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Please turn in your Bibles to 
2nd Timothy chapter 2. 2nd Timothy chapter 2. In the 
last few weeks we have seen that Paul the Apostle here in chapter 
2 is giving Timothy very specific commands on how to fulfill his 
ministry. Specifically in chapter 1 Verse 
8, which seems to control this entire section, he tells Timothy, 
do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner, 
but share with me in the suffering for the gospel according to the 
power of God. And as I said, there are a series 
of commands in chapter 2 we've considered. Be strong, verse 
1, and commit these things to faithful men who will be able 
to teach others also, verse 2. Last week we considered the third 
one in verse 3 to 7. Paul tells Timothy you must endure 
hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. And then he gives 
him three illustrations of what this looks like. It looks like 
a devoted soldier. It looks like a disciplined athlete. It looks like a diligent farmer. Those things are necessary to 
fulfill his ministry, to participate or share with Paul in suffering 
hardship for the gospel of our Lord Jesus. We'll take up verses 
8 to 13 this evening and we'll read beginning in verse 1. You 
therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ 
Jesus. And the things that you have 
heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men 
who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must endure 
hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged 
in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, 
that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. And also, if 
anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes 
according to the rules. The hard-working farmer must 
be first to partake of the crops. Consider what I say, and may 
the Lord give you understanding in all things. Remember that 
Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead 
according to my gospel, for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, 
even to the point of chains. But the word of God is not chained. 
Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that 
they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with 
eternal glory. This is a faithful saying. For 
if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we endure, 
we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will 
deny us. If we are faithless, He remains 
faithful. He cannot deny Himself. Amen. Well, let us pray. Father, 
we thank you for the written word and we pray now for the 
ministry of your spirit that he would guide us and lead us 
into an understanding in this passage. God, help us as Christians, 
help us as believers to be strong and help us to endure hardship. 
Help us to faithfully persevere to the very end. looking to these 
promises and looking ultimately to our Lord Jesus Christ. We 
thank you for Him. We thank you for redemption that 
we have in Him. And we pray that even now He 
would be glorified as we consider this word. And we pray through 
Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, as I said, the specific 
command that Paul gives to Timothy in verse 3, you therefore must 
endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. He then gives 
those three illustrations and then in verses 8 to 13, as I 
understand it, he gives him three incentives, three helps so that 
Timothy can indeed endure hardship. And those three incentives are 
found In verse 8, the contemplation of Christ. Verses 9 and 10, the 
conduct of Paul. And verses 11 to 13, communion 
with Christ. Those three things ought to help 
Timothy as he seeks to endure hardship as a good soldier of 
Jesus Christ. Who Jesus is, what Paul has exemplified 
and the fact that believers have present union and communion with 
Christ as Paul reveals in verses 11 to 13. Now, of course, Timothy 
is a gospel minister. Timothy is a public man. Paul 
is writing to him in this particular capacity. It is personal in nature, 
but it's not only personal in nature, it is for the church. 
ministers of the gospel subsequent to Timothy must conduct themselves 
this way. And I would argue that it's not 
just ministers of the gospel that need to take these things 
to heart, but every single one of us. Who of us as Christ's 
people do not need to be exhorted to be strong? Who of us as Christ's 
people do not need to be exhorted to endure hardship? Certainly 
in the Christian life, it's not a bed of roses, it's not a It's 
not a walk in the park. There are struggles and there 
are trials and there are hardships and difficulties. And the people 
of God must endure. We must persevere. We must be 
faithful. There is no room for this kind 
of an attitude that is sort of half in and half out. If you 
have made a profession of faith, if you have identified with the 
triune God in the waters of baptism, if you are a member of a church, 
if you have signed on the dotted line, then you need to run with 
endurance the race that is set before us. We need to do it in 
the manner that God specifies. We need to do it for His glory 
and for our eternal welfare. And it's good that the Lord gives 
us these incentives. He gives us these enticements. He gives us these encouragements 
so that we will be faithful and endure hardship as good soldiers 
of Jesus Christ. Notice first, the contemplation 
of Christ. That means we consider Him, we 
think about Him, we remember Him. Certainly those three illustrations 
are most helpful. We ought to consider what the 
soldier does. He seeks to please the man who 
enlisted him. We ought to consider the athlete. 
