Guiding Question:

How can believers remain faithful and passionate in their walk with Christ from beginning to end, especially when facing hardship, cultural opposition, or spiritual fatigue?

Summary:

In this powerful and pastoral message, the speaker challenges Christians not just to begin well in their faith journey but to finish strong. Drawing from 2 Timothy 4:1–8, the sermon highlights Paul's final exhortations to Timothy, urging him to preach the Word, endure hardship, fulfill his ministry, and do the work of an evangelist. It offers a contrast between faithful endurance and spiritual dropout, emphasizing the value of perseverance and commitment in a world eager to embrace falsehood over truth.

The message is both a call to spiritual endurance and a warning against cultural myths that divert believers from the truth. Using stories, illustrations, and scriptural insight, the speaker paints a vivid picture of a life fully poured out in service to God—encouraging all believers to evaluate where they stand and recommit to a long obedience in the same direction.

Outline:

I. Starting Strong in Ministry (2 Timothy 4:1–2)

• Charge to preach the Word

• Be ready in and out of season

• Reprove, rebuke, exhort with great patience

II. Challenges to Faithfulness (2 Timothy 4:3–4)

• The time will come when people reject sound doctrine

• Desire for “ear-tickling” teaching

• Accumulation of false teachers according to personal desires

• Turning aside to myths

III. Call to Endure and Fulfill Your Ministry (2 Timothy 4:5)

• Be sober-minded

• Endure hardship

• Do the work of an evangelist

• Fulfill your ministry

IV. Examples of Faithful Finishing (2 Timothy 4:6–8)

• Paul’s life as a drink offering

• “I have fought the good fight, finished the race, kept the faith”

• Anticipation of the crown of righteousness

V. Contrast Between Starters and Finishers

• Many start strong but fall away

• The difficulty of sustaining enthusiasm and discipline

• Cultural distractions and spiritual attrition

VI. Application and Encouragement

• Personal reflection on spiritual growth and perseverance

• Avoiding superficial Christianity

• Staying excited about the faith and sharing the gospel

• Learning from older saints who have finished well

Key Takeaways:

• Preaching the gospel is often hard and may lead to rejection, but we are still called to be faithful.

• Evangelism is work, not just an occasional event left to professionals.

• The Christian life requires endurance, especially when truth becomes inconvenient or unpopular.

• Our culture increasingly rejects sound doctrine in favor of comfort and self-justification.

• Many drop out of faith not for intellectual reasons but because they refuse to change their lifestyle.

• Paul serves as a model of finishing strong, having kept the faith through trials and ultimately receiving the reward.

• Believers should strive not only for a passionate start but for a lifelong commitment that finishes well.

Scriptural References:

• 2 Timothy 4:1–8

• Acts 14:19–20 (Paul stoned at Lystra)

• Jeremiah 5:30–31 (False prophets and people’s delight in lies)

• Isaiah 8:19 (Warning against seeking mediums instead of God)

• Romans 12:1 (Living sacrifices)

• Philippians 3:12–14 (Pressing on toward the goal)

• Romans 1:25 (Exchanging the truth for a lie)

• Eugene Peterson’s book: A Long Obedience in the Same Direction

Recorded 2/22/81

Guiding Question

What does it look like for Christianity to transform our lives in real ways?

Summary

Dr. Robert Lewis challenges Christians to move beyond mere theology and live lives marked by spiritual transformation. Drawing on Ephesians 4:25–32, he identifies five clear indicators that the life of God is present in us:

1. Promptly resolving anger

2. Rejecting sin and resisting Satan’s foothold

3. Working to give rather than simply get

4. Speaking words that build up others

5. Extending forgiveness as we have been forgiven

Through vivid anecdotes—such as the pastor’s personal struggle with unresolved anger and domestic statistics—and practical reflections, Dr. Lewis urges us to ask: is our Christianity evident in our daily actions?

Outline

1. Ephesians 4:26 – “Do not let the sun go down on your anger.”

   • Acknowledge righteous anger but resolve it daily to prevent bitterness.

2. Ephesians 4:27 – “Do not give the devil an opportunity.”

   • Reinforces the danger of unresolved conflict as a foothold for evil.

