Auto Generated Transcript
Second Timothy is where we are. Chapter four. We’re ending the series today Outlasters, and we’ve looked at the book of Second Timothy, really for for one approach and the idea of standing for the Lord in this world, and that is this the world will try to make its mark on you. But God has called you to make your mark on the world. In fact, he is giving you his authority to do it. And we’ve discussed that together in in Matthew chapter 28 and verse 18, Jesus says, all authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. And we described it as as this there is words that describe the type of authority and power that are listed in the Bible. There’s there’s power of jurisdiction and there’s power of dynamite. In fact, the Greek words in the New Testament both fall under one of those two categories when we’re talking about the gospel impacting someone’s life. In the book of Romans it says, for I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the the power of God unto salvation that is the dynamite, the force, what transforms the heart and therefore transforms the life in Jesus. The reason that we’re able to deliver such a message with force is because of what Jesus says in Matthew chapter 28 and verse 18, all power has been given unto me. In verse 19 he says, therefore go into the world and preach the gospel.
This word of power is one of jurisdiction. We compared it to the thought of a referee in a in a football game. Meaning when you look at a field, you can tell by the size of these players that when a ref throws a flag, it is it is within the capabilities of those players to to smash that referee and crumple them and crush them. Now I’ve seen some referees with some big guns on their sides, but the football players on that field by and large are are large individuals, but yet they can’t touch them. The reason they can’t touch them is because the power of the referee is outside of their jurisdiction. The authority has been given to them. And when God calls his church, that’s what he says about us as believers. The authority of the Lord is on your side. Paul comes to second Timothy, and we’ve noted that we’ve seen together. The reason Paul writes this book is because his life is coming to an end. As the Book of Acts concludes. Paul shares with us through Luke the third missionary journey, and he goes back to Jerusalem. And and history tells us, as the book of Acts ends, he’s heading to Rome for trial. He’s released from that trial, he goes on a fourth missionary journey. It’s not recorded in acts. He’s then arrested again. And now, as he writes, Second Timothy, we find himself in prison for the last time, in which the Apostle Paul is about to lose his life.
And so he writes this book to Timothy, not just Timothy. If you look at the the very last verse of of Second Timothy, it says, the Lord be with your spirit, talking to Timothy, and grace be with you. Some translations will say, this is the right way. This is the southern way with your right, literally, it’s you all. And so while Paul writes this book to Timothy, it’s the understanding of the apostle Paul that Timothy isn’t keeping this word of God to himself, but that he is to express it and read it. And the church is to cherish what Paul writes within the content of this word. It’s intended for all of us. Aw, y’all, that’s accurate. Greek. Knowing Paul is about to pass the baton. He encourages God’s people. In chapter two. He’s recognized for us. There is false teaching in in the world, and there are ways to approach false teaching, which he says in the end of chapter two, exactly. The attitude of God’s people is he desires for us to approach and engage this world with biblical truth, knowing that the world may stand for a different system, to do so with gentleness and meekness and love. In chapter three, he gives us the reasoning why we are able to do that as people. We’ve looked at the foundation of what truth is and how to test truth, recognizing for us that that truth was truth before you were you.
And today, in our society, the way that we gauge truth, the tendency is to gauge it within ourselves, looking for spiritual feeling as if it’s an affirmation. But what we found together is that when we use some sort of spiritual feeling as affirmation for what is truth, it doesn’t validate one faith beyond another, or one truth claim apart from another, because everyone that holds to any faith expresses some sort of feeling towards that faith, some sort of spiritual foundation in most cases, towards that faith. There is a way to determine truth outside of yourself, and in fact it’s encouraged within Scripture to do so. Act 17. For they were more noble than those in Thessalonica, because they received the word with readiness of mind, and then searched the scriptures daily to determine whether or not it was true. It says in verse 11. Paul is encouraging the believers not to even just take his word for it, but to search God’s Word, which is the foundation for truth. And we tested that truth claim that Paul made last week in Second Timothy chapter three and verse 16 for all Scripture is given by inspiration of God. For doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction of righteousness, that the man of God may be thoroughly furnished for every good work. Paul gives the basis for the truth claim. How do you know what you believe is right? And and today, as we journey into chapter four, Paul’s desire within the life of the believer is now that we come to the position of understanding the solidification of our truth claim and the fact that people will stand against our truth claim.
