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Well, you can turn with me in 
your Bibles to the book of 2 Timothy, chapter 1. 2 Timothy 1 for our meditation 
for the Lord's Supper this evening. Our focus will be on verses 8 
to 10, but I do want to read the chapter. So 2 Timothy 1, 
beginning in verse 1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ 
by the will of God, according to the promise of life which 
is in Christ Jesus. To Timothy, a beloved son, grace, 
mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 
I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers 
did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, 
greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, 
that I may be filled with joy when I call to remembrance that 
genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother 
Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you 
also. Therefore, I remind you to stir 
up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of 
my hands. For God has not given us a spirit 
of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Therefore, 
do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner, 
but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the 
power of God, 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, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior 
Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality 
to light through the gospel, to which I was appointed a preacher, 
an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For this reason 
I also suffer these things. Nevertheless, I am not ashamed, 
for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able 
to keep what I have committed to him until that day. 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 Phygelus and Hermogenes. "'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.'" Amen. Well, let us pray. Our gracious 
God and Father, we thank You for this, Your Word. We thank 
You that the Holy Spirit gave it to us, and we pray that You 
would guide us now in our thoughts and in our actions according 
to Holy Scripture. We thank You for the glory of 
the Gospel. We see its power. We see its magnificence. We see 
the necessity for us to defend it, and if necessary, to suffer 
and even die for it. For we know that this is the 
message of Christ and him crucified and resurrected. It is that message 
which brings eternal life under the power and blessing of the 
Holy Spirit. May the church champion this 
great cause to hold forth your glorious word, to proclaim the 
gospel of salvation to every tribe and tongue and people and 
nation throughout the earth. And God, again, forgive us for 
our sin, cleanse us in that precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, 
and we pray in his name, amen. Well, as we look at this particular 
section, it's a good meditation in terms of our Lord's Supper, 
specifically verses 9 and 10, where the Apostle details or 
describes the gospel of our salvation. But I think it's also helpful 
for us to remember that 2 Timothy is the last letter written by 
the Apostle Paul. He thought or he knew there was 
a contingency that he may die in what we call the prison epistle. So that would be Ephesians, Philippians, 
Colossians, and Philemon. He understands that he could 
potentially die in that imprisonment, but he's not too certain that 
that's the case. He knows he's going to die when 
he writes 2 Timothy. This is, as I said, his last 
letter. In fact, turn over to chapter 4 at verse 6. and not only to me, but not to 
me only, but also to all who have loved his appearing. So 
he's in a prison cell, again, he knows that he's going to die, 
this time for sure, and so the things that he writes to Timothy 
in the second epistle, I don't wanna say they're more important 
than the rest of the word of God, but we really ought to listen 
to the words of a man in his 11th hour. And certainly gospel, 
and the necessity to suffer for that gospel, if necessary, is 
on his mind. Turn, for instance, to chapter 
three, at verse 10. He makes a contrast between false 
teachers and with Timothy. And in verse 10 he says, But 
you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, 
faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which 
happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra, what persecutions 
I endured. And out of them all the Lord 
delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ 
Jesus will suffer persecution. So, he is bidding his young ministerial 
companion to faithfulness, to steadfastness, and to suffering 
if God calls upon him to. So, as we look specifically at 
chapter 1, there's a greeting in verses 1 and 2, a revelation 
of his prayer for Timothy in verses 3 to 5, and a reminder 
to Timothy to stir up the gift of God which was in him, according 
to verses 6 and 7. That then transitions into this 
statement of verse 8, which is the practical exhortation in 
the section. He does not want Timothy to be 
ashamed. He wants rather Timothy to suffer 
for that word if necessary. And then that brings him to expound 
on that word of the gospel in verses 9 and 10. So we'll look 
first at the pattern for gospel ministry in verse 8, secondly 
the origin of God's plan of salvation in verse 9, and then finally 
the execution of God's plan of salvation in verse 10. If you're 
thinking covenantally, there's a movement here from the covenant 
of redemption in verse 9 to the covenant of grace in verse 10. 
We'll make note of that as we move through the material. But 
notice the pattern for gospel ministry in verse 8. It begins 
with a prohibition. He says, therefore do not be 
ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner. It therefore connects back to 
verse 7, well verses 6 and 7. Therefore I remind you to stir 
up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of 
my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power 
and of love and of a sound mind. So God has equipped Timothy for 
this particular purpose. Therefore do not be ashamed. 
That is contrary to the purpose and plan of God relative to your 
gospel ministry. You're supposed to proclaim the 
truth. You're supposed to not be ashamed. You're supposed to 
say with your mentor, the Apostle Paul, I am not ashamed of the 
gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone 
who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. So he 
prohibits him from being ashamed. And we need to understand that 
that is a present reality. That is a present effect that 
the people of God undergo. There is this shame at times. 
