WITH HIM BY MY SIDE 2 Timothy 4:9-22

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1 April 6, 2014 Providence WITH HIM BY MY SIDE 2 Timothy 4:9-22 INTRODUCTION: Loyalty. Does this word mean anything any more? People used to be loyal about many things, even trivial things, but they remained true and committed to someone or something. ILLUS. My uncle used to own an Exxon gas station so for years I thought it was disloyal to buy any other brand. Until I got married, I was a loyal user of Colgate toothpaste now I am a Crest man! In college sports, I am a loyal fan of my Wake Forest teams always cheering for them even when I am not expecting them to win. For the past 20+ years, I have driven a Camry (although I toyed with the idea of an Accord this time around, but my loyalty eventually won out). For over 35 years, I have been committed to pastor this one church and I am loyal in my love for you and desire to serve you. But the culture has changed. Athletes change teams like they change socks. Years ago, I could never get used to the idea of my Red Sox man Wade Boggs playing for the Yankees or Russell Wilson playing for Wisconsin or Peyton Manning leaving the Colts to play for the Broncos. Yet there are important things we should be able to count on people we can rely on to be loyal marriages where both husband and wife remain faithful families where parents and kids are loyal to one another. And in the church what happened to covenant relationships of people who cared deeply for one another and were loyal to their membership commitments? Paul writes totimothy in these last words of his last letter and speaks with regret of disloyal people who have abandoned him and the faith but also with gratitude for those who have remained true as loyal friends and co-laborers with Christ. THESIS: God is looking for followers who have sticking power, those who will keep their commitments to Him and to each other because such as these reflect the faithful character of God to His people. So Paul closes with regrets for some relationships, and thanks for others. But most of all, for the faithfulness of Jesus Christ! I. DISCOURAGED BY DISLOYALTY --Sometimes when you need people the most, you turn around and they are no longer with you! A. DESERTED: ABANDONED FOR LOVE OF THE WORLD 2 Tim. 4:10 For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. --Can you hear the heartbreak for Paul? A friend who once walked in friendship with Paul ( because only someone who had once been with you could leave you) had made a choice to love the world instead of Paul and the gospel of Jesus Christ. 1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. --Two levels of sadness should hit us right in the heart: 1. A Relationship Is Forsaken on a Human Level

2 --Have you ever been deserted by a friend, not just someone who moved away (either physically or detached themselves relationally)? --The sense of loss hurts, and you mourn for them. --Sometimes the relationship is not broken, but just gradually dissolves because of neglect still the sense of loss is deep for the one left behind, or as it might sometimes fell, tossed aside. ILLUS. We pastors face this all too often as church members and friends decide to move on, often without any explanation or worse with a painful explanation! As a launchpad church, we see many relationships change due to distance as we send our dearest friends around the globe, or just across the city. Even though these changes are intentional and for the greater good of the kingdom, the impact is still felt as we miss those God calls elsewhere. But when there is just a revolving-door attitude toward church membership, the whole idea of being a covenant community takes a hit. Church shoppers abound in a transient culture and relationships and ministry suffer because of it. Thom Rainer wrote a best-selling book last year called, I Am a Church Member. As a sequel, I have proposed a book called I Am a Fickle Church Member. I think Paul would write the foreword or preface for me! --So we who are left behind sometimes feel hurt, abandoned, rejected, unappreciated the list goes on and on but when relationships break for whatever reason, we should feel it because we care for one another! 2. A Life Is Abandoned on a Spiritual Level --The shipwreck of Demas faith set the course of his life on a collision course with the Lord living against the grain of godliness brings much pain and emptiness! --He made the disastrous decision to abandon his walk with Christ in order to pursue the world he loved more this same fellow-worker of Paul (Philemon 24) was now so caught up in the lifestyle of Rome and the appeal to the desires of his flesh that he deserted. --From fellow-worker for Christ to indifferent man of the world, Demas chose the temporary and sinful pleasures of this world over the abundant life promised to those who lived and died for Christ. --No wonder Paul cries out for Timothy to come because he could no longer count on Demas as his friend or co-laborer for Christ. B. ATTACKED: HARMED BY VIGOROUS OPPOSITION 2 Timothy 4:14-15 Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. 15 Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. --Everyone who stands on the principles of God s Word will undergo attacks. --We expect them to come from unbelievers and godless opponents of biblical truth so there is not much pain in those assaults on what we believe and teach. --The cause of the greatest anguish comes from once-trusted friends and co-laborers in ministry those who should know better perhaps even do know better but launch vigorous attacks anyway.

