A Dumb Way to Die

Father, we give you thanks and praise that Jesus is present amongst us this morning.

We thank you, Father, that we have the great privilege and honor to meet with Jesus in the presence of his people.

And we acknowledge before you, Father, that we can't come based on our own righteousness, our own specialness,

and we can't come in our own power, that we are always dependent upon your grace.

We are always dependent upon your Holy Spirit drawing us.

So, Father, we ask that now as we think upon your word written,

that your Holy Spirit would move deeply in our minds and hearts and wills, move in our souls and in our bodies,

and make us, Father, receptive to your word so that your word may come deeply into us,

touch our hearts, and our lives will then bring you glory.

And this we ask in Jesus' name, your Son and our Savior. Amen.

Amen. Please be seated.

This is going to make it sound like I'm a world traveler. I'm not a world traveler.

But about 13, 14 years ago, something like that, I got to go to Africa.

I went to a conference of Anglican leaders from around the world.

And we were going to meet in Kenya.

And in fact, we were going to meet in a seminary that Africans went to.

So it wasn't like five-star fancy.

Often places when you go to Africa where tourists go, they're very nice.

This is where it wasn't that it was bad, but it was just it was far more simple and rudimentary.

And it was going to be about 40, 50 kilometers.

I think it was north of Nairobi.

Anyway, just a month or so after we'd already bought my plane ticket, before we went,

there started to be a travel advisory from the Canadian government recommending that Canadians not travel to Kenya.

Some naughty people had been trying to shoot planes down from the sky when they were landing at the airport.

There were some attacks against people by terrorist types on top of the normal crime.

And so there was a travel advisory against going.

And in fact, actually, all of the airlines at the time that flew into Nairobi canceled their flights.

Only KLM was still flying into Nairobi.

But that was actually the airline that I was with.

My wife and I talked about it and we prayed about it and I decided I would still go.

And so I went and got there eventually after a lot of travel, got there in an evening.

And later on the next day in the afternoon, I'm a runner.

Well, actually, increasingly, I'm a daughterer.

But I was a runner back then still.

And so I went in the afternoon for a run.

And I got about two kilometers, we're way out in the country, quite rural.

And I'm out running along this rural road.

And I'm about two kilometers away from the place where I was staying.

And walking towards me down the center of the road were about 12, 15, 20 young black men,

every one of them carrying a machete.

And they were walking towards me.

I mean, they weren't hunting for me.

I wasn't that paranoid or anything.

But they were walking towards me and I was running towards them.

So I'm running along and inwardly I'm having this dialogue.

Maybe I should turn around.

Maybe I should turn around and go back to the place where I'm staying and not keep running towards them.

And on the other hand, I'm thinking, no, no, no, no, no.

This would be, you know, this would just, you know, reinforce stereotypes that, of these wonderful people in Kenya

that people like me are just afraid of them.

And, you know, we don't understand what's going on.

And it would be sort of rude for me to see them and turn around and run the other way.

And then I'm trying to decide, I don't want to do that.

And then I'm running towards them still.

I'm thinking, this could be a really, really dumb way to die.

And I'm actually going through my mind that I get hacked to death.

And back with all of the other several, you know, 150 people at the conference,

on one hand, they'd all be very, very sad.

But I also know they would then be saying to each other, what a dumb way to die.

Like, who in their right mind runs towards 15 young men with machetes after travel advisories?

I just pictured my poor wife having a funeral ceremony for me here in Ottawa.

And while everybody was expressing their condolences, when they weren't with her,

they were saying, what a dumb way to die.

What a stupid thing for George to do.

On a long list of stupid things, this was the dumbest.

Anyway, these thoughts are all going back and forth in my mind, obviously.

Actually, I didn't turn around.

I kept running towards them.

And I thought, well, anyway, I just thought that's what I would just do.

That I was being, I shouldn't be afraid.

And sure enough, they were all just friendly local people.

They all laughed and waved.

And I discovered that not many people in that part of Kenya, I suppose,

were used to middle-aged white men running along the road in shorts.

So everywhere I went, people waved and pointed and laughed.

I caused lots of merriment every day for the locals.

And anyway, they just all waved.

And I can't remember now, there was a greeting you yelled back and forth in Kenya.

And they yelled that at me.

And I had learned at the time.

I yelled it back to them.

And there was a response.

And I responded.

Then they said something else.

And I hadn't been trained what the third thing was to say.

But I was alive.

And I was fine.

But it brings up, you know, that there are some really, really dumb ways to die.

