Latest / Admonition Podcast / On His Mind Before Death - Aaron Cozort - May 17, 2026

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On His Mind Before Death - Aaron Cozort - May 17, 2026 · Admonition Podcast

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Good morning.
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Take your Bibles, if you will, and open them to 2 Timothy chapter 4.
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Hebrews chapter 9 tells us that it is appointed unto men once to die.
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And after this, the judgment.
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Death is something that is coming for all of us.
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If the Lord delays His return, long enough for us to reach that point.
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James tells us that death is the separation of the body from the spirit.
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And yet as we consider...
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our lives, circumstances we find ourselves in, our nature and our existence.
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As we consider the ultimate end of our physical lives in the form of death, we understand and we comprehend that not all of us will, as far as humanity goes, will reach an old age.
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Some will die young.
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Some might be
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because of disease, perhaps because of war, because of other circumstances.
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Some might die when they're old, some die when they're older than everybody else.
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But in 2nd Timothy chapter 4...
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we see a glimpse into what was on Paul's mind when death was approaching.
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Yes, over in Philippians, Paul's going to write to the church at Philippi and tell them that he desired to depart.
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He was already ready at that point, earlier on in his life, to depart and be with the Lord.
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He knew that for him, death was an opportunity to leave this life and all of its cares and go be with the Lord.
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And he desired that to be the case, not because he didn't desire to live.
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Matter of fact, he said, I know it's more needful for me to remain.
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for the benefit of the church.
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He desired to live, to continue working, and he knew that either way Christ would be served, but his desire was to go and to be with the Lord.
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But here in 2 Timothy chapter 4, later in Paul's life, Paul has reached the point where he knows his time is short.
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He knows that death is coming.
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And as a result of that, as he is writing to Timothy, as he sits once again in a Roman prison for the second time,
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He will write to Timothy about things that were on his mind when he was approaching death.
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So we're going to go through 2 Timothy chapter 4 in that view.
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As these are the things that were on Paul's mind when he was nearing death, so what should we be learning about that is important for our lives so we can be prepared for death the
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way he was?
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Consider chapter 4 verses 1 through 5.
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When Paul was near death, preaching was on his mind.
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2 Timothy chapter 4 verse 1, charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing in his kingdom, preach the word.
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Be ready in season and out of season.
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Convince, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and teaching.
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For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers.
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And they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables.
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But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
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As Paul was approaching death, he was concerned about the preaching of the gospel.
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He was concerned that the preaching of the gospel would continue after he was gone.
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He was concerned that the preaching of the gospel would remain sound and faithful to the message of the gospel after he was gone.
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He was concerned about the teachers and the preachers and their faithfulness when people, Christians, the churches no longer desired to hear a message of faithfulness.
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They no longer desired to hear the truth in its clarity, in its sincerity, in its simplicity.
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They wanted their ears to be tickled.
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They wanted to hear something that was pleasant, something that was easy, something that was enjoyable.
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If you could find any way to describe many of the religious worship assemblies of the world around us, it is entertainment.
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Paul tells Timothy, when the church wants to be entertained, preach them the truth.
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When the church doesn't want to listen to you, preach them the truth.
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When the church desires sincerely to hear the truth, preach them the truth.
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when the individuals in the congregation are not living in a right way before God convict them of the truth and rebuke them.
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when they're struggling because of the difficulties of this life and the world that we live in and all of the things that we face, He said, exhort them and uplift them and
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encourage them, but preach the truth.
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He says to Timothy, you be watchful in all things.
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It's hard to watch everything at once.
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But that's what Paul told Timothy to do.
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He said, you be watchful.
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You be careful.
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You be aware of what is going on.
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so the truth can continue to be preached.
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but he also wanted him to be one who endured, who did the work, who fulfilled his service.
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That's what the word ministry means.
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Paul, as he reached the end of his life, had his mind on the preaching of the gospel and its continued preaching after he was gone.
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Well, Paul also had his mind on the price that he had paid.
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In chapter 4 and verse 6, Paul writes, for I am already being poured out as a drink offering.
