Triumphant At The Finish

Transcript

GR 1400
03/22/2009
Triumphant at the End
II Timothy 4:7-8
Gil Rugh


We're studying the book of II Timothy and we've come to really the closing portion of the main section of the letter in II Timothy. So you can turn in your Bibles to II Timothy 4. The first eight verses of chapter 4 really close the main portion of this letter. The rest of the letter will be the conclusion with various remarks like you would close regarding other individuals, instructions from Paul regarding the possibility of coming to see him, certain items he would like brought to him and so on. The main portion of the letter and its instructions to Timothy concludes in these first eight verses with a serious and solemn charge from Paul to Timothy. We noted in verse 1 Paul said, I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom. I mean, this is a serious matter placed upon Timothy. And the substance of the charge is contained in nine commands given to Timothy, short, brief, strong commands. Five of those commands are found in verse 2 and four of those commands are found in verse 5.

The rest of these eight verses give two reasons, reinforcing the importance of these commands. The first reason is found in verses 3 and 4. The time will come, verse 3, when they will not endure sound doctrine. Timothy, you must preach the Word, you must be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke and exhort. You stay faithful to the Word and the ministry of the Word. Why? There will come a time when people in the church at Ephesus and other churches as well will not be interested in the teaching of the Word of God, healthy teaching, sound teaching. They'll want to hear things more interesting, more enjoyable, more in line with their personal interests. The result will be in the church there will be people turning their ears away from the truth and turning aside to myths, myths that are mixed in with scripture verses but myths nonetheless. So Timothy, this charge is absolutely essential because you have to be willing to go upstream, so to speak, against the tide, against the current, against the interest and desires even of people in the church at Ephesus. You must preach the Word even when they don't want to hear the Word. That's the first reason for Timothy to take this solemn charge very seriously. He is coming into difficult times, they have already begun. False teachers have already infiltrated the church at Ephesus, as we have seen. And Paul has indicated it won't get better, it will only get worse. So it is absolutely essential, Timothy, that you stay true to the Word and the ministry of the Word.

A second reason he gives to reinforce these nine commands is the fact that he, Paul, is about to face his own death. He will not be here much longer to encourage Timothy, to give him a push when it is needed, to lead the way in the conflicts and battles. And Paul realizes the importance of Timothy picking up this charge and faithfully continuing the ministry of God's Word. He told him in verse 5, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. And then he proceeded to tell him he is about to face execution.

Back up to II Timothy 2:2, the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. So you see Paul says, you take what I have taught you, Timothy. As I have received from the Lord and taught it to you, you take it and teach it to other faithful men who will pass it on to others, teach it to others. That's the pattern that has to be followed, Timothy. So Paul is passing off, if you will, the ultimate responsibility to Timothy and other like-minded faithful men.

Verses 6 through 8 contain Paul's last words, last words in the sense of his final appeal to Timothy in the form of a personal testimony. And Paul gives an overview of his life. And for those of us who have been believers for any length of time, these verses become exceedingly precious to us as they are reminders of a life that has been fulfilled and accomplished what God would have accomplished. Paul follows a pattern here. He starts in verse 6 by talking about his present circumstances. Then in verse 7 her overviews briefly and quickly his life in the past as it has come up to that point. And then in verse 8 he turns his attention to the future and for what is in store for him at the conclusion of this life.

In verse 6 we find out for the first time in this letter that Paul is facing impending and sure death. His death is imminent, could happen at any time. Now he is expecting that he has some weeks or months, but that's all. He has encouraged Timothy to come to him as soon as he can. Paul realizes that his life will soon be ended. He used two metaphors in verse 6, which we've already looked at. The first, he said, I'm being poured out as a drink offering. We noted that's taken from the Old Testament, Numbers 15, one clear passage. The drink offering was the wine that was added to the main sacrifice as the climactic act. It completes the sacrifice. So when Paul says I am already being poured out as a drink offering, he is saying my life and ministry which have been a life and ministry of sacrifice, my life given as a living sacrifice to my God, my ministry as a service offered to Him. I'm at the close, this is the climactic act, it has already begun, the drink offering, my life, is being poured out. That means we are at the end. Romans 12 Paul wrote, I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice. That's what Paul had done, used his body and all its parts in his service for the Lord. In Romans 15 he said that those that he had led to Christ form the Gentiles were a sacrifice offered to God to please Him. That's the life that he has lived. Now it's coming to a close.

