The Great Contrast

Grab your Bibles and let's go back to our study of second Timothy this morning you're visiting today were going verse by verse chapter by chapter through this New Testament epistle to be honest, it's been kind of a intimate impacting experience for me to study first and second Timothy as its the testimony, the letter actually of an older man of God. The apostle Paul who, by the time he right second Timothy is near his execution. He's in a Roman prison and you could say he's sentimental.

He sees emotional but not out-of-control, not irrational in any way, but just deeply the deep feelings of his convictions of the things that really matter and dumb as a pastor reading this as maybe I'm in the last third of my ministry just been quite impacting and I guess I could say honestly that I have stood more study verse by verse. In these two books than any of the study I've ever done in.

I hope it would be true. I think that is true that I been a thorough study or to preach, hopefully effectively to you guys but Tom specially teaching the.

The intensive that I did a couple weeks ago I went back through and restudied every sermon 60 something of them so far and that was just ingrained in me even more so there's a lot of pathos if you will. There's a lot of weighty emotion in this and we come to the third chapter now. Second Timothy and he writes to Timothy in unpacking this exposition. I call it the great contrast the great contrast he's going to talk once again about the imposter. The counterfeit the false teacher administer the contrast that with no Timothy that's not who you are. That's not what you been, and that's not what you are told the guys in my class that there's a lot of repetition in the Bible. And that's purposeful so we might reaffirm and really learning get it sort of melded into our core being some truth that God does not want us to forget now is Paul's writing to Timothy Heath repeat some of the same truths and same insights same expectations and we see that again in this text. Second Timothy chapter 3 verse 12 Paul writes indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted but evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived you. However, that's Timothy.

Continuing the things you've learned to become convinced of, knowing from whom you've learned them, and that from childhood you've known the sacred writings, which are able to give the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good word.

Second Timothy is the last writing of the apostle Paul. It concludes the epistles to the Gentiles. Genesis 49 gives us the last words of Jacob. Deuteronomy 33 gives us the last words of Moses and second Timothy gives us the last words of Paul the apostle to the Gentiles.

That should mean something to you because your Gentile Paul brought the gospel over from the Jewish communities to the Gentile communities. Now we have this ending of the letter as were coming toward the close of second Timothy and once again he's laying out from his heart. Timothy hears the things that really matter now. There's certainly a strong word for us pastors and church leaders. But for you men out there, since it is Father's Day.

Let me address you little more particularly, for you men. There's a word for you.

You stand with your pastor, you stand with your leaders when they're doing what Paul tells Timothy is the most important thing. And by the way you men have done that. Over these decades so indebted and grateful to God for you. I.

The identifying mark of godly suffering. The identifying mark of godly suffering.

Paul begins in verse 12 writing to Timothy and says indeed Timothy all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Now we know Paul is suffering the persecution. He's locked in a Roman jail. He knows his execution is at hand as was her Timothy. This is not to smile a lot. This is all of our law. The one thing unique about the apostle Paul, is that God actually ordained his specific suffering. Obviously, God sovereign, we can say that he ordains all of our sufferings, but not all of them are spelled out in Scripture like Paul's was acts 916. The Bible says, for I will show him how much he must suffer for my namesake, the Lord is is is speaking Ananias is receiving this word and analysis is to throw talk to this Saul of Tarsus, but now he's been converted in God says from the very outset, he's going to suffer greatly to be my minister the be my witness in the earth now, but the truth of the text is that only some professing Christians will suffer if you get that only some professing Christians will suffer read what the entire verses, verse 12. Indeed, here's the here's the qualification, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. The phrase, all who desire means those who willfully choose to do so a T Roberts in the bad district scholar says it means to be determined to do so.

So he says for every Christian that serious about honoring God in a godless world you will have some suffering, you will endure some persecution now. It's always a greater for the leader. It's always more intense for the pastor. I remember coming back from Romania Chuck to skew the brutal communist dictator had just recently been executed. I didn't know what a time in history. I was walking into was an incredible experience. You going to Romania and need you going to this country that was once a first world country and communism had turned it into a decrypted Third World country.

