Scriptural Reference:
“But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved”
Matt. 24:13

“Abraham…after he patiently endured, obtained the promise”
Heb. 6:15

“Christ...endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down on the right hand of the throne of God”
Heb. 12:2

Reflection:
Is life really a game? The Bible certainly has enough references to life being a competition that we can win if we endure. Just about everyone we read about has struggled and survived. There are references to the race that we are in. That winning is not as important as finishing. So let's take a moment to consider what a purpose filled driven life for our Lord is.

To do this we can look at what is a purpose-driven life.

Cantreing our lives around God (worship):
Just like the centre of a wheel, our lives should have God at the very centre. As the driving force that moves us. As Christians we need to stay focused on God as our driving force in our life's. So that wherever we go and whatever we do we do it for Gods glory and praise.

Learning to love God's family (fellowship):
This is not always easy as it sounds. Many in the church can be difficult at the best of times. Some say that we have church here so that we can learn to get used to other Christians. As some of us can be difficult. The are the Task Masters who will seek to make people work for their faith. The critical nit pickers who can find fault in everything. The giddy gossipers who get excited to share the latest titbit of gossip. Yes there are a huge range of annoying people sitting at church with you. You'll need to get use to them if you are to spend eternity with them. This is a challenging endurance race to be sure.

Cultivating spiritual maturity (discipleship):
To cultivate anything it needs to be studied and exercised. The Bible is the key to gaining spiritual maturity. Spiritual maturity is not really an oxymoron. We can become mature in our spiritual life. Though much like the sport of wrestling it will take some practice. Just like practising and warming up for a race, we need to get in some spiritual training. Reading the Bible and fact checking what others tell us it vital. So being mature is an important aspect of who we are as Christians. We will need to be mature enough to know when to admit when we are wrong. As well as mature enough to know when to walk away from someone who is arguing on something we know we are correct in. Though we can still have a childlike awe and amazement at the wonders of creation. The two can be separate. In reading the Bible we will, and should, be constantly made aware of the beauty of all of Gods creation.

As a calling for discipleship; we should seek to share the Gospel with others. Not just those who are not saved. But also between each other. To share what we have read or experienced will be a great way to build up the discipleship of each other. When was the last time you talked to others after the sermon about the message? How many leave the service with a good feeling and quickly go to coffee and discuss anything but. If we are seeking to gain a mature spiritual faith we need to actively discuss what we are learning.

Contributing something back (ministry):
Every day we are immersed in the world. Although we should never become saturated by the standards of the world we can give something back to it. Our very life and actions should be a servant to others. There are though three types of Christian when it comes to the concept of ministry. The exclusive leader. Someone who has spent extensive time training to be a Minister or leader. Someone who also feels this is an exclusive job and only they are able or allowed to minister. There are the bench warmers or spectators. They make the job of the leader easy. As they sit placidly enjoying the service like a show. They sing the hymns and say the prayers. Always ready to show appreciation without doing anything.

And last but not least are those who are not ordained or commissioned and yet perform a ministry to others. They are the ones who will do volunteer work. They will drive people to church. Assist with meals and cleaning up at church. Organise special events and gatherings. These should have special mention as they strive to go the extra mile without the accolades.

Telling others about God's love (evangelism):
Becoming a living example of what a Christian is can make all the difference. Our life and actions should speak for us as an example of God's love and our witness for an evangelism to others. Evangelism is more than our words. Though we are called to share the Gospel of God's perfect Grace. We are also called to exemplify that through the way we live. Oddly, and I am sad to mention this, there are those within the church who believe that evangelism should be left to those ordained as proper ministers. And there are plenty of bench warmers who will gladly go along with this. They will sit back and leave the messy work to someone else Not wanting to become embroiled in a discussion with someone who may become nasty.

How many Christians can make a list of those they know and even love who are not saved. Yet when asked if they have talked about their faith to them; they will make a range of excuses. The others don't want to listen. They don't want to offend them because they have other beliefs. Yet these are the very same people who will end up in Hell due to their lack of faith and acceptance of Jesus the Christ as their Saviour. How many people we say we love and care for will we let slip away and end up in the depths of Hell?

Time to get our spiritual running shoes on. To pick up the Bible and do some scriptural bench presses. Dive into the deep end of evangelism and swim to the finish line. Time to take the baton and get ready to hand it to the next generation.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father,
Give me the strength,
To run the race.
Complete the journey,
Lead the way.

So that my life will,
Be an inspiration for others,
An example of my faith,
A witness to your love,
For the lost.

Amen