But coming to this particular section, in contrast to the message and the truth that we studied last week, verses fifteen and sixteen, a most important, if not the most important, section of this Holy Epistle, relative to the testimony of the Church of the Living God, being the pillar and the ground of the truth. We had a blessed time together considering... how the assembly, whether locally as well as universally, is a pillar upon which and to which the truth has been entrusted to support that truth and to maintain it. We noted in verse sixteen of that same chapter that the essence of the testimony is that Christ may be seen in us and through us as he was once manifested when he was near upon the earth. Just to repeat with emphasis, that which should be revealed, and through our testimony corporately, as a local assembly, as individual believers, Christ should be revealed. in our lives, whether it be by our conduct towards the world, in the home, in the school, in society, wherever we are. And may I re-emphasize, we represent the living God. And we rejoice in the knowledge, no matter how weak we may be, wherever there is an assembly of God's beloved redeemed people gathered together. the living God is there. But in contrast to that which we saw last week, immediately in the section we have read, Paul by the Holy Spirit begins to reveal some departure that would take place from the truth of God. Note first of all in the opening of verse one, chapter four, it is the first time and the only time I believe There is a reference in this episode to the person of the Holy Spirit. Just a few words briefly but pertinently regarding the Holy Spirit. May I point out these three facts I may have stated them before. I joyfully repeat them again. In the local assembly and the Church of God upon the earth at large, We are under three great authorities. There is, as we saw in chapter one of the opening of our epistle, the authority of the Lord Jesus as the head of the church over the whole body. There is also, we have stated in the past, the authority of the Holy Spirit is God. And third, the authority of the Word is God. A threefold authority. to which we should be obedient. Christ the head, the Holy Spirit, the chief agent on the earth, and the Word of God, our infallible guide. But may I just repeat, throughout the Word of God from the beginning to the end, from the book of Genesis chapter one and the early verses of that chapter, you have nothing in the Word of God in all the history of mankind where you can never fail to find the Holy Spirit has its cooperation and its participation in all the divine undertakings of God. I just suggest that, by way of encouragement, that in the Church today and in every believer personally, there is the abiding presence and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. And I suggest as you read the Word of God, whether in the Old and particularly in the New Testament, are we seeing manifested the personality and the special work of the Holy Spirit in this age of the Church? My beloved fellow believer, let you and I personally allow him to have his authority in our personal life. And may I also exhort in our corporate testimony under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, may every brother and sister, old and young, strong or weak, recognize his authority over us. But you will note something very special. In contrast to Christ being exalted, note with me in verse one, we read it through, and through verse two. Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, a special message relating to the latter time. Some shall depart from the faith. Now please know. Some shall depart from the faith. Reveal to us. Under this particular failing, some believers will be untrue to the truth of God. For here you have it. Some shall depart from the faith. It's not a question here, nor an issue of how much faith they have, but this relates to the truth of God, which has been entrusted to the church, and entrusted to every believer to follow, and some shall depart from the faith. I'm sure I do not need to say, but even today, and most sadly, we confess that there is the evidence of many Christians departing from the truth of God. We haven't time to cover it, but I would suggest to you, you can find six particular phases or spheres of responsibility in life where a believer can depart from the faith. You can read the epistle through, if you will, and carefully you will find it. And here it is, by the Spirit written, and a victim, God's dear people. Not all of them. Note the words some. You find the words some, not only in this epistle, but in the second epistle, in relation to that same fact, some departing from the truth. Now note how it came to pass. These men who lead others from the faith have given heed and been listening to seducing spirits. where they get their doctrine that trades away from the truth of God from the devil himself and his evil spirit read first John chapter four verse one through six and you have the expression where there are those are that which we can call the spirit of truth and the spirit of error implying The truth comes from God, through his spirit, and the word. Error comes from Satan and his many spirits. And may I repeat that with emphasis, please? Whenever you hear of something that's not true to the word of God, the real source of it, the original source, the devil. And you have it right here. These men give heed to seducing spirits, and what do they get? They get the teachings of those self-same spirits, doctrines of demons. And my beloved, may I personally say, what a contrast where Christ should be brought out, and yet here are false teachers who are given their minds to the seducing influence of spirits, evil demons, and they begin to teach it. Now, no, verse two, they're talking lies. What is not truth is error. What is not truth is a lie. And in so speaking, they speak lies in hypocrisy. They are hypocrites. And their hypocrisy is indicated by the next word, having their conscience seared with the hot iron. I'm sure you may recognize physically that if you get a burn upon your body or upon your hand by way