I invite you to turn with me tonight to 2nd Timothy, 2nd Timothy 1 as we read together the first 14 verses, verse 12 being the text for this evening. 2nd Timothy 1, beginning at verse 1 as we give our attention to the Word of God. Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, to Timothy, my dear son, grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God whom I serve as my forefathers did with a clear conscience as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded now lives in you also. For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord or ashamed of me, His prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the Gospel by the power of God who has saved us and called us to a holy life, not because of anything we have done, but because of His own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel. And of this Gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am, yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day. What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you. Guard it. with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. Allow me to read verse 12 again, the text. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed because I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day. Beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, as those who profess to believe in God, You have an identity. We, together, have an identity. In fact, we have an identity in this world that by its very nature, by the very nature of this identity, invites suffering. Did you know that? Well, what is that identity? Did you hear how you were addressed just a moment ago? I often use it. We are a beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ. That's not something to take lightly. We are a congregation loved by the Lord Jesus Christ. We are a people who by the grace of God have been purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ and therefore now we belong to Him and confess Him as our Lord and Savior. This means though that in the eyes of the world and in the eyes of Satan, We are on the wrong side of that great antithesis. In the eyes of the kingdom of darkness of which Satan is chief, Christians are not very popular and therefore are the target of attacks and persecution and suffering. You say, wait a minute, I don't really sense that in my life. I don't have any suffering or persecution. Well, don't forget, as Paul says, Satan also disguises himself as an angel of light and sometimes he tries to get God's people by making friends with them. drawing them into a friendly world so that He might catch our guard down. But the truth and the fact is that since Christ is hated, make no mistake about it, those who are in Him are also hated, as Jesus said. And it is the world's objective or goal, along with her Master, to squeeze and pound and hurt God's people in such a way that in the end they would either say that Christianity is not worth the hassle and turn away from Christ or at least make life miserable for Christians. The Bible is clear that professing Christ and suffering on account of Him go hand in hand. They go together. In Acts 14, it tells us of the preaching of Paul and Barnabas. And it says, And when they had preached the gospel to that city, talking about Derbe, and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith and saying, we must, through many tribulations, enter into the kingdom of God. And incidentally, we read just two verses before that, that Paul had been stoned and left for dead. And Paul also says to the Philippian believers, for to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake. It's been granted to you. It's a privilege. he's saying. And then in Paul's letter to Timothy before us, we read in chapter 3, verse 12, in fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. People of God, as Christians, we may be called upon to suffer for the sake of the gospel a little or a lot. But by the grace of God, Paul's message in this text is that Christians never need to despair. Not even in the midst of the worst suffering. I preach to you this Word of God, the confidence of grace that gives courage for life. This is Paul's message. And here we find the suffering circumstance, the unashamed attitude, and the confession of confidence. Paul begins this text, That is why I am suffering as I am. Paul was suffering, first of all. But Paul was no stranger to suffering because of his faith. He was a hated man, we know, especially by the Jews who felt betrayed by his conversion. And the Jews also hated him for including the Gentiles in God's salvation plan. That was absolutely terrible. For how could the Gentiles of all people share in the same salvation as God's chosen Jews? Paul, how dare you make the Gentiles have this in common with us who are the chosen Jews. Throughout the course of his ministry, we know from our study throughout the years that Paul was beaten and whipped. He spent time on a number of different occasions in jail or in prison, whether it was for a couple of days or for a year or two. He was stoned and left for dead. His life was continually threatened. If anybody knew how to make enemies, Paul did. And again, on this occasion, Paul was suffering. He was in prison again. But it seems that something was different this time. He was a prisoner in Rome and it is believed held by the wicked emperor Nero who, it is thought, put Paul to death by cutting his head off. At other times, during his long prison terms, Paul was given a certain amount of freedom, especially to see his friends and continue to preach and teach. But this time it seems that it was different. He was quite restricted, possibly locked up in a dismal underground dungeon with only a hole in the ceiling for light and air. And he faced criminal charges with the sentence being execution. And beloved, this second letter to Timothy was the last letter that Paul wrote. And if you read all four chapters of this letter, it's clear that not only was Paul alone toward the end of his life, As he says in chapter 115, everyone in