2 Tm 4:7

1. 2 Tm 4:7

3. Boxing is one of the oldest games in the Olympics.

4. Boxing is one of the oldest games in the Olympics. The organizers of the modern Olympics were worried because of the violent nature of boxing.

5. In tonight’s text, Paul speaks of Christianity as a fight.

6. In tonight’s text, Paul speaks of Christianity as a fight. • “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tm 4:7, ESV).

7. In tonight’s text, Paul speaks of Christianity as a fight. • “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tm 4:7, ESV). • Christianity is often compared to a fight.

8. In tonight’s text, Paul speaks of Christianity as a fight. • “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tm 4:7, ESV). • Christianity is often compared to a fight. • “This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare” (1 Tm 1:18, ESV).

9. In tonight’s text, Paul speaks of Christianity as a fight. • “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tm 4:7, ESV). • Christianity is often compared to a fight. • “This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare” (1 Tm 1:18, ESV). • “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (1 Tm 6:12, ESV).

10. What must the Christian fight?

11. The Christian must fight temptation

12. Temptation is the common lot of man.

13. Temptation is the common lot of man. • “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man” (1 Cor 10:13, ESV).

14. Temptation is the common lot of man. • “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man” (1 Cor 10:13, ESV). • Jesus himself faced temptation at the hands of Satan.

15. Temptation is the common lot of man. • “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man” (1 Cor 10:13, ESV). • Jesus himself faced temptation at the hands of Satan. • Temptation has been a problem since the serpent tempted Eve in the Garden.

16. Just because we’re tempted doesn’t mean we can sin!

17. “Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.’ But he answered, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”’

18. “Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple  and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “He will command his angels concerning you,” and “On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.” Jesus said to him, ‘Again it is written, “You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.”’

19. “Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, ‘All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.’  Then Jesus said to him, ‘Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.”’ Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him” (Mt 4:1-11, ESV).

20. How did Jesus fight temptation in this passage?

21. Jesus knew the Scriptures.

22. Jesus knew the Scriptures. • Every time Satan tempted Jesus, the Lord responded with Scripture.

23. Jesus knew the Scriptures. • Every time Satan tempted Jesus, the Lord responded with Scripture. • “I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Ps 119:11, ESV).

24. Jesus wasn’t interested in his own pleasure.

25. Jesus wasn’t interested in his own pleasure. • Can you imagine the reaction Jesus would have received if he had jumped off the temple?

26. Jesus wasn’t interested in his own pleasure. • Can you imagine the reaction Jesus would have received if he had jumped off the temple? • Can you imagine the temptation of being promised all the riches of the world?

27. Jesus wasn’t interested in his own pleasure. • Can you imagine the reaction Jesus would have received if he had jumped off the temple? • Can you imagine the temptation of being promised all the riches of the world? • We fall into serious trouble when we give in to our pleasure.

28. Jesus wasn’t interested in his own pleasure. • Can you imagine the reaction Jesus would have received if he had jumped off the temple? • Can you imagine the temptation of being promised all the riches of the world? • We fall into serious trouble when we give in to our pleasure. • “Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire” (Js 1:14, ESV).

29. Jesus understood his purpose in life.

30. Jesus understood his purpose in life. • “You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve” (Mt 4:10, ESV).

31. Jesus understood his purpose in life. • “You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve” (Mt 4:10, ESV). • “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Eccl 12:13, ESV).

32. Are you ready to get your fight back?

33. Christians must fight worry

34. “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 

35. “And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’

36. “For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Mt 6:25-34, ESV).

37. What does Jesus say here that helps us fight worry?

38. We need to remember what really matters in life.

39. We need to remember what really matters in life. • “Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (v 25, ESV).

40. We need to remember what really matters in life. • “Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (v 25, ESV). • How many times do we get caught up in the financial side of life?

41. We need to remember what really matters in life. • “Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (v 25, ESV). • How many times do we get caught up in the financial side of life? • We need to remember God.

42. We need to remember what really matters in life. • “Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (v 25, ESV). • How many times do we get caught up in the financial side of life? • We need to remember God. • “Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (v 27, ESV).

43. We need to remember what really matters in life. • “Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (v 25, ESV). • How many times do we get caught up in the financial side of life? • We need to remember God. • “Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (v 27, ESV). • God provides for his people.

44. “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (v 33, ESV).

45. “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (v 33, ESV). “I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread” (Ps 37:25, ESV).

46. We need to remember what really matters in life. • “Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (v 25). • How many times do we get caught up in the financial side of life? • We need to remember God. • “Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (v 27, ESV). • God provides for his people. • We need to remember that worry changes nothing.

47. Are you ready to get your fight back & fight worry?

48. Christians must fight worldliness

49. It is a sad truth that many Christians aren’t that different than the world around them.

50. It is a sad truth that many Christians aren’t that different than the world around them. Yet, we MUST be!