Michael Card, Bill Lane, and Paul’s Lessons on Discipleship

Way back in the late 1900s when we rode dinosaurs to school, this guy right here was the most famous Christian musician in the world.

Michael Card, later in his life, wrote a book. It's called The Walk.

He goes to Western Kentucky University. There's a professor there.

The guy's name was Bill Lane. Michael walks into his office, asks him a question about the Bible, and Bill Lane just says this: "Take a walk with me." Michael Card's freshman year, he starts taking one walk per week, and for the next six years of Michael Card's life, they take a walk every week.

Just walks with him, talks about Jesus, talks about the Bible.

All right, now Michael Card, uh, moves away from Bowling Green.

Fast-forward many years. He and his wife, they live in Nashville, and Bill Lane is across the country at Seattle Pacific University.

Hmm. Michael Card gets this phone call from Bill Lane one day, and he says, "Michael, I just received a terminal cancer diagnosis, and I just wanna call you and tell you." And Michael thought Bill was calling to say goodbye.

And Bill said, "No, no, no. Me and my wife are moving back to Nashville to be close to you because the greatest act of my discipleship of you is about to begin." And then he said, "I now will show you how a Christian man dies." And he spends the last time of his life taking more walks with Michael Card, showing him how a

Christian man dies. Now, when you get to Second Timothy, chapter four, many years ago, the Apostle Paul saw this kid named Timothy. He looked at little Timothy and he said, "Walk with me." For the next 15 years, the Apostle Paul walked an estimated 3,000 miles with this little kid. Changed his life.

One of the last things Paul does is he says, "I know I'm gonna die.

Come to me quickly." He's saying, "Timothy, I will now show you how a Christian man dies." Now, before I read the final words of the Apostle Paul, it is the responsibility of every Christian man and woman to show the people around them this is how a Christian man or a Christian woman dies.

That responsibility begins today. With that in mind, the final words of the Apostle Paul: "I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and

exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

For the time is coming," this is gonna sound familiar, "when people will not endure sound teaching or sound doctrine, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and they will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. But as for you, always be sober-minded,

endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come."

Now listen, if anything on Earth you want to be able to make your final words to your son or spiritual son, verse seven is it.

"I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race.

I have kept the faith. And henceforth there is laid up 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 to all who have loved his appearing."