Do Not Be a Demas

Will take your copy of God's word and were going back to second Timothy we called this series beautifying the bride has we go verse by verse chapter by chapter through this New Testament epistle, the apostle Paul's writing to Timothy is left Timothy behind in the city of Ephesus fees now imprisoned in his second Roman imprisonment. That's where he wrote second Timothy Froman is given Timothy instructions on how to get the church in better shape something like he told Titus when you sent Titus to the island of Crete, Ms. Pam, and I'm not take a trip over there to the island of Crete is not too far from where will be but anyway sit tight Titus to the island of Crete. Instead, set things in order in the church is there, what's basically what Timothy's doing in Ephesus.

He's getting the church back on track North Wildwood Paul want the church to be on track so that God is glorified when the church, the bride is proper and true to God, then God gets the glory through her just like a wife is the reflection of her husband and husbands glorified to the character in virtue of the wife that's once used as a is analogy in Scripture for Christ rep relationship rather to the church that we come toward the end of second Timothy were in chapter 4, and this morning will be in verses nine through 15 second Timothy chapter 4 verses nine through 15 about this going give you the final. Do not be a Dimas do not be a Dimas verse nine, 654. Paul's writing to Timothy says make every effort to come to me soon. Why verse 10 for Dimas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica Christians has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia only Lucas with me to pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service. The ticket costs I've sent to Ephesus when you come bring the cloak which I left at troll ass with corpus and the books, especially the parchment. Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm. The Lord will repay him according to his deeds will guard against him yourself, for he vigorously opposed our teaching. This is a personal letter, which is very different from many of the books of the New Testament which were letters written to hold church families. At this point, Paul shifts from this strong command to Timothy concerning preaching the word any shifts to relating now to Timothy, his personal situation. Now being a personal letter, we do not see the kind of the logical layout of this letter, like we do in the books like Romans or Ephesians or other New Testament book when using there's a treatise on theology or doctrine. And then there's the practical application that follows that no this is just like a personal letter. I mean it just up all mixed together as it comes to Paul's heart and mind, of course, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and a lot of things there so we get to the end of the letter and Paul begins to get some very personal remarks about people and his personal situation. Now, one thing that I think is very important here is we do see the absolute authority and full sufficiency of the word of God and that in this personal letter is written from a person to another person and written like a personal letter letter. Nevertheless, God has wonderful treasures and nuggets of truth for us that we can apply to our lives today. Now I'm convinced that verse 10 is a proper starting point for understanding this section of the text verse 10 rightly divides the section of Scripture. It's a line of demarcation because you see all of us line up on one side or on the other side, according to what we see in verse 10 Alyssa get bursting again for Dimas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica and you say all of us are either like Dimas over like Luke or Timothy or Mark who were faithful you're either Dimas like car, your faithful displacement were Paul's coming from years.

He talks about these various people in his own situation now. Dimas originally was a close and trusted associate to the apostle Paul in Colossians 414. He list him along with him some of the other apostle and then moving on to for Lehman 124 he list marking Aristarchus and Dimas and he calls Dimas, one of his fellow workers. But it turns out that Dimas had too much world love in his heart too much world love in his heart and let me veer off the notes a little bit here. The only way you love in your heart greater than the world love that was there when you were conceived is of God changes your heart Dimas had too much world love in his heart. You see it's one thing to enjoy the common braces of this world that are God gives us family and friends not set to close a good meal, a car to drive.

The sun shone the rain did not know we could go common braces that God gives all men, nothing wrong with enjoying those and we enjoy them. We enjoy them giving thanks to God we enjoy them with humility and gratitude that God granted so many good things but enjoying God's good common braces that that's an altogether different thing than loving the world first John 215 do not love the world, this present world system with its values and ideas and philosophies do not love the world know the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not Enya. The point is, if the crowning passion of your heart is to get all the gusto if you will, out of this world. If that's the abiding driving force of your heart, your none of God's did not get one of his children.

You've not yet received the new birth. You're not a new creature in Christ Jesus.

