1 Thessalonians 5:16- 18 – The Attitude of Gratitude

October, the 10^th month of our year is annually remembered as Thanksgiving month at Eastside. We do this deliberately to keep the culture of thanksgiving alive. The Thanksgiving offering built upon the biblical principle of thanksgiving, supplements the ministry and projects of our church. At this time we would ask you to consider giving generously to your  church,  as our financial resources are being  steadily eroded. We trust that you see the value of this church’s ministry, and your generous giving would very much affirm that.  This morning’s  sermon  is not designed to manipulate you, as many prosperity preachers  would  do in our day, but to help you to continuously live  a life of thanksgiving to God.

Our text from Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians reads,   “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”  [vv. 16-18]. The text contains three imperatives:  “rejoice always”, “pray without ceasing” and “give thanks in all circumstances”.   Rejoice always – that is not a suggestion, but a command. Pray without ceasing – not a suggestion, but a command; give thanks in all circumstances – again, not a suggestion, but a command. Paul is speaking about our state of mind, our general attitude in life.  Christians ought to be always  joyful, always prayerful and  always thankful.  God wants us to respond to Him in ways that demonstrate our deep gratitude for what He has done for us and in us.  It arises from the great work of God in our souls. 

• The  Psalmist  in  30:11-12 says: ''You turned for me  my mourning  into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory  may sing  your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever.'' The Psalmist was quite overcome by the goodness and mercy of God.  

• In a sermon on Psalm 100 (Make a joyful noise  to the Lord all the earth … enter into his gates with thanksgiving)   Charles  Spurgeon  had this to say:  In all our public service the rendering of thanks must abound; it is like the incense of the temple, which filled the whole house with smoke… [the] sacrifices are ended, but those of gratitude will never be out of date. So long as we are receivers of mercy we must be givers of thanks. …Be thankful unto him. Let the praise be in your heart as well as on your tongue, and let it all be for him to whom it all belongs. And bless his name. He blessed you, bless him in return; bless his name, his character, his person. Whatever he does, be sure that you bless him for it; bless him when he takes away as well as when he gives; bless him as long as you live, under all circumstances…

• In Psalm 103:1-5 David preached to himself: " 1 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, (and he begins to list them)  3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 5 who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. And David's list goes on.

In the context of  Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians  this  joy, this prayerful spirit, this thankful spirit arises out of the fact that  they knew that God had chosen them to be His own  (1:4). The gospel had come to them not only in word, but also in power, in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction (1:5). They had received the word in much affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit (1:6). They had turned to God from idols to serve the Living God (1:9)

Now as you listen to this you may be tempted to say, “Well, that all sounds all very nice and good, but it sounds somewhat idealistic. This just isn’t a reality for me. Joy regularly escapes me, prayer escapes me and thanksgiving escapes me.”  So, is Paul idealistic or sentimental when he says this? Isn’t this the problem with Christians – they are just a bunch of idealists?   

Well, let’s see. Paul says two  things in this challenging verse

(i)               Give thanks in all circumstances

(ii)             For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus

1.     Give thanks in all circumstances:

This little phrase  requires careful thought. It’s easy to be thankful   when things go well, but when things don’t go well for us, are we still to remain thankful? We need to read this carefully.  Hear then what Paul is not saying. He is not saying “for everything give thanks”. He says, “in everything give thanks”. There are some circumstances for which we cannot give thanks.  I could not say, when my cousin was brutally murdered his home on the 18^th June 2016, "Lord, I thank you for my cousin’s murder”. No one can give thanks for the brutal murder and dismemberment of that little girl, Avihe Cheryl Ujaha, (granddaughter of Pastor Seth Kaimu, an uncle of our Pastor Spencer Tjijenda) in recent months. You may have been at the receiving end of evil in your own life, and for this the LORD God is not asking you to give thanks in itself. That is not what Paul is asking you to do.But Paul is saying that in every circumstance, no matter how catastrophic, you are to acknowledge His presence and sovereignty in and over these things. For His own good reasons, God allows evil things to happen, and we are not always able to see the outcome.  He allowed His Son to be killed on a cross by evil men. We now know and understand the outcome.  It is very important that we maintain an understanding of the sovereignty of God in all things.   This is very important, because we can get so easily lost in our ugly emotions, as we will easily  take ownership of such  a situation and  become bitter, angry and murderous  in our own thoughts. God is perfectly  aware  of everything that happens to us, and He counsels us not to retaliate  (see Romans  12:17-21).

