Standing with the Lord

Standing with the Lord

By Michael Klikas

26 November 2006
Adult Education Hour
2 Timothy 4:1-17

Have you ever known someone who is a fault finder and points out everything that they see is wrong with you? You get to the point where are afraid to make a mistake because you know that as soon as you do not only is it going to be pointed out, but it’s most likely going to be blown out of proportion. Either that or you are always being compared to someone else and even if you became the President of the United States, you still wouldn’t be as wonderful, successful, and intelligent or whatever else they could come up with, as the other person. No one likes to be told that they have sinned or that they have done something wrong that may not necessarily be sin. But the truth is when we give criticism or when we receive criticism it should be for the benefit of the person we are giving it to or for ourselves when we receive it. But along with criticism there should always be encouragement that follows. We need to be encouraged and we need to encourage. It doesn’t matter who you are, everyone likes to be encouraged. If you are dealing with a brother or sister in Christ and you are confronting them in an apologetical way, then along with pointing out from the word of God the area that need to grow and change in and change their thinking in, you also need to be an encouragement to them.

Let’s look next at the Greek definition of the work Exhort then I will give you an example of what not to do when trying to encourage someone.

Exhort: ðáñáêáëåù Pronounced: par-ak-al-eh'-o

Strongs No: 3870

1. to call to one's side, call for, summon

2. to address, speak to, (call to, call upona, which may be done in the way of
exhortation, entreaty, comfort, instruction, etc.

a. to admonish, exhort

b. to beg, entreat, beseech

1. to strive to appease by entreaty

c. to console, to encourage and strengthen by consolation, to comfort

1. to receive consolation, be comforted

d. to encourage, strengthen

e. exhorting and comforting and encouraging

f. to instruct, teach

Calling someone to your side should be for the purpose of discipling them and not for the purpose of tripping them up. It does not do any good to point out to someone their faulty thinking without showing them the truth from the word of God and how to change their thinking. When you say wrong! you haven’t put up an apologetical defense or a verbal defense as we now know that that is what an apologetical defense is. Telling someone they are is wrong is only half of the equation. Jeff and I were bowling along with some other people and I was trying to teach Jeff how to score bowling. So we sat down together and as he start to try and figure this out, he would ask me if what he was doing was correct. With the most emphatic no I could muster I looked at him and said NO! I didn’t really help from that point on because of my frustration. If I knew how to score bowling then he should too and I shouldn’t have to explain it. That is not exhorting someone.

But there is something that has to accompany exhortation and that is long suffering. Now believe me, I have been suffering long over this bowling incident because Jeff has never let me forget it. That is not what longsuffering really means though and I am only joking about Jeff never letting me forget it.

Longsuffering: ìáêñïèõìéá Pronounced: mak-roth-oo-mee'-ah

Strongs No: 3115

1. patience, endurance, constancy, steadfastness, perseverance

2. patience, forbearance, longsuffering, slowness in avenging wrongs

Do you know what I find amazing? I find it amazing that we always understand everything right away but other people sometimes just don’t get it right away. Of course I am being sarcastic. We can teach someone, witness to someone, call them to our side and disciple them but until the Lord opens their eyes they are just not going to get it. Now sometimes I think the Lord does that just as much for us and he does for the other person. Why is that? That is because we live in a fast food microwave society and everything on a scale of 1 to 10 of importance is a 10. We need to just hurry up and move on to the next issue. The problem with that thinking is that we are dealing with real issues of real people who are trying to deal with these issues. But that doesn’t matter because we only have so much time to deal with people and if they don’t get it right away we say, NEXT! It isn’t our time, it’s God’s time and we live according to his time table.

That is why I try not to turn down the chance to talk to a Jehovah’s Witness when they come to my door. I spent five years living a lie thinking I was saved when I wasn’t because I said a prayer and trusted more in that prayer then I did the God of prayer. God was longsuffering towards me when I was living for myself and thought I was alright. The Lord used someone to mount a verbal defense against my pharisaical life. Praise the Lord that that person was also longsuffering.

