Graduation Day

Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with Jack with a little later in the program will tell you how you get a copy of Dr. Graham's book heaven. First, here's the message graduation take your Bibles and turn with me to second Timothy chapter 4 and I want to say that the way to live life is to pursue the ultimate prize. The rich rewards that God has prepared for those who love our Lord and long to see him.

Did you know that your life hereafter in heaven is vitally connected to your life here and now, how you live today will determine how you will spend eternity not notice I didn't say how you live today will determine whether or not you go to heaven. We are saved by grace through faith.

And we come to Christ and his cross, and we made a decision to follow Christ and therefore we know that we are on our way to have a big not because of anything that we have done but because of what Christ is done but having said that, while forgiveness settles the issue of our destiny. Our works are deeds.

Our actions are lives determine how we will spend eternity because Jesus along with the rest of the New Testament. In fact, all of the word of God talks to us about rewards and wages that will be paid for those who have faithfully served Christ. So our goal in life should lead to so live in the so give ourselves to the Lord Jesus Christ that we will hear the words well God, the Bible tells us that we are to number our days that we are to apply our hearts to wisdom and that's what Paul is doing in second Timothy chapter 4 beginning in verse six he says, for 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 race, I have kept the faith.

Henceforth 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 but also to all who have loved his appear.

Paul is looking forward to his future with Christ, knowing that he expects to hear the acclaim when you stand before God.

Will you be unclaimed or will you be ashamed, the Scripture says, little children, abide in him that when he will appear.

You may have confidence and not be ashamed at his appear I want to be confident in that moment standing before the Lord. The only possible pictures himself as a spiritual athlete ready to finally pursue the finish line and explain his victory.

The apostle Paul must've love the sports arena. He talks so much about sporting events and he does that. Here, as he's considering his own life and his own graduation day, when he says I will depart and be with Christ, so he takes a clear and sober evaluation a serious evaluation of his life. He's looking back and he said I have called the good fight here. He refers to a boxer in the arena and he portrays himself as someone who is landing every punch with every ounce and every inch of his being course in life.

It is a battle we battle against tasks and temptations in life and against the principalities of the world of darkness. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers the rulers of the dark places. Paul well knew the arena and he was fighting for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul was a discipline five and a dedicated fighter in first Corinthians chapter 9 he says therefore I run this, not with uncertainty. Thus I fight not is one he beats the air that is shadowboxing just swinging blindly but I discipline my body and I bring it into subjection or submission less. When I think I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified. Paul's greatest fear was was that somehow in life that he would be on the sidelines spiritually in service for Christ. The PE ran just a little bit scared, knowing that it was possible to default and to be disqualified and that was his. His greatest fear that somehow he would no longer be in the battle for the Lord Jesus Christ and so he disciplined himself and devoted himself and he did it. He had the scars to prove it. Paul was testifying on his life one day and he said I have been in the deep. I've been stoned.

I've been thrown overboard. I've been beaten with rods I've been cast into prison and he had on his body. The stars to prove it. He said I bear on my body the stigmata the marks of the Lord Jesus Christ. How many of us can say I am fighting the good fight of faith. I am in the battle. Too many Christians today are in interested in comfort and convenience rather than fighting this good fight of faith battling for the Lord Jesus Christ and we look for every reason on earth, not even to get the church be sitting here going to follow me, take up your cross and follow after me. Too many people think they're doing God a favor just by showing up at church, but he has called us to win for him back in the Old Testament and the book of numbers as the children of Israel were advancing advancing into the promised land.

The tribes of Reuben and Gad came to Moses and said, look, we found a place outside the promised land that we really like is is is convenient if there's room for our livestock. We don't want to cross over Jordan we don't want to get on the other side.

We certainly don't want to get in those battles with those Giants over there that we've heard about so if it's okay will just stay here on this side of Jordan and stay out of the back and Moses principal sermon. He said you know this is happened before when we came up to the promise land and we sent spies into the land and there were giants there and the people said there like grasshopper. We are like grasshoppers to these giants and only Joshua and Caleb said that we could take the land that this happened before you know what happened became the world's longest funeral procession for 40 years. They died out in the desert because they did not have the courage to conquer their cane and they got it already given so Moses priest in that sermon and he said okay if you want to stay over here that's fine, but be sure your sin will find you out now that that verse will preach a lot of different ways. Be sure your sin will find you out because sin and the consequences of sin will track you down but what is that sin that Moses said will track you down find you out. It is the sin of watching while your brothers are warring for God is the sin of enjoying all the blessings of the promise without being in the battle for the Lord Jesus Christ. God said, be sure your sin will find you out. Paul said, I have fought the good fight. They said I have run the race from a fighter. He turns into a runner. He says I have finished the course, Paul's course began on the Damascus Road we came face-to-face with the risen Christ is rabid Jewish Rabbi on his way to persecute kill more Christians.

He is confronted with the risen Christ blinded in the light of his glory. First question he asked Lord, who are you and every person needs to ask and answer that question.