He doesn't participate in the games so that he can lose. He 
participates in the games so that he can win a crown. And 
to that end, he gets up early, he trains hard, he probably goes 
to bed early, he forgoes a lot of the things and earthly pleasures 
that other people engage in. He is disciplined. This is something 
that marks him. And then, of course, the farmer. 
If a farmer doesn't work, he doesn't eat. If a farmer doesn't 
get up at oh dark thirty and go till the land and plant the 
seed and do the things that farmers must do, he will starve to death. Okay? So those three illustrations 
help to flesh out what enduring hardship looks like. But ultimately, 
we need to remember Jesus Christ. We need to contemplate the Lord 
of Glory. Pastor Kim this morning read 
Hebrews chapter 11 verses 17 to 12, 4. And I think that what 
Paul is doing here is somewhat similar, and I don't think necessarily 
consciously, But what Paul does in Hebrews chapter 11 is he highlights 
these champions of the faith. He tells us that there are good 
men that have gone before us and good women as well. Faithful 
men, faithful women who stood the test, who persevered, who 
ran with endurance. But then as we move into chapter 
12, he says we have this great cloud of witnesses. We need to 
run with endurance the race that is set before us and we need 
to keep our eyes on Jesus. We need to focus on Christ. And the same thing is at play 
here. These are three illustrations of earthly things that we can 
sink our teeth into as to what enduring hardship might look 
like. But what's the ultimate motivation? What's the ultimate power? What 
is the ultimate strength-inducing thing? It is to contemplate our 
Lord. It is to ponder Christ. We are 
in this because of Him. We are in this for Him. We are 
in this because of Him. And as a result, the faithful 
runner, the one who endures the hardship, is going to remember 
Christ. He is going to feed his soul 
on the Word of God. He is going to feed his soul 
at the supper. He is going to feed his soul 
on sermonaudio.com. He is going to feed his soul 
with good, solid Christian literature. Because he knows that he is not 
in this alone. He is in this because of Christ. 
He is in this for Christ. And in the thought that he is 
thinking through these things, Christ is the one that urges 
him. Christ is the one that sustains 
him. Christ is the one that keeps 
us going as we endure hardship. In other words, you can't live 
the Christian life, brothers and sisters, without Jesus Christ. You must have Christ. What did 
the Greeks say when they came to the feast? We must see Jesus. This is what the believer wants. This is what the Christian needs. 
This is what fortifies and stabilizes the soul. We get battered, we 
get beaten, we have issues, we have trials. Where do we go? 
We go back to Christ for fresh courage, for fresh comfort, for 
fresh strength. for fresh supplies of the Spirit, 
for fresh blessing, so that we can endure again. You see, brothers 
and sisters, we need to be those who think about the Lord Jesus 
Christ. Meditation, contemplation, rolling 
the truth of the Gospel around in our minds and in our hearts. 
