We get the privilege of opening up God’s Word together as a church family this morning. We are going to continue our time in the book of 2 Timothy. My hope and prayer are that our study of God’s Word together is producing fruit in your life. This book – which is a letter written from Paul to Timothy – is full of encouragement and equipping. We’ve seen some incredible truths about what God has given us in order to remain faithful to God. We reach the final chapter of 2 Timothy and Paul gives an emphatic charge to Timothy. In short, the charge is to do what God has called you to do. In other words, carry out the mission. Opening Illustration: The Battle of Bulge: 22 vs. 500. My grandfather fought in WW2. He flew over the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. Out of respect for those who fought in that war, I’ve tried to learn their stories. This week, I came across a new story to me. There was a group of 20 U.S. soldiers in mid-December 1944 in Belgium. These men were stationed on top of a ridge with a town at the bottom of the ridge. At about the same time the US soldiers behind them fell back, 500 German soldiers arrived at that town. For the next 20 hours, those 20 men prevented those 500 German soldiers from advancing up the ridge. Eventually, the German soldier out-flanked the US soldiers and took them captive. The US soldiers were put into prisons for the rest of the war, not knowing what would take place for the rest of the war.

About 20 years after WW2, historians began to publish works about what took place. It was December 1944, the German forces made their last major offensive that was called “The Battle of Bulge”. They had put all their eggs in one basket to try to split the allied forces in two. It would ultimately fail and the Germans were forced to retreat for the rest of the war. As the stories of the Battle of the Bulge came out, historians wrote about a pivotal moment in that battle. This pivotal moment came just as the Germans began their major offensive, and they ran into resistance that delayed them for 20 hours. Those 20 hours would end up changing the entire battle because while the German forces were bottlenecked in one village, the US forces regrouped and were better able to defend themselves. It was those 20 men that fought for 20 hours – that some historians say – possibly changed the entire outcome of WW2. These men had no idea the part they played in the war until decades later. But it mattered.

If we are being honest with ourselves, we go through life – through the ups and downs – and ourselves, “Did it make a difference?” “Does my part matter? We may not always fully understand how the parts of our lives fit into the bigger picture of God’s kingdom, but the answer is yes, “Your part matters.” The more and more I studied our passage today, the louder and louder verse 7 got: “⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.” In God’s kingdom, your part matters. Let’s open our Bibles to 2 Timothy and read with expectancy. God’s Word is alive and powerful. Read 2 Timothy 4:1-8. Pray. In God’s kingdom, your part matters. The crux of that sentence comes from verse 5, so I want to start there with this: God wants you to keep going. 

1)  God wants you to keep going. (vs. 5) Take a look at verse 5: ⁵ But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don’t be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you. When you look at verses 1 through 8, verse 5 is at the center of it all. And when you look at verse 5, you see Paul’s main point to Timothy: Fully carry out the ministry God has given you. Fulfill your ministry. In order to do that, Timothy must preach the Word, keep a clear mind, don’t be afraid, and tell others the Good News. Paul, in verses 6 though 8, says that he has fulfilled his ministry and it’s all worth it. At the center of this emphatic charge is this: “Fulfill your ministry”. “Keep going”. What Paul is telling Timothy is that “God wants you to keep going.” Why? Because in God’s Kingdom, your part matters.