Let me give you an illustration to help us understand. You may have heard this story of Matthew Henry (1662-1714), the famous Puritan commentator  and  preacher  who was once  robbed. In his diary he records the event,

8^th  March 1713. Lord's-day. In the evening I went to London. I preached Mr. [Samuel] Rosewell's evening lecture, Psalm 89:16  -- the joyful sound. As I came home I was robbed. The thieves took from me about ten or eleven shillings. My remarks upon it were, -- 1. What reason have I to be thankful to God, who have travelled so much, and yet was never robbed before 2. What a deal of evil the love of money is the root of, that four men would venture their lives and souls, for about half a crown a piece. 3. See the power of Satan in the children of disobedience. 4. See the vanity of worldly wealth; how soon we may be stripped of it. How loose, therefore, we should sit to it.

Somewhere along the way, his meditations upon the event were reported as a prayer: Lord, I thank Thee first because I was never robbed before; second, because although they took my purse they did not take my life; third, because although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth because it was I who was robbed, and not I who robbed.

This is the spirit of our text in 1 Thessalonians 5:18. In these circumstances, though they were awful, Matthew Henry found reasons for thanksgiving.  Matthew Henry certainly knew how to make lemonade out of a lemon. Now that is how God expects us to react in such times, and we need to train ourselves to think like that, so that we are prepared for such events.  For you see, thanklessness toward God is the first step in backsliding from God. We see this in Romans 1:18-21.  Here Paul describes the path people take in departing from God, and at the heart of it is  an attitude of ingratitude. Paul says, “For although they knew God, they did not honour him as God or gave thanks to him.” (Rom 1:21). A life of  ingratitude or thanklessness  leads to many bad choices. When we take God’s’ blessings for granted and neglect to give him thanks, we slowly have little time for God, little time for worship, and little time to help others. We become self-centered. Before we know it, we have wandered far away from God, and we wonder what happened to that  relationship we once enjoyed with God. That is why we must worship and give thanks to God. Gratitude toward God leads to peace, joy, and satisfaction.

You may know the remarkable story of Helen Keller (1880 – 1968) who became blind and deaf through a virus when she was only 19 months old.  Despite her immense disability she went on to become an author, political activist and a lecturer. I am not entirely sure of her  spiritual roots, but when she was  young  she was introduced to  Phillips Brooks,an Anglican clergyman  who introduced her to Christianity, Keller famously saying: "I always knew He was there, but I didn't know His name!" She said, “For three things I thank God every day of my life. Thanks that He has vouchsafed me knowledge of His works; deep thanks that He has set in my darkness the light of faith; deepest thanks that I have another life to look forward to—a life joyous with light and flowers and heavenly song. Helen Keller may not have been thankful for the circumstance of being blind and deaf, but she was thankful in that circumstance. And that is precisely what Paul is saying to us. In every circumstance, we are to give thanks.

2. Why we should give thanks

I draw your attention  now to the second part of that statement: “Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you.” That means at least two things.

(i)               God wants you to give thanks in everything, and therefore, you ought to do it. It's just like when your mother says,  “Eat your broccoli”, and you say, “why?”, and she says, “Because I am your mother – that’s why!” God wants you to give thanks because He says so!

(ii)             But there is more to it than that. God wants  to teach us to be a thankful, joyful people, whose delight is in Him. He wants a people  who do not get lost in their circumstances, but  who get lost in in Him! This is who  Paul  is in a Philippian prison. And even though  we live in a fallen world in which there are many things  for which we cannot be thankful, we should  not miss  out on seeing the grace of God extended to us in these experiences.

How to give thanks: Here it is  in just three words, "In Christ Jesus." When  my friend Pastor Roland Eskinazi lost his first wife Sharon, in an accident  with  a taxi in Johannesburg, my abiding impression was that of a brother, friend and pastor,  who as he held his dying wife  committed her to the grace of the  Lord Jesus Christ as he was praying the 23^rd Psalm. There is not a trace of bitterness or anger in my friend today. He committed  her with a thankful heart  to the Lord Jesus in whose presence she now dwells. 

If you have  seen the  face of God in Christ, if you have tasted the love of God and the goodness  of God, you  will know that all that is taken from you  ultimately never was yours. They are His.   And therefore you rest in His grace, and you thank him for what you have. And the greatest treasure we have is Jesus! Amen.

2 Timothy 4:9-22 : Little comforts and Great Comfort

As you go through your mental filing list of people that you have deeply loved,  people  that you have had unpleasant partings with, people that you remember from long ago, what goes through your mind?  Paul was in prison in Rome, and as a prisoner he had a lot of time to think about people. This final chapter of Paul’s second letter to Timothy, and indeed  this final correspondence of Paul contains  a  list of people, some whom he remembers fondly and others with great  concern, alarm. 

