CLOSE THE BOOK
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr
Kyfingers@aol.com
TEXT:
2 Tim. 4:6 For I am now ready to be offered, and
the time of my departure is at hand.
7: I have fought a good fight, I have finished my
course, I have kept the faith.
I again ponder, how good God has been to this sinner saved by grace.
If I were God, I would not have picked me.
But He loved me anyway, which causes me to ponder a
chapter in 2 Tim. 4.
A beautiful chapter on closing the books.
I will bring out a couple of points.
2 Tim. 4:6 For I am now ready to be offered, and
the time of my departure is at hand.
7: I have fought a good fight, I have finished my
course, I have kept the faith.
Paul did fight a good fight, but his residence and assignments were never perfect. He knew when to close the book.
He left a Christian companion in what was apparent strife, but he still pens the words: I have fought a good fight. Paul learned to close the book.
Sometimes we and or our work may appear to be absolute failures.
But we must close the book.
Carrying guilt or looking to blame others
will not build better churches or better people.
Regret can kill.
Paul as Saul was mean and cruel, but he had to close the book on that chapter of his life.
Paul had trouble being accepted by the church, when he was a new saint, because they remembered his past. But Paul had to close the book and go on.
Paul never allowed his beatings to breed bitterness, he closed the book.
When suggestions came in Acts 27 for Paul not to be included in a lifeboat, and they were just going to let him drown, he had to close the book to this chapter.
Paul was wrong about Mark.
He allowed this to separate him from a dear brother.
Paul remembered Mark’s past failures.
But it was God’s plan that Mark and Barnabas
go a different direction from Paul.
What appeared to be strife was a deeper move
of God to get 2 great men to travel in different
directions and thus cover more ground.
But Paul had to close the book about
the differences over Mark.
As Paul pens these words that I have fought a good fight, Paul realizes that he would have done many things different in his life.
Paul perhaps was not as close in the association of fellow-believers in Jerusalem as he should have been, but Paul had to close the book and go on.
In 2 Tim. 4:9 -15, Paul introduces us to 4 people. these four people are types. We have to learn the types of people and GO ON!
Paul shows this truth about doing what you can and then going on.
1. DEMUS
Demus has forsaken me, vs. 10.
Demus’s fall hurt Paul, but he had to go on.
2. ALEXANDER
Alexander the Coppersmith did Paul much evil,
but Paul had to close the book and go on.
3.LUKE
Luke the persistent, close the book with joy.
4.MARK
Mark the up and down, but back up.
But close the book, don’t keep remembering the
past.
Don’t plan on winning every time that you play.
God’s people must learn how to fight a good fight and then close the book.
There are loss columns, as well as gain columns in the book of life.
We must discipline ourselves to not dwell in the
loss column or in the gain column.
We must do what we can and then close the book.
Do your best, run the distance, keep the faith?
DO YOUR BEST AND FORGET THE REST!
King Saul with David would never close the book,
and thus jealousy picked up the javelin and threw it at the next man of God, Saul should have learned to close the book.
Sometimes in our book there are happy chapters,
sometimes there are sad chapters,
sometimes there are victories,
but also know that the times of failure are
part of the work of God also.
But when our chapter closes with victory or failure, we must know how to close the book.
Be mature enough to pass the torch on before you close the book.
There is a time we do what we can and then pass the torch and close the books.
As Joseph was reunited with his brothers that had abused him, he learned to bite his lip, swallow his pride, and guard his words.
But Joseph rested in the absolute fact that
God is the Great Record Keeper of the Ages.
God is faithful and true.
Joseph had to go on with life, but it
was necessary to close the book on the past
before he could rule effectively as God’s man.
Our data before God is all that matters.
The applause of men is so shallow and in vain.
Applause dies almost as quick as it begins,
but we must fight a good fight and go on.
John the Baptist never had a glorious departure
from jail.
All he had done was declare the truth.
John the Baptist had to close the book,
but he had a trust that his successor
would blow the world away, by greater works.
John realized he was a piece of the puzzle to
bridge the gap between God and man just as we are,
we must learn as John, I must decrease that He
might increase, then close the book.
Your past life is fixed, close the book.
But take the torch as far as you can and then make sure to pass the torch into the hands of others.
Don’t get angry,
don’t be pulled by raveling,
use wisdom and then snip it.
It may be hard to keep your mouth shut, but silence can be golden.
It is hard to misquote silence.
But I ask you, my friend, to press on.
Do what you can, don’t worry about the Demus’ and the Alexander’s of this world.
May when I take my last breath I can say the words,
I have fought a good fight,
I have finished my course,
I have kept the faith.
These words don’t declare that we have done everything perfectly, these words don’t declare that we will not have many regrets, but these words declare we have grown, that we will grow.
For one day we too shall close the book and pass on the torch.
One of the greatest obstacles to effective Christian work is bitterness, anger, and disappointment.
We get disappointed by others,
we get disappointed by ourselves,
but we can’t allow bitterness, anger, and
disappointment to impede the plan of God.
My fellow laborer, keep fighting, for there comes a day when God will open the books, time shall be no more, and our hearts will be judged.
Close the book and pass the torch.
Bury the past, or it will bury you.
His servant,
Wade Martin Hughes, Sr
Kyfingers@aol.com