He uses another metaphor, the time of my departure is at hand. A picture that was used of the breaking up of a military camp when they were ready to move out. They broke camp for departure. Or the lifting of anchor, untying of a ship so that it could depart and sail off. A metaphor used outside of scripture to refer to death. So Paul here talks about his departure. His life is coming to an end, it's time for him to move on to what the Lord has for him after this life.

You know Paul's present circumstances are not pleasant. He's confined in a Roman prison, he is a condemned man with final condemnation awaiting, but he is on the course that will result in his condemnation. The man leading all of this ultimately is a man called Nero, a disgusting and vile man. And Paul's death will not be a pleasant death. But you know he talks about his death in a triumphant way. You just read this section, you don't get the idea here is a man who has been unfairly and unjustly imprisoned, he is about to be executed by a man whom history holds out as one of the most vile, despicable of men. His own people in a couple short years after Paul's martyrdom will be so disgusted with him that they will drive him to suicide to escape what they would do to him. You don't get the idea Paul is talking about unjust, unfair. I mean there is a triumph about this. My life and ministry, a life of sacrifice, a ministry of sacrifice, we are at the final act. It's an act of sacrifice. I am about to depart. No railing against the unfairness of the system, no bemoaning a shortened life. This is triumph, this is ending a victorious life on a victorious note. He has been triumphant and he will continue that emphasis.

Verse 6 talked about his present situation as he anticipates his sure death. Verse 7, he gives an overview of his life to this point, and then in verse 8 he'll look to what the future holds. Look at verse 7, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. You get more of the emphasis if you put this in the order that Paul put it. It's not smooth English so we've smoothed it out, but as Paul wrote this the first word is the verb. The good fight I have fought, the course I have finished, the faith I have kept. The emphasis is on the fight, the course, the faith. The fight I have fought, the course I have finished, the faith I have kept. Those things that matter. I have fought the good fight. Each of these is really reviewing his life, saying the same thing with a little different picture as he gives a summary of his life as a servant of Jesus Christ as he stands at the end of his life of service.

All three of these verbs will be in the perfect tense—I have fought, I have finished, I have kept—denoting something from the past that is continued up to the present. So here he is at the completion, looking back over his life as a believer to that point. I have fought the good fight, or the good fight I have fought. These are two related words even as they show up in English, fought and fight. The words in Greek we are familiar with because they are carried over into English. The word is the verb agnonitzomy, and we get the word agonize from it. Agony comes from this word, various forms of the word. It was a word used to denote athletic struggles and conflicts in the stadium. Could be used in the military setting as well, but Paul's picture here is the athletic picture. And when you went to the stadium to see an athletic contest you saw two contestants struggling, fighting, agonizing with one another. And this is the picture Paul presents of his life. I am standing at the end of my ongoing struggle, the battle, the fight. The struggle for me, I have finished the struggle. I have fought the good fight. This picture Paul uses again and again of the Christian life and service as a life of struggle and battle. He is concerned that Timothy have this fixed in his mind. No artificial pictures, no false hopes of a better day when it won't be so hard. Paul's view of the ministry is ongoing intense struggle, draining your energy, taking all your strength to keep on in the battle. I have fought the good fight, I have struggled the good struggle, agonized the good agony.

Back up to I Timothy 4. He reminded Timothy that this is what their ministry was about. Verse 10, for it is for this we labor. Now the word labor, that's not our word, that's the word kopiao, form of the word. It means to toil to exhaustion, wearisome and exhausting work, labor. For this we labor and strive. There is our word, agony. I'm just going to call it agony, whether it is a noun, verb, whatever, for simplicity. We labor and strive, agonize, struggle, fight, battle. Because we have fixed our hope on the living God. Remember that, that's where Paul is going when he talks about his future in verse 8. Who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers. We labor, work until we are exhausted and weary, struggling and battling and fighting. Why? Because we have our hope fixed on the living God. That's what keeps us going, that's why we are doing this. I have a God who is the Savior and we are presenting Him to a world who doesn't want Him to a people who are opposed to Him. And it takes all their energy but we keep the struggle and the battle going.

