East End

5-18-08

Text: 2 Timothy 4:6-8

There is no doubt that this has been a time of death for many within the church. In fact there have been six funerals in the last six weeks. And as I sat there during the services I wondered to myself, what is the greatest thing that can be said about a person at their funeral? As I thought about this God laid on my heart today’s text. Paul is writing this second letter to Timothy knowing that his time here on earth was drawing to a close. In fact this was the last letter the apostle Paul would write. He was aware of this as we see his words in verse six. But it is what he is able to confidently say about himself that struck me. Paul first says that he has “fought the good fight.” Paul was always having to defend his faith as well as his life because people didn’t accept the message Paul preached. In many cases we Christians have to take stands against society because as Romans 12: 1, 2 tells us we are to be in the world but not of the world. Therefore our views and stances on issues are going to be different than mainstream society. Paul was saying with confidence that he took a stand on the issues that needed taking a standing on. Sometimes however Paul would have to stand against not only those outside of the church but inside of the church as well. Unfortunately in Paul’s day as well as in our day people tried to add requirements to salvation. They would say yes you must have faith but that you must be baptized or that you must convert to Judaism, and so on and so on. Paul knew all too well that sometimes taking a stand for what was right left you on an island, but Paul knew that God would take care of him as long as Paul stayed true to the true gospel. Next Paul said that he “finished the race.” Each of us has a set race to run. God knows the exact number of days of our lives as it is pointed out in Psalm 139:16. We don’t know how long we are going to live therefore we should make the most out of every day God gives us. Once Paul turned his life over to serving the risen Christ that is what he did, he made the most of every day by serving the Lord and his fellow man. We would be wise to heed the advice from the bumper sticker that says, “Live your life like today’s your last day, because one day you will be right.” God has a plan for our life and if we want to have a purpose and find happiness then we need to submit ourselves to God’s plan because only God’s plan is the correct plan for our life. Finally Paul says that he has “kept the faith.” From the moment that God revealed Himself to Paul on the Damascus road Paul has been living for and serving His lord. Although if he would have continued living his life prior to the Damascus road Paul’s life would have been much easier. He would have been respected and feared by all men. But Paul knew that since he met the risen Savior, his life was never going to be the same. He never turned from his faith no matter what problems came up. After all Paul would be thrown in prison multiple times, be shipwrecked, be bitten by a serpent, and have his life threatened more times that we can count. And in spite of all of this, Paul still held tight to the gospel because he knew it was true and that it would lead to eternal life. Paul knew that at the end of his life, God would reward him for his faithfulness to the gospel. But Paul said this reward isn’t just for me, it is for all who believe and hold fast to the gospel until the Lord Jesus comes back. How would you evaluate your life in comparison to what Paul said. Have you fought the good fight, finished your race, and kept the faith? For many of us we have waivered a time or two on taking a stand or holding tight to our faith at all costs. For some they have never taken the first step and that is accepting Christ as their Lord and Savior. The good news is if you are reading this you have not finished your race and so you have another chance. The question is what are you going to do with this chance? You may have gotten things wrong in the past, but there is a God in heaven who loves you and will forgive you if you will place your faith in Him. Help is just a prayer away! I hope that you will know with certainty that you are a child of God but if you are not sure I want to encourage you to speak with your pastor or get in touch with me. I would love to opportunity to share the gospel with you and show you how that you can have the same legacy that Paul had at the end of his life. May God bless you and keep you this week!