In the sermon 'Fighting, Running, Guarding', Mike Davenport explores the themes of perseverance and vigilance in the Christian life, drawing from 2 Timothy 4:6-8. He outlines the Apostle Paul's threefold approach to the Christian journey: fighting the good fight, running the race, and guarding the faith. Davenport uses allegorical imagery and historical references, such as John Bunyan's 'Pilgrim's Progress', to illustrate the dangers of complacency and the seductive allure of ease, symbolized by a city of false peace. He emphasizes the need for spiritual discipline akin to the dedication of Olympic athletes, highlighting that the Christian path is marked by struggles and the necessity of enduring hardship. Davenport also discusses the relationship between physical and spiritual discipline, urging believers to be temperate in all things. He concludes by affirming that these efforts are not the means of justification but rather a response to the grace of God, encouraging believers to keep their focus on Christ as the author and finisher of faith.

Good morning. Our sermon text today is 2 Timothy verses 7 through 8. I'm going to read 2 Timothy 4, 6 through 8. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight.

I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day, and not to me only, but also to all who have loved his appearing. 2nd Timothy 4 verses 7 and 8. Let's pray.

Father, we thank you for this opportunity that we have to gather together to be in 2nd Timothy. Father, we're grateful that your scripture is living and real, and Father, it never changes. Father, we ask that you would open our hearts and our ears and our spirits to hear from you right now Lord father we're grateful for the time that we have together we're grateful Lord for the time and effort and teaching that Mr. Davenport has done, Lord, to prepare for this very time. We pray, Lord, that you would truly speak through him to our spirits right now.

In your mighty name we pray, amen. The city, by the way, was a place of much delight and comeliness. Its gates of silver stood wide against their marble pillars, and the walls and towers were decked with flowers and clothed with vines. Nor was there any sign of arms to check the peaceful traveler, for there were no guards at the gate, no sentinels upon the walls. Moreover, on the pillar of the gate stood a proclamation in letters of gold, for the pilgrim of the splendid way, there is rest and peace in this city, the city of good intent.

There was little stir about the gate, for it seemed that the city was a place of rest rather than a place of traffic. Every now and then one would come up and read the Proclamation and go in, but he could not see that any came out. Within were gardens and fountains and pleasant roads shaded from the sun, but there was no thunder of hoofs, no sound of toil, no clang of martial arms. He saw men pass along the shaded roads or linger by the fountains among the flowers, but they moved quietly with peace upon their brows. But ere he had waited long, he saw a strange thing.

There was a lodge by the gate, and beside the lodge a great bell. In a little while an old stern man came out of the lodge and took the rope of the bell and rang so that suddenly a great clamor burst upon the air and rolled far along the sunny ramparts of the city. The old man, having rung his bell, would have entered his lodge again, but Sir Constantine went up to him eagerly, for he had seen that the ringer wore the emblem of the great king. "'I am of the same service, ' he said, and, I would not enter the city lest it should be the city dangerous. Tell me, I pray thee, the story of the city and the bell.

Kindly the old man looked upon him, marking his gallant shield and his attire stained with the dust of the way. It is well that you enter not this city, he said. Those who enter it fall under its spell, which is a deadly spell. Full many a gallant knight hath ventured there, thinking no evil, but he comes out no more. Yet it is a fair city, " said Sir Constant.

"'In all thy journey thou shalt not find a fairer, ' said the old man. Some say that it is as beautiful as the city we seek far over the eastern hills, but its danger lies in its beauty and its fair welcome to the traveler. For who shall look for peril when he sees only peace and rest and welcome with no sign of arms or toil or chains Yet the spell is a power that hath held captive the strongest heart, and this city is one of the most false and deadly perils that beset the knights of the king's service. For the victims of the spell dream of great and noble deeds, and know not that they are dreaming only. And while they dream, the swift hours fly and the crowding years until their time is gone.

And through the spell of this city they never find the city beyond the hills. And the bell, said Sir Constant, is this by command of the king?' "'It is, Sir Knight. "'By his command am I set here and the bell, "'and I occasionally ring the bell to rouse the dreamers. Nay, I go sometimes into the city and seek those who are lost and entreat them to come forth, but they love me not, for they love their dreams, and it is with anger and scorn that they drive me forth. So here I stay with my bell and seek to wake them from their sleep.

