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FINISHING STRONG "Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward." (II John 8.) John said that we can fall short of receiving a full reward by "losing those things which we have wrought." While in the immediate context, John is addressing the issue of people who fail to abide in the doctrine of Christ, there are actually many ways in which a believer can lose rewards, most of which involve some level of either outright sin or compromise. II John is believed to have been written around AD 90, which would make John at least 80 years of age, and perhaps closer to 90. It had been over 60 years since he first started following Jesus, yet he stated that "we" (including himself) could still fumble in the end and lose out on a full reward. I recall a particular Steelers game several years ago when this happened. Pittsburgh played good football and enjoyed about a 28 point lead going into the fourth quarter. It was a Thursday night game, so I fell asleep around 9:30. When I awoke, the game was over and the Steelers had given up their nice lead and lost the game. John is telling us to not do that. It's not just about what we HAVE done, but also about what we are STILL DOING, how we are doing it, and whether or not we keep up the good work until the end. In this message, I just want to give you a fair amount of scripture that emphasizes this great truth, because I believe we are in the fourth quarter, and the devil would like nothing more than to force a few fumbles and hand us a defeat as we draw closer to heaven and the Judgment Seat of Christ. This is a great truth that the Bible stresses, so please bear with me for a while as we consider some scripture. Let's start with I John 2:28: "And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming." That is, don't be wandering off like a lost sheep. Abide close with the Lord as we approach his coming so that we won't be ashamed at his coming. Finish well, finish strong. That's the message. I once had a neighbor who said that he “got enough religion” when he was a child. Somehow he reasoned that he had “done his duty” to God and that he could spend the rest of his days doing as he pleased. As we are seeing in these verses, that’s not how it works. One doesn’t pay God off and then live debt free. Attempting to do so borders on blasphemy as it undervalues the price that Christ paid for us all on the cross. He can NEVER be paid off! But he can be THANKED with a full life of dedicated service. Now Galatians 5:7: "Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?" Paul credits them for having run well in the past, but then noted that they were no longer doing so. It's like a race, and the past doesn't count, if one doesn't finish strong. God isn't looking for "more good than bad," as so many seem to think. God is looking to see who will finish their course with strength, honor and joy, instead of quitting or fainting. Get II Timothy 4. Verses 7-8: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith; Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness . . ." He not only fought a good fight; he kept fighting it until the course was finished. At no point did he say, "Well, that's enough. I can quit now. I've earned myself an early retirement." No, he knew that one could still lose in the end, so he just kept fighting. The devil never quits, so if you do, then devil wins. Simple as that. Imagine a basketball player losing a game by walking off the court with the ball in his hand while there are still ten seconds on the clock! It would make national headlines! He quit before the game was over! Yet, Christians do this all the time and feel good about themselves because of how they served in the past. THE PAST DOESN’T MATTER, IF YOU LOSE IN THE END! Alright, get Hebrews 12:1-3: "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds." See that? You can FAINT rather than FINISH. We're supposed to be looking unto Jesus who is already at the finish line trying to strengthen us that we might finish as well. But, like Nebuchadnezzar of old, the devil is turning up the heat "seven times more than it was wont to be heated" (Dan. 3:19), and many are fainting and not finishing with honor. What a tragedy! My, my, what regret one will feel at the judgment seat of Christ for not hanging in there and staying focused as we finish out this fourth quarter and hang on to our lead. Haven't you ever made a bad move that you immediately regretted and you wished a thousand times you could rewind and have another chance? Well, you can't rewind, but you can purpose in your heart to FINISH YOUR COURSE with honor and joy and not have any regrets! If you haven't yet messed up, then don't! If you have, then repent, get back in the game, and fight harder than ever! It's not just what you did or didn't do; it's also HOW YOU FINISH. Some folks have the defeatist attitude that "there's no use now, since I've fumbled so many times." That's a lie from the devil! By God's good grace, we can still get back in the game and overcome evil with good. After all, no one will say much about your clumsy fumble, if you make up for it by putting a few points on the board and help to win the game. Pardon me for not knowing the names of the people involved, but I once heard a great illustration regarding Alabama coach Bear Bryant and one of his quarterbacks. Alabama was winning by a few points, had the ball, and there were only a few seconds left on the clock. The play was sent in for the quarterback to take the snap, take the knee and run out the clock. Simple, basic football 101. But the young quarterback had a “better” idea. He figured that everyone was expecting him to do that, so he would catch the defense off guard by throwing one more touchdown pass before the game was over. So, he ignores the coach, calls his own passing play, takes the snap, drops back, and drills the ball downfield toward his receiver. But