Transcript

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This weekend wasn't long enough. We blinked and here we are.
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It is such a joy to see you. It is such a joy to see the
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wider Maranatha community here to be with us for this Lord's
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Day service. As most of you are aware, we
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spent our time together this weekend to explore the amazing
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legacy and life of the great Apostle Paul.
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And I believe it is fitting that as we've come to this final
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moment of our conference, though our time in these past few
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meetings have only scratched the surface of this man's legacy,
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it's fitting to consider some of his final thoughts from the
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final epistle that the Holy Spirit has preserved for us to
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consider. And you know that epistle very
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well. I'm sure it is the book of
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Second Timothy. And I invite you to turn there
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with me briefly. It is in this letter that we
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have one of the most astounding faith installing, joy, exalting
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crescendos in all of the Bible. Most of us know it by heart,
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where Paul near the end of this letter tells us by the Spirit in
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Second Timothy 47. I have fought the good fight.
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I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
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Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness,
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which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that
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day, not only to me, but also to all who have loved His
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appearing. Can you think of better words to
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be your final recorded words on this side of eternity?
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What more needs to be said? Why would you need to add
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anything further? And yet, to our surprise, the
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Holy Spirit shows us that there are 14 verses that follow this
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incredible pronouncement. And if you just look at it, you
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can see it right beginning in verse nine.
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And we see these names mentioned, name upon name.
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And then you come even to verse 19, and what do you find?
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More names. What does the Holy Spirit have
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to teach us these inclusions? I believe this is a glance that
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the Spirit of God desires to give concerning Paul's dynamic
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relationships, Paul's incredible love that he had for the people
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of God. Let's read some of these names.
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Look at verse nine. Do your best to come to me soon.
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For Demas in love with this present world has deserted me
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and gone to Thessalonica. Christians has gone to Galatia,
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Titus to Dalmatia. Luke alone is with me.
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Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for
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ministry. Take a kiss I have sent to
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Ephesus. When you come, bring the cloak
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that I left with Carpus at Troas.
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Also the books and above all the parchments.
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Look at verse 19. Greek, Prisca and Aquila in a
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household of Anissa Forrest, Erastus remain at Corinth, and I
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left Trophemus, who is ill at my leaders.
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Do your best to come before winter.
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Ubilis sends greetings to you as the Putin's and Linus and
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Claudia and all the brothers. The Lord be with your spirit.
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Grace be with you. You would think that this letter
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will come to a full stop, what we just read earlier.
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I fought the good fight. I have finished the race right.
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I've kept the faith. Yet in the mind of God, the
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wisdom of the Spirit, we get a glimpse.
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We get a glimpse of Paul and what he thought about near the
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end of his life. And it's because I believe the
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Holy Spirit wants to show us that the genuine Christian life,
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from beginning to end, is experienced with and defined by
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the intricacy of relationships. Paul loved God, and because Paul
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loved God, Paul loved God's people.
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And Paul proved to us this weekend that it is absolutely
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impossible to claim to serve God and yet not open your life to
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serving His people. And that way of life opens up
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our souls to one of the greatest joys that we can experience, as
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well as some of the most painstaking aches that we can
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undergo. Paul proves that by how he
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mentions these names. And as much as he was compelled
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in his final recorded words to ensure of the emotional,
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physical, more importantly, the spiritual well-being of some of
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the people he knew. I mean, this man was an expert
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at remembering names, right? And he he could he could recall
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some of the things that some of these brethren were going
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through and he would check up on them.
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And despite the selflessness we see here Paul also making
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personal request, he makes these wishes.
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And there is one particular wish that is tucked perfectly in
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between the final list of names in this letter.
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So look here with me at verse 21.
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He says to Timothy, do your best to come before winter.
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The Bible doesn't waste any words.
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The Holy Spirit doesn't waste any real estate in the
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Scriptures. Paul tells Timothy, I'll do your
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best to come to me before winter.
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And this was an appeal that he made throughout this letter.
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He says in the beginning of this book, I long to see you look at
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verse 9 here in the same chapter.
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Do your best to come to me soon. This man yearned and longed for
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the personal company of his spiritual son, and he puts a
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time stamp. He puts this urgency on the
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matter come before winter. Why did Paul say that?
