Colossians 1:19–23 — “For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.”

Go the distance. We just had a marathon and we had someone right in our church who knows what it is, not only to speak it, but she had to work it out. Go the distance. You know, just the thought of that makes me want to sit down. But nevertheless, we are charged to go the distance. Spiritually, go the distance.

Many people start out, but somewhere along the way, they become discouraged and they drop the baton. So we’re going to say, not so, not on my watch, in the precious name of Jesus. If you dropped it, thank God we can always be restored, even today.

Is that your testimony? Thank You, Lord. We were once alienated from God, and we now, by the power of the blood, have been made new, new! We know the Word of God that says:

2 Corinthians 5:17 — “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

It’s because of the blood of Jesus Christ that we have been forgiven, and we have been reconciled to a holy God, so that when God looks upon us, He doesn’t see our sin, but the righteousness of Jesus, because of the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made.

So we are now presented holy and blameless. Jesus, thank You Lord you are able to present us holy and blameless before God.

We are called to live above reproach. Can we? Yes. We can live above reproach because of the power of the Holy Spirit. Not by might, not by power, but by the Spirit of the living God.

It doesn’t mean we’re perfect. That’s why the altar is there. That’s why we can run to Psalm 51 when we know we’ve missed the mark. But thanks be to God, we can live blameless lives.

Verse 23 says, if. Big, capital, bold—IF we continue in the faith. It’s one thing to begin, it’s another to continue. I’m speaking to those who began. You began with passion, fervor, joy. So what is hindering you now? No excuses. No excuses! But if you dropped the baton, thank God there’s a mercy seat.

1 John 1:9 — “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

We refuse to move to hopelessness. We choose to continue hopeful. It’s impossible to please God without faith. We must remain steadfast, not shifting from the gospel.

We have to go the distance. Run this race. Our heads are not in the clouds. We will face opposition. But we press through. Press through.

Paul faced opposition:

2 Corinthians 11:23–28 — “Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.”

Jesus told Ananias about Paul:

Acts 9:16 — “For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.”

We won’t suffer exactly like Paul, that was his assignment. But will we quit at adversity? No. We grow through adversity. We endure. We do not drop the baton.

We have an adversary. The enemy waits especially when God blesses us. Be vigilant.

1 Peter 5:8–9 — “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

We will suffer. But hear the promise:

1 Peter 5:10 — “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”

Even if you drop the baton, God restores. Don’t disqualify yourself. Pick it up. Let’s get moving. Amen?

1. Commit to the cause of Christ. Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

2. Commit yourself to Jesus Christ.

Romans 10:9 — “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

3. Commit to community. Do not run alone. The enemy looks for the isolated one.

Hebrews 10:25 — “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

We need fellowship. We need unity. That’s where God commands the blessing.

Psalm 133:1–2 — “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments.”

Let’s make up our minds that we will go the distance. We will go together. We will endure. We will run. We will not drop the baton. Go the distance.

Father, strengthen us to go the distance. Keep our feet steadfast. Keep our hearts anchored. Keep our faith rooted. We refuse to drop the baton. In Jesus’ name. Amen.