In 1957, all-time great jockey Bill Shoemaker was riding the favorite to win the
Kentucky Derby, a horse named Gallant Man. And the race unfolded just as many
predicted it would. As the horses came down the home stretch, Shoemaker and
Gallant Man were in the lead. And it looked like a second Derby win for
Shoemaker. And then the unbelievable happened. As he neared the final post,
Shoemaker stood up in the stirrups thinking he had crossed the finish line,
but he was wrong. By the time he realized his mistake, another horse had
passed him and Shoemaker lost the Derby. Now Shoemaker won four Kentucky Derbies
in his great career, but was always haunted by the one that got away. And when
it was all said and done, Shoemaker lost because his eyes have been focused on
the wrong post and he missed the finish line. And despite riding in almost
perfect race for 98% of the day, he lost because he failed to finish strong. And
without a clear vision of the true finish line, it's easy to fall short and
fail to finish the race. And this is true in a spiritual realm as well. In 1945,
three men took the evangelical world by storm, speaking all over the country,
leading great crusades, leading thousands to Christ, and bringing revival at times.
Who were they? Charles Templeton, Braun Clifford, and Billy Graham. And of the
three, Billy Graham was the least heralded of the time. But by 1955, Charles
Templeton had left the ministry and given up his Orthodox faith. Braun
Clifford fell prey to alcoholism, financial struggles, and died alone in a
motel in Amarillo, Texas. And only Billy Graham remained faithful and continued
on in his ministry. Only Billy Graham finished strong. And that brings me to
what I want to talk about this morning. A vision to finish strong. Spiritually, it's
just as important to finish strong as it is to start strong. It does no good to stay
faithful to Christ for decades, only to fall short at the end. Failure at the end
can undo a lifetime of faithfulness if we're not careful. Think of Solomon, who
after decades of ruling wisely, allowed his foreign wives to turn his heart away
from the Lord, leading to the eventual division of the kingdom under his son,
Jeroboam. And all the evil and conflict that arose out of the Northern
Kingdom of Israel was a direct result of Solomon failing to finish strong. And it
didn't have to be. Today I want to challenge you about having a clear
vision to finish strong and what that involves. It won't be easy, because we
have a relentless enemy who wants to take us down. Satan knows the damage can
that can be done if he can get a pastor or an elder or a Bible study leader or a
husband or a wife or a mother or a father to compromise and fail to finish.
Satan is willing to wait years, even decades, to take us down. It's a long way
from here to the finish line, and Satan is in no hurry to get us. Just ask David.
So we must be alert and on our toes to make sure that we don't falter before we
get to the finish line. There's no prize for running a 95-yard dash. So let's talk
about what a vision to finish strong includes and how we can make it to the
end. I want to start with a definition about what it means to finish strong.
Doesn't mean we have to be perfect or we fail. If it did, none of us would finish
strong. But it does mean having the endurance to stay faithful from now
until Christ comes or calls us home through good times and bad, through great
joys and deep sorrows, without major failure or compromise. It's a recognition
that every day I need to get up and put Christ first, serve him faithfully, and
not let the enemy sidetrack or ambush me, and then get up and do it all again
tomorrow. You've probably heard it said the Christian life is more a marathon
than a sprint, and there's a lot of truth in that. But even more, the Christian
life is a steeplechase. That's a distance race with obstacles. To finish strong
means not only having the endurance to finish, but the strength to overcome the
obstacles along the way as well. So how do we finish strong? Well, it starts with
a clear vision of the right finish line. And we live today in a society where
people don't seem to know why they are here. People live for a lot of things,
but very few of them have any lasting significance. And sadly, too many
Christians today are caught up in the dog-eat-dog world of money and pleasure
and success and climbing the corporate ladder, none of which will matter a wit
when we stand before God one day. To finish strong in the race of faith, we
need a clear vision of the right finish line. Remember, Bill Shoemaker lost the
Kentucky Derby because he focused on the wrong finish line. And can I be honest?
For most of us, life in this world will not mean lasting fame and fortune. For
most of us, if our great-grandchildren remember us at all, it will be a small
victory. And when we're gone, when they're gone, our name will be forgotten.
