Reflections from the champ

 2 Timothy 4:6-8

Paul is reflecting on his life. He was a hero of the faith. Paul has a great perspective. 2 Timothy is like Paul's last will and testament. It is likely these are his last words to Timothy.

Time is precious, life is meant to be used and invested. We take in a lot of screen time; we get distracted and waste our precious time.

2 Timothy 4:6  Paul is comparing his life to a drink offering (Numbers 15, 28 and Exodus and Leviticus). He is at the end of his life's sacrifice. He knows that his time is short. For the believer our lives should be a sacrifice to God. It is all that God wants.

Five years earlier Paul wrote this same hypothetical in Philippians 2:17. He said that our whole lives were a sacrifice. Romans 12:1 In Galatians 2:20 Paul says that he is dead in Christ. He no longer lives, but Christ lives in and through him. Paul says that his passions and desires are no longer alive in him, but Christ's passions and desires are alive in him. Do we live this way? Are our passions and desires Christ's? Are we a living sacrifice?

Departure-in Greek means loosed ship. Paul saw that "life" was holding him back from God.  

2 Corinthians 12:2-3 Paul had probably had glimpses of heaven.
Philippians1:21 To live is Christ and to die is gain. Paul is looking ahead to the glory now in vs. 7  He reflects on the past.

2 Timothy 4:7 The world's view of Paul is that he was "somebody", a Pharisees Pharisee, but now he was a nobody. He is alone in prison cold and clearly miserable. Paul viewed his life much different than the world. Vs 7 is a victorious look back at his life.

Fight the good fight                                                                                                                                      Paul was faced with confrontation throughout his life, he confronted the Jews about the Messiah and the Jewish leadership wanted him killed. He confronted the gentiles about their sin, false teachers, he contended for the faith. He even confronted Peter. Paul was stoned, whipped, chained, imprisoned, harassed, hunted, was on the run, hated, mocked and abandoned, but Paul was the champ. He fought the good fight.

Are we willing to defend the faith? Are we willing to go against the grain...against the flow? Are we willing to speak truth? Are we willing to stand against the changing culture?

Finish the Race  Acts 20:24                                                                                                                          Paul finished the race well. Paul cared for the gentiles. He cared for the nations. The race brings to mind a couple of scriptures from Paul.   Hebrews 12:1-2 and 1 Corinthians 9:24, 27

Are you running the race well?   

 1. Repent and throw off sin. Throw off anything that hinders you from running the race that God has laid before you.

2.  Focus on Christ  This is our goal. To know Him and to make Him known. 

3.  Run to win. If we were keeping score would we be winning? Are you doing a good job, or are we sitting on the bench. We are too often comfortable letting someone else do it... to share Christ. Are we doing just enough to get by.  RUN TO WIN

Keep the faith  Plenty of people walked away from the faith... Judas, Demas...guys who walked out. Paul is encouraging Timothy to guard the faith, to pass it on. When things got discouraging Paul never quit...he kept the faith.

Jesus and the soils:   

Some   1. Didn't understand 
Some   2.  Fled at persecution 
Some   3.  Riches and cares of the world 
Some   4.  Bore fruit and exceedingly

2 Timothy 4:8   Crown of righteousness, Imperishable Crown 1 Cor. 9: 24-25, Rejoicing Crown 1 Thess. 2:19, Crown of Glory 1 Peter 5:4,  Crown of Life Rev. 2:10  The crowns are pointing us to the reward...the prize.

Stephanos-Stephen means badge of royalty, a prize in public games or a general symbol of honor. A wreath was placed on the head of winners. Stephen saw a bit of this in Acts 7: 55-56. Jesus was/is watching and His saints are precious to Him. Jesus was not "sitting" when Stephen gave his life.

Suffering will come in this life. No one is immune to it. Paul suffered a lot:  Rom. 8:18, 2 Cor. 4:16-18  But suffering is nothing compared to the glory to come. If you are in Christ this life is as bad as it is gonna get.

Our desire should be to run a race to please God. Don't waste life, don't reach the end of your life and regret your race. Live your life to hear "Well done good and faithful servant"

Paul was beaten and battered into nothing, but look what God did through him. Imprisoned and executed, but went out the champ.

What if we lived our lives to truly live a life that pleased God?

What would it look like if we truly lived with eternity in mind?