Some hear me and wake and take up their arms and I send them on their way with great joy but these are few indeed so deadly is this enchantment." Well, the author of the allegory Sir Knight of the Splendid Way, just like Bunyan in his allegory, Pilgrim's Progress, knew all too well the realities of the Christian life in this world. As the good old man at the gate stated, the spell is a power that hath held captive the strongest heart, and the city is one of the most false and deadly of all the perils that beset the Knights of the King's service. My friend, vanity fair has slain its thousands, but the city of good intent has slain its ten thousands. The recent tragedy of the death of Scott's friend, Josh Pepperd, this young father age 42 and his young son age 11, who both died in that helicopter crash in Alaska, coupled with the end of the prolonged daily struggles that the Latham family endured after the tragic automobile accident of their young son who also entered eternity last week. These tragedies have given me reason to pause and to consider afresh the fragile nature of this life, the brevity of this life, as well as the significance of this life in light of eternity.

I have been forced to consider what I would find looking back at my way, along the way, to see if that path of my life Has made me aware that my time in this world is coming to an end The Apostle Paul was granted such an opportunity. He says in 2 Timothy 4, 6, part of our passage today, for I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand." He knew his days were coming to an end. And he goes on to say, I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.

Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge will give to me on that day, and not to me only, but also to all who have loved his appearing." Paul here uses three different verb tenses. He starts in the present and then moves to the past tense and then to the future tense. He knew at the time of his writing these verses that his days were drawing to a close. And so he looked back upon his life in light of what Christ had done in and through him. And then he turned to look forward to what awaited him after his death.

What I want us to consider from this passage this morning is that the Christian life is not a life of ease. It's not a life of ease. It's not a life of ease. It is a life of fighting the fight, of running the race, of guarding the faith. So look first with me at fighting the fight, a strenuous effort.

Fighting the fight, a strenuous effort. Verse 7, I have fought the good fight." Thayer's Greek lexicon describes fighting the good fight as to contend and struggle with difficulties, dangers, annoyances, and obstacles, standing in the way of faith and holiness, and to do so in a noble or praiseworthy manner." In a more literal sense, It's saying, Paul is saying here, I have agonized in this noble agony. I have agonized in this noble agony. The first thing we must face head-on is the fact that the Christian life is full of difficulties, dangers, annoyances, and obstacles. Jesus declared to His disciples, in this world you will have tribulation Christ doesn't pull any punches He bids all who would dare to follow him to count the cost.

Count the cost. In Acts 14 21 to 22 we read that the Apostles returned to Lystra Iconium in Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God. What a thing to tell brand new disciples. We must through many tribulations enter into the kingdom of God. This contending, this struggle is inseparably tied to the Christian life that Christ calls us to.

Do you recall the picture that John Bunyan paints for us in his Pilgrim's Progress? Christian is there in the interpreter's house, the interpreter being a picture of the Holy Spirit. Christian is taken by the hand into a pleasant place where stands a stately palace. Those who dwelt therein whom Christian could see walking upon the palace walls, they had gold for their apparel. Christian inquired how he might go into such a beautiful and wonderful place.

And so interpreter took him by the hand and showed him the door into the great palace. And what did Christians see as he gazed there upon the scene before him? Well, first, gathered around the door was a great company of men. They had desires of being among that great company, but they dared not to go through the door. The second thing that caught Christians' attention was a table over to one side.

At that table sat a man with a book and a pen which were used to write down the names of any who would come forward and dare to go through that armed door. Because the third thing that he noted was that in the doorway stood a multitude of armed men who were determined to bring hurt and mischief upon any who would enter. Well Bunyan goes on to write, at last when every man started back for fear of the armed men, Christian saw a man of a very stout appearance come up to the man that sat there to write, saying, Write down my name, sir. When he had done this, he saw the man draw his sword and put a helmet upon his head and rush toward the door and the armed men who laid upon him with deadly force, but the man was not at all discouraged. Fought on, cutting and hacking most fiercely.

So after he had received and given many wounds to those that attempted to keep him out, he cut his way through them all and pressed forward into the palace. My own experience has given me cause for a rising fear in my heart, a fear for myself, and a fear for each of you here who confess Christ as your Lord and Savior. Here's my fear, that the prosperous and comfortable life that we have as Americans constantly makes us unable or unwilling to endure the hardships that naturally come upon the soldiers of Jesus Christ. Rather, we seek to bypass the difficulty, to avoid the danger, to skirt around the annoyances, and to choose the path of the fewest obstacles. We become oblivious to the fact that we are engaged in a war.

