Last Lectur1
Last Lecture
2 Timothy 4:6-8 (KJV)
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.
I. Introduction
a. Randy Pausch
i. Last lecture
ii. Written for his three young children
iii. Touched the lives of millions
b. Apostle Paul
i. Wrote this letter to his under-study Timothy
ii. Endure hardship like a good soldier
iii. Exhort preach in season and out of season
iv. Encourage him to continue
v. Paul’s most personal letter.
vi. 17 names are mention in this letter
II. Paul’s view of his present life
a. Lock in Roman prison
b. Alone
c. Great persecution of Christian at this time
d. Nero has set half of Rome on fire and blamed the Christian.
e. Keep a positive outlook even in a bad situation
III. For I am now ready to be offered.
a. The pagan would pour wine on the animal sacrifice
b. Hebrews poured a drink offering alongside the sacrifice on the altar.
c. Ro. 12:1
d. Nero mindset
i. He has gone mad and blame the Christian for the fire set to Rome
ii. Greater persecution.
e. Nero is not taking my life.
IV. My departure is at hand
a. The Greek language filled with picture word
b. Paul refers to his death as a departure
i. Loosing of a prisoner
ii. Soldier loosing the takes a tent to go home
iii. Hoist an anchor or loosening the anchor of a ship a take sail
1. Ill. Cruise ship leaving the dock.
A memorable line by Frederick Langbridge pictures two men who are both in prison but are a universe apart in their thoughts.
Two men looked through the bars.
One saw the mud, the other, the stars.1\
V. Paul view of life from the past.
VI. Evaluate your spiritual walk with God
a. Paul uses three metaphor to describe his spiritual journey:
i. fought a good fight,
ii. finish my course,
iii. kept the faith
b. I have fought a good fight,
c. Fought (agonizomai} agon or our English word agony
d. Struggle that involves great effort and energy
e. Wrestling match
f. Life is no playground but a gymnasium
i. Good
ii. Paul describes the fight as good
iii. Good within itself
iv. Without qualification
v. The fight itself is good
VII. Finish my course
a. Life long
b. A life time career
c. Individual race
d. Self discipline
e. Enduring
Ill.
VIII. Perhaps the world’s most famous race is the marathon. The Battle of Marathon was one of the decisive battles of the world. In it the Greeks met the Persians, and, if the Persians had conquered, the glory that was Greece would never have flowered upon the world. Against fearful odds the Greeks won the victory, and, after the battle, a Greek soldier ran all the way, day and night, to Athens with the news. Straight to the magistrates he ran. “Rejoice,” he gasped, “we have conquered,” and even as he delivered his message he fell dead. He had completed his course and done his work, and there is no finer way for any man to die.
IX. Kept the faith
a. Kept meaning to guard a sacred treasure
b. Steward who has faithfully guared his master’s deposit
c. Paul recognize that the gospel was a sacred treasure given to him by God.
d. Faith
i. The message of the gospel
ii. Through hardship and pain Paul kept the gospel
iii. Without the keeping of the faith we would not be where we are today.
1. Example of Leveral and I conversation about the homes in which we were raised.
X. Paul’s View of the Future
a. Look forward to a rewarding future.
b. Motivation for the Christian life
c. 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.
i. Henceforth - what remains for me
ii. Laid up for me –
1. What on reserved
2. Crown of righteousness
a. Emblem of a victor
b. Laurel wreath that was placed on the head of those who won the race
c. Most prized possession
Ill. As the runners ran the marathon, they would run through the streets and enter the coliseum for the last laps. The crown was always placed in a prominent place so the runners could see it. It was high up so as they entered the stadium they could see the crown before them. Paul is like a runner whose legs are aching,chis side is splitting and his lungs are burning. I will not quit because the motivation for service to God is yet ahead in the future. There is a crown laid up for me. Don’t get bogged down in the fight and the hassle of the race. The reward is at the end.
----
1 Frederick Langbridge, A Cluster of Quiet Thoughts (London: The Religious Tract Society, 1896), n.p.