Sunday, October 15, fourteen of us left Big Lake and traveled to Dillingham in western Alaska. Our group included seven adults and seven high school and college students. During the day we remodeled a church. From 4-6 PM we led Vacation Bible School for the children. In the evenings we held athletic competitions and presented the good news that Jesus cares for them.

It rained continually. We worked in the mud. Airfare to Dillingham is $400 per person. Milk in Dillingham is $6.50 per gallon. A gallon of gasoline costs $4.75! A twelve pack of Pepsi is $9.97. I won’t complain about prices in the Mat-Su Valley for at least a week!

Why would high school and college students miss a week of school to serve in rural Alaska? What motivates people to burn a week of vacation serving others? The Bible spells out many motives for sacrificial ministry. 2 Timothy 2:8-13 details four motives for serving God.

The first motivation is the preeminence of Jesus. Paul writes, “Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel…” As Christians we have the greatest message. The good news is that Jesus paid for our sins. He died in our place. Our sins can be forgiven through His death, burial and resurrection. Our sins were laid upon Him.

Wednesday evening we challenged the students of Dillingham Middle and High Schools to a volleyball game and a food eating contest. For many years Dillingham has dominated in wrestling. Their students are very competitive! They took the food eating contest very, very seriously. We gave each member of the winning team a t-shirt. Their faces lit up with pride to receive those shirts. Yet, God has given us something much greater than an article of clothing. We serve Jesus- God incarnate.

Jesus lived a perfect life and died a human death. But He is no longer dead but alive. He is the living God. We have the greatest leader. The privilege of serving Jesus should motivate us.

The second motivation is the power of God’s Word. Paul wrote 2 Timothy in prison. He knew his life was coming to an end. Emperor Nero would offer him no mercy. In the midst of a dark, dank, damp dungeon Paul wrote, “…for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the Word of God is not chained” (verse 9). The Bible always makes the difference in people’s lives. Faith is always in response to the Word of God. A person hears the Word, understands it and then responds to it.

Watching our high school and college students teach the children of Dillingham the Bible was an incredible experience. The children’s faces lit up as they understood the message of God’s Word.

The early Christians experienced tremendous persecution in the Roman empire. At one time there were nearly six hundred miles miles of catacombs under the city of Rome. Over three hundred years they served as meeting places and burial grounds for perhaps as many as four million Christians. A common inscription found on the walls is, “The Word of God is not bound.” Eventually the Word of God conquered the Roman empire.

The third motivation is the purpose of the work. In verse 10 Paul continues, “Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” The purpose of the work is to lead people to eternal life. Every person dies. What a person does with Jesus determines where they spend eternity. John the Baptist said that every person is baptized either with the Holy Spirit or with fire (Matthew 3:11-12). At salvation a person is baptized with the Holy Spirit. The baptism of fire is for those who reject Jesus. It is the lake of fire for all eternity. Jesus offers forgiveness of sins- a clean slate. He offers a relationship.

The fourth motivation is the promise of eternal blessing. Verses 11-12 state, “…for if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him; if we endure, we shall also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He also will deny us….” Paul was about to experience martyrdom. The martyr’s hope is eternal life after death. Living with Jesus is serving Him. Believers who endure difficulty are promised rewards in the messianic kingdom.

A person who denies Jesus doesn’t know Jesus. Peter temporarily denied Jesus but it wasn’t permanent. It was a momentary failure followed by repentance. In Matthew 10:33 Jesus said, “Whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.” To deny Jesus is to not know Him as the Messiah.