We act as though we have no enemies in such a condition when the slightest resistance or trouble that arises, our spiritual hands are blistered, our spiritual lungs burn, our spiritual muscles begin to cramp and to tear, and our strength falls short. King David had mighty men, men who risked their lives merely to get a flask of water for their thirsty king. Men who were willing to stand alone, one man against 300 enemies armed only with a spear. Men who fought giants, lions, and lion-like heroes. They were the mighty men of David.

But here are some questions we need to grapple with. Where are the mighty men of King David's royal son? Where are they? Shall David have such mighty men and his royal son Jesus Christ have so few? Shall the mighty men arise only out of past generations?

Shall we only read about them? Will there be none who will step forward today? Where are the Caleb's, the sons of Jephunneh, who fought not only, who will not only fight God's battles in the days of strength, but are still ascending mountains and fighting the enemy at the age of 85. Where are they? The city of good intent has a gym.

It's open 24-7, 365 days a year. It boasts many members, yet many members have only signed up but never come. But also, some members are there consistently day after day. In the gym, you can prepare for the many fights that lie ahead, every day, sparrowing and shadow boxing for the fight to come. But instead of going to where the battle rages, you instead show up each day at the gym, always preparing for tomorrow's fight.

The Apostle Paul says the following in 1st Corinthians 9 26 B, Thus I fight, not as one who beats the air. Dear ones, are we merely shadow boxing? God is looking for a man who will make a wall, who will stand in the gap. May we not be, as those Bunyan wrote about, loitering about the door with all the desires in the world of being one of those who enter and yet not being daring enough to enter the fray. Author Jerry Bridges, in his book, The Pursuit of Holiness, made a very perceptive comment.

He said, physical softness leads to spiritual softness. Physical softness leads to spiritual softness. There is a correlation there, he is saying, between the physical and the spiritual. And we know that from Scripture. Paul says in Romans 8, for those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh but those who live according to the Spirit the things of the Spirit for to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live." Paul himself applied this theological reality to his own life. Back in that 1 Corinthians 9 passage, he says, I discipline my body, and bring it into subjection, lest when I have preached to others I myself should become disqualified. Are you spiritually soft, my brother and my sister? If so, you most likely are physically soft. You most likely are pampering the flesh.

A little more sleep, a little folding of the hands, a little more rest, a little more relaxation. I'll enter the fray tomorrow. To fray tomorrow." Martin Luther said, where the battle rages is where the loyalty of the soldier is proved. And to be steady on all battlefields besides is merely flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point. Thomas Watson in his book, Heaven Taken by Storm, encourages us to zeal with grasping reality.

He says, it is all uphill to heaven, and it will make us sweat before we get to the top of the hill. Indeed, hell will be taken without storm. The gates of hell, like that iron gate in Acts 12 10, open of their own accord. But if we get to heaven, we must force our way. We must besiege it with sighs and tears and get the scaling ladder of faith to storm it.

We must not only work, but fight. Like those Jews who built the wall of Jerusalem in Nehemiah 4.17, everyone with one of his hands wrought in the work and with the other hand held a weapon. But not only is the Christian life one of fighting the fight, it is also one of, secondly, running the race. Running the race, a patient endurance, a patient endurance. Paul says, I have finished the race.

Phares Greek lexicon has this to say about finishing the race. It is to bring to completion one's course of life. That is, it is to cross the finish line of the race of this earthly life, the Christian life, a race. Your mind no doubt, runs to Hebrews 12.1. All the believers in chapter 11 were those who had been given a race to run.

So when he calls upon his readers to run the race set before them, he's asking them to think back about that chapter 11 because every one of those believers had been given a race to run, and they ran that race by faith. It's not a cookie-cutter race. The challenges, the difficulties, the trials, and the afflictions may vary greatly. The weights that we must lay aside may vary greatly. The darling sins that we must mortify may vary greatly.

The length of the race may vary greatly. For some, it may be just a few hours like the thief on the cross. For others, it may be as long as seven or eight decades. And though in all of these things there may be much variation, one thing is consistent, one thing is constant. All the runners run and they do so looking to Jesus, who himself ran well the race that was set before him with great endurance in the midst of great shame and agonizing affliction.

The Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9, 24, do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it in the very particular race that has been set before you my dear brother my dear sister in that race you are surrounded by faithful saints who ran in such a way that they obtained that prize and they stand as those who have gone on before to cheer you on your run. The same Paul who in our passage in 2nd Timothy says that he has finished his race, That same Paul here in this passage looks at you in the midst of your race and says run run Pick up the pace press on The prize waits just beyond the finish line run in such a manner that you may obtain it." Paul says that such an understanding of the prize that awaits should stir up carefulness in regard to two things. First, a carefulness in how we actually run the race. He says run in such a way that you may obtain the prize.

