Time really flies. It has come to the last session. I would like to continue fellowshipping with the brothers and sisters concerning the matter of finishing the course.
During the past two nights, we have fellowshipped concerning the entrustment of God. In order to bear a good testimony for Jesus Christ, we need to run in the path that the Lord has set before us. We need to run in the right way of God, because only this way can lead us to the goal God wants us to reach.
Not only do we need to run in the right way; we also need to run well. Our condition before God has to be right. Then we need to go one step further: we need to finish the course.
This is one of the keys to whether we can receive the crown from the Lord. We need to be a good testimony of our Lord, and we should have a longing to receive this crown. In order to receive it, we have to finish the course.
In the past, when I read 2 Timothy 4, I always had the feeling that this course belonged to the Apostle Paul only. I thought, “For me, I might not be able to finish the course.” We see how Paul loved the Lord. He was such a great gift, and he received such a great revelation. He also had a zeal beyond the average person.
Every time I thought about him, I would say, “He is the only one who can finish. I have no hope.”
But when Paul said this, he intended to encourage Timothy. Actually, it was an encouragement to all the brothers and sisters. Gradually, as I came to know the Lord a little more, I realized that in the way of Jesus, each person’s path is different.
The Lord did not call me to run Paul’s course. If I were to run Paul’s course, I would not be able to finish it. But thank the Lord, He has given each one of us our own course to finish. The way of Jesus is one, yet the path assigned to each individual is distinct.
We can see from Paul’s life that he finished the course. Of course, that is a great example and brings us encouragement. But we do not have to run exactly as Paul ran. We do not merely imitate the example; we keep the principles.
Tonight, we hope that from the lives of the saints we may see some important principles. May the Lord use these principles to encourage us, so that we also may finish the course that the Lord has measured out for us on earth.
Let us first read some passages.
For I am already being offered, and the time of my departure is come.
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith:
henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give to me at that day; and not to me only, but also to all them that have loved His appearing.
When John had first preached, before His coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
And as John was fulfilling his course, he said, What suppose ye that I am? I am not He. But behold, there cometh One after me, the shoes of Whose feet I am not worthy to unloose.
But I hold not my life of any account as dear unto myself, so that I may accomplish my course, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
Know ye not that they that run in a race all run, but one receiveth the prize? Even so run; that ye may attain.
And every man that striveth in the games exerciseth self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
I therefore so run, as not uncertainly; so fight I, as not beating the air:
but I buffet my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected.
Brethren, I count not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before,
I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
looking unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
He made known His ways unto Moses,
His doings unto the children of Israel.
Set thee up waymarks, make thee guideposts; set thy heart toward the highway, even the way by which thou wentest: return, O virgin of Israel, return to these thy cities.
The people in the Bible who finished their course show us certain principles. The first thing they paid attention to was the entrustment of God. They highly valued it. That is to say, they placed the testimony of Jesus in the first place in their lives.
When Paul preached in Pisidian Antioch, he mentioned John the Baptist. He said that John was about to finish his course. John the Baptist ran faithfully in the course God gave him, and his testimony was a great encouragement to Paul.
John said, “I am not He.” We can see that he gave Jesus the most important place in his life. By denying himself, he allowed Jesus Christ to be manifested.
Brothers and sisters, if we do not know how to deny ourselves, our self can easily be hurt. If we continue in that hurt, it will be very hard for us to finish the course.
The Lord Jesus said that we need to carry our cross daily and follow Him. We need to deny ourselves. John the Baptist was a person who denied himself. He had a very humble attitude before the Lord.
John said that he was not worthy to untie the Lord’s sandal. Untying sandals was the task of a servant, yet John said he was not worthy even to do that. John the Baptist was the forerunner of Jesus. He was a man of power and influence, and many Jews came to the Jordan to be baptized by him.
Yet in that condition, John revealed his humility. He realized one thing: he himself was not important. The most important thing was to manifest Christ to others.