And when you stop and think about it rationally, you come back 
to the question, why? The earth is the Lord's and everything 
in it. Why would we possibly or conceivably 
fear what pagans and heathens think about our gospel, our true 
and saving gospel? What would we think about them 
being bothered by us bowing our heads and thanking the good Lord 
for the food that he gives us in a public restaurant. Why would 
we be ashamed? It is irrational. It is inconceivable, 
and yet it plagues the heart of man, even redeemed man, not 
suggesting that Timothy was that kind of a man. It's probably 
a general prohibition, but he says, therefore, do not be ashamed. And then notice the twofold object 
of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me. The testimony of our 
Lord, of course, is the word of the living God. It's the gospel 
of our salvation. But then Paul goes on to say, 
nor of me. Is Paul a megalomaniac? Is Paul 
filled with himself? Don't ever be ashamed of me. 
As he's a minister of the gospel, as he is an apostle of Jesus 
Christ, and as was the custom of those whom he had had truck 
with that had abandoned him, that had forsaken him. Look back 
in chapter 1 or look forward to verse 15. This you know that 
all those in Asia have turned away from me, among whom are 
Phygelus and Hermogenes. The Lord grant mercy to the household 
of Anesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed 
of my change. Look over at chapter four, specifically 
in verse nine. Be diligent to come to me quickly, 
for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and 
has departed for Thessalonica. Crescens for Galatia, Titus for 
Dalmatia, only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, 
for he is useful to me for ministry. And Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. 
Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come, 
and the books, especially the parchments. So it's not Paul's 
ego, it's Paul's ministry as an apostle of Jesus Christ. To 
be ashamed of Paul is to be ashamed of the message of the Apostle 
Paul. You see a similar situation in 
2 Corinthians. In 2 Corinthians, Paul defends 
himself a lot. Again, it's not because he's 
filled with Paul, but he understands that if these false teachers 
who have come in are believed by the Corinthians, and they 
create some distress relative to Paul, then they will not hold 
to his message. So insofar as souls are jeopardized, 
Paul is concerned that you do not be ashamed of him. And so 
Timothy, you're not to be ashamed of the testimony of the Lord, 
nor of the Apostle Paul. So that's the prohibition, but 
then notice in verse 8 the exhortation, but share with me in the sufferings 
for the gospel according to the power of God. Again, Timothy's 
not scratching his head at this point saying, I wonder what he's 
talking about. He knows exactly what he's talking 
about. He's in his second imprisonment. He knows that he's going to die. 
He's already said or commended him, or he will commend him in 
chapter 3, that he's followed him in persecutions. This is 
not a statement without any sort of definition for young Timothy. Timothy knows that there is suffering 
associated with gospel ministry. Turn back to the Gospel of John. 
John chapter 15, where we see this, at least in one form, in 
terms of the Lord Jesus' instruction to his disciples. John 15, this 
isn't the only place in the gospel records, but it's one that I 
want to look at, and then a couple other texts, just to show the 
presence of trial associated with gospel ministry. Not with 
false ministry. The guy up there preaching about 
health, wealth, and prosperity doesn't suffer. I mean, people 
might think he's weird. They might think his wife is 
weird with her hair and all that. But for the most part, they don't 
suffer. Why? Because their message is 
not offensive. Their message isn't that you're 
sinful and that God is holy. Unless you believe and repent, 
you're going to go to everlasting punishment. It's that kind of 
message that rubs people the wrong way. So again, false ministers 
are those that are just preaching sort of self-help and, you know, 
Jesus is my boyfriend type of doctrine. They're not suffering. 
They're not going to suffer. But the man who preaches Christ 
and am crucified, if he doesn't in the power of the Spirit, he 
is going to suffer as a result of that. Notice in 1518 in John's 
Gospel, if the world hates you, you know that it hated me before 
it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love 
its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose 
you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember 
the word that I said to you, a servant is not greater than 
his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute 
you. If they kept my word, they will keep yours also. But all 
these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because 
they do not know Him who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken 
to them, then they would have no sin. But now they have no 
excuse for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father 
also." So they hate God, they hate His Son, and they hate those 
who accurately preach the Son's Word. Turn over to the book of 
Acts, Acts chapter 5, where we see this sort of trial associated 
with gospel ministry in full display. Acts chapter 5, specifically 
at verse 40, Gamaliel puts the hush on the Sanhedrin and tries 
to discourage them from killing these men. So they listen to 
Gamaliel essentially, but they got to go ahead and smack these 
men around just for good measure. Keep them in line. Make sure 
they don't color outside the lines anymore. Notice in Acts 
5.40, and they agreed with him. And when they had called for 
the apostles and beaten them, there was no reason for that. 
There was no cause for that. Sometimes you read those gospel 
narratives and Jesus is before the Sanhedrin and they smack 
him. And some say, well, it probably wasn't the members of the Sanhedrin. 
It absolutely positively was the members of the Sanhedrin. 
Just like the members of the Sanhedrin at the time of the 
apostolic ministry did horrible things to those men as well. 
They didn't get better. They didn't get smarter. They 
didn't get wiser or good. So they agreed with him. And 
when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they 
commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and 
let them go. So they departed from the presence 
of the council. Now notice this next bit. Rejoicing 
that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. 
