THE GREAT RACE OF FAITH
Please open your Bible to Hebrews 12 and 2 Timothy 4:7 as we begin a new series of sermons regarding your journey through life. All of us are on a journey called the great race of life.
What you do on this journey, and how well you run your race will greatly impact your final standing in eternity. My goal is to give you the knowledge and the tools of how you not only can run a great race for eternity, but to also have a strong, powerful finish in fulfilling your God given purpose.
I pray that what you hear in this series will inspire you with godly wisdom and heavenly direction to complete your journey through life and finish the race.
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith… NKJV
2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. NKJV
STARTING A JOURNEY
Paul said… I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith… That should be the goal of every believer, to run and finish the great race of faith.
There is an old saying that says, “The journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step.”
To start your journey and to finish the race, begin with a first step. Every journey, and every race has a beginning and an end, and what you do between those two points has the potential to greatly impact eternity.
God considers the value of your race to be so great that it can only be measured by eternity. The eternal value of your life is so great that God promises those who finish the great race of faith will receive great rewards.
Your journey is a lifetime journey, because it will take a lifetime to complete. Where you end up, and what you accomplish in this journey of life, is entirely up to you. Your life can either be a huge eternal success, or a big, terrible mess. Its entirely up to you…
In your race through life, you will be tested with trials and tribulations; there will be mountains to climb, storms to overcome, mighty rivers to cross and fierce battles to fight; but those who stay in the race… those finish the race and fight the good fight of faith, and fulfill their God given purpose will receive the great treasures of heaven.
THE JOURNEY TOWARD YOUR DESTINATION
Every race, and every journey begins with a first step. The most important step you will take on your journey toward eternity is to make sure your first step in the right direction. It is absolutely vital that your first move is in the right direction. What good is it, if you walk all day toward a destination, but it’s in the wrong direction? It’s vital that your first step is in the right direction. To help you with this, I want to give you four steps that will keep you on course in the right direction, so that you can run your race and have a strong finish.
First, just as the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step; even so, the journey that leads to eternity begins with a single decision. God’s design for your life, is an eternal plan, that begins with an eternal decision.
Now, there are two decisions in taking your first step that will determine the whole outcome of your
journey through life. The first decision will determine when your journey will begin, and the second decision will determine the success of your journey. The ultimate success of your journey through life to run this great race completely rest on these two decisions.
SAVIOR
First, your eternal journey does not begin the moment you are born, but the moment you are born again in Jesus Christ as your eternal Savior. Your lifetime journey for eternity cannot begin until you make that life changing decision.
There will be many decisions you will be called upon to make during your lifetime, but no decision can match the importance of believing in Jesus Christ. This is the first and most important decision of your entire life. Your decision regarding Jesus Christ will determine the outcome of your eternal destiny. Your race for eternity begins and ends with Jesus Christ because you cannot run the race of faith without Jesus Christ. That’s why this decision is the first step.
LORD
The second part of your first step that will make your journey a success, is your decision to make Jesus Christ the absolute Lord of your life. If you fail to make this decision as the foundation of your life, you will constantly struggle as a Christian. Keeping the faith and finishing the race can only be done by making Jesus Christ the Lord of your life. Many Christians are willing to claim Jesus as their savior, but they refuse to serve Him as their Lord. You cannot finish the race of faith without Jesus Christ as your Lord.
So, the first step that moves you in the right direction is to believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior, and to obey Him as your Lord.
THE IMPACT OF YOUR ETERNAL JOURNEY
The second step is that you must recognize that this great race you are running has the potential to impact lives for eternity. The Bible is filled with numerous stories of those who had a powerful impact on the world and eternity because they believed God and obeyed God in their great race of faith.
Abraham obeyed God and journeyed to a land that God showed Him. By obeying God’s purpose, He became the Father of many nations.
Joseph began his journey in a pit and became one of the most powerful men in the world. His journey of faith and forgiveness spared the world and his people, Israel.
Elijah took an exhausting journey through the wilderness and God sent the ravens to feed him. (I Kings 19:7) If you have ever been lonely and depressed, then you know what a journey through the wilderness can be like. Elijah’s obedience brought forth a great national revival that for a time turned Israel’s heart back to God.
Jesus journey began in a stable in Bethlehem, and His obedience to God carried Him to a rugged cross, that brought salvation to all who believe in His name. But… His race is not yet finished, for He will return from heaven as the King of all kings and the Lord of all lords.
Paul’s great race begin on a desert road to Damascus and ended in a prison cell in Rome. He wrote most of the New Testament that has touched the heart of countless generations.
In His great race, Paul said, I have finished the race, and I have kept the faith.