Paul now is looking towards Timothy. He’s looking towards the church, expecting that his life is coming to an end, and he wants it to be able to stand on its own. And so he he presses us as the body of Christ in looking at the security that we have in Jesus to stand for the Kingdom. In fact, when he begins chapter four, I try to think within my mind what is what is the most pressing proclamation that Paul can make to us as believers, to understand the significance of everything that he said throughout these chapters. And I think in verse one. He starts it that way. Maybe. Give me. Hmm. And it’s dark. I’ll read it. It says I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom. Paul sang to us to understand the significance of Timothy. I’m not just telling you this. The world is going to press you by the kingdom, but your standards, your standards arise from a different kingdom. It’s the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who is to judge the living and the dead.
It’s that authority that I want you to understand exactly why I’m telling you what I’m telling you. Now I’m going to be. Candidate. I think what Paul expresses within this passage of Scripture and let you know where I think we could miss the boat and what Paul’s going to call us to do. Paul has laid a intellectual argument for us as to why we know for certain God’s truth is truth, and why you can stand on it. What we can’t do this morning. Is it make you be passionate about it? That’s where your relationship to Jesus connects with what Paul is saying. Now. The beauty of the way Paul expresses chapter four is that verse one, he’s acknowledging the authority and the power to provoke within our hearts some sort of spur to the Lord, to encourage us to continue to stand for him. And recognizing, yes, yes, the world could press you. Yes, their truth, they can force upon you. But let’s let’s just take a step back for just a moment and recognize who who really is in control. You know, sometimes I think within our lives, as people, we start living moment by moment, as if to just get by. And sometimes we just lose perspective of what this really is all about. And so Paul starts in verse one, he he provokes your passion. And in verse six he uses himself as an example of a passionate individual pursuing God in relationship.
And in between that sandwich of, of passionate pursuit for God, he just continues to solidify the foundation for those who understand the truth, love Jesus, and want to respond. Paul acknowledges verse one. We need passion. Don’t settle for mediocrity. The purpose of your life is so much bigger than just moment by moment, but all authority rests in Christ for you to take this stand in God. And if anyone’s true claim has solidification, has foundation, will find that it endures. It is yours. So if there is someone that should be saying something, it’s you. And in fact, verse two, Paul says that he says, knowing this foundation, this kingdom that you serve, he says, preach the word. Be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with great patience and instruction. He’s saying to the church, listen, church, if this is the case of everything I’ve laid out to chapter three, if it makes sense, you’re in agreement. You you acknowledge that this is true. You need to find your voice. Preach the word. This word preach, and its most simplistic understanding literally means to proclaim, to open your mouth and just state what is now recognized within Christianity. Sometimes we do this apologetically and making a defense. Sometimes we do this by reason and philosophy. But what Paul is just saying is just just find your voice, open your mouth, and share this truth claim. Knowing. That he’s encouraging a church who’s about to witness the Apostle Paul losing his life.
If the church ever experienced the fatal blow. Just a punch in the gut about what’s to take place. Weakness in the moment. It’s in these moments when the Apostle Paul is about to lose his life. I think one of the important questions that we could ask ourselves in service to the Lord whenever we live our lives for Christ or as we live our lives for Christ, is this what is your why? What? What is your why? Why do you do what you do? What? Why did you start to follow Jesus to begin with? Why did you find Christ so important? What is the why? The question of why continues and will forever be the motivation in your life as to why you express the goodness of who Christ is in this world. What is your why? The minute you forget about the why is when you lose perspective and and start living in the moment. But if you can continue to remind yourself the answer to that question, what is my why? Why do I care? Why am I doing what I’m doing? When you can find yourself in that answer, it answers everything else. What am I supposed to do? Paul gives us the why of verse one. He says in verse two, then open your mouth and share what God’s done. In verse 16, knowing Paul’s losing his life, he’s about to be beheaded.