If the Lord is patient with us and he opens our eyes and reveals truth to us then why are we so short with other people and even the Lord Himself? Yet we think that when dealing with Jehovah’s Witnesses, Catholics, Mormons or any other cultish group that it’s a waste of time to talk with them. If that’s what we think then that means we are not willing to endeavor by exhorting. We have no time for them. In fact we have no time for anyone who will not get saved right away or repent and turn back to the Lord. But we have to understand that we are not going to turn anyone around with out own wit and wisdom. The Bible says that we are to reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. The word doctrine is really they key here because without doctrine we cannot mount a verbal defense. Without doctrine we cannot reprove, rebuke and exhort with all longsuffering. .

What is doctrine? Let’s look at the definition of doctrine and then see how that applies and why it is so important for Christians to know doctrine.

Doctrine: äéäá÷ç Pronounced: did-akh-ay'

Strongs No: 1322

1. teaching

a. that which is taught

b. doctrine, teaching, concerning something

2. the act of teaching, instruction

a. in religious assemblies of the Christians, to speak in the way of
teaching, in distinction from other modes of speaking in public

Doctrine is that which is taught to us from the Lord. We have such doctrines as the doctrine of Epistemology, or the end times. We have the doctrine of Soteriology, or the doctrine of salvation. There are many other doctrines that we could list but that’s good for now. Why is this important? Because without understanding these teachings we can’t know God and know how to refute through a verbal defense the false teachings of man.

Not only that, but the next verse really hits home with me because we are seeing this more and more every day. Notice verses three and four.

2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

2 Timothy 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Are we in that time where they, men, will not endure sound doctrine? We are always in that time. I think every Christian believes they are living this verse because there are so many people who do not endure sound doctrine in every generation. If you remember from our Study in the book of Acts, the Roman soldiers thought that Paul was the Egyptian who led all those people astray. We could probably name many cult leaders from C.T. Russell to Jim Jones. They did not lead one or two people astray. They deceived many with their false doctrine. If you talked to these people and gave them the truth from the word of God, they would say that can’t be true and their leader, who obviously was not the Lord, was the only one who knew the truth. This is a sad but true fact and because of this fact doctrine becomes even more important. The reason it becomes more important is because people are going to take their false doctrine and try to mount a verbal defense to convince you that they are right. If you are not grounded in doctrine then you could wind up believing them because you have failed to ground yourself in the truth from the only source of truth, the word of God.

So now that I have said that, let’s look into this verse so we can learn how to better mount a strong verbal defense.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; we can draw a few conclusions from this. First of all we can see that a time is coming and as I said every generation goes through this. The future is only one second away and the time is coming, or it is just seconds away from the time that men will not only not endure sound doctrine but ridicule it, twist it, reject it, ignore it, neglect it and express their contempt for it.

What does sound doctrine do a person? It causes a person who lives according to sound doctrine to live for the Lord instead of living for them selves. Sound doctrine causes the person who lives by it to love the Lord more then they love them selves. Sound doctrine causes the person who lives by it to be sympathetic towards others and have a burden for them to also serve the Lord.

Doctrine will change a person. Sound doctrine will change a person into what the Lord wants him or her to be. False doctrine will change that person into what they want to be and that is exactly what we see in these two verses. Look again at verses three and four and let’s see what happens when a person doesn’t endure sound doctrine.

2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

2 Timothy 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

When a person doesn’t endure sound doctrine then they do something. What will the person who doesn’t endure sound doctrine do? Well in these verses we see that first of all they give into their own lusts in a very specific way. The Bible says that they will heap to themselves. The word heap means to accumulate in piles. What does that means?

Think about what lust does. Lust demands more and more and never gives anything in return just as any other sin. A person who lusts after cigarettes is not content with just smoking one cigarette. The cigarette will satisfy for the moment but very soon the smoker needs another one to satisfy their lustful desire. The drinker is not content with a sip of alcohol but consumes it over and over again until it consumes them. So it is with the person who does not endure sound doctrine because they pile up something that they think will satisfy them. The fact is, lust never satisfies and is never satisfied. It is always hungry and never is filled.

