Faithful Until The End
2 Timothy 4: 6-8 (ESV):
6For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of
my departure has come.
7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8Henceforth there is laid up 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 loved his ap pearing.
How many of you are familiar with the name Rosie Ruiz? In 1980, she joined the Boston Mar athon. She started the race looking great. And as the runners approached the finish line, she was a long way ahead of everyone else, breaking all kinds of records. The crowd applauded as she crossed the finish line and was crowned the champion that day.
However, it was suspicious that a woman who had never won a marathon before could win the Boston Marathon, especially by several miles. Lo and behold, when they examined the situa tion, the girl started the race but then left the run and got on the subway. She rode the subway for sixteen miles, returned to the route, and crossed the finish line! When her cheating was discovered, she was, of course, disqualified from the race.
Some of us have started living the Christian life but have jumped on the subway, and we want to cross the finish line with God saying, “Well done, My good and faithful servant.” But when He opens the books and checks the record, He will know that you abandoned the race at one point and didn’t faithfully run until the end of the race.
As we celebrate Grandparents Sunday, I recognize that many of our grandparents are much closer to the finish line than others in this room. I fear that instead of doing their best to finish strong, some might relax, lower their guard, and end up on the sidelines, missing their rewards. So, this morning, I wanted to spend our sermon challenging our grandparents and every one of us to commit to running faithfully until we finish our race.
On many occasions in the New Testament, the Christian life has been compared to a mara thon race. Listen, for example, to Hebrews 12:1-2:
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Clearly, the author of Hebrews is not talking of a one-hundred-meter dash race but a mara-
1
thon because he emphasizes the need to run with endurance or perseverance. As believers of Jesus Christ, we must commit to persevere through all the trials and hardships and remain faithful until we reach the end of the race. Do we have this kind of determination?
The text I chose this morning conveys this very same truth. The apostle Paul wrote 2 Timothy as his final epistle before the Romans executed him for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Antici pating his imminent death, he wrote his young protegee, Timothy, to remain faithful in serving the Lord until the end of his life. Let’s examine this text and focus on three specific exhortations that Paul is giving to us:
I BE DEDICATED TO MAKING SACRIFICES (v.6)
When you read the first verse of our text, we find these words, “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.” With these words, we must go back to the Old Testament to appreciate Paul’s perspective about his death. There are two images we want to unpack:
A. Sacrifice of Indebtedness
During the Old Testament, whenever God’s people offered a sacrifice for their sins, part of the ritual was pouring wine over the sacrifice on the altar. This act is called the “drink offering” (Numbers 15:1-10). This pouring of wine was an expression of thanksgiving. Every forgiven sinner must acknowledge that their forgiveness is by grace. In the same manner, the apostle Paul saw his life as a sacrifice being poured at the altar, and it was his expression of thanksgiving to God for His limitless grace.
Do we share the same perspective? Are we prepared to make sacrifices in serving the Lord, knowing that they are expressions of our thanksgiving to God? The apostle Paul conveyed this very same truth in Romans 12:1-2 (ESV):
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a liv ing sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Here, the appeal is for believers to sacrifice their lives to God because of His mercies toward us. In other words, since God has shown us tremendous compassion when He forgave us of our sins, then He deserves our full service.
B. Sacrifice of Inspiration
Another image we should not miss in the pouring of wine on the sacrifice is that this will help increase the flames on the altar and could produce a sweet-smelling fragrance from the sacrifice.
Without a doubt, the apostle Paul provided an example to Timothy and other be lievers who would read his letter, which would undoubtedly inspire them to serve Jesus Christ more.
Think about it – are we inspiring others with our sacrifices to be more faith
ful in serving or living for Jesus Christ? Elizabeth Elliot, the wife of Jim Elliot, the missionary killed by the tribe of the Aucas of Ecuador in 1956, aptly said these words:
"To be a follower of the Crucified Christ means, sooner or later, a personal encounter with the cross. And the cross always entails loss. The great symbol of Christianity means sacrifice; no one who calls himself a Christian can evade this stark fact. It is not by any means an easy thing to recognize, within a given instance of personal loss, the opportunity it affords for par ticipation in Christ's own loss."
Time and again, we will be called to sacrifice for our Savior, and I trust that we will never for get that our sacrifices can be an expression of our indebtedness and an inspiration for others to be more faithful to the Lord. For Paul, dying for Christ is never a waste of life because of these two per spectives.
II BE DISCERNING IN YOUR BATTLES
Now, coming to verse 7, we read these words, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” I hope we will not misunderstand the apostle Paul as boasting in this verse. Instead, he allowed us to see the essential nature of his Christian life and ministry. Clear ly, he wants to remind us that we are in a fight. As we all know, we have spiritual enemies who are always looking for opportunities to distract us from Jesus Christ and destroy our commitment to him. Paul taught this truth in Ephesians 6: 10-12 (ESV):
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Indeed, we are wrestling not with flesh and blood. In other words, if we think we are being discouraged in our Christian life because of a person around us. The reality is that it is really some demonic spirits who are doing their best to discourage you. So, fight a good fight.
