Here's How to Finish Well, Part 2

Most of it. You January is the month designated to a fresh start represents beginning something new, making resolutions, setting goals, and yet some of us find ourselves in the golden years thinking about the last chapter of our lives trying to finish well today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll presents the last message in a 26 part series called becoming a people grace in this final lesson will examine the words of the apostle Paul recorded in the final chapter of Ephesians, Paul was an exemplary model finish well.

Your Bible open belt with me in prayer. Jesus, the very thought of you with sweetness fills our breast greater far your face to see and in your presence. Rest our dear father we come today, grateful for the rest that there is in Christ our souls for a number of years to life like a wave crashing against us.

A shoreline and our lives were in tumult and disarray and confusion and chaos and then you came and you brought us forgiveness and relief and you introduced us to a wonderful four letter word that has become for us a driving force in life. Rest. Thank you for the piece that accompanies this rest. Thank you for the freedom from worry that you bring as we rest in you. Thank you for carrying the weight that we used to carry on our own shoulders forgiving us literally thousands of promises that become hours to live with and to grow in and to be comforted by there's no way I can know the needs on a gathering of this size filling this room and on into an overflow room. I couldn't if I tried. But you have the ability father being who you are to know each need of each heart, each concern in each mind and we pause and relieve ourselves of those things that have strained and worried us long enough we give them over to you now. In doing so, we allow the spirit of God to plow the soil of our souls. So the seed can be so and take root and be watered in time so as to produce a hundredfold thank you father for the anticipation of our new church home, but we realize being realistic. There is no magic there. Nothing really changes about us because we move a mile away.

We bring ourselves with us. So I pray that in the transition of time that you would give us a harmonious relationship with one another. You would allow us to draw in the anchors of past offenses and hurts and give us the courage and faith to forgive. Whoever may have offended. I pray also that you will meet the financial needs of this congregation through the giving of your people.

We have no one else to call on you, Lord, and you were the one who can prompt the generosity needed so that needs are met. Bills are paid and the funds are filled that are necessary for us to continue ministering.

We rest in you for this provision. And now, as we have the pleasure of giving. Listen to our laughter. Lord it comes from deep within our hearts as we give with hilarity. Deep down joy, albeit silent, we commit these few moments resting in you as we are again lost in wonder and love and praise Jesus to search the Scriptures Chuck Swindoll. Be sure to download it, searching the Scriptures. Studies by going inside world.org/study and Alice resume the message titled, here's how to finish well during the second Timothy chapter 4 here's Paul I'm on I mean disrespectfully. Paul is an old 6566. He calls himself and Philemon. Verse nine Paul, the aged, he bore the marks of a stoning more than one whipping 39 stripes you imagine shipwrecked in the deep. Here's a man who knew what it was to stumble along severely crippled from the blows of his past, but he's now sitting in a dungeon writing a friend named Timothy who is some 30 years younger than he, and the apostle is encouraging him to stand firm. Look at these closing remarks of second Timothy four verse six.

I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith is in fact the object of each one of those phrases appears at the beginning of the original the good fight, I have fought the course, I have finished the faith I have The plan that God laid in front of me is the plan. I've carried out with no plans of taking it easy. My plan is to finish as strong as it began in the future. Verse eight there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day and not only to me.

Here's where we come in the picture but all so to all who have loved his appearing. Here's Paul Stillman mentoring still ministering still motivating younger Timothy to stir up the gift within him to get the job done for the cause of Christ. He finished well question. How do you do it. How do you do it. We got we got an Enoch on record to walk with God. 300. Here's how you do that we would go to Moses who does his best work from 8220. How do you do that, what's the secret of a Caleb at age 85.

Tightening us since it is belt saying give me the mountain and let me take on the Giants and while I'm asking, how in the world is a man who has been beaten to the end of his life, say at the end I have fought a good fight of finished and I've kept the faith, not Timothy step up. The answer is found in the last seven verses of Ephesians chapter 6 and if I read this passage correctly on how to finish well.

I I find for guidelines or if you like the word better directions for finishing well the first of the four beginning in verse 18, down to the early part of 19 is stay strong in prayer. People who stay strong in prayer finish well with all prayer and petition, pray at all times in the spirit and with this in view be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and by the way, pray for me staying strong in prayer. Some have taught that there are really six pieces of armor. There were seven remember the last time we were together. We talked about the built in the breastplate, and the boots and the shield and helmet on the sword. Perhaps we should have said there's another piece John Bunyan writing in his immortal work called it all prayer with a-add all prayer to the wielding of the shield or to the breastplate the protection all prayer is 1/3 stanza that comes from an old gospel song. The church saying for many years. It goes back 150 years to a man named Belfield who wrote those words when I quote, then some of you will remember, stand up, stand up for Jesus standing his strength alone.

