The Charge to Guard the Gospel Part 3

Well, good morning and welcome to Faith Bible Church, we have some visitors today and we're blessed that you're here to be able to fellowship and worship with us. As we gather around the word, this is where it begins and ends, it's right here.

There's nothing more, nothing less. I want to, we've got a few announcements, we'll cut a few this morning. Tomorrow is, I guess we observe Memorial Day tomorrow and I was just informed that today is actually Memorial Day, so let's not forget the sacrifice of those that have gone before us to allow us to gather like this, to have the liberties that we have.

It's not a perfect country, but we have a perfect God that we serve and that's what we hold on to, so let's remember them as well. Our coming pastor, Iljin Cho and his wife Lauren, they're going to be coming, moving out on the 18th, so that means they're going to be joining us that weekend to worship with us on the 20th.

His first sermon is going to be the following week on the 27th of June and right after the service, we're going to gather at our house at the Huffums to have a kind of a welcome fellowship afternoon, so be sure and try to make plans for that and yeah, we're serving lunch as well.

If you would like to contribute to the Cho's moving expenses, please feel free to do so at, you know, any time between now and then, you can just put it on your check reference or on the offering envelope, so that would be a blessing to them.

And next week, Ellie Drusinga is going to be probably joining us, so she's one of our missionaries, so if you haven't met her before, she's such a blessing and a real warrior for the gospel and to spread the word and it's in Brazil.

On a little bit more of a somber, serious note, Dennis Snell, who went home to be with the Lord after a really long battle of lung cancer, they are going to be having a memorial service at the Good Shepherd Church and that's over on Morse Avenue near Watt.

That's going to be on June 12th, that's a Saturday at 1 o 'clock, June 12th, 1 o 'clock, and get with Debbie if you need more information about that, she can fill in some of the blanks with that, so that's Dennis Snell's memorial service on the 12th, so.

I think that's it for announcements. You know, the Bible tells us that we're to be a holy people, that we're to be set apart, separated from the world, as difficult as that is, we can do it with the power of the Holy Spirit, and one of the ways we do that is to hold fast to the confession of our faith.

And I want to read from Hebrews 10, 19, Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which he consecrated for us, through the veil that is his flesh, and having a high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good deeds, not forsaking the assembly of others together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more, as you see the day approaching.

So, let's remember that as we prepare our hearts for worship this morning. Please join with me in prayer. Lord God, we do thank you that we can gather this morning, that we might consecrate our hearts, Father, that we might acknowledge your holiness, because in order to come before you, Lord, we must confess our sins, we must accept your Son, Jesus, as Lord and Savior.

And may we honor you, Lord, by the offerings of our heart and of our mind, and Lord, even the actions of our service today, Father, that might bring you glory, that you would be honored in all of it, and that we would be encouraged, Father, as followers of you.

So Lord, guide us now this morning, and may we commit our time to your care. May we set aside things that are distracting to us, Father, and that we can just find joy and rest in peace in worshiping you corporately this morning.

So, Father, we pray that you would commit Pastor John to the word that you placed upon his heart, that our voices and the songs that are lifted to you, Father, would be pleasing to you, Father, with a sweet aroma of Christ.

So Lord, bless our morning, we pray in Jesus' name, amen. Brother David.

The Call to Holiness and Holding Fast the Confession

Good morning. What a great day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Let's stand and sing.

Second Peter, chapter three, verses one through 13. Second Peter, chapter three, verses one through 13. Dear Second Episcopal Beloved, I now write unto you, in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance, that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior.

Knowing this first, that thou shalt be coming in the last days, God forbid, walking after their own lusts, and saying, where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

For this they readily are ignorant of that by the word of God, the heavens of old, and the earth shining out of the water, and in water, whereby the world that then was being filled with water perished.

But the heavens and the earth, which are now by the same word kept in store, resolved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But believer, be not ignorant of this, one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

The Lord is not slack concerning his promises of unkind slackness, but is longsuffering towards the word, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief of the night, in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.

The earth also and the work works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons are ye to be in all holy congregation and godless, looking for and hastening unto the coming of the Lord on the day of God, when the heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fiery heat?

Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. May the Lord have mercy to me in his word.

Let's stand and sing the solid rock. And my faith has found a resting place. Thank you for singing. Please be seated. John.

Thank you, David.

And thank you, Jim, for your reading. So, if you have your Bibles, let's go to first, was it first Timothy? Second Timothy. That was a joke. I know where we are. And I hope you know where you are and you have your phone on stun.

