If you ever watched a hard-fought athletic contest
where the players just went all out,
did all they could, put forth their best efforts,
and after the game, one of them said,
we left it all on the field,
or we left it all on the court.
That was their way of describing
how they held nothing back.
They gave everything they had to win the game.
They gave it their best effort.
Well, that is how the Apostle Paul lived his life
and in different words summed it up as he approached death.
Paul basically said, we're going to read the passage,
but he basically said, I left it all on the field of life.
I put forth my very best effort to be faithful to God
and fulfill his purpose for my life.
Look at how he actually said it
in 2 Timothy chapter 4, verses 6 through 8.
For I am already being poured out as a drink offering,
and the time of my departure has come.
I have fought the good fight.
I have finished the race.
I have kept the faith.
Henceforth there is laid up 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 loved his appearing.
New Testament scholars spend a lot of time
doing things like reading Paul's letters,
reading what Luke says about him in the book of Acts,
and trying to figure out a timeline of his life.
And most of them really believe that Paul wrote 2 Timothy,
this second letter to Timothy, his son in the ministry,
that this was his last letter,
and that he was waiting in a Roman prison cell to be executed.
Now some of you are familiar with the life of Paul
and how he at one point was under house arrest in Rome.
The book of Acts ends with him.
He's under house arrest in Rome.
He's chained to a Roman soldier at all times,
but he has a lot of freedom,
and friends and other people can come and talk with him.
He got to teach.
And it was during that imprisonment,
with all that freedom,
that he wrote the New Testament letters of Ephesians,
Colossians, Philippians, and Philemon.
Now this is not in the Bible,
but tradition says that Paul was released
after he appealed to Caesar that day,
or at that first imprisonment,
and that he did go to Spain.
He's talked about that at the end of his letter to the Romans.
He wanted to go to Spain and preach.
He wanted to take the gospel to the western part of the Roman world
because he'd always been working in the eastern part.
Well, tradition tells us that he went to Spain
and he came back,
and in Rome this time,
under a time of great persecution,
he was put in a real prison,
dungeon-lock prison.
And it's from this prison
that he dictated his last letter,
his letter to Timothy,
and he made this statement.
It sounds like a final summary of his life, doesn't it?
He knows it's coming to an end.
I want you to note in that first verse six,
he describes his approaching death
as something that has already begun.
Look at it.
For I am already being poured out as a drink offering.
Paul's really talking about how he has poured out his life.
His energy, like wine,
was poured out in certain Old Testament ceremonies.
In some of those ceremonies,
when the wine was poured out,
the entire container was emptied.
Nothing was left.
That's how Paul's thinking.
He's thinking about how his life has been poured out
in service to God and to thousands of people.
And it's about to be emptied.
He's going to die.
That's his way of saying,
he left nothing on the field.
He put forth his very best effort
to serve God and fulfill the mission that God gave him.
Two weeks ago,
Alan McQuiet was here and he preached a message
that challenged us to be totally committed.
He gave some examples of men and women
who just sold out to the Lord,
poured out their lives,
spent their life.
And the challenge to us was,
we need to be totally committed.
We don't have to be missionaries.
We don't have to leave pickings.
We don't have to change jobs.
But total commitment is what God calls all of us to.
Last week, I followed up that message with this.
Don't waste your life.
Don't just fritter away life.
Just go in with the flow.
Just whatever happens, happens.
Today, I want to challenge everyone,
beginning with me,
to live our lives in such a way
that when we face death,
we can truthfully say,
I left it all on the field of life.
I held nothing back when it came to putting forth
my best effort to serve the Lord,
to develop Christian character,
to truly live the life that God called me to live.
By God's grace,
we need to be able to say,
when all is said and done,
I put forth my best effort
to honor the Lord
and do His will.
I want us to look at this passage
you see on the screen
and look at that as an example
of what it takes to be able to say that.
Look first.
Giving our best to the Lord
requires discipline.
Discipline is a word
that a lot of people don't like.
Discipline is a word
that a lot of people avoid.
But I want you to look at how Paul
described his life in service to God
in verse 7.