Wow. That's the grace of God. That's 
the power of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes we wonder, could I 
bear up in the midst of suffering? Well, I've always thought that 
if God calls you to suffer in that kind of a way, He's going 
to provide the grace necessary for you to suffer in that kind 
of way. And so they rejoice because they were counted worthy to suffer 
shame for His name. Turn over to Acts 14. The Apostle 
Paul preaches a particular sermon. And again, he doesn't have to 
explain why he's preaching what he's preaching. He had probably 
hobbled to his pulpit. He had probably limped to his 
pulpit because of what we find in verse 19. So look at Acts 
14, 19. Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium 
came there. And having persuaded the multitudes, 
they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing 
him to be dead. However, when the disciples gathered 
around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day 
he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. Brethren, these are long 
journeys. This isn't a car ride. He didn't 
call an Uber. He had just been stoned and persons 
supposed that he was actually dead. And yet the very next day 
he's going to another city to proclaim the gospel. Now notice 
his subject matter when he goes there to preach the gospel. Verse 
21, and when they had preached the gospel to that city and made 
many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, 
strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to 
continue in the faith, and saying, we must, through many tribulations, 
enter the kingdom of God. That's a divine necessity. We 
must, through many tribulations, enter the kingdom of God. It's 
not going to be clear sailing. It's not going to be no problems. 
It's not going to be without trial or hardship or affliction. 
It is always going to be associated with difficulty and heartache 
and hardship. Turn to Galatians chapter 6. 
Galatians chapter 6. Look at what Paul writes, specifically 
at verse 16. and as many as walk according 
to this rule, peace and mercy be upon them and upon the Israel 
of God. From now on, let no one trouble 
me, for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus." The 
bearing in the body the marks of the Lord Jesus meant the visible 
wounds that he had received at the hands of both unbelieving 
Jews and the Roman state. In fact, go back to 2 Corinthians 
11, where he outlines or details what it was that he received. 
Notice in 11.22, are they Hebrews? So am I. He's countering the 
false teachers, these super apostles, these guys who came into the 
church at Corinth and said, Paul's not really concerned about you. 
Paul's only in it for Paul. Paul's only in it for money. 
Paul's only in it for prestige. That's why Paul defends himself 
in 2 Corinthians, because he had been lied about. And again, 
it's not his ego that drives him, it's his message. If the 
Corinthians believe falsehood about Paul the Apostle, they're 
going to believe falsehood about his message. They're going to 
twist it and distort it. So he says, are they Israelites? 
So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? 
So am I. Are they ministers of Christ? I speak as a fool, I 
am more. In labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in 
prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews, five times 
I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten 
with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times 
I was shipwrecked. A night and a day I have been 
in the deep. In journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils 
of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the 
Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, 
in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren. in weariness 
and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings 
often, in cold and nakedness, besides the other things, what 
comes upon me daily, my deep concern for all the churches." 
Probably that affected him even more so than the buffeting and 
the rods and the various things he suffered. It was the anguish 
of God's people. It was the difficulties associated 
with God's people. His pastor's heart reflected 
upon that, and it caused him daily concern. He'll get over 
the wounds, he'll get over the rod strikes, he'll get over all 
those things, but he won't get over the sorts of division and 
dissension that oftentimes obtain in churches, or over the pain 
and the hurt and the suffering and the sorrow of God's people. 
Every single day that stuff came upon him. So going back to 2 
Timothy 1, the prohibition, do not be ashamed of the testimony 
of our Lord, nor of me as prisoners, and then the exhortation, but 
share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the 
power of God. Again, Timothy's not scratching 
his head saying, well, I wonder what he's talking about. I just 
don't get it. What do you mean, Paul? Aren't 
you like Benny Hinn? Don't you have a mansion? Don't 
you have boats and cars and summer homes and all that sort of thing? 
Isn't that what gospel ministry is about? Well, no, of course 
not. For the apostle, he suffered. For the apostle, he hurt. For 
the apostle, he agonized. But then notice, there's not 
only trial associated with gospel ministry, but there's power associated 
with gospel ministry. nor of me, his prisoner, but 
share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the 
power of God." There's my statement from earlier. If God's going 
to call upon you to suffer in a grievous way, He's going to 
give you the power necessary to sustain you in the midst of 
it. That is crucial for us to understand. It's not, Timothy, be a tougher 
man. Timothy, you know, get more testosterone. Not that those are bad pieces 
of counsel, but Timothy, it's God's power. It's God's strength. It's God's grace. It's God's 
energy that's at work in you. Look at Colossians chapter one. 
Colossians chapter one. The Apostle, toward the end of 
the chapter, is highlighting his place in redemptive history. 
He does that toward the end of our section in 1 Timothy 1 at 
verses 11 and 12. In other words, what's Paul's 
role in redemptive history? Well, he's that unique link that 
is the apostle to the Gentiles to tell them that they are participants 
in the covenant promises of God made to Old Covenant Israel. 
So he understands that reality. And he says as much in about 
verses 24 to 27. But then notice verses 28 and 
29. He says, Him, Christ, we preach. warning every man and teaching 
every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect 
in Christ Jesus. To this end, I also labor, striving 
according to his working, which works in me mightily." So again, 
the apostle is not suggesting to Timothy that this is something 
you can undertake in your own strength. You just go out and 
suffer, Timothy, and you just be man enough to deal with it. 
No, God's power is operative in your life and in your ministry. 
