Remember Jesus to Remain Steadfast

Read your Bible so let's go to second Timothy even titled this series beautifying the bride as Paul writes to Timothy giving him instructions on how to set up, organize basically the form in the fashion of the local church there in Ephesus. And that's just what we are.

We are his bride and as we honor his word and we are empowered by his spirit.

We reflect his beauty and will do that perfectly in heaven. One day as his church were to be striving to reflect and glorify him as much as possible in this earthly pilgrimage. This is our time to begin the process where that new creation. He's now putting together and by the way he's going to get rid of the old creation. I keep hearing these people talk about the answer for the world is Christ with us. Certainly true. We all agree with that enters the gospel without certainly true, the Christ never promised to clean up nation's never promised to fix countries problems. He did promise I will build my church know when their strong churches that losses over to make strong nation. When Jesus returns. He's not going to fix America. He's going to do away with America and everything else is going to rebuild it in, but make a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells in all his children will dwell there with him. Okay, so Paul is writing a slow meeting sermon. I don't know where that came from Paul is writing to Timothy from prison in Rome.

His execution is imminent, and he's given Timothy instruction but he spending a lot of energy intertwined here encouraging Timothy strengthening Timothy giving Timothy reasons to not quit and remain steadfast and when you look at one verse this morning. Second Timothy chapter 2 verse eight knob entitled this exposition. Remember Jesus to remain steadfast is what is going to Timothy if you if you remember Jesus, to me that's going to enable you that's restricting you to remain steadfast are your quitter.

Do you think about quitting. We don't need to need to do what pulses here Timothy in verse eight.

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendent of David according to my gospel. This almost humorous when you read those two words. Remember Jesus Christ. Of course Timothy remembers Jesus Christ. But what else is Paul really saying here Paul knows Timothy remembers Christ. He said no, Timothy. What I mean is treasure Jesus Christ hold to him, embrace him and all that he is and all that he has done and will do for us in all that he is in you right now look to Jesus that is you and I live in a troubled and difficult world do we not 10 trials common. We watch the news another unbelievably bizarre, strange thing that we said would never happen this happening. People are embracing and celebrating things that I could not even thought of 20 years ago and so it's it's a difficult day and we can become anxious and we can become worried and we can become fearful.

It's just around the corner where they're going to be high leadership say that those who hold to orthodox Christianity and those who preach the word of God and those who hold to those ancient doctrines of Christianity.

They are a menace to society bigger say they're detrimental to public health is just around the corner and so these things can trouble us.

And by the way, that's basically the cultural context that Timothy finds himself in because Christianity had been outlawed as a detriment to the well-being of the Roman Empire was no longer legal to be a Christian. I started by resting the leader. The apostle Paul. That's why he's in prison. Sopranos Timothy's going to face some difficult days. Also, and were facing difficult days. The news, it is not because of the terrible downgrade that we see in our nation and our world and our culture. There's disease and there's troubles in our home and as financial challenges, but we can become anxious. We can become fearful. We can become troubled of heart. And that's the situation that Satan can step into and Satan can take advantage it's during those times that Satan can take a real foothold into our lives.

I think it was William Bennett who wrote the book slouching toward Gemara figurative title that says our culture is just slouching toward the wickedness of sodding Gemara, but that book several years old now were no longer slouching were running toward Gemara were running toward wickedness. In this day what would God say to us, and specifically what did Paul say to Timothy in that troubling context.

Remember Jesus Christ is power in that.

Remember Jesus Christ. Let me going. Three things out of this text for us this morning as we think about remembering Jesus to remain steadfast I remember the truth of his person and work is what he says here, among other things. Remember the truth of his person and work when he says here in verse eight.

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendent of David. Among other things, he saying is person is that he's human and he's divide he's descendent of David, but he rose to the daddies.

He's of God, he is God the God of very God. The theologians would say 100% man as if he were not got it all in 106 God as if he were not mad at all these, the God man, so Paul is making something of a statement of the doctrine of Christ person. Then of course it is resurrection that's part of his essential work. So remember Christ in the truth of this person and work now. No doubt the phrases here. I one of their purposes. As Paul writes to Timothy is to refute the false doctrine of the day when he says he's a descendent of David that refuted the teachers of his day that did not Jesus humanity brothers and sisters. It's very important you should contemplate. You should think a white only on the fact that God came in human flesh, but in the person of Jesus Christ. He was also fully human.

He was banned. He's the descendent of David. Paul writes to Timothy, of course, this is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy that said that the Messiah would come of the seed of David that he says not only that, risen from the dead he should remember him risen from the dead other words, he was gloriously raised from the dead.

