SERMON: THE PROMISE OF LIFE

15 January 2017

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to 2 Timothy 1

2 Timothy 1 (New International Version (NIV))

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,

2 To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

            -- as you all know, I tend to watch a lot of TV -- probably more than what is good for me -- but I do it as a stress reliever after work -- it’s a time to just sit down and relax and let my brain unwind after a hard day

            -- most of the series we watch are just for that night’s entertainment -- you watch them and then you forget them -- they don’t stay with you -- but, ever so often, you stumble across TV series that just resonate and that linger with you over time -- think of shows like MASH and Newhart -- even comedies like the Andy Griffith Show and Seinfeld -- almost every day I find myself reciting a quote from one of those shows

            -- one of those series that really made you think and that stuck with you was the show “House” -- the medical mystery show about Dr. Gregory House, a genius diagnostician who has to come up with the answers to the most difficult medical problems in order to save someone's life every week

            -- most shows were similar -- after 40 minutes of struggling to find out what was causing this particular illness, Dr. House would have an epiphany and solve the mystery and start treating the patient, saving their lives with only minutes to spare so the show could end on a happy moment

            -- but I remember one episode that wasn’t like that -- towards the end of the show, Dr. House finally figured out what was making this person sick, but unlike all the episodes before, he could not save them -- there was no cure for their disease -- there was no happy ending to this episode -- Dr. House had to go to the patient and tell them that they only had days to live -- and the show ended somberly with the death of the patient

            -- that show made you think -- it made you consider what you would do if you were given a diagnosis like that -- how would you react? -- what would you change in your life? -- what would become important to you when you only had days to live?

            -- evidently a lot of people have pondered this question -- I learned about a national movement called "One Month to Live" -- it is a 30-day challenge for individuals and churches and communities where the participants pledge to live out 30 days as if they were their last days on earth -- not that they are really going to die but just to get them to thinking about what they would do if this was the case

            -- the reason this pastor started the movement was to encourage people to think about what was truly important in their lives and to get them to start living for and focusing on the important things in life rather than racing through life like so many of us do now -- on their web page they state, "We believe that if you live this month as if it's your last, at the end of the 30 days you will be more alive than you've ever been"

            -- all of you would have to agree that we tend to speed through life -- we spend a lot of time in our lives chasing after and focusing on things that are simply not that important -- we spend time working ourselves to death so that we and our families can have the finer things in life -- the new cars -- the new toys -- the new gadgets

            -- we run from one activity to another at such break-neck speed that we rarely take time to stop and just enjoy life -- we rarely take time to stop and enjoy each other -- we may be together, but our focus is not on each other but rather on what it is that we are doing at that moment

            -- we find ourselves increasingly isolated from other people and from the world itself with all of our technology from i-pods and i-phones to the internet and all the social networking sites -- just think about what Facebook has done to our society -- while I really enjoy the site and the way I can reconnect with all my old friends, Facebook takes our relationships and  makes them even more superficial than they already were -- Facebook turns our friend’s lives and thoughts into sound bites like we see crawling by on the bottom of news channels -- rather than sitting down and spending time with my friends, now I catch up just by reading their short updates posted online

            -- even our churches and our religious lives are not immune from this race through life and this focus on the temporal -- our religious lives are like a whirlwind of activities and programs and services -- something always going on -- and we stay so busy doing life and doing church that we rarely take the time to truly enjoy life or to enjoy being with our family and our friends and our God

            -- this is not what God wanted for us -- this is not the way He intended for us to live -- as Jesus said in John 10:10, "I have come that you may have life, abundant life -- life to the full" -- not life lived in a rat race -- not life lived trying to keep up with the Joneses -- not life lived that rushes headlong after the latest fad and that focuses on what fun can I have today -- but a life lived that makes a difference

            -- that's the whole purpose of that "One Month to Live" Challenge -- to get people to take 30 days to stop and think about what is truly important -- to think about what they should be spending their time and energy on -- to think about what they are here for and what they want to leave behind when they go

           

            -- it's easy for us to get caught up in the affairs of this world -- to waste away our days worrying about things that don't really matter -- to speed through life seeking things that won't last -- certainly others before us have had the same problems

            -- just think about the disciples and how they acted when they traveled with Jesus before the crucifixion -- they were thinking of the immediate -- they were thinking of the present -- of what they could get and what they could do today -- every one of them thought Jesus was going to go back to Jerusalem and become King -- they just knew they were going to be governors and leaders in His kingdom -- and when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey on Palm Sunday to fulfill His destiny on the cross, the disciples were already dividing out the kingdom among themselves  

            -- they weren't looking at eternity -- they were looking at who was going to be first and who was going to sit by Jesus and who was going to be in charge of the others

            -- their focus was wrong -- their focus was on themselves and what they were going to get in the immediate future -- they missed the big picture because they were too busy trying to fulfill their petty hopes and dreams -- they were just like us

