Getting Down with Death 2 Timothy 2:8-13 Introduction 1. Must we sign a treaty with death? Is suffering and tragedy unavoidable? 2. Death is an unnatural enemy. But you and I must not only submit to death. We must choose it! 3. The world runs from death, seeking control and invincible power. Christians meekly lay down their lives. 4. Christians don't always choose death. The siren song of worldly power. A Well-worn Path 1. Discipleship and death are strongly connected. A lesson taught by infant baptism. 2. This strong connection is attested to everywhere in the Bible (Luke 9:24; John 12:24; Genesis 22:1-10; Jeremiah 34:1-7; Hebrews 11:36-38). 3. The Christian faith alone among all the philosophies and religions of the world can explain death, suffering, and tragedy. Herbert Schlossberg, in his book, Idols for Destruction, writes, "We are not the lords of history and do not control its outcome, but we have the assurance that there is a lord of history and he controls its outcome. We need a theological interpretation of disaster, one that recognizes that God acts in such events as captivities, defeats, and crucifixions. The Bible can be interpreted as a string of God's triumphs disguised as disasters". 4. But something's missing. The Bible seldom requires of us death without promising the glory of the resurrection. Such is the case in our text. From Death to Life 1. Paul's apostolic experience exemplifies this pattern of death leading to life. 2. Does not your own experience say the same? 3. This explains the recurring command to "rejoice in our sufferings". 4. Paul makes explicit the connection - Death to Life/Endur.
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