Sunday Sermon Review - Paul's final words to Timothy!

Sunday Sermon Review July 8, 2012

2 Timothy 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth
Normally I write a sermon review from my home church that I attend regularly. Today the service at our church was cancelled so I am not able to write my usual post. But I listened to an online sermon by Chuck Swindoll so I will share some of what was taught there. It was really quite insightful and provided a good look into the last days of the Apostle Paul.

In his sermon, Chuck Swindoll was reviewing the book of 2 Timothy.

He started out by discussing the fact that the final words of a person are often his best words. When a person knows that he or she has only a short time left on this earth, you want to leave some words of advice and encouragement for your loved ones. It is at a time like this, that we find ourselves listening more closely to the person in his dying day as he or she shares wisdom about life and encouraging us in our futures.

As Chuck Swindoll was speaking about this I was reminded of my own Dad who did this very thing with our family the last Christmas that he had with us. I have written a blog post on this entitled "Dad's Final Message to the family". You will find it in my archives posted on May 16, 2012. I share my Dad's final message to our family which he gave us about 7 months before his passing. I encourage everyone to read it also.

Chuck Swindoll encouraged us to listen to the aged among us and also suggested that we personally  write words of encouragement to leave behind for our loved ones, that when we have passed on they will have a word from us.

Here in 2 Timothy, we see Paul confined to a prison in Rome. It was a dark underground dungeon and Paul knew he had no escape out of there other than death. He knew death was imminent. He is lonely and cold in this dark dungeon. So Paul the Apostle while chained up in this dungeon writes as it were his last will and testament to Timothy.

Paul is in his mid 60's while Timothy is younger in his mid life years. Timothy is in Ephesus and Paul is writing from Rome to Timothy to encourage him in his life of ministry and to give advice to him.

Paul's Three Reasons for Writing to Timothy:

1)To Equip Timothy for a Tough Task - to take up the baton and run with it

2) To Stir Up His Friend -  Timothy was young, prone to sickness, and had an introvertish character

3) Wrap up Personal Matters before his Death - he felt the urgency to do this


The Structure of the Book of 2 Timothy - There are 4 commands:

Chapter 1
Guard the treasure that is the gospel message - Chapter 1:14 - That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.

Chapter 2
Be prepared to suffer hardships - Chapter 2:3 - Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

Chapter 3
Continue in the things you learned. The good old fashioned gospel message. Chapter 3:14 -But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;

Chapter 4
Preach the Word - Chapter 4:2 - Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke,
exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.

Concluding Wrap-up
Communicate the Gospel
Suffer for the Gospel
Guard the Gospel Message

Dad's final message to the family

In this post I want to share about my Dad's final message to the family. It was Christmas 2003. None of us knew that this would be our last Christmas together but it seemed that Dad knew it. We were all gathered together to celebrate Christmas at my parents home. Everyone had been able to make it out to be together for Christmas, that being all  24 of us in total. The dinner meal was finished and we all gathered in the livingroom for an afternoon of visiting and sharing and giving gifts.
Dad's health had been slowly deteriorating since the diagnosis of cancer a year earlier. He had been through surgery for the cancer  and many chemotherapy treatments. Combine that with a  heart attack that  had weakened his heart and having battled diabetes for years, he was not a strong man any more. He was getting weaker and walked with a cane. We all loved him very dearly and we hoped that he would be able to regain his strength and health and perhaps live to see his grandchildren grow up.
As we were all sitting there, suddenly Dad rose to his feet and it was clear it was time for all of us to stop visiting and listen up. It was sort of frightening because with him being so weak, any stress that he placed upon himself could trigger another heart attack. But leaning on his cane, he began to speak from the book of Joshua chapter 24: 14-15 where it says :
¹⁴ Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.

¹⁵ And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

Dad specifically wanted to stress that we as his family were to serve the LORD.  It was his desire that after he would be gone that we should all continue to live for Christ. He was choosing that for all of us though it is a choice we must each make as individuals. In a sense it was a challenge to us but it seemed more like a "gathering in of the flock".  Somewhat like if a hen gathers her chicks together to safety under her wings.
Tears flowed freely as he spoke to us. We all knew how hard it was for him to give that message to us in his condition but we are so thankful that he left us with those words and that memory.
A few weeks later in January, the cancer broke his leg and he was not able to walk anymore. He spent most of the next six months in the hospital in paliative care, where they had to increase the pain medication and his mind was not nearly so clear  anymore.  His love for all the family continued especially making an effort to bless  his grandchildren  who were very precious to him and he would always say goodbye to each one by name when they visited him in the hosptial. He passed away in July of 2004.
 It's been a while Dad, but we'll see you up there in glory when we all get to Heaven. We'll be together again.