What is it that these people who do not endure sound doctrine accumulate for themselves? Those who do not endure sound doctrine heap to themselves teachers. These teachers however are not teachers of the word of God. These teachers are the kind of people that have a silver tongue. What I mean by that is that these silver tongued teachers are telling the people who are lusting and heaping to themselves the very thing that doesn’t satisfy. They are heaping to themselves the words that they want to hear. They are making the Lord into what they want him to be instead of the Lord making them into what they should be, more like the Lord Jesus Christ. When I have an idea of how I should live my life, the best thing for me is to have someone tell me I’m right and just keep going in the direction I’m going. Nothing makes me “feel” better about myself then knowing that I am right. I long to hear that I have made the right choice and that everything is going the way I want.

Obviously, anyone who has endured sound doctrine would say that what I have just said is a lie. This seems like the abnormal according the word of God and it is the abnormal. However, in today’s “Christian” circles, this has become the norm because more and more people are heaping to themselves the kind of teachers that will not preach the truth, risk offending someone for the sake of the gospel and will hold no biblical apologetic stance not because they are afraid of stepping on toes, but because they themselves do not believe the word of God.

These teachers that the itching ear people heap to themselves are those that we have talked about when it comes to containing some truth but not the truth from the word of God. Endurance takes something that most people not want to do. They do not want to spend the effort and energy putting of self, denying self and putting on the Lord Jesus Christ. It is like weight lifting in a sense. When you weight lift there is a certain amount of pain that you must experience. That pain tells you that you are exercising your muscles and you are challenging them to change. The person who lifts once in a while to try and feel good about them selves doesn’t change their muscles. They do not grow stronger and they do not get bigger or more defined. They come to the conclusion that the pain involved is not worth it and so they give up and try to find an alternative. To make muscles grow you have to constantly challenge them to change. To grow the Christian life in what the Lord wants you to be means that you have to constantly ignore the pain of self denial and challenge your mind to do what is right. Some times there is pain involved but that pain usually leads to change. When taking on the task of becoming the apologist God wants you to be, there will be pain involved. You may get your head spun around by a silver tongued person a few times because they are so good at what they do. However, that should be a challenge to you to know the word of God even more so that when you encounter a silver tongued person again, you are prepared with t he word of God because you have learned God’s doctrinal truths and not mans.

You can point the silver tongued person and those that follow this person to the Lord Jesus Christ, which is the goal of the apologist. You do not have to intellectually convince them, all you have to do is give them the truth and let the Holy Spirit deal with their heart and tongue.

Regardless of the fact that they will turn away their ears as the Bible says, you still need to give them the truth from the word of God. Why is that, because we do not know what God will do in the heart of someone when the word of God penetrates it. Secondly, we are commanded to preach the word as we saw earlier in this chapter and we know from our study in 1 Peter that we are to give a verbal defense. You can rest assured that you will have to give a verbal defense because those who turn away will wonder why you are so radical. Those who already have turned away wonder why you and I are still so radical and why we haven’t seen the light for today’s Christian. We are not radical, we are biblical.

I think the best compliment anyone has ever given me was when someone I know called me dogmatic. They meant it as a bad thing, I took it as a good thing because I wouldn’t waver from what the Bible says. If those who turn away see you as dogmatic, then you should be praising for the Lord for that because they see you as being different and radical. As far as I know, the Lord Jesus Christ was dogmatic according to today’s standards. The Bible says this in John 14:6.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

That’s radical because it means there is no other way to have eternal life except the Lord give it. But we don’t need eternal life because there really is no hell. Statements like this have been said by prominent Evangelicals and people follow this because they heap to themselves teachers because they have itching ears. They have turned their ears away from the truth to follow that which sounds good to man. Let me say this regarding those who have turned away. They are no different then us and if it were not for the grace of God, which is divine influence upon the heart, we would be lead away by our ears also.

We ought not to think of ourselves as better then someone because we have not turned away. As I stated earlier, the future is always one second away and we could take that turn at any second if we do not guard our hearts. How then do we guard our hearts and prepare for our verbal defense for anyone who may ask or anyone who will wish to condemn us for our “radical” stance on the word of God?

Look with me in verse five.

2 Timothy 4:5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

Because of the fact that there are going to be those that turn away because their ears are itching to hear what they want to hear instead of opening their ears and heart to the word of God, you need to watch thou in all things. Okay, I understand that to certain degree, but what does that really mean?

The first thing we see is that Paul tells Timothy to watch. What does it mean to watch as Paul tells Timothy to watch?

