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Title: Worthy of suffering Text: II Timothy 2:8-13 FCF: We often struggle in the Christian life to endure suffering and trial. Prop: Because the gospel of Christ is worth suffering for, we must continually cling to the truth of the gospel. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to II Timothy 2. Last week, Paul came back to some key concepts he mentioned Chapter 1. In different words now in chapter 2 Paul gives Timothy the same commands as before. He tells him to be ready to suffer for the sake of the gospel. Through illustrations he emphasizes that the Christian life is full of struggle. It is full of suffering. Not just the suffering of sickness, and pain, such is the human experience, but mostly suffering for the sake of the gospel of Christ. Paul is saying all this knowing that he is about to ask Timothy to join him in Rome. The place of his current confinement. Paul is calling on Timothy to suffer for Christ, not in the theoretical someday, but in the practical and close future. Having stated this, Paul now turns to emphasize how the gospel is worthy of suffering, both in its truth and in is promises. In its correctness and in its reward the gospel is worthy to proclaim despite the cost. The gospel is worthy to be clung to, no matter what. This is where Paul takes us next. He will show us that suffering for the gospel is a fitting activity for those who are in Christ. I’ll start reading again in verse 1 of chapter 2. I am reading from the NET starting on page 1342 if you are in the pew bible, otherwise follow along in the version you have. Transition: I listened to a sermon recently. In it, the preacher conveyed a short illustration that I would like to use also. A friend of the famous martyr Jim Elliot once flew with a pilot over the site in Ecuador where Jim Elliot was killed. As they flew overhead, the pilot said “That is where Jim died.” The friend replied, “No it isn’t.” The pilot, somewhat taken aback said, “Yes, it is , I was the one who flew him here and collected his body after. That is where he died.” The friend said, No. I was with Jim when he died. It was in a little church in the US several years ago. He was crucified with Christ that day. It wasn’t him that was living after that. It was Christ living in him. To understand the gospel, and to truly know Jesus Christ in a personal way, is to have been crucified with Christ, yet live because Christ lives in us. So with Paul I say… I.) The gospel of Christ is worth suffering for, so we must keep the gospel at the front of our minds. (8-10) a. [Slide 2] 8 – Remember Jesus Christ, i. Paul calls on Timothy to exercise his memory. He calls on Timothy to recollect all that Paul has taught him regarding Jesus Christ. ii. The teaching he is supposed to entrust to faithful people who are competent to teach others also… the teaching that he heard in the presence of many others as witnesses, this teaching is… Jesus Christ. iii. About this Jesus Christ Paul wants to highlight two truths. iv. As we head into both of these items we need to recognize the order that Paul sets the title Jesus Christ. v. While I will say, that in most contexts, the difference between saying Christ Jesus and Jesus Christ is probably negligible. It seems that in this text it is done with purposeful intention. vi. Christ as we know is not Jesus’ surname, but is a transliteration of the Greek word Cri;stoV which means anointed one or Messiah. vii. So when we say Christ Jesus we mean, The anointed one of God, Jesus. And when we say Jesus Christ, we are saying Jesus, the anointed one of God. viii. In subtle nuance it is generally accepted that placing Christ first gives slight emphasis on His deity, and placing Jesus first places slight emphasis on His humanity. ix. In our previous 7 verses, Paul uses the name Christ Jesus. x. In that section Christ is the source of grace for us, He is our commander, he is our prize. These are all roles of authority and divinity. xi. And so, when Paul switches to Jesus Christ in the middle of this and then back again in verse 10– it is a subtle indication to Timothy and us that Paul is going to shift his focus from Jesus the son of God to Jesus the son of man. xii. So, as we move forward here, we need to pay particular attention to the humanity of Christ and His work in that humanity. Since Paul is calling on Timothy to suffer, we should also view Christ’s work through that lens. When we do, we see Paul make an powerful point. xiii. So right off the bat, before we move on, what do we need to remember about Jesus, this God-Man, who was the anointed one of God? xiv. What was He anointed to do? 1. He was anointed to be our Savior. 2. He was anointed to conquer sin. 3. He was anointed to be our prophet to teach us the ways of God and our priest to keep us clean of sin. 4. He was anointed to be the hope of the nations. 