God's power is there to sustain you in the midst of trial and 
affliction. God's power is real, and it is activated in those 
times when you stand in desperate need. So back to our text, that's 
the pattern for gospel ministry. You're not to be ashamed, and 
you're willing to enter into suffering. I think that provokes 
the question. If it hasn't, I'm going to provoke 
the question. Well, how good is this message? In other words, 
if I'm called to suffer for something, right, there's probably precious 
few things. If you gave each of us a piece 
of paper and said, you know, write five things you're willing 
to suffer for. Could you do that? Oh, of course, 
we're looking at 2 Timothy 1. Yeah, we could, absolutely. We'd 
suffer for our spouse, right? We'd suffer for our children. 
I'd like to think we are, we're not beasts. I think even beasts 
would do that. Animals suffer for their spawn. We should certainly out-animal 
the animals when it comes to that sort of a thing. But sort 
of beyond that, what else are we willing to suffer for? I mean, 
again, you might extend that list, you might fill up five. 
So how do we sort of factor what goes on that list? Well, how 
valuable that person is, right? Your wife, your husband, they're 
you. They're valuable. They go on that list. It's just 
no brainer. Your kids, again, they're your 
spawn. You love them. You love the bones 
of those kids. So they go on that list. So now 
Paul is telling Timothy to suffer. Now, when you look at what we 
looked at in terms of Paul's suffering, he's not just meaning, 
you know, a side look at you at Tim Hortons because you bowed 
in prayer. He's talking about physical pain. He's talking about 
torture. He's talking about 39 lashes 
with the Jewish whip. They were bound by Deuteronomy's 
law that they weren't to exceed 40. I doubt the Romans said, 
oh, what does Deuteronomy say as we mete out punishment upon 
this malefactor? They just went, you know, crazy 
with the rock. So when we ask the question, 
does this make it on the list? The answer is a resounding yes. 
Absolutely, positively. In fact, it should probably be 
number one. If you're thinking properly, 
you're thinking biblically, you're thinking in terms of God's plan 
of salvation. So now notice, after the pattern 
for gospel ministry, he speaks concerning the origin of God's 
plan of salvation. This isn't a flash in the pan. 
This just didn't arrive today. This isn't something that, you 
know, this was an afterthought in the mind of the great and 
living God. No. This has always been His plan relative to the 
created order. He makes the world, He governs 
the world, and He redeems His elect out of the world. That's 
not just a New Covenant concept. That's what the Old Covenant 
tells us as well. The catechism asks, what is the 
chief end of man? Man's chief end is to glorify 
God and to enjoy him forever. That was always the purpose, 
that was always the plan, forfeit by Adam in the garden, but recovered 
under the last Adam by our Lord Jesus Christ. So notice, as the 
apostle sets forth the value, the unsurpassed value of the 
gospel of our Lord, he starts an eternity past, as it were. 
Notice he speaks concerning the author of salvation. He says, 
nor of me his prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for 
the gospel according to the power of God. Now notice verse 9, who? God. That God I'm calling you 
to suffer for. That God is the one who has saved 
us and called us with a holy calling. So God himself saves 
us, not us. Not our works, not our merit. He's going to make that absolutely, 
crucially clear in just a moment. But this is the God who has saved 
you. This is the God who has redeemed you. He saved you from 
your sins, Matthew 1, 21. He saved you from spiritual slavery, 
John chapter 8. And He saved you from the death 
and the wretchedness that's going to come to those outside of Christ. 
Notice in verse 10. He has abolished death and brought 
life and immortality to light through the gospel. So that God 
saved us. That's the emphasis of the apostle. 
Notice he doesn't say that God helped you save yourself. That 
God facilitated the salvation of you. No, God saved us. This 
is the recurring theme in all of scripture. What does Jonah 
2.9, from the belly of the whale, what does Jonah say? Salvation 
is of the Lord. What does the apostle cry over 
and over again? I don't mean cry with tears, 
I mean cry out with emphasis. gospel, or rather the salvation 
that we enjoy as a result of the gospel, comes from God. What 
do the saints before the throne in heaven, what are they saying? 
They say salvation belongs to our God and to the Lamb who sits 
upon the throne. They don't say salvation was 
wrought out by us, we're getting our fit reward, we're getting 
what we deserve. No, if we got what we deserve, 
We'd be in hell for all eternity. That's the glory of the Christian 
gospel. He's abolished death. He's brought 
to light life and immortality. He has brought us the blessing 
of God Most High because it is He who has saved us. That's the 
emphasis. This gospel is worth suffering 
for, this gospel is worth dying for, because God saved us. And even if we get buffeted, 
even if we get stoned to death, even if we go through the most 
crucial forms of suffering, then we are going to pass into the 
presence of the Most High. There'll be no more sorrow, there'll 
be no more tears, there'll be no more hunger, there'll be no 
more thirst, there'll be no more death in Emmanuel's land. So 
in other words, this one ought to be on your list because God 
saved you. Notice, how did God save us? 
Well, it says, He called us with a holy calling. This refers to 
the effectual call of God. This refers to the blessing of 
God relative to His purpose in bringing us out of darkness into 
marvelous light. He called us. We didn't call 
ourselves. Did we? We heard the gospel, 
we called ourselves. No! God, who is able to make 
men willing in the day of his power, calls us effectually unto 
himself. Look back at Romans chapter 8. 
