Finishing Well

Pastor Tyler Lynde shares a powerful message on what it means to finish well, inspired by the Apostle Paul’s final encouragement to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:5-8. Tyler opens by reflecting on how fleeting our days can be, urging everyone to adopt Paul’s view that death for believers is actually gain, not loss. With that perspective, we’re reminded that life isn’t about drifting from day to day but about staying vigilant, focused, and ready to fulfill the calling God has placed on us.

The thread of endurance runs deeply here. Tyler echoes Paul’s analogy of life as both a fight and a race, pushing believers to confront spiritual opposition without going AWOL. Drawing from passages like 1 Peter 5:8 and Ephesians 6:10-12, he shows how Scripture calls us to stand firm in the face of the enemy’s schemes. When setbacks or suffering arise, we can rely on God’s strength to press on, knowing that He treasures perseverance more than quick, passing victories.

Part of finishing well is also about investing in others. Tyler emphasizes Paul’s instruction in 2 Timothy 2:2—pass along what you’ve learned so future generations can run their race effectively. We’re not meant to keep our faith in a personal silo; we build each other up and encourage one another to endure. In times of spiritual fatigue, texts like Isaiah 40:28-31 serve as reminders that God provides fresh strength to the weary. Even those who falter can get back up, for we follow a Savior who raises us beyond our limitations.

Tyler reminds us that Paul’s deep connection with Jesus wasn’t mere head knowledge or religious habit. Rather, it was relational, alive, and fueled by a conviction that Christ is trustworthy to the end. Paul’s anticipation of a crown was never about self-achievement—he knew it belonged to Jesus and would be received by all who long for Christ’s appearing. As we step into a new year, Tyler’s message challenges us to examine the state of our faith. Have we wandered off? Are we running with endurance? Are we nurturing our relationship with Jesus rather than merely checking off spiritual boxes?

Ultimately, Tyler inspires us to embrace a confident hope. Through Christ’s finished work, eternal life is secured, and the crown of righteousness awaits. This call to finish well extends to every believer, urging us to stay sober-minded, lean on God’s power, and press on in the knowledge that we serve a Lord who never fails those who trust Him.

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Chapters

• 0:03 Finishing Well
• 8:09 Living With Purpose and Perseverance
• 18:16 Enduring the Spiritual Battle
• 36:08 Faithful Living and Gospel Truth
• 40:42 Eternal Crown of Righteousness
• 46:24 A Prayer for Transformation and Hope

Transcript

Tyler Lynde: 0:03

20, 25, ready or not. Here it is right and in the next weeks to come, the elder team. We've discussed and we're going to be talking about some exciting things for this new year, but today they gave me the chance to kind of do a one-off sermon. That's been building in my heart for quite some time and it's going to be all about let me ask you a question what's devastating to you, like? What is it that really bothers you? When I think about the fact that so many believers or at least believers in name, and Christian leaders have fallen by the wayside and now are at the point to where they're even denying that Jesus is real, that's devastating to me. The local news is hard to watch, of course, but whenever I hear of those things or observe those things, it's even more difficult to me. In some ways, my heart's cry for myself, my family and for all of us is that, in the words of Jesus, we would be those who endure to the end and are saved. That we would endure to the end and that we would be saved. The title of today's message is Finishing Well, I want to welcome our online audience, which is probably pretty robust today, so we're glad that you're here with us online and look forward to seeing you in the very near future.

Tyler Lynde: 1:30

Let's turn to 2 Timothy 4, verses 5 through 8, and that's going to be our passage that we're going to read from and study today. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry, for I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race. I have kept the faith Henceforth. There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing. Let's pray this morning. Father. I thank you for this day that you have made. We rejoice in it and we're glad in it. We thank you for the turning of a calendar, even though it may seem insignificant, but we know, god, that you're a God of times and seasons, and so we thank you for the refreshing of new days and new times, new mercy and new grace that are available to us every morning even. And, father, we pray that, as we hear this word this morning, that we would be of those who do not shrink back, who do not sit down, who do not fall away, but we would be of those who continue to walk and run and fight and stand, and that we would finish well In Jesus' name. I pray Amen.

