Rev. Doug Floyd

Pentecost+20 2025
Rev. Doug Floyd
2 Timothy 4:6-18

It’s almost time for Paul to depart. He sits in prison now, but he anticipates his coming execution. As we close the letter of 2 Timothy, our focus shifts from Timothy to Paul’s life poured out as a drink offering. Paul focuses his hope upon promise in Christ. At the same time, he expresses his longing for friends in this final season of life. Today I want to pause briefly over these two thoughts: Paul’s hope in Christ and Paul’s longing for friends.

First, let’s consider Paul’s hope in Christ. He views his upcoming death as a form of worship and is already offering himself to God. “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.” (2 Timothy 4:6)

Paul has exhorted believers to live our lives in such a way that we can give thanks at all times and in all places. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, he writes, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Even as we face the end of our lives, we can offer praise and worship. In this final season of life, Paul is giving his life to God in praise.

Now Paul recounts his life and ministry, “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.” (2 Timothy 4:7–8, ESV)

First notice that Paul does not say, “I have planted many churches.” Or “I have written letters to churches all across the empire.” He measures the “good fight” by recalling that he has “kept the faith.” As his time dwindles on earth, he assesses his life by the fact that he still believes in Christ Jesus his Savior.

This makes me think of a song that helped me in a rough period. Starting in fall of 1986 to fall of 1987, I was plunged into a darkness of the soul. It seemed as if God had left. The world seemed empty. In the darkness, I would pour everything out in this black Pentecostal church that used to be here in Maryville. I would spin and shout and jump and cry out with everything in me. You can get away with that in a black Pentecostal church.

During that time, a song by The Call that came out. The Call was an intense band that sounded to me like the Old Testament prophets. Michael Been wails out the song “I Still Believe.”

There’s a lot on my back out at sea
Hopin’ these waves don’t cover me
I’m turned and tossed upon the waves
When the darkness comes, I feel the grave.

Then he belts out the chorus,

But I still believe, I still believe
Through the pain and through the grief
Through the lies, through the storms
Through the cries and through the wars
Oh, I still believe![1]

This was my anthem that year and, in some ways, has been my anthem all through the struggles and pain in life. I came to realize during that dark, stormy year “I still believed” because of the grace of God. His Spirit held onto me all through the agony. That year ultimately immersed me more deeply in the faithful love of God.

By the grace of God, Paul still believes. Through the stonings and beatings, Paul still believes. Though some of his churches turn against him, Paul still believes. Though at some points he despairs unto death, Paul still believes. Though at times his whole ministry may seem like a failure, Paul still believes. We remember Paul as foundational leader of the early church, but we can see through his letters that he suffered, he was rejected, abandoned, left for dead, the least of the Apostles. But in God’s great grace, Paul fought the fight, he never abandoned his faith.

He awaits a crown of righteousness. This is not some reward for his incredible ministry, but rather it is the crowning gift of God to His children as they pass from this life to the next. Paul was, is and will be, crowned with the righteousness of God in Christ. Hallelujah! What cause for joy no matter what we face. God is faithful. He has adopted us in Christ and His grip of love will hold sure.

I know firsthand the feelings of failure in ministry and in life. In 2009, I looked back over my life as a bi-vocational minister. Our church had burned in 2008 and some folks abandoned us. We slowly became something different. At the same time, the company I worked for cut most of our department, and I couldn’t find work. In 2009, I told Kelly, everything I’ve done in life has failed. Even then, I could hear the refrain of Michael Been crying out,

I still believe, I still believe
Through the pain and through the grief
Through the lies, through the storms
Through the cries and through the wars
Oh, I still believe![2]

Over the last few years, I see people online say that they are deconstructing their faith. They call themselves x-Christian. I don’t know their specific situations, but I pray that in their suffering and loss of faith, they might encounter Jesus. Here’s the key, Paul did encounter Jesus.

