2 Timothy 07 Focus on the Finish

2 Timothy 2:8-13 My first ever experience with organized football came when I was about 8. It was the kickoff of the boys club season. I was the team quarterback. (Tells you something about our team). To make it even more exciting we were playing on Munson stadium, home of the mighty Yellow Jackets. It was half time of the High School JV game. First play from scrimmage was a QB sneak. We were playing from 20-yard line to 20. A huge hole opened up and I took off. Wide open. I went 10 then 20 then 30 then 40 yards. It was big play football at its best. Just one problem. I didnt know where the goal line was. Nobody figured wed do so well on the first play. Especially not me. So I was running with some question about when to stop. In the process I slowed down. Looking for a line and with about 10 yards to go another kid caught me from behind. I learned something that day. Never stop running hard until the referee blows the whistle. So important to have the finish line in sight. Thats probably why they string tape across it in big meets. Heres what I sometimes see in the spiritual life. People get really fired up and start this race but somewhere along the way they slow down. Some even quit altogether. They dont focus on finishing strong. Paul in 2 Timothy is reminding him of the finish line.

7* Consider what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything. Did some word pictures. Very creative stuff. Said its like being a soldier or an athlete. Then he says is like being a farmer. Because he was speaking in pictures, Paul wanted to be sure that Timothy understood his point. So he explains what he just said. 8* Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel,

The Message
Lets walk through this and remember what the point is. Jesus He was a Person not an idea. Rooted in historical fact. But what kind of person was Jesus? This is an important question because many want to accept the historicity of Jesus but they dont really pay attention to what he said or stood for. Many today will try to shift the focus from his mission of redemption, to set of principles that help us get through life. Very little attention on the vertical aspect of being right with God, and a lot of focus on the horizontal aspect of making life better, which usually equals, more comfortable. Jesus isnt viewed so much as a savior as he is a life manager. Rather than the Son of God, he becomes just one more voice, a very good voice in the discussion about what makes life meaningful. They say he was a good teacher or a wise man.

But that option isnt open to us. look at that next word. Christ. Christ Messiah, and all that goes with that. Jesus didnt come to be your life coach. Hes not Dr. Phil in robe and sandals. He was the Christ. Messiah. Savior. His primary mission wasnt to make your horizontal life better. It was to solve the problem of your vertical relationship. Of course, get that right and the rest of it tends to follow. Risen from the dead This is the central sticking point of theology for many in Pauls time. They just couldnt believe that Jesus actually died and was raised. Dr. Mark Bailey did a great job of breaking down Acts 17 a couple of weeks ago. Paul was on Mars Hill with the eggheads of Athens and he was doing a brilliant job of gaining the attention and respect of the Greeks that were listening. He met them on their ground. I saw all these statues and came to the one entitled, To an unknown God. What you worship in ignorance I now proclaim. God doesnt dwell in houses made with hands. They must have understood that part. Greeks were really smart. In fact, the renaissance was fueled by the teachings rediscoved. They knew the earth was round. They had calculated its circumference to very close proximity. They knew that the moon was orbiting the earth and they had a good idea how far away it was. They knew that anyone or anything responsible for making this had to be too big to fit into a house. They got that part. But then Paul introduced something they could not accept.

He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead. Acts 17:30, 31, NAS95. When he said this they began to snicker and sneer. And he lost them. Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, We shall hear you again concerning this. So Paul went out of their midst. Acts 17:32, 33, NAS95. That happens. The whole idea of the gospel is foolishness to those who do not believe. Some wanting to find acceptance with the world try to change the message to gain an audience. Cant we just make this a horizontal proposition? Lets focus on the teaching of Jesus, they might say. Look at all the good Jesus stood for. He was a good man. One of many paths to a richer and more meaningful life. Look, Paul never said, Jesus was a good fellow or a fine teacher. Thats not the claim of the gospel. The claim of the gospel is that Jesus Christ was the fullness of God in bodily form. The fulfillment of prophecy. The anointed Messiah. Crucified for sin and raised for eternal hope. The whole point of our life is tied to the fact of this vertical relationship. Good men dont make that claim. If they do then they are either crazies, or they are liars.

But if he is in fact, who he says then the game has changed. God has redeemed the lost through his sacrifice and we now have hope that transcends this life. This changes everything and it changes the way you go at life.