            -- but after the cross -- after the empty tomb -- after they were in the presence of the risen Lord -- they changed -- there was no more racing after life -- there was no more arguing about money and who was first and who would sit where in eternity -- their life had been rearranged -- and now they went forth with a new mission and a new purpose -- an eternal mission and an eternal purpose

            -- as Christians, we are called to do the same -- we are reminded in scripture that we are strangers and aliens in this land -- we are not of this world and we are not to be conformed to the pattern of this world -- but we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds -- by the renewing of our lives -- so that we might live lives that make a difference -- so that we might live lives that are focused on what is truly important and not on the things the world worries about

II.  Scripture Lesson (2 Timothy 1:1-14)

            -- that is the message that Paul is leaving with Timothy here in this passage -- this is a somber book -- its tone is different from the first letter of encouragement that he wrote to Timothy -- these are the words of a man who is facing death -- who knows his time on earth is short -- who is looking into the abyss and reflecting on life and what is important in life and who is asking himself, “Did I do what was right? -- was it all worth it?”

            -- this epistle was the last letter Paul wrote, right before he was executed by Nero -- and as Paul knows that he has a short left time, he looks back on his life in this letter and sees that he has fought the good fight -- he has finished the race -- he has stood strong for God to the very end -- as he says in verse 3, his conscience is clear because his life was spent on the things that were important and not the frivolous ways of the world

            -- and now Paul takes the time in his final days to pen this epistle to Timothy -- to charge him to hold fast to the promise of life -- to pick up the standard of faith and to go forth boldly as a minister of Christ -- to follow his example -- to not be ashamed -- to not be timid and fearful -- but to press on and fulfill his calling and make his life matter

            -- let’s look at Paul’s words to Timothy here in the opening to this epistle -- look back at verse 1

2 Timothy 1 (New International Version (NIV))

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus,

2 To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

            -- Paul begins by reminding Timothy and himself of who he was -- sitting in the Roman prison of Mamertine -- a gloomy dungeon far different than the house he resided in during his earlier imprisonment -- it was probably easy for Paul to lose sight of who he was -- to get wrapped up in his situation and his impending execution and to forget the reason for his life and his calling

            -- it probably was very disheartening to Timothy, too -- to see his spiritual father in chains and to wonder if this was his fate -- that he would one day end up in chains in a Roman prison waiting for death because of his work in spreading the gospel -- Timothy may have been wondering if it was all worth it or not

            -- we may not be sitting in a dungeon cell in Mamertine, but the same concerns that faced Paul and Timothy can face us, too -- we can forget who we are in Christ -- we can go through this life just as blindly as those around us -- caught up in the things of this world -- and not living out the purposes for which we were called -- or we can question whether following Jesus is the right thing to do -- whether it’s truly the right course for us, especially if we’re going to suffer as a result

            -- Paul dealt with these concerns by reminding himself of who he was -- he was an apostle of Christ -- one of those select few who saw the risen Christ -- called and charged by the living God of this universe to go forth in His name to share the good news of the gospel to others -- God Himself had reached down on the road to Damascus and touched Paul’s life and set his feet on this journey -- and I believe that as Paul dictated these words and remembered that moment, he would have stood a little taller, a little straighter -- he would have remembered God’s touch and refocused his thoughts

            -- Paul spoke the blessings of grace, mercy, and peace on Timothy -- even though Paul was an apostle, there was never a time when he wasn’t in need of God’s grace and mercy and peace -- and he realized that the only way for Timothy to press on into the life and calling of God was to rely on God’s grace, mercy, and peace, too -- the same holds true for us

            -- Paul writes that he had been called according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus -- life only comes through Jesus -- He is our reason for living -- life should be defined and refined by Him -- life has no meaning apart from Him -- and Paul writes this to remind Timothy and himself that life does not end when our physical bodies die -- but that the promise of life in Christ is eternal -- hence, our focus and our eyes should be on eternity and not on the momentary sufferings of this existence on earth

            -- verse 3

2 Timothy 1 (New International Version (NIV))

3 I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 8a. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner.

            -- Paul says he had a clear conscience before God -- he had served God as God had directed -- he had taken up the charge given to him on the road to Damascus and fulfilled his call as Christ’s evangelist to the Gentiles -- he had never lost sight of what God had called him to do -- “I was faithful to the end,” he writes

            -- so knowing Timothy’s disposition -- knowing Timothy’s worries and doubts -- he points Timothy to two others who were faithful in their lives -- Eunice and Lois -- Timothy’s own mother and grandmother -- who lived as Paul and remained faithful to the end -- who lived for God and not for this world

            -- and he says, “Timothy, I know this same faith lives in you, also -- therefore, live it out -- fan into flame the gift of God that is in your life”