Now here's the point. A human has overcome the clutches of death Timothy remember that the Jewish church. There is a human waiting face to conquered it and came out victorious and live again.

Jesus Christ.

This refuted some of the heresy of the day of Paul's day. We know later in verse 17 Paul mentions a couple guys who have begun to teach that the resurrection had already passed, and there so many things that there is no resurrection, and the same heresies are around today and always have been modified in every age. These false teachings are variations of them abound in society and I thought about that of the why is that well. The Bible says Satan is our enemy. The Bible says Satan is the enemy of all righteousness with the churches, the friend of God, where the family of God and were striving in the righteousness of Christ to build a righteous fellowship in the earth, so were radically contrary to everything.

Satan is about. He strives therefore to weaken our confidence and undermine our story. He has many schemes. The Bible calls them fiery missiles. He tries the fire at us, but one that he constantly employs against us is the question. If not, remove sound doctrine, sound teaching concerning Jesus Christ is person and his work.

Some will deny the fullness of his humanity, some will deny the fullness of his deity and his bodily resurrection and then all points in between. Note you listen to this and I think this is so applicable to us today, but actually it's been applicable to every generation of Christianity. If Satan cannot get you to outright deny these doctrines that the person and work of Christ.

He will do something worse. He will teach you to hold these doctrines, but in word only, Satan was a hold these doctrines but just in cold formality, but abandoned them when it comes to your personal faith and practice, and when it comes to your churches corporate faith and practice. Now that was happening in Paul's day there were many who call themselves Christians. Menu said they were preaching the gospel and it was nothing but a cold formality and really their lives in their churches had drifted from the doctrines of the faith.

In contrast to that the apostle Paul held to the gospel from the core of his being the gospel fashioned the totality of this apostles life. It was his only message it was his only ministry. It informed his motives and it dictated his methods now again contextually for Paul here Christianity has been deemed illegal. It's been deemed a menace to the Roman Empire and is to be stamped out at least true Christianity was deemed that way.

So Paul in verse nine as we look levelheaded in our text but will do next week.

Lord will and he said I suffered hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal with the word of God is not imprisoned. I was considered an outlaw what I preach was considered an outlawed message but I didn't change I accepted the hardship I did not alter the message. I didn't adjust the doctrine so that I not fit in with modern enrollment. I stayed by the stuff and I accepted the persecution of the governing authorities now do not think it a stretch at all that the rejection of Christ humanity that work. Paul's dealing with new telling Timothy to be aware of and the rejection of Christ deity in his resurrection from the grave that they're dealing with. I do think it's a stretch at all to to assume that this happened in the culture because many professing to be professed to be Christian preachers and many who profess to be Christians felt the pressure of the culture felt the pressure of the day I began to decide how you know what we might want to sidestep leave behind not emphasize some of those old doctrines because we could end up in prison with Paul. That's the way these things start it's central to Satan's strategy to weaken individual believers and weaken local churches to convince them that well maybe you can get by by holding to a form of the true doctrine, but in your faith and practice. You know, get along with Rome get along with the world. That's what was happening in second Timothy chapter 3 verse five Paul will get to this in a few weeks holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power avoid such men as these stories remain a form of godliness.

It think is just like Amos faced when he was preaching up in Bethel in the Old Testament they had what the scholars called a Jehovah mail call. They hold to the form of of Orthodox Jehovah worship the old religion handed down by Moses, but really they left that for what they were actually involved in with their hearts were committed to and a function just like sensual, sexually immoral bill worship so puppets Timothy Timothy, I want you to remember the person and work of Jesus Christ. Don't hold to informality hold to it from the heart than say that in the text, but it certainly implied in the first art Roman to now to go to remember Jesus and remain steadfast remembrance person, work, church, missing this one thing Ali .15 only important that we faithfully preach these old doctrine, the deity of Christ, the virgin birth of Christ substitutionary atonement of Christ the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The imminent return of Jesus Christ and salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone for the glory of God alone Roman to know if you go to remember Jesus to remain steadfast not only remember the truth of his person and work. But remember, the power, and provision Christ has granted to us all. Timothy Timothy remember these things not know a rim of the context.

Paul is rotting from prison, facing execution.

Paul to know what it is that keeps you going strong when you're facing real trouble for being a faithful Christian witness. I made right in the middle of it so he says here in verse eight.

Again, remember Jesus Christ and of the word remember the verb here is a imperative minutes in the present tense which means it's a command and something to continue. Like I sent to you before, I don't think Paul is saying Timothy you backslidden is not saying that he saying just keep on keeping on present 10. Keep remembering keep remembering keep remembering Timothy stay faithful stay steadfast. Don't drift away. Don't drift into these false doctrines don't compromise because of the threat of role stay faithful. Paul is basically telling Timothy that our forerunner, our captain, our king, our God, Jesus Christ is the one risen from the dead. He's the one who's the descendent of David, and he has sent a preeminent example and blaze the trail that we all will travel the don't just hear that here that he's blazed a trail that all of his children will soon travel you'll remember that that help you be steadfast remain faithful.

