Is My Life an Offering to God? | 2 Timothy 4:6-8 | Chris Karpus
Is My Life an Offering to God?
2 Timothy 4:6-8
6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have
fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the
crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only
to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
Paul writes this as he is languishing in a cold, damp, subterranean Roman prison – awaiting his execution
Paul’s perspective and focus as awaits death, show us how to live and how to die
He takes a few minutes to look at his life as a Christ follower in the present, in the past and what that
means for his future.
We all have a future after death…”the best is yet to come” for those who believe in Jesus
What he is NOT talking about is his persecution of Christians prior to his conversion…there’s no “BUT” in
his description of his life.
THE PRESENT
- As Mikey talked about last week - Paul is issuing his charge to Timothy in light of his (Paul’s)
impending martyrdom
- After urging Timothy to fulfill his ministry, Paul reflects on his own…
6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near.
- Paul is speaking about dying – being poured out like a drink offering
- Paul is reflecting on his life of sacrifice to God
- (AND) departing – maybe the image of a boat (talk about that in a minute)
- Paul used the same drink offering reference about 5 years earlier – referring to the possibility of
his own death…
Philippians 2:17
17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your
faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.
- In THIS case, he is aware that his death is no longer a possibility, but impending
- Paul is referring to the Old Testament sacrificial system – make sacrifices for the atonement of their
sin…
- Leviticus 23:13
- 13 together with its grain offering of two-tenths of an ephah [a] of the finest flour mixed with olive
oil—a food offering presented to the Lord, a pleasing aroma—and its drink offering of a quarter of a
hin [b] of wine.
- During the ritual of sacrificing a lamb, wine was poured out at the base of the altar – a
time of pouring out, or emptying the life of the sacrifice
- In this case, the pouring out of life would represent an offering to Jesus
- Though there would still be a little time before his death, but he was aware that the
process had begun
A question for us: are we aware that the process has begun?
- Had a friend who said he might believe on his death bed.
- we don’t get to pick the time of our death…even if we think we should get to, we
shouldn’t
- this became an operative metaphor for how Paul regarded his life – a drink offering
being poured out
- The details of Paul’s death are not described in scripture, but this picture of being
poured out for Christ’s sake is awe-inspiring.
Paul was facing death, but triumphant. From the time of his conversion on the Damascus road,
everything he had was given to God: his wealth, his mind, his body, his passions, his position, his
reputation, his relationships, his dreams – all of it was poured out, sacrificed to God. All that
remained was his life’s breath, and he triumphantly gave that.
You might say…well…this was Paul. I mean, THE PAUL. I could never do that.
Could we say the same? Have we given Jesus EVERYTHING?
This is a question you have to ask yourself - Hopefully the answer is yes
When your life is over, will they say “he/she poured out his life for Christ’s sake”? If not, what are you
going to do about it?
- You could say…”well, life is short and I want to live it my way”…
- “my way” never works
How do you want to be remembered?
- Finishing well does not happen by accident.
- Solomon – started out strong – asked for wisdom, so God gave it to him
- Somewhere along the line, he decided to do it his way and died with 700 wives
and 300 concubines
- - God told him that he should not marry women who serve other gods,
because they would turn him away from Him – the one true God.
-
- - 1 Kings 11:6
- “So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord;…”
-
- Jonah – God told him to Ninevah, and he ran (sailed) the other way
- - Jonah ends with him so angry he wished he was dead, and God shaking His
head.
-
Looking back on your life, has it been lived and poured out as a drink offering? In order to finish well,
you should look at every day to live as an opportunity to live your life as a drink offering.
Start today…life – year – month – day – hour…break it down and get going now. You have the power
to pick the start date…not the end date.
Paul adds: “and the time for my departure is near”
- The word translated “departure” is also used in Greek literature for the loosing of a ship from it’s
moorings, or a soldier loosing the stakes from his tent. - An army packing up / breaking camp to
leave the battle field – the war is over and they’re going home
-
- The image of Paul, in death. boarding a boat for departure for another shore is pretty awesome.
Paul wanted to live his life for Jesus, but eagerly anticipated the day he would board that boat
Phillipians 1:22-23
22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do
not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;
This was Paul’s dream, and his ship was about to leave. He was ready. ARE YOU?
Of course he was excited…what awaits the believer is incomparable, and he knew it…DO WE?
If you’re not aware that the best is yet to come, and anticipate that day…why not?
- We all get a boarding pass, but not all our boats are headed for the same shore
- You don’t want to choose the wrong boat here
Non believers fear death…actually, for some, they believe you just die, and we take our chances. In
financial terms, I would say that one who believes nothing happens after death is like someone given
the opportunity to have a billion dollars to the infinite power if they would just give up the penny they
are clutching.
