Sermon Preached at Grace Community Church (EPC)
Sun City Grand, Surprise, AZ
Sunday, May 1, 2016
by the Reverend Cooper McWhirter
The Pursuit of Excellence: “Finishing Life Well!” [Part Three]
2 Timothy 4:6-8
In the sermon outline it mentions how each of the apostles suffered for the cause of Christ; most having died a martyr’s death. Yet, not one of them renounced their faith! But irrespective of how they died, and why they died; what should be uppermost in our minds was how they LIVED! In his letter to the church at Philippi, Paul explained: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” [Philippians 1:21]. God doesn’t need your dying to prove you are HIS. As His follower, He wants you to live for Him by virtue of your faith in Him!
With that being said, people are reluctant to die for something they know is untrue. The entire premise of both their and our faith, is based upon knowing and believing that Jesus died a physical death, and arose from the dead bodily, and ascended into heaven where He sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty! They knew it. They believed it. They lived it. And they died on account of it. In a nutshell, that’s the ‘crux of the cross’! Jesus’ death and resurrection is not a supposition. It is not conjecture. Our faith either stands, or falls upon this one irrefutable, irrevocable truth…Christ lives!
In what became as the last known epistle written by Paul, he encourages his young protégé, Timothy, to continue the work of an evangelist. But before we delve into these few poignant words, I want you to notice not only what Paul wrote, but why he wrote it. Notice Paul’s demeanor. His words are not those of a discouraged, or brokenhearted man. There’s not a hint of despair, or hopelessness as his execution loomed ominously on the horizon. In fact, his words convey a calmness, an inner-peace in spite of his perilous circumstances.
Paul was a prisoner in the infamous Mamertine prison in Rome. His small, cramped cell was a dark, dank, dungeon; reachable only by rope or latter from a hole in the floor above. There were no windows, no natural sunlight, no running water, and no fresh air ventilation. The odor was foul and pungent in this confined space which compelled him to wallow in his own excrement.
Presumably, Paul’s confinement was brief. There were only a few, some say only two cramped cells. A prisoner incarcerated there was not expected to live for very long under those dire conditions; usually these "holding cells" were reserved for those awaiting execution.
During Paul’s confinement, his thoughts were of seeing his risen Lord. The same Lord whom he gazed upon decades before while traveling on the road to Damascus. He also took time to reflect on his past labors and those who had labored alongside him.
After nearly thirty years of preaching the gospel, some might dare ask, “What did he have to show for himself?” At best there was but a sprinkling of small house churches scattered throughout parts of the Middle East, Europe, and Asia Minor. Yet, in spite of this seemingly abysmal record, he was a man at peace with himself. In quieted repose he could honestly say with confidence what Oswald Chambers later refrained: “My Utmost for His Highest”!
So what can Paul teach us about finishing life well? Much in every way! First of all, notice the sequence. In verse 6, Paul speaks in the present tense where he says, “I am already being poured out...” In verse 7, he pauses to reflect upon his past labors where he says, “I have fought the good fight…” In verse 8, he closes by saying, “in the future…”. Each tense: present, past, and future represents not only a reference to time, but a calm assurance of a life that was worth living; a life worthy of dying for.
Notice the way in which PAUL VIEWED HIS LIFE AS: THAT OF AN OFFERING TO GOD (repeat).
He begins by saying, “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.” There’s not a hint of despondency. It appears that Paul neither views his execution as a cruel tragedy, nor even unjust. Rather, he viewed his circumstances as a culmination of having lived a ‘sacrificial life’. Like that of a sacrificial lamb placed upon the altar.
Prior to being lit on fire, the Levitical priests would pour a quart of wine [Numbers 28:7] upon the slain animal. This, in itself, symbolized the final sacrifice; the ultimate sacrifice, poured upon this unblemished animal. Yes, this was how Paul viewed his own impending death. His whole life had been a living sacrifice in service to God. Now that his time had come, his death would serve as a drink offering poured over what already had proven to be a living sacrifice [Philippians 2:17].
We, too, should view our lives as a worshipful, sacrificial offering unto God. Or, as Paul put it: “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God…” [Romans 12:1]. In serving Christ we should neither seek, nor expect the praise or adoration of others. Put simply, our lives should be thought of as being… expendable!
Here was a man who did more to spread the gospel than anyone else who had ever lived. His influence was incalculable! Yet, he could finish life well because he saw himself as expendable; nothing more; nor nothing less than a drink offering. In similar language, Paul in addressing the elders in Ephesus: “But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, in order 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” [Acts 20:24].
