Shabbat Shalom. Let's please open our Bibles to 2 Timothy chapter 4, the first eight verses. I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, who shall judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom. Preach the word. Be instant in season, out of season. Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine. 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. And they shall turn away their ears from the truth. And shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things. Endure affliction. Do the work of an evangelist.

Make full proof of thy ministry. For I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. 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. Wonderful passage, brothers and sisters, the last chapter, and we're just going to deal today with the first eight verses, and Lord willing, should the Lord tarry, we will conclude with 2 Timothy in our next meeting together.

It must have been very precious to the heart of Paul when he was writing this letter. In fact, it's like the song of a person that is now ready to leave this world. In fact, what he's really showing to us when he writes this last chapter, it's like a song that expresses his heartfelt beating towards the things of God and the things of Yeshua, the Messiah. He knew very well, as we have already studied many times, that he is not going to remain here for too long. 67 AD about, he is ready to be killed by Nero, the Roman emperor. He is in a dungeon, in a cave somewhere, in prison.

He must have a terrible condition of living. An awful period of time in his older age before he is going to pass out of this scene. And he's just writing these, you might say, final words. If you want to know the state of a person and what his heart is really all about, you will have to read the last statement and testimony before that person is passing out of this scene. The Apostle Paul, Shaul, before he left this world, really cared for the welfare of the body of Messiah. He loved the people of God. You can just see it throughout the Scriptures. He wrote 13 letters that are found in the Brit HaChadasha, in the New Covenant.

Every letter had to do with the importance of teaching, sound teaching. Teaching the Word of God, setting the affection on the person of Yeshua, instructing believers that they will grow in a grace and in a knowledge of Jesus the Messiah. He loved our nation Israel, his own people so much that in the book of Romans he taught the believers of God's plan even for his own people, his own brethren, the Jewish people. That one day God is going to restore the whole nation of Israel back to himself. But until that time is happening, he had been preaching the message of the gospel in Asia Minor, sharing everywhere where the Lord had allowed him the gospel that the Messiah has come, that the Messiah lived the perfect life, that the Messiah died a substitutionary death, and that the Messiah was buried in a tomb in the land of Israel in Jerusalem, And that God had raised the Mashiach and placed him at the pinnacle of the universe.

He had preached the word concerning Yeshua, the Messiah. And all those that came to faith, he had instructed them concerning their life. How shall they live? What shall they learn? Whom they should listen to and what they are to adhere to. Amazing man. Amazing man. It had been said that there are two towering personalities that are found in the history of the people of Israel. One of them was Moshe Rabbeinu, Moses, a lawgiver, who was a towering personality in Israel's history, the Tanakh in the Old Testament, and the Apostle Paul, Shaul Paul, who was a towering personality during the age of the Brit HaChadasha. Two Jewish men that God had raised to bring a blessing to the nation of Israel and to the nations of the world.

But he's ready to pass out of this sin. He's not going to stay any longer. So what shall he do? In his heart he felt it's so necessary to pass along to others the responsibility and the privilege of living for the Lord, of loving the Lord, of serving the Lord And presenting the gospel and the word of God to many that have been willing to listen to the word of God. And you and I are also, beloved brothers and sisters, are privileged but also responsible to share with others the word of God. So in this last chapter, the Apostle Paul really presents before Timothy a charge.

It's really the last challenging word of Paul to Timothy and to you and I. These are the last words. In fact, chapter 4 of 2 Timothy is the last writing that Shaul Paul ever written in the canon of Scripture. These are the last words. The last words. And he's saying to Timothy three things in this chapter. Number one, preach the word of God. Number two, he says to him, make full proof of your ministry. Fulfill the ministry that God has called you for. And number three, he says, be diligent in everything that you do. Three things. Preach the word, number one. Number two, he says, fulfill the call that the Lord has given you.

Don't slack. And number three, he says, whatever you do, do it diligently and be faithful in whatever you do. You know, it's like you and I, right? We also need to be truthful in preaching the Word of God. Not only preaching about the Word of God, but preaching the Word of God. Secondly, we are to fulfill the ministry that God has called us. What God has called you, what God has called me, what God has called Timothy, Paul, Simon, Peter, and many others in the history of the body of Christ, the body of Mashiach. God has called us to serve him, fulfill the ministry, and thirdly, be diligent in whatever you do.

Do it with a diligence and consistently and being faithful in whatever you do. And so in this ministry meeting, we're just going to deal with the first eight verses in which the apostle Paul said to Timothy, number one, preach the word number two make full proof of your ministry fulfill whatever God had called you to do so you see brothers and sisters when he say these things to him he first of all in the first four verses he encouraging him to preach the word of God but before he used that expression preach the word you notice what he does in verse 1 this is Paul I charge you this is Timothy therefore before God and before the Lord Yeshua the Messiah Yeshua HaMashiach who shall judge the living and the dead at his appearing and at his kingdom you see he's first of all telling to Timothy Timothy Listen, I am charging you and the reason that I charge you or the basis upon which I am charging you, I want you to understand that one day we are going to stand before God.