Watch: íçöù Pronounced: nay'-fo

Strongs No: 3525

of uncertain affinity; TDNT 4:936; v

Trans. & freq. in the AV— be sober 4 times, watch 2 times; 6 occurrences of
Greek word in AV

1. to be sober, to be calm and collected in spirit

2. to be temperate, dispassionate, circumspect

This word watch appears six times in the New Testament.

Every time this word appears it has the meaning of keeping calm and being observant. It means that in the heat of a conversation or spiritual battle we are not getting all wound up and losing our composure. When you see Jehovah’s Witnesses coming, don’t close the drapes, turn off the radio pull the shades down and hide hoping that they will go away. Stay calm, present the word of God as it is and let the Lord do the work.

When your children are about to make a foolish decision don’t get all wound up. Calmly talk to them and explain why their decision would be bad. When you know what is right according to the word of God but others just will not listen to you, pray for them. Pray for your co-workers to whom you have given the gospel and let the Holy Spirit work on their heart.

The problem that we have is that we live life more in the physical than in the spiritual. As a result of that, we do not watch in all things as Timothy was commanded to do. It’s easy to watch in all things as long as all things are at church. It’s easier to give a verbal defense at church then it is on your own door step. It’s easier to replay an event that happened that required a verbal defense and come up with the perfect thing to say after the fact then it is right in the middle of the defense.

However, if we start to train ourselves to watch in all things then we will start to live more in the spiritual world and less in the physical world. Everything that happens to you in life has spiritual implications to it. Things just don’t happen. Getting my head spun around by Jehovah’s Witnesses a few times in a row taught me that I have to be prepared at any time to defend the truth. The whole reason that I took on the task in the first place was to grow personally and to protect my family from their false beliefs. Nothing against my parents, and I am not saying that I am better then them or know more, but I believed it was my duty as their son to protect them from false teachings. That is true of any one of us in that we need to be protecting each other.

We are not to watch just for the sake of ourselves. If I can head off a problem before it ever gets to you then I have served the Lord by serving you. If you can stop a person in their tracks who wishes to spread a false gospel to my family then you have served the Lord by serving my family. That is the whole point of serving. We serve the Lord together and part of that serving is helping others in their time of need.

Timothy wasn’t told to watch to protect himself. He was to protect those that were in his spiritual care. But that’s the pastor’s job and the deacon’s job? Is it? Do you pray for your pastor? Do you pray for your deacons? Do you love them enough to protect them through prayer? Do you love them enough to confront them?

Love is sacrificial. If we are not willing to help each other by watching out for potential problems and spiritual battles that may be headed in someone else’s direction then we have failed to serve the Lord. If will not step in and help someone with a verbal defense then what we are saying is that we don’t want to get involved because serving the Lord isn’t important. I am not willing to serve the Lord by serving others and helping in the defense Biblical truths.

Now as we go into verse six of this chapter, it seems as though Paul radically changes gears, but in fact he doesn’t. He has talked to Timothy about his ministry and what he needs to do as preacher of the gospel. He had the right to tell Timothy this because he had already done these things. When it wasn’t popular to preach the word of God, Paul preached it. He reproved, rebuked, exhorted with all longsuffering and doctrine. What he’s telling Timothy is that when you get to the end of your ministry, you want to be able to say these same things as a testimony unto the Lord. There is no doubt that Paul knew he was at the end of his physical life.

2 Timothy 4:6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.

2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:

2 Timothy 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

There is no way any of us can be ready to be offered if our walk with the Lord is anything but upright. Some think that Paul knew at this point that he was going to die. The truth of the fact is that any of us could die at any time. Time in this life is so short that if we do not live for the Lord every moment we can, then we have wasted valuable time that we can never get back. We can’t wait to give that verbal defense because we may not get another chance with that person or that group of people.

The course that Paul finished was no his own designed course but that which the Lord designed. How terrible would it be to run a race and never cross the finish line? It doesn’t matter when you finish or in what place you finish. What matters is that you finish. We fail to finish the race when keep our mouths shut, when we know that we should mount a verbal defense. We fail to finish the race when we fail to study the word of God like we should and are ill-prepared for the battles that we know are ahead of us. We fail to finish the race when we do not preach the word, in season, out of season.

