Second Timothy chapter four.
So blessed portion of God's word. Paul had told Timothy in the
first epistle, the sixth chapter fight the good fight of faith. So that's the title of our message
this morning, The Good Fight of Faith. But here in the second
epistle, this last letter that Paul wrote from prison in Rome
before he's beheaded, he makes this final charge to Timothy,
a young man whom he had nourished and tutored, and he now writes
this final letter with some closing instruction and exhortation.
And he begins here with a charge, some things for Timothy to consider
and to work at. And we see here the transition,
the moving, one moving off the scene, another coming on. I have
read that men have said in every generation, Seems like this will
be the end. There won't be anybody carrying
on. And certainly I've said that. Seems like in this church, we
won't have anybody to step up and teach and preach and sing
and carry on. But you know, I just tend to
forget that the Lord is still running things. Looking around will get you in
a lot of trouble. Do you know that? Looking in
the mirror gets you in a lot of trouble. But looking to God
will help you. That he's been in this business
a long, long time. That's why he's so good at it.
He's been in this a long, long time. And we appreciate the interest
in those whom the Lord is bringing in to help us in the music and
in teaching. And when I kick the bucket, there'll
be somebody to stand here and just count on it. I don't know
who. The Lord knows. The Lord knows. But I'm so thankful
that I'm not in that camp of folks that acts like the Lord
never done anything till I got here, and he won't be able to
do anything after I'm gone. That'd be a pitiful country to
live in, but there's a lot of people I know it's like that.
But see, this thing is, boy, this life is so brief. I mean,
we're moving through here in high gear. And the older you
get, you'll realize you're in overdrive. And birthdays come
around about as often as... Well, anyhow, 2 Timothy 4, he's
charging here, Timothy, and he says in verse 1, I charge thee,
therefore, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall
judge the quick and the dead, that is the living and the dead,
that's what that word quick means, at his coming. Now, to me, this
is a classic eschatological statement. What does that word mean? It
means end time events. It means what so many refer to
as prophecy teaching. What's going to happen at the
end? Well, in reading this one verse alone, it's a classic statement. There is no implication. of any
postponed judgment or any more salvation after Christ's coming. It says He will judge the quick,
the living, and the dead at His appearing. All this dispensational
mess of rapture followed by seven-year tribulation followed by a thousand
years. All that's the product of wrongly
dividing the word and people reading into this book instead
of reading out of it. You can take scripture out of
context and try to make it all fit, make it say about anything
you want to say. But this is a clear statement,
an undeniable statement about the Lord's coming and about the
end of history. The Lord Jesus Christ who shall
judge the quick and the dead at his appearing." Right then. And this is clearly described
in Matthew 25, the separating of the sheep and the goats at
his coming. And in Matthew 13, the separating of the wheat and
the tares at his coming. It all happens at his appearing. And he goes on to say here, "...and
his kingdom." Not that his kingdom is entirely future now as we
speak. No, it is not. He has entered
into his kingdom through his suffering and his death. A better
rendering here is at his appearing and the filling up of his kingdom
or the fullness of it. Now in verse two is the subject
or the content of the charge. He says, preach the word, be
instant, in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with
all longsuffering and doctrine. Paul does not say, now Timothy,
you be careful and don't make anyone mad. Don't offend anyone. And especially those with influence
and especially those with money. Don't worry about doctrine. Don't
worry about what people believe or if they believe anything. Just be nice. Be careful. Don't cross grandma. Don't mention election. Don't
mention hell. And you'll be all right. No,
Paul never said any of that. What he said was, Timothy, preach
the word. Let it fall where it may. and
leave the results with God. Preach the word. Be instant,
in season, out of season. That word instant means on standby. Be ready to preach anytime, anywhere,
in season, out of season. Now look at this carefully. There's
no and. I mean, depending on whatever
perversion you're reading, we read the King James Version.
There's no and here. And we often hear this misquoted.
