This podcast is about running the race God gave you to run. It’s about finishing or completing the vision God gave you for your life. Running the race is a Track and Field metaphor used by Paul in one of his epistles to the churches. Now you may have seen sprinters running the 100 meters or 200-meter event. You know their coaches encourage the athletes under their guise to push all the way through to the end. Break the tape at full speed – don’t coast – don’t let up at 90 meters. Breaking the tape, that’s the picture I want you to have in your mind. Are you struggling in this area? Are you one of those who has trouble completing what they start? Maybe you have piles of stuff that you, in a fiery heat of Spirit-inspired passion, began but never finished. Maybe you are one of those who has trouble staying on even keel. You are up one day and down the next in your Christian experience. You flame up in the heat of consecration at the altar call, but you smolder when you get over into the mundane parts of your everyday life. Helping you is what this is about today. You know it’s not how you start your race; it’s how you finish. That’s the great lesson of the tortoise and the hare. I once heard a very godly gentleman say when he was in the twilight of his life, ‘It takes the same dedication at seventy years of age as it did when you were twenty.’ If you want to ‘break the tape,’ you will have to make some training adjustments — that’s what we are talking about here. How to Run a Steady Race Right Into Glory — that’s our focus on this week’s Light On Life.
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[Tweet What God-inspired, Spirit-directed projects for the Kingdom do you have that have not made it out of stone?]
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You can view a basic transcript of this podcast at the bottom of this section.
Accept the Challenge
Each week’s podcast contains a call to action. The Word of God will not produce in your life unless you put it into operation.
This weeks call is:
All that is left for you now is to take action and run your God-given race. Start with the Bible. Start by praying for and looking to the Holy Spirit, your ultimate coach, for direction. He will lead you and guide you – that’s as sure a fact as there is in the universe.
Join the Conversation
Each week’s podcast also contains a question designed to encourage testimony. Testimony is vital to a believer’s life. We overcome by it (Rev. 12:11).
This week’s question is:
Question: Share a testimony concerning the specific race God has called you into? Can you share a tip that helped you to stay committed while running your race? Please leave a comment in the comments section below.
Episode Resources
You can find more information on the subject of the Spirit-Led Life by clicking on the links above.
- #S1-001: Does the Holy Spirit Speak Today?[Podcact]
- #S1-002: Being Led by Peace Conscience and the Inward Witness
About Emery
Emery committed his life to the Lord Jesus Christ over 40 years ago and has served as both a full-time pastor and an itinerant minister. Both he and his wife Sharon of 37 years emphasize personal growth and development through the Word of God. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is both the focus and the hallmark of their mission. Read more about them here.
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If you enjoyed the podcast, please rate it on Stitcher Radio and leave a review. If you have a suggestion for a Bible topic, you would like to see taught, or if you have a question, please e-mail me at emery@emeryhorvath.com.
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Podcast Notes
Running the Race: Fighting, Finishing, and Faith
2 Timothy 4:7 (NKJV) — 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
- The Apostle to the Gentiles is nearing the end of his life, and he is taking a glance in the rearview mirror.
- His glance turns into a gaze as he observes three components that characterized his walk with God since he found Jesus on the road to Damascus.
- Those three components are spelled out with three verbs — three action words.
- I fought.
- I finished.
- I kept.
- Paul fought a fight — a good fight.
- A good fight is a fight you win.
- He finished or ran the race — a good race.
- A good race is where you break the tape.
- He kept something that was precious to him and to God for that matter — he kept the faith.
- In the opening of this podcast, we mentioned that the easiest thing in the world is to start something.
- That’s the finishing part of Paul’s life.
- Paul finished — he left nothing undone — he poured himself all out.
- Jesus made this piercing and focusing statement about pouring out.
- It’s recorded in John’s gospel.
John 12:24 (ESV) — 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.
- Paul poured his life out, and he did it every day.
1 Corinthians 15:31 (ESV) — 31 I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day!
- Paul ran his race and spent and gave his all.
- Can that be said of all Jesus followers?
- And, with that thought, here is the Illustration of the Day.
During the last 14 years of Michelangelo did not finish a painting. Did you know that during the last 22 years, he did not finish a sculpture? There is a museum in Florence, Italy that has in it many (or all) of his unfinished works. People that have not made it out of stone – what would the world have in it’s possession if it’s the greatest artist had some staying power?