And what I'd like us to look at today is a letter written by a man in jail.

And this letter was written by a man in jail.

He's a very interesting fellow.

He had at one point in time been a zealot Jewish person

who'd actually been responsible for the imprisonment of many Christians.

And it actually, in a sense, concurred with the murder of a Christian.

And then he claimed that Jesus, he actually saw the risen Jesus.

And it completely turned his life around.

And there is a record.

We have this record of a letter that he wrote.

And the context is, it's so funny, you know.

It's held in the Bible.

And I have to confess, I have this, you know, black sort of vague leather and gold on the edge.

But this originally started, in fact, if you could just turn to 2 Timothy 2 because we're going to look at it.

It's called, now we know it as 2 Timothy 2.

But it wasn't originally written as 2 Timothy 2 to go into the Bible.

It was written by this fellow by the name of Paul.

It was probably written around the year 65 or 66.

That's 65 or 66 with a zero in front of it.

Like not 165 or 1965, but 65.

And we know from the context and this letter that it was, this fellow Paul had been in jail many, many times.

But this is the second time he's in jail in Rome.

Nero is the emperor.

Nero has been slaughtering Christians in Rome starting in the year 64.

And Paul has been caught again.

He's in a dungeon.

And he's bound with fetters and chains.

And he's been bureaucratically lost.

You know what bureaucratically lost means?

Maybe some of you who've come here from other countries, and probably it happens here in Canada.

When friends and family went looking for Paul to see how he was, oh, I don't know where he is.

But when the executioner wants to find Paul, they take him right to it.

You know, that's called bureaucratically lost, right?

Lost to outsiders, but not lost to the bureaucrats.

And this fellow, he's written this letter.

He's now had a trial, a preliminary trial.

It's gone very, very poorly.

And so now he's in a dungeon.

He's, to all intents and purposes, except for this one fellow who's hunted him down, he's lost to outsiders.

Paul knows that the next trial, which is going to be more of a kangaroo court with a sentence,

that it's going to happen very soon, maybe the next day, maybe the next week, maybe the next month, very soon.

And Paul knows he's going to be found guilty.

And he knows that after that, they're going to take him out, and they're going to cut his head off to kill him.

And that's, in fact, how Paul dies.

Peter, as a bit of an aside, another early Christian, he died by crucifixion.

But Paul couldn't be crucified because he was a Roman citizen.

And so Paul is going to be executed by beheading.

So Paul is in a dungeon.

The first trial has gone bad.

He's awaiting the second and final trial that will lead to his conviction and his death.

And he writes this letter.

So let's look at it.

And at the heart of this letter is, was it a dumb way for Paul to die?

Because as you're going to see in the letter, all Paul had to do was say that, you know what?

Jesus is dead.

Jesus is dead.

Like, I just made it up.

Like, I meant well.

And, you know, it's really provided a lot of meaning to a lot of people.

Like, it's a very, very great metaphor for life.

It's a great symbol of lots of stuff.

It gives lots of people a minute of comfort and hope internally.

But I made it up.

And all Paul had to say was, I made it up.

Or it's not true.

And he had that get out of jail free card.

That's all he had to do.

Say, I got out of jail.

It didn't happen.

And I won't say that it happened anymore.

And Paul could go free.

So what we're looking at here is, did Paul die a really dumb way?

Like a dumb, dumb way to die.

He wasn't married.

But he had nephews and nieces.

And we're his nephews and nieces saying, gosh, Uncle Paul, you're such a goof.

Like, just tell people the truth.

Like, just don't die.

Don't, such a dumb way to die.

Let's look.

We'll begin at verse 1.

Just so you get a bit of the context.

It's going to be a few verses in before you, we get to the part that's sort of very interesting.

Although, actually, it says something very interesting right at the beginning.

Verse 1.

And just a bit of an aside as well.

Like, it looks all fancy right now in our Bibles.

But it really was just a letter that was probably written around 65 or 66 or 67.

Something like that.

There not know precisely where, but somewhere in there.

And so it was originally a letter.

And you can go and see not the original one, obviously, but copies of it throughout the years.

But it looks really nice in our Bible.

And verses and all were added many, many, many centuries later just to help people find parts in it.

They weren't there, obviously.

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus, verse 1, by the will of God, according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus.

And just pause there.

The promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus.

A few years ago, the Armed Forces of Canada had an advertising campaign.

And at the heart of it was a slogan, there's no life like it.

Now, if you know anybody who's served in the military, you can ask them about it.

