FACING DEATH
2 Timothy 4:17-18
Who said, living for Jesus is easy? The fact is, it may cost you your very life. Paul was in prison for preaching the gospel of Christ. Can’t you detect a note of sadness in these words? A note of sorrow? Paul was feeling all alone.
Some of you may be going through a period of loneness. All of us have at one time or another. One can be lonely even in the midst of a great multitude of people. This passage speaks to those of us who are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. The reality is, when you are all alone - you aren’t really alone for the Lord is with you. Listen to just a few Biblical promises.
Jesus said, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Mt. 28:20). Elijah wasn’t alone when he felt so alone. The Lord came near, not in a fire, or an earthquake, or a mighty wind. He came near in a “still small voice.”
Paul and Silas were not alone when they were in prison at Philippi. God gave them a song to sing at midnight. (See Acts 16). Moody Radio has a musical program called “Music in the Night.” In the book of Job, Job’s friend Elihu said, “But no one says, ‘Where is God my Maker, Who gives songs in the night.”
The Apostle Paul was facing his own impending death. Though it is evident that Paul felt alone in these verses, we note that his faith came through. We learn from Paul that even in the face of death believers in Jesus Christ can experience God’s presence, know God’s power to fulfill God’s purpose, and rest in God’s promises. Let’s look at these truths a little more carefully.
I. IN THE FACE OF DEATH WE CAN KNOW GOD’S PRESENCE
Note what Paul had experienced.
1. His friends had deserted him (v. 10)
2. He apparently had nothing to read (13). Many POWs said, that what sustained them was Bible Verses and Hymns that they remembered.
3. Alexander the Coppersmith tried to harm him (14-15)
4. No one stood with him when he was first placed on trial.
5. Paul was facing his own impending death. He said “The time of my departure is at hand….” Most of us want some loved ones around.
Though he felt alone, he wasn’t really alone. He said, “The Lord stood with me.” If the Lord stood by Paul, He will also stand by you and me in our lonely hours. You and I are children of God by faith in Jesus Christ. God will stand by his children. We all need support and encouragement from each other. However, there are times when we simply do not receive it. The Lord stood by Paul. Moreover, he will stand by us as well.
In Deuteronomy 31:6, Moses challenged the people of Israel who were about to enter into the Promised Land, “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
Then God spoke to Joshua as he becomes the leader of the nation following the death of Moses. “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.”
The writer of Hebrews applies these verses to believers in Jesus Christ. “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Our Lord keeps his promise. He will never leave his children or forsake them. The Psalmist put it this way, “Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thou art with me.”
II. IN THE FACE OF DEATH WE CAN FULFILL GOD’S PURPOSE
“The Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear.”
Not only did the Lord stand by Paul, the Lord also strengthened him. Even though he was imprisoned and was at the end of his earthly life, Paul was strengthened by God’s power in order that he might continue bearing witness. We also know that the great apostle Paul spent much time in jail because of the preaching of the gospel.
It was while he was in prison that the Philippian jailer and his family came to know Christ. No doubt a number of fellow prisoners were saved through Paul’s jail ministry as well. He even bore witness to those who were judging him.
Paul presented the gospel to Felix who unfortunately procrastinated. Listen to Acts 24:24-25. “And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, ‘Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.’”
Paul also presented the Gospel to Festus and to Agrippa. Paul shared his personal testimony to Agrippa in Acts 26. As he presented the gospel, Festus accused Paul of being mad. Then Paul asked Agrippa. “King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.” Then Agrippa said to Paul, “you almost persuade me to become a Christian. Then Paul said, I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.”
Even in his last imprisonment, God gave Paul the strength to be able to fully preach the gospel to the Gentiles. Preaching the gospel was Paul’s purpose for life. He needed the presence and power of the Holy Spirit to be able to speak clearly concerning the salvation that is available to us through Jesus Christ.
God called the apostle Paul to be a missionary to the Gentiles. His passion was to preach the gospel. His arrest and imprisonment actually opened the doors to the preaching of the gospel. His desire was to fulfill the Great Commission and preach to the gentiles. He was faithful unto death.
III. IN THE FACE OF DEATH WE CAN EXPERIENCE GOD’S PROTECTION
The Lord delivered him from the mouth of the lion. Was this a real lion as we see in the story of Daniel and the Lion’s den or was this merely an illustration that described the enemy? Certainly, it could have been a real lion. However as a Roman citizen Paul would not have been thrown to the lions.
Sometimes God will protect us by delivering us out of the valley of the shadow of death. Then there will come the time that He will take us on to heaven. That is the ultimate deliverance for we will be with the Lord.
The early Greeks believed that Paul was referring to the emperor Nero because of his cruel nature. Others see the lion as representative of Satan, or perhaps Paul’s human prosecutor in court. Could this have been a reference to Alexander the Coppersmith? Paul became sort of a NT Daniel. Remember, the Lord shut the mouths of the lion for Daniel. Likewise he delivered Paul
IV. IN THE FACE OF DEATH WE CAN REST IN GOD’S PROMISES:
Paul had the assurance of a glorious future. He said, “The Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom.” Note the phrase, “The Lord will deliver me from every evil work.” Did this mean that Paul would not be executed? No. Remember, the death sentence had already been passed down. Since Paul knew that his death was imminent, the rescue he speaks of is spiritual, not physical. That is why he wrote what he did in the first part of this chapter. Paul wanted to instill in Timothy the urgency of continuing in the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Listen to Paul’s challenge to Timothy in verses 1-5:
Not only will the Lord deliver Paul from every evil work, He will bring him safely to the heavenly kingdom. Then in verses 6-8, he said, “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
A pastor friend was dying of cancer. Someone asked him if his faith helped him in his dying days. He said, “I’m so glad I believe what I have preached all these years.”
When Billy Graham’s health began to fail, James Dobson asked Him about how his faith sustained him. Dr. Graham said, “O Jim, I can hardly wait to see my Lord.”
Prior to his death, Bill Bright wrote "God is real. His promises are true, time on earth is an exciting but brief adventure, and heaven is my home. Without question it has been a joyous journey."
Are you ready to meet your Lord? I don’t think I need to remind you of the brevity of life. We know that death can come in a moment. Are you ready to meet Jesus? Are you ready for the Lord to come? The only way to get ready is to turn from your sins in repentance, and by faith receive Jesus Christ into your life as your Lord and Savior.
(SPECIAL NOTE: I had planned on preaching another sermon on Sunday October 3, 2004, but the idea for this one came around 3:0O-4:00 AM on Tuesday morning while attending a conference at The Cove. Little did I know that one of our finest young men would be killed in an auto accident on Thursday. This young man had surrendered his life to missions and had preached several times in our church. Needless to say, our church was devastated. The Lord used this message to bring comfort to our congregation.)