of illustration, and that burn pierces to the skin and burns the skin very deeply, that part which is burned becomes cauterized, and you could stick a pin in it, and you won't feel it. There's no feeling to it. These men... Their conscience had no feeling. Their consciences become seared. You can read in the word of God of different kinds of consciences. Tender consciences. Good consciences. Bad consciences. Evil consciences. And even hardened consciences. But the worst form would be one that is seared. Nothing can penetrate it. to convict him of his wrong. Such are those teachers. Now may I point out something very obvious? Paul gives two illustrations. From nature, first of all, such men forbid marriage. They forbid marriage. Unfortunately, though they may boast of a superior holiness, in their so-called testimony. Yet they forbid marriage. Can I give just an illustration of it? The greatest, if I may call it a denomination in the world today, teaches this very fact, celibacy, and has a great system of unmarried men in its organization, forbidding to marry. Now that's contrary to the ordinance of God in the book of Genesis when he instituted it. And you may recognize it. And that same type remains what follows. As you have it, commanding to abstain from me, which God has created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. for every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused if it be received with thanksgiving for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer now let me just very kindly I don't do it say it disparagingly but I would like to say carefully and clearly that such evidence is contrary to the word of God but God is not only instituted marriage God is also given, you may remember your Bible in Genesis chapter nine, you go back to before chapter nine in the book of Genesis before the flood, man ate what he grew from the ground. When you come after the flood, it was the first time that God commanded and gave permission. He could eat meat. And you know this particular church commands to abstain from me, especially our tribe as you know. I had a friend working with me in my occupation many years ago, back in the late twenties. He was a Catholic fellow. And he loved me. But he told me when he came to Friday, which was supposed to be fish day for him, when he went to the restaurant, he'd order meat. And then he took a glass of water and sprinkled it over the meat and said, I christened the fish. You know what he was doing. He knew he was supposed, according to the commandment of the church, he was not supposed to eat it. Look, that's not scriptural teaching. May I say again? May I be very careful? Look, the church is not to teach. The church is to preach the word of God. Teaching comes from the Lord Jesus, the risen head above. if you read Ephesians four, he gives the gifts and imparts them to men who will teach by the Spirit the word of God. And truth, may I put it this way, truth doesn't begin with the church. Truth comes from God, comes from Christ, comes from the word of God. And my beloved, let me say this. No matter wherever you might be, and you're listening to the preaching and the teaching, what may be given, make sure in your mind and heart, is that according to the word of God? It's your responsibility. But here you have the evidence, as the Spirit writes, many are going astray from following the truth. And we may well recognize the... Let me show the contrast again. Between the end of chapter three, when Christ, God who was manifested in the flesh, was upon the earth manifested, justified by the Spirit, seen of angels, and so on, in that life that was Him, and believed on in the world, and then received up into glory. And the joy of knowing... Christ is the presentation of the truth, but there is false teaching that goes astray. And may I earnestly say, know what Paul writes now from verse six. Let me read it. If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister or servant of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrines, whereunto thou hast attained. Oh, my beloved, may I say very carefully, and mourn very emphatically the danger of false teaching. There's much of it in the world, and I pray that God will guide you in me in relation to what we may hear. And may I give you the thought, by way of example, beware what you hear over the radio. I commend to you the careful listening of all who are on the radio, myself included for that matter, to make sure this is the pure word of God. And I say it lovingly, and I say it knowing it, there is something said on the radio that are contrary to the word of God by some who may present themselves as creatures. Listen to it carefully. And from the platform, wherever. Because the Spirit expresses a thousand. Some can depart and will depart from the faith. May God help us to realize it. But please note the Timothy's command, the Timothy's charge. Put the brethren in remembrance of these things. When I taught you, and you'll be your good servant of Jesus Christ. And what a joy to recognize this commendation. And you'll be nourished up in the words of faith and a good teaching whereunto thou hast already attained. And one can recognize the concern of the dear Apostle Paul that Timothy would be true to the faith. And he goes on to give the contrast, but refuse profane and all white fables. meaning natural, earthly, and all wise stories, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. For bodily exercise profiteth meaning for a little time, but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promised of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. Oh, may I point out very readily, how the beloved Apostle Paul, by the Spirit emphasizes the prophet of godliness. Though there may be a prophet for bodily and earthly bodily exercise, for the physical body, it's not the physical that is important as much as the spiritual. And as Paul declares, godliness is profitable unto all things with the promise of life that thou in, and even of that which is to come. May I just commend to you the reading of second Peter chapter one? where you will find in the characteristics of Christ-like character, the apostle mentions godliness among the seven that he names in verses five through seven of chapter one of his second epistle. Godliness is a quality of character that is profitable. And as Paul says, not only now, but even to come. And you'll find them in second Peter chapter one, verse one through eleven. Peter is exhorting that we may have those characteristics and have an abundant, triumphant admission into the everlasting kingdom. Now Paul goes on to say, This is a faithful saying, worthy of all acceptation. Let me give you the thought. Have you noticed it? This is the second time such a statement is made. You have it in chapter one and verse fifteen. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Now he puts it again in this particular chapter. It's just that faithful we should find the teaching of the Word to be just as clear and faithful as the Gospel. And Paul exhausts that. And why? For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach. No matter what it costs in suffering, because we trust in the living God. Who is the Savior of all men, especially of those that believe? These things command and teach. Oh, my beloved, may I say very faithfully, what we have seen in chapters one, two, three were the most particular foundations in the teaching of the scriptures of what the house of God needs. to recognize, to acknowledge, to maintain, to completely fulfill for the glory of the Savior while we're here, a pillar and a ground or a groundwork of the truth of God to maintain the testimony of Christ. And the Apostle Paul is saying, though we suffer reproach, we are serving the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those we well know that believe. Now what follows very quickly, from verse eleven to the end, is a personal admonition and exhortation of the dear apostle Paul to his young son in the faith, Timothy. The words can be taken personally by each one of us as believers, but especially to Timothy, does he address them in verse twelve. Let no man despise thy youth, but be thou an example of the believers, In words, in conversation, meaning manner of life, in charity or love, in spirit, though I believe that word spirit is not found in the original text, in faith and in purity. May I point out to you, here is young Timothy, a young evangelist and teacher of the Word of God, being exhorted that he should let no man despise him, though he was useful. But the Apostle Paul sets before him the responsibility of being an example. May I just point out in contrast, in First Peter chapter five, verses one through four, the beloved Apostle Peter addresses words of exhortation to the elders of all the churches, and encourages them to be examples as they lead the flock. to lead them and see them by example. The best way of teaching is to be an example. And Paul is saying that to Timothy here. Be, let no man despise thy youth, but be thou an example. Will you please know? Not of the unsaved, but of the believers. My beloved brother insists to me, I say, The greatest testimony I can give to you and you can give to me is not by word of mouth, but by example. By example. Now please know what the apostle enumerates. First in words, meaning how you talk. Second, your manner of life, which is the proper translation and meaning of the word conversation. It doesn't mean talking. It means your manner of life. And in love. And in... Well, you can omit that in spirit. It's not in the original. We could have a meaning. But in faith and in purity. Note them very carefully and separately. Be an example in your talk. Be an example in your walk. An example in your love. An example in faith. And an example in purity. Oh, my beloved me, it be true of you and me. As Paul exhorted Timothy to be an examiner. And may I say that Timothy was in such a place, a position, where there were many older men, to whom he was ministering the word of God. And Paul said to him, Let no man despise thy youth. It's not that he was young and egotistical. Timothy was equipped. Timothy had been trained. by the Lord and through the Apostle's ministry and many others administered to him and to him. And yet he was not to be despised because of his ministry. But that ministry needed to have his example to support it. And Paul thus speaks. Now in verse thirteen, Paul gives another exhortation. Till I come give attendance to reading. to exhortation and to teaching or doctrine. Now let me put them in their threefold way. First of all, give attendance, and I believe what Paul meant was public reading. Keep your Bible there. Go with me to chapter four in the book of Luke. The fourth chapter in the gospel of Luke. I want you to read something in that gospel about the Lord Jesus. verse sixteen only verse sixteen and you'll know something the very first time you have the public ministry of the Lord Jesus recorded in verse sixteen he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up and as this custom was he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and he stood up for to read May I point out to you what Paul does to Timothy and what here we have in the example of the Lord Jesus. The importance of reading publicly the Word of God. And the Lord Jesus stood up for one purpose. It was the custom when any man, pious Jew, desired to minister the Word of God. He stood up for the purpose of reading the Scriptures, and the minister of the of the synagogue here, turns the book of Isaiah over to the Lord Jesus, and the Lord Jesus finds the place and reads what he had upon it are, and then gives the meaning of it. The public attendance to the reading of the Word of God is an important factor, and Paul goes on to say not only that, but then exit. In other words, may I say this? Can I say it lovingly? My fellow brother, If you're ever led to speak to the saints, make sure you've got something to talk about from the word of God. Don't get up without you've got a message from the book. And a book to read for your message. Exitation means for encouragement. As thus you encourage others by that ministry. And also... give attendance to teaching to doctrine the importance of doctrine go to