Tyler Lynde: 3:06

When I was young, I lived in Wyoming and my dad was a hunter. I want to make it clear I was not a hunter, but my dad was, and so I got to go with him quite a bit of times. The reason that I wasn't a hunter is because one time, when I was about eight years old, my dad had gotten me a new 10 pump pellet gun. You know what I'm talking about. You could cock it 10 times and if you did, it was powerful, right, more powerful than just one cock. So I cocked it 10 times and I pointed it up into a tree and I nailed a squirrel, and the squirrel fell to the ground and I ran over to it expecting for it to be dead. And what was it doing? It broke my heart. It literally broke my heart, and I know that doesn't seem very manly. Some of you would have just stepped on it or picked it up and wrenched its neck, you know, but for me it was devastating, but still, I would go hunting with my dad, and so one time we went, and overnight it snowed a lot and so we were staying in a camper. We got up and got dressed and I, looking like Ralphie's little brother from a Christmas story, stepped out of the camper and began to try to trudge through the snow, only to realize and to have this fear that I would never be able to keep up with my dad, and because he was already several paces ahead of me. And then something miraculous happened. He turned around and he looked at me and he said Tyler, walk in my footsteps. And as soon as I began to do that, I realized something he was doing the hard work, he was compressing the snow underneath his feet, and so that every step that I took then I wasn't sinking in like I had been sinking in before.

Tyler Lynde: 4:59

In some ways, the story that we just read this passage that we just read from the Bible, which is true relates to that. You can look at Paul speaking to his son in the faith, timothy, and giving him sage advice from someone who had been there and done that. He's saying to Timothy walk in my footsteps, walk in my footsteps. And what is Paul attempting to do? He's attempting to show him the way to finish. Well Now, at first glance, when we read this passage, it seems sort of out of place. What I mean by that is because Paul usually, when he's speaking about himself, is exercising an overabundance of humility. Talking about you know how sinful he is, how wrong he has been, how he's nothing to be praised. And then all of a sudden, in this passage it's I, I, I, and it seems really out of place, unless you think about it in terms of, like I said before him, setting footsteps for Timothy and for others to be able to follow in. He's saying to Timothy like a good coach you can do this, you can do this. Look at my life. By the grace of God, I've been able to do what I'm asking you to do and if you will follow in these footsteps, you'll be able to do it as well.

Tyler Lynde: 6:23

Paul was not content to have it end with him. I know this seems like a very strange message to have at the beginning of the year, talking about finishing. It seems like we should be talking about setting goals and priorities and you know what's the word where you say you're going to lose weight, resolutions and all those things, areolutions and all those things have their place. But I really believe and in fact this has been building in me for a couple of years I really believe that God wants us to think about finishing well that which we have begun, and I want to encourage all of us with that here this morning. Let's dive in deeper and see what the Holy Spirit is saying through Paul to Timothy and also to all other Christ followers, including us. So, number one, in order to finish well, you need to what you need to have a proper perspective of death. Oh yeah, we're going there. In order to finish well, you need to have a proper perspective of death. Now, in no way am I trying to make light of that. I know what it's like to feel the sorrow of having lost someone that's very close to you, and the heartache and the hurt and all of that that comes through that. But I want you to know also that we, as believers, should have a hope that's different than the rest of the world, because there is something beyond, and I'm not going to get ahead of myself. I'm already feeling it. I'm going to rush ahead, so let me stick with it. We need a proper perspective of death. Look at what Paul says, for I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. Wow, what strong words.

Tyler Lynde: 8:09

At this time, paul is back in a Roman prison now for the second time, and, instead of being on house arrest, he's in the dungeon, he's chained. There's no way that, unless, unless God somehow intervenes, there's no way that he's walking away from this one. And we have Nero who's waiting for an opportune time to not only have Paul put to death, but he's actually going to behead him. And so Nero's waiting in the wings, and Paul can feel almost the hot breath of Nero as he's coming to persecute and to put an end to him because he had been, in his opinion, such an enemy of Rome. And was he an enemy of Rome? Paul loved Rome. He gave himself for Rome. He spoke to them of the truth of Jesus Christ, and it was for Jesus's sake that he was going to be put to death.

Tyler Lynde: 9:04

What was on Paul's heart as he realized this reality? As he was in chains, as he was waiting for the order to be given for his life to end, going home? He was thinking about going home. He was thinking about seeing Jesus. He wasn't thinking about going to Jerusalem or Tarshish, his childhood home. He was thinking about seeing Jesus. He wasn't thinking about going to Jerusalem or Tarshish, his childhood home. He was thinking about going to heaven. He was considering what it would be like when he would take his final breath here in this life and take his next breath in heaven, looking at the one who bled and died for him. You see, paul understood that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Do you believe that this morning, if we're going to finish well, we need to have a proper perspective on death itself? Paul maintained this kind of attitude in Philippians 1.21. He said, for to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. In other words, whatever the Lord's will is, whatever his purpose is, whatever he wants from me, I am willing for that to occur and I'm ready. And I'm ready for it.