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I want to present to you 3 brief reasons why.
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The first one is because of the inconvenience of winter.
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All you have to do is read the latter portion of the book of
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Acts to see how difficult it was to travel during the winter
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months. And so Paul is reminding
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Timothy, look, you're going to have a much more graceful
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journey if you just come sooner than later.
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But it wasn't just the timing of the seasons.
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It was the timing of Paul's life.
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The sand and the hourglass of his days was dwindling.
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His departure was near. His graduation into glory was
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soon. And so he tells Timothy, listen,
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it's either before winter or never.
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In a sense, you can't afford to delay this, Timothy.
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I need to see you. I want to see you.
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And before I get to the third reason why Paul mentions the
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winter, allow me to pause here and provide a universal
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principle from this command. This is this is specific to yes,
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Timothy, and to Paul's experience.
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But oh, is there a theme of urgency in it?
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Well, Paul proves to us here is that in our brief lives there
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are opportunities that arise that cannot be delayed without
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the risk of forfeiting them all together.
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And that is certainly true when it comes to the call for
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salvation. There is a spiritual winter, you
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know. There is a time limit, you know,
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and the Spirit of God in his Word never, ever, ever suggests
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that we can postpone repentance or that we can stall in our
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surrender to the lordship of Jesus Christ.
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Last night there was a call for people to be saved, and it's
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very possible that people, even in that call, delayed it.
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And by God's grace, you woke up this morning and you're
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breathing. But I want to let you know, as
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one person said, that procrastination is the
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recruiting Sergeant of hell. And many will be in hell.
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I know that's not a word you hear often in church anymore,
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but there will be many who will be in hell because they delayed
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in dying to self and receiving the free gift of salvation in
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the person of Jesus Christ. And this is a tendency that is
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found in the earlier portions of our Bible.
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You remember that stubborn man, Pharaoh, do you not?
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And we think Pharaoh was uniquely stubborn.
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Perhaps you can make that case, but I believe Pharaoh is a
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reflection on millions specifically in this matter of
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procrastination. And you see it.
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You see it so clear, specifically with the plague of
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the frogs. And you don't have to turn
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there, but listen to these words unless you want to see with your
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own eyes. Because it's almost hard to
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believe that while the frogs were sitting in the beds and in
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people's pots and in people's sandals and in their purses.
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Finally, Pharaoh comes to Moses in Exodus 88, and we're told
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here. Then Pharaoh called Moses and
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Aaron and said, Plead with the Lord to take away the frogs from
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me and from my people, and I will let the people go to
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sacrifice to the Lord. Moses said to Pharaoh, Be
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pleased to command me when I am to plead for you and for your
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servants and for your people, that the frogs be cut off from
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you and your houses and be left only in the Nile.
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Pause Moses saying, When do you want it?
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When would you like the frogs to stop harassing you?
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What would you think would be the same answer?
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No, why are you even suggesting another day?
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Let's get this thing going and you can just imagine as he's
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saying that the frogs are there crogging.
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But look what he says in verse 10 and he said tomorrow tomorrow
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Moses said be it is as you say so that you may know that there
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is no one like the Lord our God tomorrow.
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Do you know how many people I've met who said tomorrow Jesus told
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people to repent and believe today.
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Paul emphasize that and whenever anyone try to follow Jesus on
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their terms. They were never taken seriously
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by the Lord. We have to understand here that
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if you're in this place and you have not yet given your heart to
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the Lord Jesus Christ, do so before winter.
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Not literally, of course, before your time runs out.
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But what about the believer? Does this principle of taking
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advantage of a reasonable time apply even to the Christian?
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Absolutely, and in so many ways. There are various examples of
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this in the Bible. Let's consider one of the
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strongest charges from the wise words of King Solomon.
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You know this very well in Ecclesiastes 12/1.
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Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before
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the evil days come and the years draw near, which you will say I
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have no pleasure in them. What?
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What's happening here? You have Solomon near the end of
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his sermon. It's really a sermon and the
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Holy Spirit turns the attention to the young reader and he tells
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the young man, he tells the young woman, remember your
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Creator in the days of your youth.