And you've heard it misquoted. Be instant in season and out
of season. There is no and. It's always
out of season in this world. Always. You try to talk to folks
about the Lord. And they'll say, this is not
the time. It's out of season. Not now. It's never appropriate. It's never convenient. It's always
out of season. And Paul says to Timothy, preach
the word. You be on standby. You be ready, in season, even
though it's always out of season with this world. Preach. reprove, rebuke, exhort with
all long-suffering and doctrine. And here's why. For the time
will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. But after their own lust shall
they heap to themselves teachers having itching ears. We want
a young preacher. We want a preacher with personality. We want this, we want that. We
want one with education. He's got to have that doctor's
degree, that DD after his name. Our old pastor used to say that
that DD after the name, he said it was kind of like the curl
in a pig's tail. It don't do anything for the
ham. And that's a fact. And I don't
say that to belittle education. I believe education is important.
I wish they had more of it. And so do you. I wish I did,
too. I'm sure. But anyhow, it's important. But
it's not the thing that makes the difference. It's the calling. It's the spirit of God that makes
the difference in preaching and in Christian living for you and
for I. So now, he said they'll turn
away their ears from the truth. and shall be turned into fables."
That word, fables, meaning a humanistic religion, sentimental, soothing
to the flesh. Stated more bluntly, they'll
delight in self-glorying and lies of deception. They'll be
so involved with their showmanship and singing competitions We don't
sing here to compete, we sing here to worship. They'll be so
involved with their puppet shows and their proselyting programs. They'll have so much going on,
Timothy. When you get there and come and tell them what God says,
they'll throw you out in the street. They will not endure
sound doctrine. And that descriptive word, sound,
means healthy doctrine, wholesome doctrine, something with some
vitamins, some good, some value. They will not endure sound doctrine. They'll tell you right quick,
we're not going to have it, and they won't. But, verse 5, watch
thou. Paul didn't say, when this happens
to you, Timothy, when you're rejected, it's pretty well time
to call it quits. No, he didn't say that. Any preacher
that can quit because he's rejected wasn't God's preacher in the
first place. You can count on that. A God-called preacher might
be rejected, he might be criticized, he might be thrown in the ditch,
beat up and left for dead. But he don't stay there. The
good Samaritan will be around and pick him up, lift him up,
and get him back on his feet and back to going again. How
do I know that? Because it's happened to me somewhere
around a million times. God does good by his people. Now, left to myself, I'm nothing
but a quitter. And the same goes for you. But
you see, I'm not left to myself. Never. And there's no quit in
him who lives in me. But watch thou in all things. Endure afflictions. Do the work
of the evangelist. Make full proof of thy ministry. Now in verses 6 to 8, Paul speaks
distinctly of his leaving this world. He knows the time is near. He's in prison at Rome, and he
knows the time is nearing. And he says here, for I am now
ready to be offered. He refers to death not as a bad
thing, or a defeat, but as a sacrifice. Referring to the Old Testament
drink offering, it is literally, I am now ready to be poured out
and offered to God. Then he says, and the time of
my departure is at hand. That word departure is very instructive. It's a very beautiful word. It's
not implying the end. It's rather implying a change
of location, a departing from one place in order to arrive
at another, a departing, a passing from one
world to another. I've commented on this. I mean, I've thought about this
lots of times. When somebody leaves this world, we use the
term pass away. They passed away. No, they didn't
pass away, as in cease to exist. No. Now, the black people, if
you ever talk to any, and I do, they don't say passed away. They
say so-and-so passed. I say, how's so-and-so doing?
He passed. Not passed away. But he passed. Talk to one, you'll find out.
He passed. Well, that's correct. Passed
from here to another world. Either to be with the Lord or
to be alienated from the Lord forever. And so that's what this
is, this departure. It's a passing, a moving from
one location to another. Departing from this world to
arrive in a better world, an eternal world, a sinless world,
Paul is saying. And this word depart, it means
to loosen or to let go of one place in order to go to another. Throughout the scriptures, this
word departure It presents a five-sided picture, and I'll give you these
hurriedly. Number one, it's a prisoner's
term, meaning that when he is released, they take the chains
off. They open the prison doors, the
bars, and he's able to walk out. He departs. Number two, it's
a farmer's word. to signify the unyoking of an
ox after a long, hard day's work. And the old ox is weary and tired. And they go to the barn and the
yoke is taken off and is set free and given to rest, departure. Thirdly, the word is a traveler's
word. It means to break camp, to fold
up the tent, to pull up the tent pegs and move on. Departure. And four, it is a seaman's word. It meaning to untie the ropes,
to loose the ship from the harbor and sail out to sea. Departure. And five, it is a philosopher's
word, suggesting the unraveling or the undoing of a great mystery,
like untying a knot. In other words, finally all the
difficulty of it is gone, and the mystery of it is gone, and
the rope is straightened out, the knots are untied. It's all
behind me. I'm departing. I'm moving on.
That's what Paul is saying, my departure is at hand. And now in verse 7, and this
is some Mother's Day sermon, ain't it? Well, we didn't come
for Mother's Day, we come for the Word of God. Verse 7, this
is where I want to get to. The fight, the finish, the faith. Look what he says. I have fought
a good fight. I have finished my course. I
have kept the faith. Now, as you know, the apostle
Paul often referred to athletics, the Greek Olympic games and athletics
in general. And first in this verse, he speaks
of having fought a good fight, fought a good fight. In 1 Corinthians
chapter 9, 26 and 27, he said, I fight not as one that beateth
the air. He's referring to a boxer swinging
into the wind and missing. Using a lot of energy, but accomplishing
nothing. Beating the air. He said, I don't
fight like that. Never getting a lick in on the
opponent. just beating the air. And then he said, but I keep
under my body and bring it into subjection. He's referring there
to the strict discipline and the consistent training that
is necessary for a successful athlete. And so when Paul says
you're in verse seven, I have fought a good fight. This is
what he's talking about, his life and ministry, his work for
the Lord. And notice in this statement,
I have fought a good fight, the descriptive word good is referring
to the quality of the fight, not the quality of his fighting.
See, he is not saying I have fought good, though we believe
he did, but that's not what he's saying. What he's saying is,
this fight I've been engaged in, it's a good fight. It's well
worth all I put into it or could put into it. It is such a good
fight. It is well worth all you put
into it and I'll put into it. And far more, it's a good fight. It's a good fight. Then he mentions
another sporting event here. Running running He says I have
finished my course We talked about this somewhat in our Bible
class this morning. There is a course laid out by
the Lord For every one of his children a course for your life
a course for my life And everybody's course is different I mean, you
seem like yours has more upheel than other people's. Seems like
you have more trouble than some of the people. But it's all the
Lord's doing. And Hebrews 12, 1, let us run
with patience the race that is set before us. You see, I thought
I was just out here haphazard, running here and there, doing
to and fro to everything, everything is happenstance, one day to the
next. No, there is a course laid out. A course. And Paul said, I've finished
my course. And he said there in Hebrews,
let us run with patience. Now, physically that don't add
up. You run with great impatience.
That's why you're running. You've got to get somewhere else
quick. Run with patience. That don't make any sense physically
speaking, but spiritually it is a tremendous truth to run with patience. Do what we know
to do at the same time waiting on the Lord for the outcome of
it. That's what we have to do, live,
labor, and serve the Lord like there's no tomorrow, and yet
realize that he is not on anyone's deadline. He don't have to meet
anyone's deadline except his own, and he'll meet it. He's
right on schedule. I have finished my course, Paul
said. You say, but I've made a lot
of mistakes. I've lost so much. Yeah, yeah,
yeah. This and that and the other.
Join the club. But listen, you can't run looking
back. You'll run into something key
there. You can't run looking back. Paul said, I press toward the
prize. toward the mark for the prize
of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Running forward.
Forgetting those things which are behind and looking to those
things which are before. Look ahead. You can't run looking
back. Don't do it. Don't do it. Set
your eye on the goal. Press forward. Paul says, Like Newton said, through many
dangers, toils and snares, I've already come. I finished my course. I have finished my course. And
that word finished, boy, that's a beautiful word in the Bible.
Finish my course. The word finished, it has such
dignity, I guess I could say. He didn't say life is about done
me in. He didn't say I'm about done
for. He didn't say I'm about ready to kick the bucket. He
says, I have finished. I have finished my course. That's the word I already used.