the province of Asia has deserted me. But also it's clear from his writing that he was well aware of the fact that his fight and his race that he speaks of so beautifully in chapter 4, that his fight and his race were almost finished. Why was he suffering these things? The reason, as verse 11 says, points out, is because he was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. Paul was suffering to the point of looking death in the face because he was a preacher. But not just for being any preacher, but for preaching Jesus Christ and Him crucified. For preaching the Gospel, which as he summarized in verse 10, says that the Savior Christ Jesus has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light. You see, the offense of the cross of Christ had worked. It offended Paul's enemies. You see, if Paul had been preaching one of the philosophies of the men of that day, he wouldn't be in prison. If Paul had been preaching that the emperor is God as many believed, he wouldn't be in prison. If Paul had been preaching about Buddha or Mormonism or the theology of Jehovah's Witnesses, some alternative religion, he wouldn't be in prison. You see, in all ages, everything else has been acceptable, even in our own day, but not Christianity. If Paul was still a member in good standing of the Pharisees' club, he certainly wouldn't be worried about death. He knew why he was suffering, and he knew for what reason he would die, and that reason was Jesus Christ and the preaching of His Gospel. Now, the Bible is filled with episodes of saints suffering for the sake of the Gospel, some to the point of death and some not. Elijah thought that he was the only one of God's people left. Stephen was stoned to death after his powerful sermon. James, the brother of Jesus, and Peter lost their lives for the faith. The early New Testament church, you recall, was forced to meet in secret behind locked doors because Christianity in those early days was definitely not looked upon with favor. There are books since that time, since the time of Christ, filled with stories of martyrs being burned at the stake or being used as live bait for wild beasts simply to entertain their enemies who watched. We also know from Paul's other letters that Christians were losing their jobs and their businesses for the sake of the faith. We can think of the early Protestant Reformation. John Huss of Bohemia was burned at the stake in 1415 And as well, in 1567, Guido de Bray, the author of the Belgic Confession, died as a martyr. And beloved, even just a couple of years ago, someone came to Kalamazoo to a ministry opportunity and talked about those who were being persecuted for their faith. And we were taught then that even a couple of years ago, thousands of people had been beaten to death or beheaded in Muslim and communist countries in places like Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Pakistan, China, and Indonesia. Things that we don't hear on the major news networks. And they lost their lives and they were beaten for Bible study, for praying, for worship, for confessing Christ. I remember seeing pictures of those who had acid poured all over them, over their body, and even poured down their throat because they were not willing to renounce their faith in Christ. Even in our own day. We sit here today so comfortably. What are you willing to give up for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Consider this question. I'm sure I've posed it to you before. But if you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? First of all, let's hope and pray that there would be. But then consider another question. If there was enough evidence, would you take your punishment with joy or would you be ashamed and would you try to plea bargain for a lesser charge? You see, Paul's suffering circumstance in the eyes of the world, in the eyes of the world, was nothing to be proud of. To the world he should have been ashamed because he was on death row. You see, we despise men on death row who are conceited with no remorse. They ought to be sorry for whatever it was they did. They ought to be able to give the families of their victims some sort of closure. They ought to be humbled, begging for forgiveness and mercy. Paul was far from that and praised the Lord he was. Instead, he demonstrates an unashamed attitude. He says, I suffer these things for preaching the Gospel, yet I am not ashamed. I'm not ashamed. What we need to understand, congregation, is that Paul is saying that he does not feel shame or disgrace for being a prisoner on death row. He is not disappointed because of the suffering circumstances that has resulted from preaching the Gospel of Christ. God has not let him down, as we often complain about when we go through various trials. In effect, Paul says, I'm not overwhelmed. I'm not sinking. I'm not giving in to despair. I'm not frantic. I'm not lost. I'm not sad. I'm not sorry for what I have done. I have no remorse for the reason that I am in this situation. Paul was facing a capital criminal charge unfairly, no doubt, with the prospect of execution. He was a disgrace to society, to the world he should have been ashamed. But Paul wasn't ashamed. He wasn't embarrassed by the Gospel. Are you? Are we embarrassed by the Gospel? He was honored. You see, he was a prisoner not because he had performed some terrible evil deed. In that case, he should have been sorry. He should have been ashamed. But he was a prisoner because he had obeyed his Lord and Savior who called him. He says in 1 Timothy 2, verse 7, And for this, that is the redemption of Christ, I was appointed a preacher and an apostle. I am telling the truth, I am not lying, as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. And by the grace of God, Paul could confess, as James says, count it all joy when you fall into various trials. And Paul himself says in Romans chapter 5, And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance, and perseverance character, and character hope. Boys and girls, when you have done something wrong, something that