But second, a carefulness should be stirred up in regard to the things that take up our time and our affections and our energies. These often become needless weights that we foolishly try to run with. Paul says everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. The word temperate means to exhibit self-restraint or self-control.

And this self-restraint, this self-control is to be exercised in relation to all things. But now the most often and popular Christian response to such a statement to be temperate in all things, that most often and popular Christian response arises. How much self-restraint, how much self-control must I exercise in order to be able to still cross the finish line? A glimpse, just a glimpse, at the training regimen of the world's greatest athletes should be enough to put us to shame for even thinking in such terms. Paul says that the runners there, he's got the Olympic runners in mind, he's thinking about them and he says, they run in order to obtain a perishable crown.

But we run our race to obtain an imperishable crown. Have you ever watched an Olympic race? Have you ever watched the 100 meter run? These runners spin four years And it's actually more than that. That's just taking the time from the last Olympics.

They spend four years training training training self-control self-restraint so that they can run a race that many finish, some finish in under 10 seconds. Ten seconds! Four years for a ten-second run. Except for Maybe that athlete himself, such a sacrifice seems to us like a ridiculous return on investment. But that's not the case in the Christian life.

In reality, the Christian's race, it's like a vapor. His life is like a vapor compared to the eternity that waits. We give, as it were, ten seconds of sacrifice for an eternity of reward. There's no comparison. And so to return to the question of how much self-restraint and self-control are necessary in this race of ours.

Do you see what an inappropriate and short-sighted question that is? To ask such a question is to at best underestimate the worth of our reward, and at worst it is to despise it. There's no comparison. There's none. The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to even be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us, that very glory that Paul is pointing to in our passage.

It's not worthy to be compared. Dear ones, we must run, and we must run with a patient endurance. For most of us, the Christian race will not be a short race. It will be more like a marathon. And as in an Olympic race, so in our Christian race, the important thing, the important thing is not how we start.

Oh, it helps. It helps getting out of the blocks on a good start, hearing that gunshot and boom, you're out of the blocks. But that's not the important thing. It's not the important thing. The important thing is how we end that race.

Paul was able to say that he finished that race that was set before him. Only one kind of running will ever win you the prize that awaits. Well as we again pass by the gym in the city of good intent, we see through the storefront glass windows many people there on stationary bikes and treadmills much energy being expended many muscles being made strong but the bikes and the treadmills bring no progression. They're stationary. Christ has not put us on stationary bikes and treadmills.

He has put us into a race. There must be effort. There must be progress because there is a real reward and there is a narrow road that must be traveled." I quote Thomas Watson's Heaven Taken by Storm again, if any should ask us Why we are so violent, tell them it is for a kingdom. If any shall ask us why we make such haste in the ways of religion, tell them we are running a heavenly race and a softly moderate pace will never win the prize. Moderation has made many lose heaven.

They have not made haste enough. They have come too late, like the foolish virgins, when the door has been shut." Fighting the fight, running the race, and now thirdly from our text, guarding the faith, guarding the faith, a careful watchfulness, a careful watchfulness. The end of verse 7, I have kept the faith. I have kept the faith. Once again, Thayer's Greek lexicon states that keeping the faith is firmly holding on to the faith entrusted to us.

It's not ours, it's entrusted to us. And we are to firmly hold it. The keeping and the holding coupled with the idea that this is something entrusted to us entails a guarding of this faith with a careful and diligent watchfulness. Now, the faith here spoken of is most likely not personal faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, granted, That personal faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ is part of that.

It's part of this overall concept. But it seems to be here much bigger than that personal faith. In Jude 1-3, we read of the reason Jude gives to writing his epistle. He says, Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the Saints." to contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. The faith here spoken of is the entire body of doctrine concerning who Christ is, His deity, His kingdom, His purposes, and His church.

It is the doctrine of the Apostles and prophets which is the very foundation of the church. It is all that forms that body of truth, both doctrinally and experimentally, which the church as the foundation and pillars is to uphold. This is the faith we must contend for. This is the faith that we must hold fast to. This is the faith to which we must give ourselves to a careful watchfulness.

Dear ones, if the devil can undermine the faith once delivered to the saints, we might as well pack up and go home. We live in an American society that is just reeling out of control, largely because Christians have by and large failed to contend for and to guard that faith. We must be faithful to that which has been delivered to us. It is a deposit to us, much like the talents that God has entrusted to us. We must be faithful stewards of this faith.