Encouraging, right? But if we live well, if we finish strong spiritually, the
impact of our lives can outlive even the memory of our names. And that's why we
need a clear vision of the right finish line. And the New Testament
gives us some great goalposts to shoot at if we want to finish strong. Turn to
Matthew 22 verses 37 and 38. Or 36 and, yeah. We'll start in verse 36. Teacher,
which commandment is the great commandment in the law? And he said to him,
you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and
all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. When confronted
with a question of which commandment was the greatest, Jesus immediately gave the
answer that to love the Lord our God with all our heart and all our soul and
all our mind, that's the greatest. We're to love God with our whole being, with
all our muchness, as it actually says in the Hebrew. This passion for God has to
fuel all that we do for Christ. Our service can't be out of habit or
legalism or duty or guilt. It needs to flow from a heart that is passionate
for God and for serving his kingdom. That has to be the vision of our finish line
if we want to finish strong. That's why Moses speaks a number of times in the
book of Deuteronomy about how we must cling to God no matter what. We need to
take an honest look at our passion for the Lord and make sure we're not simply
going through the motions spiritually and coasting on our past. If you are
coasting spiritually, I can promise you one thing, you're going
downhill. It's the only way you can coast and that's dangerous. Paul exhorted us on
the same theme in Philippians 3. Look at Philippians 3 verses 12 to 14.
Paul wrote this, not that I have attained it or have already become perfect, but I
press on so that I may lay hold of that for which I was also laid hold of by
Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet, but
one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies
ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in
Christ Jesus. Paul was quick to confess that he was not perfect and he hadn't
become all that he had hoped to become in Christ. Finishing strong is not about
being perfect, but Paul had a goal. He had a passion. He had a vision to pursue
Christ with everything in him and to lay hold of that for which Christ had
saved him for. Paul was relentless in his pursuit of knowing Christ better
every day and he didn't let anything stop him from pursuing that. He even said
earlier in this chapter that he considered everything he ever gained as
an unbeliever worthless compared to knowing Jesus Christ as his Lord and
Savior. This passion, this single-minded drive for loving and knowing and
serving Christ has to be what fuels our devotion and our service to Christ
every day if we want to finish strong. Christ has to be so large in our hearts
and in our lives that he completely fills our vision and if Christ fills our
vision it will be nearly impossible for other things to turn us away from God.
The vision to finish strong starts with making sure our eye is on the prize, that
our hearts are sold out and passionate in their love for God and desire to
serve him. Anything less and we risk spending our lives chasing the wrong
finish line. Second, we need a clear vision to leave the past in the past and
it may well be you're here today thinking I can't finish strong. You
don't know my past and you're right I don't but God does and what matters for
finishing strong is what we do today and going forward not whatever
horrible things we may have done in the past. Our God is a God who redeems us and
our past and gives us a fresh start. Finishing strong means we have a clear
vision to leave our past in the past. Look at 2nd Corinthians 5 17.
2nd Corinthians 5 17 says this, Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new
creature. The old things have passed away behold new things have come. Can I just
tell you as someone who works with inmates inside jails and prisons this is
one of my favorite verses. Paul reminds the Corinthians that we all are
completely new creatures in Christ. The old stuff has passed away new stuff has
come. It's as if God draws this huge black curtain on our past and gives us
a whole new start when we come to Christ because that is exactly what he does. We
are not our past and Christ died on the cross to deal with our past so leave it
in the past. Go back to Philippians 3 I want to look at verse 13 again. Paul says
this, Brethren I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet but one thing
I do forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead. Paul
lets us know that one thing he did every day is that he not only pressed on to
know Christ more and more he also forgot what lies behind. Whatever was in his
past good and especially the bad he forgot it and he pressed on for Christ.