We need to know the truth. We need to hide it in our hearts, 
so that we might not sin against God. And we do this so that we 
may endure hardship. as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Note the specific details that 
Paul calls to mind. He says, remember that Jesus 
Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according 
to my gospel. We need to consider Christ in 
his real humanity, his true humanity. I think this plays in the overarching 
context and theme. What does Jesus do in his true 
humanity? He endures hardship. He suffers 
shame. He goes through trial. He's a 
man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Certainly this is 
something good for someone who likewise is suffering to consider 
Jesus Christ, the son of David, the promised Messiah, the one 
who would come to save his people from their sins. The emphasis 
is upon his true humanity. The emphasis is upon his royal 
lineage. 2 Samuel 7, the promise of the 
Davidic Covenant. And then Psalm 89 verse 3, we 
sang it tonight out of the Trinity's altar. It's David's son that 
would be the king. It's David's son that would sit 
upon his throne. We've got his true humanity, 
his royal lineage, and his messianic role. And specifically in that 
messianic role he is Isaiah's suffering servant. We need to 
remember Jesus in this regard. We need to remember Jesus when 
we are enduring hardship. We need to contemplate the reality 
that our beloved Lord endured it also, and that He persevered 
as a good soldier. Paul, again, therefore, we also, 
since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let 
us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares 
us, and let us run with endurance. You see, brothers and sisters, 
endurance and perseverance speaks to the long haul. This is what 
is required of us. Most of us don't get saved and 
drop dead. Most of us don't get saved and 
get hit by cars. Most of us don't get saved and 
then get shot in a burglary. Most of us get saved and have 
a long life ahead of us. Most of us. And what is necessary 
is not a flash in the pan, it's not a, you know, a hundred-yard 
dash, but rather it's a marathon. It's the long haul over many 
years of perseverance and endurance and enduring hardship all the 
while. You see, that is what is required 
of the people of God. let us run with endurance the 
race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher 
of our faith. Now notice, who for the joy that 
was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and 
is sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. So in that 
particular passage we are running, we've got these cloud of witnesses 
that all testify that God is faithful, but our eyes are focused 
upon the Lord of Glory, who endured suffering, who went through hardship 
for the joy that was set before Him. Paul tells Timothy, remember 
that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, now notice the other 
detail, he speaks to the resurrection, was raised from the dead. Now certainly his resurrection 
presupposes his arrest, his betrayal, his trial, and his death. He wasn't raised on the third 
day apart from those other events. Again, those events that bespeak 
enduring hardship. Those events that once they were 
endured ended with blessing. just as the soldier labors to 
bring pleasure to his commander and that brings him joy, just 
as the athlete runs his race to receive the crown, just as 
the farmer gets up early and works hard so he can partake 
of those crops, they each one endure hardship and there is 
a prize at the end. Jesus Christ was betrayed. Jesus 
Christ was delivered up to godless men. Jesus Christ was crucified. But what happened? He was raised 
the third day. He endured hardship, but there 
was, at the end of that, joy, blessing, privilege, power, ultimately 
exaltation, and a current session at the right hand of God Most 
High. You see what Paul is doing for Timothy. endure hardship 
as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Remember Jesus Christ, the Son 
of David, according to His true humanity. The Son of God, according 
to His resurrection. Both those themes are brought 
up in Romans 1, 3, and 4. Jesus, the Son of David, is the 
Son of God, or declared to be the Son of God, with power, by 
the Spirit, at the resurrection from the dead. This is what believers 
need to consider. Dare I say it? Christology. The 
doctrine of Jesus Christ. What practical import does it 
have to understand the humanity and the deity of Christ? It has 
the most practical import because we cannot endure hardship unless 
we are remembering the God-man. We cannot press onward through 
this veil of tears if we are not considering the blessed Son 
of God. What possible benefit is there? There is every possible benefit 
to be had in the contemplation of who Jesus Christ is. George Knight said that Timothy 
is to remember that Jesus is raised from death itself and 
that triumph is to encourage Timothy when he contemplates 
suffering hardship for Christ. You see brothers and sisters 
when we are finished With this hardship, what do we receive? 
The crown of life that God has promised. What do we receive 
but entrance into Emmanuel's land? What do we receive but 
that place where the Lamb is all the glory? What do we receive 
but everything? Someone this past week said, 
I can't wait to go to heaven. I can't wait to go to heaven. 
Does that describe you? I mean, I don't want to go through 
the process to get there necessarily, but I want to go to heaven. I 
want to be where Christ is. Isn't that the heartbeat of the 
believer? We are passers-by in this land. We are sojourners. We are pilgrims 
here. We are Abraham. He dwelt in tents. He had a better place in sight. 