Things had been painted for decades roads had been repaired for decades. Just everything was in disrepair and a Grady in Gallic justice an awful climate in I go to those churches and those churches would be absolutely packed up told you about it before literally there would be people two and 3 feet from my face when I was preaching because every square inch was taken up they won't hear the word of God. If you prayed for four hours they would not move. They listen to every word and I remember them talking about the persecutions they endured and how their pastors had been beaten with rubber hoses and locked in prisons simply for preaching the gospel because brothers and sisters, the gospel of Jesus Christ and God not cohabit with atheistic communism. They just don't fit together.

Anyway that's in a Morse extreme case, but Paul says here Timothy all who really desire to live godly when I say live godly. I would think that you could summarize it this way to have in your heart a glory of God. Focus to having your heart a Christ honoring attitude describe the Bible saturated in your life and practice to be local church centered in your service of the Lord to be genuine and serious about home life discipleship where you take the things from church you take them all try to talk with them during the week can be Christ centered in your homes in Christ Jesus.

There's a phrase he also uses here all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. I think the idea is he's not talking about those who put on religious duty and the power of the flesh, but those who by God to doing our quote in Christ Jesus." That means they are spirit reborn. They are spirit in Doyle, they are spirit transformed.

Now they are learning to joy in God and love God and honor God's word that puts them in a collision course with this ungodly world.

The phrase will be persecuted a T Roberts and elaborates on this phrase and he says it literally means they shall be hunted like a wild beast pretty powerfully pretty graphic. Those who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will find that there hunted like men hunt wild beast you preach this kind of stuff you want he wants to sign up for who's interested in that kind of Christianity. Only those who are spirit reborn only those who are spirit indwelt only those who are spirit transformed doesn't mean any of us look forward to this. It doesn't mean we should pray and hope that we would be in one of those renewing cycles where the culture does not pay this so badly but generally speaking, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. You see, you cannot separate Christ from his cross, and you cannot separate Christians from their cross.

Now poor writing this at this time. Perhaps he's got two motives in mind here. First of all we do know that his persecutions and sufferings were being used by his enemies to discredit him. They say you don't need to listen to Paul and Paul's doctrine. That's why he's locked in prison.

That's what he's about to be executed because God's not pleased with him. He's not the genuine article. He's not a real apostle Paul single, quite the contrary, the suffering of enduring is an identifying mark that I am a child of God, and that's why call it that way.

The identifying mark of godly suffering. That's what Paul is saying that he goes on to me. This is all who desire like I desire to live godly will faces a first of all he's trying to undermine, discredit the discrediting of the false teachers who use his persecution is somehow the say that he's not a genuine apostle. But secondly he wants all of us believers to know that waves of suffering and persecution are going to come our way.

If we live godly lives in Christ Jesus you see Christ is in full contradiction to this wicked world and to follow Christ in this world puts us on a course that is swimming against the current. We will be going against the grain did Jesus teach this so clearly. John 15 verses 18 through 21 Jesus said if the world hates you.

The idea really is. Since the world hates you are will hate you. You will know that it has hated me before it hated you nephew were of the world, the world would love its all, but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world. Because of this, the world hates you. Remember the word that I sent you a slave is not great or greater than his master.

If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word that we keep yours. But all but all these things they will do to you for my namesake because I do not know the one who sent me the course, there are varying degrees of persecution and varying waves of persecution, we have seen in church history when God set something up awakening or enlightenment and true Christians found more favor in the culture.

But there also those dark dark waves and seasons when Christians are persecuted and do suffer even intensely for their faith.

Some Christians will face harm incarceration, even martyrdom like Paul did in early church historians tell us that Timothy had the same end that is martyrdom for others you have to endure the malicious lies and slander and misrepresentation of your beliefs and your doctorate in your views. We may escape some of that from the culture and then others will have the mistreatment of a of a spouse or a parent or a child who hates Christ and hates Christianity and is constantly reviling you in snide remarks and undermining comments as a torture live in your own home with that let me know kill two birds with one illustration will try to kill two birds with one illustration.

What when I was a new Christian, Brenda Christian, I transferred from middle Tennessee State University and came down to the University of North Alabama here in Florence because I had some friends from high school who are committed Christians who said now that your Christian unit Christian roommates and I didn't Christian roommates so transferred down here not. I took a job at Rivers Hall at University North Alabama.

I forgot what they called us when we come to manage the the the desk with Aaron.