second timothy please chapter three you may know it well verse sixteen you know that verse well i'm sure all scripture is given by inspiration of god and it's profitable for doctrine meaning teaching now may i pause for just a moment let me emphasize the importance of doctrine first before we read on For if the teaching isn't right, neither will the rest turn out right. First, the Word of God is profitable for doctrine. Right teaching. Second, for reproof or conviction. Third, for correction. Fourth, for instruction in right living. May I say earnestly, the most important thing when the word of God is thus brought before the hearts of others is for the teaching to be correct. For there is a purpose for it, to recrove or to convince if I'm wrong, or if anyone is wrong, and to also correct them by the teaching that is right, and to instruct them, of course, in following right living, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. And the teaching is important. Oh, may I say again, my fellow believers, please may I say to you lovingly, my dear fellow saints in this little assembly, make sure you're enjoying good, right, teaching from the Word of God. It builds up in any kind. It convicts you. If you're wrong, it corrects you when you're wrong, and instructs you how to go on. But the basic foundation... It's right to, please let me say it kindly, from what I've already suggested regarding the Roman Catholic institution. Are there not so many, thousands upon thousands and thousands, even millions, in that great profession who were not taught right? Not taught right. And just may I say incidentally, You may sometimes hear a Catholic service on their radio. Don't be surprised. It may come. Even on a Christian radio station, so-called. Listen carefully. But there's one thing sure. That whole system is a system of works for salvation. Not saved by grace through faith. My beloved... We need to be careful in the last days. So let's read on quickly. And you have an exhortation to Timothy, more personal. Neglect not the gift that is in thee which was given thee by prophecy. With the laying on of the hands of the Presbyterian. May I say this? It wasn't the laying on hands of the elders upon Timothy that gave him the gift. May I be reminded, will you please listen carefully? Whenever you... May I go very... Further to say, I don't know whether you believe it. If you don't believe it, you're not believing your Bible. But according to my Bible, every believer has a gift. Every believer has a gift. Go to Ephesians chapter three, please, quickly. Ephesians chapter three. Chapter four, rather, I beg upon chapter four. Let me read, if you don't mind. Verse seven and eight of Ephesians four, where you have the Lord by the apostle's name. But to every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gifts of Christ. Wherefore he said, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity and gave gifts unto men. He gave gifts unto men. read first corinthians chapter twelve you have many of those gifts enumerated but you'll have to confess every member of the body of some gift well let me put it in this way the lord jesus by the spirit through paul in first corinthians twelve teaches that every member of your body organically your human body you you can't get along without your fingers you can't get along without your feet You can never say I have no need of thee to any member of your body. I had the lesson taught to me one time up in Upper Michigan many, many years ago at the Upper Peninsula Bible Camp, walking through the woods early one morning as I customarily did in early morning, and walking through around the countryside, around the lake where the camp was located. I walked up a little incline and Hundred feet ahead of me, I saw a big she-bear standing up looking at me. They're two little cubs, and there's nowhere to run, and hide. I tell you, I didn't know what to do except go on. I was as nonchalant as I could, kept looking at that big old she-bear, as she stood up and looked at me, wondering what I was going to do, conscious of her cubs, who ran into the bush. I just went ahead and looking sideways, but walking straight, though. And I had to say, Peace! The eyes can't take to the teeth. I've no need of thee. Well, here I am, anyway. Yet every member of the body of your own body is needed to stay in the assembly. Now, let me say to you, brothers and sisters, not any of them. Don't you tell me you're not needed? You're lying. God says, I need you. And, as Paul said in Ephesians, he gives gifts to the church. And go back to what we have in Timothy. Paul says to Timothy, Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, meaning through the word of God. And then confirmed by the hands of the elders, who saw Timothy's gift being used. and commanded him to the work of the Lord. And then go verse fifteen. I like this. Meditate on these things. Give thyself holy to them that thy profiting may appear to all. And Paul encourages Timothy. Meditate upon what I've told you. Enjoy it, the truth. Give yourself holy to it. And you'll show the prophet to all around you. And then he closes with the exhortation, take heed to thyself, and unto the teaching. Continue in them. For in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, or deliver thyself, and then deliver thyself. Then I say lovingly, the only way I can help God's dear people is to teach them the word of God. And in so teaching the word of God properly... I keep my own heart and life right. And help those. Deliver them. Oh, my beloved, there's no question of doubt. We live in days where false teaching is so apparent and so popular. Unfortunately, it is popular. But the safety for the believer is to meditate upon the truth of God, giving himself and herself wholly to that meditation of God's truth and the prophet of it. will appear not only in your own life, but to be a blessing to others. So let me go on quickly into chapter five, the opening of it anyway, reading verse one and two particularly. Now the apostle Paul touches upon the relationships in the assembly. Rebuke not an elder, but entreat him as the father and the younger