And they will tell you a range of rude things that people in the Armed Forces said about the slogan.

I'm not going to say any of these rude things.

But you trust me.

You ask some people in the Armed Forces.

They have a variety of ironic or rude things that they would say about it.

And so just so you understand here, that's not what Paul is saying here.

When the Armed Forces was using the slogan, there's no life like it, what they really mean is there's no lifestyle like it.

That's what they mean.

Okay?

There's no lifestyle like it.

So Paul here isn't saying Paul.

Remember, he's in fetters.

He's in chains.

He's in a dungeon.

He's in a dungeon.

He's already been found guilty of the preliminary trial.

He's waiting a kangaroo court to pronounce him guilty.

And he's going to be executed.

He has a get-out-of-jail-free card.

And Paul is writing this letter to his friend Timothy.

And how does he begin the letter?

And he also, by the way, knows that the officials will probably look at the letter before it goes out.

Okay?

So what's Paul going to do?

He begins his letter by saying,

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God according to the promise of the life that is in Christ Jesus.

There's life in Christ Jesus.

Not a lively lifestyle, but life in Christ Jesus.

It's not the way you talk about a person who's dead.

It's not the way you write to impress jailers and judges in a kangaroo court so you can go free.

You write it so that if they start to read it, immediately they're going to say,

Good grief, that guy's still saying that.

Bleepity, bleepity, bleepity, bleepity, bleep stuff.

Verse 2.

To Timothy, my beloved child.

Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

Note he's talking as if Jesus is alive and can do things.

Verse 3.

I thank God whom I serve as did my ancestors with a clear conscience.

He's in jail, but he has a clear conscience.

He's not lying.

He's speaking the truth.

His conscience is clear.

I thank God whom I serve as did my ancestors with a clear conscience.

As I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day.

As I remember your tears.

I long to see you that I may be filled with joy.

I am reminded of your sincere faith.

A faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois.

And your mother Eunice.

And now I am sure dwells in you as well.

Just pause for a second.

And it's sort of really cool that Paul, in his cell that's going to lead to his death,

thinks of grandmothers.

It's not one of my points, but if you're a grandmother here,

godly grandmothers are really important.

Just as godly mothers are.

And it's just so, you know, here it is.

It's just like a little shout out right here for godly grandmothers and godly mothers.

To pray for your kids.

Pray for your kids.

Don't give up ever praying for your kids.

We'll keep going.

Where was I?

Verse 6.

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God,

which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

For God gave us a spirit,

and that spirit there should be capitalized.

It's the Holy Spirit that he's referring to.

He's not talking about an attitude.

He's talking about a spirit.

For God gave us a spirit, not of fear, but of love, power, and love, and self-control.

And just sort of pause.

I know I haven't got to the evidence.

I mean, we already looked at some evidence here about what Paul,

about how he's going to handle the get-out-of-jail-free card.

But the word fear here, when it says God gave us a spirit,

like what does the Holy Spirit give us?

Not of fear.

And the word fear there isn't the same word which is translated in other places,

like that can be maybe good in terms of a fear of God.

It could also be translated,

if you were using more words and the grammar would be messed up,

it means being a coward.

The Holy Spirit never leads you to be a coward.

Never.

You know, and one of the things here,

and we're going to return to this at the very end,

it's just a quick application right here.

You know, one of the hardest things for most of us to confess to

is that we're a coward.

You know, there's socially acceptable things.

You know, we might say, like,

nobody makes a big deal about the fact that you might be afraid of heights

or, you know, afraid of, you know, being in an enclosed space

or something like that.

But just, you know, generally in areas where people should have,

you know, be a big, strong woman or a strong man,

and we're not, we cover it up.

We don't want to acknowledge it about ourselves.

We cover it up from others.

We try to say about how we're being reasonable,

we're being patient, we're being,

you know, we're taking, turning the other cheek.

We talk a lot about language.

But one of the hardest things for any of us to confess to,

even to ourselves,

is that we are a coward in this situation.

In fact, you know, whether or not you believe in the gospel or not,

if you just see this text,

just as a matter of pure wisdom,

isn't it true that we have a hard time acknowledging

that we're a coward sometimes about certain things?

Maybe we're brave everywhere except talking to our mother-in-law,

or our father-in-law,

or our daughter,

or our boss.

Brave everywhere else except in that one area.

And isn't it really interesting what it says that the Holy Spirit does give us?

The Holy Spirit gives us power, love, and self-control.

What a wise combination of virtues.

Like, isn't that, even if you're not a Christian,

isn't that something that you'd want?

Power, love, and self-control.

You don't want power without love.

The world is filled with people with power without love.

And the world is filled with people with power with no self-control.

And you don't want to just be love with no power or no self-control.

You don't want to have self-control without power.

Isn't this a wise three things to want?

Like, isn't this a good thing to pray for?

Let's just keep going.

Verse 8.

Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord,

nor of me, his prisoner,

but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God.

Now, I just sort of want to, you know, pause there for another second.

This is another really important,

just for those of us who are Christians,

a bit of a, just a time out here,

just to camp here for a second.

This is a really, really, really important little verse.

The choice before a Christian is always whether or not

he or she will be ashamed of the gospel

or suffer for the gospel.

It's the constant choice.

Just a couple of months ago,

I was in a Starbucks out in Kanata,

and I got talking to a guy who was involved in high tech.

And he had just noticed me reading one of these big commentaries,

and he noticed me reading these big fat books many times,

and I guess he'd never quite figured out what they were.

And I guess he thought I was learned or something like that,

or like reading serious types of stuff.

And he got into a conversation with me,

and somehow or another in the conversation,

very quickly it turned about how not being,

like being a Christian was being on the wrong side,

the uneducated, unintelligent side of the divide.

And I have this brief moment.

He's well-dressed.

He's well-spoken.

He probably makes two or three times what I do,

well-educated,

and he's just dismissed the Christian faith.

What do I do?

Now, it's very, very tiny suffering,

but do I want him to think I'm one of those dumb people

who take the wrong side?

Am I going to be ashamed of the gospel,

or am I going to be willing to suffer

or share that I believe the gospel

and potentially suffer just a small way?

The choice before me,

be ashamed or suffer.

That is a daily thing that we walk

in post-Christendom Canada.

Now, to my shame,

there are times when it's hard for me

to be willing to do that,

but in this particular case,

I said, well, actually,

I'm one of those dumb people on the wrong side.

Now, in this particular case,

I didn't suffer for it.

He got red and embarrassed.

But you see, often what it is

is that the devil uses our fear of suffering

to help us be ashamed of the gospel,

when actually, if we're not ashamed of the gospel,

we actually don't sometimes suffer.

Sometimes we do, by the way,

as many of us can give stories of.

And so it's that very, very important moment

in the text.

It sends this two directions or pass for us.

And just one other thing.

I know it's another bit of a time out.

But some of you know that one of the things

that our church has started is Royal College.

And there's a need to have

a cross-denominational evangelical

training college in Ottawa.

In a sense, we want to be your friendly neighborhood

evangelical cross-denominational training college,

but also a witness to the nation.

And one of the things that many academics

who teach theology,

at the heart of what they're saying,

and it can be very sophisticated,

when I went to my liberal seminary,

I'm dealing with guys and gals

who know five languages,

one or more PhDs,

they're bright, higher IQ than me,

nicer people than me,

but what was actually at work

in much of what they were talking about

was they were ashamed of the gospel.

And they didn't want to suffer for the gospel.

So they blunted the gospel

and twisted the gospel.

And one of the things

which I am so pleased about

is that guys like Gary

and the academics that we have teaching

are not ashamed of the gospel.

They aren't.

And there is a profound need

for a college with professors

who are unashamed of the gospel

to teach unashamed workers.

They equip them.

So if you could just pray

for a while, college,

you know, we need some money

and some other help

if you want to make a donation,

that would be good.

I didn't know I was going to go

all that direction with it,

but it's just a really important moment.

And for many of you

who are in university

or in the civil service,

it's really, you know,

one of the things

which causes us great problems

is that the gospel

isn't compatible

with the modern,

the postmodern mind.

So it regularly,

before we realize it,

we don't want to say,

well, actually,

I think this particular way

on this ethical issue.

Or, no, actually,

I believe God

is the creator of all things

and we don't want to say that

and so we're ashamed of it

and we don't want to suffer for it.

And before you know it,

you lose it.

So it's a really important

little aside here

and it's very, very interesting

because Paul

is walking the talk.

And in fact,

actually, remember,

the jailers are liable

to look at Anisiphorus.

Let me look at

what Paul's written.

Whoa, one moment.

He's talking as if Jesus is alive.

And one moment.

Do not be ashamed

of the testimony

about our Lord.

That is not exactly

a get-out-of-jail-free card

being used.

This is

bring on

the guy

with the big sword

card.

I'll read it again

and then we'll keep going.

Therefore,

do not be ashamed

of the testimony

about our Lord

nor of me,

his prisoner,

but share in suffering

for the gospel

by the power of God

who saved us

and called us

to a holy calling

not because of our works

but because of

his own purpose

and grace

which he gave us

in Christ Jesus

before the ages began.

And now listen to this.

And which now

has been manifested

through the appearing

of our Savior Christ Jesus

who abolished death

and brought life

and immortality

to light

through the gospel

for which I was appointed

a preacher

and apostle

and a teacher

which is why

I suffer as I do

but I am not ashamed

for I know

whom I have believed

and I am convinced

that he is able

he's present

he's doing it right now

he is able to guard

until that day

what has been entrusted

to me.

And then he says

to Timothy

follow

the pattern

of the sound words

the healthy words

that you have heard

from me

in the faith

and love

that are in Christ Jesus

by the Holy Spirit

who dwells within us

guard the good deposit

entrusted to you.

So if you could

bring up the first point

that would be great.

Paul died

because he would not lie

and say that Jesus was dead.

Paul died

because he would not lie

and say that Jesus was dead.

This isn't a full argument

for the truth

of the resurrection

but it's a really important

piece of evidence

isn't it?

in fact

if you could put up

the next point please

just sort of

restating it

Paul died

because he had

first hand knowledge

and told people

that Jesus Messiah

had died

defeated death

and was now alive

forevermore.

Paul died

because he had

first hand knowledge

and told people

that Jesus Messiah

had died

defeated death

and was now alive

forevermore.

that's what we

discover here.

You keep on reading

the rest of the letter

there's other instances

where he talks about

Jesus being alive

having defeated death

and that's why he died.

If it's not true

it was a really

dumb way

to die.

If it is true

well maybe

some of you might say

it's still a bit of

a dumb way to die

or a tragic way to die

like why didn't Paul

just agree to it

and then get out

and do something else.

Like why didn't he

sort of just say

oh yeah yeah yeah

yeah yeah yeah

yeah yeah

you know I don't

you know internally

I don't believe it

but yeah Jesus is dead

I made it all up

and then he goes out

and does something

well it would be

amongst other things

it would then be written

in the court records

and the people

who were killing Christians

would be able to tell

everybody that

one of the people

that you claim

is a witness

to the fact

that Jesus is alive

that he's defeated death

and he's still alive

he's actually said

on public record

that that's not true.

You see Paul

because of this

profound truth

he had to maintain it

for our good

and it is really good

for us

because every single

one of us

is going to have

to face death.

One of the things

I do sometimes

in the morning

is I read some

of the obituaries

in the paper

and it's a very

very common thing

in the newspapers

to see people

talk about how

the deceased

they give a long

long line

of all the wonderful

things about

the person who's died

and you know

probably they were

wonderful things

about the person

who died

and then in it

they'll talk about

how this person

will live on

in our memories

forever.

You will live on

in our memories

forever.

It's a very

very very

just trust me

you go

you read the obituaries

you will see it

regularly

and it's a regular way

that people talk

about death.

Now I don't mean

to upset you

but I'm going

to challenge

that idea.

Just this

about a month

or so ago

I read a novel

by Reed Farrell Coleman

he's won a variety

of awards

he's a writer

in Long Island

part of New York City

but Long Island

and he wrote

this novel

called Where It Hurts

which I was reading

and one of the main

aspects of the

entire novel

is him dealing

with the sudden

death of his son

his son John

20 years old

he's just playing

pick up basketball

outside

he makes a shot

scores the basket

just walks away

and as he's walking

away he just crumbles

nobody touches him

he just crumbles

he had a brain aneurysm

I hope that's not

a spoiler alert for you

but it's not a big

spoiler alert

he had a brain aneurysm

and he just dies

he doesn't die

in Afghanistan

he doesn't die

in Iraq

he doesn't die

doing something bad

he doesn't die

doing something courageous

he just dies

all

just a couple

of friends

in a school

in a park

open air

basketball court

he just dies

and a major thing

of the entire novel

is the main character

wrestling with this

meaningless death

of his son

here's a very interesting

thing which is part

of the novel

he's at the

basketball court

and it's a fall day

and he's looking at it

and the wind

is blowing the leaves

around

and he's looking

at the basketball court

and he says this

but this wasn't

his grave

this wasn't

the church

this wasn't

the funeral home

or the hospital

those were all

places where

his body

had been

places where

all that was

left of John

was bone

and flesh

in the shape

of my son

but wasn't

my son

by the time

he got to the

hospital

he was somewhere

else

somewhere in the

wind

his memories

his sense

of humor

his love

and anger

his smarts

and his mess-ups

gone

just like that

gone

what was left

of him

lived now

only as pieces

of the people

who had known him

and when we were

dead

and in the wind

he would be

forgotten

that was still

the hardest part

to take

that he would

be forgotten

so soon

don't tell me

about photos

and videos

about how

we live

on in those

things

it's a lie

go get out

your parents

photo albums

one with their

parents and

grandparents

in it

look

really look

carefully

at all the

faces of the

dead

sure you may

recognize your

great grandparents

but you might

not

but even if you

do

what of their

relatives

what of their

friends

what of the

faces

unrecognized

this is

our future

our shared

destiny

all born

to be

forgotten

Paul

is a witness

not to how

butterflies

come

out of a

cocoon

and not

to how

spring

follows the

winter

and not

to how

you plant

a seed

into the

ground

and then

the seed

comes to

life

but he

is

going to

die

by the

hands

of Nero

because he

is going

to claim

that there

was a man

who defeated

death

who was still

alive

who would

share

that

defeat

with

ordinary

human

beings

like

you

and

me

listen

again

to what

he says

in verses

8-12

therefore

do not

be ashamed

of the

testimony

about our

Lord

nor of

me

his

prisoner

but share

in suffering

for the

gospel

by the

power

of God

who saved

us

and called

us

to a

holy

calling

not

because

of our

works

but because

of his

own

purpose

and grace

which he

gave us

in Christ

Jesus

before the

ages

began

and which

now has

been manifested

through the

appearing of

our Savior

Christ

Jesus

who abolished

death

and brought

life and

immortality

to light

through the

gospel

for which

I was

appointed

a preacher

and apostle

and teacher

which is why

I suffer

as I do

but I am

not ashamed

for I know

whom I have

believed

and I am

convinced

that he

is able

to guard

until that

day

what has

been

entrusted

to me

now here's

the first

thing

just to try

to unpack

that a little

bit

just to help

us very briefly

towards the end

if you could

put up the next

point Andrew

one of the

things that the

Bible does

which is very

counterintuitive

to our culture

is in our

culture

when we think

of death

we think of it

as a biological

problem to be

solved

it's a biological

problem to be

solved

the Bible

like great

scientists

and great

sociologists

and economists

and great

philosophers

who look at

things which

seem to be

quite different

and see how

they're connected

and therefore

come to a deeper

understanding of

what's really

going on

Newton

began to

suspect

that what

governs an

apple falling

from a tree

might be the

very same

thing that

governs the

movements of

the planets

what a jump

eh

like now

it's still a bit

counterintuitive

to us who

aren't really

scientist types

that dropping

something from

my hand to

the ground

can help to

determine the

movement of

the stars

in the sky

but Newton

made that

connection

and it's not

here in this

text but it's

part of the

Bible

what the Bible

does is the

Bible links

human death

to human

rebellion

against the

living God

who created

us

the Bible

links human

death to

human rebellion

against the

living God

who created

us

and that means

that if you're

going to try to

solve one

you have to

solve the

other

you know just a

bit of an

aside one of

the things about

our culture

it's very very

interesting in our

culture on one

hand you could

have the same

newspaper I

don't think I

don't know if

I've ever actually

literally seen it

but you could

easily see it

happening because

occasionally there's

different reports

about different

scientists or

technologists trying

to come up with a

way of defeating

death you know

whether it's a

matter of freezing

us or putting us

in a state of

suspended animation

until the cure for

the illness that we

have comes available

and then they would

resuscitate you and

then the scientists

would be able to

cure you or maybe

they're going to

look at ways of

taking our

consciousness and

putting it in a

different body or

you know maybe

they'll be able to

design a baby in a

test tube that won't

be susceptible to

breakdown as our

bodies are broken

down but in the

same time that you

have in the science

pages things that

praise this movies

always portray any

solution like this in

the future as being

something connected to

evil without exception

that if there is a

day in the future

where some babies can

be made in a test

tube that won't die

that's bad news for

everybody else if

there is a way to

take our consciousness

and put it into

another body that's

bad news for somebody

else it's there's

always something evil

about it at the same

time that our culture

only understands death

as being connected to

biology we understand

that somehow we should

try to defeat death

but the other hand part

of us understands that

human attempts to

defeat death by

biology will probably

involve great evil it

will not be a picture

of utopia but

dystopia and in the

midst of our cultural

longings and confusion

the bible does

something our culture

never suspects which

is to link human

rebellion to death

human rebellion against

the living god to

death if you could put

up the next slide

please one of the

things to ask any

philosophy of life any

new age philosophy any

religion any academic

philosophy is how does

it handle death how

does it account for

death how does it

handle the meaning of

death and how does

the christian account

match up to it and I

want to challenge you

that if you look at the

christian account with

its rivals it's wise

obviously there can be

arguments and quibbles

but it's wise and what

we see here in this text

is that jesus messiah's

saving death and

resurrection had its

origins in eternity but

took place in history

that jesus messiah's

saving death and

resurrection had its

origins in eternity but

take place in history

look at verses 9 and 10

who saved us and called

us to a holy calling not

because of our works but

because of his own

purpose and grace which

he gave us in christ

jesus before the ages

began outside of time

eternity in which now

has been manifested

through the appearing of

our savior christ jesus

who abolished death and

brought life and

immortality to light

through the gospel for

which i was appointed a

preacher and teacher and

apostle appointed if you

know the whole story of

paul how was he

appointed he wasn't

appointed by a committee

he wasn't appointed by a

group of people who

wanted to say yay paul yay

paul yay paul no in fact

the matter is is that

when paul first became

a christian everybody

was terrified of him

the last guy on the

planet that any human

being would appoint who

appointed him he got

appointed when jesus

appeared to him after

death after he'd risen

that's how paul knew he'd

been appointed how paul

knew that jesus was alive

he'd seen him and so only

god is going to be able to

fix the problem of human

rebellion and only god is

going to be able to fix

the problem of death and

so we see here that jesus

messiah saving death and

resurrection had its

origins in eternity its

origins in god but took

place in history it's real

it's concrete it's not a

story it's not a metaphor

it's not a symbol paul would

have gotten out of jail if

he had said it's just a

metaphor it's just a symbol

it's concrete and it's real

and if you could put the

next point andrew please

jesus messiah's death upon

the cross was a just and

merciful dealing with human

rebellion and his resurrection

from the dead vindicated him

as the power of god for

eternal salvation for all who

believe in him see the bible

links human rebellion against

death god as connected to

death you solve one you have

to solve the other in fact

there's a very very curious

bit in the book of

revelation that hints that a

time in the future might come

when human beings solve the

problem of death and the very

interesting thing is when it

hints at this the human

response is to ask for death

psychologically profoundly wise

psychologically profoundly wise

because if you solve the

biological problem but don't

solve the problem of rebellion

against god you will only have

evil you will have dystopia not

utopia and jesus in his death

upon the cross in history planned

by god voluntarily entered into

by him his death upon the cross

as our substitute as an act of

exchange and his might tasting all

there is to taste of death and his

mighty resurrection is god dealing

with both problems in a way that

means that we can share in jesus's

defeat of death and live with him

eternally in the new heaven and the

new earth

just a couple of things in closing

andrew if you could just a couple of

things for you to take away i'm

going to put them up fairly quickly

if you can't i don't know some

people write these down if you can't

write them down you can go on the

web page later and they'll all be on

the web page and really all four of

them are prayers i want to challenge

you if you're here as a guest or

maybe somebody dragged you here maybe

a grandmother grad dragged you here

i don't know your mom dragged you

here

i want to challenge you you know

there's no better time than today

to give your life to jesus to deal

with your death to deal with that

which causes your death and he turns

no one away

he turns no one away and there's no

magic words romans 10 just says you

believe in your heart that god raised

him from the dead and you confess with

your lips that jesus is lord and you

will be saved but i i've just put some

words up here to sort of summarize the

sermon that you might want to consider

praying to begin the great journey the

great

opportunity to be with jesus to share in

his defeat of sin and death to pray

jesus messiah you died and tasted all of

death and you rose triumphant over sin

and death and hell please be my savior and

my lord i hold nothing back from you all

of who i am i give to you thank you for

taking me as your own forever if you

pray that prayer from your heart jesus

will answer it and the words of that

prayer will be true for you

put up the next one please just three

there are four little prayers for us to

take away

second one is for those of us who are

followers of jesus remember verse seven

um

actually we'll begin at verse six for this

reason i remind you to fan into flame

the gift of god which is in you through

the lane out of my hands for god gave us

a spirit the holy spirit not a fear but

of power and love and self-control i want

to challenge you some of us aren't even

aware of the ways that being a coward has

shaped and defined our lives and god does

not want you to live as a coward and the

gospel helps us to understand that as the

gospel grips us we realize that god didn't

choose us because we were choice he chose

us because he loves us he didn't choose

us because we had to be perfect he knows

everything there's no about us and still

he loved you so much he died for you on

the cross and as we are gripped by the

gospel the security that the gospel brings

to pray lord as i am gripped by the gospel

help me to know when i am being cowardly

and then please pour out your holy spirit

upon me to live with love and power and

self-control a prayer for the rest of your

life could put up the next one please

andrew this comes from verses 8 and verse

12 therefore do not be ashamed of the

testimony about our lord nor of me as

prisoner but share in suffering for the

gospel by the power of god and verse 12

which is why i suffer as i do but i am not

ashamed for i know whom i have believed

and i am convinced it is able to guard until

that day what has been entrusted to me i

challenge some of you that who in fact

aren't willing to suffer for the gospel

not willing to look like you're a hick

because you believe certain you see the

gospel is in the context of basic christian

doctrines and basic christian doctrines are

in the context of the gospel and as we are

ashamed of some of this because we don't

want to suffer our faith withers and maybe

even dies and so many of us need to pray

this prayer lord as i am gripped by the

gospel help me to be willing to suffer

for the gospel and help me to never be

ashamed of the gospel prayer for the rest

of your life and finally if andrew if you

could put up the final prayer and i didn't

talk about this much but verses 12 to 14

it's really precious verse which is why i

suffer as i do but i am not ashamed for i

know whom i have believed you know for

some of us who are from baptisty type

churches i keep wanting to go for i know

whom i have believed and am persuaded that

he is able to keep that we've now just

revealed ourselves as being old fogies you

just self-identified yourself that way you

um you can join with me in leaving like

this afterwards while all the young hip

people are take pity on us but i i just i'm

i'm i'm old enough i remember when that

was one of like that was a very common

popular say amen all you baptist presbyterian

anglican types you know amen right this

was a very common song anyway sorry where

was i back to this which is why i suffer

as i do but i am not ashamed for i know

whom i have believed it and i am convinced

that he is able to guard until that day

what has been entrusted to me who's

guarding it you know jesus is is is guard

he's entrusted me something but he's

guarding it then he says follow the

pattern of the sound words that you have

heard from me in the faith and love that

are in christ jesus by the holy spirit who

dwells within us guard the good deposit

guard the gospel guard the beautiful

deposit guard that great treasure of the

gospel message which is the power of god

for salvation which is not just good news

it's good news that has doctrinal

implications and it's good news that

shapes all doctrine and jesus has given

this to his people to guard and defend and

proclaim and the really good news is it

doesn't rest on you to succeed because

god guards it and entrusts it

that's really some of us we just need to

wake up in a day and say you know when we

realize that we're starting to walk like

this with a our head down and we just

have to look up and say one moment i'm

carried in the arms of jesus

doesn't rest on my shoulders not as a way

of avoiding responsibility but when you

realize that jesus is involved in it it

helps you take responsibility so many of

us need to pray this prayer lord as i'm

gripped by the gospel help me to take my

part in guarding the gospel thank you

that it is you and only you that guarantees

the transmission of the gospel

it's a wonderful thing to pray a prayer

for the rest of your life and if you could

put up that first prayer just as we're

closing i'd like you to stand please just

as i we bring this to a close this part of

the service to a close we're going to

still intercede we're going to take up a

collection we're going to have it's it's a

you know a short communion service but it's

it's it's it's a heart communion service

it's not done with lots of you know fancy

and all that type of stuff it goes right to

the words of institution right to to the

words of jesus to enter into holy communion

with them and but you know is i'm just

going to pray if you're standing here

there's no better time if you haven't

given your life to jesus i urge you there

is no better time than to give your life

to jesus then and if you if those words

help you use those words it's not a magic

formula use them use your own words but

there's no better time than now let's

pray father thank you for jesus thank you

father that you used an ordinary man like

paul a man like paul who probably had a

temper there's probably all sorts of

irritating things about him just like

there are irritating things about us but

you used him father thank you that you

gave him the courage to not use a get out

of jail free card but that he was willing

to suffer for the gospel to die for the

gospel to continue to share with us the

good news that jesus lived that he died

upon the cross that he tasted all there

is to taste of death and then the third

day he rose and that he will come again

in glory to judge the living and the dead

and to bring in the new heaven and earth

father thank you for this precious news

make us disciples of jesus who are gripped

by the gospel and are learning to live for

your glory this is our prayer and we ask

it in the name of jesus and odd all god's

people said amen

you

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