He had a better place in view. And that describes the people 
of God. We endure hardship and all the 
while we contemplate our beloved Savior. He never calls us to 
tread a place that he himself has not first read. He never 
calls us to undergo suffering that he himself did not undergo. 
He never calls us to do something that is contrary to the life 
and the ministry that he engaged in in this lower world. Paul 
tells us that this information comes as a result of his gospel. Notice of the seed of David was 
raised from the dead according to my gospel. Calvin says he 
calls it his gospel, not that he professed to be the author, 
but the minister of it. And as Paul often does in this 
epistle and as well in 1st Timothy, at the mention of the gospel, 
He now highlights something of his own personal experience, 
and that brings us from the contemplation of Christ to the conduct of Paul 
as yet another incentive for Timothy to endure hardship as 
a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Notice Paul, verses 9 and 10, 
his suffering and his endurance. He says, Jesus Christ of the 
seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel 
for The gospel for which, probably the gospel for which I suffer 
trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains, but the 
Word of God is not chained. It's suffering. The repetition 
of this theme is in order to encourage Timothy to participate 
in it. You see, Paul practiced what 
he preached. But he also preached what he 
practiced. If a man of God is faithful, 
he can tell others, you need to do like I do. You see the 
little bit of a distinction there. He practiced what he preached, 
but he also preached what he practiced. Timothy, follow my 
pattern. Timothy, endure hardship the 
way that I have. Timothy, deal with the detractors, 
and deal with the enemies, and deal with the opponents, and 
deal with the false professors, and deal with the whip, and deal 
with the prison, and deal with the chain, and deal with the 
eventual martyrdom in the manner that I did, in the manner that 
I have. The extent of his suffering, 
he describes himself here. He says, "...for which I suffer 
trouble as an evildoer." This word is only three times in the 
New Testament documents. Luke 23, 32, 33, and 39. Those notorious criminals 
that were being crucified on either side of the Lord Jesus. 
You need to understand, brothers and sisters, that crucifixion 
was reserved for the worst of the worst. It wasn't like in 
the Roman Empire if you spit on the sidewalk, they crucified 
you. No, it was for the worst malefactors. In fact, there was 
a law that you could not crucify a Roman citizen apart from a 
special authorization from the Caesar himself. It was so severe 
and so excruciating and so bad that you didn't inflict it upon 
Roman citizens unless the Caesar authorized it. So for Paul to 
highlight this in this statement, he says, for which I suffer trouble 
as an evildoer. He was looked at as the scum 
of the earth. He was looked at as a notoriously 
bad person. He was looked at as a criminal. Kind of puts things into perspective, 
you know? Gospel ministers today say, wow, 
man, I've just got it rough. It's so tough. I walk by that 
person, they didn't smile at me. I'm shattered. I'm going 
to go home and cry. They're devastating me. Paul's 
sitting in a prison cell as he's writing to Timothy and he says 
to Timothy, endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 
He mentions the gospel and he says, for which I suffer hardship. or I suffer trouble as an evil 
doer, even to the point of chains. Let's just refresh ourselves 
a little bit about the Apostle's suffering on behalf of the gospel. 
Turn to 2nd Corinthians chapter 11. Timothy would have known 
these things. Timothy would have understood 
these things. When Paul makes this statement 
to Timothy about the fact that Paul suffers, he endures this 
hardship He goes through these difficulties. He suffers as an 
evildoer. Timothy would say, I know Paul. 
This is his track record. This is his history. This is 
what is true of him. This is the second imprisonment. Paul is writing to Timothy during 
his second imprisonment. He is imprisoned in a previous 
time. The Book of Acts ends with him 
in his first imprisonment. It ends about 62. And in that 
particular imprisonment, he enjoyed a little bit more liberty than 
he did in the second. And in that first imprisonment, 
you know what Paul did? He didn't write letters to his 
congressman. He didn't write letters to his parliamentarian. 
