Title: What We Should Be Prepared for
Contents
What we should be preparing for / 2 Timothy 4:3-8
*** Introduction
Let's look at verses 7-8. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; from now on there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearing. Egeni.”
It is a beautiful confession of victory without shame before God. It is also a sincere confession of longing for the glorious things that will happen there, standing in the twilight of life after completing the road of mission, looking at the kingdom of God. It is an enviable confession of faith for those of us who are going on the path of life now. We, too, will one day stand before the Lord, and while we earnestly hope that we will be able to confess this before the Lord, we want to take a look at what we need to prepare for.
In the second half of 1 Samuel 20:3, David, who was in crisis, said, “… Truly, as the LORD lives and by your life, there is but one step between me and death.” In the past, our ancestors sang a song as they went to bury the dead in order to bury the dead. Among them, there is a saying, “Bukmangsan is far away, and Bukmangsan is outside the gate.” This means ‘death seemed far away, but death is right in front of you.’ Like David's confession or the songs of our ancestors, we today are no exception.
And in 1 Kings 2:2, before his death, David asks his son Solomon, “Now I am going the way of all the people of the world, so work hard to become a general manager.” David said, “His death in the flesh is the way for all people in the world.” Death is the path God has ordained for everyone in the world. Hebrews 9:27 says, “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” Therefore, it will be a wise life to prepare for this road that will come upon us as well.
1. You must faithfully perform your duties.
Let's look at verses 3-5. “3 The time is coming when people will not receive sound doctrine, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own desires, 4 and will turn away from the truth and listen to myths. 5 But be sober in all things, endure hardships, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill your duties.” God says that in the last days people will become unfaithful and follow their own desires.
There is a saying in ancient times called fattening tan ( 肉之嘆). It's a saying, 'I lament the fatness on my thighs.' It means 'I lament over being wasted with nothing to do'.
Liu Bei, who was running along with Guan Yu and Jiang, shouting for the revival of the Han Dynasty, was once driven by Cao Cao because of lack of strength. After traveling from place to place, he became indebted to Yu Pyo in Hyeongju. Yu Pyo stationed Liu Bei, who had come to him with his support, in a small town.
Years have passed since Liu Bei left the battlefield and stayed in the town. One day, Yu Pyo invited Liu Bei to play the lead role. Liu Bei, who went to the bathroom during the banquet, suddenly found fat on her thighs, and said, 'I was born in a difficult age, wearing a bow and riding a horse, trying to stand in the world, but I can't imagine living like this... ' He sighed and wept. After returning to the banquet, Liu Bei asked why Yu Pyo was crying.
“In the past, I was always on horseback, so I didn't have time to get fat on my thighs. But now, I haven't ridden for a while and I've gained weight. Now that we are close to old age, we cannot make a name for ourselves in the world, and our spirits are not the same as in the past, so it is just sad.”
Said. The word “fading fat” ( 肉之嘆) is derived from this Liu Bei’s lament.
When a person tries to be comfortable, he becomes infinitely lazy and forgets his true purpose in life. The desires of the flesh are endless. ‘I’m just doing this… , just do this... ’ and immersed in the world more and more deeply. So, God said that in the last days, people will pursue their desires and even mobilize many teachers to fulfill their desires.
That's right. A Christian should consider the purpose for which God has been called to be the most precious, and he must have bold determination. Therefore, you must faithfully perform the duties assigned to you.
It is said that in the Himalayas there is a bird called 'Halran'. A distinctive feature of these birds is that they do not have nests. At night, this bird trembles in the cold of the Himalayas and thinks, “I must build a nest when the sun comes out tomorrow.” But when the day comes, he forgets the resolution he made last night and just plays and passes another day. Then, at night, a bird that repeats its resolutions again because of the cold but never builds a nest is called ‘Hwaran’.
I don't know if such a bird exists, but it's probably a story people made up based on the bird's habits. But this story pinches our indecisive life. If our lives are like that, the end is as obvious as seeing a fire. What would happen if you knew your bad habit but put it off until you met your end? If you do not want such an ending, you will have to put all your energy into your job. Even if there are hardships and difficult circumstances, we must fulfill our duties by evangelizing, serving, and serving.
According to one research report,
“20% of church members do not attend Sunday worship, 25% do not have a prayer life, 35% do not read the Bible at all, 40% do not follow the tithing command, 60% do not read Christian books at all, 75% do not do church service diligently, and 85% do not evangelize even a single unbeliever.”
said
How are you? If the Lord calls you right now, can you not be embarrassed? Are you doing your best in the duties entrusted to you?
2. We must keep our faith through a good fight.
This is verse 7 of the text. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith,” he confesses.
A study of Nobel Laureates found that they were not particularly clever people, but those who got things done. The secret of being evaluated as having a so-called 'good life' has nothing to do with 'where did you start?' and has little to do with 'what did you do?' Are you done?'
A great finish is almost impossible without a life of conscientiousness. If you pursue only the comfort of the body, you will have no choice but to 'fail out of the flesh' like an analogy.
There is a scholar named ‘Robin S. Sharma’, who is internationally renowned as a leader and motivational researcher. Among his books, there is a book called 'Who Will Cry When I Die?' In this book, the author presents ‘One Hundred Wisdoms for a Successful Life’. Here are some of the most impressive ones.
“When you were born, you cried, but everyone who watched you rejoiced. But when you die, many will cry, but then you have to live so that you can rejoice.”
The good fight is a fight against all the forces in the world that hinder us from following God's will. I'm not talking about hitting and hitting. It's a spiritual battle. No matter what difficulties and hardships follow, relying on the power of the Lord, resisting with the Word and prayer, and steadfastly following the Lord. It's not just one or two fights, it's a fight that you have to fight until the day you end your life in this world. That is why Jesus said in Matthew 24:13, “But he who endures to the end will be saved.”
3. You must have a sure hope.
The late Dr. Hwalan Kim, who served as the president of Ewha Womans University, was born in Incheon in 1899. My mother was a member of Naeri Church in the early days, but she was a faithful member who did not skip prayer in the morning and evening. Dr. Hwalan Kim was a servant of the Lord who worked hard for the church and the people throughout his life during the dark ages of the nation. She has been single all her life, fully devoted to the work of the Lord. She was called to the eternal kingdom of God on February 10, 1970, and her will was as follows.
“I believed that human life is eternal and immutable, and I lived every day to obtain a good way of life as God gave me strength. Overcoming being tied to the body and environment, I worked hard to walk on my own path of victory. I am not going to die just because the functions of the body belonging to this soil decline and the pain in my heart ceases. … omission … I hope that the farewell service that greets you on the path of a richer life and a more splendid victory will replace the funeral.
Dr. Hwa-ran Kim's funeral was a farewell service to heaven. In this worship service, the Ewha Choir members were dressed in white and sang Hallelujah.
This is certainty. Are you sure of this? Are you sure that a house is being prepared for you now in the kingdom of God? Jesus said in John 14:1-3, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe in me again. There are many dwelling places in my father's house. Otherwise, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you; if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, you may be also.”