men as brethren, the elder women as mothers, the younger as sisters with all purity. Don't go any further. Note these two verses. Personally, I do not believe that the apostle is referring to the so-called leadership of the assembly, but to the old men in the assembly. For if I can read these words are right, the assembly is constituted of old men, older women, young men, young women. Read Titus chapter two sometime. And you'll find in Titus chapter two, Paul has a word of exhortation for the older men. He has a word of exhortation for the older women. He has a word of the exhortation for the younger women. He has a word of exhortation for the young men. And may I say please, when God looks at the assembly, he sees them all together. The older brother, the older sister, the younger sister, and the younger man. Now what does he say here? Look, would to God we all recognize the relationships of one another to one another in the assembly? Nobody says about the older man. Rebuke not an old man. If I may translate it that way, it probably could be. But entreat him as a father. Oh, may I say, I don't know. whether you've ever done it. I think of our dear brother Harold Harper. He had a dad, a dear old father. He was in the assembly where I was saved, way back, back in nineteen hundred and fourteen. And an older man, an older brother, and I want to tell you very frankly, none of us called him anything but Daddy Harper. We treated him as a father. That's what God said here. to the older man, treat him as the father. Don't rebuke him. Talk to him as you would your own father. Treat him as the father. Only I say sadly, I've heard some, I would call it wicked criticism by young men of older brothers. It's not the right thing. it's not showing the proper relationship to the old brother and may I say thankfully how I have appreciated my older brethren in my young day and enjoyed them in their fatherly ministry encouraging and seeking to encourage a young believer to go on and likewise the young believer and treating that older brother as a father And then you know it. The older women, do you notice them? As mothers? As mothers? Oh, may I say. You had the saying in the Old Testament of certain women who were called mothers in Israel. What did it mean? They mothered God's children. took them under their wings, so to speak. And may I say frankly, I could name some of the dearest old sisters that have been the richest blessing to my own heart and life. Real mothers to the children of God. May I be reminded of the fact in Titus chapter two, Paul exhorts that the older women teach the younger women to be mothers at home. and oh the joy of realizing please may I say to my older sisters be a mother in spiritual things to the younger ones and the older men in spiritual things to the younger men and the younger men in their attitude be as they should be in treating the older as the father and the older mothers and the old women as mothers and no please no no the next thing and the younger women and sister? Please me, I say love it. Frankly, personally, practically. What a joy it is to recognize that we can treat our young sisters in the meeting as we should treat our own sister at home. In respect and concern and the proper attitude without any wrong motives. Mind all, I tell you one thing. Let me ask you the question. Don't you think God will have a very good family? Don't you think we all should be on our best behavior? That's what we found in First Timothy chapter three, that thou mayest know how to behave thyself. It's one of the ways. And then it goes on to F.E.M. Younger is that. This is a note. With all purity. with all purity. I'll tell you about, let me ask you a question. God knows how to manage his family if they listen to him and obey him. And what joy we can recognize, he takes care of. Let me recapitulate what we've had. The departure from the truth, my false speech is coming in. And what we saw as an example was put an example, many other ways it has happened since then, and this happened today. But all the realization that we who know the truth should not listen to false teaching or false teachers, but carry on the word of God according to its truth, and then the exhortation that the apostle makes of Timothy to thus keep on in those things, putting in remembrance the saints of God concerning them. and you'll be a good servant of Jesus Christ. And nourished up in the words of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained, and good doctrine whereunto thou hast attained. And his personal example, can I again encourage you, please, myself included, I need it, to have the encouragement of showing a personal example to all my believing brothers and sisters, And of course, most of all, going along with this precious word, in faithfulness, in one's life and character, and thus meditating upon the things that God has given to us in this blessed book so far. And then showing us as we come into chapter five, we'll see more of it next week, God willing, how he tells how we can conduct a family in their relationship shifts one to another. And may I again repeat, we're a family. We're God's family. Whether older brother, older sister, younger sister, young men. We're God's family. And I think the only thing I could say in closing, Paul said it in the key verse, These things have I written unto thee that thou mayest know how thou order's to behave thyself. In the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and the ground of the truth. Shall we pray? Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus, we bow together. Oh, how precious. Lord, you don't leave us to ourselves. You saved us, but you haven't left us to get along the best we could on our own. You gave us your precious words. Oh, blessed Father, shall we not say in the words of thy servant the psalmist, Thy words have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. And as we separate tonight, may it be true that our desire will be to meditate upon what thou hast taught us, and live it out. For we ask it, giving thee thanks for it, In the precious name of our Savior himself. Amen. Thank you. The Lord bless you.