Here Is A Trustworthy Saying

(This is a hybrid between a sermon manuscript and a sermon outline. I hope you can follow it and flesh it out in your own words as the Lord leads you.)

Please open your Bibles to 2 Timothy 2:1-13 which we will read in a few minutes.

1st and 2nd Timothy and Titus are letters written to specific individuals by Paul.

Timothy and Titus were pastors so these letters are referred to as the Pastoral Epistles or the Pastoral Letters.

Yes, epistles are formal letters and NOT the wives of the apostles!

Because they were written to pastors it does not mean that they are not useful for non-pastors as well; they are certainly very beneficial to all Christians!

With that in mind let’s go ahead and read 2 Timothy 2:1-13.

(The target verses we will be looking at are verses 11-13 but take the time to comment on anything in the earlier verses that may need some clarification as you read through them.)

May the Lord bless the reading of His Holy Word (followed by a short prayer)

Here is a trustworthy saying …

- All of God’s word is trustworthy!

- Paul is saying, "This is something important … pay attention!"

- It does not say “these are trustworthy sayings”

- The Holy Spirit, through Paul, is declaring a serious matter

- In the sequence of these verses you will find one of the biggest little words in the Bible … it’s only two letters long … what is that word? (If)

If we died with Him, we will also live with Him …

- This is not talking literal dying although that may be necessary at some time

- Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ”

- Romans 6:11 - … count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus”

- Romans 6 – dead to sin – alive in Christ

- Romans 7 – trying to live a holy life without the help of the Holy Spirit

- We will live with Him on earth

- We will live with Him in eternity

- This is where we should be as Christians

o This is where Jesus wants us to be

o This should be the goal and desire of our hearts

- If we died with Him, we will also live with Him

- If we do not die with Him, we will NOT live with Him on earth or in eternity

If we endure, we will also reign with Him …

If we persevere, we will also rule with Him …

KJV - If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him … (suffer as in long suffering)

- What’s this talking about, endure?

- John 15:5-6

o Speaking about those who are in the Vine – in Christ

o Verse 38 – If you do not remain in me … If you do not endure

o Branch that has fallen from a tree

? Branch was in the tree

? Branch was alive

? Disease or injury entered into the branch

? Branch no long received nutrition from the tree

? Branch died and fell off

? Branch picked up and cast into the fire

? Branch did not endure

? No fault of the tree

- Paul is warning us here that we must endure and not to rest on our current standing with the Lord

If we disown Him, He will also disown us …

If we deny Him, He also will deny us …

If we deny and disown and reject Him, He will also deny and disown and reject us.

- Is this the next step for someone who is not enduring in His relationship with the Lord?

- Who do we know in the Bible who denied and disowned Jesus? (Judas / Peter)

- Matthew 10:32-33 - “Whoever acknowledges Me before men, I will also acknowledge him before My Father in heaven. But whoever disowns Me before men, I will disown him before My Father in heaven.”

- This is getting downright scary!

- Luke 9:26 – “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”

- There’s a lot of this going around today!

o Jesus is a popular guy … unless you insist that He is the only way to find eternal life

o The Bible is pretty popular … if you read it as literature and do not insist that it is the spoken Word of God and that it must be obeyed

o You can live in a radical Muslim country and talk about Jesus as long as the Jesus you talk about is the Jesus of the Quran and not the Jesus of the Bible