There was another man who also was hard to work there and that he was a strong believer in Christ, and we had the richest sweetest fellowship for months and months and months. He and I would talk about the thing the Lord and sharpen each other and encourage each other. This is 4040+ years ago.

It just so happened, though he is a he he he he had black skin. It just so happened he had more militant in his. His flesh militant I should say this flesh and African-American but it didn't matter to him and he didn't matter to me. We had sweet fellowship in the Lord and also it that my my first year at you and 1/2. I got one of Jerry Falwell's Jesus first. If you remember those I stuck it on my shirt and I was quite bold and outspoken about my faith in Jesus Christ and I had a young lady, a girl in one of my classes who really openly tried to get you to persecute me. She was quite critical and quite aggressive and it just so happened that she also had darker skin. She is an African-American and he told me early on, I would've been a racist by any stretch before I became a Christian, but it taught me brand-new is a brand-new believer. Here's a brother who scans dark and you and him are bonded in Christ and have sweet fellowship and I here's a girl whose skin is dark and she got no Christ and she's giving you a hard time in your class so I'm killing two birds with one illustration here Fleming is this loving Jesus is what matters. As God change your heart. That's what matters. Christianity overcomes all racial all ethnic all skin color issues. If you love Christ, I love you and you should love me. I was just a neat lesson for me that in that setting. Didn't matter. The ethnic background. It mattered that I love Christ with enough people really like me or did not like me. Little did I know that what that girl was doing to me in my sociology class was just a warm-up for the things that were going to happen when I went into full-time gospel ministry.

I just knew not mean if I just knew that the brand-new Christian at age 19, with no real church background. I just know if I went into the Baptist Church and open my Bible and taught those good Baptist people. What the Bible says they would be thrilled about it know didn't have that way. There was a lot of opposition to the things I would teach and preach and even though you know these passages when it happens to you like this. It really spoke :-). Love me. Well, let me say the pastors out there that may be in the first 10 or 15, 20 years ago, pastored, and it is tough and there is undermining's and there is slander and then you do with your own failures and blunders you have repealed along the way yourself and you have to grow in.

Let me tell you something you'll stay with that God will give you a bunch of sheep that love the truth and they will love you so carry on and keep carrying all that didn't come out in the text, but I thought I would bring that out well continuing on Willis.

I got another illustration you don't want to miss this one for sure thing on all this. Go to II first so there is that authenticating Mark you will have some persecution and suffering. If you desire to live Christ for godly in Christ Jesus Roman to the multiplication of evil in the world supposed sensitivity continuing on this thing. He's in the Timothy verse 13 but evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived evil man, one scholar says that word evil has the idea that which causes labor or pain or sorrow, or that which is malignant. Everything opposite of good. These kind of men, men in the earth, to cause you pain and sorrow there like a malignancy then uses the word imposter. The word imposter. Here's an interesting word is the same word that used for the professional mourners of this day not, you may not know this but in this day it was common that when a rich man died he would pay people to well and how all and mourning his death so that people would think he was special and imported and greatly missed some of the wicked king set up spent a lot of money to get some mourners at their deaths. And that's what he means by partner, not the real thing they're paid and that's what Satan does. Satan brings into the church. Those that he's promising great advancement or even wealth if they'll just do his bidding. But Satan is a liar he pays in counterfeit money, not thought about evil men and impostors and it reminded me of what were sitting in our culture today of the. The leftist and the liberals who today flaunt their virtue, we call it virtue, signaling it in effect, they may want to say we have elite virtue were superior to everyone else in goodness and in virtue, they claim that they alone really care for the poor, depressed, the disadvantaged and actually especially the politicians they need a large number of the population to feel oppressed, to feel as victims. So then they can assign themselves the role as Savior. But if only they don't have some real victims out there a lot of oppressed people, then they lose their power because the people need them as the Savior, so if there's not enough truly oppressed and truly disadvantaged people and by the way, there are always are some description will stand for them and help them and support them were seeing something different from that might affect the truly oppressed the disadvantage get lost because they keep making up new definitions for the word oppression and disadvantaged and what a victim is so they keep building this up recently, the speaker of the House of Representatives. She said that she and her leftist colleagues are quote doing the Lord's work in the quote that some words we are quote doing the Lords work.