Paul refused to let his past interfere with his service to God today because
Christ had dealt with his past and forgiven it. It has passed away and if
your first thought is yeah but Paul was a missionary and an apostle I mean what
could he have to regret or hold him back? Well how about blasphemy, persecution and
murder because Paul did all those things to Christians until Christ met him on
the Damascus Road and changed his life forever. Paul was so awed by what Christ
did for him that he would later say that it's true that Christ came to save
sinners and that he was the worst one of all because of what he had done in the
past. Yet he also said that if Christ could save and use a man like him he
could save and use anyone including you and me. Listen nothing delights the heart
of God more than to take a person who is mired and trapped in sin and to free
them and to forgive them and to transform them and to use them. That's
what his grace is all about transforming sinners into saints. Nothing matters less
to God than our past. What he cares about is our present and our future
because those are the only times we can serve him. The only one who throws
forgiven sin in our face is Satan. God never brings up anything covered by
Christ's blood. Don't let Satan harass you into going out to the trash can and
trying to dig up the past. Let it be. We need a clear vision to leave the past in
the past and press on focusing on the new creation God has made us in Christ
and how he wants to use this going forward. Then we can finish strong. All
right third we need a clear vision to see the ambushes ahead. As you know our
military has been involved in the war on terror for most of the last 20 years and
it's been a hard fight and I've read a number of books including Outlaw Platoon
and Echo in Ramadi and amongst a bunch of others that have highlighted the
courage and the commitment of our soldiers as they carried out their
orders. Much of what they went through is something none of us can even imagine
and can I be honest most of us are spoiled. We walk around our
neighborhoods or at the park all the time and we have very little situational
awareness and by that I mean because Santa Clarita is a pretty safe city we
don't walk around with our heads on a swivel looking for danger every moment.
We don't worry that every small mound at the side of the road might be an IED
ready to blow us up but I promise you this the Marines who had to clear
Fallujah during the surge I guarantee you that they were alert every moment they
walked the streets of that city knowing that even one moment of not being alert
for ambushes could spell the difference between life and death and spiritually we
face an enemy just as cunning and ruthless as any terrorist. Satan hates God
and he hates mankind because we're created in the image of God and he
especially hates Christians because we are serving God and that means we have a
huge target on our chest and that means we have to be alert to the ambushes he
sets for us. So let's start with a huge one that Satan often uses and that is
pride. Satan loves to use this one because it's the one he's most guilty of
himself. Isaiah 14 13 and 14 tells us how Satan fell through pride declaring that
he would ascend to heaven and raise his throne above the stars of God and in the
end make himself God. His pride led to his downfall. So Satan is an expert at
using pride to ambush believers who aren't aware of his schemes. That's why
Proverbs warns us that pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before
stumbling and one way Satan loves to use the ambush is the thought I can handle
this. No you can't. Look at 1st Corinthians 10 verse 12. 1st Corinthians 10
verse 12 says this, Therefore let him who thinks he stand take heed that he does
not fall. After reviewing all the failures of Israel in the wilderness to
follow God faithfully, Paul warns the proud Corinthians that the one who
thinks he stands need to be very careful that he doesn't fall. Pride that says I
can handle this is the pride that leads us down the path to destruction. The I
can handle this attitude is rooted in thinking that we know it all that we can
do it without any input or counsel or help from anyone and again Paul warns the
Corinthians in chapter 8 that knowledge makes one arrogant and when we think we
know everything it's a sure sign that we do not yet know anything. We need
accountability, we need each other, we need help to stay faithful and finish
strong so be careful of the pride that thinks you can handle it. The second way
Satan uses pride to attack us is thinking that we don't have to be
ruthless with sin, that we can play with it a little, that we can control it or
that we can walk on the edge of the cliff and will never fall off. Bad idea.
Jesus told us what we have to do to address the issue of sin in our lives.
Look at Matthew 18 verses 8 and 9.
Says this, if your hand or foot causes you to stumble cut it off and throw it
from you. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than to have two
hands or two feet and be cast into the eternal fire and if your eye causes you
to stumble pluck it out and throw it from you. It's better that you enter into
life with one eye than you have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell. Jesus
advises us that if our hand or foot causes us to stumble cut it off and if
our eye causes us to stumble pluck it out. In all these cases it's better
to lose part of your body than to burn in hell. Now Jesus isn't advocating that
we actually mutilate our bodies to deal with sin. It doesn't work really because
sin lurks in our hearts and minds. But what he does mean is that we have to be
absolutely ruthless whenever sin pops up in our lives. No entertaining it, no
playing with it, no tolerating it. We ruthlessly cut it off and get away from
it. And most of us would never willingly grab a rattlesnake yet more we are yet
we are more than willing at times to dabble in sin as if it's not as dangerous
as a rattlesnake and it is. But what does it look like in real life to deal
ruthlessly with sin? Well one thing you might have to do is get rid of any
access to the internet because you can't stay off porn. I had a friend who went
off grid for 12 years because he could not handle the temptation so he cut off
the internet completely. He dealt ruthlessly with the sin in his life and
believe it or not people actually survived with dumb phones and no
internet. Better that than to find yourself constantly dragged back into
lust and sin and guilt. Get help, get on Covenant Eyes with someone who can keep
you accountable if you need help but be ruthless with sin in your life.
