Finishing Strong

Grace Church VA

Minister Daryl Varr

October 2, 2019

Grace Church VA

Minister Daryl Varr

October 2, 2019

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Warren Buffett said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.” Have you ever noticed in life that a good start isn’t always enough? Now there is nothing wrong with a good start mind you, but it is often not enough to get us to the finish line, or to the winners circle.

Before we can talk about finishing strong, I want to first take a look at somethings that stop us from finishing strong.

There are many reasons that can prevent us from finishing strong, but I there is now that is more prevailing then distraction.

At the root of everything that stops us from finishing strong is “distraction”

“By prevailing over all obstacles and distractions, one may unfailingly arrive at his chosen goal or destination.”

~ Christopher Columbus

For most of us, our greatest adversary in life is not the obstacles, rather it is those distractions that we are addicted to.

~ Dis – attraction~ meaning to be attracted to the wrong things

- Distraction prevents us from giving full attention to the things that mater in life.

In fact, the fall of man was brought about by distraction. –

I have never met a successful person that gets to where they are by being distracted, the opposite is true, every successful person I have ever met, had one thing in common, “a Single focus” or what some referrers to as stick-to-it-tiveness

Meaning these are people that have a single focus in life, they are committed to sticking to their purpose in life.

11 But

It is very easy to read over this one simple word “BUT” – this simple word can change your

Destiny.

Up to this time, King Solomon was a very successful leader and a man of God, his body of work and his wisdom was unmatchable, then came the BUT)

Like Solomon, we all have a BUT and that BUT can either change the trajectory of your for good or for bad

11 But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites

—2 from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love.

As great as Solomon was, not even his extraordinary gift of wisdom not sufficient to preserve him from falling into grievous and fatal errors of distraction

3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. 4 For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David.

1. Our distractions will always win our affection

2. Our distractions soon become our attracts

3. Our distractions will prevent us from finishing strong

New King James Version (NKJV)

12 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, (cloud was a common way in Greek literature of metaphorically referring to a group of people) let us lay aside every weight, and the sin (I want to draw your attention to the distinctive placed here by the author,

Weights are the distractions that prevents us from finishing strong, while they are not sin, Though the difference is slight. In both cases, both can prevent us from running the race and finishing strong

let us lay aside every weight, and the which so easily ensnares us (The original Greek Word used here is “Distracts” , the imagery here refers to the Greek custom of stripping off clothes to run freely , and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (The footrace was one of the longest and most significant events in the Greek games)

and let us run with endurance (run with purpose, single focus, determination, and with a non-quitting spirit) the race that is set before us,

2 looking or fixing our eyes on Jesus, the [a]author and [b]finisher of our faith, (Although included a long list of worthy exemplars, Jesus is ultimately the focus. In light of the footrace metaphor, the idea here might be that Jesus, who pioneered the course of the faith, awaits believers at the finish line.) who for the joy that was set before Him (Prizes often were set before athletes to provide motivation (according to first-century Jewish historians) endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

When the value of the prize set before us is greater than the distractions around you, we will do whatever it takes to run toward it.

The end of a thing is better than its beginning; The patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit

Three Essentials to Finishing

1. FOCUS ON THE FINISH

- By fixing our eyes on Jesus we are fixing our eyes on the finish line the way a sprinter does. , "To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne."

2. RUN TO WIN

- Give it your all – Minister Lonnie said “put your whole self in it”

- Commit to finishing what you started, complete your commitment to God and your local church

- Build endurance, be willing to pay the prize because what’s awaits is more valuable than what is distracting you

- Be intentional and committed to the race

3. DON'T LET UP

- Consider that Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame

- - And let us not grow weary (Greek verbs translated here to relax) while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

- But the implication here is that the readers of Hebrews are still in the race. And since they are still in the race it would be most inappropriate for them to let up now. We must not let up prematurely. We must not let up while we are still in the race. How do you know if you are still in the race? Are you here this morning? Is your heart still beating? Then you are still in the race. God still has more for you to do. Don't let up!

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.

Henry Ford said, "A weakness of all human beings is trying to do too many things at once. That scatters effort and destroys direction."

~ Bits & Pieces,