Romans chapter 8, where the apostle gives there what we call the 
order of salvation. The order of salvation. Notice 
how it begins. Romans 8 at verse, well, we'll 
put it in context, verse 28. And we know that all things work 
together for good to those who love God, to those who are the 
called according to his purpose. That includes suffering. That 
includes not being ashamed. Even those things work for good. 
This verse would not be necessary if Paul meant good things work 
for good. It just wouldn't. Finding bags of money will work 
out good for you. Well, of course. Getting promotions 
at work will work out good for you. Of course. We know that 
all things, that means the bad things, the sufferings, the trials, 
the hardships, the heartaches, God works those things out for 
His glory and for your good. And then notice the rationale, 
verse 29. For whom God foreknew, He also 
predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He 
might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom 
he predestined, these he also called, whom he called, these 
he also justified, and whom he justified, these he also glorified." 
That encompasses the plan of salvation, justification, sanctification, 
glorification. There's other components you 
can put in there to be sure that this is the skeletal framework 
of God's plan of redemption. Calling, effectual calling, and 
I don't mean just hearing the gospel. There's that external 
sort of general call that goes out to every creature, but there 
is that effectual internal call that God the Spirit brings about 
in the hearts of His elect, so that they now understand their 
sin. They now understand blood atonement. 
Maybe not all the particulars the way, say, John Murray does, 
but they understand the reality that without the shedding of 
blood there is no remission. Well, did you just stumble upon 
that? Did you just get better at your thought process? No, 
the Spirit of God called you affectionately to Himself. The 
Spirit of God gives you the gifts of faith and repentance so that 
you may close with Christ. We give all praise and glory 
to God because He saved us. And if He calls upon us to suffer 
for His namesake, we rejoice because we're privileged to do 
so. That's Paul's point in 2 Timothy 
1. The gospel is worth suffering 
for. Notice, he goes on, who has saved 
us and called us with a holy calling, and then he gives us 
this basis of salvation, first a negative and then a positive. 
Note the negative, not according to our works. And this is not 
isolated in Paul. If you've read anything by Paul, 
you'll know that he is an enemy at the thought of introducing 
works into our salvation. Now, not just Paul, Peter, John, 
Isaiah, Jesus, Moses, everybody. They're all opposed to this idea 
that we contribute anything to our salvation. Luther was right. 
The only thing that we contribute to our salvation is the sin that 
we need to be saved from. That's our contribution. Not 
our works, not our merit, not our law-keeping, not our obedience. Again, the Apostle couldn't make 
it any more clearer. Sometimes people in the context 
of Reformation debate and the difference between Roman Catholicism 
and the Protestants, Protestants emphasize justification by faith 
alone. And you'll hear the paper say, 
well, it doesn't say that in the Bible. It absolutely, positively 
does a lot very, very many, many, many times. Passages like this 
indicate that. Justification by faith alone. 
Not according to our works. Romans 3.27, another beautiful 
statement. It's grace through faith in Christ 
alone. It's not the introduction of 
our works. Remember that if you choose works, or a mingle-mangle 
of works plus Jesus, you need to engage in entire, exact, perpetual 
obedience without any hint of sin. That's God's demand. That's 
why the gospel is glorious, because that's what Jesus did. He entirely, 
exactly, and perpetually obeyed the law of His Father. And He 
does so, so that we can have His righteousness imputed to 
us and received by faith alone. So negatively, it's not according 
to our works, but then notice the positive, but according to 
His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus, 
and notice that next clause, before time began. Before time began. But I love 
that emphasis, according to His own purpose and grace. It's not 
our purpose. It's not our works, it's not 
our contribution, it's not our doing, it's not our ability, 
it's not our obedience, it's not our faithfulness, it's not 
our loyalty. It's His purpose and His grace. 
See, God had a purpose that He put in motion. We call it eternity 
past. When it comes to eternity, you 
can't even do that, but there's no sort of past and present and 
future in eternity. We're finite, we can't think 
in terms of the infinite at that level. We're temporal, we're 
time-bound, we're creature, we're space-oriented. When it comes 
to eternal, we do, however, say eternity past, eternal in the 
future. And that emphasis there, before 
time began. So just to sort of add to how 
valuable this gospel is, not an afterthought in the mind of 
God, it's God who saves us, and it's God who has purpose to save 
us before time began. You weren't there then. You didn't 
exist then. But God had you in his mind. God had us in his mind. God had 
his purpose and plan in his mind. And of course he executes that 
purpose and plan through a profuse donation of grace to the needy 
sinner whom he saves. who he effectually calls. But 
that emphasis on before time began, again, isn't the only 
place. Turn to Titus. Titus chapter 1. You're right 
there. Turn over there. You'll see the same sort of an 
emphasis. Titus 1, Paul, a bondservant of God, verse 1, and an apostle 
of Jesus Christ according to the faith of God's elect and 
the acknowledgement of the truth which accords with godliness 
in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised 
before time began, but has in due time manifested his word 
through preaching, which was committed to me according to 
the commandment of God our Savior. So this before time began motif, 
this whole idea of from the foundation of the world, turn back to Ephesians 
chapter one, where you see that language utilized by the apostle 
in Ephesians 1, 4. After highlighting how God is 
to be blessed for giving us every spiritual blessings in verse 
three, he then says in verse four, just as he chose us in 
him before the foundation of the world. Before the foundation 
of the world. See, what we have there is a 
pre-temporal compact or covenant between the persons of the Trinity 
to save his people from their sins. So is this gospel worth 
suffering for and dying for? Absolutely, positively. God saved 
us, and he didn't do it as an afterthought. This was his purpose 
and plan for this world, this created order. So whatever is 
going on out there, I think I read this morning, maybe some of you 
saw this, that in the Red Sea, U.S. warships and commercial 
ships were drawing fire. I didn't get a chance to sort 
of pursue that, but there's a lot of stuff going on in the world. 
