Cling to The Word of God | Pastor Daniel Batareh

In your bibles, please meet me in the book of second Timothy. Second Timothy chapter three. And let's begin together here in verse 14. Second Timothy chapter three beginning in verse 14. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Lord, this is your word. We acknowledge it as the living word. We acknowledge it as the sufficient word, the perfect word of God. Lord, in our hands today, we do not take it for granted that we have access to your word. The complete revelation that we have concerning who you are, your will, your works.

And we pray that this word would not just be held in our hands, not just be read on a screen. Oh God, would you impress it on our hearts? Would it get into our blood? Lord, may it conform us. May it change us.

May it save some. May you be glorified in how we reverentially come before your word today. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. The great apostle Paul was not just a master theologian who was used to channel divine revelation to what we know as the holy book, the holy scriptures.

This meant Paul, who's writing to an individual in this letter was also a humble, tenderhearted, compassionate pastor who really cared for the people that God allowed him to minister to in his lifetime. And you and I have been seeing how that is true of this man throughout this letter, especially at this point. Paul has a deep concern, even though he is gonna be called to be executed at any moment in writing this, He is so concerned about a particular individual and how his faith will be and what kind of man he will be in the absence of the one that watched over him for so many years. And so he, he seeks to encourage Timothy in his faith. And not just to believe, but to strive, to bear fruit, to be excellent, to be faithful, to be firm.

And that is especially needed for this man because there are challenges that lay ahead of him. Challenges from the culture. Challenges from within the church. What is it that Timothy needs to hear in order to be ready for the things that he is going to face? Well, it began last week, didn't it, in verse 10?

In verse 10 when Paul tells him, it's possible to know faithful endurance. It's possible to burn for the Lord from the moment of your spiritual conception and birth to the point where you meet him face to face, it's possible to remain strong. And if there's any doubt in that, Timothy, look at my own life. You study the events that I have endured, the the torture from people, and yet Christ was faithful to keep me and he is faithful to keep you, but you've got to extend your hand for him to hold on to it. But he's not finished yet.

Paul is not finished yet in giving him the necessary ingredients, the applications that are needed in order to stand firm. And my brother, my sister, what God had in mind for Timothy, he has in mind for you and me. Because we are told in verse 12, are we not? Indeed, this is certain, this is for sure, indeed all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. So the truths for Timothy are truths for you.

If you desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus, the next thing that Paul is going to do for Timothy as he's ready to embrace, as he is ready to sail into societal and spiritual storms, is in the text that we read earlier. Look at verse 13 quickly just to give context. While evil people and imposters will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived, but as for you, as for you, in other words, as the culture and Christendom continues to shift, continues to swerve, continues to seduce, Timothy, there is a charge given to you that you must embrace and obey. Believer, there is a charge for you as we witness the decadence around us. There is a charge for you to embrace and to obey.

And the theme, the overarching idea that Paul the Holy Spirit has for us has to deal with a commitment and an engagement with the word of God. It's all about the word. It's about the word today. And what we are being told here is so encouraging already because the response for the believer today with all the chaos that we're seeing is very simple. It's not complex.

And that is to reinforce your relationship with God's word. And my prayer today is that as you hear these insights, as you hear these truths, it would motivate you to love this book and to engage with it with greater discipline and hunger and dependency. It's a very simple message today because I'm only gonna offer you two things from the verses that we read. The first thing that we see here is but as for you, while people are getting worse, don't mind them. As for you, your response, the appropriate reaction primarily is to be all the more committed to the word of God.

As for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed. Not just believed, firmly believed. The word continue here that Paul uses is the same word for abide. Remain. Stand your ground.

It's the same word that Jesus uses in John 15 when he says abide in me and I in you. The idea here is hold on to the Spirit inspired truths that you have known with a tighter grip. Don't let go. Don't waver, especially as you see new teachings arising and as you see justification for sin through sinful and carnal notions and man made ideas. Hold on to the word.

You have to, Timothy, believe that this word is worth dying for even. And I find this so sobering. I find it so sobering that this is even a command in the first place. For somebody like Timothy who had such a rich spiritual heritage, who had a grandmother and a mother that trained him up in the faith, and yet he is still told by Paul, continue. Continue.