I think that's what the apostle Paul said Timothy this will be some impostors out there. They place themselves as the great elite. This good people who claim to be doing the work of God in the earth, and Timothy their impostors and we know their impostors because they openly promote wickedness doing good and embracing wickedness can never go together. All were helping these people yes but your wicked and your embracing wickedness. So we know your false teacher here and imposter. Paul told us to be careful of those who claim to be of God in their teaching and their lives are in contradiction to godliness. That's what he said back in first Timothy 63 we hold to the doctrine conforming to godliness. Paul's point to Timothy was when you hear these guys teach and I have all kind of different angles to make them look merciful and caring and compassionate or whatever it may be but notice at the end of the day are they embracing celebrating promoting that which the Bible teaches is ungodly, then you know there false teachers then you know they're not a God. For example, Nancy Pelosi and those of the far left in the Democratic Party but have vividly proven that there is not an unborn baby. They would not terminate or sexual perversion. They would not celebrate on indoctrination and sexual immoralities that they would not indoctrinate into our children's goats. Both that's not the doctrine of godliness. That's wickedness.

That's the doctrine of ungodliness on the one hand, when a hold of these things did say were helping people. That's not true.

Paul says impostors claiming to do the work of God, and they are not of God.

This is the doctrine according not to godliness.

If the doctor according to ungodliness.

Matthew 715 through 20. Did on our Lord. Tell us very clearly.

Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

You will know them by their fruits, that I have the fruit in their teaching and lives of true biblical godliness are ungodliness because grapes are not gathered from thornbushes nor figs from thistles are the so every good tree bears good fruit, fruit rather, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.

A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit in every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire so that you will know them by their fruits. Yes, limit backup, I know primarily our Texas teaching about professed preachers who come into churches, but these politicians keep popping in these little phrases that quote were doing the Lords work so they look themselves in with the impostors. Paul warned us about in a hallmark trade of false teachers is they tried to atone for, if not excuse their personal ungodliness. By doing good works for the oppressed, or for victims to watch these people then as I said even before the service this morning this past week are I shouldn't say our because were not a member but the Southern Baptist convention that the biggest Protestant largest Protestant denomination of the world has formed a committee to study what the word pastor means obviously making room for the ordaining of women in the role of elder and pastor in the church. That's what this is about several prominent leaders in southern Baptist life have started a drift toward a condoning of homosexuality is acceptable. Maybe they're just quote changing with the times. In the quote, but this is what Charles Haddon Spurgeon in his day, called the downgrade and that's what it is going down and down and down and down.

This is what Paul meant look at it there in your text.

Verse 13 but evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse. It was bad enough, but Timothy don't stop. They just keep getting worse. The bad to worse.

Here's what were seeing happening and in our culture and our denominations, and all around us and it's so pervasive, it is so seductive and it's quite difficult to stick to keep your stand on what matters when it's happening all around us.

That's why Paul writes to Timothy Andrew Paul's writing God. Paul writes her God writes to us today. Do not compromise. Keep your convictions and they're going to keep going from bad to worse, some scholars point out the phrase from bad to worse doesn't necessarily always mean a growing amount of wickedness, but a more violent, corrupt and evil types of wickedness.

The beginning of the lustration, roughly speaking in the 1950s and 60s Baptist churches gave a wink and a nod to out and out fornicators and out and out adulterers. Then along comes abortion and pretty much that's tolerated, then now there becomes a warming the homosexuality being maybe it's okay and women elders and pastors, and the question is where does this in. I mean, when you start pulling away from the Scriptures. What holds you, then it doesn't in policy to go from bad to worse when you start to go from bad to worse. Today we have a sprinkling of open homosexuals filling pulpits and also in some Baptist churches were beginning to hear of some who have all who live in open rebellion to their God giving gender possibly having mutilated themselves taken hormones and started dressing and acting opposite of their God-given gender actually coming church pastors from bad to worse, and often these things are celebrated twitter Timothy you you gonna have to keep standing Timothy are not tenuously getting easier. There may be some respites in there were it's not as hard or difficult but generally speaking is going go from bad to worse. Now he says he uses the words the phrase there.