The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the Messiah, Jesus, Yeshua HaMashiach himself. We are going to stand before God one day. And I want you to know, Timothy, that this God and this Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah, he is the one that's going to one day be the judge. In Hebrew we call it Shofet. He's going to be the one that ultimately is going to judge every individual. And not only every individual, he says he's the judge of the living, the quick, and the dead. You see, one day he's saying to Timothy, this Jesus, this Yeshua, that had been despised and rejected by men, do you know what's going to happen?

One day this very same person that is now rejected, that is now despised, the very same one one day is going to sit as a judge of everyone. Everyone is going to have to stand one day before the Lord. The living and the dead. What he's really saying, the living and the dead, we can look at it in two ways. The living has to do with the believers who receive new life, new creation because of Yeshua's work for them on the tree. And the dead, this was all those who refused the measure of the gospel. Also, he's also going to be the judge of the living of the dead.

Even those that are living in a time when he's going to come and he's appearing, Those who are going to remain there alive. He's going to be the one who's going to judge this world. And all those that passed away already, all are going to stand one day before the Messiah himself. See, Timothy, I'm charging you, Timothy. I'm going to tell you what I want you to do as you continue on serving the Lord. But remember, Timothy, that one day we all are going to stand before God and before the Mashiach, the Messiah, Yeshua himself. You see, brothers and sisters, people today don't realize that.

They carry on their life as if everything fine and dandy. They don't realize that one day they're going to have to give an account to the living God. To believers, you and I, 2 Corinthians 5, 10 says, we must all appear before the judgment seat of the Mashiach, of the Messiah, of Christ, of Christos. We too, as believers. Our sins have been forgiven us, praise God for that, but one day we're going to have to appear before the judge, Yeshua the Messiah. And then later on, thousand years later, after the believers are going to appear before the judgment seat of the Messiah, the unbeliever is going to appear before the great white throne judgment in Revelation chapter 20.

So there is no one, nowhere in the whole human race that will ever be able to escape the day in which we are all going to have to appear before him because we read here I charge therefore thee, Timothy before God and also before our Lord Jesus the Messiah, Yeshua HaMashiach, who shall judge the living and the dead at his appearing in his kingdom. He's going to appear one day. He's going to come. You see, when Satan have influenced men to kill the Lord Yeshua the Messiah on the tree people thought they have done away with him that's it he's gone we don't have to stand before him anymore and Paul says no no no he said one day that's very same Jesus Yeshua the Messiah will be the judge and it's such a blessing for you and I to first of all come to the foot of the tree of the cross where we have confessed our sins before him and he has forgiven our sins because of the fact that for this reason he came to this world to die for the sin of humanity.

But woe unto them that reject his provision for them and are waiting the day of judgment. But Paul now speaks to Timothy. He specifically said, Timothy, listen, I charge thee therefore before God and the Lord Jesus the Messiah who shall judge the living and the dead at his appearing and at his kingdom. Now turn with me for a moment to Matthew chapter 28 and then notice what Yeshua said before he left this scene and he had gone to heaven after his resurrection and then he went back to heaven and he said at the end of the gospel of Matthew he said to the disciples before he sent them to preach Yeshua came and He spake unto them in verse 18 of Matthew chapter 28 and notice what He says to them all authority is given unto me in heaven and in earth God gave me all the authority God have given His Son all the authority and the power over the universe everything has been given to the Son the very one that was rejected he received from the father all power is given unto me in heaven he said also here on earth in heaven and on earth every authority have been delegated unto the son Yeshua the Messiah he is the one that one day is going to judge this world in righteousness let me read you another verse in John chapter 5 and verse 22.

Yeshua is speaking again and he says for the father Judges no man but he has committed all judgment unto the son and he says in verse 23 that all men should honor the son even as they honor the father he that honors not the son He honores not the Father which hath sent him. You see, brothers and sisters, Paul is saying to Timothy that the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, going to be one day the judge of the living and the dead. And that's why he's stirring Timothy. So Timothy realized, on the basis of this, you have to realize that you are going to preach the word faithfully.

And that you are going to fulfill your ministry faithfully. And whatever that you do, seek to do it as it were with diligence and faithfulness because this is the only way that God will be pleased. And so Timothy had been exhorted to do so. And so you notice now what he says in 2 Timothy chapter 4 and verse 2. Now here's Paul charging Timothy. Look at this. Saying to him, Timothy, preach the Word. Just pause here for a moment. You know, preaching the Word. What a privilege to preach God's Word. To realize that every time that we preach, we're getting up, we stand up, or we make a visit with a friend, or we are somewhere here or there, wherever we are, we have the privilege of sharing the Word of God and presenting the Word of God to everyone around.

