Five Metaphors of the Christian Life

Preliminary:

Thanks

Invite to 2 Tim 4:6-8.

I want to talk to you tonight about metaphors.

I know - an English lesson in church...

But metaphors are powerful literary devices and can convey a message in a unique and subtle way.

Simply put a metaphor is a figure of speech that symbolically represents something by comparing it to something else.

We use them all the time without thinking. Some examples would be:

They have a heart of gold

They are busy as a bee

He is a night owl

I’m so hungry I could eat a horse

We sometimes have the unfortunate issue of mixing our metaphors -

Here are some examples:

1. She was a couch potato in the gravy boat of life, flopping dejectedly on the sofa.

2. All at once he was alone in this noisy hive with no place to roost.

3. The little boat gently drifted across the pond the way a bowling ball wouldn’t.

4. She grew on him like she was a colony of E. coli, and he was room-temperature Canadian beef. (that is probably more of a simile but it was too funny to leave out)

Metaphors can be in the form of a story. Leo Tolstoy writes in an extended metaphor form in his story of “How Much Land Does A Man Need”

Tolstoy writes:

There was a peasant named Pahom who worked hard and honestly for his family. He always remained poor and thought, "If only we had our own land, it would be different."

Close to Pahom’s village there lived a lady who decided to sell her land. Pahom and his wife scraped together half the purchase money, then chose a farm of forty acres and bought it.

Within a year Pahom had managed to pay off his debts to the lady and a loan from his bro-in-law. His heart was filled with joy.

Then one day Pahom was sitting at home when a peasant, passing through the village, happened to stop in. He came from beyond the Volga, where there was much land for sale.

It was so good that the rye sown on it grew as high as a horse, and so thick that five cuts of a sickle made a sheaf.

Pahom’s heart was filled with desire. "Why should I suffer in this narrow hole," he thought, "if one can live so well elsewhere?" So Pahom sold his land and homestead and cattle, all at a profit, and move his family to the new settlement.

Everything the peasant had told him was true, and Pahom was ten times better off.

At first, in the bustle of building and settling down, Pahom was pleased with it all, but when he got used to it, he began to think that even here he was not satisfied.

One day a passing land dealer said he was just returning from the land of the Bashkirs, far away, where he had bought 13,000 acres of land for only 1,000 rubles. Pahom decided he must try it.

The chief of the Bashkirs listened, then said "Choose whatever piece of land you like. Our price is always the same: 1,000 rubles a day. As much as you can go around on your feet in a day is yours.

"It will all be yours but there is one condition: if you don’t return on the same day to the spot whence you started, your money is lost."

Pahom exclaimed, "What a large tract I will mark off I can easily do thirty-five miles in a day."

On the next day he was up waiting for the sun to appear above the rim. "I must lose no time, and it is easier walking while it is still cool."

He went 1,000 yards, dug a hole, and placed pieces of turf upon one another to make a visible marker. After a while he concluded he had walked three miles and decided to another three,

then turn to the left.

"This spot is so fine that it would be a pity to lose it. The farther one goes, the better the land seems."

At noon he sat to rest, ate, and realized it was terrible hot. Still he went on thinking, "An hour to suffer, a lifetime to live." As he was about to turn left, he perceived a damp hollow. "It would be a pity to leave that out," he thought. "Flax would do well there." By midafternoon he was still ten miles from the goal.

As he went straight for the chieftain on the hill, he walked with difficulty. He was done up with the heat, and his legs began to fail. He went quicker and quicker, pressed by still far from the place. He began running.

"What shall I do," he thought again. "I have grasped too much, and ruined the whole affair." His shirt was soaked, his mouth parched. His breast was working like a blacksmith’s bellows, his heart beating like a hammer.

Though afraid of death, he could not stop. "After having run all that way, they will call me a fool if I stop now." Darkness was falling, but the chiefs on the hill were higher and could still see the sun, so they urged him on.

With all his remaining strength he rushed on, bending his body forward so that his legs could hardly follow fast enough to keep him from falling. Just as he reached the hill, suddenly it grew dark. He rushed ahead, fell forward, and reached the starting point with his hands.