A person who truly places the Lord Jesus Christ in the most important place in his life pays less attention to himself. Such a person is humble.
In John 3, we read that John was baptizing, and Jesus’ disciples were also baptizing. Suddenly, a large crowd went to Jesus. John’s disciples came to him and said, in effect, “Rabbi, the One who was with you is baptizing, and all are going to Him.”
If it were us, we might say, “If the Lord Himself is baptizing, that is understandable. But it is His disciples who are baptizing, and people are still going to them.” John’s disciples felt that this was unfair.
Yet John the Baptist denied himself. He said, “A man can receive nothing, except it have been given him from heaven.” He reminded them, “I am not the Christ.” Then he said that the friend of the bridegroom rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice.
Then John spoke that very famous word:
He must increase, but I must decrease.
This is the condition of a person running in the right way. Only in such a condition can a person finish the course. Eventually, John was martyred for the Lord, and he bore a wonderful testimony for Jesus Christ.
Many of us use this saying: “May He increase, and may I decrease.” But sadly, we sometimes see servants of the Lord who began with a reverent heart toward the Lord. As they gradually became famous, they themselves continued to increase, while the Lord Jesus continued to decrease.
Brothers and sisters, this is a very abnormal condition. John the Baptist is a very good example. Through his life, we can see important principles for finishing the course.
Paul himself was a person who finished the course. In Acts 20, we see that from the beginning of his service he already had this determination. He desired to finish the course and the ministry he had received from the Lord.
How would he do this? He laid his life aside. He did not consider his life dear to himself.
In this world, many successful people lay aside their lives for their careers. They strive to receive something that will perish, and they pay a great price for it. When I see this, I have a deep feeling within me. Think about it: how many brothers and sisters have such an attitude toward the course God has given them?
Many times, we have a very casual attitude. If we are like this, how can we finish the course? We really need the mercy of the Lord to show us how God has placed such a glorious entrustment upon us.
I had a music teacher because he knew that I liked to sing. One day he told me, “You have to consider singing more important than your life if you want to sing well.” I said, “I am sorry. My life has been consecrated to the Lord.”
Even in the matters of this world, if you do not put in effort and pay a price, you cannot succeed. Yet the glory of this world is vain. How much more should we value the things of our Lord?
If we cannot consider the things of the Lord more important than our lives, it will be very hard for us to finish the course. In Philippians 3, Paul said that he considered all things as refuse in order that he might gain Christ.
Only when we have such determination is there a possibility that we may finish the course. Paul finished his course in this way.
In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul used the picture of an athlete competing in the games to illustrate how he ran the course. In Corinth, athletic games were held every two years. These were the Isthmian Games, second only to the Olympic Games.
Paul used these games to encourage the brothers and sisters. He said that he did not run without a goal. When he ran, he had a set direction because he had a very clear goal. He had the determination to win the prize.
Just like athletes competing in a race, we cannot run randomly. If we run randomly, we will not gain the prize. Every athlete knows the direction and presses on toward it.
The Apostle James also tells us that we cannot be double-minded. If we are double-minded, we will have no fixed direction. When an athlete is in competition, his eyes are focused on the goal, and he puts all that he has into reaching it.
Our difficulty today is that some brothers and sisters run in one direction, then see another direction that seems good, turn around, come back, and waste much time. Some like to switch lanes.
If we go on in this way, it will be very hard to finish the course. May the Lord give us a very clear direction, so that we may give the rest of our lives to focus on that direction and strive toward it.
Paul also encouraged the Philippians through his own testimony: “Forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before.” If we continue to look back and think about the past, our steps will become slow. Whether the past was good or bad, we need to forget it and run today.
Another important lesson for an athlete is to discipline the body. What does it mean to discipline our body? It means to make our body manageable.
Every successful athlete knows how to control his or her body. When an athlete needs to run, all the muscles of the body must cooperate. This requires much training, until the whole body can be controlled at the proper moment.
For us, in order to finish the course, we need to learn how to discipline our body. After man fell, most people became slaves to their bodies. Today, we labor very hard in serving our bodies: what we eat, what we drink, and how we entertain ourselves. Our body becomes the master.
As we run the heavenly course, our body needs to be under control. The Lord said to His disciples:
The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Every time we read that verse, we say, “Amen.” But actually, it describes the cause of many of our failures.
Paul tells us that we need to exercise self-control in all things. The first matter we need to pay attention to is time.
Eventually, we will enter eternity. Yet while we are on earth, time is very important. Ephesians tells us that we need to redeem the time. To redeem the time is to lay hold of the opportunity.
The Lord loves us and gives us many opportunities in our lifetime. If we can lay hold of these opportunities, then we lay hold of time. This is what it means to redeem the time.
It is not merely a matter of making schedules and trying to follow them. We need to lay hold of the opportunities the Lord gives us.
Our history is actually in time. In the Old Testament, there are records of many people’s histories, but those histories are not complete. Why? When people laid hold of opportunities, God recorded it. When they let go of opportunities, it was not recorded.
If something is done for Christ, it is taken into account. If it is not for Christ, then it does not form the history God records. Wasting time is wasting life. Therefore, concerning time, we need to learn self-control.
The second point concerns our energy. We are limited in our physical strength, so in life we need to make important choices. We need to prioritize.
Some matters require us to put our energy into them, but other matters do not require so much attention. Many years ago, an elderly brother encouraged me: “As you are serving the Lord, the important thing is not to do scattered work.”
Do not do a little work here and a little work there, just piecemeal. Do not do casual work; do work with purpose. This means that we need to put our time and energy into the things God wants us to do.
This is something we need to learn before the Lord. If we do not know how to control our energy, we may become tired halfway through the course.
The third point is that we need self-control in our speech. The Bible tells us to say things that edify others and to speak words that supply life.
For younger brothers and sisters, at least learn not to say something that will cause lifelong regret. If you say something and will regret it for the rest of your life, do not say it. We need self-control in our words.
Of course, this is not religious asceticism. It is not that each of us has a strong will to control eating, sleeping, or other outward matters. Most of us are weak in our will.
But thank the Lord, God has sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. In Galatians 5:23, one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit is self-control. We need to learn to control ourselves by the Holy Spirit. This is a great grace of God.
The Holy Spirit is within us. He cares about many detailed matters in our life. Sometimes He reminds us, “Do not say it.” Sometimes He disciplines us, saying, “Do not walk in that way.” Sometimes He reminds us to lay hold of an opportunity.
If we experience this grace in our lives, we learn to follow the Holy Spirit. This is not a matter of religious regulation. Paul says in Colossians 2 that outward regulations have no value against the indulgence of the flesh.
We do not need merely to make resolutions. Many of us have made resolutions and found that although the will is present, the ability to carry it out is not. What we need to do is follow the Holy Spirit. Then, naturally, we will learn the lesson of self-control in all things.
Another important matter for running the course is the freedom we have in Christ. The Lord has saved us, and we have become free. But we need to know how to exercise this freedom.
In 1 Corinthians, Paul speaks much concerning freedom. In 1 Corinthians 6:12, he says:
All things are lawful for me; but not all things are expedient.
All things are lawful for me; but I will not be brought under the power of any.
Paul teaches us how to exercise freedom. The Greek philosophers at that time used the saying, “All things are lawful.” They said that people are born free and therefore can do whatever they want. Much of the world has been influenced by this thought: “We are free. We should not be disciplined or controlled by anything.”
But Paul added two important qualifications: not all things are profitable, and we should not be mastered by anything.
I know a brother who did not want to attend conferences or special meetings because he thought the meals were not good enough. He liked good food. One time, when he did come to a conference, he brought many snacks and foods from his own pocket.
Brothers and sisters, in such a condition, it may be difficult for a person to run well in the course. Paul was very practical. In 1 Corinthians 8:8, he says that food does not commend us to God. We are neither the worse if we do not eat nor the better if we do eat.
If the Lord gives us good food, we thank the Lord. If sometimes we do not have it, that is all right too. We should not be mastered by food.
There are many details in our lives that can master us. If we are bound by these things, how can we run the course?
Besides Paul, the writer of Hebrews also encourages us to run in this way. Hebrews 12:1-2 tells us that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. These witnesses refer to the witnesses of faith in Hebrews 11. Most of them finished their course.
Their courses were different, but they had important characteristics in common.
One thing they recognized was that they were strangers and sojourners on the earth. In other words, they did not put their hope on earth. They had left their country, and they could have returned, but they chose not to return because they desired a better country—a heavenly one.
They looked for a city that has foundations. Their eyes were opened to see that glory. They did not seek to build careers for themselves. They lived by the promise of God.
Brothers and sisters, if we cannot recognize that we are strangers and sojourners on this earth, and if we still hold hope in this world and try to gain something here for ourselves, then we cannot finish the course.
The writer of Hebrews encourages us to run with endurance the race set before us.
We need to lay aside every encumbrance. Everything in our lives that causes inconvenience or hindrance to our running is an encumbrance.
We should learn in our service and life to give everything to the Lord. In our life on earth, we need to learn to let go, to leave everything to the Lord. Whether something is good or bad, leave it to the Lord.
We do not need to carry the weight. If we are carrying a weight, how can we run the course? Therefore, we need to lay aside every encumbrance.
We also need to lay aside the sin which so easily entangles us. Some explain that the sin in Hebrews 12 is unbelief. Indeed, unbelief brings many other sins into our lives.
We need to be careful about the things that easily entangle us. These things may be different for each person. Something that does not influence one person may have a great influence on another.
We need to be set free from those things. How can we do this? We need to fix our eyes on Jesus.
The original language carries the meaning of looking away unto Jesus. We need to look away from other things and look unto Jesus.
Our difficulty is that when we encounter certain matters, we are blinded by them. In our daily life, we need to focus our attention on the Lord Himself. If we look unto Him, then the weight and the sin will not entangle us so easily, and it will be easier for us to run the course.
In the Old Testament, Moses was also a person who finished the course. Psalm 103:7 says that Moses knew the ways of the Lord, while the children of Israel knew only His acts.
The reason Moses could finish the course was that he ran according to spiritual principle. He did not run according to outward appearances or phenomena.
Among God’s children, we need to distinguish the difference between principles and phenomena. As we run the course, everything should be according to spiritual principle, not according to the outward appearance of a work.
Outward appearances may be based on people’s experience of a work. If we follow appearances, we may misunderstand and go astray. We can walk in the right way only by following the principle.
In Christianity today, there are many different works. Some attract thousands of God’s children because people can see results, miracles, and signs. But this is an unprecedentedly dangerous situation if we are guided merely by appearances.
We can follow the Lord safely only according to His principles. He has given us His Word. We need the Holy Spirit to open His Word so that we can see clearly what the testimony of Jesus is and understand God’s will.
For forty years, the people of Israel saw many acts of God in the wilderness. Often they became very excited, but those acts could not become the guideline for their walk. Moses knew the ways of God.
This is an important principle for us as we run the course.
As we run this course, it is not an easy path. There are battles. The fight mentioned in 2 Timothy 4 and the race mentioned in Hebrews 12 are related. As we run the race, we are also fighting a battle.
There are many deceptions of the enemy, many temptations, many attacks, and much opposition. One scheme of the enemy is to turn us aside from the right way and make us useless.
From the Bible, in both personal life and church life, we can see the enemy’s severe attacks. Peter and Paul, as they ran in the course, encountered many risks. Without the intervention of God’s hand, they could have fallen miserably.