Look over in I Timothy 6. Paul used almost the same words with Timothy that he uses in this second letter. Here he gives a command to Timothy, verse 12, fight the good fight of faith. That's what you have to do, Timothy. You have to keep the struggle going, you keep in the battle. It's like you are watching these two contestants fighting, boxing wrestling, whatever they are doing, and you just don't quit. You are keeping the struggle. Timothy, you keep fighting the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you are called. That's your goal, you are latched onto that, that's the goal you are going to. Paul will again be going in his letter we are looking at in a moment. You can't turn from that.

Come back to Colossians 1. Paul writes, we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom. Why? So that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor. There is our word again, kopiao, toil until I am weary and exhausted. Striving, there is our word agony, agonizing, battling, fighting according to His power which works mightily within me. This is a tremendously important verse, we keep it in perspective and balance. You know what Paul said here, for this purpose also I labor, I'm working until I am worn out. I'm draining every ounce of strength out of me, I'm agonizing, I'm striving and battling and struggling. According to His power which works mightily within me. We sometimes think, should it be this hard if it's the Lord doing it. That's the problem with the statement, let go and let God. We never let go, in that sense, and let God. We are called to give every ounce of our strength in the battle and the struggle for the truth that He has entrusted to us. As we do that it is His power that works mightily within us. It's not as though I could sit back and relax and God's power does it all. It takes every ounce of your strength, you have to be fully engaged in the battle and the struggle, and it's God's power doing it. You know I think if we had the privilege to travel with the Apostle Paul in his ministry, we would have found we were traveling with one tired man, weary and worn out, exhausted, and going on. I'm not saying we don't take a break, we don't get refreshed, but the Apostle Paul's concern here is that people understand that we are in a struggle. It's going to take all that we have, and then the power of God works mightily in us. That's why he could write in II Corinthians 12, when I am weak then I am strong. I mean, it's like I just can't do anything and God is working mightily through him to accomplish what only He can do.

Look at how Colossians 2 opens up, I want you to know how great a struggle. There is our word agony again. How great a struggle I have on your behalf. For what? For those at Laodicea also, that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love pertaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding and so on. You see it's not only a struggle carrying the gospel to the lost, it's a struggle to see that believers are built up and nourished in the faith as you exercise the gifts that God has given you to carry out the responsibility He has entrusted to you. It's hard work, it's a battle. The devil opposes you at every step, finds myriads of reasons why you shouldn't do it, why it's too much to expect, why it's too hard, why you need to get away. And on it goes. It is a struggle, it is a battle. Paul says I am struggling, I am agonizing on your behalf and for the church at Laodicea. I want you to grow. So we are engaged in the struggle, the conflict.

Come back to I Corinthians 9. Paul is fond of these athletic metaphors because for him there is no other way to do ministry but to grind it out, battle it out, struggle it out. Verse 24, do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize. Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes, there is our word, competes, agonizes, that intense struggle and battle. Everyone who struggles, fights in the games exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. That's why he says in verse 27, I discipline my body and make it my slave. I mean, I know what it takes. My body doesn't feel like doing it, I do it anyway is what Paul says. Picturesque here. I discipline my body. The picture is getting hit around the eye or under the eye so it turns black and blue. He says, I beat my body black and blue and bring it into subjection, make it my slave. In other words, I don't decide my service for the Lord on what I feel like. I decide my service on the basis of what God has called and instructed me to do and I do it, no matter how hard I have to drive my body to do it because I'm not the slave of my body. My body is my slave and I discipline my body. Verse 25, it's parallel with competing, agonizing, struggling in the games.

Come back to II Timothy. I have fought the good fight. Now he's not saying, I'm a good fighter, although he was, but he has fought the good fight. And the good fight is the fight of the ministry, the battle of the ministry, the gospel. I've been faithful in carrying out what God has called me to do. The good fight, not just fighting about everything, but I am in the battle, the struggle for the truth of God and carrying that truth to the lost and the saved alike so that the lost might be saved and so that the saved might grow. I have fought the good fight. The good fight is the fight he's been talking about in this letter. It is the fight for the ministry of God's truth.

