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.—2 Timothy 1:13–18

Introduction

In 1943, two young single American ladies moved to southern Sudan to engage an unevangelized tribe, the “Uduk” people. Mary Beam and Betty Cridland were nothing “special” in the world’s eyes, but they were made from the kind fabric that only God can create. Full of faith, confident of their calling and the power of the gospel to save and transform. When the family that they had joined had to leave soon after their arrival, they were the only Christians for miles, and they were on their own. Mary and Betty hunkered down and became fluent in the Uduk language. When they were forced out of the country due to civil war 20 years later, they left behind a school and a church and hundreds who had believed in the gospel and had been baptized. No longer were twins considered a curse and killed at birth—the Uduks became worshippers of the one true and living God. Today, the Uduks are considered a Christian people. I had the opportunity to meet Mary Beam and hear her story several times. She would always say, “I just wanted to be a good soldier for Jesus” (more on that next week). I had the opportunity to view an old movie of their ministry. They were holding something like an old fashioned tent revival, only the “tent” was just a thatched roof held up by some rough hewn poles. In this old grainy 8mm film, hundreds were sitting on the dirt floor while Mary and Betty preached the gospel in Uduk. (I believe God calls men to be elders and preach, but where there is no male preacher, God will use a Spirit-filled woman—and I will say, “Amen.”) They ministered to people who had walked for miles and miles. Some for days. In that part of the world it will exceed 100 degrees in the shade. The people were sweaty and dirty and captivated by the message.

I share this a) to encourage you like the line in the song we sang a few weeks ago, “… telling stories of his grace …” and b) It may be that our 28-year-old air conditioner will not be able to keep up during this hot day, but let us set aside our requirement for our own comfort and consider our brothers and sisters who have endured much for the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord.

(Prayer)

Tough week. You ever had a week where you felt like you were never more than half a second from tears. My 20-year-old came into our bedroom Monday to grieve the news of the death of twin young men her age. This on the heels of my 16-year-old son attending the funeral of a classmate. Parents shouldn’t have to bury their 16-year-olds and 20-year-olds. Where is the anchor in life when it is spinning? What can you depend on? What stands when everything is shaking?

‘Follow the Pattern of Sound Words’ 

What are the ‘words’ that Paul is talking about?

In Paul’s day, they didn’t have leather bound ESVs. They had the Old Testament and this New Testament (testimony of Jesus from the apostles), which was not some sort of aberration but the truth. Note Paul’s comment about “serving with his ancestors with a clear conscience” (2 Timothy 1:3).

Two weeks ago, we talked about suffering. Suffering for the gospel and suffering in general. Paul says that he suffers because he follows the calling of God on his life as a preacher, apostle, and teacher. In the midst of this suffering, he is convinced of God and his plan for Paul. How? Because of “sound words.” Sound words of truth spoken to Paul from Jesus directly and through those who discipled him in the faith. Sound words from Paul to Timothy as they preached the gospel, reasoned with skeptics, and endured scorn, false accusations, threats, and imprisonment. All along the way, Paul is discipling Timothy in the truth and explaining Jesus as the foreshadowed Messiah and fulfillment of the Jewish religion: The God above all the gods of the pagans, the highest ideal and supreme transcendent reality above Greek mythology and philosophy, the answer to the longings of the heart for love and beauty and value, and on and on. Today, we have this legacy distilled and codified in the Bible.      

What does it mean that the words are ‘sound’?

Trustworthy. Up against all of the possible sources of truth and knowledge, the 66 books of the Bible are true and trustworthy. Here are four reasons why (not meant as an exhaustive study—just some support for the Bible as the very word of God):

• This the testimony of the Bible itself.

From childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.—2 Timothy 3:15–16

• The Bible depicts accounts of people, places, events, and things that can and have been verified over and over.
• The Bible provides the only coherent worldview accounting for the mixture of glory and decay, serving and suffering, and peace and violence that we see around us. Is the world a place of devastating pain or breathtaking beauty? The answer is “yes,” and the Bible explains it in that we are created in God’s image and that we are fallen. And, most important, that God is redeeming.
• Jesus is the point of the Bible. He stands forth as absolutely unique—in morality (sinless), power (Creator and Sustainer of the world), beauty, sacrifice, love, wisdom. He has captured my heart and my allegiance forever. To love, worship, and follow the living Word—Jesus—is to accept and happily submit to the written word.

For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.—2 Corinthians 4:6

What does it mean to ‘follow’ the pattern of the sound words?