Lord, who are you and he discovered the person of Christ, the one you've been persecuting was the very one. He needed most of his life and he responded to Christ and then he asked another question. Lord, what would you have me to do once you settle the question of who is Jesus, then you need to settle the question of Lord, what would you have needed and that's what happened to the apostle Paul. Jesus became the Lord of his life and so he was on the way and every believer has been given a course that God's will.

God's plan. God's purpose for your life and Elaine to run and not competing with one another, but rather to run the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12 says therefore also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, let us lay aside every weight. In other words, anything that would slow us down, keep us pursuing that would keep us from pursuing expeditiously. The will of God for our lives. He said, laying aside the sin which so easily beset says that is, those things those sins that would stop us dead in our tracks and put us on the sideline, he said, looking unto Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, and is now set down at the right hand of Paul discovered his passion, his purpose for life and he ran with all of his mind get a game plan for your life, get God's goals. God's mission for your life and pursue it daily and it is a lifetime pursuit. Paul, who I believe the greatest Christian who ever lived with in Philippians say I haven't arrived yet. I haven't attained this yet, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, I press on to the mark for the prize of the high calling of God by press on in the race that God is given you. And don't you ever quit you ever give up.

I'm looking at some older adults here. You may be in those retirement years and your thinking. Well it's time for me to step aside and let these young ones take over no there's no retirement in the Christian life in service for the Lord. If you're a Christian, an older veteran believer you want to be more full of the spirit more full of joy more full of life you want to be setting the pace and setting the example and taking the message forward until the Lord takes you home at the forefront of witnessing and giving and serving. I may be like the apostle Paul. He wasn't living in the heaven.

He was leaving. He was excited about life and couldn't wait to live for Jesus never going back, always going forward you're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and today's message graduation day even in Mike's heaviest moments, the promise of heaven holds out and encouraging hope for you today and when you understand what your future with God will be like the burdens of the present film later as a pastor grants but heaven is all about and it's why we want to get a copy into your hands today heaven is our thanks for your gift to help share the truth of the gospel to more people around the world. This is the last week of this offer to call today, when 800-7954 62761 800-795-4627. You can also text the word PowerPoint to 59789 and don't forget to visit Jack Graham.org where you can shop our E store.

Give a gift online or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email devotion our website again is Jack Graham.Archie now it's get back today's message graduation day all set.

I have guarded the DOS he said I've kept the faith is not talking about his personal faith there though he kept his personal faith and never walked away from his faith, but he's talking about the faith once delivered unto the saints, the faith to which we are to earnestly contend that we are to guard the gospel of Christ. The word of God is under attack in this generation and we are to stand for truth and righteousness what is needed in this generation are courageous people with conviction that no God that know their Bibles, and no that they're on their way in their life.

The crisis plan the word of God, the gospel of God. I mean, you say that Jesus is the way the truth and the life and no man comes in the father except by him and you have a fight on your hand, so are you going to melt under the pressure of this culture are are you going to cave in and compromise your convictions. Are you going to say with the apostle Paul, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God and the salvation to the Jew first, and to everyone who believes guard the gospel and every generation listen to me. Every generation has the responsibility of making sure that we proclaim the gospel that we protect the gospel and that we pass the gospel along to succeeding generations. If you have ever run in a relay race. I told the most important moment in relay race is the transfers when one runner leans in and hands the baton to the succeeding run and races are won and lost lost at that moment in the transfers. It is our responsibility in our own generation by generation to make sure that we are handing the baton of truth to a succeeding generation that we put it in back into their hand so that they may run the race there's a race that I miss Ron. There's a victory to be one and then Paul turns the corner. Having looked back for just a moment saying that I'm fighting this fight and I'm keeping this faith in guarding this gospel in an and I am running this race he he then realizes this is this sobering realization that he is on his way out, and that's why he says, verse six from already being poured out as a drink off one of the great versus that I memorized as a young man was Romans 12 one. I'm a living sacrifice. He said, present your bodies a living sacrifice of the God. Paul was a living sacrifice, and now he's about to be poured out complete as a libation, a living sacrifice unto the Lord poured out completely. Then he said, and the time of my departure is come. Paul viewed his death as a departure.

Paul said the time of my departure is at hand and departure here.

The word the Holy Spirit chose to give us. Here is a from min this word for one it is a word describing the release of a prisoner set free from jail from bondage to live a new life for and when we die in this departure, we will be like prisoners set free in the presence of God no longer in bondage to the power of sin and dad. It was also used by farmers to describe the uneasy yoking of an ox at the end of the day when that beast of burden had done a full day's work in the sun they would unload the out the yoke from the oxidant let the beast of burden rests in our time of departure comes, we will lay down our battles and our burdens and we will rest the rest that our God gives us in his presence forever. We will be alive forever more, is also a soldiers work when an army would march off to battle.