Not only do we fail in finishing the race but we fail in keeping the faith. God has equipped us with everything that we need to keep the faith. He has given us the Holy Spirit that resides in us and teaches us. He has given us his inspired word that will change us if we study and apply it. The Lord has also given us the privilege of prayer. All these things are at our disposal for keeping the faith and yet we fail miserably at times in keeping the faith. Paul himself even failed at times and we see that in the scriptures. Look with me quickly in Romans 7:15 – 19.

Romans 7:15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

Romans 7:16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.

Romans 7:17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

Romans 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

Romans 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

Life is a constant struggle between doing right and wrong. How many times have we wanted to say something to someone but knew that we didn’t know enough of the word of God to mount a solid defense. It’s one thing to be a new Christian and not know enough of the word of God. It’s another thing to be saved for a few years or more and still not partaking of the meat of the scripture. We make all sorts of excuses on why we do not have the time to study God’s word like we should. If that is where we are then we will not be able to say with Paul that we are ready to be offered and that we have finished our course and kept the faith. Instead will constantly be saying, “the things that I know are wrong are the things that I keep doing and the things that I know are the right things to do I don’t do them.”

You see, there may come a time when it seems like the only one that is doing what is right is you. While you know there are other Christians who love the Lord and doing right also, where you are, there is only you. In the next few verses no one is exactly sure why Paul wanted Timothy to come to be with him. But I will say this, when it seems like no one around you want’s to do what is right, it’s nice to have someone that you can turn to for fellow ship and sharpening. The question I have for you is not are doing right and standing alone like Paul did, but are a Timothy that someone would want you to come be with them at the end of their life.

When you think about what happens when you preach the word, in season and out of season, there are very few who will stand with you. You will by virtue of God’s word drive those away that do not want to obey and do right.

Another thing that really sticks out here to me is that even though you have your church family, for the most part you are going to have to go through apologetical trials alone at times. There may not be anybody at the time you are going through these trials that can or would even want to readily stand with you. I am not saying that is the case now. What I am saying is what we have already said about the time coming when some of us may turn away because of itching ears. Not only that, but there may even be those that once stood with you have now forsaken you. Notice again verses nine through thirteen.

2 Timothy 4:9 Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me:

2 Timothy 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.

2 Timothy 4:11 Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.

2 Timothy 4:12 And Tychicus have I sent to Ephesus.

2 Timothy 4:13 The cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments.

If the Lord allows us to live a long life and serve him for the remainder of our lives those that have meant the most to us and have stood with us when we have preached the word both in season and out of season would be the ones that we would want to see when the Lord takes us home. And as I said, I would hope that I have been faithful enough to the Lord that those who have also served faithfully over the years would call me at the end of their life.

But another thing that we must talk is about is the fact that Paul was passing on his ministry to Timothy. This has major implications because we must ask ourselves to whom would we pass our ministry on to. We know that we are all supposed to be faithful. The reality of it is what we are supposed to do and we actually do are sometimes two totally different things. Who are we going to teach during this life and what will we pass to them when it’s time for us to go home? Why it is so important to pass on that which the Lord has given us as far the ability to minister and defend the faith.

There are going to be those that will stand against you and do everything that they can to hinder your ministry; whether your ministry is to your children and family; whether your ministry is to your co-workers; whether you ministry is to Christians who are weaker in the faith, there will be those that would oppose you and do what they can to discourage you, harm you and stop you all together. You may have already experienced this and if you have, then you understand what I am saying. Imagine then, if you will, the great gift that you leave someone whom you love in the way of your experience in fighting spiritual battles and how that you stood when no one else around you would stand with you. You can, without gossiping, point to the people in who have done you much evil and help those that come after learn how to please the Lord in those types of circumstances. Those that we help equip through discipleship and apologetical defenses need to be warned about the Alexander the coppersmith’s that exist in this world. Look in verses fourteen and fifteen.