Now, let me explain this truth. The word that Paul used in Greek for “Fight” is “Agon” where we get the English word agony. It is so true that there are times when we are called to fight or ago nize in our Christian lives. But not all struggles are good or worth fighting for. We need to be dis cerning about which fights deserve our time and energy or are worth dying for. Paul did not fight
because he wanted to become famous or have a more comfortable life; he fought for his faith in Jesus Christ. He fought to make Jesus known throughout the world.
You see, to be discerning in life means having the ability to judge well or
to perceive the best and make thoughtful decisions based on careful considera tion. Have you developed this ability in your life today? For the apostle Paul, once he knew it was a good fight, he will stick to it until the end of his life. The apostle Paul had his share of struggles:
2 Corinthians 6:3-5 (ESV):
3 We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflic tions, hardships, calamities,
5beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger;
Nevertheless, just like a marathon runner who was always focused on the finish line, he kept running until his course was done. He declared in Acts 20:24 (ESV):
24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
This statement is so beautiful in the Message Translation: "Clearly, there are hard times and imprisonment ahead. But that matters little. What matters most to me is to finish what God start ed: the job the Master Jesus gave me of letting everyone I meet know all about this incredibly ex travagant generosity of God.”
My prayer for all of us is that we will not waste our one and only life by consuming it on what is not worthwhile. Like Paul, may we see our faith in Jesus Christ as worth fighting for.
III BE DETERMINED TO RECEIVE YOUR REWARDS
Lastly, Paul concludes our text in saying, “Henceforth there is laid up 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 loved his appearing.”
If there was something that Paul was fixated on while running his race on earth, it was the prize Jesus Himself would give him after his life was over. The word “crown” refers not to the King’s crown but to the garland or laurel wreath placed on the heads of the athletes who won their com petitions during ancient times. Consistent with the metaphor of a marathon, the rigorous training and preparation, building strength and stamina to win the competition, the question is: Do you do all these things just for the garland? Absolutely not! I believe the ultimate goal in doing all these things is to receive the honor of standing before the Savior, to whom you owe your very life, and be personally congratulated for running faithfully till the end of your race.
In the text, Paul referred to this truth – “which the Lord, the righteous
judge.” Unlike earthly judges, Jesus will definitely be a righteous judge. He will not be a respecter of persons. He will certainly not only judge our actions; He will be able to judge our motives as well. So, there will be no unfairness in heaven when we are judged.
Are you running your life conscious of receiving rewards from the Savior? I sometimes would hear believers say they don’t have to receive a crown. Anyways, they are in heaven already. But this is not sound thinking. Let me explain. With the recent Olympics in Paris, do you think athletes had the same mindset that as long as they were able to go to Paris, they were already happy? No, with all their hard work, they would have been doubly honored to come home with the gold medal, right?
Now, consider this passage in Revelation 4:10-11 (ESV):
10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”
In this passage, we find the twenty-four elders honoring Jesus, casting their crowns on His feet. Many Bible scholars believe that this act of honoring Jesus is most likely the way we will all re spond when we receive our rewards in heaven. We will be overwhelmed with gratitude because of what Jesus has done for us, and we will all recognize that He alone in heaven deserves to be hon ored and glorified.
Lately, I read about this story about some entry in John Wesley’s diary. It went like this: • Sunday, A.M., May 5 - Preached in St. Anne's. Was asked not to come back anymore. • Sunday, P.M., May 5 - Preached in St. John's. Deacons said "Get out and stay out." • Sunday, A.M., May 12- Preached in St. Jude's. Can't go back there, either.
• Sunday, A.M., May 19- Preached in St. Somebody Else's. Deacons called special meeting and said I couldn't return.
• Sunday, P.M., May 19- Preached on street. Kicked off street.
• Sunday, A.M., May 26- Preached in meadow. Chased out of meadow as bull was turned loose during service.
• Sunday, A.M., June 2- Preached out at the edge of town. Kicked off the highway.
• Sunday, P.M., June 2- Afternoon, preached in a pasture. Ten thousand people came out to hear me.
As many of you know, John Wesley was one of the leaders of Methodism,
the revival within the Church of England during the eighteenth century. The churches he founded later became the foundation for today's independent Meth odist movement. It just dawned on me that if John Wesley quit when he was being kicked out of churches, he could have missed the blessing of being used mightily by God. I hope and pray that we will continue to run faithfully until the very end of our lives. Then wait and see how God would bless our faithfulness to Him!