Introduction - Running toward Unseen Goal
United States runner Marla Runyon has been legally blind for 22 years. Even so, she competed in the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. In fact she qualified for the finals in the 1500 meter race. (Marla finished eighth, three seconds behind the medal winners.)
How does she do it? Marla can’t see in color, and what she does see is just a fuzzy blob. In a race she just follows the blob of figures in front of her. She told TV commentator Tom Hammonds that the real difficulty was in rounding the final turn and "racing toward a finish line that I can’t see. I just know where it is."
Harry Hebert, Lawrenceburg, Kentucky; Bruce Bates, Cumberland, Rhode Island; from NBC TV
As we race toward the finish line of life, we only need to know where the finish line is. Life can be fuzzy and out of focus but God’s Word encourages us as we run His race! Paul will finish his race a winner. It was clear for him. Is it for us?
Paul encourages us to...
PREACH THE WORD! (1-2)
The word preach is the Greek word ’kerrusso’. It illustrates to us the importance and source of the proclamation. It is not our word but His Word! We are given 4 ideas how to fulfill this exhortation.
Our commitment is to the glory of God! 1a
Notice that Paul tells us it is in God’s Presence that we preach the Word. It requires commitment from us regardless of the cost or response.
Our accountability is to His appearing and kingdom 1b
This accountability is for believers who will stand before Christ as the "living" in His epiphany or appearance. The "dead" are the unbelievers who will stand before Him at the Kingdom judgement. As His heralds we have a mission to accomplish. We are accountable.
Our urgency is to preach and be ready 2a
To be ready means to stay at one’s post, task, or duty. This military term gives the idea that we are to do it when it is convenient or inconvenient. We are to obey our Commander-in-General until we are relieved of duty!
Our encounters will deal with people. 2b
We are to Reprove them. That simply means we are patiently convince them of their sins. (ie. Non-believers)
We are to Rebuke them. This idea delivers either censure or sharp reprimand for their disobedience. (ie. Believers)
And then we are to Encourage them. This means to urge or call alongside in encouragement. And we do this ALL
with patient endurance & sound teaching
Ill – A Reminder of what’s really important
It was a 99-degree September day in San Antonio, when a 10 month-old baby girl was accidentally locked inside a parked car by her aunt. Frantically the mother and aunt ran around the auto in near hysteria, while a neighbor attempted to unlock the car with a clothes hanger. Soon the infant was turning purple and had foam on her mouth.
It had become a life-or-death situation when Fred Arriola, a wrecker driver, arrived on the scene. He grabbed a hammer and smashed the back window of the car to set her free. Was he heralded a hero? He said, "The lady was mad at me because I broke the window. I just thought, What’s more important--the baby or the window?" Sometimes priorities get out of order, and a Fred Arriola reminds us what’s important.
Ray Tiemann, Fredericksburg, Texas. Leadership, Vol. 11, no. 3.
Many times we need a reminder of our priorities as ministers and lay members. Preachers, Bible study teachers, workers, and Christians need to know their calling and never forget the important stuff.
Secondly, Paul encourages us to...
PENETRATE THE CULTURE! (3-4)
There is a Cultural Doctrine 3a
We face real issues regarding world-view, abortion, and sexual issues in today’s society. The world delivers a message through it’s system. As believers we must teach a biblical world-view.
There is a Cultural Deterioration 3b
Scripture indicates that self-determination and selfishness will deteriorate the fabric of society.
Ill - Deterioration of Society
In 1947, sociologist and historian Dr. Carle Zimmerman studied the deterioration and ultimate disintegration of various cultures. He found that in each society the disintegration of the culture was preceded by the disintegration of the family. He discovered 11 common elements that were always present. Here are five of those eleven common elements:
1) An increase in rapid easy cause less "faultless" divorce.
2) Fewer children, and less respect for parents and parenthood.
3) A break down of most inhibitions against adultery.
4) The rapid rise and spread of juvenile delinquency.
5) Common acceptance of all forms of sexual perversion.
