Guarding The Good Deposit Series

Guard the Good Deposit

2 Timothy 1:13-18

Rev. Brian Bill

June 24-25, 2023

I want to begin with a provocative quote from a post called, “The Cult of Culture” by Kenny Luck.

“Watch out for the world. It’s after you. It wants you in its cult following, wooing you with pleasures and power, fame and fortune, the nexus of excess. The cult of our culture provides the perfect distraction from what’s really important, and lures us with empty lusts, beliefs, and religions. It may not seem like an organized cult, but behind the apparent chaos and disorder is an enemy pulling the strings to entangle our mind, body, and soul. It’s easy to overlook that we are targeted and marketed with endless desires to capture our time, energy, and money. The world wants your worship, so you don’t worship the one who deserves it.”

We’re jumping back into our summer series from 2 Timothy called, “Standing Firm.” In our first message from 1:1-12, we were urged to fan the flame of faith, so we remain faithful when tough times come. In our passage for today we’ll discover this truth: Focus on good doctrine and be an example of faithfulness.

Please stand as we read 2 Timothy 1:13-18 together: “Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you. You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me – may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day! – and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus.”

In light of spiritual opposition and the myriad of cultural forces arrayed against us, we’re given four charges.

1. Follow good doctrine. Let’s ponder verse 13: “Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me…” As the Apostle Paul neared the end of his life, he exhorted Pastor Timothy to not only follow his example, but to be tethered to the truth he heard through Paul’s teaching and preaching. The word “follow” is an imperative and refers to “holding or keeping.” Timothy was to hold on tightly to truth so it would not be snatched from him as described in Ephesians 4:14: “So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.”

The word “pattern” means, “standard, form, example, or blueprint” and refers to biblical doctrine. It meant a “repeatable pattern, something that can be stamped over and over.” It was used in ancient Greece to speak of a horse’s hoof print made on the ground, creating identical impressions in the dirt.

Biblical truth is constant and timeless. While our methods may change, the message must not change. It’s the same gospel which has been given over and over, during the past 118 years through the faithful ministry of Edgewood. As a pastor, it’s not my job to come up with new truths, but simply to explain, illustrate, and apply the old truth for each new generation. This is stated clearly in Jeremiah 6:16: “Thus says the LORD: ‘Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.’”

Interestingly, the word “doctrine” never appears in the plural when it refers to teaching, because there was one body of truth from the very beginning. The word “sound” signifies “healthy or uncorrupted.” We live in an age where people say it doesn’t matter what you believe as long you believe it strongly. But God’s Word is clear – it does matter what you believe because what you believe affects how you behave. Unhealthy teaching leads to unhealthy Christians.

We’re to be steadfast in the Scriptures so we don’t cave or compromise on biblical convictions. Here’s a brief Scriptural survey:

• Acts 2:42: “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching…”

• 1 Thessalonians 5:21: “…hold fast what is good.”

• 1 Timothy 1:10: “The sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine.”

• Titus 1:9: “He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.”

• Revelation 2:25: “Only hold fast what you have until I come.”