Don't think you can dabble in sin and it won't affect you, it will. Don't try to
see how close to the edge of the cliff you can get without falling off because
the next thing you know you will be at the bottom of the cliff wondering how
you got there. Satan will use pride to ambush us anytime he can. We need to
follow Paul's exhortation in Ephesians 4 to walk in humility and in Colossians 3
to put on a heart of humility. You can't handle things alone and you can't play
with sin. Both of those are lies from the pit of hell that will cause us to fail
to finish strong. Second ambush, immorality. And this one hits close to me because
being in ministry all these years I've had good friends who were solid
Christians and good pastors who ended up trashing their careers, their families
and their ministry because they couldn't keep their pants on. And the damage that
flows from that in a church and in a community has lasting effects. But the
damage that will strike your family if you fail to stay faithful to the Lord
and to your spouse is just as devastating. Being in ministry also means
I've seen families torn apart by adultery and immorality. Sexual sin is
never cost free and guilt free. There is always a price to pay and that's why
Satan loves this one. Nothing else destroys our testimony and credibility
quicker than sexual sin. Let me give you some things to think about here. First, I
made a personal decision early on in ministry not to meet or counsel with a
woman alone. So if you call me and want help and I say no, don't take it personal.
Why did I do that? Well as I like to tell my guys in jail, if I'm not really
really careful I could be really really stupid. So how do I know that? I've seen
too many guys who were smarter than me and more gifted than me and more
charismatic than me go down the toilet spiritually because they thought they
could handle a one-on-one meeting alone with a woman and they couldn't. They
weren't really really careful and they became really really stupid. We're back
to that pride issue that thinks I can handle this. I know I can't. And here's a
couple other things to keep in mind. One, there is somebody out there who could
tempt any of us to betray our vows in the right circumstance. So don't think
you're ever beyond the temptation to sexual sin. We all have a type and if you
run into that type you better be really really careful not to get too close
because you'll be playing with fire. Second, the best way to handle sexual
temptation? Run. 1st Corinthians 6 Paul says it tells us to flee immorality
because it's uniquely a sin against our bodies and Paul urges Timothy to flee
youthful lust. Listen, if the best advice Paul can give Timothy about sexual sin
is to run, I'd better pay attention because I'm no Timothy. Look at 1st
Thessalonians 4. 1st Thessalonians 4 verses 3 to 8 says this, for this is the
will of God your sanctification. That is that you abstain from sexual immorality
that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor
not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God and that no man
transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the
avenger and all these things just as we also told you before and solemnly warn
you for God has not called us for the purpose of impurity but in sanctification
so he who rejects this is not rejecting man but God who gives the Holy Spirit to
you. Paul exhorted the Thessalonians to seek the will of God and be sanctified
to live holy lives that meant avoiding any sexual sin. God has given us each a
body to use as a vessel for his service and we're to use it in purity and
holiness uncontrolled passion and lust are how unbelievers live not as followers
of Jesus Christ live and anyone involved in sexual sin is stealing and
defrauding from others cheating and robbing them of the love and devotion
that rightly belongs only to their spouse and God will judge sexual
immorality. In our studies in Malachi Dad we always have the guys look at two men
who face sexual temptation and how they handled it and one is David in Bathsheba
and the other is Joseph and Potiphar's wife and David gave into sexual sin and
brought severe consequences to himself and his family well and while Joseph
landed in jail for his refusal to sin against God with his boss's wife God
vindicated him and blessed him in the end for his willingness to flee sexual
temptation. Listen to make sure you stay faithful I would challenge you today sit
down write out a list of everything you will lose if you were unfaithful to your
spouse and then review it periodically it can help sober us up if we ever start
to waver in our commitments. Sexual sin is one of Satan's most successful
ambushes he uses it because it works and we have to be alert to that ambush all
the time if we want to finish strong. Third money the temptation in our
society let money rule our lives is great the more you have the better and
it can be a huge ambush if we're not careful. Look at first look at first
Timothy 6. First Timothy 6 9 & 10 Paul wrote this to Timothy but those who want
to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful
desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction for the love of money is the
root of all sorts of evil and some by longing for it have wandered away from
the face and pierced themselves with many griefs. Paul warned Timothy to remind
his people that those who want to get rich fall into all kinds of traps that
lead to ruin and destruction the love of money the unbridled greed for more and
more can undermine our faith and lead to grief can cause us to compromise
everything because we have to have it and Paul mentioned secure for greed and
