For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. (7)I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. (8) Finally 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 to me only, but also to all who have loved His appearing..…..(17) But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. (18) and the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To him be glory forever and ever. Amen!”

2 Timothy was the last letter Paul wrote – He wrote his final message to his protege Timothy .knowing his death was immanent. These words were Paul’s last will and testament; seek first the kingdom of the Lord. Let go of of our need to control or to thirst after the future. It’s not and never will be mostly about people who love this world instead of the Lord; good Christian friends serving the Lord elsewhere: Dear Luke was with him to comfort him in Rome where Paul was lowered into a dungeon in the Mamertine prison – which exists today and sat above the Roman Forum. Above all Paul wanted Timothy to come and see him before he was executed. Paul asks Timothy to bring Mark, his scrolls and his cloak – Paul was cold. Paul urges Timothy to come before winter and to not delay. We don’t know if this was accomplished

Paul vividly portrayed the knowledge of his death, in a word picture from Jewish liturgy where the last sacrificial offering was the “drink offering” of wine poured over the sacrifice to the Lord. Paul’s death would be the final act of his sacrifice. Paul had kept the faith; preserved the doctrine God had entrusted to him and was loyal to the ministry God had given to him until the end. Paul looked forward fully to receiving the victor’s crown which would be given to him by the righteousness Lord Himself – and not to him only but to all who loved the Lord’s appearing. Paul had been falsely accused by the Jews some years earlier, and kept prisoner until he asked (as his right of being a Roman citizen) to be judged by the emperior. At his first hearing he used the opportunity to make a defense of the faith and was released. Others were allowed to speak in his defense but all had abandoned him. The Lord Himself enabled Paul to proclaim the gospel boldly

Nero was now emperor and persecution raged against the Christians. Paul was arrested and dropped into that terrible prison. There he wrote his last letter to Timothy. Paul’s life had come to an end and he needed to pass on his inheritance – the deposit of the faith to his faithful steward Timothy, who was the successor of Paul’s teaching and doctrine. When we are gone there should be others who will carry on with the word of God. Paul finished well because he delivered his life to God. He was God’s chosen vessel. impending death Paul viewed as departure. Death is never a cessation of existence but rather a separation from the body. For Paul, the battle was over, the victory was won. He was headed home. This is a beautiful letter.

For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; (24) and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said “Take, eat, this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” (25) In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” (26) For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim rhe Lord’s death till He comes.

The letter to the Corinthians was written by the apostle PauL. The doctrine of communion came directly from Christ to Paul. There were already divisions in the early church as to the meaning of the Lord’s command to do this “in remembrance of me.” The fullest instruction concerning the correct observation of the Lord’s Supper given in Scripture intends to call the Lord vividly to the minds and hearts of His people. Both the Lord’s Supper and baptism were designed to continue in the church until the end of the present age – until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ by our gathering together unto Him. Neither has anything to do with the salvation of our souls except they picture the way in which we are saved through the death and resurrection of Christ. But they are of great importance because they give us a more vivid realization of our identification of Him.

There are various views of communion and interpretation of the words Jesus spoke. The Roman Catholics viewpoint is that of true substantiation but Paul is talking about symbolism and figure. Their key word is transformation-the bread and wine are transformed into the actual body and blood of Jesus. Many think the Lord is expressing spiritual truth. This viewpoint means the continued literal offering of Jesus. The Catholic Church would like to finish the unfinished work of our Lord but Scripture – especially Hebrews -tell us the Lord’s work on the cross is once and for all. What He really said when we take the bread and cup is we are to trust Him. The Catholic result of the whole matter is worship of the elements. The Lutheran church views the bread and cup are not specifically the body and blood of Jesus but the Lord is in those elements. Calvinists believe that Christ is spiritually present and we receive – in communion- spiritual blessings. Zwingli believed the elements are simply memorials. Most Protestant evangelicals believe what we are doing in communion is essentially remembering what the Lord has done in.His saving works – Communion is ministry from the Lord as we partake of the elements.

“Do this in memory of me” is placed at the center of worship as the bread and cup of the New Testament. We are nowhere told that Jesus partook of neither the bread nor cup. He didn’t need to partake as He is the one of whom the bread and wine speaks. C.S. Lewis wrote “The Law, having a shadow of good things to come.’ We are all quite familiar with this idea, that the old Jewish priesthood was a mere symbol and that Christianity is the reality which it symbolized. It is importantly, however, to notice what an astonishing, even impudent, claim it must have seemed as long as the temple at Jerusalem was still standing. In the temple you saw real sacrifice being offered – real animals really had their throats cut and their actual flesh and blood were used in the ritual; in Christian assemblies a ceremony with wine and bits of bread was conducted. It must have been all but Impossible to resist the conviction that the Jewish service was reality and the Christian one a mere substitute – wine is so obviously a substitute for blood and bread for flesh! Yet the Christians had the audacity to maintain it was the other way around – that their – little ritual meal in private houses was the reality which sacrifice and all the slaughtering, incense, music and shouting in the temple was merely the substitute.

