Finish your race well

Pastor Bee Ngor

King Asa "started" his race well in 2 Chronicles 14

Asa sought the Lord when the Ethiopians came against him. Therefore, 2 Chronicles 15:19 said "there was no more war"
- Asa "continued" his race well

2 Chronicles 16:9
Prophet Hananiah said to King Asa "For the eyes of the lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully devoted to him"
But King Asa did not listen
- King Asa did not "finish" well

3 P's to help us finish our race well :
1. Run your race with PASSION
The strong word of God spoken to people of Laodicea in Revelation 3:15-16
- It's not about the action, it's about the heart.

1 Corinthians 10:12
So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall.

What is purpose?
it is thinking right about what God commands us to do.

What is your purpose of serving God?
(love for the lord / love for the work / love for the lost)

2. Run your race with PURITY
Hebrews 12:1
"... So let us throw off everything that stands in our way. Let us throw off any sin that holds on to us so tightly. Let us keep on running the race marked out for us."

i. Get rid of the idols
An idol is anything that stands between us and God

Psalm 24:3-4
Who can go up to the temple on the hill of the Lord? Who can stand in his holy place? Anyone who has clean hands and a pure heart. He does not worship the statue of a god. He doesn't use the name of that god when he makes a promise.

ii. Get rid of the sins
Psalm 38:4-6
My guilt has become too much for me. It is a load too heavy to carry. My wounds are ugly. They stink. I've been foolish. I have sinned. I am bent over. I've been brought very low. All day long I go around sobbing.

It could be sinful acts that keeps the spiritual breakthrough from happening in our lives. Sins can also hinders our spiritual growth.

1 John 1:9
But God is faithful and fair. If we admit that we have sinned, he will forgive us our sins. He will forgive every wrong thing we have done. He will make us pure.

3. Run with Perseverance
We can take God for granted and lose our zeal and focus for God. There are tests and difficulties that God allows in our lives that God use to shape us. We are not competing with anyone, the most important thing is to finish the race......Our spiritual live is a marathon. We must keep the pace and in tandem with Jesus.

Hebrews 12:1-2
A huge cloud of witnesses is all around us. So let us throw off everything that stands in our way. Let us throw off any sin that holds on to us so tightly. Let us keep on running the race marked out for us. Let us keep looking to Jesus. He is the author of faith. He also makes it perfect. He paid no attention to the shame of the cross. He suffered there because of the joy he was looking forward to. Then he sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 10:35, 36

So don't throw away your bold faith. It will bring you rich rewards. You need to be faithful. Then you will do what God wants. You will receive what he has promised.

3 questions to ask yourself to keep your spiritual fervour :

1. Am I satisfied with my passion for God as it stands right now?

2. What needs to change in my life so that God becomes my greatest passion?

3. How can I keep my spiritual temperature high all the time?