3 ILLUS. Some of the most serious accusations or attacks against me and what I believe did not come from unbelievers. Instead they came without restraint and with no mercy from those who claimed to be acting on behalf of the Lord. I find it fascinating to see what kinds of attitudes and methods are employed by people in the church today who are so much like Alexander the coppersmith. If they think that they have happened upon a righteous cause (even if they have not but they think they have), they throw all civility to the wind and abandon every ounce of grace in the way they carry out their vendetta against those who dare to challenge them, disagree with them, or fail to meet their demands. A friend once said that there are few things as damaging as someone who thinks they serve a righteous cause without any effort to follow a righteous means of addressing it. --So Paul says, Demas left me Alexander did me much harm others would not join me in my defense of the gospel. But I am not discouraged in my heart or diverted in my devotion. 2 Timothy 4:16 At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! C. GRACIOUS: FORGIVENESS FOR ALL HARM --With every reason to be disappointed, frustrated, discouraged and perhaps even a little angry, Paul allows none of those feelings to push aside grace. --Instead of blaming them or defaming them, Paul echoes the words of Jesus at the cross: Father, forgive them; they don t know what they are doing! --What grace and forgiveness he modeled just at a point when he was completely justified in condemning such blatant disloyalty, he chose to bring no charge against such traitors, or subject his fair weather friends with angry rebukes. --Therefore, we get discouraged when we are left on our own attacked with no one standing with us and it feels horrible! Take Away: 1. Whether we are malicious or merely thoughtless, disloyalty still causes much pain and reflects badly on the trustworthiness of Christ. --So be intentionally, devotedly loyal in your relationships to one another, to the church family and to Jesus Christ! --Why so careful so committed to loyalty to Christ and others? II. STRENGTHENED BY FAITHFULNESS --Paul could be gracious to others in their disloyalty to him because Jesus had been gracious to him, even when Paul had been less than faithful to Jesus! --We can find great strength when we know that we are not alone that Jesus and others stand with us, to hold us up and sustain us when we are about to collapse! A. THE FAITHFULNESS OF FRIENDS --Guys like Timothy, Luke and Mark gave Paul tremendous encouragement because they were loyal to their trusted friend.

4 --Mark had fallen out of favor with Paul, to the extent that he would not allow him to come along on the second missionary journey, but here it is clear that he had been restored that he had proven himself faithful once again. ILLUS. Loneliness is hard. Being alone is not the same thing! We can actually choose to be alone and enjoy it, but being lonely involves a sense of abandonment, rejection, being forgotten, ignored and leads to emotions like fear, insecurity, desperation and even anger. There have been times when I believed that the only person who stood with me was my wife, Cathy. People I counted on to have my back chose for various reasons to send me on alone to face whatever the giants happened to be. Sleepless nights, frustrating wandering of the mind asking why, questioning if any friendships are real all the product of fabrication in a wounded heart, of course. Psa. 55:12-14 Now it is not an enemy who insults me otherwise I could bear it; it is not a foe who rises up against me otherwise I could hide from him. 13 But it is you, a man who is my peer, my companion and good friend! 14 We used to have close fellowship; we walked with the crowd into the house of God. --Such are the signs of a major pity party when we feel like others have not been faithful friends to us. --But how amazing to look around when the fire gets hot, the troubles rise up and the attack presses in and see your faithful friends surrounding you!! Physically standing by your side Prayerfully interceding for you Verbally defending you Biblically affirming you --At those times, you quickly forget those who have walked away and praise God for those who stand firm with you! --Don t kid yourself everyone needs faithful friends Rom. 14:7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. --We are the body of Christ one people with one voice under one Lord living for one purpose to glorify the name of the Lord together! --Praise the Lord for faithful friends! It truly is an amazing thing to be loved! Take Away: 2. Have you been a faithful friend to those God has placed in your life? Ask the Lord to show you a couple of people with whom you need to restore relationships. --How wonderful it can be like Paul with Mark to be reconciled if necessary, or simply to renew an old acquaintance that you neglected, a friend you just dropped for no reason? B. THE FAITHFULNESS OF THE LORD 2 Timothy 4:17-18 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 1. Faithful to the Messenger

