Finishing Well
2 Timothy 4:6-8
Rev. Brian Bill
6/8/08
40 years ago, God led several people to start PBC. A lot of other things happened in 1968 like the Olympics that were held in Mexico City. It’s not the easiest place to have the Olympics because of the terrible pollution and the high altitude. When we lived there it took us a long time to get used to the thin and dirty air.
During the 26-mile marathon, the runner from Tanzania, John Stephen Akhwari, took a bad fall in which he dislocated his shoulder and tore a hole in his knee midway through the race. By the time he approached the finish line, nearly two hours after the winner from Ethiopia, the official timekeepers had put away their watches and the awards ceremony was already under way. When the organizers were told there was still one runner laboring toward the finish line, however, the news was broadcast on local radio and fans returned to cheer him on. The stadium lights were turned back on, and Akhwari ran the last lap to resounding applause. Bloodied and bandaged, he hobbled around the track, crossed the finish line, and collapsed. When a reporter asked him why he did not quit the race, he replied, “My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race, they sent me 5,000 miles to finish it.”
This is one of the best examples of endurance in Olympic history. Altogether, 75 highly-trained runners started this race and 18 of them never finished it. When Akhwari could have quit, he kept going, determined to cross the finish line. Friends, God is looking for faithful finishers today. It doesn’t matter if you’ve fallen. Or if you’re running slow. God wants you to finish. I’m grieved when I hear of believers bailing on their faith. Too many have decided that the life of faith is too difficult and have deserted. While some have left the church there are still others who are in church but have been drifting for decades.
In our New Testament reading for this week, Jesus explained in Luke 8:13-14 that some who start well never make it to the finish: “Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for awhile, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among the thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures and they do not mature.” Hard times cause some followers to fold and good times cause others to choke on their own choices. Paul describes a person like this in 2 Timothy 4:10: “For Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me…”
I want to propose that the Christian life is not a sprint but a marathon. It’s relatively easy to start strong but it’s a challenge to be a faithful finisher. Howard Hendricks has said that of the approximately 100 detailed biographies in the Bible, about two-thirds of these men and women ended poorly. The reason I chose this topic as part of our parenting series called “Generation Next” is because if we’re serious about passing along our faith to the next generation then we better be determined to finish faithfully ourselves. As parents we must persevere. Let me summarize what we’ve learned so far (see www.pontiacbible.org for other sermons in this series):
* Moms and grandmas can be spiritual mentors to children with or without the help of a dad. Our topic next week will be on the critical role of fathers in a message entitled “Disciplemaking Dads.”
* Parenting is not only hard work; it is heart work.
* God wants parents to practice loving truth and truthful love.
* Before passing on, make sure you pass it on by leaving a legacy.
Please turn in your Bibles to 2 Timothy 4:6-8. Paul is in prison and is on the last lap of his life. He’s finishing his life with a sprint across the finish line and now jogs back to Timothy to cheer him on so he too finishes strong. In his closing words to timid Timothy he wants to make sure that his understudy finishes strong. Look at verse 5 first: “But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” After making this appeal to Timothy he tells his own testimony in verses 6-8: “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
Paul is determined to be faithful to the finish. I see three dimensions to his devotion, three tenses if you will – what he’s doing in the present, what he’s done in the past and what he’s looking forward to in the future.
1. A present life with no restriction (6). At the end of his life, Paul declares that he is “already being poured out like a drink offering…” The phrase “poured out” refers to the pouring out of a drink offering. In the Old Testament, when a sacrifice was made, the worshipper also brought wine. Numbers 28:7 says that all the wine was gradually poured out as an offering, and it was the final act of the entire sacrificial ceremony. As it hit the burning coals, it evaporated and a sweet smell rose from the altar. It pictured the gradual ebbing away of Paul’s life.
Wine in the Bible is a symbol of joy. The pouring out of wine demonstrated that the worshipper found joy in the sacrifice that was offered. Paul looked upon his life of sacrifice and said: “I gladly give all that I have to the Lord.” He held nothing back and that brought him, and God, a lot of rejoicing. What’s holding you back today?
Beth and I went to see Prince Caspian on Wednesday night and really enjoyed it. I was particularly moved by the faith of little Lucy as she was able to see Aslan, who represents Christ, while the others couldn’t see him because they weren’t looking. In one scene Lucy knows that Aslan wants her to follow, but since she could not convince the other children to go with her, she instead went with the crowd and ended up on a path that led to danger. Later Aslan tells Lucy that a lot of time was lost because she didn’t follow him earlier and that she should have come even if she had to come by herself. She was then given another opportunity to obey later and this time she said to her friends: “And I do hope you will come with me because I’ll have to go with him whether anyone else does or not.”
