Talk: 2 Timothy 4:6-end, Holy Trinity Frogmore 14th November 2004
David Heath-Whyte
NB: This is what I intended to say, what I actually said was probably different....
Intro
Epitaphs
remembrance
Walking through the graveyard here at Holy Trinity, you'll notice that some graves have epitaphs on them - messages about the person.
The idea of an epitaph is to help us to remember a person, but also to inspire us.
"Beneath this grassy Mound now rests One Edgar Oscar Earl,
Who to another Hunter looked Exactly like a squirrel." - that's from somewhere else.I notice though, that the war graves we have in our burial ground don't have epitaphs: They stand just stand there, solemnly declaring that this man gave his life for his country, so that we could have peace.
I've always found Remembrance Sunday to be quite an inspiring day - as I think about those who died in wars so that I can be free, I wonder: could I do that? would I be brave enough? could that be me?
Paul
The Apostle Paul writes his own epitaph in our passage today - inspiring words, that make me ask: could I be like that? do I have what it takes? will I put in what it needs? could that be me?
What is it that Paul says - was he shot like a Squirrel? Lost to the terrors of war?
No - but he has "fought the good fight... finished the race... and kept the faith"
Paul's Epitaph
As our passage begins, Paul has just been urging Timothy to continue with Gospel Ministry - and here's why:
v.6: "For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure." It's time for Paul to die. It seems that Paul is in prison again, in Rome, expecting the death sentence to be passed some time soon.
v.7 "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
He's not boasting here - he really has done this, and Timothy knew that.
v.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."
The "crown of righteousness" is the complete forgiveness and resurrection life that Jesus will give to Paul - not because Paul has earnt it, but because Jesus has earnt it for him, by Jesus' death on the cross and his resurrection.
And Paul trusts Jesus completely. He knows he's not morally right before God, none of us are. But he knows that Jesus' death deals with that, and so he trusts Jesus for the crown of righteousness that is for "all who have longed for his appearing" - everyone who trusts in Jesus.
Paul is writing to inspire Timothy - and to inspire us: what about me and you? will it be you? can I be like that?
"Fight the good fight" - "finish the race" - "keep the faith" - will Timothy? will I? will you?
These three things sum up the whole letter - Paul's longings for Timothy as he hands on the Gospel ministry.
Fight the Good Fight
So first of all, then: "fight the good fight"
Are you a follower of Jesus? will you live for Jesus openly, in such a way that you'll have to face opposition, even suffering, because people know you're a believer? will you fight the good fight?
Perhaps you're not yet a Christian: did you realise it's not a soft option, to trust in Jesus?
Timothy?
Paul
Paul says: "I have fought the good fight" - he's done it - with God the Holy Spirit helping him every moment.
The language is of a sporting contest - a wrestling match that has to be fought. But it's the 'good' fight - it's to be fought on Jesus' terms, with his help.
David & Goliath
It's a bit like David and Goliath in the Old Testament - that was a contest-and-a-half.
Big Goliath the Philistine Warrior, who scorned the God of Israel, against little David, the shepherd boy, who was about the only Israelite who really trusted in God.
David put his trust in God, stood up to Goliath - and won, with God's help.
And Paul, like David, trusted God and so stood up for Jesus, against huge opposition.
"I have fought the good fight" - Paul has done it - will Timothy?
He's had a lot of encouragement in the letter so far:
ch.1v7, Don't be timid; ch.2v1 "be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus" - v.3 "endure hardship like a good soldier of Jesus Christ" - and so on.
But what weapons is Timothy to use?
Not violence - but God's weapon: his Word (the Bible) -he's got to handle it correctly (2:15) he's got to gently instruct those who oppose him (2:25), he's got to rely on God's word to feed himself (3:14-17) and teach it to others (4:1-5)Alexander
And what does the opposition look like?
vv.14-15 mention Alexander the metalworker.
Timothy is in Ephesus - and years before, when Paul had been there, there had been great riots, and a man named Alexander had been put forward as a spokesman against the Christians. Perhaps it's the same man here, still stirring up trouble?