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (2)through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (3) And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; (4) and peserverance , character; and character, hope. (5) Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

The letter to the Romans was written by the apostle Paul. Paul’s entire description of the gospel may be summed up in one word: justification. It is that act where God dictates a sinner righteous the moment he/she places their life in Jesus -done in the simple and single condition of faith in Jesus Christ. Justification gives us peace with God. It sets forward the wonderful blessings that flow from our justification. It does not refer to the feeling of inner peace but the objective fact of peace. We are no longer enemies of God but friends who no longer fear His judgment. Faith is not something we earn or deserve but a gift of grace alone. If we are justified by adding our good works to what Christ did – if we do what we think is enough penance/being good enough, that system keeps everyone uncertain if they are saved or not; keeps them dependent on the church. But Paul here implies we know we are justified by faith alone. To have peace with God we must have Jesus Christ as our redeemer and mediator- thorough our Lord Jesus Christ, not due to merit on our part but for what Jesus did on the cross. As Christ Jesus is God’s anointed one – the promised Messiah, there is no other salvation.

Trials are a fact of living – the apostles rejoiced they were considered themselves worthy to suffer for Jesus. We can’t escape the fact that this strange response of suffering was their transformation of new birth- this is the teaching of the New Testament and not our standard response. Paul is showing why God brings trials into the lives of His saints because through trials we grow in endurance, proven character and hope. And hope will not disappoint because we know God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Exulting in trials is not an automatic responses but requires deliberate focus – trials are used to shape our character.

If money, sex and power won’t satisfy man, what will? The satisfaction we seek – the peace of mind we crave, the sense of fulfillment we so desperately want- is quite simply not found in this world. What we seek comes from the unseen realm of the spirit. Satisfaction comes from God and no where else.

For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. (23)Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. (24) For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? (25) But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance. (26) Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groaning which cannot be uttered. (27) Now He who searches the hearts knows what the Spirit is, because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

The letter to the Romans was written by the apostle Paul. His intent is clear – that the Spirit teaches how rightly to pray. When we do know how to rightly pray the Spirit intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words and helps our weakness in prayer; the connection is with hope . He wants us to feel encouraged by the fact that the Spirit is encouraging us with prayer. All of us are weak which is why we all need to pray. Jesus is our model for praying at all times. The HolySpirit searches our hearts and intercedes for the saints – intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. The Holy Spirit is a Person, the third member of the Godhead. The fact that the Spirit prays for us shows he is distinct from the Father to whom He prays. Also the Father knows perfectly the mind of the Spirit. The Spirit indwells everyone who belongs to Jesus Christ.

The Spirit prayers for us are always according to God’s will and thus our prayers are always answered. Part of our weakness in prayer is that we are not able to know God’s sovereign will – there is also a mystery we can’t fully understand. Paul’s point is to be that we ahould pray the best we can but if God’s decreed will differs from from our prayers the Spirit will correct our requests to lineup with God’s will to be answered. God’s gift of the Spirit at our new birth of creation (including man) acts as if it is going through birth pains. This portends a future deliverance and suffering which both are the result of past events. Hope and the Spirit help us in our suffering. We do not know How to pray as we should. The basic principle of effectives praying is that it must be in harmony with the will of God to be effective. Then Holy Spirit intercedes for us.

I like quoting.s.Lewis to illustrate the point of our verses “There are no doubt , passages in the NewTestament which may seem at first sight to promise an invariable granting of our prayers. But that cannot be what they really mean. For in the very heart of the story we meet a glaring instance to the contrary. In Gethsemane the holiest of all petitioners prayed three times that a certain cup might pass from Him. It did not. After that prayer is recommended to us as a certain of infallible may be dismissed.

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(17) that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him (18) the eyes of your understanding being enlighted; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints , (19) and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power (20) which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, (21)far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. (22) And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, (23) which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

The letter to the Ephesians was written by the apostle Paul. In our text today it is pretty clear that God’s mighty power that saved us has exalted Christ over all rule and authority in the universe; we are saved if we believe on Him We are always in need of the Holy Spirit, not just being intellectually lazy and exposing ourselves to spiritual danger. There is always danger of spiritual pride of known doctrine rather than than allowing that doctrine to be further understood. God wants us to know the hope of His calling – there is a general call to all people – but many ignore or reject this invitation. But there is also God’s effectual call that always accomplishes God’s purpose of saving God’s chosen people. The practical application here is that our salvation does not rest on our choosing but rather Christ choosing us. God’s mighty power is not the point but rather that the eyes of our hearts (to the intellect, the emotions and the will) being enlightened. Paul wants us to know that if we believe in Christ it is not from human will, it comes from God’s mighty power. There is a difference between making a decision and being born again which requires an act of God that raises a person from death to new life.

Paul’s first pray in our verses is offered not only for divine counsel and prayer for the Ephesians but for all people of God – a petition for those already saved. If you are a Christian you have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you giving you insight into the truth found in the word of God. All Scripture is divinely inspired. It was not merely the intellect Paul has in mind, it it’s the truth in your heart and mind.

If you are a Christian, God’s mighty power is already yours but perhaps you may not be aware of what you possess.
You have God’s power to overcome temptation and live a holy life. If you have no desire to overcome sin and represent Christ on this earth you may have not been raised from spiritual death to spiritual life. It is the eyes of the heart that spiritually discerns. That is why people must be born again, otherwise they cannot understand the things of God