Tyler Lynde: 10:20

Now, what would be the natural reaction of most of us if we found ourselves in the same position that Paul was in, in a prison, somewhere chained up, getting ready to lose our lives? It was imminent, moments away, days away, maybe minutes away. What would be our attitude? Can I maybe posit that possibly we would consider ourselves victims, maybe posit that possibly we would consider ourselves victims, that we would blame everyone else, and especially God. Because we're victims, we've been put in this position unfairly unjustly, by the way. That's the definition of persecution. Persecution is not fair, or just it's unjust and unfair. Paul is put in this position and he doesn't blame. He's not looking to cast blame, he's not looking to blame God, he's not looking to try to change his circumstance, he's not looking to do anything except for to focus on what is coming, not on what now is. And yet, even in the middle of all of that proper perspective, he's writing to Timothy because he has some things that he wants to say before it is the final end.

Tyler Lynde: 11:34

What was this drink offering that Paul was talking about In the books of Exodus and Leviticus? Wine was taken and poured over the sacrifice, which, of course, would have been really hot because it was on a brazen altar with fire that was underneath it. You know exactly what would happen when you pour wine on a very hot sacrifice and on an altar. What is going to happen? It's going to hit that and steam up and dissipate and disappear. And that's what Paul's vision is. The drink offering is going up in steam. This is exactly what Paul is saying. I have just poured out my life as a drink offering on the sacrifice of Christ. I'm going to diminish and be removed, and yet the sacrifice will still remain. What a beautiful image of having the right attitude and the right perspective when it comes to death. Paul's life would soon disappear and all that could be seen was Christ, and that's exactly the way Paul wanted it.

Tyler Lynde: 12:40

So we live in tension between understanding that life is temporary, but we're also still alive. Aren't you thankful for life this morning? Nothing wrong with being thankful for life. We should be thankful, right? The wisdom is that you understand that your days are numbered, but foolishness is to live as if there is no tomorrow. I remember when we were growing up, we used to hear every Sunday that Jesus was coming back, and it wasn't just that he was coming back in some point in time, it was he's coming back today. If you find yourself in the movie theater tomorrow when Jesus comes back, enjoy the rest of the movie. If you're in the bowling alley when Jesus returns, try for a strike or a spare. But how many of you know that? Just because it was emphasized in such a way doesn't take away its importance. Jesus is going to come back, but in the meantime we need to live. We're here to live. He has us here to live until we die. I know this all sounds very rudimentary and elementary and doesn't need to be said, but I'm telling you, sometimes we forget to live, we forget to breathe, we forget to be because we're so concerned about the end.

Tyler Lynde: 14:12

Second thing in order to finish, well, you need an honest appraisal of your life. Are you ready to go there with me this morning? Are you ready to take an honest appraisal of your life? Paul says I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Can you say, at this stage of your life, that you have fought the good fight, that you have finished, that you're finishing the race, that you have kept the faith? Paul uses three expressions, metaphors, to communicate to Timothy what it looks like to finish strong, and the first one is simply this Life is a battle that must be fought. Life is a battle that must be fought. I have fought the good fight. Paul has been a soldier. He's been a good soldier. There's been a battle to be fought and a victory to be fought. I have fought the good fight. Paul has been a soldier. He's been a good soldier. There's been a battle to be fought and a victory to be won.

Tyler Lynde: 15:15

Now let me give you a little warning here. How many of you have known people that every conversation you have with them is about the battle that they're in? We can get off kilter in our thinking and become so battle-minded that that's all we're talking about and we're looking for demons behind every tree and we're not shopping at certain stores. I'm not trying to say, I'm not trying to denigrate the choices that we make based on what we feel is righteous, or just not trying to denigrate that. But I'm saying we can become so battle-minded that that's all we think about and all we talk about, and we're no earthly good. So be careful. Be careful with that. But far too many other people, unfortunately, don't consider the capital E enemy of their souls at all. They don't think about him at all, and so because of that, they become easy prey for the enemy to attempt to sideline. How many of you know, there is an enemy in this world that hates God and hates his children. He's not a game to be played. He's not a friend to be had. He is a wicked, evil, distorted, sick creature who only cares about bringing destruction.

