Jump Start # 2985

2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.”

We are about to bring this year to a close. What a year it has been for me personally. The year started with the death of my father. I still cry. Along with my older brother, I preached his funeral. In June, I was honored to preach at the Southside lectures in Houston. I love those people and that church. This is where my hero, Dee Bowman has been for decades. He was in the hospital that week and we four speakers got to Facetime him. In August, it was back to Houston for Dee’s funeral. A hero finished his wonderful journey. In October, I was invited to give two lessons in the old Cane Ridge log cabin in Paris, KY. That meant so much to me. I’d been in that old church building, originally built in 1791, many times and have wondered what it would be like to preach in there. I got to do that. A few weeks later, my son, Jordan and I got to spend a weekend preaching together at the Wolf Creek congregation in Ohio. That place has always been dear to me. And, last weekend I was invited to come to Dallas, and preach on what was called, “The Gospel through generations.” Myself, Jordan, my dear friend Rickie Jenkins and his ninety-five year old father, Jess, all spoke that weekend. For Bible class, all four of us were up on the stage sitting in chairs and the sons were asking the fathers questions about generations and legacy. It was rich. Jordan and I got to interview Jess one afternoon and talk candidly about preaching through the years.  What a year it has been for me.

On Sunday, as I was watching Jess Jenkins preach, what a profound example and lesson came to me. His voice was solid. His memory amazing. He could quote passages better than I could. He taught me things that I did not know. He is kind, sweet, gentle and loves God. His advice to preachers is priceless. His years of service, dedication and faithfulness to God’s word is truly remarkable. He must be the oldest preacher among us who is still preaching. Ninety-five years old!

Here are some lessons I learned from my friend Jess:

First, one can be faithful to God all of their life. It’s easy to start the race. Many do. Too many drop out of the race. They tire easily. They chase other things. They take their eyes off the goal. They don’t remain focused long. Not my friend, Jess. He shows us that one can walk with the Lord all of their days. It can be done and he is an example of that.

Second, it shows that even late in life, one can be useful and beneficial to others and the kingdom of God. There he was over the weekend, preaching his heart out. What he said was rich. What he said was true. Yet, far too many when they retire from work, retire from the kingdom. Maybe you can’t teach like you once did, find what you can do. Maybe you don’t have the energy to keep up with some things, find other things to do.  What really amazed me was to learn that Jess was preaching new sermons. After seventy plus years of preaching, he could have pulled something out of the achieves, dusted it off and we would never had known. But he would. And he was going to bring excellence to what this weekend meant. This was the first time that Jess and Rickie had ever preached together. Father and son is so special. Words cannot describe what it is like for me to share the pulpit with Jordan. He hears me all the time and I hear him, via websites and livestreaming. However, to be on the same program together, back to back, nothing beats that. Useful to God and to others, that’s the mode of dear Jess.

Third, one can carry the spirit of Jesus all of their life. Jess has. Sometimes when a person gets old, they think that gives them the privilege and even the right to be grumpy. Opinionated. Against everything. Sour. Even ugly. That’s how some senior citizens conduct themselves. And, is it any wonder that the grandkids don’t want to come around. The ole’ grumps are sure to point out something that isn’t agreeable to them. Not brother Jess. I watched him interact with my Jordan. A smile on his old face, a warm embrace and just the kindest words from one in his nineties to one who is in this thirties. Certainly life has changed so much in those ninety years, from outhouses, to cooking on wood stoves, to modern technology. And, believe it or not, Jess used Powerpoint in his final lesson. He understood that technology helps and he wasn’t complaining, gripping, or wishing for the old days. Not at all. He stepped right up and did what the rest of us were doing. How are you in your spirit? Yes, there are days you feel like flushing your phone down the toilet because it’s so complicated. There are days you may not know how to use the remote. Things are moving fast and you are not. But how is your spirit? Has this made you a grump? Do you walk through life with a frown? Are you bitter? Are the first words out of your mouth, “No?” Or, do you see the example in our amazing Jess? These are choices. You can choose to be a blessing or you can walk through life with a chip on your shoulder. Those that choose the chip, will find out that the journey seems longer and harder. It’s not, but it’s that way because you decided to carry a burden and be a burden to others. Jess is not like that. I wish he lived closer to me. I think I’d take a day each week to spend with him. I know it would be to my delight and benefit.

Generations—father and sons preaching. Passing that baton to those who follow. And, to our verse today, there are three “I have” statements. I have fought. I have finished. I have kept. It can be done. And, more than that, it can be done well. It can be done with excellence.

God bless this grand ole’ soldier of the cross. His journey is nearly completed but he won’t stop until the Lord stops him. Only eternity will know all the good that this man has done. How many lives were enriched, taught and encouraged by him. How many churches were made better because of him. How many lives found Jesus because of him. May the rest of us, all of us, realize that God has placed powerful and wonderful examples, like Jess, in our lives. Faithful until the end. Working hard until the Lord stops us. Doing what we can, wherever we can.

I have a new friend. I have a new hero. I have a great example. My beloved Jess.

God bless you, my friend for all that you have done and all that you continue to do. Words cannot describe what that weekend meant to me.

