IT'S NOT HOW YOU START, IT'S HOW YOU FINISH

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In high school, I ran both track and cross-country. I actually only did cross-country in order to stay in shape for the track season. I loved every aspect of track. I loved the running, jumping, and even the throwing. I also loved the strategy that went into all the events.
For example, when you filled out the card for your events, the one that decided what events you were doing, you had to make sure that one event wouldn't interfere with something else you wanted to enter.
However, there was also a great deal of strategy when it came to the events themselves. You never wanted to do your best jump first, because it might motivate your opponent. Likewise, when participating in the running events, you never wanted to just blast off at the start. If you did, you were likely to suffer at the end. Instead, you wanted to establish a pace that you could keep increasing the whole race long. I recall one memorable race my freshmen year. I was about to complete my first competitive season. It was our lone home meet of the year, and I wanted to do my best. In all honesty, I also wanted to impress the girl I was dating at the time who was on the girl's track team.
Well, my best event was the 600-meter, and I just knew that I could win. So, I lined up in my lain, got in my stance, and blasted off win the starter fired his gun! I ran like nobodies business. I flew down the track to make the first of my ten turns. I was in first place when we turned to come back! On the way back, I began to feel just a little winded, and therefore it wasn't a surprise when we made our next turn that I had slipped to third place. Now, I was just a little shocked when at the next turn I found myself in sixth out of eight places, but I still thought I had a chance. I went right on thinking that until I felt something give away in my upper leg. We would find out later that I had torn a quad muscle, however, at the time I thought my leg had just exploded! All of this just goes to show you that it's not how you start; it's how you finish.
Isn't the same thing true of our Christian lives? Often we start good, but our finish isn't nearly as good. Today, I want to help you in understanding that it isn't how you start; rather it's how you finish. There is a dangerous attitude out there, which holds that good people cannot go bad, and "bad" people cannot go good. I want to assist us in learning that regardless who you are, there's always a reason to fight, to struggle onward, to keep striving to be better and better! For the next few moments, we want to consider King Asa, who started good and finished bad, and King Manasseh who started horribly, and finished fantastically! My prayer is that through this study, we will come to see that we can change, both for the good as well as for the bad.

I. KING ASA-- FROM GREAT TO GRIZZLY

1. Few people had as good of a start as King Asa.
A. 2Chron 14: 2 in the beginning, Asa, "did what was good and right in the eyes of his God."
B. 2Chron 14: 7 in the beginning, Asa led his followers to praise God for what he had done.
C. 2Chron 14: 11 in the beginning, Asa called for the protection of God rather than the valor of man.
2. Unfortunately for Asa, he didn't finish as well as he began.
A. 2Chron 16: 7 in the end, Asa did that which was displeasing in the eyes of the Lord.
B. 2Chron 16: 10 in the end, Asa oppressed rather than led the people.
C. 2Chron 16: 3 in the end, Asa trusted more in the money in his treasury, rather than in the Lord his God!
3. Sadly I think you would agree that there are many similarities between our beginnings and end, and that of King Asa.
A. Jer 20: 9 often we begin with the Lord burning like a fire in our bones, yet end with the flames of pride and arrogance lighting our path.
B. Eph 3: 21 often we begin by giving God the glory he's due, but soon turn to our own self-glorification.
C. 2Ch 16: 9 when we, like Asa, allow our hearts to depart from that first love, we will also never know a moment of true peace.

II. KING MANASSEH—FROM GRIZZLY TO GREAT

1. As good as King Asa began in his service to God; King Manasseh was on the completely opposite end of the spectrum.
A. 2Ch 33: 3 in the beginning, Manasseh worshiped false gods.
B. 2Ch 33: 4 in the beginning, Manasseh defiled the house of the Lord.
C. 2Ch 33: 9 in the beginning, Manasseh led his followers away from the true God.
2. However, as time and experience usually do, they taught Manasseh a great deal of humility, and assured him of a great finish.
A. 2Chron 33: 11 thanks to hard time, Manasseh saw the need for a change.
B. 2Chron 33: 11 thanks to hard experience, Manasseh saw the nee for a better way of living.
C. Rather than growing bitter against God because of the decisions, which he himself had made, Manasseh instead chose to turn his life around.
3. If we are to become more than we are at this time, then we must conduct this same self-examination.
A. Josh 24: 15 let us end by serving God and him alone!
B. 1Tim 3: 15 let us end by building up the house of the Lord as the pillar of truth, which he intends for it to be!
C. 2Tim 4: 2 let us end by preaching to others about Christ, rather than teaching them to go away from Christ!