(SDA Sermon) Mark Finley - "Finishing Strong"

we're gonna pray father thank you so much we can open your word thank you so much for Jesus and thank you for his love that fills our hearts now we're gonna look at the text we come from different backgrounds some of us have had great weeks mountain peaks of joy other Sevilla through the valley this week it's been tough and some of us have just had a plain old bla week and I pray today as we open your word that would be drawn closer to you in Christ's name Amen the year was 1968 and the Olympics were on and Joseph Stephen equity was running for Tanzania in the 26.2 mile marathon as he started the marathon around the first corner at about a half a mile he strained his calf and rather than giving up he limped along hobbled along for the rest of the marathon he came in one hour after the man who finished when he came in of course all the fanfare was over nobody was there any longer and he came in a few people were there and somebody said to him one of the news reporters that happened to be lingering around to see the last person to finish the race said sir why is it that you didn't just quit why is it that knowing that you had this injury and knowing the painful strain of your calf muscle why did you keep going for 26.2 miles Joseph Stephen a Currie said this he straightened up to the fullness of his stature and he said look my country Tanzania did not send me to this race 7,000 miles through Tanzania to start the race my country sent me to finish you know it's not too difficult to start at the marathon I think somebody as old as me could even make the first ten steps of the marathon anybody can start a marathon the difficult time is not to start the marathon the difficult times to finish right but there is a marathon of life called the journey of Christianity it's called the Christian race and this morning we want to talk about finishing strong finishing strong take your Bible please in turn to second Timothy chapter 4 Michelle read that for our scripture reading 2nd Timothy the fourth chapter and we're looking at the final words of the Apostle Paul here in 2nd Timothy chapter 4 we find Paul's last will and testament he's writing to his young Protege Timothy he's urging Timothy to continue strong in his pastoral evangelistic ministry he's urging Timothy to finish strong and never give up 2nd Timothy chapter 4 verse 6 through 8 Paul says for I'm already being poured out as a drink offering and the time of my departure is at hand I have fought a good fight I finished the race I've kept the faith finally there's laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge will give me on that day and not to me only but all those who love my appearing now let's look at a little background of 2nd Timothy and try to get a setting for Paul's words here 2nd Timothy was written sometime between 64 and 66 AD it was written during Paul's second imprisonment in the road now Paul had been imprisoned a little earlier in Rome but it was a much earlier much easier imprisonment Paul was in house arrest during the first imprisonment and he was there for a couple years and he had the opportunity during that first imprisonment to have some freedom people could come and go to his home and it was not a real difficult imprisonment but this second imprisonment was much more difficult for Paul he was imprisoned in the memory teen prison now I've been in that memory in prison is really a dark hole in the ground beneath Rome and it's a place you may want to visit for a few minutes but you want to get out of there as soon as you possibly can most scholars will agree that Paul during his second prison in prison it was in the memory in prison now that memory in prison was a holding cell it was a place where you would keep prisoners in a deep dark dirty dank dungeon underneath the ground it was wet it was chilly it was smelly it was horrible in fact one historian said this no matter how short the sentence those unlucky enough to end up in the memory in prison were met by the most horrific environment conditions in the dungeon were closer to a sewerage tank than a prison cell the memory in prison was no exception people are simply thrown into the cells forgotten while they were waiting their execution sometimes people died of starvation along before their sentences were carried out now why was Paul in the murti in prison anyway what could Paul be condemned for in 64 AD Rome burned Rome had 14 districts six of those districts were burned to the ground for them were damaged significantly so 10 of the 14 districts in Rome were burned quite severely Nero blamed the Christians for the burning of Rome now the reason he burned Rome and it was likely that Nero burned Rome himself because he wanted to clear a hundred acres in the center of Rome to build a lush palatial estate as Rome burned and the Christians were blamed for that Nero then condemned the Christians took many of them prisoner and many were executed in fact the historian Tacitus tells the story of what happened to those Christians and I'm quoting Tacitus he says beside being put to death they were made to serve objects of amusement they were clothed in the hides of beasts and torn to death by dogs you get the significance of that the historian Tacitus says that these Christians who were condemned for the burning of Rome as they were