Faithful in "Negative World" - Pt. 1

Deuteronomy’s Covenant Signs and the Opening Prayer

As frontlets between your eyes. You should write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Heavenly Father, we praise You as the God who is above all gods. Not that there are other gods, but there are pretended gods.

Father, we praise You that angels bow before You. We praise You that kings bow before You. We praise You that the highest of the creatures are as nothing compared to You. That the whole of the creation is as dust in the scales when compared to Your weight of glory.

So Father, we ask that You would glorify Yourself. That You would cause the creation to be a place of display of Your glory. And that You would cause that to be more and more visible, more and more plain.

That You would cause it to be seen subjectively more and more. We pray that You would bless the righteous angels with their joy of seeing the truth of Your Word and to see the church made more and more manifest.

Father, we ask that You would bless the saints. That You would bless the elect with knowledge of You more and more. We ask that You would build up the church throughout the world and cause the bride of Christ to be resplendent, to be beautiful in the earth.

And that You would cause the Word to wash away every blemish and wrinkle. That the church would be a beautiful bride for Christ. We ask that You would build up this local church and that You would bless Pastor Schwartley and Covenanted Reformed Presbyterian Church in Prosper, Texas.

We ask that You would bless us to move from fraternal relations to a presbytery being formed. And Father, we ask that You would bless the work to put together a constitution. And Father, we pray that You would bless us in communications with others.

I pray that You would cause the various disputes and things that would divide people in the Reformed world to be resolved in truth. Father, I pray that You would bless us as we seek to build up relations with other saints throughout the world.

We pray for the saints in Ogden, that You would cause them to grow in the knowledge of You. We pray for the saints in Georgetown. Father, we ask that You would bless us as we seek to work through things with other churches, that You would bless those efforts and relations.

Father, I ask that You would help us to not grow weary in doing good, but to endure in it, to overcome evil with good. Father, we pray that You would bless us to apply Your law more and more, that You would cause the church throughout the world to know Your law and to do it.

We pray that You would cause the wicked to be bound by Your law through social customs and through law order, and that You would cause a restraint of evil. We pray that You would cause the lamp of Your word to be powerful, to lighten our paths, and cause us to walk in the way.

We pray that You would help us to not go to the left or to the right, but to walk in the way that You have commanded. Father, we pray that You would heal those who are sick. We ask that You would provide for us all the things that are needful for our duties in this life, that You give us a competent portion of the good things of this life.

And we ask that You would forgive us for our sins, knowing that we have been recipients of many, many gifts from You. We have also received clear revelation from You, and we have benefited from the ordinances and oracles in the church.

And so, Father, we ask that You would forgive us our debts, that You would forgive us for Christ's sake, that You would look upon the death of Christ, the blood of Christ as sufficient to pay for all of our debts.

And we ask that You would help us out of joy, out of rejoicing, out of gratitude, out of seeing the greatness of the work of Jesus Christ, that You would help us to be able to be quick to forgive others as they repent.

And we pray that You would help us to organize our lives, our time, the space that we control, and the relationships that we manage, that You'd help us to remove causes of temptation, and that You would help us to subdue within us evil desire, and cause us to be not slaves to sin, but to be slaves of righteousness, to be servants of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Father, we ask that You would do these things because You have the authority and power to grant them. We ask that You would do these things for the sake of Your own glory, and that You would do these things by the mediation of Jesus Christ.

In Christ's name, amen. All right, please open your scriptures now to Exodus 14. If you can, Shafer, please come forward. Please stand for the reading of God's holy word.

Israel at the Red Sea

Exodus chapter 14. Now, the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, speak to the children of Israel that they turn and camp before Pi-haharoth, between Migdal and the sea, opposite Baal-zephon. You shall camp before it by the sea, for Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, they're bewildered by the land, the wilderness has closed them in.

Then I will harden Pharaoh's heart so that he will pursue them, and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord. And they did so. Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people.

And they said, why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? So he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him. Also, he took 600 choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them.

And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel. And the children of Israel went out with boldness. So the Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi-Haharoth, before Baal-Zaphon.

And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. Then they said to Moses, because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness?

Why have you dealt with us? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.

And Moses said to the people, do not be afraid. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.

The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace. The Lord said to Moses, why do you cry to me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward, but lift up your rod and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it.

And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. And I indeed will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots and his horsemen.

Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained honor for myself over Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen. And the angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them.

And the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots and his horsemen. Now it came to pass in the morning watch that the Lord looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and he troubled the army of the Egyptians, and he took off their chariot wheels so that they drove them with difficulty.

And the Egyptians said, let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians. Then the Lord said to Moses, stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians on their chariots and on their horsemen.

