2 Timothy

[0:00] Seeking the Lord's help, I direct your attention to the second epistle of Paul to Timothy, chapter 4, reading verse 2.

[0:13] The second epistle of Paul to Timothy, chapter 4, reading verse 2. Preach the word, the instant in season, out of season. Reprove, rebuke, exalt with all longsuffering and doctrine.

[0:36] Preach the word, the instant in season, out of season. Reprove, rebuke, exalt with all longsuffering and doctrine.

[0:56] These are the last words of the Apostle Paul. He had come to the end of his journey and he gives to his son in the faith, Timothy, his mature judgment on his own life's work.

[1:29] He had spent his whole life doing what he now, in his final words to Timothy, tells him to do.

[1:45] And he is not averse to pointing out in writing to Timothy, those things which he sees in his son Timothy, which need reproof and rebuke.

[2:08] We see in these epistles that the Apostle Paul goes straight to the point and he speaks to Timothy.

[2:24] And speaks in no uncertain terms regarding his need to preach the word in season and out of season.

[2:44] And he sees in his son Timothy.

[3:14] In the opening part of this second letter, he speaks very clearly. God hath not given us a spirit of fear, he says to Timothy.

[3:28] Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner. Thought in looking at these words that they could have been quite hurtful to Timothy.

[3:44] But the Apostle sees the solemn need of them. And he goes on in the fourth chapter here to speak with great force.

[4:01] I charge thee, he says to Timothy, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing, preach the word.

[4:14] Could anything be clearer? He brings him, as it were, to the very judgment bar of God, who judges the quick and the dead, and will search out every man's work.

[4:34] Preach the word.

[5:04] In another place, the Apostle, in speaking of the ministry and of preaching, he lays down very firmly the solemn truth.

[5:18] How shall they preach, how shall they preach, how shall they preach, except they be sent? Utterly essential for a man to be sent of God, if he is ever to be of any profit in the church.

[5:33] And if there is to be any lasting fruit that will stand when God judges the quick and the dead. And what is preaching? It is not a mere discourse, theologically on a subject, however sound that may be in the letter of the truth.

[5:52] Preaching is something vastly different to that. Wholly different to it. Preaching is the work of those whom God has ordained.

[6:07] Do that work. We see the clarity of this in his words to his servant Jeremiah.

[6:18] Before I formed thee in the womb, I ordained thee a prophet. That is true of all his sent servants. They are ordained of God to the work.

[6:31] And they carry a divine commission. And they are able to say with the psalmist in their hearts, I am thy servant. They speak like their master of whom it was said he spoke as one that had authority.

[6:48] And their word is used in the hearts of those who have an ear to hear. Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. Those who are taught by the Spirit of God.

[7:03] They know when there are those who are preaching who are the servants of God. And they know when there are those who are standing up who are not.

[7:14] I well remember when the Lord was dealing with me in my early days at Leicester. That they had a mingling in that pulpit there.

[7:27] And those who were seeking for their own souls. There were some of us there who were found there was a section of the ministers there.

[7:40] There was no prophet under their ministry whatsoever. And I remember considering these things before God. And coming to the conclusion solemnly.

[7:52] That there were some in the pulpit who were godly men. But they had never been sent to preach. Never been sent to preach. But they were those who had been sent to preach.

[8:06] They were sent of God. There was a power and unction and authority in their word. And the Lord used it in the hearts of his dear people. I remember one dear godly mother in Israel.

[8:20] And when there was a minister in the pulpit. And she was utterly unable to get on with his ministry. She used to come out. And she used to say couldn't hear a word. Couldn't hear a word.

[8:31] She meant there was nothing which touched her soul. And when we come to look here. At the apostle Paul's words to Timothy. Preach.

[8:43] Oh how he knew himself. When he said how shall they preach. That is profit the church. Except they be sent.

[8:54] They must have a divine commission. From God. They must be sent.

[9:05] And we saw it in that chapter we read. Of the sending forth of the apostles. Those dear men of God. Had a commission to preach.

[9:18] They were sent of God. They were his servants. Ordained of him. To the ministry of the holy word of God. And they were to be used.

[9:30] For the benefit of the church. In their day and generation. And they were to preach. And you know. Apostle Paul went on. When he spoke of preaching.

[9:41] When he said. Not only did he say. How shall they preach. Except they be sent. But he said. How shall they hear. Without a preacher. That is a sent servant of God.

[9:54] How shall they hear. And he was speaking then. Not of the outward ear. But of the inner ear. Of those who. Heard the voice of God.