Are you prepared to follow whether anyone else does or not? Notice that Paul is not talking about pouring himself out when he dies; he is “already being poured out” in the present tense, which means it’s a continuous process. John MacArthur adds: “He saw his life, not his death, as his ultimate act of sacrifice to the Lord. He was a living sacrifice, not a dead one.” I heard someone say once that he’d rather burn out for Jesus than just rust out. Are you pouring yourself out completely or are you content to live half-heartedly? Are you rusty and crusty or are you burning brightly? Remember that partial obedience is still disobedience.
Paul knows that “the time has come for my departure.” Paul is on death row in Rome and his time is almost up. The word “departure” literally means, “an unloosing” and was used when throwing off a ship’s cables, pulling up anchor and setting sail. It was also used in a military sense when taking down the tents and of loosing the bonds of a prisoner. It was also used of unyoking an animal from a heavy burden like a plow. Paul didn’t view his impending execution as a tragic ending, but as a triumphant new beginning, where all his burdens would be released. He was about to set sail for the shores of heaven, unconstrained from his body and free from sin. In Philippians 1:21, he wrote, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
Paul gave all he had, pouring everything out for Christ in the present. Because of that he was able to look back on the past with no regrets.
2. A past life with no regrets (7). “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
* He lived a disciplined life: He had fought the good fight. The word “good” means beautiful or intrinsically good. The fight of faith is the noblest thing we can ever do. The word “fight” is the word “agonizomai” in Greek, from which we get the word agony and means “to exert, to labor fervently and with persistent effort.” A fight implies a struggle against opposition. Like a determined wrestler, he had been in the ring fighting valiantly for many years. Paul faced trouble, persecution, afflictions, beatings, and imprisonment (see 2 Corinthians 6:4-5). And he battled courageously, consistently, and victoriously. Years earlier Paul challenged Timothy with these words from 1 Timothy 6:12: “Fight the good fight of the faith.” In Ephesians 6:12 we’re reminded that there is evil opposition poised to pounce on believers so we better be armed for battle.
Parents, are you fighting the good fight for your family? Are you agonizing for your offspring until Christ is formed in them? Richard Bach offers this helpful perspective: “Here is the test to find whether your mission on earth is finished: If you’re alive, it isn’t.” Paul fought the beautiful battle and did not go AWOL.
* He lived a directional life: He had finished his race. Paul next describes himself as a skilled runner in an obstacle course. Like a good runner, for 30 years he kept his eyes locked on the finish line. When Paul was saved, he was told that his race would include preaching before the Gentiles, kings, and the Jews. And he was warned right from the beginning that he would suffer greatly for the cause of Christ. Acts 9:16 says: “I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” Our problem is that we’re usually surprised when trouble comes but the Christian life is not meant to be easy.
I love what Jesus said in John 4:34: “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work.” Looking back on what He accomplished at the end of His life, Jesus made this statement in John 17:4: “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” At the beginning of his ministry Paul declared in Acts 20:24: “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me [he had poured himself out] if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me…” And now at the end of his life he can say unequivocally that he has finished the course God laid out for him. He never got sidetracked and he never quit. Notice that Paul does not say that he “won” the race, as if it’s a competition. We’re not fighting each other or racing against one another. Instead, we’re called to complete the task as teammates, not compete as competitors.
* He led a doctrinal life: He kept the faith. Through all the trials, Paul’s trust in God remained intact. Never once did he give in to doubts about God’s power or promises. He didn’t compromise or waver from the Word. The word “kept” was used of keeping watch, or guarding a treasure that’s been entrusted to one’s care. Paul wanted to make sure Timothy took care of what had been given to him when he wrote in 1 Timothy 6:20: “Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care…” and in 2 Timothy 1:14: “Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.”
Before leaving this verse, I want us to see one more thing. In the Greek text, the nouns come first in terms of word order. Tom Ferrell offers this literal translation: “The good struggle I have struggled, the course I have finished, the faith I have kept.” Paul’s not focusing on his own abilities or success by saying, “I have fought my fight.” Let’s remember it’s not about you. It’s not about me. When the time of our departure comes, the question is not, “How did I do?” but “Did I pour myself out for God’s purposes?”
If you want to finish well, then live in the present with no restriction so that when you look in the past you’ll have no regrets. In order to have focus, long for the future where you will never be rejected.
3. A future life with no rejection (8). “Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” Our reward is “in store” which means to be laid up, and set away for safekeeping and was used of the laurel wreaths of honor awarded to Olympic winners and to loyal subjects for their services.
Would you notice what this crown is? While there will be different rewards in heaven, Paul’s focus here is on “the crown of righteousness.” How do we get righteousness? Is it something that’s our reward for how well we’ve lived? No. Listen to Philippians 3:9: “…not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.” Because born again believers have been declared righteous through faith in the Redeemer, they will never be rejected. Romans 8:1: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
The word “appearing” means to shine upon. Because Paul had a future focus, the darkness of his prison cell was lit up by the light of the Lord and his impending appearing. Paul is eagerly expecting this day. Paul says here that he “longs for the appearing” of Christ. It’s similar to the longing expressed in Psalm 73:25: “Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.” That’s a good challenge for us today. We get so caught up in this world that we forget that we’re living here in order to prepare for life there. We mistakenly think that this is the land of the living and that when we die; we go to the land of the dead. The opposite is actually true. This is the land of the dying. When we leave this world, we go to the land of the living. Let’s focus on the happiness of heaven.
