{"id":3770,"date":"2015-10-25T00:43:57","date_gmt":"2015-10-25T07:43:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hoc6.org\/global\/?p=3770"},"modified":"2015-10-22T22:46:15","modified_gmt":"2015-10-23T05:46:15","slug":"1025-famous-last-words","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hoc6.org\/global\/2015\/10\/25\/1025-famous-last-words\/","title":{"rendered":"10\/25: Famous Last Words (\u8bd7119:97-104 \u63d0\u540e4:1-22 \u803651:15-64)"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>\u8bfb\u7ecf\uff1a\u00a0\u8bd7119:97-104 \u63d0\u540e4:1-22 \u803651:15-64<\/h2>\n<h2>Famous Last Words<\/h2>\n<div class=\"bioy-body\">\n<p>As the novelist, historian and poet, Sir Walter Scott (1771\u20131832), lay dying he turned to his great friend and son-in-law, J. G. Lockhart \u2013 the man who was later to write his life story \u2013 and said, \u2018Will you read to me from the Book?\u2019 Lockhart wondered which of his many books he meant \u2013 for he knew he was a great writer. So he asked, \u2018Which book?\u2019<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Which book?\u2019 replied Scott, \u2018There is but one book, the Bible.\u2019 The dying author was comforted and encouraged by what God had to say to him from the most wonderful of all books.<\/p>\n<p>In the case of the apostle Paul, we don\u2019t exactly know what his last words were. However, we do have his last <em>recorded <\/em>words; they are in our passage for today. As he comes to the end of this letter he writes, \u2018The time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith\u2019 (2 Timothy 4:7). We see his passion for Jesus Christ and his word. His whole life has been about telling others the good news of Jesus. His last words urge Timothy to do the same.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bioy-body\">\n<h2>1. All of your life<\/h2>\n<p><a class=\"inline-reading\" href=\"http:\/\/classic.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Psalm%20119:97-104&amp;version=NIV&amp;interface=print\" target=\"_blank\">Psalm 119:97-104<\/a>Without God our lives make no sense. As we read his word we understand the meaning and purpose of our lives: \u2018With your instruction I understand life\u2019 (v.104, MSG). Nothing could be more important or more valuable than this.<\/p>\n<p>At her coronation the Queen was handed a copy of the Bible with these words, \u2018We present you with this Book, the most valuable thing that this world affords.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>As Immanuel Kant said, \u2018The Bible is an inexhaustible fountain of all truths. The existence of the Bible is the greatest blessing which humanity ever experienced.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>The psalmist writes, \u2018Oh, how I love your law!\u2019 (v.97a). He says, \u2018I reverently ponder it all the day long\u2019 (v.97b, MSG). He writes, \u2018Your words are so choice, so tasty; I prefer them to the best home cooking\u2019 (v.103, MSG).<\/p>\n<p>The effect of loving God\u2019s word, and meditating on it, is to give you wisdom (v.98), insight (v.99) and understanding (vv.100,104): \u2018I\u2019ve even become smarter than my teachers\u2019 (v.99, MSG). It makes you determined to keep your feet from every evil and wrong path (vv.101,104).<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Lord, help me to love your words, to meditate on them and to obey them. Thank you that they give me wisdom, insight and understanding.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bioy-body\">\n<h2>2. To the end of the race<\/h2>\n<p><a class=\"inline-reading\" href=\"http:\/\/classic.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=2%20Timothy%204:1-22&amp;version=NIV&amp;interface=print\" target=\"_blank\">2 Timothy 4:1-22<\/a>The apostle Paul urges, \u2018proclaim the Message\u2019 (v.2a, MSG). This passage is then full of practical advice on how to go about doing this.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Get involved<br \/>\nPaul writes to Timothy, \u2018I give you this charge\u2019 (v.1). His charge to Timothy is to be an evangelist and a preacher. According to the New Testament this is also the task of <em>every Christian<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li>Speak about Jesus<br \/>\nPaul says preach \u2018the Word\u2019 (v.2a). The Greek word here is \u2018logos\u2019, which was used to describe Jesus in John 1:1. The good news is all about <em>Jesus<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"rteindent1\">When we hear the word \u2018preach\u2019 we often think of a person in robes addressing a group of convinced believers within the precinct of the church. The word Paul uses here means a herald who delivers a message that has been given to them by the king. It is an \u2018up to the minute\u2019 relevant message. You may not be a \u2018preacher\u2019 but you can be a herald of the good news about Jesus.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Be prepared<br \/>\nIt is important to be prepared and ready to take advantage of every opportunity God gives you to speak about your faith. Paul writes, \u2018<em>be prepared<\/em> in season and out of season\u2019 (2 Timothy 4:2) \u2013 that is, when it is convenient and when it is not. The word he uses for \u2018prepared\u2019 has military connotations. He is saying <em>stay at your post<\/em>. Be on duty. On guard. Be ready. Be at hand.<\/li>\n<li>Speak to the whole person<br \/>\nPaul\u2019s message is holistic. First, it appeals to <em>the mind<\/em> (v.5). He says \u2018correct\u2019 (v.2), which could be translated as \u2018prove\u2019. We are to teach the gospel with \u2018careful instruction\u2019 (v.2). Our presentation of the gospel should never be devoid of content. Paul\u2019s message is based on evidence and reason. Indeed, Paul says to Timothy, \u2018keep <em>your head<\/em>\u2019 (v.5).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"rteindent1\">Second, it is an appeal to <em>the heart <\/em>and <em>conscience<\/em>. He says, \u2018rebuke\u2019 (v.2). Reason is not enough \u2013 a change of heart is required.<\/p>\n<p class=\"rteindent1\">Third, it is an appeal to <em>the will<\/em>: \u2018encourage\u2019. We need to get alongside people and help them with \u2018great patience\u2019 (v.2). This is a spirit that never gets irritated, never despairs and never regards a person as beyond salvation.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Keep speaking the truth<br \/>\nYou may be tempted to change the content to what your hearers want to hear, or to what you think they are more likely to respond to, but keep passing on the same message that has been handed down to you. In spite of the fact that some people may prefer \u2018spiritual junk food \u2013 catchy opinions that tickle their fancy\u2019 to \u2018solid teaching\u2019 (v.3, MSG), keep proclaiming the truth of the gospel.