Paul is always surrounded by people. He knows someone in every town. He is connected.  There are 17  people listed in this ending.

Paul ends this letter to Timothy, pastor in Ephesus, on a very personal and touching note, and with a few requests. Here we find Paul, a man portrayed  with the same human desires and longings and discouragements that you and I   face.  I wanted us to see that this great, revered apostle and contributor to a third of our New Testament  had a very human face. I wanted us to see that he was very much a human being  like you and I, feeling  the need   for human company and comforts and intellectual stimulation. He experienced the joy and pain of human relationships as you and I do. He flourished and suffered because of these relationships. In one sense nothing in life gives more joy than our relationships. But  it is also true to say that  no experience in life can be  harder and more taxing than broken  relationship. But in the end, what counts in all the hardships, is the knowledge that  God, the never changing, ever faithful  heavenly Father,  throughout all his  many trials  stands by  Paul, strengthening him in his spirit and in his work.  

As always, I direct your attention to the text and discover what is there, learning the  lessons that the Holy Spirit intends to teach us today (cf.  2 Tim. 3:16,17)  

1.     Paul longs for  Timothy’s company:  v.9  “Do your best to come to me soon”. In v.21 He says ‘Do your best to come to me before winter’.  Paul needed to see him soon- before winter, before the sailing season in the Mediterranean was over, and bad weather set in (see Acts 27). At the beginning of this letter, in 2 Tim 1:3 he tells Timothy, “I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy”. Among the people that Paul longed to see was this young man, now pastor of the church in Ephesus. Here was a man that filled Paul’s heart with so much joy. Do you have people like that in your life? People to whom you write and say, ‘can’t wait to see you’?   The temptation is to think of Paul as someone that is very aloof. He always helps others, and gives advice to others, but he himself doesn’t need help. Not so.  Paul needs people, and particularly at this time. He wants Timothy to come.  Luke, the doctor, and travelling companion of Paul, the human author of the Gospel and  of the Book of Acts   alone is with him (v. 11), and surprise, surprise,  he is asking  that Timothy  would bring Mark with him, ‘for he is very useful to me  for ministry.’  You will remember that Paul and Mark (i.e. John Mark) had not always been on great terms. In fact, Paul and Barnabas have a sharp disagreement and a separation because of him in Acts 15:39. Paul felt let down because John Mark had deserted them during their first missionary journey in Perga, Pamphylia (Acts 13:13).  On the second missionary journey when Barnabas wanted to take him along, Paul disagreed and they parted company.    But clearly now (and isn’t that great?), relationships have been restored, and Paul says to Timothy, “bring John Mark with you, he is useful!” It is wonderful to see in these closing verses how important people are to Paul. Treasure  your relationships!

2.     Paul is lonely  and disappointed by  some whom he  once worked with  and  who  have either deserted him or have left him otherwise in a lurch, when he needed them: Demas is mentioned in Colossians 4:14 and in Philemon 24, but he has now  fallen in love with the present world (v.10). People  drop out of our lives. Sadly these things do happen. In addition Paul mentions the loss of company of two others, but not in any way like Demas. Crescens (not named elsewhere) has gone to Galatia (v.10). Titus,who was  formerly  on the island of Crete (Titus 1:5)  is now reassigned to  Dalmatia  (in today’s Croatia).  Tychicus has been sent to Ephesus. It is likely that he was   going to stand in for Timothy at Ephesus, once he came to visit Paul. Isn’t it interesting how Paul remains the ‘director of missions’ during his imprisonment?  In vv.14,15 we see some of Paul’s deepest hurts expressed: “Alexander the coppersmith, did  me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message.“  He might be the same Alexander that is mention  in 1 Tim. 1:20 and in  Acts 19:33. Whatever he did we cannot say, but it deeply affected Paul, and he needed  to warn others concerning him. Sadly  so, some people  that we rub shoulders with  have become toxic, and from Paul’s perspective it is they who, after having followed the gospel for a while, now become enemies of the gospel  e.g. 1:15 (Phygelus and Hermogenes);  2:17 (Hymeneaus and Philetus);  3:8 (Jannes and Jambres)  

3.     Paul needs creaturely comforts. He needs his cloak which he left with Carpus at Troas (v.13).  He needs warm clothes. You can imagine. He is in prison, and it’s cold.  Paul, even though he has said that he has finished the course and fought the fight  and   run the race, anticipating his heavenly reward,  is aware  of the possibility that he may  yet have to spend another winter in prison. We are immortal until  our work is done.[1]   And so, on a  very practical note, he needs his coat! We have  lived through two Klein Windhoek- Avis (where we live)  winters  by now, and we are very happy to have  warm cloaks and a winter duvet!

