Finish WellKing Asa and The Apostle Paul Compared

Prepared & Presented By:Nathan RoseScrumRedeemer Grace Presbyterian Church 28 June 2014

Study Roadmap – Contrast Legacies of Asa & Paul………..…

The Big Idea……………………………………….……………

Your legacy as a man and as a Christian is determined by how you finish the race NOT by how you started

How King Asa Started……………………………….……..• 2 Chronicles 14-16• King of Judah from 911 – 870 BC• Purged idolatry from Judah• God blessed Asa’s reign as a result

Maybe King Asa

How the Apostle Paul Started….………………………• Was a ‘Pharisee

among Pharisees’• Trusted in his own

ability to keep God’s laws and earn his way to heaven• Was so devout in

his Jewish faith he persecuted and killed Christians

Maybe The Apostle Paul

How Asa Finished……………………………………………• Asa disobeyed God in a

moment of doubt and relied on a foreign king rather than trusting the Lord his God• As a result a prophet shows

up to tell him off• Instead of repenting Asa is

angry and ends his reign by imprisoning the prophet and inflicting cruelty on God’s people

How Paul Finished…………….…………………………….• While on his way to kill

Christians God knocked him off his horse, blinded him and converted him• Paul preached the gospel to

the Gentiles (us) and wrote much of the New Testament• Paul risked his life to take the

Gospel to the Roman Emperor• Paul was martyred for his faith

in Jesus – he finished well

Artists rendition of Paul’s conversion

Two men………….two very different stories

King Asa• Started Well – purged idolatry

from Judah• Sinned and did not repent• Tarnished legacy

The Apostle Paul• Persecuted and murdered God’s

people• God knocked him off his horse

an grabbed him• Martyred for spreading the

Gospel

How you started the race doesn’t matter…….….• No one remembers

who took the lead in the first innings• No one remembers

who was ahead at half time• No one remembers

the blunders that were made during the game

But how you finish the race does………………………• Everyone remembers who won

the game• Everyone remembers how the

movie ended• Your legacy as a man and as a

Christian is determined by how you finish the race with Jesus not how you started it

So now what………….……………………………………..?• God can use even the biggest

failures among us to accomplish his ends – he actually prefers to achieve his ends through those who are lacking• It doesn’t matter what you’ve done

– repent and walk with Jesus – if Asa had repented of his sin his legacy would be different• Start today from where you are and

take one step at a time

Finish Well!

The Crown of Righteousness….……………………….“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 the Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”

Prayer of Sir Francis Drake………(yes he was a pirate)Disturb us, Lord, when We are too well pleased with ourselves,

When our dreams have come trueBecause we have dreamed too little,When we arrived safelyBecause we sailed too close to the shore.Disturb us, Lord, whenWith the abundance of things we possessWe have lost our thirstFor the waters of life;Having fallen in love with life,We have ceased to dream of eternityAnd in our efforts to build a new earth,We have allowed our visionOf the new Heaven to dim.Disturb us, Lord, to dare more boldly,To venture on wider seasWhere storms will show your mastery;Where losing sight of land,We shall find the stars.We ask You to push backThe horizons of our hopes;And to push into the futureIn strength, courage, hope, and love.

Maybe Sir Francis Drake

What will your Legacy Be………………..…………….?

Will you finish badly like Asa leaving a legacy of death?

Will you finish well like Paul leaving a legacy of Christ to those who come after you?

Do we get to play pool now…………..………………?