[10:04] Through the lips of his. Sent servants. Oh what a. Divine glory. Shines over. The words of the apostle. As at the end of his.

[10:15] Preaching life. And ministry. He gave this commandment. To his son in the faith. Timothy. Preach the word. He knew.

[10:26] That Timothy. Though he had these. Blemishes as it were. This. Fearful nature. Which he could see in him. Yet.

[10:36] He was sent of Christ. To preach. And the apostle. Speaks with divine authority. To him. That he is to go forth. And do what he has done. Preach. In the.

[10:47] Church of God. And it is preaching. That moves the heart. When it is under the anointing. Of the. Holy Spirit.

[10:58] God sent servants. Are human instruments. In the purposes of God. They are poor. Fallen men. Feeble flesh.

[11:10] Like Timothy. Their hearts. Standing up in the. Pulpit are. Full of fear. And yet. The Lord gives them a place. In the hearts.

[11:21] Of his dear church. But it wasn't only the. Character of the ministry. That Paul had in mind. And the office of the ministry. Which he had in mind here.

[11:33] It was the. Subject of the preaching. That is at the root of our text. Here. Tonight. And what the ministry. The content. Of the ministry.

[11:44] Was to be. And he puts it here. With the. Utmost simplicity. In his dying hour. For this. Directive.

[11:55] To Timothy. Is followed. By these. Solemn words. I am now ready. To be offered up. And the time of my departure.

[12:05] Is at hand. He had gone forth. Under a divine direction. From the day. That the Lord. Called him. And sent him to his knees. In Damascus.

[12:17] There. He had gone forth. And he had preached. Christ. That he is the. Son of God. And he speaks here. To Timothy.

[12:28] In. The utmost simplicity. What we have here. Before we go on. To speak about.

[12:39] The word. Is the connection. Between preaching. And the word. Only. Those. Who are. Ordained.

[12:50] To preach. Of God. Can preach. The word. As the apostle. Speaks it here. Out of the. Knowledge of Christ. In their.

[13:01] Own hearts. How vital. It is. For those. Who. Preach the word. To know Christ. As the apostle. Paul knew him. And as Timothy.

[13:12] Knew him. They are sent. To preach Christ. Out of the. Knowledge. And present. Experience. Of him. In their hearts.

[13:23] They have nothing else. To preach. It is not the theology. Of the scriptures. Not the. Scriptures of truth.

[13:33] They were saying they are. They must. Preach. With authority. If that word. Is to. Reach the hearts. Of those. Who have an ear. To hear. And are discerning.

[13:43] Hearers. They must. Preach. Him. Whom they have known. And this is not. A doctrine. This is a subject. A person.

[13:54] The apostle. Is saying here. To Timothy. Preach. Christ. Preach. Emmanuel.

[14:05] The eternal. Son of God. Incarnate. Preach him. As John. Wrote of him. We beheld. His glory. The glory.

[14:16] Is of the only begotten. Of the father. There can be no. Preaching of him. Without a. Sacred. Knowledge. And experience. Of him. It seems.

[14:29] To me. That. In the simplicity. Of it. What. Dying. Message. The apostle. Paul. Left. With Timothy. It was. To make.

[14:39] Christ. The center. And substance. And subject. Of his ministry. The beginning. And the center. And the end. Always. Throughout.

[14:50] His ministry. This was the. Instruction. He gave him. To preach. Christ. Constantly. In the hearts.

[15:03] Of those. Who heard. And to preach him. In. That way. In which. He revealed. That he knew.

[15:13] Him. Him. Himself. Not. That he knew. About him. But. That he had a. Present knowledge.

[15:23] And experience. Of him. And that he had. Communed. And walked. With Jesus. Here below. And knew him. For himself. And he was.

[15:35] To. Preach him. In the. Love. Of him. In his heart. And the. Knowledge. He had of him.

[15:45] The apostle. Paul. Having. Preached. Him. Goes on. To say. I am now. Ready. To depart. Time.

[15:56] Of my. Departures. At hand. Henceforth. There is. Laid up. For me. A crown. Of righteousness. Which the Lord. The righteous judge. Shall give me.

[16:07] That day. And not. To me only. But to all them. That love his. Appearing. The apostle. Having. Preached him. Here below. Was now. Ready.

[16:17] To go. To be with him. Christ. Had been. To him. A sacred. Blessed. Present. Reality. All his.

[16:28] Journey. Through. All his. Ministry. Through. And he could. Speak of one. Whom he knew. And loved. Who understood him.