I have finished the course is his second overview of his own personal life up to that point. The course I have finished. Interestingly, Paul wrote these letters to Timothy, I Timothy and II Timothy while Timothy is serving as Paul's representative at the church at Ephesus.

Turn back to Acts 20. In Acts 20 Paul on a previous occasion, years earlier before this imprisonment that he is now enduring, met with the elders from the church at Ephesus. And look what he says in verse 24 as he addresses the elders from the church at Ephesus. But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course. Paul wrote years earlier, I don't even count my life as important. I mean, I go at it with abandon because I'm willing to give my life so that I might finish my course. Now he stands at the end as he writes to Timothy in II Timothy and says, the course I have finished. His goal was from the beginning, early in his ministry. I'll do whatever it takes, I don't pamper my body, I don't consider my life as dear. And the proof of that as he writes to Timothy, he's going to give his life, the final act of sacrifice, so that I might finish my course. And the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God. And down in verse 26-27, I am innocent of the blood of all men, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. I taught you all that God gave me, I'm committed to finish my course. What a great thing to be able to stand at the end of his life and say, I have finished my course, the course, the race that God set before me.

Back up to Acts 13. Earlier yet in Paul's ministry on his first missionary journey he had a model that he could refer to. John the Baptist who prepared the way for the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ, and in referring to John the Baptist in Acts 13:25, and while John was completing his course he kept saying. As John came to the end of his race he was saying, he was faithful to the end, he kept saying. Kept testifying of Christ. But that picture and using the same words, he finished his course, he was nearing the end of his course. Paul viewed life as not about, I can't wait until I can retire, I can't wait until I make enough to take it easy, to do all the things I want. He was in an endless, relentless struggle and race and he had to finish it as God intended. And he couldn't quit early. Remember II Timothy early in the first chapter, Paul says, God has not given us a spirit of cowardice, Timothy. There is no pulling back, there is no holding back. Paul was running the race and now the race is over, his life and ministry. And so he reflects back and says, the course I have finished. Obviously clear, he has run it well.

Come back to II Timothy 4:7, I have kept the faith. The faith I have kept. And the faith refers here to the truth that God has revealed. Turn back to II Timothy 1:14, notice the instruction to Timothy. Guard through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. Note, you guard it but the ability for that comes from the Holy Spirit who dwells in us. The treasure, the good deposit which has been deposited with you, the truth, the gospel, the word of God. Paul can stand as he looks at his completed race, looks back over his life and says, the faith I have kept. I have guarded it, I have passed it on to you, Timothy, exactly as I received it from the Lord. A reminder to Timothy, your responsibility is to teach it to faithful men who will teach it to others also. I have kept the faith. Paul had been faithful in his ministry. Here he is with the end of his life and ministry in sight, he can say I have fought the good fight of the faith, I have kept the faith, I have finished the course.

Now what is for me? Come back to II Timothy 4:8. Not, it's all over, it's been a great life, I've enjoyed it. I regret that I have to go out this way. No, we've already seen, he's going out on a note of triumph, this is the final act of the sacrifice, this is my departure, this is the glorious climax. What happens when you've fought a good fight, you've contended as you should in the contest, when you've run the course as you should, when you've kept the faith. There is a prize. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge will award to me on that day. I mean, you haven't completed this. That metaphor of the athletic contest and so you get the prize. Everybody competing is competing for the prize. That's the picture Paul used in I Corinthians 9:24 and following, everybody running the race is running to win. Not just to say I was in the race. I realize we run marathons and it is something just to say you ran in the marathon. But the serious runners in that race are running to win, that people would come from all over the world to run. Why? Just to say they ran in it? No, to run to win. People train for years for the Olympics. So they can say they went to the Olympics? No, so they can win. That's the goal. Paul says I have successfully finished.