Now, to keep with the context, this verse is about Timothy fulfilling his calling as a church leader. Not every person is called into vocational ministry, but everyone is given a ministry. If you were to read through the rest of Paul’s letters, the common message he gives people is to stay where they are. 1 Corinthians 7:20 says “Yes, each of you should remain as you were when God called you.” To be clear, God does call people away from where they are. We need more pastors. We need more missionaries. So, I’m not saying you won’t be called away. What I am saying is where God has you right now is where you are called to be salt and light. Your greatest ministry is the one that is right in front of you. And whatever that ministry is, you are to keep going in it. Christ-followers are meant to be people in motion. What does Proverbs 3:5-6 say? ⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. ⁶ Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. In those verses, what are the two things that happens before God shows you which path to take? Trust in the Lord and seek His will. The idea of this verse is that you are already moving and as you are moving, God is going to nudge you over to where you are supposed to be. You only get that “nudge” if you are already going. What is Newton’s first law of motion? Objects in motions tend to stay in motion and objects at rest tend to stat in rest, unless acted on by an outside force. As a Christ-follower, stop waiting on that outside force that gets you moving. I’m teaching my oldest how to drive. And yes, you are going to get a lot of real life examples from this over the next year, so just buckle up (pun intended). My son is doing incredible with his driving, but do you know what I learned my favorite word is when teaching him out to drive? “BRAKES!”

Last week, we ventured onto the interstate for the first time and as we are on the on-ramp, I said, “Hit that gas pedal and get going!” “You’ve got to get up to speed and join in with those other cars”. And I liked that part. I think he did too… Whatever God has called you to, right now, at this moment in life, get going! Fulfill that ministry. Look at the imperatives in verse 5 that lead up to this charge: Keep a clear mind. Don’t be afraid. Tell others. I like how the NIV puts verse 5: “But you, keep your head in all situations…” Keep your head! Be alert, be watchful, be sober-minded, have self control, pay attention, stay calm, be steady. How do we do this? What did Paul say in Ephesians 6:18? ¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. 

I want to say something quickly to the husbands and fathers in the room. If you want to keep your head and fulfill your ministry as a husband and/or father…PRAY! If you want to keep going, pray. I firmly believe this: Your prayers have the power to change the trajectory of your family. Your gas pedal is prayer. We have a lot more verses and not as much time, so let’s keep going. As we jump back to verses 1 through, here is what we see next: Don’t be lured away from the ministry God has given you. 

2) Don’t be lured away from the ministry God has given you. (vs. 1-4) Look at verses 1 through 4 with me again: ¹I solemnly urge you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he comes to set up his Kingdom: ² Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching. ³ For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. ⁴ They will reject the truth and chase after myths. The preaching of God’s Word was central to Timothy’s calling to fulfill his ministry. We spent a lot of time last week understanding what God’s Word is and how we can trust it. We learned that the Holy Spirit uses God’s Word to transform us from the inside out. Since all of that is true, Timothy is called to preach – to communicate -- God’s Word. Since all of that is true, I am called to preach God’s Word. As long as I am pastor at TCSH, God’s Word is going to be central to this church family. I am going to be prepared to teach God’s Word. Whether it seems convenient or not, I will preach God’s Word. God’s Word will teach us, correct us, rebuke us, and encourage us. As long as God has me at TCSH, I won’t abandon the basics. The longer I’m in this community and the longer I stay rooted in God’s Word and the longer our society indulges in the pleasures of this world, the more radical my teaching will appear. But I’m not moving because I’m staying with God’s Word. To some, that may appear as judgmental or small-minded. But, in reality, that’s not the case. I’m simply teaching what the Bible says. To me, there is no other option.

You might be sitting here thinking, “Well, that sounds good. Why would it be any other way?” Look at verses 3 and 4: ³ For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. ⁴ They will reject the truth and chase after myths. What Paul saw coming is our reality today. I’ve said this before: Your heart is a battlefield. For those of you who have a relationship with Jesus, your life before Christ is in battle with your life with Christ. Your old flesh is battling your new life with Jesus. That’s why we can’t trust our hearts. If we stop being in awe of God and God’s Word, that battle shifts. Your old way of life will start creeping into corners that belong to God. And over time, you will no longer crave God and His Word, but rather start following your own desires. It’s a slow fade. But here’s the tipping point: when you stop being a part of a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church family and look for some teacher that will scratch those itches for you. Satan wants your part in God’s kingdom to not matter, so he’ll draw you away from God’s Word.

