Until All Believe!
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Ken Ham with the Barna Group “For years I’ve been saying that America as a whole has replaced its foundation of God’s Word with fallible man’s ideas about the past—that man determines truth. And we’re seeing the fruit of this evolutionary thinking in modern attitudes toward morality, both outside and inside the church, He says 6% actually have a biblical worldview." He then went on to cite statistics from a recent Ligonier Ministries survey. Among its findings: 56% believe "God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam." 38% see Jesus as "a great teacher, but he was not God."37% agree that "Religious belief is a matter of personal opinion; it is not about objective truth." The Apostle Paul would emphatically disagree!
Some say This 52-word speech (in Paul’s language) has to rank as one of the greatest addresses of all time. Lloyd Ogilvie who was the Chaplain of the Senate said “I would place it at the top of all such great statements, including Lincoln’s Gettysburg address. In these few words, Paul captures the essence of his whole life.”
I. Poured out
a. 1 Chronicles 11:17-19 David's desire for a drink
b. Paul had the same thought… “an offering of himself”
i. Roy T Bennett “Be brave to stand for what you believe in even if you stand alone.”
II. Contested for the Faith
a. The Greek word agonizomai, translated “fought,” means literally “to engage in conflict.” The word was used in the context of competing in athletic games or engaging in military conflict.
b. Paul was chained to a Roman soldier when he wrote this letter,
c. Paul was the consummate warrior, never quitting, never diminishing in his zeal for the Lord He knew the source of his faith. (Philippians 3:14-15). “ Jesus had Called him heavenward” 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, His place in the fulfillment of the Gospel. His campaign to spread the gospel of Christ began on the Damascus Road (Acts 9:3) and eventually took him across the ancient world on four missionary journeys. He witnessed of Jesus to Felix and Agrippa, Roman leaders as in Acts.
d. Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote, “Christ not only makes people ‘whole’, he makes them strong, too.”
e. Sojourner of Truth an American Abolitionist “Life is a hard battle anyway. If we laugh and sing a little as we fight the good fight of freedom, it makes it all go easier. I will not allow my life's light to be determined by the darkness around me.”
III. Committed to the End
a. Joni Erickson Tada, Artist, Author, Psalmist, a Paraplegic “This is the only time in history when I get to fight for God. This is the only part of my eternal story when I am actually in the battle. Once I die, I’ll be in celebration mode in a glorified body in a whole different set of circumstances. But this is my limited window of opportunity, and I will fight the good fight for all I’m worth.
IV. Eternal Reward
a. “Crown of Righteousness”
i. The Crown of Righteousness will be handed out to certain believers by Jesus our Lord & Judge
ii. The Crown of Righteousness is the Winner's Crown - also known as the Overcomer's Crown
iii. It's a Finisher’s Crown for those who finish their race
iv. The Crown given to all those who look forward to His return - those who fight the good fight of faith, who have finished the race and who have kept the faith.
v. Do you know how the idea of the halo entered Christian art? It is from a combination, composite, compound, of light shining, and life eternal!
b. To all who believe, All who desire the second coming!
Ronald Reagan The United States remains the last best hope for mankind plagued by tyranny and deprivation. America is no stronger than its people and that means you and me. Well, I believe in you, and I believe that if we work together, then one day we will say, "We fought the good fight. We finished the race. We kept the faith." And to our children and our children's children, we can say, "We did all that could be done in the brief time that was given us here on earth.".