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Why do you think that is a special temptation for young
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people? Because in their strength,
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because in the sense of all the opportunities that lie ahead of
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them, their vigor, their energy, they face the greater
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temptation. I'm not considering eternal
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matters. God, His glory, even serving
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him, and countless people even bargain with God in their faith
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and determined that they will give the leftovers of their
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years. But even the world recognizes
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the preciousness of your youth. I'm talking to the young people
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today as though I'm old or anything, but I'm talking to the
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young people here. Listen very carefully.
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The world understands that there's a segment of your life
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that should be used in a special way.
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They tell you to study. They tell you to travel the
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world. They tell you to invest.
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They tell you to take risk. But oh, where are the teachers?
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Where are the parents who can look their children dead in the
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eye and say, would you give your best to God, give the best years
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to God? And Solomon later on in this
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chapter gives his reason why. Before the sunsets on your
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strength, before you accumulate growing responsibilities through
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the natural courses of life, before you come into contact
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with a failing body that betrays you year after year after year,
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remember your Creator in the days of your youth.
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Serve God, if I may say, before winter, before it gets harder.
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And it's important for all of us to seize the opportunity of
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every season in life to give our best to the Lord Jesus Christ.
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But that's not the main point of the message, though it can be a
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message on its own. I told you that there are three
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reasons I believe Paul told Timothy to come to him before
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winter. The 1st is because of the
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obvious ease of spring, summer, maybe fall.
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Secondly, there is an urgency concerning Paul's life.
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The days of his life were ticking.
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But lastly, Paul saying, come to me before winter is connected to
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what he said a few verses earlier.
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So I hope you're still in Second Timothy.
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Four, look with me here again at verse 13.
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We read through it. I wonder how many who have read
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these verses didn't consider the awesome implications of what he
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commands in verse 13. He says here, when you come,
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bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas.
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Also the books and above all the parchments.
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Paul had personal belongings and he desired it before a certain
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time. And you might be wondering, what
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in the world does that have to do with me?
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All Scripture is breathed out by God and all scripture is useful
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for your instruction and your transformation.
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Even when Paul says bring me my jacket, my books, and especially
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my parchments. I present to you today in this
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brief message 4 lessons from Paul's request for his cloak,
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his books, and his parchments. If you're a note taker, here it
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comes #1 Paul's request shows the reality of Christian
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relationships. So we see this man here making
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this request to Timothy. And later on, with a heart free
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from bitterness, he reveals something quite sad in verse 16.
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He says that no one, no person attended to him at his first
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defense. So when he went to court,
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because he's in jail while he's writing this, not one believer
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came to his side, not one Christian testified of his
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character or his innocence. And that news was especially
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disheartening since it is believed that this epistle was
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written in Rome and Paul wrote a letter to Roman Christians.
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Did he not? Paul even encountered these
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Christians and stayed with them for a few years.
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And we read this in in the past few days together of how Paul
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long to go to Rome. And that prayer was answered at
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the end of the book of Acts. And so I'm not going to turn
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there, but if you need a reference, it's in Acts 2814 and
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15 where Paul finally gets to Rome and he was given royal
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treatment. People traveled from miles to
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meet him, and they escorted him into their land.
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That's what people did for kings when they came into their
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presence. Paul received kingly respect.
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And yet now you come to the end of this letter and you get the
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sense that the honor he received when he arrived at Rome, there's
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nowhere to be found, as he was ready to go from Rome into
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glory. The people that Paul never
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forgot, always remembered, seem to have abandoned him, so much
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so never mind his first defense. But by way of inference, we can
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also say that no one thought to provide the spiritual giant a
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garment as the seasons were changing.
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I wonder why nobody in Rome ever thought maybe we should bring
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Paul the proper clothing. As the air got chillier and as
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people were preparing for the aggressive weather, here's Paul
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in a frigid, dark, wet dungeon and he has to make a long
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distance call for a jacket to be delivered to him.
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And throughout this letter, what you really see here is that the
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apostles account of his friendships and ministry
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partners is somewhat of a model of what every single Christian
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can expect in their own journey with others.
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I want you to see here quickly that the attitudes and the
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actions that he brings up about certain individuals is almost a
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preview of general realities that you and I can expect as we
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seek to obey the Lord and walk hand in hand with other blood
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bought Christians. So let me give you just a quick
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surface level understanding of that.