- Now, ask yourself this question, “What God-inspired, Holy Spirit-directed projects for the Kingdom do I have in my life that has not made it out of stone?”
- Things that came up in your spirit — you know it was a God-idea.
- It’s in you — it’s stirring, but it’s unfinished.
- Are these works for God that are unfinished may be because you stopped running your race?
- Are these works dormant because you quit believing Him?
- You didn’t move in faith because you stopped operating in faith.
- It pays to learn everything you can about faith.
- You need to know what faith is — you need to know how faith comes — and you need to need how to release your faith.
- Again are there, unfinished God-inspired sculptures that He asked me to carve out for His Kingdom and His glory.
- I want to encourage you today to get up and pick up the baton and get back in the race.
- You know it’s really easy to start something.
- It’s the finishing part – finishing your race — breaking the tape that takes the most energy.
- It’s always that last ten percent of any project that’s the most difficult.
- The first ninety percent is a piece of cake – that last 10? — that makes the man.
- Have you ever heard of the Story of Olympic Marathoner John Steven Aquari?
- His story is a tremendous example of finishing the race.
- And it unfolded on October 20, 1968, in Mexico City Olympics Stadium during the Marathon.
By 7 p.m., it was beginning to darken. It had cooled down as well. The last of the Olympic marathon runners were being assisted away to first-aid stations. Over an hour earlier, Mamo Waldi of Ethiopia had charged across the finish line, winning the 26-mile, 385-yard race looking as strong and as vigorous as when he’d started. As the last few thousand spectators began preparing to leave, they heard police sirens and whistles through the gate entering the stadium. The attention turned to that gate. A sole figure, wearing the colors of Tanzania, came limping into the stadium. His name was John Steven Aquari. He was the last man to finish the marathon in 1968. His leg was bandaged, bloody. He had taken a bad fall early in the race. Now, it was all he could do to limp his way around the track. The crowd stood and applauded as he completed that last lap. When he finally crossed the finish line, one man dared ask the question all were wondering. “You are badly injured. Why didn’t you quit? Why didn’t you give up?” Aquari, with quiet dignity, said these words.
- And, with that thought, here is the Quote of the Day.
John Steven Aquari said, My country did not send me seven thousand miles to start this race. My country sent me to finish.
- I am here today to tell boldly that God did not send you to start something – He sent you to finish.
- He didn’t conceive ideas on the inside of you for those to be stillborn.
- God didn’t do you that way.
- That is, He didn’t enter into your life and leave you hanging.
- Paul said these words concerning God the Father.
Philippians 1:6 (ESV) — 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
- God, the Father, is a Finisher.
- He is going to finish what He started in your life when He sent Jesus to save you.
- That’s the plan; that’s the goal.
- He needs your cooperation.
- Because to every move of God, there are two parts: there is a God-ward side and a man-ward side.
- There is God’s part and your part.
- What is your part?
- Part of your part is the Habit of Faith – I am talking about Faith that Finishes.
Breaking the Tape: Keeping the Faith
- Jesus asked many penetrating questions during His earth walk.
- He made many piercing points.
- In Luke eighteen, he says this.
Luke 18:8 (ESV) — 8 … Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
- When the Son of man comes, will He find finishing faith?
- Will He find people who have kept the faith — finished their course — broke the tape.
- Jesus was concerned about this finished piece in humankind.
- He alluded to it, and Luke recorded it in his gospel.
- So finishing is a recognized problem.
Hebrews 2:1 (ESV) — 1 Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.
- Drifting is a problem.
- The phrase ‘we drift away from it.’ is all one word in Greek.
- Listen to this now — it means to disbelieve or drift — it’s a verb — it’s an action you take.
- It means to disbelieve gradually or slowly, conceived of as being carried along due to a water current.
- Think of the ocean tide that slowly goes out over a period of time.
- People slowly drift away from what God put in their hearts.
- What is it that keeps people from having faith that finishes?
- We want to know – we want to understand…
- Why is it that people start a work for God that doesn’t make it out of stone?
- How is it that people don’t finish – why is it that people don’t excel during portions of their life?
- Did you get discouraged? Or distracted? Maybe depleted?
- We need to learn — we need to know how to focus and finish.
- How to keep pressing and reaching for the tape.
