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177: Paul's Final Days
30 Plays5 days ago
Imagine you were in Paul's sandals. For 30 years you devoted your life to zealously carrying out a mission, traveling far and wide to spread the Gospel. Church leaders valued your teachings and copies of your letters spread throughout the churches you help build. You were on fire for Jesus, but your ministry ends with you alone in a cell awaiting execution.
Paul never did see the fruits of his labor. He may have experienced doubts that all he sacrificed even mattered. But you know what he never doubted? The love and grace of Jesus that saved his life and spurred him on. It's the same love and grace that we have been given, and it's a message worth hearing every Sunday. Pastor Chuck Schlie takes a look into the last days of one of the giants of the faith in this week’s episode. In his words we find absolute assurance that a life lived for Jesus is always worth any cost!
If you’d like to dig deeper, check out these discussion questions. You can complete them on your own, with your Community Group, or with family and friends.
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Transcript
Introduction & Production Credits
00:00:00
Speaker
the following podcast is a Jill dev Divine Media production.
Upcoming Sermon Series Conclusion
00:00:19
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Welcome to Normal Goes a Long Way, and it's really hard to believe that after this week, next week wraps up our sermon series based on the story.
Albert Brooks' Book Discussion
00:00:29
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This week, we head into chapter 30, Paul's Final Days.
00:00:34
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Good morning, good morning. Let me ask you this. We'll get started with a question. In your opinion, who is the most successful entrepreneur in human history?
00:00:45
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In his book, Strength to Strength, a great book if you're over 50, by the way, guys. Strength to Strength by Albert Brooks. He asked that question and then he follows it up with his own answer. Who is the most successful entrepreneur in human history? Henry Ford, Steve Jobs maybe?
00:01:05
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For my money, that distinction, he writes, hands down goes to Saul of Tarsus, later St. Paul, to Christians. But even if you're not a Christian, hear me out.
Paul's Role in Early Christianity
00:01:17
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He was the first century convert to the teachings of Christ who organized the work of a messianic itinerant preacher into a body of coherent theology and spread it around the ancient world. And I would add here that he also had a whole lot of help from Holy Spirit.
00:01:35
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Nevertheless, Brooks continues. Arguably, Paul is the inventor of Christianity as an organized religion, which has grown for 2,000 years and today has more than 2 billion followers.
00:01:52
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The iPhone's 1 billion current users isn't too shabby, I suppose. But let's just wait and see how well it's doing in the year 4,000. Well, I'm not sure if you agree or disagree as to Paul ah being the greatest entrepreneur in human history, but clearly he has had a tremendous impact on the world as we know it.
00:02:15
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There was no doubt about that. But it is interesting if we could i go back in time and put ourselves in Paul's sandals, because what we see today would have absolutely just floored Paul.
00:02:32
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There are over 37 million Christian churches all over the globe, and more than a few of them are even named after St. Paul.
00:02:44
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Every Christian knows who Paul is. Every believer has read his letters to the Romans, the Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and on and on.
00:02:57
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There are hundreds of thousands of Christian schools and universities and ministries. two points 2.6, actually, 2.6 billion Christians in the world today. And that would have been just unimaginable, unthinkable to Paul.
00:03:20
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in his time and in his place, for Paul to even consider such a wild thing as that.
Paul's Final Days and Letters
00:03:26
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In fact, I don't think it would be too far of a stretch ah for Paul to have looked at his earthly work as a failure.
00:03:36
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And perhaps even, you know, something that would be destined to be forgotten. Well, this morning, we find ourselves in chapter 30 the story, which is titled, Paul's Final Days.
00:03:52
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And we're gonna take a journey back in time, and we're gonna pay the apostle a visit. ah But before we do that, let me just ask you another question, different question. Here it is.
00:04:03
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Does anyone write letters anymore? I'm not talking about emails or Post-it notes. ah Definitely not talking about form letters or junk mail. I'm not talking about that.
00:04:14
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I'm talking about the old-fashioned, handwritten, personal kind, real mail. It's a pretty rare thing these days.
