In this eight-part companion series to his book Never Give Up, Dr. Dr. Michael Youssef encourages us to embody Paul’s unwavering confidence in the Gospel. Digging deep into the apostle’s letter known as 2 Timothy, Dr. Youssef exhorts believers everywhere to do all we can to remain true to Christ.

the first time I started preaching consistent preaching ministry in a small church in Sydney Australia. I was a student pastor had just enrolled in seminary. I still remember the first sermon I preached, but I was so nervous that the water, they had a water glass on the lectern and our I was shaking so much holding onto that lectern that the water was spelling To this day. Almost 50 years later. I still get nervous running up the stairs to the election to preach because I’m handling the most important thing in life, the word of God and to handle the word of God. You you have to be in the fear and trepidation because my goal in life is to honor the Lord, honor his word and preach it faithfully in his brand new book. Never give up Dr Michael Yousef unpacks paul’s rich words of encouragement found in second timothy words that will help you endure, flourish and thrive in the midst of doubt. Danger and despair. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount. And received two bonus resources exclusively from leading the way. Order your copy of Dr Yousef’s newest book? Never give up by giving a gift of any amount contact us today. Mm hmm. Never before has our nation been so divided, so distracted, so prone to seeking our own way. Yet for the believer, we are called to a hope that does not disappoint, join. Leading the ways newest initiative awake. America. A call to God’s people to pray for a spiritual awakening like we’ve never witnessed before. We are asking bible believing christians all over the country to join us as we pray in our neighborhoods, our cities and on our campuses pray that God will bring salvation and revival to our land. Brothers and sisters partner with leading the way by joining this growing movement to awake America together we can proclaim the uncompromising truth of christ To join with us on this critical mission, visit us online at Awake America 2022.com dr yusef said we should pray for revival, should call out for it. That’s our prayer right now euros in victory and now you’re seeded forever withdrawal. Sing it to the Lord Church so I should my heart feel what now we’re trusting you while you can’t break through. Do you believe in church? Yeah. Right, come on church, put those hands together, let’s sing this together. Come on, can you? Mhm. Mhm. It’s not a mhm Change. Mhm I’m singing out, come on church. Right, okay, mm hmm. Right, yeah. Mhm Yeah. Mhm. Mhm Come away cut. Yes, okay, the irish. Mm hmm, mm hmm. I think most genuine believers in the Lord jesus christ. No, that satan is a liar and the father of lies, satan’s commitment is to obliterate the truth of the word of God and replace it with falsehood. That’s what he and all of his demons are constantly working and doing again. Probably there’s nobody understood this as much as this, this particular deception, as much as the apostle paul. And that is why in 2nd Timothy chapter two verse 14, he says to the next generation, to the next generation leaders, not only to believe the truth, but to pass it on to the next generation. Something we have been very conscious about in this church and we’ve been going through this second epistle. The very last letter that the apostle paul wrote, we don’t know if it was days or weeks, certainly not months after writing this, that he was taken and beheaded and died. And so this is a very intense epistle is a very intense letter. You can feel it in every word that is in the page of that letter we saw in the last message, the first half Of Chapter two and 2nd Timothy. He gave us three image res that help us in our faithfulness, in passing on the truth to the next generation. And here in the second half of Chapter two, he gives us three more image res as if to build up those six imagery is together, can help us truly be faithful in our service of the Lord. These three image res for faithful service are a good worker, a worker who is not ashamed of what he’s doing, working hard. Secondly, a clean vessel, A vessel that is always ready to be used for honorable things. And then thirdly, the third image is a servant who is loyal and obedient to his master. Let’s look at this very quickly, a worker who is not ashamed. The very reason for serving diligently. The very reason for working faithfully. Um serving the Lord is not to please others and make others feel good about themselves. Good as that might be. It is not even to please oneself. The very reason for faithfulness. The main reason and the ultimate reason for faithfulness is to please the Lord. Why are the false preachers should be ashamed Because when their work is only for the show, it’s only to impress people. It’s only for the prize of people. There ought to be ashamed of themselves. When it is not to please the Lord. First and foremost, they ought to be ashamed of themselves. And yet those very who have every reason to be ashamed. They are shameless. That is why any ministry, any ministry whatsoever must be done for the glory of God alone. We ought not to have personal or hidden agenda. In other words, be straightforward. The word of God is always clear. The word of God is always straight. The word of God is always plain. And paul is saying to timothy, keep it that way. Keep it that way. Nobody’s saying that everybody is going to accept our message. No one said that everybody is going to be saved, beloved listen to me, loving people does not mean we compromise the integrity of the word of God. Loving people does not mean that we compromise the truth. No being