What a privilege it is for us to preach the word. So Timothy is being told, notice he doesn't tell him beat around the bush and try to fix all kind of things. He says, preach the word of God, no more, no less. The preaching of the word of God is necessary because when the word of God is being preached, then God is being honored and then man is being fed. You see, brothers and sisters, listen. When you and I heard the message of the gospel, we have listened to the word of God. And the gospel of the grace of God reached our hearts and we have accepted the Mashiach, the Messiah, and we got saved.

You see, the word of God is the only power unto salvation to everyone that believes. We cannot play around and give only the stories of human opinion. No, God wants us to preach the word of God. In the time of the prophets of Israel, God said to Isaiah, to Jeremiah, to Yehezkel, to Daniel, thus saith the Lord, in Hebrew, ko amar Adonai. It's not Isaiah's opinion, it's not Yirmiyahu's opinion, it is not Yehezkel's opinion, it is not Daniel's opinion, and it's not Shaul Paul's opinion or Timothy's opinion. Preach the Word. Preach the Word. And you know, the Word of God, it's a source of blessing.

You know, when we hear the Word of God, we hear the Word of God, it encourages our hearts. How many groups today set aside the Bible, the Word of God, and they come to what you call congregation or church meeting, and they have all kind of games and all kind of things going on there, and the Word is not preached. And it becomes like a club, you see. And then you don't come to hear the word of God. Well, listen, what is the body of Yeshua? The Messiah, the body of Christ, is where the Messiah is being centered and the object and the word of God is being taught and the people of God are being fed.

But can you imagine you're going to go to so-called assembly meeting or church meeting or congregational meeting or kehila and you don't hear the word? Ah, Timothy, Paul is saying to him. No, no, no, Timothy. You, Timothy, preach the word. Preach the word. Don't preach your opinion. Don't preach what you think need to be preached. You preach the word. God's word. Dvar Elohim. Thus saith the Lord. Ko amar Adonai. And so Timothy is being told by Paul to do so. And this is so interesting because he said to preach the word. And then he said to him when to do so and how to do so.

Notice he says here, be instant. I'm reading now verse 2. Be, be instant or be ready to do so. He says, in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. In other words, Timothy, listen, you don't only preach the word when you feel like, but be ready to do so. Be instant, the Hebrew word here, hatmed, do it continuously, in season, out of season, in season, out of season. In other words, there is never, never a time in which we should not allow the word of God be part of whatever we do. And whenever we speak, you know, it's not healthy for a believer to say, listen, I go to the church meeting on Sunday or on Shabbat, on Saturday.

I put my so-called jacket for this weekend. I take it off and I don't talk about the Lord the whole week after. And then next week I come and I'll be religious again. Put my jacket of a religious person and all of a sudden talk a little bit about God. Then take it off and carry on my life without him the other way. And then, oh, again. You see, Timothy was not called to do so. Paul was not teaching that. So listen, wherever you go, minister the Word of God. Minister the Word of God. Teach and preach the Word of God. Notice, be instant, in season, out of season, because there is never...

Can you imagine, brothers and sisters, people have so much pain in this world. People have so much misunderstanding about the things of God. Many people are not knowing that they are heading to eternal separation from God. People don't realize when they are getting themselves connected with things that are not biblical, that they are only entangling themselves with things which are not healthy. Timothy, no, no, no. You preach the word in season, out of season. As it says, be instant. Be ready always to share it. You don't need to be aggressive, you don't need to be obnoxious, you don't need to force it down the throat of other people, you do it gently, graciously, with wisdom and sensitivity, yes, but take the opportunity to preach the Word, you know, because there is an effect when the Word of God is being presented.

You see, there's such a disorder in this world, the only one that we can find comfort here is in the person of Yeshua the Mashiach and through his word through his word we find comfort we find encouragement believers unbelievers find salvation find hope if they only listen to the word of God for the word of God the Bible tells us in Hebrews chapter 4 verse 12 is powerful, it is sharper than two-edged sword, and it is able to discern, and it is able to divide the soul and the spirit, and it's able to help us to distinguish certain things, to help us in our spiritual growth. You know how many times when you go to a person who is sick in the hospital, and you give him the Word of God, and you read him just a couple of verses, and it comforts the heart when a person is sick and what about when a person is needy and have all sort of problems you come and you read for him a few verses from the word of God and he gives him or her an encouragement and lifting them up that's the word of God you know I want you to read with me go to Psalm 19 for a second look what David the king of Israel said about the word of God and when we say about the word of God it speaks about the whole counsel of God From Genesis, Bereshit, to Revelation, to Chazon, all the Scriptures.

Look what Psalm 19, verse 7 says. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgment of the Lord are true and righteous all together. Verse 10 tells us David, David, the king of Israel said, You know, David used six different words to apply to the Word of God. The word Torah Adonai, the law of the Lord. The word Edut Adonai, the testimony of the Lord. The word pikudei Adonai, the statues of the Lord.