If there is further erosion of truth in our generation, It will be on our watch. We, the church of today, will be held accountable unto God. We can't afford to let that happen. An ever-present potential of danger is a failure to realize that this task of guarding the faith, the simplest sounding task of these three, can actually be the hardest at times. We think of fighting, running.

Hey, I'll take this station. I want to be the one that guards. We may think that, but that's a danger. Yes, sometimes we step away from the fight or we go down. Sometimes we run off course or we lose our pace.

But to stay alert and to stay watchful, simply compared to fighting and running, it comes with a difficulty all its own. We grow lax. We grow inattentive. We grow lazy. Like the disciples, we are often found sleeping rather than alert and watchful.

You see, they fail to fight well and to run well when Christ was arrested. Why? Because they had not guarded well. I can catch a few extra winks. It'll be alright.

Christ is praying. That's the most important thing. I'll sleep. The spirit was willing. The flesh was weak.

And they pampered the flesh. And that physical softness led to a spiritual softness. In 2nd Timothy 2, 2, just back a few pages, Paul tells Timothy, the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. The Church of Jesus Christ is to be about the business of raising contenders and guardians of the truth that they have received from their Lord and Master. The Great Commission teaches us that it is our duty as the church to the risen Christ to ever teach and remind His people about everything He has commanded them.

This is the truth. This is the faith once for all delivered that we must guard. And then the second crucial thing is this fighting, running, and guarding, though, Excuse me, back up a little bit. There are two crucial things, right? First, if we are engaged in these three things this morning, it's only because of God's grace.

That's the first crucial thing we must understand, that if we are engaged in these things this morning, it is only by the grace of God. It's God, the God of all grace, who is causing us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. And He's doing this by the power of His Holy Spirit. Yes, we are working out our salvation with fear and trembling. We're fighting.

We're running. But we're only able to continue to do that because of the grace that comes to us through the passive and the active obedience of Jesus Christ. And then the second crucial thing that I would have us to focus on is that this fighting, this running, this guarding, though an integral part of our sanctification, it is not to be grasped as the means of our justification. Christ alone is the author and the finisher of our faith. And as we live out this Christian life that we are called to, we are to constantly look to Jesus Christ.

It was His endurance of the cross and His sitting down at the right hand of the Father. It's these things that are the sole basis of our justification. And because of these things, we thus fight, and we thus run, and we thus guard what has been entrusted to us. But we never, ever, ever take our eyes off of Him. For you who don't know and love Jesus, the thing for you to do is not go join the battle.

It's not for you just to jump the fence. There were a bunch of fence jumpers as Christian went on his way. They didn't go through the Wicked Gate. They didn't come by that narrow way. They had not gone by the cross.

They jumped over the fence and joined into the battle way on down the road. The thing for you to do is not to go join the battle. It's not to walk out your front door and start running. It's not to give yourself to watchfulness. The Christian life starts and stops at Jesus Christ.

He alone is the author of all saving faith. He alone is the finisher or the completer of that same faith. My friend, what you need to do is to repent of your sins. It's to go to Christ, to cast yourself upon Jesus Christ, to rest your soul completely upon Him as your only hope before a righteous God. And then, and only then, will He enlist you into His army.

He will set before you your race to run, and he will entrust you with the faith to watch over and to guard. For you who do know and love the Lord Jesus, the question is this, Are you willing to fight, to run, and to guard today, and to wait yet another day for your final reward? Oh, for the grace to be able to say with Paul, I have fought a good fight. I have finished my race. I have kept the faith.

Lord willing, this afternoon We will take up the rest of the passage. Having considered these things this morning, we will look at the culmination of this noble struggle receiving the crown of righteousness. Let's pray. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for your goodness to us. We thank you for your Word.

Oh, Father, we thank you that you have called your people into such a fight, into such a noble cause, and to run such a race as has been given by you and to run it with patient endurance and Lord you have entrusted us with a faith That is to be watchfully guarded Oh father give us grace and all of these duties that you've laid before us. Lord, we can't do any of these in and of ourselves. It is you who must cause us to will and to do of these things Because these are your pleasures. This is what you would have us to do. So Lord, we ask for grace as stewards of all of these things that we would be found faithful.

And whether we know when our day is coming or whether we're snatched away by your providence, O Lord, to be able to look back and say that we've fought a good fight, we finished our race, and we've kept the faith. And may we hear those words from our dear Savior, come blessed servant, enter into the joy of your Lord. In Christ's name we pray, amen.