[16:38] Whom he had. Communed with. Who had. Spoken to him. And who had been. Precious to him. One whose. Precious blood. He had. Known.

[16:49] In his heart. And soul. One whom he had loved. His instruction to. Timothy. Was quite clear. Preach the word. Preach Christ.

[17:00] As you have. Known him. As John said. In his. General epistle. He speaks. There. In that first chapter.

[17:12] That which was. From the beginning. Which we have heard. Which we have seen. With our eyes. Which we have looked upon. And our hands. Have handled. Of the word of life. For the life.

[17:23] Was manifested. And we have seen it. And bear witness. And show unto you. That eternal life. Which was with the father. And was manifested. Unto us.

[17:34] That which we have seen. And heard. Declare we unto you. That you also. May have fellowship. With us. And truly. Our fellowship. Is with the father. And with his son.

[17:45] Jesus Christ. All the. Sweetness. And blessedness. Which John. Could speak of. As he preached.

[17:56] Christ. He had. Handled. Felt. Seen. It had been revealed. Unto him. And you know. I thought. As I read that.

[18:08] First chapter. And. I read it. For that particular reason. The. Number of people. In that chapter. Who had a. Precious.

[18:18] Knowledge of Christ. And were to preach him. The simplicity. Of the. Ministry. Of John. The. Baptist. Behold. He said.

[18:29] The Lamb. Of God. Which taketh away. The. Sin of the world. Oh. How. In that. Vesed.

[18:39] Knowledge. And. Revelation. Given in the. Heart of John. The Baptist. There was. The fulfillment. Of this. Word. Preach. A word.

[18:51] All how. He proclaimed. Out of the knowledge. Of his own heart. The eternal. Son of God.

[19:02] As that one. Who took away sin. And prepared his. People for glory. But as we look at those. Men of God.

[19:13] In that day. As they. Stood there. With Christ. And. Communed with him. And. Spoke of him. As they did.

[19:24] We see. That it was not only. John. The Baptist. That had such a. Precious sight of him. But we see. That. One after another.

[19:35] These disciples. Had been brought. To have a. Sacred knowledge. Of Christ. And had been brought. To his. Footstool. To.

[19:46] Commune with him. But especially here. How clear. Is the. Case of. Nathaniel. When he was brought. To say. Rabbi. Thou art the.

[19:58] Son of God. Thou art the. King of Israel. All the. Revelation. That was in his heart. And given unto him.

[20:09] The Lord. Constantly. In his lifetime. Revealed himself. In the. Hearts. Of his. Dear servants. These.

[20:19] Dear disciples. Knew the. Lord Jesus Christ. In their own hearts. And under the divine. Commandment of the Lord.

[20:30] They were. Sent forth. To preach him. Preach. The word. Proclaim. That. Glorious truth.

[20:42] That. The. Eternal. Son of God. Has. Come here. Into this world. To die.

[20:53] For sinners. This was the command. To Timothy. The. And the Lord. Speaks it. To his. Dear servants. Today. And calls them.

[21:05] To proclaim. This same. Sacred truth. To speak. Of him. To point.

[21:16] To him. To point. To the. Vital. Need. Of a. Knowledge. Of him. In the heart. To point.

[21:27] To the. Solemn. Fact. That he. That. Hath the son. Hath life. And he. That hath. Not the son.

[21:38] Hath not life. To. Point. To the. Solemn. Nature. Of sin. And. Have a. To.

[22:11] in our conscience oh how solemn it is to have a religion that has as it were everything to it except the hub and heart and core and kernel in the soul has all the outward form and the husk and yet knows nothing of the vital substance of godliness he that hath the Son hath life to be brought into that blessed living union with the eternal Son of God oh how vital is that solemn truth ye must be born again that truth which the Lord taught his servant Nicodemus that without Christ almighty power can do nothing but devour and the solemn nature of dying without him is that we shall be cast into eternal and everlasting burning here the

[23:36] Lord's servant Timothy was exhorted charged before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing in that solemn day to preach the only way of salvation through the finished work of Jesus Christ and to preach not only redemption but redemption applied in the soul that we must be born again that we must be brought to this mercy seat and that we must know the power of the atoning blood of Jesus Christ in our own hearts we must know him we must hear from his own lips and know in our own souls that his precious blood has cleansed our sins and washed them away that we must have communion with him and that we must hear his voice and know that divine revelation in our own hearts and have our eyes opened to view him the eternal son of God that he is our savior our redeemer we must come to the place where the