Whoever he was, v.14 - he was a big problem for Paul, as Paul sought to proclaim Jesus. And, v.15: Timothy still has to watch out for him "because he strongly opposed our message"
But Paul is not deflected by this opposition, because he knows that the Lord Jesus is the Judge of all, who will return to judge the living and the dead (4:1) - there will be justice for the trouble Alexander has caused - v.14: "the Lord will repay him for what he has done"
Fight the good fight Timothy. Don't be timid - arm yourself with the Bible, the sword of the Spirit, and don't be afraid of any harm because Jesus is the Judge of all.
I've done it, says Paul - now it's your turn.
Us?
And now, it's our turn.
Will we live openly for Jesus - so that people know we trust in him: not just that we go to Church, but that he really matters to us every day?
When the time comes, and it would be right to say: "but I believe in Jesus"; or when we're aware that our friend is looking for help and we could say: "I've found that trusting Jesus helps me when..." - will we be brave?
Remember that Jesus is the Judge of all - and we want people to be on the right side of Jesus the Judge when he comes - we want them to be receiving that wonderful crown of righteousness, instead of what they and we actually deserve.
We might get a good reception - after all, we're praying for opportunities, and God can be at work in people.
But if we don't? Are we ready to trust God and face the sneers? the laughter? the gossip?
You never know - a hostile person might be reacting to wrong idea of Jesus; with Christmas coming up, why not offer them a copy of Luke's Gospel - it's got the familiar Christmas events at the beginning - and who knows, they might go on to read more, and find out what Jesus is really like?
Fight!
Paul says: "I have fought the good fight" - ask yourself: will that be me? will they write that on my gravestone?!
Am I ready to live for Jesus openly, so that opposition, even suffering, is a real possibility?
Fight the Good Fight.
Finish the Race
finish!
And then: "Finish the race"
Are you trusting in Jesus? Will you put the effort in and run and run and run, every day for Jesus, ignoring all the distractions, so that you will be one of those who finish the race?
Perhaps you're just thinking about becoming a Christian: Jesus is not just for Sundays - he's for every day, and he calls us to make his central to our lives, to put our energy into living for him, first and foremost.
finished!
"I have finished the race" says Paul.
How did he manage it? Every other time he mentions the "race" in his letters, he's still running - and it's hard. And here, in v.9-13, you get a real sense of Paul's loneliness in Prison - and he's cold (he wants his cloak) In v.16 we hear that as his trial began, there was no friend to help. How did he keep running with Jesus?
Because Paul knew that his Lord Jesus, the Judge, was also his Friend - alongside him through everything: v.17 "the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength" And he wants Timothy to be sure of the same Friendship from the Lord: v.22 "The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you."
Jesus isn't some sort of 'idea' for Paul - some Philosophy to discuss, or some fad to try out. Jesus is real, Jesus is there. And that's why he has been able to keep on running; and that's why he can face the death sentence so calmly - he knows the race is as good as finished, and that Jesus will always be there - right til the end, and beyond the end.
The Lord Jesus, the Judge, was Paul's friend, helping him run and finish the race.
Timothy & Co.
And now, it's Timothy's go.
Did you see Paula Radcliffe last week? She finished a race - the New York Marathon - in first place.
Quite a contrast to the Olympics, when she faded out and gave up - twice.Have a look at v.9-13 - there are 7 men mentioned here - are they running the race, or fading out?
Demas, Crescens, Titus, Luke, Mark, Tychicus, and Carpus. Friends, colleagues - co-workers. They had travelled all over the Mediterranean with Paul; they'd been on errands for him, taking letters to churches, leading churches, sorting churches out.
Demas
But: "Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me"
"Game-over" for Demas; why? "because he loved this world"
Who do we love - the Lord Jesus, or the world?
What do we long for - more money, or the coming of our Lord Jesus?
Where is our heart set - on what we can see, which is just temporary; or what we can't see - the Lord Jesus, who is forever?
Mark
At one stage, Mark had difficulty with this. In the book of Acts we read that he travelled with Paul and Barnabas on the very first missionary journey - and left early, in Paul's bad books. But now, years later - things have changed. Mark has matured. Paul wants Timothy to hurry up and come to Rome - and: "Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry."
Wouldn't you like a reference like that? Short - but sweet: "helpful to me in my ministry" - brilliant! Mark really is "running the race"
Us?
What about you and me? Will that be us? Running, and one day, finishing the race?
