FINISH - You?re Not Done Until You?re Done

Are you going to non-Christian welcomes 30 point we get the vision as you move forward with life. The important part is how you start about how you finish that I go to the Jeremiah offers inspiring biblical examples of finishing strong is David Chase's message finish not done until you done this is a serious forward here on Turning Point. The weekend edition and forward means all the way all the way till the end of the way to your finished. It's easy to start something sometimes you can even hang in there for a while, but the art of finishing is something we need to learn very carefully to accomplish in our own lives to talk about it today on the weekend edition of Turning Point.

It's not done a great vision prayers choose the right goals you can focus on the right things. So far so good. You can also pursue your dreams. Make huge investments in God's word, his work and his wealth. But if you don't finish what you start, it's like building a tower that never gets done countless barriers men and women to finishing well. I've discovered that there are basically five major ones are talking about them today because I want us to learn how to finish well. But rather than talk to them like barriers. I want to share them with you as challenges. I want you to think about the rest of this message like were in the locker room and were getting a pep talk delivered to all of us before we head out of the tunnel for the second half of the game.

So here are those five things as you can well imagine, because where I am in my life. Perhaps this chapter means more to me than all the rest I've studied this diligently, I spent probably more time thinking about this all the rest of the chapters. Combine his leveler number one to finish well. You have to stay focused to your finished one of the great finishers of the Bible was Solomon king David son.

In fact, I discovered when I was researching this, that the word finish is connected with Solomon a dozen times, especially with his building of the temple, so I want to with a yellow pad I made a list of all the references associated with Solomon finishing assignment to build God's house and I noticed something that escaped me in all the many times I've read the story is just one little word can escape you, and can mean everything. Solomon was not only a finisher he was a total complete absolute finisher. I want you to notice this as I run through the Scriptures together number one first King 622 finished all the temple 638.

The house was finished in all of its details, according to all its plans 751 so all the work that Solomon had done for the house of the Lord was finished second Chronicles 51 so all the work that Solomon had done for the house of the Lord was finished second Chronicles 711, Solomon successfully accomplish all that came into his heart to make in the house of the Lord when it came to building God's temple in Jerusalem. Solomon finished it all. He left nothing undone.

And that's because I believe his father prayed him into this environment. Listen to David's prayer and his challenge to Solomon before David walked off the scene and Solomon took over Chronicles 28 2027. Be strong, Solomon, and of a good courage, and do it. Do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God, my God will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord.

We have to finish it all. We don't get to stop part of the way most of the way doesn't work almost all the way is enough. God wants us to finish it all.

That's what it takes in life you have to stay focused and keep your eyes on the go and run through the finish tape and then you can celebrate the apostle Paul said it this way.

He said I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. So, forgiving finishers we have to focus tumor finished we have to focus to your face and say well I'm almost there. And then you walk away nearly not quite done is not anything more discouraging to you to spend all of your time and all her energy to get almost all the way and then walk away before you get done is the second thing about finishing life stay resilient about retirement. I don't think anything's more controversial in the lives of people like me that retirement.

I hear all the time so he always brings it up and tell you that the second key to finishing well is to approach the topic of retirement with resilience and with some sanctified resistance many people you see her follow the general expectation in America and the Western world that when we reach a certain age we retire.

This is what we do.

Retirement has become the final rotation in the cycle of life just like we asked children what you want to be when you grow up we ask adults what you plan to do when you retire and sell them to rehear the value of retirement plans question and certainly not the value of retirement itself, but retirement men and women as we know it today was virtually nonexistent. Throughout history, retirement, made little sense when the average life expectancy was only 30 or 40 years, it has its roots in the early 1900s when many large American industries, including railroads, banks and companies began offering pensions 1935, of Pres. Franklin Roosevelt introduced the Social Security act as employees income was taxed throughout his or her working life to find a retirement income beginning at age 65 in America today, most workers expect to retire and the culture is geared to accommodated but what does the Bible say about this. Interestingly enough, the Bible has only one example of retirement where it is. It's a numbers chapter 8 verses 24 through 26 is what it says this is what pertains to the Levites from 25 years old and above, one may enter to perform service in the work of the tabernacle of meeting. And at the age of 50 years. They must cease performing this work, and shall work no more.

They may minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of meeting to attend the meetings, but they themselves shall do no work while the Levite tabernacle workers were instructed to retire at age 50.

They were put out to pasture to spend the rest of their lives twiddling their thumbs and gazing at the sundial know they were charged to minister to the younger Levites who took over their job became mentors and advisors.