I have fought the good fight.
Note two things about Paul's service.
The value he placed on it.
He said it was the good fight.
The word good could be translated excellent
or even noble.
Paul considered his service to God
to be something of great value.
He considered giving his life
and doing God's will
to be a great, noble cause.
He didn't think he was wasting his life.
Paul spent a lot of time
being opposed, being mistreated.
He spent several years in prison.
Paul lived the kind of life
that no one would choose.
No one in their right mind
would want to live the kind of life
and be subject to all the mistreatment
that he endured.
But he considered that his calling.
That was just the price
that it took for him to be faithful.
He didn't think he was wasting his life.
It was something of value.
It was good.
It was a noble pursuit.
Now look at the next thing.
The effort he put forth.
He says he fought.
I fought.
This refers to great effort,
a struggle, a fight.
Living a faithful Christian life
is not easy.
I want you to understand that.
If anybody ever tells you
just give your life to the Lord,
put your trust in Jesus,
and all will be well,
either they're just misinformed
or they're lying to you.
Nowhere in Scripture
do you find it said
that living the life
that would please God
will be simple,
will be easy.
It's a fight.
It is a struggle.
It's a struggle spiritually at times.
It's a struggle emotionally at times.
It is a struggle physically sometimes.
That's why Paul liked to use,
and other writers,
like the writers of the Hebrews,
they like to use images of athletes.
Paul liked to talk about runners.
The writer of the Hebrews did.
Paul, at the end of chapter 9 of Romans,
talks about boxers even,
wrestlers,
everyone in Paul's day and in ours.
We understand that Olympic-type athletes
make all kinds of sacrifices
to make the Olympic team,
to go to the games,
to run for the medal,
I mean, think about it.
They train for hours every day,
eat only healthy food,
and avoid anything
that would be a hindrance
or distraction
to their efforts,
listen to this,
to win a medal.
But we know in our day,
you win a medal,
you win enough of them,
you win fame,
you win fortune,
you win a lot.
Well, Paul said what he said
to encourage us,
make sacrifices,
whatever sacrifices are necessary,
to be victorious
in faithful Christian living.
Now what I'm talking about here is
we need to put forth the effort
to discipline ourselves,
to be faithful,
to develop Christian character,
to treat people the way
that we should
in our homes.
And that's the hardest place
to do it,
to really love one another,
demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit,
love and joy and peace
and patience
and kindness,
self-control.
But also at work,
do you discipline yourself,
do you put forth the effort
to really be
the man or woman
or young person of God
that you profess to be?
Now if you're here,
you're a church member,
you've professed faith,
you claim to be a Christian,
are you putting forth the effort
to actually live that way
in front of the people
that are in your home and family,
that you actually work with,
interact with,
some of them you're around
more than your family.
Are you doing that
with your classmates
even though
some of them are not Christians?
Some of them may make fun of you,
may leave you out.
Are you putting forth the effort
to be victorious
in Christian service?
I'm talking about
actually using the gifts
that God's given you
in some aspect
of the life of our church.
You know,
Paul challenged Timothy like this
in his first letter to him.
He said,
train yourself,
which can also be translated,
discipline yourself
to be godly.
You've got to work at
the Spirit of God's working in you,
but you've got to cooperate.
You've got to work at
developing godly character.
It's not going to just happen.
Life is such
that we're going to be ungodly.
Life is such
that we're just going to be selfish.
Some of us,
by temperament,
are going to be mean.
We're going to be sarcastic.
We're not going to serve anyone.
We're going to try
to just be served ourselves.
We've got to fight
the good fight of faith.
That's what he told him as well.
Now,
don't misunderstand
any of this as teaching
that salvation is something
that we must work for.
We can't.
We don't deserve it.
We cannot earn it.
Salvation is truly a gift
of God's grace
that we can only receive
by faith
in Jesus Christ.
Jesus did earn
our salvation.
Salvation is costly.
Jesus gave his life
when he died on the cross
as our substitute
to take the punishment
that we really deserve,
the wrath of God.
He died on the cross
to pay the penalty
for your sins
if you're a Christian.