[25:07] Lord brought his dear servant Job when he could truly say I know that my redeemer live with oh how solemn is fallen religious nature which will settle down in a bed too short a covering too short that which appears right is almost right the outward form of tradition and orthodoxy and never knows that sacred blessing of that atoning blood in the heart satisfied satisfied with the outward form the dress the appearance what others think of us oh how we are to preach the word Christ formed in our hearts the hope of glory we must be brought to the place that Job came to I have heard of thee he said in the end of his book

[26:09] I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear that's one thing but now mine eyes seeth thee and that is what is spoken of here now mine eyes seeth thee I know that my redeemer liveth I know that he is my redeemer my God why when the Lord came to deal with his dear servant Thomas who said he wouldn't believe unless he saw the Lord dealt with him in such a way of rebuke and reproof for that solemn statement that he brought him to that most glorious of all places where in humility and confession the word Christ Jesus was revealed in his heart and before his God as his redeemer and saviour and he could truly speak of that sacred possession my Lord and my

[27:14] God that is the vital point of that meeting between Thomas and his Lord the end the fruit of it that the Lord sealed in his heart my Lord my God when he dealt with Peter after his denial of him with oaths and curses after his resurrection at Galilee and pressed him and pressed him with that word lovest thou me then the vital point was this Christ in his heart the hope of glory and the vital point was this thou knowest and the Lord didn't deny he did know the Lord didn't reject that thou knowest that I love thee thou knowest it's well between my soul and thee thou knowest that thy precious blood has healed my heart and you know

[28:21] Peter speaks of it in his epistle for as much as we know he knew that the precious blood of Christ had washed away his sin that blood of the atonement was precious in his heart and the word Christ Jesus was to him that one upon whom he could rest and upon whom he could die not redeemed with corruptible things he says as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers but for as much as ye know were not redeemed with corruptible things but with the precious blood of

[29:21] Jesus Christ he knew it when the Lord sent his servant Timothy to preach the word it was to preach Christ as the redeemer in every heart of his hearers that they may be brought to a deep exercise of soul that they may have that sacred blessing sealed in their hearts to die upon dear Anne Steele in her hymn in perfect honesty wrote those words my God my father blissful name oh may I call thee mine may I with sweet assurance claim a portion so divine there was a deep personal spiritual exercise in her heart expressed in that hymn that she might know him in her soul what is quite clear is that at that time when she wrote that hymn she hadn't that assurance when you examine the last words that she uttered on her dying bed they were these

[30:41] I know that my redeemer lives in that hour in a dying hour she had come to the blessed place where the word Christ Jesus was her savior and her redeemer and before her him who searches all hearts and know every hypocrisy every deceit every falsehood who distinguishes between the wood hay and stubble and the gold silver and precious stones of the Lord's work and that refers to the ministry other foundation can no man lay than that that is laid which is Christ Jesus if any man build thereon wood hay stubble gold silver precious stones for every man's work that's the ministers shall be tried of what sort it is what have they preached have they preached the only way to glory through the word Christ Jesus have they preached the vital necessity of being brought by the

[31:42] Holy Spirit to the place where we read John came in the first chapter of his gospel we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth he had beheld it he wrote what he knew in his heart the things that he had handled and felt of the good word of life and he died upon them the apostle Paul as he came to die was dying resting upon the word Christ Jesus his ministry in his whole life had been on this one subject the word the Lord Jesus Christ in all his finished work and power he had known him he had walked with him he had communed with him and he had known his voice he had known his healing balm that precious blood in his heart he had known the power of that blood to take away his sins he knew what it was to be as the hymn says ransomed healed restored forgiven who like thee his praise should sing and it's a blessed mercy if under the preaching of the word you come to a place in your heart of exercise where do

[33:12] I stand in these things and it causes a real concern that leads you into wrestling prayer Jesus reveal thyself to me to know him and to know his word in your heart spoken to you his precious blood in your soul his divine promises given to you in your heart not the letter of the truth in the head knowledge of it something vastly different the power of the truth in the sweetness and the life and the softening and sacred influence of it the sacred efficacy of his precious blood which flows out of the truth revealed in the heart leading to Christ him right as speaking of that says law and terrors do but harden all the while they work alone but and here it is a sense of blood bought pardon soon will melt a heart of stone we see there the work of God in his almighty power law and terrors known in the heart have you known it they do harden they lead a soul into fear and darkness and to a place where they know that nothing but the extension of that scepter of mercy to them can ever heal them and deliver them from that hardness but a sense of blood bought pardon oh what a glorious thing that is preach the word

