1. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure a. In spite of the fact that people Christians were straying from the

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1 Title: Nevertheless Text: 2 Timothy 2:19 Announcements: Opening: Have you ever felt like giving up? Has it ever seemed like the entire world was against you? Yet, in spite of those things, you #Continued because you know that you were doing right!?!? The full force of the Roman Empire was coming to bear upon the Apostle Paul Nevertheless Hymenaeus, Philetus, Alexander, and other individuals had turned their backs on the Paul Nevertheless Churches and communities whom Paul had diligently served were departing from the truth Nevertheless Even Timothy may have been a little shaky in his resolve which may be why Paul addressed this second letter to him Nevertheless I love that word, nevertheless! It s a conjunction which joins vs. 18 to vs. 19. People had strayed from the truth; the faith of some had been destroyed Nevertheless! 1. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure a. In spite of the fact that people Christians were straying from the truth b. In spite of the fact that the faith of some had been destroyed c. The foundation of God stands sure! Paul had no doubts; he was fully confident that the foundation of God stood firm! d. What is the foundation of God? For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:11 [Jesus] saith unto [His disciples], But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

2 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:15-18 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. 1 Timothy 3:15 i. The foundation is TRUTH! That truth is found in God s Word and maintained and proclaimed by the church! Quote: Our Lord never taught us to hide the gospel in little rooms down back alleys The church is not a cellar to conceal the truth, but a pillar to display it The church should be like a lighthouse, which is often built as a tall pillar to bear the light at its summit, and like a memorial column which bears a statue upon the top of it, she should lift up the truth of God before the gaze of all men. Charles Spurgeon ii. The foundation cannot be destroyed! 1. People may refuse to receive the truth, 2. Scoffers may deny the truth, 3. Heretics may reject the truth, 4. Politicians may legislate against the truth, 5. Christians may leave the truth, 6. So-called religious organizations may replace the truth 7. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure! 8. Not even Satan and his forces of evil can overcome the truth! As long as this church South Charlotte Baptist Church continues to uphold the truth of God s Word than not even the gates of hell will be able to prevail against us! iii. Allow me to share some truths that we must always keep in front of us 1. There is a God. There is only one God and His name is not Allah!

3 IN the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Genesis 1:1 2. All men are wicked sinners deserving of hell-fire! For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God Romans 3:23 For the wages of sin is death Romans 6:23 3. God loves the world and died upon the cross to pay the penalty that all of mankind. But God commendeth [demonstrated] his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 4. Eternal life is only possible through faith in Jesus Christ Who died for us! Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6 2. The Lord knoweth them that are His a. This should be a comforting thought! My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father s hand. John 10: b. When others have forgotten you or turned their backs on you, God knows those who belong to Him. He knows those whom He has adopted into His family. I once was an outcast stranger on earth, a sinner by choice, an alien by birth, But I ve been adopted, my name s written down, an heir to a mansion, a robe and a crown.

4 I m a child of the King, a child of the King: with Jesus my Savior, I m a child of the King. c. What is amazing to me is the fact that there is quite possibly an individual or individuals seated in this auditorium this morning who aren t 100% sure that they are saved or not! For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. 1 John 5:7 [God] hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts. 2 Corinthians 1:22 d. In 2 Timothy 2:19 Paul says, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. God knows who belongs to Him; Jesus the Word knows who belongs to Him; and the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer knows who belongs to Him. e. Therefore, we must understand what 1 John 5:12-13 says He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. f. For those reasons, there is absolutely no reason why anyone should leave here this morning not knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are saved and on their way to Heaven. 3. Depart from iniquity a. If you know Christ as your Savior you belong to the King! b. Instead of departing from the truth, as some have done and are doing, we should depart from iniquity from sin. Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. Hebrews 3:12

5 c. There is an old saying, Sin will keep you from the Bible or the Bible will keep you from sin! d. Christian, are you harboring sin in your heart and life? Do you need to, this morning, confess it and turn from it? If you don t turn from that sin it will in time lead you further from the truth. He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. Proverns 28:13 e. Christian, depart from iniquity and #Continue in the truth. #Continue upon that foundation that standeth sure! Closing: I dare you. Look to the right, and look to the left Look at the children and look at the teens around you. Many of them will be familiar faces. They are the faces of your friends sons and daughters. They are the friends that your children bring home after youth group. They are your children the ones who have been faithfully following you to church for years. Now, imagine that two-thirds of them have just disappeared It s time to wake up and see the tidal wave washing away the foundation of your church. These are some of the opening words written by Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis from a book he co-authored entitled, Already Gone. We must recommit ourselves to #Continue in the truth. If not, America will become just like England, the country that was once a cornerstone of Christianity that is now, by and large, a wasteland of lost souls where the word God has many different definitions, with so few these days who would even think of God as the Creator God of the Bible. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 2 Timothy 2:19