condemned they were clothed with the clothing of wild beasts in the blood of those beasts and that clothing was still dripping from these Christians and then they were dismissed and wild dogs ate their bodies also Nero loved to throw lavish playboy parties and so what he would do is to light the way to his parties Christians would be taken and doused with tar and they were in be impaled that is placed on a large spear dripping with tar and they would be lit a flame to light the way to the Playboy parties that Nero had these were horrible conditions the Apostle Paul was arrested he was brought before Nero and the serious nature of Paul's crime indicated that Paul would not be released and he would face death at this time Nero was in his early 30s Nero became Emperor when he was 17 years old Paul was in his 60s so imagine here is Nero a cunning politician a cruel despotic leader an immoral debase party loving playboy and here's Paul a devoted follower of Jesus Christ a evangelist a pastor a church planter and Paul comes before Nero he stands there here's the proud arrogant monarch before the Aged evangelist here is Nero in power and greatness in the Roman Empire Nero stands unrivaled kings lay down their crowns at his feet powerful armies marched at his command navies at the order of Nero sailed to places afar the decrees of Senators and judges reflected one man's will Nero's will to incur hero's pleasure was to lose your property your life and Nero's frown meant certain death and people dreaded it most more than they did a plague but here in that courtroom that day the high in the low the rich in the poor the proud and the humble the ignorant gather there that day and the Apostle Paul knows this is my last chance this is my last opportunity I may never again be able to speak because soon the razor edge sword of the oppressor will take my head and so Paul stands that day and he seizes the opportunity to uplift Jesus Christ and he speaks powerfully in that courtroom and men and women are moved by the words of the Apostle Paul he talks about a Christ that died for them the blood that was shed for them the forgiveness that was theirs the life that could be changed by the power of the Living Christ he presents the truths of the gospel he points his hearers forward to the sacrifice made for the Fallen race he declares the infinite price for man's Redemption the Apostle is faithful among the faithless he's loyal among the disloyal he stands at Kut as Christ's representative there's no sadness on his face there's no discouragement or word in his looks his words are as the shout of victory above the battle he declares the cause for which he has dedicated his life and he knows that that cause will never fail he knows that truth will triumph over darkness he knows as James Russell Lowell the American poets in so many years after truth forever on the scaffold wrong forever on the throne yet that scaffold sways the future and beyond the dim unknown Stan's God keeping watch above his own Paul that day was filled not with despair he was filled not with sadness he was filled with hope and he was filled with courage and his words are so powerful that they moved Nero in the book Acts of the Apostles I read this Nero's heart was moved but the door of repentance closed forever against the Emperor no ray of light from heaven was ever again to penetrate the darkness that enveloped him soon he was to suffer the retro beauty of judgments of God you see as Paul spoke Nero was moved as Paul spoke the Holy Spirit touched Nero's heart but Nero strangled the noble impulse at its birth nearest oould there in the face of Paul's preaching he stood there in the face of Paul's appeal and Nero walked away and the Spirit of God would never speak to him again and Nero ultimately went out and committed suicide it is a serious thing to turn once back on the moving of the Spirit of God when the Spirit of God touches your heart when the Spirit of God moves on your life when the Spirit of God promised you to do something for Christ the only safety is to step out and follow Christ and not follow Nero now we come to the final moments of that courtroom Nero turns his back on the Spirit and Nero passes sentence upon Paul and he says execution by sword Paul is led away in Chains he's thrown in that cesspool that sewage hole of the memory in prison and it is from there that he writes his words 2nd Timothy chapter 4 we study it phrase by phrase it's from there in that prison that Paul not with his head down in sorrow not with great disappointment not crying tears of self-pity why did this ever happen to me but Paul who knows Christ Paul whose life is in Christ's hands here Paul says and we look at it 2nd Timothy chapter 4 we look at every phrase every phrase speaks to us at this time in this place 2nd Timothy chapter 4 verse 6 Paul says for I am already being poured out as a drink offering in the time of my departure is at hand what is he talking about I'm being poured out as a drink offering that is an allusion to the Old Testament take your Bible and turn back to Genesis 35 verse 14 what is this drink offering all about what significance did it have to Paul what significance does it have to us Paul says I'm poured out as a drink offering some translations say a sacrifice the better Greek translation is greet is drink offering Genesis 35 we're