Never
Alone • 2 Timothy 4:16-18
1. The sound of the wooden beam that bars the
door to Paul’s prison cell being lifted out of it’s slot disturbs the apostle’s
prayer.
2. Slowly the door creaks open as the jailor
steps in and motions him it’s time to go.
3. Paul stands up and the jailor hands him a
large ring of iron keys.
4. He finds the one that fits the chain secured
to his ankle and turns the lock.
5. Handing the keys back to the jailor, he
follows him out of the cell and down the narrow passageway toward the main room
of the prison.
6. There he’s met by 4 Romans soldiers –
Praetorian guards from the palace.
7. They will escort him to the first phase of his
trial for treason against the Empire.
8. The detachment with Paul in tow winds it’s way
through the labyrinth that is the streets of Rome until it arrives at the
courthouse.
9. The trial has been widely publicized and the
gallery is full of spectators.
10. As a leader of the hated sect of Christians,
Paul is well known and there are many who are anxious to see him convicted and
put to death.
1. During this first phase, the charges against
him will be read and Paul will have a chance to defend himself
a. the prosecutor will make
accusations, and whatever evidence there is against him will be presented
b. Paul’s defense will be
character witnesses who will describe what kind of a person he is and what kind
of life he’s lived that refute the charges
c. the success of Paul’s defense
rests solely in the number and strength of these witnesses
2. Knowing this, it’s with great disappointment
we read the words of v. 16 . . .
16 At my first defense no one stood with me, but all
forsook me. May it not be charged against them.
*** no one stood with
me, but all forsook me.
1. These words shake us to the core because of
who we know Paul is
2. He is the great apostle to the Gentiles, the
man who almost single-handedly took the gospel out of the districts of the
middle east and spread it throughout Asia and Europe
3. This is the man who so eloquently expresses
the Gospel of Grace and penned a good part of the NT!
4. How is it, that when it all comes down to the
end, he is left alone – forsaken by his friends and those he’s been a
spiritual father to for years?
5. We know when Paul wrote this letter to Timothy, Luke and a man named Onesiphorus were with him.
6. But they had arrived after Paul’s first
hearing.
7. When it came to that crucial moment in the
trial when the judge called for Paul to answer the charges and present his
case, Paul had merely stood up and used the opportunity to preach the gospel
once more.
a. if he was going to be executed
for preaching, then he wanted to make sure everyone knew what it was he
preached
b. but as for
witnesses, as for those who could come to his defense and give testimony on
what kind of a man Paul was and how his life and message had effected great
change for the good – not a soul could be found.
c. they’d all
fled – less the Imperial eye of suspicion fall on them and they be caught up in
the purge of Christians that was even then sweeping Rome.
d. no one –
not one of the leaders of the Roman church, would stand up and speak out in
Paul’s defense.
8. How lonely Paul must have felt – how betrayed!
9. He had spent the last decade of his life
enduring hardship, persecution, poverty, and all kinds of pains, both emotional
and physical, for the sake of others – that they might hear the gospel and grow
in the grace of God.
10. Listen to what he tells the Corinthians he
had endured . . .
24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes
minus one.
25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was
stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the
deep;
26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in
perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in
perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the
wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;
27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in
hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—
28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily:
my deep concern for all the churches.
11. Paul had lived his life in the service of
the Lord by serving others and counted every hardship small compared to the
gift of love and life he had received from the Lord.
12. This man, who had lived so faithfully for
others, when his moment of trial came, literally, was forsaken by all –
all but One.
13. But notice Paul’s attitude toward all those
who could have stood with him but didn’t.
May
it not be charged against them.
14. There’s a very good chance
that from a purely human perspective, these potential witnesses held Paul’s
life in their hands.
a. a dozen people whose lives
had been dramatically turned around by the message he preached could have come
and given their testimony
b. some of the
Roman officials Paul had won to faith could have spoken out
c. their
testimony would have gone far indeed
d. Paul knows
this and while he’s certainly disappointed, he’s not bitter or resentful.
15. On the contrary, he’s generous and
forgiving – just as Jesus was from the cross when He looked down at those who
had just placed Him there and prayed, “Father, forgive, they know not what they
do.”
16. Paul remembers the words of Stephen, the
first martyr of the church, over whose stoning Paul had presided.
a. as his life
was pouring out of his body
b. Stephen
said, “Lord, do not lay this to their account.”
17. Now it’s Paul’s turn to face death, and as
he does, he shows himself to be a man who has truly understood grace and
forgiveness by being gracious and forgiving.
17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so
that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the
Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
1. While everyone else had forsaken Paul, there
was One who stood with him and never left his side – Jesus!
