Real Life Faith

What a great Grand Opening Sunday!

Story/My wife Melody and our daughter talk on the phone almost every day.

I can always tell when the conversation is about to end.

Melody starts talking faster.

She remembers three more things she needs to ask.

Two more things she needs to tell her.

And one more story she forgot to share.

What's amazing is they'll probably talk again in an hour or two.

Today, if we forget to say something important, we can call right back, send a text, or email whenever we want.

But that wasn't the case in the Apostle Paul's world.

Long-distance communication usually came in one of two ways. Either someone who had recently visited would bring a verbal update, or a letter would arrive.

Today, as you conclude this series in 2 Timothy, let’s step back into Paul's world one more time and listen to the conclusion of this letter he wrote to his young friend Timothy.

As we read these final words (in just a minute), it's important to remember that most Bible scholars believe Paul suspected these would be the last words Timothy would ever receive from him.

And in fact, Paul was executed by Nero not long after this letter was written.

That raises an interesting question.

What would you say to someone you loved if you knew these were the last words they would ever hear from you?

FINAL WORDS

It's interesting to think about some famous last words from history.

Joseph Wright, the editor of the English Dialect Dictionary, reportedly spoke one final word: "Dictionary."

The famous composer Gustav Mahler died while conducting an imaginary orchestra from his bed. His last word was: "Mozart!"

Marie Antoinette accidentally stepped on her executioner's foot on her way to the guillotine and said: "Pardonnez-moi, monsieur."

"Pardon me, sir."

One more… when Harriet Tubman was dying, she gathered her family around her. Together they sang Swing Low, Sweet Chariot. Then she said: "Give my love to the churches. Tell the women to stand firm. I go to prepare a place for you."

So as Paul writes his final words, you can almost feel his mind racing.

There are things he wants Timothy to remember.

Warnings he wants to give.

Encouragement he wants to offer.

And people he wants to mention.

As we read, listen for the sixteen different people Paul identifies.

Let's read the passage together.

2 TIMOTHY 4:9-22

(I’ll Read the passage)

REAL LIFE FAITH

As I studied this text, two simple ideas stood out to me:

The first idea is this… Real life Faith.

You know how reality shows aren't actually reality?

They're carefully edited, produced, and scripted. Designed to look authentic while often being anything but.

If we're not careful, those of us who follow Jesus can fall into a reality-show version of faith.

It becomes scripted. Predictable. Carefully managed.

More appearance than reality.

Now I'm sure there are some people who knowingly fake a Christian life.

But most Christians I know genuinely want to follow Jesus and live an authentic faith.

So one thing that helps us live an authentic faith or a real life faith is… Read the Bible in a real way!

I received Jesus into my life when I was very young.

When I was in middle school, the Bible came alive for me through a contemporary New Testament paraphrase called Reach Out.

Today I'm sixty-nine years old, and I still try to read the Bible every day.

Not because I'm trying to earn points with God.

Not because I'm trying to impress anyone.

I do it because Scripture is life-giving, life-changing, and life-healing.

But sometimes when we regularly read the Bible…

The people in the Bible can become to us almost fictional

We know their names.

We know their stories.

But we forget they were real men and women living out a real faith.

Answer this question in your mind:

When you read the Bible, how often do you think about the personalities and personal lives of the people you're reading about?

Story/Years ago, I served with a pastor in Orlando. It was a very large church so he was somewhat known in the city.

One day he was shopping for groceries when a little girl from his church spotted him. She stared at him in complete shock.

Finally, she walked over and asked, "What are you doing here?"

To her, pastors only existed at church.

They didn't have families.

They didn't buy groceries.

They certainly didn't live ordinary lives.

Sometimes we read the Bible that way.

We see "The Apostle Paul”, not Paul.

But our passage today shows us Paul's humanity.

Did you pick this up when we read it?

Paul experienced hurt.

"Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me."

Paul experienced betrayal.

"Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm."

Paul experienced loneliness.

"Only Luke is with me."

Paul experienced disappointment.

"Everyone deserted me."

Paul even experienced physical discomfort.

"When you come, bring the cloak."

Story/I visited the prison in Rome where many believe Paul spent his final months.

It's dark. Cold. Damp.

Not a place anyone would want to spend their final days.

Paul was a real person living a real faith.

Story/One time I was reading a children's Bible filled with watercolor illustrations. One picture caught my attention.

Jesus was sitting around a table with His disciples.

And He was laughing.

For some reason that surprised me.

I had never really thought about Jesus laughing.

But of course…Jesus laughed.

The disciples shared meals together.

They traveled together.

They experienced countless ordinary moments together.

Most of those moments were never recorded in Scripture.

Jesus. Peter. John. Matthew. Paul.

Real people living real faith.

So, what is the lesson? The application to our lives today?

Well, when we see the people in the Bible as real people living real faith, our faith becomes more authentic and we understand that God works through people just like us.

REAL LIFE RELATIONSHIPS

1. REAL LIFE HURTS

The second lesson is about real life relationships.