looking there at verse 14 so Jacob set up a pillar Genesis 35 14 in the place where he talked with him that's Jacob met God and spoke with God at Bethel a pillar of stone and he poured a drink offering on it and poured oil on it when you look at the Old Testament you look particularly in Exodus Leviticus but particularly Exodus 29 it talks about the ancient sanctuary system and when Israel had sinned they brought a lamb offering or a ram particularly in this instance of the drink offering they bought a ram and they placed the ram upon the altar of sacrifice when the RAM was burned at the end of that they poured out a what is the Bible calls a hen of Y and a hint is about a third of a quart of wine they poured it out wine in the Bible the unfermented juice of the grape signifies the blood of Christ and why was wine poured out at the base of the sacrificial altar it was the symbol of the life of Christ being poured out for us on Calvary's cross Jesus life was poured out in self sacrificial love and following in the footsteps of his master Paul takes that illusion of the wine poured out in the drink offering and he says my life has been poured out in service for these 60 years now I am pouring out my life in death Christ's life was not wasted on the cross but spent or poured out in sacrifice for us and throughout his writings the Apostle Paul urges us in the Christian Church today to pour out our lives in self sacrificial love now during his first imprisonment we read in Philippians 2 Philippians take your Bible turn to Philippians chapter 2 because we want to explore the deeper meaning of this pouring out your life the Apostle Paul poured out his life in self sacrificial service Philippians chapter 2 and you're looking there at verse 16 and verse 17 Paul says holding fast the word of life see Paul finish strong it's one thing to begin a race it's another thing to finish it so that holding fast the word of life so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or laboured in faith god forbid that anybody here start the Christian race and they drop out god forbid that we get halfway to the finish mark and we drop out we are living on the knife edge of eternity this is no time to give up your faith now this is no time to walk away now this is no time now to let your devotional life linger your prayer life linger Bible study life linger notice what the Bible says Paul says I don't want to run in vain I don't want to labor in vain verse seventeen verse eight seventy yes and if I be poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith notice poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith Paul is saying to the church my life is poured out in service any life focused primarily on self narrowed down in the claustrophobic confines of its own littleness is a very small life the Apostle Paul calls us to bigness he calls us to supplying us of a life committed to service dedicated to the blessing of others he calls us to look beyond our own hurts our own griefs our own sorrows our own pain and our own suffering into a world that is filled with need and Paul his dying words says my life was poured out like a drink offering he calls us from the pettiness of our self-made worlds to the largeness of the world that Christ came to redeem just as the drink offering was poured out in sacrifice on the ground so Paul's life was poured out with sacrifice to others now there are some things in life that we may want to do and they're legitimate to do in their selves but we don't do them for Christ's sake because our lives are poured out in service there are some pleasures that we do not pursue for Christ's sake there are some places we could have gone but we do not go for Christ's sake there's some things we could purchase but we do not purchase them for Christ's sake when you pour out your life for Christ's sake it is not being wasted it's being invested now here's the truth of the matter when you come to your dying day and you lie on your bed and your strength is gone and your health is wasted and you're lying there breathing in your last every single one of us will have poured out their life in something some people pour out their lives in their work they're obsessed with their work and they pour out their lives in their work some people pour out their lives in pleasure some people pour out their lives and entertainment some people lot pour out their lives in the time consuming all absorbing mind-numbing digital media pursuits if you are looking at a text right now our Facebook you're one of them some people pour out their life for themselves but times fleeting and we all are pouring out our lives into something one day fades into the next one week fades into the next one month fades into the next what are you pouring out your life into the Apostle Paul poured out his life for the kingdom of God somebody says so pastor I'd like to do more for Christ but in his church but I just don't have enough time what are you pouring out your life for the only way to have more what time for Christ and His Church is to have less time for something else are there some adjustments that you need to make in your life some adjustments that you need to make are there some adjustments to free up more time when we come to the end of our lives like the Apostle Paul we are not going to wish that we spent more time watching