May is the month of college graduations. All across this country young men and women have completed their college educations and now have the opportunity to walk across the stage and receive their diploma.
On every college campus, there are some young men and women who are walking across the stage and receiving their diploma that just barely made the grade to graduate. And then there are some young men and women who excelled academically. What we can say about the first group is that they finished; and what we can say about the second group is that they finished well.
Today in our sermon series, we come to the last phrase that Jesus uttered from the cross. It comes from john 19:30 and it just three little words: “it is finished.” And notice Jesus does not comment how he finished, we must decide in our own hearts, how Jesus finished. Did he just finish, or did he finish well? How you answer that question may make the difference between heaven and hell in your life. The writers of scripture want to help guide you to the right answer and so they tell you that Jesus finished well. In fact, let’s read our scripture for today, right now. It comes from Hebrews 12:2.
HEBREWS 12:2 (NIV)
2 let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of god.
I believe the writer of Hebrews is telling us that Jesus did not just finish; he finished well. He is not just the author of our faith but the one who made it perfect. I would say that is finishing well. He did not go to the cross kicking and screaming fighting death but went willingly for the joy set before him. I would say that is finish well. He completed everything that needed to be done and is now sitting at the right hand of the father. To be sitting means that he finished well.
Let me just tell you some other reasons, I believe that Jesus finished well. When Jesus breathed his last breath, every old testament scripture that talked about him was fulfilled. When he finished, there was no need for any more sacrifices of lambs and goats because the perfect sacrifice was offered. When he finished, there was no longer a need for the Levitical priesthood because he became our high priest. When he finished, the devil became a defeated foe. When he finished, our redemption was made complete. When Jesus breathed his last breath, there was not one more thing left to finish; his work on earth was done. Have no doubt in your mind, Jesus finished well.
And do you know that we are called not just to finish the Christian life but to finish the Christian life well.
Colossians 3:23 (niv)
23 whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the lord, not for men,
So, the question that we must ask ourselves, what will it take for us to finish well?
Background information
To answer that question, I want us to go back to the old testament to the Israelites as they traveled through the wilderness to the promised land. I think it is fair to say that for the most part, the Israelites who started the journey from Egypt did not finish the journey well. In fact, only two of that original group were able to enter the promise land, Joshua and Caleb. And about those two, it is fair to say that they finished well.
I just want to take one of them, Caleb and see what it took in his life in order to finish well.
Four verses tells us all we need to know:
Numbers 14:21-24 (niv)
21 nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the LORD fills the whole earth,
22 not one of the men who saw my glory and the miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the desert but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times--
23 not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it.
24 but because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.
Point #1
The person that finishes well refused to compromise his or her convictions because it is the minority viewpoint.
But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit
Twelve men went into the promise land. Twelve men who were supposedly men of faith and who trusted in god went into that land to spy out the land. But they let some giants in the land prevent them from proclaiming to their fellow Israelites that the land was just as god had promised…a land flowing with milk and honey.
As each spy gave their report, the pressure was mounting on Joshua and Caleb to fall in line with the report of the majority. But god said that they had a different spirit. Even though they were the minority they refused to compromise their convictions. Joshua and Caleb knew what was right and they were not going to let the majority opinion change their mind.
We are tested this way all the time. Let me give you a couple of modern-day examples.
You are out with a bunch of Christians and they decide let’s go to the movies. You get there and you discover that the theatre is only showing movies rated “r” this weekend. The majority says that we are already here so let’s pick one and go watch it. It would be hard for you to say I will wait out here in the lobby for you, I don’t watch “r” rated movies.
You are a young person and you are going home with your friends after a ball game. As you all are driving, someone in the car spots a friend who will buy you all beer since they are the legal age. And so, everyone says chip in $5.00 and we can get the beer and go drink down by the river before we go home. It is going to be hard to say “no”, but you know in your heart it is wrong.
The bosses in your office where you work come to you and ask you to do something that is against the corp. Policy of your company. They say we really need you to do this for us so that corp. Does not find out what we did wrong. You can help us by making a few changes on this monthly report before you submit it up to corp. It is going to be hard to go against your local bosses, but you know the right thing to do is to submit the report without any doctoring to it.
If we are to finish well, we cannot compromise our convictions just because we are in the minority. We must stand strong on what we believe if we are to finish well.
Point #2
The person who finishes well takes god at his word no matter if circumstances seem to be painting a different picture.
And follows me wholeheartedly
God had promised that he would give the promised land to the Israelites. Caleb took god at his word. But really the circumstances were saying something completely different. There were giants in the land and the Israelites did indeed look like grasshoppers in their sight. Circumstances said that there was no way they could defeat the giants. So, what do you do? Do you take god at his word or do you consider the circumstances and do something else?
Do you believe that god says that he hates divorce, or do you look at the circumstances that your spouse has checked out of your marriage and say it cannot be fixed?
Do you believe god when he says train up a child in the way that he should go and when he grows older, he will not depart from the faith or you look at your child’s behavior and say there is no hope for him or her?
Do you believe that god turns all things to good of those who love him, or do you see no way the situation that I am in can work out to my good?
There is god’s word and there are circumstances. Sometimes they seem to be going in opposite directions. What am I to believe: god’s word or the circumstances? Those who finish well believe god’s word.
Point #3
The person who finishes well runs the race until you cross the finish line.
I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.
Those who finish well never lose sight of the finish line. The finish line for Caleb was actually walking on the land that god had promised him.
The apostle Paul talked about fighting the good fight, finishing the race when he refers to his upcoming death.
But sadly, so many start strong but finished partly. Last week, I talked about Demas who started strong, but the bible says fell in love with the things of the world.
On most church roll books there are two numbers that are generally miles apart. One is the total membership of the church. And the other is the active membership of the church. On our 2017 annual report we show a total membership of 210 but we have an active membership of about 110 people. So where did the other 100 people go? Let me suggest that that a great amount are not finishing well.
Conclusion:
How do you plan to finish? If Jesus tarries, we all are going to finish this race we call life, but the question is: “are you going to finish well?’