These impostors are going to be deceiving and being deceived. The saving means they're actively trying to convert others the idea is that they fervently want all to embrace their revolution that he cannot tolerate opposing opinions in the prominent point here is the one who's trying to deceive us is that they are themselves being more and more deeply deceived. They are increasingly losing the power to resist self deceit because of their willful involvement and embracing of scented wickedness. They are increasingly given over the Bible teaches to a reprobate mind so there deceived the geek keep getting more deceived and they want to deceive others that are more aggressively seeking to deceive others I cannot, you know, when we heard a few weeks ago that many public school systems are actually morning to teach kindergarten and elementary school children about gay and lesbian is women transgender is him and all these things I thought back and I don't mean to be crude here are distasteful to pulpit in the first through sixth grade.

I didn't know my teachers had six you don't think it's not to be talked about the Dutton matter.

That's not the place, and furthermore the teaching on biblical view of sexuality. So dad's until he submits his blood in the street alive and we will not allowed to be crossed. With the startled school or whatever it is thank God I don't hear many that in Alabama. Not a lot of more Concerta states they put up a wall and thank God for Christian administrators and leaders and teachers who wouldn't go there but I just want to say that now you're pastors not moving. I just can't I come too far to go wobbly on you now know what you need you men to go wobbly on me on thinkable no one is a code of some years ago, just let homosexuals get married.

They just love each other. It's okay. And then that nominal file below the Donald Swift now we don't even have enough letters in the alphabet to describe the immoralities and perversions that they want a protective now in balance Christian kindness and compassion. We showed all peoples. Amen.

But don't ask me to celebrate with the Scripture says is wickedness going from bad to worse. And here's the fruit problem you say what how did they get there, what God took him there because of their own choices. Romans 121, even though they knew God, they know in their heart of hearts I shouldn't go down that road. They did not honor him as God or give thanks, but became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Romans 128 and just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God in order.

Notice the first thing is always on the push God out. And I'm going to bemoan God. This will push my creator out the way he's designed me to function in the context here's human sexuality that I will do what I want to do. God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper. Gave them over means God abandoned the building. God left them and left in which with that which is not God.

Now they only have the ungodly to God left godliness get left and ungodliness fills the void and they are left to engage in unbridled and often unnatural lust.

Thus, Paul's phrase to treatment.

By the way, homosexuality, and those unnatural affections were very common in the day that Paul wrote this in the Roman and Greek empires there going from bad to worse their deceiving. There's a maliciousness to their deceiving. They have a plan to take things from bad to worse, and all the while, while they themselves are deceived and tried to be deceiving. They become convinced or try to take us from bad to good and their warped backwards. That's how deceived they are brothers and sisters it first started with toleration. Well, it's okay. Just let them do it there to do then it turned in the celebration, you know today, that is not enough just to tolerate know you better celebrate with them. Look at all of our great companies in our land.

Embracing the pride month issues, toleration, the celebration and now they're moving in on indoctrination, starting with our children. I told you years ago not be on the pulpit suggested they're coming for children. I should market their coming for children. You know why because there's at least a smidgen of God ordained conscience in them and they need more converts to soothe their guilty conscience. A rebel always halts company he don't want to face the consequence of his rebellion by himself started with toleration.

Then we moved in the celebration. Now there banging on the door. The schoolhouse and of the places is time for indoctrination, not with my grandchildren and not with yours after others that we have happy church. What we try true church. You know what I found will of Jesus.

It makes me happiest my flesh, didn't want to deal with this today, but I don't do what I wanted. Now the contrast verse 14 the mandate to the truly godliness III is another tendency in all this is going on you. However, continuing the things you've learned to become convinced of knowing from whom you've learned so some point, i.e. continuing the pattern of sound doctrine and godliness were continuous present activity means Timothy you have been living this way not timidly continue with the doctrines and the godly convictions that you have. Don't be swayed by this stuff, and by the way, in Paul's day, as an art date stuff was happening in the culture and in the professing church is activity don't go with them. He said you know what you've learned learned in verse 14 is a narrative just means you've Artie learned this in your continuing to walk in it.

Continue to do that. And should you become convinced of it. In other words, this is a passive indicative youth you hold yourself you have convinced yourself. This is right. This is where I'm going to stand that that's where a lot of us need to be today, you need to convince ourselves the old truth is right. This is workable state.

Then he says in verse 14, knowing from whom you've learned them.