you know you should not have done, sometimes you feel guilt and shame even before you got caught. At least I hope you do. I hope your conscience is working in you. But especially after being caught, you might be embarrassed, you might be ashamed because of what you did, that you know you shouldn't have done it. But again, Paul didn't do anything wrong. He was not ashamed. He was not embarrassed about Jesus Christ. And the Gospel did not put him to shame. He wouldn't have done anything different to change his suffering circumstances. He would not have watered down the Gospel. Instead, he does what Peter exhorts believers to do in those situations. Yet, if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let Him glorify God in this matter. If you suffer for being a Christian, do not be ashamed, but glorify God in that. We talk about this also in connection with the petition, Hallowed be Thy name, that no matter what the situation or what circumstance in life that you might find yourself, you are called to remember that God is holy, that He is sovereign, and that there is never an occasion, not even on our worst day, in which He is not to be glorified. He is always to be glorified. As I mentioned earlier, Paul says in Romans 1, verse 16, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. And he says to Timothy in verses 13 and 14, What you heard from me keep as the pattern of sound teaching with faith and love in Christ Jesus, Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you. Guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. In other words, Timothy, guard that which will bring you suffering. Guard it. Use it. Don't let it out of your grasp. I am not ashamed of the Gospel. You see, at that time, Rome was the place. Rome was ruling the world with all of its pomp and splendor. And one commentator says, before all of Rome's grandeur, Paul declared that he was not ashamed to be the herald of the Gospel, for all that grandeur, the grandeur of Rome, could not save one beggar's soul. While Paul's Gospel saved every believer among Jews as well as Greeks. Beloved, those who live for and suffer for Christ need not be ashamed, because one day Christ Himself will confirm them. He will confirm their faith. He will say, well done, thou good and faithful servant. But those who oppose Christ and shame His followers will one day themselves be clothed with shame. Psalm 31, verse 17 says, Let the wicked be put to shame. Let them be silent in Sheol. You see, Paul was not ashamed of being a physical captive to the evil one for the sake of Christ because he had the confidence that he was a spiritual captive to God. He says in chapter 2, verse 19, nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription, the Lord knows those who are His. Paul had the confidence of God's grace that he belonged to God because Jesus Christ had purchased him with His blood. And therefore, he was not ashamed. And he doesn't want Timothy to be ashamed for him or of the Gospel. Again, verse 8, so do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord or ashamed of me, His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the Gospel by the power of God who has saved us and called us to a holy life, not because of anything we have done, but because of His own purpose and grace. Paul had faith that God's power was on his side, so much so that he also utters this confession of confidence. The text says, because I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day. You see, Paul had courage for life with all of its physical suffering because by grace through faith, he knew that for him, God indeed had a wonderful plan for His eternal life. People of God, when the world accuses and condemns Christians, the only real place of refuge is in the one in whom they believe. The one for whom they are being condemned. True refuge is that God approves of Christians. In the end, that's all that matters. Nothing else in this life. Paul had that confidence that God approved of him and his work. If he depended upon man's approval, where would we be? As a minister, Paul knew that he had one to please, not his audience. but the Lord. And while others were trying to tickle the ears of their listeners, Paul was more concerned about being faithful to God. I have to confess that I've also thought about this as a minister. I've shared this with some of you. The Lord taught me already early in my seminary days that there's no way that I could please all the people in the pew because there are many different tastes and desires as there are a number of you, for example, sitting here. Mid-America Seminary had the habit of sending out evaluation forms to the churches where we as students were going to be exhorting. And on one particular Sunday in a church that I had exhorted in, the same Sunday, the same service, there was a 35-year-old gentleman and a 35-year-old lady who both filled out evaluation forms. It was interesting when I got them back to read them. One said, I wish he would walk around the pulpit area more. The other one said, glad he doesn't walk around the pulpit area more. Same service, same Sunday. Even here, congregation, some of you like series preaching, preaching through a book of the Bible. Some of you don't. Some of you like catechetical preaching. Some of you don't. Some of you like the preacher's style. Some of you don't. Some of you like this or that or the other thing. Others of you don't. And I am grateful, and I say this in all humility and sincerity, I am grateful that ultimately what you think of me won't matter. Have I been obedient to God's call? That's what matters. God had confirmed Paul's faith and given him such confidence that he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt who it was in whom he believed. Paul believed in the one and only true God, the God of creation, the God of redemption, the God and Father of His Lord Jesus Christ, the only One who could truly rescue Him. And through the power of the Holy Spirit of God, Paul had that faith that John says is the victory that overcomes