The summer term at school was the one that I always looked forward to. Not just because it meant that the summer holidays were just around the corner, but also because it meant that our PE routines changed. Autumn term was always rugby - and much as I love watching it, I was never either strong enough or fast enough, so we would endure the rugby passing drills all autumn.
After Christmas, we got to play some football. But the summer term was much more interesting. After Easter, we moved into athletics mode - both track and field. So there were heavy things to throw (the shot putt); and pointy things to throw (the javelin); long jump and triple jump; and the running races.
Now, most of the running races were just running, but there was one that demanded more skill and coordination between the members of the team. What was it? The relay race. One runner started around the track, carrying the baton. Then someone else would take it on and keep running. The skill came from passing on the baton.
In our second Bible reading today, we’re watching the passing on of the baton. It’s not a practice run in the Dromore High pitches; not even at the Olympics; it’s much more important than that. The apostle Paul is writing to his young friend Timothy, giving him instructions as he passes on the baton of Christian ministry to him.
Paul has given his life to the work of the gospel, travelling around the known world telling people about Jesus, planting churches, and declaring the good news. But now he is in prison. Execution is not too far away. Paul’s race is almost over, as he says in 4:7 - ‘I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.’ It’s up to Timothy now to take up the baton and run his race, to continue on Paul’s work of teaching.
Yet, as Timothy looks to the future, as he sees what lies ahead of him, it’s not going to be easy. He isn’t going to be running on a nice new athletic track. No, what lies ahead of him is more like an army assault course, with obstacles and dangers to face. The very same things that Paul has already endured - the persecutions and sufferings he faced in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra. In those places, Palu had been driven out of town, opposed, and was stoned - that is, attacked with stones, he wasn’t drugged up...
Paul says that these sorts of sufferings shouldn’t surprise us. Do you see what he says in verse 12? Here’s a Bible promise for you, one that you may not want! ‘Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil people and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.’ If you are a Christian, then you will face persecution of some sort or another.
Now, as Timothy hears these words, as he faces the future, he might be thinking to himself - how am I going to manage? How can I keep running my race? How will I get on as I take on the baton of gospel ministry? Paul gives him two great encouragements as he looks to the future in faith. Two things that we are given by God to help us as we love and serve him.
The first comes at the end of chapter 3. Paul has said that the evil people and impostors will go from bad to worse. That may be the way they’re going. ‘But as for you...’ Timothy, don’t follow the crowd. Don’t go the way the world is going. As for you... ‘continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed...’
What is it he has learned? What has he firmly believed? ‘the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.’
The Bible is able to make us wise - to give us the information we need in order to find salvation - salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. There are 66 books, written by around 40 different authors over a couple of thousand years, but there is one uniting subject. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is all about Jesus, sharing the good news about him, showing us his glory.
How can this be so, with so many different authors? Behind them, and through them, Paul says there is one author, one source. ‘All Scripture is breathed out by God.’ Just as my words are coming out with my breath, so the Scriptures are breathed out by God. Scripture says what God is saying. When we read the Bible, it’s not just ancient words on a page - it’s God speaking to us now.
I suspect that I’m a fairly typical man. When I get a new piece of equipment, straight away, I want to turn it on and get stuck in. I’ll footer about with it, trying to make it work. It’s only when I get stuck that I go back to the box to find the instruction manual. We can think - I can sort this myself. I don’t need any help! Until we realise that we do.
Life can be like that. We get stuck in, we have a little bit of freedom, and off we go, making our own mistakes, trying to sort things out ourselves. We live the way we want to, then wonder why we end up getting things so very wrong. We need the instruction manual. We need to hear from the Maker, who knows how life is meant to work.
That’s what the Bible is for. ‘All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.’
Perhaps today you’re wandering, you’re lost. You recognise yourself among the evil people and impostors going from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. You’ve gone your own way, and can’t seem to work out what life is all about, how it should be lived. The remedy is to be rescued. To turn from error and return to the living God who has spoken. To become wise in the way of salvation, through faith in Christ Jesus. To learn about the Saviour and to trust him. To be taught and corrected and straightened out by his word so that we can love and serve him.
Here’s a question for you - who has the most followers on Twitter? Barack Obama is 3rd with 102 million; Justin Bieber is 2nd with 106 million; and Katy Perry is 1st with 109 million. All watching out for their latest tweet, hanging on their latest word. Yet we have the words of the living God in our homes, often in a box, out of the way on a shelf, gathering dust. Will you take up your Bible and read and hear God’s word to you?
The first thing we’re given is the Bible, the scriptures. This is what Timothy is to give himself to, to learn and teach and proclaim, in and through the dark days that lie ahead. At the end of our passage, Paul tells us the second thing we’re given, which encourages us to keep going as we love and serve the Lord Jesus.
‘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.’
As Paul comes towards the end of his life, as he completes his race, he looks towards the finish line, towards the podium. The reward isn’t a gold medal and a wee posy of flowers. Instead, what awaits is the crown of righteousness. The crown is the sign of being accepted by God, of being in the right with God. It is awarded by the Lord, the righteous judge, who judges with absolute fairness and justice.
Remember where Paul is - he’s on remand, sitting in prison, awaiting the death sentence, which the unjust judge Nero will pass on him. His earthly life will cease, condemned as a prisoner. But Nero’s judgement doesn’t concern him. Rather, he is looking forward to the only opinion that finally matters - the Lord’s opinion, the righteous judge’s verdict - who will award the crown of righteousness.
Now you might be thinking to yourself that of course Paul deserves such a crown. He’s in the Bible, he wrote books of the Bible, he was so very good. But you couldn’t be further from the truth. If Paul deserves his crown then it would be by merit, by effort, by his good works. But the truth is, Paul didn’t deserve his crown. He too was a sinner, who needed to be saved through faith in Christ Jesus. Paul needed that rescue, just as we do as well. As Jesus died on the cross, he took our sins from us, and instead gives us his perfect righteousness. It’s by faith that we receive God’s grace and mercy.
Paul could face the future with confidence. His heavenly reward is certain. His crown is laid up, ready for him. And you can be just as certain about your future. You see, it’s not just Paul who has such a crown. ‘Not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.’
Jesus is returning, the righteous judge, who died to save us. We too can be sure of receiving the crown of righteousness as we hear God’s word of grace and respond in faith. Jesus has died to win your salvation. Will you hear and heed him today? Will you trust in the Lord for your salvation? Will you welcome him on that great Day when he appears as judge? The Bible, God’s breathed-out word points us to the crown, God’s gracious gift, freely offered.
This sermon was preached at the RBP Service in St Matthew's Church, Richhill on Sunday afternoon 6th May 2018.
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