Dave’s Monday Blast – June 5, 2017
I was reading this article the other day by Pastor Andrew McCourt on the book of 2 Timothy. It is an incredible book written by the Apostle Paul to his protégé Timothy 2,000 years ago, and packed with relevant truth for today.
Three quick things to know about 2 Timothy:
- This is Paul’s last letter and it reads a bit like his last will and testament to the Church of Christ.
- It is really Paul’s most personal letter. Many of his letters are written to churches. This one of course is written to Timothy. It is a letter written at the end of one man’s life, to someone he cares deeply for, and who has much of his life in front of him.
- This letter is written from prison. And we’re not talking about house arrest. Paul is confined, alone, and waiting to be executed for the crime of being an outspoken follower of Christ. The circumstances in which this letter was written were bleak.
Yet even in Paul’s dire circumstances, he was able to deliver a powerful message. The first part of this message has a lot of similarities to something you might have experienced–a locker room pep talk.
Pastor McCourt comments, “Have you ever watched a game where a team is down by a seemingly insurmountable amount in the first half? Tired, dejected, they walk off the field and head to the locker room. Minutes later they walk back out, refreshed, revived, and ready to fight again. You can tell that their coach has given them one amazing speech.”
Paul knows that Timothy feels a lot like a player on a losing team. He knows that Timothy is young, and has a lot of growing to do. He knows that Timothy has a weak disposition and is often sick (1 Timothy 5:23). He knows that Timothy can be timid, and is often intimidated by those that are older (1 Timothy 4:12). But what he knows most of all is that for Timothy, its only halftime!
As he wrote, Paul knew he was at the end of his game. It was his time to INTENTIONALLY encourage the younger generation. He writes as the older man, a spiritual father to son. What does he say to keep Timothy on his feet, to keep him charging back into the game with a relentless spirit?
Well…next Monday we will get a little practical advice from Coach Paul, because you and I my friends need to stay in the game!