- We need to know — and understand how to break the tape.
1 Corinthians 9:24 (ESV) — 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.
Your Heart — Your Race
- You know every believer is responsible for the state of their heart.
- It’s your heart — it’s your race.
Proverbs 3:1 (ESV) — 1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,
- Let your heart keep God’s Word; did you hear that?
- So then, it’s up to you.
- Here’s another ‘let’ or allow yourself to keep verse.
Proverbs 3:3 (ESV) — 3 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.
- So, again, your heart — your race.
- You are the one that has something to say about whether you engage in steadfast love and whether you stay strong in your faithfulness.
Proverbs 3:5 (ESV) — 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
- I am going to keep saying it — your heart — your race — your choices.
- Trust in the Lord with all that’s in you is a personal decision.
- Leaning to what’s been placed in your heart by the Spirit of God and acting on that instead of leaning to your own understanding is, again, in your purview.
Proverbs 4:23 (ESV) — 23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.
- It’s not up to God to keep your heart — the command is directed to you.
- Why?
- Your heart — your race.
- It’s up to you to decide to run — and break the tape.
- We should personalize these verses — we should take a look at ourselves.
- Not just look at the other fellow and how they are running or not running their race.
- We should definitely not be involved with defeatism.
- I heard this kind of in some churches I’ve been in.
- You know the thinking — ‘the whole is bad — evil is everywhere — everything and everybody is going to hell — it’s all going down the drain.
- You can’t quit your race because of the other guy.
- He’s responsible for his race — you are responsible for yours.
- Don’t make excuses — don’t cop out.
- Here is the question that Jesus asked 2000 years ago that applies to us today – “Will you have faith to break the tape?”
- “When the Son of Man comes, will he find you believing God?
- Being strong in faith is God’s plan all throughout your entire time on planet earth.
Running the Race: Avoiding the Ditch
- Again, one key to ‘breaking the tape’ and being successful in your endeavors with God is found in the phrase, ‘Focus and Finish.’
- Focusing is one part of finishing.
Have You Ever Been Side-Tracked?
- Focusing on the prize — the goal will help you keep from being side-tracked.
- But, if we have run this believer’s race for any length of time, we understand that at times, we all end up off-road.
- There’s a super variety of things that are the instigators to this kind of thing.
- We veer off the track, and we visit ditches that are on both sides of the course.
- It seems an obvious conclusion that If you want to ‘break the tape,’ you are going to have to stay on the track — right?
- We have to stay out of the ditch.
- Now, thank God for His mercy in this area.
- You’ve missed it — I’ve missed it — we all have missed it.
- But, God, in His great mercy, forgave us, cleansed us, and put us back on the track.
- Now the question remains, how can we stay on the track?
- Well, I am sure you’ve heard this expression.
The main thing in life is to keep the main thing, the main thing.
- So, what we are talking about here is coming to a place of balance.
- When I say balance, I am not saying compromise.
- I’m not saying some faith and an equal amount of unbelief.
- No, I am saying balancing your passions — staying consistent — even-keeled — not going off on tangents personally and doctrinally.
- Living balanced is a beast of a task.
- It is one of the hardest things in the Christian life to do.
- Staying balanced, staying in the middle of the road — refusing to be distracted — veering off — can you say tough stuff?
- There is plenty to distract.
- So putting on blinders as they do with a horse to walk with extreme forward focus is a valuable lesson to learn.
- There are people, all kinds of good people, who have taken their eye off the track — off the road, and drifted into ‘Ditch-Ville.’
- Visiting ‘Ditch-Ville’ is just a waste of time.’
- Hopping from one ditch to another burns up valuable seasons.
Ephesians 5:16 (ESV) — 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.
- What you do with time is crucial.
- Saving it — spending it with purpose — is a crucial and much-needed skill.
- You know in America, we have car races — it’s a big sport here.
- One of the races is the Daytona 500.
- Five hundred stands for the number of miles in the race.
- Did you know that most people who enter the Daytona 500 do not ever finish the race?
- They spend valuable race time spun out.
- They could be producing for God and Kingdom, but how can you when you are flipped over in a ditch?
- Here is the sad part: while you are spun out, others keep racing.
- But, they are racing alone.
- It’s much better to race together — to draft behind someone.
- It doesn’t take much to understand the importance of staying on track if you want to break the tape.
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