Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today. Our desire is for the Word of God to be spread throughout the world so that all may know Christ.
Join us now for a portion of one of our services here at Kerwin Baptist Church located in Kernersville, North Carolina. Second Timothy chapter 1 as we continue with our series. Our series is this, our theme is I am persuaded that He is able, but our series has been on the subject of being persuaded that He is able.
What does that mean to my life? If I am 100% persuaded and convinced that God is able, how does that show itself in my life? And I want you to look at verse 12 which is obviously the key verse as we've made our way down from verse 6 to verse 7 to verse 8 to verse 9, 10 and 11 and now we're in verse 12. It says, For the which cause I also suffer these things, nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able, to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day. In verse 6 if you remember we dealt with the fact that being persuaded that God is able, it rekindles my fire. It stirs up the gift that God's given in my life. When I realized that God gave me whatever gifts He's given me, He gave me those for me to serve Him. When I realized is that He's the one that's able to do that, not me. That begins to rekindle my fire and then in verse 7 we talk about how it renews my mind, it changes my thinking about things.
By the way your mind affects your heart, and your heart affects your actions. Then I notice that in the next verse, verse 8, it restores my boldness. We also notice in verse 12 that we just read this phrase, nevertheless I am not ashamed.
When I'm convinced and persuaded that God is able, how can I be ashamed of Him? Then we talked about the fact in the next verse that being persuaded that God is able reminds me of my calling. I've been called with the holy calling. And it is not according to my ability, or my works, or my flesh, but it's according to the one that called me. Then we talked last week about how it makes me rethink my suffering. Am I really suffering to serve Christ? Am I really sacrificing something to serve Him?
Probably not. I know this that everything in my life good God gave me. And everything bad that's there I gave myself. Today as we look in verse 12 I want you to look at this next phrase that we're dealing with. Nevertheless I am not ashamed for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able.
Today I want you to understand this that when you and I are persuaded, convinced that God is able it reassures my beliefs. We live in a day where folks really don't even know what they believe. We live in a day where folks used to believe pretty certain and they get to the point that they're so confused. They've listened to so many things. They've read after so many people. They've watched so much stuff that they don't even know.
What they even really believe. It's amazing how simple things used to be and then they got knowledge. Then they got smart. And then we got edumacated. And now we're more confused than ever.
And that's something. I was listening to a guy the other day and he said, you remember years ago I think it was this week on the radio I was driving back up from Florida and he said, I was in the car the other day and he said my kids were asking me something. He said, I don't know do you think I'm wicked daddy?
Which is like Wikipedia and I thought that sounded like wicked daddy is what it sounded like. And he said, Google it. And I'm thinking this generation you know. Remember when we were kids we asked our dads questions in the car and he didn't know it but he made up an answer.
You all remember that? You know you grow up thinking things are a certain way. And you know he was saying, he said, my dad convinced me for years that the music on an ice cream truck meant they were out of ice cream. That's what my dad told me. You know years ago we didn't have Google.
We didn't have internet. You just believed what you were told. And if you didn't know you made something up nobody knew the difference. And now things are so different. We have so much knowledge and so much direct access to it. And yet we are more confused than we've ever been.
Let me tell you what changes that in a Christian's life when you are persuaded, convinced that God is able. Let's pray. Lord I love you. I pray that you bless your Word in Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Look at verse 12. First thing he says is this, for I know. We see first a bold proclamation.
A proclamation. I know. Now if you're like me there's a lot of facts that I have in my mind. But sometimes whether I'm really convinced about it is different. You can study, and study, and study the Bible.
But it doesn't mean you're convinced that it's true. In fact if you watch the average news periodical every time some tragedy or something happens they bring up some kind of who is supposed to be the Christian expert. Some professor at some liberal university that is so called has Christian roots somewhere you know a hundred years ago. And they are the foremost authority of the Bible.
And they begin to explain why everything we've ever been taught is wrong according to the Bible. And dear friend may I say Paul says this, I know. This isn't just oh I've been told this is what I know.
Just so we understand where things are. Notice the second thing here and this is the meat of our message today. He said I know whom I have believed. We see first a proclamation but second I want you to see the person. He does not say I know what I believe.
Are you getting this yet? He says I know whom I have believed. Now tighten up your belt on your big boy britches. Listen to me today you've got to get this. That means this it is not what we believe but it is who we believe in. And if you know who you believe in it will take care of what you believe.
Listen to me we do not believe in a system. We believe in the Savior. We do not base our beliefs on a code. We base them on Christ. We do not put our faith in a denomination that's led by men. We put our faith in the divine Son of God. We do not trust in Christians. We trust in Christ.
Do you see where I'm going? My beliefs are not shaken because of what some person did. Because I believe in Christ not the person. Paul said if it was just a bunch of facts and just a bunch of knowledge that I believed there's a lot of things in life that could happen that would begin to change my opinions.