5 --Everyone sent by God to proclaim His message will soon know how faithful the Lord is, how strong His hand can be and how powerful the gospel always is. --God s faithfulness is never more evident than when we do what He created us to do declare His glory in all we say and do! a. Stayed with me --The sense of His abiding presence is strong in those who are walking with Him and speaking out for Him and even in those moments when we find ourselves all alone, apart from other people, the Spirit reminds us that He is always there. John 14:23 Jesus answered him, If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him Heb 13:5b I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you. b. Stood with me --But beyond just the gentle reminders of His abiding presence, there is the promise and assurance that He takes His stand with us. ILLUS. Like a little kid becomes brave when his big brother stands with him, so we gain courage to stand true when we know that the Lord stands with us. Like the old song says, Jesus and me, we are a majority! --Even in those times when you look around and see no one else, He assures you that He is there in full force, ever faithful to His own. 2 Kings 6:15-17 When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, Alas, my master! What shall we do? 16 He said, Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them. 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see. So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. c. Strengthened me --God does not depend upon our own strength to accomplish His purposes in our lives, nor to fulfill the ministry He give us to do. Eph. 6:10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might Phil. 4:13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. --The strength of His might shows up when we dare to trust Him and step out in faith to do what we think is impossible. --As Paul had discovered in his calling, there was never a time when he was not strengthened by the Lord for any task, any hardship, any confrontation he ever faced! d. Spoke through me --Just when we think we have nothing to say, no courage to speak, no words to convince anyone God chooses to speak through us, giving wise counsel offering a word of comfort telling someone the good news of salvation in Christ.

6 2 Timothy 4:17 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. --Jesus promised His disciples that when we follow Him, we will always be in the right place at the right time and have the right words to say. Matt. 10:18-20 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. 19 When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 2. Rescued by the Master 2 Timothy 4:17b-18 So I was rescued from the lion s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. a. Was rescued from dangerous circumstances (lion s mouth) --Paul understood how often the Lord had rescued him in the past and was confident that he had no reason to be afraid to follow Christ anywhere. b. Will be rescued from every evil deed --This glorious hope strikes at two evils, those done against me and those I am inclined to do myself. I am protected in general and occasionally rescued when things get too far. I will be rescued and covered by the mighty hand of God in any future endeavor for His glory 3. Brought home safely to His heavenly kingdom --No matter how tough the going becomes, the Lord assures us that He will bring us safely home. --Even in times when it appears that He lifted His covering and we endured persecution and even pain, we can always be confident that our heavenly home awaits us! --So regardless of how lonely ministry gets how much suffering may accompany the work of the church and the spread of the gospel, God promises No one left behind! --God is faithful! Take Away: 3. Take a moment and think...when did the Lord last show His faithfulness to you stayed with you, stood with you, strengthened you, spoke through you, rescued you, opened your eyes to see the wonder of the place He has prepared for you? --Many of His acts of faithful go unnoticed and receive no thanks from us, no praise for His mercy and grace in our lives. CONCLUSION: Do you consider yourself a loyal person? I think most of us want to think of ourselves that way!

7 But where is the evidence? Where are the commitments to things that matter to the Lord and to strong, godly relationships? THESIS: God is looking for followers who have sticking power, those who will keep their commitments to Him and to each other because such as these reflect the faithful character of Jesus Christ to His people.

8 2Tim. 4:9-22 Do your best to come to me soon. 10 For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. 12 Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. 13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. 14 Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. 15 Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. 16 At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! 17 But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. 2Tim. 4:19 Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. 20 Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus. 21 Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers. 2Tim. 4:22 The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you. April 6, 2014 Providence Baptist Church David Horner, 2014 Sermon outlines are copyrighted in the event of future publication. They may be used for preaching and teaching purposes but may not be published or sold.