Tyler Lynde: 16:37

In his first letter to Timothy, paul begins the idea of the good fight in 1 Timothy 1, verses 18 and 19. This charge I entrust to you, timothy my child. Listen to that. You know Paul was never married, as far as we know, and he didn't have any children, and so Timothy became to him like his son and they were together in Ephesus, kind of in the beginning of Paul's ministry. And then Timothy took over as the pastor in Ephesus and was a constant. Paul was in constant communication with him and Paul was always writing to him encouragement Don't be afraid, timothy, you can do this.

Tyler Lynde: 17:13

I feel like Timothy had some grave concerns about his own ability to do what God had called him to do, and Paul was constantly trying to help him with that and coach him up To you, timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, may fight the good fight, holding faith and a good conscience. What is the fight about? Holding on to your trust in a living God, holding on to hope in a living God, holding on to faith when there seems like there's no reason for it. The overall battle is trusting God, even when Satan and life itself throws relational, financial, vocational, physical and emotional challenges your way. Satan's number one goal is to try to get you to doubt God.

Tyler Lynde: 18:16

Did God really say we see it from the very beginning in the garden of Eden? If he can take the word of God and twist it, if he can manipulate, if he can attempt to control, please hear me. I've really felt strongly this week. I needed to say it. Don't be playing with spiritual things. There are so many television shows now that are about ghost hunting and looking at the spiritual realm from a dark side. My friends, we as believers should have nothing to do with that and we should especially not let our children be involved in watching that stuff or participating in it. Let's be careful. Let's pay attention.

Tyler Lynde: 19:07

Paul says to Timothy in the first verse that we read always be sober minded. Paul encourages his son in the faith concerning his thought life. Think about the right things, timothy. Where he chooses to focus. He needs to stay in a constant state of readiness. We are in the greatest fight of our lives and we need to be ready. We need to stay ready for whatever it is that might come. Amen.

Tyler Lynde: 19:38

What kind of readiness is that? Remember Gideon, and God called him to do something that he believed there was no way that he could accomplish. Similar to Timothy, similar to you and I, I feel like I am Gideon at times. And so God says I'm going to give you an army. And he sends all of these. All of these people come and and and he says okay, here's how we're going to test them. Tell them to go drink water from the river. And they go drink water from the river. And he says the ones who keep their eyes up while they're drinking, those are your guys. Out of the thousands that were there, you know how many were there? Were drinking like that, with their eyes open 300. 300. And we can read on the rest of the story. We know what God did with that little army he defeated the enemy and actually turned the enemy against itself.

Tyler Lynde: 20:42

We need to be in this state of readiness. We need to pay attention to our own soul and the fleshly desires that we need to resist. Timothy needs to ignore the pull of the world's culture to compromise. I'm telling you, we live in a day and an hour and it's only going to increase, that we are going to be almost required, in order to fit in to certain categories and within certain circles, to compromise what we believe. My friends, it's not my belief, it's not your belief, it's his belief and it's his truth, and we must stand for righteousness. Paul is saying to Timothy, without saying it straightforwardly he used to resist the enemy who always comes to steal, kill and destroy.

Tyler Lynde: 21:34

Look at this passage from 1 Peter and it says it clearly 1 Peter 5, 8 and 9. Be sober-minded that same word from the Greek that we talked about, that Paul was saying to Timothy always be sober-minded. It's here as well in 1 Peter 5. Be sober-minded, pay attention, keep your eyes open, be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. Resist him firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

Tyler Lynde: 22:09

This is why I believe it's so important for Christians, and especially young people, to go to foreign cultures, to go to places, to third world countries, and to observe the grit and the fortitude of believers within those places where it's very difficult to stand for Christ. We need to know that our brothers and sisters around the world are suffering for this. They're dying for the truth. Are we willing to live for it? How many of you know we can't win this battle on our own.

Tyler Lynde: 22:44

Ephesians 6, 10 through 12, paul says finally, be strong in the Lord and the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood. Your husband's not the problem, your wife's not the problem. Your children are not the problem. Well, sometimes your boss is not the problem. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. We are an army and we are told to stand as soldiers in that army. We are to be prepared. Satan, as chaotic as he is, has some order and organization to his methodology. We, as believers, need to get with the program and then we need to make sure that we are aligned with God's way of doing things.