for the love of money earlier in this chapter when he reminds believers that
we brought nothing into this world and we'll take nothing out of it so if we
have food and shelter we should be content. Contentment and gratitude are
the cures for greed. Carol's mom was always fond of saying there's nothing
wrong with a hand-to-mouth existence as long as it's the Lord's hand in your
mouth okay and all this simply echoes what Jesus warned us that you cannot
love God and money only one will rule your heart and if it's money you're
heading for trouble and you will not finish strong. Next ambush power and
prestige desire to get ahead be successful gain status and importance
that could be heady stuff how many politicians have crashed and burns and a
relentless desire to gain more power and become more well-known look at mark 836
I know it's here all right mark 836 Jesus said for what does it profit a man
to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul Jesus asked his followers what
profit is there if you gain everything in the world and you lose your soul
there is none yet millions of people today try to do that every day even
believers if they're not careful and don't have their eyes open for ambush
can crash and burn on this desire to gain power and prestige in the world
nothing in this world is worth the price of your soul you know some years ago I
heard Lon Solomon preach at Hume Lake and he said something interesting he was
senior pastor at McLean Bible Church in McLean Virginia a church of literally
thousands and he said that when anyone came on staff at his church they were
immediately given a list of cars that they were never allowed to own or drive
on staff Lexus Mercedes BMW Audi Cadillac Porsche Lincoln and a number of others
why did he do that because their church is on the outskirts of Washington DC
where everything is about power and prestige and status and guess what what
you drive often was meant to impress people and tell them all about your
power and prestige and status and the men on his staff were not gonna go there
all right they weren't gonna get caught up into that we're called to serve we're
not called to rule final ambush unforgiveness you know Paul warns us in
2nd Corinthians 2 10 and 11 that Christians need to forgive so Satan
can't take advantage of our bitterness since we aren't ignorant of his schemes
but it seems like a lot of Christians I've met are completely ignorant of
Satan schemes to use bitterness in our lives by the way they hold grudges it's
uncanny look at Hebrews 12 verse 15
Hebrews 12 verse 15 says this see to it that no one comes sure to the grace of
God that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble and by it many be
defiled one of the deadliest things that happens to Christians is when a root of
bitterness springs up in them bitterness is simply unforgiveness over time that
grows and fetters festers it quenches God's grace in our lives and it's a
poison that spreads and starts defiling people around us bitter people aren't
any fun to be around and there are always seeking to recruit other people
to their grudges and countless churches are damaged and destroyed every year
because bitterness finds a root in people and Satan uses it to create
havoc we are commanded everywhere in the New Testament to forgive because we have
been forgiven not because the other person is so
not because the other person is sorry not because they deserve it but because
Christ has forgiven us and we are to be like Christ period unforgiveness is a
dead-end road I know I've walked it forgive and move on well hopefully we
can all go out of here today a little better prepared for the ambushes Satan
will try to throw at us forewarned is forearmed if we want to finish strong in
our race of faith it will mean having a clear vision for the ambushes Satan will
use against us pride immorality money power and prestige and unforgiveness
fourth we need a clear vision of the spiritual disciplines God has given us I
watched the US open last weekend and what you may not realize is the
discipline it takes to play golf at that higher level it's not unusual for golf
pros to hit over 500 shots a day or more trying to hone their swing until it
becomes ingrained and they will hit dozens and dozens of shots out of the
sand trap trap and spend hours on the putting green and on and on it goes it
is a full-time job all to perfect their game if you want to know why most of us
aren't golf pros now you know we aren't that disciplined but to finish strong in
our spiritual lives we have to develop spiritual discipline we have to exercise
the disciplines that followers of Christ have exercised for millennia it's not
that the disciplines are hard it's that disciplining ourselves to do them is
hard but they're crucial to finishing strong it starts with Bible study to
finish strong we have to nourish our souls on the Word of God the Bible we
need a consistent plan to expose our hearts to God's Word every day there are
no shortcuts look at 2nd Timothy 3 16 and 17
Paul wrote this all scriptures inspired by God and profitable for teaching for
reproof for correction for training and righteousness that the man of God may be
adequate equipped for every good work I've preached on this before it's not
new to any of us God has given us his word to teach us and reprove us and
correct us and train us and how to live righteous lives he uses his word to make
sure that we are fully equipped to serve him like a sailing ship that is fully
supplied and equipped for a long voyage if we aren't in the word we cannot be
equipped to serve the Lord look at Psalm 1