"Ah, that’s a fine fellow" exclaimed the chief. "He has gained much land." Pahom’s servant came running up and tried to raise him, but he saw that blood was flowing from his mouth. Pahom was dead

His servant picked up the spade and dug a grave long enough for Pahom to lie in, and buried him in it. Six feet from his head to his heels was all the land he needed.

"So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; it takes away the life of its owners" (Prov. 1:19).

Our scripture has five metaphors that convey the Christian life - lets look at these metaphors together

Lets read 2 Timothy 4:6-8

2 Timothy 4:6–8 KJV 1900

6 For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 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.

This is really a reflection by the Apostle Paul's as he nears the end of his earthly journey - a reflection on his life and ministry

It is one of the most personal and poignant passages,

In this passage Paul gives us five powerful metaphors.

These metaphors offer us deep insights into the Christian life, guiding us in our own faith journeys.

I. Paul Speaks as a Sacrifice

2 Timothy 4:6 “For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.”

Paul begins by likening himself to a sacrificial offering.

In the Old Testament, a drink offering involved pouring out wine as a sign of dedication to God (Numbers 15:1-10).

Paul sees his life in the same way—poured out in service to God.

He had accepted Christ's ultimate sacrifice for his sins and, in response, offered himself as a living sacrifice.

We used to sing the convicting and challenging song:

By and by when I look on His face, Beautiful face, thorn-shadowed face; By and by when I look on His face, I’ll wish I had given Him more More, so much more — More of my love than I e’er gave before. By and by when I look on His face, I’ll wish I had given Him more.

I’m not sure if Paul had that type of feeling or not - I believe all of us will see ourselves as inadequate - but at the same time - we can know we did what we could -

We also used to sing:

To be used of God To sing to speak to pray To be used of God To show someone the way Oh how I long so much to feel The touch of His consuming fire To be used of God is my desire

Application:

Our lives should be marked by sacrificial living. Just as Paul gave his all, we are called to offer ourselves fully to God.This involves self-denial, service, and a willingness to suffer for the sake of the gospel.

II. Paul Speaks as a Sailor

2 Timothy 4:6 “ ...the time of my departure is at hand.”

The word "departure" here is nautical, referring to the loosening of a ship’s moorings.

Paul views death not as an end, but as a departure—a journey to a new destination.

Application:

We, too, are on a journey. Our time on earth is temporary, and we must live with eternity in mind.Death for the believer is not a fearful end but a transition to eternal life with Christ.

I am standing on a seashore.

A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze and starts for the ocean blue.

She is an object of beauty and strength, and I stand and watch her until at length she hangs like a speck of white cloud just where the sea and sky come down to meet each other.

Then someone at my side says, “There, she is gone.” Gone where?

Gone from my sight, that is all. She is just as large in mast and hull and spar as she was when she left my side, and just as able to bear her load of living weights to its place of destination.

Her diminished size is in me, not in her,

and just at the moment when someone says, “There she is gone,” on that distant shore there are other eyes watching for her coming and other voices ready to take up the glad shout, “Here she comes,” and such is dying

Michael P. Green, ed., Illustrations for Biblical Preaching: Over 1500 Sermon Illustrations Arranged by Topic and Indexed Exhaustively, Revised edition of: The expositor’s illustration file. (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1989).

Departure - for the Christian is like a sailor - leaving one harbor headed for another.

III. Paul Speaks as a Soldier

“I have fought the good fight.” (2 Timothy 4:7)

Paul uses military imagery to describe his Christian life as a battle.

He has fought courageously,

facing opposition,

hardship,

and persecution.

The Soldier's Life:

Discipline and Training:

Soldiers undergo rigorous training and discipline to prepare for battle.

This training is crucial for their effectiveness and survival. Paul similarly disciplined himself spiritually.

He speaks of "beating his body" and making it his slave so that after preaching to others, he would not be disqualified (1 Corinthians 9:27).

This dedication to spiritual discipline is essential for all believers.

Courage and Endurance:

Soldiers face danger, hardship, and the constant threat of death.

Courage and endurance are necessary to persevere.