I didn't say a Christian may struggle with that from time to time.

I think if that is the abiding passion of your life that you're not the father's another way of saying do not love the world's do not love sin. Those like Dimas who forsake a sound pastor and a sound church to you, not themselves within shallow or unsound pastor and an unsound church. Often, they leave flying the banner of well I just don't believe that Dr. to my theology has changed direction. Intellectually I see things differently hogwash and slow.

It's a sin problem. Dimas probably left.

Paul was somehow sounding argument. Why was okay policy you deserted me that sin, brother, sister, listening man did not come to the light because their deeds are evil. They didn't get to the darkness and become evil. They were evil and went looking for the darkness. It's always a sin problem when men forsake God and for sake the truth of the sacred true church is always a love of the world problem when women forsake a sound pulpit at a sound church in a sound fellowship to go for some I'm not saying God, the new people of the places we know that's true but none ever.

That leaves the sleeves out of love for God and the truth and holiness. A lot of, like Dimas, who have too much world love in their heart's and casting a little further to our world and our present cultural situation. I get so tired of hearing these bowel indulge yours in conversion and CNN wickedness raised their heads that with pomp and arrogance like well I just intellectually believe this and that you're not an intellectual fool bound by your sin list to speak honest about a men, while Paul said he deserted me. The word deserted used for Dimas here means for sake in or abandoned is the idea of leaving someone in dire straits, leaving them in a desperate Dimas once was a man that Paul could count on. But not now. So verse 10 lays down this line if you will either your for God and for the church and for the truth of your like Dimas in your head in the other direction. So with that understanding in mind, we can see why verse nine says what it says, Timothy, make every effort to come to me showing pulses make every effort it means expend what energy you got expend but get to me. Timothy, we would say do your very best Timothy to come see me because it's getting tough is portable pulsing is getting tough year, Timothy I could use your help the sub to meet a picture in my mind this the apostle to the Gentiles, locked in a Roman prison in these coming close to his execution, he knows that he's pinning these final words were getting the last written words of the apostle to the Gentile and human Timothy on the antidepressants.

Do everything you can to get here now added to that is that Christians he says in verse 10 has gone the Galatian he had anything wrong. He just on different assignment Titus is going to Dalmatia and otitis is missing third crease and is only mentioned here in the Bible. Titus is missing 13 times Titus is middle knowledge pre-evidently got the work done there.

Getting the church is straightened out. Paul spent his whole life working on these local churches to get the right they did he get them kind of right and they'd slip back again any comeback dying to write again and now you spreading out to let Titus and Timothy and others helped him and that working Titus evidently got through with the work in in in the pre-he's he's been with Paul that the in the Roman prison ministering to them.

But now he's gone to Dalmatia. The Bible so that puts Paul in a quite lonely situation not completely alone, but as far as having the leadership we might say, our minister of staff he squad alone. So Paul is there and that Roman imprisonment, his execution is impending and I believe not only does he long for Timothy's company is true is that is but he wants to sit down with Timothy, eyeball to eyeball heart to heart and spend some extended time preparing Timothy to carry on this all-important church planting work after his demise after he is executed know that sitting in my let's talk about. Don't be a Dimas W. Dimas, but I due via Timothy one who's quick to obey and one in whom leadership can trust among other things, Timothy was definitely that he was quick to obey and one that leadership in this case apostle Paul could completely trust him. In Philippians 219 to 20, Paul writes to the church there, but a hope in the Lord.

This Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly so that I also may be encouraged when I learned of your condition, for I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare.

So pulses ahead. He's a guy I can trust.

So let's stop right here and let's challenge your hearts are you Dimas are you Timothy are you one when God ordained leadership ask.

You are direct you are suggest to you, are you on the justice is by nature going to question and contend are you like to everything that's quick to believe Paul writes make every effort to come.

The assumption is pulsing. I know Timothy will come. I mean I know he's going to do what he can to get here.

