“Be Faithful To God Because He Is Faithful To You”
2 Timothy 4:9-18
David P. Nolte
We all remember someone who gave his or her life in defense of this land and freedom. And we are grateful. Or we should be! We are the most blessed of all nations.
Usually we think of veterans as those who served in some branch of the military. .But those who serve Jesus faithfully even when it is difficult, and who stand for Jesus even if they stand alone, are also veterans.
Ivan wanted to be a faithful soldier for Jesus and for that he endured the horrors of a Soviet prison camp. One day he was praying when a fellow prisoner noticed him and said with ridicule, "Prayers won't help you get out of here any faster." Ivan answered, "I do not pray to get out of prison but to do the will of God." He was a true veteran for Jesus.
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In light of what our veterans did, and are doing, for us we ought to pray to do the will of God and to be the best of citizens even in distress or affliction.
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.The One we ought always to remember most also gave His life for our freedom and salvation. In light of that we ought to pray that we do the will of God!
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There are more kinds of warfare than nation against nation. . We fight the war of pain; the war of broken relationships; the war of poor health and the war against sin, Satan and secularism. Sometimes it seems we are alone in the fray.
Linda sang a song that touches upon that.
When there's no place to go, you think no one knows
What you're going through.
You've done all you can, you're exhausted my friend
There's nothing else left you can do.
Life overwhelms you, someone betrays you,
You feel like nobody cares.
There's one place I know, when there's no place to go.
I can go to the Master in prayer.
I can go to the Master, He always listens,
He welcomes my pleas cause He cares about me.
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Because Paul was so embattled and attacked by enemies of Jesus, he was a frequenter at the Throne of God.. Yet this veteran of the faith had his difficulties and sorrows. So he wrote to Timothy in the midst of his sad situation, describing his needs and expressing unfaltering faith in God. Others failed him, God did not! .So, like Paul, we need to be faithful to God because He is faithful to us!
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THE VETERAN PAUL WROTE: “Make every effort to come to me soon; for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service. But Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. When you come bring the cloak which I left at Troas with Carpus, and the books, especially the parchments. Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Be on guard against him yourself, for he vigorously opposed our teaching. At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever.” 2 Timothy 4:9-18 (NASB).
.It is a given that we will all have conflicts in life; we will either turn tail and run .or stand in God’s strength and become veterans for Jesus in the battles of life! . WE NEED TO DO THAT ALWAYS BUT PARTICULARLY WHEN
I. WE MAY BE DESERTED BY THOSE WE TRUSTED:
A. Listen to Paul, “Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. .... At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them.”
1. Crescens and Titus may have had legitimate business in Galatia and Dalmatia, but Paul felt the loss of their presence.
2. Demas, however, was another story – he deliberately turned his back on his friend in a time of need to pursue personal gain.
B. .But even Jesus had His deserters:
. 1. Some disciples found His teachings to be hard to understand, “As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.” John 6:66 (NASB).
2. Judas, an apostle chosen by Jesus Himself, sold Him out for 30 pieces of silver, the price of a slave.
3. When Jesus was arrested, all the disciples headed for the hills. Peter and John seem to be the only ones to follow stealthily – and Peter went on to deny Him, not once but three times!
4. An associate of Billy Graham ended up in his final years no longer an evangelist, no longer a disciple, but an agnostic.
C. .So, Jesus knows what it is to have those He trusted to let Him down.. And He knew what to do in such a case – He prayed. We can do that, too! As Linda’s song said,
When the world turns on me, I'm so blind I can't see,
Doubts are everywhere.
Friends turn me down, my spirit is down,
I can rise above all of my fears.
Pain won't release me, no peace within me.
I'm feeling like life isn't fair.
My night sleep is lost, I've turned and I've tossed
I can go to the Master in prayer.
D. To stick to the faith, and to endure to the end, don’t allow the infidelity and fickleness of others defeat you. Hang in there and pray!.
1. As Paul wrote to Timothy, “ Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” 1 Timothy 6:12 (NASB).
2. “Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 2:3 (NASB).
E. I heard a pastor named Rick, at a recent Pastor’s Seminar tell about a former elder in his congregation. . When things got difficult in the congregation this elder would say, “I’ve got your back!” But in the midst of one crisis in the congregation, this elder betrayed Rick and stabbed him in the back, so to speak.
Rick phoned him and said, “What does ‘I’ve got your back’ mean to you? Apparently it means something different to you than it means to me.” The elder mumbled a lame excuse and resigned and left the congregation leaving Rick hurt and bleeding.