He lived a perfect,
righteous life,
fulfilled the law of God
and God credits
that to you
if you are a true believer.
So Jesus earned our salvation.
We didn't.
We receive it as a gift
of God's grace.
But then
some people have the idea,
well, yeah,
you're saved
by trusting in Jesus.
But from that point on,
you've got to work.
Maybe some people think
to keep it.
Or you've got to work
to develop as a Christian.
Here's how we need to think.
God graciously works in our lives
to save us
and God graciously works in our lives
to enable us
to continue to trust in Jesus
and to become more like Him.
And here's how God does it
by giving us
those kind of desires
and then enabling us
to put forth the effort
to discipline ourselves
and develop godly character.
The best statement of that
in the Bible
that I'm aware of,
and I put it on the screen
from time to time,
and if I could find a way
to put it up there
every week,
I would.
This is vitally important.
Look at this.
Therefore, my beloved,
as you have always obeyed,
so now,
not only in my presence,
but much more in my absence,
work out your own salvation.
Develop it.
Grow with fear and trembling,
for it is God who works in you
both to will,
He gives you the will,
the desire,
and to work to do it,
to discipline yourself
for His good pleasure.
God does that
through His Holy Spirit
who lives within us.
Now,
let's think about
how we are
doing these things.
How would you describe
your effort
when it comes to living,
I'm talking about
really living like a Christian,
every day
from the time you get up
in the morning
until you go to bed at night.
Now,
none of us
have arrived
and just truly
walk with the Lord
from the time we get up
until we go to bed.
But let's think about
some specifics.
Are you training yourself
to be godly
by spending time
with the Lord
every day
in His Word
and prayer?
That takes discipline.
our lives are busy.
Some of you
get up at 5 or 5.30.
You have to get up
that early
to get ready
to eat breakfast,
to be at work
at the time
you've got to be there.
Some of you work
long hours,
8, 10, 12 hours a day.
You come home,
you are tired.
You've got to rest.
You've got to unwind
before you can actually
go to bed.
It is vitally important
that we find a way
to spend time
with the Lord
some kind of time
in His Word
listening to Him
and in prayer
talking to Him
as well as listening to Him.
I want to encourage you.
Discipline yourself.
Find a way,
a time,
a place
to spend time
with the Lord
because that is something
that every single Christian
must do
and continue to do
being with the Lord
in order to stay close to Him,
in order to learn
how to please Him,
in order to be able
to overcome
sinful habits
in our lives.
We need that.
Are you training yourself
to be godly
by spending time
with the Lord
in His Word
and in prayer
every day
or at least
on a very regular basis
which I can't say
I couldn't be every day.
Ask God to show you
a way
and it's going to take discipline.
It won't be easy.
Number two,
are you fighting
the good fight
to be morally clean
and pure
in your thought life,
in the things you talk about
and in what you do?
You know,
we live
in a culture today,
we are bombarded
everywhere
with all kinds
of impure,
lust-provoking
images,
aren't we?
I mean,
in print,
on TV,
all over the internet.
Everything is marketed
in a sexually
suggestive way.
If you read much
of what's going on
in the world,
people today
just talk filthy
from our president
on down.
That is not acceptable
from anyone.
But when we hear it
all the time,
when it's just
the common lingo,
it is very easy
to pick it up,
to use it,
and to think
it's okay.
God calls us
to live
morally pure
lives,
to be
clean.
He wants us
to be that way
in the way
that we think,
in our conversations,
as well as
in the way we live.
That's not easy
to do today.
It's not easy
for me.
It's not easy
for you.
If you're a real
human being,
we've got to
fight
to guard
our minds,
our words,
and our actions.
Discipline
your mind.
Number three,
are you putting
forth the effort
to intentionally
do your job
or schoolwork
as if you're
doing it
for the Lord?
Paul talked
about that
in Colossians.
It hasn't been
long since we
looked at that
in detail.
We're supposed
to do what
we do
as if we were
doing it
for the Lord.
And that,
what I want to say
is,
that doesn't mean
something real
spiritual.
