Lessons on Discipleship and Faith

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."