1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:16,760 Would you be pleased if the White House were to call tonight and ask your assistance with 2 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:19,440 a project? 3 00:00:19,440 --> 00:00:26,560 You know, like taking a flight over Nicaragua or something? 4 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:36,360 Just for a person, for an office that we respect, is not a duty, it's a delight. 5 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:42,560 When I was a sophomore in high school, I was asked by an evangelist who had ministered 6 00:00:42,560 --> 00:00:49,600 quite a bit in our area to accompany him and assist him on a trip to the West Coast. 7 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:55,920 Now for people today that would mean a whole lot, for back then it meant a whole lot. 8 00:00:55,920 --> 00:01:02,260 Way back then, right, way back then, it meant a whole lot. 9 00:01:02,260 --> 00:01:09,160 I had never been beyond Denver, Colorado, and what is it, the Seven Falls, is that the 10 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:11,680 name of those beautiful falls? 11 00:01:11,680 --> 00:01:16,360 They're behind Colorado Springs, isn't it, where those are. 12 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:18,920 But that's as far as I'd ever been. 13 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:21,600 And let me tell you, that was not a duty to me. 14 00:01:21,600 --> 00:01:27,920 In the first place, I respected this man a great deal, and secondly, I was eager to see 15 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:29,760 that part of the country. 16 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:31,600 It was a delight for me to travel with him. 17 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:37,480 I have not seen him in 17 years, and tomorrow night he's speaking here in the cities, 18 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:42,320 and the Lord willing I'll have an opportunity to renew acquaintance with him. 19 00:01:42,320 --> 00:01:49,020 Service for someone that we respect, someone that we love, is not a duty, it's a delight. 20 00:01:49,020 --> 00:01:55,280 And that is the way the Apostle Paul looked at his own service for the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:59,920 You and I are called to royal service for Christ, the one that we love, the one that 22 00:01:59,920 --> 00:02:03,560 we anticipate seeing soon from heaven. 23 00:02:03,560 --> 00:02:10,520 Our service for him is an earthly privilege that we have. 24 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:15,520 We must expect, however, that in this world we are going to face opposition. 25 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:24,040 I was reading in some material this week that came across my desk from the Ministry of India 26 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:26,640 National Inland Mission, Paul Pillay. 27 00:02:26,640 --> 00:02:31,000 Some of you remember Paul, who spoke here a couple of years ago, and in here he tells 28 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:37,280 about some of the Grace Bible College students in Uttar Pradesh in India who were confronted 29 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:43,920 by a very militant anti-Christian group, and they took their Bibles, the students' Bibles, 30 00:02:43,920 --> 00:02:47,520 thousands of them they were using in books and gospel portions and burned them in the 31 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:48,960 street. 32 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:55,000 And some of the workers were critically injured by the mob. 33 00:02:55,000 --> 00:03:01,120 Sometimes it's very clear, the opposition, sometimes it's more subtle, but the opposition 34 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:05,780 is there and the Lord tells us here in this very book in verse 12 of chapter 3 that if 35 00:03:05,780 --> 00:03:10,840 we desire to live godly in Christ Jesus, then we will suffer persecution. 36 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:16,600 However, we are assured by the Lord that our message will not be in vain. 37 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:21,920 It will accomplish its purpose, that purpose again being explained in chapter 3 as leading 38 00:03:21,920 --> 00:03:28,440 people to salvation, verse 15, for it is the sacred writings which are able to give us 39 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:34,920 wisdom that leads to salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. 40 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:42,040 And the message that we declare also brings believers to maturity, verses 16 and 17. 41 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:48,200 And therefore he tells us to be faithful to proclaim the message. 42 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:57,640 When an ambassador of a country does his service well, it is expected that he will be honored. 