"Finish Your Life!"Sermon by Pastor David Layman" April 29, 2007

Philippians 3:7-14

II Timothy 4:6-8

I have a friend, Robin Wood, that some of you know. For a number of years, Robin worked at Earlham. Robin and his family live in our neighborhood. Robin and I really got to know one another on an Emmaus Walk. Robin impressed me as a fine Christian believer with a winsome personality, who's been through some hard times. Right now, Robin is fighting a battle with cancer, that has gone to his liver, and it is expected that Robin won't live much longer. He's hoping to hang on until his youngest child graduates from the University of Indianapolis in May. Robin is 54.

I also know a man 20 years younger than Robin who faced a challenging life. He never married. He did have several close friends about him, but one of them betrayed him, and all the others fled in fear at his arrest. But Jesus came into the world to do a job. Although those closest to him tried to talk him out of it, and the tempter worked on him in a garden before his arrest, Jesus held to his course and endured a painful death on the cross, crying out not with resignation but triumph, "It is finished!" Jesus knew how to finish his life.

Then there was Paul, who reversed direction in mid stream and went from a persecutor to a proclaimer of the good news of Jesus. Paul endured rejection, stonings, much time in jail, being ship wrecked and beaten with rods. But Paul wrote to the Philippians from prison that his goal was to serve the Lord and attain eternal life: "Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own....This one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus."

Paul's words share with us the image of a runner, focussing all his energy on crossing the finish line. My friend Robin is also a runner, and he's focussing on the finish line of life's most important race. But crossing the finish line is not only a concern of those with a life threatening illness. Many of us have likely lived more years than we have yet lying before us. None of us knows how many weeks and years we have left. My father had heart bypass surgery when he was 75. Following that, he took his medication and faithfully exercised and did as the doctor told him. He still died in his sleep of a heart attack 3 years later. We don't know how long any of us will have in this life. I think of Jason Barker, a youth from Greenville who was killed while riding his bicycle, of Gregg O'Maley, who died at 40 from cancer, of Karen Riner, whose husband died at 33 from an unexpected heart attack. None of us knows how much time we have left!

Sometimes, we get so involved in what we're doing, that we forget that every life has a line where we start, and a line where we will finish. At the beginning of life's race, we may think we've got all the time in the world! Some people seem to believe "Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow." Seriously, don't some people seem awful relaxed about doing a task before them? They're in no hurry! When we think we're early or in the middle of a journey, there's a danger that we lose our focus and sense of purpose.

But there's something about seeing the finish line that can awaken us to a sense of urgency. Even if we're weary and tired, when we can see the finish line from a distance, we can draw on all we've got for the final home stretch. In Charles Dicken's "Christmas Carol", Ebenezer Scrooge was a crotchety old man who lived for himself. Yet the Ghost of Christmas present awakened within Scrooge a realization of how bad things were for his employee Bob Cratchet, and Tiny Tim. And when Scrooge was taken by the Ghost of Christmas future to see Tiny Tim's headstone in the cemetery, and also his own,

Scrooge was aroused from his self centered slumber. He threw open his window and asked what day it was. Discovering it was Christmas day, Scrooge realized he was alive, and there were things he could do, even as an elderly man, to change life for the better. He started his new life by reaching out to Tiny Tim and those close to him. It wasn't too late for Ebenezer Scrooge to refocus his life. In fact, Tiny Tim's finish line and Scrooge's were both extended by the changes ol' Ebenezer made.

There are times certain experiences, perhaps wrong turns, make a person feel like they're finished far before the finish line! Poor decisions, ethical lapses, experiencing a great disappointment can lead to despair. In the movie "Chariots of Fire", runner Eric Liddel is elbowed off the track by an opponent that cut him off. Some times, someone does us "in", and we're ready to give up. But in this case, Liddel picked himself up from the infield and began to run again. He ran with more purpose and determination than ever. And Liddel managed to edge out the man who had cut him off, at the finish line!

There's always the danger that we quit too soon! When the race became discouraging for members of Second and Earlham Heights, they could have followed the course some choose when their church struggles. They could have quit attending, or closed their doors. But instead, the remaining members chose to merge with First Presbyterian. Our newly united congregation became stronger in the process. We developed a stronger outreach to children, and to Richmond through the Mission Center's Food Pantry. Money was given to help start an Hispanic Ministry in Fort Wayne. Money was given to keep Hope House alive when Hope was nearly gone. We put in an elevator to remain accessible. Some that were tired and weary received a new burst of energy. And we're not finished yet!

The Presbyterian Church of Greenville, which I served before coming here, had two aging members who died after I left. Between them, they left the church over a million dollars. That money has enabled significant outreach through the congregation in the years since. Even after a person crosses the finish line of life, they can leave resources behind that enable Christ's kingdom to continue to grow and serve. Sometimes, people invest a great deal of money in a building. The Reid family gave significant funds both to Reid Church and Reid Hospital. But buildings don't tend to be the most flexible of gifts. Building needs change, utility costs escalate. Emotions become attached to a structure instead of the purpose the structure was originally built for. When connestoga wagons were heading west during the United State's expansion, people put pianos and heavy pieces of furniture in them for their new life in Oregon or Washington state. But when they came to the mountains, they discovered that the weight of the material items they were hauling was too much. Sometimes they had to make a hard decision: Do I want to die in the mountains with this dining room buffet, or leave the buffet behind, and make it to the west coast? Reid hospital developed a foundation which accrued funds so that the leaders of the hospital, at an appropriate time, could have the flexibility to decide to build a new hospital. Members of churches can give their congregations flexibility as well by remembering their church in their will. We can cross the finish line of life like the old Ebenezer Scrooge, grasping whatever we have, seeking cold comfort. To be honest, I've known some people that haven't died particularly well. They've become crabby and self focused, at times filled with self pity. It doesn't have to be this way. We can use our resources for the betterment of others as we strive to finish our own earthly race. The Apostle Paul saw his own finish line coming, and was able to write "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." That's what I want to be able to say before I breathe my last. How about you?

The movie "Glory" tells the story of the Massachusetts 54th regiment in the Civil War, a regiment composed of African Americans who chose to enlist in the cause of the Union. Morgan Freeman plays an African American sergeant. The night before a brave assault, during which many would die, Morgan Freemen addresses the Lord and those about the campfire: "Lord, we stand before you this evening to say thank you. We thank you, Father, for your grace, and your many blessings. I run off and left all my youngins' and kinfolk in bondage. So I'm standing before You this evening to ask Your blessing on all of them. So that if tomorrow is our great getting up morning, if tomorrow we have to meet the judgment day, Heavenly Father, we want You to let our folks know that we died facing the enemy. We want them to know that we went down standing up... We want them to know, Heavenly Father, that we died fighting for freedom. We ask these blessings in Jesus' name."

None of us knows how many years or days we have left! We can live the rest of our days in the fear of death. Or we can envision a finish line that God holds before us. We can make the goal of our lives knowing Christ, and the power of his resurrection. A baton has been thrust into our hands. Let us run with perseverance the race set before us, always looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith!

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