Who, if anyone, has betrayed and left you with a piece cut out of your heart? Go to the Master in prayer. We need to be faithful to God because He is faithful to us even though:
II. WE WILL BE OPPOSED BY THOSE WHO OPPOSE CHRIST:
A. “Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Be on guard against him yourself, for he vigorously opposed our teaching.”
1. There are some who are antagonistic toward the church, the Bible, Christianity and perhaps you in particular.
2. Jesus said, “Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me.” John 15:20-21 (NASB).
B. In a war of nations, human fights against human. .Worldly weaponry has advanced from sticks and stones to smart bombs and laser beam tools of destruction. But for our spiritual warfare
1. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NASB).
2. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.” Ephesians 6:10-13 (NASB).
C. To quote Rick Stedman (Roy’s nephew). “Our world today is a very dangerous place—both physically and spiritually which is a big concern for many parents.” Not only to parents but to all of us who know that the world is less and less tolerant of the Christian viewpoint.
D. In such a world we may feel like Miriam. . She was having a tough day and had decided to do a bit of what she thought to be well-deserved complaining and self-pitying. She moaned to her mom and brother, "Nobody loves me ... the whole world hates me!" Her brother, busily occupied playing a game, hardly looked up at her and passed on this encouraging word: "That's not true, Miriam. The whole world doesn’t hate you. Just the people who know you." But it is true that the world hates and opposes Jesus Christ and all who follow Him!
E. The world has always rejected Christ and His faithful followers so we ought to be aware, awake, and on guard. Use spiritual weapons: faith, the Bible and prayer. Put on God’s armor by that means. Stand firm because to sum up the book of Revelation: WE WIN! But as long as the conflict continues:
III. WE CAN ENJOY THE FAITHFULNESS OF OUR GOD:
A. Paul’s confidence can be ours. “At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear.”
1. God was present. God is present.
2. God was powerful. God is powerful.
3. God was faithful. God is faithful.
4. Paul discovered the truth of the Psalm, “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change And though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea.” Psalm 46:1-2 (NASB).
5. He experienced God’s promise, “I Will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you." Hebrews 13:5 (NASB).
B. How true it is:
When the world turns on me, I'm so blind I can't see,
Doubts are everywhere.
Friends turn me down, my spirit is down,
I can rise above all of my fears.
Pain won't release me, no peace within me.
I'm feeling like life isn't fair.
My night sleep is lost, I've turned and I've tossed
I can go to the Master in prayer.
C. God is faithful!
1. He is faithful not to allow us to be tempted beyond our ability to withstand.
2. He is faithful in His love.
3. He is faithful to forgive our sins.
4. He is faithful to keep His promises.
D. It’s sad when those we have trusted fail or leave or betray us –but we have an Ally who will never do that! We need to be faithful to God because He is faithful to us!
E. Missionaries Dick and Margaret Hillis knew that. They found themselves caught in China during the Japanese invasion. The couple lived with their two children in an inland town. Every day brought terrifying reports of the Japanese advance. Dick developed appendicitis, and he knew his life depended on making the long journey by rickshaw to the hospital.
With tears, Margaret watched him leave. Soon the Chinese colonel came with news. The enemy was near and townspeople must evacuate. Margaret shivered, knowing that one-year-old Johnny and two-month-old Margaret Anne would never survive as refugees. So she stayed put.
Early next morning she tore the page from the wall calendar and read the new day's Scripture. It was Psalm 56:3--"What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.". The town emptied during the day, and next morning Margaret arose, feeling abandoned. The new verse on the calendar was Psalm 9:10--"Thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.". The next morning she arose to distant sounds of gunfire and worried about food for her children. The calendar verse was Genesis 50:21--"I will nourish you and your little ones." .An old woman suddenly popped in with a pail of steaming goat's milk, and another straggler arrived with a basket of eggs. Through the day, sounds of warfare grew louder, and during the night Margaret prayed for deliverance. The next morning she tore the page from the calendar to read Psalm 56:9--"When I cry unto Thee, then shall my enemies turn back." .
The battle was looming closer, and Margaret didn't go to bed that night. Invasion seemed imminent. But the next morning, all was quiet. Suddenly, villagers began returning to their homes, and the colonel knocked on her door. For some reason, he told her, the Japanese had withdrawn their troops. No one could understand it, but the danger had passed. They were safe. Margaret glanced at her wall calendar and felt she had been reading the handwriting of God.
She found God to be faithful!
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People are weak, He is strong. People fail, He does not. His presence is real, His promises are t rue, His power is infinite, and His peace is serene. In the midst of this world’s strife and opposition, His faithfulness remains!
How are you doing in your struggles? Do you feel alone? He is there. Do you feel weak? He is strong. Do you feel deserted? He remains faithful. It is our need to be faithful to Him.