43 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:01,840 Christ has promised his faithful servants just the same. 44 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:08,040 As we serve him faithfully in this world, willingly paying the price that will be exacted 45 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:14,640 of us, we can expect that we will receive a reward from our Lord. 46 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:19,640 Paul opens up his heart as he closes this last of his epistles inspired by the Holy 47 00:04:19,640 --> 00:04:20,640 Spirit. 48 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:26,040 He is near death and he evaluates life from three perspectives. 49 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:31,720 I want you to hear the confidence and assurance that ring from his heart as he talks about 50 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:35,520 his life's accomplishments and his expectations. 51 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:39,880 The first perspective that he shares with us is found in verse 6. 52 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:43,080 It is the perspective of the present. 53 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:45,680 He views his circumstances here. 54 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:54,800 I am already being poured out as a drink offering and the time of my departure has come. 55 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:59,080 Paul basically says two things in this verse about his present circumstances. 56 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:02,720 In the first place, he is suffering. 57 00:05:02,720 --> 00:05:08,800 He is suffering as he says, as an offering poured out. 58 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:15,400 The background of the language here is the libation wine offering, which is described 59 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:19,560 in Numbers 15, verses 1-10. 60 00:05:19,560 --> 00:05:24,400 In that passage, if you will take time to read it and study it, you will notice that 61 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:30,560 a libation offering was to be poured out beside the altar. 62 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:33,040 The sacrifice was brought. 63 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:34,080 It was slain. 64 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:37,080 The blood was shed in the prescribed manner. 65 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:44,280 And then a certain amount of wine, depending upon the size of the sacrifice actually, was 66 00:05:44,280 --> 00:05:48,520 to be poured out after the sacrifice. 67 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:56,280 The pouring out of the wine was the last act of sacrifice. 68 00:05:56,280 --> 00:06:00,120 Gradually it was poured out there beside the altar. 69 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:05,400 What a fitting picture that is of Paul's present imprisonment. 70 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:09,120 He judged his whole life to be a sacrificial offering to the Lord. 71 00:06:09,120 --> 00:06:14,280 He is the one who wrote Romans 12, 1 and 2. 72 00:06:14,280 --> 00:06:17,200 He saw his life as a sacrifice to the Lord. 73 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:24,760 And now in his last days, he sees his experience as the pouring out of that wine, the gradual 74 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:31,280 pouring out of his life, ebbing away there in prison. 75 00:06:31,280 --> 00:06:37,400 I would hope that our attitude towards life's circumstances and its opportunities would 76 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:44,400 be similar to what Paul had, that we would see our lives as a sacrifice and even the 77 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:55,160 very end of it as the final act of giving to the Lord Jesus Christ. 78 00:06:55,160 --> 00:07:00,000 Sometimes it's easier to feel that way about our active involvements than it is about what 79 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:01,600 Paul was going through. 80 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:08,560 That is, limitations, confinements, containments. 81 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:12,480 It's easier for us to see active service as a sacrifice to the Lord. 82 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:22,600 It's harder for us to see the hospital room or getting older as a sacrifice to him. 83 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:30,040 The Apostle Paul saw the end of his life, confined as he was and facing execution, as 84 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:38,800 his last act of sacrifice to the Lord, his life being poured out for the glory of God. 85 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:44,680 Maybe you're at some stage in life where you're more confined than you used to be. 86 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:48,360 You are more limited than you once were. 87 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:53,640 No longer can you be as active in your service for Jesus Christ as you would like to be in 88 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:55,760 your heart. 