Who did Timothy learn these doctrines in the doctrines according godliness from the apostle Paul, but also from his mother's grandmother who the Bible says taught him the things of Scripture from an early age so thus we see here in this verse the twin towers of building the next generation in the truth. What is that mean number one, you better have a Paul, you better have a faithful preacher preaching to your children the truth of God you're not equipped God did not design you alone as a father or his parents to do it by yourself. Did your children a solid place get them under the preaching the word than the other would be patient Timothy you know what I'm referring to your mother and your grandmother talk to things of God. That's home life discipleship over the twin towers of building the next generation truth, a faithful preaching of the truth and home life discipleship where that truth you learned church is reverberated and reflected and talked about in the home will verse 15 he said these things you've learned. You know where you got it friend got for me.

You got a finger godly mom and grandmother, and he says in verse 15 that from childhood even known the sacred writings, which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is missing Christ Jesus. The faith we have in Christ Jesus saves us, and it sanctifies us and it keeps us. It's a faith that makes us godlike in that God looks on us and sees the very righteousness of his son Jesus Christ. If we believed on Christ and it's a faith that gives us godliness, a God likeness in our lifestyles that we can't go with the world when it goes off this way or that way so our first son took point, the mandate to the truly godliness to continue in the pattern of sound doctrine and godliness now be continuing the pattern of being Bible centered and Bible saturated.

This book is so timeless I thought some of these to stand up and scream at the quote leadership. The southern edge convention and save all Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work that I give all Scripture means both the old and the New Testament are not belabored very long. In second Peter 32 says that you should remember the word spoken beforehand by your holy prophets and the command of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles sold the New Testament writers will begin to incorporate in this understanding in the churches is the Old Testament and the forming New Testament that make up all the Scriptures. He puts them all together in Colossians 4 in color in first Thessalonians 5, Paul requires that his letters to specific churches be circulated to the other churches knowing they had divine authority in them than first Thessalonians 213 for this reason, we also costly thank God that when you received notice what he says the word of God which you heard for months.

Paul says I was given you the word of God and you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is the word of God which also performs its work in you who believe. So when he says all Scripture, he means the old and New Testament text.

Then he says inspired by God that literally means God breathed out. It's God's instruction to us of this if he were standing before speaking to us has divine authority that he says it's profitable for teaching the idea teaching means the formation of doctrine. In other words, if you want to know who is God, then form your teaching your doctrine from the Bible. If you want to know the question answer the question what is salvation, then go to the Scriptures, if you want to know what what Mayor what defines marriage you go to the Scriptures. It's profitable for teaching, performing your teaching on these essential topics. Then he says it's it's it's it's profitable for reproof the word reproof has the idea of evidence of what is truth.

That is, that which is tested and shown to be true, as now that you shine the light on and you see really what's true and false that leads to the next one correction correction means it is to make a change. Here's the proper path you take that we should shine the light on it and now you see what you are that here's what the Bible says the steps are to make the corrections you to make in your thinking on your lifestyle. Every week when I preached to you, you're getting reproof's light shining in the spirit of God to the word of God is giving you corrections. Now start thinking this way instead of that other way. Stop letting your emotions lead you to this conclusion that's in biblical say no to your emotions instead of what God says in your thinking and also in your life take the steps of correction. That's what Christianity is the nieces training in righteousness. The word training means the system used to change your thinking and your behavior. Some of you like your pastor have to footnote all of us like our pastor have to battle in our thinking. We are so prone to think things that are not true. The Bible commands us to think on things that are true.

So many of your worries this morning because you're worried about what might happen to happen.

So it's not true. Here's what you got day. I love doing this. Are you hearing me stop it you don't know nobody said anything. Only thing is not fact. Yet, thinking was true was see that's what he means training you and your training yourself to go to the book and put in truth and kick out that which is not truth that's were sanity comes in risk comes in peace comes with us so much we could talk about training but that's the idea here is a training in righteousness, in other words, when you take the book and begin to train yourself of the old book the old and New Testament scriptures in your training yourself to act acceptably to God that which is truly right. We have the imposters. Paul says you want to indoctrinate us with wickedness, we reject that and we go back to the old book is Paul telling Timothy and we train ourselves in that which is truly acceptable to God. Righteousness, this is over 17 so that the man of God may be adequate. That means perfect the ideas you're missing nothing.