3. Ephesians 4:28 – “Let him who stole steal no longer… so he may have something to share.”

   • Introduces a proactive ethic of work used to bless others.

4. Ephesians 4:29 – “Let no unwholesome talk proceed from your mouth… good for edification.”

   • Contrasts decayed speech with timely words that uplift and heal.

5. Ephesians 4:31–32 – “Forgiving each other… just as in Christ God forgave you.”

   • Calls us to live forgiven lives by forgiving others, reflecting the cross.

Key Takeaways

• Unresolved anger poisons relationships and opens the door to deeper sin and spiritual attack.

• Generosity, not self-centered labor, is the hallmark of a Christian work ethic.

• Words have power—they either groom community or corrode it.

• Forgiveness is non-negotiable for Christians; if we’ve been forgiven so much, we must forgive in return.

• Transformation matters—a faith that doesn’t change us remains merely theoretical.

Scriptural References

• Ephesians 4:25–32

• 1 Timothy 6:17–19

• Proverbs 15:23

• James 2:17

Recorded on 2/15/81

How can we find lasting meaning, purpose, and fulfillment in life amidst its fleeting nature and inevitable struggles?

This message explores the fundamental human struggle with meaning, purpose, and direction in life. Drawing from the wisdom of Moses in the Psalms, it reveals the emptiness and futility of life lived apart from God, marked by fleeting achievements, adversity, and ultimate regret. It calls listeners to recognize the limitations of worldly pursuits and encourages them to seek a life anchored in God — a life characterized by a lasting perspective, a lasting relationship, and lasting labor. The message emphasizes that only through God can we find a truly fulfilling life that endures beyond this temporal existence.

Outline:

1. The Reality of Life’s Decline and Futility

   • Life’s days “decline” like a sigh, full of sorrow and labor (Psalm 90:9-10).

   • Without God, life ends with regret, lost glory, and forgotten achievements.

   • The irony that people fail to connect life’s emptiness with being apart from God.

2. Moses’ Prayer for a Lasting Perspective (Psalm 90:12)

   • Asking God to teach us to number our days wisely.

   • The importance of seeing life through God’s truth rather than worldly illusions.

   • Perspective governs our priorities and how we live.

3. Moses’ Prayer for a Lasting Relationship (Psalm 90:13-15)

   • All human relationships are temporary; only God offers a limitless relationship.

   • God’s promise to return to those who return to Him (Malachi 3:7).

   • The daily satisfaction that comes from experiencing God’s lovingkindness like manna.

4. Moses’ Prayer for a Lasting Labor (Psalm 90:16-17)

   • The desire for work that has eternal significance, not just temporal success.

   • The problem of busy lives focused on fleeting, self-centered tasks.

   • The call to invest in God’s kingdom and people, producing fruit that lasts beyond our lifetime.

5. Conclusion and Invitation

   • Encouragement to reflect on one’s life epitaph—will it say “this was not it” or “everlasting life”?

   • Call to stop “playing church” and to live a real, committed Christian life.

   • Invitation for those feeling lost to seek God’s lasting fulfillment.

   • Closing prayer for transformation through God’s presence.

• Life apart from God is ultimately futile and marked by regret.

• We need God to teach us a lasting perspective to live wisely and purposefully.

• A true, lasting relationship with God is the only permanent human relationship.

• Our work and labor should aim for eternal significance, building God’s kingdom.

• Daily satisfaction and fulfillment come from recognizing and embracing God’s lovingkindness.

• It is never too late to turn to God and find a life that truly lasts.

• Reflecting on the legacy we leave behind should motivate us to pursue what matters eternally.

• Psalm 90:1-17 — The entire passage of Moses’ prayer, focusing on life’s brevity, human frailty, and God’s eternal nature.

• Malachi 3:7 — God’s promise to return when His people return to Him.

• John 8:32 — “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”

• Ecclesiastes 12:1 — “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth.”

• Ephesians 2:10 — “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand.”

• Jeremiah 9:23-24 — “Let him who boasts, boast in this: that he understands and knows Me.”

Recorded 12/28/80