89 00:07:55,760 --> 00:08:01,400 Let me encourage you tonight to make even this last act of your life, this last stage 90 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:07,360 of your life if that's the case, an act of pouring out a sacrifice to the Lord and be 91 00:08:07,360 --> 00:08:09,280 faithful in it. 92 00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:13,080 You see, whatever our circumstances, it's yieldedness the Lord wants. 93 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:14,800 That's what counts. 94 00:08:14,800 --> 00:08:19,920 Whether we're active or we have to be passive, whether we're involved or we have to stand 95 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:27,560 back because of a God-enforced confinement, you see, God knows what is best for our lives, 96 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:30,440 for our time, our resources. 97 00:08:30,440 --> 00:08:35,400 He knows what his assignment for us is at the particular stage that we're in. 98 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:41,880 And as we faithfully live through that stage, it becomes a sacrifice to the Lord. 99 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:49,260 I think that especially young mothers go through this because as they begin to get children 100 00:08:49,260 --> 00:08:56,400 around their legs, they find themselves less free to do what they used to do. 101 00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:58,920 And sometimes that gets very frustrating. 102 00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:04,520 Well, understand that this is probably not the last act of your life. 103 00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:08,760 You may feel like it sometimes, but it's a stage you're passing through. 104 00:09:08,760 --> 00:09:10,300 But it's a God-given stage. 105 00:09:10,300 --> 00:09:16,840 It is a stage of confinement and limitation perhaps of what you were used to before. 106 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:22,480 But make this an act of sacrifice to the Lord and do it faithfully. 107 00:09:22,480 --> 00:09:23,840 Paul says he's suffering. 108 00:09:23,840 --> 00:09:26,880 He sees his life being poured out as an offering. 109 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:28,560 Then he says he's waiting. 110 00:09:28,560 --> 00:09:31,400 His time of departure has come. 111 00:09:31,400 --> 00:09:35,160 That word time in verse 6 is really season. 112 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:40,040 He sees this not as a single act, but it's more of a season. 113 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:45,280 It's a period of time leading up to what he knows will be his execution. 114 00:09:45,280 --> 00:09:48,320 He says, the season of my departure has come. 115 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:51,840 What a meaningful word there is in departure. 116 00:09:51,840 --> 00:09:56,860 It referred in that day to the loosing of a ship from its moorings. 117 00:09:56,860 --> 00:10:02,680 The ropes being taken loose, thrown on board, so that the vessel could then be free to move 118 00:10:02,680 --> 00:10:06,600 out to the waters where it was intended to be. 119 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:10,960 Paul is saying, I sense the loosing of the moorings. 120 00:10:10,960 --> 00:10:12,400 The ropes are being untied. 121 00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:17,240 I'm about to go to what I was prepared for, to the presence of the Lord. 122 00:10:17,240 --> 00:10:19,120 He says it this way in Philippians. 123 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:27,720 I desire to depart, same word, and to be with Christ, which is far better. 124 00:10:27,720 --> 00:10:31,900 The way he says that in Philippians, he sees his departure and his being with Christ as 125 00:10:31,900 --> 00:10:33,240 one act. 126 00:10:33,240 --> 00:10:35,900 What an interesting way to express it. 127 00:10:35,900 --> 00:10:40,940 He does not see departure here and then eventually being with Christ, but he sees it really as 128 00:10:40,940 --> 00:10:42,920 just one single step. 129 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:48,600 I'm departing and I am with Christ, that fast, one act. 130 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:55,600 The Apostle Paul knows that now as he writes this letter, he is about to be loosed. 131 00:10:55,600 --> 00:11:00,640 Perhaps we can compare it today to the feeling that we have as we sit at the end of a runway 132 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:03,000 in a jet plane. 