FAMOUS LAST WORDS
"I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
--Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943.
"This ’telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us."
--Western Union internal memo, 1876.
"I’m just glad it’ll be Clark Gable who’s falling on his face and not Gary Cooper."
--Gary Cooper on his decision not to take the leading role in "Gone With The Wind."
"A cookie store is a bad idea. Besides, the market research reports say America likes crispy cookies, not soft and chewy cookies like you make."
--Response to Debbi Fields’ idea of starting Mrs. Fields’ Cookies.
"We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out."
--Decca Recording Co. rejecting the Beatles, 1962.
"So we went to Atari and said, ’Hey, we’ve got this amazing thing, even built with some of your parts, and what do you think about funding us? Or we’ll give it to you. We just want to do it. Pay our salary, we’ll come work for you.’ And they said, ’No.’ So then we went to Hewlett-Packard, and they said, ’Hey, we don’t need you. You haven’t got through college yet.’"
--Apple Computer Inc. founder Steve Jobs on attempts to get Atari and H-P interested in his personal computer.
"640K ought to be enough for anybody."
-- Bill Gates, 1981.
SOME NOT SO FAMOUS GREGISM¡¦S
Those are ¡§Famous Last Words¡¨ because of how ridiculous they seem to us today. Tonight, I want to talk about another kind of famous last words.
I¡¦ve been thinking a lot about last words. Tonight will be my final Nav Night talk as your acting campus director. What should I say? How can I summarize 5 years of ministry at Miami? I could talk about what I¡¦ve learned or what I¡¦ll remember. I could talk about what I hoped you learned from me?
As I considered what to say to you tonight, I couldn¡¦t help thinking about the things that I find myself saying over and over like¡K.
„Ï ¡§82% of all statistics are made up on the spot. I just made that up.¡¨
„Ï ¡§5 out of every 4 people have problems with fractions
„Ï ¡§Originality is the art of forgetting your source. I’m not sure who said that so it must be original with me.¡¨
Or on a more spiritual note:
„Ï ¡§Ministry is making friends for an eternity¡¨
„Ï ¡§God + you is always a majority¡¨
„Ï ¡§There are two things I know about God:
o 1- There is a God
o 2- I’m not Him¡¨
„Ï ¡§Only three things will last forever: God, His Word, and people¡¨
„Ï ¡§Avoid the holy huddle¡¨
„Ï ¡§We not only need to discern the good from the bad; but the best from the good.¡¨
A person¡¦s last words are significant. They can be a window, allowing us to look into a person¡¦s heart. They can also be a measure that helps us evaluate their life.
Tonight, I want us to consider some famous last words. Not mine, but the last words of the apostle Paul to Timothy. 2 Timothy is Paul¡¦s last known letter before he was beheaded
In 2 Timothy chapter 4, Paul gives Timothy three ESSENTIALS for a fruitful ministry.
In verse 1, Paul reminds Timothy (and us) of the importance of what he¡¦s about to share.
2 Timothy 4:1
1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:
¡§In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus¡¨
God is always present with us, nothing is hidden from his sight
¡Kour words, deeds, and thoughts are known to Him.
¡§who will judge the living and the dead¡¨
God is judge and we¡¦ll have to give account for how we spent
our time and what we did with our lives to Him alone.
One day we will face God and our works will be judged.
We should do our work carefully and faithfully
Should deliver us from the fear of man.
¡§and in view of His appearing and His Kingdom¡¨
Jesus is coming back and his return is imminent
The first ESSENTIAL is: SHARE THE TRUTH! (4:2-4)
2 Timothy 4:2-4
2 Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction.
3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
The word ¡§Preach¡¨ means ¡§to preach like a herald.¡¨ In Paul¡¦s day, a ruler had a special herald who made announcements to the people. He was commissioned by the ruler to make his announcements in a loud, clear voice so everyone could hear and understand. He was not an ambassador with the priviledge of negotiating; he was a messenger with a proclamation to be heard and heeded. Timothy was to herald God¡¦s Word with the authority of heaven behind him.
You got to KNOW IT before you can SOW IT. (2 Tim. 3:14-16; 2 Tim. 2:15)
The Word of God is what both sinners and saints need.
IL- I struggled for years with my QT; One Year Bible helped me get and stay on track.
IL- The Hand: hear, read, study, memorize, and meditate.
APPL- What steps are you taking now to learn and apply the Bible to your life?
You got to SOW what you KNOW. (it¡¦s amazing what can happen when we sow the Word)
IL- Aaron Mackris ¡V RA in Havinghurst¡Kchallenged to start IBD, 3 guys came to Christ!
1 Timothy 4:11-13
The second ESSENTIAL is: Reach the Lost! (4:5-8)
5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.
6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure.
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
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.
A. All believers are called to do evangelism! (2 Cor. 5:14-20; Acts 20:24)
2 Corinthians 5
14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.
15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
Acts 20
24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.
ILL- Justin; never shared his faith¡Kwent to McBride¡Kled Brandon to Christ!
B. Evangelism is relational, intentional and it involves sacrifice. (1 Cor. 9:19-23)
1 Corinthians 9
19 Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.
20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law.
21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law.
22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.
23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
ILL- Snow Mtn Ranch- Looking for Chris Nesbitt, found Suresh from Napal..shared gospel.
There are two things you can do on earth that you can¡¦t do in heaven..one is sin; the other is witness. What do you think we should be doing?
For the believer, this life is a close to hell that we¡¦ll ever get. But sadly, for unbelievers, this life is as close to heaven they will get.
What steps can you take to get started?
Step#1: Look Around. Your mission field is right where you are. List names of individuals you know who need Christ, whom you will pray regularly.
Step#2: Look Up. God changes people through prayer. Pray daily for your list and that God would give you opportunities to share His love with them.
Step#3: Look Out. Look for ways to cultivate friendships with others and earn their confidence. Spend time with them.
The third ESSENTIAL is: MAKE DISCIPLES at any cost! (4:9-22)
9 Do your best to come to me quickly,
10 for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.
11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.
12 I sent Tychicus to Ephesus.
13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments.
14 Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done.
15 You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message.
16 At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them.
17 But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth.
18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
19 Greet Priscilla [1] and Aquila and the household of Onesiphorus.
20 Erastus stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus sick in Miletus.
21 Do your best to get here before winter. Eubulus greets you, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia and all the brothers.
22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.
More than 17 people (most by name) are mentioned in this chapter alone; over 100 elsewhere.
What does that tell us about Paul? He invested in individuals.
A. Bringing someone to Christ is just the beginning! (1 Thes. 2:8)
1 Thessalonians 2
8 We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.
ILL- What happened to Jim Mosteller? 10 of us; only 2 walking w/ Lord. Why? I had discipler-Doug
APP. Ask God to give you one other person you can invest in.
What do you look for? Someone who¡¦s faithful, available, and teachable
Ask God to give you someone who will invest in you.
B. We need to multiply and produce reproducers (2 Tim. 2:2)
2 Timothy 2
2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.
ILL- KP>>>Ward>>>>Doug>>>>Me>>>>Others
Personal Appl: What action does God want you to take? Is it to get serious about evang or discipleship
