The Art of Perseverance

Scripture Passage

2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18

⁶For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. ⁷I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸Now there is in store 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 longed for his appearing.

¹⁶At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. ¹⁷But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. ¹⁸The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Sermon Script

St. Paul is an important figure in Christianity. He wrote much of the New Testament. Without him, we wouldn’t have the language to articulate our faith. He was the apostle of the apostles.

Paul was originally a Pharisee. He worked very hard to keep the Jewish faith tradition. He persecuted many Christians because he believed that Jesus and his followers were enemies of the faith. But when he encountered the risen Chris on the road to Damascus, he realized how blind he was. He saw how he had been persecuting God’s own people. His life changed dramatically after that. He spent the rest of his life traveling and proclaiming the good news of Christ. He founded communities of faith. He gave all his time and energy. He worked very hard. He was passionate and driven.

Yet Paul experienced many challenges along the way. It wasn’t easy. He lived a much harder life than when he was a Pharisee. He was rejected and persecuted. Even people ho were his friends turned on him. Christianity was still quite new back then, so people didn’t really understand what he was doing. He was tried, tortured and put in prison many times. They saw him as a threat. We get to see a glimpse of it in today’s passage.

At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them.

2 Timothy 4:16

There were times when Paul felt totally alone. There were times when he felt powerless and weak. There were times when he felt hopeless. There were times when he wanted to give up.

But he didn’t. Paul persevered. He didn’t throw in the towel. He kept going. Each time he faced a challenge that was too much for him to handle, he didn’t give up. He overcame his challenges. During his life, Paul learned the ART of PERSEVERANCE. He found the ‘secret’ to persevering well.

What was that secret? What is the ‘art’ of perseverance?

To know this — GOD IS OUR STRENGTH. It is to depend completely on God. Not just once. But every day, every hour, and every moment. Sounds simple, right? We all know how difficult this is.

We are used to doing things on our own. Relying on our own strength to get things done. “I AM MY STRENGTH”. We think asking for help is a sign of weakness. We don’t like admitting to ourselves and to others that we need help. We are too proud to ask. We want to be seen as self-sufficient. But we often experience our own limits. We get discouraged. We get tired and exhausted. We get lonely. And we don’t know what to do.

Accepting our own limits is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of strength. It opens the door for God to fill us with his strength. God’s strength becomes our strength. With the strength God gives, we persevere through our challenges. Soon, we come to realize that we are not alone. We realize that God is WITH us.

That’s what Paul experienced in his life. He realized that he wasn’t alone. He realized that God was with him every moment, even when he felt totally alone. God was at his side, no matter what.

But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth.

2 Timothy 4:17

Paul found his new confidence. It wasn’t about what he could do because of how strong and smart he was as a person. It was about how God gives him the strength to do all things.

I can do ALL things through him who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13

I pray that you can say this about yourself too. That you will live each day with this kind of confidence.

Don’t just dwell on your thoughts about giving up. Our problem isn’t that we actually give up on things. Our problem is that we spend most of our time THINKING ABOUT giving up. We fantasize about running away and hiding from things. We come up with all sorts of excuses on why we should quit. Our thoughts just consume us. We become more timid and fearful.

Instead of dwelling in your own thoughts, look to God. Be honest about your situation. Know that God is at your side. Ask God for his help. There is no shame in that. Depend on God who gives you the strength to do all things. Let God’s strength become your strength. You will experience true FREEDOM and JOY.

That was St. Paul’s message to Timothy. Timothy was a young leader who had to look after one of the churches that Paul started. Because of his youth and inexperience, Timothy felt overwhelmed at times. He was also timid. So Paul wrote him a letter to encourage him. To remind him that God is his strength. We read a part of that letter today. Timothy learned the art of perseverance.