2 Timothy 4:14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works:

2 Timothy 4:15 Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words.

I know we have said this several times during our study but it needs to be said again. As an apologist you are not out to win people over and turn them into friends. If that happens then great, but that is not the goal. If we make that the goal then we will fail every time. First of all, we will fail because the goal of an apologist is to what? The goal of an apologist is to point people to the Lord Jesus Christ. Secondly, there are not only going to be those that oppose the gospel but those that hate the gospel message and those who proclaim it. There are those that we need to beware. They will do all they can to stop the work of the Lord. They openly oppose the gospel and hate the messengers of the gospel because they hate the Lord of the gospel. Notice what Paul said in the end of verse fifteen. He clearly states that he not only withstood Paul’s words and those that were with him but that he greatly withstood his words.

The question that I have to ask all of us is, has there ever been anyone who has strongly resisted your words or, are your words non-confrontational. Do you keep from saying things that would cause someone to resist what you have to say or do you just kind of go along with the flow. Apologetics never goes with the flow because the flow is going in the opposite direction of the Lord.

There is something else that we need to know about the kind of people that may resist us. Alexander the Coppersmith can reside both in and out of the church. There are those that oppose the truth in the church. Church is great place as just as long there are no waves made and everything remains as is and nothing forces me to change. Church is a great place just as long as we don’t make any changes to how we do things. Church is a great place as long as everyone is in agreement, even if it’s contrary to the word of God. What apologetics does and the reason why so many shy away from it is because it challenges people on the heart level.

Speak to people in a non-confrontational way, do not challenge them and you will have no problems. You will also have no apologetical defense. Apologetics challenges both parties at the heart level. The one who is putting up a verbal defense is challenged to live a pure godly life. That can only be done at the heart level. The one to whom the verbal defense is given is exposed and challenged at the heart level. When that happens whatever comfort they had in their sin is suddenly taken away. No one likes to be uncomfortable in their sin. We like the big comfy cozy sin chair.

So we have to understand that apologetics take place in and out of the church. If you give your heart to the Lord and become the apologist that God wants to be then there will be those that oppose you. Not only will there be those that oppose you but then there will the crowd that says I think he or she is radical and I am going to stay away. I don’t want anything to do with them and I certainly do not want to be associated with them. You’re on your own!

Look with me at verse sixteen of 2 Timothy 4.

2 Timothy 4:16 At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.

Here is the verse where we find the word apologia. As you may have guessed the word answer means verbal defense. Now this seems that Paul has once again switched gears on Timothy. But in actuality he hasn’t because he is now telling Timothy that when he was on trial, of all those that he ministered to, not one came to his defense. And so it may be with you when you stand up for the truth and what is right. People may disassociate themselves with you because of fear, jealousy, or any other number of reasons.

The point that I am trying to get across is that in the world of apologetics, you are going to stand alone for the truth. There are people who fear men more then God and therefore will not stand with you. There are people who fear what may happen to their reputation if they stand with you for the truth. There are people who do not have the spiritual back bone to stand up for the truth because they rely on others for their support. So if no one stands with them then they do not have the wherewithal to stand on their own. However, even if no one stands with you, you have the duty and responsibility before the Lord to stand for the truth regardless of who stands against you or who forsakes you.

Have you ever helped someone out and then when in time of need those that you have helped have all of a sudden forgotten your name and who you are? Have you ever been welcomed as long as you didn’t rock the boat but as soon as you saw trouble and tried to warn those around you, those around you have turned on you? All these things can and will happen in the arena of apologetics. All you have to do is fight a few battle and you will experience this. Then once you start putting up a verbal defense for what is right, those around you, as I have said, start to distance themselves. Why does this happen? The reason that this happens is because people base their apologetical defenses on what is right to them or for them. If we were to base our verbal defenses on what is best or right for us then we would soon abandon the word of God. If you remember when we went over the book of Judges, we finished that series up by pointing out the last verse in that book that said every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

Our eyes are imperfect. Not just physically but also spiritually. We can’t see truth or know truth without the word of God and the Holy Spirit. Yet all too many times we rely on our feelings and emotions to determine what is right. But when someone comes along and uses the word of God to show us that we have been deceived by our feelings and emotions then we get even more riled up. Then we back away from that person and say that they are too radical because they are using only the word of God to direct their life. So when the time comes for us to stand with that person we put air, a lot of air between them and us. This is what happened to Paul. After all he did for those he ministered to, when it came time to support him and speak up for him, no one stepped forward.