Today we will probably call them consultants so no I'm not saying you shouldn't take advantage of your Social Security income or pension benefits.

But you might want to avoid the word retirement. You don't have to continue in your profession until you're in the 90s. But if you do leave your job. Remember, retirement is simply God's way of freeing you up for further service.

So stay focused to your finished and stay resilient about retirement. Here's the third thing I learned stay connected to your calling. Romans 1129 since this gives the calling of God are air revocable.

That means you can undo them if God calls you is not going on call you the gifts and calling of God are a revocable. Osgood us had something to say about this.

He said I think it's important to realize that we can retire from our jobs, but we could never retire from our calling.

Calling gives us our sense of task or responsibility right up to the last day we spent on earth. When we go to meet the caller. I think that gives life incredible value and therefore the prosperity of finishing well is that we continue to have a sense of responsibility and engagement that makes every day we live in the enormously important so to finish. Well, consider maintaining a connection between what you did before you retire and what you do after you retire.

Someone has said your career is what you're paid to do your calling is what you're made to do one of the most influential people in my life to illustrate this was Howard Hendricks, Howard Hendricks was one of my professors at Dallas theological seminary, and my wife Donna was his secretary while I was a student how tenants was an incredible teacher and a master motivator and when Bob Buford interviewed him for his book finishing well. Dr. Hendrix said the average person dies between two and seven years after retirement simply because they lose their purpose in life. For most of them. Their purpose was wrapped up in their work and once they're no longer working.

They feel they have no meaning in their lives. They retire from something rather than something Hendrix went on to apply this principle to himself. He said I've done a lot of things in my life, but only one thing gives me ultimate satisfaction and batch teaching if I stop teaching I lose the reason for which I was put on this planet. This is what I was born to do so. If the seminary decides it's time for me to move on. I'll just go teaching another venue. I will spend the rest of my life teaching have a good friend who loves to preach but he hates administration. When I heard that he resigned from his church.

I called asking about.

He took my call but instead of saying hello. He just said, free at last, free at last, thank God Almighty and free at last, he meant that he was free now to do what he really loved preach without all the distractions that he patted his church ministry with administration and people problems, though you may not have a career that's transferable into your postretirement life. But if you're a follower of Christ you have a calling. You have a gift God has given you an ability for service so just keep using it for the Lord use it in a different context in a different environment. But don't stop doing what God has called you to do when Jesus had finished his work on earth was about to be crucified, resurrected and returned to heaven, he prayed this prayer about his life. John 17 four.

He said God I have glorified you on the earth. I have finished the work which you have given me to do read that verse carefully. Jesus didn't finish all the work that was to do finish the work that he was given to do that should be our prayer Lord, help me to finish the work you have given me to do if you do that you going to live a full and exciting life.

So number one. Stay focused to your finished number two. Stay resilient about retirement. Number three. Stay connected to your calling.

Here's number four stagecoach inland after your victories finishing well going all the way to the end. Staying in God's will and in his planning, his purpose and his blessing all the way to the end demands vigilance. We can't let our guard down, especially after new adventures or fresh victories. Let me illustrate this way back in 2012. Donna and I visited Switzerland for the first time we ended our tour in Zermatt. The beautiful village that lies at the base of the Matterhorn, the north face of this mountain called Thornley Ridge is an almost straight up Klein is really hard for me when I stood there at the base of that to imagine anyone making it to the summit, but many climbers have navigated their way all the way to horribly rich at the foot of this Matterhorn. There's a cemetery called mountaineers Cemetery so mentally I should go visit so I did most of the people that are buried in that cemetery are casualties of the Matterhorn, but here was my strange finding many if not most, who died on this mountain died while they were descending the mountain instead of on the way up. Here's what was written on one of the gravestones in memory of David Robinson of Lakefield and Bangor, North Wales whose untimely death at the age of 24 years occurred while descending Thornley Ridge. Having climbed the north face of the Matterhorn on December 28, 1976.

What a lesson that was for me what it should be for all of us to think about the most vulnerable to failure after we have achieved the greatest success during World War II, England's Royal Air Force psychologist discovered that pilots made the most errors as they were flying the planes back in for a landing coming back to their base after flying a successful mission. The cause was almost irresistible tendencies to relax like pilots and mountain climbers. We can become enamored of our achievements and failed to focus on finishing what we started. I think that's what got King David and the trouble he got into trouble with Bathsheba because he had achieved great success and won every battle against all his enemies. The Bible says his world was at peace because of him had created great peace in Israel and then after all those victories he got careless.