Implying what? That regardless of your spiritual upbringing, no matter what your fidelity to the faith has been over the years, no one in this place is out of reach of being swayed away from standing on the word. Or else this command doesn't make sense. Continue in what you have learned, proving that it's possible to drift. And if you need any proof of that, just look at the major denominations over the past few decades that have drifted away from pure truth.

That are drifting away today from clear truth. You have movements that are shifting. And so this is completely applicable. And there are many reasons why a man like Timothy would be tempted to move away from the word of God. Would be tempted to dilute these truths.

Would be tempted to not allow it to remain as the authority over his life. You've heard it. There's the temptation of those who have an appearance of godliness, who would come in in some form of religiosity but are corrupt. And because of their corruption, they contaminate those who are pure, and they convince them not to be submitted to this word practically. There are also the temptation to abandon the truth through intimidation.

Right? And what is the intimidation? The intimidation of those who would threaten you for holding to such a thing. And not just that, the intimidation of the cold blade of persecution being placed on the back of our necks. What about the common theme that we're seeing today in the past few years of Christians getting caught up in cultural frenzies, of movements and mantras that seem to be just and righteous, but in fact are pulling you away from your heavenly mandate.

And there is, of course, even the temptation to run to another source to deal with your personal problems. Whether that is individual perils or even large scale chaos like we're seeing in nations today. There are so many reasons why somebody who has held on to this truth for years would be tempted to move away from it. And it was a temptation for so long for the people of God. Let me show you one.

Meet me in the book of Isaiah chapter eight and verse 19. In Isaiah chapter eight verse 19, here's what we have to understand. The people of Judah are terrified. They're experiencing a fear due to the news of conspiracies and the possible invasion of neighboring nations. They are trembling on a daily basis.

And this fear is so real, this panic is so overwhelming to them that there is a widespread suggestion to seek answers from a different source. And it's here in verse 19 of chapter eight. And when they say to you, 'Inquire of the mediums and the necromancers who chirp and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Should they inquire of the dead on behalf of the living? This fear, this anxiety was so real and the need for immediate answers was so great.

You mix up the the evil in the world, you mix up the uncertainty of tomorrow and the fear of imminent danger, and even witchcraft can seem attractive and reasonable. And so the Israelites were hearing, just go to these men. Go to these women. They can tap into some transcendent voices, and they can provide some guidance to you. The great deceiver has always proposed empty promises to mankind.

Listen. Satan is so tricky, he not only convinces you that sin won't have consequences, but eventually when you figure out that your sin causes damage and harm and destruction, he's not done. In that state, he will then turn your attention to a roster of false saviors. What do I mean by that? Ever since the universe, our universe has been fractured by sin, our world has been presented throughout history with thousands of worthless solutions to humanity's problems.

Are Are you looking to silence your fear of death? Here's a few religions to help guide your efforts to quiet your conscience and to give you a better chance of eternity of inheriting eternal life. Is your soul searching for lasting satisfaction? Here's some substances to numb it, or here's endless access to lustful perversions to keep your dopamine rushing through your brain and to keep you in a state of ecstasy as long as possible. How do we eliminate the evil in this world?

Well, propose and implement manmade solutions that deal with the symptoms but never deal with the core. Just trim the branches but don't uproot it because the only thing that can uproot is the gospel. And in Isaiah's day, not not being able to sleep. Right? Crippled with anxiety.

Right? Not finding answers in this world. Right? Well, there's some fortune tellers that can help you find some answers. Just don't go to Jesus.

I've given you the example before but I think it's worth repeating here. I remember being in college in our in our college campus. They would not allow us to have a Christian group. They fought us before we had one. But I remember in that whole ordeal of trying to prayerfully have a group in our campus, I came to the main cafeteria of that campus and there was a lineup of students and I didn't understand what this lineup was all about.

And so I approached the line and I realized that there were fortune tellers that had been hired. Four or five of them at their own table with cards. And I came up with curiosity to see how I can get in the line. And when I came up to the person that was officiating it, they said, well, you're gonna have to wait. You have to give us your number because there's a two hour wait for people to have their futures told and whatever the case it was.

I was so upset, I went up to one of the fortune tellers. I just skipped the line. Says, do you realize what you're doing? Do you realize that you're tapping into satanic arts? Do you realize that you're deceiving these people?