We might ask the question, why do all these things happen? I'm 
not sure why all those things happen, but I am sure why this 
world exists in the manner it does. Because God has a purpose 
to save His people from their sins by His Son, the Lord Jesus 
Christ. And He facilitated that by sending 
Him, who took on our humanity. The Word became flesh and dwelt 
among us. So what God ordained in history 
or eternity past, God executes in the here and now. So whatever 
is happening out there, we ought to be concerned, we ought to 
be prayerful, we ought to be the sorts of people that are 
responsible human beings and citizens, all that. But when 
you ask the question, what was the reason for which God made 
the world? It was to receive glory through the salvation of 
sinners by His Son, Jesus Christ. That puts things into the proper 
perspective and hopefully settles the people of God and brings 
that comfort and encouragement that helps us to navigate in 
this present evil age. This before time began emphasis. It is most glorious, it is most 
wondrous, it is most hopeful. And then that brings us finally 
to the execution of God's plan of salvation. So in theology, 
covenant theology specifically, we refer to that pre-temporal 
intra-Trinitarian covenant as the covenant of redemption. The 
father elects a miserable lot of sinners. The son guarantees 
to perform a surety on their behalf as mediator, which is 
prophet, priest, and king. The assumption of our humanity, 
the entrance into our world, the life of obedience, the death 
on the cross, the resurrection again the third day. So the persons 
of the Trinity covenant together to save us from our sins. Now 
when we see that revealed in history, that's the covenant 
of grace. And that's what we find there 
in verse 10. So after making this statement, not according 
to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which 
was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now. but has now been revealed by 
the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death 
and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." 
So there's a bit of a contrast, but not an adversative one. There's 
a this and now that. There's the history or eternity 
past, and now the execution of this plan in time, in history, 
in space, and in the dwelling of men. In the language of John 
in the prologue, he came to his own, his own received him not. 
Well, why did he come to his own? So that he could live for 
them, so that he could die for them, so that he could be raised 
again for them. And so Paul moves from eternity 
past to the execution of this plan through the covenant of 
grace here in history. of our Savior Jesus Christ. That's 
a reference to the incarnation. That's a reference to the enfleshment 
of the Son of God. The Word became flesh and dwelt 
among us. And he does so, so that he lives, 
he dies, and he's raised again for us. So, but has now been 
revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ. Okay, 
let's just reflect for a moment. Think back to the prologue in 
John's Gospel. In the beginning was the Word. 
The Word was with God, and the Word was God. So you've got, 
in the beginning, the Word. That doesn't mean He started. 
That means when there was a beginning, the Word was already. The Word 
was with God. There's distinction between the 
Father and the Son. But the Word was God. There's consubstantiality 
between the Son and the Father. So it's that one who, for us 
men and for our salvation, comes down from heaven? It's that one 
who assumes our humanity? The dignified word is the one 
who assumes our humanity? Is this gospel worth suffering 
for? Yes! Is it worth dying for? Yes. Is 
it worth giving up everything for? Yes. Is it worth bowing 
your head in Tim Hortons, even though people might be a little 
offended that you're one of those religious people? Yes, absolutely. Don't be ashamed of the testimony 
of our Lord, nor of me. but rather suffer for that blessed 
word, that word that reveals this before-time-began-ness that 
is now executed in history through the Son of Man, who takes on 
our humanity to do what we could not do. And then notice the specific 
work that is in view here. Many things could be said. You 
need to understand that when Paul writes the Bible or writes 
particular epistles, he doesn't say everything that can possibly 
be said. That's why we compare Scripture 
with Scripture. We look at Ephesians. We look at Titus. We look at 
Old Testament. We do that because not every 
one section is going to have everything that the Bible says 
about a particular thing. So here, notice the emphasis, 
though. And I really think it's probably 
contextually qualified. What do you need to hear when 
you're putting your list together? Suffering could be hard, could 
be bad. Could be vicious, these God haters, 
they're not nice. Look at how they treated the 
master. Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Look at the 
way they treated his chief apostle. So the suffering, Timothy, could 
likely be very difficult, could likely be very hard, could be 
very agonizing. Would gulag mean anything to 
you? Does that kind of deprivation and pain mean anything to you? 
So what crowds in upon the mind when we think of suffering and 
we think of pain? Typically death, right? It's 
kind of the eventuality. You can only suffer so long, 
I think. There's an end point where your 
body says, that's it, I'm done. So that Paul searches, as it 
were, all the benefits of the gospel that there are to be achieved. 