It's Memorial Day. I know the calls are going to be coming in. I'm like, I read quite a few books as God gives me the opportunity and schedules, but I feel like if you've ever read books about these, you know, horrible, horrific prisons during the Inquisition, you know, when they go into the cell and there's marks on the wall and the guy's been counting off.

So that's what I've been doing. I've been counting off the 16 days before my family comes back. My one daughter, she is so precious. My oldest daughter, all over the house for the first three days, I found little post-it sticky notes.

I love you, Dad. So when I went for my shaving cream on the shaving cream can, I love you, Dad. When I poured, made the first pot of coffee on the coffee thing, I love you, Dad. So I have those up next to my marks.

Guarding the Gospel in Difficult Days

So this morning, part three of this series of messages on the charge to guard the gospel that we get here in 2 Timothy chapter one, verse 13, where the Apostle Paul writes to Timothy, hold fast the pattern of sound words, which you have heard from me in faith and love, which are in Christ Jesus.

That good thing, which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. And we've seen how the early church was living in difficult days. And we've all agreed many, many Sundays ago that we're living in difficult days and it keeps getting weirder.

And he says in verse 13, Paul charges Timothy to hold fast the pattern of sound words, which he had heard from Paul. And second, in verse 14, he charges him to keep or guard the good thing that was committed to Timothy.

So hold fast or guard the gospel. That was the good thing that was committed to him. And how was he to do this? Remember the big theme that we're dealing with. How do we stand firm in difficult days, right?

When things get weirder and weirder, and you don't want to have Twitter, because if you have Twitter, you're going to know how weird things are. Hold fast. And I think what I want to emphasize over and over is verse 14.

How was Timothy to do this? By the Holy Spirit, right? We cannot do it apart from faith. So this morning, we want to continue to understand this aspect of standing firm in difficult days that involves guarding the gospel, because the answer for our country and the world is not in a politician.

It's in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Amen?

Can we agree to that? That is the hope. That is the only hope. That is the only thing that will turn our lives around, our neighbors' lives around, and this country around, and the world around, is the gospel.

So this solemn, vital, sober charge to guard the gospel. Let's pray. Father God, I am so thankful. God, I am so full of joy this morning, in so many ways, for so many reasons, rejoicing.

In You.

How firm a foundation, the church's one foundation, is Jesus Christ, our Lord. We behold Him. We behold Christ this morning. I pray, God, that I would not be a distraction, that, God, You would be glorified, that Your people here today and those watching by video each week, God, would be so encouraged, Lord, not by me, but by Your Word.

And Lord, that cannot happen apart from faith. That cannot happen apart from the work of the Holy Spirit. So we ask, Father, humbly, God, bowing our knee before the throne of grace, God, that You might indeed be pleased to, Father God, cause Your Word to go out, get planted in our heart, and bear fruit for the glory of God and the exaltation of Christ.

In Jesus' name, amen. So let's go to Matthew. Was that an explosion or a sound thing?

Okay.

It's like everybody get down. We need to have our practice our emergency drill or something, right? If you hear the bell go off, everybody hit the deck. Matthew, chapter 1. What is the question we've been answering the past couple of weeks, right?

How was Paul charging Timothy to hold fast this pattern of sound words that Timothy had heard from him, and to keep or to guard that good treasure, which was the priceless gospel? And how are we today, Christians today, to follow in Timothy's footsteps and respond to this charge to guard the gospel?

What are the handholds, some specific things that we can look at to execute and obey this.

Charge?

Number one, by comprehending the urgent need to guard the gospel. We spent, I think, almost a Sunday on that, right? Understand that effectively guarding the gospel starts at the beginning, and the beginning of it is understanding the urgent need to do that.

And I gave us some examples of why it is so important. And secondly, by understanding the importance of having a biblical Christology, right? As I've said the last two Sundays, and I so much want to say it again today, many times over, is no biblical Jesus, no biblical gospel.

The gospel is not founded on just any rock or just any Jesus, right? Like the Muslim imam that I had the opportunity to witness to, right? His Jesus is not the Jesus of the Bible. Mormon's Jesus is not the Jesus of the Bible.

The gospel is founded on the rock of Jesus Christ that is taught for us in God's holy and inspired and inerrant Word. And I gave us two reasons why believing and being convinced of what the Bible teaches about Jesus Christ is so critical when it comes to guarding the gospel.

Two reasons why. Number one, because Jesus Christ is the cornerstone, right? From which the church is built, right? Reason number two, how firm a foundation. Because what the Bible reveals and teaches about Jesus Christ is very precise.

There's not a lot of room for error in what the Bible teaches us about Jesus Christ. And now how should Christians today respond to this charge? Thirdly, where we left off last week by understanding some of the key and fundamental doctrinal elements of what the Bible teaches us about Jesus Christ.