[35:02] I preach to you tonight a sense a knowledge a revelation of blood bought pardon what is the effect of it it will melt a heart of stone have you known in your soul what it has been for that blood bought pardon to flow into your heart and break it melt it soften it take away that heart of stone and give a heart of flesh a heart that weeps to the praise of the mercy you found the Lord does us deals with his dear church he comes to her and you know the apostle Paul sent Timothy to preach a sense of blood bought pardon he knew it the apostle Paul all his journey through he knew that sacred atoning love and blood in his own heart from the moment the Lord dealt with him on the road to Damascus and brought him to his knees broken blind beautifully described when the

[36:18] Lord spoke to Ananias go thy way he is a chosen vessel unto me I will show him what great things he must suffer for my name sake the Lord said behold he prayeth put his finger on the blessedness of that work of grace in his heart and it was the foundation of the ministry of the apostle Paul that he knew a sense of blood bought pardon he knew what it was to be brought down and that hard religious nature was melted in tears of contrition brokenness of heart and brokenness of spirit in the street called straight and he prayed and what did he do he rose and preached straightway that Jesus is the Christ he knew him he knew the power of the work of Christ in his own soul he knew the sweetness of atoning love and blood it had melted his heart broken his spirit and he could say so truthfully as he did for me to live is Christ a knowledge of him and to die is going

[37:36] I preach to you this night as the apostle gave that command to Timothy I would preach to you the word Christ Jesus he is our only hope we read of him in the gospel of John so beautifully and clearly regarding the work of the word the same was in the beginning with God all things were made by him and without him was not anything made that was made we see here that the word was the eternal son of God in the dawn of creation who said let there be light and we see that creator of this universe descend into the womb of the virgin

[38:39] Mary and come under the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit to take into union with his sacred deity a holy spotless body and soul dutifully we read in the epistle of the Hebrews regarding him behold him to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and a faithful high priest in things pertaining to God he entered this earth as Emmanuel God with us he took not on him the nature of angels but he took on him the seed of Abraham body and soul united to his deity and he went to the cross of Calvary there to offer himself a sacrifice for sin and the apostle

[39:42] Paul in his epistle to the Hebrews in the ninth chapter the tenth chapter he speaks of this mighty work this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever sat down on the right hand of God from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool for by one offering hath he perfected forever them that are sanctified when the apostle Paul told Timothy to preach the word he told him to preach the eternal son of God incarnate in his vicarious sacrifice upon the cross of Calvary to take away sin and it was not done in a vacuum it was done for his church and it was done to be known by them it was done to be experienced in their hearts and it is blessedly experienced in their hearts when the apostle Paul came to die he was dying resting on what he had preached the eternal son of

[40:57] God incarnate who had died to take away his sins and had opened the door of heaven for his dear servant preach the word be instant in season and out of season just one word I see the time has gone on this but you know God's servants are human they are indeed they are but they are only they are nothing more or less than human instruments in the purposes of God they are poor fallen creatures there are seasons when they stand up to preach and the Lord is with them feelingly sweetly and touches their hearts where there is liberty but there are other seasons when they are called to stand up to preach and they feel as dark and hard and as barren as they can feel the Lord commands as the apostle Paul knew this situation that they are to preach in the season and out of season whether they feelingly are walking with the

[42:13] Lord or whether they are walking in darkness in their own hearts yet the Lord commands them to go forth and constantly preach the word preach Jesus that he is the son of God the savior of his people and to direct the eyes of his seeking people to the cross at Calvary and to that one offering for sins forever and to charge them that they rest not short of a sacred knowledge of that eternal love and blood in their own hearts that they settle down not in a quiet orthodoxy of going in and out of the house of God with regularity and resting upon anything except Christ oh how vital that we know him it won't matter whether our parents were godly parents that will not save us we must be brought to that place to know him for ourselves and we must be brought to that place where his atoning blood has washed our sins away preach the word be instant in season reprove rebuke exalt says the apostle with all long suffering and doctrine for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but after their own lust shall heap to themselves teachers having itching ears errors will creep into the church heresies we are told must needs come that they that are approved may be made manifest all the day will manifest those who rest in the eternal son of

[44:20] God incarnate those who rest in that one offering for sins forever when thou shalt make we read his soul an offering for sin he shall see his see sacred offering of the soul of Christ and we read in the epistle to the Hebrews of the offering of his body upon the cross of Calvary and we see there in his death that separation of body and soul in his dying hour when he laid down his life that he might take it again blessed union of the deity and humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ in the salvation of his dear people preach the word the eternal son of

[45:24] God incarnate amen