Tyler Lynde: 23:59

Here's the truth that I want you to walk away from with this. The battle ultimately belongs to who? To the Lord, so ask yourself. I'm going to ask you a series of questions as we go through this. Number one have I been fighting or have I gone AWOL? What is AWOL? Absent without leave? Are we hiding somewhere? Have we left our brothers and sisters in the church behind because they're not perfect and we are? Have you made a decision to follow Jesus and then chosen to live life for yourself and your own desires? Friends, let's pick up the armor again and let's stand together and stand strong in the evil day. Let us fight the good fight and finish well, life is a race that we run to finish.

Tyler Lynde: 24:59

Paul says I have finished the race. You notice what he emphasizes Finishing is what matters. This is not a race of placement First, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth Aren't you glad? Third, fourth, fifth, sixth, aren't you glad? It's not a race like that. It's not. It's a race of endurance. And guess who wins? Everyone who finishes, everyone who finishes the race that God has placed us in, that we are in, who finishes it, who endures to the end, will be saved. This was the cry of Paul's heart. We see this as Paul is getting ready to go to Jerusalem, knowing that imprisonment and afflictions await him. He had received several words from God about the outcome of his life if he went to Jerusalem and listen to what he says. But I do not account my life of any value, nor as precious to myself. If only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of the grace of God, of God, paul understood what it meant to stay in the race, to finish the race. You see, my friends, finishing the race is the primary proof of true conversion.

Tyler Lynde: 26:27

So many times we talk about how do you know if somebody is a believer or not? You know if somebody is a believer if they endure to the end, if they finish. Well, the beginning of the race is important. You have to get in it. And the middle part of the race is important too, because that's where all of the things get done in our hearts, in our lives, in community and through evangelism and all of the things that happen in the in-between. But, friends, if you're going to focus on anything, let's focus on finishing this race.

Tyler Lynde: 26:57

Well, paul says to his protege, timothy you're going to endure suffering. Make no mistake about it. If you are to follow Christ, you will suffer. If you don't believe me Jesus himself said it In this world, what you will have trouble, but be of good cheer. Why? For I have overcome the world. 2 Corinthians 4, verses 7-12,.

Tyler Lynde: 27:33

Every time I read these words from Paul, I'm convicted. His attitude towards the suffering that he endured was amazing. And every time I read these words, too, I think of is it IHOP or the Waffle House that has the hash browns that you can throw all the stuff into Waffle House, smothered, hammered, slapped? You know all the different. I don't even know what they are, but you know what I'm talking about. Every time I read this and I think about what Paul said he went through, I think, man, that man was an ultimate hash brown. I'll get that out of your head while I read the word of God, please. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed. Perplexed but not driven to despair. Persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed, always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus's sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our.

Tyler Lynde: 28:51

This race that we're in is not a sprint, it's not even a marathon. You know what it is. It's more like a relay race. It's more like a relay race In the ancient Olympic games, which Paul was probably referring to as he uses these metaphors. They began with a relay race Before any of the other competitions happened. People participated in this from different countries and different nations and tribes and languages. They all participated in this relay race and that's how the thing began. That was the beginning of the competition, and I believe that in some ways, paul's referring to that kind of a race as he talks here in 2 Timothy 4.

Tyler Lynde: 29:43

And he's using this metaphor when speaking to Timothy my friends, if you walk away without remembering anything else this morning, I hope you remember this we are here to pass the baton. We are here to pass the baton. Since when did life become solely about us? Not in Christianity. Not in Christianity. That which we've been freely given, we're supposed to. What Freely received, we should freely give. Paul told Timothy do the work of an evangelist. Who's next? That's what Paul's saying to Timothy. Who's next? Who's your Timothy? Who's your next? Who are you encouraging in their faith? Who are you discipling? Who are you coaching up? Who are you helping? What if you're like Paul chose to think of our lives in terms of passing the baton onto the next members and the next runners in the race?

Tyler Lynde: 30:52

I think that is what Paul, here in the forefront of his mind, was thinking about. Timothy, he knows that his time is short and it's like he's got his arms stretched out with a baton in his hand and, as Timothy has his hand on it as well, and they're running together and Paul's going to let go of that baton and Timothy's going to stretch his hand back and somebody else is going to grab a hold of it and they're going to run. It does require individual faith and trust in Jesus to become a Christian, but after that, it's all about family. If we live the rest of our lives isolated and thinking only about ourselves, we are missing out on the purpose of God. 2 Timothy 2, verse 2,.

