Finish Well.

If you have a bible today open it up to 2 Timothy 4. I have titled the message Finish Well. Pray with me.

So this is our last message in 2 Timothy we start our final leg of our study of pastoral epistles next week in Titus. And that study is going to take us to around Christmas when we will start our brand new study in the book of Matthew. Why Matthew you might ask? Well after Studying John over a year ago I have had this desire to study the gospels with you again. And Matthew is much different from John, and I believe its the perfect time for this church based on my prayer life with him. Its going to be a longer study going to take over a year to complete, but none of us should get tired of hearing about the life of Jesus Amen? Its going to be a great time to invite others as always to be apart of Sunday mornings…

Now for those coming on Wednesday nights we have been in Acts awhile and we are closing our time on that and the Lord has put on my heart to teach 1 and 2 Samual. For many reasons one of which brother Nathan knows more about it then me and I want to increase my knowledge, but I believe we will find those books to be particular relevant for the times we are living in. So thats the next year plus of study so buckle it its going to be a great ride.

Now when it comes to the text we are in today I have to say after looking at it I was again deeply moved by its content. In fact if I knew I would only get to preach 1 more text before I was called home or in the case of Paul executed this would be up there for me.

Pauls idea of Finishing Well I believe in the text is one that should really strike all of us. In the room we have babies less than 1 and over 100 years old, and I would think that we all want to finish well. there is that saying it does not matter how to start its how you finish, and I believe Paul preaches that in this very text as well.

So as we go through the text this morning together the one big takeaway I want you to see is this..

If you want to finish well you will remember your calling, focusing on the faithfulness of others, all by the grace of God.

2 Timothy 4:5–22 (ESV)

5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 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.

9 Do your best to come to me soon. 10 For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. 12 Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. 14 Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. 15 Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. 16 At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! 17 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. 18 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.

19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. 21 Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers.

22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.

Amazing text this morning indeed.

Finishing well means fulfilling your ministry.

Timothy has a unique call on his life like all believers do a call to fulfill ones ministry. Paul says. But as for you. If you remember verses 2-4 said this. 2 Timothy 4:2-4

2 Timothy 4:2–4 ESV

2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 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, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

Paul is telling Timothy preach the word like you have been called to don’t get caught up in all the stuff that many others have got caught up in. Don’t go after your passions. Don’t wonder away from the truth. Be the pastor God has called you to no matter what season of life doing the work of a pastor the right way, and he adds to that in this text. He first says always be sober-minded. You may quickly say ok he is telling Timothy don’t get drunk don’t do drugs but it goes beyond that. He wants Timothy to be this level headed guy. That is something I am trying to work on more and more. He wants him to have a clear mind about everything. Makes sense because how can you do something faithfully if your mind is a jumbled mess. You cant. One pastor I read this week said you must avoid being fat headed and empty headed. You can have so much going on your mind that you will never be able to unscramble it and you can have nothing go on were you don’t ever know what to do.

In addition to that he was called to endure suffering. If you remember back in 2 Timothy 2:3 Paul said.

2 Timothy 2:3 ESV

3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

If Timothy was to fulfill his God given mission to serve the Lord he was going to need to be ready to suffer for it. Paul suffered greatly and Timothy had that call, I have had that call in a variety of ways, and the suffering has helped fulfill the ministry. I know many of you have suffered for the name of Jesus.

Paul tells Timothy to do the work of an evangelist. He want’s Timothy to share his faith, sharing the faith is not just a pastors responsibility. Its all believers responsibility. If you are going to fulfill your ministry tell the gospel in it.