There's a parallel to this that is really the same basic truth of the godly woman in Proverbs 3111 Proverbs 3111 says the heart of her husband. Trust in her. The point is, she's not doing her own thing she's lined up under her husband and she's a blessing to him and she's caring for the home, and he notes he can trust her confidence in her wonderful thing to be married to a woman you know her heart, and you can trust her less. What Paul is saying to Timothy, I know this man's heart. I know I can trust to meet these quick to obey me, and he's what I can put my trust in are you quick to obey and contract leadership, trust you will just be Frank all the time all the time.

I'll be talking with one of our minister staff and no mention one of you in the so you know when that brother saw the just count on him that lady.

She is so faithful you just count on us. Timothy lack and a whole lot of you are like.

I know it's not the charming personality brother Matt the charisma.

Both Jeff are the global esteem of the Steve of scholastic superiority with TM are the wisdom of brother David you love Jesus and Jesus said to obey your leaders that I got a 47 year track record here so you you know I'm not going to charge you to do something that's off-the-wall. If I give you an extra patient do something with and have thoroughly hammered out from this book. Can we put the wheel up there again the will of straight at it we we work this out. What over three decades ago and I wrote these purpose and strategy statements and we had them laid out so that we could kinda keep it in our minds and let me give you this saw a prerequisite thought every illustration falls apart somewhere no illustrations perfect but if you'll say I'll be at Timothy. I will be quick to obey and be faithful to the preaching of the word. That's the hope of the will. I want to be quick to be obedient and serve my brothers and sisters through small groups as the will of the right to have a heart for local church centered minute missions per/strategic world mission. I will be faithful in homelike discipleship and I'm convinced based on the clear systematic teaching and authority. The word of God.

If you'll follow me, and give yourself to those things you can stand before Christ. One day, and I'm convinced here. Well done good and faithful servant. You make and articulate it differently and use it if illustrated, but those probably think modifying and I mean this if you get to heaven. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ is in on the Lord you sent Jeff Nabi to be our pastor a long time and he told me if I made a priority of the preaching the word. And I was faithful to serve my brothers and sisters in small groups industrial to have a heart for per/strategic local church intermissions, and we tried to be real at home in it. He told me that that that would please you and if he says not, that's not enough and it's only it's only if you see the Lord, and you said you know, our pastor, he laid out from the Bible preaching the word-based ever members of small groups, local church centered missions, homelike discipleship, but you know I just felt called to dogs for Jesus. I just thought I'd get me some dogs together it will go around the country, not teach them. Don't mark certain ways in which to share the gospel through dogs bark analogies with you and say that Paul have dog know he preached.

He started local churches. He taught the principle of every member ministry body life he continued in world mission to be expected. Every church he planted to help them in that world mission to and he taught that it ought to be real at home so I say that their silly little dog illustration because there's a lot of stuff going on out there that didn't have 1/2 a thimbleful of Scripture supporting but if you'll give yourself to these things and and why don't you this morning say Lord I would always sound up to be at Timothy in small groups this year.

I just will be quick to obey and quick to get in on what needs to be done, so I'm a small group. I don't know about my small group were you there somebody in there you can serve her to men say justice last week for those basic things you kinda know but sometimes you hear people say it and it sticks deeper. He said you can't make happiness. The goal of your life.

Being happy cannot be the goal of your life because a lot of times in life.

You're not happy, but you can make holiness. The goal of your life pleasing God. The goal of your life.

You notified you actually find more happiness than if you started out for happiness. Maybe we used to say this a lot, but the night when you start saying this more again claimant because Nathan is now David's mouthpiece is locked, Moses and Iran, David still here is just trying to pull back from a lot of the day-to-day stuff we used to say just drive that you won't miss more than 15 small group attendances and in the calendar year. The single handle sonnet for that, you might miss 17 with the straw for 15 you probably won't miss 25 be more faithful the more faith well via W.