The word mitzvot Adonai, the commandments of the Lord. The word yirat Adonai, the fear of the Lord. And the word mishpatei Adonai, the judgments of the Lord. Moreover, to be desired are they than gold, Yeah, than much fine gold. They are sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. So Timothy is encouraged to preach the word and to be instant in season, out of season. And you see the word of God also, beloved brothers and sisters, is convicting us. Notice that in verse 2 he says, To reprove, to rebuke, to exhort with all long-suffering a doctrine. See, that word for reprove, it means to convict. See, when we hear the Word of God, it convicts us.

When we have gone in a wrong direction, it convicts us. It helps us to be restored. Secondly, that word rebuke, it warns us. It gives us a warning. If you're going to go in that direction, look where it's going to lead you. And the word of the Lord helps us to be warned in the direction that we go. And thirdly, he said it's exoged them. This is really to appeal to the heart and the conscience of the hearer. That's why a preacher of the word of God is not only to read the text, but also to use the text to correct and to warn and to appeal and to convict, because we all need that in our lives.

Even us who are believers, we know how wayward we are. How quickly we go astray and we're getting discouraged and the things of the Lord are being set aside. And imagine, Timothy was a younger man. He's living in Ephesus right now. He's ministering in the city of Ephesus. And already there, there were rising issues and problems there. And so Timothy needed to minister to the people there and to be faithful to what the Lord has called him to be there. So he was to preach the word and he was to do so instant in readiness of mind, in season, out of season, to reprove, to rebuke, to exhort.

But listen, at the end of verse 2 he said, with all long-suffering and doctrine. Now what's happening? If you are going to preach the word and if you are going to reprove, rebuke and exhort, you need a lot of long-suffering. To serve the Lord is not only standing in a pulpit and telling Him what the Word of God said and not to have long-suffering and patience with the brothers and sisters in order to help them to mature and to develop. It's not merely an oratory, you know, I'm just a preacher. No, a preacher is also to seek to help others in their spiritual growth. It's not only telling people how bad they are or how wrong they are without to, first of all, apply it to yourself, and secondly, trying to help the body of Messiah to grow spiritually.

Well, that's what Paul is telling Timothy, with long-suffering, bearing with one another, long-suffering. It takes time, beloved brothers and sisters, for the flock to grow and to mature for the people of God. And notice at the end of verse 2 it says, And doctrine, you know, always you find the Apostle Paul emphasizing limud, doctrine. Doctrine, again, I mentioned it before, because he has already mentioned it earlier in the previous chapter, the importance of sound doctrine. Limud, or teaching that is based upon the Word of God. You remember he said to Timothy in chapter 2, in verse 15, study to show yourself a proof unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth, cutting it in a straight line.

Make sure that you give sound doctrine. That's what he's really saying here to Timothy in this passage. Very, very precious how the Apostle Paul is encouraging Timothy with that thought of sound doctrine. If you just go back for a moment to chapter 3 and notice what it says in verse 16. All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God and it is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God or the woman of God may be mature, thoroughly furnished unto all good works he spoke about doctrine many many times and he's adding this again here in this second verse so he continued now verse one he reminded him that Yeshua is going to be the judge and he's going to be judging all men the living and the dead in verse two he's telling preach.

The word. Preach the word. Just simply present the word of God to others as he mentioned it here in verse 2. But now notice what he does in verse 3 and 4. In verse 3 and 4 here's the reason for the preaching of the word. Here's the reason. Timothy he says for the time will come when they will not do sound doctrine but after their own lust shall they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables Timothy here is the reason why you need to preach the word not only because the word of God is so precious and encouraging the believers and it is a way of salvation Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

But Timothy, I want to tell you what's going to happen. I know this because the Lord revealed this to me. Shaul Paul is saying this to Timothy. He said, for the time will come. For the time will come, Timothy. I want you to know that when they will not endure sound doctrine. The they, beloved brothers and sisters, of verse 3, are the very same men that I mentioned in chapter 3 and verse 2, and a little bit later on in verse 8. Let me read you chapter 3 and verse 2. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truth-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, furious, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof.

Now these are the they in chapter 4 and verse 3 are the very same professing believers, professing Christians, professing Meshachim who are part of the great house, the professing assembly. And can you imagine, he says, listen, I know what's going to happen, Timothy. Because the times will surely come, I'm telling you this, Timothy, that they will no longer induce sound doctrine. And beloved brothers and sisters, Paul said this in about 66, 67 A.D. We are now at about 2017. We are talking about over 1950 years or so. And can you imagine what's going on today? And the professing church, Christendom, have so many views about the things of the Word of God, the things of the Lord.

And it is really a time in which we live in. This is what we call the last days in which we live in. The Messiah is going to come soon. And he is really telling to Timothy, and of course, what Timothy heard and received is passed along to us. And in a sense, you and I are part of this professing group that name the name of Yeshua the Messiah, Jesus the Messiah. And we are part of this great house. And he says that they will no longer endure sound doctrine. You know, it makes you wonder why. Well, because we have a sin nature. We have a sin nature.