And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. And when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.

Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained. But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

So the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Thus Israel saw the great work which the Lord had done in Egypt. So the people feared the Lord and believed the Lord and his servant Moses.

Psalm 1 and the Blessed Man

Psalm one.

And Deacon Rodriguez would normally be reading this, but he's sick. Let's pray for him very briefly together. Father, we ask that you would heal Deacon Rodriguez, that you would help him to quickly recover and to feel well.

We pray this in Christ's name, amen.

Psalm one.

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, and sits not with the scornful men. But he delights in the Lord's law, meditates on it day and night.

He's like a tree planted by streams that brings forth his fruit in season. His leaf also will not wither, and everything he does prospers. It is not so with the wicked. They're like chaff blown away by wind.

Therefore, when faced in the judgment, the ungodly will fail to stand, nor will sinners stand up among the assembly of righteous ones, for the Lord knows the righteous way, but the wicked way will perish.

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, and sits not with the scornful men. But he delights in the Lord's law, meditates on it day and night.

He's like a tree planted by streams that brings forth his fruit in season. His leaf also will not wither, and everything he does prospers. It's not so like chaff blown away. Therefore, when faced in the judgment, the ungodly will fail to stand, nor will sinners stand up among the assembly of righteous ones, for the Lord knows the righteous way, but the wicked way will perish.

Faithful Ministry in 2 Timothy 1:13–2:13

Please open now your handouts or your Bibles, to 2 Timothy chapter two. Really, I'll start reading from chapter one, verse 13. Please remain standing. 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. This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are figilists and homogenies. The Lord grant mercy to the household of Anesiphorus, for he often refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain.

But when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me. The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that day, and you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus.

You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. And also, if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.

The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things. Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains.

But the word of God is not chained. Therefore, I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. This is a faithful saying.

For if we died with him, we also live with him. If we endure, we shall also reign with him. If we deny him, he also will deny us. If we are faithless, he remains faithful. He cannot deny himself. Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit, for the ruin of the hearers.

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness, and their message will spread like cancer.

Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past, and they overthrow the faith of some. Nevertheless, the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal.

The Lord knows those who are his, and let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity. But in a great house, there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor.

Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the master, prepared for every good work. Flee also youthful lusts, but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel, but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, and humility correcting those who are in opposition.

If God perhaps will grant them repentance so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will. You may be seated.

The Apostolic Deposit, Sound Words, and Confessional Fidelity

Now both First Timothy and Second Timothy are about the work of God and the work of the church to preserve the Christian religion in the church as a covenanted community against physical and spiritual attack, so that the individual saints can stand strong as the church together resists apostasy.

That's the heart of both books. And when we see First Timothy, there's persecution that's occurring, and there's already apostasy and opposition that's occurring. In Second Timothy, the persecution has gotten worse, and so has the apostasy.

And so what we find on page two, we're reminded in the face of opposition that the thing to focus on is, verse 13, hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me. So we have the Apostle Paul, we have the apostolic deposit, and it has to be held onto in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

So we're supposed to believe Christ, and we're supposed to, in believing Christ, believe his word which comes through his apostles. When you believe the words of the apostles, you're believing Christ.

Some people want to differentiate and separate the apostles from Christ, and that is heresy. It is absurdity, and it denies the very messages of Christ, and we've looked at that as we've seen the apostolic deposit texts in John.

Also, the love is to be in Christ. It's to be a love that is focused on Christ and his body, the church, and we obey his commandment to love our neighbors and to love our enemies by trying to apply the law of God to all, but the focus on the love of God first and the love of the church and of our houses, the covenanted institutions, with this order of loves that goes out.

That good thing which was committed to you, the good thing that was committed was the pattern of sound words. It's the scriptures, it's the apostolic deposit, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.

So we're supposed to keep it as in terms of our own faith and believing it, having it stored up in our hearts. We're also supposed to keep it in terms of our profession and to maintain the profession of the true religion in the midst of opposition and in the midst of apostasy and in the midst of persecution.

So there's a lot of talk about the changes that have occurred in the culture. Some people are saying that we've recently arrived in negative world, that's a thing that gets used online, this idea of we're in negative world now where Christianity's been opposed.

Well, I'll tell you what, we've been in negative world for a long time. We're in more negative world, sure, but we've been in negative world for a long time. It has been the case that if you assert the truth of God's word broadly, almost any sphere, whether it's education, whether it's politics, whether it's general life, whether you're talking to people in general, there hasn't been a friendliness to taking the scriptures and talking about them to try to apply them in a realm of life in American culture for a long time.