Maybe the Christian life feels more like an egg and spoon race for you - and the egg keeps falling off the spoon, so you stop running to faff around and pick it up?
the Lord Jesus is our Friend, alongside us as we trust in him - so Pick up the egg and keep going!
Put the effort in, day by day, to running the race of living with Jesus as King. He's there with us, as we do. And the more we consciously live for him, seeking his will in the Bible, praying for what's going on around us, living as he wants rather than as we feel, the more we will know him alongside us.
The more we faff around, the more we miss out.
Are you faffing around? Making excuses for missing church? Don't do it - instead: run the race, and finish it.
Keep the Faith
keep it
Fight the Good Fight, Finish the Race, and "keep the faith"
Are you a Christian? Then the Gospel message is something you need to know & guard, and to pass on accurately.
Are you investigating Christianity? Then we have responsibility towards you: to pass on to you nothing more and nothing less that the original and authentic message of Jesus, that Paul and Timothy knew.
Paul
Paul says: "I have kept the faith" - this is what he's been asking Timothy to do: to Guard the Gospel, and Proclaim the Gospel.
This has been Paul's life's work.
He's guarded the Gospel - for example, he's provided a clear record of it in his letter to the Romans, he's worked tirelessly with the Church in Corinth, putting them right when they were going astray.
He's made sure that the truth about Jesus is clearly known - with nothing added and nothing taken away.
He's guarded the Gospel, And he's proclaimed it - everywhere.
In fact, as he writes to Timothy he's just achieved something he's longed for: v.16-17: as his trial opened, it gave him the opportunity to proclaim Jesus right at the heart of Rome, to a body of people that he sees as representing the whole Roman Empire - v.17 "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."
This is why the Lord Jesus, at his side, gave him strength: so that he could proclaim the Gospel, one more time.
And he was "delivered" - he's still alive, for now. And through that same Gospel message, he knows that he's safe with Jesus whatever happens . He knows that the Lord Jesus is the Judge, his Friend and: his Saviour - even if the Romans do take the sword to his neck and kill him: v.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."
"Rescue" for Paul meant one thing: the resurrection life that Jesus gives to all who turn to him and trust in him and long for his coming. The crown of Righteousness - what we call heaven. We can only be there if Jesus, the Saviour, has rescued us.
Timothy?
And now, it's Timothy's turn - back to 4:5 "But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry."
This whole letter has been about this, hasn't it: Timothy, Stand up and speak about Jesus, whatever comes, knowing that he is the only Saviour - who will give that crown of righteousness to all who turn to him.
Us?
"I have kept the faith" - will that be on your gravestone?
What a great ambition.
What a tremendous motivation: to be someone who guards the gospel, and proclaims the Gospel.
Did you hear about John Pringle's Medical notes?
He was a renowned Scottish Doctor who died in the 1780s, and he left his notes to the Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh, on the condition that they wouldn't be made public! And for 223 years, they haven't been. But now a court has ruled that the college can show them to people - which is great news for medical historians.
They guarded the notes, but they couldn't proclaim them!
How ridiculous - having such a fantastic resource, and keeping it secret!
I wonder, are you keeping the Gospel secret?
We want to keep that authentic, original, Bible message about Jesus - so that we can pass it on.
It's a wonderful thing to help people understand that the Lord Jesus is the Judge: we'll all appear before him, so we need his rescue in advance of that, so that we will know his forgiveness when it happens.
It's fantastic to speak about the Lord Jesus as our Friend: when we trust in Him, he is alongside us always, by the work of God the Holy Spirit.
And it's brilliant to be able to say that the Lord Jesus is our Saviour - with him, our future is guaranteed: eternal life, by his grace alone - it's ours through his death for us on the cross and his resurrection.
Guard the Gospel, Proclaim the Gospel: Keep the Faith!
Conclusion
So: will it be Timothy?
It's his turn - will he be inspired by Paul's testimony, his epitaph?
Will it be you?
Because it's our turn, now.
Will you let this inspire you to a better way of living for Jesus?
"Fight the good fight" - live openly for Jesus, the Judge, whatever opposition comes
"finish the race" - keep going with him every day, with Jesus your Friend, alongside you
"keep the faith" - guard and proclaim the Good News of Jesus the Saviour.