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June 17, 2021 8:00 am
Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. He says in verse one Four, I solemnly charge you in the presence of God in Jesus Christ who is the judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom preach the word is a great person and I wanted our seminary gigantic monument outside the school facing the school it says disclose preach the good training the other side annexing monuments is changing lives in our sides and preach the word joining us today on this additional fellowship in the world. Pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana Pastor Bill Gebhardt now again he shows us how God's word meets our work cultures been able to set another image as I was preparing this week.
I was looking for all kinds of quotes a public that hundreds of them that decided needs to quote both modern women.
One was Maria Shriver. She said having kids the responsibility of rearing, good, kind, ethical, responsible human beings. She said is the biggest job anyone could ever embark on this quote.
I believe the choice to become a mother is the choice to become one of the greatest spiritual teachers. There is Oprah I never thought I'd say that work from the pulpit.
Oprah Winfrey now I think her context of how she said it was very different from mine. But those words are true. I agree with those words. What you open your Bible to second Timothy chapter 1 verse three. The context is very important in this. The apostle Paul. This is the last thing he ever wrote is going to be executed in the very near future and he knows it.
These are his last words. It won't be long after this up will be beheaded and give his life for the cause of Jesus Christ and his writing to Timothy I young disciple of his and he's writing it to encourage Timothy and he starts this out in verse three he says I think God whom I serve with a clear conscience. The way my forefathers did as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day, longing to see you even as I recall, your tears so that I may be filled with joy. Paul loves Timothy they have spent the last 16 years together. He loves him with all his heart. He said I remember you. I pray for you and I long to see you Timothy loves Paul. You can see there in verse four, longing to see you even as I recall, your tears once Timothy knew that Paul was arrested, and he knew Paul wasn't going to get out cried composite, but if you would come to see me Timothy, my joy would be complete such an important thing to think the last thing the apostle writes, is a personal epistle to Timothy and then he goes on, and he says for them. Explain why I feel so strongly about Timothy.
He said, for I am mindful of the sincere faith within you.
He says I am mindful who will nemesis it means is passive.
It needs I call to remembrance I remember this.
I've always been a remember your sincere faith and works, not really sincere. The word here is auto polkadots auto polkadots means I'm hypocritical.
That's what he says about the translated sincere. He said I have this memory of you with your I'm hypocritical faith. Megan was so sad about this. This is A.D. 6730 some years after Christ was crucified and already the church is full, hypocritical Christians, people who have hypocritical faith. It's already there is but not you, Timothy.
He said you're very different than it you have a real faith. The true faith, a rich faith. I love that notice them when he says who gets credit for that. Now you want to think Paul does write many positive spent 16 years of me this imaginal deadline disciple spent three and half years of Jesus for Timothy spent 16 years with Paul everywhere: heard him speak. Paul would want to say and I get credit for this, Timothy B doesn't that say that it all is what he says I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and I am sure that is in you as well. Who gets the credit. Eunice is mom and lowers her mom. They get the credit for the sincere faith that is in Timothy not Paul. They get it because he earned it down. I want to give you the back story on this just a little go with me back to the book of acts chapter 14 and verse eight from chapter 13 on in the book of acts we have Paul's first missionary journey and so we get the 14 eight.
Paul was going to come into Mr. Lister as part of the Galatian churches the letter to the Galatians means all that area.
Galatians are very unusual people. They are the ultimate of barbarians. The Romans had a great deal of trouble conquering Galatia the Galatians used to guide themselves blue for war and they were extremely warlike people.
They would live the modest, modern-day central Turkey. That's where they're at in a very remote area. In fact, the moments bypass them for a long time until one particular Roman general Concord they still honored him for conquering the Galatians they gave one of the promised names to his name.
You probably know it that the province name is Pontius's names pilot Pontius pilot is the man who conquered the Galatians in a honored him for doing that Lister is just a small village in that area. It's so small it's mostly all pagan but it's so small it doesn't have a synagogue there are synagogues and some of the others began to have enough people. That's when he hit list nets can be important for is a good one at Lister in verse eight, a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet lame from his mother's womb would never want in this man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze on him and had seen that he had faith to be made well this is interesting Paul speaking and he sees a certain guideways listen to me because administrative now having been a public speaker, you would be kind of amazed that I can almost guess your spiritual development on the basis of the expression on your face is amazing. I mean, some people are hanging on every word and enjoying the word about some of you just enduring it I just gotta get if I just get through this.
You know that's all I'm looking from affordable lunch.
You know that's that's what I'm thinking. Paul looks on this 1 to 7 and Paul. Notice what it says with a loud voice said stand up on your feet and he leapt up and began to walk.
Now it's pretty pleasant. They knew he was born that way.
He jumps up and he's walking when the crops all that Paula done. They raise their voice saying in the light County and language. The gods have become like men come down to us and they began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul Hermes because he was the chief speaker so Susan Hermes are here because no one can do this another listening to Paul but not really listening in the sense of everything you said. Verse 13 tells us a priest of Zeus, whose temple was just up the city brought an outbox and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifices with the crowd for these two guys public while they're missing the message that was exactly what I'm here to talk about and so what ends up happening. He says that were just normal men like you. It was nothing special by six of the relationship of the Lord. Meanwhile, as Paul want to Galatia. There were larger groups of Jews who lived in some of the other places were the synagogues.