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Again, look at verse nine. Do your best to come to me soon.
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He's talking to Timothy. So let me tell you this, that
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there are going to be Christians in your life who bring you great
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joy and comfort. That's a gift from God.
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Timothy was a gift to Paul. But then he noticed here in
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verse 10 that demons in love with the present world walks
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away from the cause of Christ. And you better believe it, too,
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that you might see Christians that once served with you and
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were in leadership who will also abandoned the cause of Christ.
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We're seeing that more and more, especially with leadership in
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the church in the West. But we also see here that he
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mentions interesting characters like Christians and Titus,
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showing us that not everybody in our lives will depart because
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they abandoned the faith. Some will be sent elsewhere to
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serve God in other areas. And that's still painful, right?
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Because we want to hold on to all the people that we know and
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love. But Paul shows here that even in
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Providence, some other believers will leave you.
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Not because they're leaving God or the cause of Christ, but
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because they're serving him elsewhere.
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You have here Luke verse 11. Luke alone is with me.
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Isn't it a joy to know that there are some Christians in
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your life that will stick with you until the end?
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They will be with you until the end and there will be guys like
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Mark. Get Mark and bring him with you
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for he is very useful to me from in ministry.
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That wasn't true always from Mark.
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Mark disappointed Paul a lot, and there will be Christians in
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your life who will disappoint you.
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They will, but like Paul, be ready to forgive them when they
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repent. There also be men like Alexander
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the coppersmith in verse 14, who don't, in moments of weakness,
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hurt you or betray you or disappoint you, but
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intentionally will seek out your harm.
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But don't be mistaken here. Paul is not fishing for pity,
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especially in this letter, because this shabby clothed man
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reveals to us a secret. He reveals to us the best
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relationship, a relationship that will never fail you, a
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relationship that is capable of sustaining you until the end.
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Look here at what he says at verse 17.
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But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me.
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Some walk, some stage, some were sporadic, some were
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inconsistent. And Paul ends his thoughts on
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relationships by mentioning his best friend.
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The Lord stood by me, the Lord strengthened me.
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I think Paul was just saying random things here.
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Is he just trying to sound poetic?
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No, this man experienced it. That's one of the glories of the
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Christian faith. Your Savior, as splendid and as
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brilliant as he is, walks with you.
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And even though you live this journey long enough and you see
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crazy things from people that you thought would never be able
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to perform, all that does is provide a backdrop for Christ to
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shine all the more beautiful and glorious.
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I'll tell you this, walking with the Lord for 10 something years
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that with all the ups and downs, one thing has been sure, Christ
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is more attractive to me than ever.
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Christ has proven to be more faithful than ever and Paul is
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expressing that here. Paul's request for a cloak
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exposes the reality, the sobering reality of Christian
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relations. But #2 Paul's request reveals
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that servants of God are not spared from the natural courses
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of life. So look, if if you're not
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careful, you think that men even like Paul, spiritual giants,
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Trail Blazers, get special treatment in some way and that
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they get to escape common protocols and discomforts or
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delays. And serving the Lord does not
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promise that. Serving the Lord does not
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promise that we do not pursue things through the normal
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processes of life. Here's Paul and he, he in this
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letter ask something that a normal person would ask, hey,
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can you grab my jacket? Can you, can you make sure that
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you bring from carpet something that belongs to me?
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And it does us good to remember that men of God are men.
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Still, it's no different for Paul here because he's doing
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something that we can relate to men of the spiritual caliber.
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And I thought to myself when reading Paul, asking for a
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jacket could not have God materialize one out of thin air
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for him. Could not have God defied the
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natural law and warmed his body while he stayed there isolated.
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Could not have God sent a vision like he did to Ananias at Paul's
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conversion and said, hey, listen, you're a you're an
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apostle. My servant is freezing.
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Get up, take this jacket and go to him.
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Could have got that. He could have done that and much
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more. Just like God can do many things
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but often doesn't use the miraculous.
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Here's a hint of that. Look at verse 20 in your Bibles.
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The last part. And I left Trophemus, who was
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ill at my leaders. Paul saw miracles.
