4 - Passion

SLIDE: Scripture Galatians 5:25

Galatians 5:25 (NLT)

25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.

SLIDE: Bumper

SLIDE: Title

Introduction

Welcome back church, it’s good to see you all today as we finish up our series Cadence. Over the past few weeks we’ve talked about healthy and unhealthy rhythm, also known as cadence, in our lives and in the world around us. In week 1 we looked at the rhythm of creation through the eyes of God, in week 2 we talked about the cadence that is hard-wired into every individual person, and last week we dove into the rhythm of relationship with others. The cadence of community.

And near the end of our sermon last week I started talking to you about having a passion for fellowship and communion. I challenged you to consider your “part in the performance” and if there is anything stifling or hindering your ability to experience a healthy rhythm of relationship. And today we’re going to talk further about maintaining a healthy rhythm and passion for Christ and the Church throughout your life.

Like running a marathon, a life of consistent passion takes focus, determination, resilience, and discipline. And just like running a marathon, it is necessary to maintain a sustainable rhythm throughout.

Main Idea

Illustration Idea: Talk about a time in gym class as a child when you ran the mile or pacer test. Chances are, you started out strong. However, there came a point when you could feel yourself losing energy. You were slowing down, breathing heavier, and people were beginning to pass you. Describe how that felt and what thoughts were going through your mind.

You see, in this instance, I had a fantastic start. I was feeling confident and ready to win the race. However, I eventually slowed down. And at the end of the race, I didn’t win like I first thought I would. I wasn’t able to keep my stride, it was an unsustainable pace.

I wonder how many of us have this same struggle in our lives?

The areas in which we see it as evident are significantly more important than a race in gym class. We are experiencing good things, healthy things, but because of our lifestyle overall and even our lack of preparation for tough seasons, we don’t have a sustainable cadence.

Today, we are going to learn from a man in scripture who understood the truth behind this common phrase: “It’s not about how you start, it’s about how you finish.” Turn with me to 2 Timothy 4.

In this New Testament letter, the Apostle Paul is writing some final thoughts to Timothy. Timothy was a young minister who Paul was mentoring and training in the faith.

Read 2 Timothy 4:6-8

2 Timothy 4:6–8 (NLT)

6 As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. 8 And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.

What powerful words those are from Paul. They hold great confidence, not in himself, but rather in what God has been doing through him. Today, I want to focus our time around the three things Paul claims to have done in verse 7. Because I believe that if these three things are present throughout our daily lives, not just by the end of our lives, we will indeed experience a Christ-like cadence.

Fight the Good Fight

First of all, in verse 4:7, Paul says that he has “fought the good fight.” Now, Paul could easily have meant many things here in these words, but let’s break down what Paul most likely spoke of when he referenced the “good fight.” The Bible makes it clear that during our life here on earth, we are involved in a spiritual battle.

Paul writes elsewhere that the battle we are engaged in is not one against flesh and blood. Instead, there are higher powers at work.

SLIDE: Fight the Good Fight

Read Ephesians 6:12

Ephesians 6:12 (NLT)

12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

And out of all people to be writing about this, Paul has every right. He has personal, life experience that proves these words of his all too clearly. You see, the Bible lets us know that Paul had experienced much turmoil and persecution throughout his ministry. There were numerous, if not thousands of times the devil tried to “cut in” on Paul. For instance, he was stoned in Lystra but continued to do ministry.

Read Acts 14:19-22

Acts 14:19–22 (NLT)

19 Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowds to their side. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead. 20 But as the believers gathered around him, he got up and went back into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe. 21 After preaching the Good News in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia, 22 where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.

If this wasn’t enough, he was also shipwrecked but still continued to serve the Lord.

Read Acts 28:1-10

Acts 28:1–10 (NLT)

1 Once we were safe on shore, we learned that we were on the island of Malta. 2 The people of the island were very kind to us. It was cold and rainy, so they built a fire on the shore to welcome us. 3 As Paul gathered an armful of sticks and was laying them on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, bit him on the hand. 4 The people of the island saw it hanging from his hand and said to each other, “A murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped the sea, justice will not permit him to live.” 5 But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed. 6 The people waited for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw that he wasn’t harmed, they changed their minds and decided he was a god. 7 Near the shore where we landed was an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and treated us kindly for three days. 8 As it happened, Publius’s father was ill with fever and dysentery. Paul went in and prayed for him, and laying his hands on him, he healed him. 9 Then all the other sick people on the island came and were healed. 10 As a result we were showered with honors, and when the time came to sail, people supplied us with everything we would need for the trip.

And how about the time we learn that Paul had been whipped five times but still kept his faith in Christ?

Read 2 Corinthians 11:24-25

2 Corinthians 11:24–25 (NLT)

24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.