And the sin nature wants to have its own way. I know better than God. I'm going to tell you what the Bible says. I'm going to tell you the way to God. Some reject that Yeshua is divine. Others reject the triunity of the Godhead. Others reject the virgin birth of the Messiah. Others reject the doctrine that has clearly been taught in the Word of God, both by Old Testament saints, the Hebrew people, the people of Israel, and by the body of Messiah, by believers who gave us in the New Testament in the Word of God, rejecting the clear Word of God. And he says, listen, they will not undo a sound doctrine anymore.

And you know, the word for sound means a true teaching of the Word of God. They will no longer undo it. And you notice what he said in verse 3 again. He continues, but after their own lusts, they shall, the same day, they will heap to themselves teachers because they have a tickling ears and they want somebody to scratch it. You see, isn't it nice if somebody is going to come to say to you and to me, you know what, you're a good guy. You're a great person. Everything you do is fine. God loves you. And therefore, all you need is just accept the love of God.

You can carry on your own way. Never mind what God teaches us in His Word. It's very nice. It's kind of, you know, like when you sometimes have a tickle in your ear. It's so nice when it's kind of somebody scratches or you scratch, oh, this tickling. You feel so much better. See, what Paul is saying, people will want teachers that will teach them things that will make them feel good. It's a feel-good preaching, you see. Oh, yes. You know, it's interesting that usually when we go to a funeral service, usually, we always hear, this person was such a kind man. And this lady, she was a precious, precious lady.

We always seem to do that, right? Because we don't want to say anything bad about the person. And that is appropriate. But, you know, in reality, sometimes when we really think about this person, it must have been a very difficult person. A very hard person, whether it is a male or a female, a boy, a girl, a man or a woman, you know, this person will be extremely difficult. This person will be very hard in his or her life. But when he or she passed away, We're saying, oh, what a lovely person that person has been. So, you know, we are like that, isn't it?

That we like to hear things that are very pleasant to hear, but we don't like when sometimes the Lord had to tell us, listen, the direction that you go is not right. You need to be corrected by that. And when we carry on in sin in our life, the sin which does so easily beset us, and the Lord had to tell us this is wrong. We don't like to hear that, right? We like that the Lord will say, wow, you've done so many things that are very well. We don't like when there is a rebuke and correction. And sometimes, beloved brothers and sisters, we see in Christendom, in a professing church, we have those that will rise up in those last days and they will, after their own lust, they shall heap to themselves teachers because they have itching ear.

The word in Hebrew is ledagdeg. You know, it's like tickling. They have a tickled ear and they need somebody to scratch it for them so they will feel better. Now, we don't need to criticize people all day long. We don't need to cut people down. That is not ministry. Ministry is sharing the word, seeking to be in some small measure an example. We always seem to fail in that. We know that. But we are to teach the word, to preach the word, and to preach sound teaching as we find here in this passage. In Hebrew, we call it limud bari, healthy teaching, healthy teaching, teaching that are healthy, sound doctrine.

It says in verse 3, they will not endure sound doctrine. And in verse 4, they shall turn away their ears from the truth. The truth sometimes hurt, but the truth needed to be presented. So, notice that in verse 4 now, not only that they will not do sound doctrine, not only that after their own lust they shall heap to themselves teachers because they are having itching ears, But notice in verse 4, they shall turn away their ears from the truth. And they shall be turned unto fables. You know, turning away from the truth. And going unto fables. And you see, you notice he used twice the word ears. Why?

Because the avenue whereby we hear the word is through the ears. Somebody said the other day, no wonder why God has given us two ears and only one mouth. So we will listen twice as much as we speak. But we sometimes reverse it, right? We speak twice as much as we hear. And so the word ears is mentioned twice here. Having itching ears, verse 3. And verse 4, they shall turn away their ears from the truth. And oh, how sad. How many have, over the years, have thought that they can change the truth or that they can deviate from the truth that is written in the Word of God?

And they have gone in their own course and have ended up to see that the truth will never change. You just 10 years, 20 years, 30 years later discovered that I should have listened to the truth that is found in the Word of God. I would have been far better had I listened to the truth. But you see, they turn away their ears from the truth. And notice what they turn into? It says, they shall turn unto fables. That word for fables is the Hebrew word Haggadot, Ho Haggadah. It's tellings of all kind of stories. You know, in Israel's history, we have many, many Haggadot, Many, many stories that we can say over the years.

And many of them are beautiful Haggatot, beautiful stories. But there are also some stories that are not real and not biblical. It's the same thing in the time in which we live in. There are many today who are turning away to fables, things that are not based upon the Word of God. They turn away. The Greek word is mythos, M-Y-T-H-O-S. It's like a myth. It's nothing, it's just in the air. It's not real. Oh yeah, but they told me that story and they believe in it. You know, there is a story that has been told that in somewhere, I think it is in Portugal, that Mary, Miriam, the mother of Jesus, they have an image there, I think, and she's crying there.

