THE SECRET CONCLUSION OF THIS AGE

Photo taken from B Smith's kitchen window

  333 - THE SECRET CONCLUSION OF THIS AGE

  December 30, 1973

  Pastor Henry F. Kulp

I Corinthians  15: 51 - 58 

Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is they sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 There, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

This is a marvelous chapter—the resurrection chapter. To start with this morning I want to contrast two verses in this chapter. Verse 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ,  we are of all men most miserable.

This would reduce the Christian life to a here and now affair. But this is exactly what the left-wing teachers and preachers are doing. They make Christ a great teacher, a 

Way-shower, telling us what needs to be done in our present day and age. Is it any wonder that many of our young people are disillusioned, for the world is no better today than it was ten years ago—as a matter of fact, it is worse, and Paul sets up a principle here that tells us Christianity is not mainly for this world. It has some fringe benefits, but the main thrust is not for here and now.

 1/  Now the next verse I’d like you to see is Verse 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

The word that is important here is the word victory. The Christian life has victory. Many talk about a victorious life, but this victory is not a victory that takes place on earth in this present day and age, but is a future one. Every true child of God is promised victory.  And that is what we want to study this morning.

2/  This age will end with a secret—it started with a secret and it ends with a secret. It started with the blinding of Israel. Romans 11: 25  For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.

There could be no church, the body of Christ, until Israel was blinded. So the Age of Grace opens with a secret and closes with a secret.

3/  Verse  51 WE SHALL NOT ALL SLEEP. Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, What a lovely word this is to describe the condition of those who have died in Jesus Christ.  Let us see it again. 

I Thessalonians  4: 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

And here it means, put to sleep by Jesus.  And this, of course, refers to the physical body.

4/   But then we are told, but we shall not all sleep.  There is going to be one generation that will not die. There will be one generation that will be an exception.

5/   There are three reasons why believers want the Rapture, or this secret to take place.

1. They are unhappy with life here and now. Life is a burden so they want the

Rapture to take place so they can escape their life situation. But this should not be so. The believer should not be longing for the Rapture to escape the problems of life. God has given us the Bible, doctrine in that Bible, and promises so that we can have joy in this life.

2. Then there are those who are afraid to die. Some want to escape the Valley of the Shadow. It is probably true that many of them are afraid of how they will die.

II Corinthians  5: 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

3. They love the Lord and want to be with the Lord. II 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.

To love His appearing means they love Him, it means they are overwhelmed by their love for Him. That they want to be with Him. The things on earth have grown strangely dim as they contemplate this meeting. 

6/  But it matters not whether we live, or die in Christ, we shall be changed. It makes no difference whether we are dead, or not. 

This truth is also taught in I Thessalonians 4: 16 - 18. For the Lord himself shall depend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of god: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and rempinshall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

It could be this present generation that will not die. That we do not know.

7/  There is a terrible gimmick used by some who claim to love the Bible. They try to scare people into living for the Lord Jesus. They say if you are doing anything displeasing to the Lord at the time of the Rapture, you will not go up. You should live for the Lord, but it makes no difference whether in fellowship, or out of fellowship with the Lord, you will go up. 

8/   CHANGED  In the Greek it is AL - LAS’ – SO and it means to make different.  So you see, we are going to be changed. Made different. I am sure this will be a victory for us. For instead of having a human body, we will have a spiritual body.

9/   HOW LONG TO CHANGE OVER? It is the word, moment, which is AT - OM - OS and this means an atom of time. This means 1, 10 millionth of a second. Try to measure that if you can. Do you know of any instrument that is capable of measuring a 10 millionth of a second? 

10/  At the last trump. Some say this makes it Jewish—not at all. Why is it called the last trump? The expression was very familiar to people in those days. It was in common use in the Roman army. When a Roman camp was about to be broken up, whether in the middle of the night or day, the trumpet was sounded. The first blast meant, strike tents,  and prepare to depart. The second meant, fall into line, and when that which was called the last trump was sounded it meant march away. The Apostle uses that figure of speech and when the last trump is sounded this age is over, and we march away to be with the Lord. 

11/  The dead and the living are brought forth here. So we have two groups, the dead and the living. 

12/  Verse 53  Corruptible speaks of those who are dead, mortal as those who are living.  A mortal can die, but he puts on immortality so he cannot die. 