And the poor lady looked at me, she goes, I'm just an entertainer. I said, that's what you think, and I left. And I thought to myself, they'll they'll they're willing to bring in people who are dealing with demons, but what what impressed me was the hunger of these students to reach out to something supernatural, to give them guidance in this life. But what does the prophet say? What does God say to the prophet to say to the people?

Look at verse 20, to the teaching and to the testimony. If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. They have no light. What is the solution? Where can people deal with their problems for today?

The prophet says it. Go to the word. Go to the testimony. Go to the law. And if they won't speak according to this word, they have no illumination.

They have no light inside of them no matter how clever it is, no matter how sophisticated it is, no matter what kind of power is backing it. If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light. And you won't either. You'll remain in darkness. You'll remain in confusion and frustration.

This is where you and I flee in our distress. This is where we come to to receive our direction. And I love what the prophet says in this verse because it gives us insight to how you and I can inquire of the living God. What does he say in verse 19? Should not a people inquire of their God?

Should not a people seek their God? Get guidance from their God? Get answers from their God? And the answer is absolutely. But then the method of it is in verse 20.

Go to the word. Go to the word. You wanna inquire of God. You want God to speak, go to the book, which tells me what? This book is his voice.

This book is his voice. This is this is how he's ordained us to hear from him. I know you want the audible experience. I know you want the heavens to write something for you, but God had ordained it that there's something more effective even than that, and that is this book. His word is profound.

It's not filled with mutters. It's not filled with foolish chirping like these mediums. This word will produce and bring the results that the same voice of God did in the beginning of creation. When God spoke, you know what happened? You said, yeah, trees came about and mountains were erected.

Oh, yeah, an ocean came out of nothing. No. No. No. No.

Let's look beyond that. Let's look at what it produced. When God's voice resounded into the blackness of the universe and the chaos of this earth, there was life. There was order. There was light.

There was harmony. And what God's voice did for creation before the fall is the same thing that will happen in your life if you submit to the word of God. You will know life. You will know light. You will know harmony.

You will know order. And to neglect this word is to invite everything opposite to what I just said. In fact, let's go to another prophet, a neighboring prophet to Isaiah in your bible, Jeremiah. And look what Jeremiah says concerning the word of God in chapter six. He's speaking to a nation in sin, he's speaking to a people who have abandoned the truths of God.

And in verse 16 we read, 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. But they said, we will not walk in it. So here's the picture. This is the picture that this preacher is painting. Would you just stand on the horizon for a moment and and look out into this world and see all these different paths, all these different ways of life that men have paved out for themselves.

And as you look, you will see some wide paths that many people are walking on. You will see some paths that seem to have attractive signs and things on the side of those roads. You will you will see all these paths that would even say that at some point we connect and we lead to the same thing. But the prophet says as you examine all these ways of life, ask for the ancient one. Ask for the ancient paths.

Ask for the paths that have been tested and proven to be true. Ask for the paths in which have been determined from eternity past. Ask for the paths that historically point to the unchanging ways of God. These ancient paths deal with what God has established from the beginning in this word. And notice what he says.

When you ask for them, don't just be able to identify it. Okay. You you identified that this is God's word. This is an infallible, inerrant word. Praise God.

But that's not what the prophet says. He says, now walk in it. Walk in it. And as you walk in it, and walking in the Bible oftentimes speaks of a conduct, a way of life, of a conviction, of a direction in which you're headed. When you walk in this word, by this word, what happens is you will find rest for your souls.

You will know a rest for your souls. It can only come from this path. Not from newly paved ideas, not from broad roads that the majority are walking on, but setting the course of your life on what God has determined to be his will for us. Does this phrase sound familiar to you? And you will find rest for your souls.

If you know your savior, it sounds familiar to you? Because Jesus said in that amazing portion of scripture, take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Some would say that Jesus is borrowing the words of the prophet Jeremiah. The promise that Jeremiah made to the nation of Israel, Jesus makes to the world. The same prophet who said if you walk on these ancient paths, if you apply the word of God to your life, you will know a repose to your soul.