00:04:26
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It's about as common as finding a message in a bottle. But every once in a while, you get some real mail. I love it when I get some real mail.
00:04:38
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You know, it doesn't happen often, but every and now and then, among the bills and the flyer for the grand opening of another new car wash, i find a handwritten addressed envelope with a letter inside, real mail. And this morning, we're going to be reading some real mail penned by the Apostle Paul. Now, it's a letter that's actually written to you.
00:05:04
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But first, it was addressed to a young man named Timothy. And tell you it's kind of a heavy letter. It's a serious letter. It's important.
00:05:15
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You see, Paul's journey was coming to an end. His mission on earth was just about over. And so this is a farewell letter.
Persecution of Early Christians
00:05:27
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One of the great tragedies of the early church is that so many of its pioneers were killed because of their beliefs. ah Most of the remaining 11 disciples were martyred for teaching about Jesus.
00:05:42
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Tradition has it that they died in just horrible, gruesome ways. And if you have a stomach for it, you should look it up. They died for it. They died for their faith. You know why?
00:05:58
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Well, Easter is why they saw Jesus risen from the dead. Like, it's real. He's real.
00:06:09
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you know, it's true. This stuff is true. He's true. You see, none of those first followers of Jesus would have but died in just terrible ways for for a lie.
00:06:22
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If they were making this story up, they would have caved under torture. but They would the the wouldn't have died in such gruesome ways if they had not seen experienced the risen Christ, the resurrected Jesus.
00:06:41
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They knew, and Paul knew. he knew Jesus. And Paul would do whatever it took to share the gospel, no matter what it cost him. And it did cost him.
00:06:54
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It was during the time of Emperor Nero when they arrested Paul and they threw him in a Roman jail,
Paul's Suffering and Faith
00:07:02
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chained up like a common criminal. Many biblical scholars believe that this was the place.
00:07:10
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ah Not much of a view. but Paul knew that he wasn't going to make it out alive. And so it was time to pass the baton to the next generation.
00:07:22
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And so he began to write more letters. And two of these letters went to Timothy. a young man who Paul met on his second missionary journey. ah Timothy was like a son to Paul. They were kindred spirits.
00:07:37
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It would be Timothy who would succeed Paul in his work. And and so this real male that we're looking at today is this final letter to Timothy from Paul while he's on death row from a cold, wet, lonely dungeon during Paul's final days.
00:07:59
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Let's peer into that prison for a moment. Paul doesn't look so good. He's bent and frail. He looks older than his years. He's shackled. It's been some time now since his last decent meal.
00:08:18
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It's been a while now since he has slept comfortably. ah Three decades of ministry. Three decades of missionary travels, 30 years of church planting, and what's he got to show for it?
00:08:41
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You look at those churches he started. There's backbiting infighting and competition in some. and moral corruption in others. Legalism has reared its ugly head, and some of them were plagued with hypocrisy and heresy, even racism, ugly stuff.
00:09:04
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and And what's more is that many false teachers have appeared on the scene, and they are trying to start their own movements. It doesn't look so good for the future of the church.
00:09:19
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And it doesn't look good
Paul's Contentment and Gospel Conviction
00:09:20
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for Paul. Paul's friends seem few and far between. ah Some have turned against him. He's broke.
00:09:33
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No family, few friends, no home. He's cold and he's weary.
00:09:44
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Oh, Paul had his moments, though. i mean, God did some amazing things through Paul, miraculous things, including healings and exorcisms. Paul even raised this guy Eutychus from the dead.
00:09:59
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Incredible stuff. Paul spoke to to crowds of listeners and and governors, and he even got to preach to the emperor once. He couldn't convert him, though.
00:10:13
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almost persuaded him, almost.
00:10:19
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a But you know as well as I that almost isn't doesn't count, does it? ah Paul was described as a stoop-shouldered, bald-headed, bow-legged man with a big nose and cloudy eyes and scruffy, thick eyebrows that met in the middle.