Ray Pritchard explains this well (www.keepbelieving.com):
* It will be a guaranteed reward. It is “stored” in heaven for believers.
* It will be a glorious reward. It is the “crown of righteousness.”
* It will be a personal reward. Paul will receive his reward from the Lord himself: “…in store for me…”
* It will be a future reward. Paul will receive his reward on “that day.”
* It will be a shared reward. It is not just for Paul but also “to all” who love the Lord and long for his appearing.
Jesus Christ is the righteous judge and there will be a day of reckoning. God doesn’t expect the same service from each of us, but He does expect the same faithfulness from all of us – He wants us to fight the fight, finish the race, and keep the faith – as we long for his coming. Incidentally, a focus on the future should lead us to live purely in the present. Listen to these words from 1 John 2:28: “And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.”
Closing Questions
1. Parents, are you intentionally waging an all-out campaign to pass the belief baton to your kids? If you want to leave a legacy of faith, make sure you finish well. I’m told that the Greeks had a race in their Olympic games that was unique. The winner was not the runner who finished first; it was the runner who finished with his torch still lit. Parents, will you persevere and run with endurance the race set before you? Grandparents, will you go all the way? Finishing well does not happen by accident; it will only happen if you live intentionally – starting right now. Live in the present with no restriction so that you can have a past with no regrets as you long for a future where you will never be rejected.
2. What would you change if you knew you had just one month to live? I just finished reading a book called, “One Month to Live: Thirty Days to a No-Regrets Life” by Kerry and Chris Shook. Listen to these words from the forward: “Nothing focuses a person’s priorities in life like learning he is about to die. Many of us would suddenly realize we have spent our lives on things that were not very important. So many of us waste our lives with ‘when and then’ thinking, believing that ‘when’ this or that happens, ‘then’ we will really start living and do something for God that really matters. That approach is guaranteed to leave you with regrets.” Since our time on earth is limited, shouldn’t we start making the most of it?
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to spend your life so that if you discovered you only had a month to live, you wouldn’t need to change a thing? Here’s the challenge. Live the next 30 days as if they were your last days on earth. How will this change your parenting? What about your time watching TV? What about that person you’ve not wanted to forgive?
The authors suggest that there are four universal principles in the one-month-to-live lifestyle:
* Live passionately
* Love completely
* Learn humbly
* Leave boldly
I love what George Eliot says: “It’s never too late to be what you might have been.” Someone else has said: “Though no one can go back and make a brand-new start, anyone can start now and make a brand-new ending.”
3. Write your own epitaph. Someday we’ll be gone from the earth and someone may write a summary statement of our lives and put it on a tombstone. Here are some actual epitaphs I came across:
* On the tombstone of a man named Ezekiel Pease in Nantucket, Massachusetts: “Pease is not here, only his pod. He shelled out his Peas and went to his God.”
* And of a woman named Effie Jean Robinson: “As you are now, so once was I; As I am now, so must you be. Prepare for death and follow me. Underneath this someone added these words: To follow you I am not content, how do I know which way you went?”
Let me read Paul’s epitaph again: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” What epitaph will express your life? You’re actually writing it right now by the way you’re living. When D.L. Moody was near the end of his life, someone asked for permission to write his biography. He refused, saying: “A man’s life should never be written while he is living. What is important is how a man ends, not how he begins.”
Linda Ellis has written a helpful poem called “The Dash.” I’d like to read just the first part:
I read of a man who stood to speak, at the funeral of a friend.
He referred to the dates on this tombstone from beginning…to the end.
He noted that first came his date of birth and spoke the following with tears.
But he said what mattered most of all, was the dash in between those years.
For the dash represents, all the time he spent alive on earth.
And how only those who loved him know what that little line is worth.
For it matters not, how much we own; the cars, the house, the cash,
What matters most is how we live and love and how we spend our dash…
What one sentence summary would you write for how you’ve spent your dash?
There are three groups here today…
1. Seeking spectators. You’ve been watching but haven’t become a participant yet. It’s time to get in the game.
2. Wounded wanderers. Some of you have gone AWOL. It’s time to return to the battle right now. I came across a quote from Oswald Saunders that is pertinent: “We are at this moment as close to God as we really choose to be…but we are not prepared to pay the price involved.”
3. Faithful finishers. Fight. Finish. Keep. And pass the “belief baton” on to your children and grandchildren. You’ve started the marathon…now finish it! God didn’t bring you this far to have you quit…He brought you to this point so you’ll finish!
Kenya Commissioning
