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Finishing Well (Dr. Rick Sessoms)

( Rick Sessoms )


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Finishing Well (Dr. Rick Sessoms) | Spiritual Growth | Member Care Radio

Are you working to finish well in your ministry? Stay with us and we’ll talk about this today on MemCare by Radio.

Welcome to another edition of MemCare by Radio. I’m Scott Hollinger and I’m glad you could be with us today. There is a lot of talk in the world today about self-help and finding ourselves and looking out for number #1. Sadly some of this thought can creep into our own lives and ministries. There are a lot of things that can distract us from ministry, aren’t there? Getting too involved in the community and forgetting we are there to actually minister is one of them. I was guilty of that for a time in my early ministry. I was having so much fun with my life outside of work I had separated my ministry from the rest of my life. I was playing basketball almost every day. That ended in March of 1983 when I tore my knee ligaments playing ball and I am still feeling the effects of that accident today. Others of us can get wrapped up in the culture or there may be other aspects of life that tempt us. But finishing well is something we too rarely see. We’ve all heard the stories of somebody who left a ministry angry and upset, or the person who refused to leave a ministry, not recognizing that the time was right for a change and that God could provide for them, or the person who leaves because they have given in to temptation. Today Rick Sessoms is back with us and he has a story to share about finishing well.

Finishing Well

Bill worked for the government as a highway architect; he also belonged to a local church where he conducted home Bible studies. Gradually, Bill gained a reputation for knowing the Scriptures. Often, he preached on Sunday mornings in church when the pastor was absent. He was respected in the church and developed a powerful teaching ministry.

But for some reason, in his mid-thirties, Bill slacked off in his study of the Bible. His lack of Bible study also affected his devotional life. By his early 40’s, although he had a good reputation as a Bible teacher, Bill had became restless.

He had known Mary for two years from work. She was kind in her relationships with others. She was efficient in her work. She was attractive and a number of years younger than Bill. They began having lunches together. In Mary’s company, Bill felt young again. Eventually it led to a sexual relationship..

The affair was kept secret for a while. Finally, a member of the church saw Bill and Mary coming out of a hotel in a distant city. The church that supported Bill’s ministry was hurt deeply, especially the younger Christians. Bill’s wife and children, and Mary’s husband, were devastated. Bill and Mary disappeared.

In Psalm 90, one of the oldest psalms in the Bible, you and I are counseled to pray like this, “Lord, teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” The psalmist is saying, “Lord, let us learn wisely that our lives might count.”

What direction is your life taking? Sadly, many people today who start out well in the Christian journey are not finishing well. Bill and Mary’s story happens too often, especially to those in ministry leadership. They begin with great promise but stop growing spiritually. Some are sidelined by affairs, others by pride or greed or lust for power, or just being satisfied with mediocrity, and they never reach the full potential God intended for them. Someone recently said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll probably end up somewhere else.” Are you gaining a heart of wisdom that your life might count?

The apostle Paul’s goal was to finish well. To the Ephesian elders, he said, “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – that of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace”. Toward the end of his life, he wrote to Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Paul finished well.

Are you on the narrow path to finish well, to reach God’s fullest potential for your life? Where are you going? Lord, let us learn wisely that our lives might count . . .for You.

As we prepare to end our time today I would like to share from first Timothy and read the entire section that Rick was referring to: 2 Timothy 4:

“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of His appearing and His kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store 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 longed for His appearing.”

I would like to thank Rick Sessoms for being with us today here on MemCare by Radio. I trust our time has been an encouragement for you. If you would like to listen to this program again or check out the other resources go to www.membercareradio.com that’s membercareradio.com. I’m Scott Hollinger and on behalf of the MemCare team, I would like to thank you for listening and our prayer is that God will bless you this week in your work for Him.

 

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( Rick Sessoms )

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