He did it for the truth.

He did it for the gospel. He did it for the church. He became a man, descendent of David. He was viciously hated he was maliciously maligned. He was physically beaten.

He was violently murdered about God the father raised him from the dead, and in him, so will you will also that's" a man rose from the dead man to everything we need to get through death as it pulses now with Rome builder to assist Novartis how can Rome hurt us. Timothy all their threats alter intimidation's father vicious hatred and physical torment to what I went to girl really good to me and followed the man who conquered the good stuff. I'm going to you little pop psychology on Sunday morning will work with the cultures against you for being a child of God, you better have the truth you been. Remember, the power, and provision. We have in Jesus Christ.

You been watching the stuff on television. With these parents are going to school board meetings because our school boards are teaching wicked heresy in our schools. Critical race theory is right out of the very pit of hell. Will you be teaching red, yellow, black-and-white skin people your leg in the image of God. We are all equal. Before him, and strive to love and treat each other that way. This nonsense of declaring one skin color inherently evil or without virtue, another one inherently good wicked not of God, and it will not help those they claim to be happy about it within a day. I don't think it's about helping anything. I think it's about anyone. I think it's about power and control. Hebrews 12 one through three emphasizes the same thing of strengthening and being encouraged to carry on. Therefore, since we have so great a credible witness cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance in the sea went so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is before us.

How do we keep running and having this endurance. Verse two fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter faith for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame here is same thing. Paul tells Timothy and sit down at the right of the throne of God.

He rose again. He endured the please the father endured more than any of us will endure. But he's risen from the bed and slowly resurrection is a powerful motivator will he says.

Remember, that's a command in its present tense keep on remembering Jesus. Then he says, descendent of David. Remember Pam and him as the descendent of David and Bill tossed it Old Testament prophet set forth that the Savior God's promised Messiah would come from the seed of David 11 example. Jeremiah 23 five behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous branch, and he will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land with us. Jesus he's that righteous branch of the lineage of David someone.

Paul writes to Timothy cures it and he says remember Jesus Christ. He points out two things, but those two things are packed, he's risen from the dead, and he's the descendent of David.

I think the point is, the dissent being the descendent of David again refers to his humanity. And what a glorious truth this is and we to often neglect this truth that our Lord was fully man fully human, yet without sin. Here's the point.

This one who is our leader. This one who is our captain. This one who is fully man is the one who defeated death and was wrong race from the grave and now he has entered into the immense dimensions of heavenly joys and pleasure, Timothy. That's not a bad deal Timothy. That will encourage, if you'll think on that to remember that Jesus faced death and tasted death for us all.

He kicked death's teeth. The end. And now that is toothless. Death has no holding nor harming power over the children, we can face the hardship we can face the toil we can face the ridicule. We can endure the physical persecution in this temporal life because death has no power to define us. Death has no power to determine our future and death cannot deter our pleasures. I have nothing for you with the confidence that our king has gone before us through death and so will we.

This one Jesus Christ, who became fully human and then conquered all of our enemies is the one who columns our fears settles our hearts.

The Bible says in Romans 829. In this vein of thinking he's the firstborn among many brethren. That means he's the first of this kind. He's the first fully human thinking about on the other side glorified and settled for all eternity in his glorified state and he says he's the firstborn among many brethren. That means all of his children to be just like Hebrews 1211 says he's not ashamed to call them brothers. He's not ashamed to call you his brothers because that is vicarious atonement and death for you.

He's cleaned you up and given you his own righteousness.

What a beautiful thing. So this remembering Jesus that Paul is telling Timothy is like Hebrews 12 to phrase fixing your eyes on Jesus, it's in the same vein of thinking as Romans 1014 and 17. Faith comes by hearing and hearing the things concerning Christ, you keep hearing the things concerning Christ.

It helps you to think on Jesus. This may not mean much to you on this Sunday morning.

If your life pretty outgoing, okay, but had not sent you a memo from Mark and give you the thing you got a job through the go along with the new company policies that violate the word of God you know may be coming into a tough day to be a Christian you going to remember Jesus Christ to remain steadfast so bringing in the balance of biblical teaching here we remember Jesus that he was human. He face the persecution he endured through it. He was resurrected and so will wait. Hebrews 12 were to fix our eyes on Jesus. Hebrews 10 were to keep hearing of Jesus that builds faith and it builds hope and we do not have to conform to this world. We do not have to fear what this world thinks of us or may do to us and we do not even worry if they put us to death for death, has had his teeth kicked in death cannot hold the Army. In fact, death can only help me. He indeed has been reassigned. Death has been reassigned as my faithful servant who will usher me in to eternal realms of supreme and on ending pleasures.