the world. And he had that faith that is so firm that Christ said, the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And this confession of confidence included the fact that Paul was convinced, he was persuaded that the God in whom he believed is able to guard what he has entrusted to him for that day. Now what is he talking about? Is he talking about that trust that he had talked to Timothy about? Is he talking about all those who had been brought to Christ through him? What is he talking about? Well, I believe he's talking about the salvation of his soul. He's talking about the life and immortality he speaks of in verse 10, which Jesus Christ has brought to light and of which He was called to preach. Through regeneration and conversion by the power of the Holy Spirit, Paul had committed his life to Jesus Christ and no one could cause him to doubt whether or not He who began a good work in Him would be faithful to complete it. No one could make him believe that that crown of righteousness that was laid up for him that it was only a possibility and not a reality. No one could make him believe that. Beloved, Paul knew that if his salvation depended upon himself or any other creature, he was in big trouble. That would certainly be a reason for despair. But he had firm confidence that God and God alone could and would guard to salvation. God alone could hold it fast, protect it, and defend it. His salvation was secure with God. Jesus said in John 10, verse 29, My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. You see, Paul enjoyed that salvation in part as he sat in prison waiting to be led to the executioner's block. And he had confidence that he would enjoy that salvation fully and completely when his Lord returned for him. And that's why he could rejoice always. And that's why he could be content in any and every situation as he wrote in other places. And that's why he and Silas could sing songs of praise to God at midnight in the Philippian jail. And that is the confidence of grace that God gives to all those who believe in Him. Everyone. So let me ask you, is that your confidence as a confessor of Jesus Christ? Do you have the confidence that your salvation is secure with Him? Are you able to say, Whatever my lot thou hast taught me to say, it is well, it is well with my soul. Whatever my lot. Good or bad. See, beloved, as we consider what Paul and many other martyrs in ages past, as well as many Christians around the world have faced and still face because of their faith, we must confess that most, if not all of us, I don't know all of you and all of your histories perfectly, but most, if not all of us, have never really suffered for the cause of Jesus Christ. Not like them. You see, we complain because we didn't get the gift we wanted for Christmas or for our birthday. But in recent years, some have been beaten and left for dead because they celebrate the greatest gift of all, Jesus Christ. There are various degrees of persecution to be sure, but I wonder if for those of us who have had it so good for so long that we have become so weak that we are ashamed of the Gospel with even the slightest persecution. Are you ashamed and embarrassed to bow your head in a restaurant to give thanks to God for His blessings because the people in the next booth might see you and might snicker at you under their breath? Young people, how about it? Are you ashamed? Are you ashamed of that which you confess? When you are asked to sin against keeping the Lord's day holy, do you make up a false excuse for why you won't? Because you're afraid that your friends might call you a religious freak if you tell them the truth? Or maybe you're going to offend them if they know the truth? Or with joy and gladness can you confidently stand before their mocking explaining that God gave you six days for yourself and Sunday you desire to dedicate to Him as He commands? Do you just turn your head when those around you take God's name in vain because they might spit on you if you try to explain to them that what they are doing is a sin? Or in confidence do you stand up for Jesus? The bottom line is, do you, in the confidence of God's grace, live your faith? Do you live it? You see, beloved, you, each one of you, individually, also, only, has one to please. And that is God. Everything else will fall into place. The Gospel may, and it must, and it will, offend. will it offend someone because of your testimony? Beloved, God doesn't require His children to go out and look for persecution because it will be there for those who live openly under the king. But He does require that His children do not back down from persecution. God gives His grace that gives courage to face this life. And as Paul knew, God's grace was sufficient for him. Boys and girls, don't be ashamed to tell other boys and girls about Jesus. Young people, don't be embarrassed to tell your friends that you love the Lord Jesus Christ. Congregation, don't be afraid to serve our risen Savior openly out there in the world. For those who are ashamed of Jesus Christ on that day, He will be ashamed of them. But for those who live in the confidence of God's grace, they will be given the comfort of eternal life. Amen. Shall we pray? Father, indeed as we are about to sing, when we try to reconcile things in our own minds, we don't know why You have lavished Your grace upon us. We don't know why You have brought us to believe. We don't know this when we look at ourselves. Yet, Father, we do know that it's because of Your love, Your mercy, and Your grace, and Your desire that You be exalted by the works of Your hands. And we thank You, O Lord, that we are a part of the work of Your hands, the work of a congregation of Jesus Christ, a people of God, a bride for the glorious bridegroom. Father, we pray indeed that You would test our faith. That You would push us out of our comfort zones. That You would give to us reason and opportunity to stand up for the Gospel and not be ashamed whatever may come. Hear our prayer for Jesus' sake and in His name. Amen.