2Tim 4:6-8
Last Words
I deliberately saved these verses for tonight because these are the
last words that I wanted us to think about as we close not only this
book, but the writings of Paul. As I have told you so many times,
this the last preserved book that Paul wrote. Most of you will have
studied through or at least read through Paul’s life and epistles at
least once.
What do you think he would want us to remember about him?
What do you think he would want us to remember as his last words?
I think these words might be them. Indeed, immediately after, Paul
turns to speaking to Timothy about people they both know, some good
and some bad. It is as is this is his last personal exhortation, not
only to Timothy but to the Christians of all ages, all languages, all
nations who would one day read the Bible.
What did Paul have to say?
I. \\#7\\ We Work Now. Paul expresses our work in three ways.
A. \\#7\\ There is a fight to be fought.
\\#7\\ I have fought a good fight…
1. This statement is similar to the next one, "I have
finished my course."
2. However, is a difference.
a. A fight is a short, brutal, immediate conflict.
(1) When I think of a fight, I think of a street
fight.
(2) Something with no rules and no referees.
b. A race is a long, intense, extended effort.
3. Paul was engaged in both.
a. His fight was prison and perhaps death.
(1) He was in jail for being a Christian.
(2) The charges were unjust and unfair and the
conditions were harsh.
(3) Paul was fighting for his life.
b. His race was his life, his ministry.
4. You and I will be in both. We, like Paul, were always
running our race but then conflicts come and all of a
sudden we also have a fight on our hands!
5. Yet, there are some truths about the difficulties of life
and a fight.
a. A fight can happen at most any moment.
(1) Street fights are unusually planned. They just
happen.
(2) So it is with the difficulties of life. You can
prepare for some; but some of them just happen.
(3) How do you prepare for something you don’t know
is going to happen.
(a) You stay ready.
(b) For a Christian, that means you stay close
to Christ.
b. A fight can be avoided by
(1) Paul did not have to be on the tour of prisons.
He could just quit, lay down, run away.
(2) However, Paul would not do that.
(3) You will have to make that decision for your life
and fights.
(a) I speak a lot to prepare us for the fight
against the world and perhaps our own
government for the faith.
(b) However, it is still likely that that will
not be the fight that knocks us out.
(c) Much more likely us that we will be knocked
out by our everyday fight with sin, Satan,
and the world.
c. A fight is all or nothing.
(1) That is the thing about a street fight. It can
be winner take all. It can literally be, do or
die.
(2) The Christian has a different goal in his fight
than a street fighter.
(a) The street fighter figures he wins when he
takes out the other fighter.
(b) Christians win when they stay faithful to
the Lord.
6. What is your fight?
a. Are you fighting for righteousness, for your ministry,
for your marriage, for your mind, for your purity?
b. Fight the good fight and come out faithful to the
Lord!
B. \\#7\\ There is a course to be run.
\\#7\\ …I have finished my course…
1. This is the longer, intense, extended effort of finishing
your life faithful to Jesus.
2. A race is not just a single event. It is not quick. It
is not do or die.
a. A race is a long course for which one has spent many
days in training, many events in preparation, many
wins, and many loses to it.
b. Running a race has many fights but no single fight
will determine the race.
c. Will you lose some events? Yes. Have you lost some?
Yes.
d. But do not let the lost of a few fights cause you to
lose the race.
e. The race is more important than all of the fights.
3. There is something unusual about the race we are in.
a. It was plotted by God and we have never been on the
course before.
b. We have never seen the course.
(1) Most runners would never dream of running a race
in which they had never seen the course.
(2) It is hard to run with all of your might if you
don’t know what is up next.
(3) However, Christians don’t have to worry about
what is up next. God will take care of that.
(4) We must simply run with everything we have right
now.
4. There are some things that I do want to be certain that I
do as I run this race however.
a. I want to make certain I finish it.
Gal 5:7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you
that ye should not obey the truth?
b. I want to finish the complete course God has laid out.
(1) No short cuts, no cheating.
(2) If and when I reach the finish line, I don’t want
to be disqualified for running an improper race.
c. I want to finish it in a decent time.
(1) I do not want to sit down any, not even for a
short time.
(2) If you attend some of our prayer times you will
hear me praying for our children, "Lord, don’t
let them wander in the fields of sin." I don’t
want to stay out there either.
C. \\#7\\ There is a faith to be kept.
\\#7\\ …I have kept the faith…
1. We have a fight to win and course to finish but also a
faith to keep.
a. This is our purpose.
b. As I run this course, I carry a baton in my hand.
