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Strong to the Finish
by Craig Brian Larson
Text: Hebrews 12:1-3
Topic:How to finish the race of life well, with God's help.
Big idea: People are remembered for how they finish—their lives, their relationships, their ministry. When life gets tough, God helps us run the race before us.
Keywords: Endurance; Perseverance.
Introduction
- Illustration: When Vincent Foster, adviser to President Clinton, committed suicide in 1993, Clinton said, "It would be wrong to define a life like Vincent Foster's in terms only of how it ended." Nonetheless, that's how Foster will be remembered—by how he finished the race.
- The end of a life—or anything—defines all that went before it.
Hebrews 12:1-3 is not only about running the race, but finishing it well.
- Illustration: A cross-country course is marked off with flags. Runners can't choose to cut corners and shorten the race. They must run the race marked out for them. It's the same in the Christian life.
- Someone else's race might seem easier than your own, but God says, "I want you to run this race. Don't think about others."
If you're going to finish, you've got to keep running until you reach the finish line.
- Illustration: At the 1968 Olympics, an hour after the marathon's winner crossed the finish line, Tanzania's John Stephen Akhwari limped across the finish line, injured in a fall early in the race. Asked why he didn't quit, he said, "My country did not send me 7,000 miles to start this race. My country sent me to finish."
- So it is with God. He didn't send just send us to start the race. He sent us to finish.
- Sometimes the race is filled with pain, but God wants us to run through it and finish strong.
- Illustration: In this detailed illustration from the Chariots of Fire, Scotland's Eric Liddell was knocked down early in a 440-yard race. He sat dazed for a moment, and someone yelled, "Get up and run!" He was 20 yards behind the others, but caught the rest of the pack and won in an amazing performance.
Sometimes we don't persevere because of "Heartbreak Hill."
- The Boston Marathon's Heartbreak Hill, at mile 19, tests runners to the core. It is life's long, steep hills, like the one in the Boston Marathon, that test our faith and trust in the Lord to the core of our being.
- James 1:12 says to us, "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial…"
- Illustration: At the 1992 Olympics, Derek Redmond tore a hamstring early in the 400-meter race, collapsing. He got up and limped toward the finish line. His father barreled out of the stands and helped his son to the end. Our heavenly Father does that for us.
Conclusion:
- Like Paul, we want to be able to say, "I've finished the race. I've kept the faith."
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