5. He was anointed to bring us into peace with God. xv. Jesus’ humanity is central to His salvific work. If He was not truly human – our sins still condemn us, and God must still rightfully judge us for them. If He was not truly human – we have no prophet to teach us the truth of God’s Word, and we have no priest to represent us before God. xvi. But what else must we remember about Jesus, the Messiah of God. b. [Slide 3] Raised from the dead, i. This is a HUGE statement for SOOOOO many reasons. ii. First, this is a fairly large stumbling block for Jews. Why? Because God cannot die. iii. It also brings up some pretty heady theological issues for US. If Jesus is God and Man. 100% of each. How could He die? iv. Is it possible for God to die? Of course not. For God to die would mean the universe would cease to exist. For God the Son to die would mean the universe would implode. v. So how is it that Jesus died? vi. His divine nature allowed his human nature to die. Again – the necessity of Jesus being human. vii. A second rather large item in this is that the Greek for this says something to the effect of “having been raised from dead ones” raised is a participle and dead is plural. What does this mean? 1. First, that Paul wants Timothy to remember Jesus as the “having been raised” one. As much as we love the cross and should speak of it often – any image of Jesus hanging there still is fundamentally opposed to how Paul commands Timothy to remember Jesus. He is not the dying savior. He is not the dead Savior. He is the risen Savior. Our crosses should always be empty along with our tombs. Because Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Paul wants to emphasize the risen-ness of Christ. He is a living Savior. This has particular significance as Timothy is being called to suffer for the gospel. The fact that Christ is the firstborn among many brothers to rise from the dead, gives Timothy hope that to suffer for His name is not to suffer in vain. 2. Second, when Paul uses this phrase “from the dead” dead is plural here. What does this mean? a. I’ve wrestled with this and in some ways, still am, but I think I am fairly confident that when Paul says that Jesus was raised from the dead – to get the full picture – we should translate this “having been raised out from among the dead” b. In the 1st century most people believed in a spiritual realm where your soul was imprisoned after you died. Even many Jews believed this. With that backdrop, Paul is saying that Jesus’ spirit broke out of this realm. Or rather, that he was broken out of this prison. c. What does this mean? That Jesus as the human anointed one of God would experience death in every way that a human would. Not only pain and agony, not only his body expiring, Not only his body being buried in the earth but also his human spirit descending into the realm of the dead. But the realm of the dead had no power over Him. Why? Because He was not JUST a man –He was GOD! The true and eternal master of the realm of the dead. d. And so, God has freed us from death, he has freed us from Satan. By Jesus being raised up from among the dead, he has provided for us a path in that all that are in Christ are raised up with Him. e. And so, for us, death has died. It has lost its sting. It is not a prison, but rather it is merely a gate we must walk through to go into His presence. viii. Remember Jesus… the conqueror of death, the curse breaker, the firstborn among many brethren. c. [Slide 4] A descendant of David; i. Since he has been raised up from among the dead, he is now an eternal King. ii. The order Paul puts these two truths in is, perhaps, significant. Remember that he is raised and that He is still a descendant of David. This affirms Christ’s continued existence as the God-Man. He is still united in two natures. It also paves the way for the Davidic Covenant to be fulfilled. iii. Inherent in this teaching is that He is Lord of all. All things are under His feet or are being put under His feet. iv. He is the King of the Jews, the covenant keeper, the fulfillment of many promises. He is the future for Israel. He is their redemption and their hope. He is the spring that will rise up in Jerusalem. They will remember the one whom they have pierced and they will mourn in repentance. v. It also means that He will come again. For to be raised from among the dead and be a descendant of David is to be the King forever. To reign over the whole of God’s people. vi. Jesus, an actual, physical descendant of David, fulfills all of this. d. [Slide 5] Such is my gospel, i. The message that Paul has preached – this good news – this saving faith – is that Jesus has conquered sin and death and is the living King of all things. ii. This is significant groundwork for Paul to lay because the primary false teachers Timothy is opposing in Ephesus, which Paul will be addressing before the end of the chapter, not only are living lawbreaking lives but have concluded that the resurrection of all the dead has already occurred. iii. Meaning that the church is currently in the full-kingdom state and are free to live as they wish, possibly even concluding that if Christ is King, and they are able to do something, then it must be ok since He would stop it if it were not ok. iv. So, Paul begins with this groundwork that Christ has been raised and that He is King. But he will still deny the conclusions of these false teachers. More on that in the coming weeks. e. [Slide 6] 9 – for which I suffer hardship to the point of imprisonment as a criminal, i. These simple truths that mean much deeper things are the reason that Paul has been imprisoned. ii. They are the reason he has been regarded as a criminal. iii. Yes, HE is bound…but if death could not hold CHRIST… f. [Slide 7] But God’s message is not imprisoned! i. Jesus, the message of God cannot be imprisoned in any Roman cell if even the realm of the dead could not keep Him. ii. Jesus the gospel