Don't Stop! Series

“DON’T STOP!” 2 Timothy 4:1-8

FBCF – 3/30/25

Jon Daniels

INTRO – Preacher told this story: “When I was small, my mother was my piano teacher. Once in a recital, I went blank in the middle of the piece I was playing & had to walk off the stage in total humiliation. Later, my mother gave me some great advice. She said, ‘Honey, any time you mess up in the middle, always end w/ a flourish & no one will remember what you did in the middle.’ Some of you have messed up in the ‘middle’ of your life. But my friend, there is still time for you to end w/ a flourish.”

Today, I want to challenge you to strive to finish strong – to “end w/ a flourish.” I want to challenge you w/ 2 simple words: DON’T STOP!

- No matter where you are on life’s journey

- No matter what you have done

- No matter how badly you’ve messed things up

- No matter if you are drowning in a sea of regret over decisions you’ve made, directions you’ve gone, or just dumb stuff you’ve done…

- There’s still time for you to finish strong, so…

DON’T STOP! Don’t come to end of your life w/ things undone that should have or could have been done…with things unsaid that should have or could have been said…If you get a diagnosis tomorrow of terminal sickness that will take your life by Friday of this next week, will there be some K’dom work undone that you should have or could have done? If so, NOW is the time to do those things! Don’t just exist! Don’t just take up space! Don’t just live for yourself & no one else. Seek 1st the K of G – Go hard after Jesus - & DON’T STOP!

EXPLANATION – 2 Timothy 4:1-8

2 Timothy – Paul’s last ltr. Wrote from prison cell in Rome. After he finished it, historians say that he was most likely beheaded by Emperor Nero.

Paul had heavily invested in Timothy’s life, starting when Timothy was in his late teens or early 20’s. By time Paul wrote 2 Timothy, Paul was probably in early 60’s & Timothy was probably early-mid 30’s. Paul encouraged, exhorted, & taught Timothy in important areas:

- Doctrine & theology

- Church organization & leadership – deacons & pastor/elders

- The reality of false teachers & people departing from the truths of the Bible

- Importance of discipleship

- End time realities

- Practical living out the Christian life

Paul poured into Timothy & set a great example for us to follow – 2 Timothy 2:2 – Who are YOU pouring into? Who is pouring into YOU?

Ch. 4 – Begin to sense that Paul knows that he’s coming to the end of his life. Maybe the death sentence had already been issued. Maybe he just knew it was coming – saw the handwriting on the wall. And as he took his last lap, he made it clear that he was ready to go.

- V. 6a – “poured out as a drink offering” – Can’t take it back. Can’t put it back. It’s a final, complete offering.

- V. 6b – “departure” – picture of hoisting anchor & setting the sails – taking down the tent – loosing a prisoner – unyoking an ox

- V. 7 – He had fought a good fight, finished the race, & kept the faith. Not bragging – not being prideful or haughty. He just knew that, to the glory of God, he was finishing strong & would soon receive “the crown of righteousness” (v. 8).

- And that should be our desire, too.

- “Sold Out!” – means you’re living passionately for Christ for the rest of your life until the time of YOUR departure comes…it means that you are living for & loving His Second Coming…it means that you are living to receive the crown of righteousness…it means that you are living to finish strong!

- So, if your time of departure happens to be later today or sometime tomorrow, will all of these things be true of you?

APPLICATION – The desire of every Christ-follower should be to finish strong.

All of us will cross the finish line of life @ some point. If we’re going to finish strong, we r charged to do 3 things:

PREACH THE TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD – v. 2 – Not talking about formal preaching of a sermon behind a pulpit or in a church sanctuary – not a “3 points & a poem” kind of sermon. Gk word simply means to publish or proclaim openly – to be a herald – Don’t have to change your voice – Not a certain kind of speech.

Any presentation of the TRUTH of God’s Word is preaching. So that means that anyone can do it - & SHOULD do it!