the receiver never touched it. Instead, one of fastest defensive backs in the SEC intercepted the ball and shot upfield toward the endzone. He ran past the offensive line, past the receivers and running backs, past the young quarterback, and was only seconds away from scoring a touchdown and winning the game. Then the young quarterback took out after him and actually caught him and tackled him just short of the goal line, thus securing Alabama’s victory. In the post game interview, a reporter asked coach Bryant how on earth did his quarterback catch one of the fastest defensive backs in the SEC. Bryant said it all comes down to MOTIVE: “Their man was running for a touchdown. Our man was running for his LIFE!” That’s what we’re doing, brethren. We’re running that we might lay a full, honorable life of service at the feet of Jesus Christ one day. If you’ve messed up, thank God that the game isn’t over and you can make up for it! Don’t give up! Just get up and start making up! Finish well and finish strong! Okay, back to Galatians. Chapter six, verse 9: "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." There it is again. The "faint not" is absolutely essential. One must finish, not faint. He can't play three out of four quarters and say, "Three out of four ain't bad." It IS bad, and it can cost you the game and give the devil a victory. Folks, we are leaving this world. Whether by the clouds or the clods, we are leaving for a better place, and I can assure you that it will be a whole lot better, if you already have a bank account opened and some nice treasure in it (Mat. 6:19-20). Being broke down here is bad enough, but being broke in heaven will be incredibly shameful and embarrassing. Look at Revelation 16:15: "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame." In the context of his COMING, Jesus said to watch and keep your garments. Our garments are the fine linen righteousness of Revelation 19:8, meaning that we'll end up walking shamefully naked, if we don't stay the course and finish with honor. Alright, consider Hebrews 10:35: "Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward." There it is. You can actually be doing well, fighting the good fight, laying up heavenly treasure, and then cast it all away in the fourth quarter. Look at the context in verse 37: "For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry." What's he saying? He's saying the game is almost over, just a little while longer and we'll be celebrating great victory. Don't cast it all away! Don't blow it here at the end! It's like the Lord knows that the devil will work overtime in the last days and that many will faint or fumble, so he's warning us to hang in there and finish with honor and joy. Okay, lets go to Matthew 24:12: "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." They allow unfortunate circumstances and surroundings to change them. Iniquity has always been around, but today it's abounding like never before, and many are being affected by it and growing cold on the Lord. So, this is yet another verse that warns us about the temptation to not finish well as we head down the home stretch. Don't let that happen! Stay in the word! Stay in prayer! Stay in a good church! Stay busy getting the word out! Keep moving and stay warm for the Lord! We're almost there! Look at Daniel 12:3: "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." Alright, there we are in heaven, and SOME of us are shining like the stars, implying that the rest are not shining, or at least not shining as brightly. I don't want to be like that, do you? Well, now is the time to do something about it. Now is the time to get fully purposed to be first-class believers and to finish our course with high honors. John 4:36: "And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together." Notice that those rejoicing in heaven are those who were DOING something, sowing and reaping. Merely being saved is not enough. Once we get there, we're going to enjoy knowing that we DID something with our salvation, we built something on the foundation that Christ laid for us (I Cor. 3:11-15). Whatever time we have left, we're going wish that we had spent it staying the course and finishing with honor. Get Revelation 3:11 and see what some people are trying to do to you: "Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." See that? He's saying to HOLD ON a little longer and hold on tight, because the devil is raising up people to take your crown. When I was a boy between the ages of eight and fourteen, my father and I would often go to cut wood for winter heat. This often involved driving our old truck deep into the woods over muddy dirt roads with lots of wash-outs and ruts. I can still hear dad's voice: "Alright boy, hang on, here we go!" The only way to get through some of those mud holes was to hit them will all the power and speed that he could muster, and that's just what he did. But we always got home, and we always arrived with a good load of firewood. We never arrived empty, and I have no intention of arriving in heaven empty. I've had that principle ingrained in me for over the years, and I need it more today than ever. We all need it, because the road ahead is not going to be easy. Growing old isn't easy. Living under socialism and communism isn't easy. Enduring Laodicea isn't easy, but fainting cannot be an option. "If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small." (Pro. 24:10) Folks, we might be a small church, but we don't have to be a weak church, and you don't have to be a weak believer. You can stand strong in the power of God's might and fight the good fight till the very end. Everyone cannot do the same thing, but everyone can do something, and everyone can be really good at doing something. Our Lord was never lukewarm or half-hearted, and he never did quit. We owe it to him to remain focused, fully purposed, and to follow in his steps by finishing with the highest honors.