(1) Whether just running the race or running and
fighting, I do to lose the baton of faith.
(2) If I lose my faith, my race becomes meaningless.
(3) And even worse, I have nothing to pass along to
the others.
2. To keep the faith is both a duty and an honor.
a. It is a duty to keep the faith pure.
Jude 1:3 …it was needful for me to write unto
you and exhort you that ye should earnestly
contend for the faith which was once delivered
unto the saints.
(1) A duty is a responsibility.
(2) If we do not keep the faith pure, the next
generation will have nothing to believe in.
b. It is an honor to keep the faith.
(1) Our Savior has trained us and given us this
privilege during these days.
(2) Let’s measure up to the task.
II. \\#6\\ We Depart Soon.
A. \\#6\\ There is an offering to be made.
\\#6\\ …I am now ready to be offered…
1. The word used for "offering" is the word that refers to a
drink offering.
a. One preacher wrote that the drink offering was an
offering that Jews and pagans both knew about.
b. The Jews would bring an offering of the vine to God
and as he prayed or made a vow to God, he would pour
the drink onto the hot coals of the alter, The drink
instantly evaporating while giving off a cloud of
smoke and a sweet rich fragrance.
c. Romans would mark the end of a banquet or meal by
pouring wine out by pouring out a drink offering to
their gods, thus symbolizing that the feast was
finished and it was time to arise and move on.
http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/ready-and-waiting-roger-thomas
-sermon-on-death-nearness-82597.asp?Page=1
2. So Paul was speaking of his time on earth as being
finished and he was pouring out the last gift he could
give to God, his life.
a. Let us not forgot, Paul was giving his life to God.
b. Paul could delay or perhaps even stop his execution by
obeying men and disobeying God.
c. Paul chose to give himself as a sacrifice to the Lord.
3. There are but three offerings people can make to the Lord.
a. We can give Him our heart (will) in salvation.
a. Yes there is a sacrifice to salvation.
b. We surrender our will and life to Him.
b. We can give Him our life.
a. That is understood at salvation. It is getting
into the fight and entering into the race.
b. Yet, it is signing up to do it over and over each
day.
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by
the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies
a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God,
which is your reasonable service.
1 Corinthians 15:31 I protest by your rejoicing
which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die
daily.
c. Some will have opportunity to offer their death to 3
Jesus.
a. This is the martyr’s death.
b. I believe there will be a special reward for those
who make this sacrifice.
c. And I believe some of us are going to have the
opportunities to make this offering.
B. There is a departure to make.
\\#6\\ …the time of my departure is at hand.
1. Paul was speaking of his death.
a. He understood he was getting close to his last stand.
b. Paul’s thoughts have changed since he wrote the book
of Philippians.
Phi 1:23 For I am in a strait betwixt two,
having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ;
which is far better:
24 Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more
needful for you.
2. We need to realize that we all have a departure date.
Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men
once to die, but after this the judgment:
III. \\#8\\ We Look Forward
A. There is a Lord to be faced.
1. Paul called him the righteous Judge.
\\#8\\ …which the Lord, the righteous judge…
2. That is reference to the fact that we do have to give an
account to God for what we have done in this life.
2Cor 5:10 For we must all appear before the
judgment seat of Christ; that every one may
receive the things done in his body, according
to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
3. At this judgment, our works will be judged.
1Cor 3:12 Now if any man build upon this
foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood,
hay, stubble;
13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for
the day shall declare it, because it shall be
revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every
man’s work of what sort it is.
14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built
thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall
suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet
so as by fire.
4. Everyone of us are going to stand before Him, either at
the Bema Seat or the Great White Throne.
5. This does not have to be a frightening thought. Paul was
nor afraid.
B. \\#8\\ There is a crown to be won.
\\#8\\ …there is laid up for me a crown of
righteousness…
1. In fact, Paul anticipated the award of a crown.
a. It is called the crown of righteousness.
b. The title implies that it is given not to preachers
but to those who live the righteous life.
2. Paul made it clear that he would not be only one receiving
this crown.
\\#8\\ "not to be only, but unto all them that
love his appearing"
a. I believe that means to all of those living in such a
way when Jesus returns that they will not be ashamed
of themselves when Jesus comes.
b. Rather, they will love the fact that Jesus has
returned!
c. No doubt this was part of the reason that Paul was not
going to quit on Jesus.
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