And if I believe in people, people change. But Paul said I know whom I have believed. Listen to me do you know there's a lot about scripture that you and I would not debate if we would simply base our beliefs on Christ and not reason or popularity or culture or trends? Do you know there's a lot of debate about things in the Bible right now? And the problem is they're debating facts and they're debating Greek and Hebrew and the one thing that's been left out about it is the Lord. Do you know sometimes it doesn't matter if a Greek or a Hebrew if it doesn't make something specifically clear? If you know the Lord you know.
Everybody's always arguing well. You know the Bible doesn't say you're not supposed to such and such. Yeah but I don't believe in facts I believe in the Father. And if you know the Lord you know.
Do you all understand what I'm saying today? You and I have got to get our mind off of facts and we've got to get our minds on the Father. We believe in a person.
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. We don't just believe a book we believe in Him. Listen to me it's not just explaining principles it's experiencing a person. If I know the what but I do not know the who I will not be persuaded. Knowing the what and then knowing the who is what persuades me.
You can tell me facts all day long but when you have a close personal experience with the Father it changes you. You are then convinced persuaded I know He's real. You know why people doubt what they believe? Because they doubt who they believe.
Alright I'm going somewhere with this. Look at this verse up on the screen. Hebrews chapter 11 and verse 6 you know it but watch it look at me. But without faith it is impossible to please Him. For He that cometh to God must believe that what?
He is. And that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. In order for you to come to Christ you can't just believe stuff and you can't just believe words. You have to believe that He is.
It's in a person. That's what reassures my beliefs. Somebody can argue facts with me but they can't argue the Father with me.
I know what's real. You can believe what's trendy and you can follow what's popular. But I don't believe in popularity, trends, facts, figures. I don't believe in this system, that system, this denomination, that denomination. My beliefs are centered and based solely on Christ. Listen to me. Don't base your beliefs on sin and structure. Base them on the Son of God.
You can argue all day long. Well I just don't know. You know the Bible might be saying I'm allowed to do this or I'm not allowed to do this. Let me tell you something. You get in your prayer closet. You get close to Jesus. And if Jesus tells you in your conscience and in your life you ought to stay away from it.
Stay away from it. It's about a personal relationship. Quit trying to argue facts to justify what you and I want from our flesh.
At some point we just got to realize this isn't about facts. It's about the Father. And I'm not going to grieve Him. I know you all don't know it but this is good. I ain't but it is. Listen to me.
That means even when there are some Christians that do me wrong I still believe in Him. Isn't this good? Am I the only one excited about this? Maybe because I've been with my dad all week.
I'm just glad to be anywhere. See he's joking. No I'm not. Listen to me. That means when there's some verses that I don't understand I still believe in Him. It means when there are some circumstances that happen in my life that I don't enjoy I still believe in Him. Because my beliefs aren't based on my circumstances. And my beliefs aren't based on my feelings. And my beliefs aren't based on what I understand about certain verses. My beliefs are based on Him.
Listen to me. When I'm concerned with what our leaders and our government are doing I still believe in Him. It doesn't change my beliefs. Years ago I was talking with an individual family that had grown up here at Kerwin and had been here for years. And I was talking to this lady and they had asked me to come over years ago and I was just a youth pastor and they were kind of talking and just sitting down. I think I was working with one of their young people and the mother who had kind of grown up Christian family, been taught right all of her years. We just began to talk and she says, I'm just going to be honest with you I just, I've gotten the point I just don't know what I believe. I don't know, sometimes I don't know if God's real.
I don't know with whatever. And you're sitting here thinking you've listened to the truth your whole life. And somehow a person that gets to that point somehow now they want to blame the church or people by the fact that they're in that situation.
And dear friend I'm here to tell you you can't blame anybody for that. Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. I simply told her I said, ma'am you have based too much of what you believe on people. What's interesting if you base what you believe on Christ nothing ever changes. That means if your beliefs have changed they were never really based on Christ. Can I ask you something preacher?
Sure. Well then why if all these things happen in my life, why do I still believe in Him? Why am I okay? Why do my beliefs not change?
Why is this literally the case? Listen to me because Paul says because I know Him. I know Him. I know Him. I might not know what others will do but I know what He did. I may not know if I can trust them but I know I can trust Him.
Do you get it today? When I'm convinced that God's able it literally reassures, it founds my beliefs. My beliefs aren't based on what I can explain or can't explain.
They're based on the fact I know Christ. When you begin to doubt God you begin to doubt His word. How people say well you know but the Bible says such and such. And then I look around and I say well if the Bible says such and such then why is such and such happening in the world? Listen to me you're doubting God's word let me tell you why because before this period of time you began to doubt God. There is a point in your life where God didn't do what you thought He should do or God didn't fulfill your dreams that you felt He should have done.
Somehow God disappointed you, didn't do what you thought and now is showing itself by the fact that I'm doubting His word, I'm doubting His house, I'm doubting everything about God and I'm going to argue through everything and you can do that till the day you die and guess where you're going to end up. Dear friend listen to me my beliefs are not based on people, on circumstances or on feelings. Paul said he didn't say I know what I believe.