13/  Verse 54  Then is an important key word in this verse.  Only when the Rapture takes place will the saying be brought to pass—death is swallowed up in victory.  This is a quote from Isaiah 25: 8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from all all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.

And the words “swallowed up” means to DRINK DOWN we have a phrase that is similar to it today—BOTTOMS UP we mean that we drain the last bit that is in the glass, so there is nothing left in the glass. So death is completely abolished for us in this event. 

14/  Verse 55 O death, where is they sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

Here Paul quotes Hosea 13: 14 I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.

When the grave claims the body of the believer it is a victory for the grave. And there is a sting in death. Have you ever lost a loved one? You know the bitter tears that flow.  You don’t cry for the one who dies, but you cry for those who are left behind, and there is a sense in which the body is left in the grave. 

15/  TRY TO IMAGINE IF YOU CAN, NO MORE PARTING, NO MORE FUNERALS, DEATH IS BANISHED.  What a comforting truth this is. 

16/  Verse 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 

The sting of death is sin and this refers to the old sin nature. That is the sting of death—in having an old sin nature. And the strength of the old sin nature is the law. This is because the law proves we have an old sin nature. But yet there is another reason for saying the strength of sin is the law. But when you personally keep the law, are able for a period of time to keep the Ten Commandments, what have you produced? Human good, which is as filthy rags. This is all self-righteousness, which is completely rejected by God. 

17/  Verse 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The word, thanks, is the word grace.  So it should read, grace to God.  Then the word, giveth, is another key.  Grace and giving go hand in hand. The victory is given to us because of grace. Not who and what we are, but who and what God is and what He has done. But how the old nature hates the grace of God.

18/  Verse 58 There, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Here He shows that the contemplation of this victory is a motivation to service. 

      1.  Be ye, is literally, become. IT IS PRESENT, ACTIVE IMPERATIVE, and it means keep on continuously becoming stedfast.

      2.  Beloved brethren, shows they are saved. Carnal but saved I Corinthians 3: 1 - 3 And I, brethren, couldn’t speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. 2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for thitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. 3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men 

      3.  There are three applications of this victory to the believer’s life. 

           1.  Stability in time. Romans 16: 25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and he preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

           2.  Production in Time

           3. Purpose in Time

19/   We are to be steadfast, unmovable, and the word, steadfast means to be

stabilized, and the word, unmovable, is unshakable. This same thought is given to us

in Ephesians 4: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and

carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness,

whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

20/   Abounding means multiplying the work of the Lord. How many believers are just

plain lazy?

21/   And there should be a purpose in time. Your labor is not in vain. Your work is not in

vain, empty, or useless.

AMEN

Ref: 12/30/1973 / 333 - THE SECRET CONCLUSION OF THIS AGE / 04/11/2020

GRACE IS THE ANSWER

321 - GRACE IS THE ANSWER

December 28, 1976

Pastor Henry F. Kulp

Ephesians  2: 7 - 10  That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Here we have a beautiful portion of Scripture. Most of you know two of the four verses by heart, and I would like you to know all four of them and see the wonderful truths that are presented here.

1/  God, of course, has a plan and it is not a series of accidents, lucking out and working out.  God is a perfect God, and of course, a perfect God had produced only a perfect plan.

2/  We have to see that there are three divisions in the believer’s life. 

  #1 is salvation.

  

  #2 is life on this earth before we die, or are raptured. 

  #3 eternity when we are with the Lord. Vs. 7 is the third division—eternity for the believer. Vs. 8, 9 are division #1—this is salvation, passing from death into life, passing from a child of Satan to a child of God. Vs. 10 is a division of # 2, our life after salvation on this earth—prior to death or rapture. We want to look at these three sections and see what God has to say.

3/  Vs. 7 that in the ages to come. That introduces a purpose clause, because He is going to do something for us in the ages to come. IN THE AGES THAT ARE COMING ONE UPON ANOTHER. So this means eternity future, God is going to do something for us.  