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Paul laid. I mean, never mind laying hands.
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There are people who saw the power surging from Paul, that
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they allowed his skin to touch handkerchiefs.
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They brought it to their sick, and they were healed.
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That's the kind of guy we're talking about.
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And what does Paul confess? Your Trophimus?
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I left him. I'll at my latest.
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Can't you have healed him? Oh, this is a sobering reality
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for those who claim that every time you pray for healing, it
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has to happen. If it doesn't, then your faith
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is weak. Also, is Paul's faith weak?
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No, Paul didn't perform miracles on demands.
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Paul proves here that he, just like you, depended upon the
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sovereignty in the Providence of God.
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And yes, he believed for the best, but he also trusted in the
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wisdom of God. And there are times when the
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Lord can heal in an instant. I believe he can do it.
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I've seen him do it. Paul's seen him do it many
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times. And there are also testimonies
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of God preserving the footwear and the clothing of his people,
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namely the people of Israelites. Have you ever considered that
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miracle in the Exodus? When you think about the
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miracles of the Exodus, what do you think about the man that
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coming from heaven, the water gushing from that rock, the
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miracles that were so unique to that journey?
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And I never hear this miracle being brought up when the Exodus
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is studied. It's one of my favorite
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miracles. Here's the reference.
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Let me read it to you from Deuteronomy, chapter 29, verse
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five. The Lord says I have led you 40
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years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out
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on you and your sandals have not worn off your feet.
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That's a miracle. Imagine not having to change
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your shoes for decades, not having to worry to buy anything
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else for your back. God even says I preserved your
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clothing during that whole wilderness journey.
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Could God have provided Paul a cloak?
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Surely, But he doesn't. In the concluding chapter of
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this book, we learned that sometimes sickness stays and
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sometimes you and I have to endure inconveniences like Paul,
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who was cold and could have used a miracle with his raiment like
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the Israelites did with their clothing.
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Thirdly, Paul's request confirms that true contentment is found
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in Christ alone. Don't allow yourself to miss the
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concrete joy and satisfaction that Paul exudes even in this
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request. You're saying What do you mean?
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Notice again at verse 13, he says bring the cloak that I left
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with Carpus at Troas. You know what Paul could have
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said? Timothy, on your way to me, can
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you stop by the outlet mall and buy me a new jacket?
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Paul was very low maintenance. Paul even in other instances
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shares that he could have made demands as an apostle.
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He could have got royal treatment and asked for it and
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he could have gotten it, but he refused to do that.
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Paul was a true servant. I remember hearing this from
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somebody and I'll try to spare the details, but I'll give you a
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general idea because I believe so many are so far removed from
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Apostolic Christianity. This individual told me that
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they were hosting an event for a specific holiday of the year and
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so they reached out to a worship team that they have never met,
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but we're hoping they would come to help make this event an
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exciting 1A Worshipful one. And he told me that this worship
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team came back with a document listing all their requirements
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if they were to be part of this event.
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What do you think those requirements were?
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I'm not making this up. I'm what you're about the year.
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I'm not making this up. We want these specific colored M
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and Ms. in the green room and also these specific brands of
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potato chips, and those are only two of many.
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Sounds like Apostolic Christianity, right?
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Sounds like something Paul would do, right?
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Bring me the cloak that I left. Why?
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Why was Paul's cloak left? Why didn't he bring it with him?
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Have you read this man's life? It's so unpredictable.
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One day he's here, the next day he's there.
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One day he's stoned, the next day he seems to have a private
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resurrection. He's just everywhere.
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The rhythm, the rhythm of his life.
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I mean, he never knew the comfort of a routine.
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And so just as he was spontaneous, you can imagine
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what his possessions were like, where they were found, where
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they were left behind. This man was sold out for Christ
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and yet we see here that in his request he learned to be
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satisfied with the lot that God had ordained for him.
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And the beauty, the beauty of that is that there is a
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wonderful calmness that you enjoy and inherit with Christ
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centered satisfaction. It's helpful to realize that
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this is not something that you and I as Christians
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automatically learn. It's not like that contentment
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is realized the moment you come to Christ.