So Timothy remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead as a man, the descendent of David, and you are a man your human and you will to because we are human, but where Christ children were not just human beings that we are were not just citizens of Earth, though we are we are Christ children and those who are of the royal lineage of Jesus Christ. Jesus came from the lineage of David that we might be of the lineage of Christ are great ancestor Jesus has conquered death. Remember that as we journey through this world striving to be steadfast. Remember, the children will not be separated from their loving parent.

The body cannot be separated from the faithful head as he became one of us fully human. He did so that he could, that we rather could become like him. That is a citizen of eternity, a death the fire. Even an everlasting child of the everlasting God, I read these books about the martyrs of Christendom and is a historical fact that so many of them as they were tied. The stakes and had hot oil poured over them and torches put to them to set aflame. They sang joyously the praises of God as they were dying.

How did they do that the grace of God gave them to be ability to remember Jesus Christ. They knew that any moment.

I'm going to go right into the glory by elder brothers already gone through and blazed the trail and all the foreman sell it all for me.

That's my destiny. Timothy remember Jesus Christ to remain steadfast. Remember the truth of this person work.

Remember, the power, and provision. He's granted us primarily of overcoming death. Thirdly, remember the gospel of Christ is of divine origin. Remember the gospel of Christ, Timothy this thing were about didn't come from man. I didn't think this is God's good news God's gospel verse eight.

There the last phrase according to my gospel.

Paul mean my gospel, Timothy, is this truth tumbling out here in the truth you preach of the truth I taught you to present the truth I preach the gospel. This got me locked in prison. It came from God.

But it's my gospel again. Paul doesn't mean he made it up.

In fact, in Romans 11 he calls it the gospel of God which one is it is a pause or God is both Galatians 111 and 12 for I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. So Paul's point in saying this is my gospel means it's the true gospel it came from God is the one I've held to maybe three thoughts here. This phrase my gospel first about just me, just the true gospel. In contrast of the false gospels spread all over the place. In this day a send to you know our earlier burner verse two of this chapter he said you know you've heard me preach the things in the presence of many witnesses. You know what my doctor and he and his the true doctrine of Christ given by God in its kind in contrast to the false gospels that abound in this day secondly I think Paul means by my gospel. It's personal with me.

This is not just a cold form of doctrinal and doctrinal statement in the file stuffed away in the church office somewhere. This is really this Christ has changed me. This gospel is transforming me his personal with me. It's my gospel, by the way future gospel. You can say this apology, your gospel that's the gospel I hope to not hold to the Christ of the gospel double just love the gospel of the Christ of the gospel is the true gospel it's personal. Thirdly, it's all I've ever preached it synonymous with the life and ministry of the apostle Paul, is it paradoxical that the gospel is the cause of Paul's imprisonment. He tells us that peace is on God's prisoner. The gospel is the cause of my imprisonment and my soon coming execution. Yet the gospel is the joy in the treasure of my heart and life and he's hardly commending yes even commanding Timothy to remember this Jesus, the gospel of Jesus Christ came to us from God and it is the true gospel church hold to the old true gospel. It's God's gospel because the old true gospel is the new true gospel. It didn't change it can't change its God's gospel so it cannot be improved upon. If you change it you lose it all this that we say in evangelicalism today whether massaging and adjusting and manipulating the gospel message so that we might be on better terms of the culture is nothing more than abandoning the gospel.

The gospel is the only gospel we all gospel is the new gospel, the new gospel is the old gospel. The gospel of your mother and father, the one that they embrace the same gospel, you must embrace the gospel.

Your grandparents love just the same gospel.

You must love the gospel your great-grandparents treasured is the gospel. You must treasure all the way back to the apostle Paul all the way back to Christ and all the way back to the eternal counsel of the Godhead when they in infinite wisdom, beauty and power conceived the gospel and set it forth Timothy. I'm locked in prison. I'm in prison for the gospel prisons Christ Timothy Ogden testified you because nobody on earth knows this better than me. If you're going to remain steadfast.

You gotta remember Jesus set your eyes on Jesus. Fix your eyes on Jesus, consider Jesus. Remember Jesus.

That's the lesson church. That's the only thing better get you through steadfast to the that's why Paul leaves Timothy with that simple simple expectation. Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the descendent of David according to my gospel.

Remember, Jesus Christ