The Finish Line

One of my favorite sports is track and field. I love the competition, I love the fact that at any time you can do your personal best, or improve with every race. One of the great things about track is the fact that when I was in college my coach would make the runners train for races they would never run. For instance, if you were a 100 meter sprinter you would run 200 meters in practice, if you were a 200 meter runner you would run 400’s in practice. If you a mile runner you would run two to three miles. Coach would do this to build up your strength so that the race you ran in the track meet was not a physical challenge because of what you had prepared and trained for.

One of the most consistent things about the sport of track and field is the finish line. No matter how long or how short the race is, there is a finish line. In effort for your time to count and to get a reward at the end of the race one must cross the finish line. No matter how slow you run, how bad your start is, it is up to you to get through the finish line. It is the little things that make the most difference in a race. In a relay how well did you time the hand off, in a solo race, did you stay in your lane?

And even though the little things matter just as much as how fast you can run, it’s about pace and most importantly it is about running through the finish line.

The book of Timothy is a letter of encouragement and instruction from mentor to mentee. In this specific text Paul charges Timothy with words of encouragement, “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching”. He gives Timothy the why, and beginning in verse six he explains ever so valiantly why this torch is being passed in such manner.

“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.”

“Poured out as a drink offering” - The figurative language essentially means that one’s blood is being poured out in a violent death for the cause of God.

We know that persecution was something that disciples of Jesus Christ went through. They weren’t the most population people as it pertains to public opinion.

This is a saying that spoke to the devotion to Christ. Nonetheless this suggests by its grammatical tense that this pouring out is currently happening right now or at least it’s certain that Paul is going to die at the expense of following Christ regardless of the persecution or violence on his life.

Departure or die, essentially this is Paul telling Timothy that his work is done, he’s departing or breaking up with the physical part of life.

One thing that is for certain is that death creates urgency. I’m not saying there was not a sense of urgency before but Paul is preparing Timothy for a life without the guidance of his mentor.

As we approach verse 7, we see three things that Paul has done.

Fought

Finished

Kept

He’s fought or struggled in effort to fight the good fight. He’s engaged with nonbelievers, encouraged believers in effort to fight Paul knew there needed to be some engagement. Sometimes the race we are running requires that we have some fight in us.

It is interesting that Paul refers to it as a good fight. Paul fought a good fight. What are you fighting for this morning, rather than what are you fighting against.

We have to fight for our families not with our family.

We have to fight for the church not against the church.

We have to fight for the community, those who cannot fight for themselves not oppress those we deem weak and less than.

Coining this fight as good, lets us know that there is a high level of purpose or attractiveness in its outward appearance. The fight is free from defects, high standards or expectations of appearance or quality.

24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Winners stand firm regardless of the adversity or tragedy. Rejoice begins with outlook. When I perceive something to be of benefit I maintain a positive outlook.

Then Paul transitions, not only has he fought the good fight he has finished his race or his course.

The crown is given once the race is complete. Once the race is finished, now it’s time to reflect and adjust properly to defend your title or prepare to run again in effort to ensure the work does not stop. I have finished the race, it is complete and I have carried out my task!

I remember another man finished his course, and finishing his race changed the world.

30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.

Jesus finished his task, he became the sacrifice for the world to see. One thing we have to remember as Christians is just like Jesus we have to finish strong, our finish line might not be nails in our hands, but we still have to finish. Our finish line might not include a crown of thorns but we still have to finish. Because the only way we receive that crown of righteousness is if we finish.

The only way to get that crown is if we keep the faith. Understand that faith or pistis is a range subjective confidence to an objective basis for that confidence.

It’s my substance of the things I hope for in effort to stand tall in the midst of not always seeing with my physical eye what I need to see to ensure that God is truly there. Keeping the faith means walking by faith but not refraining from obeying God no matter what.

Hopefulness that is sustained by a foundational truth. I this instance when Paul says keep the faith he is saying he is remaining hopeful. He is saying I’ve kept my commitment to God.

7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

Faith is an assurance, it is a guarantee. It’s the guarantee that the Gospel of Jesus saves. It’s a guarantee that there is a blessing in obedience. It’s a guarantee that forgiveness, grace and mercy is available to all of mankind.

So in effort to receive the crown it’s only given when the race is complete. Understand you can complete the race and still get disqualified. “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.

In track you might have different distances to run but the finish line stays the same. In order to get the crown I have to keep running until I hit the finish line.

The 100 is a sprint, the 200 and the 400 is a sprint, but some of us run marathons some of us run long distance. Regardless of the race the finish line stays the same.

Crown of righteousness

For everyone who finishes with keeping the faith. We all have a finish line. The reward is either a crown or condemnation.

In keeping the faith, I have to remain faithful until death. 10 Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

We have to rely on the gospel to be the change agent, the life saver and the guide in our life. That is the faith, the substance of our hopefulness. The only way I can reach the finish line is if I run according to the way God has instructed. Regardless of the distance, there is one way to run and that is with Jesus.

Run with Jesus!

The New King James Version. (1982). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

The New King James Version. (1982). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

The New King James Version. (1982). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

The New King James Version. (1982). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

The New King James Version. (1982). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

The New King James Version. (1982). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

The New King James Version. (1982). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.