THE LAST LAP
Opening Hymn Scripture Reading: 2 Tim. 4:1-8
Closing Hymn
James was excited as he turned the two hundred mark heading towards home. Two and three –quarter laps had gone and he was still in the lead. His one and only goal was to win this race and he was full of confidence that he could do it. His thoughts race ahead to the podium, the applause, the glory, and his body reveled in the great feeling which it produced. He had started the last lap with a great lead. He had no reason to worry. His legs had a rhythm to them and it was okay.
Behind him Antonio had different thoughts. He had realized that James was confident, too confident. He was sure he could pass him and he planned to make his move at the one hundred metre mark. He had reduced the distance between himself and James and he knew he had plenty of reserve left. He would win this race.
As they turn towards the home stretch James heard the crowd beginning to get excited. He was bathing in the glory but then he realized that they were cheering for someone else. He heard the footsteps and his body felt a tremor of fear. He heard the breathing and his brain sent an urgent message to his legs but his legs replied “sorry can’t do!” His nose picked up the faint smell of perspiration as Antonio took him out. His eyes released the tears which they were holding for a situation such as this. His mind reeled from the realization that the dream it had created would never be fulfilled.
Antonio passed the finish line and James followed but the crowd was still cheering and celebrating. There pandemonium in the stands. It was only then that they realized that the applause and the cheer was not for them but for those were behind who had sacrificed the idea of winning to help each other reach the finish line. During the race many had given up and walked off the track, but these few had chosen to give each other the support they needed to reach the finish line.
James and Antonio neglected to understand that it is not just to finish the race but how you finish the race is even more important.
Brothers and sisters the last lap is a serious lap. You can run the race but you must get through the last lap to finish.
The bible is replete with persons who finished the race badly:
In 2 Chronicles 24:1 -2 We are told of Joash and how he began.
¶Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name also was Zibiah of Beersheba. And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest. 2 Chronicles 24:1 - 2 Chronicles 24:2
He it was that restored the temple and eliminated fifteen years of idol worship from Jerusalem. Yet as he approached the end of the race he fell. Jehoiada his faithful guardian had passed away and he fell prey to those who gave him ill advise;
2 chron. 24: 15-22
¶But Jehoiada waxed old, and was full of days when he died; an hundred and thirty years old was he when he died. And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God, and toward his house. Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them. And they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass. Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the LORD; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear. And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you. And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD. Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The LORD look upon it, and require it. 2 Chronicles 24:15 - 22 (KJV)
As long as he had Jehoiada Joash stayed on the correct path but as soon as he passed Joash was led astray at the good old age of thirty. One would like to believe that at this age he was able to make decisions for himself but he was not. It is so important that we train our children to have confidence in themselves and to develop a relationship with God or otherwise the race they have began so admirably may very well finish in disaster.
Joash spent much energy in building a external temple. He was filled with zeal for a good cause but he neglected to build his inner temple and fortify himself against the wiles of the devil. Today we can teach our children to sing and preach and do many things for God. They receive the praise of men for all the external visible feats they are accomplishing and this is good but if at the same time they inner temple is not being fortified, the race will be lost to them.
It is during the last lap when the going becomes hard, when the side is in pain, when the legs feel numb and begs for relief that it is easy to follow the advice of those who say quit. Our children must be taught perseverance in the midst of hardship; they must be taught to go to God and seek his guidance and admonitions while we are still there to help them. They must be taught to keep far from those who would encourage them to do evil and cling to those who would have them do good.