So what do we do when that happens? We get bitter and start to plan on how we are going to get them back! Hopefully that’s not your first reaction. But then again sometimes there is a difference between what we should do and what we actually do. I must say this though, when you stand for what is right you are usually going to stand by yourself or with very few people around you standing with you. You have the example of Paul here, Joshua and Caleb when they went to spy out the promised land, Samuel when the children of Israel wanted to be like all the other nations and have a king rule them, and there are others we could list but won’t for the sake of time.

The point is, when you are going to take a stand for what is right, you are usually going to stand alone or be in the minority. The minority though is an earthly term because if you stand for what is right then you are not alone because the Lord will be standing there with you. Notice again what Paul says in verses sixteen and seventeen of 2 Timothy Chapter 4.

2 Timothy 4:16 At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.

2 Timothy 4:17 Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.

Do right and stand alone. Take the popular stance, though it may not be right in the sight of the Lord and have others stand with you. Now we are congregationally ruled in that we make the decisions by voting. However, we have to be careful when it comes to majority rules. A majority vote doesn’t necessarily mean that something is right biblically. We could say that because fifty one percent of the church wants to have CCM that CCM is alright because the majority has said so. I alluded to this earlier with Samuel and the children of Israel. However, there is a flip side to this that is just as dangerous. The flip side to this is, look at how spiritual I am and look at all that know. All these people are wrong and if it wasn’t for me they would never know that what they are about is going to be the wrong thing and sinful.

Both standing with the majority and standing alone can be just as wrong and sinful if the side we are taking is contrary to the word of God. Paul here was referring to a trial that he was on and how that no one came to side for his defense. Yet he knew his life was pleasing to the Lord and so he did not let bitterness or hurt feelings rule him. Notice what he says after he states the fact that no one stood with him.

2 Timothy 4:16 At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.

The goal of apologetics is not to get people see things your way or join your side. We have said this from the very beginning and will not change our stance, and that is that the goal of apologetics is to point people to the Lord Jesus Christ. Even if that means you are the only one pointing people to the Lord. Paul understood this so he did what we all should do and that is pray for those who do not stand for what is right according to the word of God. Notice that I did not say stand with you. If someone does stand with you when putting up an apologetical defense hopefully it’s because they see the truth and wish to stand for what is right also. However, if someone chooses not to stand for the truth according to the word of God, there is nothing that we can say or do aside from praying for them that will help them to see the truth. God opens the eyes of those who do not see the truth, but the Lord also expects, yeah he requires that we pray for them and present the truth to them. Have you prayed for those who have not seen the truth from the word of God or have you decided in your heart to lay it to their charge? Have you said that you will no longer bother to tell them the truth because of the fact that they stood against you instead of with you.

Even though no man stood with Paul, he still had compassion on them. This then is another attribute that we must have not only in apologetics, but in our Christian life. Compassion, especially for men is not always something that comes naturally. So many times we read about how the Lord was moved with compassion. All too many times we are moved with callousness instead of compassion. After all, if we understand something and the other person doesn’t, too bad because they should! Think about this, when your child gets hurt, who do they usually go to first, mom or dad? Mom is the one that kids go to first because women are usually more compassionate then men. We say something like get up, you’re okay, or, you’re six years old, be a man! Compassion is not a natural attribute to men. If anything we need to start out in apologetics with compassion because if you have had your eyes opened to the truth, then you remember what it was like to walk in darkness. How much more grateful should we be to the Lord for opening our eyes. How much does our heart ache for those that are still blind to the truth as we once were.

Please understand, I do not say that boastfully but rather compassionately because people I know are still lost and their eyes are darkened to the truth. You see if you approach apologetics without compassion then you approach apologetics just like a Pharisee. You know the truth but they are nothing more then a lost sinner. You’ll pray like the Pharisee did in Luke 18:11.

Luke 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

If we do not have compassion then we will fail as an apologist because we will not point people the Lord Jesus Christ but rather to our own man made religion that shows no pity or compassion for the state that they are in.

Mt 9:36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

Mt 14:14 And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.

Mt 15:32 Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat: and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way.

Mt 20:34 So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.

Mark 5:19 Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.

Mark 6:34 And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.

