Somebody Loves You

Raul Ries: We're living in the last days, the Antichrist spirit is around, and there's going to be all kinds of winds and doctrines coming our way. But at the same time, we hold tight to the teaching of the Word of God, Genesis to Revelation. We do need the Bible, and the Bible is inspired by God. God gave it to us. We do not trust in traditions. We trust in the Word of God.

Guest (Male): Welcome to Somebody Loves You Radio, the Bible teaching ministry of Raul Ries in Diamond Bar, California. Well, it's good to have you with us today as we continue our study of 2nd Timothy, a letter of exhortation written from a prison cell by the Apostle Paul. Today, Raul will encourage you to be fruitful and fearless for God. We hope you'll stay with us for assurance that when you experience hardship for your faith, the Holy Spirit will equip you with the wisdom, power, and giftings you need to accomplish God's kingdom-building work. Let's listen as Raul Ries begins.

Raul Ries: If you have your Bibles, turn to 2nd Timothy chapter 1. We now have Paul, and he's getting ready to die. He's in Rome, he's already made his three missionary journeys, he's already proclaimed the gospel, he's now an old man, and he is in chains in a little prison in Rome waiting for his execution. Nero is going to kill him.

But then Paul, in writing 2nd Timothy, which is his last letter before he dies, he wants to encourage Timothy because Timothy has been left in Ephesus to become the pastor of the church of Ephesus. And there seems to be a situation where Timothy had been a young man, he was at the age, maybe when he got saved, in his early teens, and then he walked along with Paul, and Paul taught him, discipled him.

And now Timothy is probably around 30 to 35 years old. And everyone that Paul knew have left him alone, have deserted him. And he's writing to Timothy and says, "Timothy, don't give up." Timothy was having a very hard time in his life. And the reason he was having a hard time is because there were false teachers that were coming into the church, and they were trying to discourage the people, they were trying to deceive the people.

And at the same time, Paul is letting Timothy know, "Timothy, I am going to go to be with the Lord and I'm turning over to you the work that God gave to me. I'm going to give it to you. You're the next generation to take us to the next step." Look what he says to him in 2nd Timothy chapter 1, beginning at verse 6. He says, "Therefore I remind you, Timothy, to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of hands."

It seems from the scripture here that Timothy's fire had gone out. Timothy got cold. He says, "Don't you remember when we laid hands on you and the Holy Spirit came upon you and baptized you in power, and you got so turned on to Jesus Christ? Timothy, what happened?" He says in verse 7, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

You see, Paul is telling Timothy, "Timothy, please, get with it. Get on your knees, ask God to touch your life because I'm going to give you the work. I'm going to die. Just in a few days, I'm going to be dead. I'm going to be in the presence of the Lord. And God has called you to take over this ministry that God has given to me."

So now Paul, in talking to Timothy in verses 8 to the end of the chapter, verse 12, Paul wants to share that he is not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ that has been given to him. "Timothy, do not be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ." Look what he says. Verse 8, "Therefore, because of this, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me, His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings of the gospel according to the power of God."

How we need to be bold in sharing our faith with other people, our neighbors, our friends, our loved ones. Why? Because they have a soul, just like you have a soul. And it's really important that we understand that one day we're going to die, and like I said on Sunday morning, if we die without Jesus Christ, people will end up in eternity in hell. And there's no one, not even ourselves and not even God Himself, that could ever give them another opportunity. They are gone forever into eternity without God, to be tormented day and night. They made the choice.

This is why it's really important for us not just to forget about the gospel, but even as Paul the Apostle in the book of Romans chapter 1, verse 16. Listen to what he says in Romans chapter 1, that great book of Romans. In chapter 1, verse 16, he says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, 'The just shall live by faith.'"

So important to be able to share the gospel with those that don't know Christ. A lot of times we don't really understand, and maybe we're fearful, we're afraid, just like Timothy. And yet Paul again, "Timothy, don't forget the testimony and don't forget me. The testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ."

Guest (Male): You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. If you're in the Diamond Bar area on March 14th, be sure to make plans to join Pastor Raul and other solid teachers at Calvary Chapel Golden Springs for a family conference titled "Family God's Way." Whether you've been married for decades, newlyweds, or raising children of any age, this conference offers timeless biblical truths and real-life application to help your family thrive. For more information, go to somebodylovesyou.com and click on the Family Conference graphic. Let's continue now with more from Raul Ries.

Raul Ries: He says, "But share with me also in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God." Listen, it's not easy to be a Christian. When Paul was writing, Paul had been beaten three times, shipwrecked. In Lystra, they took him out of the city and they stoned him and he was left to die. He was dead. And that's in 2nd Corinthians chapter 12 where Paul the Apostle went to heaven while he was dead and the Lord spoke to him and he came back. And when he came back, he got up and said, "Hey, let's go back and preach to them again." Paul was that type of a person.

Listen, this world is not to be compared, and even the sufferings that we're going through tonight, compared to eternity, not to be compared. Timothy, please, do not be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Then he says in verse 9, he says remember who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. Notice what he says here. Look what God has done for you and me. He saved us, He called us to a holy calling.

