Reaching the Checkered Flag

Reaching the Checkered Flag

Wouldn’t it be truly awesome if every person who claims the name of Christ, every individual who desires to be called a Christian, would run the race of faith as if their lives depended on it … because they do!

But, sadly, many Christian folk aren’t really even in this race of faith. Oh, they may have been saved … they have come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord … but that’s it. They’re not growing, they’re not serving, and they’re not sharing their faith. It’s like they jumped across the starting line … and then they laid down to rest. They have taken themselves out of the race before it even really started.

Today, let’s see how we can finish the race. Let’s talk about Reaching the Checkered Flag. How many of you know that I was once a “NASCAR race car driver” and have actually took the “checkered flag” (Only on local short tracks. Not with the big boys!) You know, in a NASCAR race, it doesn’t matter how well dressed the driver is or how pretty the car is. It doesn’t matter how much money their sponsors gave them. And it really doesn’t matter how fast they run … unless they actually cross that finish line. Really, it is all for naught unless they cross that line and see that checkered flag waved over the track.

Those of us who follow Jesus have to realize that we are still on the track. We have not finished the race. We cannot just sit back and relax and wait for Jesus to come back. We have a job to do. We have more laps to run. We have many more miles to go.
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Most of us today are on God’s team, but we may not really be in the race of faith. Often we are a whole lot more interested in what we can get out of our faith and our church than we are in what we need to put into them. If that’s the case, then this is going to be a very important message today.

Let’s look to God’s Word for truth and inspiration. Let’s read together from the letter to the Hebrews 12:1-3.

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne. 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.

So many people honestly think that coming to know Jesus … being saved … is the end result of their spiritual journey. They could not be further from the truth!

Knowing Jesus is only the beginning … it is the beginning of a lifelong race of faith. There are many spiritual “laps” that we must travel before this race of life and faith is over. We must work and prepare to run this race of faith with God for our entire lifetimes!

How can you stay focused on the “finish line?”

Know that there are others who have successfully completed this race of life and faith. (v. 1a)

One was Noah. Remember, he spent 120 years building the ark. 120 years! Now, think about that. Some of us in this room are some of the most impatient people on the planet. Right? We get upset because the microwave takes 2:30 to pop the popcorn instead of 2:00. So we fuss, and complain, and live impatient lives. Some of us even get impatient when we think that God doesn’t move fast enough to suit us. Then we can remember a patient hero like Noah.

Some others who completed the race with endurance were Joseph, Abraham, Moses, Samson, Samuel, and David.

Then there are the heroes of the faith in your own life.

We all have heroes in the faith in our lives … people who had an impact … people who have gone on to be with the Lord. Maybe it was a parent or grandparent, or a teacher, or another person in your church. Most of us can remember someone along the way.

Get ready to run an effective, lifelong faith-race. (v. 1b)

The writer here uses the word, “endurance.” But what is endurance? Endurance means that, even when you don’t feel like you can go on … you keep going anyway.

Friends, the clock of life is ticking. And we need to be paying attention. We need to have our hearts and minds focused on this race. It does not just last for the moment of a salvation experience, or through your childhood, of from 9:00 until noon on Sunday. The race lasts a lifetime. How can you effectively run this lifelong race?

• Get rid of anything that will distract you from running the race effectively.

Distractions do not necessarily have to be bad. In fact, if the truth be known, it is more often things that are fundamentally good that keep Christians on the sidelines and out of the race of faith. You see, the devil gets a lot more accomplished by keeping us occupied with good stuff than he does by attacking us with bad stuff. We should absolutely be convinced of this. So, what in your life is distracting you from the race? What do you need to get rid of?

• Avoid getting tangled in a web of sin.

Of course, the bad stuff … the sin in our lives … keeps us distracted, too. It is downright impossible to run in God’s race of faith when you are weighed down by a burden of personal sin

• Don’t burn out … run with perseverance.

Finally … don’t quit. Don’t give up. No matter what direction life takes you, stay in the race of faith. There is always a new day and a new opportunity.

Keep your focus on Jesus, not upon yourself. (vv. 2-3)

Do you want to be an effective participant in this race of faith, then keep your eyes on Jesus! Stop thinking about yourself so much and consider what Jesus is leading you to be and do in your life.

• Remember Peter’s experience!

When Peter got out of the boat and started walking on water, he was okay until he took his eyes of Jesus. See Matthew 14.

A whole lot of us could be in this self-centered boat. Oh, we say really spiritual things. We talk a good religious talk. But, our focus is anywhere but on Jesus. It is still on self. In fact, there may someone here today who have never fixed their eyes and heart upon Jesus at all. They may be out there on the turbulent sea of your life, floundering and drowning, waiting for someone to rescue. Friend, that someone who wants to lift you out of that sea of selfishness and sin is Jesus.

Stay strong … do not give up … finish the race! (v. 3b)

Do all that you can to not grow weary and lose heart. Stay strong, remain faithful, and never give up. There is a great victory awaiting us at the end of this race! But be reminded of a couple of important points about our race of faith.

• If you follow Jesus, the world will be against you.
• Always remember, this is just a temporary stop on the way to real life!

The true finish line is when we step out of this life and into eternity with Jesus Christ. The race is over when we hear those blessed words from the mouth of Jesus, “Well done. My good and faithful servant.” This life that we are living is wonderful, it is important, and it is special … but it is only temporary. Real life is found in heaven, in eternity, with our Lord Jesus Christ.

Folks, there are plenty of things to hold us back and entangle us in this race of faith. But we need to fight through them, remain faithful, keep your eyes on Jesus, and finish the race!

Never fool yourself into thinking that you have “arrived,” or you are more spiritually “together” than others around you. No mater how spiritually mature you think you may be, you always have some growing to do.

Remember … the race isn’t over until you are standing before Jesus!