Henceforth, in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness. The crown was the stephanos. Two crowns in Greek—the stephanos and the diadem. The stephanos was the victor's crown, the diadem was the ruler's crown. Now a ruler could also have a stephanos because he was a victor, he had defeated his enemies in battle and so on. But the stephanos emphasized the victor. That's what would be given at the end of the athletic contest. When you completed the race you were given the crown. You know the value is not particularly in the crown, and these stephanos, we've seen in movies and so on, that the Greeks gave were just woven branches that were placed on the head. It's what it symbolized. Somebody has an Olympic gold medal, you look at it and say, how much is it worth? Well its real value is in what it represents. It may have some metal value, but that's not what you measure it by, it's a lot more important. Somebody else may have a piece of jewelry that costs a lot more, if you're just going to take the finances, but what that gold medal symbolizes and represents is that you are the victor. That's the point of the stephanos, you are the victor. You are awarded the prize.

Paul says, henceforth there is laid up for me the crown, the victor's crown. Why? I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I kept the faith. Now I get the crown, crown of righteousness, the crown which is righteousness, the full righteousness. I realize in Christ we have been credited with His righteousness and that now is manifest in our life of righteousness. But the culmination and climax for us as believers is the conclusion when the fullness of the righteousness of Christ is manifest in us. All the remnant and remnants of sin are removed. The crown of righteousness, or the crown which is righteousness. We'll say more about the crowns in a moment.

Note where this crown comes from. It's the crown which the Lord the righteous judge. Where would you expect the crown of righteousness to come from? The only one who can award it, the righteous judge; the only one who can bestow righteousness; the only one who truly knows righteousness. This refers to Christ. Paul started this charge in verse 1 of chapter 4 by charging Timothy in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus who is to judge the living and the dead. Now I am about to depart, having finished the race, fought the good fight, kept the faith to receive the prize—the crown of righteousness which the righteous judge will bestow upon me. Only God is truly righteous, there is none righteous, no not one, the Bible tells us. We like to pride ourselves in our righteousness. As God evaluates us, and it's only His evaluation that counts, He says there is none righteous, not even one. We come to salvation through faith in Christ and we receive the gift of righteousness from God, provided for us in the death and resurrection of Christ. And now that righteousness is to be produced in our life and we live lives of godliness and righteousness. Looking forward ultimately to the fullness of the righteousness that we will enjoy when our body experiences its ultimate transformation.

You might say, oh to be an apostle. What a reward Paul will get. That's true. But you know what Paul said? This crown of righteousness will not be awarded to me only, but also to all who have loved His appearing. No emphasis on only one person gets the prize. In I Corinthians 9 Paul said only one person gets the prize, run that you may win. But he's not implying that only one Christian will get the prize. I'm not competing against you, I'm not competing against other preachers. I'm running the course that He has set before me and I am responsible to complete it that I might get the prize because I have been faithful as you are. So it's not as though we are competing and I'm looking to see if I'm doing better than that preacher, or not as good as that preacher. I want to do the best I can with the abilities and gifts God has given me to fight the fight, to run the course, to keep the faith.

And He will award the prize to all who have loved His appearing. That verb loved from the verb agapao, that self-sacrificing love. Paul gave his life in his service for Christ for the benefit of the lost, for the benefit of the church. To all who have loved His appearing. The focal point of the love ultimately is carried to what? The coming of Christ. Paul uses it. He had a life since he trusted Christ of loving and looking forward with intense longing to the appearing of Christ. And everyone who has loved His appearing will receive the crown of righteousness.

I think this is a description of every believer. Perfect tense denotes something that is going on in the past and continues to the present. The Apostle Paul stands here at the closing period of his life, can look back over his life as a believer and he is one who has loved the appearing of Christ. He has lived his life, controlled and dominated by that event, the appearing of Christ, the coming of Christ in glory.

Turn over to Titus 2:11, for the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men. That's the grace that provided Jesus Christ as our Savior. Instructing us. That grace brings salvation and it teaches us, it disciplines us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the now age. Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous of good works, the work of God. You see that. Loving the appearing of Christ, it's not just talking about the Second Coming of Christ. It is having your life and all you do shaped by that event. So you see as we are here we have both that backward look, the grace of God brought us salvation through the death and resurrection of Christ, and we have that forward look anticipating the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. As we live in between, those two events shape and control all of our life. We have been disciplined to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly righteously and godly in the present age, the now age, as we are looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of our Savior. What is he talking about? Those who have loved His appearing, their life is shaped and controlled by that event.