Uh, I appreciate what Paul expresses here as an example to us. It’s not. Verse 16. Paul asks Timothy. To bring with him. I’ll look at the in verse 13 when you come, bring the cloak which I left at cross with carpus and the books, especially the parchments. Paul at the end of his life, he he, he looks to Timothy writing this verse and even to the end of his life, Paul continues to want to learn about the Lord, knowing his life’s coming to an end. Timothy, I love it. He’s got Jesus so bad in his heart he’s not even concerned about eating, not concerned about anything else other than I just need to keep warm. I need some books. And I was enjoying this conversation just a few days ago with someone talking about the way they come to know the Lord and what God did in their heart and their lives. And and it was a similar story for me. I remember as a kid I had this, this desire in school to want to learn. 4.0 student loved it. And finally I get to older age. Don’t duplicate this by the way. Children don’t duplicate this. It gets older age I had I had influence in my life that academically didn’t care what grades I did or didn’t make, and so I didn’t have that pressure or that that encouragement, I should say in my life from my parents sometimes pressure.
I didn’t have it. And so I finally got to my last few years of school, and I had everything I needed to graduate. And and I had looked at life at that point. Teacher gives me an assignment, I make a good grade, I get it, I get the accolades of a of a grade card. But then I started asking the question, well, why? Why does that matter? And I couldn’t connect the idea of learning to any, any long terme purpose in life. And so the last few years of school, I just lost my passion. Didn’t care. And then something happened to me in college. I came to know Christ, and Christ put within me this hunger that to this day cannot be quenched. Just to grab books and the God’s Word and read it and study it and learn. And you look at it and you see within the Apostle Paul in verse 13 requesting, I just need to keep warm. Who cares if I even eat? I just want blankets. I like seeing people when they come to know Jesus for the first time, and they see the beauty of of God’s Word. Sometimes you you can go visit them, and they look more like mad scientists than human beings for a little bit. They just books everywhere, studying, learning. They can’t believe what where has this been their whole life? And Paul, in these moments, wanting to preach the word, is also encouraging us.
Be ready in season and out of season, even to the end of your life. Always be ready to proclaim this, this Word of God. Reprove. Rebuke. Exhort. When you study Israel’s history. When they finally settled the Land of Israel after the period of the judges, Saul was the first king they appoint. Saul had Samuel as a prophet. David is the second King Louis appointed. David had Nathan as a prophet. That’s not to say that our lives are always perfect, but there was always someone who worked as a sounding voice for the truth of who God was. But when you get to Solomon and you search throughout Scripture as to who was encouraging Solomon the Lord. You don’t find a voice of a prophet. Shortly after Solomon Israel splits, they go into civil war and the nation declines. Paul’s telling us in verse two to preach the word. It’s important for God’s people, for the sake of the nations, to be a voice of God’s truth, because when it goes silent, according to the Old Testament, so goes the nation with it. Your voice works as the balance for people. Could you imagine where it would be if life would be or nations would be? If God’s people, when completely silent, left to govern ourselves. The truth for which we stand is whatever I feel right in my own mind. And that’s how they were ruled during the period of the judges. It says repeatedly throughout Scripture the people did whatever was right in their own eyes.
God’s people with God’s voice. You look to solutions within this world, to the problems that we face. I know it’s the gospel is the solution. Sometimes we look at humanity as if. If we just try harder or do better, then things will will be better. But it’s never been the case in history. It’s the gospel that transforms hearts from the inside out. But when you look to what the solution is and the proclamation of that answer, it’s God’s people. God put his image in you to be his representation in earth or on earth, to display his glory, to proclaim his truth. And so Paul goes on and he says in verse three that the tendency of people, uh, the tendency of people in verse three, it says, for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. Listen, this is what happens when God’s people are silent with God’s truth. Everyone does what’s right in their own eyes. That’s that’s what ears tickled means. That’s weird. Married couples feel free to do that later in a different context. That leads to other things, though. Just fair warning. People will look for answers based on whatever feels good.