They came in the list in verse 19. They show up and it says that the Jews came from Antioch and I County him and having one over the crowds, they stone Paul Dragon mother city and supposedly was dead.
Now you talk about an up-and-down of ministry guy born lame it's only got me jumps up and runs run that's great right. The crowd thinks or Susan Hermes is not so great if you're a Christian preacher now the enemy comes the Jews of the enemies they come in turn, the crowds on they stone you to death.
CNA got the Dragon out of the city know what's what happens in verse nine. But while the disciples stood over him. He got up and entered city and next-day reimbursement to Derby so the disciples arrives at a time and then is he dead yet good to me. I'll just jump right up front back in the top. This is pretty incredible sequence of events that happened here it says in verse 21 after they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lister and I County human Antioch and went poking right back.
Why is it so important because Eunice and Lois are in Lister and they hear Paul preach and they believe every word he says there amazing to women. Now go with me to chapter 16 in the book of acts in verse one. This is the second missionary journey this about four years later, four years ago. Eunice and Lois heard it and they believe they were believing Jews anyway.
Now four years later it says Paul came also to Derby enter Lister and a disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who would been a believer, but his father was a Greek and he was well spoken by the brethren, who were in Mr. Nye County and Paul wanted this man to go with him and he took him and he circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts and they all knew that his father was a Greek. This is very insightful. What's going on here. Timothy was led to the Lord by Eunice Lois very likely in four years. He had grown so much spiritually that he has an enormous reputation. Now he's likely about 18 years old when I got saved when he heard the gospel. Jesus verse 22 now still young man pauses have heard so much about him.
I wanted to come with me. I wanted to go with me now because it is one of the problems.
If you remember when Paul traveled a lot worse the first place you might synagogue you better not bring someone uncircumcised into a synagogue supposed circumcised Timothy. That in itself is quite an event in a 22 years of age. Timothy submits through just fine but the other thing is amazing is when we think of Eunice and Lois we think.
While these are probably kinda sophisticated aristocratic Jewish women.
They are not. These are two ladies that know the school of hard knocks. First of all, as I said Mr. doesn't have enough juice in it to have its own synagogue. But secondly notice at the end of verse one. His father was a Greek. His father is a pagan that meant to her as a Jew. She's going to be completely ostracized by the Jewish community. Whatever community was there want nothing to do with her because she married a pagan know what happened to him have no idea.
But Lou wants to make sure you understand.
He's a Greek he's not a Jew.
This woman must've grown up in a very difficult time and think about this. Who's the only person is always associated with her mom know what's the story with her mom. I don't know but I don't think of it as alive and why the World War II women end up in the middle of Turkey among barbaric Gentile people. I don't know this is no privilege group how they did what they did is kind of one of the truly amazing stories in this whole thing so we know the background. Now he starts out with Paul and I went to see the rest of the story I want to go with me to second Timothy again this time. Chapter 3 and I went to see some of this helps you with this. First of all, when Paul ends this short letter. In chapter 4. Here, when you see chapter 4, I want to see how emotional Paul is to Timothy. He says in verse one of chapter 4, I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Jesus Christ who is the judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom preach the word is a great word when first time ever read those words I change my when I went to Dallas seminary on a gigantic monument outside the school facing the school it says just those words preach the word that's organ training to do preach the word, the other side annexing monuments is changing lives through Scripture, but Garside said preach the word he said look, be ready in season and out of season. We prove rebuke and exhort with great patience and instruction. He said because the time is going to come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but can be better preacher now that time is described in chapter 3. Notice he says the Timothy chapter 3 verse one realizes that in the last days. It's going to become difficult. Now Paul is pretty sure he's probably in the last days.
He is least mistaken by a couple thousand years, but he thought he was in almost all believer sins and thought that so he starts out in chapter 3, and says for men will be lovers of self, the B narcissist of the lovers of money will be materialist.
That's unlike today at all.
Yes, he said they will be boastful, arrogant revolvers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful and holy and loving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good tractors and reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God and he said in the problems in just the outside the church.
The problems inside the church. He said, holding a form of godliness, although they have denied its power to avoid these people because on describes a decision was going to happen in the end times. The churches can be corrupted from within, and it's going to be corrupted on an emotional basis. Christians are going try to validate their faith based on how they feel the emotions of it all and it's an interesting thing to use the example he said what's going to happen in the end times. Just as Janice and jamborees resisted Moses.
That's what's going to happen in the church. Now you have to do your homework, a tour Janice and jamborees there. The Pharaoh's magicians. How do they resist Moses miracles number Moses did something they did something together. To do this inside the church and the people of the church going to follow these terrible men.
