Faithful Till The End

  • Rev. Jerry Lepasana
  • Sep 10, 2006

 

FAITHFUL TILL THE END

2 Timothy 4: 6-8

2 Timothy 4:6-8

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

7) I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

8) Now there is in store 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 longed for his appearing.

            Today, our culture puts a premium on starting but not so much on finishing. A sad illustration of this is the breakdown of marriage. It has been said that there is a jewelry store in Hollywood that has a sign in the front window that reads, "We rent wedding rings." That's sad, isn't it?

            Likewise, in our Christian life, we often have the tendency to emphasize our initial walk with the Lord - how we have boldly accepted the Lord, how we submitted in water baptism, and how we enthusiastically jump in serving the Lord. But the truth is, for so many Christians, the enthusiasm and zealousness are all part of the past, and not of the present. Somewhere in our walk with the Lord, we have left our commitments to serve and shine for Him.

            Our text this morning perfectly fits our celebration because it speaks how we need to be faithful until the end of our Christian lives. When the apostle Paul wrote these words, he was in prison in Rome, under the sentence of death and waiting each day for his execution. He took the time to write to his young associate, Timothy, and sought to motivate him to persevere. I believe this is an appropriate challenge for all of us most especially our grandparents.

            Have you ever heard of "Spiritual Retirement?" This is often defined as the temptation to cease from church involvement and spiritual responsibilities when we get to retirement age.  With our text, I hope to challenge all our grandparents to consider not quitting from their spiritual commitments, but remain eager and active in serving the Lord. Of course, we understand when you sometimes would take some break or because of some health challenges slow down a little bit. But to quit, definitely not. In the Bible, there are examples of significant accomplishments even during the retirement age:

  • Abraham was 75 when God called him and gave him the promise of a child, and it was fulfilled when he was 100 and his wife, Sarah, was 90.
  • Moses was 80 when God spoke to him from the burning bush and called him to lead Israel.
  • Daniel was most likely in his 80's when he was thrown in the lions den.
  • The apostle John was around 90 when he wrote the book of Revelation.

 

In the same way, the apostle Paul in our passage puts out the challenge that Christians remain faithful until the end of their earthly lives.  How can we do it?  Here are Paul's suggestions:

I           LIVE WITHOUT RESERVATION: (v.6)

            When Paul said in verse 6 that he is being poured out like a "drink offering," he is referring to an Old Testament ritual that accompanied certain sacrifices. When the offering was being consumed by fire, the worshiper would sometimes pour a "drink offering" of wine upon the burning sacrifice. All the wine was to be poured out. As the wine hit the burning coals, it evaporated and a sweet smell rose from the altar.

Now, keep in mind that wine was a symbol of joy in the Old Testament. The drink offering was a symbolic way of saying, "I gladly give all that I have to the Lord. This sacrifice that I offer is given as a symbol of my wholehearted commitment to God. Nothing is held back. All that I have, I gladly give without reservation to my God."
            What an amazing statement! Paul gave his best, his everything in living for God. He understood what it means to live as a living sacrifice on the altar of God. He knew his life was simply a token of appreciation for what he received from God. He literally lived out his words in Romans 12:1:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.

            Since he lived wholly for God, the thought of dying did not bother him. He always knew that for those who lived for Christ, death brings gain.

Philippians 1:21

21)  For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

II         LABOR WITH RESILIENCY: (v.7)

            Another important truth that Paul wishes to convey is faithfulness despite the presence of struggles in life. I hope we won't misunderstand Paul's statement in verse 7 as egotistical - I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. He was just emphasizing the nature of Christian life and ministry.  Paul had his share of struggles:

2 Corinthians 6:4-5

4) Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses;

5) in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger;

            You see, Paul was aware that Christian life is not an invitation to prosperity and health. It is not an invitation to a life of ease that is free from struggles and pains. He says, "It's a fight." The word used by Paul is also where we get the English word, agony.    Alexander McClaren, the great Scottish preacher, once said, "The Christian life is not a garden of ease, nor is it a desert devoid of joy. But it's a gymnasium - a place of struggle."

This is where I see the importance of resiliency. This is usually defined as the ability to spring back from and successfully adapt to adversity. As believers, we need to be tough and prepared to face some troubles. We need to develop the ability to bounce back from adversities. And as we bounced back, we become more mature and a much better individual. When we take the example of Paul, the emphasis is the need to be tough to finish faithfully.

Have you allowed your problems to drive you away from God? Or closer to God? The greatest advantage of the senior adults is their rich experiences with God. Their faith that has been refined through the years can definitely be a blessing to people around them. This reminds me of several verses in Proverbs:

Proverbs 16:31

31) Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life.

Proverbs 20:29

29) The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old.

            Both verses speak of the honor the seniors deserve because of their perseverance. They have gone through a lot, so they have precious experiences and priceless wisdom to share to their children and grandchildren. I would really count it a great loss for our church, if we're going to miss the involvement of our senior adults. And I hope this never happens with us.          

III        LOOK FOR REWARDS: (v. 8)

            Lastly, Paul speaks of his motivation in staying faithful till the end of his life - the crown of righteousness.

            The word crown does not refer to the symbol of a king but rather a symbol for a victor. It is the laurel wreath that was placed upon the head of those who won the race. It was the most prized possession in the ancient athletic world. Imagine this, as the runners ran the marathon, they would run through the streets and then enter the coliseum for the final laps. The crown was always placed in a prominent place so the runners could see it. That was design to help the marathon runners who were obviously very exhausted to keep on running and finish the race.

            It will be a guaranteed reward. It will be a glorious reward. As good as the Christian life is, as profitable as it is to serve God, the motivation that we have at the end of the race ultimately is the Lord Jesus and the crown He has reserved for us. The crown was not placed at a mile five or mile ten. The crown was at the end of the race. The message is clear. We should not allow anything to bog us down during the race. The reward is at the end.

            Examining the text, the emphasis also includes the fact that the Lord himself, the righteous Judge, will be the one who will give the reward. This means, there will be no mistakes, no unfairness. Everything will be done right. Then, the Lord himself will put on the crown. The reward will not be mailed, or be handed over by a proxy. The Lord will personally honor us by giving us our reward for faithfulness.  

This is what is ahead for you and I if we will faithfully serve Jesus Christ in this life. Be encouraged, child of God. The Lord is not so unjust as to forget your suffering for him. He sees all that you go through. He knows all about your struggles. He sees how hard the fight is, how you are sometimes tempted to quit, and how you keep on going when others around you throw in the towel. He sees and he knows and in "that day," the Lord himself will reward us if we are faithful to him now.

Take this to heart - to run several laps in the race is useless without finishing. Don't give up now; finish till the end. In the words of that old African American gospel song:

"Lord, I'm running trying to make 100.  99½ won't do. 

On my knees every day; Lord, please hear me when I pray.  Lord, I'm running trying to make 100.  99½ won't do!" 

I will keep running for Jesus until the race is won, until the prize is mine, until Jesus says well done!