On The Run
2 Timothy 4:7
”I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;”
“PRAY”
1. Runners
"Achievers are not only persistent, they are also hard workers who believe in themselves." - Timothy L. Griffith
-Confident in the calling of God on their lives
Your senior pastor
Missionaries
Those in leadership in whom you place your confidence for spiritual guidance
Hebrews 12:1,2
“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (2) fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Why should we run
-God has called us to Him—do we respond slowly
-Dad “catch another gear”
-God will bless us more the harder we try to live for Him
Psalms 119:32
”I shall run the way of your commandments, for you will enlarge my heart.”
My two officers up for promotion
One lazy—didn’t get the promotion
-caught him sleeping
-always looking for an excuse to get out of the job at hand—2 ½ mile run every 2 hr
-actually got fired—fought me for it
One did everything possible—she got the promotion
2. Walkers
-no hurry
-Christian but making no extra move like we are supposed to
-Illustration of a fire
have to keep putting on fuel to make it grow
if not it will die
-Joke* If you start on North Carolina coast and go 10mph down I40 towards California
1 you would be an idiot
2 by the time you get there CA will probably have fallen from the country if you make it that far
3 you would never make it without stopping for gasoline
Wilma Rudolph was the twentieth of twenty-two children. She was born prematurely and doctors didn’t expect her to survive. She did, but at age four she contracted double pneumonia and scarlet fever, which left her left leg paralyzed. At age nine, she removed the metal leg brace she had depended on for the past five years and began walking without it. By thirteen, she had developed a rhythmic walk, which doctors said was a miracle. That same year, she decided she wanted to begin running. She entered her first race and came in last. For the next three years, she came in dead last in every race she entered. But she kept on running until the day came that she won a race. Eventually, the little girl who was not supposed to live and then who was not supposed to be able to walk would win three Olympic gold medals.
-never would have won if she had just been satisfied walking
-or given up
3. Crawlers
we have all been here
-can’t win for loosing
-probably just came through a troubled time in life
-as brother testified a few weeks ago this person is in the valley trying to reach the mountain top
There is hope for you
Famous Sermon on the mount
Matt 5:3-12
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted
Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God
Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven
Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of (Christ)
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Message so simple yet so true—time in the valley will yield to you time on the mountain
-to enjoy highs you must take a few lows
*story about graduate who finally walked to his diploma
4. Those being carried
Isaiah 40:28-29,31
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable. (29)He gives strength to the weary, and to him who lacks might He increases power (31)Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary”
One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the LORD. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonging to him, and the other to the LORD.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.
This really bothered him and he questioned the LORD about it: "LORD, you said that once I decided to follow you, you’d walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why when I needed you most you would leave me."
The LORD replied: "My son, my precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you”
Deuteronomy 31:8
“The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
As far as I’m concerned it doesn’t matter if you are running-walking-crawling-being carried for a way, that is between you and God. What I am concerned about is are you racing, and if you’re racing, are you going in the right direction
5. Going the wrong direction
It is better to be carried than this one
Try to get to Heaven different ways
-what makes happiness
-being good
-popular vote
HOGWASH
John 14:6
”Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me.’”
6. Don’t even know there is a race
Jon Lambert(missionary to Ecuador) * sitting on Comte church looking out
-vast area no one knew Christ
People next door
-think Jesus is just another Mickey Mouse character(characters live as long
as the comic book)
-don’t even know what Jesus is
Mark 16:15
“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”
7. What are we running from?
We know all people who are not saved are bound for eternity in Hell
8. What are we running to?
-The love of the Father
-Life everlasting in Heaven
Conclusion
We are responsible for those under us
Runner
Walker
Crawler
Carried
We are all responsible for those going the wrong way and the ones who don’t know there is a race