We need to get beyond that. He said I know who I believe. Do you know there's just some things that you can't explain? When you know what you believe you can explain it. But when you know who you believe some things you just can't explain. All I can say is it's Christ.
Time to get off this I guess. Let me say this, when you believe God is able you no longer doubt His word. When you're convinced that God's able you no longer have issue with His word. It worries me sometimes I see young men kind of training for the ministry.
They're a little bit too smart for their own good. They can argue with the best of them and they've argued themselves into confusion. And dear friend when you get to the point that you've already begun to doubt His word you are in a dangerous position. Can I recommend you just stop the process right now and get away from the what and get to the who.
Paul said I know. Now think about where he's writing. Think about what he's saying. He's in jail. He is being persecuted for his beliefs. And even in the midst of that most of us would have said I don't believe it anymore let me out. I mean in the middle of persecution I know whom I've believed. Notice this third thing here's the proof and I'm persuaded.
The proclamation is I know. The person is whom I've believed. Then he says this and I'm persuaded that he is able.
This word persuade is interesting. It means that I have been convinced by proof. Listen to me Paul is saying this what I was told I chose to believe and God has proven it. There is no doubt here. You know what the Bible says a double minded man is unstable in all of his ways. Paul is letting everybody know right now I am single minded.
I am focused. There's no doubt. There's no cloud.
There's no haze. I know whom I believed. And not only do I know whom I believed he has persuaded me. He's proven it to me over and over again. You say well you're a preacher if God said it that should settle it.
Yeah absolutely right. And maybe you're spiritual enough where that worked. But the rest of us sometimes had some doubts. God proved it to us over and over again. Listen to me I am persuaded. Now as I close this morning I got some verses I want you to see as I bring to a close my thoughts today. In Romans chapter 8 you know these verses. But just listen to me for a second. Verse 35 says this and you know the verse.
Here it is. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Now let's just stop right there and think. Now if there is anything that could separate you from the love of Christ the Bible says that can't happen. So if there is something that can do that now that means I can doubt everything God said. So if I can find anything that separates me from the love of Christ. Anything that would cause him now to not love me.
If I could find anything like that. Well then that means God's words not true and it means I can doubt everything God said. So we ask this question who shall separate us from the love of God? Now listen he begins to list these things he's been through. Look shall tribulation. Any of you been through some tribulation recently?
Some trials, some testings? Or distress? Has anybody been a bit stressed out recently? Why are you looking at me like some holy rollers out there? Come on.
Any of you all been stressed lately? Hmm, well, hmm. Or persecution?
Now he knows what he's talking about here. In other words if it was possible it would have happened. I mean I've had tribulation. I've had distress, stressful situations in my life. I've been persecuted. Notice this or famine. Anybody missed a week's worth of meals recent?
Don't look at me like that. I know I haven't either. How about this or nakedness or peril? Anybody not have any clothes to put on today?
Thank God you did. Or peril or sword? Is there anything of the things that I've been through that I found that could possibly cause God's promises to fail me? What's interesting is you just, let me give you these two verses after then I'm going to show you the last verse. He says, as it is written for thy sake we are killed all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, or means no, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that love us. Notice this last verse.
If you would put that on there if you would. For I am a what? In other words I knew this and I believed it. But because I've now been through all of these things I'm persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present now nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall separate us. I'm convinced. I'm persuaded.
Look at me. I knew it and I believed it. But now that I've been through all of it God proved it to me. Every one of you in this building if you were honest you'd have to admit God has proven himself to you over and over and over again. And that should absolutely convince you beyond any shadow of a doubt that God is able. Lord I love you today.
Thank you for all that you've done. Lord I get a bit passionate when we begin to discuss the principles that we can't do it. That we're not able but you are. Oh dear God help us to understand today that our beliefs are based in you. We know whom we have believed.
You have proven it over and over again. We believe in a person. God I pray that you'd help many of us not to let people cloud our vision from you.
Our heads are bound and our eyes are closed. I appreciate each of you being here this morning. I want you to know this morning that if you're here and you do not know Christ as your personal Savior. Say preacher what does that mean? It means that you can't be what we call saved because you're a good person or because you've ever been to an altar or because you got baptized. The Bible says for by grace are you saved through faith.
Dear friend has there been a time where you realized you were a sinner? Believe what God's word said and put your faith and trust in Christ. Say preacher I don't know if I'm 100% about that. We got men standing up here in the front when we give an invitation.
We'd love for you to come. We'll send you with someone in privacy, a woman with a woman, a man with a man to show you how from God's word how you can know for sure. This isn't a sales pitch. It's not trying to get you to be a member of our church dear friend.
None of those things save you. This is salvation. This is a Bible thing. Not a church thing. Not a denomination thing. Not a church thing. Not a church thing. Not a church thing. Not a church thing. Not a church thing. Not a church thing. Not a church thing. Not a church thing. Not a church thing. Not a church thing. Not a church thing. Not a church thing. Not a church thing. Not a church thing. Not a church thing. Not a church thing.