In Galatians 2, Peter almost fell, but Paul rose up to deal with the matter. Yet Paul himself, when he returned to Jerusalem and was under pressure from Judaism, nearly stumbled by accepting James’s suggestion. We thank the Lord that His hand intervened.
As we run the course, we need to pay much attention to the work of the enemy. This is also true for the church. The churches in Galatia had been running well, but they were hindered and began to deviate.
The church in Jerusalem had a bright beginning, yet natural zeal and certain influences increased to the point that the Holy Spirit could no longer continue His work there in the same way. His work was turned toward Antioch.
The same was true in Corinth. There were natural affections, fleshly mixtures, and worldly matters that caused many problems. These became great interferences to the testimony of Jesus Christ among the Corinthians.
The enemy is always seeking to attack God’s church. This is a great warning to us. How much we need the mercy of the Lord as we run the course.
Lastly, I would like to use Jeremiah 31:21. In the days of captivity, Israel was in great chaos. The circumstances were confusing, and the people did not see the way of the Lord or know how to go forward.
But God raised up the prophet Jeremiah to encourage the people. He said:
Set thee up waymarks, make thee guideposts; set thy heart toward the highway, even the way by which thou wentest.
In this confusing condition, the people of God needed waymarks and guideposts. As we run our course in this world, waymarks and guideposts are very important. Waymarks tell us where we are and how far we are from the goal. Guideposts tell us which direction we are heading.
This verse is very applicable to our condition today. The church situation can be confusing—perhaps more confusing than the roads in Los Angeles. But we should not be afraid, because there are waymarks and guideposts.
What is the waymark? This is my understanding: the waymarks refer to the cross. We need to realize that only the experience of the cross is reliable.
Only by carrying the cross can the self be put to death. This helps us walk in the way of the Lord. Wherever there is a genuine experience of the cross, there is something reliable.
When we read books written by saints in the past, those who carried the cross before the Lord have the mark of the cross in their writings. Their writings bring us great help and direct us to walk in the right way.
This is also a reminder to younger brothers and sisters: we need to know what books we should read. We need to see whether there are waymarks in them.
What is a guidepost? My understanding is that it refers to the Holy Spirit.
In the Old Testament, when the Israelites were in the wilderness, they did not have maps or other directions. They were led by the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire. Today, the Holy Spirit is still in the church and within us.
We need to pay much attention to the leading of the Holy Spirit. We need to use the leading of the Holy Spirit as the guideline for our walk.
If we set up waymarks and guideposts, then we can return to the way of the Lord.
On the one hand, our time is difficult. But we should not be discouraged, because we have the grace of God. We also have the clear Word of God in our hands, and we can use these principles to guide us in this way.
May the Lord have mercy upon us so that we can see one thing: for each one of us, God has set a path for us to run.
Whether we are running in the right way has a close relationship to the testimony of Jesus. If we can finish this course, then we can be like Paul and gain the crown of righteousness.
Paul said that this crown was not only for him, but also for all those who have loved the Lord’s appearing. We all long for the Lord’s return. Yet before His coming, we are still running in this course.
May the grace of God be upon us, so that each one of us can finish the course the Lord has measured out for us. May the Lord encourage us to give the rest of our time into His hands, so that we may run this course, give glory back to Him, satisfy His heart, and win the prize of the upward calling.
Lord, we want to thank You with all our hearts. Not only have You redeemed us; You have also put us in this course.
We pray that You will give us strength within, so that we may have a great longing to run in this course and to finish the entrustment You have given us.
May Your testimony become brighter and brighter among us. May we be like those who have loved You and run the course throughout the generations. Their lives have become a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, encouraging the saints in these last days.
Lord, we know that You will return quickly. We thank You for giving us opportunities. May You encourage us with these words, enlighten us, and supply us, so that we may give You the glory You are worthy to receive.
We thank You for hearing our prayer. In Jesus’ most precious name we pray. Amen.