of God cannot be bound. g. [Slide 8] 10 – So I endure all things for the sake of those chosen by God, i. So, Paul endures everything he has for the sake of those chosen by God. ii. Why? iii. If God would not spare His own Son. If the Son submitted to the will of the Father for the sake of His beloved, for the sake of His chosen ones, to suffer and die for them… iv. Should Paul endure anything less? Should it be a great tragedy for Paul to suffer for Christ’s chosen bride? v. Indeed, there is but one choice. To endure for the sake of the elect. vi. To what end? h. [Slide 9] That they too may obtain salvation in Christ Jesus i. Paul makes it plain, that the elect to which He speaks are both those who have confessed Christ already and those who have not. ii. Paul’s mission has always been to find God’s people. iii. And just as Christ from heaven came to seek and save His bride… so Paul through suffering went to find her also. iv. But not just for conversion – but to the eventual eschatological salvation. The salvation Paul speaks of here most assuredly is salvation in the ultimate sense. Glorification. How do we know? v. He continues… i. [Slide 10] And its eternal glory. i. This is the end of it all. ii. This is the finish line. iii. Not just to be converted into Christ, but to reign with Him. iv. To be wed to Him. v. To inherit what He has. This is the future of the elect of God. And it is a future worth enduring all manner of suffering. j. [Slide 11] Passage Truth: So, Paul’s primary teaching here for Timothy, as he prepares him to suffer for the gospel, is to emphasize to him that the gospel is worth suffering for. He has spent his life suffering for it and even though he is in prison for preaching it – its power continues to ripple through the world. Christ Himself has conquered sin and death. He is the current King. This is the gospel and it is worthy of full adherence. It is worth a little suffering to proclaim for the sake of the elect of God that they may obtain salvation in Christ. k. Passage Application: So, what must Timothy do? Remember. How important is this simple command? Timothy I am calling you to suffer for Christ. How do you prepare for that? Remember who Jesus is. Remember what He has done. Not even death could hold him. He has been raised from among the dead, Timothy. He is now the fulfillment of prophesies made thousands of years ago! He is the Son of David. The Son of Man. The Son of God! Timothy… Such a gospel is worthy of suffering. Remember. Call to mind the gospel of Jesus Christ. l. [Slide 12] Broader Biblical Truth: Looking to the rest of scripture we find that this gospel has been considered worthy of suffering by countless people. Even more as we trace back throughout the history of the church, those recorded and others unrecorded. Countless thousands have been massacred in the most disgusting ways by those who would not believe. IS IT WORTH IT? They certainly thought so. Not because these men and women were living for their best life now! But because they KNEW… that since they had been crucified with Christ, their life did not truly begin… until they were dwelling with Christ in His Kingdom. m. Broader Biblical Application: CBC, how can we prepare to suffer for this gospel? The writing is on the wall my friends. It is only a matter of time before the world rightly recognizes us as a threat to their way of life. We who would dare preach freedom from sin to someone who loves their sin and wants to keep it. Such teaching cannot and will not be tolerated. And the church will either have to equivocate and stop preaching these messages or they will suffer. And make no mistake the teaching of Christ conquering sin and death and being the King of Kings is central to that whole discussion. Christ died to free us of sin, not simply its penalty but its power and eventually its very presence. So how do we prepare ourselves to face certain suffering? Recall Jesus Christ. We must put His person and work at the forefront of our minds. May our days begin and end with a meditation on the God-Man and His conquering of sin and death for us. May our days begin and end with a mediation on His Lordship and Sovereignty over all things. When the beginning and end of our thoughts are tuned to this… suddenly, suffering for His name… is a joy. How could it not be? Transition: [Slide 13(blank)] And so we see that the gospel is worthy of our suffering. And to prepare for it to be so in our lives, we must continually keep the truth of the gospel at the forefront of our minds. But it is not enough to simply recall it. Indeed, we must cling to it. II.) The gospel of Christ is worth suffering for, so we must hold fast to the gospel. (11-13) a. [Slide 14] 11 – This saying is trustworthy: i. Paul will now take the opportunity to synthesize for us all that he has said into another one of his trustworthy sayings. ii. This is our last trustworthy saying of the Pastoral Epistles. iii. And it reads like a poem. This could mean it is a hymn, a creed, a confession, or some kind of well-known saying in the church at the time. b. [Slide 15] If we died with Him, we will also live with Him. i. Inherent in this phrase is the doctrine of substitution. Christ died our death – in the fullest way. So, we are baptized into His death. We die with Him. ii. If we are those who have died with Him… what is true? iii. We will also live with Him. Now what does this mean? iv. This