133 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:07,800 There's that moment when you sit there and suddenly the pilot puts full thrust to the 134 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:12,160 engines and you feel yourself being forced back in the seat. 135 00:11:12,160 --> 00:11:15,540 Well, Paul is at the end of the runway, so to speak, here. 136 00:11:15,540 --> 00:11:23,520 He is waiting for that surge of power which will lift him into the presence of the Lord. 137 00:11:23,520 --> 00:11:30,000 For Paul to evaluate his present circumstances like this took a lot of faith, but he looked 138 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:34,860 beyond the present to see the reality of things. 139 00:11:34,860 --> 00:11:39,100 Several years ago in a church I was in, we did a dramatic musical presentation and one 140 00:11:39,100 --> 00:11:42,120 of the things that we used was a scrim. 141 00:11:42,120 --> 00:11:44,200 At that time, I think they were rather new. 142 00:11:44,200 --> 00:11:45,520 They're not so new these days. 143 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:50,120 In fact, there are probably things that have improved upon a scrim. 144 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:54,360 The advantage of the scrim was that we could put it up in front of the baptistery, which 145 00:11:54,360 --> 00:12:01,440 in that church was in the middle of the auditorium, high overhead. 146 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:08,120 We're able to project slides on the scrim, but yet when a light was turned on behind 147 00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:12,520 the scrim, the scene there appeared and the scrim disappeared. 148 00:12:12,520 --> 00:12:15,280 It wasn't visible any longer. 149 00:12:15,280 --> 00:12:19,800 You see, the Apostle Paul is able to look beyond the scene that's before him. 150 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:26,440 The light of faith turns on behind the scene and he sees that his departure to be with 151 00:12:26,440 --> 00:12:28,160 Christ is near. 152 00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:32,940 He sees that his life has purpose and that it's being poured out to the Lord. 153 00:12:32,940 --> 00:12:36,040 It is a step of faith on his part. 154 00:12:36,040 --> 00:12:40,200 The next perspective that he shares with us as he opens his heart is the past in verse 155 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:41,380 7. 156 00:12:41,380 --> 00:12:45,520 He views his successes here. 157 00:12:45,520 --> 00:12:47,560 Notice that he does not dwell on his defeats. 158 00:12:47,560 --> 00:12:50,560 Oh yes, he had them. 159 00:12:50,560 --> 00:12:56,040 He does not talk about his mistakes or his disappointments for that matter. 160 00:12:56,040 --> 00:13:02,320 Oh, he might have thought at this time about his separation from Barnabas and the rift 161 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:04,800 that that caused. 162 00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:10,880 He could have spoken perhaps about his discouragement in the Corinthian jail when Jesus then appeared 163 00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:13,120 to him and said, Paul, don't be afraid. 164 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:15,520 I have many people in this city. 165 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:20,600 He might have talked here about his stoning at Lystra when he was left for dead, but he 166 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:22,640 didn't choose to dwell on the negative. 167 00:13:22,640 --> 00:13:25,240 I think that Paul gives us a good example here. 168 00:13:25,240 --> 00:13:28,920 You know, that's a choice that we make in life. 169 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:34,400 We can choose to dwell on the defeats and on the negative things. 170 00:13:34,400 --> 00:13:38,100 When we do that, it sours our disposition. 171 00:13:38,100 --> 00:13:39,560 It perverts our attitude. 172 00:13:39,560 --> 00:13:44,880 It leaves us with a gloomy view of everything, and it's a tragic way to live. 173 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:53,160 God wants us to live positively, optimistically, in faith, not in regret. 174 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:58,840 The apostle Paul looks at his past, and this is the way that he evaluates it. 175 00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:00,560 He says, I fought the good fight. 176 00:14:00,560 --> 00:14:01,760 I finished the course. 177 00:14:01,760 --> 00:14:04,280 I have kept the faith. 178 00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:09,120 He's not being egocentric here, and he boasts that he does as in the Lord. 179 00:14:09,120 --> 00:14:15,600 But he uses three metaphorical statements to sum up his evaluation of the past. 180 00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:18,560 He first sees himself as a boxer. 181 00:14:18,560 --> 00:14:21,400 He says, I have fought the good fight. 