And Jesus dares this man dares to equate following him to the same benefits and promises to walking in the ancient paths of God. Who is this man? I can imagine that Jewish audience hearing that. Is he saying what Jeremiah said was exclusive to the word of God? Who is this man to say that?

The only way we can find rest for our souls is if we come to the words of Moses and apply them and obey them. And yet Jesus says, follow me. Take my yoke upon you. Come to me, and you will know rest for your souls. Why?

Because he also said, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. Those ancient paths pointed to him. Those ancient paths were fulfilled in him. And when the word was made flesh, he looks out and he still says today, come to me. And only in me will you find rest for your souls.

You will be at ease. You will not wander and search. You will be complete, but it's only in the person of Jesus. Only in him. And I'd love to think that Timothy was told to continue in what he has learned because he could have felt the temptation to join those who were teaching diluted spiritual truths from the word of God or new teachings altogether.

As a minister, he could have, he could have heard the lies from others who said, you know, this book is irrelevant. How is this ancient book going to help people with their modern problems? You gotta be innovative, man. You gotta be, you gotta pick up some psychology books and understand the times. Paul says, as the world plunges into darkness, as they plug their ears to this ancient word, you stand for a minute.

It is sufficient. It is supernatural. It is the human soul's only hope. In fact, look what he says back in our text in verse 15. In second Timothy three, he says, and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

I love that because as a child, as a child, Timothy was familiar with his bible. So why are we waiting so long to teach ours? As a child, he was acquainted with the scriptures, And yet Paul here gives an example of how this book, why this book is unlike any other book. Because through these sacred writings, these holy letters, are men able to be wise for salvation. Isn't that an interesting phrase?

Wise for salvation? What does that mean, wise for well, if wisdom, in a very simple term, very simple definition, is the application of knowledge in order to live the most prosperous life, not financially only, I'm not saying prosperous in that sense, but prosperous for the soul, prosperous for your family, prosperous in all things, if wisdom is the way to navigate through life in the best way possible, then what Paul is saying is this word provides the knowledge and the application of such knowledge in order to be redeemed. It is this word that contains the wisdom for salvation in order to be saved, which tells me that if there's any other truth, any other source that contradicts what this book says about how to be saved, it's not wisdom, it's foolishness. It is the opposite of wisdom, and the bible teaches us what happens to a fool. They are self destructive.

You know what's encouraging about what he says here? Not just the fact that this book is the wisdom for salvation, but he says you've been acquainted with the sacred writings. What was Paul talking about? Was he talking about the book of John? Was he talking about the epistles to the Ephesians?

Was he talking about the epistle to the Romans? No, no, no, no, no. He was talking about what Timothy only had access to at the time growing up as a child, and that is the library of the Old Testament. The Old Testament provides the wisdom for salvation. And we have people today that don't want to teach from it, who are intimidated by it, who think it's irrelevant, and yet the immediate context teaches us that it is that part, that larger part of your Bible, that library that actually makes you and I wise for salvation.

Oh, yes. And you know it. The prophecies and the shadows and the promises. But I'm even reminded of a question that inspired me to love the old testament even more. I had a I had somebody approach me and say, brother, I have a sincere question.

I'm not being a critic. I just genuinely wanna know. Why did it take Jesus so long to get here? Why did it take why did it take thousands of years for him to come into this world and to die on the cross? Why didn't he show up immediately after Adam and Eve ate of that tree?

And we could've we could've finished this up much earlier. And so I'm just asking a sincere question. Why did he come at the time that he came when he could've come much earlier? Made me think. Made me meditate.

And I knew one thing was for certain, and the answer is in Galatians four verse four. In Galatians four verse four, we are told something that we should be confident about in Jesus' timing of entering into our world to save sinners. In Galatians four verse four, we are told, but when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his son born of woman, born under the law. So one thing has to be established is that Christ came at the fullness of time, meaning at the perfect time. In God's prophetic calendar, he came at the precise time.

It was not random. It wasn't without purpose. It was strategic. When he came, it was the perfect time, and it begs the question. Okay.

I see that. I see he came at a time that was calculated, but but why? But why still? Why Why not in 2020? I've had people say that in witnessing.