He didn't write letters to the civil magistrate urging them 
to provide some leniency so he could get out of the poking. 
He wrote Philippians, he wrote Ephesians, he wrote Colossians, 
and he wrote Philemon in his first imprisonment. Now that's 
making good time, isn't it? That is good time. He's in the second imprisonment 
now, probably around 63, 64. Now he knows he is not going 
to be released. In Philippians, for instance, 
he knows, or he suspects, or he says that it's possible that 
he could suffer death at the hands of the godless state, but 
he's pretty confident he's going to be released. Not so in 2 Timothy. This is it. This is his last 
letter. This is his swan song. This is the final hour. This 
is the eleventh hour for the Apostle. He had a marked career 
of suffering shame for the cause of Jesus Christ, and Timothy 
would know that. So that when Paul says, endure 
hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, remember that Jesus 
Christ, the seed of David, was raised on the third day according 
to my gospel. And then he says, for which gospel 
I also suffer as an evildoer. Timothy would not say, what are 
you talking about, Paul? Look at 2nd Corinthians 11.22, 
are they Hebrews? So am I. 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 receive 40 stripes minus one. Can you 
imagine that? Like 40 stripes minus one. 39 lashes on the back. This wasn't, you know, playtime 
in the prison house. This was barbaric, cruel infliction 
of a great deal of pain. Such that Paul to the Galatians 
can say, from now on let no one trouble me, for I bear in my 
body the brand marks of Jesus. He had a back that bespoke his 
commitment to the Savior. From the Jews, five times I received 
40 strikes minus one. Three times I was beaten with 
rods. That probably refers to the Roman 
government and their implementation of punishment toward the apostle. 
Now the Romans didn't subscribe to the law of Moses, so they 
probably didn't care one whit about this 40 minus one. They 
weren't stipulated or regulated by that thought. Well we can't 
breach the law of Moses so we'll stop at 39. Who knows how many 
times these Romans laid the rod on the Apostle Paul. Once I was 
stoned, you can read about that in Acts chapter 14. Paul is stoned, 
he's dragged out of the city, he's left for dead. The people 
think he's dead. which you probably would too. 
Somebody had been stoned by an angry mob, they drag him out 
of the city, they suppose that he's dead, the next day he stands 
up and he walks 50 miles to go preach the gospel. The man was 
amazing. You know, I'm sure every Reformed 
pastor, probably every Reformed believer, if they want to meet 
Jesus, they've got to meet Paul. Who is this man? Who is this 
Paul? I mean, He gets in your bones, 
doesn't He? He gets in your heart. You love the man. You esteem 
the man. You know the man because of what 
He tells us in the Scripture. He says, once I was stoned, three 
times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I've 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." 
So it's not just all that stuff, but he's daily concerned about 
the churches. He is daily concerned about the 
people of God. He daily aches over this reality 
that the people need the truth. The people need protection. The 
people need the Lord Jesus Christ. So going back to 2 Timothy 2.9, 
he says, "...for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even 
to the point of chains." He's in prison. He is in prison. That's what that means. He's 
in chains. But I love what he goes on to say, "...but the word 
of God is not chained." You see, you may throw the chief proponent 
of Christianity in jail, but you can't stop Christianity. 