182 00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:24,600 That is the noble, the grand fight. 183 00:14:24,600 --> 00:14:28,420 The apostle Paul looks at his past, and he recognizes opponents. 184 00:14:28,420 --> 00:14:33,000 Of course, there was Satan, who was constantly after Paul. 185 00:14:33,000 --> 00:14:37,880 There were the Jewish leaders who followed him in his missionary journeys. 186 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:40,880 There were the pagan authorities who opposed him. 187 00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:41,880 There were mobs. 188 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:47,000 There were the false teachers who sought to pervert his teaching and to subvert the churches 189 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:49,040 that he founded. 190 00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:52,600 There was the carnality and the Christians. 191 00:14:52,600 --> 00:14:57,600 There was the darkness of sin that he fought against, even the law of sin and death that 192 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:00,360 was operating in his own body. 193 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:05,760 Paul saw his past as a fight, but he says, I have fought it. 194 00:15:05,760 --> 00:15:08,320 He views it as complete, you see. 195 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:09,520 He says, I have struggled. 196 00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:15,600 I have exerted my effort in this battle, and I have won it. 197 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:17,360 Then he sees himself as a runner. 198 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:22,000 He puts it this way, I have finished the course. 199 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:26,200 The word literally means a foot race. 200 00:15:26,200 --> 00:15:32,040 The apostle Paul is talking here about the race, the course that was scheduled for him 201 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:33,980 by the Lord. 202 00:15:33,980 --> 00:15:38,200 Please understand that when Paul uses this picture, he is not suggesting that we are 203 00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:42,760 running in competition with other Christians. 204 00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:47,080 Paul is running only against himself here, and that's the way you and I run our race 205 00:15:47,080 --> 00:15:48,880 as well. 206 00:15:48,880 --> 00:15:52,560 So he trained himself with self-discipline. 207 00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:55,680 He aimed for the prize at the goal line. 208 00:15:55,680 --> 00:16:00,200 He kept the rules of his race, as he said earlier here in the book. 209 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:02,840 He says, I have finished it. 210 00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:06,240 Then notice he sees it as already completed. 211 00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:09,480 He says, I stand at the goal line. 212 00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:12,600 My foot race is done. 213 00:16:12,600 --> 00:16:14,960 And then he sees himself as a steward. 214 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:17,600 He says, I have kept the faith. 215 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:20,080 The faith, what does he mean by that? 216 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:26,160 Well, there are several possible connotations to it, but it seems to me the most logical 217 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:27,160 one is this. 218 00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:33,360 Paul is saying, I have kept the responsibility given to me by my master. 219 00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:35,160 I have kept that. 220 00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:43,200 I have remained faithful and true to the assignment that he gave to me as his steward in the world. 221 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:48,560 So you see, as Paul views his past, he views his successes. 222 00:16:48,560 --> 00:16:50,320 He says, I fought the fight as a boxer. 223 00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:51,320 I'm done. 224 00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:52,540 The struggle is over. 225 00:16:52,540 --> 00:16:54,360 He says, I have run the race as a runner. 226 00:16:54,360 --> 00:16:57,680 I stand at the goal line now to receive the prize. 227 00:16:57,680 --> 00:17:02,800 He says, I have finished my responsibility committed to me by my master. 228 00:17:02,800 --> 00:17:05,000 I've kept the faith. 229 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:07,800 What a great way to live. 230 00:17:07,800 --> 00:17:12,000 You know, when we are at that point where we recognize that life is nearly over for 231 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:19,140 us, and we don't always have that privilege, do we, or that opportunity to know that life 232 00:17:19,140 --> 00:17:21,160 is near its end. 233 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:24,880 Sometimes it is gone quickly. 