Why didn't Jesus come ten years ago? Why didn't he come thirty years ago? And we can rest in knowing that if he said it was the right time then it's done. But I believe the answer is found in the next verse. To redeem those who are under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

You're saying that it's not very clear still. What do you mean? Well, I mean this, that Christ could have come very early. He could have come before before the Tower Of Babel was built. But the old testament stands as a testament.

It is a large account of just how wicked we are. And that throughout the centuries, even though God chooses one nation and and does miracles, and And even if he shows himself in supernatural ways, and even if he gives laws after laws after laws, man is incapable and man is unwilling to justify themselves. And even for those who strive to be right with God, they realize that they lack the power to see this rock hard heart, to be saved, and to be delivered from the power of sin. And so the Old Testament stands as a long history of the failures of mankind, and as people come to it, they will see how that is true for themselves. That even if God flooded the world and kept one family, that one family will corrupt the human race still.

Even though there are all these provisions, all these things given by God through the laws, man is unable to restrain themselves, to rebel against him. And even when we read God raising up these judges who are able to perform supernatural things, the people still spiraled lower and lower into evil. And so, so why did he come? I'm sure there's many reasons and reasons that we will not know until we see him face to face, but here's one that we can be confident in. He came at a time in which he was able to show undeniably to the world for the years to come that you are in need of a savior.

Even if I show up on a mountain, even if I split the Red Sea, even if I do whatever it is that you see, you will not unless I change your heart, unless a payment is made. Your sin is too great. I'm personally reading the book of Numbers in my personal devotions, and I actually got mad as I read it. I got mad because I kept reading that even after God told this nation, you're not going into the promised land, you're gonna wander for forty years. They still complained.

They still rebelled. They still raised their fist against God and his authority. And I remember I was reading this just the other day of how the sons of Korah rebelled against Moses, and after God opens the earth, they all fall into the core of the earth, closes that mouth. The people then accuse Moses of killing those people. And I actually said this out loud.

I said, wow. Are you kidding me? And then it dawned on me. As heaven reads history, they say wow as well. Including me.

All the things that you've heard, all the things that you've known, and it still took you that long, it still took you to the age of 20 to come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ in a saving way. And that's why Romans tells us that the law shuts the mouths of unbelievers. It it it does not give you the ability to make an excuse when you come to the law, when you come to the old testament and see through the commands, and not just the commands, but through the narratives of just how desperately wicked we are and that we need a savior to deliver us. So he came at the perfect time. And I love Paul's words here to Timothy, because I believe it's a way for the Holy Spirit to call us to not neglect that part of our bibles.

Don't be lazy with it. Don't be ashamed of it. Believe that it is the wisdom of God for salvation. Stand in the word. Stand in the word.

Share this word. Don't blush when you present this word. It is humanity's only hope. But we come back into the second point, and it is not just to be all the more committed to the word of God, but here's a point that perhaps we don't consider. Look at this phrase in verse 14.

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it. Why would Paul say that? Why would Paul say that? Knowing from it's not just important to hold on to what you've known throughout your life concerning the word of God. It's important for you to also know who taught it to you.

And the word whom here is plural. Not just one person, but several people that have invested in Timothy's life. Timothy was to be reminded. He was to rehearse not just the truths that he knew to be true, but also the people who communicated it to him. How is that gonna help?

How is me knowing those who spoke into my life going to help me endure in these last days? How is Timothy reflecting on his grandma, on his mom, on his spiritual teacher, the apostle Paul? Is that going to assist him in any way? In any lasting way at least? And the obvious answer is yes.

Because what Paul is saying here is as you reflect not just on the truth, the eternality of it, and the sufficiency of it, but as you reflect on those who believed it for themselves, you would be inspired to know what the word of God can do in someone's life. It'd be much harder for Timothy to walk away from the word of God even though there were some in his day who already did. And don't be surprised in your life in the days ahead if people you thought were concrete will say, I don't think I can hold on to this anymore. It's bigoted. It's hateful.

It discriminates. Don't be surprised. Timothy was already seeing it. People were not believing in the resurrection. That had already happened.

And as Timothy was ready to even be assaulted for believing this word, it would be much harder for him to deny being faithful to it when he had firsthand see the power of it in someone's life. Oh, think about it. How could he shake off observing his grandmother as there was an obvious connection between her godliness and her faith? How could he deny watching his mom reflecting the character of God even while living with an unbelieving spouse? How could this man even dare to deny after seeing the power of the word of God work in and through his mentor who was once a terrorist to the Christian faith?