So Paul’s answer with great patience, meaning not giving up with careful instruction. Be ready. Be ready based not only on the foundation of the truth, but also having your heart motivated in God. Answering the question what is your why? Why are you doing this to begin with? And in verse five Paul goes on further from that. He says, he says to us, but you be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. He tells all of us to do the work of evangelism. When you study world religion, let me give you the basis of them. Hinduism. Its reincarnation, right? You pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. The lot that you have in life is because of the way that you have lived your life. And so wherever you are, you deserve it. No one needs to help you pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. It’s all about you, Buddhism. You meditate your way there. If you don’t like the way things going, the you need to just meditate and lose the feeling that makes you feel so bad. The drive of Buddhism is is to have no desire, which that drive in itself is a desire. But let’s not talk about that. Buddhism rests within your ability to meditate. Islam, the external conversion of forcing someone’s will. Christianity. Christianity has never been on the back of the individual. It’s always been determined by the path that’s been paved by someone else on your behalf.
Starting with Jesus. Do the work of an evangelist. You think throughout history, the way the church has continued to serve the Lord and laying down their lives without arms, we’ve even seen together as we’ve studied Polycarp and Ignatius and Irenaeus, Tertullian, even Santa Claus went to jail for his faith in Christ. I can’t believe that either. Always on the back of someone else. You realize everyone within Christianity, no one was born in it. Everyone at some point had to make a decision. A faith in Christ. And the message of that rides on God’s people, paving the way and proclaiming because of what Christ has done on their behalf. And so just just for practice of what God is saying in this passage to us to do the work of an evangelist in verse five, it’s saying this to us. Uh, an understanding that, guys, there’s a message that we need to proclaim, not on the strength of us as individuals, but when Christ has done for us and we in service to him because of his message. And so here it is. God created you for relationship with him. Being made in his image. The reality is, is that man has rejected God. All of us have sinned. And I know maybe that hurts your feelings to think that you’ve rejected God. But the Bible declares to us that we are guilty. And here’s the truth. Religion will tell you.
Pull your bootstraps on, meditate harder, and force you into a mold. But Jesus tells you. It’s not possible. Because God’s standard. His perfection. Your sins have alienated you from God, no matter how big you may think they are, no matter how small you think they are. Your sins have separated you from God. There’s nothing you can do to undo what you’ve done. But here’s the beauty of the gospel. Jesus is after you. God has been pursuing you while you’re sinning, after you’re sinning before you sin and all of that. God has been after you because God created you to know him and enjoy him forever. So that’s the beauty of his grace and the amazing, amazing expression of his love. And that while we were yet sinners, not being able to reconcile ourselves to a king, not being able to find forgiveness in that sin, Jesus totally pays for it all. Despite you, in spite of you, no matter how good you think you are, no matter how bad you think you are, Jesus paid for it all. And in fact, when you get to heaven in God, if he says to you, why are you here? There is not one of us in this room that will be able to say, it’s because I was so good. But rather. It’s because of your grace. Jesus, knowing we were created for him has forgiven us. Do the work of an evangelist. Can I encourage new believers in Christ this morning? I encourage.
I want to encourage everyone this morning, but I want to just specifically think about the new believer for a minute. If you’ve if you’ve recently put your faith in Christ and you’re thinking, what do I have to offer the body of Christ, can I can I just encourage you to do this, share your redemption story. Share what God has done in your heart. And this is what I believe about those who have recently come to know Jesus, is that you are the fuel and the passion that ignites the church to continue to do what it’s doing, to continue to share what Paul tells us, to share in the work of the evangelist, and proclaiming God’s Word to see that God’s truth is continuing to have an effect. And hearing your story ignites us with a passion to continue to go and do it in the world. Your story is one of the most important things the church can experience. The redemption of what God has done in your heart. And Paul in verse six, then moves on. He gives us an example of possibility within our lives. And being able to stand for this, I can I can think of the objections in in Timothy’s mind. He’s looking at Paul. Paul’s losing his life. He hears Paul saying, do this with patience. Be ready in season and out of season, even when you feel like quitting or not, even when you feel like the time may not be right or not be willing to share God’s truth and and Timothy on the inside, just wanting to hide and cower.
