An Interview With the Apostle Paul

EBC 2 Tim. 4:6-8

I love sports and especially after the fact interviews. The winners brag on what they were able to accomplish and the losers tell what they weren’t able to accomplish. It’s easier to look back rather than forward. When you tell what’s happened you get everything right.

I want you for just a minute to go “to lala land” In these verses we have Paul’s after the game interview.

When I left the Police Dept. I had an exit interview

As Paul stood in the end zone of life look what he speaks about:

I. He Speaks about a Warfare (7a)

Fought and fight both come from the same word where we get our word agony. This has to do with a battle when we struggle with one another. The Christian life is a personal struggle.

A. The entry – as soon as we are born again our battle starts. As lost people we are dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1).

1. Gal. 5:17- here is the battle

2. Eph. 4:22-24- the old nature still desires the old things that it used to do. The new nature wants to please the Lord and this is where the struggle comes in.

B. The enemy –

a. 1 Peter 5:8-

1. We need to understand who the real enemy is – it isn’t man it’s Satan. He comes dressed as an angel of light – that’s why he’s so successful.

II. He Speaks about the Walk (7b-8)

A. He mentions the race – literally means my course of life – Paul reminds us that each of us have a race to run.

1. Heb. 12:1-3 -

a. Individual race – us run, before us – I can’ run your race and you can’t run mine

b. Individual view – looking unto Jesus. He is the only one who matters.

1. Looking – to fix our eyes upon. Borrowed from a racing term where they fixed their eyes on someone who could help them finish the race.

B. He mentions the reward (8) -

1. In the games the winner got a cluster of oak leaves which soon was thrown away – not with us we get a crown of righteousness. This is a victor’s crown.

a. Warren Wiersbe- The crown of righteousness is God’s reward for a faithful and righteous life.

b. Laid up – safely stored, guarded

1. Matt. 6:20-

III. He Speaks about the Word (8a)

A. He preserved the message -

1. He had guarded the message. He has proclaimed the truth. He hadn’t altered it one little bit.

a. He had faithfully passed it down to the next generation.

B. He proclaimed the master –

1. 2 Cor. 4:5- do you tell people what you are doing or what Jesus has done.

What kind of exit interview will you have?