How could he deny it? And that's why in some sense, Paul is urging Timothy to consider the fruit of the word, consider the effects of it to be a reason for him to remain faithful in it for himself. This word has power. This word transforms. It does something deep.

And some might think that we're inferring this point on this verse. And I wanna convince you today that this is an instruction for you and I directly in a different portion of scripture. You and I as Christians, if we wanna know a greater strength and enduring and faithfulness, you need people that you can look at and say, that's what God's word can do. I want that in my life. Do you believe that?

If you don't, meet me in the book of Hebrews chapter 13 verse seven. Hebrews 13 verse seven. Remember your leaders. That's why we're doing membership. We want you to be able to identify who your leaders are.

Remember your leaders. Those who spoke to you the word of God goes to show you what these leaders should be doing. Their primary task is to speak the word of God to you. Those who spoke to you the word of God, now look at this, consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. This verse instructs us to have leaders who not only teach us the word of God, but also prove to us what the word of God can do in a life.

Notice that it does not say believe their faith. It says imitate their faith. Not just believe what they say, imitate what they do. You wanna be a leader? Be careful.

Imitate their faith, the steps of their steadfast trust and submission to the word of God. You and I are supposed to look at our leaders and let me whether it's here or elsewhere, if you're looking for the spiritual covering in your life, don't just merely look for doctrine, as important as that is. Look for the conduct that shows that that man believes what he preaches. And that's why your pastor can't live on a screen. You can have favorite teachers that teach wonderful theology, but if those are your shepherds, you're not, you're not considering this verse.

You should be able to watch his life, not just hear him for an hour on a Sunday. How does he live? How does he interact with people? What's his family life like? Does he love money?

Is he humble? How does he deal with problems? And as you look at these leaders, God by the Holy Spirit call is calling each of us to have individuals in our life to say, look at the fruit of being under the word of God. I want to walk in the same steps. In other words, there is an influence in your life by who you sit under and who you allow in your inner circle.

It's clear. It's clear here. It's clear in what Paul is saying. Know those whom taught you these things. Know those who who have who made these things known to you.

Reflect on them. Know who they are. Realize their way of life. Because in doing so, you'd be able to realize the glorious results of being sanctified unto the Lord, and you would say, I want that for myself. So here's my question for you today.

Because this is not just limited to leaders. Remember, he says, know those whom you've learned it from. Well, who did he learn it from? His dad was arguably not even saved. He was a Greek gentile, probably didn't even believe in Christ.

It was his grandma, his grandmother. It was his own mother. Those were the primary influences in his life. Paul came much later. And this is the question we can ask ourselves from this because, listen, the theme is this.

This is how we remain faithful. Here's how we get assistance. Who are the people in your life that inspire you for Christ? Who are they? Who are the individuals that you can look to and draw inspiration from?

That when the word of God will be attacked, maligned, and even have a price on it for obeying, you can be able to look at others and say, I've seen what this word can do and I'm not willing to let go of it even if it costs me my life. You might say, I don't I don't have that heritage that Timothy had. I don't have, I didn't have a godly dad, godly mom, I didn't have a line of preachers in my in my line. I I don't have that. I'm the first Christian that I can think of in my my family line, in fact.

And it's true. It's true. You may not have had a choice of who you were born with or what family you were born into, but each of us has a choice of who we sit at their feet. We all have a choice of who we draw encouragement from in our fellowship. Every single one of us has that choice.

And Timothy had both. He had both. He had Paul and he had his mom and he had his grandma, but I believe that this verse encourages us in these last days to make sure that if you're gonna be found faithful, be around those who have been faithful. I I read a quote and it blessed me. A preacher said, don't look for the nearest church to your house, find the church closest to the Bible.

Don't look for the nearest church to your house, find the church closest to the Bible. I hope that this would be a community in which you come and you are strangely uncomfortable in your lukewarmness. Who are the people that you can look at and be like, man, when I see that guy, when I hear that guy talk, it makes me want to love Jesus more. You should have those kind of people in your life. And if we're gonna say in this place, well, it's very hard to find such okay.