Dimas, Timothy quick to obey and amend leadership, trust. That's why Paul to Timothy come you the guy on the with me when over to don't be a Dimas do they look to the Aleut. Look at verse 11. Only Luke is with me the link was a guy he was faithful all the way to the end faithful all the way through. That's a powerful thing. Notices only Luke is with me another probably other Christians, but again among his staff, his leadership team only Luke is remaining with them at this time. Now, now, Luke was who Paul called in Colossians 414, the beloved physician said I love this guy Libby spirit all of his service with me but effect of Luke had been with Paul in his first imprisonment. Both men were well educated and fully devoted to Christ.

Even though their ethnicity would put them at odds in the natural world one did you Paul it was a Gentile great Luke and so normally they would have gotten alone but you see in Christ Jesus.

All racial, ethnic and cultural divisions are removed and I'm sure it was a blessing to Paul that Luke was a physician because Paul had a lot of ailment. So the best preachers I have a lot of medical problems in every scriptural record. Luke is seen as faithful about this prettiest thing, because the Bible didn't pull any punches. How would you like to be Dimas with lead rounding it. Dimas got right in the Lord got this all fixed, the less we see the game if you don't you don't Thessalonica play in the world so the Bible just lays it out there, but in every record of Luke. He sings a guy who was faithful all the way through.

It's believed that Luke wrote the gospel that bears his name in the book of acts while he was with Paul and Paul's first imprisonment. Listen to what an early historian, wrote of Luke. He said, Luke serve the Lord without distraction. Having neither wife nor children that the age of 84 he fell asleep in the Alisha full of the Holy Spirit was testimony so according to the biblical record in church history. Luke was a man that was faithful all the way through all the way through, you know, blood to you guys are Laconia your Laconia nuts when I came here long time ago you were here you could be counted on. And you are striving to be faithful in your scale faithful but much harder to use. Don't quit now don't post now. Don't give up now be a Luke making faithful all the way through the validity Dimas spirit.

Come on you dog I've serve part a long time. It's time for some of these other folks to do that. Who told you that told you that brothers and sisters. It's our joy to serve our Lord. It's our joy to serve his body.

It's our joy to go that small references or someone I can encourage this week so I can pray for this week someone we can covenant together to pray for.

That's not converted, that we can't reach out to us. Luke every time you seem record of Scripture on church history is faithful and he was faithful and skews me all the way through. God bless you folks who are like Luke, there's a lot of you there and I've been blessed to be your pastor. Some of you been leaning lobar toward Dimas's house a little bit will you need number three. Don't be a Dimas but doomed the mark of the mark.

Look at verse 11. Only Luke is with the interesting pick up Mark. Yep, that's the same John Mark that Paul kicked out of the club while back, but his back this a lot about Mark.

He fell back, but he came back he stayed back and was on track like a thumbtack knife. I love that picture here and maybe some of us are my Mark you fell back on me, you fell back on the Lord you fell back on the church.

What good facet and get back will take you back. Let's all stay on track the smartphone. Mark did acts 1536 through 40 at the Sundays. Paul said to Barnabas about the way Barnabas is John Mark's cousin the digital background of the support, let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaim the word of the Lord and see how they are positive.

Select all these churches we started, let's have them get along in doing better versed in 37 Barnabas wanted to take John called Mark along with them. Also Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along to had deserted them in Pamphylia as though Dimas spirit. There and had not gone with them to the works on that earlier missionary journey, John Mark not part of the way through this additional hard in the thousand will be. I thought this would be exciting. It was a young minister you soon learn that most local church ministries more perspiration and inspiration is just work for the challenges we haven't anchored in truth right now they see brother Donelson ends and they see me and some of the brothers have been on the road several decades and they want to have the blessings we have in our church ministries but so many of don't want to do 25 your hard work that sort of where John Mark was, I think I did notice will be sufficient. He bails out and posit he's not going with this because I don't know how this character. I don't know if he's really back in time.

He hadn't convinced me yet. Verse 39 says action 15. There occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another and Barnabas took Mark with him and Satterwhite Cypress. Paul chose Silas and left being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord. But then sometime later, Mark made it right and we see him with Paul again during Paul's first imprisonment.