television or not can a wish when we come to the ends of our life that we spend more time surfing the internet we're not going to wish that we spend more time making money we're not going to wish that we spent more time watching entertainment sporting events we're not going to be concerned about what we've accumulated or the promotions we've received or the joy our joy when life is over is this it's the relationship that we have with Christ it's the relationship that we have with our families it's the relationship that we have with the people around us it's the time we've spent we're gonna look back and someday in a place called eternity on streets called gold in a place called glory land some teenagers gonna walk down the street and say thank you for inviting me home for dinner somebody's gonna walk down streets on Gold and say thank you for praying with me at work somebody is gonna come up to you and say thank you I needed a word of counsel and you put your arm around me and you encourage me somebody's gonna come up to you and say to you thank you so much for the time and effort you had to do that small group thank you for the Bible study you gave me thank you for the book that gave out you gave out thank you for coming to my home and counseling with me with me brother that made all the difference in my life thank you for taking an interest in my kids those are the things they're gonna count in eternity not the latest in TV not the latest in Hollywood those things are gonna pass away and Paul knew that as he comes to the end of his life he says my life has been poured out like a drink offering you know when John Patton was getting ready to go to the new Hebrew DS Islands in the South Pacific new readings were known for eight four tribes in those years late 18-hundreds that had never accepted Christ some of those tribes were cannibals and John Patton was a young man bright intelligent and his church members tried to discourage him it was one old man in the church that Patton writes about his name was dickerson an old brother Dickerson comes up to John Patton and he says young man if you go out there and then you know Dickerson was old older than me Dickerson was really old and so Dickerson comes and he says to paten Patton John you go out there the cannibals may eat you Patton looks at me says the only difference between me and you is this old man the cannibals maybe eat me yes but the worms are gonna eat you when you go into your grave and that's true isn't it it's true tore your life out for something that counts I love what Charles Stud wrote so eloquently two little lines I heard one day traveling along life's busy way bringing conviction to my heart and from my mind would not depart one life will soon be past only what's done for Christ will last now the Apostle Paul continues second Timothy four verse six we look at every phrase 2nd Timothy 4 verse 6 Paul says I'm pouring out my life I'm giving my life for something that counts I'm giving my life for something of eternal value back to 2nd Timothy chapter 4 and we're looking there at verse 6 paul says first verse 6 for i'm already being poured out as a drink offering the time of my departure said hey and notice the time of my departure now that word departure circle it near bibles it is a military term in a nautical term as a military term the idea of my departure is i am packing up my tent and moving on to a new assignment in as a nautical term the greek term was used it was used for armies when they were camping in tents they packed up their tent they went on to a new assignment it was used also as a nautical term for a boat that was anchored Attica at a dock held with cables and when the cables were released the boat would go out to a new journey so for Paul death was not a dark hole in the ground and a night without a mourning for Paul death was the entering into a new phase of existence going into a new journey for Paul death was asleep until the glorious return of Jesus Christ would come so it was not something to be feared not something with Jay shook with that anxiety for because Paul knew Christ and the Christ he knew he knew would come again for him he so for the Christian in a sense death is like waiting for a departing flight you know I've been in many airports and this last month we spoke in in in Pennsylvania in in Indiana in Michigan in in New Jersey in Alabama I think I spoke 30 times this past month and you know I remember we're waiting for a flight at Newark Airport waiting to flight fly from New Jersey at Alabama and the flight was delayed at our the flight was delayed two hours the flight was delay three hours you know and you're sitting in those airports and it can become pretty boring sitting in those airports reading for an hour and then watching the people go by for an hour and then reading for another hour you know it becomes really boring in those airports but I knew this the flight was gonna come the flight was gonna come at one time we would depart on our journey every one of us sitting here the flights gonna come it may be delayed for you but that flights coming and the question is not how are you gonna die the question is how are you gonna live that's the question the question Zak how you gonna die the question is how you gonna live are you gonna live so when you die your death is a glorious experience resting