The book of Galatians says in verse 7 of chapter 5 "you did run well; who did hinder you that you should not obey the truth?" These Christians at one time were doing well but something hindered them.

Have you ever noticed that in the Olympic games it is not those who start well that win the prize? It is those who finish well that win the prize. It doesn’t matter what kind of power, skill or agility that you exhibit at the beginning of the race that counts; it is how you finish that counts. You can make a mistake along the way but if you finish first you will still get the gold.

There are many people who started well in their Christian life but are no longer in the race. They felt the need to go to church and give their lives to God, they heard Jesus knocking on the door of their heart and they opened the door and invited Him to come in. They seemed to have a good start. You could see the Lord working in their lives. Everything seemed to be going well at the beginning. They started really well. But its not how you start that counts, it’s how you finish.

That is what this lesson is about, finishing the race that you have started.

The thing about it is, everyone can finish. God is no respecter of persons and He has given us all the tools, knowledge and the instruction manual on how to finish this race. You can finish this race if you choose to. You can grow as a Christian. You can become stronger in your faith and in your experience with God. You can be a light and fulfill Gods purpose for your life. You can do all this and more.

But there is a catch. Here it is.

You have to read and follow the instructions in the instruction manual, the bible. The bible is the instruction manual for life. So this message is meant to teach us from the instruction manual that God has given us how to finish the race. Because it doesn’t matter how well you may start. What matters is how you finish and there are certain things that you can do that will ensure continued growth and ensure that you will be able to finish the race.

It’s Not Rocket Science

Hebrews 10:25 instructs us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. Of course he is talking about Christians coming together for worship. In our culture today this would be referred to as Sunday morning church. If Paul was writing this today he would say don’t miss church on Sunday morning, be faithful to gather together and attend Gods house.

So what is the big deal anyway? Why are preachers always talking about church attendance? Why is it so important? There are many people that say, "I don’t have to go to church to be a Christian. They’re all a bunch of hypocrites at that church anyway. The preacher is always talking about money, the song service is too loud and the sermon is too long".

Isn’t it a little convenient, that people who do not attend church have nothing but negative things to say about it? Could it be that they are looking for an excuse so they wont have to do what they know they are supposed to do?

I have been attending church for 31 years and I have always found more good, positive and blessings then negative things. Of course I can only speak for the churches I have attended. But if you want to find an excuse for not doing the things that the bible instructs us to do (like faithful church attendance) you will find plenty. The devil has a warehouse full of excuses to offer your mind and they will sound so reasonable and logical. There are plenty of excuses that make perfect sense to your thinking but are those thoughts in agreement with Gods word? So if you you’re looking for an excuse you will find it. But our subject is finishing the race. I am not looking for a way to get out of Gods will, I am looking for a way to finish the race and I believe God who gave us His instruction manual for life knows more about it than I do.

Gods Word Is the Standard

2^nd Timothy 3:16 teaches us that all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in right living. In Matthew 4:4 Jesus tells us that man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

One of the great foundations for Christian growth and finishing the race is to understand that the bible is Gods word to us, Gods will for us and the authority for all areas of our lives. If the bible says that stealing is wrong then its wrong and I can not argue with it. If the bible says that adultery is wrong then it is wrong no matter what I may think about it.

If I do not accept the bible as the authority to govern my life then I can not grow, I can not have a relationship with God and I will not be able to finish the race. If I choose to go left when Gods word says to go right, I am not following the instruction manual and I am not listening to the voice of God in my life.

I am convinced that one of the main reasons that people do not grow as Christians and do not continue on in the race is they have never given Gods word the place it should have in their lives

So we must settle it in our hearts and minds, the bible is God speaking to me and it is the authority for my life. So as the authority in my life, whatever the bible has to say about church attendance or any subject I will have to follow those instructions if I am going to finish the race.

Key Ingredients for Finishing the Race

Let’s ask ourselves this question. What can I receive from regular church attendance that I can not receive at home? What benefits or blessings will come to me at church that I can not receive at home? Are there key ingredients to help me finish the race that I can only find at Gods house?