Notice what he says: we're not ordinary people. God has called you and God has called me in a holy calling to serve Him with all of our might, to serve Him with all of our hearts. What did God save you from? From the wrath to come. He saved you from sin. He saved you from hell. He gave you eternal life. And it's not through works lest any man should boast, Paul says in Ephesians chapter 2, verses 8 through 10. It is through faith in Jesus Christ that we come to know Him and His love and His grace and His mercy.

Because look what he says: "And He saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works." You see, it's not according to works, but what? But according to His own purpose and grace. There it is. And yet, how many people are trying to get into the kingdom of God by their own works, and yet Jesus said, "Your works are as filthy rags. Your self-righteousness is no good." You can't get in by your own works. It has to be the grace of God, unmerited favor. We deserve hell and God's giving you heaven.

And look what he says: "But according to His own purpose and the grace which was given to us in..." what is that word "in"? You remember Ephesians? "In" speaks of my position in Christ Jesus. I'm not outside of Christ, I'm in Christ. That makes me a child of God. That puts me in fellowship with the Lord. When? In Christ Jesus before time began. Can you believe that? God knew you before your mommy and daddy got together. He knew you, He knew me, way before that.

Verse 10, "But has now been revealed or unveiled by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ." Notice that. Notice here the power of the gospel Jesus Christ has given to each one of us, the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He says, "But has now revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel of Jesus Christ." What is he talking about? The death was conquered by what? By the cross of Jesus Christ. Sin was defeated.

And then, not only the death of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, but how about His resurrection? He could have died on the cross and never resurrected, it would be in vain. But He did rise again on the third day. 1st Corinthians chapter 15, over 500 people saw Him. He resurrected. The power of the resurrection that has given us life from death. We're dying to the old man but we're risen with Jesus Christ in the newness of life. Paul says it in Romans chapter 6, verses 1 through 6. Risen with Christ in newness of life.

This is so incredible what God has done, what He's doing in my life and in your life. Check this out. "But has now been revealed by appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ who has abolished death and brought life." What kind of life? Spiritual life. We are spiritual people. We're no longer to be carnal, but to be spiritual, you see. When we became born again of the Holy Spirit according to John chapter 3 when Jesus spoke to Nicodemus the great rabbi, He says, "You must be born again of the Spirit, not of the flesh."

And what did He do? "Who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light." Think about this: people that don't have Christ, they have no hope for tomorrow. They're afraid to die. I would too. I've been to so many funerals, done so many funerals, I've been to hospitals, and the saddest thing for me when I walk into a hospital and that person's going to die within a matter of minutes, and I talk to those people and they're not sure if they want Christ, or they start cussing at me.

And I say, "Hey, wait a minute, you're going out into eternity and you're damning me when you're going to be dead just in a few minutes if you don't receive Christ. You can't mess with people like that. You've got to be direct. There's no time to spare. You've got to tell them the truth. There is a heaven, there is a hell. And the only way to get to heaven is for you to repent of your sins and to receive Jesus Christ by faith, and He'll forgive you, He'll cleanse you and wash you, and right now at this very moment right before you slip into eternity, you can be in heaven just like the thief on the cross, if you humble yourself and ask Christ into your hearts."

The light of the gospel when it's turned on, when people repent. That's what each one of us have experienced tonight in our lives by coming to Christ. Then look what he says, verse 11, "To which I was appointed." Notice: my profession is by appointment. This is what he's talking about. He's talking about here, notice, in which I was appointed: number one, a preacher. A preacher. Secondly, an apostle. Thirdly, a teacher.

Now what is a preacher? Many people have many concepts of a preacher. Preaching means what? That God gives you the gift of preaching to non-believers. Preaching is for the non-believers, not for believers. An apostle here, he's talking about an ambassador, one that represents Christ like a missionary, one that is sent out to represent Christ wherever you work, whatever school you go to, whatever supermarket you go to, you are God's representative. Remember that. And then, teacher. Like we're doing tonight, teaching the Word of God line upon line, precept upon precept.

Paul says, "God called me to be a preacher, a representative apostle, and a teacher of the Word of God to the Gentiles." Paul wanted to go to the Jews, but he couldn't go. God sent him to the Gentiles. And the reason I say that, why? Because teaching, Paul the Apostle in the book of Ephesians chapter 4, verses 11 through 16, gives us the purpose of the church. And what is the purpose of the church? That God has set up some to be what? Apostles, some pastors, teachers, and evangelists.

And here Paul the Apostle had that gift of preaching and teaching and becoming a representative of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And watch this, verse 12, "For this reason, Timothy, I, Paul, also suffer these things." All my beatings, all my imprisonments, all my rejections from people, everything that I ever went through. "Nevertheless," he says, "I am not ashamed. I am not ashamed." Why? Because it was for God. It wasn't for myself. I'm not ashamed to be a Christian. I'm not ashamed whatever happens to me as a Christian. We don't ever have to be ashamed.