4/  HE MIGHT SHOW is a very interesting word in the Greek—N - DIKE - NEW - ME - and it means to show, to manifest, to give outward proof, to demonstrate. THAT HE MIGHT BY OUTWARD DEMONSTRATION 

5/  What is He going to show us?  The exceeding riches of His grace.  The word, exceeding is HOOP - PEAR - BAL - O. Balo means to throw.  And hoop means beyond, and here it can mean super, and it is in the Present Tense. That means he’s going to continue doing this throughout all eternity —all during division # 3. What a future we have!  Riches, or wealth, so that He might outwardly demonstrate to us, the super-wealth of His grace. Romans 5: 20 Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

6/  How will this differ from His demonstration of Grace today? Today we are saved and kept by grace, but He is not able to demonstrate His super-wealth of grace to us, because we still have our old nature. He has to send suffering into our lives, He has to train us, correct us, and then from time to time send prosperity into our lives. But in eternity future we will be minus the old nature, and all God will shower upon us will be prosperity, no need for suffering, or correction. What a future lies ahead for us, we do get glimpses of it at this present time, but only a glimpse. 

7/  Then also, we have to see that we couldn’t stand to have anything but prosperity.  We would be insufferable, self-centered, and we would want glory rather than giving it to God. 

8/  Grace means everything for nothing.  We might ask the question, how much grace is a super-wealth of Grace? Romans 5: 20 Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 

There we see a superabounding amount of Grace. Far more then we can ever comprehend. And God is going to be permitted to reveal this to us in eternity future. 

9/  IN HIS KINDNESS

Kindness, CRAY - STOW - TACE And it means generosity.  God has a perfect  generosity.  Here is a father who has a son.  He is always out of line, doing that which is wrong, so the father cannot demonstrate his generosity, because he is constantly discipling, correcting, but the time comes when the son decides to change his lifestyle, then his father begins to show his generosity. It is the son who is holding back the father’s generosity.  IN CHRIST JESUS all of this is true because we have union with Christ.

10/  Vs. 8, 9 Now we are in division # 1. By grace are ye saved.  It is in Perfect Tense in the Greek.  It is something that happened in all the past that goes on forever.  That is the cross.

11/  Through faith.  This is the instrumentality of Salvation, Faith and Grace are the important sections of salvation.  Grace is the divine part, faith is the human part. The only things you do is believe, and there is no merit in believing. It is the gift of God.  And it should read, Not out from yourselves.  The word, that, is two-toe and it is neuter gender.  Grace and faith are feminine gender, so that cannot modify grace or faith, but rather salvation.

12/  It is a gift of God.

13/ Not of works—what does this mean?  That means not of human good.  We need to see we have an old nature that is not only capable of sin, but it is capable of human good—doing many fine things. But we need to see that human good is dead. Hebrews 6: 1  Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God.

All human good works are dead works. They are dead as far as God is concerned, not as far as man is concerned. Then we need to see they are not only dead to God, but they are not acceptable to God. Isaiah  64: 6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. 

All the nice things we do, all the kind things we do are rags.  

14/  Human good cannot save man. Romans  11: 6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

II Timothy  1: 9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,

Titus 3: 5, 7 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

15/  Let us notice the old nature and human good. Man was created without a sin nature, therefore he did know human good. But when man fell, man received an old sin nature, and the first thing man did after he sinned was human good. We have operation fig-leaves. The first thing was not sinful, but human good, trying to cover his nakedness.  

16/  Lest any man should boast. What does it mean to boast? To find something in your life that makes you look good. Man is constantly doing this in religion.

I Corinthians 1: 30, 31 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, redemption: 31 That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. 

I Corinthians 4: 7 For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?

AMEN 

REF: 12/26/1976 / 321 - GRACE IS THE ANSWER / 04/10/2020

GOD'S SUPERMAN

88 - God’s Superman
December 23, 1973 
Pastor Henry F. Kulp






Philippians 2: 5 - 8 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Here we have one of the most important Scriptures that we can study and understand. It has to do with the hypostatic union. The most neglected and yet one of the most important subjects in the Bible. I am sure that most of you say, what does that mean?

1/ It is a doctrine over which there has been much controversy since the beginning of the Age of Grace. Most cults have not understood this truth.

2/ In the person of Christ, there are two natures inseparably united. WITHOUT MIXTURE, WITHOUT LOSS, OR TRANSFER OF THESE ATTRIBUTES— WITHOUT LOSS OF SEPARATE IDENTITY. Christ is both God and man. He has identity as God and identity as man.

3/ The cults say Jesus Christ is Deity and not humanity. Or, they say He is humanity and not Deity. They cannot understand this union. Some say He was God, but when He became man, He gave up His Deity and, of course, this is impossible.

4/ In vs.6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: He was in the form of God. Here it speaks of His Deity. HE THOUGHT IT NOT FORGERY TO USE GOD’S SIGNATURE WITH HIS LIPS. 