It just marches on. It rolls on. It goes forth. There's an interesting statement 
in Philippians chapter 1. You may turn there. This has 
to do with the first imprisonment. Philippians chapter 1. Paul is 
in prison, the years or 8060 to 62, when he writes this letter. And then notice in Philippians 
1.12, he says, but I want you to know, brethren, that the things 
which happen to me have actually turned out for the furtherance 
of the gospel. The things that have happened 
to me in the context is me having been thrown into prison. Certainly 
the Philippians would be concerned. Certainly the Philippians would 
be worried. They would have care, they would 
wonder, what's happening with our beloved Paul? He's now sitting 
in the prison. They've sent Epaphroditus to 
Paul with gifts, food, probably, coats, probably, something to 
make sure he stays alive. And then Epaphroditus is sent 
back with this particular letter. And Paul says, the things that 
have happened to me, believe it or not, it's almost implied, 
believe it or not, have actually turned out for the furtherance 
of the Christian gospel. You see, when they threw me in 
jail, they didn't realize that you cannot chain the Word of 
God. I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened 
to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the Gospel 
in two regards. Verse 13, so that it has become 
evident to the whole palace guard and to all the rest that my chains 
are in Christ. How was it evident? Because Paul 
told them. I'm here because of Jesus. I'm 
here in chains because of the Savior. I am here because of 
the Nazarene. He tells the palace guard why 
he's there. He tells the palace guard. He 
doesn't whine and complain, oh give me hot food, oh call your 
superior, make sure that I'm taken care of. No, he tells them 
about the Lord Jesus Christ. More than likely these guards 
are chained to him. Imagine if you were antagonistic 
to the Christian gospel and God had you chained to Paul. Do you imagine that? The worst 
guy you could be chained to, Paul. He can't not tell you about 
Jesus. Most of us are, you know, kind 
of shaky and stammering and Paul says, click. Let me tell you 
why I'm here. Let me tell you about this Jesus 
of Nazareth. But it not only had the remedial 
effect upon the palace guard, because Paul testified, Notice 
what happens to the church in verse 14, "...and most of the 
brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, 
are much more bold to speak the word without fear." A whiff of 
persecution at times is something the church needs so that they 
will shake off their lease and do those things which God has 
called her unto. When we see a Paul suffer for 
the cause of God and truth, hopefully it emboldens us to suffer likewise, 
and that's the context in 2 Timothy 2. But before we leave Philippians, 
look at chapter 4 for a moment. Remember Paul said, the whole 
palace guard? I love the way Paul signs off 
in Philippians. Verse 21 of chapter 4, "...Greet 
every saint in Christ Jesus, the brethren who are with me 
greet you, all the saints greet you, but especially those who 
are of Caesar's household. Caesar's household? Yes, Caesar's 
household. God the Lord through the Apostle 
Paul extended gospel mercy and grace to Caesar's household. Go back to 2nd Timothy chapter 
2. He says, but the word of God 
is not chained. John Gill writes, and indeed 
when God opens an effectual door none can shut it. though there 
be any adversaries, or many adversaries, and when he gives the word a 
commission, there is no stopping it. When it comes in power, it 
bears down all before it. It can't be fettered and bound 
by men, though men may be fettered and bound for the sake of it." 
That is an accurate description here. So the Apostle, in the 
context, encourages Timothy, in verse 3, To endure hardship 
is a good soldier of Jesus Christ. You do this by remembering Jesus 
who endured hardship and then was raised on the third day. 
Who was exalted to the right hand of the throne of God Most 
High. Endure hardship as has been my custom, the Apostle says 
here in verses 9 and 10. And if we ask the reason why 
he does it, verse 10. I've already alluded to this 
this morning. And probably we won't get to 
verses 11 to 13 tonight. So if you're kind of glancing 
at your watch and thinking, is he going to be able to do this? 
Probably not. Don't want to overburden the 
brethren. I felt like I went a little long this morning and 
I typically don't want to do that. And I apologize if it causes 
any distress. But notice specifically what 
he says in verse 10. He says, therefore I endure all 
things for the sake of the elect. for the sake of the elect." We 
might ask the question, and we might suggest, Paul, wait a minute, 
that seems a bit odd. You should endure all things 
for Christ. You should endure all things 
for the glory of God. That ought to be your operating 
procedure, that ought to be everything that dictates you. Paul is consistent, 
Paul is legitimate. God is glorified, and Christ 
is exalted in the salvation of the elect. Paul has the proper 
focus. He suffers those things we read 
of in 2 Corinthians chapter 11. He suffers this present imprisonment 
that we read of in this chapter. And as we see later, he is a 
confident man that he's going to die according to chapter 4 
verses 6 to 8. He endures those things for the 
sake of the elect. Brethren, there is an elect. 