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and the time of my departure is at hand.
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I have fought the good fight.
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I have finished the race.
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I have kept the faith.
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As Paul thinks back concerning his life, he can see the price he has paid to reach the position that he's in.
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Paul didn't say,
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I'm approaching death, I'm nearing death, and boy was it easy.
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Not at all.
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Paul says, I have fought the good fight.
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I have fought diligently to be obedient to God, to be faithful to Him.
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to serve him in a way that is acceptable and right in his sight.
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You do not fight the good fight by fighting your own fight.
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As far as Paul was concerned, you only fight the good fight when you're fighting the Lord's fight.
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Paul is very clear that his definition of good here is that it is acceptable to God.
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If we are fighting as we finish out our days here on this earth and if we are fighting in accordance with the commandment of God, accordance with the will of God, in accordance
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with the order of God, then we have fought the good.
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But it is important to realize that Paul will point out the same thing that Jesus pointed out when Jesus was approached by a young man and said, I desire to be your disciple.
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And Jesus would reply to that individual, no man putting his hand to the plow and then looking back is fit for the kingdom of heaven.
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It is important to realize that in view of what Paul is saying, Paul is saying it is not the case that someone can fight the good fight and then give up on the fight and go home.
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Paul is making it clear, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
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At no point had he ever discarded his fight, his race, or his faith because it was too hard, because it was uncomfortable, because someone made him upset, because someone
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disagreed with him, because someone decided that...
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Paul wasn't all that and they wanted to follow someone else.
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or even because they had preached the gospel just to encourage more pain and punishment be brought upon Paul.
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As Paul was approaching death, he considered the price he had paid to reach the point he was at.
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But he also considered the prize that was available.
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You consider chapter 4 and verse 8, he says, finally there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which is which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day
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and not to me only, but also to all who love his appearing.
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As Paul was nearing death, he was focused on the prize.
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He was considering and dwelling on and thinking about the prize for the righteous, the prize for the faithful, the victorious crown of the one who runs the race, endures the
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race, and wins the race.
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Paul says you don't get a crown simply by participating.
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You get a crown by enduring to the finish.
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But also Paul made it clear that you don't just get a crown if you come in first.
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You get a crown if you cross the line.
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He says it's not for me only, but for all those who love his appearing.
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Paul was certain and Paul had clarity and Paul was dwelling on the reward of the righteous in eternity.
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and Paul had no doubts about eternity.
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oh Paul certainly understood that there were things Paul didn't know about eternity, but those weren't doubts.
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The lack of knowledge, the absence of knowledge is not doubts concerning what we have full knowledge about.
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Paul didn't have doubts about eternity.
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Paul had confidence in every promise and every statement God had made about eternity.
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And so Paul could say, there is, not there might be, not I hope there is, not well, we'll find out.
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No, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.
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Paul was looking forward to a day where the reward for the price paid would be delivered.
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Paul had in mind as he was nearing death the preaching of the gospel, the price he had paid, the prize that awaited him.
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But Paul also had in mind the peril that had been going on and would face Timothy in the future.
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In verses 9 and 10, we read, Be diligent to come to me quickly.
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For Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world.
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and has departed for Thessalonica, Cretians for Galatia, Titus for Dalmatia.
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uh As Paul looked at his circumstance, as Paul considered his time as he was approaching death, he understood the peril of being alone.
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It is sad.
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It is unfortunate that some will go through this life and as they reach the end of it, they will be alone.
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Maybe they're alone because of the circumstances they find themselves in.
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That was Paul's situation.
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Paul would not have chosen to be where he was if he could have chosen to be somewhere else.
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But Paul was in prison.
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Paul wasn't getting to do the choosing.
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But so many individuals are alone because of the choices they've already made.
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So many individuals are alone because they've forsaken their spouse and chosen to live for themselves instead of for their marriage.
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Some individuals are alone because they have neglected their family and served their own selfish desires.
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And so when they become old, their family is no longer interested in them.
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Some are alone, out of no fault of their own.
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It just so happens that all the people they've always been surrounded with have already gone before.
