Rev. David Holwick D
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
January 28, 2007
Genesis 5:21-24
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I. The Christian life is a marathon.
A. Marathons are foot races with a little torture thrown in.
1) Show of hands - how many of you have run a real marathon?
My sister's husband Roger has been in several, including
the Boston Marathon.
He doesn't expect to come in first, but he pushes himself
to get across the finish line.
2) Just finishing can be an accomplishment.
At 7 P.M. on October 20, 1968, a few thousand spectators
remained in the Mexico City Olympic Stadium.
It was cool and dark.
The last of the marathon runners, each exhausted, were
being carried off to first-aid stations.
More than an hour earlier, Mamo Wolde of Ethiopia - looking
as fresh as when he started the race - crossed the finish
line, the winner of the 26 mile, 385 yard event.
As the remaining spectators prepared to leave, those sitting
near the marathon gates suddenly heard the sound of
sirens and police whistles.
All eyes turned to the gate.
A lone figure wearing the colors of Tanzania entered the
stadium.
His name was John Stephen Akhwari.
He was the last man to finish the marathon.
His leg bloodied and bandaged, severely injured in a fall,
he grimaced with each step.
He hobbled around the 400-meter track.
The spectators rose and applauded him as if he were the
winner.
After crossing the finish line, Akhwari slowly walked off
the field without turning to the cheering crowd.
In view of his injury and having no chance of winning a
medal, someone asked him why he had not quit.
He replied, "My country did not send me 7,000 miles to start
the race.
They sent me 7,000 miles to finish it."
#2089
B. Christian faithfulness requires finishing well.
1) Beginning well is not enough.
2) True faith makes it to the end.
Matthew 10:22
"All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands
firm to the end will be saved."
1 Corinthians 1:8
"He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be
blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Revelation 2:26
"To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will
give authority over the nations..."
3) Some Christians do not.
a) We all know people who seem to have abandoned their
faith.
b) Even more common is Christians who keep a vestige of
faith, but lose all enthusiasm and effectiveness.
1> They become jaded and cynical.
2> Could this describe you?
"In soloing [flying] - as in other activities - it is far
easier to start something than it is to finish it."
-- Amelia Earhart (1897 - 1937)
[Earhart failed to complete her round-the-world flight in
1937 and was never seen again.]
#5476
II. Enoch: the ultimate marathon runner.
A. Only has seven verses, yet mentioned with heroes in Hebrews 11.
1) He was one of only two humans to avoid death.
a) (Elijah was the other one)
b) In effect, Enoch was raptured early.
2) He obviously finished well.
B. Enoch's secret:
1) He walked with God.
2) He pleased God.
3) He served God.
III. Walking with God. Gen 5:21-24
A. This means living with an awareness of God's presence.
1) David is a good example. Ps 139:2
a) The Psalms show how he depended on God throughout the
day.
b) He thought about God first thing in the morning, and
was aware of God in every circumstance of his life.
B. We must cultivate a consistent fellowship with God.
1) Meditation on Bible. Psalm 1
2) Prayer. 1 Thess 5:17
a) The importance of daily quiet time.
C. Be conscious of God throughout the day.
1) Which thoughts do we cultivate?
2) How can each event relate to God?
IV. Pleasing God. Heb 11:6
A. How to please God.
1) It requires faith. Heb 11:6
2) Faith by itself is dead. Jam 2:17
a) Make sure you have a living, vibrant faith.
B. Overcoming the greatest temptations to quitting the race:
1) Resist bitterness.
a) Bitterness is resentment toward God or another person.
1> It starts with an injustice, real or perceived.
2> It festers into deep rancor and hostility.
b) It is often triggered by a tragic event.
1> Or someone has wronged us in some way.
2> Several families I have known that have had a child
die.
A> It is always a life-changing event for them.
B> Some of them turn again God and anything to do
with religion.
