The Integrity of Finishing Well, Part 2

In the closing portion of the second letter to Timothy apostle Paul offered compassionate counsel to his protégé is as though Paul was putting his arm around Timothy giving up wise instruction on how to navigate the future today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll presents the final message is 12 part series called walking with integrity in times of adversity he's chosen to focus our attention on this warm admonition from Paul drawing relevant application for anyone who wants to leave a lasting legacy to title this message, the integrity of finishing well return you are father, confident that in you. We have whole always because of you. We have been delivered directed sometimes rescued off and comforted the passing of the months of this year as we approach the end of it. We pray that this approach will be filled with joy, music, great reminders of your son's arrival among us how grateful we are that he came how mindful we are that same attitude that was in him, you have told should be in us as well. Thank you for his humility and leaving the magnificence of heaven and coming to such a place as this earth to become one of us.

Thank you that he lived among us, and was never once contaminated with sin. Thank you for the strength of his life and for that strength as it is transferred to us that we might live in many ways as he lived his life. We give you thanks for the passing of a wonderful holiday. The joy of family and friends. The love life as we find it in one another. Thank you father were grateful for those who to this day bring up such joy in the were separated from many of our friends.

Thank you for the memory of their lives and the joy of our times with them in days past, we confess our hearts are heavy for those who are wayward those who have left the path of righteousness and turn to their own way bring them back. Father give us the faith of the prodigal's father is he everyday waited for the return of his dear son. We trust you Lord as we move into this season to speak to us in fresh ways. As we celebrate this time of year. Love has come down and surrounded us and invaded us and changed us. It was hearts that reach out to those who've never trusted in your son, and now Lord, we will turn to a very moving section of Scripture today. May we hear it well may we heed the words that are given to us.

Thank you for preserving them from the pen of the faithful apostle who served you to the end. We ask these things in the name of Christ our Savior. Everyone said amen you're listening to for living to search the Scriptures with Chuck Swindoll. Be sure to download his searching the Scriptures study by going to Insight world.or/studies Chuck titled his message the integrity of finishing well. Everything starts in this fourth chapter of the Solomon charge. Paul is almost nothing of his passion. I solemnly charge you. I urge you in the presence of God in Christ Jesus, who will someday judge the living and the dead when he appears to set up his kingdom. So he's charging young temper. The younger Timothy to step into the end of the ranks, without hesitation, without reluctance to preach the word, be prepared whether the time is favorable or not patiently correct review and encourage the people with good teaching forever. You live wherever you move whatever may be your circumstance. Look for places where you can find the word of God taught faithfully because apart from it, you will be embracing nonsense admits verse five. You should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don't be afraid of suffering for the Lord. My life is already been poured out as an offering to God the time of my death.

It's mere. The apostle acknowledges that his days are now numbered down to our words. So he looks back and says the Greek reads the good struggle I've struggled the race, I have run the faith I have. This is a pride on parade. This is this is fact on record.

He simply declaring his life in a few words you read part of that race with me Timothy. Remember it.

Remember how we endured stay added in this faith that we believe in standalone, it is is an honest appraisal of life, the struggle will be there and it will stay there only means you're on the right track. And with that. Interestingly, he begins an remarkable thing.

Remember, remember, is easy in this dungeon he has his memory and it is as sharp as it can be cognitively he is acute and not taken the time of numbered them carefully.

16 friends are named, along with several of them telling where they are at the time, dungeon, only his memory and is able to lay one after another after another until whirly heart what they're doing or where they left him over 11 look for yourself. He says Devos has deserted me.

Verse 10 because he loves the things of this world is going to Thessalonica Crescent.

This is going to Galatia, Titus is going to Dalmatia only Luke is with me. I take it that Luke was able to come into the dungeon when the medical situation was at such a point that he needed a physician adopted, Lucas stayed right there is a constant companion… The Romans would allow that this is punishment unfair to the extreme.

Only Lucas with me at any says to tobacco Timothy Britton Mark with you when you come for he will be helpful for my ministry. This is John Mark who wrote the gospel by Mark. This is the one who had deserted them earlier on the journey but he says now all is forgiven.

Bring Mark bring them with you when you come by the way, to she wonder if you really want to see Timothy soon. Verse 21 come before winter. Can you feel the emotion and that come before the leaves fall come before the snow flurries blow across the street come before this tubelike dungeon becomes like an icebox.

Do your best to get here before winter to going on with the names he said in and about the way when you come oh I missed one I sent to Kinko's to emphasis and when you come. Be sure to bring the cloak of lift with carpets. There's another name at trial as this where he was arrested and trained and brought back to Rome for the final time, so he left his cloak in a hurry.

Probably it was good whether there or maybe didn't have a chance to grab it on his way out.

Now he needs it in and he said bring that bring bring my scrolls reads books in our Bible but it it really is scrolls, and especially the parchments that would be disappointments of Scripture that he carried that beautiful right after the end, the bed is studying notable books when the light is just right. I'll be able to to do a little extra research and I missed the Scriptures dying along for the Scriptures you long for versus that it comforted you through life bring the Scriptures to and then if you will drive over to verse 19 give my greetings to Priscilla, her husband, equivalent those living in the household of on the Severus a great man. He was interested stated current olive profit in the 6 mL. Do your best to get here before winter.

Julio sends you greetings so to Putin's and Linus and Claudia as a people we don't know anything more about Paul's got up on his mind right to the right to the acute sharp with it and how much his friends Matt and he wanted Timothy to remember. Oh speaking of remembering, I deliberately walked past a man. He especially wanted Timothy to remember verse 14.