We're supposed
to do our,
as Christians,
we should be the
best at our jobs
that we can
possibly be.
that helps us
to have sort of
a platform
from which
to talk about
the things of
God
and be a witness.
Don't be like
the young man
that I worked
with many years
ago.
We worked in a
plant.
There's a lot
of machinery.
Those,
every one of those
machines needed
to be oiled
on a regular
basis.
This young fellow,
20 years old,
committed Christian,
loved the Lord,
and wanted to
witness all the
time.
But it was his
job to oil
those machines
to go around
this.
It wasn't,
maybe about this
size.
It was a little
bit bigger than
this.
The section he
had and a lot
of different
machines,
grinding parts.
You know what
he did?
He floated
around that
room,
witnessing to
everybody.
All day,
talking about
the things of
God and not
oiling the
machines.
He lost all
credibility.
Most people
despised him
because he was
preventing their
machines from
running at full
capacity.
Some of them
sometimes would
stop and they
would come and
cuss him out over
his witnessing and
drag him back to
oil their
machines.
I say all that
to say,
at school,
at work,
the first way you
are a witness is
by the quality of
your work.
The attitude you
demonstrate in
your work.
If you're not good
at what you do,
you are a bad
witness.
I want you to know
that.
If you're a sloppy
employee, don't put
forth much effort.
They know you don't
really care.
Don't tell anybody
you're a Christian,
okay?
Don't tell them
you're a member of
our church because
you're a poor,
poor witness.
We, if we're
serious about living
the kind of life
Paul did, Paul was
a tent maker.
And he supported
himself a lot of the
time.
And I guarantee you
the tents that Paul
made would have been
of high quality because
he did everything to
the glory of God.
He was serious about
living his faith, not
just sharing it.
Are you putting
forth the best
effort intentionally
to be a good witness
by the way you work,
the quality of your
work, your school
work, as if you're
doing it for the Lord?
Number four, are you
disciplining yourself to
be sensitive to the
Holy Spirit's presence
in your life so that
you'll be able to
discern and obey his
leading?
Here's what I'm
saying.
If you're a Christian,
the Spirit of God
lives within you.
And what we need to
do is learn to be
sensitive to his
presence as he prompts
us.
Don't look at this.
Don't dwell on this.
Don't listen to this.
Get off that website.
Don't engage in that
kind of conversation.
As he prompts us,
you ought to try to
develop that relationship
with that person so that
you can share the gospel
with him.
So when he prompts us,
you need to share the
gospel.
You need to ask that
person about their
relationship with the
Lord.
We need to be sensitive
to his presence.
He'll always guide us in
a way that's consistent
with what he says in the
word.
Never contrary.
If we don't cultivate
being aware of his
presence, we won't hear
him.
We'll grieve him as the
scripture talks about.
I want to encourage you.
Cultivate.
Discipline yourself to be
sensitive to the Holy
Spirit's presence so you
can be led by him.
To do certain things,
to not do other things.
We're talking about
living a Christian life.
Now I want you to think,
can you describe your
service to God as
fighting the good fight?
Let me ask you a question.
Might make some people
uncomfortable.
Are you serving God right
now?
Or are you just showing up
at church every now and
then?
If you're not serving the
Lord right now, I want to
encourage you.
He's given you gifts and
talents and abilities that he
expects you to use for his
glory and other people's
good.
He expects you, if you're a
member of this church, to use
those gifts and talents and
your time.
If you're serving him, how
do you value what you're
doing?
If you're already serving
him, how much do you value
what you're doing?
Do you think about it in terms
of, I'm doing a good work.
I'm seeking to please God.
I'm seeking to truly help other
people.
We need to be involved in
serving the Lord, part of
fighting the good fight, and
that includes everyone.
Just think about it this way.
Aren't there some things that
you do for people just because
you love them?
Aren't there things you do for
your spouse, your children,
your parents, a friend?
Aren't there things that you
do that you don't really like
to do, you don't really want
to do, but you do it because
you love them?
And because you love them, you
do it with a good attitude.
You want to meet that need.