He was against the church, seeking to have Christians jailed. Then Jesus shined his light into Paul’s life and it literally knocked Paul off his horse. This light exposed Paul’s sin and Paul’s only true hope. In his love, Jesus Christ exposed Paul’s errors and led him to the truth.

Christ is shining his light in our world. Hidden things are exposed in our government, in our churches, in our lives. Our brokenness is being revealed. Just as I read that letter from Bishop Foley this week, I think of all the times the sin and brokenness of Christian leaders have been revealed. We all need a spirit of humility and a desire for Christ to shine his light even in us.

To encounter Christ is to be transformed. As I thought about this passage this week, I thought how there is a difference between following Christ and encountering Christ. I was baptized at 4 years old. I have no idea what prompted me to seek this public expression of faith. The memories faded. In fact, so much so that I was baptized two more times.

Think about babies baptized into the church. They have no memory, but the community of faith remembers, and over time we pray that faith in Christ will take root in their lives. Now I fully believe I was converted when I was baptized at four years old. At the same time, I also know for certain that I had an encounter with Christ in college that changed the course of my life.

Not everyone has had this encounter. This does not mean their faith is not real, but I would hope and pray that “Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:17–19, ESV)

I have a friend who is a jeweler. He is not a preacher. Yet, when I am around him, I meet Jesus so intensely that I want to get saved all over again. This promise of knowing a love beyond knowledge is for all of us. I would pray that we all might know our sweet Jesus in a profoundly personal way.

Now we could stop here, but I think it is important that we consider Paul’s unshakeable faith in light of his very human struggle. Paul has personally encountered the love of God and knows that Christ holds him and will glorify him. Yet, at the moment he writes this letter, he is hurting. He is lonely, he is struggling. He felt abandoned by friends at his trial. Demas has deserted him and returned to the world. Some followers have turned against the Gospel and are attacking Paul and his message. Luke alone has remained faithful.

Paul longs to see Timothy. He asks Timothy to try and come see him soon, to bring his cloak, to get his books, and above all to get his parchments. He also asks Timothy to bring Mark. Paul needs his friends. Christ is faithful. Paul’s faith has held firm, and yet, Paul needs his friends.

Sometimes, the role of friendship has been undervalued in the church. The lone warrior of faith battling through to the end. I’ve always felt that Canterbury Tales was a better picture of the walk of faith. It is a group of people on journey together telling stories. Not all the stories are super spiritual. Some are funny, some are even bawdy, but these pilgrims keep sharing stories and walking toward Canterbury, that is the holy city. The truth be told they are walking to Zion.

We’re marching to Zion,
Beautiful, beautiful, Zion:
We’re marching upward to Zion,
The beautiful city of God.[3]

We need friends. We need to tell our stories. For almost forty years, I have tried to gather various folks together to tell our stories, to laugh, to eat, to pray, to encounter Jesus. I can say without question, I have encountered Jesus often in a small group of people simply telling stories, sitting with one another and sometimes praying together. He shows up and it’s always a glorious surprise. In the words of Wesley, “our hearts are strangely warmed.”

Just as Paul needed Timothy and Mark and Luke, we need one another. We need friends. Even as Jesus holds us fast in faith, he often reveals his warm Spirit of love in the sweet communion of deep companionship. St. Augustine and Aelred of Rievaulx both wrote about the importance of friendship. Here are two quotes from Augustine on friendship. Both of these come from sermons:

“The first thing a baby sees when opening its eyes are its parents, and life begins with their friendship.”

“In this world two things are essential: a healthy life and friendship. God created humans so that they might exist and live: this is life. But if they are not to remain solitary, there must be friendship.”

I pray that we all might be rich in the love and light of Christ, and that we might grow deeply into the love of true friends.

[1] “I Still Believe” from the album Reconciled by the Call. https://www.the-call-band.com/faq/lyrics.html

[2] Ibid.

[3] https://gccsatx.com/hymns/were-marching-to-zion/