Let me say this: The day God’s Word becomes cavalier to you is the day you need revival. God’s Word must be the daily heartbeat of your life. Illustration: In my house, there is always music on in some room. I love it. I love music. I usually have some on myself. But every so often, someone leaves their music on too loud. I can be downstairs, and I hear the music, but do you know what I hear? Thump, thump, thump…I don’t necessarily hear the vocalists or the guitars, but I hear that bass drum. It’s that beat that everything else revolves around. I know we put our drummer, Caleb, in a cage back there, but what he does for our worship is foundational. He carries the beat that everything else builds on. If you don’t want to be lured away – if you don’t want your story to be verse 3 – then God’s Word must be the daily beat of your life.

God has given you a ministry. God has given you a calling that is right in front of you – your part matters. Prayer is what keeps your head. The Bible is what keep your feet. Be in awe of God’s Word. I like how John Piper said it: “Remember, the devil can do exposition of Scripture. He can take it and explain. And up to a point, he can even explain it accurately. And empty-headed, irrational people can exult over a biblical text when they have no idea what it means or what the reality is behind it. But neither the devil nor empty-headed, irrational people can exult over the glory of God revealed in a true exposition of Scripture.” – John Piper. Be in awe of the glory of God revealed in God’s Word. Don’t be lured away from the ministry God has given you. We come to the final three verses of our time in God’s Word this morning. Paul, from his own life, gives Timothy this final encouragement. Here’s the last thing we see today: Fight, finish, and hold on to what God has promised for you. 

3) Fight, finish, and hold on to what God has promised for you. (vs. 6-8) Read verses 6 through 8 with me: 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 Paul does for Timothy and what God does for us – is to bring us back to the big picture. In verse 6, Paul is looking at his present situation. He is aware that his life and his ministry on earth are coming to an end. He realizes that his life has been full of sacrifice for God’s kingdom. In verse 7, Paul looks to the past. And what Paul sees is endurance. He’s battled, he’s ran, and he’s remained faithful. And then, in verse 8, Paul shifts to the future. He knows what awaits him. It’s a crown of righteousness from Jesus. What Paul knows is coming to him is that moment when he stands justified before God. Paul is able to stand justified before God because of what Jesus has given him. When we have a personal relationship with Jesus, Jesus puts His very righteousness around us – like an overcoat. So that, when we stand before God, God sees the righteousness of Jesus – not all the past mistakes we’ve made. Everything that Paul as fought for, that he’s finished, that he’s held on was because Jesus made a way for him to stand before God. For those who know Jesus as their Savior and Lord, that’s what God has promised for you. Paul wanted that for everyone, and so do I. GOSPEL PRESENTATION

When you look at your life – when you look at your calling, your purpose, your ministry, your fight – it’s all part of something so much bigger than you realize. All of it matters. In God’s kingdom, your part matters. And one day, you’ll see it all – it’ll all make sense. For now, fight, finish, and hold on to what God has promised for you. I want to close with a story that came up in the young adults community group this past week. Illustration: The story of Jim Elliot. There was a missionary by the name Jim Elliot. I’m going to give you the 50,000 foot view of this life, but I encourage you to read more about him. He was called to take God’s Word – the gospel of Jesus Christ – to group of people in Ecuador. This tribe had never heard the gospel. This tribe has never heard about Jesus. Jim Elliot made initial contact with tribe through his plane. Jim and the four other missionaries would lower gifts from the plane. They would use a loud speaker to communicate to them. Eventually, they would find a place to land in order to meet the tribe. Very shortly after they landed, Jim Elliot and the other four missionaries were killed. Two years later, Jim’s wife, Elisabeth Elliot, and a sister of one of the other killed missionaries, went to the tribe. They would lead people from that tribe to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. In fact, the son of one of the killed missionaries, would go and live with the tribe. The son, Steve Saint, would eventually be adopted into the tribe by the very man that killed his father. You never know how God is going to use your life. But I can tell you this: In God’s kingdom, your part matters. Keep going. Don’t be lure away. Fight, finish, and hold on to what God has promised you. Let’s pray. 

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