234 00:17:24,880 --> 00:17:29,840 But if we are given that opportunity to know that life is near, and if we want to be able 235 00:17:29,840 --> 00:17:37,580 to say as Paul did in this verse, then we have to live the way that Paul did. 236 00:17:37,580 --> 00:17:44,680 For then, you see, the present right now will be the past. 237 00:17:44,680 --> 00:17:53,040 And the way that we live today and tomorrow and this week and this month counts. 238 00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:56,600 The third perspective that Paul has is his future. 239 00:17:56,600 --> 00:18:01,080 He views the reward that is promised to him by God in verse 8. 240 00:18:01,080 --> 00:18:06,880 He says, In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, 241 00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:13,440 the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who 242 00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:17,120 have loved his appearing. 243 00:18:17,120 --> 00:18:20,600 Reward is promised by God to his faithful servants. 244 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:25,520 There are some people, frankly, who despise the idea of reward. 245 00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:29,660 I think I understand where they are coming from, however much I disagree with them. 246 00:18:29,660 --> 00:18:34,040 You see, the very idea of reward is not man's, it is God's. 247 00:18:34,040 --> 00:18:37,960 God is the one who offers rewards and promises them. 248 00:18:37,960 --> 00:18:43,020 The Apostle Paul says, There is a righteous Judge who is going to dispense to me a crown 249 00:18:43,020 --> 00:18:44,020 on that day. 250 00:18:44,020 --> 00:18:46,600 He is going to give to me what is due. 251 00:18:46,600 --> 00:18:52,200 As he talks about the righteous Judge, undoubtedly he had in mind the corrupt Roman legal system 252 00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:54,440 that had him in prison at that point. 253 00:18:54,440 --> 00:18:57,620 What a contrast between the two. 254 00:18:57,620 --> 00:19:02,440 One day he would stand before a Judge who was not corrupt, and that righteous Judge 255 00:19:02,440 --> 00:19:07,120 would give him what he deserved because of his faithful service for Jesus Christ. 256 00:19:07,120 --> 00:19:11,320 By the way, when he talks about the crown of righteousness, he is not talking about 257 00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:14,520 the crown of eternal life. 258 00:19:14,520 --> 00:19:19,480 That is, somehow through his service he will now receive from the Lord righteousness or 259 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:21,160 eternal life. 260 00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:28,880 The point is that because of his righteous service for Christ, he will receive a crown. 261 00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:33,320 He tells us that that reward that the Lord has for his servants is kept safe until that 262 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:34,760 day. 263 00:19:34,760 --> 00:19:39,900 That is the day when we are examined at the Bema, at the judgment seat of Christ after 264 00:19:39,900 --> 00:19:42,040 the rapture. 265 00:19:42,040 --> 00:19:46,440 Faithful service will never be ignored or forgotten by the Lord. 266 00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:51,080 It may not be noticed by men, but that is not important anyway, is it? 267 00:19:51,080 --> 00:19:57,040 Because we serve the Lord Christ and from him we anticipate our reward. 268 00:19:57,040 --> 00:19:59,080 All of God's children may receive rewards. 269 00:19:59,080 --> 00:20:00,560 It is not just for a few. 270 00:20:00,560 --> 00:20:05,560 It is not just apostles who may stand there on that day and get crowns. 271 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:10,320 It is for all of those who love his appearing, and that by the way is a description of all 272 00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:14,160 Christians in Paul's language here. 273 00:20:14,160 --> 00:20:17,960 All of us who know the Lord Jesus Christ should be loving his appearing. 274 00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:20,500 How could it be otherwise? 275 00:20:20,500 --> 00:20:24,520 After all, there is one who has given his very life for us and who has saved us from 276 00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:30,280 our sin and degradation, who has given us a new heart as we heard sung a few moments 277 00:20:30,280 --> 00:20:31,280 ago. 278 00:20:31,280 --> 00:20:37,280 That one, someday, we are going to see face to face, and so we love the thought of his 279 00:20:37,280 --> 00:20:42,320 appearing, the brilliance of his coming. 280 00:20:42,320 --> 00:20:50,440 Whatever we must experience now in our service for Christ, it will be worth it all then. 281 00:20:50,440 --> 00:20:55,840 Paul was suffering unjustly, but he doesn't complain about that. 282 00:20:55,840 --> 00:20:58,160 He counted it a privilege. 