Listen to this story. Especially Bryan because I know you love this guy “ Late one afternoon Alistair Begg was meeting with a number of pastors. He wistfully quoted this very verse, then said, "I increasingly find that verse to be the anchor point for all of my days. I wake up on a Monday, and say, "Well, what will I do now?' Then I say, Well, I think I'II try to keep my head, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, and discharge all the duties of my ministry? And when I am lifted up by a little encouragement, which sometimes comes, I say to myself, 'Well, what shall I do?' The answer is keep your head, endure hardship, and so on." He paused, then went on, "And when the waves beat on me and I feel just like running away to the hills somewhere, what should I do? 'Well, Alistair, just keep your head, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, and discharge all the duties of your ministry?" Then he concluded,"So, that's a word in season for us to take away and think of." And so it is. The years will fly by like the fence posts on a farm road in Illinois as you drive along—years quickly become decades. You and I will change with those years. But God's call will never change. Jesus-—your judge, your Savior, your king—will always be present, charging your call with divine voltage. And his charge will always be, "Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.... As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffer-ing, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry" (vv. 2, 5).

What is that calling for you? Whatever it is as a believer you can take what we have learned and say. Follow the word in season and out of season doing what the Lord has called me to do with the right mind, the right attitude enduring all things and sharing about him at every turn.

Finishing well means fulfilling your ministry.

2nd point.

Finishing well means looking at the faithfulness of others.

A lot of faithful people in the text lets start with Paul. In the text here we really see Pauls heart of full display. he says for I am already being poured out as a drink offering. He uses an illustration here that he used 5 years before writing to the Philippians when he said this. Phil 2:17

Philippians 2:17 ESV

17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.

Now he uses it in such a way that is more emanate.He is indicating here that his death sentence has but a short time until its fulfilled. The language here he uses is quite powerful because its likely he is referring to two things. One when a sacrifice was done in the Old Testament. Wine was poured out at the base of the altar. It was not the sacrifice, but it served its very purpose in the offering.

Two Paul could not legally die the death that Jesus died. He could not die on the cross like many of the apostles and disciples did. He would have to face death in some sort of other way. So scholars and myself believe that way could have been through beheading thus his own blood would be poured out for Jesus sake.

Paul’s departure was coming. and the word departure here is used in greek literature of a ship tossing its ropes and rising on the tide so the winds can carry them to sea. Paul is ready to be that offering for Jesus because his ministry was fulfilled.

He says in the text that he fought the fight finished the race and kept the faith.

Could you image the kind of fight Paul had in this life. I was thinking about that and one man opening my eyes to see truly the kind of fight he had listen to this…

..I once imaginatively pictured the Apostle Paul at the end of his career dressed in the armor that he described in Ephesians 6. Here is how I saw him: He has worn his war belt so long that it is sweated through and through and salt-stained and comfortable like an old horse's bridle, and it holds everything perfectly in place. "The belt of truth," God's truth, has girded him tight for years, so that it has permeated his life and reigns within. He is armed with the clear eyes of a clean conscience. He can face anything. His torso is sheathed with a battle-tarnished breastplate. It is crisscrossed with great lateral grooves from slicing sword blows and dented from enemy artillery. "The breastplate of righteousness" has preserved his vitals intact. His holy life has rendered his heart impervious to the spiritual assaults of Satan.

His gnarled legs are comfortable in his studded war boots. He has stood his ground on several continents. The boots are "the gospel of peace," the peace with God that comes through faith in him and the resultant peace of God-the sense of well-being and wholeness-shalom. He stands in peace, and being rooted in peace he cannot be moved.

Paul's great shield terrifies the eyes, for the broken shafts and the many charred holes reveal him to be the victor of many fierce battles. "The shield of faith," held up as he has repeatedly believed God's Word, has caught and extinguished every fiery dart of doubt and sensuality and materialism. None have touched him On his old gray head he wears a helmet that has seen better days. Great dents mar its symmetry, reminders of furtive blows dealt him by the enemy.

Because "the helmet of salvation," the confidence of knowing that he is saved and will be saved, has allowed him to stand tall against the most vicious assaults, his imperial confidence gives him a regal bearing.

Then there is his sword. He was equal to a hundred when his sword flashed. "The sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God," the ultimate offensive weapon, cut through everything armor, flesh, glistening bone, marrow—and even the soul.

What an awesome figure the apostle was. He had stood before Felix and Agrippa, the legates and officials of Rome—and had not given an inch. He was the consummate warrior.