"So, Timothy if you come (and please come before winter) pass through Troas and pick up my cloak  which I left with Carpus.”  We live somewhere between acceptance of everything that God allows us to go through and a desire to improve ourselves and our conditions.  Paul was in prison by God’s appointment. He writes to the Philippians from prison, “what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel . . . that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body whether by life or death” (Phil 1:12-20), and yet he can say, Please bring me that cloak.

4.     Paul needs books!  V.13b ”bring the books and above all, the parchments…”   Spurgeon,  in a sermon  on this very text says, “ He is inspired, and yet he wants books.He has been preaching at least for thirty years, and yet he wants books. He has seen the Lord, and yet he wants books. He's had a wider experience than most men, and yet he wants books. He had been caught up into the third heaven and had heard things which it was unlawful for a man to utter, and yet he wants books. He had written the major part of the New Testament, and yet he wants books and parchments.” What  an important reminder of the fact  that God has given us a book to read. Do you read your Bible regularly? Do you read good books? Reading Christians are generally growing Christians. What were  these books and parchments? In all likelihood  it  would have been a copy of the Greek Old Testament, and perhaps also his ‘notebooks’, the parchments, things which  he might have written (or half written).  Paul, even in prison, facing death  wanted to learn, wanted to be stimulated. Start  reading!

5.      Paul testifies  to  God’s  comforting presence in prison (vv. 16-18)  Notice what he says: “The Lord stood by me” (v. 17). Evidently some preliminary trial has already taken place (v.16)  and some deliverance had  happened. He tells us that like Daniel in Babylon he has been delivered from the lion’s mouth (v.17), and again in v. 18, “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed ....”; and then in the closing benediction he says, “The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you”. Here is the apostle Paul  in this terrible situation, alone and abandoned by many, but he knows that he  is not alone.  God is there. He is tangibly present. 

     Welsh Pastor, Geoff Thomas,  now retired,   tells the story  of Pastor Sandor of Romania  who was imprisoned in the 1950s. Kept in an overcrowded cell he longed for time to be alone with Jesus, for deeper prayer and an increased spiritual usefulness. And then, for helping a weaker prisoner he was sentenced to a lengthy spell in a below-ground punishment box where he could hardly sit, enduring insufferable heat, no sanitation and minimal food and drink. Initially he was despairing and confused, and then he remembered what he’d been praying for, and realized that Jesus was with his spirit there, that he has been given two weeks of undisturbed fellowship with the Lord. He always afterwards blessed God for that wonderful cell. There he knew this presence, this real, protecting, transforming, faith-enriching, holiness-developing, wisdom-granting, preacher-emboldening presence that would sustain Timothy and enable him to stand alone in Asia Minor and triumph over all these adversaries in the world and in the professing church.

So, what is the Holy Spirit saying to us in this section?  When we  are lonely  we  need friends. Poor relationships affect us and trouble us.  When our body is cold we need clothing. When our mind is unoccupied we need reading matter. We are human. These are legitimate human needs. But when everything is said and done, and nothing has become tangible  for us, God is there, an ever present help in trouble (Psalm 46)

I close with this story about William Tyndale (1494 -1536), that great English Reformer. He was the author of a number of books and of the Tyndale Bible.  There is only one letter that has survived.[2] It was written while Tyndale was a prisoner at Vilvoorde Castle in Belgium, about 10 km’s north of Brussels. There he was being kept in a cold and dingy dungeon.  Let me read it to you: “I believe, right worshipful, that you are not ignorant of what has been determined concerning me. Therefore, I entreat your Lordship, and that by the Lord Jesus, that if I am to remain here during the winter, you will request the Procurer to be kind enough to send me from my goods, which he has in his possession, a warmer cap, for I suffer extremely from cold in the head, being afflicted with a perpetual catarrh [inflammation in the nose or throat], which is considerably increased in the cell. A warmer coat also, for that which I have is very thin; also a piece of cloth to patch my leggings: my overcoat is worn out; my shirts are also worn out. He has a woollen shirt of mine, if he will be kind enough to send it. I have also, with him, leggings of thicker cloth, for putting on above; he has also warmer caps for wearing at night. I wish also his permission to have a candle in the evening, for it is wearisome to sit alone in the dark. But above all, I entreat and beseech your clemency to be urgent with the Procurer that he would kindly permit me to have my Hebrew Bible, Hebrew Grammar, and Hebrew Dictionary, that I may spend my time with that study. And in return, may you obtain your dearest wish, provided it is always consistent with the salvation of your soul. But if any other resolutions have been come to concerning me, before the close of the winter, I shall be patient, abiding the will of God to the glory of the grace of my Lord Jesus Christ, whose spirit, I pray, may ever direct your heart. Amen. William Tyndale

Just as Paul did in 2 Timothy, Tyndale asked for his cloak and for his books. He would be led from the castle and martyred on Friday, October 6, 1536 through strangulation and burning.