Come Wednesday night and let's pray for revival together. Who who's the sister in your life? The older woman maybe, the mother. That when you see the way she conducts herself, you say, I I wanna be like that. I I wanna be more zealous because of this person.

I wanna be more consistent. I wanna be more studied. I wanna be more sacrificial. I I wanna I wanna be more patient because I've seen this person's life and I've seen what God's word can do, and I want it for myself. That's a holy jealousy that we should all have.

Not to compete with people, but to be inspired by people. It's a big difference. I remember a gentleman, barely knew him. He was in a a season of my life as a Christian, a young Christian. I knew his name, would say haram here and there after church, but he would pray during the services and he would be there, an old man, and he would be there during the prayer meetings.

And this man who was who lost his wife to Alzheimer's, old school. When he prayed, it inspired me. Because the way he talked to the Lord crushed me. There is such a brokenness. There is such a hunger.

There is such a knowledge of the reality of his existence. And when he spoke to the Lord, it made me think, oh God, I don't want the show, I want what that man has in his heart. If you can do it to this man, do it to me. I wanna be like that kind of an old man. Paul tells Timothy, reflect on those that have invested in your life, whether directly or indirectly, and we want it directly, obviously, and realize the potential, realize the power of this word.

How dare you even think about not firmly holding on to it anymore? Hold on to it every more. Believe that it can actually translate into people's lives now. And that is why let me end on this point. That is why there's the utmost responsibility of you and I taking this word and asking God for it to actually change us.

To change us and to mature us. Because I don't know if that man who is now with the Lord today knew that his simple prayers were actually stirring my soul, but it was. The charge in these last days is not just to cling to the word of God as people go from bad to worse. That's the obvious, but let me add something that may not be so obvious. Don't just cling to the book.

Cling to those who are gripped by this book. Cling to those who are gripped by this book. And we pray that in this place, the leaders that would be developed here and the leaders that would be elected here in due time would be people that as you come and you watch, not just hear them preach. Preaching isn't very hard. To some people, it would be.

But for a person who can communicate, they can come up here and say a few things. What's hard is as they study week after week and asking themselves, is this true in me before I tell other peoples what to do? That God would raise up such people that those who would be in this place would say, as you heard last week, I want the God that they serve. As Elisha said, I want the God of Elijah, maybe so in this place, not just the leaders but the community. This place should so brim with holy light and not in some weird strange mystical way, but in practical real life that we would inspire one another in these last days to remain faithful and true.

You You know, when I come here on Wednesday nights when it's black outside and when my skin screams at me because it's frigid cold, it never fails to encourage me. It never fails for all of that to just disappear in the background of nothingness, of irrelevance. When I see souls in here saying let's cry out to God together. That makes me wanna remain faithful to him. That makes me wanna continue to pray.

And then when people pray, oh, it blesses me. Yes, Lord. Keep the fire on my altar burning for you. Very, very simple points today. In these last days, cling to this book.

Believe that it is sufficient. Believe that it is enough. Believe it is God's perfect will. But also, be close to those who have allowed this book to transform them. And instead of an appearance of godliness contaminating you and me, let some of that wonderful burning passion become a fragrance on our own garments.

Let's pray. Lord, we thank you for these instructions that are very relevant for us in these perilous times. Lord, we tell you today that we believe that these ancient paths are the only directions for rest for the human soul. We thank you, oh God, that you have given us the understanding of just how profound this word is, not just in mere insights from a pulpit, but how it has changed many of us in this place. How it has taken us from darkness to light.

How it has conformed us, convicted us, shaped us to be the people that we are today, though imperfect, nonetheless, influenced by this authority. Lord, we pray that this place would be a true community of people that invest in one another from the leadership down so that in times of doubt, in times of of of worry or concern or temptation even, our minds would race to individuals who've been faithful, and we can say it's possible. And I want that for myself. If they can remain for decades living for the glory of God, so can I? Oh, lord, may this word be ever more attractive to us.

May we sense the power of it as we study it for ourselves. And, lord, no matter what happens in churches or denominations, no matter what happens to the popular podcast or YouTubers, oh god, we pray that in this place, week after week, we would go to the law and to the testimony, and people would see that only this word can heal and save, be blessed and glorified. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Let's stand together, please.