Paul even says at the end of this book in verse 16 that that the believers with him in Rome, even they ran away, and he had to go before the Roman leaders on his own to make his stand in case before the Roman authorities as to why he shouldn’t lose his life, or even if he’s if he’s willing to lose his life, why he’s in prison and the injustice that’s being done. Paul talks about Jesus there. Paul in these moments uses the passion of his life to encourage Timothy to say, I did it. Listen to your translation. As soon as verse six starts, this word four is found there, and it gives this this idea. The way the text breaks down is verses 1 to 5. Paul gives us proclamation of why, why we should do what we’re doing. And in verse six he’s saying, now four because Timothy, here’s here’s the example for you. This is why you should do what you should do. And this is why I’m telling you to do this. And and I want you to look at my own life as the way God supplies. And so he says, for I am already being poured out as a drink offering. The time of my departure has come.
I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith in the future. There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing. Paul. I don’t know what he’s doing in the last chapter here. Maybe he’s running out of parchment, but he’s like, he’s explaining things in details for the first three chapters and finally gets to chapter four, and it’s like machine gun crazy and thoughts that he’s just sharing with us in the desire for us to stand with God. And he uses these beautiful illustrations to communicate it. He says Paul’s passion in life is, is to know Christ. Paul’s desire is to know him. And he says that in Philippians chapter three for us. But here in verse six he’s saying, I’m being poured out as a drink offering. There was an offering that was done after a lamb was sacrificed in the temple. That was concluded after the lamb sacrifice in which they would pour this drink offering over the altar, and it would blow up this beautiful smoke just blowing off of the altar. And this smell would be emitted in the air. And it’s to symbolize the the beauty of service to God, this aroma coming up to his nostrils, saying Paul had lived his life as this beautiful aroma, and he begins to talk now about his departure, he drops a bombshell on Timothy.
We know Paul’s losing his life here, but now Timothy is finding out. Timothy, I want you to stand. Because I’m about to go. Timothy. The church needs to move forward. And at some point, you know, you rest on your shoulders. But ready or not, here comes. Be ready. My departure is near. This word for departure in Greek is a is an illustration of the way Paul sees himself leaving. When a ship would set sail. They would use this word in Greek for departure. When someone camping in a tent would pack up to move on, they would use this word for departure when an ox was released from the yoke. They would use this word for departure. When a prisoner was set free, they would use this word for departure. Paul looks at his life as a calling on which God has called him, by saying he had finished the fight he had fought the good fight, he had finished the course, and he had kept the faith. His picture in his mind is a boxer or a wrestler who has ended the match in victory. One of a runner who has crossed the finish line that God had called him to. Paul earlier had encouraged Timothy to fight the good fight, endure the hardships of a soldier, it says. Sometimes when we think about our journey in life, the battles that God has for us, the things that God has called us to in him, the races that God has called us to run.
We try to think big picture and things that God wants us to do. But the truth is, most of the battles that we fought in life aren’t these mountaintop experiences, but these rolling hills. To be faithful in the little things as well as the big things. To see God working in every area of our lives to know that he is King. Paul’s illustration to us reminds us as believers and even looking at his own life. It’s not where you start. It’s where you finish. Paul says, I have kept the faith at the end of verse seven. There are two expressions of the word faith within the Bible. One is faith as you express it towards God, and the other is the faith in Christianity, the pillars for which we stand in God. And what Paul is saying here is that he has kept the faith. He has guarded what God has entrusted to him. Here’s a great example happened here a few weeks ago. I get a phone call from. Our alarm company saying we have someone in our building at midnight wondering what is happening at the church at midnight where someone would be in your building. And I said to them, well, no one’s supposed to be there, so call the police. And they said, well, how long till you’re at the building? And I said, I’m going to beat the police.
And so I pull into our parking lot around the back of our lot, and sure enough, I catch someone walking out of our church and he has filled his arms with possessions. And what do I do? Well, I don’t probably express the best interest for the well-being of my family, but I decided to pursue him. That belongs to the faith, brother. I mean, if you need help, we’ll help you. But I chase them around. Someone said to me, man, we should, like, reenact that. It probably looks like. I bet it looked like Liam Neeson. You know, chasing after someone, taking behind. You could just say, you know, I have these particular set of skills. If you mess with me. But I said, you know, that’s not it. It was more like Barney Fife running around after someone. So it wasn’t that big of a deal. But the point is, this person had our possessions and I chased them around. So they started dropping them along the way, and I collected them, picked them up. And that’s what Paul is saying here about the faith. This world belongs to God. It is his. It’s it’s the faith that he has entrusted to us. The world would try to take it. They’ll try to steal it. They’ll try to redefine it. They’ll try to silence you in it. But you need to see the significance of it and open your voice.