Back up to Philippians 3:17. Philippians 3 gives an expanded testimony of Paul and how he approached life and ministry. Verse 7, whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. And on he goes. Remember he told the Ephesian elders in Acts 20, I don't count my life as dear. His possessions weren't dear, the honors of this life, the things that are important to people in this world, they put those on the rubbish heap. Come down to verse 17, brethren, join in following my example, observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk of whom I have often told you, now tell you even weeping. Why is he weeping? Because these are people who have been part of the church who have professed to be believers, but they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. What a burden. You could say it broke Paul's heart to have to write this, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ. What a tragedy. Whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite. They glory in their shame, they set their minds on earthly things. That is totally contrary to a genuine believer. Our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior. We love His appearing, we are eagerly awaiting Him, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory. How can that happen? By the exertion of the power He has to subject all things to Himself. You see loving His appearing means your life has been reshaped, refocused and now is not lived conformed to this world. It's a life of godliness, righteousness, sober with a fixed focus on the coming of Christ.

We talk about the crown of righteousness. I want to look at a few passages that use different words to talk about the crowns. We talk about five crowns promised to the believer. I think they really are all talking about the same thing from different perspectives. Come back to I Corinthians 9, you can just note these crowns, the stephanos crowns promised to the believer. I don't believe these crowns distinguish among believers, I believe these crowns are something that every believer will receive. Now I believe there will be differences in the rewards we receive, we can look at that and we have on other occasions. But here we are talking about what is promised to everyone who is a believer.

In I Corinthians 9:24, do you not know that those who run in a race all run and only one receives the prize, the crown, if you will. Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, there is our crown, stephanos, that wreath that is perishable. It was a reward that was so important that they would go in and give everything they have for that. But we do it to receive an imperishable. So the crown promised to us as believers is imperishable. We have seen that in Revelation 4-5, where the elders representing the church are casting their crowns before the throne of God in heaven. They are imperishable, they will be present in the throne room of God in heaven, imperishable crown. We're doing this for something that will matter for eternity. Look how people will pour their lives and all their energies and strength into training for an athletic event to get a trinket. Nothing more than a trinket compared to what we get in eternity. Worthless. And we have such a hard time pouring all our energy and strength and passion of our lives into the service of the living God who promises us an imperishable crown.

Come over to James 1, the crown of life. Verse 12, blessed is the man who perseveres under trial. You know there is just no other way. Genuine believers are those who keep at it. The prize is for those who persevere, who struggle, who run the race. Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, for once he has been approved he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. You see it's the promise of those who love Him. The crown of righteousness was promised to those who have loved Him. The crown which is life, we enter into life. Well I have life now. Yes, but this present physical body is in the process of decaying. I have eternal life through faith in Christ, but I have not entered into the fullness of that life yet. And if Christ does not come in the short future, I will pass through death. But you understand, I'm going to get a crown of life. Death is not the victor, death is the last enemy that will be destroyed for us, as I Corinthians 15 says. We as believers receive the crown of life, eternal life in the presence of the God who is life.

Revelation 2:10 refers to this same crown. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. This is Christ addressing the church at Smyrna, suffering. Behold the devil is about to cast some of you into prison. You see it's a spiritual battle. It wasn't those physical men casting him into prison ultimately, they were servants of the devil doing his will, casting believers into prison. So that you will be tested, you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life. You see the contrast. You understand, it doesn't matter that Paul is going to be executed by a godless man, beheaded. Doesn't matter how he dies, he's the victor, he gets the crown of life. Dies of old age, if he's a believer he gets the crown of life. If he dies of a disease, he gets the crown of life. If he dies in an automobile accident, he gets the crown of life. You see God is sovereign, this is the end for us. Death is not the end, it's the departure into glory. So we get the crown, the stephanos of life.