Corporate Worship
Psalm 149:1 says sing unto the Lord a new song and sing His praise in the congregation of the saints. You can worship God at home, in your car or anywhere and you should. I have experienced wonderful times of worship in Gods presence at home in my own personal time with God. But the fact is this; God has ordained the church. Man did not come up with the idea for church. The church was Gods idea and God has ordained for His people to come together as a church body to worship Him. Something wonderful and inspiring takes place when Gods people worship Him together. Although I may be blessed at home in my own prayer time, there is a higher level of worship that we can attain as we come together as the body of Christ under one roof.

If you want to do a more in depth study on this subject, you will find instances in the Old Testament where spectacular manifestations of Gods presence would occur when His people sang praise and worshipped Him together.

Corporate worship will draw you closer to the Lord. It is pivotal in helping you grow in your faith and in your relationship with God. There is a blessing of Gods grace and presence that will come to you in the congregation that you can not receive at home.

Without corporate worship you will be missing one of the key ingredients that you need in your life to move forward and finish the race.

Flocks Need a Shepherd
The Pastor was another one of Gods ideas. God has ordained, anointed and equipped Pastors to feed His people spiritual food. Pastors are a ministry gift that God has given the world to help train, disciple and equip Gods people for life and for service. There are truths and knowledge that you will receive under the ministry of a Pastor that you will not receive at home. Not that you can not learn at home, its just that the Pastor has been ordained and anointed by God to make spiritual deposits and impartations from Gods word and Gods Spirit into your life. The impartation that you receive from a Pastor will bring grace, blessing and growth into your life.

You may be going through a particular problem one week and God may use the Pastor on Sunday morning to speak to you about your situation. You may have questions going through your mind one week and God will use the Pastor to speak answers about those very things you have questions about.

It doesn’t matter who you are, everybody needs a Pastor because they have been chosen by God to help us develop as children of God.

To finish the race, we all need a Pastor who can make an impartation into our life. Without the impartation of a Pastor you will be missing one of the Key ingredients that will help you finish the race.

Of course you will need to be cautious. Jesus spoke about wolves in sheep’s clothing. That means there are preachers who look like the real deal but they really are not. There are churches that look great on the outside but have no Spirit on the inside. You should pray and search for a bible believing church where you can hear sound bible teaching and feel the uplifting presence of God. If God does not manifest His presence to you then you need to move on until you find the right church.

Christian Fellowship
Good Christian fellowship is another key ingredient to finishing your race. The bible says in Proverbs 27:17," that as iron sharpens iron so does one man sharpen the countenance of his friend". That simply means that we as children of God can help each other to grow in grace and in the things of God. Two people fellowshipping around Jesus, the bible and the things of God will be lifted up, strengthened and renewed in their faith. That kind of fellowship will foster and encourage Christian growth.

On the other hand, the wrong kind of fellowship with the wrong people and it will hinder your spiritual life. Over the past 15 years as pastor of a church, I have witnessed first hand the results of Christians running with the wrong crowd. People who do not develop and maintain godly relationships but rather run with their old friends are often pulled out of the church and back out into a worldly lifestyle.

Please do not misunderstand me. I am not saying that you can not have non-Christian friends. I am saying that you have to be careful and smart as a Christian. You have to know where to draw the line. You must know that ungodly influence will influence you the wrong way.

To finish this race you need godly fellowship and you need to recognize relationships that are dangerous to your Christian experience.

Without good Christian friends to pray with, study the bible with and just have fun with, you will be missing one of the key ingredients that you need to finish the race.

Conclusion
Church attendance can mean the difference between finishing the race or falling away from the faith. But do not take me wrong. Church attendance in its self will not get you to heaven. The right church will do wonders in keeping you moving in the right direction. The wrong church could even hinder your spiritual life.

When Jesus spoke to the religious leaders of His day He said "you draw nigh to God with your lips but your heart is far from Him". As it was then, so it is now. There are many wonderful churches and pastors in the world. There are also those who have more of a religion then a relationship with God. It will be your job to find the right church that can help you grow and move forward in your relationship with God.

If you find the right church that has a true worship service, with a Pastor who is truly feeding the flock, you develop godly relationships with good Christian people, and you faithfully attend every Sunday, these things will go along way in helping you to finish the race. Gods best to you.