until the coming of Jesus Christ you see that's what Paul can say Paul could write second Timothy four verse six I mean he's in this abominable condition I mean the sores stinky smelly his body's in pain he's been beaten he's in there and he writes these words of so filled with optimism how could he do that because the living Christ wilt in his heart you see he says I'm pouring my life out like a drink offering the time of my departure is at hand I'm ready to pack up and go on home that's what he's talking about and then he says next words verse 7 I have fought the good fight I fought the good fight see some people have the idea that Christianity is like sitting on a cloud and floating into heaven some people have the idea that if you pray enough you're gonna be wealthy if you pray enough you're gonna be healthy and if you pray enough you're gonna be wise some people think a prayer a lot than never be wise but that's another for another day you know there's some people they have this prosperity gospel the health the wealthy and the wise you just come to Christ now Christ does bless you but look I would be less than honest this morning if I did not share what you already know the Christian life at times is a battle it is a struggle Paul says I have fought a good what fight now notice Ephesians 6 verse 12 I fought a good fight Paul recognizes that in the Christian life there was the battle from within the battle from without the battle with evil forces of fusion six verse 12 and we looked there at the twelfth verse Paul says we do not wrestle against flesh and blood against principalities against powers of the darkness of this age against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places Paul says the we're a battle we can expect struggles in the Christian life if you are having a struggle in the Christian life today you're not off the map you're on the map you're on the map don't allow the struggles to discourage you because the Christian life is a fight but on our side we have an invincible foe in Jesus Christ there are many who are surprised when they face struggles in their lives they wonder if God has abandoned them in their difficulties that's part because the fact that you've made a commitment to Christ the devil is going to attack you the devil is going to try to destroy you notice what Paul says in 2nd Corinthians 4 8 through 11 don't be surprised with those struggles at all 2nd Corinthians 4 verse 8 through 11 recognize that we are in the enemy's territory recognize that the Christian life at times it's a battle 2nd Corinthians 4 verse 8 to 11 notice it here you're ready to read it with me Church 2nd Corinthians 4 verse 8 or 11 how many have their Bibles today it's one form another raise them up this living hope we bring our Bibles here right all right 2nd Corinthians 4 verse 8 we're reading on we are what hard-pressed on some sides on every side yet not crushed we are hard pressed but not what everybody crushed we continue we are perplexed but not what in despair now notice two interesting things they are hard pressed that's we're troubled from without everything around us is giving us this hassle we are perplexed that is we're confused from within but we're not in despair we are persecuted but not what for sake we're struck down but not what destroyed now I love Phillips translation of this passage let me read you Phillips it says this we are handicapped on all sides but we're never frustrated we're puzzled but never in despair we are persecuted but we never have to stand it alone we may be knocked down but we are never knocked out we may be knocked down when I fall then I shall rise we may go through the battle but we're on the winning side you may be going through some struggles financially struggles in your marriage struggles in your own spiritual life but here is the incredible good news you may be knocked down but you are not knocked out because in the grace of Christ through the grace of Christ by the grace of Christ you will rise again now the battle is a battle for our minds the greatest struggle that we face is who is going to control our thought patterns now the devil knows that if he can capture your thinking he's got you he's got you tied up bound up chained up in Proverbs the fifteenth chapter in the fourteenth verse the Bible talks about this battle for the mind it's a text you may not be aware of I'll read it in a couple of translations to get so you get the significance of it proverbs the fifteenth chapter xiv verse will read it in english and then i'll read it in a couple other translations and you'll get the significance of it proverbs 1514 the heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge so if you have understanding the Holy Spirit's wisdom you'll be seeking knowledge in the way you grow in Christ is as you read the Word of God the Holy Spirit through the knowledge of the word changes your life as you fill your mind with books like desire of Ages and steps to Christ it's the thought pattern so the heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge but the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness what are you feeding on are you feeding your mind on foolishness now notice another translation here's Taylor's translation a wise man is hungry for truth a wise man is hungry for what everybody for truth while the mocker feeds