Finish the Course

And uh originally I I had a note here to say that I I don't schedule who preaches which section in here. Uh the other staff does that. And I thought it was kind of funny that they scheduled the the pastor who's closer to dying to preach about finishing the course and going to heaven and all the rest of that. And then then somebody one of them texts me back when we share my outline with them because we talk about it and go through with it and they said uh you weren't supposed to preach this Sunday. We had somebody else scheduled. So I think Enner, you were scheduled or and so he swapped maybe since I had the sermon already done.

He's nice to his pastor and uh and and so uh I'm going to be preaching this one and answer will come back and do the next one there. But looking at this, there's a couple things you want to see there. First, 2 Timothy 4:es 5-8. It says, "But watch thou in all things. Endure afflictions. Do the work of evangelism. Make full proof of thy ministry. For I'm now ready to be offered in the time of my departure is at hand. I fought a good fight. I have finished my course. I've kept the faith. Henceforth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them also that love is appearing."

Now, we read this passage is written to Timothy, a young preacher, and uh Paul's giving him a challenge in his ministry. And it's easy for everybody in this room to say, "Well, yeah, this is what Pastor Wayne needs to do. This is what Pastor Anthony needs to do, and all the rest of the pastoral staff." But you know what? Every one of you has or should have a ministry. And your ministry, there's no such thing as a mini ministry. Sometimes we think, "Well, I just work in the nursery. It's no big deal." or I just teach this class or I just sing in the worship team in the choir. There's no mini ministry.

And so I believe that Paul is talking to every one of us spec specifically to pastors and preachers and all the rest. But I I think this applies each one of us. And in verse number five, he gives Timothy a charge. But watch thou in all things. And uh and and so this kind of charge, this was actually part of uh John's message last time, but I want to kind of get right started here. And and he says uh watch thou in all things. Now, if you've paid much attention as we've gone through first and second Timothy, Paul many time has given Timothy many charges. uh in in 1 Timothy chapter 1:es 3 and 4 he says uh stop false teachers you know to to be to be able to watch for false teachers and then in 1

Timothy 1:18 and 19 he says Timothy this charge I give you to war a good warfare or in 1 Timothy 4:12 I charge you to be a good example or in um and 1 Timothy chapter 3 the the whole chapter section there talks about maintaining good church order and and in 1 Timothy 6:20 keep your commit commitment to the gospel. In 2 Timothy 1:6, he says, "I charge you, stir up the gift that is in you." Or 2 Timothy 2:2, to teach others also. And and in 2 Timothy chapter 4, we looked at just recently is preach the word. You go through Timothy and you're going to hear Paul over and over again, Timothy, you've got a responsibility here and I'm charging you to keep that commitment that you've made.

And and that goes for every one of us. It's one of the most frustrating things to a pastor is to ask somebody to do something and they don't take that responsibility seriously. And and and so he's saying Timothy, he says in verse number five, but watch thou in all things. Now hear that word watch. And I think of being in the military, you have to stand watch. Now depending what branch you're in, that means something different. If you're in the Marine Corps, you're on guard duty. You have watch. You're on guard duty. If you're in the army, often you when they say you have watch, that means you're on barracks duty.

You're you're the one that's got to watch all the barracks and make sure everybody behaves themselves and doesn't do anything wrong. If you're in the Navy, watch means you got to stand up on the deck and and guard the deck. If you're in the Air Force, it means we look at our watch and say, "It's 4:30. Time to go home." You know, uh it just depends on what branch you're in, what what what it means to stand watch. But you know in 1 Corinthians chap 16 13 and 14 Paul said this watch ye stand fast in the faith quit you like men and be strong he's telling Timothy listen you have a watch you have a responsible when you're standing watch you are responsible for everybody that's behind you watching for their souls for their lives and and you have a responsibility he says watch you stand fast don't quit don't give up like you know be a man and stay with the job and and be strong.

And and so what do we need to watch for? And the first thing we need to watch for is watch for the enemy. First Peter chapter 5 and verse number eight, be sober. Be vigilant because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion walketh about seeking who may devour. And and we've got to watch out for that enemy because he's going to do all you he can to sneak up. I I'm reading about World War II and and how they were in these uh scouts that were out there and they had to be on watch all the time for the enemy because the enemy was trying to sneak up and and and and and attack them. And we've got to watch for the attacks of Satan.

And Satan will attack in so many ways. He sometimes comes straight on and attacks you right in a in a forward attack. And sometimes he sneaks in behind you. Sometimes it's from somewhere you don't even expect. And and you got to be on the watch for the enemy. In Matthew 26:41, Jesus said to his disciples, "Watch and pray that you enter not into temptation." The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. And you know what? Our our flesh is weak. And we've got to stay faithful to the watch. You know, if you stand watch, it's easy to fall asleep and not pay attention and get distracted. And God says, "Listen, you need to watch and pray."

In Proverbs 4:23, the Bible says, "Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life." And God wants to watch what we allow into our hearts, into our lives. You know, we talked about this morning that out of the heart speak at the mouth. And and that's why we need to guard our heart. We need to protect what we allow to get into our heart, into our minds. And and not only do we need to guard our heart and watch and pray and that's so important. Disciples just failed in that duty. they fell asleep and and in the most important time the Lord said, "I need you right now to watch with me and to pray with me."

And yet they fell off and didn't do that. And and so often we are the same way. But then in Nehemiah 4:9, it says this, "Nevertheless, we made our prayer unto God and set a watch against them day and night because of them." You see, they they prayed to God and they said, "God, we can't do this without you." But they also said, "But we're going to do our part." And and and we need to realize that watching is prayer because we can't anticipate everything. We need God to watch for us. We need God to protect us and to keep us safe. But at the same time, we've got to do our part and set our guard as well.

And so Paul said to Timothy, "Watch thou." And and in 1 Corinthians again 16, he says to watch, stand fast in the faith. We need to stand in what we've learned. In 2 Thessalonians 2:15, it says, "Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you've been taught, whether by our word or by our epistle." This is a church that teaches. And you learn in Sunday school, you learn in church, you learn in Bible study. And and it's so often as a pastor though, I get frustrated because I I I I say, "You guys know it because I've taught this, but yet you're not doing it." A and we got to stand fast in what we've learned.

Uh I hope this series that we're doing in 1 Corinthians 13 that you're not just coming and listening and then walking out the door and forgetting all about it, but really what does it mean to suffer long? What does it mean to be kind? And as we go through this series, stand fast in what you've learned and stand united. In Philippians 1:27, only let your conversation be as it become of the gospel of Christ, that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit with one mind, striving together for the faith of the gospel. Satan's greatest attacks are to divide us, to separate us.

You can get a soldier alone, you can get you get a group of people separated, they cannot hold. But as long as we're united, we have the strength of God. And we've got to stand fast. We got to stand united. And he goes on to say, "Quit you like men." Go to second Timothy chapter 2 and look at verses 3-5. Second Timothy chapter 2 and verses 3-5. Thou therefore endure hardness is a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warth entangle himself with the bears in his life. They may please him and chosen to be a soldier. If man also strive for masteries, yet he's not crowned except he strive lawfully.

It It's not easy when you go into battle. That's that's a difficult that's challenged time. And listen folks, we live in a day where it's not easy to stand for Christ. It's not easy to be faithful to him. We face many challenges. And we've got to stand fast and quit like men. Don't give up. Don't quit. Whether it's in your marriage or in your walk with the Lord or in your habits of prayer and Bible study, you got to stand faithful to the Lord. In James 5:es 10- 11 says, "Take my brethren the prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord for an example of suffering, affliction, and patience. Behold, we count them happy which endure.

You have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercies." See, Job stood even in his afflictions and the prophet stood even in afflictions. And yet today, it doesn't take much to get to get us to quit, to give up. It just gets too hard. It's too hard to come to church on Sunday night. It's too hard to go out to a Bible study. It's too hard to go out witnessing. It's too hard to to be faithful to the Lord. And we've got to stay faithful. Stand fast. Quit you like men. Be strong. And let all your things be done in charity or love.

And that's what we're talking about in Sunday morning. He says, listen, Timothy in verse number five of 2 Timothy 4, but watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of the ministry, do work of evangelism, make full proof of thy ministry. And we need to make full proof. In Romans 12:1 and2 it says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to him, which is your reasonable service, and be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renew of your mind, that you may prove what is a good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

And so, so import so important that we make full proof of our ministry. And that's proving what is good and acceptable. It's not what I want to do, it's what God wants me to do. and and and he says, "Listen, Timothy, as you watch and take your stand," he said, 'd do the work of an evangelist. What is an evangelist? We just had last year evangelist Rich Toer. Is that what he's talking about? No, he's talking about soulwinning. He's talking about reaching people for Christ. In Romans chapter 1 15 and 16, it says, "So, as much as is in me, I'm ready to preach the gospel to you that are Rome also. For I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is a power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

And we need to believe in that, folks, as a church, as individuals, we need to stay faithful in reaching souls for Christ. When's the last time you gave out a track? When's the last time you invited somebody to church? When's the last time you shared your personal testimony? When's the last time you sat down and showed someone the gospel of Jesus Christ? That's what our calling is. Timothy was called to be a pastor, but he's also called to evangelism. And no matter who you are in his room, you're called to be an evangelist for Christ. You know, so I believe some people have the gift of evangelism and they just have that ability to talk to anybody anywhere about the Lord and and they just are effective at doing that.

But you know what? Whether I have the gift or not, I'm called to be an evangelist. I'm called to be a soul wonder to reach people for Christ. Look at 2 Corinthians chapter 5. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and look at verses 18- 21. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 18- 21. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled to us to himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation, to that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and have committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us.

We pray you in Christstead be reconciled to God. for heath made him be a sin to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. You see the the the the reason the the main reason I believe that God left us here in this earth is evangelism. We can worship God in heaven. We can sing praises to God in heaven. We can serve God in heaven. We can do everything else we do except evangelism in heaven. And God left us here to be evangelists. And you know, we can get so busy in our serving the Lord that we forget that we're also called to be evangelists. I can tell you that as a pastor, I I can get so busy working in the office and working on sermons and doing all the administrative stuff and everything else that I can go a whole week and never talk to anybody about the Lord.

And Paul was reminding Timothy, you're a pastor. You're called to serve the Lord, but don't forget, you're also an evangelist. And your number one purpose besides glorifying God, the reason God left you here is to evangelize. And when you're not doing that, you're not doing your job. He said, "Do the work of an evangelist." And then he he also says in there in verse 5, "Make full proof of thy ministry." Go to Romans chapter 12. Romans chapter 12. We've talked many times about the fact that every Christian at the time you're saved are given a gift or gifts of the Lord. And those gifts are are are certain talents or abilities that God gives you.

The gift of giving, the gift of serving, the gift of uh of teaching or or whatever else it might be. Now, you have talents that you were born with and abilities that you were born with that are kind of natural to you through your DNA. But every Christian is given a gift or gifts to the Lord. And God has called us to use that gift in in some office or some administration or some area of the church. And so, you might use your gift in teaching a class or you might use your gift in in being in the choir or music ministry or you might use your gift in in uh the hospitality ministry. But look what it says in Romans 12 and and and beginning there with verses number 6 through verse number 8.

It says in Romans 12:6 it says, "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith or ministry, let us wait on our ministering, or he that teachth teacheth on teaching. Or he that exorteth on exhortation. He that giveth, let him do with simplicity. He that ruleth with diligence. He that showeth mercy with cheerfulness. If you read this passage, what he's basically saying here, listen, whatever your gift is, prove it. Don't just tell me about your gift. Show me your gift by your actions. And and and the problem is in in 1 Corinthians 12, it says we're not to be ignorant of our spiritual gifts.

But the problem is that most Christians not only do not know what their gift is, they don't even know what the gifts are. And if you'd ever studied that out, I would challenge you. We've done a series on that. If you want, if you're interested, let me know that. But you should know what the gifts of the spirit are. And you should also know what your gift of the spirit is. But more important than all that, what are you doing with it? Make full proof of that ministry. If you're a teacher, who are you teaching? If you're a giving, how are you giving? He says, "Whatever your gift is, do it. Do it with diligence.

Do it well. make full proof of thy ministry. So what are you doing with the gift that God has given you? Then back in 2 Timothy chapter 4 and verse number six, Paul says, "For I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand." He's ready to be offered. Now what does he mean by that phrase ready to be offered? Now in Romans 12, we read to give our bodies as a living sacrifice. And we kind of think of that idea like offering a lamb and sacrifice. But the the word that he's using here, Paul is specifically referring to what was called a drink offering in the Old Testament in Numbers 28 verse number 7.

It says, "And the drink offering thereof shall be a fourth part of a hinn for the one uh lamb is in the holy place, thou thou shalt cause a strong wine to be poured unto the Lord for a drink offering." And so this was different than bringing an animal sacrifice. They would have a a a cup of wine, a cup of grape juice or whatever it might be, and they would pour that out. It was called a drink offering. And this offering represents Christ's sacrifice. Go over to Luke chap 22. Well, I've got it here for you. I'll give it to you. Luke 22:20. Likewise, also the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed."

The word shed there means poured out for you. Christ poured out his blood as a sacrifice, as an offering for us. And I believe that the drink offering is is a is a willingness to sacrifice ourselves for others. Go over to Philippians chapter 2. Philippians chapter 2. Now, I'll be honest with you. I' I've tried to study out the drink offering, not only here for this message, but in the past, and I I don't know if I fully understood what it all involved. Some of the sacrifices kind of confuse me and and I'm thinking, you know, even the sacrifice themselves, bringing an animal and stabbing it and all the rest of the blood's all out there.

It's not something we we in our modern culture like to think about, but it was part of the the rituals that they would go through in Israel. And and the drink offering, look at Philippians chapter 2 and look at verses 17 and 18. Yay. And I if if I be offered upon the sacrifice in service of your faith, I joy and rejoice with you all. For the same cause also do you joy and rejoice with me. That sacrifice, that offering, that pouring out of yourselves. I believe when we pour out ourselves to others, it's like a drink offering. Paul said, he said, "I'm ready to be offered. I I I'm pouring out my life for others."

He's not just talking about I I'm ready to die. Okay? That's not what I don't believe is it was that idea. He does talk about he's coming to the end of his race and I believe he was ready to die. But when he said that he's I'm ready to be offered, he's saying I I'm ready to be poured out in sacrifice to others as God shed his blood and poured his blood out for me and sacrificed to me. And I believe that it also is the idea here that we need to appreciate the sacrifice of others. You remember the story in 2 Samuel chapter 23 about David? He was running from Saul and and he had a a band of mighty men that were around him and and because he was a fugitive, he couldn't go home.

And and and it says in chapter 23, 2 Samuel 23:16-1 17, it tells us in the verse before that that David just kind of they were sitting around the fire and David said, "Man, what what what I wouldn't give for a glass of cold water from the well of Bethlehem. I mean, there's nothing like that. that water is the purest water you ever drink. I'm reading into it a little bit, but he he just said they were just sitting around a fire talking about all the things they miss. You know, it's kind of like when you're out at sea on a submarine, you talk about how you miss ice cream or real milk and stuff like that.

And he just said, "Man, I I what I what I wouldn't give for a cup of water, cold water from the well of Bethlehem." And so the Bible says that in verse 16, "And three mighty men break through the host of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless, he would not drink thereof, but poured it out into the Lord." He said, "Be it far from me, oh Lord, that I should do this." Is not this the blood of the men that went jeopardy of their lives? Therefore, he would not drink it. These things did to these three mighty men.

So these guys heard David said, "Well, we can go get him his cup of water." and they fought through the Philistines, got the water from the wealth, brought it back, and when they brought it, David was just overwhelmed by what they were willing to do for him. And and it kind of seems like they went all this trouble when you poured it on the ground, but he was just he was just showing how much he appreciated what they were willing to do for him. When's the last time you showed somebody you appreciate their sacrifice for you? When's the last time you showed that to your spouse? When's the last time you showed that to the teacher of your children in a Sunday school class?

When's the last time you showed that to anybody in their service to you and to others? We ought to appreciate how people are willing to pour There are people in this church that have poured their lives into your children. When's the last time you appreciated that? There are people in this church, they come out every Tuesday night and practice so they can stand up here and lead you in worship. When's the last time you appreciated that? You know, there are people that are down in the nursery working those little babies. When's the last time you appreciated that? We ought to appreciate those who are willing to pour out their lives for you and for your family.

And we ought to thank for that. And it's just to to pour out that that, you know, that that that idea. Years ago, after I graduated Bible college, I was uh working a job. I was working with a church up in northern Minnesota and I was working a job delivering feed to uh farmers and this was my wife's hometown and uh so I I'd not grown around farms much but I was delivering these feed out there and and I found out real quick I I'm not a coffee drinker. You guys know that. But I found out real quick that when you went to a farmer's home, first thing they did is put a cup of coffee in your hand. They didn't ask you if you wanted a cup of coffee cuz they figured everybody drank coffee, especially out in the farm.

And I remember the first time that happened. I was telling my wife about turned out this was her aunt that this happened with. And I pulled up in the farm and I'm delivering a load of feed for pigs and and I'm getting ready to put it all out there and she comes walking out and there's your coffee, you know, just puts it in my hand. And I I don't like coffee. And I'm sitting there and I but I don't want to be ungracious either. And so I'm sitting there kind of taking little pretend sips. You know how they do in the commercials on TV. And I'm taking pretend sips. And then when she turned her back, I dumped it in the trough for the pigs.

And then she brought me another cup of coffee because I was out. But you know, it's just be willing to show some appreciation. Paul said, "I'm willing to pour out my lives. I I am ready to give my life as a drink offering." And that ought to mean something to us when people are willing to do that. And we ought to let them know we appreciate that. And Paul says in Philippians chap uh 2 Timothy chapter 4 at the end of that verse he says I'm now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand. Go to Philippians chapter 1 and verses 20- 26. You know when I when I hear those words I think of uh flying you know your departure will be in you know and you go into this the airport and there it is departure time which is the biggest lie in the world.

Uh they never depart on time do they? and uh you're waiting for that departure time and sometimes that's delayed. In Philippians 1 and:es 20- 26, it says according to my earnest expectation and my hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness as always, so now also Christ should be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, by life or by death. For me to live as Christ to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor. Yet what I shall choose, I what not. For I'm a straight between two. I have a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better.

Nevertheless, to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and con and continue with you and and all your furtherance and joy of your faith, that your joy may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again. Paul for a long time had been ready to depart. He'd been in that airport waiting room and waiting, just waiting for his flight to go. He was ready to go to heaven. But he also knew, I still have something to do here. I still have something to serve the Lord. And until our departure happens, we need to be faithfully serving the Lord.

And then in 2 Timothy chapter 4, he goes on to say in verse number 7, I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the faith. Henceforth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge. So give me it that day and not to me only but unto all them also that love is appearing. So he says listen I'm I fought a good fight. Paul loved sports. You read his writing he loved sports and it seems like there's three kinds of sports that he like he loved and he would use them as illustration. One was boxing. Now I'm not a big boxing fan as you know I got beat up too many times as a kid to enjoy watching somebody get hit all the time.

