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38. II Timothy 4: “Paul’s
Farewell to a Young Evangelist”
Golden
Nursing Center in Mannington, NJ –Evening Service on 1/24/2014
(edited
April 2020)
One of the greatest callings of the Christian
ministry is to encourage and assist the generation of workers and leaders that
are coming along to replace you in the earthly ministry for Christ. Paul sets a
great example here in his final charges to Timothy. This is much more than a
casual “So Long and Good Luck!”
Verse 1: “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus
Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his
kingdom;”
Eternity is the context for all we do in
Jesus’ name. And because of this, just as Christ did, we may find ourselves out
of step with the world around us or even the religious sects of our day. But
still, Paul says:
Verse 2: “ Preach the word;
be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long
suffering and doctrine.”
There is no bad time for the Word of God. I
have observed that there are many people who will accept God’s Word as part of
a funeral, but would be very uncomfortable bringing it up at a party. But the
Word is for all of us, all the time. It was meant to be woven into daily life
and talked about!
Verses
3-4:
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine;
but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having
itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be
turned unto fables.
Unfortunately bad religion, false and
half-truth religion, are equivalent to no religion at all. The outcomes are the
same, and in the end, it is just as evil. But grounded Bible teaching and Bible
study are the cures for bad religion.
Verse 5: “But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do
the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.”
Even living in God’s will and armed with His
Word, Paul reminds Timothy, even then your ministry will be tested and
challenged. At this time Paul himself was actually under arrest in Rome. His
only crime: proclaiming to Gospel to all who would listen.
Verses
6-8:
“For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is
at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my
course, I have kept the faith: 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, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”
Paul had that eternal perspective and it gave
him hope. Though he had both prospered and suffered as a Christian, by the Grace
of God, he never surrendered. Halleluiah!
Also, serving the
Lord does not mean isolating yourself from everyday life and the people you
encounter there. Paul had quite a “gang” of associates. Some treated him very
well, some didn’t. So did Jesus. Just look at a painting of the Last Supper.
What a crew that was! But Christ stayed engaged with all sorts of people, even
at the height of His earthly ministry. And that’s part of any real Christian ministry!
I’m so glad Christ wasn’t and isn’t overly choosey about who He reaches out to!
Otherwise, to be honest, I would not be here today.
Verses
9-15:
“Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: For Demas hath forsaken
me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica;
Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and
bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry. And Tychicus
have I sent to Ephesus. The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou
comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments. Alexander
the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him
according to his works: Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly
withstood our words.”
The Apostle Paul
knew all too well that following Christ can be very difficult at times. Yet, Paul
is still encouraging and training young Timothy. And we must
be careful in our ministries today to remember to keep on functioning, with
God’s help, in bad times as well as good times.
Verses 16-18: “At my first answer no man stood
with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their
charge. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me
the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I
was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall deliver me from
every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be
glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
The confidence to
associate with others is based on the fact that even if everyone you know were
to forsake you at once, as happened to Paul in Rome, you can still rely on the
Lord. A great Christian ministry is not measured by the quality of your
associates, the money you raise, the books you publish, health, wealth, or your
misfortunes, etc. A great Christian life, is great because of the Greatness of
the Lord Who stands behind each individual believer.
At my age, you
start to realize that we are all flawed and capable of failing each other and
the Lord. But even in difficult times and times of weakness, we need to make
the effort to maintain our fellowship with each other. Paul confirms this, by
example, in his closing remarks:
Verses
19-22:
“Salute Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. Erastus
abode at Corinth: but Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick. Do thy diligence
to come before winter. Eubulus greeteth thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and
Claudia, and all the brethren. The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace
be with you. Amen.”
Amen.
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