            -- this is a reminder to us that as Christians, all of us have been gifted and called by God to participate in His divine mission -- we are here for a purpose -- but, as I've pointed out, far too often we get caught up in the ways of this world and fail to fulfill the true purpose and meaning for our lives

            -- Paul wanted Timothy to remember who he was and who God called him to be so he could be faithful to the end -- Timothy had the spark of the divine within him -- he had the spark of purpose and meaning from God -- but it wasn't a raging fire -- it wasn't what was driving him -- it wasn't what he was living for

            -- evidently Timothy's problem was that of fear -- he was timid and fearful of trying to live life out loud -- to live life for God in the face of a world that demanded his attention -- so Paul says, "Fan into flame this gift -- focus on God -- use His power and His strength -- use His grace -- to move forward in your life and to do what is important"

            -- don't be ashamed to be different -- don't be ashamed to be who God called you to be -- don't be ashamed that you aren't chasing after the wind like the rest of the world -- but tell the world about Jesus -- tell them what He has done -- and show them in your life what it means to live for something that is eternal and that has meaning beyond the moment

            -- look back at the second part of verse 8

2 Timothy 1 (New International Version (NIV))

8b. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

            -- Paul reminds Timothy that we have been saved and called to a different life -- we have been saved and called to a "holy" life -- that word "holy" means "set apart" or "sanctified" for a purpose

            -- as Christians, we are supposed to live holy lives -- lives that are set apart from those around us -- lives that are lived for a different purpose and a different focus -- lives that have meaning apart from this world

            -- have you ever stopped to wonder why people live like they do? -- why are they so consumed with chasing after the things of this world? -- why are they so consumed with beauty and health and taking care of themselves and their bodies? -- it's because they are denying the future -- they are denying their own mortality -- they fear that after all is done -- when death is knocking on their door -- they will have nothing to show for it

            -- by chasing after life they think they can postpone the inevitable -- they think they can put off eternity -- but Paul reminds us here that Christians don't live that way because we have no fear of death -- we have no fear of the future -- we have the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus

            -- Jesus destroyed the power of death on the cross and brought life and immortality through the gospel            -- in other words, we can live without fear of the future because we know what our future is --  we can live lives of meaning and purpose because we know what is truly important -- we know what matters in eternity

            -- verse 11

2 Timothy 1 (New International Version (NIV))

11 And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher. 12 That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.

            -- Paul knew who he was -- he knew why God had called him -- he knew what his purpose in life was to be -- Paul had been converted on the road to Damascus and called to be a herald and an apostle and a teacher -- he had been called to tell others about Jesus and to show them the way of the eternal rather than the way of the world

            -- we may not all have been called to be pastors or teachers -- but we have all been called to the same mission -- we are called to tell others about Jesus with our words and with our lives -- we are called to show them the way by living different from the world -- we are called to show them how to focus their lives on what is truly important rather than chasing after what the world has to offer

            -- Paul looks back on his life and says, "I am not ashamed of the way I have lived -- I have done what God has called me to do -- I have lived as God has called me to live -- and I will trust in Him until I take my final breath"

            -- verse 13

2 Timothy 1 (New International Version (NIV))

13 What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

            -- Paul closes this passage by challenging Timothy to live life as he had lived life -- to follow the pattern of Paul -- to follow the path of Christ -- and to live a life of faith and love through Jesus

            -- this challenge from Paul to Timothy is a challenge for all of us -- how are we living our lives now? -- how should we be living our lives? -- are we doing what God has called us to do -- are we living for Him or are we living for the world?

            -- living for God leads to fulfillment -- living for the world just leads to heart-ache and weariness

III.   Closing

            -- What makes a life worth living? -- What gives our lives purpose and meaning?

            -- at the start of this message I mentioned the "One Month to Live" Challenge -- I want you to think about their challenge for just a moment -- if you had just 30 days to live, what changes would you make in your life? -- How would you live? -- what would become important to you? -- and what thing that you consider important right now would become less so in the light of eternity?

            -- Paul -- in chains in a Roman prison at the end of his life -- waiting for the executioner to come -- was able to look back on the life that he had lived and to say that it was a life lived well -- that it was a life lived with meaning and purpose -- that it was a life lived for Jesus and not for the world -- and to encourage Timothy to do the same

            -- at the end of your life, will you be able to look back and say the same as Paul? -- at the end of your life, will you be able to say that you made a difference on earth -- that you made a difference with your family and friends -- that you made a difference for Jesus?

            -- as I close, I want to encourage you to really take a moment this week to consider how we should be living our lives in light of this message from Paul to Timothy

            -- if you need to make changes in your life -- if you need to slow down or to give up something in order to go with God, then I want to encourage you to do so right now -- respond to God's word as you feel led and live for Him today and tomorrow and all the days of your life

            -- let us pray