And it's interesting there is been a corruption in the context of our own church. The one of the things I see in the last five years as a movement is a whole bunch of people key leaders and evangelical church try having conferences and trying to deal with what the gospel is we have got to redefine the gospel by his. The fine for us. So, in the truest sense what is happening in our culture now is people trying to validate her faith would help how something makes him feel so is a whole bunch of that that's gone on for some particular time so he says in verse 13 evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse the deceiving and being deceived. Deception is going to happen outside inside and in time. So then he says you however continuing the things that you have learned become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned when you think about this, you say well that's pretty clear post talking about him.
Also, Timothy I discipled you for 16 years. I told her what the truth is that you listen to me and you continue to hold the course is not how to take any credit for now.
Obviously Paul built his life in the Timothy 16 years of but he doesn't do that. Notice what Paul says next and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings, which are able to give you wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Jesus Christ, from when childhood what word is used for childhood, a toddler from the time you were toddling around at two years old you were taught by who is my ship and easy to and Herb, you were taught from the very beginning by your mom. She taught you all of these things it says sacred writings, and that word means only it's it's a term for the Old Testament can be the New Testament because there was no New Testament. This is the Old Testament Philo and Josephus both use that to describe the Old Testament, the sacred writings, he said that's what you did not hold a place and go with me to Deuteronomy 6, the see what was it they were teaching this is the great Hebrew Shema. This is the bedrock heart of Judaism, the Shema verse four hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your might. Well said that Jesus picks right up on this. Then he says this. It says these words, which I'm commanding you today, shall be one your heart.
You shall teach them diligently to your sons you shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lied on and when you rise up what you mean. It means when your life. Everything in your life falls in that category you to teach your children. All this all day long. Notice there was even a synagogue in town so they didn't go to synagogue school.
I gotta get my little child into a synagogue school.
Someone else can teach them know they taught immunity to this when they live their life they live it against the backdrop of the Old Testament, the truth, so when I saw something they told Timothy about it. This is what God says about this. It was a lifestyle for them.
Teaching.
This is almost missing in our culture, sometimes no one can influence a child by the parents. No one I'm always bothered when parents take you know the problem is that peer group that peer group is totally distorted. My kids why I tell you why because you're not influencing as much as you should be see someone's been influencing your children, you need to choose you. I'm to be this influence and that's exactly Eunice was she's the influence her and her mother on this child. You see, that's what they did and had enormous enormous effect on this young man he grew up believing everything they taught him in the Old Testament.
He was introduced to the gospel of Jesus Christ and he believed why small.
That's why now back Timothy for a moment, he says, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings, which are able to give you wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus, and then he says there's two famous verses. He says all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good that was Timothy notice.
That's what he saying you formed us in your childhood. All Scripture, then it says a word. I don't care for inspired the insane inspired Greek the word is a compound word fat loss needs God Numa toss breath. All Scripture is God breathed this interest inspiration Mrs. God breathed in fact, in Psalm 33. The psalmist says this God breathed God in all creation was the result. How did God create the whole creation. He spoke it. Both creation and his word of God breathed.
Both of these reveal God to his creation or to us. All Scripture is God breathed and boy it is sufficient and it is profitable and Timothy is the perfect example of that. I'm sure if you me Timothy and having her sleep.
Timothy what was like to be 16 years with the apostle Paul are so grateful to.
I think you would say yes and if you asked the question, are you most grateful to Paul missing most grateful to my mom see him most grateful are over was right as a hardware's essay. But the point of it is is that I think we underestimate what a great teacher, spiritual teacher that a woman can be to let anyone dissuade you don't buy into the way the culture keeps demeaning motherhood or some secondary servitude. Just ridiculous things like that don't even have to look at motherhood the way God does. That's why God tells us we have a mother on her job because it is important to God. Teddy Roosevelt is obviously a man's man if you're reading about his biography. I don't think there's ever been a president as manly as Teddy Roosevelt. This is what he said when all was said is the mother and the mother only, who is a better citizen than the soldier who fights for his country. The successful mother. The mother who does her part in rearing and training aright the Boys and Girls Club who are to become the men and women of the next generation, he said, is of greater use to the community and occupies if she would only realize in a more honorable as well as a more important position than any man in it. The mother is the one supreme asset of our national life. She is more important by far than a successful politician a successful businessman and artist neuroscientist. She is a mother you presence, talk like that anymore. Anybody talk like minimum so this morning whenever I say to you this this. Don't forget God's mother influence our time.
Example is a great and depressed. You broke your heart on the radio ministry or fellowship nor if you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you dislike. Listen to the message one more time. Remember, you can Google a great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen to Fellowship in the Word online at that website you will find on with today's broadcast but also many of our previous audio programs as Fellowship in the Word. We are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible. We ask all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help with radio ministry continuous broadcast on this radio station by supporting a monthly with just a one-time gift support for ministry can be sent to Fellowship in the Word. 4600 Clearview Pkwy., Metairie, LA 7006 if you would be interested in hearing today's message in its original format that is is a sermon, the pastor will deliver during a Sunday morning service of fellowship monitored visit our website FVC Nola.org that FVC and oh LA.O RG at our website you will find hundreds pastor Bill sermon you can browse through our sermon archives to find sermon series you're looking for. You can search by title. Once you find the message you're looking for. You can listen online or if you prefer, you can download the sermon and listen at your own. And remember, you can do all this absolutely free of charge.
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