SEVERAL SOLDIERS OF THE CROSS
TEXT - II Timothy 4:6 - 13
INTRO. You are either a missionary or a mission field.
You are either a soldier of the Cross or like those soldiers
at the Cross. You are either God-sought or God-found.
Here in these verses you find several God-found, missionary
minded, soldiers of the Cross.
As I read these verses I am struck with the fact that this
group is a very real picture of the average church roll. It
seems also to be a picture of the rolls of church history. I
feel that it is also a picture of the picture of the rolls of
heaven. In the history of the average church, in church
history, and in eternity there are people like you find
here. You find well know and unknown people, front-slid as
well as backslid, some leaders and some followers, some
mature believers and some needing weak and needing help.
LET US LOOK FOR A FEW MINUTES AT THESE SOLDIERS OF THE CROSS
AND SEE WHAT WE CAN FIND FROM THEIR LIVES TO APPLY TO OUR
LIVES.
I. Paul -- The Overcomer -- vs. 6 - 8
The first word of the book tells us that he is the writer.
He is approaching the end of his life --- and he has been
faithful to God. For 31 years he has been faithful.
A. Notice Paul’s BACKWARD LOOK - vs.7
He compares himself to a fighter or wrestler.
He compares himself to a runner.
He compares himself to what today we would call a banker.
B. Notice Paul’s PRESENT LOOK - vs.6
He states that he is ready. Paul was always ready to
serve, preach, teach, suffer, and even to die for his
Lord.
He states that he is ready to be poured out as an offering
for the Lord.
C. Notice Paul’s FORWARD LOOK - vs.8
He is absolutely confident of the life to come.
He is absolutely confident of the return of Christ.
He is absolutely confident of a day of judgment and
reward.
D. Notice Paul’s UPWARD LOOK - vs.8
II. Timothy -- The man who had to do Demas’s job and will
receive Demas’s Crown -- vs.9 (implied)
Timothy was a young man who loved the Lord and was called
into the ministry but who also needed to be taught, charged,
and encouraged.
He needed charges like:
Stir up the gift---Ch.1:6
Be not therefore ashamed of the testimony---1:8
Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus---2:1
Study to show thyself approved unto God---2:15
Shun profane and vain babblings---2:16
Flee youthful lusts---2:22
4:1-2 READ
He got Demas’s crown because he did Demas’s job
- See Rev.3:11
III. Demas -- The deserter -- vs.10
This is one of the saddest sentences that Paul ever penned.
Demas had been a faithful minister - See Col.4:14, Philemon
vs.24
He was faithful but he became unfaithful. How common in our
day and yet how tragic.
Notice was Vs.10 does not say.
It does not say Demas had gone out into terrible sin.
It does not say Demas got mad and quit.
It does not say that Demas lost his salvation
ALL IT SAY IS THAT HE LEFT PAUL AND THE SERVICE OF GOD
BECAUSE HE LOVED THIS PRESENT WORLD --- vs.10
Maybe the cost of true discipleship was too much and he
wanted more of the comforts and pleasures of life.
He wanted the crown without the cross --- and wound up with
neither. I know of many people down through the years who did
not forsake the church, they just forsook the more costly
path of real dedication and true discipleship.
DEMAS MAY NOT HAVE QUIT CHURCH AT ALL. He might have gone
back to the church at Thessalonica. There was a church there.
See I Thess. 1:1
BUT DEMAS DID LEAVE GOD’S BEST FOR HIS LIFE. He left because
he loved this present world.
Why don’t people go to Sunday School?
Why don’t people go to Sunday Evening Services?
Why don’t people go to Prayer Meeting?
Why don’t people tithe?
Why don’t people witness?
Most of the time it is because of a love for other things.
Where did Demas go? To a city where a church was located. He
probably had no intention of ceasing to be a Christian. He
only proposed to no longer be an "out-and-out" Christian.
He missed heaven’s Hall of Fame and he will regret it for all
eternity
IV. Crescens -- the ordinary and unknown -- vs.10
You have never heard of this man before in the Bible and you
never hear of him again. He is just a member of the rank and
file. He is a private in the Lord’s Army. He is an ordinary
soldier. But he is very important.
Only eternity alone will reveal how much of the work of god
has been done by unknown believers. Unknown to most but well
know to God. The lord’s battles are not won by the generals
alone. Paul may have founded many churches but it was the
ordinary, faithful, unheard of, believers who kept the work
going after Paul left.
There are two words that appear in the list of the heroes of
faith found in Hebrews 11. In Heb. 11:35-36 we find the words
twice. They are "AND OTHERS". Who are they? They are just
unnamed, ordinary people like you and I. People have never
heard of them BUT GOD KNOWS THEM AND THEY WILL NOT LOSE ONE
BIT OF THEIR REWARD FOR BEING UNKNOWN.
Do you know Hanani? -- No! But you have heard of Nehemiah.
You would have never heard of Nehemiah had it not been for
unknown Hanani.
Do you know Edward Kimball? -- No! But if it was not for a
Sunday School teacher named Edward Kimball who got a burden
for the souls of his Sunday School class and went out to win
them to Christ, you would never have heard of D.L. Moody.
D.L. Moody was a member of that class.
(we will omit Titus for the sake of time and since he is much
like Timothy)
V. Luke -- The man with the missing abilities - vs.11
Paul calls Luke the "beloved physician" in Col.4:14.
Paul first met Luke on the 2nd missionary journey at Troas.
He might have been called to minister to Paul who was
probably suffering from malaria.
He later wrote the books of Luke and Acts.
Paul was the great preacher and soul-winner but he could not
have done all he did for god had it not been for his doctor
Luke.
There are many who are called to serve in the Lord’s work as
helpers and those they help could not fulfill their ministry
without them.
I think of the wives of pastors and missionaries.
I think of assistant pastors, youth pastors, custodians...
I think of prayer warriors....
WE NEED THE PREACHERS AND MISSIONARIES BUT WE NEED THE HELP
OF MANY HELPERS TO GET THE JOB DONE.
FINALLY---
VI. Mark -- The Restored Backslider -- vs.11
Mark started out for God as a missionary on Paul’s first
missionary journeyed but forsook the team at Pamphylia. See
Acts 13:13 where "John" is John Mark called "Mark" here.
Pamphylia was a place that was infected with malaria. It may
be that Mark became afraid. Later at the beginning of the
second missionary journey (Acts 15:36ff) Barnabas, Mark’s
uncle, who had been with Paul on the first journey wanted to
take Mark on this one. Paul refused and there was such
contention that Barnabas took Mark and went to do missionary
work on Cyprus and Paul took Silas on his second journey.
Years pass. Mark matures. Paul forgives and sees a different
man than he saw years ago. Now he needs Mark. See Col.4:10
and Philemon vs.24 "Marcus" is Mark.
Never let us give up on an immature Christian. They may
become great workers for God in days to come.