The arm of flesh will fail you. You dare not trust your own. Listen to this line put on the gospel armor. Each piece put on with prayer for duty calls or danger be never wanting there. Put each piece on with prayer before the helmet. Pray when strapping on the breastplate pretty when taking the shield of faith, pray would wielding the sword of the Spirit, the cream of God.

The saying of God, pray, pray, the more you study this 18 verse them, the more one word stands out all all all all spirit directed prayer consistent, persistent prayer, staying on the alert on our knees, widespread prayer all the saints specific intercessory prayer. Pray for me, says the apostle Paul me before we moved to the next tip when he mentioned something to two groups who are hearing me right now and I picked this age arbitrarily. There's no there's no reason I choose it.

I want to speak to you who are in your 70s or older, of the greatest disciplines that you can sustain is prayer. You may not have the energy used to have.

You may not have the vision you stab you may not even have what you would call determination my focus to call it spare the ringtone that come from maybe don't feel splintering to him that used to have but I want to tell you, you have prayer as a friend, Billy Graham says that the secret of his power has never been in his skills or gifts or the organization of his committees or team or even the location of the Crusades. It is rested in the heart of one great older woman who is prayed for him throughout his years of ministry. I plead with you as an older saint to do us who are younger favor. Pray spend those days you used to spend in your work or pursuing whatever may have been your dream spend those days. Those months praying. I love to see prayer lists of older saints and I'm always rejuvenated when I see my name on it. There's something about knowing this saint is remembering me. Now I speak to a second group, all of you who are parents.

The easiest discipline to neglect his prayer for our children.

I encourage you to keep it fresh and current. I encourage you to come up with a fresh list every month put their names before you put alongside those names specific specific petitions and intercede for your children by name as their learning to walk is the reaching out beyond the home to choose their friends as their determining their direction and decisions for life as they learn to drive you all the automatically prevented pray for others on the highway.

Is there learning to drive as they go off to school as they make their way on their own as they get older, to the point where you no longer have the right to correct them or warn them. You pray you pray your warnings pray your corrections, you name them before the Lord, your children will be enhanced in their lives by that kind of prayer with perseverance and furthermore you finish well. Prayer will keep you engaged in what is happening.

It will focus your time and energy on what God is doing.

Ill get your eyes off yourself. Keep you from throwing so many pity parties. It reminds you that life is to be spent on the positive side, not the negatives. Prayer never leaves me negative. It always makes me positive. It gives me hope to go on, and so it will be for you. Stay strong in prayer, finish well is the second. Be bold.

Encourage verses 19 and 20.

Be bold. Encourage pray on my behalf.

That utterance may be given to be in the opening of my mouth to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains that in proclaiming it.

I may speak boldly says again as I ought to speak. Not before we analyze what Paul wrote stop and remember where Paul was member is under arrest. It isn't fair that they held him for two years.

It isn't right that they stuck him in that place and trained a Roman guard to him. For those two years, but of course never a complaint there's not even a requested that you would please ask the Lord to heal book the raw run sores on my ankles and and on my wrist from the manacles. He doesn't say. Pray that I'll be freed from this unfair arrest.

His eyes are not on himself. What is he preformed he he says there were needs greater than these physical needs.

I need to be bold I need to have courage as I speak the gospel. That's my that's my calling that I would be bold and courageous to open my mouth and make the gospel known as I ought to do. See how verse 20 ends.

As I ought to speak is wait a minute. This is all you trying to tell me what bold wake up swing Don this is the apostle Paul.

Anybody was courageous. Paul really maybe you know something we don't know. He says he's not well they just try to be humble. Let let's check the CV eternity, let's go back to first Corinthians 2 see if this is really Paul Harvey's jerking us around first Corinthians chapter 2 is a little younger when he wrote this to Corinth verse one chapter 2. Some he gets older, not even turning turn to first Corinthians chapter 2 we know it here first Corinthians W guy like I guess Hillary did in a minute). First Corinthians chapter 2, verse one, and when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.

I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and improves the sound too nervous to me. The next verse, and I was with you in weakness and fear much trim say what I checked it in the Greek I preach this passage on a number of occasions on the humanity of the apostle and and just like us. He came to Corinth in weakness and fear and trembling in a lie. Figure now he adjustment to Athens and he left with his tail between his legs.

No church was ever established in Athens. He met all those eggheads on the Areopagus, and there was no interest in the gospel and he left with a few people saying on me listening sometime and he comes to Corinth which is a fast city of Gentiles. He's a Jew, raised, apart from Jen's eyes, a Pharisee and is passed out of Tarsus for the make chance to see people and he stepped into the streets of fast Corinth, which is a little but like moving from toad suck, Arkansas to Los Angeles and you move out into the real world when you step into a place where the traffic is fast and the lifestyle is fast and everything is moving fast yourself quarreling in doubt and disbelief, and suddenly you're in the synagogue preaching and you're standing there again, these are not our you're a liar you apostle says I was with you in weakness and fear in much trembling in my message was not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power at all this weird idea that the man never ever was down in the beginning of the second letter of Corinth. He said I despaired even of life. I think he was given to depression.

I think the pain in his body at time was so strong he wished he could just check out. That's why in Ephesians chapter 6 he says pray for me that I have the courage to speak what I ought to speak you know it's great to see in older people boldness to speak for Christ's. I know when you get older you start thinking what I need to pull the blinds put another lock on the door and not not bother people.

I know you can get crotchety you want to do that.

Somebody said, Lord, you know better than I know that I'm growing older, will someday be old. Keep me from getting talkative, and particularly from the fatal habit of thinking.

I must say something on every subject in every occasion.

Release me from the craving to straighten out everybody's affairs make me thoughtful but not moody, helpful but not bossy with my vast store of wisdom, it seems a pity not to use it all but you know Lord that I want a few friends at the end of life keep my mind free from the recital of endless details. Give me when to get to the point seal my lips on my aches and pains. They are increasing and my love of rehearsing them is becoming sweeter as the years go by.

I asked for grace enough to listen to the tales of others, pains, and help them endure the patiently and on and on. The poet goes boldness not busyness. We need you bold and oh, the youth of today long for it is a chart waiting the youth of today is so wicked they don't even wait I know what I'm talking about here.

I run a seminary where I see men and women in their 20s and 30s and 40s on the edge of their seats when people like Donald Campbell, age 74. How we Hendrix passed 75 Jay Dwight Pentecost past 80. John F. Wahlberg passed 90 stamp to pre-and the notebooks are opened and the kids are on the edge of their seat including this kid, and we're writing it down as fast as we can write it down because it's the wisest stuff we've heard this month.

They're old and their bold and they're giving the truth.

Your old your enemy is telling you you your overwritten to past. They don't care yes we do. Oh yes, we do the apostle says pray for me that I would be bold and I'm an ambassador in chains, that I may speak boldly as I ought to speak to tell you something.

If the apostle Paul ought to speak boldly at his age so should you.

And I not talk endlessly not offensively boldly you live long enough to be heard. You have earned the right to be heard. I read back into Exodus chapter 32 will take the time to turn I found Moses coming down from the mountain okay.

He's now past 80 he's coming down with the tablets. Hendrix said the other day. If he came down today it would be tablets of aspirin and Tylenol, but in these days he's coming down with the tablets of stone and he sees the people of the Hebrews dancing in front of this goldens cash and he is in a and he slams the tablets down and takes them on with both fists. He confronts Aaron and says what evidence is. Now you know these people are evil by me. They just prove that through all his gold in the plot and out came his next.

That's what it says. Moses goes get a life.

Aaron he confronts Aaron, he confronts the people he has been drinking.

After grinding up this golden Important in the water he makes him drink it is that you will never do this again before the living God.

This is a man in his 80 confronting the Hebrews and disobedient. And there's not a person in the group taken issue with oh standing for what is right. You never get so old that you're not that important and you will finish well if you stay bold encourage quick talking yourself out of speaking, Christ do it to old counsel coming from Moses.

Another model of aging gracefully.

You're listening to Insight for living Chuck Swindoll titled this final message in our study of Ephesians. Here's how to finish well. To learn more about this ministry.

Visit us online@insightworld.org. There's one more program devoted to Paul's letter, and we urge you to join us again next time and then remember that Chuck will begin a brand-new comprehensive study through the New Testament book of Matthew. This is the first time in Chuck's preaching ministry that he's presented a series in Matthew and we're confident your love for Jesus will intensify as you walk alongside him from his birth in Bethlehem, to his great commission by now you've likely heard me mention Chuck's commentary on Matthew, which was recently released.

Actually because of its scope. The commentary comes into hardbound volumes and their ready for purchase right now.

These books will serve as a natural complement to what you're hearing on Insight for living in the weeks and months ahead to purchase when dolls living inside commentary for Matthew go to Insight.org/store if you listening in the United States. You can call us at 1-800-772-8888 as the brand-new year begins to unfold. We're looking forward to walking alongside you each day. This daily program and the ministry behind designed to help you, cultivated deeper walk with God as you learn more about his word and its relevance to your life. It's only possible course because people just like you give voluntary donations. Think about when you first started listening to Chuck Swindoll teach the Bible that moment was sponsored by someone you may never meet to provide for someone else. What was once provided for you to invite you to give a donation by calling us if you listening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8880 or give online@insight.org nine days when Dall presents his final message in our study of Ephesians right here on Insight for living.

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