is to be raised into a new life. This is the promised resurrection to come. v. Paul sets this in a future tense. That it has not yet happened. Already Paul begins to chip away at the teaching that the resurrection has already occurred. By putting this statement in the future tense, Paul shows that he is primarily talking about a physical resurrection. vi. Just as Christ has been raised from among the dead, so also, we are now raised spiritually to new life, and will soon be raised from among the dead. c. [Slide 16] 12 – If we endure, we will also reign with Him. i. So, Paul says in this saying that if we endure, if we finish the race, if we fight the good fight, if we keep the faith, then we will also reign with Christ. ii. Just as Christ is a descendant of David and rightful King eternal, so we, His chosen bride, will reign by His side. iii. His words of endurance transports us to the present. If we are enduring… what? iv. We will reign with Him. Again, in the future. We are not reigning with Him now. v. So, Paul says if we died with him (past) and are enduring (present) then We will (future) live and reign with Christ. vi. But now the hymn takes a negative turn. d. [Slide 17] If we deny Him, he will also deny us. i. As we saw in the first chapter, the same themes return. ii. God’s true people, those who died with him and are enduring will live with him, and will reign with Him. iii. Those who do not endure are those who will deny him. iv. This is in the future tense. If we will deny Him… meaning that they are not denying him now but if, they sometime in the future, do deny him…. This is the only tense that Paul could use to express this thought. It is, from the author’s perspective, the “possible” future. v. If we do deny him? Then what? vi. He will in the future deny us. vii. [Slide 18] But there is another layer here. The Greek language has 3 voices. In English we have active and passive voice. I bought the car vs. the car was purchased by me. But in Greek they have what is called a middle voice. Active voice emphasizes the action of the verb the subject is performing. Passive voice emphasizes the action of the verb the subject is receiving. viii. [Slide 19] But Middle voice emphasizes the subject and their participation in the action they are performing. ix. Oftentimes this means that they do the action to, for, or by themselves. x. [Slide 20] So, in this passage, the denial of Christ is something that will be done in a special sense toward themselves. They are certainly denying Christ, but their part in that denial is emphasized. xi. Indeed, to denounce, or deny is an action one must always do by themselves or even to themselves. Oftentimes middle voice is for an action used to their benefit – but here, certainly it is to their destruction. xii. So, when we deny Christ for ourselves, likewise, he will deny us for Himself. xiii. Yes – Christ’s denial of the deniers is focused on His part in that activity as well. There is some reflexive element to His denial. xiv. Knowing this helps us enter into verse 13 and to understand it. e. [Slide 21] 13 – If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful i. If we are unfaithful, not believing, or without faith. ii. This is an action. It is a verb. iii. And in it we see this as a further expression of denial. But it is not in the future but rather in the now. In the present. If we are not believing, or, if we are without faith. iv. What is true? v. He remains or continues to be faithful. He continues to be trustworthy. This is not a verb. The verb here is remains. He remains what? The adjective – faithful. That is a characteristic of His that never changes. vi. So, what does this mean? vii. [Slide 22] There are three basic options for how to view this last line. 1. Certainly, the most popular view, is that this is meant to be a comfort. That despite temporary lapses in trust or faith, Christ is always faithful and will never deny Himself by breaking His promises to preserve His people. 2. A second, somewhat middle of the road interpretation, is that regardless of what men do, should every Christian on earth end up being unfaithful, Christ is still faithful. Meaning that the song breaks from God’s response to men and focuses on His character at the end. 3. A third, and more ancient view is that Christ’s faithfulness as the judge prevents Him from making exception for unbelief. If a person denies the Lord, or if a person does not endure in belief, Christ is faithful to keep His promise of judgment on such a person. To extend forgiveness in spite of their faithlessness would be to denounce Himself. viii. Certainly, each interpretation is true. So regardless of where we land this morning, it can be supported from the rest of scripture. ix. But looking strictly at the context of this book, I believe the third option seems to fit best for several contextual reasons. 