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Some are alone because they're simply waiting for those who are their companions to arrive.
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So Paul encourages Timothy, diligent to come to me quickly.
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But then consider as well that he's warning Timothy about the peril that Timothy can face.
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You notice he mentions Demas, he says, for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world.
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Paul is going to remind Timothy that there is peril in this world.
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There is peril in the circumstances we find ourselves in because it is tempting in the state that we're in, in the world that we're in, to love this world.
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John would tell us though, that if any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
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For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, are of the world and they're not of the Father.
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We need to understand, as Paul understood, as Paul admonished Timothy to understand the peril of this world.
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We sing the song, this world is not my home.
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I'm just passing through.
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My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.
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We are reminded of Abraham.
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We are reminded of Sarah.
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We are reminded of Isaac.
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We are reminded of Jacob, who though they knew,
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that they were dwelling in a sojourning capacity, though they were dwelling in tents made with hands, they had a home.
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in a city whose builder and maker was God.
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Paul warns Timothy, don't get caught up in the troubles of this world.
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Keep your eyes open.
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Be watchful.
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Understand that there are those around you who will love this world and they will forsake God because of
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But then consider as well that as Paul reached the end of his life, Paul was concerned with personal relationships.
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He was thinking and dwelling on people who had been with him and who were separated from him.
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You find there in the end of that verse that Cretians had gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.
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We know Titus was one of the young preachers that Paul had written to, that Paul had trained.
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But then you also find in chapter 4 verse 11, only Luke is with me.
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Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for the ministry.
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As Paul is considering his circumstance, he's thoughtful of personal relationships, of his time with Titus, of his time with Cretians, of his time with Luke, Luke being the only one
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who was present still with him.
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but he's also thinking about relationships he's had in the past.
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So Paul is going to tell Timothy, you need to go get Mark.
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John Mark was that young man who had started off on that missionary journey with Paul and with Barnabas and had gone some way and then had turned back.
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And when that missionary journey had concluded and Paul was ready to go back out on another missionary journey, Barnabas wanted to take John Mark and Paul said no, because he
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turned back the first time.
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The years have transpired and apparently John Mark has developed and certainly we know that he certainly would as he is the writer of the book of Mark.
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But now as the years have gone by, Paul is ready to say, know what, bring Mark with you.
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He's beneficial to the ministry.
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Paul looks back on his personal relationships and realizes that there are profitable relationships in the present that perhaps had not been in the past.
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Paul realized that there were those who, while they were young and immature in the past, now have matured and now they're profitable.
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It's important in life.
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that we do not take the circumstances of the past and make them override the scenario of the present.
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Paul could have said, you know what, I'll never do anything with John Mark ever again.
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But that's not what Paul said.
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Paul said, bring Mark with you.
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He's profitable for the ministry.
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But Paul also was mindful of the parchments.
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He would write in verse 12 in Tychicus, have sent to Ephesus, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come and the books, especially the parchment.
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The indications of the text seem to be that the parchments that Paul's talking about are the Scriptures.
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Paul had his written Scriptures and he desired to have them with him where he was in Rome.
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So Paul desires for Timothy to bring the Word of God to him.
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As Paul is nearing death, Paul wants to read the text.
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from God again.
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Now you think about that and consider that Paul is an inspired apostle.
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Paul has access to divine revelation directly from God.
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And yet that doesn't satisfy Paul's desire to have the Word of God.
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He desires to have the written Word of God that he can dwell on, that he can read.
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And he wants Timothy to bring it to him.
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As he is reaching the end of his life, he doesn't look at the book that God has given and say, you know what, I'm kind of done with this.
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I think I've probably read it enough times.
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No, Paul said, I want to read it again.
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as Paul was nearing the end of his life.
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He also thought about people and the past.
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We find in verse 14, he says, Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm.
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May the LORD repay him according to his works.
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Paul is not vindictive.
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But Paul knows who belongs to the Lord and who doesn't.
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And Paul is concerned about Timothy and his ability to operate and preach and teach and help the church.