He kept saying, “I AM”. John 18: 8 Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way:

Here Christ says, “I AM”. If He is not God, then He is guilty of a terrible deed. He was guilty of forgery. If I go down to the bank and I want some money because I need some money, but I haven’t any money in the bank, and I know I haven’t any money in the bank. I pick up a check and write out an amount--say $5,000, and I know that you have $5,000 in the bank, so I sign your name, and then cash the check against your account. I am breaking the law--I am a forger. I am guilty of a crime and spend time in prison. If Christ used the Name of God and He is not God, then He is not worth believing in, trusting in. He is a criminal.

5/ Satan desired to be equal with God. Isaiah 14: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

And he was the highest of all God’s creation. He was the anointed cherub, he was the sum, full of beauty and wisdom, but he wasn’t satisfied. He wanted to be like God. BUT ONLY GOD CAN BE LIKE GOD. SO, THEREFORE, JESUS CHRIST MUST BE GOD.

6/ You remember Eve. This was her sin. Genesis 3: 5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

She thought it was not robbery to be equal with God. The only One who can make that statement is Jesus Christ.

Now, I would like you to see vs. 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: He took upon Him the form of a slave and was made in the likeness of men.

LIKENESS
HOM-OY-O-MAH. It means He was like a member of the human race, but also, He was different. In that in His humanity, He was superior to any man who ever lived. No member of the human race was as strong as He, as great as He, as intelligent as He, or as brave, or anything else.

8/ HE HAD THE SAME PHYSICAL STRUCTURE, BUT HE WAS DIFFERENT—A male of the species.

How I dislike religious art—Christ with a scrawny, weak body. He was the most powerful that ever lived. In His humanity, He was a man in every sense of the word, but He was the greatest Man who ever lived. He was a superman.

9/ Let me show you a few of the reasons why He became a man:

    1/ TO BE OUR SAVIOUR 
He died to be our Saviour. He could not die as Deity, Jesus Christ as God is Eternal Life, and Eternal Life cannot die. As God, He is omnipresent. In other words, everywhere present, and He could not reduce Himself to one place, the cross, if He were not a man.

    2/ MEDIATOR  
I Timothy 2: 5, 6 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. 6 The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits. Jesus Christ in His divine nature could not be a Mediator. He had to be a man. 

Let us look at Job 9: 1, 2, 32, 33. Then Job answered and said, 2 I know it is so of a truth: but how should man be just with God? 32 For he is not a man, as I am, that I should answer him, and we should come together in judgment. 33 Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both.

A Mediator must be equal with both parties of the Mediation. He had to be both God and man. The only way to bridge the gap between God and man was to become a man. As God He could not. But as God and man, He could.

    3/ KING OF THE JEWS 
One of the promises given to David was that from Him would come One Who would be King. The program of Israel was four-fold: a land, a seed, a throne and a king.

Zechariah 14: 9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.

Psalms 72: 11 Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.
As Deity, He could not be the King of the world. He had to be a Man to be King.

10/ John 8: 58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. We have His Deity. In John 19: 28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. He said, “I thirst.” Deity cannot thirst.

John 8: 39, 40 They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. 40 But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. 

John 4: 6 Now Jacob's well waas there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. 7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. 

He grew tired (just as a man) and needed sleep. Being in the fashion of a man he needed sleep and water.

11/ Philippians 2: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

FOUND
U-RISK-O. And, it means recognized. Having been recognized in fashion. And the word Fashion, in the Greek SKAY-MAH. THIS IS AN OVERT LIKENESS. This Scripture should read, Having been recognized in outward appearance as a Man, He humbled Himself. Again, Deity cannot be humbled. Only a Creature, or man can be humbled. This is another reason for Him becoming a man.

12/ OBEDIENT
WHO-PAY-KOSE means total obedience, total submission to authority. In this case it is to the Father’s authority as a Judge, as God judged the sin of the world in Christ, and it should be to the extent of death, even the death of the cross. He didn’t die a heroic death. He didn’t die a normal death. It isn’t a matter that He just died, but that He died an accursed death. He didn’t die quietly among HIs friends, or on the battlefield, but He died as a criminal. In our day, the gallows, or the electric chair would be the same.

