Episode 1242: Fight the Good Fight

[00:00:00] Scott Maderer: Thanks

[00:00:00] for joining me on episode 1,242 of the Inspired Stewardship Podcast.

[00:00:06] Frazer Rice: I'm Frazer Rice, author of Wealth. Actually, I challenge you to invest in yourself, invest in others, develop your influence and impact the world by using your time, your talent, and your treasures to live out your calling. Having the right relationship with all of your gifts is the key to doing this.

[00:00:24] One way to be inspired to do that is to listen to this The Inspired Stewardship Podcast with my friend Scott Maderer

[00:00:31] Scott Maderer: Oh, remember, he's writing this letter from prison shortly before he was actually condemned to death. So was he really rescued? Well, yes, because rescue here I don't think means an avoidance of suffering or a lack of hardship or even. His own life. It, it's not about safety. It's not about lack of pain or security, or a lack of suffering.

[00:00:56] Welcome and thank you for joining us on the Inspired [00:01:00] Stewardship Podcast. If you truly desire to become the person who God wants you to be, then you must learn to use your time, your talent, and your treasures for your true caller. In the inspired Stewardship podcast, you will learn to invest in. Invest in others and develop your influence so that you can impact the world.

[00:01:23] In today's spiritual foundation episode about investing in others, I talk with you about second Timothy chapter four versus six through eight, and versus 16 through 18. I share what it really means to fight the good. And I also share what it means to be rescued. Second Timothy chapter four versus six through eight and 16 through 18 says, As for me, I'm already being poured out as a libation, and the time in my departure has come.

[00:01:52] I have fought the good fight. I've finished the race. I've kept the faith. From now on there is reserve for me, the crown of [00:02:00] righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge will give me on that. And not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appear. And my first defense, no one came to my support, but all deserted me.

[00:02:14] May it not be counted against them. But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength so that through me, the message might be fully proclaimed in all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil. And save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever.

[00:02:38] Amen. Now, this passage starts with a very personal statement, as for me, th this is a, a private message between the mentor Paul and his protege Timothy, and yet they're kind of having their. And yet [00:03:00] there's also a lesson in here for us to learn, or a life example for us to consider and perhaps model ourself.

[00:03:11] This is a challenge to our life that the gospel requires or, or demands, or invites us to live. It's a, a door opening to an all or nothing kind of life. A poured out life, and in fact, it starts with I am already being poured out as a libation. Libation is probably a word that you don't hear all that often, and, and the Greek word that it comes from means to be put to death to have one's life blood poured out.

[00:03:50] It literally means to give it. To withhold nothing. It, it's a liquid sacrifice. Nowadays, when I have heard it, it [00:04:00] usually is a reference to alcohol, but this is actually a, the root, it's about a liquid sacrifice as opposed to giving a, a sacrifice of grain or meat. It, it's the, the blood, sweat, and tears of our life and our offering.

[00:04:16] This is that living sacrifice that we talk. And it's implied here that to be poured out to a libation to be poured out like this is to die. But it also could be a call to live a certain way as well. Not actually necessarily to die as a martyr, though that could be taken from it. It also could be taken as here is a way to live your.

[00:04:48] F to, to live and examine and do the good fight or the running of the race, the, the next metaphor that's in there, the image that's in there. [00:05:00] We, we fight for the rights of others. We fight for justice. We fight for what happens to the least of us. Getting into good trouble. It it, it's a, it's a fight, but it's a fight not for us or for our rights or for what we want.

[00:05:21] It's a fight to take care of and defend those who can't defend themselves. It, it's maybe a moment of, of keeping the faith, not as in keeping it to yourself, keeping it hidden away and safe from harm. No, rather. To examine it, to bring it out into the light, to let others see it, and to let Jesus be the measure of our faith and our life to, to look at, are we giving in to divisiveness and hatred and prejudice?

[00:05:58] Are we fighting against [00:06:00] it? Are we risking our security and our life ourselves to help others who don't have the privilege? That we might have. Are we listening and leaning to the words of Jesus and looking to his life as a model for our own? Or instead are we sitting back in fear and hiding that light later on in the passage?

[00:06:27] And the second set of, of verses they, there's an invitation to kind of a new way of living. In the world. The Lord stood with me when everyone else left me. The Lord stood with me. The Lord was the source of the strength. He was the source of the word, the proclamation, the power, and the safety, even in a time of great risk.

[00:06:52] And then Paul says, I was rescued from the Lion's mouth, but remember he's writing this letter from prison shortly [00:07:00] before he was actually condemned to. So was he really rescued? Well, yes, because rescue here, I don't think means an avoidance of suffering or a lack of hardship or even his own life. It, it's not about safety.

[00:07:16] It's not about lack of pain or security or a lack of suffering. Instead, the promise here, the rescue here is inclusion in the family of God, in the kingdom of God. It, it. An inclusion with the rescue of a relationship with the Lord. It, it's the rescue of having an identity, identity that is poured out for others.

[00:07:43] That libation. Again, we find out who we are, when we give ourselves a way and when we stand up for others who cannot stand up for themselves. That's what it means to be rescue.[00:08:00] Thanks for listening.

[00:08:02] Thanks so much for listening to the Inspired Stewardship Podcast. As a subscriber and listener, we challenge you to not just sit back and passively listen, but act on what you've heard and find a way to live your calling. If you enjoyed this episode, do me a favor. Go over to facebook.com/inspired stewardship and like our Facebook page and market that you'd like to get notifications from us so that we can connect with you on Facebook and make sure that we are serving you to the best of our abilities with time and tips there.

[00:08:46] Until next time, invest your. Your talent and your treasures. Develop your influence and impact the world.