Finding Joy in Serving Christ
II Timothy 4:6-7
Purpose: To explain why Paul had been so successful in serving Christ.
Aim: I want the listener to think more about being with Christ than they do about the hardships of serving Christ.
INTRODUCTION: The key to living for Christ with joy, is knowing how to die for Christ. In our text today, Paul is showing us how to die by giving us his view of death.
One of the most touching moments in the history of baseball was the final farewell of Lou Gehrig in Yankee Stadium. Suffering from an incurable disease that cut his career short, the great and revered first baseman stood at the plate and tearfully said farewell to the fans who had cheered him on for many years.[Demarest, G. W., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1984). Vol. 32: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 32 : 1, 2 Thessalonians / 1, 2 Timothy / Titus. Formerly The Communicator’s Commentary. The Preacher’s Commentary series (295). Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Inc.]
Last words are usually sad, but Paul’s last words, although serious, have an attitude of joy.
“In his book Dying Thoughts the Puritan Richard Baxter, a preacher for over forty years, wrote, "Many serious Christians, through the weakness of their trust in God, live in this perplexed [world], weary of living and afraid of dying, continually pressed between grief and fear. But Paul’s [conflict] was between two joys, which of them he should desire most. And if that be my case, what should much interrupt my peace or pleasure? If I live, it is for Christ, for his service. . . . If I die presently, it is my gain; God, who appoints me my work, limits my time; and surely his glorious reward can never be unseasonable, or come too soon, if it be the time that he appoints"[Grand Rapids: Baker, 1976, pp. 19-20]
We will have the joy of saying "To live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Phil 1:21) when we learn: ✔ How Can a Christian Remain Faithful to Christ?
REVIEW:
1:1-2:13 I. How Should a Christian React to Stress?
2:14-26 II. How Should a Christian Relate to Fellow Believers?
3:1-17 III. How Can a Christian Reside in a Hostile Culture?
4:1-22 IV. How Can a Christian Remain Faithful to Christ?
Vs.1-5 A. Put first things first
Vs.1 1. Believe the seriousness of the commands “solemnly charge you”
Vs.2 2. Know the importance of the Word “preach the word”
Vs.3-4 3. Accept the urgency of the commands “time will come...they will not endure”
Vs.5 4. Learn how to carry out the commands “But you...”
a. Be level headed “be sober”
b. Serve Christ when it’s hard “endure hardship”
c. Reach out to the lost “do the work of an evangelist”
d. Never give up serving Christ “fulfill your ministry”
LESSON:
Vs.6-8 B. Focus on the joy of our reward
The word FOR that begins verse 6 looks back to verse 5. Paul is encouraging Timothy to remain especially steadfast and faithful to Christ also because his own service for Christ was about to end.
In order to focus on the joy of our reward, we need to understand three things. Today we will look at two of them.
Vs.6 1. Sacrificing for Christ is temporary
Notice that Paul isn’t asking Timothy to do anything that he hasn’t done himself. ✔ A good discipler lives what he teaches. Others will not learn from us if we aren’t striving to do what we are teaching. We can’t tell others to endure hardship joyfully if we don’t endure hardship joyfully.
Paul gives us two pictures here. One has to do with serving Christ and the other has to do with being with Christ.
a. Serving Christ is our offering to Him “a drink offering”
BEING POURED OUT AS A DRINK OFFERING is just one word in the Greek. This same word is used in the Greek translation of, Numbers 15:10 and you shall offer as the drink offering one-half a hin of wine as an offering by fire, as a soothing aroma to the Lord. (NAU)
Pouring wine on the bottom of the altar was often the first thing done before the actual sacrifice was begun. Paul knew that his execution was close, but he didn’t look at his life as a failure. At this point in Paul’s life he was probably back in prison (he was under house arrest before) and all of his close friends had deserted him (see verse 16) except for Luke. He knew that evil was strong. But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. (2 Timothy 3:1 NAU) But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. (2 Timothy 3:13 NAU). So how could Paul be optimistic?
Paul’s entire Christian life was given as an offering to Christ. Paul uses this same word in, Philippians 2:17 But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. (NAU)
Every opportunity to serve Christ should be viewed as a gift we are giving to Christ. There are many things we can do for Christ that only Christ will see, but we will not do them faithfully if we don’t view our service as a gift we give to Christ.
There are times that I have to do things that I don’t enjoy doing, so (when I’m walking in the Spirit) I pray and say, “Lord, I’m doing this for you. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to show you that I love you.”
Romans 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. (NAU)
If you love someone then you will gladly sacrifice your own comforts for them. It is just as Jesus said, . . . It is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35 NAU)
b. Heaven is Christ’s offering to us “my departure”
Paul then goes on to give us another picture of serving Christ. DEPARTURE is a word that means “to unlose.” It was used of unyoking an animal after a hard day of work before it is taken back to its stall. Paul was about to be unyoked from the plow of serving Christ here on earth and taken to his rest.