00:10:42
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Oh, and this too, that his body was covered with scars, numerous imprisonments, whippings, beaten with rods, pelted with rocks, always on the run, starved, shipwrecked, marooned, even snake bits,
00:11:08
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all for the sake of the gospel, and
00:11:14
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What a life.
00:11:18
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Was it worth it, Paul?
00:11:21
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That's what I want to know. Was it worth it?
00:11:27
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Oh, and I know the answer all right. I've read the letter. Now there he is. is shackled and deserted, and yet he is strangely content.
00:11:43
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You can look all over that letter to Timothy. Look at it all day long, but you won't find it. There is no self-pity or blame or bitterness, no regrets at all from Paul.
00:12:02
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He knew.
00:12:04
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remembered all those 30 years ago when Jesus met him on the road to Damascus. And Paul never really recovered from that.
00:12:17
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He was met with grace. He was knocked over with grace. ah Paul never got over being struck with grace. That was his favorite word, was grace. And Paul knew that no matter what, God gracious.
00:12:39
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gracious Paul knew that he had been saved by grace. ah Paul knew that God would work the good. A few years earlier, Paul wrote to a group of Christians living in Rome. knew that even in prison, he knew in all things, hard to believe sometimes, but in all things, God will work the good.
00:13:08
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For those who love him and who have been called according to his purpose. And if God is for us, who can be against us?
00:13:21
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He who did not spare his own son, but he gave him up for us all. How will he not also along with him graciously give us all things? Who's going to separate us from the love of Christ?
00:13:34
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Well, shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sore? No. In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
00:13:50
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For I'm convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything in all creation,
00:14:05
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will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul's Letter to Timothy and Modern Relevance
00:14:14
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That's what he wrote.
00:14:19
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Hmm.
00:14:21
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Really, Paul? Not even the sword?
00:14:28
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Not even the sword?
00:14:31
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All too soon, the sword will end Paul's earthly mission. It's going to be off with his head, but not before this one last letter to Timothy.
00:14:45
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It's brief. Just four chapters in 2 Timothy. You can read it today. It's a treasure for Timothy, and I'll tell you, it's a treasure for you.
00:14:56
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Stay strong in the faith. How many of you need to hear that? I need to hear that. Stay strong in the faith. Fight the good fight.
00:15:09
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Finish the race. As the baton is passed from Paul to Timothy, this encouragement was greatly needed. Paul knew that this young buck, this young pastor is gonna get challenged.
00:15:23
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The church is under attack, both from within and without, and Timothy would need to stand strong. And Paul encourages from his prison cell, God did not give us a spirit of timidity. He didn't give us a wimpy spirit, no But he gave us a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.
00:15:47
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Do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord or ashamed of me as prisoner, but join me. Sign up with me and suffering for the gospel by the power of God who has saved us and called us to a holy life.
00:16:09
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Paul knew Timothy had coming.
00:16:15
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He knew that Timothy also was going to pay dearly for teaching and preaching about Jesus. So my son... Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
00:16:30
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Endure hardship like a good soldier for Christ Jesus. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be, not maybe, will be persecuted. You should read that letter.
00:16:55
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Maybe sometime soon.
00:16:59
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Read the whole thing. You'll be amazed, just amazed at how a letter that was written in the first century world sounds very, very much like the world that you and I live in today.
Life's Brevity vs. Eternity
00:17:17
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Doesn't it? Even what I've already said already, you're like, oh, that applies. I've seen that recently.
00:17:27
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Paul writes, realize this.
00:17:31
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People will be lovers of themselves and lovers of money.
00:17:39
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Boastful, abusive, disobedient to their parents.
00:17:49
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Nudge, nudge.
00:17:53
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Ungrateful. unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited.
00:18:11
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Here's the line, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. Whoa, that's real male, all right.
00:18:25
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Paul writes to Timothy. Paul writes to you when he's writing to me, stay strong. Persevere. Paul persevered because he knew.
00:18:40
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knew his treasure is in heaven. How did he know that?