God the Lord predestined, God the Lord predetermined, God the 
Lord chose, God the Lord foreordained a great multitude to be saved 
by the redeeming power of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is His 
plan. This is His purpose. And when 
Christ comes, He dies. He raises on the third day. He 
ascends on high. He led captivity captive and 
He gives gifts to men. And gospel ministers preach. 
Persons read the Bible. God uses the Word to call His 
elect out of darkness into marvelous light. Paul understands his ministry. Paul understands his role. Paul 
understands the fact that he is the means and the master's 
hand. This Apostle Paul endured all 
things because he knows that God had decreed the salvation 
of a great multitude. But he also decreed all the means 
there unto. And one of those means was gospel 
preaching. And for Paul, If being beaten 
with rods by the Roman magistrate, if being beaten by the Jewish 
whip, if being imprisoned as he was in that first imprisonment 
and second imprisonment, if that meant that he could proclaim 
the truth so that the elect would hear and be saved, it all made 
sense to him. That was payment enough. That 
was his prize, you see? We have seen that theme. The 
soldier pleases his commander. The athlete wins his crown. The 
farmer eats his crops. The Lord Jesus is raised on the 
third day. The Apostle Paul sees the seed 
of Abraham. He sees the elect of God. He sees sinners for whom Jesus 
died coming to saving faith. For Paul, he will endure all 
these things for the sake of the elect that they also may 
obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal 
glory. John Calvin writes when he says 
that he endures for the sake of the elect, this demonstrates 
how much more he cares for the edification of the church than 
for himself. You see, this is what you ought 
to pray for Pastor Cam and me. We would care more about the 
church than ourselves. This is what we ought to pray 
for evangelical and reform ministers everywhere, that they would be 
more concerned for the church than themselves. That if it means 
the church advances, if it means that Christ shall see the travail 
of his soul and be satisfied, if it means that the elect pass 
from death unto life, if it means that a sinner that was hell bound 
is now sitting in the pew praising God, singing amazing grace, if 
that's the end game, then suffering hardship is certainly worth it. 
Suffering these things is certainly worth it. To see a man who is 
converted and then he starts to live the way he ought and 
instead of brutalizing and terrorizing his family, he's kind, he's loving. Instead of blowing his money 
on crack cocaine or alcohol or whatever it is he likes to spend 
his money on, he buys his wife stuff, he cares for his kids, 
he starts to invest his life and his time in them. or a woman 
who was a wretch, and godless, and profligate, now she's upright, 
and holy, and working, and rearing children, and doing those sorts 
of things. What is that? That is the blessed fruit that 
comes from gospel preaching. The Apostle says, I endure all 
things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the 
salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. So Calvin again, when he says 
that he endures for the sake of the elect, this demonstrates 
how much more he cares for the edification of the church than 
for himself. For he is prepared not only to 
die, but to be reckoned in the number of wicked men, that he 
may promote the salvation of the church. You understand that? Paul's company in this hour is 
with wicked men. I guarantee you he was probably 
the only gospel preacher in that prison in Rome at the time. He's 
cold, we know that, because he tells Timothy, when you come 
to me, bring my cloak. He's probably bored because he 
says, and the books, especially the parchments. Could you imagine 
sitting in a Roman prison without a coat and without a book? That 
would be terrible. But your mates or your companions 
or the persons that you are numbered with are transgressors. Paul, 
like his Lord, was numbered among the transgressors in this regard. 