THE GREATEST NEED IS FOR THE LORD AND HIS GRACE TO BE WITH US.

Paul's closing  words  from a prison cell are comforting: “The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you” (v.22). 

This is what Timothy must have. 

This is what we must have, actually more than friends, warm clothes and books. 

After all is said and done, we must  have  the comforting presence  and fellowship of  the Lord Jesus with our spirits.

---

[1] George Whitfield : letters p.1

[2] https://www.5minutesinchurchhistory.com/tyndales-only-surviving-letter/

Acts 27 - "My Days are in His Hands"

Previously we have seen that the Roman governor Festus and the Jewish king Agrippa agreed that Paul could have been set free, had he not appealed to Caesar (26:32). And so the voyage to Rome begins. A Roman centurion, named Julius, of the Augustan cohort (a regiment stationed in Caesarea) is put in charge to deliver Paul to Rome.  

They were being accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian   whom we first met in Acts 19:29. He, along with Gaius was said to be one of Paul’s travel companions. He is also mentioned in Acts 20:4. In Colossians 4:10 he is mentioned as being Paul’s fellow prisoner, and in the short letter to Philemon, written from prison in Rome he is mentioned in the final greetings (Philemon 23). 

Also notice the ‘we’ in 27:1 and following. Luke, the writer of the Acts includes himself in this journey.    

The route takes them by way of a coastal route, and the first port of call is Sidon, not far from Caesarea. After a short  layover at Sidon where Paul is allowed to go ashore  to be cared for  among his friends there, the journey continues  on the leeward side[1] of Cyprus, struggling  somewhat  against the prevailing westerly winds until they reach the  port of Myra in Cilicia (Paul was born in Tarsus, Cilicia).  In Myra they change ships. The ship   which they are now boarding came from Alexandria in Africa and it was sailing to Italy (v.6). This journey proved to be difficult from the start. The winds were now directly against them. You can’t sail into the wind. The best sailing is done when the wind is from behind you. The next best option is when it is coming from the side, in which case you have to engage in a manoeuver call tacking. Luke records that the journey proceeds with difficulty until they arrive at the port of Cnidus and then down to Salmone on the island of Crete and on to Fair Havens near Lasea on the island of Crete. The problem here was that this was not a good harbour to winter in. The ship would not  enjoy safe anchorage  there.  From ancient shipping history we learn  that  sailing in this part of the Mediterranean after September 14 was considered to be dangerous, and after November it  was considered to be impossible. It's already mid-October. Luke records that the Fast – i.e. the Feast of Atonement (celebrated by the Jews each year in September-October) has already passed (v.9).  Paul is nervous about the sailing conditions. He has crossed this sea on numerous occasions and seasons and he knows some of its dangers. In 2 Corinthians 11:25 he tells us, “Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea.”  He had suffered shipwreck 3 times before! This was most likely his fourth experience. What a hazardous undertaking it was to cross the sea in those days!

Here we see that Paul, with his considerable experience warns the owner and the captain that it would not be wise to proceed (vv.10,11). But they are between a rock and a hard place, it seems.   The majority thinks it’s better to push on to Phoenix, a harbour in Crete, further up the coast, and off they sailed.  The south wind (ideal sailing conditions ) began to blow gently (v.13), and we imagine someone saying, “You see, the Lord is with us.” Now, that illustrates the fact, that circumstances are not reliable guides for Christians. “When the south wind blew gently ” might have suggested  that ‘God is  in this’, but as it turned out, he  was not. They should have listened to God’s man, God’s voice on the boat!  And it is so tragic that so many of us  take our cues  and leadings from  ‘little signs’ and ‘cues’ and mystic leadings,  but we  are not anchored  enough in the Word of God, and do not trust  the wisdom of  our appointed  leaders enough in such situations  where sensible guidance is to be sought. Jesus warns us not to judge by mere appearances (Jn. 7:24); He warns us not to judge according to the flesh (Jn. 8:15). Proverbs 14:12 counsels us, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”  And moreover we ought to make greater use of that great gift of God  which is sometimes called ‘sanctified common sense’.  Common sense at that time dictated that this was a dangerous sailing season.  Do you get the drift? (Forgive the pun!)