And so it may be the case that we have a more negative view of Christianity in significant parts of the country now than we did in the past, in previous decades, but it is, we've been in negative world for a long time.

What we are in is an increasing negative world, and the nice thing is that the church is becoming more aware of it and more aggressively Christian. So I'm thankful for that. And so the idea of holding fast to the word and not being ashamed is one of the key things that's important for the preservation of the Reformed faith in the world.

So this willingness to hold fast the pattern of sound words. Now, confessional standards are a way that we corporately confess the truth in an efficient and orderly way. And so this idea of holding fast the sound pattern of words is both in terms of the scripture and in terms of as the church matures, we want to hold fast to our confessional standard.

So the word that was committed to Paul, that was committed to Timothy, is the scriptures. Verse 15, this you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are vigilas and homogenies.

Now, some people try to read this as like everybody, every church in Asia turned away. That's not the case. Ephesus is in Asia. Timothy is in Ephesus. He's an officer there. That's not the point. The point is all those who had been with Paul, who apparently were from the Asian churches, fled from him and they're in Asia.

They were turned back. There's a sort of this running away from him. So the people who came from the Asian churches with him to Rome have abandoned him. This you know, that all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are vigilas and homogenies.

The Lord grant mercy to the household of Anesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. Now, one of the things that happens during times of persecution and opposition is the officers get attacked and the officers get persecuted because they stand out.

Leaders stand out and so they get attacked. Anesiphorus gives to you an example of how to deal with officers who are attacked for the sake of the truth of God's word. And it's to not be ashamed of them or of their being attacked.

You have to of course judge what they're being attacked for. You must be careful to not be ashamed of the things that they suffer or the attacks they undergo for the sake of the truth. And so you look at what's going on and the suffering that's going on and you look at the causes of those sufferings.

Now it's also possible, you know, it happens a lot where people go and they throw garbage accusations at people who are telling the truth in order to try to shame them with garbage accusations. And this is particularly common in our time that oftentimes in politics, for example, anybody who's a Christian who's in a particularly important point, if they're open and vocal about being a Christian, it's particularly powerful to attack Christians with charges of sexual impropriety.

And so to have charges come out about that, that's a common thing that occurs. And so you find things that are actually evil being things that come out as charges as a way of trying to discredit. Now the problem is there are sometimes true charges.

There are oftentimes true charges that are horrifically evil deeds by people who claim to be Christian. So you've got this difficult situation there. But you have to be aware of the difficulty both of people attacking plainly for the truth or for coming up with false attacks in order to go after true officers with bogus charges.

And then there's also the reality that some people who are leaders need to be removed, need to undergo punishment, have committed heinous sins. And so you have to consider all of those things, which means that you have a careful responsibility to seek to stand by officers through the process of dealing with them.

We were told in 1 Timothy this idea of you don't receive charges against an officer, an elder, without two or three witnesses. And we have that responsibility for everybody. But we also especially need to be careful in terms of the way leaders are dealt with.

So being ashamed of the suffering that officers undergo for the truth is sin. And we have the approved example, the positive example of Anessa Foras, who was not ashamed of Paul, was not ashamed of his imprisonment, was not ashamed of his harsh imprisonment, was not ashamed to go to him, was willing to refresh him, was willing to go alongside and help him, and willing to suffer possible risks and harms to himself to help Paul.

Verse 17, but when he, Anessa Foras, arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me. So Anessa Foras gets to Rome, zealously looks for Paul, who's imprisoned, and in that zealous looking for Paul, keeps looking until he finds him.

When he finds him, he brings to him refreshment, he brings to him help, he brings to him things for his care while he's in prison. Sometimes people will take the verses in the scriptures that are about caring for the saints who are undergoing persecution and are in prison, and they try to apply them generally to people in prison.

You don't have a duty to go and refresh everybody in prison. You don't have a duty to go take special care of people who are in prison. But when Christians, especially public leaders, teachers, undergo persecution and even go to prison, you have a special duty to care to them in that persecution.

There's a special responsibility in the times of persecution to rally around and protect and care for the saints who are undergoing persecution. So when Anessa Foras arrived in Rome, he sought Paul out very zealously and found him.

The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that day. And you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus. So Romanists like to take this text and say, here's a proof text that you should pray for the dead.

This is the strongest text in the Bible to support that because you could see how if you come in with that doctrine, how easy it is to isogete it in. So if you believe already that there's some authoritative teaching that you should pray for the dead, and you see, okay, Anessa Foras is being talked about.

He's being talked about in past tense. He often refreshed me. He was not ashamed. When he arrived, he sought me out very zealously. The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that day.

What day?