Paul faced numerous trials, including beatings, imprisonment, shipwrecks, and opposition (2 Corinthians 11:23-28).

Despite these hardships, he remained steadfast, demonstrating the courage and endurance required in spiritual warfare.

Loyalty and Obedience:

A soldier’s loyalty to their commander and obedience to orders are paramount.

Paul’s loyalty was to Christ, his commander.

He sought to obey God's will in all things, illustrating this by saying, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). His life was characterized by obedience to God’s call.

Mission and Purpose:

Soldiers have a clear mission and purpose, often centered around defending their nation and advancing their cause.

Paul’s mission was to preach the gospel and establish churches. He was focused on advancing the Kingdom of God, often describing himself as a servant or slave of Christ (Romans 1:1).

Application:

The Christian life is a spiritual battle. We must be prepared to fight against sin, temptation, and the forces of evil.Like Paul, we are called to be soldiers for Christ, standing firm in our faith and persevering through trials.

IV. Paul Speaks as an Athlete

“I have finished my course.” (2 Timothy 4:7)

Paul compares his life to a race. He has run with endurance and crossed the finish line, having completed the course set before him.

Application:

Our faith journey requires discipline and perseverance, much like a race. We must keep our eyes on the goal—Jesus Christ.Finishing the race well means remaining faithful to the end, regardless of the challenges we face.

V. Paul Speaks as a Trustee

“I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7)

Paul sees himself as a trustee of the gospel, faithfully guarding the message of Christ and passing it on to others.

We may never have to die the martyr’s death or suffer great persecution for our faith - but that is one way to be entrusted with the faith:

The following record is taken from a book written by Festo Kivengere, who is a leading evangelical minister in Uganda. And in this book, he describes basically the history of the Church in Uganda, and particularly in the section I’d like to read to you, he talks about the first martyrs in that nation’s history.

“In the year 1885,” he writes, “three Christian boys shed their blood for Christ in Uganda. The king had ordered the arrest of these boys in an effort to stamp out Christianity. The oldest was 15, and the youngest was 11-year-old Yusufu. They held fast their faith and staked their lives on it. Though people were weeping and their parents were pleading with them.

“At the place of execution, the boys sent a message to the king, quote, ‘Tell his majesty that he has put our bodies in the fire, but he – but we won’t be long in the fire. Soon we shall be with Jesus, which is much better. But ask him to repent and change his mind or he will land in a place of eternal fire.” End quote.

“They sang a song, which is now well loved in Uganda, as known as “The Martyr’s Song.” One verse says, ‘Oh that I had wings like the angels/I would fly away and be with Jesus.’ It is reported also that little Yusufu said, ‘Please don’t cut off my arms; I will not struggle in the fire that takes me to Jesus.’

“Forty adults came to Jesus the day the boys died. This was a new kind of life which fire and torture could not control. We now have a memorial near Kampala, where these youngsters are remembered as the first Christian martyrs of Uganda. By 1887, the end of the first decade of the Church, hundreds had died. There were martyrs out of every village that had believers.

“They were only beginners. They knew little theology, and some could barely read, but they had fallen in love with Jesus Christ. Life had taken on a completely new meaning. The value of living and living eternally had been discovered. They were not hugging their lives, but ready to give them up for Jesus. During these dangerous days, there was an immediate and steady increase in the number of those embracing Christ.”

But even if we never face that type of pressure - we must still be true to the faith we have been entrusted with.

Application:

We are entrusted with the gospel. It is our responsibility to preserve its truth and share it with others.Keeping the faith involves maintaining our personal devotion to Christ and upholding sound doctrine.

Conclusion:

Paul looks forward now…as he says in verse 8:

2 Timothy 4:8 KJV 1900

8 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 looks forward to the "crown of righteousness" awarded by the Lord, the righteous Judge.

This promise is not only for Paul but for all who long for Christ's appearing.

Just as Paul has given us these five metaphors—

sacrifice,

sailor,

soldier,

athlete,

and trustee—

let us be inspired to

live sacrificially,

journey faithfully,

fight courageously,

run with endurance,

and guard the faith entrusted to us.