And then a tempestuous wind (anemos  tuphōnikos- tuphon, from which the word typhoon originates)  also known as the northeaster (eurokludōn)  came up  (v.14)!  The ship is basically taken out to sea … driven along (v.15).  In this state they continued for 14 days (v.27). By now they have no idea where they are, and there comes a point at which they  (there are 276 souls in the ship- v. 37) begin to lose all hope (v.20). The Mediterranean has continued to be the graveyard of many, in our day we hear particularly of African migrants trafficked by ruthless men from Africa to Europe. They, in their less than seaworthy boats are always  at the mercy of this sea that is known for its  unpredictable climate and winds.    And so it is, with no hope and no food. It is time for Paul to say something. And he says, “You should have listened to me. I told you this would happen!”  (v.21). We have no reason to believe that he said this in a self-righteous manner. 

Take note of the words that follow in vv. 22-26, “Take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.” And why was Paul able to say this with confidence?  Because of what follows in vv. 23-26.  He knew without a doubt that   their lives were in God’s hands. God appeared to Paul in the form of an angel, and with the angel came a two- fold assurance: (i) you must testify before Caesar (ii) God has granted you all those who sail with you.  Their lives were in God’s hands.    

After the 14^th day adrift in the  Mediterranean, the circumstances begin to change. The sailors suspected that they might be nearing land (v.27).   Maybe they heard the pounding of the surf. And they began to prepare themselves for shipwreck. Some aboard wanted to  stow away in a small boat – a  dinghy, and when Paul saw  this ,  he warned them that they  would suffer the loss of their lives. Wisely they listen to Paul this time and let go of the boat. They will not survive if they do not stay in God’s hands.

Another practical matter:  Faith is practical. Paul encouraged them to eat, so that they would have strength to negotiate the shipwreck and the strenuous effort   of getting ashore (v. 33). Cooking had been impossible for the last 14 days . Who has much appetite in the midst of a violent storm on a ship? My own experience as a young boy on a small fishing trawler in storm season between Walvis Bay and Cape Town confirms this.  But Paul says,   “You need to eat! Get your strength up.” Once again, this is practical  or ‘sanctified’ common sense. What a gift from God  to have a man in their midst who saw  issues clearly, and can give directions  and leadership, when others were making bad decisions (like leaving the ship)  and  not taking care of their bodies.     

But more significantly Paul now assures  the  crew and passengers of a spiritual directive and assurance which he received from God … ‘not a  hair is to perish from their head.’ Their lives are in God’s hands.   Note the prayer associated with the handing out of the bread. Paul gave thanks for the food (v.35). In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you  (1 Thess. 5:18)   

In vv. 39-41 we find the account of the shipwreck. Initially the soldiers planned to kill the prisoners. But Julius the centurion, who by this time clearly had developed a soft spot for Paul,  forbade that. As the ship hits the surf and begins to break up it's every man for himself. Those who could swim were ordered to head for land. Those that could not  swim were told to hold  onto planks or pieces of the ship and drift ashore. And so v. 44 records, “it was  that all were brought safely  to land.”  What a wonderful providence. Paul is vindicated  again in his words.

THREE VITAL LESSONS from the KEY TEXT in vv. 23-25

1.     V. 23.  the true nature of  our life in Christ. “For there stood by me this night an angel of God, to whom I belong and  whom I worship.” He belonged to the Lord. Paul regarded his whole being as belonging to the Lord.  Dear  Christian friend, you will most enjoy your Christian life when you recognize that you belong to the Lord, and that all of your activities are part of your  reasonable spiritual service  to God.

2.     V. 24 The doctrine of divine fore-ordination of all things: We know that this journey (inclusive of some real crises)  must be a success, because Paul must stand before Caesar.

3.     V.25 Concerning the true nature of faith. “Take heart men, for I have faith in God” that it will be exactly as I have been told.“  True faith is simply the acceptance of the teaching of the word of God. 

So Paul, in the midst of the storm, with all its challenges knew that the true Captain of this boat was not the captain and the crew. His life was not in the hands of Julius the centurion. His life was in the hands of  God. He was the captain of His soul and Master of his destiny.    

These are lessons from the storm. There is another wonderful story to tell, as I close.  Many of you know the  hymn, Amazing Grace, written by John Newton.  The origin of this hymn finds  itself in a remarkable deliverance  from a violent storm at sea. John Newton, on  the 10^th of  March 1748, found himself en route back to Liverpool, as his ship, the Greyhound, encountered a violent storm off the coast of Ireland. She was relentlessly pounded by heavy seas for many days. She began to take on water. Newton, who was not yet a Christian pleaded with God to spare him and the crew. But the storm  continued for a number of weeks, as the damaged vessel drifted helplessly and food supplies ran low. 