- Some would say, I just can’t muster the faith to believe…
- Too many hypocrite Christians – prosperity gospel – crooked evangelists – celebrity pastors going
off the rails
-I would say that the one who does not believe in life with Jesus after death because it requires
too much faith, must have a whole lot of faith that nothing’s going to happen after death. Even if that were
true, which it isn’t, the Christian ends up in the same nothingness as the non-believer. But if it IS true,
which I promise you it is, the non-believer has so much more to risk and lose. It’s illogical to take those
odds.
- But faith in Jesus is not just afterlife fire insurance – it is the promise of a fulfilling life…not a life
without pain, but a life of sacrifice that ends with eternity to the one who will take our pain away.
-
2 Corinthians 4:17
17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them
all.
Romans 8:18
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in
us.
Charles Spurgeon put it this way:
"To come to Thee is to come home from exile, to come to land out of the raging storm, to come to
rest after long labor, to come to the goal of my desires and the summit of my wishes"
Time is short…has your life been a drink offering poured out for Jesus, or have you been neglecting
the poor, withholding from the church and pouring your life into a future here that you’re not
guaranteed…
If you’re “living your best life now” going at it your way…this may be the only heaven you’ll ever know
- Doesn’t look like heaven to me
THE PAST
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
Looking back on his life, Paul uses 3 more words associated with his victory:
“I have fought the good fight” – Paul was a spiritual warrior
He had stood before Felix, Agrippa and the officials of Rome with courage
He endured the riots in Ephesus, and the opposition in Corinth
Paul describes some of his hardships in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28
23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much
harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death
again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I
was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night
and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers,
in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the
city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored
and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone
without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my
concern for all the churches.
You’ve heard it said – if being a Christian was illegal, would there be enough to convict you?
If the church of the US was being persecuted, would we be perceived as not worth the effort by those
doing it?
Paul goes on to say : “I have finished the race”
- Paul says he has simply “finished” the race”…not won it…
- We all have a race to run, and Paul’s was nearly complete
- What are you running to? Are you running from something?
Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything
that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked
out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he
endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
In this, the author says that we run faithfully by remembering those who have gone before us; by
throwing off anything that keeps us from faithfulness, and by fixing our eyes on Jesus
- We each have a race to run, a race that God has prepared for us, individually and corporately.
- Are you running your race? Are we running ours?
Finally, Paul says “I have kept the faith”
- Paul is probably emphasizing his role as a steward of sound doctrine…kept the faith
- Throughout his letters to Timothy, and others, Paul held tightly to the truth and was passing it on –
like the passing of a baton…another great race analogy
Passing the baton quickly for the sprint, and passing the baton slowly for the long run
Both are disciples making disciples
- Every Christian has a fight to endure, a race to run and a treasure to guard.
Are we just watching our brothers and sisters fight their good fight? Are we passively watching
other run their race, or maybe just lounging on our couch watching TV…
- What are we doing? - I’m not saying there are boxes to check…
- Paul didn’t live his life as a drink offering in order to check boxes and gain the redemption
Jesus offered. He poured out his life BECAUSE the redemption Jesus offers…a life of
gratitude and worship for the one who gives us eternal life.
THE FUTURE
8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award
to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
- The final picture is that of a crown or garland – another athletic analogy
- Garlands won by the Greeks were greatly prized
- He writes of a crown he will soon be receiving – the crown of righteousness – the ultimate,
permanent state of righteousness
Romans 3: 22 - 22 This righteousness is given through faith in [a] Jesus Christ to all who believe.
- While Nero was about to declare Paul guilty and condemn him, Christ the righteous Judge was
about to declare him ultimately and permanently righteous.
- Paul doesn’t stop with his own crown, but reminds all of us of the crown awaiting all who believe
and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
- a sure evidence of saving faith is having your heart set on Jesus, longing for that day, as Paul did.
Titus 2:13
13 while we wait for the blessed hope
Those who don’t believe will surely dread that day…
How can we be sure?
Start by repenting and turning to God…turn around and live towards him-
- Put all your cards on the table and commit your life to Jesus
- Everything Paul had was given to God –
- his wealth, his mind, his body, his passions, his position, his reputation, his relationships,
his dreams – all of it was poured out, sacrificed to God…to the very last breath.
- - This isn’t a “say the sinner’s prayer and you’re good” and go on with your life thinking you have
afterlife fire insurance. Give yourself to Him, because He gave Himself for us.
Ezekiel 36:25-27
25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and
from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your
heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my
decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
Knowing that there’s a God who loves you, why would you want to do anything your way?