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And he knows there's an enemy of the church who is out there looking to do harm to the body of Christ.
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And it's evidenced by their continued actions exactly the way they had been participating in that harm back when Paul...
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was there.
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Alexander the coppersmith will be one who will cause many to riot and will cause disruption among the church because Paul was affecting his profit margin.
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So Paul was concerned about people in the past.
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You consider as well, verse 15, he says, you also must beware of him, for he has greatly resisted our words.
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Paul says, you watch out for those who become the enemies of God and who persist in their attacks.
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You be watchful of Him.
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You beware of Him because if He hates me, He'll hate you too.
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You know, that was the message that Jesus gave to His disciples, that the world had hated Him and they'll hate you as well because if they hate me, they'll hate you.
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If they hate the Master, they'll hate the servant.
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And so, Paul is reminded and thoughtful as he nears the end of his life concerning the people who have acted in opposition to God in the past so that Timothy can be forewarned.
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but he's also mindful of personal forgiveness.
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when we are done harm.
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When we are neglected, when we are forsaken,
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We can hold that and we can hold that and we can hold that all the way till our dying day in animosity towards those who did us harm, who neglected us, who forsook us.
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but not Paul.
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As Paul was nearing the end of his life, Paul was concerned about personal forgiveness.
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You notice in verse 16, he says, at my first defense, no one stood with me, but all forsook me.
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May it not be charged against.
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As Paul examined his life and Paul examined his scenario, as Paul was thoughtful about his life and where he was at, he said, don't hold this to their charge.
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He exhibited much of the same mindset of Christ on the cross.
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When Christ looked at those who were surrounding him, who were mocking him, who were beating him, who had scourged him and said, do not lay this to their...
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Paul looked at those who had forsaken him, who had left him to stand on his own.
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Who had the ability to come and stand with him, but didn't.
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Paul was willing to forgive.
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Then you also look and you notice that Paul was concerned with preservation and protection.
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verse 17, but the Lord stood with me and strengthened me.
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So the message might be preached fully through me and that all the Gentiles might hear.
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And also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion and the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me from his, uh preserve me for his heavenly kingdom.
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to Him be glory forever and ever.
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Amen.
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As Paul was looking at his scenario, his past, his personal relationships, the peril that was facing Timothy, the things that he had in regards to the price that he had paid and
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the prize that he had been working for in the preaching of the gospel.
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Paul was mindful of the preservation of the Lord.
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Paul said, I didn't get here by myself.
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When everyone else forsook me, there was one who stood with me, and it was the LORD."
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As Paul thinks about the preservation of the Lord, he's not just talking about his past.
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If think about it, many of us who spend a lot of time with people who are up in age know one thing that we're probably going to experience when we spend much time with them, it's
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called stories.
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They're gonna talk about stories.
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They're gonna talk about the past.
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Paul's not aimlessly talking about stories.
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Paul's pointedly making a statement to Timothy that Timothy needs to have confidence in the Lord.
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that when no one else is there to help Him, when no one else is surrounding Him, when no one is standing with Him, there's still one who's never forsaken Him.
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turn over to the book of Hebrews, Hebrews chapter 13.
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the Hebrew writer will make a statement concerning Christ.
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He says, verse 5 of chapter 13, Let your conduct be without covetousness, be content with such things as you have.
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For he himself said, I will never leave you nor forsake you.
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So we may boldly say, the Lord is our helper.
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I will not fear.
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What can man do to me?
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That is the message of Paul as he is approaching the end of his life.
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That is the declaration that Paul makes to Timothy.
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The Lord never forsook me.
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But it is with that same boldness and with that same confidence that Paul will also speak concerning the Lord's deliverance.
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He says in verse 18, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom.
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Paul knew as much as he had confidence in the Lord in earthly matters, he had just as much confidence in the Lord in spiritual and heavenly matters.
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Paul said that God deserves the glory forever and ever.
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As Paul was nearing the end of his life, Paul was concerned with personal greetings.
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One last time.
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Tell so-and-so hello.
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He will write, verse 19, greet Prisca and Aquila and the household of one Cyphorus.