Tyler Lynde: 31:44

Listen to this and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others. Also. Listen to Paul's dynamic lineage. What he looks at is when he's talking about passing the baton. Timothy, I've given you some things. You give that to some other faithful people and guess what they're going to do? They'll share it with others and then the fourth generation will take it and they'll run with it and every time it's given away, it multiplies, it multiplies, it multiplies. You know why you and I are here today? Because somebody before us carried the baton.

Tyler Lynde: 32:21

Young people, I want to say to you this morning your parents can't run the race for you. Your parents cannot cross the finish line for you. I want to encourage you get in the race. Get in the race. They can help you. They can hold the baton with you and help you to run as you're learning and growing and all of those things, but you have to get in the race yourself. He wants Timothy to fulfill his purpose and he's most concerned. He's more concerned about Timothy's future than his own. He's more concerned about Timothy's legacy than his own. He's thinking generationally instead of just about himself.

Tyler Lynde: 33:09

I have to say, since I turned 50 and Amy and I started having grandchildren, my whole mindset on this has changed. I'm thankful for what God has done in my life and I hope that he continues to use me. I'm not finished, I know that. But, man, if Jordan and Levi and Hannah and Ben took the baton and ran much faster than I did and jumped over higher hurdles than I ever jumped or climbed higher mountains, and I would love that. That would be amazing to me. And don't forget about my grandchildren, hudson and Claire and Emma and Nora and baby to come, and maybe others and those that are married. You know, noel and Joel, all of these people. You know how horrible it would be for me for my life to end and my children, my grandchildren, not be walking with Jesus. That is the cry of my heart and friends, if we're going to accomplish what God wants to accomplish in this church, we're going to have to start thinking generationally. We're going to have to start thinking about what it looks like to pass the baton and to run with others.

Tyler Lynde: 34:36

I thank God for Neil Silverberg who, in the deepest, darkest times of my life, ran with me, encouraged me, coached me, said you're going to make it. I don't think I'm going to make it. You're going to make it. I don't think I'm going to make it. You're going to make it. So ask ourselves the question have I been running or have I gotten off course? The good news is that God is faithful and he can get us back on course.

Tyler Lynde: 35:13

Isaiah 40, just quickly. Have you not known? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint and to him who has no might. He increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted. But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount Friends. Why in the world would we let a sin committed yesterday control the rest of our lives? You know the difference between us and sinners. The saints are just the sinners who fall down and get back up. Let's get back up. Let's finish.

Tyler Lynde: 36:08

Well, paul says to his son in the faith, eternal life is a gift and we must be faithful. He says I have kept the faith. We must, by God's grace, be faithful with the gift of eternal life that we have been given. Do we live like we've been given that gift? Does it affect the way that we make decisions and the way that we think, the way we process, the way we deal with other people, the way we make life decisions? Paul showed Timothy quickly in two ways that he had kept the faith. Number one he maintained his personal relationship with Jesus.

Tyler Lynde: 36:50

Paul was not just a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ, he was a child of the living God, and if he had not maintained a proper relationship with Jesus, all of the rest of the stuff could have crumbled and fallen down. It is not enough for us to claim the name and not walk with him. Paul wasn't religious. He knew what it was like to be religious because he had been that way for a very long time. When Jesus encountered him in such a personal way on the road to Damascus, everything changed for Paul and from that point on it was about a relationship, not a religion. We're never gonna finish. Well, if you've signed up for a religion, trust me, you're not going to finish. But if you're in a relationship, that's real talk about somebody carrying the baton with you, and we'll get to that in just a minute. Not only was Paul willing to live for Jesus, he was willing to die for him. That shows a personal relationship. Secondly, he was the greatest advocate for gospel truth, maybe of all time, but of his generation especially.

Tyler Lynde: 38:10

Paul guarded with such care proper doctrine. He spent a lot of time convincing Timothy that this was necessary, that it was necessary for people to stand in righteousness based on the truth, that is, the gospel of Jesus Christ. Look at what he said in 2 Timothy 1 to Timothy. Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord relationship, nor of me, his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our savior, christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the what, through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do, but I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that he is able to guard, until that day, what has been entrusted to me.