You can go in a certain time and you can see in the image the tears. It's a myth. People go there every time. To find out where Miriam is there. And she's crying, she's weeping. And see that image showed her weeping. And so, wow, and it's part of a religion. It's a myth. It's not found in the Bible. She's rejoicing in glory. She gave birth to Yeshua HaMashiach as a woman that had been privileged, but she's now in heaven. And she's not weeping, she's rejoicing in the presence of God. There are all sorts of stories that are being told. There are myths that are being told all around.

And see what people, according to Paul, who said to Timothy, they shall turn away their ears from the truth, but they shall turn unto fables. Now that expression, fable, is mentioned more than once in the letters that Paul wrote to Timothy. Turn to 1 Timothy, please, chapter 1, in verse 4. Paul said, neither give heed to fables and to endless genealogies, which minister questions rather than godly edifying, which is in faith. So do, Paul said to Timothy already in the first letter. Notice how it is so interesting. In chapter 4 of 1 Timothy, in verse 7, Paul said, Refuse profane and old wives' fables, Haggadot, and exercise yourself rather unto godliness.

Fables set them aside. You, Timothy, make sure that you preach the word, because there will be those that in those days, And the time will come when they will not anymore endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts they shall heap to themselves teachers having itching ears, and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables. And how sad it is, brothers and sisters, and indeed this is the days in which we live in today as well. There are many fables, many myths that are being told, all kind of things, many false teachings that are being taught today, and a person needs to search the Scriptures and be a student of the Word of God, rightly dividing the Word of Truth and setting things aside that are not pleasing to the Lord.

Now, I just want to read one more verse in the prophet Jeremiah. Look at that passage. Jeremiah is preaching to our people Israel, And I want you to listen to what Jeremiah was telling to the people, to our own nation, Israel, in chapter 5 and verse 30 and 31. Look at this. It says, a wasteful and a horrible thing is committed in the land. The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means. And my people love to have it so. You see, when Israel, our own nation, have departed from the ways of the Lord, the prophets prophesied false prophecy. The priests of Israel bear rule by their own means, not trusting the Lord, but in their own way.

They invented the religion, you might say. And he says, notice God says, And my people, they love to have it this way. In other words, they love to continue to allow this. Oh, it's great, you know. They had itching ears, want to be tickled as well because they love to do so. Because they departed from sound teaching, from the word of the Lord. It happened historically to our own nation, Israel. And it is happening in the present day dispensation of the church age, the body of Messiah, the very same thing. That's why we must be very careful when we blame Israel, because we look at within the professing church today, the depth of the fall of the professing church is far deeper than the depth of the fall that Israel, the nation, had fallen in Israel's days.

And so now, brothers and sisters, let's continue on. Not only that Timothy is to preach the Word, verses 1, 2, 3, and 4. Now, verses 5, 6, 7, and 8. Timothy is encouraged and charged to fulfill the ministry that God called him for. And I'm reading verse 5. But you, Timothy, watch. Notice then, but watch thou in all things. Endure affliction. Do the work of an evangelist. Make full proof of your ministry. Timothy, okay, here's the contrast. They will continue in their own way. They will carry on as raising for themselves teachers, having itching ears. But you, Timothy, you need to do something different. Don't follow this way. You be different. And you know, that's what God is calling all believers.

To be different in a sense of you commit yourself to the Word of God. You, as it says here in verse 5, watch in all things. And if you are going to watch and be careful what you listen to, whom you listen to, what you be occupied with, just watch it. And the word for watch here is really come from that word of being sober. Be sober. Watch. Be alert. Be sober. You be sober. You be alert. And notice those four things here. Watch, endure, do, and fulfill. Those four words we find here in verse 5. Watch in all things. Endure affliction. Do the work of an evangelist.

And fourthly, make foolproof of thy ministry. Fulfill your ministry. And so, Timothy, and you and I are called to be awakened and alert. And the question we have to ask is, what do we listen to? Whom do we listen to? And what do we kind of embrace as part of that which we understand from the Word of God? Sometimes we really need to be careful. I mean, even we are preaching on the radio, and it is a privilege to preach on the radio. But you have all kind of Bible teachers on the radio. All kind of views on the radio. There are some who believe that Israel don't have a future any longer.

They teach it on the radio. Some have different views. You know, you have all kind of views. It is amazing to see radio, television, internet. You have all kind of views. So who are you going to listen to? Well, Timothy, you better watch. Watch in all things. Because you have to be awakened to the fact that you might embrace things that are not sound. Secondly, it's an endure affliction because the moment you are going to participate in the work of the Lord and participate in following Yeshua, the Messiah, you will find that there will be some affliction involved in that. That means that people will not like what you say.

Well, look at the Lord in his life. He says he suffered because he testified for God. Look at Shaul Paul. Look at Peter. Look at James, the early disciples. They have suffered. They have endured affliction in their life. And last week we read 2 Corinthians 4, 2 Corinthians 6, 2 Corinthians 11. We see the affliction that Shaul Paul had experienced in his life. So he said, endure it. If there is a problem and you'll have to sometime endure affliction, endure it. Bear with it. Realize that this is part of the life of the believer. The Hebrew word to endure is lisbol. It comes from the word sevel. It's suffering. It has to do with the thought of suffering.