<\/li>\n<li>Keep going<br \/>\nPaul writes to Timothy, \u2018do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry\u2019 (v.5c). Telling others is your responsibility before God. Jesus is coming back to judge and reign (v.1). What you do now has eternal consequences. You are going to have to give an account.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"rteindent1\">Therefore, be willing to endure hardship (v.5). If you preach this message, you will be misunderstood, misrepresented and misinterpreted. Paul has been deserted by Demas (v.10). He has been strongly opposed by Alexander, the metal worker who did him a great deal of harm (v.14). No one stood up for Paul in his hour of greatest need (v.16).<\/p>\n<p class=\"rteindent1\">Never give up. Listen to Paul\u2019s words to Timothy as if they were addressed to you: \u2018make the spreading of the good news your life work\u2019 (v.5, JBP). This is what Paul did. He was willing to be poured out like a drink offering (v.6).<\/p>\n<p class=\"rteindent1\">Now he says to Timothy, \u2018You take over. I\u2019m about to die, my life an offering on God\u2019s altar. This is the only race worth running. I\u2019ve run hard right to the finish, believed all the way. All that\u2019s left now is the shouting \u2013 God\u2019s applause! Depend on it, he\u2019s an honest judge. He\u2019ll do right not only by me, but by everyone eager for his coming\u2019 (vv.6\u20138, MSG).<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Know that the Lord is on your side<br \/>\nIn spite of all the opposition and difficulties, one thing makes all the difference: \u2018The Lord<em>stood at my side and gave me strength<\/em>\u2019 (v.17). This is so that \u2018the message might be fully proclaimed and all Gentiles might hear it\u2019 (v.17). Paul is confident about his future, even though he is facing the immediate threat of death (v.18). His greatest desire for Timothy and the other believers with him is that they are intimately connected to Jesus. His final words are, \u2018The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you\u2019 (v.22).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Lord, thank you that I am not on my own as I tell others the good news about Jesus \u2013 you go with me by your Spirit. Help me to do it faithfully, to fight the good fight, to finish the race and keep the faith.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"bioy-body\">\n<h2>3. Right to the end<\/h2>\n<p><a class=\"inline-reading\" href=\"http:\/\/classic.biblegateway.com\/passage\/?search=Jeremiah%2051:15-64&amp;version=NIV&amp;interface=print\" target=\"_blank\">Jeremiah 51:15-64<\/a>Do you ever feel powerless to do anything about your situation? Sometimes it appears that the forces raging against God and his people are so much more powerful than us. This was the situation in Jeremiah\u2019s day when the people of God were confronted by the most powerful empire of its time \u2013 Babylon.<\/p>\n<p>Into this time of difficulty Jeremiah kept on declaring the word of the Lord \u2013 right to the end of his life (vv.25\u201326,39,48,52\u201353,57\u201358). We have read the apostle Paul\u2019s last words. Now we come to Jeremiah\u2019s last words: \u2018The words of Jeremiah end here\u2019 (v.64).<\/p>\n<p>Jeremiah\u2019s message was this: God is all-powerful. \u2018By his power he made earth. His wisdom gave shape to the world. He crafted the cosmos\u2019 (v.15, MSG). This all-powerful God is on your side: \u2018I\u2019m on your side, taking up your cause\u2019 (v.36, MSG). Therefore he says, \u2018Don\u2019t lose hope. Don\u2019t ever give up\u2019 (v.46, MSG).<\/p>\n<p>The Babylonian empire, which seemed so powerful at the time, was about to collapse \u2013 like every other empire before or since. But God\u2019s people not only survived, they continued to grow and flourish.<\/p>\n<p>Jeremiah wrote down the message on a scroll. He commanded, \u2018see that you read all these words aloud\u2019 (v.61). Jeremiah was a faithful prophet who heard the word of the Lord and kept on telling others the messages throughout his life.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">Lord, thank you that the message about Jesus has changed my life and thank you that I have the privilege of seeing it change so many people\u2019s lives. Help me to keep on speaking your words boldly right to the end of my life.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"bioy-body\">Pippa Adds<\/h2>\n<div class=\"bioy-body\">\n<p><strong>2 Timothy 4:6\u20138<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u2018For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge will award me on that day.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Three things I hope I have done at the end of my life:<br \/>\nFought the fight.<br \/>\nFinished the race.<br \/>\nKept the faith.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>\u8bfb\u7ecf\uff1a\u00a0\u8bd7119:97-104 \u63d0\u540e4:1-22 \u803651:15-64  <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hoc6.org\/global\/2015\/10\/25\/1025-famous-last-words\/\" title=\"10\/25: Famous Last Words (\u8bd7119:97-104 \u63d0\u540e4:1-22 \u803651:15-64)\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":148,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3770","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bibleinoneyear"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hoc6.org\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3770","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hoc6.org\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hoc6.org\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hoc6.org\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hoc6.org\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3770"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.hoc6.org\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3770\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3771,"href":"https:\/\/www.hoc6.org\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3770\/revisions\/3771"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hoc6.org\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/148"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hoc6.org\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3770"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hoc6.org\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3770"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hoc6.org\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3770"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}