Listen carefully to the words that describe what he did. Second Samuel 11 one and it happened in the spring of the year.

At the time when kings go out to battle that David sent Joab and his servants with them at all. Israel but David remained in Jerusalem. King David should have been leading his people serving as the head of his army, but instead he stayed all he felt he was at the point in life where he can relax some. Let others bear the burden of war he paid his price wasn't what he should've been, and he wasn't doing what he should have been doing. He was celebrating his victories without vigilance and the rest is history is sin with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah is a stain on David's life and while God forgave David and restored him that one moment of carelessness that one moment when he lacked vigilance that one moment became part of David's biography.

I don't know if you've ever read this verse before. I remember reading it kind of being astonished by its wording first Kings 15 five. Here's what it says.

David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and had not turned aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite Elijah had a similar experience remember him mystical on Mount Carmel and call down fire from God on the profits of bail he personally witnessed the terrible Mike and power of the Lord within just a few hours later when Queen Jezebel threatened to have him killed. He's running for his life and he's begging God to killing first Kings 19 since he rose and ran for his life and he prayed that he might die. He said it is no Lord, take away my life is what happens is when we got to the top, and we experience the greatness of God before, not carefully let down our guard we relax and we allow the enemy to move in. The most likely time and I know that's happened over and over again to so many people I've talked to.

I believe there's two verses in the Bible that we should all memorize and always keep before us. They tell us what to do in order not to fall, and they captured this vigilance after victory morning Proverbs 1618 pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall. First Corinthians 1012 therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. So here are these challenges as we prepare to go out for the second half of life.

Stay focused to your finished. Stay resilient about retirement stay connected to your calling. Stay vigilant after your victories and finally stay ready for redeployment. Always be looking forward to what the Lord has for you next. Yes, you may have to cycle out of what you do will you work. Maybe you have a mandatory retirement. I remember serving on the board of a college I was doing my best to make a difference in one day I got an email from them saying don't come to the next meeting, shocked yes that was true don't come the next meeting. You see, they have an age limit of 75. You can't serve on the board after 75 so I outlived my usefulness and I had to quit doing it now. The time with 100 other things, but life does that sometimes you're in a situation where you have to stop doing what you're doing with here's what I want you to hear. Make sure that you're ready for God to redeploy you in any way that he chooses always be looking forward to what the Lord has next for you folks. It doesn't take a deep dive into secular history or the Bible to discover that many great things are accomplished by people who are past the age of retirement.

Right now as I speak to you. I am 14 years past normal retirement age. You can do the math. No doubt begin to think about some of the incredible things that God has allowed me to do since I didn't retire number one I preached in one of the largest churches in the world. Calvary Temple in Hyderabad, India holds five services every Sunday starting at 530 in the morning I preached in all five services to well over 100,000 people in on the Monday after this amazing Sunday I preached the ordination service for the son of the church's founder and pastor Pastor Satish Kumar.

I still can't believe I was privileged to do this I will always be so thankful that I got to go and preach in that church. I release the Jeremiah study Bible, which is now available in the new King James version of the new international version in the English standard version at the church that I pastor shadow Mountain. We built a $30 million generations building that has revolutionized the way we do church I saw Turning Point radio grow to 3000 radio stations across the United States. I wrote and released 14 new books I fulfill the long-term dream and let a thousand people on a tour of Israel where I taught the Bible on the very sites where the events occurred.

I visited the pitiful country of Switzerland two times I had part in producing three Christmas specials in New York City that were seen during the Christmas season by millions of people, not just producing a resume here and I'm not bragging. I don't say these things to say. Look what I've done know I'm telling you these things because I'm so grateful to God. God allowed me to do these things after the world says I should retire. Pearl Buck the famous writer and the daughter of missionaries to China said.

I reached in the position in life because I am old and no longer young. I am a far more useful person that I was 50 years ago or 40 years ago or 30 or 20 or even 10. She said I have learned so much since I turned 70, so don't give up on yourself too early. Don't deprive yourself of the many blessings God wants to bestow upon you and your post retirement years. Change what you do if you have to. But don't stop serving the Lord because I believe one of the greatest unused talent pools in our churches are people who come to a certain age and they have this mentality that's been forced upon them by the culture that says when you get to a certain place.