He says he abolished death. Brethren, I think he does that 
to encourage Timothy with reference to the exhortation, be prepared 
to suffer the hardships and the trials and the persecution and 
the afflictions, even unto death, but know this, that at the first 
advent of our blessed Savior, at the revelation of our glorious 
King, what he has come to do is abolish death. In other words, 
he's the king over that. He is the reason the apostle 
can write in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, death, where is your victory? Grave, where is your sting? Christ 
has abolished death. What a perfect encouragement 
to a potential sufferer for the cause of the gospel. Of course 
Timothy's gonna write this on his list. Of course everybody 
who hears this is gonna write this on their list. Because God 
saved us and he purposed to do so before time began. And he 
demonstrates it in the coming of his own son who takes on our 
humanity. And oh, by the way, guess what 
his son has come to do? He's come to abolish death. So 
whatever fear you may have when it comes to being ashamed or 
when it comes to suffering for the gospel, vanish it or vanquish 
it. In other words, man up. Our blessed 
Savior came to deal with that thing that is most menacing in 
the minds and hearts of people. Listen to Gil, he says, "'Who 
hath abolished death, the law of sin and death, which is the 
cause of death, and it has destroyed him which has the power of it, 
the devil? He has abolished corporeal death with regard to his people 
as a penal evil. He has took away its sting and 
removed its curse and made it a blessing to them, and he has 
utterly, with respect to them, abolished the second death. So 
as that it shall have no power over them or they ever be hurt 
by it, all which he did by dying and rising again. For though 
he died, yet he continued not under the power of death, but 
rose again and triumphed over it as having got the victory 
of it. And the keys of it are in his 
hand. So don't be ashamed. Don't be 
afraid to suffer, don't be afraid to identify with our Savior, 
Timothy, but rather you go and you preach, Timothy, and you 
fear the face of no man, and you flatter the face of no man, 
and you bring that word, 16 ounces to the pound. You explain the 
significance of his life, his death, and his resurrection. 
You explain the significance of the gospel. But don't neglect 
that law. Don't neglect the proclamation 
of that law, which shows men their need for the gospel. So 
for Timothy, he was to take the baton from the apostle Paul, 
and he was to continue that type of ministry. And Paul writes 
to him in a calculated way to stir him up, to encourage him, 
to make sure that he doesn't falter, to make sure that he 
doesn't halt, to make sure that he runs the race that God had 
set before him. So Christ abolishes death and 
he brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Timothy, don't be afraid. Timothy, 
don't be timid. Timothy, don't be, you know, 
somehow Cowardice when it comes to these particular threats that 
face the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. But understand that this 
gospel is such that it's worth suffering for and it's worth 
dying for. Well, brethren, I hope that's 
an encouragement. I'm going to go out this week 
and die for Jesus. That'd be the worst things that 
you could do. I'm not suggesting you go court a bullet, but there 
is that glory of the gospel in our Lord Jesus Christ that we 
ought to fight for, contend for, defend, and be glad to testify 
to others concerning its power and its efficacy in the saving 
of needy sinners. And if you are not a saved sinner 
tonight, understand that God has a purpose and a plan, and 
that God will not be thwarted, He will not be frustrated, and 
that His purpose and plan includes the salvation, according to the 
book of Revelation, of a great multitude that no man can number. 
We've got this idea that there's going to be like five people 
in heaven, eight maybe. No, there's going to be a great 
multitude that no man can number. There's going to be a whole host. 
Remember when God is making promise to Abraham concerning the seed 
of Abraham? It's in the seed of Abraham, 
which Paul identifies as Jesus in Galatians 2, it's in that 
seed of Abraham that all the nations are going to be blessed. 
And Abraham, this is a comprehensive statement. I want you to go out 
and I want you to look at the sky and I want you to try and 
count those stars. Well, that's a fool's errand, 
right? Can't count the stars. There's too many. Absolutely, 
positively. Now, Abraham, I want you to look 
at the sand on the seashore and I want you to count those grains. 
Well, nobody can count those grains, there's just too many. 
Absolutely, positively. Abraham, I want you to look north, 
south, east, and west, because this is what you're going to 
inherit. Now, Paul shows us what that 
means according to Romans 4.13. As a result of the seed of Abraham, 
Abraham was promised that he would inherit the world. So in 
other words, there is great impetus from scripture for you to believe 
on the Lord Jesus Christ that you may be saved. This gospel 
is glorious, this gospel is efficacious, this gospel is worth suffering 
for, and it is worth dying for. It is certainly worth believing 
such that you may have everlasting life. Well, let us pray. Our 
gracious God and Holy Father, we thank you for your word. We 
thank you for this emphasis of the Apostle here in 2 Timothy 
1. I pray for all of us that we 
would receive this exhortation, that we would see this prohibition 
not to be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of the Apostle 
Paul, but to be ready to suffer if called upon. To be like those 
men in Acts chapter 5 that rejoiced because they were counted worthy 
to suffer shame for the name of the Lord Jesus. And the history 
of the church and the martyrs and the covenanters and the people 
who have died and spilled blood for the cause of God and truth. 