There is a crown of rejoicing in I Thessalonians 2:19, for who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation, crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming, for you are our glory and our joy? Crown of glory, crown of joy. It's a crown of rejoicing. Those we have led to Christ, those we have helped to nurture and nourish to maturity in Christ, there will be a crown of rejoicing, the joy that will be ours for all eternity. That is one of our rewards, to be in the presence of Christ in glory. People there that we led to Christ, people there that we were privileged to be involved in their growth and development as a child of God as Paul wrote in Colossians 2. There will be a crown for us, bring us joy and rejoicing in the presence of the Lord.

And then lastly I Peter 5. Peter is writing to the elders as a fellow elder, leaders of the church. And he says to them in verse 4, and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfolding crown of glory. I don't think that's just limited to elders, there is such a crown for all of us. We just read in I Thessalonians, Paul says you are our joy and our glory. I mean, the glory is ours. What's going to happen to these mortal bodies when we are called into the presence of Christ? They will be glorified, glory is our destiny, ultimate glory. That's why Jesus said, don't fear those who can kill the body, but cannot kill the soul. You fear Him who after he has killed the body is able to destroy both body and soul in hell. Should Paul fear Nero? Like Jesus told Pilate, he would have no power over Me unless it had been given you. We keep our perspective. We are going to glory, it is a reward for us.

God promises us a crown of righteousness, His righteousness, life, a crown of life. Joy and rejoicing, eternal joy, the crown of rejoicing, exultation. Glory, a crown of glory. These are incorruptible, imperishable crowns. We will be enjoying these things in a hundred trillion years. Trillion is the word today, right? You tell people you don't know what a trillion is. We talk about trillions times trillions, and my crowns won't have perished. Your crowns won't have perished. These are the things God has prepared for those who love Him. Any wonder Paul stands as the victor at the end? No moaning, no thinking, how sad. I was hoping to be able to retire and spend a few good years relaxing on the Mediterranean. Timothy that would have been a great thing, to be able to set my beach chair up and prop up, be free from responsibility, be free from cares, the burdens of the churches. Just sitting there in the sun and the sand watching the waves. That's what I was hoping for, but it's not going to be like that. That vile man, Nero, how could he do this? My best hopes are dashed. That's not what Paul is living for. He is now moving to the good things. His life was not built around hoping to have time to do nothing. I'm not against retirement from your job, not your ministry. I'm not against taking a vacation, taking a break. But you know what? We can't quit. Paul knew when the end was. The sentence of death was upon him. You'll know when the end comes. The doctor will tell you, you have three months. Now you know the end is near. You still can't quit, but you can begin to anticipate the end. That's the way we live because we are looking for His appearing. I want to get to the end like that, don't you? You understand you have to start back here. I can't stand at the end and say, Lord, give me more time. You know how Paul did it? He determined back here, whatever it takes I am willing to give my life to finish my course. Now he is at the end of the course, he can look back with satisfaction, with pleasure knowing he has pleased the Lord. We can't waste our days along the way, we don't know when the end of our course will come. I have to make it count so that whenever it comes I do it victoriously. I'll know. I won't die in an accident, maybe an accident we call it here, I will die at God's appointed time. All the days that were written for me, ordained for me, they were written in His book before I was born. How He chooses to take me—as a martyr, in an accident, through a disease or through old age—all part of a plan. What I am to be about is everyday living to please Him. That's how we as believers are privileged to live in this sin-cursed world. What a hope we have.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for your blessings. Thank you for what you have done for us in Christ. Lord, a provision that takes everything into account. Lord, we look back to His death and resurrection. That is the foundation of our hope, we have placed our faith in Jesus and His death and resurrection. Lord, we look forward to the completion of that work of salvation when we are gathered into His presence at His appearing. And Lord, everything in our lives is shaped by these events. May we be those living soberly, righteously and godly in the now age so that we might, as Paul was privileged to do, stand at the end of our lives and look back and be able to say we have kept the faith, we have run the race, we have been faithful, we have continued to struggle as we should. May we be looking forward with eagerness to the glory of your presence, to the crown that you have promised to those who are faithful. We praise you in Christ's name, amen.