Sometimes, brothers and sisters, a believer is called to suffer. To suffer sometimes. You know how many believers today, I often think of the former Soviet Union, the many who could not even open their Bible many years ago. I'm talking about true believers who suffered because they are believers in Yeshua. They are Christian. They are Meshichim. And there are sufferings that are going on in Muslim world today, where believers suffer because they name the name of Yeshua. And sometimes you and I may need to experience some challenges as believers as well. We don't like it. We don't look for that. We don't want it. But it is part of the believer's experience.

So endure affliction, Timothy. And then he said to him, notice the third thing, he said, Do the work of an evangelist. It's so precious. You know, the evangelist is not only standing and preaching, but to do the work of evangelists involves so many areas. There are so many ways whereby we can evangelize, let people know who Yeshua is and the need of salvation. And then finally in that verse 5, Make full proof or fulfill your ministry. God gave you a gift. God gave you the gift to serve Him as a shepherd, as a pastor, spiritual leader, or gave you a gift to visit people, gave you a gift to help others.

Fulfill your ministry, Timothy. Do your work. Carry on. Don't be discouraged, Timothy. Do so because it is only going to bless you and the Lord will be honored by that. And so, brothers and sisters, after he said to him this in verse 5, in verse 6, 7, and 8, the Apostle Paul gave Timothy three reasons why he's writing to him this letter. But I want to highlight just by way of concluding that thought that we have here. In those three verses, we have certain things that the apostle expresses to Timothy. Number one, the apostle Paul knew what is coming ahead of him. He knew very well what's going to happen to him.

Number two, the apostle Paul knew how he himself lived his life as a servant of the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. And number three, the Apostle Paul knew what he's going to receive once he left this world and he's going to be in glory with Yeshua. So let me just read those three things here. The first thing, he knew what was going to happen. He knew that he's going to die. And so it says here in verse 6, For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. In other words, he says, I'm ready. I'm ready, he says, to be.

And notice he used the word offered. What does it mean, to be offered? You see, that expression, to be offered, it's like a libation. It's like a pouring of the wine upon the altar, which represents a libation. It's like an offering unto the Lord. And that thought here, to be offered, it really represents before us the fact that he offered himself for the things of the Lord. He gave over his life for the Lord. He knew he was going to die. He knew that Nero was going to kill him at any time. And by the way, from history, it had been told that they took Paul, they placed his head on a place where they had actually chopped his head and cut his head off.

That was history, it teaches us. When the Romans, when the emperor, have killed the apostle Paul, he offered himself for the service of the Lord. All his life was characterized by serving the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah. And he knew that it was going to happen. So he says, listen, I'm willing to do so. If that's what the Lord called me to do, I will accept it from the hand of the Lord. I'm willing to be offered. Notice he used the same expression in Philippians chapter 2 and verse 17. Paul said, yeah, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all.

He said this to the Philippians when he was in prison. He said to them, Philippian, listen, even if I will be offered upon the altar as a drink offering that you pour out. He says, I'm going to do so. I'm willing to do it on your behalf, he said to the Philippian. And then here we see it in our chapter here that Paul said, I am ready now to be offered. What a servant of the Lord. And then secondly, in that same verse 6, he said, And the time of my departure is at hand. That word here, the departure, is pteratin, Hebrew. I'm going to die very shortly.

I'm going to leave this scene, Timothy. So he knew. Can you imagine when you know you're just waiting in prison and you know any time the jailer is going to come, take me out of the dungeon and hand me over to another and they will take me to a certain place where the Apostle Paul have lost his life by someone cutting his head and removing him out of this sin. What an awful thing to know that is going to happen to you at any time. So he's saying to Timothy, Timothy, I know I'm going to die. I know I'm going to leave this world but Timothy, you watch, you do the work of an evangelist.

You make full proof of your ministry. I'm going to die, Timothy. I know what will happen to me at any time. Then, beloved brothers and sisters, in verse 7, Paul not only knew what is going to happen to him, around him, he also knew how he lived his life. How he lived his life as a believer. That's why he said in verse 7, I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith. I have fought a good fight. You know, he had to fight, not with his own strength, with the strength of the Lord who said, without me he can do nothing.

For him it was a fight. All his life he was devoted to his Messiah, to his Mashiach, to Yeshua. He says, I have fought a good fight. Those three times, you notice the word I is mentioned three times in verse 7, but not in a selfish way, not in a prideful way, but it was in a humble way. He said, I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course, and I have kept the faith. You know, it's so precious. When a person continues on, yes, there are struggles. Yes, there is opposition. Yes, there is misunderstanding. Yes, there is discouragement. Yes, oh yes, It's always there.