Colossians 410 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner send you his greetings and also Barnabas is cousin Mark as he brings out cousin Mark here. Barnabas could let Mark go because they were blood kin even though Mark at the time when qualified to go on this next mission journey, but now everything is okay and I was what what Paul's notebook know how Paul affirms Mark here if he comes to you welcome him. You may have heard about the scandal we had you think you may have heard about the fact that I would let him continue on that first missionary journey.

Please come back and gone the next one because he bailed out on the first one but he's back now he's regaining my confidence. I like Mark.

He fell back, but he came back and he stayed back on track.

Pulses now he's useful now in second Timothy chapter 4 this same mark in our text is mentioned again 22 years after the first offense. Paul said he still on track Timothy when you make your way to me.

Six months journey had to get there before winter. You can journey across the sea in winter to rough we journey back to be picked up Mark on the guy.

He's a blessing to me. God is the God of the second chance and the third shade in the fourth change the not all of us are outward. Mark's work outwardly. We left some of your hearts have left your zeal was left some of your devotion has left this time to get it back get back on track, specially talking about your service to God in small groups. This do a better job this year. I'll be honest we slip some of the pandemics, put the whammy on us. But you know I proclaim the pastoral edict the pandemic part is over. I say that tongue-in-cheek because I can give meetings. I know I give this book with this book says we need to be back on track and to be faithful. Don't be a Dimas Dimas failed back and stayed back as far as we know, do the MRT came back and stayed back in stay on track to draw a line in the sand this morning as I Lord it's time, this time with cannot cannot cannot say something to you mother and sister in Christ you know I love you and we can't judge each other. One family's unlimited just like another, but you don't balance church with the world if you don't balance God's work with well you fit the common grace is the world in after God's commitment to the church settled I'm telling you you be you be shocked at how well God bless them how wonderfully that will work. Sometimes it's just hard attitude but I know it's this. The cool bowling thing today to offer people the church were just fun and games and happy days and exciting services and blogs can live in the world and come in on Sunday for about hour and 1/2 and and then that's all I need not stuff church churches visiting the elder churches counseling surveys going through divorce churches, living with mom and dad's child in rebellion churches loving each other, caring for each other.

You can't do that for hundred people be can do for seven write 10 people in small group. If you've been off-track this get back on track. Don't be a Dimas when number five. The last one. Don't be a Dimas but divvy up all nuclear Paul you not be surprised by this, but Paul had a fierce commitment to God's local churches study all of missions in the New Testament. Given five local church local church local church local church looks or he preach the gospel.

He won the lost, he formed local churches and any use that would help form others can take out working with and trying to get them all more mature eight slept drink and lived for God's church, he says in verse 12, but teacher because I have sent to Ephesus. The teacher kisses. He accompanied Paul in his last journey to Jerusalem. He carried the letters to the Colossians in Ephesians that we have a book as books of our Bob of our Bible today. He's honorably described in the letters that Paul wrote mentions him. Perhaps he he's even the one bringing this letter. Second Timothy two Timothy in Ephesus sure, but perhaps he's most certainly, though he sent to Ephesus because Timothy's leading emphasis because Paul didn't want that local church without leadership because he cares he is a fierce commitment to local church attention because I'm sending over the. I have sent deficits, because Paul's journey is going to be to go to Paul.

Paul seeming sending to trick us to take his place. When we talk about the fierce commit to the local church.

So many they have this upside down there upside down and think, I think the church exist to help the individual. That's the weakness of Charles Stanley's ministry and I appreciate Charles Stanley but he's totally concerned with individuals doing better that's upside down. You're really concerned with the turkey St. God's not just about saving individuals gods about forming a people you you miss it your terribly incomplete if you don't emphasize people or say to be a part of the church. The church is not how can I say this to keep it in balance church is not primarily to win the lost. When the loss to primarily make the part of the church misunderstanding the church is very much committed as a priority to preaching the gospel and winning the lost, but to the that God has a people got forms of people for now that's local churches. So here Paul is imprisoned lonely, awaiting execution and I'm sure he still feels like you felt in second Corinthians 1128 when he says I've got all these external problems within their site.