For those more esoteric, do what you can to make life better for others. End world hunger. Stop the aids virus. 4. Intellectualism Learn something to leave to the next generation. Move the planet forward through some brilliant discovery or invention. There might be others, but those four come to mind. But what if this life doesnt end when you die. What if death is not the finish line? Do you see how your vertical relationship just changed everything? My perspective are no longer this life!

The Implications of the Message

Because Jesus was the messiah who died for our sins and was raised from the dead, the finish line just moved. Do you see it? Without the resurrection then this life is all you have. The finish line is death. With the resurrection, this life becomes preparation for eternity. I now live this life with eternity in sight. My finish line isnt death. My finish line is when I stand before the Lord after I die.

This changes our perspective

When this life is all there is then we live for this life. Thats what you see. And the options are pretty simple. 1. Materialism. Get all you can. The one who dies with the most toys wins. (but you still die.) Never see a hearse pulling a uhaul. I came across a far side. Stuff flying out of the house. Aaaaaaa Its George hes taking it with him. 2. Hedonism Eat drink and be merry for tomorrow you die. No real purpose so have as much fun as you can. Live fast, die young, leave a good looking corpse. 3. Social justice

This changes our priorities

My life is not only concerned with being a good dad, or a kind man, or a great example. My life is concerned with reaching the most people I can and taking as many as I can with me. Its no longer just about me. If we really believe that Jesus is the only hope for people then wouldnt we do whatever it takes to help them find HIM? Now Pauls statement makes sense. 9* for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned. 10* For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory. Im reminded of the words of a convicted felon speaking to a chaplain years ago, Do you really believe what you say

preacher? Cause if I believed what you are saying, Id crawl across England on broken glass to warn people. Years ago, I was driving down the road and a train wrecked beside me. Smoke. I had a new Sony Walkman with cassettes. Wasnt a real Walkman. Was a knockoff. My purple (Im colorblind, I thought it was blue) Mazda pickup. It was fall, windows up. Two lane highway. All of a sudden smoke and dust covered the road. Never heard a thing. Beside me on the railroad tracks I noticed that the train was wrong. Stopped. Got to the front and the diesels and all the cars were in this wild array, all across the tracks. Four or five huge diesels on their side with train cars all scattered off the tracks behind them. What in the world? It was a train wreck. I couldnt believe the devastation. The four engines were on their side laying scattered on the tracks. The momentum had pushed up this huge pile of sand and dirt. Thats why it was cloudy. It was dust and smoke. Other cars were all over the place. Changed the way I stop at train crossings with a train. If that train comes off the track, you are way too close on the stripe I guarantee you. The pile up was about 70 feet wide. I whipped over to the side of the road and jumped out of my truck and raced to those diesel engines on their side. Im not a fearful person, but I will tell you, my heart was racing. I was totally jacked up on adrenaline and wasnt sure if the whole thing was going to blow up. I raced to the first engine, climbed up and tried to look down into the place where I thought the engineers might be. I started yelling through the smoke and hissing for anyone that might be in them. Anybody in there? Are you OK? Just then a hand grabbed me from behind. I nearly came out of my skin. I spun around and it was one of the engineers. Everyone is fine, get away from here. He didnt have to ask twice. I bolted back across the road where dozens of cars were now stopped.

Ive often thought of that day. Huge mounds of dirt the engines piled up as they plowed into the ground. I could have been killed. Didnt seem to matter at that moment. I just reacted. But when I have to talk to someone about the lord, I freeze up. The other person might not like what I say. He or she might think less of me. I might embarrass him or her. I clam up over a mans eternity but risk my neck over his life. What a joke. Paul never clammed up. Even when it cost him everything.

This changes our purpose

11* It is a trustworthy statement: For if we died with Him, we will also live with Him; It cant be about me. We died with him. When I gave my life to Jesus the old life dominated by Bill died. I no longer live for myself, but for Christ who lives in me. 12 If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He also will deny us; My life is no longer for me, so I endure to the end with the finish line in focus because someday, I will reign with Christ. Notice the warning. Those who refuse to do this, the ones who deny him, he will deny. Depart from me for I knew you not. But it ends with a promise of his faithfulness. 13 If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. How do we get to this point? Focus on the finish!