Well, that's what Paul did.
Paul went to places to preach
that he knew he was going to be
opposed, maybe run out of town,
and he was a lot of times,
maybe imprisoned or even killed,
but he knew, Paul knew, God has
graciously saved me, forgiven me,
made me his child.
He has called me to this ministry
of taking the gospel where it's
never been before, and that's
just going to cost me a lot.
He also knew if he didn't go and
preach, maybe thousands,
of people would never hear the
gospel, never be saved, spend
eternity in hell.
And that was another motivating
factor in his life.
He fought a good fight because of his
love for God and his love and
concern for people.
That's the key to putting forth the
effort to serve the Lord in any kind
of ministry.
I want to ask you, do you love
Jesus?
I'm not asking, do you believe in
him?
I'm asking you, do you truly love
him?
How do you demonstrate it?
He wants us to serve him.
He wants us to have a relationship
with him.
He wants us to be like him, but he
wants us to serve him.
He wants us to be intentional about
doing it.
I encourage you to do that.
Living this kind of life requires
discipline every day.
Look at this.
Giving our best to the Lord also
requires perseverance.
We've got to continue to do it.
We've got to hang in there.
Look at the second thing.
I have finished the race.
Now, don't worry.
We're not going to get to the third
part this morning.
Paul's talking about how he's been
faithful to the end.
He's persevered.
He is hung in there.
That didn't just happen.
Paul had a plan.
When God saved him and called him,
he planned to do whatever it took
to be faithful to the very end.
I want you to look at this statement
he made in Acts chapter 20.
However, I consider my life worth
nothing to me.
If only I may finish the race
and complete the task
the Lord Jesus has given me.
The task of testifying to the gospel
of God's grace.
God's goal throughout his ministry
was to be faithful.
Complete the task the Lord Jesus
had given to him
no matter what.
What about you?
Are you planning
to finish the race
of Christian living?
Sad truth is
a lot of people aren't.
A part of the
finishing the race
of Christian living
for you
where you are right now
if you're married
God wants you to be
the best husband or wife
you can be
and live together
in what Genesis calls
a true one flesh relationship
until death separates you.
God wants you
to disciple your children.
Bring them up
in the discipline
and instruction of the Lord.
There's certain things
that's just a part
of our lives as Christians
that we need to be determined
we're going to be faithful.
We're not going to give up.
We're going to hang in there.
Are you?
Do you have that determination?
You know I don't think
about it every day
but when Lisa and I
got married
you know we made
that same commitment
everybody else makes
on the wedding day
but divorce
has never entered my mind.
I'm sure divorce
has never entered
Lisa's mind.
Murder yes.
Maiming injuring yes.
She can come closer
to killing me
than divorcing me
I truly believe.
You see what I'm talking about.
We've got to be committed.
The sad truth
when it comes to
Christian living in general
everybody doesn't
finish the race.
There were people
in Paul's day
professing Christians
who just quit.
Paul talks about one
later on in this letter
in verse 10
one of his co-workers
Demas
look at it
for Demas
in love
with this present world
has deserted me
and gone to Thessalonica.
That happens
in the church
today.
You can think of
professing Christians
who used to attend
this church
but they don't anymore.
Some of them
just sort of
quit being active
and just show up
every now and then.
Some quit
altogether.
They certainly
wouldn't say
they abandoned
the faith
but
they don't show much.
And then some people
appear to have
just quit the faith.
Some people
who at once
professed to be
Christian
just turned their
back on the Lord
and in no way
do they show
any kind of evidence
of being Christian.
When you think
of people
who've quit
just walked away
from a real
commitment to the Lord
dropped out of the race
let it be a warning
to you.
Saving faith
is
continuing faith.
When God
starts something
in us
He brings it
to completion.
I want you to look
at three verses
that strongly
emphasizes
continuing faith.
And it says
in Colossians 1
and you
who once were
alienated
hostile in mind
and doing evil
deeds
He is now
reconciled
in His body
of flesh
by His death
in order to present
you holy
and blameless
and above reproach
before Him.
Look at this.