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Even Paul himself confessed that it wasn't something that he knew
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right away. You remember what he told the
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Philippians and Philippians 411, he says.
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Not that I'm Speaking of being in need, for I have learned in
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whatever situation I am to be content.
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Notice his words carefully. I have learned.
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It took time for me to understand it.
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It took time for me to grasp. It took time for me, trial and
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error, to realize that in the end, really it comes down to
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Christ, who brings permanent contentment.
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Whether I have the newest or not.
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It doesn't matter whether I get a new cloak or it's my old
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cloak. That doesn't determine the
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strength of my joy. And I argue that the only way
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you can grow in this quality of contentment is by One Ave.
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experiencing the fulfillment that comes from personal
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fellowship with Christ. And Jeremiah Burrows, a Puritan
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who wrote The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, would
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agree. I rarely do this, but from time
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to time I love to quote some of these men, and I believe his
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words are fitting for this time. Listen to what he says.
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Quote. Contentment is not by addition,
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but by subtraction. Seeking to add a thing will not
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bring contentment. Instead, subtracting from your
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desires until you are satisfied only with Christ brings
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contentment. My brethren, the reason why you
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have not got contentment in the things of the world is not
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because you have not enough of them.
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That is not the reason, but the reason is because they are not
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things proportionable to that immortal soul of yours that is
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capable of God himself. Yeah, that's why it's like a
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vacuum in there. You stuff it and you think it's
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going to stay and it disappears because that soul of yours was
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made to know the one who made it.
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Paul at the end of his life shows that you can no
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contentment in Jesus till your final moments.
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Lastly, Paul's request defines what we should treasure more
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than anything. The cloak is not the solitary
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item on Paul's mind. He mentions books and he says
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above all the parchments. We're not told what content the
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books in the parchments contained, so we are limited to
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our sanctified imagination. But some would say that these
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books may have included blank materials for Paul to write more
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things That could be so. Some say that there were copies
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of his writing so that he can spread them and share them to
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others or plan to preserve them in some way.
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Some also believe that Paul, being the genius that he was, as
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you see in Acts, he was acquainted and educated with
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philosophers and poets, and so that was the genre that he was
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asking for when demanding for his books.
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We're not, we're not certain, but we have more confidence.
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There is more consensus about the parchments.
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The parchments, which were made of more expensive material, were
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very likely copies of the Hebrew Scriptures, and very likely
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records of the very words of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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And if that is true, then what a thing Paul does, and making that
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the emphasis of his request. Look at it again.
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Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas.
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Also the books, and above all, above all, the parchments.
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So Paul here would have been OK, I think, if Timothy had
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forgotten the cloak. See, the cloak would be used to
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preserve the warmth of his body, but the parchments would have
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been used to kindle his soul. Are we all that surprised that
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this man wanted the word of God in such confining, intense
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circumstances? That doesn't shock me at all.
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And although Paul felt a chilling breeze from the lack of
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support from his companions, he knew that there was a fellowship
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that he could know, the greatest fellowship, as he took the word
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of God and ate them and breathed them in and meditated on them.
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Above all, bring me the parchments.
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I've heard from some that they can't get themselves to read the
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Bible because they're not readers.
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And from my humble observation, most of those people who say
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that are also experts in politics and they read all the
35:27
articles they can get their hands on and they've memorized
35:30
sports statistics. And can I ask you a question?
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If you struggle to read your Bible, let me provide an
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illustration. Imagine a deceased multi
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billionaire who for some reason included your name in their will
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along with the contingencies for accessing their estates and
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their treasures. What would you do with such a
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document once it arrived at your front door?
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I know I'm not a prophet. You would set aside time.
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You don't wear glasses, but you're going to wear glasses.
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You might even hire a lawyer to help you interpret the legal
36:08
jargon. Why?
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Because you want to make sure that if your name is on this
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thing that you don't miss out on the least of the rewards that
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I've been preserved for you, right?
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And yet God gave you a document intended for you with treasures
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and rewards beyond this life. And I wonder how many of us are
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eager to discover not just some, not just the surface level, not
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just the first few pages, but all that God has promised you
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with all the contingencies that are required for us to walk in
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them. Is that true of you?
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Above all, give me the parchments.