You have to quit. You have to stop. Go sit on the beach someplace go play golf, play cards will work, but then they lose their sense of importance or sense of value and they lose the joy of their life. God didn't give us just 50 years or 65 years and gives us his many years as well on this earth and we should try to make every one of them count for the kingdom. There's a couple of verses to encourage you, but you have kept me on board.

They were given to us by our gracious father to keep us faithful throughout our lives. Don't forget what we learned earlier if you're not dead and not done some 92, says this the righteous shall flourish like a palm tree and show grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord will flourish in the courts of our God, they shall still bear fruit in old age, they shall be fresh and flourishing. Isaiah 46 verse four even to your old age. I am he, and even to gray hairs. I will carry you I have made and I will bear you even I will kill you and deliver you and here's the special prayer that I have claim for my life.

Psalm 7118 now.

Also, what I am old and gray all God do not forsake me, until I declare your strength to this generation. Your power to everyone who is to come. Yes, God uses us all the way through. If we just make ourselves useful to bring this message to a close, I want to tell you about one of the men in our congregation.

Shadow Mountain more than anyone I know he has captured the concept of finishing well, higher taught math at helix high school for four years he had received Christ as Savior is a junior at San Diego State and immediately began to teach. He loved his job.

He loved the students I can tell for sure he wasn't just put in his time. He helped start a Christian club on that campus that impacted many lives. He was a well loved teacher and he was really good at what he did but in the summer of 2002, higher was looking forward to beginning his 40th year of teaching. One morning during the summer as he and his wife Pam took the regular prayer walk together. God spoke to Tom and turned his life upside down. Here is how Tom put it, he said that morning, God spoke directly to me and told me it was time to set aside teaching because he had something else for me to do since teaching you been his whole lifetime had no idea what God was up to what he was about to find out after counseling with one of our pastors, accepted the challenge to start a weekly men's Bible study Bible study called itself follows and it's been going out for 18 years. Because of his leadership about Bible study was asked if he be willing to take over the prison ministry at our church Shadow Mountain Community Church at that time we had about 12 people who were involved in ministering to the prisoners of San Diego County. Once again Tom prayed he accepted the challenge and what is happened since is truly remarkable today as he closes in on the 17th year of his leadership in this ministry God has opened doors for ministry to everyone impacted by incarceration ministers to inmates, parolees, ex-offenders, spouses, children, other family members, even correctional officers and prison staff. According to Tom the PM prison doesn't stand for prison but it says for people people who God loves with an everlasting, unconditional love the Christmas party is hosted for the children of incarcerated parents.

Hundreds of children, mostly with their mothers attend this party on a church campus on the Saturday before Christmas.

Our events and it is filled with families that would be forgotten. Were it not for this incredible industry several years ago, a young man in our church that incarcerated was released and he came to Tom hire any told Tom how Christmas was such a hard time for prisoners was the lowest time the longest time, the time when they felt so rejected and forgotten.

He asked Tom if he thought there was anything we could do to make a difference in their lives during the season. The result of that conversation was the great Christmas card mail out last Christmas.

Hundreds of volunteers. Some of them from our church, but many of them just from San Diego under the direction of Tom hires shadow Mountain prison ministry got together during the holiday season and sent out over 50,000 Christmas cards to prison inmates. When God spoke to Tom hire on that morning walk in 2002 ignited a movement that will live on long after Tom and I are gone today. Shadow Mountain prison ministry is one of the largest church sponsored prison ministries in America and it all started in the life of one man who was retiring and Tom hire was ready to be redeployed. Are you ready for God to use you may think well I finally got to the end. I can if you're Christian, God has a right to your life and if you will give him the opportunity to use you. Even in the days after you have finished your full vocational experience.

You may discover that God will do the greatest things in your life at the end than all the things he's ever done in your life. Up until that point. How many of you know, sometimes God saves the best to last and wants to do that for you, wants to do it for me. So let's commit ourselves to the fact there were going to stay faithful until we're finished jointed eyes Turning Point, weekend edition with Dr. Jeremiah to hear this and other tending point programs get more information about this ministry.

Simply download the free Turning Point in my bilateral smart device will visit our website@jeremiah.o/radio that davidjeremiah.org/radio. You can also view Turning Point television offering the HL 710 Sunday mornings that I and on I CCTV Sundays at 6:30 AM Friday one, we invite you to join us again next weekend is Dr. David Jeremiah. She is another powerful message God's word here on tending point, weekend edition thanks for taking time to listen to