A broad way to understand and apply this command and a narrow way …

1) Generally speaking, the word of God is our guide for all of life. Remember, our overarching goal in these sermons from 2 Timothy is to identify characteristics of a faithful Christian life. What do we believe? How shall we worship? How shall we pray? How shall we treat our neighbor? How shall we use money? How do we work? A foundational aspect of the Christian life is that the Bible is our guide and standard for all truth.

Our Elder Affirmation of Faith reflects this:

1.1 We believe that the Bible, consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, is the infallible Word of God, verbally inspired by God, and without error in the original manuscripts.

1.2 We believe that God’s intentions, revealed in the Bible, are the supreme and final authority in testing all claims about what is true and what is right. In matters not addressed by the Bible, what is true and right is assessed by criteria consistent with the teachings of Scripture.

2) Specifically, we follow by believing that Jesus is the Christ.

So we come to an important consideration about our assumptions about religion. The prevailing view is that religion is a set of practices with moral and ritualistic components that somehow work together to appease a God who is generally powerful and distant but is concerned with our behavior. The Bible, the story of the grace and mercy of God, presents a completely different picture. It has always been asked by men, “What must I do to please God?” Man has produced many answers. From the Hindu temples where the mantras are repeated day and night to the five pillars of Islam. From the Buddhist pursuit of enlightenment through the practice of morality, meditation and wisdom to liberalism and its denial of absolute truth. However, Jesus himself answered this question. His answer was not the one that we would have anticipated:

“Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”—John 6:27–29

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.—John 6:35

For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”—John 6:40

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.—John 6:47

By what means is this to be accomplished?

…  In the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.—2 Timothy 1:13–14

Faith is our posture toward God. We believe him and trust him. Love is our posture toward others.

For this reason, because I have heard of I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers—Ephesians 1:15–16

(See also Colossians 1:4, 1 Thessalonians 3:6–7, 2 Thessalonians 1:3–4, Titus 3:15, Philemon 1:5.)

We are reminded that “following the pattern of the sound words” is not through our will power, or a self-generated sort of life. This is the fruit of the work of the Holy Spirit in us:

The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called.—Ephesians 1:17–18

This only happens because God himself dwells in the heart of the believer to produce the fruit of faith and obedience

How is this summarized?

• Guard the good deposit.
• What is the “good deposit”? The gospel.
• You can’t follow the pattern without guarding the deposit. You can’t guard the deposit without following the pattern

O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge,” for by professing it some have swerved from the faith. Grace be with you.—1 Timothy 6:20–21

The good deposit of the gospel must be guarded. We don’t know exactly what was in the hearts of Phygelus and Hermogenes. How tragic that Paul counted them as friends, but in the end they abandoned him. And not only him but the very deposit of the gospel. The gospel must be guarded against …

• Dilution: Jesus is one of many ways of salvation …

This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”— Acts 4:11–12

• Contradiction: Salvation comes by works …

… Who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.— 2 Timothy 1:9

• Distraction: From fun & games that cannot save …

And which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.—2 Timothy 1:10–12

Paul has walked away from status, comfort, and a life that would impress others. He has banked everything on Jesus, and these words reflect his confidence even as he stares at a death sentence.

Application

Just like Timothy, we are called to follow the pattern of the sound words. Just like Timothy we are called to guard the good deposit. Each believer has been given the deposit of the gospel. Jesus has given us his Spirit to that end. We are not on our own. He has promised to empower us to walk by faith and to love others. Let us follow the pattern of the sound words and guard the good deposit together—in faith and love by the power of the Holy Spirit. Let us hope in the good news, the testimony of our Lord, the gospel.

Let’s sing a simple expression of our great hope:

Living Hope (by Phil Wickham)

How great the chasm that lay between us
How high the mountain I could not climb
In desperation, I turned to heaven
And spoke Your name into the night
Then through the darkness, Your loving-kindness
Tore through the shadows of my soul
The work is finished, the end is written
Jesus Christ, my living hope

Who could imagine so great a mercy?
What heart could fathom such boundless grace?
The God of ages stepped down from glory
To wear my sin and bear my shame
The cross has spoken, I am forgiven
The King of kings calls me His own
Beautiful Savior, I’m Yours forever
Jesus Christ, my living hope

Hallelujah, praise the One who set me free
Hallelujah, death has lost its grip on me
You have broken every chain
There’s salvation in Your name
Jesus Christ …