October 22
Jer 39:1-41:18 | PS 90:1-91:10 | Prov 26:1-2 | 2 Tim 1:1-18
Our pastor at Calvary Chapel Old Bridge (CCOB) had all that you could possibly want before him. He was a state wrestling champion, had received a wrestling scholarship at Michigan State University, was a gifted student on the path to a degree in engineering, enjoyed an active social life, etc. Everything changed when one of his classmates, someone from the wrestling team shared the gospel message with him, and he received Jesus Christ as his personal savior. He then shared this gospel truth with another, and as he puts it, once he experienced the pure joy of helping to lead another person to know Jesus personally everything that he had been striving for paled in comparison. It is easy to get tangled up and distracted by both good and bad things, falling prey to a never satisfying pursuit of happiness which eludes us. Consider Hugh Hefner who was born into a Christian home, lived into his 90's, but his endless pursuit of pleasure has led millions astray and this is his legacy. How many beautiful women did Hugh Hefner have to sleep with before he would be satisfied? The answer is sin never satisfies. When John D. Rockefeller, who started Standard Oil, and at one point was the richest man in the world and perhaps the richest man in modern history was asked by a reporter, "How much money is enough?" He responded, "Just a little bit more." Again sin never satisfies. Not every pursuit is bad. Seeking a good education, a good spouse, raising good children, etc are all healthy goals. But as Pastor Lloyd said nothing compares with the joy of leading another human being into a relationship with Jesus Christ and/or strengthening that relationship.
Caesar Nero was persecuting Christians at an alarming rate. Paul wrote 2 Timothy, his final letter around 67 A.D. , knowing that he was about to be martyred, being held in a Roman prison. The conditions were cold and terrible, and being considered an enemy of the state, most all of his acquaintances left him. When we know that our time left is short, there is a tendency to focus on what matters most, which is what Paul does. Paul writes to Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:3-7, "I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." Though Timothy's mother and grandmother initiated Timothy's faith, it was Paul who brought it out as he discipled him. We then see the ripple effect of leading someone to a relationship with Jesus in 2:2, "And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." Pastor Chuck Smith said one of his greatest joys was seeing the people in Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, soaking up the teaching of the Word, then going out and starting churches all over the world. Paul modeled what he wrote in Philippians 2:3-4, "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others." This is what drove Paul throughout his life and was why he could say at life's conclusion in 2 Timothy 4:7, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
What will be our swan song? When we know that our lives are coming to an end on this earth, what will we reflect on to bring us joy? We can't take our money, our possessions, our fame, our looks, etc with us. What should give us joy is knowing those that you will one day see again when you get to heaven or will see in the future. This is the only thing that you can take with you to heaven. Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:5, "But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry." All of us may not have been given the gift of being a pastor. But we all received the same commission by the mouth of Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20, to reach the unsaved world with the only message of hope which exists. In this way, we have all been given the charge of evangelists. We will probably never see the pyramid effect of each new believer that we personally lead into a relationship with Jesus. That one person will then influence their families, neighbors, co-workers; who will then influence their families, neighbors, etc. Every man and woman of God was influenced by someone. Dwight L. Moody, powerful preacher in the 1800's was reached by his Sunday School teacher. Who will we set our minds on this day? What opportunities lie before us that we have failed to act upon? There is no greater joy, why settle for anything less.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: