Hoe to the End of the Row

We shall title the sermon today, Ho to the End of the Row, subtitle Endure to the End. Bill Brown. Bill Brown made a million. Bill Brown, think of that. Boy, you remember as poor as a rat. Who hoed for the neighbors, did jobs by the day. Well, Bill's made a million, or near it, they say. You can't understand it. Well, neither could I. And then I remembered, and now I know why. The veil might be ringing, the dinner horn blow, but Bill always hoed to the end of the row. Bill worked for my father, you may recall. He wasn't a wonder, not that, not at all. He couldn't out-hole me, or cover more ground, or hoe any cleaner, or beat me around. In fact, I was better one way that I knew getting back to the house when the dinner horn blew. One toot from the kitchen and home I would go, but Bill always hoed to the end of the row. We used to get hungry out there in the corn. You talk about music, what equals a horn. A horn-yelling dinner, tomatoes and beans, and potatoes and gravy and greens. I ain't blaming no one for quitting on time. To stop with a whistle, that ain't any crime. But as for that million, well, this much I know that Bill always hoed to the end of the row. I gave a version of this sermon somewhere around 1980 up in the big Sandy Field House. After that, Dr. Alan Stout, many of you remember him. He was a veterinarian there at the college. He made this grand statue here and sent it to me and engraved it, hoed to the end of the row, which I've kept with me now for over 30 years.

Hoing to the end of the row, enduring to the end. Enduring to the end is the same as hoing to the end of the row. The simple definition of endurance is to keep on keeping on regardless of the situation or circumstance. You don't give up. Winners never quit, and quitters never win.

It's on so many walls of locker rooms, athletic locker rooms, throughout the nation. It's the same as staying in the battle of life and fighting the good fight unto the end. Let's notice Matthew 24 and verse 14. In Matthew 24 and verse 14, the Olivet prophecy, Jesus Christ speaking, "...and this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness, and then the end shall come." Verse 13, "...but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved." Also in Luke 21, Luke 21 is Luke's account of the Olivet prophecy.

Luke has some details that Matthew does not. Matthew, Mark, and Luke are called the synoptic gospels, and the word synoptic means seeing through the same eye. So many of the same stories, parables, so on, are given in all three of these gospels. Some have the same details, and some add others. In Luke 21 and verse 19, "...in your patience possess you your souls, and patience is somewhat akin to endurance. And when you shall see Jerusalem accomplished with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh." Of course, they are not exactly surrounded, Jerusalem, at the present time, but they are surrounded by hostile nations, as just the armies haven't been gathered at the present time.

You don't take a fatalistic view of endurance. Endurance is not built in a passive state. Having been in athletics, I know the value of endurance, and I know how endurance is built. You must overload the system and stretch yourself beyond what you initially think you can do.

And we reach our psychological limits way before we do our physiological limits. I know many times in running wind sprints after football practice in August, you'd run down to the end of the field and say, if he asked me to run one more wind sprint, I'd quit.

Then he blows a whistle and says, on your mark, you get on your mark, you go again, you repeat the same thing down at the other end, and you run a few more. You've reached your psychological limits, but not the physiological. It's amazing in times of crisis what people can do physically that they thought perhaps they never could do.

When you're in the game, if you use the football analogy, the number of touchdowns doesn't matter. It's what the final score is. And you must be in the game when the final whistle blows. In Christian life, and athletics have a lot of analogies, but in athletics, the coach can take you out of the game. But in the race that we're in, only you can take you out of the game. All Satan is there, all kind of enemies are there, but when all is said and done, each one of us will stand before the judgment seat of Christ, and we are standing before the judgment seat of Christ, and we are personally and individually responsible.

In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul used analogies from the games of his day, the athletic games. Of course, the Greeks were known for their athletic games, and they had a saying in ancient Greece of a sound mind and a sound body, and they were the ones that invented the gym and that kind of thing, and exercise and training along with the Spartans and others. But the Greeks took it to even an art form, and basically they did many of their exercises without any clothing.

In 1 Corinthians 9 and verse 24, No, you not, they which run in the race run all, but one receives the prize. So run that we may obtain, and every man that strives for the mastery is temperate in all things, moderation. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly so fight, I not as one that beats the air.

I'm not just out there making empty motions. I have a goal, I have a purpose in mind. The big picture is always burning brightly in your minds, and one of the great keys to endurance, I hope I shall emphasize, is to keep that big picture burning brightly in your mind, which is hope. Hope, the helmet of salvation, is what Paul calls in 1 Thessalonians 5.8, and put on the helmet of salvation, which is hope. We have hope only in this life. We are of all men, most miserable. So that big picture, that goal, the finish line, if we don't cross that line, if we don't die in the faith, we're seeking for honor, glory, and immortality.

In the kingdom of God, we're not seeking for a corruptible crown. We're not seeking for the gold, the silver, or the bronze. We're seeking for the crown of life, and it shall all be in vain if we don't receive it. We shall not let any man take our crown. Verse 27, But I keep under my body that bring it into subjection, self-discipline, ruling over, lest that by any means, when I preach to others, I myself should be a castaway, showing that you can fall from the faith, that you can fall away.

The story is told of Winston Churchill, Minito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler having a meeting during World War II at a villa. They came there to discuss maybe how they could end the war, and they came up with this notion here that there was a pool there, and it had a carp in it. I don't know how many carp. But they said whoever could get in the pool, or however they do it, and catch this carp will be the winner. So Mussolini jerks out his pistol, and he starts firing, and the water easily deflects the bullets.

Then he says, Philroy, it's your turn. So Adolf, he jumps in the pool, and I've tried to do this before. He got the carp in his clutches, and he just slipped away. I had a pond that was drying up and droughted out there at Holly Lake, and it was only about six inches deep, and I got this carp cornered off over there. It looked like he weighed about eight or ten pounds. They're as strong as a mule.

So I got in there with him, and I got him a couple of times, and I cannot hold him. So I'm sure Hitler cannot hold him in that pool. So he thrashed about for a while, and exhausted, he climbed out. So then it was Churchill's turn.

They had been sipping tea by the pool, so he walks over with his teaspoon and begins dipping the water out of the pool. When I was coaching, I had a few notable quotes hanging in the locker room. One of the main ones was, Good starters are many, good finishers are few. Way over half of the people who ever came into the church were baptized, and all of that have left the church.

Back in the mid-80s, the average tenure was 15 1⁄2 years. I don't know what the average tenure is now. Good starters are many, good finishers are few. In other words, you have to hoe to the end of the row. You have to endure to the end. So let's chronicle some of the good starters. Satan was, you would call him a good starter. He was at the very throne of God. Let's notice that. Ezekiel 28, verse 14, the anointed carob that covers. Ezekiel 28, verse 14, he was there at the very throne of God.

Ezekiel 28, 14, You are the anointed carob that covers, and I have set you so. You were upon the holy mountain of God. You did walk up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. You were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created, till an equity was found in you. Satan got off to a great start, or Lucifer.

He had great beauty, wisdom, great position, office, archangel. I guess about the only thing that was over him was God himself and the Word. But he was not a good finisher. And he will be an even worse finisher when all is said and done. When he's put into the lake of fire, the bottomless pit. Some say, well, put him in the lake of fire, spirit doesn't burn, but God can.

I think some people have the idea Satan, Lucifer, is a created being. Does God create anything he can't control, or if he wants to, destroy? I don't know for sure whether or not Satan will be actually destroyed. He talks about wandering stars foaming out their shame forever. But some people, well, his spirit, he can't be destroyed. Oh, yeah. God is above all principality power. He created Lucifer. Some other Adam and Eve, they got off to a good start.

Let's go to Genesis 1. In Genesis 1, verses 26 and 27, we see that they were made in the image of God, the illusion, shape. In Genesis chapter 1 and verse 26, God said, Let us make man in our own image after a likeness and let him have dominion. So it's form and shape over the fish of the sea, over the fowl of the air, and over the creeping things of the earth.

Verse 27, So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them. God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, multiply, and replenish the earth, subdue it, and have dominion over the sea, over the fowl of the air, and every living thing that moves upon the earth.

Then in chapter 2, verse 15, The eternal God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden, to dress it and to keep it. Created in the image of God, beautiful garden, beautiful environment, may freely eat of everything in the garden, but that which is in the midst of the garden, the knowledge of the tree of good and evil.

You have perfect teacher, perfect environment. They must have been beautiful physical specimens. They got off to a good start, but it only lasted a very short time, and they were driven out of the garden. Good starters, not good finishers. Cain. Cain was the firstborn. You look there in chapter 4 of Adam and Eve.

And Adam knew his wife, conceived, and bear Cain. She said, I've got me a man from the Lord. Perhaps she thought that Cain was a fulfillment of Genesis 3.15, a promised Messiah. But then when it came time to bring an offering, Cain brought a thank offering.

Abel brought a sacrifice, a sin offering. Abel's offering was accepted. Cain's was not. Cain was so mad about that that he killed his brother in a rage of jealousy and a fit of anger. I don't know how good a start you'd say Cain got off to, but he could have had the preeminence. He was a firstborn. But he didn't finish very well, and he was a progenitor of a very evil and wicked kind of people.

The nation of Israel came out of Egypt with a high hand. Six days later, at the Red Sea, they were ready to cash it in and go back. And for 40 years, they griped and complained and murmured in the wilderness so that only those 20 and under and the good spies were allowed to go into the Promised Land.

Saul, the first king of Israel, got off to a good start. A handsome man, a towering man. Got off to a good start, was very humble at first, but he didn't finish the race. Solomon got off to a good start, blessed with the greatest wisdom that any person living in the flesh ever had, except Jesus Christ. Solomon wound up with 700 wives, 300 concubines, and he turned to false religion and worshiped Molech and all the various gods of that part of the world. Good start, didn't finish the race. Judas Iscariot was chosen to be an apostle, to be taught by Jesus Christ himself.

He was made treasurer. I guess you could say he was off to a good start. He surely had a good opportunity. But then he decided that he knew a better way, and he betrayed the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ. The sum of the losers—of course, there are many others. I just chronicled a few. The sum of the losers—they were filled with vanity, jealousy, lust, and greed.

They lacked faith, which is inextricably linked to obedience. So here are some that got off to a good start, but they did not endure to the end. They did not hold to the end of the row. Now let's notice some good finishers. Abraham. Abraham had his problems along the way. Abraham told a lie about Sarah. And I'm sure everybody that's lived in the flesh is subject to like passions. But he finished his race. And even though Moses didn't go into the Promised Land, Moses remained faithful.

You know, the thing about Moses that after he was told, after he struck the rock twice, instead of speaking to the rock as God had said, that he continued to faithfully carry out his duties and his role. And they came to Mount Nebo, and God took him away.

And he also took away Aaron because of what Moses did, because somehow Aaron was held responsible as well. You can read it very clearly. Moses and Aaron did not enter the Promised Land because of what happened with the rock. Joshua led Israel into the Promised Land, died in the faith. David, oh boy, did he have his problems. But it appears that David will be in the kingdom of God.

Elijah had his ups and downs. After the great showdown with the priesthood bale on Mount Carmel, he fled for his life from Jezebel because he said, I'm going to kill him. But he finished his race and was translated, and his office was passed on to Elisha. And of course, Jesus Christ came and finished the work that God gave him to do. We read about Stephen last week, full of the Spirit, beacon in the Church.

He gave one of the most powerful sermons, recorded in the Bible, Acts 7. He finished the race. The Apostle Paul, the Apostle John Peter, they were filled with love, faith, obedience, patience, endurance, hope. Oh yes, they had great trials, according to tradition. All of the Apostles, the original Apostles, except Judas Iscariot, were martyred. Peter lived his whole life, knowing that he was not getting out of this world alive, or as many of us, very few of us do.

But that the way he would part from this life would be through crucifixion. All of these people endured great trials. They hoped at the end of the row. The Abrahams, the Moses, Joshua, David, Elijah, Jesus Christ, Stephen, Paul, John, there are many more. There are a lot of them in Hebrews 12. Let's go to James 5, verse 17. In James 5, verse 17, one of the things that I tried to get across last week with the power within you, the power of God within you, that you are partakers of the very divine essence, the very nature of God in that sense.

You have the Spirit of God dwelling within you. I think we try to somehow view people that are mentioned, especially in the New Testament, or the apostles, like Elijah from the past, and all the things they did, as if they were somehow so much different than we are. I mean, human nature, from the creation of Adam Eve to the present time, it has not changed, and it's subject to sin and death.

And James says this very clearly right here. James 5, verse 17, Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it rained not on the earth for three and a half years. And he prayed again. This was in the showdown of Mount Carmel with the priests of Baal.

He prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. So one of the things like last week was trying to do to get us to wake up and realize what we can do in overcoming Satan and self and sin and this world. As I've already mentioned, we oftentimes reach our psychological limits way before our physiological. The physical limits before the spiritual. Let's go to Romans chapter 5. In Romans chapter 5, there is a succinct formula for how God develops a holy righteous character within us, and the word develop is not the correct one. It should be create.

There is a process that we go through that is not axiomatically done per se. We're not on an assembly line, but in Romans chapter 5 verse 3, and not only so, but we glory in tribulations, also knowing that tribulation works patience.

As I said, patience and endurance are linked together. A person who is not patient is subject to throwing the towel and quitting. I had an opportunity this week to talk to people who are no longer in our fellowship, talking about the history of the church in this area, and all of that. Virtually, all of it goes back to some kind of personality kind of thing. Somebody said this, somebody did this, and they acted arrogant, and they acted this way, and they did this, and they did that, and on and on it goes. You have to somehow look beyond human beings, because we're all fallible, and we're all subject to doing things that we shouldn't do. There's none righteous, no, not one.

But God has given us a way. If we really understand who God is and what He is, what He's doing, and the same thing about man, that we enter into a covenant with God and Christ, and each member of the body of Christ, we're members one of another. And we really believe that. We can run the race with patience, and we can endure. So He says, we glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation works patience, and patience experience. Now, the word experienced here in the Greek is dokime, D-O-K-I-M-E, meaning proof, testing. So the tribulation works patience, and patience, proof, and testing. In other words, God sees what we're made of. And during that time, while that is going on, and patience, experience, proof, testing, and experience prove testing hope. Well, no matter what happens, I still have this hope, this big picture burning brightly in my mind. I have the helmet of salvation on, which is hope. And hope makes me not ashamed. You know, whatever they're saying about me, or thee, or whatever, I mean, if you really, we're our own worst enemies when it comes oftentimes to what we have done as a body, as an organization, and that kind of thing, we are worse than Chester and shooting ourselves in the foot. And hope makes us not ashamed. But all that's said and done. If your goal, if your mind has stayed on the goal, the finish line, of hoeing to the end of the road, never giving up, okay, you may have to dip all the water out of the pool with a teaspoon. But if you do that, you'll catch the carp, because he can't do very well when it's dry. And hope makes us not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, which is given unto us. In other words, we go through each one of these sequential steps, and God will create within us. He is holy, righteous character. So we have to keep our eye on the goal. We have to keep on keeping on. As I've already quoted, if we have hope only in this life, we're of all men most miserable. That's what Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15-19. Let's go to 2 Thessalonians 1. Those who were really in the faith in 2 Thessalonians were really having a difficult time because there were those in the church who were saying that the resurrection is past, and the kingdom of God has already come, and that kind of thing. How they could be saying that, I don't know. In 2 Thessalonians 1, verse 4, So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God, for your patience and faith, in all your persecutions and tribulations, that you endure, which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer. Seeing it as a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation into them that trouble you, and to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. And you go down there in chapter 2, verse 1, Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit nor by word, nor by letter, asked from us, that the day of Christ is at hand. Some were even feigning letters that they were coming from Paul, and they were coming from somebody else. And then he begins to give those prophetic signs that we have talked so often about, about the man of sin, the son of perdition, and people being deceived and loving not the truth.

Let's go to Romans chapter 15. Romans 15.

Romans 15 seems to be sort of neglected, but it is a very inspiring chapter. People tend to get bogged down in all the first eight chapters, especially. But in Romans 15, verse 1, For even Christ, please not himself, but as it is written, the reproaches of them that reproached him, fell on me. For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience, once again, this patience and endurance. Tribulation works patience. Patience works experience. Experience works hope.

And hope makes us not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts.

Now, the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, wherefore receive you one another as Christ all received us to the glory of God. You could go on and read the rest of Romans 15. It's a very inspiring section of Scripture. Two great examples in the Old Testament of patience and endurance. The prophet Ezekiel and the prophet Isaiah. Let's look at Isaiah first. In Isaiah chapter 20, when God called Isaiah, he had this great vision of the heavenlies, and he was really afraid.

And God began to call him to do a work. He said, why are you calling me? I'm a man of unclean lips.

But God said, I'll clean up your lips. I've got a work for you to do. And here in Isaiah 20 verse 1, He was walking naked and barefoot. I think he still had his private parts covered, but he was, quote, all but naked. And the Lord said, like as my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia. Now, can you imagine some people want to be a prophet and they claim that they are prophets. What the prophets went through, most of them, is absolutely unbelievable. They suffered tremendously. So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians, prisoners, and the Ethiopians' captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered to the shame of Egypt. They shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation and of Egypt their glory. And the inhabitant of this isle shall say in that day, Behold, such is our expectation, where we flee for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria, and how shall we escape? Well, there's only one way that you can escape from that which is coming upon the face of the earth, and that is through the supernatural protection of God and Jesus Christ. But in order to get that, watch and pray always that you might be worthy to escape that which comes upon the sons of men to try the whole world. And of course, even you might be as zealous as you can be and still be called on to die and martyred. In Ezekiel 4, let's look at Ezekiel, what he endured, and from all accounts, both Isaiah and Ezekiel, did hold to the end of the row. They were faithful to the end. In Ezekiel 4. Ezekiel 4.1, You also, son of man, take you a tile and lay it before you and portray upon it the city, even Jerusalem, and lay siege against it and build a fort against it and cast a mount against it. Of course, that mount was the nation Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon. Set the camp also against it and set battering rounds against it round about. More overtake unto you an iron pan. Set it for a wall of iron between you and the city and set your face against it and it shall be besieged and you shall lay siege against it. This shall be assigned to the house of Israel. Lie you also upon your left side and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it. So it was symbolic of the sins of Israel, Ezekiel, lying on his left side. According to the number of the days, you shall lie upon it and you shall bear their iniquity. For I have laid upon you the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, 390 days. So that's over three years. So shall you bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. And when you have accomplished them, lie again on your right side and you shall bear the iniquity of the house of Judah, 40 days. I have appointed you each day for a year. So that's how Ezekiel was to spend three years. And it goes on talking about how he would get his food, how it would be cooked, and all of that, and what he would eat.

You talk about endurance. You talk about setting an example. Moses was out in the wilderness herding sheep for 40 years. See, when Moses was about 40 years old, he saw an Egyptian beating an Israelite. So he went and intervened and wound up killing the Egyptian and burying him in the sand. The next day when there was a dispute and Moses went out, the Israelite said, Who are you? You've been made ruler over us. Are you going to do to me what you did to that Egyptian yesterday?

So Moses knew that the word would get back to Pharaoh. So he fled for his life. But it came into his mind when he was about 40 years old that he should be the one to lead them out. Then after 40 years in the wilderness, then God appears to him the burning bush incident. And then he begins to tell him what he wants him to do. And what's Moses' response? Who am I? Who am I that I should lead the people out? And God, it was Moses' protestation got to the point where God was like, wasn't too happy with Moses.

But anyhow, Moses eventually responded. In all of the examples of Hebrews 11, the great men and women of faith that are chronicled there. Let's go to Hebrews 12 immediately after the chronicling of all of those. We read about the example of Jesus Christ himself. None of us have been tested or tried to this point, yet I don't know who we ever will be. In Hebrews 12, wherefore seeing we also are accomplished about with such a great cloud of witnesses. And many of them are mentioned in chapter 12.

Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience. It's again that word patience. Patience and endurance linked together. The race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Sometimes we really get caught up with repentance and faith toward Jesus Christ. It's like, well, my sins have been forgiven. I go my way. Whereas Romans 5.10 says that having been reconciled to God by the death of his son, we shall be saved by his life. So you have to continually have this relationship with God and Christ in running the race.

Verse 2, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, the joy that was set before him, he had his eyes on the big picture. He knew what was going to happen. He endured the race. We have been promised the same thing. God has promised God who cannot lie has promised. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the stake, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

That's where his vision, that's where his sights were, for the joy that was set before him. Now, another big part of that joy was that because he was going to do what he did, then we could have our sins forgiven, and we could be counted as sinless and be recipients of God's Spirit and divine nature, and eventually, look at Revelation 3.

And eventually, look at Revelation 3. Of course, you've already memorized that from the handouts I sent you, but anyhow, we'll read it. Revelation 3.20, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. There's a new, I guess you'd call it, new organization that's out the, I think it's called the Laodicea knock. And there's a young man, quite a dynamic young preacher, and quite a number of, I guess, people who've been affiliated with the Church of God from time to time, and maybe new people are being taken in.

But just out of the blue, I was sitting there last Sabbath afternoon after services. It might have been dark, but anyhow, my cell phone rings, and as one of his parishioners, who was in worldwide for many years, calling in, he said, well, was the worldwide Church of God the true Church? And of course, we talked about that a little bit. And then, well, what happened to that Church? Oh, we talked about that a little bit. Come to find out, of course, he'd been in the Church for years, and now he's in this, and he was calling to warn me that I'd better get out and get with the Laodicea knock.

I guess they're taken from this verse. Then, this past week, this same guy called Mr. James Neff up in Texarkan, and he gave him sort of the same kind of working over. But, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him, and will set with him and he with me.

Of course, the usual charge of so many is they're not preaching the truth, they're not teaching the truth. And I think some of the, you know, you don't know what people think altogether in the very depth of their being, but some people got the idea that the truth was not being taught in Ambassador College.

You know, the truth was being taught in Ambassador College until 1995. Of course, we had some faculty who began to go awry in 1994, and they really got with it in 1995. To some degree, a little bit began to creep in in 1993 with the God Is booklet. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open, I will come into him, and I will set with him and he with me.

To him that overcomes, will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and am sat down with my Father in his throne? He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the churches. None of us have resisted sin unto blood. Maybe one day, as we said, we may be called upon to do that. We mentioned this when we're looking at the book of Revelation. Let's turn forward there to chapter 12. Satan is cast into the earth, verse 9 and 10.

They repeated exercise faith in the sacrifice of Christ. They continued in a reconciled position with God in Christ. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb by the word of their testimony. They did not fold under pressure. In your patience, possess you your souls.

You shall be brought before kings and governors, and so on. This is Luke 21 again. For my names' sake, think not what you shall say in your heart, because I'll give you words to speak which your adversaries cannot gain say. And they loved not their lives unto the dead. They were willing to hold to the end of the road. And, of course, in baptismal counseling, you have the Luke 14, verses 26, starting to the end of the chapter, of counting the cost. If any man comes to me wanting to be my disciple and love not the last father-mother, yea, even his own life, he's not worthy to be called my disciple. So you have to be willing to forsake all in order to finish the race. You have to be called on to sacrifice everything. Some people have to sacrifice everything they own, start all over. Some lose mates. Some lose children. Some lose their own health. You could go on and on with what may be lost. But God has promised that he will deliver. Let's go to Proverbs 24, verse 10. There's this admonition that Paul gives to gird up your loins. So, indeed, this is the time to gird up your loins and fight the good fight of faith, keep the big picture burning brightly in your minds, hold at the end of the row. In Proverbs 24, verse 10, If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small. So we're not going to faint in the day of adversity. During the early days of the Church, after the day of Pentecost, the apostles started off. You remember Jesus Christ said, This gospel shall be preached in Judea, Samaria, the uttermost parts of the world. And they started in and out of the temple, and the gospel spread from there. During that time, they were greatly opposed by the Pharisees, the scribes, and those who were in seats of power, especially in the religious community. But they kept on. Let's go to Acts 5, Acts 5. These wonderful examples throughout the Bible of men and women who fought the good fight of faith, men and women who hold to the end of the road, men and women who in the face of adversity, affliction, are whatever you want to name. One time Paul was beaten so badly he was thrown over the wall for debt. In Acts 5, verse 29, Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to be God rather than men. That's in response to this verse 28, where they were commanded not to preach Jesus Christ. Verse 28, saying, Did not we straightly command you that you should not teach in this name? And behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, your teaching, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince and a savior, for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sin. And you are his witnesses of these things, and so is also the Holy Spirit whom God had given to them that obey him. When they heard that, they were cut to their heart and took counsel to slay them. Then Gamaliel stood up and saved him. And he said, If this work be of men, it will amount to anything, it will thaw, but if it be of God, you cannot destroy it and you don't want to fight against God. They counted it all, they counted it a blessing to be worthy to suffer for his name's sake.

The Apostle Paul fought the good fight of faith to the very end. How did he do it? Let's go now to 2 Corinthians 6. 2 Corinthians 6. Often times, we tend to spend a lot of time in 1 Corinthians, not so much in 2 Corinthians, and not so much in this chapter. We usually pick one or two scriptures out of here, but notice this.

In 2 Corinthians 6, verse 1, We then, as workers to gather with him, beseech you also that you receive not the grace of God in vain, that of mine favor. For you said, I have heard you, and in time acceptable. We often times quote this scripture to show that this is not the only day of salvation, that God is not, quote, trying to save the whole world right now, because some people have never even heard the name of Jesus Christ and will die never having heard the name.

And in that day of salvation, and it should be in a day of salvation, have I suckered you. Behold now is the accepted time. Behold now is a day of salvation. Giving no offense in anything that the ministry be not blamed, but in all things approving ourselves as ministers of God in much patience. In afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in two malts, in labors, in watchings, and in fastings. By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by this power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report, good report, as deceivers and yet true, as unknown and yet well known, as dying and behold we live, as chastened and not killed, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor, yet making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing all things.

O you Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you. Our heart is enlarged. Paul had quite a time with the Corinthians like he did with the Thessalonians. God works in mysterious ways, his wonders to perform. We don't always understand what he's doing in our lives and sometimes in the lives of others. Now we go to 1 Corinthians 13, which we call the Love Chapter. I would call 1 Corinthians 13 also the Motive Chapter. If you're not doing it for this reason, what do you mean by doing it? If you're not following God, if you're claiming to be his disciple and not doing this, then it's all in vain. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, have not charity or god-faith, I'm not becoming as God is. I become a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal, though I have the gift of prophecy, I understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I can remove mountains and have not charity, God is love. So where to become as God is, become you therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect, is what it says in Matthew 5.48. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profits me nothing. Then begins this description of how love behaves. And for our purpose here today, verse 7, Charity bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Well, if they're going to do that, I'm not going to have any part of that. I'm out of here. And so as I explained to one person this week, you know that when you get on that track, and maybe you go to another organization, you go to another organization, you don't quite like it there, you go to another, well, we're going to have church at the house, I'm going to go to my fessite, they have designated fessites, I'm going to my fessite. And so it just goes on and on. And finally, you sort of drift away, and you have let men take your crown. You could not hold to the end of the row. When it got tough, another placard we won on the locker room wall is, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. If you can't stand adversity in the day of trouble, then your strength is small. So key to Christianity, to a large degree, and hence to endurance is motive. If you're not here for the right motive, the right relationship with God and Christ, each member of the body of Christ, we're all joined together, you're not going to make it. You will not hold to the end of the row. You will not endure. But on the other hand, if this chapter has been internalized in your life, and of course much of the other things we've talked about, you will hold to the end of the row. Love hopes and endures all things. Endure to the end. The Christian life is for life and is your life, and the stakes are life and death. The Christian life is for life and is your life, and the stakes are life and death. This race is not for a year or 99, but all of your life, regardless of how long you live. The reward is eternal life. If you haven't already come to your Red Sea, you will. The armies of Pharaoh, Satan and the demons, will be behind you. The mountains on the left are right, the Red Sea in the front, no way out. Only God. Israel didn't really learn that lesson on the way to the Promised Land. As a nation, as a whole, some did. And through the ages, very few people have learned that lesson. They weren't like old Bill Brown when he heard the dinner whistle blow.

He didn't go running for the house for beef, beans and gravy. He howed to the end of the row. If you understand the keys to hoeing to the end of the row, things will work out if you do your part. Though physically it seems impossible, you will succeed. You fast, you pray, you study, you meditate, you trust God, you'll make it. You will make it.

Look at Galatians 6. I have just a few more references here. Try to encourage us all from the Word of God. Galatians 6, verse 7. Galatians 6-7, Be not deceived. God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. For he that sows to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, and he that sows to the spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting.

And let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. In other words, if we hoe to the end of the row. As we have, therefore, opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are the household of faith.

Now in Hebrews 10, verse 31. In Hebrews 10, verse 31, It is a fearful thing to fall in the hands of the living God. But called to remembrance, the former days in which after you were illuminated, you endured a great fight of afflictions. If each one of you, some of you have been in the church over 50 years, and if each one of you were to write your story and lay it out here, it would be as gripping and equally as impressive, if you want to use that word, as these that are chronicled in the next chapter, Hebrews 11. You've just about seen it all, heard it all, been through it all, but yet you're still here, still in the arena. And you have to stay in that arena until the final dinner bell rings.

Called to remembrance, the former days, you endured a great fight of afflictions, partly while you were made a gazing stock, both by reproaches and afflictions, partly while you became companions of them that were so used. A lot of people allowed themselves to be used. They get caught up in whatever it is, don't really sit down and analyze what it's all about, where is it taking them.

Where you had compassion of me and my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that you have in heaven a better and enduring substance. And Jesus Christ is coming again, and his reward is with him. Cast not away, therefore, your confidence, which has great recompense of reward, confidence, faith, assurance, knowing.

For you have need of patience, closely linked with endurance. You know, just about everybody I hear talk today. You know, I hear my granddaughters talk, I hear my daughters talk, I hear the neighbors talk, I hear everybody talk. I'm so tired. I'm so tired. I'm so weary.

Well, it says I will give you strength, you'll mount up on eagle's wings, you'll run like the young man, and so on. I guess many of you are saying, well, when's that going to happen?

For you have need of patience after you have done the will of God. You might receive the promise for yet a little while, and he that shall come will come and will not tarry.

Now the Joshua lived by faith, but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. Winners never quit, and quitters never win. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. But we're not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul. Now 2 Timothy 4, verse 5, the apostle Paul came to the finish line. He'd been in prison. He had endured so many different things. We read about a few of these things today. And he knew that his departure was at hand. His time was here on earth. But the first part of 2 Timothy, he writes, we read that verse last week. First, 2 Timothy 1, 6, stir up the spirit that is within you by the laying on of hands. You've not been called to fear, but to sound mind and power. So he's concluding this epistle to Timothy, verse 5, 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, shall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all of them also that love his appearance. Paul hold to the end of the row. He dip water with a teaspoon. Bill Brown hold to the end of the row. And so shall we.