So when he says here, "I have fought the good fight," every nuance is true. He had begun on the Damascus Road thirty years earlier, and after his time in the Arabian desert he traveled the ancient world in three missionary journeys. The fourth, I believe, ended in Rome as he sought to take the Word to Spain's "spires away on the world's rim?"

Brave Paul contended not only with the false teachers and false brethren among his own people and with the sovereigns of imperial Rome but also

"against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12). He suffered an amazing litany of dangers and indignities (cf. 2 Corinthians 11:23-33) but shouted in the midst of the battle.

"In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us"(Romans 8:37).

So now, with the day fading, he could look back on his life and say, "I have fought the good fight" (Greek perfect tense, "I have fought it; it is complete forever done"). This was good. This was noble."

Friends he finished the race. Noticed he didn’t say he won the race, rather he finished the race. Friends Jesus won the race, but he gives us the strength to finish our own. Hebrews 12:1 teaches us that we all have a race to run.

Hebrews 12:1 ESV

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,

Finally he kept the faith. He never let any battle any obstacle come between him and the Lord, and guess what he is about to writing this letter to Timothy receive a crown. But not just any crown the crown of righteousness. All athletes during that time received a crown when they won as sign of winning, but Paul here in the text says that he has a crown of righteousness from the righteous one Jesus.

And this crown is important because you have to have the righteousness of God to enter into his presence. And when you have faith in Jesus Christ you receive the righteousness of Christ. But when you enter into his presence you enter into that righteousness forever. Because the righteous judge says if you are in me, then you are truly set free and made right with God forever. And that crown Paul recieved is one all believers receive when they inter into his presence.

Paul’s faithfulness is one to truly help us finish well.

But so are others. Paul in the text mentions many names. Some are good examples some not so much. Friends you can learn from both good and bad examples, and Paul I believe shows us that is the very case. Now he pauses in the text to Tell Timothy please come soon. The journey for Timothy would be a long one. Most estimate that his journey would have taken 4 to 6 months and it could not be traveled all year long, and notice in the text something else when Timothy was to come. Paul wanted his cloak, most likely because in this prison sentence he was not in house prison he was in a place that only the worst criminals went it was cold and damp so he coat would be useful, also he wanted his books, and his own work. Think about that example friends even with the death sentence he had, the circumstances he still wanted the very word of God at his fingertips. Oh what an example for us.

Going back to the text we see some good examples Like Timothy his son. Titus who is also like a son, a comforter, Tychicus who is a faithful messenger. Crescens who is faithful. Luke who is a faithful friend and doctor. Writer of the gospel of Luke. Carpus who was a faithful host.

Now Mark was one who was unfaithful, but and a big but he turned his life around. He wrote the gospel of mark he did ministry with Paul and Peter, and Paul loved him so much that he wanted to see him on his last days.

Luke Timothy and Mark were called to be with Paul who were faithful servants with him,

Paul mentions others at the end of the text. Prisca and Aquila who served with him in Corinth and are there with Timothy. Onesiphorus who was most likely in Rome.

Erastus was a faithful friend in Corinth who may have been a city treasure, and Trophimus who was with Paul on his third missionary journey. Finally other faithful men and one women who we don’t know anything about.

But two were not. Demas who sadly enough if you look at the scriptures was a faithful servant but he fell in love with the world more than serving with Paul. The sad reality is sometimes you can serve faithfully for years and fall off if you are captured by the ways of the world. It’s easy to do that very thing.

Finally we see Alexander. Who was a faithless Opponent. Who the Lord will repay.

And honestly if you wanted to have a sermon about these people you could, but I want you to see this. The faithfulness you have in this life will impact others. Paul in his dying days had people he wanted to be with him wanted to acknowledge and wanted some to be aware of. And thinking about that list we should want to be on others list as think about finishing well. As they think who was there for me when I need prayer who was there for me when I wanted to grow in my faith, who was there and who deserted me. Friends you are going to have all kinds of people come and go through your life, but you want to be known like the faithful people of this text even if you did not start so well, or had a hiccup in the middle finish well, because of Jesus.

last point today is this…

Gods grace allows you to finish well.

