginning to open up to him he could see now that he was going to be shortly delivered from the body of this death henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness works of righteousness I have none all polluted is my breast yet I weary am I know and the weary long for rest and so you see Paul could see henceforth how often do we come with Paul and say henceforth how often do you and I look into the future how often do I you and

[32:43] I look as it were beyond the grave if in this life only we have hope we are of all men most miserable what is this life to the child of God what is there to be gained in it what can one expect henceforth in this world only that things will wax worse and worse there is no future whatever in this world and if we are taught by the spirit we should soon be brought to realize the emptiness of it but what a mercy if we can say henceforth it matters it matters not what may happen to our own immediate circumstances but henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness it's not in my possession yet

[33:49] I don't feel to be righteous yet but I'm persuaded of this that it's laid up for me and it's kept in very good care as yet it's not been permitted to be placed upon my head but I must depart I must put off this corruption and put on incorruption before this crown can be placed upon my head but which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day the Lord the righteous judge when thou my righteous judge shall come to take thy ransomed people home shall I amongst them stand shall such a worthless worm as I who sometimes am afraid to die be found at thy right hand yes the righteous judge the only one who is able to make us righteous and prepare us for this crown of righteousness imputed righteousness you see all the works of righteousness which we have all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags but oh to have that righteousness of God that imputed righteousness the righteous judge and the

[35:32] Lord he knows our need and he can judge how we need it sometimes you know we look upon him as a righteous judge in such a wrong light we look upon him as being a judge who will condemn us who will have no mercy upon us but if you have been brought to realize my friend the filthiness of your righteousness if you've been brought to feel the need of your righteousness before you dare leave this life he is the righteous judge and he can judge those who are taught by the Holy Spirit to know their need of a righteousness he has such judgment that he knows poor guilty wretched sinners he knows those who are in need of this crown of righteousness he knows those who would value it most a self righteous

[36:45] Pharisee has already got his own crown of righteousness but it's self righteousness he has his own ropes of righteousness but you see there are those whose best is stained and died with sin their all is nothing worth but you see this crown of righteousness was laid up it was laid up henceforth there is laid up for me oh I like that I like that laid up for me this is ever come home does it strike a chord within your heart whilst we read this perhaps with regard to Paul but as we look back upon Paul's experience as we felt as it were sometimes to go hand in hand with Paul through the scriptures through the epistles and as we look to

[37:47] Paul's present state I am now ready and then this crown is laid up for me oh it's a wonderful thing to be brought by faith to believe it for me what an assurance what a deathbed testimony to leave such a word as this behind and not only leave it behind but also that it might be recorded in the word of God that it might be used for our own comfort encouragement at that day and then he says there might be some here tonight who can't come with Paul you can't come into the experiences you feel that you've been left out you feel that you've never had this faith you feel that you've never been able to say with

[38:51] Paul that I'm now ready to be offered but he says and not to me only not to me only but unto all them also that love is appearing love is appearing now perhaps then you cannot go side by side with Paul in some of the paths and the places that he went into but do you love the Lord appearing not that has the Lord appearing for them because there are so many today they can tell you how the Lord has appeared for them I've heard some very strange stories from people of how the Lord has appeared for them but I like to hear those who love the Lord appearing for them those who can look back and say well I know the

[39:53] Lord appeared for me there I know it was the Lord because I was brought into such circumstances had I been left to myself I would have taken a totally different course I would never have done so and so but the Lord appeared I remember a time of deep sorrow something which would have crushed me something which would have brought me down to the grave but the Lord appeared the Lord strengthened me the Lord came and showed himself to me as my God the Lord came in such a remarkable way that he brought me out of the miry clay and he set my feet upon a rock the Lord appeared on one occasion when I was about to slip into hell when I felt that I had no power over my own faculties when all I can say is this determined to save he watched all my path when

[40:59] Satan's blind slave I sported with death the Lord appeared and then there was that time when I was so determined to have my fill I was so determined to leave the ways of God I was so determined to go my own way but the Lord appeared and the Lord hedged up my path and how the Lord appears in various ways sometimes he appears by bringing distress upon his people there is that black sheep dog of affliction which the Lord sends as it were to his people to keep them under control but the Lord appears the Lord appears and how he brings these very circumstances and how some of the Lord's people have been permitted as it were to go almost to the very brink but the

[42:04] Lord appeared but unto all them also that love that love is appearing now when the Lord then appears to his people he always appears in love he appears I know in various times by bringing trials and distresses but there is love placed upon them all and the child of God at times is brought to believe it and realize that whatever the Lord lays upon him it is the Lord enthroned in light whose claims are all divine who has an undisputed right to govern me and mine but as one can see and look back the Lord appears and shows you as he did with Paul undoubtedly here when he says

