Several Soldiers Of The Cross

SEVERAL SOLDIERS OF THE CROSS

TEXT - II Timothy 4:6 - 13

INTRO. You are either a missionary or a mission field.

You are either a soldier of the Cross or like those soldiers

at the Cross. You are either God-sought or God-found.

Here in these verses you find several God-found, missionary

minded, soldiers of the Cross.

As I read these verses I am struck with the fact that this

group is a very real picture of the average church roll. It

seems also to be a picture of the rolls of church history. I

feel that it is also a picture of the picture of the rolls of

heaven. In the history of the average church, in church

history, and in eternity there are people like you find

here. You find well know and unknown people, front-slid as

well as backslid, some leaders and some followers, some

mature believers and some needing weak and needing help.

LET US LOOK FOR A FEW MINUTES AT THESE SOLDIERS OF THE CROSS

AND SEE WHAT WE CAN FIND FROM THEIR LIVES TO APPLY TO OUR

LIVES.

I. Paul -- The Overcomer -- vs. 6 - 8

The first word of the book tells us that he is the writer.

He is approaching the end of his life --- and he has been

faithful to God. For 31 years he has been faithful.

A. Notice Paul’s BACKWARD LOOK - vs.7

He compares himself to a fighter or wrestler.

He compares himself to a runner.

He compares himself to what today we would call a banker.

B. Notice Paul’s PRESENT LOOK - vs.6

He states that he is ready. Paul was always ready to

serve, preach, teach, suffer, and even to die for his

Lord.

He states that he is ready to be poured out as an offering

for the Lord.

C. Notice Paul’s FORWARD LOOK - vs.8

He is absolutely confident of the life to come.

He is absolutely confident of the return of Christ.

He is absolutely confident of a day of judgment and

reward.

D. Notice Paul’s UPWARD LOOK - vs.8

II. Timothy -- The man who had to do Demas’s job and will

receive Demas’s Crown -- vs.9 (implied)

Timothy was a young man who loved the Lord and was called

into the ministry but who also needed to be taught, charged,

and encouraged.

He needed charges like:

Stir up the gift---Ch.1:6

Be not therefore ashamed of the testimony---1:8

Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus---2:1

Study to show thyself approved unto God---2:15

Shun profane and vain babblings---2:16

Flee youthful lusts---2:22

4:1-2 READ

He got Demas’s crown because he did Demas’s job

- See Rev.3:11

III. Demas -- The deserter -- vs.10

This is one of the saddest sentences that Paul ever penned.

Demas had been a faithful minister - See Col.4:14, Philemon

vs.24

He was faithful but he became unfaithful. How common in our

day and yet how tragic.

Notice was Vs.10 does not say.

It does not say Demas had gone out into terrible sin.

It does not say Demas got mad and quit.

It does not say that Demas lost his salvation

ALL IT SAY IS THAT HE LEFT PAUL AND THE SERVICE OF GOD

BECAUSE HE LOVED THIS PRESENT WORLD --- vs.10

Maybe the cost of true discipleship was too much and he

wanted more of the comforts and pleasures of life.

He wanted the crown without the cross --- and wound up with

neither. I know of many people down through the years who did

not forsake the church, they just forsook the more costly

path of real dedication and true discipleship.

DEMAS MAY NOT HAVE QUIT CHURCH AT ALL. He might have gone

back to the church at Thessalonica. There was a church there.

See I Thess. 1:1

BUT DEMAS DID LEAVE GOD’S BEST FOR HIS LIFE. He left because

he loved this present world.

Why don’t people go to Sunday School?

Why don’t people go to Sunday Evening Services?

Why don’t people go to Prayer Meeting?

Why don’t people tithe?

Why don’t people witness?

Most of the time it is because of a love for other things.

Where did Demas go? To a city where a church was located. He

probably had no intention of ceasing to be a Christian. He

only proposed to no longer be an "out-and-out" Christian.

He missed heaven’s Hall of Fame and he will regret it for all

eternity

IV. Crescens -- the ordinary and unknown -- vs.10

You have never heard of this man before in the Bible and you

never hear of him again. He is just a member of the rank and

file. He is a private in the Lord’s Army. He is an ordinary

soldier. But he is very important.

Only eternity alone will reveal how much of the work of god