They would strike up their tents and then when the battle was done in the battle was one they would take down their tent and march home in victory. Paul said when we are poured out, it will be a departure, we will strike these earthly tents and march home to the refrains of victory in Jesus is also a sailors work when they went on more the ship to pull up the anchor and set sail and move out an uncharted course to distant horizon, we depart will let go of the anchors that hold us back in the limitations of all our small little world and live in and sail into the distance and the glorious possibilities of eternity with this war. Departure was also a philosophical work.

Have you ever had a problem or perplexity in your brain. You just couldn't get your brain around it. You couldn't figure it out. Maybe some great question that you can't answer some great problem and you can't figure it out and then comes that moment when you interlace the Eureka moment. That's why the philosophers use this word, it was a a you reek of discovery. The moment we get to heaven we depart. We are known, even as we are no the aha the Eureka moment everything that didn't make sense will perfectly makes the not in our brain will be unraveled and we will see everything so clearly in the puerile light of his presence. Yes, the time of our departure. Paul said is at hand.

You may have many years to live compared to eternity is just a brief while and then will be with him is realize that it does pay to serve Jesus. There is this henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness. This this sure expectation that we will be with Christ, William Borden was an aristocratic young man, a wealthy well-known family and after graduation, he determined that God was calling him to the mission field. Everyone was against his father, his mother, his parents, his family, his friends said things the young William like why would you do, why would you throw your life away. You have so much talent so much ability you can make money. You can change America you can you can be a great man in this country.

Why would you go to a mission field for goodness notwithstanding, William Borden said God is call me and I'm going got on the ship and set sail for his mission destination and on the ship. Tragically, unexpectedly, he died before he even arrived on the mission field people back home saying I told you so. He should have never gone, he shall never set foot on that ship a wasted life so young now gone when his things return home they found his diary. The Journal young William Borden was keeping one of the final entries in that diary were these words regarding his calling his commitment to Christ. He wrote no retreat, no reserve, no regrets, no retreat, no reserve, no regrets.

I want to live like that don't you never retreating from your faith in Christ, never reserving in your commitment to Christ, never regretting a life wasted, but that you would live for the glory of Jesus every day, no retreat, no reserve, no regrets, and therefore the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge will give to all who long for his appearing who love his appearing. Who look forward to that day graduation. When we hear the words will not well the good faith listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and today's message graduation day no matter what struggles are facing today. You have hope in the promise is awaiting you in heaven. And God calls you to share that hope with others today. That's why we want to encourage and inspire you today by sending you pastor Graham's book had been this exciting book takes you straight to Scripture to help you see all that awaits you in the life to come, and how it impacts your life today, you'll find hope for today encouraged to share that hope with others. So don't wait to request a copy.

Heaven is our special thanks for your gift to help proclaim God's word through PowerPoint. This is the last week and this offer to call today, when 800-7956 27 that's one 800-7954 67 can also text the word PowerPoint 259789 and don't forget to visit Jack Graham.org where you can shop are restored. Give a gift online or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email devotion our website again is Jack Graham.Margie pastor what you PowerPoint you stand before God one day will you acclaimed or will you be ashamed when you hear the words well done good and faithful servant or something else because the fact is how you live today definitely determines the kind of impact you will have all eternity. No I didn't say how you live today determines where you will spend eternity.

But how you will spend eternity. Yes, Jesus, along with the rest of the New Testament and the word of God talks about the rewards and the wages that will be paid for those who have faithfully served him. That's why so important to live with eternity and focus. Think about the great apostle Paul. He was one of the most effective and steadfast believers who ever walked on the face of the earth and yet even Paul feared that he would do something that would somehow sideline him as a servant of Christ. Paul ran just a little bit scared, knowing that it was possible to be disqualified from the race. He said I buffet my body. I bring my body into subjection. Last I having preached. Others would myself become a castaway. So the question is a Paula spiritual giant of a man feared that he would no longer be in the battle for Jesus. Should you and I also make sure that we stay in the battle by disciplining ourselves and devoting ourselves to service every single day and making sure that we live for Jesus in the power of his Holy Spirit. I don't know about you but I don't stand before God one day and admit that I was more interested in my own comfort and convenience than fighting the good fight of faith.

So today, here's my encouragement to you. This is the PowerPoint even if you sidelined yourself in the Christian race get back up and get going again turn from your sin. Trust in Christ, get back in the race is not too late to begin again is never too late for new beginning. And if you admit that you are training every day for the race.

Then get back into the spiritual disciplines of your life of prayer and Bible study and worship attendance and and involvement in ministry of your church is never too late and it doesn't matter what you've done or how long you been a spectator Christian.

You can get out of the stands and get on the field and make a difference for Christ. Get a game plan for your life.

God's game plan a get big godly gigantic goals God's mission for your life and then pursue these daily and never ever quit. Don't give up until the day you hear those words well the good thing and that is today's remember when you give a gift PowerPoint will see Dr. Graham having as our thanks phone 1-800-795-4627 that's one 800-7956 27 also text the word PowerPoint 259789 Joyce again next time.

Dr. Graham brings a message about what it really means to have sex. Next time on PowerPoint with Jack PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint ministries