There is Alexander the coppersmith he did me much evil. The Greek reads did me much evil but you wonder what that included that evil done against me on several occasions, sometimes threatening evils of God. I don't know what happened when the case of Alexander we said the Lord will judge them for what he is done.

There's no vengeance as the Lord's work is finishing well listening but but he also adds this Timothy Timothy. Be careful of him. He fought against everything we said. Rick says every word he fought against it. There are some people like that there. There are some people just they just have the gift of criticism.

There is no such gift that they think they have it and so they exercise it regularly. And if there's something they can criticize to criticize something they don't like. We'll talk about what they don't like often wonder what he thinks is Lee, but the church is a great feeding ramp place like my mentor Holly Hendrix used to say where there's light is books so remember that Alexander was a but he was in fact a board in God's vineyard. By the way, remember this when a man of God dies and relocates his enemies reload there still around.

There's still doing evil there still doing mischief guard against him. He says guard against Alexander.

He'll take you will next Sparta finishing well is to pass along warnings.

He was Timothy to watch out for them when he starts coming to the church at Ephesus.

Be careful, Timothy informer churches when I have begun my ministry. There good friends warned me of certain individuals to watch out for one or two here one.

There are one or two year you know what invariably they were right. Invariably carnal people remain carnal people unless God does a magnificent work in their lives. Watch out for the guard against the they hurt the ministry.

Who knows what about this time he hears the boots above it is time has come before you knew it he was surrounded by Roman soldiers, one with in acts no wanting to end this will because it is at the end of this series, and because it is such a moving scene at the end for this is final.

In Paul's writing owner.

How do I do this best all I have a confession to make idea of a realized it would take time to really develop this and I remembered something I have written in my book on Paul back in 2002 and I decided I will do what I not ever done before. I will read from something I've written. You've reached the bottom of the barrel when you start uploading your own stuff, but knowing the work I put into the book and the research felt like that would save best rather than my rambling and trying to save it as best I could. Today is my best effort. The medical prisoner walking stiffly ragged and filthy from the dungeon was not ashamed or degraded the squad of grim faced soldiers never noticed as they frowned and stared ahead. But there was a faint smile on their prisoners face Paul was en route to a triumph. The crowning day of his reward for to him to live is Christ and to die is gain no acts across the back of his neck would rob him of his triumphant destiny. It would in fact initiated. They marched Paul to the third milestone on the Austin way outside room to a little plywood in the Glade the Glade of the tombs known now as Trey Fontaine at that place today either stands and Abby in his honor. He is believed to have been put overnight in a tiny cell near the place of his executioner of his execution at first light. The next Dawn. The soldiers took Paul to a stop like pillar, the executioner stood ready start making acts in hand, the manuscript, Paul taught him leaving upright to the low pillar which exposed his back and his neck first beat him with rods for the last time he groaned and bled from his nose and mouth and then, without a hint of hesitation. The executioner frowned as he swung the blade that gleamed in the morning sun high above his head and brought it down swiftly hitting his mark with a dull thud in the header. Paul rolled down into the dense in that moment, silently and invisibly the soul of the great apostle was immediately set for his spirits soared into the heavens absent from the body. He was at last at home with the Lord forever. We may be in however we might die whenever it occurs, whatever the circumstances. We know Christ complained that all hear it again at death. There's a separation. The body remains the spirit soars instantly to be with the Lord absent from the body face-to-face with the Lord in their we are with those we have lost but now found spending our eternity forever with one another in our heavenly but you are without Christ, there are no words to describe the dread of what you face no exaggeration here. The truth is, you will know nothing of a heavenly home. There is no purgatory. There will be no change after your death. If you die without Christ enjoyed Chrysler's eternity you will go judgment awaits you, and ultimately the eternal flames will surround you forever without comfort, without hope of ever being is a wonder that we who preach inevitably plead with you without Christ turned to him you have the gift offered you that will change your entire way of life as well as your destiny for you to wait is a risk not worth taking. It can be well with your soul in this life as it was with Paul to the very end.

You could know the joy of no complaints, no bitterness, no blame, no fear for your soon to be with the Lord, would you today must make your decision.

You do not know what tomorrow will hold so for you especially. I asked that we bow our heads together.

Please sit quietly. Please pray if you are hearing me today. You are without Christ you have no hope. Apart from him beyond the grave. There will be no relief.

It will not be well with your soul. Those flashes of insight given in the Scriptures reveal format misery, pain, heartache, loneliness, lostness, suffering, and so I plead with you today to turn to Christ, take the gift he who has the son has life. He who does not have the son does not have the life of the wrath of God abides on him.

If we can help you make this decision.

That is why we exist connect with us.

We will show you the way the path is clear, simple, but it isn't automatic. You must make the decision.

Dear father, as we close on this emotional note, I pray there will be no relief. No rest, not even sleep through the night for those without Christ, they might turn to you and trusting your son Jesus, that it might be for them well with her so thank you for your help in delivering this message may have been drilled into our minds and never forgotten that we to fight the good fight and finish the race and keep the faith to the last day of our in the name of Jesus I pray 12 part teaching series called walking with integrity in times of adversity. You're listening to the Bible teaching of Chuck Swindoll and if you like to learn more about this ministry. Visit us online@insightworld.org then if you're prepared to dig deeper into this topic. I'll remind you insight for living provides interactive study notes for every message. Please take a few moments to review this popular resource fact, we were pleased to read a recent comment about searching the Scriptures said, I absolutely love the year-long study of Matthew.

I was a little behind the daily broadcasts but finally finished it I cried when it came to an end. The writer continues. I read the commentary on Matthew and did the STS for the entire series. I started and ended each day in the word I was drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

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