Chances are, Paul, experienced a healthy rhythm in his life. Why? Because, as these few examples show, he did not allow anything worldly to get in his way of serving the Lord. Fighting the good fight for us looks like a daily commitment to accept whatever comes our way and simply make the most of it. Having an eternal posture and keeping your eyes on Christ (Hebrews 12:1-3) is key to sustaining a life-long cadence of passion.

Hebrews 12:1–3 (NLT)

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.

This was Paul’s key to success in fighting the good fight. And if we want to experience a healthy cadence in our life, I believe we too must be willing to push through adversity and stay the course, the path that the Father has marked out for our lives.

Paul takes things a step further in our passage from 2 Timothy 4, as he claims to have finished the race.

Finish the Race

Secondly in verse 4:7, Paul makes it clear that he senses his life coming to an end. He knows that his time on earth is nearly finished. And as he looks back in reflection when writing to Timothy, he can say that, in other words, he left it all on the court. He held nothing back. He lived a life of passionate pursuit and faith.

SLIDE: Finish the Race

The reality is, God has called all of His children to run the race of faith. However, He never promises a smooth, easy race. Rather, He actually promises us trouble and pain in the midst of an ongoing spiritual battle.

Read John 16:33

John 16:33 (NLT)

33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

So if we know from the life of Paul and the words of Jesus that trouble is going to come our way, we have to work hard to stay connected to the source of life. We have to persevere and persist in our relationship with the Lord and the church. This is how our rhythm will remain healthy and sustainable during the race.

Read Psalm 91:1-3

Psalm 91:1–3 (NLT)

1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. 2 This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him. 3 For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease.

The writer of this Psalm states it very clearly: God alone is meant to be our place of refuge and safety when trouble comes our way. This is where we find endurance along the way. It’s hard to “rehydrate” from a well that runs dry.

Maybe the question God is asking you today is simply, “Which wells are you drinking from in life?” If they are sources of water that are not living water, they will eventually run dry. There is a direct correlation between where we find endurance during the race of life, and how we finish. This is why Paul ends his statement in 2 Timothy with one more key phrase…

Read 2 Timothy 4:7b

2 Timothy 4:7b (NRSV)

I have kept the faith.

Keep the Faith

Did you catch what Paul says? “I have kept the faith.” Over everything else he has just stated, it seems that the most important thing to Paul about his life is that during it, he has sought to keep the faith. In fact, he’s given everything he’s got to keep the faith. Temporary issues tried to distract him away and force him to give up on God. But all along, Paul believed God would still be faithful, and he was right!

The prize that Paul was chasing after all along was not one from this world. It was a heavenly prize, which he also encourages us to chase after. His preparation for ministry, as well as his hardship in ministry, had both led him to this very moment. And as we close out our series today, the question we must ask ourselves is two-fold:

How much do we want that heavenly prize?

What would it take to be able to say like Paul did, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

Obviously Paul had some significant challenges, and I for one hope that I am never shipwrecked anywhere, but there is so much to learn from his life and his passionate devotion to the kingdom of God.

Paul had a healthy rhythm. He knew what it was to “walk in step with the Spirit.” He understood the power of community and communion. In fact, Paul wrote many of the scriptures I’ve quoted throughout this series pertaining to cadence and rhythm. He’s a great example to us of a passion-filled and persistent life of faith.

So, I ask again;

What would it take to be able to say like Paul did, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

Conclusion

As I have already made abundantly clear throughout this series, a healthy rhythm and cadence in our lives comes down to intention, discipline, and the power of the Holy Spirit.

And you know what, discipline is hard.

Being intentional everyday is difficult.

We live in a chaotic, hectic, fast-paced world that is only getting faster and faster every day.

I dare say that it’s as important as ever to seriously consider the cadence of your life. Is it sustainable? Is it life-giving? Would you say you’re flourishing?

If it’s not those things, what can you do right now to change the trajectory of your life? What can you do to press into faith, and get in step with the Spirit? What’s holding you back?

Let’s talk about running a marathon again for a moment.

I don’t know anyone that can just show up and run a marathon. I think most of us understand that would be an extremely dangerous way to spend a Saturday. But most all of us could run a 100 meter dash, probably a 200, and maybe even a 400. I doubt it would be pretty, but I think most of us would cross the finish line.

Well, life is a lot like this comparison… Most of us can run for short distances and finish the race. But few and far between are those who can sustain the pace that a marathon requires. It just requires something different.

SLIDE: Faith is a Marathon

Faith is like a marathon.

A life of faith requires something different than a day of faith, or a week of faith.

It requires a sustainable rhythm.

Said another way; The life of faith requires a kingdom oriented cadence that begins with God, flows into individuals who experience fulfillment and joy through fellowship and community expressed over a lifetime.

And today is as good a day as any to begin or resume the journey.

Let’s pray together.

Prayer: “Lord Jesus, please help us to finish strong. Please give us the strength to fight the good fight of faith in the midst of an ever-chaotic world.”