on trash who I wanna be feeding on trash to you now here's Knox translation truth is the quest of discerning minds Oh Lord give me a discerning mind trifling is the pasture ground of the foolish you know I was I was preaching at Michigan camp meeting this year and at the end of the camp meeting we were over the book center signing books and so people were coming in and it was late at night I had preached it was probably by now that was about rated clothes and one of the teachers from the Academy came in the Christian Academy there and I began to talk to him and so I said to him how long you been teaching at this Academy he said 32 years I've been teaching I said man 32 years and I said to him what is the biggest change you have seen in students in the last 32 years what's the biggest change without batting an eye he said digital media I said well unpack that for me share with me what you mean by that he said today our students have a much shorter attention span he said it's very difficult to communicate anything that's deep and meaningful because the attention span of our students is so short because they have to be on Facebook all the time they had they have to be looking at digital media in the just so fast he said their attention span is so incredibly short he said in addition to that when they write essays he said the students now today he said they can't write a good essay they use actually text messaging expressions in their essays some of them don't not have punctuated sentences and he said the biggest challenge that we have is the addiction that we have to digital media may I be very blunt with you as a congregation if you cannot put up your cell phone in a church service and you're looking at Facebook and texting people you're addicted plain and simple you're addicted if you try to if you can't spend and this is what the teacher told me he said at our school we've now taken away the cell phones of our students and he said do you know they actually have withdrawal like they're getting off like they're an addicted tobacco person he said they have withdrawal from their cell phone what is the devil's greatest strategy right now it's to capture your mind through television through pleasure for entertainment through social media addiction because the devil knows that if he has your mind he has you and the Apostle Paul's dying dying and he says I've fought a good fight is it a struggle at times to get on your knees and say Jesus I'm totally absolutely completely yours is it a struggle at times to have the bondage broken no I'm not suggesting at all that all digital media is wrong we use it to proclaim the gospel it can be a great tool used rightly what I'm speaking about this morning is simply digital addiction I'm speaking about minds that do not battle against the onslaught of Satan to control the mind Paul says I have fought a good fight now here's the good news whatever battle we face from within Jesus grace is sufficient for this struggle whatever conflict we face from without Jesus grace is sufficient for the struggle whatever fight we face from evil forces Jesus grace is sufficient for the struggle take your Bible back to 2nd Timothy chapter 4 we've looked at three expressions Paul is coming to the end now 2nd Timothy 4 verse 6 he says I'm already being poured out as a drink offering I poured my life out to Christ to service the time of my departure is at hand I'm in this dark dungeon but yet I sense I'm in a point of transition in my life and the next thing I'll see is the coming of Jesus I fought a good fight I've kept my mind pure I finished the race I have not given up I have finished strong I finished the race I have not disappointed my lord I haven't turned away in the last moments first Corinthians chapter 9 verse 24 to 27 first Corinthians chapter 9 verse 24 to 27 the Apostle Paul talks about finishing the race he talks about not giving up too soon he talks about not languishing at the finish line 1st Corinthians chapter 9 verse 24 to 27 here is an incredibly powerful appeal Paul says that the race of life is not over until it's over Paul says never take your Christian life for granted never take your eyes off Christ keep growing keep moving forward we can never say in the Christian life I have achieved we can never say in the Christian life I there's no more growth for me Paul's counsel is do not fail so near the finish lines notice you're looking there at the book of Corinthians and here the Apostle speaks to us in trumpet tones you're looking at 1st Corinthians chapter nine first Corinthians chapter 9 verse 24 to 29 he says do not you know that those that run in a race or run but one receives the prize run in such a way that you may obtain and everyone who competes for the prize is tempered in all things now those that do it do it to obtain a perishable crown but we an imperishable therefore I run thus not is uncertainty thus life fight not as one who beats the air but I discipline my body and bring it into subjection lest when I preach to others yes when I've been a Christian yes when I've come to church yes when I've faithfully come to the house of God but I pray that I myself should not be disqualified the Apostle Paul says in these moments I do not want to disappoint my Lord what Pete what Paul is saying so clearly is hang on persevere endure do not give up now then he says