Tyler Lynde: 39:26

Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me. In the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus, by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you. Doctrine matters, the church that you're a part of matters. What you listen to on podcasts and on the internet matters. Let's make sure that we are allowing the word of God to be the truth that we hold on to, not just the most important truth, but the absolute truth of our lives. So, again, the question is my relationship with Christ and his word, transactional or relational? In other words, what can I get from him in comparison with can I be with him? Finally, in order to finish well, you need a confident expectation of the future. Henceforth, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved his appearing.

Tyler Lynde: 40:42

When was the crown of righteousness placed on layaway for Paul? Was it on the road to Damascus? Was it sometime later, when he proved himself to be a viable minister of the gospel? Was it here, at the very end of his life? I believe that scripture teaches us that this crown was laid in waiting before the foundation of the world. As Paul was chosen by God to be a follower of Jesus Christ, he was enabled by the spirit to be made alive. Under God, we cannot save ourselves, but how many of you know, god is a God who saves. The crown couldn't possibly be a result of what he had done solely. Paul can't be saying because I've been good enough, because I fought enough, because I've run enough, because I've kept enough, no, he didn't earn his own reward. Paul, you know what he was ultimately saying to Timothy. He's saying, timothy, here's the secret that I'm giving to you Hold on to this, put your faith, hope and trust in Jesus Christ. Paul was telling Timothy to lift his eyes a little higher, to widen his gaze a little broader and to see beyond Paul's example and life, and to see what Paul was looking at and whose footsteps he had been walking in up until this point in time, and even more as he saw the day of his death approaching, death approaching.

Tyler Lynde: 42:41

The writer of Hebrews gets it just right. Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses Paul and Timothy, and all of the ones that we can think of let us lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. The reason that Paul could have a crown wasn't because he had earned it, or because he was good enough, or because he was brave enough, or because of any other reason, except for Jesus himself was given to Paul. Jesus gave Paul his crown, and that same crown is given to all true believers who endure to the end and who are longing and loving that word is actually agapeo, loving his appearing who are longing for seeing him face to face, who are longing for being able to be with him, to be present with him at all times, not only to know, by faith, the things that we believe, and not only because of the book that he's left us with, and not only because of the spirit that lives on the inside of us, but because we've touched him, we've felt him, we've seen his eyes and we know that he is God. Finally, the crown given to Paul and the crown given to us is not for us to put on our heads.

Tyler Lynde: 44:41

The crown given to us is so that we might have something of worth and of value to lay back at the feet of Jesus, as we say, along with the angels and all of heaven, you alone are worthy of glory and honor and power and praise Father. We pray that you would help us, lord. We acknowledge that at times it's much easier to sit down, to cease from our labors, to blame others and become a victim, to not think about passing the torch and the baton on to others, lord, but to solely be thinking about ourselves and really not focusing on you nearly enough. Lord, would you create within this church and within each and every lives, one of the lives that are listening to me? Would you create within us a desire, lord, god, to finish, well, let it not be said of us, lord, god, we know our own weaknesses, we know our own propensities, we know it could easily happen to any of us and yet, lord, you're the one who is the faithful one, you're the one that truly keeps us until the end, if we are truly followers of you.

Tyler Lynde: 46:24

And so, lord, I just pray that, as we go from this service today, that we would not forget what we've talked about this morning, that this would kind of be a guiding light for this year, that we would use it as a roadmap of how to live out this year of 2025, correcting those things that need to be corrected. I even feel like there's some that aren't in the race at all. You just aren't in the race. You've been around the race, you've even been cheering for others that are in the race at all. You just aren't in the race. You've been around the race, you've even been cheering for others that are in the race, but you just have never gotten in yourself.

Tyler Lynde: 47:05

I want you to know that God loves you and he wants to forgive you of your sins, but you need to come to him. You need to acknowledge to him your need, express that to him and ask him to save you and to transform your life. Lord, I also pray that you would build hope within each of us concerning our families, lord. So many have family members that are so far away from you and, Lord, it seems hopeless and helpless. And, lord, I just pray that you would help us too, that you would rekindle faith within our hearts, and that you would reach them at their point of need and bring them into your kingdom at their point of need and bring them into your kingdom. And, father, in closing this out, I just start out this year with a blessing. I pray that you would bless and keep each and every one of us, that you would cause your face to shine upon us and be gracious to us, that you would lift up your countenance upon us and give us peace In Jesus' name amen.