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Above all, give me the Word of God.
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This is an example that this man sets the Greek word for above
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all there is chiefly, most of all, above all.
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You see, Timothy could have forgotten the cloak, he could
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have forgotten the books. But as long as he did not leave
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behind the parchments. And if Timothy did not have room
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to bring all the items, then bring the parchments.
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I'm willing to face this winter without my cloak, but don't
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leave behind the Bible, you said.
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Why are you telling me this? Because if you were here at the
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beginning of the conference, you know how we opened up.
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This man dared to say, imitate me as I imitate Christ.
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Imitate not just my actions, not just my attitudes, imitate my
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appetites. It's so obvious here, is it not?
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We've been challenged these past few days and seeing Paul's love
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for people. But can I add another challenge
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to you? Consider and reflect on His love
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for the sacred writings. I want you to leave this
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conference with an insatiable desire for the Word of God.
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This book, every page of it, breathes, speaks, and God can
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use this book to speak to you in ways as though He is speaking to
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you audibly. It's amazing what He has given
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to us. What visual are we left as I
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conclude today about this man Paul, as we've been studying him
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to the natural mind. What we find perhaps, is a
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lonely, worn out man who is in a foul dungeon awaiting his unjust
38:38
execution, eagerly expecting the speedy arrival of his spiritual
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son, hopefully to bring with him very simple things.
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Not many possessions left in Paul's name, and those who do
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not have the eyes of faith might look at this man and be sad for
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him. That would perhaps be the
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thoughts of some. You have to remember who Paul
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was before he followed Christ. He was a man of great repute.
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Saul of Tarsus, the revered Pharisee.
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It's very likely that he was a wealthy man.
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It was very likely that wherever he stepped foot into it, he
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demanded the reverence of everybody in that place.
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And this is what he has come to as a follower of Jesus Christ.
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See, here's how the natural mind would think.
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This is what you get for following an invisible Messiah.
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But you cannot look at this with the eyes of the flesh.
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You have to see it the way Paul saw himself.
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You might see a dignified man to a despised man.
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You might see a cold man, a lonely man, but Paul in this
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final moments instead invokes us to behold a man who was
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imprisoned, yes, but was not shackled by sin or unforgiveness
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because the same people that he mentioned that hurt him and
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betrayed him and left him, he says, may the Lord not hold it
40:06
against them. In the very same chapter you
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might see a man here who have lost the loyalty and the respect
40:13
of even even Christians. But I see a man who is
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experiencing the unbroken faithfulness of the Lord Jesus
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Christ in his life. You might see a man who who has
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pathetically, pathetically poor in this world.
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But this man was also rich, rich in love, rich in contentment and
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all. Very shortly after this, he
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would be clothed with eternal robes and an eternal crown, and
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enjoying the eternal fellowship of the master that he loved up
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to his dying breath. Bring the cloak that I left with
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Carpas at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments.
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Let's pray, Lord, we thank you that you've
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allowed us in these past few days to study someone that you
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intended to be studied. But we thank you that every bit,
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every morsel of the Bible is pregnant with practical truth.
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And Lord, we've got a glimpse of that today.
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We give you glory for that. We give you thanks for that.
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Lord, help us remember these truths.
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Help us to realize, not to be cynical, but help us to realize
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the reality of Christian relationships, that we're going
41:52
to know the good and the bad, but ultimately we have you.
41:57
Lord, help us realize that as servants of God, we are subject
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to the natural courses of life. Not every day is going to be a
42:05
miracle, and that's OK Help us remember to trust you in the
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mundane. Lord.
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Help us remember also that there is true contentment in Christ
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alone. And if we find ourselves itchy
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and unstable, always looking for the newest, always looking for
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the best, help us remember that contentment is not by addition,
42:34
but subtraction. And lastly, Lord, help us
42:38
treasure the Word of God. Lord, your word says, I will run
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in the way of your commandments when you enlarge my heart.
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So Lord, we pray that you enlarge our hearts for the
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scriptures this day. And we believe that as we pray
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these things, you will indeed help us as you strengthen Paul,
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strengthen each of us in Jesus name, Amen.
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Amen. Can we stand and worship the
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King of Kings and the Lord of Lords?