straightforward. We might suffer rejection. We must suffer alienation. We might suffer discrimination and even we might suffer persecution. But whatever you do stay as a workman who will not be ashamed when you face jesus on that great day. Verse 16, avoid godless chatter. In other words, don’t get drawn into this foolish discussion, don’t get drawn into discussing issues that have already been settled in the word of God long ago. Doing so ruins people and brings about ungodly nous. The greek word. He uses this catastrophe from which you get the word catastrophe, compromise does not build up a person. It tears them down and brings about disaster catastrophe, compromise leads to false teaching and false teaching leads to ungodly nous. The legacy of false teaching is false living and false living leads to a catastrophe. False teaching is like Gangrene. Did you see that? He used the word gangrene got translated gangrene. I mean it is amazing. Look at verse 17 in other words, it’s infectious. Don’t take it lightly. It is infectious. It spreads so fast, it is deadly because the sinful human heart is more comfortable with compromise. And paul is writing to timothy and to us and he mentions through specific people and he mentions them by name. These two people allowed themselves to be misled ended up departing from the faith altogether. I tell you, there is not a week that passes by, I hear some preacher fall, some musician christian musician fall. It is absolutely heartbreaking And he names those two people human ideas and felicitas. Isn’t it amazing that geminis means the singing man before we get to wear him and for leaders from flower, which you know that means love means a lover or a loving and yet one is a false singer and the other is a false lover. one is singing the wrong songs and the other has a misplaced love and here’s what you and I must never, never, never forget. Don’t miss this. Don’t miss this please, because deceivers are very attractive. People. Deceivers are like the devil himself. They appear as angels of light. Deceivers are very charming people. Deceivers are very eloquent deceivers are great communicators. What they do is they take a grain of truth and a rapid in a whole lot of falsehood or a drop of poison and they sugarcoat it, paul said, avoid such people, verse 18, let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity. I believe the Apostle paul here is quoting from moses in the Book of Numbers. Chapter 16 verse five because back then there was a a man by the name of Cora who managed to persuade a few others and the Israelite community to oppose the plan of God. For redeeming them from Egypt the slavery of Egypt cora was rebelling against the plan of God. And God literally open the ground and swallowed them. And that’s what Paula said, depart from iniquity. Don’t be like cora and company. The second image imagery, the apostle paul gives us here in being faithful is a clean vessel. In the big house. You look some of the castles and the things you see and you see in a big house you see those on television, there are all sorts of utensils and cutlery and pots and pans and large numbers of them. And the church of jesus christ worldwide, the global Church of christ, the elect of God from every nation, every tribe. They come in all sorts. We are like those utensils, we like those equipment in the home except listen carefully, except as people, we have a choice to be a silver spoon or a dirty bucket. There are utensils that the master of the house proudly displays and there’s some rusty ones. He soon just put in the basement and hide in the basement. Listen to me those who are faithful to the Lord and to his word, the infallible Word of God, both old and new testaments. Those who are faithful to plow in straight lines, our instrument of those who twist the truth and preach and teach and speak half truth. Those who teach their own ideas, our instrument of dishonor as far as God is concerned, listen to what the word of God said. If any of you, if anyone purifies himself, he will be used by the master. There can be no higher honor imaginable in life than being an instrument in the hand of God. There is no greater honor in life than being at the disposal of the Lord to use us as he wishes. But there’s a condition. I did not make up that condition. What is it? What is that condition? Cleanliness and purity? Oh, are you preaching perfection now? No, no, no, no, no, no! Don’t. Don’t miss. Don’t miss. Don’t miss. This. Perfection is only going to happen when we get to heaven. Can I get an amen? I can’t wait. But cleanliness and purity is not perfection. It’s not perfection versus 22 and 23 Paul said that we can actually purify ourselves. We can only be saved by God’s power and grace. That’s the only way, not by our works, but once we saved, we can continuously purify ourselves. He said, Michael. How do I do that by confession? By repentance. You see, repentance is not just for sinners who don’t know. Christ in repentance. Come and believe in them. Repentance ought to be the lifestyle of every believer, not rationalizing sin, not explaining it away, not justifying it. And then paul goes on to say shun youthful passions. As soon as you hear that there are two things that you will miss. Some people think of the just sexual morality. There’s the sexual sins and other people think, well, that’s just for the young people. I want to disabuse you of both. Okay, listen to me very carefully. Please, youthful passion means more. It means self assertion. It means self indulgence. It means headstrong. It means being obstinate. It means being arrogant. See, these are the normally things associated with the early ages of adolescence when I have met adolescents in this church who absolutely amazed me at their strength and maturity. But