And we, last week, began unpacking just the four that I'm going to cover. I'm tempted to spend three weeks, right up until the Sunday that Ilgen is here. But I've got a couple of other real important points that I want to hit.

So we're just going to look at four very, very important doctrinal truths about Jesus Christ that are taught for us in the Bible. You might remember what they are. First of all, the virgin birth, right?

The virgin birth. Secondly, the deity of Christ. Thirdly, listen carefully to this one. This is where we will spend most of our time today. The Lordship of Jesus Christ. See, Jesus Christ is the Savior.

He's the King of Kings. But he's also what, church? The Lord of Lords, right? So the virgin birth, the deity of Christ, the Lordship of Christ, and then we'll deal with the resurrection of Christ. So last week, where we left off, the virgin birth of Jesus Christ.

And as I mentioned last week, next to the resurrection, next to the resurrection, the virgin birth of Jesus Christ is really the single, those two are the most attacked of any doctrine of Jesus Christ.

And of course, you can go and argue with me and say, well, wait a minute, the humanity of Christ is attacked. Yes, everything about Jesus Christ is attacked. I mean, all you have to do to understand that is go to Genesis chapter three.

When the serpent came to Eve, did God say, did God really say that Jesus is a man? Did God really say that Jesus was born of a virgin? Right. So it doesn't matter. They're all going to be attacked. But the two that are most prominent are the virgin birth and the resurrection.

Right. And we were cut off last week looking at some of the references to the virgin birth. And here's one of them in Matthew, chapter one, verse twenty two. Understanding the virgin birth is absolutely necessary to Christian theology, because without it there is no gospel.

Matthew chapter one, verse twenty two. This was all done that it might be fulfilled. And going back, actually, I just need to do this. Verse eighteen. I have time now. The birth of Jesus Christ was as follow.

After his mother, Mary, was betrothed to Joseph. Before they came together, meaning the physical union of marriage before they came together. She was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph, her husband, being a just man and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.

And maybe you at Christmas have heard sermons on this. It's an amazing the background to what's going on here, because he easily could have broken off the engagement under the way the Jewish of that day practiced betrothment and marriage.

You basically were married when you were engaged, in a sense, under the law of the Pharisees of that day. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you, marry your wife for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

Oh, and she will bring forth a son and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save the people from their sins. Now, all of that happened, verse 22. That it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which is translated God with us.

Now Matthew is quoting Isaiah 714. So, what we need to understand here, right off the bat, is in a word, no virgin birth, no end of verse 23, God with us. If this isn't true, why believe anything else in the Bible?

See, the virgin birth is fundamental to a biblical Christology. It is a central doctrine of Christ. Therefore, it's fundamental to the biblical gospel. And as I mentioned last week, the virgin birth demonstrates that salvation ultimately must come from God.

You see, this thing parses out. The virgin birth of Christ serves as an unmistakable reminder that salvation can never come through human effort, but it must be completely and totally a work of God Himself.

You see, a virgin cannot conceive apart from a miracle. What is a miracle? It is the disruption of natural laws. The Red Sea was a miracle.

Why?

Because these waters shouldn't divide otherwise. Understand? Lazarus being raised from the dead, dead people that have been in a tomb for four days don't rise again. A miracle happened. The natural laws of nature were disrupted and changed.

So just as a virgin cannot conceive apart from a miracle, so salvation cannot happen apart from the miracle of what? The new birth. That's why Jesus told Nicodemus, you must be what?

Born again.

And then he's all confused. What are you talking about? I got to go back into my mother, right? And you're missing the whole point, Nicodemus. Our salvation only comes through the supernatural work of God.

Galatians 4, Galatians 4. This is evident from the very beginning, Galatians 4, verse 4, of Jesus' life. Man, I'm telling you, literally, I have about an hour and a half of preaching that I got to do in 35 minutes, okay?

So I'm not going to go down every single rabbit trail. I'm going to leave that up to you. But take a look at this. This is so wonderful. Galatians 4, verse 4. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law that we might receive the adoption as sons.

See, the virgin birth made possible the uniting of full deity and full humanity in one person. Remember that? Two weeks, Jesus is fully God and Jesus is fully man. They're online if you didn't hear them.

Go to Isaiah 7, 10. If you're not familiar and say, oh, I can't find it, middle of the Bible, just right smack dab in the middle, Isaiah 7. Jesus was fully God, and at the same time, he was fully man.

And the virgin birth made it possible for the uniting of full deity and full humanity in one person. Isaiah 10, I'm sorry, Isaiah 7, verse 10. Moreover, the Lord spoke again to Ahaz, he's the king of Israel at the time, actually Judah.