00:18:49
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Paul called himself the chief of sinners. He said, I'm sinner number one. Everybody else get behind me. I'm the chief when it comes to sinning. So how could Paul, the chief of sinners, sinner number one, be so confident that he had a place prepared for him in heaven's home?
00:19:08
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How did he know that? Here's how. but It's your answer too. It's my answer too. It's the It's the gospel. We preach Christ crucified.
00:19:19
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The gospel, the gospel, the gospel, the gospel. I'll tell you what, if the church is an institution, we're a burning building. The first thing, the only only thing that we need to run in and grab is the gospel.
00:19:31
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It's gotta be the gospel. Hold on to the gospel no matter what. That Christ died for me. That Christ died for you. That Christ died for our sins.
00:19:44
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And he was raised on the third day. day
00:19:50
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And we who are baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death. All sins bought and paid for, done, buried with him. and we who are baptized into Christ Jesus are baptized into his resurrection. That means that you too.
00:20:03
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oh that's big. That means that we are with him. We too shall live. He is with us, interconnected. Our life is with him. no matter how bad you got it.
00:20:18
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No matter how good got it, the really good stuff is coming.
00:20:28
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Paul tells us that earthly life is a mist. Earthly life is a vapor.
Faith Through Life's Challenges
00:20:39
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No matter if you live to be 100 plus years old, comparison to eternity well Earthly life, it's just one night stay at the Baymont Hotel.
00:20:54
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you know, I mean, it's okay.
00:20:59
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But the best is yet to come. And next week, we're going to hear all about it as we take in the revelation that was given to the disciple John. And it's going the last chapter in the story and in our series. And you're going to need to hear this one.
00:21:14
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ah Me too. Because it's going to be about what's coming. They'll look into the future. What's gonna happen to those who remain faithful?
00:21:26
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And Paul knew. In one of the most moving passages in this last letter to Timothy, Paul offers a beautiful explanation.
00:21:37
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can you imagine that the time has come for my departure? I have fought the good fight.
00:21:51
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I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award me on the last day, and not only me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
00:22:15
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That's the future for those who do not fall away or wander away or give up on Christ.
00:22:27
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God's word is true and we must trust him in all things. If we live, we live to the Lord.
00:22:38
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And if we die, we die to the Lord. So whether we live Or whether we die, we belong to the Lord.
00:22:52
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Persevere. Keep going.
Fictional Letter on Death Transition
00:22:57
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Do not be afraid in life or in death.
00:23:06
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How shall I describe it for you?
00:23:09
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Well, perhaps another letter will help. Now, this letter is fictitious, made up, but it's good. I came across this in a children's book, and sometimes that's the best stuff to read, kids' books.
00:23:23
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it's like, oh, I can understand that now. Thank you very much. and so I want to share with you, it's written by Max Licato. It's a good little book. It's an old, it's called Tell Me the Secrets.
00:23:35
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And I'll set it up by telling you that it was written by an old man named Josh and he's in the hospital and he's on his deathbed. And the letter is actually written to three children named Landon, Eric, and Shannon.
00:23:51
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And Josh's wife, Melva, is the one who reads the kids the letter. the story goes back a few years, back to the time when people were allowed to go into the hospital and look through a big window and they could look at all the new babies that have been born. Do they still do that? Does anyone know?
00:24:10
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they still do that? Or is that okay, you can do that. Look at all the kids. If you get the pass or whatever, all right. That'll help me at the next service.
00:24:23
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Anyway, the kids go into the hospital to see Josh. But at this point, Josh has slipped into unconsciousness. But there's this letter that's waiting for them to be read.
00:24:36
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And the instructions at the top of the page are for his wife to take the kids downstairs to the delivery ward so they could spend a little time looking at all the babies. And they do so.
00:24:48
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And then Melva reads the letter.
00:24:54
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Dear Landon, Eric, and Shannon, this is a very important letter. Melva is reading it to you because something has happened to me.
00:25:06
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She has brought you here because I want you to learn one of life's most important secrets, the secret of death. Very few people understand death.