and I would encourage you go back and listen to Jeff's sermon on Psalm 1 it
can give you more depth and insight on this verses 1 to 3 tell us this how
blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked nor stand in
the path of sinners nor sit in the seat of scoffers but his delight is in the
law of the Lord and in his law he meditates day and night who will be like
a tree firmly planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in season
and its leaf does not wither and whatever he does he prospers in
describing the blessed man the blessed man does two things first he doesn't
hang around with wicked men and second he meditates constantly on the word of
God he thinks about it through today he chews on it and the result is that he is
like a fruitful tree planted by abundant waters that flourishes and doesn't
wither our fruitfulness depends on our willingness to anchor ourselves in his
word we all need a plan to make sure we nourish our souls in the daily in the
word of God and guess what there are hundreds of plans out there all right
find one get started you know it's not an accident that when Satan tempted
Jesus Jesus hit him with scripture every time and so can you if you've been
diligent enough to make studying scripture a regular part of your
spiritual walk second prayer if it's true we have a relationship with God then we
need to make sure we cultivate that relationship by coming to God and
talking to him regularly you'd never think of not talking to your spouse for
a day why would we not think of not talking to God for a day communication
with our Heavenly Father is crucial to finishing strong look at Ephesians 618
says this with all prayer and petition at all times in the spirit and with
this in view beyond the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the
Saints here's Paul's overall directions for prayer the four alls if you will we
are to pray with all petition bringing our requests before God we're to pray at
all times in the spirit allowing him to direct and lead our prayers and keeping
in a constant attitude of prayer throughout the day we're to pray with
all alertness ready to come to our father and on a moment's notice as any
need arises and we are to be diligent to pray for all the Saints our brothers and
sisters that they might be strong and wise and faithful beyond all this let's
remember when we pray we are not coming to a distant God who is angry and bored
with us we are coming to a Heavenly Father our Abba who loves us and
sacrifice his son to save us and wants to answer our prayers finishing strong
takes regular conversations with our Heavenly Father in prayer and third
fellowship the Christian life is a team sport meant to be lived in community
with one another it's not a solo sport we need brothers and sisters to keep us
focused and on track we are called to live as brothers and sisters in a family
not orphans on our own look at Hebrews 10 24 and 25 says this and let us
consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds not forsaking our
own assembling together as is a habit of some but encouraging one another and all
the more as you see the day drawing near in reading these verses I'm not telling
anything telling you anything you haven't heard dozens of times in your
Christian life but it's still true we need each other so we can urge each other
to effective service for God and encourage one another so that we stay
on track and we don't wander off regular gatherings of the Saints are crucial for
all of us to grow spiritually and finish strong look at Hebrews 3 verses 12 and
13 says this take care brethren that there be not any of you be not in any
of you an evil unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God but
encourage one another day after day as long as it is still called today so that
none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin the author of
Hebrews warns us about having an evil and unbelieving heart that falls away
from God and how do we make sure that doesn't happen by encouraging one
another every time we have an opportunity to make sure our brothers
and sisters aren't beginning to waver and aren't deceived by sin I need to
watch your back and you need to watch my back and did you see the big reason why
we need fellowship together is to encourage one another both passages in
Hebrews challenge us to be encouragers of our fellow believers with all that is
in the world that is attempting to beat us down and discourage us the church
needs to be an oasis of encouragement in a bleak world so let's covenant together
to come together each week for the great purpose of encouraging one another in
our walk with Christ let's come looking for someone who needs to be uplifted and
encouraged that's the best way we can help each other finish strong look I
know none of you will disagree with anything I said about spiritual
disciplines being in the word check prayer check fellowship being with
Christians check here's my great concern merely doing those things out of habit
or routine and not out of passion for God will reduce them to a checklist we
mark off but they will not have any power to change our lives remember in
Jesus day the Pharisees had great spiritual routines they just didn't
result in them knowing and serving God so be careful to keep close tabs on your
heart and if you find yourself slipping into routine and habit change things up
do something different or talk to Adam I know he can give you some great
suggestions on that a clear vision to finish strong means we are committed to
the spiritual disciplines God has given us and we are careful not to allow them