this is just the general idea. But the person at any age should have nothing to do with that. These temptations are there for the old and the young alike, to be sure they are associated with adolescence, but everybody ought to flee from those kinds of things. There is a common mistake among believers. There’s a common era. I want to explain it to you and I know you’ll understand as soon as they explain it, the bible said, flee from temptation. But resist the devil, flee from what resist who? There’s a reason for that. God knows us. He made us. He knows us inside out. And he gave us that delicate formula. Because God knows that is much easier to resist the devil and flee from temptation. Here’s what many christians fall into the make the mistake of reversing those orders. You know what I mean? They reversed them. They try to resist the temptation. Then they flee from the devil. When you try to resist temptation, you’ve got a big percentage. You have a chance to fall in it. But if you flee from it, you’ve got 99.9% chance of avoiding it fleeing from the devil should not be the case why? Because you have to stand mano a mano with the devil. You stir him down and you can do what I do. I talk to the devil, I say to the devil, you’re a defeated foe, You’re a toothless lion. You cannot have any authority over me because I am redeemed by the blood of jesus christ. What the scripture? Nothing shall separate us from the love of God, not even you devil. And you know what? When you stand your ground and you resist the devil, you know what happens. The devil is the one who flees. That’s what the way that God said. I’m not making it up. But a lot of believers linger and try to fight temptation and then instead of fleeing, and then they get themselves a bigger chance of falling into it. But then when we flee, we don’t just flee to nowhere or two. Nothing, no, no, no, no, no. We flee to righteousness. The bible is so clear. We are today, I deny ourselves and follow jesus or we are to put off what belongs to the flesh to the old nature. Put on what belongs to the new nature that we are to put to death our earthly members and set our minds on things above. We are to crucify the flesh and walk in the spirit. We are to be ruthlessly rejecting one and relentlessly pursue the other. Now, beloved listen, this is the secret. If there is a secret, there’s such thing, This is a secret to victory. This is the secret to Godly living. The third imagery, if you’re following with me, follow, please the apostle paul gives us a third imagery here, and that’s of obedient loyal servant, just like the worker. Not ashamed because he cut straight lines, just like a vessel that is continuously cleansing itself for good use. The servant always obedient and loyal in the not so good old days. You know how people talk about the good old days and they’re not so good old days in the days of slavery, a slave had an overriding duty, obey his master, doing the will of his master and he does that. Whether he agrees with the master or not, whether he likes what the masters asked him to do or not. Our loyalty, our obedience is to the boss. Satan is forever trying to entrap us. Have divided loyalty to have partial obedience. And if you think that I don’t know what that is, you would be terribly mistaken. I am forever alert of the fact when I’m being trapped. Look at Verse 26, being willing and joyful servant will equip us not to fall in satan’s traps, but not only that, but we help others not to fall into satan’s traps or if they do, we’re able to help them be rescued. I’m constantly reminding myself of this, you and I building a spiritual house. We are the workmen and women in the building of that house where the utensils in that house, we are the servants to the master of the house. So whether you live in contempt or contentment in your house, whether you live in peace or endless pain, whether you live in the depth of depression or the height of heights, it depends and how you see yourself in relationship to the master of the house. Do you see yourself being a worker, not ashamed of your work being an instrument that is clean and pure, ready for the hard work in the hand of the master or as a servant, willing to obey the master. It’s up to you and it’s up to me. Oh my prayer to God that I And everyone, at the sound of my voice would say, Yes, Lord, that’s me. And if not you can say yes Lord, that’s what I want to be Okay. Mhm. Never give up is now available on all outlets bookstores online. Please take this and give it as a gift to your pastor. Give it as a gift to your sunday school teacher. Read it market and inwardly digested it will encourage you and motivate you to walk with christ every day, learn the keys to spiritual endurance, overcome spiritual burnout and train up the next generation to stand firm on biblical truth with dr Yousef’s new book, Never give up Dr Michael Yousef unpacks paul’s rich words of encouragement, found in second timothy words that will help you endure flourish and thrive in the midst of doubt, danger and despair. In this encouraging book, dr yusef unveils four unique aspects of what it means to never give up biblical truth. A timely message as christians around the world face mounting pressure to compromise their faith and abandon their biblical values. Request your copy today for your gift of any amount and received two bonus resources exclusively from leading the way. Be empowered to live for christ and learn how to leave a lasting legacy of faith for the next generation. Order your copy of Dr Yousef’s newest book, Never give up today by giving a gift of any amount, contact us today passionately proclaiming uncompromising truth. Leading the way with Dr Michael Yousef thanks you for your faithful support through your continued prayers and gifts.