Must be the day of judgment. So there we are. Paul's telling us to pray for Anessa Foras that on the day of judgment, when Christ returns and resurrects the dead, that he'd find mercy on that day. And you know, there's this grant mercy to the household of Anessa Foras because he must be dead, and so there must be a need to give things to his house to care for his household.

And so you put it all together, and you kind of go, that feels like a plausible reading. Well, the problem is that we are to find that doctrine of praying for the dead no place in the scriptures explicitly taught for sure.

And then you look at this,.

And it's not a necessary reading. It's not a necessary inference. It's not a necessary reading. And so let me present to you a just as plausible, and I would suggest, given the rest of the teaching of scripture, more than plausible, in fact, necessary reading.

Okay, so let's walk through how you read this in response to Rome. You say, the Lord grant mercy to the house of Anessa Foras, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chain. Okay, so there's something happening where Anessa Foras is having something happen, and his household is having some sort of a loss, and Anessa Foras used to refresh and used to show that he was not ashamed of Paul's chains.

Okay, so quick thought for you. What if Anessa Foras was identified as a Christian as a result of his helping Paul during this time of persecution that we're looking at? This is, again, before the destruction of Jerusalem.

It's after the fire that was caused in Rome that Nero was blamed for, and Nero tried to shift blame to the Christians. So this is the persecuting time following that. So Anessa Foras is identified as a Christian, and as a result, imagine for just a minute that he was also put into prison like the apostle Paul.

Would that also make it so that he's no longer able.

To provide for his household?

It would. Okay, so then we go to verse 17. But when he arrived in Rome, he sought me out very zealously and found me. Okay, so this is past work. One of the reasons that we should pray for the Lord to grant mercy to the household of Anessa Foras, he's suffering for righteousness' sake.

He took a risk. The Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that day. So this could be a prayer for his justification, but I'll tell you what, in what day. Well, one of the things that we find, Paul's gonna talk about his persecution, and he's gonna talk about having been delivered from lions.

And the thing is, if you are being persecuted, and you're awaiting some sort of great punishment like execution, the thing you would expect people to be praying for you about is very specifically that you would maintain the faith in the face of this persecution.

And he's using Anessa Foras in terms of an example of faithful ministry. And we're going to deal with this idea of continuing to maintain the witness in the face of opposition. So Anessa Foras, the saints were encouraged to pray, and he prays, Paul prays, and Anessa Foras, in other words, would receive mercy on the day of his trial, his tribulation, his suffering, his persecution unto death.

And you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus. So this is a reminder again of the good works that were done. So there's no reason here why you have to read this as prayer for the dead.

So next, chapter two, verse one. And in fact, the only reasonable way to read it, frankly, is to read it as Anessa Foras is in the same sort of situation Paul is, and is praying for strength for him, is to receive the soldier of Jesus Christ.

No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. And also, if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.

The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things. So there's a call here to Timothy, and by implication to us, to be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

So to be strong in the grace is to have the sanctification and spiritual gifts that come from Christ Jesus be strong in us. We're looking for a strength of faith. This would go back to this idea of holding fast to the pattern of sound words.

And so strength in the faith, strength in the grace that comes from Christ, strength in our sanctification, this need to focus on obedience to Christ as a way of being faithful. You see, there's always temptation to compromise on what God has commanded.

And when there's persecution, and when there's social pressure, and when there's mockery, there's an even higher temptation, and even on the edges to compromise for the sake of having other people think better of you or reduce the pain they're going to bring, and to try to reduce some of those things.

You go, is it really necessary on this thing or that thing that I have to hold the line? That seems pretty small, it's a small detail. Is it really something I have to hold the line on if it's been revealed by the Lord Jesus Christ?

You should not compromise on any proposition of truth or any commandment of the Lord Jesus Christ for the sake of conveniency. You, therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.

So now there's the, again, there's the scripture teaching that's given, there's the propositional revelation that comes from the mind of God, and then there's the organizing work and the public teaching work of officers in the church, and this idea that the public teaching is more formal.

There's an emphasis on being careful to give sound words in the formal and public teaching. And so the public ministry of the church in terms of confessional statements, pulling together words in an organized way, and the public teaching of ministers so that they can be challenged by other people so there's opportunity for public confrontation about error so that other people hear it and are testing it, that is a more sure type of teaching.

It is a type of teaching that is to be looked upon as important to give your attention to. So taking heed of the public teaching, capturing that information, transmitting that information, and repeating that cycle is what mature men are called to do.

The whole church is called to do it, but there's a special duty for those who are mature and who are going to teach others to take heed of the public teaching, to capture that, to transmit it, and to go through a repeating process.

So the things that you've heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You, therefore, must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.