00:25:20
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ah Most are afraid of it. Most try to ignore it. Hardly anyone wants to talk about it, but God wants you to understand it, and he doesn't want you to be scared.
00:25:36
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Many think death is when you go to sleep.
00:25:40
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They are wrong. Death is when you finally wake up.
00:25:47
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Death is when you see what God has seen all along. I want you to do something for me. I want you to think about these babies.
00:26:00
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Imagine what has happened to them. They have just left one place and entered another. Just a few hours ago, each one of them was in ah mommy's tummy.
00:26:14
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They were safe. They were warm. They had all they could eat. All they had to do was sleep. And then suddenly they were pushed into a strange world that they had never seen before.
00:26:32
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Now imagine you could speak to one of these infants before he was born. And what if you were to tell him what was about to happen?
00:26:43
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What if you said in just a few minutes you are going to leave this tummy? Your time here is just about up. Before you know it, you will be in a room full of people and lights and noises and smells.
00:27:00
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I don't want to go, the baby might say. I like it here. Besides, I don't even know what a people is.
00:27:10
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you don't need to worry. It's not bad out there. You tell the infant. i I mean, you have to go to school and take baths.
00:27:20
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What's a school and a bath? None of that sounds good to me. I like it right here.
00:27:28
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But it's dark in there. And it's crowded and it's cramped.
00:27:35
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Don't worry. You'll be glad you came out.
00:27:40
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Uh-uh. Thanks, but no thanks. I'm happy where I am. I want to stay right here.
00:27:50
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You see, kids, there comes a time in life, like the baby, where you have to make a journey. And just like the baby has to leave the tummy to enter this world, there comes a time for us to leave this world and go to heaven.
00:28:12
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And most people don't want to go
00:28:17
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We act like the little baby in the tummy. We like it where we are. This world may not be perfect, but at least it's familiar. And we don't want to leave.
00:28:33
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Eric, Landon, and Shannon, it's time for me to leave. It's my turn to go and be with God in heaven.
00:28:47
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And I don't want you to be afraid. I'm not. It's my time. i accept that.
00:28:57
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It's okay to be sad, but don't be angry. ah God knows what he's doing. I will miss you, but we won't be separated very long.
00:29:11
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Someday your time will come to leave. And when it's time, I want you to know that I'll be waiting for you and I'll be there when you get here.
00:29:26
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I'll be one of those proud people standing at the glass.
00:29:33
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And beside me will be your father, your heavenly father. We'll be waiting.
Paul's Execution and Faith Affirmation
00:29:41
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Love, Josh.
00:29:47
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Well, listen, Paul writes, Here is a trustworthy saying, if we died with him, we will also live with him.
00:30:00
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If we endure, we will also reign with him.
00:30:08
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And according to historians, it wasn't long after he finished this letter that Paul was beheaded. The sword came down swiftly.
00:30:19
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hitting its mark with a dull thud, and the head Paul rolled down into the dust.
00:30:30
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But in that brutal moment, Silently and invisibly, the soul of the great apostle was immediately set free.
00:30:45
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His spirit soared into the heavens. He was at last home with the Lord.
00:30:57
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So let me ask you again, Paul, just one last time, because we want to be certain about this, Paul,
00:31:06
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Was it worth it?
00:31:11
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I will tell you, says Paul, I will tell you. My life has been a tragic waste if Jesus was not raised from the dead.
00:31:29
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but he has been raised from the dead. Therefore, I answer your question with a resounding yes.
00:31:40
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Jesus has been more than worth it. Everything I've lost is like rubbish compared to gaining him.
00:31:52
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You'll see, you'll see.
00:31:58
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I invite you to come back on Thursday for normal goes a long way for kids.
Upcoming Podcast Announcements
00:32:02
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Miss Hannah, Miss April will take this chapter from the story, Paul's final days and present in a way that the kids will be able to relate to.
00:32:12
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And then again, next week will be our final week of season seven based on the story. So mark that on your calendar and come back for that. And as always, thank you for listening.