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Erastus stayed in Corinth, but Tromophus uh Trofimus, I have left in Miletus sick.
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Do your utmost to come before winter.
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Eubulus greets you, as well as Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brethren.
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It's interesting as you read Paul's letters that Paul always finds time for the personal greetings.
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a reminder to us that eternity is important, spiritual matters are important, but personal relationships are also important.
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But as Paul closes the book.
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as Paul pens what to our knowledge are the last words?
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that the Holy Spirit had the foresight and the willingness to hold onto and preserve for our reading for the rest of eternity.
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Paul had in mind the precious grace of God.
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The Lord Jesus Christ be with you, be with your spirit.
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Grace be with you.
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Amen.
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Life is not easy.
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and death comes for everyone.
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and this world.
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throws its onslaught against God's people incessant.
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And Paul was going to remind Timothy one more time.
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of God's grace.
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It is a challenge for us to face death.
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It is a challenge for us to watch others face death.
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It is hard to watch people grow old.
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And I'm learning more and more every day.
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It's going to be hard to grow old.
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but when we near death.
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and long before we do.
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We should be thinking about where we will be thinking when that time comes.
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If I can get through this, I will.
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a new man when I was young.
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By young, mean a child.
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He was the great grandfather of good friends of mine.
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We spent time with them a couple of times a year.
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We would go to a camp that was near them.
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We would stay with the grandparents, and the great-grandparents were just down the hill.
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As he got up into his late 80s, he started to lose track of things mentally.
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It got bad enough that the grandparents finally moved the great grandparents up the hill and into their house.
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and every single morning.
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He woke up.
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got dressed for church.
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walked out to the living room and asked, is it time to go to services yet?
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when his mind had failed him.
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The only thing he had on his mind was going to worship God.
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Now I know the mind plays a lot of interesting tricks on especially with age, especially with things like dementia.
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And sometimes people turn into people they never were.
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and it's hard.
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It's hard to lose the person you've always known and some people have.
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But it's beautiful when a person reaches that point where they no longer have control over what they're doing or what they're thinking.
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And the thing that's left is a prime example of what they've always been and how they've always lived.
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We need more Christians that are ready to face death thinking about what Paul was thinking.
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because too many times.
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the only thing that's on their mind.
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are the things they didn't do.
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the things they didn't say.
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the acts and the service they didn't participate in.
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And so it is with that reminder that I will remind you, you are preparing today what you will be thinking about when your life is almost over.
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So how prepared?
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How are you preparing to have the things that you will consider when this life comes to an end?
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You're here and you're outside the body of Christ.
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One of the things Paul had great confidence in was his eternal destiny, his soul and its state.
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He didn't have it because of some
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small feeling.
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He didn't have it because of an emotional experience.
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He didn't have it because he had a small voice in his head that whispered to him at night.
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He had it because he had fought the good fight.
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He had kept the faith.
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He had finished the course.
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And he knew that the promise of God was to those who would be found faithful.
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So we look at our life and we have to ask, will I be found faithful?
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If you're outside the body of Christ, you haven't even begun to be faithful.
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You haven't begun to obey the command of the Lord.
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But if you are in this audience this morning and you have been faithful in the past and you have turned back.
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When you reach death, will not be confidence that awaits you.
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it'll be regret.
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Have you noticed in all that Paul wrote, as he neared death, he didn't write anything about regret?
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Well, there were certainly times where Paul expressed his regret on persecuting the church, doing things that he had not desired to do.
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And certainly there were things that Paul mentioned in many of his letters where he recognized that he sinned and that he failed and that he had faults.
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But that wasn't on his mind when life was over.
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Paul had work to do.
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Paul had assurance to prevail that preaching and teaching would continue because he had planned for it.
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Paul had people that he cared about.
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and a Lord who preserved him.
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You have need of that confidence.
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It is found not in this world, but in the Word of God.
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If you have need of the invitation to come forward to renew a right relationship with God, because here's what we all know.
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There's coming a day when this life will be over.
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you have need of the invitation, why not come now as we stay.