Paul pinning just the last few words of this letter says. At my first defence no body stood with me. If you know about a Roman trial scholars say this happens. The Roman judicial process initially involved what was called a "first action" , a preliminary defense hearing before the emperor or a magistrate roughly equivalent in purpose to a grand jury hearing.' Unaccountably, this defense was a solo event for Paul. There was no witness or advocate standing forward in Paul's behalf, as the phrase "no one came to stand by me" clearly indicates.? No one was there at all! We surmise that Luke and Tychicus (who were now with Paul) were on missions or perhaps had not arrived, because otherwise they would certainly have been there. But it is a complete mystery why no members of the church in Rome, with whom he was so close, were there. Not one! Perhaps it was because of fear of the Roman authorities.

But despite all that Paul shows Grace because he has been shown grace, because you know who stood next to him Jesus, You see him echo his Lord in his last days. Saying forgive them. Forgive these people. No-one was here to defend me, so I will be poured out for you, but not yet.

Because The Lord strengthens me by his grace to finish what he has called him to do. We are closing out acts of Wednesday nights, But you know what Paul does in this last days he preaches his heart out to the highest officials in all the land so that all might hear and come to know him.

In Fact in Acts 26:28-29 Paul says this..

Acts 26:28–29 ESV

28 And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” 29 And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.”

He could have died in those last moments if that was the courts desire, but God was not done with him yet. Listen to this its so good.. Paul says , "So I was rescued from the lion's mouth"' (v. 17c) —that is, from death. While preaching before the court, his head had been in the proverbial lion's mouth. The court's jaws could easily have snapped shut. Instead, the court held that there must be a subsequent hearing, and Paul thus had a temporary reprieve.

There is something else remarkable here, in that Paul's reference to the lion's mouth is evidence that as he faced death on this occasion he was meditating on Psalm 22, the same Psalm that occupied Jesus at his death. The text here resounds with allusions to Psalm 22: 1) Verse 16, "all deserted me," alludes to Psalm 22:1, "why have you forsaken me?" 2) Verse 16, "no one came to stand by me," references Psalm 22:11, "there is none to help." 3) Verse 17, "I was rescued from the lion's mouth," alludes to Psalm

22:21, "Save me from the mouth of the lion." 4) Verse 17, "and all the Gentiles might hear it," is similar to Psalm 22:27, "All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LorD?' 5) Verse 18, "and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom," echoes Psalm 22:28,

"kingship belongs to the Lord."

The old apostle was filled with the Word so that he was like a lion — confident and regal.

What was he confident of? The mission was complete, and the Lord was going to deal with bad and bring him home.

Paul up until that point though he suffered escaped death because the Lord was not done with him yet, but this time was different, and he was confident that the Lord was going to take him home. Even facing the kind of death he was going to face. He was confident in the Lord. And what did that do for Paul it led him like it always did to praise.

The reality of Phil 1:23

Philippians 1:23 ESV

23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.

and Phil 3:20-21 were becoming a reality to him as a reminder let me read that to you.

Philippians 3:20–21 ESV

20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

Friends all this is said today so that you finish well, but in order to finish well you have to start right.

I would be hard pressed if in this moment I did not do the work of an Evangelist, and let you know that you can’t finish well unless you are made right with the judge. We talked about this last week the judge is Jesus Christ. Who will give the crown to those who are in him, but to those who are not he will execute a righteous judgement to all those who reject him saying depart from me I never knew you.

Friends don’t be like Demas who loved the world so much you fail to see the goodness of his eternal grace, and don’t be like alexander going against the Lord and his people. The Bible is clear today is the day of salvation, and you friends can receive that crown if you repent turn away from your sin and put your faith in Jesus Christ, and you will be on a path to truly finish well.

Remember it does not matter where you start its how you finish and finishing in Christ means you have truly finished well. Let us pray.