2. Three times prior to this the Lord had come to
Paul and offered Him comfort.
a. when distressed over the heated
opposition he was facing at Corinth the Lord appeared to Paul and told him to
take courage. [Acts 18]
b. in
Jerusalem after being beaten up by the Jewish mob in the temple and arrested by
the Roman guard, Jesus appeared to him and told him to take courage and that he
was being sent to Rome to bear witness of Christ to kings and those in
authority. [Acts 23]
c. then, on
the way to Rome, the ship he was on was caught in a fierce storm and it looked
like all would perish. Again, the Lord
stood by his side and told him they would be safe. [Acts 27]
3. As Paul stood before that
Roman tribunal, with Nero in all likelihood being a part of the panel, he knew
he was not alone.
4. Jesus stood there with him!
5. Paul may not have people there to be witnesses
for him – But he would be a witness for Christ!
6. The Apostle understood that this was not
really a case to determine his fate; his future had already been sealed
in eternity through his faith in Christ.
7. It wasn’t Paul who was on trial here –
it was the men who constituted that Roman court.
8. And their fate would be determined by their
reaction, not to the evidence of witnesses for Paul, but by their reaction to
the evidence Paul brought through the gospel and his witness for Christ.
9. I love the picture Paul paints in v. 17
a. see the
Roman tribunal sitting there on a raised dais
b. the other
three sides of the room - a gallery packed with spectators
c. in the
center of the room is an open area in which a lone figure stands
d. it is Paul,
and out of respect he is facing the judges with a posture of humility
e. but his
back is straight, his head is high and his eyes are clear
f. his hands
are stretched out, not with a pointing finger of intimidation; trying to scare
the judges with the fear that if they touch him they will know God’s wrath
g. but his
hands are outstretched in the posture of pleading, not for mercy for himself,
but that they may cast themselves on the mercy of God and receive
His gift of grace through faith in Jesus.
h. I like what
Warren Wiersbe says,
“What a man Paul is! His
friends forsake him, and he prays that God will forgive them. His
enemies try him, and he looks for opportunities to tell them how to be
saved! What a difference it makes when the Holy Spirit controls your life.”
17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so
that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the
Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.
10. You have to admire Paul’s boldness
a. why was he arrested and why
did he now stand before this court?
b. for
preaching the gospel!
c. so what
does he do when on trial for preaching the gospel?
d. he preaches
the gospel!
11. And why did he preach the
gospel, knowing that this is the very thing that in these men’s eyes would
condemn him?
12. BECAUSE JESUS STOOD WITH HIM AND
STRENGTHENED HIM!
13. Paul knew the many promises of God to His
people, that He will not forsake them
a. Hebrews 13:5-6
5 God Himself has said, “I
will never leave you nor forsake you.”
6 So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to
me?”
b. Matthew
28:19-20
19 Go therefore and make
disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of
the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all
things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even
to the end of the age.”
1) this is precisely what Paul had done his whole
life since his conversion
2) he went everywhere making disciples
3) and now that he stood in Rome before this court,
he was still doing it -
4) trusting Jesus was doing just what He said He
would do – being there to strengthen him.
c. Deuteronomy 31:6
6 Be strong and of good
courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He
will not leave you nor forsake you.”
d. Psalm 37:39-40
39 The salvation
of the righteous is from the Lord;
He is their strength in the time of trouble.
40 And the Lord shall help them and deliver them;
He shall deliver them from the wicked, And
save them, Because they trust in Him.
14. In Matthew 10, Jesus told the disciples what they were to do
when they stood in just such a place as Paul now stood . . .
19 When they deliver you up, do
not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in
that hour what you should speak;
20 for it is not you who speak,
but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.
15. As Paul looks back now on his first trial,
he can see clearly how the Lord stood with him and gave him strength to preach
the gospel.
16. His head had been in the proverbial lion’s
mouth at that trial – but the lion never bit!
17. The Lord rescued him just as He’d rescued
Daniel.
18. By lion, Paul means the imperial power
of Rome
a. in
scripture, the lion is often a figure for the power of the king
b. to be
delivered from the lion’s mouth means to be rescued from the hostility and
opposition of the throne
19. Though Paul had brought no witnesses in his
defense, and though he had actually confirmed the charges against him by
preaching, the Roman authorities were reluctant to pass an instant guilty
verdict.
20. That would await the second phase of the
trial in which the actual sentence would be carried out
21. Paul knew full well what the sentence would
be – death!
22. Still, he writes . . .
18 And the Lord will deliver me from every evil
work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory
forever and ever. Amen!
1. By delivery from ‘every evil work’ Paul
doesn’t mean that he will be saved from execution.