C> Others go in the opposite direction, figuring if
they are going to see their child again, they
must get right with God.
3> Every family will face a tragedy, sometime.
c) Joseph shows how to deal with bitterness.
1> His brothers threw him into a pit.
A> Then they pulled him out.
B> Not out of compassion - there was more money
in selling him as a slave.
2> He was actually successful as a slave - but then
false charges got him thrown into prison.
3> Through it all, Joseph still believed God was in
control of his life.
4> God was still at work for his good. Gen 45:8, 50:20
GEN 45:8 "So then, it was not you who sent me
here, but God. He made me father to Pharaoh,
lord of his entire household and ruler of all
Egypt.
GEN 50:20 You intended to harm me, but God
intended it for good to accomplish what is now
being done, the saving of many lives.
2) Avoid Disobedience.
a) Defiance of God means direct, willful disobedience.
b) King Solomon is an example of this.
1> Solomon began well and was wise and wealthy.
A> God was pleased with him.
2> Solomon ended tragically.
A> He willfully disobeyed God in intermarriage.
B> He was led astray. 1 Kg 11:2,4,9
C> He ended his life under God's judgment.
c) Great blessing doesn't guarantee enduring faithfulness.
1> No one is immune to temptation.
2> Bring your whole life under God's rule.
3) Banish pride.
a) Pride is believing we don't need God.
b) King Uzziah is an example of this.
1> He began well, was blessed by God, but ended badly.
2> Pride led to his downfall. 2 Chron 26:5,16
26:5 He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who
instructed him in the fear of God. As long as
he sought the LORD, God gave him success.
26:16 But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride
led to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the
LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD
to burn incense on the altar of incense.
c) Pride often accompanies success.
1> In the eyes of your ancestors, each of you is a
stunning success -- even if you are on welfare!
2> Proud people become resistant to reproof or counsel.
3> They cease to be fruitful.
V. Serving God.
A. Enoch was engaged in his world.
1) He was a spokesman for God in an ungodly society. Jude 14-15
2) We can infer he did this until he was taken up.
B. Many Christians stagnate in their senior years.
1) They retire from their secular, and religious, work.
2) We should never retire from our walk with God.
a) We can stay fresh and green. Ps 92:14-15
"They will still bear fruit in old age,
they will stay fresh and green,
proclaiming, "The LORD is upright;
he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him."
3) We never finish "doing our share."
a) Don't quit the race.
b) Ask God, "What do you want me to do?"
C. Embrace challenge.
1) Some stress is good.
Insight from Biosphere II (a huge enclosed greenhouse).
This multi-million dollar experiment tried to create
an artificial earth that was self-contained.
However, numerous unexpected problems arose, like an explosion
Of ants and a depletion of oxygen.
(To save the human inhabitants, they secretly injected more
oxygen into the system.)
One of the more interesting findings was that the trees broke
down after reaching a certain height.
Reason: there was no wind inside the biosphere.
Stress from wind makes trees strong.
No wind, no strength.
In the same way, stress from life makes people strong. [1]
2) Christians need to maintain challenge to grow.
a) Past accomplishments are nice, but what are you
doing now?
b) Learning: read through the Bible.
c) Teaching: Sunday School, etc.
d) Service: meals on wheels, etc.
e) Mission: evangelism, mission trips.
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
(*) This sermon was adapted from the article "Staying Faithful Through the
Years" by Jerry Bridges, Discipleship Journal #58, July/Aug 1990, pp. 18ff.
[1] I can no longer find the source of this illustration, but I remember
reading it in a major magazine several years ago.
#2089 "Finishing Well," by Wes Thompson, Cheyenne Wells, Colorado,
Leadership Journal, Spring 1992. The illustration is probably
derived from one of Chuck Swindoll's books.
#5476 "Easier To Start Than Finish," by Amelia Earhart, Internet:
Bits & Pieces, May 3, 2000.
These and 30,000 others are part of the Kerux database that can be
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