1. The context of II Timothy is in regard to Paul passing on the mantle and for Timothy to take over, but peppered throughout are the warnings of men who were thought to be faithful but have turned out to be apostates. We have already seen this in Phygelus and Hermogenes. And we will see others, even before this chapter’s end. To be unfaithful or not believing is not a condition that the saved are usually described as. In fact, the opposite. The believing ones are those who will not perish but inherit eternal life. And so, for the “unfaithful” or those “without faith” to be a reference to saved people who have stopped believing for a time or sinned in some way, would be odd here. It is far more likely to refer to these men whom Paul is singling out by name. 2. The preceding couplet begins with a past condition with a future promise of hope. It then moves to a present condition with a future promise of hope. This next couplet begins with a future condition with a future promise of punishment, so for it to finish with a present condition with a future promise of hope breaks the pattern abruptly. However, if it finishes with a future promise of punishment, it would complete the pattern. 3. The preceding line of this proverb very clearly has those who are apostates and their eventual outcome of being rejected by Christ. And as we noted, for Christ to deny us for Himself, seems to indicate that there is some Christward action of His denial of the deniers. This second statement of Him remaining faithful, seems to indicate what that Christward action is. Namely, to maintain His own faithfulness. x. For the final point, let’s finish verse 13 f. [Slide 23] Since he cannot deny Himself. i. First, we do not know if this was included in the hymn. It actually seems like it is less of a hymn and more of Paul’s explanation to the ending of that hymn. ii. Some translations have set off this poem but have excluded this line from it to show that they too see this not as part of the original poem or proverb. iii. It seems best to read this last phrase as giving us the answer to this question. Christ is faithful to God the Father and does not denounce Himself when He what? Keeps His promise of judgment to the faithless. iv. John 3:18 – The one who believes in Him is not condemned. The one who does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. v. My friends – Jesus will not denounce Himself and give to those who are unbelieving life. Rather He will remain faithful and give to the unbelieving, condemnation. g. [Slide 24] Passage Truth: So, Paul, through this well-known hymn, continues his teaching that suffering for the sake of the gospel will not prove to be a fruitless cause. Indeed, within these promises of both having died with Christ and enduring in belief, there is promised reward. We will live with Him. We will reign with Him. On the other side though, for those who deny Him or are without belief, there is the certain expectation that He will remain faithful and rightly judge those who are still in their sin. h. Passage Application: So, Timothy must endure. He must hold fast and cling to the gospel of Christ. Not just to think about it and keep it at the forefront of his mind, but to rest in it, even when the suffering seems too much to bear. i. [Slide 25] Broader Biblical Truth: The bible is clear. Those who are believing are those who will not perish. Those who are enduring are those who will reign with Christ. This life is the proving ground. The furnace in which all the dross is purified from His people. But if all you are is dross… it will all burn away. Nothing will remain. j. Broader Biblical Application: So, my friends, how do we prepare ourselves for suffering, knowing that to suffer for the gospel is a worthy cause with rich promises and blessings to follow? How do we get ready to do this? Not only must we keep the gospel before us… but we must also keep the gospel under us. It is both our light and our path. It is the narrow way and our guide. Christ is both the prize and sustainer! Conclusion: [Slide 26(end)] So what does this all mean for us today CBC? How can we apply this text? We must remember and proclaim the death and resurrection of Christ. We must cling to and hold fast to His conquering of sin and death and His lordship over all things. He is both our light and our path. Our road and our bread. We who were baptized into His death will be raised in His life. We are sustained in His atonement and because of that, we will reign with Him someday. My friends, it is by providence of God that we celebrate the Lord’s Supper today. A time when we not only remember Jesus Christ and all that He has done for us, but by this our faith is fed, filled, sustained by feasting on the reality of the atonement in physical signs. All our senses partake in the invisible truth of God’s sustaining power in the gospel of Christ. So let us Remember Jesus Christ and all that He has done today. After I pray, we will sing two songs to prepare us to Remember Christ and partake in His sustaining atonement. Then we will have the men come forward and pass out the elements to each person. Remember that to eat and drink when your confession or your lifestyles do not conform to the gospel of Christ, is to eat and drink judgment upon yourself. But to eat and drink to be refreshed, sustained, and empowered to defeat sin and obey God is a marvelous reason to join us. Before we partake of the bread, we will have a testimony of how God miraculously saved one of us. I will comment on the bread and we will eat. We will do the same for the cup. Afterward we will have 1 more testimony and then open the floor for more testimonies. After which we will close with a prayer of thanksgiving. Because we are to eat and drink in THANKFUL remembrance. Once again – be sure to partake only if you know you are a follower of Christ, and desperately wish to be sustained by communion with Him and His bride. Let me pray.