(Carle Zimmerman, Family and Civilization, (New York: Harper and Brothers) 1947. pp 776-77) Contributed by: Tim Richards
And then there is the Cultural Direction 4
Here we see that Paul writes about a decisive turn from the godly and to the unrighteous acts of self.
What must we do? Engage the culture…discern the times!
There is the Save Mother Earth movement through the Global Warming crisis. Scripture states that all is in God’s hand. For the believer we have One that we can trust and the global earth false prophets will fail in the end.
Ill – Politically Correct Language
Here are a few selections from a list of banned words and stereotypes compiled by a historian, from bias guidelines issued by major educational publishers and state agencies. The guidelines are used by writers, editors, and illustrators when preparing textbooks and tests for K-12 students.
Adam and Eve (replace with "Eve and Adam," to demonstrate that males do not take priority over females)
Blind leading the blind, the (banned as handicap-ism)
Devil (banned)
Dogma (banned as ethnocentric; replace with "doctrine" or "belief")
God (banned)
Hell (banned; replace with "heck" or "darn")
Lame (banned as offensive; replace with "walks with a cane")
Pagan (banned as ethnocentric when referring to religion; replace with "nonbeliever")
Satan (banned)
We must make a difference! Christians must take hold of the opportunities that still await. Jesus stated "the fields are already white for harvest." John 4:35b The word white means ’fixin’ to spoil. It is time to act before it is too late.
Finally we hear Paul say...
PREPARE YOUR HEART! (5)
All 4 of these are imperatives or commands. How do we do it?
We do it through proper Vigilance.
This word is defined as being sober or awake. We are to keep doing it!
Ill – When our kids were teens, I remember waiting in our family room for them to come home. They were expected home by a set curfew. Ah, we also need to be waiting vigilantly for Jesus to return by living expectantly!
We also are to do it through emotional Hardships
Paul knows we face an uncertain evil. It is difficult for us emotionally but we are to always be aware of God’s Presence in trials and troubles.
Ill – The TDY’s and Deployment of our military family members are difficult. Emotions are expressed and hardships are endured. My oldest son and his wife are going through such a time as this.
We also prepare our hearts through personal evangelism Soul winning enlarges God’s Kingdom. The church is here to do Kingdom work.
Finally, we are to do it through gritty determination
We are on a journey called life. Let’s Finish the Journey well! It is not how you started but how you finish in Christ that counts!
Ill –True Winners
Bill Broadhurst was running in the Omaha, Nebraska, Pepsi 10k, a race of 6.2 miles. Broadhurst, who is a Christian, is slowed by a brain aneurysm he suffered as a young man, leaving him partially paralyzed on the left side. He wanted to finish the 10k despite this obstacle. He was determined to run because Bill Rogers, his hero, was in the race that day.
Rogers is a great runner and ran the race in 29 minutes and 37 seconds. The other runners finished in 30 to 50 minutes. The joggers crossed the line in 60 or 70 minutes. It would take Bill Broadhurst much longer. As he ran, some kids didn’t understand he was competing and said, "Hey mister, you missed a good race."
As he ran, his left side got so numb he wanted to quit. He wanted to drop out. After two hours, the cars were back in the streets, it was getting dark on Saturday afternoon, and running through intersections became difficult. One policeman stopped cars to let him across; a nice lady handed him some water. At two hours and twenty minutes he said the pain was so bad and so throbbing, "I didn’t want to make it; I didn’t want to go on."
Then he saw the end. They had already taken the banner down. Broadhurst ran down the street on the sidewalk, saw the banner had gone, and his heart sank because everybody had left. He thought, What’s the use? But he decided to finish. When he got to the end, out of the alleyway stepped Bill Rogers and a gang of people. They were waiting for him. Rogers opened his arms, welcomed Broadhurst across the finish line, and hugged him.
After Broadhurst willed his partially paralyzed body the last few steps to the end of the race, Rogers took the gold medal from around his own neck, and put it around the neck of the last runner to cross the line.
Rogers said, "Broadhurst, you’re the winner; take the gold."
Knute Larson, Akron Ohio, from the workshop "Faithful Endurance," Preaching Today Audio #49
So let’s...
Get serious, get tough, start sharing, and finish up!