2. In v. 6 of this chapter he’s already said that
he knows his blood will be shed and he will offer himself to the Lord as a
sacrifice.
3. Paul doesn’t see his death as an evil thing –
it’s a holy sacrifice.
4. He’s lived as a living sacrifice, now he has
the privilege of taking it all the way.
5. By ‘evil work’ Paul means the attempt of the
enemy to shake Paul’s faith and throw him a curve at the last minute that would
cause Paul to deny the Lord and chicken out.
6. Paul is far more apprehensive of his own
weakness than he is of the executioner’s blade.
7. But he is totally confident of the Lord’s
ability to stand with him and give him the grace and strength he needs to
resist the devil and endure the ordeal before him.
8. So he says with confidence –
the
Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me
for His heavenly kingdom
9. Just as Paul had lived boldly for the Kingdom
of God on earth, now he would cross the line between this earth and
heaven and enter the Kingdom of God in glory.
10. He ends with this triumphant cry!
To
Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!
1. This is the real end of the letter
2. Vs. 19-22 are a postscript of greetings to
various people in Ephesus.
3. V. 18 is Paul real last words
To
Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!
4. Tell me, are these the words of a victim or a
victor?
5. Is this a cry of defeat or a triumphant
victory shout?
6. Paul never saw himself as a victim.
a. even when all forsook him and
he stood alone, he rested securely in the promise and presence of God
b. when
arrested and hauled before the highest court in the world of that day for
treason, still he was no victim
c. he was
doing what the highest Judge of all had called and commanded him to do.
d. and he knew
that whatever sentence that court in Rome passed would ultimately be part of
the plan of God for his life.
1. Paul was no victim and he would never let his
thinking run there
2. All that happened to him he knew had one of
two goals . . .
a. either to
make him more like Jesus
b. or to
advance the kingdom of God among the lost
3. So Paul is
utterly victorious!
4. Notice the title he gives to God in vs. 16-18;
a. twice he calls Him, “Lord.”
b. Master!
5. Paul is so submitted to the Lord that he
commits everything into his hand, including his very life!
6. Paul is a servant, and a servant cannot be a
victim because a servant’s task is to serve in whatever capacity his or her
master requires.
7. As the servant of the Lord, Paul is confident
that all he’s been called to endure is part of his service – so he is no victim
and he never questions the Lord’s wisdom, power, or presence.
8. He is far more concerned with his own careful
attention to the Lord’s work than his own defense or rights.
9. That is a servant! And as a servant, Paul only
wants to be faithful.
10. Because that was his heart’s desire, the
Lord empowered him to live faithfully
11. And now Paul looks to the ending of his
hardships and his entrance into rest in heaven.
1. I don’t know what trial you are enduring, what
hardship you find yourself in the midst of
2. But whatever it is, I doubt that it is as
difficult or as potentially lonely as what Paul was enduring when he penned
these words.
3. Let his example encourage you.
4. Let the truths that supported him in his time
of need, come now to your aid and strengthen you.
5. You are NEVER ALONE!
a. no matter
how dark the night or deep the water – God is there
b. no matter
how hot the fiery trial that tests you – God is there
c. He is there
with you as He was with Shadrach, Mesheck, and Abed-Nego in the furnace
d. just as he
was there with Paul at his trail
6. Let the words of Isaiah 43:1-2 be like a staff in your hand upon
which you can lean your weight
1 Thus says the Lord,
who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I
have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the
fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.
7. Wrap the words of Isaiah 41:10-13 around you like a warm,
comforting blanket that will keep at bay the icy chill of doubt
10 Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am
your God. I will strengthen you, yes,
I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
11 “Behold, all those who were incensed against you shall be ashamed
and disgraced; They shall be as nothing, and those who strive with you shall perish.
12 You shall seek them and not find them—Those who contended with
you. Those who war against you shall be as nothing, as a
nonexistent thing.
13 For I, the Lord your
God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’
8. When we throw ourselves a pity-party and start
seeing ourselves as victims, we have effectively denied the love and
sovereignty of God.
9. My friend – you are never alone!
10. Where ever you are, God is there
11. Whatever is happening, He is at your side
to give you strength to endure.
12. And all things are working together for
your good!
1 O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know
my sitting down and my rising up; You
understand my thought afar off.
3 You
comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there
is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.
5 You have
hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such
knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain
it.
7 Where can
I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 If I
ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You
are there.
9 If
I take the wings of the morning, And
dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 Even there
Your hand shall lead me, And Your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say,
“Surely the darkness shall fall on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
12 Indeed, the
darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness
and the light are both alike to You.
13 For You
formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will
praise You, for £I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.
15 My frame was
not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought
in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes
saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.
17 How precious
also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!
18 If I
should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I
am still with You.