to become mere habit and routine without any passion so let me summarize where
we're at finishing strong means having the endurance to stay faithful from now
until Christ comes or he calls us home through good times and bad through great
joys and deep sorrows without major failure or compromise it means having a
clear vision of the right finishing line that passionate love for Christ that
fills all our vision means having a clear vision to leave the past in the
past and not allow Satan to use past sin against us we are truly new creatures in
Christ means having a clear vision to avoid the ambushes Satan will throw at
us pride immorality money power prestige unforgiveness and it's a clear vision to
practice the spiritual disciplines God calls us to Bible study prayer
fellowship without allowing them to become mere habit or something we just
check off a list and if we have a clear vision of these things we will be able
to finish strong but I want to close with this I want a clear vision of the
reward why does finishing strong matter what difference will it make well let's
start with the fact that at the end of your life you will know that you have
lived well and that you were faithful to your Lord and Savior who died for you
and saved you and blessed you it will be knowing that you endured and stayed
faithful and have no regrets look at 2nd Timothy 4 verses 6 & 7 Paul wrote this
for I am already being poured out as a drink offering and the time of my
departure has come I have fought the good fight I have finished the course
I've kept the faith there was great satisfaction for Paul this is the summary
of his life well-lived notice he realized death was near and his execution
was coming he had given all of himself in his service to the Lord and now he
looks back on his life and he can see that he fought the good fight with all
that was within him he had finished the course God had set before him and through
it all he never wavered in his love and devotion to Christ he kept the faith for
Paul there was great satisfaction that he had laid hold of all that Christ had
laid hold of him for no looking back no regrets that can be us if we finish
strong second there can be a great legacy look at Proverbs 17 6 keep your
fingers in 2nd Timothy 4 but look at Proverbs and I love this verse it says
grandchildren are the crown of old men and the glory of sons is their fathers
this is one of the verses we use in Malachi dads to help our guys realize
they can have a legacy with their children and their grandchildren most of
us are just trying to serve most of you I should say are just trying to survive
parenting and having thought about grandparenting yet but if you will
finish strong if you will stay faithful to Christ through the steeplechase of
life you will not only be a blessing to your children but to your grandchildren
and possibly even your great grandchildren finish strong give your
children and your grandchildren someone they can look up to and admire and
follow after blaze a trail for them spiritually so bright they can't miss it
stay faithful for the long haul nothing gets me more excited now than seeing
God work in the lives of my grandchildren to hear my Lucy pray with
all her heart to hear Silas challenges teacher at school when he taught him
something that was wrong and to see Nathan refused to give any honor to an
idol overseas when he was traveling to see God working in that generation
excites my heart and that happens when you finish strong it's the best way to
leave a legacy and finally there's great reward go back to 2nd Timothy 4 verse
8 Paul wrote this in the future there's laid up for me a crown of righteousness
which the Lord the righteous judge will award to me on that day and not only to
me but also to all those who have loved his appearing go back to Paul's life
summary for him it wasn't only the satisfaction of having fulfilled his
life's calling it was the knowledge that one day he would stand before his Lord
Jesus Christ and receive a crown of righteousness from his Lord for all his
faithful service it was knowing that one day he would hear those words well done
good and faithful servant enter into the joy of your master we too like Paul
will one day stand before Christ and we too will be rewarded for a life well
lived we too can hear those magnificent words well done good and faithful
servant enter into the joy of your master could anything in this life top
that finish strong stay faithful love the Lord our God with all that is within
you let's pray Oh father we come to you now Lord and at times I confess we look
at this challenge to finish strong and we think who can do this who can finish
strong in this life and yet Lord we realize that through your grace and
through your mercy and through your strength and through your spirit we can
do what pleases you we can live a life that finishes strong we can live a life
that it ends in great satisfaction because we have done what you have called
us to do and we have been faithful we can leave a great legacy in the lives of
our children and our grandchildren and our great-grandchildren because we have
been willing to stay faithful and stay strong and to finish the race you have
set before us and we know Lord that one day there will be a great reward for
those who have served you and we look forward to standing before you Lord one
day and saying to you and hearing you say well done my good and faithful
servant enter into the joy of your master Lord grant each of us the desire
and the strength to finish strong so that when we come to the end of our life
we will have no regrets and we thank you in Jesus name amen