You know what happens if I pastor this church for 42 years on the 42nd year and I just stay with the word of God. You know what I've done. I've been I've been thoroughly adequate. I have been perfect for what you need.

Not that I'm perfect.

I fell a lot with the books perfect which we don't have Freud or Skinner or Jordan Peterson volatile on what he says we need Paul John Matthew James, then you will be perfect.

You know you will miss and say you're completely adequate thoroughly's is adequately equipped, that is, thoroughly furnished or perfectly equipped now look at these two verses. Verses 16 and 17 all Scripture old and New Testament is God breathed and is profitable for teaching, forming your teaching your doctor about all areas of life, for reproof, shining a light on where you are, so you what's good and bad, right and wrong correction showing you the steps to take out of the wrong get more to the right thing you're thinking it in your footsteps training in righteousness systems that you use to keep getting this in you and walking it out in your life. And then so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Think these two verses are foundational to our convictions about the doctrine of Scripture know the words. What is Scripture is God breathed truth for us. We hold that the Scriptures are in error and Eric, meaning they are completely without error or any mixture of error. Are there difficulties in the Bible. Yes, other things we can't quite explain.

Yes, but you could almost fill the dictionary with the illustrations of, for example, it probably 150 years ago, Bible skeptics ridiculed the Bible for talking about the Hittite people. The Hittite soul in the Old Testament as I would say in all of our anthropological work. Sin digs and excavations we've never found a trace.

Many people who call themselves a good time been a British anthropologists was digging in a remote area and he started finding all these artifacts and tablets and stones and bases. It had inscriptions of the Hittites all over it and today there are museums, full of artifacts on the Hittite people's just take sides while catch up with the old book sometimes you be careful when you think well I think they got a snail. I think they found something that's proven is not authoritative you stay with Timothy Grace life church fathers a great life church stay with the book, inerrant, also fully authoritative and sufficient for all faith and practice, here's my last word at the end of the day was a lot of historical and scientific things we could say about the trustworthiness of the Bible, but the incident listen to me. The Bible is self authenticating. It is self off if you just turn it loose, currently lives in the spirit God will bring in the hearts and minds of boys and girls of Cedar Dalton single folks and middle-age folks could grab their margin as I can explain it but I love book, even if I want to run away someday and get away from Jeff knob and screaming there's something in me that says I gotta get back in here. The book preached again Scott haven't just can't stay away from it long since self authenticating. So somebody some skeptic, some scholars some self established elitist debates with me about the truth, I just go chapter 1 verse one to start teaching chapter 2 start PT chapter 3, keep teaching and they'll either run from me are run to God, the Bible self authenticating Jesus in John 717 if anyone is willing to do his will, he will know the teaching the doctrine, whether it is of God, or whether I speak for myself what Jesus was saying is if it got still a work in your heart if you're born again child of God of the spirits renewed to generate part of the spirit transformed by the spirit of a new creature in Christ Jesus. When the truth of God is preached something in you says amen and amen.

Even though that bothers me something because I know that reduced space appeared me says amen. Never thought about it that way, something in me says amen.

God, you're right not wrong self off. If you're willing to God your Lord and I will honor you and you can only do that if God's really changed your heart, ask you, sir. Has God changed your heart. Are you born again you must be born again is that this thing all you can just won't do. Now you can't just repeat a prayer that may be okay but have you tried, then you will know the teaching whether God will be the amen of the Holy Spirit in your heart is the word of God is preached. Who was I forgot who was a sin. You know the word of God like a lion just turn it loose to do his work.

Just turn it loose. Jesus said you're not born again.

John 33 you cannot see just don't see the kingdom of God, the great contrast Timothy here for the world's imposters deceivers being deceived and trying to deceive you try the doctor that you try to get you swerve away from the old faith and are just going from bad to worse. Timothy they'll get worse. To me that's not you. The great contrast is you know what you been taught. You know where you should stand your mother taught you this in your grandmother told you this.

Now I'm teaching you, Timothy Dall, which not here declared you emphatically with every fiber of my being Grace life church of muscle Shoals is not going to budge from the faith once for all, given to the saints because were to live in great contrast to the imposters.

You keep going from bad to worse, all of God's people said Amen