John 17, 4, praying to the Father, Father, I have finished the work
which thou gavest me to do. Oh my, aren't you glad He didn't
say, Father, I've done all I could do. I'm not doing any more. No, I
have finished the work which Thou gavest me to do. And on
the cross, He never said, I'm finished. He said, it is finished. Beautiful word, beautiful word. Then Paul said, I have kept the
faith. Not just kept faith, but kept
the faith. The faith. Philippians 1.27, with one mind
striving together for the faith of the gospel. People say, so-and-so
is of a different faith. They're of a different faith.
We're of a different faith. Uh-uh. There's not but one. One true faith. Ephesians 4.4,
there is one body, one spirit, one hope of your calling, one
Lord, one faith. One baptism. Just one. I have kept the faith. And so
putting all these three statements together here, I've fought a
good fight, I've finished my course, I've kept the faith.
Putting all those together, let me wind this down by just giving
you these following eight statements. If you'll just hear these eight
things I've enumerated and jotted down here. Number one, the race
we're in is with the heart. not with the legs. Two, this fight we're in is fought
in the heart, not with a fist. Three, our opponents are not
other athletes. Our opponents are unbelief and
our own sinful flesh and the devil. For, especially for my age and
older this morning, the fight we're in is against lost hope,
not lost health. For many of us here this morning,
our health is failing, but our battle, this spiritual war we're
in is against hope, lost hope, not lost health. You see, you
can trust and obey and have peace on the sick bed, same as you
can anywhere else. This is about the hope that's
in our heart. And five, the fight is against hopelessness, not
flawlessness. You're not going to be perfect
here. Some people will expect you to and demand that you are,
and you would like to, but it just ain't happening. Don't set
your hope in yourself and your performance. That'll kill you. Psalm 42, 5, Why art thou cast
down, O my soul? Why art thou disquieted in me?
Hope thou in God. So I hope I can do better tomorrow.
Well, I hope you can do. I hope I can. But we won't do
good enough. Hope thou in God. And number six, your success
in this race is not determined by the opinions of those on the
sidelines. I promise you, living for the
approval of men will kill you. They'll praise you today and
praise somebody else tomorrow. And you'll be mad because they
don't praise you tomorrow. I know they're through praising
you. They're going on to somebody else. Do not live for the praise
of men. but of God. This business of following God
involves going against the grain. You're not going to suit everybody.
Discount on it. And number seven in this race,
reaching the finish line, which we call death, is not by another burst of human energy
But reaching the finish line is by collapsing into the arms
of God. That's it. And number eight, the crown in
verse eight. And I want you to get this. The
crown is not gold, but it's a crown of righteousness.
That's what Paul said. Henceforth there is laid up for
me a crown of righteousness. which the Lord, the righteous
judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only." It's
not just for me, it's for all them also that love His appearing. The natural mind and heart cannot
get past materialism. With the word crown comes the
thought of gold. But Peter said no. He said, our
faith and the trying of it is much more precious than gold.
Gold is no big deal. This crown of righteousness Paul's
talking about, it's not some visible, tangible crown for the
forehead, but the very righteousness of Christ is the crown. with which we are crowned and
will be crowned forever. What awaits us, this crown of
righteousness, is to be like Him, having been conformed to
His very image, crowned with righteousness. May I say it's
all right to die without gold. It's not all right to die without
God. It's alright to die without riches.
It's not alright to die without righteousness. A righteousness that you do not
have in yourself and of yourself. God's standard is perfection.
And that rules us all out. Listen to what He did. 2 Corinthians
5.21 For He, God the Father, hath made Him, God the Son, sin
for us, to be sin for us, believers, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in Him. Christ was put in our shoes that
He might put us in His shoes. To meet God, you need perfect
righteousness and no sin. That's a two-fold problem for
us. You've got plenty of sin and no righteousness. I mean, it's not but two strikes
and you're out. But Christ took away my sin and
gave me his righteousness. He took from me what God forbids
me to have, and He gave me what God requires me to have. Why
wouldn't I love Him? Why wouldn't I worship Him? And why would I care what anybody
thinks about it? Bless His holy name. He's our
Redeemer, our Lord. And we're all headed toward this
finish line Paul talked about. Fight the good fight of faith. Bless his holy name. Stand with
me.