If indeed
you continue
in the faith
He's not going
to present us
before the Father
holy and blameless
and above reproach
if we don't
continue
because if we
don't continue
we never were.
He says
if indeed
you continue
in the faith
stable and steadfast
not shifting
from the hope
of the gospel
that you heard
which has been
proclaimed
in all creation
under heaven
and of which
I, Paul
became a minister.
I know
you're sitting
in this room
right now
you're here
but are you
really continuing
in the faith
of trusting
loving
and following
Jesus?
That's the only
sign of a real
Christian.
Saving faith
is continuing faith
saving faith
is also
fruitful faith.
There's good works.
Look at Ephesians 2.10
for we are his workmanship
created in Christ Jesus
for good works
which God prepared
beforehand
that we should
walk in them.
The first two verses
before that
says
I forgot the verse now.
For by grace
you are saved
through faith
it's not of yourself
it's the gift of God
it's not of works
that no one should boast.
And then he says
to those
who are saved
by the grace of God
through faith in Jesus
look at it.
For we are his workmanship
some people
some translations say
his masterpiece
created in Christ Jesus
for good works
which God prepared
beforehand.
Are you doing
those good works?
God has prepared you
and he prepared you
by gifting you
enabling you
giving you
the whatwithal
to do it.
Are you doing
those good works?
And here's a simple
way to know
name them.
What are you doing?
Sitting around
looking pretty
is not one of them.
Warming a seat
week after week
is not one of them.
What good works
are you doing
in and through
the ministry
of this church
and where you work
and where you go
to school
wherever
what good works
are you doing
that shows
the reality
of your faith.
You know
all of us
struggle
to be faithful.
It's hard
to fight
the good fight
every day.
We may even
be tempted
to quit
at times.
That's why
Paul wrote
so many
warnings
and encouragements
in his letters
like this.
Look at this.
Let's not become
weary in doing good
for at the proper time
we will reap
a harvest
if we do not
give up.
we can remain
faithful to the end.
We can persevere
because God
will enable us.
Look at this
real quickly.
God has promised
to never leave us
nor forsake us.
I will never leave you
nor forsake you.
God's always
working in us
causing us to will
and to act
according to his
good purpose.
We've already
looked at that.
God will always
provide a way of
escape when
temptation comes.
If you give in
to temptation
if I give in
to temptation
it's because I want
to, because you
wanted to.
Yes.
Because look at
what the scripture
says.
No temptation
has seized you
except what is
common to man.
And God is
faithful.
He will not
let you be
tempted beyond
what you can
bear.
But when you
are tempted
he will provide
a way out
so that you
can stand up
under it.
That's why I
say when I
sin it's because
deep down
that's what I
wanted to do.
I refused
to take the
way of escape.
God is
never
will God be
faithful to
the very end
with us.
It's always
will we be
faithful to
the very end.
God will do
what he promises
to do.
but he also
requires that we
be committed,
that we be
disciplined,
that we hang in
there and not
give up,
that we
persevere.
I want to ask
you right now.
If your life,
you find out
it's going to
come to an end
within the next
few weeks or
months,
are you ready
to say with
Paul,
I have fought
the good fight,
I finished the
race,
I kept the
faith,
I left nothing
on the playing
field of life.
If you can't
say that,
talk to God
about it now.
Make the kind
of commitments
you need to
make.
If you're not
truly a Christian,
admit that to
God, even if
you are a church
member.
Turn from your
sin, put your
trust in him,
in Jesus Christ
and him alone.
Surrender your
life to him
now.
Let's pray
together.
Dear God,
help us to see
right now how
we need to
respond so that
we can have
the testimony
at the end
of our lives
whenever that
may be.
We left it
all on the
field.
We held
nothing back.
We gave our
all to
cooperating with
you in
developing
Christ-like
character.
We gave our
all in serving
you with our
time, talents,
and treasures.
I encourage
everybody in
this room to
listen to the
Lord about what
you need to
do.
Then respond to
him in
obedience.
Take this time
to do that.
As we bow
together,
instruments
playing, we're
just going to
talk to and
listen to God.