“I was poured out as a drink offering before God.”2nd Timothy 4:6-8

What would you like on your tombstone? Tombstones can tell a lot about a

person. Let’s look at a few:

Thomas Jefferson Daniel Webster Winston Churchill

What would you like on your tombstone? What about MY tombstone? What about YOUR tombstone?

“Faithful until death.” “My family came first.”

What about Paul? I think for the apostle Paul, it would

simply say: “I was poured out as a drink offering

before God.” Let’s read 2nd Timothy 4:6-8

2nd Timothy 4:6-8 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 course, I have kept the faith; 

8 in the future 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.

2nd Timothy 4:6-8 Paul is not bragging… He is encouraging…encouraging

Timothy! The baton of faith is being handed from

one generation to another.

Paul’s Feelings How does Paul feel about what is

happening? He is buoyed by the knowledge of the life

he has lived… By the future he is anticipating…

So he says: I am already being poured out as a drink

offering…

What is a drink offering? Exodus 29:40

This passage talk about the types of sacrifices that would be offered…

Meat offering & Drink Offering Meat offering:

an animal; residual benefit for the one offering it; allowed to take some meat to eat for himself

Drink offering: No retrieving it from the ground; no physical benefit

for the one offering it; it was a demonstration of giving something completely to God.

What about us? Our Divine Challenge

Take our selfish ambition, personal pride, meaningful energy…and just offer it to God!

Give ourselves COMPLETELY to God!

I am being poured out… Present tense…He is dying in God’s

service. Paul understands this…

No regret No bitterness No fear He is calm and confident

I am being poured out… Living illustration of what the Psalm

says: “Yea though I walk through the valley of

the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for YOU are with me.”

He was living what he wrote in 2nd Corinthians 4:16 “Therefore we do not lose heart, but

though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.”

I have fought the good fight… Paul fought many battles

With himself With his countrymen With saints

He encourages Timothy to do the same… He told Timothy to “wage the GOOD

warfare.” He wants Timothy to fight for the faith!

I have fought the good fight… 1st Timothy 6:12

“Fight the good fight of faith, take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

I have fought the good fight… Some battles only you can fight… Temptations

1st Peter 2:11 “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers

to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.”

Things that challenge us in the flesh It’s warfare It’s doing battle for the soul

I have fought the good fight… Our families

We have to fight for our families! It’s a fight about what is right! It’s a fight for their souls! If you don’t fight for them, then who will?

I have finished the race… Paul loves to use sports as illustrations. The Christian life is like a race.

Athletes train hard They tax themselves physically They endure pain They sacrifice They are disciplined They follow the rules of the competition Why?

They believe the reward is worth it!

I have finished the race… To begin something requires the trait of

Resolution. To finish something requires the traits of

Persistency & Perserverance. We admire people who endure through hard times

and remain faithful. 1st Corinthians 15:58

“Therefore my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”

That’s what Jesus did!

I have kept the faith. This can have several meanings:

I have obeyed the rules 2 Timothy 2:5

I have guarded the gospel Faith is what kept Paul going. These points are not just for Timothy…They

are for us too! It IS really worth the effort…The fight IS

worth waging, the race IS worth running, and the faith IS worth keeping!

Why do people quit? 2 reasons

They can’t complete the task because it is too much for them…it is beyond them

It just is not worth it…it’s not worth the effort it is going to take to finish

Paul says neither apply here! You can do this!

Why is it worth the effort? 2 great reasons why:

1st the reward is there! 2nd you can make a difference

In Conclusion… Sometimes we forget to celebrate now…

We talk about how miserable we are How miserable this world is…how bad it is. Sometimes it is…sometimes life is just tough! But, what did Jesus say… Look at Abraham…

Had a good life at times, but he had hard times too! Ecclesiastes 7:14 Genesis 25:8 He died an old man and his years were full…despite

his difficulties, his years were full.

In Conclusion… Being a Christian…

I can make a difference We are God’s children We know where we are headed We know we have a crown of

righteousness laid up for us We know heaven is waiting for us!