There’s and A and a B on this one

We’ll start with real life hurts

As Paul closes this letter, he mentions several painful relationships.

He writes…

Demas deserted me

Alexander harmed me

Others abandoned me during his trial.

Change the names, and this could be a letter that we write, because…

Every one of us have experienced hurt.

Disappointment, being misunderstood, feeling rejected.

And sometimes those hurts come from fellow Christians, which makes them especially painful.

So, the question isn't whether you or I have been hurt.

The question is…

What are we going to do with our hurt?

Story/Early in my ministry, I shared a personal offense with a mentor.

After listening carefully, he said something I've never forgotten:

"Rod, just remember, hurt people hurt people."

He wasn't minimizing my pain or excusing the person’s behavior.

He was simply helping me understand that people who wound others are often carrying wounds themselves.

So, let’s look closer at how Paul handled his hurts.

Regarding Demas, Paul acknowledged the truth.

"He loved this world."

Paul didn't blame himself.

He didn't take responsibility for Demas' decision.

He simply told the truth.

Some of you know what that's like.

Someone walked away from you, chose a different path.

Someone abandoned the faith.

Their decision is theirs, not yours.

Then there was Alexander

Paul wrote:

"The Lord will repay him for what he has done."

Paul released Alexander to God's justice.

Some of us need to do the same thing.

We don't have to become judge, jury, and executioner.

We can trust God to handle what we cannot.

Some of you need to do that with a particular offense your dealing with in your life

One practical way to do that is to pray for the person/or persons who hurt you.

At first it feels impossible, or awkward

But pray anyway, you’ll be surprised what happens to you

Story/Years ago Melody and I experienced a deep hurt from a couple we were close to

About that same time, we planted several new trees in our yard.

We decided to name two of those trees after the couple who had hurt us.

Almost every time we saw those trees, we prayed.

"Lord, bless them."

"Bless their marriage."

"Bless their children."

"Bless their business."

"Bless their faith."

Those trees are huge now.

And somewhere along the way, as we prayed for them, God healed our hearts. The hurt lost its power.

What about those friends who didn't show up for Paul's defense.

Paul wrote:

"May it not be held against them."

What grace, what maturity.

Let's be honest.

Some hurts are very real.

Very deep.

Very painful.

But sometimes we can become overly sensitive.

We assume the worst, and we collect offenses.

Paul chose forgiveness.

Finally, there was Mark.

Years earlier Mark had abandoned Paul during a missionary journey. The disagreement became so severe

that Paul and Barnabas parted ways.

But now, at the end of Paul's life, he writes:

"Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me."

That's reconciliation.

That's healing.

That's grace.

REAL LIFE RELATIONSHIPS

1. REAL LIFE HURTS
2. REAL LIFE FRIENDS

In our real life relationships, we have real life hurts, and final thought here…

We have real life friends

Paul mentions person after person as he closes this letter.

He sends greetings.

Shares updates.

Expresses appreciation.

Requests visits.

After a lifetime of ministry, Paul wasn't thinking about accomplishments.

The man who traveled the Roman Empire preaching Christ.

The man who planted churches.

The man who wrote much of the New Testament.

Comes to the end of his life and says:

"Tell them hello."

"Thank them."

"I miss them."

"Come see me."

That says something really important.

Following Jesus was never meant to be a solo journey.

We need each another.

Story/After fifteen years of youth and young adult ministry, Melody and I planted a church in Eagan in 1991.

We started in an elementary school gym very much like this one.

We were portable for ten years before we built our building.

Don't worry—that won't happen to you.

But you know what?

We have wonderful memories of those years.

Setting up. Tearing down. Praying, serving, worshiping together.

We pastored that church for thirty-three years.

Then a year and a half ago retired.

And one thing I've found myself doing lately is thinking about people.

Remembering people.

Thanking God for people.

People who served faithfully.

People who gave generously.

People who prayed.

People who sacrificed.

People who helped build a healthy church.

As you follow Jesus, you'll discover something.

Some friends will walk with you for a season.

Others will walk with you for decades.

Treasure those friendships.

Prioritize those friendships.

Invest in those friendships.

Thank God for those friendships.

Because real life faith is sustained by real life friends.

DO YOU HAVE A REAL LIFE FAITH IN JESUS?

As we close this message, I want to return to the question we started with.

Do you have a real life faith?

Maybe this is your first time here and you're exploring Christianity or you've been asking questions about Jesus.

Maybe today you've begun to see that Jesus is real and that you can have a real relationship with Him.

I want to invite you to receive Christ into your life today

Or perhaps you grew up in church.

You knew the stories the songs, the sermons.

Possibly your faith has been more religious than relational.

I want to invite you to receive Jesus into your life today as your personal Lord and Savior

And one more invitation before we pray…

If you've had a relationship with Jesus but drifted away from a real life faith.

Today can be your day to come home.

The wonderful news of the gospel is that Jesus welcomes all people.

Today can be the day you begin—or begin again.

Today can be the day you start walking in a real life faith with a real Savior who loves you.

Let's pray.