These are just a few verses that deal with compassion. Aren’t you thankful that the Lord had compassion on you when you were lost in your sins? Aren’t you thankful that the Lord still shows compassion to you when you make those foolish decisions or sin against him? Do you have compassion for those who are still deceived by their religions and trust more in their religious doctrines then they do in the doctrines of the Bible? The other thing that compassion will do for you is it will make you realize the compassion that the Lord has had and continues to have for you.

When you enter in to apologetics with the proper attitude and depend solely on the Lord to give you the right words to say then you can stand up at anytime for the truth because the Lord will stand with you also.

Notice verse seventeen again.

There is so much here in this one verse that we may not get a chance to cover it all so we are going to just high light a few points because our time is almost done for apologetics. Notice that Paul says notwithstanding the Lord stood with him. Really it doesn’t matter who stands with you as long as the Lord is standing with you. While it’s nice to have the support of others, it’s not necessary. Who do we look to please men or God? Who will always stand with us and never forsake us when we stand for the truth? I hate to say this because I am a man, but men are undependable.

Sometimes we are afraid more of the consequences of doing right then we are of doing wrong. Have you ever wondered why that is? It’s because we fear man more than we fear the Lord. Thankfully the Lord is faithful when we are unfaithful and the Lord never changes. How many times have our stories changed in order to protect ourselves? God is faithful and because of that faithfulness we can have hope, courage, stedfastness, boldness, and confidence that the Lord is standing with us when we stand for the truth from the word of God.

All these things that I just listed come from trusting in the Lord and serving him whole heartedly. When you realize who your strength is then you no longer have to depend on yourself or anyone else to enter into an apologetical defense. Even though there will be those that wish to silence you and cause you much fear and harm you know that the truth will go forth and accomplish all that the Lord desires. I used to fear speaking to Jehovah’s Witnesses until I understood apologetics and applied it. As you know I chomp at the bit to be able to speak to them and give them the truth from the word of God. But we should have that attitude that no matter with whom it is we are engaging in an apologetical defense with. Let me tell you this as we get ready to wrap things up. You are going to have failures in apologetics. Do not be discouraged by that but rather use as a way to motivate yourself to know about the Lord and know more of his word. Failure is not necessarily a bad thing. I understand that no one looks forward to failing. But if we look at failure as a way to grow and learn from our failures then we will grow so much more then if we always had victories.

So what do we do to cut down on the failures and increase the victories? First of all, as we stated in our very first apologetics class, have the mind set that your goal is going to be to point that person to the Lord Jesus Christ. Once that goal is set in your mind, start studying the word of God so that when needed, you can draw upon what you have studied to answer someone. We know that we need to be ready at all times to answer every one that will ask of us our hope.

Secondly, do not fear religious people just because they have been trained in their religion. If you know the word of God intimately then no matter how someone twists the scriptures you can refute what they say with the truth from the word of God. Sometimes we can get intimidated because these religious people seem to be able to answer everything we say to them. But as we learned in the book of Acts, we need to listen carefully to what these people say. When you do that in conjunction with studying the word of God, your mind will recall instantly what you have studied and you will be ready to answer them even before they are finished.

Now we before we make our last point, let’s do an exercise to help you better understand what I am talking about. A Jehovah’s Witness comes to your door and tells that the Lord Jesus is the Son of God but that he isn’t God. How do you answer them? (Allow for responses from the class) Well if that is true, then how do you explain Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

(Allow for the class to respond to this)

This is my point, if you know the word of God, then you do not need to know their doctrine to answer them. The truth never changes because God who is the source of truth never changes. There is nothing wrong with knowing how someone is going to come at you with their false teaching so can be more prepared. But even if you do not know their beliefs you can still refute them because you are using the word of God and not the doctrines of men.

Then finally, it may be that when you stand for the truth as we have learned in portion of our study that as a human being you will stand alone. You however, are not standing alone if you are standing on the truth. God will be with you when you stand for the truth no matter who forsakes you. And remember that no matter what happens, compassion and not bitterness should be what you have for people even if those people forsake you for whatever reason.

Apologia – verbal defense

Apologize – defending why I did what I did.

We seek forgiveness for what we done; we don’t apologize unless we are defending the truth.