Newton later wrote in his autobiography, 

‘We saw the island of Tory and the next day anchored in Lough Swilly in Ireland. This was the 8th day of April, just four weeks after the damage we sustained from the sea. Then we came into this port, our very last victuals was boiling in the pot; and before we had been there two hours, the wind began to blow again with great violence. If we had continued at sea that night in our shattered condition, we must have gone to the bottom. About this time I began to know that there is a God that hears and answers prayers‘.

While her crew enjoyed the hospitality of the locals  and local tradesmen set about repairing the Greyhound, Newton attended church at nearby  Londonderry and it is thought that he penned the first verse of Amazing Grace while at Lough Swilly.

Amazing Grace! How Sweet the sound , hat saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now am found, Was blind but now I see.

For the rest of his life, Newton marked March 10th as the date on which he was converted to Christianity.

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[1] Windward  is the direction upwind from the point of reference, alternatively the direction from which the wind is coming. Leeward is the direction downwind (or downward) from the point of reference.

2 Timothy 4:5-8 "Finishing the Fight; Running the Race; Keeping the Faith."

The Bible  often compares the Christian life to a walk  or a pilgrimage, and  in Paul’s letters to  Timothy  the  Christian life is  also compared to a fight (cf. 1 Tim. 1:18,6:12) and a race[1].We see this in our passage. These metaphors all have one thing in common. They all have an end-goal, a destination in view.  You walk and run to get to a destination.  A boxer or wrestler fights to get a victory. There can be nothing aimless about the Christian life.  Where are you going with your Christian life? The call is to  go onward and forward, often engaging in  spiritual battles along the way, always striving  towards the goal and the prize- the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the Righteous Judge will award on that Day.

This is part of Paul’s parting counsel for Timothy, who has been called to work as a pastor-shepherd in this very challenging environment in Ephesus. His goal as a pastor would be to be to present all God’s sheep perfect (ESV mature) in Christ, so that they too would win the crown of righteousness.

When we are  born  and  grow up without  the gospel  our goals naturally   become  focused around ourselves and the  best we can think about is how to  work for a good retirement policy, dreaming about ending our lives in  a house at the sea or on a  quiet farm somewhere. There is almost  no thought about where my immortal soul will go after I die, and little thought about the fact I am ultimately accountable to the God who has created me. Consequently, I do not take cognizance of the fact that a life without Him now will also issue in an eternity without Him.   From the moment you are born again however, all that changes. When Jesus takes hold of you, He by His Word helps you to see that you are on a journey, a pilgrimage, a walk and in fact a race to get to the finish line called heaven.  Where are you heading?  Where is your journey leading you to? Where are you going to?

The second letter to Timothy is our final record of Paul’s earthly correspondence.  In this past week a  well -known newspaper man in Namibian circles, Des Erasmus, died at the age of  81. He wrote his last column on the 31^st August 2018, when he knew he was dying,   and he entitled it,  ‘Ek sê koebaai” (I am saying goodbye).We trust that he knew where he was going when he said his last farewell to his appreciative readers. These are Paul’s final words, and he knew where he was heading. Next time, in our last sermon from 2 Timothy we will consider his final greetings.    

This letter strongly indicates that he is aware that he does not have long to go. He is  heading for  heaven, and he wants to leave vital counsel with Timothy.  Please note the ‘as for you‘ in v. 5 and the ‘as for me’ in v.6 .  Paul is ending his ministry and Timothy is really only  at the  beginning of his ministry.  And so, these are his  words:

5 “As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 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.

It is good to think about, and prepare for the day of our death. All of us will find ourselves in a similar situation to Paul, when we must say… the time for my departure has come. And we want to be sure that those that follow  are  well instructed  and focused  on  their Christian pilgrimage!  

1.     By  being seriously  ministry minded NOW  (v.5)

2.     By facing the reality of  our  own death (v.6)

3.     By  fighting  the good fight, finishing the race, keeping the faith(v.7)

4.     By looking forward to heaven (v.8)

1.     Being seriously ministry minded- NOW! (v.5)

“As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Paul was going and Timothy was coming.  It was important now for Timothy to be sober-minded, to endure suffering, to do the work of an evangelist, and to fulfil all the duties of his ministry because soon he was going to be on his own. Soon there would be no Paul to consult.