Ask a sign for yourself from the Lord your God. Ask it either in the depth or in the height above. Now this is the prophet, right? And he's telling Ahaz, listen, I'm speaking on behalf of God, and God is telling you right now, ask for a sign.

Look at Ahaz's response. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, nor will I test the Lord. Why would he do that? Boy, doesn't that sound noble? I'm not going to test the Lord. Wait a minute, the Lord just told you to do it.

It's not noble, it's disobedience. It's spiritual pride. Verse 13, OK, have it your way. Hey, that's a song. No, it's a commercial. Have it your way. So the prophet said, and this is so strong in the original Hebrew here, I'm tempted to kind of be firm, but I'll just be me.

Hear now, O house of David.

This is a rebuke.

Is it a small thing for you to weary men? But will you weary my God also? Therefore, because of this, the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel, which translated means God with us.

Now just so you know, you might hear some Christmas, some scholar with lots of Ph .D.'s after his name, Dr. Emmanuel Robinstein, Ph .D. in theology. And you might hear him say, just so you know, that the word virgin there in verse 14 does not mean virgin like we understand it today.

It means a young woman, so she didn't have to be a virgin. Well guess what? That's not what it means. The Hebrew here is very specific. It is a woman who has not had physical union with a man. And what do we call that in our culture?

A virgin.

Okay?

Now go to Isaiah 9, verse 6. It's Christmas, for unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

You see it? Isaiah foretold the union of deity and humanity in Christ. A child would be born. That's humanity. And his character would be such that he would be designated or referred to as Mighty God, Wonderful, Everlasting Father.

See beloved, if Jesus wasn't born fully man, then Hebrews 4, verse 15 would not be true. We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

See central to biblical Christology is the virgin birth. It was the means by which God used to send His Son into the world as a man. God in His wisdom ordained a combination of human and divine influence in the birth of Christ so that His full humanity would be evident to us from the fact of His ordinary human birth from a human mother, and His full deity would be evident from the fact of His conception in Mary's womb by the powerful work of the Holy Spirit.

The doctrine of the virgin birth ultimately proves that salvation has to come from God, just like a virgin giving birth. Also the virgin birth makes it possible that in Christ's true humanity, He had no inherited sin.

See, something so important to the gospel and the doctrine of Christ is understanding that all human beings, all, did you hear what I said? All, that's me, that's you, all, all human beings have inherited legal guilt and a corrupt moral nature from their first father, Adam.

And sometimes it's called inherited sin or original sin. Ask any parent, please, don't take my word for it, hey, did you spend some time teaching your child to lie? I never taught my kids to lie, but you know what they did by nature?

Lie.

I never taught them to be disobedient. I mean, when Johanna was growing up and she could first stand up by the coffee table, sorry, I can't move too far out of this. I mean, we were teaching her what no means, right?

And so there's cookies on the coffee table and she's standing there, you know, little thing and she's got her hands on the coffee table and she's reaching. We said, no, don't touch. We had a beautiful porcelain flower arrangement on the coffee table.

She loved that thing. Don't touch. As soon as we go back over here, she looks, right? She's not going to disobey because we teach her to disobey. We sin because we're what? Born that way. We have inherited guilt and we have an inherited sin nature.

But the fact, listen, that Jesus did not have a human father means he wasn't born with the inherited sin nature. He could be tempted like Adam and Eve were tempted, but he was always what? Without sin.

Listen, Jesus did not descend from Adam in exactly the same way in which every other human being descended from Adam. And this helps us understand why the legal guilt and moral corruption that belongs to all other human beings did not belong to Christ.

Jesus could be the perfect spotless lamb that would take away the sins of the world.

Amen.

See, if he wasn't born sinless, he couldn't have died for our sins because of God's requirement of that sacrifice, which goes all the way back to what?

Exodus.

Listen, if you've never read through the Old Testament, you must. You must. You must. Because to understand the New Testament, you've got to have the Old Testament, not maybe a thorough understanding, but it is all fulfilled, promises made, promises kept, right?

All this is pointing to fulfillment in Christ. And the appreciation for Christ just only riches and deepens as you begin to see what God is trying to tell Israel all the way through the Old Testament for our edification.

So what do I say? No virgin birth? No biblical, historic, orthodox Christianity. Now, second, and I'm again, sorry, I'll have notes for you next week. We already covered this, so I'm just going to skim over this.

And that is the humanity and the deity of Christ. Jesus was and always will be God. And the Bible also reveals and teaches that Jesus Christ was 100 fully man, meaning flesh and blood. You could pitch him.

You could cut him.