[43:06] I'm now ready that's what the child of God loves when he feels that union and communion with his God when he feels that oneness when he feels that he's the effects of that precious blood upon his conscience when he feels that God has prepared him he's watched him that he's cast all his sins in the depth of the sea when he can say there's not one who can stand before me now because thou art the righteous judge and thou knowest Lord thou knowest all things thou art my redeemer thou art my God for I am now ready now if we love his appearing whilst here below should not we be looking forward to that appearing should not we be ready waiting for it that appearing when he will come and never depart again don't we shall always be with him one said more frequent let his visits be or let them longer last and here we are as it were afraid of his final appearing if you have an appearing the

[44:29] Lord appears to you in love and softens thy hard heart dispels thy unbelief gives you a touch of precious faith as it were to look beyond the grave then your love his appearing and your long for his appearing when shall the day dear Lord appear that I shall mount to dwell above this will be your song this will be your desire when will it be it cannot be quick enough it cannot come soon enough because the Lord has appeared I'm now ready to be offered up it's a wonderful thing to be brought into the realisation of the living God to be brought into that place where the love of God is a living reality to you so many today they seem to have a religion which is a fantasy something which they've learned perhaps from a child something they've read about but there's no experience in it there's no life in it it's a form no reality and this is what

[45:52] I fear more than anything it's so easy to become formal I'd like to be shod of all formality I know that formality is good and we must have it but I wish to be free from all formality and I'd rather have a little reality however small it is so that when we come to the end of the journey we can say for I'm now ready I'm now ready so many in a form of religion they say they're ready and the first eight they get they're off to the doctor they're afraid they're going to die they do anything you see because death's before them but what a mercy it is when we can look as it were the stake or the fire or the spear because

[46:58] Paul was and he was able to say for I'm now ready to be offered offered whatever way the Lord sees fit whatever the Lord sees fit this is the way the Lord has ordered my course through this life and now he's going to offer as it were my body think of it your body in the hands of the Lord Paul was so submissive he was offering his body as it were to the Lord he had such faith he could see everything was in the Lord's hands I'm now ready to be offered do you think your religion will end like this it's the end that's going to count it doesn't matter what we are in the eyes of others it doesn't matter one iota what others think of us the chief concern is this what's going to happen when we come to the end are we going to be ready are we going to be made ready will we in that moment be brought to realise that Christ is our redeemer and our all and the more i go on the more i realise my own weaknesses and my own inability to bring forth any good and this makes me value more and more the righteousness of the lord jesus the completeness the completeness of the work of redemption and what a mercy it is that the lord hasn't left anything for you and i to do but how we would rejoice in the gospel speed free sovereign unmerited grace for poor lost wretched sinners and how the lord brings his people various ways but he always brings them down to this it matters not who they are they'll all be brought to this every one of the lord's poor tried afflicted people for i am now ready for i am now ready we often say that in the word of god there is very little to indicate the dying testimonies of the lord's people we read that they died and were buried and people make so much today of what a person says in their last moments and sometimes words are put into their mouths but here we have recorded in the word of god the last testament of a dear servant of the lord and what a comfort it is to know that after all his ministry after all

[51:00] his fightings and as he fought with the beasts at ephesus the beasts of magic the beasts of idolatry and yet he fought a good fight he fought a good fight for i am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand i have fought a good fight i have finished my course i have kept the faith henceforth there is laid up before me a crown of righteousness which the lord the righteous judge shall give me given freely the gift of god which he will give me at that day and not to me only but unto all them also that love his appearing love his appearing when did he last appear to you the lord doesn't appear to his people so often he didn't appear many times to his own blessed disciples once he was taken from them for what a mercy if the lord has appeared to you once or twice and if it can be said of you truthfully that you love his appearing for then there is that crown of righteousness laid up for you can you truly say

[52:39] I love to meet amongst them now and at his gracious feet to bow though vilest of them all can I bear the piercing thought what if my name should be left out when thou for them shalt call or prevent prevent it by thy grace be thou dear lord my hiding place in this the accepted day then loudest of the crowd I'll sing while heaven's resounding mansions ring with shouts of sovereign grace I am now ready or what a word may we as it were with our last expiring breath his loving kindness sing in death amen amen thanks will preach here on Monday evening and next week.

[53:56] Let us close with hymn number 471 June 8-3 Prepare me, gracious God to stand before thy spirit must have worked before and for it is all the prayer.

[54:34] 471 June 8-3 Prepare me, gracious God to stand before thy face thy spirit thou'st work ofemen he said Thank You.

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[58:27] Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen