Today we finish up the book of 2 Timothy using the RightNowMedia series from Joby Martin.
To get the list of the series click here: 2 Timothy

Every session has a point—what each participant should walk away from the discussion knowing, feeling, and doing.

Main Idea: When we give ourselves to fulfilling our God-given purpose, we will find that life with Christ is worth all the hardships we endure.

Head Change: To know that how we spend our lives matters eternally, for us and those we encounter daily.

Heart Change: To feel confident that God sees our acts of faithfulness and will use them to bear fruit in the lives of people around us.

Life Change: To be who God has called us to be and do what God has called us to do, for his glory, for the good of others, and for the rest of our lives.

What examples come to mind when you think of someone who ended their career, project, or life well? In what ways did their example impact or appeal to you?

All good things must come to an end, whether it’s a conversation, a career, or our very lives. As we draw near to the end of 2 Timothy and the end of this series, the apostle Paul leaves us with some final words. In fact, these are some of the final words that Paul would ever write. So, in this session, Joby will help us understand the importance of final words, in general, and how these final words of Paul should weigh on us as we consider our own lives.

⁶For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. ⁷I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸Henceforth 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.

Personal Instructions
⁹Do your best to come to me soon. ¹⁰For Demas, in love with this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. ¹¹Luke alone is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is very useful to me for ministry. ¹²Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. ¹³When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, also the books, and above all the parchments. ¹⁴Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord will repay him according to his deeds. ¹⁵Beware of him yourself, for he strongly opposed our message. ¹⁶At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! ¹⁷But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. ¹⁸The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Final Greetings
¹⁹Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus. ²⁰Erastus remained at Corinth, and I left Trophimus, who was ill, at Miletus.
– 2 Timothy 6-20 ESV

Show Session 8: 2 Timothy 4:6–22 (12 minutes).

DISCUSS

Throughout this series, Joby has returned often to 2 Timothy 1:7, “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” In what ways has Joby’s repetition of Paul’s words been an encouragement to your own practice of the faith?

These final verses mark the end of 2 Timothy and, as Joby mentioned, are some of the last words the apostle Paul would ever write. Why are “final words” so important? What can we learn about someone through their last words?

In Paul’s last words to Timothy, Joby said Paul’s sharing “three very important truths in regard to life and ministry.” And the first is “ministry and following Jesus is hard.” What are some of the things that make following Jesus hard? What hardships have you faced in your own walk with Christ?

After speaking of his hardships and his impending death, Paul writes in verse 7 that he has “fought the good fight, “finished the race, and “kept the faith.” Building on the illustrations he used back in 2 Timothy 2: 3–6, Paul is saying that he has completed the charge given to him—the charge that he is now giving to Timothy. Who in your life have you seen fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith? In what ways does his or her life spur you on to do the same?

Having completed his task, Paul writes in verse 8 that what awaits him is “the crown of righteousness,” which God will award to him. How often do you think about what awaits you after you die? What thoughts come to mind when you do? In what ways might meditating on your eventual death help you “keep the faith”?

In verse 8, Paul mentions that the “crown of righteousness” awaiting him is not for him only but for “all who have loved [Christ’s] appearing,” or who are eager for his return. Are you eager for Jesus to come back? When you think about his return, what thoughts and emotions come to mind?

In what ways can meditating on Christ’s return help you to persevere in keeping the faith, to “fight the good fight” until you have “finished the race”?

It’s here, in verses 8–13, where we get a strong sense of the second important truth that Joby pointed out in this session, which is “following Jesus is a team sport.” Why is it important to have others around you who help encourage you in your faith? Who are the people “on your team”? In what ways do they help you fight the good fight of faith?

Of all the names that Paul lists, at least one of them—Demas—had abandoned him, and two others—Crescens and Titus—had gone on to other places. He and Luke were alone. Because they were alone, he entreated Timothy to get Mark and come to him soon. Have you ever felt abandoned or alone in your pursuit of Christ? What was that like? How important was it to spend time with trusted friends during that time? Why?

In verses 14–16, Paul again mentions the hardships he’d endured, from his run-in with Alexander the coppersmith to being deserted by those who didn’t stand by him at his “first defense,” his hearing before Caesar. In both instances, Paul responds to his mistreatment faithfully. How do you respond when you’re mistreated? What can we learn from the way Paul reacts to being harmed and deserted?

Even though he was abandoned, presumably by his friends, in verse 17 Paul writes that the Lord didn’t desert him but “stood by” and “strengthened” him. In what ways does it encourage you to know that, even if others desert you, God will stand by you and strengthen you during hardship? When have you personally experienced God’s grace through his presence?

God stood by Paul and strengthened him in his moment of desertion so that through him “the message might be fully proclaimed.” Proclaiming the gospel was Paul’s God-given purpose, and God was strengthening him so that he could “pour himself out” for that very purpose. And it is this truth—that we are called to faithfully give ourselves to fulfilling our God-given purpose—that Joby highlighted as Paul’s third important point. What is your God-given purpose? In what ways are you pouring yourself out to fulfill that purpose? In what ways has God strengthened you for the work he’s given you to do?

As Joby neared the conclusion of this session, he used the imagery of a funeral to help drive home the main point of Paul’s final words. He asked, “What do you want people to say about you at your funeral?” How would you answer Joby’s question? Would you say your life matches your answer right now? Why, or why not?

We can clearly see Paul’s faith in the way he closes his letter: “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” In what ways is it difficult for you to believe that God will bring you safely into his heavenly kingdom? What can you do to remind yourself of God’s promise in 2 Timothy 4:18?

What could change about your life if you lived with the certainty that God will bring you safely into eternity?

While the book of 2 Timothy is a relatively short book, it is potent and, in it, Paul calls us to a life of deep, abiding faith in Christ. And that means that, while this study has reached its end, we have a lot to reflect on. What’s one thing you want to remember from this study of the book of 2 Timothy? What could you do this week to apply that truth to your life?

LAST WORD
The book of 2 Timothy is about being a disciple of Jesus and making disciples of Jesus even in the face of difficulty, even if the world’s gone crazy, and even if you’ve been mistreated and deserted. It’s a book about being faithful to Christ and fulfilling your God-given purpose. Second Timothy reminds us that Christ is worth any and every hardship we face.

As we close this series, think about the truths we explored while studying the book of 2 Timothy. Consider slowly reading the book in its entirety this week and reflecting on what God has taught you. Pray that he would lodge these lessons in your heart so that you can be assured that God has called you to follow him, that he will be with you as you call others to follow him, and that he will bring you safely into eternity when your work is complete.