13/ It was a death of shame--that is why it annoys me to see women with crosses as jewelry, for that seems so beautiful. The cross is not a thing of beauty, the cross is a thing of shame. Galatians 3:13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

14/ Philippians 2: 9 - 11 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

THE SON OF GOD HONORED
Because of all this, He has been highly exalted, and none of this would have been possible if He had not been born in Bethlehem of the Virgin.

AMEN

Ref: 12/23/1973 / 88 - GOD'S SUPERMAN / 4/10/2020

YOU AND PHYSICAL FITNESS

Photo taken by B Smith from the Kitchen Window

   248 - YOU AND PHYSICAL FITNESS

   June 10, 1962

   Pastor Henry F. Kulp

 

I Timothy 4: 7 - 11 But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. 8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, an of that which is to come. 9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. 10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living god, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. 11 These things command and teach.

Here we are told to refuse profane and old wives fables, and this is rather difficult to understand, but the word, fable, here is the word, myth, and it actually means tradition. In those days, a great deal of teaching was given by story. Today we could call it folk-lore--that is all tradition is--folk-lore. These were used by public speakers traveling from market-place to market-place, and in order to earn a living, they would give what we call lectures. People would stand for hours listening to these myths, to these traditions, to this folk-lore, and Paul wrote to Timothy telling him not to fall into the habit of the popular speaking method of that day.

1/ As you know, many in the church had fallen into this habit, and had fallen prey to this awful, awful habit, traditions, folk-lore and myths had taken the place of sound doctrine in the Bible. 

2/ But, to understand this fully--it is something that we would have a hard time understanding, because it is something that is much harder for a young man like Timothy, or any other preacher of that day, than it is for a young preacher now in our day. Today, we send a young man to Bible school or college and seminary. There were no schools then for young men to go to and prepare for the ministry. Now, when a young man goes to Bible School and College and Seminary, he has time to get quite a library together. He can get books by some of the greatest preachers of our day and days gone by.  Of course, we always recommend that young preachers get good libraries. But Timothy couldn’t do that. Timothy’s reading was limited. He had some of the Pauline Epistles, but he didn’t have other books--expositions on Paul’s writings by some other people, and so it would be a temptation for Timothy to follow the popular method of telling strange stories, or folk-lore, or leaning upon tradition to try to explain things.     

3/ But, you will find there are those who do not care to take time to study the Word--they try to study what everyone else has to say--they are interested in tradition and folklore, so they don’t spend much time in the Word of God, but Timothy is exhorted here--know what the Word of God teaches, and then proclaim it

4/ The word, refuse, is the word, shun. Then you will notice that you have the word, exercise twice--once in vs. 7 and once in vs. 8. In vs. 7 it is exercise thyself unto godliness, and in vs. 8 it says, for bodily exercise profiteth little. It actually should be bodily exercise is of small profit. It has some profit, but not a great deal of profit. 

5/ The word, exercise, is the word from which we get our word, gymnasium, or gymnastics, and it means exercise. Paul says that bodily exercise will do some good, but spiritual exercise unto godliness is the one that is important.

6/ You have heard President Kennedy, and if you have been listening to your radio, and your TV you know there has been much said about the physical culture of our young people, saying that our schools do not have the right kind of exercise. Our children are weaklings—and, so, the emphasis is being put on physical exercise for young people, and of course, this is good. But being a nation of people having strong bodies is not enough. We need a spiritual tone, and spirituality is far more important than physical strength. 

7/ Timothy was a weak individual. He was not a strong young man. He wasn’t a man who could go out and compete in many games and come out victorious. I Timothy 5: 23 Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities--thy many sicknesses. He had much trouble, and he was sick a good bit of the time. But still Paul says, it is not really important how strong you are physically, but how strong are you spiritually?  

8/ There are many churches that are interested in eating, and they can get the crowds out when they have a meal or have some good food prepared. Or, they can put out some real great athletics. They have a tremendous program for physical exercise or play but exercise would be fine in their place-but they have no part in trying to do away with the spiritual. The spiritual is still the most important.  

9/ Let me show you why Paul words it this way to a young, weak man by the name of Timothy. Psalms 22: 26 and here we read, The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek Him: and notice --- your heart will live for ever.  Your heart will live forever?  Your heart is speaking of the inward individual that is the most important, because that will live on forever and ever. 

Ignancy Jan Paderewski, the great pianist, who spent hours every day on a wrist machine, just to strengthen his wrists, and six hour a day in practice at the piano. He died and what happened? His hands were folded and they were cold and stiff, but the inward man lived on forever. It is better to train the inward person than to train the hands. Physical exercise does have benefit, but certainly it cannot be compared to exercise unto godliness, because that lasts forever and ever. Physical fitness can only be for a short season.

