The Lord Stood With Me

In one paragraph

Pastor Ray brought the final passage of 2 Timothy to a close while weaving in a just-completed mission trip to Nakuru, Kenya. The people mentioned by name in Paul's closing verses became a lens for looking at the people he and Carl had just met and served. The sermon kept moving between the ancient letter and the present-day work in a community built around a landfill. Paul's closing lines to...

Read together

1. Psalm 67 described as the spreading circle of blessing, quoted as 'let the peoples praise you, oh God, let all the peoples praise you'
2. Psalm 96:3,10 quoted as Old Testament command to tell of God's glory among the nations and say among the nations the Lord reigns
3. 2 Timothy 4:9-22 the passage being preached through, Paul's final personal words to Timothy
4. Acts 15:36-39 quoted to show the sharp disagreement between Paul and Barnabas over taking Mark on the second missionary journey
5. Colossians 4:10 quoted to show Paul already speaking well of Mark, asking the church to welcome him
6. Philemon 1:24 quoted where Paul lists Mark among his fellow workers
7. 1 John 2:15-17 quoted as warning not to love the things of the world, listing lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and boastful pride of life
8. Matthew 28:18-20 quoted as the Great Commission, all authority given to Jesus, go make disciples of all nations
9. Galatians 3:8-9 quoted to show that all nations would be blessed through Abraham by faith, not by race
10. 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 quoted about momentary light affliction producing eternal weight of glory, looking not at things seen but unseen
11. Romans 15:13 used as the closing benediction, may the God of hope fill you with joy and peace as you trust in him

Talk about it

1. Paul says Demas deserted him because he loved 'this present world,' and the sermon drew a parallel to people who started well in ministry but turned away when it got hard. Where do you see the pull of worldly priorities most clearly in your own life, and what makes it difficult to resist?
2. Pastor Ray described how Mark had bailed on Paul and Barnabas during the first missionary journey, yet Paul later said Mark was 'useful for service.' What does that kind of restoration look like, and have you seen it happen in your own experience?
3. The sermon contrasted the American tendency to want to be left alone with the communal culture in Kenya, where a home visit from the school was considered an honor. How does our individualism shape the way we think about caring for people around us, and what might we be missing because of it?
4. Paul wrote that the Lord stood with him and strengthened him so that 'through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished' to all the nations, even while he was in prison awaiting execution. What does it look like to trust that God is still working through you when your circumstances feel like an obstacle to what He has called you to do?
5. Pastor Ray closed by asking whether we think of ourselves as goers, senders, or both when it comes to the mission to all nations. Which of those do you honestly see yourself as right now, and what is one concrete thing you could do this week to act on that?