In commendation for his life’s work, PAUL VIEWED HIS LEGACY AS: SOMETHING BEING PASSED ON TO OTHERS (repeat).
Paul also likened the Christian life as that of a marathon runner. An event which every follower of Christ must be a participant. But not so as to gain personal recognition. Rather, our endurance, our perseverance, should serve as an example for others to follow. It’s as if Paul is passing the baton to other runners who likewise will follow in his footsteps.
He’s reminding Timothy, Titus, Silas and others, as if they needed to be reminded, that: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith…” What more needs be said about this exhausted runner? He’s performed to the best of his ability and even beyond his ability. And now it has come time for others to step forward…to continue the race towards the finish line.
The word “marathon” comes from a geographical location where a decisive battle took place between Greece and Persia in 490 B. C. Legend has it that after the battle had ended, an anonymous Greek soldier ran the distance from Marathon to Athens, some 21-25 miles, with news of their great victory. Upon reaching the city of Athens he collapsed and died from sheer exhaustion. Based on this legend, the modern marathon race was first held in Athens in 1896; an event which continues to this day.
In some respects, the Christian life is like running a marathon. It’s not a sprint. It’s an endurance run. Imagine how Timothy must have felt upon
receiving this endearing letter from his longtime mentor. Undoubtedly, Paul’s words were both encouraging as well as a sobering reminder of what he, too, must do in his stead. Like Timothy, followers of Christ must come to grips with the harsh reality that we live in a hostile environment. We will face opposition. At every turn there will be obstacles placed in our path.
It’s been said that becoming a Christian is relatively easy. Some have even perceived it as being too easy! You begin by acknowledging that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. Once you confess your sins, Christ avails His free gift of eternal life by His grace through faith. Up to this point nothing has been required of you. No works; no deeds. Regrettably, this is where many drop out. They sit on the sidelines. They become nothing more than mere spectators sitting inside the arena cheering others as they pass by.
But a real and abiding faith requires much more! The real test of your faith beckons you to ask yourself, “Why aren’t you competing? Why are you sitting rather than running?” Yes, genuine faith requires you to persevere…to cross the finish line. In a word, a believer must never be a quitter!
Oh, how many began the Christian life with a flourish of activity and enthusiasm. Some might even have contemplated going into full-time ministry. But then when trials and disappointments came their way, they dropped out. They sat on their duffs expecting others to compete on their behalf. So they did nothing. Perhaps unknowingly, they strayed from God’s intended purpose.
But besides citing his present circumstances, and reflecting upon his past labors, Paul looks expectantly to the future. PAUL VIEWED HIS IMPENDING DEATH AS: NOT AN END, BUT AS A NEW BEGINNING (repeat).
Paul writes: “…in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will reward to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” It all boils down to this…our love for God. No! Strike that. It encompasses God’s love for us! All too often, our love is superficial. It is disingenuous. We rely too heavily upon our emotions which at best are fleeting and unpredictable. With that being said, Benjamin Franklin once remarked: “Those who love deeply never grow old; they may die of old age, but they die young.”
Finishing life well has to do with living and dying as being ‘young at heart’. A young heart beats exuberantly! The ancient Hebrews looked upon one’s heart as the embodiment or totality of his humanity…his ‘personhood’.
Paul eagerly awaited his passing from this temporal life to a life everlasting. And he says as much in his letter to the Romans: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us” [Romans 8:18].
I close with this parting thought. God’s Word clearly tells us that death is NOT a cessation of existence! Paul put it this way: “…the time of my departure has come”. Now, to the casual observer this phrase has no significance. It means what it says. But Paul used this phrase as an analogy. In the Greek it was used contextually as “the unyoking of a beast of burden.” In a literal sense, Paul was saying that his labors, his toils here on earth had ceased. But not with respect to his new life!
Think of it this way, death is “a release” from the bonds of the corruptible body. Paul reminds us that death marks the end of our battle here on earth. We have crossed the finish line. In a sense, we have “crossed over” to the other side. The victory has been won! Alas! We are now homeward bound!
Someone likened the believer’s physical death to that of: “An earthly ship that has now left the shores of this ‘storm-tossed’ fallen world. As it puts out to sea, the voyage now truly begins as it makes its way to the final destination…heaven’s ‘port-of-call’.”
Let us pray…