These are just a few, of the many whose lives greatly impacted eternity, because they chose to believe God and obey Him. That same potential of faith is in you right now. If you believe in Jesus Christ, and you obey Him as your Lord, you have the same potential to impact the world for eternity.
However, and this is really important… No matter how you live your life, whether it is good or bad, you will have an impact on those around you. You will either impact them on the narrow road that leads to eternity and the glory of God, or you lead them on the broad road of sin that leads to death and hell.
It is vital that you understand that the great race you are running will impact lives for eternity.
Perhaps you think your life is too insignificant to have an impact for God’s kingdom. But you really don’t know that. The decision you make today may be the very decision that starts a chain reaction in the lives of many people. Your race for the kingdom of God could have far reaching implications that could stretch far into eternity.
A very poor Scottish farmer by the name of Fleming was working in his field when he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. When he reached the bog, he discovered a terrified boy had fallen into the bog and was sinking fast into the black mire. By the time he reached the boy the mire had already reached up to his armpits. Risking his life, the farmer was able to save the young boy from what would have been a slow and terrible death.
The next day a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman small home. An eloquently dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy who had been stuck in the mire. He said, “I want to repay you from saving my son’s life.”
As a believer in Christ, the farmer refused payment, and said it was God who put him at the right place at the right time. At that moment, the farmer’s son came to the door and stood beside his father. The nobleman asked, “Is this your son?” The farmer said, “Yes!”
The nobleman said, “I’ll make you a deal. Let me provide your son with the same level of education that my own son will receive. If the lad is anything like his father, he’ll no doubt make us both proud. The nobleman paid for Farmer’s son to attend the very best schools in England and in time he graduated from Saint Mary’s Medical School. He became known throughout the world as Sir Alexander Fleming, the man who discovered penicillin.
Years later the same nobleman’s son was again close to death with pneumonia, and again, his
life was spared because of the new discovery of penicillin. Twice, his life was saved by the Fleming family. This nobleman’s son whose life was saved was Sir Winston Churchill, the man who led England against Hitler and Germany in WWII. The impact of Winston Churchill life on the world began when this humble farmer chose faith by giving God the glory. The point is, had he accepted the payment of money, his son would have never attended school, and it might have been many years later before penicillin was discovered. You can never know the full impact your life can have on the world and eternity. That’s why your race is a race of faith.
THE WILL OF GOD
The third key to the first steps of your journey is the will of God. The success of your race is directly related to your walk with God, and you can only walk with God by knowing and doing His will. I cannot stress enough the importance of knowing and doing the will of God.
1 John 2:17 the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. NKJV
The will of God is so important that Jesus said, “I have come to do the will of My Father in heaven.”
Jesus also said… Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. NKJV
Knowing and doing the will of God is vital in your great race of faith.
Knowing and doing the will of God is the gateway to great eternal rewards.
You ask… how can I know the will of God?
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; But fear the Lord and depart from evil. NKJV
If you will apply those 3 verses to every area of your life, you will accomplish the will of God that will guide you in the race of faith.
Would you like to have great eternal success? Would you like to reap rewards that are exceedingly abundantly greater than all that we could ask or think? Do you wish to hear Jesus say, “Well done, good servant?”
If so, then the will of God must be one of the first steps you take in the great race of faith.
THE KING AND HIS KINGDOM
The fourth step in your race of faith is that you live totally for the King and His kingdom.
Jesus said… Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness… NIV
Your success in eternity is not measured by the riches you have accumulated, or by your fame, or by your earthly knowledge and wisdom, or even by what great deeds you have done. The greatness of your life is measured by how much you live for the kingdom of God.
Jesus said… seek first the kingdom of God… You do that by running your race lasered focused on Jesus and His Kingdom.
It’s not about you… It’s not about me…
It is, and always has been, about Jesus Christ and His kingdom. His kingdom is an eternal kingdom that will endure forever. If you are not seeking the King and His kingdom, then you are on the wrong road, and in the wrong race.
If you truly desire to have eternal success that pleases God and greatly impacts eternity, then you must pursue the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. To do that, you must run your race with the goal of finishing and winning the race. That’s why Paul said…
1 Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. NKJV
It is God’s desire that you run your race with such power and faith that you will not only finish the race, but you also win the crown…
IN CLOSING… RUN YOUR RACE
In closing, I personally believe time is fast running out, and right now is the time to wake up, and run your race of faith with all of our heart, and with all of your strength.
And it all begins with taking these first four steps… and moving in the right direction…
First, know Jesus as your Savior and serve Him as your Lord
Second, recognize the potential of your race to impact eternity
Third, know and do the will of God
Fourth, give your all to the King and His kingdom
This is the day God has given you to run your race, and to finish it in such a way that you will win the crown…