The key to Paul’s courage is his view of the next life. ☛ 2 Corinthians 5:1-2,5-9 1 For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. [one day our tattered tents will be replaced by an eternal home with Christ] 2 For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven, 5 Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. [the presence of the Spirit in our lives is proof that we will one day be in God’s presence] 6 Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight— 8 we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. 9 Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. (NAU)
Adoniram Judson, an American missionary to Bruma during the 1800’s said this shortly before he died, “I am not tired of my work, neither am I tired of the world; yet when Christ calls me home, I shall go with the gladness of a boy bounding away from school. Perhaps I feel something like the young bride when she contemplates resigning the pleasant associations of her childhood for a yet dearer home - though only a little like her, for there is no doubt resting in my future.”
This is how Paul felt about leaving this earth. Philippians 1:23-24 23 But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; 24 yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. (NAU)
We need to keep wearing the yoke of service to Christ until God removes it, and not a moment sooner.
The second thing we must do in order to Focus on the Joy of our Reward is:
Vs.7 2. Be faithful to Christ to the very end
Starting well is not the same as ending well. 1 Kings 20:11 . . . ‘Let not him who girds on his armor boast like him who takes it off.’ ” (NAU)
Paul gives us three more pictures of his past life, so that we can now how to serve Christ.
a. Be a good soldier “I have fought the good fight”
Paul is picturing a brave soldier. Serving Christ is a battle. We battle our flesh, the world, and the Devil.
Paul didn’t just fight “A” good fight, he fought “THE” good fight. There are some things that are not worth fighting for. Many people give their lives for things that will not matter when this life is over. But, serving Christ is always worthwhile.
George Whitefield was a man who gave his life in order to proclaim Christ. He was a famous English and American evangelist who died in 1770 at the age of 55, which was considered old in his day. When he was on his deathbed he said, “I go to my everlasting rest. My sun has risen, shone, and is setting nay, it is about to rise and shine forever. I have not lived in vain. And though I could live to preach Christ one thousand years, I die to to be with Him, which is far better.”
Charles Hodges said, “There are struggles and contests not worthy engaging in, or not engaged in properly. Paul’s fight was worthy – it was the noble one. No less should engage us.”
Are we spending our lives so that we won’t have any regrets when we die? A famous French classical scholar, Clandious Salmasiur died in 1653. On his death bed he said, “I have lost a world of time! Had I one year more of life, it would be spent in pursuing David’s Psalms and Paul’s Epistles. I would mind the world less and God more” [Voices From the Edge of Eternity by John Myers, page 116.]
b. Be a good athlete “I have finished the course”
Here we see a picture of what an athlete must do in order to be successful. He must finish! The question is not so much “Who wins?” but, “Who finishes?”
Over 15,000 runners enter the New York Marathon race every year. Most who enter know that they have no hope of winning, but they are thrilled to just finish. Our goal is not to serve Christ better than other Christians, our goal is to finish what God has called each of us to do.
Paul had a lot of temptations to quit. ☛ 2 Corinthians 11:23-29 23 Are they servants of Christ?—I speak as if insane—I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. 24 Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. 26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; 27 I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern? (NAU)
Henry Martyn spent seven years in India before dying at the age of 31. It was during those years that he translated the NT into three Indian languages. Shortly before he died, he wrote this poem.
“And when I am dying how glad I shall be,
That the lamp of my life has been blazed out for Thee.
I shall not care in whatever I gave,
Of labor or money one sinner to save.
I shall not care that the way has been rough,
That Thy dear feet led the the way is enough.
And when I am dying, how glad I shall be
That the lamp of my life has been blazed out for thee.”
[Lucado, M. (1998). Life lessons from the inspired word of God : Books of 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus. Inspirational bible study series (59). Dallas, Tex.: Word Pub.]
c. Be a good guard “I have kept the faith”
“They have taken everything else. They have taken his freedom—he’s locked in a Roman prison. They have taken his possessions—he hasn’t even a shawl to keep him warm. They have taken his churches—he will not see them again. They have taken his future—he is sentenced to die.
“What do you have left, Paul? What do you have left to show for your life? Had you stayed a Jew in Jerusalem, you’d have a seat of status and a house of retirement. Had you been more compromising, you might have gone unnoticed by the Romans. Had you been less passionate, you might have pastored a church and stayed in one city. But you were too convinced to compromise—too convicted to stay home.
“And now, with the verdict rendered and the end in sight, what do you have left?
“The old apostle leans forward with eyes twinkling and says, I have kept the faith.”
Paul talked about those who shipwrecked their faith (I Timothy 1:19); others departed from the faith (I Timothy 4:1); some denied the faith (I Timothy 5:8); many had strayed from the faith (I Timothy 6:10), but Paul “kept the faith.”
CONCLUSION: Acts 20:24 “But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God. (NAU)
Examine your life right now. Ask yourself, “Am I really serving Christ? Am I giving my time and my energy and talents in order to display Christ, or am I wasting my time on worthless things?”
✔ Death is half disarmed when the pleasures and interests of the flesh are first denied.
Richard Baxter