It is the faith. It belongs to you. Don’t let people run away from it. Hold on to it and proclaim it and use it and share it. Kept the faith. Timothy. That’s what I’ve done. It’s possible to do when you do it in passion, in Christ, in verse eight, in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day. Let me just say this about Crown. I’ll be done with this section. The crown. This word for crown is actually where we get the Greek word for Stephen. So if your name’s Stephen, congratulations. You are a crown. You’re a king, right? Unfortunately, it’s not the word that we use for kingly crown. So it’s not quite true that words. Diadem. The word that Paul is using. Here is a wreath. You’ll see when when someone in the Kentucky Derby wins the race. When they cross, they’ll they’ll put it on the the jockey and the horse. This this laurel wreath, this winner’s wreath as they go to the circle. That’s what Paul is reminding us here. When the Bible talks about crowns for individuals, it’s not. It’s not a crown as a king. It’s it’s always a wreath that’s described this wreath for us in victory. The Bible has all sorts of crowns that are described. The crown of righteousness, the crown of truth, just crown after crown.
It mentions that the crown of of life is given to us. An incorruptible crown is given to us. It’s this wreath. When you win a victory, you stand up on the podium. You’re honored in that victory. You’re given this crown. And Paul is looking at the end of his life. And I don’t even think it’s a literal crown that he’s talking about. But I think it’s before the presence of God and the victory finally being achieved in Christ that he receives before the Lord in celebration. He is looking to this moment in his righteous judge. And then he concludes, I’m going to skip to verse 16. And my first defense. No one supported me, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear. And I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. You know, the interesting thing about what Paul is about to endure. Verse 18 I can’t blows my mind on what Paul says. Paul is about to lose his life, and yet he doesn’t see it as losing his life. He sees it as the rescuing of his life. The Lord will rescue.
Paul’s desire as Jesus. You think about a time in your life where you might have felt in danger. The only thing in your heart was just to find a place of safety. The dream of a moment where you felt protected and just be protected. For Paul, it wasn’t escaping Rome. His home was Jesus. Paul’s desire was Jesus. In verse eight. When Paul concludes his thought about the crowns, Paul says something beautiful here, let me just read it. In the future. There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing. You think of the way that Paul can conclude that verse. But to all who believe. But to all who have faith. But to all who lived a good life. And of all the things that he says. I think Paul gets down to the root of the most significant thing, which drives us to do exactly what God’s saying here. To all that love is appearing. Why do you do what you do? Paul gives that explanation within verses one in the context of his own life, to give the proclamation to us, to stand for Jesus. It’s when we look at the significance of life, the power of the gospel, the authority that God has given us, that we recognize the importance of the voice that we have and the way that we are motivated in that is that we we love Jesus above everything, and we know that what Jesus has to offer in this life is far greater than anything I could fabricate in my own will.
Why do you do what you do? At the end of Paul’s life, he begins to write. Within the end of this book, names of several individuals that he encountered throughout his life, now in service to God. But if you go back and you look at everything the Apostle Paul has done within Scripture, the names he mentioned of those who serving with him, there are over 100 people that Paul talks about going into the world proclaiming Christ with him. Why? Because of the power of the voice. Gets me to a place to stop this morning just to think as a church and recognizing the authority of God’s kingdom to say. Do we recognize the potential that we have in Christ? The power that God has given us in him. Does my heart take the time to appreciate the beauty and the grace that’s been given in love to him, that it would provoke within me a desire to stand on the truth and the foundation that is so secure. Do I love his appearing? If not, or if we do, I’m going to close us in a word of prayer and ask God to continue to inspire us in our hearts to be motivated in this world, to proclaim his truth for him.