Watch what he says, "For this reason I, Paul, suffer these things, nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know in whom I have believed and I am persuaded that He, Jesus, is able to keep or guard what I have committed to Him until that day." Wow. Powerful statement here, Paul. Paul says, "I am aware that I'm not employed for myself, the Lord employed me and the Lord guarantees me these things."

Listen, I'm in the greatest job of all jobs. "It's the call of God," he said. "I've got a guarantee in that day when I stand before the Lord Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat of Christ that I'm going to hear the words 'Well done, good and faithful servant, Paul, come on in. Here it is what I prepared for you.' And not only for Paul, but for every one of us here. It's not how you start the race, it's how you finish the race, remember that. Anybody can start a race, but not everybody finishes well. Not everybody finishes well.

It's important to start the race and finish well because during the race there are going to be trials, there are going to be temptations, there's going to be suffering, there's going to be things that will happen in your life and you have to constantly keep your eyes on the prize: eternity, the crown of life. Verse 13, notice: be loyal to the faith now. Hold fast, hold tight literally, the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me in faith, love, which are in Christ Jesus. What does he mean?

He says, "Look, Timothy, what I have taught you concerning the teaching of the Word of God, hold on to it tight, don't let go, especially because of all the false teachers that are teaching heresy, be careful. The emerging church today, the emerging church coming soon, it's on the rise. What do they believe? They believe, number one, that you don't really have to trust the scriptures. It's really important that we understand this. That we're living in the last days, the Antichrist spirit is around, and there's going to be all kinds of winds and doctrines coming our way."

But at the same time, we hold tight to the teaching of the Word of God, Genesis to Revelation. We do need the Bible, and the Bible is inspired by God. God gave it to us. We do not trust in traditions. We trust in the Word of God. Very important what God's Word teaches. So Paul here is instructing Timothy in the same way because false teachers were trying to deceive the people of God, and many of them already had been deceived. You'll see in a moment.

Hold tight to the pattern of sound words, or to sound doctrine, which you have heard from me in faith, in love, notice, which are in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed to you, keep, notice, guard it, or guard the truth, the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. What God gave to you through the teaching of the Word of God, let the Holy Spirit guard it in your heart. Don't let go of that. Don't let go of what you've been taught, the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Guard it with all your heart.

Verse 15, "This you know, that all those in Asia Minor have turned away from me." Can you imagine that? "Hey, people have deserted me." Who? "Among whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. They left me. They're gone." There are people that stay and there are people that desert the church. I pray that you're the ones that stay and don't desert the church, especially when things get tough and things get rough.

Here Paul is broken-hearted and these guys here, they knew the truth of God and yet they became deserters against Paul. They left him all alone there in Rome getting ready to be tried and to be killed, and nobody was by Paul's side, and yet he was hoping that Timothy would get there on time, but Timothy never got there on time. Paul was killed before Timothy came. But he left him the letter. "Timothy, stay true to the Word."

Verse 16, "The Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus." Remember, we saw him in the other gospel in the book of Philemon? We'll see him again. Onesiphorus. Why? Because he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains. He came from Ephesus, he came out to seek me out, and he comforted me. He was a good, good disciple of Christ. He was a good servant of the Lord. He was a true, notice, co-worker in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Onesiphorus.

Verse 17, "But when he, Onesiphorus, arrived in Rome, he sought me out," notice, "very zealously and found me. And the Lord grant to him that he may find mercy from the Lord in that day." Man, Paul surely is an encourager. "Lord, bless Onesiphorus for coming out here. On the day of judgment, give them a lot of rewards for what he did with me." He says, "And you know very well how many ways he ministered to me at Ephesus." Isn't that beautiful? Just like you minister to me, I minister to you, we can minister to one another. Why? Because we're the body of Jesus Christ. We're in here for the long run, for eternity, not part-time.

Guest (Male): When you pursue God's plans for your life, it's natural to occasionally feel discouraged and fearful. But as we've learned today, the Holy Spirit is always ready to strengthen and equip you. You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Ries. Today's teaching was titled "Paul's Appeal to Timothy, Part 2." If you'd like to get an unedited version, just call us at 800-634-9165, and for a donation of $5 or more, we'll send a copy to you.

For more insight into God's gracious provision, we'd like to offer you Raul's entire 2nd Timothy study. It's available on CD and USB. Challenging you to serve the Lord with steadfast faith and fearless confidence, this 11-part series will ground you in the eternal hope of your salvation. You'll also discover the rich blessings that come from consistently obeying God's leading.

To order Raul's 11-message 2nd Timothy series, visit somebodylovesyou.com or call 800-634-9165 and ask for the CD set for $24 or the thumb drive for just $15. That's 800-634-9165. Or you can write us at Somebody Loves You Radio, PO Box 4440, Diamond Bar, California 91765.

This ministry is fully listener-supported and we're always grateful for our partners. Every tax-deductible gift helps us keep sharing the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ. Join us next time for more instruction from 2nd Timothy. You'll find that as a soldier called by Christ, you need to arm yourself with God's Word, remain disciplined in growing in your faith, and stay alert to spiritual attacks from the enemy. That's next time on Somebody Loves You Radio.