Uh, I'm not a big boxing fan, but Paul seems like that was one of the sports he loved. Maybe MMA, I don't know what exactly it was, but in 1 Corinthians 9:26 and 27, he says that I therefore so run not as uncertainly. So fight eye, not as one that beatth the air like shadow boxing, but I keep under my body and bring subjection. Listen, by any means when I preach to others, I myself should be a cast away. So Paul says, listen, I have fought a good fight. I have fought that battle and and the greatest battle that Paul said I fought was with myself. And I don't know about you, but this is my greatest battle to beat this and this body and this flesh into subjection to the Lord and say, you know, I'm not going to let my body control me.

I let my flesh control me. And then he also seemed to like wrestling. Now, I wrestled in high school. That was I was the lightweight wrestler, believe it or not. Back then I was really skinny and small and uh I loved wrestling because wrestling is not about how strong you are. It's about leverage. It it's about getting the leverage on the other person. In Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 12 it says, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of this darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Folks, we're wrestling and the devil's just trying to get leverage on us.

And boy, he's got a lot of ways of doing that. You don't have to be the strongest guy to win in wrestling. You just got to know how to use that other guy against himself to get him turning one way and then just take over and and keep it going. And that's what the devil does. He gets us to turn aside and turn away from the things that are important to get focused on things that are not of God. In 2 Peter 3:16 it says, "And also in all his epistles speaking in them of those things in which some things hard to be understand." Peter's talking about Paul's writings which they that are unlearned and unstable rest.

They wrestle with as do the other scriptures under instruction. And sometimes we even wrestle with God and fighting what he's trying to tell us in his word. Say, "Well, that's not really what God's saying. That's not really what God wants me to do because we don't want to do it." And then Paul liked race. The the Olympics is coming up, the winter Olympics. But he he loved racing. In Hebrews 12:es 1 and two, it says, "Wherefore, seeing we're compass about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us. And let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the same, and is sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. I I just want to finish the race and I want to do it well. Go back to 1 Corinthians chapter 9. I read some verses from there, but go over to 1 Corinthians chapter 9 and look at verses 24- 27. 1 Corinthians chapter 9 verse number 24. Know ye not that they which run and race run all but one receives the price. So run that you may obtain. And every man that striveth the master is temper in all things. Now they do obtain the corrupt crown but we incorruptible.

I therefore so run not as uncertainly. So fight I not as one to beat the air but I keep on honor my body and bring subjection le by any means when I have preached to others I myself should be a cast away. Paul said I just want to finish the race and finish it well. And that's what he's saying here. He's down to the end of his life. He knows he's going to die soon. He says, "I've fought a good fight. I have finished my course. I've kept the faith." I wasn't a great runner in cross country. I ran cross country in high school also. Wasn't a great runner, but I had ability to get a second wind. And my goal was not I I knew I wasn't going to always win because I wasn't the fastest, but my goal was to finish well.

To finish well for my team. And and that's the goal we need to have is to finish well. He said he said henceforth there's laid up for me a crown of righteousness, the victor's crown. And we don't have time to turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 3. He talks about you know that when we come to the end of this race, what are we going to receive? Whether it's good or bad, we're going to receive reward and and God's promises crown. But the greatest thing God's promises is this. Matthew 25:21, "His Lord said unto him, well done, thou good and faithful servant." Thou has been faithful over thee things. I will make thee ruler over many things.

Enter thou into the joy of the Lord. On our Wednesday night, Bible said here at the church, we're going through esquetology, things to come. And one day, we're going to stand before God and we're going to be judged how we live this life. And we're going to lose have loss where we lost some of the things we could have had, but we're going to have reward also. And the greatest reward is knowing that we've done our best for the Lord. to be able to take those crowns as it says in Revelation chapter 4 and to lay them at the feet of Christ. It's not me about me walking around with this great big crown look and say look at me look how great I am but it's being able to go and say look at how great my God is and be resent to him.

So I want to challenge you with Paul's statement here. He says, "I poured myself out." Have you poured yourself out for the Lord into your ministry? Have you been faithful to watch in all things? Have you have you continued to fight the good fight and to stay in that and not quit and not give up so that you can finish the course