We are told about King Asa in 1 Kings 15; 9-16
¶And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over Judah. And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom. And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father. And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron. But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa’s heart was perfect with the LORD all his days. And he brought in the things which his father had dedicated, and the things which himself had dedicated, into the house of the LORD, silver, and gold, and vessels. 1 Kings 15:9 - 16 (KJV)
King Asa began his race powerfully; He tore down pagan altars and sacred pillars, and he removed the high places. He fortified his cities and developed a shield-bearing army of three hundred thousand men. More importantly, "He commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, and to obey his law and commandments"
When the Ethiopians came up against him Asa prayed to the LORD saying, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee. 2 chron. 14:11
Asa was filled with energy for the LORD. He was sincere. He began the race well but during the race he forgot who had brought him that far. He forgot who had given him pass victories and began to believe he had done it himself. In his thirty-fifth year Baasha, the king of Israel, essentially barricaded Judah, which prevented trade-a sure sign of impending invasion. And instead of seeking the Lord’s strength, Asa took the silver and gold from the treasuries of the temple and bribed a pagan to protect him from Baasha. The same silver and gold he had brought into the temple he took and gave it away. He began relying on his own wisdom and reasoning.
Not only did he do this but on being rebuke by Hanani in 2 Chron. 16:7-10 he had the prophet put into prison. And we read
¶And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the LORD thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand. Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on the LORD, he delivered them into thine hand. For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars. Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time. 2 Chronicles 16:7 - 10 (KJV)
Even after this he became ill with a disease in his foot but did he turn to God, no, he turned to physicians.
Brothers and sisters we must not allow the victories that the LORD has given us to cause us to become proud and own way. To cause us to become so proud that we cannot listen to anyone who offers us a different way other than the way we have chosen. Many of become so pigheaded and stubborn we cannot take rebuke or correction, as far as we are concern, we can do no wrong.
But a race that has started well may very well end in disaster as this one did. Jesus told a Parable in Luke 18: 9-14
¶And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. Luke 18:9 - 14 (KJV)
The victories that God has led us through must not make us proud but humble. In these last days we must be careful of this guy call pride because he can cause us to lose sight of why we are running the race. He can cause us to want to hear the chanting of the crowd to desire the praise of men rather than the well done of our savior.
When troubles come our way we must remember the words of the song
He didn’t bring us this far to leave us
He didn’t teach us to swim to let us drown
He didn’t build His home in us to move away
He didn’t lift us up to let us down
The last lap is never easy, it is the most perilous lap in all the race. Jesus himself said in Matt. 24:12:
Because iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold. And Paul in 2 Tim. 3:1
This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
How we run the last lap is to a large extent dependent on how well we have prepared.
We must be determined,
focused and
develop a level of perseverance that we do not easily give up.
We have to fortify our minds with the word of God. His promises must come easily to our minds as we travail this last section of our journey. Promises such as
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Phil 4:13 (KJS)
So that we may boldly say, The Lord [is] my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Hebr 13:6 (KJS)
(KJS) Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. Roma 8:37
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint. {renew: Heb. change} Isai 40:31 (KJS)
¶Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. John 14:1
Roma 8:35 (KJS) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And we can go on. For every situation God has provided a word of consolation but we need to have in our head for our time of need.
Belshazzar did not know how to run the race. He knew what was expected of him but he chose to ignore it. Many people come to church refuse to obey the instruction given to them. They return each time, in the same state. They change not. Daniel had a few words which are pertinent for us today who are living in the last days: Dan. 5: 22-23
Daniel 5:22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; 23 But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified.
We who know the Word of God should not ignore it and live as we please. We must not fly in the face of God but humble ourselves. We must recognize that it is he who has our breath in his hands and he can close his hands at any time. Which lap of the race are you in. Be careful that the writing on the wall does not catch you unprepared.
Daniel was shown that After Babylon, Persia would succeed as a world power then Greece followed by Rome. In 539 BC-Persia overtook Babylon. 331BC Alexander the Great of Greece defeated Persia and seized Babylon and in 300 BC Rome fourth became the world power. We are now waiting for the Rock to strike the earth. Are you ready? You may believe you have many laps to run but I must tell you that this world is in its last lap.
With TRIALS, we grow stronger in faith.
With FAITH, we move closer to God.
With GOD, we can do all things.
Keep the FAITH!