Lord give us that and grant us help and strength. Grant us the 
presence and the power of the Holy Spirit that we may indeed 
represent you well in this present evil age. And we ask this through 
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. We can turn with me in 
your Bibles to Matthew chapter 26 as we transition into the 
supper. Matthew chapter 26, just a couple 
of reminders before the brothers come and pass out the bread. 
Remember that the ordinance or sacrament is for believers only. 
If you're not a believer, we ask that you do not participate 
in this. It's not an ordinance given for 
the salvation of sinners, but rather for the edification, encouragement, 
and strengthening of saved sinners. As well, the ordinance we learned 
from 1 Corinthians 11 is for believers who are dealing with 
their sin. That doesn't mean they have mastery. It doesn't 
mean they've achieved perfection, but rather they are not living 
in peace with sin against God or men. So you can confess your 
sin. You don't need a special time 
or presence or mountain or anything like that. You're able to confess 
your sins to God in the safety of a pew. It really is amazing 
having a sovereign, omnipotent God. But it is for believers 
who are dealing with their sin, and we learn that again from 
1 Corinthians 11. Thirdly, the ordinance is a means of grace, 
but the elements are not transformed. In other words, the bread remains 
bread. The wine remains wine, the grape 
juice remains grape juice. They don't become something other. 
They are representations or emblems or symbols of what they symbolize, 
the broken body and shed blood of our blessed Savior. And then 
ultimately the ordinance points us to Christ. John Murray Wells 
said, it is the Lord we are remembering. So frequently believers become 
so introspective that preoccupation with themselves excludes preoccupation 
with Christ. The idea is to be preoccupied 
with Christ when you come to the supper. It is, do this in 
remembrance of me, he said. So certainly, look to your heart, 
if there's sin, confess it, but then remember the Lord Jesus 
and the great work he's done to give you life eternal in himself. Well, if the brothers will come 
and pass out the bread, We will sing a hymn while they do that. 
You may remain seated. And after we receive the bread 
and complete the hymn, we'll read the appropriate section 
there in Matthew 26. I'll pray and then we'll take 
the bread together. So we are going to sing number 
283. you Oh, where the rooting of the 
hearts may be, Jesus is there, Jesus is there. to see. Where is the sunshine? 
Where is the moon? Jesus, Lord, have mercy. Son of God and Son of Man. Glory 
and honor, praise and adoration, Broke it. and gave it to the 
disciples and said, take, eat, this is my body. Well, let us 
pray. Our gracious God and Holy Father, 
we thank you for that gospel. We thank you for the power of 
God unto salvation for everyone who believes. We thank you for 
your graciousness and your mercy to us. We thank you for the fact 
that Christ has abolished death and brought to light life and 
immortality and that our future is most blessed. And we pray 
that we live in light of these truths, that it would be an encouragement 
to us and that you would grant us grace to not be ashamed and 
to be those willing to suffer for the cause of our blessed 
Savior. And we pray in his name, amen. We'll take together. You can remain seated and turn 
to 275. 275, when the tray comes around, if 
you're inclined to have juice instead of wine, the juice is 
in the outer ring, the wine is in the inner ring of that tray. So we'll sing 275 while the brothers 
pass that out. Public sacrifice in my behalf 
appears. Before the throne my sure descent. Before the throne my sure descent. He ever lives, O Lord, for me 
to intercede. His hope redeeming, O Lord, His 
precious blood to clean, ♪ The sun forever is ♪ ♪ And sprinkles 
down the flow'r of years ♪ ♪ Highly in mercy rest ♪ ♪ We sing of 
Calvary laid for us ♪ I am a Israelite. His warning voice I hear. He owes me for his child. I can no longer deny. I know. In verse 27, we continue reading, 
then he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying, 
drink from it all of you, for this is my blood of the new covenant, 
which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say 
to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on 
until that day when I drink it new with you in my father's kingdom. 
And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of 
Olives. Well, let us pray. Our God and Father, we know there's 
great significance in the blood of the new covenant. We know 
it was prophesied in the prophet Jeremiah. We see it in Ezekiel. 
We see it come to full realization in that gospel of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. We thank you for that blood that 
cleanses us from all sin. We know it's according to the 
riches of your grace, and we rejoice in this. God, be glorified 
now, be praised and worshiped as we take this supper tonight. And we pray through Christ the 
Lord, amen. We'll take together. Well, you can turn to Psalm 117, 
selection A as in alpha. In verse 29, or verse 31, it 
says, and when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the 
Mount of Olives. That refers to the Hillel Psalms 
in Psalms 113 to 118. So we're gonna sing Psalm 117A 
to a familiar tune. We'll stand as we sing together. God in people, praise proclaim. 
For His grace and loving kindness, all sing praises to Him. For the fragrance of His mercy, 
God send praise to Him on hoard. Evermore His truth enduring, 
Alleluia, praise the Lord. Now may the God of peace who 
brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great shepherd 
of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 
make you complete in every good work to do his will, working 
in you what is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, 
to whom be glory forever and ever, amen. God, go with us now, 
cause your face to shine upon us, and may we know your peace, 
and may we know communion with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 
Be glorified in our lives, be glorified in our families, Bring 
us together again that we may worship you on the coming Lord's 
Day. And we ask through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. Well, 
please be seated for a brief time of meditation.