Continual pressure of concern for the churches.

Do you have that kind of passion for the churches you like a passion for your church.

To me this is occupy your heart and mind that now will grace not to do well to do well only be a part of that order. Bring the ties and offerings only ministered to the saints, and you know what I look at there you will see when I look out there honestly a lot of tired people you don't look bad on mean that legs look okay. I mean, it's not an every month struggle is not in every week struggle in this world today. It's an everyday struggle to say I'm going to say no to a lot of the world's call so I can fulfill God's call to be faithful to his church on a fierce commitment like Paul is teaching what Paul says here he says in verse 13 when you come bring the cloak which I left at trial. As with corpus in the books, especially the parchments of the cloak come. Some say the cloak was a chest which had the books of the parchments in them, but that's a real stretch for me that's a real stretch it's August. The cloak here meant a cloak and outer garment Leon Eagle say to me thinking here before winter because winter was just around the corner.

He needed the cloak and outer garment usually had a hole in the top and you'd put it over and it was shelter you from the cold and from the weather. One early writer. Thinking about Paul specifically mentioning the cloak and that God included in Scripture, said we must not deny our humanity or pretend that we are more than just and I got this wrong for so long and a lot of you do and I was. I thought if God calls you in the ministry you have this Superman ability to carry emotional, psychological and physical loads that the average man can't carry your one of the supermen of God. That's a lie, pulse, and I'm told bring the cloak them, but what God does is he tells the men of God how to concern themselves and save themselves and care for themselves not to think they are somehow have this capacity to be expended beyond what anybody is to be expended and be okay when you get that biblically you don't get it biblically is one of those meeting notions that sounds spiritual and is not, that's not very clearly Paul tells Timothy in these letters, Timothy exhaust yourself in preaching the word which means there's other things you may not do what you have to do that if you do not have the emotional, physical, mental capacity to kill these loads preaching the word is a load you can do other things but you and I can do many of them but brothers and sisters in the church are gifted so that they can help you with those other loads.

If you're called to preach. Nobody else is going to do that when you're going to do it, bring my cloak.

Then he says, and the books.

Now I think it's probably should go to trial lasts and carcass has my cloak and in the books in the parchments and it's likely that Paul was arrested in Truax as and hurriedly said corpus keep my cloak keep the books and I'll send somebody for later they took him off and incarcerated. Know the books here meant papyrus rolls. The promise was interviewed by the Egyptians about 2500 BC we get our word paper from this word papyrus. It was a plant that grew in the marshes they would cut in thin strips. The strips would be overlapped to form a sheet of papyrus paper then they would drive the sheet in the sun and then would the sun as it dried would bind those strips together, it would form escrow and that's where we get that idea rolling the scroll left, but he said bring those books, those papyrus papers, but then he also said, especially the parchments apartment is a different word means everything it means addressed animal skin. They would take out skin of a gold are our sheet for our young calf and they would take that leather and they remove all the hair, the fat in the meat they would soak it in the lime water they would scrape it. They would straight you on a frame dried out and smooth it by rubbing it with a plumage stone and chalk to get this beautiful polished piece of leather.

Then they would write on that piece V.

It was a more beautiful, more more expensive than imported things were saved to be written on parchment will post what were these papyrus rolls. What was the parchment. I'm glad you ask. No scholar knows but I think I know my speculation is the papyrus rolls were Paul's writings.

Perhaps other New Testament writers. Perhaps some of the books of the New Testament with the parchment the more expensive was Paul's copy of the Old Testament pulsing Timothy, I'm here in the squalor. I'm desperately lonely. My execution is coming. I need the book need the book of told you this before.

If I get in the place. I can't move or I can't think or I can't care for myself when you come to see me bring the book on here, but not I treasure you pauses Timothy on the G-tube. Whatever you do, bring the book.

Isn't it interesting Paul in the situation basically says three things he needs.

I need fellowship Timothy I need you here. I need material provision, bring the cloak.