He got hungry. He got tired. And on on one hand, these two truths united together in Jesus Christ are so easy to see in scripture. Sometimes it can be confusing. Sometimes it can seem like a mystery. Right.

But friends, we are not going to be able to fully understand God while we're here. I mean, I can't even I mean, the best preacher in the history of the human race can't fully explain all the things about God in Christ.

OK, I was listening to an interview the other day. Let's go to First Timothy. I was listening to the interview of a popular, very well-known, respected pastor, infinitely more intelligent than I am. And the guy asked him a question about passages of scripture.

Have you ever have you ever come back to a passage and realized you were wrong? And the guy said, well, no. I wouldn't say I would. I came back to a passage of scripture and found out I was wrong. What I did find out many, many times too many to count is that the fuller, richer meaning of the passage and what the original what the author write, because what we're looking for is what the intent of the author is in communication, right in scripture.

And he says, I have begun to a more full understanding. And that's why I emphasize reading through the Bible every year. And I know it takes discipline. My word, it takes about seventy four to seventy four to seventy seven hours to read through the whole Bible.

Can we do that together? Come on, please. It's got God's word never returns void.

Trust me.

The Bible says the Bible promises you. You're ready for this. You're going to love this promise. Doesn't promise you riches pressed down. You know, when you speak to your wallet, be full. What it does promise you, listen, what it does promise you is this.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. And friends, as we read the word of God, man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. The church is full of anemic Christians.

Because they're not feeding on the word, and therefore they don't have a burden to share the gospel with their neighbor, with their coworkers. Slow down. Real quick, first Timothy three sixteen. Remember I mentioned in that quick series one Sunday was Christ was fully man.

The other Sunday, Christ was fully God. And I mentioned that term and Jimmy talked to me later and said, will you stop with these big words, hypostatic union? There's no test. OK, I'm not going to test you.

There's not going to be a quiz. We're talking about this union. The unity of Jesus Christ in a person that has two natures, one divine, one human. This is the great mystery of godliness. God manifested in the flesh.

First Timothy three sixteen. And without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. Meaning what? It's a mystery. We can't fully understand it. Let me show you something. Hold your finger there just so you don't think I'm a nutcase.

First Corinthians 13. First Corinthians 13. And then we'll go right back to First Timothy. I just I want you to understand this, OK? I'm telling you, I sat in the church as a young Christian and I didn't get all this stuff.

OK, I slowly but surely over time began to get it. It's like the light with a what do you call a dimmer switch? You know how it's dark and you kind of go like that slowly but surely and then you go,.

I can see.

Look at this. First Corinthians 13. Now we see in a mirror dimly. But what? Then face to face. Now I know in part. But then in the future, when I'm in heaven, I shall know just as I also am known. So, friends, back to First Timothy 316.

I can't fully understand it, but as I wipe that mirror, as I polish that mirror, most likely referring to a brass mirror because they wouldn't have had reflective glass at.

That time.

Look at this. Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God was manifested in the flesh. Justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory.

And again, if you miss those, they're online. I won't spend any more time. Christology, right? Knowing the biblical Jesus. Friends, a very respected scholar recently said that based upon his understanding of Scripture, he has never in his 84 years seen the second coming of Christ so close.

Did you hear what I said? Are you ready? You know, I want to look every one of you in the eye because I love you. And I know that if I do that, you know, it's kind of confrontive. Are you ready for the return of Christ?

Will you be ashamed at his coming or will you welcome it? You see, we have to know the biblical Jesus because when the Antichrist shows up, a lot of Christians are going to be alive. And the Bible, remember my message on the Antichrist?

Many, many believers will be deceived by that Antichrist. Many believers now, so-called believers now, I have a neighbor, she's a Mormon. She grew up in a Baptist home. And she said to me, it was the last time we ever talked.

I mean, I didn't get mad at her or anything, but she just knew exactly what she was saying. You know, they're all the same, aren't they? And I just, I mean, you can't say anything to somebody like, right?

Second time you're talking to them, they're sweet, sweet people. Just remember, Jesus was both fully God and fully man. Know the biblical Jesus, right? He was born of a virgin miraculously. It was in fulfillment of prophecy.

He is both fully God and fully man. He does not have the same sin nature we do. And now next, Acts chapter two, third. Remember I said four points, the virgin birth, fully God, fully man. Now the third one, Acts chapter two, the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

And this is huge. This is three weeks of preaching, four weeks of preaching. And I'm going to do it in 16 minutes. This is so relevant to guarding the gospel. And there's more than one conservative author, you can find them online, that suggests there's a major disconnect in American Christianity when it comes to the Lordship of Jesus Christ as it's taught and lived out in American Christianity.