What are we going to do? We're going to blame everybody. Paul could have blamed some of the believers who because of them, he was in prison. But he never blamed others. He said, this is what the Lord has allowed me to go through. And I'm accepting it from the hands of the Lord. But I know for sure, with the grace of God, with the help of Yeshua the Messiah, I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course. This is the end for me. And then he said, I have kept the faith. Notice the word the faith. He doesn't say I kept faith, but I kept the faith.

As Jude tells us, the faith which was once and for all had been delivered unto the saints. Jude in verse 3. The faith, the emunah, the doctrine that was given by God through Yeshua the Messiah, the teaching that God has taught in his word. That's what he says I have kept the faith. In other words he fought a good fight, he finished his course and he have kept the faith. When he passed away, he died through Yeshua the Messiah. He kept the faith all the way to the end. It's so precious to see people who are getting up in age and are just you know, the Lord might take them at any time and often times you go to their bed when they are sick and in fact instead of you encouraging them you leave the room by being encouraged by their faith and their faithfulness to the Lord.

Paul says, I have kept the faith. So brothers and sisters, he knew what was coming that he's going to die, verse 6. He knew how he lived his life as a believer in Yeshua the Messiah, as a servant of the Lord. He knew, oh yes, I'm sure he knew that there was a failure at the time in his life. That's why he says in Romans 7, the things I want to do, this I don't do. And the things that I do not want to do, this I do. O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me out of this body of humiliation, he says in Romans chapter 7.

And then he turned his face, his heart to the Lord. He said, I thank God through Yeshua the Messiah, my Lord. He only could succeed with the help of the Lord. So he knew what was coming, that he's going to die. He knew how he lived his life. And finally in verse 8, listen to this. He also knew what he will receive from the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, when he is going to be with him. Notice what he says in verse 8. This is interesting. Henceforth, because of this, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, You see, he knew what was going around, that he is ready to die.

He knew how he lived his life as a believer over the years. But he also knew what is awaiting for him in heaven. You know, in other passages, he said, I know whom I believe in, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. I know who I am believing in, but he also said, I know what laid up for me in heaven, in glory, in the presence of the Messiah. And you notice what he said? Notice he says here, hence there is laid up for me a crown, a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge will give to me when that day he says and not only to me to you and to you and to you and to you and everyone that loves his appearance it is so precious because the Bible the New Testament teaches us about crowns that the believers will receive.

Now the word for crown is the Greek word Stephanos here and the Stephanos simply means that crown that comes, it's a victorious crown, a crown that the believer that will receive, this is what you call a victorious crown, Stephanos. And every believer that is faithful to the Lord, really that crown represents a reward in heaven. Now, we don't live for the Lord because of the reward, but the Lord promised a reward for faithful life here in this world. In fact, the Bible teaches us that there are five kind of crowns that the believers, the faithful believers, will receive. In 1 Corinthians 9 and verse 25, Paul calls it an incorruptible crown.

In 1 Thessalonians, chapter 2 and verse 19, he calls it a crown of rejoicing. In 2 Timothy, chapter 4 and verse 8, where we are now, he calls it the crown of righteousness. In James, chapter 1 and verse 12, he calls it the crown of life. And in 1 Peter chapter 5 and verse 4, he calls it the crown of glory. This is the crown. Crown of righteousness. Crown of rejoicing. Crown of life. Crown of glory. Incorruptible crown. They speak of a reward that the Lord will give to the believers for how do they live here upon the face of this earth. Now, it's not that Paul sought for crowns and rewards, but he knew that a faithful life here will be rewarded by the Lord.

He will say, well done, good and faithful servant. And he was waiting to hear his master's word. Now, beloved brothers and sisters, there must be understanding between the crown, the Stephanus crown that all believers who are faithful will receive with the diadamos crown which is the royal crown of which we read in Revelation chapter 19 verse 11 and 12 that Yeshua the Messiah will have upon his forehead. It's a diadamos it's a royal crown that he as king of Kings the Lord of lords will have upon his head but you and I who if we have Being faithful in our life to the Lord, the Lord will give us either the crown of righteousness or the crown of rejoicing or the crown of life or the crown of glory, which is incorruptible crown.

It will never vanish away, the reward. And if you read carefully Revelation chapter 4 and chapter 5, even those rewards, the crown that we're going to get, we're going to cast it at the feet of the Lord. And we're going to say, it's not me. You are worthy. Lord, you are worthy. It's so precious to think about these beloved brothers and sisters, The thought of the Apostle Paul encouraging Timothy in these two things here. Number one, preach the word, verses 1 to 4. Number two, Timothy, fulfill your ministry, verses 5 to 8. Brothers and sisters, I'm encouraging myself and encouraging you. Let's get encouraged by what Paul wrote to Timothy and let's ask the Lord to help us as well.

So we will be the kind of people that are being used by the Lord for his service. Because I can tell you that life at best is very brief. It's like a falling of a leaf. Soon will the master come. And then we're going to look back and we will say, I should have served him more. I should have taught his word more. I should have been faithful more while I'm here now in this world. So may the Lord help us to do so.