10/ You will notice the end of vs. 8 Godliness is profitable having promise in this life, and the life which is to come. Physical fitness will only be good for this life, but exercise unto godliness will be of advantage in this life, because we will be happier, we will certainly enjoy life more, and we will have benefits in the future life. Because there rewards that we can gain for the future life.

11/ God never condone a weak spiritual believer. There are no excuses for one who is weak spiritually. Notice, Ephesians 6: 10. We are told, Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. That is godliness--being strong in the Lord.

12/ Now notice the I Timothy 4: 10 For, therefore, we both labour and suffer reproach, (why) because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.  And it should be, we labor and suffer to the point of exhaustion. It has the thought of agony in it.  We may not do this, but Paul does.  Again, the thought is, which is more important?  The physical which is soon over, even if it is 60, 70, or 80 or 90 years, and Paul said we are willing rather to suffer reproach and persecution.  We are willing to labor to the point where we fall over.  A man may live 100 years old, but if he doesn’t do anything for the Lord Jesus Christ, what value is there in it?  You have heard the saying--There is only one life, it will soon be past, and only what’s done for Christ will last. 

13/ Then notice, Who is the Saviour of all men, especially those who believe.  This is an odd portion of Scripture, isn’t it?  You will notice in your Scofield Bible that the word, Preserver is used instead of Saviour --- He is the Preserver of all men, especially of those that believe.  There is no question here of Christ’s work in salvation.  It is a character of God as creator, as preserver of all men.  Notice, Psalms 36: 6 Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast, and He does just this. Then also you will remember, Matthew 5: 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven; for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. Every good and perfect gift cometh from Him and all men whether saved or unsaved should look on God as the preserver of life. He is the one that has created this universe, who has set up its governing laws, so that life might be preserved. Not only on man, but upon beasts as well, but especially on the saved--He does care for us, we are His special jewels, we are part of His body.

14/ He preserves us not only in this life, but in the life to come, for we are to live with Him throughout all eternity.

15/ I Timothy 4: 12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Timothy was probably from 38 to 40 years old at the time, and many of the other leaders of the church was much older than Timothy. Forty is pretty old when it comes to playing baseball or football, but it is young in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. What we can get out of this portion of Scripture is that it is said that Timothy is told not to let men push him around. Timothy was being despised, and it really says, do not allow anyone to despise you--let no one push you around as a boy.

16/ Then notice, Timothy was to be an example. He was to be a pattern of what the believer ought to be. Timothy wasn’t really a young man by worldly standards--but even with his young years he had spent much with the Word. He probably knew more about the Word than many folks because he had been raised with the Word of God.

17/ He was to be a pattern to those who believed. He was to be a model of the believer.  First of all, in the Word--in other words, but what he had to say, by what came out of his mouth, by his speech, and then in conversation. That means, not talk, but walk, or daily behavior. The way he walked in his daily life. Then in charity--that is, of course, in love.  How many people fail to show any love to their fellow men--how they can be critical and harsh and unlovely.

18/ In spirit. Now many folks say these two words do not belong in the original text. If they do, I am sure it means enthusiasm. This is a quality that is strangely lacking in the makeup of many Christians. You can have plenty of enthusiasm for the football game, or an election campaign, but don’t show any enthusiasm for the Lord or you will be called a fanatic, then you’ll be sorry. We should be enthusiastic for our work for Jesus Christ. Then in Faith, and I think the meaning here is faithfulness. We should be faithful in all that we do. Then in purity. That is in a moral sense--in other words, not just with our actions, but with our minds--have clean minds as well. Timothy was to be an example in all of these things. 

19/ Then in vs.13 Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. He tells him how to have this condition true in his life?  How things come out of his life? First of all, he says, while I am coming--in other words, while I keep on traveling, you want to be sure to give attendance to reading. And here it refers to public reading of the Scriptures in the assembly with comments. In other words, this is by preaching. Timothy is to keep on preaching the Word, making comments on it as he would read it. Then he is to exhort from the Word of God. That means to rebuke, and then in doctrine. Exhortation without doctrine is valueless--that is without teaching.

AMEN

Ref: 06/10/1962 / 248 - YOU AND PHYSICAL FITNESS / 04/01/2020