283 00:20:58,160 --> 00:21:01,560 In verse 17 he says, the Lord was with him. 284 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:04,600 He didn't have to be afraid of his suffering. 285 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:07,160 He tells us furthermore that there was purpose behind it. 286 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:13,440 He says, in order that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, that all the gentiles 287 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:16,360 might hear. 288 00:21:16,360 --> 00:21:19,520 Even unjust suffering, you see, has a reason behind it. 289 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:21,600 God is working through it. 290 00:21:21,600 --> 00:21:24,040 And he says that Christ's deliverance is assured. 291 00:21:24,040 --> 00:21:27,960 He says, I was delivered out of the lion's mouth. 292 00:21:27,960 --> 00:21:31,280 Now just what Paul meant there is not too clear. 293 00:21:31,280 --> 00:21:37,360 There are some who say that Paul was literally in the Coliseum and that the lion's mouth 294 00:21:37,360 --> 00:21:40,440 was shut, as in Daniel's case. 295 00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:47,000 But more probably he's using that as a euphemism here for the Roman government, that at another 296 00:21:47,000 --> 00:21:52,260 point he was delivered out of their grasp, probably his first imprisonment. 297 00:21:52,260 --> 00:21:57,280 And he goes on to say in verse 18, the Lord will deliver me from every evil deed and will 298 00:21:57,280 --> 00:21:59,600 bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. 299 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:04,360 You say, wait a minute, wasn't he executed shortly after this? 300 00:22:04,360 --> 00:22:08,160 Yes, isn't that a wonderful deliverance? 301 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:13,760 He says he's going to deliver me from every evil work, including his own murder. 302 00:22:13,760 --> 00:22:19,120 And God is going to lead him safely into his heavenly kingdom. 303 00:22:19,120 --> 00:22:24,080 You see, the apostle Paul was assured of the Lord's ultimate deliverance. 304 00:22:24,080 --> 00:22:34,480 What great words describe death there in verse 18, bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. 305 00:22:34,480 --> 00:22:38,240 You think about death that way? 306 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:41,120 It's far better to be with Christ, isn't it? 307 00:22:41,120 --> 00:22:46,800 For me to live as Christ, we heard, son, to die, that's gain. 308 00:22:46,800 --> 00:22:51,540 I desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is very far better. 309 00:22:51,540 --> 00:22:55,920 The way that Paul says that you can't even compare being in this world to being with 310 00:22:55,920 --> 00:22:58,480 Christ. 311 00:22:58,480 --> 00:23:03,960 We weep for those who have gone on before us and who have departed already. 312 00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:08,380 And we weep really for ourselves because we miss them. 313 00:23:08,380 --> 00:23:13,700 It is a loss to us in this world in terms of our human relationships. 314 00:23:13,700 --> 00:23:19,560 But we cannot weep for those who are with Christ because it is very far better for them. 315 00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:24,120 They have already passed through that veil that we stare at. 316 00:23:24,120 --> 00:23:30,320 They have already departed and stepped through that door and are in his presence and that 317 00:23:30,320 --> 00:23:31,320 forever. 318 00:23:31,320 --> 00:23:34,160 And for the child of God, the best is yet to come. 319 00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:39,760 And Paul points to that in his future as he evaluates it. 320 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:45,120 Warren Wiersbe said, when you're ready to face the Lord, you need not fear the judgment 321 00:23:45,120 --> 00:23:46,120 of men. 322 00:23:46,120 --> 00:23:53,040 That's just where Paul was at this point as he faced execution. 323 00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:56,440 We can thank God for the privilege of serving Christ in our lives. 324 00:23:56,440 --> 00:24:03,880 What an honor it is to be called into the service of the King, to be a royal ambassador. 325 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:06,280 Yes, we have opposition in this world. 326 00:24:06,280 --> 00:24:08,200 That's to be expected. 327 00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:14,480 But the message that we have to declare, we must preach it faithfully for it will accomplish 328 00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:20,160 its purpose and the Lord, well the Lord is going to reward us one day. 329 00:24:20,160 --> 00:24:25,120 We'll be brought safely home to his heavenly kingdom and because we have loved his appearing, 330 00:24:25,120 --> 00:24:28,920 we too will receive a crown of righteousness. 