People, no doubt, scoffed. This is why in 2 Timothy 2, 2 
Timothy 1, verses 15 and following, what do Hermogenes and Phygelus 
do? They depart from him. They don't want anything to do 
with him. They are ashamed of him. He is 
a criminal. He is notorious. He is bad. He is an enemy of the Roman state. And yet for the apostle, I endure 
all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain 
the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with glory. I'm sorry, with eternal glory. Paul's imprisonment does not 
secure the salvation of the elect. Paul's suffering is not atoning 
for the salvation of the elect. Some have co-opted Colossians 
1 and have taught that somehow Paul's suffering, you know, it 
completes what Jesus did. That's not the idea. The idea 
is that our identification with Jesus will certainly ensure that 
the ground that he tread is the same sort of ground that we will 
tread. But it's not redemptive in nature. Paul doesn't go to 
jail so that people can come out of the bondage of sin. Paul 
simply means he tirelessly and he constantly and he perseveringly 
preaches the gospel so that sinners can come to know Jesus Christ. 
If that means he goes to prison, if that means he's beaten with 
rods, if that means he's beaten with whips, if that means he's 
in weariness and he's in toils and he's in danger and he's shipwrecked 
and he's stoned, he will gladly spend and be spent for the Lord 
Jesus Christ. So you see, those are some incentives 
to Timothy to persevere, to endure hardship. The contemplation of 
who Jesus is, the conduct of the Apostle Paul. God willing, 
next week we will see communion with Christ. The fact that we 
are in vital union with our Lord Jesus, is another incentive why 
we ought to endure hardship. So in conclusion, brothers, sisters, 
we need to remember Christ. You're not going to run with 
endurance the race set before you looking unto yourself. It's 
not going to happen. You're not going to run with 
endurance the race that is set before you, looking at your failures, 
looking at your accomplishments, looking at what a great girl 
or guy you are. You are going to run with endurance 
the race that is set before you, looking unto Jesus, remembering 
Him in His true humanity, remembering Him in His Davidic lineage, remembering 
Him as the royal Messiah, remembering Him as the suffering servant, 
contemplate Christ, read the Bible, get these things in you, 
learn the scriptures, hide it in your hearts, so that A, you 
might not sin against Christ, but B, you might run with endurance 
the race, that you might suffer hardship. If, as society continues 
to grow more secular, it may be the case, brothers and sisters, 
that we're going to have trouble. We need to make sure that we 
are able to endure hardship. At the first whiff of hardship, 
what's going to happen? Are we going to crumble? Are 
we going to collapse? If you faint in the day of adversity, 
your strength is weak, the Proverbs tell us. We ought not want to 
faint in the day of adversity. We ought to want to endure hardship 
as good soldiers of Jesus Christ. I mean it's getting to the point 
James White recently did a little video podcast about what the 
church can face in five years. He's speaking about the US to 
be sure. There's probably not going to 
be tax-exempt status granted anymore to churches that won't 
marry sodomites. If they make that the law, and 
they make everybody kowtow, faithful churches are going to give up 
tax status. They're going to have to. We're 
not going to keep this little trinket and do what the state 
bids us to do. We need to remain faithful. We 
need to endure hardship. We need to remember our Lord, 
who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, 
despising the shame. He saw the Father's smile as 
the chief delight, and that carried Him through. Certainly we ought 
to see the Lord's smile as our chief delight, and that ought 
to carry us through. And if you're ever feeling that 
you suffer really tremendously for the cause of Christ, just 
read about Paul. Just read 2 Corinthians 11. It's 
probably a good reminder that many of us need on frequent occasions. Just read 2 Timothy. This man 
was tireless. This man was consistent. This 
man endured. This man persevered. Why? Because he was looking. unto 
Jesus. Well, let us pray. Our Father, 
we thank you for your Word, and we thank you that you not only 
give us commands to endure hardship, but you give us blessed incentives. 
You call us to contemplate our beloved Savior. Help us to do 
this, God. Help us to be in the Scripture. 
Help us to be a prayerful people. Help us to learn truth, to buy 
the truth and sell it not. As well, help us to understand 
the extent of suffering that the Apostle Paul went through. 
Help us to see and help us to consider these things, Lord God. 
And may it put our lives into proper perspective. And may we 
endure hardship, and may we persevere, and may we be strong for your 
glory and for your honor. And we pray these things through 
Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.