Download this sermon (right click and save)

Finish the Race
(2Ti4:5-8)

God has a will.
His will does not change (He6:17-18) and
What He speaks He does (Nu23:19).

Faith is believing Him and fearing Him, and
The life of this faith is completing the task one has been given.

The characteristic of those who are successful in the world are that
In the face of adversity they are consistent with their words and actions,
While the common traits of those who do not do well in anything are that
They make excuses and complaints, and do not finish what they had set out to do initially
(“Dragon’s head, serpent’s tail”).

Nevertheless, there is no error in the Bible for it contains the infallible word of God.
During the creation, by His word, God created all things (Ge1):
“God said” and “there was” and “God saw that it was good.”

In spite of the fact that God said to Adam, “Do not eat…you will surely die” (Ge2:17),
Deceived by the devil who said, “you will not surely die,” Adam sinned (Ge3:4-6).
Thus, the living being died and the last Adam died fulfilling God’s word (Eph2:1; 1Co15:15).
The dispensation of the offspring of the woman coming and crushing the devil began (Ge3:15).

Noah and his family did everything as God commanded about building the ark (Ge6:13-22).
So they were saved from the judgement by the deluge that wiped out everything that breathes.
But Lot’s wife, though followed the angel’s warning and left Sodom to escape its destruction,
Ultimately disobeyed God’s word and looked back, turning into a pillar of salt (Ge19:1, 13-17, 26).

By doing everything God commanded him of
Giving his “only son” as a “burnt offering” “on a mountain [God] will show” him,
Abraham received the covenant of blessing regarding a seed (Ge22:2, 16-18).

The exodus of Israel the event that was fulfilled for
Moses did everything that God had commanded (Ex3:10, 4:12).

To remind this for generations God instructed them to build the sanctuary and
Moses did it just as God commanded and wrote it down accordingly (Ex25:9, 40:17-35).
Israel’s conquer of Jericho (Jos6:2-20) was
The result of following God’s command of putting the ark ahead of them to the end.

However, they were cursed repeatedly for
They neglected and disobeyed the LORD’s commands, decrees and laws (Neh1:3-7).

Yeshua appeared and said, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days,”
Because through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body (Jn2:19-21)
He would speak and do, not the words delivered through angel in Jehovah’s name (He2:2),
But the Father’s words spoken by the Son in Yeshua’s name (Jn5:43) for
He is the Word who was in the Father’s bosom before the creation who became flesh (Jn1:1, 14),
To do the will of the Father who sent Him (Jn6:38, 12:49, 14:24).
Before He died, He said, “I am thirsty” and “It is finished” (Jn19:28-30), for
Every part of the Scripture to be fulfilled through Him had to be applied (Jn5:39):
1) The will that was in the Father’s bosom in the beginning was fulfilled in His body and He became the righteousness (Ge2:17; Mt26:42; Jn10:18);
2) Condemned the devil who denied the word of God (Ge:3:4; 1Jn3:8); and
3) Redeemed the sins of men who sinned because of the weakness of flesh and shed His
blood giving them a second chance (Mt20:28; Eph1:7).

He resurrected and ascended to heaven as the righteous Judge (2Ti4:8) and
The Holy Spirit who came in the name Yeshua
Reminds believers the words of Christ (Mt28:19; Jn14:26; Ac1:8).

To receive eternal life, the Christian takes up his cross and follows Yeshua and
He has prepared in advance for the cost (Lk14:25-35).
Therefore, he cuts off any lust for the world (1Jn2:5-17),
Does the work of an evangelist, discharges all duties of the ministry edifying the church (1Ti4:5-7).
Beating his body to make it his slave (1Co9:24-27)
To not be abandoned like those who stopped along the way,
He presses on to fight the good fight, finish the race and keep the faith
Until receiving the promised crown of righteousness when the righteous Judge returns.

O Lord,
Because of what we see with our eyes, because of what we feel with our flesh
We have failed and fallen countless times this past year…
Cover our past days with the blood of Yeshua and
Let the Holy Spirit guide us like blind runners so we may finish the race…
Til we can finally see Your face! Amen.