331 00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:32,360 A crown that Peter says will not fade away. 332 00:24:32,360 --> 00:24:38,440 The important thing is that right here now in our present that we're serving him with 333 00:24:38,440 --> 00:24:40,000 a surrendered heart. 334 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:50,240 That he truly is Lord of our attitudes, Lord of our actions, Lord of our words. 335 00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:57,880 We must be willing to let the Lord keep the records and not be so concerned ourselves 336 00:24:57,880 --> 00:25:03,100 about tallying up the marks of our service. 337 00:25:03,100 --> 00:25:09,240 We like Paul must have the attitude, what we have accomplished, we have accomplished. 338 00:25:09,240 --> 00:25:14,640 We press on to the prize, the high mark of God in Christ Jesus. 339 00:25:14,640 --> 00:25:22,220 I'd like for us to open our hymnals again to 474 and sing in closing our service another 340 00:25:22,220 --> 00:25:27,320 verse of the hymn that we sang just before the message. 341 00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:32,560 You see there's something here about the perspectives that Paul talked about in verse 342 00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:33,560 3. 343 00:25:33,560 --> 00:25:41,040 The perspective of the past hitherto my Lord hath led, the perspective of the present today 344 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:47,200 he guides each step I tread, the perspective of the future and soon in heaven it will be 345 00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:51,200 said Jesus led me all the way. 346 00:25:51,200 --> 00:25:54,900 And dear friend, he does lead. 347 00:25:54,900 --> 00:25:56,240 Are you following him? 348 00:25:56,240 --> 00:25:58,360 Is your hand in his? 349 00:25:58,360 --> 00:26:03,500 Are you able to say Lord whatever you want? 350 00:26:03,500 --> 00:26:11,440 My Father, I pray that that will be our heart's response, our heart's spirit tonight. 351 00:26:11,440 --> 00:26:19,280 That we serve you as a privilege, that we walk with you faithfully as our goal. 352 00:26:19,280 --> 00:26:23,880 And when we come to that point in life, should we have the opportunity that Paul did to make 353 00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:30,240 these kinds of evaluations, I pray that we'll be able to reflect the faithfulness of his 354 00:26:30,240 --> 00:26:34,800 own testimony in these words. 355 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:37,560 In Jesus' name, amen. 356 00:26:37,560 --> 00:26:49,520 Let's stand together to sing verse 3 of 474. 357 00:26:49,520 --> 00:27:07,040 And hitherto my Lord hath led, today he guides each step I tread, and soon in heaven it will 358 00:27:07,040 --> 00:27:19,040 be said Jesus led me all the way. 359 00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:34,720 Jesus led me all the way, led me step by step each day. 360 00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:59,760 I will tell the saints and angels as I lay my burdens down, Jesus led me all the way. 361 00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:00,760 Let's bow together. 362 00:28:00,760 --> 00:28:06,760 With our heads bowed and just before we go out, I wonder this evening if you know the 363 00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:10,560 Lord Jesus Christ. 364 00:28:10,560 --> 00:28:14,520 I wonder if you can say that he's led you. 365 00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:23,080 My friend, if there is a spiritual need, a question in your life, if you're uncertain 366 00:28:23,080 --> 00:28:28,080 about your own relationship with God, I'll be here in the front afterward. 367 00:28:28,080 --> 00:28:30,120 I urge you to come. 368 00:28:30,120 --> 00:28:35,080 We have folks who will be delighted to pray with you and answer your questions. 369 00:28:35,080 --> 00:28:41,160 Don't let another night go by with the kinds of thoughts and doubts and questions that 370 00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:44,280 you've been struggling with. 371 00:28:44,280 --> 00:28:50,880 Lord Jesus, I pray that someone tonight will respond to that invitation. 372 00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:58,880 And would, in faith, come to understand what it is to have assurance about his or her relationship 373 00:28:58,880 --> 00:29:02,080 with you. 374 00:29:02,080 --> 00:29:07,320 As we take a step out of this auditorium, Lord, it is our desire that you be leading 375 00:29:07,320 --> 00:29:13,400 us and that you keep us from straying and that your goodness and mercy follow us all 376 00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:20,280 the days of our lives, knowing that one day we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 377 00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:21,280 Amen. 378 00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:29,520 Good night.