verse seven you're looking there back to second Timothy four verse seven Paul is saying to you to me I have kept the faith don't you love that I've kept the faith when you come to the last moments of your life and you're lying there can you say Jesus you've walked with me in the mountain peaks you've walked with me in the valleys you've taken me through the BLA times of the life you've renewed my spirit in Christ and Lord by your grace through your power I've kept the faith I have finished strong and then verse 8 Paul says finally finally he's breathing his last the sharp edge of the oppressor sword but take off his head but he's looking beyond execution he's looking beyond beheading he's looking beyond martyrdom he's looking beyond that to the glory of the coming of Christ and he says finally finally I poured out my life in service my death is near in Jesus by Jesus through Jesus I fought a good fight I finished the race I've kept the face finally there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness the word for crown there is an interesting word he could have used diadem but he doesn't his word stefanos I often wondered if he's thinking of Stephen the Christian martyr who was so faithful and that he would be Mardan be faithful to but the word Stefano's is a is a is a crown that the athlete would receive for victory and at the end of the race the marathon the athlete would kneel down and the the magistrate would put the crown of laurel upon his head and Paul says I'm not looking for a fading crown of earthly glory but I am looking for the eternal fadeless crown that will be put on the head notice what he says he says finally there's laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge will give me on that day and not to me only but those who love his appearing do you love his appearing today notice what it says the crown of righteousness the crown of righteousness will never be put upon the head of an unrighteous person the crown of righteousness will never be put on the head of an unrighteous person but redeemed by His grace transformed by His grace delivered by His grace the crown of righteousness will be placed on your head in mine daily we cooperate with Jesus daily we're growing in grace daily our lives are committed to him and Jesus says well done good and faithful servant enter into the joy of my lord a number of years ago there was a major tribal conflict in Africa one tribe had accepted the Christian faith and the other tribe had not and the tribe that had not Ward against the tribe that had it was in the bushland of Zimbabwe and there was a young man that was a Christian pastor of this tribe that had converted he was martyred for his faith brutally executed like the Apostle Paul when his few belongings were found they found this letter that he wrote and I want to read it to you here's what he writes I'm part of the Fellowship of the unashamed I have the Holy Spirit power the die has been cast I've stepped over the line the decision has been made I'm a disciple of his I won't look back let up slow down back away or be still my past is redeemed my present makes sense my future is secure I'm finished and done with low living sight walking smooth knees careless dreams tamed visions worldly talking cheap giving and dwarfed goals I no longer need preeminence prosperity position promotions pundants or popularity I don't have to be right first tops recognized praised regarded or rewarded I now live by faith lean in his presence walk by patience I'm uplifted by prayer and I labor with power my face is set my gait is fast my goal is heaven my road is narrow my way rough my companions are few my guide reliable my mission clear I cannot be bought compromised detoured lured away turn back deluded or delayed not flinch in the face of sacrifice hesitate in the presence of the enemy pander at the pool of popularity or meander in the maze of mediocrity I won't give up shut up let up until I've stayed up stored up trade up paid up preached up for the cause of Christ I'm a disciple of Jesus I must go till he comes give till I drop preach till all no and work till he stops me and when he comes for his own you have no problem recognizing me because my banner will be clear can you say with the Apostle Paul I fought a good fight I finished the race I've kept the faith finally there will be laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the faithful judge will give me and not to me only but all those that do what everybody love his appearing my prayer for you as a church is that your faith in Jesus will grow every day that your prayer life will deepen that your devotional life will become richer that your witness will become more intentional more passionate and more fearless and that you will grow in grace daily and my prayer for you is that you by the grace of Christ will finish strong can you say with me today by God's grace I want to finish strong again by God's grace I want to finish strong you

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Keywords: sda, seventh day adventist, seventh-day adventist, who are seventh-day adventist, what do seventh day adventhist believe, 7th day adventist, mark finley, hopelives365, hope lives 365, christian, christianity, Ellen White, seventh day adventist church

Id: w-UQq9QwZVk

Length: 48min 6sec (2886 seconds)

Published: Fri Jul 26 2019