•    “...Be sober-minded.” The NIV translates, “keep your head in all situations”. Paul is saying to Timothy, ‘be calm and collected…be composed… keep a cool head … stay focussed on Christ Jesus. Don't get taken in by what the world around you says and does … by what the false teachers (3:1-8) are saying and claiming. Keep focussed on that goal. This is an important exhortation for a minister of the gospel because there are (believe me)  so many voices continuously shouting at a pastor for attention … this way, that way and the next way…Timothy, be sober-minded!
• “Endure hardship.” How many times have we heard Paul say this in the pastoral letters. The nature of the Christian ministry is a continuous spiritual battle.  This is par for the course. Expect it, live with it, plan for it, and do not be surprised when this happens. Jesus has warned us: “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)    
• “do the work of an evangelist.” The goal of the Christian ministry is to evangelize –to announce the Good News of God’s salvation plan to the whole world. The goal is to seek the lost sheep of Jesus. This is the responsibility of every Christian. Our eyes continually scan the horizon to see where those lost sheep might be.  This is the heartbeat and longing of the Christian church- to see people delivered from the life of sinful meaninglessness and self- absorption, gathered to Jesus. To this end we labour and strive, says Paul in 1 Timothy 4:10.  We ought to be longing for and pray for true  conversions.
• “...fulfill your ministry.”  Do all of the things that you are called to do by God.

2.     Face the reality of  your  own death (v.6)

Paul was in prison and on trial in Rome. From the book of Acts we learn that he had chosen to go there, to appeal to Caesar. He had been brought safely through the first hearing (v.17), but he fears that he is not going to escape the clutches of Roman emperor Nero for the second time. He was sure the end was near.

• “I'm being poured out as a drink offering.”  The picture comes from Numbers 15. Apart from the sacrifice of a lamb upon the altar, wine was also poured out next to the altar. Paul is saying to Timothy, “I'm being poured out like that wine, next to the sacrificial lamb on the altar. I have poured myself out for the gospel of Jesus - the Lamb that was slain.” By his example he is encouraging Timothy and us to do the same.  Knowing that you have to die, and to leave this sinful world for paradise, offer up your life, next to Jesus. Be poured out next to His sacrifice. That is the picture here.  For Paul his whole life and all his actions were an offering to God.
• “The time for my departure has come”.   The ship is leaving port, and as it is released from the ropes  at the quay,  it is slipping away quietly, as  the gap steadily  widens between the quayside and the ship, ready to head for the next  harbour.  That is the Christian approach to death. Beloved, in death, we as believers are not facing nothingness, and gloom and darkness. We are setting out on the final journey to our promised reward- a most wonderful place. Dying  for the Christian  is the beginning of a new life. In fact,  Paul throughout his life had a desire to depart and be with Jesus. That better, by far! [Phil. 1:23]  

3.      Fight  the good fight, finish the race, keep the faith (v.7)

• “I have fought the good fight”. The Christian life in this world is a continuous fight against the world (religious and pagan opposition), the flesh (indwelling and original sin) and the devil (the god of this world – 2 Cor. 4:4).
• “I have finished the race”. When God met Paul on the Damascus road (Acts 9) and set his face on a new path, Paul began a race  from which he never flinched. When Paul met with the Ephesian elders he expressed his desire: “if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus.” (Acts 20:24). Well, by now 10 years have passed and he is about to finish his course.   Every Christian has a course set out for them.  Everyone is exhorted to finish that course.  The writer to the Hebrews exhorts us to “run with patience the race that is set before us” (Heb.12:1). God,  our heavenly Father  has mapped out each course and He will provide you  with  the stamina, determination and the means  to finish the course.  
• “I have kept the faith.” I defended and proclaimed the true gospel. Paul was not always popular, nor was he always comfortable, nor was he always easy to understand, but he was always faithful to his calling.

This is what  is before you, dear Christian. Fight, finish and keep  the faith. May all of you die in full assurance of these things! 

4.     Looking forward to heaven. (v.8)

What does Paul anticipate as he looked ahead?8 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.

Paul anticipated facing an evaluation of his life, a judgment, a vindication and a reward. God has so designed it  that we live in a  moral universe in which,  what men sow,  that they will also reap.  Note this.  Paul fully expects to receive a reward upon entering into glory. This is not a  contradiction of the biblical doctrine of salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. He is not smuggling a doctrine of works  into  his doctrine of salvation. The Bible undeniable teaches a doctrine of rewards.  God will reward His faithful servants.  Paul anticipated every  faithful Christian to receive  a  reward. “– and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing”.

The main thing we need to see is this. Paul’s life was driven by something greater than this temporary life.  He wasn’t working for his pension fund. His treasure is not here. His reward is in heaven with God. His reward is the crown of righteousness.  Now, he has already been made righteous, but he is still living in the present in which there is so much unrighteousness.   He longs for a day when sin will have been totally eradicated from him, when its presence and power is gone. This will happen  at the  appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you long for the coming of Christ?

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[1] See also Acts  20:24; 1 ; 1 Cor. 9:24; Gal. 2:2;5:7; 2 Tim 4:7; Hebr. 12:1