2022.10.23 Legacy: Poured Out

The beginning of Paul’s concluding statements make reference to a Jewish worship practice, so let’s begin with a bit of Jewish liturgical understanding. Paul and Timothy were both familiar with Jewish forms of worship and atonement.

This segment begins with Paul saying he’s already being poured out as a drink offering: [do not read]

2 Timothy 4:6a (NASB 2020)

6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering...

Sacrifices are a small category within the larger category of “offerings”. All sacrifices were offerings, but not all offerings were sacrifices.

Do you know the different types of offerings the Jews offered?

burnt offerings - meat and sometimes blood - these were sacrifices

Different animal for a different set of circumstances, and not every circumstance required the blood be placed on the altar.

blood would be pooled in a bowl and placed on the altar and burned with the meat of the sacrificed animal

Do you know the purpose of sacrifices?

Blood offerings are required for atonement and NOTHING is to be added to the flesh or blood

Atonement (define) • forgiveness of sins • re-establishing the blessings of God’s covenant with humans - So sacrifices were required of every person who sinned - so ALL PEOPLE!!!!

Grain offering - finely ground flour mixed with oil and salt - NO YEAST!

sometimes baked, sometimes raw

grain offerings were more often a form of worship rather than a sacrificial offering for atonement

grain offering was given to the priest, who placed a small portion on the altar as an offering to God, and the priest took the rest for his family

There are no specific amounts suggested or required for a grain offering - they are what we would call a free will offering - sometimes called a “thank” or “thanksgiving” offering in Old Testament

Drink offering - sometimes accompanies a grain offering

It was a free will offering of worship

A small portion of wine or water was poured onto the altar with the grain offering.

NOT an atoning offering - a GIFT to God expressing gratitude

So Paul tells Timothy that he’s already been poured out as a drink offering … his entire life has been poured out as a gift to God expressing gratitude. While rotting in prison, Paul considers his entire life an expression of gratitude.

In today’s language, it may sound something like this:

I, Paul, formerly Saul of Tarsus, now residing in a Roman prison, being of sound mind and body ...

He is setting the context of the next statements within the idea that his life is just about over… [do not read]

2 Timothy 4:6 NASB 2020

6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.

[Describe Last Lecture Series at UofL]

I’ve reminded you before how important context is to understanding a passage of Scripture.

CONTEXT: Paul is still of sound mind, and believes this is likely the last letter he will ever write to his friend. So, in his closing moments, what does he say?

He returns to the beginning of his Christian faith [do not read]:

2 Timothy 4:16 NASB 2020

16 At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them.

And he makes sure Timothy understands he’s not holding grudges. To the contrary, he hopes people’s abandonment of him is not held against them.

Many of us know that “challenging” would be a gross understatement of Paul’s life after his conversion on the road to Damascus. But Paul’s retelling doesn’t concentrate on the difficulties. It focuses on Jesus’ provision:

• “The Lord stood with me”

2 Timothy 4:17 NASB 2020

17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth.

He used me to proclaim his message

Because of my life, all the Gentiles have an opportunity to hear

I was rescued from danger - countless times

And in the end...

2 Timothy 4:18 NASB 2020

18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

My time is coming soon, and I anticipate one final rescue form the Lord.

And he ends the meat of his letter with ‘glory to God forever and ever’.

Legacy: Poured Out

If you knew you were dying today, would that change what you would do today?

Would you still be here?

Would you call certain people to say goodbye?

Would you try to correct stressed relationships?

What would you want to say to your family and friends? Would you want them to know what you believe about Jesus so they could respond to him?

When you think of your own legacy … has Jesus just been a “you thing”? Or is Jesus a part of what you hope to hand down in your legacy?

Have you seen the commercials where people get a note in the mail that says something like: “Your heart attack will come Friday at 2:30”? The idea there is that you need this drug because heart attacks are unpredictable.

When people are involved in a horrific accident of some sort, one of the first things they think of is getting a final message to their loved ones before they die.

That’s because, like Paul, we tend to wait until the end of our lives to say what’s really important to us. Why wait?

Like the heart attacks in the commercial, your death can be quite unpredictable, and so can the death of the person you want to talk to. If you’re waiting for some sign of the end of life, tomorrow may be too late. Heck! THIS AFTERNOON may be too late.

Today … I want to challenge you to think about what you’d want to say to the people in your life if you knew you were dying today … If you were involved in one of those horrific accidents ... with your fleeting breath, what would you want your friends and family to hear from you?

Or if your friend or family member were dying, what would you want them to know about Christ?

Hockey Hall of Famer, Wayne Gretzky is reported to have said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” The things you fail to say will never be a part of your legacy. You have to actively hand it down.

So … what do you want to hand down?

This afternoon, contact those people … and say it to them while you’re in perfect health. Perhaps this conversation will be added to your legacy.

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