What a year it has been for me.

Roger

Jump Start # 1846

2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.”

Richard Nixon. Barry Bonds. Bill Cosby. Bill O’ Reilly. There are two common threads connecting all of these names. First, they were all public figures who achieved great success in their fields. They were superstars. Second, each of them is now associated with a cloud of suspicion. Nixon resigned because of a scandal. Bonds used steroids. Cosby connected to drugging women and having sexual relations with them. O’Reilly was fired because of sexual abuse. These names will forever be linked to the trouble associated with them. Each of their careers did not end with honor and respect that we’d think comes after a lifetime of service.

Biblically, we could find a similar list. King Saul. Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu. Judas. Diotrephes. To mention these names almost automatically takes our mind to the wrongs that they did. King Saul died in disgrace having had the kingdom taken from him for his disobedience. Aaron’s sons were struck dead by God for offering a strange fire in worship. Judas, chosen by Jesus, betrayed him and committed suicide. Diotrephes, selfishly took over a church and ran it to his liking.

Our verse today identifies the three “I have” statements of Paul’s life. The middle statement, “I have finished the course,” is where our thoughts are at today. Finishing strong. Finishing well. It’s easy to start things. It’s hard to stay with it and finish it. Starting a book is easy. But reading the entire book, that’s hard. Starting a diet, easy. Sticking with it and finishing the diet, that’s hard. Starting a budget, easy. Sticking with it to complete your financial goals, that’s hard. Starting college, easy. Sticking with it to finish your degree, that’s hard. Starting a running race, easy. Finishing that race, hard.

Maybe this is why Solomon declared that the end of the matter was better than the beginning. We are surrounded with projects, books, movies, diets and budgets that we all have started, but we never completed them. We didn’t finish.

Paul’s “I have finished the course,” is addressing the most important thing one can complete in life, his journey with the Lord. To remain faithful, dedicated, committed and obedient to Jesus, from start to finish, that’s not easy. We all know far too many among us who were baptized into Christ and began that journey only to drop out. They quit. They returned to the world. Some crashed their marriages in the process. Some left a trail of destruction. Some had severed as elders, others had preached. But they are now known for the trouble at the end rather than all the good that they have done.

How do we finish the course? How do we end well? How do we keep from being another causality of Satan? This is not just about legacy, how we will be remembered, but it’s also about influence and example. What footprints are we leaving for our family and others to follow? We start strong, but do those footprints fade or do they actually turn away from the cross? And, most importantly, if we do not finish the course, we do not get Heaven. It’s that simple. A person who does not finish college will not get a diploma. You have to finish.

Paul’s life was touched with hardships. So will ours. We may not be abused and tormented for our faith as he was, but life is hard. There will be health issues, job issues and family issues. Problems arise down at the church house. Paul was also let down by others, as we will be. People disappointed him. He was abandoned. He was criticized. He was blamed. He was accused of false things. Paul was discouraged. He was even depressed at times. But what he never did was quit. He stayed with it. He finished.

How? How did he do it?

First, his faith was real, deep and in the Lord. His faith wasn’t in the church. His faith wasn’t in people, but in Christ. Jesus was always before his eyes. The Lord was good to Paul. He never forgot that. This is how we endure and keep going through hardships and disappointments. The Lord won’t treat you bad. The Lord won’t leave you. When a person quits, they haven’t just stopped going to church, they have given up on the Lord. Often, they point fingers at people or the church, but their stopping hurts the Lord. The Lord died for them. The Lord blessed them. The Lord was good to them. To quit, hurts the Lord.

Second, what he was doing was right. He knew he was making a difference, not only in his life, but also in the lives of others. Good was being done. This was God’s work and he realized that.

Third, weary as he was, he knew there was a wonderful divine rest awaiting him. He had to finish. How could he throw in the towel and miss all that he believed in. This is why he said that he “disciplined his body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.” He had to do the very things he taught others. He had to listen to his own sermons. He had to be what he wanted others to be. To be disqualified is not to finish. He wanted to finish.

Fourth, he did not let others influence him to quit. There will always be those who tell you to take your foot off the accelerator of your faith. But you know better. So you keep teaching. You keep preaching. You keep inviting others to worship. You keep having families into your home. No stopping. No quitting. All of us know those senior saints, who are so engaged, active and busy in the kingdom. They have been doing things for decades. They will continue until health or the Lord stops them. They will finish. These are our examples. They are our heroes. This is what we need to become. Steady. Consistent. Busy. And, finishing what we started.

There is no T-shirt in Heaven for trying. There is no consolation prize. There is no second place or honorable mention in Heaven. It’s all in or not at all. Keep pushing. Keep reading. Keep praying. Keep going. When you see a weary soldier of Christ, encourage him, thank him, pat him on the back and try to keep him marching onward.

Finish. Finish strong. Finish well. Finish the course. We all need reminders like this. There are days when we just want to resign from life. There are days when parents do not want to not be parents. But you can’t quit. There may be days when your marriage really bugs you. Don’t quit. There may be times when brethren really get the best of you. Don’t quit. Keep walking with the Lord.

Finish what you started. The Lord is counting on you.

Roger