90 the word of God. You know, back to small groups that's what you could do in the small group care for each other. There's a physical crisis or need we do that a lot in our church since Margaret were there just to say brother I'm with you.

I'm praying for you. I'll be interceding for you.

I'll help you with that her sister whoever it might be. Finally, always, and here's what the book says to give you some encouragement, some instruction from the book. That's what Paul said he needed wealth. Verse 14 he those in this line of Alexander the coppersmith the salad in the coppersmith did me much harm. The Lord will repay them according to his deeds.

We don't know exactly who this guy is. He's probably the the Alexander from first Timothy chapter 119 and 20, where he talks about people who don't ship wreck.

According to the faith. And he said people have gone ship record guys like Hyman Naess and Alexander who now turned over to Satan so they will be taught not to blaspheme.

So, if it's that Alexander that is a man whose apostate size. It is become an enemy of the church and an enemy of Paul fishing Fraser posted this guy did me much harm Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm the rate scholar says says that can be translated. He charged against me. He brought charges against me, that would make good sense in this context I think what Paul is saying here. He's the guy that would not let it go. He kept going to the Roman authorities charging me of crimes before the Roman authorities until finally they arrested me they found me guilty. They've incarcerated me and send it to me execution. He brought the charge. He's done me much harm. That's my view of what he saying that Paul says something very interesting.

At the end of the verse verse 14 the Lord repay him. According to states so Paul's not writing from a perspective of personal vengeance.

I think you anything is Timothy. First of all I want to protect you from him you go may run into him and if he finds out your preaching the gospel preacher, you're my associate with you try to ruin you to. I think that's why sing to be careful about Alexander coppersmith of the metalworker means second laughing.

Paul is saying he's trying to pervert our doctrine.

We need to protect the gospel in the tree from his perversions like he says that the very last verse 15 he vigorously opposed our teaching positive this is bigger than me, he's against the Lord and the truth of the Lord that were about bringing to the people to save their souls and build local churches. But I'm impressed with the fact that Paul says the Lord repay.

Maybe this context is helpful in acts chapter 7, a godly deacon by the name of Stephen is preaching the gospel in the more godly deacon Stephen preaches the gospel to the more the Jewish crowd is enraged against him. So much so that they rush upon Stephen begin stoning him to death.

If who's there that day. Paul Paul was there they calling Solberg for his conversion. His name sought to convert his name same to Paul. Paul was there that day and the Bible says in acts 18 Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death here Paul is in effect bringing charges against Stephen before his conversion.

In effect, bearing witness, this is just he desires. This punishment, so perhaps the key reason Paul does not seek a personal vengeance against Alexander the coppersmith because Paul could say I was just like Alexander before often grace I was just locking there when you think it's got a Stephen no is God or his cries*the forgiveness that comes the grace to good lesson for all of this is not there go live sip of the grace of God that may not. He's condemned out.

Jennifer's wrong.

But he says I'm leaving him. The Lord's hands. Who knows, maybe Grace will find him to, but everything Paul has said to Timothy, all reverberates around this one central theme.

Paul's fierce commitment to the local churches.

I'm here to build up churches appear to start churches in here to mature churches on here to bring God's gospel save more souls to begin more churches.

It's all about the commitment to local church so don't be a Dimas via Timothy quick to obey in a person leadership can trust Bill Luke maybe all the located in Rome to go live for spiteful all the way through to the end. Don't be a Dimas via Mark even though Mark fell back, that's over you can get back and then stay on track serving the Lord and his church. Don't be a Dimas via Paul, the priorities of your life to God's church is my priority one simple reason. The church is God's priority. You can't be seen his son to die for it and you think it's one of many things got churches now one of many things. God thinks it's very thing God is doing. You may not have your spouse later, over just how the church you may not have a family. For this to be a church body make the psyche back guarantee is somewhere somebody will open the Bible to worship Jesus, and you can get together picture. That's why the Bible says and you get to heaven you not be husband-wife parents and children like you're here you be one big glorious church. Don't be a Dimas