Rev Gideon Lee
For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store 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 longed for his appearing.
We have just read a passage of scripture where Paul, knowing his end is near made an important statement.
Before this, how many of you remember the passage I preached on two Sundays ago? It was "faith that heals".
Today I am talking about faith that leaves a legacy. I want to talk about legacy, about death. I know it's not a popular subject.
Let's say if you have an opportunity, what words would you like inscribed on your tombstone. Most of the time we choose a verse that reminds us of how this person lived his life. Most of the time we won't get to choose the verse but if you had the opportunity which verse would you choose? Think about it?
Josh, what would you choose being a lawyer? Josh: Jesus wept. (Laughs). I think we all have our favourite verse but coming back to this at the end of his life Paul wrote this letter while awaiting his execution.
He started off by saying that his life was like an offering being poured out to God. And that he had fought the good fight, kept the faith and finished the race. As we read this I pray that when our time come we can confidently say the same. That the words on our tombstone would be well done thou good and faithful servant.
He started out by expressing his view on life. He saw his death as an offering and sacrifice being presented to the Lord.
How many of you have seen some movies, especially Chinese movies where before the king, the man is offered wine and he pours it on the ground because he felt unworthy to drink it.
When a person wants to make an offering to God often the person pours wine or oil before the Lord. That was what Paul did.
Paul did not think of himself being executed but that he thought of his life as to be offered to God. His life was not taken from him but that he laid down his life. - William Berkerley.
Paul was a Jews amongst all Jews. He sat before Garmaliel. Not every one has the opportunity to sit before this scholar. But now he offers it to the Lord. I pray that all of us can reflect back on our life without any regrets. That we have used all our resources for the Lord.
The bible says Jesus laid his life on the cross like a lamb to the slaughter. No one could take the life of Jesus as he has legions of angels to call on. But He lay down his life for us.
Where is God in all that we are doing? This kind of commitment is very rare.
I remember a story where a woman went to the printers to choose her wedding card design. She chose and paid and a week before the wedding she called the printers to check if it is ready. They said it is ready but she asked if she can make some changes. So the printer said okay and she said the dates have changed, the church too and the guy is different (laughs). She was not committed.
Do you know what is a martyr. Do you know that word and the word witness come from the same root word. So when we are a witness for Christ we must be ready to die for our faith. I don't want to use the word martyr but are we all witnesses? That we may pour out our life. There may come a time where it may be illegal to be a Christian. I don't know. What then church?
He goes on to say that the time of my departure is near. The Greek word for departure give us three images. The first is the picture of a ship hoisting an anchor pulling up the rope and departing for another country. The second picture is the breaking up an encampment, clean up, take up your tents. Break camp. The third is the un-yolking of an animal. These pictures described Paul's life very well. Paul was going to a better place.
Paul made three important statements. I have fought the good fight, I have kept the faith and have finished the race.
Fought the good fight you think of a warrior, a gladiator.
I finished the race you think of a runner.
I have kept the faith is the picture of a good stewart.
He has done his best. He had much to fight against. Being shipwrecked, put in jail it was easy for him to give up. He fought on. Paul completed his race like an athlete. What are some of the qualities of an athlete. Determine, endurance, focused, he lives, sleeps and wake up as an athlete. He completed his race.
There is this story of a guy name Michael Johnson. He was one of the fastest man alive. Even in the trial to the Olympics he was so determined and focused that he did everything to break the record. That was just the trial. During the trials he broke the record but it was not captured due to a fault in the timer. The reporter asked him whether he must be disappointed. But he said no worries, tomorrow I will do it again. And he did it the next day. He was so determined that he was not concerned about the gold. He just wanted to break the record. He was so determined he broke the record but also tore his muscle doing it and could only complete the first of three races.
I have kept the faith. He looked at faith like a good stewart. It was like he saw his faith, like how a good stewart did with his resources. No matter how difficult it was he kept his faith.
Then he goes on to say this. What awaits me, a crown of righteousness. There will be rewards in heaven but we are not after the reward but if we do what the Lord requires, the reward will follow.
There once a manager that was given a reward and he told the secretary he didn't deserve the reward and the secretary said that "then the reward went to the right person".
But the good news is that he didn't stop there. He said that this crown of righteousness is also available to all of us. But we have to fight the good fight, run the race and keep the faith.
The gift of salvation is free but Jesus paid for it. It is available to all but we have to accept it. Likewise the rewards.
Coming back to the tombstone I was tasked to choose the scripture for my father's tombstone. I felt that the verse that I could properly remember him by is this.
Luke 18:29-30
“I tell you the truth,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God 30 will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life.”
Because I could see the commitment to the faith of my father. That is how I remembered my father. That is one of the reason I am able to stand here and answer the call of God. Because my father left me a godly legacy. Not a good legacy. I want the best for my children, like education. But it will be sad if they say they don't want to answer God's call. I pray that I will leave for them a godly legacy.
All of us have a different call. I am not running against you. All of us have a different race to run and we have to finish it. Fight the good fight and hang on to keep the faith. That at the end your children can see your life and not just remember the good things you have done for them but also the godly example that you have given them. That we will not look back on our life with regrets.
Here lies pastor Gideon, good and faith servant. I pray that it will be inscribed on all our tombstones.
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