2 Timothy - part 4
The Final Charge
As much as I love music, there really are only a handful of songs that can still stop me in my tracks despite having heard them thousands of times. One particular song is “Almost Home” by MercyMe. Listen to these lyrics:
Are you disappointed?
Are you desperate for help?
You know what it's like to be tired
And only a shell of yourself
Well, you start to believe
You don't have what it takes
'Cause it's all you can do
Just to move, much less finish the race
But don't forget what lies ahead
Almost home
Brother, it won't be long
Soon all your burdens will be gone
With all your strength
Sister, run wild, run free
Hold up your head, keep pressing on
We are almost home
I know that the cross has brought Heaven to us
Make no mistake, there's still more to come
When our flesh and our bone are no longer between
Where we are right now and where we're meant to be
When all that's been lost is made whole again
When these tears and this pain no longer exist
No more walking, we're running as fast as we can
Consider this our second wind
The lyrics cut right through the noise of this life and bring us back to the reality of the Kingdom of God. And, of course, it helps it is sung by one of the best tenors out there.
Sometimes we need something to remind us to keep moving. Whether it’s a great song, speaking with a great teacher or coach, or just having a cup of coffee with a friend or family member. There are times when we get so discouraged and so tired, we don’t think we can keep going. But then, God steps in and brings us just the right message at just the right time.
As we look at the last chapter of Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy, I can envision Paul has a letter from Timothy in hand. Timothy is dealing with a church that is fairly healthy, but even in the best of circumstances, ministry can get grueling. Timothy is tired. He has seen progress, but there is still so much more to do. So Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, writes another letter to his protege.
Paul has told Timothy to keep the faith, remember the sound teaching he received from his family and from Paul, and to remember the promises of our Lord Jesus. Timothy is to serve faithfully even if others fall away, because Timothy knows the promises given to those who follow Jesus. Today, we are going to look at those final promises.
The Charge toward the Goal
I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
2 Timothy 4:1-5
The picture in verse 1 is as though Paul has brought Timothy in front of the throne of God. It is as though the End has come, and God is judging whether Timothy has fulfilled his mission. It is a dramatic picture, and Paul intends the drama. We must never forget that our charge, our calling, is ultimately from God. Paul may be giving the instructions, and we may be reading a text originally meant for Timothy, but ultimately God has orchestrated the situation Paul and Timothy find themselves in. Likewise, we too, have been brought to the situation and calling we have because God has deemed it so.
Christians tend to delegate the task of preaching to pastors and teachers, and rightly so, but that does not excuse them from whatever ministry God has given to them. Remember, each Christian has been given spiritual gifts by the Holy Spirit to be used in the ministry and proclamation of the Gospel. Rather than wiping your brow saying, “Glad I don’t have to preach!,” change the wording to match your own gifts.
“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead…
…serve in the church
…lead your small group
…sing in the choir
…distribute the food
…lead the children
…play your instrument
…complete that building project
…administrate the office
…reach out to the lost
…care for the elder
…whatever God has given you to do, DO IT”
“Preach the Word” of course means for Timothy to proclaim the Gospel of Christ, but preaching doesn’t stop at the pulpit. The Word of God goes forth producing righteousness and in that production in the hearts of those willing to listen to God, it continues on. The bearer of the Word, the Christian who serves the Lord with gladness, testifies to the power of Christ, and that testimony is the boldest preaching.
Christian, preach the Word. Whether in deed, in speech, in season and out of season, preach the Word.
In your families, preach the Word.
In your Sunday School class, preach the Word.
In your workplace, preach the Word.
On your hunting trip with your buddies, preach the Word.
At the hairdresser, in the shops, at the gas pump, in your school, and wherever you find yourself, preach the word.
Preach it as though God Himself is watching what you will do with the gifts He has given you, because, guess what, He is! There is coming a day when this life will be over. The Lord Jesus Christ will sit upon His throne and hold us accountable for every deed, those done and those not done.
If that day were today, what would you hear? Would you hear, “Well done, my good and faithful servant!” Or would you hear something else?
Preach the Word through whatever task God has given you as though you will be held accountable for the gifts He has given you, because you will be held accountable.
Last week, we looked at all the ways in which the Church will make ministry difficult, and these verses only reiterate what Paul has said. Christians will wander from the truth, and here, Paul says they will even find teachers who will speak what the wanderers want to hear rather than what they need to hear.
The corrective to this problem is given in verse 2. Timothy is to preach the word being ready in season and out of season. Scholars give two possible interpretations to this phrase. Either 1) Timothy is to preach whether he feels like it or not, or 2) Timothy is to preach whether his people are ready to listen or not. Personally, I don’t see why both of these couldn’t be correct. There’s no way to know exactly what Paul had in mind, but given the context of the verse, both seem correct enough. In this chapter and the previous, Paul is discussing both the need for Timothy to persevere in his ministry and the coming days in which even believing Christians will waver from the Truth of Christ.
Think back to the metaphor of the farmer in chapter 2. The farmer must work his field, cultivate the crops, and expect a harvest even when the season of harvest has not begun. There are seasons when the farmer plows the field. There is a season to plant, a season to water, and a season to fertilize. There is a season to even wait, though the farmer will certainly find tasks that need to be done while waiting. Then, as the last rains of the year begin and the temperature begins to fall, they know the harvest is coming. The season to reap the fruits of the year’s labor is coming quick!
Think back to the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13 as we consider the seasons of ministry.
We recognize there are times when the Christian is fighting back birds as they work. The devil has evil spirits picking at the seeds, spreading lies and hate, fighting back every time the Christian proclaims the Risen Christ. It is the saddest when the demonic birds are flapping and pecking in the church house—when good friends turn on each other, because they have chosen to listen to the lies of Satan rather than the Truth of God. But even in the sadness, the Christian must press on.
We recognize there are times when the ground is rocky and dry. Nothing will grow because is not even ready to be planted. These are times when sin has overrun the field. People are not only lost, but they are deep in the pits of evil. The Christian worker must do the hard work of plowing and tilling the field. Some will listen to the Word of God as it goes forth tearing up the rocky ground, but others will flee. Nevertheless, the Christian must keep going removing rocks every chance he gets.
We recognize there are times when the ground is filled with thorns and the cares of life are choking the Christian’s work. As much as the pastor and the people want to serve Jesus, as much as they want to step out in faith and trust what Jesus is telling them is the right way to go, they are scared. There doesn’t seem to be enough money. They don’t seem to have the building space. They struggle to find workers and volunteers. There are family issues, work issues, and a long list of reasons why they just can’t follow in faith. And yet, even in these times, the Holy Spirit through Paul says, “Preach the Word! Persevere!”
We recognize these times, because we know that God promises, if we will continue to preach the word in those seasons, we will arrive at a season of harvest. We will see the Word go forth and produce fruit. It will be a crop that may be 30 fold, 60 fold, or even 100 fold. How ever many the Christian worker began with, God will bring a harvest of exponentially more…but only if the Christian perseveres.
Christians must be ready to preach the word in season and out of season, because the harvest season is coming.
Reaching the Goal
For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 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.
2 Timothy 4:6-8
As Paul draws closer to the end of his life, he is proud that he can say he has fought the good fight. Notice he does not boast in any accomplishments. He routinely gives credit to God for any good he has done. What he is proud of is the fact that he can say he finished the race, and his faith is intact.
What is the reward for the Christian who labors in Christ? What hope does the worker have who has plowed the hard ground, who has fought off the demonic birds, who has weeded out the thorns and thistles of life? It is the crown of righteousness which will be given to him by the Lord Jesus Himself.
The end of a life lived in service to the Lord Jesus is not the end—it is when our faith becomes sight.
Whenever we grow tired in the labor, we must remind ourselves of the goal. There is a maxim in leadership and training circles that essentially says “Keep the End in Mind”. It can be said differently depending on the context, but whether a person is training for a championship in their sport, they are working the farm fields, developing a financial portfolio, or simply working through their education, every leadership guru will always tell their trainees “Keep the End in Mind”. Whatever the goal, when we keep that goal in mind, it will help inspire and spur us in our labors.
Christian, serving the Lord is no different. God will give us a charge, and sometimes completing the task can take years, even decades. And we can grow tired in our labors, because working the kinds of fields we just looked at—the ones riddles with rocks, birds, and thorns—they can be grueling. But we keep going because we know the End. God is working and transforming this world. He has an eternal perspective that we struggle to perceive, but it is a grand story that we are invited to take part in.
The Harvest is coming. Not just the harvest in our little area, but the Harvest that will come when Jesus breaks through the clouds, and every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord.
Keep that End in mind, and you will be reminded that we do not labor in vain.
The goal of the Christian life is Heaven and to bring as many people along for the ride as will come.
The Promise
This last section is not just Paul’s testimony. It is a promise of the faithfulness of God. Unfortunately, we do not have time to take a look at all the names Paul drops in discussing his situation. Nevertheless, he mentions many who have strayed away from his ministry. Some went on to other locations to serve, but others just fell away. Regardless, take a close look at Paul’s reaction.
But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.
…
The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.
2 Timothy 4:17-18, 22
Those times when you feel like you’re all alone in your fight. You aren’t.
Those times when it looks like the devil is winning. He isn’t.
Those times when it feels like no one is listening when you tell them about Jesus. They are.
And even more importantly, the Lord stands by you and strengthens you, so that through you the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. Jesus said the Gospel would go throughout the whole world before He returns. Each time a Christian speaks up and shares the love of Christ, and the hope of Christ, that is one person closer to Jesus’ Return.
The Lord desires His people to share the Good News and will empower them to share.
Notice also that Paul says he was rescued from the lion’s mouth, and the Lord will rescue him from every evil deed. This may be a figure of speech, or Paul may have very literally been rescued from being sent to the lions. That was a method of execution for Rome, as well as other ancient civilizations. Regardless, Paul was convinced God would rescue him from every evil deed and welcome Paul into heaven.
The promise we have, and the promise Paul understood, is that when we lay our lives down, whether we die a ripe old age in our easy chairs or are tossed to the lions, the Lord will rescue us and welcome us into Heaven. The Lord is always with us.
The Lord is with His people in life and in death, always and forever. Amen.